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Book chapter
Authenticity and Sustainability in Responsible Tourism (2015)
in: Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics
This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. Please check back later for the full article.Tourism is important in debates on change and development because it is arguably the world's largest industry, a major driver of economic growth, and a high priority in developing countries' plans for economic development.Discourses of responsible tourism claim to address the concerns surrounding mass, packaged tourism: principally, the lack of environmental and cultural authenticity and sustainability. Responsible tourism promises to fulfill tourists' desires to experience authenticity while having positive economic and social impacts. Proponents of this kind of tourism claim that, by creating a demand for these "goods," communities can protect and revive pristine environments and authentic cultures.Authenticity plays an important role in the sustainable development discourse implicit in responsible tourism. However, there are tensions between authenticity, sustainability, and neo-liberal development whose historical trajectories can be traced from the 1970s to the present; from a rejection of market-led economic growth to delivering sustainability through market mechanisms. Critics have noted that the neo-liberalization of every aspect of development has been integral to the political agenda of global governance by institutions such as the World Bank. In short, by integrating sustainable development into neo-liberal mechanisms, alternatives to dominant market-led development are denied.Tourism plays a major part in these debates because conceptualizations of authenticity have followed a similar path: from imaginations of pre-contact, harmonious idylls; to creation of "value-added" products; to conservation of natural environments; and preservation and revival of traditional cultures for tourist consumption. The turn away from modernization development paradigms and towards cultural revival is politically fraught. Whereas traditional cultures, admired by the West for their environmental sustainability and social cohesion, existed largely outside of global markets, under global neo-liberal regimes, cultural revival is delivered through market forces. Moreover, delivering cultural revival through tourism often de-politicizes highly contentious issues. This is particularly pertinent in Latin America, where the continent has been experiencing a "left turn" in formal politics, including indigenous cosmovisions in new constitutions.Finally, debates on authenticity, sustainable development and tourism, and especially responsible tourism, are key to understandings of current political approaches to development.
Oxford University Press


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Maurice C. Cook, Jr.
Jan. 12, 1939-Oct. 11, 2012
Pleasanton, California
Maurice C. Cook Jr., 73, died surrounded by his family on October 11, 2012 in Walnut Creek, CA.
Maurice was born January 12, 1939 in Long Beach, CA to Maurice C. Cook, Sr. and Theola Mae Cook. In his younger years, he was an active member of DeMolay and later became a Second Degree Mason. He married Susanne Vivion in 1959. During the winter months he enjoyed taking his family hunting and fishing and in the summers they waterskied and raced speedboats.
When he retired from his QA engineer profession, he became a local favorite with school-aged children as one of Pleasanton?s school crossing guards. His 5 foot tall Harbor Seal mascot, ?Harbie?, could be seen by pedestrians and passing cars each day. Local newspapers even put his photo in the paper, highlighting him as a local colorful character. In his later years, he stuck closer to home and became content raising farm animals on his acre of property in rural Pleasanton. He often supplied fresh eggs for breakfast events at their neighborhood church, Faith Chapel.
Maurice is survived by his wife of 54 years, Susanne V. Cook; daughters and their husbands, Cheryl and Stuart Craig, Carol and John Styles; five grandchildren, Jimmy, Susie, Katie, Shelby and Jessie; and sister, Marlana Dickey.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Faith Chapel, 6656 Alisal Street, Pleasanton, on Saturday, November 10, 2012 at two o?clock in the afternoon. In lieu of flowers, feel free to donate to the nonprofit group ?Kids Day of Fishing? at www.kidsdayoffishing.org which caters to under-privileged and special needs kids and their families in the Bay Area.

subset: commoncrawl


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Ethos - An Archive of the Graduate Program Newsletter
Our third issue features an interview with KSJS dj Patrick Kramer and with Michelle Tran on how the study of communication has helped her in a variety of work settings.
Our second issue features an interview with Jessica Johnson on her travels in Beijing and a roundtable discussion on gender and communication studies with Vicky Arafa, Margarita Lozano, and Stephanie McLoughlin.
Our inaugural issue features interviews with Staci Gunner on the first annual South Bay Womyn's Conference, Stacy Ernst on Content Magazine, and Robert Gutierrez on applying to doctorate programs.


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These 3m centered means lag reality by quite a long way - the current index (27 Sept) is about -1.5. The red line should track the blue one quite closely for the rest of the year, I think. And here is the updated temperature, which is still rising (in terms of 12m lagged average) but not by much:
Here I'm using the 3v version of the data (which I prefer), the non-v version also has August data in and these are clearly cooler, so things are likely to head downhill from here.
Chris R suggested that it might have been better to show year-to-date values rather than 12m lagged average. I chose the latter partly due to Hansen's discussion (pdf here) where he argues that 12m rolling averages are more scientifically relevant, as there is nothing special about the year end that justifies focussing on this calendar period to the exclusion of (say) May-April. I suspect this issue only piqued his interest due to the fact that the 1998 calendar year temp was also so close to the max of any 12m period (as you can see from the above pic), so the calendar year 1998 shows up as particularly hot on the standard annual (calendar year) data plot.


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- THE Trip, THE Encore' :: The Maps
- THE Trip, THE Encore' :: The Maps, Part Two
- THE Trip, THE Encore' :: The Maps, Part Three
- 2013 Thankful November
- Families Past :: Pedigree Charts
- Edna May Fenton Stevens Time Line Experiments
- Winter Sojourn 2014/15 :: The Maps
- Reflection's Contibutions to the Worldwide Genealo...
- Reflections Visits Nova Scotia
- European Union Stuff.
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Saturday, January 29, 2011
THE Trip, How to Make a 420 Foot Circle of Montanas
The western faction of the Montana Owners Club (an informal online forum dedicated to owners or wanna be owners of Montanas, Mountaineers, and Big Sky 5th wheel RVs) have been having the "Circling of the Montanas" in Quartzsite Arizona for 6 years. It started out with a handful, give or take, of units and has grown each and every year. This year there were so many interested that we could not all fit into the circle. As far as I know, we are the only group out here in Q BLM land that do our circle like this. I have seen several other circles, wagon train style, front to back, front to back. Our circle is more like the spokes on a wheel.
Here is the simplified version of how they manage this unique gathering/parking.
They drive a stake in the middle of the circle, attach a very very long rope. When a unit arrives, they take the rope, stretch it from the middle of the circle to the outside of the circle. They line up the rope with where the middle of your unit should be. That is the middle as in side to side. It has been pre-determined where all the units should be, measured and measured again. From a few scratches in the desert surface the parking crew know where the middle (side to side) and the back of your unit should be, and they direct you so that is exactly where you end up. There are no do-overs required, they get you lined up perfect the very first time.
Above, friends Nita and Al lining up, they are about mid circle at this point, see the yellow rope, straddle, drive forward, easy peasy.
Yep, got it centered, inch er in.
Perfect, back end of the rig is lined up on the inside of the circle. Every rig perfectly lined up first time!
CLAP CLAP CLAP to the parking crew! Well done!
And, here is what a full circle of Montanas looks like. Believe there are 47 units, 1 is a Raptor toy hauler, 4 are motor homes and the rest of us are Montanas, Montaineers and Big Skys. When this photo was taken there was room for 1 or 2 more units. There are 2 entrance/exits left open, one at top right, and one at the middle left. Find that middle left entrance, count 10 counterclockwise and there is Tana and Big Butt. We are almost in the center of the photo at the bottom. (I made this photo larger than I normally do, so try clicking on it for larger view. The same photo is also at the very bottom of this blog, nice 'n large!)
Below center rig: Tana, Big Butt and a girl chat at the "Q". To the left are friends Nita and Al with his solar paneled roof, to the right are friends Mina and Bob with their flag pole! Yes, I was one of the gals chatting away.
And, that dear friends is how you make a 420 foot circle of Montanas (and 1 Raptor and 4 Motorhomes).
*In future posts I will have some other photos of the Circling of the Montanas at Quartzsite, come on back and visit soon.
7 comments:
- Éire Historian said...
My husband and I would both like to say that this is one of the coolest things we've ever seen. Hope you're having a great time! How did you take the aerial shot? Cheers, Jennifer & Matthew.
- January 29, 2011 at 7:48 AM
- Susan Clark said...
I'm trying to get my mind around traffic jams in the desert. Wonderful orchestration - some military minds at work there.
- January 29, 2011 at 10:09 AM
- PalmsRV said...
My concern with the circle would be FIRE, there was a rig that burnt to the frame the other day in Quartzsite and it damaged both vehicles on either side of it because they weer parked so close.
- January 29, 2011 at 11:09 AM
- Carol said...
IrishEyes, a ultra light took the photos.
Nolichucky, yes, there are traffic jams in Q for a few weeks around the RV show.
PalmsRV, yes, we know about the fire, it was very close to us, and I do have some poor quality photos of the explosions and fire as it was after dark. The unit was an older one, a new purchase for the lady that owned it. A sad situation for sure. Being too close is a concern. We see a good number of units forming "U" shaped parking situations and a lot of circles that are back to front, almost touching unit to unit.
I guess we decided go for it, and truthfully, we have been parked closer than this in commercial parks.
Life is full of choices, chances and good and bad luck. Eh???
- January 29, 2011 at 11:23 AM
- Barbara Poole said...
First, thanks for explaining how your circle was done. Second, I'm jealous, as your temperature thingie (your word) says it is 73 degrees! I'll take a circle in those temps anytime.
- January 29, 2011 at 6:11 PM
- Greta Koehl said...
Wow, that is one of the most awesomest things I've ever seen! Sounds like you are having waaay too much fun.
- January 29, 2011 at 7:42 PM
- Michelle Goodrum said...
I wondered how you all made that circle. Thanks for explaining it. So simple!
- February 2, 2011 at 12:08 AM


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Maple Leafs visit Steen, Blues
(SportsNetwork.com) - The St. Louis Blues look to secure a second straight victory on Thursday night as they play host to the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Blues had lost three of four ahead of Tuesday's 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Alexander Steen had a second-period goal and Kevin Shattenkirk put home the deciding goal while on the power play with 3:02 remaining in the game.
Shattenkirk's third goal of the season changed direction on the way to the net after he took a feed from Derek Roy.
"Sometimes you get rewarded with a couple lucky ones and it was a great game by both teams," said Shattenkirk.
Brian Elliott stopped 20 shots for the Blues, who reached the 20-win plateau by claiming their seventh victory in the last 10 outings.
"Our goalie made some great saves and I think we were getting nervous when we didn't score on some opportunities, but I really like the way we fought," said Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock.
Steen, a former first-round pick by Toronto in 2002, scored his first goal in five games and his 21st of the season. That is tied for second most in the NHL and three off his career high of 24 scored with the Blues in 2009-10.
That season was Steen's first full one in St. Louis after getting dealt by Toronto along with defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo for Lee Stempniak on Nov. 24, 2008.
The 29-year-old Steen has two goals in three career games versus Toronto.
Steen will look to give Elliott some more support tonight with the netminder set to get the call again. He is 5-1-1 with a 2.04 goals against average and .919 save percentage in 10 games this season, including seven starts. Elliott has allowed two goals or fewer in five of those starts.
The goaltender is 3-5-1 with a 3.07 GAA in 10 previous meetings with the Leafs, who were in action last night and lost a 3-1 decision to the Los Angeles Kings.
Cody Franson scored and Jonathan Bernier made 20 stops for the Maple Leafs, who stumbled to their seventh loss in nine outings.
"That was much closer to what we need," Toronto head coach Randy Carlyle. "Hey, we're third in the Eastern Conference in goals scored. It's on the defensive side where our work ethic and commitment hasn't been there."
Toronto was without defenseman Dion Phaneuf as he served the first portion of a two-game suspension for a boarding hit in Sunday's game versus Boston.
However, winger Joffrey Lupul returned after missing seven games in a row due to a groin strain. He has eight goals and 15 points in 22 contests before the injury.
Carlyle could give James Reimer his first career start versus the Blues tonight. Bernier is 2-1-0 with a 2.99 GAA in four starts against them.
The Maple Leafs have won two straight versus the Blues, both in a shootout, following a three-game series losing streak. They notched a 3-2 win in their last trip to St. Louis on Nov. 10, 2011.


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Smart Sensors to Help Monitor Effectiveness of Water Filters and Cookstoves in Rwanda
In Rwanda, where the life expectancy is less than 50 years, contaminated water and breathing soot from indoor cook fires are major causes of disease and other health issues. Distributing water filters and efficient cookstoves will help to change that, but one such effort, lead by a Portland State University professor, will go a step further by using data gathered by remote smart sensors to gauge the effectiveness of the campaign.
This spring, engineering professor Evan Thomas will head up the distribution of efficient cookstoves and water filters to about 750,000 households in western Rwanda, giving millions access to clean drinking water and helping to reduce the demand for wood fuel (and reducing soot exposure from cook fires).500 of those devices will have remote smart sensors installed on them, which will measure the usage and performance and help team members on the ground to adjust the technology or the education surrounding the filters and stoves.
"The sensors help us answer two questions: Does the technology work, and do people use it?" - Thomas
The smart sensors are powered by five AA batteries (lasting for up to a year of monitoring), and data from the units will be sent via cell phone technology to a web-based platform, SweetData, for analysis by PSU engineering students.
"We anticipate this project will bring significant health improvements to these communities and demonstrate the potential to deploy and monitor international health programs like this on a very large scale." - Thomas
The sensors, called SWEETSense, were developed at PSU, and so far, Thomas has received about $550,000 to commercialize them and scale up the process to production levels. The large scale of this water filter and cookstove campaign in Rwanda is made possible with carbon credits backed by the UN.
The SweetSense program is a partnership with Oregon BEST, the Lemelson Foundation, Stevens Water and Mercy Corps, and the water filters are being deployed by Manna Energy, under contract with DelAgua.


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For Immediate Release
54% Increase in Number of People Affected by Climate Disasters by 2015 Could Overwhelm Emergency Responses
Urgent reforms needed to outdated and unfair humanitarian system.
WASHINGTON - In six years time the number of people affected by
climatic crises is projected to rise by 54 per cent to 375 million
people, threatening to overwhelm the humanitarian aid system, said
international agency Oxfam today.
The projected rise is due to a
combination of entrenched poverty and people migrating to densely
populated slums which are prone to the increasing number of climatic
events. This is compounded by the political failure to address these
risks and a humanitarian system which is not fit for purpose. In its
report, The Right to Survive, Oxfam says the world needs to re-engineer the way it responds to, prepare for and prevents disasters.
used the best-available data of 6,500 climate-related disasters since
1980 to project that the number of people affected by climatic disaster
will rise by 133 million to 375 million people a year on average by
2015. This does not include people hit by other disasters such as wars,
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The world needs to increase
its humanitarian aid spending from 2006 levels of $14.2 billion to at
least $25 billion a year just to deal with these rising numbers of
people. Even this increase in money - the equivalent of only $50 per
affected person - is still woefully inadequate to meet their basic
"The humanitarian system works as if it's a global card
game dealing out aid randomly, not based on people's needs. The
response is often fickle - too little, too late and not good enough.
The world barely copes with the current level of disasters. A big
increase in the numbers of people affected will overwhelm it unless
there is fundamental reform of the system that puts those in need at
its centre," said Oxfam International's Executive Director Jeremy Hobbs.
says that the international humanitarian system needs to act swiftly
and impartially after a disaster, investing money and effort
commensurate with the levels of need. Aid is often given on the basis
of political or other preferences making it unfair. In 2004, an average
of $1,241 was spent for each victim of the Asian tsunami, while an
average of only $23 was spent per person affected by the humanitarian
crisis in Chad.
The world must change the way it delivers aid so
that it builds on the country's ability to prepare and withstand future
shocks. National governments, with the help of the international
community, need to invest more in reducing the risk of disasters.
as climate change gathers pace, this trend is likely to continue to
increase well beyond 2015. Rich countries must commit now to cut
greenhouse gas emissions in order to keep global warming as far below
2°C as possible, and to provide at least $50 billion a year in finance
to help poor countries adapt to unavoidable climate change.
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there has been a steady increase in climate related events, it is
poverty and political indifference that make a storm a disaster," said
Jeremy Hobbs.
More people are now living in urban slums built on
land prone to weather shocks. More than 50 per cent of inhabitants of
Mumbai, for instance, live in slums, many of them built on reclaimed
swamplands. In 2005, widespread flooding in the city caused the deaths
of around 900 people, most of them killed by landslips and collapsed
Hunger is on the increase, caused by drought,
population density and an increasing demand for meat and dairy products
in emerging economies. People are being driven from their homes - it is
estimated up to a billion people will be forced from their homes by
2050 due to climate change, environmental degradation, and conflict.
And finally more people are losing their jobs due to the global
economic crisis.
However, despite their poverty, some countries
such as Cuba, Mozambique and Bangladesh have invested heavily in
protecting their people from storms. Following the 1972 super cyclone
that killed a quarter of a million people, Bangladesh invested heavily
in prevention and protection measures. The death toll from super
cyclones in Bangladesh is in the low thousands - still far too high,
but much less devastating. The experience of Cuba, Mozambique and
Bangladesh shows that with sufficient help, even the world's poorest
countries can better protect their citizens.
Oxfam also notes
that while the total number of conflicts has reduced over the years, a
number remain intractable. "Entire generations of people have been
displaced three, four or five times, and know nothing but armed
violence and displacement," said Hobbs. More than 18 million people
could not get enough humanitarian aid because of conflict in 2007,
according to UN figures.
Oxfam is shifting the way it responds to
emergencies in the face of increasing climatic disasters investment,
toward helping to reduce poor people vulnerability to disasters while
still remaining a front-line agency that responds to humanitarian
"Climate change is already threatening our work to
overcome poverty, increasing the pressure on an already-difficult task
of bringing relief to millions. It is crucial that we tackle climate
change head-on. We need governments to raise their game. The world must
agree a global deal to avoid catastrophic climate change, stop the
fickle way it delivers aid, and radically improve how it responds to
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Oxfam International is a confederation of 13 like-minded organizations working together and with partners and allies around the world to bring about lasting change. Oxfam works directly with communities and that seeks to influence the powerful to ensure that poor people can improve their lives and livelihoods and have a say in decisions that affect them.


text:
Here's the one I wrote last year. Enjoy:Dear Admissions Committee:I recently received your letter of rejection for admittance in to the School of Law, and I was relieved to learn that you did not find me to be a qualified applicant. I am actually quite used to rejection. You should have seen me last night! Apparently cute girls only go for guys with a median GPA of 3.8 and an LSAT of 172. Or maybe that's you.The real reason I am writing you is to tell you that while most other students are rushing to their mailboxes to see if you guys sent them an update on their application status, I am actually going to check for my newest Netflix. I was extremely stoked to find a copy of I Heart Huckabees in my mailbox this week. Have you seen it? There's this dynamic duo of existential detectives that help various characters figure out the significance of their beings. Also, in the movie Jason Schwartzman almost makes it cool to have chest hair again, which I am pretty stoked about. Can chest hair count as a subjective factor in your admissions decisions? It should. I am totally 99th percentile material there.I also wanted to send you an update on my applicant profile. Since I last wrote, I retook the LSAT and improved my score by like a bagizillion points. Furthermore, I am currently gainfully employed in a variety of different positions. I deliver subpoenas as a bike messenger, which has given me an insider's view of the legal process and a newfound appreciation for traffic laws. I am a host and bouncer at a café, which has given me an opportunity to enforce the law. And finally, I work in a bakery, which probably has no relevance at all to any future legal career that I might have. Although, as a cake salesman, I have learned how to lie effectively, which I have heard might come in handy one day in the court rooms.For example, last night this guy came in and asked for a cake. He asked me to write "Happy Birthday Ed" on the cake. Simple enough. I'm pretty much an amateur in the world of cake-decorating but it would be unprofessional for me to tell people this, so I am basically living a lie. Usually I decorate the cake quickly, tape up the box and send people on their way. After I was done writing "Happy Birthday Ed" sloppily in cursive blue icing, I looked up and the man was staring at me like I had just scribbled in magic marker all over the upholstery of his living room furniture or something. I felt obliged to ask, "How does that look sir?". He said, "Honestly? I didn't want to tell you this earlier but I used to do this professionally." He was quite nice about it, but I felt like a moron. I gave him a free cookie for giving me his honest opinion. I asked him what he does now and he told me he was a writer.My point is, if this whole law school thing doesn't work out, there's other options.Sincerely,Me
Dear Borchmore Admissions,I am sorry, but I will not be able to accept your offer of rejection for the 2006-2007 year. As you know, this has been a very difficult process and I have received far more rejections than I could ever accept. Many wonderful colleges tried to reject me this year and there just is no way that I could take them all. As such, it is with deep regret that I inform you that I will be attending Borchmore law next year. I am sure that your university will find some other wonderful candidate to reject and I wish you the best of luck in your future rejections.See you in the Spring


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In his latest book, America the Possible: Manifesto for a New Economy, Gus Speth has not held anything back. Nothing is sugarcoated. He tells us the hard and necessary truth about the mess that we're in here in the United States. No—mess is too dismissive a word. Maybe something like "slow emergency" is more appropriate. "Crisis" is even better.
Speth's assessment of the current state of our country is sweeping and devastating. He compares the United States' standing across a range of metrics, indicating the nation's performance relative to what he calls "peer countries," that is, the major economies of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Speth rattles off category after category in which we rank at or near the bottom relative to our peers. These categories include inequality, economic mobility, poverty rates, spending on social programs, access to health care, education, resource consumption, ecological footprint, homicide rate, prison population, and weapons sales.
It's not a pretty picture. Speth plays tour guide, trudging us through the endless morass of U.S. problems not because he despises this country, but because he loves it. He sees what we once were and what we could one day be. But he also recognizes that to get there, we must soberly face what we are at present.
America the Possible is not about converting anyone. It's something like a revolution cookbook, something like a strategy manual. It's a reference guide for the converted, a toolbox chock full of ideas. If you're already convinced that the United States is off the rails, the book will: 1) support this belief (and how!), and 2) lay out a vision of what our country could be by 2050. Throughout, Speth comprehensively catalogues the political, social, economic, and cultural factors that have shaped what we are now, as well as the changes that must occur if we are to realize what we can be: America the Possible.
I found America the Possible to be a bit overwhelming. Speth's torrent of facts and quotes and policy suggestions is relentless; in fewer than 200 pages he manages to squeeze in over 500 endnotes containing some 900 individual references (this is an approximation; I actually lost count). The quotations come so frequently that in some places, the book starts to feel like an extremely thorough annotated bibliography.
Speth's gift is for recognizing other people's good ideas and weaving them together. His knowledge of others' work is encyclopedic, which is impressive, but it does take commitment to read through it all.
Admittedly, I finished this book initially feeling more despair than hope. If so many brilliant people have put so much thought and effort into figuring out how to rebuild our democracy, reverse climate change, transition to a steady-state economy, and realize economic equity and social justice—yet we have made so little progress—then what kind of meaningful contribution could I, the average American citizen, possibly have to offer?
To this, I'll reply with Speth's quote from former Visa International executive Dee Hock: "Things are much too bad for pessimism." If someone as knowledgeable and experienced as Gus Speth is still has hope, then it feels like an act of hubris to feel hopeless. Speth had every reason to become jaded, but he has not. And neither should we.
If you believe that things in the United States have gone awry, and consider it part of your great work to contribute to the nation's repair, then America the Possible is an indispensable reference manual. It's not comforting, it's not conciliatory, and it's not naïve. It is full of facts, ideas, and hope—all of which are in short supply these days.
Chris Stratton lives in Oakland, CA, and researches residential energy use at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.


text:
Year-end Deficit Report, Part 2: AP's Crutsinger Misses 'The Year of Going Galt'
As I pointed out Monday night (at NewsBusters; at BizzyBlog), Associated Press reporter Martin Crutsinger, in his Saturday morning report on the federal government's full-year fiscal results, conveniently "forgot" about a major accounting change that enabled President Obama's Treasury Department to report a final "deficit" of "only" $1.417 trillion.
That's hundreds of billion of dollars lower than the $1.75 trillion expected in February. The change, which caused "investments" in financial institutions, General Motors, Chrysler, and other entities to be accounted for on a "net present value" (NPV) basis, had an initial impact of over $175 billion when first implemented. Crutsinger ignored the change, even though its implementation occurred after that February estimate.
Though the end of a fiscal year represents a perfect opportunity to extend readers' understanding of how our government (sort of) works, Crutsinger also did not tell readers that the reported "deficit" is nowhere near the amount of the increase in the national debt that occurred during the fiscal year. As of September 30, the national debt was $11.910 trillion, or $1.885 trillion higher than the national debt a year earlier. That means that the most recent year's "unreported deficit" was $468 billion.
One other area where Crutsinger erred was in his breezy opening paragraph assessment that the precipitous drop in cash receipts during the most recent fiscal year – officially understated for a reason I will note shortly — was entirely due to the recession:
The federal budget deficit has surged to an all-time high of $1.42 trillion as the recession caused tax revenues to plunge while the government was spending massive amounts to stabilize the financial system and jump-start the economy.
…. For 2009, the government collected $2.10 trillion in revenues, a 16.6 percent drop from 2008. That was the largest percentage decline on records going back nearly seven decades.
Not so, sir.
The first thing to understand is that the drop in receipts from economic activity was much worse.
The only reason the government is able to claim that receipts dropped by "only" 16.6% is that Treasury treated the $96 billion in economic stimulus payments made during calendar 2008 as "negative receipts" instead of more properly accounting for them as outlays. A case could be made for this treatment if every taxpayer had received a stimulus payment proportional to the amount of tax paid. But this isn't what happened. Many higher-income tax payers did not get a stimulus check, while many lower-income filers who paid no tax at all still got one. By contrast, a similar mass-check payment program that occurred earlier this year involving payments that went to Social Security recipients was properly accounted for as outlays.
The properly stated degree of the receipts drop is 19.5%, as shown here:
Now that the full extent of the decline in receipts is clear, let's look at how and when the drops occurred. Let's start by looking at the situation quarter-by-quarter:
The fact of the matter is that this recession — where the drop in real GDP has been less than 4% — doesn't fully explain why year-over-year quarterly receipts dropped by as much as 31% during the past fiscal year. Something else is at work here. Martin Crutsinger should have looked into what that something else might be.
I described what I believed it was in July 2008. I came to this description after watching Democratic nominee-to-be Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid spend the previous weeks demonstrating total disinterest in or hostility towards getting this economy the energy it needs to function and promising to radically raise taxes on the most productive in the name of wealth redistribution. Here is what I wrote:
Businesses and investors are responding to their total lack of seriousness (about energy and taxes) by battening down the hatches and preparing for the worst.
The most productive people began to withdrew into their cocoon not because the economy was in a serious recession — at least as normal people define it (second quarter 2008′s annualized growth was +1.5%). What happened is that enough of them to matter started "going Galt."
Looking back in April 2009 at the previous nine months, I wrote the following about what subsequently took place:
Starting in June (2008) and all the way through to Election Day, Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, and Harry Reid repeatedly told the country that they were ready, willing, and would soon be able to starve the country of the conventional sources of energy it needs to keep its economic engines running, regardless of the consequences, bowing before what may be the greatest hoax in human history. Enough high producers to make a difference believed them and abandoned their previous guarded optimism.
Starting in June and all the way through to Election Day, Pelosi, Obama, and Reid — but especially presidential nominee Obama — told the country that they were ready, willing, and would soon be able to punitively tax the 5% of the nation's most productive so they could redistribute money to everyone else. Enough high producers to make a difference believed them and abandoned their previous guarded optimism.
In September, the decades-in-the-making, Democratic Party-driven housing and mortgage lending mess came to a head at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Washington then allowed itself to be blackmailed into a series of financial sector and other bailouts that appeared to be, and have turned out to be, seemingly endless. Enough high producers to make a difference headed for the lifeboats and abandoned what little optimism remained.
Enough high producers to make a difference abandoned their spring (2008) optimism, not because of then-current economic conditions, which were at worst mediocre. They did so because of their assessments of what economic conditions would be in the not-too-distant future, based on the perilous pronouncements of Pelosi, Obama, and Reid. Many of those who didn't catch on during the summer did so after observing the reckless September-October actions of the Washington establishment.
As a result, they took steps that businesspeople, entrepreneurs, and investors ordinarily take when a serious recession takes hold — not hiring, not expanding, letting people go and not replacing them, making worn-out equipment last longer instead of buying new, and others — before the serious recession took hold. They deliberately downsized in response to stated promises by powerful government officials Pelosi, Obama, and Reid to penalize and punish them and the economy as a whole, if and when they gained power.
In other words, enough high producers to make a difference preemptively "went Galt."
The horrid collections results of the first three calendar quarters of this year, especially the cliff-dive in individual income tax receipts, were at least as much the result of the "going Galt" phenomenon as they were of the recession itself.
The third calendar quarter's shortfall of "only" 14.4% might appear to be cause for hope.
Nope. Thanks to this administration's failure to do anything about the chronic uncertainty and fear it has injected into nearly every nook and cranny of the economy, the government's collections shortfall has spread to what it gets through withholdings from workers' paychecks:
Year-over-year collections from withholdings fell over 10% during the most recent quarter, even though average quarterly unemployment increased "only" 3.5% during the intervening year. Many formerly well-paid employees are earning much less, paying not only less tax, but proportionally less as a percentage of their lowered income. Employees at the lower end of the pay scale are working fewer average hours. Given that most economists and other analysts both in and out of the government are saying that unemployment will stay high until at least late 2010, future year-over-year improvements in the withholdings number, which is by far the most important one on the list, are probably not on the horizon.
That's especially true because the disincentives to work hard have increased significantly during this administration's early months, and there are more possible disincentives on the horizon. This Forbes report by Janet Novack and Stephanie Fitch ("When Work Doesn't Pay For The Middle Class") explains how ugly the situation is in great detail.
What the Forbes pair is essentially telling us is that "Going Galt" has spread from the highest producers to above average and average ones. This, at least as much as the recession itself, explains why collections have cratered so severely, and why anyone expecting a robust recovery in money coming into the Treasury is probably setting themselves up for significant disappointment.
The establishment media's failures to recognize and cover the "going Galt" phenomenon of the past 16 months, and the more recent "it isn't worth it to work" trend, are two more significant journalistic oversights in a very, very long list of them.
Cross-posted at NewsBusters.org.


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The West Fights Back
On Thanksgiving – The West under attack as US and Israel man the front trenches
Weekly Standard December 3, 2012
There are some facts so obvious that only a liberal could deny them. One of them is that, from Benghazi to Be'er Sheva, the West is under attack.
By the West I mean those nations — wherever on the globe they are — that hold aloft and carry the torch of liberal civilization, that seek to build on the achievements of modern liberalism and the older traditions of Athens and Jerusalem.
The United States stands at the head of the West, having had leadership thrust upon us several decades ago — at about the same time the state of Israel came into existence after the collapse of Western civilization in Europe. The West was saved, primarily by Britain and the United States, and its revival after the war was somehow exemplified by the founding of the state of Israel, which, as the philosopher Leo Strauss put it in 1956, "is a Western country, which educates its many immigrants from the East in the ways of the West: Israel is the only country which as a country is an outpost of the West in the East."
To be an outpost is to be under the threat of attack. To be a leader is to be subject to attack. And so Israel and the United States bear the brunt of the attacks on Western civilization.
George W. Bush was ridiculed by the left, and criticized by some on the right, for speaking of the Global War on Terror. The left hated the notion of a global war of any sort, and the right disliked the imprecision of "terror." But the term "war on terror" has always struck me as good enough for government work. For what the West stands against is terror — whether the terror of modern secular totalitarianism or the terror of an older, and now revitalized, religious fanaticism.
From the Great Terrors of Stalin and Hitler to the attacks on New York and Tel Aviv, and on Madrid, Bali, and Mumbai, terrorists of all stripes know who their enemies are. They attack across the world and kill Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike — but they grasp that the centers of resistance, the nations that stand most squarely in their path, are the United States and Israel.
And so these two very different nations — Christian and Jewish, large and small, new world and old (though the new world nation is older than its newly reborn old world counterpart) — find themselves allied. More than allied: They find themselves joined at the hip in a brotherhood that is more than a diplomatic or political or military alliance. Everyone senses that the ties are deeper than those of mere allies. Israelis know that if the United States fails, so shall Israel. Americans sense, in the words of Eric Hoffer, "as it goes with Israel so will it go with all of us. Should Israel perish the holocaust will be upon us."
I write this on the eve of Thanksgiving, the most Old Testament, the most Hebraic, of our national holidays. On Thanksgiving we don't celebrate our rights or our achievements, or honor our soldiers or great men. Rather, we thank the Almighty for our blessings here in America. We might also thank Him for restoring the homeland of the Jewish people, as Israelis might thank Him for the existence, side by side with Israel, of a loyal and steadfast America.
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Police find burned body of suspect in Mexico City bar kidnappings
MEXICO CITY – Mexico City prosecutors say police found the burned body of one of the main suspects in the abduction of 12 young people a month ago.
They say Dax Rodriguez Ledezma's body was found along with his girlfriend and another man in the town of Huitzilac in Morelos state.
Prosecutors said in a statement Tuesday that investigators identified Rodriguez Ledezma through a DNA test. Officials didn't say when the bodies were found.
Rodriguez Ledezma was a co-owner of Heaven, the after-hours bar where the group was abducted from on May 26. Another partner, Ernesto Espinosa, Lobo was arrested Friday.
Witnesses told police Rodriguez Ledezma was at the bar the day of the kidnapping. His brother, Mario Rodriguez Ledezma, was arrested and charged with kidnapping in the case.


text: Monday, April 30, 2012 Weight of the Nation Conference to Preview Documentary on Obesity The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Weight of the Nation conference, to be held May 7-9 in Washington, DC, will emphasize how communities; educators; health care providers; workplaces; and states, territories, and tribes can be game changers by improving healthy eating and increasing active living for all Americans. The conference also will provide a "sneak peek" of 4 HBO documentaries that examine pressing issues of obesity as they relate to children, communities, policies, and systemic challenges. The 4-part documentary series—Consequences, Choices, Children in Crisis, and Challenges—will air May 14-15. DVD kits are available for organizations to host screenings of the films in their communities. The kits include the video series and discussion guides in English and Spanish that can be used to delve deeper into the concepts presented and spur individual and community action. The Weight of the Nation is a presentation of HBO and the Institutes of Medicine, in association with CDC and the National Institutes of Health, and in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser Permanente.


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Year :
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Smittybilt Bull Bar - 51031 - 1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Black
- In Stock - Typically ships within 24-48 hours.
Smittybilt Bull Bar - 51031 - 1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Black1999-2007 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Bull Bar - Black Smittybilt (51031). Black Bull Bar (51031) by Smittybilt. Add protection and rugged styling to the front of your rig with this easy to install Bull Bar. Crafted from thick 3" tubular steel, it includes a heavy-duty skid plate and it's drilled for off-road lights up to 5". The Bull Bar is available in your choice of carbon steel with dual stage high-gloss black powdercoated finish or highly polished 304 marine-grade stainless steel.
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This sturdy, robust Bull Bar is designed to look as good as it performs. The thick 3" tubular steel construction will protect your valuable grille and bumper from damage, while the shape, finish and included heavy-duty skid plate gives your front end a strong, muscular look. This Bull Bar is custom designed for the application, so the fit will be spot on and it comes with all hardware and brackets, as well as detailed instructions, for an easy installation that requires no drilling or vehicle modifications.
Lights are a popular addition to Bull Bars and Smittybilt has made installing them easy by pre-drilling each Bull Bar to accommodate lights up to 5". All welds are ground smooth for a flawless appearance prior to finishing. You have your choice of finishes between highly polished 304 marine-grade stainless steel and dual stage high-gloss black powdercoat. Before powdercoating, the latter is acid dipped to remove impurities, and a special "E-Coat" is applied inside and out. Powdercoated Bull Bars are backed by a limited 5-year warranty, while stainless steel Bull Bars carry a limited lifetime warranty. Both warranties are against defects in materials and workmanship.
Features :
- Grille and bumper protection with rugged styling
- Custom designed for each application to ensure perfect fit and appearance
- Manufactured from 3" tubular steel
- All welds are ground smooth for a clean, finished look
- Includes matching heavy-duty skid plate
- Pre-drilled for off-road lights up to 5" (lights not included)
- Comes with hardware and brackets for installation
- Installation requires no drilling or vehicle modifications
- Comes with detailed, illustrated instructions
- Comes in carbon steel with dual stage high-gloss black powdercoated finish and polished 304 marine-grade stainless steel
- Limited 5-year warranty on powdercoated Bull Bar
- Limited lifetime warranty on stainless steel Bull Bar
About Brand :SmittyBilt®, located in Compton, California, is the leader in the off-road parts and accessories market because they were there at its inception. Founder Basil Smith, also known as "Smitty", was one of the original Southern California 4WD enthusiasts. He started a business called Rock-ett Products, making specialized equipment for trucks and Jeeps, in his garage/machine shop in 1956. Smitty`s son Tom began working at Rock-ett at an early age and became head of the ever-expanding enterprise when it became Smittybilt in the 1970s. Under Tom`s leadership, the company created innovative products like the original "Nerf Bar" side step, and tubular front and rear bumpers for Jeeps. Today, thanks to their continued involvement in off-roading at all levels of the staff, which enables them to keep abreast of the latest trends and needs in the off-road market, Smittybilt remains the industry leader with a selection of over 2000 different products for trucks and SUVs.


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Healthy Harvest is helping those who can't afford fresh produce by gathering surplus fresh fruits and vegetables from fields and orchards and redistributing them. NBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman reports.
Friday on "NBC Nightly News," Dr. Nancy Snyderman reported on an organization that's salvaging food left behind on fields and orchards, providing free produce to those who can't afford it. Click here to visit the Hidden Harvest website.
Christy Porter founded Hidden Harvest an organization that employs the working poor to rescue produce left in farmers' fields to feed the hungry.


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News Flash: Los Angeles has become the latest California city to ban medical marijuana dispensaries.
Wow. Have we rid ourselves of a drug that critics claim threatens to undermine morality and all things good?
Let's be honest for a moment about "medicinal" marijuana.
For most users, it's a drug to get high, rather than ease any real physical pain. And it's incredibly easy to get.
U.S. & World
Just head to a participating physician, usually around the corner from a "dispensary," where you can explain the throbbing pain in your back, your head, or your stubbed toe, for that matter. Next thing you know, voila! You'll have the magic card that gives you access to the dispensary where you'll be able to purchase medicinal marijuana in all shapes, strengths and means of ingestion.
To be sure, some people are entitled to medicinal marijuana per the objectives of the Compassionate Use Act, passed by the voters in 1996. Several studies point to medicinal marijuana as very helpful to those suffering from glaucoma, arthritis, some cancers, and other diseases with serious pain. For these folks, medicinal marijuana can bring desperately needed short-term relief that they can't get from other drugs or they can get at much higher prices.
It's the overlap between those who use marijuana as a drug of choice and those who use it for palliative purposes that has governments in a tizzy.
In California, policies change from city to city and, seemingly, day to day. It's led cities like Los Angeles to ban the facilities altogether, with exceptions for hospices and home health agencies. That simply means that the customer will go to an adjacent city for his or her weed.
Other cities not only welcome medicinal dispensaries as legitimate enterprises but tax them as they would any other business.
Why the confusion? The state is in a free fall of sorts about operating conditions of medicinal marijuana dispensaries. Despite voter approval of the 1996 ballot proposition, there has never been a definition of what conditions are medicinally relevant. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the need of medicinal marijuana has been defined by the patient.
Add to that the federal government's claim of jurisdiction over any marijuana because of its classification as an illegal drug and the confusion only grows.
There may be some clarity in the near future.
The state Supreme Court has a case on its docket that attempts to define whether a local government has the right to ban medicinal marijuana dispensaries, as has been the case in 178 cities and 20 counties. But what about the dozens of cities that allow dispensaries? And what about those who are truly in pain?
Until there are consistent policies at the state and federal levels, local efforts to manage the medicinal marijuana issue will...go up in smoke. It's enough to cause a huge political headache for all sides, which may help to explain why the medical marijuana card has become so popular.
Larry Gerston teaches political science at San Jose State University and is the political analyst for NBC Bay Area.
Send us your thoughts via Twitter @PropZero or add your comment to our Facebook page.


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Checkweighers play a vital role in food and pharmaceutical manufacturing by ensuring consistency of product weight.
Records data of all inspection systems in one centralized location.


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xnapalmxmorningx wrote:Why do elephants paint their toenails red?
DmentDStuff wrote:How do you get a nun pregnant?
pyretimeth wrote:"Well, they made them into candles, sold them to the convent, and now all the nuns are pregnant!"
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Interested in organizing a Techstars Startup Weekend? Great! We're glad you're here. Organizing is a truly rewarding experience that can help build your network, community, and even your own startup. Before you begin, there are few things we need from you:
Have you organized a Techstars Startup Weekend already? Glad to have you back!We already have most of the information we need from you, so here's a shorter application to save you some time.
All Techstars Startup Weekend Organizers must have previously attended a Techstars Startup Weekend event. This is important for a number of reasons, but mostly because there is simply no way to fully understand what Techstars Startup Weekend is all about without experiencing it firsthand. We strongly recommend you actually participate on a team (observing is not enough). You can find upcoming Techstars Startup Weekends at startupweekend.org/events.
We've created organizer requirements for two strong reasons:
- Intent. We want to ensure your goals are aligned with Techstars Startup Weekend's mission.
-Success. We've organized a lot of events! Our rules are in place to help you run the best event possible.
So if you have not yet read them, now is a good time to head over and review our Rules and Requirements (you'll be asked to sign off on them later).
A typical Techstars Startup Weekend takes 3 to 4 months to organize, and you'll need 4 to 6 people on your organizing team (this is not something you can do alone). Your team will be responsible for nearly all aspects of the event, including:
You can also review the SW Checklist if you'd like a more detailed view of the work.
Your team should consist of 4 to 6 people. Just like a startup, forming a strong organizing team is the most important part of planning a Techstars Startup Weekend. It is also very much like choosing a Board of Directors: it's important that everyone on the team is as enthusiastic about the mission of Techstars Startup Weekend as you are (regardless of his or her personal goals).
We'll be here to help you every step of the way. Let's begin the journey…
Apply to organize Techstars Startup Weekend.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to [email protected].


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Model #DTC-162
|List Price:
|Our Price:
General Description
We're committed to exceeding your expectations:
- Found it for less? We'll match the price
- 25-Year or Limited Lifetime Warranty
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Tablet carts move tablets from one location to the next while keeping them in secure storage. These mobile units feature a drawer base which provides a secure space for accessories, manuals and more.
Store, charge and secure tablets or e-readers of any size in Datum's Tablet Storage Depots. The convenient design of these high-gauge steel units enables students or professionals to enjoy worry-free protection throughout the day. Locking front doors and rear-access panels keep contents secure, while allowing easy access and interior configuration. These storage depots have individually-divided internal compartments which facilitate organization, making retrieval more efficient. When a higher storage capacity is necessary, multiple tablet storage depots can be placed side by side without any wire interference. They include built-in power strips for easy internal hookups. When storing enough tablets for an entire class, you may want to consider placing two or more units in different corners of your classroom, to avoid having all your students converge on one place at the same time.
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Datum has been manufacturing quality storage and filing systems for over 40 years. Their steel library shelves are a prime example of their made-in-the-USA workmanship and unyielding commitment to excellence.
- Width:
- 20.75 in.
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- AC Outlet:
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- 2" Nylon Casters
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Powdercoated paint finish is applied through a dry finishing process which creates a scratch-resistant, rust-free, eco-friendly finish.
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- Limited Lifetime; Electronics 2 Years
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- Portable: 2" nylon wheels make these tablet carts easy to transport.
- Versatile: Laminate top turns unused space into an extra writing surface.
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- Maximize Space: Built specifically for tablets or e-readers, these carts maximize storage space. Compartment dimensions: 0.94"W x 12"D x 7.81"H
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This product has been tested and approved for public safety by an independent testing laboratory.
This product meets the standards set by the Canadian Standards Association.
MAS Certified Green (compliant with LEED for Schools)
We're committed to exceeding your expectations:
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Shipping & Assembly
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- Leaves Factory In:
- Approximately 4-5 weeks
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- Ships assembled
Tablet iPad Charging Station Cart - 16 Unit, 2" Casters
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There are 12 products in the family


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KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia -- Olympic skicross racer Maria Komissarova of Russia underwent a 6½-hour operation on her fractured spine following a training accident Saturday.
Russian freestyle ski federation spokesman Mikhail Verzeba said Komissarova fractured the 12th dorsal vertebrae in her lower-middle back and was taken to a hospital near the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park for emergency surgery.
"The operation is over ... it's been successful," Verzeba said.
The International Olympic Committee was monitoring the situation. President Thomas Bach said, "Our thoughts are with the athlete and we wish her a full and speedy recovery."
A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said he planned to visit Komissarova, R-Sport reported.
The national freestyle ski federation issued a statement after the surgery saying a team of specialists inserted a metal implant in Komissarova's spine.
The federation said Komissarova was conscious, and described her condition as "grave" but stable, adding that it was likely she'd need further surgery within weeks.
The 23-year-old Komissarova was practicing for next Friday's contest on a sunny morning on the 1,200-meter course, which has nine banked turns and 25 jumps.
In the main competition, four skiers race against each other, with the top two advancing through heats until the final.
Normally during practice runs, skiers are on the course themselves, or traveling down the mountain in loosely packed bunches.
"The course is difficult. It's of the highest possible level of complexity, there is nothing simple about it," Verzeba said. "However, this all is irrelevant now, she got injured, and the rest does not matter."
Jenny Wiedeke, spokeswoman for the International Ski Federation, said the accident occurred on a series of jumps near the top of the course and that Komissarova fell while exiting the third jump.
She was taken by sled to the medical services tent, and from there to the hospital. Team doctors decided to do the surgery immediately instead of transporting Komissarova down to Sochi.
Komissarova is ranked 33rd in the current World Cup standings and recovered from a leg injury last year to qualify for the Olympics. Her best World Cup finish was a second place at a race in Switzerland in 2012. At the same event, Canadian skicross racer Nik Zoricic suffered fatal head injuries in a crash near the final jump of a heat in the men's race.
"Nik's death wasn't anything that happened with contact," American racer John Teller said. "But we all understand how dangerous it is."
Teller said the biggest concern for any skicross racer comes during the racing part, not training or qualifications, which are individual runs down the mountain.
He said most of the competitors had been complimentary of the course setup for the Sochi Games but labeled it a "bigger course."
"It's like a North American style course," he said. "We race skicross all year long in Europe. They tend to be smaller courses. I feel like this course is more of an X Games style of course."
Several athletes have been injured during the games, including a Russian ski jumper who broke his ribs after landing awkwardly in a training accident, and an ice worker at the sliding venue broke both legs when he was hit by a sled before a practice run on Thursday.
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Plain Vermouth Cocktail.
(6 People)
5 1/2 Glasses French Vermouth. (2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth)
1 Teaspoonful Absinthe Bitters. (1 Dash Absinthe)
1 dessertspoonful Maraschino. (1 Dash Maraschino)
Shake (I stirred) very thoroughly and serve with a (Luxardo!) cherry.
A lot like the Chrysanthemum cocktail, this is a relatively pleasing light aperitif beverage. Or if you're off kilter and need something in a drinking session relatively low alcohol to get you back on the path towards pleasant drunken-ness.
Again, sticking with plain old Absinthe for the "Absinthe Bitters" in this cocktail. I don't know that breaking out the Gin and Wormwood makes much sense here.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.


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Liz Upchurch: Celebrating 20 Years at the COCBy COC StaffPosted in Ensemble Studio
On Tuesday, May 7, we marked a special milestone when Liz Upchurch, Head of the COC Ensemble Studio, celebrated 20 years with the Canadian Opera Company! In a special performance, part of the Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre presented by TD Bank Group, she performed some of her favourite works alongside some special guests.
Operanation's Fairytale Candy HouseBy COC StaffPosted in Operanation
On May 16, we're transforming the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts into a glass palace with delicious eats and interactive art installations — and since this year's Operanation party is inspired by fairytales, we couldn't pass up the chance to combine the two and build a candy house with a façade that you can actually eat.
Meet a Donor: Maureen Shewchuk and Valerie GowBy COC StaffPosted in Meet a Donor
Maureen Shewchuk and Valerie Gow are long-time Friends members who have recently moved up into the Best Friends level of support. The pair recently shared with us what first inspired them to see an opera, why they're passionate about supporting the arts, and what "refreshing" changes they've noticed around the opera house. [READ MORE]


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Colorful Spinach Salad
Complete the meal with Colorful Spinach Salad, a refreshing medley that says "springtime" with each bite. Bagged spinach from the produce section hurries along the preparation of the salad that's topped with crunchy radishes, pretty slices of yellow summer squash and sweet chewy raising. Dress it with a simple homemade balsamic vinaigrette or choose your favorite bottled dressing for even quicker results.
Total TimePrep/Total Time: 10 min.
Makes6 servings
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach
- 3/4 cup sliced radishes
- 1/2 cup sliced yellow summer squash
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- In a large bowl, toss the spinach, radishes, yellow squash and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil. Serve with salad.


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Available ebook formats: epub mobi pdf rtf lrf pdb txt html
Emily Cantore has a last name that sounds like some kind of dance and a mind that spends a lot of time thinking about hot and heavy moments. She writes creative smut that is based on true events and true smut based on wild times. Her stories are all works of fiction … except when they're not.


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July 1st, 2015, fell on a Wednesday. Day 182 of 2015. Decade: 2010s.
4 years, 11 months and 6 days have passed since July 1st, 2015.
Events that occurred on July 1st, 2015:
Songs that were on top of the music singles charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on July 1st, 2015:
What movie was on top of the box office?
Trending news stories and fads that were prevalent throughout this time period. These are news stories and events that would have been in the media on July 1st, 2015.
The movie "Spotlight" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2015.
Popular movies in 2015 included Room, The Revenant, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Jurassic World, Furious 7, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Minions, Magic Mike XXL, Spectre, Inside Out, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, Mad Max: Fury Road, Sicario and The Martian.
English actress Michelle Keegan is named as FHM's sexiest woman in 2015.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is named as the Time Person of the Year for 2015.
Throughout 2015, media attention became focused on the rising number of refugees and migrants that were attempting to enter Europe.
Popular music artists in 2015 included Ellie Goulding, The Weeknd, Fetty Wap, Wiz Khalifa, Walk the Moon, Jason Derulo, Ed Sheeran, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Drake, Shawn Mendes, Adele and Omi.
"Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson (featuring Bruno Mars) would go on to win a Grammy for 2015's Record of the Year.
The Greek government unilaterally broke off debt negotiations with the Eurogroup on June 26. On the 5th of July, the terms of the bailout were rejected by the Greek people in a referendum. Banks in Greece closed throughout this period of time and there was a fear that Greece would be forced to leave the Eurozone. Restrictions were placed on ATM machines in order to prevent a run on the banks. On the 13th of July, it was announced that a third bailout programme had been agreed on and that its conditions were notably worse than the conditions that Greece had originally rejected.
Basic facts and information about this date:
Notable events that occurred around July 1st, 2015:
Zodiac & Birthstone information:
TV shows that you might have been watching around this time.
Children's and Teen TV shows that would have been airing on this date in 2015.
"Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn" - "Henry Danger" - "Girl Meets World" - "Sheriff Callie's Wild West" - "Every Witch Way" - "Paw Patrol" - "Dog with a Blog" - "Doc McStuffins" - "Lab Rats: Bionic Island" - "Austin & Ally" - "Jessie" - "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" - "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" - "The Fairly OddParents" - "Dora the Explorer"
Celebrities and historical figures that were born on the 1st of July:
Who was the US President on this particular date?
Interesting facts about conception dates.
Popular video games that you might have been playing around this time.
Events that have occurred on the 1st of July:
Enter your date of birth below to find out how old you were on July 1st, 2015.
Looking for some nostalgia? Here are some Youtube videos relating to July 1st, 2015. Please note that videos are automatically selected by Youtube and that results may vary! Click on the "Load Next Video" button to view the next video in the search playlist. In many cases, you'll find episodes of old TV shows, documentaries, music videos and soap dramas.
Here are some fun statistics about July 1st, 2015.
A list of random dates that you might be interested in:


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NEW YORK (AP) — Television networks offered compelling pictures and a gripping narration of the monster storm that put Monday on hold for millions of people in the eastern part of the country — and more than a few mixed messages, too.
Anchors and reporters repeatedly urged viewers to stay at home and stay safe during the storm, yet they solicited pictures and videos to show evidence of Hurricane Sandy's might and displayed them on the air.
Reporters with rain dripping off their windbreakers expressed incredulity at civilians walking around outside, like when CNN's Ashleigh Banfield noted joggers at New York's Battery Park City.
A Fox News Channel crew aired pictures of two men jumping into the roiling Hudson River off Battery Park. During a live shot at the same location, a WNBC-TV camera zeroed in on a man riding on a jet ski. Reporter Ida Siegal for the local NBC affiliate shouted above the wind at the man to explain why he was there.
"Nothing else to do," he shouted back.
Television's message: Don't try this. But if you do, you may get on TV!
The news crews filled a vital role in showing, rather than telling, viewers about the impact of the storm. Television is a visual medium, and there's only so much to be done with a studio and a map.
The challenge for reporters comes in making that story less about themselves.
On Monday afternoon, CNN's Ali Velshi stood in a pool of water on an Atlantic City, N.J., street. Wind whipped around him, creating ripples on the water and forcing Velshi to work to keep his footing.
Some 50 feet in front of Velshi, the road was free of standing water and the wind was less harsh, the spot seemingly shielded by a building. In the studio, meteorologist Chad Myers suggested Velshi move up. Velshi declined, noting he had put on a few pounds and was thus sturdier.
"We know how to do this," he said. "We've done it before. We know how to reach safety."
On The Weather Channel, Reynolds Wolf was stationed in Stonington, Conn., where he talked about storm surge while standing on the edge of a dock rocking in the water. One unexpected gust of wind, and Wolf would be in Long Island Sound.
In Ocean City, Md., CNN's Sandra Erdo stood in front of a beach being hit by mountainous waves. She delivered a report with her right arm wrapped around a tree to keep her from blowing down. Fox's Steve Harrigan, also in Ocean City, stood on an unprotected patch of land describing how the wind was starting to blow objects around, including a stop sign that had just snapped off.
Fox's Rick Leventhal said he left the beach on Point Pleasant, N.J., because it seemed unsafe — then delivered his report from an upper-floor hotel balcony, his hand gripping a railing.
Reporter Jeff Pegues of New York's WABC-TV was out on a boardwalk but made no secret he'd rather be elsewhere when a wave nearly licked at his boots.
"Uh oh," he said. "Here we come. There's that awful sea foam."


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What's the most dangerous thing you'll do this summer?
2 comments
Barbara Myer May 23rd, 2012 | 6:22pm
Sitting in my back yard while drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette.
Also preserving some food --- all by myself without government oversight --- for my family to consume through the winter.
skin May 23rd, 2012 | 6:45pm
Drive from Wisconsin (God's country), to Cville to visit the folks.


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MR Tumor Staging for Treatment Decision in Case of Wilms Tumor
G. Schneider, M.D.; et al.
Dept. of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg/Saar, Germany | 2010-11-26
Further Reading
Related Articles
The information presented is for illustration only and is not intended to be relied upon by the reader for instruction as to the practice of medicine. Any health care practitioner reading this information is reminded that they must use their own learning, training and expertise in dealing with their individual patients. This material does not substitute for that duty and is not intended by Siemens Healthineers to be used for any purpose in that regard.
The drugs and doses mentioned herein are consistent with the approval labelling for uses and/or indications of the drug. The treating physician bears the sole responsibility for the diagnosis and treatment of patients, including drugs and doses prescribed in connection with such use. The Operating Instructions must always be strictly followed when operating the system. The source for the technical data is the corresponding data sheets. Results may vary.


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8 Ways To Ward Off Thieves While Traveling
The summer travel season might be winding down, but that won't stop thieves from trying to paw your precious valuables. Keep them at bay with the following eight tips…
- Carry On Valuables. Travel guru Peter Greenberg says there are two types of luggage: carry-on, and lost. Keep your valuables with you at all times.
- Don't Need It? Don't Bring It. Leave the nice diamond earrings and flashy bracelets at home.
- Pack Valuables In See-Through Bags. Put an extra layer between your valuables and crooked TSA wannabes so they don't have a reason to directly handle your rubies.
- Make Your Bag Screener Friendly. Beyond the clear bag, deter opportunistic thieves and secondary screenings by packing in layers so your bag will image cleanly.
- Don't Throw Loose Items Into Screening Bins. Stash your cellphone and keys in your bag before pushing it through the scanner.
- Don't Leave Your Bags Unattended. Is that your checked bag at the other end of the carousel with the Care Bears tag? Don't put down your carry-on to go look.
- Safes! Use safes wherever you go because they work.
- Trust Nobody. Don't believe tour guides who say it's safe to leave things unattended on a tour bus. It's not.
10 tips to protect valuables from travel theft [Tripso]
(Photo: Getty)
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.


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Apple unveiled that its iOS 6 will introduce its new "Made for iPhone" hearing aids that will give the hearing-impaired a better digital experience, and now it's applying for two patents to do just that.
The two patents are for a hearing-assistance system consistent with human speech and another promising a visual or auditory notification for an external noise such as doorbell or fire alarm, according to AppleInsider. Both are expected to make their debut in the Made for iPhone hearing aids.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
The hearing-assistance system will attempt to solve inconsistent speech patterns or accents for the user. An example would be in a lecture hall where the user must concentrate to hear what a professor is saying, but also what is being written on a board. Instead, the patent would convert the speech into text and then into consistent computer-generated speech sent to the hearing aid. Users can manipulate speed and playback.
In the second patent, users will be able to receive audible or visual notifications when a doorbell rings or a fire alarm goes off.
You have to admire Apple's ingenuity for creating a "Made for iPhone" hearing aid, which is bound to be a big seller -- especially if it's on the iPhone 5. And if it consistently updates and tweaks the device, it will make the iPhone a necessity for those with any hearing impairment.


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Tag: Bacteria
+ Wellness
Wellness Simplified
Wellness Simplified Have you ever been confused by all of the mixed messages regarding healthy living. Me too, but with diligent research I've been able to deconstruct and simplify the basic components and I will share them with you today. When it comes down to it, health is determined by your lifestyle and choices.


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From targeting the best festival for a premiere to connecting with rising talents, Wendy Mitchell asks the experts how new producers can make the most of festivals
Film festivals can be a new producer's most important launch pad. But the many thousands of festivals around the world can also be a minefield of missed opportunities.
Producers have to remember that after the meticulous work in making their film, the planning is not over once the picture is locked. Then it is time to figure out a festival strategy that will include targeting a festival for a world premiere, deciding on follow-up festivals, and having a different plan of approach for each event that selects the film.
"Do your research about which festivals make the most sense for your film. There's no sense submitting to all festivals but rather to targeted ones," says Sundance director of programming Trevor Groth, speaking on behalf of the Sundance programming team.
Roger Garcia, executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, says: "If festivals are a primary objective, then even in pre-production, sketch out a timetable of target festivals and see what fits with the delivery date of your film."
For some examples, a genre film might better tap into audiences at a fantastic festival; a first-time director could benefit from a festival that has competitions for newcomers; the prestige of one of the world's best film festivals might appeal, or getting more attention at a smaller event might make more sense. Garcia adds: "There is always the risk that your film will be lost in the avalanche so, based on the size of the festival and its position in the international pecking order, calculate whether it's better to be a big fish in a small pond, or a small fish in a shark-infested ocean."
Karel Och, artistic director of Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, agrees that size does matter. "Any festival that's not Cannes, Berlin or Venice appreciates when a producer is able to figure out the potential of the film and decides to be more visible in a medium-sized event than to be a little lost among tens of world premieres in a sidebar programme of the big festival."
Once you are in, Wayne Borg of Abu Dhabi Film Festival says that pre-festival preparation needs to be strategic.
"If your film is selected for competition, work with the PR person with experience of the relevant festival and knowledge of your film. Plan a strategy for the event around your screenings and be clear what outcome you are looking for."
Mickael Marin, head of Annecy's MIFA market, agrees that strategic planning is the key to festival success: "The universal rule is to define properly one's aims and to establish a list of professionals to meet."
It seems obvious, but also remember your friends who got you there in the first place. Clare Stewart, director of the BFI London Film Festival, says: "Make contact with the programmer who is responsible for the selection of your film. Since they have already championed it, you can expect them to continue to do so and they will have a good working knowledge of what different buyers are looking for, or which media reps are likely to be receptive to your film and can steer you accordingly."
Given the scale of the top festivals, a for-hire publicist can work the film so it is not lost in the shuffle. Remember the festival's in-house press office can also be an asset.
Groth notes: "Utilise your film office and press office co-ordinators; their job is to help, and they have loads of valuable information."
Frédéric Boyer, who programmes both the Tribeca and Les Arcs festivals, notes that a film's festival requirements will change as the title continues its journey. "If a film is world premiering, the producer will probably look for sales and distribution. Their film will get their first press reviews and contact with an international audience. Producers should stay close to the film-makers, claiming their involvement in the creative process." But if a film is playing, say, its 14th festival, producers can concentrate on "the different responses from different audiences".
Julie Bergeron, manager of industry programmes at Cannes Film Festival's Marché du Film, adds that something like its Producers Network puts the emphasis on networking during its famed breakfast meetings. "It is a great platform to meet fellow producers from all over the world and to connect with key industry professionals. To fully benefit from it, I would say the producers need to be open and not focused only on their projects."
When it comes to a festival like Berlin or Cannes or many others that combine festivals and markets, remember both halves of the equation.
Marin says: "The strength of Annecy is having a festival and market with professionals during the same week, so it's an extraordinary opportunity for producers to meet new talents and know about their projects. I see, too often, producers forgetting about the festival dimension or not knowing how to meet talents."
Another consideration at international festivals is not to cling to the same people you see every week. Nadia Destri, industry head at Locarno, says: "Often producers only stick with people of their own country, because they feel more comfortable. This way they lose an important chance to network."
Those informal networks can form bonds that last for decades beyond a single film. Cameron Bailey, artistic director of Toronto International Film Festival, says: "One of the best things you can do at a film festival is build your community. Find like-minded people, win their trust and learn from them. Undoubtedly, you'll need them later on."
Sundance's Groth urges producers to remember the golden rule: "Be kind to everyone. Festivals are a great resource to build a network of collaborators and supporters… but only if you are nice."
"Choose three to five people you want to meet — not necessarily famous people but fellow travellers, future collaborators. Invite those people to low-stakes meetings. Give as much as you ask."
Cameron Bailey Toronto International Film Festival
"Make contacts with other film-makers and producers, and watch other movies. Listen as much as you talk. Don't complain if you're not flying business class."
Frédéric Boyer Tribeca Film Festival and Les Arcs European Film Festival
"The first challenge for a producer, although it sounds obvious, is to understand what kind of film he has in his hands. Is it a festival film at all? What kind of festival film is it? From there, he can plan the best strategy with the help of his sales agent, or if not, plan to attract one."
Julie Bergeron Cannes Producers Network
"It is good to be prepared with publicity materials and screeners to pass on to other festival programmers or potential buyers."
Roger Garcia Hong Kong International Film Festival Society
"If your film is one of the great unsold, rock up with a good understanding of which buyers are in attendance and ensure you use every opportunity — but not to the point of stalking! — to meet them; whether that be in a formal or networking environment."
Clare Stewart BFI London Film Festival
"The producers should definitely be interested, together with film-makers, in the quality of the screening, meaning they should request a few minutes test screening and sound check."
Karel Och Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
"Go to all your screenings intros and Q&As — tap into the audiences. Capture these on video for potential promotional material."
Trevor Groth Sundance


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Illinois Budget 8.28.09
Here are the top Illinois stories coming today from GateHouse News Service. Stories are available at www.gatehousenewsservice.com. Please check www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/news in the evening for changes to story lineup, including breaking news.
If your paper has a story, digest item, opinion piece or standalone photo to share, please e-mail it to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Casey Laughman: (217) 816-3343, firstname.lastname@example.com
Job postings: Rockford Register Star seeks reporter, Local and State editor.
Joe Greco: Send us your high school football preview pages.
WebCube moments of the week.
Illinois congressmen weigh in on health care
SPRINGFIELD – As September arrives, politicians will soon be returning to Washington, D.C., to take the next step on the burning national debate over health care reform. GateHouse News Service asked five Illinois congressmen five key questions about the health care issue to give readers more insight into how their representatives view the debate. Those asked were Senators Dick Durbin and Roland Burris; Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville; Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria; and Rep. Phil Hare, D-Rock Island. Compiled by the GateHouse News Service State Capitol Bureau.
State Briefs. News from around the state.
For the weekend:
STATEHOUSE INSIDER: By Doug Finke of the State Capitol Bureau. For use Sunday.
Specialty businesses turn Manito into a renaissance town
MANITO – The village of Manito may be off the beaten path, but travelers from Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City and even Japan are finding their way to the rural Mason County town to visit its winery, pottery studio, restaurants, bakery, confectionery and specialty shops. By Ann Gorman of the State Journal-Register.
'Permeable pavement' among DNR's examples of how to go green
SPRINGFIELD – When even the driveway can "go green," you can be certain the revolution in sustainable landscaping is in full swing. In an effort to set an example, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is reviewing plans to revamp the landscaping around its headquarters building. By Chris Young of the State Journal-Register.
'Nerds' shoot for video glory in MTV contest
SPRINGFIELD – A music video put together by 10 recent Glenwood High School graduates has become the top viewed entry in an online contest to win an MTV Video Music Award Moonman. Matt Hartzler and Jake Giganti co-produced the video, "Nerds in Disguise," which was selected as one of five finalists in the Pepsi Rock Band Music Video Contest. If their video earns the most online votes, Hartzler, Giganti and their eight collaborators will win a free trip to the video music awards ceremony in New York on Sept. 13, as well as the Moonman trophy. By Amanda Reavy of the State Journal-Register.
Danielle Hatch: Adding a twist to the drive-in
Like a sequel you've waited a really long time for, the drive-in movie theater is making a comeback. Central Illinois native Phil Doubet — who has equipped his 2008 Toyota Yaris with the sort of technology that lets one project movies onto the sides of barns and other such places — is part of a "guerilla movement" to bring back this pop culture icon.
Video Vault: Blind faith in moviemaking turns into tale of epic failure in 'Audience of One.'
One of my favorite films is 1999's "American Movie," which tells the story of Mark Borchardt, a guy who's been obsessed with film since before he can remember. "Audience of One," a 2007 documentary now on DVD, tells a story that's both similar and completely different. By Will Pfeifer of the Rockford Register Star.
Band finds its Irish sound in a kitchen
PEORIA – John Kennedy's music is his hobby, his full-time job, his family history. It's the wallpaper in his home. The musician formed Kennedy's Kitchen 10 years ago in South Bend, Ind. Band practice takes place — you guessed it — in the kitchen of Kennedy's 1957 ranch-style home. By Danielle Hatch of the Peoria Journal Star.
BRITT: Britt is off Friday and Monday.
Wood on Words: Sometimes, protest can be a positive thing
Is "anti-war protester" a double negative of sorts? Since "anti-" means "against" and "protest" means "to object to," doesn't that make an anti-war protester someone who objects to being against war? There's nothing wrong with the logic here, but it's insufficient grounds for banning this common phrase.
Elizabeth Davies: It's time to let Brett Favre go
It was Game Day in Green Bay, and the party was on. For several blocks on either side of the Packers' stadium, Lambeau Field, the streets were a sea of green and gold. Team hats, jerseys, beads, shoes — there weren't many fair-weather fans in the crowd. There was, however, the distinct scent of bitterness hanging in the air.
Editorial: Quinn's moves only muddle 'clout list' mess
When the existence of a secret "clout list" of politically connected applicants to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign became known in May via The Chicago Tribune, it was immediately obvious that swift action was necessary to restore credibility to the university's admissions process. Gov. Pat Quinn did the right thing in convening the Illinois Admissions Review Commission, which conducted hearings that exposed the inner workings of the clout system. But Quinn then did the wrong thing in demanding that all remaining U of I trustees resign immediately. An editorial from the State Journal-Register.
Editorial: Legislators shouldn't preserve tuition perk
Reports earlier this week that some state lawmakers had given out plum scholarships at state universities to the children of campaign donors and political allies came as no surprise. In fact, the examination done by The Associated Press turned up pretty much the same results that prior investigations over the years had produced. But that doesn't mean the discoveries are uninteresting, or that they don't provoke yet another wave of frustration at these century-old benefits that the folks we send to Springfield are allowed to dole out. An editorial from the Peoria Journal Star.
Editorial: Time to scrap often-abused legislative scholarship program
As the state takes the ax to a scholarship program for low-income students, it is inexcusable that legislators continue to hand out their favorite perk, tuition waivers.
SUNDAY QUICK SHOTS: By Matt Trowbridge of the Rockford Register Star. Will be posted Saturday for use Sunday.
Bears struggle to find continuity in secondary
LAKE FOREST – Three of Chicago's four linemen and two of its three linebackers have started together for five years. If that's not enough, the Bears added a pair of third-round draft picks to the line the last two years and brought in the Rams' leading tackler at linebacker. That leaves the secondary, which is as unsettled as the rest of the Bears' defense is established. By Matt Trowbridge of the Rockford Register Star.
Cutler, Orton add extra element to Bears-Broncos preseason matchup
LAKE FOREST – This one is harder to dismiss as just a preseason game, as old friends, new enemies and a national TV audience spice up the Bears' longest dress rehearsal Sunday night in Denver. Jay Cutler returns to play in Denver for the first time since being traded to the Bears for Kyle Orton and draft picks. By Matt Trowbridge of the Rockford Register Star.
FULL CIRCLE: When Canton native Dave Downey receives the Jerry Colangelo Award on Friday, he completes a full circle from an Illinois basketball player who was Colangelo's teammate to becoming a successful businessman in Champaign-Urbana. By John Supinie.
AT THE CROSSROADS: Illinois and football coach Ron Zook head into their fifth season together. The Illini could use a winning season to show progress and keep the program moving forward under Zook. In his first four seasons, the Illini have posted three losing records. By John Supinie. For use Sunday.


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Heather Sheridan
Class of 2010
Major/Minor: Chemistry/Biology
Undergrad Highlights
- Major: Chemistry
- Minor: Biology
- Resident Assistant
- James R. Miller '51 Award for Excellence in Chemistry
Senior Capstone Experience
Progress towards a new palladium catalyzed indenoannulation method for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Advisor: Dr. Aaron Amick
Indenoannulation reactions have proven to be a valuable way to build complexity into flat and bowl shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which is vital toward the chemical synthesis of a carbon nanotube end-cap. All of the current methods have imperfections and a new approach that will produce the same product but eliminate the need for long reaction times and the use of expensive reagents is needed.
The goal of this research is to use the Buchwald-Hartwig coupling to install cyclohexanone units onto PAHs in a one step procedure, convert them to enol-triflates or vinyl halides, and then perform indenoannulation by using a palladium catalyst to promote cyclization. The final step of this synthesis is to use 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone (DDQ) to rearomatize the indenoannulated product produced in the previous step. This method provides soluble intermediate that can be purified and characterized before rearomatization. Current work has focused on expanding this method to other substrates.
After Graduation
- Doctor of Pharmacy Program at Duquesne University Mylan School of Pharmacy