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WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is lifting the military's official ban on women in combat, which will open up hundreds of thousands of additional front-line jobs to them, senior defense officials said Wednesday.
The groundbreaking decision overturns a 1994 Pentagon rule that restricts women from artillery, armor, infantry and other such combat roles, even though in reality women have frequently found themselves in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan; according to the Pentagon, hundreds of thousands of women have deployed in those conflicts. As of last year, more than 800 women had been wounded in the two wars and more than 130 had died.
Defense officials offered few details about Mr. Panetta's decision but described it as the beginning of a process to allow the branches of the military to put the change into effect. Defense officials said Mr. Panetta had made the decision on the recommendation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Women have long chafed under the combat restrictions and have increasingly pressured the Pentagon to catch up with the reality on the battlefield. The move comes as Mr. Panetta is about to step down from his post and would leave him with a major legacy after only 18 months in the job.
The decision clearly fits into the broad and ambitious liberal agenda, especially around matters of equal opportunity, that President Obama laid out this week in his Inaugural Address. But while it had to have been approved by him, and does not require action by Congress, it appeared Wednesday that it was in large part driven by the military itself. Some midlevel White House staff members were caught by surprise by the decision, indicating that it had not gone through an extensive review there.
Mr. Panetta's decision came after he received a Jan. 9 letter from Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who stated in strong terms that the armed service chiefs all agreed that "the time has come to rescind the direct combat exclusion rule for women and to eliminate all unnecessary gender-based barriers to service."
A military official said the change would be implemented "as quickly as possible," although the Pentagon is allowing three years, until January 2016, for final decisions from the services.
Each branch of the military will have to come up with an implementation plan in the next several months, the official said. If a branch of the military decides that a specific job should not be opened to a woman, representatives of that branch will have to ask the defense secretary for an exception.
"To implement these initiatives successfully and without sacrificing our war-fighting capability or the trust of the American people, we will need time to get it right," General Dempsey wrote.
It will be carried out during what the administration describes as the end of the American combat role in Afghanistan, the nation's longest war.
A copy of General Dempsey's letter was provided by a Pentagon official under the condition of anonymity.
The letter noted that this action was meant to ensure that women as well as men "are given the opportunity to succeed."
It was unclear why the Joint Chiefs acted now after examining the issue for years, although in recent months there has been building pressure from high-profile lawsuits.
In November 2012 the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit challenging the ban on behalf of four service women and the Service Women's Action Network, a group that works for equality in the military. The A.C.L.U. said that one of the plaintiffs, Maj. Mary Jennings Hegar, an Air National Guard helicopter pilot, was shot down, returned fire and was wounded while on the ground in Afghanistan, but could not seek combat leadership positions because the Defense Department did not officially acknowledge her experience as combat.
In the military, serving in combat positions like the infantry remains crucial to career advancement. Women have long said that by not recognizing their real service, the military has unfairly held them back.
The A.C.L.U. embraced Mr. Panetta's decision with cautious optimism. Ariela Migdal, an attorney with the A.C.L.U.'s Women's Rights Project, said in a statement that the organization was "thrilled" by the decision, but added that she hoped it would be implemented "fairly and quickly."
By law Mr. Panetta is able to lift the ban as a regulatory decision, although he must give Congress a 30-day notice of his intent. Congress does not need to approve the decision before it goes into effect. If Congress disagrees with the action, members would have to pass new legislation prohibiting the change, which appeared highly unlikely.
Although in the past some Republican members of the House have balked at allowing women in combat, on Wednesday there appeared to be bipartisan endorsement for the decision, which was first reported by The Associated Press and CNN in midafternoon.
"It reflects the reality of 21st century military operations," Senator Carl Levin, Democrat of Michigan and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.
SenatorPatty Murray, Democrat of Washington and the chairwoman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, called it a "historic step for recognizing the role women have, and will continue to play, in the defense of our nation."
Senator Kelly Ayotte, a New Hampshire Republican and a member of the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that she was pleased by the decision and said that it "reflects the increasing role that female service members play in securing our country."
Representative Loretta Sanchez, the California Democrat who has long pressed to have women's role in combat recognized, said that she was pleased that Mr. Panetta was removing what she called "the archaic combat exclusion policy."
SenatorKirsten E. Gillibrand, a New York Democrat who has pushed for lifting the ban, called it "a proud day for our country" and an important step in recognizing "the brave women who are already fighting and dying."
But the leadership of a conservative Christian group, the Family Research Council, immediately weighed in with its opposition, sending out a statement from Jerry Boykin, a retired three-star general with a long career in Special Operations Forces.
General Boykin said that "the people making this decision are doing so as part of another social experiment." He especially criticized the concept of placing women into Special Forces units where "living conditions are primal in many situations with no privacy for personal hygiene or normal functions." It remains unclear if women will be permitted to fight in Special Forces and other commando units.
Public opinion polls show that Americans generally agree with lifting the ban. A nationwide Quinnipiac University poll conducted a year ago found that three-quarters of voters surveyed favored allowing military women to serve in units that engaged in close combat, if the women wanted to.
Policy experts who have pushed the military to lift the ban said that it was striking that much of the impetus appeared to come from Joint Chiefs, indicating that the top military leadership saw that the time had come to open up to women.
"It's significant that the change came from the uniformed side, rather than being forced on the uniformed side by the civilian leadership," said Greg Jacob, the policy director of the Service Women's Action Network.
Under current rules, a number of military positions are closed to women — and to open them, the services have to change the rules.
Under Mr. Panetta's new initiative, the situation is the opposite: Those combat positions would be open to women, and they could only be closed through specific action.
Capt. Emily Naslund, a Marine officer who saw ground combat in Afghanistan in 2010, said Wednesday that she embraced the decision. "This is awesome," she said.


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Bangladesh confirm Pakistan tour
KARACHI: Bangladesh has confirmed that it will be sending its cricket team to Pakistan for a series later this month.
The two Asia Cup finalists will be playing one ODI on April 29 and one Twenty20 on April 30, both at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Bangladesh will be the first international team to tour Pakistan in three years. "I am pleased to confirm the tour in which Bangladesh will play a one-day match on April 29 and a Twenty20 game the next day, both in Lahore," Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Mustafa Kamal said in a press release.
Pakistan's government had promised fool-proof security for the Bangladesh team after their security delegation assessed the situation here last month.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf said the confirmation is a good sign.
"I am extremely pleased that Bangladesh has confirmed the tour. Obviously this is very important for us and we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that this tour takes place in a befitting manner," said Ashraf.
Both the countries had started to show signs of bitterness after Bangladesh showed reluctance over the tour and Pakistan threatened to review relations if the tour doesn't take place.
PCB further said the remaining matches of the FTP (Future Tours Programme) tour will be played at dates mutually agreed between the two Boards at venues including Bangladesh.
Bangladesh was due for a full tour of Pakistan under the International Cricket Council (ICC) FTP in 2012.
The ICC said it will need a comprehensive security plan from Pakistan to send match officials.
"The ICC Board were informed that the tour will take place and the Board, having due regard to its duty of care to match officials and other ICC staff, requested that the PCB to immediately provide a comprehensive security plan for consideration," the ICC said.
"Thereafter, the ICC's Anti Corruption and Security Unit will commission a localised risk assessment to determine whether its officials and staff are appropriately protected by the proposed security plan, before any further decision is taken in relation to their appointment."
Last month, the ICC had announced a "special dispensation" to be made only in "exceptional circumstances" in order to ensure that a bilateral series take place even if the ruling body has determined it "unsafe" to appoint its officials for such series.
This would allow such series to be manned by "non-neutral match officials."Kamal, who is a joint nominee of Pakistan-Bangladesh for the ICC vice president's post in 2012, said the series will give Pakistani people some cricket.
"The public of Pakistan have been deprived of cricket and we felt that we needed to support them. The reception we received when we toured Lahore and Karachi on our security visit was overwhelming." said Kamal.
This tour is taking place after 2009 and this short tour will hopefully demonstrate to the world that cricket should start taking place in Pakistan,"said Kamal.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tuesday, February 21, 2012
TWD - Chocolate Truffle Tartlets
This weeks selection for Tuesdays With Dorie is Chocolate Truffle Tartlets. This is a chocolate lovers dream. It contains three types of chocolate, bittersweet, milk and white. Let's not forget that this has been cooked up in a chocolate crust. Just when you think it can't get any better you find out that there are chopped biscotti cookies added to the filling. Heaven. I know that this is an individual dessert but it is just the right size to share with someone you love. Although you really don't need it, I think that it would be great served with some ice cream. Thanks to all our hosts this week Steph, Spike, Jaime and Jessica. You can find the recipe by checking out their blogs. I think that Baking With Julia is off to a great start.
4 comments:
- iluvsweets said...
Excellent presentation and photos...beautiful.
- February 21, 2012 at 7:43 PM
- Lauren said...
Looks pretty good, what flavor ice cream would you serve?.... laurensplate.wordpress.com
- February 22, 2012 at 8:56 AM
- Unknown said...
Very pretty plating!
- February 23, 2012 at 5:12 PM
- Cher Rockwell said...
Nice plating!
Looks like a scoop of strawberry ice cream wouldn't be remiss...
- February 25, 2012 at 5:16 PM
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Photo via Shutterstock
Just ask any dairy farmer, climate scientist, or landfill site director about methane emissions, and they will tell you they are a serious challenge to manage. Methane is about 25 times more potent than CO2 as a contributing greenhouse gas, and it's released from natural gas extraction, decomposing garbage, and agricultural practices. In an effort to capture methane and keep it out of the atmosphere, scientists from the University of Calgary plan to test and deploy biofilters that that reduce low-methane emissions with the help of bacteria.
Funded by Climate Change and Emissions Management (CCEMC) Corporation through its Biological Greenhouse Gas Management Program, the three-year project will use methanotroph bacteria to consume methane and convert the gas into CO2. The scientists hope that the "living" biofilters will help provide a solution for areas that produce small, but ultimately significant levels of methane. Large-scale operations are able to collect the gas for use on an industrial scale, but small quantities have been harder to manage. However, each source of emissions adds to a larger contribution to global warming, and in 2010, 640 million cubic meters of methane flared or vented from the petroleum industry in Alberta alone entered the atmosphere.
"Methane biofiltration is a clean and completely 'green' technology that offers a solution. The greenhouse gas benefit is that these biofilters convert methane to carbon dioxide." says Patrick Hettiaratchi, professor of environmental engineering at Calgary's Schulich School of Engineering.
Peter Dunfield, an associate professor at Calgary's Faculty of Science, is using DNA "fingerprinting" to establish and propagate the most effective bacteria. The bacteria will be able to take the methane down to a manageable few parts per million. Although they are still emitting CO2, the gas is far less potent than its original form, and can ultimately be sequestered. The CCEMC projects that their research could potentially reduce greenhouse gasses by 2,000 tons over the next decade.
+ Climate Change Emissions Management Corporation
Via Phys.org
Images via Wikicommons users Evelyn Simak and Ropable.


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- CuratorTracy McGregor
- Total views57660
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- Date created16th Feb '12
- Number of shows21
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Born in Cape Town, Tracy McGregor is a South African model who got into the modeling scene at the age of 16. Since then she has been all over the world and graced the covers of many magazines both local and international. She has also been featured in many advert campaigns such as Triumph, Wonderbra, Liqui Fruit, 7up, Tag deoderant, Wrigleys and NJOY. Tracy won the FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World competition in 2008. She has has been ranked on the magazine's list every year since 2003. In early 2011 she graced the very first issue of Playboy South Africa. She now produces her own show on co-opTV titled "This is me!"


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Donna Estes Antebi, author of The Real Secrets Women Only Whisper advocates that holidays, particularly Christmas, New Year's, and Valentine's Day are very important indicators of how your guy really feels about you. If your guy doesn't want to spend the holidays with you, it's most likely because he's spending the holidays with another woman, perhaps even his wife!
Accomplished businesswoman and relationship guru Donna Estes Antebi comes out blazing in The Real Secrets Women Only Whisper. Donna speaks the REAL truth to women, exposing the harsh realities of modern-day life in a porn-tainted, money-driven, morally challenged, short-cut-obsessed society, where gender roles have radically shifted - much to the detriment of women everywhere.
The Real Secrets Women Only Whisper is the right book at the right time for housewives, the female workforce, and single women who are still trying to play a new game by the old rules. With the stakes so high, women can no longer afford the luxury of learning from their mistakes. Donna's razor-sharp insights tackle the unique challenges of the new millennium - rocking women out of complacency and arming them with an action plan that will safeguard their futures. Her no-holds-barred advice is organized into straightforward, go-to segments on every topic impacting women's lives today: sex, love, dating, money, marriage, divorce, cheating, children - and everything in between. The Real Secrets Women Only Whisper is the essential 21st Century Survival Guide for the modern-day woman.
As insightful as it is fun, The Real Secrets Women Only Whisper short-cuts the learning curve for all women - so they don't have to learn every lesson the hard way. Having saved an impressive number of families from the trauma of divorce, Donna's highly effective, counter-intuitive solutions galvanize women to defend their marriages, protect their families, and strategize for the very best future.
The Real Secrets Women Only Whisper is required reading that is destined to find a home in millions of women's permanent collections. Donna's book is a life-guide to savor and cherish, and most importantly – share with the women you most care about. Unleash this collection of explosive gems into a group of women, and step back as Donna's brutal honesty sparks a bonfire of debate!
Author of The Real Secrets Women Only Whisper, Donna Estes Antebi (http://therealsecretswomenonlywhisper.com/) has a proven track record as a miracle marriage saver. With surprisingly counter-intuitive advice, Donna's coaching can help couples shore up the cracks in even the most damaged infidelity challenged situations. Having rescued and revitalized some of the most irreparably fractured marriages, Donna guides couples to rediscover true love, the importance of loyalty, and the beauty of family. She inspires couples to reinforce their commitment to each other – instead of to other people. Women don't have to learn every lesson the hard way!
7 Easy Ways to Please Your Man according to Donna
1. Drop It Like It's Hot (the extra pounds, that is) – He may never admit your butt looks big, but he notices, and his baby's got back.
2. Just Say Yes! Yes! Yes! – Don't make being too tired a habit, unless you want him to get tired of you. Just do it!
3. Size Him Up – It's ok to exaggerate a tad and tell him he's larger than life. Oh, baby; oh, baby.
4. Myth-ter Perfect – Accept that there's no such thing as the perfect man. At least you have one to complain about!
5. Know when to zip it (and when not to) – He wants to talk about him, too.
6. Don't Be a Bitch – It takes under 30 seconds to pick his socks up off the floor and much, much longer to find someone new again.
7. Plan a staycation – get away by getting in bed!
Published on Oct 21, 2012


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Reduce size and processing cost for HSM Control Data Sets and exploit the economics and flexibility of cloud storage.
Move metadata from inactive data to lower-impact processes that improve batch window and application elapsed time.
Exploit private, public or hybrid cloud environments. Move data previously stored on ML2 tape under DFSMShsm control to a cloud environment.
Enable applications and users to recall archived data. Archived data is returned to DFSMShsm control.


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50 years ago this week: Deaths this week included Pete W. Cawthon, 62, noted football coach who was an assistant coach at the University of Alabama under Coach Frank Thomas in 1942 and athletic director at the university in 1952 and 1953.
Deaths this week included Pete W. Cawthon, 62, noted football coach who was an assistant coach at the University of Alabama under Coach Frank Thomas in 1942 and athletic director at the university in 1952 and 1953. Other deaths this week included Lelia Harris, a retired teacher and prominent Alabama educator who began her teaching career at the old Stafford School; the Rev. David W. Simmons, Nazarene minister widely known for his radio ministry and who was instrumental in organizing several Nazarene churches; former teacher and Northport resident John James Sr.; and Greensboro attorney and civic leader Winston Reese Withers.
Coach Paul "Bear" W. Bryant was carried off the field on the shoulders of players after the Crimson Tide's 17 -0 win over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Orange Bowl in Miami before a crowd of 73,380 that included President John F. Kennedy.
Coach Bryant filed a $500,000 suit against a publishing company and Furman Bisher, sports editor of the Atlanta Journal, on grounds that he had been charged with condoning brutality among his players.
The first Tuscaloosa County baby of the new year was Gary Wayne Phillips, son of Mr. and Mrs. G.W. Phillips of Brownville.
After occupying a 100-year-old Victorian House at 2902 Sixth Street, Focus on Senior Citizens was preparing to move into a new building at 1924 Sixth Street across from Drake Printers.
When former Alabama coach Ray Perkins strolled onto the Tampa practice field used by Alabama to prepare for the Hall of Fame Bowl against Michigan, he was warmly greeted with applause by the players and asked by Coach Bill Curry to give a talk to the team. Alabama lost to Michigan 28-24 in the game.
Heather Renee Crimm, daughter of Kim and Tammie Crimm of Gordo, was the first baby born in 1988 in Northport and Tuscaloosa.
The Aliceville Lock and Dam was renamed the Tom Bevill Lock and Dam through a congressional amendment. It became the first lock on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway to be named in honor of a person.
Alabama Gov. Guy Hunt told a group at the Fayette Civic Center that he would continue to push for a limited access road through West Alabama that would connect the Muscle Shoals area with Mobile.
Contractors objected to the proposed use of prison inmates to construct the proposed juvenile detention facility.
The UA Million Dollar Band, one of the nation's most recognizable university symbols, would receive the prestigious Sudler Trophy, the highest honor a college marching band could get.
Local black leaders were considering a plan by out-of-state investors which would foot the cost of the construction of Central High School near Palmore Park in west Tuscaloosa.
University of Alabama professor Enrique Gomez, who taught in the astronomy and physics department, assured a reporter that the world would not end in 10 years as some people believed based on the ancient Mayan calendar.
The first baby of the year in Alabama was Michiya O'Shea James, daughter of Michael and Demetria James of West Blocton.
UA's new football coach Mike Price, who chose to coach his seventh-ranked Washington State in its bowl game after accepting the job at UA, was given a rude send-off by Oklahoma which beat his Cougars 34-14 in the Rose Bowl.
Fifteen months after his conviction on federal charges of conspiracy and fraud, Dr. Phillip Bobo lost his license to practice medicine in Alabama.
Deaths this week included Thomas Shumaker, a long time Tuscaloosa businessman, community champion, military veteran and the city's 1979 Citizen of the year, at 84.
Sewer problems were blamed for holding up the opening of the new Tuscaloosa County Juvenile Detention Facility.
Patrick Darnell Jemison, son of Nia Jemison, was the first baby born in 2008 at DCH Regional Medical Center.
On New Year's night, a lost lamb turned up at the home of Rod Walker. While he looked for the owner, Walker kept the lamb that he named Lambo in a cage at his business, Downtown Trading Company, on Greensboro Avenue. Lambo found a new home on a Tuscaloosa County farm.
The sanctuary of Holy Spirit Catholic Church was being prepared for demolition to be replaced with a new $14 million facility.
UA President Robert Witt became only the second sitting UA president to serve as chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama.
The Houndstooth, a landmark bar on the Strip, was closed and slated for demolition. A new building would be built in its place on the site.
Investigator said a Tuscaloosa County man, Steve William Karr, sexually victimized at least 11 young boys over the course of 30 years in a case that Sheriff Ted Sexton compared to that of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.
Former Alabama State Sen. Phil Poole and his brother, Bank of Moundville president Howell Poole, were charged with misdemeanor harassment after the two had a physical and verbal dispute in the parking lot at the Bank of Moundville.
A $2.4 million addition to the Maude L. Whatley Health Center was under construction; it would expand patient examination rooms and waiting rooms and allow the clinic to see more patients.
City Councilman Kip Tyner pleaded guilty to drug charges and would be enrolled in a yearlong pretrial diversion program, allowing him to keep his council seat. Once he completed the program, charges would be dropped.
Harrison David Swann was the first baby born in Tuscaloosa County for 2012. His parents, Jeff and Traci Swann, had lost their home in the April 27 tornado that hit Tuscaloosa.
The Crimson Tide football team traveled to New Orleans for the BCS National Championship Game against No. 1 LSU in the Superdome.
The Northport City Council and Mayor Bobby Herndon, along with Coker Mayor Marla Shaw, asked the state to conduct a traffic study and make safety changes to the intersection of U.S. Highway 82 and Sam Sutton Road after five people died in five months in wrecks at the intersection.
Deaths this week included David Turner Warner, son of former Gulf States Paper CEO Jack Warner, at 63.
Compiled by retired News librarian Betty Slowe.


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Sunday, January 28, 2007
Positive Cheetos Sign
I am not a policeman, so I don't care how much coke or meth or GHB or God knows what you ingested. Just tell me. Granted, I will do everything in my power not to let you drive and kill someone, let alone one of my family. I don't care how much alcohol you drink, cigs you smoke or bags of pork rinds you consumed on your 1800 cal ADA diet. Just tell me. It will most likely save a lot of consternation down the road.
There is also an honesty of omission as well. You don't have to tell me about the car wreck in 1994 when you got whiplash, which now causes you to walk funny leading to the pain in your hip which radiates directly to the doctor. I know none of this is true. You also don't need to tell me about your reflex sympathetic dystrophy flare up, total body pain, or acute exacerbation of fibromyalgia made worse by the chronic fatigue . These I don't need to know about.
Which brings me to the Cheetos. When you bring little Johnny or Samantha or some crazy made up name that even you can't spell, (really, this happened-a mom and dad brought their child in and we couldn't get the child in the computer because neither of these parental units took the time to learn how to spell the ten syllable three hyphen two accent mark name they had bestowed on this lamb they had brought into the world) don't tell me they haven't eaten anything or held down any liquids in 4-5 days. I may be slightly naive, but I can tell from the 20 lb diaper soaking with urine, extreme drool coming from the mouth, and fingers and hands covered with that oh so wonderful powdery cheezy goodness we all know as Cheetos residue, you are lying to me.
Hence, a positive Cheetos sign.
Nurse, discharge this one immediately.
4 comments:
I've recently come across your site and have been enjoying reading your posts. Each of you have, so poignantly, put into words the mixed array of sentiments I have of working in the ER. Thank you!ReplyDelete
This particular post has prompted me to comment on the stupid names people give their kids.
Here's another fine example of parental mental insufficiency... Called up to the triage desk a 12 yr old boy named 'Shithead'.
Double checked the printing on the chart... yep... read it correctly.
Call the name. No one responds. Triage another person before trying again.
Call it out louder this time"SHITHEAD!" Slowly and painfully... in a room full of people thinking they are the only one really dying at the moment... a mother and kid rise and come slowly to the desk.
No need to hurry, I suppose. Or perhaps it's payback for making them wait?
Mom asks, "Who were you calling?"
Triage RN says, "Shithead".
Mom gets pissed off and quite angrily states "it's not Shit-Head... it's Shi-theeeeed"
Gimmie a fuckin break! No wonder the kid got a shot to the head by some other kid.
Wonder if dad is Shithead Senior?
Cheers - and thanks for the stories!
The following are real names that have appeared on rosters in my father's classroom.ReplyDelete
A girl named Gonorrhea. (Don't worry, it was pronounce gah-NOR-ia.)
Female triples with the surname Bell: Independence, Liberty, Holly.
Also, a friend of mine worked for many years in an inner-city clinic in L&D. There was a name there which was very popular at the time and was bestowed on many children, girls and boys equally. She'd had no idea why it was so popular with the patients until one day she went to start an IV drip on a mother and looking up saw that it was the manufacturer of some of the medical products...
How come the same nurses who know a nurse who was working in the ER in LA when Richard Gere came in with a gerbil up his ass also seem to have had a patient named Shithead. And don't forget the twins Lemonjello and Orangejello.ReplyDelete
We've heard it all a few hundred times and I guess you can tell us the post turtle story now.
- Anonymous3:57 AM, March 02, 2010
I live near Philadelphia & the names I get to see & hear bring me laughing fits. While I am with pdx rn on the "Shithead" story, I did have the misfortune to be holed up in the acute ER while waiting for an "in house" bed & heard the clerical staff calling out "SHIT ONE!" Being snowed on Dilaudid & hearing that name put me into hysterical fits of giggling. The kid's name was Sh'twon (Shuh-twahn) & I have also come across many Aquanettas as well as other laughable names. I'm giggling now thinking of poor ol' Shitone. What ever happened to good ol' names like Mark, John, Luke, Danielle, Josephine, & Sara?ReplyDelete


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A Democratic state lawmaker on Monday said he wants to alter part of Gov. Jerry Brown's prison realignment law so serious drug pushers are sent to state prisons instead of county jails.
The bill by Assemblyman Ken Cooley of Sacramento would apply to those convicted of selling or transporting more than 2.2 pounds (or 1 kilogram) of heroin, cocaine or methamphetamine. It is one of numerous changes to the 2011 law proposed by lawmakers of both parties.
Cooley says about 40 such offenders have begun serving their sentences in county jails statewide since the realignment law championed by the Democratic governor took effect 18 months ago. Many are serving sentences of 10 years or longer.
As of last month, the California State Sheriffs' Association found that counties were housing more than 1,100 inmates serving sentences of five years or more in jails designed for stays of a year or less.
"These county jail facilities were not set up for long-term incarceration," Cooley said during a news conference at Sacramento County's Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center, about 25 miles south of Sacramento.
About 43 percent of the jail's 2,100 inmates are parole violators or convicts sent there because of realignment.
The law is sending thousands of so-called lower-level offenders to county jails as a way to comply with a federal court order to reduce the state prison population. Critics say it is burdening local jails and letting some hardened criminals walk free if there is no room for them.
Cooley and Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully, a Republican, said the law also has benefits, including the chance for offenders to participate in education and rehabilitation programs that are not available to them in prison.
Cooley and Scully said the goal of AB222 is to fix one part of the realignment law, not end it.
"There's a certain point where people need to be punished and their crimes need to be addressed at the state level," Scully said. County jails, she said, "aren't really able to handle that length of term, and it ends up taking away from people that actually will benefit from the services here."
Cooley is co-authoring another realignment change with a fellow Democrat, Assemblywoman Susan Eggman of Stockton. That bill, AB601, would require parole violators to be sent back to state prison for up to a year.
Under realignment, violators can be sentenced to up to six months in county jail, but many are released within days because of overcrowding.
Cooley said lawmakers should also consider sending other long-term inmates to prisons instead of jails, though he stopped short of the harsh criticism leveled by Republican lawmakers who have proposed their own changes.
Jeffrey Callison, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said in an email that the department and the administration do not generally comment on pending legislation.
"Any attempts to change realignment that would send more offenders to state prison must be reconciled with the federal court order to reduce prison crowding," he said.
The realignment law has reduced the population of the state's 33 adult prisons by about 25,000 inmates. Brown is fighting a court order that would require the state to reduce the population by about another 10,000 inmates by year's end.
California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, which represents criminal defense attorneys, said Cooley's bill would "chip away" at the state's effort to comply with the federal court ruling and improve conditions at state prisons.


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text:
The presence of a "literary giant" in the library often made the assistant library director nervous. His questions would typically run the gamut, covering topics ranging from old cars and baseball to scientific inquiries. Updike's "gentle, calm and unassuming" persona often calmed Langstaff in the end.
Self described teenage punk rocker Liz Coffey had a hairdo nobody could miss — including Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Updike.
Sometimes it was at the library and other times it was at the then-Christy's store on West Street in Beverly Farms. But the purple Mohawk on the 18-year-old sure always grabbed some attention. So much attention Updike eventually incorporated Coffey's hairstyle into a back-page essay for the New Yorker in 1992.
It was such modest, yet memorable, connections that illustrate the world-renowned author's ties to Beverly, his hometown for the last 27 years of his life.Updike didn't flaunt his celebrity.
Rather he passed through town, observing, donating and leaving signed copies of his books at the Bookshop at Beverly Farms — a literary god who actually did answer his letters.
The Pennsylvania native graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University in 1954 and soon afterward moved to Ipswich. In 1982 he moved to Beverly Farms, where lived in a home off Hale Street until his death on Tuesday from lung cancer at age 76.
In November he returned from a trip to the West Coast and his health deteriorated quickly. He died at the Hospice of the North Shore in Danvers.
Updike was showered with nearly all of the literary honors that could be bestowed on an author, including the Pulitzer Prize, American Book Award and National Book Critics Circle fiction award for "Rabbit Is Rich" and another Pulitzer Prize for "Rabbit at Rest."
When Coffey heard about Updike's death it came via a communication tool Updike had not heard of when he began writing more than 50 years ago but may have eventually been incorporated into one of his novels — the social networking Web site Facebook.
A childhood friend from Beverly High School posted a message on Coffey's Facebook page saying, "Didn't he write about you?"And indeed he did.
But after Coffey was mentioned — by describing her hair as a cerise Mohawk but not naming her — in an essay titled "Hostile haircuts," Coffey said not much changed when she would see him at either the store or the library, where she worked as a page. She continued to dress with distinctive jewelry and glasses and wear "crazy homemade clothes."
"I don't think our relationship changed," said Coffey, who now works as an archivist at the Harvard Film Archive "We are both shy, I think."
She did keep a copy of the essay behind the counter at Christy's and when he came in next she had him autograph it.
Down the street from his home at the Bookshop at Beverly Farms, Updike was a regular patron, said co-owner Pam Price.
The bookshop's orders would often catch the attention of his publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, Price said. While the shop would often order two or three copies of most titles it would often order 100 copies of an Updike novel."The publisher always got a kick out of that," she said.
Updike's presence in the store was never a big deal. He would never hold official book signing events. Instead, "He would quietly sign them in the back room and leave it for customers," Price said.
One of Price's last memories of Updike in the store was when he stopped by with a box full of autographed copies of "Widows of Eastwick," his most recent novel."He had some extra copies and carried them in," Price said.
Updike also visited the Beverly Public Library at least once a month.
Assistant Director Langstaff recalls calling him in 1996, asking if he would take part in a fundraiser to collect money to furnish the recently completed library addition. He packed the Briscoe Middle School auditorium.
"People came from far and wide to hear him," Langstaff recalled. "I had never seen anything like it for an author."
Langstaff said Updike was "very generous" in supporting the library and had donated signed books for fundraising efforts for the Farms branch renovation and the purchase of a new bookmobile."He was a big supporter of the library in a quiet way," she said.
The presence of a "literary giant" in the library often made Langstaff nervous, she said. His questions would typically run the gamut, covering topics ranging from old cars and baseball to scientific inquiries. Updike's "gentle, calm and unassuming" persona often calmed Langstaff in the end.
Updike's final book, a collection of short stories titled "My Father's Tears and Other Stories," is scheduled to go on sale in June.
Beverly Citizen


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The criminal case against former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort is moving ahead. A federal judge today refused to dismiss charges brought against Manafort by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Manafort claimed that Mueller had exceeded his prosecutorial powers by bringing charges of money laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent against him. U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson rejected the argument, ruling Mueller's case against Manafort is not overly broad and falls within the authority granted to him by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
Photo: Getty


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Companies that stage Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata," one of the most performed operas in the world, face an important choice for act two, scene two of the show:
To slap, or not to slap?
The matter arises during one of the most dramatic moments in the score, when the lead tenor role prompts the chorus' — and his father's — rage by disrespectfully tossing a wad of cash at the feet of courtesan Violetta Valéry.
For the Bronx Opera Company's upcoming performance of the Italian classic, director Rod Gomez decided to have the father administer a forceful, open-handed blow to the left cheek of his impudent son as an indignant song by the chorus finishes. While the slap is not actually in Verdi's score, directors have felt free to include or forego the gesture over the years.
Mr. Gomez instructed tenor David Guzman, who will play the son on Sunday, May 18, at Hofstra University's John Cranford Adams Playhouse, on the scene during notes at an April 25 rehearsal.
"It's not 'A History of Violence,'" Mr. Gomez said. "He's your father — and he's slapped you! When you come and he stops you, struggle has to happen."
The back-story, as opera lovers know, is that the respectable young bourgeois Alfredo Guzmant has fallen for a famous courtesan. Several arias later, they are living together outside of Paris, but then social mores in the form of M. Guzmant's father Giorgio tell Mlle. Valéry to end the relationship. She reluctantly goes along with the command, but due to a miscommunication at a party, Alfredo delivers the insult, which, Mr. Gomez thinks, would have drawn a slap from Giorgio.
Between songs at a recent rehearsal, several performers shared how the scene plays out from their points of view.
"Right before the slap part, he's just thrown the money," said baritone Andrew Oakden, who plays the father. "That's when everything explodes. The whole chorus starts going off on him. This huge frenzy keeps building and building and building, and then it's just dead silence."
"I am calling everybody to let them know I'm paying her," Mr. Guzman said of his character Alfredo's actions.
"Which is so horrible for me to experience, because I know that what we had is actually real," interjected soprano Jennifer Moore, who plays the courtesan.


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Make the most out of your vegetables using the proper trellises
Trellises and cages are common plant supports used in vegetable gardens. Many varieties of peas and beans need something to climb, and vine crops such as squash, melons, and cucumbers can produce straighter, cleaner fruit if grown on a trellis.
Many tomato varieties are "indeterminate," that is, they will continue to grow all season long, sprawling along the ground, unless supported and contained. Even determinate varieties, which reach a certain height and stop growing, benefit from being staked or caged, as their fruits are cleaner and less likely to rot or be slug-eaten, and the plants may be more free of disease.
Trellises for vine crops
Gardeners with small garden plots may bypass crops that need lots of space, planting short-vined or "bush" varieties of melons, squash, and cucumbers. However, many long-vined varieties can be successfully grown in small spaces if they're trained to grow on trellises. Varieties with fruit no larger than a cucumber, small melon, or small winter squash, up to about three pounds, work best.
Trellises can be made from a wide variety of materials. They generally consist of two vertical supports with a mesh suspended between them to provide support for climbing plants. Metal or wooden stakes should be pounded into the ground deeply enough that the trellis doesn't tip over in a strong wind. A six-foot stake pounded a foot into the ground will leave five feet of trellis area.
There will be a limit to how much trellised plant matter a pair of stakes can support, depending on the species grown, the vigor of the vines, the type of stakes and how deeply they are set in the ground. Try five or six feet between stakes. For a wider trellis, use three stakes, dividing up the width into two parts with a stake in the middle.
There are many materials that can be used as trellis netting or mesh. Newer products made of plastic are widely available, as are traditional materials such as chicken wire and galvanized fencing. Choose a heavier mesh for larger-fruited and more vigorous crops. Attach the trellis to the supports with nails, staples, plastic locking ties, or lengths of wire.
Plant the vines at the foot of the trellis at the same spacing between the seeds or transplants as if they were going to grow on the ground. Train the vines as they lengthen by weaving the growing tips gently between the openings in the mesh every few days.
A problem for gardeners growing melons on a trellis is that many melons "slip" from the vine when ripe, and may fall to the ground prematurely. To prevent this, make hammocks or slings to support the developing fruit. Use strips of cloth several inches wide. The length of the cloth strips depends on the fruit size. Tie each end of the cloth to the wire loosely enough to allow the middle portion to form a sling. Set the fruit in the sling.
Cucumbers and small squash, such as delicata or acorn, do not slip from the vine, so they don't need to be supported. Check vine crops frequently to ensure developing fruits don't become wedged between the mesh wires. Larger squash and pumpkins are too heavy to trellis and should be grown on the ground.
Beans and peas, too, can be grown on a trellis. While some beans are bush types, and some pea varieties are short-statured, others produce long vines that must have a support. A simple trellis of lightweight netting will give adequate support, or attach sturdy wire between the two stakes at top and bottom, then zig-zag twine between the upper and lower wire, so that the vines can twine up these vertical cords. Untreated sisal, cotton, or hemp twine has the advantage of being compostable along with the vines once they are done bearing.
Some gardeners place trellises at an angle to absorb maximum sunlight, and so that fruit hangs freely from the lower side of the trellis for easier harvest. To try this, set the stakes in the ground so that the trellis will face south, and will lean over the soil just north of it. Experiment with engineering this trellis. It may require extra support stakes, depending on how far it is angled.Â
Tomato cages
Commercially available conical metal tomato cages are not always up to the task of supporting and containing sprawling tomato plants. Determinate varieties such as 'Roma,' which reach a certain size and stop growing, can usually get enough support from these cages. But typically, indeterminate tomato plants grow taller than the cages, and their branches are often long enough to grow outside of the cage and rest their fruit on the ground.
There are many other ways of dealing with the rampant growth habit of tomato plants. Some gardeners leave four or more feet between plants in all directions, mulch heavily with clean straw, and allow the plants to sprawl. Although this method is easy, each plant takes up much more space than it would otherwise, and the fruits are more vulnerable to slugs and rot than they would be if supported.
A simple wooden stake can be an adequate support, if the plant is pruned and tied up to it, as long as it is pounded deeply into the ground. Pruning axillary shoots reduces excessive foliage and thus reduces disease incidence, and also causes fruit to ripen earlier. This system has the advantage of being inexpensive.
Garden supply manufacturers have recently introduced a number of new tomato support systems. Heavier-duty square tomato cages are taller than the old-style conical cage, and they fold flat for storage. Sturdy metal spirals support the main stem of the plant, allowing the branches to extend and droop. Plants grown on spirals, like plants grown on a stake, may need to be pruned and tied to the support. A new plastic coil is intended to be fastened to the top of a tall stake, allowing the tomato plant to grow up along the stake with its branches supported. These items should work better than the traditional conical wire cage, and will be simpler to store.
For gardeners who want to make an excellent tomato support device, cement reinforcing mesh is the best material. Four-foot wide reinforcing mesh makes great tomato cages because of its strength and large four-inch square holes. This mesh is very stiff and difficult to work with. You need heavy-duty wire cutters or bolt cutters to cut it. Wear gloves, a long sleeve shirt and long pants to prevent scratches. Eye protection should also be worn. Cutting the roll of wire at 56 to 60 inches will yield a cage about 18 inches in diameter. Form cages by wiring the cut edges together with lengths of lighter wire, or use pliers to form hooks from the horizontal wires and hook them onto the vertical wire on the other side. These cages will last for many years.
Place any supports when the tomato plants are still young and small, ideally at planting time. The plants will soon grow large enough to use the support. Secure home-made cages in place by sinking two stakes on opposite sides inside the cages.
When using any of these devices, check the plants frequently and guide their growth so that they get the most support.
Jill MacKenzie, Former Extension Specialist, Horticulture
University of Minnesota.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard garden/vegetables/trellises-and-cages/


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text:
Homeschooling can seem like a daunting task. With some helpful resources, great support, and good information, it can become an exciting and rewarding journey for your family. We've put together the best information and resources on homeschooling in Ohio into one website to allow you to find what you need. Whether you are looking for information on unschooling, searching for a support group, seeking local resources and information, or just needing a little motivation, we've got it all and much, much more!
Getting Started Why Homeschool? Where to Begin Legal/Homeschool Laws History of Homeschooling
How to Homeschool Methods Curricula Teaching Aids Testing Online Resources
Beyond the Basics Real Life Homeschooling Making It Fun Practical Homeschooling High School Colleges & Careers
Support Events Local & State Resources Publications Humor
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Copyright 2003-2014 HomeschoolinginAmerica.com


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I learned the other day that the incredible Fung Wah bus company was shut down by the FEDS the other day for being the sketchiest busing business in the modern part of the world. Their business tactics are very crude and they've been involved in multiple deaths over the years. The FEDS asked for their safety records and FUNG WAH apparently refused. I used to ride this bus back in the day and it was the cheapest way to back and fourth from Boston to NY and for a measly 20 bucks round trips you couldn't lose, unless of course you didn't make the whole trip which was always a possibility. But I'm sad to see it go and I'll miss the days of shoving people to get aboard the FUNG WAH before all the seats were taken.
from boston.com
Federal authorities have revoked the operating authority of Fung Wah, effectively shutting down the discount bus line after the company blocked access to its safety records.
The Boston-based carrier, which pioneered low fares to New York, was forced to stop running out of South Station Tuesday night after state inspections revealed substantial cracks in the frames of many of its vehicles. The federal order prevents Fung Wah from moving to another location and leasing buses from another company.
Fung Wah stopped cooperating with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Friday, federal officials said, and the agency immediately halted the company's operations. It is the first time the Motor Carrier Safety Administration has exercised this authority, provided by a new law that allows the agency to revoke the operating authority of bus companies that refuses to release safety records.
"We will not hesitate to immediately shut down a bus or truck company that ignores safety regulations and puts innocent lives at risk," agency administrator Anne Ferro said in a statement. "We will employ every tool we have to take unsafe commercial drivers, vehicles and entire companies off the road anywhere in the county at any time."
Fung Wah declined to comment.
The state Department of Public Utilities conducted several inspections of Fung Wah buses in February, finding problems including cracks in the drive axle and engine cradle in eight of the nine buses it inspected. Last week, the state asked Fung Wah to take all its buses built before 2005 off the road — 21 out of its total fleet of 28 — and asked federal authorities to shut down the bus line.
On Tuesday, the Motor Carrier Safety Administration ordered Fung Wah to stop operating its entire fleet until the buses could be inspected and repaired. The bus company continued to operate using charter buses until the managers at South Station Bus Terminal ordered Fung Wah to halt all operations later that day.
If the bus line opens up its safety records, submits to a full compliance review, and presents a corrective action plan, it could seek reinstatement, federal authorities said.
The DPU supports the shut down Fung Wah, said spokeswoman Mary-Leah Assad.
"The department will continue conducting thorough inspections of all bus lines to ensure that public safety is protected, and continue to cooperate with the federal investigation into Fung Wah," she said in a statement.
Fung Wah has a history of crashes and other safety violations. In the past two years, it has been cited for 159 maintenance violations, including 23 instances of cracked, loose, or broken frames, according to federal regulators. Its drivers are ranked in the bottom 3 percent of drivers nationwide based on experience and training, and its unsafe driving rating is below the industry standard.
Drivers have racked up a dozen speeding violations in the past two years and been cited six times for failure to speak English or operating without a commercial driver's license, according to federal regulators.


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Liesel (breathless): Hi, so sorry I'm late. I won't name any names, but someone let the air out of my tires this morning.
I tried getting him to write my story, but he named me Carrie and twisted everything around until it wasn't my story at all. So then I tried getting other authors to write my story, but everyone was too busy writing other stuff. You were actually my last pick.
Roxanne in La La Land is now available on the Kindle and the Nook for $3.99. The print copy sells for $14.95 and can be pre-ordered at the publisher's website. Get yours today!


text:
Friday, April 24, 2009
We're all losers in the long, slow, sad battle of Canada's media companies
The notion that we - like thousands of other Jays fans - will likely not be able to see those games frustrates us immensely. But at the same time, we wonder how much energy we have to engage in what is surely to be an almost pointless exercise in trying to convince these two media monoliths to give an inch in what seems to be an intractable battle over the sports media landscape.
A few points for the sake of context. TSN gets the highest subscription fees of any Canadian cable channel, meaning that the network has an institutionalized advantage over Sportsnet or the Score when it comes to acquiring content. A few years back, Rogers and Headline Sports both went to the CRTC to ask for significantly larger fees, in part because they saw the way that TSN was bidding up the rights to properties beyond what was rational. They received a very modest increase, but nothing near what they had asked for and certainly not enough to play the money game with TSN.
Before the introduction of the "alternate feed", TSN would timeshift programs that they couldn't fit into their schedule into the wee hours of the morning, usually resulting in a handful of pissed off tennis or Formula 1 fans. It wasn't a great move for the viewers, but in a battle such as this, the execs and programmers generally look at the audience as a secondary concern. (At their peril, but we'll come back to that.)
Now that TSN has evolved from having an occasional alternate feed to a full blown second channel, they are certain to use their institutionalized financial might to bid up the rights to any and all sports properties that they want, regardless of whether or not if they can fit them into their schedule. Think of TSN as the Yankees, having more money to spend and using it to their competitive advantage.
It seems as though Rogers' tactic at this point is to squeeze off access to theis channel from their significant subscriber base, thus minimizing the impact of the second TSN channel on their four allegedly regional sports networks. The thinking seems to be that if they let the second feed wither on the vine, then it will eventually go away. The thing is, TSN2 won't go away. CTVglobemedia is willing to engage in a battle of attrition over this incredibly valuable property, and they have the resources and the will to go to the wall for this.
With this latest salvo between the companies, we can just imagine how pleased the TSN-types are with themselves at having the opportunity to really stick it to Rogers. Acquiring a Rogers property and airing it on a channel that Rogers refuses to make room for has probably resulted in all sorts of giggling and backslaps and attaboys, much in the way that they gloated like shit-eating frat boys at their pointless and petty acquisition of the Hockey Song away from the bumbling navel gazers at CBC.
With apologies to Raptors fans, the acquisition of the Blue Jays games for TSN2 will likely prove to be the true test of this rivalry. Jays games traditionally bring in more than 300,000 viewers on TSN and around 250,000 on Sportsnet, numbers that dwarf the basketball numbers. The question is: How much damage is one part of Rogers (the BDU or cable guys) willing to do to another part of the company (the Blue Jays) in order to maintain their position in an ultimately unwinnable war?
(And following up on that thought: What is going on with the Blue Jays in relation to their corporate parents when they are willing to sell the rights to these games to a competitor who will use the games to rachet up pressure on the Rogers Cable unit to give in on their resistance to carrying this channel? Are the Blue Jays going out on a limb here?)
Our hope is that Rogers and CTV come to their senses and sort these issues out, because the longer that they allow this sort of tomfoolery to go on, the more likely it is that you will Canadian sports fans stepping around the regulated broadcasting system and finding the games that they want to see on internet streams in the unregulated universe. And they might want to ask someone in the music business how easy it is to get those customers back once they leave.
The longer this battle goes on, the more likely that any victory gained between these two companies will ultimately prove to be a pyrrhic one. So really guys: Smarten the fuck up.
25 comments:
Fuck off Sti........... Rogers
- April 24, 2009 at 10:49 AM
- Tao of Stieb said...
A pox on both their houses.
- April 24, 2009 at 11:03 AM
- Navin Vaswani (@eyebleaf) said...
It's bullshit, plain and simple, but much like you say Tao, I just don't have the energy to go ape shit about it.
I'm more than content to grab a beer, turn on the radio, and have Jerry Howarth, Alan Ashby and Mike Wilner whisper sweet nothings into my ears as the Jays demolish those mother fuckers from Boston.
- April 24, 2009 at 11:05 AM
- Tao of Stieb said...
Yeah, the radio is always an option. We listen to it most nights, with the game on the tube in case something big happens. Looks like we'll just have to use our imagination for the BoSox series.
- April 24, 2009 at 11:10 AM
- Izmir the Astarach said...
I will have to see if I can figure a way to proxy through to MLB.TV.
- April 24, 2009 at 11:15 AM
- Darren Priest said...
Once the HNIC theme moved to TSN, it lost almost all of its nostalgic power for me. It was a relic of an earlier age of broadcasting and lost all its power in the presence of James Duthie.
- April 24, 2009 at 11:23 AM
- Unknown said...
It's no coincidence that Rogers' is the only provider to not carry TSN2, and they are TSN's largest competitor.
What's funny is that my provider (Cogeco) put TSN2 on my list of channels at no additional cost.
The other solution for those in TO with Rogers:
- April 24, 2009 at 11:55 AM
- Tao of Stieb said...
The TSN2 games are in Boston. (May 19, 20, 21).
And Cogeco put TSN2 on your dial presumably because it is part of a tier, not out of the goodness of their hearts.
- April 24, 2009 at 12:01 PM
The blue jays are force to sell some games to ctvglobemedia in order to avoid issues with the competition bureau. I don't know the specific details but that's what I heard.
- April 24, 2009 at 12:09 PM
- Unknown said...
Well colour me embarrassed... :)
Regardless of whether or not TSN2 is tiered, at least they provided me with an option to get the service, and pay extra for it if I so desired (which I am not).
The tier TSN2 is included in was something I was already paying for (Includes things like Raptors TV, ESPN Classic, The various Sportsnet "Regional Channels", etc), and there was no additional fee for tacking TSN2 on.
- April 24, 2009 at 1:16 PM
- Tao of Stieb said...
Yeah, we're on Rogers, and there are all sorts of new surprises that we find added to our lineup.
Like CBS College Sports, which we probably don't need, but what the hey. And they've been showing a ton of College Baseball, which is cool. PING!
- April 24, 2009 at 1:27 PM
- Tao of Stieb said...
I think you heard wrong. The Competition Bureau doesn't usually get involved with that sort of thing, unless one company is selling or acquiring another company.
Besides, they sold 5 extra games on top of the 20 that had already gone to TSN. Somehow, we don't see those five games making that big a difference in the eyes of the Competition Bureau, nor would they care.
- April 24, 2009 at 1:33 PM
I'm not saying it was directly involved but that it's a preventative measure.
- April 24, 2009 at 2:13 PM
- Stoeten said...
Tao really knows his shit when it comes to this. Great post. But wait... so you're saying this is the Jays acting alone against Rogers' interests?
Also... come on people. Don't make me spell it out... but... a little Googling and you won't take long to find free sports streams.
- April 24, 2009 at 3:19 PM
My theory on this, and it's just a theory, is that a Rogers-TSN2 deal is probably imminent and this move is a sign of that. I could be wrong, though. I often am.
- April 24, 2009 at 3:23 PM
- Tao of Stieb said...
Thinking you may be right, or at least the theory is sound. There is something that just seems really odd about this otherwise, with one part of Rogers undermining the other.
Unless this is all part of a larger Blairsian conspiracy theory involving Beeston and MLSE and whoever else.
Not saying that the Jays are acting on their own...but if you hold this up to the light in a certain way, it seems peculiar.
We just keep thinking of Beeston making these claims that the team has to make a go of it independent of any promotional value they have for Rogers...I dunno. It just seems strange, but then again, it's just five games.
- April 24, 2009 at 3:36 PM
Rogers applied for a baseball only channel over a year ago? Would anyone know the info on that, how that affects whats happening here, and when we could expect that, if ever?
- April 24, 2009 at 4:53 PM
- Stoeten said...
Zelkovich is saying the same thing as Scott, I notice.
- April 24, 2009 at 4:56 PM
- Unknown said...
I posted something similar over at Ghostrunner on First, and I am pretty sure it is the same thing as Scott and Zelkovich are saying, but I just thought I would say my $0.02
I think that this particular move is part of some bigger play by Rogers as a whole to move to get TSN2 on to their cable division.
Think about it... People at the top for Rogers must have been in negotiations with CTV for months to get TSN2 onto cable and by all accounts, it doesn't seem like it would happen any time soon. That said, what if Rogers offered them a series like Boston to sweeten the deal and try to drop the price to get TSN2 to the masses on Rogers Cable.
Nothing is ever free, and by the looks of things, Rogers is (potentially) trying to make some headway to try and get us all TSN2. Having talked to numerous people who work for Cable, I know that money has been the biggest issue in the negotiations, and my guess is that by this point they are just trying to make some concessions in order to try and make sure that they can no longer have TSN2 held over their heads by everyone else out there.
- April 24, 2009 at 8:51 PM
Why is Rogers not showing their own product on all their channels? Why do they purchase games to compete in the same timeslot as the Blue Jays? As I'm sitting here, I've got a freaking Yankees/Red Sox game on the central feed, making it the third time this week they've purposely not shown a Blue Jays game to Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Where's the logic there?
And Stoeten, my 56" Samsung 1080p laughs at your jumpy feed on the computer monitor. No thanks!
- April 24, 2009 at 9:36 PM
- VDUB said...
They had to do it with the Red Sox series, damn Rogers!
- April 24, 2009 at 10:28 PM
" CTVglobemedia is willing to engage in a battle of attrition over this incredibly valuable property, and they have the resources and the will to go to the wall for this."
Thats not true! If CTV has unlimtied funds then why did they cancel Canadian Idol and Corner Gas... Rogers knows this... TSN2 lost a ton of money on the Raptors, and they will continue to lose money by broadcasting Jays games...
Will the station just go away? No... But it doesn't cost Rogers anything by waiting this out, because there are little options for most of Toronto; due to the fact that maybe half the city is in a situation where they can get a dish, and maybe 1/20th of the city actually is that passionate about the Raptors and the Jays...
So TSN2, go for it....
Your decision doesn't make me want to get a Bell dish... It makes me want to get an illegal American dish.. Which I probably will look into today on craigslist!
- April 25, 2009 at 12:19 PM
- Jason said...
Does anyone else think this may be connected to the absence of RDS HD on Rogers Cable? It's another CTVglobemedia property.
- April 26, 2009 at 12:21 AM
- rsm said...
Just join the 21st century and get a freakin satellite dish. Problem solved.
- April 26, 2009 at 7:08 PM
Sorry man, but the minute you portrayed the Rogers Empire as a "have not" versus the BCE Empire, you lost me.
Rogers could bid up the rights as much as Bell can if you look at the big picture. The only reason Bell's doing it is to increase its revenues. Rogers could do the same thing for the same reason.
In this economy, companies don't engage in pissing matches. They try to pare down to the bare essentials and proven winners. Bell has a business analyst on staff who happened to prove that the Jays series was worth the cost. Plain and simple. That's all that's going on here. If it happened to embarass Rogers in the process, that's just an added bonus.
- April 27, 2009 at 9:33 AM


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Horse rugs are used to keep your horse protected from the elements. We've a huge selection of quality turnout, stable and cooler rugs from quality brands such as Horseware, Masta, Weatherbeeta and Bucas.
From Spring right through to Winter, we always have excellent stock available of popular sizes in horse rugs. We strive to provide the best quality horse rugs at great value prices, ensuring your horse is warm and dry season after season, year after year.
At Old Mill Saddlery our team are all horse owners, and so ensure that all horse clothing and equipment is durable and fit for purpose. If you have any queries please get in touch, our team will be happy to provide honest, knowledgeable advice.
Shop with us now and we can deliver your order worldwide.


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Mama Joan sent me one of her beautiful mesh bags and I just love it! How pretty is this? Thanks so much Joan. I'm taking it to stitch group today and show the girls!
Every Tuesday six of us get together to stitch. We take turns hosting each week. The hostess provides the beverage (all of seem to drink diet pepsi), munchies and dessert. We even tend to try to make doctor, dental, etc, appointments around our stitch group time! So you can tell we have a great time and look forward to Tuesdays.
I plan to put the finishing touches on two gifts today and get them mailed tomorrow so I should have pics early next week.
Well, thanks for visiting and have a great week.
Wendy Jo
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
A Lovely Mesh Bag
Mama Joan sent me one of her beautiful mesh bags and I just love it! How pretty is this? Thanks so much Joan. I'm taking it to stitch group today and show the girls!
Posted by WendyJo at 6:06 AM 6 comments
Sunday, November 21, 2010
A Gift Received and A Gift Sent
I received a lovely surprise package in the mail on Friday from Staci and teared up! I definitely needed "a little hug". Thank you Staci for your friendship. You are a kind, thoughtful, and a very special friend to me. Thanks for "being there" it means A LOT!
My friend, Pam (no blog), had a birthday last week so I stitched her a freebie design by My Big Toe designs and finished it into a pinkeep. She e-mailed me that she loves it and I am so happy. See you soon Pam!
I am off to sit and stitch. I am working on some gifts. I can't believe next month is Christmas! Gosh…I can't believe Thursday is Thanksgiving!
Hope everyone has some time to sit with their needle and thread.
Thanks for visiting. Happy stitching.
Wendy Jo
Posted by WendyJo at 12:30 PM 4 comments


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Solid wood flooring, along with engineered wood flooring is one of the most sought after flooring solutions today. Recognised for its naturalness and its character, there is no getting away from the fact that solid wood is considered by most to be the real deal. That said, thanks to its make up, it is virtually impossible to tell the difference between solid wood flooring and engineered wood flooring.
Considered by many to be an investment, solid wood flooring is a warm and flexible flooring solution for your home.Natural grade solid wood flooring is one of the mid-ranges of the different grades of solid wood flooring.
Showing a variety of knots, some large and some small, it is reasonable to expect natural grade solid wood flooring to have quite significant colour variations across its surface. What's more there is likely to be some sapwood evidence in the planks.Made from ABCD grade timber, natural grade solid wood flooring is the ideal flooring solution to add character to either modern or traditional interiors. No matter which finish or colour you choose, natural grade solid wood flooring will enhance the look and feel of your room. What's more, with a range of fitting options, you shouldn't have any issues when it comes to installation.


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PARIS (AP) — French President Francois Hollande may have finally found a way to tax the really rich: by making their companies pay.
In a televised interview Thursday night, he said he wants companies that pay their employees more than 1 million euros ($1.3 million) to pay 75 percent payroll taxes on those salaries.
The proposed tax, which still needs to be approved by parliament, replaces one of Hollande's signature campaign proposals: to tax individuals who earns more than 1 million euros at 75 percent. France's highest court has thrown out that plan and the government has been looking for a replacement.
Hollande said he hoped the new proposal would push companies to lower executive pay at a time when France's economy is suffering, unemployment is soaring and employees are being asked to take pay cuts.
While the president reiterated his goal of stopping the rise of unemployment this year and restarting growth, he offered no specific new economic policies.
"The tools are there. We need to use them fully," he said on France-2 television.
The new payroll tax would last only two years. On the highest salaries, companies already pay payroll taxes that add up to at least 50 percent of the paycheck.
"What's my idea? It's not to punish," Hollande said. "When so much is asked of employees, can those who are the highest-paid not make this effort for two years?"
Hollande's original plan for a 75 percent tax on individuals was also conceived as a largely symbolic measure. It was likely to have brought in only about 100 million to 300 million euros — an insignificant amount in the context of France's roughly 85 billion-euro deficit.
As Hollande's popularity slides, he has struggled to convince the French that he is doing enough to boost growth — or to redistribute wealth, as his leftist base wants. Going after high-earners may be an easy win for him with voters.
French growth has been stagnant for nearly two years, and unemployment has been rising for 19 straight months and is now at 10.6 percent — a level not seen since 1999. Consumer confidence slipped again in March after briefly starting to rise earlier this year. The national statistics agency, Insee, found this month that the French are more pessimistic about the economy's prospects for the coming year than they have ever been. (The survey was first taken in 1972.)
But some may wonder if adding another tax on companies as he is trying to encourage growth is the right message to be sending.
Despite the poor economy, Hollande has avoided imposing the deep spending cuts that other European countries like Greece and Spain have imposed. And he said again Thursday that he would not go down that path — even though France will miss its deficit target of 3 percent of gross domestic product this year.
"Prolonging austerity will risk not reducing the deficits and bring the certainty of having unpopular governments that populists will eat alive," he said.
France has largely avoided the unrest seen in European countries that are experiencing deep recessions, but the layoffs are piling up and have spawned some protests. On Thursday, around 100 workers from a factory that carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen wants to close stormed the offices of France's leading business lobby, Medef. Police said dozens were arrested.


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Tree Pruning Georges Heights
Trees add to the beauty and greenery on your property, provide shade and help cool the temperature. Aside from this, they breathe out oxygen into the air which makes the air in your immediate vicinity fresher as well. It's rare to find a property owner that would want to cut down the trees on their property, but trees can sometimes become problematic and pruning becomes necessary to keep their growth in check. This is when you start looking for tree pruning companies in your local area.
When you are looking for a tree pruning service Georges Heights, you need to be assured that the company you hire would be able to handle the job safely and efficiently. We at North Beaches Tree and Garden Services have been operating in this space for over 15 years and cater to both residential and commercial customers. We are highly committed to our work and focus on providing our clients value for money with our custom, tree pruning and removal service in Georges Heights.
What is Tree Pruning?
Tree pruning Georges Heights is the planned and methodical cutting of different portions of the foliage and branches of a tree. There are a number of aspects to tree pruning such as:
- Crown thinning services- The secondary branches of the tree are removed and the foliage is thinned down by about 10%. This allows more light and air to the spaces around the tree and offers a better view as well.
- Selective Pruning- There are times when certain branches grow in a way that they cause a problem; they may be growing just above your driveway and provide the perfect place for birds to perch above your parked car. At times, overgrown branches tap against windows which can become an annoyance and provide entry to pests, through the windows as well. Selective pruning is the ideal option to safely remove these problematic branches without damaging the tree's structure.
- Dead wooding- This involves the removal of all the dead branches and prevents these branches from falling down in windy weather. We use this technique to remove the smaller branches that regularly fall from trees. This reduces the chances of damage to your property as well the frequency of the twigs and branches littering the outdoor spaces of your property.
- Crown Lifting- In this technique, the lowest branches of the trees are pruned. This helps improve clearance for spaces where you need better access from the lower branches that may be obstructing your driveway, pathway or any other area of your yard or landscape.
Aside from this, we also use the latest tools and techniques to handle palm pruning, line clearance, formative pruning and remedial pruning. Regular pruning helps maintain the health of your trees and improves the appearance and value of your property as well.
We have created a distinct niche for ourselves and provide excellent, safe and affordable tree pruning service Georges Heights. For any more information feel free to call North Beaches Tree and Garden Services on 0425 804 830. You can also request for a FREE no-obligation quote via this form or even send us any queries you may have.
Tree Services
At Northern Beaches Tree & Garden Services, all our arborists are fully qualified and capable of undertaking the highest standard of arboricultural services.Read More
Gardening and Landscaping
Northern Beaches Tree & Garden Services offers complete gardening services in the Sydney area, Northern Beaches and North Shore in particular.Read More
Turf Laying
Northern Beaches Tree & Garden Services provides high quality turf laying services that will transform your exterior into an aesthetically pleasing space.Read More
24/7 Emergency Services
Emergency tree removal services and emergency tree services in general can also serve as a preventive method of securing the safety of your house.Read More


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For a 19th year, young dancers are spending two weeks at Hope College advancing their artistic talent through the International Summer School of the Cecchetti Council of America.
The summer school will culminate with two concerts on Saturday, July 20, at 10:30 a.m. and noon at the Knickerbocker Theatre, located in downtown Holland at 86 E. Eighth St. The public is invited to the concerts, and admission is free.
The students arrived on Sunday, July 7, for a program that is running through July 20 at multiple locations on campus as well as at the Holland Area Arts Council.
About 220 dance students, instructors and artists are participating in the summer school. The students, ranging in age from 11 to 18, come from throughout the United States. The faculty consists of prominent ballet professionals.
The Cecchetti Council of America is dedicated to maintaining the standards and method of ballet training established by Enrico Cecchetti, who lived from 1850 to 1928. The organization uses his teaching and writings in a sequence of grades, measured by degree of difficulty and physical development, and provides a system of accredited examinations to test each student's proficiency within the grade levels. The council began in 1939 as a committee of the Dance Masters of Michigan, and was incorporated as a nonprofit educational association in 1951.
The summer school's curriculum includes ballet technique, men's class, variations, jazz, pointe, pas de deux, character, modern, Flamenco, Pilates mat and yoga, with lecture topics including dance history, nutrition, and injury prevention and care. The students' daily activities include two ballet technique classes, one dance-related class and one performance-related rehearsal. The summer school has been held at Hope since 1995.


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Argument preview: Court to construe "except†clause of Section 924(c)
On Monday, in Abbott v. United States and Gould v. United States, the Court will consider whether two defendants were improperly sentenced to consecutive five-year prison terms under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) when they were subject to a greater minimum sentence on a different count of conviction. Professor Brooks Holland of Gonzaga University School of Law previews the case for the American Bar Association's PREVIEW of U.S. Supreme Court Cases; the ABA has generously agreed to share some of its previews "" which are authored by practitioners and scholars in the field "" with SCOTUSblog. You can read Professor Holland's preview here; PREVIEW's website is here.


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Maureen Sentman
Class of 2010
Major/Minor: Politcial Science/English
In four years at Washington College, Maureen Sentman '10 experienced all the benefits of a liberal arts education. A Political Science major and English minor, Maureen honed her skills in video editing, participated in a summer field school for archaeology, interned at the College's Center for Environment & Society, and traveled to the Lake District of England to study Romantic poets at Kiplin Hall—among other things.
"That's the great thing about this school—you have so much freedom to pursue what you want. When you put blinders up and only focus on one thing, you can't learn as much as you want to. Universities don't teach you that," Maureen said.
As a freshman, she produced a documentary about sprawl on the Eastern Shore, an issue important to Maureen and her family.
"I hated video at first. It's so tedious! You spend at least three minutes to get a three-second clip, and you might have hours of footage! But it's worth it, because the final product is so accessible," she said.
Maureen's documentary went viral online and was picked up by regional nonprofits. It also helped her land an internship with the CES.
"I made videos advertising the College's George Goes Green campaign. I tried to include more personal perspectives, to put it in context and make it more relevant to students instead of just saying 'recycle,'" she said.
Maureen's involvement with environmental issues continued when she participated in the summer archaeology field school.
"I was fascinated with the history and society of the Eastern Shore. We traveled everywhere, and I became really interested in the science of it," she said.
Despite her passion for sustainability and conservation, Maureen declared a Political Science major with an English minor.
"I'm a book kid at heart. I was happier in my English and Poli Sci classes because I could tell more of the story—but in both concentrations, I focused on environmental issues," she said.
After studying Romantic writers on the Kiplin Hall trip, Maureen realized she could still study the environment within the framework of the English department.
"It helped me become a stronger writer because I was a more engaged writer," she said.
Having the freedom to incorporate all her interests into her studies helped Maureen broaden her understanding of those interests and passions.
"I could focus on it all in comparative politics—I ended every semester with a paper on natural resources, and focused my senior thesis on conservation issues in Latin America. I like the international approach, because when you look at things from a removed perspective, you learn more about your local surroundings," she said.
Though her academic career focused on the environment, Maureen isn't sure what direction her future will take.
"Originally I wanted to get into environmental law, but I interned with the family courts in my hometown and it opened my eyes to a lot of things I didn't think would exist here," she said.
Maureen plans to intern with family services again before enrolling in law school in 2011.
"I want to explore every area I can. Washington College taught me that you never know what you're going to become really interested in, and you should never close yourself off to any experience. I'm entering the career world with that same perspective," she said.
Campus Involvement
- Major: Political Science
- Minor: English