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How to Correct the Most Common Painting Mistakes
Homegrown Painter
All of us have attempted our own paintjob with differing results from good to not-so good. But we are all aware that this is one area that's fraught with the potential for things to go wrong—sometimes terribly wrong. Problems occurring with the paintjobs are so common to those of us in the hot rod world it almost seems natural or normal to have a problem here and there. It shouldn't be and the more preparation that's applied, the more knowledge of what it is you are attempting, and the understanding of the materials you are using will go a long way to minimizing these paint woes.
Just in case, we joined forces with Axalta (formerly DuPont) and came up with a number of identifiable problems that occur in our world. We have also asked illustrator and frustrated painter of hot rods (like the rest of us) Jeff Norwell to put his ink to paper and illustrate a handful of these problems. For solutions to these problems Axalta gives us the answers we will need.
Axalta provided information on 29 of the most common paint defects (and I believe I have managed 12 of them on one panel thereby banning me from the paint booth). What we have done in this article is to identify the more common mistakes, and asked our hot rod artist in residence to illustrate so that we would be able to show examples and then offer the Axalta solutions.
Adhesion Loss, Clearcoat
We've all seen the clearcoat that peels off from the base color. This can be the result of excessive thickness of the basecoat (yes, basecoat), the intermediate and final flash times of the basecoat are too short, wrong mixing ratio for clearcoat and its activator.
So how do we prevent this from happening? Make sure to check and recheck the correct flash times of the basecoat before applying clearcoat, make sure that all layers of paint material (base color and clearcoat) area are applied at the prescribed thickness, and make sure to mix clearcoat correctly.
But what happens if one of us hasn't followed the instructions correctly? How do we fix the problem once it has occurred? Take the affected area and sand, making sure to isolate this area from unaffected areas and refinish.
Sometimes referred to as bleed through, staining, and stains; yes, we've all seen this no matter what it's called. It will appear in the form of the original finish color or peroxide hardener from polyester body fillerseeping throughthe topcoat, causing a discoloration of the new finish.
This can be the result of a reaction of color pigments from the original finish with solvents of the coat, which has been applied on top of it. It can be a contamination; usually in the form of soluble dyes or pigments on the older finish before it was repainted. (Many of us have seen this with cars originally painted red and then repainted over the older shades of red.) Another reason for this bleeding to happen can be the result of the old finish not well sealed or too much hardener in the polyester putty or filler was used, or the polyester putty or filler wasn't mixed properly.
So how do I stop this from happening from the get-go? You will need to apply a sealer if there is any doubt that the bleeding will occur. You can test a small area of the old finish by applying a coat of the final color. Follow the directions on the amount of quantity of hardener when mixing the polyester putty or filler. Carefully check quantity of hardener; you can do this mixing by weight or use a dispensing machine (probably will have to have access to a professional shop for this one). Once putties and fillers are combined make sure to mix thoroughly.
Should bleeding have already occurred you will need to remove the polyester and redo the repair. Begin by sanding and then isolate the original finish with sealer and reapply the topcoat.
Sometimes known as moisture blisters, blisters, bubbling, blowing, or bubbles, this hiccup will manifest itself as bubbles or pimples appearing in the topcoat. It is generally the result of leftover sanding water in the corners, edges, crevices, or below any other art on the final paint. It can also result from the ambient humidity too high. And what none of us wants to hear but we know happens, improper surface cleaning and preparation—poor location or prep of the work area such as contamination of compressed air lines; oil, water, or dirt in lines. It's the direct result of tiny specs of dirt left on the surface and these dirt particles act like a sponge and retain moisture. This happens when wet sanding polyester and applying topcoat without enough time for the water to evaporate. Also, insufficient drying time between coats or too heavy application of the undercoats may trap solvents, which escape later and blister the color coat. This can also occur in unison with excessive film thickness; we are in a rush and don't allow sufficient drying time and apply too much material. When the finish is exposed to the sun (or abrupt changes in atmospheric pressure), moisture expands and pressure builds up. If the pressure is great enough, blisters form. It can also occur because the wrong thinner or reducer was used; incompatibility of materials. Use a fast-dry thinner or reducer, especially when the material is sprayed too dry or at an excessive pressure. Air or moisture can be trapped in the film.
So, how does one go about preventing this from happening in the first place? Remove any and all trim (you are removing hiding places for moisture). Make sure to use sufficient air pressure that is properly filtered to remove dirt and moisture from the air lines. Make sure to thoroughly clean the area (location) where the painting is to occur before starting the sanding process. Make sure the surface is completely dry before applying any materials (undercoat or topcoat). And, for the 100th time, never touch a surface to be painted with your hands as the oils in your skin will contaminate the surface. Make sure to match thinner or reducer to suit your "weather" conditions in area where painting will occur. Be sure to provide for amply (proper) drying time for undercoat and topcoat, making sure to allow each coat to flash properly before continuing. Always start with thoroughly cleaned and maintained equipment, such as drain and clean air pressure regulator to remove any trapped moisture and/or dirt. (It's a good idea to drain the air tank often but especially before attempting any paint project.) Make sure surface to be painted is cleaned carefully and thoroughly.
If blistering has already occurred and the time has come to fix it, what are my options? If the blistering is severe enough the paint will need to be removed down to at least the undercoat (primer) or even bare metal. This is determined by the depth of the blisters. Next, begin the refinish process, this time not taking any shortcuts and making sure to adhere to the proper directions and techniques.
Should corrosion be visible it will appear in the form of a brownish-red for steel or white rust in the case of aluminum. This can be caused by contamination of the metal resulting from fingermarks, water, and so on, before the paint materials were applied. It can come from the original paint being removed by chipping off paint or leftover scratches, all leading to improper and inadequate pre-treatment of the metal surfaces. And with older hot rods, especially vintage tin, it can occur because rust wasn't completely removed before proceeding or the new paint materials were contaminated at some point in the process.
To prevent corrosion from occurring, all metals need to be prepped with a metal treatment and a wash-primer. Make sure all chips and scratches are repaired before rust can set in and make sure to thoroughly clean area to be painted before applying any material. If you do spot water from the wet-sanding process on the surface, make sure to wipe it off and allow ample time to completely dry before proceeding.
If it's too late and you need to remedy the problem, here are some methods: The paint will need to be stripped and sanded back to bare metal. (Bet you didn't want to read this!) From here a metal conditioner and a phosphoric acid wash primer (you may be familiar with etch-primer) designed for your substrate (steel, aluminum). Once these steps are complete then it's on to refinishing.
Often explained as a series of deep cracks resembling mud cracks in a dry pond usually manifested in the shape of three-legged stars and in no definite pattern, they are usually in the color coat and sometimes the undercoat as well.
The cause can occur from excessive film thickness, which magnifies the normal stresses and strains on paints, thus resulting in cracking even what would have been considered normal conditions. Other possible causes are materials not uniformly mixed, insufficient flash times between coats, incorrect use of additives, substrate is too hot or cold, the use of coats incompatible with each other, and lastly the omitting of the activator when mixing a 2K product.
So how does one go about fixing cracking? When applying a topcoat do not over apply material, allow sufficient flash and drying time between coats, do not fan dry by using compressed air from the spray gun (we've all seen this at one time or another), and make sure to properly stir (mix) all pigmented undercoats and topcoats. Additives not specifically designed for a color coat may weaken the final paint film and make it more sensitive to cracking. There's also the obvious: Read and carefully follow recommendations in the Technical Data Sheet(s). These can be obtained from your paint supplier or from online.
To fix cracking once it has reared its ugly appearance you will need to sand to a smooth finish the affected area unless it is extreme cracking, in which case you will need to remove damaged materials and get to bare metal. From here a full refinish is necessary.
Edge Mapping, Shrinkage
We're pretty sure most rodders are familiar with the term paint shrinkage but it is also known as edge mapping and featheredge splitting. It generally occurs as the result of "piling on" the undercoat in heavy and very wet coats. What happens is, solvent is trapped in the undercoat layers and have not had enough time to set up. It can also occur because the material isn't properly mixed, especially with high pigment content of primer-surfacer; it's possible for settling to occur after it has been thinned. Speaking of thinning, the incorrect use of thinner and reducer selection is another cause, as is improper surface cleaning. When not properly cleaned, primer-surfacer coats may crawl or draw away from the edge (shrinkage) because of poor wetting and adhesion. Another sure-fire way to screw up a good paintjob is to employ improper drying techniques. We mentioned earlier in this article about not fanning with a spray gun. Should this technique be employed after the primer-surfacer is applied it will dry before solvent or air from the lower layers is released. Another means to an edge mapping issue is the use of a too coarse of a finishing grit of sandpaper. This can occur when we try and save time, money, and/or our fingers! By skipping a step and not continuing on with the proper grit of finishing sandpaper is another way to create a problem.
The way to prevent this from happing is to properly apply reduced primer-surfacer in thin to medium coats following the prescribed flash time between coats. (Again, look at the data sheets for this info or ask your paint supplier.) Make sure to thoroughly stir all pigmented undercoats and topcoats, select only thinners/reducers that are recommended for the type of conditions you are painting within, and thoroughly clean areas (the shop as well as the surface area) to be painted before sanding. Make sure to use the recommended sandpaper grit before applying polyesters or undercoats.
Should you find yourself in trouble and need to remedy the problem now that it has occurred you will need to thoroughly dry off the surface area, sand, and refinish.
Environmental Contamination
A pair of long words for everyday occurrences attacking your paintjob; acid rain, bird droppings, spotting, pitting, acid marks,blistering, and insect marks. The discolored spots reside in the topcoat and are noticeable by the clearcoat losing transparency and/or its gloss. You will, in most cases, be able to see etching marks visible in the topcoat (probably the clearcoat).
Should you find yourself living in an agricultural area you car's paint will be subjected to horticultural sprays as well as other regional or even seasonal bird and/or insect populations. The organic etching is accelerated by intensified sunlight (heat), while time and temperature dramatically increases concentration of acid. The damage is more visible on dark or darker colors due to heat absorption. Acid rain is the term given to rain containing effluents from manufacturing, chemical industries, and particularly power stations. Some of the effluents may be acidic or alkaline in the presence of water (e.g. sulphur dioxide will dissolve in water to give an acidic solution; even a mixture of cement dust and water is strongly alkaline).
To attempt to prevent this contamination the answer is obvious but not always feasible. Avoid the contaminated atmosphere. Get out the ol' water bucket and wash your hot rod (or family car) paints often. After washing it's always a good idea to protect your car's paint/clearcoat (topcoat) to use a quality polish or wax; one that doesn't contain silicone. Should you see the contamination, such as bird droppings, immediately clean with a mild detergent soap (or a car wash solution from a car wax manufacturer) before etching begins.
Should you find the contamination has begun the process then you will need to wash your hot rod (or family car) thoroughly with a water/detergent solution using a soft bristle brush and lightly scrub; keep the brush saturated with water. Afterward go over the affected areas with a rubbing compound and then follow with a proper polishing. Should the contamination be severe you may need to sand the affected areas, making sure the craters are sanded away completely before using a primer and topcoat.
Fish Eyes
OK, all hot rodders have heard of "fish eye" or seen this paint flaw on more than one occasion. It's also known as:silicone contamination, poor wetting, saucering, pits, craters, and cissing. (Most of these terms I've never heard of but they are used in the paint industry.)
The fish eye is a small, crater-like opening in the finish (topcoat or color) after it has been applied. It generally comes about because of improper or insufficientsurface cleaning or preparation. Remember a few paragraphs before we made mention of using a polish that's silicone free, now you know why. Many waxes and polishes contain silicone, the most common cause of fish eyes. Silicones adhere firmly to the paint film and require extra effort for their removal. Even small quantities in sanding, dust rags can cause this type of failure.
Another cause could be the leftover effects of a previous finish or an older repair. The previous finish or older repair may contain excessive amounts of silicone from additives used during their application. It's been painters' experiences that usually solvent wiping will not remove embedded silicone. Contamination is a big deal in painting and a contaminated air supply (water or oil), other oils, wax, grease, or silicone are the key points of emphasis when trying to avoid fish eye appearing in your new paint. Something to remember about silicone it can be found in polished but it can also be found in other aerosol sprays, such as interior cleaners or dressings and these should be kept away from any area that is used for painting.
It should be obvious what you need to do to prevent fish eye. Treat silicone as your enemy and keep it away from any and all areas to be used for painting. Make sure to properly clean the substrate to be painted and drain and clean air pressure regulators before any paint project is begun.
Should you find yourself with fish eye in your paint then you can apply light coats of basecoat until the defect is covered. There is also a fish-eye eliminator that can be used. If the fish eyes are severe then you will be required to sand the affected areas, clean thoroughly, and refinish.
Yep, here's another all of us are familiar with and it is also known as: loss of adhesion, shelling, poor bond, delamination, flaking, and poor adhesion. It is the loss of adhesion between the paint and the substrate (steel or aluminum) and the topcoat to primer and/or previous finish, or primer to substrate.
Again, improper cleaning and/or preparation is one method that will ensure that your paintjob will fail. This can manifest itself by not removing all of the sanding dust or other contaminants as it will stop the finish coat from coming in contact with the substrate. Improper metal treatment by failing to use a metal conditioner and/or wash primer is another way, as would be the use of incompatible material for substrate. Improper mixing, failure to use the proper sealer, and paint film too thick are more poor methods that can lead to peeling. By applying material too dry, material was too dry when the masking tape was removed, flash times too short, poor sanding techniques, condensation on substrate resulting from temperature changes, or too low or too high of surface temperature when applying refinish.
To prevent peeling from occurring make sure to degrease and prepare substrate carefully, use the proper grits of sandpaper, seal to eliminate sandscratch swelling, proper thinner or reducer for your work environment, proper thinner and reducer for primer-surfacer, compatible paint systems, and do not apply coats of primer too heavily.
Should you already be in peeling hell then you will need to remove paint from an area slightly larger than the affected area and refinish.
Again, another paint aliment known to rodders is often referred to as: pinholes, solvent retents, pock marks, pitting, pops, and pin pricks. These are tiny holes or groups of holes in the finish, in putty, or primer, and are the result of trapped solvents, air or moisture, or improper surface preparation.
The most probable causes of pinholing are some of the same issues that cause any number of problems. For instance, improper surface cleaning or preparation; moisture left on primer-surfacers will pass through the wet topcoat to cause pinholing. Contamination of air lines, moisture or oil in air lines will enter paint while being applied and cause pinholes when released during the drying stage. Wrong gun adjustment or technique; too wet, or if the gun is held too close to the surface, pinholes will occur when the air or excessive solvent is released during drying. Wrong thinner or reducer; solvent that's too fast for your garage temperature tends to make the refinisher spray too close to the surface in order to get adequate flow. When the solvent is too slow, it is trapped by subsequent topcoats. Improper drying; fanning (back to that again!) a newly applied finish can drive air into the surface or cause a skin to form, both of which result in pinholing when solvents retained in lower layers come to the surface. And a handful of lesser but equally troublesome poor techniques are insufficient sanding or filling of pores in fiberglass substrates, insufficient mixing of polyesters, solvent popping that has not been sanded to smooth, and insufficient isolation of polyesters.
Should you find yourself dealing with pinholes here are some ways out and these are all the same procedures you should have done with any number of other paint fixes. Thoroughly clean all areas to be painted and make sure surface is completely dry before applying undercoats or topcoats. Proper care and maintenance of air supply system and paint application equipment; also make sure you use the proper gun adjustments, techniques, and air pressure. Suitable thinner or reducer for your garage environment, allow proper flash time, and no fanning with compressed air through spray gun. Also, make sure to thoroughly mix polyesters, sand smooth the solvent pop pores and other defects.
Here's what many of us would call the most common paint oops: runs. It's also known as: overloading, curtains, gun spits, sags, sagging, and drips. But, let's face it, all of us call by what it looks like—a run. Officially it is the heavy application of sprayed material that fails to adhere uniformly to the surface.
Runs can be caused by incorrect spray viscosity, improper flash time, poor technique, or film (paint) thickness. Runs can also be brought about by a defective spray gun or improper setup, too much or the wrong thinner or reducer, surface contamination or the paint area is too cold, and the obvious, paint drops directly from the gun!
To prevent these causes it's better to allow vehicle surface to warm up to room temperature before applying paint, then maintain the proper room temperature, use a properly maintained gun with correct technique and air pressure. Make sure to allow for proper flash and drying time between coats and use the proper thinner and/or reducer, and proper equipment.
Ok, it's too late and there's a run, how do you remedy this problem? Begin by washing off the affected area and let dry until you can sand to a smooth surface and then refinish. For solid colors and clearcoats, sanding and polishing is recommended. In the case of a basecoat, refinishing after sanding is necessary.
Solvent Pop
Here's one that may not be so well known but around a paint shop solvent pop is all too common. It's also known as boiling, solvent boil, boil, and popping. It looks like a blister on the paint surface that's caused by trapped solvents in the topcoats or primer-surfacer, a situation which is further aggravated by force drying or uneven heating.
Some of the most common ways a solvent pop can occur results from solvent or air trapped in the paint and escapes during the drying process leaving a pop mark; incorrect spray viscosity, spray pressure, flash time, or improper drying; and, incorrect choice of hardeners and/or thinners.On the subject of fast-dry thinner or reducer, you need to be especially careful when the material is sprayed as too dry or at excessive pressure will lead to solvent pop. Drying (baking) temps are also critical; temperature too high, baking is started too soon after application, infrared lighting too close, too much material applied, and our old favorite, improper surface cleaning or preparation can all lead to solvent pop.
As with every aspect of prepping for the "perfect paintjob" it is always imperative that all areas to be painted are thoroughly cleaned, proper thinner and reducer is selected that works best in your area, always allow sufficient time between applying coats (flash and dry time) and never, never fan (using compress air through a spray gun) to assist drying time. Allow to dry naturally. Also, never spray too much material and always follow Axalta (DuPont) recommendations from their data sheets when working with their product.
Should you be well into solvent pop on your paintjob then you will find yourself having to remove the paint and get down to the undercoat, or possibly, the metal. This will be dictated by the depth of the blisters. And then it's time to refinish but this time paying attention to all the aspects of a good paintjob.
Well, these are some of the more common problems you and I will run across when painting. It happens to the pros just as easily to the do-it-yourselfer, invariable it is a matter of plan your work and work your plan—no rushing, no shortcuts, and no excuses. The number of steps associated with body and paintwork is time-consuming and can often be tedious work but the end result more than makes it worthwhile and worth the effort.
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Are you a small business owner with an American Express card? Well does Twitter have a deal for you! Last week Twitter formally announced a self-serve ad service designed to let small business owners buy and place ads in their Twitter stream using their AmEx card.
Yes, all ads must be placed through your credit card, which serves two purposes for Twitter. First, it means they don't need any phone representatives to take ads and, second, it serves as an easy way to screen new advertisers and keep bad people out. The service is currently only open to 10,000 small and mid-size business owners (each getting a $100 credit from AmEx), but Twitter is expected to let in more buyers over time.
Small business owners currently using other paid advertising (for example, Google AdWords) will be familiar with the way Twitter's self-serve ad system will work, but I'll let Twitter CEO Dick Costolo explain anyway:
As is the case for any of Twitter's 3,000 advertisers, small businesses can set bids for promoted accounts on a cost-per-follower basis and for promoted tweets on a cost-per-engagement basis/ In the latter case they pay only when users actively engage with the tweet (by retweeting, for instance.) While national brands might be bidding on keywords or hashtags associated with major events like the Oscars, which makes bidding competitive and expensive, small businesses would be more likely to bid on highly specific terms and to localize their bid.
So small business advertisers will be able to specify how much they want to spend, pick the cities they want their ad to appear for, and then construct their own sponsored tweet. It's an inevitable growth move for Twitter as the social networking site attempts to start generating revenue; however, I do wonder how effective it will be for small business owners, especially small business owners who don't have any experience with paid advertising. For some, this may be a low-barrier way to get into the paid ads game, but others may have a difficult time getting used to the 140-character format.
It will also be interesting to see how users will react. Part of the "fun" for users who engage with brands on Twitter is that it feels two-sided. They're having conversations and they're interacting with these brands as real people. Once SMBs start taking to Twitter for ads, not chit chat, will that change users' willingness to engage with them there? With SMBs be able to balance the two?
Naturally, Costolo is confident that this will be a lucrative new area for SMBs:
Mr. Costolo pointed to Glennz Tees, an online T-shirt retailer that was part of this winter's pilot group, as a small business that has already had success using the self-serve platform. After a character on "The Big Bang Theory" appeared on the show wearing a Glennz shirt, the owners took to their Twitter account and bought up terms related to the show. Mr. Costolo claims they doubled their holiday sales over the previous year and tripled their Twitter followers.
A fun little anecdote, but we'll have to see what happens for the rest of the SMBs out there. I think there's potential here for small business owners who have mastered talking and engaging their audience in small snippets, but if Twitter becomes too overrun with ads, we're obviously going to feel some pushback from users.
But what do you think? As a small business owner, will you experiment with Twitter's new self-serve ad platform or will you continue to keep advertising off social media?
If you are interested in signing up, head to https://ads.twitter.com/amex to get started. It's worth noting that the ad system isn't live yet. Twitter and AmEx are simply inviting advertisers to sign up for a formal launch of the service in March.

subset: commoncrawl


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Inside the mind of a workaholic
I am sleeping in the downstairs bedroom. Alone. Or sometimes with the dog.
I hate writing this story because I want to be a person you admire, but I also hate not writing it. Because I want to be a person I admire. I want to be a person known for honesty.
Which means I need to tell you that I wish I cared more that I'm not talking to the Farmer.
I hate that I have stories I don't want to tell. Because I have found that almost always, the secrets we keep matter a lot to us, but they don't matter to other people.
For example, I emailed to Melissa one day. "I have a secret: I drank wine at breakfast today and I haven't stopped."
I thought Melissa would email back that I'm an idiot and I'll be in rehab.
But she emailed back, "I forgot to get a refill for Lexapro and today is the first time in a year that I've initiated sex."
Secrets are fun. That's what I try to tell myself. It's fun to not have to have a secret anymore, really.
It's very hard to tell which of our secrets are huge and which are small. Like, I did not think it was a big deal when I said I was having a miscarriage, but that was a huge deal to a huge number of people. And I thought it was a huge deal when I said I was trying anti-anxiety meds, but no one really cared. What is a huge secret to you and what is a huge secret to everyone else is so different.
Which makes me feel unsure about secrets.
But I read a piece in the Wall St. Journal about a safari guide in Zimbabwe. He is one of the most famous safari guides in the world, and he says he tells people to "never run away from an animal. Always go slowly. Unless I tell you to run. Then run."
And there was one time when he was guiding a man and woman through some elephants, and a mother elephant started chasing them. So they had to run. They ran for about half a mile, and they still hadn't gotten away. And the woman said, "I can't go anymore. I can't run anymore. I just can't."
And the guide said, "Okay. I'll have to shoot the elephant."
Then she said, "No. I'll keep running." And she did.
I think we are like that. That if the alternative is terrible, we can keep running. But first we have to really believe the alternative is terrible.
I wish I felt more fulfilled being in a marriage with the Farmer. I love retreating to my work. I read that men who have stay-at-home wives treat women at work like their wives. That might be nice. I should go get an office job.
I should set new, really high traffic goals for my blog, and meet them. Web stats are like crack: I could be obsessed and look at them every day and not care about my personal life.
But I don't want another divorce. And the kids really love the Farmer. So I guess we are doing a trade right now. I cook and clean. And he lets me raise my kids on the farm. And the kids love him. We have not exactly discussed this trade. In fact, I have not spoken more than a few words to him in weeks.
And there was a fight. Of course. The fight was: I say something. He gets pissed off that I said it. I get hurt that he's pissed off. I can't remember the fight. The topic or anything.
I remember what the kids saw, though: He kicked me out of the house in front of the kids.
The kids left with me.
The next day, my seven-year-old said, "Dad. I'm sorry you had such a bad day yesterday. I'm sorry you kicked Mom out of the house."
The Farmer said, "I didn't kick her out of the house I…." (I can't remember what else he said.)
And my son said, "Well you told her to get out of the house twice. And you put her stuff on the porch."
The Farmer said, "I lost my temper. That was wrong. I should not lose my temper."
Later. Days later. When I had already stopped talking to the Farmer, I checked in with my seven-year-old while we were driving.
"How are you feeling about the divorce?"
He asked if I was talking about divorce between me and the Farmer.
I said, no, I'm talking about the divorce that actually happened, between me and my Ex.
My son said, "I am worried that Dad is going to throw you out of the house and then I will just live with him on the farm with him and I'm worried you won't have a place to live."
That killed me. So many different ways it killed me.
It is well known that as a rational act of self-preservation kids will often identify with the aggressor in the marriage. And that's what happening at my house. So I can't let the kids see us have a fight again because our fights are not safe for them to see.
I reviewed my options. Couples therapy has been totally useless. The therapist told us he thought we were hopeless. And divorce is out of the question because I think it's completely selfish with kids. So I decided it's my job to figure out how to be in this house without ever having another fight with the Farmer again. Because the fights are too costly emotionally to the kids.
Which means I'm retreating to my work. My work is always there for me. And I'm so good at work. And my work is interesting and fun and I meet such cool people. So for now, that's my best solution.
That's the end of the post. There.
But I thought it sounded like my life is going to hell. So I did some searches about being a workaholic. I thought it would be good to write about the virtues of having a great career to turn to if your personal life sucks. I wanted to give you links to research about how people with great careers can use them as tools to create resilience.
But there were no links. There were only links about how people gain resilience from intimate relationships. And, frankly, all the research about workaholics is that they are neurotic, delusional and lonely.
I love retreating to work so much. But I didn't want to have to tell you that because it's so lame. So last night, I did my webinar at 8pm. And at 9pm I walked up to the Farmer, after two months of not talking to him, and I said, "I want you to hug me."
I think he was surprised to see me even walk into his bedroom which two months ago was our shared bedroom.
He looked at me.
He said, "You must be really happy after that call. It sounded like you guys were having lots of fun."
I said, "No. I'm sad actually. I'm sad that we are not trying hard enough at the relationship. I'm sad that work is so much more fun than my personal life."
He hugged me.
And that is why, I think, that stories have so much power. We so much want a happy ending.


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(CNN) -- A severely disfigured woman received the nose, cheeks, upper jaw and facial tissue from a female cadaver in the first near-total face transplant in the United States, the woman's surgeon said Wednesday.
Cleveland Clinic doctors replaced 80 percent of a woman's face two weeks ago in the first such U.S. surgery.
The 22-hour face surgery was completed two weeks ago by a team of eight surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic.
The patient had severe deformity in the middle of her face and was missing her right eye and upper jaw, the Cleveland Clinic doctors said. She could not taste or smell, and she had trouble speaking.
Dr. Maria Siemionow, the head of plastic surgery research at the Cleveland, Ohio, hospital, said many people are "hiding from society because they're afraid to walk to the grocery stores; they're afraid to go to streets because they're called names and humiliated."
"Our patient was called names, and our patient was humiliated," she said. "We very much hope for this special group of patients, there is hope, and one day they will be able to go comfortably from their houses and enjoy the things which we take for granted."
The patient is doing well, the doctors said. Interactive: More details of the surgery »
Details about the recipient, including her name and age, were withheld at her request.
In the surgery, 80 percent of the woman's face was transplanted. The forehead and chin were left intact.
In this transplant, tissue from the donor's face was shaped and fitted into position. Multiple layers of tissue, bone, muscles and blood vessels, nerve grafts and each artery and vein were connected. Watch an explanation about face transplants »
"Our hope is she should be able to smile again," said Dr. Frank A. Papay, chairman of the Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Institute at the Cleveland Clinic.
With physical therapy, surgeons hope the patient will regain her ability to smell and blink and will have other facial functions.
Siemionow said the patient never saw a photo of the donor and said, "the donor never looks like the recipient. The recipient never looks like the donor."
Siemionow had medical and ethical clearance for a full facial transplant since 2004. She said it has taken 20 years of research and four years to find the right patient who understood the risks involved.
The doctors' approach from the beginning was to consider "only patients who are the most disfigured" and had "exhausted all existing procedures," Siemionow said.
"This patient exhausted all conventional means of reconstruction and is the right patient," she said. Watch Dr. Siemionow in the news conference. »
Dr. Eric Kodish, the professor and chairman of the Cleveland Clinic's Department of Bioethics, said doctors thought she would adhere to medications after the surgery.
"This patient had very robust decision-making capacity," he said.
Like with all transplants, there is a risk that the recipient's body could reject the graft. The doctors say they haven't seen any such signs.
The transplant recipient has to take immune-suppressing drugs for the rest of his or her life to prevent rejection of the donated tissue.
In the past three years, facial transplants have been completed in France and China, but these cases have raised medical and ethical questions. Read about the first facial transplant
Some candidates for a face transplant are survivors of trauma, such as burn or accident victims, who have exhausted all other reconstructive possibilities.
The recipient in France, Isabelle Dinoire, had been mauled by a dog, and the Chinese man, Li Guoxing, was attacked by a bear. Both received major facial disfigurements.
In 2007, a French team performed the third partial facial transplant on a man who was disfigured by a genetic disorder that created large tumors on his face. Watch a 2006 report about China's first face transplant
Guo Shuzhong, the face transplant doctor who handled Li's case, confirmed to CNN that he died in July of unknown causes. Li last visited the hospital in summer 2007, and he stayed in his hometown in Yunnan province.
The doctor told CNN that Li had a checkup in a small hospital in his hometown three weeks before his death but that no health problems had been found. Watch an ITN report about the Li's case
The facial transplants in France and China generated much controversy as questions arose about whether the patients were adequately vetted and informed about the risks. Those procedures have been "under an ethical cloud," said David Young, a professor of plastic surgery at the University of California, San Francisco.
The current face transplant patient understood the risk of rejection and of immunosuppressants, doctors said.
Criticism of facial transplants
Critics such as Peter A. Clark, director of the Institute of Catholic Bioethics at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said a facial transplant introduces unnecessary risks for a procedure that is not a matter of life and death.
"With something like a liver or kidney transplant, it's a life or death transplant," Clark said. "Even with a kidney or liver [transplant], you have to be put on immunosuppressants with serious side effects."
Bioethicist Dr. Arthur Caplan, chairman of the University of Pennsylvania's Medical Ethics Department, said Wednesday on CNN's "American Morning" that he initially had similar qualms about the facial transplant, which improves the quality of a life rather than saving it, but was gradually convinced.
People with major facial disfigurements "don't come out and basically stay at home and have a huge suicide rate," Caplan said. "They're really up against it."
At the news conference Wednesday, Kodish said the transplant had "abundant moral justification": the face as a personal embodiment as self.
He added that people with disfigurements are often isolated and suffer tremendously and that this case was "not cosmetic surgery in any sense."
Patient's reaction
Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic said that because the patient has limited vision after the surgery, she has yet to see herself.
"At this point she can't see herself but can feel her face," Siemionow said. "She was happy when she could go over her face" and could feel that "she has a nose, she has jaws and has a full face."
After the surgery, the patient was heavily sedated from being on the breathing machine.
As she was slowly awakening, medical staff members asked her how she was feeling and whether she was comfortable.
"She gave a thumbs up, first indication she was comfortable," said Dr. Chad Gordon, a fellow at the clinic's department of plastic surgery. "She has been speaking to us very slightly. Most of communication has been through writing."
Siemionow said the patient will need re-educate her facial motion and need three to six months of nerve regeneration.
CNN's Miriam Falco and Judy Kwon contributed to this report.
All About Surgery • The Cleveland Clinic


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JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — BP's plan to pull out of Alaska could leave a big hole for nonprofits and other programs that benefited from the oil giant's donations and its employee volunteers.
BP on Tuesday announced it would sell its Alaska assets to Hilcorp in a deal expected to close next year. BP, which has had a decades-long presence in the state, said it employs about 1,600 people in Alaska.
Its footprint has extended beyond the North Slope, where it has interests in Prudhoe Bay, other developments and the trans-Alaska pipeline.
Its philanthropy has included support for student scholarship and teacher honors, summer engineering programs, community cleanups and other initiatives. Employees were encouraged to volunteer and serve on boards.
The BP Energy Center in Anchorage offered free day-time meeting space to nonprofits and community groups, said Tamera Lienhart, director of community affairs for BP Alaska.
Meg Baldino, a BP spokeswoman, said the center will be left as a gift to Alaska. Details on who would run the center remained unclear.
Cassandra Stalzer, a vice president with United Way of Anchorage, said Alaska — with its small population — has a "pretty thin philanthropic layer," with few foundations of size that broadly support "the general good" or social service projects, and not a lot of wealthy people who have taken leading philanthropic roles.
"So BP has been, for many years, one of the most significant players in philanthropy as a whole for the state," she said.
Since 1998, Stalzer said BP and its employees have provided $22 million to her organization for community programs.
She said she thinks there has been a greater focus on the role of nonprofits in community health through this year's state budget debate and now the expected departure of BP. Often nonprofits are seen as "nice-to-have extras," but they provide important services, such as housing and mental health programs, she said.
"This could be a quality of life moment for us where we need to figure out what it is that we really value and stand for," she said. United Way continues to press ahead and hopes people take this as an opportunity to get involved, she said.
Laurie Wolf, president and CEO of The Foraker Group, which helps build up nonprofits, said BP's long history and breadth of giving has been notable.
BP reported donating more than $3 million to Alaska community organizations in 2017, with its employees supporting hundreds of education and community groups and youth teams. Baldino said the 2018 figure was $4 million.
The company has had rough spots. In 2011, BP's Alaska subsidiary agreed to pay a $25 million penalty after a spill five years earlier of crude oil from BP pipelines on the North Slope.
State Sen. Bill Wielechowski, an Anchorage Democrat, acknowledged BP's contributions but also said the company has looked out for its corporate interests. He said BP has been in "harvest mode" at the aging Prudhoe Bay and hasn't explored on the North Slope for years.
"I don't wish them any ill will at all but the reality is, they have a different business model and Alaska just doesn't fit in their model right now," he said.
BP said its planned sale was part of an effort to divest $10 billion in assets this year and next. The sale to Hilcorp was valued at $5.6 billion.
Kara Moriarty, president and CEO of the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, said there are unknowns, including what will happen with employees.
"We don't know what's going to happen to corporate contributions. But we do know that both companies have demonstrated commitment in the past, and I have no doubt that's going to continue," she said.
Hilcorp spokesman Justin Furnace said plans for the BP workforce "will develop as we determine how we will integrate the acquisition into Hilcorp's existing operations."
By email Wednesday, he said giving back is important to Hilcorp and its employees, citing volunteerism, sponsoring Future Leaders of America scholarships and employee dollars and company-matched funds supporting Alaska charities.
Lisa Parady, executive director of the Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals, said BP for years has been generous in providing student scholarships through a partnership with her organization.
She said she's hopeful Hilcorp will consider programs BP has supported "that have a significant impact on the lives of our students, and certainly we'll be reaching out to them to ask them to consider continuing with this program."


text: Grammy nominee Mika is about to release his third album, The Origin of Love, and the pop singer got a little bit of help from Broadway for one of the record's catchy tunes. On "Popular Song," Mika samples the Wicked number "Popular," originally made famous by Kristin Chenoweth. In the tune, Mika sings about dismissing the negative people who once made fun of him but have tried to befriend him after he became famous. Mika isn't the first musician to take a liking to the song: in 2010 Kanye West sampled "Popular" as well. Mika's album is available October 8. Take a listen below!


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Your refrigerator needs a few inches of space on the hinge side in order for the door to open fully. If there's a wall on that side it means you leave a gap. A bit of lumber and some inexpensive hardware can turn that gap into a pull-out pantry.
This picture is from [Ratmax00's] pantry project. He had a 6.5″ gap to work with and started the build by making a wooden frame using pocket screws for the butt joints. Four casters were added to the bottom to make it roll in and out easily. He needed a handle and a way to make sure commodities didn't fall off the shelves. He chose to use a 3D printer for brackets that hold the fence dowels and a custom handle. If you don't have that just hit the cabinet hardware aisle at your local home store.
We wonder if it would have been possible to use full-extension draw rails mounted above and below the cabinet in addition to a couple of wheels? This would help keep the pantry from scraping against the fridge or the wall.
While you're building bookshelf sized things why not get to work on a hidden door as well?


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Supporters of deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi fought a gunbattle with security forces in a Cairo mosque today, while Egypt's army-backed government, facing deepening chaos, considered banning his Muslim Brotherhood group.
Three witnesses saw gunmen shoot from a window of the al-Fath mosque, where Brotherhood followers sheltered during ferocious confrontations in the heart of Cairo on Friday.
Another gunman was shown on television shooting from the mosque's minaret and soldiers outside returning fire. It was not clear if anyone died in the latest clash - the fourth day of violence in Egypt, which has killed almost 800 people.
With anger rising on all sides, prime minister Hazem el-Beblawi proposed disbanding the Brotherhood, raising the stakes in a bloody struggle between the state and Islamists for control of the Arab world's most populous nation.
"We are not facing political divisions, we are facing a war being waged by extremists developing daily into terrorism," presidential political adviser Mostafa Hegazy told reporters.
If Mr Beblawi's proposal to disband the Brotherhood is acted on, it would force the group underground and could herald large-scale arrests against its members placed outside the law.
Many Western allies have denounced the killings, including the United States, alarmed by the chaos in a country which has a strategic peace treaty with Israel and operates the Suez Canal, a major artery of world trade.
However, Saudi Arabia threw its weight behind the army-backed government on Friday, accusing its old foes in the Muslim Brotherhood of trying to destabilise Egypt.
The health ministry said 173 people died in clashes across Egypt on Friday, including 95 in central Cairo, after the Brotherhood called a 'Day of Rage' to denounce a crackdown on its followers on Wednesday that killed at least 578 people.
Fifty-seven policemen died over the past three days, the interior ministry said. Among those killed on Friday was a son of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie, shot dead close to al-Fath mosque, which was rapidly transformed into a makeshift morgue and a refuge for hundreds of Mr Morsi's supporters, looking to escape the bloodshed.
The building was surrounded overnight and police fired volleys of tear gas into the carpeted prayer hall in the early afternoon, filling the hall with billowing white smoke and leaving those inside gasping for breath.
Soon afterwards gunshots rang out from both sides.
Egyptian authorities said they had rounded up more than a thousand Islamists after Friday's protests, showing one handcuffed man on television with an automatic gun on his lap.
Security sources said Mohamed Al-Zawahiri, the brother of al Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, had also been detained.
"Friday was a very bad, ugly day. There were attacks on police stations, ministries. The situation is very bad," the prime minister told reporters.
"There will be no reconciliation with those whose hands have been stained with blood and who turned weapons against the state and its institutions."
The Brotherhood was officially dissolved by Egypt's military rulers in 1954, but registered itself as a non-governmental organisation in March in a response to a court case brought by opponents of the group who were contesting its legality.
Founded in 1928, the movement has deep roots in the provinces and has a legally registered political arm - the Freedom and Justice Party - which was set up in 2011 after unrest that led to the downfall of the autocratic Hosni Mubarak.
The Brotherhood won all five elections that followed the toppling of Mubarak, and Mr Morsi governed the country for a year until he was undermined by mammoth rallies called by critics who denounced his rule as incompetent and partisan.
Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi says he removed Mr Morsi from office on July 3rd to protect the country from possible civil war.
Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad said the police had started to arrest the sons and daughters of the organisation's leadership in an effort to gain leverage.
Despite the bloodshed, the Islamist group has urged its supporters to take to the streets every day this coming week, but there was no sign of large rallies by Saturday afternoon.
"Our rejection of the coup regime has become an Islamic, national and ethical obligation that we can never abandon," said the Brotherhood, which has accused the military of plotting the downfall of Mr Morsi to regain the levers of power. Iraq, wracked by its own civil strife, urged restraint.
"We were shocked by the huge number of casualties that resulted from breaking up the protests and by the excessive use of power," Iraqi foreign minister Hoshiyar Zebari told US-based al Hurra television.
Worryingly for the Egyptian army, violence was reported across the country on Friday, with deaths reported in at least eight cities and towns, suggesting it might struggle to impose control on the vast, largely desert state.
The government said 12 churches had been attacked and burned on Friday, blaming the Islamists for the destruction.
Foreign journalists in Cairo said they faced regular harassment as they tried to report on the clashes, with a number detained by police and civilian vigilante groups unhappy with coverage of the disturbances.


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Video of Michael Jackson's final rehearsal has been released, with the singer looking in relatively lithe form just two days before his death.
But it's not Jackson you want to know about. MusicRadar has been inundated with requests for information about his guitarist, who shares centre-stage in the rehearsal footage of They Don't Care About Us.
Watch the video below, Michael Jackson's final rehearsal.
Who's Orianthi?
But who's the guitarist? She's called Orianthi, and here's what you need to know.
1. She was born in Adelaide, Australia, in January 1985.
2. Orianthi started playing piano at the age of three, moving to acoustic guitar at six, and soon after studying classical guitar.
3. At 11 she saw Carlos Santana play live and begged her parents for a PRS guitar of her own.
4. At 14, she sent demos of her electric playing to Santana, along with a biography and some classical guitar pieces. To Orianthi's surprise, when Santana was next in Adelaide she received a personal invitation asking her to come down to soundcheck and bring her guitar. She ended up playing on-stage with Santana.
5. She played live with Steve Vai (pictured) at 15.
6. Carlos Santana says Orianthi is "an angel that can play guitar... a lady who has an incredible future", and has her signed to his personal management company.
7. Santana also says, as she matures as a player: "It's not cute any more. It's seriously ass-whupping. If I was going to pass the baton to somebody, she would be my first choice."
Live at NAMM 2006
Next page: Gear, remembering Jackson and a lick lesson
8. On Santana's recommendation, she became an official PRS endorsee. "I'm on the PRS website under 'O' which is very, very cool," she says. "I don't know how to explain it, I just love their guitars."
9. On those PRS guitars she says: "I play a PRS Custom 22. I learned on a Custom 24. It was set for a country guitarist, so it had a really high action. It had .10s (string gauge) so it was kind of hard to play, I really had to work at it. I think it worked well for me in the end because picking up other guitars now, it's easier to play them. So if you begin with heavier-gauged strings on an acoustic you really work the muscles in your hands. I use .9's now.
"I like to just plug in and play, I don't use a lot of effects. At home I use a Hughes & Kettner and in the States I use Bogner. With my effects, usually I'll use a delay, some reverb, a Vox Wah or Morley Two."
10. On being a high-profile woman guitarist she says: "I'd like to be able to get more girls to play guitar. I think with a girl playing electric guitar, sometimes it's seen a bit like a guy doing ballet. All the people I learned guitar from have been guys. There are some great female players like Bonnie Raitt and Jennifer Batten but very few.
"Being promoted as a bubble-gum type artist that has one hit and it's all over is not something I want to do. I want a long career. I want to continue to play guitar and have as much guitar in there as possible in a commercial song without being too indulgent."
11. About working with Michael Jackson, she 'Tweeted' after his sudden death: "I'm looking back on some wonderful memories and feeling really sad.
"MJ was ready and was taken far too soon. He was such a wonderful person. RIP."
Watch Orianthi demonstrate her Guitar Run Of The Week #2 from her YouTube channel.
Liked this? Now read: The best electric guitars under £300 and 7 best low-powered tube amp tops under £300


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"A Family Vacation All Summer Long!"
Pine Cove Beach Club offers a wide variety of services and activities for all ages. Whether you are looking for an exciting summer vacation for the entire family, an RV camping adventure or a great day for a group picnic, Pine Cove is the place for you!
Phone: (724) 239-2900 ......... Fax: (724) 239-2677 ......... Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Physical Address: 1495 Route 481, Charleroi, PA 15022
Mailing Address: 116 Beach Dr., Charleroi, PA 15022


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Forgot where you put your keys? Or your car?
If you are over 60, it may just be a normal part of aging, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday in a study that suggests brain structures deteriorate with age in otherwise healthy people.
The study, published in the journal Neuron, is part of an effort by researchers at Harvard University to understand the difference between normal, age-related declines and clinical impairment.
"We're trying to understand the edge of that boundary between normal aging and Alzheimer's disease," said Randy Buckner, a Harvard professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute researcher who worked on the study.
Buckner and colleagues took brain scans of 55 adults ages 60 and over, and 38 younger adults ages 35 and younger. They used an imaging technique called PET to detect the presence of amyloid, a chemical typically associated with Alzheimer's disease, to rule out those whose memory declines were disease-related.
What they found is that some brain systems become less coordinated with age. "It looks like it is an effect of normal aging independent of Alzheimer's disease," Buckner said in a telephone interview.
They found brain structures called white matter tracks, which carry information between different regions of the brain, were deteriorating only in the older group.
"In young adults, the front of the brain was pretty well in sync with the back of the brain," Jessica Andrews-Hanna, a graduate student in Buckner's lab, said in a statement. "In older adults this was not the case. The regions became out of sync and they were less correlated with each other."
Buckner said the study suggests the cognitive decline in aging may be linked to communication problems between regions of the brain.
"We are talking about an effect that is progressing in the late decades of our lives," he said.
Not everyone was impaired to the same degree. This may help explain why some people who develop Alzheimer's disease succumb quickly and others decline more slowly.
"Some brains may be better prepared for the assault of Alzheimer's disease," Buckner said, adding that changes related to normal aging are mild compared with those associated with the progressive, degenerative disease that robs people of memory, reasoning and the ability to communicate.
"While it may mean our 80-year-old selves are not like when we were 20, it doesn't mean we are not doing extremely well compared to (the) disease," Buckner said.


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More changing of the guard among the leadership ranks at VMware. CMO Rick Jackson is on his way out of the enterprise software company. He's stepping down as CMO moving into SVP role, although he'll remain CMO until a replacement is found. According to an internal note provided to TechCrunch, "Rick Jackson will be transitioning to a new role as SVP of Global Enablement. Rick remains CMO until a replacement is hired and transition completed."
We'd been hearing other details this week that we weren't able to confirm, although this latest development shows that they were not entirely off the mark, either. Jackson had told some staff earlier in the week that he would be leaving his role because the new CEO — Pat Gelsinger, who joined in September 2012 to replace Paul Maritz — wanted his CMO to be "10 feet down the hall". Jackson recently moved from the Bay Area — VMware is headquartered in Palo Alto — to Austin, Texas.
These two aren't the only c-level executives to leave VMware. The virtualization giant also lost its CTO Steve Herrod, who left to join General Catalyst in January 2013. Further back, in April 2012, VMware's CFO Mark Peek left for Workday.
Jackson, who has been in IT for 25 years, has been with VMware since 2009 and has also had roles at BEA Systems and Borland Software.
We've reached out to the company and will update this post with more details as we learn them.
Photo: Flickr


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Indianapolis, IN – Indianapolis Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw is out for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Bradshaw is suffering from neck discomfort and hasn't practiced this week. Trent Richardson, just acquired from Cleveland prior to last week's game against San Francisco, will carry a bulk of the rushing load as a result.
Bradshaw ran for 95 yards in last Sunday's win over the 49ers.
Also out for Sunday's game is safety LaRon Landry, who also missed Week 3's game with an ankle injury.


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It has been heralded as one of the most significant pieces of legislation ever produced by the federal government—one that impacted the United States socially, economically and politically. But it almost never came to pass.
The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944—commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights—nearly stalled in Congress as members of the House and Senate debated provisions of the controversial bill.
Some shunned the idea of paying unemployed veterans $20 a week because they thought it diminished their incentive to look for work. Others questioned the concept of sending battle-hardened veterans to colleges and universities, a privilege then reserved for the rich.
Despite their differences, all agreed something must be done to help veterans assimilate into civilian life.
Much of the urgency stemmed from a desire to avoid the missteps following World War I, when discharged veterans got little more than a $60 allowance and a train ticket home.
During the Great Depression, some veterans found it difficult to make a living. Congress tried to intervenebby passing the World War Adjusted Act of 1924, commonly known as the Bonus Act. The law provided a bonus based on the number of days served. But there was a catch: most veterans wouldn't see a dime for 20 years.
A group of veterans marched on Washington, D.C., in the summer of 1932 to demand full payment of their bonuses. When they didn't get it, most went home. But some decided to stick around until they got paid. They were later kicked out of town following a bitter standoff with U.S. troops. The incident marked one of the greatest periods of unrest our nation's capital had ever known.
The return of millions of veterans from World War II gave Congress a chance at redemption. But the GI Bill had far greater implications. It was seen as a genuine attempt to thwart a looming social and economic crisis. Some saw inaction as an invitation to another depression.
Harry W. Colmery, a former national commander of the American Legion and former Republican National Chairman, is credited with drawing up the first draft of the GI Bill. It was introduced in the House on Jan. 10, 1944, and in the Senate the following day. Both chambers approved their own versions of the bill.
But the struggle was just heating up. The bill almost died when Senate and House members came together to debate their versions. Both groups agreed on the education and home loan benefits, but were deadlocked on the unemployment provision.
Ultimately, Rep. John Gibson of Georgia was rushed in to cast the tie-breaking vote. The Senate approved the final form of the bill on June 12, and the House followed on June 13. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it into law on June 22, 1944.
The Veterans Administration (VA) was responsible for carrying out the law's key provisions: education and training, loan guaranty for homes, farms or businesses, and unemployment pay.
Before the war, college and homeownership were, for the most part, unreachable dreams for the average American. Thanks to the GI Bill, millions who would have flooded the job market instead opted for education. In the peak year of 1947, veterans accounted for 49 percent of college admissions. By the time the original GI Bill ended on July 25, 1956, 7.8 million of 16 million World War II veterans had participated in an education or training program.
Millions also took advantage of the GI Bill's home loan guaranty. From 1944 to 1952, VA backed nearly 2.4 million home loans for World War II veterans.
While veterans embraced the education and home loan benefits, few collected on one of the bill's most controversial provisions—the unemployment pay. Less than 20 percent of funds set aside for this were used.
In 1984, former Mississippi Congressman Gillespie V. "Sonny" Montgomery revamped the GI Bill, which has been known as the "Montgomery GI Bill" ever since, assuring that the legacy of the original GI Bill lives on, as VA home loan guaranty and education programs continue to work for our newest generation of combat veterans.
In 2008, the GI Bill was updated once again. The new law gives veterans with active duty service on, or after, Sept. 11 2001, enhanced educational benefits that cover more educational expenses, provide a living allowance, money for books and the ability to transfer unused educational benefits to spouses or children.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Statement on Signing the G.I. Bill June 22, 1944
This bill, which I have signed today, substantially carries out most of the recommendations made by me in a speech on July 28, 1943, and more specifically in messages to the Congress dated October 27, 1943, and November 23, 1943:
1. It gives servicemen and women the opportunity of resuming their education or technical training after discharge, or of taking a refresher or re-trainer course, not only without tuition charge up to $500 per school year, but with the right to receive a monthly living allowance while pursuing their studies.
2. It makes provision for the guarantee by the Federal Government of not to exceed 50 percent of certain loans made to veterans for the purchase or construction of homes, farms, and business properties.
3. It provides for reasonable unemployment allowances payable each week up to a maximum period of one year, to those veterans who are unable to find a job.
4. It establishes improved machinery for effective job counseling for veterans and for finding jobs for returning soldiers and sailors.
5. It authorizes the construction of all necessary additional hospital facilities.
6. It strengthens the authority of the Veterans Administration to enable it to discharge its existing and added responsibilities with promptness and efficiency.
With the signing of this bill a well-rounded program of special veterans' benefits is nearly completed. It gives emphatic notice to the men and women in our armed forces that the American people do not intend to let them down.
By prior legislation, the Federal Government has already provided for the armed forces of this war: adequate dependency allowances; mustering-out pay; generous hospitalization, medical care, and vocational rehabilitation and training; liberal pensions in case of death or disability in military service; substantial war risk life insurance, and guaranty of premiums on commercial policies during service; protection of civil rights and suspension of enforcement of certain civil liabilities during service; emergency maternal care for wives of enlisted men; and reemployment rights for returning veterans.
This bill therefore and the former legislation provide the special benefits which are due to the members of our armed forces — for they "have been compelled to make greater economic sacrifice and every other kind of sacrifice than the rest of us, and are entitled to definite action to help take care of their special problems." While further study and experience may suggest some changes and improvements, the Congress is to be congratulated on the prompt action it has taken.


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I have lots of ideas for products to be built. The problem is that I have less than a year of professional work experience and I am afraid of getting judged negatively in the future based on what I produce now. I have no clue if my code is any good.
I am not familiar with any of the coding patterns. All I know is to build products that work. I want to have a public profile in github for my future projects and I will try hard to make sure that it is well commented, is optimized and clean.
These are the things that I fear getting exposed publicly:
- My code may not be highly optimized.
- Wrong usage of certain libraries or functions which coincidentally get the job done.
- Not knowing or following any coding pattern.
- Lots of bugs/ not considering corner, edge cases
- Fundamental lack of understanding and application of certain concepts such as thread safety, concurrency issues in multi-threaded programming, etc.
Should I go ahead and get started or continue to stick to building stuff locally and privately till I get more experience. I don't want the mistakes made here to haunt my career prospects in the long run.


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View EMCTO 2013 Searchable Programme Download EMCTO 2013 Programme (PDF)
Who should attend?
Specialists from all disciplines dealing with lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies, particularly medical oncologists, radiotherapists, pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, radio diagnosticians, pathologists, basic scientists and epidemiologist will benefit from attending this conference.
Conference objectives
- To present regular, interdisciplinary discussions on current standards of care and strengthen knowledge on important milestones in thoracic oncology
- To discuss the role of multimodality therapy in thoracic oncology
- To translate into clinical practice tools, substantial developments in the management of thoracic tumours
- To understand biology and pathohistology of thoracic cancer entities and novel therapies
CME accreditation
The programme of this event will be:
- Accredited 15 ESMO-MORA category 1 points
- Accredited 12 CME credits from ACOE (Accreditation Council for Oncology in Europe). ACOE accreditation has been endorsed by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME), an institution of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). These credits are also recognised by the American Medical Association (AMA) as Physician's Recognition Award (AMA PRA category 1 credits)
All accepted abstracts will be published as a supplement of the journal Lung Cancer.
Webcasts and Reports
Webcasts and reports from the conference will be available on OncologyPRO.


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Easy Gluten Free Wafflewich
from A Girl Who Loves Cupcakes
Hi Everybody! While Carrie is off having fun in Seattle she asked me if I'd be willing to do a guest post. My food blog is my photo journal of my quest to live a healthy life. I don't actually follow a Gluten Free Diet, but since meeting Carrie I've learned SO much about it. I've continued to be surprised by all the foods that are secretly harboring gluten! So, when I found this recipe last week in Kraft Food & Family, I got together with Carrie and we realized it could easily be made Gluten Free by just substituting Gluten Free Waffles.
Gluten Free Wafflewich
by A Girl Who Loves Cupcakes
2 Frozen Gluten Free Waffles likes the ones by Vans or Nature's Path.
1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter
1 Small Banana, sliced
• Prepare waffles as directed on box.
• Spread Peanut butter evenly over one waffle and add bananas.
• Top with remaining waffle and enjoy!
If you can tolerate dairy, you could also add a thin layer of Nutella for a creamy chocolate hazelnut surprise or make a savory version by using scrambled eggs and bacon instead of the peanut butter and bananas.
So, that's it! Easy and oh so delicious!!
For Quick Gluten Free Homemade Waffles:
If you want to make your own waffles using the new Gluten Free/Casein Free Master Baking Mix here's a super easy recipe:
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 tablespoon oil
Turn waffle iron on to warm. In a medium sized bowl or 4 cup measuring cup whisk together 3/4 cup water, eggs, and oil. In another bowl mix together baking mix, baking powder, and sugar. Whisk dry ingredients into wet ingredients until fully combined. Mixture may be thicker and a bit lumpier than regular waffle batter, this is okay! Pour batter onto waffle iron and cook as directed for your individual waffle iron. Makes 8 (4 inch) square waffles. Serve immediately or freeze leftovers.


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Send Results to This Email:
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Amos Maki
SEND COMMERCIAL LEASE ANNOUNCEMENTS to Amos Maki, who can be reached at 603-4025 or email@example.com.
The Winchester Law Firm is moving to a new space within the Triad Centre II office building in East Memphis with a new buildout.
The law firm will occupy 5,523 square feet in the Highwoods Properties office building at 6060 Poplar Ave.
Rick Charlton, managing partner with the Winchester Law Firm, said the Triad Centre II building, on Poplar near Interstate 240 in the heart of East Memphis, has proved an ideal location for the firm's attorneys and clients.
The location, along with the law firm's long-term relationship with Highwoods, solidified the deal.
"The Winchester Law Firm began its tenancy at 6060 Poplar in 1992 when we combined our Downtown office and our East Memphis office in one location," Charlton said. "This address has proven convenient for our attorneys and clients – regardless of their location in the Memphis metropolitan area or when coming from elsewhere, and regardless of whether the matter involved commercial transactions, real estate, litigation, estates, government or otherwise.
"We appreciate the cooperation and support that Highwoods has given us over the years and look forward to continuing a good relationship."
Kemp Conrad and Matt Weathersby, principals with Commercial Advisors/Cushman & Wakefield, represented the law firm, while John Mercer represented Highwoods.
Conrad said everybody involved in the transaction worked hard to find a creative solution that allowed the Winchester Law Firm to maintain its prime location.
"We were honored to arrange a solution that allowed the Winchester Law Firm to stay in a Class A building in new space by flipping across the hall, as opposed to a rolling renovation of their current space," Conrad said. "Highwoods, as usual, was very creative and accommodating in working with us in assisting a 20-plus-year customer in meeting their needs."
In other news, Lakeland will be getting a new McDonald's restaurant. McDonald's recently closed on the $500,000 purchase of a vacant, 1.1-acre parcel on the north side of U.S. 64, just east of Houston Levee Road in Lakeland.
Charlie Oates of Oates Commercial Properties represented McDonald's. Danny Buring and John Reed of The Shopping Center Group LLC represented the seller, PPM LP.
In leasing news, Eye Spectrum is staying at Palisade Place.
Eye Spectrum renewed its lease for 1,600 square feet in the 14,460-square-foot center at Poplar Avenue and Holmes Road.
Laura Warren represented landlord Loeb Properties, while Tracy Speake of Paradigm Realty Advisors represented Eye Spectrum.
MasTec has inked a lease at Shelby Oaks Corporate Park.
MasTec, a national engineering and construction infrastructure firm, has signed a lease for 1,875 square feet at 1679 Shelby Oaks Drive inside the Shelby Oaks development. MasTec will provide alarm installation for AT&T.
Elliot Embry with NAI Saig Co. represented MasTec, while Trip Spear with Belz Enterprises represented Belz.
Leslie's Pool Supplies has renewed its Collierville lease.
The pool-supply company occupies 2,550 square feet at 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 11, inside the Shops of Collierville.
Allen Israel of Loeb Realty Group represented the landlord.


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Foreign Particle Detection
February 3, 2009
Malvern has added a new capability to its Morphologi G3 automated particle characterization system, enabling the fully automated detection, enumeration, and size classification of foreign particulate matter (FPM) collected on a filter. Analysis of FPM on filters has traditionally been the preserve of manual light microscopy. Now, the Morphologi G3 brings fully automated image analysis to accelerate characterization and remove any operator subjectivity. As well as generating fast, reproducible results, the unit provides large amounts of information about each individual particle, allowing detailed investigation, troubleshooting, and process and quality control. Several different sample carriers are available for mounting prepared filters of different sizes on to the system. These allow two filters to be presented and analyzed successively with no manual intervention.
Malvern Instruments Inc., Westborough, MA 508-768-6400 www.malvern.com
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Rubio: Boehner Is Right About Tough Path for Immigration Plan
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) remains focused on his effort to draft and pass a bipartisan bill to allow the children of some illegal immigrants to be in the country legally, after comments from Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) that his measure would face a serious political challenge.
"I think what [Boehner] said was that it is going to be difficult given this political climate," Rubio said. "I agree with that. I think it is going to be difficult. I never said it was going to be easy. If this was an easy issue, it would have been done a long time ago.
"And I think [Boehner] went on to say … that it is going to be even more difficult because the president isn't showing leadership on it," he added.
Rubio said the White House has also been "actively trying to torpedo my efforts" by calling in immigration advocates and urging them not to back Rubio's bill.
"I think Speaker Boehner was acknowledging how difficult it is going to be given the highly politicized climate the president is contributing to, and I agree it's going to be hard to pass," Rubio said. "But I am hopeful that we are going to come up with an idea [that] makes sense, that calls to Americans' spirit of humanitarianism, that recognizes that these kids do not have legal right to be here, but that appeals to our conscience."
A senior administration aide said that the president is willing to work with any Member on immigration.
"But the president expects serious partners, and that is something we have not seen," the aide said, adding that comprehensive immigration reform remains a priority for the White House and has been the focus of meetings with stakeholders.
Some Democrats have cast Rubio's efforts as an attempt by Republicans to try to curry favor with Latino voters as the GOP presidential primary winds down. Some also see it as him trying to burnish his reputation among Hispanics in case presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney chooses Rubio as his running mate.
Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), who heads the Senate Democrats' policy and communication shop, said Boehner's comments "show how far Sen. Rubio has to go in trying to gain Republican support for any proposal to help immigrant students." Schumer, who also is chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security, added, "Sen. Rubio should be commended for trying to advance the conversation, but he is likely to find his party unwilling to abandon its hard-line, anti-immigrant stance."
Rubio's comments came after Boehner assessed the chances for Rubio's bill in the House as not great.
"There's always hope," Boehner said. "But the problem with this issue is we're operating in a very hostile political environment, and to deal with a very difficult issue like this I think it would be difficult at best."
Rubio has been drafting a bill that would allow the children of illegal immigrants to stay in the country if they have a clean criminal record and join the military or attend college.
Rubio's bill is a variation on the legislation sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). Durbin's bill would provide a path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants who agree to go to college or join the military. Details of Rubio's bill are still being determined, but he said his bill would not create a "special path to citizenship, but we don't prohibit citizenship."
"Under the concept that we are developing they would receive a non-immigrant visa, which would allow them to stay in this country legally, work, go to school, as long as they continue to renew that visa," Rubio said. "At some point in the future they would not be prohibited from doing what any other non-immigrant visa holder could do, and that is to try to become a green card holder by going through the regular process of legal immigration.
"They would not be prohibited from that," Rubio continued. "They would be treated just like anybody else would, and I think that is eminently fair. We don't create a special path, but we don't prohibit it. We just ask them to go through the regular path, and many of the kids that we have spoken to think that is a reasonable position."
The Democratic-led House passed a version of Durbin's bill in 2010, but it narrowly failed in the Senate a few days later. Since then, its prospects for passage have plummeted as GOP opposition to the measure was strengthened by the 2010 elections.


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While doing our weekly grocery trip, my eyes ventured over to the pasta. Now, so that you can take a little gander into the way I think, I was not peering at the pasta contemplating dinner ideas, no, no, no. That is not how my mind works; I am constantly thinking sensory bins or crafts when I look at things (I know I'm a little coo-coo)! Now, I was most certainly, without a doubt, peering at the pasta looking for funky shapes for sensory bins – hehe! I came upon this pasta, it's called Galletti, NEVER heard of it (it could be made up just to sound all fancy schmancy ;) Well, not really…apparently there are over 600 pasta shapes! Who knew?
So, I gave you a little sneak peek this past week on Facebook of this pasta and the possibilities of what you can make with it are endless. You guys definitely had some great ideas that have opened up my imagination even further! :)
Here's another peek at what I showed you…
And here is where my imagination led me…
This little meal includes:
16 pieces Galletti Pasta, cooked (tentacles)
8 blue strings Twizzler Pull n Peel (woven through pasta to hold the tentacles together)
1 Corn Bread Muffin (head base)
1 Sharp Cheddar Cheese Slice (letter "O" & circle on head)
2 Blue "O" cereal shapes (eyes)
2 Marshmallow Bits (eyes)
13 Green Beans, cooked (seaweed)
And where does little miss V head to first on the plate?
I bet you can guess…yep, the marshmallow bits! :)


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Words Out Loud returns to Babushka lounge in Ballarat on Thursday, May 18, 7-9pm, for its next session of spoken word.
Writers, readers, poets – all word lovin' folks with a hankering to share the love are invited along, with five-minute open mic spots on offer. Babushka has excellent sound and backing tracks can be accommodated. You won't find a friendlier venue.
The event has a nominal theme of "the darling buds", but as always, performers are encouraged to take the theme and run with it for their 5-minute slots – or ignore it altogether!
Entry is free, though a gold coin donation would be appreciated for this non-profit, community event.
Keep up to date at the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/wordsoutloud/.


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"I'll be in there, I'll adapt, I'll react, and I believe I'll get the win, as always." - Gunnar Nelson
When Georges St-Pierre vacated his title and announced he was taking a sabbatical from the sport of mixed martial arts, the UFC welterweight division immediately became the most compelling and intriguing weight class in the organization.
Historically one of the most deep and competitive divisions in the sport, the fighters in the mix to potentially follow the Canadian atop the division are obvious, starting with the men that will battle for the vacant title later this month at UFC 171, Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler.
In addition to the upcoming title combatants, others like Carlos Condit and Tyron Woodley, Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger, Tarec Saffiedine and Matt Brown are all jockeying for position, vying for a place at the top of the list of potential title challengers. There are veterans and dark horses on the periphery, fighters that are a couple wins and a few favorable breaks away from being "in the mix" in this wide open division.
Hovering just below the radar is Gunnar Nelson.
Heralded as one of the top prospects in the sport prior to his arrival on the big stage, the unbeaten 25-year-old from Iceland has already validated his advanced billing, earning a pair of victories over veterans DaMarques Johnson and Jorge Santiago in his first two trips into the Octagon.
Unfortunately, injuries have stalled the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt's progress, keeping him sidelined since defeating Santiago last February.
Until now.
Saturday night, Nelson returns to the cage, squaring off with 13-1 powerhouse Omari Akhmedov in the opening bout of this weekend's UFC Fight Night card at the O2 Arena in London. Though he favors allowing his performances to speak for him, the stoic Nordic standout knows the opportunity is there to add a couple more victories to his current unbeaten run and put himself in the middle of the title conversation in the wide open welterweight division.
"Since Georges retired, it's maybe fewer fights to get a title shot because there are so many guys right up there. St-Pierre was a champion for a really long time - and he was a really good champion - but now there is going to be a new champion, and there are a lot of guys right up there. Maybe it would be easier to close in on a title shot now than when Georges was here."
While some fighters go a little stir crazy sitting on the sidelines, that wasn't the case with the returning welterweight, though he's happy to be returning to action this weekend.
"The rehab went pretty well," admits Nelson. "I was away from the gym for a while because of the injury that I had and rehab, and I had to concentrate on other things because I couldn't train, but it hasn't been too difficult. I have lots of things to do here with my friends and family, so it hasn't been bad. But it's better to be back, definitely."
Nelson's rise as a prospect was fueled by his success in the grappling world. In 2009, he earned medals at the Mundials and the Pan American Games, and garnered a fourth place finish in the Absolute division of the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships, surprising many by beating Jeff Monson and David Avellan along the way.
That success has led to Nelson being classified as a grappler, and while his pedigree on the mat is proven, there is much more to the undefeated emerging talent than his submission skills.
"I've been known for my ground game, but when I started training, I was a striker - I came from karate and I had done a bit of kickboxing. I was always a lot better on the feet and very bad on the ground. I started training on the ground and that just took off - I fell in love with it.
"I got a lot better on the ground than I was on the feet, and now I feel like it has swapped again a little bit - my interest has gone more into striking, and I think that's just where it's needed. I've been concentrating more on my striking than my grappling. I think that's a natural thing to go back and forth like that."
In addition to going back and forth between disciplines, the talented welterweight spends time shuttling between various training camps as well. While he spends most of his time working out of his home gym in Reykjavik, Mjolnir, Nelson has always made a point of spending time at different gyms as well, including the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City and John Kavanagh's Straight Blast Gym in Dublin.
"It's been a huge thing for me to be able to go to Dublin to John's and train with all them guys, as well as going to New York to train at Renzo Gracie's to train with all the guys there. When I was younger, I went to Hawaii for a while, and I was spending a lot of time with my trainer Karl Tanswell in Manchester as well. Every little thing like this has really added something to my perspective and my game.
"Now, I spend a lot more time at home, but I do these little trips. I've mainly been going to Dublin or New York now, and it always helps - do a couple of weeks or a month somewhere else, get some different sparring partners, get different feedback. Mixing it up opens your mind up again and helps you grow."
Saturday night, Nelson will look to showcase his continued development and begin what he hopes will be a busy and successful year inside the Octagon, but he's facing a tough task in the 26-year-old Akhmedov.
One of the many new arrivals on the UFC roster from Dagestan, the International Master of Sport in Combat Sambo earned Fight of the Night honors in his organizational debut, a back-and-forth affair contested at middleweight that ended with Akhmedov felling Thiago Perpetuo.
Riding an 11-fight winning streak, Akhmedov is a proven finisher, having only gone to the scorecards twice in his career. Though he boasts a handful of submission wins, it's his power that stands out to Nelson, though the Icelandic competitor admits his focus is never on what his opponents bring to the cage.
"I'm not particularly looking at specific opponents or specific fights - it's more situations that I feel I should get better at and that interest me and that I think are high percentage; something I want to work on or add to my game. When we're looking at opponents, we just look at them quickly, do a rough analysis: how they move their body, are they power-based or endurance-based, how they work their body?
"You never really know until you get in the cage, and I like the idea of going in there and being able to figure out what to do and overcome while I'm in the cage - not to pretend that you're all that prepared for this."
And that's exactly the approach he's looking to employ Saturday night in London against Akhmedov.
"He's a very powerful guy - he lets you have it. He swings and he brings it. He's got power. He goes for his moves, but like everybody, there are holes in there that you can capitalize on.
"And like I said before, I'll be in there, I'll adapt, I'll react, and I believe I'll get the win, as always."
To watch UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Manuwa exclusively on UFC Fight Pass on Saturday, March 8, sign up here
UFC Performance Institute
Dana White On The Opening Of UFC PI Mexico


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"What disturbs Americans of all ideological persuasions is the fear that almost everything, not just government, is fixed or manipulated by some powerful hidden hand," Frank Rich wrote in Sunday's New York Times.
That manipulation should disturb us. But contrary to Rich, it is not the work of "corporatists" who have sprung up to attack progressive reforms proposed by Obama and the Democratic majority. Manipulation is what we got many years ago when we traded a more or less free market for the "progressive" interventionist state. When government is big, the well-connected always have an advantage over the rest of us in influencing public policy.
Observe: Although President Obama and big-government activists demonize health-insurance companies, the companies "are still mostly on board with the president's effort to overhaul the U.S. health-care system," the Wall Street Journal reports; and ...
Although the activists criticize Big Pharma, "The drug industry has already contributed millions of dollars to advertising campaigns for the health care overhaul through the advocacy groups like Healthy Economies Now and Families USA. It has spent about $1 million on similar advertisements under its own name," the Times reports.
Big Pharma and Big Insurance want Obama-style health-care reform?
It's not so hard to understand. "The drug makers stand to gain millions of new customers," the Times said.
And from the Journal: "If health legislation succeeds, the [insurance] industry would likely get a fresh batch of new customers. In particular, many young and healthy people who currently forgo coverage would be forced to sign up." No wonder insurers are willing to stop "discriminating" against sick people. (Forget that the essence of insurance is discrimination according to risk.)
Not that Big Pharma and Big Insurance like every detail of the Democratic plan. Drug companies don't want Medicare negotiating drug prices -- for good reason. If it forces drug prices down, research and development will be discouraged. (Depending whom you believe, Obama may or may not have agreed with the drug companies on this point.)
As for the insurance companies, they worry -- legitimately -- that a government insurance company -- the so-called public option" -- would drive them out of business. This isn't alarmism. It's economics. The public option would have no bottom line to worry about and therefore could engage in "predatory pricing" against the private insurers.
But despite these differences, the biggest companies in these two industries are on board with "reform."
It illustrates economist Steven Horwitz's First Law of Political Economy: "No one hates capitalism more than capitalists." In this case, big business wants to shape -- and profit from -- what inevitably will be an interventionist health-care reform. Can you think of the last time a major business supported a truly free market in anything?
In light of all this, it's funny to watch Democrats and their activist allies panic over the protests at congressional town meetings around the country. Tools of the corporate interests! they cry. But anyone opposing "socialized medicine" at the meeting can't be a mouthpiece for big business because, as we've seen, big business supports government control. Conservative groups may be encouraging people to vent their anger at congressmen who pass burdensome legislation without even bothering to read it, but that's no reason to insult the protestors as pawns. What's wrong with organizations helping like-minded people to voice their opinions? Why do Democrats, such as Speaker Nancy Pelosi, dismiss citizen participation as "AstroTurf" -- not real grassroots -- only when citizens oppose the kind of big government they favor?
They weren't so dismissive when George W. Bush was president and people protested -- appropriately -- his accumulation of executive powers.
"When handfuls of Code Pink ladies disrupted congressional hearings or speeches by Bush administration officials," Glenn Reynolds writes, "it was taken as evidence that the administration's policies were unpopular, and that the thinking parts of the populace were rising up in true democratic fashion. ... But when it happens to Democrats, it's something different: A threat to democracy, a sign of incipient fascism ... House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls the 'Tea Party' protesters Nazis. ... "
So when lefties do it, it's called "community organizing."
When conservatives and libertarians do it, it's "AstroTurf."
Give me a break.