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DENVER -- Leading his final Senate floor debate on civil unions, Sen. Pat Steadman was sentimental, sardonic and defiant, ignoring calls from Republicans to amend the bill to include an exemption for religious organizations and businesses that don't want to recognize legal state-sanctioned commitments between gay and lesbian couples.
During a 15-minute speech at the outset of the three-hour debate, Steadman wove the language of traditional marriage vows into a lengthy soliloquy about love and loss, coming just five months after the loss of his own long-time partner -- and nine months after last year's House GOP majority shut down legislative proceedings as a last resort in order to kill a civil unions bill that actually included protections for religious objectors.
"Well, third time's the charm, isn't it?" began Steadman, alluding to the bill's anticlimactic legislative journey this year in a building where Democrats now control the House, the Senate and the governor's office.
"We are gathered here today to debate the worthiness of our fellow Coloradans and their loves, and their dignity and their rights."
The result was never in doubt; and all 20 Senate Democrats and one Republican, Sen. Ellen Roberts of Durango, voted for Senate Bill 11, which will head to the House after a final Senate vote on Monday.
But, despite that, the debate -- mostly about the religious exemption -- was robust, after first-year Sen. Owen Hill, R-Colorado Springs, offered an amendment to restore religious exemptions to the bill.
"Religious freedom is woven into the fabric of our lives," said Hill, whose amendment would have applied to adoption agencies and to any private business whose owners operate in line with their religious convictions.
"To undermine the most basic of rights, the freedom of religion enshrined in the First Amendment, on the path to expanded rights for gays and lesbians, leads us down the path of the very worst form of government policy, that which takes rights away from some in the process of granting them to others.
"Equal rights cannot be extended to gays and lesbians while taking religious freedoms away from others."
A number of GOP lawmakers, notably Sens. Kevin Lundberg of Berthoud, Ted Harvey of Highlands Ranch and Kent Lambert of Colorado Springs, strode to the well in support of Hill's amendment.
Interestingly, Roberts also went to the well and expressed concerns about the amendment, asking Hill whether religious hospitals would be allowed to deny gay couples visitation rights that will be afforded to them under this law.
But Steadman had made it clear at the hearing's outset that any Republican effort to restore the religious exemption wasn't happening on his watch.
"What to say to those who claim that religion requires them to discriminate? I tell you what I'd say: 'get thee to a nunnery, and live there. Go live a monastic life, away from modern society, away from people you can't see as equals to yourself'.
"Go some place and be as judgmental as you like, go inside your church, establish separate water fountains if you like. But don't tell me that your free exercise of religion requires the state of Colorado to establish separate water fountains."
During his turn in the well, Lambert shot back at Steadman, arguing that the sponsor of a bill about inclusion wasn't practicing what he was preaching.
"Telling us to get thee to a nunnery?" Lambert said. "That doesn't sound very inclusive to me."


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Over the years, the "Jurassic Bark" episode of Futurama has developed a reputation as one of the saddest moments in cartoon history, if not the history of entertainment as a whole. Recently, the mere whisper of a return from Fry's incredibly loyal dog Seymour in the trailer for the show's upcoming final season was enough to send fans scurrying, unable to face the heartbreak of losing him all over again. But what if Seymour were voiced by Seth MacFarlane, as Entertainment Weekly reports he will be? Why, then your heart would be safe from breaking, swaddled as it is in MacFarlane's velvety baritone! And so, thanks to recently enacted federal regulations stipulating that all animated shows must contain a requisite amount of MacFarlane, Seymour will have his "first and only spoken dialogue" in an Aug. 14 episode that takes place solely in Fry's dreams. And much like in your own dreams, Seymour will now just be one of Seth MacFarlane's fun, martini-swilling talking dogs, so everybody can chin up.
More from The A.V. Club

subset: commoncrawl


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Rescue of Abbeyleix bog from machines
From being something destined to disappear, the Abbeyleix bog has been preserved thanks to the vision of the Abbeyleix Bog Project.
The Project won the Environment Award thanks to a decade of campaign which culminated in its opening as a community resource.
Annemarieke Van der Voort, who accepted the award, said the campaign started in 2000 when local people decided to save the bog from peat harvesting.
"It has emerged that this 500 acre bog is an exceptional part of nature that you don't find so much any more", she said.
While the bog is open to the public, Ms Van der Voort said the Project aims to install a boardwalk so people can enjoy the bog more without damaging it.
She said there is a core group of 20 people in involved but local people came on board once they saw it for themselves.
"We took people for walks on the bog and they were astounded by the beauty of the place," she said.


text: Adam Drake and TLR Split Posted by kelbyernst on January 20, 2015 Posted in: Radio Control. In a surprise move Adam Drake has left TLR Racing! No word on where he is headed yet, rumors have him at AE and Mugen. Share this:TwitterFacebookMoreEmailLike this:Like Loading... Related Posts navigation ← Balancing RC buggy wheels New Agama A215 →


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For geographers, discussion around the Anthropocene provides an interesting recent take on long standing disciplinary debates over issues such as 'Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Earth', human impacts and human relations to nature. Last year I was struck by the parallels between how people are conceptualising and talking about the Anthropocene, and how the Neolithic or agricultural revolution has been discussed in archaeology over the last few decades.
I am not talking about the debate over whether the Anthropocene started 8000 or so years ago as a result of methane emissions from rice agriculture, as argued by William Ruddiman, although that is a fascinating and important discussion. Rather it is about how phases or periods of history can become reified in public and scholarly consciousness, to the detriment of considering their spatial and temporal nuances. If we're not careful we can end up with deterministic and teleological rather than contingent understandings of historical change. Continue reading


text: Guest nramsey Posted October 23, 2004 Hi all,I'm looking for a nice payware GA twin to take a bit of a break from the big iron I've been flying lately. Time to go cruise the coast or something :) I'd like to stick with payware as I haven't found a freeware package that was as complete as I would like.I'm considering the Cessna 310 from Dreamfleet. Anyone have it? How is it? Flight model? VC? Sounds? Anyone have any other recommendations for a nice GA twin? I'm looking for something I can fly low and slow, or cruise at 200+ knots for some touring. Any help would be great.Thanks!Nathan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text: To celebrate the holidays, Warner Bros. will release the direct-to-video title GRANDMA GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER. Produced by Phil Roman Entertainment, GRANDMA is based on the popular song of the same name and follows the misadventures of young Jake Spankenheimer on his journey to discover what happened to his missing grandmother. The original song was written by Randy Brooks and was recorded by Elmo Shropshire in 1979. Shropshire will provide the narration for the new cartoon. The new toon will arrive in video stores on October 31, 2000 and will sell for US$14.95.


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Weekday Classes
Intentional Faith Development is one of the core values at Trinity Presbyterian Church of McKinney Texas. No matter what your age or stage of life, we want to enable you to keep growing in your understanding of God, scripture, faith, and life together through experiences that engage the mind, heart and body.
At TPC we offer various Classes in various formats as well as Retreats and Summer Camps for children, youth and adults. Feel free to browse through our Faith Development Classes and our Retreats and Summer Camps.


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Share your information and request a demo or more information from one of our intelligent search experts. We'll be in touch to show you how Coveo for ServiceNow can help you deliver the insights that matter.


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$0.99 & Under Printed Glasses Personalized Favors Newest Favors *Exclusive Items* Most Popular Favors Wine & Bar Favors Silver & Chrome *Specials*
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IN DECEMBER international leaders met in Paris at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) during the twenty-first "Conference of Parties" (COP21) with the goal to "achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C above preindustrial temperatures"(COP21, 2016). Delegates discussed and agreed on national targets, but simple math reveals a harsh truth— if we manage to hit the targets agreed upon in Paris we will still experience a dangerous 2.7°C - 3°C warming above pre-industrial levels by 2100. While these numbers appear small, climate-adaptation practitioners understand the implications are anything but. Somewhat ironically, at the same UN Conference of Parties, there was also collective agreement that the upper limit of warming should be revised downward to 1.5°C because, "The 1.5 degree Celsius limit is a significantly safer defense line against the worst impacts of a changing climate" (UNFCCC, 2016).
This ratcheting down of the temperature target speaks volumes about the predicament we're in. Changes are occurring faster than we anticipated and we continue approaching blind curves at high speed.
I began working on climate change eight years ago. As my understanding of the issue deepens and I watch national and international efforts come up short year after year, I have to wonder if our climate adaptation sights are aimed at the wrong target.
I have had the fortune of working on climate mitigation and adaptation while serving as the Climate and Energy Analyst for the City of Eugene, Oregon. During this time I have come to a few realizations that have fueled my growing concern. First, the greenhouse gas-emissions reductions that are scientifically necessary appear to be all but unachievable. Second, scientists anticipate that as we move beyond 2°C of warming, there is a dramatic increase in the risk of rapid warming magnified by naturally occurring feedbacks within the climate system—sometimes referred to as "runaway" climate change. Finally, and perhaps most troubling, our current climate adaptation efforts are focused on a future stable climate condition that appears highly unlikely.
Our current climate adaptation efforts are focused on a future stable climate condition that appears highly unlikely
First, the emissions challenge. I recently have been tasked with developing a greenhouse gas-reduction target for Eugene that is consistent with returning global concentrations of CO₂ to 350 parts per million (ppm), the CO₂ level climate scientists tell us is least likely to trigger runaway global heating. It should be noted that global CO₂ concentrations surpassed 400 ppm nearly a year ago for the first time in recorded history, so a 350ppm target is extremely ambitious. We found that doing our share to meet 350ppm means we must stop emitting CO₂ within 15 years (Hansen et al 2015). For comparison, we looked at what would be needed to achieve 450ppm (the number expected to limit warming to 2°C). While more feasible perhaps, getting to 450ppm would still require emissions to drop from today's levels to almost zero within 35 years. While this may be technically possible, our climate-mitigation goals and actions in Eugene, and across most of the country, are not geared to achieve this scale of reductions. I hold on to hope that we will find the will to achieve these levels of reductions, but I do not believe it is responsible to assume these dramatic emissions reductions as a basis for climate adaptation planning. As climate-adaptation practitioners, we are trying to reduce risks posed by climate impacts, so we should be planning for likely outcomes, not banking on the best possible scenario.
The second lesson I have learned is that there are feedbacks in our climate system that have a huge potential to increase global temperatures. A great example is the Arctic ice sheet at the top of the planet. Like a giant mirror, the white surface of the sea ice reflects most of the incoming sunlight back into space. As warming causes the ice to recede, it is replaced by dark ocean waters, which absorb the light energy, turning it into heat energy, increasing warming and further melting the ice in a self-reinforcing loop. The trouble is that several such natural feedbacks exist within the climate system and when combined they have great potential to cause extreme warming. Unfortunately, because we don't know exactly when these feedbacks will kick in, they are not always accounted for in climate models, meaning that we are likely to significantly underestimate the potential speed of warming. These feedbacks are one of the reasons we have set an international goal to stay below 2°C of warming—because somewhere at or beyond that temperature, the feedbacks are unleashed and, like it or not, we find ourselves on an uncontrollable escalator to dramatically warmer temperatures. We are currently experiencing 1°C of warming, and total global greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase every year
My third realization is that the majority of our climate-adaptation plans focus on a 2°C warming scenario that stabilizes at 2°C and doesn't warm further. In reality, climate is rarely stable. Over the last 800,000 years the average temperature of the globe has jumped up and down like a heartbeat. This fluctuation has been cyclic and driven by natural processes, but if we look into Earth's climate history there is an odd stabilization of temperatures that began some 10,000 years ago. As a species we have benefitted immensely from this unusual period of relative climatic stability; it has encouraged long-term settlement along our coastlines and it has enabled development of wildly successful agricultural practices. How will we adapt as we enter a period of climatic conditions that are far less predictable and far more dynamic than our recent history has prepared us for? While I hope we can find a way to limit warming to 2°C and avoid unleashing feedbacks, good risk management suggests we should anticipate and prepare for less rosy outcomes. I believe we should re-calibrate our adaptation efforts to anticipate 4°C and continued warming. I will be first to acknowledge that 4°C of warming and an unstable climate is increasingly difficult to "adapt" to, but planning for a more moderate level of impacts just because it feels less overwhelming is not the basis of good risk management.
In 2011 an international team of scientists provided a clue about the potential impact of four degrees of warming (New et. al, 2011). They note, "Even with strong political will, the chances of shifting the global energy system fast enough to avoid 2°C are slim. Trajectories that result in eventual temperature rises of 3°C or 4°C are much more likely, and the implications of these larger temperature changes require serious consideration." As for the impacts, the authors raise the concern, "The continued failure of the parties to the UNFCCC to agree on emissions reductions means that those planning adaptation responses have to consider a wider range of possible futures, with a poorly defined upper bound. Second, responses that might be most appropriate for a 2°C world may be maladaptive in a +4°C world; this is, particularly, an issue for decisions with a long lifetime, which have to be made before there is greater clarity on the amount of climate change that will be experienced. For some of the more vulnerable regions, a +4°C world may require a complete transformation in many aspects of society, rather than adaptation of existing activities."
As adaptation professionals we haven't had a discussion about adapting to higher temperatures. The good thing is that many of the efforts I imagine we might employ to "adapt" to 4°C are also desperately needed today and would help us manage 2°C of warming as well. What do those strategies look like? How would we implement them? I propose that in addition to (or perhaps instead of) focusing on structural adaptation like building sea walls, we might also focus on supporting social adaptation that would both help our communities to navigate uncertainty and disruptions in the future and help us address the challenges of today.
"For some of the more vulnerable regions, a +4°C world may require a complete transformation in many aspects of society, rather than adaptation of existing activities"
This could involve boosting psychological resilience through workshops that improve mental coping skills. The Resource Innovation Group, for example, has hosted workshops in several cities including Eugene. They are teaching people useful skills in mindfulness, meditation and trauma management to help people cope with the stresses they're experiencing today – and to spread habits that could help us all handle the curveballs of tomorrow.
Adapting to four degrees might involve promoting community cohesion by better bridging the racial, cultural, and economic divides in our communities. In his book Heatwave, Eric Klinenberg writes of a deadly spell of extreme heat in Chicago in 1995. With scientific rigor he investigates the horrible event, comparing neighborhoods full of survivors with neighborhoods that didn't fare as well. He found the secret to survival wasn't wealth, mobility, or access to health care, it was the presence of healthy social bonds. Those residents who lived in socially connected neighborhoods fared significantly better than those living in socially isolated environments. For this reason, it seems improving social cohesion within our communities should be one of our adaptation goals.
If more frequent curveballs are in our future, perhaps we should also take measures now to enhance the transparency and particularly the nimbleness of our government decision-making. I have seen with my own eyes that making decisions on behalf of the whole is way easier said than done, but organizations like the Co-Intelligence Institute and Healthy Democracy work tirelessly to test and share examples of better collective decision-making practices. It seems self-evident that our communities will manage tough decisions better when residents are involved and genuinely understand the difficult dilemmas placed at our collective doorstep.
I certainly don't have all the answers, but I hope we might focus our attention on a broader range of climate possibilities that are more challenging than 2°C, and unfortunately, increasingly likely.
COP21. 2016. http://www.cop21paris.org/about/cop21 (accessed on April 12, 2016)
UNFCCC. 2016. "Historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change" (accessed on April 12, 2016) http://newsroom.unfccc.int/unfccc-newsroom/finale-cop21/
Hansen J, Kharecha P, Sato M, Masson-Delmotte V, Ackerman F, Beerling DJ, et al. 2013. Assessing "Dangerous Climate Change": Required Reduction of Carbon Emissions to Protect Young People, Future Generations and Nature. PLoS ONE 8(12): e81648. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0081648
New et al. 2011. Four degrees and beyond: the potential for a global temperature increase of four degrees and its implications. Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society, A 2011.


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What number of occasions do that you must visit a hospital to lastly realise that you just require a health cover? Though completed is an advantage trumped-up clout an one stint journey, the local anesthesia, and the minimum incision, ace is not any indication of health insurance and all mature own appraisal. Moreover, California has a Help Middle that assists Californians when they have issues with their health insurance coverage.
Although the extent of premium can vary from one firm to a different, they should be similar inside the same firm for all insured persons of the same age group and region, no matter intercourse or state of health. Price For Service: A payment for service plan is a standard Arizona health insurance With this type of plan, the insurance company will pay for a portion of your health care bill which can be specified in the plan.
Companies, school districts and individuals to be cheated of 1000's of dollars every year by scams that falsely declare to be an insurance coverage agent. Health Upkeep Organizations (HMO): With an HMO, you must choose a physician throughout the HMO's community to receive coverage.
The consultants of these companies provide their assist to you, usually for free, as a service. Please click on right here for a listing of entities carrying on or administering insurance business. The insured individual may be anticipated to pay any expenses in excess of the health plan's most cost for a particular service.
Through the middle-to-late 20th century, traditional disability insurance coverage evolved into modern well being insurance packages. We've labored arduous to supply the widest collection of plans and the most intuitive comparison process for you.


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Solar energy has increased in popularity over the years. It has been found that solar energy easily reduces costs in both commercial and residential property electric bills. Plus with the minimal maintenance, many around the world are looking to go green. This article will teach you the inner workings and simple benefits of solar power energy.
Crystalline Panels
Photo-voltaic panels have two main types. Poly-crystalline panels are cheaper, and mono-crystalline panels are more efficient. If you want to power your whole home with solar energy, you are best off purchasing the most technologically advanced system you can afford.
You need a reliable method for storing energy that's produced from the solar energy system. The best way is purchasing a high-quality battery that stores lots of power for a lengthy time period. However, you can also sell your produced energy to the power grid. This will allow you to continue drawing your own energy from the grid.
You should have a backup plan should your solar panels stop functioning. Although a generator can be viable solution, you could also choose to remain plugged in to the power grid and harness traditional power during the times that your solar panels are malfunctioning. Keep your generator well maintained and run it regularly to keep it in good condition.
When the space and resources are available, your best bet for maximum solar energy gathering is a panel system with sun tracking. This type of system moves with the sun throughout the day. While they are costly at first, the increased efficiency will actually save you money in the end.
Solar Panels
Do some serious calculations before you invest in solar panels. After you calculate what it costs to install the solar panels where you live, you may find you will never be able to recoup your investment. Rushing into solar energy without doing your homework may lead to a nasty surprise.
You need to check your inverter on a weekly basis. It is a good thing if you see a green light that is not blinking. If it is off or blinking, you should call your solar energy company. Many owners aren't skilled enough to diagnose the problem. A visit from a technician should be free if you bought panels with a 25-year warranty, which is common.
Solar power systems are evolving each year. With the increase in popularity, the prices are more affordable than ever. Regardless of your energy needs, you can find a good solar power system if you try.
Save Money
If you were open minded when reading this article, you have hopefully become more familiar with solar energy. You can save money and save the Earth at the same time. Apply the knowledge of what you have learned today to save money and the planet!


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In the previous part of this series I wrote about using Latex to write a thesis. I will now give stepwise instructions to how to set up a new project using Eclipse and Texlipse and how to use a thesis template. The template is a skeleton made for writing a thesis based on a collection of paper, not a monography. The Latex version can be downloaded and adapted to your own needs.
First, download and install Eclipse. Second, install Texlipse by following these instructions. Then follow the four steps below.
One, create a new project.
Two, select a Latex project.
Three, give the project a name.
Four, select the output and source folders. I always use src and out and so does the template.
Five, extract the files from the template into the project's folder under the your workspace. Finally, refresh the content of your project.
The project is now ready to be modified all you want. Good luck with your thesis 🙂


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Main Blood Oxidative stress interferes with cancer chemotherapy: inhibition of lymphoma cell apoptosis and phagocytosis
You can write a book review and share your experiences. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books you've read. Whether you've loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them.


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Game information
- Game title: Monsters Wheels
- Category: Racing Games
- Game ID on Flash Game: 6458
- Game author: My Real Games
- Total hits of the game: 11425 times
- Best screen resolution: 800 x 600 pixels
- Game instructions for Monsters Wheels:
Your objective in the racing game Monsters Wheels is to surpass all your opponents. Use up and down arrows or WS to control the movement of your car, and left and right arrows or AD to tilt. The space bar is for nitro boost. You are supposed to collect medicine bags and speed-ups along your way and perform flips to make money. Press Shift key to turn over your car. There are more free games on www.flash-game.net!


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It has been a while since I added to my 2015 PC water cooling beginner's guide but this post should wrap up stage 2. To review The Plan, the goal of this stage of my water cooling guide is to have a functional PC running Windows 8.1 utilizing an all-in-one PC water cooling system. This will allow me to benchmark the base components and Continue reading PC Water Cooling Beginner's Guide – Stage 2 | Part 2
Month: May 2015
Robotics Club Regional Championships
The robotics club had a great run at the regional championships today.
The team had their best driving day of the season, even though they were paired up with many teams they had never met before.
They entered the Vex IQ high rise finals as the number one seed, having put up Continue reading Robotics Club Regional Championships
Robotics Club 05-11-2015 Match
The RoboRunners robotics club from Long Lake Elementary school had their strongest performance of the Vex IQ season tonight. They ended up scoring enough in the teamwork challenge tonight to end up in 1st place for Continue reading Robotics Club 05-11-2015 Match
Cattle Panel Trellises
I recently added some cattle panel trellises to my large raised garden beds. Cattle panels are an attractive and long lasting item to use to build many styles of trellis. This is a simple two step Continue reading Cattle Panel Trellises
Robotics Club 05-04-2015 Match
The robotics club had their most well-rounded match of the season tonight. The team was able to put up scores of over fifty in all three aspects of the Vex IQ High Rise Challenge Tonight! As their mentor the most exciting part for me was Continue reading Robotics Club 05-04-2015 Match


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Recently, I was tasked with writing a relative complex data migration script. The script involves connecting to a MySQL database, querying existing data and then inserting to a destination schema. Doing this in Bash would be quite hard to test and error prone. Some modern functional language would provide a better solution, e.g. Ruby, Scala, or Groovy. We opt to use Groovy as some of team members have Java background so there is less friction when doing maintenance. This blog post is to show you how to set up basic structure of Groovy scripting with Spock for Unit Testing and Gradle for building.
Groovy CLI
Firstly, we set up a basic script structure with Groovy CLI. Script:
#!/usr/bin/env groovy def cli = new CliBuilder(usage:'data-fix') cli.with { u longOpt: 'user', args: 1, argName: 'user', required: true, 'DB user' p longOpt: 'password', args: 1, argName: 'password', required: true, 'DB password' s longOpt: 'sourceSchema', args: 1, argName: 'sourceDbSchema', required: true, 'staging DB schema' d longOpt: 'destinationSchema', args: 1, argName: 'destDbSchema', required: true, 'production DB schema' h longOpt: 'host', args: 1, argName: 'dbHost', 'DB host, default to be localhost' } def opts = cli.parse(args) if (!opts) { System.exit(1) } new Processor(opts).run()
Processor class:
class Processor { def opts Processor(opts) { this.opts = opts } void run() { println "Running..." } }
The above code can be viewed in this Github commit. Next up, we will set up Unit Testing.
Unit Testing with Spock and GradleSpock provides a nice testing framework. I am a fan of its easy mocking syntax and BDD (Behavioural Driven Development) syntax "given, when, then". One way to setup Spock in Groovy is using Gradle build and dependencies management.
By default, Gradle assumes certain directory structures:
src/main/groovy, and
src/test/groovy. (You can change the above structure as described here). We will move our code into the above directory structure, and will create an empty test file
ProcessorSpec.groovy under
src/test/groovy directory.
. ├── README.md └── src ├── main │ └── groovy │ ├── data-fix.groovy │ └── Processor.groovy └── test └── groovy └── ProcessorSpec.groovy
Setting up
build.gradle in the top directory:
apply plugin: "groovy" version = "1.0" description = "Spock Framework - Data fix Project" // Spock works with Java 1.5 and above //sourceCompatibility = 1.5 repositories { // Spock releases are available from Maven Central mavenCentral() // Spock snapshots are available from the Sonatype OSS snapshot repository maven { url "http://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots/" } } dependencies { // mandatory dependencies for using Spock compile "org.codehaus.groovy:groovy-all:2.4.1" testCompile "org.spockframework:spock-core:1.0-groovy-2.4" testCompile "cglib:cglib:2.2" testCompile "org.objenesis:objenesis:1.2" }
Let's modify the file
ProcessorSpec.groovy to have a failed test, so that we can confirm that test is actually run and everything is setup correctly.
import spock.lang.* class ProcessSpec extends Specification { def "#first test"() { when: def a = true then: a == false } }
Executing Gradle build to see the test failed:
$ gradle --info clean test ... Gradle Test Executor 2 finished executing tests. ProcessSpec > #first test FAILED Condition not satisfied: a == false | | | false true at ProcessSpec.#first test(ProcessorSpec.groovy:9) 1 test completed, 1 failed
The above changes can be viewed in this Github commit.
Gradle wrapper is great to ensure build is run the same way across different machine. On a machine that does not have Gradle installed, it will first download Gradle and execute the build task. We can setup Gradle wrapper with this easy command:
$ gradle wrapper # The above command will generate wrapper script and we can execute our build with this command: $ ./gradlew --info clean test
Adding libraries
We got the basic skeleton done. The next step is to add logic into our script. The script will connect to MySQL database, so we will add
mysql-connector to the script. In addition, to debug script, I'm a fan of adding logging statements to the flow. We will use @Grab to add dependencies into the script
file: data-fix.groovy #!/usr/bin/env groovy @GrabConfig(systemClassLoader=true) @Grab('mysql:mysql-connector-java:5.1.27') @Grab('log4j:log4j:1.2.17') ... file: Processor.groovy import groovy.sql.Sql import org.apache.log4j.* import groovy.util.logging.* @Log4j class Processor { def opts Processor(opts) { log.level = Level.DEBUG this.opts = opts } void run() { log.info "Running..." } }
Running the script gives the expected log statement. However, running build now failed with this exception:
Execution failed for task ':compileGroovy'.> org/apache/ivy/core/report/ResolveReport
[src/main/groovy] $ ./data-fix.groovy -h localhost -u root -p somepassword -s staging -d prod INFO - Running... [ top level dir] $ ./gradlew --info clean test FAILURE: Build failed with an exception. * What went wrong: Execution failed for task ':compileGroovy'. > org/apache/ivy/core/report/ResolveReport
So what went wrong? @Grab is using Grape to manage dependencies, while Gradle has its own dependencies management. At this point, we have 2 options: use Gradle to manage all dependencies and execute script via Gradle, or mix and match between Gradle and Grape (Grape is for runtime, Gradle is only for testing). Both options have its own merits. For me, I prefer the simplicity of Grape at runtime, so I will continue with the later.
We will need to configure
build.gradle to ignore Grape:
test { systemProperty 'groovy.grape.enable', 'false' } compileGroovy { groovyOptions.forkOptions.jvmArgs = [ '-Dgroovy.grape.enable=false' ] } compileTestGroovy { groovyOptions.forkOptions.jvmArgs = [ '-Dgroovy.grape.enable=false' ] }
The above change can be viewed in this Github commit.
Using this method will violate DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself), as dependencies are defined in 2 places: @Grab and in Gradle dependencies. You can have a look at mrhaki blog post if you want to invoke Groovy script from Gradle task. I found passing script command line options as Gradle run properties is a bit awkward.
Using this method will violate DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself), as dependencies are defined in 2 places: @Grab and in Gradle dependencies. You can have a look at mrhaki blog post if you want to invoke Groovy script from Gradle task. I found passing script command line options as Gradle run properties is a bit awkward.
Adding more logic and tests
Simple logic - default localhost if host is not provided
Now that we have a structure going, we can add more logic into our script. The first easy one is set host to the parameter provided, otherwise default to 'localhost'.
file: ProcessorSpec.groovy def "#new set host to parameter, or default to localhost"() { expect: new Processor([]).host == 'localhost' new Processor([h: 'myserver']).host == 'myserver' } file: Processor.groovy Processor(opts) { log.level = Level.DEBUG this.opts = opts this.host = opts.h ?: 'localhost' } void run() { log.info "Host : $host" log.info "User : ${opts.u}" log.info "Password : ${opts.p}" log.info "Source schema : ${opts.s}" log.info "Destination schema : ${opts.d}" }
Running test: [ top level dir] $ ./gradlew --info clean test BUILD SUCCESSFUL [src/main/groovy] $ ./data-fix.groovy -h myserver -u root -p somepassword -s staging -d prod INFO - Host : myserver INFO - User : root INFO - Password : somepassword INFO - Source schema : staging INFO - Destination schema : prod [src/main/groovy]$ ./data-fix.groovy -u root -p somepassword -s staging -d prod INFO - Host : localhost INFO - User : root INFO - Password : somepassword INFO - Source schema : staging INFO - Destination schema : prod
The above changes can be viewed in this Github commit.
As you can see, Groovy language is very easy to work with and powerful as a scripting language. Together with unit testing, you have confidence in your script doing the right thing and production ready. I truly believe you should Unit Test everything, including scripts; and the above is the setup to achieve just that.
- http://stackoverflow.com/questions/18173908/error-compiling-a-groovy-project-using-grab-annotation
- http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5886401/general-error-during-conversion-no-suitable-classloader-found-for-grab
- http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16471096/any-alternative-to-grabconfig
- http://stackoverflow.com/questions/17360719/running-groovy-scripts-from-gradle


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Stimulus Plan Prompts Pasadena Firm's Pickups
With its sixth acquisition of the year last week, Tetra Tech Inc. is showing considerable prowess beyond its forte of engineering consulting.
The Pasadena firm is demonstrating an ability to deploy cash and credit to give it the heft needed to win infrastructure contracts funded by federal stimulus money.
Tetra Tech announced June 30 that it had acquired Diamond Bar engineering firm Bryan A. Stirrat & Associates for an undisclosed amount. BAS has annual revenue of $40 million and provides landfill design, hazardous waste management and other services in California and Arizona.
Though the companies have worked together on landfill remediation programs, including a federal Brownfield redevelopment near Los Angeles, the acquisition boosted Tetra Tech's expertise in the market.
A few weeks earlier, the company acquired three engineering companies, including Tesoro Corp., a Virginia Beach, Va., construction management firm that works primarily for the U.S. Department of Defense. A second specialty acquisition, Mussetter Engineering of Fort Collins, Colo., has expertise in water resources and environmental hydraulics.
In January, the company acquired Haselwood Enterprises Inc., Oakridge, Tenn., nuclear science and engineering company that does work for the U.S. Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration, as well as commercial nuclear companies.
Engineering companies with the broadest range of expertise and deep ties to the federal government will have the best chances of gaining the infrastructure contracts, according to analysts.
"Unless you have relationships with agencies with stimulus money to spend, it's harder to benefit from the stimulus," said analyst Rob Young at Wm. Smith & Co. in Denver. "Tetra Tech has such a good relationship with the federal government that they really stand to benefit."
Discounting tax relief, roughly $154 billion of the $819 billion federal stimulus plan is targeting infrastructure, science and energy projects. Indeed, with the pot of money so large, Tetra Tech, which has tended to avoid debt, deployed a lightly used $300 million credit facility to make its most recent acquisitions.
Chief Executive Dan Batrack said the company, which had net income of $70 million on revenues of $1.3 billion in fiscal 2008, should be able to pay off the debt with its cash flow.
Tetra Tech has been looking for companies that are "market leaders" with "excellent customer relationships" that provide services Tetra Tech doesn't offer, and have clients in regions not served by the company, Batrack said.
"BAS, for example, strengthens our technical capabilities in watershed protection and adds new customers in the Southwest," he said.
Tetra Tech's other two acquisitions this year gave the company its first presence in Canada, the United Kingdom and India. The company in January bought Wardrop Engineering Inc., a diversified Calgary, Canada, firm with annual revenue of $120 million.
Another June acquisition, ACI Engineering of Vancouver, Canada, was merged with Wardrop to provide the expertise needed to connect wind and other alternative energy generators to electrical transmission networks. Batrack expects ACI engineers to assist in U.S. projects.
Tetra Tech shares, which closed at $28.63 on July 1, are up 19 percent from the beginning of the year.
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Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for genocide and war crimes, fled from an African Union summit meeting on Monday before the conference ended. The South African High Court was going to order him arrested and handed over to the ICC, but the South African government let him fly out of a military airport near Pretoria.
There is outrage in South Africa at this breach of the law, but there is also a belief in the rest of the continent (especially among national leaders) that the ICC is prejudiced against African countries. Is the ICC out of control, or is it just trying to do its job?
President Jacob Zuma's government had a serious public relations problem. In the past month South Africa has seen a great deal of xenophobic violence against illegal immigrants and their property. It's embarrassing for Zuma, and clearly contrary to the spirit of African solidarity, so he felt that he couldn't let an African head of state be arrested while attending an AU summit in his country.
The resentment of poor South Africans at the presence of so many illegal immigrants from other African countries (probably between 5 and 10 percent of the population) is understandable but inexcusable. The right solution is for South Africa to take control of its borders, but meanwhile Zuma has to placate his African Union partners.
Zuma had to sneak Bashir out of the country because South Africa's High Court is still independent, and it was about to rule that Bashir must be handed over to the ICC for trial. Indeed, Judge Dunstan Mlambo did rule exactly that – "The government's failure to arrest Bashir is inconsistent with the Constitution" – only hours after Bashir fled.
Well, obviously. Since South Africa is one of the 123 countries that signed up to the ICC, it is legally obliged to enforce its arrest warrants. Some other African countries also take the ICC seriously. In 2012 an AU summit was moved from Malawi after the government refused to let Bashir attend, and in 2013 the Sudanese president had to leave Nigeria earlier than planned after a rights group went to court to compel the authorities to arrest him.
But most African governments now ignore ICC rulings because, they claim, the court only targets African criminals – and it's true that all the arrest warrants now in force are for Africans. This understandably causes deep suspicions in the African continent.
Under the same international laws, shouldn't former US president George W. Bush be indicted as a war criminal for illegally invading a sovereign country, Iraq? No, actually, because the ICC can only arrest the citizens of countries that have signed up to the ICC, and the United States hasn't. (Neither has Sudan, but there is an exception for war criminals who are specifically designated by the United Nations Security Council, as Bashir was.)
The wounds of colonialism are still raw, and it just feels wrong. But which of these people would you want to drop from the list?
Joseph Kony, the self-proclaimed prophet whose Lord's Resistance Army murdered tens of thousands of innocent people in northern Uganda and adjacent countries?
Jean-Pierre Bemba, a former Congolese rebel leader who is on trial for crimes against humanity and war crimes over alleged cases of murder, rape and pillage in the Central African Republic in 2002 and 2003?
Or Ivory Coast's former President Laurent Gbagbo, who faces four charges of crimes against humanity – murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, persecution and "other inhuman acts" – in the violence that followed disputed elections in 2010?
None of these men are being lynched. They have just been summoned to face a trial, with all the legal rights they are accused of denying to others. And in most cases, the prosecution have been undertaken with the support of the relevant African country.
African countries dominate the list for two reasons. One is that more than half the world's wars are in Africa. The other is that African countries, so vulnerable to violence, have a strong interest in establishing the rule of law, and most African lawyers and senior civil servants understand that.
They are often thwarted by their presidents and prime ministers, who belong to a very exclusive club. African leaders are as prone as any other interest group to try to exempt themselves from rules that hold them legally responsible for their actions. The ICC has also made mistakes, like bringing cases against senior politicians when there was no realistic chance of getting the evidence needed for a conviction (like President Uhuru Kenyatta in Kenya).
But even if it fails much of the time, the ICC is a worthwhile enterprise. It is part of a long-term effort to build a world that is ruled by law, not by force, even if that goal is still a century in the future – and in the meantime, it occasionally gives the victims justice right here in the present.
To shorten to 725 words, omit paragraphs 4 and 8. ("The resentment…go"; and "Under…was")
11 April 2013
Somalia Come-Back
By Gwynne Dyer
There have been no elections in Somalia since 1967 and there won't be any this year either. But the country has a new parliament (appointed on the advice of clan elders) who have elected a new president, and the new government actually now controls a significant part of the country. The world's only fully "failed state" may finally be starting to return to normality.
A failed state is a horrendous thing: no government, no army, no police, no courts, no law, just bands of armed men taking what they want. Somalia has been like that for more than twenty years, but now there is hope. So much hope that last month the United Nations Security Council partially lifted its embargo on arms sales to Somalia in order to let the new Somali government buy arms, and last week the US government followed suit.
The new government replaces the "Transitional Federal Government", another unelected body that had enjoyed the support of the UN and the African Union for eight pointless years. Then last year a World Bank report demonstrated the sheer scale of its corruption: seven out of every ten dollars of foreign aid vanished into the pockets of TFG officials before reaching the state's coffers.
Fully a quarter of the "national budget" was being absorbed by the offices of the president, the vice-president and the speaker of parliament. The fact that after all that the TFG still only controlled about one square kilometre (less than one square mile) of Mogadishu, the capital, while the rest of the shattered city was run by the Islamist al-Shabaab militia, an affiliate of al-Qaeda, also contributed to the international disillusionment.
That tiny patch of ground, moreover, was being defended not by Somali troops but by thousands of Ugandan and Burundian soldiers of the African Union Mission in Somalia (Unisom). More than 500 of them had lost their lives defending the useless TFG, and the foreign donors were losing faith in the mission. But the Unisom soldiers did achieve one major thing: they fought al-Shabaab to a standstill in Mogadishu.
In August 2011 the Islamist militia pulled its troops out of the capital. That created an opening, and the international community seized it. It ruthlessly initiated a process designed to push the TFG aside: Somali clan elders were asked to nominate members for a new 250-seat parliament, which was then asked to vote for a new president and government.
It was obviously impossible to hold a free election in a country much of which was still under al-Shabaab's control, but this process also had the advantage that it allowed the foreigners to shape the result. The corrupt officials who had run the old TFG all re-applied for their old jobs, but none of them succeeded.
The new president who emerged from this process, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, is a former academic and human rights worker who only entered politics in 2011. No whiff of corruption clings to him, and he has worked tirelessly to bring about national reconciliation. And he has the wind at his back: just after he was chosen last September, a Kenyan force evicted al-Shebaab from Somalia's second city, Kismayo.
That still leaves about 95 percent of the country's territory and three-quarters of its population beyond the government's direct control. Al-Shabaab still rules in most rural parts of the country, and Ethiopian troops and their militia allies control much of the western border areas. Pirates with a lot of guns and money effectively dominate much of the north.
One whole chunk of the country, calling itself Somaliland, has declared its independence (and runs its affairs much more peacefully and efficiently than any other part of Somalia). No other country recognises its independence at the moment, but it used to be a British colony, quite separate from Italian-ruled Somalia, and in principle it can make exactly the same case for independence as Eritrea did when it broke away from Ethiopia.
The worst problem facing President Mohamud is the venal and cunning politicians who have exploited the clan loyalties that pervade every aspect of Somali life to carve out their own little empires. Some are frankly and unashamedly warlords; others, including all the senior officials in the defunct TFG, masquerade as national politicians but work for their own interests.
They have not gone away, nor have the clan rivalries that kept the fighting going for 21 years. Drawing up the rules and sharing out the power for a new federal Somalia (none of which has yet been decided) will give them plenty of opportunities to make trouble for the new president and regain their former power. Mohamud definitely has his work cut out for him.
Nevertheless, he has strong UN and African Union support, and he now has a chance to create a spreading zone of peace in the country and start rebuilding national institutions. So last week the United States declared that it was now willing to provide military aid, including arms exports, to Somalia. Weirdly, that actually means that thing are looking up in the world's only failed state.
To shorten to 725 words, omit paragraphs 9 and 10. ("That still…Ethiopia")
30 January 2013
Victory in Mali?
By Gwynne Dyer
As usual, a well-trained Western army has gone through a fierce-looking but virtually untrained force of African rebels like a hot knife through butter. Two weeks ago, the northern half of Mali was entirely under the control of Islamist militants, whose forces were starting to advance into southern Mali as well. So France decided on very short notice to send troops and combat aircraft to its former colony in West Africa.
Today, every town in the north of Mali is under French control, and the surviving rebels have fled into the desert. But most of them did survive: after losing a couple of major clashes in the first days of the French drive northwards, the Islamist forces simply abandoned Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal, the main towns of the north, as soon as the French forces came near. The easy part of the intervention is now over.
It's not surprising that the French military intervention was an instant success. The Islamist rebels, like most African paramilitaries (and quite a few African armies, too), did not even know the basic combat drills that every infantryman in a Western army has practised until they are second nature. But now come three tasks that are considerably more difficult.
The first is to deploy an African Union-backed military force, made up of units from armies elsewhere in West Africa, to take over from the French. You can't just hand the recaptured towns back to Mali's own army, which is so incompetent and rotted by politics that it would promptly lose them back to the militants.
This force, dubbed the International Support Mission to Mali, has the unanimous blessing of the United Nations Security Council. International donors met in Ethiopia on Tuesday and pledged $455.53 million to pay for this force. Mali's many neighbours – it has open desert borders with seven other West African countries – have already identified the units they are going to send.
But it's going to be weeks or months before those African units actually arrive, because many of them aren't very well trained either. (French and British troops are being sent to train some of them before they even set foot in Mali.) In the meantime, the north of Mali will really be entirely under French military rule.
This means that there will be none of the looting, rape and murder that tends to follow the Malian army's arrival in town, but the French troops are very foreign indeed. They are not even Muslims, in a country that is nine-tenths Muslim. They were welcomed as liberators when they rolled into the northern towns in the last few days, but if they stay for too long they will become first unpopular, and then hated. That's just the way things work.
Once African troops replace the French, the next task is to rebuild the democratic government of Mali, which was destroyed by a military coup last March. The interim president, Dioncounda Traore, says that he wants to hold elections next July, but behind the scenes the greedy young officers who made the coup still hold the real power. They will have to be sent back to their barracks before elections take place, and that will not be easy.
And the third task is to win the very different kind of war that starts in Mali now. Retaking occupied towns was easy. Now that the militants have scattered across the vast deserts of northern Mali, they will launch a different kind of war – a "war of the shadows", conducted by raids, bomb attacks and assassinations.
Countries can survive for decades with that kind of low-intensity war going on in the background, but the only way to shrink it to a manageable level is to make a political deal. This is not impossible in Mali, because the Islamist fanatics actually hijacked the revolution from their former allies, the Tuareg separatists.
Most of the people in the north are Tuaregs, desert-dwelling people of Berber stock and nomadic heritage who are ethnically, culturally and linguistically distinct from the black African majority in southern Mali. Many of them support the separatist movement that wanted to create an independent Tuareg state in northern Mali, but few actually share the extreme religious views of the Islamist militants.
The two groups made an alliance to drive the Malian army out of the north, but the Islamists then turned on their allies and seized absolute power for themselves. Their harsh rule was resented by most people, however, and so it should be possible to isolate the Islamists if the Malian government is willing to make a deal that gets the Tuareg separatists on its side.
They won't get independence, but they would probably settle for a large degree of autonomy for the north. It will be hard to get a new Malian government that is elected almost entirely by the votes of southerners (90 percent of the population lives in the south) to make that concession, but the alternative is a long, draining guerilla war in the north.
Was the French military intervention in Mali necessary? Yes, in the view of the United Nations, the African Union, and most Malians. Was it a success? That remains to be seen.
To shorten to 725 words, omit paragraphs 6 and 7. ("But it's…work")
11 February 2011
Sudan: Peace Through Changing Borders
by Gwynne Dyer
"The people of South Sudan, for the first time since 1898, are going to determine their own future," declared Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin, southern Sudan's information minister, before last month's referendum on the region's independence. "In fact, it will be the last-born state on this continent of Africa." If he meant that no more African countries will split up, however, he was probably wrong.
The referendum was a resounding success from the southern point of view. It's natural to be suspicious of referendums that produce "yes" votes of almost 99 percent, but in this case it was a genuine expression of southern opinion. The new state will become independent on 9 July, and so far it looks like the erstwhile government of undivided Sudan, based in Khartoum, will accept the outcome peacefully.
Early last month, speaking in the southern capital Juba, Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir said: "I personally will be sad if Sudan splits. But at the same time I will be happy if we have peace in Sudan between the two sides." After decades of war between the Muslim, Arabic-speaking north and the very different south, where most people speak local languages and are Christian, division makes sense. But it also creates a precedent.
That font of wisdom on geopolitical affairs, Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafy, warned a meeting of African and Arab leaders last October that southern Sudan's independence would spread like a "disease…to all of Africa…With this precedent, investors will be frightened to invest in Africa." But the African Union has blessed the split, while emphasising that this is a special situation and very much an exception.
It is a very special situation. About two million people have been killed in Sudan's 43 years of civil war, the great majority of them southerners. As a result of the endless fighting, southern Sudan is one of the least developed regions in the world: the same size as France, it only has 60 km. (40 miles) of paved road. The southerners deserve their independence – but the implications are vast.
The old Organisation of African Unity, the African Union's predecessor, had a rule that no border inherited from the colonial era could be changed. To allow frontiers to change in order to regroup people according to their ethnic, linguistic or religious identities would just open the door to endless war. For a long time, it didn't happen.
The first partial break from the policy was the separation of Eritrea from Ethiopia in 1993, after many years of civil war, but that exception was explained on the grounds that Eritrea had been ruled as a separate country by the Italians. This time, however, is different.
The African Union cannot justify the division of Sudan on the grounds that the south was separate under British colonial rule; it wasn't. This is just a pragmatic decision to divide a country because the cost in blood and treasure of keeping it united has grown too high.
If it's okay to split up Sudan, what's to stop other secessionist groups from launching wars of independence, knowing that if enough people are killed they will probably get their way in the end? How about Nigeria? The oil-rich southeastern region (Biafra) has tried that once already. The Congo? There was once a vicious war, backed by Western mining interests, for the independence of the province of Katanga.
The rot has already spread beyond Africa. The decision in 2008 by the NATO countries and some others to recognise the independence of Kosovo, which was still legally a province of Serbia, created a similar precedent in Europe. In fact, it is an even more sweeping precedent, because the Serbian government, unlike the Sudanese, did not assent to the separation.
If Kosovo's independence can be recognised without Serbia's agreement, why can't Turkish-majority northern Cyprus become legally independent without the permission of the Greek Cypriot-dominated government in Nicosia? Why can't the breakaway bits of Georgia be recognised as independent states? Why can't there be an independent Kurdish state?
Why not hold the long-promised, long-denied plebiscite in divided Kashmir, and let the local people decide, district by district, whether they want to be part of Pakistan, or part of India, or independent? Why can't the western half of New Guinea separate peacefully from Indonesia? For that matter, why can't Tibet and Xinjiang (Sinkiang) hold referendums on independence from China?
Good questions. Most of these situations have involved bloodshed in the past, and much of it continues in the present. The sum of human happiness would probably be increased if these ethnically distinct areas got to choose their own futures, and it is not necessarily true that changing the borders would be a bloodier business than keeping them frozen in place.
Conflict is still possible between Sudan and South Sudan, especially over the sharing of the oil revenue. Most of the oil is in the south, but the pipelines take it out through the north. So far, however, both sides are behaving in a very grown-up way, and together they are an advertisement for the virtues of letting borders change.
To shorten to 725 words, omit paragraphs 6, 7 and 8. ("The old…high")
Gwynne Dyer's latest book, "Climate Wars", is distributed in most of the world by Oneworld.


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Let the Smears Begin!… Team Obama Releases Anti Romney-Ryan Video Following VP Announcement
Let the smears begin!
The Obama Campaign calls it "The Go Back Team."
Team Obama released this video this morning following the announcement of Paul Ryan as the vice presidential pick.
Well, at least they didn't throw granny from the cliff yet.
Here's the official response from the Obama website:
They're already going with the lie that – "Mitt Romney will end Medicare as we know it."


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In 1979, CIOK-1 Grand Centre (Alberta) was licensed by the CRTC to rebroadcast CIOK St. Paul. CIOK-1 was on 1340 KHz with 250 watts. There were lots of changes over the years, but none greater than on September 3, 2004, at 11:00 a.m. when the station went from an AM Local ("graveyard") frequency (1340) to a 100,000 watt FM station on 95.3 MHz with an antenna height of 155 metres. The call letters were changed to CJXK, but the station called itself K-Rock, as did another NewCap classic rock station, CIRK-FM in Edmonton.
In 2001 at 5:00 p.m., CJCQ-FM North Battleford (Saskatchewan) signed on as Q-98. It was licensed to CJNB-AM on 97.9 MHz with 100,000 watts. On October 6, 2004, CJNB was licensed for yet another FM station in North Battleford, as well as a 45,000 watt CJCQ repeater in Meadow Lake on 104.5 MHz.


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The Bias Against Bikers
Like it or not, juries hate motorcyclists. They hate the way they sound, the way they speak, the way they dress, and most importantly, the way they drive. For that matter, they also hate bicyclists, roller-bladers, and people who drive ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles). While I was unable to locate any reliable studies that would help explain the specific cause for this bias, to those of us who regularly represent persons injured or killed while operating motorcycles and bicycles, the reason is obvious: almost everyone who drives a car has almost hit one.
To suggest that jury bias against motorcyclists and bicyclists is based solely on the number of "near misses" experienced by automobile operators is to grossly understate the class struggle between two- and four-wheel vehicles, and the dramatic cultural differences that dictate their use and operation.
Because motorcycles and bicycles are, by design, more adept at abrupt maneuvering, motorcyclists and bicyclists tend to push the envelope of that maneuverability in order to gain a competitive advantage over the cars and trucks with which they share the road. For example, despite laws that strictly forbid passing on the left, riding without mufflers, and failing to signal before changing lanes, anyone who has ever operated a car on a public roadway knows that these rules are often ignored by bikers. In their defense, however, the motorcycle community – particularly those with significant experience in motorcycle operation and safety – know that automobile operators routinely treat cyclists as second-class citizens, as though they have no legal right to use the road. Needless to say, the combination of these two misconceptions accounts for much of the bad blood between cars and bikes, and no doubt contributes to the number of motorcycle and bicycle collisions that occur each year.
One fact that highlights the relative safety differences between automobile and motorcycle operators can be found in the standard Massachusetts Personal Injury Protection (P.I.P.), or "no fault" statute. Under the statute, motorcycle operators are barred from purchasing "no fault" benefits to cover the cost of medical expenses and lost wages resulting from the use or operation of a motorcycle. The statute provides no express reason for excluding motorcycle operators, but the nature and severity of the injuries suffered annually in motorcycle-related accidents may explain much.
All too often, motorcycle operators who suffer serious injuries as a result of collisions with cars and trucks are regarded by juries as guilty until proven innocent. While the problem may be due to a cultural bias against bikers, it is nevertheless incumbent upon lawyers who represent injured cyclists to overcome that bias by educating jurors about the culture of safety and responsible riding that serious motorcyclists, bicyclists and other two- and three-wheel vehicle operators embrace.
Eric Parker is a Boston motorcycle injury lawyer with considerable experience in motorcycle-related claims. He can be reached here.
Find Out If You Have A Motorcycle Related Case
If you have suffered an injury in a motorcycle accident, contact us for a free confidential case review and receive a response within hours, or call (617) 886-0500 . If you need a lawyer outside of Massachusetts, contact us for a referral.
Motorcycle Accident Related Articles
- Selecting a Boston, Massachusetts motorcycle injury lawyer
- U-Coverage: The Most Important Auto Insurance You Probably Chose Not to Buy
- Other Motorcycle Accident Resources
- Motorcycle accidents in Massachusetts
- Parker Scheer motorcycle accident case reports
- Massachusetts legal links
- Glossary of common traumatic medical injuries


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£14.99 £16.99
Mother Rock is an organic, natural wine that's fresh, zesty and full of life! It's citrus notes blend with ripe pear and apple flavours.
What's so cool: Johan 'Stompie' Meyer is a rising star in South Africa's new wave of winegrowers, held in high esteem by drinkers and critics alike.
This wine as a person: The South African version of 'Lil Kim, sassy in all the right places.
Hails from: Swartland, South Africa
Perfect with: Roast chicken, curries, roasted vegetables, rich fish dishes and anything in a creamy sauce.
What the experts say: "This sports ripe tangerine, clementine and persimmon notes, offset by racy streaks of honeysuckle. A lingering lemon gélee accent adds length." Distinctive and delicious. 91 points from Wine Spectator.
Grapes: 61% Chenin Blanc, 16% Viognier, 11% Grenache Blanc, 8% Semillon, 4% HarsleveluNerd stuff: Grapes are fermented with natural yeast, half in stainless steel at 58°F, and half in older 300 liter barrels. 15% of grapes were whole bunch fermented and spent 4 weeks on the skins. The wine ages for 12 months on the gross lees, after which it is blended and bottled without fining or filtering. Grapes are farmed organically with minimal intervention.
Our Largesse Sauvignon Blanc is definitely the wine to have by your side. Not only does it have an intense...
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Are you having one of those days? The kind of day where you feel like a clichéd advert for a...
So you've found it. Your new summer wine crush. No easy task, was it? Dodging that minefield of supermarket whites...
Refreshing with lime and apricot flavours. What's so cool:The wine is produced from vines that are aired by salty sea...


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Kate Sale Jewellery
Regular price
A real talking point! The sterling silver ear post behind the front powder coated ring is a real focus of this earring.
Handmade from 100% recycled copper, sterling silver and powder coating.
Front circle measure 4cm diameter with ear hook 6cm long.
Available in a large array of colours, see drop down menu for options.
As all items are handmade to order, please allow 7 working days.


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Requiem for a Heavyweight
On Wednesday, February 21, 2018, I went to the graveside memoriam for Rex Hall Nebel. Never thought I'd do that. Never thought he'd die. But there he was in a rather small box, sitting over a deep hole in the frozen ground in the Lovell Cemetery. Oh God, it was cold. By one in the afternoon the thermometer was hovering around three degrees Fahrenheit. There could easily have been twelve or fourteen inches of snow on the ground with a slight breeze blowing into the south off the Pryor. Sun was up. It was uncommonly bright. No clouds and as grave ide services for the dead go, there were a lot of people. Most were dressed in black, either because that is all they had for such occasions or because it was death appropriate. I tend to think that is all these mourners had.
I stood on the outside of this circle of humanity, watching. On the far east side of the gathering stood his three boys, their wives and Rex's grandkids. On the north east corner was Rex's sister, Cameron and a small group that surrounded her. Hadn't seen her in fifty years, since 1964, anyway. I wouldn't have recognized her if she was standing right in front of me and said, "Hi my name is Cammy."
The rest of us completed the circle. Folks were standing five or six deep. And my toes were beginning to have a tingle in them, getting cold standing in the snow. I noted that Larry (Ellis) and Bill (Baxendale) were there along with me. That meant three of us who grew up with Rex or tried to grow up together in Kane, Wyoming.
The preacher began talking. I noted that Rex's casket was a little over five feet long. I had the thought that he must be uncomfortable in that box; it being so small, so short. It dawned on me, rather sharply that Rex was actually a small, a short man. I thought I'll be damned. It wasn't the way I saw him; it wasn't the way I remembered him. Looking at that wood stained box, I realized that is the way he was. It was an epiphany of sorts. Something I'd never considered. What I remembered of Rex was an illusion of six foot eight, two hundred eighty-four pounds of pure muscle and bone and anger; a monster hiding in the shadows.
The Reverend Kurt McNabb was giving a talk about Christ and how we all knelt at his feet hoping for redemption. It brought to mind one element of Rex's life that I truly admired. Growing up, Rex only had to go to church on Easter and Christmas. My folks were of the Mormon faith so I went to church every Sunday and midweek, every week. When Larry went to the Baptist Bible School in the summer so did I. My mother was also a Baptist. Nothing like covering the bases. Don't know what faith Rex was but he didn't have to go to church but twice a year. He was so lucky. I was so envious.
The Reverend McNabb, a short man himself, turned the microphone over to the attendees saying, "Who knows Rex? I haven't seen him in a long time myself." One fellow mentioned that he knew Rex when he was five, went to Rex's birthday party. Rex was ostensibly five himself. This fellow rode the school bus to get to the party which was at Rex's home in Kane. In the evenings Rex's house fell in the shadows of Katie's Nipple. He noted that Rex was the kindest "kid" he ever knew and how exciting it was to ride the bus. Rex's dad was the bus driver and anyone going to the party had a free ride. Funny how things work that way. Dorothy Nebel threw some parties for her kids, I can tell you that.
When Rex died, he was living in the same "party house;" the house he was born in, except he wasn't born there. He was born in Lovell North Big Horn Hospital courtesy of Croft or Horsely. In 1965, when the government bought everyone living on the river out, Harvey moved that house to Lovell and Rex moved in, living there until he died from a heart stoppage a week ago. How many folks live their lives in mostly the same house they were born in? Oddity, that.
I remember the young Rex as being slightly overweight, quick to beat the hell out of who ever crossed him or who he thought may cross him, or who he simply didn't like. He had a crew-cut, a flat top. He was a James Dean guy that'd roll his cigarettes up in the short sleeves of his white t-shirt. There were exceptions. In our little group Rex didn't ever push Bill: life apparently being too short for that kind of danger. You see, during elementary school Bill and Pete (Gams) got into it every day at the noon hour, at the doors where kids were lining up to go inside at grammar school. They'd do each other bloody, rip each other's shirts, smash each other's lips and noses, black each other's eyes. Honestly, I loved watching them. They were good. In the end, Mrs. Baird would have them both by the ear leading them inside to her office and the consequences of the paddle. Rex saw that and Rex didn't want any part of it. I don't blame him. Rex stayed away from Bill. Bill had no fear. Mrs. Baird and Bill were buddies and Bill wasn't the least bit afraid of her. So "Bill having no fear" sums up Bill, but not Rex.
It isn't like Rex didn't speak to Bill. During one of those summer years when we were collectively, nine, ten, or eleven years of age, a bunch of us were horseback, no saddles, bent on relieving the proverbial and actual Farmer Brown of his fresh, "hanging in the tree" ripe peaches. Rex was with us. Not a normal occurrence. Mostly Rex wasn't allowed around Bill. His mother so decreed. We got caught red handed and Mr. Brown had a shot gun. He self loaded his shells with rock salt. There were all sorts of reasons not to stick around, not the least of which was Mr. Brown being able to prove up his accuracy. And we were trying to escape, but Rex couldn't get on his horse. He tried but the excitement was a little much and he just couldn't. Bill jumped off and helped Rex get on but Rex slid off the other side. Bill, seeing the mischief, slipped off his painted horse again and again helped Rex back on his horse. We got away, alive and breathing. Thank God. Presently, all except Sexy Rex are living proof. Mr. Brown did get a couple of shots off and I'm not sure that Bill didn't get hit in the process of helping Rex. It was the first time that I thought that Rex might not be six foot eight and weigh two hundred eighty-four pounds of pure gristle, hard to kill, run amuck muscle; the terror hiding in the shadows. It was bothersome, for in the middle of the fray he couldn't get on his own horse even when he had to. It was a moment of clarity.
Growing up it is odd the way Rex affected me. He was tough, full of bluster, armed with anger and resolution. Always right behind him was his dad. Harvey threw me off the bus more times that I want to count. Only Bill walked home more often than I. He was a regular, traipsing along 14A. Certainly I was afraid of Rex, afraid somehow I was going to offend him, get crosswise of him, get the hell beat out of me. As a result ,when I left home I studied martial arts every day, for hours on end, moving though the various belts, learned all of the black belt series, learned how to hurt, maim and destroy people, until I realized I didn't like what I was becoming and simply quit, walked away. It takes too much anger to want to hurt people. This, too, was a moment of clarity.
One thought impressed me about Rex. That was his need, his willingness to do battle regardless of the size and ability of the opponent. In the nineties, I was visiting my folks in Lovell. I was at the Hyart. It was the first of July and there was Rex. He approached me regarding suing the Federal Government. In so many words he wanted me to serve legal notice and evict the Federal Government from the State of Wyoming. I thought about it for about thirty seconds. Indeed, Washington owns three-fourths of the real property in the State. I imagined serving them a notice to quit and considered the fact that the statistical possibility of me evicting the Federal Government was far less than zero. It was a fool's errand. Not for Rex it wasn't.
Rex was bouncing up and down, wanting to get started, wanting to beard the lion, kick the holy hell out of the United States, throw its proverbial carcass over the hood of his Jeep and drive up Main Street, Lovell, Wyoming, his windows down, blowing his horn. I was staring at him. Amused. Thinking back to that moment, I realized yesterday thinking about Rex as a short man was maybe false. He was every bit six foot eight, two eighty-four, armed to the teeth, unrelenting and crazy as hell. This, too ,was a moment of clarity.
There are a number of different divisions in boxing. Rex? All hundred forty-five pounds of him? Rex was a heavyweight. That's what his boys thought. According to them, every birthday, every Christmas they were presented with a firearm; something that went bang. Those living east of the Kane tracks– they may say he was a relentless bully, a pug with no nose. Those who purchased fireworks from him, including all five of my kids, loved him, loved his generosity. They were amused, then awestruck when he told them about their grandfather holding his dad's hand, patting it, as he died in the North Big Horn Hospital. Nothing is as it seems to be, and this, indeed, is the requiem for a heavyweight. God bless. Grhowe


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The prime rib is in the oven, but the oven has stopped working.
Don't panic. Just slice the prime rib into double chops (two bones each) and sear the double chops on the stove in a hot skillet. For serving, slice the double chops into single chops, so you'll have one crusty side and one pink, cut side.
There aren't enough drippings from the beef roast for the Yorkshire pudding.
Substitute an equal amount of butter for the fat and drippings--the pudding will still be delicious.
The glaze on the ham is burning.
Cover the ham with foil and turn the oven down, if needed. Or, if it's already burned, scrape the glaze off and apply some more.
The meat thermometer is nowhere to be found.
Cut into the roast to check for color. **
The cake is cracking as the
bûche de Noël is being rolled up.
Bûche de Noël is supposed to have a certain naturalistic imperfection. You'll be frosting the outside of the cake, then decorating the surface with the tines of a fork and garnishing it with meringue mushrooms. Those three steps will help cover up any cracks.**
bûche de Noël filling is oozing out of the roll.
Put the cake in the fridge or freezer so the filling firms up, and serve the cake cold. **
The table looks sparse.
Arrange a big bowl of clementines, pomegranates, and lemons. Put the fruits and some snipped tree boughs directly on the table. Or, buy a few bunches of rosemary, stick the sprigs of herbs in vases, and festoon the table that way.
--Amy Albert


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Op-Ed: AmazonPrime series brings 19th Century writer back to spotlight
Jonathan Farrell
Sep 5, 2016 in
Even if few in the U.S. have ever heard of 19th Century author Anthony Trollope, producer/director Julian Fellowes recognizes literary gold when he sees it. He is the producer behind AmazonPrime's series "Doctor Thorne."
In fact, the full title of the new BritishTV-type of series is:
"Julian Fellowes presents Doctor Thorne."
This is something that the New York Times in its initial review made clear to its readers, just to emphasize that Fellowes is a creative force to be reckoned with.
Fellowes wastes little time in resting on the laurels of his immense success with "Downton Abbey." He has now put a seldom-highlighted 19th Century writer on the literary map of the American consciousness. Trollope, as he explained in the opening sequence of the first episode of season 1 for "Dr. Thorne," was alongside the greats of his time, like Thackeray and Dickens. But Trollope fell into obscurity. Fellowes believes Trollope deserves to be restored to that rightful place once again. And what an outstanding job Fellowes has done to bring Trollope's works to light for American TV viewers.
"One of the reasons that Trollope remains relevant today is that he tends to write 'novels of domestic politics' rather than 'novels of domestic manners'," says Michael Williamson, the current Chairman of the Trollope Society in London which just celebrated the author's 200th birthday last year. Taking the time to call this reporter by phone from the United Kingdom, he said, "we are very pleased with the series." Williamson commented further on the works of Trollope, especially novels like 'Doctor Thorne.' "They tend not to date although obviously the characters may be wearing crinolines or top hats. Much of Trollopes' success relies on the strength and reality of his characterisations. They develop in a well rounded way and you can easily identify with them as people with similar characteristics today."
Produced in the high quality and visually stunning sets and consumes "Downton Abbey" fans have come to expect, Fellowes does not disappoint. Rather he reaffirms and enhances his abilities even further. When "Dr. Thorne" debuted on AmazonPrime this past May,
New York Times critic Mike Hale noted that "Mr. Fellowes packs a lot of charm and amusement into the 160 minutes"
(of the entire length of the series for its first season).
Hale also pointed out that just for AmazonPrime, Fellowes narrates the beginning of each episode. Something reminiscent of the venerable Alistair Cooke, who helped make Masterpiece Theater on American Public Television a viewing staple. These brief and personable introductions were not part of the original broadcasts on ITV in the UK — ITV by the way, is one of the network competitors to the familiar BBC network. It is sort of Britain's version of our PBS here in the States.
Naturally, this effort by Fellowes stirred my interest and so I went to the local library to find something of Trollope on the shelves. Well, sorry to say, it had to be ordered from another library within the California Public Library system. What turned up was a hardback of Trollope's Barchester Towers — The Warden from 1936, published by Random House. It was tattered but still in decent condition. And, something old has been discovered new again, at least for this reporter.
The inspiration for producer Julian Fellowes' "Dr. Thorne" series comes from 19th Century author Anthony Trollope. Part of a larger collection of works such as "Barchester Towers."
Jonathan Farrell
The one striking thing about this little gem of a series that I noticed was how much Trollope (at least from the way the script has been put together) is a lot like Dickens. Fellowes also mentions Jane Austin as another comparison — for, as is true of a lot of Dickens as well, much of "Dr. Thorne" concerns itself with the propriety of marriage and what fate will befall the woman who ends up marrying beneath her station in life. The stratified/layered cultural richness in Trollope is there as is the family-emotional intrigue which is familiar to most Americans who are fans of Dickens, Austin and Thackeray.
At first glance with all his success, Fellowes is perhaps a unique British version of what we here in the U.S. refer to as a "movie mogul." But, underneath the Alistar Cooke-like demeanor is a man of considerable talents, who has worked his way to the pinnacle on which he now stands. His work includes that of actor, director, screen-writer and novelist. No doubt with all the work he has accomplished in the past 35 years, Fellowes knows his craft.
Happy that Trollope has gained an audience in the States, Williamson pointed out, "Trollope enthusiasts (here in the U.K) quibbled quite a lot, mainly because of the reduction of the story and number of characters cut but, of course, this is generally the case with the dramatization of the classics."
The material Fellowes has chosen for the viewing public is a mere fraction of the vast amount of literary material produced by a seemingly ordinary man. Trollope to the general public eye, for all his prolific output was in everyday life, just a post office clerk. Still, like Dickens he knew a similar kind of suffering. According to the Trollope Society of the UK, Anthony Trollope was born in 1815 into a family with connections to the gentry, but without the means to maintain their position. Trollope's childhood was one of unhappiness and uncertainty. Yet, like Dickens he was among the most traveled people of his day. Trollope traveled on foot, noted Williamson, on horseback, by rail and ship. As travel became easier (in the 19th Century) he travelled further, visiting Australia, America, Ceylon, and South Africa. Some of these journeys were connected with his early career in the Post Office. "In all his travels he wrote on the move," Williamson said. "Eventually, having made his name in writing, he was able to take early retirement from the Post Office."
Some of the themes Trollope writes of were common to 19th Century people, especially British people; with all the worry about one's status, station and purpose in life. The contrast between that and our current time-frame here in the U.S. is very thought-provoking. No doubt, like Fellowes' other productions, "Downton Abbey" and "Gosford Park" the look back makes us realize just how much society has changed.
Fellowes pointed out in his brief introductions before each episode that Trollope accomplished a great deal as a writer in his lifetime. The Trollope Society in London tallies at least 47 novels, among the other forms of writing Trollope did. While Trollope competes very well with Dickens, as Fellowes mentioned, Trollope seldom presents a character as an "archetype" like in a Dickens novel. Trollope shows a more well-rounded person, and while they might portray the traits of a villain or a saint, their other sides and human qualities show forth. Williamson agreed as he added, Trollope generally had three or four books on the go at the same time and was very prolific over roughly only 35 years of his life." To learn more about 19th Century author and literary rival-contemporary of Charles Dickens
visit The Trollope Society of the U.K. website.
And, to catch a previous episode of "Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne" from the first season check it out on AmazonPrime.
This opinion article was written by an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily intended to reflect those of DigitalJournal.com
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Nancy Marks (1918-2010) will be forever remembered as a powerhouse of a woman: vivacious, inspiring, a natural leader, committed to her communities, and with an astonishing zest for life. During her lifetime she earned the moniker 'Living Treasure'.
Born in New York, she grew up in New Jersey and then later in life divided her time between New Jersey and La Quinta. Nancy served as president of the La Quinta Arts Foundation in the early nineties and was instrumental in bringing members to the foundation and organizing fundraiser campaigns. These campaigns allowed the foundation to flourish and led among many other things, to the purchase of new offices for the foundation. Nancy also spearheaded several educational programs for the valley's youth, allowing the children access to art and creativity that they may otherwise not have had.
When Nancy's husband David passed away in 1997, she set up a scholarship in his name to help aid a student in their quest for an education in art. After Nancy passed away in 2010, her children kept the scholarship alive by annually contributing to the scholarship fund. The Nancy and David Marks Memorial Scholarship creates opportunities for talented, aspiring artists from the valley and the La Quinta Arts Foundation is grateful for the continued partnership with Mark's family.
In keeping with LQAF's mission of "Promoting and Cultivating the Arts," annual scholarship awards are made possible with proceeds garnered from LQAF public art events including the La Quinta Arts Festival, plus La Quinta Arts Foundation memberships and contributions by sponsors, community partners and memorial contributions. LQAF scholarship recipients are eligible to receive funding for up to five years.
The Visual Arts Scholarship Program is designed to assist local college-bound art students, and returning scholarship recipients, as they work toward a career in the field of visual arts. Since the program was instituted in 1984, La Quinta Arts Foundation has awarded more than $1,190,000 dollars in scholarships to local students pursuing college degrees in the field of visual arts.


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I have a nearly complete collection of British Fire Service Cap Badges gathered over a 40 year period. Using the reference books of Mike Akers as a guide, I am only 14 items away from having a full set as described in Mike's books. These include the pre and post 1974 era issues of city, county, and borough brigades as well as modern versions after amalgamations into purely county brigades. The vast majority of my badges are original editions, not reproductions. I am interested in selling my collection as a unit. I also have boxed, numbered edition presentation sets of several brigades available .Interested parties may contact me at my email address or by snail mail. I can supply photos upon request.
Address follows:
700 N. 8th St.
Coos Bay, Oregon
Phone Number: 15412667711


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Retail business plan tips: What do you need?
Startups takes a look at creating a business plan for opening a retail store
- 01 | Research UK opportunities
- 02 | Naming your shop
- 03 | Devising a branding strategy
- 04 | Writing a retail business plan
- 05 | Finding premises
- 06 | Getting equipment
- 07 | Getting insurance and licenses
- 08 | Recruiting staff members
- 09 | Marketing your shop
- 10 | Think about your exit plan
4. Your retail business plan
Writing a retail business plan is an in-depth process that requires a lot of time and focus. But it's certainly worth the hours you put in, as having a comprehensive, forward-looking plan together will benefit you when speaking to investors and provide a blueprint for growing your business.
Remember, while a business plan should be thorough it should also be succinctly-written and easy to read. Be careful not to ramble, and don't assume that the reader has the same level of technical knowledge as you do – try to briefly explain any niche terminology that you use.
The whole process becomes a little less daunting when you break the plan down into sections.
Try following this plan:
- Executive summary: First, provide a succinct introduction to your business and an overview of the business plan, highlighting the key points you're going to address. This summary is arguably the most important section of your business plan because it has to interest the reader enough to compel them to keep reading.
- Your concept and products: Explain the nature of your shop, telling the reader what products you'll be selling, how you're going to sell them and why you were inspired to sell them. Be clear about your shop's USPs (unique selling points) here.
Business analysis
- Business model and business structure: State the type of business you'll be setting up and briefly explain why.
- The market: What condition is the market in currently, both in your local area and industry-wide? Who are your competitors? How will your business sit within the market and how will it compete?
- Your target market: Who'll be shopping with you? Explain who your target customers are, including their age, their gender (if relevant), where they live and their income. Tell the reader why and how your store will appeal to this type of person.
Running the business
- Marketing strategy: Explain how exactly your business is going to attract your target customer in a comprehensive marketing plan. Discuss the channels you'll use to promote your store (both before and after it opens), and your branding strategy and how it will fit in to this (see Section 9).
- Management plan: Write an overview of yourself – including your skills and experience – and the team you have hired or plan to hire (see Section 8). Explain how the team will operate.
- Design: Include some visuals – whether sketches, graphics or mood boards – which give an indication of what your shop's interior will look like.
- Location: While you may not have settled on your starting location just yet, share your shortlist and explain why each place would be conducive to your success.
- Financials: This is a key section, particularly if you're looking to secure capital from investors. It should include: a profit and loss statement covering the first three to five years of operations; sales forecasts and cashflow forecasts on a monthly basis for the first year and then an annual basis for the next two to five; a break-even analysis; and a capital requirements budget which outlines the finance your business will need and what you propose to use it for. McIntosh says: "If you are looking for investment, you must make it crystal clear to third party investors what's in it for them – in a clear and concise way!"
In order to put accurate financial forecasts and analyses together, you'll need to know your production costs, pricing, profit margins and overheads inside out.
You can download a free business plan template here.
It's a good idea to keep updating your business plan as you go – as Whybro suggests:
"A good business plan will be a working document. It's not enough to simply write one and put it in a drawer to be forgotten about."
– Karen Whybro, Rock the Frock


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Analyst Horace Dediu from Asymco says that the total Apple device sales will outnumber the count of Windows PCs this year. Dediu however compared all of Apple's devices, Macs, iPads and iPhones with the Windows PCs. Although the comparison might seem unfair, this has to be some good news for Apple probably caused because of their high sale rates the last year.
Statistics for the year 2013 show that the count of total Windows PCs were only 1.18 times greater than the entire Apple's product line-up. But according to the figures collected by Dediu, there was one Mac for every 18.8 Windows PCs sold.
"In 2013 there were 18.8 times more Windows PCs sold than Macs. This is a reduction in the Windows advantage from about 19.8x in 2012. This decline is mostly due to the more rapid decline in Windows PC shipments relative to the more modest decline in Mac unit shipments", says Dediu.
These stats clearly show that the Macs weren't enough to beat PCs market share and that is where comparison is made unfair by introducing all other Apple products as well on one side. However, the iPad and iPhone is what's keeping Apple nearly at par with Microsoft.
Conclusions from this trend are that the number of Apple devices will at least come even with the Windows PCs. Although the competition was not really made fair for Microsoft, Apple device sales can still be believed to growing at a rapid rate.
Microsoft's smartphones and tablets do not really constitute a major portion of their market share. Especially if put in direct comparison with Apple, they would simply lose the competition by a fair margin. But with the PCs combined, Apple's the one losing.
But the current scenario being observed is that Apple products are being sold at high rates while Microsoft's attempts are not really given attention to.
With the current increasing trend for Apple and more of constant rates for Microsoft, it is highly likely that in the upcoming years, Apple will easily be able to target the entire Microsoft lineup.
One major factor contributing here is the shifting trend from computers to tablets. Apply that now and then compare Microsoft and Apple, surely Apple's the winner which is why in the near future, Microsoft might no longer be the market leader.