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by Fred Butler
Who is the author of Hebrews? This has been a question asked by students of scripture since the close of the New Testament. The search has been conducted for over a millennium and is no closer to being ended. Answering the question and nailing down the identity of the elusive author is not necessarily an important controversy to resolve. The author's anonymity does not affect the authenticity of the epistle's inspiration, or the validity of its inclusion into the canon. Hebrews is still God's authoritative Word. My endeavor with this essay is to engage in a fun exercise of Bible study and a look at Church history.
There have been a number of candidates suggested over the years for the authorship of Hebrews. Tertullian, the church father from Carthage (150-222 AD), believed Barnabas may have been the writer. Barnabas was the nickname given by the apostles to a disciple named Joseph. It meant "son of consolation/ encouragement" and he was given that name because of his selfless involvement in the early church. Barnabas was a Levite, according to Acts 4:36, so he would have been familiar with the OT sacrificial system and the Jewish rituals discussed in Hebrews. His insight to the OT would give him the authority to show how the types and shadows of the OT were fulfilled in Christ.
Apollos is another individual named as the possible author. He first comes on the scene in Acts 18:24, where he is described as a great orator, a man mighty in the scriptures. According to Acts 18:25, Apollos was a Jew who was instructed in the ways of the Lord. He was filled with a fervent spirit of evangelism for his Jewish brethren. His strong teaching abilities, coupled with a boldness to preach to the Jews, makes him a nominee for authorship.
There have been other names given as authors. Some of the candidates include: Silas, Luke, James, Clement of Rome, and strangely, Pricilla, the wife of Aquila, who both discipled Apollos, (Acts 18:26-27).
There is one final candidate, however, who stands out above the others. The Apostle Paul is, in my opinion, the only possible author of the book of Hebrews. The general consensus among Christians, until about the 1800's, was that Paul wrote Hebrews. That agreement alone does not settle or prove that Paul wrote the book. All the facts have to be examined, because the acceptance of Pauline authorship is not with out its problems. Many students believe the style of Hebrews is nothing like Paul's other letters. Plus, his usual greeting is missing from the opening of the book; another indicator Paul was not the author. Something else uncommon to Paul is the quotation of the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament.
These are just some compelling arguments against Pauline authorship, but I am still convinced Paul wrote Hebrews, as I will attempt to show in this essay. I believe Paul's authorship can be established with three areas of discussion. First, historical church tradition, then, internal evidence from the book of Hebrews, and finally, apostolic authority.
Historical Church Tradition
Before beginning, I need to define what is meant by tradition, because the word conjures up thoughts of Roman Catholic doctrine. Sadly, Catholicism has horrendously skewed the word. The reason being is the elevation of tradition to the level of authority with the scriptures. In Roman Catholicism, tradition is to be obeyed as equally as the Bible, and sometimes rather than the Bible. A perfect example is the celibacy of the priesthood. The scriptures nowhere forbid church clergy from marrying, but Catholic tradition has always maintained a celibate priesthood as being obedient to God. This is not what I mean by tradition.
The tradition of which I speak is established by church history. Orthodox Christianity believes, for instance, that the apostle Matthew wrote the gospel carrying his name, even though the gospel does not mention the author. The same can be said about the other three gospels, and Acts. We believe Mark, Luke, John, and again, Luke, wrote the books attributed to them because historical church tradition has established these men as the authors.
In like manner falls the book of Hebrews. Historically, the church believed Paul wrote the book. It is one thing to say the church has believed this, but is it provable? There is tangible proof found in the first collections of the NT epistles, and the writings of the church fathers.
Early after the close of the canon, and the passing away of the apostles, the churches began to collect the epistles of the New Testament. Paul's epistles were the first to be gathered into one body, or corpus. From the early second century onward, Paul's letters were circulated, not individually, but as a collection. The earliest and complete Pauline corpus is the Chester Beatty manuscript, p46, dated about 200 AD. It includes all of Paul's epistles except the three pastorals, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus. The interesting note about this collection is that Hebrews is contained between Romans and 1 Corinthians. This is true for other similar collections of Paul's letters, in which Hebrews is numbered among the other epistles that Paul authored.
Many important church fathers also wrote that Paul was the author. The church fathers were men, neither apostolic, nor inspired, who would comment in their writings upon biblical doctrine or particular heresies in the church. Clement of Rome, for instance, a contemporary of Paul (Phil. 4:3), wrote to the Corinthian church made famous in Paul's two epistles. In his letter, dated about 96 AD, Clement quotes heavily from Paul's letters, especially 1 Corinthians, the original letter to the church, and Hebrews. Though he does not name Paul specifically as the author, he references the book, in conjunction with the other epistles of Paul, as if he were the author without question.
Eusebius of Caesarea, an early church historian, wrote out a list of the canonical books of the NT at the request of the Christian-friendly emperor Constantine. In his list, he gave proofs of inspiration and canonicity for the NT, along with naming the authors of the various books. He claims, with authority, that Paul wrote 14 epistles including the book of Hebrews.
Athanasius was another father who defended Paul's authorship of Hebrews. He was a contemporary of Eusebius and the theologian who defended the orthodox doctrine of Christ's deity against 4th century Arianism. Like Eusebius, Athanasius was among other early church leaders to affirm the 27 books of the NT and name the individual authors. He too listed Paul as the author of Hebrews and placed the book between 2 Thessalonians and 1Timothy in his collection.
One final individual important to this discussion is the Alexandrian father Origen. Opponents of Pauline authorship often quote his remarks casting doubt upon Paul's authorship of Hebews. Origen writes, "Who wrote the epistle [Hebrews], in truth, only God knows." It is never pointed out, however, that the context of this quote argues for Pauline authorship. Within the same paragraph, Origen writes, "Therefore, if any church holds that this epistle is by Paul, let them be commended for this. For not without reason have the ancients handed it down as Paul's." Lastly, Origen quotes Hebrews in his writings over two hundred times as Paul's epistle.
This is not a complete list of early church fathers that held to Pauline authorship, but it is evident many believed the apostle wrote the letter.
Internal Evidence from Hebrews
A second major consideration in determining the authorship of Hebrews is internal evidence. It is argued that the Greek style and vocabulary in the letter are not at all similar to those of Paul's known epistles. A significant example is the absence of Paul's typical greeting. All of his other epistles bear his name, then a sentence or two of salutation. The absence of a salutation would be unique to Hebrews if Paul wrote it. Moreover, Hebrews 2:3-4 implies the author was a second generation Christian. The passage says the gospel of salvation was, "confirmed unto us by them that heard him." This statement appears to go against Paul's insistence that he personally received the gospel from the Lord, (Gal. 1:11-12). Regardless of these strong points against Paul, when a study is conducted, I believe there are sufficient indicators within the book, as well as a similarity in style to Paul's other epistles to say with confidence that he wrote Hebrews.
The first indication of Paul's hand upon this epistle is found at the close of chapter 13. The last sentence of verse 24 reads, "They of Italy salute you." Then the subscript adds, "Grace be with you all. Amen," (vs. 25), and "Written to the Hebrews from Italy by Timothy." Three things are to be noticed: First, Italy is the place of origin for the letter. Scholarship has placed the date of writing at around 62-65 AD. This would be about the time of Paul's imprisonment in Rome. Secondly, Timothy is mentioned twice. He was a close companion of Paul, and possibly served as his amanuensis, writing down Paul's dictation into an epistle. This was a common practice for much of Paul's correspondence. When the postscript for 1 Corinthians is examined, four men served as the writers for Paul: Stephanas, Fortunatus, Achaicus, and Timothy. Some scholars point out Hebrews 13:23 where Timothy is called, "our brother," and they say Paul referred to Timothy only as, "my son," (I Tim. 1:2, I Cor.4:17). Paul, however, did not exclusively call Timothy, "my son." He did refer to Timothy as "our brother" on four other occasions, 2 Cor. 1:1, Col 1:1, I Thess. 3:2, and Philemon 1. Thirdly, the epistle closes with the words, "grace be with you all." This is a farewell used by Paul alone. No other NT writer uses this closing phrase. It was Paul's signature trademark, a stamp of Pauline authentication for his epistles.
Furthermore, in Hebrews there will be found some familiar verses that resemble closely portions contained in Paul's other epistles. For example, Heb.2:7-9 reads close to Phil.2:8,9 and I Cor.15:25-28, especially with the words, "put all things under his feet." Another passage is Heb.5:12-14 which reads almost like 1 Cor.3:1-3. The concept of milk, strong meat, and babes are definite Pauline phraseology. There are many readings like these in the book of Hebrews. Two other significant ones to compare are Heb.6:10 with 1 Thess.1:3-5, and Heb.12:1 with 1 Cor.9:24 and Phil.3:13-15.
The most telling indicators pointing to Paul's authorship of Hebrews are the exclusive use of specific theological themes, phrases, and motifs found only within his epistles. The first strong example is Paul's doctrine of justification by faith. Paul was the champion of sola fide, faith alone in Christ. He outlines this doctrine in the two epistles, Romans and Galatians. In his discussion of Justification, Paul would use specific comparisons and allude to OT stories to make his argument. Two such comparisons are Abraham and Moses. Paul is the only NT writer (apart from James. See James 2:14ff.), who shows how Abraham is the picture of faith alone in God's promise to save, and how Moses represented the law of bondage and works. Paul uses expressions like, "heirs of promise," "obtaining an inheritance," "seed of Abraham," "law of death," and the names of Abraham and Moses, in order to establish clearly the doctrine of justification by faith alone, as opposed to the law. The bulk of these phrases are found in Romans 4:13ff and Galatians 3 and 4. But look at Hebrews 2:16; 3; 6:13-17; 7:1-9 and 11:11,18, where the same theological concepts are discussed. No other author of the NT is so identified with the doctrine of justification by faith. The book of Hebrews is replete with the language Paul utilized to teach that doctrine. A further road sign pointing to Paul is the famous quotation from the prophet Habakkuk that says, "The just shall live by faith,"(Hab.2:4). That verse is quoted three times in the NT. First in Rom.1:17, then in Gal.3:11, both written by Paul, and finally, Heb.10:38.
A final problem that needs to be examined is Hebrews 2:3,4. As mentioned before, the verses seem to indicate a second generation Christian wrote the book. If Paul wrote Hebrews, this statement, it is argued, contradicts Gal.1:11,12, where Paul says he received his gospel from no man, but directly from Jesus Christ. Rather than being an argument against Paul's authorship, professor and theologian, R. Laird Harris, believes Hebrews 2:3,4 affirm it. Dr. Harris writes, "The passage clearly does not rule out the apostle Paul as the real author. It only says that the author did not get his information directly from Jesus while He was on earth, but that he had his message confirmed by those who did." In the opening chapters to Galatians, Paul defends his gospel against the Judiazers. They were spreading lies through out the churches that Paul was a rogue teacher, who preached a different gospel from the one the apostles taught. In Galatians 2:5-9, Paul testifies how when he met Peter, John and James, they affirmed that he preached the same gospel as the apostles in Jerusalem. This is exactly what Hebrews 2:3,4 is saying. Though Paul had a separate revelation of the Lord on the Damascus road, receiving his calling from the Lord Himself, his general information about Christ came from the disciples who saw and walked with the Lord personally.
This of course is not an exhaustive study of the internal evidence of Hebrews. It is sufficient, however, to show stylistic arguments against Paul are slightly exaggerated. The language usage, theological themes, and allusions to the other epistles of Paul provide a strong defense for Pauline authorship.
The Apostolic Test of Canonicity
The previous arguments from historical tradition and internal evidence adequately establish Paul's pen in the writing of Hebrews. The best validation for Paul's authorship, however, is with the test of apostolic authority. This test of canonicity is often overlooked in determining the author, or it is not given much thought.
What is meant by canonicity? The orthodox Christian faith teaches that the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament were written by godly men inspired by the Holy Ghost as they wrote. Thus, the letters and books they wrote were considered God's inspired and revealed word. The question then is how do we determine which books are inspired and which ones are not? By the time of Christ's ministry, the 39 books of the OT were firmly held to as authoritative and canonical. The test of canonicity was quite simple. The book had to be written by a prominent man of God, such as Moses, Joshua, or David, or by a man, who without question, held the office of a prophet. Deuteronomy 13:1-8 lists tests for determining whether or not a man was a prophet. The man was anointed to perform miracles, signs and wonders, but also he was to point the people to God. If he caused them to sin, and follow false gods, that prophet was to be rejected and stoned. A prophet, then, was a man of God, proclaiming truth and exercising supernatural gifts given by God. The people understood that when a qualified prophet wrote, his writings were considered inspired scripture.
The establishing of canonicity is done in a similar manner with the NT. The difference is that apostles have replaced the office of the prophet. There are at least two important tests given for apostles. First, Peter discusses apostolic qualifications in Acts 1:21, 22 when choosing a replacement for Judas. According to Peter, an apostle had to have witnessed the earthly ministry of Christ, and be a witness with the apostles of the risen Lord. Paul is the one unique example. Though he did not witness the earthly ministry of our Lord, he makes it absolutely clear he saw the risen Christ. Paul's experience on the Damascus road was so important to him that he repeated it everywhere he ministered. Paul's testimony is recorded in its entirety three times in Acts (Acts 9, 22, 26), and alluded to many times in his epistles (see for example, 1 Cor.9:1, 15:8; Gal.1:16).
The second test is again, the anointing to perform miracles. Paul himself appeals to apostolic authority in 2 Corinthians 12:12 when he reminds his readers that; "the signs of an apostle were wrought among you." Anyone could claim to be apostolic, but if he had not visibly seen the risen Christ, or authenticated his office by working true miraculous signs, then their claim was invalid.
How is this related to determing the author of Hebrews? Just like the OT prophets, when an apostle wrote a letter to a church it was believed they wrote in what was called apostolic voice. The recipients of the letter received it as inspired scripture because an apostle wrote it. This meant only an apostle could have written Hebrews in order for it to find a place in the NT canon. The only reasonable candidate is Paul, because he was an affirmed apostle. The two other men often named as authors, Barnabas and Apollos, did not hold the qualification for an apostle. Barnabas was from Cyprus and would not have witnessed Christ's ministry, nor is there testimony that he witnessed the risen Lord. The Acts record seems to indicate that he was added to the church after the Pentecost. Plus, as Acts is read, Barnabas slowly begins to take a second seat to Paul whose ministry began to flourish in an apostolic manner (see Acts 13-16). Eventually Barnabas fades from the narrative of Acts completely. Apollos was also a second or third generation Christian from Alexandria, Egypt. Though he was a brilliant scholar, he too would not have been present to see Christ's ministry, or the risen Lord. Also, it must be pointed out the Hebrews is an authoritative book calling for its readers to abandon the temple and Judaism. No other candidate would have the respect of the people to make such a command; only Paul would have that authority.
There are other questions to ask in regards to defending Paul's authorship of Hebrews. I have not attempted to give a solution for every problem. The absence of Paul's customary greeting, for instance, is still an issue. I have no idea why Paul left his name off this letter. Who knows? Perhaps he was afraid of offending some of the potential readers, or maybe the enemies of his readers. Also, the language style of Hebrews is different. Though there are many similarities to Paul's other epistles, as I pointed out above, any person familiar with Greek will note a slight difference in syntax and style. But, that may be due in part to the purpose of Hebrews. Whereas most of Paul's epistles were personal letters to individuals (Timothy, Philemon, Titus), and congregations (the churches in Rome, Corinth, Thessalonica) giving advice and correcting doctrine, Hebrews was written to address a specific theological theme: the superiority of Jesus Christ and the New Covenant over Judaism and the Old Covenant. A personal letter to a friend, or the family, is going to read different than an official report for a history class; even though they are different in style, the same person did write them. Whatever the case is with Hebrews, the recipients knew who the author was, or they would not have received the epistle, nor would it have found a place in the New Testament. I believe this is because they, as well as the early church, understood that Paul wrote it.
Sources Consulted
F.F. Bruce, "The Canon of Scripture"
Donald Guthrie, "Introduction to the New Testament"
R. Laird Harris, "The Inspiration and Canonicity of the Scriptures"
Homer Kent, "The Epistle to the Hebrews"
Stanley Outlaw, "Hebrews"
A.W. Pink, "An Exposition of Hebrews"
Robert Thomas, "New Testament Introduction Syllabus"
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Who wrote the Book of Hebrews, Is it Paul?
by Fred Butler
4 comments:
- Fred Butler said...
Sorry, I originally put this under the wrong post.
Thanks for citing my article. Its been awhile since I have visited this subject. One supplemental source I would point readers to would be Robert Reymond's "Paul:Missionary Theologian." He has an extended discussion on why he believes Paul wrote Hebrews that is quite compelling.
- March 27, 2008 at 6:30 AM
- Timothy said...
>"A perfect example is the celibacy of the priesthood. The scriptures nowhere forbid church clergy from marrying, but Catholic tradition has always maintained a celibate priesthood as being obedient to God."
Catholic priests follow the example of Christ who was not married and remained celibate. Catholic priests also follow the words of Christ: "For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it." - Matt 19:10-12 So, yes, Catholics do see a celibate priest as being obedient to God, since Jesus told those able to be eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven to do so.
While it is true the Bible does not forbid married clergy, it is also true that the scriptures nowhere encourage or recommend a married clergy either. (Paul does forbid a polygamist clergy in his epistles when he limits married clerics to only one wife.)
BTW, I don't know why you felt the need to go "Catholic" for an example of tradition when one of your own traditions would have sufficed. I suspect non-Catholic traditions of men like immersing adults only once during baptism or baptising by immersion while clothed would have made for good examples of traditions of men as there is no scriptural support for either practice.
>"Sadly, Catholicism has horrendously skewed the word."
Not true, but I can understand why someone coming from your faith's tradition of interpretation might feel that way.
>"The orthodox Christian faith teaches that the 39 books of the Old Testament..."
If by orthodox Christians you mean the Orthodox Churches, they recognize a larger canon of 46 books, even more in the Coptic and Ethiopian Churches.
>"the recipients knew who the author was, or they would not have received the epistle, nor would it have found a place in the New Testament."
While I agree that the original recipients knew who wrote it, many epistles were received and widely circulated among congregations, but later rejected as canon (suitable for reading alound to congregations). There were over 40 gospels circulating until Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon, argued for just four.
God bless..
- March 28, 2008 at 7:20 AM
- jflyhigh6 said...
how do i add u to my blog favorite
- March 17, 2013 at 12:02 PM
- Rich Maffeo said...
Very informative, although I must add that I agree with Timothy's comment. Nonetheless, I think you did an excellent job of justifying your position about the Pauline authorship.
- February 3, 2015 at 2:34 PM


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The following is an excerpt from an NAEYC online author Q&A event with TYC authors Laura Colker, Louis Mark Romei & Holly Seplocha on the topic "Back to School Strategies." The Q&A took place August 8-12, 2011. To view more highlights from 2011 online Q&As, click here.
What are strategies for stretching my budget in the classroom? Specifically, on a very tight budget, I'm interested expanding the following: children's books, field trips, items for dramatic play, items for a science center, building materials, and art supplies.
Budget stretchers are on many teachers' minds, especially this time of year. Equipping a classroom when there are not adequate funds to cover everything you think you need is a challenge for everyone. Basically, in budget-stretching mode, we are in search of free or reduced cost items. There are some basic approaches to follow, no matter what type of items you are looking for. I'll go over these first:
- Ask for donations from local businesses. Often, businesses are happy to give you items as a tax write-off. This is especially true if they have inventory from a previous season that hasn't sold. Introduce yourself to neighborhood business owners so they know who you are and can contact you if they have excess inventory or want to do a good deed for their community. Don't just set your sites on big-cost items like computers and printers; items like wallpaper sample books can enhance your art area.
- Ask for donations from children's families. Be specific; put together a list of items that would be helpful to have and circulate it to parents. Very frequently, families are happy to donate items like old measuring cups and spoons that can be used both in the cooking area and in the home area of your dramatic play area.
- Frequent yard sales, dollar stores, flea markets, and online auction sites like eBay. Books, dress-up clothes, dolls, manipulatives, gardening supplies, and the like can often be picked up for very little money.
- Make your own props and materials. Some items like art supplies, science/discovery supplies, musical instruments, cardboard blocks, and the like can readily be made by you, the children, or the children's families. For example, you might want to work with the children in making the science substance ooblek and then experimenting with this unstable substance. Bigger items like blocks or a terrarium can be made at workshops with parents. Parents who are good at carpentry skills can be enlisted to make water and sand tables or set up woodworking areas.
- Share with a colleague. You can enrich your inventory by exchanging some of your supplies for new and different ones that your fellow teachers have. This is an especially useful way of augmenting the books, music, and puzzles available to your children.
- Hold fundraisers and bake sales with the express objective of buying a high-cost item such as a microscope or a digital camera.
- Look for grants. You might be surprised to find out what's available to teachers in your community. For example, pre-kindergarten teachers in 15 states can apply for a mini-grant from Qwest. Grants of $5,000 are awarded to promote the integration of technology in the classroom. Find more information here.
To answer your specific questions, here are some thoughts:
- Children's books. Look for used books at yard sales and garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores, and online auction sites. Goodwill is another good source for very inexpensive children's books. Exchange books with a fellow teacher or through an online book exchange. Check books out of your local library. Purchase children's books at sales held by libraries weeding through their inventories. There are also many discount book outlets that offer low-cost children's books. Don't forget to ask families for donations, too. Book clubs, such as Scholastic, will offer points towards free purchases of books. Scholastic and other publishers also often hold seasonal warehouse sales where books are offered for half price. Finally, encourage the children to make their own books using the computer, scanned photos, hand-drawn illustrations, or dictated text. Covers can be laminated and the bindings sewn, stapled, or fastened with brads. The October 2011 issue of TYC features an article on just this topic.
- Field trips. These can indeed be costly, and you want all of the children to be able to participate. To underwrite the costs, consider holding fundraisers or bake sales. Again, look for community or state grants. In Nebraska, for example, School Bus Arts Grants underwrite the costs of field trips and admission fees to attend arts events such as live music, dance, or theatre performances and cultural exhibits at museums or other venues. Sometimes field trip destination sites will waive admission fees for children. The St. Louis Children's Museum, for example, offers reduced admission fees at certain times of the year and free admission to classes with a high percentage of disadvantaged children. You might also broach a local business about sponsoring your field trips. Speak with their public relations department—this is good community relations for the business (and a tax write-off, to boot).
- Items for dramatic play. These are fairly easy to have donated. Many families have kitchen-related items and old clothing, shoes, purses, hats, and briefcases they are happy to donate. Doctors and vets are likewise good resources for old medical supplies. Goodwill and eBay are additional sources to visit for inexpensive purchases. Old clothing and household articles can almost always be purchased for very little money at yard sales, flea markets, and even consignment shops. Shop around—you are sure to find enough bargains to stock your dramatic play area with exciting fashions and equipment.
- Items for science center. Here is where you can make many supplies and activity materials. The Internet is a great resource for instructions on making classroom volcanoes, tornado bottles, and substances like bubble solution, gak, ooblek, glarch, glerch, goop, glrorax, silly putty, and flubber. NAEYC's The Cooking Book has a number of science recipes that children can make with teachers. You may find that a local nursery will donate plants and seeds for gardening, or at least offer these items at a reduced cost. Fortunately, a great many science materials are readily found in nature for free: shells, pinecones, leaves, insects, worms, etc. Recycling and compost bins can often be donated through grants. Coca -Cola, for example, offers schools and other community programs free recycling bins.
- Building materials. One set of materials that I always recommend teachers have is a full set of hardwood unit blocks. To keep your costs down, you may be able to purchase a used set at a yard sale or on eBay. Beyond this, you can be creative in your inventory of building supplies and props. As mentioned earlier, you can hold a parent workshop in which everyone makes cardboard blocks for the class out of used milk cartons. People and animal props, small cars and other vehicles, and wooden road signs can often be found at garage sales, thrift stores, dollar stores, and online auction sites. Home supply stores or hardware stores will sometimes donate an oversupply of gears, pulleys, and PVC pipes and fittings. You can ask carpet stores for remnants that the children can build on. Also, keep a box of recyclables with items like fabric and dried flowers handy for decorating constructions.
- Art supplies. Like science materials, many art materials can be made with the children. You can find recipes for a wide variety of paints, clays, doughs, and glues on the Internet and in NAEYC's The Cooking Book. These homemade materials are not only inexpensive, they are nontoxic, fun to make, and provide learning experiences for children. Storage places for art supplies can likewise be homemade: Upside-down egg cartons can hold scissors, and a six-pack beverage carrier can serve as a paint caddy. Children's paintings and drawings can be matted and framed using construction paper. As noted previously, wallpaper samples and other papers can be donated by local businesses. To make collages, you only need assemble a number of inexpensive or recyclable materials: seeds, bottle caps, doilies, feathers, flowers, netting, glitter, ribbons, sequins, toothpicks, and so forth.
I hope that these suggestions will spur your own ideas. Be creative and persistent, and I'm confident you will be able to assemble a classroom inventory you're proud of—even on a tight budget.


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Graeme McDowell began his challenge at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a four under 68.
The 2010 US Open champion, a two-time runner up at Bay Hill, carded an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys in Florida.
The highlight of his round was that eagle on the par five sixth when he rolled in a putt of some 75 feet.
McDowell's solid opening effort left him six shots behind the leader Adam Scott who equalled the course record at Bay Hill with a stunning 62.
Scott carded two eagles, seven birdies and one bogey to set a daunting clubhouse target of 10 under par, matching the course record shared by Andy Bean (1981) and fellow Australian Greg Norman (1984).
"Obviously I'm really thrilled with the start," said Scott, who is closing in on Tiger Woods at the top of the world rankings ahead of his US Masters defence in three weeks' time.
"It's maybe a little surprising. I don't know where it came from, but the putter certainly got hot."
Scott is making his first appearance at Bay Hill since 2009. He missed the cut in his last two starts and his only top-10 finish in six previous appearances came in 2004, when he tied for third.
"I just had a few frustrating years here and left it off the schedule," Scott told reporters after his round.
"Coming back fresh was obviously a good thing.
"But I like the changes they've made since the time I have not been here. And today was just one of those days where the hole was a bit like a bucket."
The reigning Masters champion started on the 10th and birdied his opening hole before picking up another shot on the par-five 12th after getting up and down from a greenside bunker.
Scott then holed from 25ft on the 14th and from a similar distance off the green on the next, before continuing his hot putting steak by making an eagle from 35ft on the par-five 16th.
His solitary bogey came from an errant approach to the 18th, but the 33-year-old bounced back quickly with a birdie from close range on the third and another eagle from 20ft on the fourth.
Further birdies on the sixth and seventh meant matching front and back nines of 31 and left Scott three ahead of Japan's Ryo Ishikawa and America's John Merrick.
Padraig Harrington carded an opening round 70, while Darren Clarke finished on three over 75.
Scott's predecessor as Masters champion, Bubba Watson, withdrew after an opening 83 citing allergy problems. Scott cannot overhaul the absent Woods - the defending champion pulled out on Tuesday with on-going back problems.
- with a victory on Sunday, but would claim top spot before his Masters defence if both players did not play again before the year's first major at Augusta.


text: THERE'S GOOD NEWS in the North Pacific: Humpback whales, once hunted nearly to extinction, are on the rebound. In 1966, when international whaling of humpbacks was banned, fewer than 1,500 of the mammals lived in the North Pacific. Now, at least 18,000 swim those same seas, according to a new study funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Some populations, however—particularly those in the western Pacific—have not recovered and are still at significant risk.


text:
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1) The Vegetarian Resource Group is searching for original ideas for a slogan to appear on a new bumper sticker. One condition is that the word "vegan" must appear in the slogan. Whoever submits the winning entry will receive a free "Be Kind to Animals -- Don't Eat Them" T-Shirt (see http://www.vrg.org/catalog/tshirt.htm). Entries can be sent to: The Vegetarian Resource Group, Bumper Sticker, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203. You can email your slogan to firstname.lastname@example.com. Be sure to include your name and address so we can send the t-shirt to the winner.
2) You are encouraged to send us the name and address of your favorite vegetarian/vegan restaurant. We will tally up the votes and print a list of the winners in a future issue of Vegetarian Journal. Please send your choice of best vegetarian/vegan restaurant to The Vegetarian Resource Group, Favorite Restaurant, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203, or email firstname.lastname@example.com. Be counted!
3) The May/June 1998 issue of the Vegetarian Journal contains
a) A Passion for Peppers
b) Cereal: It's Not Just for Breakfast Anymore
c) No Pressure Meals Under Pressure
d) Nutition Hotline: Food Safety, chocolate and calcium absorption, and HDL cholesterol
e) Product Reviews: Guide to Crackers
f) Notes from the Scientific Department, and more!
If you are not currently a subscriber to the Vegetarian Journal, why not subscribe today? You can find subscription information online at http://www.vrg.org/journal/subscribe.htm. Join for $30 or more, and receive a FREE copy of the Vegan Handbook, a $19.95 value! (see http://www.vrg.org/catalog/veganhandbook.htm).
4) The Vegetarian Resource Group and The National Meals on Wheels Foundation have collaborated to develop vegetarian meal plan options. These can be used at Meals on Wheels sites or by other programs or individuals. The menus meet the USDA standards for senior meal programs under Title III-C of the Older Americans Act.
Now available from The Vegetarian Resource Group is a handout which includes the four weeks of vegetarian menus, six vegetarian recipes each providing servings for 25 people, A Senior's Guide to Good Nutrition, and Vegetarianism in a Nutshell.
Featured in the guide are also ideas for making meals a little easier, as well as common problems and suggested solutions. Some older people may find meal planning is more burdensome if shopping or preparing meals is difficult.
Arthritis, for instance, or impaired hearing or poor eyesight may make it hard to drive to the grocery store, to read food labels or package instructions, or to open bottles and handle cooking utensils. For all these reasons, it may be necessary for meals to be simple, quick, and convenient to prepare.
To order the 20-page Meatless Menu Alternatives For Seniors, send five first class stamps along with your name and address to Seniors, The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.
5) Spring is here - and that means Easter is coming. If you are vegetarian or vegan, or if you have family members that are, don't panic. It's fairly easy to plan an Easter dinner without the meat or animal products. For a main dish, try seitan stew (see http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vjseitan.htm), seitan-shiitake stroganoff (see http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vjseitan.htm), or tofu-spinach quiche (see http://www.vrg.org/journal/94may.htm#quiche). Add side dishes, such as Green Beans Almondine (see http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj96jan/vjmoove.htm#Recipes), Spicy Braised Carrots (see http://www.vrg.org/journal/95jan.htm#carrot), Broccoli-Almond Pilaf (see http://www.vrg.org/journal/94sep.htm#broccoli), and Roasted Julienned Vegetables (see http://www.vrg.org/journal/95jan.htm#carrot). Finish up with Spiced Apple-Pecan Dip w/ Fresh Fruit (see http://www.vrg.org/journal/94sep.htm#spiced), Sweet Potato Pie (see http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj96jan/vjmoove.htm#Recipes), or one of our Fabulous Apple Desserts (see http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vjapple.htm). Even if you are just looking for ways to cut the fat and cholesterol in your family's holiday celebration this year, we have recipes that will help you make a healthier Easter meal. All the recipes are from past issues of our Vegetarian Journal.
6) Passover is just around the corner! Looking for ways to cut down on the cholesterol in traditional Passover dishes? Having vegans over for the seder and don't know what to make? With everything from Eggless Passover Blintzes to Matzo-Stuffed Green Peppers, Debra Wasserman's No Cholesterol Passover Recipes (see http://www.vrg.org/catalog/passover.htm) will help you create a healthier Passover. There are also Passover and seder menus and recipes in The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook (see http://www.vrg.org/catalog/ljvc.htm). A recipe from the book is included below as our Recipe of the Month. For more Passover recipes, see http://www.vrg.org/recipes/passover.htm.
7) This recipe, which appears in The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook by Debra Wasserman, serves 12.
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, grated
2 onions, peeled and minced
2 cups water
1/4 cup oil
4 cups matzo meal
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Spoon 1/4 of the mixture onto a large piece of aluminum foil. Roll the foil into an 8-inch cylinder. Do the same with the remaining mixture to form four 8-inch cylinders. Place the cylinders on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes. Turn cylinders over and bake 45 minutes longer. Remove foil and serve kishke sliced and warm.
Total calories per serving: 226; Fat: 5 gm; Total Fat as % of Daily Value: 8%; Protein: 5 gm; Iron: 0.3 gm; Carbohydrate: 40 gm; Calcium: 13 mg; Dietary Fiber: 2.2 gm.
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text:
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text:
Following the example of Prohibition-era bootleggers, Margaret Sanger's husband, the president of the Three-In-One Oil Company, smuggled diaphragms into the United States in cartons of his lubricant. His actions are indicative of how difficult it was for women to secure effective contraception—and how determined Sanger and other activists were to afford them the ability to do so.
April 2011
eBook Available from ABC-CLIOEmail ABC-CLIOorCall Your Preferred eBook Vendor for Pricing
Hardcover: £38.00/45,00€/A$66.00
This narrative history of one of the most far-reaching social movements in the 20th century shows how it defied the law and made the use of contraception an acceptable social practice—and a necessary component of modern healthcare.
A History of the Birth Control Movement in America tells the extraordinary story of a group of reformers dedicated to making contraception legal, accessible, and acceptable. The engrossing tale details how Margaret Sanger's campaign beginning in 1914 to challenge anti-obscenity laws criminalizing the distribution of contraceptive information grew into one of the most far-reaching social reform movements in American history. The book opens with a discussion of the history of birth control methods and the criminalization of contraception and abortion in the 19th century. Its core, however, is an exciting narrative of the campaign in the 20th century, vividly recalling the arrests and indictments, banned publications, imprisonments, confiscations, clinic raids, mass meetings, and courtroom dramas that publicized the cause across the nation. Attention is paid to the movement's thorny alliances with medicine and eugenics and especially to its success in precipitating a profound shift in sexual attitudes that turned the use of contraception into an acceptable social and medical practice. Finally, the birth control movement is linked to court-won privacy protections and the present-day movement for reproductive rights.
Peter C. Engelman, a freelance writer, historical editor, and archivist, is associate editor of the Margaret Sanger Papers Project at New York University and has written widely on Margaret Sanger and the birth control movement.
"[Engelman] reveals the backbreaking work of activists determined to legalize birth control in the Progressive Era. . . . An enjoyable read that builds on an impressive body of scholarship in order to educate the general audience about the history of birth control activism in the United States."—The Bulletin of the History of Medicine
"Engelman has succeeded in providing an accessible and detailed study of an important movement in American women's history. This book would work well in the classroom and would serve as a wonderful reference for students writing research papers on the birth control movement as well as faculty lecturing about the topic. It would also serve as an important text for non-historians eager to learn more about this history."—Social History of Medicine
"Of particular interest are discussions of neo-Malthusians, medical doctors, Progressive-era reformers, anti-obscenity crusaders, free speech advocates, socialists, anarchists, and eugenicists. At the center of the story is Margaret Sanger, whose own story is interwoven with these various groups. Engelman offers an interesting, nuanced portrayal of this complex figure and her ongoing struggle for safe, affordable, and accessible contraception."—Choice
"Engelman's new work provides a brief and well-written introduction to this fascinating and overlooked American social reform movement and its complicated but passionate hero, Margaret Sanger."—The Journal of Clinical Investigation
"This book is a thoroughly comprehensive and clearly written history of a pioneering U.S. social movement. Peter Engelman's careful scholarship gives us a superbly rich and nuanced treatment which will be valuable and accessible to scholars and students alike."—David J. Garrow, Pulitzer Prize-winning Author of Liberty and Sexuality
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text:
Crisis looms for Hungarian cable
A new utility tax due to come into effect at the beginning of 2013 could result in the closure of several dozen cable operators in Hungary.
In a statement, the Hungarian Cable Communications Association (HCA) says it has undertaken a survey among its 170 members, who together provide services to more than 2 million households.
The results of this survey show that in some small communities, where the establishment of subscriber connections has required cable sections longer than average, the amount of tax per subscriber may reach or even exceed the monthly fee of the service.
In some instances the provider would have to pay over HUF8,000 (27.7) per subscriber each month in tax, and in dozens of cases the tax would amount to between HUF1-8,000.
The HCA concludes that cable services received in at least 28,000 homes now face the real threat of closure.
Even at least 59 networks with brand new telecom infrastructure built with subsidies could be closed.
As a result, the association has asked the ministry concerned, government and parliament to review the utility tax.
The utility tax is some respects compensates for a controversial telco tax that the Hungarian government recently withdrew, arguably due to pressure from the EU.


text:
Bag of Donuts Ready to Rock K945's Flashback Party
I'm ready to pop some tags for the K945 Flashback Party coming up Friday, March 1st at Diamond Jack's Casino! Best costume scores $250 and the party is going to be right with Bag of Donuts straight out of New Orleans.
If you haven't heard them before, I took the time to skim the internet for videos so you could form your own opinion. After seeing the videos, if you don't buy a ticket, you pretty much suck! I mean, seriously, the singer wears knee pads! I may have a small crush on the drummer, too.
These guys ooze New Orleans, which means they get even better when you drink:) The K945 Flashback Party is sponsored by Lander's Fiat.


text:
She tells CS, "I am glad to have had very understanding parents, who have always encouraged me to follow my dreams.
They have taught me to think and live independently." She also reveals, "They never show excessive curiosity towards Bollywood or life of film actors. Nor do they ask me about every party or event that I attend.
It's another thing that I like to share my life with them, but they are never too bothered." They surely don't want the fame to get to your head, Dips!


text:
Sydney – The Israel Folau-powered New South Wales Waratahs are the surprise early leaders of rugby's Super 15 after a commanding Australian derby win over the Queensland Reds this weekend.
Wallaby hotshot Folau scored his fifth try in two games as the Waratahs thumped the Reds 32-5 in their biggest win over their fierce interstate rivals.
The Michael Cheika-coached Waratahs are one point ahead of South Africa's Coastal Sharks with a further point to defending New Zealand champions Waikato Chiefs after three rounds of the southern hemisphere provincial series.
The Sharks had the weekend off, but the Chiefs needed a late try to snatch a 21-19 victory over the Otago Highlanders and go top of the New Zealand conference.
The Golden Lions' winning start to the season came to an end in a 25-17 loss to the three-time Super Rugby champions Northern Bulls in Pretoria.
Melbourne Rebels posted their biggest win in Super Rugby with a 35-14 victory over South Africa's Central Cheetahs to lie sixth overall.
The Auckland Blues staged a stunning comeback in a 35-24 win over the Canterbury Crusaders, leaving the seven-time champions at the foot of the ladder.
In the weekend's other matches, the ACT Brumbies were too strong for the hapless Western Force, winning 27-14 in Perth, and a late Deon Fourie push-over try set up a 19-18 win for South Africa's Western Stormers over Wellington Hurricanes at Newlands.
In Sydney, the revitalised Waratahs ended a five-game losing run against the Reds to humble their interstate rivals four tries to one with man-of-the-moment Folau scoring a try double after grabbing a hat-trick the previous week.
The 26-point margin eclipsed the Tahs' previous highest winning margin over the Reds of 24 in their 30-6 win three years ago.
They led 19-5 at half-time and kept the Reds scoreless in the second-half to remain unbeaten with two bonus-point wins this season under coach Cheika.
Charlie Ngatai scored in the corner with 11 minutes remaining to put the Chiefs back at the head of the pack, replacing the Highlanders who had led after a surprise bonus-point win over Auckland the previous week.
But there will be serious questions asked in the Chiefs camp as they struggled for possession and trailed 7-16 at half-time against a side with a reputation as the weakest New Zealand franchise.
Although the Chiefs led briefly in the first half it took until the second spell before they were able to gain a measure of control against the Highlanders, a squad containing mainly unknowns at Super rugby level.
The Melbourne Rebels, with skipper Scott Higginbotham in outstanding form, scored five tries to two for a bonus-point win over the Cheetahs.
It was Melbourne's first win in four meetings with the Cheetahs and an encouraging opening game to their Super 15 campaign.
Jacques-Louis Potgieter kicked 20 points as the Bulls shrugged off a dismal start to the season by defeating fellow South Africans Golden Lions in Pretoria.
It was the first victory for the Bulls after away losses against the Sharks and Cheetahs.
Auckland Blues looked down and out as they trailed 17-3 after 30 minutes but rattled the Crusaders with two tries either side of half-time to run away with the game and claim a bonus point.
The Brumbies, beaten by the Reds in their first outing of the season, bounced back to destroy the Force with a scintillating start, dominating the opening 25 minutes of the match. – Sapa-AFP


text:
The cornerstone of Labour's 'New NHS': reforming primary care
Two remarkable aspects of the Thatcher 'internal market' reforms of the NHS were the focus on creating a market for hospital services and the way in which primary care was treated almost peripherally in the 1989 White Paper (Department of Health 1989a). The 1991 NHS reforms introduced general practitioner (GP) fundholding almost as an afterthought, and the revision of the GP contract in 1990 Paper (Department of Health 1989b) was conducted separately from the implementation of other health care reforms. In contrast the principal focus of Labour's 'new NHS' reform is primary care (Department of Health 1997). The intention of the government is both to improve the efficiency and equity of primary care provision and to develop Primary Care Groups and Primary Care Trusts which both provide care efficiently and act as agents who purchase secondary and tertiary care on behalf of patients. This is an ambitious agenda. This paper explores the policy context of Primary Care Groups in sections 1 and 2, describes and appraises the government proposals in section 3, and identifies major issues involved in the implementation of change in section 4.
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Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Karen Bloor & Alan Maynard, 1993. "Expenditure on the NHS during and after the Thatcher years: its growth and utilisation," Working Papers 113chedp, Centre for Health Economics, University of York.
- Given, Ruth S., 1996. "Economies of scale and scope as an explanation of merger and output diversification activities in the health maintenance organization industry," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(6), pages 685-713, December.
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text:
As the designated ace of the San Rafael Pacifics independent minor league baseball team, it's no surprise to see Tyler Pearson at the top of the Pacific Association leaderboards, or as the league's Pitcher of the Month for June.
But Pearson, who spent last season as a player and pitching coach for the team, hasn't always had it so good.
"I worked hard after coming back from Tommy John surgery to be where I'm at," said the right-hander, who had surgery in 2011.
Pearson leads the league in wins with a 6-1 record, and is second to Maui's Jesse Smith in strikeouts (58 to Smith's 61) and Chris Waters in ERA (2.37 to Waters' 2.02).
"He's doing a phenomenal job right now," said Pacifics manager Ryan Priddy. "He goes out there every start and works his butt off."
Priddy said he usually arrives at Albert Park about six hours before game time, and Pearson is often already there, or arrives soon after.
"I think he's just really putting himself in a good mental mind-set this year just because he's around baseball all day long," Priddy said.
After taking the loss in his first start, the team's May 31 season opener against the Montezuma Federals in Arizona, Pearson's been racking up the Ws. In that 7-4 loss Pearson gave up six earned runs. In his six starts since that game he has allowed a total of seven — including zero runs over seven innings in a 8-1 win against second-place Maui on July 7.
"It's really cool to watch him do that," Priddy said. "He's just really taking advantage of the opportunity that's been given to him."
"Everyone is out here for the same reason, and that's to make it to the next level," said Pearson, who has some professional experience from a stint with the Kansas City Royals.
This season, the 28-year-old Ukiah native was the team's only returning starting pitcher.
"He kinda knows what to expect so I think that's why he's dominating the league right now," Priddy said. "I think he could be a good coach someday "... He's been pretty outspoken. He's definitely helping with the other pitchers and making our team full circle, kind of whole."
"It's sad that some of the guys didn't come back but they have to move on and the new guys have been great," Pearson said.
Starting pitching has been lights-out for the team, as the rotation is a combined 21-7 in 33 starts. Beyond that, the Pacifics (28-10) hold a 2½-game lead over Maui and until recently were undefeated at home.
"They're playing really well behind me," Pearson said. "It makes my job easier, makes it so I can go out and get strikes. It's been fun."
Admirals suspended from league
The Vallejo Admirals, who were created before the season as a replacement for the travel-only Sonoma Grapes, have been suspended indefinitely by the Pacific Association, the league announced Thursday.
Any Admirals game played during the suspension, which went into effect on Monday, will not be sanctioned and will not count towards Pacific Association standings or statistics.
The team can be reinstated to the league once it has "fully paid all its current and past players, coaches, employees and umpires; brought its stadium rent current; and presented satisfactory proof to the league that it could and would operate the franchise in accordance with the Pacific Association's operating agreement and by-laws to assure the team's capacity to operate through the end of the 2013 season," according to a statement released by the league.
The Pacifics will most likely fill the vacated space in its schedule with more games against the newest member to the league, the East Bay Lumberjacks.
Contact Jamie Wells at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
The New Taxes: Keep a Sharp Eye on the Calendar
Washington is handing out $1.35 trillion in tax cuts. Heirs, two-earner couples, workers saving for retirement, and parents planning for college are all winners under the tax bill championed by President Bush and passed by Congress. You'd hardly think there could be a downside.
But for financial planning, the measure is a mess. "I feel as if I need a calliope playing--Congress was acting like a circus," says Thomas Ochsenschlager, director of federal taxes for accountants Grant Thornton. A carnival may be more like it, because many of these tax cuts are like the pea in the huckster's shell game--now you see them, now you don't. Pieces of the bill phase in, then phase out. And in a breathtaking budgetary sleight-of-hand, Congress decided that the entire tax law will "sunset" in 2011--bringing back today's tax rates and estate-tax system.
So, planning your finances for the next decade requires a leap of faith: You've got to believe that future Congresses will renew the tax-cut IOUs that today's lawmakers wrote. "People have a right to plan ahead and know what the law will be," grouses George Cushing, an estate attorney with Day, Berry & Howard in Boston. Such certainty may be out of reach--but for now, at least, here's what the law says:
RATE CUTS. The bill immediately creates a new 10% tax bracket, down from 15%, on a couple's first $12,000 in taxable income ($6,000 for single filers)--worth $600 in savings for a couple. Higher brackets are cut in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2006. By then, today's 28%, 31%, and 36% rates will have been cut by 3 percentage points, and the top 39.6% rate will have fallen to 35%.
The message is clear: If you can put off collecting income, you'll pay less tax. "My clients who were considering deferred compensation programs are finding a lot more urgency now," says Martin Nissenbaum, director of personal taxes for accountants Ernst & Young. You'll also want to prepay next year's deductible expenses--such as real estate tax or professional subscriptions--because they're worth more in 2001.
EDUCATION SAVINGS. For parents, the new tax bill is "the gift of a lifetime," says Judy Miller of College Solutions, an Alameda (Calif.) planning firm. The biggest gift: If you've set up a "529 plan"--a prepaid tuition account or a state-sponsored savings plan--neither you nor your kids will owe any tax when those funds are withdrawn to pay college expenses, after Jan. 1. Under current law, such withdrawals are taxed at the student's tax rate.
The new law also boosts the amount you can put into a child's Education IRA, from $500 a year to $2,000, as of next year. Couples with income up to $220,000--vs. the $160,000 cap in current law--will be eligible to set up E-IRAs. And funds from E-IRAs will get tax-free treatment whether they're used for college expenses or to pay for private elementary and secondary schools.
With these new breaks for saving, "there's no reason for anyone to set up UTMAs or UGMAs," custodial accounts in a child's name that many parents use to reduce taxes on college funds, says Miller. Either an E-IRA or a 529 plan lets the parent keep control and redirect funds to another child if the first beneficiary heads for Motorcycle U. instead of State. Most parents will favor 529s because they can be far larger--up to $250,000 in some states--but E-IRAs give more control over how funds are invested, Miller says.
The new law also adds a tuition deduction, even for taxpayers who don't itemize. Starting next year, couples with incomes up to $130,000 can deduct up to $3,000 a year in college expenses; in 2004, the limit rises to $4,000. (In 2006, the deduction disappears.) The HOPE and Lifetime Learning credits are worth more than these deductions, but they phase out for parents with incomes over $80,000. The new law also increases deductions for student-loan interest.
RETIREMENT SAVINGS. Individual retirement accounts can be richer under the new law. The ceiling on tax-deductible contributions, stuck at $2,000 since 1982, will rise to $5,000 by 2008.
Employer-backed nest eggs can also grow. A worker with a 401(k) plan can save at most $10,500 of pretax income today; the new law increases that to $15,000 by 2006. (Similar plans offered by nonprofit and governmental employers will also enjoy increases.)
Starting in 2006, you can use part of your 401(k) contributions to create a Roth 401(k), modeled on the popular Roth IRA. You won't get a tax break for contributions, but all your withdrawals will be tax-free. That could be good news for your heirs, because future generations can inherit a Roth account and let it grow without income tax.
A provision designed to help women who take time out of the workforce can boost men's savings, too. Starting next year, all workers 50 years or older can make tax-free "catch-up contributions" to their IRAs and 401(k)s. For an IRA, the older worker can add up to $500 a year starting in 2002, and $1,000 a year starting in 2006. For 401(k)s, catch-ups start at $1,000 in 2002 and increase to $5,000 in 2006. Employers can match these extra contributions if they choose.
ESTATE PLANNING. The good news is, slowly but surely, the estate tax is going away. Tax publishers RIA calculate that the tax on a $10 million estate will fall from $4.92 million if the owner dies this year, to $2.93 million for a death in 2009, and to zero in 2010. The bad news: The very next year, the estate tax returns--with today's top rate of 55%. The tax on a $10 million estate will then shoot back to $4.8 million.
Needless to say, planners are fuming. "It's very bizarre tax policy," says Randi Schuster, head of family wealth planning for accountants BDO Seidman. Odds are that Congress will eventually enact something like the 2009 estate tax--with the first $3.5 million in an estate exempted from tax and a top rate of 45%--as the permanent system. For now, estate experts say you should:
-- Check your will and trusts. Most estate plans direct assets into two trusts. The "bypass" or "credit-shelter" trust gets enough assets to use up the estate tax's unified credit, which is now $675,000, and is set up to benefit the owner's children. The rest of the estate goes into a marital trust for the spouse.
The new law boosts the unified credit to $1 million next year, and to $3.5 million by 2009. For an estate of $5 million, the standard estate plan means the spouse's inheritance would fall from $4.35 million this year to $1.5 million in 2009. "You run the risk of leaving your spouse without sufficient resources," says Schuster, "especially if it's a second marriage" and children from the first union won't share with their step-parent. Wills should be written with a cap--either a dollar figure or a percentage of the estate--on the children's credit-shelter trust.
-- Make gifts. 'Tis better to give than to bequeath, because the tax you'll pay on a gift is less than the tax your heirs will pay on their inheritance. With the estate tax here for at least nine more years, it makes sense to give away property. Gifts of assets likely to appreciate--hot stocks or stakes in privately held companies--are the best for tax-cutting.
-- Watch your statehouse. The estate-tax provisions will cost states $6 billion in annual revenue. States are likely to respond with new taxes on estates that will complicate your will.
-- Keep records. Under the estate tax, heirs get a break on capital gains: They can value assets as of the owner's date of death and only pay taxes on capital gains that occur after that. In 2010, when the estate tax is repealed, this "stepped-up basis" disappears (only to reappear along with the estate tax in 2011). Then, heirs who sell inherited assets will owe taxes on all gains from the assets' original purchase price. (The law exempts $1.3 million in gains for each estate; spouses can exempt an additional $3 million.)
This accounting nightmare won't take effect unless the estate tax is permanently repealed, which seems unlikely. Still, smart investors will start keeping detailed records on the prices they pay, especially for hard-to-value assets such as partnership shares or family businesses.
AMT RELIEF. Nothing better illustrates this tax bill's wallet-on-a-string tricks than the alternative minimum tax relief provision. The AMT is a parallel code designed to limit use of shelters and credits. If such breaks reduce your taxes too much, you're forced to recalculate your return without several key deductions, including those for state and local taxes. The AMT is catching more and more middle-income families, and the new tax bill will expand the AMT trap by cutting ordinary taxes without changing the AMT minimums.
Congress tried to reduce the number of taxpayers caught in this web by raising the amount of income exempt from the AMT--from $45,000 to $49,000 for couples, and from $33,750 to $35,750 for singles--effective this year. If you've been subject to the AMT, check with your accountant now. The extra breathing room may let you skip some steps you might have planned to avoid the AMT, such as putting off state tax payments.
The relief only lasts through 2004; by 2010, the new law will double the number of taxpayers subject to the AMT, to 35.5 million. Clearly, today's lawmakers are punting this problem to future Congresses.
There's the rub. The tax bill's many appealing features--lower tax rates, relief for two-earner couples, aid for retirement and college savings--come with an acid edge of uncertainty. Enjoy the tax breaks, but keep your financial planner's phone number handy. You'll need it for years to come.
By Mike McNamee


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Vizio has announced plans for an all-in-one PC which includes a slew of machines readied in their arsenal. Plans feature a 24- and 27-inch all-in-one and a 14-inch and 15.6-inch ULV-powered ultrabook which will be powered by Windows. With May as a suspected release date, industry insiders point to Intel's forthcoming Ivy Bridge processor as being a major part of the offering. Stay tuned for specific specs as well as an official release date.
Source: The Verge


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A Keighley town councillor described how she felt "sick to her stomach" after reading somebody boasting on Facebook that he repeatedly drives past her house and stares through her kitchen window.
Coun Margaret Ward, a former town mayor, was so disturbed with what she read on the social networking site she contacted police, who have since issued a verbal warning to the man.
The post was made on the Cavetown Council group page, which was recently set up to "make Keighley Town Council more accountable" and has almost 250 members.
One of the members made a comment on Saturday that Coun Ward felt went far beyond constructive criticism of council policies.
It read: "I keep driving past Councillor Ward's house, stop the car outside her kitchen window and just stare."
Coun Ward, 66, is a retired teacher who lives in Exley Head. She has represented the Fell Lane and Westburn ward since 2007.
She added: "This group is consistently giving the council a bad press, but this is verging on the criminal.
"When I heard about it I felt sick to my stomach. I couldn't sleep that night. I left a message on the neighbourhood policing line and they came and spoke to me the next day."
The comment came just days after Coun Ward attended a meeting of the council to discuss the coming year's budget. She seconded a motion to raise the local authority's council tax precept by 72.6 per cent, a move many see as highly unpopular. She believes this decision may have made her a target for council critics.
Coun Ward added: "The police had a word with the man and I was told afterwards he felt extremely sorry.
"I don't know if it was because I seconded the motion for the precept rise that I was targeted. It is just nasty, and very upsetting. If he does it again he is liable for a charge of harassment."
West Yorkshire Police confirmed they had spoken to the person who posted the message. A spokesman said: "A PCSO has been round to talk to the councillor, who explained what happened. We have given a local man a verbal warning."
Elizabeth Mitchell, the Keighley woman who started the Facebook page, said she knew nothing of the post or the police complaint.
Coun Tony Wright, who proposed the precept rise, condemned the Facebook posting. He said: "We did expect the decision to cause controversy, but for a councillor to attract stalkers because they make an unpopular decision is beyond the pale."


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September 24, 2013 BY Brendan Dunne
These days the Nike SB Stefan Janoski pairs getting talked about the most are no doubt those of the floral ilk. Keep in mind though that this silhouette's bread and butter has longer been the more understated looks, pairs that swerved around the flashy Nike SB Dunk range and opted for muted looks and sparing collab choices. Taking it back to those basics is this pair, a military brown version of the higher hitting Nike SB Stefan Janoski Mid. Get familiar with them below and stay tuned to find out when the pair will be in stores.
Nike SB Stefan Janoski Mid
Color: Military Brown/Sail-Black
Source: Thrasher
Filed under: Nike SB Upcoming Sneakers
Tags: Nike SB Zoom Stefan Janoski Mid Nike Zoom Stefan Janoski Mid


text:
Waiting for Something other than Godot
Posted 05-07-2007 at 01:51 PM by bertmag
The distros are here. I'm psyched. Only two tasks to go before Linux day. Back-up all existing data (something I FAIL to do on a regular basis) and installing a Linux friendly modem. Dial-up is a bitch, but it is all I have. I once had a processor-based modem in my Red Hat days. Lightening surge did it in, fortunately after I had given up on Red Hat and its Windowesque daily "security" updates. Three kernals a month took up about all my time with dial-up. Still, I do know people with DSL, so if the flash drive will work with Linux, I do have some options. I don't know whether to let Linux do all the configuring for me, or if I should gleefully erase Windows from my system line by line and watch it die a slow, lingering death (yes, I really have come to hate Microsoft and all it stands for).
Watch this space.
Watch this space.
Posted in UncategorizedViews 730 Comments 0


text: On Sat, Mar 15, 2008 at 4:24 AM, David Cournapeau <email@example.com> wrote: > Thanks for those info, I was not aware it was possible to control the > memory manager of gcc, that's pretty interesting. Unfortunately, it > won't work with other C++ compilers, so I am afraid it cannot be used in > our case. David, I've split sparsetools into five separate modules, one for each matrix type. Previously sparsetools compiled to sparse/_sparsetools.so, whereas now there are sparse/sparsetools/_csr.so and _csc.so etc. I was able to preserve the old interface by combining the new modules in sparse/sparsetools/__init__py (which just imports * from each of the submodules). It may be necessary to do a clean build to test the new code since the old sparsetools.py will be competing with the new sparsetools directory. -- Nathan Bell email@example.com http://graphics.cs.uiuc.edu/~wnbell/


text:
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text: LOST AND FOUNDRose walked home in the pouring rain. There were so many things on her mind. She wanted to think more of her life and the things she missed terribly, and the void feeling she had of growing up without her real parents. She is contemplating the arrival of her birth father today. She wished she did not allow herself to say yes to this visit. She still feels insecure, about her father missing from her life.She shrug herself out of the thoughts wondering what was wrong with her. Any child would jump at the chance to meet a father for the first time, especially when he took the time to look for her. She hoped that walking in the rain would wash away all the nagging feelings she had over the years. The longings of her heart to know where she really belonged. Why did it have to be her suffering from a parent's decision?A car startled her. It was her husband Tamer coming to look for her. He knew where her thoughts were going. And he did not want to add more pressure to her mind. He felt her shivering from the cold, and wrapped his warm jacket around her, as he sped down the road Her mind was still chatting as she hopped into a warm bath. Her heels were hurting a bit from the long walk. She lay there thinking that she was already feeling safe in the love of a man who adored her. She needed no other major calamity in her life right now. She buried her head underwater, and came up breathless. She decided to let all her negative feelings go down the drain with the rushing water, and give herself a break. After all, this might turn out better than she expected."Rose, are you okay in there?" Tamer called. "Yes I'll be right out," her little voice answered. When she finally came out she was greeted by the sweet aroma of coffee, and a spinach pie she loves so much. "Yummy," she smiled at Tamer who was now waiting patiently for her.She took one look around the place. Everything was in order. She was proud of her hard work to get her home ready for this visit. The fridge and freezer were stacked, and everything was in its proper place. She was ready to greet him.On the way to the airport, she chatted nervously to Tamer. And sensing her nervousness, he said, "Relax! it's your chance to meet him. Think how good you will feel, knowing that you had the courage to do this. After all it took him some time to track you down." She nodded with a smile."I will drop you off at Arrival, and I will park the car elsewhere, call me when he arrives and I will pick the two of you up at the far end, it's less busy there." He was just about to leave, but he called her back and added, "Take your time. I'll come when you are ready."She walked into the Arrival Floor at the airport and looked up at the board. The plane had just landed. She dismissed the butterflies she was feeling and walked up to stand near the entrance. She stood there for ten minutes and the passengers started to drift through the arrival gate. There's those butterflies again, she can't help it, she was nervous.Five minutes later, there he was, standing at the doorway scanning the crowd. Their eyes met, and a big smile light up his face. He was taller and fairer than she imagined from the photo he sent her. She walked up to him and offered to shake his hand. He hesitated for a moment, then he gathered her into his arms. All she could hear herself say was, "Dad." He whispered back, "I waited too long for this moment." She looked up to see the tears in his eyes. It was a beautiful moment, when the heart was silenced and touched. All the yearnings of the past melted into that embrace. She felt happy as they walked past, oblivious to the staring eyes of these strangers. The feeling she had of stretching her heart to include him as part of her family."We have a lot to catch up on," he told her. "I was afraid of not finding you, but today I can't explain how happy I am to finally see you."She decided to have a cup of coffee with him at the airport. She wanted to have a little private time, before she introduced him to her family. She picked the corner table far from anyone's hearing.He told her the reason why he was absent from her life. Her mum's family did not approve of him, and finally her mum Angie gave in to them. The baby was adopted, and her mum was never the same after that. Two years later, she had a car accident that took her life. When he finally learned about her passing, he decided to find his daughter, but they had already left the country, and moved from place to place. As she listened to him speak, everything made sense to her. She put her hand on his arm and said, "Dad, I understand you. You have gone to a great length to find me. I want you to know that I have had a good life with my adopted family, but at the back of my mind I never stopped wondering about my own parents." She tried to hold back the tears, for she never realized how deep that sorrow was in her heart. She continued to say, "All the questions in my heart are now answered. I would have loved to have Mum in my life, but there is nothing we can do about that now. Let her rest in peace."George looked at his daughter, and marvelled at the understanding and the maturity of her thoughts. She reminded him of his own mother who had American Indian heritage, and his dad was English. Often his mother would tell him tales of her people. He can tell that her adopted family have taught her well. He said to her, "Rose, I apologize for the lessons of the past, and I am here to ask for your forgiveness. It's too late for me to say I could have done this and that. The ache I carried in my heart never left me till this day, when I saw you standing before me."Rose stood up, then looked her dad straight in the eyes and said, "Today is a new day. We will put all that in the past. I don't know what life will bring us in the future, but right now let's work on it. Just be my Dad."She suddenly remembered Tamer waiting for them. She called him to pick them up, and they gathered their stuff and walked to the pickup point. Tamer greeted George and looking at him. He can see the resemblance in the two. He also noticed his wife was more relaxed. She had been stressed for the past month, ever since she agreed to this meeting.Tamer brought in the luggage, and showed George his room. Rose told him to make himself at home, and rest a bit before the children get home. Today was a special day, and she wanted to cook them a special dinner.Two hours later George heard a knock at his door "Lieutenant George," then a giggle. "It's Myra reporting to you Sir." George opened the door to find a beautiful seven year old smiling at him."Oh so good to meet you Myra, can I give you a soldier's hug?"Myra giggled again. "Are you really a soldier?" George lifted her up, and let her sit on his right shoulder, and started marching into the kitchen where her Mum was cooking. Myra was screeching with delight."Look Kris whoopieeeee." Kris was standing there and eyed the stranger. He was not quite sure what to think of him. Then Mom introduced him to his grandfather and he stepped forward respectfully to kiss him on the cheek. Myra never stopped asking questions about his life as a soldier. They got to know more about George from Myra's many questions.Now and then Kris would ask about the wars, but it was Myra who stole the show of the night.Kris reminded his Mom about the school trip the next day. The dinner was beautiful, and everyone enjoyed the special treat of chocolate mint ice cream, and fruit salad, with pavlova topped with passionfruit. They settled down and relaxed for the evening, chatting late into the night.The next day the kids left for school. Rose and Tamer are on a week's holiday and decided to take George for a drive to show him around. The three of them were having a good time.Just then the mobile phone rang and it was the school master, notifying them that Kris went missing on the hill trek. Everyone was looking for him. The police were notified, and on their way. Rose was getting hysterical, and Tamer was driving faster than he normally does to the hills.George was sitting quietly at the back. His mind went to the evening before. He was engrossed in Myra's jovial nature, that he did not make too close a bond with his grandson. He thought, "I can't have anymore loss in my life. This was my grandson."The teachers were panicking and showing the way they went. Rose and Tamer started walking one way, and George took off without anymore directions. His instinct as a soldier led him forward. He had not considered the possibility of losing another life again. He followed the footprints of the kids and where they went, keeping his eyes on everything.Rose was walking around in a panic. She was feeling that lost and empty feeling that she always known. She can't lose her son to this mountain, and with that the tears started rolling down her face. She lost a mother and she can't lose a son too. In her heart she had a lot of faith in her dad and Tamer who are out there looking for him. The police arrived, and started their search. In her panic she called the ambulance too, and now the ambulance was approaching.. As George was on his knees looking at the footprints, he faintly heard the flight of an owl from its resting place. He quickly turned towards the sound. He knew from many times before, that the owl had been nearby when he needed direction. He was wondering if that applied to this foreign country. He followed the sound to a tree, and there he saw his grandson lying there. He hurriedly examined him, and discovered that his arm was broken, and a nasty wound on the side of his head. Kris stirred and became conscience and feel great pain in his arm. He opened his eyes and saw his grandfather bending over him. "Grandpa" he whispered. "Shhhhhh, its okay son I'm here. Dont move" George took his belt off and use it to strap Kris's arm to his side before lifting him. He said to Kris "I'm sure this little belt can whip that pain off your arm" He smiled at his grandson. And Kris seeing the humour in his grandfather's words, started to smile too. George realized he must have slipped down the ditch and hurt his arm on the rocks. His closed hand was clutching a little bird that was now crushed."What happened to the poor fellow" pointing to the crushed bird. "I saw that his wing was broken and I tried to get to him so I can have a look, and the next minute I slipped" Just then the owl landed on a branch nearby.. George looked at the owl and said "Thanks" Kris looked up and smile at his grandpa. "Are you talking to the owl?"George seeing his grandson's interest responded, "It was her that guided me to you"Now Kris was excited, he loved listening to stories.. "Tell me grandpa" and George told him a story;"My mother taught me that whenever I am lost or worried or scared, that I should open my heart, observe and listen carefully to the sound of the wind, of birds and animals, one of them will respond to the call of the heart. I notice that the owl is always there when I am in grave danger, or when I am worried. Today when I hear her call, I followed her here and sure enough, I saw you here"There was no stopping to Kris questions now, but his grandfather said to him "Later son, I will tell you about the stories of the owl, right now I got to take you to your mom, she is worried about you. And you need to be checked over, you have a nasty wound on your head"Kris looked up to his grandfather with love. It felt good to have his own real grandfather. He can't wait to sit down with him and listen to all his adventures.He lifted his grandson carefully into his arms, and started walking back the way he came. He looked up to see where his guide was, but the owl was nowhere to be seen. He quietly gave a thankful look heavenward for the events of the day.When he arrived at the top of the hill , the place was swarming with people in the search. George yelled, "Found him!" He could hear the excited noise from the worried people waiting for any news. The ambulance people had just arrived. It was quite a gathering.When Rose saw her son and Dad coming down the mountain she rushed forward to meet them. She put her arms around both of them with joy.George said, "Wait Rose, let the ambulance people double check him first."The kids were gathering around to hear Kris tell them what happened. But Kris's arm was hurting too much. He did not feel like talking. He just opened his hand to show the kids the little bird that he was still holding.The men checked Kris situation and got him into the ambulance. Rose looked at her dad and gave him a big hug. "Thanks dad" She hopped into the ambulance and sat beside her son. She knew she can't bear to be away from her son right now. Tamer kissed his son and waved at him. she was going with him. Just before they close the doors, Kris called "Wait" he yelled .."Thanks grandpa, see you later" George waved. A smile of gratitude crossed his face. The feelings of great happiness filled him. He has found his lost family and the events of the day had made him realize how much he loved them.In the ambulance, Rose was fussing about her son, and Kris was still excited about what his grandfather told him about the owl. "Hey mom,grandpa told me that the owl guided him to find me, and while I was there she perched on the branch and looked down at us. I can't wait to hear the rest of the story" As for Rose, she did not mind stretching her heart to include her dad into her life. For now she sees what love can do to a parent. The feelings she felt about losing her son, must be what her dad felt at losing her. She understood. She would have given her own life to protect her son. The events of the past no longer hold her a prisoner. She knows that the only way to exist is to live in the present with love and gratitude. And her dad has shown that to her today.Rose noticed that her children loved their grandpa. Her heart was open to gratitude, and said a silent prayer of thanksgiving. The feeling of void she felt throughout her life, was now flowing with tears of gratitude.Katesa Wesche