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Sunday, September 30, 2007
Fifty Two Cabs
That is a remarkable and disgracefully high percentage of our cabs which are shonky. How can it be so? Is there not rigorous checking of taxis by our illustrious authorities? Were they all asleep?
Who is the cabinet minister who can be asked to resign over this debacle?
Adolf wonders whether the flash cabs like Corporate and Regency were in amongst the 52 junk heaps or was it only the el cheapos?
I Don't Like Daylight Saving
For a number of years I got up at 0430 for 300 days of the year to milk cows and as a result I still get up pretty much at sun up. The early morning is MY time of the day and these buggers have stolen an hour of it from me.
Not only that but today I actually feel jet lagged but I never got the three bottles of duty free malt.
Worse still, it means that sometimes in summer I'm going to bed while it's still light. And all for what? So that a few liberals can slurp chardonnay for an hour longer each evening before they stumble off to their alcohol induced dreams of socialist nirvana?
MoveOn.Org Becomes MoveOut.Org
According to Michelle Malkin, MoveOn is trying to monster Democrats who have made plain their displeasure at such a lamentably foolish attempt to smear the character of a reputable senior military officer.
Here are some of the Tee Shirts being sold online, not by Republicans but by Democrats who are waking up to the insanity of the liberal fundamentalist extremists who populate the American left.
Go ahead, MoveOn.org. Suuuuuue:
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Careful, Reasoned Analysis? Not Likely
Where there should have been careful reasoned analysis from The Herald, we were served up the frothings of our vapid Foreign Minister who, without offering a shred of evidence for his claims, pretty much accused Bainimarama of lying to the UN and of intending to gerrymander the next election. Peters apparently has recourse to the PM's innermost thoughts and aspirations The only feeble excuse he could offer for these outrageous accusations was the notion that because the Fijian PM did not repeat the already clearly signaled target election date of 2009, that somehow he was misleading the UN.
The real story of this speech is the dramatic changes which are being proposed for Fiji's constitution and for it's electoral system.
Clearly Bainiamarama is out to break the back of the odious Council of Chiefs which has dominated Fijian political life and provided the structural and tacit support for the corruption which has been endemic for so long. Neither Peters nor the Herald took the slightest bit of notice. One person one vote is to be introduced. The manner of introduction is instructive, particularly when compared with the current manner of introduction adopted by NZ Labour and its lap dog cohorts for their appalling electoral Finance Bill which effectively alters the constitutional landscape of New Zealand.
The Fijian Prime Minister has issued a discussion paper which is widely circulated and he proposes a referendum to obtain a mandate for the changes sought. In the democratic paradise of New Zealand, Clark and Peters are engaged in a sordid act of political thuggery aimed at ramming through without consultation, repugnant legislation which has been trashed by all commentators and then some.
Anyone who has read the Fiji constitution and who understands some of Fiji's recent history would marvel that all the changes necessary to introduce, for the first time ever, genuine democracy to Fiji might be put in place in two short years, along with a genuine census which also is necessary. Bainimarama is actually dismantling Fiji's own version of apartheid and is being vilified for it by the very people who should be applauding and helping.
How much better might it have been for New Zealand's interests if only our idiot Foreign Minister could have congratulated Commodore Bainimarama for his speech and welcomed the dramatic constitutional changes. But no. Instead of measured intelligent comment, every time Peters opens his mouth he demonstrates to all Pacific Island nations that New Zealand is only a friend if they do as Wellington dictates.
Its what's known as being a backyard bully.
Well Done Tonga
Adolf was out for his seven km brisk walk this morning and at about 0650 saw a group of about ten kids approaching, some on the footpath, some on the road. They would have ranged from eight years old to maybe fifteen. All neatly dressed and brightly scrubbed.
Just as Adolf was about to suggest that walking on a busy road might be a good way to get killed, even early on Saturday morning, one of the younger kids bounded up and demanded ' Are you supporting Tonga or England?' I have to confess Adolf looks more English than Tongan, however he responded with a loud "Tonga" to which there were wild cheers. His accoster looked at him with a big smile and said "We are Tongans!" 'Really? I would never have guessed.!'
So off they went, full of joire de vivre, obviously to visit someone who has a big screen in the lounge.
For a while I thought Tonga might pull off the upset of the century.
What a pack of pricks are the IRB for making preventing them from dying their hair green!
Will Key and National fall for the oldest media trick in the book?
Ominous News From Iraq
Prime Miister Al Malarkey has pulled off a political coup by securing agreement with Turkey over the contentious issue of PPK terrorists using northern Iraq as a staging ground for their activities in Turkey. The agreement wins huge kudos for Maliki with the Kurds because he has negotiated out of it the Turkish demand for hot pursuit into Kurdish Iraq. This move is another major step forward in the quest for political stability in post Saddam Iraq.
How amazing is it that one can find no mention of this significant political development in any of our NZ based Antique Media? No mention in the New York Times either as it heads for $18 per share. (No wonder hundreds of thousands of Americans are rejecting conventional news sources and turning to the internet for reliable information.)
Of course one could not expect anything else when all one sees is feeds from Reuters and commie Independent.
Frank Goes To New York
Bainimarama has skillfully gazzumped the inept sartorial bauble and his basso profundo sidekick from the NZ Muppet Show which passes for government. Good on him. He is roundly criticized for expelling NZ's diplomatic representative yet it appeared pretty obvious the man was caught out inciting opposition to the administration and he was reported to be following instructions from Wellington. Join the dots. The end result of NZ and Australia's ham fisted handing of this affair has been the arrival of Communist China's influence in the South Pacific for the first time. Now there's an outfit that doesn't mess around with dissenters.
Stuff does carry a useful report on the irregularities and vote rigging during the constitutionally illegal election which put Qarase and his band of thieves into power. So much for BooBoo Hobbs who could no more touch her toes than recognize a fair election.
It's worth noting for the benefit of David Farrar and other political theorists that the vast majority of people in Fiji support the moves made by the Commodore. Adolf recently heard from a retired member of Air Pacific's board who spoke approvingly of the Commodore's actions. He explained that it will take a long time to 'clean out' the corruption within the public service and the indigenous hierarchy. Similar commentary from a senior member of the Fiji Sugar Corporation. I hear the same sentiments expressed by Indo-Fijians who are heartily sick of the graft and deceit practiced by a privileged and venal indigenous elite, in whose pocket are Qarase and his henchmen - abetted by their friends in Wellington. Oddly, few commentators seem to have noticed that the so-called coup is being driven by indigenous Fijians (the military) who recognize the severe damage which was about to be inflicted upon the country by Qarase's illegal and corrupt regime and its shady backers.
DPF and his mates can pontificate all they like about 'taking power at the point of a gun' but in fact the guns were only for display - the soldiers in the streets were not carrying ammunition. Perhaps he might ponder on the horrors of life in Rome where Adolf recently noted Carabinieri patrolling the streets armed with modern sub machine guns with fully loaded magazines attached. What of Singapore where armed soldiers patrol the airport at all times?
For sure, all is not well in Fiji, especially the deaths in custody which have been reported but has anyone looked to see how many deaths in custody occurred in police stations prior to the military take over?
Adolf and the Cook will pay their annual visit to Fiji in a few weeks time and it will be interesting to hear first hand what the locals make of it all. You see, Adolf doesn't talk just to senior businessmen. He talks to cab drivers, commercial fishermen landing their catches on the beach at 0630, shop keepers, hotel staff, ferry skippers and all sorts of people one can meet if one has a mind to. So far the only supporters of Qarase he has found are David Farrar, Winston Peters and Helen Clark
Friday, September 28, 2007
Muslim woman in the supermarket - tale to pass on
An incident occurred in a supermarket recently, when the following was witnessed: A Muslim woman dressed in a Burkha (A black gown & face mask) was standing with her shopping in a queue at the checkout.
When it was her turn to be served, and as she reached the cashier, she made a loud remark about the Australian Flag lapel pin, which the female cashier was wearing on her blouse.
The cashier reached up and touched the pin and said, "Yes, I always wear it proudly. My son serves abroad with the forces and I wear it for him".
The Muslim woman then asked the cashier when she was going to stop bombing and killing her countrymen, explaining that she was Iraqi.
At that point, a Gentleman standing in the queue stepped forward, and interrupted with a calm and gentle voice, and said to the Iraqi woman:
"Excuse me, but hundreds of thousands of men and women, just like this ladies son have fought and sacrificed their lives so that people just like YOU can stand here, in Australia, which is MY country and allow you to blatantly accuse an innocent check- out cashier of bombing YOUR countrymen".
"It is my belief that if you were allowed to be as outspoken as that in Iraq which you claim to be YOUR country, then we wouldn't need to be fighting there today".
"However - now that you have learned how to speak out and criticise the Australian people who have afforded you the protection of MY country, I will gladly pay the cost of a ticket to help you pay your way back to Iraq".
"When you get there, and if you manage to survive for being as outspoken as you are here in Australia, then you should be able to help straighten out the mess which YOUR Iraqi countrymen have got you into in the first place, which appears to be the reason that you have come to MY country to avoid."
Apparently the queue cheered and applauded.
IF YOU AGREE.. Pass this on to all of your proud Aussie friends..
And you can pass it on to Kiwis and Poms too.
In the meantime, despite the campaigning of the PC left, American opinion of muslims is becoming less favourable. I wonder why?
The Trouble with Being A Leftie.......
It's interesting to note that since the Dopey Dhimocrats pinned all their electoral hopes on rubbishing Dubbya's efforts in Iraq and thereby won control of the Congress and the Senate nearly a year ago, they have steadfastly shouted loudly but achieved not one iota in their proclaimed objective of declaring defeat and bring 'the boys' home. The Dumbest President has seen them off and given them the flick at every turn. Worse still, it looks as though the Dhims are about to admit defeat themselves and commit to keeping a long term significant American military presence in Iraq. It must have been a hell of a shock to them and to phil u, to find that in fact there really is an axis of evil and it had placed some serious nucear capability in the hands of Syria and by default Iran. Even more of a shock to find that after release of hitherto secret transcripts of conversations between Dubbya and the Spanish President of the time, there is clear evidence Saddam told Egypt and Libya that he had WMD capability. Worse still, it suddenly dawns on them that there is no civil war in Iraq, that the neocons were right in their assessment that ALL the trouble is being fermented by Saudi and Iranian outsiders and the latest change in US tactics is turning out to be remarkable successful. Dear oh dear. What can they do now to assist Al Qaeda and Iran defeat the evil Bush?
Funny how the lefties seem to have gone all quiet on the theory that parents smacking kids is the cause of family violence and child murder. They got their legislation through and after uttering the immortal famous last words 'now the kids will be safe' there has been a procession of fatally injured children dumped into hospital by their fucked up parents - mostly Maori.
Worse still, the real world is waking up to the great con job that is global warming. There is no scientific consensus on man made global warming and at last people are starting to seriously question the vast conspiracy of media, politics and fiscally motivated pseudo scientists who are more interested in securing their university tenure than they are in dispassionate analysis. Kyoto has been called for the nonsense that it is with widespread fraudulent transactions being the oprder of theday in carbon trading markets.
Then we have our very own fraudulent scandal in the form of Labour's last ditch effort to steal our money for the next election campaign, the Electoral Finance Bill. If you go over to Farrar's place you will see what happens to devoted lefties like sonic, tane and robinson when they become infected with Naegleria fowleri.
It is difficult to find examples of more consistent failures than these poor unfortunate creatures.
Launch of Free Speech Coalition
http://www.killthebill.org.nz is the website and there is a Facebook Group
The aim is to create a focal point for all individuals and organizations opposed to the Electoral Finance Bill.
It has a creative team waiting to get cracking, but the campaign needs your support and/or your money.
You can donate instantly online. You can also donate via Internet Banking to our BNZ Account 02 0500 0908920-00 or by sending a cheque to the Free Speech Coalition, PO Box 12270, Thorndon, Wellington.
Furthermore, you can sign up as a supporter, join the mailing list, place banners on your own sites, or help out in other ways. Your help is needed. We can't rely on the politicians to protect our rights to criticize them. Once this Bill becomes law, then it will be too late.
So please help us all to Kill the Bill.
There are no gays in Iran!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Glock 1, Hammer Nil, Tazer Sidelined
What do these fools want the police to do? They don't want crims shot, they don't want crims tazered, they don't want crims pursued.
I say good on the cops. One less P hyped welfare beneficiary to beat up his spouse, father hordes of useless children and smash up our state owned houses.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Nature Answers Clark's Carbon Credits Scheme
This event is a salutary lesson to the silly little people who peddle their global warming religion and it's compulsory tithing down our throats.
Has anyone calculated (a) the amount of CO2 etc which was 'emitted' last night and (b) the cost of carbon credits required for us to 'buy back our virginity' so to speak? The message Nature is sending to Labour is simple. You are farting against thunder and thunder will always win. Here is Climate Change Minister David Parker addressing the question.
Has anyone noticed that both The Guardian and the Financial Times have rubbished such emmission trading schemes? Well yes, Fran O'Sullivan has noticed.
'homophobia' in the household- Young English pays for the 'sins' of his father
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Keeping abreast of the situation at Christchurch Casino
When I heard this story today I laughed a little. It was sent to me at work and some emails were sent around. That the lady involved ran to all and sundry in the media about the issue is enough in itself.
Larry Williams on Newstalk ZB couldn't see an issue in it. But John Campbell, who is becoming more nauseating by the day, of course stressed her 'right' to wear what she wants. Somehow he thought it was discrimination. The worst thing was my wife started agreeing with him! I asked if I walked around Sky City with my scrotum hanging out whether she thought Sky City had the right to chuck me out. Oh yes was her answer, but what she is wearing isn't offensive. I replied that was a subjective matter.
The point is actually very simple. Ms Simpson actually does have the right to wear what she wants, subject to the right of others not to be offended by what she is wearing. So her right is limited. I mean she couldn't walk around the Casino with a swastika flag wrapped around her could she. Another limit is the right of the Casino, which allows entry subject to their rules, to kick her out if they think she is not obeying the rules.
It's their choice, and it's subjective. But just in case John Campbell decides to read this I'll make the point again: there are rules in the Casino. If you think you fall foul of them don't go. It doesn't matter if Joe Public thinks it wasn't offensive (as TV3's straw poll seemed to say). Joe Public doesn't make the rules at the Casino.
Australian Federal Police Seek Bigger Budget
Where do I start? Here's what happens to hapless police commissioners when they get ahead of their own game and pronounce themselves experts in fields about which they know little..
Federal Police Commissioner Keelty refers to 'predicted climate changes in China.' Predicted by whom? Al Gore, Groucho Marx or Paris Hilton? He claims they will cause an invasion of Australia by hordes of yellow peril, seeking new rice paddies.
If you were a starving Chinese, why on earth would you try to get to Australia when Indonezia, Malaysia and Thailand are so much closer and easier?
If climate change is going to bugger up China's food production, where the fuck in Australia do these idiots think they are going to grow rice? The Gibson desert?
Does Keelty think climate change will adversely affect China but have no effect on Australia?
Does he not realise that for every advere effect of climate change there is a positive effect? Has he not thought through the obvious logic that a slight increase in world temperature will bring vast new tracts of hitherto unproductive 'cold' land into production? Does it not occur to him that Mongolia will probably produce more grain than Australia if the world warms up a little?
If this is the best the top bobby in Australia can do, it's no wonder our blokes took three days to look in the most obvious place for a body. They are intellectual giants compared with this idiot.
Australia leads 5 to 2 in the game that matters
More doom and gloom on the economic front, just to confirm that Liarbour isn't working.
Stuff today reports of a "hard landing ahead" as kiwi households struggle with high debts and high interest rates.
Businesses will also suffer and more finance firms could collapse, the story also warns.
But here comes the kicker
Official figures out this week are expected to show annualised economic growth of about 2 per cent, against 5 per cent in Australia, if the impact of the drought is excluded.
Now isn't it time we changed our team in the game that really matters- the game in which New Zealand would currently fail to make the World Cup.
New Zealand must dump the "All Reds" and its captain Helen "wealthcrusher" Clark and go for the "Pale Blues" and their new boy John Key.
And if we do, New Zealand might start scoring and catch up with those Wallabies!!!.
Incidentally, as noted elsewhere, it is interesting to see that Australia's top source of immigrants are New Zealand and the UK- both of whom have Liarbour governments. It would be so ironic if the Aussie's elect the kind of government that their chief sources of immigrants are fleeing from.
Is John Key turning into Mini-Me to Helen Clark's Dr `Evil?
Monday, September 24, 2007
Which Kiwi celebs should appear on a National Party "A" List
Shock Horror! National might sell a few farms and part of a coalmine.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
The Rise of the New Zealand Nazi Party
This so called law in fact is a convention invoked by the chattering class, whereby anyone who uses the Nazi regime of the 1930s and 40s as an analogy during a debate is deemed to have lost the debate. The first time he saw reference to it Adolf thought to himself that it reflected poorly on the intellectual rigour of those wishing to apply it.
This week-end's newspaper columns confirm the sad truth that people who deliberately shut from their minds the reality of recent history tend to be the first to repeat the mistakes of their forebears. It was the British intellectual chattering class who gave Hitler the support and confidence he needed to impose his evil will, step by stealthy step. It was Churchill who accurately identified the regime as 'rogues and gangsters.' Yes, rogues and gangsters are charitable descriptors for New Zealand's modern day Labour Party whose similarity to the Nazi party of pre-war Germany becomes more remarkable day by day. One major difference however is that Hitler had more talent on his front bench.
Adolf picked the sinister warnings nearly a week ago when he posted on Labour's declaration that the EFB was aimed at 'religious organizations.' However it took Matthew Hooton to pick up on the dreadfully totalitarian comments of Maharey and Cullen as they assured Parliament that their dear little bill would only punish those religious organizations which decide to campaign against Labour. Our acquiescent Antique Media should be shouting from the roof tops, yet it is strangely silent. Is it looking forward to the advertising bonanza which it will receive as the approved monopoly for information distribution?
It was a year ago that one of Adolf's friends at church who normally supports Labour suggested that there was starting to be seen a tinge of the totalitarian in the government of the day. This week the tinge became a dominant pattern of dreaded red and black.
It was only a matter of time before Whaleoil responded:
The only question remaining is; who will be the modern day Colonel Von Stauffenburg?. All it needs is a bomb under the table.
Liarbour's house journal demands taxcuts as Kiwi householders face the 'end of the golden weather.'
Lewis Caroll Lives On................
Both writers put thrust their journalistic javelins into the heart of the collective folly displayed by Copeland, Tamaki et al. And quite rightly.
It's almost as though Copeland, Tamaki and Lewis orchestrated their own crucifiction. Of course they will still be arguing about who should be the Messiah and who should be the common thieves.
Readers will know Adolf is a committed Christian who has long considered overtly Christian political parties to be akin to the Pharisees who prided themselves on declaring to the world how Godly they were. McCarten, somewhat with tongue in cheek, suggests God decided to intervene and bring about the destruction of the God Party. I don't know about that. God may well have much more important business at hand and with idiots like these at the helm He surely could rely on them to bring bout the desired result without the need for divine intervention.
I'd like to see a list of MPs and candidates who are Christians. These are the people who will exert genuine influence. People like Bill English and Chris Auchinvole. Are there others? Probably but I don't know who they are because they do not wear their religions on their sleeves.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Voting with their feet
Dear Leader is down in the polls but what is a real worry is that people are voting with their feet.
The Kiwi exodus over the Tasman continues as Granny Herald reported today.
"Brain Drain losses a worry" was the headline, with some telling comments about failures within government immigration policy.
The number of New Zealanders leaving to live in Australia accelerated to 25,940 in August, the largest annual net outflow since late 2001.
"While 'professionals' are still offsetting the net outflow in other skill sets, even professional migrant inflow is the lowest in five years ... and continues to head south," Beacher said.
"The well-documented 'brain drain' of 2000-2001 was a rush out the door from all skill sets ... could we see a repeat? More policy response in this area is urgently required."Of course, what really matters is New Zealand having a economic policies that will help up catch up with our friends over the Tasman. With each trip I have to oz, the wealth gulf seems to widen.
And what was the government interested in this week, more tax and controls to tackle supposed global 'climate change.' A policy it admitted would choke off economic growth.
Emperor Clark is fiddling while the kiwi economy burns.
I do hope that if those ex-pat kiwis are Gnats, that they remain registed to vote Dear Leader out next year.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Now Killjoy Clark cracks down on streakers! as Marc Ellis gives the PM the finger!
"It was definitely a finger at the Government," Ellis said of his streak.
For a Pom, I am saddenned at Clark's attempt to stifle such frivolous pleasures.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Welcome to the David and Nicky Show!
Select Committee Sinks Hubbard
Whaleoil will be hard put for adjectives.
Let's tax the air we breathe, as Clark announces 'green' tax grab
"From now on, every time you exhale you will be paying through the nose for it, literally as well as metaphorically," he said.
"None of these suggestions is as silly as the carbon trading which the Government proposes," he said.
Copeland buggered after marriage failure
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Liarbour's Green polices- Rubbish!
Liarbour flip-flops over tax
Don't let Liarbour ever accuse National and John Key over 'flip flopping' over anything.
Liarbour's promises on tax shows shows that it is a lover who cannot be trusted.
Prior to the last election, Liarbour promised a raising of tax thresholds.
The so-called 'chewing gum' budget.
Once the votes were safely gathered in, Liarbour reneged on its election promise.
Yesterday, papers revealed that Labour considered a billion of taxcuts last year but judged them inflationary.
Today, Cullen says tax cuts are 'affordable.'
But how much inflation is actually caused by government!
We should remember is comment about how Liarbour is 'ideologically opposed" to taxcuts.
Like I say, Liarbour is acting like some awful lover, a cheat who cannot be trusted.
There is only one answer to Liarbour's tax lies. Ditch the Bitch!
It's Goebbels Gollum Hodgson
Monday, September 17, 2007
Clark Gets Religion
Adolf has seen Mr Wynd in action before and regards him as a good example of your Kiwi fundamentalist nutter. I am so pleased the Bilious Bitch has got up his nose because when these guys get an itch they don't just scratch, they gouge out the skin and they don't stop gouging until they expose arteries.
Methinks there may well be scenes of mass civil disobedience not seen since the Springbok tour of 1981. Just imagine how that will play out electorally for Labour, night after night on the nation's television screens, for a whole bloody year before an election.
Longest Ever Political Suicide Note
The Gnats don't need to say a word. Except maybe - 'Don't worry, we'll carry out an urgent review of all recent legislation immediately after the election and repeal everything we feel is not in the interests of ordinary WORKING New Zealanders.
Hell. I'm yet to be convinced carbon emissions have anything to do with climate change in the first place.
Paying for the Great God Gaia
Dear Leader looks set to launch yet another taxgrabbing initiative- a carbon trading scheme that we will all pay for.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Will South Africa be the next Zimbabwe?
Might I add, this comes on top of another rarely told story, the deaths of 1700 white South African farmers (according to Wikipedia) in recent years, many of whom already face the taking by government of their land.
Last Year, I heard about the subject of murdered farmers on an Australian radio station but it appears that you need to seek out more from the blogs, such as this, which talks of the 'genocide' of the Boers.
Death of Democracy in Europe? Fallout from Brussels police brutality. Could it happen here?
Liarbour's New Blood
The Dreaded H1/H2 Virus
So much for the flu injection three months ago. The Quack cheerily informed me that protects against the four most common flu strains in NZ. Oh really?
Oh well, it's an odd way to drop seven kilos.
Back to bed and the box of tissues.
I may disagree with what you say, blah blah blah
MSM and some leftwing know it alls like to frequently comment about the white middle age trash that comments on rightwing blogs. Do not hear much comment about the comments on leftwing blogs, oh thats right they usually don't like comment or it is quickly removed, such is their love of free thought and free speech (Tui add ). I'm with Redbaiter, what the left can't stand are that the peasants are daring to challenge their world veiw.
Leaving aside the terrible grammar and the fact that I quite possibly count as "white middle age trash that comments on right wing blogs," I think it is actually fair enough comment. Lefty blogs have an appalling track record in this respect.
It's a given of the internet that if it's possible to leave comments, saddos like Dad4Justice or Millsy will turn up and indulge their personal obsessions, hurl abuse and litter the place with exclamation marks. Right-wing blogs suffer this as much as the left, and banning the trolls or switching comments off because of them simply confirms their paranoia for them. Ignoring them is by far the best bet (and I admit to a signal failure in this respect when it comes to D4J).
Another given of the internet is that if you post a left-wing opinion and allow comments, the hate-filled munter end of the right wing is likely to turn up and spew its bile all over your thread. And just to be clear, I don't mean by this right-wingers who turn up and make a good argument you don't like and can't answer, I'm talking about the ones who do a good line in vile abuse of any social group they don't personally belong to, and not much else. It's probably this aspect, rather than the trolling, which leads blogs like Capitalism Bad; Tree Pretty, Just Left and No Right Turn to adopt restrictive comments policies or turn comments off altogether.
I think that's the wrong approach. For one thing, it's worth having this stuff on display as a reminder to the country that there's still no shortage of these people out there. For another, it's worth noting that Public Address: System doesn't seem to suffer this problem very often, because hate-spewers are swiftly shown up for what they are by people who are patently their intellectual and moral superiors.
In short, make a stand for freedom of expression if you believe in it, lefto bloggers! Or have the guts to say so if you don't.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Liarbour to lose says Fairfax as Granny raises the Titanic
"Dirty little deal" frees the queuejumping "singing canary."
Any hope the government might earn some credit over the SIS no longer branding Ahmed Zaoui a security risk is shattered by the reaction from some of the country's top columists.
An online Stuff poll as well as comments from readers on the NZ Herald website also show a clear majority opposed to letting Zaoui stay in New Zealand.
Fran O'Sullivan in the Weekend Herald typically goes in boots'n'all stating "A dirty little deal has been forged."
"When the chips were down, Ahmed Zaoui sang like a bird to buy his freedom in New Zealand."
Thus Zaoui has made deals with the SIS and the CIA about his future associations, suggesting they were extremely murky in the past, which is why he is a convicted terrorist in two European countries and even banned from entering Britain.
However, more worrying is the threat of left-wing violence had Zauoi had to be forcibly removed, something the Herald's John Armstrong also touched upon yesterday.
"Neither party would have wanted the full-scale riots that would have incurred if Zaoui - who has been accorded martyr status by some media - was forcibly deported from New Zealand."
Thus, after being lionised by the left, we now see how a mob of political agitators can simply dictate security policies, even if a clear majority of the New Zealand public would happily see him kicked out.
As well as noiting the "comfortable wicket" Zaoui has found in a "trusting" New Zealand, comes this significant obervation.
"What is extraordinary is Tucker's admission that after Zaoui's arrival here seeking refugee status, he continued to have ongoing associations with individuals who had been involved with terrorist networks. This does not amount to a full-scale clearance of Zaoui's name - far from it.
The fact is that Zaoui entered this country illegally using a bogus South African passport that he flushed down the airplane toilet before seeking refugee status on arrival at Auckland Airport.
It's never been satisfactorily explained why he had to leave his family - a wife and four boys - behind in Malaysia to seek a new life in New Zealand. Malaysia, a Muslim country, has not kicked out the Zaoui family in the five years since Ahmed Zaoui has been in New Zealand. What is clear is that the Algerian has managed to jump the immigration queue ahead of other potential immigrants rather than follow the appropriate processes."
The theme of Zauoi's queuejumping is taken up by the more centrist Colin Espiner on Stuff who also condemns the SIS and the government.
"The SIS is going to have to do better than the reasons it's provided to the public so far. They are that Zaoui had come clean about some things he previously hadn't told them; that the SIS had recieved "fresh classified information" about the nature of his association with terrorist groups in Algeria; and the length of time he had been in New Zealand and his public profile.
The last excuse is perhaps the lamest of all - is the SIS saying that terrorists can come to New Zealand, as long as they settle down here, play soccer, get on the Campbell show on TV3, become a media celebrity and attend the New Zealand Music Awards."
And Colin continues:
"Immigration stuffed up every aspect of his arrest and custody, his interviews, and his subsequent hearings. The Refugee Status Appeals Authority gave the SIS and Immigration an absolute roasting for the way they handled the case, basically charging the SIS with relying on information it had pulled off websites.
Zaoui has become a major embarrassment for the government and the SIS alike, and I think that's the real reason he is finally a free man.
I guess if tenacity, queue jumping and flushing one's passport down an airliner toilet is what it takes to get to stay in New Zealand, then that is the message that goes out to the wider world."
In the meantime, the Greens are trying to speed up the arrival of his wife and 4 kids from Malaysia.
And noting no interviews from Zaoui himself in today's papers, I guess the fawning profiles can wait until tomorrow. If I see his face staring at me on the front of the Sunday Star-Times tomorrow, I think I'll just stick with the Herald on Sunday.
By the way, how is Christian convert and muslim apostate Ali Panah doing this fine weekend?
And finally, Ian Wishart and Investigate looks set to deliver the goods on why fears of Islamic terrorism brewing in New Zealand are well and truly founded.


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The vote came in response to plans Waste Management (WM) has to build a new waste transfer station at its existing Review Avenue facility off of Rust Street in Maspeth. WM, a company that transports New York's waste out of the city, also plans to build a second transfer site at the Maspeth rail yard.
The company would transport waste received at the new Review Avenue transfer station to the Maspeth rail yard site by truck. From there, the garbage would be loaded onto rail cars and shipped to out-of-state landfills.
The proposal would comply with the city's long term solid waste management plan (SWMP), which calls for city waste to be transferred out by rail, instead of by truck. This change is expected to reduce in-city truck miles and carbon emissions in neighborhoods like Maspeth.
WM officials have said under their plan, if waste is railed out of Maspeth instead of driven out by truck the company would decrease its oil consumption by 2,000 gallons per day.
In a presentation to the community board on July 8, Paul Kerzner, CB5's Sanitation Committee chairman, said after reviewing WM's plan his committee reached an unanimous agreement that "a better waste transport plan needs to be found."
Kerzner said the truck traffic between the new transfer station at Review Avenue and transfer site at the Maspeth rail yard would significantly increase air pollution in Maspeth. Dozens of additional trucks would be added to the roads, Kerzner said, a fact WM has admitted.
He outlined three alternative proposals. First, WM could build a rail spur from the tracks that run past its Review Avenue facility to the site itself, and then rail waste out directly from there, eliminating the need to truck it to the Maspeth rail yard, which is 1.5 miles away. Second, the company could acquire a rail-accessible site closer to its Review Avenue station.
And third, the company, whose current facility abuts Newtown Creek, could transport waste out by barge, eliminating the need to use trucks and trains altogether.
Kerzner said any one of these plans would reduce the amount of garbage trucks driving back and forth across Maspeth, and with them lower carbon emissions as well.
Congestion would only worsen if WM goes through with its proposal, Kerzner said, one that involves gaining approval from the city and state. "We are therefore opposed" to the plan, he added, "without [WM] implementing one of these three recommendations."
In a statement WM said it has been meeting with CB5 and other community stakeholders and would continue to address concerns over its plans.
"We are committed to continuing this dialog with the community and to working with the city to address the issues that have been raised," said Rachel Amar, a spokesperson for Waste Management, in a statement.
The statement did not comment on the unanimous vote against the new plan.

subset: commoncrawl


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Amazon chieftain Jeff Bezos' estranged wife is poised to deliver a $90-billion knockout punch to the tech titan.
Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, announced they were scuttling their 25-year marriage on Wednesday.
And the pain in the pocketbook for Bezos, 54, will be profound.
Bezos has been photographed over the past four months cavorting with former Extra anchor, So You Think You Can Dance host and Hollywood wife Lauren Sanchez Whitesell.
According to the National Enquirer, Bezos send his new paramour a pile of racy texts professing his love — and desire for hormone-charged hijinks.
"I want to smell you, I want to breathe you in. I want to hold you tight… I want to kiss your lips… I love you. I am in love with you," the saccharine-fuelled exec wrote Sanchez last May 13.
In addition, the trashy tab reports that Bezos sent penis pix to the brunette beauty.
In April he texted her: "I love you, alive girl. I will show you with my body, and my lips and my eyes, very soon."
But Bezos' divorce bill may have the lovelorn web lord reaching for the Pepto Bismol.
- The couple lives in Washington state, "a community property state" meaning that couples who divorce — and don't have a prenup — split the dough 50/50.
- The Bezos — who met before Amazon struck it rich — didn't have a prenup, TMZ reports.
- According to CNBC, Bezos would have to shell out billions in cash and shares to MacKenzie, 48.
- The divorce deal could significantly dilute his ownership and control of Amazon.
- But the New York Post, citing legal experts and insiders, Bezos' wife will likely want to keep the family fortune essentially intact.
On the face of it, the pair is describing their split as agreeable.
"We want to make people aware of a development in our lives," Bezos tweeted.
"As our family and close friends know, after a long period of loving exploration and trial separation, we have decided to divorce and continue our shared lives as friends."
Bezos added: "We feel incredibly lucky to have found each other and deeply grateful for every one of the years we have been married to each other. If we had known we would separate after 25 years, we would do it all again."
Bezos and MacKenzie — a successful novelist — married in 1993 about six months after meeting.
Even though Bezos wasn't rich at the time, the divorce is likely to make his ex-wife the richest woman in the world.
Other woman Sanchez is married to a Tinseltown talent big wheel named Patrick Whitesell.
Sources told the New York Post that Bezos and Sanchez began hooking up in early 2018 after separating from their spouses.
Over the past four months, the Enquirer has been tracking the new super couple from their private jets to "hidden love nests".
Sworn Bezos foe, U.S. President Donald Trump, sniped: "It's going to be a beauty."


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REAL NAME: Matthew Hyson
HOMETOWN: Providence, Rhode Island (Dudleyville)
WEIGHT: 150 lbs
The future Spike Dudley tried to lay down the law in the classroom, and then in the ring...but even that wasn't enough for the man born Matthew Hyson.
Hyson was a school teacher, teaching third grade in his home state of Rhode Island, before entering All Pro Wrestling's Boot Camp in Haywood, California in May 1993 to become a referee and manager. However, he quickly began training to be an active wrestler as well and spent the next three years wrestling on the California independent scene unti he got a fateful call from Paul Heyman.
Heyman, then head of the Philadelphia-based Extreme Championship Wrestling brought Hyson to ECW, renaming him Spike Dudley. Spike was the "runt of the litter" of the dysfunctional Dudley family. After debuting in September 1996, Spike began teaming with Buh Buh Ray Dudley, to feud with the Full-Blooded Italians.
All was not well in Dudleyville, however, as Buh Buh Ray and other Dudley brother, D'Von, turned on Spike, leading to a Dudley family feud. Spike would team with Tommy Dreamer, the Sandman, New Jack, Nova and Balls Mahoney to take on his brothers over the months and years to come in ECW. Spike would normally take on his brothers in tag or six-man matches.
Spike also gained the nickname "The Giant Killer" with his ability to take on and seemingly defeat or at least survive against some of the biggest men in the industry. Case in point: Spike defeated Mabel and Ulf Hermann in a handicap match at the 1998 November to Remember show. In addition to taking on big brother, Buh Buh Ray, Spike also tangled with Mr. Hughes, the One Man Gang and Big Sal. Of course, he wasn't always victorious, losing to Bam Bam Bigelow on successive cards (August's Hardcore Heaven and September's As Good As It Gets) in the summer of 1997.
Spike Dudley became known as ECW's Lucha-sized human-bump-machine, regularly getting power-pressed from the ring into the fifth row, knocked off the top of ladders and taking horrific chair shots.
Not that Spike didn't get a little reward for all of the damage he did to himself or had done to him. He and Balls Mahoney defeated the Dudley Boyz for two seperate reigns as ECW Tag Team Championships.
Spike would also get a shot at ECW Champion Mike Awesome at Guilty as Charged 2000. Unfortunately during the match, Spike would suffer a knee injury. He would aggravate the injury during a match against Lance Storm and during a rematch against Awesome. Spike would miss several months due to the injury.
He would return to ECW in June 2000, turning down Cyrus's offer to have him join "the Network" and return to active competition during November to Remember as Spike, Danny Doring, and Road Kill defeated EZ Money, Julio Dinero, and Chris Hamrick.
After the demise of ECW, Spike made his way to WWE where he helped his "brothers," the Dudley Boyz defeat Edge and Christian to win the WWE Tag Team titles.
Things didn't stay rosy between the Dudley Brothers, however. Spike and Molly Holly began an in-ring romance at the same time that the Hollys and the Dudleys were feuding, leading to a split between Spike and the other Dudley Brothers. After a short stint out with a broken fibula, Spike returned and teamed with the Big Show.
Sadly, his relationship with Molly came to an end when she turned on him, aligning herself with the Hurricane (Shane Helms).
But a more successful partnership came with former ECW alumni Tazz as the pair defeated the Dudley Boyz on Janauary 7, 2002 to win the WWE Tag Team titles. Spike would also achieve some singles success in 2002, defeating Maven to (briefly) hold the WWE Hardcore Championship at Wrestlemania X-8 (he lost it later that same night to the Hurricane) and in April, defeated William Regal to become the European Championship.
Spike would also mend fences with his brother, Buh Buh, and the pair teamed up to take on the Un-Americans in late 2002.
Spike would be put out of action following a missed spot during a 10-man tag match on Raw in September 2003. La Resistance threw Dudley to the outside but Spike missed the table that he was supposed to crash through. After some time away from the ring, Spike returned and defeated Rene Dupre to get revenge for the injury.
In March 2004, Spike was drafted to Smackdown and quickly fit in as one of the top contenders to the Cruiserweight Championship, although he still found himself in the ring against the liked of Mark Jindrak and JBL. In July 2004, things began to change for Spike. The Dudley Boyz, also members of the Smackdown roster, began coming to their little brother's aid, something Spike didn't appreciate at first.
That changed after the Dudleyz helped Spike defeat Rey Mysterio, Jr. for the Cruiserweight Championship on July 29th. A week later, Spike turned on Mysterio during a tag match on Smackdown and rejoined his brothers, almost as the leader of the team.
During much of Spike's reign as Cruiserweight Champion, he enlisted his brother's help in retaining the championship before finally losing it to Funaki at Armageddon.
Spike Dudley would remain in the hunt for another crack at the Cruiserweight Championship, and continues to work in tag team and six-man matches as a part of the Smackdownbroadcasts until he was released as part of the massive firings by the WWE in July 2005.
After months of working independent dates, mostly in the New York state area, Spike Dudley rejoined his "brothers" in TNA. While the Dudley Boyz were now known as Team 3D, Spike was now known as Runt.
---compiled by John M. Milner with files from John Powell


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I'm still taking pictures! Here's a random collection of some recent ones:
Some seriously cool sock yarn (and it's going to stripe!):
A pink cloud at sunset:
A cool odometer reading (I warned you these pictures were random!):
Sadie had a bath today. She was not amused:
Her life isn't all misery, though. She's been enjoying summer:
Kishka has also been enjoying the nice weather:
She especially likes digging and then ends up with dirt on her nose:
It's been pretty rainy here lately (well, for us, not compared to someplace like Seattle) and that has made the prairie very green and full of wildflowers:


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After serving in Congress for nearly 20 years, U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah of Philadelphia will soon set off for his first visit to Israel.
After serving in Congress for nearly 20 years, U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah of Philadelphia is set to make his first visit to Israel.
The Democrat is planning to fly out on Oct. 13 in order to speak at Israel's first International Brain Technology Conference, which will be held at Tel Aviv's refurbished port.
Funding for research on brain diseases has become one of Fattah's top priorities in office.
"There is no more important issue. It is my No. 1 priority," he said in an interview several days before his planned departure. "Fifty Million Americans are affected by various brain diseases and disorders."
Fattah is known as a reliable supporter of military aid to Israel, though he has, at times, frustrated some right-wing supporters by signing congressional letters that have been backed by J Street, the dovish lobbying group for Israel.
The congressman said he is scheduled to meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres and receive a briefing from security officials on the Iron Dome Missile Defense System. The bulk of his 48 hours in the country are expected to be devoted to focusing on science and economic issues. He has also scheduled a meeting with a group of young Israeli entrepreneurs.
Fattah said that, when he first planned the trip, Congress was not expected to be in session. With the government shutdown ongoing, and the potential for key votes to come up at any point, Fattah said he couldn't spend more time in the country.
In fact, he noted that if a vote is scheduled related to the government shutdown, he may have to deliver his speech and come right back home. But, Fattah said, he never considered canceling the trip.
"The work I am engaged in is so very important to the United States," he said, adding that he's especially excited to meet Peres, Israel's elder statesman, "who has made neuroscience his principal scientific priority."


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Advisory panel calls for end to most experiments on chimpanzees
Institute of Medicine says few experiments on the apes are scientifically necessary.
Medical experiments on chimpanzees are largely unnecessary and should be rare, concluded a report released Thursday from special panel of the Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academies of Science.
The authors did not recommend an outright ban, as Europeans countries have done, but suggested strict parameters for research funded by the National Institutes of Health. Leaders there immediately said they would adhere to the recommendations.
"The bar is very high," said Jeffrey Kahn, deputy director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, who chaired the panel. "In almost all cases, we found that research on chimpanzees was not necessary."
There are only about 50 grants made a year for chimp research, out of more than 90,000 NIH-funded studies, but they have been a hot-button issue with animal rights groups. Congress ordered the NIH to study their use after the agency suggested last year that some mostly retired chimps be put back in active use.
Much of the studies have focused on therapies and vaccines for hepatitis C, a virus that has infected 170 million people worldwide and is the leading reason for liver transplants. The panel said vaccine experiments could ethically be conducted on humans, but was split on whether the vaccines should first be tested on chimps because they are the only other species that gets the virus.
There was little other research that could meet the new standards, including some genomics and noninvasive behavioral research and studies already under way of lab-produced molecules called monoclonal antibodies that can target viruses and bacteria.
Most other research could be done using other animals, technology or humans without significantly harming progress or safety, the panel said.
Observers, ethicists and animal rights groups said the recommendations seemed appropriate.
"It's not a stretch to say we're a hair's breadth away from an opinion that says there is no need to keep chimps in labs for medical research," said Dr. John J. Pippin, director of academic affairs for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, an animal rights group.
Still, he is pushing for federal legislation called the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act, co-sponsored by Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett, a Western Maryland Republican, which would phase out all invasive research on the 937 chimps in labs around the country and send the federally owned half to sanctuary.
The report did not address what would become of the chimps. But NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins said that a working group was being assembled to offer advice on implementing the recommendations and managing the existing chimp populations. He said no new awards will be made until a process is in place.
It's not clear if other federal agencies, such as the military or private labs that don't use NIH funding, will follow the NIH's lead in restricting chimp experiments.
The practical result among NIH-funded medical research, however, will be a winding down of chimp experiments, said David Favre, a Michigan State University College of Law professor and editor in chief of the Animal Legal & Historical Web Center, a repository for information on animal law.
"The criteria for future research are appropriately rigorous and I think if implemented will result in significantly less research and the reduced possibility of future funding by the federal government," he said. "Then the practicality of the cost of the keeping chimpanzees in these centers will rise up and with future funding diminished, will result in most of them being dismantled."
Others agreed that was a good goal, including Ruth Faden, director of the Berman Institute of Ethics at Hopkins, which does not experiment on chimps.
Faden, who was not involved in the report, said chimps hold a special place because of their similarities to humans. She said they think, feel, suffer and form strong attachments, like humans.
"They are our closest evolutionary relative," she said. "For a whole bunch of reasons, doing invasive research on chimps is ethically problematic, so much so that most countries de facto or actually prohibit invasive research on chimps."
Faden, like the report authors, said a case can be made for chimp experiments when there are not alternatives and public health depends on it, but they are "extremely rare." She said diseases like HIV can largely be tested using other models.
"If we can get to a reasonable pace of medical progress without harming nonhuman animals, it would be good," she said. "How much of a slowing down of the pace are we willing to accept? That's where the ethics trade-offs come in."
Kahn, the only bioethicist on the chimp panel, said ethics could not be separated from the scientific review. He said chimps are close to humans genetically, but that's why they make such attractive research subjects.
"However, this close relationship also creates a high moral cost, which the committee agrees must be factored into the assessment of the necessity of any research involving chimpanzees."


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Tag Archives: ramblers
Walking Program – How to start a walking program
Walking programs are popping up all over the world. The following presentation provides tips to individuals, employees, and human resource departments on how to start a walking program. One that is effective and will allow for employees to not only … Continue reading
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THE TOUGH CUSTOMER- Buyer beware: Understand what 'medical discount plan' means
I received a call recently from Jean DeMarco about the medical discount plan she purchased in April from an Arizona-based company called Easy Life Health Care.
The plan caught her attention because her health insurance, through her husband's employer, recently changed to a high-deductible plan, meaning it required up-front out-of-pocket costs that left DeMarco feeling like "I can't go to the doctor."
Medical discount plans are not insurance plans. A health insurer agrees, for a premium, to assume responsibility for a portion of your medical expenses. Medical discount plans, on the other hand, grant access to a network of providers who have agreed to give participants a discount on their services, but the plan itself assumes no liability.
In their marketing, however, these plans use the buzzwords of insurance plans, such as emphasizing that there are no co-pays or deductibles to worry about, and pre-existing conditions are not a problem– and that can cause confusion. Among other things, regulation tries to ensure that health insurers comply with the terms of their policies and have sufficient reserves to cover claims when policy owners are in need of help.
"These plans may seem like health insurance sometimes, but they're not regulated," says Jim Ware of the State Corporation Commission Department of Insurance. In other words, consumers will receive no more or no less protection than in any other commercial transaction, although with health care the stakes could not be higher.
"Some medical discount plans claim to provide big discounts from hundreds of providers for a wide range of services, from doctor visits and dental exams to hospital stays and prescription drugs," the U.S. Federal Trade Commission warns. "But many plans fail to make good on those claims."
That's what allegedly happened to DeMarco. She signed up for the Easy Life plan at a cost of $80 per month, charged to her credit card. The telemarketer who sold the plan promised DeMarco she could use any medical professional she chose at a discount, even her current physician– just, ahem, what the doctor ordered for DeMarco, or so she thought, until she met her high deductible.
When DeMarco finally tried to use the service, however, she found out, first, discounts are offered only by certain in-network doctors, and second, there is not an in-network doctor within 100 miles of Charlottesville.
DeMarco immediately tried to cancel the plan, but this was easier said than done. The company's customer service department did not answer its phone. After a second month's payment was charged to her credit card, DeMarco canceled her credit card.
DeMarco then noticed in Easy Life's literature the mention of another company, Careington International Corp. It turns out that Easy Life is a marketer for Careington's plans, so she called them and they put her in touch with Easy Life. Still, the company refused to do anything.
That's when DeMarco called me.
The next day, before I had even a chance to do anything, DeMarco called again to tell me she had heard from Kris Virgin, Careington's Director of Licensing and Regulation, who called Easy Life's marketing representations "unacceptable," and said Easy Life would be refunding all DeMarco's money. So far, she has received one-half, or $80.
It appears to be working out for DeMarco thanks to her own persistence, and perhaps a little luck. And Careington deserves credit for standing behind its product.
But more seriously, when it comes to health care, a word to the wise. Before shelling out any money, be sure what you're getting and with whom you're dealing. Once you're actually sick, learning that you don't have what you thought you had will be no laughing matter.
If you're uncertain, get in touch with the Virginia Department of Insurance. You can find contact information at scc.virginia.gov/division/boi/webpagesboiconsumer.htm-contactus or call toll free 1-800-552-7945.
7 comments
Let me first introduce myself...my name is Schad and Im the sales manager for Easylife Healthcare. I just happened across this article. I am quite familiar with Jean DeMarco as I was the one who approved the refund she received. Not because she was lied to, but because she was unhappy. We pride ourselves on the satifaction of all 7.3 million customers we have to date. We understand that our plans are not for everyone. We also know that we cant please everyone all of the time. Although we try awefully hard. There are several statements in the article above that concerns me. I would like to take an opportunity clarify a few things. Pleas do not take this as an attack on Jean or those that wrote and submitted the article above, thats not my intention. It is true that we are not an Insurance company. We NEVER claim to be. In many ways we are better. We do boast that we have no co-pays or deductables. Why? Because we dont. We do accept everyone...pr-existing doesnt matter for us. Can your insurance company provide you with that same service for under a $1000 a month? I think not. Can you give me a name of any insurance company in the world that "...fail to make good on those claims". Again, I doubt it. I find it odd that the Jean stated that she had to reach a high deductible. As the article states we have NO deductibles. In responce to Mr. Jim Ware's claim that our customers will receive no more or no less protection than "...in any other commercial transaction..." I challenge that. I can provide documented proof refuting that claim. Can he do the same...again same answer, I doubt it. Jeans claim that there are no providers within a 100 miles radius is absolutely preposterous. Jeans zipcode is 22963 and the web address for our provider search is; http://www.careington.com/search/search.aspx?agentcode=ADCH6662CI . I challenge anyone and everyone, after doing the search yourself, to claim that we lied about our network of doctors. As your claim above states that "Some medical discount plans claim to provide big discounts from hundreds of providers...". That may be true for some of the smaller less reputable companies, but Easylife Healthcare uses the LARGEST provider network in the country. Over 950,000 providers from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This is the SAME network that the MAJOR Insurance companies use. No matter where our customers are we have providers there to help them. On vacation, moving to a new area or state, or just crossing the street, there will always be a provider there for them. Speaking to Carrington, I learned that the upper Executives would NEVER speak with a customer about a complaint. Especially one for $80. Not saying that each complaint is not worthy of of that type attention, but... thats why the Customer Services Dept. has been put in place. To handle those calls. Im not saying that Jeans concerns are not valid. With as many customers that we have, sad but true, some fall through cracks. We do our best to accomidate the customers needs, but sometimes thats not enough. There is not a single company out there, insurance included, that can make every one of their customers happy all the time. We're no ecception to that rule. In closing I would like to ask all those that may read this to do your due diligence before crucifying anyone, person or company a like. There are ALWAYS to sides to every story. Not all companies out there are out to scam and rob people. There are those that have the best intentions, that has the customers well being first on the list. In closing... Are there Insurance Programs out there that are better than what we have...Sure. Are there programs out there that cant hold a flame to ours...Absolutely. This program is best suited for those people that have been turned downed time and time again due to a pre-existing, or they simply cant afford issurance. I dont know about you, but I have yet to hear of an Insurance company that has dropped their rates. In fact they continue to raise their rates annually. You may be able to afford it today, but wait... They will dig deeper and deeper! We are for the 45 million people nationwide that cant afford or get approved for Insurance. They should NEVER have to pay 100% out of pocket for benifits that we as Americans deserve! If you would like to contact me, I have left my email address. I welcome your comments and concerns. By reading this, I thank you for allow me the opportunity to give our side.
Dear mr. schad, I recieved a call from some group associated with carrington insurance. My concern is that they want you credit card info right away even tough I asked them to send me some paper work on the company but they wouldn't do it becuase people would think it's junk mail and throw it away. Sounds kind of fishy to me. I will continue to do research on you guys. Can you send me any other info about your company in my email?
I received a robocall regarding easy life healthcare and shortly after Crystal W. got on the line. She explained the Ultra plan to me that included all the health care one person would need with no deductible, no copays, no waiting period and no pre-existing conditions. I told her this was too good to be true and it could very well be. I asked her for the website address (easylifehealthcare.com) and she provided it. I pulled it up on my computer and looked at the fine print located at the bottom of the webpage and noticed Careington International as the parent company. There are 3 kinds of health insurance in the U.S.: First, group health, the one your company pays for and you get a discounted rate. Second, private health, the one you pay full premium for you and your family. And third, the indigent person insurance which is the best out of the 3 since there are no premiums, no deductibles, no copays or waiting period. You just show up at the emergency room and by law, you have to be treated. Heck, you don't even have to be an american citizen to get this insurance. I knew a guy once who was on welfare, section 8 housing, food subsidies, etc.. He got a tooth ache and headed straight to emergency at the hospital. He was treated just as well or even better than anyone with comprehensive insurance. The problem with self-pay private insurance is that it is so darn expensive. I'm paying $547 per month and I don't even use it at all. It's just for peace of mind. When I do use it, I have to satisfy a $250 deductible and come up with a 20 percent copay per doctor's visit. If I sound frustrated with the status of health insurance in our country, I urge you to watch the movie "Sicko" by Michael Moore, and you will realize the point I'm trying to make. I almost packed up the house and moved to France after seeing this movie. Please allow me to be blunt: insurance companies are motivated by profit and greed. They are powerful entities with powerful lobbies in Congress. Why didn't Hillary Clinton's national healthcare work? Getting back to Crystal M. and the subject of easy life healthcare, I realized during our lengthy 40 minute conversation that to have no deductible, no copay, etc., the actual doctor's visit would have to be discounted in order for this type of insurance to work and that is exactly what it is. I checked my doctors and they are in network. I also noticed their extesive continental provider network so I'm covered where ever I go. I signed up today for $194.95. I'm convinced that discount healthcare is in our future and if you are not sure, I suggest buying a catastrophic policy just in case, or for peace of mind.
It's sad to see so many people falling for these scams that are out there.
First and foremost the service that they are selling the public, the public already has for FREE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE AND YOU GO TO THE DOCTOR THEY WILL GIVE YOU THE SAME DISCOUNT IF YOU PAY THE DAY OF THE SERVICE. This is a courtesy that doctors and facilities like to give there patients because it saves them money on billing.
Think about it, These so called "Discount Plans" will tell you that you MUST pay your portion at the time of your visit IN ORDER TO GET THE DISCOUNTED PRICE!! SEE YOU'RE PAYING THE PLAN A PREMIUM FOR A "DISCOUNT PLAN THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO FOR FREE. Another thing that the public should be looking at before purchasing plans is either go to the "DEPARTMENT OF MANAGED HEALTH CARE" web site and go to "LIST OF ALL LICENSED PLANS" If there name does not appear they are not a legitimate plan. Even if they are a "discount plan" they must be licensed in the State that they are selling to. Don't take my word for what I have just said, call the "Department of Managed Health Care" yourself and ask them, I did and that's how I found out.
I worked at EasyLife HealthCare they are a bunch of scams, when they hire you, they hand you a script and tell you when the phone rings answer it and sell them the program say and do whatever it takes to get the sells. They treat their employers like crap always yelling and cussing at us. I recommend no one to associate with them i the near future or even corevington itself, because they knew how EasyLife Healthcare was selling there insurance.
I see there are some warnings against using disparaging language on here. Is it okay to use the word "disingenuous"?
If so, then Schad's 800-word defense of EasyLife is disingenuous. Consider
Schad states:
We do boast that we have no co-pays or deductables [sic]. Why? Because we dont [sic].
Now what is a deductible? It's the amount that the insured must pay before the insurance company begins paying anything. Since the Careington policy pays nothing regardless of the amount due, it's the same as having an infinite deductible. But then again, it's the same as having a zero deductible. It's just nonsense to talk about a deductible if there isn't any coverage.
What is a co-pay? That's the amount that the insurance company doesn't pay, and the patient or insured is required to pay. Since the insurance company doesn't pay anything, the co-pay is 100% of the charges.
So whether you call these statements outright lies or merely deceptive statements, the effect is the same.
I'm all in favor of free speech, and Schad's statements ought to stay on here, but there should be an obvious visual indication of the fact that his statements are not trustworthy. Maybe a picture of Pinochio next to his post would get the point across.
Careington/EasyLife Health Care's numbers just don't add up. The savings they promise are unrealistic and not real world numbers. Their BBB logo with an A+ rating is for a subsidiary with only 1 complaint. It's just too good to be true and unfortunately, it's not true. They are a scam company, pure and simple.


text:
The Shidduch That Almost Wasn't
A very moving story about the Heavenly reward for a special effort is related in the new work "Aleinu Leshabayach" by Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein, Rav of the Ramat Elchanan Community in Bnei Brak.
A distinguished Torah scholar was finally on the verge of seeing his daughter become engaged to an outstanding yeshiva student after many unsuccessful attempts to find her a proper shidduch. At the last moment, however, the match did not come off. Disappointed and somewhat heartbroken he still maintained his round of public shiurim lectures. One evening at the conclusion of the Maariv prayer the gabbai of the synagogue approached him with an urgent request to deliver a shiur usually given by someone else, who was prevented from doing so by an emergency. Mindful of his busy schedule his initial response was negative. It was only after he was on his way home that he regretted his answer and hurried back to give the shiur as requested.
A young man happened to be in the synagogue that evening and stayed to enjoy the brilliant Torah presentation together with the regular participants. It was only when the shiur was over did he realize that the rabbi who had so impressed him with his knowledge and delivery was none other than the father of the girl he had turned down. Finally realizing what sort of an opportunity he had almost missed he hurried to give his consent to the engagement. The delighted father told everyone that he saw this as a reward for making a special effort to teach Jews Torah.


text:
With money tight, I decided to update towels I had on hand to extend their life and usefulness. I used materials I had on hand, so the cost was essentially free. I always save the scraps from other projects for just such an occasion.
You can see more of my kids' bathroom update HERE.
You'll need the following materials:
- scraps of fabric large enough for the width of your towel plus 1.5", and at least 2" wide.
- iron-on interfacing that is the exact width of your towel and the finished width of your panel.
- scraps of heat n bond lite or similar product for basting.
- a package of ricrac in your desired color.
- coordinating thread.
- your sewing tools, including your iron and ironing board.
I ironed in both the top and bottom 0.25", and then added some scraps of heat n bond lite to help with keeping the fabric in place.
I positioned the fabric panel where I wanted it on the towel, and ironed it into place.
I cut ricrac the same size as my panel, and then pinned it in place over the fabric panel.
To finish the edges, I folded the ricrac and fabric together and pinned it in place.
I stitched everything together using a red thread for the top of the stitch, and ivory in the bobbin.
I also sewed along each edge. It isn't perfect, but it will keep the folded edge out of view.
And there you go, my take on embellishing a hand towel with fabric, and ricrac for fun.
Another take on the same theme, for my laundry room, I used giant ricrac, and basted it in place under the fabric panel before I sewed it in place.
I also used a double top-stitch for a decorative touch.
With the giant ricrac, I folded a longer portion of fabric behind the towel.
This method would work for embellishing any towel, and would be a fun housewarming gift or wedding gift.
Featured on Craft Gossip, and One Pretty Thing.
Linked to Kojo Designs, Tatertots & Jello, and Be Different...Act Normal.


text:
I always figured Zack's ridiculous clothing in Dead or Alive was due to the influence of series creator Tomonobu Itagaki. Turns out he might have been the only thing holding the rest of the team back. In Dead or Alive 5, Zack is a clown with a flower afro. Lei Fang's in here too, but no one cares about Lei Fang.
In a battle taking place on the new circus-themed stage, "The Show", Lei Fand and Dr. Clownilicious do battle under the big top. Lions roar, afros drop, and then Zack gets shot out of a cannon. I suppose that's a stage-specific environmental attack, but it strikes me as something Zack would do anyway, fighting or not. He's one of the coolest black video game people I know.
It's shaping up to be the most Dead or Alive-ish DOA game ever.


text:
What Foursquare can teach us about how people use a city.
What can Foursquare tell us about the modern neighborhood? That's the question being asked by Livehoods, a new project from the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. The project maps 18 million check-ins to determine what places get visited by the same people. As the creators explain on the site, "if many of the same people check-in to two nearby locations, then these locations will likely be part of the same Livehood."
The site's founders explain their thinking behind the program:
Like neighborhoods, Livehoods are a representation of the organizational structure of the city. However, Livehoods are different from neighborhoods. They give us an on-the-ground view of a city's structure, helping us reconceptualize the dynamics of a city based on the way people actually use it.
With Livehoods, we can investigate and explore the factors that come together to shape the social dynamics of a city, including municipal borders, demographics, economic development, resources, geography, and architecture. We think Livehoods are useful for city governments, local organizations, businesses, and anyone looking to learn more about a city.
So far, they've mapped New York, San Francisco and Pittsburgh (the map you see above) and they are working on other maps.


text:
The Dinner
American Psycho
Beautiful Darling
Love & Friendship
Little Accidents
The Wait
Mr. Nice
Barry Munday
The Killing Room
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2020 FANDANGO MOVIES.


text:
On October 29th, please place your items listed above in front of your garage.
All items must be at that location from 6 AM until 6 PM to ensure that they are removed.
All clothing items that are donated will be re-sold and 50% of the profits will be donated toward builiding wells in 3rd world countries through Generosity Water.


text:
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Clothilde's new book. Congratulations!
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Joined: 11 Nov 2007
Posts: 236
Location: Madison, WI
Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 9:56 pm
Post subject: Clothilde's new book. Congratulations!
Hi Clotilde,
I do not know if I am putting this in the right forum. I just saw your new translated book in Borders and wanted to congratulate you! It looks fun. I may buy it for myself for Christmas, because we are doing less gift exchanges in my house this year. I just wanted to thank you for all of the books and the forum (and for finding me a picture of the funny puffy ghosts!)
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Site Admin
Joined: 24 Sep 2004
Posts: 443
Location: Paris, France
Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:54 am
Post subject:
Thanks so much, Dory! I'm really pleased with how it turned out design-wise, and how it's been received so far.
(I'll note that I wasn't the translator on this project; my job was to help edit/adapt the translation.)
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Joined: 14 May 2008
Posts: 1
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2009 3:37 pm
Post subject:
I have a longstanding tradition of giving/receiving a book for Christmas with my husband. I love the sleepy, warm feeling post-Christmas breakfast and gift-opening of leafing through a book and reading choice bits aloud.
In our tradition, you may asked to be surprised with a book of the giver's choice or you can request a specific book. Of course, Clotilde's newest was my requested book of choice. Actually, I even went to the bookstore to make sure they had it, then went with my husband and handed it to him.
Now, I'm eagerly awaiting Christmas morning -- after breakfast, after gifts -- when I can finally leaf through the new books.
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Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 296
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 2:44 am
Post subject:
I second the congratulations, and look forward to getting my hands on a copy - though I think I'll wait until I'm in Paris in March (I want the British version... seven years of living in Europe has converted me to the beauty of the metric system!). I take it this is the version for sale in the Paris WH Smith?
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Site Admin
Joined: 24 Sep 2004
Posts: 443
Location: Paris, France
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 10:03 am
Post subject:
Jordan: That's a lovely tradition, and I hope you like this book!
Rachel: Yes, I think WHSmith carries the British edition with weight measurements, but they might stock both so it's best to ask.
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Joined: 01 Oct 2004
Posts: 256
Location: Richmond, VA, usa
Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2010 10:55 pm
Post subject:
YAY my brother gave me clotilde's new book for xmas .....my wish was granted!
Make me half the person my dog thinks I am.
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Joined: 06 Nov 2009
Posts: 2
Location: Country Qld, Australia
Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 7:36 am
Post subject:
I have 2 new books, one on my bedside table - Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris AND on the kitchen bench - I Know How to Cook. I must admit that I after 40+ years of cooking, I am still learning and have found quite a few treasures in I Know How to Cook. The 'Edible Adventures" is in readiness for a trip back to Paris in September. I also gave a friend a copy of the 'Edible Adventures' for her birthday as a guide for her next visit to Paris in July.
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Site Admin
Joined: 24 Sep 2004
Posts: 443
Location: Paris, France
Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 2:10 pm
Post subject:
Melinda - So pleased you got a copy! I hope you enjoy cooking with Ginette.
Annee - Welcome to the forums, and thanks for this kind message!
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Joined: 30 Sep 2004
Posts: 1855
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 3:59 pm
Post subject:
Next edition perhaps you could persuade Phaidon to add the translator's name to the outside cover! Just got the book myself, love it!
Vivant Linguae Mortuae!!
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Joined: 11 Nov 2007
Posts: 236
Location: Madison, WI
Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 8:06 pm
Post subject:
I think they should put Clotilde's name all over it, but everyone (!!!!!) knows the important role she played in it. I can't remember where I heard, but maybe on the Splendid Table. Definitely not from Clotilde who is being very modest about it.
P.S. I was a French literature major in college, although now i speak Spanish all the time, and my French is getting rusty. At my peak I was pretty good though. I would have given anything, however, to write French the way Clotilde writes English. I still would, for that matter!
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text:
When hot water hits Steve Spott in the face, the hockey side of his brain kicks into high gear.
"I do my best thinking in the shower," says the coach of the Canadian men's junior hockey team.
"My wife says I waste more hot water than anybody. I shower before practice."
All the soap in the world can't scrub away a frustrating memory for Spott.
He was an assistant coach to Willie Desjardins when Canada lost the gold medal 6-5 in overtime to the U.S. in 2010.
Jordan Eberle scored two late goals in regulation to tie the game in Saskatoon. The host country anticipated a record sixth straight gold in the tournament, until John Carlson ended it for the Americans at 4:21.
"I see the John Carlson goal still to this day, daily," Spott says. "To have an opportunity to erase that memory is something I'm really looking forward to."
Spott was informed on his 44th birthday (May 18th) that he would coach Canada at the 2013 world junior hockey championship.
"That was a real special present," Spott recalls. "It was something I always aspired to be a part of."
Growing up in Toronto, he'd watched his childhood friend Adam Graves play in the tournament in 1988. His nephew, Florida Panthers forward Stephen Weiss, played in it in 2002.
The former college and minor pro player was promoted from assistant to head coach of the Ontario Hockey League's Kitchener Rangers in 2008 when Pete DeBoer left for the NHL.
The slow and steady trajectory of Spott's coaching career indicates he's a patient man in a profession where everyone is in a rush to get to the NHL.
He spent 12 seasons as DeBoer's assistant with both Kitchener and the Plymouth Whalers.
"I'm a believer in loyalty," Spott explains. "I wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for Peter DeBoer.
"He gave me an opportunity to work full time at this job. He was a guy who never treated me like an assistant."
The Rangers won a Memorial Cup in 2003 and reached the final in 2008 with DeBoer and Spott.
Spott took on greater coaching responsibility in Kitchener when DeBoer was away as an assistant coach of Canada's junior team in 1998 and 2005.
DeBoer, now head coach of the NHL's New Jersey Devils, says he felt lucky that Spott stuck with him.
"He had a lot of opportunities to leave and go be a head guy," DeBoer says. "A lot of people knocked on the door during those 12 years to take him away and rightfully so.
"I think (there was) loyalty, we worked well together, there was a real comfort level and I'd like to think the two of us pushed each other."
The two men are still in regular contact.
"He's usually the first guy I call to bounce things off of and I think it's reciprocal," DeBoer says.
Spott says he has NHL aspirations like any coach, player or trainer involved in the game.
But he's taken time to sample as many coaching experiences as he can before taking the next step.
He bided his time in Kitchener because Spott knew the NHL would hire DeBoer eventually.
There was also his wife Lisa, son Tyler and daughter Emma to consider.
"My kids were getting to that point where they were involved in programs in the community and school and had friendships," Spott explains.
"I realized that Kitchener-Waterloo is a wonderful place to work, raise a family and I was hoping if Pete moved on one day I'd have the opportunity to stay there.
"No disrespect to anyone else, but I won't move somewhere and leave my family at home. It's not worth it to me. Family is the most important."
Spott's appointment to head coach of the junior team was a natural progression.
In addition to his stint as an assistant in 2010, Spott has also been a head coach and twice an assistant coach of Canada's under-18 team.
He's coached Ontario at both the world under-17 challenge and at the Canada Games.
"This guy has paid his dues," DeBoer says. "He's done this the right way at all the different levels and taken all the right steps on the way up.
"There's nothing he's going to see here that he hasn't seen before. When you have that type of experience, you're composed, you're prepared and you make the right decisions."
The Rangers posted winning seasons in three of the four since Spott became head coach, including a pair of years of 40-plus victories. Spott's playoff record with the Rangers is 22-12.
"He's not one to come in and pat you on the back in front of everyone," says Rangers defenceman Ryan Murphy, who made the Canadian junior team on his third try.
"He'll let you know how you're playing by the amount of ice you get or the amount of power play you get.
"You'll know when he's displeased, but he's pretty good. He knows the times to call you out and the times when he should be easy on you."
The NHL lockout provided Canada with the best 19-year-old talent in the country, including Edmonton Oiler centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
That sounds great, but Spott still needs to get the players pulling on the same rope.
"You've got 23 different personalities," he said. "Really checking your ego at the door, we do it as coaches, they have to do it as players and give up a little ice time for the common good of winning a gold medal."
In addition to being a shower-thinker, another trait in Spott's personality is his utter lack of adventure when it comes to food.
"He's not the best dinner date because if it's not meat and mashed potatoes, he's not interested," DeBoer says.
Spott refuses to give Indian, Chinese or Thai a try.
"No disrespect to any culture, but it's not going to happen," he says with a shake of his head. "Soup or salad, meat and potatoes for main course and some sort of sweet for dessert . . . in that order."


text:
Campus Calendar
You are on Dakota Land: Contemporary Indigenous Activism
From site: Gould Library
An exhibit organized by students of AMST 231: Contemporary Indigenous Activism
This event takes place each day from November 15th, 2019 to December 2nd, 2019.
This event occurs on:
- Friday, November 15th, 2019
- Saturday, November 16th, 2019
- Sunday, November 17th, 2019
- Monday, November 18th, 2019
- Tuesday, November 19th, 2019
- Wednesday, November 20th, 2019
- Thursday, November 21st, 2019
- Friday, November 22nd, 2019
- Saturday, November 23rd, 2019
- Sunday, November 24th, 2019
- Monday, November 25th, 2019
- Tuesday, November 26th, 2019
- Wednesday, November 27th, 2019
- Thursday, November 28th, 2019
- Friday, November 29th, 2019
- Saturday, November 30th, 2019
- Sunday, December 1st, 2019
- Monday, December 2nd, 2019
"We spent this term learning about various social justice issues within Indigenous communities, how Indigenous people have mobilized in the past, and how they are mobilizing now. Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island (North America) and the Pacific Islands are fighting to revitalize Indigenous languages, uphold tribal sovereignty, and combat violence against Indigenous women, among many other struggles. A major reason Indigenous people in America still experience disproportionate social and political injustices is because they are disregarded and ignored from public discourse and conversation. There has been a systematic erasure of Indigenous people and their histories in this country, so we hope to do our part in counteracting that by sharing the information we've learned this term, with you. Through zines, posters, a podcast, and a website, this installation shines a light on contemporary Indigenous activism and investigates social justice through the lens of Indian Country."
- Students of AMST 231 : Contemporary Indigenous Activism, taught by Meredith McCoy, Assistant Professor and Andersen Fellow of American Studies and History
For more information, visit the website created by students in this class.
Sponsored by Library. Contact: Zoe Adler, x5301


text:
After enjoying the 1911 version of A Tale of Two Cities, I was interested to see another early silent adaptation of a Dickens novel made the following year. However, I must say I don't feel George Nichols' three-reel version of Nicholas Nickleby, one of many short films made by the Thanhouser Film Corporation at this time, works nearly as well. The main problem is that the novel is so much longer, with so many different plot elements to include.
The good news is that the Thanhouser company has put the whole film online. In region 2, it is also included on the BFI's Dickens Before Sound and as an extra on a newly-restored Studiocanal DVD release of the 1947 Nicholas Nickleby. In region 1, it is as an extra on Thanhouser's release of the company's David Copperfield from 1911.
Inevitably, as it tries to cram an enormous book into only around 30 minutes (and some prints are even shorter at 20), this film is really a series of short scenes from the novel and relies on the audience's knowledge of the book. There are very few intertitles – usually I'm glad if a silent film is sparing on these, as they can break up the flow of the action, but here there are so few that it is hard to follow. Also, any trace of Dickens' comedy is lost along with his language, and just the melodrama is left. It all feels far more disjointed than the early ATOTC, as it quickly moves from a quick burst of Dotheboys Hall (I was rather surprised to see that Squeers has two eyes in this version!) to a glimpse of the Crummles theatre company and then the attempt to force Madeline Bray into a marriage to an older man – as well as Sir Mulberry Hawk's evil pursuit of Kate Nickleby.
Most of the acting is highly melodramatic, with Frances Gibson, in particular, playing Kate in a very stagey way and giving an interesting feeling of how a theatrical melodrama around this period must have looked. Mignon Anderson gives a similar performance as Madeline, swooning to the floor. But Harry Benham, as Nicholas, seems surprisingly relaxed and naturalistic. A robust figure with his hair cut short, he doesn't look at all how I've ever pictured the character, or indeed anything like Phiz's illustrations, but his acting stands out from that of the rest of the cast.