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It's My Party
This story appears in the September 2000 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
A successful company rarely changes its CEO, but countries are not companies. Bill Clinton will step down as President of the United States in January, as required by the Constitution. You can love him or hate him, credit him with the current economic climate or not, but the fact remains that the U.S. economy has boomed through the eight years of the Clinton Administration. Entrepreneurs have been able to launch companies and succeed in this environment to a dazzling degree. So who can keep this party rolling?
That's the question on the minds of entrepreneurs as they judge the two leading candidates to replace President Clinton. Fortunately, Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush seem to understand the special needs of entrepreneurs. "Both Bush and Gore are sympathetic to the entrepreneurial spirit in America," says Bennie L. Thayer, president and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed.
Part of that understanding may come from their backgrounds. Gore worked on his family's farm as a child and teenager, and then bought his own farm in Carthage, Tennessee, with wife Tipper in 1973. (It's fair to note, however, that he is more the gentleman farmer, having worked as a newspaper reporter and politician since leaving the Army.) Bush worked in the oil business for 11 years starting in 1976 and then was the managing general partner of Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers (not exactly your typical start-up).
Freelance writer Chris Sandlund is a former editor of Success and Home Office Computing magazines. He worked as a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate covering tax, trade and banking issues from 1985 to 1987.
The Two Opposing Candidates
But business experience isn't all these guys are about. They're politicians, so judge them by their political records.
Gore spent 16 years in the House of Representatives and the Senate. His ratings by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Federation of Independent Business were never very high. He voted with the Chamber an average of 30.4 percent and with NFIB an average of 32.1 percent during his congressional terms. Still, he supported such small-business efforts as 1992's Small Business Research and Development Enhancement Act while in Congress.
Gore's campaign, unsurprisingly, is running hard on the economic success of the Clinton-Gore years, and Gore cites the expansion of the SBA loan program to $14 billion in guarantees in the budget for the 2000 fiscal year. At the same time, he reiterates the economic policy pursued by the administration from 1993 forward: Reduce the budget deficit to lower the federal government's impact on financial markets so more money is available for investment. It's worth noting that credit availability topped many lists of entrepreneurs' concerns four and eight years ago. Today, it's rarely mentioned.
Meanwhile, Bush has been busy improving the Texas business climate. He has cut taxes and approved tort reform that has lowered entrepreneurs' insurance costs. "[Bush and Texas legislators] eliminated 170,000 small businesses from having to file franchise tax returns," notes David Pinkus, president of Small Business United of Texas.
Pinkus notes the fact that Bush tends to treat small and large businesses even-handedly. In other words, entrepreneurs will get a fair shake but shouldn't expect special treatment in a Bush administration. As governor, he opposed legislation that would have create a small-business advocate because he worried it would increase the overall size of state government.
But politicians' past efforts only partially sway voters. Elections are about the future. This guide seeks to sort through candidates' claims and counter-claims about the five issues that most reflect entrepreneurial concerns, according to several sources, including a March 2000 poll conducted by TNS Intersearch of 1,122 entrepreneurs for American Express Small Business Services (for more information, see "It Matters To Us").
Those results are combined with opinions from Washington, DC, small-business lobbying organizations: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Small Business United (NSBU), National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), National Federation of Independent Business, and Small Business Survival Committee.
Entrepreneurs, however, tend to make up their own minds. To help you do just that, each candidate's proposed policies for some of the most pressing concerns follow:
Issue 1: Finding Qualified Workers
If finding capital was one of the biggest issues for entrepreneurs in the past two presidential elections, finding qualified labor is the most pressing concern today. "It's the work-force issues that are at the top," says NSBU president Todd McCracken. "That's not only true of the American Express survey; it's true of every other survey I've seen."
One of the most generally accepted problems: Young people aren't coming out of school qualified to work. Both Bush and Gore favor establishing higher standards and charter schools and ex-panding savings accounts to help pay for education. However, Bush leaves the decision-making at state and local levels. Gore favors more federal funding, especially to pay for school construction and classroom computers.
With far more relevance to current employees, the vice president wants to make learning (hence, worker training) a lifelong process. He proposes a 401(j) savings plan that would be similar to the 401(k) retirement plan. The new program would fund kids in college or parents adding skills for current jobs. Better still, employers could contribute to the tax-exempt accounts. Bush wants to increase deductions for education savings account from $500 to $5,000, but makes no mention of employer contributions.
Bush also sees a second way to increase the number of qualified workers: Increase the labor pool. He offers two plans to do so: Eliminate the Social Security earnings test that limits seniors from re-entering the workforce, and increase the number of H-1B visas (currently 115,000) to allow more trained foreign workers into the country. Gore supports increasing the number of such foreign workers to more than 200,000.
What's your beef? "Loud And Clear" shows you how to complain your way up to Washington.
Issue 2: Making Health Insurance Affordable
Gore took the early lead in health care one year ago, when he proposed that small businesses be allowed to group across state lines to purchase health insurance as health-care purchasing coalitions. "Pooling is something that has worked well at a state level," says Bill Miller, political director for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Gore wants to provide a 25 percent tax credit for the cost of each employee that a small business covers after joining such a plan. The associations promoted by Gore, however, are not the Association Health Plans (AHPs) advocated by some small-business advocacy groups. Gore feels that, because AHPs would be exempt from state regulations, these plans would not carry as many options as traditional insurance offerings.
Bush supports the AHP concept and adopted it into his health-care proposal in April. Bush also wants to make medical savings accounts (currently a trial program) permanent and allow employers to contribute to employees' accounts.
Currently, the law limits the deductibility of long-term health care for the self-employed (60 percent until 2001, 70 percent until 2003, 100 percent after 2003). Long-term health policies have a sliding scale for the maximum amount that, like other health-care insurance, is 60 percent deductible this year. At press time, only Bush favors changing current law to let business owners deduct all of their health insurance immediately, as opposed to waiting until 2003. Gore is heavily in favor of creating a $3,000 credit for long-term care.
Issue 3: Cutting Taxes
Bush has made tax cuts the centerpiece of his campaign. He wants to cut the top-marginal personal tax rate to 33 percent from 39.6 percent. His rationale: Encourage entrepreneurship. He also is in support of a permanent research-and-development tax credit and continuing the moratorium on sales taxes for Internet purchases through at least 2006.
According to the small-business lobby, support for reforming or eliminating the estate tax is more important. "Even if you do get the insurance and hire the lawyers [to make a plan for the tax], that's a huge amount of money that could have been invested in the business," says McCracken. Bush supports repeal of the tax. At press time, Gore has come out in favor of raising the family exemption for small businesses. He says that will allow 70 percent of small businesses to pass from one generation to the next without incurring any payment of the tax. At the time that this article went to press, the real nuts and bolts of Gore's plan were still rather sketchy and unclear.
The Gore campaign is primarily playing up tax cuts made during the Clinton administation for entrepreneurial businesses but, in terms of any cuts that Gore has came out in support of for the near future, he has only proposed substantially relief of the estate tax, as well as New Markets and Empowerment Zone credits, research and experimentation tax credits and, lastly, making the R&D tax credit permanent-setting in stone an already existing tax break.
Issue 4: Reducing Government Regulations
Eliminating red tape is a major campaign issue for entrepreneurs. "We're in a good economy right now," says Small Business Survival Committee president Christopher Wysocki. "Small businesses are working hard to succeed. They want to be left alone."
Gore helped make reducing regulations the centerpiece of the Clinton campaigns, and he's won plaudits for his efforts. "That's an area where we'd give him a strong plus," says NASE's Thayer. The vice president's campaign touts such efforts as the signing of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act. Without many specifics, he promises more of the same.
It's fair to note, as NSBU's McCracken does, that regulatory relief under the Clinton administration has come mainly from the enforcement side. The policy side of most agencies, however, remains active.
Bush has one clear regulatory policy on his agenda: a federal version of Texas' Sunset Review Board. This state oversight panel reviews each government program once per decade to see if it still has a job to do and whether it's doing that job effectively.
Getting all riled up about politics? Read about Jesse Ventura, someone that really gets down and dirty, in "Wrestling With Reform."
Issue 5: Reforming Social Security
After years of being the third rail of American politics, Social Security is now finally up for serious discussion. Entrepreneurs, who pay half their employees' payroll taxes, recognize this as an opportunity to address the need for improved retirement policies for small firms.
"Most of our membership did not have more than $50,000 saved for their retirement," says Thayer. "That's indicative of most entrepreneurs." An improved Social Security system could provide the retirement that owners want for themselves and their employees.
Bush kicked off the debate by not accepting common wisdom to leave it alone. He recognizes that the government needs to guarantee existing benefits for current recipients and those "near retirement," and also plans to put Social Security surpluses into the trust fund to ensure its future solvency.
However, Bush also wants to allow individual workers to tap their payroll taxes for use in private investment accounts. He wants workers to get the greater long-run returns available from stocks and bonds, rather than the measly 2 percent return currently paid by Social Security. Would that mean workers would have to trade reduced benefits from the Social Security Trust Fund for the right to invest? Bush had not filled in the details by press time.
Gore wants to keep the existing Social Security system pretty much as it is-except with increased benefits for widows, widowers and mothers who've spent years raising kids. Gore's proposal would dedicate the Social Security surplus to reducing the national debt and creating interest savings to be applied to the Social Security trust fund, keeping the program fiscally sound through at least 2050. The vice president recognizes the need for additional savings, however. In June, he proposed Social Security Plus--a voluntary retirement system to supplement existing Social Security. It does not reduce or redirect payroll taxes.
But this position, and any other, is subject to change as Gore and Bush tack between competing interests in their race for the presidency. Plan on turning to the Internet for the latest updates. (See "Parties Online" below.) Read the fine print, because entrepreneurs tend to get lots of praise but few concrete policy proposals.
Whether Republican or Democrat, voting for a president goes beyond party lines when you take into account whose policies will help your business grow and succeed. Take a close look at the candidates--you may be surprised at whose ideas you favor.
In 1996, the presidential campaigns finally started tapping the power of the Internet to get their messages out. In 2000, both Democratic and Republican campaigns have developed extensive Web sites to put out their policies . . . and hype. The best way to keep abreast of breaking developments is to read the politicians' speeches rather than rely on the broadcast networks' interpretations. Better still, the "Find" feature on most Web browsers lets you skip to the heart of the matter by searching for the first reference of "small business" or "entrepreneur" in a lengthy spiel.
Though the spin-meisters don't exist on television alone, the following sites can help you gather more information to make an educated choice:
Vice President Al Gore's official campaign site: www.algore2000.com
Governor George W. Bush's official campaign site: www.georgewbush.com
U.S. Chamber of Commerce's campaign site: www.chamberbiz.com/government/politics.cfm
CSPAN's campaign site: www.c-span.org/campaign2000
PBS Democracy Project: www.pbs.org/democracy
CNN's campaign site: www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000
The Los Angeles Times' campaign site: www.latimes.com/news/politics/elect2000/pres
The New York Times' campaign site: www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp (requires free registration)
The Washington Post's campaign site: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/politics/elections/2000
It Matters To Us
NS Intersearch polled 1,122 entrepreneurs in March for American Express Small Business Services to find out what was on the minds of entrepreneurs heading into the presidential election. As this story goes to print, it remains the most comprehensive independent snapshot of entrepreneurial concerns. The 10 most important issues are:
1. Improving schools/training young people for work
2. Affordable health care for employees
3. Affordable health care for business owners
4. Tax cuts/tax reform
5. Reducing government regulations and paperwork
6. Interest rates
7. Crime
8. Reducing the budget deficit
9. Reducing estate ("death") taxes
10. Reducing Social Security/payroll taxes
Interview With Gore Part 1
Entrepreneur:Mr. Vice President, your campaign material consistently touts the results of economic growth under the Clinton administration as reason that small businesses should support your candidacy. However, voters will also cast their votes based on how they view the future. What issues do you view as key impediments to small-business growth in the near future? What specific policies do you propose that the country pursue to address these concerns?
Al Gore: Since the Clinton-Gore administration took office in 1993, this nation has enjoyed unprecedented prosperity. We fought hard to maintain fiscal discipline and invested in our people. Together with Americans' hard work, those policies have helped to create over 21 million new jobs, along with historically low unemployment, inflation and interest rates.
I know small businesses and entrepreneurs have been the real motors of our economy. Small businesses and entrepreneurs are responsible for an estimated one-third of America's historic economic growth. Also, small businesses (those with fewer than 500 employees) currently employ 53 percent of the private workforce and account for 47 percent of sales and 51 percent of private sector GDP. You've had a real partner in the Clinton-Gore Administration. The Administration has worked with the Small Business Administration to guarantee $59 billion in loans to small businesses, more than the previous 12 years combined. And the results are telling. Under the Clinton-Gore administration, small-business incomes have increased by 14.2 percent, vs. falling by 1 percent during the Bush administration.
But we can do more to give small business the kind of sustained attention necessary to ensure continued growth. As president, I will work harder than ever to strengthen and create new opportunities for entrepreneurship. To help small businesses prosper, my strategy will focus on helping small businesses gain access to capital and technical assistance and creating unlimited possibilities for small-business success, while continuing to streamline the regulatory process.
To begin, I believe that the right policies can help open more doors for small businesses. I want to facilitate the use of the Specialized Small Business Investment Company Tax Credit and double the New Markets Tax Credit to help small businessmen and women gain access to needed capital. I think it is smart policy to help small business obtain secure domestic loans. I plan to make sure that the SBA guarantees up to 80 percent of a loan made by a lender to creditworthy small businesses that cannot otherwise secure financing on reasonable terms. I also intend to continue opening new markets for small-business exporters. We can do that through granting more international trade loans and bolstering the SBA's Export Working Capital Program. Further, I want to ensure small businesses are not left behind due to momentary capital flow difficulty. Through the SBA's Y2K Action Loans and DELTA loans, we can alleviate these temporary burdens.
We can also continue to provide tax cuts and other financial incentives to encourage the development of small businesses in traditionally disadvantaged areas. Efforts such as Empowerment Zones and the New Markets Initiative are working, and I will fight to expand and implement funding for them. And I want to explore new strategies to help these risk-takers to connect into their larger local and regional economies.
I also want to help keep small businesses on the cutting edge of high technology. As president, I will work to grant more Technology Transfer awards and expand the Innovation Research Program for high-tech small-business research and development. We also need to assist small business in transferring over to technology-based operations. That is why I will continue to support the SBA's Community Express program, directing loans, technical and management assistance to businesses in New Markets areas.
We can also help by creating more opportunity for small businesses, starting by bringing together every sector of the business community, large and small. I want to expand the innovative BusinessLINC, which allows entrepreneurs and small businesses to better work with larger businesses to expand investment. I also intend to offer small businesses more bid opportunities for federal government contracts.
We have made great strides through the SBA's HUB Zone-Empowerment Contracting Program, and as president, I will ensure that we strengthen it. I want to give more managerial aid and other assistance to new small businesses by greatly upgrading Microenterprise Lending and Technical Assistance and the SBA's Business Development Centers, One-Stop Shops and Individual Development Accounts.
Small businesses also need a regulatory environment that does not create undue compliance burdens, while protecting consumers, workers and [the] environment. Over the last eight years, we have made good progress and worker related injuries are at an all time low. As president, I will build on recent successes and direct OSHA to continue seeking ways to improve employee health and safety, with little cost or confusion to small businesses. I will also continue to ease the tax burden on small business - including by increasing the estate tax exemption for small businesses. In the process, we can create greater business incentives and encourage more small business investment.
Small-business entrepreneurship is the backbone of the American Dream. Entrepreneurs put Americans to work. By putting the right policies in place today, we can help protect our current prosperity and extend it well into the 21st Century.
Entrepreneur:In your health-care announcement last September, you mentioned that small businesses should be able to band together to purchase health insurance in pools. You also proposed that businesses joining these pools should receive "special tax benefits and grants." Please elaborate on how these purchasing pools would operate and what sort of tax breaks small businesses would receive.
Gore: America has far too many people without health insurance. I have laid out a detailed, step-by-step plan to move toward our goal of universal health insurance, starting with children. One component of that plan is to help small business provide health care for their employees.
Small businesses typically pay higher premiums for benefits, and administrative costs may consume as much as 40 percent of premium dollars. To counter this excessive burden, I have proposed an initiative to give small firms that offer health insurance a tax credit equal to 25 percent of their contribution towards health insurance obtained through purchasing coalitions. These health insurance pools allow small businesses to join together in order to purchase insurance policies at a reduced price.
Further, I would provide tax incentives for foundations to help pay for start-up costs of purchasing coalitions and direct the Federal Employees' Health Benefits Program to make technical assistance available to these coalitions. Above all, this process not only saves money, but helps move toward our goal of universal health coverage for all Americans.
Entrepreneur:Small businesses consistently cite the shortage of skilled labor as a major problem. They view part of that problem as related to worker education but lack consensus on the proper approach to rectifying the situation. What specifically would you do to improve the preparation of students coming out of high school? How do you propose to improve continuing education for existing workers?
Gore: In my opinion, education is a top national priority requiring national leadership. To properly train tomorrow's workforce, we must give students a world-class education today. Consequently, I believe that parents and government should work together to bring revolutionary improvements to our public schools, which educate over 90 percent of our children. Parents have a responsibility to make sure their children study and learn. Government needs to meet its responsibility by fixing failing schools, establishing high standards for students and teachers, and stop wasting money on bureaucracy and put it in smaller class sizes.
My plan would demand higher standards from our schools, teachers and students, while investing in the tools they need to success. I will start by creating an Education Reform Trust Fund to increase our national investment in education by over 50 percent. The fund will support programs to help every child in our public schools reach high standards as our schools meet increased demand. I will focus on early education-making high-quality, voluntary preschool available to every 4-year-old, expanding funding for Head Start and Early Head Start, and helping families pay for child care. My plan will lower class sizes and ensure a qualified teacher in every classroom by helping to recruit and train one million talented new teachers over the next decade. I will provide tax incentives to help states build and modernize crumbling school buildings to assure our students can attend schools that are modern, safe, and well equipped for learning. I will finish wiring every classroom to the Internet and train students and teachers to use information technology to individualize learning and bridge the digital divide. My goal is to ensure all students are computer literate by the 8th grade.
But investment alone is not enough. To revolutionize education, we must also raise standards and demand strict accountability for results. My plan treats teachers like the professionals they are-holding them to high standards, requiring every new teacher to be qualified in his or her subject area, and helping find faster, fair ways to identify and improve, or when necessary remove, failing teachers. My plan demands more from students-encouraging states to develop high school completion exams, in order to ensure that every student leaves school with the skills he or she needs to succeed. And my plan demands more from schools. We cannot tolerate failing schools. My plan will require states and school districts to identify failing schools and put in place an aggressive plan to turn those schools around. To encourage public school choice, my plan would triple publicly-accountable charter schools, and require schools to issue performance report cards to help parents select the school best-suited to their child's needs and hold schools accountable.
I believe we must help students afford higher education and individuals upgrade their skills for the new economy. I have proposed new lifelong learning "401(j) Accounts" that would allow employers and individuals to put money away for qualified higher education expenses, tax-free. These accounts would let a person save for job training, education and lifelong learning, and let those savings grow tax-free. I have also proposed a College Opportunity Tax Cut, which would make up to $10,000 in tuition tax-deductible in order to make college, graduate school, and courses taken for a job more affordable.
Education is vital to ensuring that small businesses have the highly skilled workforce they need in order to compete. However, I recognize that, in today's tight labor markets, small businesses are currently suffering from a shortage of highly skilled workers. To adequately address this short-term predicament, we need to expand the administration's proposal to increase the number of H-1B visas to 200,000 per year, while enacting significant new provisions to protect and prepare the U.S. workforce and providing measures of fairness and equity for certain immigrants already in the U.S.
Today, the challenge of education is more important than ever. If we are to build on our prosperity and ensure that America's small businesses have a quality, educated workforce, we must act with precision and vigor. Only then, can we begin to help others truly realize their fullest potential.
Entrepreneur:Even though small businesses lack workers, they've been noticeably reluctant to tap two pools of potential workers: the long-term unemployed and the disabled. Is there a role for government in encouraging small businesses to hire these individuals? What policies, if any, would you propose to encourage small businesses to hire them as workers?
Gore: Today, approximately 30 million working-age adults with disabilities and approximately 75 percent of people with significant disabilities are unemployed or underemployed. I believe we must begin with an aggressive national policy to bring adults with disabilities into gainful employment. It is a smart, cost-saving method to help small businesses, and it is the right thing to do.
To begin, I have launched a new Disability-to-Work Initiative to encourage small-business public-private partnerships to hire people with disabilities, give people with disabilities the skills and technology they need to enter into the workforce, and share best practices. It will also work with nonprofit technology resource centers and businesses to make sure that youth with disabilities are ready for work. I am also working to act on the recommendations of the President's Task Force on the Employment of Adults with Disabilities, to break down barriers to fuller participation in the workplace. Just recently, I announced the creation of a new Disability Research Institute to develop innovative new return-to-work strategies.
The Clinton-Gore Administration came to office in 1993 promising to "end welfare as we know it." And we have. Welfare rolls have been cut by over half, and millions of former welfare recipients are gainfully employed. But we should also recognize that there are still welfare recipients who need help in finding long-term employment. To help integrate these people into the new economy--and to help small businesses in this tight labor market--I want to expand the welfare-to-work tax credit to encourage businesses to hire and retain people off the welfare roles. Small businesses would continue to receive a tax credit equal to 35 percent of first $10,000 in wages for the first year a welfare recipient is hired, and 50 percent of the first $10,000 in wages for the second year. I also want to take the next step in welfare reform-promoting responsible fatherhood. As we have asked mothers to move from welfare to work, all sectors of society have risen to the challenge. Now, we must help and ensure "dead-broke dads," find an opportunity to gain employment and fulfill their obligation to support their families.
Click "next section" for the rest of the interview.
Interview With Gore Part 2
Entrepreneur:Small business only stands to further benefit by participating in these new forward-looking proposals. Working together, we can continue our prosperity and make sure no one is left behind.
Gore: Small businesses appear to be reluctant to use the simple plan established by the Clinton administration to increase availability of retirement programs at smaller firms. Is this a misperception of the reception of the program? If not, what's preventing more small businesses from joining? Is there another approach that a Gore administration would take?
I believe that small businesses want to provide their employees with adequate pension programs. However, too often, the costs are too great.
As president, I will work to implement a 50-percent tax credit for 3 years of qualified contributions to employees' pensions. I also think we should continue to simplify our pension system, so that small businesses can more easily make tax-advantaged savings programs available to their employees. We can also continue reducing unnecessary paperwork and fostering an atmosphere of cooperation.
In the end, less money needs to go to accountants, lawyers, and other consultants. If we can make these minor adjustments, I am confident that small businesses can provide better employee pensions.
Entrepreneur:Tax cuts and tax reform remain popular topics with business owners. What new initiatives would you propose to reduce and simplify taxes for business owners?
Gore: I believe in a fair and progressive tax structure. That is why I have advocated a common sense strategy of targeted tax cuts that spur growth and help working families and small businesses invest in their future, without risking our fiscal discipline and threatening our economic prosperity.
As president, I plan to make the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit permanent and refundable in order to increasingly benefit small businesses. To ease the burden of the estate tax on small-business owners, I support raising the amount of estate tax relief for small businesses and family farms to $5 million for a family ($2.5 million for an individual). With this relief, more than 70 percent of small businesses, if they took full advantage of this policy, would no longer have to pay any estate tax on their small business, and estate taxes will dramatically fall for many more small businesses. And my approach would also make estate taxes fairer. For example, today, because of complicated laws, many couples only get the $1.3 million exemption for singles rather than the $2.6 million for which they are eligible. I would assure that every couple gets their full deduction. I am also committed to working to find other ways to assure that the estate tax is fair and simple for families. Finally, I propose to expand the current estate and capital gains tax deductions for landowners that transfer properties near cities, parks, or wilderness areas to conservation uses.
Entrepreneur:You've won praise for your efforts to restructure government and reduce paperwork for businesses. Yet, earlier this year, OSHA issued a guidance letter on ergonomic standards for telecommuters to a small company in texas that resulted in a firestorm of protest and caused the secretary of labor to rescind the letter. The ergonomic standards are still under review. What stance would a Gore administration take on ergonomics for telecommuters?
Gore: I believe that cooperation is far better than burdensome regulation. Measures that protect workers health and safety and the environment should not be an impediment to economic prosperity; they should be a building block to improve our overall quality of life. Over the past eight years, this new philosophy has worked well for small business.
Under the Clinton-Gore Administration, the incidence of workplace injuries has fallen to its lowest level in history. Our goal has been to make needed regulations as easy to understand and comply with as possible. For example, OSHA has posted on its Internet website new and innovative advisory software to help small businesses understand how to comply with OSHA regulations at practically no cost. The Administration has reinvented OSHA to focus on helping those businesses interested in complying to do so, and directed enforcement only toward those businesses that have demonstrated an unwillingness to comply. As President, I will encourage OSHA to continue reviewing its ergonomics safety and health rules, in order to minimize the burden on small business.
Under a Gore Administration, OSHA will continue to seek ways to improve employee health and safety with little cost or confusion to small businesses.
Interview With Bush Part 1
Entrepreneur:Governor, you've joined Vice President Gore in a call for allowing small business to join associated health plans, but the vice president has gone further in proposing tax benefits for companies joining these plans. Do you think that's a good idea? Why or why not?
George W. Bush: Tax benefits are a great way to make health insurance more affordable to entrepreneurs and employees of small business. I have proposed several affordable health-care options that allow the individual, and not the government, to find the most suitable health insurance plan. My health-care tax credit provides a 90 percent tax credit, up to $2,000 annually for the cost of a family's insurance compared to Vice President Gore's plan to provide a 25 percent tax credit for the cost of a displaced worker's insurance. As you noted, I support small business pooling to purchase health-care plans for their employees. I also favor the immediate 100 percent tax deductibility of insurance costs for the self-employed and the expansion of Medical Savings Accounts, a proven means to help the uninsured.
Entrepreneur:Small businesses are much less likely than big businesses to offer a retirement plan. One solution you've proposed is to allow individuals to use a portion of their payroll taxes to fund a retirement account. What, if any, role would small business play in contributing to their employees' use of these accounts under your plan? Are there other approaches you would pursue to increase small business participation in these retirement plans?
Bush: Under my plan to save Social Security, employers would continue to match employee contributions just as they do under the current system. However, I would allow Americans to invest a small portion of their Social Security taxes into the stock market. Current and near retirees would be guaranteed their promised benefits. If Social Security were to remain solvent under the current system (it is expected to go broke in 2037), it would offer only a 2 percent real return to new workers, compared to a 4 percent return with government guaranteed inflation indexed bonds and a seven percent average real return in stocks.
The federal tax on savings can be as high as 70 percent (40 percent income tax and 55 percent death tax). I have proposed simplifying and reducing our tax code from the current rates of 15, 28, 33, 36 and 39.6 percent to four rates of 10, 15, 25, and 31 percent, allowing Americans to save more of their earnings for retirement. My tax relief plan also eliminates the death tax, a burden on entrepreneurs and small-business workers who wish to keep their business within their families. Ninety percent of businesses that fail after the first generation cite the death tax as a factor for their demise.
As you know, research and development plays an important part in the development of new ideas. Another important part of my tax relief plan is the permanent extension of the research and development tax credit.
Entrepreneur:You've attempted to pass changes to the franchise tax in Texas that eliminate the different treatment of classes of business (i.e. sole proprietor vs. incorporated business). These proposals have been perceived as equalizing the difference between small and large businesses. Should entrepreneurs expect that a Bush administration would try to equalize the federal government's treatment of small and large business? Can you site specific areas where such discrepancies exist at the federal level?
Bush: I believe that lower taxes promote economic growth and are our best insurance policy against an economic downturn. I have proposed numerous tax cuts that will benefit individuals and small businesses, including lowering the marginal tax rates for all workers and entrepreneurs, and making the R&D tax credit permanent. I realize the important role that small businesses play in our economy and will promote policies to help them grow and prosper.
Entrepreneur:You've developed a reputation for working with legislators in Texas--and for believing that neither you nor your staff have all the answers to a particular problem. Would a Bush administration be less likely to propose solutions to problems in the future? Or would it raise issues and then develop solutions after considerable debate?
Bush: I am proud of the fact that I been able to work with members of both parties of the Texas legislature, and I will bring this spirit of bi-partisanship to Washington. I have also demonstrated leadership in a number of policy initiatives during the course of this campaign. These include my plans to save and strengthen Social Security and preserve and protect Medicare, including offering prescription drug coverage for seniors. Both of these programs were once thought of as "the third rail of American politics." I have proposed a responsible tax cut that increases the disposable income of all Americans. And of particular importance to future entrepreneurs, I strongly support education reform, where we closely measure student performance and increase accountability.
Interview With Bush Part 2
Entrepreneur:What would be your litmus test to determine whether a proposed regulation from you administration should be issued?
Bush: I strongly oppose any regulations that place an undue burden on small businesses and entrepreneurs. The government must be careful not to stifle innovation or pass unnecessary bureaucratic costs that are inevitably passed onto the consumer. My administration will carefully review all proposed regulations to determine its effectiveness or potential harm to small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneur:One of the top concerns of small business is to increase the number of qualified workers. Your campaign has discussed education primarily in terms of improving teaching for the young. What initiatives would you propose to improve continuing education and worker retraining?
Bush: Education will be my highest priority as president. Worker retraining is an important part of that goal. I have proposed allowing individuals to place up to $5,000 a year, 10 times the current amount, into tax free education savings accounts. These accounts can be used towards any level of education, including worker retraining, college or graduate work.
Entrepreneur:Even though small businesses lack workers, they've been noticeably reluctant to tap two pools of potential workers: the long-term unemployed and the disabled. Is there a role for government in encouraging small businesses to hire these individuals? What policies, if any, would you propose to encourage small businesses to hire them as workers?
Bush: Our society, and our government, must make every effort to enable people with disabilities to lead independent and productive lives. To help Americans with disabilities freely pursue the American dream, I have proposed the New Freedom Initiative. The New Freedom Initiative encourages businesses to hire Americans with disabilities by taking three important steps. First, I will triple federal funding in assistive technology and dramatically improve access to it. Second, I will provide $20 million to help disabled Americans work from home and make the providing of a home office by a company a tax-free fringe benefit. Third, I am committed to signing an Executive Order to allow Americans with disabilities to maintain their health benefits when they return to work.
Contact Sources
- American Express Small Business Services, www.americanexpress.com/smallbusiness
- National Association for the Self-Employed, (800) 232-NASE, www.nase.org
- National Federation of Independent Business, firstname.lastname@example.com
- National Small Business United, (800) 345-6728
- Small Business United of Texas, (512) 476-1707, firstname.lastname@example.com


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For long flights, it's often suggested to stretch before and after to relieve achy joints from hours of sitting. Well, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) officials announced Wednesday the grand opening of the world's first in-airport yoga studio.
The best part is: it's free!
The studio is tiny at a mere 150 square feet and is located in the pristine, brand-new Terminal 2 (believe me, I've seen it myself, and it is gorgeous). The idea was conceived when an SFO traveler mentioned that the terminal had everything except for a yoga studio. Mats are included—so is the serenity the blue walls seem to create. The yoga studio presents quite the juxtaposition—compared to the hustle and bustle right outside its doors.
Source: SFist.com
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subset: commoncrawl


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Fantasy football has been a topic of jokes and sarcasm for some time over at WEEI's Big Show. I'm no fantasy football expert – I play one league with my friends for fun, and that's it, but this segment caught my attention.
I don't know if you heard any of this, but in this very curious segment yesterday, the Big Show crew angrily went off on the entire fantasy football concept, and in particular, ESPN.com's K.C. Joyner who bills himself "The Football Scientist."
The segment started innocuously enough, a little after 4:30 with a caller casually mentioning that LaMont Jordan was a guy who had killed his fantasy team for the last couple of years, and now here he was, playing for the team that he roots for.
It seemed to be the signal that Ordway and company were waiting for, as they went on a collective tirade that lasted until the 5:00 commercial break.
Pete Sheppard started it off with "Fantasy Football, who gives a rat's ass?"
The Millions who sign up to play, apparently. But these guys either aren't smart enough to understand it, or somehow the word Fantasy threatens their cigar-smoking, leather chap-wearing, motorcycle riding existence. They mock what they can't understand.
Ordway then followed up with his "I must say…" introduction that he uses when he wants to get serious and pretend that he has an actual important message he wants to get across…"I gotta throw this out there…please people, we have no problem with anyone playing fantasy football, ok, if you could get a date, it would probably improve your life a little bit, but there's nothing wrong with it…BUT ITS NOT THE SAME GAME AS THE REAL GAME OF FOOTBALL."
Really Glenn? How did you figure that out?
"The problem is, but now there are these geeks out there, who are now taking fantasy football, crossing the line, and think its actually REAL football.
Think about how totally absurd that entire statement is. A "problem?" Is that a problem like the financial crashes or the housing crisis? Is it something we should all be concerned about? "Geeks" – the buzzword for anyone who knows how to use a keyboard. "crossing the line" – whoa! These guys have taken it way too far. THEY'VE CROSSED THE LINE. Um, what line exactly is that? They "think it's actually REAL football." Once again, WHO thinks fantasy football is real? What in the world is he talking about?
"And they're basing it all on numbers." Um, yeah, that's kind of the point of fantasy football…
"IT'S NOT REAL FOOTBALL…fantasy football is…listen to the word they use how to describe it…FANTASY. OK?
Once again, I guess I missed out on the people who were claiming that fantasy football was in any way real football.
The stuff we actually watch on Sunday is REAL. Another brilliant revelation!
Fred Smerlas then chimed in "Like the clubs you go to – fantasy." To which Ordway said "Exactly." Ordway then launched into his attack:
Have you seen this, this kid, who calls himself the uh, the football scientist? He wears like a white scientist jacket? I mean, this kid, he's on ESPN.com as well.
Steve DeOssie: He's unbelievable.
I don't watch it…I don't watch it…why don't you click it off? – Sheppard was reaching the boiling point now, as his words were impatiently spoken like someone ready to just completely lose it…
Ordway continued: He comes up with numbers that obviously may make some sense if you're playing fantasy football, but then when you try to convert them to stuff on the line, line play…guys…this is not…you can't…this is not baseball, you can't take…
Isn't the whole point that those numbers are meant for those playing fantasy football? What idiots are using them to analyze REAL football? Who are these people, Glenn?
After stammering a bit longer on what a "goofball" Joyner was (though they never mentioned him by name) Glenn made what he felt was his most important point:
You've got to be able to separate…you guys played the game…statistics in football do not tell you the story…
They went to say how these fantasy geeks have no idea about how the game is really played, that they can't account for double teams, or how well a cornerback played or other factors. These are all valid points, which make sense, but apparently these guys can't fathom that people actually understand that fantasy football is separate from the real game. To them, if you play fantasy football, you're not a fan of REAL football.
Ordway made fun of Joyner's claim that he watches game film and rates the players and the plays. "IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE GAME, HOW CAN YOU WATCH TAPE AND RATE A PLAYER'S PERFORMANCE? You know what? I'll tell you what, I'm gonna go home tonight, I'm gonna watch five operas, I'm gonna come in tomorrow, and I am going to rate for you all of the operas. OK? And guess what? Whatever I tell you will be absolutely USELESS – because I won't know what I'm talking about."
That hasn't stopped you from speaking on any other topic, Glenn.
They then ranted about how these formulas have credibility among the blogs and other sites on the internet. Sheppard yelled "ITS ONLY CREDIBLE TO THE IDIOTS OUT THERE WHO DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER. IF IT'S CREDIBLE, YOU'RE AN IDIOT! SERIOUSLY NO OFFENSE BUT YOU'RE AN IDIOT. WHAT IT IS IS EMBARRASSING!"
Ordway then made the following statement: "I gotta tell you (that voice again, and repeated about three times) you guys are around, and we're around some of the football guys you guys are around a lot of them…people in the game, the coaches, the GMs, they LAUGH AT THIS STUFF! Because its not what they do. It's not their business, it's not real football. They LAUGH at this stuff, these stupid statistics are an absolute JOKE…it's just a joke."
Ordway then condescendingly gave the "kid" credit for being able to sell his stuff even though he doesn't know what he's doing. Sheppard yelled again that they should get someone on to challenge him and not let him "spew his ridiculous crap."
Wouldn't you love to hear Sheppard just try and do that?
Smerlas referred to him as a "con artist" able to sell his stuff to salespeople at ESPN who don't know any better.
I think Ordway had an inkling of how stupid they were sounding, as he tried to change up the arguement by saying what they were talking about was "separate from fantasy football" and he then talked about how these people were "trying to put a spin on the game of football like it's above this violent game where two people are going to butt heads in the trenches…they want to make it above that, and they want to suddenly integrate NUMBERS into it, which will tell you why this team did this and why they won by seven and didn't lose by four."
Somewhere along the line, Ordway and company have gotten the impression that the statistics and analysis used by these fantasy "experts" are being taken seriously and being applied and used to try and predict "real" football. Who does this? Anyone? These stats are designed for fantasy football and are used by those who play the game. There are new football stats out there, which, like any stats, can be used as another way to look at the game, as long as you keep things balanced. Is Football Outsiders, which has a weekly segment on WEEI's Dale and Holley show an "embarrassment" in the eyes of Pete Sheppard? The more likely scenario, as mentioned earlier, is that these guys simply can't understand these new ways of looking at things, and so they mock them…
I would venture to say that this "kid" Joyner (he's not a "kid") would talk circles around Sheppard and Ordway when it comes to football.
When Smerlas and DeOssie are talking football seriously, you can tell, and they do give you some pretty good insight at times as to what is happening on the field, and the mindset and techniques needed to play in the NFL. Ordway has never impressed me with his football knowledge, which seems to mostly consist of knowing which buzzphrases to throw out there that week: "Eight in the box" "cover two" "punch them in the mouth" "two gap." Sheppard is clearly a huge fan of the game, and his enthusiasm for it is evident, but his analysis not something you tune in the radio specifically to hear.
ESPN has tried to limit their personalities to appearances on only ESPN outlets, unless they are promoting something such as a book, or charity. Joyner happens to have a book out right now, so maybe they can get him on and challenge him on their airwaves.
As a followup based on the comment from "Lefty" below…Ordway and crew said a couple times in the segment that "The Football Scientist" appears on WEEI.com…I haven't seen him on there that I remember. The site has Kirk Minihane on there as their fantasy specialist. (He also has a blog.) I meant to mention these items in the above rant.


text: Other languages Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share by Email RESOURCESPUBLICATIONSOTHER LANGUAGES Tearfund publishes documents in four core languages (English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese) and occasionally in Russian. While we are unable to expand our translations department to include more languages, we are delighted that people all over the world are taking the initiative to translate our publications into their own languages. This is the page where you will find their translations. Please note that, as these translations have been produced outside of Tearfund, we do not monitor them and we cannot guarantee their quality or accuracy. Can't find your language on the list below? If you are interested in translating one of our publications into a local or regional language, please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com and we will send you the necessary guidelines. *Translations of Umoja can be found on the Umoja page *Translations of CEDRA can be found on the CEDRA page AlbanianRead More ArabicRead More Bahasa IndonesiaRead More BanglaRead More BariRead More Chinese MandarinRead More DioulaRead More GeorgianRead More GulmancemaRead More HindiRead More IgboRead More Juba ArabicRead More Next >


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New Medicare Cards Mailing Status
Medicare is mailing new Medicare cards that replace every existing Medicare card. So far, Medicare beneficiaries in six U.S. states have all received their new cards, while some in thirteen other states have theirs. Since this is a major undertaking, Medicare is mailing the new cards in waves. This page will be updated as we receive the latest information from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.Read more


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The Trapper monitor & insect trap is a non-poisonous glue trap that captures and monitors insects. The covered glue board is designed to keep the insects in a tunnel-like trap with openings at both ends. It can be used to accurately determine the location, insect species and severity of insect infestations.
The sturdy 7 x 3 1/2 cardboard trap can be used undivided as a large trap or separated along perforated lines into three smaller traps. Its adhesive backing sticks to nearly any surface. There is space to record date and location of use. Sold in packages of twelve traps.
Hollinger Metal Edge Inc
9401 Northeast Dr.
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Fax: 800-947-8814


text: Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums :: View topic - Vegetarian Foods Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Vegetarian Foods Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Food View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message LusciousWebbJoined: 23 Nov 2010Posts: 15Location: Toronto Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 10:35 am Post subject: Vegetarian Foods What are your favourite vegetarian foods. Mine are Lick's veggie burgers and I love making vegetarian sheppards pie Back to top AnaMilenaJoined: 12 Mar 2011Posts: 25Location: 404 - Not Found Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 3:25 pm Post subject: I second your veggie burgers!! Mainly the ones made of lentils. Yummy!! There's a large variety of rice recipes, all of them keeping in mind ingredients which are pro-veggie. Fruits can be a perfect combination if well prepared!_________________ http://english4fun.freeforo.com Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Food All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Student Forums----------------ComputersCurrent NewsCultureEnglish SchoolsFamilyFilm and CinemaFoodHealth and FitnessHelp CenterHobbiesHolidaysLearning EnglishLiteratureMaking FriendsMusicOpinionsPetsScienceSportsThe Strange and MysteriousTOEFL and Other English ExamsTravel You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Dave's ESL Cafe is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Banner Advertising | Bookstore / Alta Books | FAQs | Articles | Interview with Dave Copyright © 2018 Dave's ESL Cafe | All Rights Reserved | Contact Dave's ESL Cafe | Site Map Teachers College, Columbia University: Train to Teach English Here or Abroad Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group


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Bad Language's How To Blog Like a Pro is a great list of tips to help you blog your best.
* Contribute to the conversation. There are an awful lot of sheep on the Internet. With nearly 60 million blogs in existence,you really want to try and be a sheepdog. In my opinion, it's important to say something new and something interesting to contribute that the conversation.
* Be yourself. Voltaire once said, "if we don't find anything good a least will find something new." Ideally you want to say something interesting, Just be yourself. Some of the best blogs are the ones that are unique, idiosyncratic, and highly personal. The extraordinary thing about the blogosphere is that whatever you write about, there is an audience for it.
One of the best points he makes is on the issue of getting dug by Digg or another popular traffic-driving site and how "who returns" is more important than the spike in traffic:
"Write for yourself first, then write for them. The harder I try to get a traffic monster, the more elusive it becomes so I sort of forget about trying and they keep happening."
Trying Too Hard
Do you remember the lesson most of us learned in early school about trying too hard. The harder you tried to be liked by the other kids, to be something you weren't, the worse the situation. There are time when the "trying" is for achievement and other times when the justifications behind the "trying" makes things worse and fails.
The same applies to trying too hard to generate a "traffic monster" blog post.
People know when you are sincere in your effort and when your effort is forced. Your readers aren't stupid. They know a gimmick when they see one. Just because thousands may flock to your blog post doesn't mean thousands will return.
It's those who return for more, who keep coming back for your words and offerings, those who eagerly await your next blog post, those are the ones worth waiting for and keeping. It is those who give you the reason to keep blogging.
For these people, you don't try, you do. You do your best. You ask them what they need and keep giving them what they want, and a little bit more. In time, if you put your focus on their needs and not the spikes, you will find blogging more enjoyable and definitely more satisfying.
Are you trying too hard with your blog? Is it working hard for you or hardly working?
Site Search Tags: blog writing, traffic monster, getting dugg by digg, attracting attention, blog business, blogging business, how do you blog, blog tips, blogging tips
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14k Gold Filled Tiny Ball Stud earringsRegular price $18.90 USD
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Tiny Ball stud earrings, they are polished shine and made for sensitive skin. Minimalist at its best.
-14k Gold Filled
This material is hypoallergenic, lightweight and very durable
★Gold Filled
14K Gold filled has about 100 times more actual gold than gold-plated and has the durability of 14K Solid Gold jewelry. It can last years of regular wear if taken care of properly.
★Sterling Silver
We use 100% genuine sterling silver. It may tarnish on a fraction of people but the tarnish can be cleaned off by polishing cloth.
Your purchase always comes in a 100% recycled cardboard box. NEW VIE SHOP supports ethical and eco-friendly practices and uses reclaimed and recycled metals whenever possible ♻
14k Gold Filled
Gold-filled products are a great, quality alternative to the much more expensive solid karat gold. It's high in quality and with proper care and storage, you will have affordable jewelry that lasts. It's the economical way to enjoy the luster of gold without the big price tag. Gold filled is an actual layer of gold-pressure bonded to another metal. Gold filled is not to be confused with gold plating as filled literally has 100% more gold than gold plating. Gold filled is much more valuable and tarnish resistant. It does not flake off, rub off or turn colors. As a matter of fact, anyone who can wear gold can wear gold filled without worries of any allergic reaction to the jewelry. Gold filled jewelry is an economical alternative to solid gold!!
We recommend minimizing exposure to moisture and chemicals such as perfumes, salt water and chlorine in swimming pools as they take their toll on fine jewelry.Try not to wear the piece anytime you will be exposed to moisture such as swimming, showering, exercising, cleaning with liquids, etc. Overtime, this may cause the gold or silver to tarnish. Usually this can be remedied by cleaning the piece gently with a mild dish soap and water or a jewelry cleaning solution meant for the specific metal type you have purchased (sterling silver jewelry cleaning solution or gold jewelry cleaning solution) to remove oil build up, then dry it thoroughly with a clean soft cloth. If the piece contains precious gemstones (such as sapphires or rubies) or pearls, do not completely submerge in water or cleaning solution, instead gently wipe clean with a damp, soft cloth.
Important: Do not expose 14k gold fill jewelry to chlorine (commonly in pools, hot tubs, etc). The chlorine will cause a chemical reaction that will discolor and begin deterioration of the piece. Avoid harsh chemicals and cleaning solutions.
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper. The is thing to understand is sterling silver tarnishes typically by things that we do or not do and/or wear. Perfume, colognes, lotions, sweaty skin and hair products can all be contributing factors to tarnishing your shiny jewelry. When the jewelry is removed and the residue isn't wiped off, the chemicals will contribute to the tarnishing process. Harsh chemicals from dishwater detergents, chlorine and the like will tarnish sterling silver. If sterling silver is exposed to the air and left unprotected when not being worn, tarnish becomes inevitable.
A few easy steps will ensure your sterling to be as brilliant as the day it was purchased. Before you put any jewelry on, be sure any lotions and/or perfumes are absorbed into your skin. Apply all hair products, especially hair spray, before you put on the jewelry. Remove your jewelry before swimming, an invigorating workout or prior to bedtime. When you remove your jewelry at the end of your day, take a couple of minutes to wipe it off with a jewelry cloth or an old t-shirt. The jewelry cloth is preferable because it's two sided: The inside rouge is for cleaning off the dull residue and the outside cloth is for buffing. Never use tissues or paper towels for cleaning silver. These products will scratch the jewelry, which will detract from the beauty of the pieces.
After the jewelry is wiped clean, store it in an airtight container, such as a zip lock baggie, a cloth bag and/ or an airtight jewelry box. Please be aware that many display units and boxes may contain sulfur, which interacts and tarnishes sterling silver. The less air and light your silver is exposed to when you aren't wearing it, the less tarnish will occur, making it easy to have shiny jewelry each and every time you're ready to wear it. Taking the time to keep your jewelry clean after wearing it and storing it away from light and air is all that's needed to cut down on tarnish sign.
Tips to make it last longer
• Keep it dry, apply makeup and hairspray before putting on your jewelry.
•After each wearing, gently wipe each piece of jewelry clean of make up and skin oils with a 100% cotton cloth.
• Never keep your jewelry in the bathroom.
• Frequent cleaning is recommended to maintain its true beauty.


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hello, i wanted to welcome you to DBH. could you be so kind as to check out my new design "Fisher of Men" and vote if you like? it will be a DBH first for the most embellishments on one shirt. Just click my name to go to my design. thx much.
|Prints / Wins
|Votes Received
|Votes Given
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2 Followers
Following 4
7 Comments
Hey you, pleasure to come by your profile, if you want, mozey on down and take a look at my designs. Appreciate it if you vote and whatnot. Comments are totally welcomed. Fank you!
cheers bro! got to keep a good balance of darkness here!
Would you be so kind as to check out my shirt called "Blooming Imagination" in my profile? I would really appreciated it. Thank you!
no i don't think so it was originally a poster idea so i wanted some text but i bet it would look too cluttered on the tshirt
Hey I have a design in The Von Zipper contest called X Ray. If you get a chance check it out let me know what you think. Thanks
Hi, I am looking to network with other emerging artist this year. The benefit is to get new perspective and art direction to be the best gd I can. If you have a spare minute could you have a look a my new design "Red Bonzai Sea" And thoughts and suggestions for improvement would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and good luck with your art in 2009


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Ladies Day
November 18
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An event every week that begins at 12:00 am on Wednesday, repeating indefinitely
Wednesday is Ladies Day at Deerfield. All female golfers will be able to take advantage of this great deal all year long. For just $39, women golfers will enjoy eighteen holes of golf with cart. You can save big $$$ ladies!
Book your tee times by clicking below or calling 302-368-6640 ext 3!


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Consumer Information
Federal regulations require colleges and universities to provide to prospective and enrolled students specific consumer information concerning the institution, financial aid, and institutional policies.
The following list includes links to this information. In addition, information concerning Webster University is also available at the National Center for Education Statistics.
- Acceptable Use Policy
- Accreditations, Approvals, Licenses, Memberships
- Admissions: Code of Ethics and Professional Practices Statement
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You have a prediction in an envelope in full view at all times. You show the spectator a completely mixed deck of cards. You ask the spectator to choose any number between 1 and 52; it can be any number. Whatever the spectator chooses you count down to that card. You put that card to one side. If you wish, you can show the card above and below to show the spectator that all the cards are different. You take out your prediction from the envelope and show the spectator. You then turn over their chosen card and it matches yours. This is instantly re-set so you can move on and perform this at your next table immediately.
Comes with three routines.
The Devilish Deck routine as above
Always A Match
You deal the cards one by one onto the table and ask the spectator to say stop. Wherever they stop, the card matches the prediction in the envelope
Twice Foreseen (Idea suggested by Paul Gordon)
You have two decks in play. One red and one blue. You perform this as the Devilish Deck routine, but the red deck card will designate the suit and the blue deck card will designate the number. When you turn over the prediction in the envelope it matches the card created by combining the choices of the two spectators.
Do you own this product? Write a review.


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Thanks to everyone that joined us at our 25th annual Accordion Kings and Queens concert. What a great night with great music and fun! Here is a photo recap by the one and only David Dodd.


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We offer free UK delivery on all products costing £500 or more. On products costing less than £500 a small delivery charge applies which will be shown in the checkout. For full details on our delivery policies click here
Payment Options
Here at The Place for Homes we offer several finance options in order to spread the cost, simply select the Close Brothers Retail Finance option at checkout and you can apply on line. For more information click here
Returns Policy
If you're not totally satisfied with your purchase from The Place for Homes we do offer a returns policy, for full details on this please click here
Staingard Protection
We are able to offer Staingard Protection on all of our sofas and armchairs that we sell at The Place for Homes, for further details please click here


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Why Has Business Decreased ?
If traffic to your website comes from search results ( both paid Ads and the Organic ) and you watch the statistics with Google Analytics or a similar app, you can see the number of clicks to your website for search-phrases fluctuate over time. Sometimes the traffic volume decreases each weekend and rises up over…Read more


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The CTA and Mayor Emanuel's office announced a detailed proposal last week to create express bus service on Ashland Avenue, but don't expect residents, riders or business owners to sign on too quickly.
The project would dedicate one center travel lane in each direction along Ashland Avenue between 95th Street and Irving Park Road for bus rapid transit, express bus service that typically relies on green-light priority and dedicated lanes for buses.
The move is expected to improve bus speeds up to 83 percent along Ashland Avenue. The No. 9 Ashland bus sees 30,726 weekday riders, the most of any CTA bus route.
Construction on the first phase of the project, which would run between the Clybourn Metra stop off Cortland Street and the Ashland Orange Line stop off of 31st Place, is expected to begin in 2015.
But some worries accompany the project: Drivers would squeeze into one travel lane each way along Ashland Avenue and wouldn't be able to make left turns. The CTA said 92 percent of the current parking would be retained, but some business owners could see less parking space.
While this project is a step forward for speeding CTA commutes, Going Public breaks down some potential concerns for riders—from bus connections to start and end points.
>>Limited stops: The express bus would stop every half-mile and at CTA stations, which is convenient for riders who live near major intersections. Those who don't live near these intersections could have to budget extra time because they would need to walk to the express bus pickup or use the No. 9 bus, which would make all its stops alongside the express bus. The problem is the No. 9 bus would share one travel lane with cars so it could run more slowly than it does now.
>>Missing connections: The initial start and end points of the project, the Metra Clybourn stop and the Ashland Orange station, are troublesome because of their lack of connecting bus service. On the South Side, no buses connect at the Ashland Orange Line stop except the Ashland bus. The CTA has been experimenting with bus service along 31st Street, but not near the Ashland station.
On the North Side, the CTA last month eliminated No. 33 Mag Mile Express service, which used to travel during rush hour from the Clybourn stop to downtown and then to the Western Metra stop, because the agency could not come to an agreement with Metra on a new cost to run the service. The No. 73 Armitage bus and No. 132 Goose Island Express still stops by the Clybourn stop.
Also, the area around the Metra Clybourn stop is not well lit and often is dirty. The CTA said it would work on the aesthetics of the area.
>>Ravenswouldn't: The CTA said it wanted to mirror current No. 9 service, so the express bus would not go north of Irving Park Road. Ashland Avenue runs about parallel to Clark Street north of Irving Park Road and eventually runs into Clark at about Edgewater Avenue, but for residents who live on Ashland Avenue between Irving Park and Lawrence Avenue in the Ravenswood area, it can be a hike to the No. 22 Clark bus.
Loop Fiasco, part 2: Return of the Fiasco
The second phase of the Wells Street Bridge overhaul project begins late Friday, when the CTA will stop Brown Line train service over the bridge into the Loop. Brown Line trains will be rerouted from late Friday until the morning hours of May 6. There will be no Purple Line express service during this time.
Some Brown Line trains will turn into Red Line trains after Fullerton while some Brown Line trains will terminate at the Merchandise Mart stop. There will be a special train circling the Loop during this time. There also will be shuttles traveling between the Merchandise Mart, Clark/Lake and Washington/Wells stations.
Tell Going Public about your commute next week using the #LoopFiasco hashtag.
A weekly dispatch from a CTA station of note
This week: Madison/Wabash in the Loop
This stop soon will become a consolidation station. Work was supposed to begin this month on merging the Madison stop with the nearby Randolph/Wabash station, a project long in the works. Emanuel said last year that work on the $75 million Washington/Wabash station was supposed to begin this month and be complete by September 2014. The Chicago Department of Transportation could not confirm on RedEye's deadline whether construction has started.
Next up: 87th Red Line
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Cheyenne Burgess - 5.0 Babe of the Month - July 2013
Are you BOTM material?
Most of the time it's the girl, not the photos, or even the car, that seems to garner the votes in our BOTM Facebook poll. This time around, it might just be all three, but you have to admit the photos are pretty cool. It seems the lady with the car is pretty cool too.
"I am 28 years old and a stay-at-home mom. I'm married to an amazing man who shares my love for all Fords, especially Mustangs, and we have two beautiful children," says Cheyenne Burgess. "I have loved Mustangs since I was a little girl, and my dream car has always been a '70 Boss 429."
Along with that dream, Cheyenne also dreamed of becoming our BOTM. "For years now, I've wanted to be the Babe of the Month in 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords magazine," she said. "After getting back into shape following my pregnancies, the first thing I did was set up a photo shoot with my good friend and photographer, Steve Badgely, to get some awesome pictures to send in to you."
We definitely give Steve kudos for the photos, but Cheyenne's husband, Rich Burgess, also deserves some ups. He built this 1989 GT for her. It rocks an FRPP GT-40 crate engine, a built AOD, an E303 camshaft, and a 3,000-rpm stall converter. "My husband and I welded in the rollcage and designed it differently than most so that my children could ride in it with me," she said. Now that is definitely a Ford family, and its matriarch certainly deserves a spot on this page.
We know you've stopped reading by now, but if you think you know a gal that is BOTM material, well, you won't know if you don't get out from under the hood and take a picture of her with your Mustang—or better yet, hers. Send those pictures and a description of your babe and the car to: BOTM, 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords, 9036 Brittany Way, Tampa, FL 33619 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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At Westminster Cathedral this Saturday, another milestone for the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham will be reached, with the ordination of another 17 former Anglican priests as deacons on their way to the Catholic priesthood. The ordination Mass will be celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Alan Hopes of Westminster. "I have been informed", says the author of the excellent A Reluctant Sinner blog, "that it has been quite some time since Westminster Cathedral will have witnessed the ordination of so many men at the one Mass."
This is a good opportunity, therefore, to ask once more a serious question, which I asked recently in Faith magazine: the answer I gave ought to have evoked some kind of response from the powers that be (at whom it was aimed): it predictably aroused, however, a resonant silence from that quarter. The question is this: what is happening, exactly, in and to the ordinariate, whose first anniversary has now passed? I had always assumed that the ordinariate would begin in a small way, consolidate over a year or so, and then find itself growing naturally as Catholic-minded Anglicans perceived it to be a real alternative to an Anglicanism increasingly under liberal Protestant domination. Is the ordinariate showing signs of fulfilling the potential many of us had hoped to see realised?
Well, it's too early to tell. But there's no doubt that there are certain things needed if Anglicanorum coetibus is to take concrete and permanent form here: one of them is that the existing hierarchy should in the early stages help and cooperate with it, while at the same time rigorously respecting and fostering the new jurisdiction's absolute independence. The question now is whether this – or the reverse – is actually what the hierarchy is doing.
As I have already written in this column, I am beginning to wonder if the warm welcome with which even formerly hostile members of our hierarchy greeted the establishment of the ordinariate was genuine. Was their conversion authentic? Or were they being devious? Is the truth that their warm words were what they knew the Pope wanted them to utter, but that their true intention, hidden this time, in contrast to their open hostility to the original "Roman Option", was to allow the whole thing to get under way and then quietly and over time to strangle it? I think that is the real truth.
If it is not, why, unlike the new American ordinariate and the even newer Australian ordinariate (who were both assigned a church building on their erection), has the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham still not been given a principal church? In the words of Damian Thompson: "The failure to address the matter is so morale-sapping that I really can't blame those Anglicans who are hesitating to take the plunge.… "
This is not the first time I have voiced these anxieties. The last time I did so, I attracted the following online comment. I have reason to suppose (I say no more), that the following anonymous writer has good sources:
The ordinariate haven't got a clue with whom they're dealing – their representatives sat round a table in the Vatican … formulating an ordinariate and expecting that His Holiness's requests on their behalf would be fulfilled, all the time not having a clue that they were being whispered against, campaigned against by both Catholics and Anglicans who made it palpably clear that this initiative was detrimental to the "dialogue towards unity" and temporarily compromised their positions as oecumenical ambassadors – that this was a counter-productive "wacked-out" scheme by an ailing Pope who merely needed to be placated until he died – hence delaying tactics, obfuscations, procedurality, red tape and making everything as difficult and administratively untenable as possible; with patronising sympathy and hand-wringing at their lot while sneering, dismissing and chuckling to themselves that the whole thing will eventually come to naught… that the administration will crumble via crises and power politics and personality clashes and outright frustration at the situation… and ultimately the ordinariate will be re-integrated into the conference system and those not happy about it will crawl back to their friends in the C of E.
This certainly looks like a convincing answer to Damian Thompson's question: "where is the London church that will serve as the ordinariate's headquarters?" The answer is that it exists in the imagination and the aspirations of the Ordinary and his entourage: but that it has no existence in reality and never will without the firm intervention of the Pope. The following is the answer that Archbishop Nichols gave at a press conference, to a question about the provision of an ordinariate "cathedral": "I think that is something probably beyond their resources at the present time, and I don't think the ordinariate would thank us, actually, to simply give it responsibility for a church that it would have to then maintain and upkeep.
The fact is, however, that those who have crossed the Tiber to the ordinariate do regard a main church as a priority. The fact is also that those 17 new deacons (so many more than are usually ordained at Westminster Cathedral) weren't being ordained for the Archdiocese of Westminster but for the ordinariate: they ought to have been ordained at the ordinariate's principal church. The reason that they haven't got one is simple: it is that Archbishop Nichols has decided that he will not make one available — not because he hasn't got one but because he is hostile to the ordinariate . To say he won't give them one because of the costs of maintenance is utterly ridiculous: the archbishop could easily help with that problem for a year or two out of petty cash: it would make up just a little for the extreme meanness of the financial help given by the mainstream English Church thus far. I would not be at all surprised if the very unusual recent gift by the Holy Father of £150,000 wasn't at least partly intended by him as a rebuke to the English church for its parsimony, and also a way of reminding them of his own very strong support for this brave venture.
There is something else going on. I have a suspicion that there is a hidden ecumenical agenda here, behind the policy of keeping the ordinariate homeless. And behind that lies another intention. At the same time as the Anglican Bishop of London was making it plain that he would sooner demolish an unused Anglican building or turn it into a carpet warehouse than allow an ordinariate parish to use it, Archbishop Nichols was saying that the natural place for ordinariate Catholics to worship would be their local Catholic parish church. Well, it would certainly be the best place if you just want to absorb them within the local parish, while hijacking their clergy – at first to "help out", and then, who knows? – rather than give them the independent ecclesial existence envisaged in Anglicanorum coetibus.
I really do hope that the nuncio Archbishop Mennini is keeping his eye on this one. For, if he isn't, and if Rome simply assumes that Archbishop Nichols is doing everything that is necessary for the Pope's vision to be realised, I fear that the whole enterprise may run into the sands. Everything depends on its maintaining its momentum. But it cannot do that entirely alone in the early stages. In the US and in Australia, the local hierarchy is getting behind the ordinariate. Not here. Why is that?
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FDA chief asks House for more power to police pharmacies
The head of the Food and Drug Administration is preparing to tell Congress that new laws are needed to police large specialty pharmacies like the one at the center of a deadly meningitis outbreak.
Testimony released ahead of the first congressional hearing on the incident shows that FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg will ask lawmakers to give her agency more authority and funding to oversee compounding pharmacies. She plans to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
As of November 9, 428 patients have been presumed to be diagnosed with fungal meningitis stemming from contaminated steroid shots distributed by New England Compounding Center (NECC), and more than 32 deaths have been reported, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates. An additional 10 cases of fungal joint infections in caused by injections in sites such as the knee, hip, shoulder and elbow have also been reported.
Hearings Wednesday at both the Massachusetts State House and on Capitol Hill in Washington will look into the Framingham, Mass., facility's role in the outbreak, CBS Boston reports.
"FDA's authority over compounding pharmacies is limited by law and is not suited to effectively regulate the evolving compounding industry," Hamburg said, in a statement released ahead of the hearing in D.C.. "We need a clear path forward that is proactive and preventive."
Hamburg says Congress should put in place a two-tier system in which traditional compounding pharmacies continue to be regulated at the state level, but larger pharmacies would be subject to FDA oversight.
Pharmacies that ship bulk product or produce complex drugs would have to register with the FDA and undergo regular inspections, similar to pharmaceutical manufacturers. These non-traditional compounding pharmacies would also have to meet the more stringent manufacturing standards required of pharmaceutical companies.
"In light of growing evidence of threats to the public health, the administration urges Congress to strengthen standards for non-traditional compounding," Hamburg states in her testimony.
Besides Hamburg, NECC co-founder and pharmacist Barry Cadden has been subpoenaed to go before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The committee will also hear from a Massachusetts health official and the widow of a patient killed by the company's product.
CBS Evening News correspondent Jim Axelrodreported that Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., who chairs the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee investigating the outbreak, expects Cadden to take the Fifth Amendment and stay silent.
Stearns said he plans to to ask about a specific incident in September 2004, in which FDA investigators asked Cadden if he had "Trypan Blue" solution on hand. The product is not approved by the FDA.
The CBS News' Investigate Team's Laura Strickler reports that investigators then found a drawer labeled Tryban Blue that contained 189 vials of the drug. When presented with their findings, Cadden reportedly became "indignant" and told the company's co-owner Greg Conigliaro to no longer answer the investigators' questions.
"So I think the FDA has a lot to explain here, because at this point all of us are just aghast at the number of people that have died, as well as a huge number of people who ended up in hospitals," Stearns told Axelrod.
- FDA finds contamination, insects and flying bird at Ameridose
- Ameridose, tied to pharmacy in meningitis outbreak, lays off staff
- President of firm linked to meningitis outbreak to testify before Congress
On Monday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee released a report of detailed history of NECC's regulatory troubles ahead of the Wednesday hearing.
The report shows that after several years of problems, Food and Drug Administration officials in 2003 suggested that the compounding pharmacy be "prohibited from manufacturing" until it improved its operations. But FDA regulators deferred to their counterparts in Massachusetts, who ultimately reached an agreement with the pharmacy to settle concerns about the quality of its prescription injections.
The congressional report also shows that in 2003 the FDA considered the company a pharmacy. That's significant because since the outbreak came to light in late September, public health officials have charged that NECC was operating more as a manufacturer than a pharmacy, shipping thousands of doses of drugs to all 50 states instead of small batches of drugs to individual patients. Manufacturers are regulated by the FDA and are subject to stricter quality standards than pharmacies.
The report offers the most detailed account yet of the numerous regulatory complaints against the pharmacy, which nearly date back to its founding in 1998.
Cadden was subject to several other complaints involving unprofessional conduct in coming years, but came to the FDA's attention in 2002.
The NECC has been closed since early last month, and Massachusetts officials have taken steps to permanently revoke its license. The pharmacy has recalled all the products it makes, including about 17,700 single-dose vials of a steroid that tested positive for the fungus tied to the outbreak.
A recent investigation of the NECC found numerous sterility issues, including bacterial contamination and mold growth in areas where drugs are prepared.
Another company owned by the same owners as the NECC, Ameridose, wasalso discovered to have sterility issues during a recent inspection when investigators found insects and birds inside the facility. The company will be shut down until Nov. 19 at the earliest, and has had to lay off 650 employees and an additional 140 employees at its marketing and support arm because of the extended closure.


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NC to Duke Energy: Have You Dumped ALEC Yet?
Amid a dump of leaked American Legislative Exchange Council documents published by The Guardian last week, North Carolina is asking Duke Energy: Have you finally dumped ALEC?
NC WARN and ProgressNC have both raised the question, based on Duke Energy's inclusion in a list of "Lapsed" private sector ALEC members featured in The Guardian and an article in the Raleigh News & Observer.
ALEC's notes for Duke Energy's lapsed membership, as of April 22, 2013, only say "Merged with Progress Energy, new contacts," indicating that Duke's absence was only temporary as new personnel were assigned to participate in ALEC's work. Duke and Progress merged into the largest U.S. utility company last year.
Duke Energy, North Carolina's monopoly utility company, has long been a member of ALEC. Last year, Duke Energy refused to leave ALEC even after being petitioned, emailed and called by over 150,000 people to defect. ALEC's controversial legacy includes blocking climate change policies as part of Big Oil's 1998 master plan, the NRA's Stand Your Ground laws, which increase homicide rates, and "Voter ID" bills that suppress legitimate American voters, especially students, the elderly and people with brown skin.
While Duke Energy has resisted calls to dump ALEC, it has responded to the pressure by distancing itself from several items on ALEC's dirty lobbying laundry list:
- Duke has repeatedly pushed back on any association with ALEC's Stand Your Ground and voter suppression laws.
- Duke's call for action to address global warming clash with ALEC's legacy of climate change denial, including new draft policies to interfere with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's greenhouse gas rules, and a bill that forces teachers to misrepresent climate change science to their students, now law in at least four states, thanks to state legislators implementing ALEC's model bills.
- Duke has explicitly denounced ALEC's attacks on state Renewable Portfolio Standards-laws to increase utility electricity generation from cleaner sources. Duke takes credit for helping create North Carolina's RPS.
So why has Duke Energy resisted popular pressure to leave ALEC, including from its own ratepayers? If Duke doesn't like ALEC's history shilling for climate change deniers, nor the National Rifle Association, nor the Republican party's voter disenfranchisement strategies, what is making Duke stay?
ALEC's new attacks on rooftop solar electricity producer are right in line with Duke Energy's attempt to pay back 29% less to homeowners whose solar panels feed extra electricity back into the grid, despite the fact that these homeowners fronted the costs of installing and maintaining solar panels themselves.
Duke is terrified of the prospect of rooftop solar energy, which threatens its century-old monopoly business model. Duke is used to being the dominant company providing power to North Carolina residents, and they can basically charge customers as much as they want. More customers are choosing to install their own solar panels as the technology rapidly becomes cheaper, keeping money in the pockets of ratepayers rather than Duke's executives.
ALEC's Updating Net Metering Policies Resolution, discussed last week at its States and Nation Policy Summit in Washington, DC, would complement dirty utilities like Duke Energy that are working to make it more costly for people to feed their own solar power into the electrical grid. See here for ALEC's new anti-environmental resolutions.
Which Utilities will be Using ALEC's State Lawmakers to Attack Solar Energy?
The new ALEC resolution was crafted with help from lobbyists at Edison Electric Institute, the primary trade association for Duke and most other large U.S. utility companies.
EEI's roster also includes Arizona Public Service (APS), the utility that tried to force Arizona's residential solar electricity producers to pay $50 per month for feeding unused electricity back into the grid. In the end, the monthly fee was reduced to $5 per month, which still serves as a disincentive for homeowners to install their own solar panels.
As it sought to make net metering more expensive for small-scale solar producers, APS lied to the public, denying its funding of anti-solar TV advertisements run by Koch brothers front groups.
APS recently rejoined ALEC after disassociating for a short year. ALEC's Energy, Environment and Agriculture task force includes APS and presumably Duke Energy, among other dirty energy giants. The EEA task force is governed by American Electric Power's Paul Loeffelman and Wyoming state Representative Thomas Lockhart, friend of the coal industry.
Duke Can Still Do the Right Thing
Duke Energy needs to make its intentions clear.
The company can go with the Koch brothers, ALEC, and companies like APS, and financially punish North Carolinians who choose to produce their own electricity. Or, it can finally dump ALEC, its bad policies and anti-democratic processes and shift to a business model that embraces the power of the sun. It can continue to plan around a cost on carbon emissions and phase out dirty coal that aggravates everything from climate change to water pollution to asthma.
We hope to get the right answer from Duke Energy soon.


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Words containing aroani
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Get Dirty
As you can see and hear, distortion comes in many colors, with various shades and hues within those colors. For a more in-depth look, check out my bookAll About Effects(street $14.99,halleonard.com).
Experimenting with different ways of dirtying up your sound is one of the most exciting and fun things about playing electric guitar. Using the various types of stompboxes and approaches described here, you can elicit a wealth of harmonics and overtones—from sweet, singing sustain to chopped-off dissonant clang—from your guitars. Your mission— should you choose to accept it—is to make music with these marvelous tones.
10 Tips For Great Gritty Tone
There are even more ways to get crazy, beautiful, off-the-wall tones than there are distortion, overdrive, and fuzz pedals on the market. After all, every knob tweak and playing technique alters the sound of these pedals immensely—to say nothing of the rest of the rig they're plugged into. That said, these 10 approaches never fail to yield great results.
1. Increase your impedance.Using a speaker cabinet with a greater impedance than that of your amp (for example, a 4 Ω head with an 8 Ω cabinet) can yield the same effects as an attenuator.
2. Don't forget that less can be more.Distortion acts as compression, so the more gain you use the more it will flatten the dynamics of your playing. It will also wash out your sound and sink you into the mix. You might think you sound awesome, but all the audience will hear is a muffled roar.
3. Don't obsess too much over germanium.While germanium fuzzes have come a long way in terms of consistently sounding good, they don't all sound exactly the same—even the same models from the same company. If you have a chance to try a couple, do so. If you don't hold an audition, but simply buy one and it sounds good, be glad. Don't obsess that there might be a better one out there.
4. Pair a germanium fuzz with an overdrive.If you want the sound of a germanium boost at unity gain, try running it in front of an overdrive pedal with the overdrive's Drive control set low and its output set below your clean amp volume.
5. Cascading overdrives adds up to distortion.You might find that cascading overdrives—running more than one in a row—provides a more desirable sound than a distortion pedal. By sending the slightly overdriven signal of one pedal into a second pedal set for a moderate amount of grit, you can achieve more distortion while maintaining an openness that is sometimes lost with a single highly distorted pedal.
6. Make sure your distortion pedal has level-boost capabilities.You won't want to use too much, but a little is essential to keep a high-gain sound from disappearing in the mix.
7. Simple is best for the blues.For an authentic old-blues sound, a small combo and—at most—a clean boost are sufficient. If you want a more modern blues tone, overdrive or certain fuzz boxes will keep essential blues dynamics more intact than a distortion pedal.
8. Order matters.Some fuzz units need to be first in your pedalboard's chain in order to work properly with guitar volumes and wah-wahs. Further, every distortion effect will have a different character if it's placed, say, before a wah than it will if it comes somewhere else in the chain.
9. Don't forget your Tone knob.Rolling it off is often the most effective way to tame fuzz fizz and make it more adaptable to different songs and feels.
10. Summon a sitar.Selecting your bridge pickup and rolling down your Volume while using an octave fuzz pedal can create a cool sitar sound—who would've thought?