text:
I came to an epiphany last Sunday, in perhaps one of the most disturbing ways I could imagine.
As I watched Jermichael Finley writhing in shock on the football field, following a frightening blow to the top of the head that crumpled back on his vertebrae, I realized the truth.
When it comes to instructing players how and where to hit, we've done just about all we can do. And players are still getting hit.
On Setpember 22, Finley suffered a concussion after receiving a shoulder-to-the-head from Cincinnati Bengal George
Iloka. The hit itself was right at Iloka's shoulder level: in fact, you could argue that he wasn't even trying to hit him anywhere near Finley's head, as Finley was lowering his head in what appeared to be a dive.
That probably wasn't much consolation for Iloka, who received a $15,000 fine what what appeared to be a passing body check...certainly not the most vicious hit we've ever seen in the NFL.
Had Finley not been off his feet, falling to the ground, the hit to his head would never have happened. There was little that Iloka could do to pull up when Finley's head is coming at you faster than you are moving towards him.
A few weeks ago, Randall Cobb was lost for a good chunk of the season following a hit to his knee by Baltimore Raven Matt Elam. While many Packers, including Aaron Rodgers, expressed their frustration at Elam for putting one of the Packers' key weapons out of commission, its hard to complain about a tackler aiming low when they know they're going to get a huge fine for aiming at the head.
In most scenarios when Cobb would have his balance and center of gravity under him, that hit would never have happened in such a way that would have resulted in an injury. In fact, one could easily see Cobb leaping over Elam making that kind of tackle.
But in the bang-bang world of professional football, Cobb was forced to extend and leave the ground to chase down a high Rodgers pass, leaving himself blind and at the mercy of whatever waited for him at the bottom of his arc. Sure, Elam COULD have aimed higher, but we know that had Cobb leaped over him, we'd be celebrating his stupidity at aiming too low.
There's not a lot that you can do in that situation. But one thing is for sure: Elam sure didn't go for the head.
Now, fast-forward to this past weekend's devastating neck injury to Finley, and again, you can make the point that the defender wasn't being intentionally dirty and wasn't even aiming for his head. In fact, if you look carefully, the pad level of the tackler is actually in the perfect "sweet spot" that we'd be hoping for: lower than the head, higher than the knees.
But again, Finley lowered his head into the tackle. It's terrible and saddening, but the reality is that even the Packers conceded that the hit wasn't dirty. It was unfortunate. And the problem again is that a defender is already thinking of a million ways to move his body to abide by the new rules, and the reality is that there simply isn't enough time for a defender to react when everything is moving at bullet speed.
Three hits, three scary injuries, and not one was aiming for the head. The Brown flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play, Tashaun Gibson, might have gotten the penalty simply because of how frightening the aftermath was. He wasn't fined by the league, and should have been. He lowered his shoulder to midsection height, as he should.
The case might be that not only do defenders have to be taught how to tackle safely, but ball carriers have to be taught how to keep their noggins out of the way of oncoming (and legal) tackles. And therein lies the problem: how much can you ask six-million dollar men to adjust at lightning speed?
Look, you can go after the New Orleans Saints for intentionally trying to injure players, and suspend Brandon Merriweather for being a goon. But the reality is that once you teach the players that you can't hit with the intent to injure, it is still going to happen.
The remorseful words of Gibson this week, expressing his regret for Finley's future hit home, but also pragmatically expressed the same sentiments that I was feeling after Sunday's game: what else can I do???
"Right now, I'm at the point in my career where I don't know how to change," Gipson said. "I could come up and tap somebody and they could run over me and run through me all game. I'd be cut next season, or I could do my job. Like I said, we've all got a job out there. His job is to catch the ball and get it to the end zone by any means and my job is to get him on the ground."
The future of football can't be dictated by caution and restraint. That's going to make the game less and less like what we remember. Where you then have to accept the changes are going to be in the equipment.
Yes, more and more helmets that resemble incandescent light bulbs, as worn by Chuck Cecil in the later stages of his career , providing more and more cushion inside for the head to prevent concussions. You might see more neck support devices, such as a shield that prevents the neck from bending back, forward, or back in on itself as we saw with Finley.
In the end, we could see as much of a quantum leap in padding and protection in twenty years as we've seen in NFL uniforms over the last 70. Imagine the leather-helmeted players of yore coming face to face with the plasticized armor today's players wear. In 1940, Dick Plasman was heralded as the last player to play in a game without a helmet. Imagine how he'd regard today's uniform.
Perhaps in the future, an NFL uniform will look like an inflatable sumo wrestler suit in comparison to what is worn today. It will be different, and it will be mocked by those who believe in a more "real" version of football.
But make no mistake: heavily armored (and protected) players will play more "real" football than players who second-guess every single tackle they try to make. The change is coming, but everything that has can be changed about player behavior is done.
It's time for the NFL, players, and us to step aside and usher in a new generation of uniforms and helmets.
C.D. Angeli is a lifelong Packer fan and feature writer at CheeseheadTV. He is the co-host of the weekly Packers podcast Cheesehead Radio and is the good cop running PackersTalk.com. Follow him on Twitter at @TundraVision.
- Like Like
- 0 points


text:
My most obvious and enduring obsession would be with food/cooking. I recently sorted the books in my room and put two rows of cookbooks up on the shelves together before realising that I had left a large number of them in one of the crates in the cellar. I do own some cookbooks which I haven't cooked from, but I have only bought three for myself that I have yet to use. Most of the time though, I enjoy adapting recipies. When my Mum rings me at uni, the first thing I tell her is everything I have eaten since we last spoke, and when she's trying to calm me down she asks me what I'll be eating tommorow.
I have also liked cuddly toys my whole life. I don't think that's too unusual, but apparently I like them far too much for a 20 year old. I like the soft texture, particularly of the more modern fury fabrics. There are a lot of specifications I have for cuddly toys, but I still manage to acumulate ones that fit the criteria. My boyfriend says that he always knows when I'm upset because I'll "talk through" my cuddly toys (ie, I'll make the one I'm holding do gestures to express how I'm feeling). I remember the names of all of mine, and how I got them, and feel like they have personalities. I recently got rid of all the toys I haven't "bonded" with, and I still have more than anyone else I know.
I get transitional "obsessions" too. The most notable being a preocupation with robots when I was quite a lot younger (it lasted about 3 years). When I was little I sometimes decided to learn all the breeds and features and care instructions of a particular kind of animal. Other kids used to say they loved dogs, horses, hamsters, or whatever and what they meant was that they wanted one or liked playing with them, wheras I was more interested in them in a theoretical sense. Currently, I spend far to much time thinking about knitting.
I think one of the reasons I have such poor general knowlage is that, while I wouldn't say I was obsessed with all my hobbies, when I like something I tend to like it a lot and if I can't happily spend hours and hours thinking about or doing something for days on end I generally don't count it as interesting at all.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
No. 82,140
1. The interpretation and application of a statute of limitations is a question of law for which an appellate court's review is unlimited. Likewise, the court's review of conclusions of law is unlimited.
2. The statute of limitations on a 30-year contract for deed does not begin to run until the purchaser makes the last payment and has received the deed.
3. A cause of action for usury accrues with each payment made on a continuing contract.
4. The 3-year statute of limitations applies to actions filed under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act where damages and civil penalties are requested.
5. K.S.A. 16-207 (Ensley 1988) is discussed and applied.
6. Deceptive acts and practices include representations made knowingly, or with reason to know, that characteristics or quantities of property are not factual and oral or written representations made willfully that contain exaggeration, falsehood, innuendo, or ambiguity as to a material fact. K.S.A. 50-626(b).
7. If the language of a written instrument is clear and can be carried out as written, there is no room for rules of construction.
8. K.S.A. 19-2633 is discussed and applied.
Appeal from Sedgwick District Court; RICHARD T. BALLINGER, judge. Opinion filed May 12, 2000. Affirmed.
Edgar Wm. Dwire and Warren G. Jones, of Malone, Dwire and Jones, of Wichita, for appellant.
Ted E. Knopp, of Ted E. Knopp, Chartered, of Wichita, for appellees.
Before LEWIS, P.J., MARQUARDT, J., and JOHN P. BENNETT, District Judge, assigned.
MARQUARDT, J.: Raymond H. Dings appeals several adverse judgments and the award of attorney fees to Shannon D. and Tina Beltz.
In 1992, Shannon and Tina Beltz responded to a newspaper advertisement for the sale of a 5-acre mobile home site in rural Sedgwick County. In May 1992, the Beltzes and Dings signed a real estate purchase contract for Deed for "Tract 3, Cedar acres Development, E 1/2, SE 1/4, Sec. 24, Twp. 28S, Rge. 2E." The contract included an interest rate of 1 percent per month on the unpaid balance.
The Beltzes never discussed with Dings the form of deed they would receive at closing. They expected to receive title to tract 3 as it was shown on the tract map that Dings had shown them prior to their purchase of the land.
In 1997, litigation involving Dings and residents of Cedar Acres II alerted the Beltzes that there might be a problem with the legal description in the deed they were to receive and the interest rate they were being charged. The Beltzes stated that if they had known at the time they signed the contract that the land would be conveyed at closing by a metes and bounds description, they would have been put on notice that a surveyor's assistance was needed. The Beltzes now believe that the value of their land was diminished by at least $2,000 by the failure to plat the property. They also discovered that it would cost approximately $15,000 to plat all 16 lots which were under development.
Dings maintains that the law does not require him to plat the Beltzes' property. The Beltzes' land was classified as agricultural at the time of purchase and was reclassified after the Beltzes moved a manufactured home onto the property. Dings maintains that the contract and the tract map are sufficient to identify the property and for the Beltzes to secure title insurance at closing. Dings had no knowledge of the Kansas usury laws at the time he signed the contract with the Beltzes.
In January 1998, the Beltzes filed a petition asking for a full accounting and demanding assurance of performance. They alleged violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) and state usury laws. Dings filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that the Beltzes' petition was barred by the various statutes of limitation. Dings' motion was denied. The Beltzes filed an amended petition which added a request for declaratory judgment.
In May 1998, while this litigation was pending, the Beltzes received a letter from the Rose Hill State Bank (Bank) which told them that their payments were to be made to a trust at the Bank of which Dings was trustee. The letter contained an Acknowledgement of Trust (Acknowledgement), which referenced K.S.A. 16-207(h), a usury statute. The Acknowledgement classified the land as agricultural. The parties waived a jury trial. The case was submitted to the trial court on stipulations and testimony from a few witnesses.
The trial court found that the contract required Dings to properly plat the property. The trial court also found that Dings committed common-law usury and violated the KCPA. Dings was given 12 months to plat the Beltzes' property. The Beltzes were awarded $2,000 as a civil penalty under the KCPA. However, the penalty would be reduced to $250 if Dings completed all court-ordered obligations within 1 year. The Beltzes were awarded attorney fees of $10,471 for their KCPA claims, plus costs of $66.50. The Beltzes were not awarded attorney fees for their usury claim.
Dings appeals. The Beltzes filed a timely notice of cross-appeal; however, they did not brief their cross-appeal.
At trial, the Beltzes sought to admit a copy of the contract into evidence. Dings objected. The objection was overruled. On appeal, Dings claims that K.S.A. 79-3101 and K.S.A. 79-3107 require that a contract for deed be filed with the register of deeds before it may be entered into evidence. Dings claims that the trial court erred in admitting the contract into evidence.
K.S.A. 79-3107 applies to mortgage registration and is inapplicable to an action where an enforcement of the contract is not sought or rendered. The Beltzes sought a declaratory judgment and other similar remedies but did not seek enforcement of the contract. Thus, K.S.A. 79-3107 does not apply to the facts of this case. See Snider v. Marple, 168 Kan. 459, 466, 213 P.2d 984 (1950).
Notwithstanding his objection, Dings submitted defense exhibit "T," which included a copy of the contract. A party may not invite error and then complain of that error on appeal. Hawkinson v. Bennett, 265 Kan. 564, 590, 962 P.2d 445 (1998). We find no error in the trial court's decision to admit the Beltzes' copy of the contract.
Dings maintains that the various statutes of limitation bar the Beltzes' claims because the contract was signed in 1992. Dings argues that the contract claim is governed by a 5-year statute of limitations, KCPA claims are governed by a 3-year statute of limitations, and usury claims are governed by a 1-year statute of limitations.
The interpretation and application of a statute of limitations is a question of law for which an appellate court's review is unlimited. Likewise, the court's review of conclusions of law is unlimited. Brown v. State, 261 Kan. 6, 8, 927 P.2d 938 (1996).
The Beltzes and Dings' contract is for a term of 30 years. At the end of that time period, Dings is required to deliver a warranty deed to the Beltzes, provided that they fulfill all of their contractual obligations. While the Beltzes are making payments, Dings has the option to cancel the contract and repossess the property. The question in this case is whether the contract was complete on the day it was signed, or whether it is a continuing contract that spans the 30 years during which payments are to be made. The Kansas Supreme Court has not ruled on this issue in the context of contracts for the purchase of real estate.
In the case of In re Estate of Moe, 240 Kan. 242, 729 P.2d 447 (1986), an employer had promised to give an employee property if the employee continuously served the employer until the employer's death. The Kansas Supreme Court held that the oral contract was continuous until the death of the employer. Under these facts, the statute of limitations does not begin to run until the services have ended.
Also, in In re Estate of Ray, 180 Kan. 634, 306 P.2d 190 (1957), an employee and employer orally contracted that the employee would provide services to the employer in consideration for the employer's promise to leave certain real property to the employee upon the employer's death. Prior to the employer's death, the property was conveyed to a third party. The Kansas Supreme Court held that the statute of limitations did not run until the contract had been fully performed by the employee.
We find the issue currently before this court analogous to the Moe and Ray cases. The Beltz-Dings contract is a continuing contract. It is not complete until the Beltzes make their last payment and receive the deed. The statute of limitations does not begin to run until the Beltzes make their last payment and receive the deed. The trial court did not err on this issue.
Dings claims that K.S.A. 60-512 requires that a KCPA claim must be brought within 3 years. He argues that the Beltzes' claims are barred because their contract was signed in 1992 and the Beltzes' action was not filed until March 1998. The Kansas Supreme Court in Alexander v. Certified Master Builders Corp., No. 83,604, filed March 10, 2000, held that the 3-year statute of limitations applies to actions filed under the KCPA where damages and civil penalties are requested.
The Beltzes asked for damages as well as civil penalties; therefore, the 3-year statute of limitations applies to this cause of action. The trial court correctly found that Dings is responsible for KCPA violations dating back to March 1995.
Dings claims that because there is no statute of limitations in K.S.A. 16-207 (Ensley 1988), this court is required to apply K.S.A. 60-514, which requires that causes of action for usury must be brought within 1 year of the alleged violation.
The Beltzes have continued to make payments on the contract, and are ready, willing, and able to complete the conditions of the contract. A cause of action for usury accrues with each payment made on a continuing contract.
Dings claims that K.S.A. 16-207 (Ensley 1988) does not apply to the facts of this case because he did not enter into a loan agreement. He argues that a contract for deed is merely a delivery of possession conditioned upon the payment of a price to consummate the transaction. In the alternative, Dings claims that the exceptions found at 16-207(f) and (h) apply to his contract with the Beltzes.
"The maximum rate of interest per annum for notes secured by all real estate mortgages and contracts for deed to real estate executed on or after the effective date of this act shall be at an amount equal to 1 1/2 percentage points above the yield of thirty-year fixed rate conventional home mortgages . . . ." (Emphasis added.) K.S.A. 16-207(b) (Ensley 1988).
K.S.A. 16-207(b) (Ensley 1988) clearly references contracts for deed. We are puzzled as to how Dings failed to notice this provision of the statute. Absent the application of a statutory exception, 16-207(b) applies to contracts for deed, and subjects the Beltz-Dings contract to the scrutiny of state usury laws.
Dings claims that the exception found at 16-207(f) applies to his contract. K.S.A. 16-207(f) (Ensley 1988) states: "The interest rates prescribed in subsections (a) and (b) . . . shall not apply to a business or agricultural loan. For the purpose of this section unless a loan is made primarily for personal, family or household purposes, the loan shall be considered a business or agricultural loan."
The Beltzes purchased their lot from Dings in order to move their mobile home onto the land. Dings knew that the property would be used as a home site and would not be used for business or agricultural purposes. The fact that the land had been classified as agricultural prior to the Beltzes' purchasing the property is immaterial. The statute does not mention the land's classification; it contemplates the purpose for which the land is purchased. Thus, the Beltz-Dings contract does not fall within the exception found at 16-207(f).
Dings also claims that the exception found at 16-207(h) applies, which reads: "The interest rates prescribed in subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall not apply to a note secured by a real estate mortgage or a contract for deed to real estate where the note or contract for deed permits adjustment of the interest rate, the term of the loan or the amortization schedule."
There is no such interest rate adjustment language in the Beltz-Dings contract. The only adjustment in the contract is for taxes. Thus, the 16-207(h) exception does not apply. The trial court correctly found that 16-207(b) applies to the Beltz-Dings contract.
The trial court found that Dings committed common-law usury. On appeal, Dings argues that it was error for the trial court to make this finding absent proof that he unlawfully intended to violate the usury law.
The question of usury is a fact question. Young v. Barker, 185 Kan. 246, 257, 342 P.2d 150 (1959). In Young, the Kansas Supreme Court created a common-law cause of action for usury allowing the plaintiff to recover the amount of interest charged by a lender which is in excess of the statutory rate. See George v. Capital South Mtg. Investments, Inc., 265 Kan. 431, 457, 961 P.2d 32 (1998). The trial court is not required to find that Dings intended to commit usury. The trial court must merely find that Dings collected interest at a rate greater than what is authorized by law. See Young, 185 Kan. at 257.
The maximum statutory rate of interest authorized for a contract for deed to real estate is an amount equal to 1 1/2 percentage points above the yield of 30-year fixed-rate conventional mortgages. The Kansas Secretary of State is charged with publishing notice of the maximum interest rate. See K.S.A. 16-207(b) (Ensley 1988). The Beltzes signed the contract in May 1992. The maximum interest rate for that period was 10.33 percent. The Beltzes were charged interest of 1 percent per month. Thus, the interest the Beltzes were paying exceeded the allowable maximum rate by more than 1 1/2 percentage points. See K.S.A. 16-207(b) (Ensley 1988). The trial court correctly found that Dings committed common-law usury.
The trial court found that Dings represented Tract 3, Cedar Acres Development, as platted and part of a uniform development where all boundary lines were precisely drawn. The trial court also found that Dings knew or should have known about requirements for creating a subdivision. The trial court held that Dings' action violated K.S.A. 50-626(b)(1)(A), (b)(1)(B), and (b)(2).
On appeal, Dings claims that the record is insufficient to find him guilty of committing any deceptive acts or practices. Dings maintains that the word "tract" is not synonymous with the word "plat." He claims that the description of the property in the contract should have immediately put the Beltzes on notice that the land was not platted.
Deceptive acts and practices include representations made knowingly, or with reason to know, that characteristics or quantities of property are not factual and oral or written representations made willfully that contain exaggeration, falsehood, innuendo, or ambiguity as to a material fact. K.S.A. 50-626(b).
K.S.A. 19-2633 requires that
"[a]ny person . . . owning land outside the limits of any incorporated city . . . desiring to subdivide any such tract of land, may plat the same and submit the plat thereof, together with an abstract of title to the land so platted, to the board of county commissioners of the county in which such land is situated. The plat shall contain a description of the land as subdivided, giving the name of said subdivision, and the restrictions to which the land or separate tracts thereof are subject."
The Beltz-Dings contract described the Beltzes' land as "Tract 3, Cedar [A]cres Development, E 1/2, SE 1/4, Sec. 24, Twp. 28S, Rge. 2E," which indicated that their land is located within a certain quarter section of land. This description gives no information about where the Beltzes' tract was located within the 80 acres. The Beltzes were given a tract map which showed the measurements of their property; however, there was no metes and bounds description of the exact property they were to receive.
Norman Roelfs surveyed the Beltzes' land and prepared a tract map of the area. Roelfs testified that preparing a tract map is different from preparing a plat. He said that preparing a plat requires the surveyor to go through subdivision regulations and the planning commission. Roelfs also testified that the creation of a tract map does not create a legal entity. He also testified that the legal description of the property had a discrepancy of approximately 1 foot. The Beltzes were unable to obtain title insurance from Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation because it was unable to locate evidence of a subdivision called Cedar Acres I Development. John Pyron of Security Abstract and Title Company testified that he would insure the Beltzes' property. However, on cross-examination, he admitted that he would not insure property described as "Tract 3, Cedar Acres Development" until the property had gone through the statutory subdivision creation process.
Dings represented that his land was properly subdivided. The name "Cedar Acres Development" implies that the land had been properly subdivided according to the provisions found at K.S.A. 19-2633. The witnesses at trial and the documents submitted to the trial court evidenced that none of the necessary procedures had been followed.
We find there is substantial competent evidence to support the trial court's finding that Dings presented the contract, along with the deceptive subdivision description, to the Beltzes.
The trial court found that Dings' "distribution of the Acknowledgment of Trust was an unconscionable and deceptive act or practice made before, during or after a consumer sale. The undisputed testimony is that the Acknowledgment was distributed by and for the Defendant, and purported to take away consumer rights and remedies without any consideration or benefit to the Beltz'" and such "acts constitute unconscionable acts and practices under both 527(b)(1) and (b)(3)." It is obvious from reading the decision that the trial court was referring to K.S.A. 50-627(b)(1) and (b)(3), as there is no K.S.A. 50-527.
On appeal, Dings claims that the record is devoid of any evidence that the Beltzes signed or acted upon the Acknowledgment. Dings also questions whether there is any evidence to prove what the document meant. Dings argues that there is no evidence to support a conclusion that his actions constituted unconscionable conduct. Dings admits that the letter and Acknowledgment were sent by the Bank for his estate planning purposes.
"The unconscionability of an act or practice is a question for the court. In determining whether an act or practice is unconscionable, the court shall consider circumstances of which the supplier knew or had reason to know, such as, but not limited to the following:
"(1) That the supplier took advantage of the inability of the consumer reasonably to protect the consumer's interests because of the consumer's physical infirmity, ignorance, illiteracy, inability to understand the language of an agreement or similar factor; [and]
. . . .
"(3) that the consumer was unable to receive a material benefit from the subject of the transaction." K.S.A. 50-627(b)(1) and (3).
The uncontroverted evidence is that the Beltzes had never previously purchased any land, did not know when to order insurance or a survey, and "took comfort from the Tract Map that everything was properly done by professionals." The trial court's finding that the Beltzes were inexperienced, first-time property buyers is supported by the record on appeal. Also, the Beltzes would not be able to receive a material benefit from the Acknowledgment. It does not matter that it was not signed and that Dings did not seek to enforce it.
The trial court ignores the fact that the Bank was responsible for the distribution of the Acknowledgment, not Dings. It is possible, or even probable, that Dings requested the Bank to prepare and send the Acknowledgment; however, there is no evidence in the record on appeal to support such a finding. It is curious that such a document was sent to the Beltzes 5 months after they filed suit against Dings and that it included provisions that would substantially change the original contract. Even though we find that the trial court's finding on this issue is not supported by the evidence, the error is harmless in view of our other rulings in this case.
The trial court held that the unambiguous language of the contract required Dings to deliver land described as "Tract 3, Cedar [A]cres Development," and that Dings breached the contract because he refused to do a metes and bounds plat of the property.
Dings argues that the description of the land in the contract is not a technical term for a platted tract of land. He claims that there is no evidence that he breached the contract because he will be able to convey marketable title to the contract.
Regardless of the construction given a written contract by the trial court, an appellate court may construe a written contract and determine its legal effect. City of Topeka v. Watertower Place Dev. Group, 265 Kan. 148, 152, 959 P.2d 894 (1998). If the language of a written instrument is clear and can be carried out as written, there is no room for rules of construction. In re Cherokee County Revenue Bonds, 262 Kan. 941, 953, 946 P.2d 83 (1997).
The Beltz-Dings contract is unambiguous. Dings contracted to deliver "Tract 3, Cedar [A]cres Development" to the Beltzes. We have thoroughly reviewed the fact that Dings cannot deliver land that fits this description because there is no evidence that Cedar Acres Development exists. Dings continues to maintain that he is not required to plat the Beltzes' land.
Because Dings cannot deliver the land until it is properly platted and he has complied with K.S.A. 19-2633, he has breached the contract. The finding of the trial court was correct.
Dings claims that the Beltzes are asking this court to allow them attorney fees for their usuary claim. He urges this court to find that the Beltzes are not entitled to attorney fees. The Beltzes' cross-appeal was not briefed for this court. Where a cross-appellant fails to brief an issue, that issue is deemed waived or abandoned. Crawford v. Board of Johnson County Comm'rs, 13 Kan. App. 2d 592, 594, 776 P.2d 832 (1989).


text:
When it comes to auto insurance at your fingertips, GEICO Mobile is ahead of the pack. The GEICO Mobile app has ranked #1 in Dynatrace's Q1 Mobile Insurance Scorecard, which measures performance in four key categories:
- Functionality
- Ease of Use
- Privacy & Security
- Quality & Availability
So what sets GEICO Mobile apart? With a user-friendly interface and help right at your fingertips for things like roadside assistance, digital ID cards and vehicle maintenance help, GEICO Mobile makes auto insurance easy.
Download GEICO Mobile today to take advantage of these and other great features:
Roadside Assistance
If you have Emergency Roadside Service on your auto policy, you can use the GEICO Mobile app to get quick-response roadside help, 24 hours a day. And with great features like GPS locator, you can have peace of mind knowing you won't be left stranded if you have a flat tire or dead battery, run out of gas, or lock your keys in your car. In just a few taps, we'll help you get your car back on the road or towed to a facility where repairs can be made. Don't have Emergency Roadside Service through GEICO? Be sure to add it to your auto policy for as little as $14/year per vehicle.
Digital ID Cards
While you're on the go, view or share your insurance cards right from your phone, optimized to fit your screen. Up-to-date insurance information saved to your phone means no more worrying about an expired insurance card in your glove compartment. And, a must-have at the DMV.
Chat With An Agent
Let your fingers do the talking with GEICO's Mobile app messaging capabilities. Day or night, you can get help and answers to your questions with a trained agent. Let us know what keeps you up at night.
Start A Claim
Being in an accident can be stressful, but GEICO Mobile is there to guide you through the next steps in reporting your claim.
Vehicle Care
Keep your car up to speed with GEICO Mobile's Vehicle Care, powered by myCARFAX®. Right in your mobile app, you can:
- Get important recall alerts
- Get reminders for upcoming routine maintenance like oil changes, tire rotations and more
- Track your vehicle's service history
- Research service and repair costs and read verified reviews to find trusted mechanics near you
Have you downloaded GEICO Mobile yet? What are you waiting for? Get it for free in the App Store or Google Play.


text:
More Businesses Pursue Triple Bottom Line for a Sustainable Economy
|"Benefit corporations" are rapidly growing in number and size around the globe.
|Related Posts
|Advertising Adapts and Grows, Spreading the Consumer Culture Plague
|Degrowth Offers Alternative to Global Consumer Culture
|Read More
|Tweets by @WorldwatchInst
As corporations of all sizes increasingly choose to monitor and report on their social and environmental impacts, a growing number of mostly small and medium-sized companies are going even further: They are volunteering to be held publicly accountable to a new triple bottom line—prioritizing people and the planet as well as profits.
Just how broadly, rapidly, and rigorously this movement can spread is of critical importance, given the supersized global impacts of for-profit enterprises. Sustainable economies are likely to remain elusive without substantial shifts in corporate norms. As I point out in "More Businesses Pursue Triple Bottom Line for a Sustainable Economy," the latest Vital Signs Online study, recent data provide signs that such change is possible and indeed may even have begun.
Over the last 15 years, for example, the number of businesses of all sizes that choose to self-assess how sustainable their operations are, using widely accepted social and environmental standards, and to publicly disclose their results has been growing rapidly, especially in Europe and Asia.
Recently there also has been a rise of a fast-moving movement, with significant leadership provided by sustainably minded businesses, whose goal is to persuade lawmakers to create a new legal status known as "benefit corporation" that for-profit businesses can choose voluntarily. The movement for benefit corporation statutes began in the United States, under the leadership of B Lab, which developed model legislation with the pro bono help of U.S. law firms.
A "benefit corporation" is a corporate form that requires a company to legally establish in its original or amended articles of incorporation that it has a general purpose of having a positive impact on society and the environment and that its board of directors, in making decisions, is required to take into account the interests of multiple stakeholders in addition to the financial interests of its shareholders. The stakeholders it must consider, by law, include the company's own workforce and that of its suppliers, its customers, the local community and general society, and the local and global environment.
Proponents of this new corporate form say it essentially bakes a triple bottom line into a company's DNA that frees companies from the fear of shareholder lawsuits if their decisions fail to maximize shareholder value because of some competing interest of other stakeholders, such as workers. Under current corporate case law in the United States, for example, corporate directors are generally assumed to be liable in such suits. Incorporation as a benefit corporation is intended to establish the directors' fiduciary responsibility to consider the interests of all stakeholders. Formalizing a company's social and environmental purposes under a legal framework also makes it more likely that its good intentions will survive the departure of its founders or any major spurts of growth and that its directors will have the legal backbone to fend off buyout offers from conventional corporations that do not have the same commitments.
Most benefit corporations to date are either small or medium-sized businesses. But they include a few larger companies that are privately held, such as the outdoor apparel and accessory firm Patagonia Inc., which reportedly had annual sales of about $540 million for the year ending April 2012, and King Arthur Flour, an employee-owned, 223-year-old company with reported sales of about $84 million in 2010.
Although the benefit corporation movement is still primarily a phenomenon in the United States, companies in 25 countries outside the United States have earned B Lab's third-party certification as Certified B Corporations. Canada and Chile are the two countries with the most activity outside the United States. As the number of Certified B Corporations in any country begins to grow, B Lab plans to work with those that are interested in exploring the need and opportunities for revisions in their home countries' legal infrastructure that would allow them to also legally establish their fiduciary responsibility to a wide range of stakeholders, as benefit corporations in the United States have done. A few companies in Australia have already expressed an interest in this.
Further highlights from the study:
Read the full report at Vital Signs Online.
Colleen Cordes is a public policy consultant and former executive director of Psychologists for Social Responsibility.


text:
One of the most common questions I am asked concerns the best way to switch from an antidepressant to St. John's wort. There is no research data on this subject, only the experiences of many patients and their physicians. We all look forward to having definitive reports in the future. For now, I can say that the process must be done under a doctor's supervision, preferably the one who prescribed the antidepressant. If your doctor is reluctant to do this, I would encourage you to share this book with him or her. The doctor can thus become familiar with the clinical use of St. John's wort. He or she can also look up the research evidence in Chapter 6, including an explanation of why there is so little North American research on this subject. Appendix C will provide your doctor with the appropriate changeover protocol.
It is important to point out that switching from a synthetic antidepressant to St. John's wort without appropriate supervision can pose serious problems. For example, if me antidepressant is stopped abruptly, a rebound effect could result, leading to renewed anxiety and depression. Or, if St. John's wort is combined with the wrong drug, there can be negative consequences. This is especially true of MAO-inhibiting antidepressants such as Nardil (phenelzine sulfate) or Parnate (tranylcypromine sulfate). Also, as we have discussed, St. John's wort is not recommended as the sole treatment in major depression, and its use in bipolar disorder remains a question.
As we've seen in this chapter, St. John's wort is pretty simple to use-- just take it with meals. While the side effects are generally minimal, it is essential to speak with your doctor if you have a preexisting medical condition or if you are already taking an antidepressant. Finding a doctor open to natural therapies may be an important consideration. In the next chapter, I'll discuss the studies that support the use of St. John's wort.


text:
Today we learned that stem cells are being used to create sperm. Our friend drunkexpatwriter is a wee bit ruffled by this news:
When women started going to the gym and were able to open their own jars, we said nothing.
When women started going to therapy to work out their issues and were no longer terrified of spiders, we said nothing.
When the economy shifted so that women could support themselves we said nothing.
When hardware stores started selling stools to women so they could reach high shelves we said nothing.
When strap-ons became more realistic we said nothing.
When porn became readily available and our arguments that we were "normal sized" lost their ring of truth we said nothing.
Now, our last remaining useful function, creating sperm, is about to be outsourced - who will speak for us?
Poor thing. Anyone have a manly cake for him?
Speaking of manly: Special Mention Comment Of The Day goes to beckysharper, for reminding us how cuddly bears can be.
And, because it's Friday, a shout-out to desertbloom, for a truly heavenly comment.
Congrats to all! Pick up your sashes, tiaras and trophies in the main lobby.
Submit nominations to the Comment of the Day tag page. Just send the outstanding comment's URL and tag your nomination #cotd. (Replying to a comment with "#cotd" does not work.)
Use #trollpatrol to report comments that you feel the editors/mods should be aware of. Try not to respond to/approve/promote trollish comments in the threads — instead, just post the comment on the #trollpatrol page, the same way you'd post a comment on #groupthink or on the #cotd page, and the editors/mods will take care of it.
For meetups, use the meetup tag page!


text:
Sanctus Real
Photo courtesy of: Athletes in Action
Anthony Mossburg
Photo courtesy of: Athletes in Action
Apr 23, 2014
From staff reports
Students, faculty, and the local Athens community will once again join together and welcome the OhioHealth O'Bleness Hospital Race for a Reason event on Saturday, April 26.
Participants can choose from one of the four signature races:
• Athletes in Action Triathlon presented by the College of Health Sciences
• Rocky Military Mud Run powered by Ohio University ROTC
• OUHCOM 5K Medicine Run presented by Quidel
• AMVETS 3K Diabetes Walk presented by Humana. Students in the Sports Administration graduate program, led by second-year student Carey Goodman, coordinate this event, with the assistance of Athletes in Action.
Last year more than 900 people participated in the race and helped raise more than $70,000 for more than 40 different charities, non-profits, and student organizations. This year, more than 80 different causes will benefit from the races, which will help achieve the ultimate fundraising goal of $100,000. Race Director Carey Goodman emphasized the power of this event.
"The beauty of this event is that there is no single cause that benefits," Goodman said. "Each person has something they are passionate about and we give them the opportunity to do something with that passion. Everyone can choose the cause their money goes to."
She added that when someone signs up for a race, $10 of the registration fee will automatically be donated to the cause of his or her choice.
This year will feature a new pre-race concert on Friday, April 25 at 7 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium to kick off the OhioHealth O'Bleness Hospital Race for a Reason event. This has been a long-term vision for Bill Hauschild, Race for a Reason director and Athletes in Action campus ministry staff member.
"We are excited to announce two-time Grammy nominated Sanctus Real as the headliner for our concert and we feel like the addition of Parkersburg, W.Va., native Anthony Mossburg as the opening act will bless the community with music that has a meaningful message," Hauschild said. "Even if you cannot participate in the race, Friday night will surely be special as we kick off the OhioHealth O'Bleness Hospital Race for a Reason event."
Tickets for race participants are $10 and regular tickets are $15. Limited VIP seats are also available for $25. Call the Ohio University Ticket Office at 740-593-1780 to order your concert tickets or walk up to the ticketing office, located at Memorial Auditorium, which is open Monday through Friday, 1 to 5 p.m.
For more information on the OhioHealth O'Bleness Hospital Race for a Reason, visit http://ouraceforareason.com/. Ticket information for the concert can be found at http://ouraceforareason.com/concert/.


text:
Dismiss NoticeWelcome to the forums! Take a second to look at our Beginner's Guide. It contains the information necessary for you to have an easier experience here.
Thanks and have fun. -NF staff
Dismiss Notice
Come join Fantasy Premier League.
Dismiss Notice
Voting is open in the KCC Haiku Contest!
Entries can be found here.
The poll closes on August 24th at 2:59pm UTC.
Dismiss Notice
Dragon Ball Drawing Contest: Black & White Edition.
Deadline is on August 30th at 11pm UTC
Dismiss Notice
Come enter in the KCC Cooking Contest 6!
Deadline for entries: September 08th at 1600 EST.
My Crazy Theory on the Akatsuki Leader
Discussion in 'Naruto Theories' started by Thel)arkness, Oct 27, 2006.


text:
Doesn't Coleen Rooney often do the Iceland ads?
That could be a bit painful for Wayne.
Kes wrote:I think more than form, should be constructing a "team" of players who can adapt to each other, and act as a cohesive unit together. If they happen to be in-form superstars who can do that, all the better.
Kes wrote:It was a shame to see the Welsh team bouncing up and down at England's embarrassing performance.
It just goes to show the way the Welsh and the Scots REALLY see their neighbours.
Quite honestly, personally I don't know ANYONE who'd show ANY joy if the situation was the other way around.
I genuinely hope the Welsh go as far as possible in this tournament. Good on them being able to play well as a team.
Kes wrote:Remember, they've only lost one game since they started in France.
And they didn't lose it because they were the poorer side, they lost it because they have a track record against England, and it probably meant TOO much to them.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests


text:
Olympus E-PL3
This third generation Pen Micro Four Thirds camera features a 12.3 megapixel sensor, a 3.0-inch articulating LCD and much improved auto focus system.
- Faster burst shooting mode
- Improved AF speed
- Tilting LCD
- Uncomfortable design
- No built-in flash
- Unused LCD real estate
Quick TakeThere's plenty to like about the E-PL3. Great images and video, much improved AF performance and a tilting LCD all earn high remarks in our full review. However, we stop just short of a full recommendation.
Read Our Full Review: Olympus E-PL3 Review: Almost a Great Camera


text:
Executive Secretary's Welcome
The National Human Rights Commission was established by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Act, 1995, as amended by the NHRC Act, 2010, in line with the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly which enjoins all member States to establish national human rights institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights.
The Commission serves as an extra-judicial mechanism for the enhancement of the enjoyment of human rights. Its establishment is aimed at creating an enabling environment for the promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights. It also provides avenues for public enlightenment, research and dialogue in order to raise awareness on human rights issues.


text:
Petitio principii
Begging the question, which goes by the technical name petitio principii, is a logical fallacy that occurs when an argument implicitly assumes its conclusion in a premise.
Consider the following argument:
- I know God exists because of all the good things He has done for me in my life.
Arranging this argument in the usual premise–conclusion sequence reveals the problem with it:
- God has done good things for me in my life.
- Therefore God exists.
The premise assumes that God exists in the first place, otherwise he couldn't "do" anything.
A more subtle example, perhaps, is the following:
- I believe in the paranormal because I've actually seen a ghost.
The problem here is the assumption that what one saw was indeed "paranormal" rather than, for example a trick of the light or a hallucination. Under most people's definition, ghosts are examples of paranormal phenomena. However, one must accept that paranormal phenomena are possible to accept the premise that a "ghost" was actually seen. Since everything we can see is made of ordinary matter — i.e., emits or reflects photons according to well understood laws of physics — the underlying assumption that the "ghost" was actually outside of the ordinary laws of physics — i.e., paranormal — cannot be accepted without question. Again, reformatting the argument (and rewording the parts slightly) clarifies the problem:
- I have seen a paranormal phenomenon (a ghost).
- Therefore I believe in paranormal phenomena.
Note that the structure of this argument is entirely valid. We can use it for any number of real phenomena (e.g., "I have seen the moon, so I believe in the moon"). Since examples of begging the question can occur in logically valid arguments, petitio principii is considered an informal fallacy. The above example is also based on an enthymeme (a missing premise), namely that the "ghost" was a paranormal phenomenon.
Different meanings[edit]
Sometimes the phrase "begging the question" refers to using a premise that requires at least as much justification as the intended conclusion — that is, that the use of the premise to justify the conclusion is at least as problematic as simply asserting the conclusion without any premise at all. For example:
- The teachings of Jesus should be followed because he was the son of God.
In this case the premise, that Jesus was the son of God, requires at least as much justification as the claim that the teachings of Jesus should be followed. That is, the argument moves backwards, in a sense, to the more fundamental question, "How do you know Jesus was the son of God?"
People often refer to "begging the question" when they really simply mean "raising another question". For example:
- "You say that theism makes more sense than atheism, but that just begs the question of which religion/philosophy I should choose to believe."
This is not an appropriate use of the term, since the question being raised is not implicit in the preceding statement.
See also[edit]


text:
As it invites the world to play in a mysterious sandbox it likes to call "Caffeine," Google is testing more than just a "next-generation" search infrastructure. It's testing at least a portion of a revamped software architecture that will likely underpin all of its online applications for years to come.
Speaking with The Reg, über-Googler Matt Cutts confirms that the company's new Caffeine search infrastructure is built atop a complete overhaul of the company's custom-built Google File System, a project two years in the making. At least informally, Google refers to this file system redux as GFS2.
"There are a lot of technologies that are under the hood within Caffeine, and one of the things that Caffeine relies on is next-generation storage," he says. "Caffeine certainly does make use of the so-called GFS2."
Asked whether Caffeine also includes improvements to MapReduce, Google's distributed number-crunching platform, or BigTable, its distributed real-time database, Cutts declines to comment. But he does say that with Caffeine, Google is testing multiple platforms that could be applied across its entire online infrastructure - not just its search engine.
"I wouldn't get caught up on next-generation MapReduce and next-generation BigTable. Just because we have next-generation GFS does not automatically imply that we've got other next-generation implementations of platforms we've publicly talked about," he says. "But certainly, we are testing a lot of pieces that we would expect to - or hope to - migrate to eventually."
And he hints that Caffeine includes some novel platforms that could be rolled out to Google's famously unified online empire. "There are certainly new tools in the mix," he says.
Matt Cutts is the man who oversees the destruction of spam on the world's most popular search - the PageRank guru who typically opines about the ups and downs of Google's search algorithms. So, on Monday afternoon, when Cutts posted a blog post revealing a "secret project" to build a "next-generation architecture for Google's web search," many seemed to think this was some sort of change in search-ranking philosophy. But Cutts made it perfectly clear that this is merely an effort to upgrade the software sitting behind its search engine.
"The new infrastructure sits 'under the hood' of Google's search engine," read his blog post, "which means that most users won't notice a difference in search results."
Caffeine includes, as Cutts tells us, a top-to-bottom rewrite of the Google's indexing system - i.e., the system that builds a database of all known websites, complete with all the metadata needed to describe them. It's not an effort to change the way that index is used to generate search results.
"Caffeine is a fundamental re-architecting of how our indexing system works," Cutts says. "It's larger than a revamp. It's more along the lines of a rewrite. And it's really great. It gives us a lot more flexibility, a lot more power. The ability to index more documents. Indexing speeds - that is, how quickly you can put a document through our indexing system and make it searchable - is much much better."
Building an index is a number-crunching exercise - an epic number-crunching exercise. And for tasks like this, Google's uses a home-grown, proprietary distributed infrastructure to harness a sea of servers built from commodity hardware. That means GFS, which stores the data, and MapReduce, which crunches it.
Yes, Cutts plays down the idea that Google has overhauled MapReduce. But just as Yahoo!, Facebook, and others are working to improve the speed of Hadoop - the open source platform based on MapReduce - Google is eternally tweaking the original.
"The ideas behind MapReduce are very solid," Cutts tells us, "and that abstraction works very well. You can almost think of MapReduce as an abstraction - this idea of breaking up a task into many parts, mapping over them, and outputting data which can then be reduced. That's almost more of an abstraction, and specific ways you implement it can vary."
But when pressed, Cutts leaves no doubt that Caffeine employs the GFS2. And as we detailed earlier this week, GFS2 is a significant departure from the original Google File System that made its debut nearly ten years ago and is now used not only for search but for all of Google's online services
Google's philosophy is to build a single distributed architecture that treats its vast network of data centers as a single virtual machine.
"[Data centers] are just atoms," Google senior manager of engineering and architecture Vijay Gill said recently. "Any idiot can build atoms together and then create this vast infrastructure. The question is: How do you actually get the applications to use the infrastructure? How do you distribute it? How do you optimize it? That's the hard part. To do that you require an insane amount of force of will...
"We have a set of primitives, if you would, that takes those collections of atoms - those data centers, those networks - that we've built, and then they abstract that entire infrastructure out as a set of services - some of the public ones are GFS obviously, BigTable, MapReduce."
Caffeine is about the search index. But GFS2 is designed specifically for applications like Gmail and YouTube, applications that - unlike an indexing system - are served up directly to the end user. Such apps require ultra-low latency, and that's not something the original GFS was designed for.
With GFS, a master node oversees data spread across a series of distributed chunkservers. And for apps that require low latency, that lone master - a single point of failure - is a problem.
"One GFS shortcoming that this immediately exposed had to do with the original single-master design," former GFS tech lead Sean Quinlan has said. "A single point of failure may not have been a disaster for batch-oriented applications, but it was certainly unacceptable for latency-sensitive applications, such as video serving."
GF2S uses not only distributed slaves, but distributed masters as well.
So, today, Caffeine - tomorrow, everything else. Cutts confirms that Caffeine is running in a single Google data center - and that would seem to imply that GFS2 has only been deployed in that one facility. Reg readers have marveled at the scope of Google's pending upgrade, with one commenter hoping that Google has equipped its engineers with "massively reinforced underwear."
But Cutts downplays the risks and hassle, saying the migration is a matter of taking one data center offline at a time. "At any point, we have the ability to take one data center out of the rotation, if we wanted to swap out power components or different hardware - or change the software," he says. "So you can imagine building an index at one of the data centers and then copying that data throughout all the other data centers.
"If you want to deploy new software, you could take one of the data centers out of the traditional rotation. And you can send any degree of traffic to it."
Vijay Gill has even hinted that Google has developed some sort of magical software layer that can automatically migrate loads in and out of data centers in near time. But when asked about this - with a Google PR man listening on the line - Cutts gave a very Googly response. "I don't believe we have published any papers regarding that." The company likes being coy.
In similar fashion, Cutts won't say all that much about the tools rolled into Caffeine, which is publicly available here (except when it's not). But he leaves no doubt that this, well, semi-secret project isn't just a search upgrade.
No responsibility can be taken for the content of external Internet sites.
Return to hosting news headlines
View Hosting News Archive


text:
Bravo to Host Queer Eye for the Straight Guy Reunion
Sep 18, 2013 6:50 PM EDT
The Fab Five are reuniting! Bravo will host a Queer Eye for the Straight Guy reunion that will bring back castmembers Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia, Carson Kressley and Jai Rodriguez. Add new fall shows to your Watchlist The Fab Five will ref… Read more


text:
A Comprehensive View of Humans in the Laboratory
Workflows in today's laboratories are becoming ever more condensed, and the strain of laboratory work is constantly increasing – making the ergonomics
of laboratory devices and the entire work environment more and more important. This trend has also resulted in an increase in demands by users to work with ergonomically sophisticated products. Ergonomics is far beyond the "ergonomically designed chair". Eppendorf started to optimize the laboratory devices regarding ergonomics already in the early 1970s. In 2003, we started the PhysioCare Concept, focusing on liquid handling devices like our pipettes.
Nowadays, the Eppendorf PhysioCare Concept is broaden up to include further laboratory products. The concept is based on 3 spheres, developed as a holistic solution to harmonize the workflow in your laboratory with your health and well-being.


text:
You don't have any saved vehicles!
Look for this link on your favorites:
Once you've saved some vehicles, you can view them here at any time.
2018 Ford Fiesta S Comes with these Great Features ..... Clean CARFAX.
Contact us online or give us a call at (866) 918-1427 to have your questions answered, obtain a price quote for this vehicle, or schedule your test drive today. Proudly Serving Blue Springs, Raytown, Lee's Summit and the Greater Kansas City Metro Area Since 1963! Located at 1834 S. Noland Road on the "Miracle Mile".
Are you in the market for a quality pre-owned vehicle, but also exhausted by the standard rigmarole that seems to pervade all of the other used car lots in Independence? Then Cable Dahmer Auto Direct wants to make one thing abundantly clear to you: At our dealership, absolutely nothing matters more to our team of dedicated pre-owned automotive specialists that your comfort, happiness, and lasting satisfaction.
* All pre-owned sale prices are after a $1000 discount for trading in a 2009 or newer with less than 100k miles All sale prices are with dealer arranged financing. Prices advertised are available to CarGurus shoppers. While dealer strives to ensure the accuracy of displayed pricing and other information, unintentional pricing, calculation, or typographical errors may occur and customer acknowledges that dealer is not responsible for any inaccuracies caused by such errors. Tax, title, license and $199 administrative fee (unless itemized above) are extra. Not available with special finance or lease offers. Some models may also be subject to $890 in additional dealer markup for the following items: Tire Nitrogen for life and 3M Protection Package, which are installed on all new and most pre-owned vehicles at their time of arrival.
*Number of views in last 30 days
† Based on 2018 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.
You don't have any saved vehicles!
Look for this link on your favorites:
Once you've saved some vehicles, you can view them here at any time.
(816) 285-4587Call Now
11911 E US Hwy 40 • Independence, MO 64055Get Directions
Open Today! Sales: 9am-7pm
Phone: (816) 285-4587http://maps.google.com/?q=11911%20E%20US%20Hwy%2040%2C%20Independence%2C%20MO%2064055


text: « Return to Search Mass. Eye and Ear Welcomes Alan K. Long, Ph.D., as Vice President for Research and Academic Affairs April 14, 2011 Contact: Public Affairs Ph.: 617-573-3340 Boston – (April 14, 2011) – Alan K. Long, Ph.D., a resident of Bedford, Mass., has joined the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary as Vice President for Research and Academic Affairs. In fiscal year 2010, Mass. Eye and Ear's research administration department received 60 grant awards totaling $36 million. Dr. Long will oversee research administration staff, all sponsored research activity, research information technology, audio-visual services, and the libraries at Mass. Eye and Ear, and will act as a liaison with Harvard Medical School. Dr. Long comes to Mass. Eye and Ear after 36 years at Harvard University, where he was most recently the Assistant Dean for Research Finances and Systems for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. His duties in that position included post-award research administration, cost analysis, and policy development, all which will be vital in his new role at Mass. Eye and Ear. Before his role as Assistant Dean, Dr. Long was the Laboratory Director for the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard. Dr. Long graduated from Yale University magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. He was the valedictorian of his class in chemistry. He then attended Harvard, where he received his doctorate in organic chemistry. "Dr. Long will be instrumental in supporting and advancing all research and teaching enterprises at Mass. Eye and Ear, including research funding and compliance, clinical trial agreements, intellectual property and research collaboration agreements, and graduate medical education," says President and CEO of Mass. Eye and Ear, John Fernandez. Founded in 1824, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary is an independent specialty hospital providing patient care for disorders of the eye, ear, nose, throat, head and neck. Mass. Eye and Ear is an international leader in Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology research and a teaching partner of Harvard Medical School. For more information, call 617-523-7900 or visit http://www.masseyeandear.org/.


text:
Forgot your password?
About the Game?
About the Game
Set out on grand adventures to the four corners of the world, visiting exotic locations above and below the briny deep. Work your way up through all the cutthroats and scallywags to become your own captain. Build a vast fortune by mugging, killing, and committing crimes against your rival pirates. Prepare your ship for fierce ocean battles. Now, grab your cutlass and pistol and get ready for a hell of a time. There be no kings here... Only pirates!
Rule the Seas is an online, browser-based, text role playing game (RPG) that is absolutely free to play. It is set in a fictional world of piracy, and features open-ended gameplay in this no holds barred MMORPG. Play from anywhere with an internet connection, anytime. Grab a sword, steal some gold, and take to the seas!
Start New Account
Hello Flippa
Please stop being stupid and just verify this thing.


text:
I was so honored and delighted when Chris from Celebrations At Home asked me if I would make some cookies for her Valentine's Day collaboration with Paula from Frog Prince Paperie!
This is an incredibly romantic Queen of Hearts dinner table set for two...
My favorite detail on this gorgeous table is this love poem, how sweet!
Couture Cookies by Allyson Jane
Queen of Hearts printable collection by Frog Prince Paperie
Party Styling and photography by Chris Nease from Celebrations at Home
Will you be celebrating with a special Valentine this year?


text:
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The head of U.S. Army modernization said Friday that the approaching defense spending cuts will force the service to delay fielding of all of its combat lift and attack helicopters.
Fielding programs for the Army's AH-64 Apache, UH60 Black Hawk and CH-47 helicopters will be extended by up to five years, Lt. Gen. James Barclay III, the Army deputy chief of staff G-8, told an audience on the final day of the Association of the U.S. Army's Winter Symposium.
"All of these fielding programs are being pushed; we are just pushing the final year of when we would complete them out into the future," Barclay said.
Over the last decade, the Army has reprogrammed about $36 billion from the failed Comanche reconnaissance aircraft program and funneled the savings into upgrades on existing Black Hawk, Chinook and Apache aircraft.
Aviation is one of the many Army assets that will suffer if the massive spending cuts under sequestration begin March 1. The Army is facing an $18 billion shortfall in operations and maintenance funds over the next year. This would come on top of the financial woes the service is forced to endure from the continuing budget resolution it has operated under for the past 14 months.
Army officials maintain that it could save millions of dollars by awarding multi-year aviation contracts. The service saved $1.8 billion with the award of a fiscal 2012–2016 contract for UH-60M Black Hawks, officials said. In addition, the first multi-year contract for CH-47F Chinooks saved $449 million between fiscal 2008 and fiscal 2012.
The service could avoid $810 million with a pending fiscal 2013–2017 contract, a deal that has been delayed because of the continuing resolution on last year's defense budget.
"We are also trying to get the multiyear contract for the CH-47 … which equates to hundreds of millions of dollars in savings if we could execute that multi-year contract, but we are not going to be able to do it," Barclay said.
Home-station training is also expected to suffer severely under sequestration, Barclay said.
"We always go after training dollars; those are easy to pull away from units," he said, explaining that Army combat-arms units are going to have to rely more on virtual training as training dollars dry up.
Aviation training at Fort Rucker, Ala., has followed this model, Barclay said. Over the past five years, the use of simulators in flight training has increased from 18 percent to 39 percent, he said adding that the practice has resulted in 37 percent cost savings.
"That is the mindset we have got to get into," Barclay said.


text:
Paint your next masterpiece at Urban Timber Coffee, Microbrew & Wine Bar!
Register for tickets at the official Corks & Canvas page: http://corksandcanvasevents.com/111-aspens-in-snow-urban-timber-kent/
As with any Corks & Canvas event, please register as early as possible to grab a spot!
Check in between 6:00-6:30. Painting begins around 6:30, and instruction ends around 8:30.
For January 11th, it is "Aspens in Snow"! Paint your own rendition of this artwork at our Kent location. Enjoy wine while you paint (or any of our delicious non-alcoholic drinks on our Urban Timber menu)!
We hold Corks & Canvas events regularly every month:
1st Thursday @ Sumner // 2nd Wednesday @ Kent
Like and follow our Facebook page to keep in touch with our upcoming events! https://www.facebook.com/urbantimbercoffee/


text:
Tax revenue is significantly lower in agricultural counties
In a tough economy, financially-strapped counties and municipalities look to raising taxes as a means to keep their revenues on an even keel with their expenditures.
For rural Eastern North Carolina with its acres of agricultural land, a significant amount of revenue is lost because of the present-use value program.
The N.C. General Statutes allow owners of agricultural property to apply for a present-use value. If accepted, those property owners are given a deferment of their property value, �which lowers the value of property from market value to present-use value,� Greene County Tax Administrator Becky Sutton said.
With Greene County�s fund balance below the minimum 8 percent, few new businesses and no major industry, its Board of Commissioners have agreed its tax rate of .756 per $100 of property value is certain to be increased in July.
A large portion of land in the county is dedicated to agricultural use and much of it is taxed at a deferred value.
Of the nearly $816.65 million of gross real estate value, nearly $61.4 million of value was deferred because of agricultural purposes. That equates to $463,912 not being collected because of present-use value.
In addition, there are exemptions for the elderly, disabled and veterans amounting to more than $17.06 million of value.
In Jones County, there were 107,544 acres, or 1,270 parcels, in the present-use value program a least a year ago, Jones� tax administrator, Wayne Vanderford, said.
The county deferred more than $88.82 million of value for real estate, which amounted to $710,573 of un-collectable taxes.
�It�s a lot of money being deferred in the county,� Vanderford said.
Lenoir County could not provide present-use figures on Monday, but Tax Administrator Darrell Parrish said Lenoir County has a large amount of deferred real estate property, as well.
Sutton said the state adopts a present-use rate each year, based on an annual study.
�They also adopt a schedule of values,� she said, �which is the rate per acre. The Department of Revenue makes a recommendation to every county.�
Each county�s rate is determined by its revaluation date.
�We have always chosen to go along with their recommendation,� Sutton said, �because they have done a study and have something to support it.�
The rates for properties that have been approved for the present-use value program depend on whether it is used for timber or cleared for agriculture. There are four rates for cleared land and five rates for woodland, depending on the soil quality.
�I think people need to understand it�s a complicated problem we�re facing,� said Robert Masters, owner of Carolina Properties, a revolving loan company.
Masters has been a longtime advocate of increasing economic development.
When Greene County eliminated Chris Roberson�s position as economic developer and assistant county manager in June, Masters said that was exactly what they shouldn�t have done.
�What is the very first thing that they cut? Economic development,� he said about Greene commissioners. �They say economic development is their priority. They say one thing, and do another.�
Sutton said the current market value for cleared farmland that is not approved for present-use is valued from $2,500 to $3,500 an acre in Greene County. Approved farmland � that which is used for agricultural purposes and been approved for the present-use value program � is valued from $40 to $1,150 per acre.
Greene�s market value for woodland is $900 to $1,200 an acre, compared with $40 to $325 per acre for present-used valued forestry used for timber.
�When someone�s not paying,� Vanderford said, �someone else has to pick up the load.�
That someone else is the property owner who pays the current market value tax rate.
Besides present-use value, there are tax exemptions, which include pollution-abatement equipment, and alternative energy uses such as solar farms.
�If you did away with all our tax exemptions,� Vanderford said, �your tax rate could be lower.
Masters said if economic development is proactive, that too could lower the tax rate.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.
Current area property tax rates per $100 of property value:
Lenoir County .80
Jones County .80
Greene County .756
Wayne County .7025
Bertie County .78
Wilson County .73


text:
It's a boy!
HGTV Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines, who are pregnant with their fifth child, announced the baby would be a boy.
Chip made the announcement via Twitter.
Watch the video below.
#Gage was so thrilled to get to meet you! Thank you for making his day! pic.twitter.com/qUx04kEKz3— Mike Spurlock (@jms81367) March 7, 2018
Chip and Joanna already have four children: Drake, 12, Ella, 11, Duke, 9, and Emmie Kay, 7.


text:
Aspen Trails- The City of Aspen's trail system provides both summer and winter use making it one of the largest trails systems in Colorado. Hikers, Bikers and Cross-Country Skiers have many choices at all ability levels.
Aspen/Snowmass Vicinity- The area around the towns of Aspen and Snowmass Village offer an
impressive array of hiking trails, bike paths and parks to choose from, four
world class ski areas, and a nordic trail system in the winter.
Capitol/Snowmass Creek Area- This area includes the Capitol and Snowmass Creek drainages, to the northwest of Aspen and southwest of Basalt.
Castle Creek Area- The Castle Creek Area and Castle Creek Valley leads to the south of Aspen. It includes attractions such as Conundrum Creek, Ashcroft, Montezuma Basin, Taylor Pass and Express Creek.
Collegiate Peaks Wilderness- The Collegiate Peaks Wilderness encompasses 167,994 acres in central Colorado.
Hunter Creek Area- This area is located immediately east of Aspen. The Hunter Creek Valley serves as Aspen's backyard for easily accessible recreation activities such as hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness- The Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness comprises 82,729 acres in the White River National Forest in central Colorado.
Independence Pass Area- The Independence Pass Area is located east of Aspen and offers a high
concentration of attractions in a scenic alpine setting. The pass is closed in
winter to vehicular traffic with the exception of snowmobiles.
Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness- The Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness comprises 180,962 acres of the Elk Mountains in central Colorado.
Maroon Creek Area- The Maroon Bells Recreation Area is located southwest of Aspen and is subject to
entrance fees. The most photographed peaks in North America, the spectacular
Maroon Bells, are the focal point of this area.
Woody Creek/Kobey Park Area- Kobey Park, above the old sawmill at Lenado, is a historic logging area with many spur roads. It affords a beautiful view of the Elk Mountains, Williams Mountains, and the Sawatch Range.
Aspen Ranger District Customized Topo Maps and Aerial Photos
Aspen Ranger District Outfitters and Guides
Outdoor Gear and Clothing
- The Aspen Ranger District offers world-class skiing and snowboarding at it's
four mounrin resorts: Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Snowmass and
Buttermilk. On average, about 300 inches of snow falls per year. Cross-
country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and back country hut trips are
available as well.
The availability and diversity of outdoor activities during
the summer months is amazing. Aspen is located in the middle fo the
spectacular Elk Mountains. Some of the most picturesque mountains in the
country can be found on this district, including the Maroon Bells and several
other fourteen-thousand-foot peaks. Portions of the Maroon Bells-
Snowmass, Hunter-Fryingpan, and Collegiate Peaks wilderness areas are
located in the Aspen Ranger District. The Maroon Creek, Castle Creek and
Hunter Creek Valleys are all easily accessible from town.
Recreation - Aspen is best known for its downhill skiing. The athletes mountain has
mostly difficult terrain and doesn't allow snowboarding except under rare
circumstances. Snowboarders need not worry because of the excellent
nearby mountains, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass. These are
some of the best downhill snow riding opportunities in the world.
enthusiasts are not restricted to the formal constraints of the ski resorts.
Backcountry skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and snow
camping opportunities in this region rival any in the state.
When the
snow melts, Aspenites can hike, bike, climb, and paraglide to their hearts
content. As far as I can tell, you can find high quality permutations of every
outdoor activity imaginable, save ocean sports. Though you cant surf ocean
waves, locals have been know to surf waves in the river in their kayaks. All in
all, the Aspen area offers the opportunity for high-quality outdoor
Climate - In the valley bottoms, summer high temperatures extend into the mid 80s,
with cool evenings that can often dip into the 30s. Winter lows occasionally
dip to minus 30 degrees, though daytime temperatures are often in the 20s
to 30s. The relative humidity is quite low throughout the year. Most of the
area and its recreation facilities lie at higher elevations where significantly
lower temperatures and more precipitation can be expected. Afternoon
summer thunderstorms are common. Snow is possible at any time of year in
the highest elevations. The high elevation roads and trails are often not clear
of snow until mid-July.
Location -
The Aspen Ranger District is located in the White River National Forest on the
western slope of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. The district begins on the
Continental Divide and encompasses the headwaters of the Roaring Fork
River. Its boundaries include segments of the Hunter-Fryingpan, Mt. Massive,
Collegiate Peaks and Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Areas. The Ranger
Offices are located on Highway 82 on the northwest side of town.
Trip Reports:
Add your own trip Report!
Newly re-released feature. One of the most popular features on Wildernet, trip reports allow you to share your experiences with others.
This is an invaluable resource for determining what to expect on your outdoor adventure, so please participate! To prevent spamming, you must be a registered user of Wildernet in order to submit a trip report
Filed By: Angie Neis
(Johnson City, TN)
Number of People Encountered: 0-10 ppl
Recommend to a Friend: Highly
Report: I was wondering what hikers were saying about Conundrum.
Contact Information:
Aspen Ranger District, 806 W. Hallam
, Aspen, CO, 81611, Phone: 970-925-3445
Additional Information:
Aspen Area
- Aspen sits at the upper end of the scenic Roaring Fork Valley, in the mountains of west-central Colorado. Aspen is a world-class ski resort, and with its mountain setting, a center for endless other outdoor recreation activities.
Snowmass Village Area
- Snowmass Village is a world class resort and ski area. Most popular during the snowy winter months, Snowmass Village has a lot to offer in the summer as well.
White River National Forest
- The White River National Forest encompasses two and one-quarter million acres of Colorado's central mountains, including many of Colorado's resort destinations.
Aspen Center for Environmental Studies - A non-profit environmental education center located within the Hallam Lake Nature Preserve.
Aspen Times' Snowmass Coverage - The oldest of Aspen's two newspapers has an online section devoted to Snowmass Village.
Forest Conservancy - Current Information From Local Volunteers, conditions and Closings
Independence Pass Foundation - Non-profit dedicated towards preserving Independence Pass. Special emphasis on staballizing and revegetating road-cuts on highway 82.
White River National Forest - Official Forest Service website.


text:
Jump to Content
Search OAC
Browse Institutions
Browse Collections
Browse Map
About OAC
What is OAC?
> Home
> GLBT Historical Society
Collection Guide
∞ https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt4j49q8z4/
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Guide to the Buzz Bense Records of the 890 Folsom Clubhouse
No online items
Contact GLBT Historical Society
View entire collection guide
(84.35 Kb)
Search this collection
Entire Collection Guide
Online Items
Collection Overview
Table of contents
Records of a variety of primarily gay male sex clubs that did business in a building rented and manged by California Certified Sex Educator Buzz (Bernard G.) Bense. The buidling was located at 890-894 Folsom Street in San Francisco. Bense leased and opened the building in 1986, and closed it in 1991 after it was sold by its owners. Legal documents, correspondence, public hearing documents, newsletters, publicity fliers, and other printed ephemera document groups holding events at the clubhouse, especially JO Buddies, business issues, and police harrassment after the closure of San Francisco bathhouses in the wake of the AIDS epidemic.
The multilevel warehouse space at 890-894 Folsom Street was rented by California Certified Sex Educator Buzz (Bernard G.) Bense and opened in November, 1986. The building--also called the Sextine Chapel of Inanna and dubbed the "sex headquarters" by the San Francisco Sentinel--served as the clubhouse for the JO Buddies and the headquarters of Nomenus, a tax exempt religious corporation with the purpose of creating physical sanctuaries for the Radical Faeries, a spiritual, political, and community group. Buzz Bense was the founder of the JO Buddies, a gay masturbation circle, and has been called "a leading impresario of the city's sexual underground" by Playboy Magazine. The building's space was rented to a number of private-membership safe sex clubs, including the San Francisco Jacks, the Jack and Jill events of the Mother Goose Club, and the San Francisco Golden Showers Association (GSA) after the closing of San Francisco bathhouses and clubs in the wake of the AIDS epidemic. Most of these clubs catered to gay men; one club was geared toward lesbians (Club Klitz) and another, the Jack and Jill events of the Mother Goose Club, included gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and their friends. The building also housed a graphics studio. Various benefits for AIDS and other queer causes were held at 890 Folsom.
0.4 linear feet (1 box)
Copyright to unpublished manuscript materials has been transferred to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society.
Collection open for research. One folder containing personal information is restricted.
Collection Overview
Collection Details
Descriptive Summary
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Acquisition Information
Biography / Administrative History
Scope and Content of Collection
Indexing Terms
Collection Contents
Building files
Writings on safe sex practices
JO Buddies files
Files on other clubs renting the 890 Folsom clubhouse
Files on police harassment
Browse Institutions
Browse Collections
Browse Map
About OAC
Contact Us
Privacy Statement
Terms of Use
The Online Archive of California is an initiative of the California Digital Library.


text:
If you're a regular reader I am ever thankful for your loyalty.
This was the way our house looked shortly after we moved in.This is what it looks like now on a beautiful Spring day. I redesigned it's new look.
We're still amazed with the transformation. The backyard used to be a huge grove of
neglected fruit trees and weeds. Now it looks like this on a hot Summer day.You could also call our home "The House of Doors" because we've built several pieces of furniture out of old doors and windows. We have learned a lot from our house as we have transformed it into our home. When you walk into our home you first come into the foyer.To the right is the living room. Many of the furniture and accessories throughout our home are
treasures found at thrift stores.
This large bookshelf was built using a door and stair treads.My hubby and I built the coffee table from an old door and
100 year old porch ballasters.The dining area.The crown molding and large shelf are made from vintage ceiling tin.Here's our family room. We built the entertainment center. The center door is over a 100 years old and has the original crackle finish outside and a faux wood finish inside.Glimpses of our kitchen. This cabinet was built using an old door for the sides and old windows for doors. Our table is two doors glued together to make the table top.
made from old doors. The clocks above the large map tell the time of the places
where our family members have served missions for our church.The bath/laundry room with a couple more
of our hand-built projects.Last we'll go down the stairs, near the end of the hall into the guest room.Thank you for visiting!
The next stop on the tour is


text:
SeaWorld appeals penalty, restrictions imposed after trainer's death
Florida's SeaWorld has a killer whale of a case coming before an influential court.
Represented by a high-powered attorney with a famous pedigree, SeaWorld is challenging a federal penalty imposed after the February 2010 death of trainer Dawn Brancheau. The veteran trainer died after being dragged underwater by Tilikum, a bull orca based at SeaWorld's Orlando, Fla. facility.
Animal rights activists and corporate officials alike are watching closely, as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit prepares for the crucial oral arguments Tuesday. More than a monetary fine is on the line.
"There are certainly broader implications for SeaWorld," Jared Goodman, an attorney for the PETA Foundation, an animal rights group, said in an interview Friday. "They're continuing to fight this, because they are trying to get their trainers back into the water with the whales."
The 30-minute argument Tuesday morning will itself be a bit of a show, as the appellate court has relocated it to the Georgetown University Law Center. Eugene Scalia, the Labor Department's former top lawyer and the son of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, is representing SeaWorld.
Substantively, the case involves the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's response to Brancheau's death. OSHA, which is part of the Labor Department, imposed what's now a $12,000 penalty, as well as additional safety requirements. The company's appeal of the OSHA penalty was directed to the D.C.-based appellate court.
For SeaWorld, part of a larger company that includes Busch Gardens, the proposed fine amounts to a drop in the bucket. More troublesome for the company is the Labor Department's accompanying order prohibiting "close contact" between its staff and killer whales during performances. If it remains intact, that prohibition could sap some of the crowd-thrilling zing at SeaWorld shows.
"For us the case is about the safety of our trainers and the welfare of our animals. The ways in which we interact with these whales is critical for both," Fred Jacobs, a vice president at SeaWorld Parks Entertainment, said in an email Friday. "It really comes down to what SeaWorld has done every day for nearly 50 years; share killer whales with our guests in ways that are enriching, educational and inspiring."
More broadly still, the case could set a precedent for other regulatory actions that involve workplace protections and responsibilities. Rulings by the D.C. circuit court can be influential because they cover the broad range of federal government administrative actions.
The case involves the so-called "general duty clause" of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which requires employers to provide "a place of employment which (is) free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm." A key question is whether SeaWorld violated this duty in having a 120-pound trainer become so intimate with a 12,000-pound, 22-foot-long marine mammal.
"On rare occasions, killer whales can be dangerous," Scalia and his colleagues acknowledged in a legal brief. "SeaWorld has taken extraordinary measures to control that risk. But it cannot eliminate it while facilitating the interaction between humans and whales that is integral to its mission."
On Feb. 24, 2010, the 40-year-old Brancheau was leading a routine afternoon show at SeaWorld's Shamu Stadium. As subsequently recounted by the Labor Department, she was reclining on a platform a few inches below the surface of the water. Tilikum was supposed to mimic her behavior by rolling onto his back. Instead, Tilikum grabbed Brancheau and pulled her off the platform into the pool.
"She could not break free," one witness, John Topoleski, subsequently testified.
Tilikum held on to Brancheau for about 45 minutes before other trainers could coerce the animal into a smaller pool and retrieve the trainer's battered body. It wasn't the first such fatality attributed to Tilikum.
In February 1991, while housed in Canada, Tilikum grabbed a trainer by the thigh and kept submerging her. Witnesses estimated that the trainer was "conscious for anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour" before drowning, Labor Department attorneys subsequently recounted. The next year, SeaWorld bought Tilikum and moved the animal to Orlando, where officials instituted special safety procedures.
"SeaWorld's training program is highly detailed, well-communicated and intensive. Yet it cannot remove the element of unpredictability inherent in working with killer whales," Administrative Law Judge Ken S. Welsch subsequently wrote.
In appealing, SeaWorld contends that it shouldn't be required to eliminate all risk associated with an activity that's essential to the company's work, any more than the Labor Department could "post speed limits at Daytona or require two-hand touch in the NFL."
The Labor Department countered with a recitation of troubling incidents involving SeaWorld's killer whales, concluding that the company's reliance on "operant conditioning" and safety protocols are "ineffective at protecting trainers from the risks of close contact with killer whales." Instead, Labor officials want SeaWorld trainers to work behind barriers or maintain safe distances between themselves and the whales, moves that SeaWorld fears would undermine the show.


text:
Metalwork fluids
Our products continue to set industry standards in tooling technology against which all others are compared. We're also developing global product platforms that provide reliability to our multinational customers, while allowing for regional customization. And through rigorous, continuous quality assurance and control measures, we ensure the superior quality and design of every product we provide.
Plates Catalogue
Download the full catalogue


text:
|A beef broth and tomato based soup made with smoked sausage, sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas and cabbage.
Sausage and Sweet Potato SoupThis fantastic soup was inspired by a recipe I saw while flipping through an old cookbook of mine, Is It Soup Yet? - A Cookbook for Soup Lovers. Actually it's a 1998 cookbook and not really all that old, but I guess in terms of a cookbook, it's practically vintage these days.
When I saw the combination of sweet potatoes with sausage in a soup, I have to say I was intrigued. Y'all already know I am pretty much a soup kinda gal anyway, but I have to say I absolutely adored this one. It will definitely be one for the regular rotation of favorite soups in my kitchen. The smoked sausage, sweet potato and black-eyed peas really are a fantastic combination of complimentary flavors I think you'll love.
I used the basic ingredients of the original recipe as a start, but switched some things up and completely changed the methodology. I decided to use Rotel tomatoes because I thought the spicy tomatoes would be a great enhancement to the sweet potatoes, so I have to give a heads up that this soup definitely has a healthy bite to it! I loved it of course, but simply use a mild smoked sausage and substitute a can of regular diced tomato to make it a little less on the wild side if you prefer. If you're watching your sodium use lower sodium products and be sure to drain and rinse the black-eyed peas.
This soup is easy as pie and can be on your table in no time, even though it tastes like it simmered much longer. We start with a saute of The Trinity and add in some smoked sausage.
Stir in some chopped sweet potatoes, beef stock, and Rotel or regular diced tomatoes. Add a can of black-eyed peas, tomato juice, salt and pepper.
Stir in some shredded cabbage, mix it all together and let it simmer about 20 to 25 minutes and you're ready to eat. Yes. That's it!
Recipe: Sausage and Sweet Potato Soup with Black-eyed Peas©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 10 min |Cook time: 25 min | Yield: About 6 servings
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 cup of chopped onion
- 1/2 cup of chopped green bell pepper
- 1/4 cup of chopped celery
- 1/2 pound of andouille or other spicy smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
- 2 cups of beef stock or broth
- 1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can of black-eyed peas, undrained
- 1 cup of tomato juice or V-8
- 1/4 of a small head of cabbage, sliced (about 1-1/2 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 5 turns of the pepper grinder
Heat the oil in a soup pot or 4 to 6 quart Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery; saute for about 4 minutes. Add the sausage and cook another 3 minutes, then add the sweet potatoes. Add the beef stock, Rotel, black-eyed peas, tomato juice, cabbage, salt and pepper; stir, bring up to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.
Cook's Notes: I used Conecuh sausage and Rotel diced tomatoes, making this a fairly spicy soup. If you prefer a milder version, simply substitute one can of regular diced tomatoes, undrained, in place of the Rotel and use a milder smoked sausage.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
Requires Adobe Reader - download it free!©Deep South Dish
☛ Are you on Facebook? If you haven't already, come and join the party! We have a lot of fun & there's always room for one more at the table.
Spicy Cajun Sausage and Corn Soup
Leek and Cabbage Soup with Andouille Sausage
Greens and Black-eyed Pea Soup


text:
Chrismukkah is Coming, Too!
We are in full "Hanukkah Mode" here at Challah Central, but don't forget about Chrismukkah–it's coming too! "What is Chrismukkah," you might ask?
Last year, Sherry, our Director of Customer Service, was in search of a suitable gift for her brother (Jewish) and his wife (non-Jewish). Sherry wanted to give a gift that honored the two holidays that they observe, Hanukkah and Christmas. Our brainstorming lead to research which then lead to the recognition that Sherry's quandary, sometimes called the "December Dilemma," is extremely common! There are many of you who are celebrating both Hanukkah and Christmas and in doing so, have taken traditions from both. This is what we call "Chrismukkah."
Our research led us to the book, Chrismukkah, by Ron Gompertz. The book takes a light-hearted look at the celebration of what we all have in common, not what makes us different. While Chrismukkah is not a holiday with a date on the calendar, Ron claims that it is a state of mind for the season. It is a multi-cultural, mish-mash of the cherished holiday rituals we grew up with. Chrismukkah is a way intermarried families of Christians and Jews can share the holidays. It's customizable to suit the individual celebrants and their extended families.
In time for the holidays, we have developed a few Chrismukkah gifts, including Chrismukkah Traditions in a Box and Oy to the World—A Klezmer Christmas. We are feverishly developing more gifts, as we speak.
Speaking of the Chrismukkah book, this week I will fill you in on my conversation with the author. Stay tuned.


text:
Rockstar has confirmed that Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming out next year, with a trailer following later this week. Pretty exciting stuff seeing as its been much wanted for a while. Also Bully turned 15 years old this week!
How exciting! Wow! Cowboys! Maybe some aliens? Looks like multiplayer is a given.
Do you like cowboys? Or more a naruto fan? Discuss here.