text:
Justin Elliott of Pro Publica writes about how "Organizing for Obama" is taking corporate money and how this supposed turnaround is actually only the latest in a series of grabbing corporate money by Barack. He includes the one we've called out since 2008:
In November 2007, then-Sen. Barack Obama pledged to take part in the presidential public financing system for the general election, calling himself "a longtime advocate for public financing of campaigns." Under the system, created in the wake of Watergate, a candidate receives taxpayer money ($84 million in 2008) and cannot accept most private donations or spend beyond the amount of the government grant.
Less than a year later, in June 2008, Obama reversed himself and announced he was opting out of the system. He maintained he still supported the system in principle but said it should be reformed.
Obama became the first candidate to decline general election public financing since the creation of the system and went on to raise a then-record $745 million for the cycle. He outspent John McCain, who did accept public money, by four-to-one. Obama's 2008 decision generally takes at least some of the blame from campaign finance observers for killing the system.
Neither Obama nor Mitt Romney accepted public financing in the 2012 race. The Obama campaign raised $782 million for the cycle.
That changed everything and the refusal to stand up to him on that set the stage for all that followed.
"Iraq snapshot" (The Common Ills):
Starting off with the roots of the illegal war.
In the place of real reporting.
Mushy soft focus moments
Not The Way It Was.
Unasked questions
Of the facts that are well known.
Facts that never will be buried
Of The Way It Was.
Can it be that spin can triumph fact
If we carefully rewrite each line.
If he had the choice to do it all again
He would -- he could.
May be full of lies and yet
If we push hard enough
Others will simply forget.
So it's the spin
We will hold onto
Whenever we discuss
The Way It Was.
The Way It Was.
In September 2005, Colin Powell took to 20/20 and mother confessor Barbara Walters in an attempt to improve his public image. It was pure garbage and Ava and I documented that in "TV Review: Barbara and Colin remake The Way We Were." That Colin Powell lied was not in doubt. It's why he took to acknowledging a "blot" on his record and going so far as to admit that his statements were wrong. They weren't just wrong, they were lies. He went before the United Nations February 5, 2003 and made the case for war and he lied over and over and over. In September 2005, with the Iraq War having proven to be a disaster, with Cindy Sheehan shining a light on the realities of the illegal war and the mood in the country firmly against the war, Colin decided it was time to pretend he was told wrong because he felt "fool" was a better image than "liar."
But Colin Powell lied. He knew he was lying. He knew why he was lying. As Dick Cheney told him, he was the most believable (at that point) in the administration. Only Colin could make the case for illegal war and impress the press. He lied and knew he was lying. July 15, 2004, Greg Miller (Los Angeles Times) reported:
Days before Secretary of State Colin L. Powell was to present the case for war with Iraq to the United Nations, State Department analysts found dozens of factual problems in drafts of his speech, according to new documents contained in the Senate report on intelligence failures released last week.
Two memos included with the Senate report listed objections that State Department experts lodged as they reviewed successive drafts of the Powell speech. Although many of the claims considered inflated or unsupported were removed through painstaking debate by Powell and intelligence officials, the speech he ultimately presented contained material that was in dispute among State Department experts.
[. . .]In their critique, State Department analysts repeatedly warned that Powell was being put in the position of drawing the most sinister conclusions from satellite images, communications intercepts and human intelligence reports that had alternative, less-incriminating explanations.
In one section that remained in the speech, Powell showed aerial images of a supposed decontamination vehicle circling a suspected chemical weapons site.
"We caution," State Department analysts wrote, "that Iraq has given ... what may be a plausible account for this activity -- that this was an exercise involving the movement of conventional explosives."
The presence of a water truck "is common in such an event," they concluded.
Why are we having to go after all this garbage again?
In 1987, No Way Out made Kevin Costner a star. Brian De Palma's The Untouchables had already made him a leading man that year but to become a star, you really do have to be f**kable. No Way Out presented Costner as f**kable. It also featured a curious subplot that Gene Hackman and Will Patton acted out. Hackman plays Secretary of Defense, Patton plays his General Counsel Scott Pritchard. And Hackman is out of control and doing illegal things and Patton protects him over and over, cleans up the mess over and over (at the very end you learn Patton is in love with Hackman and that they probably had a physical relationship). Colin Powell has his own Scott Pritchard, Lawrence Wilkerson who was Colin's Chief of Staff when Colin was Secretary of State.
After Powell declared his blot, the obsessive love slave Lawrence Wilkerson began making the rounds trying to spit polish his boss' tarnished image. It was always laughable. Norman Solomon (Cold Type) pointed out in November 2005, how ridiculous it was:
Rest assured that if the war had gone well by Washington's lights, we'd be hearing none of this from Powell's surrogate. The war has gone bad, from elite vantage points, not because of the official lies and the unrelenting carnage but because military victory has eluded the U.S. government in Iraq. And with President Bush's poll numbers tanking, and Dick Cheney's even worse, it's time for some "moderate" sharks to carefully circle for some score-settling and preening.
But Wilkerson's been allowed to whore and whore by a number of people who have no ethics. Ray McGovern is the latest to step forward and embrace Powell (to the point on penetration? Is McGovern the "honey pot" he accused two women of being?). We need to ask again, who the hell let CIA McGovern into the left? He's gone on KPFA, KPFK and WBAI to attack two women who may have been raped and, in the process, made comments about Vietnam that a lefty wouldn't make. Who the hell brought him over to the left? Today he takes Larry Wilkerson at face value (yet again, Larry gives Ray a facial) and makes the case for Colin being tricked and not a liar. Ray's crap first appeared -- where else -- at Robert Parry's Consortium News. Robert Parry went nuts long ago. His image will never be repaired. But once upon a time, when he still lived in the real world, he co-wrote articles with Norman Solomon and he was familiar with Ron Kovic. Ron Kovic knows the truth about liar Colin Powell and has told it now for decades. It has been published at Robert's site in the past but it wouldn't today because they've decided to get in bed with Colin's pal Larry. It's amazing how Larry has spun for eight years on behalf of Collie Powell and how people have allowed him to get away with it.
That's not just sloppy journalism, but it is that. Ava and I cover TV at Third and we do that every week and treat everything the same -- meaning research, meaning telephone calls,meaning the basic work required. When we took on Colin Powell in September 2005, we knew we'd have to watch his interview with Barbara Walters. How could we write, report and analyze it without watching it? "Journalist" Robert Parry did. He used an ABC press release to write an article about it. I think that goes to the ethics involved. I don't believe that 20/20 segment was even 20 minutes long. It aired on a Friday, we covered it two days later (Third publishes on Sunday). Robert Parry covered it three days later (a Monday). And wrote a lengthy article about it. But never watched the interview.
The thing about not watching an interview is you miss when the subject is uncomfortable, you miss the hesitation, you miss the word stumbles. You miss the tells, the signifiers. By not watching, you're also dependent on someone else's 'facts' and 'interpretations' which may or may not be correct. I don't know why someone would choose to write at length about an interview that aired on TV and was also streamable online without having watched it. But when someone does that, I don't call them a "reporter" or a "journalist." I think there's a basic level of work required to earn either of those titles.
I think the lack of standards at Consortium go a long way towards explaining how Ray McGovern ended up there as a columnist, how Lawrence Wilkerson ended up there and how useless the site has become.
They're now engaging in revisionary tactics on the Iraq War. They're trying to redeem a power broker who could have refused to offer false testimony to the UN, who could have stepped down as Secretary of State, who could have done any number of things. We don't need revisionary tactics. We need the truth. It is clear that Constortium News and Ray McGovern are incapable of providing the truth -- or even basic facts. If you dobut it, they're using their space not to call attention to what's happening to girls and women in Iraqi prisons (torture and rape), not to call attention to the ongoing protests in Iraq, not to call attention to the imprisonment of journalist Nadir Dendoune. No, they're using their space to call for Colin Powell to be cleared of suspicion, to whitewash his image. They could shine a spotlight on the people who need it but instead they suck up to the powerful and serve up revisionary history. They've made themselves useless.
People died, people were injured. Birth defects will continue for years now. Iraq was turned into a land of widows and orphans but, by all means, let's all instead fret about Colin Powell who makes millions each year speaking at various 'inspirational' conventions and offering up 'motivational' talks when not churning out, via cut and paste, another 'book' he's 'co-authored.' There's a thing called perspective and anyone who believes Colin Powell suffers from the Iraq War needs to check themselves. On this week's Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox, Cindy speaks with Michael Parenti (archives are here).
Michael Parenti: More than half of the people of Iraq are either dead or in exile or homeless or devastated in one way or another. They have no communities left, they have no schools, they have no hospitals -- I mean, it's just horrible what's happened to Iraq --
Cindy Sheehan: -- and cancers and other diseases because of the poisons and the depleted uranium and birth defects in the children.
Michael Parenti: That's right. Yes. And birth defects galore are coming -- just as the same things you still see in Vietnam.
Iraq wasn't their topic, but when it came up, Cindy Sheehan and Michael Parenti knew who the suffering was and who it wasn't.
Iraq continues to suffer. Today the country was yet again slammed with violence. Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) reports, "At least 23 people were killed and 49 wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up among members of a local Awakening Council in Taji, Iraq, on Monday." "Awakening" is also known as "Sahwa" and "Sons of Iraq" (and "Daughters of Iraq"). At the April 8, 2008 Senate Armed Services hearing when Gen David Petraeus, then the top US commander in Iraq, was explaining Sahwa.
In his opening remarks, Petraues explained of the "Awakening" Council (aka "Sons of Iraq," et al) that it was a good thing "there are now over 91,000 Sons of Iraq -- Shia as well as Sunni -- under contract to help Coalition and Iraqi Forces protect their neighborhoods and secure infrastructure and roads. These volunteers have contributed significantly in various areas, and the savings in vehicles not lost because of reduced violence -- not to mention the priceless lives saved -- have far outweighed the cost of their monthly contracts." Again, the US must fork over their lunch money, apparently, to avoid being beat up.
How much lunch money is the US forking over? Members of the "Awakening" Council are paid, by the US, a minimum of $300 a month (US dollars). By Petraeus' figures that mean the US is paying $27,300,000 a month. $27 million a month is going to the "Awakening" Councils who, Petraeus brags, have led to "savings in vehicles not lost".
AP notes the bomber wore an explosive belt. Prensa Latina explains, "Some members of the Sunni Sahwa militia were lining up to receive their wages, along with Iraqi Army soldiers, when the explosion took place." Bi Mingxin (Xinhua) also notes that they were lined up to pick up pay checks. AFP quotes Sahwa Ali Khalaf who was injured in the blast and states, "I blame the army. Normally, when we go (to collect our salaries), the army lets us enter the compound. This time, they left us outside and they blocked the entrance. In the meantime, when we were gathering, the attack happened."
Kareem Raheem, Patrick Markey and (Reuters) observe, "The seventh suicide bombing in a month was part of an surge in violence a year after U.S. troops pulled out of the OPEC oil producer, where Shi'ite, Sunni and ethnic Kurdish factions still struggle over how to share power." Press TV reminds, "Nearly two dozen people, including children, were killed and 80 others injured in attacks carried out in several cities and towns in the country on the last day of 2012. "
27 dead reported today -- 22 in attack on Sahwa in Taji, 1 dead in Baghdad, and 4 killed overnight in Kirkuk. Yesterday, death toll was 32.
Alsumaria adds that a Mosul armed attack has left a man and a woman injured and 1 government employee was shot dead in another Mosul attack.
Salam Faraj (AFP) points out of today's violence, "It also comes just a day after a coordinated assault on a police headquarters in a disputed city in the north killed 30 people amid a spike in violence nationwide." That was Kirkuk and Al Mada reported yesterday that the attack left over one hundred people dead or injured and that the Kurds are blaming the violence on the Tigris Operation Command. Al Jazeera added:
Al Jazeera's Jane Arraf, reporting from Baghdad, said she was receiving "conflicting reports on what exactly happened in the attack".
"This attack took place in the directorate of police, which is in a crowded area, lots of markets around. Civilians as well as police are thought to be among the dead," she said.
Mustafa Mahmoud (Reuters) quoted an unnamed police official stating, "A suicide bomber driving a vehicle packed with explosives hit the entrance of the headquarters and after the blast gunmen in explosive vests attacked with AK47s and grenades, but the guards killed them." Rudaw adds, "Witnesses said that the vehicle was painted like a police car, and that the insurgents wore fake police uniforms. Authorities suspect the aim of the mission was to take over the police compound." Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) observed Kirkuk is oil-rich and "one of the disputed areas in the country between the central government and Kurdistan Regional Government."
Saturday, AFP reported that Iraq's Ministry of Defense, Health and Interior released their 'official' figures for deaths in January: 177. AFP noted their own total was 246. Prashant Rao and AFP have made their count transparent by posting it online. They deserve praise for that.
Iraq Body Count tabulates 341 violent deaths in Iraq for the month of January. Both counts are much higher than Iraq's 'official' count and that's why the world needs independent counts like AFP's and IBC's -- without them, the world's left with the 'official' count from three government ministries. Only the Ministry of Health has a minister. Back in July, Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) observed, "Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has struggled to forge a lasting power-sharing agreement and has yet to fill key Cabinet positions, including the ministers of defense, interior and national security, while his backers have also shown signs of wobbling support."
January 26th the Parliament voted to limit the three presidencies (President, Speaker of Parliament and Prime Minister) to two terms. Wael Grace (Al Mada) reported that 170 of the 242 MPs present voted in favor of the law. Ahmed Rasheed, Patrick Markey and Andrew Roche (Reuters) add, "Lawmakers from Sunni, Kurdish and Shi'ite parties voted for the law, but the legislation still needs the president's approval and will face challenges in federal court after Maliki's supporters rejected it as illegal." Nouri and his political slate State of Law have condemned the law and plan to appeal to the (Nouri controlled) Federal Supreme Court. Today, Alsumaria reports that Kurdistan Alliance MP Mahmoud Othman is stating that the law could be set aside if the three in the positions -- Osama al-Nujaifi, Jalal Talabani and Nouri al-Maliki -- would all agree to limit themselves to two terms. Why anyone would trust Nouri to keep a promise at this late date is beyond me. He broke The Erbil Agreement. Remember? His State of Law came in second to Ayad Allawi's Iraqiya. So Nouri couldn't have a second term as prime minister. (Also Moqtada al-Sadr and Ibrahim al-Jabaari were against Nouri.) But he dug his heels in and -- with the support of US President Barack Obama -- refused to honor the results of the election for eight months. He refused to allow the country to name a prime minister. Then the US brokered the Erbil Agreement. They told the leaders of the political blocs that Nouri was prepared to drag the stalemate out for 8 months more or even longer. It was time to be mature, the US officials said, give Nouri (the big baby who wasn't playing fair) a second term and he will agree to give you things you want and, look, the whole thing will be in writing, a binding contract, and you have the word of the White House and the President of the United States that this contract is legal and we will stand behind it.
So they signed off and Nouri got his second term and then he trashed the agreement. And now his word is to be trusted? Or how about when Sammy Ketz (AFP) interviewed Nouri al-Maliki on February 6, 2011? What did Nouri say then? "The constitution does not prevent a third, fourth or fifth term, but I have personally decided not to seek another term after this one, a decision I made at the beginning of my first term. I support the insertion of a paragraph in the constitution that the prime minister gets only two turns, only eight years, and I think that's enough." Again, why would anyone ever trust Nouri's word? Didn't he sign a $4.1 billion arms contract with Russia just months ago that immediately became questionable and remains in doubt? Why would anyone trust Nouri?
Over the weekend, Alsumaria noted that Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi states Nouri is attempting to intimidate those MPs who voted to limit the three presidencies to two terms. The three presidencies are the Prime Minister, the President and the Speaker of Parliament. Iraqiya is the political slate that came in ahead of Nouri's State of Law in the 2010 parliamentary elections. Al Mada adds that Allawi sent a memo to the National Alliance stating it is time they selected a replacement for Nouri.
Karin Laub and Sameer N. Yacoub (AP) reported Saturday that Nouri declared a revolt against his government -- as may be taking place in Syria -- "will not happen." He had the nerve to say, "What happened in Syria will not happen in Iraq. In Iraq, there is freedom. There are no detained journalists or politicians."
Oh, how Nouri loves to lie. French journalist Nadir Dendoune? Nouri's not aware that he's "detained" Nadir for weeks now? From last Monday's snapshot:
As we noted this morning, Nadir Dendoune, who holds dual Algerian and Australian citizenship was covering Iraq for the fabled French newspaper Le Monde's monthly magazine. His assignment was to document Iraq 10 years after the start of the Iraq War. Alsumaria explains the journalist was grabbed by authorities in Baghdad last week for the 'crime' of taking pictures. (Nouri has imposed a required permit, issued by his government, to 'report' in Iraq.) All Iraq News adds the journalist has been imprisoned for over a week now without charges.
Nadir is the latest journalist to be targeted in Nouri's Iraq. A petition calling for his release has already gathered 15,594 signatures and a Facebook page has been created to show support for him. The Journalistic Freedoms Observatory in Iraq, Reporters Without Borders and The Committee to Protect Journalists have called for his release.
Alsumaria reported Sunday that the Association for the Defence of Press Freedom was demanding Nadir's release and stating that his arrest exceeds the law and is unconstitutional. Al Mada adds that Australia's Foreign Ministry has expressed concern via Australia's Embassy in Baghdad. AFP quotes Muayad al-Lami who heads the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate stating that he was questioned by the police on Sunday "and today he should be presented before a judge. Hopefully he will be released this week." However, in an update AFP reveals that the appearance has been postponed -- supposedly it will take place tomorrow.
What's more astounding? That Nouri lied so boldly or that AP just repeated it and didn't bother to point out that Nadir is being "detained."
Reuters reports Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's website was hacked Saturday by TeaM KuWaiT HaCkErS who posted a photo and a message: "You want to be like Bashar al-Assad. You are a destroyer. Bashar is finished and victory is very close. God help you sons of Iraq against the tyranny." AP described the photo as "a picture of wailing black-clad women in mourning." Dar Addustour noted that this is the second time in the last weeks that Nouri's website has been hacked and that the hack comes as Iraq already faces turmoil. AFP observes, "The discord comes amid weeks of demonstrations in Iraq's majority-Sunni north and west originally railing against the targeting of their community by the Shiite-led authorities but have increasingly called for the premier to go." Kamal Naama (Reuters) offers, "The protests are evolving in the most serious test yet for Maliki and his fragile government that splits posts among Shiites, Sunnis and ethnic Kurds, who were already deadlocked over how to share power for more than a year."
Today Kitabat reports MP Jawad Alshahyla is calling Nouri al-Maliki out for his statement that Iraqis protesting currently and Kurds -- all Kurds -- are not part of Iraq. Jawad Alshahyla is part of Moqtada al-Sadr's parliamentary bloc. Friday Iraq saw the largest turnout yet for the ongoing weeks of protest. Alsumaria reports that Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi visited Samarra on Saturday as part of the government's process of listening to the demonstrators. al-Nujaifi was flanked by government and tribal officials and, holding a microphone, spoke directly to those engaged in an ongoing sit-in. Osama al-Nujaifi is Sunni and a member of Iraqiya. While al-Nujaifi was received with respect, another wasn't so lucky. Deputy Prime Minister of Energy Hussein al-Shahristani is seen as another powerless Nouri al-Maliki lacky. He was given time. In the middle of January, protesters met with him in Salahuddin Province and Anbar as well. But that was before he'd demonstrated to the protesters that he really didn't listen. So protesters refuse to listen to him now. They will, and have, met with the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy Martin Kobler, but they're not interested in Nouri's flunkies. al-Shahristani is a member of Nouri's State of Law. Sunday, Al Mada reported al-Shahristani was able to meet some officials in Mosul and also some people claiming to speak for the protesters; however, the protesters not only refuse to meet with him, they also state no one has been given the power to speak on their behalf.
The protests are fueled by many things but the moment the match hit the gas was when Nouri's forces targeted the staff of the Minister of Finance Rafie al-Issawi. Pakistan's The News explains, "The demonstrations were the latest in a wave of rallies that have continued largely uninterrupted since late December, sparked by the arrest of a group of guards of Finance Minister Rafa al-Essawi, a senior Sunni leader. Maliki faces myriad problems, including vocal opposition from many of his erstwhile government partners less than three months before key provincial elections. Iraqi authorities have taken several steps aimed at curbing the protests. " Al Mada reports that al-Issawi declared Saturday that protesters will not leave the streets until their demands are met. That would be very smart, for protesters to grasp Nouri throws around empty promises very easily. They should demand solid results. Especially when All Iraq News' reports that State of Law MP Salman al-Mousawi has declared that all the demands by protesters are "unreal" and unrepresentative of the Iraqi people.
World Bulletin reports, "Secretary General of and the Spokesperson for the pashmarga ministry of the regional administration in north of Iraq, Jabbar Yaver on Monday said that no results have been achieved in talks on military issues between the Iraqi Kurdish regional administration and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki."
Journalists? Le Monde's Nadir Dendoune has been held for three weeks now. As for politicians, Nouri and his kangaroo court have forced Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi out of the country, not to mention forcing Nouri's former spokesperson Ali al-Dabbagh to flee the country at the end of last year as Nouri attempted to shove the corruption in the Russian arms deal off on his spokesperson.
In addition, there are the continued tensions between Baghdad and Erbil -- Nouri's done a great deal to ensure that the central Baghdad government is at odds with the KRG. Over the weekend, All Iraq News reported that the Kurdistan Regional Government announced Nouri had gone back on his agreement with them regarding oil. Today World Bulletin reports, "Secretary General of and the Spokesperson for the pashmarga ministry of the regional administration in north of Iraq, Jabbar Yaver on Monday said that no results have been achieved in talks on military issues between the Iraqi Kurdish regional administration and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki." The Peshmerga is the elite Kurdish fighting force. Many of the conflicts between the KRG and Nouri are touched on in the interview Hevidar Ahmed (Rudaw) does with Kurdistan Democratic Party spokesperson Jaafar Ibrahim:
Rudaw: There are a number of complicated problems between Kurdistan and Iraq. What is the KDP doing about them?
Jaafar Ibrahim: For the KDP the current internal affair is very important. How do we deal with this situation and move it forward? That is very important to us.
Rudaw: What do you mean by internal affairs?
Jaafar Ibrahim: The upcoming provincial elections and the issues between ruling parties and the opposition parties. The upcoming provincial election will be a basis for parliamentary elections and the Kurdistan presidency elections. Also, the issues between the ruling and opposition parties, if they continue, will leave a negative impact on Kurdistan. Therefore, these two issues are the most important issues to us right now.
Rudaw: After Talabani's hospitalization, the KDP's president and leadership visited Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party several times. Does Talabani's absence in Iraq pose any danger to Kurdistan?
Jaafar Ibrahim: Talabani has his own importance in the Kurdistan region, Iraq and the whole region. Talabani's role is necessary for Kurdistan and Baghdad. Besides that, PUK is an important ally to KDP. We value our alliance with PUK. However, KDP believes that there are capable men in the PUK who can replace Talabani. PUK can play its role even when Talabani is away. They can preserve the alliance between KDP and PUK. We were waiting for Talabani to solve the issues between Baghdad and Kurdistan. If the problems deepen, they will leave negative impacts on the Kurdistan Region. Currently, the relation between Arab Sunnis and Shiites is moving towards civil war. The situation between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq is on the verge of explosion. It's true that there have been meetings, but no concrete results have been gained. Until now, the Iraqi government's military threat against the disputed areas still exists. There are many worries if the disagreements between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Region lead to a very unpleasant situation.
the los angeles times
greg miller
cindy sheehan
al jazeera
jane arraf
prashant rao
mohammed tawfeeq
presna latina
iraq body count
salam faraj
patrick markey
kareem raheem
kevin liffey
al mada
world bulletin
the associated press
karin laub
sameer n. yacoub
the iraq times


text:
The Nitwit Brigade increases
Miss Snark read the pages. And the cover letter. And the praise letter.
Miss Snark will never take this editor's recommendations seriously again.
The pages suck.
Not just sort of. Really sucks.
Sucks so much it crosses Miss Snark's mind that this is a set up from some clever Snarkling to see if this makes it onto the blog.
The only thing that makes me think it might not be a set up is I've heard of this editor before. This however is the first time I've seen some of his ..ah...product.
If you're thinking about working with an editor, don't just look at their resume. This guy has resume. Look at what he's done in his current job. A freelance editor with no publication credits is coasting on his former career.
6 comments:
- the chocolatier said...
If you do get your work edited by an editor with publication credits, is it worth mentioning in a query letter or is it more appropriate to wait and see if the agent likes the sample pages first?
- 11/26/2005
Professional Editors.
Friend of mine mortgaged his house, hired a professional book doctor who insisted he put apostrophes in "its" everywhere. Fortunately, the editors caught it.
But there are some real idiots masquerading as 'editors' out there.
- 11/26/2005
- Bonnie S. Calhoun said...
It's a sad day in the city, when idiocy rears its ugly head in the guise of an editor. :-)
- 11/26/2005
- Christa M. Miller said...
Oh, dear.
Do I need to worry about my future if some writer whose work I edit selects my "good" comments from an overall critique and slaps my name on them as praise?
In other words, if I edit/critique what you think is crap, and I query you and you remember my name, is that a strike against me as you read my pages?
- 11/26/2005
I thought Halloween was over? Idiots masquerading as editors! What will they think of next.
- 11/26/2005
So how does Miss Snark feel about writers using editors? Is it worth doing - assuming said writer can find a reputable editor? And then, should it be mentioned at any stage when querying/sending partials, or kept under the writer's hat/beret/green eye shade?
- 11/26/2005

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hi folks
Interested in learning Teochew? Checkout What Teochew Say (WhatTCSay) for iPhone or Android. This was a labor of love that is my pride and joy. The iPhone version is now Kit Kat compatible!
ANDROID: https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... .whattcsay
ITUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/whattcs ... 90802?mt=8
The app sells for $1.99.
From the description:
The world's first Teochew language dictionary and phrasebook iPhone App for English speakers! Anyone who would like to learn or improve their Teochew will have access to:
* 4000+ word entries and sound files
* Dictionary word search tool
* Chinese characters, Teochew peng-im (romanization), English
* 15 phrasebook categories
Teochew dictionary and phrasebook app
Discussions on the Hokkien (Minnan) language.
1 post • Page 1 of 1
1 post • Page 1 of 1


text:
You know how, when you were a kid, there was that huge sense of anticipation as the days of the school calendar dwindled down and you looked forward to summer vacation? Maybe your summer was going to be jam packed and busy with camps, friends, odd jobs, and late nights, but it still was something to completely look forward to. Well, since the middle of May, that's how life has been here—Completely insanely busy, but all with wonderful things! I've gone on two camping trips, met with the Mayor of my town, worked on a farm each week, wrapped up the Girl Scout year for the Brownies with the First Aid and Hiking badges, helped run an Amazing Race for the Seniors, plus worked my regular job and made time for my husband and cooked up some tasty food. In the next 10 days, I'll spend 2 nights in Washington D.C. for the world's largest Singalong, 2 nights in Philadelphia for a cooperative business conference, attend a court hearing for the jerk who stole my camera, run a local 5k, celebrate Fathers' Day, and hopefully attend the SouthSide Film Festival.
What am I getting at, here? Well, during summer vacation, there's no homework—Even if that homework would be on a topic you love. It wouldn't be vacation, otherwise!
So, From Here Now will be taking a summer vacation until the beginning of July. When I get back, I'll be refreshed, invigorated, and full of cool things to do in the LV and foods to enjoy from our local sources.
In the mean time, go outside, find a fruit tree in your neighborhood for a free snack (make sure you bring someone who knows what trees are safe!), make garlic scape pesto, pick strawberries, sit on your porch and watch a thunderstorm roll in, read a book, and choose one of your daily tasks to put aside for a short amount of time—make your own summer vacation!
See you in July!


text:
Graduate Education
Financing an Education
To help students with their educational expenses, the University provides numerous fellowships, scholarships, assistantships, and traineeships. The majority of doctoral students at Rochester receive some financial support, in most cases sufficient to cover tuition and living expenses. Financial aid is generally awarded to graduate students by individual departments, schools, and colleges on the basis of academic promise. Applications for financial aid in the form of fellowships, scholarships, assistantships, and traineeships are made as part of the regular graduate application for admission.
General information for aid for graduate education is provided at the University's Admissions and Financial Aid website. For aid options specific to a field of study, please consult the website for your academic department of interest.
The Office of Residential Life offers Graduate Head Residentships paying full room, partial board, and a stipend in exchange for working with residence hall staff and students.
For postdoctoral students, University endowments, foundation grants, and government research or training grants fund fellowships in several fields, including African and African-American studies, biological sciences, chemistry, engineering, physics, and women's studies.
Also, industry, government, and the University fund several loan programs for graduate students. Qualified students may obtain federally guaranteed student loans. Work-study funds from the federal government are available as well.
Financial resources including fellowships and awards for a range of fields of study can be found by searching the listings found at www.rochester.edu/college/fellowships and at other web-based listings linked there.
To recognize those applicants with exceptional academic credentials and talent in research, a University-wide competition is held each year for the prestigious Robert L. and Mary L. Sproull University Fellowships, which are awarded to 10 to 12 incoming doctoral students in disciplines throughout the University.
The Provost's Fellowships are intended to attract to Rochester's doctoral programs talented members of underrepresented groups who intend to pursue careers in university teaching and research.
A large number of other fellowship programs help support hundreds of graduate students throughout the University. Applicants are encouraged to apply for fellowships from private foundations, from New York State, and from the federal government (for example, the National Science Foundation or the Department of Defense).


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Yeah, so, we just heard there's an actual football game that goes on in between all of those car commercials. Who knew? Our priority's always been in the right place — the car ads.
That's because today's not about Gronk's ankle, Eli besting his big brother's legacy, or Brady's dreamy face. No, it's about cars, beer and talking babies. But mostly about cars.
For now, take a look at what ads have already hit the web ahead of the big game — straight from our Super Bowl Ad Watch tag page — and then come back here throughout Super Bowl 46 tonight to see any of the auto-themed commercials — as soon as they've aired. It's like a car ad cheat sheet for the night.
Enjoy — and tell us what you think about the commercials in the comments below!
Audi Kills Vampires In Super Bowl Ad
Audi is literally killing it this year with a Super Bowl commercial that captures the sparkle vampire zeitgeist and adds a typically violent Audi twist. More »
Cars.com's Two-Headed Super Bowl Ad Is Creepy
Another Super Bowl means another one of Cars.com's progressively worse commercials for us to make fun of. More »
Honda's Full 'Ferris Bueller' Super Bowl Ad
Last week the world wondered what Matthew Broderick was up to in a short ten-second teaser clip on YouTube where he appeared to be playing Ferris Bueller, from his famous flick "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Some speculated it was for a sequel. Nope, it's an ad for Honda. More »
Seinfeld And Leno Want First NSX In Acura Super Bowl Ad
Equipped with AWD and a gasoline/electric hybrid powertrain, Acura's hoping its new NSX supercar will herald a new age of responsible supercars when it hits showrooms sometime in the next 24 months. More »
Lexus Super Bowl Ad Is One Tastefully Beige 'Beast'
Appearance-wise, the 2013 Lexus GS has actually grown on me. I can't constantly ding Toyota/Lexus for being beige without acknowledging their new luxo-cruiser gives me a slight tingle in my trouser area. More »
Who Let The Dog Out In Volkswagen Beetle Super Bowl Ad
Two weeks after seeing Volkswagen's adorable teaser for their Super Bowl ad featuring dogs barking the Imperial March from Star Wars, here now is the automaker's amazing extended-length Super Bowl commercial. More »
Bud Light Super Bowl Ad Goes Back To The Future
It's apparently the '80s all over again, with Doc Brown's "Back To The Future" DeLorean now joining Ferris Bueller in this leaked Bud Light Super Bowl ad spot. More »
Kia Super Bowl Ad: Tripping With Adriana Lima And Motley Crue
Kia's Super Bowl ad throws every testosterone-filled cliché at you in the hope that some coolness will rub off on its Optima family sedan. Why? Because this is how things are done now. More »
Chevy Super Bowl Ad: You Will Die If You Buy A Ford
Dropping any artifice of civility in the back-and-forth sniping between Chevy and Ford, this year's Silverado ad comes out and says what they've only been wiling to say behind closed doors: buy our competitor's truck and you will die. More »
BMW Super Bowl Ad: Mother-in-law jokes are still kind of funny
BMW will be airing a few different advertisements before the Super Bowl today showing off the 2012 3 series. More »
Chevy 'Happy Grad' Super Bowl Ad
Zach Borst, a 26-year-old aspiring filmmaker from Long Island, N.Y., won GM's "Route 66" contest to create one of Chevrolet's Super Bowl ads. His film shows a new high school graduate who mistakenly thinks his parents bought him a new Chevy Camaro convertible for a graduation present only to have a neighbor drive it off in it. More »
Watch OK Go's New Chevy Sonic Music Video
Last week we showed you a quick preview of OK Go's new video for "Needing/Getting." Now here's the full monty, compiled from a Chevy Sonic drive-by of 1157 homemade instruments of melodic Rube Goldberg(ish) goodness. More »


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In our regular Sunday feature, FIFA.com presents you with some of the biggest names in football who will be celebrating their birthdays over the coming week.
3. Oscar Cordoba (43) was Colombia's first-choice goalkeeper for the best part of 15 years, appearing at the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™ and playing a key role in Los Cafeteros' maiden Copa America triumph in 2001. That achievement qualified the South Americans for the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, where they finished fourth. Cordoba's first major club honour – the Colombian League title – came at America de Cali, and this was followed by three Argentinian championships, two Copa Libertadores trophies and one Intercontinental Cup, all with Boca Juniors. After a brief stint at Italian outfit Perugia, the shot-stopper signed for Besiktas, with whom he won the Turkish League and Cup. Cordoba subsequently joined rival Turkish side Antalyaspor, before returning home to see out his career with Deportivo Cali and then Millonarios.
4. Erika (25) cemented a first-team place in the Brazilian national XI via her fine performances at the FIFA Women's World Cup Germany 2011™. The defender had previously participated in three consecutive FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup events, finishing fourth in 2004 and third in 2006, and the last two Olympic Women's Football Tournaments, claiming a silver medal at Beijing 2008. Erika started out at Santos, and went on to represent California-based Gold Pride in the USA. Following a return to Santos, she signed for Centro Olimpico last season.
5. Neymar (21) is one of Brazil's fastest-rising stars, and will likely play a crucial role in the Seleção's attempts to land the upcoming FIFA World Cup on home soil next year. The talented forward first appeared on the international stage at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria, and went on to win the South American U-20 Championship in 2011, an accomplishment that led to his inclusion in the Brazilians' senior squad for the Copa America later that same year, and in the Olympic team for London 2012, where he picked up a silver medal. The precocious striker came through the ranks at Santos, rapidly establishing himself in a team that would go on to enjoy success in three consecutive Campeonato Paulista campaigns, the Brazilian Cup, the Copa Libertadores and the Recopa Sudamericana. Neymar also played in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, where O Peixe lost the final to Barcelona and where he was voted the third best player, after Lionel Messi and Xavi. His remarkable attacking attributes have previously seen him finish top scorer in the South American U-20 Championship and the Copa Libertadores, and earn the FIFA Puskás award for best goal of 2011, the same year he was named Brazilian and South American Player of the Year.
6. Lisa Dahlkvist (26) played a large part in Sweden's long-awaited return to the forefront of the women's game at Germany 2011, where they secured third place. The Swedes put in another strong showing at the Olympic Women's Football Tournament in London the following year, reaching the quarter-finals. In addition, the midfielder competed in the 2009 UEFA Women's Championship. At club level, Dahlkvist has defended the colours of a handful of Swedish sides, including Umea, Kopparbergs/Goteborg and current club Tyreso, with whom she earned a national league winners' medal last season.
7. Daniel van Buyten (35) marries the considerable physical presence necessary for any imposing centre-back with an eye for goal that is likely the envy of several of his more attack-minded peers. He played on football's greatest stage once with Belgium, at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, the Red Devils' last appearance in the tournament. The robust defender turned professional with Charleroi, before attracting the interest of Standard Liege. Subsequent stints at Marseille, Manchester City and Hamburg were followed by a high-profile transfer to Bayern Munich, where he finally added major honours to his footballing CV in the shape of two Bundesliga titles, two German Cups, two German Super Cups and a German League Cup. Van Buyten's continental ventures have been less successful, with Bayern losing two of the last three UEFA Champions League finals.
8. Clarence Acuna (38) was a stalwart of the Chilean national team for almost two decades, participating in the 1998 FIFA World Cup France and three consecutive Copa America competitions, the highlight of which was a fourth-placed finish in Paraguay in 1999. The midfield man started out by pulling on the jerseys of O'Higgins and Universidad de Chile, with whom he claimed two national championships and a Chilean Cup, before enjoying spells with Newcastle United in England and Rosario Central in Argentina. The draw of his homeland proved too tempting for Acuna, however, and he would go on to star for Chilean outfits Union Espanola, Deportes Concepcion and La Serena before hanging up his boots.
9. Gordon Strachan (56) is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders to turn out for Scotland in recent times, having impressed on the global stage at both Spain 1982 and Mexico 1986. He began his club career at Dundee, before joining Aberdeen, where he experienced great success, winning two Scottish Premier League titles, three Scottish Cups, the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup and the ensuing European Super Cup. After heading south to try his luck with Manchester United, he hoisted the FA Cup and was part of the side that finished second in the table in season 1987/88. The tireless performer then put pen to paper with Leeds United, with whom he secured the second division championship, as well as a top-flight crown and Charity Shield two years later. These laudable successes saw the Scot named Footballer of the Year in 1991. A final spell at Coventry City was followed by a move into management, first at Coventry and then at Southampton, whom he inspired to reach the final of the FA Cup. Returning to Scotland, Strachan took the helm at Celtic, inspiring the Glasgow club to three SPL championships, two Scottish League Cups and one Scottish Cup. Having recently been handed the reins of the Scottish national side, he is doubtless hopeful of rescuing a hitherto disappointing 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.


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Our "In Stock" selection has thousands of custom bodies and necks ready for purchase! These are the same quality as our custom built items. We pre-build many popular items and pass the savings on to you. Simply click on the image above to view and order today.
If you cannot find what you desire in our "In Stock" selection, we would be very happy to simply design it for you! Depending on your exact specifications, most items from this category only take about 4 to 6 weeks for us to make! Having it your way is what "custom" is all about and our skilled craftsmen are second to none!
We had so many requests for a 4 string body patterned after our Flagship Gecko bass line that we designed the G4. This body will use any
of our standard 4 string necks and looks especially good with the Warmoth 4 string tilt back neck. This body does NOT come standard with
the truss rod access rout for necks that have their truss rod adjustment at the heel, so if you want it you must request that it be routed when you place your order.
Quilt Maplewith Blue Dye finish
Quilt Maplewith Fire Burst finish
Quilt Maplewith Caribbean Burst finish
This large rear rout cavity provides plenty of room for controls, electronics and batteries. Choose only the holes you want. We can omit the ones you don't want.
For the Ultimate in personal preference, our special Unique Choice option lets you pick the actual laminate top we will use for your body from below. Simply add its price to the table price above.
Include the laminate top number with your order.
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Home > USB Flash Drive
Twist metal plastic USB flash drive
Product Descrition:
Twist metal plastic USB Flash Drive Branded custom usb flash drives With Your Logo,suitable for promotional Gifts
High read/write Speed
Our Customization USB Flash Drive details:
Products Status: Stock
Capacity: 1GB,2GB,4GB,8GB,16GB,32GB,64GB,128GB,256GB
Material:Plastic Metal PVC Silicon
Style:Lanyard, Rectangle, swivel
Interface Type:USB 2.0
Brand Name:OEM
Place of Origin:Guangdong, China (Mainland)
Color: Black, Blue, Brown, Golden, Gray, Green, Multi, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Silver, Transparent, White, Yellow
Certifitcate: CE ROHS FCC
Application range: Computer mobile phone, iphone, ipad
OEM ODM service: Yes
Warranty: 3 years
Packing: Normal or Customized package
USB Flash Drive Logo Branding
Yes. The following logo branding methods can be applied:
Silkscreen printing, Full color printing, Laser engraving Embossing (applicable for PVC rubber material USB casings)
USB Flash Drive Data Service
Once upon the flash drive plugged into your PC / laptop's USB port, it executes pre-loaded command (for example, link to a specific URL and open the website in the Internet Explorer, or play a video chip) instantly.
USB Flash Drive Data Pre-loading
We can have your advertisements, catalogs, photo album, video chips, or other files loaded into theUSB flash drives at our workshop.
·Most of the USB Flash drives are customizable,we have a professional design team.
·Do not worry about the item that is not what you want, we offer physical proofing services, the samples can been sent as soon as possible.
·We have our own factories and many partners, to ensure efficient production.
·Low prices, the more wholesale the cheaper the product, and good quality.
·Each of the displayed products in the store has hot sales in many areas, the design is very perfect.
The MBA students' usb memoria is ordered by MBA colleague,as the twist usb is durable, affordable,popular,big capacity,so schools choose the standard twist usb as a school anniversary souvenir. In Sepetembers, also many schools choose the twist usb as a MBA classes gifts to recruit students.
USB Flash Drive, USB Flash Disk, USB Sticks, USB Memory stick, USB Drive, USB disk, custom usb flash drive.
Flason Electronic is a proffessional China USB Flash Drive manufacturer, we produce Credit card USB flash drive,metal usb flash drive, Swivel USB flash Drive, Wood USB Flash Drive, Custom USB flash Drive, PVC USB Flash Drive, plastic USB flash drive, New model USB flash drive, OEM USB flash drive,Crystal USB Flash Drive,promotional Gifts USB flash drive to the world wide customer. Any kind USB Flash Drive you may need, please contact us for more information: wechat whatsapp:008613691605420, Skype:opitech, Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
FAQ:Q:Why Choose us to produce USB Flash Drive?
Contact: Ms Demi
Phone: 86-13632571161
Tel: 86-755-85225569
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Add: No.94,Guangtian Road,Songgang Street,Bao an District Shenzhen China


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The greatest advantage of this device is a large touch screen with the diagonal of 11.6" which guarantees perfect colours reproduction. The device delights us with its design. Thin structure and low weight enables convenient work in office, school and during travels.
The device can be used in several modes – it will be prefect as a classic laptop as well as a tablet. You may also set it in the "tent" mode (perfect for watching movies). Two USB ports facilitate connection of mouse or portable disk without the need to use adapters, which additionally improves work convenience. Micro HDMI port allows connection to TV set, projector or monitor.
FREEDOM 1160 WIN is intended not only for work - creating and editing of documents or sending e-mails - but also for entertainment watching movies and photographs, surfing through the Internet and playing games. From now, by means of one device, you may create your home cinema, speak with friends, view the latest novelties in the social media or play your favourite game.
Powerful battery with the capacity of 10000 mAh will provide many hours of continuous work without the need of recharging. This advantage is particularly important for portable computer which will not let us down in the least expected moment. Despite such large battery, the tablet remains sleek, ergonomic and ultralight.
FREEDOM 1160 WIN is equipped with Windows 10 operating system. The hearth of the device is the 4-core Intel Atom 1.33 GHz processor (along with 2 GB RAM), which provides efficiency appropriate for mobile devices which will be enjoyed by home users and businessmen. FLASH memory with capacity of 32 GB can be extended to 64 GB by means of micro SD memory card.
Speakers of FREEDOM 1160 WIN provide rich stereo sound which will be extremely attractive for music fans.


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Processing time
3-5 business days
Customs and import taxes
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Want to create your own mugs? Add your own company logo and even job titles to fully engage your team - if you require more than 10 mugs, please drop us a message.
We want you to be happy with your items but in the unfortunate event that you're not, we'll do our very best to make it right. Simply get in touch and we'll help you out.
You have the right to cancel your order at any time up to 7 working days after the day you received your order, however this does not apply to certain items such as personalised gifts or items customised for you. It is vitally important that when you place your order that you check all details, including dates, spelling, punctuation and grammar are correct as we copy what we get sent for item personalisation.
If you have noticed an error after you have placed an order we request you let us know ASAP via the contact us section and providing the item has not already been sent for production we can look to make the required alterations.
Please get in touch to cancel your order and we'll refund your order excluding any delivery charges once we have received back the item in the same unused condition we sent it in and with all original packaging still intact.
If you're unhappy with your item, please return it within 14 days to receive a refund, not including the initial postage charge. This does not apply to personalised items where there is an error made that was not a fault of ours or the item has not been cared for in your possession. If the item is faulty, we will also refund the returns postage as well as the relevant initial postage charge (if any).
We pride ourselves on getting you your items as quickly as possible. As most of our items are made to order please allow 3-5 working days for your item to be despatched. If you require an item urgently please contact us first and we can see if we can meet the timescales given. On most occasions you can upgrade your delivery and we can despatch same day/next working day (please message us first to confirm.)
We use Royal Mail for the majority of our items, with couriers taking larger orders that may require this. Once dispatched you can expect to receive your item(s) within 3-4 working days.
If a product has become unavailable and we are not able to fulfil the order or there will be a delay in fulfilling the order we will advise you as soon as possible and offer a full refund, credit for an alternative product or the option for us to fulfil the order when stock has been received.
If any details that you give to us for your delivery address are incorrect then we are not liable if you do not receive any items you have ordered from us.
3-5 business days
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
Most of our items are beautifully gift wrapped in tissue paper before sending out to you. They are wrapped in purple tissue paper and sealed with our logo. The only exception is our mugs!


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Court records show Mick Fleetwood has filed for legal separation from his wife of more than 17 years in Los Angeles.
Fleetwood and Lynn Frankel Fleetwood have been married since July 1995 and have twin 11-year-old daughters. He is seeking joint legal custody but wants his estranged wife to have physical custody of their children.
The Fleetwood Mac drummer filed for separation on March 22, but the documents were not publicly available until Tuesday. He does not list a date for the couple's separation but wants a judge to award him sole control of music royalties and other earnings from before their marriage.
The 65-year-old Grammy Award winner cites irreconcilable differences for the separation, but no other details are included in the filing.


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Notification: View the latest site access restrictions, updates, and resources about the coronavirus (COVID-19) »
Golden, Colo., Nov. 15, 2000 - Researchers from five U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories, including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, have issued a major report that finds the United States can make impressive strides toward addressing climate change through smart policies and technologies.
The report, "Scenarios for a Clean Energy Future," assesses technologies and policies to meet energy-related challenges facing the United States. It concludes that successful implementation of these technologies and policies could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, oil dependence and economic inefficiencies. The report also concludes that the overall economic benefits of the policies and technologies that are modeled are comparable to their overall costs. The benefits derive from energy savings throughout the economy.
"While previous studies have established the technical potential for significantly cutting greenhouse gases and enhancing energy security, this study shows the ability of policies to help realize this potential," said Marilyn Brown, deputy director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy program.
Hundreds of technologies and 50 policies were analyzed. The most important policies in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions were found to include increased research and development, voluntary agreements to promote energy efficiency in vehicles, buildings and industrial processes, enhanced appliance efficiency standards, a domestic carbon cap and trading system and electric industry restructuring. Some of the policies analyzed are the policies of the current administration while others are not.
Many energy-related challenges are addressed by this report. Global climate change threatens to impose significant long-term costs from increasing temperatures, rising sea levels and more extreme weather. Despite ongoing improvements in air quality, air pollution from burning hydrocarbons continues to cause high levels of respiratory illnesses, acid rain and photochemical smog. Electricity outages, power disturbances and price hikes could dampen U.S. productivity, especially in the rapidly growing digital economy.
A scenario-based approach is used in the report to examine alternative public policies that address these problems. The scenarios were developed through discussions with representatives of business, universities, nonprofit organizations and government to provide a broad range of opinions. This range gives decision-makers and the public an opportunity to study the advantages and disadvantages of different policy choices. The report provides a better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of different policy choices, but contains no policy recommendations.
The most advanced scenario finds that by the year 2010, the United States could bring its carbon dioxide emissions three-quarters of the way back to 1990 levels. These reductions would come from every sector of the economy. To meet the U.S. Kyoto Protocol goal of reducing greenhouse emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2010, additional measures would be needed. Extra steps could include international carbon trading, reductions in other greenhouse gases and stronger domestic policies.
The report also concludes that over time energy bill savings in these scenarios can pay for the investments needed to achieve the reported reductions in energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions. However, the report also notes that there will be certain negative sectoral impacts.
The report was commissioned by the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Participating in the report are researchers from Argonne National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
The report is posted on the World Wide Web.
CLEAN ENERGY FOR THE 21st CENTURY
Visit NREL online for up-to-date news releases, photos and information.


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Penn St.: Sandusky scandal costs tally more than $27M for legal fees, consultants, inquiries
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Penn State's bill for legal fees, consultants and other costs associated with the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal stands at more than $27.6 million.
An updated figure as of November 2012 was provided this week on a university website. It includes a $13 million price tag for board of trustees communications and the internal investigation into the scandal by former FBI director Louis Freeh.
Freeh's findings released last summer were the subject of renewed scrutiny this week after Joe Paterno's family released an extensive response conducted by its own experts.
Nearly $7.5 million is paying for university legal services or defense. About $4 million is for other legal defense fees including those covering three ex-school administrators facing criminal charges related to the scandal.


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The Biggest Last Mystery on Earth
¡Viva la Science!
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aims to change all that. In July and August of this year, their Okeanos Explorer voyaged near the northeastern US along the Atlantic Continental Slope, where the submerged edge of the North American continent begins to drop off into deeper ocean.
The Okeanos Explorer isn't a research vessel. According to NOAA's website, its "sole assignment is to systematically explore Earth's largely unknown ocean." That's right: pure exploration. Ain't it grand? Perhaps most thrillingly, at least for armchair scientists everywhere, the expedition tested a new remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that can go down to 6,000 meters (over 19,000 feet). It's got six cameras, two of them high-def, and an elaborate lighting system. It can move and zoom and produce unutterably awesome (and thoroughly new) images that the team shared in real time with other scientists and with the public.
Just look at what it found. A world.
You can explore more of the outlandish beauty for yourself on NOAA's Photo and Video Log. And you totally should. This video of highlights from the expedition's second leg is mesmerizingly worth the 20 minutes.


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Woman charged with shooting husband in South Strabane Township
Latasha Stapp arrested; Tyler Stapp flown to hospital
Police said a woman who was found crying outside her family's home in a suburban residential plan admitted shooting her husband of nearly 10 years, who was still inside the home and bleeding when officers arrived.
Tyler Stapp was flown to a Pittsburgh-area hospital on Tuesday night to be treated for injuries that were allegedly inflicted by 26-year-old Latasha Stapp at the Stonecreek luxury apartments, just off Route 19. The couple's young children were also home at the time.
SLIDESHOW: Photos from the shooting scene in South Strabane
Detective Ken Turboli said Latasha Stapp "did indicate she was the shooter, and the gun we believed was used in the shooting, she indicated that was the one she used." Police found a gun in the bushes outside the Stapps' home and numerous firearms in a bedroom closet.
Police said they took multiple calls about shots being fired around 8:45 p.m. When they arrived at the home on Clubhouse Circle, there was a lot of blood on the ground in the back bedroom where Tyler Stapp was found and his shirt was soaked in blood, according to the complaint.
"I heard some woman screaming, and then I heard a shot," neighbor Iliana Albritton said. "I'm shocked. He's a really nice guy. He just wants to do right by his kids, and she just went psycho on him."
Police said Tyler Stapp underwent surgery. His condition was unknown on Wednesday morning. The Stapps' children, ages 5 and 7, were not harmed.
A motive for the shooting remains unclear. "We are investigating thoroughly what took place prior to the shooting. There's a lot of questions that still need to be answered," Turboli said.
Latasha Stapp, a.k.a. Latasha Lofton, was being held at the Washington County Correctional Facility on $250,000 straight bond. The jail's website lists her charges as attempted homicide, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and discharge of firearm at random.


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Panama City Beach
What you need to know before you go
Panama City Beach, on Florida's Emerald Coast, is sometimes called "The Spring Break Capital of the World". Its beautiful beaches, great nightlife, and countless theme parks and arcades make it a great place for a fun break in the sun. It's not just a destination for college kids, either. Attractions like Shipwreck Island Waterpark, Race City and a Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum set in a sinking cruise liner make it a good choice for families, too.
If you're looking for a slower pace, head to St. Andrews State Park, Shell Island or Conservation Park. The seas and lagoons around Panama City Beach are great for fishing and dolphin watching, and there are dozens of excellent golf courses nearby.
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- Manuscript copy of letter from Francis Mairez and David Cooper of Montego Bay, Jamaica, [to Samuel and William Vernon], sent via Captain George Sweet on the Brig Othello, regarding profits from slaves sold on the Vernon's behalf and other trade business. Followed by a second letter dated August 22, 1775, from Mairez and Cooper [to the Vernons] regarding their accounts current.
- One leaf with manuscript on both sides. On front, letter to Mr. John Anderson of Bristol regarding international slave trade, market prices of 'young & likely' negros, and clothing for slaves being shipped. Includes mention of Brig Alert and Ship Hector, carrying slaves from the Coast of Africa to Barbados. Letter signed 'F. H. V E', Charleston [South Carolina]. On verso, letter dated May 8, 1784 to Messrs. Lycott and Maxwell of Barbados regarding communication between Captain William Lewellin of the Ship Hector and Mr. John Anderson of Bristol on January 20, 1784. Signed 'S. Ca' [Charleston, South Carolina]. Also on verso, letter fragment signed 'F. H. V E.'
- Unsigned letter with no addressee regarding charges from Captain [Thomas] Rogers [possibly on the Brig Othello] for wood, canoe hire, corn, and water. The author writes that, "if you possibly can imagine this to be a reasonable charge, pray allow it to him - but it is more than double we were ever charg'd by those that brought off twice the number of slaves."
- Manuscript letter in the hand of Wiliam Lloyd Garrison, for publication to advertise a "mass celebration" of the anniversary of the emanciaption of 800,000 slaves to the West India Islands [undated, but probably 1846]. On back in red, "Insert this evening - Wednesday morning - Thursday morning and evening." Addressed to Mr. R. F. Wallent, Antislavery Office, Boston.
- Manuscript letter by Robert Breckenridge [of Lexington, Kentucky] for publication in the Baltimore American, appealing to readers to send in monetary support and subscriptions to the Danville Review in order that the publication be able to continue operation after many of its officers became supporters of the confederacy.
- Two-page letter from the Antislavery Office, Philadelphia, giving notification for an Antislavery convention to be held in Harrisburg [Pennsylvania] on December 19, 1837, with the intent of organizing a State Antislavery Society. Signed by committee members of the Friends of Immediate Emancipation in Pennsylvania. Letterhead features engraving 'A Colored Young Man of the City of New York, 1835' by P. Reason.
- Four-page letter from N. B. [possibly Nicholas Biddle] van Zandt to Nicholas Gilman regarding the delayed repayment of borrowed money. Van Zandt expresses hope to to able to send some money to Gilman after visiting the executor of his father's estate and getting 'some of his negroes, these I may possibly convert into cash.'
- Four-page letter from Lewis Tappan in Harrisburgh [Pennsylvania] to Theodore D. Weld in New York regarding abolitionist acitvity in Pennsylvania, including the adoption of an antislavery Constitution with Executive Committees in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Includes mention of speeches by several famous abolitionists.
- Four-page letter from Williams Carter Wickham, Presiding Justice of Hanover County Court [Virginia], to Governor of North Carolina Thomas Bragg regarding the incarceration of John J. Thomas, who was arrested for purportedly aiding a slave named Lawrence to escape to a free state. The slave belonged to Nancy Ward of Wayne County, North Carolina.
- Two-page letter from Gerrit Smith of Peterboro [New York] to Theodore D. Weld regarding the arrival of Craydon at his house, Smith's contribution to the [Antislavery] Almanac, and the declined appointment of 'President Schumacher of Gettysburgh' as Vice President of the Pennsylvania Christian [?] Society.
- Four-page letter from Gerrit Smith of Peterboro [New York] to Theodore D. Weld in Saratoga Springs [New York] in response to inquiry regarding antislavery lecturers and the disbursement of his property. Smith suggests two ministers by the name of Rev. A. Scofield and Elder Corey. Reference is made to the Mad. Co.[probably Madison County] Antislavery Society.
- Letter from John A. Collins, Henry W. Williams and [missing from bottom of page], committee members of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society in Boston, inviting Increase S. Smith, from Hingham, Massachusetts, to pariticipate in the eleventh anniversary of the Society. Names participants Nathaniel C. [Peabody?] Rogers, Thomas Earle, J. C. Fuller, C. C. Burleigh, J. C. Hathaway, and George Bradburn.


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Summer in the city can be brutal, but just how bad it gets depends on the city itself. Most cities are hotter than their surroundings, but some are more susceptible to this "heat island" effect than others. A new study, released July 9 in the journal Nature, has pinpointed why — and which cities are the most at risk.
For example, New Orleans is about 10 degrees F hotter than its surroundings, but in Los Angeles this difference is less than 6 degrees F. It turns out, this effect is worsened in wet areas because of the different kinds of plants that live around those cities, according to the study.
Half of the world's population lives in urban areas. Unfortunately, these cities are causing "one of the most significant human-induced changes to Earth's surface climate," the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, according to the study.
Below you can see what a heat island looks like for a generic city:
The study looked at the annual mean average temperature of 65 locations from 2003 to 2012 for both the city and the surrounding rural area at 1:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. local time.
Their findings showed that how much and what kind of vegetation was present in the rural areas — which is greatly influenced by precipitation rates — played a large role in the heat island effect. "If you look across the North American continent, in places with higher precipitation, you get stronger daytime UHI," study researcher Xuhui Lee, of Yale University, told Business Insider in an email.
When climates are naturally wet, forests act as natural 'heat converters' moving heat from the ground into the atmosphere, Lee said. "In comparison, cities in these climates are not as efficient in convecting heat — our estimate is that they are 58% less efficient than the natural landscape — and hence we have strong urban heat island," he said.
You can see how your city stacks up below. The "daytime ΔT" refers to how much warmer the urban areas are compared to the surrounding rural areas in Celsius (1 degree C = 1.8 degrees F).
The worst offenders
You can see those cities on the map below. The size of the dot shows the temperature difference between the city and surrounding areas (the numbers in the legend are in Celsius, 1 degree C = 1.8 degrees F). The colour of the dot denotes the amount of annual mean precipitation. Red is less than about 20 inches of precipitation. Green is between 20 and about 43 inches. Blue is over 43 inches.
You can see the blue dots are the biggest dots:
Cities in the southeastern U.S. tended to show the greatest heat island effect with an average 7 degrees F daytime and 4 degrees F nighttime greater temperature than surrounding areas, Lee said. The nighttime urban heat island effect temperatures are due to the release of heat stored in buildings, which absorb some of the heat during the day.
Here are those same cities at night:
"Cities in the semi-arid climates, such as Tucson, Arizona and Reno, Nevada, have the lowest urban heat island," Lee said. This is because low-lying vegetation, like shrubs and grasses, aren't good at removing heat from the ground. "In comparison, urban landscape is on average 20% more efficient in heat convection," Lee said (Still the surrounding landscape remains cooler since other factors are at play such as the increased reflectivity of the landscape and water evaporation by trees).
Large cities also naturally have a greater heat island effect. "In a large city, heat has more time to build up," Lee said.
The effect can change from year to year with different precipitation rates. "In the humid southeastern U.S., urban heat island tends to be stronger in the drier (and hotter) years than in the wetter years," Lee said. This could be due to the fact that urban trees help cool the landscape through water evaporation, an effect which the researchers think is not as strong within the city in drier years as it is outside, he said.
So what can cities do?
Lee suggests they use building materials that reflect heat away from the city rather than absorb it. "A good case in point is Chicago," Lee said.
The windy city experienced a record heat wave in 1995 which killed hundreds of people. In response, the city changed its building codes to encourage the use of reflective roofs yielding a cooler city.
While urban greening can help with cooling, it has to be done right to be effective. The popular grassy green roofs, for example, don't to much for heat mitigation, Lee said. However, previous studies have shown that green areas, like tree-speckled parks, can help keep city dwellers cool. This is because "Trees tend to offer more cooling power than shrubs and grasses," Lee said.
"Light coloured roofs also offer cooling benefits," he said. In a previous study, Lee and a team compared the cooling power of street trees versus reflective roofs, with the latter taking the win.
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Russian officials have fined the organizers behind Lady Gaga's 2012 Moscow concerts, claiming the shows and the singer's support of LGBT rights "harmed children," Gay Star News reports.
A magistrate's court in St. Petersburg ruled on Nov. 14 that Planet Plus must pay 20,000 rubies (about $614 U.S.) after Mother Monster performed in the city last year. In August, it was reported that Russian officials re-opened an investigation against Gaga shortly after she announced details about her third album "ARTPOP." Russian politician Vitaly Milonov, the author of Russia's "homosexual propaganda" measure, was responsible in looking into whether the pop star violated the law.
"I can't even really believe that you're all here because when they first called me they were like, 'We want you to go to Russia but we might have some problems because of all the gay propaganda in your show,'" Gaga said, according to Gay Star News. "Thank you, Moscow, for spreading the message of equality around the world. Thank you for spreading the message of Born This Way."
Later on during the performance, the singer shouted to the audience, "So stand up for yourself, or stand up for your friends. Where's all my gay kids tonight? Tonight, this is my house, Russia. You can be gay in my house. And if you ever need me Moscow, I will just be a telephone call away."
Gay Star News reports that there were hundreds of complaints made against the shows, many claiming that Gaga broke Russia's anti-gay law. One of those who took issue with Gaga and her pro-gay speeches was a mother of a 13-year-old girl, who said she was "shocked" by Gaga's words. She said if Gaga was planning on giving the supportive speeches then the show should have been restricted to 18 and over and not 12 and over.
The concert organizers of Planet Plus plan to appeal the court's ruling.
"We are just doing our job," Planet Plus CEO Eugene Finkelstein said, according to Gay Star News.
Madonna was also in hot water for her Russian concerts: Last August the Queen of Pop held a show in St. Petersburg, shortly after the city passed the anti-gay measure. Days after the event, the Associated Press reported that some Russian activists sued the singer for nearly $10.5 million, claiming they were offended by her LGBT support.
"She insulted believers' feelings, she promoted homosexuality when there were children at the concert and this is forbidden in St. Petersburg," Darya Dedova, a member of the pro-Kremlin group Trade Union of Russia Citizens, said. "We, the residents of the cultural capital, suffered a colossal moral damage."
From our media partner EDGEJason St. Amand


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Saturday, May 26, 2007
Our little "tool man"
Here is our little Payton. He LOOOOVES his "hamma"..and ALL tools. Hamma,wench,doo, and saw. :) LOVE IT!
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I am Jamee, author of this blog.
I am wife to Christian.
Mother to four handsome sons
& one little queen.
I am Mormon.
My favorite food is sandwiches.
If I could blog with emojis alone,
I totally would.
Here I write about whatever I feel like.
I am a lover of writing about the tabooish things of life that nobody likes to talk about.
I do so because writing is cathartic in my quiet world.
It is a door opener to new friends,ideas,
and the perfect way to journal life's lessons.
I don't always hit publish,
but when I do-
I do it with a shot of vodka.
Just kidding! Relax.
I love when people reach out to me with advice, to commiserate or simply join me in bedlam for a bit.
Comments, advice, you hate my blog and want to tell me?
You can be in touch with me here xoxoxoxo >>>
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Aged tequila gets a splash of minty freshness in this frosty smash.
1½ oz. añejo tequila
½ oz. Grand Marnier
¾ oz. agave syrup
6-8 fresh mint leaves
4 lemon wedges
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: rocks
Garnish: fresh mint sprig
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake, strain into a rocks glass packed with crushed ice and garnish.
Viktor & Spoils, New York City


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ageing bath time best friend birthday books brushing teeth celebration child play fashion fear fighting with each other goldfish growing up hair happy with looks health holiday how children copy kumon learning new words living with guilt love mealtime with kids morning with kids music play date reading school silly talk with kids sisters sleep habits snow sorry swimming with kids teasers therapy thumb sucking weekend working from home
Tag: fighting with each other
Kit is a great swimmer for her 5 years of age but this age also has its moods sometimes great and sometimes a true troublemaker. Kat on the other hand, is a serious swimmer who prides in doing laps and endurance swimming. What this means is that when I send the two swimming to the pool downstairs, some days are just perfect (mostly when I am watching them) or some days are miserable (mostly when our nanny is watching them) and Kit comes home crying or sulking with a vow to never go swimming with Kat again (a vow which is easily forgotten by the end of the minute!)
So, today when they came back with Kit howling at the top of her voice, I did not think it was anything different till Kat explained the whole situation to me. Apparently, Kit was getting bored in the pool today as there was not enough space so she started splashing Kat and pulling on her bathing suit and generally causing her trouble. At this point the lifeguard beckoned Kit with her finger (!) and scolded her and warned her that she can never enter the pool again if she behaves this way. What way, may I ask? Kit knows when she is being scolded and does not take it well when she thinks she is not wrong (sometimes even when she is wrong) so she started crying at which point the lifeguard scolded her again!
This same lifeguard was on the other hand allowing a little boy to take her rescue tube and play with it in the pool (bumping Kat several times with it when she was doing her laps) - now how professional is THAT!!
So first when Kit came home crying with Kat, I lost my cool there is something about sobbing and the inability to make out anything what is being said that truly frustrates me. After I heard the story from Kat and our nanny, I called up the resident manager and explained the situation. Sadly the lifeguard had left for the day but she has promised to talk to her tomorrow and get back to me. She says the protocol is to explain to the parents first or the adult with the children and if that does not work, parents should be contacted they are not allowed to scold children (5 years old?) directly- absolutely not their business!
Kat always likes to hear me fight for the right she says it gives her confidence so I guess something good did come out of this situation today.
Once all sorted I explained that everyone was in the wrong and no one can make that right. Kit was wrong for having acted in a way that prompted the lifeguard to get angry. Kat was wrong in having cut short her already short exercise routine and not having controlled the situation with Kit. Nanny was wrong in not having protected Kit when she was being scolded or interfered or called me. I was wrong (and surely crazy) for having trusted them all and sent them together believing everything was going to be OK!
Now that the anger is out of me, I have a severe migraine all that blood rushing did me no good. Did it?
It has been a never ending round of packing and unpacking suitcases this month (latest being the one we packed few days ago in case we had to rush downstairs when Irene struck)...all is getting back to normal now (sort of!)
Kat was actually sad to get out of the rental car (aka our mobile home) because she felt that it had been her home for the last 2 weeks (I dont blame her with all the snacking we did on the road, it did seem like Moms kitchen!) On the other hand, Kit was sad as the end of the road trip meant a stop to endless snacking (anytime, anything!) and the uninterrupted Backyardigan after Backyardigan episodes she watched on the iPad (courtesy Kat who had the brains to download these before we left).
Call me weird (its actually trendy to be weird now!) but I will miss the constant running around and the checking in and out from so many hotels en route. However, the most I will miss is the bonding time Kit Kat had over this holiday; both with us and between themselves...cherished times!
One such display of sisterly love was when Kit Kat were floating on the tube (attached to our boat) at Lake Tahoe. Sunny sky, warm water and peace and quiet in the air the only sounds we could hear were from Papa driving (so fast!) and all of us shouting in excitement.
After several rounds of duo floating together, Kit wanted to do one turn on her own (more so, because Kat had one!) Papa and I agreed and Kit had a ball!! Beaming from ear to ear, she held on to the tube with all her strength and at some point, Papa got so excited that in the flow of it all, he suddenly accelerated Kit caught on well but the other second, she lost her balance and fell into the 1000 ft (at some parts 1500ft I believe) deep lake.
Of course, Kit Kat had their life jackets on all the time but still the sight of a tiny Kit in the vast expanse of water was chilling. We reversed the boat right away and would have got there in a few seconds BUT Kat was already in the water going to save her little Kit! There was a look of extreme alarm on Kits face when she fell but I could not miss her joy on seeing Kat swim up to her. Our expert swimmer made it to Kit before us in the boat and swam back with Kit. Since then, Kat has been the official lifeguard for Kit (rewarded with hugs and wet kisses from Kit much to Kats eww!)
Moments like this and I am truly convinced that no matter how much the sisters fight, there IS a special bond between them most days, I am almost positive that given a chance, they could pull each others hair, teeth, clothes, books and everything apart!!
Of course, the minute Kat touches the piano for her practice, Kit will magically appear from somewhere and this will be the beginning of a heated argument dominated with I want to practice my piano from both sides. In the end (always), Kit can be seen sitting (with a victorious grin) on the piano stool playing some music and singing something totally impromptu...(after all, how much MacDonald can one practice?)
So, this is what happened last week
After much fighting when Kat had resigned to the rocking chair with her Taylor Swift Speak Now lyrics and piano music, Kit first walks up to her I want that book even before she finishes the sentence, she tries to snatch it from Kat, who has now become an expert at dodging Kit (its a survival trick!) quickly hides it behind her.
Kat: If you are not going to play the piano, I will
Kit, realising she is not going to get the book OR the piano if she does not decide fast, decides to go straight back to the piano (without wasting any more time split second decisions here!)
I am in the kitchen right next to the living room where the piano is and I am desperately wishing all this fighting away...in vain. Its the typical Please Stop Please let me finish this last thing situation of course my dinner is not ready yet so this is not helping at all! To make matters worse I told Kats teacher to come early today which has taken away 30 mins from my cooking time what a true martyr!
I silently peep from the kitchen and see Kat singing her Taylor Swift lyrics softly (if shes too loud, Kit will think it to be more interesting and will immediately do something to end Kats fun!) and Kit is busy working on her left hand (her most recent piano homework).
I go back to the kitchen before I can be spotted and loaded with complaints.
All of a sudden...I hear music being played by two hands. At first I think Kit Kat have made truce and are playing together but then when I walk out of the kitchen, I see that Kit has placed her play Casio keyboard on the piano and is playing her right hand on it and is slowly but surely playing her left hand on the actual piano I am speechless...this is a huge achievement for her. Anyone who has played piano will know the significance of playing with two hands for the first time. It is a totally different feeling and it takes time to get used to the feel of it of course, after that you learn to appreciate the sounds more when you play with the left hand as an accompaniment. To see Kit playing this naturally, figuring it all on her own is GREAT WORK. As soon as she finished (all this was MacDonald by the way), I point this out to Kat (who has been watching anyway) and she then tells Kit to play without Casio but on the piano itself and Kit DOES IT! She's got the hang of playing with both hands!!
Fights forgotten, Kit Kat share a hug and when Kat says Im so proud of you to Kit, you can literally see stars in Kits eyes. Kats praise surpasses everyone elses. Such is their love hate relationship...
Kat (who has over the years silently and uncomplainingly become the more mature one or maybe it has to do with the lets give up to this overdramatic sibling of mine syndrome) is usually the one who will quietly agree to give in to Kits strange (sometimes atrocious) demands and at times, I must admit I am amazed that Kat actually has the patience to listen to Kit and her nonsensical (at times comical wishes)!
Just today Kit started a whole drama because she wanted me to give Time Out to Kat as she believed Kat had hurt her on purpose (this whole on purpose thing has great consequences in our household for Kit Kat!!) What a drama ensued it got blown out of proportion (everything is super blown when there is a SNOW DAY and no babysitter...I lost patience, Kit got crazy...I got crazier but then finally...Kat came to the rescue:-)
She has this soothing voice which Kit listens to like a puppy no matter how angry Kit is (even at Kat) she will respond to that voice...lo behold! In an instant, an out of control Kit is soothed by the magical powers of a sister and I watch them both become friends again as quickly as the fight began. I am alienated (yet again!) but am truly thankful for these precious moments that save my sanity - Thank you Kat!
We are back to lunch turkey sandwiches, egg etc...
Kat: I dont like Sun on Top (referring to the egg)
Kit: I love it!
Kat: I dont. I think its disgusting. (We have gone through numerous lessons never to refer to food as the d word but obviously its not helping )
Kit: You never yuck somebodys yum
Kits sentence made Kat and me laugh. It was such a clever sentence. Since then Kat and I have been using this sentence in our day to day talk. Such a beautiful way of expressing an honest thought.
Have to go back to bed tonight and pray for school tomorrow. Cannot have another Snow Day...how much snow can January handle?
This is also Kits first year (full time) at school so its an exciting year ahead for her and me...shes excited about her new pencil case, her new friends, teachers...she feels she is one step closer to being Kat now... She chose her backpack online (along with Kat) yesterday. In fact, a task that both Kat and I thought would take just a couple of seconds took about half an hour! Kit could simply not decide she has become so computer savvy, she moved the mouse with such ease to scroll up and down the screen that it took her ages to decide while Kat and I wondered where all this power had come from! Kat and I had preselected one backpack for her but Kit is so strong-headed, she selected the one that SHE wanted and in the end that is what I bought for her. Of course this upset Kat because she wanted Kit to have that one but Kit wanted this one (Im just plain happy that Kit agreed not to have the rolling backpack and agreed on the preschool size Imagine!!)
After much bickering, the girls are (finally) now looking forward to their personalised backpacks and I am wondering, maybe it is a great thing that they are going back to school and a week into school I will probably wonder how was I ever surviving with them both with me 24/7?


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I just selected a new health insurance plan and they're asking me questions about my health. I thought insurance companies can't do this anymore?
Under health care reform laws, insurance companies can't require you to answer health questions in order to buy insurance.
However, once you are covered by a health plan, companies are allowed to ask questions to determine whether you qualify for one of their disease management programs or for case management services. Disease management programs help consumers learn how to manage chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or depression.
Case management programs help consumers who have very serious health conditions, such as leukemia, cut through the red tape to get the insurance company to pay for their treatment. For example, to prevent misdiagnosis, some insurance companies won't start paying for cancer treatment until consumers get a second opinion to confirm the diagnosis. The average consumer wouldn't know this, but a case manager will tell the consumer about this requirement and, if necessary, help the consumer schedule an appointment for a second opinion. Many case managers are also licensed nurses, so they can also suggest solutions to problems, such as side effects, that consumers experience during treatment.
Both of these services are voluntary, so you don't have to answer the questions. Even if you do answer the questions, you don't have to participate in the programs.
I recently applied for life insurance and they made me answer questions about my health. I thought insurance companies can't do this anymore?
Under health care reform laws, insurance companies can't require you answer health questions in order to buy medical insurance. However, insurance companies can still require to you answer health questions to buy other types of insurance, including:
- Life insurance
- Long-term care insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Disability insurance
- Medicare Supplement plans and Medicare Advantage plans, under certain circumstances
Read more information about health care reform.
Our consumer experts can answer your questions about any type of insurance. They are available by phone at 1-800-562-6900 or by submitting an inquiry through our website.