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What Community Banks Need to Survive the Dodd-Frank Act
By: Richard Longo
Community banks have a lot of work to do in preparation for the more than 250 regulations associated with the Dodd-Frank Act. The Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council estimates that despite exemptions made for small institutions, adhering to Dodd-Frank will require community banks, already limited with resources, to hire staff, train them and increase transaction times. Consultants predict that a typical community bank will need to add two full-time employees just for compliance. Of course, talented compliance staff will be on high-demand, especially in rural areas, and training staff to meet the new requirements will be difficult. Conservatively estimating, these employee resources may cost a community bank $80,000 to $100,000 a year in additional salary and benefits. To put this in perspective, a $200 million community bank may spend $325,000 annually in technology costs. Even if community banks could find a way to afford such added expenses, they must still consider the potential income loss they may incur due to the Durbin Amendment and other rules.
If community banks adhere to their standard processes and procedures — which usually include managing compliance and regulation requirements with staff-run reports — it will cost them roughly a quarter of their technology budgets. This is devastating news to the more than 800 troubled banks and others whose margins are already stretched. However, this is not a doom and gloom message. Community banks do not have to topple over to the troubled list due to regulatory burdens; nor do they have to remain troubled if they already are.
As an alternative, automated solutions leverage rules-based tools that limit the need for an individual to intervene on decisioning, thus evaluating risk in the most accurate manner. Regulators prefer these solutions because they encourage consistency and mandate due diligence. This does not infer that community banks have to lose control of the process. Rather, they can set pre-determined criteria to meet their institutions' specific goals and provide optional personal reviews for a low percentage of decisions. Essentially, the system should do all the heavy lifting, acting as the jury and lawyer, while bank employees only have to act as judge for roughly 10 percent of the cases.
The key to meeting growing regulatory requirements will be to embrace new capabilities enterprise-wide without breaking the budget. Community banks will need to venture away from their traditional report-based compliance systems and invest in technology to evolve beyond this daunting era. There are many benefits associated with technology, but most important is the ability to successfully shift a bank's core, fundamental processes and meet the requirements of changing regulations. Exchanging staff-based decisions and reporting for technology could be the only viable solution for many community banks.
Virginia-based, $3.7 billion Carter Bank & Trust implemented a new core platform in 2010 upgrading its 123 branch offices as well as its operation facilities. CB&T's former core processing system was a legacy mainframe-based system with applications written in outdated languages. The network design had insufficient communication models for seamless data exchange between the applications, and hindered the bank's capacity to respond to the challenges of reporting and increasing regulations. Add-on solutions to meet the bank's evolving needs proved to be long and tedious projects. It took months to integrate a new financial product into the system before it could be brought into the market, as it involved writing middleware programs to allow different platforms and systems to interact.
CB&T elected to replace its current system with an updated browser-based technology, one that provides real-time, high-volume and performance transactions across all channels. Now, the bank streamlines its operations across multiple platforms and systems and easily integrates with third-party providers.
According to Worth Harris Carter Jr., chairman of the board and president of CB&T, "Flexible and up-to-date core platforms are a necessity for any financial institution that wants to remain competitive in this new banking era. Operating under anything else would be like going into open-heart surgery with outdated equipment; it's an unnecessary risk that is not worth taking."
The Dodd-Frank Act touches virtually every business line in a community bank. Banks that need to evolve their core platforms and technology would be wise to start the search now. Waiting until all of the regulations are set and the rules are defined will not reap any rewards. Assuredly, there will be changes, and they will be plentiful. If a bank knows that it needs to advance its current practices, delaying the decision will only result in a loss of profits. Community banks should ensure that they are operating on processors with open integration and the ability to meet changing compliance demands. Furthermore, the processors should be flexible in scale, with the ability to meet and attain long-term growth strategies.
Community bankers that invest in the future will succeed in the long run. They should demand efficiency, accuracy and compliance in banking technology providers and settle for nothing less. The solid core platform with the ability to integrate all disparate and self-contained services into a flexible, scalable foundation will prepare bankers for today's regulatory demands as well as the many changes yet to come.
Richard Longo is manager of CoreSoft Banking Solutions at VSoft Corp. For more information visit www.vsoftcorp.com.


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|Episode Description
|Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013 - 11:00 AM
"You Are Special/Daniel Is Special"
You are Special: The children are putting on a show at school today, each doing something that makes them special. O the Owl wants to be just like the others and, with a little encouragement, he learns that owls are special too. Daniel is Special: Daniel and Dad take a fall walk through the neighborhood, admiring the colors of the leaves. D
Mountain Time
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subset: commoncrawl


text: So I am feeling so defeated today. I spoke with an LC and she told me he definitely needed a bottle after nursing because he can't be getting enough from me especially by my pumping numbers. She said he is only getting a little more than what I am pumping and that he needs about 4oz per bottle right now. He only takes. 2.5-3 oz of formula a feeding and sometimes 4oz. Anyways I am pumping 1.5-2 oz pet session. That is both sides combined. So she said he can't be getting much more than that when he is nursing but I told her he wouldn't take a bottle afterwards sometimes. She said I need to come in and have him weighed before and after the feeding. So on Monday I am going to meet with the LC and let her weigh him. I am just so discouraged right now and she seems to think it isn't possible for me to get my supply up. I mean is it too late? He is 9wks now... I keep beating my self up for not continuing the way I should have when he was 4wks old. I should have never slowed down because I had plenty of milk then.


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Deals on products Lacey Malinowski likes
My Lists
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Saks Fifth Avenue


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Memorial service is Jan. 29.
Kenneth 'Tuffy' Berry, 81, of Shelly, Minn., died January 21, 2013 at the Halstad Living Center, Halstad, Minn. surrounded by his children.
Kenneth was born on April 16, 1931 in White Earth, Minn., the son of Myron and Lena (Fairbanks) Berry. He grew up in White Earth and attended school there until the death of his mother at age 12. He then moved to Kenosha, Wis. He came to Shelly the summer of 1949 when his father was managing and pitching for the local baseball team. There he met and fell in love with Irene Tronnes. They were married March 3, 1950 in Grand Forks, N.D. They settled in rural Nielsville, Minn., and then spent several years in Kenosha, Wis. before returning to reside in their remodeled one-room school house. When their home was destroyed in the flood of 1997 they moved to Shelly where he resided until moving to Halstad in Nov., 2011.
Kenneth worked as a construction foreman during the building of the Grand Forks Air Base and also built many area bridges. He worked seasonally for the Crystal Sugar Company for 20 years. During the summer he operated a commercial and residential painting business. He painted many of the churches (including their high steeples) in the region. He deeply loved his family and was a generous man filled with compassion and wit. He will be deeply missed.
Kenneth was preceded in death by his parents, one sister, Grace Vizenor, and two brothers, Joe 'Ike' who died in Dec. 2012 and Gilbert 'John' who died in childhood.
Kenneth is survived by his beloved wife of 62 years, Irene, one son, Ronnie (Renay) Walker, Minn., four daughters, Connie (Ted) Westlund, Strathcona, Minn., Karen (Mike) Smart, Hendrum, Minn., Deb (William) Zaks, Grand Forks, Kathryn (Stan) Koppang, Jamestown, N.D., 14 grandchildren: Lindsey Berry, Abby (Brad) Rakowski, Jason Berry, Tara Herring, Leah (Scott) Walker, Adam (Shauna) Paulson, Chad (Rachel) Smart, Eric (Sarah) Smart, Carrie Smart, Jordan (Amber) Smart, Matthew (Melissa) Hesby, Christopher (Karissa) Hesby, Lydia Berry-Koppang and Zachary Koppang, 23 great-grandchildren, and one sister, Fanchon 'Dolly' Maddux, New Braunfels, Texas.
The family would like to thank the staff of the Halstad Living Center, Hospice of Red River Valley and also Dr. Chuck Breen for the loving care they provided our beloved husband, father, grandfather.
Memorial service: 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Fredrikson Valley Funeral Home, Halstad, with the Rev. Frank Cherney of New Hope Free Lutheran Church, Jamestown, officiating. Lunch will follow at the Shelly Senior Center.
Visitation: one hour prior to service.
Inurnment: At a later date at the St. Petri Lutheran Cemetery, Nielsville.
Arrangements with Fredrikson Valley Funeral Home, Halstad, Minnesota
(218-456-2000). www.fredriksonfh.com


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RESOLVED, that pursuant to Section 61(b) of the Home Rule Charter of the city of Duluth, the city council hereby orders the improvement, to city of Duluth standards, of those streets, avenues and parkways set forth in Public Document No. __________ on file with the office of the city clerk; that the costs of said improvement estimated at $4,608,620 shall be paid from the Street Improvement Fund 0440 and that one-fourth or less of said costs be levied against the property specifically benefitted by said improvements.
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the engineering staff shall meet and confer with interested members of each neighborhood involved in the program to gather public input and address public concerns involving various street design elements including but not limited to street width, boulevard design and width, tree removal and replacement, driveways and traffic patterns.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This resolution orders the construction of approximately 3.20 miles of streets, in seven neighborhoods, for the 2005 street improvement program. This ordering of that construction is being done under Section 61(b) of the City Charter, which permits the council to do so by 7/9th vote when 25 percent or less of the cost of construction is assessed against benefitting property, and the balance of the costs paid from other funds, in this case the street improvement program fund.
The 2005 street improvement project recommendations were developed by the public works department and reviewed by planning, community development, and other city staff members. Selection criteria included street condition and street maintenance history, storm drainage requirements, project compactness and phasing potential and community development block grant programming.


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Teams split games
The Mexico Middle School football squads concluded their seasons Tuesday, splitting a pair of games to the Moberly Spartans in Moberly.
In seventh grade action, the Spartans beat the Bulldogs 38-20.
Down 16-0 at halftime, the Bulldogs never quit and managed three second half touchdowns but it wasn't enough to catch the Spartans.
"The boys never gave up and kept playing hard throughout the second half," coach Ron Bracht said.
Mexico's first touchdown came on a three yard run up the middle by Zach Neumann, but the team failed to convert the PAT.
After Tyler Bledsoe scrambled to gain five yards and score the Bulldogs' second touchdown, they were more successful and Bledsoe converted two to give the Bulldogs 14.
The Bulldogs managed one more touchdown, a 15 yard pass from Bledsoe to Roberto Matus.
The seventh graders finish the season 1-5.
Dillon Nichols led the Bulldogs in tackles.
"At the start of the year we were a very raw and inexperienced team," Bracht said. "Through hard work and practice the boys improved each week"
The eighth grade was more successful, beating the Spartans 32-14 to end the season 5-1.
"This was a nice way to cap off the season," coach David Okenfuss said. "Moberly had a grind it out offense that ate up some clock but we responded by scoring quickly on each of our possessions."
Michael White scored four touchdowns for the Bulldogs on runs of 10, 55, 40 and 45 yards. Tereese Aaron had a run of four yards to give the Bulldogs another touchdown and Kellen Ekern contributed to the scoring with a two-point conversion.
"I am very proud of the way this group performed this season," Okenfuss said. "As long as they work hard in the offseason and keep their numbers up, they will find much success as they move forward to the high school."


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Man accused of selling cocaine at middle school parking lot
LEWISTON, Maine (AP) � A man has been charged with selling cocaine from a middle school parking lot in Maine.
Police said 29-year-old Reynard Eugene Carroll was a passenger in the car parked at Lewiston Middle School. They said he admitted to police that he had cocaine and turned over to agents about $700 worth of the drug Tuesday. He was charged with two counts of aggravated trafficking in cocaine in a school zone.
Agents searched Carroll's house and found more cocaine, for a total street value of about $5,500. Carroll's girlfriend, 19-year-old Shelby Viles, was charged with one count of aggravated trafficking in cocaine.


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Wabash Falls in One-Point Loss at Wittby Brent Harris • January 19, 2011 Share:
A 10-point first half and five-point halftime Wabash lead evaporated behind Wittenberg's second-half shooting Wednesday night. The Little Giants' late rally fell short in a 55-54 loss at Witt in North Coast Athletic Conference play.
The Tigers shot 12-of-23 from the field in the final period after Wabash held them to 9-of-28 in the opening half. The Little Giants never got untracked offensively from long range, shooting just 38 percent from the field overall (22-of-57) and 23 percent from beyond the arc (23 percent).
Wittenberg (12-4, 7-0 NCAC) erased the Little Giants' lead, eventually taking a seven-point advantage with five minutes left in the contest. Ben Burkett rallied Wabash with a jumper in the lane to cut the lead to 49-44. After a Tiger miss, Wes Smith drove into the lane from the right wing to score his 11th point of the game, trimming the lead to three points.
Nick Curosh, who opened the contest with four of the Little Giants' first seven points, tipped in a missed Aaron Zinnerman shot attempt with 2:56 remaining to get Wabash within a point. Seth Hill answered for Wittenberg with a basket at the other end, but Derek Bailey (left) responded with one of his two 3-point baskets to tie the game with 1:27 left.
Michael Cooper fired a jumper in the lane with one minute remaining to put Wittenberg back in front by two points. Wabash had two opportunities to try and tie the game in the closing minute. The Little Giants got a 3-point attempt from Zinnerman that bounced out, but Brian Shelbourne grabbed the offensive board, giving Wabash one final try. The Little Giants would fail to capitalize, committing one of their 13 turnovers in the final seconds of the game.
Wittenberg's Chris Sullivan drained two free throws before Smith connected on a desperation trey at the buzzer to produce the final score.
The free throw line proved key for the Tigers, hitting 8-of-10 attempts on the evening with none bigger than Sullivan's final two tosses. Wabash scored one more basket and one more 3-pointer than the Tigers, but were unable to get to the free throw line against Wittenberg's zone defense. The Little Giants did connect on four of their five free throw tries.
Smith (right) finished with 14 points, well below his 23.5 points-per-game average coming into the game. He added 10 rebounds to record his third double-double of the season. Bailey tossed in 10 points off the bench for the Little Giants.
Clayton Black had 14 points to pace the Tigers in scoring. Chris Sullivan added 13 points.
Wabash, ranked seventh in the nation in the D3hoops.com weekly poll, drops to 14-2 overall and 6-2 in the NCAC with the loss. The Little Giants only other defeat came in a 67-65 home game against number-one ranked Wooster. Wednesday's loss was also the first road loss of the season for the Little Giants, while Wittenberg improved to 8-0 at home this year.
The Little Giants travel to Oberlin College Saturday for a 1 p.m. NCAC contest against the Yeomen.


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|Pregnant Bitchez
Short review: We know what you like! Swollen potbellies and sizeable oozing boobies - haven't these babes learned what got them this way? They just want more devil!
Content Amount: There's nothing more provoking than a expectant femme unless it's one who is deprived of a good fuck! These Pregnant Bitchez didn't get enough hard prick the first time around and they're not waiting any longer. Large rounded binnies and enormous filled mammary glands are what's waiting for you inside and the Dr. says a good shagging is just what they need at this stage of the game! These soon to be milfs got a craving for meat!


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You are here: Home ‹ Board index ‹ Movie Discussion ‹ All Other/Older Movies ‹ Older Movies
What Jim movie are you watching right now....
Discuss older Jim Carrey movies.
I am watching Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind, you know I am only 14 years old and have never had a relationship in my life, but when I see this movie I really want to have one, to have a man like Joel,he is such a great man I think
"Somewhere there's someone who dreams of your smile,
and finds in your presence that life is worth while.
So when you are lonely, remember it's true
Somebody somewhere is thinking of you."
I hope you find one, Nina. I had a terrible boyfriend as you've heard. I hate when people give me tips, but I just wanted to say that make sure that when you have the opportunity to be in a relationship with somebody, you really like them and aren't just pretending you do just so you can say you've had a boyfriend. You seem smarter then me, though... so I'm sure it won't be that way... but I pretended to like the guy for that reason... and I pretty much got a slap in the face for it.
But, on the contrary, I would LOVE someone like Jim's character in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind". Hes so loveable
and back to the topic... I watched "Me, Myself & Irene". Its funny, as every time I watch it.
You know, if you pay attention... when Jim looks at Renee in certain parts in this movie you can see he was really freakin' falling for her. I could see it in his eyes. I would love to be looked at like that... *tear*
A very good perverted movie! My mom walked by I don't know how many times going, "He's so nasty". Haha
What makes you weak is what makes me stronger.
Last week I watched Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. I liked it as much as ever.
But I just saw Copper Mountain for the first time and totally loathed it. I honestly think it's one of the worst movies I have ever seen, if not the worst. I'll never, ever, ever watch it again.
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text:
DailyDirt: Toys For Girls
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
- Lego Friends is a line of toys aimed at girls that are reinforcing some stereotypes. Lego is trying to expand beyond its traditional customers of little boys, and the company has done a lot of research to try to create a toy that girls want to play with. [url]
- Gwen Thompson is an American Doll introduced in 2009 -- as the world's first "homeless" doll. Gwen was a limited edition doll (sold for $95), and hopefully she isn't living on the streets anymore. [url]
- Chemistry sets have changed a lot over the years (mainly to make them
boringsafer), and a few of them are now geared exclusively for girls. Some parents are offended by "science kits" that are basically advertisements for cosmetics and perfume, but there are a lot of toys that are simply advertisements for other products.... [url]


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Theology of Everything
Cos everything's theological
An overview of feminist theology
Sharon James
- Sharon James is a well-known author and conference speaker. View all resources by Sharon James
The starting point of feminist theology is womens experience, and the rejection of patriarchy (the structure of society whereby men rule women). Women, it is argued, will only become truly human, with the ending of patriarchy. The Bible is a patriarchal text through and through. Some feminist theologians regard the whole text as toxic, others believe that there is a core of helpful teaching that can be retrieved. In looking back over church history, many feminists challenge the sexism of, for example, the early church fathers and reformers, and they seek to recover the hidden history of women. Surveying the field of academic theology, many would argue that it is and has been a male-defined project.
Theology means study of God; the word theo is a masculine form. Some feminists today prefer to speak of study of thea - feminine form - hence thealogy. Some believe in one God/dess; others in a plurality of goddesses; others still that G*d cannot be named or known - but that whoever G*d is, s/he is in all things and in us too - we look within to find it/her.
There is a huge range among feminist theologians. Some see themselves as within the orthodox Christian tradition. They regard themselves as continuing a prophetic tradition of calling believers back to authentic religion (in this case a renunciation of sexism). Others view the Christian tradition as so hopelessly compromised that the only solution is an exodus out of patriarchal religion to the older goddess tradition of pre-Jewish/Christian paganism.
The nineteenth century saw the beginnings of feminist theology, as part of the natural outworking of the feminist movement. Elizabeth Cady Stantons The Womans Bible was published in 1895 and1898. Just as equal rights for women were demanded in terms of education, employment and the law, so also equal rights were sought in the Church. By the time of Vatican II, many people argued that because in many sections of the Church women could not be ordained the Church was sexist and must reform.
Broadly speaking, the feminist biblical theologians of today are from a liberal reformist feminist tradition - which historically minimised the differences between the sexes and argued for equal opportunities in the Church. Feminist post-biblical theologians are more likely to feel affinity with radical (romantic) feminists, who are comfortable celebrating the differences between the sexes. The variations between feminist theologians are almost infinite, and there are distinctive traditions among Black, Hispanic and Asian women. This is a simplistic and selective listing ranging from the most conservative to the most radical - there is some overlap between categories 3, 4 and 5.
1 Evangelical feminists
would affirm the authority of the Bible and the truth of the historic creeds. Many would argue for gender neutral language to be used in translating the Bible, and some would maintain that there is mutual subordination within the Trinity. They reject any hierarchy or order in the relationships between men and women. The best and most recent resume of current egalitarian thinking is the symposium Discovering Biblical Equality, eds. Pierce, Groothius and Fee (IVP, 2005).
2 Biblical feminists
would affirm the usefulness of the Bible as a source, but in denying the authority of the whole canon and affirming a canon within the canon they stand in the liberal tradition. They are critical of the Christian tradition, but want reform from within. Examples include: Rosemary Radford Ruether (see below) and Elizabeth Shussler Fiorenza (see below).
3 Post-biblical feminists
would reject the authority of the Bible altogether, and in fact would regard much of it as toxic, shot through with patriarchal values. Examples include Mary Daly (see below) and Daphne Hampson (see below).
4 Goddess feminists
celebrate their own divinity (variously one or many; male and female or just female; some believe in an actual deity, some believe in an archetype) with their own rituals. Some revere Gaia, the spirit that animates the natural world. During the 1970s many in mainstream religious feminism adopted paganism as their spirituality. They looked back to a golden age of human society in which matriarchal religion prevailed. Such thinking was adapted from Germanic romantic anthropological theories that imagined matriarchy as a universal state of civilization before patriarchy. (Such a view of the past has been discredited, but Goddess feminists are often unashamed about using wish-craft in envisaging the past that they imagine to have been ideal). Carol Christ has written Rebirth of the Goddess - a sort of systematic thealogy.
5 Wicca feminists
see themselves in the tradition of those who follow the craft (ie. witch craft). Feminist Wicca is a subgroup within the broad category of Goddess religion (see above). Wicca is a European earth religion, honouring a male and female deity. (Wicca adherents are to be distinguished from Satanists. Satanism is a black form of reversed Christianity in which the devil is worshipped). Zsuzsanna E. Budapest, who has written several books on witchcraft, says a witch is a woman or man who considers the earth to be a living being to be regarded and respected as God herself. To be a witch, you have to see yourself as part of God, who is present in, not separate from us. Miriam Starhawk is a feminist pagan witch, who, according to her website, travels internationally teaching magic, the tools of ritual, and the skills of activism. Her book The Spiral Dance (1979) is considered a key text in the neo-pagan movement and has been translated into at least seven languages.
Leading feminist theologians
1 Mary Daly
Mary Daly, a Catholic with degrees in philosophy and theology, visited Rome in 1965 hoping that Vatican II would bring about reforms which would herald greater equality for women in the Catholic Church. She was totally frustrated, and, in response wrote The Church and the Second Sex (New York 1968). Disillusionment with institutional Christianity then led her to reject mainstream Christianity altogether. Beyond God the Father (London 1973) repudiated the notion of Father God. The symbol of Father God is spawned in the human imagination. If God is male, then the male is God. Such anthropomorphizing of God is demonic, and the naming of God as a noun is effectively to murder God as a verb, as Be-ing, a force or energy. The God of Explanation (the idea that God has a plan); the God of otherworldliness (the emphasis on the next life) and the God who is the judge of sin are, argues Daly, idols that must be dethroned. Daly claims the right to name (create?) her own Deity To exist humanly is to name the self, the world and God.
In her third book, Gyn-Ecology: The metaethics of Radical Feminism (Boston, 1978), she rejected the term God altogether, as it can never be cleansed from male/masculine imagery. Her next book, Pure Lust: Elemental Feminist Philosophy (Boston, 1984) called women to connect with their wild side and ignore taboos imposed by phallocracys fabrications/fictions. Female spirituality is best expressed in witchcraft/paganism. This theme continued in Websters First New Intergalactic Wickedary of the English Language (Boston, 1987) which condemned each aspect of conservative theology as demonic. She regards the Incarnation of Christ as the symbolic legitimation of the rape of all women and all matter. Her next work Outercourse: The Bedazzling Voyage Containing Recollections from my Logbook of a Radical Feminist Philosopher (San Francisco, 1992) promotes eco-feminist witchcraft.
Mary Daly is probably the best known post-Christian, indeed anti-Christian thea/logian. She was a professor in the Department of Theology at the Jesuit Boston College, until she was forced to retire due to her refusal to admit males to her classes on feminism.
2 Daphne Hampson
Dr Hampson is Professor Emerita of Divinity at St Andrews University, and Visiting Fellow at Clare Hall, Cambridge. Author of Theology and Feminism (Oxford, 1990), she is post-Christian as she rejects the particularity of Christianity. She argues that Christianity and feminism are incompatible: an observant friend once remarked that whereas Christian feminists want to change the actors in the play, what I want is a different kind of play. For Hampson, Christianity cannot be moral, because it is irretrievably sexist. She summarized her perspective in a lecture in 1997: I am a Western person, living in a post‑Christian age, who has taken something with me from Christian thinkers, but who has rejected the Christian myth. Indeed I want to go a lot further than that. The myth is not neutral; it is highly dangerous. It is a brilliant, subtle, elaborate, male cultural projection, calculated to legitimize a patriarchal world and to enable men to find their way within it. We need to see it for what it is. But for myself I am a spiritual person, not an atheist . . . I am quite clear there is an underlying goodness, beauty and order; that it is powerful, such that we can draw on it, while we are inter‑related with it. I call that God.
3 Rosemary Radford Ruether
Rosemary Radford Ruethers doctorate was in classics and patristics (Claremont Graduate School, California). As a young wife, she found the hard line taken by the Catholic church on contraception to be totally unacceptable. It seemed especially intolerable in situations of dire poverty, such as were found in nearby Mexico. During the mid 1960s she opposed Catholic teaching on contraception, but soon widened her attack to the ingrained sexism of the church. She became involved in the fight for civil rights for black Americans, and identified with the liberation theology espoused by some Latin American theologians. Her book Liberation Theology: Human Hope Confronts Christian History and American Power (1972) attacked the Christian tradition wherever it discriminated against Jews, blacks, women and Latin Americans. Unlike Daly, who rejected mainstream Christianity altogether, Ruether wanted reform from within. However, she too eventually gave up on the institutional church, calling women to leave and form Women-Church, and to incorporate goddess worship into their liturgy, as in Women-Church: Theology and Practice of Feminist Liturgical Communities (New York, 1985) and Gaia and God: An EcoFeminist Theology of Earth Healing (London 1992). She dislikes the linear religions of Judaism and Christianity, preferring the cyclical patterns of nature and fertility religions.
Ruethers most influential book to date is Sexism and God talk: Towards a Feminist Theology (London, 1983/2002). It presents her basic thesis: The critical principle of feminist theology is the promotion of the full humanity of women. Whatever denies, diminishes or distorts the full humanity of women is, therefore, appraised as not redemptive.'
Ruether has lectured at Yale and Harvard, she now lectures at the Pacific School of Theology, and she has authored or edited numerous books.
4 Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza
Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza is Professor of Divinity at Harvard. A prolific author, her best known work is In Memory of Her: A Feminist Theological Reconstruction of Christian Origins (London 1983) which includes a section on The Sophia-God of Jesus and the discipleship of women. For her, the critical issue for interpretation is that of securing justice and freedom for all. A recent book, Wisdom Ways: Introducing Feminist Biblical Interpretation (New York, 2001) argues that Engaging in a feminist biblical spirituality . . . means learning how to read/understand the bible from the standpoint of a feminist theory of justice and a feminist movement for change. Biblical interpretation is above all a tool for becoming aware of structures of domination, which must then be abolished. Feminist biblical scholars are not mere academics, they are part of a social movement for emancipation. Each reader must learn how to discern the spirits, or look at biblical texts and identify their life-giving or death-dealing functions in different contexts. She rejects a dichotomous hermeneutical model of understanding/application. Readers of the Bible must abandon long-held convictions such as the view that G*d has written it. Any interpretation must be judged as to whether it is empowering to wo/men in their struggles for survival and transformation.
Wisdom Ways acknowledges that the equations men = oppressors and women = oppressed are too simplistic. Fiorenza is critical of kyriocentric language as found in the Bible, as this points to an oppression of poor/black men as well as of women. Thus she designates oppressed men as wo/men (honorary women); such oppressed men she designates subaltans.
5 Phyllis Trible
Phyllis Trible is Professor of biblical studies at Wake Forest University Divinity School. In God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality (Philadelphia, 1978), she maintained that the female perspective on faith had been obscured because of centuries of male interpretation, and must be recovered. She traces out the womb/compassion metaphor for God, which points to Biblical female imagery for God. She also highlighted those heroines in Scripture who challenge patriarchal culture (eg. the Hebrew midwives in Exodus). In Texts of Terror (Philadelphia, 1984) she developed a hermeneutic of remembrance to pay tribute to four abused women of the Bible, while directly challenging the misogyny of the author of the texts, and of God, in what she views as their disparagement of these victims. She believes that these terrible accounts have to be grappled with without a compassionate God to save us. She observes that the ghastly story of the rape and dismemberment of the unnamed Levites concubine is followed by the stories of Ruth and Hannah, which should show both the Almighty and the male establishment a better way, as if the Almighty was in someway implicated alongside the male establishment in the atrocities unleashed on the concubine.
6 Sallie McFague
Sallie McFague is the Distinguished Theologian in Residence at Vancouver School of Theology. In Models of God (1988), she argued that the Scriptural metaphors for God (King, Ruler, Lord, Father) must be discarded because they are hierarchical and death-dealing. More suitable for our time is a monist and panentheist metaphor the world as Gods body. God and the universe are one. The universe is not the creation of a transcendent God. Knowing God is relating to her body (the universe), and loving her is serving the universe. McFague proposes using the terms mother, lover and friend for God. In The Body of God: An ecological Theology (1993) she argues that human possession of nuclear power, the power to destroy, makes indefensible the view of a bygone age in which God is understood as externally related to and sovereign over the world.
Major themes
Given the huge variation in emphases between evangelical feminists on the one hand and pagan wicca feminists on the other, it impossible to encompass all these views in a few short points. They have in common a commitment to feminism. This is not just a movement to promote the dignity and worth of women, rather it is the conviction that women have the right to name themselves, the world and God.
The points below have reference to the spectrum of thought between Biblical feminism and wicca feminism (ie non-evangelical feminist theology). The common factor is the rejection of patriarchy.
1 Critique of Western Culture: A conceptual error of vast proportions
The historian Gerda Lerner has argued that our whole culture (including the Christian tradition) is infused with a conceptual error of vast proportion the androcentric fallacy. All human thought has been communicated from the male view point, and is thus skewed. We cannot just add women to thinking and institutions, what is needed is a radical restructuring of all thought from the female perspective.
The foundation of Western culture is rational (straight line, logical) discourse. This is denounced as male thinking. Subjective experience and opinion is the valid means of self expression. Some argue that all previous thinking (including the Christian tradition, and the Bible) is infused with sexism and has to be challenged: if a student questions this, she/he may be told that it is because she/he is sexist and needs to be re-educated.
2 Critique of compulsory heterosexuality: Gender Trouble
Judith Butler has argued that feminism as a term is illegitimate, because it reinforces the stereotype of femininity. The gender divide between male and female is itself an artificial social construct and must be challenged. In Gender Trouble, (1990/1999) she maintains that those who maintain traditional gender distinctions and gender roles are immoral, because by implication this condemns those who want to choose their own gender. In particular, the assumption that heterosexuality is normal and homosexuality/lesbianism is deviant is offensively discriminatory against homosexuals/lesbians. While Butler is not a theologian, such thinking is increasingly influential in (generally non-evangelical) feminist theological circles, and there is a broad acceptance of the acceptability of homosexual/lesbian relationships. Those who condemn homosexual/lesbian activity are regarded with as much hostility as racists. For example, in Sensuous Spirituality (1992), Virginia Mollenkott says that compulsory heterosexuality is the very backbone that holds patriarchy together. Indeed, insistence on the Judeo-Christian heterosexual ethic is sin. The radical Bishop Spong maintains that feminism and homosexuality lie at the heart and soul of what the Gospel is all about.
3 Critique of the traditional view of God: If God is male, then the male is God; God is not other
Use of masculine gendered language of God is, broadly, seen as unacceptable as it perpetrates a world view in which the male gender is superior. Christian feminists prefer to use gender neutral terms for God such as Parent or Creator. They wish to remain within the Christian tradition and worship a gender-neutral God.
Thinkers such as Naomi Goldenberg argue that the Judeo-Christian God is the architect of patriarchal society - therefore he must be jettisoned. In Changing of the Gods: Feminism and the End of Traditional Religions (Boston, 1979) she wrote we women are going to bring an end to God. And she argued that the feminist alteration of the sacred texts would actually introduce a new religion altogether. The feminist movement in Western culture is engaged in the slow execution of Christ and Yahweh. Yet very few of the women and men now working for sexual equality within Christianity and Judaism realise the extent of their heresy.
Post-Christian feminists replace God with Goddess/es, or with an abstract verb Be/ing, or with a universal principle, a cosmic matrix which in the minds of some is identified with nature/creation/humanity. I saw God within me and I loved her fiercely. Such post-Christian feminists maintain that God is not other, s/he is within us. For example, Daphne Hampson argues that feminism is incompatible with Christianity, because the God of the Bible is other, he existed before creation, he intervenes in the world from outside and he can only be known by means of revelation. Hampson argues that feminism offers the religious insight that God is not other; rather God is that which is connected to everything that is.
4 Critique of Biblical generic language: he does not include her
There is a rejection of the generic language of the Bible. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked has, traditionally, been understood to function as a generic inclusive of men and women. But women, it is argued, feel excluded by generic language, and thus inclusive language is used in some modern Bible translations and liturgies.
5 Critique of the authority of the Bible: the Canon is decided by individual female experience
Traditionally, conservative Christians have held that the whole of Scripture (the 66 books of Old and New Testament for Protestants, these plus the apocryphal writings for Catholics) is inspired and authoritative. But feminist theologians decide on a canon within the canon. For some, this is whatever part of the Bible does not deny womens full humanity, for others it is whatever part of the Bible is on the side of liberation for the oppressed. The rest is rejected. Ruether sees some texts as demonic (eg. Lev. 12:1-5; Eph 5:21-23; 1 Tim. 2:11-15; 1 Peter 2:1) and provides a liturgy for exorcizing their influence. These texts have lost the power over our lives. We no longer need to apologize for them or try to interpret them as word of truth, but we cast out their oppressive message as expressions of evil and justifications for evil. Fiorenza writes The locus or place of divine revelation and grace is therefore not the Bible or the tradition of a patriarchal church but the ekklesia of women and the lives of women [who are] . . . struggling for liberation from patriachal oppression.
Biblical feminists adopt a variety of hermeneutical techniques. For example, Elizabeth Schussler Fiorenza argues for:
* a hermeneutic of suspicion: readers can and must question the Biblical writers interpretation
* a hermeneutic of proclamation: those parts of the Bible which affirm liberation should be proclaimed, the rest rejected
* a hermeneutic of remembrance: reclaim and honour the suffering of biblical women who were victims of patriarchy
* a hermeneutic of creative actualisation: rewrite the biblical text to put back the forgotten women
Some Christian feminists regard the Christian canon as the product of the (male) winners in the patristic church, and see the rejected (heretical) texts as written by the victims and potentially equally valuable.
Post-Christian feminists such as Daly, reject the whole biblical text as toxic.
6 Critique of the traditional view of sin and salvation
The classic Biblical definition of sin is transgression of the law of God. The feminist definition of sin is anything which detracts from my autonomy and self-realization (in particular patriarchy in all its manifestations). The call to self-sacrifice is seen, not as moral but as immoral. For example, Virginia Mollenkott writes: Gone are traditional Christianitys emphasis on sin, guilt, and retribution; instead we are empowered toward co-creator ship, welcomed to continual renewal on a continuous Great Non-Judgment Day.
If sin is re-defined, so is salvation. For many at the radical end of Christian feminism, and certainly for those who embrace goddess spirituality, salvation is equated with self-realization: the realization that ones true self is God.
7 Critique of the particularity of Christianity: a move towards syncretism
Most Christian feminists are uncomfortable with the exclusivity of conservative Christianity. They want to hold onto the fact that the Bible contains principles of liberation, but are often willing to look elsewhere as well, including to other religious traditions.
Those who have moved towards goddess spirituality abhor the exclusivity of traditional Christianity. In 1993 a meeting of the Parliament of the Worlds Religions proclaimed that the spirituality of all religions is the same. They are all routes to the same goal. No one religion can claim exclusive truth. Matthew Fox (author of twenty-eight books and President of Friends of Creation Spirituality) denounces fundamentalistic and exclusive Christianity as a mental illness. He believes that the renewal of the Church will incorporate the mystical practices of all the major religions.
8 Critique of traditional Christian eschatology: heaven will be a post-patriarchal society on this earth
For example, Rosemary Radford Ruether rejects personal in favour of collective immortality. After death our individual existence ceases, and dissolves back into the cosmic matrix. It is this matrix, rather than our individuated centers of being, that is everlasting. Acceptance of death is acceptance of the finitude of our individuated centers of being, but also our identification with the larger matrix as our total self that contains us all . . .That great collective personhood is the Holy Being in which our achievements and failures are gathered up, assimilated into the fabric of being, and carried forward into new possibilities . . . It is not our calling to be concerned about the eternal meaning of our lives, and religion should not make this the focus of its message. Our responsibility is to use our temporal life span to create a just and good community for our generation and for our children.
Critique from an evangelical point of view
The following are a brief response to the common features of (non-evangelical) feminism
1 One God , the Creator not All is One
Theism and monism are opposed. The Bible proclaims that God existed before the Creation, and cannot be identified with the Creation. He is other. God has named himself, and the name of God represents who he is. To challenge or change the name of God as God has revealed it is a denial of God.
2 Christ is the only way to God all religions are not one
If there were any other way to be right with God, then Christs death on the Cross is the ultimate absurdity. The Bible proclaims that this is the only way to God.
3 The problem with the world is sin not making distinctions
The evils noted by feminists, evils of oppression and misogyny, are caused by sin: ie. rebellion against God and his laws.
Christian feminists redefine sin, some saying that it is patriarchy. Those affirming goddess spirituality tend to adopt the monist view that sin lies in making dualistic distinctions, for example between good and evil or between Creator and Created.
4 True religion based on revelation not human experience
Much of Christian feminism is just the latest development in the progression of liberal theology, which takes its departure from human experience. Personal (female) experience is always the benchmark. But what when experiences diverge? I am a woman, and my experience is that of liberation and fulfillment within a conservative Christian context, but presumably my experience is invalid because Christian feminists would judge that I have been brainwashed. Is it only those women whose experience fits feminist pre-suppositions whose experience counts? We others are judged to need re-education or consciousness raising through a womens studies course or similar. Christian feminist texts provide a bewildering smorgasbord of ideas, because each author is free to make up their theology as they go along. Liberated from an authoritative canon, theology becomes totally arbitrary.
5 Christian and post-Christian feminist theo/alogy is intolerant in the extreme
Orthodox Christianity is routinely denounced as demonic, toxic etc. All previous patriarchal interpretations bear bitter fruit and the tree must be cut down: feminist interpreters are there with the axe. Indeed, it must be so, as for many patriarchy is now defined as sin. There are astounding personal attacks on those who disagree: for example Rosemary Radford Ruether refers to women who are conservative as ignorant, unqualified, and usually dependent on their bread-winning husbands (only one man away from benefits). Much of the discussion is extremely patronising, for example Elizabeth Schussler Fiorenza has decided that poor men are now to be called subaltans and are to be regarded as wo/men.
6 Are Christianity and feminism compatible?
Evangelicals are divided on this. Evangelical feminists (egalitarians) believe they are compatible. They believe that although the Bible was written within a patriarchal framework, the principles of freedom and equality are contained within it, and we can keep the principles and discard the cultural husk. They reject gender-based differentiation of roles within church and family.
Others disagree. On the far right are those who are unashamedly chauvinistic, and use the Bible to endorse oppressive marriages and female passivity within the church.
Then there are those in the middle, evangelicals who abhor abuse of women, who do not believe women should be passive in the church (or in marriage) but who affirm the complementarity of men and women: that they are created different by design. This is referred to as the complementarian perspective. For example, Mary Kassian argues that commitment to feminism ultimately leads one away from maintaining absolute confidence in the authority of Scripture. One has to choose an ultimate authority, the Bible or experience. She documents the journey of several Biblical feminists away from conservative Christianity towards radical feminism and pagan spirituality. (Kassian, The Feminist Gospel, pp. 225-240). Certainly post-Christian feminists such as Daphne Hampson would agree that the Bible and feminism are incompatible. You have to choose one authority or the other: Scripture or female experience.
It is possible to be fully committed to the dignity and equality of women and not be a feminist. The Bible teaches that men and women are of equal value in Gods sight, created equally in his image. But it also makes it clear that created beings do not have the right to name God. God has named himself, his creation, and he has named man and woman.
For further reading:
Overviews of feminist theology:
Ann Loades, ed. Feminist Theology: A Reader. SPCK, 1990
Melissa Raphael. Introducing Thealogy: Discourse on the Goddess. Sheffield Academic Press, 1999.
Letty M. Russell, ed. Feminist Interpretation of the Bible. Westminster Press, 1985.
Critiques of feminist theology:
Mary Kassian. The Feminist Gospel: The Movement to Unite Feminism with the Church. Crossway, 1992. (New edition now available, entitled The Feminist
Mistake: The Radical impact of Feminism on Church and Culture. Crossway, 2005).
Kimel, Alvin F. jr. Speaking the Christian God: The Holy Trinity and the Challenge of Feminism. Eerdmans, USA and Gracewing, UK. 1992. Kimel, Alvin F.jr. This is my Name Forever. IVP, US, 2001.
Critiques of evangelical feminism:
Wayne Grudem, Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth. IVP. 2005.
Sharon James, Gods Design for Women. Evangelical Press, 2002.
Critique of pagan and goddess spirituality:
Peter Jones. Spirit Wars: Pagan Revival in Christian America. WinePress Publishing, US, 1997.
(for a simple overview) Peter Jones. Gospel Truth: Pagan Lies. WinePress Publishing, US, 1999.
Critique of modern gender theory:
Marcus Honeysett. Meltdown: Making Sense of a Culture in Crisis. IVP, 2002. Chapter 4 is a critique of a key section of Judith Butlers Gender Trouble.
Discussion of gender neutral translations of the Bible:
Don Carson. The Inclusive- Language Debate: A Plea for Realism. IVP, 1998.
Vern S. Poythress & Wayne A Grudem. The Gender-Neutral Bible Controversy: Muting the Masculinity of Gods Words. Broadman & Holman, US, 2000.


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Saturday, January 8, 2011
All Aboard the Tofu X-Press!
This spring-loaded contraption gradually squeezes the water out of the tofu. One hour is enough time, but the tofu can stay in the X-Press as long as overnight, which is exactly what I did.
This felt kind of like a fun, elementary school science project. I was pretty excited to see the results in the morning!
Now, I pulled the contraption out of the fridge around 7am, and I was kind of rushed/impatient, so the Tofu X-Press is a little foggy in the pictures. Here are the better of the shots.
Extreme close-up!
Impressive, right? The best part of this process is that it involves NO PAPER TOWELS. The Tofu X-Press is quite friendly to the environment.
The only tricky part, for me, was getting the lid off post-squeezin'. Luckily, my roommate was home and she was able to pop it off for me. I guess I just have weak hands, I don't know. Hopefully I'll either get the hang of it, or the lid will just come off easier in time.
I used the squeezed tofu to make a super-fast Tofu Scramble. There are no pictures of it, as it was 7am and I was already quite impressed that I remembered to take pictures of the Tofu X-Press in the first place, but it's not like you've never seen my tofu scrambles before.
I'm already looking forward to using the Tofu X-Press more in the future, so you can look forward to more reviews!
Do you have a Tofu X-Press? Do you totally love it?
5 comments:
I have a tofu xpress! I'm not totally sold on it but I think I will be once I put (thawed) frozen tofu in. Plus, it saves towels and requires zero balancing skills, which is awesome.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 8, 2011 at 8:28 PM
I got one for xmas this year, but haven't used it yet. That's really neat that they sent you one to review! I never used paper towels (I used linen tea towels), but I do know what Lauren is talking about with the balancing act of books and other weighty things atop!ReplyDelete
I press everything for hours and hours. Then freeze the tofu and press it again! I can't stop! I love it.ReplyDelete
i'm loving mine that i got for christmas. i like to use it on thawed frozen spinach, too -- no more squeezing the water out!ReplyDelete
One of these has been on my list for a while. I've been on the fence about getting another gadget, but it does sound great! Typically I just drain mine in a clean tea towel.ReplyDelete


text: Despite Heat, Illinois Corn Looking Good July 24, 2013 01:32 AM Tweet TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By University News Release Email As of July 21, more than 60% of the corn crop was pollinating. By Stephanie Henry, University of Illinois The spike of above-average daytime temperatures throughout much of Illinois during the third week of July should not raise concerns for the corn crop as most areas had enough water in the soil to carry crops through that week, said University of Illinois professor of crop sciences Emerson Nafziger. However, higher than normal night temperatures during the past week might have hurt pollination success in areas where soils are starting to dry out, Nafziger said. "The heavy silking that preceded the full emergence of tassels, as noted in recent years, is very much evidenced again this year. This means there should be little concern about having silks present when pollen is being shed," he said. Nafziger said that 21 percent of the Illinois corn crop was pollinating on July 14, and this moved to 64 percent by July 21. "Planting was concentrated in the third week of May this year, so pollination is also occurring relatively quickly. That's a week or so later than normal," he added. In some fields planted in mid-May or later, especially those planted at high populations, stalk diameter is noticeably smaller than often seen in earlier-planted corn. Later-planted corn with adequate soil moisture often grows taller than early-planted corn because of higher temperatures during internode elongation. Because late planting doesn't increase plant weight, stalks end up tall and on the thin side, Nafziger said. "Plants with smaller stalks often have less leaf area, and thus less ability to set and fill a large ear. It's too early to know if this will decrease yield potential, but it is one of the ways in which late planting can lead to lower yields," he said. A return to better soil moisture conditions along with lower night temperatures over the next two weeks should allow good kernel set. After a wet June, Nafziger said soil moisture is becoming a concern in some places. July rainfall has been less than normal over much of Illinois, with less than an inch so far in parts of western and northern Illinois. "The soil water supply was good coming into July, but how well the crop is tapping into this supply will make a difference as we move into the second half of the season," Nafziger said. "Fields that were planted have had a chance to produce a good crop canopy, which in turn enabled deeper root growth. Roots may not be as extensive as they were in July 2012, but as we saw last year, good root systems don't help when there's no available water in the soil." The available water supply is not as certain for later-planted crop which won't pollinate until late July or early August. These plants are in mid-vegetative stages and are showing mid-afternoon drought stress symptoms (leaf curling) in areas where recent rainfall has been limited. "This crop has not grown enough to have used up the available soil water to 3 or 4 feet deep. Rather, the root system is simply not as deep or as well connected as it would be had planting been done earlier or if soils had not been so wet earlier," Nafziger explained. Another concern with wet weather earlier in the spring is nitrogen supply for the crop. While leaf color remains good in areas with adequate soil water and where the crop has continued to grow well, in areas where soils have dried and some drought effects are starting to appear, leaf color has lightened some. Nafziger said rainfall in these areas should return leaf color to normal green. However if plants have been under stress from lack of nitrogen during the pollination period, he cautioned that success of kernel set can be lowered. "It is possible that nitrogen loss in some lower-lying parts of fields may mean shortages for the crop, even after root systems recover. Supplemental applications of nitrogen have been made in some such areas, usually as urea, and sometimes with urease inhibitor. Such applications might produce enough added yield to provide a positive return if they are made before or even during pollination, but are likely to be effective only when rain moves the nitrogen into the soil," he said. As crops move through pollination and into the grain filling stages, the major concern will be how well the leaf canopy holds up in providing maximum amounts of photosynthate (sugars) to fill kernels. Soil water supply will be the major factor, followed by leaf health and nutrient supply, Nafziger said. "We expect the crop to take about 8 weeks to reach maturity after pollination is complete, and maintaining green, healthy leaves through this period is the only way to maximize kernel fill and yield. If the crop takes less time from pollination to maturity, it will have stopped filling prematurely and will produce lower yields," he said. Back to news


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Explore Our Hotel
Welcome to the Award-Winning Holiday Inn Express & Suites - Waterloo/St. Jacob's. As one of the newest hotels in Waterloo, we are located in the heart of Southern Ontario and just steps to the St. Jacob's Farmer's Market, Antique Market, and Factory Outlet Mall. We are just over an hour west of Toronto and our hotel is only a short drive from the Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF). We are one of the closest hotels near RIM Park as well as the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College.
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Two men robbed the Holiday Inn Express on Bluffton Road at gun point last night, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.
The department is investigating after two female employees phoned in a robbery last night. They reported two men wearing ski masks entered the hotel lobby at about 7:45 p.m. The first hopped the service counter, demanding money, while the second suspect held the women at gunpoint.
Both suspects fled the area after emptying the cash registers. Neither employee was harmed.
The employees reported the suspects were black but offered no further description. The Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information to contact either Investigator Cpl. J. Moran at 843-255-3422 or the Beaufort County Dispatch Center at 843-524-2777.


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Lawsuits often are decided on narrow, hair-splitting issues. Lawyers regard these as the only matters to be resolved. The rest of us might wonder why a judge or other highly educated and highly paid members of our society spend so much time trying, in a sense, to count the number of angels (or devils, for that matter) on the head of a pin.
Such was the case with a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit last November. It reversed a U.S. District Court's decision that absolved suppliers of scrap to the now-defunct Alco Pacific Inc. lead smelter in Carson, Calif., from any responsibility for clean-up costs—not that any clean-up work has been undertaken yet.
Alco Pacific operated a smelter in the Los Angeles area from 1950 to 1990 that processed lead-acid vehicle batteries and wheel weights, as well as lead slag and dross, into lead ingot. When the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) of the California Environmental Protection Agency tested the soil and found it loaded with lead, the one-acre lot was designated a hazardous waste site. Because the smelter has been shut down for almost two decades, it is now an orphan site. It has not been added to the federal government's Superfund list, so it is up to California to find the funds to clean it up.
To accomplish that, the DTSC sued the idled smelter, its former owner and the companies that supplied it with lead, including Davis Wire Corp. (now part of Davis Walker Corp.), Exide Technologies, J.L. Shepherd Associates Inc., Lead Products Co. Inc., Pasminco Inc., P. Kay Metal Supply Inc., Quemetco Inc. and RSR Corp. The state agency sued under provisions of the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (Superfund), which allows government agencies to recover clean-up costs if they can show that the metals were not "useful products" and thus can be called waste.
The so-called useful products doctrine has emerged over the years from case law—rulings in other court cases—and not legislation. In a nutshell, if the products were sold for value and not for disposal, then they are useful and not waste. That's part of the basis for the argument that the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) and the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) have made over the past decade when environmental regulators blindly labeled scrap metals and other recyclable commodities as waste. Neither ISRI nor BIR are involved in the California lawsuit, it should be noted.
Some of the scrap, like wheel weights and the plates from auto batteries, did not pose much of a problem for the appeals court justices. But they found that the lower court had failed to resolve whether dross and slag are "useful products." The California environmental agency had argued in the lower court that slag and dross did not fit the definition of scrap and were instead by-products of a metallurgical process. The district court disagreed, but the appeals court agreed with the state agency. Slag and dross are by-products, not the defendants' principal products, and could be classified as waste.
If the materials are by-products, does that make them waste? Steel sheet clips baled and sold as factory bundles each month are by-products, but we see steelmakers clamoring to get their hands on that "waste." So are the dross, slags, skimmings and other by-products of a metals refiner waste? We don't know, the appeals court judges said, and passed the buck back to the district court.
For some of the defendants—Davis, Pasminco and P. Kay Metal—the appeals court said "a reasonable fact finder" might decide that they sent dross and slag to the smelter for treatment and disposal. For others, that distinction is not as clear; it's a "close question," the appeals court said, for companies like Quemetco, whose primary business is selling recycled lead products.
Quemetco and the others sold dross and slag to Alco. The lead refiner bought those materials. If the metal had no value, why would the company have paid for it? Hence, it would seem to be a useful product. Not necessarily, the appeals court said. "A reasonable finder of fact could conclude . . . that almost all of the transactions were intended as arrangement for the disposal and treatment of a hazardous substance."
The trash I generate at home each week is not hazardous waste (at least, I hope not), but I put it at the curb and pay the local waste hauler to collect and deposit it at a trash-to-steam plant. By the court's reasoning, should he be paying me for providing feedstock to the county's waste-to-energy plant? I doubt that he will buy my argument.
On the other hand, why should the judges buy the argument that dross or slag are waste? Alco paid its suppliers for that material and recovered useful lead. Would it be better to have shipped the slag with a 30-percent lead content to a hazardous waste landfill and instead promote the mining of more primary lead to meet demand for the metal? If it was copper, gold or another metal more valuable than lead, would the answer be a landfill? I doubt it. A pound of dross with a 30-percent gold content, if it existed, would contain nearly 5 ounces of precious metal. That's more than $3,500 of waste. You can dump that on my front lawn any day.
All comments are subject to editorial review.
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The Korean producers 'seem to think they have a good case, but personally I wouldn't get overly confident.'
--OCTG trader


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DUBLIN, Ohio, USA, 7 October 2011—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency, has awarded a National Leadership Grant for a collaborative research project between OCLC Research and the Rutgers University School of Communication and Information (SC&I) to investigate library-based Virtual Reference Services (VRS).
OCLC Senior Research Scientist Lynn Silipigni Connaway will join Rutgers University SC&I faculty members Marie L. Radford and Chirag Shah as Co-Principal Investigators in a study of new models that permit more collaborative and sustainable delivery of virtual reference services. The $250,000 National Leadership Grant recently announced by IMLS will support the project for two years beginning this month. The grant, which was made to Rutgers, represents about 45 percent of overall funding for the project, with the remainder coming from Rutgers and OCLC.
This project, titled "Cyber Synergy: Seeking Sustainability through Collaboration between Virtual Reference and Social Q&A Sites," builds on an earlier IMLS-funded collaboration between Rutgers and OCLC, and includes investigation of models that rely upon more extensive collaboration among librarians and subject experts. The earlier effort, "Seeking Synchronicity: Evaluating Virtual Reference Services from User, Non-User and Librarian Perspectives," was led by Radford and Connaway and spanned a five-year period. The findings were recently summarized for a broad audience in a report published by OCLC, "Seeking Synchronicity: Revelations and Recommendations for Virtual Reference".
Over the past decade, many libraries successfully introduced live chat and instant messaging reference services to supplement traditional face-to-face services. These services are popular with the public, but are hard to maintain in today's environment of reduced funding. The new project will generate findings and recommendations to help members of the library community better understand their options as they implement the next generation of virtual reference services (VRS).
"I am excited by this opportunity for Rutgers University to continue to collaborate with OCLC in researching virtual reference service through this grant from IMLS," Radford said. "Our previous joint venture, 'Seeking Synchronicity,' has been highly productive in discovering new insights and recommendations to enhance service. 'Cyber Synergy' will allow us to now push our inquiry into longitudinal study of VRS as well as into the area of social question and answer services."
The current project proposes a new model that enables virtual reference services to remain viable despite today's environment of reduced resources. It will investigate the possibility of seamless collaboration between knowledge institutions such as libraries and the Social Q&A (SQA) community. Use statistics indicate that VRS continues to grow as most libraries now offer VRS as popular alternatives to traditional face-to-face reference.
Connaway commented, "I am very happy that we are receiving this funding from IMLS and that we have the opportunity to work with Marie and Chirag at Rutgers to investigate the possibility of linking Social Q&A services with library virtual reference services. It's also a great opportunity for us to build on our previous research findings from the 'Seeking Synchronicity' project that also was funded by IMLS, Rutgers, and OCLC."
The new project's three phases will identify VRS system enhancements to help achieve sustainability and to collaboratively leverage subject knowledge to meet user needs and heightened expectations. Phase I (Transcript Content Analysis) consists of a longitudinal analysis of 500 randomly selected VRS transcripts and 1000 SQA site transcripts. Phase II (Telephone Interviews and Analysis) includes in-depth phone interviews with 150 subjects from key user and information provider populations. Phase III (Constructing Design Specifications) focuses on creating design specifications to link VRS and SQA to explore solutions for VRS sustainability.
"I am thrilled to be a part of what promises to be a very productive and meaningful collaboration between Rutgers University and OCLC," said Shah. "Our joint venture will provide insights into both Social Q&A and virtual referencing services, focusing on key aspects of content as well as content providers and consumers. These insights could then help create innovative ways to provide synergic solutions to both knowledge institutions and end-users."
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. http://www.imls.gov/.
About the Rutgers School of Communication and Information (SC&I)
Established in 1982, SC&I's educational, scholarly and public mission affirms the premise that communication and information processes must put people first. SC&I faculty and graduates shape the communication, journalism, media, library and information science fields. The sum of this expertise forms the heart of SC&I's teaching success. The communication and information scholarship at SC&I aims to understand such pressing issues as: the new media and democracy; social networks; virtual environments and collaborative design; health and wellness; leadership and policy. http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/.
About OCLC
Founded in 1967, OCLC is a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world's information and reducing library costs. More than 72,000 libraries in 170 countries have used OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalog, lend, preserve and manage library materials. Researchers, students, faculty, scholars, professional librarians and other information seekers use OCLC services to obtain bibliographic, abstract and full-text information when and where they need it. OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the world's largest online database for discovery of library resources. Search WorldCat on the Web at www.worldcat.org.
OCLC Research is one of the world's leading centers devoted exclusively to the challenges facing libraries in a rapidly changing information technology environment. Its diverse staff of research scientists and program officers investigates trends in technology and library practice to identify technological advances that will enhance the value of library services and improve the productivity of librarians and library users. www.oclc.org/research.
OCLC, WorldCat and WorldCat.org are trademarks/service marks of OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. Third-party product, service and business names are trademarks/service marks of their respective owners.
Bob Murphy
Manager, Media Relations


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KENNESAW, Ga. – The Lipscomb men's tennis team fell to 1-2 in conference play with a 4-3 road loss to Kennesaw State University, Sunday.
The Bison jumped out to an early lead after picking up the doubles point to go up 1-0. Junior Oliver Strecker and sophomore Miguel Cortez secured a win at No. 1 doubles, defeating Simon Janik and Michael Browder 8-4.
At No. 3, junior Colby Shaw and sophomore David Salazar took down Alex Toliver and Matthew Johnson 8-5.
The Bison's only doubles loss came at No. 2, where senior Chad Pierron and freshman Stuart Tierney fell to Louis Theodor and Gokalp Ozdemir 8-4.
With a 1-0 lead, the Bison entered into singles competition, but unfortunately they were unable to carry over the momentum from doubles.
The Bison recorded only two singles wins out of their six matches.
Strecker posted a victory for the Bison at No. 1, where he took down Toliver 6-3, 6-4. At No. 3, freshman Daniel Hernandez posted the Bison's other singles win with a victory over Janik 6-4, 6-4.
At No. 2, Salazar came up just short of the win, losing in three sets to Theodor 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
Tierney's match at No. 4 ended early after he sustained an injury, trailing 7-5, 3-0 before retiring. At No. 5, Shaw fell to Gianni Kubin 6-2, 6-2, and Cortez was defeated at No. 6 by Alexander Pena 6-2, 7-6 (7-2).
"First of all, we want to give KSU credit in that match for getting the victory," head coach Andrew Harris said. "Their guys played really well today in completing the comeback. Unfortunately for us, we had a difficult time in the singles and did not play at the level that was needed in order to win today.
"This week now we must get ready to get back at it because we have ETSU and USC Upstate coming in, and the guys must now respond at home."
The Bison return home and will host East Tennessee State University on Friday, March 30. Match play will begin at 2 pm at the Huston-Marsh-Griffith Tennis Center.
1) Strecker/Cortez (LU) def. Janik/Michael Browder (KSU) 8-4
2) Theodor/Ozdemir (KSU) def. Chad Pierron/Tierney (LU) 8-4
3) Shaw/Salazar (LU) def. Toliver/Matthew Johnson (KSU) 8-5
1) Oliver Strecker (LU) def. Alex Toliver (KSU) 6-3, 6-4
2) Louis Theodor (KSU) def. David Salazar (LU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
3) Daniel Hernandez (LU) def. Simon Janik (KSU) 6-4, 6-4
4) Gokalp Ozdemir (KSU) def. Stuart Tierney (LU) 7-5, 3-0 ret. inj.
5) Gianni Kubin (KSU) def. Colby Shaw (LU) 6-2, 6-2
6) Alexander Pena (KSU) def. Miguel Cortez (LU) 6-2, 7-6(2)


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Volume 17 Issue 12 / August 13 - 19, 2004
VIDEO BABY GRAND PIANO At Gigantic Art Space. Designed for use in concert, nightclubs or even at home, the video baby grand is a highly specialized, broadcast quality video effects system. Garnder Post and Greg Deocampo perform with the baby grand on Fri, June 4 at 7:30. 59 Franklin St., 212-226-6762.
ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES, 32 Second Ave., 505-5181: Call for information on upcoming films through May at AFA.
Art in general, 49 Walker St., 212-219-0473: Call for information about upcoming film schedule.
THE CANtor film center, 36 E. Eighth St., 212-571-2170: Call for information about film schedule & times.
COLLECTIVE: UNCONSCIOUS, 145 Ludlow St., 254-5277: Tue.Robert Beck Memorial Cinema, local, underground & independent films, 9:30 p.m., $5.
FILM FORUM 1, 209 W. Houston St., www.filmforum.com, 727-8110: Superstar in a Housedress, a portrait of Jackie Curtis, May 5-18, 1, 2:50, 4:40, 6:30, 8:20 & 10:10 p.m., $9.75 per screening; Upcoming: May 21-July 1-Igmar Bergman retrospective, 6 week, 34 film festival of the work of one of cinemas great masters, call for schedule, $9.75 per screening.
FILM FORUM 2, 209 W. Houston St., 727-8110: May 7-20- Godzilla, the original film with over 40 minutes of unseen footage, 1:10, 3:15, 5:30, 7:30 & 9:40 p.m., $9.75; Call about current films showing on the Forums smaller screens.
NEW YORK UNIVERSITy, Cantor Film Center, 36 E. Eighth St., 212-414-2688: Call for schedule & more information, 212-998-1795.
SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS, MOMA Film/Gramercy Theater, 127 E. 23rd St., 212-592-2195: Call for schedule & information.
Pioneer Theater, 155 E. Third St., 254-3300: Sun.SHORT FILM SLAM, show your original films and videos before an audience in a real cinema setting, call for guidelines, 2-4 p.m., sign-up 1:30 p.m.
Video Theater NYC, 85 East Fourth St., 212-868-4444: A new microcinema in New York, hoping to create a new niche for independent, low-budget works that are not big enough for the Film Forum or the Angelika, call now for more information, $5.
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1. clams - noun
· informal terms for money
Synonym(s): boodle, bread, cabbage, dinero, dough, gelt, kale, lettuce, lolly, lucre, loot, moolah, pelf, scratch, shekels, simoleons, sugar, wampum
Hypernym(s): money
2. clam - noun
· burrowing marine mollusk living on sand or mud; the shell closes with viselike firmness
Hypernym(s): bivalve, pelecypod, lamellibranch
3. clam - noun
· a piece of paper money worth one dollar
Synonym(s): dollar, dollar_bill, one_dollar_bill, buck
Hypernym(s): bill, note, government_note, bank_bill, banker%27s_bill, bank_note, banknote, Federal_Reserve_note, greenback
4. clam - noun
· flesh of either hard-shell or soft-shell clams
Hypernym(s): shellfish
5. clam - verb
· gather clams, by digging in the sand by the ocean
Hypernym(s): gather, garner, collect, pull_together
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History of Drink: What Exactly is Sloe Gin, Anyway?
The question I get asked most often about sloe gin is: "Sloe gin? What's that?" Sloe gin is many things - a home-grown British favorite, a triumph of ingenuity, and a forgotten cocktail classic that deserves a second look.
To understand sloe gin, we must first answer the question: "what, exactly, is a sloe"? Sloes are little berries, about the size of a dime, that grow wild in hedgerows all over England. One reason you might never have heard of sloes is that they're not widely cultivated, because they taste terrible. Ripe sloes may be lovely to look at, but their taste is highly astringent and generally unpleasant.
But our compatriots across the sea are an inventive sort, and they came up with a way to make the sloes useful: soak them in booze. The Brits have been making sloe gin for hundreds of years by infusing the berries in high-proof gin, along with a little bit of sugar. The result is a liqueur that's tart, but with a delicious richness and depth of flavor.
Sloe gin was traditionally drunk in the depths of winter, as a warming drink, until the Americans got a hold of it and summer-ified it with citrus and soda water. Thus was born the Sloe Gin Fizz, arguably the most famous sloe gin cocktail out there. Sloe gin had a bit of a slump in the 60s and 70s, a pretty dark time for cocktails in general. Sloe gin made according to the original formulation all but disappeared, and was replaced by a new kind of sloe gin made with neutral spirits flavored to mimic the taste of the original. For a long time, people forgot what real sloe gin tasted like.
Until recently, when the Plymouth distillery decided to start making sloe gin again, the old-fashioned way: with sloe berries and gin. Now, even if your house is not conveniently situated to a hedgerow, you can still experience the uniquely rich taste of real sloe gin. The Plymouth can be a little hard to hunt down, but try one of the drinks below and I think you'll agree the search is more than worth it.
Pictured Above, Left to Right:
- A bottle of Plymouth Sloe Gin.
- Ripe sloe berries.
- The Sloe Gin Fizz.
- The Millionaire, a classic cocktail made with Sloe Gin.
- The Hermione Granger, made with sloe gin, gin, pomegranate liqueur, and champange.
Bonus: Can't find the Plymouth sloe gin? You can still make your own using this recipe, if you're lucky enough to be able to find sloe berries this side of the pond.
(Images: 1. Nancy Mitchell, 2. Wikipedia, 3-5 as linked above.)
Nancy Mitchellknows a lot about drinking. You can find more recipes and musings on her blog, The Backyard Bartender.


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Mionix Naos 5000 Review
Are you in the market for a new mouse for your gaming setup? When you are looking for a new mouse for gaming, not just any mouse will do; us gamers have a certain set of features that we are looking for so that we can sit in front of the computer for hours and be comfortable while fragging. Not only do the looks of the mouse count but the way that the mouse is constructed and fits inside of our palms could be the difference between winning a match or being gunned down. Just as important as the looks and feel of the mouse is the level of customization you have over your mouse, we all want to make something unique and our very own. Mionix just may have the perfect gaming mouse to satisfy you and your gaming needs with its Naos 5000 gaming mouse. I am very excited to see how well the Mionix Naos 5000 gaming mouse is going to compare to the others on the market in all aspects of a mouse.
Closer Look:
The packaging for the Mionix Naos 5000 is quite unique looking compared to any other mouse that I have ever seen. The whole color scheme of the packaging is completely black with white and green print, giving it a very sophisticated feel to it. The front of the package has a large image of the Naos 5000 displayed in the center with the name off to the left hand side and the description "High Performance Gaming Mouse" off to the right. The bottom left hand corner of the package is where you are going to find the Mionix logo with the slogan "LIGHT-YEARS AHEAD OF THE GAME" printed below it. When you flip to the back of the package, you will find a whole bunch of specifications and features of the mouse and the sensor. There is also another picture of the mouse on the back that gives you a description of all the buttons on the mouse. When you open up the package, you are going to see that the mouse is displayed in a nice clean way that shows you the mouse as well as a nice little storage box that looks a lot like a mint tin. On the under side of the top flap, you will get the reasoning for the name, Naos, which is the name of the brightest star in our galaxy.
Once you get the mouse pulled out of the packaging, you will get to take the first glimpse at the overall design of the Mionix Naos 5000, which is designed to keep your hand comfortable while you are using it. The Naos 5000 has a short, flat, and longer design to it, this is going to allow you to just lay your hand down on top of the mouse and have a more relaxed hand positioning during your gaming sessions or during casual usage.
The top of the Naos 5000 has five buttons that can be used during usage; the two normal right and left clickers, you have the scroll wheel clicker as well as a pair of up and down arrow buttons sitting behind the scroll wheel. By default, the arrow buttons are going to change the pre-set DPI setting profiles, there are three of them. The side of the mouse is where you are going to find two more buttons sitting right next to the thumb groove, these buttons by default are going to allow you to go forward and backward in your browser. Sitting right in front of these two buttons are three LED lights that are going to indicate which DPI setting profile you have selected.
When we take a look at the bottom of the Mionix Naos 5000, you will notice that the Mionix logo is printed around the laser sensor to give it more of an aesthetic appeal; Mionix Naos 5000 is printed at the top of the mouse with the tag line "High Performance Gaming Mouse" printed below it. On either side of the laser sensor, you will notice two covers that can be removed; when we look under the cover, you will notice that there are slots that allow you to adjust the weight of the mouse by adding up to four weights to each side of the mouse, allowing you to customize the feel of the mouse.
The container that is packaged with the Naos 5000 that looked like a mint tin is where you are going to find the eight weights to customize the weight of the mouse. They are packaged nice and neatly inside the container with a rubber holder to keep them in place and display them in a clean way. The top of each weight has the Mionix logo etched into it and the bottom of each of them does display the weight of each of them, which is 5 grams.
Now that we know exactly what the Mionix Naos 5000 looks like, it's time to take a look at software that comes with the mouse and see exactly what we are able to customize.


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Motorcyclist killed in Cambria crash leaves legacy of devotion to firefighting
CAMBRIA – Thomas J. Burley, a 2011 graduate of Lewiston-Porter High School and a volunteer firefighter who planned to pursue a career in law enforcement, was identified Wednesday as the motorcyclist killed in a crash Tuesday night. He was 20.
The nearly 90-degree curve at North Ridge and Church roads, where the crash occurred, has been the site of several fatal crashes.
Burley was a resident of Youngstown and a member of the Youngstown Volunteer Fire Department. He was reportedly heading home from his first day of orientation for accelerated firefighter training at the Public Safety Training Tower, adjacent to Niagara County Jail in Lockport, when the crash occurred at about 9 p.m.
He was westbound North Ridge when the motorcycle collided with an eastbound minivan. The driver of the minivan, Tanya M. Boyce, 37, was not injured. An investigation is continuing, but sheriff's accident investigators believe that Burley crossed the centerline.
Patrol units and Cambria Volunteer Fire Department responders found Burley critically injured, lying at the edge of the road. He was taken to Mount St. Mary's Hospital in Lewiston, where he was pronounced dead.
Burley was a past member of the Lewiston Police Department Explorers Post and had worked in security at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.
Lewiston Police Officer John A. Penzotti, who leads the Explorers post, said Burley was enthusiastic about the program, attaining the rank of corporal and then returning after his basic training in the military to become an adviser.
"He was well-liked by all the kids. He was all about the kids. If they had a problem, they would go to him. He was the guy they could talk to," Penzotti said.
Penzotti said he was still in shock Wednesday. "This is not something you can prepare for. When you work with someone for a while, you just get close," he said. "… He wanted to be a police officer, but he was too young to take the test. That time was coming shortly."
The Lewiston Police Department noted Burley's death with "heavy hearts," saying on its website that he had planned to put himself through the Police Academy in hopes of becoming an officer. "There will always be a seat in our patrol car for Tom," the website says.
Lewiston-Porter High School Principal Paul J. Casseri said Burley had transferred into the district from a Buffalo charter school a few years before his graduation, but in that time had quickly become popular at Lew-Port. Casseri said Burley was involved in athletics and Junior ROTC, the law enforcement Explorers and the volunteer fire department, and was training to be a paramedic.
Casseri cited Burley's dedication as a firefighter and his poignant notation in the yearbook: "Firemen never die. They live on the lives of the ones they saved."
Surviving are his mother, Kathleen A. Forti; his father, Timothy A. Burley; two brothers, Brian M. Forti and Samuel Forti; and three sisters, Kristina E. Burley, Patricia Burley and Sara Hendrick.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 a.m. Saturday in St. Peter's Catholic Church, 620 Center St., Lewiston.
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Texas Ceiling Fans
- Location: Austin, Texas
- Website: texasceilingfans.com
Store History
- Founded by: John Andrews
- Headquarters: Austin, TX
Does it sound crazy to say that we're now fascinated by ceiling fans? Visit Texas Ceiling Fans on 6th Street in Austin and you might understand. This is not just a store that sells fans; it is a shrine to cool music and fantastic fans.
When we stopped by Texas Ceiling Fans ("TCF") to comparison shop, we were not anticipating a veritable fan museum hiding in a Victorian house. We were unexpectedly amazed by the beauty and engineering of their antique fans. Many of these fans had intricate hand-tooled iron casings and wood blades with perfect patina. We couldn't help but appreciate the craftsmanship and design of these practical machines.
Serving Austin for over 30 years, Texas Ceiling Fans is owned by John Andrews, an expert and consultant on fan history and design. He is the original owner of TCF and began his business by refurbishing antique fans. TCF continues to restore and replace parts for older original Hunter ceiling fans. At TCF, you can find the highest quality modern fans mixed with lovingly restored antique fans. They boast a collection of rare fans such as a vintage store post fan and a Hunter two blade ceiling fan, which has a twin in the Smithsonian.
The knowledgeable and friendly sales associates (all 3 of them!) will educate you on your new fan purchase and will beat every price in town. Although TCF is a fan specialty store, they offer a wide range of price points so that every shopper can find a reliable fan to fit his budget. TFC is an exclusive dealer for Hunter and Casablanca fans, but they also carry Fanimation and Minka-Aire. We were not only impressed by the service and the atmosphere at Texas Ceiling Fans, but also by the choice of fans on display and in stock. We loved the fact that we could customize fans within a brand by choosing the finish of the blades, the color of the fan body and the style of the light kit.
Although you might expect a fan store to be downright boring, it's not. The store reflects the laid back attitude of it's owner and the town. John is an obvious fan (pardon the pun) of live music and has displayed an assortment of vintage band posters around the store (because Austin is the live music capital of the world, after all). Music appreciation and energy efficiency --- now that's Austin cool.


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Willie The Kid - Hickory Smoke
Official music video for "Hickory Smoke" by Willie The Kid and Lee Bannon off of their collaborative EP Never A Dull Moment available now!
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