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This is a scalable context timeline. It contains events related to the event December 17, 2004: Limbaugh Guided Conservative Movement, Republican Marketing Guru Says. You can narrow or broaden the context of this timeline by adjusting the zoom level. The lower the scale, the more relevant the items on average will be, while the higher the scale, the less relevant the items, on average, will be.
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, in his book See, I Told You So, argues that Republicans cannot depend on a negative, anti-liberal frame in which to draw their arguments. "We are not a party of people connected together by bonds of negativity," he writes. "We are a party of ideas—positive ideas." He lists some of what he considers the guiding principles of Republican thought: "We must perceive and sell ourselves: Not as the party that opposes government, but that which champions individual freedoms; Not as the party that opposes higher taxes, but that which champions entrepeneurship; Not as the party that opposes abortion, but that which champions every form of human life as the most sacred of God's creatures; Not as the party that opposes the expansion of the welfare state, but that which champions rugged individualism." [Jamieson and Cappella, 2008, pp. 59-60]
Entity Tags: Rush Limbaugh
Timeline Tags: Domestic Propaganda
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) takes to the floor of the House to praise conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh. In his "Tribute to Rush Limbaugh," DeLay says of Limbaugh's role in the Republican's capture of the House in 1994, "[He] did not take his direction from us, he was the standard by which we ran. [He] was setting the standard for conservative thought." [Jamieson and Cappella, 2008, pp. 46]
Entity Tags: Tom DeLay, Rush Limbaugh
In a PBS interview, Republican marketing guru Richard Viguerie says of conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh: "In 1993 and 1994, he was the salvation of the conservative movement. Every day Rush Limbaugh would give us our marching orders, if you would." [Jamieson and Cappella, 2008, pp. 46]
Entity Tags: Rush Limbaugh, Richard Viguerie
The cover of Jamieson and Cappella's 'Echo Chamber.' [Source: Barnes and Noble (.com)]Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Joseph N. Cappella, authors of the media study Echo Chamber: Rush Limbaugh and the Conservative Media Establishment, find that conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh excels at using what they call "insider language" for his listeners "that both embeds definitional assumptions hospitable to his conservative philosophy and makes it difficult for those who embrace the language to speak about Democrats and the presumed Democratic ideology without attacking them." They cite three examples from Limbaugh's June 2005 newsletter which contains the following statements: "Democrats are the enemy." "When she first ran for her Senate seat, Hillary Rodham Clinton told citizens of the Empire State [New York] that she had been endorsed by environmental wacko-groups because… in her words, 'I've stood for clean air.'" After Harvard president Lawrence Summers commented on the intrinsic differences between the sexes, Limbaugh wrote, "Led by foaming-at-the-mouth feminists, the liberal elite experienced a mass politically correct tantrum." Jamieson and Cappella write: "Identifying terms such as 'foaming-at-the-mouth feminists,' 'liberal elite,' 'enemy,' and 'environmental wacko-groups' both create an insider language and distance those who adopt the labels from those labeled. One of the ways Limbaugh's supporters telegraph their identification with him is by adopting his language." Identifying Nicknames - They cite the 1995 statement of freshman House Representative Barbara Cubin (R-WY), who proudly proclaimed of her fellow female Republicans, "There's not a femi-Nazi among us," using one of Limbaugh's favorite terms for feminists. "Listeners say 'Ditto' or 'megadittoes' to telegraph their enthusiasm for Limbaugh, his latest argument, or his show in general," they write. Limbaugh refers to himself as "the MahaRushie" with "talent on loan from God." Callers often refer to Limbaugh as "my hero." Denigrating nicknames for Limbaugh's targets of derision work to bring listeners into the fold: the new listener must labor to identify the people termed (and thusly become part of the Limbaugh community): "Clintonistas" (supporters of Bill and/or Hillary Clinton), "Sheets" (Senator Robert Byrd, D-WV), who in his youth wore 'sheets' as a Ku Klux Klan member), "the Swimmer" (Senator Edward Kennedy, D-MA, in reference to his involvement in the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident), "Puffster" (former Senator Tom Daschle, D-SD), "the Breck Girl" (former Senator John Edwards, D-NC), and "Ashley Wilkes" (retired General Wesley Clark, in a reference to what Limbaugh called "the wimpy, pathetic Gone with the Wind character"). Some of the nicknames are physically derogatory: Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) became "Senator Leaky, a.k.a. Senator Depends," and former House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO) became "'Little Dick' Gephardt." Such use of "insider" nicknames indicates an identification between the listener and Limbaugh, and an affiliation with the Limbaugh community of supporters. Redefining and Relabeling - Limbaugh routinely redefines and relabels his political enemies in the most derogatory terms. Pro-choice supporters are termed "pro-aborts," and Democrats are supported by "beggar-based constituencies." As noted above, feminists are "femi-Nazis" (though Jamieson and Cappella note that Limbaugh has used the term less often since it became a topic of criticism in the mainstream media). Gender Identification - One of Limbaugh's strongest attacks is on gender roles. In Limbaugh's continuum, Democratic women are, the authors write, "either sexualized manipulators or unattractive man haters." A 1994 Clinton tribute to women's accomplishments became, in Limbaugh's words, "Biddies' Night Out." Other times, Democratic women become "babes," as in "Congressbabe Jane Harman." (On his Web site, Limbaugh often shows Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)'s head affixed to the body of a Miss America contender.) The authors note, "Neither label invites the audience to take these leaders seriously." Women with whom he disagrees, such as liberal blogger Arianna Huffington, are "screeching," and others are "broads," "lesbians," or "femi-Nazis." The National Organization for Women (NOW) becomes, in Limbaugh's vocabulary, the NAGS. Attacks and innuendo about women's sexuality are frequently used by Limbaugh: during the Clinton administration, for example, Limbaugh often implied that Hillary Clinton and then-Attorney General Janet Reno were closeted lesbians. On the other hand, Democratic men are routinely portrayed as "two-inchers," derogatory references to their physical attributes and sexual capabilities (as with the Gephardt nickname above). Jamieson and Cappella note that "Limbaugh's attempts at gender-based humor are of the locker room variety," noting several references to California Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante as a Democrat whose name translates into "large breasts," and referring to pop singer Madonna's 2004 endorsement of General Wesley Clark for president by saying she had "opened herself" to Clark. In 2004, he said that Democratic presidential contender John Kerry, married to wealthy heiress Teresa Heinz-Kerry, "does his fundraising every night when he goes to bed." (The authors write, "Why the vulgarity in this message does not alienate the churchgoing conservatives in his audience is a question for which we have no ready answer.") Impact - Far from merely giving a laundry list of Limbaugh's derogatory and offensive characterizations, Jamieson and Cappella note how Limbaugh and the conservative media "wrap their audiences in a conversation built on words and phrases that embody conservatism's ideological assumptions," using "naming and ridicule to marginalize those named as part of an out-group," and using "coherent, emotion-evoking, dismissive language" to denigrate and dismiss the liberals he routinely attacks. "Because language does our thinking for us," they write, "this process constructs not only a vocabulary but also a knowledge base for the audience. That language and the view of the world carried by it are presumed by loyal conservatives and alien to the nonconservative audience. These interpretations of people and events also reinforce Limbaugh's defense of conservatism and its proponents." [Washington Post, 2/15/1995; Jamieson and Cappella, 2008, pp. 184-190]
Entity Tags: Richard Gephardt, Robert C. Byrd, Wesley Clark, Tom Daschle, Teresa Heinz-Kerry, William Jefferson ("Bill") Clinton, National Organization for Women, Nancy Pelosi, Rush Limbaugh, Larry Summers, Madonna, Edward M. ("Ted") Kennedy, Cruz Bustamante, Arianna Huffington, Barbara Cubin, Hillary Clinton, Patrick J. Leahy, Janet Reno, John Kerry, John Edwards, Joseph N. Cappella, Jane Harman, Kathleen Hall Jamieson
Representative Phil Gingrey (R-GA) apologizes for criticizing conservative talk show hosts Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Gingrey was initially critical of Limbaugh and Hannity for not challenging President Obama on his proposed economic stimulus package strongly enough. "I mean, it's easy if you're Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh or even sometimes [former House Speaker] Newt Gingrich [R-GA] to stand back and throw bricks," Gingrey said. "You don't have to try to do what's best for your people and your party." Today Gingrey issues a lengthy apology for his words after receiving complaints from conservatives in his district and elsewhere. "I am one of you," he tells supporters. "I regret and apologize for the fact that my comments have offended and upset my fellow conservatives—that was not my intent. I am also sorry to see that my comments in defense of our Republican leadership read much harsher than they actually were intended, but I recognize it is my responsibility to clarify my own comments.… As long as I am in the Congress, I will continue to fight for and defend our sacred values. I have actively opposed every bailout, every rebate check, every so called 'stimulus.' And on so many of these things, I see eye-to-eye with Rush Limbaugh." Gingrey says that Limbaugh, Hannity, and Gingrich are "the voices of the conservative movement's conscience." Gingrey spokesman Chris Jackson says of the hosts, "Those guys are some our biggest supporters, and we need them." Gingrey also makes a guest appearance on Limbaugh's show where he berates himself for making his earlier criticisms, saying: "Rush, thank you so much. I thank you for the opportunity, of course this is not exactly the way to I wanted to come on.… Mainly, I want to express to you and all your listeners my very sincere regret for those comments I made yesterday to Politico.… I clearly ended up putting my foot in my mouth on some of those comments.… I regret those stupid comments." [Think Progress, 1/28/2009; Phil Gingrey, 1/28/2009; CNN, 1/29/2009]
Entity Tags: Phil Gingrey, Chris Jackson, Newt Gingrich, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh
Sandra Fluke. [Source: Alex Wong / Getty Images / New York Times]Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh insults Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown University law student who testified in favor of federal law mandating that health care providers pay for contraception (see March 1, 2012), as a "slut" and a "prostitute" who wants the government to pay her for having sex. On his radio show, Limbaugh, who wrongly identifies her as "Susan" Fluke, says: "What does it say about the college coed Susan Fluke, who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex? What does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex. She's having so much sex she can't afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex. What does that make us? We're the pimps. The johns, that's right. We would be the johns—no! We're not the johns. Well—yeah, that's right. Pimp's not the right word. Okay, so, she's not a slut. She's round-heeled. I take it back." Think Progress reporter Alex Seitz-Wald comments on Limbaugh's characterization, "While it's probably not even worth engaging with Limbaugh on the facts, Fluke's testimony was about a friend who is a lesbian and needed birth control for non-sexual medical reasons, so he's only wrong about three times over, and offensive many more times over than that." Seitz-Wald notes that Fluke never discussed her own use, or non-use, of contraception, nor did she allude to her sexual activities at all. [Media Matters, 2/29/2012; Think Progress, 2/29/2012; Think Progress, 3/1/2012] Misrepresentation - Seitz-Wald will note that Limbaugh is deliberately misrepresenting Fluke's position and the position of Congressional Democrats. "Fluke's testimony, and the entire contraception debate, is about insurance companies paying for contraception as part of their health coverage, the… way they pay for any other medication, such as Viagra. Morevoer, Fluke's testimony was not about herself, but about a friend who need contraception to fight cancer and other fellow law students. This conservative narrative, which is pure fantasy, seems to be based on a single bogus article from Cybercast News Service (CNS), which Limbaugh repeatedly cites, with the ludicrous headline, 'Sex-Crazed Co-Eds Going Broke Buying Birth Control, Student Tells Pelosi Hearing Touting Freebie Mandate.'" [CNS News, 2/29/2012; Think Progress, 3/2/2012] Other News Outlets Join Limbaugh - Other conservative news outlets join Limbaugh in attacking Fluke and other women who use contraception. In the article cited by Limbaugh, CNS's Craig Bannister says that "sex-crazed co-eds" like Fluke should cut back on the amount of sex they're having to pay for other needs such as books and food. Fox News's Trace Gallagher mocks Fluke, saying: "And see, I was gonna go to law school, but I thought all you did was study in law school, right? So, I guess I was wrong on that." Fox News correspondent Monica Crowley says the government should not pay Fluke and others to have "recreational sex." CNN commentator Dana Loesch calls Fluke and other women "nymphos" for wanting access to contraceptives, and says Fluke and feminists "support… female genocide." [Media Matters, 2/29/2012; CNS News, 2/29/2012] Fox Business Commentator: Fluke's Testimony Part of a Pro-Abortion Scheme by House Minority Leader - On Fox Business Channel's Lou Dobbs Tonight, regular guest Bill Donohue calls Fluke a "little brat." Dobbs asks Donohue to comment on what he calls Fluke's demand that she be given free contraception, a mischaracterization of Fluke's testimony (and one contradicted by the clip of her testimony Dobbs plays before Donohue's comments). Donohue begins by lambasting Georgetown for having a group called "Hoyas for Choice," which he calls "Hoyas for Abortion," but not groups like "Hoyas for Racism" or "Hoyas for Anti-Semitism." Donohue suggests that the university and Hoyas for Choice raise "the nine dollars a month" Fluke needs for her personal contraception needs, and Dobbs notes that Georgetown is "one of the most expensive universities in the country." Donohue attacks Fluke for "obviously dressing well" but then asking taxpayers to pay for her contraception and, without basis in fact, for her university education to boot. Why aren't taxpayers funding his anti-gout medication? he asks. "This is what we've come down to in this country," he concludes. "You have these little brats who come on TV and they testify and they say, 'I want, I want, I want,' and somehow I have a moral responsibility? They have a lien on me to pay this? It's all about getting the Catholic Church, obviously, to pay for their abortion-inducing drugs, which is why we're having this debate." Donohue says that Fluke's testimony is part of a scheme by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), "who actually brought her on there to speak," to force the Catholic Church to amend its position on abortion. [Media Matters, 2/29/2012] 'Shockingly Ugly Hatred' - Conservative blogger Charles Johnson, who in recent years has become highly critical of the race- and gender-based rhetoric from the right, writes that the right's reaction to Fluke constitutes "shockingly ugly hatred," and says Limbaugh's attack is "another step into the gutter." [Charles Johnson, 2/29/2012] Atlantic columnist Ta-Nehisi Coates agrees with Johnson, noting that Limbaugh is not just an "entertainer," but a powerful opinion leader of the Republican Party, and says that Limbaugh's comments are part of what Coates calls "the normalization of cruelty" and "evidence of the lowest aspects of humanity." [Atlantic, 3/1/2012] Eric Boehlert, a senior writer at the liberal media watchdog Web site Media Matters, calls Limbaugh's "radio outburst" an example of his "rancid misogyny," and writes: "[I]t was perhaps the talk show host's incessant need to bully powerless people from the safety of his studio that was so striking. That, and the glee Limbaugh seemed to take in not only maligning the young woman, but her parents as well. It's jaw-dropping." Boehlert goes on to remind readers that Limbaugh is not just a voice on the radio or an entertainer, but "the voice of America's conservative movement, as well as the Republican Party." [Media Matters, 3/1/2012] House Democrats Call for Condemnation - House Democrats, including Pelosi, call for Republican Congressional leaders to condemn Limbaugh's remarks (see February 29, 2012). Statement from Law Student - Fluke will issue a statement repudiating Limbaugh's rhetoric (see March 1, 2012). Continued Attacks - Limbaugh will continue his attacks on Fluke the next day (see March 1, 2012).
Entity Tags: Eric Boehlert, Alex Seitz-Wald, Trace Gallagher, Bill Donohue, Dana Loesch, Craig Bannister, Charles Johnson, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Cybercast News Service, Rush Limbaugh, Georgetown University, Sandra Fluke, Fox Business Channel, Lou Dobbs, Fox News, Nancy Pelosi, Monica Crowley, Republican Party
Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh spends much of his three-hour show lambasting Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke, who testified in opposition to a House amendment that would have allowed health care providers to deny contraceptive coverage and other health care necessities if they had religious or moral objections (see March 1, 2012). The day before, Limbaugh called Fluke a "slut" and a "prostitute" who is having "so much sex she can't afford the contraception" and wants the government to pay for it (see February 29, 2012). Limbaugh begins by saying that Fluke and others who criticized his comments (see February 29, 2012 and March 1, 2012) were having "a conniption fit" that he finds "hilarious." He offers a compromise, offering to buy "all the women at Georgetown University as much aspirin to put between their knees as possible" (see February 16-17, 2012), and says he believes he is being "quite compassionate." Limbaugh later returns to the topic, saying that having the government pay for contraception is "flat-out thievery" that would force taxpayers to pay to "satisfy the sexual habits of female law students at Georgetown." He characterizes Fluke's objections to the House amendment as her saying: "I'm going broke having sex. I need government to provide me condoms and contraception. It's not fair.… Ms. Fluke, have you ever heard of not having sex? Have you ever heard of not having sex so often?… Who bought your condoms in junior high? Who bought your condoms in the sixth grade? Or your contraception. Who bought your contraceptive pills in high school?" He says Fluke is apparently "having so much sex, it's amazing she can still walk.… She and her co-ed classmates are having sex nearly three times a day for three years straight, apparently these deadbeat boyfriends or random hookups that these babes are encountering here, having sex with nearly three times a day." He advises Fluke that she can get "free condoms and lube" from the Washington, DC, Department of Health. He then says: "So, Ms. Fluke and the rest of you feminazis (see May 21, 2007 and July 2008), here's the deal. If we are going to pay for your contraceptives, and thus pay for you to have sex, we want something for it, and I'll tell you what it is. We want you to post the videos online so we can all watch." He finishes his tirade by accusing Fluke of being "a plant… an anti-Catholic plant from the get-go" who is working behind the scenes as part of a "Democratic plot" to "create a new welfare program and, at the same time, try to cast Republicans in an election year as anti-female." Fluke, he says, is "a woman who is happily presenting herself as an immoral, baseless, no-purpose-to-her life woman. She wants all the sex in the world whenever she wants it, all the time, no consequences. No responsibility for her behavior." He concludes that he, not Fluke, is the victim, and says he is being persecuted by those who wish to see him removed from the airwaves. [Think Progress, 3/1/2012; Media Matters, 3/1/2012; MSNBC, 3/2/2012]
Entity Tags: Rush Limbaugh, Sandra Fluke, Georgetown University
Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney (R-MA) and Rick Santorum (R-PA) refuse to condemn conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh for his vociferous attacks on the character and motivations of Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke (see February 29, 2012, March 1, 2012, and March 2, 2012), who testified in opposition to a House amendment that would have allowed health care providers to deny contraceptive coverage and other health care necessities if they had religious or moral objections (see March 1, 2012). Romney tells a reporter: "It's not the language I would have used. I'm focusing on the issues that I think are significant in the country today, and that's why I'm here talking about jobs in Ohio." Santorum calls Limbaugh's comments "absurd," but says that Limbaugh, as a mere entertainer (see December 17, 2004), "can be absurd." Fellow candidate Newt Gingrich (R-GA) does not comment directly on either Limbaugh or Fluke, but condemns President Obama's telephone call of support to Fluke (see March 2, 2012) as "opportunistic." [Los Angeles Times, 3/2/2012; MSNBC, 3/2/2012] Obama campaign advisor David Axelrod posts the following on Twitter: "Rush's vile, appalling assault on Sandra Fluke deserves universal condemnation. How can folks who call themselves leaders walk away?" MSNBC political analyst Karen Finney says of Romney's comment: "What a coward!… We are witnessing the absolute final straw in the takeover of the Republican Party by the right wing.… These guys are, you know, cowering in the corner, so afraid to say to [Limbaugh], 'You can't talk about our daughters, our sisters, our mothers, our grandchildren this way,' that that kind of language isn't acceptable. That sends a very clear message." Women are going to stand up to the Republicans' increasing attacks on their fundamental rights, Finney says. [MSNBC, 3/2/2012]
Entity Tags: Willard Mitt Romney, Karen Finney, David Axelrod, Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, Rick Santorum, Sandra Fluke
Timeline Tags: Domestic Propaganda, 2012 Elections
New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd takes aim at conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh and his three-day diatribe against Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke (see February 29, 2012, March 1, 2012, and March 2, 2012). Dowd begins: "As a woman who has been viciously slashed by Rush Limbaugh, I can tell you, it's no fun. At first you think, if he objects to the substance of what you're saying, why can't he just object to the substance of what you're saying? Why go after you in the most personal and humiliating way? Then, once you accept the fact that he has become the puppet master of the Republican Party by stirring bloodlust… you still cringe at the thought that your mom might hear the ugly things he said. Now he's brutalizing a poised, wholesome-looking 30-year-old Georgetown law student as a 'slut,' 'a prostitute,' and 'round-heeled' simply for testifying to lawmakers about wanting the school to amend its health insurance to cover contraception." She points out that Limbaugh is wrong about contraception becoming yet another "welfare entitlement," as tax dollars will not pay for contraception—employers and insurance companies will. Women are not being paid to "have sex," as Limbaugh has said: "They'd be getting insurance coverage toward the roughly $1,000 annual expense of trying to avoid unwanted pregnancies and abortions, and to control other health conditions. This is something men and conservatives should want too, and not just because those outcomes actually do cost taxpayers money." Dowd is clearly angry over Limbaugh's crude personal response to what Georgetown University president John DeGioia called Fluke's "model of civil discourse" (see March 2, 2012), particularly his "leering" suggestion that Fluke "pay back" taxpayers by posting sex videos online. She writes: "Rush and Newt Gingrich can play the studs, marrying again and again until they find the perfect adoring young wife. But women pressing for health care rights are denigrated as sluts." She is dismissive of the "tepid" response from Republican lawmakers and presidential candidates (see March 2, 2012 and March 2, 2012). Dowd's column is later updated with a note that Limbaugh has issued a statement, meaning his apology (see March 3, 2012). [New York Times, 3/3/2012]
Entity Tags: John DeGioia, Rush Limbaugh, Sandra Fluke, Maureen Dowd
On ABC's This Week morning talk show, an array of political commentators from around the political spectrum unite in condemning radio host Rush Limbaugh's three-day tirade against Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke over her stance on contraception coverage (see February 29, 2012, March 1, 2012, and March 2, 2012). Perhaps the most surprising statements come from conservative columnist George Will, who not only slams Limbaugh's comments, but criticizes Republicans for not coming out more strongly against Limbaugh (see March 2, 2012, March 2, 2012, and March 2, 2012). "Republican leaders are afraid of Rush Limbaugh," Will says. "[House Speaker John] Boehner comes out and says Rush's language was inappropriate. Using the salad fork for your entrée, that's inappropriate. Not this stuff. And it was depressing because what it indicates is that the Republican leaders are afraid of Rush Limbaugh. They want to bomb Iran, but they're afraid of Rush Limbaugh." Will says that it is the duty of Republican leaders to keep Limbaugh in line: "It is the responsibility of conservatives to police the right and its excesses, just as the liberals unfailingly fail to police the excesses on their own side." ABC political analyst Matthew Dowd agrees, saying that Republican leaders fear criticizing Limbaugh because they believe what Dowd calls the "myth" of Limbaugh's powerful influence among Republican voters (see January 1993, October 16, 2001, December 17, 2004, July 2008, and January 28-29, 2009). "I think the problem is the Republican leaders, Mitt Romney and the other candidates, don't have the courage to say what they say in quiet, which, they think Rush Limbaugh is a buffoon," Dowd says. "They think he is like a clown coming out of a small car at a circus. It's great he is entertaining and all that. But nobody takes him seriously." Peggy Noonan, an advisor to former President George H. W. Bush, calls Limbaugh "crude, rude, [and] piggish" on the same broadcast (see March 4, 2012). [ABC News, 3/4/2012; Think Progress, 3/4/2012; Los Angeles Times, 3/5/2012]
Entity Tags: Peggy Noonan, George Will, John Boehner, Matthew Dowd, Sandra Fluke, Willard Mitt Romney, Rush Limbaugh
In two separate interviews on CNN and CBS, respectively, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) blasts talk show host Rush Limbaugh for his three-day tirade against Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke (see February 29, 2012), March 1, 2012, and March 2, 2012). He tells a CNN host: "His remarks are totally unacceptable. Totally and completely unacceptable. And there's no place for it." On CBS, he says, "Those statements were unacceptable in every way and should be condemned by everyone, no matter what their political leanings are." So far, McCain is almost the only Republican lawmaker aside from Ron Paul (R-TX) to publicly criticize Limbaugh for his attacks on Fluke (see March 2, 2012, March 2, 2012, March 4, 2012, and March 4, 2012). [CNN, 3/5/2012; CBS News, 3/5/2012; Think Progress, 3/5/2012]
Entity Tags: John McCain, CBS News, CNN, Sandra Fluke, Rush Limbaugh
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R-MA), considered the leader in the primary race for the Republican presidential nomination, again refuses to comment on the controversy surrounding talk show host Rush Limbaugh's three-day vilification of Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke (see February 29, 2012, March 1, 2012, and March 2, 2012). Romney, like many Republicans, has refused to publicly criticize Limbaugh over his actions (see March 2, 2012 and March 2, 2012). Asked during a campaign stop about his position on Limbaugh, he says, "My campaign is about jobs and the economy and scaling back the size of government and I'm not going to weigh in on that particular controversy." [Boston Globe, 3/6/2012] Some prominent Republicans, such as Romney's fellow candidate Ron Paul (R-TX—see March 4, 2012), former Bush White House advisor Peggy Noonan (see March 4, 2012), Senators John McCain (R-AZ—see March 5, 2012) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AZ—see March 6, 2012), and former Bush speechwriter David Frum (see March 5, 2012), have condemned Limbaugh's rhetoric. Two days ago, the former head of a conservative women's organization predicted that few Republicans would step up to publicly criticize Limbaugh (see March 4, 2012).
Entity Tags: Willard Mitt Romney, David Frum, John McCain, Lisa Murkowski, Peggy Noonan, Ron Paul, Rush Limbaugh, Sandra Fluke
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text:
-Real dimensions and balance
-Realistic operation and working bolt catch
-Complete easy to use package
-Quick and easy change of power level
-Initial cost
A realistic high performance training tool from Systema, which is also applicable for Airsoft skirmishing. Real dimensions allow to use all real accessories, and the balance and feel is equally realistic all over. The latest generation gets two thumbs up for just about everything we can evaluate!
Introduction: Airsoft guns in actual training
No matter what the activity, training is important. Whether you are driving a car or bicycle, or fighting with a sword or a rifle, it is always advisable to start safely with an instructor and some training aids. Even when you progress to higher levels, the importance of training remains high. Practice alone doesn't make perfect, you need repetition to make the skills consistent.
Some activities are simply too dangerous to perform for real in training, so training tools such as wooden swords and rubber knives have a long history all over the world. While they don't have all the characteristics of the real thing, they are close enough to help practice the coordination and control you would need in a real situation. With firearms, force-on-force training with live ammo is simply out of the question for fairly obvious reasons. Standing armies of the world have trained soldiers to shoot paper and reactive targets as long as they have used firearms, and it still is an important aspect of the training of a soldier. However, to make the targets think and shoot back, soldiers need to go into simulated combat with something else.
Realistic force-on-force training doesn't have a very long history, and there's still quite some variance in the methods and simulator systems. As the name implies, it's only a training simulation, but there is a need to make it as realistic as possible. There are certain drawbacks with all systems, and as usual, everything has a price tag attached to it. Various Mil/LE organizations have used paintball markers to train their personnel close quarters combat. While it's not totally useless, you could say that these events are more about having fun and bonding the group, than improving tactical CQC skills.
Actual simulator systems, like the MILES (Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System) and Simunition FX Marking Cartridges, utilize real guns with certain adapters and/or accessories attached. The cost of these devices is surprisingly high, and it accumulates over time, as the cost of suitable ammo in some cases is even higher than actual live cartridges!
Another point of concern is something that can?t be measured in any currency. The possibility of a fatal accident, because of cerebral flatulence at the wrong time, is very real. Even one soldier, police officer or other person six feet under from a training accident, is one too many. For example failure to attach the blank firing adapter to the tip of the muzzle properly could easily result in severe injury. In the end, using an actual firearm in force-on-force training violates the second rule of Col. Jeff Cooper (R.I.P.) without room for interpretation: "Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy."
Quite a lot of training sites and professional instructors have started using Airsoft guns as training tools, because of the high level of safety and realism they offer for an affordable price and good availability. With a proper mindset you can avoid the shortcomings of Airsoft, (being able to do certain things which couldn't be done with the real counterpart and vice versa), and because it's training instead of a competition, trainees can be expected to call their hits, without the need to confirm it with a paint mark or laser reactive gear. The non-marking BBs can be easily cleaned from the training site afterwards.
Airsofts, being relatively new technology, usually require someone who is previously familiar with them, to sort out any possible problems that may arise. LE Agencies most likely have other things to do than searching tips and tricks how to tweak the hop-up chamber or tappet plate of this or that model, because it wasn't working out of the box. The most famous brand for reliable hassle-free operation in the Airsoft fields, Tokyo Marui, is also the one whose plastic receivers are usually switched to metal ones for increased strength, so again it's not a ready complete solution.
It should go without saying that no training system can replace experience with the real counterpart. Tactical force-on-force training in any simulated environment is a supplement, not a replacement.
Enter the PTW concept
To offer something to fulfill the need for higher realism, strength and general ease of operation compared to regular Airsoft guns, Systema Engineering started developing the Professional Training Weapon. What's in common with the PTW and Airsoft is the 6 mm BBs they shoot, and the fact that they are made by perhaps the most famous upgrade part manufacturer in the Airsoft world. Unlike its close relatives, the PTW is made for actual training, instead of collecting and wargaming. The whole package is thoroughly developed to ensure that the focus remains where it should be: Training.
As mentioned before, the cost of simulation devices can be extraordinarily high. The PTW is certainly not a cheap purchase either, but two very important points are the low running and maintenance costs. The PTW runs off a rechargeable NiCd-battery, and 10 USD will get you several thousand premium quality BBs. This translates to ammo cost of less than 0.4 cents per shot. The PTW can easily reach five figure numbers without any other maintenance than cleaning the barrel, and reaching the 100 000 threshold is not unheard of either! Replacing the wearing parts is not something that can be done easily by the untrained user, but it doesn't need to be done often and the parts are rather affordable.
Compared to other simulation systems, the PTW is safer and simpler to use without any special protective or reactive gear. Tactical goggles with a ballistic rating are mandatory, but they would be worn in a real situation anyways, and similar glasses should be worn also when shooting an actual firearm. A silicone mouthguard is recommended, coming from someone who?s tooth has been shot in two with a BB.
The M733 PTW upon first look
The Systema M733 PTW we review here is a limited anniversary model, and features an exclusive 11.5" steel outer barrel. It features the usual 14 mm right hand (CW) threads, but you can also attach a suitable suppressor directly over the steel A2 flash hider. The performance is enhanced by the newly produced 6.05 mm inner barrel and PF-490 motor. A MAX cylinder unit produces a velocity of 500 fps with 0.2 gram BBs, which is very impressive for a compact carbine sized weapon.
When you lift it out of the box, you first notice the heft and balance, which are on par with the real one. Next, the typical Airsoft player would notice something odd, while old school airsofters and people who use the real AR-15 type weapons, feel something familiar: The grip has the exact same thickness and other dimensions as the real one! This used to be true with the classic Airsoft guns a couple of decades back, but it has been used to house the motor of an AEG for the past 17 years. Systema has corrected the situation without cutting corners: The PTW grip still holds the motor, and it has even a higher performance than any AEG motor.
The handguard is manufactured by DPMS. Saying it is realistic would be incorrect, because it is in fact real. The handguard can be replaced, according to the user preference or requirement, by anything that fits the real M733 or M4A1 carbines. This allows the operator to use the same accessory mounts without having to purchase two sets. The barrel nut is the correct size for free floating options, which attach to the barrel nut (first stripped of the delta ring and the retaining spring). The threaded front of the upper receiver allows attaching a real free floating tube directly to the training weapon, exactly like on a real one. It is also possible to replace the stock and grip with various options you get for the real AR-15 type weapons, but they require some modification. The stock modification is the easier of the two, being as the thread is the same straight away.
The trigger, selector lever and other detail parts are made from steel. The selector has a very tactile feel, and it snaps between different positions with the same force you need to apply for a real selector switch. The bolt hold open does not have a similar realistic feel, as it has to move easily enough to be actuated by the magazine. Still, having to press it after inserting a fresh magazine is a big leap towards the mindset that you handle the training weapon precisely as if it was real.
The left side of the lower receiver features Systema markings. While collectors may not be pleased about this, it allows the PTW to be imported into the US without infringing any manufacturer's trademarks. After all, it is primarily a training weapon. Given the functions and performance of the PTW, you could say that it has enough credibility even if it was painted entirely pink. But let's not go there. The markings are neatly laser-etched and feature a stylized bird, which looks to me like a mythical Phoenix. Other markings include "Safe, Semi, Auto" around the selector, and "UP/DN" on the A2 type rear sight.
With AEGs, you can typically fit all airsoft accessories, and most real accessories. In the case of the PTW, you can say that all real accessories fit, but most airsoft accessories as well.
Operating and handling
To get the PTW running, you need a battery. The lower three power levels (M90, M110 and M130) use a 9.6 volt NiCd-battery, while the MAX (M150) requires a 12 volt battery. The batteries are made specifically for the PTW series, and slide right in without having to tuck and fold wires or fumble with separate packs hanging from the connecting wires. The batteries for CRANE type stocks have two shafts, which slide conveniently in two holes in the rear, while the solid A2 stock houses a less shaped model. The design is jarhead-proof, as the battery can't be inserted incorrectly or connected the wrong way.
Charging the battery couldn't be simpler, as Systema also make a charger for the batteries. It is designed with the same philosophy as the entire PTW series, which means that special knowledge is not required for operation. The charger is simply plugged in a wall outlet, and you can charge up to four battery packs sequentially. There are no confusing programming features or even a start button! You simply connect the battery(-ies), and they are ready to use when their respective lights are steady green. Battery diletants such as old R/C car racers may opt to use a programmable "intelligent" chargers, but anyone else will appreciate the ease of operation with the Systema charger.
Loading a real magazine takes one second per round - if you're quick. The PTW magazines can be loaded with a loading tube and rod, or with the help of a handy BB-loader. An XL-sized loader is similar in appearance and size to a STANAG-magazine, and holds up to 470 BBs. These are popular with Airsoft players, and highly recommended for any other uses which involve 6 mm BBs. The loader pushes four BBs per each cycle of the plunger into the magazine, which means that seven or eight pushes will have your magazine close enough to the capacity of the real one. 30 pushes fills the magazine to its maximum capacity, 120 BBs.
It may be worth noticing that the PTW mags also feature real dimensions, which allows you to use polymer speed pouches like the Blade-Tech seen in our video. Until now it has seen no use other than live-fire training and dry practice with a real M4 type carbine, as regular AEG magazines were too wide to fit. Also the PTW magazines will not sink too deep into mag pouches, thanks to their proper length.
Performing a tactical reload inevitably makes the top BB fall free out of the magazine well. It's a clear improvement over the four BBs you lose with AEG models. The magazines also feed every last one of the BBs in the magazine.
A really new and unique feature of the PTW is a working bolt hold open aka. bolt catch. The weapon stops firing when you are out of ammo, and you must press the bolt hold open after inserting a new magazine, before you can continue firing. While the lever is rather light to push, the motion needs to be done and it reinforces the routine.
The PTW has an adjustable hop-up to put a backspin on the BB for improved range and a flat trajectory. Initially it was set quite high, and the light 0.2 gram BBs were actually curving up because of the excess lift! The hop-up is adjusted with a supplied tool, but an allen key can also be used. The grub screw visible deep in the front of the magazine well is turned clockwise to decrease hop-up, and counter-clockwise to increase it. The direction is counter-intuitive, but you just need to remember it's reversed. You can also look into the barrel bore from the rear, with the cylinder unit removed, to get a visual of the position of the hop-up nub in the top of the chamber. Two full turns decreased the hop-up to a suitable level for our use.
The out-of-the-box performance of the PTW is something that can only be achieved with expensive upgrade work on a regular AEG - and even then all the features and reliability won't be comparable or available. With the MAX cylinder unit (M150, red color code), even the short M733 variant shoots 500 fps with 0.2 gram BBs. The tested unit shot an average of 504 fps with a neglible variance in muzzle velocity. Rate of fire is very good, and the trigger response time is minimal. The circuitry of the weapon also completes the cycle even if the trigger is tapped really quickly, which prevents having the mechanism in an odd "half-cocked" position. The mechanism also resets in the same default position when you fire bursts of various length.
Accuracy tests were performed from 20 meters without any special rests or optics. The M733 proved capable of putting BBs repeatedly inside a 100 mm (4") circle from this distance, so the accuracy limitations of previous models seem long gone. While it still doesn't quite make the level of an individually tuned precision Airsoft weapon, it is comparable to a high quality factory model, and is completely feasible for any training purposes.
Should the need arise to change the power level, all you need to do is field-strip the weapon like the real one, and replace the cylinder unit with another one. The cylinder unit is removed just like the bolt carrier of the real one, by pulling on the charging handle. You can check the color code of the cylinder unit without disassembly, by looking into the magazine well or ejection port. If you have not played the cello for 10 years, popping the receiver open may seem hard at first. It will become easier as the parts wear in a little. Should you use force to open the weapon, check once more that you pushed the takedown pin all the way to the retainer. Also, do not hit the rear end of the stock, to prevent leverage at the wrong point. It is better to hit the stock near the base, if you absolutely have to.
Cylinder options
The approximate velocity with a 0.2 gram BB are shown in the following list. The MXXX figures represent meters per second. There is always slight variance between an individual training weapons and cylinder units, but the fluctuation is small enough that it actually takes a chrono to spot the difference between two similar setups.
All new PTW models use the same "M4 type" cylinder unit. If you have an older PTW M16 model and want to check which cylinder type it uses, field-strip the weapon and check whether the retaining bearing is in the rear of the cylinder unit, or the front face of the buffer tube plug. If it is on the buffer tube plug, you may update your PTW to current spec, which has the bearing on the cylinder unit - or continue using M16 type cylinder units. All short variants and M16 MAX versions use the current "M4 type" universal cylinder units.
A change from or to the MAX level will require changing the battery as well, but within the M90-M130 range you can use the same 9.6 volt battery. The lowest M90 level is well within the comfort limit of an average person, but even the M150 MAX level can be used at close ranges, for an increased awareness of the fact that you may be shot at from behind the next corner. It should go without saying that proper eye protection is mandatory at any power level, but at and above M130, some cover on the face may be a good idea.
A comparison for the Airsoft player. (We know you're reading this.)
Compared to a regular AEG, the cost of a PTW is admittedly high. A lot of airsoft players rightfully ask, is it worth the dough? Being as we live in a world where people pay tens of thousands of US dollars for an autograph or painting by a famous person, we are not in the position to make that decision for others. But we can compare the cost and features, and let you decide for yourself. Here's a basic list of what it would cost to upgrade the Tokyo Marui M733 to very near specs:
Total: $894.00
Even with these upgrades, whe AEG is still lacking the real dimension grip, other 100% real dimensions, easily changed power level (another $229.00 for the PGC Gearbox if you want that feature), and ability to shoot all BBs and then stop firing. A burst feature is also something you don't get with regular M16 type AEGs, and let's not forget the fact that someone has to put all this together and make sure everything fits and works.
One thing to mention regarding the airsoft use of the PTW is, that quite a lot of airsoft accessories fit the weapon as well - so you don't absolutely have to get expensive real accessories for these things, unless you want to. For example the Madbull TALON (licenced replica of the Gemtech model) was a direct fit to the PTW barrel nut.
For those skirmishers who are keen on using 5000 round auto-winding box magazines, a PTW may not be the optimal solution. Because of how the electronics work, and the high power combined with a motor tightly enclosed in the grip, sustained firing of hundreds of rounds may result in damage to the circuitry or motor from the heat. This is not an issue with MilSim players, but a "BB hose" is best built on another platform.
Conclusions and further education
It takes a while to get used to completely new ways of doing things, and it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. The PTW is breaking new ground among Mil/LE-personnel as a training tool, and sets new standards to how 6 mm BB guns are seen in this area. While some of the features and solutions are not that important to an individual user, with the time and enthousiasm to really study the equipment thoroughly, they make a significant difference to training sites and larger organizations, who don't have that possibility. If you need special training to use a training weapon, the benefit is greatly reduced. This is why the "plug and play"-interface and close resemblance of operation to the real M4/M16 is such a great benefit.
For further viewing, here's a well made video about the PTW. Mr. Wes Doss from Khyber Training explains and demonstrates thoroughly what the PTW is all about: Click to play, right click and save to download.
Another video, made by us here at Redwolf. This one is short in length and covers the basics: Clicky!
Further reading:

subset: commoncrawl


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Celebrating illustration, design, cartoon and comic art of the mid-20th century.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Auto advertising: "That's when I really started to be in demand."
But Ray Walters (one of the partner/owners at Rapid Grip and Batten) was happy to see Tom getting published in the magazines. "He didn't mind that I did work nights and on weekends for magazines because if his artists' names were attached to these widely distributed magazines, that added to his studio's reputation. And he controlled the advertising art that resulted from that reputation."
When Tom was first starting out he managed to land assignments from Canadian Home Journal and Liberty Magazine. He was still just eighteen years old at the time. Then in 1955 he moved on to the art department at Bomac Engraving. "Illustration was almost a loss-leader for the company," explains Tom. "They made their money on the engraving and they provided the art for almost nothing."
It was at Bomac that Tom met another young artist, Jerry Sevier, who would become a life-long friend. "We shared a little room [at Bomac] and they stuck a sign on the door: 'Tom & Jerry', like the cartoon," Tom chuckles.
"I think we helped each other, we learned from each other."
The type of work Tom did at Bomac became a little more specific than the general art chores he had handled at Rapid Grip & Batten. "The biggest money makers for the studios from the time I was 20 until age 30 was automobiles... because photography wasn't very good. We used to do car catalogues. It would take all summer to produce a car catalogue."
"Detroit would send up an 8 x 10 photograph along with a clay scale model... that's all we had! And we'd have to transpose that into a drawing... stretch it, make sure all the ellipses were correct..."
"I didn't do many cars. I usually painted the scene or stuck people in cars. That's when I really started to be in demand. I could have gone to other studios. Its really tricky to create a character who has class or age or social standing in a spot that's smaller than your fingernail. Will [Davies] could do it... two or three other guys in town could do it..."
"...and it turned out I could do it too."
Tom says he often had a sort of running battle with the technical artists who painted the cars. "I'd ask them, where are you putting the light? Where's the light coming from in this scene? And they'd inevitably sort of brush me off and say, 'Aw don't worry about it'. But I wanted to compose it and then light it from a certain direction. So a few times I did the car, too. A few times."
A great admirer of Bernie Fuchs' work, Tom relates the story to me about how the Detroit artist began placing people in front of the cars in his illustrations. "That's a no no," says Tom. And as though to emphasize just how demanding the auto makers could be he tells me, "I did a few paintings of cars for a tri-fold brochure (above). And they sent the artwork back... because when I rendered it I was sort of casual about it and I had bubbles in my paint. And they said 'we don't make rusty cars'."
Next weekend will see the launch of "Tom McNeely, 50 Years of Visual Arts", a book showcasing work from every period in Tom's career. If you would like to order the book, you can contact the artist at fmcneely(at)rogers(dot)com
My Tom McNeely Flickr set.
6 comments:
- Anonymous10:09 AM
If your reading this....I just want to say it was a HIGHLIGHT of my career to have worked down the hall from you and the others.(yorkville)
A true giant in our industry and a kind and gentle man too match.
I learned so much from you.
Great week Leif!
many thanks
What I find amazing, in addition to Tom's skills, is the fact that these backgrounds are also a timeframe of the era it was created for. The composition of the elements of those backgrounds are as interesting as the total ad! Well done Tom!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous11:36 AM
Lief, these date (I think) from before the auto pact with the US that did so much for us Canadians when we had to replace the old family flivver. Now if you could (for later)find a couple of those ads for Austins and Sunbeams that were in the mix at the same time, it would be a kick!ReplyDelete
It was fun to read Tom's comments about getting social class and standing onto the head of a pin!
Bob Bollini in NY (ex-Halifax)
Hi Leif--ReplyDelete
Beautiful work by Tom McNeely!
Reading these posts about Tom and his life in advertising art reminds me SO much of working in the art studios in Detroit. I also had the great good fortune to work alongside a number of great artists, so many unsung heroes...
Again I commend you for your dedication to getting so much great artwork out there for all of us to look at.
- Anonymous1:19 PM
I have SO MANY of these illustrations in my files for years now! It's great to finally know who did them! I always thought they were just phenomenal.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous9:17 AM
Hi Tom,ReplyDelete
I'm looking for very specific informations on photographers that would have worked for Grip&Batten in 1930-1932 but can't find anything. Could you write me at korovo"at"yahoo.com.
Many thanks!


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NCAA Tournament Analysis: Saturday GamesPosted by Bennet Hayes, Brian Otskey, Andrew Murawa & Walker Carey on March 22nd, 2014
Half of the field is already gone, and as fun as Thursday and Friday were, it's time to get down to the business of crowning a national champion. Here's our analysis of all of Saturday's games.
#1 Florida vs. #9 Pittsburgh — South Region Third Round (at Orlando, FL) — 12:15 PM ET on CBS.
Albany made things interesting for a while against Florida, but the South region's top seed took control down the stretch to advance to the round of 32. The Gator's third round opponent, Pittsburgh, made sure that their Tournament advancement was never in doubt, running out to a 13-0 lead on Colorado en route to a 77-48 rout of the Buffs. Impressive performance from the Panthers, but a second round blowout has never entitled anyone to a bye into the Sweet 16; Jamie Dixon's team will have their work cut out for them on Saturday. Still though, this is a winnable game for Pitt. The Panthers are a #9 seed in the bracket, but Ken Pom's rankings have them as the 15th best team in the country, and they actually share a lot of the same traits that have made Florida successful this season. Neither squad plays fast (Florida is 314th in adjusted tempo, Pitt 296th), but both teams are in the top-25 nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and each collects caroms at a clip that puts them in the top-60 in the country in rebounding percentage on both ends. Neither team boasts an especially glaring weakness, although three-point shooting is not a big part of the game-plan for either side. Looking at the Pittsburgh stats page can be intoxicating; the Panthers really do look like a top-15 team on paper. An inability to close out games has been the largest roadblock for the on-court version of the Panthers to emit the same appearance, but there's no reason why they can't finally win one of those close ones on Saturday. Pitt's Lamar Patterson and Florida's Scottie Wilbekin will not spend much time directly matching up today, but expect the bulk of the offense to flow through these two players. Patterson hasn't been fully commended for what's been a breakout senior season, but he'll have his shot at some national recognition against the Gators. Outplaying Wilbekin would give Pittsburgh a great chance at moving on, but Wilbekin – and his gritty supporting cast – is where I'll place my faith. I think Scottie does enough to keep Florida playing basketball next weekend, and in a game that may feel more like a Sweet 16 matchup than a third round game, Florida moves on.
The RTC Certified Pick: Florida
#4 Louisville vs. #5 Saint Louis – Midwest Region Third Round (in Orlando, FL) – at 2:45 PM EST on CBS


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A recent Bloomberg article, Morgan Stanley Joins BofA in Broker Recruiting Truce, heralds the dawning of a new day of peace and profitability, where large wirehouses won't squander their resources on large compensation packages for advisors.
But veteran recruiter Mark Elzweig says that late October article is already extremely out of date, assuming it was ever more than just "wishful thinking" on the part of wirehouse execs eager to protect their bottom lines.
Bloomberg reported that Morgan Stanley paid out 57% of its wealth management revenue as compensation in the third quarter, down from 63% the previous year, quoting its CEO, James Gorman, as describing broker bonuses as "a tax on the industry."
But the principal of the Mark Elzweig Co., a recruiter for 28 years, says that Wall Street pay packages are as generous as they've ever been. In fact, his periodic "Elzweig Deal Forecast" shows 5 shiny suns, his highest rating, and shows that total pay packages for wirehouses rise into the 300% range currently.
"The amount [the wirehouses] are in fact paying has gone way higher than I ever dreamed it would go," he tells ThinkAdvisor in an interview. "Barring a radical collapse of the stock market, I don't see that changing."
So how is it that wirehouses declare a truce yet, in Elzweig's estimation (or Hamlet's) "it is a custom more honored in the breach than the observance"?
Elzweig compares the situation to the OPEC cartel, which has frequently hammered out agreements among oil producers as to how much they will charge for a barrel of oil, to boost their profitability, but where each member has a perverse incentive to capitalize on its own excess supply through covert side deals.
Elzweig says a similar gentlemen's agreement was attempted in the 1990s, between Sandy Weill, then CEO of Smith Barney, and his Merrill Lynch counterpart, Dan Tully.
"They decided that upfront money was some kind of evil that had to be ended," he recalls. "The wirehouses somehow made a pact, a tacit agreement that everybody was going to stop paying."
Before long, however, somebody discovered: "'They took two of our guys in the Midwest, now we can take two of their guys in the Midwest; within six months it's all unraveled," Elzweig says.
But the Manhattan-based recruiter insists the situation today is far less favorable to a truce in the recruitment wars.
"Right now wirehouses [face] so many people interested in going independent, regional firms have stepped up and are paying more than before. They're all dealing with an aging and shrinking sales force. Cerulli says wirehouses are losing 2.5% of their advisors per year and the industry as a whole is losing 1.2% per year.
"We know the average age of an advisor is around 52," he continues. "Basically, in the face of especially vigorous competition from wirehouses, regionals and independents, you have to have a very aggressive recruiting package. You never know when one of your teams is going to hit the bid…There are many cases of people who have worked for a major wirehouse for 20 years or more who are leaving; that's not uncommon."
While wirehouse firms would optimally prefer to avoid recruitment wars, another reason why peace is not likely to break out any time soon, says Elzweig, is that these deals generate lots of revenue for the firms, and are not seen as overhead. As such, the deals have worked out well for the firms who pay up.
"The average wirehouse broker has over $100 million in assets under management, compared to $20-odd million on the independent side," he says.
But to justify the high costs of snagging the industry's top producers, the wirehouses continue to extend the length of their contracts in order to retain their return on investment. Elzweig says wirehouse contracts currently average 9 to 10 years.
But it is exactly this dynamic that further fuels the arms race in recruitment, since a recruiting firm has to continually increase the amount of upfront money it offers in order to compensate producers who forgo some of the benefits of their current contracts.
Elzweig recalls his start in recruiting, in the mid-'80s, when firms were paying 30% bonuses to $500,000 producers, then considered very big, for three-year contracts. To protect their revenue, firms started giving these top producers retention awards, but that only impelled recruiting firms to increase their offers by a margin above the retention bonuses, so the advisor would realize a profit.
As for now, despite the propaganda — or wishful thinking — in the wirehouse recruitment wars, all parties have stepped up their offers, Elzweig says.
"If you have a solid practice at a wirehouse, you can count on getting 100% to 150% up front with a back-end bonus schedule to get you anywhere from 200% to over 300% — if you increase your assets by 50%." That works out to total packages that could go into the low 300% range, he clarifies.
"We're in a world where there is a finite and in fact declining supply of good producers and, like it or not, firms are going to have to compete vigorously to attract and retain talent," Elzweig concludes.
"Optimally, firms would like to not pay signing bonuses, but it happens to be a business reality from which they cannot escape."
(Check out Want a Big Paycheck to Switch BDs? Beware the True Price at ThinkAdvisor.)


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Analysis Newspaper and City knives are being sharpened for the UK's two biggest internet providers this week. Our major infrastructure owners, BT and Virgin Media, are set to release disappointing results at a watershed moment for broadband.
Virgin will be put in the stocks first, on Wednesday. It's expected to reveal more customer losses after net 70,000 headed for the exit across its quad-play business last results round. Analysts are predicting a Q3 exodus of more than 30,000.
However, the firm has been laying the groundwork so that it can claim a turnaround. New boss Neil Berkett has been trailing the obvious idea that Virgin should put broadband at the front and centre of its product range, having lost the battle over premium TV with Sky.
In Q2, broadband was Virgin's bright spot, bagging about 46,000 new punters. Market watchers Point Topic predict this time will see more new additions. Thanks to Berkett's recent repositioning of the firm as primarily a premium ISP... hey presto! It's a turnaround.
Virgin's new broadband cohort will be the smallest since early 2003, however - when broadband take-up was accelerating rapidly.
Unlike Virgin, BT's other businesses have been consistently successful for a while. What'll put the kibosh on its run of form is a radical shake-up across the business that is expected to cost thousands of workers' jobs. The restructure, aimed at making BT better able to exploit its technology in its global and enterprise markets, was announced in April, but will now begin to bite.
BT is also expected to report a similar slowdown to Virgin's in broadband. The days when ISPs could rely on converts from dial-up to keep their customer counter ticking up are over.
Point Topic chief analyst Tim Johnson said: "The reason for the sudden drop is largely the shrinking size of the remaining pool of dial-up users. Not only are there fewer of them but the ones that are left are also more resistant to change.
"On top of that, the industry has been failing to bring enough new homes on line."
It means that the rabid competition in broadband - which has seen smaller players lacking the investment muscle knocked out and bought up - is set to become even more fierce.
Hard times in ISP land mean the Government and Ofcom's upcoming discussions with industry over who'll pay for better internet infrastructure in the UK will take on a spicier flavour.
Almost 40 per cent of British households lack internet access. As more and more of the economy and society is run online, pressure on politicos to force investment will only grow.
Point Topic commented: "While growth is slowing throughout Western Europe it is likely that France will once again overtake the UK as the fifth largest broadband country in the world."
Mon dieu! Interesting times ahead. ®
Sponsored: Practical tips for Office 365 tenant-to-tenant migration


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Why You Should Give Red Palm Oil a Try
The health benefits of olive oil have been touted for many hundreds of years. More recently, coconut oil has become all the rage and hailed by many as the king of oils. But, whatever oil you choose – whether it's olive, coconut, almond, canola, peanut, safflower, walnut, or even avocado oil – none compare to the powerful nutritional virtues of virgin organic red palm fruit oil.
Bonus: The health benefits of red palm fruit oil can be achieved by incorporating only 1-2 tablespoons into your daily diet.
Regarded as a sacred healing food by many civilizations, including the ancient Egyptians, crude or virgin red palm fruit oil should be regarded as one of the most nutritious edible oils in the world. It is not to be confused with palm kernel oil. It is derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) and is referred to as "red palm oil" because of its rich dark red color in its unprocessed natural state. Palm kernel oil is derived from the seed or the kernel.
Palm fruit oil contains mainly palmitic and oleic acids and is about 50% saturated, while palm kernel oil contains mainly lauric acid and is more than 89% saturated. The general assumption that kernel oil and palm fruit oil are one in the same may have lead to one of the greatest oversights in modern nutrition. The stigma attached to the kernel has kept the fruit in the dark – at least until now. Virgin organic sustainable red palm fruit oil is otherwise a bona fide miracle food.
Palm kernel oil does not convey the same health benefits that red palm fruit oil does. The health benefits are only achieved due to the red color of the palm fruit oil that is attributed to its high content of carotenes, which include beta-carotene and lycopene. These powerhouse antioxidant nutrients are the same ones that give tomatoes and carrots and other fruits and vegetables their rich red and orange colors. What may shock you is that red palm fruit oil contains more that tomatoes or carrots. Red palm fruit oil is also densely packed with numerous tocotrienols – a powerful form of vitamin E.


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Operation Sports' Mr. NFL provides this recreation of the clinching play in Super Bowl XLIV - Tracy Porter's pick-six interception of Peyton Manning in the fourth quarter - complete with CBS commentary.
This is a modded Tecmo Super Bowl SNES ROM for 2009. You can see Reggie Wayne just telegraph that short in-route, and then Porter's all ah-hah! and jumps it. Then down goes Tecmo Manning, flailing at Porter, just like real life, too. All that's missing is pixellated Peyton-Face.
Tecmo Super Bowl Video: Tracy Porter's Interception [Operation Sports]


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Without alike cerebration about it, we collaborate with bogus intelligence every day.
Siri finds adjacent pizza places or dry cleaners. Alexa turns on lights and gives the day's forecast.
So it may appear as no abruptness that AI is now a abysmal but concealed allotment of your job hunting.
Just as spellcheck alerts you to a typo, added algorithms pore over your electronically submitted resume for misspellings, grammar and advice about your assignment history.
With bags of antecedent versions of a job that can be scanned, the algorithm uses the accessible abstracts on resumes to acquisition the best candidates for a aptitude recruiter, according to Ian Siegel, CEO of ZipRecruiter, an online job marketplace.
"Machine acquirements can cherry-pick and rapidly apprentice from the employer how to do a lookalike search," Siegel said. "That turns out to be by far the best adjustment you can use to match."
More from Personal Finance:If you appetite to get ahead, c these 5 banking habits ASAP People alpha a additional job for a lot of reasons, but it is mostly this onePin bottomward your banking affairs to win the gig economy
On the added ancillary of the job hunt, AI can bout a being to a basin of applicants who accept acquaintance or abilities in accepted with the job seeker, and appearance the jobs they've activated to.
"AI is the new adaptation of keyword algorithms," which accept been about back the 1990s, said Robert Meier, a job alteration able and CEO of JobMarketExperts, which deals with a ambit of application issues. "Typically, the algorithm looks for chain of assignment history, job appellation progression and education," he said. Specific companies may accept altered metrics they attending for, such as software acquaintance or credentials.
What has afflicted is the cardinal of applicants. Digital applications are accessible and free, Meier says, and any job aperture now has so abounding added candidates for a aggregation to screen.
But best are alone about immediately, and alone the top 2 percent of candidates accomplish it to the interview, Meier said.
The algorithms are the table stakes to get you in the door, Siegel said. Give yourself every advantage of accepting yourself into the best-match list.
You Will Never Believe These Bizarre Truth Behind Writing The Perfect Resume And Cover Letter | Writing The Perfect Resume And Cover Letter – writing the perfect resume and cover letter
| Welcome to be able to the blog, in this occasion I am going to teach you about writing the perfect resume and cover letter
. And today, this is actually the 1st photograph:


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FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE Condoleezza Rice wasted no time on the first tee at Shoal Creek during the pro-am at the Regions Tradition, the year's first major on the Champions Tour. Forgoing a practice swing, Rice teed the ball and smacked it outside of the ropes. And off she went with Hall of Famer Tom Watson and her other playing partners.
Jon Solomon of The Birmingham News reported that Rice "looked nervous early." Nervous or not, Rice appeared at times to be as serious and resolute about her golf game as she was about shaping the foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration.
Rice ignored Watson's suggestion to tee off closer on the 2nd hole, later saying it's harder to get the ball as high in the air from the shorter tees. She is her own person, off and on the golf course.
"I know at Stanford we used logic," Rice said to Watson, a Stanford alum. "Today we're going to use brute strength."
It was the Birmingham native's second pro-am at a golf course where she would not have been welcomed two decades ago. Rice became a Shoal Creek member in 2009. On Wednesday she marveled that the girl who couldn't enter a Birmingham movie theater later became secretary of state.
Rice caught the golf bug in 2005 while vacationing in Atlanta. She likes to keep track of fairways hit, number of shots to the green and total putts to analyze how she can improve her scores.
On the 3rd hole, Rice took Watson's advice to hit from the front tees. "It's about time," Tom kidded. The Shoal Creek member sent her drive right down the middle.
−The Armchair Golfer
(Photo credit: NewsOne.com)


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This comes from Israel Today:
The Obama Administration determined on Wednesday that Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, despite having forged a new unity government, cannot be held responsible for terrorist rocket fire perpetrated by his regime's citizens residing in the Gaza Strip.
Terrorists operating out of the Gaza Strip fired a rocket into southern Israel early Wednesday morning. The projectile narrowly missed a major traffic artery.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that Abbas must be held accountable for such attacks, since he has now welcomed Gaza's Hamas rulers into his government.
"I would like to remind the international community that [Abbas] - on the day he formed a government with the Hamas terrorist organization - promised to honor all previous agreements. This means that he is responsible for disarming Hamas and the other terrorist organizations of the arsenals in Gaza," said Netanyahu.
The American government quickly rejected that assessment.
"We feel President Abbas needs to do everything possible to prevent [such attacks], [but] we understand that his ability to do that is severely limited at this point in time," US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.
Abbas' office soon after issued a pseudo-condemnation of the rocket attack, but not because it had targeted Israeli civilians, but rather because it hindered the current Palestinian agenda.
"The leadership calls on all Palestinian factions to honor the 2012 Cairo truce and the understandings of the reconciliation agreement out of keenness for the interest of the Palestinian people and their security and so as not to give Israel any excuse to continue its aggression against the Gaza Strip," read the statement.
While that statement seemed to satisfy the Americans, Israeli leaders were unimpressed.
"President Abbas claims that the new Palestinian government honors all previous commitments. So why has he not disarmed the terrorist organizations in Gaza as he is obligated to do? Without such action his 'condemnation' of today's rocket attack on Israel is nothing but empty rhetoric," Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told The Jerusalem Post.
The episode highlighted the point Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have been making for years: that Abbas cannot be reasonably viewed as a viable peace partner if he is unable or unwilling to deliver on those peace obligations that are most important to Israel.


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- Auteur(s):
- Caranta, Roberto; Gerbrandy, Anna
- Jaartal:
- 2011
- Taal:
- engels
- Afmetingen:
- 16x24 cm
- Pagina's:
- 335
- 9789089520715
- Uitvoering:
- Paperback
- Druk/editie:
- First
Europa Law Publishing
Traditions and Change in European Administrative LawTerug
The background to this collection of papers is formed by the changes in contemporary society. In modern-day western societies it is thought that individualism trumps collectivism. There is change from the paradigm of hierarchy to a paradigm of cooperation. This affects administrative law, which is traditionally top-down, but is slowly accepting and incorporating mechanisms of negotiation and bottom-up involvement of stakeholders and concerned individuals.
The contributors to this volume investigate these changes in administrative law and provide an assessment as to whether and to what extent they are reflected in the way judicial review of governmental action is shaped. The analysis covers the EU and a number of EU jurisdictions (France, Germany, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy and Romania) representing different administrative law traditions and being differently responsive to change. To provide an outside comparison, the US administrative system is also covered.
This book is also available as Ebook.
About the European Administrative Law Series
The European Administrative Law Series hosts academic publications related to the development of European administrative law. The series aims to cover all aspects of European administrative law, reflecting the role of the European Union, the role of domestic legal orders and their mutual relation and influence.
The publisher welcomes new book proposals for this series. Please contact the publisher, or the series editors directly.


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To understand the web hosting services, you must be knowing the various levels of protection that the host offers for their client websites. It is definitely an important factor while selecting a suitable service for the websites.
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Havelock boys basketball coach Bill Fryczynski wants his players to focus.
Havelock boys basketball coach Bill Fryczynski wants his players to focus. For a 39-second span in the fourth quarter, the Rams focused just about as well as any team can.
The Rams pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 73-53 Coastal 3A Conference victory over Jacksonville Friday at Havelock High.
�People will look at a 20-point game and say it was easy,� Fryczynski said. �It was not easy. There was nothing easy about it.�
Jacksonville cut a 16-point deficit to 61-51 with just over three minutes left in the game when Havelock exploded. Shondel Granison had two big rebounds that led to baskets by Matt Prichard. A steal led to a David Carter layup, and then Zack Bruns stole the next inbounds pass and scored. In a matter of just 39 seconds, Havelock scored eight straight points and removed all doubt as to the outcome of the game.
�It�s all focus,� Fryczynski said. �Focus, focus, focus.�
Havelock improved to 13-7 overall and 10-2 in the conference, good for second place. The Rams play at West Carteret Tuesday and then host first-place West Craven on Valentine�s Day night to wrap up the regular season.
�We can beat West Craven,� Fryczynski said. �I told the guys we can beat West Craven, but we have to play well, and we have to beat West Carteret first.�
Bruns led the Rams with 19 points, 15 coming in the second half.
�Bruns struggled with his shooting early in the game, and that�s going to happen,� Fryczynski said. �But, he picked it up and he�s going to find ways to score. He�s our leader. If he doesn�t lead us, we don�t get led. We�re rudderless. So when he started to put some points on the board, we settled down and were able to build a 10-point lead.�
The Rams trailed 10-9 after the first quarter, with Granison and Prichard each playing with some early foul trouble. Granison hit a 3-pointer and knocked down two free throws in the final 1:42 of the second quarter, helping Havelock to a 27-21 lead at halftime.
Havelock began to pull away in the third quarter, using a 13-4 run over the final three minutes of the frame to build a 49-33 advantage. Pharoh Cooper scored the final five points of the period for the Rams.
�I think the best thing was that we played hard, very hard,� Fryczynski said. �We did some things we don�t normally do. We made some fouls and put them in the double bonus and let them hang around, but we played hard.�
Prichard scored 16, Cooper added 10, and Granison and Carter had nine each.
Chris Smith led Jacksonville (10-12, 5-7) with 17.
The Havelock girls scored the first 13 points of the game and never looked back against outmatched Jacksonville.
The Cardinals (2-17, 0-12) didn�t get their first points until Alexis Hurd hit a 3-pointer with four seconds left in the first half.
Meanwhile, the Rams continued to pour it on in the second quarter and led 29-9 at halftime. Havelock extended the lead to 47-11 at the end of three quarters, and rested the starters in the fourth.
Every player in the Ram lineup scored.
�We got everybody some time, and we feel that�s important, going into to the finish of the season and going into tournament time,� Havelock coach Anna Spear said. �We�ve had some sickness this week, too, so we�re trying to get everybody healthy.�
Shakina Dyer led the Rams with 16 points, and six other players had five or more points.
�We�ve talked about that if someone�s not stepping up, then somebody else has to,� Spear said. �And, we�ve got to step up together.�
Havelock (12-8, 7-5) has now won four straight contests to get back in the hunt for a playoff spot with games against West Carteret and West Craven remaining.
Jville 10 11 12 20 -53
Hav 9 18 22 24 -73
Jacksonville (53) � Chris Smith 17, Nigel Vialva 11, Will Chentier 7, Tyler Perry 6, William Bodette 4, Talon Mulnix 4, Aaron Williams 3, Ossie Perez 1.
Havelock (73) � Zack Bruns 19, Matt Prichard 16, Pharoh Cooper 10, Shondel Granison 9, David Carter 9, Kyran Bowman 3, Matt Boykin 2, Mike Richards 2, Jordan Cuthbertson 2, Jerry Martin 1.
Jville 3 6 2 5 -16
Hav 13 16 18 11 -58
Jacksonville (16) � Lyssa Wallace-O�Neal 6, Alexis Hurd 5, Stacey Scott 3, Devone Felton 2.
Havelock (58) � Shakina Dyer 16, Alaya Fenderson 7, Apriel Barrette 6, Natalie Johnson 6, Jalisa Wilson 6, Kierra Fleming 5, Alicia Best 5, Shaolin McKinley 3, Iesha Cooper 2, Vanessa Coyne 2.


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When a dissenting splinter group of the decorating committee at Tom Needham's co-operative housing building approached him recently, things got a little awkward. At the last co-op gathering, where discussion ranged from new tiles for the lobby to some highly controversial planters, the alternative decor group emerged with a plan to overthrow the plans of the primary decor committee. "One woman told me I had to come out to their meeting, but I wasn't interested in joining her little rebel decorating faction," Mr. Needham says.
Mr. Needham and his wife, Bev Coneybeare, moved into their 200-unit co-op in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto as empty nesters, looking to downsize from a larger family home and to embed themselves in a broader community. Ms. Coneybeare and Mr. Needham attend about four co-op meetings a year, and on top of that are the volunteer commitments. Co-op members have varying duties, from serving on an executive board and any number of committees to gardening and administrative work.
Living in a co-op is halfway between renting and owning -- for better or worse. Members pay a "housing charge" instead of rent, and there's no landlord. The co-op is owned by the members, which means that everyone who lives in the co-op-- whether it's five people or 500 -- gets a vote and a voice when the halls need to be painted or new bike storage is proposed. In bigger co-ops, such as Mr. Needham and Ms. Coneybeare's, full-time staff is often hired to take care of essentials, from maintenance to bookkeeping. Emergency repairs are dealt with swiftly, but elective requests are placed in a queue and are up for debate. The housing charge paid by members goes to pay down the mortgage and maintain the building, but members exit without the equity built through private home ownership.
Collective living isn't always seamless. There are meetings and voting sessions, raised voices and additional chores, and the irritations of consensus-building with the people who live next door can grate on nerves. But for many, it's a welcome departure from the detached anonymity that characterizes most rental buildings in the city, where eyes are averted in the elevator, doors remain firmly shut, and the landlord has the last say on pretty much every matter.
Like a family with a chore wheel stuck to the fridge, everyone who lives in the co-op is expected to contribute. Mr. Needham sorts his building's recycling once a week, and Ms. Coneybeare helps organize the building's library. Rohanna Green, who lives in a small co-op near Toronto's Kensington Market, has taken on the role of treasurer for her collective of 10 people. "The responsibilities are pretty unevenly distributed," acknowledges Ms. Green. She has to organize the audit, come up with a $50,000 budget and keep a record of expenses. "There are sometimes conflicts with people accusing other people of not doing their parts, and there are personalities that clash," she says.
Daveed Goldman, who lives in a small co-op with his girlfriend, acknowledges the additional responsibilities and irritations that come with being your own landlord. If the fridge breaks down or the roof starts leaking, Mr. Goldman is responsible for seeking out repairs and getting quotes to find the most reasonable service, and then petitioning for reimbursement from the co-op. When the front lawn needs to be mowed or the eavestroughs fill with leaves, the co-op members must decide among themselves who will tackle the problem. Meetings can be a chore. "In order to make any kind of decision you have to get a bunch of people to agree," Mr. Green says. "People [work at different times] so it's hard to get everyone together. But once we do, we can usually talk things through."
Ms. Coneybeare says she has long supported the idea of everyone rolling up their sleeves to find the most affordable, mutually beneficial solution. "I have [always] looked for ways for people to work together," she says. "When my kids were little, I joined a babysitting co-op, which meant that the mums and dads babysat for each other and no money was ever exchanged. You get a more involved community and a better end result."
For Barbara C., who has lived in her large downtown Toronto co-op for 26 years, it's the daily interactions that make collective living worthwhile. "The last time I lived in an apartment, I would either be inside of my apartment or outside the building; there was no real other modes of interaction," she says. "Here, I'm always in contact with my neighbours, and I have much stronger relationships with the people I live next to than I would in a rental building."
Of course, the expectation of working together can have its pitfalls. Not everyone fits the profile of ideal co-op member, someone who is willing to lend a helping hand and elevate the interests of the collective. "There are people in our co-op, I don't know why they're here because every time we talk about doing things for the mutual good, they're not interested," Ms. Coneybeare says. "They're just interested in keeping their rent as low as possible."
And, for the most part, co-op housing charges do indeed stay below market value. Most of the city's coops were built with a mandate to provide affordable housing for low-income individuals and families. About 20% of the units in Mr. Needham and Ms. Coneybeare's building are subsidized based on need. Mr. Goldman says that his co-op negotiates housing charge increases based on what members can reasonably pay. They also have more latitude when it comes to compassion. "If someone explains that they're having financial problems and can't pay their rent for a couple of months, we can offer rent relief -- something a landlord wouldn't do," he says.
And many members, including Mr. Needham, like the opportunity to contribute and to talk things through when it comes to their home. "It's a happy medium between renting something and having no say, and owning something and having to carry all of the burden," he says. Mr. Goldman, who wasn't particularly interested in collective living before he moved into his co-op, says that he's been sold on the community aspect. "Even if I could move into regular apartment for same rent, I probably wouldn't," he says. "I like not having a landlord, and I like the idea that we're a team. Sometimes it's annoying, but [mostly] it's a nice little system that works."