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How the Bush Administration Gave Subsidy-Rich California Farmers a $17 Million Christmas Bonus
Taking from the Taxpayers: Reselling Subsidized Water
Once the home of a vibrant fishery, today the watershed of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers is one of the most artificially controlled hydrological systems in the world: Both rivers have been dammed, as have all but one of their major tributaries. [36] The water from these vast river drainages eventually flows into the West Coast's largest estuarine ecosystem — the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary, which has also been extensively altered by human activity.
In the Delta, two massive pumping facilities extract water and funnel it into the largest federally-run water delivery system in the country and the largest state-run delivery system: the federal Central Valley Project (CVP) and the State Water Project (SWP), respectively. At certain times of the year when the SWP and the CVP are exporting high levels of water from the Delta, the San Joaquin River actually reverses its flow between its confluence with the Sacramento River and the pumps. The river actually flows upstream. As if these extreme disruptions of the natural fish and wildlife habitat weren't enough, the pumps themselves kill millions of fish each year. [36]
By the early 1980s, federal scientists realized that fish populations in the Delta and throughout the watershed were crashing — in large part because of the export of millions of acre-feet of water to the SWP and CVP. From 1987 to 1992, a severer drought exacerbated this already dire situation and ultimately forced the California Department of Water Resources to limit its agricultural water deliveries. It was also clear that a much more ambitious plan was needed to restore ecosystem health in the Bay and Delta. A joint state-federal agency known as CALFED was created to develop and implement this plan, which included a controversial program known as the Environmental Water Account (EWA).
The EWA, which has been in operation since 2000, is like a virtual water district where the customers are fish. EWA buys water from willing sellers within the CVP and SWP at market rates to use for environmental purposes, such as improving water quality in a particular section of river or helping to restore threatened fish species such as salmon and smelt. The idea was to provide a mechanism to protect fish without affecting agricultural water supplies. It was also hoped that the prospect of reselling their unused water would encourage conservation by farmers. The success of the EWA in accomplishing this goal is debatable: The program has been hampered by a limited budget and inadequate water supply. [37] One thing is clear: The EWA is a highly effective mechanism for water districts that get cheap irrigation water to make a bundle off of taxpayers.
As the EWA is a publicly funded entity, the government is essentially selling SWP and CVP water to farmers at very low prices, then buying it back later at much higher rates to replace water that never left the river in the first place. Since the EWA has been in operation, it has purchased water from 16 different water agencies. But one has profited far more than any other: the Kern County Water Agency. KCWA is the largest agricultural water contractor in the SWP. It serves 14 different water districts †1 within the San Joaquin Valley and receives, on average, 84 percent of the irrigation water delivered by the SWP each year. [38]
Between 2001 and 2004, KCWA paid an average of $63.40 per acre-foot †2 (af) for its SWP water. [38-42] This amounts to a subsidy of at least $100 an acre-foot, given that the California Department of Water Resources and the Federal Bureau of Reclamation recently estimated that if a new dam were built on the upper San Joaquin River, the irrigation water it would deliver would cost a minimum of $170.42 per af †3. [43] But the KCWA is getting an even better deal: It is allowed to sell part of its water back to the taxpayers via the EWA at rates as much as 7 times higher than what it paid.
From 2001-2004, KCWA sold 277,400 af of water to the EWA at an average price of $198 per af, for a total of $54.9 million. The Agency's profit was $38.6 million — an average of $9.6 million per year. [38-42] Overall, KCWA has received more than one-third of the total expenditures by the EWA, and by far more money of any other individual water agency. [38] KCWA has perfected a scam in which taxpayers subsidize its below-market purchase of a public resource (water), then must pay much more to buy the water back in an attempt to restore another public resource (fish). Perhaps the most outrageous part of the scheme is that the Bay-Delta needs restoration largely because of the diversion of subsidized agricultural water and the runoff of pesticides and other toxic agricultural chemicals.
Besides resales to the EWA, from 1995 to 2004 the Kern County Water Agency sold another 456,092 acre-feet of water to other water districts, and the Tulare Lake Basin district sold 76,941 acre-feet to other districts. Prices and profits for those sales are details hidden from the public by state law, so it is impossible to know how much profit these water agencies made on such transactions. [44] In 2002, The Sacramento Bee estimated that just three water districts that are part of KCWA in recent years had made more than $128 million from sales to municipalities. [45]
But in Kern County there is potentially even more profit to be made from reselling subsidized water — even if that water exists only on paper.
According to a 2003 investigation by the taxpayer watchdog group Public Citizen, the KCWA and three of the water districts it serves own 42 percent of the Kern Water Bank, a huge underground storage facility that can store about 1 million acre-feet of water. [46] The state spent $74 million to develop the water bank, then in 1994 turned it over to the KCWA after secret meetings produced the so-called Monterey Agreement. This was a pact between the state, big farmers and developers based on the hope that someday, by building new dams and reservoirs, the State Water Project will be able to deliver all of the 4.2 million acre-feet specified in its contracts. As noted previously, half of the amount contracted for currently exists only on paper.
Another 48 percent of the water bank is owned by the Westside Mutual Water Co., a paper entity owned, operated and housed in the Bakersfield offices of its only customer, Paramount Farming Co. According to the California Farm Bureau, Paramount Farming and its corporate siblings, Paramount Citrus and Paramount Farming, Inc., comprise the largest farm company in the United States. [46] From 1995 to 2003, Paramount received $576,000 in USDA crop subsidies.
Paramount is part of Roll International Corp., a holding company privately owned by Stewart Resnick of Beverly Hills, one of the richest people in Los Angeles with an estimated net worth of $740 million. [47] Through Roll International, Resnick also owns the Franklin Mint, mail-order marketers of kitschy commemorative memorabilia, and Teleflora, a national floral delivery service.
Public Citizen documented that Westside MWC was created by Paramount Farming in hopes of reselling some of its non-existent SWP allocation to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. (Fans of the film Chinatown need no reminder of the LA water department's dark history of water grabs.) However, the labyrinthian connections of corporate interests with ties to the Kern County Water Bank point to other potential customers: Developers who want to turn former and current farmland between Bakersfield and Los Angeles into sprawling new towns called Tejon Ranch and Newhall Ranch.
Dennis Mullins, vice president and general counsel of Tejon Ranch, is on the board of directors both of the Kern County Water Bank and two of the water districts that own it — districts that will share in the Tulare Lake settlement. Another of the water districts that will receive part of the settlement and is a part-owner of the water bank already delivers water to Newhall Land & Farming, developers of Newhall Ranch. And Public Citizen uncovered a water sales contract between Newhall and a company owned by Paramount's corporate parent, Roll International. It doesn't take a conspiracy theorist to guess that an ultimate goal of the water districts that control the water bank is to turn paper water from the SWP into real water they can sell to developers at a profit.
Until then, they have their share of $16.7 million to see them through.
†1 — Berrenda Mesa Water District, Lost Hills Water District, Belridge Water Storage District, Semitropic Water Storage District, Cawelo Water District, Kern County Water Improvement District #4, Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District, Buena Vista Water Storage District, Kern Delta Water District, Henry Miller Water District, West Kern Water District, Wheeler Ridge-Maricopa Water Storage District, Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District, and Tejon-Castaic Water District.
†2 — An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover an acre of land one foot deep, or 325,851 gallons.
†3 — This is a highly conservative cost estimate because it does not include the costs for road construction, relocations of existing facilities, environmental mitigation, land acquisition, reservoir cleaning, or interest.


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Sandy victims helped through FEMA Corp by Pittsfield man
Sunday November 18, 2012
PITTSFIELD -- The line of people is long, stretching out the door of the Disaster Recovery Center and far down the street, but 24-year-old Shane Snyder isn't worried.
He's confident that he and his team of nine FEMA Corps members, working 12-hour days, will meet with each victim of Hurricane Sandy in Long Beach, N.Y., and explain what type of help is available to them.
Snyder, who grew up in Pittsfield and graduated from St. Joseph Central High School in 2006, said more than 1,200 people have registered for federal assistance after the massive storm winds destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in Nassau County.
When he and his team arrived from West Virginia three days after the storm hit, he said the area was still in disarray.
"Driving down the main street in Long Beach, debris was everywhere and there was huge piles of sand," Snyder said during a phone interview Thurs day. "Since we've arrived the Dis aster Recovery Cen ter has been swamped with applicants and the reception area has been filled non-stop."
Speaking with the applicants hasn't been easy, he said.
"A lot of people have been displaced and had to be relocated to shelters or had to stay with family members," Snyder said. "Before power was restored this week, most felt helpless. With no heat and no electricity, the storm last week was even harder for most."
About a week after Sandy hit coastal New York and New Jersey, a nor'easter complicated many of the recovery efforts and left a large swath of the East Coast further battered by wet snow.
This week the majority of power was restored to Nassau County. Most of the debris is cleared, along with the sand dunes created by the storm, and many people are returning to the area to asses the damage to their homes and cleanup what the storm left in its wake. But one group of people may have been the hardest, Snyder said.
"There's a lot of tough stories," he said. "Renters have lost everything and many didn't have insurance so we're trying to speed up the process if we can."
FEMA Corps, a partnership between FEMA and Ameri Corps, was established in 2011 following a record breaking year of federally declared disasters, including Tropical Storm Irene.
The 10-month program, educates and dispatches people age 18-to-24 to help respond to disasters and recovery scenes.
Prior to arriving in New York, Snyder and his team were stationed in West Virginia helping a few dozen victims of a June wind storm.
Seeing the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and the immediate need of thousands was a stark contrast, he said.
Although there is still plenty of work left to be completed, Snyder is confident it will get done and people will be able to rebuild what was lost.
"Stores are re-opening, trash people removed from their homes and put out on the street has been cleaned up. You can really start to see the recovery," he said.
To reach Josh Stilts:
or (413) 496-6243
On Twitter: @JoshStilts
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.

subset: commoncrawl


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- Home
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The Energy Ombudsman Western Australia is now the Energy and Water Ombudsman Western Australia.
Click here to be redirected to the Employment opportunities page on the Energy and Water Ombudsman Western Australia website.
If you require information about the Energy and Water Ombudsman's office, contact us on 08 9220 7588 or email


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By KARLA POMEROY
TCT customers noticed Jan. 1 that they were still able to get ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC network stations out of Billings, but no longer have ABC out of Casper (KTWO).
TCT Network Manager Richard Wardell said they formally signed agreements with KSVI and KHMT. The two network stations had originally requested a 300 percent increase. "We've negotiated down from their original request but it's still a huge increase," he said.
As such, and in addition to regular incremental increases from other channels such as ESPN, Lifetime and RootSports, TCT has planned an increase to its broadband television customers, effective Feb. 1. A letter was sent Dec. 30, outlining the increases. The new rates are for Basic, Value, Lovell Cable TV, Expanded and Premium television packages. These are the only TCT services that will incur rate adjustments, In regard to broadband television monthly equipment pricing for HD and DVR are not increasing at this time.
Wardell said extensions with KULR through Jan. 15 and KTVQ through the end of the month have been granted as they continue to negotiate a new three-year agreement. He said the two stations want to continue to provide an off-air signal to Meeteetse that TCT provides.
"There's a lot of discussion of what they provide and what we provide them," Wardell said.
In regard to KTWO, Wardell said the company opted not to continue to carry the ABC affiliate since the programming duplicates programming offered from the Billings channel and that Casper is not in its direct market area.
Wardell said Casper is unhappy with TCT's decision and as such blacked out KTWO in Ten Sleep, which is in the Casper direct market area and does not have Billings channels.
"We told them that with the price and quality of the signal, we can't afford the price for duplication of services. If they are going to charge a premium price they need better delivery. We've had outages and problems with the equipment we pick up the signal from. We can't afford to duplicate services for the same price with same programming except some different local news programming," he said.
TCT is continuing to negotiate with Casper to bring KTWO back to its Ten Sleep broadband television customers.
Wardell noted that three Casper networks, including KTWO, have blacked out its stations with Worland's Dish Network subscribers as well.
According to a photo on one of the Casper channels that was e-mailed to Wardell from a Worland Dish Network customer, the Dish Network notice states, "This station has blocked this channel after making outrageous rate demands. DISH Network has made numerous attempts to avoid interruption of service to our valued customers, including offering an extension. This offer was flatly refused. DISH Network remained available to negotiate over the holiday weekend but the station, unconcerned about its viewers refused to even answer the phone."
More information on struggles of satellite and cable providers negotiating re-transmission agreements can be found at www.FairSatellite.com.
Wardell noted that prices from networks continue to rise even though there are other avenues for people to find programming, including online at sites such as hulu.com or even network websites for their own network shows.
"Stations are giving it away to those with antenna but companies wanting to provide better product and better signal are getting charged huge price," Wardell said. "Our content does not have as much value as it used to be because of other avenues to get programming. We're paying more for signals that are less valuable."


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MSO Honors Johnson, Haugan; Cheers Ohlsson
The beginning of the classical music concert season in Madison has much of the feeling of the beginning of the athletic season – except the seats are more comfortable.
The Madison Symphony Orchestra opened its 87th season Friday night at the Overture Center with an almost all-Russian concert featuring pianist Garrick Ohlsson and honoring the late Roland Johnson, music director here for 33 years and tuba principal Paul Haugan, who performed with the orchestra for 30 seasons before his death earlier this year at age 57.
The atmosphere of the entire evening, from the opening notes of the National Anthem (that's a tradition for symphonies but, I swear, we sing it with more gusto than most) to the almost wild cheering for Ohlsson at concert's end, was one of celebration and good times.
Even current music director John DeMain is observing his 19th season with the MSO. Ohlsson has played here previously in 1984, 1985, 2002 and 2008.
So, there is an "old shoe" comfortableness with the orchestra. But that doesn't mean the music is any the less exciting.
The evening began with "Adagio for Strings," a piece composed originally for tubas by John Stevens, director of the School of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (that's the "almost Russian" part of the concert. It is a very sweet piece, one which Stevens transcribed for strings a few years ago.
Igor Stravinsky's "Suite from the Firebird" followed and brought the audience to its feet for a second time (the "Star Spangled Banner").
If I have any complaint about the Madison audience, however, it is that we have a tendency to offer standing ovations to anyone or anything we like. What happened at the first concert is that the standing ovation began even as DeMain was trying to recognize individual musicians. The result was that those patrons physically unable to rise also were unable to see who it was that DeMain was honoring.
Ohlsson, however, stole the show.
A giant of a man – he seems even more so standing next to DeMain and to the MSO's diminutive concert master Naha Greenholtz – Ohlsson dominates both the stage and the concert grand piano.
He played Tchaikovsky's "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2," a 41-minute long work that fills the concert hall with the piano's bass notes but also includes very beautiful solos for violin and cello (Greenholtz and cellist Karl Divine performed admirably) and, this time, even I was on my feet before DeMain recognized the other soloists.


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DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur
- Free parking
- Collect nights
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpurfrom $55
- Deluxe Room, 1 King Bed
- Executive Room, 1 King Bed
- Room, 2 Twin Beds
- Room, 1 King Bed
- Deluxe Room, 2 Twin Beds
- Executive Room, 2 Twin Beds
- Deluxe Suite, 1 King Bed
- Suite, 1 King Bed, Terrace
- Executive Suite, 1 King Bed
- Room, 1 King Bed, Accessible
- Executive Suite, 2 Bedrooms
- Deluxe Room, 1 King Bed (High Floor)
- Deluxe Room, 2 Twin Beds (High Floor)
More great choices
What's around DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur
- In Kuala Lumpur City Centre
- Petronas Twin Towers - 18 min walk
- KLCC Park - 21 min walk
- Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre - 24 min walk
- Pavilion Kuala Lumpur - 28 min walk
- Kuala Lumpur Tower - 33 min walk
- Berjaya Times Square - 36 min walk
- Royal Thai Embassy - 14 min walk
Getting around
- Kuala Lumpur (KUL-Kuala Lumpur Intl.) - 44 min drive
- Subang (SZB-Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah) - 29 min drive
- Kuala Lumpur Titiwangsa Station - 6 min drive
- Kuala Lumpur Sentul KTM Komuter Station - 7 min drive
- Kuala Lumpur Station - 10 min drive
- Ampang Park Station - 8 min walk
- KLCC Station - 14 min walk
- Kampang Baru Station - 23 min walk
- Airport shuttle (surcharge)
At a glance
Key facts
Hotel size
- This hotel has 538 rooms
- This hotel is arranged over 23 floors
- Check-in time starts at 3 PM
- Check-out time is noon
- Express check-in/out
Required at check-in
- Credit card, debit card, or cash deposit required for incidental charges
- Government-issued photo ID required
- Minimum check-in age is 18
Travelling with others
- Children stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding
- Babysitting/childcare *
- Pets not allowed
- WiFi in public areas *
- WiFi and wired Internet access in rooms *
- Airport shuttle (available 24 hours) *
- Free self parking
- Valet parking *
- Extended parking
Payment types at the property
- Cash
In the hotel
- Buffet breakfast daily (surcharge)
- 5 restaurants
- 2 bars/lounges
- Coffee shop/café
- Snack bar/deli
- Poolside bar
- 24-hour room service
- Outdoor pool
- Children's pool
- 24-hour fitness facilities
- Golf lessons available nearby
- Golfing nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Mountain biking nearby
- Scooter/moped rentals nearby
- 24-hour business center
- Meeting rooms
- Conference space size (feet) - 37000
- Conference space size (meters) - 3437
- 24-hour front desk
- Concierge services
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Laundry facilities
- Free grocery shopping service
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Luggage storage
- Wedding services
- Multilingual staff
- Porter/bellhop
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Year Built - 1994
- Elevator
- ATM/banking
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Designated smoking areas
- Television in common areas
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
- Wheelchair-accessible parking
- Chinese
- English
- French
- Hindi
- Malay
In the room
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Minibar
- Bathrobes
- Iron/ironing board
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Pillow menu
- Down comforter
- Turndown service
- Private bathroom
- Bathtub or shower
- Rainfall showerhead
- Designer toiletries
- Hair dryer
- 32-inch LCD TV
- Premium TV channels
- MP3 docking station
- Desk
- Free newspaper
- WiFi (surcharge)
- Phone
- Microwave (on request)
- Free bottled water
- Daily housekeeping
- In-room safe
Also popular with travelers from the USA
Special features
DiningMakan Kitchen - This restaurant specializes in Malaysian cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Tosca Italian Trattoria - This poolside restaurant specializes in Italian cuisine and serves lunch and dinner. Guests can enjoy alfresco dining (weather permitting).
The Food Store - This café serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Cellar Door - This wine bar serves lunch, dinner, and light fare. Happy hour is offered.
Axis Lounge - Onsite bar. Happy hour is offered.
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur's small print
Also known as
- DoubleTree Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur
- Kuala Lumpur Hilton DoubleTree
- DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur Hotel
- DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur
- DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur Hotel Kuala Lumpur
- DoubleTree Hilton Kuala Lumpur
- DoubleTree Hotel Kuala Lumpur
- DoubleTree Kuala Lumpur Hilton
- DoubleTree Kuala Lumpur Hotel
- Hilton DoubleTree Hotel Kuala Lumpur
- Hilton DoubleTree Kuala Lumpur
- Hilton Kuala Lumpur DoubleTree
- Hotel DoubleTree Hilton Kuala Lumpur
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
Parking height restrictions apply.
Mandatory fees
You'll be asked to pay the following charges at check-in or check-out:
- A tax of MYR 10.00 per accommodation, per night is imposed by the country of Malaysia and collected at the property. Permanent residents and Malaysian nationals are exempt from the tax. For more details, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
Optional extras
Valet parking costs MYR 20 per day
Rollaway beds are available for MYR 130.0 per night
Buffet breakfast is offered for an extra charge of MYR 64.00 per person (approximately)
Babysitting/childcare is available for an extra charge
Airport shuttle service is offered for an extra charge of MYR 340 per vehicle (one way)
WiFi is available in guestrooms for MYR 49 per night (rates may vary)
WiFi is available in public areas for MYR 49 per day (rates may vary)
Wired Internet access is available in guestrooms for MYR 49 per night (rates may vary)
We have included all charges provided to us by this property. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the unit you book.
Didn't find the right property?Continue searching for Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Recent reviews
Very Good 8.4 From 732 reviews
All the staff were very nice
Top quality hotel at an excellent price
i was staying at the executive club room, but there was damp smell coming from the room. got changed to deluxe after waiting for almost an hour to change.
Shower has mold
Is the description of this hotel not correct? Tell us


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Alexandria Hollywood Mirror
Diamond X Hollywood Mirrors are the UKs leading brand of Hollywood Makeup Mirrors. Designed and made in the United Kingdom, they are built using the best materials making them incredibly robust and of an exceptional quality. Rest assured, for peace of mind, all Diamond X Hollywood Mirrors are sold with a FREE Lifetime Warranty which is valid on all parts - with the exception of the LED Bulbs.
Hollywood Mirror with Dim Switch and LED Bulbs
Alexandria Hollywood MirrorHollywood Mirror
with Dim Switch and LED Bulbs
Size: H:800mm x W:600mm x d:60mm
This product features
- 12 x 3W, 24V, super-bright, cool-touch LED bulbs (included)
- Dimmer switch (right hand side)
- Crystal clear mirror glass
- Wall hung
- The Ultimate make up mirror!
- 3 meter cable
- CE & RoHS certified
- Lifetime Warranty & manufacturers guarantee
- The mirror is in accordance with CE and RoHS regulations
Our Bathroom Mirror range are designed and manufactured to extremely high standards. We are so confident in the quality of these products, we offer a no quibble 30 day money back guarantee and LIFETIME WARRANTY
Email us on [email protected]
Installation, Fixtures and Fittings
This product is simplicity itself when it comes to installation. The package includes all fixtures and fittings together with handy step-by-step instructions to enable you to fit it safely and speedily. Our customer service team is also on hand to offer guidance in the event of any queries.
Energy Efficient
The technology incorporated into this bathroom mirror provides for the ultimate in luminous efficiency. This mirror provides highly effective performance with minimum energy consumption.
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This product is CE certified to be sold and used within the UK and Europe.
Completely Safe for Bathroom Environments
This product was designed in the UK and is fully CE ROHS certified.
This product comes with a free lifetime warranty, valid for all parts with the exception of bulbs.


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Why Otava Folk High School
Located in the heart of the Lakeland district of eastern Finland, Otava Folk High School has served students from near and afar for over 120 years. Folk high schools are learning institutions where one can broaden one's horizons, social insights as well as get more confidence in oneself. Learning is a lifelong process. Diversity is one area where we draw many of our strengths.
The education-for-all ideal is linked to our Nordic welfare state values. Everyone in our society has the right and opportunity during their lifetime to study and receive quality education. At Otava Folk High School adults can major as well in music (band) as well as enroll in a number of other courses. Our visual arts classes are especially popular in the summertime.
Otava Folk High School is actively applying phenomena based teaching and learning. This pedagogical tool aims to expand the student's knowledge outside of the classroom.
Online Comprehensive and Online Upper Secondary School
No matter how old you are, it is never too late to learn and complete a degree. Finishing your comprehensive or upper secondary school studies can be done at your pace and from the comfort of your home. Some of our students live and work in foreign countries as well as on campus.
Upper Secondary School
If you don't fancy studying online you can apply to Otava Upper Secondary School. As opposed to to the online upper secondary school, students can attend courses on campus. Study at your own pace with guidance from teachers.
Preparatory Education for General Upper Secondary Education (LUVA)
Finnish high schools are demanding and require a good knowledge of the Finnish language. Preparatory high school aims at giving the student the necessary Finnish language and learning skills to succeed in high school.
Apply here. Certain proficiency level in Finnish is required.
Comprehensive School Programme for Students with Immigrant Backgrouds
We are the only school in the Region of Mikkeli that offers a comprehensive school programme for students with immigrant backgrounds. Finnish culture and immigrant orientation courses form part of our school programme. Education is an important bridge-builder between cultures.
Apply here. Certain proficiency level in Finnish is required.
Preparatory Comprehensive School Programme for Students with Immigrant Backgrouds
Students with immigrant backgrounds who still have to improve their Finnish language skills can apply in preparatory comprehensive school, which aims to make the most of their studies. After finishing comprehensive school, a student can apply in vocational or upper secondary school.
Apply here. Certain proficiency level in Finnish is required.
Otava Academy
Otava Academy is a forum that prepares students with multicultural backgrounds for a career path in Finland by working in cooperation with companies. We believe that the synergies that can be found between students and companies will not only benefit both parties but the community as well by creating jobs opportunities, innovation and growth.
Otava Folk High School is involved in a number of projects in pedagogy, information and communications technology, and social media with partners from Finland and abroad.


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This month our question from our friends at Business Management Daily.
Question: "I am an administrative assistant at a very large company and my cubicle is right outside the door of one of the directors. He happens to loudly use a particular common curse word whenever he's frustrated. I cringe every time I sense it coming. In most cases I try to scurry away from my desk so I don't have to hear it, but sometimes I do get caught off guard. Do you have any suggestions for how I can deal with this, or approach the problem directly?" – Anonymous & Frustrated [Read more…]


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Scott "Flash" Norton is the latest wrestling superstar to stop by the RF VIDEO offices for a top notch shoot interview. In this latest exclusive release, we cover Norton's entire career as Scott delivered one good story after another from his 17 years in the business. Hailing from a hotbed of wrestling, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Norton actually began his career on the arm wrestling circuit and you just know when someone talks about arm wrestling we are going to ask about the legendary Sylvester Stallone movie, Over The Top, and Scott's role in the film. Norton wasn't just any arm wrestler, he was the Super Heavyweight champion 1986 and has won championships with both his right and left arm. Just an incredible and Norton describes the backstage world of arm wrestling that few have ever heard! Norton segued easily from arm wrestling to the mat sport after starting in Verne Gagne's AWA. Norton talked about the rigorous training and dished dirt on all the top Minnesota stars such as Gagne, John Nord, Ken Patera, Larry Zbysko and the Destruction Crew. Norton left the AWA to go to Portland and eventually found himself working in Japan. We get all the details on such legendary names like Billy Jack Haynes, Brian Adams, Antonio Inoki, Riki Choshu, Hiroshi Hase, Keiji "The Great Muta" Muto and many more. There is even a five star story Norton tells about the time he met the Ultimate Warrior that has to be heard to be believed! You want to hear the details of teaming with Tony Halme and working against the Hell Raisers? How about teaming with Hercules Hernandez in the Jurassic Powers? You'll get it here and only here! From Japan to Atlanta, GA, Norton found himself in the WCW circus and you'll love the road stories that Scott brings to the table including a riotous event in which the Korean government didn't particularly enjoy a phone call between Norton and his wife in which Norton buried the country. Of course you'll get the scoop on all the big WCW names including Eric Bischoff, Sting, Hulk Hogan, the Steiner Brothers, Ric Flair and more, including a strong rebuttal to Ernest Miller. It wouldn't be a Scott Norton shoot without talking about his teaming with Buff Bagwell in "Vicious and Delicious," and we get everything you'd ever want to know about one of WCW's most charismatic tag teams! The NWO. Being IWGP chapion. Winning the G1 Climax Tag League 1996 with Hashimoto. We get Scott Norton to talk about anything and everything. Fans of 90s wrestling and good rib stories are going to enjoy this new release!


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Nick Laney gym
Posted by [email protected] at 2:51 am
"Irish generosity and charm, and once again it is served up in heaped portions. 'An Irish Christmas' captures the international spirit of holiday tradition. A great family show! ...Music, dance and song that leaves everyone breathless." The Village News
" The capacity crowd on hand broke out in spontaneous applause throughout the performance and nearly brought the house down at the end of the evening." - The Irish Herald
Tickets: Direct link or call: 303 520SHOW or by visiting the Broadmoor World Arena or Pikes Peak Center Box Offices.
Pre-event dinners in the elegant ANB room at the Pikes Peak Center are offered. Call the concierge at 719-477-2102 to make reservations.


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Chapter 1
Rebekah of the violet eyes heard a voice that would haunt her the rest of her life.
"I know she's only ten. I'll be patient."
She hugged her doll and tossed on her pallet. The heat, the flies, and the soothing words of the strange man in the next room interrupted her sleep. Visitors were rare in her home. Her widowed mother left at dawn to wash other people's laundry. In the evenings, Rebekah learned from her mother to bake pistachio cookies and crispy rice, to differentiate between aromatic herbs, and to flatter the man who would one day take care of her.
Rebekah pressed her ear to the makeshift wall.
Her mother's cough shattered the silence.
As if the cough had originated from her own lungs, Rebekah clutched her chest.
"She's the prettiest girl in Persia. I'm saving her for a rich husband."
Suspended between wakefulness and sleep, Rebekah heard the man's melodious persistence, promises of china dolls and lace skirts, chickpea candies and saffron halva, fantasies peculiar to her dreams.
Soon after, Rebekah and her mother went to the house of bougainvillea to visit the Ancient Zoroastrian, a clairvoyant who had witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties. She was the only person alive who had seen a time before evil was introduced into the world, a time when the great prophet Ahura Mazda of goodness ruled.
At the end of the alley of pomegranate trees, Rebekah and her mother approached the single room buried under lavish flowers. They parted the branches, searching for the low entrance, and nudged open the door that was never locked. Lingering at the threshold, they waited to be acknowledged.
The old woman sat cross-legged next to a brazier heaped with blazing coals on which seeds of rue crackled and smoked, permeating the air with anticipation. The Zoroastrian's ash-colored skin stretched taut over fragile bones. She had lost all her hair to the ravages of time. Her purple eyelids concealed inquisitive eyes.
Rebekah's mother averted her gaze from the turquoise amulets that hung around the woman's neck, and the red chicken eyes that were set in gold and glared at her from the Zoroastrian's pierced earlobes. "Holy One, I've promised Rebekah's hand in marriage. She's here to ask for your blessing."
The Zoroastrian did not lift her head, open her eyes, or ask any question. She had gazed into her fire and had seen Rebekah and her mother approach. The old one had clutched her bony knees and had chuckled out in glee. She had shifted closer to the flames to better inhale the scent of pearls, silk, rapture, and bliss. Neither the mother nor the child was aware that marvelous miracles were about to occur in Rebekah's life.
"Rebekah's fate is sealed," the Ancient Zoroastrian murmured in a voice that had retained the vigor of youth. "Her future is embellished with crowns and jewels. A life of lust and passion, conspiracy and love. At times, it will be difficult, but never, ever hopeless."
The Ancient Zoroastrian set her veined hand on Rebekah's head. "May Ahura Mazda bless you and may he grant me more years on this earth to revel in the impending miracles."
In the synagogue of the One-Eyed Rabbi, Rebekah's mother folded a parchment and handed it to Rebekah. "This is signed proof you're a married woman." She pressed her lips to her daughter's golden curls. "Your husband is rich. You'll live in comfort."
Glancing at the parchment that dangled from her fingers, Rebekah knew she had to accept her fate. She was sad but not scared. Promises of toys and veils and sweets, of kindness and patience and love reverberated in her head. Her mother had married her to the stranger with the sweet voice.
"Your husband will not join you in bed before your first menstrual period," her mother whispered, tears in her voice. "Since I won't be here for long, you must demand that he keep his word."
For the first time Rebekah understood the gravity of her mother's endless coughing and the terrible wheezing in her chest, and why she had found it necessary to discuss the importance of a wife's responsibilities.
Rebekah held her mother's hand as she led her past the stalls in the bazaar toward her husband's house. The ground was thick with chicken feathers, horse manure, and decayed melon rinds. The cries of the vendors of ice water, hookah pipes, and hot tea filled the air. Lopsided poles held white canvases that sheltered vendors from the fierce sunshine. Goods were exhibited at the entrances -- strings of figs suspended overhead, roasted nuts and dried beans overflowing canvas sacks, cones of sugar perched on sloping counters. The greengrocer in his skirted robe, belted at the waist with a multicolored shawl, lifted his cone-shaped hat and scratched his shaved head. He wet his henna-tinged forefinger in his mouth, then smeared his saliva on Rebekah's cheeks to scare away the evil eye. From an assortment of persimmons, pomegranates, and yellow melons open to the flies and street dust, he chose a pomegranate, quartered it, and offered her a slice. "For the violet-eyed beauty."
She bit into the bloody fruit, sucked on the seeds, and tasted the familiar tang of powdered nutmeg and ice flowers. She dropped the rest in her pocket to save for her husband.
They reached the end of the Alley of Ezekiel the Cobbler. "This is your home," her mother whispered. "Your husband is thirty-four years old. He'll take care of you."
Her home was the color of mud. From behind an iron fence that protected the house, she saw jasmine bushes, a walnut tree, and a patch of arid land.
"Rebekah," her mother said. "Look! Enough space for you to plant geranium and flowering almond and myrtle like your garden back home."
"Water our garden, Madar. Don't let it dry like this."
At her mother's touch, the gate groaned open. Rebekah stepped into the smell of hot coals. She pressed her nose to her mother's chador to inhale her scent of caramelized sugar and licorice.
Her mother squeezed her to her breasts. "You'll never be alone. I'll always be looking over you," she said, releasing her and walking out the door.
Rebekah ran to the window and peered out through the curtains, past the rusting iron gate. Clutching her doll in one hand and the parchment in another, she watched her mother's wide hips disappear around the turn of the alley. A bird fluttered against the window. The breeze ruffled the leaves of the ancient walnut tree. She turned around to look for the stranger, her husband with the lullaby voice of a storyteller.
Heavy, gold-colored drapes darkened the room. Silver masks, features frozen in laughter, stared down at her from a mantelpiece above a massive kiln in the center. Her stomach churned at the glitter. She averted her gaze from the flames in the hearth, from the poker; mesh glove and thongs suspended from hooks hammered into the cracks in the baked mud walls around the furnace.
"I am Jacob the Fatherless." A fat man with crossed eyes that quivered under heavy brows faced her.
His grating voice shattered her dreams. This was not the man with a voice like music.
His hand that smelled of burning metal grabbed her doll and sent it flying toward the kiln. She rushed to catch the doll. Flames licked the cotton face and devoured the wool dress. Rebekah leaned over the ledge that faced the kiln and thrust her hand into the fire. Jumping back, she stuffed her fingers into her mouth to soothe the burnt flesh. Her doll sizzled into black smoke, gray ash, nothing.
Jacob the Fatherless bowed in mock courtesy and straightened, lifting his stomach with a groan. Spidery legs sprouted from his swollen body, and dark, knotted curls framed his bloated cheeks. "I am a blacksmith -- a creator," he said, his crossed eyes struggling for balance. "I melt iron into any shape and alloy I want. All my life I've worked toward a day when everything I melt will turn into gold."
Her mind reeled, trying to contain the scream that choked her. Why had her mother abandoned her to this man?
He spat into the fire, tilted his head, and paused to relish the sizzle. "Your mother negotiated a bargain. She married you to Jacob the Fatherless. A man born without a father."
Her mother's lessons came to her rescue, and she gazed at Jacob with wet, violet eyes, blew on her hand, and fluttered her lashes, pretending fascination.
"Soon I'll become the richest man in the Jewish Quarter. Do you know why? I'm one of the few who endures this fire. The heat has ignited a permanent furnace in my heart. Even in my sleep, flames lash behind my lids." He shot another stream of spittle into the flames, then stared back at her. "I know a secret that will make me eternal like gold -- remain forever in one form or another, liquid or solid. Then, like God, I'll never die. Do you understand, Rebekah?"
Rebekah did not.
But that evening when she watched him melt objects in the man-sized furnace in the bedroom, she understood fear. Fear of the kiln, the fire, the madness in his eyes, the heat that turned into beads of sweat on his face while he molded metals into knives, cauldrons, and pots. In the kitchen, he nailed metal sheets on the counter and the wall behind the wood burner, in the dining room over the table and stools, in their bedroom on top of the baked-mud floors.
Past midnight, his eyes raked the house for scraps to feed his voracious flames. He formed ornamental trinkets from the remnants of metal and locked them in a box. He dangled the key in front of her face.
"Who are the trinkets for?" she asked, curiosity overcoming her fear.
He unbuttoned his coat and dropped the key in the secret pocket of his vest, stroking the place where it was buried. "One day you'll know."
When dawn glanced through the window, he nodded toward one of the pallets that flanked the kiln in the bedroom. "You may retire now."
He occupied the other pallet. He tossed about, grumbling for hours, then raised himself and approached her. He lingered overhead, tapped his small, feminine feet against her pallet. Lifted the blanket and stared down at her. She squeezed her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep. Pressing his thumb on the artery at the side of her neck, he counted the pulse of her fear. The acrid odor of liquid iron flowed from his hands and stung her nostrils.
"Open your legs!" he ordered.
"You promised!" she cried, her eyes springing open, her hands struggling to escape.
"No one," he growled, "extracts promises from Jacob the Fatherless."
"You gave your word of honor!"
"Honor! What honor?"
She fought to keep her thighs locked. "Madar!" She screamed, certain the urgency of her pain would summon her mother.
He thrust her thighs open and mounted her.
His howls sounded like a wolf's, and his moans like those of wounded animals. Or were those her cries, her pain, her loss? Where was the man who had asked for her hand, who had promised to be patient?
Blood burned her thighs.
"Never, ever grow," he panted, emptying himself.
By twelve, Rebekah's violet eyes had acquired a defiant spark, her curls the sheen of gold, and her lips the blush of wine. The burned skin on her fingers had the pallor and snug fit of an old glove that had, at last, conformed to her hand, and like her, had learned to cope with and survive the world of Jacob.
Her veiled gaze followed him as he shuffled around their home. Even in his absence, she didn't dare search the house for the gold bullion he amassed with the money he earned melting iron. Every evening he sent her into the garden before he made sure nothing was missing, then he changed the hiding places of his wealth. He sat down to dinner, calling her back.
Tonight he fished a large bone from a bowl of hot stew. The heat did not penetrate the thick skin of his fingers. He slammed the bone on a metal plate to empty the marrow, soaked bread and mint in it, and devoured the concoction. He stroked his bloated stomach, stuffed a skewer of ground kebab with mint leaves into his mouth, and belched. A smile of contentment hovered on his face. He complimented her on the freshness of the mint she picked daily, reminding her that without his money that bounty would not have been possible.
She looked forward to the hours she spent cultivating her herbs, not only because her patch of land evoked the home she longed for, but also because from behind the railings she could observe the dancing Gypsies. Rebekah fed the earth with leftover stew and chickpea paste and sprayed the leaves with a mixture of honey and wine to attract the praying mantis. On Fridays, when the first chorus of cymbals, tambourines, and shakers rang about the neighborhood, she walked to the fence, expecting the Gypsies. Colorful, flowing skirts and sleeve ruffles came into view first around the bend of the alley, then plump, feminine figures twirled and spun and swayed in dances Rebekah captured again in her dreams. The vegetation in her garden doubled in size and turned a deep, glossy green, and the dances in her dreams developed and matured in ways she did not understand. What she found out was that something as innocent as a bunch of herbs concealed a secret that helped her subdue Jacob. The taste, the scent, the sizzle of burning mint must summon his lust for gold and pacify him. If he did not chew or smell mint, he seemed to appease himself with her body.
Selecting a sprig, she inhaled the tangy-sweet fragrance. Was it addictive? She touched a leaf to her tongue, tore and chewed on it, tasting its bitter tartness. Why did he prefer it toasted? She held the leaves over the embers on her stove. In her mouth, it was like fire, the acrid taste of her burned fingers. If only she could muster the courage to ask the wandering Gypsies if mint regulated some part of the body. Added to a man's sense of virility? Dampened his cruelty? Made a tight-fisted man sometimes generous?
Even Jacob, at times, strove to be generous. One warm Saturday evening, when nightingales and the scent of jasmine lured Rebekah to her herb garden, Jacob arrived with a rolled parchment.
"The plan for our new house. I'll build it even farther from the garbage pit."
Rebekah realized the importance of owning a home far from the pit, a mound of garbage in the center of the Jewish Quarter around which makeshift stalls displayed fruits, nuts, and spices. She missed the inviting scents and friendly voices; the comforting closeness of people, her mother's avid bargaining as she selected provisions. Didn't her mother know she was not allowed out of the house alone? Why didn't she visit? Did Jacob forbid it?
"Come inside, Rebekah," he called out. "Sit on my lap, while I explain. I'll build our house at the end of the Alley of Lanterns, where a plot of land is so expensive, your little mind won't grasp its value."
"Can I choose the furniture?"
"No," he replied.
"The fabrics for the curtains?"
"What do you know about fabrics?"
"My mother says I've a talent for colors."
"You have none."
"Yes, I do."
His fleshy hands slid under her hips, raised her high in the air, and dropped her to the floor.
"Madar!" Her breath twisted in her lungs.
"She can't hear you," he barked.
Lying flat on her back, his shadow a dark blanket between her and the light of the oil burner, she swore that one day she would destroy Jacob the Fatherless.
Dawn after dawn, she splashed cool water on her face, tossed a chador over her head, and walked with Jacob to the Alley of Lanterns to watch him build their house with his own hands. He dug her an estakhr behind the house, paving it with turquoise tiles and filling it with fresh water from a well he had dug.
"Your private estakhr!" he announced, pausing for her appreciation.
Rebekah watched the sun dance on the golden waters and her heart beat with anticipation. Could the Ancient Zoroastrian's prophecy of jewels and love and happiness come true in this house?
Jacob lifted a finger. "You must always swim fully dressed, or I'll flog you to death. Even the stars of heaven must not set eyes on a single toenail of yours. Be chaste and virginal at all times, except in my bed, when you'll transform yourself into a whore. And I'll reward you by treating you like a queen."
The next evening, Jacob arrived home carrying a dress of crushed velvet, a pair of kid boots, and a chador of China silk. He flung them at Rebekah's feet, stepped back, and slapped his thighs with gleeful pride.
Rewarded for the evenings she had surrendered her body to him!
She slipped back into the kitchen to serve his dinner: shank, bone marrow, and mint. Tonight, as every other night, she hid a portion of the meal. Her loneliness was easier to bear if she imagined a time when the stranger with the sweet voice would knock on her door and ask her to collect provisions for the road because they were, at last, leaving for a safer place.
"Where's the mint?" Jacob demanded when Rebekah returned with the steaming stew.
She hurried back to the kitchen. Delicate leaves, slender sprigs, lush bunches of mint had become her friends. Most of his waking hours, while he labored over the kiln, he chewed or smelled mint she picked from her garden. It seemed she had trained him, like a dog, to associate the taste and smell of mint with that of liquid gold. Now the scent of mint made him feel as omnipotent as when he melted gold, so that he didn't seem to have to copulate with her as often to validate himself.
She heard his approaching steps, heard him linger at the door, enter the kitchen. She did not move. There was nowhere to flee. He was behind her, his stomach flattening her against the wood burner, his breath on her neck, his voice calling her a whore-wife, his hands tearing her vest, groping her buttocks, dragging her back into the room, pushing her down on the pile of garments he had purchased.
Not only had he thrust early womanhood upon her, but he felt he had made up for it with a heap of expensive fabrics and sheer veils she despised.
Her gaze roamed the ceiling, forming shadows of fantastical animals and birds and plants, a world where the pain of Jacob's body on top of her and the bitterness of his broken promise to her mother did not matter. A place where the Ancient Zoroastrian's miracles would come true, where she would whirl around as free as the dancing Gypsies.
"Say you're my whore-wife!" Jacob's voice came from afar.
"One day you will," he moaned, crushing her into velvet and silk.
Soon, she thought, he will rise and go about his work. For a few hours, she would be left alone in the refuge of her imagination. She tugged the chador of China silk from under her head and studied its shades of orange, red, and yellow. The colors of fire. She threw the veil over her face to inhale the smell of silk and dye and shame.
Jacob's breathing settled. He lifted himself and tossed a coat over his naked body. "Wait right here. I've a surprise for you."
Her palm sliding over her body, Rebekah watched her husband leave. Her hips were slightly fuller, her breasts beginning to ripen, and so was her shame.
"Come out," she heard Jacob calling from the garden.
She buried her face in the rustle of silk. She would not go out. She did not need any more garments or jewelry or perfumes that reeked of disgrace, favors that fed her grief.
Through the silk and velvet that covered her ears, she heard him summon her with the tone reserved for times he believed he was indulging her. Had he mistaken the humiliation on her face for gratitude? When his voice curdled with irritation, she lifted herself.
She leaned naked against the doorway. The breeze carried a biting coolness, and the moon sailed in a cloudless sky. A raucous noise came from behind the house. The stamping of hooves?
Jacob emerged into the garden, pulling a donkey by a rope tied around its neck and muzzle. Her breath caught at the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. The animal's pelt was the color of onyx, with a goose-white band that stretched from its muzzle all the way down to its lush and restless tail. With every jerk of the rope, the donkey turned its neck, thrust its red tongue out, and spat at Jacob. The animal's hard kick sent Jacob flying to the ground. Rebekah pursed her lips to stifle her laughter. She felt an immediate affinity with the stubborn donkey.
Jacob ran after the donkey, pulling the animal around to face her. "This is the only male who may glance at a single strand of your hair."
Rebekah was ecstatic. She had found another who would spit at Jacob. She saw that the animal's penis dangled almost to the ground. To spite all signs of masculinity, she named him Venus
- Genres: Fiction
- paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Touchstone


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Editor's note: Dean Obeidallah is an award-winning Arab-American comedian who has appeared on various TV shows including Comedy Central's "Axis of Evil" special, ABC's "The View," CNN's "What the Week" and "The Joy Behar Show." He serves as the executive producer of the annual New York Arab-American Comedy Festival and The Amman Stand Up Comedy Festival.
(CNN) -- There, I said it. I know the media keeps telling us we need to care -- we need to know who designed Kate's dress, who was invited, who was snubbed, how many vols-au-vents will be consumed -- but I don't care and neither do many other Americans I know.
Why? Because we are too busy following the exploits of our own royal family. We don't have time to keep track of events happening elsewhere, regardless if it's weddings or revolutions, because our media keeps us busy with tales of our own "American royalty."
While it's true that the divine right of kings did not bestow titles on our regals, they are the subjects of our obsession nonetheless and, I submit, are much more colorful than the British versions.
So while the Brits have Lady Camilla, we have Lady Gaga. Whose wedding would you rather see: Lady Camilla's or Lady Gaga's? Lady Camilla's wedding in 2005 was demure; Lady Gaga's wedding might include clothes of bubbles, hats of meat and the constant threat of frontal nudity.
Then there is our Charles, Sir Charles Sheen. Britain's Prince Charles might have royal blood, but Sheen has "tiger's blood." Our Charles is keenly aware of his royal stature as evidenced by his recent comments: "I'm a nobleman, I'm chivalrous. I believe that chivalry is not dead, it's just been in a coma for a while." Very knightly comments, indeed.
Of course, Sheen let the majesty side down with his follow-up statement: "I am on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen. It's not available because if you try it once, you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body."
Well, all royals have their lapses. However, in the battle of Sir Sheen vs. His Royal Highness, our Sheen is clearly "winning."
And let us not forget the true royal family in America. I'm not referring to the Kennedys. I'm talking about the Kardashians. I beseech you: Do the British royals have such a one as Princess Kim, who is featured in a sex tape available for online download for only $3.99? I think not.
Princess Kim has endorsements for products from sneakers to perfume to jewelry to Carl's Jr. burger chain. That is how our royalty rolls. Our royals don't depend on inheriting old money -- they make it the new-fashioned way, with reality shows and endorsements that, in essence, make you a human NASCAR race car.
And just as in the England of Olde, a man lies in wait who covets the Crown and views himself as the rightful heir to the Throne. I speak, of course, of The Donald, a man who appears to be wearing a cotton candy crown on his head in anticipation.
The Duke of New York spins tales of treachery and deceit. Did our leader Obama lie about writing his first book? Was he was even born within the confines of our fair Kingdom?
It is unclear whether The Donald will go through with his plan to topple our leader, but those wishing to know should gather close by to hear his proclamation on May 15 on the finale of "Celebrity Apprentice."
And I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge our newest royals, whose abode is the beaches of Jersey, not England's Jersey, but the "New" Jersey, off the Seaside Heights boardwalk, not far from a fried funnel cake store. The Brits may have "The King's Speech," but we have "Jersey Shore" marathons featuring bar fights between Lady JWoww and Dame Snooki.
So I hope the royal couple understands it's not personal, but I simply don't have the time to follow their wedding. Or other events in far-off lands such as Syria, Libya or Japan.
Prince William and Kate, I bid thee cheers and wish you both glad tidings and all that rot, but I must take my leave now.
It's time to watch "Dancing With the Stars," where those desperate to remain part of our royal family dance for our amusement.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dean Obeidallah.


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Born of a unique ability to resist overcomplicating things.
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Never ridden the road up to Whistler...[/QUOTE]
It has got to be one of the most spectacular rides in BC. The road is all new (thanks to the Olympics), well engineered, with plenty of curvy stuff to keep you interested. The views of Howe Sound and the mountains are without equal. You could, if you want, just ride up to my place and we can leave from here. About a 90 minute ride one way. Message me when you want to go!


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Thursday, August 5, 2010
Win an Adventure Prize Pack from Nature Valley
We also have an incredible home library with rows upon rows of books about animals, nature, biology, conservation, and field guides. Need a field guide on the bats of Papua New Guinea? Got it. Or how about one on the birds of Venezuela? A guide to the reptiles and amphibians of the Smokies? Or maybe the birds of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Sí. Sí. And yes.
These last two came in handy this summer when we went camping in the Smokies. It was a quick trip – only two nights – but that was good enough to get the kids really excited. Going on nature hikes proved to be the most exciting part of the trip for all of us, as the kids had gotten it into their heads that they wanted to search for salamanders. And amazingly, we did find them. Híjole did we find them!
Our family actually tries to go camping every summer. Most of the time we camp in a State or National Park. If you've never experienced this before, you would not believe how much fun it is! There is so much to see and do and learn. Every kid should – in my humble opinion – have this opportunity to explore and discover. This is the best way to really bring science to life and make learning about our natural world FUN.
¿Qué dices? You're not into roughing it? Don't worry. Many parks offer campgrounds with RV hook-ups and restrooms and/or bathhouses. Some of the National Parks even have cabins and luxurious hotels! (Now that's what I'm talking about!)
But our national treasures do need to be taken care of and supported. Especially in recent years, since economic depression and environmental problems like pollution and climate change have begun to take their toll.
So my kids and I have embarked on a new project that not only teaches them about recycling, social responsibility and community action, it also directly benefits our National Park system. We are joining Nature Valley® and Patricia Shultz (author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die) in their quest to help the National Parks Project with its restorative work at the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Biscayne National Parks.
We encourage your family to start the school year off with an easy project. We are buying specially marked boxes of Nature Valley Bars - which are 100% natural AND are fabulously healthy for you AND sabrosos, too! – then we save our wrappers and mail them back in to the address below:
National Parks Project
PO Box 450328
El Paso, TX 88545-0328
Simple, no?
Nature Valley will not only recycle the wrappers, but will also contribute $0.10 to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) for every wrapper received (up to $600,000 in total). To learn more about the National Parks Project and how you can make a difference, check out PreservetheParks.com
To help you get your kids in the spirit of adventure, Nature Valley has kindly agreed to offer one of you a "prize pack," which includes a mini backpack; a military grade compass; a solar-powered, key chain flash light; a reusable water bottle and a copy of Patricia Shultz's 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List. (Can you say, "Aventura?")
TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY, simply leave a comment below telling me which National Park your family would most like to visit someday and why. (We totally want to visit the Grand Canyon for the amazing landscape and wildlife that it has!)
For additional entries, you can also:
• Join our Facebook page
• tweet the following: Enter to win an adventure prize pack from @latinmami. Ends 8/12. http://www.mommymaestra.com #giveaway #contest #myblogspark
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All entries must be in by Thursday, August 12th at 11:59 pm EST. Remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email. (Please be sure to provide a valid email address with your entry.)
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Disclosure: The Nature Valley products received, information, and giveaway were all provided by Nature Valley through MyBlogSpark, but the opinions expressed above are completamente my own.
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6 comments:
Glacier national park is on my wish list. I hear the scenery is spectacular.ReplyDelete
I would love to go with my family to the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. i heard that this park is a living showcase of the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains.The park is split by the Continental Divide, which gives the eastern and western portions of the park a different character. I have family that lives in Colorado, but i have never been there would be nice to go and explore.ReplyDelete
I would love to visit Yellowstone to see Old Faithful and camp with my family.ReplyDelete
I liked your Facebook page as Amy Kelleher VennettReplyDelete
We want to visit the Grand Canyon now that we live closer there. Thanks for the giveaway :)ReplyDelete
I would most like to visit the Grand Canyon. I think it would be breathtakingly beautiful and something you would really have to see in person to get a grasp on how vast and wonderful it is.ReplyDelete
~K http://scr.im/nerak
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Want to know who are China's most hated companies? All you have to do is hit out at one of its most beloved.
For the third consecutive day, the Chinese Communist Party's official mouthpiece, the People's Daily, has run articles criticizing Apple for its warranty policy in China and calling Apple's defense of its customer-service practices arrogant. Apple has declined to comment on the coverage.


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Saltwater has always been used in the treatment of respiratory ailments, cardiovascular diseases, allergies, digestive problems and autonomic disorders. Saltwater also helps to prevent aching muscles after sporting activities such as skiing or hiking. In addition to the medical benefits, the 34 degree warm water mixed with salt from the United Swiss Saltworks has a calming and decelerating effect. Jacuzzi beds, massage jets and a countercurrent system provide additional comfort. A saltwater grotto, sauna, Physiotherm infrared sauna, Turkish steam bath, Kneipp basin and aquarobics complete the range of spa options.
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Get set for supersonic fun with the LEGO® Creator 3in1 31086 Futuristic Flyer, featuring an awesome dark red and white color scheme, forward swept wings, tinted cockpit, fixed landing gear and a flaming jet engine. With this LEGO Creator 3in1 set you get 3 different build and play experiences. Build the Futuristic Flyer and then rebuild it into a Futuristic Spaceship toy or a Futuristic LEGO Robot with wings and backpack for more sci-fi fun.
- Enjoy 3 building opportunities with this LEGO® Creator 3in1 set. Build the Futuristic Flyer, then rebuild and head into space with a Futuristic Spaceship or enjoy sci-fi adventures with a flying Futuristic Robot.
- The Futuristic Flyer features forward swept wings, a tinted cockpit, fixed landing gear and a flaming jet engine.
- Check out the futuristic flyer's dark red and white color scheme.
- Take control of this awesome plane and head for the skies for supersonic jet adventures.
- Futuristic Flyer measures over 2" (7cm) high, 7" (20cm) long and 8" (22cm) wide.
- Futuristic Spaceship measures over 1" (4cm) high, 6" (17cm) long and 5" (14cm) wide.
- Futuristic Robot stands over 3" (10cm) high.
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Standard Parcel Post within Victoria
|Posted for delivery
|Estimated delivery by (business days)
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|2 days
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To other states
|Posted for delivery
|Estimated delivery by (business days)
|Between Melbourne/Canberra, Melbourne/Sydney or Melbourne/Adelaide
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|2 to 5 business days
|4 to 7 business days
|1 to 2 business days
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If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions how to return items from your order.


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By Marcia Willman, CFCA director of child services
At 11, Kinya knows how important an education is for her future because she is growing up where there often isn't one.
One day I received a letter from Kinya that changed both of our lives. She wrote, ìI'm now at a new school Ö This is because we moved after eviction. I'm still working hard.î I knew that Kinya, her mom and two older brothers were squatters on government land at the foot of Mount Kenya, but this word, eviction, caught me by surprise.
It is obvious that Kinya is loved deeply by her mom. Kinya is a joyous child. She is a good story teller. She shares her life with me in every letter that she writes. Her stories bring us together and build the bonds of our friendship. So when I heard that word eviction, I knew I had to help her.
I chose to sponsor Kinya because she is being raised by a single mother who struggles to put food on the table and pay rent because she can find occasional odd jobs. I know the challenges of being a single mom because I am one, too. Thus, I feel compelled to help another woman and mother in less fortunate circumstances provide the most basic needs of food and shelter for her family.
I have been painting with watercolors for years. I never considered marketing or selling my art until trying to figure out a way to help Kinya. I finally realized that I could use my God-given talent to help my friend.
For more than two years I have been on a mission to sell my paintings. Along the way, I won the right to call myself an artist. I send the proceeds from my art sales to help Kinya's family. Last April Kinyaís family was able to purchase half an acre of fertile, productive farm land.
Kinya's mom, Ann, immediately planted row after row of corn and potatoes to take advantage of the pending rainy season. Ann proved to be hard-working and industrious. Along the way, she proudly rose to the role of provider. While weeding with a hoe in hand, Ann beams in the photos I received from Project Timau. Annís smile demonstrates her strength to overcome adversity when given the opportunity. It shows she believes her family has a future.
So, Kinya's house was built. Ann's first crops were harvested. And, Kinya's family bought two sheep because they were able to feed themselves and generate enough income by laboring on their own land. Along the way, Kinya found comfort and a safe haven from eviction. ìAt last I'm enjoying rains in a nice house that doesn't leak. Thanks a lot for making my life happy Ö You are part of my life, I cherish your care.î Once again, I received another letter from Kinya that changed my life. It feels wonderful to be an artist, to help another single mom and to be cherished by Kinya!
You can see Marcia's paintings by visiting her Web site, watercolorsforacause.org.


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Skip Hop Zoo Pop-up Hamper
This hamper pops up in an instant to help organize your toddler's room; use it to collect clothes, toys and more! Zoo friends encourage little ones to clean up on their own, and the lightweight fabric makes it easy to tote from room to room. When not in use, the hamper collapses to fit in tight spaces, under the bed or in a closet.
- Signature Zoo characters
- Grab-and-go-handles Packs flat when not in use
- Organize clothes, toys & more
- Soft lightweight fabric
- Fun textured details
- Size (inches): 12.5 diameter x 16h


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We've known for a while that fan favorite Cpl. Hicks was going to be in Aliens: Colonial Marines—the story fits in between Aliens and Alien3. But, for old time's sake, here he is in Sega and Gearbox's latest story trailer for the game, along with a very grim setup of the job that lies ahead of you. I'm guessing "the most dangerous killing machines in the universe" are going to find out there's another claim on that title.
Aliens: Colonial Marines arrives Feb. 12.


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Turnpike spends millions to relocate residents for stalled Southern Beltway
$29 million spent to move residents, build new homes
The Pennsylvania Turnpike has spent more than $29 million buying property to make way for a leg of its Southern Beltway project, which would to run between the Mon-Fayette Expressway and Interstate 376.
But while the turnpike may have had the money to relocate residents, it doesn't have the cash to build the roadway.
For some former residents on Morganza Road in Cecil Township, that's more than OK.
Ralph Harlan said the turnpike gave him $250,000 (including moving expenses), to relocate and buy a home in Oakdale.
"They were very generous," said Harlan. "I probably doubled the value going from that house to this one."
Harlan's new home has a swimming pool, a spacious kitchen and three bedrooms -- more than enough room for one person.
"It's a beautiful home. I can't believe I'm here and that they bought me this," said Harlan.
Harlan said the turnpike did not initially give him enough money for the home, so he asked for more.
Records show he received an extra $28,000.
"They said to me, 'You have to spend it to get it.' I spent it, every penny of it that I know of," said Harlan.
While Harlan got the turnpike to buy him a new house, his former neighbors were able to have one built for nearly $500,000.
"It was a blessing in disguise for us. It helped us tremendously," said Eva Skalyo.
Skalyo said she and her husband needed a home that would accommodate her disability, and when none were available, she had a new one built on the turnpike's tab.
The Skalyos received $150,000 more than the turnpike originally offered.
Turnpike media relations manager Carl DeFebo told Channel 4 Action News' Paul Van Osdol it is "absolutely" a good deal for taxpayers, as well.
"We believe, right now, the fair thing to do is to begin acquiring properties from the families who have been in limbo for so long. We also firmly believe this is a wise expenditure of public dollars," said DeFebo.
But not everyone received a new house.
Glenn Simpson and his wife still live in their 200-year-old farm house.
While they don't begrudge their former neighbors' good fortune, they also don't understand paying to relocate residents for a road that may never be completed.
"I think it's a total waste of time and money. I don't know why they even started when they didn't have the money to complete it in the first place," said Simpson.
The turnpike thought it would recoup the money by tolling Interstate 80 or selling the road to private investors, but neither of those ideas panned out.
"We have a mandate to build this," said DeFebo when asked why the turnpike would spend money on buying property if it didn't have enough to build the road. "This is our mission to build this."
As for what happens if the turnpike doesn't have the money, DeFebo said, "We don't have the money to build it."
The cost to finish the Southern Beltway is about $1.4 billion.
Turnpike officials said they will finish the project, but aren't sure how.
They also said finishing work on the Mon-Fayette Expressway is currently a bigger priority, but they don't have the funds to do that either.


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Last week Greenpeace activists protested outside Burberry stores in various countries, to demand that the fashion brand eliminate the use of all hazardous chemicals throughout their supply chain. Following two weeks of public pressure online and offline Burberry became the 19th clothing company to commit to Detox.
Greenpeace East Asia activists protest outside the Burberry flagship store in Beijing, China.
© Greenpeace / Simon Lim
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In stock
Both completely blind people and visually impaired people use Supernova Magnifier and Screen Reader.
This product is especially ideal for those who want to use remaining vision to learn how to drive the computer without using vision at all. Users of the JAWS program also can use JAWS hot keys to avoid learning a new set of keyboard commands.
This program will allow you to:
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Shipments for the same category for July were unchanged from June at $1.1 billion.
The Census Bureau provides monthly broad-based data on current economic conditions as well as indicators of future production commitments in manufacturing. The statistics are a good indicator for future economic conditions.
Data is collected from approximately 3,100 companies representing manufacturers with $500 million or more in annual shipments. It is broken down into 89 industry categories of units that may be divisions of diversified companies, homogenous companies or single-unit manufacturers.
The statistics include the value of shipments as provided by manufacturers, new orders (net of cancellations), end-of-month order backlog/unfilled orders, end-of-month total inventory, materials and supplies, work in progress, and finished goods inventories at current market value or costs.
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Italian Orange Unlined Top Stitch Leather Watch Strap
Using Vegetable Tanned Cow Leather from Conceria Walpier, the strap is saddle stitched by hand for durability.
A Full Grain Leather, the surface has not been sanded or buffed for imperfections, retaining the natural characteristics of the leather which ages beautifully with time as it bears the marks of the user.
The sides of the leather are smoothed and hand burnished for a polished look.
With a thickness of 1.5mm to 1.8mm and a finished flesh side in a matching colour, the strap wraps around the wrist comfortably with minimal bulk.
Paired with a Made in USA removable stainless steel tang buckle, the strap comes with a fixed and floating leather keeper.
Customization Tips
-Choose a buckle finishing that is closer to your watch case.
-Linen Thread comes from natural material and has a matte finish. Polyester Thread is made up of synthetics and has a more glossy finish.
-Measure the length of your current watch strap to decide on your ideal strap length.
Need help? Head over to our FAQ.
Read More On:
Craft: Making Of A Leather Watch Strap
Italian Leather: Understanding Full Grain Vegetable Tanned Cow Leather


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Abuja - More than 200 schoolgirls on Wednesday began their second month as Boko Haram hostages, with Nigeria's government indicating it was willing to talk to the militants to secure their release.Lawmakers in Abuja were also set to debate a request from President Goodluck Jonathan for a six-month extension to a state of emergency first imposed in three northeast states worst affected by insurgent violence exactly a year ago.Boko Haram, which has waged an increasingly deadly campaign of bombings and attacks in the last five years, kidnapped 276 girls from the remote town of Chibok in Borno state on 14 April.Street protests, including in a torrential downpour in Nigeria's financial capital, Lagos, marked the one-month anniversary of the girls' abduction, calling for the 223 still being held to be returned to their families.The United Nations expressed its "deep concern" about the fate of the teenagers.The head of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, Nicole Ameline, said the mass abduction violated UN conventions and "may qualify as a crime against humanity"."The Committee urges Nigeria to employ all necessary means to obtain the release of the girls and to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous crime," she said in a statement.Open to talks On Monday, Boko Haram released a video purporting to show about 130 of them and claimed they had all converted to Islam. All of the girls were later identified as attending the school in Chibok.The group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, suggested they could be freed in a prisoner exchange and on Tuesday, special duties minister Taminu Turaki indicated that the government was open to talks."Nigeria has always been willing to dialogue with the insurgents," Turaki, who last year headed a committee tasked with pursuing an amnesty pact with some of the group's fighters, told AFP."We are willing to carry that dialogue on any issue, including the girls' kidnap in Chibok, because certainly we are not going to say that [the abduction] is not an issue."Jonathan and his government have been widely criticised for their slow response to the kidnapping.But they were forced to react in the face of a growing social media campaign that has won wide support across the world and contributed to international pressure.Specialist US, British, French and Israeli teams have been sent to help in the search operation, which Nigeria's military has said is concentrated on the Sambisa forest area of Borno state.There are fears, though, that the girls may have been split into groups and taken into neighbouring Chad or Cameroon, from where Boko Haram has previously launched attacks and sought safe haven.The abducted Nigerian girls. (AFP)Jonathan is facing calls to explore a negotiated settlement given the apparent lack of progress in curbing the violence after the state of emergency was imposed on 14 May last year.Initial gains from a surge of troops to Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, tighter security as well as measures such as curfews and cutting the mobile phone networks appear to have been lost.Attacks have increased on rural areas leading to mounting civilian casualties. More than 1,500 are estimated to have been killed this year alone.Security analysts have urged Nigeria to improve its counter-insurgency tactics, including more use of intelligence, instead of just conventional means to defeat guerrilla fighters.The head of the US Africa Command, General David Rodriguez, met Nigerian top brass in Abuja on Monday to discuss the search as well as overall military cooperation.International experts could help refine Nigeria's tactics against Boko Haram but specialists on the ground have admitted that finding the girls was complex.Security situation Jonathan said on Tuesday that the security situation was "daunting" in the northeast and that he was concerned by mounting civilian casualties.Yobe's governor, however, voiced his opposition to extending the state of emergency and it is likely that Borno and Adamawa will follow suit.Goodluck Jonathan (File: AFP)All three states are run by the main opposition All Progressives Congress party eyeing power in next year's general election.Jonathan and his Peoples Democratic Party, in power since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999, have been weakened by a series of defections, in part over his apparent aim to seek a second term.The 56-year-old head of state has been urged to abandon any thoughts for re-election because of the effect of the kidnap crisis on his political stock."No matter how this crisis is resolved, Dr Jonathan is unlikely to emerge as a president who can be trusted to lead Nigeria through the challenges that lie ahead," popular columnist Olatunji Dare wrote in The Nation newspaper on Tuesday.Jonathan has "proved unequal to the task", he added.
I wonder what the government are up to considering negotiation with the blood suckers(boko haram)shame on our failed govt.


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The Division of Pediatric Surgery at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital is dedicated to providing expert surgical care for fetuses, infants, children, and adolescents with congenital and acquired conditions. Our world-renowned surgeons care for patients from throughout California at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC), and Kaiser San Francisco.
Our surgeons remain committed to the ongoing development of new surgical techniques for treating diseases in children-particularly minimally invasive approaches to replace more invasive open procedures that require large incisions.
Our team of doctors, nurses and support staff are also founders of the UCSF Fetal Treatment Center of Excellence, which provides care to babies still in the womb. As the pioneers of fetal surgery, our team has always been on the leading edge of treating fetal disease. In addition, we are members of the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, working closely with pediatric oncologists to care for children with cancer.
Our staff is committed to providing the highest level of care for children with chronic conditions from birth through adolescence. The LIFE Clinic Program (Long-Term Infant-to-Adult Follow-Up and Evaluation Program) specializes in providing long-term multidisciplinary follow-up care for children surviving and thriving with birth defects.


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The next Governor of California will be from the Bay Area. Will it be Jerry Brown from Oakland? Perhaps Meg Whitman or Steve Poizner from the Silicon Valley?
The next Lieutenant Governor just might be San Francisco's Mayor Gavin Newsom. The new Attorney General could be San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, who is in a fight now with former Facebook executive Chris Kelly of Palo Alto.
Throw in the names of U.S. Senate candidates Carly Fiorina and Tom Campbell of the Silicon Valley and it begs the question, what's behind this political power shift to Northern California?
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Bill Whalen of Stanford University's Hoover Institution, a former speech writer for Governor Pete Wilson, thinks part of what's happening is circumstantial.
"We've talked for years about how Governors came from Southern California, be it Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gray Davis, Pete Wilson, George Deukmejian. Where is Northern California? Part of this is coincidence."
Which means it's part something else, too. That leads us to the Silicon Valley. Whitman, Poizner, Fiorina, Kelly -- all of them willing to spend some of their millions on their own campaigns.
"They're in their 40s or 50s," Whalen says. "They've climbed their mountain and conquered it, if you will. They're restless people who are not looking to retire in the Caribbean and atrophy the rest of their life. They want the next challenge."
These self financed candidates aren't interested in "working their way to the top" again. Been there! Done that!
"They're not running for the State Assembly. They're not running for the State Senate. They're not running for one of the Constitutional offices like Controller or Treasurer. They're going to the very top of the pyramid," Whalen points out. He says this election cycle will tell us whether this becomes more of a trend in California politics.
"If Meg Whitman spends 150 million dollars and does not win the Governorship, then I suspect there will be people in the Valley who might have political ambitions that might think, 'you know, I don't want to spend what she spent.'"
In the meantime, the old axiom that all politics is local has never been more true for voters in the Bay Area.
To sign up, click here, then choose 'Prop Zero.'


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Welcome to The Liberty Connection Website - The Views and Voices of the Ex-2x2s
"...a time to keep silence, and a time to speak"
This website is a repository for Documents written by former followers of a worldwide, non-denominational Christian church/fellowship which claims to take no name. Common nicknames for this church are: The Truth, The Meetings, The Way, Friends and Workers Fellowship, Two-by-Twos, 2x2s, Cooneyites, The Fold and others.
Their Style of Worship includes meeting in members' homes for worship services. Their ministers are itinerant, unmarried and travel in pairs (2 and 2). They use "Hymns Old & New. " As for their Beliefs, they follow the New Testament. Click Here to read further details in: Fact Sheet for the 2x2 church.
The Documents are written by former followers of this church (called Ex-2x2s). This is a place where the Ex-2x2s speak out and express their views. This is a "read only" site where the Documents speak for themselves.
Disclaimer: The Document contents are not necessarily the opinion of the Administrator. All information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The TLC Website makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness or validity of the information on this site and will not be liable for any errors or omissions; or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display. All information is provided on an as-is basis.
This website is affiliated with the private Forum for Ex-2x2s by the same name: The Liberty Connection (TLC). Effective June 27, 2014, Ex-2x2s interested in joining the TLC Forum must be referred by a current TLC Forum member.
Site Administrator: Cherie Kropp
Website Launched: April 1, 2012
NOTE: No document on this website may be reproduced or copied to a book or website or a publication without the consent of the Administrator or Author in writing. Permission IS granted to copy documents for personal use only.