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Your Future In America Tomorrow in Greece Today: The Aspirin Shortage
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If conservatives tried to tell people this would be happening in a Western democracy like Greece ten years ago, nobody would have believed us.
For patients and pharmacists in financially stricken Greece, even finding aspirin has turned into a headache.
Mina Mavrou, who runs a pharmacy in a middle-class Athens suburb, spends hours each day pleading with drugmakers, wholesalers and colleagues to hunt down medicines for clients. Life-saving drugs such as Sanofi (SAN)'s blood-thinner Clexane and GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK)'s asthma inhaler Flixotide often appear as lines of crimson data on pharmacists' computer screens, meaning the products aren't in stock or that pharmacists can't order as many units as they need.
…The Panhellenic Association of Pharmacists reports shortages of almost half the country's 500 most-used medicines. Even when drugs are available, pharmacists often must foot the bill up front, or patients simply do without.
…The reasons for the shortages are complex. One major cause is the Greek government, which sets prices for medicines. As part of an effort to cut its own costs, Greece has mandated lower drug prices in the past year. That has fed a secondary market, drug manufacturers contend, as wholesalers sell their shipments outside the country at higher prices than they can get within Greece.
Strained government finances only make matters worse. Wholesalers and pharmacists say the system suffers from a lack of liquidity, as public insurers delay payments to pharmacies, which in turn can't pay suppliers on time.
"Wholesalers simply do not have the money anymore to play bank to the pharmacies," Heinz Kobelt, secretary general of the European Association of Euro-Pharmaceutical Companies, said in a telephone interview.
In other words, Greece is broke and in danger of defaulting. That means the government doesn't have the money it needs to buy drugs for the government-run health care system and because they're such a risk, no one wants to loan money to the Greek government or Greek businesses. Government price controls nearly always create shortages, but in Greece's case, there may be no choice. After all, when you're simply out of money, you're out of money.
Guess which other nation could very well be in a comparable situation in five to ten years unless we make some big changes soon? Here's a hint: Think apple pie, baseball, red, white, blue and perhaps the least competent President in history in charge right now.
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After watching the movie "American Sniper," I called a friend named Garett Reppenhagen who was an American sniper in Iraq. He deployed with a cavalry scout unit from 2004 to 2005 and was stationed near FOB Warhorse. I asked him if he thought this movie really mattered. "Every portrayal of a historical event should be historically accurate," he explained. "A movie like this is a cultural symbol that influences the way people remember history and feel about war."
Garett and I met through our antiwar and veteran support work, which he's been involved with for almost a decade. He served in Iraq. I served in Afghanistan. But both of us know how powerful mass media and mass culture are. They shaped how we thought of the wars when we joined, so we felt it was important to tell our stories when we came home and spoke out.
I commend Chris Kyle for telling his story in his book "American Sniper." The scariest thing I did while in the military was come home and tell my story to the public — the good, the bad and the ugly. I feel that veterans owe it to society to tell their stories, and civilians owe it to veterans to actively listen. Dr. Ed Tick, a psychotherapist who has specialized in veteran care for four decades, explains, "In all traditional and classical societies, returned warriors served many important psychosocial functions. They were keepers of dark wisdom for their cultures, witnesses to war's horrors from personal experience who protected and discouraged, rather than encouraged, its outbreak again."
Chris Kyle didn't view Iraq like me and Garett, but neither of us have attacked him for it. He's not the problem. We don't care about the lies that Chris Kyle may or may not have told. They don't matter. We care about the lies that Chris Kyle believed. The lie that Iraq was culpable for September 11. The lie that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The lie that people do evil things because they are evil.
The film "American Sniper" is also rife with lies. This was not Chris Kyle's story. And Bradley Cooper was not Chris Kyle. It was Jason Hall's story, a one-time actor in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and screenwriter for "American Sniper," who called his film a "character study." Don't believe him. His movie is as fictional as Buffy Summers.
In the movie's first scene, Cooper faces a moral dilemma that never happened in real life. Cooper suspects a boy is preparing to send an improvised explosive device, or IED, toward a convoy of approaching Marines on the streets of Fallujah. Either he kills a child or the child kills Marines. A soldier next to Cooper warns, "They'll send your ass to Leavenworth if you're wrong." In writing this line, Hall implies that killing civilians is a war crime and U.S. military members are sent to prison for it. If U.S. soldiers, including Kyle, don't seem to be getting punished for killing civilians, then they must not be killing civilians.
Garett and I agreed that even if that boy was a civilian, nothing would have happened to Cooper for shooting him. Both of us were trained to take detailed notes with the understanding that if something went wrong, it would be corrected in the report. Americans were responsible for thousands of Iraqi deaths and almost none were held accountable.
During one incident in Iraq, Garett was involved in a firefight that left six to seven civilians dead. He received his orders from an intelligence officer who got his intelligence wrong. He led Garett and a small convoy to an Iraqi deputy governor's compound, which was supposedly under attack. As the convoy approached, the soldiers spotted a cluster of trucks with armed Iraqis. The armed Iraqis saw the American convoy inching closer, but they didn't fire. It seemed obvious to Garett that these Iraqis were not who the intelligence officer was looking for. Then the officer screamed, "Fire!" Confused, no one in the convoy pulled their triggers. "I said fire goddamn it!" Someone fired, and all hell broke loose. In the ensuing chaos, one of the Iraqi trucks struck a civilian seeking cover on the sidewalk. As it turned out, those armed Iraqis were the deputy governor's own security detail. The officer didn't go to Leavenworth.
In Hall and Cooper's Fallujah, it's as if the Americans just found a city that was already laid to waste. The movie leaves out America's bombardment of Fallujah. An officer explains that the city has been evacuated, so any military-aged male remaining must be an insurgent. Conveniently, every Iraqi that Cooper kills happens to be carrying a rifle or burying an IED, even though the real Chris Kyle wrote that he was told to shoot anymilitary-aged male. Obviously, every non-insurgent did not evacuate Fallujah.
"Many Iraqis didn't have cars or other transportation," Garett explained. "To get to the nearest town, you'd have to walk across very hot desert, and you wouldn't be able to carry much. So a lot of residents just decided to stay indoors and wait it out. It'd be like telling people in San Antonio that they have to walk to El Paso; then they come back home and their city is bombed and contaminated with depleted uranium."
So what brought Bradley Cooper's character to Iraq? Early in the film, Hall sets the stage for the moral theme of the movie. When Cooper was a child he sat at a kitchen table with his father, who explained that there are only three types of people in the world: sheep who believe "evil doesn't exist," wolves who prey on the sheep, and sheepdogs who are "blessed with aggression" and protect the sheep. In this world, when Cooper watches the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings on television, there is only one explanation: just evil wolves being evil. So he joins the military. When Cooper watches September 11 on television, there is one explanation: just evil wolves being evil. So he goes to war with them.
Amazingly, Hall and Cooper's war seems to have absolutely nothing to do with weapons of mass destruction. It's about al-Qaida, which in real life followed the United States into Iraq after we invaded. Cooper's war also seems to have nothing to do with helping Iraqis, only killing them. Except for the military's interpreters, every Iraqi in the movie — including the women and children — are either evil, butchering insurgents or collaborators. The sense is that there isn't a single innocent Iraqi in the war. They're all "savages."
Finally, it seems that a voice of criticism will be heard through the character of Marc Lee. When Lee voices his skepticism, Cooper asks, "Do you want them to attack San Diego or New York?" Cooper somehow wins with that absurd question. Later in the film, Navy SEAL Ryan Job is shot in the face. Distraught, Cooper decides he should lead a group of SEALs back out to avenge Job's death, which is portrayed as the heroic thing to do. While Lee and Cooper are clearing a building, an Iraqi sniper shoots Lee in the head. The audience is then at Lee's funeral, where his mother is reading the last letter that Lee sent home expressing criticism of the war. On the road home, Cooper's wife asks him what he thought about the letter. "That letter killed Marc," Cooper responds. "He let go, and he paid the price for it." What makes Cooper a hero, according to the film, is that he's a sheepdog. In Jason Hall's world, Lee stops being a sheepdog when he questions his actions in Iraq. He becomes a sheep, "and he paid the price for it" with a bullet from a wolf.
Hall claims his film is a character study, yet he shamelessly butchered Marc Lee's real story (and part of Kyle's) to promote his moral fantasy world and deny legitimacy to veterans critical of the war. Here's the truth: On the day that the real Ryan Job was shot, the real Marc Lee died after stepping into the line of fire twice to save Job's life, which apparently was either not "sheepdog" enough to portray accurately in the movie or would have taken the focus off of Cooper's reckless heroics. You can't have people believe that critical soldiers are actually not sheep, can you? And as it turns out, Kyle never said those things about Lee's letter and never blamed Lee for his own death for being skeptical of the war. (Here is Marc Lee's actual last letter home in full.)
Chris Kyle was like so many soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He believed in doing the right thing and was willing to give his life for it. That trait that drives many veterans is a truly special one I wish we all had. Was Kyle wrong that the Iraq War had anything to do with September 11, protecting Americans, seizing weapons of mass destruction, or liberating Iraqis? Without a doubt. But that's what he was told and he genuinely believed it — an important insight into how good people are driven to work for bad causes. Was Kyle wrong for calling Iraqis "savages"? Of course. In one interview, he admits that Iraqis probably view him as a "savage," but that in war he needed to dehumanize people to kill them — another important insight into how humans tolerate killing, which was left out of the movie.
So enough about Chris Kyle. Let's talk about Cooper and Hall, and the culture industry that recycles propagandistic fiction under the guise of a "true story." And let's focus our anger and our organizing against the authorities and the institutions that craft the lies that the Chris Kyles of the world believe, that have created a trail of blowback leading from dumb war to dumb war, and that have sent 2.5 million veterans to fight a "war on terror" that persists in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria and Pakistan. Critics and nonviolent organizers can be sheepdogs too.

subset: commoncrawl


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For more information regarding sidewalk repair please call Public Works at 954.967.4526.
Please contact Engineering Division at 954.921.3900. Please note: a permit is required for tree removal.
$35 – Single Family per tree
$105 – After the fact per tree
$118 –Processing Fee+ $35 per tree (All others)
Call Public Works between 7am and 6pm at 954.967.4526. Call All Bee at 888.725.5233 after 6pm. Please note: a fee will be charged for inspection and removal services IF on private property.


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British UK denies drastic steps for Israel on settlements
The British, French and Swedish foreign ministries summoned Israeli ambassadors to complain about Israel's decision to build 3,000 new homes in Jerusalem and West Bank and expedite planning for the E1 area between Jerusalem and the town of Maaleh Adummim. A spokesman for PM David Cameron denied he was weighing the drastic measures [reported by British Sky TV] of recalling the British ambassador from Israel or cancelling trade agreements. The French foreign minister also commented: "There are other ways to show disapproval of Israeli settlement plans other than recalling ambassadors."
The ambassadors replied that Israel's response was mild compared with the Palestinian action in applying for nonmember observer status that was approved last Thursday – in violation of its standing agreements with Israel, including the Oslo peace framework accords.


text: Between the glitz, the glam, the endless buffets and those seas of slot machines, megahotels in Las Vegas quickly can blend together. Still, to be clear: Not all Vegas resort destinations are created equal. Some properties excel with casino offerings, while others shine in the food and beverage department. Some have great spas, while others are great for nongamblers. Here are 12 of our favorite casino hotels where guests can roll the dice, eat like royalty, party like Rhianna or Ed Sheeran and take in some unforgettable views as they play: 1. Best casino for sports betting: Caesars Palace The sports book—that part of the casino where you wager on sports—inside Caesars Palace is a sports-lover's paradise that draws huge crowds and delivers a tailgating-style experience during big games to the 15,580-square-foot corner of the gaming floor. The book's pride and joy: a 138-foot LED video wall that comprises six oversized 12-by-15-foot screens, 12 50-inch plasma screens and 20-by-50-foot LED board with up-to-the-minute betting lines on all the games. The configuration gives the casino's oddsmakers the option to carry dozens of sporting events at any given time. Renovations in 2017 added a bar and 140 comfy chairs, and with a new app, bettors can order food off a limited menu and have everything delivered to their seats. Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89109; +1 (866) 227-5938 2. Best casino for slots: ARIA ARIA doesn't only boast one of the largest slot-machine floors on the Las Vegas Strip; it also offers one of the most exclusive high-limit slot rooms anywhere in Nevada. That high-limit room, dubbed SPIN, has some machines that cost up to $5,000 per pull. It was designed by New York-based architect Peter Marino, and it has a separate area to exchange slot tickets for dollars, private bathrooms, a full-service dining area and a staff of butlers to cater to every guest's needs. Overall, the resort is home to nearly 2,000 slots, including current-day favorites such as Anchorman, Wheel of Fortune 3-D, The Simpsons and The Walking Dead II. The casino hosts a slot tournament several times per year. ARIA Resort & Casino, 3730 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89158; +1 (866) 359-7757 3. Best casino for poker: Bellagio Newer spots have come and gone, but the poker room at Bellagio remains a favorite among veterans and amateurs alike. The cavernous space near the sports book has 40 tables in all, often a healthy mix of limit and no-limit Hold 'Em (with a daily tournament at 2 p.m.), Omaha and more. Players can get drinks, food, and—believe it or not—back and neck massages delivered tableside (yes, while they're playing) at any time of day or night. The highest-stakes games are held in a back area dubbed Bobby's Room, named after Bobby Baldwin, the 1978 World Series of Poker Champion who's now an executive for MGM Resorts International. Peek back there late-night and you might spot pros playing for millions. Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89109; +1 (888) 987-6667 4. Best casino for non-gamblers: MGM Grand You don't have to be betting big at the craps table to have a memorable night at MGM Grand. While the casino is known for its vast table games pits and one of the stingiest slot machines in Vegas history, the expansive destination has plenty of diversions for non-gamblers as well. Be sure to check out LEVEL UP, the glorified arcade for grown-ups just inside the "front door" by the golden lion. In addition to beer pong, the fun zone has Pop-A-Shot, billiards, one of the largest games of Pac-Man on Earth and an original Sigma Derby – a horse race-themed slot machine that lets players bet on individual horses. Another must-see: CBS Television City, where visitors can sign up to focus-group new shows from CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon and other Viacom networks. MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89109; +1 (877) 880-0880 5. Best casino for diversity of table games: Golden Nugget Downtown's swankiest casino also happens to be the best place to experience a broad variety of table games. Floor managers at the Nugget historically have welcomed table-game pilots, meaning that depending on when you visit, you might find a brand-new game or two on the main gaming floor. Case in point: This was one of the debut locations of Free Bet, a blackjack derivative that offers players generous options to increase their winnings in exchange for ties when the dealer gets 22 (as opposed to regular blackjack, in which a 22 would mean a dealer bust and a win for the players). In addition to the steady stream of newcomers inside, Golden Nugget also spreads table games outside by the pool; just be sure to keep your money in a waterproof pocket. Golden Nugget, 129 E. Fremont St., Las Vegas, NV 89101; +1 (844) 468-4438 6. Best off-Strip casino: Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa Glimmering like a ruby at the base of the Spring Mountains, Red Rock is a Strip-style casino on the far-western edge of the Las Vegas Valley—the first billion-dollar resort in the region to be built off the Strip. For visitors, this means proximity to hundreds of miles of open space without sacrificing vibe. It also means a world class spa, a thumping pool scene, swanky bars, a bowling alley, a huge bingo hall, a movie theater and a gambling floor as hip as any of those in the main tourist corridor. The restaurant scene at Red Rock is notable as well, with a reliable steakhouse (dubbed T-Bones Chophouse) and celebrity chef Scott Conant's new Italian eatery, Masso Osteria, which opened in February 2018. Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89135; +1 (702) 797-7777 7. Best casino for foodies: The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Epicures feel right at home at The Cosmopolitan, where the restaurant collection is chock-full of eateries from decorated chefs. Jaleo serves tapas and other Spanish-style food from Jose Andres. Momofuku represents David Chang's first foray into the Vegas market. The newest of the bunch, Beauty & Essex, serves up quirky share plates from Chris Santos. And after a night of drinking and partying, nothing beats a New York-style slice from Secret Pizza. The resort also is home to The Chandelier, a bar where mixology wizard Mariena Mercer has put together a menu that boasts modern twists on classic cocktails and drinks you can eat. Yes, you read that right: Mercer's current edible cocktails include some options with edible paper, and an off-menu favorite that amounts to a margarita with a dried flower that numbs your taste buds first. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89109; +1 (702) 698-7000 8. Best casino for views: Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower It stands to reason that the tallest structure in Sin City (1,149 feet in all) and tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States would offer the best views of the Vegas Valley. The Stratosphere Tower is more than just an icon in the desert – it's an observation platform with a rotating restaurant, the highest SkyJump in the world, thrill rides that dangle over the edge and rocket into the sky and the highest bar in Vegas. The rest of the resort is worth exploring, too, especially the adults-only rooftop pool on the 25th floor of the hotel and Roxy's 50s-style diner. If you're looking for tchotchkes, there's ample opportunity to shop in the mall at the base of the tower. Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower, 2000 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89104; +1 (702) 380-7777 9. Best casino for families: Circus Circus The name says it all: Circus Circus is a place that delivers fun for the whole family. Most of this fun happens in the Adventuredome—a five-acre indoor canopy with everything from carnival games, roller coasters and a carousel to a video arcade, Skee-Ball, bumper cars and kiosks with fair food. Every hour on the half-hour, witness acrobats performing free circus acts such as slack-line, unicycle and more. Outside, a pool area known as the Splash Zone has a slide tower that rivals those at nearby water parks. For grown-ups interested in learning how to gamble in a fun and safe environment, Circus Circus even offers free lessons in blackjack, craps and roulette every day at 10:30 a.m. Circus Circus, 2880 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89109; +1 (800) 634-3450 10. Best casino pool: Mandalay Bay With 2,700 tons of real sand and a 1.6-million-gallon wave pool, it's no wonder that Mandalay Bay refers to its pool area as the "beach." The water wonderland also features dipping pools, plunge pools, hot tubs and a lazy river, providing ample opportunities to cool off in the desert sun. For those who prefer to sunbathe in the nude (or "toptional," as they like to say) the Moorea Beach Club offers relaxing daybeds and private living room-style seating areas for an additional fee. There also are more than 100 cabana options, including swanky, suite-like bungalows equipped with televisions, refrigerators and ceiling fans (these all cost extra, too). During the heart of pool season, which runs May to September, Mandalay brings in headline acts to play outdoor concerts. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89119; +1 (877) 632-7800 11. Best casino spa: The Venetian and The Palazzo Yes, we know most people consider The Venetian and The Palazzo to be two separate casinos. Technically, however, the two operate under one gaming license, and The Canyon Ranch SpaClub connects them both. The spa is a world onto itself: 134,000 square feet in all. The facility prides itself on offering more than 150 services ranging from massages to facials and scrubs. There's a full-service salon, and a host of wellness services. The spa also is the only place on the Strip with an Aquavana experience, which includes a steam room, a Finnish sauna and more. Elsewhere, there's an expansive fitness center, a 40-foot-tall rock-climbing wall, two healthy gourmet restaurants and a salon with a barber suite for men. Canyon Ranch also has a full range of fitness classes such as spinning, Pilates, barre and yoga. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV 89109; +1 (866) 659-9643 12. Best casino for entertainment: Planet Hollywood The casino resort that pays homage to Hollywood fittingly has some of the best entertainment in town. Britney Spears' run at the resort is over, but current and scheduled musical headliners include Jennifer Lopez, Lionel Richie, Backstreet Boys and Pitbull (performers rotate throughout the year). Add to the roster Murray the Magician of "America's Got Talent" fame and Crazy Girls, the iconic Vegas adult revue that spent decades at the now-defunct Riviera, and the options are plentiful. The property even has a long-standing relationship with the television show, "EXTRA," which often films on-site. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas, NV; +1 (866) 919-7472


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Android in spaaaace! (Part 2)
Thursday, September 1, 2011 | 10:19 AM
(Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog)
Back in December, Android ventured into near space, thanks to a weekend of DIY work, a couple of Nexus S phones, some weather balloons and the help of this little guy. After this first adventure, we knew it was only a matter of time before Android went further into space.
On the last manned space shuttle, Atlantis, NASA sent two Nexus S phones along for the ride as part of the STS-135 mission. The goal is to use Nexus S on the International Space Station to explore how robots can help humans experiment and live in space more efficiently.
NASA is using Nexus S phones to upgrade a trio of volleyball-sized SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites), originally developed by MIT. The phones help the robotic satellites perform tasks the astronauts used to do, like recording sensor data and capturing video footage. In the future, the phones will control and maneuver the SPHERES using the IOIO board and possibly the Android Open Accessory Development Kit (ADK).
A couple of our engineers built an open source sensor logging app that NASA decided was perfect for running diagnostics with the SPHERES. You can download the same app yourself from Android Market. NASA was interested in Android because it's an open source platform, which makes it easy to customize the software on the phone to meet the specifications required to fly in space and work with the SPHERES. Nexus S was also a good fit because of its various sensors and low-powered, but high-performing, processor.
You can learn more about the project on NASA's website. We loved being a part of the final Space Shuttle mission and working to bring the power of the Android platform to space exploration.
Labels: Mobile Blog


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13 Simple Ways to Lower Your Triglycerides
by Rachael Link MS.RD
Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood.
After you eat, your body converts the calories that you don't need into triglycerides and stores them in your fat cells to be used for energy later.
While you do need triglycerides to supply your body with energy, having too many triglycerides in your blood can increase your risk of heart disease .
About 25% of adults in the US have elevated blood triglycerides, which is classified as having levels over 200 mg/dL (2.26 mmol/L). Obesity, uncontrolled diabetes, regular alcohol use and a high-calorie diet can all contribute to high blood triglyceride levels.
This article explores 13 ways to naturally reduce your blood triglycerides.
1. Lose Some Weight
Whenever you eat more calories than you need, your body turns those calories into triglycerides and stores them in fat cells.
That's why losing weight is an effective way to lower your blood triglyceride levels.
In fact, research has shown that losing even a modest 5–10% of your body weight can decrease blood triglycerides by 40 mg/dL (0.45 mmol/L).
While the goal is to sustain weight loss in the long term, studies have found that weight loss can have a lasting effect on blood triglyceride levels, even if you regain some of the weight.
One study focused on participants who had dropped out of a weight management program. Even though they had regained the weight they had lost nine months before, their blood triglyceride levels remained 24–26% lower (3).
Summary: Losing at least 5% of your body weight has been shown to have a lasting effect on reducing blood triglyceride levels.
2. Limit Your Sugar Intake
Added Sugar is a big part of many people's diets.
While the American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 6–9 teaspoons of added sugar per day, in 2008 the average American was eating about 19 teaspoons daily .
Hidden sugar commonly lurks in sweets, soft drinks and fruit juice.
Extra sugar in your diet is turned into triglycerides, which can lead to an increase in blood triglyceride levels, along with other heart disease risk factors.
One 15-year study showed that those who consumed at least 25% of calories from sugar were twice as likely to die from heart disease as those who consumed less than 10% of calories from sugar .
Another study found that consuming added sugar is associated with higher blood triglyceride levels in children.
Luckily, several studies have shown that diets low in carbs and added sugar can lead to a decrease in blood triglycerides.
Even replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water could decrease triglycerides by almost 29 mg/dL (0.33 mmol/L) (10).
Summary: Minimizing added sugar in your diet from soda, juice and sweets can reduce blood triglyceride levels.
3. Follow a Low-Carb Diet
Much like added sugar, extra carbs in your diet are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells.
Not surprisingly, low carb diets have been linked to lower blood triglyceride levels.
One 2006 study looked at how various carb intakes affected triglycerides.
Those who were given a low-carb diet providing about 26% of calories from carbs had greater drops in blood triglyceride levels than those given higher-carb diets providing up to 54% of calories from carbs .
Another study looked at the effects of low and high-carb diets over a one-year period. Not only did the low-carb group lose more weight, but they also had greater reductions in blood triglycerides .
Finally, a 2003 study compared low-fat and low-carb diets. After six months, researchers found that blood triglycerides had dropped 38 mg/dL (0.43 mmol/L) in the low-carb group and only 7 mg/dL (0.08 mmol/L) in the low-fat group (9).
Summary: Following a low-carb diet can lead to a significant reduction in blood triglyceride levels, especially when compared to a low-fat diet.
4. Eat More Fiber
Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Other good sources of fiber include nuts, cereals and legumes.
Including more fiber in your diet can decrease the absorption of fat and sugar in your small intestine, helping to lower the amount of triglycerides in your blood
In one study, researchers showed that supplementing with rice bran fiber decreased blood triglycerides by 7–8% among people with diabetes.
Another study looked at how high and low-fiber diets affected blood triglyceride levels. The low-fiber diet caused triglycerides to jump 45% in just six days, but during the high-fiber phase, triglycerides dipped back below baseline levels .
Summary: Adding fiber to your diet from fruits, vegetables and whole grains can reduce blood triglycerides.
5. Exercise Regularly
"Good" HDL Cholesterol has an inverse relationship with blood triglycerides, meaning that high levels of HDL cholesterol can help lower triglycerides.
Aerobic exercise can increase levels of HDL cholesterol in your blood, which can then lower blood triglycerides.
When paired with weight loss, studies show that aerobic exercise is especially effective at decreasing triglycerides ).
Examples of aerobic exercise include walking, jogging, bicycling and swimming.
Regarding amount, the American Heart Association recommends getting at least 30 minutes of exercise five days per week.
The benefits of exercise on triglycerides are most apparent in long-term exercise regimens. One study showed that jogging for two hours per week over four months led to a significant decline in blood triglycerides (15).
Other research has found that exercising at a higher intensity for a shorter amount of time is more effective than exercising at a moderate intensity for longer (16).
Summary: A regular workout regimen with high-intensity aerobic exercise can increase "good" HDL cholesterol and decrease blood triglycerides.
6. Avoid Trans Fats
Artificial trans fats are a type of fat added to processed foods to increase their shelf life.
Trans fats are commonly found in commercially fried foods and baked goods made with partially hydrogenated oils.
Due to their inflammatory properties, trans fats have been attributed to many health problems, including increased "bad" LDL cholesterol levels and heart disease.
Eating trans fats can also increase your blood triglyceride levels.
One study showed that triglyceride levels were significantly higher when participants followed a diet with high or moderate amounts of trans fats, compared to a diet high in unsaturated oleic acid .
Another study found similar results. Following a three-week diet high in trans fats resulted in higher triglyceride levels than a diet high in unsaturated fat
Summary: A diet high in trans fats can increase both blood triglycerides and the risk of heart disease. Limit your consumption of processed, baked and fried foods to minimize your trans fat intake.
7. Eat Fatty Fish Twice Weekly
Fatty Fish is well known for its benefits on heart health and ability to lower blood triglycerides.
This is mostly due to its content of Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid that is considered essential, meaning you need to get it through your diet.
Both the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and American Heart Association recommend eating two servings of fatty fish per week.
In fact, doing so can decrease the risk of death from heart disease by 36%.
A 2016 study showed that eating salmon twice a week significantly decreased blood triglyceride concentrations.
Salmon, herring, sardines, tuna and mackerel are a few types of fish that are especially high in omega-3 fatty acids.
Summary: Fatty fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Eating two servings per week can decrease the risk of heart disease and reduce triglyceride levels.
8. Increase Your Intake of Unsaturated Fats
Studies show that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can reduce blood triglyceride levels, especially when they are replacing other types of fat.
Monounsaturated fats are found in foods like olive oil, nuts and avocados. Polyunsaturated fats are present in vegetable oils and fatty fish.
One study analyzed what 452 adults had eaten over the past 24 hours, focusing on several types of saturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Researchers found that saturated fat intake was associated with increased blood triglycerides, while polyunsaturated fat intake was associated with lower blood triglycerides.
Another study gave elderly participants four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil daily for six weeks. For the duration of the study, this was the only source of added fat in their diets.
The results showed a significant decline in triglyceride levels, as well as total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, compared to the control group (25).
To maximize the triglyceride-lowering benefits of unsaturated fats, pick a healthy fat like olive oil and use it to replace other types of fat in your diet, such as trans fats or highly processed vegetable oils (21).
Summary: Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can decrease blood triglyceride levels, especially when they are consumed in place of other fats.
9. Establish a Regular Meal Pattern
Insulin Resistance is another factor that can cause high blood triglycerides.
After you eat a meal, the cells in your pancreas send a signal to release insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin is then responsible for transporting glucose to your cells to be used for energy.
If you have too much insulin in your blood, your body can become resistant to it, making it difficult for insulin to be used effectively. This can lead to a build-up of both glucose and triglycerides in the blood.
Fortunately, setting a regular eating pattern can help prevent insulin resistance and high triglycerides.
A growing body of research shows that irregular meal patterns can lead to decreased insulin sensitivity, as well as to increases in heart disease risk factors like LDL and total cholesterol.
However, the evidence is mixed when it comes to meal frequency.
A 2013 study demonstrated that eating three meals per day significantly decreased triglycerides, compared to eating six meals per day.
On the other hand, another study showed that eating six meals per day led to a greater increase in insulin sensitivity than eating three meals per day .
Regardless of how many meals you're eating daily, eating regularly can improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood triglyceride levels.
Summary: While research is unclear on how meal frequency affects blood triglyceride levels, studies show that setting a regular meal pattern can decrease many heart disease risk factors and prevent insulin resistance.
10. Stop Alcohol Intake
Alcohol is high in sugar and calories.
If these calories remain unused, they can be converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells.
Summary: Some studies suggest that limiting your alcohol intake can help lower blood triglyceride levels.
11. Add Soy Protein to Your Diet
Soy is rich in isoflavones, which are a type of plant compound with numerous health benefits. This is especially true when it comes to lowering LDL cholesterol .
Particularly, soy protein has been shown to reduce blood triglyceride levels.
A 2004 study compared how soy and animal proteins affected triglycerides. After six weeks, soy protein was found to decrease triglyceride levels by 12.4% more than animal protein.
Similarly, an analysis of 23 studies found that soy protein was associated with a 7.3% decline in triglycerides.
Soy protein can be found in foods like soybeans, tofu, edamame and soy milk.
Summary: Soy contains compounds associated with several health benefits. Eating soy protein in place of animal protein can reduce blood triglycerides.
12. Eat More Tree Nuts
Tree nuts provide a concentrated dose of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and unsaturated fats, all of which work together to lower blood triglycerides.
One analysis of 61 studies showed that each serving of tree nuts decreased triglycerides by 2.2 mg/dL (0.02 mmol/L) .
Another analysis including 2,226 participants had similar findings, showing that eating tree nuts is associated with a modest decrease in blood triglycerides.
Tree nuts include:
- Almonds
- Pecans
- Walnuts
- Cashews
- Pistachios
- Brazil nuts
- Macadamia nuts
Keep in mind that nuts are high in calories. A single serving of almonds, or about 23 almonds, contains 163 calories, so moderation is key.
Most studies have found the greatest health benefits in individuals who consumed between 3–7 servings of nuts per week .
Summary: Nuts contain many heart-healthy nutrients, including fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and unsaturated fats. Studies suggest that including between 3–7 servings of tree nuts per week can decrease blood triglycerides.
13. Try a Natural Supplement
Several natural supplements could have the potential to lower blood triglycerides.
Below are a few of the main supplements that have been studied:
- Fish oil: Well known for its potent effects on heart health, one study found that taking fish oil supplements reduced triglycerides by 48% .
- Fenugreek: Though traditionally used to stimulate milk production, fegureek eeds have also been shown to be effective at reducing blood triglycerides
- Garlic extract: Several animal studies have shown that garlic extract can reduce triglyceride levels, thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties.
- Guggul: This herbal supplement has shown promise in decreasing triglyceride levels when used with nutrition therapy in patients with high cholesterol.
- Curcumin: A 2012 study found that supplementing with a low dose of curcumin can cause a significant drop in blood triglycerides .
Summary: Several supplements have been studied for their ability to lower triglyceride levels, including fish oil, fenugreek, garlic extract, guggul and curcumin.
The Bottom Line
Diet and lifestyle factors have a major influence on your blood triglycerides.
Choosing healthy, unsaturated fats in place of trans fats, decreasing your intake of carbs and exercising regularly may help lower your blood triglycerides in no time.
With a few simple lifestyle modifications, you can decrease your triglycerides and improve your overall health at the same time.


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Last week I argued that Israel fits the Apartheid designation. Here, I'll defend my piece against the responses.
My argument was straightforward; the de facto Israeli state, which stretches from the river to the sea, uses a system of policies which abuses human rights and ensures the ethnic group ruling the regime, Israeli Jews. This constitutes Apartheid.
My interlocutors argued against several straw men.
Straw man 1: But, but….look at Israel's Arabs
Each of the three counters with the same, ultimately irrelevant point, that Israel "inside its own borders," as one respondent put it, is not an Apartheid system and is democratic, albeit imperfectly so. This argument would deserve some credence, I suppose, if a border actually existed between Israel and the West Bank, but the fact is there isn't one. Rather, Israel borders four different states; it has demarcated and defined borders with two, Egypt and Jordan. Armistice lines (and more occupied territories) are still the de facto barriers between Israel and Lebanon and Syria. So the West Bank is within the borders of Israel, and the policies formulated by the Israeli state are in effect over this territory on both sides of a green line which exists on paper only (and sometimes not even on paper).
The system of policies of the Israeli state must been seen in their totality and cannot be disaggregated because it is their collective effect which ensures the disenfranchisement of the native population and is a reality on the ground. Are there Palestinians in Knesset or on the Israeli Supreme Court? Sure. Does this change the policies that effectively prohibit challenges to the ethnic-make up of the regime in control? Absolutely not.
Reading these responses, I'm reminded of what Hannah Arendt wrote in 1944: "The truth of the matter is that the Zionist ideology, in the Herzlian version, had a definite tendency toward what later was known as Revisionist attitudes, and could escape from them only through a willful blindness to the real political issues that were at stake."
The problem isn't, as Andrew Sullivan argued today in reviewing Peter's book, that right-wing Zionists like Netanyahu and their colonial ambitions created this mess. Rather, it is that Zionism, the ideology at the foundation of the state of Israel, inevitably leads to Apartheid.
Straw man 2: It doesn't look like South Africa
I began my argument by explaining why definitions are important, and why the analogy to South Africa is unhelpful and distracting. Despite this, two respondents argued that the analogy to South Africa isn't helpful. We've established that. That's why I challenge people to look at the definition and look at facts on the ground to understand why it meets the definition of the crime of Apartheid under international law.
I make clear that getting lost in the similarities and differences between the South African context and the Israeli context is not the way to go. Apartheid is a crime under international law, and cases of it should be defined against its instituted definition, not against the South African context.
Straw man 3: The Ulterior Motive
Two respondents suggest that use of the term Aparthied in the Israel context is based in an ulterior motive because it "suggests that because these parallels exist, the solution must be the same" and that using it means the solution "is one that is similar to post-Apartheid South Africa" i.e. a unitary state with equal rights.
But there is nothing about calling something what it is—Apartheid—that precludes any type of solution. If brown shoes are commonly worn with a brown belt, the failure to do so doesn't mean these items stop being brown. Regardless to whether a one-state solution or a two-state solution is your preferred outcome, that shouldn't stop you from confronting the Apartheid reality.
The great Chinese philosopher Confucius put forward a timeless and important doctrine: The rectification of names. We cannot improve society or fix society's problems, he rightly argued, until we call the problems by their real names. What is happening in Israel/Palestine is Apartheid. Calling it such doesn't predetermine an outcome, but instead forces all of us to take more seriously the nature of the crime to work to stop it.
For decades, Israel's unjust treatment of Palestinians has persisted, largely unchallenged by the powers that be, in part because too many people have become complacent to its systematic human rights abuses and the colonial enterprise.
It's time to change this. It's time to stop being afraid to call this what it is. It's time to end Israeli Apartheid.


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Advanced Search
Product Reviews
Here's a way to light up the mysterious trees in your Active Directory forest.
Ever look around in the dark? What you could use is a flashlight. But if you're looking in a forest of trees, grab a spotlight! Quest Software offers a lineup of monitoring tools called Spotlights. You can get a Spotlight for SQL Server; Oracle; various Web servers, including IIS and Apache; and for large enterprise solutions like PeopleSoft. For this review, I looked at Spotlight for Active Directory.
Installation was a snap. It took less than five minutes to install the admin console on a Windows 2000 Professional box. The server didn't even need to be rebooted! The installation footprint is relatively small: only about 10MB. When you first run the console and select a domain controller you want to monitor, Spotlight automatically installs the AD database performance counters on the DC.
The interface has a Web-like feel, offering everything you'd expect to find in a browser. Four key DC performance counters are spotlighted: Network, AD, the AD Store and the OS. The most useful information I found across these were Connected Users, LDAP activity, CPU and memory usage, processor queue, and an interface to Event Viewer. The "idiot-light" format with flashing green and red highlights is great for instant visual acquisitions of problem areas. Right-click on any counter and you can open a quick help dialog. The dialog not only tells you what the counter does, it also gives you advice on what to do if it's in alert status. This is good news for the novice admin or the experienced one who's new to AD.
For more experienced AD admins, you can use Spotlight's drilldown to take a closer look at each counter and get the details, including a graph of changes over time. As with the main status page, each detail monitor window in the drilldown has right-click help that tells you what you're looking at. This makes Spotlight for AD really easy to learn. It also includes an interface to Event Viewer and Services. Alert thresholds and severity values are customizable, making Spotlight for AD very flexible. The Web-like HTML/XML front-end that interfaces with WMI makes this ideal for monitoring over slower WAN links or where bandwidth is a concern.
Unfortunately, you can't add or delete counters to the set that Spotlight monitors, nor can you view results from more than one DC at a time, or run more than one instance of Spotlight on the same workstation. So if you're responsible for a large number of DCs or prefer to have a more global view, this isn't the product for you. Where it shines is in monitoring single critical servers.
The bottom line is that Spotlight provides an intuitive front-end to Performance Monitor and a few other Windows monitoring tools. It takes the most essential AD-related performance counters and puts them right in front of you, in a way that makes trouble spots instantly visible.
About the Author
Joseph Stoppiello, MCSE, is president and CEO of ITwirx, a systems integrator and network architecture company. He's been designing Windows architectures and Windows-based network architectures for 11 years.
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Nothing helps celebrate springtime more than a gathering with loved ones. With the season's longer days and warmer weather, hosts and hostesses alike are looking for ways to increase the fun as family and friends get together and cut down on stress. You can do a variety of things in advance to make sure you're prepared for spring holidays, graduation parties and the start of barbecue season.
Jeanne Benedict, lifestyle and entertaining expert and author of popular books including "The Sophisticated Cookie," "Sophisticated Entertaining" and "Celebrations," shares her advice to help get you ready for spring events. Here are some easy remedies for common entertaining challenges:
* Last-minute hostess gifts. Need a clever hostess gift? Find inspiration while grocery shopping. For example, pick up a bag of Dunkin' Donuts (R) packaged coffee, available where you buy groceries. Limited time, seasonal flavors like Strawberry Shortcake and Toasted Almond make a great gift when paired with a seasonally inspired mug.
* Create a quick party atmosphere. Pick up a new set of votive candles and glass holders for an instant and elegant atmosphere. Expert tip: A little water in the bottom of the candleholder will help prevent melted wax from sticking to the glass.
* Low-cost festive touches. Utilize fresh, seasonal produce. Freeze strawberries, blueberries, fresh mint or citrus twists in ice cubes to add a hint of flavor to beverages when unexpected guests drop by.
* Keep the kids occupied. Be sure to have plenty of frozen sugar cookie dough on hand, along with sprinkles and seasonal cookie cutters, as a last-minute baking activity to do with little ones.
* Keep the adults occupied. For easy group entertainment, make sure you have a selection of classic board games available. Take a minute to make sure all the playing pieces are intact, cards are accounted for and pencils are sharpened.
* Contain the spills and thrills. Have a stain stick handy for the inevitable table mishaps. On picnic tables, weigh down tablecloths with condiment containers or heavy vases of fresh flowers.
Adds Benedict, "By being prepared ahead of time for common party mishaps, you'll have more opportunities to enjoy your guests, the great party you've prepared, and celebrate springtime stress-free."


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harvest time
Last spring we planted corn, squash, potatoes, and beans on a little plot of land a short walk from the school. Yesterday the children harvested the early corn, called elote. Did you realize that what we know as yellow "corn on the cob" is simply the early harvest? All corn is yellow at this stage. If you leave it on the stalk until October, all corn hardens into colorful Indian corn, known here as maiz. I never knew, even though my family planted corn when I was a child. We must have harvested it all early, given the fact that we didn't make corn tortillas from scratch.
Here in Mexico the maiz is essential, as it doesn't spoil and can be stored through the winter. It is a major food source for the indigenous Tarahumara people, who live as subsistence farmers on a diet consisting mainly of corn tortillas and beans.
On my plate (literally and figuratively) this weekend is a recipe I've had since I was in Montessori school. We affectionately refer to it as "Meggie's Montessori Harvest Loaf Cake." I hope you love it as much as I do!
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 cup cooked (or canned) pumpkin
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Cream butter and add sugar gradually. Cream at high speed until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs. Beat well. Alternately add dry ingredients and pumpkin, beginning and ending with pumpkin. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into a loaf pan that has been greased on the bottom. Bake 1 - 1:15 at 350F. Cool completely.
Happy harvest,
P.S. If you haven't added your comment yet to the previous post, head on over and do so! Check back tomorrow morning to see if you are a winner of one of my sewing patterns!


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Mexican Chicken Haystacks
Oh My Goodness! This is seriously so good. My picture didn't do it justice but please take my word on it. Layer some of your favorite tortilla chips, in my case we used baked cheddar tortilla chips, and layer it with rice, lots of tasty add ins and the most delicious and flavorful sauce ever. You have got to try this one!
The original recipe used a crock pot for this. I am not a fan of using a crock pot so I just cooked it on the stove top. I prefer this because chicken has a tendency to get a weird texture to it when it sits in a crock pot all day long. Also a plus is that it is done and ready to eat much more quickly.
Mexican Haystacks
Makes several servings
- 4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks or slices
- 2 cans beans, your choice, rinsed and drained (I used white beans)
- 2 cans Rotel tomatoes (I used fresh chopped tomatoes)
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 can corn, drained
- 1 can diced green chilies
- 1 package dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dip
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- Fresh Cilantro
- Shredded Cheese
- Tortilla Chips
- Rice, prepared


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LONDON — A former homeless man's sketches of his dog George, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier he credits with changing his life, are commanding rising prices in a London gallery and have earned him a show in Los Angeles.
John Dolan, 43, who used to sell his sketches for pocket change and now gets about $6,800 for them, said he had descended into a life of poverty, drugs, crime and homelessness until a homeless woman got George, then a puppy, in exchange for the price of a can of beer and gave the dog to Dolan.
He started drawing the dog and the scenes around him while begging on the street, and soon passersby were buying his sketches, he said.
"The drawings that I do of him are quite simple but I've done one that's been in most of the papers, it's the very detailed one, it's quite a big drawing," Dolan said, while sitting in his favourite spot on an east London street.
He can now afford his own lodgings but still prefers to draw outdoors.
"I've captured him magnificently in that, but these little ones that I do, I basically try and capture his personality if I can in all of them," he said.
His success in part comes from a chance meeting with Richard Howard-Griffin, who runs street art tours in East London, owns a gallery there and mounted a first show of Dolan's work.
That was a hit, so now there is a second "John and George."
"I mean, John's rise has been really meteoric in the art world, it's like watching an artist's career in fast-forward — that's what a lot of artists say so his first show was a sell-out, he's got a second show now coming out which is really, really amazing," Howard-Griffin said.
"He's got a book and he's doing a show in Los Angeles and all this kind of stuff so there's a real relevance to his work and there's a real soul in it because it has a true story behind it which is very inspiring, and that's born out of the work when you look at it."
After spending three years on the streets churning out sketch after sketch of George, Dolan is branching out with the show in Los Angeles, and also plans to make a book of drawings of rock stars with their dogs in conjunction with a dog shelter.
But he will never stray far from his four-legged friend, about whom he's also written a book, "John and George: The Dog Who Changed my Life."
"He was quite an aggressive dog and he would growl at you and he was a cat chaser and he was weary of people and when I started training him, within a month of me starting to train him, basically his personality began to change," Dolan said.
"He became a really pleasant dog."


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Flat | Semi-Detached | Detached | Terraced | |
Homes sold in the last 12 months | 139 | 283 | 214 | 235 |
Average house prices | £152,061 | £272,956 | £417,287 | £234,658 |
Right at the heart of England, on the banks of the River Severn, Worcester offers an excellent family base, with great schools, superb shopping, good transport links and glorious local countryside, including the Malvern Hills and rural Herefordshire.
Having built is fortunes on glove making, salmon fisheries and Worcestershire sauce, this city remains an area of high employment.
Property in Worcester is varied enough to suit most households' needs, from new suburban family homes to Victorian terraces. The history-steeped roads leading out of the city are packed with Victorian suburbs offering a selection of lovely properties.
There are also plenty of new builds on the outskirts, along with a good number of city centre flats. Choose from a property spectrum that ranges from Regency town houses (with up to seven bedrooms) to semis to one or two-bedroom apartments.
House prices in Worcester compare favourably with the national average. The city is generally cheaper than the neighbouring Malvern Hills, although some places are pricier than others - such as Redditch and the Wyre Forest.
Worcester Cathedral is an imposing landmark and provides a stunning backdrop to this compact city's skyline. It was begun in 1084, while the crypt dates from the tenth century. There is also some impressive Tudor architecture in the city, with the Guildhall dating back to the eighteenth century.
The High Street, modernised in 2005, houses all the big chains, while Cathedral Plaza, Reindeer Court and CrownGate shopping centres offer under-cover retail therapy. Take a welcome break at one of many coffee shops and tea rooms scattered across the city's main thoroughfares.
Worcester is also a sporting town, from the county cricket ground to Sixways Worcester Rugby Club to rowing on the river.
Less strenuous pursuits are on offer at the Swan Theatre, while music, arts and beer and cider festivals take place year round and a Victorian-themed Christmas Fayre is an annual highlight.
The city has two large wooded areas, Perry Wood and Nunnery Wood, along with three main parks: Cripplegate, Gheluvelt and Fort Royal, all offering attractive focal points for families. The Pitchcroft, beside the Severn, incorporates a racecourse and is a lovely sweeping expanse of land.
Thanks to the M5, Birmingham, Bristol and Cheltenham are all less than an hour's commute away. Birmingham and Hereford are 50 minutes away by train, and the journey time to London Paddington is just over two hours.
Worcester also has a reputation for academic excellence. Worcester College of Higher Education received university status in 2005, and there are two colleges, five secondary schools and three independent establishments. The majority of these seats of learning have received excellent Ofsted rankings.
With so much on offer in Worcester, it's no wonder locals love their beautiful home city.
Source acknowledgement: House price data produced by Land Registry
This material was last updated on 14 February 2024. It covers the period from 01 January 1995 to 28 December 2023. and contains property transactions which have been registered during that period.
Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right . This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Yes, pursuant to Section 32-19 of the City's Code of Ordinances
Show All Answers
This is determined by city commission. Evaluated yearly during budget preparation after assessing the performance of the program.
The Certificate of Use program will take effect October 1, 2022. All new businesses within the City that apply for BTR after October 1, 2022 will be required to apply for a Certificate of Use. All existing businesses will have until January 2, 2023, to apply for and submit the Certificate of Use fee
All businesses, including those home based, residential rentals that (long term rentals) and multi-family buildings are required to obtain both a Certificate of Use and a Business Tax Receipt.
These are two different processes: a BTR is a tax for performing a business within the city and a CU assures the business conducted is the approved as designated in the zoning district plus inspections are performed to verify code compliance and safety.
Condominium associations, religious, charitable, nonprofit service clubs, educational non-for-profit facilities and any business without a physical location within the city.
Application Fee (only applicable to initial application)
Application fee for long-term residential rentals
Certificate of Use Fee, Based on Use
Home-Based Businesses
Vacation Rentals (any rental less than 30 days)
Residential Apartment Buildings
$175 +$10 per unit
Rental Units (including single-family homes, rented for 30 days or more)
All Other Commercial Uses
Other Fees
Modification to CU
After-the-Fact Penalty
2x the Certificate of Use Fee
Late Renewal Penalty, 90 days or less
25% of Certificate of Use Fee
Late Renewal Penalty, 91 days to 180 days
50% of Certificate of Use Fee
Late Renewal Penalty, 181 days or more
100% of the Certificate of Use Fee
Reinspection Fee
The Certificate of Use will be used as a tool to ensure that all businesses, existing and new, abide by applicable regulations, and promote building safety and environmental standards.
All Certificate of Use applications will be accepted and processed online. The web portal for the Certificate of use is currently under construction. Additional information regarding the application process and a step-by-step tutorial will be published on the City's website at www.COHB.org/CU before the launch of the portal.
The Certificate of Use will require annual renewal and will expire on September 30 of each year.
All Certificate of Use will require renewal on or before October 1 of each year.
The appeal shall be requested in writing within ten (10) calendar days of the rendition of the decision being appealed. The written request for the appeal shall state fully the reasons for the appeal. The appellant shall be given written notice of the date, time and place of the magistrate's consideration of the appeal. The appeal process is outlined in Section 32-20 (b) of the City's Code of Ordinances.


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Carol Burnett wins top humor prize at Kennedy Center
When Carol Burnett launched her namesake variety show in the 1960s, one TV executive told her the genre was "a man's game." She proved him wrong with an 11-year run that averaged 30 million viewers each week.
On Sunday, the trailblazing comedienne received the nation's top humor prize at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Top entertainers including Julie Andrews, Tony Bennett, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and others performed in Burnett's honor as she received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
The show will be taped and broadcast Nov. 24 on PBS stations.
"This is very encouraging," Burnett deadpanned in accepting the prize. "I mean it was a long time in coming, but I understand because there are so many people funnier than I am, especially here in Washington.
"With any luck, they'll soon get voted out, and I'll still have the Mark Twain prize."
Fey opened the show with some jokes about the recent government shutdown and about fears over "Obamacare."
"Enough politics. We are here tonight to celebrate the first lady of American comedy, Ted Cruz," Fey said, referring to the Texas senator who took a prominent role during the shutdown.
Fey quickly turned to showering Burnett with accolades for opening doors for other women comedians.
"You mean so much to me," Fey said. "I love you in a way that is just shy of creepy."
In an interview, Burnett said she was drawn to comedy after realizing how it felt to make people laugh. She went to UCLA with plans to become a journalist, but she took an acting course that put her on stage.
"I played a hillbilly woman, and coming from Texas ... it was real easy for me," she said. "I just made my entrance, and I said, 'I'm Baaack.' Then they exploded."
"I thought whoa! This feels good," Burnett said. "I wanted those laughs to keep on coming forever."
Few women were doing comedy when Burnett set her sights on New York. She caught a break when she was spotted by talent bookers from TV's "The Ed Sullivan Show" and was invited to perform her rendition of "I Made a Fool of Myself over John Foster Dulles."
Almost immediately, Burnett transformed Dulles, the former secretary of state, "from a Presbyterian bureaucrat into a smoking hot sex symbol," said Cappy McGarr, the co-creator of the Mark Twain Prize. "She sang that she was 'simply on fire with desire' and that was really her big break."
Soon after, Burnett landed a role in Broadway's "Once Upon a Mattress," and began appearing on morning TV's "The Garry Moore Show." She never thought she could host her own show, though.
"I was more of a second banana," she said. But she loved playing a variety of characters.
CBS signed her to a 10-year contract doing guest shots on sitcoms and performing in one TV special a year, but the deal also allowed her the option of creating her own variety show and guaranteed her airtime. But five years in, CBS executives had forgotten about the idea.
She recalled one executive telling her: "You know, variety is a man's game."
"At that time, I understood what he was saying, and I was never one to get angry," Burnett said. "I said 'well this is what I know, and this is what I want to do.'"
The show ran from 1967 to 1978 and included guest stars such as Lucille Ball, Jimmy Stewart, Ronald Reagan and Betty White.
Tim Conway, one of Burnett's co-stars on her show, joked that he now spends his time traveling around the country for Burnett to receive awards.
"Thank you for being such a friend," he said, "such a generous person, not with salary, but generous."
Comedian Martin Short also joined the tribute to Burnett.
"What is it about redheads on television that make us laugh so much? Carol, Lucille Ball, Donald Trump," he said.
Burnett said it's a thrill to receive the award named for humorist and satirist Mark Twain and that she's in good company with past honorees, who include Fey, Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin and Ellen DeGeneres.
Coming on the heels of the government shutdown, McGarr said it's nice to bring an "intentionally funny moment" to Washington after weeks of political drama.
"You know, serious times call for seriously funny people," McGarr said.
Burnett made a special request that rising comedienne Rosemary Watson, who does impressions of Hillary Clinton and others, be part of the show. Burnett found Watson on YouTube after receiving a fan letter and thought she was funny.
"The thing is, you pay it forward," Burnett said, "because when I got started, somebody gave me a break when I was 21 years old, and I wanted to go to New York."
Before the show, Watson said that watching Burnett shaped her life as a child. She said Burnett was not a joke teller but created funny characters.
"I do what I do because of her," Watson said. "For me, she was it. She was the female comedian I wanted to be most like."
Vicki Lawrence, a co-star with Burnett on "The Carol Burnett Show," who is perhaps best known for playing "Mama" in sketches with Burnett, said she was planning to be a dental hygienist before she knew Burnett.
"I was going to be cleaning teeth somewhere," she said, "and I guess she changed that."


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SNOW HILL – Although passing two other bills governing sexually oriented businesses, the Worcester County Commissioners put aside the bill governing massage parlors this week after learning that legislation will be introduced in the state legislature that will likely have the same effect.
"There'll be no need for us to have this legislation," if the state passes a law, said Worcester County attorney Ed Hammond.
The county law would prohibit massage parlors offering sexually oriented services. Only Maryland state licensed and registered massage practitioners, therapists and medical personnel would have been permitted to offer massages under the legislation.
"Our attorney is putting in some legislation to ensure what we're trying to protect is protected," said local massage therapist Michelle Kilsner, representing the American Massage Therapists Association.
The state law, when enacted, would "mandate licensing provisions for individuals practicing massage therapy services in the state of Maryland," wrote Dennis Rasmussen, president of the Rasmussen Group lobbying firm, in a letter to the county.
Jean Robinson, government relations director of Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals, wrote to the commissioners earlier this month asking that the massage bill be stopped, calling it confusing and inappropriate.
"These businesses are not 'massage establishments'. If the adult oriented businesses are advertising themselves to be massage establishments or parlors, they are doing so illegally just by including the word 'massage'," Robinson wrote. "I encourage you to ban exactly the businesses you are trying to prevent from coming to the county – adult oriented entertainment businesses."
Hammond told the commissioners he was fairly confident the state bill would pass, which would make the county bill redundant and confusing if it were in place.
"You can pass it later if you feel it's necessary," Hammond said.
The bill will remain active for a year.
Commissioner Virgil Shockley advised leaving the record on the anti-massage parlor bill open, which would give the public the right to comment in writing until the record is closed.
"The public has the right to lobby you 'til you get through a door they can't go through, right up until you vote," Hammond said.
People can buttonhole their legislators as late in the process as they want, he added.


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St. Monica (8-1-1) boys soccer beat Cantwell-Sacred Heart(7-9-1) by a score of 2-1 Monday afternoon at Airport Park before going on to tie top-seeded Serra Wednesday 2-2 showing just how good the Mariners are and how they have improved throughout the season.
Mariners forward Jack Cain scored two goals against the Cardinals.
St. Monica Boys Head Soccer Coach Rimal Patel was proud of the way the Mariners played against the Cardinals.
"The game was fantastic," said Patel. "It was a must win game. It leads us off into our last game which is our last chance to win league."
St. Monica didn't defeat Serra for their game in the Santa Fe League but they didn't lose either tying the game 2-2 in a marketed improvement over a game in January when they lost their only league game to the Cavaliers 4-0.
Next game for the Mariners will be in the playoffs with the CIF Southern Section Playoff Brackets TBA.
Check back at smmirror.com for the playoff schedule to be released Monday, Feb. 11.


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The filing fees paid to the Clerk can be paid in:
However, the Sheriff's fee must be paid in Business Check or Money Order payable to the Escambia County Sheriff's Department.
Show All Answers
A three-day notice may be given stating the amount of rent owed and the time the rent would have covered if paid. The notice must give them three working days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, in which to pay the rent in full or vacate the premises. If they fail to pay rent or to vacate, a suit for eviction may be started.
Please consult the Fee Schedule (PDF) for a current list of fees and costs.
A completed complaint along with five copies of the notice given to the tenant and the lease (if applicable), and a pre-stamped envelope addressed to each tenant.
A seven-day notice with cure can be given for non-compliance with the rental agreement (unauthorized people or pets, piling up trash, loud noise, etc.). If the tenant is seriously damaging the property, a seven-day notice without cure may be given.
If you are on a month to month agreement, you may give a fifteen-day notice in the middle of any month, terminating the rental agreement and asking for possession of the property after fifteen days.
A five day summons is issued to the defendant. They have five working days to respond to the Court and a hearing will be set before a judge. If they fail to respond, the landlord must come back to the Clerk's Office, complete and sign a Motion for Default, and pay $90 to the Sheriff. A twenty-four-hour notice to move will be served by the Sheriff. After the twenty-four hours has elapsed, the Sheriff will remove the tenants from the property.
Please refer to Florida Statute 715.109 on how to dispose of the property and protect yourself from liability.
You may give the landlord a written seven-day notice before the rent comes due to initiate the repairs needed or else you will be moving or withholding the rent. If the landlord fails to make the repairs, you can either move or withhold the rent. If you withhold the rent, the landlord may give a three-day notice for the rent and initiate eviction proceedings. You have the right to post the rent with the Court and have a hearing before a judge.
Please refer to Florida Statute 83 for direction, or you may want to contact an attorney.
The landlord should give a proper notice in writing to you and then the landlord should start eviction proceedings with the Court which would serve you with a summons by the Sheriff and give you an opportunity to file an answer and have a hearing before a judge.


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Robin Holloway
An introduction to Holloway's music by Julian Anderson
Recent British music has largely avoided settling into predefined schools and factions, exhibiting instead a positive relish of diversity and personal idiosyncrasies. In this sense the trajectory of Robin Holloway's output over the last thirty years, with its many detours, unexpected sidepaths and often contradictory stylistic leanings, is typical of the musical culture out of which it has grown, although the sheer persistence with which Holloway has chosen to follow up and even combine all his various musical tastes is surely unique.
As a young composer, Holloway absorbed and quickly mastered the then fashionable techniques of serial and post-serial composition in a sequence of taut, strictly composed 1960s works such as the remarkably fluent opus 1, Garden Music for nonet, the Concerto for organ and wind and the first two Concertinos. Although Holloway nowadays recalls this style somewhat dismissively as "constructivist, atonal Hindemith", this phase did produce at least one powerfully expressive piece, the First Concerto for Orchestra of 1969; part of the singular impact of that work arises from the tension already evident between rigorously consistent serially-derived techniques employed and the almost neo-Romantic abandon of the music itself, which can even incorporate massive quotations from songs by Brahms. Things eventually came to a head the following year in Scenes from Schumann, a free paraphrase on six Schumann songs in which Holloway passionately reclaimed "all that was forbidden by the Zeitgeist" – an affectionate embrace of middle-period German Romantic harmony which subjects the original material to all manner of distortion, free-association and reharmonising. This seemed to be a conscious reaction against all that his early music represented, a permanent move away from constructivism towards spontaneity and freedom of expression.
As usual with Holloway, things did not turn out to be nearly so simple. Scenes was followed by two further Schumann-derived works which expanded upon the new-found euphoniousness of that first work - the Fantasy Pieces and the large orchestral work Domination of Black, relating to the master's Heine Liederkreis and his Kerner Lieder respectively. The latter work, indeed, shows just how far Holloway's mastery of the orchestra had progressed since the abandonment of constructivist austerities, ranging as it does from the gossamer delicacy of the first movement, Summer Rain, to the wild rampage through late Romantic Waldmusik of the third, Night Hunt, each managed with complete fluency and self-confidence. But the work also incorporates a blackly dissonant polyrhythmic adagio (itself entitled Domination of Black) which shows that the lessons of modernism have not been forgotten, and the previous year a colourful London Sinfonietta commission entitled Evening with Angels suggested that Holloway might return to the modernist vein whilst keeping his personal harmonic style intact.
Such turned out to be the case "but now", as Holloway has commented, "the music had something behind it like harmony, direction, volatility of movement, a sense of instrumental colour." Indeed, some of Holloway's most striking and successful achievements have been the most complex and conscientiously constructed, notably the mammoth Second Concerto for Orchestra (a richly elaborate tapestry incorporating fragments of Chopin and popular tunes English and Italian, making constructivism manifestly audible by using material familiar to all) and the recently-completed Third Concerto, an athematic essay in pure texture and possibly Holloway's most extreme work to date.
But such achievements do not mean that Holloway has any desire to abandon his innate love of tonal harmonic practice, particularly in its late-Romantic manifestations; this side of his creative personality perhaps reaches its peak in his first opera Clarissa. Composed without commission in a single intensive compositional burst in 1976 (it was first staged at the English National Opera in 1990), this is a heart-felt personal testament vividly conveying the claustrophobic fatality of the relationship between the heroine and her would-be lover, later violator Lovelace in music of almost Bergian intensity and lushness. Holloway's Romanticism is on equally frank display in such openly warm and immediately appealing orchestral works as Seascape and Harvest, Panorama,
the three Idylls for small orchestra and the choral-orchestral The Spacious Firmament, a valuable contribution to the British choral tradition.
Holloway has, however, shown himself eminently capable of exquisite music on the smallest scale, as evidenced in the large number of Divertimentos, Serenades and the sequence of five Concertinos. This is music written out of the sheer pleasure of composing, to be appreciated and enjoyed on the most direct levels of music-making and -loving. Indeed, ensembles looking through Holloway's output will find therein a multitude of witty and skilful chamber pieces which will prove valuable additions to many a repertoire. Much the same might be said of the ongoing series of concertos for horn, violin, harp and other instruments, all idiomatically composed and full of capriciously unpredictable forms and turns of phrase.
If there seems to be a long way between such music and the complexities of the three Concertos for Orchestra, then one suspects that Holloway positively relishes the contrasts between his various musical manners to the extent of actually seeking to make each piece as contrasted as possible with the previous one. He himself has admitted: "One turns like a grateful plant towards all kinds of very contrasted composers who excite and please one, and pays them for what one takes in the form of a stylistic or technical homage." On closer acquaintance, however, what strikes one beyond the superficial differences of style is that the rich harmonic language, the feeling for long, arching lines and clangorous instrumental colours remain consistently characteristic of Holloway from one piece to the next; and it is this striking ability to preserve a highly individual musicality throughout this most diverse and multifarious of outputs that gives every Holloway work, large or small, constructivist or Romantic, the vivid imprint of a voice as quirkily personal as it is unmistakable.
Julian Anderson, 1995
(Composer, broadcaster and writer on music)
All quotations are taken from the interview with Holloway in Paul Griffiths's New Sounds, New Personalities, Faber Music, 1985.
Bestselling Titles by Robin Holloway
Publisher: Boosey & HawkesUsually despatched within 7-10 working days - Lead times may vary in the case of supplier shortages or delays$26.45
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Publisher: Boosey & HawkesUsually despatched within 7-10 working days - Lead times may vary in the case of supplier shortages or delays$22.05
Publisher: Boosey & HawkesIn Stock: Usually despatched within 24-48 hours$36.53
Publisher: Boosey & HawkesUsually despatched within 7-10 working days - Lead times may vary in the case of supplier shortages or delays$25.19
Publisher: Boosey & HawkesUsually despatched within 7-10 working days - Lead times may vary in the case of supplier shortages or delays$18.27


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October 22, 2013
K-State Libraries sponsoring Muslim Journeys programming
K-State Libraries is sponsoring a series of events this year featuring resources from the Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys, a collection of materials from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association.
K-State Libraries were one of 840 libraries and state humanities councils across the country selected to receive the bookshelf as part of a program that aims to familiarize public audiences in the U.S. with the people, places, history, faith and cultures of Muslims in the U.S. and around the world.
The inaugural event is a film screening of "Islamic Art: Mirror to the Invisible World" at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Beach Museum's UMB Theater. This film takes audiences on an epic journey across nine countries and more than 1,400 years of history, exploring the richness of Islamic art in objects big and small, from great ornamented palaces and the play of light in monumental mosques to the exquisite beauty of ceramics, carved boxes, paintings and metal work. It revels in the use of color and finds commonalities in a shared artistic heritage with the West and East. The film also examines the unique ways in which Islamic art turns calligraphy and the written word into masterpieces and develops water into an expressive, useful art form.
Following the film, David Allen, head of the Morse department of special collections at K-State Libraries, will facilitate a discussion to include further exploration of the topics of art and religion as well as living creative traditions. The screening is co-sponsored by the libraries, the Beach Museum of Art, and the Dow Center for Multicultural and Community Studies at K-State Libraries.
Also upcoming is a discussion facilitated by Beverley Earles featuring Muslim women. The discussion will explore the diverse perspectives of Muslims in the U.S. and around the world, and will be 7-8:30 p.m. Nov. 19 in Town Hall at the Leadership Studies Building.
All events associated with the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf are free and open to the public, but seating may be limited. For more information about specific events, contact Darchelle Martin, events and programs coordinator at K-State Libraries.
The books and films comprising the bookshelf were selected with the advice of librarians and cultural programming experts, as well as distinguished scholars in the fields of anthropology, world history, religious studies, interfaith dialogue, the history of art and architecture, world literature, Middle East studies, Southeast Asian studies, African studies and Islamic studies. The collection will be housed in the Dow Center for Multicultural and Community Studies on the fourth floor of Hale Library.
For more information about these materials or a complete listing of included books and films, please visit the K-State Libraries website or contact Melia Fritch, undergraduate and community services librarian.


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So, this year will be giving the previous day's gift giving with the announcement of the new gifts in the mix. Trying to keep the post spam to a minimum.
Those being gifted from yesterdays post are:
Tony T - Print Copy of Swords & Wizardry Continual Light (US Only - others will receive an RPGNow GC for $7)
M Po - Print Copy of The Midderlands (US Only - if outside the US a PDF copy will be substituted and the print copy goes back in the mix) (Note! May not ship until after Christmas)
Chance Phillips - $10 Gift Certificate to the Frog God StoreThe above need to email me at tenkarsDOTtavern at that gmail thing with "I've been gifted!" in the subject ;)
Now for today's gifts:
1 - White Star Galaxy Edition in PDF
1 - Wizardry Unearthed in PDF
1 - Return From Dragonmount - Print
For the above, comment below with your Holiday wishes before 11 AM Eastern, Saturday, December 16th, 2017. Gift receivers will be randomly chosen from the comments placed in that time.
Remember, Gaming Ballistic is hosting their own daily OSR Christmas Giveaway. So, leave your daily comments at Gaming Ballistic and get in the mix!
Recent additions to Santa's Bag:
Paul Baldowski (1) Chtulhu Hack Bundle in PDF (The Cthulhu Hack, From Unformed Realms, The Haunter of the Dark, Thro' Centuries Fixed, Three Faces of the Wendigo, The Dark Brood
Hog Town Games (3) Print and (3) PDF Copies of Dice Roll Zine (OSR)
Monkeyblood Designs (6) copies of The Midderlands in PDF each with The Midderlands Additions in PDF.
(6) copies of The Demon Stones (Swords & Wizardry version) in PDF.
Brett Slocum (1) The Petal Hack - Print
Grim & Perilous (1) Zweihänder Grim & Perilous RPG - core book PDF
(1) Zweihänder Grim & Perilous RPG - GM screen PDF
and possibly Arcane and Divine Magick cards PDF
Barrel Rider Games (4) White Star Galaxy Edition PDFs
(2) The Hero's Journey PDFs
@Padre's (1) $25 RPGNow Gift Certificate
Edwin Nagy (1) Return From Dragonmount - Print
Frog God Games: (1) Copy of The Blight - for Swords & Wizardry - Hardcover / Print
(2) $20 Gift Certificates to the Frog God Store
(3) $10 Gift Certificates to the Frog God Store
Silver Bulette (2) Copies Orb of Undying Discord (PDF)
(2) Copies of their next release (PDF)
Gaming Ballistic (2) Copies Dungeon Grappling in Print - (6) Copies of DG in PDF (note - handled
(2) Copies Lost Hall of Tyr in Print - (6) Copies of LHoT in PDF (at (www.Gamingblastic.com)
Precis Intermedia(1) Choice of one issue of RPG Pundit Presents in PDF
(Brett Bernstein) (1) Supergame: Super-Powered RPG (Classic Reprint) in PDF
Crossplanes (6) Copies Wizardry Unearthed in PDF
The Tavern (5)(
The Tavern
Monkeyblood Design


text:
Commission on Wartime Contracting
Authorizing Statute
Related Laws
Public Law 110-181, Sec. 842
Public Law 110-181, Sec. 1221
Public Law 110-181, Sec. 1229
Public Law 110-417, Sec. 851
Public Law 110-417, Sec. 852
Public Law 110-417, Sec. 853
Public Law 110-417, Sec. 854
Public Law 110-417, Sec. 855
Michael J. Thibault
Christopher Shays
Clark Kent Ervin
Grant S. Green
Robert J. Henke
Katherine Schinasi
Charles Tiefer
Dov S. Zakheim
Commission Staff
Robert B. Dickson
Jeffrey Brand
Clark Irwin
Karen Sorber
Norbert Doyle
David Fitzgerald
Kelvin Wood
Commission Hearings
6-6-2011 DoS contracting
4-25-11 Implementing DoD Improvements
4-11-11 NGOs
4-1-11 USAID plans
3-28-11 Better buying power
2-28-11 Contractor accountability
2-14-11 Afghan construction 2
1-24-11 Afghan construction
9-16-10 Workforce
7-26-10 Subcontracting
7-12-10 Planning for contactors
6-21-10 Security Contractors 2
6-18-10 Security Contractors 1
5-24-10 Curbing waste, fraud
4-19-10 Service contracts
3-29-10 Rightsizing
3-1-10 Coordinating part 2
2-22-10 Coordinating, part 1
12-18-09 ANSF Training
11-2-09 Iraq Drawdown
9-14-09 DoS Oversight
8-12-09 Linguist Support
8-11-09 Business Systems
2-2-09 IG Lessons
Congressional Hearings
6-10-2009 Interim Report
9-23-2010 Transition in Iraq
3-2-2011 Leaving Iraq
9-21-2011 Transforming Wartime Contracting
Other hearings
Public Forum
Press Room
Press Releases 2011
Press Releases 2010
Press Releases 2009
Final report briefing
Inaugural meeting
Public forum
Resource Center
Contact Us
Skip to content
Congressional hearing June 10, 2009
Commissioners testify to House Committee on Interim Report
On June 10, 2009, the co-chairs of the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan testified before a U.S. House panel on concerns raised during their initial investigations of the nation's heavy reliance on contractors.
Commission Co-Chairs Michael J. Thibault and Christopher H. Shays appeared before the House Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, chaired by Rep. John F. Tierney (D-MA); ranking member is Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ).
The hearing, "Commission on Wartime Contracting: Interim Findings and Path Forward," centered on the Commission's interim report to Congress that was formally filed and publicly released on Wednesday, June 10, 2009.
The federal law that created the Commission in 2008 required an interim report this year and a final report in 2010. The interim report, more than 100 pages long, describes the Commission's work in areas of contractor management and accountability, logistics, reconstruction, security, and policy and process. It also highlights several "issues of immediate concern" for Congress and the executive branch that need attention as operations increasingly shift from Iraq to the Afghan theater.
More than 240,000 contractor employees, about 80 percent of them foreign nationals, are working in Iraq and Afghanistan to support operations and projects of the U.S. military, the Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Contractor employees outnumber U.S. troops in the region. While contractors provide vital services, the Commission believes their use has also entailed billions of dollars lost to waste, fraud, and abuse due to inadequate planning, poor contract drafting, limited competition, understaffed oversight functions, and other problems. The Commission co-chairs discussed the preliminary observations in the interim report, highlighted the importance of the issues of immediate concern, and described the broad range of issues on the agenda for investigation and analysis.
You are here:
Congressional Hearings
6-10-2009 Interim Report
Skip to content


text:
Far apart in contract talks with Danny Amendola, the St. Louis Rams opted not to use the franchise tag on him last week. Now the team is preparing to lose its slot receiver to a higher bidder in free agency.
Offseason Forecast: Rams
With the offseason under way, Around The League examines what's next for all 32 teams. Chris Wesseling covers the Rams. **More ...**
Citing those familiar with the negotiations, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Saturday that Amendola is seeking a contract on par with the $6.1 million per year that Brian Hartline landed with the Miami Dolphins. The Rams are unwilling to go that high for a player who has missed 20 games because of injuries over the past two seasons.
Even though Amendola essentially requires an offense that plays primarily out of three-receiver sets, his representatives still expect a strong market for him. If teams such as the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins have legitimate interest, Amendola won't give the Rams a shot to keep him at a below-market rate.
Once Amendola departs, it will be interesting to see if Rams general manager Les Snead is willing to parlay one of his two first-round draft picks into an offer sheet for restricted free agent Victor Cruz. NFL.com's Ian Rapoport also has mentioned St. Louis as a possible landing spot for Greg Jennings.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.


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Wednesday, October 16, 2013
The Weatherman's Little Wiener
Oh, the trials and tribulations of being a Dachshund Lover. This video went viral last week according to Alabama meteorologist Mark Prater's facebook page:
When we had our video blooper "little wiener" last week, I had a lot of folks tell me it would go viral. Little did I know what viral REALLY meant.
CBS Network - CBS This Morning
Jay Leno - The Tonight Show
Top Video - Daily Mail UK - London
Fox News: Special Report - with Brett Baier
We've lost count of how many radio stations (especially national shows) across the country.
1.8 million websites in the past 7 days!
And see....like all good Wieners, Mr. Prater's Dachshund 'The Colonel' DOES get dressed up!
3 comments:
The Colonel is very cute! I'll have to show that to my daughter who majored in broadcast meteorology. I think she'll agree that it would be difficult to do the weather after someone said something like that.
- October 16, 2013 at 10:39 PM
If she had just said,"...little wiener DOG..." all would have been well.
- October 21, 2013 at 5:03 PM
Thats awesome! Too funny!
- October 23, 2013 at 9:16 PM
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text:
Sear Seolin
Bio Statement | "The knowledge that the atoms that comprise life on earth - the atoms that make up the human body, are traceable to the crucibles that cooked light elements into heavy elements in their core under extreme temperatures and pressures. These stars- the high mass ones among them- went unstable in their later years- they collapsed and then exploded- scattering their enriched guts across the galaxy- guts made of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and all the fundamental ingredients of life itself. These ingredients become part of gas clouds that condense, collapse, form the next generation of solar systems- stars with orbiting planets. And those planets now have the ingredients for life itself. So that when I look up at the night sky, and I know that yes we are part of this universe, we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts is that the universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact, I look up- many people feel small, cause their small and the universe is big. But I feel big because my atoms came from those stars." |


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Script Execution
From DD-WRT Wiki
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You are here: DD-WRT wiki mainpage / Scripting / Script Execution
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
Sometimes you want scripts to be executed automatically when something happens, this article explains how to make sure scripts get executed at a certain point.
[edit] General Information
There are four different directories DD-WRT searches for scripts, these are
- /etc/config/
- /jffs/etc/config/
- /mmc/etc/config/
- /tmp/etc/config/
[edit] Script Types
You need to add an extension to the script if placed in one of the previous folders. Every extension has its own meaning.
Extension | Explanation |
.startup | will be executed on system startup, normally boot-time and before the firewall is configured. |
.prewall | will be executed whenever the WAN interface goes up and before the firewall. |
.wanup | will be executed whenever the WAN interface goes up and after the firewall. |
.if | will be executed whenever any interface goes up and after the firewall. (no longer in source code, must be deleted) |
.ipup | is run when PPP connection is reestablished after a disconnect and after the firewall. |
.ipdown | is run when a PPP connection has been shut down. (no longer in source code, must be deleted?) |
.sesbutton | is executed when the SES/AOSS/EZ-SETUP button is pressed |
Remember to change permissions on any script files using chmod (chmod +x script_name) to permit execution. Scripts with .wanup may be run several times when the router boots. ( see http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=433984 ). People using WinSCP to transfer files to their router can right click on the filename after uploading and select "Properties" to change permissions.
[edit] Execute Scripts with a Different Extension or in a Different Folder
If you want to execute scripts with a different extension or those that are located in an other folder you can create this script
for I in `/bin/ls /jffs/etc/config/*.myextension`;do sh $I & done
Of course you need to change the path (/jffs/etc/config) and the extension itself to match your desire.
[edit] How It Works
The command sh /jffs/etc/config/*.myextension will execute every script ending in .myextension found in the /jffs/etc/config directory. By setting this as the rc_startup value, your *.myextension scripts will load every time the router boots.


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
The Indiana General Assembly organized the County of St. Joseph on January 29, 1830. The St. Joseph Circuit has been in continuous operation since 1830. Circuit courts are mandated by the 1851 Indiana Constitution.
The Circuit Court is a court of general jurisdiction consisting of one Judge elected to a six-year term and three magistrate judges appointed by the Judge. The Court has the authority to hear civil and criminal cases.
The types of cases heard by Circuit Court are established by local rule based upon the annual weighted caseload requirements established by the Indiana Supreme Court. As a result, the types of cases assigned to Circuit Court are almost exclusively civil disputes, ranging from contract, personal injury, collection, divorce, child support, protective orders, injunctions, estates, and administrative appeals. By local rule, the criminal jurisdiction of the Circuit Court is limited to criminal nonsupport and welfare fraud. The Circuit Court also conducts all Grand Jury proceedings and as of 2013, oversees civil protective order court.
The Circuit Court Judge has oversight responsibility for the Public Defenders' Office, Community Corrections, the Domestic Relations Counseling Bureau, and the Adult Probation Department, which contains the Court Substance Abuse Program. As a result, the Circuit Court Judge has administrative supervision over a combined staff of approximately 120 personnel with budgets totaling more than $5 million. The Judge of the Circuit Court also has statutory powers regarding civil unrest, re-appraisement and regulation of estates, and appeals from city and town courts.
The current Court consists of an elected judge and three appointed magistrate judges: