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October 9, 2009
Conferees agree FY 2010 Navy shipbuilding authorization
The House and Senate Armed Services Committees have reached agreement on the conference report to H.R. 2647, the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act.
Highlights of the agreed Navy shipbuilding authorization are:
Managers' Report
The following is taken from the Managers' Report on the conference and gives some insights into how the conferees reconciled the House and Senate versions of the shipbuilding program:
Littoral Combat Ship program (sec. 121) The House bill contained a provision (sec. 121) that would restructure the cost cap for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program, subject to certain prerequisites and certifications. The bill would also authorize the Secretary to obligate funds to compile a technical data package necessary for future competition.
The Senate amendment contained no similar provision.
The Senate recedes with an amendment that would provide authority to the Secretary of the Navy to implement a new acquisition strategy, as requested by the Secretary, that would utilize a block-buy approach for the procurement of LCS vessels during the period of fiscal year 2010 through 2014, and would include authority to obligate funds for economic order quantity buys and cost reduction initiatives, should such measures improve overall program affordability. The conferees note that, unlike a multiyear procurement, a block-buy is useful here in that it conveys a long-term commitment by the Government to execute the program in a way that allows the Government to extract economic advantages from its purchases. However, a block-buy does not bind the government to performance under a multiyear contract, thereby subjecting the government to liability for cancellation or termination costs in the event of non-performance under the contract. In addition, the amendment would apply a revised cost cap to the fiscal 2011 ships, which could be waived under certain circumstances. The amendment would also require the Navy to obtain a technical data package from the winning LCS contractor.
The conferees support the revised acquisition strategy for the program, which is based upon many of the principles long advocated by the conferees, including enhancing competition, assuring more program stability, achieving more efficient construction rates, incentivizing industry investment, and increasing commonality.
The conferees recognize that the existing cost cap for the LCS program has been effective, prohibiting the Navy from awarding an unaffordable contract in fiscal year 2010. Consequently, the conferees agree to retain a cost cap, while giving the Secretary of the Navy significant discretion in the award of the fiscal year 2010 through 2014 ships. The conferees intend the cost cap described in subsection (c)(l) to apply to the fiscal year 2011 ships and any additional ship constructed through 2014 at the shipyard that is a member of the contractor team selected in response to the solicitation for the fiscal year 2010 ships.
The conferees expect that, if contractors and suppliers respond to this solicitation with aggressive pricing proposals that result in a more affordable program, the government will guarantee long-term stability in the procurement plan. The conferees believe that, with aggressive construction yard investment and "design for affordability" changes, costs for vessels should continue to decline (in constant dollars) over the period of the block-buy.
The amendment would also require that the Navy report yearly on specific costs incurred in the construction of LCS vessels and adjustments to the cost caps. The conferees intend that this annual report would assist in providing strong oversight on the costs of this program. If the Navy and contractors are unable to achieve significant cost savings under this new acquisition strategy, the conferees1 support for this program will not be assured.
Treatment of Littoral Combat Ship program as a major defense acquisition program (sec. 122)
The Senate amendment contained a provision (sec. 111) that would require the Littoral Combat Ship program be designated as a major defense acquisition program.
The House bill contained no similar provision.
The House recedes.
The conferees note that the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-23), if interpreted properly, would require this program already to be so designated. Report on strategic plan for homeporting t h e L i t t o r a l Combat Ship (sec. 123) The Senate amendment contained a provision (sec. 112) that would require the Secretary of the Navy to submit a strategic plan for homeporting vessels in the Littoral Combat Ship program.
The House bill contained no similar provision.
The House recedes with technical amendments.
Advance procurement funding (sec. 124)
The House bill contained a provision (sec. 123) that would authorize the Secretary of the Navy to use advance procurement funds to enter into contracts for production planning and other related support services that reduce overall procurement lead time of the vessel. Additionally, this section would authorize the Secretary to enter into contracts for advance construction efforts for the aircraft carrier designated CVN-79, if the Secretary determines that cost savings, construction efficiencies, or workforce stability would be achieved through the use of such contracts.
The Senate amendment contained no similar provision.
The Senate recedes.
Procurement programs for future nava l surfac e combatants (sec.
The Senate amendment contained a provision (sec. 113) that would prevent the Navy from obligating any funds for building surface combatants after 2011 until the Navy conducts particular analyses, and completes certain tasks that should be required at the beginning of major defense acquisition programs. The committee report (S. Rept. 111-35) also would direct that the Secretary of the Navy obligate no more than 50 percent of the funds authorized for fiscal year 2010 in PE 24201N, CG(X), until the Navy submits a plan for implementing the requirements of this section to the congressional defense committees.
The House bill contained no similar provision.
The House recedes with technical amendments. The conferees agree to direct that the Secretary submit the plan for implementing the requirements of this section to the congressional defense committees at the same time as the President submits the budget request for fiscal year 2011.
Ford-class aircraft carrier report (see. 126)
The House bill contained a provision (sec. 122) that would require the Secretary of the Navy to make an assessment of the cost of shifting to 5-year intervals for the construction of aircraft carriers, including the effect of such shifting of that interval on other programs. The House bill would have placed a limitation on the use of any funds for the aircraft carrier, designated CVN-79, for shifting to a 5-year interval.
The Senate amendment contained no similar provision.
The Senate recedes with an amendment that would remove the limitation on the use of funds for CVN-79.
The conferees note that a 5-year interval for aircraft carrier construction, as proposed by the Secretary of Defense, may be the appropriate course of action for the Department of the Navy. However, the conferees are concerned that this decision may not have been made following a rigorous costbenefit analysis. Therefore, the conferees expect that the Secretary of the Navy will take no further action to preclude the ability of the Secretary to award a construction contract for CVN-79 in fiscal year 2012 or the aircraft carrier designated CVN-80 in fiscal year 2016, consistent with the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels for Fiscal Year 2009, until he completes the required assessment and fully informs the congressional defense committees of any such a decision.


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NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Sometimes, some of the most notable Super Bowl ads come not from advertisers ponying up millions of dollars, but from the network airing the game. While Fox didn't top the stunt CBS pulled off during last year's Super Bowl -- lassoing David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey and Jay Leno in a single room -- the network did make some waves by offering previews of much-anticipated "X Factor" and "Terra Nova" while having some fun with promos for "House."
Below, take a look at some of the Fox promos. Do you think they made as big an impact as the more traditional Super Bowl ads?
|"Football Toss"
|"The Chicago Code"
|"Animation Domination"
|"Raising Hope"
|"American Idol"

subset: commoncrawl


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- May 5, 1939 - March 25, 2015
- Fairfield, Pennsylvania
of Charles' Passing
Share This Obituary
Make a Memorial Donation
Tributes.com partners with over 100 national charities. It's easy and secure.Donate
Charles was born on May 5, 1939 and passed away on Wednesday, March 25, 2015.
Charles was a resident of Fairfield, Pennsylvania at the time of passing.
Charles was married to Joyce.
A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 11:00 AM at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Fairfield with Fr. Michael Messaro celebrant. The family will receive friends at the church Tuesday from 10:00 AM until the time of the Mass.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Fairfield Fire Company, 106 Steelman Street, Fairfield PA 17320 or the Adams County Rescue Mission, 2515 York Road, Gettysburg PA 17325.


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This was said in a recent meeting of the state's Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force Wednesday 21 by Colorado Legislator Vicki Marble.
Time and time again we Israelites are reminded of the lack of respect that most people have for us and the quiet hatred many hold for us as they try to seem as if they really care for the well being of our people.
In a statement Wednesday night, Marble said, "My comments were not meant to be disparaging to any community… I am saddened they were taken in that regard. I take my responsibility seriously and I hope our work on this committee will offer real solutions to the health and financial challenges of our vulnerable populations."
The comments that Vicki Marble made last Wednesday really set Rep. Rhonda Fields on fire. She responded with, "The title for this committee is Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction; and one of the things I will not tolerate is racist and insensitive comments about African Americans, the color of their skin. What you mentioned that we eat — I was highly offended by your remarks." She added that she would not "engage in a dialogue where I'm in the company, where you are using these stereotyped references about African American and chicken and food… this is not what this committee is all about… it's not about chicken."
It is by all means the comments that were made by Marble did not come from a place of deep love and compassion. We are in the land of our enemies and no Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force will change that for us.
Deuteronomy 28
15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Most High Yah , to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
16 Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.
65 And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the Most High shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:
These people that hate us are in every walk of life. Many if not all are in high office and in places of authority. This is why we are in the condition that we are in. Only Yah can free us out of this captivity and He will.


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Updated August 25th, 2017: PhillyPurge had a great article about Cameron CLokie's advice on how tooth care can impact overall health. Something not a whole lot of people think about, but probably something we should all consider a little more carefully. Find the article here if you would like to read: http://www.phillypurge.com/2017/08/25/canadian-dentist-cameron-clokie-reveals-many-medical-conditions-preventable-through-good-oral-hygiene/
In the year 1985, Cameron Clokie graduated as a Doctor of Dental Surgery. This was followed by a quick succession of extensive studies in medicine which he completed in 1990. In 1992, he earned a Doctorate in the regeneration of dental implants from McGill University. He has since made a name for himself in the medical field, especially in bone reconstruction and regeneration.
He is currently the CEO of Induce Inc., a company specializing in the production of generative bio-implants. The initiative aids to reduce the need of harvesting bones from other parts of the body so as to reconstruct.
Under Dr. Cameron, Induce Inc. has been able to produce a bone morphogenetic protein which induces bones (especially in adults) to grow again in young children. Peter Russel is a living testimony of the work of BPM having fully regrown his jaw which he had lost to a tumor. Read more: Cameron Clokie Speaks to Regenerative Medicine
Cameron Clokie is also committed to teaching and giving others information regarding his field of expertise. In line with this, he has conducted a lot of lectures globally to different audiences.
During the sessions, he discusses what the future holds for regenerative medicine and development of bio-implants, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and other topics surrounding medicine. He also has many publications to his name which are circulated internationally in print and on the internet.
About Cameron Clokie
Cameron Clokie worked at the University of Toronto as the Head of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and as a professor in the same field. He holds over 25 globally known patents that revolve around bone treatment.
He has been called to serve in several companies where he has also been the advisor. He has also put his entrepreneurial side into action having established several business alliances where he has put his knowledge into profit and non-profit generation enterprises.
Currently, Cameron Clokie has all his attention in the development and further improvement of BPM. He aims at making it better, more efficient with minimal side effects and most importantly, reducing its cost. It currently costs more than $6000, and medical covers do not cover it, which makes it only accessible to few people.


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The Effectiveness of the Three Strike Law. Custom The Effectiveness of the Three Strike Law Essay Writing Service || The Effectiveness of the Three Strike Law Essay samples, help
American society is worried about crimes, and not without a reason. The crime level is very high, and a lot of Americans feel themselves prisoners locked in their houses, afraid to go outside and become another victim. National attention got concentrated on the three strikes law. California voters initiated mandatory prison sentence of 25 years to the life sentence in jail for the defendants, who were convicted of criminal offences. The third strike law also increases the minimum time for the second offenders. The number of inmates grows so fast that many prisons all already overcrowded and more prisons should be built. In this situation taxpayers will have to pay the bills. Three strikes laws are not effective measures for prevention of crime, they are too heavy and serve as punishment to small criminals overflowing prisons.
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In the research one will be able to find information on the problems of the three strikes law, how it affects people, how it may be abused, and the advantages and disadvantages of the law in different cases.
Main Body
Since the 1990s, states started to pass laws on mandatory sentencing for repeat offenders. These laws became known as the three strikes law. By 2003, more than half of the country and the government passed the three strikes law. They hoped that removing criminals away from the streets was a good social policy. The law has its critics claiming that sentences usually are unequal to the committed crimes, and that the detention of three strikes prisoners for 25 years to life in prison would drive up costs. However, the Supreme Court upheld the three strikes law and rejected most of the arguments that they constitute unusual and cruel punishment. In 1993, Washington first passed the three strikes law. Anybody who committed three different violent crimes should be jailed for the whole life in prison without the possibility of parole. In 1994, California took three strikes law that mandated a sentence from 25 years to life for three convictions. The Californian law included non-violent crimes (theft, burglary etc.) as a "strike" offense. More than 50000 criminals got jailed under the new law by 2001. The number was higher than in other states, almost 25% of prisoners were sentenced to 25 years behind bars. The Californian law is the most debated because of the three strikes law.
Californian law did not allow judges to create reserves in prison for three strikes offenders. The Supreme Court made a decision that the judges in some special cases were allowed to ignore the criminal recent record to determine whether the offender should qualify for three sentences strikes. Supporters of the law were sure that the drop in crime in the 1990s was due to a new scheme of sentencing. They relied on California staistics, referring to the fact that about 1000 offenders were sentenced to one year under the three strikes scheme in California. They were sure the law was successful, as the offenders were removed from streets and could not cause harm to the society again. The sentencing under the three strike law did not arouse criticism often. Critics point out that the 25-year sentence for third offense of theft is the same sentence as for a murder. They say that it is cruel to sentence a person for such small crimes for that long period of time. By the end of the 1990s, the number of calls was raised in many state courts, which were based on the disparity argument.
In the majority of states the laws the judges are very strict with repetitive offenders. However, they are very careful when it comes to the point of the three strikes laws. A harsh sentence is applied to criminals convicted in three crimes. The minimum what they get is 25 years behind the bars. The main role for the law was to protect citizens from criminals and gangsters, who carry on committing crimes even after serving their sentence. The punishment may seem too weak for them so they have no fear of the prisons or financial penalties. The statistics of the national justice shows the decline in a number of violent crimes. In 1994, California had the fourth highest crime rate in the country. Five years later, after the acceptance of the three strikes law, California has decreased its crimes position to 29th in the country.
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Some prisoners under the three strikes law may become eligible for applying for sentence changing. If somebody has some serious, violent criminal record as soliciting murder, rape etc., he will still be entitled to 25 years or to life in prison no matter what was the third strike. Around 10000 prisoners in the state of California are the third strike inmates. About half were convicted of non-serious, nonviolent strikes. And around 2000 will be entitled to resentencing. It may save $100 million a year on prisons, paroles and operations. However, slightly over-budgeted prison system millions of dollars is the cost to the community if the criminals are let free. For example, 25 percent of offenders released have a high chance of committing serious crimes, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation static risk assessment. This compared with 6 percent so far in prison under the three strikes law.
However, consistent with the bipartisan legislative analyst workplace, violent crime in California declined by fifty one percent from 1991 to 2003, compared with a national decline of thirty seven. In California, it had been truly less crime cases in 2002 than in 1993, despite the rise in population in many times. Three strikes law keeps recidivist criminals off the streets for an extended time, preventing them from committing extra crimes and damaging the society. Studies show that within the 1st decades of its application, quite a couple of millions potential victims in California were reclaimed. Three strikees law solves this drawback with the assistance of enhanced sentencing. If an individual has one previous serious violent crime or conviction, the penalties for conviction of any new crime in half cases creating it a second striker. If an individual has 2 or additional previous serious or violent crime convictions, the penalty for any new conviction offense is incarceration with a minimum amount to be twenty five years recent. He is going to be the third striker. This system is far more rigid than the previous law. Previously, an individual guilty of 2 serious crimes, like felony and theft of residence, UN agency then committed one third of great criminal offenses, like another theft, however, would be sentenced to seven years. In addition, such persons are also free and back on the road when in 3 and 1/2 years for good behavior. Three strikes law is approved to forestall this case, taking account of crime and swing it on the criminal. This causes the system of criminal justice, human history once sentencing that person. This is often a positive issue for California. After sinking three strikes conviction in California, the Supreme Court of the U. S. mentioned another positive consequence of the law in California: additional parolees had to depart the state rather than enter it. This is most likely because of their worry of ill-usage within the future beneath the law. Critics accuse the three strikes law on jail overcrowding, and therefore the rising value of corrections in California. However, there are square measures but nine thousands, which one third of strikers in jail, six percent of the whole jail population.
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It ought to be reiterated that the second and third strikers were guilty many serious and / or violent crime. Because of the high level of lapsing, the strikers can most likely be in jail, despite whether or not it had been 3 strikes for books. Three strikes law forestall career criminals to value the society within the variety of human suffering, crime investigation, arrest and prosecution. The movement to repeal or weaken the law argues that it's too onerous and obstructive of non-violent and / or serious crimes. The supporters of those movements merely do not perceive the law and do not see the positive sides of it. Besides the very fact that each one of the strikers had been guilty of great and / or violent crime, the law has no guarantees that the government provides prosecutors and judges with the discretion to settle on, if we have a tendency to take into account against the law strike. For example, they'll select not to take into consideration the previous offenses, once issue a strike if they confirm them to be dizzy, or for different reasons, to promote justice. Forwards with nonviolent drug convictions may additionally be entitled to be treated, and not serve any time in jail. Often, the media vie into the publicity and unfold the story of petty criminals fast up for all times for crimes being as tiny as stealing videotapes. It's true that the case, however, is kind of completely different.
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Please note: You are viewing an archived Bucknell University news story. It is possible that information found on this page has become outdated or inaccurate, and links and images contained within are not guaranteed to function correctly.
By Kathryn Kopchik
LEWISBURG, Pa. — Pacifica Quartet will perform works by Haydn, Britten, and Beethoven at the Weis Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m.
The event is sponsored, in part, by RiverWoods.
The evening's program includes Haydn's Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 76, No. 4, "Sunrise"; Britten's Quartet No. 2, Op. 36; and Beethoven's Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 130 with Grosse Fugue, Op. 133.
Recognized for its virtuosity, exuberant performance style, and often-daring repertory choices, over the past two decades the Pacifica Quartet has gained international stature as one of the finest chamber ensembles performing today.
Formed in 1994, the Pacifica Quartet quickly won chamber music's top competitions, including the 1998 Naumburg Chamber Music Award. In 2002 the ensemble was honored with Chamber Music America's Cleveland Quartet Award and the appointment to Lincoln Center's CMS Two.
In 2006, the Quartet was awarded a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, becoming only the second chamber ensemble so honored in the grant's long history. Also in 2006, the Quartet was featured on the cover of Gramophone and heralded as one of "five new quartets you should know about," the only American quartet to make the list.
Named Ensemble of the Year by Musical America in 2009, the Quartet received a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance the same year.
Tickets for the performance are $20 for adults, $16 for seniors ages 62+, $10 for youth under 18, and $10 for all college students.
Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.bucknell.edu/BoxOffice or by calling the Campus Box Office at 570-577-1000.
Tickets are also available in person from several locations including the Weis Center lobby weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the Barnes & Noble at Bucknell University bookstore in Lewisburg weekdays and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 12:30 to 4 p.m.; and the CAP Center Box Office, located on the ground floor of the Elaine Langone Center, weekdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information about this performance, contact Lisa Leighton, marketing and outreach director, at 570-577-3727 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
The next performance in the Weis Center's 2013-14 Series is Americana/Roots music by Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 7:30 p.m. at the Weis Center. Tickets are very limited to this concert, which is part of the University's Homecoming Weekend. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.bucknell.edu/BoxOffice or by calling the Campus Box Office at 570-577-1000.
For more information about the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, go to www.bucknell.edu/WeisCenter or www.facebook.com/WeisCenter


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Here are five thoughts on DeSean Jackson's new deal with the Eagles:
1. All along, the best possible outcome for both parties was a long-term deal. After seeing how things played out last year, I had serious doubts that Jackson would be content playing under the franchise tag in 2012. Yes, it would have guaranteed him $9.5M. But now, that number reportedly gets bumped to $15M. And if he plays to his potential, Jackson can earn more than three times that in the next five years. Keep in mind that he will only be 30 years old when this deal runs out.
Last year, Jackson used the excuse that his contract, which paid about $600,000 in 2011, was weighing on his mind and was responsible for his disappointing on-field performance. Some fans empathized with him; others deemed Jackson's attitude inexcusable. But now there are no excuses. Jackson has $15M in guaranteed money coming his way, and he's only 25 years old. It's time to re-establish himself as a reliable offensive weapon and one of the league's most dangerous playmakers.
2. Here's a quick look at Jackson's numbers last year, compared to his first three seasons:
The point here is that Jackson had a down year, but his on-field production didn't plunge as much as you might think.
He clearly needs to cut down on the drops. Taking a look at Pro Football Focus' numbers from last season, Jackson's drops came in a couple of areas on the field. On those intermediate routes, in between the numbers and within 20 yards of the line of scrimmage, Jackson dropped four balls on 28 targets. Given that he's suffered two concussions and is one of the smallest receivers in the league, I don't think that part of Jackson's game is going to improve.
However, he also dropped four balls on passes that traveled more than 20 yards downfield. Those are the big ones, the potentially game-changing plays. The catches that can turn a 961-yard season into an 1,100-yard season. The key for Jackson is not to diversify his skill set, but to perform at an elite level in the areas that are already his strengths.
3. The greatest concern with Jackson relates to what happened when things didn't go his way last season. When the Eagles needed him on that Sunday afternoon against the Cardinals, he wasn't there because he violated team rules. When they were down to the Patriots in the fourth quarter, Jackson was on the bench, because Andy Reid, who has built a reputation on having his players' backs, benched his speedy wide receiver.
Players generally support one another in contract disputes. And in the past couple days, we've seen Eagles players use social media to congratulate Todd Herremans, Trent Cole and Jackson on their new deals. I think that's real. They've all seen what can happen to guys like Leonard Weaver on a single play. They know how careers can be cut short without warning. But Herremans and Cole turned in strong seasons in 2011. And in Baltimore, Ray Rice, also in the final year of his deal, carried the Ravens' offense, piling up a career-best 2,068 yards from scrimmage. Jackson, meanwhile, let his teammates down on multiple occasions. Now that he has his new deal, those distractions are unacceptable, and he has to make sure his teammates can trust him.
4. On Wednesday morning, I wrote that it'd be perfectly reasonable for Drew Rosenhaus to demand Jackson get paid as much, if not more, than Pierre Garcon. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk pointed out, Garcon and Jackson ended up receiving relatively similar deals. The key here is to remember that Garcon had the benefit of testing the market. Had Jackson been able to shop his services around the league, he would have gotten a richer deal than he received from the Eagles. His other option was to play 2012 under the franchise tag, receiving $9.5M in weekly increments starting in the fall. The Eagles would have then had the option of franchising Jackson again at a higher number next season or letting him become a free agent. Instead, Jackson took the long-term deal now and received a signing bonus worth a reported $10M. All last season, we wondered how much money Jackson was costing himself by being a distraction and not maximizing his potential, but the truth is, given the way the market played out, things worked out pretty well for him.
5. Jackson's game has holes. He's never going to be a 100-catch guy. He's never going to make tough catches over the middle and absorb big hits. And he'll likely never be a huge factor in the red zone. But he fits with what the Eagles want to accomplish offensively. Barring some unforeseen circumstance, at the very least, the Eagles are going to return 10 of 11 players on offense next season (using three receivers instead of a fullback for our purposes). If Evan Mathis re-signs, it could be all 11. Take a look at their skill-position players. Jackson is 25 and signed through 2016. LeSean McCoy is 23 and could be next in line for an extension (he's currently signed through 2012). Jeremy Maclin is 23 and signed through 2013. Jason Avant is 28 and signed through 2014. And Brent Celek is 27, signed through 2016.
The offensive line has a chance to be a real strength too.
Guess who I haven't mentioned yet: Michael Vick. As others have noted, this will be his first full offseason as a starting quarterback since 2006. He'll have a young, talented group of playmakers around him. And he'll have a strong offensive line to protect him.
In the first part of this post, I said there will now be no excuses for Jackson in 2012. The same should be said for Vick, too.
You can follow me on Twitter or become a fan of Moving the Chains on Facebook.


text: I am in a midst of consolidating all our SQL Servers and i was looking what's the best Clustering option to go with. Any suggestions would be greatly apprecaited. Option 1: N+1 Would it be better to use a 4 node active/active cluster and keep the fifth node as passive. Is this recommended? Option 2: Multiple instances: Or use all 4 nodes as active/active multiple instance cluster where each node is dependent on each other for failure? I want both high availability and high performance for these databases. The database environment going to be SQL 2005-64 bit. Thanks,


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I'm not one to provide overly lengthy play reports unless it was really outrageous (RPGs are definitely a "ya had to be there" phenomenon, yes?) but we played two encounters--a wilderness battle and another inside a factory. The overall goal was just to get novice players some game-time under their belts, and to get to know one another (more on that in a second).
Our GM was a nice guy named Tabor who provided all the materials we needed. I brought my own rule book (since the last time I'd rolled up a PC it took forever using one book among 6 players). He'd chopped his bindings in favor of wire-bound and I took mine to Staples office supplies to do the same. It turned out to be a GREAT help and it will be a lot easier on the book in the long run as I flip through the pages at the table.
As you likely already know, the 4E D&D version of Gamma World is big on tactical combat. It's a much lighter version, but it does rely on that engine to drive encounters. But there's still a great deal of bonus/penalty dealing, and lots of rule haggling when the booster cards come in to play (especially with newbies). Don't get me wrong--the cards can be a lot of fun--but they can also end up slowing things down. Maybe it's just an effect of playing with strangers. Though playing this version made me more hungry to play Mutant Future or an older GW edition. I'm chomping at the bit to play one of those (maybe 2E GW if I had to pick).
At our game, the majority of the players was learning to play these new rules AND we don't know each other. Yes, we make believe, but it's in a very stilted manner. So we concentrate on adding and subtracting and don't actually interact with one another.
As we get more comfortable with the game, we relax and banter a bit, but no one's settled enough to be themselves. And yet, that's the beauty of RPGs right there--get people to have fun and socialize, right?
I did have fun--which is all that really matters--and I think that I'll continue to do so. I'm hoping to get in some more games. I'd signed up for a couple, hoping to try out playing with different GMs at the helm, but so far work/life has kept me from the table. When I get to play again, I hope to spend more time getting to know the players, bone-up on the rules, and really--imagining the hell out of it.


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Fabio Capello may have only joined Russia as their national manager in July of last year, but the veteran Italian has already been bought out of his contract by Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG have been in desperate search for a new boss following Carlo Ancelotti's request to join Real Madrid, and the Ligue 1 club have targeted some of the most prominent coaches in European football.
Andre Villas-Boas, Guus Hiddink and Arsene Wenger had all been linked with the soon to be filled role but, despite possessing the funds to activate their respective release clauses, PSG were unable to convince any of them to move to the Parc des Princes.
PSG, then, have settled on Capello, with the Italian reported to have signed a one-year contract to replace Ancelotti, with Arsenal manager Wenger remaining in their sights, but interest in the Frenchman put on hold until next year.
The Ligue 1 champions are reported to have paid €3 million to the Russian FA to capture Capello - barely a drop in the ocean for the super-rich Qatari backed club with vast reserves of cash.
It is often said the most important person at a football club is the manager, so is €3 million too much to pay for just a year of Capello, or is the fee justified for a coach of his expertise?
Let's compare it to the record fees paid to release managers from their contracts with other employers…
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms


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Latest from ChinaFAQs
US-China Cooperation is Good News for the ClimatePosted by Deborah Seligsohn on Sep 25, 2015
The US-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change is a landmark for the bilateral relationship in terms of its specificity and ambition. This is especially true given that many Chinese wonder at the direction of US policy given that none of the Republican candidates in next year's election support strong climate policy.
U.S.-China Presidential Summit Offers Opportunity on Climate ChangePosted by Valerie Karplus on Sep 16, 2015
Climate change looms large among the many issues on the table at the upcoming meeting of Presidents Xi and Obama in the U.S. next week. Any new developments at that meeting will build on announced domestic efforts to address the issue, starting with a joint declaration in Beijing last November of what would become the main elements of each country's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (or INDC). In its INDC, China has pledged to reverse the increase in its CO2 emissions to peak by 2030 or sooner.
Chinese and U.S. Cities, States and Provinces Announce Climate Targets and Extensive CooperationPosted by Geoffrey Henderson on Sep 15, 2015
At this week's U.S.-China Climate Leaders Summit in Los Angeles, eleven cities and provinces from across China committed to reach a peak in their carbon dioxide emissions before the national goal to peak around 2030. The cities and provinces—along with eighteen U.S. counterparts, which announced emissions reduction targets—also pledged to track and report their emissions, establish climate action plans, and enhance U.S.-China cooperation at the subnational level.
To Achieve its New Climate Goals, China Must Look to its BuildingsPosted by Maoqi Sun and Jennifer Layke on Sep 10, 2015
This post is co-written with Clay Nesler, the vice president for global energy and sustainability at Johnson Controls. This post is adapted from a similar post on WRI's Insights blog.
China made international news recently when it announced a new pledge to peak its emissions by 2030, in addition to other climate commitments. The country laid out 15 specific actions as part of its "intended nationally determined contribution" (INDC). One in particular–curbing emissions from the buildings sector–offers significant potential for helping China achieve its new climate goals.
Steel production, air pollution, and electricity pricesPosted by Geoffrey Henderson on Sep 10, 2015
China's top steel-producing city—Tangshan, Hebei province—is undergoing campaigns to reduce smog through stringent pollution standards and to tackle overcapacity, which entail reduced production, plant shutdowns, and plant renovation. The smog campaigns are part of a larger program to address air pollution and limit coal consumption, while the effort to reduce overcapacity comes as China is working to restructure its economy by reducing the share of energy-intensive industry and increasing the share of services.
China Is Raising Its Climate Ambition, Experts SayPosted by Geoffrey Henderson on Aug 11, 2015
This post originally appeared on WRI's Insights blog:
China is increasing its ambition in addressing climate change, and it has a strong national interest in sustaining its actions. That's according to a recent panel of experts convened by WRI's ChinaFAQs project and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute.
Stronger Commitments from China and US Are Breakthrough for International Climate ActionPosted by Paul Joffe and Geoffrey Henderson on Jul 22, 2015
With the current climate negotiations reaching a conclusion in Paris this coming December, we are at a pivotal moment in the global effort to address climate change and shift to a low-carbon development path. The United States and China, which together make up 38 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions (as of 2012), are playing an important role.
Yet there has been confusion about China's climate action commitments, as well as the fact that both China and the U.S. are taking significant action. Here's a look at China's progress to date, and what implications it has for international climate action.


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A full five percent of reviews site Yelp's traffic comes from its downloadable iPhone app, the company said Thursday. In response, it's revamping the iPhone app, originally launched last year, to add new features that place a fresh emphasis on location awareness. The new download will be available in the iTunes App Store in a few days.
The most significant upgrades are the ability to post 140-character (read: Twitter-length) "quick tips" from the iPhone, a wholly new feature, which other members can give a Digg-like thumbs-up to. Popular ones may eventually be displayed on that business' review page on Yelp. Also new is a "Nearby" feed of what's accessible and recommended around you, as well as from your friends on the service. Yelp's original iPhone app had been juiced up with location awareness, but was light on the features--you could find out what was nearby and see what reviews had to say about it, but little else.
One more new feature: you can't publish full Yelp reviews from the revamped iPhone app but can draft them there and publish from its PC interface later.
The new app from Yelp comes just days after News Corp.'s MySpace announced a potentially strong rival to Yelp. Called MySpace Local, it's in partnership with the IAC-owned Citysearch--which is still the biggest name in business reviews. While MySpace Local doesn't have a mobile strategy in place, yet, it's on the road map.
And it's probably just a coincidence, but the new Yelp app's Twitter-like "tips" are a diversion from the five star scale of reviews that made Yelp famous, and which recently have beencoming under scrutiny by some businesses who claim they get gamed in order to draw in new advertisers.


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- As noted earlier, Darren Young and Titus O'Neil will be appearing at the Fort Bragg PX in Fort Bragg, North Carolina on June 9th beginning at 1pm.
- WWE has added Curtis Axel's new theme song to iTunes for purchase. The title is "Perfection."
- Former WWE star Scotty Too Hotty is now a fireman as he graduated from the Lake Technical Center in Eustis, Florida on Tuesday night:
Graduated from @laketechcenter Fire Academy tonight. twitter.com/TheScotty2Hott�— Scotty 2 Hotty (@TheScotty2Hotty) June 5, 2013
Got a news tip or correction? Send it to us by clicking here.


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East Oregonian
The Bulldogs will attempt to topple a giant that no other team has budged in almost two years when they face the defending state champions in Sherwood on Friday at 7 p.m.
The undefeated Bowmen (10-0, 7-0 NWOC) have not lost a game since the state playoff semifinals two seasons ago, a streak of 23 games. Sherwood ranks No. 1 in the state for Class 5A and has breezed past opponents in 2011 while looking to repeat their feat from a year ago.
Now the Bulldogs (6-4, 2-1 CRC), a No. 8 seed in the playoffs, must do what two dozen squads before them failed in doing for their season to continue. On paper, the task looks daunting, but Hermiston coach Mark Hodges isn't crowning the Bowmen quite yet.
"I think we've got more than a little bit of hope, I think we've got a lot of hope," Hodges said.
Putnam is no Sherwood, Hodges said, but the Bulldogs are playing near the top of their game again — a place Hodges feels the team has fallen short of in the last few weeks.
The Bulldogs strayed from their usual in two straight losses previous to the Putnam win. Early deficits kept the ball out of running back Bobby Adams' hands. Adams, class leader in rushing with 1968 yards, is at the center of the Hermiston offense. When he excels, so too do the Bulldogs at putting points on the board and milking the clock.
A young core to the team is to blame for the inconsistency the Dawgs have showed in streaks this season, Hodges said.
"There will be some weeks that we'll look like a million bucks and other weeks that we're going to play ugly," he said. "And that's kind of the way it's been all year."
If the disciplined and grinding Bulldogs show up in Sherman, a close battle isn't out of the question. They'll need to play a near-perfect game for an upset to stay on the table, Hodges said, because Sherwood is a team that almost never makes game-changing mistakes. The Bowmen outscored opponents at a 3-1 clip this season while simply controlling games on both sides of the ball.
The numbers favor Sherwood in this matchup and Hodges knows that. But no team can win a state title without beating some very good football programs, he said, and his players are excited for an opportunity to do just that.
"If you want to be a champion, you're not just competing against Eastern Oregon," Hodges said. "Who you're really competing with is the Portland and Eugene teams, state wide. That's who you're thinking of when you get in the weight room and prepare."


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The Journalism Education Association relies on the hard work of volunteer members to accomplish its mission. Whether you just joined JEA or you're a veteran part of our organization, there are always opportunities to become more involved in the scholastic journalism field on a national level.
- Join a committee. You can reach out to our chairs of standing or ad hoc committees, if you feel you can lend your expertise on Scholastic Press Rights, Curriculum, Digital Media or Certification initiatives.
- Get certified. Certified journalism educators show a commitment to the profession by having national credence given to the work they've accomplished.
- Attend a national convention or the JEA Advisers Institute. The value of face-to-face collaboration and networking can't be overstated, and the training and resources gained from attending conferences is unmatched. If you have knowledge to share with students or other teachers, you can also volunteer to speak.
- Run for office. JEA holds elections every three years, and you can express your interest in running by reaching out to the executive director.
- Donate to JEA. You can designate your donated amount to a specific fund, or as a tribute to honor the memory of someone.


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~ ITEM: Wiki– Facebook real-name policy controversy
~ ITEM: Shame on Facebook: How Zuckerberg's Confusing "Real Names" Policy Hurts More Than It Helps
~ ITEM: Help, I'm Trapped in Facebook's Absurd Pseudonym Purgatory
~ ITEM: Facebook reignites real-name controversy after suspending Native American author's account
~ ITEM: 10 Reasons To Delete Your Facebook Account
~ ITEM: Facebook Is Evil & It Will Consume Your Soul
~ ITEM: Why Facebook Is Evil, According To Mindblowing New Series Mr. Robot
~ ITEM: 5 Evil Ways Google and Facebook Are Using Their Insane Power
~ I JUST GOTTA SAY— Big Brother is a bloody big bother.
The pseudonym 'Binky The WebElf' has existed since about 1996, and is the name I'm known by in Anglican, Catholic, Twitter, FaceBook, and blogging circles. It originally came from silly names I liked to use in video games, and was 'Binky The Pirate' for a while in the original Sid Meier 'Pirates!'.
I knew (and was later proven right) that pseudonymity in the vicious church wars would protect my wife & kids from my getting fired or sent to The Anglican Parish Of Outer Sable Island, 3rd sandbank from the right. Or, some Canadian Jihadi might drop by for a little off the top, because of the many and various things I've said about Islam.
Huh? Who-Now?
Binky is my web-name. If I went by the boring non-elf name, people would not recognize it, and why should they?
That's part of the point. The issues I bring up are the thing I'd like you to ponder; the fine bloggers and authors and commentators who apply real wisdom to our current dangers and opportunities. Me? I'm prideful and self-important enough, and don't need my face or name plastered on everything for whatever alleged worth that might have. Look at the STUFF, not at the elf.
Enter The ZuckerBorg
Apparently, someone got mad at me recently, and twice over the past month or so reported my name as a "fake name" to FaceBook. DING! Word from FaceBorg: "Please give us your actual name, and cough up a passport, driver's license, or other real ID to prove it. You know, because celebrities."
This 'feature' has been popping up since 2012-ish, but has gone viral in 2015, because FaceBook– sometime friend and ally of fascists and radicals and terrorists and silencers and big corporate government– is enforcing their arbitary rules. Because, you know, online corporations don't have enough information about all of us. Coming next: FaceBook digital colonoscopy & DNA+blood samples?
Not Just A Shruggable
In one sense, no big deal– though demands that members of the public report various forms of personal and private ID to a faceless corporation is very scary. But what about other people, to whom pseudonymous communication via Facebook is a matter of life & death? Someone being stalked or death-threatened? A human rights worker or dissident in a dangerous country? A Christian pastor in a Muslim land? Someone who doesn't want their identity stolen, with all the joy & fun of unravelling that rat's nest? You can fill in the blanks.
However, I'm also an ill guy living at home, alone much of the time, and FaceBook– despite all the privacy and other issues– is a major part of my chance to reach out, hear back, counsel, preach, build a wide variety of friendships around the world, communicate on matters I consider important or topical or timely. Minus FaceBook, I will be even more lonely, alone, and prone to the Black Dog, and that really sucks. Thanks, Zuckerberg, you heinous power-mad twerp.
So, until FaceBook follows Google's eminently sensible example of not minding our personal business even more, I guess The Binks is officially off The FaceBook for now*. Feel free to comment below.
Sad elf. ~
Saith Teh Binks
* If this is all the result of some malicious FB snitching (pretty sure it is, but the tattle-tales have their identity protected, so mind your ding-danged business), I forgive you, but you really pissed me and my friends off. God knows your name, and he will not forget.


text: Just want to preempt this by thanking bhw member grafxextreme for his business directory thread. Looking for a little advice if anyone can offer some. I've used the search function and there are some great threads but nothing exact. If you would do something different to my plan, i'd welcome any constructive criticism. I've registered a business (had to in order a domain.com.au) so everything is on the square and i'm not looking for the quick buck here. Taking a view of 12-24 months here before selling the business. The niche market I've picked is not competitive from an SEO perspective. Top 10 local results all have little to no on page optimization. Off page is going to be a little bit of a battle, rank 1 has just over 600 backlinks; more than do-able, just not in 30 days. I think i could hit top 3 within 3 months and have it completely dominated within 12 months. I'm creating a nation wide business directory. Let's pretend the niche is pizza shops. I would go on a more local scale, but given we've only 20 million people living here in Australia in 8 cities, i think it's the best approach. Once i'm finished on the cities, i can move to more regional areas. I'm using wordpress to structure my directory. So it won't be a traditional directory of sorts. This way i can have mydomain.com.au/state/pizzashops-in-suburbname/ and later on mydomain.com.au/regionalarea/pizzashops-in-suburbname. Now there are plenty of these businesses in each capital city. Likely 100's. I think on the lower side i could get 25 businesses submissions per city. I plan to charge $29.95AUD (about $15-20USD) for the first 12 months of my directory. I think this is reasonable. 25 listings per capital city = 748.75 x 8 capital cities = $5,990AUD. I think i could have it set up within 2-3 months so $2,000 grand a month, that's about the average Australian wage. Keeping in mind this is on the low end of my figures and only the capital cities. I could have the regional areas of Australia listed 3 months after that process and by then my domain is going to have some decent ranking (top 10) and generating traffic so i can charge more. I figure $49.95 at this point for 12 months. Assuming i break down each state and territory into 5 regions, that's 40 additional regions to list. For each region, 25 businesses is on the lower end of expectations. 25 x $49.95 = $1,248.75 x 40 regions = $49,950. So within 6 months i believe i could have $55,940 in gross earnings. I could then spent the last 6 months of the first year building more backlinks etc so that by the time the first year comes around, the site is firmly at #1 with no chance of being taken over without doing a lot of work. I then invoice every single business in the capital cities directory. Let's assume the worst and only 10 businesses take up the submission again. 10 x $99.95 - $999.50 x 8 cities = $7,996 So for 12 months work (where the majority of the work is in the first 3-6 months) i could possibly gross $60,000 At this point i can just sell the business the directory off. I'm not sure how much something like that would go for so i'm not including it in my gross. Any ideas or advice ? I've experience in sales as i use to work for Telstra selling mobile phones and Internet, so i'm good at building rapport over the phone. There is a lot involved in calling all these businesses up but the cost is time, not money, there are unlimited phone call plans here for like $100 a month so it's nothing.


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MOVEMENT Open International Art Call | CLOSED
The study of movement in art is historical and a paradox. How can you study motion in a still art form? You figure it out. We'll watch and enjoy it. Give us your best study about motion, blur or movement in still art.


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School started last Wednesday, August 1. The earliest we've ever started!
My new felt word wall! It's 6x6' and all my words can be put up with velcro. The headers are mini-sound cards. Names are going up this week.
This year I decided not only to go with the stars, but also with light blue and yellow with rainbow accents. Our Family Resource Director is oh so talented and made me David anchor charts after I found some on Pinterest.
Freshened up calendar board.


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The fund takes the place of a £2m fine imposed by the regulator in August because of the chaos, confusion and delays at London Bridge station.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) found Network Rail in breach of licence in 2014-15. Analysis of performance found Southern and Govia Thameslink (GTR) combined represented a third of punctuality delays and nearly half of cancelled and significantly delayed services in England and Wales.
ORR's investigation showed that:
- There were serious weaknesses in the data which informed the new timetables. For example, a number of the timetable modelling assumptions made were incorrect as they were based on flawed data.
- Network Rail was overly optimistic in estimating and assessing the impact of the new timetable on performance. It significantly underestimated the impact of the Thameslink programme on performance, which was further exacerbated by a timetable that was not robust.
- These issues resulted in very severe disruptions and frustrations for passengers using London Bridge station. The company failed to engage adequately with the train operators to understand what impact the new timetables would have on their passengers and services.
Today Network Rail's Managing Director for England and Wales, Phil Hufton, said:
Passengers expect and deserve a high standard of service and we accept that we fell short for those travelling on Southern and Thameslink services last year.
Since then we have invested £11m to improve the railway around London Bridge and elsewhere in the region and performance has increased as a result. This extra £4m will continue the improvements we have already made and it is good news for passengers that the ORR has recognised this as a positive and practical alternative to a fine.
Network Rail has been able to identify funds amounting to more than double the proposed penalty, all of which will be invested in passenger improvements. The improvement plan will focus on passengers served by Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express trains and is designed to increase reliability, punctuality and the overall passenger experience of millions of passengers.
Among the initiatives Network Rail's plan will fund are:
- Further increases to staff numbers at London terminus stations, including 15 extra staff at London Victoria
- Further improvements to passenger information displays at stations
- 20 new fast-response staff based at Brighton and Croydon depots to tackle problems on track when they happen
- Up to four times as many security patrols at stations in Sussex to reduce delays caused by trespassers


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Big whoop right? I mean at my age, 47 now, are you even supposed to keep counting?
OK, so what have I been doing so far this decade? Well I did walk / jog the Houston Half Marathon for charity, I raised $500 bucks for the Organisation for Autism Research. This was my third time doing it and this time no injuries to my foot which is nice. I didn't try to break any world records for obese runs, it took me 3 hours and 24 minutes. Next year I am going to try to do it under 3 hours.
I have lost 6 pounds so far, about a pound a week. Not a huge difference, but in the right direction anyway. I wish I could say that I was exercising, but no. Actually just made a few modifications to my eating habits, most notably eating at night. I bought myself a huge 20lb bag of Basmati rice at Costco and have been eating it mixed with vegetable at night. Now, I do eat A LOT of rice, but it fills me up and stops me from eating ice-cream, chips and other crap...um, for the most part.
On a personal note, my oldest got excepted at Texas State, my youngest is now sleeping in his own bed and potty training, and while that may not be a big deal for most 3-1/2 year olds, it is when they have autism. He has become so affectionate lately, it really is quite miraculous.
Like most Americans right now, we are flat busted broke. The business is now only picking up, and how soon and how much it does will be the difference between the poor house, and losing the house, and eking out a living in this economy. But thats another post.
Hope to chat more soon....


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Reasons NOT to Move Near the Amish
The Amish have been in the news recently in a pair of interesting stories. First there was the story of a pro-Donald Trump PAC being formed specifically to target Amish voters. They call it the Amish Political Action Committee and that isn't even the weirdest Amish story of the week. The news got even crazier when a man shared some cans of Yuengling beer with Amish teens before hitting their horse and buggy with his car.
All this talk of the Amish might spark your interest to consider moving to quaint Lancaster County, PA. If so, it's probably because you love the smell of horse feces and men with beards and also because you make bad decisions. We're talking about the Amish version of Compton up in here.
These simple people live in tight communities all over America but primarily in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. They don't use cars or electricity or any of the worldly things you and we here at Gunaxin enjoy. Also, they're super into religion and hating things that are fun. But if that didn't dissuade you from trying to join their ranks, maybe this will…
- Get Used to Driving Five MPH on Highways
The Amish, if you're not aware, shun things. In fact, they are so good at shunning things, you almost never hear the word shun unless you're talking about how good the Amish are at it. One item which they've forbidden themselves is automobiles. They prefer horse-drawn buggies instead because, you know, they're 19th century chic.
Obviously, the car you're going to be driving goes much faster than a horse. Actually, cars are pretty much the sole reason people don't use horses for transportation anymore. Too bad some people never read the memo. It wouldn't be so awful if there were a buggy lane, but there isn't. They use the same damn road you do. You make a right onto Double Yellow Lines Blvd. and you're screwed. Hope you like your 3-hour commute to work which is 1 mile away.
Honey, let's open a glue factory.
Unfortunately for you, some Amish believe that reflective surfaces are too flashy and God will smite them for their bling. It's unfortunate because a reflective surface is the only way you would ever see their dark ass buggy at night. Imagine rushing home from those awesome outlets you moved there for but instead of a normal drive you're thrust into a real life Mario Kart with horses instead of koopas and bonnets instead of red shells. One group of Amish men were so vehement in their denial of reflective traffic triangles they went to jail instead of paying the fines for traffic violations.
That wasn't so hard, was it?
Oh, and one last thing. Anyone is allowed to drive a buggy. And when we say anyone, we mean ten-year-olds.
- You Won't Escape Drug Peddling Bastards
In 1999, two Amish men were convicted of conspiracy to deliver cocaine. You thought you were escaping the harsh realities of the inner city for a new drug-free start in the country? Well, just like everywhere else, strict religious communities have renegades and that's exactly the sort of thing you'll have to watch out for. Between 1992 and 1998, the men in question purchased and distributed over one hundred thousand dollars worth of cocaine.
Amish cocaine smells like muffins!
The nose candy was sold to Amish youth groups, which makes us wonder what kind of kick-ass parties they were having, but more on that later. The two men went to jail for a year for their crimes, but how did they get the drugs? A deadly motorcycle gang called the Pagans! Of course once caught the Amish men agreed to wear wires and the entire drug ring was brought down.This also makes them snitches and who wants their kids growing up around that sort of nonsense.
The worst part of the whole thing is that the men and the kids they sold the cocaine to were from the Old Amish Order, considered by many to be the most conservative sect. What are the liberal Amish doing? Massive amounts of drugs? Having all night orgies around campfires? Getting pregnant like a bunch of teenage girls trying desperately to get on MTV?
- Amish Teens Do Drugs and Have Lots of Sex
"You've got to be shitting me!" is probably what you're thinking at this point, but it's true. Most Amish sects have something called Rumspringa which translates to "'running around." You see, the Amish believe that for their children to accept the simple lifestyle they need to be exposed to the outside world and all the evils therein. The Amish youth take advantage of this, hence the need for a reliable cocaine hookup.
On any Friday night, you can roll out to Amish territory and find Amish youth ranging from 16 to their mid-twenties getting ready to party. The older ones buy beer and liquor and share with the rest. Since most Amish youth have cell phones, the parties end up being well advertised, some of them drawing hundreds of people to remote fields. Joints are passed around. Crystal meth is smoked. Lines of cocaine are snorted. Hunter S. Thompson would be proud.
Amish Girls Gone Wild!
Things are so
awesomebad that around ten percent of first-born children are delivered before their parents' marriage is nine months old. Still want your kids to grow up in such an awful environment? They'd probably love it. Apparently the Amish throw the best parties. Just check out this video.
But at least you don't have to worry about gangs, right?
- Gang Violence and the Amish
Obviously Amish gang violence is going to take a different turn than what you might expect outside the inner city. After all, their version of a drive-by would have to involve a horse, which can't exactly flee the scene of a crime quickly. That doesn't mean violence between rival groups doesn't exist.
Like this except with more beard.
In 2011, several Amish men were arrested in Ohio for invading rival Amish homes and shaving the beards from men and the hair from women. Those attacked included a 13-year-old girl and a 75-year-old man. That might seem like a joke to some until one considers that losing your beard is a terrible degradation to an Amish man. At least, for once, people can't blame rap music.
The concept of gang violence among the Amish is even the subject of a reality show on Discovery, Amish Mafia. Amazingly it's been on television for 4 seasons, and it's one of many Amish themed shows that have hit cable in recent years.
- Conclusion
If you want to move your family to Amish-land, don't expect them to be perfect. You'll have to deal with the same things you'd have to deal with anywhere else, except everyone will be wearing really adorable hats. The point is, Amish are people just like anyone else. No better, no worse. Just make sure to buy soap strong enough to wash away the stench.


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We've been hearing and seeing a lot about Fable III in recent months, having the opportunity to play for extended periods numerous times. For the Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft kept things a bit more intimate as I was allowed to sit down for a co-op demo led by Peter Molyneux, Creative Director for Microsoft Europe. The focus was on all of the different things you can do while playing cooperatively with friends through Xbox Live, but I left the demo with a single big takeaway: if you want to get wealthy fast in Fable III, the best option is to marry rich.
This might be a bit trickier than it initially sounds. You can marry both AI characters and real people, but both require convincing. The stakes are especially high for real people, whom you can propose to after inviting them to your game through Xbox Live. That's because if you do decide to get married, all of the wealth you have accumulated through the game is pooled into one shared bank account. And if you wind up getting divorced, that money is split down the middle. Once you get rich in Fable III, you'll have to seriously weigh the pros and cons of marriage before jumping into bed with a friend.
Marriage, if played properly, can be a very lucrative opportunity for an enterprising player. You can always get divorced and re-marry another player on Xbox Live. You can even marry multiple partners at once, with each getting their own house to share with you. Of course, if you end up on the flip side and marry poor, you could find all of your hard work go up in smoke. The wedding is going to cost money. The kids could end up costing you more (they stay with the host in the event of a divorce). It's a lot of responsibility just for the option of sharing a bed and getting busy.
As Molyneux put it, "Don't invite poor people in, it's just a tale of woe."
Now, it might be a bit awkward tossing out marriage proposals to all of your friends on Xbox Live. That's why Lionhead included the option of creating business partnerships. These carry all of the same benefits -- and risks -- of marriage without the bits that happen after the lights go out.
Co-op play in Fable III isn't all about money, of course. The demo I saw also touched on combat, giving gifts, and world changing events. That last bit was quite interesting to see in action. The world of Fable III will literally transform depending upon how you play it. Noble folks will find the land of Albion filled with glistening with fresh water and blooming flowers. Others bent on industry and wealth will find the same lakes and meadows turned to muddy mines without a bright color to be found. It's an idea that has been touched upon in Fable since the very first entry into the series, and now it seems that those promises are finally being fulfilled.
The differences in how the same scene can look are astounding, and you're free to see them all without replaying the game. Simply join a friend's game and you can see how their world looks for yourself. Co-op in Fable II was sorely limited, with an annoying camera and no option of bringing your own character into other worlds. That has all been fixed for Fable III, even going as far as letting you take your pet dog into another person's game.
I haven't yet had much of a chance to play Fable III, but what I've seen makes it look far better than its predecessor. The design feels much more cohesive and focused, and the visuals look spot on. I just hope it plays as well as it demos, because if it does this could be one of the best games left to come out in 2010. We'll know for sure in October when it hits store shelves.


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Flippy floppy flippy floppy. Never forget that when he was running for Senate against Ted Kennedy, Mitt Romney said he'd be better on gay rights than Kennedy.
The man claimed to be more pro-gay than Ted freaking Kennedy.
So what are we to believe? That a man with a history of being super duper pro-gay and a flip-flopper is flip-flopping about being super duper pro-gay, or that somehow someone made a fake flyer with paid for by the Romney campaign on it?
Keep lying, Mitt.
If he wins, the evangelicals are gonna die when they find out who the real Mitt Romney is. This will be the biggest hoax anyone pulled on them since being assured that Ken Mehlman wasn't gay.


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I am pleased to share news of a recent honor for Aria's website, ARIAHEALTH.ORG…
ARIAHEALTH.ORG Honored with "2010 Leader Award" in Summit Emerging Media Award (EMA) Competition
Aria Health website recognized for strategy and marketing message integration.
Aria Health's website, ARIAHEALTH.ORG, was recently honored with the "2010 Leader Award," in the Summit Emerging Media Award (EMA) competition. Summit EMA's "Leader Award" recognizes organizations for successfully directing movement within their industry through the use of technology and communication.
In September 2010, Aria redesigned ARIAHEALTH.ORG by restructuring site navigation, implementing a dynamic home page flash feature, adding a comprehensive media center that integrates recent advertising campaigns, and expanding its preventive health and wellness library. EMA judges recognized the redesign project and Aria's entire website with the "Leader Award" based on the criteria of uniqueness, strategy, audience appeal, marketing message integration, user experience, and visual design.
The Summit Emerging Media Award was created to identify the world's communication pioneers. The international competition is open to both companies and individuals of all sizes, and is based on the premise that advertising is consistently at the forefront of the technological evolution of communication. The awards are held by the Summit International Awards Organization, which conducts three award competitions each year: Summit Creative Award, Summit Emerging Media Award, and Summit Marketing Effectiveness Award.


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Europa League review – Thursday 16 February
There were fourteen Europa League matches played on Thursday night, with Manchester United and Manchester City both winning difficult away games.
Posted by
February 16th, 2012
Sir Alex Ferguson named a strong team for the trip to the Amsterdam Arena and the Red Devils managed to beat Ajax 2-0 thanks to goals from Ashley Young and Javier Hernandez.
Meanwhile, Manchester City welcomed back Mario Balotelli and Yaya Toure for their match away to FC Porto and Roberto Mancini's side recovered from a goal down to win 2-1.
Silvestre Varela put the Portuguese champions into the lead in the 28th minute and it was a lead they held until the 55th minute when a Pereira own goal brought matters level.
City then threatened to lose their discipline with a series of yellow cards before Sergio Aguero snatched a late winner to put the tournament favourites on the verge of the last sixteen.
Stoke City have a mountain to climb after losing 1-0 at home to Valencia, with the Potters being sunk by a Topal goal in the 36th minute and the Spanish side were able to comfortably see the game out.
Other victorious teams on Thursday night included Atletico Madrid, Hannover and PSV Eindhoven. However, the most impressive result of the evening was Metalist Kharkiv's 4-0 win away to Red Bull Salzburg.
Europa League scores
Lok Moscow 2 – 1 Athletic Bilbao
Ajax Amsterdam 0 – 2 Manchester U.
AZ Alkmaar 1 – 0 Anderlecht
Lazio 1 – 3 Atletico Madrid
Legia Warsaw 2 – 2 Sporting Lisbon
RB Salzburg 0 – 4 Metalist Kharkiv
Viktoria Plzen 1 – 1 Schalke
FC Porto 1 – 2 Manchester C.
Hannover 2 – 1 Club Brugge
St Bucuresti 0 – 1 FC Twente Enschede
Stoke C. 0 – 1 Valencia
Trabzonspor 1 – 2 PSV Eindhoven
Udinese 0 – 0 PAOK Saloniki
Wisla Krakow 1 – 1 Standard Liege


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In case you missed this item on Thursday, the Competitive Enterprise Institute is suing NASA over its failure to respond to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act going back to 2007.
Washington, D.C., May 27, 2010 - The Competitive Enterprise Institute today filed a lawsuit to force NASA to produce records related to last year's "ClimateGate" scandal — records the agency has refused to produce for nearly three years.
In its complaint, CEI calls for government transparency about climate science, "particularly now, when debate about climate change and 'cap and trade' legislation has captured sustained national attention." "NASA is accountable to the taxpayers and to the public" and "should not be free to treat its FOIA obligations with contempt."
The lawsuit arises out of three CEI Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, initiated in August 2007 and originally seeking internal documents about NASA improperly boosting U.S. temperature data in this decade. Five months after the first request, CEI sought documents concerning Dr. Gavin Schmidt, a taxpayer-funded NASA researcher who, chief among other NASA scientists, spends working hours running and writing for a third-party website (RealClimate.org) that was created to defend the now-debunked "Hockey Stick" temperature graph.


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Just loved it. Simple, basic cool place. Eat drink dance relax sleep. W marina. No need to drive. I need to add more words to make this post, but nothing else is needed. I loved it. back up -correction - we loved it! Stewart is...More
"Older rooms on the water with screened porches (which we prefer) or newer rooms across the street that are..."
"There are rooms on the water and those that are off just across the street. I didn't hear anything..."
"Go for the remodeled rooms. There is tremendous variability about things like microwaves, refrigerators,..."


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Contextualizing the Landscape Design to Cultural Traditions
India has rich and diverse cultural heritage where cultural traditions are an important part of life. Festival celebrations are pause points in the routine life of the people apart from being rituals in religious traditions. Community open spaces are important settings for the festival celebrations and cultural activities. Historic cities had community open spaces closely integrated in the fabric of the city with spatial characteristics developed in response to the cultural traditions. The "synomorphy" (as defined by Roger Barker) of the spatial setting and the cultural traditions developed in the traditional settlements is evident even today in the old city cores of Indian cities. This paper takes case of the city of Pune to study the cultural traditions and festivals and their spatial settings in context of landscape design. Pune, an important city in the state of Maharashtra, is called as the cultural capital of the state. The paper uses a descriptive and qualitative approach to study and present the space-culture associations based on observation and activity mapping of open spaces in various parts of the city during festivals. Secondary data and literature is also used to understand the spatiality of the festivals and for triangulation of the data. Like many cities in the world, the city of Pune has grown rapidly in past few decades owing to the globalisation and technological revolution. The city on one hand offers state-of-the-art business and educational opportunities while on the other has strong cultural patterns evident even today in the celebrations and festivals. The simultaneity of the modern as well as the traditional probably makes the city an interesting livable place. The change in housing form and open space structure has resulted in the loss of domestic open space, which was earlier present in traditional houses and served as places for family functions and festival celebrations. Today, community open spaces are largely used for cultural activities and festival celebrations. The landscapes of the community open spaces are dominantly programmed to meet recreational activities and have very typical park-like character. Certain cultural activities that are best suited on a barren ground cannot be supported by the lawn. The lawn dominated landscapes have a lot of restrictions imposed on their usage as maintaining a lawn is an expensive task in tropical, water-scarce situations. Use of purely ornamental and exotic species of plants lacks any of the cultural associations that the native species have. Findings of the study point to the need for contextualizing open space design with an aim of creating culture-responsive settings conducive for cultural activities.


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Good treatment options for those with sundowning syndrome due to Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia include maintaining regular evening routines, performing outside activities during the day, turning on lights to eliminate shadows and limiting distractions, explains WebMD. Caregivers should remain calm, offer reassurance and watch their loved ones to keep them safe. Although medication is available to help people with dementia sleep, it may leave them more confused the following day.
To ensure that people with dementia are tired at night, caregivers should limit their naps, caffeine, sugar, nicotine and alcohol, notes WebMD. They should schedule larger meals for earlier in the day and lighter meals in the evenings. They should keep rooms uncluttered and quiet. To help people with dementia relax in the evenings, caregivers can read with them, play cards, listen to soothing music and take walks.
Sundowning is not an illness, and health care specialists are unsure why the symptoms recur, reports Mayo Clinic. Factors that may exacerbate confusion late in the day include tiredness, dim lighting, shadows and inability to distinguish dream from reality. Evening staff changes may also confuse people with dementia at care facilities. They may associate late afternoon and evening activities with behaviors that occurred in their past. Background noises such as television may intensify their confusion.


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text: Unless you're living under a rock you will have heard of Pokemon Go, the new game in the form of an app created Niantic Inc., an American software development, which is also responsible for its distribution. The game, Pokemon Go, is owned by the Pokemon Company, which is in part owned by Nintendo. Apple and Google are also receiving a lot of the revenue Pokemon Go is creating. The playing of this game has become a craze! So much so that American presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, has even used "Pokemon Go" as a verb, describing how she would like people to respond in the polls. "I don't know who created 'Pokemon Go,' but I'm trying to figure out how we get them to have 'Pokemon Go To the Polls,' she said.


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Since our opening in Fort Mohave, Az we have been expanded our showroom to Bullhead City, Az & Kingman, Az. At all 3 of our showrooms you will be offered a complementary beverage, wide selection of home and bedroom furniture, and a non-commissioned no pressure comfort specialist to help guide you to the right product.
We strive to provide the best prices in town and if anyone with in 100 miles beats our price let us know and we will Price Match!
MattressLand & Furniture in the Media:
MattressLand aiding Hurricane Harvey victims: Click Here to read.
MattressLand is sending releif to Texas: Click Here to read.
Pictures From Our Stores:


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CMA Names Teen Band Jetset Getset 'Who New to Watch in 2013'
Teen musical group Jetset Getset (JSGS) has been named by the Country Music Association among "Who New to Watch in 2013." The prestigious list, which is published in the February issue of CMA Close Up Magazine, includes 20 rising stars in Nashville, and is widely regarded as a barometer of future success.
Other artists on the list include Dylan Scott, Scarletta, Jasmine Seibers, Morgan Frazier, Rachel Farley, Jason Cassidy, Logan Tudeen, Logan Mize, John Karl, Reed Turner, Hudson Moore, Sweetwater Rain, Joe Bachman, Erica Nicole, Tyler Barham, High Valley, Juliet & The Lonesome Romeos, Kayla Calabrese, and The Henningsens, whose debut single "American Beautiful," has been climbing the country charts.
"We are honored to appear on the CMA's list of artists to watch," said Kelli Jette, manager of Jetset Getset. "The CMA is the country music industry's most influential organization. To be acknowledged in this way is vindication for our hard work."
Fronted by singers Tori Little (16), Avery Eliason (15) and Sadie Loveland (15), Jetset Getset has lately been attracting attention in Nashville and Los Angeles, with Music Connection Magazine describing their music as "sprightly country twang" and Music News Nashville writing that Jetset Getset "has the potential to be country music's next powerhouse female trio."
"To be chosen among all the hundreds of country artists out there, is an honor," Eliason said. "It makes me happy to see how our work has paid off."
"It's surreal that this is happening," added Little. "Never in a million years would I have thought we would be named a band to watch by the CMA."
"We have always done our best, but now I feel it's more important than ever to be the best we can," said Loveland.
Jetset Getset's first Nashville-produced album, "Saturday Night," contains 10 new songs, including several by acclaimed Nashville songwriter Tom Paden, who has written hits for Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers and other leading artists. The album was the brainchild of veteran producers Jack Gale and Jim Pierce (Playback Records), after Gale discovered the group performing last year on "The Shotgun Red Variety Show" on RFD-TV. The title track is now being released to radio stations, in collaboration with GrassRoots Promotion in Nashville and World Domination Music in Europe.
"I couldn't be prouder of Jetset Getset," Gale said. "There are very few kids singing country music, and these girls' harmonies are different from anything that anyone else is doing."
More information about Jetset Getset is available at www.JetsetGetset.com, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.


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Ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho admits he fancies the "big" England job.
"So to try to stop the speculation I decided not to go and stay here. It is sunny and beautiful."
But, when asked if he could be the next England manager, Mourinho replied: "Why not?"
Off camera Mourinho said the England post was a big one and the type he was looking for but he denied he was using the Football Association in a bid to get a club job.


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Rick Blechta, Aline Templeton, Vicki Delany, Frankie Bailey, John Corrigan, Barbara Fradkin, Donis Casey, Charlotte Hinger, Mario Acevedo, Sybil Johnson, and Thomas Kies — always ready to Type M for MURDER. "One of 100 Best Creative Writing Blogs." — Colleges Online. "Typing" since 2006!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Of course, when I looked at the novel in question once again with her words in mind, I really was horrified. I hadn't even been aware that I was doing it.
Which brings me to today's blog topic: waffling. We all use the technique every day, I'll bet.
An example: why is it that people no longer die? Why is it that we no longer seem capable of saying that? "Bob's wife passed away last week." Or worse yet, "Bob's wife passed last week." Is it just me or is this sort of mealy-mouthed? Are people that afraid of death that they won't use the word anymore?
Corporations and politicians naturally are past-masters of the waffle. They don't want to be caught in a bold statement. They need that wiggle room. Naturally this is reinforced by every situation where a bold, unequivocal statement is made and the next day it bites someone in the butt and they have to backtrack.
The wafflers par excellence are meteorologists. "We have a 40% chance of rain tomorrow." How many times are they right? Every time, of course! If it rains, they're right, and if it doesn't rain, they're right. Just don't try to plan your day around what they're telling you.
Here are some of my favourites: "Mistakes were made." (Who's trying to weasel out of something here?) "Common sense would dictate that..." (Whose common sense?) "Experts know that..." (Here again, what experts?)
Okay, the examples in the paragraph above are from the political and corporate realms. Where do you see other examples of waffling in everyday conversation? I've only given one example. I came up with others yesterday, but unfortunately didn't write them down. Mistakes were made...
Last of all, I'm at the tail end of another year of Tuesday blogs. I didn't miss too many weeks in 2010, so that's a lot of writing. I hope you've found something of use in it. Have a safe New Year's celebration and I wish you all the best in 2011.
4 comments:
- Mary Vaughn said...
You hit me on the head with this "waffling." I use it in my speech a lot. Now I'm afraid to look at my ms!
Blessings on your New Year~
- 10:03 am
- Rick Blechta said...
No, please look at it. I found it all over the place, and once it was removed (unless called for by a character's own make-up), the ms was way better for it and the dialogue and descriptive text far more direct and punchy.
While we're at it, really take a look at any place where you use passive voice. Is it necessary or just another waffle?
Thanks for commenting!
- 2:49 pm
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Dear Valued Patient,
We are pleased to announce the addition of our newest optometrist to the Wing Eyecare family. Dr. Scott Baker comes to Wing Eyecare at Cold Spring with 3 years of experience in the Dayton, Ohio area.
Effective August 13, 2011, Dr. Scott Baker will assume full-time management of the Cold Spring Wing Eyecare practice. Dr. Baker is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Optometry. He completed externships at the VA Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona and Commonwealth Eye Surgery in Lexington, Kentucky.
We are confident that the quality of care that is so important to you will continue under Dr. Baker's leadership. Please join me in welcoming our new doctor to the Wing Eyecare family on your next visit.
Dr. Thomas F. NagyDirector of Professional Services
Wing Eyecare, Inc
Below is a little bit about Dr. Baker that you can also find on our website:
|Dr. Scott Baker
Dr. Baker joined the Wing Eye Care team in August 2011 and currently practices in our Cold Spring, Kentucky office. He graduated from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio with BS in Biology in 2005. He then earned his Doctor of Optometry degree from The Ohio State University in 2009. During his optometry studies, Dr. Baker completed externships at the VA Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona and Commonwealth Eye Surgery in Lexington, Kentucky. Dr. Baker is a member of the American Optometric Association. His specialties include contact lenses, ocular diseases, and primary care.
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Ahead of the Budget there is much talk about responsibility, prudence and 'no giveaways'. It is claimed that all this is needed in an effort to reassure financial markets. But this is completely wrong.
It reveals an outlook that believes our money, taxpayers' money, is something that we should all stand in line for – only well behind the bankers who got us all into this mess in the first place. Instead of a Budget for Bankers, we need a People's Budget.
A People's Budget would begin with an investment programme aimed at getting people back to work. Over 650,000 jobs have been lost in Britain in the last 2 years. In the West Midlands, the downturn started earlier and 104,000 jobs have been lost over 3 years. We need to get people working again, and we should start by focussing on three areas: transport infrastructure, housing and education.
The recession has been led by a decline in investment. This accounts for well over half the entire decline in the economy. Among the areas most badly hit are construction and transport infrastructure. These are already areas where Britain lags way behind other countries.
A major government investment programme could build affordable, low-energy homes. Significantly improved rail links would lift economic performance and reduce carbon emissions. They would also get people off the dole, spending and paying taxes again, all of which would reduce the government's deficit.
Investing in our young people, through improved education at all levels, actually lifts economic performance and highlights the madness of the government's recently announced cuts to funding for colleges and universities. Instead of wasting money by boosting the unemployment total, government investment in education boosts jobs, exports and attracts investment.
These are just some of the measures that could be taken by a government acting in the interests of the ordinary people of Britain, not of its bankers.


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Each climb requires a descend,
but all I desire is to fly,
wasting away high up in the sky.
dripping down melancholy
as I soar through clouds
embracing false evolutionary instinct
as the wind pummels against my eyes.
Even with the agony of sleet
rain-soaked skin
I'd rather never land
and instead keep drifting through
these stratocumulus clouds.