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Note: Chris Hedges gave this keynote address on Wednesday, May 28 at 7 p.m. in Furman University's Younts Conference Center. The address was part of the protests by faculty and students over the South Carolina college's decision to invite George W. Bush to give the May 31 commencement address.
When it was announced earlier this month that President Bush would deliver the commencement address 222 students and faculty signed and posted on the school's Web site a statement titled "We Object." The statement cites the war in Iraq and the administration's "obstructing progress on reducing greenhouse gases while favoring billions in tax breaks and subsidies to oil companies that are earning record profits."
"We are ashamed of the actions of this administration. The war in Iraq has cost the lives of over 4,000 brave and honorable U.S. military personnel," the statement read. "Because we love this country and the ideals it stands for, we accept our civic responsibility to speak out against these actions that violate American values."
I used to live in a country called America. It was not a perfect country, God knows, especially if you were African-American or Native American or of Japanese descent in World War II or poor or gay or a woman or an immigrant, but it was a country I loved and honored. This country gave me hope that it could be better. It paid its workers wages that were envied around the world. It made sure these workers, thanks to labor unions and champions of the working class in the Democratic Party and the press, had health benefits and pensions. It offered good public education. It honored basic democratic values and held in regard the rule of law, including international law, and respect for human rights. It had social programs from Head Start to welfare to Social Security to take care of the weakest among us, the mentally ill, the elderly and the destitute. It had a system of government that, however flawed, was dedicated to protecting the interests of its citizens. It offered the possibility of democratic change. It had a media that was diverse and endowed with the integrity to give a voice to all segments of society, including those beyond our borders, to impart to us unpleasant truths, to challenge the powerful, to explain ourselves to ourselves. I am not blind to the imperfections of this America, or the failures to always meet these ideals at home and abroad. I spent 20 years of my life in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans as a foreign correspondent reporting in countries where crimes and injustices were committed in our name, whether during the Contra war in Nicaragua or the brutalization of the Palestinians by Israeli occupation forces. But there was much that was good and decent and honorable in our country. And there was hope.The country I live in today uses the same words to describe itself, the same patriotic symbols and iconography, the same national myths, but only the shell remains. America, the country of my birth, the country that formed and shaped me, the country of my father, my father's father, and his father's father, stretching back to the generations of my family that were here for the country's founding, is so diminished as to be nearly unrecognizable. I do not know if this America will return, even as I pray and work and strive for its return. The "consent of the governed" has become an empty phrase. Our textbooks on political science are obsolete. Our state, our nation, has been hijacked by oligarchs, corporations and a narrow, selfish political elite, a small and privileged group which governs on behalf of moneyed interests. We are undergoing, as John Ralston Saul wrote, "a coup d'etat in slow motion." We are being impoverished-legally, economically, spiritually and politically. And unless we soon reverse this tide, unless we wrest the state away from corporate hands, we will be sucked into the dark and turbulent world of globalization where there are only masters and serfs, where the American dream will be no more than that-a dream, where those who work hard for a living can no longer earn a decent wage to sustain themselves or their families, whether in sweat shops in China or the decaying rust belt of Ohio, where democratic dissent is condemned as treason and ruthlessly silenced.
I single out no party. The Democratic Party has been as guilty as the Republicans. It was Bill Clinton who led the Democratic Party to the corporate watering trough. Clinton argued that the party had to ditch labor unions, no longer a source of votes or power, as a political ally. Workers, he insisted, would vote Democratic anyway. They had no choice. It was better, he argued, to take corporate money. By the 1990s, the Democratic Party, under Clinton's leadership, had virtual fundraising parity with the Republicans. Today the Democrats get more. In political terms, it was a success. In moral terms, it was a betrayal.
The North American Free Trade Agreement was sold to the country by the Clinton White House as an opportunity to raise the incomes and prosperity of the citizens of the United States, Canada and Mexico. NAFTA would also, we were told, staunch Mexican immigration into the United States.
"There will be less illegal immigration because more Mexicans will be able to support their children by staying home," President Clinton said in the spring of 1993 as he was lobbying for the bill.
But NAFTA, which took effect in 1994, had the curious effect of reversing every one of Clinton's rosy predictions. Once the Mexican government lifted price supports on corn and beans for Mexican farmers, they had to compete against the huge agribusinesses in the United States. The Mexican farmers were swiftly bankrupted. At least 2 million Mexican farmers have been driven off their land since 1994. And guess where many of them went? This desperate flight of poor Mexicans into the United States is now being exacerbated by large-scale factory closures along the border as manufacturers pack up and leave Mexico for the cut-rate embrace of China's totalitarian capitalism. But we were assured that goods would be cheaper. Workers would be wealthier. Everyone would be happier. I am not sure how these contradictory things were supposed to happen, but in a sound-bite society, reality no longer matters. NAFTA was great if you were a corporation. It was a disaster if you were a worker.
Clinton's welfare reform bill, which was signed on Aug. 22, 1996, obliterated the nation's social safety net. It threw 6 million people, many of them single mothers, off the welfare rolls within three years. It dumped them onto the streets without child care, rent subsidies and continued Medicaid coverage. Families were plunged into crisis, struggling to survive on multiple jobs that paid $6 or $7 an hour, or less than $15,000 a year. But these were the lucky ones. In some states, half of those dropped from the welfare rolls could not find work. Clinton slashed Medicare by $115 billion over a five-year period and cut $25 billion in Medicaid funding. The booming and overcrowded prison system handled the influx of the poor, as well as our abandoned mentally ill. And today we stand in shame with 2.3 million of our citizens behind bars, most for nonviolent drug offenses. More than one in 100 adults in the United States is incarcerated and one in nine black men ages 20 to 34 is behind bars. The United States, with less than 5 per cent of the global population, has almost 25 percent of the world's prisoners.
The growing desperation across the United States is unleashing not simply a recession-we have been in a recession for some time now-but the possibility of a depression unlike anything we have seen since the 1930s. This desperation has provided a pool of broken people willing to work for low wages and without unions or benefits. This is good news if you are a corporation. It is very bad news if you work for a living. For the bottom 90 percent of Americans, annual income has been on a slow, steady decline for three decades. The majority's income peaked at $ 33,000 in 1973. By 2005, according to New York Times reporter David Cay Johnston in his book "Free Lunch," it had fallen to a bit more than $29,000, this despite three decades of economic expansion. And where did that money go? Ask ExxonMobil, the biggest U.S. oil and gas company, which made a $10.9-billion profit in the first quarter of this year, leaving us to pay close to $4 a gallon to fill up our cars. Or better yet, ask Exxon Mobil Corp Chief Executive Rex Tillerson, whose compensation rose nearly 18 percent to $21.7 million in 2007, when the oil company pulled in the largest profit ever for a U.S. company. His take-home pay package included $1.75 million in salary, a $3.36-million bonus, and $16.1 million of stock and option awards, according to a company filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He also received nearly $430,000 of other compensation, including $229,331 for personal security and $41,122 for use of the company aircraft. In addition to his pay package, Tillerson, 56, received more than $7.6 million from exercising options and stock awards during the year. Exxon Mobil earned $40.61 billion in 2007, up 3 percent from the previous year. But Tillerson's 2007 pay was not even the highest mark for the U.S. oil and gas industry. Occidental Petroleum Corp. CEO Ray Irani made $33.6 million and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. chief James Hackett took in $26.7 million over the same period.
For each dollar earned in 2005, the top 10 percent got 48.5 cents. That was the top 10th's greatest share of the income pie, Johnston writes, since 1929, just before the Roaring '20s collapsed in the Great Depression. And within the top 10 percent, those who made more than $100,000, nearly all the gains went to the top 10th of 1 percent, people like Tillerson, or Irani or Hackett, who made at least $1.7 million that year. And until we have real election reform, until we make it possible to run for national office without candidates kissing the rings of Tillersons, Iranis and Hacketts to get hundreds of millions of dollars, this rape of America will continue.
While the Democrats have been very bad, George W. Bush has been even worse. Let's set aside Iraq-the worst foreign policy blunder in American history. George Bush has also done more to dismantle our Constitution, ignore or revoke our statutes and reverse regulations that protected American citizens from corporate abuse than any other president in recent American history. The president, as the Boston Globe reported, has claimed the authority, through "signing statements," to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution. Among the laws Bush said he can ignore are military rules and regulations, affirmative-action provisions, requirements that Congress be told about immigration services problems, ''whistle-blower" protections for nuclear regulatory officials, and safeguards against political interference in federally funded research. The Constitution is clear in assigning to Congress the power to write the laws and to the president a duty ''to take care that the laws be faithfully executed." George Bush, however, has repeatedly declared that he does not need to ''execute" a law he believes is unconstitutional. The Bush administration has gutted environmental, food and product safety, and workplace safety standards along with their enforcement. And this is why coal mines collapse, the housing bubble has blown up in our face and we are sold lead-contaminated toys imported from China. Bush has done more than any president to hand our government directly over to corporations, which now get 40 percent of federal discretionary spending. Over 800,000 jobs once handled by government employees have been outsourced to corporations, a move that has not only further empowered our shadow corporate government but helped destroy federal workforce unions. Everything from federal prisons, the management of regulatory and scientific reviews, the processing or denial of Freedom of Information requests, interrogating prisoners and running the world's largest mercenary army in Iraq has become corporate. And these corporations, in a perverse arrangement, make their money off of the American citizen. Halliburton in 2003 was given a no-bid and non-compete $7-billion contract to repair Iraq's oil fields, as well as the power to oversee and control Iraq's entire oil production. This has now become $130 billion in contract awards to Halliburton. And flush with taxpayer dollars, what has Haliburton done? It has made sure only 36 of its 143 subsidiaries are incorporated in the United States and 107 subsidiaries (or 75 percent) are incorporated in 30 different countries. Halliburton is able through this arrangement to lower its tax liability on foreign income by establishing a "controlled foreign corporation" and subsidiaries inside low-tax, or no-tax, countries known as a "tax havens." They take our money. They squander it. And our corporate government not only funds them but protects them. Halliburton-and Halliburton is just one example-is the engine of our new, rogue corporate state, serviced by people like George Bush and Dick Cheney, once the company's CEO.
The disparity between our oligarchy and the working class has created a new global serfdom. Credit Suisse analysts estimates that the number of subprime foreclosures in the United States over the next two years will total 1,390,000 and that by the end of 2012, 12.7 percent of all residential borrowers in the United States will be forced out of their homes. The corporate state, which as an idea is an abstraction to many Americans, is very real when the pieces are carefully put together and linked to a system of corporate power that has made this poverty, the denial of our constitutional rights and a state of permanent war inevitable. The assault on the American working class-an assault that has devastated members of my own family- is nearly complete. The U.S. economy has 3.2 million fewer jobs today than it did when George Bush took office, including 2.5 million fewer manufacturing jobs. In the past three years, nearly one in five U.S. workers was laid off. Among workers laid off from full-time work, roughly one-fourth were earning less than $40,000 annually. A total of 15 million U.S. workers are unemployed, underemployed or too discouraged to job hunt, according to the Labor Department. There are whole sections of the United States which now resemble the developing world. There has been a Weimarization of the American working class. And the assault on the middle class is now under way. Anything that can be put on software-from finance to architecture to engineering-can and is being outsourced to workers in countries such as India or China who accept a fraction of the pay and work without benefits. And both the Republican and Democratic parties, beholden to corporations for money and power, allow this to happen.
Take a look at our government departments. Who runs the Defense Department? The Department of Interior? The Department of Agriculture? The Food and Drug Administration? Who runs the Department of Labor? Corporations. And in an election year where we are numbed by absurdities we hear nothing about this subordinating of the American people to corporate power. The political debates, which have become popularity contests, are ridiculous and empty. They do not confront the real and advanced destruction of our democracy. They do not confront the takeover of our electoral processes.
We have watched over the past few decades the rise of a powerful web of interlocking corporate entities, a network of arrangements within subsectors, industries or other partial jurisdictions to diminish and often abolish outside control and oversight. These corporations have neutralized national, state and judicial authority. They dominate, for example, a bloated and wasteful defense industry which has become sacrosanct and beyond the reach of politicians, most of whom are left defending military projects in their districts, no matter how redundant, because they provide jobs. This has permitted a military-industrial complex, which contributes lavishly to political campaigns, to spread across the country with virtual impunity. Defense-related spending for fiscal 2008 will exceed $1 trillion for the first time in history. The U.S. has become the largest single seller of arms and munitions on the planet. The defense budget for fiscal 2008 is the largest since the Second World War even as we have more than $400 billion in annual deficits. More than half of federal discretionary spending goes to defense. This will not end when Bush leaves office. And so we build Cold War relics like $ 3.4-billion submarines and stealth fighters to evade radar systems the Soviets never built and spend $ 8.9 billion on ICBM missile defense that will be useless in stopping a shipping container concealing a dirty bomb. The defense industry is able to monopolize the best scientific and research talent and squander the nation's resources and investment capital. These defense industries produce nothing that is useful for society or the national trade account. Melman, like President Eisenhower, saw the defense industry as viral, something that, as it grew, destroyed a healthy economy. And so we produce sophisticated fighter jets while Boeing is unable to finish its new commercial plane on schedule, and our automotive industry tanks. We sink money into research and development of weapons systems and starve technologies to fight against global warming and renewable energy. Universities are awash in defense-related cash and grants, and struggle to find money for environmental studies. This massive military spending, aided by this $3-trillion war, is hollowing us out from the inside. Our bridges and levees collapse, our schools decay and our safety net is taken away.
The corporate state, begun under Ronald Reagan and pushed forward by every president since, has destroyed the public and private institutions that protected workers and safeguarded citizens. Only 7.8 per cent of workers in the private sector are unionized. This is about the same percentage as in the early 1900s. There are 50 million Americans in real poverty and tens of millions of Americans in a category called "near poverty." Our health care system is broken. Eighteen thousand people die in this country, according to the Institute of Medicine, every year because they can't afford health care. That is six times the number of people who died in the 9/11 attacks, and these unnecessary deaths continue year after year. But we do not hear these stories of pain and dislocation. We are diverted by bread and circus. News reports do little more than report on trivia and celebrity gossip. The FCC, in an example of how far our standards have fallen, defines shows like Fox's celebrity gossip program "TMZ" and the Christian Broadcast Network's "700 Club" as "bona fide newscasts." The economist Charlotte Twight calls this vast corporate system of spectacle and democratic collapse "participatory fascism."
How did we get here? How did this happen? In a word, deregulation-the systematic dismantling of the managed capitalism that was the hallmark of the American democratic state. Our political decline came about because of deregulation, the repeal of antitrust laws, and the radical transformation from a manufacturing economy to a capital economy. This understanding led Franklin Delano Roosevelt on April 29, 1938, to send a message to Congress titled "Recommendations to the Congress to Curb Monopolies and the Concentration of Economic Power." In it, he wrote:
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"The first truth is that the liberty of democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of power to a point where it becomes stronger than the democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is Fascism-ownership of Government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. The second truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if its business system does not provide employment and produce and distribute goods in such a way to sustain an acceptable standard of living."
The rise of the corporate state has grave political consequences, as we saw in Italy and Germany in the early part of the 20th century. Antitrust laws not only regulate and control the marketplace, they serve as bulwarks to protect democracy. And now that they are gone, now that we have a state that is run by and on behalf of corporations, we must expect inevitable and perhaps terrifying political consequences.
I spent two years traveling the country to write a book on the Christian right called "American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America." In depressed former manufacturing towns from Ohio to Kentucky it was the same. There are tens of millions of Americans for whom the end of the world is no longer an abstraction. They have lost hope. Fear and instability has plunged the working class into personal and economic despair, and not surprisingly into the arms of the demagogues and charlatans of the radical Christian right who offer a belief in magic, miracles and the fiction of a utopian Christian nation. And unless we re-enfranchise these Americans back into the economy, unless we give them hope, our democracy is doomed.
As the pressure mounts, as this despair and desperation reaches into larger and larger segments of the American populace, the mechanisms of corporate and government control are being bolstered to prevent civil unrest and instability. It is not accidental that with the rise of the corporate state comes the rise of the security state. This is why the Bush White House has pushed through the Patriot Act (and its renewal), the suspension of habeas corpus, the practice of "extraordinary rendition," the warrantless wiretapping on American citizens and the refusal to ensure free and fair elections with verifiable ballot-counting. It is part of a package. It comes together. It is not about terrorism or national security. It is about control. It is about their control of us.
Sen. Frank Church, as chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence in 1975, investigated the government's massive and highly secretive National Security Agency. He wrote:
"That capability at any time could be turned around on the American people and no American would have any privacy left, such is the capability to monitor everything: telephone conversations, telegrams, it doesn't matter. There would be no place to hide. If this government ever became a tyranny, if a dictator ever took charge in this country, the technological capacity that the intelligence community has given the government could enable it to impose total tyranny, and there would be no way to fight back, because the most careful effort to combine together in resistance to the government, no matter how privately it was done, is within the reach of the government to know. Such is the capability of this technology. ... I don't want to see this country ever go across the bridge. I know the capability that is there to make tyranny total in America, and we must see to it that this agency and all agencies that possess this technology operate within the law and under proper supervision, so that we never cross over that abyss. That is the abyss from which there is no return. ..."
When Sen. Church made this statement the NSA was not authorized to spy on American citizens. Today it is.
In a military brig in Charleston an American citizen, Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, is being held in a black hole set up on American soil. He was stripped on June 23, 2003, by George Bush of his constitutional rights and declared an "enemy combatant." He is being detained without charge, interrogated without a lawyer and held indefinitely. Lawyers for the Bush administration claim that the president can send the military into any neighborhood, any town or suburb, capture a citizen and hold him or her in prison without charge. They base this claim on the Authorization for Use of Military Force, passed by Congress after 9/11, that gives President Bush the power to "use all necessary and appropriate force" against anyone involved in planning, aiding or carrying out the attacks. But Al-Mari was not captured in Afghanistan or Iraq. He was arrested in Peoria, Ill., in December 2001. And if the president can declare American citizens living inside the United States to be enemy combatants and order them stripped of constitutional rights, what does this mean for us? How long can we be held without charge? Without lawyers? Without access to the outside world? Maybe Al-Mari is, as the government claims, a terrorist. I don't know. But I do know that if this becomes a precedent, if it is not overturned by the courts, habeas corpus, the most important bulwark of our democratic state, will be dead.
We are fed lie after lie to mask the destruction the corporate state has wrought in our lives. The consumer price index, for example, used by the government to measure inflation, has become meaningless. To keep the official inflation figures low the government has been substituting basic products they once measured to check for inflation with ones that do not rise very much in price. This trick has kept the cost-of-living increases tied to the CPI artificially low. The disconnect between what we are told and what is actually true is worthy of the old East German state. The New York Times' consumer reporter, W.P. Dunleavy, wrote that her groceries now cost $587 a month, up from $400 a year earlier. This is a 40 percent increase. California economist John Williams, who runs an organization called Shadow Statistics, contends that if Washington still used the CPI measurements applied back in the 1970s, inflation would be in the 10 percent range. The advantage to the corporations is huge. A false inflation rate, one far lower than the real rate, keeps equitable interest payments on bank accounts and certificates of deposit down. It masks the deterioration of the American economy. The Potemkin statistics allow corporations and the corporate state to walk away from obligations tied to real adjustments for inflation. These statistics mean that less is paid out in Social Security and pensions. It has reduced the interest on the multitrillion-dollar debt. Corporations never have to pay real cost-of-living increases to their employees. The term "unemployment" has also been steadily redefined. This has rendered official data on employment worthless. In real terms about 10 percent of the working population is unemployed, a figure that is, over the long run, unsustainable. The economy, despite the official statistics, is not growing. It is shrinking. And as the nation crumbles we are awash with the terrible simplicity of false statistics. We confuse our emotional responses, carefully manipulated by advertisers, pundits, spin doctors, television hosts, political consultants and focus groups, with knowledge. It is how we elect presidents and those we send to Congress, how we make decisions, even decisions to go to war. It is how we view the world. Four media giants-AOL-Time Warner, Viacom, Disney, and Rupert Murdoch's NewsGroup-control nearly everything we read, see and hear. This growing disconnect with reality is the hallmark of a totalitarian state.
"Before they seize power and establish a world according to their doctrines," Hannah Arendt wrote, "totalitarian movements conjure up a lying world of consistency which is more adequate to the needs of the human mind than reality itself; in which, through sheer imagination, uprooted masses can feel at home and are spared the never-ending shocks which real life and real experiences deal to human beings and their expectations. The force possessed by totalitarian propaganda-before the movements have the power to drop iron curtains to prevent anyone's disturbing, by the slightest reality, the gruesome quiet of an entirely imaginary world-lies in its ability to shut the masses off from the real world."
So what do we do? Voting is not enough. If voting was that effective, to quote the activist Philip Berrigan, it would be illegal. And voting in an age when elections are stolen by rigged ballot machines and a stacked Supreme Court willing to overturn all legal precedent to make George Bush president, will not work. I am not saying do not vote. We should all vote. But that has to be the starting point if we want to reclaim America. We must lobby, organize and advocate for the dissolution of the World Trade Organization and NAFTA. The WTO and NAFTA have handcuffed workers, consumers and stymied our efforts to create clean environments. These agreements are beyond the control of our courts and have crippled our weakened regulatory agencies. The WTO forces our working class to compete with brutalized child and prison labor overseas, to be reduced to this level of slave labor or to go without meaningful work. We need to repeal the anti-worker Taft-Hartley law of 1947. The act obstructs the organization of unions. We need to transfer control of pension funds from management to workers. If these pension funds, worth trillions of dollars, were in the hands of workers the working class would own a third of the New York Stock Exchange.
The working class has every right to be, to steal a line from Obama, bitter with liberal elites. I am bitter. I have seen what the loss of manufacturing jobs and the death of the labor movement did to my relatives in the former mill towns in Maine. Their story is the story of tens of millions of Americans who can no longer find a job that supports a family and provides basic benefits. Human beings are not commodities. They are not goods. They grieve, and suffer and feel despair. They raise children and struggle to maintain communities. The growing class divide is not understood, despite the glibness of many in the media, by complicated sets of statistics or the absurd, utopian faith in unregulated globalization and complicated trade deals. It is understood in the eyes of a man or woman who is no longer making enough money to live with dignity and hope.
George Bush, who will be here on Saturday, has done more to shred, violate or absent the government from its obligations under domestic and international law. He has refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol, backed out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, tried to kill the International Criminal Court, walked out on negotiations on chemical and biological weapons, and defied the Geneva Convention and human rights law. He has set up offshore penal colonies where we deny detainees basic rights and openly engage in torture. He launched an illegal war in Iraq based on fabricated evidence we now know had been discredited even before it was made public. And if we as citizens do not hold him accountable for these crimes, if we allow the Democratic majority in Congress to get away with its refusal to begin the process of impeachment, which appears likely, we will be complicit in the codification of a new world order, one that will have terrifying consequences. For a world without treaties, statutes and laws is a world where any nation, from a rogue nuclear state to a great imperial power, will be able to invoke its domestic laws to annul its obligations to others. This new order will undo five decades of international cooperation-largely put in place by the United States-destroy our own constitutional rights and thrust us into a Hobbesian nightmare. We are one, maybe two, terrorist attacks away from a police state. Time is running out. We must not allow international laws and treaties-ones that set minimum standards of behavior and provide a framework for competing social, political, economic and religious groups and interests to resolve differences-to be discarded. The exercise of power without law is tyranny. And the consequences of George Bush's violation of the law, his creation of legal black holes that can swallow American citizens along with those outside our borders, run in a direct line from the White House to Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and military brigs in cities such as Charleston. George Bush-we now know from the leaked Downing Street memo-fabricated a legal pretext for war. He decided to charge Saddam Hussein with the material breach of the resolution passed in the wake of the 1991 Gulf War. He had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was in breach of this resolution. And so he and his advisers manufactured reports of weapons of mass destruction and disseminated them to a frightened and manipulated press and public. In short, he lied. He lied to us and to the rest of the world. There are tens of thousands, perhaps a few hundred thousand people, who have been killed and maimed in a war that has no legal justification, a war waged in violation of international law, a war that under the post-Nuremberg laws is defined as "a criminal war of aggression."
We have blundered into nations we know little about. We are caught between bitter rivalries and competing ethnic groups and leaders we do not understand. We are trying to transplant a modern system of politics invented in Europe characterized, among other things, by the division of earth into independent secular states based on national citizenship in a land where the belief in a secular civil government is an alien creed. Iraq was a cesspool for the British when they occupied it in 1917. It will be a cesspool for us as well. We can either begin an orderly withdrawal or watch the mission collapse.
A rule-based world matters. The creation of international bodies and laws, the sanctity of our constitutional rights, have allowed us to stand pre-eminent as a nation-one that seeks at its best to respect and defend the rule of law. If we demolish the fragile and delicate domestic and international order, if we permit George Bush to create a world where diplomacy, broad cooperation, democracy and law are worthless, if we allow these international and domestic legal safeguards to unravel, our moral and political authority will plummet. We will erode the possibility of cooperation between nation-states, including our closest allies. We will lose our country. And we will, in the end, see visited upon us the evils we visit on others. Read Antigone, when the king imposes his will without listening to those he rules or Thucydides' history. Read how Athens' expanding empire saw it become a tyrant abroad and then a tyrant at home. How the tyranny the Athenian leadership imposed on others it finally imposed on itself. This, Thucydides wrote, is what doomed Athenian democracy; Athens destroyed itself. For the primary instrument of tyranny and empire is war and war is a poison, a poison which at times we must ingest just as a cancer patient must ingest a poison to survive. But if we do not understand the poison of war-if we do not understand how deadly that poison is-it can kill us just as surely as the disease.
Hope, St. Augustine wrote, has two beautiful daughters. They are anger and courage. Anger at the way things are and the courage to see they do not remain the way they are. We stand at the verge of a massive economic dislocation, one forcing millions of families from their homes and into severe financial distress, one that threatens to rend the fabric of our society. We are waging a war that devours lives and capital, and that cannot ultimately be won. We are told we need to give up our rights to be safe, to be protected. In short, we are made afraid. We are told to hand over all that is best about our nation to those like George Bush and Dick Cheney who seek to destroy our nation. A state of fear only engenders cruelty; cruelty, fear, insanity, and then paralysis. In the center of Dante's circle the damned remained motionless. If we do not become angry, if we do not muster within us the courage, indeed the militancy, to challenge those in the Democratic and Republican parties who herd us towards the corporate state, we will have squandered our courage and our integrity when we need it most.


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In New York City, there seems to be a new penchant for super high end, prestigious penthouses in coveted buildings.
#3: Penthouse at 15 Central Park West, NYC – $88 million.
While the sale of this penthouse was reported in December 2011, the transaction actually closed in 2012, thus making the list for 2012. Former Citigroup CEO Sandy Weill and his wife purchased their full floor penthouse "apartment" for $43.7 million in 2007 and received their full their asking price of $88 million. Profiting just over two times what they paid 4 years ago, they are donating the proceeds to charities. Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, purchased the condo for his 22-year old daughter Ekaterina, who is studying at an undisclosed university. She will stay at this apartment with a wraparound terrace, 33 feet wide living room with 12 1/2 foot floor to ceiling glass windows and doors and one of a kind oval bedroom, when she is in NYC.
#2: Penthouse at One 57, NYC – Over $90 million
Penthouses in high rises were the talk of the city as well as the real estate community in 2012. The #2 most expensive property sold is this still yet to be build penthouse in NYC. The all glass building faces Central park will have 90 floors and shoot 1000+ feet up into the Manhattan skyline, when completed and be the tallest residential building when completed. And yes, this was the building where the Hurricane Sandy literally knocked over a crane being used for construction. Good thing that was eventually secured, as it would have been very bad juju.
#1: Big O Ranch, Montana – Undisclosed sales price, but property listed for $132 million.
Not quite a true residential property, but this topped the list as the highest real estate transaction for 2012. The founders of Kelly-Moore paint assembled this working ranch in Montana over the last 25 years and sold it to billionaire Stanley Kroenke, who is already the 10th largest landowner in the U.S. and also owns the Denver Nuggest and the St. Louis Rams. Sitting on 124,000 acres, this Augusta, Montana farm is one of the largest agricultural operations in the west of the Rocky Mountains.
For the tope 20 properties sold in the U.S. in 2012, click on this full list by AOL Real Estate.


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- Reduced price
San Luis de Montfort y el Amor a la Virgen
€1.48 Save 70%
TRAILER of the series of cartoons on DVD:
SAINTS AND VIRTUES (spanish).
SYNOPSIS of the series of cartoons on DVD:
PACK SAINTS AND VIRTUES: Saints and VIRTUES PACK: contains 27 chapters of this fun cartoon series see pack
From the famous series of TV series: "My Catholic family". 27 chapters where you can enjoy multiple adventures. Thomas and his wife Helen guide their children Alex and Sarah in the ways of holiness by teaching them about the lives of the saints.
Through the reality of a family of our time we will know the great Catholic family that each person is part through the communion of Saints.
Original title: SAN LUIS DE MONTFORT Y EL AMOR A LA VIRGEN


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Video Sources 3324 Views
The Universe: 8x4
Mar. 22, 2014
Star of Bethlehem
What was the astronomical reality behind the star that, according to the Gospel of Matthew, guided the Magi to the young Jesus? This episode examines almost 20 centuries of theories, including meteors, novae, supernovae and comets…but is the truth to be found in a combination of astronomy–and astrology? Recent theories suggest that the "star" was the planet Jupiter in a series of conjunctions with other planets, stars and constellations, and that these conjunctions were interpreted by the Magi–astrologers and priests of the Zoroastrian religion–as heralding the birth of the Jewish Messiah.
- 8 - 1Stonehenge Mar. 01, 2014
- 8 - 2Pyramids Mar. 08, 2014
- 8 - 3Heavenly Destruction Mar. 15, 2014
- 8 - 4Star of Bethlehem Mar. 22, 2014


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May 18, 2017 – Making it big with real estate investments seems easier than ever now! Veteran realty investor couple David & Nicole Rhodes has recently released their new book that shares the subtle secret to grow wealth in property investments. Aptly titled Grow Rich in Real Estate: The Secret to Infinite Returns, this insightful piece reveals the proven formula to map the route to infinite returns on your property.
From the grim phase of zero rental properties to owning a whopping 50+ properties in just 4 years – David & Nicole are the live examples of making it huge in the real estate scene even with no money. They were recently invited to speak at the esteemed Dean Graziosi's Edge event in Scottsdale AZ to 800+ people.
The book was initially written as a bonus for the audience who could not wait to learn more about their strategies to grow wealth in real estate. It was received with immense response which further inspired the duo to launch it on Amazon for all the aspiring investors out there.
It's presently available as an eBook and is also on David & Nicole's website https://www.sixsteps.cash
"We are excited to launch our first book Grow Rich in Real Estate: The Secret to Infinite Returns. We aim to break the myth that you need money to go big in real estate. Take it from us who have gone from zero rental properties with no credit & no money and lots of debt, to now over 50 properties in just 4 short years. Back in 2012, we had even lost our primary home to a short sale. This book will describe how we were able to scale up our real estate investments with hard work, the right knowledge and the right strategies, despite our humble beginning. Real estate is a complex field and we know there are many aspiring investors who are having a hard time only because of some limiting beliefs and lack of knowledge on the exact strategies. We wrote the book for them so that like us they too can pave their way to wealth with real estate investments," stated Nicole.
The book reveals the different ways to grow RICH in real estate in just 6 simple steps.
- Purchasing the property right
- Managing the rehab
- Finding the right bank
- Working with the Appraiser
- Placing the Tenant
- Collecting the check
Grow Rich in Real Estate: The Secret to Infinite Returns discusses in detail how to implement all these strategies to make the most out of real estate investments. It's the same proven strategies that the authors themselves used to grow their wealth in real estate investments with No Credit & No Money. The best part is that these strategies can be used again and again.
"The purpose is to help people change their lives through real estate the way we were able to. Grow Rich in Real Estate: The Secret to Infinite Returns is meant to give them a blueprint," David emphasized.
To scale up your ROI in real estate just like David & Nicole, grab a copy of their book now from the official website or contact the authors below.
Media Contact
Company Name: Six Steps, LLC
Contact Person: Nicole Rhodes
Email: email@example.com
Phone: 727 859-7365
Country: United States
Website: www.sixsteps.cash


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If Dennis Rodman can't succeed in reigning in North Korea and Kim Jong Un unleashes nuclear holocaust on the planet, human civilization as we know it will be wiped out and Earth rendered uninhabitable amid the toxic radioactive cloud. Only two things figure to survive.
Cockroaches, and RPI.
They've been trying to kill off the Ratings Percentage Index, the computer formula that aids the selection and seeding of teams for the NCAA men's basketball tournament, practically since it was invented in 1980 and implemented in 1981. Even the spell check on your computer tries, dutifully correcting RPI to RIP.
You've heard everything that RPI isn't.
It isn't rooted in sophisticated mathematics. It doesn't include margin of victory, doesn't account for winning streaks or close games or injuries, doesn't evaluate offensive and defensive efficiency. It doesn't factor in altitude or referees or bandbox arenas. It is skewed against teams from less reputable conferences with smaller budgets. It is too easily manipulated. It is too archaic, too primitive, too flawed, too maligned, too misleading, too simplistic – too feathered hair and parachute pants and cassette tapes.
Here's what it is: Still around. Still integral. Still relevant.
Oh, the NCAA will tell you otherwise. They'll hold mock selection sessions with the media and walk around the room prodding, "See, you never hear us talk about RPI." They'll pretend that a dozen newer, more sophisticated analytics are also available and consulted in the Indianapolis hotel where the 10 members of the Selection Committee are sequestered each March like they're choosing a pope. They'll be there again today, picking and seeding this year's NCAA Tournament field, which is expected to include San Diego State.
Mike Bobinski, the chair of the NCAA Div. I Men's Basketball Committee, created a stir recently when he admitted on national TV that he looks at other computer metrics "fairly extensively." A divine sign? A subtle shift? An olive branch?
John Gasaway, a statistician for ESPN and a card-carrying RPI hater, admitted his initial elation. Which quickly morphed into cynicism.
"The NCAA insists annually that it uses information from a number of sources," Gasaway wrote on www.basketballprospectus.com, "and that the committee is particularly careful when 'discrepancies' arise between the various rating systems with respect to a given team. It's striking how often these discrepancies have been resolved in a manner congruent with the RPI's aberrant and lonely evaluative verdicts."
As proof, he cited the 2012 field.
Colorado State finished with an RPI of 23 (out of 347 Div. I teams) but its season-ending numbers on the other major metrics were considerably lower: 96 on Pomeroy, 102 on Sagarin, 100 on Massey. The same went for Southern Mississippi: 26 on RPI but 75, 73 and 69 on the other three.
Both received at-large bids into the 68-team field, at the expense of other teams more favorably reviewed by modern statistical metrics.
The Southern Miss coach was Larry Eustachy. He credits Kentucky coach John Calipari for meeting with an RPI geek a few years back and learning how to maximize his rating, how to schedule particular nonconference opponents with particular characteristics, how to game the system.
"He came back and shared it with me, and I took a lot of notes," says Eustachy, who has since moved to Colorado State. "There's an art to figuring out who you should play … I think that (one day) RPI won't be that big of an issue in determining at-large bids. But right now, it's really everything."
As the NCAA Tournament grew from a modest event in the early 1970s featuring exclusively conference champions … to 32 teams in 1975 … to 40 in 1979 … to 48 in 1980, the selection committee needed help analyzing and allotting the suddenly new entity of the at-large berth. It turned to Jim Van Valkenberg, from NCAA Statistics Services.
He tested a dozen or so statistical models and chose one that did not include margin of victory because it contravened the NCAA mantra of fair play, of not running up scores in pursuit of postseason spoils. Instead it rated every team in Div. I according to three factors: your winning percentage (25 percentage), your opponents' winning percentage (50 percent) and your opponents' opponents' winning percentage (25 percent). It spit out a single number, or percentage, and the teams were ranked accordingly. The Rating Percentage Index was born.
Or as some have come to call it: Really Preposterous Index.
For the first decade of its existence, the RPI was like nuclear launch codes, available only to the inner circle of the selection committee. It wasn't until recently that the NCAA began releasing official weekly RPI standings during the season, although several websites have come close to approximating them on a daily basis.
Which only heightens the comparisons and criticisms, with so many more sophisticated metrics equally accessible.
Just don't tell that to the coaches. Whether the RPI, as Ken Pomeroy of the popular kenpom.com ratings says, "has no analytical value whatsoever," whether there are indeed more accurate statistical formulas and methods available in 2013, whether the NCAA keeps insisting RPI is merely one of many tools the Selection Committee uses, the point is the coaches believe it is, well, really everything.
Hard to blame them. Since the formula was tweaked in 2004 to account for a game's location, only one team with an RPI better than 30 has been snubbed by the selection committee (No. 21 Missouri State in 2006). And only four with RPIs in the 60s received at-large berths.
"I don't know what other coaches do," UNLV coach Dave Rice says. "I know that our staff pays a great deal of attention to RPI."
"I'm not sure about the newer metrics," New Mexico coach Steve Alford says. "But the Selection Committee has made it very clear in the last 15 years the RPI is the driving force when it comes to seeding and looking at teams, because that's what they've set in place."
Alford is among the best at it. Because 75 percent of the RPI comes from your opponents and your opponents' opponents, he spends "an awful lot of time" evaluating potential nonconference foes and how they might fare in the RPI. He tries not to schedule anyone with a projected RPI under 200 while trying to find teams picked to win smaller conferences.
New Mexico's RPI: 2.
"There is an art to figuring out who you should play," Eustachy says.
Teams from power conferences flush with football money can play "guarantees" to visiting teams for one-off games. The idea is to fatten your record on a bunch of mid-level RPI teams that might give you trouble on the road but aren't going to beat you in your home arena with friendly referees (you're paying for the game, after all, so you choose the refs), then mix in a couple neutral-court games against higher-profile opponents.
The have-nots play the RPI game, too. The Missouri Valley Conference famously instituted a scheduling mandate a decade ago to improve its overall RPI and, with it, the chances of receiving at-large berths in the NCAA Tournament (and the accompanying seven-figure payouts). Schools risked financial penalties if they didn't comply.
The MVC rose from a one-bid league to receiving four in 2006, two of which reached the Sweet 16. The scheduling mandates were removed for unrelated reasons, and the MVC became a one-bid league again. But 75 percent of the conference's revenue is generated from NCAA Tournament payouts, and those payouts are projected to drop from $5 million to $2 million. The scheduling mandates are back.
The West Coast Conference gives schools financial incentives to play neutral-court games that help pump the league's RPI. It also uses the RPI to break ties for seeding in its conference tournament.
The Sun Belt has a "150 rule," requiring a team to have at least an RPI of 150 itself or a play a nonconference schedule of opponents with a three-year average of 150 or better. Games against non-Div. I opponents, which don't count in the RPI, are prohibited as well.
"Winning by itself is not going to get you higher," Sun Belt commissioner Wright Walter told ESPN in 2010. "You've got to schedule … We've talked to all the gurus that deal with the RPI and we believe this concept can work."
This happens all the time during the season:
A team will lose, even get blown out, and have its RPI go up the following morning. Or it will win a tough game on the road before a sellout crowd hungry for an upset, and have its RPI drop.
There's also the counterintuitive component that 75 percent of your rating relies on nothing you actually do – determined instead by your former opponents and their former opponents with no regard for injury or officiating or travel or the inherent unpredictability of college basketball. You play a team, then pray its star forward doesn't blow out his knee in the next game.
Lipscomb? Appalachian State? Bowling Green? You might not have played them this season, or in any season. You might not know their coach or players, or mascot or location or that they are even Div. I. But they conceivably can impact your RPI.
Yet the RPI is not RIP, spell check notwithstanding.
One reason, certainly, is tradition. The NCAA Tournament and its unique selection process have never been more popular or profitable (the current TV contract with CBS is worth nearly $11 billion). So why change anything?
Another is that the RPI is largely used by the selection committee less as a predictive tool than a reflective or comparative one. Teams are evaluated by Top 25 RPI wins, Top 50 wins, by "bad" losses under 100.
"If you want something more precise, if you want something that you can take to Vegas and bet on games, this is not going to do it," Jerry Palm of CBSsports.com, one of the RPI's longtime proponents, said in a recent podcast. "It is a direct reflection of the kind of year you've had, the strength of your schedule, and how you did against your schedule.
"Those are the kind of things the committee wants to reward."
But it goes deeper than that. The NCAA Tournament is selected and seeded by a committee, by humans, and the inherent flaws in the RPI allow them to do their job while adding an element of mystery – are you on or off the bubble? – that gives March Madness its magnetism. It's the exotic wart on the cheek of a supermodel.
College football relied on BCS rankings to pick teams for its annual championship game, and a similar model could be created for college basketball, no problem. You'd simply count the top 37 highest-rated teams without automatic berths, and hand them at-large bids. No committee. No Indianapolis hotel. No debate. No drama.
You also could eliminate all bad calls by stopping every 20 seconds to look at instant replay. But isn't that part of the frustration, and fascination, of sports?
"If they use something more sophisticated, people are going to expect you to follow it," Palm says. "They're going to expect you to let the numbers rule. In that case, by using something like (RPI), people don't want these numbers to rule. They want the committee to rule."


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Rik Hemsley: XAML versus Qt
An article on MSDN previewing XAML, a not-so-new idea by Microsoft, prompted me to try implementing the given example using Qt instead. It also prompted me to be a little scornful -- but don't let that fool you -- I'm rather pleased to see the company continuing to make life easier for us developers. Check out my article on how to implement Microsoft's example, using existing technology.
Re: XAML is good, but the threat is Avalon
You're spot on about the vector representation of Avalon. It will be hardware accelerated, and will take advantage of the 3D chips that will be standard issue in most machines three years from now. HOWEVER, I see this as being a good thing for an analogous system in Linux.
Currently, most 3D cards are optimized for handling 3D calculations, and their 2D libraries are small and somewhat anemic in comparison. However, chip makers are not idiots -- they're talking with Microsoft, are putting their 2D libraries on steroids, and are at the same time going to be optimizing for all of the requirements that the next generation of vector languages will require. When it gets down to the level of the chip, you can actually do things like using 3d apps to render text buffers more efficiently than you could with the 2d equivalents, you can get transparencies (alpha channel masks), composited layers, filters and even buffered library references all handled via hardware.
The benefit that Avalon offers is that Microsoft can establish that these improvements need to be in place to make this feasible, but the chips will be on the market well before Longhorn ships. There is not THAT much difference between the graphical layers of Avalon and of SVG, and the latest SVG 1.2 proposals are all indications that the W3C seems to recognize the inherent danger in trying to turn a graphics spec into an interface language by itself. This means that Linux should have access to the same level of hardware that Avalon will, and vector thinking there is already in full swing.
LibSVG is not at this point even at the level of ASV3, but it will be, soon enough. KSVG is taking its first tentative steps now with KDE 3.2, and we have two years of evolution to come on it. The central question comes down to being able to determine the point where you leave the abstraction of graphics and enter the abstraction of UI. I suspect that when Longhorn ships with Avalon, Linux will have planted its flag there first.
Kurt Cagle
By Kurt Cagle at Wed, 2004/03/31 - 6:00am
MFC now compile using Wine/gcc. Is it possible to recompile MFC programs with qt.
Qts strength is documentation. However i learned that KDe is not Qt, you can easily watch this by having a look at qt programs such as Hbasic or sketch, they look outdated and different.
By Bert at Fri, 2004/03/26 - 6:00am
How is this different from ...
By bruno at Wed, 2004/03/31 - 6:00am
Re: How is this different from ...
Isn't XAML the result of using the power of XML? qamix uses XML similarly but it is not as polished as XAML. Basically, an XML file is used to describe what widgets appear on screen, minimum amount of spacing, etc. The event handling code gets left in the application and the muddiest part of the qamix code seems to be tieing everything together. I don't see
By David at Sat, 2004/07/10 - 5:00am
Isn't it truly just re-inventing flash...
flash has been around for years - sadly everyone learnt to use it through an IDE, it really didn't take on the application style interaction untill more and more flash addicts started using it. -today you can build fully fledged applications (as long as the computer on the otherside can handle it) - so really, Microsoft is thinking about cornering and pushing adobe into doing different type of work, and to forget about it's Macromedia purchase, forget about PDF's and restricitng people from being able to work with them unless paying for thier products, I mean out of all the software vendors that make a profit according to volume of sales - adobe has to be up there in the 'rip off' category, eg. Corel Suite vs Adobe CS. -Adobe need to start thinking about merging thier software categories (I mean Ilustrator still can't do muti page layout - it's not like it's more than a couple of lines of code to give it the ability too)
By Charles at Sat, 2007/01/13 - 6:00am
ACTUALLY better yet!!!
--Let's do this (if we had the time!)
set up a linux box that starts up with a MONO version of MSoft's Powershell...
anyway - I would really love to see a linux distro called 'The MonoBox' - forget kde and gnome - just throw them out the door. Get an interface started up that is totally dependent on the mono framework, with some sort of super C# compiler and a really open programmong network - one where each personal computer would show off to the world what kind of Framwork components it has to offer (new ones to be downloadable in binary or source code from the users own CVS - better yet make the whole .net framework binary totaly open to the world for downloading from each others computer ie .net framework would be open to p2p modifications - of course totally upto the users discretion depending on his permissions)
anyway - I beleive this is the dream of Microsoft - they are just taking it slowly - maybe the linux community could stop wasting time on drawing penguins and skip all the bull with gnome/kde and just make something that would really bring all programming/programmers ability together in a neat configurable format.
-anyone want to start a PROJECT!
By Charles at Sat, 2007/01/13 - 6:00am


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The Laboratory Contact Center Associate II is responsible for the management of clinical laboratory telephone calls in an office setting. An Associate II uses their clinical laboratory education/experience and problem solving skills to assist callers. Caller issues include: ordering tests, obtaining results, add-on testing, specimen collection and incident reporting. A Contact Center Associate I uses a "customer service" attitude to enhance patient care by providing clear, accurate, timely and professional assistance to callers. The Associate I uses various software and issue tracking tools to provide information and follow issues until they are resolved. This position reports to the Team Leader of the VUMC Diagnostic Laboratories Contact Center.
Position Qualifications
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has been rated the #1 Hospital in Nashville and the state of Tennessee by the US News & World Report. VUMC's Diagnostic Laboratories - consisting of Laboratory Client Services (LCS), Clinical Pathology Services (CPS), Diagnostic Molecular & Genetics Services (DMGS), and Anatomic Pathology Services (APS) - have state-of-the-art automation and exceptional employees to meet the demands of accurately and timely performance of tests, while providing our patients and their families with enhanced and exceptional care. VUMC is rated in the Top 100 Most Wired Hospitals with advanced LIS systems and technologies.
Vanderbilt's Diagnostic Laboratories support adult and pediatric care for inpatient and outpatient settings. Our fast-paced, team oriented culture gives you the opportunity to contribute to breakthroughs with healthcare advancements. We support your career growth with a comprehensive medical laboratory science program and an established Professional Advancement Ladder (PAL).
Click Here To View The VUMC Promise of Discovery
Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. It is a place where your diversity -- of culture, thinking, learning and leading -- is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt's mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.
VUMC Recent Accomplishments


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WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass., – With Thanksgiving and the holiday season upon us, hunger relief efforts at Shaw's Supermarkets, part of the nation-wide SUPERVALU family of grocery stores, are well under way.
Shaw's recently donated 13,000 turkeys to six of its hunger relief partners located in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island. The company also launched its Spirit of Giving Food Drive earlier this month and is pleased to announce that customers have already donated more than 17,000 food bags, or enough to provide more than 68,500 meals. The program allows shoppers to purchase pre-assembled food bags at Shaw's locations that will then be donated to local hunger relief partners and food banks.
"At Shaw's, supporting the organizations that provide hunger relief is important to us and we are pleased to help area food banks get meals to those in need this holiday season," said Mike Stigers, president, Shaw's. "As a grocer, we are highly aware of the hunger problems facing people and not only do we work hard to support the communities we serve, but are fortunate to have generous customers who have come together to help fight hunger."
"This is a critical time of year for us as we work to provide not only holiday meals for the 143,000 men, women, and children that are food insecure in New Hampshire, but also a time to stock our shelves and those of our partner agencies to help get through the winter months," said Mel Gosselin, executive director of the New Hampshire Food Bank. "Shaw's and their customers continue to be a great partner in the fight against hunger and for that we are truly grateful."
According to the USDA, approximately one in seven U.S. households were food insecure in 2011. Shaw's and its customers recognize the importance of feeding those in need particularly during a rough economic period. Through the Spirit of Giving program, Shaw's and its customers are working to ensure that local food banks are well stocked and prepared to feed those in need around the holidays.
From now through December 27, Shaw's customers can purchase pre-assembled bags that contain much-needed holiday food items ranging from green beans to tomato sauce for $5, $10 or $15. Once collected, the pre-assembled bags will go directly to community food banks and pantries throughout Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island. In keeping with the spirit of being a neighborhood grocer, all 169 Shaw's locations have worked to identify local organizations within their communities who will be the recipients of the food.
For more details on Shaw's Supermarkets, visit www.shaws.com or its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/shaws.


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Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
Night at the Museum: Battle of the...
Muppets Most Wanted
Escape From Planet Earth
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World
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There aren't many countries in the world that can boast what Brazil does. It's home to some of the world's most exciting cities, there are tranquil islands where you can bask in sunshine, the Amazon is on your doorstep for treks that you'll never forget and you really haven't lived until you've been to a football game there. The food is amazing, the people are friendly, the partying is like nowhere else – we love Brazil, we know you do too.
1. Rio de Janeiro
'Breathtaking' is a word used all too loosely when describing places, but when it comes to Rio de Janeiro, it couldn't be more apt. Everywhere you look there's a landmark, the amount of endless beaches is endless and it's got nightlife to rival any city in the world. However many nights you plan on staying, you'll probably stay more.
>> Book hostels in Rio de Janeiro
2. Ilha Grande
Within just two hours of Rio, one of the world's most hectic cities, you are in Ilha Grande – one of the most idyllic places in the world. Picture an island with no roads or private cars, endless tropical beaches and lush forests. Paradise on earth? Maybe…
>> Book hostels in Ilha Grande
3. Paraty
Another area famed for its peace and quiet, Paraty is also renowned for its colonial architecture. It's extremely popular during summer months with travellers who flock to wander the unique town with its cobbled streets as well as the nearby beaches. Sorry, we mean golden beaches.
4. São Paulo
Brazil's largest city mightn't have the picturesque attributes that its famous counterparts does, but explore it and you get the sense that you're experiencing a 'realer' city. 2012 is the year people will want to savour that experience.
5. Florianopolis
The island of Florianapolis boasts a grand total of 42 golden beaches making it one of the most popular spots for anybody with time to spend in Brazil. Praia Mole is widely regarded as the most beautiful, while if you're looking to challenge your energetic side you might want to visit Lagoinha do Leste where hiking can be done.
> Book hostels in Florianopolis
6. Foz do Iguaçu
Awesome is the only word to describe the Iguazu Falls, the waterfalls located on the Brazil-Argentina border. Accessible from both sides, the Brazilian side boasts awe-inspiring views, tropical wildlife and a host of walks. Just make sure to buy a poncho, even if you don't mind getting wet.
>> Book hostels in Foz do Iguaçu
7. Arraial da Ajuda
Located smack bang between Rio and Salvador, Arraial da Ajuda has lots of attributes. Those who like to relax can do so on the beach. Those who prefer to take pictures of beaches will enjoy it's hillside location boasting amazing views. Those who like wandering the streets of old towns can do that too. Make sure to pencil this town into your itinerary.
>> Book hostels in Arraial da Ajuda
8. Jericoacoara
This town in the north east of the country is one of the smaller in the country but it still manages to get quite busy in peak seasons, meaning friends to be made in one of the town's hostels. While the beach is the main attraction here, restaurants and bars abound the sandy streets making it nocturnal activities an attraction too.
>> Book hostels in Jericoacoara
9. Salvador
Just like Rio, Salvador has the best of both worlds – if you're a city slicker who loves to be in the thick of it, this city is for you. If you prefer to relax on the beach, you can do that here too. But what does Salvador have over Brazil's most famous city? The answer – architecture. Make sure to put by a day to wander the streets and marvel at the buildings that date back to the 17th century.
10. Morro de São Paulo
Just south of Salvador on the island of Ilha de Tinharé is Morro de São Paulo, a beautiful village that has beaches, rainforests and…you get the picture by this stage. During the summer months the beaches are where to be thanks to the regular parties.
>> Book hostels in Morro de São Paulo
Thanks to Nicoli Barea, Tai Machado, Atramos, Schröedinger's Cat, M.J.Ambriola,soniaoneclick and Fotos Gov/Ba for the photos.


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- Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer are reportedly no longer talking after Aniston admitted while on The Late Show with David Letterman that she didn't know who Schwimmer's fiance was:
Says a source: "David was not impressed that one of his supposed friends didn't know who he was marrying. He has been with Zoe for a couple of years and was offended Jen couldn't remember her. He hasn't been taking her calls." [DailyMail]
- The third alleged mistress of Jesse James, Brigitte Daguerre runs a super cute vintage dress shop online, apparently. [TMZ]
- Sandra Bullock, meanwhile, is "hiding out" at a mansion in the Hollywood hills: "There has been more activity here in the last week than in the last year," says a source, "It's usually very quiet here." [RadarOnline]
- Amy Winehouse's father, Mitch, claims that his daughter has "been talking about having a baby and is now at the age where she wants to have a baby," though he "can't see her settling down with 15 children just yet." [ContactMusic]
- Emma Thompson says that writing her Oscar-winning screenplay for Sense and Sensibility kept her sane after her marriage to Kenneth Branagh fell apart: "I used to crawl from the bedroom to the computer and then I was all right. Sense and Sensibility saved me from going under in a very nasty way." [Guardian]
- Dan Aykroyd is apparently a super nice guy and a really good tipper. [PageSix]
- John Travolta says that Scientology is helping him deal with the loss of his son, Jett: ""It's something that has been very difficult, but I am getting a lot of help in dealing with it. My wife and I and my daughter- we're all dealing with it as well as can be expected. We lean on our church heavily and they have helped us a lot." [RadarOnline]
- Jude Law has called in a lawyer over his ex-wife, Sadie Frost's upcoming tell-all book, as "he is very worried that some of the revelations could be damaging to his career and upsetting for their children when they are old enough to read it." [DailyMail]
- Phil Collins says the nerve damage he has suffered has made many things difficult in his life: ""I can't let go of the spoon or the knife when I eat. I can't open a car door. I won't get gruesome with you, but there's a lot of things I can't do. I'm left handed. I'm having an operation soon and there's a good chance of it improving over time." [RollingStone]
- FYI:Bethenny Frankel's wedding will be "swag-free." [PageSix]
- Joey McIntyre has opened up about his son, Rhys' hearing problems: ""It feels like you're holding your breath. And that feeling lasted for a few days, until you get educated. You go from, 'Oh my God' - fearing that someday my son might be walking into the street and I'm calling after him and he's not going to hear me - to 'It's going to be okay' to 'It's going to be amazing.' Rhys' hearing loss is part of who he is. His life is going to be as special as Griffin's. There's just work involved." [People]
- Jill Scott was apparently not pleased with her appearance on the cover of April's Essence magazine, telling the editor she felt the picture was "unflattering." [PageSix]
- "I dont think my show serves anybody ... it's fun, but it's stupid."-Jerry Springer [TMZ]
- Courtney Love is reportedly dating Uma Thurman's ex, Andre Balazs. [DailyMail]
- Tiger Woods' iPhone: full of porn and cartoons. [TMZ]
- Every member of the Sex and the City 2 cast has reportedly been asked to sign a "draconian" confidentiality agreement due to Sarah Jessica Parker's paranoia about plot details being leaked. "'It's a pretty scary contract and we have all been made to sign it," says a source. It might not even matter though: in this link alone, there are already spoilers that have leaked out. [DailyMail]
- By some logic, the Daily Mail has deduced that Kim Kardashian must be single, as she's been posing for "sexy" pictures on Twitter. [DailyMail]
- A source, however, claims that Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian are "not over yet." [RadarOnline]
- "I was always the girl who, when I was younger, played baseball with the boys. I did not play softball. I did not want to play softball. I wanted nothing to do with it. I wanted to play baseball with the guys and I wanted to be as good as them."-America Ferrera [ShowbizSpy]
- Jon Gosselin's ex-girlfriend, Hailey Glassman, wants to legalize pot, if you care at all. [RadarOnline]
- Shakira claims that therapy has helped her "with every aspect of my life, from body image to relationships," and that "in their 20s, women try to be somebody they're not and try to turn themselves into something different. Now I'm in my 30s, I'm very happy with who I am." [ShowbizSpy]
- A judge dismissed a case filed by three people who wanted to prevent the release of Jersey Shore, as they were depicted fighting with the cast members and were worried about possible reputation damage. [Yahoo]
- "I'm not religious. I'm not an atheist. Would I say I'm an agnostic? Possibly. But I would say the collective unconscious is something I'm much more interested in. I believe that there is good. I believe there is evil. Do I believe that they come from God who is watching us conduct myriad never-ending wars and looks benignly on because there's higher purpose to all of this? I don't think so. Am I going to go to heaven or hell when I die? No. Is there going to be a second coming and people are going to be stricken down? I find all that exclusionary."-Holly Hunter [LATimes]
- When asked if he had Asperger's by the NYTimes after referencing it in conversation, Moby replied: "No. I just like to pretend I do. It makes me sound more interesting." [NYTimes]
- Joe Jackson has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dr. Conrad Murray, the man accused of injecting Michael Jackson with a lethal dose of Propofol. [RadarOnline]
- "I'm like a 13- or 14-year-old boy who loves fun music and hot chicks and sport, and I like empowerment and women who are capable and humorous. I love comedy and jokes. I am always the person who is fighting in marketing meetings, 'Please don't forget the boys. Remember them too.' Whenever people get too girly, I am, like, 'No, no.' I just appreciate women. And whether I fall in love with their minds or their hearts and their talents, that is really what gets me hot."-Drew Barrymore [TimesOnline]
- Don't expect Robert Pattinson to star in a romantic comedy anytime soon (not like you were expecting it, anyway, but still): ""I'd love to," he says, "but they are always just so rubbish - I mean like, I'd absolutely love to do it, but I've literally never read a good rom-com script." [ShowbizSpy]


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We would like to welcome you to Midtown Eyecare. The professionals at our practice provide each patient with quality vision solutions and exceptional customer service. Our staff is experienced in all areas of vision care. Maintaining healthy eyes requires regular vision and eye exams. We look forward to serving you.
Beforehand, we thank you for taking the time to browse through our website and we encourage you to learn more about Dr. Kyle Craig and the office staff under "Our Practice." We know you have many choices and we appreciate your interest in our office.


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The HPM 5000 is a very large capacity fully automated pulverizer. Depending on the density of the material it can accept up to 10kg of material smaller than 25mm in diameter. The machine is ideal for grinding minerals and ferro-alloys, pulverizing rocks, soil, coal, cement, glass, limestone, bricks, wood, plant material, slags, iron ore pellets, ore samples, concrete, etc.
We are convinced that this new mill is set to change the way many laboratories will prepare their samples in the future. Milling the entire sample has significant benefits as a geologist knows only too well.
IMP would be very happy to carry out tests on your ore types to confirm the machine suitability.


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CORONAVIRUS: Latest updates here. Our 100% buyer guarantee applies to future purchases too!
CORONAVIRUS: Latest updates here. Our 100% buyer guarantee applies to future purchases too!
Unfortunately, we don't have any information about upcoming performances of this show. Maybe we can interest you with something similar from the options below...
Closed March 8, 2019
The Mirror Master Tour!
The California-based indie rockers are headed out on a national tour, in support of their fourth studio album, Mirror Master. First coming to widespread prominence in 2010, their debut album was recorded old-school style, with a focus on only recording material that they could faithfully recreate for a live audience, the recently released album focuses on growth and personal self-awareness. Supporting Young The Giant on selected dates is Canadian singer LIGHTS and art-pop band Sure Sure.
Their first three singles off their previous album found instant popularity with "My Body", "Cough Syrup" and "Apartment" all placing within the top five spots of the US Alternative Songs chart upon release. Their newest singles off the Mirror Master album are fast finding their feet, including 'Simplify', 'Call Me Back' and 'Superposition'.
Performance date: 8 March 2019
Image courtesy of Christopher Dube, 2011 via Wikimedia Commons
1 reviews, average rating: (4.0 Stars)
Leonardo Maricio: "Great concert!"
Went to YTG concert last night. They were fantastic! Music was flawless.... more
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Please note: The term Knitting Factory Spokane and/or Young The Giant as well as all associated graphics, logos, and/or other trademarks, tradenames or copyrights are the property of the Knitting Factory Spokane and/or Young The Giant and are used herein for factual descriptive purposes only. We are in no way associated with or authorized by the Knitting Factory Spokane and/or Young The Giant and neither that entity nor any of its affiliates have licensed or endorsed us to sell tickets, goods and or services in conjunction with their events.


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Prairie Fare: Food Product Dates Can Be Mysterious
By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service
"I need help!" was the first line of the e-mail from a college friend. I figured the dilemma involved food. It did.
She was in the process of helping move a relative from a home to a care facility. In the process of helping with the move, my friend discovered large amounts of stored food.
"Do you know what happens to eggs after a year in the fridge? I do!" the note continued.
That comment piqued my interest. She knows me well enough to provide a description. I kind of wish she hadn't.
"I cracked open a shell, and it was half full with a rubbery, tannish thing. Eew!" she wrote.
Now that's a visual image, I thought to myself.
Her overall question was, "How long can you use food after the date on the package?"
She noted that they tossed the spices "from the 1970s." Tossing 30-year-old spices is a good idea. Spices do not become unsafe, but after awhile, they lose their ability to add flavor.
Do you have some "antique" spices? You might want to save the metal containers as collectible decorations, but chances are the spices inside are no longer adding flavor to your recipes.
As a general rule, ground spices and herbs are at best quality for about a year. Whole spices are at best quality for about two years. Buy smaller amounts more frequently for best quality. You can check the potency of a ground spice by rubbing a little in your hand and sniffing the aroma.
Be sure to store spices in a dark, cool place. Avoid storing spices where it's warm or damp, such as near a stove, sink or dishwasher.
My friend questioned whether the packaged mixes, soups, Jell-O and many other foods that were one to two years past the dates listed on the packages still are OK to use.
I think I refrained from writing back, "It depends."
Food product dating is one of those mysterious adventures for consumers. Unfortunately, there are no absolutes. In fact, food product dating is not required for most products, with the exception of baby food and infant formula.
Very few foods have actual expiration dates. Most dates on food products are quality dates, not safety dates. Manufacturers commonly list "best if used by" dates because they want their customers to have a good experience with the food.
These are the U.S. Department of Agriculture definitions for the types of dates you might find on packages:
- Sell by date: tells the store how long to display the product for sale. Consumers should not buy the product after this date.
- Best if used by (or before) date: tells consumers how long the product will retain its best flavor or quality. (This is not a purchase or safety date.)
- Use by date: tells consumers the last date that is recommended for using the product while at peak quality. The manufacturer determines this date.
- Closed or coded date: represents packing numbers for use by the manufacturer to track inventory, rotate stock or locate the product under suspicion of a problem. These dates do not indicate freshness or quality of the product.
What's the answer to my friend's question? I personally would not be worried about using dry products, such as dry mixes, weeks or even months past the quality date, especially if they were kept cool and dry. If the dry product contains fat, such as whole-grain flour, the product may have developed off-odors or flavors. Most likely, I would toss them after sniffing.
Even though stored dry foods may be "safe," high-quality food is important to people. Most people choose not to eat food that has off-odors or colors. Use your senses, as well as the date, to decide.
Commercially canned food has a long storage life of two to five years. Canned tomatoes, fruits and other acidic foods are best used within the two-year period. If the can is leaking or bulging, however, do not consume the contents. For more information about food safety, visit the NDSU Extension Service Web site at http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/food.
Be sure to regularly rotate the foods in your cupboard so you use the oldest ones first. Here's an easy recipe. Check out your pantry for the ingredients.
Barbecued Beans
1 pound lean ground beef
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
1 (16-ounce) can baked beans, undrained
1 (16-ounce) can of kidney beans, drained
1 c. ketchup
4 tsp. prepared mustard (or to taste)
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
Brown the meat with onions in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Drain any excess fat. Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Combine all the ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low for six to eight hours or on high for two hours. Makes eight servings. Each serving has 320 calories, 8 grams (g) of fat, 40 g of carbohydrate, 8 g of fiber and 720 mg of sodium.
(Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension Service food and nutrition specialist and associate professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.)
NDSU Agriculture Communication
|Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, email@example.com
|Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, firstname.lastname@example.com


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Last week during the Round Top Antique show, I had the opportunity to film a little web-TV pilot at Marburger Farm for Texas Live! Texas Live Magazine is a regional publication that is also developing an online presence with the Texas Live Network. "Down the Road" is a show produced by Clover Carroll starring he and his darling wife, Rachel.
We met up at Marburger to a explore and discuss a bit about the Round Top Antiques experience, interview Rachel Ashwell at a book-signing and attend the Marburger blogger party. We had a blast. Even if the Martha Stewart crew did keep getting in our way..ha!
Was I nervous, YES..not talking about Round Top or why I love it or what items were good buys etc..oh no, I was nervous about appearing on camera. It's one thing to blog but to be on camera?! So I really tried to just trust God with this latest adventure and do what I know in my heart He created me to do, look for and point others to beauty in the decorative arts and help create homes.
Working with my friends Rachel and Clover Carroll (they are expecting their third child soon if you hadn't notice;;) couldn't have made my step of faith in front of the camera any more easier or fun …
Thank you guys for your hard work and belief in what I do.
So stay tuned..this may never make it on the Texas Live Network (and don't even mention HGTV in the comments) BUT it has been fun to stick my toe in the water and we will see what happens DOWN THE ROAD. I will keep you posted!
(Top image by James Pharaon Creative) iphone snapshots by moi.


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Accommodation in Årsta, Stockholm - 4 matches
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Book your accommodation with visit.com! We offer a wide selection of accommodation. Here, you can choose between 145 hotels at low rates located in many different parts of town, anything from city center to countryside. We can also offer many centrally located hostels in Stockholm. There is something for everyone because we offer budget, three-star and luxury hotels.
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Hostel | Långholmen's Hostel is Stockholm's most arresting hostel. Here you can stay in the original but pleasantly renovated prison cells at Kronohäktet. Read more
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Hotel | Scandic Gamla Stan is a four-star, enviromentally certified hotel in the oldest and coziest part of Stockholm. The building itself dates from the 17th century and you have Storkyrkan, Riddarhuset and Slussen next door. 52 rooms, all are non-smokin Read more
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Hotel | The renovated Hotel Scandic Malmen is located on Söder - the district known for design, shopping, nightlife, and not least its culture. Stay in a listed, Nordic Eco-certified 1950´s building right in the heart of the city. Read more
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Hotel | Eco-friendly Scandic Sjöfartshotellet is centrally located, near Slussen right next to water. Near Old Town, the Royal Palace and the ferries to Djurgården. The variety of cultureevents, music, dining and entertainment on Söder is just around the ... Read more
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Alex is a sweet kid with huge lips, glasses and ears that stick out. To an adult, he's an adorably awkward adolescent who hasn't grown into his features. To his peers, he's a target.
Every day his school bus ride is a gauntlet of humiliation. He's punched, choked and stabbed with pencils. When he comes home, his sister calls him a loser. But Alex smiles because at this point he's used to it.
His parents complain to the school, the school mildly scolds the bullies and the cycle of violence continues. It's enough to leave Alex's mother feeling helpless and Alex resigned to his fate.
Alex's story is intertwined with the stories of four other tortured children. Lesbian Kelby is a pariah to students and teachers alike in her small Oklahoma town. Fourteen-year-old Ja'Maya was so distressed that she brought a gun on the bus and now resides in a state corrections mental hospital. Tyler Long's parents represent him in the film, since his bullies drove him to take his life. The most disturbing case may be that of Ty Smalley, who committed suicide at 11.
All of that is disturbing. But Bully isn't sure what to do with any of it.
That's the problem with Bully, Lee Hirsch's (Act of Honor) well meaning but frustrating documentary. Hirsch offers no answers, no deeper look at the problem. It's a movie whose total purpose seems to be getting the audience to think that's a shame.
The audience going to see Bully will be inclined to agree with Hirsch that bullies are mean, children who are regularly tormented are fragile and schools bad at handling the issue. That isn't enough to make a good movie.
Actual bullies probably won't be checking out the film. If they do, it might only encourage them, since video evidence of assault is apparently dismissed by school administrators.
Simply hoping that people will decide to be nicer is the equivalent of wishing on a star for world peace: It's a lovely thought, but pretty ineffective. Anti-bullying rallies only serve to gather like-minded people to tsk at those causing problems.
As for winning hearts and minds, I doubt Bully will. At my screening two boys about Alex's age yawned and squirmed, asking loudly is it over? as the credits rolled.
The film would more accurately be called Bullied, since its subjects are on the receiving end of mental and physical abuse. The root of the problem isn't Alex or his tortured peers; it's the kid behind the fist. If a movie wants to be part of the solution, that's where it should be looking.


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Django is a high-level Python Web framework (open source framework) that encourages rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. Django is awesome programming framework. Red hat magazine has published excellent tutorial:
In today's world, web development is all about turnaround. Businesses want to maximize production outcome while minimizing development and production time. Small, lean development teams are increasingly becoming the normal large development departments. Enter Django: a popular Python web framework that invokes the RWAD (rapid web application development) and DRY (don't repeat yourself) principles with clean, pragmatic design.
This article is not about teaching you how to program in Python, nor how to use the Django framework. It's about showing how to promote your Django applications onto an existing Apache or Lighttpd environment.
=> Installing/Configuring/Caching Django on your Linux server


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Stacy McCain has a post up about the negative economic growth reported for the last quarter of 2012. He wonders how the Main Stream Media will spin their reporting. I'll bet they will claim that they were drinking heavily while celebrating the election results and blame Busch.
Mr. McCain's post is entitled Obamanomics Fails–Unexpectedly! in a riff on the Main Stream Media's continuing disbelief that The Lightworker is unable to defy the Laws of Economics.
Folks, there ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Expect the "unexpected."
UPDATE–For the past year, I've expected the economy to begin contracting if Barack Obama were reelected. Business that were putting off investing in expansion in hope of a Romney victory are now being joined by joined by other firms facing the costs of Obamacare and four more years of over-the-top regulation and irresponsible fiscal policy. More people are going Galt.
The next four years are going to be
tough brutal.


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EDITORIAL: No World Series for local cable subscribers?
We're three weeks away from the World Series and the possibility that a significant chunk of Litchfield County residents won't be able to watch it. Sound far-fetched? We'd have said the same thing if you'd told us that New York Giants and other NFL games would be blacked out for the first four weeks of the season - and counting - this fall.
But as of Monday, there was no progress and no end in sight for a standoff between Cablevision and the Tribune Co., which owns WTIC/Fox Connecticut.
In addition to the NFL, Cablevision subscribers have missed out on the season premieres for popular Fox shows such as American Idol, The Family Guy and The Simpsons.
People are angry. Torrington Mayor Ryan Bingham even stepped in to collect city residents' complaints and forward them on to Fox Connecticut and Cablevision.
But that hasn't put much pressure on the two sides to come to an agreement.
In fact, Jim Maiella, a spokesman for Cablevision, said that "customer reaction has been minimal."
That was in response to a question about whether the company had seen a significant decrease in the number of subscribers it has in Connecticut.
In other words, we can complain as much as we want about missing the Giants game, or The Simpsons, just as we can complain about higher rates.
Unless and until Cablevision subscribers actually start canceling and switching to DirecTV or another cable alternative, it won't have much effect on the company's decision-making process.
According to Maiella, Cablevision has agreed to pay "every penny" that Tribune, which also owns the Hartford Courant, has asked for the rights to carry Fox Connecticut.
The problem is a dispute over how much it will pay for other Tribune-owned stations, including WGN out of Chicago.
Until that dispute is resolved, Cablevision says that Tribune is choosing to black out all of its stations, including Fox Connecticut.
It alleges that Tribune "has failed to deliver a new proposal in more than a month."
Tribune spokesman Jessica Bellucci said that the company is working with Cablevision to "get a resolution," but refused to elaborate.
If it's true that Cablevision has agreed to pay full freight for Fox Connecticut, then perhaps local cable subscribers' ire should be directed at the parent company of Fox Connecticut and the Hartford Courant.
How many of us are burning for WGN Chicago to be restored to the local Cablevision lineup? What? You don't miss the Tyra Banks Show and Jerry Springer reruns?
It makes sense as a negotiating ploy that Tribune would use a network station that local NFL and Fox primetime TV lineup fans can't live without.
But the fact it needs to in order to have any leverage to win higher fees for stations such as WGN shows, perhaps, how weak the argument might be for those fees.
And in the meantime, the company that owns Fox Connecticut and the Hartford Courant is sticking it to 50,000 Connecticut households, and appears willing to let the World Series be blacked out in addition to the rest of the NFL season. One wonders when Fox Connecticut's advertisers will catch on.
Tribune has done a fine job so far in convincing viewers that Cablevision is to blame for the Fox Connecticut blackout. It's easy for us to make that leap. From billing and marketing practices, to customer service, to forcing channel lineups down your throat at increasing expense, they don't deserve the benefit of the doubt.
But if Fox Connecticut could put itself back on the air tomorrow at the full rate it has requested from Cablevision, it really does appear that the Tribune Company is screwing Connecticut TV viewers in order to make an extra buck elsewhere.