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Aug 20, 2012
ALEC's Koch Funded Cabal "Educating" our state and Federal Judges
A VLTP Special Report – ALEC's Federal Interference, Part II
August 20, 2012 | by Bob Sloan
Last month I began a two part series that began with "ALEC, the Koch Led CABAL & "The Amicus Project" – Fed Court Interference." The first segment dealt with identifying and exposing ALEC's Koch-funded cabal interfering with our judicial processes by filing hundreds of "Amicus Briefs" to state and federal courts in pending cases. These were cases involving issues under the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th and 14th Amendments and other rights – and submitted by numerous cabal members, such as ALEC, Heritage, Heartland, Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Businesses, CATO, Mackinac, etc.
When they file these briefs it is not sufficient to simply join together and file one comprehensive "brief" or argument in support of whatever position the cabal's side is advocating for. No, they file separate briefs making it appear that there is a groundswell of support on the cabal's side of an issue. I described this as the "front door" access the cabal uses in their attempts to influence outcomes in judicial cases involving legislative and related pursuits of the cabal.
This diary will introduce everyone to the cabal's "back door" access to and influence upon state and federal judges through seminars and conferences provided by the cabal members...to in effect "program" judges to rule favorably in key cases. These seminars are used to "educate" our judiciary as to the positions held by corporations and other matters important to businesses and their wealthy owners. These seminars are provided to judges prior to important case reviews…the amicus briefs are "reminders" to the judges of what they "learned"through these seminars that were provided along with luxury vacations paid for by many corporations that may eventually wind up as a party before one or more of these judges.
The seminars take place at truly plush resorts (many of them the same used by ALEC for their annual meetings involving legislators) during all expense trips provided to the judges by a number of Conservative funded organizations (click the blue links for more information about these groups); the Foundation for Research on Economics and Environment (FREE Foundation), George Mason University's Law and Economics Center, Northwestern University's Northwestern Law Judicial Education Program, James Madison University's Center for the Constitution at Montpelier and several other, smaller organizations.
These seminars are a way for ALEC's corporate members and contributors to assist the cabal's pursuit of influencing judges to render pro-corporate decisions on important issues and cases. Below the fold I'll provide some of the information, a video from ABC's 20/20 and other documents identifying how this entire "system" has been set up, the funders and backers and the impact these maneuvers have had upon our judicial system.
Since the founding of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in 1973, conservative Republicans have pursued one overall objective – to control all three branches of the federal government. The reason for seeking to gain total control is obvious.
In this pursuit they began by striving to grab control of state government's three branches: legislative, judicial and gubernatorial. In this latter effort, they have been relatively successful in that today they have twenty-one fully controlled state governments. Many of these states became "Red" after the 2010 election that brought wins to the Tea Party and control to the GOP in more states than ever before.
It isn't sufficient for anyone seeking control of our government to merely hold a majority in any of the three branches of government – they also need those in the controlling majorities to think like they do, owe their careers to those who worked to put them in office or exhibit a genuine allegiance to an overall agenda.
In 2001 ABC's 20/20 presented an expose titled "Junkets for Judges" which can be found on YouTube in a two part presentation. Here is a link to part two.
An important part of the foregoing investigative report is the fact that they claim as of 2001 they had identified more than 500 US judges who had attended these seminars. Many that attended were at the time sitting in review of cases involving issues that were discussed at the seminars – and some returned to their courtrooms, and ruled favorably on behalf of corporate rights over governmental rights. This 20/20 report only reports on the GMU seminars. They don't address the ones provided by FREE, Northwestern University, Liberty Fund or others. At that time FREE had not opened their doors to state appellate and Supreme Court Justices and judges, providing the same pro-corporate seminars to them.
These junkets are designed to provide attending judges with an ultra-conservative, pro-corporate outlook on key issues. During these free trips judges attend daily seminars provided by purported scientists, corporate executives and others advancing a one-sided, pro-corporate, free-market conservative ideology. The seminars are designed to impart to the attending judiciary, corporate or business points of view on critical issues involving environment, economics, tort reform, EPA and takings law (eminent domain).
The cabal uses these free vacations in the same manner as the travel companies and time share companies do…everyone of us has been subjected to offers of "free vacations" for simply attending a time share presentation. None of us plan on buying a time share, or joining a "discount" club – but face it, many do and for that reason the techniques are successful and continue to be used year after year. These judicial education trips are no different. Judges get an all expense paid trip, thinking they will have fun and can ignore the propaganda presented in the seminars…but in the end, if they want to be able to take more of these trips, at some point they have to rule as if they've "learned" something at the previous ones, and thus be allowed subsequent trips.
I'm sure that those behind this activity involving the programming of judges, will no doubt claim that everyone has the right to advance their own arguments on important legal cases…that there are numerous other organizations providing seminars, conferences and work shops for judges. Just as they've done in defense of ALEC's operations and pursuits of proposing and passing state laws favorable to their conservative political agenda.
There are important differences between the cabal's efforts of influencing the judiciary – and legislation – and the efforts put forth by others; the partisanship of their efforts. All of their activities are designed to advance a pro-corporate, conservatively political position. The claim of bi-partisanship or non-partisan makeup of the cabal's members is delusional. ALEC for instance has conservative leaning Democratic members, but they hold no positions of authority within the ALEC hierarchy; no chairmanship of ALEC's task forces, on their Public sector board, etc.
Though the 20/20 expose concentrated upon George Mason University's involvement in providing these trips for our judges,we found several additional universities and private, non-profit organizations participating in these efforts at both the state and federal level. All but one are provided by conservative organizations, foundations or schools:
• George Mason University(Law and Economics Center – LEC) (Recipient of Koch funding totaling $20,297,143 from 1986-2006 ), Earhart Foundation, JM Olin Foundation.
• Foundation for Research on Economics and Environment (FREE). Funded by ExxonMobil, GE Foundation, Koch Family Foundation ($1,305,500 through 2006), JM Olin Foundation, Earhart Foundation and Castle Rock Foundation (Coors). ($65,000 in 2009) and the Claude Lambe Foundation ($1,540,000).
• Northwestern Law Judicial Education Program (funded by many key ALEC members, including Koch) .
• Liberty Fund providing judicial conferences and seminars to/for Judges.
• Federalist Society (Koch funded $1,437,200 through 2006)
• Aspen Institute (Koch funded $1,115,000 through 2006 with David Koch on the BOD).
• University of Kansas, Law and Organizational Economics Center (LOEC) begun in 1995 by Henry Butler with a $1,000,000 grant from the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation (see section on Henry Butler below).
• International Judicial Academy which provides seminars for judges on the International level.
Supporters of the IJA have included; JEHT Foundation and Foundation to Promote Open Society. JEHT Foundation ceased to operate in 2009 due to the Madoff ponzi scheme where their money was invested. Foundation to Promote Open Society gets some of their principal funding from George Soros. Much of their contributions and donations received – along with their expenditures – are to/from other countries and include non-Soros' funding.If you would like to know if a specific federal judge has attended one or more of these seminars, please visit http://tripsforjudges.org/… where you can input a judge's name and search by organization, foundation, etc. This link is somewhat outdated and does not have current information for 2012, but much of the information is in there and worth a look.
Other organizations provide judicial "training" to state and federal judges, but the foregoing seven are those with ongoing regularly scheduled seminars and trips. Some completely reimburse judges for travel, housing and food while others reimburse to a set amount (such as U of K's LOEC that reimbursed state judges up to $500.00 cap for travel).
The funding for six of the seven providing such judicial trips are funded with money from one or more of the Koch controlled family foundations. In addition many known conservative foundations also fund these trips and seminars for judges, including; John M. Olin Foundation, Inc., M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Castle Rock Foundation, Claude Lambe Foundation (Koch controlled) and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.
A sampling of topics presented in the seminars to these judges – state and federal – include; environment, takings laws (imminent domain), economics, tort reform, juror selection and jury decision making, The presentations are made by speakers from various colleges, universities and of greater importance from corporate CEO's and executives representing Shell Oil and other major ALEC member corporations. In addition many of the presentations are made by those representing; Heritage Foundation, American Enterprise Institute, National Center for Policy Analysis, George Mason University, Brookings Institute and several other mostly conservative entities.
Trip/seminar funding listed by George Mason University include most of ALEC's for profit corporate members, and the non-profits that fund ALEC – and most have ties to the Koch and related foundations previously mentioned. (Those in bold are known ALEC/Koch benefactors, affiliates or corporate members). These funders are:
3M (former ALEC member)
Abbott Laboratories (ALEC member)
Aequus Institute
Armstrong Foundation (ALEC funding source)
AT&T (ALEC Member)
Atlas Economic Research Foundation
Batchelder III, Hon. William G. (current Speaker of the Ohio House)
Batchelder, Hon. Alice M. (Chief Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit)
BP America, Inc. (ALEC member)
Brunswick Corporation
Castle Rock Foundation (Coors, ALEC funder)
Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation (ALEC Funding)
CIGNA Corporation (ALEC affiliated through Nickles Lobby firm)
Coca-Cola Company (former ALEC member)
Commonwealth of VA Tax Donations
Cortopassi Institute
Dow Chemical Company (ALEC member)
Earhart Foundation
Exxon Mobil Corporation (ALEC member)
FedEx Corporation (ALEC member)
General Motors Corporation (ALEC member)
Gillette Company
Goodrich Foundation
John M. Olin Foundation
John William Pope Foundation
Johnson & Johnson (ALEC member)
Lilly Endowment, Inc. (ALEC member [Eli Lilly parent])
Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt (Koch Ind. Patent Atty)
Pepsico Inc. (former ALEC member)
Pfizer, Inc. (ALEC member)
Property and Casualty Ins. Ass.
Randolph Foundation
Roe Foundation
Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc.
Sarah Jane Humphreys Foundation, Inc.
Sarah Scaife Foundation, Inc.
Searle Freedom Trust
Sharp Foundation
Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation
Shell Oil Company (ALEC member)
State Farm Insurance Companies (ALEC member)
Sunmark Foundation
U.S. Chamber of Commerce (ALEC member and joint amicus brief filings)
Unilever United States, Inc. (former ALEC member)
Verizon Communications (ALEC member)
William E. Simon Foundation
J.P. Humphreys Foundation
And when we researched Northwestern Law's Judicial Education Seminars we found many of the same funding sources:
American Petroleum Institute (ALEC affiliate)
AT&T Inc. (ALEC member_
Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation (ALEC benefactor/member)
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Exxon Mobil Corporation (ALEC member)
LyondellBasell Industries (ALEC member)
McDonald's Corporation (former ALEC member)
Microsoft Corporation (ALEC member)
Pfizer Inc. (ALEC member)
Searle Freedom Trust (ALEC affiliate – Heritage Foundation funder)
Shell Oil Company (ALEC member)
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (ALEC member)
The Dow Chemical Company (ALEC member)
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation (ALEC/Koch affiliate & funding)
U.S. Chamber of Commerce (ALEC affiliate and joint amicus brief filings)
Here is a picture from FREE's 2007 website that listed their funding sources for the judicial education program:
Again, we see many of the same sources that are funding GMU and Northwestern University's programs. Note the corporate donors are all ALEC members – or were in 2007 – and the $100,000 annual contribution from the Koch's Claude Lambe Foundation.
In 2006 federal courts began requiring that all "seminars" provided to judges had to be reported. The reports required submission of the organization providing the seminars, topics presented and the name and organization presenting, where the funding came from for each. A current listing of seminars held and reported to the US court since 2009 is found here. As you'll find if you visit, there are page after page of such seminars directed at "educating" our judges – state and federal. Each one has basically the same funders, presenters, and you'll also see that in many cases funding is provided by federal judges and their wives for these events.
The FREE foundation was uncomfortable filing such reports with the court system, so after we exposed them in 2010-2011, FREE decided to stop dedicating their seminars to judges. Now they provide the same seminars, with the same topics and presenters but provide that these are for "Religious Leaders". Judges are still free to attend these FREE seminars – but since FREE lists them as for Religious Leaders, there is no requirement to submit reports to the US court system about them…no list of benefactors, topics, presenters, attendees, etc.
George Mason, Northwestern, Liberty Fund all continue to report their judicial seminars to the federal court as required. FREE is the only one to cease their reporting by now claiming that their seminars are no longer dedicated to judicial education – but the seminars are "still open to judges" that wish to attend.
As with the ALEC model legislation, many of the titles provided for the topics covered in these judicial seminars are worded innocuously so they sound non-partisan and beneficial to the public as a whole. We learned with ALEC to be suspicious of the wording of their proposed legislation and look instead to the content. One has to do the same with the titles of the seminars and subjects listed for educating judges. Below are just a few. Those in bold are known ALEC/Koch affiliates:
Center for the Constitution at Montpelier June and December 2010 (Funder: Robert H. Smith)The Future of Executive Authority
Historical Context of the Constitution Related to Modern Technology
Future of the Fourth Amendment
Bioengineering and the Future of 14th Amendment Personhood
Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment August 2011 (funded by MJ Murdock Charitable Trust)
Taking the Long View of Progress
Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment July 2010 (funded byMJ Murdock Charitable Trust)
George Sack (John Hopkins University)
Addiction: A Disease of the Brain or a Disorder of Choice?
Sally Satel (American Enterprise Institute)
Delusions and Dreams vs. Consumer Driven Health Care
Regina Herzlinger (Harvard Business School)
Foundations for Understanding Health Care Policy
Regina Herzlinger (Harvard Business School)
Genetics and the Future of Medicine
Raymond Gesteland (University of Utah)
Genetics and the Future of Medicine
George Sack (John Hopkins University)
Information, Incentives & Health Care Decision Making
John Goodman (National Center for Policy Analysis)
Perspecives from a Medical Entrepreneur
George Herzlinger (Belmont Instrument Corporation)
Potentials for Policy Reform
John Goodman (National Center for Policy Analysis)
Potentials for Policy Reform
Regina Herzlinger (Harvard Business School)
Practical Problems with Organ Donation
Sally Satel (American Enterprise Institute)
Reflection on Science and Policy
Raymond Gesteland (University of Utah)
Reflection on Science and Policy
Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment August 2010 (funded by MJ Murdock Charitable Trust – Seminar title: Terrorism, Civil Liberty and National Security [08/08/2010 – 08/12/2010] (continued))
James Carafano (The Heritage Foundation)
Cyber-Screwed- Why We Can't Fight Cyber-terrorism
James Carafano (The Heritage Foundation)
The Unhappy Marriage: Civil-Military Discord in Fighting Terrorism
Charles Fried (Harvard Law School)
Sunni and Shi'a: There Are Differences and Why They Matter
Richard Stearns (United States District Court)
Terrorism and the Allocation of Public Resources
Richard Stearns (United States District Court)
The Limits of Law- The Necessity of Executive Disobedience
Charles Fried (Harvard Law School)
The Limits of Law- The Necessity of Executive Disobedience
George Mason University Law & Economics Center
Seminar title: Economics Institute for Judges, Week 2 [03/10/2012 – 03/16/2012] Funded by xyz corp.
Todd Zywicki (George Mason University School of Law)
Mortgage Markets
Todd Zywicki (George Mason University School of Law)
On the Efficiency of the Common Law
Todd Zywicki (George Mason University School of Law)
The Not-So-Good Old Days of Consumer Credit
Henry N. Butler (George Mason University School of Law)
Economic Thinking
Henry N. Butler (George Mason University School of Law)
Economics of Insurance
Henry N. Butler (George Mason University School of Law)
Law & Economics in the Courts
Henry N. Butler (George Mason University School of Law)
Supply, Demand & Mutually Beneficial Exchange
Northwestern Law Judicial Education Program Seminar title: Advanced Law and Economics Institute: Environmental Economics [09/21/2009 – 09/23/2009]
American Petroleum Institute
AT&T Inc.
Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Exxon Mobil Corporation
LyondellBasell Industries
McDonald's Corporation
Microsoft Corporation
Pfizer Inc.
Searle Freedom Trust
Shell Oil Company
State Farm Mutual Automobil Insurance Company
The Dow Chemical Company
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Henry Butler (Northwestern University School of Law)
Environmental Federalism
Henry Butler (Northwestern University School of Law)
Henry Butler (Northwestern University School of Law)
Markets in Action
Henry Butler (Northwestern University School of Law)
Review of Economic Concepts: Incentives Matter
Northwestern Law Judicial Education Program
Seminar title: Economics Institute for Judges [10/11/2009 – 10/16/2009]
Henry Butler (Northwestern University School of Law)
Corporate Governance
Henry Butler (Northwestern University School of Law)
Economic Evidence
Henry Butler (Northwestern University School of Law)
Forensic Economics
Henry Butler (Northwestern University School of Law)
Information and Prices, Allocative Efficiency, Equilibrium
Henry Butler (Northwestern University School of Law)
Principal-Agent Problems and Contracting
Henry Butler (Northwestern University School of Law)
Risk, Injury, and Liability
Henry Butler (Northwestern University School of Law)
Scarcity, Mutually Beneficial Exchange, Comparative Advantage
George Mason University Law & Economics Center
Seminar title: The Strategic Constitution [10/21/2009 – 10/24/2009]
Robert Cooter (Boalt Hall School of Law, Univ of CA, Berkeley)
The Strategic Constitution
George Mason University Law & Economics Center
Seminar title: Economic Analysis of Law [11/06/2009 – 11/12/2009
Charles Goetz (University of Virginia School of Law)(Member American Family Business Foundation)
Analyzing Human Choice
Henry Manne (George Mason University School of Law (Emeritus)
Corporate Law
William Landes (University of Chicago Law School)
Economic Structure of Tort Law
Charles Goetz (University of Virginia School of Law)
Fairness vs Efficiency
William Landes (University of Chicago Law School)
Intellectual Property
William Landes (University of Chicago Law School)
Negligence, Strict Liability and Causation
Charles Goetz (University of Virginia School of Law)
Rivalrous and Risky Decisions
Charles Goetz was a signatory to Milton Friedman's letter: "Top Economists Agree: It's Time to Repeal the Death Tax!" letter sent under the letterhead of the American Family Business Foundation in 2001. Other signatories included ALEC, Jonathan Williams (ALEC), Art Laffer (ALEC Scholar), Henry N. Butler (review of the US Court's Seminar reports linked to above, reveals that Butler is a frequent speaker at most of the seminars given to judges). His credentials vary, sometimes listing him as GMU School of Law, Northwestern U's School of Law, etc.It is important to know who these people are who are lecturing our judiciary. Let's look closer at Henry N. Butler. As noted above, Butler founded the University of Kansas' Law and Organizational Economics Center (LOEC) in 1995 with a $1,000,000 grant from the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation. Here is more on Butler from Wiki:
Henry N. Butler (born c. 1955) is an American professor of law, economics, and public policy. He currently serves as the executive director of the Searle Center at the George Mason University's School of Law. He formerly served as the Director of the Judicial Education Program at the American Enterprise Institute-Brookings Institution Joint Center for Regulatory Studies. Butler is a conservative and a supporter of free markets with little regulation; he has acted as an expert witness in a legal cases involving antitrust, restrictive covenants, damages, joint ventures, and other issues.Butler ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 11th congressional district in the 1992 elections; he lost the general election to Democrat Leslie L. Byrne.
Butler received his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Richmond in 1977. He then attended Virginia Tech, where he earned a Master of Arts in 1979 and a Ph.D. in 1982. There he studied under Nobel Economics Laureate James M. Buchanan. Butler received his Juris Doctor law degree from the University of Miami School of Law in 1982, where he was a John M. Olin Fellow in Law and Economics.
Butler spent three years at Texas A&M as an assistant professor of management before becoming a John M. Olin Fellow in Law and Economics at the University of Chicago Law School during the 1985-86 academic year. From 1986 to 1993, Butler was a professor at George Mason University School of Law. After 1992 Butler was a Fred C. and Mary R. Koch Distinguished Professor of Law and Economics at the University of Kansas School of Law and School of Business, and for a short time served as dean of the Chapman University, Argyros School of Business and Economics and Chairman of the Chapman University Law and Organizational Economics Center before moving to Chapman in 2001.
Butler has been involved in the political and legal spheres. While at George Mason University, he served as director of the Law and Economics Center at the George Mason University School of Law, which operates the Economics Institutes program for federal judges, which is controversial. In December 1995, Butler introduced the Economics Institute for State Judges at the University of Kansas' Law and Organizational Economics Center.
Butler has written extensively on law and economics. He has written a casebook, Economic Analysis for Lawyers (with Christopher Drahozal, Carolina Academic Press), used at the Economics Institute for State Judges. Other books by Butler include Unhealthy Alliances: Bureaucrats, Interest Groups, and Politicians in Health (1994,American Entreprise Institute) The Corporation and the Constitution (with Larry E. Ribstein; 1995, American Entreprise Institute); and Using Federalism to Improve Environmental Policy (with Jonathan R. Macey; 1996, American Entreprise Institute).
Butler serves on the Legal Advisory Council of the AEI Legal Center for the Public Interest and the Advisory Board of the Atlantic Legal Foundation.
Butler has been cited (report to the Kansas Insurance Commission) in key reports involving insurance and spoken to the Federal Trade Commission on economic issues.University of Kansas, School of Law…"a Fred C. and Mary R. Koch Distinguished Professor of Law and Economics at the University of Kansas School of Law. Know who else is now advocating "Excellence in Advocacy" at U of K's School of Law? Shook, Hardy and Bacon – the law firm that advances ALEC's "Tort Reform" model legislation through the Civil Justice Task Force. The CJTF is directed by Victor Schwartz of SHB, and another SHB attorney sits as the CJTF "Advisor" – Mark Behrens.
Here's a picture of Victor Schwartz of SHB giving a presentation on Tort Reform to ALEC's Civil Justice Task Force working group in 2010 in San Diego:
Today as yesterday, pictures say a lot…here are three pictures of Henry Butler. In the first, he's speaking at ALEC's 2010 Meeting in San Diego, CA. In the second he is speaking at a Searle Center judicial seminar in 2010 and in the third are judges sitting in attendance at that seminar…
Another frequently used speaker at these judicial education seminars is Todd Zywiki, professor at GMU. Here is Zywiki's bio provided by the FREE Foundation where Zywiki sits upon their Board of Directors:
Todd J. Zywicki is Professor of Law at George Mason University School of Law ands Co-Editor of the Supreme Court Economic Review. From 2003-2004, Professor Zywickiserved as the Director of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission. He has also taught at Vanderbilt University Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, Boston College Law School, and Mississippi College School of Law.Professor Zywicki clerked for Judge Jerry E. Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and worked as an associate at Alston & Bird in Atlanta, Georgia, where he practiced bankruptcy and commercial law. He received his J.D. from the University of Virginia, where he was executive editor of the Virginia Tax Review and John M. Olin Scholar in Law and Economics. Professor Zywicki also received an M.A. in Economics from Clemson University and an A.B. cum Laude with high honors in his major from Dartmouth College.
Professor Zywicki is a Senior Scholar of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Senior Fellow of the James Buchanan Center, Program on Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, at George Mason University, a Senior Fellow of the Goldwater Institute, and a Fellow of the International Centre for Economic Research in Turin, Italy. During the Fall 2008 Semester Professor Zywicki was the Searle Fellow of the George Mason University School of Law and was a 2008-09 W. Glenn Campbell and Rita Ricardo-Campbell National Fellow and the Arch W. Shaw NationalFellow at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace.
Professor Zywicki is the author of more than 60 articles in leading law reviews and peer-reviewed economics journals. He is one of the Top 50 Most Downloaded Law Authors at the Social Science Research Network, both All Time and during the Past 12 Months. Heserved as the Editor of the Supreme Court Economic Review from 2001-02. Hehas testified several times before Congress on issues of consumer bankruptcy law and consumer credit and is a frequent commentator on legal issues in the print and broadcast media, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, andThe Laura Ingraham Show. He is a contributor to the popular legal weblog The Volokh Conspiracy and The Atlantic Business Channel of The Atlanticmagazine.
Professor Zywicki is a member of the Governing Board and the Advisory Council for the Financial Services Research Program at George Washington University School of Business, the Executive Committee for the Federalist Society's Financial Institutions and E-Commerce Practice Group, the Advisory Council of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and the Program Advisory Board of the Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment. He is currently the Chair of the Academic Advisory Council for the following organizations: The Bill of Rights Institute, the film "We the People in IMAX," and the McCormick-Tribune Foundation "Freedom Museum" in Chicago, Illinois. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Bill of Rights Institute and in 2005 he was elected an Alumni Trustee of the Dartmouth College Board of Trustees.
Federal Judge Jerry E. Smith that Zywiki clerked for, attended many of the GMU and FREE trips and seminars: http://tripsforjudges.org/…. Click on judges, select Jerry E. Smith and look for yourself: trips and seminars from FREE, Liberty Fund, Federalist Society, etc. Here's a partial screen shot of some of his attendance:
The Chairman of FREE is John Baden. Baden and FREE are not only important as a part of programming our judges, he has shown he has great influence at the SCOTUS level as well (remember I began this with a segment on the use of Amicus briefs used at the federal and SCOTUS levels of our judiciary). Here is Baden, his wife and FREE's Associate Director Pete Geddes with Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas at a Heritage Foundation President's dinner:
Here is a muckety chart showing the connections between Justice Thomas and the Koch cabal…
Notice that near the center of this graph, you find beside Thomas: Charles G. Koch foundation, Searle Freedom Trust, American Enterprise Institute, Coors and Castlerock Foundation, Scaife Foundation, Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and from there it widens out to include most of the cabal organizations, foundations and individuals involved.
In this graph, you'll find the connections between Justice Thomas' law clerk, Naomi Rao and other organizations. (RAO was a witness against the confirmation of Justice Sonia Sotomayor – and links to the Bush administration:
Much of the policy, legislation and resolutions the seminars provide to judges are based upon pro-corporate pursuit and are/were financially beneficial to not only the Koch brothers (personally), but to ALEC's corporate membership; ExxonMobil, AT&T, Koch Industries, PhRMA, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson and Johnson, their Insurance company members, etc. Not only is Koch's interests and that of the corporate members assisted through this form of judicial influence, but also other Conservative "foundations" which help fund the cabal's overall "free market" pursuits.
Arguments that "we're only doing what other bi-partisan organizations are doing" is bullshit. As the above demonstrates, all of this is being done to advance an agenda that is totally partisan and dedicated to the views and positions held by one political group – a minority view. This is how the conservative faction has become able to successfully pursue their vision of democracy and America over the objections raised by the majority. We now can clearly see all their activities; the model legislation, resolutions, judicial and legislative influences and the corruption bought through campaign contributions. It all has a purpose, design and end goal…none of which any of us as true Americans will accept or condone. One glaring example of their pursuits and influence is demonstrated by looking at the Citizen's United SCOTUS decision and how that has benefited the GOP party – and in particular the conservative faction of that party owned, operated and controlled by the likes of Grover Norquist and Karl Rove. Look what has happened in America since that single SCOTUS decision brought to us in part through the cooperation of Thomas, Scalia and Alito – all with ties to the Federalist Society and Koch money.
Between ALEC's Federal Forum Task Force, their Amicus Project and these seminars, our federal judiciary is continuously "educated" in the ways of the cabal and the pro-corporate positions advanced. At the core of these efforts are several key players; the Koch brothers (obviously), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, George Mason University, Heritage Foundation and Mackinac Center, etc. The tools used include not just pro-corporate seminars and filing briefs to the same judges – it also includes placement of key "clerks" and "interns" close to these judges and SCOTUS. With the constant pressure, influence and being in close proximity to individuals representing the cabal, the trend of our courts to lean to the right in many of their decisions and opinions is not surprising. What is surprising is the fact that all of this has been ongoing for decades and operating quietly under the radar of us all. They have been so successful that by 2012 this has become the "norm" for political and judicial reporting. Too many of our large media outlets are now compromised and for those of us operating in "alternative" media outlets, our audiences simply are not large enough to have a substantial impact. This all works to the benefit of the cabal – who collectively now own or control more than 85% of the US news outlets.
We can ill afford to allow this status quo to continue. VLTP and our Abolish ALEC group on DK have worked for months on end to research, compile and prepare these investigative reports for Daily Kos readers and Progressive voters. It is important to make this material available to all – yes, even Republicans who are blissfully unaware of the corrupt influences such as those described above, being wielded under the GOP banner, should be made aware and forced to make a choice as our country moves forward.
In upcoming segments we'll introduce many to the cabal's involvement with foreign government representatives (without the knowledge of those nations) to develop U.S. policies and laws…and we'll provide a true and accurate comparison between the NCSL and ALEC.
Be sure and visit our website at www.vltp.net for the latest news, articles and opinions on ALEC and the cabal. If interested in research interning, send us an email through the website. If you have information, ideas or documents, contact us through the website and let's all work together to disinfect ALEC and the cabal and remove them from our democracy altogether.


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- Talk about how to be a safe passenger. Distracted driving is a major cause of crashes, and passenger distractions are particularly dangerous for new drivers. Discuss helpful passenger behaviors, such as reading directions when asked and respecting the driver by not talking loudly, chatting on a cell phone, playing loud music, or acting disruptively.
- Insist on seat belts. Most adolescent passengers who die in wrecks aren't wearing seat belts. Explain that by buckling up, they'll help protect their friends' lives, as well as their own. In a crash, an unrestrained body can hurt others in the car.
- Don't let your child ride with a driver who has less than a year of experience. Most teen crashes are the result of "rookie" mistakes. Even the most mature teen needs time to gain driving experience through adult-supervised driving.
- Pay attention. To help them make good safety decisions, keep the lines of communication open. Know where they are going and why, and discuss how they will get there and when they will be home. Provide alternatives, like rides, to allow them to avoid unsafe driving situations.
- Create a code word. Help teens get out of unsafe situations by having them call or text you with a previously agreed-upon code word that signals trouble. When you hear or see the word, pick them up right away.
- Lead by example. Always wear a seat belt. Don't talk on a cell phone or text while driving. Don't speed. Follow the rules of the road.
For more information about teen driver safety and tools for new drivers, visit the State Farm® Teen Driver Safety website.

subset: commoncrawl


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LeBron James -- Free Lap Dances for Life, If ...
LeBron James Free Lap Dances for Life, If ...
LeBron James just got the sweetest offer in the history of mankind to move from Cleveland to the New York Knicks -- a lifetime of free stripper action.
The Cleveland Cavaliers star -- who will become a free agent after this season -- is getting million-dollar offers from several franchises to make the switch to their team ... but if LeBron inks a deal with the Knicks, New York's premiere strip club Scores says it'll give the basketball star:
- A free lifetime of lap dances
- A "LeBron James Day" when all the strippers will wear his jersey
- And free food for life at the strip club's very own steakhouse
Good luck competing with that Utah!
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NEW VIDEO PODCAST: "A Name, Not a Number" Pop-upisode
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011
Watch a full Pop-upisode of "A Name, Not a Number," one of the episodes in the new compilation album: "The Blackgaard Chronicles." The Blackgaard Chronicles contains 30 episodes from Adventures in Odyssey's first big story arc. This collection also includes a half-hour video featuring an interview with Paul McCusker and Phil Lollar about the creation of Dr. Regis Blackgaard.
Download this episode to your computer.
- Purchase The Blackgaard Chronicles right now on CD or digital download!
- Download Album 54: Clanging Cymbals…and the Meaning of God's Love.


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As our readers know, I spend a great deal of my time traveling the country preparing advisory firms for SEC regulatory examinations. One of the issues on the exam, Form 13F, is too often misunderstood, leaving many firms in violation of regulatory filing requirements. So what is Form 13F, and to whom does its reporting obligations apply?
In short, Form 13F is a quarterly report of equity holdings by investment advisors who maintain discretionary authority over $100 million or more of exchange-listed equity securities. The SEC describes Form 13F as follows:
Institutional investment managers must use Form 13F for reports to the Commission required by Section 13(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 13f-1 thereunder. Rule 13f-1(a) provides that every manager who exercises investment discretion with respect to accounts holding Section 13(f) securities, as defined in Rule 13f-1(c), having an aggregate fair market value on the last trading day of any month of any calendar year of at least $100 million shall file a report on Form 13F with the Commission within 45 days after the last day of such calendar year and within 45 days after the last day of each of the first three calendar quarters of the subsequent calendar year.
Except for the initial filing, 13F filings are due 45 days after the end of each quarter. If the date falls on a weekend or holiday it is typically pushed forward to the first business day thereafter. For example, the Dec. 31 13F report is due on Feb. 14.
There have been recent changes to the 13F filing format. Previously, 13F filings were made in Notepad. Beginning with the second quarter of 2013, filings were required to be made in .xml format. Cover sheet information is now filed online through the EDGAR system. We have found the easiest paper format for 13F is now to begin with an Excel spreadsheet; however, you cannot simply save the file in an .xml format. Instead, you have to use the .xml map to convert the data and save the table information prior to filing. Our firm makes a substantial number of 13F filings for our advisory clients. From our recent experience, we know that it is currently difficult to get a response from EDGAR technical support. EDGAR, which stands for the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system, performs automated collection, validation, indexing, acceptance and forwarding of submissions by those who are required by law to file forms with the SEC.
Are registered investment advisors considered institutional managers? Yes, an institutional manager generally includes an individual or entity who maintains discretionary investment authority over the account of any other natural person or entity: That includes investment advisors, banks, insurance companies, broker-dealers, pension funds and corporations.
"Just stocks?" "It doesn't include exchange-traded funds?" Those retorts are too often heard. Yes, Form 13F just covers stocks—if by stocks you mean equity securities that trade on an exchange. Attention advisors: Exchange-traded funds are equity securities, as are closed-end mutual funds and MLPs that trade on a listed exchange (NYSE and NASDAQ). However, Form 13F only requires the reporting of long positions. Short positions are not required to be reported.
Form 13F requires disclosure of the names of the registered investment advisor, the names and class of the securities they manage, the CUSIP number, the number of shares owned and the total market value of each security. The securities that institutional investment managers must report on Form 13F are found on what is known as the Official List of Section 13(f) Securities. The Official List is updated and published quarterly and is available for free on the SEC's website. You can learn more about the parameters for Form 13F filings by accessing Frequently Asked Questions About Form 13F published by the SEC's Division of Investment Management.


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Wi-Fi Internet
Free Wi-Fi is available at the Dripping Springs Community Library for your laptop, smart phone or tablet computer.
Wireless printing is also available.
Apple products can use Apple AirPrint.
Instructions on connecting your Windows device to our public printer can be found here.
Many smart phones and tablets will automatically find the printer once connected to the library's Wi-Fi.
Once the Front-Desk-Printer has been chosen, the device will automatically download and install the necessary drivers for printing.
The printing cost is $.20 per page.
Wi-Fi availability is limited to the hours the Library is open.


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More Than 1100 Accredited Colleges and Universities That Do Not Use ACT/SAT Scores to Admit Substantial Numbers of Students Into Bachelor-Degree Programs
Current as of April 8, 2020
Support Test-Optional Admissions
You can help encourage even more colleges and universities to treat applicants as "More Than a Score." Your financial support will allow FairTest to promote test-optional policies at more conferences of admissions policy-makers, reach out to additional higher education leaders and distribute copies of this list to counselors and student advocacy groups. Thank you!
NOTE: This list includes institutions that are "test optional," "test flexible" or otherwise de-emphasize the use of standardized tests by making admissions decisions -- without using ACT or SAT scores -- for all or many applicants who recently graduated from U.S. high schools.
As the endnotes indicate, some schools exempt students who meet minimum grade-point average or class rank criteria; others require SAT or ACT scores but use them only for placement purposes. Please check with the school's admissions office for details
International applicants should refer to this list compiled by Sarah Loring de Garcia.
The list is organized alphabetically by school – to sort by state, click here. For a print-formatted PDF file click here. Several supplemental files are also available:
- ** Colleges and Universities Temporarily Waiving ACT/SAT Scores for Fall 2020 Admission ONLY **
- Chronology of 300+ schools de-emphasizing ACT/SAT use since 2005
- List of 410 test-optional and test-flexible schools ranked in the top tiers of their respective categories
- Comparison of number of high school graduates who had taken the ACT and SAT annually over the past 30 years
Sources: College Board 2018 College Handbook; U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2020; U.S. Department of Education Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), admissions office websites; and news reports.
Note: Schools with website "Hot Links" have paid a modest fee for this service. Linking does not imply endorsement. If your institution would like to participate in this "Hot Link" program, please contact FairTest at (617) 477-9792 or by clicking CONTACT US at the top of this page.
|SAT/ACT used only for placement and/or academic advising
|SAT/ACT required only from out-of-state applicants
|SAT/ACT may be required but considered only when minimum GPA and/or class rank is not met
|SAT/ACT required for some programs
|Test Flexible: SAT/ACT not required if other college level exams specified by school, such as SAT Subject Test, Advanced Placement, or Int'l Baccalaureate, submitted -- contact school for details
|Placement test or school-specific admissions exam score required if not submitting SAT/ACT
|Admission/Eligibility Index calculated with 3.5 GPA and combined SAT Critical Reading plus Math score of 400
- Home
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More than 1100 four-year colleges and universities do not use the SAT or ACT to admit substantial numbers of bachelor-degree applicants.
See the searchable database of schools.


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If for any reason your item is not right for you, we will offer a complete refund or an exchange. Please book your return within 30 days of receipt of goods. All items need to be returned in their original condition: unworn, in re-saleable condition, complete with swing tags and original packaging. Your order will contain a returns form to help with making a return.
If you ordered to a country outside the UK, please visit our International Returns Portal -- or email firstname.lastname@example.com if you have any questions about the international returns process.
If you are in the UK, you can download our returns form, or read our full returns policy.
From early beginnings as a self-taught tailor and shopkeeper, Oliver Spencer has built a brand
around his vision: hand-crafted quality paired with stylish accents and details. In the words of
GQ, a 'uniquely British take on relaxed style'.
Read the Oliver Spencer story


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They are still blowing me away with their awesome work! Last week, my students finished their quilt tops and backings and practiced quilting on their machines. That's Jessica with her pieced back above.
And here's Susan's beautiful quilt! She came to class with her quilt front and back all sandwiched together with her batting.
I really love how bright and fresh her quilt is going to be. She did such a great job choosing fabrics.
And here is June's gorgeous quilt top. These photos don't really do it justice, and it's just stunning in person.
I asked my students to bring their own machines to class since they would be doing most of the quilting work at home. I thought it was best that they learn to quilt on their own machines and get comfortable with how they work.
I brought some scrap pieces of muslin and batting and let them practice quilting on those to get the hang of it before moving on to their quilts.
June took advantage of the large floor space at Sewn to lay out her quilt and sandwich all of the layers together. I'm telling you, this quilt is stunning.
And Jessica did the same. Plus she's got two little helpers (one's a newborn!) at home, and I can tell you from experience that it's sometimes easier to work without extra little hands helping. ;)


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Ideal Adverteasing Trivia Board Game
by Ideal
Please check your favorite toy retailer for availability. Prices may vary.
Adverteasing™ Board Game
Buy Online:
Product Description
This fun trivia board game from Ideal® is sure to be a hit at any party! Test your pop-culture advertising knowledge with this fun family game. Players must recall slogans, commercials, and jingles from America's most classic brands. Move up the Advertising Career Ladder to become President of the Agency. This board game has sold over 2-million units over the last 30 years and is back with updated questions and challenges! Adverteasing™ is designed for 2 to 6 players, ages 12 and up!
Board game includes
- Game board
- Advertising question cards
- 40 President Challenge Cards
- 6 colored pawns
- Sand timer
- Instruction sheet
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Practically stylish, this men's trainer collection means business. Casual classics, workout necessities and motivational runners are all ready for action. Be forever an icon.
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text: We love to fix things. And we figured we're not alone. It's a habit of the inquisitive mind — see how something works, learn its quirks, and figure out why it's busted and what to do about it. Sometimes you need a little help, though, and an instruction manual can go a long way. Yeah, yeah, manuals are all PDFs now. But there's nothing like an old, preferably grease-stained instruction book. You can break the spine, lay it flat on your workbench, and get to work. No scrolling, no greasy touch-screen. Yeah, we still like paper. So we collected 10 old, classic, and even rare instruction manuals from the good fixers in the Wired office. We got cars, electronics, games, and Legos — so many Legos — and picked our favorites. But we know you've got more. So one-up us and send us photos of your favorite old instruction books, whether they're from long-lost or long-discarded tools, toys, gadgets, gizmos, products, or appliances. Maybe it's a classic camera. Maybe it's a sweet car. Remember when computers came with manuals? We'll publish the best in a follow-up gallery. IC-M80 VHF Marine Radiotelephone ICOM recommends you take its IC-M80 to a dealer or authorized service center if you have any problems. But what fun is that when they also include a full schematic diagram? There's not a lot of explanation, though, so you better have a good grasp on circuits. And if you want to use it after you fix it, an operator's license. Jaguar Series 3 V12 'E' Type Starting in 1971, Jaguar put a V12 motor in its E-Type roadster. It went pretty fast. Fast enough that the operating instructions suggest upping the tire pressure by more than 10 psi if you're regularly going to be driving it more than 120 mph. The 70 pages of service instructions in the roadster's manual suggest it requires a decent amount of upkeep. But it also harks back to an era of self-repair that's no longer feasible for most car owners. From adjusting the rear wheel camber angle to tuning the carburetor, it's detailed in this manual, with notated drawings. The Lost Vikings OK, the manual for the PC version of The Lost Vikings won't help you fix anything in real life. But it just might help you get Erik, Baleog, and Olaf out of a jam, and foil the intergalactic zookeeper Tomator. Plus, it includes a password notebook, analog predecessor to the now-ubiquitous checkpoint. Canon FTb Before prosumer was a camera category, Canon's FTb occupied the space between point-and-shoots and high-end professional SLRs. There was no user-friendly auto setting, so Canon devoted much of the FTb's instruction manual to shutter speed, aperture, and film speed, and not much to repair or maintenance. It also explains proper film loading, which I can only assume is some long-lost filtering technology. Vespa Owners Workshop Manual, 1959-1978 Jeff Clew wanted to make sure the repairs he detailed in the Vespa owners workshop manual could be carried out by owners of real Vespas in their own homes. So he did all the repairs himself, on used Vespas, with off-the-shelf tools. The hands in the photos are his. GMC 1976 Motorhome/TransMode Having a motor home sounds great — you can drive it and live in it — until you realize it also means adding the maintenance of a car to that of a home. So GMC's manual will not only show you how to remove and install a steering column, it'll help you fix your fridge. Your tiny, useless fridge. Let's go find a drive-in diner. Panasonic KP-2A Battery Operated Pencil Sharpener You probably won't find this one very useful for repairing this battery-operated pencil sharpener. You probably won't find it very useful for operation of the battery-operated pencil sharpener, either. In fact, if you need to read the instructions to figure out where the dull pencil goes, you might want to leave fixing the thing to the professionals. Lego Galaxy Explorer Chances are, one of your first experiences with an instruction manual was a Lego. The true appeal of the interchangeable bricks may be how they let kids be creative, but for the color-inside-the-lines crowd, the step-by-step instructions were nearly flawless. From the uniform viewing angle to the numbered pieces lists, Lego made sure aspiring engineers could nail every step. How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive Written in 1969 by a Volkswagen mechanic/fanatic, How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive is full of references to Karma, admonitions to talk to your car (and listen to it), and trippy drawings. "Hold the wheel and close your eyes and FEEL!" writes John Muir. (Not that John Muir.) Fortunately, it's also full of line sketches and diagnostic, maintenance, and repair procedures that make it a useful partner for (old) Volkswagen projects. Bang & Olufsen Beovox 2 Exploded diagrams, parts lists, and electrical schematics are all well and good — and present in the service manual for Bang & Olufsen's Beovox 2 speakers. But what sets this manual apart has to be the diagrams describing the perfect acoustic axis, which extends directly from the woofer to the ears and dictates the desired mounting angle for any height. Photos: Ariel Zambelich/Wired


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Northern Baja Surfing is where San Diego Surfers head to get away from the crowds of Surfing in San Diego. Baja Surfing offers good surf and fun times. True Baja Surfing starts south of Ensenada, perfect waves with no crowds. When Surfing in Baja make sure you get Mexico Insurance. Check it out
Southern Baja Surfing has everything you could want warm water, relaxed environment, cool people, cheap tasty tacos and cold Cervezas, just makesure you get Mexico Insurance. Get all the information on surfing in Baja such as weather, maps, directions and more. Check it out
Surf Check is our free surf report service. We offer daily surf reports of Baja as well as Surf Reports of San Diego. Our surf reports include weather, wind and tidal information. Save gas and money use our San Diego surf reports and our Baja surf reports. Check it out
We recommend that you always get Mexico insurance when driving in Mexico. Your U.S. insurance company will not cover you in the event of theft or accident. Avoid going to jail; get Mexico insurance from Bajasurfbreaks.com. Get a FREE QUOTE NOW!


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Read latest COVID-19 advice for parents and childcarers here
Start by entering your postcode to set up your FREE
account and read reviews about childcarers local to you.
You can then book childcare online – just select the
date, time and address for your booking.
Choose the local carers you'd prefer us to offer your bookings
to first and we'll keep you updated of progress by email.
Your childcarer will call you before the booking and you should pay
her for her time at the end. Rates start from just £8.25.
Pay nothing until after you have used Sitters - guaranteed. A booking
fee (£4-£6) and quarterly membership fee (£14.95) will only be
charged to your credit card after your booking has taken place.
Read reviews of approved Sitters local to you
This was our first time using Sitters so we were a little worried especially knowing that the kids were going to be looked after by someone they have never met. When Sandra turned up within minutes of her arrival The kids had warmed to her and she was interacting with them straight away. I was totally reassured quickly that they were in very good hands. Sandra was extremely professional and was extremely good with the kids I would recommend her to anyone and would most definitely have her back again. Thank you to Sandra and Sitters.co.uk.
Kelly needed directions to the house and had sensibly asked for these - it is not the easiest to find - which meant she arrived in good time. The house was busy with the tail-end of my daughter's birthday party, but she didn't seem fazed. She took time to get to know our children and, despite the commotion, took on board all my instructions. The babysitting went like clockwork: children went to bed on time and were fast asleep when we got home. Kelly has a pleasant personality and I would use her again.
This was the first time we had used Sitters. Debra was exactly what we were looking for in a carer for our son - the first time we had left him with anyone except very close family (no social life for nearly eight years!) - gentle, laid back and very friendly, we had no qulams about leaving her in charge. The best recommendation is that, having been upset about being left prior to our going out, our son is now very much looking forward to Debras next visit.


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Thank you for visiting Pray For The Persecuted Church. This blog is no longer being updated. Please enjoy the archives. Here are some other blogs you may also enjoy: Red Letters with Tom Davis Recent prayer post on Prayables Most Recent Inspiration blog post Happy Reading!
They thought their lives would change.
For two and a half years, Maher Ahmad El-Mo'otahssem Bellah El-Gohary, 58, and his daughter, Dina Mo'otahssem, lived in hiding in Egypt, afraid for their lives.
Their crime? They had converted to Christianity.
Now, they are refugees in Syria since they can't get visas allowing them to come to America or any other Christian-majority country.
"When the plane carrying took off from Cairo International Airport last month, they both wept with joy," reports International Christian Concern, a watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. "After spending two-and-a-half years in hiding for leaving Islam to become Christians, they were elated by their newfound freedom. They also felt secure that once they arrived in Syria, they would quickly obtain visas to the United States and start a new life. That hope soon proved unfounded."
Indeed, they have realized they may have traded in the reality of being prisoners in their own country for being refugees in another.
As El-Gohary watches the weeks pass and his resources dwindle, he says the stress is almost unbearable.
"I feel like we've stepped out of a prison cell and into a fire," he told the Compass Direct News Service. "We are in very, very bad conditions … My daughter and I divide the bottles of water to live, because there is no income."
El-Goharygained notoriety in Egypt after he sued the government in August 2008 to gain the right to change the religion listed on his state-issued ID card from Islam to Christianity. In Egypt, ID cards play a critical role in a person's life, being used for everything from opening a bank account and renting an apartment to receiving medical care.
The listed religious affiliation, whether a card-holder subscribes to it or not, also determines whether the person is subject to Islamic civil law. The listed religious designation determines what state-mandated religion classes minors are required to take in school. El-Gohary said he filed the suit so his daughter, then 15, could opt out of the religious classes and would not be subject to the persecution he suffered when he became a Christian in his 20s.
It is a crime punishable by imprisonment to have no ID card in Egypt.
"The suit sparked outrage throughout Egypt," reports Compass Direct. Both El-Gohary and his daughter were publicly branded apostates in a country where 84 percent of Muslims think those who leave Islam should be executed, according to a study released by the Pew Research Center in December.
"The same month the suit was filed in 2008, El-Gohary and his daughter were forced into hiding," reports Compass Direct. "For two and a half years, El-Gohary shifted back and forth among several apartments in Cairo and Alexandria, usually once every month. Even in hiding, the two were harassed regularly by Egypt's dreaded State Security Intelligence service and assaulted repeatedly by others, including someone pouring acid on Dina, El-Gohary said.
While in hiding, El-Gohary tried repeatedly to leave Egypt, but officials at the Ministry of the Interior blocked him at every attempt. Amid the national demonstrations that led to the removal of both President Hosni Mubarak;'s government, El-Gohary and Dina were able to board a flight to Syria. El-Gohary credits the revolution, saying it was a miracle "from God."
They chose to go to Syria because Egyptian citizens are not required to have visas to visit there. After contact with a U.S. organization that concentrates on religious freedom, El-Gohary expected it would be easy to get a visa to the United States, where his wife waits for them. But he said he has been unable to obtain an entry visa there or to any country where he will feel safe. He went to a U.N. office in Syria seeking assistance. He was given an appointment to come back on April 20.
"I wasn't expecting, after all this suffering and all these years," El-Gohary told Compass Direct. "The series of persecution is not finished."
"Although they don't live under the same type of threats as they did in Egypt, El-Gohary and Dina now live in an apartment where they still watch everything they say and everyone with whom they talk. They still spend much of their time trapped between the four walls of their apartment because Syria, El-Gohary said, is a country where converts to Christianity from Islam are persecuted," reports the Compass Direct, which bills itself as "News from the Front Lines of Persecution."
"The danger is still there," El-Gohary said. "We don't get out of the house. We don't meet people. We don't tell people what we are doing or talk to them about our situation. Because we don't want someone to say, 'Why are you applying to the U.N.?' There are still a lot of enemies."
Dina, now 17, said that although leaving Egypt was "like a miracle," she is devastated by the prospect of having to spend more time with her life on hold. She said she is just as scared in Syria as she was in Egypt.
And she really wants to be with her mother.
"We're really, really tired of all this suffering," she said. "I've lost two years of my life. I want to finish school."
El-Gohary and his daughter are still grateful. "Without God's love, we would have been dead by now," El-Gohary told Compass Direct. "Getting out of Egypt itself was a victory from God."
Dina said she also is thankful, but that as she gets older she is becoming increasingly preoccupied by one wish.
"I want to go into a church." she said, "without being scared of being killed."


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Here are a couple of gadgets I spyed over at bikehacks.com, your online resource for new bike innovations.
Check out the newest in bar ends:
Picture by: geekologie.com
These little guys have created quite a stir. Two Philiadelphia art school designers, Matt Braun and Jared Delorenzo sell these bar end plugs as […]


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Brit turns Comp Sci coursework into $100k glad-rags search biz
Soft wares software = cold hard cash
Vid A computer science graduate who used her final-year coursework on image processing to establish a startup has netted a $100k (£60k) prize.
Jenny Griffiths, who studied at Bristol University, became interested in computer vision during the second year of her master's degree - and in her fourth year she wrote software to recognise soft objects, such as clothes, and catalogue them.
Her image search system is now the core technology in her small fashion business that won Cisco's BIG startup award and prize money earlier this month.
Identifying fabrics and such things has been somewhat overlooked in the field of computer vision, which in terms of big commercial products has mainly focussed on medical and military applications. Griffiths instead angled her startup at the lucrative world of women's fashion.
Her resulting app - Snap Fashion - allows punters to photograph an item, or upload a picture of some apparel, and then search for similar ones across different retailers. This lets shoppers not only discover where a particular thing is sold, but also find the cheapest outlet and select variants of the things they more or less want. There's a link to buy the product, and Snap Fashion skims an affiliate link cut. The purchase can be done through the app or a common-or-garden web browser.
The software is geared at women's fashion, but there's an app for for men's stuff coming next. And potentially one for matching plumbing parts and such like after that. Here's a vid of the program in action:
"It's an idea we've all had, but I've backed it up with fairly complex algorithms that I invented in 2009 when I was at university," Griffiths said. "I tried to make a specific search engine that was particularly good at recognising colour and texture as well as on shape.
"I liked that with computer vision you could write some lines of code and get something back, instead of just a number. I guess I'm a visual person. I originally wanted to go into animation."
Obviously there are rival websites: Griffiths analysed eBay's search services and Google Product search, and researched competitors such as Tineye.com by reading the academic papers of its founders. Like Google image search, Tineye reveals where a submitted picture can also be found on the web.
But she's not scared about going head to head with Google: "It's complementary to what Google do. It's not a competitor. You'd be unwise to go into competition with Google, they're such a great company."
The tech at the heart of Snap Fashion is protected as a trade secret rather than being a patented design, which is unfortunate because it means Griffiths wouldn't actually explain to us how it works. Although she did tell The Reg in an interview that it was markedly different to the other techniques on the market: "There are so many different ways of doing computer vision that no one else is doing this."
But we can say that the software takes an image of, say, a jacket and defines the object as a blob of data values by identifying its shape and then colour and texture. The system then whips through a library of products to find items matching the definition and ranks them by similarity of shape and then of colour and texture.
Snap Fashion has a library of 250,000 items, and 120 retailers signed up on affiliate deals. Griffiths worked on establishing her startup in her spare time, outside of her full-time job, using money and expertise garnered from various small biz contests to build up the user interface, negotiate with outlets and assemble a team. Her startup also has Nokia's former UK veep onboard to guide it.
The Cisco BIG Awards: parking apps, video social networks and a bot that scan your Twitter to make sure you're being loyal to bosses
Snap Fashion took first prize at the Cisco BIG (British Innovation Gateway) Awards for startups at the finals held this month. The contest is part of Cisco's promise to leave a legacy after the London 2012 Games, and was built into its contract to provide networking gear to Olympic venues. The startup award judges received 200 entries, 30 reached the semi-finals and six made the finals.
The finalists ranged from software that streamlined workload in NHS hospitals - dubbed NerveCentre - to "community parking" app ParkAtMyHouse, and Shopitize, which seemed to rely on everyone taking photographs of their shopping receipts.
Second prize went to Digital Shadows - a small biz that attempts to find security vulnerabilities in corporate systems and produces an infographic-like report of its findings. THe company also studies employees' social networking profiles for data leaks, so it's hardly likely to be the most popular piece of software in the office.
And third place went to Six3, a video message service with the idea of replacing answer-phone messages with videos.
The Cisco BIG Awards will continue for the next five years in the same format. ®
Sponsored: Webcast: Build the next generation of your business in the public cloud


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Our Wastewater Enterprise's Utility Planning Division has partnered with the City's Community Challenge Grant Program (CCG) to offer grants for community-based projects which help manage stormwater using ecologically based strategies known as green infrastructure. The grants are based on the idea that small actions by community members can add up to large benefits for San Francisco's watersheds and sewer infrastructure.
Grants Support Green Infrastructure
The grants support the planning, design, and construction of green stormwater management facilities. Projects harvest and use rainwater, remove impervious surfaces, or implement other green infrastructure like bioswales and rain gardens. In addition to managing stormwater, projects beautify neighborhoods, provide recreational opportunities, and educate residents about the city's water and wastewater systems. Check out our informational brochures!
Who is eligible?
What can funds be used for?
Application and Guidelines
The 2020 Spring Urban Watershed Stewardship Grant Cycle will open in January with applications due April 30 2020. Applications and guidelines can be found on the City's Community Challenge Grant website. If you have questions about the Watershed Stewardship Grant Program, please contact Kelly Teter.
Watershed Stewardship Grant Winners
See and enlarged map of our grant winners.


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In the Blog
Out of Birch Control
An old lady with an invisible house. A crust punk who discovers a water nymph. A traveling musician who has to build a magical artifact before he can marry a woman he's never met. These brilliantly strange and beautiful stories all appear in the new issue of Laura Kenins's immensely engaging Birch Control #2.


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Toll Free at
STA Travel negotiates special flight discounts for students, teachers & travelers under 31. We partner with major airlines like AA, United and Virgin, to get you the cheapest prices you'll find on the web - guaranteed.
Check out our amazing student travel deals
Search & book adventure tours in destinations worldwide. With thousands of small group adventures and tours for students and young travelers to choose from, start planning your adventure here.
Book rail passes, bus passes, campervans or find cheap car hire. Find great deals on Eurail passes, Kiwi Experience and flexible campervan hire.
Whatever your budget, shoestring to luxury, our hotels & hostels worldwide will keep you booking with ease and traveling in comfort.
Check out our latest travel deals. Get discounts on adventure tours, check our cheapest flight deals or explore our latest accommodation offers...
From basic through to premium, find great student and youth travel insurance with STA Travel.
Looking for some inspiration? Take a look at our top destinations, read our travel tips, download our brochures and get advice on planning your next big trip...
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Illustration by Nate Harris
Friday Nights
Live performances. Open until 8:45 p.m.Buy Tickets
Kick-start your weekend at the Museum. Every Friday Night, enjoy live music and gallery access as well as cocktails and tapas-style dishes by Starr Catering Group. Unwind with two intimate sets of jazz, folk, and international music. Have burning questions about the collection? Guides will share stories about your favorite works in the galleries. Check out the schedule >>


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For Immediate Release, June 26, 2012
Contact: Kassie Siegel, (760) 366-2232 x 302
Court of Appeals Upholds EPA Greenhouse Gas Reduction Rules in Their Entirety
Center for Biological Diversity Statement
"Now that the D.C. Circuit has affirmed the reality of the climate crisis and EPA's duty and ability to address the problem, it's time for the agency to aggressively combat the most serious social and environmental threat of our age," said Kassie Siegel, director of the Center for Biological Diversity's Climate Law Institute. "All parties need to put politics aside right away and work toward the solutions that are so readily available — because the moral case for action could not be stronger."
As part of the Center for Biological Diversity's Clean Air Cities campaign, more than two dozen cities around the country have passed resolutions in support of ambitious EPA action to cut carbon pollution, demonstrating the strong, broad public support for rapid and science-based action to address the climate crisis.
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 375,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
Go back


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Resumés, Cover Letters, Interviews
Resumés, CVs and cover letters
Some employers are looking for a standard resumé or CV and cover letter, while others may invite you for an interview based on your LinkedIn profile, video or infographic resumé. Talk to people working in your field to find out what will get you through the employer's door.
You got the interview! This is your chance to let your passion shine! It's an opportunity for the employer to learn more about you, your related skills, strengths and experiences, and whether you are a fit for them. You will also learn more about them and whether they are a good fit for you.


text: Fantastic blog and brilliant post! You're amazing!!! You're got such fantastic taste! Loving the way you write too. :-) Absolutely brilliant!Looking forward to more posts from you. I'm now following you on BlogLovin! Feel free to check out my blog here - www.the-white-list.co.ukAnd you can follow me on BlogLovin at - www.bloglovin.com/blog/4105110/the-white-list


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Posts Tagged 'Red Horses Of The Snow'
Soundtrack2 Ep. 93: Night Owl
Frankie Rose, Trespassers William, Caveman, The Spits, Apteka & more
1. The Spits – Last Man On Earth
5…4…3…Wake up with this new off-kilter space punk.
2. Digital Leather – Young Doctors In Love
Facebook page doesn't reveal much, but loving this album's melodic post punk and killer chorus. And I'm not even a doctor.
3. Germans – No Job
Rock and roll from a few years back that somehow reminds me of a Torontonian British Sea Power.
4. Car Seat Headrest – Bodys
Ah, Brooklyn. Six minutes of stream-of-consciousness vocals and ecstatic indie rock.
5. Dream Brother – Pretty Eyes
A bit poppy for us, but this song is just so damn catchy!
6. Frankie Rose – Know Me
Lots of buzz about the latest single from Ms. Rose. Pure 80s swinging pop a la Sarah Records. Check out upcoming album Interstellar.
7. Field Mouse – You Guys Are Gonna Wake Up My Mom
Some wistful, dreamy pop out of Brooklyn.
8. A Classic Education – Night Owl
Slowing it down. Lovely guitar work. Find it on October's Call It Blazing.
9. Trespassers William – And We Lean In
Though they decided to call it a day, here's a great acoustic-ish number from Having.
10. Yo La Tengo – Pablo and Andrea
An Electr-O-Pura classic. "Show me where you hide all your secrets upstairs…" Love when the guitars come in.
11. Caveman – Easy Water
The track of the week comes from Coco Beware, a fantastic record released last fall. The mysterious intensity of this track stood out for me.
12. Red Horses Of The Snow – Airborne
Brilliant song that seems like an instant mellow shoegaze anthem. And what a voice!
13. Brief Candles – Permafrost
One of many fabulous tracks on WTSH's superb 200,000 Gazes compilation. Love that Ride bass.
14. Aerofall – Up's & Down's
Straightforward, almost hypnotic chord progression with layers and layers of guitar.
15. The Hang Ups – Sweet Tooth
A nice one from the 90s indie rock heroes So We Go album.
16. Pale Saints – Angel (Will You Be My)
Blistering shoegaze pop tune that's perfect for dancing around your bedroom.
17. Luminous Orange – Walkblind
Superplastic stunner by the Japanese shoegazers.
18. Apteka – Gravesend
Very excited to hear new stuff from this band. In their words: "We play rock music. We like large kick drums, tube amplification, and face melting." Hear hear.


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Register for the Bachelor of Arts Open House.
The general day schedule is below. Program-specific day programs will be available at the Open House.
|9:00am - 9:45am
Student Service Resource Fair
Have your questions answered by staff and students from many student services areas including Student Housing Services, Athletics, the Library and more!
|9:45am - 12:15pm
Academic Activities
Sample a lecture, meet other students who have been admitted to the same program, learn about your first year courses, tour the facilities where you'll be studying next year, and more! Join your Program Counsellor for a morning of academic opportunities that showcase your degree program!
|12:15pm - 1:00pm
Grab a light snack or a full meal at one of our on-campus eateries!
1:05pm and 1:50pm
*These sessions are 30 minutes in length.
Information Sessions
Attend brief information sessions to learn about Living in Residence, Co-operative Education, Career Options, Study Abroad Opportunities, Living at University, Student Accessibiity Services, as well as a session specifically for parents!
|1:30pm - 4:00pm
Residence and Athletic Centre Drop-in Tours
Visit first-year residences and the Athletic Centre. Volunteers will be available to show you through the facilities and to answer any questions. Drop-in tours will end at 4:00pm.
Residence Buildings Open During the Spring Academic Open House Events: Johnston Hall, Lambton Hall, Lennox-Addington, East Glengarry, East Village, South (Mountain), Mills.
|1:30pm - 3:00pm
Study Like a Boss: UofG's Non-Traditional Library - Guided Tour
Tour the McLaughlin Library's academic support services like writing services, supported learning groups and the science commons. Tours will leave from the library lobby every 15 minutes starting at 1:30pm with the last tour departing at 3:00pm


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2075 E. Kansas Ave Suite 1
Directions McPherson, KS 67460
Actual rating will vary with options, driving conditions, habits and vehicle condition.
The standard features of the Ford Mustang EcoBoost include EcoBoost 2.3L I-4 310hp intercooled turbo engine, 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive, 4-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS), side seat mounted airbags, driver and passenger side airbag head extension, driver and passenger knee airbag, airbag occupancy sensor, air conditioning, 17" aluminum wheels, cruise control, ABS and driveline traction control, AdvanceTrac electronic stability.
Starting at: $31,895
|City/EPA-Est Hwy mpg
|EcoBoost Search New
|310-hp 2.3L 4-cyl
|6-spd man.
|20 / 28
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Your privacy is important to us.
Midway Motors Ford Lincoln takes your privacy seriously and does not rent or sell your personal information to third parties without your consent. Read our privacy policy.


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Welcome to Ontario Centres of Excellence's online media room. Here you can find new and archived news releases, background information, bios, logos, photos, video and more. Keep up with OCE news by signing up for our News Release RSS feed.
For any additional information, contact Andrew Robertson (contact info to the right).
February 27, 2013


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This chapter discusses what you need to know as an administrator of Oracle Business Process Management Process Spaces, including roles and permissions, task flows, how to edit pages, and how to configure groups.
This chapter contains these topics:
Section 17.1, "Understanding Roles and Permissions in Process Spaces"
Both Oracle WebCenter Portal and Oracle Business Process Management Process Spaces use an identity store, each with a different set of application roles. Process Spaces group spaces come with default WebCenter Portal roles—for example: moderator, participant viewer, and public user. However, an administrator can create more roles and provide appropriate permissions to them.
For more information about creating roles and providing permissions, see Oracle Fusion Middleware User's Guide for Oracle WebCenter Portal: Spaces.
Task flows in Process Spaces display the same information available in Process Workspace. These are reusable components that have been consumed in Oracle WebCenter Portal so they can be used in Process Spaces.
For more information about the various task flows and their parameters, see Appendix A, "Creating Custom ADF Applications with Oracle Business Process Management Workspace Task Flows."
To use Process Spaces specific group spaces and templates, use the BPM Process Spaces Catalog. The BPM Process Spaces Catalog includes all the resources from the default group space catalog.
If you have upgraded from an earlier release and you want to edit the existing Process Spaces group space, you can either change the settings to use BPM Process Spaces Catalog for the particular group space or change the settings globally so that all group spaces in the application use the BPM Process Spaces Catalog.
For information about how to use a resource catalog, see Oracle Fusion Middleware User's Guide for Oracle WebCenter Portal: Spaces.
BPM Process Spaces Catalog includes the following folders:
Process Work Space Resources
Available processes: All available processes that a logged-in user can instantiate
Charts: Charts that show various statistics
Process instance list: All process instances a user can access
Task list: List of tasks that user has to act upon
Process Instance Space Resources
Audit trail: Audit trail of a given instance in tabular and graphical forms
Process calendar: Calendar that shows various important dates for a given process instance. Also capable of showing dates for all process instances of a user in context.
Stake holders: List of stake holders for a given instance.
Process Modeling Space Resources
Process catalog: Process catalog viewer that shows all published processes.
While there are no restrictions about using these task flows, they are grouped based on the group spaces to which they belong. However when a custom group space is created, you can mix and match the task flow.
For task flows to function correctly, you must pass the appropriate parameters to them. For configuring task flow parameters, see the Oracle WebCenter Portal documentation
For information about each task flow, see Appendix A, "Creating Custom ADF Applications with Oracle Business Process Management Workspace Task Flows."
You edit a page just as you would any other group space page. For more information, see Oracle Fusion Middleware User's Guide for Oracle WebCenter Portal: Spaces.
Each group space has a settings page for administering the group space. Process Workspace settings are configured to enable self-subscription for users. You can change these settings as needed. The rest of the default group space settings are similar to any other group space.
For information about configuring a group space, see Section 17.3, "Editing Pages in Process Spaces".


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 9/6/2012 (2855 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
If it's been said once, it's worth repeating 100,000 times: Small, independent businesses form the heart of any neighbourhood.
Technically speaking, Winnipeg's downtown is not one neighbourhood. There are actually 11 different officially designated neighbourhoods inside our city's sprawling central business district.
But downtown tends to exist as one place in the minds of many Winnipeggers, each with their own internal vision of what downtown is and what it's supposed to be.
To roughly 70,000 people who travel downtown every weekday to work, go to school or attend some form of appointment, downtown is primarily a business district, in the same bland, largely faceless way as any other central business district is in any other North American city.
To people who don't often go downtown but occasionally attend Jets games, concerts or arts events, downtown is an entertainment district that seems safer at some times of year -- say, during July's Fringe Theatre Festival or the NHL hockey season -- than it does at other times.
To people who never go downtown, it's just an unpopulated expanse of cracked concrete, prone to street crime, best avoided and easily ignored.
And to people who actually live downtown or simply love downtowns in general, it is the most important piece of Winnipeg -- the barometer of the health of the city overall, the only place worth being, for better and for worse.
These visions of downtown are not mutually exclusive. But they do engender different ways of valuing what exists downtown right now and what should exist there in the future.
First and foremost, downtown needs people. While there are sizeable numbers within the highrises of Broadway-Assiniboine and Central Park, reasonable density in Colony and a growing population in the Exchange District, much of downtown remains almost devoid of residential development. There has been widespread agreement for years about the need to increase this population and some modest successes in the form of new condominium and apartment creation.
But if people are a downtown's lifeblood, then small businesses form its beating heart, even though the major institutions -- banks, the University of Winnipeg and government offices among them -- form the primary daytime draw.
For decades, as downtown Winnipeg stagnated, it was easy for small businesses to eke out an existence in older mixed-use buildings, thanks to cheap rent and the slow pace of development.
But there is now upward pressure on real estate in many areas of downtown. And that means some of those small businesses are doomed.
In Chinatown, a downtown neighbourhood that barely continues to function as a neighbourhood, decades of disinterest at city hall and outright neglect among property owners have toppled historic warehouse building after historic warehouse building, just outside the boundaries of the Exchange.
Some time over the next few years, the Chinatown Development Corporation will ironically demolish the 139-year-old Coronation Block and deprive King Street of its most famous facade -- the Shanghai Restaurant, which closed at the end of 2010 as the family business ran out of family members to run the business.
In Portage-Ellice, it will only be a matter of months or weeks before the Longboat Development Corporation demolishes the Norlyn Building on Hargrave Street to make way for the parkade that will serve its 311 Portage at Centrepoint complex. The collateral damage will be the Wagon Wheel Lunch, one of Western Canada's last remaining authentic diners, which has operated as a lunch counter since the late 1950s.
Finally, in South Portage, a private land-assembly effort appears to be underway at the southwest corner of Main Street and St. Mary Avenue, where three of the city's oldest mixed-use buildings -- the Fortune Block, MacDonald Block and Winnipeg Hotel -- stand out as an island of dilapidated history.
If this effort is successful, this patch of properties could be home to a new, significant residential development, almost in the shadow of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. But the demolition of the Fortune Block would also mean the end of Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club, easily one of the best live-music venues in the city and arguably the best at creating a sense of community it inspires among its clientele.
In Chinatown, the Coronation Block is eyed for a future apartment building for seniors. This is a laudable goal.
In Portage-Ellice, the Norlyn Building is going down in the service of a $75-million development that will also include a new high-end hotel and office space, both of which will generate property-tax revenue earmarked to spruce up streets around the MTS Centre. This, too, is a laudable goal.
And if the South Portage development materializes on Main Street, downtown will have more people and more density. Again, laudable goal.
The bloody obvious question, however, is why must existing buildings be demolished in the name of development in downtown Winnipeg when there are so many surface-parking lots sitting empty across the area?
The short answer is economics: Owners of surface lots make a lot of money off parking and don't need to spend much to continue to rake in that revenue.
Older buildings, meanwhile, are expensive to maintain and extremely expensive to renovate. So when property values rise, it's easier to knock 'em down and build something new on the site. Without some form of redevelopment incentive, such as heritage or downtown housing grants, any old, neglected downtown Winnipeg building is simply a pile of bricks waiting to be demolished.
Surface lots, however, are not going anywhere, unless they happen to be owned by the city, province or a Crown corporation. There are no incentives for parking lot owners to build up on their lands and no penalties for leaving them the way they are.
Incentives to develop surface lots, promised by Mayor Sam Katz during the 2010 election campaign, are not ready to roll. And there is no political will at city hall to add a stick to this theoretical carrot.
And even if incentives and penalties do materialize, they will be too late to convince developers to abandon existing demolition plans and consider surface lots instead.
It's been said before, but downtown Winnipeg has no overall plan, in the sense that the masterminds behind megaprojects, policy-makers in government and entrepreneurs both large and small are working in unison to improve the area.
I do not believe every historic building can be saved from the wrecking ball or every funky, independent business can be ensured cheap rent in perpetuity. But the displacement of an existing good for a newer, more upscale good is the very definition of gentrification.
It's probably too late for the Wagon Wheel and it may be too late for Times Change(d), but the redevelopment of our downtown need not come at the expense of every small entrepreneurial effort.
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