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more photos + pattern + yarn details on ravelry- I'm babywearknittery. I kind of just made it up as I went along, based on the Scarfish. It was my first time ever doing any sort of embroidery for the face, and the hair was yarn given to me for my birthday by Love. LOVE it! Ivy looks so cute wearing it. Bri Steph! It's beautiful!!! Hey- question for you. DO you like all yarn or just certain ones? I have some(couldn't tell you what it is) that I'm not using & was wondering if you'd like it. Ooh! SO cool :D so pretty. my girls would love this. i love it! and totally just joined ravelry to check out people's awesomeness there. i will learn to knit someday. it's so cute, steph. AWH!! It's precious! Very special. you are so talented. the mermaid is really cool. mermaids intrigue me. audrey loves them too. and that ivy is such a doll. so darling! i love the hair! :) that is awesome, she looks like she loves it! precious! i bet she LOVES it :) So, so, so cute! great job! You should have an Etsy shop, I don't care what you say. ;) That is absolutely adorable! I tried to teach myself to knit, but gave up on it ages ago. I may have to start trying again in hopes that someday I can make a scarf like that for one of my girls! you should totally sell those! Very cute! Great job! Steph, this is darling! My Mom re-taught me how to knit when she visited over Christmas and I'm knitting some very plain scarves now. This and the fish are super cute, I'll have to get brave and try it someday ;-) hugs, Heidi Just to reiterate. WANT. ;) --S.S. (also you win at that knitting thing) i want a scarf with a face and a bikini!! that is AWESOME, steph! You're so talented, Steph! You're just growing and growing in your gift of knitting! Nell This is so many kinds of awesome! It's so awesome, Steph! And it looks adorable on Ivy! I love it! How special for Ivy! Love it, it's gorgeous! Oh, my goodness! How cute! You did a great job, mama :-) Very creative. My daughters would love something like that. amazing! nice job! ivy looks adorable in it! nice job! ivy looks adorable in it! Cute. You are a knitting fool! I LOVE it! Me = green. (Over your knitting abilities. My gram tried to teach me once. Yeah, not so much... oh my, but that is the sweetest thing. one day. one day soon i'm gonna get me some mad knitting skillz. :) steph that is awesome! clever project :)
Posts Tagged ‘India’ India’s Industrial Data Highlights ‘Dismal’ Economy Saturday, April 13th, 2013 Ind,… Tags: Economy, India markets. India’s African “Safari” Tuesday, December 4th, 2012 Submitted by Sudha Ramachandran via The Diplomat, Although its interests in the continent are broadly similar, India’s engagement with Africa differs significantly from China. Will it prove sustainable? Ind. Tags: China, India Posted in Markets \| Comments Off A Tale of Two BRICs — India Surges While China Struggles Friday, November 30th, 2012 by Bespoke Investment Group? Tags: BRIC, China, chindia, India Posted in Markets \| Comments Off Growing Pains in the BRICs Tuesday, September 25th, 2012 September 2012 by Neuberger Berman Investment Strategy Group The “BRIC” countries have been a focal point of investor interest since the early 2000s. Brazil, Russia, India and China account for about half of the world’s population, boast vast natural resources and are among the fastest-growing economies in the world. That said, progress at times has been uneven. Since 2010, the MSCI BRIC Index has largely underperformed the S&P 500 as economic growth flagged. In this edition of Strategic Spotlight, we discuss current conditions and the outlook for these markets. Separate Paths Following the global financial crisis of 2008–2009, the BRIC countries enjoyed a strong economic rebound as forceful policy measures reignited growth. However, a surge in capital inflows stoked inflation and led to tightening measures in 2010 and 2011. Currently, the BRICs are experiencing varying stages of easing as growth and inflation decline. Unlike the synchronous rebound we saw in 2009, progress in the BRIC countries is diverging due in part to idiosyncratic policy initiatives aimed at managing structural changes within their specific economies. BRIC GROWTH RATES HAVE SLOWED Source: FactSet Brazil: Reaccelerating? Brazil’s real GDP growth declined from 9.3% in the first quarter of 2010 to 0.5% in the second quarter of 2012—a number that disappointed investors looking for 3.5% GDP growth for all of 2012. The slowdown is partly a function of so-called macro-prudential measures—meant to fight inflation and control the appreciation of the real currency due to capital inflows—as well as a slowdown in exports. The tightening measures have had the desired impact of reducing inflation from 7.2% from last September to 4.1% in August 2012, but have also caused investment spending to plummet as the outlook for commodities (a key sector for Brazil) deteriorated. Domestic consumption, which accounts for about 60% of Brazilian GDP, has held up surprisingly well, supported by the country’s still-low unemployment rate. Since the end of 2011, the Brazilian central bank has reduced interest rates, complementing the government’s recent accommodative fiscal measures such as payroll tax cuts. The OECD expects growth to pick up gradually in the third quarter as these measures work through the system. Russia: The Limitations of Oil The Russian economy has held up reasonably well in the past few years despite turmoil in Europe. Since the end of June 2012, real GDP has grown at around 4% annually, which is close to the post-crisis peak of around 5% in 2010. This good fortune is mainly due to relatively high oil prices and, most recently, fiscal spending ahead of the presidential elections in March 2012. Unlike Brazil, Russia is grappling with rising inflation as record-low unemployment has supported wage growth. In September, the country’s central bank surprised investors by hiking interest rates as inflation had come in above the bank’s target range of 5%–6%. For the most part, Russia’s domestic consumption has been strong but the impact of declining oil demands from key trading partners such as Europe and China could have spillover effects—weakening the outlook for budget and current account balances. Concerns about an overheating economy have led to predictions that further tightening measures could be introduced, marginally reducing growth in 2013. PERFORMANCE AND VALUATIONS Source: FactSet as of Sept 17, 2012. India 2.0 Despite a year-to-date equity market return of about 20% (see display), India’s real GDP growth continuously slowed to about 4% in the second quarter—a level last seen during the crisis of 2008–2009. Declining global growth, reductions in foreign investments and monetary tightening measures have contributed to a slowdown in manufacturing and services. In June, government agencies reported that foreign direct investments had decreased by as much as 67% from a year ago, as economic reforms stalled and business conditions were increasingly viewed as being biased against foreigners. In addition, India is dealing with rising consumer price inflation, as recent cuts in government fuel subsidies and the effects of the monsoon season feed through the system. Consumer price inflation ramped up to 10% in August, reducing the scope for further rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of India. Moreover, warnings of a downgrade have been issued by rating agencies, given that India’s government finances are weaker than other BRIC countries. Investors are closely watching reform measures designed to promote competition and improve market efficiency following the decision last week to expand foreign companies’ access to the retail and airline industries. China: Political Transitions Recent data indicate that China continues to slow from tightening measures enacted in 2010–2011 and a decline in exports. Investors have been somewhat surprised by the government’s passivity toward this slowdown. Following small cuts in interest rates and reserve requirement ratios earlier in the year, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) has not done more despite inflation dipping below its 3%–4% target. And while most analysts did not expect a repeat of the 2008–2009 RMB 4.0T fiscal stimulus, the government has acted less forcefully than expected. The failure to act could be a result of widely reported complications in the current once-in-a-decade change to the country’s political leadership. Moreover, the PBoC could be concerned about magnifying the inflationary impact of loose monetary policy in developed countries. The political transition is expected to conclude by March 2013, potentially paving the way for better policy engagement. Regardless, the IMF expects China’s growth to reaccelerate next year. A More Nuanced Progression In the past decade, the BRIC countries have experienced rapid growth, but are now showing signs of slowing down as cheap labor and abundant resources are beginning to yield a diminishing impact on their economies. As such, investors should consider looking towards the rising middle class to lead the charge in driving growth. Before we reach that point, however, we believe some structural reforms will need to be made. Investors should remain vigilant of the various policy prescriptions during this period to avoid potential speed bumps. Not every policy change will be successful, but if imbalances are adequately addressed, the BRIC countries should continue to offer investment opportunity. This material is presented solely for informational purposes and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. The views expressed herein are generally those of Neuberger Berman’s Investment Strategy Group (ISG), which analyzes market and economic indicators to develop asset allocation strategies. ISG consists of five investment professionals who consult regularly with portfolio managers and investment officers across the firm.. This material may include estimates, outlooks, projections and other “forward-looking statements.” Due to a variety of factors, actual events may differ significantly from those presented. Indexes are unmanaged and are not available for direct investment. Investing entails risks, including possible loss of principal. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Tags: Brazil, BRICs, China, Commodities, energy, India, Natural Gas, oil, Russia Posted in Markets \| Comments Off Emerging Markets Radar (September 24, 2012) Monday, September 24th, 2012 Emerging Markets Radar (September 24, 2012) Strengths - China needs more subways, highways and sewage plants, and construction of those infrastructures will help the economy, Xu Lin, the head of the planning department at National Development and Reform Commission said this week. - Malaysia’s CPI stayed flat at 1.4 percent in August as in July. - The Federation of Thai Industries reported solid August auto production of 210,333 units (up 37 percent year-over-year), driven by strong domestic sales. Weaknesses - HSBC September Flash China PMI was 47.8 versus estimate 47.6 for August, which, though improved on a month-over-month basis, indicates that the economic activities still are contracting. However, new orders overall increased to 47.6 from 46.1. - Taiwan August export orders fell 1.5 percent year-over-year, improving from the contraction of 4.4 percent in July. The market expects export orders in tech products to revive going forward due to iPhone 5 and Windows 8 ODM plays. - Turkey GDP growth, which was 8.5 percent in 2011 and 3.3 percent in the first quarter of 2012, slowed down to 2.9 in the second quarter. Opportunities - Foreign investors have consistently put more money in Asia equity markets, such as the Philippines as shown in the graph above. Particularly, Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries are on the rise in consumer spending and infrastructure investments helped by an increasing middle class and growing government balance sheet. - India opened retail and aviation sectors for foreign investment, cut the fuel subsidy by 12 percent and cut the withholding tax on local corporate bonds held by foreigners 20 percent to 5 percent. - In a separate move, India’s central bank cut its reserve ratio requirement for the banks by 25 basis points, setting the stage for a rally in financials. Threats - The tension between Japan and China over disputed islands in East China and North Taiwan is escalating with some possibility of trade and military clashes. - Credit Suisse remains cautious on the Polish banking sector, and cut 2012 earnings forecast by 13 percent due to cyclical pressures from lower loan growth and higher provisioning charges. - President Putin was critical of the proposed budget for not incorporating provisions for several of his election promises. This higher expenditure will have to be financed through borrowing and/or higher taxes. Tags: India Posted in Markets \| Comments Off Could Earnings Growth Go Negative This Quarter? Tuesday, September 18th, 2012 The last two quarters we have seen quite a deceleration in S&P 500 earnings – in fact the S&P 499 has been flatlining. But Apple has a massive out sized effect on earnings (and hence supporting S&P 500 earnings growth). The NYT has a piece out this morning where they extrapolate a potential negative growth rate on said earnings, even with Apple. With export revenues hurt by Europe and to a lesser degree “emerging markets” (China, India, Brazil, et al) and profit margins falling from record highs, this is definitely an issue. That said stock prices are part earnings and part multiples – multiples are always an unknown; we saw how high they could get in 1999 when Uncle Alan flooded the world with liquidity ahead of Y2K. -.” -. -. (still a great figure) -. Tags: Brazil, China, Emerging Markets, Gold, India Posted in Markets \| Comments Off Gold Gains on Poor Jobs Report, QE Hopes, and Declining USD Saturday, September 8th, 2012 Gold Market Radar (September 10, 2012) For the week, spot gold closed at $1735.65, up $43.64 per ounce, or 2.58 percent. Gold stocks, as measured by the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index, rose 5.16 percent. The U.S. Trade-Weighted Dollar Index lost 1.29 percent for the week. Strengths - Gold surged on Friday to close at $1,735.65—up 2.58 percent for the week—primarily on the heels of a poor jobs report and the accompanying expectation of quantitative easing and the debasement of the U.S. dollar. Technically, gold extended its recent rally above the 200-day moving average, and is now within striking distance of its February highs. The dollar, on the other hand, plummeted below its 200-day moving average on Friday. If the price action is allowed to speak for itself, the question is not whether there will be QE, but when. - Significantly, a number of analysts raised their year-end forecasts for gold prices. A quick survey: J.P.MorganChase called for gold to close the year at $1,800; Goldman Sachs said $1,840; Bank of America Merrill Lynch suggested $2,000 in the event of QE, and one Citigroup analyst called for gold to reach $2,500 by the end of the first quarter 2013, and even higher in the event of geopolitical conflict. - The fall seasonality trade looks to be in full swing. This historically strong period of the year for gold prices is supported by a weakening dollar, a strengthening euro, and seasonally strong demand. Weaknesses - AuRico Gold decreased its production guidance substantially at its Ocampo project: 2012 guidance was essentially halved, 2013 guidance cut by 25 percent, and the stock finished down for the holiday-shortened week, off about 14 percent. - Continued strikes in South Africa are problematic. While the unions were said to be close to a deal this week, sending troubled Lonmin up midweek, the deals fell through, and strikes are ongoing with very few workers returning to work. Opportunities - Global accommodative monetary policies remain very much in play. The Fed meeting next week—on the heels of a poor jobs report—offers the possibility for further easing and may be an additional catalyst for gold prices. - Gold, as priced in euros, is rapidly approaching its all-time highs. - We mentioned last week that the dollar’s 200-day moving average might be defended from a technical standpoint. A decisive break below that average, as occurred on Friday, likely signals further weakness in the dollar to come and possible gains in gold. Threats - India—the world’s largest importer of gold—may raise the import duty on gold for the third time this year, potentially curtailing some Indian demand. Bloomberg reported that, “The government may look at increasing the duty to 7.5 percent,” according to the president of the Bombay Bullion Association. The time frame on this potential policy change remains unclear at this point. - There remains the risk that an inflation premium is cooked into the gold price, which, in the event of no quantitative easing, would cause prices to react negatively. The Fed’s next meeting is September 12-13. - A rapid move upward in gold and gold equities which does not successfully trigger meaningful short-covering might invite resistance, or additional short positions. The ultimate identifiable catalyst for short-covering remains government policy a la quantitative easing in the near term. Tags: Bullion, Gold Miners, India, Seasonal, Seasonal Trades, Seasonality Posted in Markets \| Comments Off Gold Market Radar (September 2, 2012) Saturday, September 1st, 2012 Gold Market Radar (September 2, 2012). Tags: Bullion, ETF, ETFs, Gold Miners, India Posted in Markets \| Comments Off Emerging Markets Radar (September 2, 2o12) Saturday, September 1st, 2012 Emerging Markets Radar (September 2, 2o12)_10<< - Indian relative equity valuations are no longer excessive given that India’s return on equity and return on assets exceed, and will likely remain, above those of emerging markets counterparts, maintains BCA Research. -_12<<. Tags: agricultural, Emerging Markets, India, Russia Posted in Markets \| Comments Off
As the end of the year approaches, pretty much every advisor out there is starting to worry about those dreaded annual client reviews. During a financial year that is being referred to as the worst since the Great Depression, one can only imagine how horrified clients will be when they realize just how much longer they'll have to keep digging ditches and frying fries. It's in years like this one that financial advisors earn their money and their grand award trips. If you can hang on to your clients through this mess, you can rest assured that they are yours for life. With that being said, what exactly can you say to ease your clients' pain? When the going gets rough, I always find it helpful to blame someone or something. One suggestion you may want to consider is to blame George Bush. With a presidential approval rating of -32 percent, he is as good a target as any. While you're throwing Mr. President under the bus, try to work in the phrases The Iraq War, Osama Bin Laden and Dick Cheney as often as you can. My guess is many of your clients will agree with your assessment. If blaming the commander-in-chief doesn't work, try blaming all those formerly ultra-rich Wall Street executives and hedge fund managers for manipulating the markets into oblivion. And for those New Age clients in your book, my suggestion is to simply say, "This has been a bad karma year." (Then bow your head and meditate: "Oooohhhmmmmmmm.") If you're uncomfortable with the blame game, another tack you might take is to try to convince your clients that this disastrous year has actually been a good thing. Remind them that when the share price of their mutual fund goes down, their re-invested dividends are actually buying them more shares! Some clients will understand this concept, while others will reach across your desk and slap you. Overwhelming clients with statistics is another tactic that can help prove to them that this year has been a blessing in disguise. You can tell them that -- in addition to all the food stamps and government cheese they are able to get -- there's a good chance the stock market will be up substantially in 2009. Inform them that, in years when the market has had a major decline, the stock market has rebounded the following year. You might even try the old line, "Now is a great time to buy; the stock market is having a major sale!" For safety's sake, step back out of arms' reach when you say this. You may also tell your clients that they are being tested right now. Years ago, when they still had money, you both came up with a rock-solid investment strategy. You both knew there would be up markets and there would be down markets. This just happens to be one of those down markets. Try saying something like, "In times like these, our strategies are tested. Do you want to cut and run now, or do you want to pass the test?" This might convince them to hang tough -- after all, who the heck wants to flunk a test (besides my kid)? If none of the above seems to be right for you, go with the ambiguous. Say something along the lines of, "The market didn't perform as well as we had hoped this year." Or, "We had a few hiccups in our economy that no one saw coming." Or, simply say anything with "subprime" in it at least three times. Will any of these techniques actually make your clients feel better about this year of economic Armageddon? Probably not. But if you have to go down, you might as well go down swinging. --- Once a mildly amusing comedian, Bill Miller now works as a recruiter for a top independent broker-dealer; reach him at [email protected].
American women may think they’re good at penny-pinching, but it turns out that they’ll need to save even more if they want to feel secure in retirement. Women, especially widows and those age 80 and over, depend on Social Security benefits more than men, the latest U.S. government study on women in retirement shows, but they’re also doing a better job of contributing to their employer-sponsored retirement plans. In 2010, 16% of women age 65 and over depended solely on Social Security for income compared with 12% of men, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s July 25 report to the Senate’s Special Committee on Aging. At the same time, the share of household income women received from earnings increased over the period, but it was consistently lower than for men. Worse, women’s median income was approximately 25% lower than men’s over the last decade, and the poverty rate for women in this age group was nearly two times higher than men’s in 2010. “Moreover, divorce and widowhood had more pronounced effects for women than for men,” the GAO reported. “For example, women’s household income, on average, fell by 41% with divorce, almost twice the size of the decline that men experienced. For widowhood, women’s household income fell by 37% — while men’s declined by only 22%.” A Bright Spot: 401(k)s But a bright spot in the report is the finding that working women’s participation in employer-sponsored retirement plans such as 401(k)s has improved relative to men. “Indeed, from 1998 to 2009, women surpassed men in their likelihood of working for an employer that offered a pension plan, largely because the proportion of men covered by a plan declined,” the GAO said. Women’s participation rates in defined-contribution plans increased slightly over that period as men’s participation fell, thus narrowing the participation difference between men and women to just one percentage point. At the same time, however, women contributed to their DC plans at lower levels than men. “Specifically, the participation rate for women in any type of plan, defined benefit or defined contribution, declined slightly from 87% in 1998 to 86% in 2009, while the participation rate for men declined from 91% to 87%,” according to the full GAO report. The study’s findings were brought before the Senate’s Special Committee on Aging on July 25, according to Bloomberg. The hearing’s discussion focused on improving the Social Security Administration’s efforts to tell retirees about the advantages of waiting longer before claiming benefits. “SSA has a responsibility to educate people about their options, and it needs to make sure people understand just how much money they are losing when they take their benefits sooner rather than later,” Bloomberg reported Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., as saying. Kohl led the hearing. “All of these options have advantages and disadvantages that would need to be evaluated prior to implementation,” the GAO said. “For example, increasing Social Security benefits for widows could provide additional income for women who have few options to increase their retirement savings. However, increasing benefits would also increase costs to the Social Security program and have implications for its long-term solvency.” Read Advisors vs. the Bag Lady Nightmare: 4 Women Talk Money With Terry Savage at AdvisorOne.
, have demonstrated superior client service and have earned recognition from their peers and the broader community for the honor they reflect on their profession. Finding the nation’s finest financial advisors was made possible by our panel of four distinguished judges: Ronald L. DeLegge, editor, ETFGuide.com; Bill Good, chairman, Bill Good Marketing; Jay Nagdeman, president, Suasion Resources; and Stan Selbst, vice president, SmartPros Ltd. Susan Colpitts When Susan Colpitts co-founded Signature in 1994, there was something missing from the financial services landscape: the multi-family office. So she and her partner created one. “When we started, they didn’t exist—anywhere,” says Colpitts, a CPA. “It was novel at the time for a firm like ours to be owned by principals as opposed to being owned by a family. And we liked being fireable because it kept us good every day.” By any measure, Norfolk-based Signature has gone from good to great. The fee-only firm that started out with three employees and no clients now has 32 employees, offices in three cities, and $2.5 billion in assets under management. Colpitts herself manages $560 million in assets for 18 wealthy families. Why a multi-family office? Back in the 1990s, Colpitts was working as a CPA inside a boutique law firm run by Signature co-founder Anne Shumadine. The firm served a couple of very wealthy families. The problem: The complexity of managing different aspects of that level of wealth—investments, philanthropy, income taxes and estate planning—couldn’t be addressed within the framework of a law firm. “Most RIAs start out with investments and add services,” says Colpitts, 55. “We started backwards. We didn’t come at this with a preexisting notion of what investments should look like. We addressed it almost like a research project: If you could build any investment solution, how would you build it?” The partners settled on an endowment-like model with the additional requirement that it had to be tax-efficient. After the 2001-2002 downturn, they realized they needed to have access to alternative investments so they built a hedge fund solution—pooling clients’ assets to get the best managers at the best price point. In 2008, they made another adjustment by instituting a long-only equity fund. The business plan from the start was to develop Signature as a one-stop shop for, as Colpitts puts it, “the working rich.” The plan worked. Unlike many family offices, 85% of Signature’s asset base represents first-generation earned wealth. The firm’s minimum for new clients is $5 million in investable assets but Colpitts spends the majority of her time on family-office clients with more than $20 million in investable assets and complex problems. A liquidity event often brings the client to Signature’s door. “In the last several years, we’ve realized we are really good at working with the individual who has had his head down, building the business day in and day out and running that business,” says Colpitts, who holds the Personal Financial Specialist designation and started her accounting career with Price Waterhouse. “They’re not thinking about wealth. Suddenly, they sell the business and they have incredible opportunities—and a lot of decisions to make. Every client is different in that moment.” When she begins a conversation with a new family, she starts with a series of questions, including: How do you wish to be involved in philanthropy? How do you replace the paycheck? How do you make sense of the lifestyle? Notably, everyone in the firm trains with a psychologist so that they can help clients express feelings that might otherwise remain unspoken. “We’re trying to figure out what their investment personality is. They might say: ‘I don’t want to take any risk with my investments.’ If you don’t know how to open that up, it could be a door-shutting comment,” says Colpitts, whose firm also has offices in Charlottesville and Richmond. “We want to get at the root cause without putting them on a couch—keeping them in a conversation in a vein that’s comfortable but exploratory. They may have had advisory relationships before but it’s never mattered so much,” she adds. “They’ve taken the baby they birthed and grew for 20 or 25 years and converted it into a pile of money. Some can’t stand the notion of making a mistake with it because it’s so precious.” Colpitts, the go-to person at Signature for complex corporate and personal income tax structures, also frames the client’s personal balance sheet within a business context—in other words, in language that is instantly understood. “It’s a little less squishy,” she notes. As well, she helps families with other issues that might affect their lives: private aviation, personal security, public relations and household staff management. “Generally there’s a financial piece to it,” says Colpitts. “If you run a business, you would have your CFO or COO do this work. Again, there’s a business parallel.” Colpitts, who leads Signature’s client services team, is Signature’s brand builder. As the firm’s CEO Randy Webb observes: “What Susan does is challenge, engage and energize this team around the idea: If every Signature client were in a room no matter what level of wealth, they could compare their experience and the picture they paint would be the same. That’s huge. And it’s working.” Why Signature? Having been a CPA, Colpitts watched a lot of people sign a lot of things with their own unique signature. Signature clients, signature solutions, a signature firm. “It’s not that our clients have to fit into our boxes. We construct what they need and what they want and we do so in an environment of excellent planning and execution. We try to spend a lot of time just thinking in behalf of our clients,” says Colpitts. “We’re aiming before we shoot.” Lynn Faust Talk about a career of “firsts.” Not only was Lynn Faust the first female branch manager at Raymond James & Associates, she was also the first woman to serve on its executive council. With $350 million in assets under management, she is—no surprise here—one of the firm’s most successful advisors. No wonder Dennis Zank, COO of Raymond James Financial, says of Faust: “Because of her enthusiasm, professionalism, dedication and willingness to give back, we wish we had many more Lynn Fausts in our firm.” Faust, who describes herself as “driven” and “motivated,” does do things in an outsize manner. As an example, she has excelled at not just one career—but two of them. Faust, who grew up in a family of educators, taught elementary and middle school children for 12 years. After redesigning a university-level financial planning course, she decided to stick with teaching—only this time as a financial advisor. “Education is a passion of mine. It’s how I got into the business; it’s why I got into the business,” says Faust, 64. “Teaching is my natural talent. It’s taken me wherever I’ve gone.” Faust joined Waddell & Reed as a planner in 1979, then jumped to Paine Webber in 1981. A Raymond James & Associates advisor since 1988, Faust today serves 103 households with a typical account size of $2 million to $5 million. She also specializes in executive financial planning, working with senior executives in corporate settings. While she has made history at Raymond James, Faust treats her groundbreaking performance strictly as a matter of fact. As she puts it: “I wanted to be a branch manager. It was something I was qualified to do, I was asked to do, and I did it like anyone else. I don’t carry a banner. I never felt like I needed to.” As a producing branch manager, Faust for six years ran a Raymond James & Associates office in Greenville, S.C., that at its peak had 29 employees, including 16 advisors. Her chief challenge at that time: teaching employees to be organized. “I think the biggest problem in this business is putting organization into your day. There are so many multi-tasking things you have to do. Some of those things you’re going to love, some you’re not going to like doing at all. The tendency is to do only what you like to do. Eventually, you need to hire to your weakness,” says Faust, who ranked as the largest producer in her office and region while running the branch. “You’re not going to be successful without putting organization into your practice and learning to do what you like least to do first. That’s what I brought to the table.” In 2001, Faust gave up the branch to focus on her own practice with her son and business partner, Michael Faust. Ever the teacher, Faust helps clients create what she calls their “financial masterpieces of life.” When she first meets with a client, Faust starts out with a visual cue: a paper copy of a painting by Van Gogh or Matisse or another great artist that she then cuts into pieces. “The cut up pieces represent the different phases of life, different goals and objectives: education, retirement, estate planning. It’s one way I help people understand there is more to money than just paying your bills and balancing your checkbook,” says Faust, whose Greer, S.C.-based team includes four advisors and three assistants. “I never throw the pieces away. They all go into a client folder.” Faust also believes in keeping client conversations short. “Advisors frequently do not realize that adults have an attention span of 15 to 20 minutes. You need to learn that when you present a financial plan, there is no way you are going to present everything at once,” Faust says. “Before a meeting, I determine what I can accommodate in 15 minutes that will hold your attention. That’s why teaching skills are the real essence to the success I’ve had in business. Clients feel I’m connected to their needs.” “I also help clients understand how to achieve their goals. I don’t leave them out. And I use very simple explanations. Advisors as a rule tend to justify themselves by being very technical,” adds Faust, whose gold service standard includes a visit each year to all of her clients’ accountants. “I don’t think that wins the day.” Faust is nothing if not nimble, an attribute she believes that, along with teaching, underlies her success. “I’m never not energized. It’s true of anything I’ve ever done. I was not a burned out teacher. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve ever done,” says Faust. “And I’m not afraid of change. If you’re not flexible, you will not be successful in this business. You can’t learn how to do it one day and do it that way for the rest of your life. That’s good for me. I’m Type A. It’s energizing. If this business is a passion for you, the way it is for me, you won’t ever want to leave it.” Lorayne Fiorillo A lot of elite advisors like to say they offer white-glove Ritz-Carlton-style service. Lorayne Fiorillo isn’t one of them. “We take the gloves off and get down and dirty,” says Fiorillo. “Need a CPA who practices before the IRS to help with an audit—on a Saturday during a blizzard? Give us a call. Buying a car and need someone to negotiate with the dealership? Give us a call. If it’s beyond our professional capabilities, we’ll find someone in our professional network that can get the job done. We’re the cavalry who brings in the big guns or brings over the chicken soup. Whatever it is, the job gets done.” Fiorillo, who heads Fiorillo Financial Strategies Group, recently marked her 25th year as an advisor, and yet she approaches each day with exuberance. It’s not unusual for her to schedule 13 client appointments in a day. “A lot can change in somebody’s life,” says Fiorillo, 55, who likes to check in with clients as often as once a month. “It’s why we talk to people constantly. Plus, it’s so enjoyable.” Clients, she says, are like snowflakes—each one different from the next. “Just because someone is 55 with two kids, you can’t put them in a box,” says Fiorillo, who manages $235 million in assets for 300 households. “It’s not one size fits all.” And neither is Fiorillo’s approach to money management. While she was one of the first to embrace professional outside money managers, she brought portfolio management in-house 10 years ago after the Internet bubble tanked. “I bought into the idea that all they do all day long is manage money; they’re better than I was,” says Fiorillo. “You know, they weren’t.” Today, she and her partner, Frank Pranio, use fundamental and technical analysis to build portfolios that include individual stocks, bonds, options and a broad array of ETFs. They also do a lot of covered call writing. “The two of us manage it. It’s like playing the piano with four hands,” says Fiorillo. “Investing with us is like hiring a custom tailor. Everything is fitted to your exact measurements and then adjusted frequently to accommodate for life’s inevitable changes. We make sure that your investments suit you perfectly.” Fiorillo originally set out to become a doctor but switched to finance because she considers it, too, a helping profession. She got her start with Prudential Securities in Charlotte, N.C., where she still has many clients. “The first time I went with Lorayne to Charlotte to meet her clientele at an event we hosted, it was like they revered her like a rock star,” says Pranio. “At the end, people came up to me and said: ‘What’s it like working with Lorayne?’ as if I was in the presence of a celebrity.” Admittedly, Fiorillo does have an outsize personality. “She’s found prospects riding the Metro North and at the opera. The fact is she loves what she does. She has that passion,” Pranio adds. “I sometimes sit here and look over at her and hear that exuberance and hear her ‘Yippees!’ She just enjoys what she does. It’s genuine.” Not surprisingly, given her energy, Fiorillo fits a lot into her life. There’s her husband, a vet, and her 15-year-old son Max. At the moment, she is working on a charity event she is sponsoring for the Mecklenburg Medical Alliance and Endowment in North Carolina. “I’m ADHD when it comes to philanthropy,” she notes. Fiorillo also hosts a cooking show, Everyone Can Cook, for her local cable TV station. And she’s working on several writing projects. One thing’s for sure, she is a communicator—and across platforms. She’s written a book, Financial Fitness in 45 Days: The Complete Guide to Shaping up Your Personal Finances. Until a few years ago, she was a personal finance columnist for Entrepreneur magazine. And when she still lived in Charlotte, she served as an on-air financial expert for a local TV station. But, clearly, her big passion is for her clients. The size of Fiorillo’s accounts are all over the place but, as she puts it: “I believe in dancing with the one that brung you. I have clients with $400,000 with me and $15 million to $20 million with me. People ask me, ‘What’s your minimum?’ It depends on how much I like you. Sometimes people really need help and they’re a nice person. I want to help them.” In addition to individuals, Fiorillo has two specialties. One is working with medical and veterinary practices, the other managing guardianships for people who have been declared incompetent. Twenty-five years out, Fiorillo says her most important achievement is “how my clients feel about me.” “One client, when she talked about working with me, said that when her CPA first introduced us, she thought I was a little weird. Now, that she has known me for 25 years, she is sure I’m weird, but I have also become her family’s most trusted advisor,” Fiorillo says. “Whenever anything goes wrong, she told me, no matter what it is, everyone says: ‘Call Lorayne.’” Victor Hazard Back in the mid-1980s, an entrepreneur named Herb D. Vest kept phoning Victor Hazard, inviting him to join a radical new start-up: a nationwide network of tax professionals who also offer investment advice. “He called several times and I said we weren’t interested. Finally, one day, I listened to him for half an hour and it seemed to make so much sense,” says Hazard, a CPA who heads Hazard Financial in Lomita, Calif. “Why not offer full financial planning? It allows you to do such a better job for your client. Why not take it to the next step?” Hazard, 69, was one of the early adopters of the pioneering business model and his practice today looks a lot like what Herb Vest envisioned 25 years ago. As H.D. Vest president and COO Roger Ochs puts it: “He’s the stereotype of the successful CPA and financial advisor who not only prepares tax returns but, more importantly, helps clients with all their financial needs. That was the vision 25 years ago, and that’s the vision today. Victor just does it better than most of us.” Hazard got his start in financial services in 1968 when he joined Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co., then the world’s largest accounting firm. In 1982, he established his own CPA firm preparing taxes, audits, financial plans and financial statements for individuals and businesses. The H.D. Vest he joined in 1987 was, as he says, “hokey,” a much leaner version of today’s 4,800-advisor network. At their first meetings with Hazard, for example, Barbara and Herb Vest would make a homemade lunch in their hotel room to share in the conference venue. Potato salad was often on the menu. And when he signed up to take his first securities exam, the Vests sent a grainy video—Barbara shot it, Herb was the presenter—advising him how to pass the Series 7 test. The firm assigned Hazard the number 868 when he hooked up with Vest; that is still the number that appears on most client statements today. That, however, is about the only thing that has remained static at Hazard Financial, a full-service firm with $103 million in assets under management and an eight-person team that delivers multiple layers of service. At the top of the service tier: retirement and financial planning, tax advice and investment management. The Hazard team also offers advice in specialties such as insurance, estate planning, trust management, tax compliance, charitable giving, debt management and business planning. The firm’s tax compliance arm prepares over 1,000 corporate, fiduciary and personal income taxes each year. The firm’s growth trajectory has been strong and steady, and perhaps more importantly, it has been intentional. Hazard, for instance, heads the effort to plan for 20 high net worth families, representing 60 to 70 households. Does he want to grow that? No. “You can’t get too thin,” says Hazard, whose wife, Mary Jo, and daughters Jennifer and Jackie, work with him. “We don’t want to hire a lot more people and lose control of the personal relationship. To us, the personal relationship is everything. We decided to keep it at eight people—and that works perfectly for 20 families.” Hazard Financial clients also include families that are juggling college savings with other financial goals. Many are multi-generational clients. Notably, the Hazard family itself recently became the first to have five generations with investment accounts. Looking forward, Hazard says: “Markets are going to be more complex, no one knows the tax picture for next year, regulations require an extraordinary amount of effort, risk is everywhere and circumstances change daily. Our responsibility is to address all of the issues that managing wealth presents.” Just this past year, Hazard received the premier designation of Personal Financial Specialist from the American Institute of CPAs and daughter Jennifer recently got her mortgage loan originator’s license—part of an ongoing strategy to enhance the firm’s service quotient. Hazard’s own personal growth trajectory—applying for Medicare and Social Security—has also helped deepen the bench. “Five years ago, I applied for Medicare and found out, as most people do, that you can read up on it but you just don’t have a grasp unless you do it yourself. There’s so much that can fall through the cracks,” he says. “And there are so many different ways to deal with Social Security. There are hundreds of different options. Going through it yourself gives you a much different perspective. It’s made me a better advisor.” There is one thing that has not changed—and that is Hazard’s fundamental belief in the first credential he got: the CPA. “The one thing we focus on is having a written financial plan, and that’s what a CPA is trained to put together as opposed to someone who is more product-oriented. And here, you have someone who is trained in accounting as well as finance,” he says. “If you look at most people we compete with, they send out fliers with their 1099s saying: ‘We take no responsibility for taxes. See a tax professional.’ From Ameritrade to Merrill Lynch to Schwab, there’s always this fine print that says you’re on your own for tax,” he adds. “You won’t get that from us. You’re assured of having someone who is looking at both sides of the equation: tax advice as well as financial advice. Herb Vest got it right.” Howard Safer When some clients began to turn bearish earlier this year, Howard Safer seized the moment—launching a dialogue he calls “cliff conversations.” A lame duck Congress and the unknowns involving tax law, capital gains, income rules and estate planning—he put it all on the table in seminars and one-on-one talks. “Our role is to be the designated worrier for our clients,” says Safer, CEO of Argent Trust Company of Tennessee. “We take that to heart.” The 69-year-old Safer, well known in trust company circles, also used the opportunity to showcase two words he tends to use a lot: safety and security. “We believe trust companies are the peak of safety and security. It’s a good story to tell,” says Safer, a CPA who opened Argent Trust’s Nashville office in April. “We can do what everyone else can do, only better.” Safer has had a storied career. Early on, he served as a controller for a New York Stock Exchange public company, as chief financial officer of a substantial private company and as managing partner of a 90-person CPA and consulting firm. He went high profile, however, years, offering investment, estate and family office services. In an echo of his move from Bradford to Regions, he joined Argent when it was announced that the Morgan Keegan investment division was to be purchased by Raymond James Financial. “Our clients enjoy it most in smaller environments like Bradford. It’s where you can be the most responsive,” says Safer, whose credentials include the Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) designation. “Many of our clients wanted us to be in something smaller. Here, we can do it all and we can do it better. And what we know we absolutely can do is save millions of dollars in taxes through trusts.” Safer and daughter Mindy Hirt, vice president, oversee about $250 million in assets for 60 households. Senior investment strategist Frank Hosse rounds out the team. Hosse most recently served as chief investment officer for Regions Morgan Keegan Trust, a position he held with J.C. Bradford Trust before that. Most of the team’s clients are business owners in operations as diverse as bottle manufacturing, real estate and skating rinks. All are millionaires. Notably, most of the accounts Safer and Hirt manage are what’s known as agency accounts—not trust accounts. “There is a lot that’s misunderstood about trust companies. For one, you don’t have to have a trust to deal with a trust company. It’s a well-kept secret and that’s too bad,” says Safer. “The fact is this is a more extensive business to operate because we have more rules, regulations and auditors and, to me, that gives a high level of comfort to the investing public.” Many of Safer’s clients are multi-generational. Often, parents will ask Safer to intervene in family conflicts. “We’re the bad cop if we need to be with the next generation. They’ll tell the 28-year-old who wants to start up a business to ‘Go see Howard.’ I’ll ask for a business plan and there won’t be one. So I suggest taking a course or getting a job in that type of business,” Safer says. “It works well in protecting family assets. It doesn’t work well in terms of them liking us particularly. We get fired by the next generation half the time because we have done what we believe is best. As a trustee, that’s my judgment call. It’s what it’s all about.” Safer and Hirt have worked together for 10 years—a family dynamic that both say adds an extra dimension to the family office they operate..” Hirt adds that part of the pleasure of partnering with her father is designing creative solutions for clients. “There’s a level of excitement in terms of being able to come up with an idea that can save a thousand dollars a month by refinancing a loan or save a million dollars by creating a family limited partnership,” she notes. “Howard also taught me early on to go to a client with three bullet points. Keep it simple. A lot of things we’re dealing with are not simple concepts and it helps to present them in a digestible form.” Most firm mission statements gather dust. Not so here. Safer often quotes from Argent’s. “Argent’s mission statement involves our clients, associates and investors. We are passionate advocates for them, their heirs and their charities,” says Safer. “We’re energized when they are happier in achieving their goals. We’re fulfilled when their families live in harmony with positive values. When it’s all said and done, that’s what we’re about.” ------
One of many moving stories of Hurricane Sandy involved a family in an affluent area of New York awakened by the rush of water into their home. As the floodwaters rose, the father led his family up to their attic, whence they were rescued several hours later. A neighbor, who saw the father the next day carrying what few belongings he was able to salvage in a gym bag, asked him how he was doing. The fellow, who had just lost his house to Sandy, smiled and said “Thank God. Everything is great!” Seeing the neighbor’s jaw drop, he quickly added “I have my wife and kids. That’s all I need.” Sandy destroyed this man’s home, his possessions and his net worth, but it could not defeat his spirit. Indeed, it brought out his greatness. Let’s face it—losses can be psychologically devastating. Behavioral finance research has shown that people experience the pain of loss with something like two and a half times the intensity of the joy of gain. Indeed, there are people who spend their lives wallowing in misery over some past loss—the deal that fell apart, the cushy gig that seemingly slipped away, the relationship that just didn’t work out. And while many are stuck in the past, there are probably just as many who fantasize about a future that will likely never occur. If only I had this job, this relationship, or this whatever … I’d be happy. But the future cannot be acquired any more than the past recovered. The only reality is in the present, where an unfalsifiable accounting of your true spiritual and material resources resides. Troubled by your past? Then build yourself up—starting from those resources. Have a vision for a certain kind of future? Then build that future, realistically, using those resources at your disposal. It is an intrinsic part of our natures, and a necessary one too, to want things. Without powerful material drives, we’d never build, create or sustain anything. But it takes greatness to match your wants to your needs, as this storm-tossed man did. Hurricane Sandy confronted a large number of Americans with losses of things they might have taken for granted—like power, running water, a clean, safe home, and perhaps even their loved ones. How many people turn on a light switch, or bite into a fresh fruit, and express gratitude for that small miracle? In Sandy’s wake, and with the knowledge that life will inevitably bring fresh disturbances to our peace, we’d all do well to renew our appreciation for our own bountiful inventory of personal resources, which is probably greater than we might at first think. As Americans bathe in the glow of Chanukah and Christmas lights soon upon us, can we express our gratitude for having what we need?
An industry rule of thumb is that ETFs with less than $50 million in assets don’t long survive. But those between $50 million and $100 million? They may be just what your clients are looking for. Todd Rosenbluth, S&P Capital IQ’s director of ETF research, points to a number of ETFs with asset bases below $100 million that are ranked favorably by S&P Capital IQ. However, when looking at these ETFs, he cautions that it is important to understand the cost factor implications, as some of the smaller ETFs incur high costs. “There is a repeatedly shown wireless phone commercial about one company's 4G data services that claims, 'It's not complicated. Bigger is better,'" Rosenbluth begins in newsletter commentary. “For exchange-traded funds (ETFs), this is not always the case.” He explains that while some investors may look for the ETF with the most assets within a given style, others that have long focused on mutual funds may be drawn in by an ETF's strong performance record. “[We] believe both approaches miss out on a number of factors, including that ETFs with limited asset bases tend to have higher expense ratios, less liquidity due to limited trading activity, and trade above or below their net asset value, thus costing more.” Less frequent trading, he adds, can lead to wide bid/ask spreads, which is the gap between the price buyers are willing to pay for shares of an ETF and the price sellers are asking. The wider the spread, the bigger the bite taken out of investors' returns every time they buy or sell. A lack of liquidity also may cause the ETF to trade at a premium or discount to the net asset value of the fund's underlying holdings. “That means an investor buying the fund may overpay for that portfolio or the seller may get less than assets are worth,” he argues. “Ideally, you can find an ETF with a style you favor that has a tight bid/ask spread and trades in line with its NAV because you need to not only get in but also get at a later date. S&P Capital IQ uses these two cost factors, along with analysis of an ETF's expense ratio, to support our ranking process of 750 equity ETFs. According to BlackRock, over $47 billion was added to equity exchange traded products in the first two months of 2013.” He points to the small-cap ETF space as on such example these high costs, and specifically PowerShares. While PowerShares has gathered assets for a number of its fundamentally driven ETFs, PowerShares Fundamental Pure Small Core Portfolio (PXSC) is not one of them. PXSC has just $15 million in assets, and just over 800 shares trade hands each day. As a result, this ETF has a relatively wide bid/ask spread and a high 1.22% gross expense ratio, though PowerShares has agreed to waive 0.83% of these costs until at least August 2013, in an attempt, we think, to make PXSC more competitive. So while PXSC's market price total return of 9.7% year to date through March 4 is encouraging, the ETF has unfavorable cost factors to S&P Capital IQ. A larger and better alternative, according to Rosenbluth, is the iShares Russell 2000 Index (IWM). IWM rose 8.1% year to date, narrowly lagging PXSC. While this ETF is a more traditional index ETF that is not tied to a benchmark that uses dividends or cash flow analysis, it is a lower-cost, more actively traded option. IWM has $19 billion in assets, and more than 30 million shares change hands daily. “The bid/ask spread is tight and the gross expense ratio is just 0.23%,” Rosenbluth writes. Lastly, he points to RevenueShares Navellier Overall A-100 Fund (RWV) as an example of “where bigger is not better." RWV's NAV is up 13% year to date through March 4, putting it among the 50 top-performing equity ETFs this year. The ETF is tied to an index that aims to identify the 100 highest quality stocks in the U.S. using factors such as earnings growth, free cash flow and return on equity. However, he concludes, there is “only $7 million in assets in this ETF and the average daily volume is just 500 shares. Based on this, it is should be no surprise that the bid/ask spread is relatively wide and the gross expense ratio of 1.42% (net of 0.60% after fee waiving) is above average.” ---- Read S&P’s Stovall: Pleasing Market Tally for 2012, Warning for 2013 by Gil Weinreich on AdvisorOne.
◀▶ Aerie French Terry Hoodie Style: 2495-6022 \| Color: 329 $39.50 $3950 Zip into coziness... 80% Cotton, 20% Polyester - • Soft slub cotton French terry - • Slim & sexy layering piece - • Full-zip front - • Shoelace ties at hood - • Split kangaroo pocket - • Jersey cuffs and hem - • Coverstitched side seams Imported, Machine Wash French Terry Hoodie Aerie French Terry Hoodie 23 23 Okay I think this sweater would have been better if it had a little more stretch to it. It was a little tighter than my normal size.. which disappointed me a bit. Nevertheless, I kept it because I loved the color. The strings are cute as well! July 8, 2012 Cheap, Strechted Out and Fraying I bought this sweater in Dashing Teal in size XL. The material at first was cheap and thin, but fine for a lounge hoodie in warm weather. After I washed it, the sweater stretched out compleatly and it shed blue cotton in all the other clothes I washed it with and continued to shed when I wore it. The ends of the fabric statred to fray aswell. If you are intent on buying this hoodie, SIZE DOWN. because it stretches, and be informed that the colours appear differently than the picture. June 26, 2012 Was More of a Hot Pink, Not Red Was excited for this to arrive, had been looking for a cute red hoodie. However the pic online looks red, the sweatshirt arrived and was definitely more pink than red. Also, material is flimsy and cheap. The sweatshirt also runs short. The seaming on the arms by the shoulder makes your torso look wide. It had so much potential from the pic online but will be returning this one. May 12, 2012 Great fit and very comfortable I'm 5'4'', 34B, average build. This hoodie fits perfectly, fitted in all the right places. I also love that the sleeves aren't too short. The material is so comfortable, thin but still warm. I would have given it five stars if the color wasn't so off. This sweatshirt isn't anywhere near the teal depicted in the picture. It is more of a neon green. I'm not in love with the color at all, but I couldn't send it back after loving the fit. May 4, 2012
Protest camp of Occupy Frankfurt in front of the European Central Bank, Frankfurt, Germany, November 13, 2011. The Eurozone Crisis and the US Economy: What Has Gone Wrong? Download PDF The United States and Europe are currently embroiled in interconnected economic crises that represent a threat not only to their own citizens but also to the world economy as a whole. Although previous US stimulus attempts have failed, a new stimulus package has been proposed that is likely to have a similar result. In the midst of this economic uncertainty, investors have increasingly turned to low-risk, but low-return, investment options such as money market accounts. These investments serve as lenders to European governments that are currently sharing the large amounts of sovereign debt of southern European countries such as Greece, making them less stable investment options for US investors. There is no easy way to reverse these crises. Key Points in this Outlook Simultaneous economic crises in the United States and Europe have created a serious threat to the world economy. Recent US stimulus efforts have failed to boost the economy, and this pattern is likely to continue with future proposed stimulus plans. Many of Europe's problems stem from its adoption of a monetary union, which has increased shared risk from southern European sovereign debt. No easy solutions to these crises exist; one crucial, but inadequate, step is for central banks and the United States to work together to preempt deflation. The first paragraph of an article on how to save the euro in a recent issue of the Economist captures a significant part of what has gone wrong with the European economy..[1] As we enter the fall of 2011, three years after the Lehman Brothers crisis, Europe and the United States are teetering on the brink of another, potentially more serious, systemic crisis. It is surely fair to ask how we got to this point just a few months after the US recovery had been declared well-established and European leaders had created a fund with resources that were supposed to be sufficient to ensure that Greece, the fulcrum of Europe's debt crisis, would not default on its debt. Figure 1 shows the sharp rise in interest rates on some European governments' debt--especially Greece, Ireland, and Portugal--and a recent jump in Spanish and Italian yields that is emblematic of Europe's intensifying debt crisis. The crisis in Europe is somewhat mirrored and amplified by a parallel sharp growth slowdown in the United States. After last year's second round of quantitative easing (QE2) and extra fiscal stimulus spawned expectations of 3.5 percent growth, actual US first-half growth of only 0.7 percent has changed everything. During the spring, the Federal Reserve began talking about detailed strategy for exiting high levels of monetary accommodation, while during July's debt-ceiling fiasco, US policymakers wrestled with the need to reduce deficits and debt accumulation. In the end, they left the heavy lifting to a congressional "super committee" that is to report back to President Obama by Thanksgiving. But before the super committee could even meet, the president reversed course in the face of the threat of a double-dip recession and proposed nearly a half trillion dollars in additional fiscal stimulus for 2012 that repeated and expanded measures the last Congress passed in December 2010. Americans who follow deliberations in Washington, especially about taxes and government spending, can be forgiven some confusion. During much of the second quarter in the lead-up to the July debt-ceiling debate, which was punctuated by threats of America's default on its debt, politicians loudly touted the benefits of living within our means, which meant cutting the deficit, which in turn meant cutting government spending, raising taxes, or both. As Congress returned from vacation, the president offered up a jobs program costing nearly half a trillion dollars that involves cutting taxes and increasing government spending. Of course, the president followed up his jobs plan with proposals for future tax increases and spending cuts he claimed would provide more than $4 trillion in deficit reduction over the ten years after 2013 "as the economy grows stronger."[2] It seems unlikely, though, that the tax cuts and higher spending that are supposed to make the economy stronger in 2012 will, when reversed in 2013, somehow not cause it to grow weaker. We, and many in Europe, are left to wonder whether it is deficit reduction that is good for the economy or euphemistically named things like "jobs programs" that increase the deficit. It is important to ask how, at the time of this writing in September 2011, Europe has reached an acute sovereign-debt crisis while the US economy simultaneously threatens to contract, exacerbating both its own budgetary problems and Europe's sovereign-debt crisis. What Happened in Europe? Europe's problems, which are probably more acute than America's, spring from a simple cause: an attempt to forge and maintain an impossible currency union. The European Monetary Union, which includes such disparate economies as Germany on the strong side and Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and Italy on the weak side, requires the assumption that monetary policy that is appropriate for Germany is also appropriate for Greece. Europe's adoption of monetary union enabled less credit-worthy countries such as Greece to borrow on virtually the same terms as Germany because both were issuing debt denominated in euros and the European Central Bank (ECB) was treating those debts as being of identical quality. The European Monetary Union was, at first, attractive for all of its members, including Germany. European banks were happy to make euro-denominated loans to government and private borrowers in southern Europe who could suddenly borrow for less, given that the loans were denominated in euros. If a bank lent money to, for example, the Greek government, it acquired a claim on Greece that it could take to the ECB and use as collateral for further borrowing. The terms for that transaction were virtually identical to the terms available if claims on the German government were used as collateral. Easy credit accelerated European growth, not to mention German exports. As inflation and growth surged in southern Europe, so too did borrowing in those countries. Adoption of the euro by countries like Greece and Spain meant that they got a German credit rating that enabled them to purchase more Mercedes--on credit. At first, German exporters were pleased. But now, Germans are being asked to help borrowers in these southern European countries repay these loans. By 2009, some lenders began to notice that Greek budget deficits and government debt were rising rapidly. When Greece revealed late in 2009 that its deficits and debt were substantially larger than previously reported, the first phase of the European debt crisis began. However, the ECB continued to allow banks to use Greek, Italian, Spanish, and any other sovereign debt from the European Monetary Union as collateral for loans. Banks were also not required to hold reserves against their sovereign-debt loans because it was effectively assumed that sovereigns do not default. The solution to the Greek crisis that emerged in the spring of 2010 was essentially perverse. In exchange for additional loans so that Greece could roll over its debts and pay its debt service, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union imposed strict conditions on Greece in the form of higher taxes and sharply contractionary cuts in government spending that caused the economy to slow further, undercutting its ability to service outstanding debt and additional debt. By the second quarter of 2011, it was clear that Greece would require additional funding to meet its debt service obligations, while similar problems arose for Portugal, Spain, and Italy. Ten years of pretending that loans to southern European governments carried as little risk as loans to the German government left Europe's banks with nearly $2 trillion worth of claims on those riskier borrowers. For the purpose of "stress tests," it was assumed that these claims were worth 100 cents on the dollar when the marketplace implies substantially lower values. The large sovereign-debt holdings by European banks pose a threat to the solvency of many of those banks that rises in proportion to doubts about governments' ability to service those loans. Given these conditions, if Greece, for example, defaults on its debts, the possibility of defaults by other sovereign governments in Europe may rise, triggering solvency problems for most of Europe's private banks. Many hope to preempt this disaster scenario by recommending aggressive steps to prevent a Greek default. The problem is that Germany, the country that would have to foot most of the bill, is insisting that Greece adopt additional austerity conditions in exchange for the loan. The austerity conditions, in turn, imply that Greece will be less able to service its debts a year from now, given that the economy is expected to contract at a 5 percent rate if these austerity conditions are imposed. Impact of Europe's Debt Crisis on the United States Americans are exposed to the European debt crisis through money market funds, among other channels. The rapid slowdown of US economic growth, along with the elevated uncertainty tied to July's debt-ceiling fiasco, caused many households to sell stocks during August. Typically, investors move such funds into "cash equivalents" or money market funds, which pay virtually no interest but are meant to be highly liquid should households need to reinvest the funds or to purchase goods and services. As Europe's debt crisis intensified during the summer, US money market funds were, in effect, lending heavily to European banks that in turn were significantly exposed to shaky sovereign-debt issuers like Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Italy. The result was that Americans who wanted to avoid more risk by exiting stocks and entering money market funds were effectively lending to Greece and Portugal. This discovery led money market funds to sharply reduce their exposure to European sovereign debt as depositors began to exit for fear that the funds would be vulnerable to a Greek default and other European sovereign-debt problems. The search for safety outside money market funds drove risk-averse American investors into US Treasury bills, bonds, and notes. As a result, the yield on four-week and three-month Treasury bills was driven to zero or below by late August, while the yield on one-year Treasury bills was driven to an incredibly low six basis points. So desperate were American households, and undoubtedly some firms, for a risk-free cash repository that in some cases they were willing to pay the US government one or two basis points for the privilege of lending to the government for a short period. Those who wanted more yield bought ten-year notes and thirty-year bonds, pushing yields on ten-year notes below 2 percent, even lower than they had been after the Lehman crisis, and yields on thirty-year bonds down to 3.25 percent or below. Other investors seeking safety and expecting higher inflation bought gold, pushing its price over $1,900 per ounce at some points. It is worth commenting on the simultaneous increase in the price of gold and the drop in interest rates on thirty-year bonds. Because gold pays no return, buyers are essentially betting on an increasing price of gold to reward them. If inflation continues to rise, as gold buyers expect, purchasers of thirty-year bonds will be at risk since they will be paid back in dollars with less purchasing power. As a result, the most popular fixed-income instrument, whose returns rival that of gold during 2011, have been US Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS). So eager are investors for a safe haven that the real yield on TIPS has been driven well below -1 percent. That means buyers of TIPS are willing to pay the US government more than a percentage point for the privilege of owning a long-term, inflation-protected asset. But why are some investors betting on inflation by purchasing gold while others are willing to bid up prices on long-term Treasuries that would be harmed by higher inflation? The answer may be that the extremely high level of uncertainty in financial markets implies a wide range of possible outcomes, including both higher inflation and deflation. Gold is a somewhat illiquid way to play the inflation scenario, while longer-term Treasuries are a bet on the deflation outcome. Investors who remember Japan's deflationary experience after 1998 and the resulting drop in long-term interest rates to below 1 percent may buy Treasury bonds, while those who fear debasement of paper money may buy gold. Gold buyers are also concentrated in countries like China and India where local-currency, long-term government securities are not available and gold is the preferred safe-haven asset. No Place to Hide The systemic mess the United States and Europe--and eventually, the rest of the world--are facing in the fall of 2011 is greater than the sum of its parts. The US economy slowed down even after substantial monetary and fiscal stimulus had been applied. The slowdown was surprising and also disconcerting to policymakers who had to entertain the notion that the policy levers they were pulling were no longer effective. Just as these disquieting realizations were arising in the United States, the European debt crisis reintensified as Greece teetered on the edge of default and the crisis environment spread to the rest of southern Europe. These conditions raise some serious questions. Why Isn't the US Stimulus Working? The short answer is this: monetary policy is not stimulating the economy because the United States is in a liquidity trap. At first, the Fed's QE2 was followed by higher interest rates as markets expected further growth. But as growth failed to materialize, interest rates came back down, stock markets weakened, and funds went back into cash. Viewed another way, the Fed's QE2 initially induced investors to put more money into riskier assets like stocks, but when growth failed to materialize, the funds left those riskier assets for cash. It was additionally disconcerting that one of the first cash destinations, money market funds turned out to be essentially lending to European borrowers who were even riskier than US borrowers. As a result, funds flowed into the Treasury markets, pushing short-term Treasury yields to zero or below. Those fearing eventual currency debasement and inflation bought gold. The Fed's latest attempt to offer additional stimulusis somewhat bizarre. After its August meeting, the Fed indicated strongly that it would hold short-term interest rates at zero for another two years. That amounts to promising that the economy will not recover for two years because if it did, short-term interest rates would rise as cash balances sought higher returns on investments in the equity markets, which would improve as the economy improves. Those seeking a positive return on investments must bet either on higher inflation and buy gold or on higher growth and buy stocks. The Fed has sought to push down immediate and longer-term interest rates with Operation Twist, whereby it is concentrating its purchases in the Treasury market on ten-year notes and thirty-year bonds at the expense of shorter-term bills and notes for which interest rates are already virtually zero. Lower interest rates--even lower longer-term ones--are not likely to produce much growth in an economy with virtually no demand for credit from qualified borrowers. Fiscal stimulus is not working because the constraints of rising deficits and resulting debt mean that it is by definition temporary and must be reversed after implementation. Last December, the Obama administration announced tempor-ary tax cuts. Enactment boosted incomes, but termination a year later will slow their growth. Obama's early-September 2011 proposal for a $450 billion stimulus package for 2012 was followed in mid-September by another package proposal that promised more than $4 trillion in deficit reduction--nearly ten times the stimulus proposal--over the next decade. The impetus for Obama's 2012 stimulus was the end of the 2011 stimulus, which not only did not work to boost the economy but also will cause a slower economy once it ends. In other words, because the 2011 stimulus did not work, the president is claiming that we need another one in 2012 that will be reversed in 2013. Why Doesn't Europe Either Let Greece Default or Bail It Out? The question of Greek debt has to be addressed very soon. If Greece unilaterally defaults, fears of defaults elsewhere in southern Europe may produce a run on European banks that hold claims on those countries, leading to a full-blown financial crisis in Europe. It probably would be better for the ECB--or the ECB, European Union, and IMF, collectively--to offer unconditional guarantees on sovereign European debt. This would mean the euro would likely end up as a relatively soft currency, so the German government, which would have to fund much of the sovereign-debt bailout, has so far refused to agree to this plan. Given the cumbersome nature of the European Monetary Union and its institutions, it appears likely that an agreement will not be reached and that some kind of Greek default, probably preceded by capital controls, will occur before the end of this year. The fallout, sharply lower European growth and sharply elevated financial -turmoil, will be negative for the United States and the rest of the world. What Should the United States Do? This fall, while Europe is awaiting Greece's impending default, it appears that American policymakers will repeat July's debt-ceiling fiasco: ambivalence about whether tighter or easier fiscal policy is better for the United States (that is, are we supposed to raise deficits or reduce them?) will be rendered moot by the super committee's likely inability to find an additional $1.5 trillion (or more, if any stimulus measures are enacted) in deficit cuts over the next ten years. If that is the case and US fiscal policy essentially continues on its current path through the end of the year, while Europe is in a default mess the United States will be experiencing fiscal drag equal to about two percentage points of gross domestic product, exacerbating any global slowdown caused by a failure to resolve Europe's debt mess. No easy or obvious ways exist to bypass this bad outlook that has grown out of the inability of European and US economic policymakers to make hard decisions over the last several years. The signs that such an outcome is becoming more likely include a slowdown in inflation and a threat of deflation as more households and businesses seek the relative safety of cash equivalents like Treasury bills and rein in their spending in anticipation of substantial financial turbulence and slower growth. That development, coupled with the surge in demand for liquid assets that usually accompanies an acute financial crisis, will require central banks to print a lot more money to avoid a self-reinforcing deflationary disaster that raises the real debt burden at the root of the problem faced by banks and governments in Europe and banks and households in the United States. One encouraging sign is that we may already have seen an initial step towards preempting deflation. On September 15, the Fed, in conjunction with the central banks of Europe, Great Britain, Switzerland, and Japan, arranged to supply dollars to Europe's banking system. The flow of dollars to Europe's banks has dried up as other banks and US money market funds feared their exposure to large quantities of sovereign debt issued by southern European countries. The swap lines, as they are called, will be available to help with year-end funding needs by supplying the dollars European banks need to finance their dollar loans and other dollar liabilities. At the least, this step represents a solid move toward financial coordination among central banks that may help ease what appears to be an upcoming global financial mess. John H. Makin ([email protected]) is a resident scholar at AEI Notes 1. "How to Save the Euro," The Economist, September 17, 2011, (accessed September 20, 2011). 2. White House Office of the Press Secretary, "Fact Sheet: Living Within Our Means and Investing in the Future: The President's Plan for Economic Growth and Deficit Reduction," September 19, 2011, (accessed September 22, 2011).
More bad news now it is the US thinking about the African Lion being added endangered list This is a discussion on More bad news now it is the US thinking about the African Lion being added endangered list within the Hunting Africa forums, part of the Hunting Forums - Hunting in Africa category; Borrowed this from another forum, sounds like we need some good data sent from the folks who really know the ... More bad news now it is the US thinking about the African Lion being added endangered list Borrowed this from another forum, sounds like we need some good data sent from the folks who really know the status of African Lion, that would be the folks in Africa, Louis better get mine heading home. But seems like a 12 month review but with current POS Obama I can see this going the bad for US hunters. you cannot respond by email or fax, you have to search by doc number as well to see the full report Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2012 08:57:09 -0500 Subject: Publication of a 90-day finding on a petition to list the African lion as endangered under the ESA I am writing to inform you that today, November 27, 2012, as endangered is warranted. To ensure that this status review is comprehensive,. Please visit Regulations.gov, Docket No. FWS-R9-ES-2012-0025 to view the 90-day finding, or * Maintenance Under the Act, a species may be determined to be an endangered or threatened species due to one or more of the following five factors: (a) the present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of the species habitat or range; (b) overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes; (c) disease or predation; (d) the inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms, and (e) other natural or manmade factors affecting the continued existence of the species. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. -- Amy Brisendine, Biologist Branch of Foreign Species Endangered Species Program U.S. Fish and Wildilfe Service Arlington, VA 22203>Bigun - Member of SCI, PHASA, IPHA - Hunted South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Tanzania - Jaco Strauss has no Articles - View Jaco Strauss's Photos This will ruin import into the US, and will cause a major loss of income for outfitters that base their companies exclusively in the states... My bestJaco Strauss Kwalata Wilderness safaris - South Africa [email protected] - Member of SCI and PHASA - Hunted South Africa and Zambia - Spiral Horn Safaris has no Articles - View Spiral Horn Safaris's Photos Good day gentleman I have been in contact with numerous friends who breed lion and as far as we know lions or the hunting of them would not be closing however US Fish and Wildlife will no doubt stop issuing cities permits making it illegal to export lion in to the US. This is not likely to happen next year but I do expect US Fish and Wildlife to stop issuing cities permits on lion within the next two years. This will no doubt be to the detriment of our lion populations none will be effected more so than our wild lion populations plus not being able to export lion to the US will defiantly cause South Africa to cut back on the breeding of lions. The lion bone trade is a very real threat to ALL LIONS! With a constant supply of captive bread lion bones being possibly cut in have at the very least (please note that I do not agree with the lion bone trade nor do I support it but I am afraid it does exist and there is a big market for these bones, we have to be real about it) all the pressure will fall on our wild lion populations. We would no doubt see a lot of lions being pouched all over Africa in Nature Reserves and Game Management Area's! It is a simply questions of supply and demand, the demand is currently there and having less lion bones around will no doubt raise the price of the supply making it worth while for poachers to take the big risk of pouching in our National Parks and other wild areas? To add to the problem poachers do not pouch according to a quota, nor do they care if the animal is mature or not, they would also use methods like snaring, poison and other forms of trapping since they are a bunch of scared spineless idiots! This will also help insure that other animals also get snared, trapped or poisoned just as an example leopards but don't worry those bones will be exported to Asia as well? It is funny how we have had the discussion hunting wild vs captive bread lions for years now. The majority of us could never agree on the topic the irony is, look where we are heading now thanks to standing divided on the topic, lion hunting will no doubt close for our US clients at the very least and the lion populations of Africa will be under pressure more than ever! I am afraid the fact that we as hunters can not even tolerate or respect each others choices has left the door open for the greenies to ensure the the King of Africa will be nothing more than a tame zoo animal and a great memory for the few who were ever fortunate enough to experience hunting a lion be it wild or captive bread? This is very very sad news for hunters and the lion populations all over Africa![SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Louis Van Bergen Spiral Horn Safaris - South Africa Cell:+ 27 76 577 6292 [email protected] AH Member - Joined - Nov 2012 - 19 - Member of SCI, PHASA - Hunted RSA, Zim, Botswana - JacquesvdW has no Articles - View JacquesvdW's Photos This is a very sad story indeed. Our Lions will end up the same way as our Rhinos.Keep the wind in face Jacques van der Westhuizen PH & Hunting Outfitter Jaquandi Safaris - Member of sci int, basc - Hunted zambia, tanzania, zimbabwe, hungary, france, england one poisoned carcass, one pride gone with all the other scavengers included. that wont take long to eradicate lions and a lot of other animals. shame these arsehol.s sitting at their desks dont seem to realise this. - Member of SCI and PHASA - Hunted South Africa and Zambia - Spiral Horn Safaris has no Articles - View Spiral Horn Safaris's Photos This should be a BIG wake up call for all of us as hunters whether your hunting fenced land or an open conservancy we must all stand together an protect the future of wildlife and our hunting heritage! Best Regards Louis van Bergen[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Lou. Twenty-four sub-species classifications have been suggested for modern lions. Some even question the sub-species classification of the Asiatic lion, currently classified as P.l. persica, due to the limited genetic difference (1.1%) to African lions this difference being smaller than those found between human racial groups. The IUCN currently recognizes two extant sub-species of lion: African lion Panthera leo leo (Linnaeus, 1758) Asiatic lion Panthera leo persica (Meyer, 1826 It could be that in the near future if a person from the US wants to hunt Lion it will be a captive breed or a darted and photo entery only and that is sad.Enjoy life now -- it has an expiration date. - Member of sci int, basc - Hunted zambia, tanzania, zimbabwe, hungary, france, england what you have to remember is kenya at the last 3 or so international cites conferences has lobbied for lions to be moved to appendix one of cities. most of the southern african countries along with other countries they brought on side managed to out vote and defeat this proposal. kenya is used as the puppet and funded in this effort by some of the biggest anti hunting organisations who also have accredited NGO status. seems like their propoganda/lobbying is working............. AH Fanatic - Joined - Nov 2011 - 731 - Hunted Norway, Sweden, England, South Africa - Norwegianwoods has no Articles - View Norwegianwoods's Photos I am not interested in hunting Lions myself, but I am totally able to see that if the US hunters can't import Lion trophies, then this is going to be a large threat to wild Lions. I am sure a large majority of Lions hunted are hunted by US hunters. Not only will we get a massive increase in wild Lions poached for the bones, but we will also see many more wild Lions killed because they will have no value for the locals around in Africa anymore. The Lions will just be a danger to their life and their domestic animals and not a source of income. Similar Threads African Lion and Lying AfricanBy TOM in forum Humor, Ridiculous, Shocking Jokes, Stories or PicturesReplies: 3Last Post: 08-31-2012, 07:57 AM White Lion Safari's, My 8th African Safari, My White LionBy The Artistry of Wildlife in forum South Africa Hunting ReportsReplies: 6Last Post: 07-08-2012, 07:03 PM EIGHT NEW COLOURS ADDED TO SPRINGBOK GRAND SLAM - Genetic ManipulationBy BRICKBURN in forum Latest Hunting NewsReplies: 16Last Post: 02-13-2012, 07:17 PM African lion may be added to U.S. endangered species list to curb trophy huntersBy AfricaHunting.com in forum Latest Hunting NewsReplies: 18Last Post: 05-19-2011, 06:54 AM The lion bone trade sad sad news for all!By Spiral Horn Safaris in forum Latest Hunting NewsReplies: 15Last Post: 08-24-2010, 03
Protein-Based Coating Could Help Rehabilitate Long-Term Brain Function Tuesday, July 31, 2012 TAU researchers develop bioactive coating to "camouflage" neutral electrodes Brain-computer interfaces are at the cutting edge for treatment of neurological and psychological disorder, including Parkinson's, epilepsy, and depression. Among the most promising advance is deep brain stimulation (DBS) — a method in which a silicon chip implanted under the skin ejects high frequency currents that are transferred to the brain through implanted electrodes that transmit and receive the signals. These technologies require a seamless interaction between the brain and the hardware. But there's a catch. Identified as foreign bodies by the immune system, the brain attacks the electrodes and forms a barrier to the brain tissue, making it impossible for the electrodes to communicate with brain activity. So while the initial implantation can diminish symptoms, after a few short years or even months, the efficacy of this therapy begins to wane. Now Aryeh Taub of Tel Aviv University's School of Psychological Sciences, along with Prof. Matti Mintz, Roni Hogri and Ari Magal of TAU's School of Psychological Sciences and Prof. Yosi Shacham-Diamand of TAU's School of Electrical Engineering, has developed a bioactive coating which not only "camouflages" the electrodes in the brain tissue, but actively suppresses the brain's immune response. By using a protein called an "interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist" to coat the electrodes, the multi-disciplinary team of researchers has found a potential resolution to turn a method for short-term relief into a long-term solution. This development was reported in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. Limiting the immune response To overcome the creation of the barrier between the tissue and the electrode, the researchers sought to develop a method for placing the electrode in the brain tissue while hiding the electrode from the brain's immune defenses. Previous research groups have coated the electrodes with various proteins, says Taub, but the TAU team decided to take a different approach by using a protein that is active within the brain itself, thereby suppressing the immune reaction against the electrodes. In the brain, the IL-1 receptor antagonist is crucial for maintaining physical stability by localizing brain damage, Taub explains. For example, if a person is hit on the head, this protein works to create scarring in specific areas instead of allowing global brain scarring. In other words, it stops the immune system from overreacting. The team's coating, the first to be developed from this particular protein, not only integrates the electrodes into the brain tissue, but allows them to contribute to normal brain functioning. In pre-clinical studies with animal models, the researchers found that their coated electrodes perform better than both non-coated and "naïve protein"-coated electrodes that had previously been examined. Measuring the number of damaged cells at the site of implantation, researchers found no apparent difference between the site of electrode implantation and healthy brain tissue elsewhere, Taub says. In addition, evidence suggests that the coated electrodes will be able to function for long periods of time, providing a more stable and long-term treatment option. Restoring brain function Approximately 30,000 people worldwide are currently using deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat neurological or psychological conditions. And DBS is only the beginning. Taub believes that, in the future, an interface with the ability to restore behavioral or motor function lost due to tissue damage is achievable — especially with the help of their new electrode coating. "We duplicate the function of brain tissue onto a silicon chip and transfer it back to the brain," Taub says, explaining that the electrodes will pick up brain waves and transfer these directly to the chip. "The chip then does the computation that would have been done in the damaged tissue, and feeds the information back into the brain — prompting functions that would have otherwise gotten lost." For more neuroscience news from Tel Aviv University, click here. Keep up with the latest AFTAU news on Twitter:. Quick links About AFTAU Upcoming Events About TAU Publications Donate Other recent news
TAU Researcher Says Plants Can See, Smell, Feel, and Taste Monday, July 30, 2012 Unlocking the secrets of plant genetics could lead to breakthroughs in cancer research and food security Increasingly, scientists are uncovering surprising biological connections between humans and other forms of life. Now a Tel Aviv University researcher has revealed that plant and human biology is much closer than has ever been understood — and the study of these similarities could uncover the biological basis of diseases like cancer as well as other "animal" behaviors. have "senses" such as sight, smell, touch, and taste. Ultimately, he adds, if we share so much of our genetic makeup with plants, we have to reconsider what characterizes us as human. These findings could prompt scientists to rethink what they know about biology, says Prof. Chamovitz, pointing out that plants serve as an excellent model for experiments on a cellular level. This research is also crucial to food security, he adds, noting that knowledge about plant genetics and how plants sense and respond to their environment is central to ensuring a sufficient food supply for the growing population — one of the main goals of the Manna Center. Seeing the light Prof. Daniel Chamovitz One of the most intriguing discoveries of recent years is that a group of plant genes used to regulate responses to light is also part of the human DNA. These affect responses like the circadian rhythm, the immune system, and cell division. A plant geneticist, Prof. Chamovitz was researching the way plants react to light when he discovered an group of genes that were responsible for a plant "knowing" whether it was in the light or in the dark. He first believed that these genes were specific to plant life, but was surprised to later identify the same group of genes in humans and animals. "The same group of proteins that plants use to decide if they are in the light or dark is also used by animals and humans," Prof. Chamovitz says. "For example, these proteins control two seemingly separate processes. First, they control the circadian rhythm, the biological clock that helps our bodies keep a 24 hour schedule. Second, they control the cell cycle — which means we can learn more about mutations in these genes that lead to cancer." In experiments with fruit flies who had a mutated version of one of these genes, Prof. Chamovitz and his fellow researchers observed that the flies not only developed a fly form of leukemia, but also that their circadian rhythm was disrupted, leading to a condition somewhat like permanent jet-lag. Plants use light as a behavioral signal, letting them know when to open their leaves to gather necessary nutrients. This response to light can be viewed as a rudimentary form of sight, contends Prof. Chamovitz, noting that the plants "see" light signals, including color, direction, and intensity, then integrate this information and decide on a response. And plants do all this without the benefit of a nervous system. And that's not the limit of plant "senses." Plants also demonstrate smell — a ripe fruit releases a "ripening pheromone" in the air, which is detected by unripe fruit and signals them to follow suit — as well as the ability to feel and taste. To some degree, plants also have different forms of "memory," allowing them to encode, store, and retrieve information. Just like us Beyond the genes that regulate responses to light, plants and humans share a bevy of other proteins and genes — for example, the genes that cause cystic fibrosis and breast cancer. Plants might not come down with these diseases, but the biological basis is the same, says Prof. Chamovitz. Because of this, plants are an excellent first stop when looking for a biological model, and could replace or at least enhance animal models for human disease in some types of research. He is working alongside Prof. Yossi Shiloh, Israel Prize winner and incumbent of the David and Inez Myers Chair of Cancer Genetics at Tel Aviv University
We all work hard to protect our valuables. We buy insurance policies to protect our homes from theft or fire and we invest in safes to store jewelry, old coins and birth certificates. Despite this, most of us are not working hard enough to protect one of the most valuable things we own – our good name. Identity theft is on the rise nationwide and is helped along by lenders and creditors who are willing to grant thousands of dollars in credit in mere minutes with little or no proof of identity. In today’s electronic age, an ID thief can easily, and sometimes legally, tap into your personal information with just a click of the computer mouse. A few bits of personal data are a gold mine for information crooks looking to steal your identity. An impostor using personal information like your address, birthdate, Social Security or credit card number, can acquire phony credit cards, private phone lines, siphon money from your checking or savings account, get a mortgage and even give you a criminal record. Identity thieves may rummage through trash searching for discarded account statements, pre-approved credit card offers or credit receipts, search public records for your address, and even rob your mailbox. It may take a few months, but eventually you’ll start getting calls from creditors demanding payment for charges that you never made. A strange bank may call you about an overdrawn account in your name – an account you never opened. Identity theft takes months for you to detect, and sometimes years or longer to unravel. This booklet will help you guard your privacy, protect your personal information and avoid identity fraud. Chapter 1: What is Personal Information and Identity Theft? The Personal Information Trade When we wonder or worry about who might be snooping in our private affairs, we often think about the government, “Big Brother,” watching our homes, telephone calls, or travels; however, today there is another threat to our privacy in the network of commercial databases that keep personal information about each one of us. Personalization The sale, collection, and integration of personal information about consumers are new industries in the information age. There are currently over 1,000 private companies keeping comprehensive databases about individual consumers, a ten-fold increase in just five years. These companies do not engage in the “mass marketing” of products or the researching of general demographic groups. Rather, they focus on gathering as much information as possible about specific people to engage in what is sometimes called “personalization” or “personal marketing.” Technology now allows these businesses to cheaply gather information about consumers, and then sort and categorize the data, sometimes called “data mining,” to isolate specific people for “target marketing” purposes. Personal Information The information possessed by these companies goes far beyond mere demographic data. For example, a privacy lawsuit against a marketing company revealed the types of information contained in its database. Its computer files contained more than 900 tidbits of information on individual consumers dating back more than a decade. One individual’s file was reportedly 25 single-spaced pages and contained information such as her income, marital status, hobbies, medical ailments, her preferred brand of antacid tablets, whether she had dentures, and how often she had used room deodorizers, sleeping aids, and hemorrhoid remedies. The array of information available is limited only by the technology itself. Each electronically recorded transaction – from your use of credit, debit or ATM cards to your payment of mortgage or student loans – provides a glimpse into your private life. When layered on top of one another, these pieces of information create a complete picture of you as an individual. Here are a few examples of the personal information trade: One company maintains a database that operates twenty-four hours a day, gathering and processing information on 95% of American households. For a price, it will sort information based on income, lifestyle (outdoor, mechanic, intelligence, etc.), or even a profile of “ethnics who may speak their native language but do not think in that manner.” Another company offers lists of people with particular medical conditions. In 1999, it offered for sale nearly 50 lists of individuals suffering from different medical ailments. It sells the names and addresses of 427, 000 people who are clinically depressed, 1.4 million women who have yeast infections, and 1 million individuals who have diabetes. It also sells lists of people with Alzheimer’s Disease, birth defects, Parkinson’s Disease, and “physical handicaps.” A New York company offers the names of high school students according to GPA, religion, ethnicity, and SAT scores. A hospital sells the names of its patients who may be eligible for social security insurance to a lawyer. No information appears to be too personal for companies to collect or too insignificant to sell. In 1999, electronic research companies were selling unlisted phone numbers for $49, social security numbers for $49, and bank balances for $45. A company will obtain another person’s driving record for $35, trace a cell phone call for $84, or create a list of stocks, bonds, and securities for $209. This personal data is merged into a consumer tracking and information system that becomes larger every day it is sold to whomever may be interested in buying. Each piece of information gathered, stored, and sorted by these large databases represents an erosion of your right to privacy. The personal information trade also enables a special kind of telemarketing called pre-acquired account telemarketing. Pre-acquired account telemarketing occurs when a telemarketer calls you with the ability to charge your credit card or bank account already in their hand. Unlike most telemarketers, these companies have acquired the ability to charge your account for the product that they are selling before they call you. A typical telemarketing sale, not involving pre-acquired accounts, requires that you provide a credit card or other account number to the telemarketer, or that you send a check or sign a contract in a later transaction. Providing a signature or an account number – like paying cash – is a readily recognizable way for you, as the buyer, to give your consent or assent to a deal. Pre-acquired account telemarketing removes these short-hand methods for you to control when you have agreed to a purchase. Instead, the telemarketer controls the method by which you provide “consent” to the transaction, making the determination whether you have actually consented to the deal. This puts the telemarketer in a privileged position, such that he or she can charge your bank account or credit card in situations where you would never have voluntarily provided your account number to the caller. Identity Theft Identity theft occurs in a variety of ways and has different labels. Two key variations are commonly referred to by law enforcement as “true name” or “true party” frauds and “account takeover” frauds. With “true name” or “true party” fraud, the thief pretends to be you. The thief uses pieces of your identity to obtain new credit cards from banks and retailers, open checking and savings accounts, apply for loans, establish accounts with utility companies, or rent an apartment. The thief can ultimately ring up a tab worth thousands of dollars – all in your name. In an “account takeover” fraud, the thief steals your money and/or assets. The thief obtains enough personal information about you to gain access to existing credit or bank accounts. Thieves impersonating you contact creditors and banks to order additional cards on the account and have the cards sent to their address instead of yours. The thief may also file a change of address with the postal service to divert any newly ordered credit cards or checks into his or her hands. Identity theft is usually more complex than an ordinary case of credit card fraud. Armed with just one or two pieces of identifying information, such as your birth date or address, a thief can assume your financial identity, access your existing accounts, and obtain a wide range of services and benefits in your name. Identity Thieves Interviews with victims of identity theft and experts have revealed a wide range of thief profiles. Thieves may be friends, relatives, co-workers, employees at companies or organizations with personal information about you in their databanks, and, worst of all, total strangers, who gain access to your personal information through any number of means. Victims of Identity Theft Creditworthy consumers with high incomes are the preferred prey of identity thieves, but almost any of us is a potential victim. It is impossible for you to totally eliminate the possibility of falling prey to identity fraud. To lessen the chance of becoming a victim keep a tight rein on your personal information, get off telemarketing lists, stop businesses from sharing your private information, dispose of sensitive documents safely, and closely monitor your finances. Legal Protections Against Identity Theft> Under Minnesota and federal law, a person who knowingly transfers, possesses, or uses an identity that is not the person’s own, with the intent to commit, aid, or abet any unlawful activity, is guilty of felony identity theft. In Minnesota, the maximum prison term and/or fine for violating the identity theft statute varies depending on the number and type of victims and amount of money stolen. Though laws exist to help prosecute identity theft, prevention is better. The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act establishes procedures for correcting mistakes on your credit report and requires that your record only be provided for legitimate business purposes. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act prohibits debt collectors from using unfair or deceptive practices to collect overdue bills that your creditor has forwarded for collection. The Fair Credit Billing Act establishes procedures for resolving billing errors on your credit card accounts. The act provides the most important protection for victims of identity theft. If you notify your card issuer at the address given for “billing inquiries” within 60 days after you receive a bill with an error, the act allows you to dispute the erroneous charge. The Truth in Lending Act limits your liability for unauthorized credit card charges on lost or stolen cards to $50 per account. If you notify your card issuer before the thief’s unauthorized use, your liability will be $0. Therefore, if a company tries to sell you a credit card “protection” against unauthorized charges, you don’t need it. The federal law already protects you from significant monetary liability. The Electronic Funds Transfer Act provides protection for all transactions using your debit card or other electronic means to debit or credit an account. It also limits your liability to $500 for unauthorized electronic fund transfers. Your Personal Information Is Not As Safe As You Think Today, personal financial information is widely accessible through a variety of sources. Identity thieves legally obtain much of the information they need. Often, additional information is obtained illegally, but at low risk and low cost. Credit Bureaus The three major credit bureaus – Experian, Equifax and Trans Union – and other credit reporting agencies, produce hundreds of millions of credit reports each year. The reports include a wealth of personal information about you including your date of birth, addresses, social security number, credit account information, public records and employment data. Credit reports are easy for unauthorized people to get. All a thief needs is your name, Social Security number and a current or previous address. Credit bureaus, to their credit, only send reports to the current address displayed on the report. However, thieves anticipate this move by sending a creditor a pre-approved credit offer using your name and the thief’s address. The credit reporting system is designed to automatically update your file, so the report is sent to the thief instead of you. The thief then has all the information they need to steal your identity Easy Access to Credit In the United States today credit is easier to obtain than ever. We expect quick loans, which enable us to grab a surprise bargain or finance an emergency. Easy credit makes for easy crime. The credit approval process often amounts to little more than matching two bits of information on an application – a name and a Social Security number – with a credit report. Social Security Numbers as Universal Identifiers When social security numbers were first issued in 1936, the federal government assured the public that use of the numbers would be limited to Social Security programs. Today, however, the social security number is the most frequently used record keeping number in the United States. Social security numbers are used for employee files, medical records, health insurance accounts, credit and banking accounts, university ID cards, and many other purposes. In fact, a social security number is now required for dependents over one year of age. Computer records have replaced paper filing systems in most organizations. Since more than one person may share the same name, accurate retrieval of information works best if each file is assigned a unique number. Many businesses and governmental agencies believe the social security number is tailor-made for this purpose. Because your social security number is frequently used as your identification number in business and government computer databases, information about you in one database is easily linked to other databases that contain different types of private information. Using your social security number as a universal identifier makes it possible for identity thieves to gain a more complete picture of your financial records and personal information. Private Information Check List What Is a Credit Bureau? A credit bureau is a clearinghouse for credit history information. Creditors provide the bureaus with information about how their customers pay their bills. The bureaus assemble this information, along with public record information obtained from courthouses around the country. Then they turn this data into a “file” on each consumer. In return, creditors can obtain credit reports about consumers who wish to open accounts with their business or organization. There are more than 1,000 local and regional credit bureaus throughout the United States. Most credit bureaus are either owned by, or are under contract with, one of the nation’s three major credit card bureaus – Experian, Trans Union and Equifax. These national agencies maintain centralized databases containing the credit records of more than 170 million Americans. Credit bureaus generate more than a half billion reports per year. What Is In a Credit Report? Credit reports are a gold mine of information about you. The report contains your name, Social Security number, address, credit payment status and employment history. A credit report also contains legal information including liens, bankruptcy and other matters of public record. Federal and state laws restrict who has access to your sensitive information and how it can be used. Anyone with a “legitimate business purpose” can gain access to your credit history, including: those considering granting you credit, landlords, insurance companies, employers and potential employers, and companies with which you have a credit account. Certain pieces of information cannot be included in your credit report: Medical information (unless you give your consent). Negative information, including a bankruptcy that is more than 10 years old. Debts that are more than seven years old. Information about your age, marital status, or race cannot be included in your report if requested by a prospective employer. Experts recommend looking at your credit report every year and before making a major purchase. Every year consumers can get a free credit report from each of the credit agencies — Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. The credit bureaus have created a centralized website, toll-free telephone number and mailing address for Minnesota consumers to order their reports. Annual reports may be requested the following way: - Logging on to: - Calling: 1-877-322-8228 - Writing: Annual Credit Report Request Service P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA., 30348-5281 If you have already received your free annual credit report, Minnesota law allows you to purchase another credit report once a year for $3 from each of the credit bureaus, separately. You are entitled to one free copy of your report each year if (1) you’re unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days, (2) you’re on welfare, or (3) your report is inaccurate because of fraud. In addition there is no charge for the report if a company takes adverse action against you, such as denying your application for credit, insurance or employment, and you request your report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action. You may use the Credit File Request Form, located on page 23 of this booklet to order your credit report. To do so, contact one or more of the three national credit bureaus: Equifax PO Box 105851 Atlanta, GA 30348-5851 1-800-685-1111 Experian PO Box 2104 Allen, TX 75013-9595 1-888-397-3742 TransUnion PO Box 1000 Chester, PA 19022 1-800-888-4213 What Is Your Social Security Statement? Your Social Security Statement provides both a statement of past earnings and an estimate of future benefits you will receive from Social Security. The statement shows how much you’ve paid into Social Security over your working years. The statement also shows how much you can expect to receive when you retire or if you become disabled. You can also determine from the statement how much your family is entitled to receive if you die. The Social Security Administration recommends that you check your Social Security earnings at least once every three years. After that it becomes more difficult to trace the earnings. A Social Security Statement is available upon request. To get a statement, call the Social Security Administration’s toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). What Is on My Driving Record? Driver and Vehicle Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, keeps records on drivers (such as driver license and driver history information), and about vehicles (such as ownership information). Information stored about you includes your name, address, social security number, physical description (height, weight, eye color), date of birth, status of your driver’s license, whether corrective lenses are needed for driving, and if you are an organ donor. In addition, a record is kept of any moving violations that you are convicted of, and whether you have medical conditions that may affect driving. Who Can Get the Information in My Driving Record? The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) enforcers, for use by insurers to investigate claims or fraud, for use by an employer to verify that you have a commercial driver’s license, or for use in legal proceedings. Most of the remaining data in your driving record is less protected. That data can be released without your consent not only to government agencies, insurers, employers and in legal proceedings for the purposes above, but also to: Auto manufacturers, for uses related to auto safety, theft, emissions, alterations, recalls, advisories, market research, and performance monitoring; Legitimate businesses, but only in the normal course of business to verify the accuracy of personal information you submitted so as to prevent fraud or recover a debt; Researchers, to publish statistical reports that do not identify individuals; Towing companies, to notify owners of towed or impounded autos; Toll companies, to operate private toll transportation facilities (if Minnesota had such facilities) Licensed private investigators or security services, for any of these purposes; or Any person who has obtained your written consent. However, if a person or business requests your driving record for a purpose other than one permitted above (by federal law), then DPS will not release your driving record unless you have expressly consented by checking a box on your license or ownership application renewal. Thus, without your consent, no commercial or business firms can access your record to add your name to direct-mail, telemarketing, or survey list. What Is in My Medical Information Report?, medications prescribed, and the results of surgery and other medical procedures. A wide range of people, in and out of the health care industry, may access your medical information. Generally, access to your records is obtained when you agree to let others see them. You probably signed a blanket waiver or general consent form at some point when you obtained medical care. When you sign such a waiver, you allow the health care provider to release your medical information to insurance companies, government agencies and others. The Medical Information Bureau (MIB) is an organization that compiles a central database of medical information. Approximately 15 million Americans and Canadians are on file in the MIBs computers. More than 750 insurance firms use the services of the MIB, primarily to obtain information about life insurance and individual health insurance policy applicants. You are entitled to a free medical record disclosure once a year. You can get a copy by calling the Medical Information Bureau toll-free at: 1-866-692-6901. For other questions or to correct your report, write to: Medical Information Bureau P.O. Box 105 Essex Stations Boston, MA 02112 Phone: (617) 426-3660 Businesses and Other Organizations With Information About You It is not just the government or creditors that collect and distribute information about you and your buying practices. Banks, insurance companies, charities and others have personal information about you that you may not want other people to know. You should compile a list of the businesses and organizations that have information about you. When forming new relationships with an organization or company, ask what will be done with your information and who will have access to it. Information is power in our society. Knowing who has what information about you allows you some control over how that information is used. Don’t hesitate to let companies and organizations know you expect them to respect your privacy. Sale of Personal Information by State and Local Governments Public records containing personal information such as homeowners’ documents, police and court records, utility records, and marriage and divorce records have always been available for sale in paper form. With the growing use of computer databases and the Internet, however, it is easier than ever to obtain these records for fraudulent use without leaving behind a paper trail. Public databases can now be accessed directly from many government computers and through commercial database vendors. Identity thieves range from old-fashioned pickpockets to sophisticated theft rings with equipment that can re-encode the magnetic strip on the back of counterfeit or stolen credit cards. In an effort to compile personal information, identity theft rings sometimes enlist cleaning people (who retrieve data from office wastebaskets), corrupt merchants (who sell credit card sales receipts), and employees of financial institutions and brokerage firms who process financial transactions. Next Page: Chapter 2: A Look at Identity Thieves
Job OpportunitiesBelow are positions open at gospel rescue missions across North America. Please contact the appropriate organization directly to inquire about specific jobs. Check back often for new available positions. (See below for information on placing ads.) Recent Classified Listings Jacksonville, Florida: Vice President of Development—City Rescue Mission of Jacksonville seeks a vice president of development to “create and execute a strategy for revenue growth at a constantly improving ROI.” This individual will be part of senior leadership team and should be driven by a desire for continuous improvement. Must have five or more year’s managerial experience in fundraising or relational sales with a demonstrated history of managing for results. Bachelor’s degree in related field. Master’s preferred. Send résumé and cover letter to [email protected]. Jacksonville, Florida: Director of Emergency Services and Recovery Programs—City Rescue Mission seeks someone to direct our Christ-centered emergency services and recovery programs. Will be part of senior leadership team and supervise a staff of 47. Should be driven by desire for continuous improvement evidenced by outcomes measurement. Must have at least five years managerial experience with a demonstrated history of managing for results, preferably in a human services environment. Master’s degree in a related field or bachelor’s with related certification. Send cover letter and résumé to [email protected]. Added 5/15/2013 Colorado Springs, Colorado: Graduate Services Program Director—The Springs Rescue Mission is seeking a qualified director to provide leadership and direction to its graduate services program. Email résumé or questions to [email protected]. Added 5/15/2013 Buellton, California: Multiple Personnel—Want to follow Christ’s call to sell all and follow Him? White Stone Ranch offers unique opportunity in Santa Barbara County for people to consecrate their lives to serving the needy in pilot program. Added 5/15/2013 Newark, New Jersey: Director of Development—Goodwill Rescue Mission is seeking an experienced director of development. Responsible for strategic diversity and growth of our fundraising and marketing, including direct mail operations with our direct response agency, foundation grant management, and church and major gift donor relations. Contact Ron Schober at [email protected]. Added 5/1/2013 Hagerstown, Maryland: Thrift Store Manager—The Hope Center is seeking a qualified manager to manage the daily operations of the ministry's two thrift stores. Email résumé to [email protected]. Added 5/1/2013 Inverness, Florida: Case Manager—The Path of Citrus County is looking for a male case manager apprentice for its shelter. This is a live-in position, with room and board paid, plus hourly wage. The mission will pay for case management training for the right person. Driver’s license required. Fax résumé to (352)489-8505. Added 5/1/2013 Orlando, Florida: All Things Sweet Manager—Responsible for proactively soliciting corporate sales accounts, securing and working food truck stop locations, and serving as spokesperson for Orlando Union Rescue Mission’s culinary training program. To apply, email résumé to [email protected]. Added 5/1/2013 Orlando, Florida: Donor Services Coordinator—Responsible for the data entry of donor gifts into PledgeMaker and ensuring timely completion of donation acknowledgments (receipts), reports, and other projects. To apply, email résumé to [email protected]. Added 5/1/2013 Orlando, Florida: Community Relations Coordinator—Proactively builds relationships and engages community by sharing about Orlando Union Rescue Mission’s work through news coverage, special events, mission fairs, speaking engagements, and other community events. To apply, email résumé to [email protected]. Added 5/1/2013 Santa Rosa, California: Women’s and Children’s Shelter Staff—Redwood Gospel Mission has an open position in its women’s and children’s shelter. Seeking a woman with a heart for the homeless to join the mission’s team. Candidate needs to be flexible, calm, and have a clean driving record. Previous experience with homeless preferred. Interested applicants should call (707) 573-0490 or email [email protected]. Added 5/1/2013 Phoenix, Arizona: Program Director—Phoenix Rescue Mission is seeking a program director to provide oversight to their Christ-centered emergency shelter and residential recovery programs for men. Candidates should have extensive experience in providing oversight to large therapeutic community programs for men, women, and families with addiction, homelessness, domestic violence, and/or other life-controlling problems. The program director must have good leadership, administrative, and supervisory skills. Candidates must be master’s level and license is preferred. All interested candidates should email résumés to [email protected]. Added 5/1/2013 Long Beach, California: Executive Director—The Long Beach Rescue Mission is looking for an executive director. For information please check the mission’s website at, or contact Cindy Pena at (562) 591-1292, ext. 112; via email at [email protected]. Added 5/1/2013 To list a Job Opportunity on the AGRM website: Jobs listed here are first placed in Street Smart, AGRM’s e-newsletter, which is published twice a month. Members of AGRM can place a 30-word classified ad listing available positions in two consecutive issues of Street Smart at no charge; additional words will be charged at 50 cents per word. Non-members can place an ad for $25 per issue for a 30-word ad; additional words will be charged at 50 cents per word. AGRM members can renew ads after the second placement at $15 per issue for a 30-word ad. Email desired ad placement to Brad Lewis (subject line: Street Smart advertising). Ads are subject to editing to conform to Street Smart style, and AGRM reserves the right to reject any ads or sponsorships it deems inappropriate for members. All ads are due one week before issue date.
ANTHEM - Mountain Pointe emerged from a sloppy first half of play to upset No. 14 Boulder Creek 43-36 in a first-round matchup in the Division I state tournament on Wednesday. While an abundance of turnovers factored into the play of both teams, the defensive effort from No. 19 Pride was the main reason the team will be advancing in the playoffs. After the Jaguars beat Mountain Pointe 54-47 in the first round of the Division I, Section III tournament last week, Pride coach Trevor Neider knew defense would be the key to returning the favor. Defensively, Mountain Pointe came ready to play. "I just thought defensively we played 100 percent better," Neider said. "We didn't shoot much better, but we played defense so we didn't have to shoot as well." The Pride (22-9) had a total of 13 steals, eight of which came from junior Ashley Clubb and sophomore Kaylah Lupoe, both of whom missed time in the first meeting because of illness. No steal was bigger than Caitlyn Hetrick's in the fourth quarter, though. After scoring, Hetrick got in front of the Boulder Creek in-bounds pass and put it up for another quick two points, contributing to her team's decisive nine-point run. To go along with the steal, Hetrick finished with 11 points, three rebounds and three assists. After only playing about five minutes in last week's matchup, the 6-foot-1 Lupoe was given the assignment of covering junior Sam Young, at 6 feet 3 inches, of the Jaguars. Lupoe more than completed that assignment, finishing with a triple-double of 10 points, 12 rebounds, four steals and 10 blocks. Most of her blocks came while playing blanket defense on Young, which caused Boulder Creek to go elsewhere with the ball. Young still managed to score nine points and bring down nine rebounds, but the damage could have been worse. "Sitting there, I watched (last week's game) and I saw what I needed to do, so I came in this game and played good defense," Lupoe said. "I needed to shut (Young) down because that would give us a chance." Disorganized play by both sides marred the first quarter. Boulder Creek (23-7) began trapping on defense early in the second quarter, which allowed the team to take advantage of the Pride's mistakes and end the half on an eight-point run with a 20-15 lead. Mountain Pointe's biggest mistakes came on the simplest of techniques: dribbling. Traveling violations kept the Pride from getting much of an offensive rhythm going through the first two quarters. "I think it's just a focus thing," Neider said. "We catch it and we just go out of control. That's something we've talked about all year and we work on it every day." Despite the first-half mistakes, Mountain Pointe came out of halftime a different team, reenergized and confident. "Halftime we just said if we play defense (and) if we hold them under 40, I said I'd be more than happy with that," Neider said. "At some point, we've got to make something. Luckily, we did." The Pride move on to face No. 3 Saint Mary's, the top-ranked team in the nation, on the road on Friday. "It's an honor that we get to play them," Lupoe said. "We're really happy and we're really pumped. Hopefully we have a good game." Chris Cole is interning this semester for the Ahwatukee Foothills News. He is a sophomore at Arizona State University.
Long Wait Over for Snecma Silvercrest. According to Snecma, the Silvercrest will burn 15 percent less fuel, emit 50 percent less nitrous oxide (NOx) than the CAEP/6 standard and halve the noise footprint “compared to existing engines in the 10,000- to 12,000-pound class.” The contract with Cessna was signed just a few days ago, Pierre Fabre, Snecma’s chairman and CEO, told an EBACE show press conference. Has his company signed a contract with another business jet manufacturer for the Silvercrest yet? “The only contract we can talk about today is the Cessna one,” replied Fabre. Another hint was he would not say when Silvercrest production begins. The Silvercrest has long been rumored to be selected for the still-under-wraps Dassault Falcon SMS super-midsized jet, which expected to be unveiled next year. Two Silvercrest engines will provide 11,000 pounds of thrust each on the Longitude. Snecma has started running the engine core, and the first full engine is due to go to test this summer at its Villaroche factory near Paris, which also produces large numbers of CFM International engines for Airbus and Boeing airliners. Flight testing of the engine is due to start in the first half of 2013 using a Gulfstream GII (see box) and engine certification is pegged for 2015. Eight engines will take part to the certification effort, said Laurence Finet, the program’s general manager. The first engine is now being assembled after full-scale engine development started in the third quarter of 2010. The Silvercrest’s cold section is made of a 42.5-inch. The bypass ratio is close to 6:1, Finet added. In terms of maintenance, Snecma emphasizes the Silvercrest is a “true on-condition engine,” with no fixed interval. No hot-section inspection will be required. Another feature will be in-flight engine monitoring capability. As the flying testbed for the Silvercrest will be a Gulfstream GII, what about re-engining the venerable business jet? “Why not? We are studying all possibilities,” Laurence Finet, Silvercrest program general manager, told AIN. During the flight tests, the GII will have one of its Rolls-Royce Speys replaced with a Silvercrest. Snecma obtained the GII from sister company Sagem, which had been using it as a testbed for avionics upgrades but no longer needed it.
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – The experts have spoken, and they’ll continue to speak right up until kickoff time Monday. The authorities on a BCS Championship Game that has the college football world buzzing include three coaches who have won national championships at Alabama or Notre Dame. Former Alabama coaches present a strong case for the Crimson Tide, a 9½-point favorite. Former Notre Dame coaches make more of a lukewarm case for the Fighting Irish, which is 5-1 against Alabama. Gene Stallings, who coached Alabama to the 1992 national championship, picks the Tide to win 24-7. Ray Perkins, who coached Alabama to its only victory over Notre Dame in 1986, picks the Tide to win by two or three touchdowns. Bill Oliver, who suffered through three losses to Notre Dame in the 1970s as an assistant coach under Paul Bryant and later assisted Stallings, sees Alabama winning by as many as three touchdowns. Ara Parseghian, who coached Notre Dame to two national championships (1966 and ’73) and two victories over Alabama (1973 and ’74), laughs when asked if he has a prediction, then punts. Lou Holtz, who coached Notre Dame to its most recent national championship in 1988, picks the Fighting Irish to win but stops short of predicting a score or margin. PICK ALABAMA • Mark May, ESPN: “When you look at the meat-grinder schedule they (Alabama) played in the best conference – without a doubt, nobody will argue – the SEC. … Notre Dame hasn’t played in a championship game since Moby Dick was a minnow. They don’t know how to play under that pressure. … The SEC has won six championships in a row. They (Alabama) know how to win championships. Notre Dame does not.” • Stewart Mandel, Sports Illustrated: “Both teams will struggle to run the ball against the other's front seven. Irish quarterback Everett Golson may be able to pick on the Tide's secondary early, but Nick Saban's team will eventually adjust. Meanwhile, after relying heavily on his tight ends, Alabama's AJ McCarron will eventually connect deep down the sideline with wideout Amari Cooper for a couple of game-changing plays.” Score: Alabama 17, Notre Dame 10 • Sporting News: .” • WhatIfSports.com (computer simulation): “A defensive slugging match was busted open by two third-quarter runs from Alabama's T.J. Yeldon. The first, a 57-yarder, brought the Crimson Tide to within a point of Notre Dame. The second, from 40 yards out, secured another national championship for Alabama and the SEC.” Score: Alabama 16, Notre Dame 13 • EA Sports (computer simulation): Alabama 21, Notre Dame 20 • Sports Illustrated – Alabama 23, Notre Dame 16 • Graham Watson, Yahoo! Sports • Yahoo! Users (71 percent pick Alabama) • Dennis Dodd , CBSSports.com • Seven USA Today pickers, including national writer George Schroeder • ESPN.com • Will Harris, ESPN.com (fantasy college football analyst): Alabama 17, Notre Dame 13 • Phil Steele, PhilSteele.com • PhilSteele.com users (74 percent pick Alabama) THEY ALSO PICK NOTRE DAME • Pat Forde, Yahoo! Sports • Dan Wolken, USA Today • Bruce Feldman, CBSSports.com CBS analyst Gary Danielson expects Alabama to romp. Mark May, Holtz’s counterpart in an ESPN college football studio show, also likes the Tide. And for what it’s worth, two computer-game simulations predict Alabama victories, but by close margins. Here are some of the analyses and prognostications: - Ara Parseghian (Notre Dame coach, 1964-74; 1966 and 1973 national championships): “It’s going to be a low-scoring game, because both of them have good defenses, and generally in championship games, teams play it a little closer to the vest. … You’ll see both teams attack the vulnerabilities that they see in film study. … I was surprised that Georgia ran well against Alabama. If Notre Dame can establish a running game, because stopping the run seems to be a strength of Alabama’s defense, the chances of winning are enhanced.” … Notre Dame QB Everett Golson “has improved dramatically since the start of the season. He started out slow. About midseason, you could see him get the confidence and handle the offense. His ability to handle the audibles are vastly improved.” Prediction: “Yeah, I have a prediction. I’m going to enjoy watching that game.” - Gene Stallings (Alabama coach, 1990-96; 1992 national championship): “Alabama’s got the best football team. If they play to the best of their capabilities, they’ll win. The best football team doesn’t always win, but it wins most of the time. If Alabama can run the football the way they’ve been running it, and they can play defense the way they’ve been playing it, it’s going to be hard for Notre Dame to have a whole lot of success. The magnitude of the game, it’s not like Alabama hasn’t won a national championship in the last two or three years, but it’s the first time Notre Dame has played for a national championship in a while. Notre Dame is going to be pumped up as well as they can be. … Notre Dame is going to be thinking national championship. Alabama is going to be thinking it’s the next game on their schedule.” Prediction: Alabama 24, Notre Dame 7 - Lou Holtz (Notre Dame coach, 1986-96; 1988 national championship): “The fact that you have a quarterback that can run in Everett Golson … gives them problems. In Theo Riddick you have a young man who was a wide receiver for three years, now plays tailback. You have (tight end) Tyler Eifert, could have went to school on a basketball scholarship. You can split him out, throw the alley or three wide receivers because of what Theo Riddick is going to do. A lot of people don't think Notre Dame has a chance. They match up very, very well in this football game. If (coach) Brian Kelly is smart, he'll be able to do some different things that will surprise Alabama a little bit.” Prediction: On a Dec. 2 ESPN show, he picked the Fighting Irish but didn’t give a score or margin. “There’s something special about Notre Dame.” - Ray Perkins (Alabama coach 1983-86; defeated Notre Dame 28-10 in 1986): “In spots, it’s going to be a pretty good game, but I don’t think Notre Dame has played a team quite like Alabama, meaning a team that is stronger than Alabama. They’ve got the power, the superior passing game, and they’ve got the best defense. … I saw a replay of the Notre Dame-USC game the other night. I wasn’t that impressed, to be honest with you. I was trying to get fired up about SC’s team, but I couldn’t do that, either. They’ve got a lot of good players, but I still think it comes down to, have they played one of the top-echelon teams in the country, a top 5, or top 6 or 7 team? I don’t think they have. To say they played an Alabama or an LSU or a Florida or Texas A&M, I don’t think they have. It could turn out totally different, because this game of football can be a little surprising sometimes. Even if Alabama has a little bit of an off game, I still think they win the game.” Prediction: “People down here (Hattiesburg, Miss.) ask me how I think it’ll turn out. I tell them I think we’ll win by two or three touchdowns.” - Bill Oliver (Alabama assistant coach from 1971-79 under Paul Bryant and from 1990-95 under Gene Stallings): “I just think we’ve got more speed. We’ve got more people that have been there, and being there makes a lot of difference. The experienced quarterback should make a difference, and maturity with the offensive line. … Defensively, I think we match up well, even though they have some versions of the spread. All in all, we’ll have to earn everything we get. … Their front seven, technique-wise, is very good, but they have not played against an opponent like they’re fixing to face. That’s big.” Prediction: “We’ll beat the line, by far – maybe three touchdowns – but don’t ever, ever bet on what an ex-coach – or present-day coach – says.” - Gary Danielson (CBS analyst): “Both teams are used to handling big games. Alabama has a superior team. They should win convincingly. They’re stronger, and they’re faster. They have more experience at quarterback. I don’t think Notre Dame will sneak up on them. They’ll be focused for the game. I’ll be surprised if it’s close. There is a way Notre Dame can make it a close game, and it’s a way that college football always seems to present itself. There is a star player on the field that probably in other sports would already be playing professionally, and that’s (tight end) Tyler Eifert. If he was a baseball, hockey or basketball player, he would already be in the professional ranks. Notre Dame could create a pressure point with him, much like Johnny Manziel did where his individual brilliance forced Alabama to react and morph their defense to stop him, and it produced openings on other places on the field. … In the big games this year, (Alabama QB) AJ McCarron has not played his best. I think he’s due a great game, like he played a year ago. … It’s very normal that teams that try to repeat talk after the process of how mentally drained they were during the middle of the season, the middle of the marathon. That’s what happened to Alabama. … They’ll be a very refreshed, ready team.” Prediction: Alabama 28, Notre Dame 10.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Is the national championship at stake Saturday in Starkville? Will someone hand Gene Chizik or Dan Mullen a crystal football afterward to hoist above his head? Um, no. What about the SEC championship? Will the Tigers or the Bulldogs tote one of those giant cardboard conference logos around the stadium while confetti falls from the sky? Oops. Wrong again, although there will be cowbells. Is a state championship at least up for grabs? Sorry. Each state has its own prize, and as everyone knows, the Iron Bowl crushes the Egg Bowl in terms of gravity. Since Auburn actually has won a state, league and national title under Chizik, it’s simply unscientific to categorize the second start and conference opener of his fourth season as the most important game of his tenure. For example, it’s mathematically possible that Auburn could lose to Mississippi State to fall to 0-2 and win the rest of the games on the schedule to finish the regular season 10-2. Not probable. Not likely on any planet inhabited by intelligent life. But possible. OK. Now that the disclaimer’s been stated and the lawyers have left the room to grab some coffee, let’s get real. This one’s big. Real big. As big as the second game of the season and the conference opener gets when you’re not projected to compete for the state, league or national titles. As Gene Stallings might say, if you don’t think this game is big, go ahead and lose it and see what happens. That goes for Chizik and Mullen. They’re an interesting pair. Their tenures began at the same time, and neither of them has earned tenure, but the scale between them is decidedly unbalanced. Chizik is 3-0 in their head-to-head matchups, but two of the three games have come down to State having a final drive to tie or win the game. The Bulldogs failed on each occasion, once against one of the best teams in Auburn history, the other time against one of the most mediocre groups of Tigers. Mullen wanted Cam Newton, having coached him as an assistant at Florida, but Chizik got him. As a result, the Auburn coach won state, SEC and BCS championships in 2010. Chizik has that one monster season in the bank. Mullen has one good year on his resume. It’s hard to tell where either program is headed this season after Auburn opened with a tough, close loss to a quality opponent in Clemson and State began with an easy victory against overmatched Jackson State. Auburn’s loss won’t sting as much if it beats State, and State’s win won’t mean a thing if it loses again to Auburn. If Mullen falls to 0-4 against Chizik, it’ll be one more reminder that the Mississippi State coach hasn’t beaten anyone in the SEC West except woeful Ole Miss. That’ll be a good thing for Chizik, but if you’re Auburn, State isn’t a measuring stick. It’s a minimum yearly requirement. You beat State on what you hope is the way to bigger and better things. You lose to State and, well, you don’t lose to State. Not without some explaining to do. For Chizik, losing to Mississippi State for the first time after losing to Clemson for the second straight year would change the discussion from micro to macro, from his team to his program. The doubt that’s already crept into the minds of neutral observers and some Auburn supporters alike would only grow. There are bigger games and better opponents ahead for the Tigers. For starters, see LSU in Auburn Sept. 22. There are revenge games all over the map for a team that lost five times last season, and there’s a state championship game at the end. There is one serious question, though, staring Chizik and his team straight in the face this week. If they can’t beat Mississippi State, who are they going to beat? For all of those reasons, Chizik is about to lead his team into the most important game he’s coached without Newton at quarterback. Because without Newton at quarterback, Chizik is 16-11. That gap is too close for comfort. Things could get really uncomfortable if it narrows even more this weekend. Drop a civil comment below. Write Kevin at [email protected]. Follow him at. Listen to him weekdays from 6-10 a.m. on the Smashmouth Radio Network on ESPN 973 The Zone.
Book Review Tom Zillner, Editor Information Architecture for the World Wide Web by Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville. Sebastopol, Calif.: O'Reilly, 1998. 202p. $29.95 (ISBN 1-56592-282-4). Information Architecture, published in 1998, is a relatively old book. In Internet time, that's at least a couple of generations ago. I think it's worth attention because it's a classic volume that will help anyone interested in designing a Web site from the ground up or attempting to fix a Web site that is not as usable as it might be. This is a book by librarians (although they've migrated into the field of information architecture) but it is not a book that is primarily for librarians. The language of the librarian creeps in a bit, most notably when the authors discuss controlled vocabulary, but the real meat is not masked by librarian-speak. Rosenfeld and Morville are subtler than that. They present important concepts that are familiar to librarians but couched in plain language that uses plenty of examples. The book hits the ground running. Rosenfeld and Morville recommend that the people who will be building a Web site get together in what they call "Consumer Sensitivity Boot Camp," in which they air both the things they hate and like about the Web. Ultimately the goal is to produce lists of things that work and don't work and use this as a background for the actual design and production of the site. The book then pulls back from an active start to describe the role of the information architect and some suggestions for who might take on this role. Because many people are unfamiliar with information architecture and architects, it is a good idea to provide some coverage of these terms as well as contrasting the role of the information architect with the roles of others on the design team. It's important to note that this book targets both the large commercial project where information architects might be part of an outside consulting firm and the smaller project consisting of just a few people and a miniscule budget. Creating a Web site starts with determining an organization scheme. An example of a organization scheme is the alphabetical arrangement of a telephone book or the layout of a supermarket. These are two very different schemes, suggestive of the wide range of possibilities. It should ordinarily take some time to determine the best organization scheme or schemes for a Web site. A different but related task is looking at possible organization structures for the site. An example of an organization structure is the hierarchy, the most commonly used structure in site design. Other examples of Web site organization structure include hypertext, where there are "content chunks" connected via links. There are pros and cons to each structure and these are well covered by Rosenfeld and Morville. An interesting aspect of the discussion of organization structures is a seeming bias toward a relational database model. Although one can glean some of the benefits of such a model from the discussion of database implementation, it's not clear that the author's explication of this model provides a solid rationale for its use. If this all sounds a bit complicated that's because it is, but it's important to have a grounding in organization schemes and structures before taking any further steps in the design process. The next step is to consider possible navigation systems to employ. Hierarchical navigation systems are the norm, starting out at a home screen and filing down to subsidiary pages through the use of top-level links. Rosenfeld and Morville point out that this sort of navigation is often of limited use and other navigation methods should be considered, such as global navigation, where it is possible on any given page to navigate via tools similar to navigation bars. Local navigation is the use of additional tools for a sub-site of the larger site and it is a complement, not a replacement, for global navigation. The authors also address labeling systems. It really takes a librarian (or an information architect who has a librarian's training) to appreciate the importance of labeling systems. There are many species of labels within Web sites, but they should all be consistent and clear with each other and fit into a cohesive whole. While such a directive may sound vague and unclear, the authors do a good job of explaining the importance and application of labeling systems within a Web site. In this chapter, they discuss controlled vocabularies and thesauri and the value of their use in selecting appropriate labels. The authors even mention Library of Congress Subject Headings, although they point out that given its goal of describing "the universe of knowledge," the subject headings are wildly inappropriate for use as a thesaurus. The key is to find a narrowly focused thesaurus specific to the information the Web site will carry. Other types of tools to construct labeling systems are also covered. All in all, this chapter well deserves the twenty-five pages devoted to it. Similarly, there is a comprehensive chapter on selecting indexing and searching systems. While most of us tend to throw in a search engine that's linked from any page and performs a simple search on the entire site, this isn't necessarily desirable. In fact, the chapter starts with a discussion of instances when you should not make your site searchable. Following are sections discussing searching behavior and search interface design. The important point of this chapter is that indexing and searching are not one-size-fits-all propositions; real work is required to determine how people will use your Web site and to construct a scheme that matches their behavior. In these beginning chapters, which account for a good portion of the book, emphasis is placed on the foundation pieces of information architecture. The authors then move from these foundation pieces to actual practice. The first step in creating a Web site is research. It's important to stay with this process rather than leap into construction. This is a common mistake, particularly where budgets are small or where there is a rush to get "something" up, no matter how ill thought out that something might be. Research must include face-to-face meetings. Other types of communication just don't work when discussing and working on an inherently visual medium. Rosenfeld and Morville recommend that the first item on the agenda for the first meeting be a critique of existing Web sites. This critique cannot effectively take place via phone or e-mail. What the participants say is partly a matter of consensus reached through exploration rather than just a yea or nay vote. The critique also is an ice-breaker, getting the members of the team better acquainted. If there is just one person responsible for the site, that one person should put together a team of people who have a vested interest in the site's content, whether they are colleagues in other departments of the same institution or users from outside the organization. The meetings should include the definition of goals, intended audience, and content. All of this is easy enough to understand from most people's experience and the clear explication of the authors. Content inventory completes the first stage of the design and implementation process. This inventory is developed from wish lists and a setting of priorities regarding information to be included on the site. The next steps in the process fall under the heading of conceptual design. As with the rest of the book, the reader may find these activities are covered in extensive detail, but as usual the devil is in the details. Rosenfeld and Morville discuss the respective merits of high-tech white boards that capture what's written for subsequent viewing and printout versus flip charts with a bit of levity. The authors' state, "We're guessing many of these gadgets are more trouble than they're worth. Sorry for the skepticism, but what do you expect from librarians?" Metaphor exploration is also examined. I am skeptical of the heavy-handed use of metaphor in our computerized and netted life. The desktop metaphor is useful, but it's unclear if we will ever escape it to something that better suits our increasingly Internet-centric lives. Categories of metaphor are presented and one example provided is of the Internet Public Library's (IPL) reference center (). The center is graphically represented as a room in a library, with the friendly librarian behind a desk and books labeled with hotlinks to various subject areas. This mainly works well, but the addition of a link to a multi-user object oriented environment (MOO) results in a possibly jarring addition of a sign pointing to another room. Unlike the authors, I think this metaphor works just fine. But we've all seen plenty of cases where metaphor clutters a site with graphics. Judicious use of graphics in the service of a metaphor that assists the user in navigating the site is wonderful, but metaphor is easily abused. Scenarios are presented as another part of the conceptual design process. They are simply descriptions of how various sorts of users would use the site. I say "simply," but the construction of realistic scenarios can be a daunting task. For one thing, if you don't have enough outsiders working with you to put together the site plan, it is very easy to make ill-conceived assumptions about users. Perhaps the most common tendency is to assume that users are very much like oneself, but other equally suspect assumptions may be made. This is the stage where relative outsiders may ask hard questions that result in a better set of working assumptions underlying scenarios. One thing that Rosenfeld and Morville underemphasize is the involvement of users at some early point in the process of design and construction. Scenario building is a great place to begin user involvement, but even earlier is better. Users often traverse and utilize a site in ways never envisioned by architects and designers. Next in the process are architectural blueprints. This is the point at which the information architect puts together a high-level diagram of the site. The high-level blueprint "shows pages, components within pages, groups of pages, and relationships between pages." Sounds more like a detailed blueprint, but that will be even more in depth and occurs at the last design stage. Prior to this the graphic designer comes forward with page design ideas leading to page prototypes and then templates. Both the high-level blueprints and the page design need to be approved by the committee formed at the project's beginning. At the prototype stage the graphic designer comes to the fore and mounts pages for evaluation and critiquing. This is one of the first of the tangible "deliverables," and it can dazzle. As Rosenfeld and Morville suggest, this is a time when esthetics take center stage. But its important to look at the prototype with something of a jaundiced eye. The graphics can play an important role in complementing the content or they can overpower or confuse the user. It's best to use a graphic designer with Web experience instead of breaking in someone from the print world. It's also important to not spend an overly long time on this phase. I have been involved in a corporate identity project where weeks were spent getting interested parties to agree on a logo. I am sure this same phenomenon can rear its ugly head in Web prototyping. Try to get participants to focus on how the graphics work for the site and worry less about the esthetics of the graphics themselves. As mentioned previously the production stage is the point for detailed blueprints, as well as content mapping and a Web page inventory. For a small site this is fairly easy to put together, although small sites tend to have fewer staff committed to the project. For large projects there needs to be a small cadre of people dedicating much of their time to the site's planning and production. It's a lot of work. And then there comes the actual production of pages. Templates can help, but it's still hard work. Information Architecture for the World Wide Web is certainly worth a read. It's a few years old, but has aged more gracefully than many others of its ilk by concentrating on the essentials. Anyone who creates a site is an information architect whether they know it or not. It's better to make choices consciously rather than unconsciously. I think that a weakness of the book is a failure to explore user testing more extensively, but this is something that is missed by most books in this category. All in all, a book to read in its entirety and use as a guide along the way.
Credit for this recognition goes especially to Matilda Stepovich, wife of Michael Stepovich, and Father Lawrence Nevue, S.J. A debt of gratitude is also owing to Father Francis Mueller, S.J., Professor Paul H. McCarthy, Mr. Lee Linck, and Mr. Lawrence S. Gordon. Now it remains with the good parishioners and all interested donors to maintain the site as the Federal Government requires. The “little church” was built by the Father Francis Monroe, S.J., in 1904. Its first location was at Dunkel Street near Front Street, situated across the Chena River from its present site and some four hundred feet upstream. Fairbanks was established as a trading post by Captain E.T. Barnette, in the late summer of 1902. His chartered vessel, “La Velle Young”, had come some twelve miles up the Chena River, a tributary of the Tanana River, when the water became shallow hindering further progress of the vessel. So the captain hurriedly unloaded his cargo and set to work building cabins from trees felled on the spot. So the town came to be….. The first name given to this small campsite was Barnette’s Landing. Barnette, wishing to attract Judge Wickersham to set up the District Courthouse in his own, offered to name it Wickersham. The judge made no promises as to the location of the courthouse, but he did say it would please him to have the new place named Fairbanks, after the judge’s good friend, Charles Warren Fairbanks, who became Vice-President of the United States in 1905. Barnette agreed, and the town was named after Wickersham’s friend – Fairbanks. Prospectors were attracted to the trading post, and they chose it as the base of their operations. When Felix Pedro discovered gold in some quantity twelve miles from the post, the news spread rapidly. People from Dawson, Fortymile, Eagle, Circle, and other camps converged on the new town. Many of the prospectors were Catholics. The Prefect Apostolic for Alaska, the Very Rev. Father Joseph R. Crimont, S.J., notified Father Francis Monroe that he should come to Fairbanks and build a church for the residents and prospectors. In June of 1904, the two priests arrived at the post, which by this time was teeming with people attracted by the discovery of gold. Father Monroe set about the task of gathering funds for the new church by begging from gold camp to gold camp. He sought the men of the town to help him build the church. When $3,000 was collected, Father bought a site for the church. The site he found was located on the east side of the town, on the road which led to the camps. The building was hurriedly begun before the winter set in. The roughly structured building hardly resembled a church, but, it was suitable for services, and it could be used as a library and reading room, giving the miners a place to assemble. After managing to raise about $5,000 more, Father Monroe cleared the debt, and was able to purchase books for the library. In 1906, the town’s people decided that a hospital was very necessary. A committee of men was drawn up, headed by Mr. Dan Jonas. These men approached Father Monroe and asked him to take on this task. Money for the project was quickly raised, and the work began. There were several drawbacks to the project. One was the San Francisco earthquake, which made supplies slow to come in from the “outside”. Another was a serious fire that occurred in the business section of Fairbanks. This fire financially ruined many of the original subscribers of the hospital project. Eventually the necessary funds were raised through a loan, and the building was continued and completed. The hospital was opened on Thanksgiving Day, 1906. The hospital administration passed through several hands. In 1910, the Sisters of Providence of Montreal, Canada, took over the task of staffing and administering Saint Joseph’s Hospital, as it was finally called. The hospital was remodeled and rebuilt several times. The last such remodeling occurred in 1951. In the late 1960’s Saint Joseph’s Hospital was closed. The old building stood during the 1970’s more or less an eyesore to the community. In the early 1980’s it was gutted, leaving the strong framework, which became the basic structure for the bank and office building which stands behind the church today. The hospital had been built near an old sawmill on the north side of the Chena, near Cushman Street. The church was on the south side of the Chena, and some distance to the east of the hospital. The disparity in locations caused a difficulty for the priests attending the sick at the hospital and offering daily Mass in the Sister’s chapel. It was decided to move the church from its old place on Dunkel Street to its present location close to the hospital. The intrepid Father Monroe engaged contractors, and the building was moved from Dunkel Street to the bank of the Chena River. The contractors suggested building a bridge on which to transport the building to the other side of the river. Father decided that this would be too expensive. He dismissed the contractors and continued with his own idea. First Father Monroe cleared away debris from the old sawmill site. Then he excavated for a hall basement, upon which he would eventually place the church. When the hall foundation was ready, Father proceeded to the task of bringing the other structure across the river. The river was only about six feet deep and the ice was strong enough to support horses, so Father Monroe proceeded with his plan. He drew lines on the ice about thirty feet apart, running diagonally across the Chena. Then about every eight feet he inserted poles into the ice, hammering them down into the mud at the river bottom. They were supported in such a way as to remain upright, then were left there to freeze in. With the onset of the extreme cold the poles were set. Then they were trimmed evenly to about two feet above the surface of the river. Planks were balanced on them for the four hundred feet which the building would have to be rolled to the other side of the river. It was quite an event when the church was moved. Bets had been placed as to its success or failure (with the odds moving toward failure). Everyone in town turned out to watch! The movement across the ice was very simple. However, when the spot where the church was to rest was reached, there was a distance of some twenty – five feet to lift the church up the bank. A roadway was cut out of the bank with a somewhat steep grade. Then there was the added lift to the foundation. Father Monroe took the precaution of adding another cable to the building to give it support up the grade and on the lift to its foundation. Some thought that this was as unnecessary expense. It turned out that Father was wise in his decision, for just as the church was to be placed on the prepared foundation, the old cable broke. The new cable held and saved the church and workers from harm. In the spring of 1912 Father Joseph Cote, S.J., arrived in Fairbanks and did the necessary electrical wiring in the church. He also began the work on the water plant. A residence was added to the church and the downstairs hall was finished. In 1914, the roof of the church was changed, and the ceiling was raised five feet. A choir loft was added, and a belfry was erected in the front part of the church. Later the walls were covered with decorative tin, in a fleur – de – lis pattern. This pressed tin work added a special beauty to the church and has a certain charm today because of the singleness of its use in the North. The installation of this tin embellishment was carried out by Father Monroe, Brother Thomas Callahan, S.J. and a young miner, who later became Brother Stephen Karpinski, S.J. In 1926, Father Patrick O’Reilly, S.J., enhanced the beauty of the “little church” by the installation of its exquisite stained glass windows. In no other church in Alaska are such windows found. It was also Father O’Reilly who looked to the landscaping of the property around the church, adding trees, shrubs, and flowers. Under Pastor Father John Hayes, S.J., the back stairs to the building were installed, and one of the upstairs resident rooms was pressed into service as the “baby room”, with glass front and loudspeaker in place. When it was named as a historical monument, a complete face lift was done on the church, together with a paint job according to federal regulations. Our Lady’s statue, which stands over the front door of the Immaculate Conception Church, adds for us, who are Catholic, a poignant religious charm. She welcomes all to quiet reflection with her Son, Jesus Christ, and she smiles out at his people enjoying the resful beauty of Golden Heart Plaza, which graces the banks of the Chena River. A special thanks to: James P. Doogan Sr., Father Louis L. Renner, S.J., Hugh Doogan, Sr. Mary Claire McLaughlin, C.S.J., Kerry and Ivar Halvarson, Stu Rothman, and the University of Alaska Archives.
Saturday, December 17, 2011 SEATTLE -- As Ricardo Lockette sat on the Seattle Seahawks' private plane with his teammates Friday, waiting for it -- and his career -- to finally take off, he was asked to explain his thoughts at that very moment. And after a long, deep breath, he somehow found the words. "It's just ... it's just been a long ride, man ..." Lockette told The Herald before trailing off. "And I hope it's only the beginning." Folks back home in Albany hope so too. Lockette, the former Monroe and Fort Valley football and track star, had been waiting for the call all season ever since being signed to a three-year deal by the Seahawks in July -- and Tuesday it came during, of all times, a dentist appointment. "Once I got that news, man, my life ... I can't explain it. Best day of my life," the 6-foot-2, 211-pounder said of the news he got from Seattle GM John Schneider that he was no longer a practice squad receiver, but instead had been called up to the team's active roster for today's 1 p.m. showdown with the Chicago Bears. Lockette, the 22-year-old former NCAA Division II 200-meter national champ who surprisingly was not selected in April's NFL Draft -- despite posting one of the most jaw-dropping workouts at the combine that saw him run the fastest 40 time of any receiver, and fourth-fastest overall -- admittedly teared up on the spot after finding out his dream was about to come true. After all, he wasn't sure if the call was ever going to come following inconsistent play in the preseason that saw him haul in just one catch for 16 yards, then promptly being placed on the practice squad, where he's been for the last four months. But Lockette never gave up hope. "In the NFL, you have to have a short memory and you can't live in the past. I didn't think about (what happened that got me put on the practice squad), only what I could do to make it back on the team," he said. "It hasn't been too tough because every day I wake up feeling privileged just to be here in this position -- being from a small school like Fort Valley among the USCs, Miamis and Auburns -- and just having a chance to play on the big stage. The last two weeks, I didn't have a single dropped pass in practice -- I think I had something like 350 straight catches -- and the coaches saw that my football knowledge was finally catching up to my athletic ability." Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll certainly noticed. In fact, Carroll spent nearly three minutes of his weekly press conference with reporters talking about just how far the kid they call "The Rocket" had come. "We have filled a vacancy. Ricardo Lockette has been moved up. The Rocket is coming up and we're happy to make that move," Carroll said. . And we kind of set our sights on him and said, 'Let's see if we can get this guy.' "And then we nailed him (down). We thought it was a pretty special (signing)." Lockette, who only tallied 23 catches for 262 yards and one touchdown with a 24-yard kick-return average during his senior year at FVSU, said Friday it was the support of his teammates that helped keep his spirits high and thoughts positive during his extended time on the practice squad. "Man, within 20 minutes of (getting the call up), almost everyone on the offense started calling me and texting me because I've really developed friendships with these guys, and they've been pulling for me," said Lockette, who then paused as some of his teammates sitting near him on the plane began cheering for him in the background. "Guys were congratulating me left and right, like (starting quarterback) Tarvaris (Jackson), (starting running back) Marshawn (Lynch), (starting receiver) Mike Williams and one of my best friends here, (starting receiver) Doug Baldwin. It's really felt like a coming out party." Now, Carroll said, it's time to see what Lockette can do. "When we got him here, we found out he could really catch the football. He's got very natural hands (like a receiver should)," said Carroll, who then added that Lockette, however, is still a work in progress. "He's still got a long way to go to get connected to the game on this level. It's taken us a while (working with him) but he's getting closer and doing a lot of good things. He makes plays all the time in practice. And he's kind of one our favorites ... we're real excited to give him that chance to get that much closer to playing." Lockette will be the sixth receiver on the depth chart today against the Bears, as well as the backup to kick returner Leon Washington. But the Rocket said if his number is called, he'll be ready. "I'm not quite sure about my playing time (today). We'll just see how the game goes," he said of the road contest against Chicago, which has lost three in a row, while Seattle has won four of its last five. "I just know they're bringing me into a big pressure situation and I have to be ready -- and I will be. "Everything you do is about confidence. If you believe you can do it. I honestly believe that now." Lockette said he's left practice every day recently feeling like he was close to getting the call. "I've been playing a role up until now, and that's OK," he said. "I've just been getting my reps in and hoping I'd be fortunate enough to get the call. And I knew that when the time came, I needed to be ready to take advantage of it." Carroll said the Seahawks' organization is "fired up" to see Lockette play. "(Ricardo) is real excited and I know the team is fired up for him because he's tried so hard and given such a great effort to get here," the coach said. "He's really been a great prospect for us -- a guy we've been excited about since we first saw him. He's come miles and miles to get to this point." When Lockette suits up today, he'll be the third Albany native currently playing in the NFL, joining fellow Monroe grad Deion Branch (New England Patriots) and Dougherty High alum Darryl Smith (Jacksonville Jaguars). Lockette said he plans to make his city proud -- and live up to the Rocket nickname that he hopes will strike fear in NFL defenses once they get a glimpse of his speed. "It's stuck with me this far so I don't have a choice but to live up to it," he said. "And while I'm on the field, I want everyone back home to know I'm gonna go out and represent Albany and Monroe High School to the best of my abilities." ----------------------------------------------- Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. More like this story - Albany's Lockette cut from Seahawks ( September 2, 2012 ) - Monroe's Lockette signs with 49ers ( September 24, 2012 ) - Monroe’s Lockette catches first NFL TD, but Seahawks lose in overtime to Cardinals, 23-20 ( January 1, 2012 ) - Monroe alum Lockette gets call up to Seahawks’ active roster ( December 18, 2011 ) - Seahawks lock up Lockette ( July 27, 2011 ) Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content. Or login with: OpenID
As of Saturday, November 10, 2012 Each week Albany Herald researcher Mary Braswell looks for interesting events, places and people from the past. You can contact her at (229) 888-9371 or [email protected]. Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car in the forest of Compiègne, France on Nov. 11, 1918. The fighting officially ended at 11:00 a.m., the eleventh hour in the eleventh month on the eleventh day. In no particular order, here is a look back at a variety of facts about World War I. • More than 65 million men from 30 countries fought in WWI. • Nearly 2/3 of military deaths in WWI were in battle. In previous conflicts, more deaths were due to disease. • There were over 35 million civilian and soldier casualties in WWI. Over 15 million died and 20 million were wounded, according to most estimates. Reader poll What role did Walt Disney play in World War I? a) food preparation b) machine gun operator c) dog handler d) ambulance driver - a 0% - b 0% - c 0% - d 100% 2 total votes. • Russia mobilized 12 million troops during WWI, making it the largest army in the war. More than 3/4 were killed, wounded, or went missing in action. • British tanks were initially categorized into “males” and “females.” Male tanks had cannons, while females had heavy machine guns. • “Little Willie” was the first prototype tank in WWI. Built in 1915, it carried a crew of three and could travel as fast as 3 mph. • Dogs were used as messengers and carried orders to the front lines in capsules attached to their bodies. Dogs were also used to lay down telegraph wires. • Big Bertha was a 48-ton howitzer used by the Germans ..” • Tanks were initially called “landships.” However, in an attempt to disguise them as water storage tanks rather than as weapons, the British decided to code name them “tanks.” • Woodrow Wilson’s campaign slogan for his second term was, “He kept us out of war.“ About a month after he took office, the United States declared war on Germany (April 6, 1917). • To increase the size of the U.S. Army during WWI, Congress passed the Selective Service Act, which was also known as conscription or draft, in May 1917. By the end of the war, 2.7 million men were drafted. Another 1.3 million volunteered. • During the war, people of German heritage were suspect in the U.S. Some protests against Germans were violent, including the burning of German books and the killing of German shepherd dogs. • percent. • World War I was also known as the Great War, the World War, the War of the Nations, and the War to End All Wars. • While the first military submarine (named the Turtle) was first used by the Continental Army during the American Revolution, submarines only made a large military impact during WWI when Germany launched its fleet of U-boats. From 1914-1918, 274 German U-boats sank 6,596 ships. • German trenches were built to last and included bunk beds, furniture, cupboards, water tanks with faucets, electric lights, and, in some cases, doorbells. • During the war, the U.S. shipped about 7.5 million tons of supplies to France to support the Allied effort. That included 70,000 horses or mules, as well as nearly 50,000 trucks, 27,000 freight cars and 1,800 locomotives. • During WWI, the Germans released about 68,000 tons of gas, and the British and French released 51,000 tons. In total, 1,200,000 soldiers on both sides were gassed, of which 91,198 died horrible deaths. • The French had what German soldiers called the Devil Gun. At 75 mm, this cannon was accurate up to 4 miles • During U.S. involvement in WWI, more than 75,000 people gave about 7.5 million four-minute pro-war speeches in movie theaters and elsewhere to about 314.5 million people. • . • Even though the U.S. government didn’t grant Native Americans citizenship until 1924, nearly 13,000 of them served in WWI. • Edith Cavell (1865-1915) was a British nurse who saved soldiers from all sides. When she helped 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium, the Germans arrested her and she was executed by a German firing squad. • Croix de Guerre, and a gift of 400 acres of good farmland. •. •. More like this story - Looking Back Aug 29 2012 ( August 25, 2012 ) - Veteran official: WWII soldier a dying breed ( November 10, 2009 ) - LookingBack Nov. 21 ( November 20, 2010 ) - Looking Back 1 July 2012 ( June 30, 2012 ) - MCLB honors our servicemen ( September 9, 2011 ) Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content. Or login with: OpenID
As of Wednesday, March 13, 2013 VATICAN CITY — Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected in a surprise choice to be the new leader of the troubled Roman Catholic Church on Wednesday, taking the name Francis I and becoming Jubilant Argentines poured into churches, some crying and praying, after the announcement at the Vatican. “This is a blessing for Argentina,” one woman shouted on a Buenos Aires street. “I hope he changes all the luxury that exists in the Vatican, that he steers the church in a more humble direction, something closer to the gospel,” said Jorge Andres Lobato, a 73-year-old retired state prosecutor. The election was enthusiastically welcomed elsewhere in Latin America too. “We’re happy because we have a new pope and because the choice of a Latin American shows that the Church is opening, is now focused on the entire Church. It’s not just a church only focused on Europe,” said Leonardo Steiner, general secretary of the national conference of Brazilian bishops. was born into a middle-class family of seven, his father an Italian immigrant railway worker and his mother a housewife. Replacing Pope Benedict, who resigned last month, he overturned one of the main assumptions before the election, that the new pope would be relatively young. on March 19. U.S. President Barack Obama said the election of Francis “speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our world.” ‘PRAY FOR BENEDICT’ In brief remarks from the balcony of St. Peter’s, Francis called on the faithful to pray for Benedict and said the Church was setting off on a “journey of fraternity, of love, of trust”. It seemed the cardinal electors “went to the end of the world” to find him, he said. The Vatican said Francis would visit Benedict soon at his temporary home in the summer papal residence outside Rome. tens of thousands in the square cheered even more loudly when Francis appeared, the first pontiff to take that name. “Viva il Papa (pope),” they chanted. Front runners. The decision by cardinal electors sequestered in a secret conclave in the Sistine Chapel came sooner than many experts expected because there were several front runners. RIVAL TO RATZINGER IN ’05 nearly a decade after losing a lung to respiratory illness. ) - FACTBOX: The Conclave ( March 12, 2013 ) - White smoke billows from Sistine Chapel ( March 13, 2013 ) - Pope Francis to redirect the church ( May 9, 2013 ) Sister_Ruby 2 months ago Whassappp, Pope? chinaberry25 2 months. Or login with: OpenID
Los Cabos Villa Wedding Alec and T Photography March 9, 2012 by T. Thompson Filed under Destination weddings, Los Cabos weddings, Photography in Mexico, Uncategorized, Villas Thinking about a villa wedding in Cabo? Check out this one beautiful romantic Cabo wedding. Wedding planning by: Be That Bride Events. Thank you, Yarai!! This was a wonderfully coordinated Cabo San Lucas event. Wedding hair and makeup by Los Cabos makeup artist Suzanne Morel. And last, but not least, Matter of Taste Catering who dressed in beautiful grey dress shirts to match the event. The day was beautiful. This bride Abby was–is–extremely special to me. When we first started to chat, she had originally wanted Esperanza, and then Las Ventanas, for her destination wedding ceremony. Both venues already had bookings so we decided the best wedding venue for this very intimate and romantic wedding would at a villa…and then one villa ended up to be three villas, and the weekend was set. Beautiful villas provided by our dear friends at Cabo Villas, a.k.a. Earth Sea and Sky. Cabo Villas has almost all the villas in Cabo San Lucas that rent for events. Abby I loved from the very start. If you look at the photos you will see she is so full of love, it just cannot be contained. An extremely smart and detailed bride that was on top of everything. I loved working with her and will miss our phone calls. The wedding weekend started with a beautiful rehearsal dinner at Edith’s Restaurant, then the wedding day was at Villa de los Suenos, followed by a farewell brunch the next day. I am looking forward to seeing Abby and Omar very soon! And to the mother and father of the bride, Becky and Gus, you both will be long-lasting friends. Dinner in Cabo is a must for all of us. This event was truly a day that will stand out in our minds forever!! Love, blessing, and joy~ T Start planning your Cabo wedding contact us today We built a stage on the hot tub, it made the world of difference. The Bride and Groom looked like they were on top of the world Alec and T…I love you both! Not only did you do an AMAZING job of capturing our day (I can’t wait to see the rest of the photos!!!), but you captured all of our hearts. Working with you both, Yarai, Lola, Julianne, and Deena was truly a blessing…and fun! Not once over the weekend did I ever feel stressed! I love, love, love, LOVE the pictures. You are both amazing…and are an incredible example of love shining to any bride and groom lucky enough to get to work with you. Thank you! Can’t wait to see you both next time we’re in Cabo. So much love, Abby WHAT A GORGEOUS WEDDING, BRIDE, GROOM AND FAMILY!!! IT WAS A TREAT TO SEE THESE FABULOUS PICTURES! XOXO, ANNE ABNEY
The US government has sued to block telecoms giant AT&T's $39bn purchase of T-Mobile USA, citing concerns it will harm competition in the wireless market and lead to higher prices. The surprise move by the Department of Justice (DoJ) on Wednesday was the biggest antitrust challenge yet by the Obama administration. If successful, it would end AT&T's move to unseat Verizon Wireless as the number one US mobile carrier. DoJ officials warned that allowing AT&T, the country's second largest wireless carrier, to buy up the number four carrier would be disastrous for consumers. "Were the merger to proceed, there would only be three providers with 90 per cent of the market, and competition among the remaining competitors on all dimensions, including price, quality and innovation, would be diminished," James Cole, the deputy attorney general, said. The lawsuit came just five months after the deal was announced and, despite the timing, one source close to the case told the Reuters news agency it was a real attempt to halt a "fundamentally flawed" deal, not a tactic to wring big concessions from AT&T. Justice department officials said they were willing to consider proposals to alleviate their concerns, but they expected the fight to shift to federal court. The court case could take months and cost millions of dollars. They [the mobile carriers] would have to give up "so much" to win approval, the source, who wished to remain anonymous, said. Legal response weighed AT&T quickly indicated that it would not abandon the transaction, and together with T-Mobile is considering a legal response to challenge federal regulators. In a statement, T-Mobile's owner, the German company Deutsche Telekom, said it is disappointed by the DoJ's action and "will join AT&T in defending the contemplated merger". AT&T has several incentives to take up a legal fight with regulators. In court, the burden is on the DoJ - not AT&T - to show that the combination would harm competition. If the deal does not go through, the company will be forced to pay T-Mobile a $3bn break-up fee and give it some wireless spectrum rights. AT&T said it will ask for an expedited court hearing "so the enormous benefits of this merger can be fully reviewed". Morgan Reed, executive director of the trade group, Association for Competitive Technology, said AT&T has at least one key fact on its side: Deutsche Telekom has said it does not plan to continue to invest in upgradingthe T-Mobile network to deliver faster wireless. That means, "T-Mobile is not a competitor anymore", Reed said. "T-Mobile has already stepped away from the table. We're at three nationwide wireless carriers no matter what." The association, which represents more than 3,000 small and independent application developers, believes the merger would benefit the wireless broadband industry. However, the lawsuit used some of T-Mobile's own documents describing its role in the market to explain why the merger should not take place. In those documents, the company calls itself "the No. 1 challenger of the established big guys in the market and as well positioned in a consolidated 4-player national market.'' AT&T and T-Mobile compete nationwide, in 97 of the largest 100 cellular marketing areas, according to the suit filed in US District Court in Washington. They also vie for business and government customers. What lawsuit says The lawsuit says the acquisition would eliminate a company that has boosted competition with low pricing and innovation. Democrat Herb Kohl, who heads the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy and consumer rights, said the suit was an effort to protect consumers "in a powerful and growing industry that reaches virtually every American". AT&T and T-Mobile Federal Complaints Commission and the Obama administration. But the DoJ said AT&T could "obtain substantially the same network enhancements ... if it simply invested in its own network without eliminating a close.
- 315Recommend It! - 8,895views CD/LP/Track Review King Crimson: The Collectable King Crimson Volume One (2007) In 1973-74, King Crimson was not just a powerful progressive rock group capable of navigating guitarist Robert Fripp's most challenging writing to date. It was also a potent improvising unit, able to shift on a dime from elegant simplicity to visceral crunch. The expansive The Great Deceiver (Live 1973-1974) demonstrated how exciting this group was. The Collectable King Crimson Volume One allows those without deep pockets to hear the music for themselves, and it also offers something new to those who own the four-CD box. Discipline Global Mobile's mail-order King Crimson Collector's Club has been releasing live shows of varying sound quality from all Crimson lineups for some time. This double-disc set is the first of a series intended to make some of the best KCCC shows more widely available. It collects a March, 1974 performance in Mainz, Germany where Crimson's at an improvising peak, and one of its last dates, recorded in Ashbury Park, New Jersey. Both are superb, but the latter is especially notable. Some of the material from the June 28, 1974 show can be found on USA, released in 1975 and reissued in remastered and expanded form in 2006, but both versions had problems. First, technical problems rendered violinist David Cross' parts unusable. Cross was fired soon after the show, so Fripp brought in keyboardist/violinist Eddie Jobson to overdub parts after the fact. Second, both an extended "Easy Money" and free improv called "Ashbury Park" were cut nearly in half and faded out. Continuity was also compromised by altering the running sequence. Thanks to modern technology, it has been possible to restore Cross' parts. The Collectable King Crimson makes this show available on CD for the first time, restored to its proper running order with complete versions of all the tracks. This set of material ranges from the symphonic "Exiles" to the jagged metal edge of "Lark's Tongues in Aspic: Part II" and the mind-numbing guitar pyrotechnics of the complex "Fracture." What's immediately obvious here is that Jobson may have been a better musician, but that's no substitute for the chemistry that evolves from having performed nearly two hundred shows together. USA is a good record, but the restored performance is a great one. The Mainz set is incomplete, but it demonstrates that while Crimson may not have possessed the language of jazz, it certainly had the spirit. "Easy Money" evolves into an open-ended and dynamically shifting improv that neatly segues into a (sadly faded) "Fracture." Three other improvs, including two that bookend the idiosyncratic "Dr. Diamond" (never released on a Crimson studio album), find the group in even stronger synchronicity. The sound source and quality are provided for both shows, with Mainz listed as "Very Fine" and Ashbury Park "Excellent," though it's hard to hear any significant difference. An auspicious beginning to a new series, The Collectable King Crimson Volume One will help keep the ever-evolving Crimson in the public eye while fans wait for a new album from the group's latest lineup. Track Listing: CD1 (Ashbury Park): Walk On...No Pussyfooting; Lark's Tongues in Aspic: Part II; Lament; Exiles; Ashbury Park; Easy Money; Fracture; Starless; 21st Century Schizoid Man. CD2 (Mainz): Improv: The Savage; Dr. Diamond; Improv: Arabica; Exiles; Improv: Atria; The Night Watch; Starless; Lament; Improv: Trio; Easy Money. Personnel: David Cross: violin, mellotron, electric piano; Robert Fripp: guitar, mellotron, electric piano; John Wetton: bass guitar, vocals; Bill Bruford: drums, percussion. Record Label: DGM Live Style: Fusion/Progressive Rock
- 218Recommend It! - 2,835views CD/LP/Track Review Jake Fryer / Bud Shank: In Good Company (2011) Young British composer/alto saxophonist Jake Fryer joins forces with veteran bopper Bud Shank and his favorite West Coast rhythm section, to form the Jake Fryer / Bud Shank Quintet for In Good Company. It's a lively and engaging album, a mix of standards and Fryer originals that brings the two alto saxophonists together for a recording date full of spontaneity, mutual respect and enjoyment. Sadly, it also proved to be the 82 year-old Shank's valedictory recording, as he was not in good health and died on April 2nd 2009, the day after the session took place. In his liner notes, Fryer refers to In Good Company as "a first takes album." This approach ensures that the recording has the excitement and fun of a late night jam session. Sure, there are occasional imperfections and minor errors, but their appearances are few and do nothing to disrupt the Quintet's swagger and swing. Shank may not be at the height of his powers, but he can still blow. The two saxophonists have distinct but complementary tones: Shanks has the tighter, "alto-going-on-soprano" sound; Fryer the mellower, "alto-going-on-tenor" sound. The three rhythm section playersbassist Bob Magnusson, pianist Mike Wofford and drummer Joe LaBarberaare reliable, solid, and tight; but, above all, swinging. The quintet opens with Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington's perennial favorite, "Caravan." After Magnusson's slinky introduction, Shank storms into his opening solo with verve, and Wofford and LaBarbera swiftly settle in behind him. Fryer's own tunes, six in all, carry on with this high energy bebop approach. "Bopping With Bud," written in tribute to the veteran player, gives the two altoists a chance to trade phrases and solos in friendly competition, while "Tip Top and Tickety Boo" races along merrily, with both Fryer and Shank delivering some fluid and complex lines. Fryer wrote "The Time Lord" expressly for LaBarbera, who repays the honor with inventive and driving percussion. The band eases down a little for Lerner and Lowe's "Almost Like Being In Love," its smoothly low key performance the most overtly romantic on the album. Fryer, who also heads up the London Bebop Collective, achieved an ambition when Shank agreed to join him for this date. In Good Company gives little indication of Shank's problems. It is, by contrast, an affirmation of life: a joyous blast of a performance, a worthy epitaph for the veteran saxophonist and a strong musical statement from Fryer and the Quintet.ussson: bass; Joe LaBarbera: drums. Record Label: Capri Records Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
EYEMARK Entertainment takes a fresh approach to daytime syndication's most established genre - creating a talk show that offers solutions - with its national launch of the daily series Dr. Joy Browne on September 13, 1999. The new hour will air primarily in daytime and early afternoon on stations in 150 markets, representing more than 90 percent of the U.S. Dr. Joy Browne is hosted by the licensed clinical psychologist and best-selling author whose daily radio talk show, syndicated to 300 U.S. and Canadian stations, is the longest-running, most-successful program of its kind. Burt Dubrow, the multi-award-winning producer recognized as the driving force behind television's most innovative and successful talk shows, is Executive Producer. "I'd really like to put a new spin on what we all recall as the beginnings of modern talk television," explains Browne. "The early series did something wonderful, because they let us know these problems - ones that we were never able to admit - really existed. You didn't have to be ashamed, you weren't alone. Back then, you felt like you knew the people who appeared to discuss personal issues or you would like to know them by the end of the episode. Their problems could have been your problems. And what we add, which makes this concept more relevant for today, is that their solutions can be your solutions." In the classic talk format, each episode of Dr. Joy Browne will explore a single personal topic - with subjects covering relationships, family, workplace and life changes - through the real-life stories of diverse people confronting them. The series is distinguished from other talk shows, however, in two significant ways. According to Dubrow, "First and foremost, the goal of each episode will be to fix problems, not create them. Also, many shows feature a segment where the host talks with an expert, to offer some insight into a day's issue. In the case of Dr. Joy Browne, our host and expert are one and the same. From the very first question she raises with a guest, Dr. Joy has the credentials and ability to cut to the heart of the issue, drive a person to understand what he or she is really confronting and help evaluate the options." A licensed clinical psychologist who has hosted issue-driven talk radio for 20 years, Browne has a daily radio program currently syndicated in the U.S. and Canada through WOR. Commended by the media as "classy and consistently sensible... the radio psychologist for people who thought they hated radio psychologists" and "(with a) cut-to-the-chase but fundamentally kind style, she's outlived imitators," Browne has received high-profile recognition for her work. She was recently honored with the American Psychological Association's first-ever President's Award for her contributions to the profession; named "Top Female Radio Talk Show Host" by the National Association of Talk Show Hosts for 1996 and 1997, and selected as a member of Vanity Fair magazine's "Hall of Fame" in 1996. Prior to WOR, she hosted talk shows on WITS (now WSSH) Boston; KGO and KCBS, both in San Francisco, and WABC New York. Browne is equally prolific and recognized in the publishing world. Her sixth book, "The Nine Fantasies That Will Ruin Your Life" was published in Fall 1998 by Crown Publishers Inc. as part of a two-book deal with Random House. Winning a five-star review from Amazon.com, the book has sold more than 53,000 copies and has been released as an audiocassette as well. Browne's seventh book, "It's A Jungle Out There, Jane" - which she describes as a survival guide for understanding the male animal - will be released in Fall 1999. She is a licensed clinical psychologist on the board of the American Psychological Association, listed in the National Register of Healthcare Providers.Dr. Joy Browne is produced in New. Y. Joy Brown. Joy Browne for appearances, speaking engagements, endorsements/spokesperson, appearance fees, booking agency contact info, biography of Dr. Joy Browne, Contact an artist booking talent agent find a speakers bureau that can book Dr. Joy Browne, speaker booking agency for Dr. Joy Browne, list of similar speakers and celebrities for hire, what is the cost to book a top 10 motivational speaker, musician, comedian or famous athlete.
Go to Page: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · \| Next>> Sort by: [Top Matches] [Best Selling] [Pub Date] [Title] Recent Book Searches: ISBN-10/ISBN-13: 0816620318 / 978-0816620319 / Public Sphere and Experience: Toward an Analysis of the Bourgeois and Proletarian Public Sphere (Theory and History of Literature) / Oskar Negt, Alexander Kluge, Peter Labanyi755 / 978-0816618750 / End of the Cold War: European Unity, Socialism, and the Shift in Global Power / Bogdan Denitch 0816618798 / 978-0816618798 / Postmodern Education: Politics, Culture, and Social Criticism / Stanley Aronowitz, Henry A. Giroux 0816618836 / 978-0816618835 / Welfare (Concepts in Social Thought) / Norman Barry 0816618852 / 978-0816618859 / Revolution and Counter-Revolution (Concepts in Social Thought) / Peter Calvert 0816618909 / 978-0816618903 / Channels of Desire: Mass Images and the Shaping of American Consciousness / Stuart Ewen, Elizabeth Ewen 0816618976 / 978-0816618972 / The Education of a Public Man: My Life and Politics / Hubert H. Humphrey 0816619034 / 978-0816619030 / The Integral Feminist: Madeleine Pelletier, 1874-1939 : Feminism, Socialism and Medicine (Feminist Perspectives) / Felicia Gordon 0816619069 / 978-0816619061 / Red Lake Nation: Portraits of Ojibway Life / Charles Brill 0816619190 / 978-0816619191 / Film Hieroglyphs: Ruptures in Classical Cinema / Tom Conley 0816619301 / 978-0816619306 / Technoculture (Cultural Politics) / Penley Constance 0816619352 / 978-0816619351 / Excavations at Nichoria in Southwest Greece: The Bronze Age Occupation (Excavations at Nichoria, South West Greece) / William A. McDonald, Nancy C. Wilkie 0816619425 / 978-0816619429 / A Survey of Agricultural Economics Literature: Agriculture in Economic Development, 1940s to 1990s (Survey of Agricultural Economics Literature) / 0816619484 / 978-0816619481 / Reading the Body Politic: Feminist Criticism and Latin American Women Writers / Amy K. Kaminsky 0816619506 / 978-0816619504 / North Writers: A Strong Woods Collection / 0816619549 / 978-0816619542 / Making Sense in Life and Literature (Theory and History of Literature) / Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht 0816619689 / 978-0816619689 / Flowers for Northern Gardens / Leon C. Snyder 0816619816 / 978-0816619818 / Belated Modernity and Aesthetic Culture: Inventing National Literature (Theory and History of Literature) / Gregory Judanis 0816619980 / 978-0816619986 / Megalopolis: Contemporary Cultural Sensibilities / Celeste Olalquiaga 0816620237 / 978-0816620234 / Voyage to the Other World: The Legacy of Sutton Hoo (Medieval Studies at Minnesota) / Calvin B. Kendall 0816618801 / 978-0816618804 / Postmodern Education: Politics, Culture, and Social Criticism / Stanley Aronowitz, Henry A. Giroux 0816618968 / 978-0816618965 / American Refugees / Jim Hubbard 0816619182 / 978-0816619184 / Thinking Clearly About Psychology: Essays in Honor of Paul E. Meehl / Dante Cicchetti 0816619263 / 978-0816619269 / Strategies of Deconstruction: Derrida and the Myth of the Voice / J. Claude Evans 0816619344 / 978-0816619344 / Travel As Metaphor: From Montaigne to Rousseau / Georges Van Den Abbeele 0816619573 / 978-0816619573 / Shadows of Race and Class / Raymond S. Franklin 0816619646 / 978-0816619641 / Reading the Postmodern Polity: Political Theory As Textual Practice / Michael J. Shapiro
- Drive up to Knoll Lake or Solider and Long Lakes to canoe or kayak your way through the day. - If you need to rent a canoe or Kayak stop by Summit Divers and Water Sports. - Go to Mormon Lake for some water activities that are close to Mormon Lake Lodge, where you can rent canoes. Where should I go for Flagstaff kayaking or canoeing? If you’re looking to hit the water with a paddle and a friend then here are some places for you to do just that. Solider and Long Lake If you’re looking for a spot with variety, drive to this area where there are two lakes. - Location: Drive south for 50 miles on Lake Mary Road. Then take Forest Road 211 for 8 miles to Forest Road 82 for 12 miles until you find Long Lake. - Seasons: Open year round. - Marina/Boat Launch: There are two boat ramps along the lake. - Boat Restrictions: On Solider Lake you can only have a boat with one motor; there are no boat restrictions for Long Lake. - Camping: The nearest campground is Blue Ridge Campground and is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. - Fishing: You’ll find Bass, Trout, Catfish, Bluegill and Walleye at the two lakes. Knoll Lake This lake might be a bit of drive from Flagstaff but the water activities allowed here make it worth the time. - Location: Drive south for 55 miles on Lake Mary Road until Clints Well. Take a left there on Highway 87 until Forest Road 96 and turn right. Then drive six miles to Forest Road 96 until Forest Road 321. Take a right and drive 10 miles to Forest Road 300 and then go east for four miles until you reach Forest Road 295E. - Seasons: Open year round. - Marina/Boat Launch: There is one boat ramp. - Boat Restrictions: Boats can only have a single motor. - Camping: The nearest campground is Knoll Lake Campground, open from May until September. - Fishing: You’ll find Rainbow, Brook and Brown trout for you to wrangle in to your canoe. Do I need a permit or license for my kayak or canoe? You do not need a license or registration for non-motorized water vehicles. I am looking for a canoe or kayak guide If you’re looking for some tips on these activities there are a few places in town that can help. See the listings on this page.
The Netflix rental service really revolutionized the way to rent DVD movies. Instead of driving to a store, looking for something you want to watch, waiting in lines, and dealing with due dates and late fees, people can now enjoy the convenience of online DVD rentals at a low-cost thanks to Netflix. Click for Netflix Free Trial Netflix DVD Rental ServiceAs the world's biggest online DVD rental service, with millions of subscribers, Netflix has a lot to offer its members. They have a huge selection of 85,000 different DVD titles to choose from, as well as thousands of full-length movies and TV shows that can be watched via computer. Shipping is free both ways, and it is fast since Netflix operates many distribution centers around the country. There are no due dates, late fees or other hassles—there is just a flat, low monthly fee that offers movie lovers a tremendous value. With over 85,000 different DVD titles, there is a huge selection designed to satisfy eveybody. In fact, there are over 200 different genres that are all neatly categorized to easily browse. Chances are that your local DVD rental store has just a tiny fraction of these, and may often not have anything you want to see. With all these choices, you will have a nearly endless supply of different movies you want to watch. With all these different titles, some may wrongly assume it is hard to find the good titles that match your interests. On the contrary, it is very simple and there are multiple ways to browse the DVDs. You can take a look at the new releases, top 100 and critics picks, to get a constantly changing view of hot titles to watch. You can also browse by the aforementioned 200+ genres to find all kinds of DVDs in your areas of interests. Netflix also makes movie recommendations based on the past ratings you've made combined with the ratings of other members that share a similar taste in movies. In addition, friends lists can be use to share ideas with others. Each tile typically has a picture of the DVD box, a short synopsis, a list of the director, stars and other pertinent information, and ratings from Net Flix members. In fact, there are billions of ratings from members, which can really help determine which movies are best. Netflix.com also has Blu-Ray and HD-DVD discs. This means that if you have an HDTV (and an HDDVD or Bluray disc player) you can enjoy hi-def movies in your home theater. Fans of high definition will really enjoy this now, and others will want this for the future because prices are coming down on high def TVs and Blu-Ray / HD-DVD players, so more and more people will be jumping on the high definition television bandwagon. They do not rent video games. With Net Flix there are no due dates, late fees or shipping charges. There is just a low monthly subscription fee. Plans start for as low as $4.99 per month. This budget plan allows you to rent just 2 DVDs per month, plus 5 hours of movies instantly on PC, which means you can see 5 movies a month for just five bucks. Next for just $8.99 you get unlimited dvd rentals, with 1 DVD out at a time. Pay a little more for unlimited plans offering 2, 3 or 4 out at a time. The most popular plan is the 3 DVDs out at a time plan for $16.99 per month. They operate many shipping centers, so customers generally receive DVDs with 1 business day delivery. However, if you happen to be without a DVD when you want to watch a movie, you can go to Netflix.com and watch a film or television show on your computer instantly. It means that you always have entertainment options available. Sign up for a free 2 week trial, so you can try them out and see all they have to offer. If for any reason you aren't satisfied, they allow for hassle free cancellation 24 hours a day. Try them out now with the Netflix Free Trial. Go to Netflix.com to get more information on the service, browse their selection, compare the plans or subscribe to become a member. Read Netflix Reviews – Submit a Netflix Review, Rating or Comment. The main other DVD rental service is Blockbuster Video, but Gameznflix.com and DVDAvenue.com are other worthy choices. Those last services actually offer video games in addition to movies. These are great choices if you are a gamer in addition to being a fan of cinema. We provide information to help gaming enthusiasts compare game rental services. When you want to buy games, we help you find game stores that offer discounts and cheap prices on videogames. We appreciate you taking time to visit this site for information on the Netflix rental service. Please take the time to read the reviews or post one of your own. These personal and unbiased reviews really help people compare services to find the best company. Netflix Ratings Overall Selection Availability Value Features Shipping Speed Based on 10 user ratings Rate Netflix Read Netflix Reviews
Buy Long-Range Weather (Nov. 2012 - Oct. 2013) Complete 2013 Long-Range Weather Forecast for the Alaska Region, November 2012 to October 2013 includes week-by-week details. Free 2-Month Weather Forecast MAY 2013: temperature 23° north, 49° elsewhere (2° above avg.); precipitation 0.4" north, 3" central and southwest, 2" southeast (0.5" below avg. west, 1" above central, 1" below southeast); May 1-6: Snow showers, mild north; rain to snow, cool east-central; snow to ice, cool west-central; sunny, warm south-central and Panhandle; showers, mild Aleutians; May 7-18: Flurries and freezing drizzle, cold north; sunny, cool east-central and west-central; showers, mild south-central; rainy periods, warm Panhandle; showers, cool Aleutians; May 19-24: Flurries and freezing drizzle, mild north; rain and snow showers, cool east-central and west-central; rainy periods, seasonable elsewhere; May 25-31: Flurries and freezing drizzle, seasonable north; showers, cool east-central; clear, cool west-central and south-central; showers, seasonable Panhandle and Aleutians. JUNE 2013: temperature 34° north, 54° elsewhere (1° below avg.); precipitation 0.7" north, 3" south (avg.); Jun 1-6: Sunny, seasonable; Jun 7-12: Sunny, cool, then mild west-central; rainy periods, seasonable elsewhere; Jun 13-20: Showers, seasonable north; sunny, seasonable central; showers, seasonable south; Jun 21-26: Periods of rain and snow, cool north; showers, cool central; rainy periods, warm south; Jun 27-30: Showers, turning warm north and west-central; sunny, hot east-central and south-central; showers, warm Panhandle and Aleutians. Annual Weather Summary: November 2012 to October 2013 Winter season temperatures will be slightly above normal in the north and much above normal in central and southern portions of the state. The coldest periods will occur in late November, early December, late January, and mid-February. Precipitation will be near normal on the Panhandle and above normal elsewhere. Snowfall will be above normal in the north and on the Panhandle, near normal in the Aleutians, and below normal in the central portions of the state. The snowiest periods will be in mid-November and early May in the north; in mid-November, mid-January, and mid-February in central regions; and in late November, early December, early and late January, and early April in southern regions. April and May will be close to normal, on average, in temperatures, precipitation, and snowfall. The summer season will have temperatures that average 1 to 2 degrees above normal and below-normal precipitation. The warmest temperatures will occur from late June through the first 3 weeks of July and in early August. September and October temperatures will be above normal in the northern and central portions of the state and below normal across southern portions. Precipitation and snowfall will be below normal, with the snowiest periods in mid-September and early and late October in the north and in early to mid-October in central areas. Temperature and Precipitation November 2012 to October 2013
(Also posted to bitsquid.blogspot.com.) Putting some of the power of programming into the hands of artists and designers can be a great thing. When they can customize the behavior of an object directly, without making the roundtrip through a programmer, there is a lot more room for experimentation and iteration. As a result you get better looking things with more interesting interactions. Plus, if the artists do their own damn programming it means less work for me, so everybody wins. Of course I don’t expect artists to actually program, but rather to use tools that expose that power, such as shader graphs, visual scripting systems, or — the topic of this post — expression languages. By an expression language I mean a tiny little programming language that can be used to (and only used to) write one-line mathematical expressions, such as: sin(t) + 0.1 * cos(10 * t) So it is a really simple little calculator language. Simpler than Lisp. Simpler than Forth. (Well maybe not, but simpler than trying to teach artists Lisp or Forth.) This simplicity has two advantages. First, it makes it easier to write and understand the expressions. Second, it makes it possible to compute the expressions efficiently, which is important, because it allows us to use them in more places without worrying too much about the performance or memory costs. The expression language can be used to replace static values where we want the artist to be able to specify more unique behaviors. Some examples: - In the particle system it can be used to script complicated custom particle behaviors that are hard to produce with other types of controllers. - In the animation system it can be used to compute the play speed and blend values of animations based on controller variables. - In the physics system it can be used to define custom force fields to achieve special effects, such as tornados, explosions or whirlwinds. Computing the Expressions Since the expressions are so simple, usually not more than a few operators, we need to be able to evaluate them with as little overhead as possible. Otherwise, the overhead will dominate the execution cost. This means that we should use a simple design, such as a stack-based virtual machine. That may sound complicated, but the concepts are really quite simple. What it means is that we convert our expression to a sequence of operations that pushes or pops data from a computation stack. So our example from above: sin(t) + 0.1 * cos(10 * t) Gets converted into: t sin 0.1 10 t * cos * + Here t pushes the value of the variable t to the stack. sin pops the top value from the stack, computes it and pushes the result to the stack. 0.1 pushes the value 0.1 to the stack. + pops two values from the stack, adds them together and pushes the result to the stack. * works the same way. If you go through the operations in the example you see that it computes the same result as the original expression. This way of writing expressions is called Reverse Polish notation (RPN) or postfix notation and it’s the basis for the programming language Forth. If we examine the issue, we see that we really just need three types of operations in our byte code: - PUSH_VARIABLE - pushes the content of a variable to the stack - PUSH_FLOAT - pushes a floating point number to the stack - COMPUTE_FUNCTiON - pops the arguments of the stack, computes the result and pushes it to the stack - END - marks the end of the byte code For simplicity I use 32 bits for each bytecode word. The upper 8 bits specify the type of the operation and the lower 24 bits is the data. For a variable the data is the index of the variable in a variable list. When compiling the bytecode you specify a list of variable names: {“t”, “x”}. And when executing you specify a corresponding list of variable values: {0.5, 20.1}. Similarly, for COMPUTE_FUNCTION, the data is an index into a function table. For PUSH_FLOAT we need an extra code word to hold the data, since we want 32 bit floats. We can now write the function that runs the virtual machine, it is not much code at all: Compiling the Byte Code Compiling an expression involves three phases, tokenizing the data to a stream of input symbols, transforming that stream from infix to postfix notation and finally generating the byte code from that. Tokenization means matching the identifiers in the expressions against a list of variable names and function names. We can also support contants that get converted to floats directly in the tokenization process. That is useful for things like pi. The tokenization process converts our sample expression to something like this: { sin, (, t, ), +, 0.1, , cos, (, 10, , t, ) } Now we need to convert this to infix notation. One way would be to write a full blown yacc parser with all that entails, but for this kind of simple expressions we can get away with something simpler, such as Dijkstra’s Shunting Yard algorithm. I actually use an even simpler variant that doesn’t support right-associative operators, where I just process the input tokens one by one. If the token is a value or a variable I put it directly in the output. If the token is a function or an operator I push it to a function stack. But before I do that, I pop all functions with higher precedence from the function stack and put them in the output. Precedence takes parenthesis level into account, so a + nested in three parentheses has higher precedence than a * nested in two. Let us see how this works for our simple example: Constant Folding To further improve efficiency we may want to distinguish the cases where the users have actually written an expression (such as “sin x”) from the cases where they have just written a constant (“0.5”) or a constant valued expression (“2sin(pi)”). Luckily, constant folding is really easy to do in an RPL expression. After tokenizing and RPL conversion, the expression “2 sin(pi)” has been converted to: 2 3.14159265 sin * We can constant fold a function of arity n if the n argument that preceedes it are constants. So in the sample above we can constant fold sin to: 2 3.14159265 sin * 2 0 * Continuing, we can fold * 2 0 * 0 If we end up with a constant expression, the byte code will used be a single PUSH_FLOAT operation. We can detect that and bypass the expression evaluation all together for that case. Source Code If you want to start playing with these things you can start with my expression language source code.
An Unhappy Anniversary Stay up to date with the latest headlines via email..). A 'nonfunctioning city': A White House " Fact Sheet" released in advance of Katrina's one-year anniversary notes that FEMA has provided $5.6 billion to repair and replace damaged public infrastructure. But Gulf Coast Recovery coordinator Donald E. Powell has admitted that nearly a third of the trash in New Orleans has yet to be picked up. Sixty percent of New Orleans homes still lack electricity and just 66 percent of public schools have reopened. Only 17 percent of the city's buses are operational, causing severe problems for the many residents who don't own cars -- "a major factor in the government's failure to evacuate residents before the storm." "Look at what we're getting in terms of services," said Janet Howard of the Bureau of Governmental Research, a nonprofit group in New Orleans. " It's basically a nonfunctioning city." Crime has risen again in New Orleans -- the homicide rate is nearly 10 times the national average -- but only seven of 13 courtrooms have reopened and judges have a backlog of nearly 7,000 cases. A recent report by the Department of Justice found that in New Orleans, "justice is simply unavailable." But where the federal, state, and local governments have been absent, citizen activism has surged in the wake of the storm, " chipping away at some of this city's unhealthy institutions." Many schools -- formerly in " the control of a corrupt district office" -- are now being managed by parents and community activists as charter schools, and newcomers are pushing for reform and tighter ethics in the city council. Poverty forgotten: One of the president's boldest promises after Hurricane Katrina was his promise to fight poverty nationwide: ." But as soon as Katrina disappeared from the headlines, " poverty and antipoverty policy disappeared once again from the public agenda." Most recently, the Senate voted down a minimum wage increase because the conservative leadership, in a political ploy, tied it to a cut in inheritance taxes on multimillion-dollar estates. The federal minimum wage hasn't been raised since 1996 and eight million Americans continue to live on $5.15 an hour. Since Bush took office, the number of Americans living in poverty has increased by 5.4 million and an additional 1.4 million children fell into poverty between 2000 and 2004. The poverty rates for African-Americans and Hispanics ( 23 percent) continues to be far higher than the poverty rate for whites (8.6 percent). While Bush did follow through on his promise to create Gulf Opportunity Zones -- tax incentives for regional business development -- Alter notes that they have become "mostly an opportunity for Southern companies owned by GOP campaign contributors to make some money in New Orleans." To date, Congress has taken no action on Bush's call for Worker Recovery Accounts, which would provide $5,000 for evacuees seeking education and job training, or on the Urban Homesteading Act, which would provide free building sites via a lottery to low-income evacuees. More ailments, less medical care: Health care is an increasing problem in the post-Katrina Gulf Coast. The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals estimated that " New Orleans has lost half of its physicians and suffers from a shortage of 1,000 nurses." Forty-four percent of adult caregivers now lack health coverage and "34 percent of children in FEMA-subsidized communities have at least one chronic health condition that requires treatment, but half of the affected children no longer have a medical provider." Even though the population of New Orleans is at less than half of its pre-storm population, the suicide rate has tripled and there is no capacity to deal with mental health and substance abuse problems. The people of New Orleans are also suffering from a lack of hospitals and the inability to receive immediate care from emergency rooms. Federal waste and mismanagement: The federal mismanagement of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath has permanently damaged Bush's approval rating. White House counselor Dan Bartlett recently said, "It was a setback at the time, but it was recoverable and has been." But the American public disagrees. Bush's approval rating before Katrina was at 60 percent. Immediately after the hurricane hit, it fell to 52 percent and in mid-Sept. 2005, it dropped to 49 percent. It is now at just 36 percent. Sixty-six percent of the American public (and 84 percent of New Orleans residents) rate the government's recovery efforts negatively, according to a recent ABC News poll. A June Government Accountability Office report found that between $600 million and $1.4 billion in taxpayer dollars has been wasted on " improper and potentially fraudulent individual assistance payments." Payments went to Katrina evacuees to pay for items such as Dom Perignon champagne, New Orleans Saints season tickets and adult-oriented entertainment. A recent report by the House Committee on Government Reform found that 19 Katrina contracts -- worth $8.75 billion -- " experienced significant overcharges, wasteful spending or mismanagement." Levees not ready: Yesterday, Powell said, "I believe that the levees are ready for hurricane season. ... The levees are back to where they were pre-Katrina, and they're on their way to being the best, better and stronger then they have ever been." But Powell's upbeat rhetoric contradicts assessments by the head of the Army Corps of Engineers, who recently expressed skepticism that the New Orleans levees could withstand a hurricane with a heavy storm surge this year. In order for the levees to withstand a Category 5 hurricane and for residents of New Orleans to finally feel safe, another $30 billion will need to be spent. Unfortunately, as the New Orleans Times-Picayune notes, the federal government's "commitment to the long-term protection of South Louisiana is still uncomfortably murky. Stay up to date with the latest headlines via email
What's internet brand equity? It's a measure of who's talking about you online, based on Internet data, social media, blogs and the top 75,000 print and electronic media outlets. The resulting tool, the group claims, gauges the relative value of the various institutions and how they change over time. The Global Language Monitor created their ranking system in order to eliminate what they described as inherent bias in the other published ranking systems. Rather than emphasizing the opinions of college deans, high school guidance counselors and the ratio of the endowment to the number of students, GLM believes their method reflects the opinion of the world at large. January 5, 2011 "The University of Wisconsin at Madison beat out the University of Chicago and Harvard to be the top national university by internet brand equity." Internet brand equity, baby! You hear that? We're #1! Tags: education, the web, University of Wisconsin 14 comments: Rather than emphasizing the opinions of college deans, high school guidance counselors and the ratio of the endowment to the number of students, The real humor is that anyone thinks those things have anything to do with the quality of a school. Judging from the picture it appears that Wisconsin's "brand equity" took a major boost from their football team. Perhaps Chicago should apply to rejoin the Big Ten? Maybe Harvard could dip into its endowment for a big-time basketball coach and petition to join the Big East for basketball purposes? It's not that Harvard doesn't have a catalog full of gut courses that the basketball players could take to keep their eligibility. UW is a breeding ground for CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, coming in at #4 in the country. . However, like the CBO, you could also argue that UW is dead last, if that's what helps you get through the day. Hey, you may have beat out Harvard and the University of Chicago in internet brand equity, but I'd rather have TCU's football team. How odd that outside the Ivies, MIT, UC, and Berkley, that the winners of a popularity contest based on volume are schools with large alumni bases. It's almost as surprising as a Big 10 team being ranked #1 in September. Freeman, of course, is right. If the product doesn't measure up, all the marketing in the world won't save it. PS Considering how badly managed a lot of US companies are, maybe the breeding ground needs a little work. Hey, DKW, we did beat the spread. I blame football. Perhaps they have a prominent blogger posting stories about them occasionally. There might be an "Althouse Effect" at work. And for University of Chicago, ChicagoBoyz might help give them a bump. The five Ivies on the list are Ivies, and people who attended Ivy league schools make a point to use every available opportunity to remind people that they attended an Ivy. A little surprised that of the UCs, Berkeley made the top ten and UCLA didn't, but then, negative buzz is still buzz, and the methodology mentioned doesn't seem to sort bad buzz from good, and plenty of folks use Berzerkley as their go-to campus for highlighting nutty leftiness. MIT is MIT, and interesting stuff is always bubbling out of there, bet CalTech games the next survey to knock MIT down and put themselves on top. If Bristol Palin really ends up attending ASU, expect them to suddenly jump up this brand equity list, as the haters are going to hate, and the supporters are going to support. Wisconsin is highly respected, but do its graduates break down and cry for the love of their school when its undefeated football team wins the Rose Bowl? Man cannot live on respect alone. ...but TCU won! So it does pay to sue podunk high schools for using a W in the wrong font. Noted. "Wisconsin is highly respected, but do its graduates break down and cry for the love of their school when its undefeated football team wins the Rose Bowl?" You're suggesting football isn't a big deal to people at the University of Wisconsin?
Always in Season Farmstead Vacation Rental and Retreat Enjoy the spirit of aloha in this private setting with gorgeous flower and edible gardens accompanies by magnificent views of the ocean and the nearby island of Maui. Always in Season Farmstead is truly a memorable experience. The property is situated at 1500 feet on three stunning acres at the top of beautiful Maliu Ridge, above the quaint town of Hawi. We are upcountry and have a bit cooler, more delightful climate than the hotter coastline. The landscape is blessed with picturesque views of rolling green pasture dotted with horses and sheep until the land meets the sea, with a full view of Maui in the distance. The plants love to grow here year-round, and the fruit orchard and our gardens are glorious. We have fifteen varieties of citrus trees, six varieties of avocados, and many other exotic edibles including papaya and bananas. Orchids, bromeliads, and other ornamental plants grace the property for you to enjoy. The accommodations include an over-sized bedroom with a private bath, fully-equipped kitchen area, lovely outdoor courtyard, garden setting, and an outstanding view. There is also a sitting room we call the Tea Room, which is adjacent to the accommodations with a computer and library for your use. You are welcome to harvest whatever you can eat from our orchard and gardens. Cable TV and Wi-Fi Internet access are also included. Enjoy the slideshow featuring our beautiful property and accommodations: Take advantage of your hosts, Donna and Kevin. We have had years of experience on the island and will share the special jewels of the Big Island with you. Aloha awaits you. During your stay, we can arrange for additional adventures. You can choose from a variety of activities such as massage, yoga, dancing, hiking, swimming in the ocean, snorkeling, scuba diving, dolphin quests, amazing hikes, healing horseback riding excursions, zip lining, farm and garden tours, eco tours, ATV tours, and a visit to our outstanding Saturday farmers market. Hawi is known for great restaurants, talented artists, and exquisite galleries. Of course, you can always just hang out and read, write, paint, or meditate in any of our lovely sitting areas around the property. During your stay, you can choose to enjoy a Farm-to-Table Meal or even one of our culinary classes. We also offer weekend and week-long culinary retreats. We hope you choose to come experience Always in Season Farmstead and the bounty and beauty it has to offer you. Enjoy a smoothie under a palm tree or in the comfort of your lovely accommodation, watch the sunset disappear into the ocean, or just rest, relax, and rejuvenate and enjoy the richness of what North Kohala has to offer. Please give us a call or email us if you would like additional information. We look forward to helping you plan a memorable vacation or culinary retreat. Donna or Kevin Maltz Home: (808) 884-5633 Cell: (907) 299-0300
(Bumped from FanPosts. --Eric) --- I spent most of Friday battling a stomach bug, pretty unsure whether I'd make it out to the ballpark in time to catch the Savannah Sand Gnats battle the Rome Braves. Luckily, the game was delayed slightly due to some passing showers in the Rome area so I made it before the Sand Gnats pitcher, Erik Goeddel, started warming up in the bullpen. I always enjoy watching guys work in the pen before the game. As you can see in the video that I posted below, he takes his time to gather a feel for his pitches. Fast Forward to Game action. Erik didn't disappoint. He was seemingly in control the entire game, reaching his first 3 ball count in the 7th inning. In fact, from information I obtained from an anonymous source, this was the first game that Erik reached the 7th inning as a starter since Erik was in high school. If you don't know the story, he battled elbow injuries in high school and college, having a torn elbow ligament repaired while at UCLA. He is a tall, lanky kid who has room to grow and pack on some muscle. Change Up: The least of his offerings, it isn't a terrible pitch. If anything, it provided Erik with a change of pace, to keep hitters off of his fastball. The arm action was okay but the difference in velocity was good. Slider: His best offering. The movement on this pitch is unfair for the opposition. The pitch started in the zone but ending up sweeping abusively low and out of the zone. This pitch, followed by the sinker, was simply unfair to the opposition. I don't have a velocity reading for the slider but I would guess it sits in the mid 80s. Curveball: The best single pitch thrown all evening was a Curveball to Braves prospect Edward Salcedo. The curveball to Salcedo was perfectly set up after a steady diet of fastballs. A classic 12-6 offering, Erik did not have a good feel and avoided this pitch after the second inning other than the one he spun to Salcedo. Once again, I don't have a velocity reading on this pitch. It was his slowest offering, probably registering in the high 70s. Erik's final line was 7 innings pitched, 6 hits, 5 strikeouts, 1 HR, 1 run and no walks. In the video posted below, you will see Erik warm up in the pen prior to the game, some warm ups before the first few innings of the game and some pitches during game action. Mets Prospect Erik Goeddel (via MetsgeekTV) There are 27 Comments. Load Now. Shortcuts to mastering the comment thread. Use wisely. C - Next Comment X - Mark as Read R - Reply Z - Mark Read & Next Shift + C - Previous Shift + A - Mark All Read Live comment alert: Hide it!
The information above is an updated feed of the most current Rolling Hills bundle services. This info permits users to determine recent promotions, packages and prices from available bundle suppliers within the state. What's more, it offers users the details needed to weigh Rolling Hills bundle services against U.S. averages. The newest report states 2 companies are currently offering bundle packages in Rolling Hills, KY. Between these providers you will find a total of 31 bundle offers and 0 special offers available for purchase. If you're looking for more information on selecting the best quality bundle service make sure you reference the article below. Bundle Package Selections A bundle service deal simply put is a plan that combines numerous services from one provider. There are a number of service providers that offer bundled packages, typically for less money as compared to obtaining each service independently. The types of bundled packages you're able to choose between include: - Phone, Broadband Internet and TV Bundles - TV and Phone Bundles - Internet and Phone Bundles - High Speed Internet and TV Bundles Needless to say, the more options you include in the bundled plan the more you're likely to save. Receiving only a single invoice to take care of is an additional advantage of purchasing a bundled plan as opposed to numerous single services. This can be especially true in the event your service provider charges late payment fees for missed payments. Nevertheless, a bundled plan might not be the right option for you personally even when it includes special rates and the simplicity of paying just a single statement. Points to Keep in Mind Before Buying a Bundle Service Below are some things to consider before you sign up to get a bundled service. - Examine your requirements to confirm you won't be purchasing services you won't really take advantage of. - If the bundled services has a special promotional price make certain you know what amount the services cost t the completion of the introductory period. - Will you be able to spend less on installation along with other up-front costs in the event you choose a bundled plan? - Is there a long-term contract required? Are there any termination costs? - Understand how the expenses per service are divided within the bundle package. - Be sure to take into account not only the cost, but the professionalism and reputation of the service provider. Keep in mind, if you opt to eliminate one or more of the services in the future, your provider will almost certainly increase your monthly costs for the continued services. Locating the Best Bargains on Bundled Services With countless digital TV, telephone and internet alternatives right now combining them as a bundled service package could possibly be the least complicated and most cost-effective way to go. Luckily, quite a few service providers have bundle service packages and a few even partner together with other providers to supply clients with services they do not currently offer themselves. Consumers can take advantage of free search tools, for example the tool above, to find deals on bundles in their area and compare offers from major cable companies, telephone companies and internet service providers like Comcast, Verizon FiOS, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and more. Simply call the toll-free number or enter in your street address inside the search box above to find local service providers and the most afforable TV, internet and phone bundles in your city.
BA in Elementary Education Admission to Candidacy in Teacher Education Undergraduates seeking teacher certification in elementary education should contact an advisor in the School of Education, Teaching and Health I: Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST); earn an average grade of 2.70 or higher in EDU-205 Schools and Society, Teaching and Health advisor for more information. - Literature: 3 credit hours in addition to LIT-102 - The Arts: 3 credit hours - Health: 3 credit hours - U.S. history: 3 credit hours - Social science: 3 credit hours - Biological science: 3 credit hours - Physical science: 3 credit hours Note: biological or physical science must include a lab.: Students must consult with an advisor from the School of Education, Teaching and Health. Course Requirements - EDU-205 Schools and Society (3) - EDU-250 Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers I (3) - EDU-251 Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers II (3) - EDU-419 Children’s Literature: A Critical Literacy Perspective (3) - EDU-420 Psychology of Education (3) - EDU-321 Field Experience: Observation and Analysis (1) - EDU-330 Instructional Strategies and Teaching Methods (3) - EDU-462 Classroom Management (3) - EDU-371 Foundations of Reading Instruction (3) - EDU-492 Service Learning in Teacher Education (1) - EDU-519 The Uses of Technology in Education (3) - EDU-541 Foundations of Special Education for Exceptional Children (3) or EDU-545 Overview of all Exceptionalities: The Arts in Special Education (3) - EDU-552 Teaching Mathematics in Elementary Education (3) - EDU-553 Teaching Language Arts in Elementary Education (3) - EDU-554 Teaching Social Studies in Elementary Education (3) - EDU-555 Teaching Reading in Elementary Education (3) - EDU-556 Teaching Science in Elementary Education (3) - EDU-499 Student Teaching (12) Concentration or Minor - 15–17 credit hours in one of the following concentrations in art, biology, history, literature, mathematics, or music; or with approval, students may complete a minor in place of the concentration: Art (15 credit hours) - ARTS-100 Art: The Studio Experience (3) - One course from the following: - ARTH-105 Art: The Historical Experience (3) - ARTH-210 Modern Art: Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries (3) - Three courses from the following: - ARTS-205 The Artist’s Perspective: Drawing (3) - ARTS-210 The Artist’s Perspective: Painting (3) - ARTS-215 The Artist’s Perspective: Sculpture (3) - ARTS-420 Painting Studio (3) - ARTS-440 Sculpture Studio (3) - ARTS-460 Drawing Studio (3) - ARTS-463 Relief Printmaking Studio (3) - ARTS-464 Intaglio Studio (3) Biology (17 credit hours) - BIO-110 General Biology I (4) - BIO-210 General Biology II (4) - Three courses from the following: - BIO-200 Structure and Function of the Human Body (3) - BIO-220 The Case for Evolution (3) - BIO-250 Oceanography (3) - ENVS-250 Living in the Environment (3) - BIO-xxx 300-level or above course, with advisor’s approval History (15 credit hours) - HIST-205 American Encounters: 1492–1865 (3) - HIST-215 Social Forces that Shaped America (3) - One course from the following: - HIST-100 History, Memory, and the Changeable Past (3) - HIST-110 Renaissance and Revolutions: Europe, 1400-1815 (3) - HIST-120 Imperialism in History (3) - HIST-210 Ethnicity in America (3) - HIST-220 Women in America since 1850 (3) - HIST-225 Russia and the Origins of Contemporary Eurasia (3) - HIST-235 The West in Crisis, 1900-1945 (3) - HIST-250 Empires and States in East Asia (3) - One approved HIST-2xx course (3) - One approved HIST-3xx course (3) Literature (15 credit hours) - LIT-120 Interpreting Literature (3) or LIT-105 The Literary Imagination (3) - Two courses from the following: - LIT-125 Great Books that Shaped the Western World (3) - LIT-210 Survey of American Literature I (3) - LIT-211 Survey of American Literature II (3) - LIT-220 Survey of British Literature I (3) - LIT-221 Survey of British Literature II (3) - One course from the following: - LIT-225 The African Writer (3) - LIT-235 African-American Literature (3) - LIT-240 Asian American Literature (3) - LIT-245 The Experience of Poetry (3) - LIT-265 Literature and Society in Victorian England (3) - LIT-270 Transformations of Shakespeare (3) Mathematics (17 credit hours) - MATH-211 Applied Calculus I (4) or MATH-221 Calculus I (4) - MATH-222 II (4) - Three approved courses at the 300-level or above Music (16 credit hours) - PERF-124 Music Theory (3) - PERF-227 Musicianship I (3) - PERF-100 Class Piano Level I (1) - PERF-114 Class Voice (1) - MUS-122 Private Instrumental or Vocal Study (2) (four semesters for a total of 8 credit hours) - One approved LIT-3xx course (3).
. In This Issue bioblurb by Lisa M. von Biela A MESSAGE FROM YOUR EDITOR: We've got it all this week-everything including red, glow-in-the-dark beagle pups. I can see the advantage in that. Have the right UV light going, and you'll never trip on your dog in the dark again. Could save some broken bones. CONTRIBUTOR CREDITS FOR THIS ISSUE:Thanks to Becky Fe de Montreve-McMinn and Hugh Wellons for their contributions this week!BIOETHICS ISSUES: 1. Hospitals replace DNR with "Allow Natural Death." OK, this is a little more Health Law than Biotech, but . . ., 4/27/09, via Becky. 2. Institute of Medicine calls on doctors to stop taking industry gifts. The chorus is growing . . .? BIOTECH AND THE LAW: 1. Wyeth decision opens the floodgates for failure to warn suits.Caseswaiting in the wings now reanimated., 4/30/09, via FDLI SmartBrief. 2. McKesson drug price fraud settlement wins initial approval from court., 4/23/09, via FDLI SmartBrief. BIOTECH IN CLINICAL MEDICINE: 1. Autism tied to older moms, breech birth.f! News, 4/28/09, via Becky. 2. Gene alterations associated with response to anthracycline therapy for breast cancer.!, 4/28/09, via CDC Weekly Newsletter. 3. Discovery of key genetic factors that drive the process of generating new heart cells.8, 4/26/09, via CDC Weekly Newsletter. BIOTECH RESEARCH/SCIENCE: 1. Drug library helps in developing new remedies from old. Times, 4/28/09, via Hugh. 2. Nanoparticles may help to attack cancer more directly. Bucky Balls, anyone?! News, 4/26/09, via Hugh. 3. Gene-laden bubbles grow new blood vessels. Daily, 4/26/09, via CDC Weekly Newsletter. COMMERCIAL BIOTECH APPLICATIONS: 1. Utah rolls out first U.S. open source disease tracker. Gee, just in time with this swine flu business going on . . . Health IT, 4/23/09, via Becky. 2. Report recommends certain priorities when implementing electronic health records. Data Management, 4/24/09, via Becky. 3. DTC genetic tests banned in Germany. Foundation, 4/28/09, via CDC Weekly Newsletter. 4. Microsoft aims to help scientists move past Excel, make sense of gene data overload. Wonder what name they'll come up with? Genome 2010? PowerDNAPoint? ChromasomeServer? Sorry, could not help myself!- scientists-move-past-excel-make-sense-of-gene-data-overload/ FINANCIAL/COMPANY NEWS: 1. Recession puts squeeze on hospital IT projects. IT News, 4/27/09, via Becky. 2. FDA approves J&J's rheumatoid arthritis drug golimumab-expected to be a blockbuster. I know, that looks like a major typo on my part, but it is not. Times, 4/25/09, via FDLI SmartBrief. LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY DEVELOPMENTS: 1. Republican senator pushes for biotech funding, new agency.5, 4/25/09, via Hugh. 2. Sebelius sworn in as HHS secretary.? mod=dist_smartbrief 3. Two senators introduce bill on FDA inspection of drug plants., 4/23/09, via FDLI SmartBrief. PATENT/IP ISSUES: 1. Watson and Novartis battle over Enablex patent., 4/28/09, via FDLI SmartBrief. 2. Sanofi loses appeal on Lovenox patent. What is this? The meds all need to end in "x" this week!, 4/27/09, via FDLI SmartBrief. REGULATORY MATTERS/FDA ACTIVITY: 1. FDA allows uncleared uses of flu drugs and tests. Oxymoron of the week: authorized off-label use., 4/27/09, via Hugh. 2. "Pharma-scolds" scolded. I can see the fingers wagging now!, 4/29/09, via FDLI SmartBrief. 3. Acetaminophen products to contain stronger warnings on labels in U.S., 4/29/09, via FDLI SmartBrief. WEIRD NEWS: 1. South Korean experts claim to have cloned glowing dogs. They look like normal beagles, but put them under UV light and they glow red. What will they think of next? Hot dog!! News, 4/28/09, via FDLI SmartBrief. BioBlurb is a weekly member benefit of the Biotechnology Law Committee. Click here to join the Biotechnology Law Committee for free today! Lisa M. von BielaJ.D. Candidate, 2009University of Minnesota Law [email protected]
A Leadership Deficit House-Proposed Budget Cuts Inflict Much Pain for Little Deficit-Reduction Gain SOURCE: AP/Harry Hamburg Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and other House Republicans are proposing deep cuts to key programs that help unemployed workers retrain, connect disadvantaged youth to job opportunities, provide early childhood education for vulnerable children, and offer housing and utilities assistance to seniors and disabled people. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), in responding to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address, stated his belief that part of government’s role is to ensure equal opportunity, to provide a safety net, and to create conditions that allow for upward mobility. He promised the American people that these principles would inform conservative efforts to reduce the deficit. So much for that. The House will vote this week on a spending bill to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year 2011. This bill inflicts enormous and unnecessary pain for little deficit-reduction gain. It slashes critical investments for economic growth and does so on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens. One in three Americans, or 100 million, are scraping by on low incomes and earning less than $44,000 a year for a family of four. One in five children lives in poverty in this country, with widening racial and ethnic disparities. And last month’s dismal jobs report showed that we still have a long way to go before reaching full employment. The Republican response to this level of distress is to ax programs in this year’s funding bill that help unemployed workers retrain, connect disadvantaged youth to job opportunities, provide early childhood education for vulnerable children, and offer housing and utilities assistance to seniors and disabled people. Everyone agrees that America needs to tackle its long-term deficit. But the recently released Republican proposal to slash approximately $65.5 billion from last year’s domestic and international spending levels reflects a failed strategy on both economic growth and basic fairness grounds. The House Republicans are proposing deep cuts to key programs in a part of the budget that represents just one-eighth of total federal spending instead of a holistic approach that surgically weeds out wasteful spending throughout the budget and examines the tax code for special interest subsidies. The one in three Americans struggling to get by on low incomes will bear the brunt of these irresponsible decisions. Below are a few examples of the House Republicans’ choices, with this year’s cuts compared with last year’s level of funding. The spending bill the House will vote on this week axes among other things: - $1.1 billion from Head Start (15 percent), which represents approximately 200,000 low-income children that would lose access to early childhood education - $1.4 billion from various job-training programs - $1 billion from community health centers (46 percent of regular appropriation) - $390.3 million from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program contingency fund (66 percent cut) - $551 million from Housing for the Elderly (67 percent cut) - $210 million from Housing for Persons with Disabilities (70 percent cut) Half in Ten examined these and a wide array of deep cuts and program eliminations and found that gutting programs providing basic supports to low- and moderate-income families—never mind overall cuts to infrastructure and other critical areas—saves about $15 billion. Compare this to the $23 billion we just spent in December’s estate tax giveaway to the super wealthy at the insistence of the same conservatives who want to slash these programs. Meanwhile, at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, President Obama on Monday released his budget proposal for next year. He emphasized reducing the deficit while making strategic investments to help America compete and grow our economy. The administration’s budget generally reflects the principle that we cannot outcompete the rest of the world if we are leaving one-third of our citizens behind. He requested increased funds for K-12 education, Head Start, and homeless prevention, as well as a restoration of a cut to SNAP/food stamps that had been enacted last year. To this end he also protects key investments such as nutrition assistance and housing vouchers for low- and moderate-income families even in the context of a five-year discretionary spending freeze. But in other cases the president’s budget request falls short when it comes to protecting the vulnerable and investing in communities. His proposal disappointingly cuts Low-Income Home Energy Assistance by 50 percent and slashes the Community Services Block Grant by 50 percent. The former helps vulnerable families heat their homes in winter and cool their homes in the summer, which avoids utility shut-offs that can carry major health consequences, particularly for seniors and young children. The latter helps community action agencies in more than 1,000 localities across the country provide services such as weatherization, job training, and Head Start to more than 20 million low-income individuals. These services both stabilize families in crisis and provide a pathway to long-term economic security. The president’s cuts in these areas are deep and painful. If the House passes them, the Senate should reject them. Congress must pass a bill to fund the remainder of FY2011 by March 4 or risk a government shutdown. Soon after, Congress will begin the process of determining spending levels for FY2012. How do we ensure deficit reduction is accomplished in a fair and responsible manner and not on the backs of the most vulnerable? Half in Ten proposes the following: - Get specific. It’s easy to be in favor of slashing spending to reduce the deficit. But when it comes to specifics it’s harder for our members of Congress to justify slashing Head Start, community health centers, or housing assistance to the elderly or disabled. Contact your member of Congress and let them know these programs are important to you and your community. And let them know deficit reduction must be accomplished in a fair and balanced way. - Put a human face on it. These cuts are fundamentally about people, jobs, and communities. Arm yourself with the data in this column and then work with Half in Ten and the Coalition on Human Needs who are collecting stories of how programs such as child care, affordable housing, and nutrition assistance have made a difference in your life, job, or community. We are looking for stories from program recipients, business owners, faith leaders, service providers, and other community leaders who can testify to the efficacy of federal programs. - Remind your elected officials that there are alternatives. The greatest myth is that our only two alternatives are disinvesting from our communities or facing an unsustainable and spiraling mountain of debt. In reality, a number of responsible deficit-reduction proposals should be on the table that take a fair and balanced approach, invest in job creation, protect the vulnerable, and strengthen and expand our middle class. Compare the cost of the House Republicans’ devastating cuts to the price tag of December’s tax-cut extension for those earning more than $250,000 a year ($60.7 billion). Budgets are more than just numbers on a ledger. They are statements of priorities that underscore which investments we want to make for long-term economic growth and shared prosperity. They are also moral documents that reflect the consideration we give to the vulnerable and the responsibilities we share as citizens for fairly raising revenue to pay for what we value. Fortunately, these moral and economic imperatives coincide. Investing in human capital such as early child education, community health centers, and job training both strengthen our ability to compete on the world stage while ensuring that the American Dream remains within reach for all our citizens. It’s time to make sure our elected officials get that message. Melissa Boteach is the Half in Ten Manager
Vol 7 No. 44 - July 25, 2007 I was having a conversation recently with a college age nephew about his future. Among other noble ambitions, he told me he wants to flip houses in his spare time. Aware that with the possible exception of myself, no one in his family was in the business of selling real estate or buying investment properties, I wondered where this particular interest came from. He told me that he watches "Flip That House." on the TLC channel. Well, that was enough to get me to tune in so I could see what I was missing. "Flip That House" profiles individuals who purchase less than desirable properties, spend time, money and elbow grease to fix them up and resell at a profit. One of the properties highlighted was purchased for $90,000 in Columbia, S. C. The owner planned on flipping it in three weeks with a budget of $45,000. They showed how the kitchen and bathroom were renovated, an interior wall removed and a new bathroom added. There was also a fireplace renovation, interior and exterior painting and floor refinishing. The show was interesting if a little broad in scope relative to how all this got accomplished in three weeks on a $45,000 budget. When the renovation was complete, the house was listed for $214,500, an impressive number for three week’s worth of work. However, what they never talked about, which would have been helpful to my young nephew and future flipper, was where did the purchase and renovation money come from? They left the impression that there is money to be made in flipping, and there is, but not easily for the novice flipper. Flipping is not for the faint of heart and definitely not for anyone who doesn’t want to spend his leisure time getting his hands dirty. Everything takes twice as long and costs twice as much as you first anticipated, and if you’re doing your flipping in a down market, you’re profits will be considerably less. That being said, first time buyers who want to get in the game have some very attractive first time buyer financing available with little or no money down. If you live in the house for two years, fix it up and sell at a profit, there are no capital gains, as long as your profit is below $250,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a married couple. This is the best way for a young person to get started in real estate, make the initial purchase and sell for a profit without paying capital gains tax, then move on. Savvy flippers and investors know to look for the real estate "orphans," the worst houses in the best neighborhoods. They also know how much return they will get on renovations and which renovations get the best bang for the buck. For example, kitchen renovations can have as much as a 102 percent return on cost. They also calculate having professional help in order to move the project along. The longer you hold a property and pay the mortgage, taxes, electric and other carrying costs, the less profit you receive in the end. And profits on non-owner occupied investment properties are taxed as a capital gain, cutting into the money in your pocket. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the show and will probably keep watching. But it makes the assumption that you are already an investor and understand all about flipping houses, which could be misleading to neophyte investors like my nephew. Like all things in life, if it sounds too easy, it is. Too bad you can’t know this when you’re 19.
You are currently viewing the beta version of the new AMM site. to return to the current site. To include more than one recipient, please separate each email address with a semi-colon ';', to a maximum of 5 Keywords: mechanical tube demand, mechanical tube imports, mechanical tube market forecast, Edward Vore, ArcelorMittal Tubular Products North America, Shawn Seanor, Timken, Tim Spatafore Marmon/Keystone The mechanical tubing market continues to be fairly good, flattening out at a relatively high plateau, but isnt nearly as tight as it was a year ago, when many mills had their customers on allocation or controlled order entry. With additional headwinds expected to move in during the second half, most mills are leery about making predictions for 2013. This year has been an OK year on average, with some pockets (of end-use activity) being very good and others that are not good at all, said Edward Vore, vice president of marketing and sales at ArcelorMittal Tubular Products North America. Given that mechanical tubing demand tends to be reflective of overall industrial production and gross domestic product growth, a lot rides on what happens with the United States and global economies, he said. The demand is still there, although a number of end-use markets are softening to a certain degree and a lot of inventories are being worked down, said Shawn Seanor, vice president of oil and gas engineered steel solutions at Timken Co., Canton, Ohio. He pointed to the Institute for Supply Managements purchasing managers index slipping below 50 percent in June, July and August as an early warning sign, especially with distributors months of supply on hand increasing, albeit slightly, over the summer. There also has been an increase in import offerings, especially along the coasts, as a number of world markets struggle more than in the recent past and amid a strengthening of the dollar against the euro, Tim Spatafore, president of Marmon/Keystone LLC, Butler, Pa., said. But while some distributors are starting to sniff around, we wont take a chance on them. There has to be a more significant difference between the import and domestic prices before we do. There likely will be a few months of correction ahead, Seanor said, but he is optimistic that the industry will end the year on a positive note. Nevertheless, the significant governmental issues that have yet to be resolved make it difficult to predict what 2013 will look like for the mechanical tubing market, Vore said. A large tax increase impact or spending reduction from the full implementation of sequestration spending cuts could make 2013 a very difficult business environment, at least for the first half
, and featured some that band was dissatisfied with Tom Werman’s production; in fact, in 1998 the band went into the studio and re-recorded In Color in its entirety with — get this — Steve Albini. However, it remains unreleased, which is a shame.P). It’s a letdown. The title track is a triumph, and it rivals “Surrender” as the band’s best song — a four-minute blast of galloping power chords, with a tornado of synths, Kinks-style vocals, and arch lyrics about coked-up paranoia. But elsewhere, if falls flat. The songs are uninspired, the whole thing is overproduced, and the ballad, “Voices,” is turgid. There are strings, and some heavy-metal disco. It did well, and Dream Police was their biggest selling studio LP: the LP went to #6; the title track peaked at #26; the second single, “Voices,” went to #32. For Cheap Trick, things started a slow, downhill slide the single,. And it was a terrible song. Standing on the Edge (1986 Epic) was supposed to be the ol’ “return to the roots” record, but ended up having drum machines. Then it was The Doctor (1986 Epic). Sometimes it becomes difficult to continue writing these entries, once a band totally falls apart: “funk”; female back-up singers; synthesizers; computer-programmed sound effects; not much guitar. Epic was fed up. They forced outside songwriters on the band. The result was a commercial hit and a product that would stifle the band creatively throughout the 90s. Tom Petersson rejoined the band. They had a hair ballad stuffed down their throats. “The Flame” went to #1. The CD was Lap of Luxury, (1988 Epic). It went platinum. It got bad reviews. It sold. It’s sort of pointless to blather on endlessly about all the records Cheap Trick has made since. Sales plummeted, again; they got dropped from one major, then another. It’s really all about the first four LPs, and two tracks from the fifth. Bands — you know, they never realize they have shelf lives, that the thing that makes a band resonate with people, and vibrate, is that they strike the Zeitgeist — and the ability to do that doesn’t last forever. They think lightning will strike over and over and over again, in exactly the same spot. Cheap Trick are still together. After Lap of Luxury, they tried to make lightning strike that spot over and over again. Of course, that spot was crass, and commercial, and artificial, and it didn’t work. They’re on an indie now. They seem to have some perspective. They’re back where they started, playing clubs. The Albini/In Color move was a stroke of genius. They should release that @#$%. They toured with Guided by Voices. Also a good move. They’re taking control of the sale of their product through digital distro. Also a good move. Go buy Budokan. It’s great.
HTC One S Review - International and T-Mobileby Brian Klug on July 17, 2012 9:30 AM EST - Posted in - Smartphones - HTC - HTC One - HTC One S - T-Mobile ltcommanderdata - Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - linkTo go with the smallest screen size for a modern smartphone, the iPhone 4S also has the smallest battery as shown on the first chart on page 2. It'd be interesting o find out how display power consumption scales with screen size to see if they are scaling battery size fast enough to fully compensate, but big phones with big screens do tend to have big batteries so big screens shouldn't automatically mean bad battery life. Reply Penti - Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - link4S doesn't have HSPA+ baseband only 14.0 Cat 10 HSDPA. I.e. 14Mbit "4G-branding". In short small batteries, large screens, fast processors and gpus and power hungry baseband is what drains these devices. You need a significant larger battery to have a better battery life here. For most devices that isn't a priority. For example the iPad 3 gen has a larger battery then MBAir 11. Reply amdwilliam1985 - Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - linkPlease explain the 4G part to a friend of mine. She claims her 4G iPhone 4s with iOS 5.1.1 on AT&T network can't go through a day with moderate usage. Reply Penti - Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - linkWhat, it's just a 3G WCDMA baseband, no other radio or tech it shouldn't draw more power just because the icon says 4G in this 3.75G device. No smartphone survives more then a day with moderate usage, calls and what not. An 4s is spec'd at 8 hours talk time and 6 hours of internet use over 3G respectively. Play a game and the device is pretty much dead half day. Using apps that pull data over the wireless cellular network, talk for a few hours and play a game for 15 minutes and it should be pretty drained. If there is nothing wrong with the device then it is the usage that has to change to accommodate more battery life. If you need to talk for hours a day and be connected to chat, surf the web, use apps that leverage the internet and all that over the network you would need some solution to charge the phone over the day not matter what device you run. Why some people whine about early LTE phones is because they had bad dual baseband chips and about half the talk time. Pretty bad battery life surfing on LTE etc. Reply Spoelie - Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - linkI'm wondering if the battery tests have ever been redone following iOS updates. In my experience, the battery life gets progressively worse with every new update. In this case, doing the tests once on release day and reusing the numbers for months on end may not be the best approach. Reply Anand Lal Shimpi - Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - linkI'll take the blame for this one. Notice the revamp of our tablet and OS X battery life tests? The smartphone web browsing test is in need of an update there as well. iOS has gotten a little too "good" at what we're doing there, at least in the web browsing test. The call and tethering tests are still great cross-platform indications of battery life. Reply rd_nest - Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - linkI think we should also look at multimedia playback times. Run high profile video files to check battery rundown time. It's an important parameter as far mobile usage is concerned. The SGS3 (International) is getting pretty good numbers compared to US SGS3 models. Reply yvizel - Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - linkSaying 3.5'' vs. 4.3'' is not an accurate argument. If you come to think of it, the iphone is a smaller device, therefore packs a smaller battery (as you can see in the Battery Capacity chart). Also, I would rather have a "slower" processor and more battery juice than have an octa-core @ 4GHz on a smartphone with 1 hour of usage! Not all of us use smartphone for gaming or whatever. I guess that the more common usage is web, email, GPS and other basic stuff. So again, no need for zillion cores on a smartphone. Oh, and great review! looks like a great device! Reply Connoisseur - Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - linkMy point is that it's extremely difficult to compare phones of different size, resolution, screen type, OS and capacity. Even if you remove the OS out of the mix (so you can compare OS "efficiency"), the only comparison you can really make between two different devices is hours/battery capacity efficiency. At least when comparing laptops, you have some basis for comparison (comparable hardware or form factor for example). Reply amdwilliam1985 - Tuesday, July 17, 2012 - linkWe can do the following 2 tests. 1) Hack and put iOS on an Android device and run the same test against iPhone 4s. 2) Hack both device and put a custom OS on both and run the test. This way we can see if it's software or hardware that's affecting the battery life. Reply
Researching Court Records.[2].[3] The attention to detail evident in the above quote is a strong indication of a quality transcription. Finding Compiled Court Records As suggested earlier, an Internet search either on your home computer or at the nearest public library is the best way to get an overview of what has been published and where the published records can be found and used. Unfortunately, there is no complete bibliography of titles or websites containing compiled records. A search of the online catalog of the regional library would be helpful as would use of. Below are some suggestions about other places to look. - Published state archives. Most of the original colonies/states authorized publication of original court records in series called archives. Such compiled volumes as Pennsylvania Archives and Maryland Archives are examples. Complete sets are available in several large research libraries and some are available online. Consult Benjamin Barnett Spratling III, "Court and Legal Records," in Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records, for a state-by-state (and colony) guide to compilations of this nature.[4] - Local histories, particularly those published around the turn of the nineteenth century, may contain extracts or transcribed court records. Some are accurately reproduced with careful indexes; some have many errors. Be sure to check for appendixes, special sections of documents, and quotations in the middle of town and family sections. Early histories are becoming more accessible due to digitization, so use sites that feature these publications. - Abstracts, extracts, indexes, and complete transcripts of court records can be found in journals, occasional publications, annual volumes, and special series. These can be accessed through a search of the Periodical Source Index, referenced in chapter 3, "General References and Guides." - William Jeffrey Jr., "Early New England Court Records: A Bibliography of Published Materials," contains a listing of the records published, the dates covered, name of court; title, author, and bibliographic data of printed volume; description and index; brief analysis of editing done and omissions.[5] - Evarts B. Green and Richard B. Morris, A Guide to the Principal Sources for Early American History (1600-1800) in the City of New York, contains a separate section of printed sources, including court records, found in various record depositories in New York City. They are arranged by subject and thereunder by state and locality.[6] - Bradley Chapin, Criminal Justice in Colonial America, 1606-1660, is a valuable description of courts and their jurisdictions and specific crimes for which punishment was meted out before 1660 in America.[7] The author includes a list of selected cases and a full bibliography of early sources. Since there are no printed reports, few indexes, and missing volumes for this period, the list is especially valuable. The genealogist who is searching for an American ancestor in this early period will benefit from a careful study of this book. - Volumes of court records have been published privately, by societies, archives, universities, and the trade press. For example, Joan W. Peters Military Records, Patriotic Service, & Public Service Claims from the Fauquier County, Virginia, Court Minute Books, 1759-1784.[8] Finding Early Laws It is useful to know what laws were in effect in a state at the time an ancestor lived there. Hein's Session Laws of American States and Territories: A Compilation of All States and Territories, 1775-2003[9] is the most complete coverage of all fifty states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. This is the original record of each state's legislative sessions. A companion work for pre-1775 is Colonial Session Laws, which is also published by William S. Hein and Company. Copies can be found at most major law libraries. A list of the contents of this publication, which comprises more than 88,000 microfiche, is online as of January 2006. An earlier, though still useful, collection of microfiche may be more readily available at smaller libraries: Session Laws of the American States and Territories Prior to 1900.[10] For laws not cited in full, references to the revisions in each state law code are given, providing a reference to follow the changes backward in time. The years for which printed laws are available are summarized below. Check with state archives and historical societies for publications that provide the early laws of their respective states. One example of many is the printed work by the Historical Bureau of the Indiana Library and Historical Department, The Laws of Indiana Territory, 1801-1809. Many early references of this nature are online with searchable text, such as the Archives of Maryland's Legislative Records (1634-2000s) at or Alabama legislative records at, or H. P. N. Gammel's The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897, which consists of documents covering each congressional and legislative session and including the constitutions and early colonization laws. The first ten volumes of The Laws of Texas are available from the University of North Texas Libraries at. Some states archives assemble and publish historical laws on a particular subject. "Missouri's Early Slave Laws" (laws from Missouri Territorial to 1850s) are explained at. Federal session laws are published at the conclusion of each session of Congress as United States Statutes at Large. This is considered the official source for the Public and Private session laws of the United States Congress. Browseable and index-searchable facsimile image files of the Statutes at Large from 1789 to 1875 are offered by the American Memory project of the U.S. Library of Congress. The earlier statutes are online at "A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation". Not only do early sessions laws help in the interpretation of court and other records researchers use, but many of these collections include what are termed private laws, such as a name change or the granting of a divorce that occurs in the early legislature of a state. Tracing the history of a law is not difficult. Most law libraries are open for public use. A call before you go can verify public access, hours of operation, availability of copy machines, and fees (if any). References - ↑ Lyman Chalkley, Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, Extracted From the Original Court Records of Augusta County, 1745–1800, 3 vols. (1962; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1965). - ↑ “Records of the Court of Sessions of Westchester County (New York),” Westchester Historical Society Publications 1 (1924): 33, 44 ff. - ↑ “Introduction,” in Archives of Maryland: Proceedings of the Court of Chancery of Maryland, 1669–1679, vol. 51 (Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1934). - ↑ Benjamin Barnett Spratling III, “Court and Legal Records,” in Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records, ed. Kory L. Meyerink (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1998), 438–66. - ↑ William Jeffrey Jr., “Early New England Court Records: A Bibliography of Published Materials,” American Journal of Legal History 1 (1957): 119–47, reprinted from the Boston Public Library Bulletin. - ↑ Evarts B. Green and Richard B. Morris, A Guide to the Principal Sources for Early American History (1600–1800) in the City of New York, 2nd ed. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1967). - ↑ Bradley Chapin, Criminal Justice in Colonial America, 1606–1660 (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1983). - ↑ Joan W. Peters, Military Records, Patriotic Service, & Public Service Claims from the Fauquier County, Virginia, Court Minute Books, 1759–1784 (Westminster, Md.: Heritage Books, 2004). - ↑ William S. Hein and Co., Session Laws of American States and Territories: A Compilation of All States and Territories, 1775–2003. Update 4 A Complete Checklist (Buffalo, N.Y.: William S. Hein and Co., 2005), microfiche. - ↑ Redgrave Information Resources Corp., Session Laws of the American States and Territories Prior to 1900 (Westport, Conn.: Redgrave Information Resources Corp., 53 Wilton Road, Westport, CT 06880).
What is Mobile World Congress you may ask? Basically, it’s a huge event held every year in Europe, where the top mobile technology manufacturers come together to create hype and show off their latest wares. According to Wikipedia,“MWV is the combination of the world’s largest exhibition for the mobile industry and a congress featuring prominent Chief Executives representing mobile operators, vendors and content owners from across the world.” It’s really the equivalent of CES, but for Europe. Historically, some significant developments in mobile technology have been debuted at MWC, and 2011 is looking to be no different. It really is an exciting time for Android fans worldwide! Here are our projections for Mobile World Congress in 2011. Samsung has yet to step up to the dual core plate, and we are excited to see what they have been working on. Aside from a few teasers – which have really told us nothing, we have little in the way of confirmation of what to truly expect. Fear not reader, for we will know in just a few days. We do believe that the Samsung Galaxy S2 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 will likely both be Dual Core. Samsung’s own Dual-Core Orion chipset is supposed to eclipse NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 in terms of performance, but we will have to wait and see if this is really powering the high-end Galaxy sequels. Specs Samsung Galaxy S2 The Samsung Galaxy S2 is supposed to feature: If these rumors prove to be true, Samsung will easily rise to the top spot in the world of Android Phones for the beginning of 2011. Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 A leaked itinerary for Samsung’s Sunday event also confirms that a new Galaxy Tab has been in the pipe for quite some time. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is set to be featured at MWV 2011, and there really is little in the way of cold hard facts on the ‘net as we write this article for you. Not much is known about this one – we’re hoping it’ll run Android 3.0 Honeycomb, designed for tablets, but whether it’ll stick with the same 7-inch form factor or inch up closer to the iPad’s size remains to be seen.″ Super AMOLED display, since Samsung will be able to produce such screens in mass quantities much later this year. For now we are probably looking at an LCD with Sammy’s new Super PLS technology, which can go up to 800×1280 pixels of resolution. As for 3D, that’s speculated also, but we have our doubts The aforementioned specs show the upcoming Galaxy Tab 2 to be more muscular than either Motorola XOOM or the Apple Ipad 2. Arguably these specs would make it the most powerful tablet in world. T-Mobile has already announced the LG G-Slate tablet which will run on Android 3.0 Honeycomb. There is a lot of activity in the tablet space, and its easy to see why analysts are projecting 60 million tablets to be sold in 2011. We’ve already seen a picture of this rumored device. It’s likely that HTC is set to make up for its lackluster release at CES 2011, in Las Vegas. The phone we have seen has been immediately labeled a successor to the HTC Desire, and it looks a lot like the HTC Desire HD, meaning that it seems to have a large screen, and a cool unibody aluminum design. The odds are good that this new HTC phone will possess Dual Core innards, but it is still too early to tell. It apparently could be packing LTE as well, and be destined for Europe and Asia. If HTC is to retain its ambitious targets of doubling or even tripling its sales worldwide, it will undoubtedly need to bring devices that offer the highest performance possible to the table. We are looking forward to seeing what they have been working on. A successor to the HTC Droid Incredible on Verizon seems to be in the works too. HTC is also likely to be debuting its 7 inch HTC Flyer Android tablet, which, rumor has it, is single-core. Considering it should have the chipset of the HTC Desire HD, and 1GB of RAM, performance should not be an issue. There is also likely to be an HDMI port on board, which should make up for the lack of Dual Core. Additionally, It should also have a 5MP rear camera, and the prototype we heard about before was running Gingerbread. Odds are good that such a device will be debuted at Mobile World Congress 2011. LG The Korean manufacturer announced in a release from last week that they have a 3D Android Smartphone. dubbed the LG Optimus 3D, that will be debuted at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. LG also confirmed the fact first technical data on the smartphone. It features two separate lenses that are able to take 3D photos, which is, we guess, an interesting feature set. This special technology will also allow the user to create 3D movies and images, and the LCD will also be able to display 3D content without the need for special glasses. This is, currently, necessary for viewing current 3D TV’s. The 3D Optimus also has an HDMI port and will support the DLNA standard for wireless streaming. Unfortunately, an official photo of the Optimus 3D does not exist yet. Motorola Motorola already introduced its signature devices at CES 2011. These were the Motorola DROID Bionic, the Motorola Atrix, and the eagerly awaited tablet, the Motorola Xoom. It’s rumored that they will launch the devices globally on February 14th, or shortly thereafter. Sony To date, the rumored Play is one of the most exciting Android handsets to come from Sony Ericsson. Originally introduced in a patent almost three years ago, the PlayStation Phone has enjoyed a long history of rumors. Most of the earlier rumors only served to confirm that Sony Ericsson was working hard on a gaming-themed Smartphone. Here’s some good news – the latest batch of rumors are much more detailed, and offer a glimpse at the hardware and the software powering the phone. Even the PlayStation app has been spotted. All the stars are lining up for the Xperia Play to be unveiled at MWC 2011. The date of MWC 2011 fits in nicely with a previous rumor that suggested the Xperia Play would be unveiled in February. A tipster for Tech Crunch leaked this February time frame and claimed the PlayStation phone provided “the best gaming [the tipster] ever had on a mobile device.” That is very high praise for a not-yet-released device. If this rumor pans out and the PlayStation Phone is introduced at MWC 2011, would you be interested in the Xperia Play? This one offers a massive 4.2-inch screen, and also comes with some pretty significant tech packed into a very nice and stylish thin frame. The camera is running some fairly high end specs: an 8.1 MP camera with HD video recording, although it’s only offering a single LED flash, which makes sense given the frame is only 8.7mm thick at its thinnest point.. Sony claims its new ‘Reality Display’ is one, if not the, industries best, and it does offer brilliant color and extremely good refresh rates. Think of any of these phones can top the Motorola Atrix? Stay tuned!
The Galaxy S3 from the brand Samsung is one of the latest phone that have been introduced in the market and supposedly one of the flagship device of the company. Both the company and the consumers seem very excited with the launch of this device. The phone is equipped with some of the amazing features such as the 1.4 GHz processor, 4.8 inches of display, 1 GB of RAM coupled with 16 or 32 GB of storage. Apart from this, users can enjoy numerous applications that run on Android on this phone. Owing to all these features, benefits and applications, the device looks to leading the Android Smartphone market in some time. Some of the best Android based apps that run on the Galaxy S3 are as follows: Google Chrome It is widely believed that there is no match to the android version of Google Chrome. There is no limit to the number of tabs that can be opened in Google chrome and managing the tabs is possible through the touch of the finger. Accessing the bookmarks is also very simple and easy. Searching on the Samsung Galaxy S3 has been totally reformed with voice search doing the job of searching as against the conventional type search. Setting Google chrome as the default browser ensures ease of searching on the same page. Users can have the desired speed and simplicity of the Chrome browser right at their Galaxy S3. This app can bring the personalized Google Chrome experience on your tablet and you can now enjoy it anywhere you go. Skype Making video calls to your friends, relatives and near and dear ones has never been so easy. Installing the Skype app on your Galaxy S3 will enable you to connect to people who are sitting on the other side of the planet. The updated version of the Skype video calling app supports the front camera for video calling feature. Although there are others ways and means of communicating over the internet, Skype still remains to be one of the most sought after and recognized app. Installation of this app is very simple and can be accomplished in a matter of few minutes. Usage of Skype app on this phone enables the user to synchronize all their contacts with the tablet and have one unique list of contacts. Google Translate Another very useful app that can run on Galaxy S3 is the Google translate. With the latest version, you can have an amazing experience of text translation. You can now type, speak, hand write or even send the picture to this app and the translated output will be generated in few seconds. Once the text has been translated to the desired language, it can be copied and shared as required. For people who have to work with different languages, this app is very useful. Using this app, the input that is provided in the tablet is converted and translated to the next level for easy understanding and interpretation. Clearly this is one of the very useful and widely used apps on the Smartphone especially for the business users and other executives. Facebook for Android Getting connected with your friends and business colleague is the desire and demand of every tech savvy person today. With the advancement of technology, people wish to use these applications over their phone. For all these situations, installing facebook app on your tablet would be the easiest way to get connected. Wherever you travel, wherever you go, this app will let you share your experiences, ideas and thoughts to your friends and keep them updated. You can now upload your photos, keep a status check of your friends and update your status and much more – all this is possible just by downloading and installing this app on your Galaxy S3. TuneIn Radio Most of the people who are crazy about music love to listen to it even when they are away from home. To enable them to listen to the best songs and enjoy their favorite stars, one Android based app has been introduced that can help them stay connected to the music world. TuneIn Radio is one of the best Android based application that can be installed and run on the Samsung Galaxy S3 tablet. Through this amazing app, users can now listen to their favorite local and global songs and get connected to the live performances and concerts. Once installed, users can listen to the latest hits free of cost. Customers can now enjoy music, news and sports from all around the world. This radio app provides support to more than 60,000 stations and over 2 millions of on-demand events and programs. Installing this is very simple and easy and can be accomplished within few minutes. Hence install this app to enjoy your favorite music stars round the clock. 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Natural Cleaning Products around the Household In my last post about Installing Double Glazed Windows Can Help to Reduce Energy, I mentioned about homemade cleaning products which can keep your home nice and clean, and it got me thinking about what other ingredients could help your home fresh without having to take a trip down to your local supermarket. So it inspired me to write a little more on the subject. When I was younger, I can remember coming home from school to walk into my house smelling of bleach everywhere. I couldn’t escape from it. The smell would burn my nose and cause my eyes to water, it was that strong. Plus my mum would only clean the house from top to bottom when she was mad, so I knew at that point, to stay out of her way. My mum would have more cleaning products in the house than a 99p store had to offer. She had everything from spray bottles for cleaning your windows, to limescale remover for the shower. There were even some products that I never knew existed. Strange thing was, when I would go round my grandmother’s house her house always smelled so fresh and clean, yet there was hardly any bleach around to be seen, which was a blessing for my poor nostrils. She would always have two old dishcloths lying on the floor in the kitchen, so when she was walking around cleaning, she would step on the dishcloths and clean the floor as she went. I used to think she was as mad as a hatter, but it wasn’t until I asked her about it that she said “As I walk around the kitchen cleaning, I use the dishcloths to polish the floor as I go about.” Luckily, her kitchen floor was tiled so it made sense. If she had carpet then I would have thought she had lost the plot. She would always have the lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda on hand to help her clean. She even had a small tub of natural beeswax to clean the big wooden table she had at the other end of the kitchen. She said that she found all the other cleaning products too harsh to use on the table. Saying that though, she didn’t mind using furniture polish once in a while, but she couldn’t use it for too long as it would irritate her skin. I never used to mind helping her clean the house as I wouldn’t have to worry about the smell or getting bleach on my clothes and staining them. Because vinegar naturally cleans like an all-purpose cleaner (do not use on marble and always dilute, as vinegar is acidic and can eat away at the tile grout) and the smell disappears when it dries, it’s ideal to use it in most parts of the house. It’s perfect for bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms. Did you know that vinegar can be used as a natural fabric softener? Nope neither did I! Lemon juice is another natural substance that can be used to clean your home and can be used to dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits. It can be mixed with baking soda to make cleaning pastes. All you need to do is cut a lemon in half and sprinkle baking soda on the cut section. Use the lemon to scrub dishes, surfaces, and stains. You can even mix 1 cup olive oil with ½ cup lemon juice and you have a furniture polish for your hardwood furniture! How amazing is that? By doing this, you have already reduced your normal collection of cleaning products by half! With baking soda it can be used to scrub surfaces in much the same way as commercial abrasive cleansers. It’s also a great alternative for a deodorizer instead of using those deodorizing sprays you see in adverts. Another great household product to use is either toothpaste or mayonnaise. Why I hear you ask? Simple. If you have water marks (rings) on your wood coffee tables or wood furniture in general, then just rub a small amount of toothpaste/ mayo on the ring until it disappears and then just wipe off with a dry rag. Job done! If you have the 3 main ingredients in your household then the possibilities for cleaning your house are endless! Perhaps you have other great ideas about cleaning your house which won’t break the bank? Let us know and we will post them on our blog. Anglian Home Improvements specialise in double glazing and high quality replacement windows and have been trading since 1966. See here for more information on our windows. Showing 4 Comments Great article! Most people don’t realize that you can make your own cleaning products using simple household products. It’s cheaper and so much better for the environment. I like to add essential oils to complement the effects of the ingredients, and make the solutions smell nicer too. It’s amazing what a huge difference using natural products makes. I used to suffer from migraines and after I quit using chemicals I had a lot fewer of them. The artificial fragrances have a horrible effect on people, and I wonder how much better people would feel if they were completely cut out. If everyone were to put more effort into doing stuff like this the world would be a cleaner place for everyone.
If you liked or , you'd like the other because... It’s been one thousand years since the Kingdom of Guardia was established, and to celebrate the citizens are holding a festival. Though what most people don’t know is that the night before this celebration marks the Millenial fair for the world’s monsters. After the sun has set, a portal opens and the creatures begin their own celebration, complete with various food stalls and carnival games. Two creepy critters, Nuu and Mamo, are attempting to recruit new team members, but when they prove to be unsuccessful they decide to check out the festivities instead. Whether they’re annoying the live entertainment or taking part in a drinking contest to win a golden shovel, the pair is making the most of the fiesta and plan to kick back and relax – that is until they meet a large, singing robot named Gonzalez…. Both Chrono Trigger and Di Gi Charat are graced with a peculiar, light-hearted sense of humour, as well as colourful, strange and bright characters and scenes. Chrono Trigger, though, is a bit more cheerful than Di Gi Charat, which is only really cute and cheerful on the surface. Irregardless, if you liked one, I'm sure the other could be worth your? I think if you liked Chrono Trigger you would find enjoyment in Dragon Half as well because even though the plots are very different they share several key elements. These are both light-hearted comedies that you don't have to be serious or thoughtful to watch. They are both short so they are good for a quick laugh. Watch these as a 'pick me up' on a boring day. For Pandy and Retro, waking up naked with amnesia wasn't the high point of their day. While going on a crime spree, the duo are captured and sent to the infamous Dead Leaves, a notorious prison where the baddest of the bad are sent. Using the bathroom is a chore, eating is force fed and escape seems impossible -- but is it? Join Pandy, Retro, the drill endowed Chinko Drill and a gang of inmates as they plot their escape from the hell that is Dead Leaves!? If you watched Chrono Trigger OVA, then it means that you probably played the game and remember its music. Although the OP and ED in Hitohira don't have very good songs, you might find interesting the fact that the BGM in this show sounds like it was inspired on Mitsuda's and Uematsu's work (you can hear it from the very beginning of the first episode). If liked their music, you should give Hitohira a try.
Wet socks and walking polesThursday, September 22nd, 2011 Last weekend I had a sock incident in the Brecon Beacons. I was staying in Ponty Pandy’s only public house complete with bunkhouse attachment, stale nibbles and porcine landlord with pudding basin hair. Now I love a ramble, involving, as it usually does, a leisurely pace, a hot beverage with a Pppppppenguin and, if I’m lucky a wee in a bush. However, this ramble was a 20 mile Challenge in the company of a bunch of seriously dull council employees. We had a trading standards officer, a couple of widget counters and a man who did something in leisure centres – think Gordon Brittas in waterproof trousers. The day didn’t get off to a good start – the pub had no muesli, no stewed prunes, not even any Rice Crispies. It was a Welsh-all-in or nothing, so I had a slaver of black pudding on a slice of 5050 (that’s brown bread that’s been bleached white but doesn’t taste of either) then it was check you’ve got your whistle, your survival bag and your sandwiches – more slices of pig on 5050 – and we were off. From one rain-sodden tussock to another we leapt whereupon I discovered my waterproof boots weren’t waterproof at all. We then chucked up the hugely steep and perilous Pen Y Fan. En route, we passed a woman with a handbag and a shawl, and, most peculiarly, a man with strange rubber shoes with individual toes in them who’d lost the plastic end of his walking pole and had walked all the way down to the bottom to find it, saving himself, oh I’d say about 50p. Meanwhile, the council boys, fuelled by their morning sausage, had chased each other to the top and were now eating bananas and laughing like drains at the impossibly named adjacent peak of Fan Y Big. The view was lovely but on the way down, my ultra chunky wet socks started to chafe and friend A got the urge to wee. With no bushes in sight, we could either form a human shield around her with the council bores, or she could hold it until the next check point (whose facilities turned out to be a bucket in the school stationery cupboard). By this time, we’d hooked up with a Scottish Munro bagger and a building inspector from Neath who for the next two hours, regaled us with tales of altitude sickness on Kilimanjaro. By tea time, our ordeal was over. Back at the bunkhouse, we fought over the shower and who was going to have the Welsh faggots – and then we went to bed. Tidy.
Acrylic A synthetic fabric often used as a wool substitute. It is warm, soft, holds colors well and often is stain and wrinkle resistant. Angora A soft fiber knit from fur of the Angora rabbit. Angora wool is often combined with cashmere or another fiber to strengthen the delicate structure. Dry cleaning is reccommended for Angora products. Bedford A strong material that is a raised corded fabric (similar to corduroy). Bedford fabric wears well and is usually washable. Boucle A fabric made with boucle yarn(s) in wool, rayon and or cotton causing the surface of the fabric to appear looped. Brocade An all-over floral, raised pattern produced in a similar fashion to embroidery. Burnout Process of printing a design on a fabric woven of paired yarns of different fibers. One kind of yarn is burned out or destroyed leaving the ground unharmed. Cable Knit Patterns, typically used in sweaters, where flat knit columns otherwise known as cables are overlapped vertically. Cashmere A soft, silky, lightweight wool spun from the Kashmir goat. Cashmere must be dry-cleaned due to its delicate fibers and. Corduroy Cotton. Cotton Cashmere A blend of cotton and cashmere fibers, typically 85% to 15% respectively, this combination produces an extremely soft yarn with a matte finish. Crepe Used as a description of surfaces of fabrics. Usually designates a fabris that is crimped or crinkled. Crinoline A lightweight, plain weave, stiffened fabric with a low yarn count. Used to create volume beneath evening or wedding dresses. Crochet Looping threads with a hooked needle that creates a wide, open knit. Typically used on sweaters for warm seasons. Denim Cotton textile created with a twill weave to create a sturdy fabric. Used as the primary material of blue jeans. Dobby Woven fabric where the weave of the fabric actually produces the garment's design. Embroidery Detailed needlework, usually raised and created by yarn, silk, thread or embroidery floss. Eyelet A form of lace in a thicker material that consists of cut-outs that are integrated and repeated into a pattern. Usually applied to garments for warmer seasons. Faille A textured fabric with faint ribbing. Wears wonderfully for hours holding its shape due to the stiffness of the texture. Used in wedding dresses and women's clothes. Fil'Coupe A small jacquard pattern on a light weight fabric, usually silk, in which the threads connecting each design are cut, creating a frayed look. French Terry A knit cloth that contains loops and piles of yarn. The material is very soft, absorbent and has stretch. Gabardine A tightly woven twill fabric, made of different fibers such as wool, cotton and silk. Georgette A crinkly crepe type material usually made out of silk that consists of tightly twisted threads. Georgette is sheer and has a flowy feeling. Gingham Two different color stripes "woven" in pattern to appear checked. Glen Plaid Design of woven, broken checks. A form of traditional plaid. Guipure Lace A lace without a mesh ground, the pattern in held in place by connecting threads.that is loosely woven together to form a coarse fabric. Houndstooth A classic design containing two colors in jagged/slanted checks. Similar to Glen Plaid. Jacquard A fabric of intricate varigated weave or pattern. Typically shown on elegant and more expensive pieces. Jersey A type of knit material usually made from cotton and known to be flexible, stretchy, soft and very warm. It is created using tight stitches. Knit A knit fabric is made by interlocking loops of one or more yarns either by hand with knitting needles or by machine. Linen An exquisite material created from the fibers of the flax plant. Some linen contain slubs or small knots on the fabric. The material wrinkles very easily and is a light fabric perfect for warm weather. Lurex A metallic fiber woven into material to give the garment shine. LycraTM Lycra is a type of stretch fabric where the fibers are woven into cotton, silk or synthetic fiber blends. These materials are lightweight, comfortable (need trademark symbol). Matelasse A compound fabric made of cotton, wool or other fibers with quilted character and raised patterns.. Ottoman A firm, lustrous plain weave fabric with horizontal cords that are larger and rounder than those of the faille. Made of wool, silk, cotton and other manufactured fibers. Paisley A pattern that consists of crooked teardrop designs in a repetitive manner. Rayon A manufactured fiber developed originally as an alternative for silk. Rayon drapes well and looks luxurious. Sateen A cotton fabric with sheen that resembles satin. Seersucker Slack-tension weave where yarn is bunched together in certain areas and then pulled taught in others to create this summery mainstay. Shirring Similar to ruching, shirring gathers material to create folds. Silk One of the most luxurious fabrics, silk is soft, warm and has shine. It is created from female silkworm's eggs. Silk Shantung A rough plain weave fabric made of uneven yarns to produce a textured effect, made of fibers such silk in which all knots and lumps are retained. Space dyed Technique of yarn dyeing to produce a multi-color effect on the yarn itself. Also known as dip dyed yarn. Spandex Also known as Lycra (trademark symbol), this material is able to expand 600% and still snap back to its original shape and form. Spandex fibers are woven with cotton and other materials to make fabrics stretch. Tipping Similar to edging, tipping includes embellishing a garment at the edges of the piece, hems, collars etc. Tissue Linen A type of linen that is specifically made for blouses or shirts due to its thinness and sheerness. Tweed A loose weave of heavy wool makes up tweed which provides warmth and comfortability. Twill A fabric woven in a diagonal weave. Commonly used for chinos and denim. Variegated Multi-colored fabrics where colors are splotched or in patches. Velour A stretchy knit fabric that looks similar to velvet. Very soft to the touch. Velvet A soft, silky woven fabric that is similar to velour. Velvet is much more expensive than velour due to the amount of thread and steps it takes to manufacture the material. Velveteen A more modern adaptation of velvet, velveteen is made from cotton and has a little give. Also known as imitation velvet. Viscose Created from both natural materials and man-made fibers, viscose is soft and supple but can wrinkle easily. Wale Only found in woven fabrics like corduroy, wale is the long grooves that give the garment its texture. Windowpane Dark stripes run horizontal and vertical across a light background to mimic a window panes. Woven A woven fabric is formed by interlacing threads, yarns, strands, or strips of some material.
“I stand by what I wrote in my statement,” said Andrews of his affidavit that says a fellow trooper shot Jackson after Jackson tried to take that trooper’s revolver. Jackson’s killing on Feb. 18, 1965, by state trooper James Bonard Fowler of Geneva is widely considered to have been the catalyst for the Selma to Montgomery March, a pivotal event in the Civil Rights movement that helped bring about the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Fowler, in an interview with The Star in February 2005, admitted publicly for the first time to killing Jackson, but insisted he shot Jackson in self-defense. Soon after that interview, the leadership of the Alabama Legislative Black Caucus called on state and federal authorities to investigate and prosecute Fowler for the shooting. Attorney General Troy King and Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson’s offices announced they were reviewing the case. What happened The 1965 incident took place inside a restaurant called Mack’s Café near the town square in Marion. State troopers had been dispatched to the area because a nighttime march had been planned by local civil rights leaders. During the march, historians and witnesses say, local law-enforcement officers, troopers and trouble-makers started beating the marchers. In the ensuing chaos, some people sought refuge inside Mack’s Café. They were followed there by troopers, including Fowler and Andrews. A number of historical accounts of the shooting say that Jackson was shot while trying to protect his mother from being beating by the troopers. Andrews’ statement, which is similar to Fowler’s, says in part: “One of the Negros hit Corporal Fowler on the head with a bottle, and at the same time appeared to try and get his revolver. Corporal Fowler then threw up his arms and shoved the Negro backward, and the Negro again advanced toward Corporal Fowler, he drew his revolver and fired. Corporal Fowler shouted for someone to get a doctor, that someone had been shot.” A number of historical accounts, including Pillar of Fire by Taylor Branch, paint a different picture of that night. In his book, Branch — referring to Cager Lee, Jimmie Lee Jackson’s grandfather, and Viola Jackson, his mother — writes: .” Although he refused to elaborate on “anything having to do with Marion,” Andrews, 73, did make it clear that no law-enforcement agency has ever spoken to him about the case. Looking for the truth Fowler, in his 2005 interview with The Star, also said no law-enforcement officials had ever spoken to him about the case. Andrews added that Montgomery attorney George Beck, who has been retained by Fowler, has not contacted him. “You are the only person who has ever tried to talk to me about this,” Andrews said to this reporter. Then he added, “If you are looking for the truth, all you got to do is read that statement I made in 1965. That’s all the truth there is.” After the 26-year-old Jackson was shot, he was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Selma where he died a few days later. Andrews believes that could have been avoided. “That young man should not have died,” Andrews said. “He died of peritonitis, an infection. That doctor didn’t know what he was doing. Now you tell me, if he would have gotten the same kind of care that George Wallace got after he got shot, do you think he would have died? I don’t,” he said referring to an assassination attempt on Wallace in 1972. Historical accounts of the events surrounding the shooting of Jackson suggest a number of troopers, perhaps as many as 10, entered Mack’s Café just prior to the shooting. No eyewitnesses Andrews strongly disputes this, saying only he and Fowler and two other troopers were present. One of the troopers present, B.J. Hoots, died a few years ago, according to the Alabama Department of Vital Statistics. A number of people in Marion were in or around Mack’s Café the night of the shooting, and dispute both troopers’ accounts of what happened the night Jackson was killed. But so far, no eyewitness other than the troopers have been found, according to Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson. “If I had an eyewitness, I would be taking this before a grand jury right now,” Jackson said from his office in Selma. Andrews, who made it to the rank of captain in the state troopers, spoke at length in the wide-ranging interview about everything from politics to his friendship with Anniston’s Norwood Hodges. He worked, he said, for a number of years with former Gov. Albert Brewer, for example, and developed a strong admiration of him. He talked of Brewer’s contribution to the state, and of how George Wallace sullied its image. “Albert Brewer wanted to make Alabama a better place for its people,” he said while drinking coffee in a neighborhood McDonalds near his home in Wetumpka. “He could have been our progressive governor,” he said of the staunchly intergrationalist Brewer. “Instead we got George Wallace. “Listen here, my youngest boy went to Harvard,” he said. “From the minute he got there, people gave him a hard time because he was from Alabama. Now that was Wallace’s fault.”
DVD Review: “Super” (2010) In the wake of, shall we say, an interesting turn of events, Rainn Wilson’s Frank D’Arbo, who has christened himself a crime-fighting superhero called Crimson Bolt, rushes to his bathroom and throws up. I nodded. That’s how your movie made me feel too, Rainn. Written and directed by James Gunn, Super feels a bit familiar in the beginning, even if ominous warning signs of where it will eventually go crop up continually. Wilson’s Frank is a socially awkward, geeky and devoutly religious line cook who married Sarah (Liv Tyler), a recovering drug addict, because he seemed good-willed and willing to help her keep on the right path. This doesn’t last long. She returns to drugs and turns to crime in the form of the film’s villain, Jacques (Kevin Bacon, suitably over-acting), who whisks her away. Frank goes after her. It doesn’t end well. But he doesn’t end there. He catches a few TV episodes of The Holy Avenger, a superhero story with decidedly Christ-leaning overtones. This leads to a moment in which, more or less, Frank receives a message from God, a message that he intuits to be that it’s time to go out and kick ass and save Sarah. He goes to a local comic book shop to do research and meets the young, equally geeky but extraordinarily foul mouthed Libby (Ellen Page). She opines as to why no one has ever attempted to be superhero. Fancy that. Frank makes himself a crimson-laden costume, fashions a seriously souped-up wrench and goes on the attack. Sort of. Even when he succeeds in beating the tar out of a drug dealer he is sloppy about it. But things get worse when he not only bludgeons an irritating man who has cut in a movie line, but bludgeons his girlfriend too. And the movie grows darker. And continues to grow darker as Libby forces her way into Frank’s existence as Boltie, the Crimson’s Bolt kid sidekick. Still, the movie grows darker. And weirder. And unpleasant. As the movie progressed the less it came across like a twisted take on the superhero genre than a subversive commentary on mass murderers who more often than not seem deluded in the sense they are representing some sort of greater good, that they are on a mission from God, etc. If this is truly the case then Super is entirely effective. Which is why I found it so grotesque. On The Lars von Trier Scale Of Unsettling I give Super eight out of a possible ten dog collars. The movie totally has the right to exist, I just wish I could wash the memory of its existence from my mind. C - 16 Comments So is it literally Dwight Schrute moonlighting as the “Crimson fighter”? Seems like Wilson didn’t really have to extend that far out of his current range. Rainn Wilson does have range. There’s a movie called Peep World where he’s really good, except that no one else likes the rest of the film but me. There certainly are some Schrute-isms. I suspect part of the problem is many of those Schrute-isms might just be part or a variation of his real personality and so it’s difficult to do away with them unless he’s disappearing into a completely different role. It’s pretty dark and very disturbing but this film has a moving story behind it and works as a showcase for the great talents of Rainn Wilson. Good Review Nick! Thank you! It had a bunch of tonal issues, and it is a very dark and disturbing film. However, on a Lars van Trier scale an 8 out of 10? No way. If Antichrist is a 10, then this movie is more like… a 4 or 5. I’ve seen far more violent and/or disturbing films. Also, despite how disturbing this movie can get, it actually does have some good writing behind it. I still don’t know if I liked the movie or not on the whole, though. Touché. I probably was exaggerating with the whole Von Trier Rating System but I like to exaggerate for effect. And I agree, too, that there is good writing behind it. I mean, for the most part it succeeds in what it wants to do. I don’t dispute that at all. I just personally didn’t care for what it did. I really don’t get the appeal of Rainn Wilson at all, sorry. I think The Office is funny mostly because of Carrell but I just can’t stand Dwight, so this is definitely a skip for me. Yeah, if you’re not a Wilson fan then you might not want to see this. In fact, you might like him even less simply because he might frighten you. I really liked the different tone of this movie. When you start watching a superhero movie you have specific expectations of it, when it plays with those it surprises. Sure it is very dark towards the end, but I liked the fact that it wasn’t afraid to shock you and makes you believe that this guy thinks it’s ok to fight crime this way. Enjoyed it a bit more than you did. I love it when movies don’t conform to expectations and so in that sense I certainly respect it. As I said above, I just didn’t personally care for how it upsurped those expectations. Weirdly, I saw this on Sunday and absolutely loved it. I thought it was well done and very dark. Very violent, more than I thought it was going to be but I still very much enjoyed the show. I normally can’t stand Ellen Page but I thought she did pretty well in this one! Just my opinion Well, there are other people who certainly have seemed to enjoy it, and more power to you. That’s the comparison I was trying to make with The Lars von Trier Scale. There are definitely people that enjoy his work. I’m not one of them. Just how it goes sometimes. very interesting and unexpected review. the trailer made me want to watch it for the expected laughs, but the more I hear about the film, the more I want to not watch it. thanks for the review! Well, if you want to be sufficiently disturbed, I say watch it. If not… What? You didn’t like the midnight rape? Dude getting bludgeoned with a wrench for skipping the movie theater line? What a strange movie… It definitely starts slowly but the ending is epic and there is scenes here and there that are too awesome to miss. Trackbacks
Friday, 04 May 2012 00:00 Over the past decade that I have served the residents of Syosset as a Town of Oyster Bay Councilman I have seen, along with the community, the untimely passing of so many fine individuals. Unfortunately, on April 7, Jeffrey Rozran, a longtime English teacher at Syosset High School and president of the Syosset Teacher’s Association, died as a result of a battle with lung cancer. Growing up in Syosset, I was fortunate to have many fine teachers in the Syosset School District and several deserve credit for influencing my professional and personal life. Approximately 31 years ago I was especially privileged to have Jeffrey Rozran as my English teacher. From the day I met him, he had a positive influence on my life. I was able to remain in the Syosset area and stay in touch with Jeffrey Rozran from time to time. As I was busy working as a local attorney, he embraced my career in public life and went out of his way to support me as a professional and as a public official. He was a kind and generous man and always took the time to give of himself and support others. I could tell how truly proud he was that I was one of his past students, and I was truly proud of having been taught by him and of his distinguished career at Syosset High School. I know that I share many of the wonderful feelings that so many of his former students had for him. Jeffrey Rozran took the time to pay attention to a challenging 17-year-old high school student who would rather have been playing any sport than be in a classroom. However, his interest in me, and the rest of his students, made it easy for us to want to learn and do something positive with our lives. I always felt that he was there for me if I ever veered off-path, and he would not hesitate to pick up the telephone and steer me in the right direction. Mr. Rozran, I will always appreciate your support and your kindness in encouraging my career. Your examples of teaching and giving will always be remembered by myself and all of the students who were fortunate enough to have had you as a teacher and mentor. May God Bless Jeffrey Rozran and his memory, as well as his wife Luanne and his other family members. I would like people to know that I am a much better person today for having had Jeffrey Rozran as a part of my life, and for that I am truly thankful. Town of Oyster Bay Councilman Chris J. Coschignano
I've heard from some people that the word 'Anzac' should always be spelled with capital letters, but others say it shouldn't be. What do you think about this? [NOTE - Permission is granted to the Wikipedia editor 'Hayaman' to use any or all of this material, to edit it and to post it wherever Hayaman sees fit on the Wikipedia site, attributed or not - B Dolan, 2nd April 2008). To say that 'Anzac' should always be spelled in capitals ignores both the rules of English grammar and the word's historical usage. I use both forms, but for different purposes. I certainly do not believe that the word should always be capitalised, for any reason. Insisting that the word should always be capitalised is implying that everybody in the past - including the Anzacs themselves - used the term incorrectly. This is insulting. The full capitalisation is fine so long as it is actually the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps - that is, the army formation - being referred to. However, when 'Anzac' is used as a proper noun, as in 'Anzac Cove', 'Anzac Day', or 'the Anzacs', the word does not refer to the army formation but forms one of the other six uses of the term as identified by Dr. Charles Bean in the Official History of Australia in World War 1. The following definitions of the word 'Anzac' are from Bean, C.E.W. The Official History of Australia In The War of 1914 - 1918 Vol 1. The Story Of Anzac p 609. [I have not changed any of the capitalisation from the original]. (1) Originally, code name for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (see p. 124) ; (2) Name given to the beach where the A. & N.Z. Army Corps landed on Gallipoli; (3) Official name of the two A. & N.Z. Army Corps in France (1st Anzac Corps, 2nd Anzac Corps) ; (4) Term universally applied by British troops in France to the Australians and New Zealanders of the two Anzac Corps (the Anzacs); (5) In Palestine, often used to denote men of the Anzac Mounted Division as distinguished from those of the Australian Mounted Division; (6) In Australia (and eventually in the A.I.F.), used to denote Australians and New Zealanders who served on Gallipoli. The generally accepted uses of the term are (1), (2), (3), and (6). Clearly Bean has indicated that while originally the term ANZAC was, as is well known, a short-hand way of referring to the actual army corps, a new word - 'Anzac' - sprang from this which almost immediately evolved to have different meanings and uses. Most authors since 1915 have used the proper noun 'Anzacs' or 'Anzac' to refer to the troops, the sector of Gallipoli and the actual cove. It's ludicrous for anybody now to suggest that each and every one of these writers used the term incorrectly because they did not entirely capitalise it, and insulting to imply that they didn't know any better - but that 'we' do. Consider exactly who used or uses the noun 'Anzac' : The official Australian historian, Dr. Charles Bean; The official British and New Zealand historians; The Australian Imperial Force and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in their official documents; Those who wrote articles for the RSL in Reveille and other returned servicemen's magazines; Those who wrote the unit histories (Australian, New Zealand and English); Those that have written for the Australian War Memorial's Journal; the Gallipolian magazine; the Army Journal; the Defence Force Journal; the New Zealand Defence Quarterly and others. Other authors on the subject (including French, Americans, Canadians and Turks); All the newspapers of the day; The Macquarie, Oxford and Collins dictionaries; The compilers of the Imperial War Graves Commission's cemetery registers. ALL used 'Anzac' when referring to the place, the holiday, or the men. They did not fully capitalise the proper noun because not only would that be an incorrect use of the term, it would also be incorrect use of basic grammar. Almost every writer since 1915 has accepted that the word has different facets representing different concepts, that it is a word - a proper noun (or in some cases an adjective) - and we all (should) know that neither a proper noun nor an adjective is ever entirely capitalised. Fully-capitalised acronyms may be used as words in order to avoid confusion with a word of the same spelling and pronunciation if that word already exists (for example PIN or AIDS - both these words - 'pin' and 'aids' already existed, so retaining the capitalisation for the new acronym helps avoid confusion). Obviously this is not the case with 'Anzac'. The word was invented in 1915, so there was no chance of confusion with an already-existing word (other examples of acronyms which evolved into nouns in the same way are 'Qantas', 'Fiat', 'scuba', 'laser' and 'radar'). The fully-capitalised acronym ANZAC refers only to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.. To fully capitalise 'Anzac' in any of these cases is both historically and grammatically incorrect. The fully capitalised 'ANZAC' refers only to the army formation which came into existence in 1915 and which was disbanded in early 1916, and that's how I use it on this site. That's how almost every writer has used it since 1915. From Hart's Rules, Oxford University Press 1983: "As a general rule, abbreviations and contractions should be followed by a full point unless the shortened form consists [entirely] of upper-case initials or is a recognized acronym pronounced as a single word: thus print BBC, HMS, OUP, PAYE, PLC, SDP, SPCK, TUC, WEA; Anzac, Aslib, Fiat, Naafi (or NAAFI). Abbreviations and contractions consisting of a mixture of upper and lower case take full points, as in I.o.W. (Isle of Wight), Bt. (Baronet), Kt. (Knight), Ltd. (Limited), St. (Street), and university degrees (D.Litt., D.Phil., Ph.D., etc.); exceptions to be made for Dr (Doctor), Revd (Reverend; not Rev), Mr, Mrs, Mme, Mlle, St (Saint); here full points are not required." I have increasingly often seen quotes taken from Bean and other authors where those doing the quoting - either in a magazine article, on a web site, or in a book - have capitalised the word 'Anzac' when it was NOT capitalised in the original document. I can only conclude that this is done to back the author's contention that the word should always be written in capitals. At worst, this is deliberate deception, and at best, sloppy research. Most people will never read the original documents or official histories, and it's only reasonable for them to expect to be able to trust authors to have quoted truly and accurately from them. Following are extracts from sources which have correctly used the word 'Anzac': How many soldiers died at Gallipoli? The latest figures from our colleague Patrick Gariepy, who has been working on the British Commonwealth casualties for more than ten years and who, I believe, has a more accurate count than anybody, are as follows: * Others comprise 14 men of the Zion Mule Corps, 11 of the Greek Labour Corps, 3 Guides & Interpreters and 1 man of the Maltese Labour Corps. These figures include deaths at Gallipoli, or those who died of disease / wounds at sea, or on the Greek island of Lemnos, in Egypt, Malta, Gibraltar or Britain (including Ireland). Please note that the French casualty figure is not included in the above table, but is generally agreed to be approximately 10, 000. The official Turkish figure of about 87, 000 is controversial, and the number of Ottoman dead may really be much higher. The most consistently inaccurate figure for allied casualties, quoted in many sources, is that for the Indians. In some places (including in the Australian War Memorial), this is given as more than 7,000 - a figure far above the true number of Indian army deaths Who were the last survivors of the Gallipoli campaign by nationality? The last New Zealand soldier was Alfred Douglas Dibley, who served as a stretcher-bearer at Gallipoli. Born at Wellington, New Zealand, on 26 June 1896, he died at Rotorua on 18 December 1997, aged 101 years. The last French soldier was Ernest Stocanne. He was born 6 January, 1894, and served on Gallipoli with the 17th Artillery Regiment, French Expediditionary Corps. He died in December 1999, aged 105. The last British soldier was Percy Goring, who served on Gallipoli with the Royal Engineers, 54th (East Anglian) Division. He died in Bunbury, Western Australia,on 27 July 2001, aged 106. The last Turkish soldier was The last Australian soldier, and last survivor of all who served on Gallipoli, was Alec Campbell. Born in Tasmania on 26 February, 1899, he served at Gallipoli as a sixteen-year-old with the 15th Battalion. He died in Tasmania on 16 May 2002, aged 103. Who invented the automatic-firing rifle, as used during the evacuation to make the Turks believe the positions at Anzac were still manned? The soldier who invented the automatically-firing rifle was Lance-Corporal William Charles Scurry, of the 7th Battalion (Victoria) [later Captain, MC, DCM, MiD, 58th Battalion]. [ April 2002] After having examined documents last month, it seems that there were actually two inventors who worked on the rifle together, but that one of them did not seek credit for it. I will add the second, 'unknown' inventor's details soon. Who invented the periscope rifle? The soldier who invented the periscope rifle was No. 1066, Lance-Corporal William Charles B. Beech, of the 2nd Battalion (New South Wales). [later Sergeant, Divisional HQ, returned to Australia Nov 1915]. I heard a poem years ago, something about the years of the Great War being a broken song. Do you know this poem? In his book, 'The Broken Years', about the experiences of Australian soldiers in the war, Bill Gammage writes near the end: 'So the Great War brought change to the outlook of Australians. In September 1917 an Australian soldier wrote in his diary the following memorable lines:' This project was begun in 1985, using the 'Appleworks' database on an Apple IIe computer (with 64k of RAM). It has evolved over time to become a computer database covering all Anzac soldiers who died through their service at Gallipoli. The records in this website are a subset of that database - the officers only - and this is further reduced by displaying only a handful of the FULL individual records. Though they are included in the database, we are unable at this time to list all the Anzacs who died at Gallipoli, as we are constrained by server memory limitations. (Currently only those officers whose photos appear on the site have their full records also included as separate pages).
In recent days, a photo of a 100-year-old tamarind tree with branches that look amazingly like the open legs of a naked woman became an Internet sensation after appearing on the Tabloid Prodigy website, quickly getting picked up by The Frisky and Jezebel, among other sites. The tree, which is purportedly located at a police station in Thailand's northern province of Phayao, was said to not only resemble a woman's sex organ, but also has the numbers "008" printed mysteriously on the trunk. In most cases, a tree that resembles a female's private parts would be amazing enough, but the story goes that locals who saw the mysterious numbers chose to play them in the lottery -- and won. The story originally appeared the Thai-language newspaper Thai Rath, but was picked up by Tabloid Prodigy from an English-language rewrite in the Phuket Gazette. Thongphian Thammakhan, 50, the owner of a shop on the police station grounds, supposedly told the Rath that the tree is about 100 years old. She said the tree has always had the gash in the trunk but has only recently developed the shiny mound. Villagers are apparently unsure as to why the lump shines. However, there are aspects to the Vagina Tree story that smell funny to skeptics like Richard Rubacher, an expatriate writer living in Bangkok. "None of the locals I've spoken with have even heard of the tree," said Rubacher, who has been living and writing about Thailand since 2001. "One tourism official just laughed and said, 'It's a hoax.' " Rubacher believes that a tree shaped like a vagina is hard to miss and says that its existence wouldn't go unnoticed in Thailand. "On the island of Koh Samui, about 400 miles from Bangkok, there are two rock formations that resemble male and female genitalia and they are very popular -- families flock to it," Rubacher said. "So you'd think a tree like this would have been reported before." Adding to his skepticism is the fact that the story hasn't been reported in either of Thailand's top English-speaking newspapers, The Bangkok Post and The Nation, although he said the Phuket Gazette is considered reputable. Rubacher interviewed Songsak Wannawijit, a police official who works at the station where the alleged vagina tree is located and he adamantly denied the existence of the sex-organ-shaped tree. "I never heard of such a tree," Songsak said, before excusing himself for a moment to look outside. "I just looked at the court yard again. The vagina tree is not there." Rubacher said the police official insisted that news reports about the tree's existence are definitely a "gohok," the Thai word for hoax. He added, "If anyone had won the lottery, I would have known, as this would have been big news around here." Until the veracity of the vagina tree can be proved, fans of sex-organ-shaped trees have to focus their attention on a vagina tree in McCarren Park in Brooklyn, and that has Brooklyn boosters like The Brooklyn Paper editor Gersh Kuntzman rubbing their, uh, hands with glee. ."
EDITION: U.S. Greek ABC Strikes New Deals with Netflix, Amazon by Chris Harnick, posted Oct 31st 2011 11:30AM . Five ABC Family Girls Who Could Be Your New BFF by Jean Bentley, posted Jun 14th 2011 2:15PM >>IMAGE). Tearing Down the House on the 'Greek' Series Finale (VIDEO) by Jason Hughes, posted Mar 8th 2011 5:16AM But idealism wasn't the only thing that crumbled in this finale, though don't call it sad. Despite their hopes for a miracle, the KT House wasn't spared the demolition. But college is more than a building, and fraternity is more than a house. While showing us that you don't always win the good fight, we got to see that they all came out victorious in that they've each grown into the kinds of people they can be proud of. 'Greek' Season 4, Episode 3 Recap Casey began her first day of classes bright eyed and bushy-tailed as usual. But in case the thought hadn't crossed your mind -- did you ever wonder how a full-fledged sorostitute like Casey Cartwright could ever be taken seriously in law school? That's right. She can't. In a storyline plucked straight from 'Legally Blonde,' Casey was ridiculed on her first day after she accidentally outed herself as the girl who got in due to a technicality. Bad move, Cartwright. Like our favorite Harvard Law student, Casey was shunned from study groups and her ex didn't even try to stand up for her. Rude! Casey then went to complain to the professor. Seriously? The prof told her to grow a pair (well, not in those words exactly). Thank goodness ... Casey really needs to stop being so whiny and hiding herself in the home she's made for herself in ZBZ. 'Off the Map' Earns Respectable Ratings, 'Desperate Housewives' Want Raise and More by Jean Bentley, posted Jan 14th 2011 2:30PM >>IMAGE] 'G. 'Greek' Season 4, Episode 1 Recap Last? An Election About the Real Issues That Matter in College on 'Greek' (VIDEO) by Jason Hughes, posted Jan 4th 2011 1:45AM This is a college frat house, so it's not like there are big issues to debate, though a debate between the two of them espousing their particular platforms would have been incredibly entertaining. Cappie's was all about fun: "Is it even possible to have more fun?" he asked his brothers. "I think not. Therefore, the only alternative is to have less fun. And we all know that less fun is not as fun as the fun we're already having." A well thought out argument. How would Casey counter it? By getting to the root of what it's really all about: "If elected, I promise I will get you all laid." What more need be said? Let the first truly intellectual debate of the new year ring out. Who shall stand triumphant? And why can't they just agree that both ideas are winners? Spoilers Anonymous In-Depth: 'Greek' by Isabelle Carreau, posted Dec 14th 2010 1:45PM .' TV Goes to College: 10 Memorable Shows Set on Campus by Jane Murphy, posted Nov 16th 2010 4:50PM .' Spoilers Anonymous: 'Glee,' 'NCIS' and much more! by Isabelle Carreau, posted May 21st 2010 11:03AM This week we have spoilers for: 'Bones,' 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Glee,' 'Gossip Girl,' 'Greek,' 'Lost,' 'NCIS,' 'Smallville' and 'True Blood.' What's On Tonight: 'Chuck,' '10 Things I Hate About You,' 'Castle' by Bob Sassone, posted Mar 29th 2010 12:27PM - At 8, ABC has a new, two-hour 'Dancing with the Stars,' followed by a new 'Castle.' - NBC has a new 'Chuck' at 8, then new episodes of 'Trauma' and 'Law & Order.' - The CW has new episodes of 'Life Unexpected' and 'Gossip Girl.' - PBS has a new 'Antiques Roadshow' at 8. - ABC Family has the season premiere of '10 Things I Hate About You' at 8 (two episodes). - Food Network has a new 'Good Eats' at 8. - TCM has 'Monkey Business' at 8, followed by 'Duck Soup.' - At 8:30, CBS has a new 'Rules of Engagement.' - At 9, FOX has a new '24.' - TNT has the season premiere of 'Saving Grace' at 9. - USA has a new 'Monday Night RAW' at 9. - History Channel has two new episodes of 'American Pickers' at 9, then a new 'Pawn Stars.' - Also at 9: Spike has a new 'TNA Wrestling.' - At 10, ABC Family has the season finale of 'Greek.' - FX has a new 'Damages' at 10. - Showtime has a new 'Nurse Jackie' at 10, followed by a new 'United States of Tara.' - Food Network has a new 'Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives' at 10. - There's a new 'Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations' at 10. Check your local TV listings for more. After the jump, the late night talk shows.. What's On Tonight: 'Chuck,' 'House,' 'RAW,' 'Greek' by Bob Sassone, posted Mar 15th 2010 12:25PM - At 8, ABC has a new, two-hour 'Bachelor' episode of '20/20.' - NBC has a new 'Chuck,' followed by new episodes of 'Trauma' and 'Law and Order.' - FOX has new episodes of 'House' and '24.' - The CW has a new 'Life Unexpected' at 8, then a new 'Gossip Girl.' - ABC Family has a new 'Secret Life of the American Teenager' at 8. - At 8:30, CBS has a new 'Rules of Engagement.' - FUSE has the '2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony' at 8:30. - At 9, USA has a new 'Monday Night RAW.' - Food Network has a new 'Unwrapped' at 9. - TLC has a new 'Ultimate Cake-Off' at 9. - History Channel has a new 'American Pickers' at 9. - Cartoon Network has a new 'Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack' at 9. - Also at 9: Spike has a new 'TNA Wrestling.' - At 10, ABC Family has a new 'Greek.' - FX has a new 'Damages' at 10. - Showtime has two new episodes of 'Secret Diary of a Call Girl' at 10. - There's a new 'Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations' at 10. Check your local TV listings for more. After the jump, the late night talk shows.
2012 CIRP Strategic Plan and Goals Central Goals CIRP’s strategic plan is designed to foster implementation of a set of activities to further APA’s involvement in the promotion and development of psychology in the global world of the 21st Century and support the Association’s aspiration to excel as a principal leader and global partner promoting psychological knowledge and methods to facilitate the resolution of personal, societal and global challenges in diverse, multicultural and international contexts. The broad goals are captured by seven program areas: Acting in the world arena. Increasing awareness and opportunities for APA and psychology to be involved in international activities promoting human health, education and welfare, and in international policy arenas. Fostering psychology in a global age. APA as a learning partner; building capacity. Increasing international knowledge. Raising awareness of international activities and issues in Psychology to APA and APA members. Expanding outward. Increasing the depth and breadth of connections among psychologists and psychological organizations around the world. Welcoming the world. Increasing the number and engagement of APA’s international affiliates and members; working with fellow national psychology associations. Promoting the value of cross-cultural and multicultural competence for U.S. psychologists. Integrating the study, research, and awareness of cross-cultural and multicultural issues across the Association.. Below, each goal is developed more fully; current activities in service of the goal are listed, and new activities are suggested. The first outcome of the strategic plan is the GOALS initiative. Goal 1: Acting in the World Arena (Increasing awareness and opportunities for APA and psychology to be involved in international activities promoting human health, education and welfare, and in international policy arenas). Psychologists have long been active in the global arena, as visiting faculty, Fulbright Scholars, consultants and experts. Psychology as a discipline has been active in policy arenas through its global organizations (e.g., IUPsyS) and more recently individual member international organizations (e.g., IAAP, IACCP, ICP). The purpose of this goal is for APA to take a more active role through increased contacts with global organizations, and through serving as a conduit to encourage APA members to serve global organizations and to become engaged with global initiatives and activities. This might take place through more active and broad nominations, provision of commentary and expertise, and dissemination of information about opportunities. Ongoing Activities U.N. activities U.N. representative team at U.N. Headquarters: involved in NGO committee structure; active in promoting psychology language and issues in U.N. statements and documents; disseminating psychology through briefings, presentations and other events in conjunction with U.N. conferences and meetings Psychology Day at the United Nations, focusing on the contributions of psychology to issues before the U.N. U.N. listserv (disseminate information about U.N. events to psychologists) International meetings calendar International conference registration grants APA international awards Convention programming Guidance brochures on international exchanges, research, teaching, consultation Collaboration with psychologists in U.S. agencies (e.g., USAID) to promote a psychological perspective in global health Web listing of APA’s international activities Policy Issues APA policy on strategic response to international disasters (completed 2010) New Activities TBD Goal 2: Fostering Psychology in a Global Age: APA as a Learning Partner In the past, APA has played a large role in promoting psychology internationally; APA’s standards have been the model for standards elsewhere in ethics, curriculum development, publications. In addition APA has supported the growth of psychologists and psychology organizations worldwide through capacity building efforts and direct services. Currently, the enormous growth in psychology programs and numbers of psychologists worldwide may require a different role in fostering the development of psychology. Ongoing Activities MOU program (at present, APA has MOUs signed with Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, Jordan, Mexico, Norway, South Africa and the United Kingdom) Small Grants for Program Development for National Associations (fostering capacity building for psychological organizations and psychologists) International Affiliate Convention Registration Grants Convention Travel Supplement Grants Visitor’s Program for national psychology organization officers (see also Fostering Exchange) Scientific Meeting Support Fund Promoting regional partnerships with the Interamerican Society of Psychology (SIP), the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA) ; ASEAN Regional Union of Psychological Societies (ARUPS); Caribbean Region First Street Accord (mutual recognition agreement U.S.-Canada on accreditation processes) Policy Issues APA Resolution on Quality Assurance in International Education and Training — APA as a Learning Partner (2009) Participation in the development of world-wide, concensus-based standards for psychology (2012 meeting on competency models for licensing, certification and credentialing) New Activities TBD Goal 3: Increasing International Knowledge Raising awareness of international activities and issues in Psychology to APA and APA members. The OIA and CIRP have always worked actively to disseminate information about international events, activities and perspectives. The outcomes for this goal are to continue and expand ongoing dissemination activities and to develop mechanisms to collaborate with other APA offices, Divisions and members to do so. Ongoing Activities Psychology International (electronic newsletter; announcements; organization profiles; country profiles; series on international collaborations; international applications of psychology) APA International Online (website): program descriptions, meeting calendar; directories FAQ’s Cross-Division liaisons to CIRP to promote international Division activities Cross-Directorate meetings to raise awareness of international opportunities within APA offices APA contributions to Psychology Around the World (PATW) web resource United Nations research briefs on Trauma and HIV/AIDS Regular interaction with Monitor and GradPsych Staff to promote international content in articles New Activities TBD Goal 4: Expanding Outward Increasing the depth and breadth of connections with psychologists and psychological organizations around the world. APA, CIRP and the OIA provide more or less passive resources to facilitate interactions, such as meeting calendars, directories and the like. The purpose of this goal is to develop active outreach and matching programs to facilitate and encourage exchange at both an individual and organizational level. Ongoing or Completed Activities MOU program Maintain directories of international and national psychology organizations Small grants for program development for National Associations International conference registration grants International meeting calendar Scientific meeting support fund ROMEO experts database Psychology Association Presidents convention program (2012 and 2007) Fulbright Scholars – A Window to the World convention program (2008) New Activities TBD Goal 5: Welcoming the World Increasing APA membership by increasing the number and engagement of APA’s international affiliates and members; working with fellow national psychology associations Ongoing Activities MOU program International Affiliates program Convention and International Congress receptions Convention registration awards for international affiliates and students International Mailbox Listserv for International Members and Affiliates Membership recruitment drives at international conferences New Activities TBD Goal 6: Promoting the Value of Cross-cultural and Multicultural Competence for U.S. Psychologists The study, research and awareness of cross-cultural and multicultural issues must be integrated across the Association in order for APA to realize its aspiration of being a “principal leader and global partner promoting psychological knowledge and methods to facilitate the resolution of personal, societal and global challenges in diverse, multicultural and international contexts.” Ongoing/Completed Activities Brochure series on “Going International: A Practical Guide for Psychologists.” The first booklet, Academics Going Abroad, was published in 2011 Proposed Activities Promulgate APA Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice and Organizational Change (2002) Collaborate on the revision of the Multicultural Guidelines Work to incorporate international psychology/cross-cultural competence in all levels of the curriculum Goal 7:. Proposed Activities Develop strategies for showcasing the importance of international psychology to domestic research, practice and application (e.g., demonstrate relevance to local psychologists) Encourage all APA governance activities to include international perspectives Encourage divisions to include international presenters and presenters who have research, clinical and teaching experience outside the U.S. Develop strategies to bring more awareness to divisions of international issues and increase APA and division international membership Develop international talking points for divisions, including descriptions of CIRP and OIA Promote ROMEO as resource for international expertise Develop capacity building initiatives to support international research expertise and research expertise in countries with less developed infrastructure Encourage increased international submissions to APA journals Develop capacity to have abstracts translated New Activities TBD
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Q: Several years ago, I inherited a vintage Le Corbusier L4 Chaise upholstered in ecru canvas. It's exactly like the one on display in MOMA. The trouble is the canvas has gotten quite dingy over the years, making this lovely piece look, frankly, gross. I've considered getting rid of it, but it's an authentic piece so it's probably worth hanging onto if only I could clean it up. I've looked around online and haven't found any advice about how to clean the canvas. Anyone out there have any ideas? Sent by Kim Editor: • Got a question? Email yours with pic attachments here (those with pics get answered first) Image: Via Riba Journal If it's really vintage I'd say you probably want to have it professionally cleaned. The only other things I can think of (and I don't really know how the upholstery works on these chaises) is to put on a slipcover, or, can you take off the padded parts, store them somewhere to save them, and put replacements on the chair? I would consult a high quality dry cleaner. Take the cushion in and see what they suggest. I imagine that the cover can be removed but they should know best which seam to open and how to restitch it. Or, failing that, talk to an upholsterer and see what they suggest. Since it is an original piece, your first step should be to contact The Fondation Le Corbusier. The foundation's job is to conserve and preserve Le Corbusier's legacy, so I'm sure that someone there can help you with information regarding the canvas and the particular care needed. Just a word of warning- your encounters with furniture conservators are going to be very costly. As a painting conservator we deal with furniture conservators and man, it's a pricey venture. I'm just jealous. Which I had a LeCorbusier to lounge upon! Um, yeah, you're going to want to hang on to that. Seconding the recommendations for asking a professional museum conservator. If you do end up getting rid of it, please consider donating it to a museum or foundation rather than just putting it up on Craigslist - or if you do, make sure you sell to someone who will take care of it :) Another catch- if you do have it conserved and in turn appraised and insured, you're going to inevitably, through the effort to preserve the piece as a work of art remove it from the realm of functional furniture to a degree. Really, will you be sitting, or allow guests to sit on a piece into which you've invested several thousands which is now appraised and insured... All I'm saying is that your actions will dictate the future life of the piece... so before doing anything, perhaps it's wise to consider what you want out of the piece... The cushion should have a zipper or flap in the back where you can slip the foam out. Once you freed it of its foam wash it in hot water and bleach and hang it dry (so it doesn't shrink). If you can't get it out call an upholstery cleaner. It should cost about 50-100 bucks for the house call. Slightly off-topic: I have an LC4 by Cassina that needs a new leather or pony upholstered cushion. Is there a reputable source for such a thing? I see a million and one (dubious quality) reproductions of the entire chaise, but am at a loss as to where to get a quality version of only the cushion/upholstered top. Throw a blanket on it until you can afford to have it professionally cleaned, and if it is in that bad of shape get it reupholstered, or give it me please.
Basically the stuff you should be listening to if you like gaming on your iPhone One of the most surprising effects of people upgrading to iOS 6 and those crowds buying the new iPhone is not the early adoption of Passbook. Nope. The App Store free charts are topped for once by actual apps instead of free to play games. If you didn't dismiss the dialog message straightaway, you would have noticed how the revamped App Store app on iOS 6 suggests users to download Apple's own free apps. That explains why the otherwise boring Podcasts app is number two on the charts at the time of this writing. Maybe it's a good time to talk about the iOS-centric podcasts I listen every week. In my previous post written a year ago Podcasts for the iPhone and iPad gamer I introduced to the podcasts I enjoy most. Not surprisingly, the list is still very relevant and these shows keep going. This year I'll drop TouchGen's one, which is struggling to keep up with the rest. There's also an intriguing new addition that I hope will manage to get some following and motivation to continue with more content. Here's the list: The Pocket Gamer iPhone gaming podcast Directly from some place between Cambridgeshire and the Midlands in the UK — who knows — comes one of the most hilarious shows about mobile gaming you can get hold of. Pocket Gamer is a well respected publication by gamers and industry people alike, but this podcast seems like a beer-fuelled backstage chat by the people I like reading. The most notable thing to comment is the departure of its host Will Wilson, who left his role as deputy editor to become community manager at NaturalMotion. Yes, the developer making My Horse (and CSR Racing) but also an Apple protege and regular at its keynotes. I'm hoping that Will's work replying to angry pre-teens about their virtual pets will pay off someday speaking at the Yerba Buena Center. The task of hosting the show now falls on James Gilmour's shoulders, who is doing an excellent job so far and is bringing his own style to the podcast. The usual guests include biz-man Jon Jordan and the newcomer Peter Willington, who must be a very loveable character full of charm in real life. The soul of the show is still Keith Andrew, who insists not playing anything to talk about in the show and comments instead about video game logos — Nice logo! The Portable Podcast Carter Dotson is the man when it comes to interviewing iOS game developers. I don't know any other person who has talked and published more interviews than him, which should tell you the host of the Portable Podcast is more knowledgeable than your average journalist. The format has remained similar over its 150+ episodes, with two interviews in each and some special editions with regular guests Brett Nolan from AppsAddict.net and Blake Grundman from 148Apps—the network supporting the show. This is an invaluable resource for budding developers and a total treat for gamers, as you get first hand commentary from the creators of carefully selected titles that go unnoticed at times. Needless to say, I tend to buy the games of the developers that sound like nice people. The careful selection of interviewees also keeps away the typical spokesperson and marketing guys you get in other shows. Carter's warmth and honesty makes for a very personal interview where developers are free to promote their game but often end up talking about other interesting things. The Touch Arcade Show After a blazing first year and a half on air, The Touch Arcade Show just released a Rewind edition where they explain to new iPhone 5 owners what they're about. This is definitely not the most intellectual of the podcasts out there — there's plenty of swearing and silly talk — but it's definitely fun. Hosted by the editors of the prominent website of the same title, Brad Nicholson, Eli Hodapp and Jared Nelson are an excellent mix that refine their style making the show more and more personal with every show. For the new listener it requires some catch back with past episodes as some jokes are very random, but the experience is worth it. As Jared puts it, this is like talking to your mates about iOS gaming in case you didn't have anyone else to share your interest with… and I agree! Despite their position as a well-known site, there's a lot of criticism about shady free-to-play models and they often make fun of angry teenage readers that complain about the "high" prices of mobile games. If you like the style, you should also check out the new YouTube channel TA plays where they comment as they play video games. Walled Garden Weekly The new addition on the list is also departure from the news reporting style of iOS podcasts mentioned above. This is hosted by developers Arash Keshmirian and Kevin Pazirandeh of Tower Madness, Zombie Gunship and Zombie Highway fame. With just ten episodes I thought it was a good milestone to show appreciation to their work, making it easier for gamers to understand what goes into creating a successful title and teaching developers from their experience. While the format tries to stick to commenting on a couple of popular games on the App Store, the show is very much freeform and the hosts end up relating with past experiences, promising to expand on certain areas in the future. I find the whole thing very informative and insightful and I'd love to hear more from them. If you would like to learn about monetization, game design, freemium strategies and even how to handle success, I recommend you download a couple of their shows. You can subscribe to these shows and get new shows downloaded directly on your device. Apple has it's own free app but I particularly like these two alternatives: Instacast for iPhone or iPad: There's something different about Instacast 2.0 Podbay The quick way to listen podcasts on your iPhone
Kee Systems Ltd - Tel: 020 8874 6566 - 11 Thornsett Road, London, SW18 4EW (Road Map) This company also has: Kee Systems Ltd Kee Systems Ltd is a leading distributor of Kee Klamp fittings and structural tube. We stock a large range of tubular fittings used to build guardrails, safety barriers and all types of tubular steel structures. Kee Systems Ltd also supplies the well known roof edge protection system KeeGuard. Tubular Fittings At Kee Systems Ltd we supply and stock 3 types of tubular fittings: The widest range of fittings is the Kee Klamp. These fittings are perfect for securely joining and creating almost any system of standard size steel tube. Made from high grade aluminium alloy, Kee Lite fittings have been designed to be strong, durable and lightweight and can be used for a range of applications. Our galvanised Kee Access fittings meet building regulations for the construction of DDA handrails. Kee Systems Ltd have qualified and experienced staff who are happy to answer any questions you may have about tubular fittings. Galvanised Tube Our tubes are available in a range of different sizes and are available in a length of 3.2 as standard. Our stock of tubes includes galvanised steel and aluminium. The galvanised tubes available include: - 15mm NB, Plain End Galvanised Tube - Size 4 - 20mm NB, Plain End Galvanised Tube - Size 5 - 25mm NB, Plain End Galvanised Tube - Size 6 - 32mm NB, Plain End Galvanised Tube - Size 7 If you require a different length of tube our team would be happy to give you a quote. Railing Systems We offer 9 different formats of Kwik Kit quick assembly safety railing systems which are ready for use straight away. Our railing systems provide you with immediate protection to solve issues that may arise from risk assessments and various safety issues. The Kwik Kit is easily installed with no need for welding or bending the tubes. The kits include pre-assembled uprights to save time and enable you to have any configuration using a combination of kits. Fall Protection We offer a range of fall protection systems to ensure that you provide a safe working environment for everyone. The Kee Guard system is designed to make sure people with accessing a flat roof remain safe. This is a free standing system which provides roof edge protection without penetrating the roof membrane. Our KeeGuard Topfix system is perfect for modern roofs up to a 45 degree pitch. If offers protection for both standing seam and metal profile roofs. KeeGuard FoldShield is a fall protection system that provides safety railings which are not permanent on the roof line. Work Wear Find us on Google We can be found on google.co.uk B2B Products and Services Last Updated: 08-May-2013
Apply for Financial Aid Financial aid is available to students who are enrolled at least half-time as a regular degree-seeking student. To apply for financial aid, all students must complete the appropriate steps and all required forms. - Applying for Grants and Scholarships - Applying for Federal Student Aid Loans - Important Deadlines and Reminders using the IRS Data Retrieval tool to upload your tax information. APU’s Title IV Code is 001117. Apply for a PIN at. The PIN acts as your electronic signature for the FAFSA and as your password to federal websites. Do not share it or lose it. STEP 2: SAR (Student Aid Report) After you have submitted your FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). Please review your SAR for any incorrect information. Make any necessary corrections online for faster processing. STEP 3: Verification (selected students only) The Department of Education randomly selects students who have completed the FAFSA for a process called verification. If you are selected for verification, you will be able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to update your and/or your spouse’s income information. We encourage you to take advantage of this option. Otherwise, you will need to request a tax transcript from the IRS. Submitting a transcript will result in delayed processing. STEP 4: APU sends a Graduate Financial Aid Offer letterThe Graduate Financial Aid Offer letter will be mailed to you with a list of required forms and processes for you to complete. Students who complete their To Do List and the Graduate Information Worksheet by July 1 can expect their loan funds to be disbursed as early as the first week of classes if they are enrolled at least half-time. STEP 5: Complete your To Do List items The offer letter will include your To Do List items. If you did not receive a letter, you can also find your To Do List in the upper right hand corner of the Student Center tab at home.apu.edu. You must complete all To Do List items to secure financial aid. To Do items may include the following documents for first-time borrowers: Graduate Information Worksheet, Online Entrance Counseling Interview, and a Master Promissory Note. Do not forget to accept or decline your loans online at home.apu.edu. STEP. - Credential or certain certificate-only programs: 6 units per term - Master’s degree: 5 units per term (3 units in summer) - M.A. in Clinical Psychology: 4 units per term (3 units in summer) - M.S. in Nursing: 3 units per term - Doctor of Ministry: 4 units per term - Doctoral degree: 3 units per term STEP 7: Refund check If you have a credit balance from your Federal Stafford and/or Federal Graduate PLUS Loan that is above and beyond the cost of your current term charges, your Student Account Counselor will process your refund based on your answer to the Statement of Permission question on your Graduate Information Worksheet. You could be responsible to repay any refund you receive should you drop your classes or completely withdraw from the university. Important Deadlines and Reminders Deadlines - Per federal regulations, all required loan paperwork and processes must be completed while the student is still enrolled. - The 2012–13 FAFSA must be completed by June 30, 2013. - The 2013–14 FAFSA is now available to be completed for the 2013–14 academic year. - You must have all financial aid documentation submitted no later than three weeks before the end date of the term to receive financial aid for that term. Graduate Student Financial Services. - If you have any questions about the process, please contact your Student Account Counselor.
May I suggest making a contact print of your negatives before enlarging them. This will give you a good basic exposure time/aperture which you can use to guide you in making a print from the negatives. The time and aperture which you can best use would be found by (. . . long explanation follows . . .) setting your enlarger-head to a height where the light from the empty neg-carrier covers 10x8", with a half inch or so spare. Focus the edge of the neg-carrier sharp by eye, and double check you are still going to be covering the 10x8" paper. This size of paper is the smallest size which fits six strips of six shots of 35mm negatives - it seems from your other thread that you are using 35mm Lucky film, so it will fit on this size paper. (EDIT2: It turns out the person using 35mm Lucky film was someone else, but 120 roll in 6x6 format will also fit fine on this size of paper.) Put the paper down, arrange the negs on top (holding them only by the edges of course) and place a piece of glass or polycarbonate-plastic (a little larger than the paper) on top to keep the negatives flat and in contact with the paper. Make your test strip with the lens stopped down to f8, so that with a grade-2 filter you can only just see the smallest possible difference between black background in the holes in the film and the 'clear' part of the negatives next to the holes. This is the beginning time for a print for an averagely well exposed negative at that contrast grade and head height. For sure it is unlikely to be the best possible time, certainly not for every shot, but it gives a good indication of what is going on with your camera-exposures and film-developing as you 'should' have recognisable images on the contact sheet. If you always follow this routine you will always have a consistent guide to which shots need more or less printing exposure or contrast, and a consistent benchmark for changing camera exposure or film development too. The development time for the paper would usually be between one and two minutes for RC paper. Check the documentation with your paper and print-developer for the manufacturers recommendations. Posting a shot of the contact sheet will enable further advice from the forum to be based on something visual instead of just words. That will save a lot of messing about! Obvious first checks might be to note that you should most likely be using separate developers for the film and the print ('universal' developers exist but even with these the dilutions are very different) and that you have the paper the right way up. You can check the emulsion side of the paper by looking at the curl of it. For the RC paper I have here, Kentmere, the emulsion side is the convex side of the curve. The old test with fibre-paper would be to dampen a finger and then touch both sides to feel the difference, but Resin Coated paper seems pretty much the same front and back. Good luck. EDIT: Good question from the poster above. What is your location and native language? Maybe someone can give you a quick demo, or at least a more understandable explanation.
When I left the United States to move to Barcelona, Eheim gave me a full Aquastyle Set to make projects for them. I wanted to make a driftwood project but sadly, everything here in Europe is more expensive than in US. I finally went to the wild to collect "wood" like a cook seaching for good produce in the farmer's market. At the base of a mountain, I found thin but solid bushes that look like small trees (priceless to me). Christmas is coming soon, so I decided to make a typical Christmas tree. I could have used a branch tied with Java moss, but then it would not have the triangle shape of a Christmas tree, so I started from the beginning, organizing the branches. Once I had a master plan of where the branches should go, I used the electric drill to make holes in the main base of the tree then inserted the branches into the holes. (I actually tried first with crazy glue or velcro but failed.) The good thing about this method is that I could fit the branches in and out like a LEGO, until I found the right hole for each branch without damaging them. I used velcro and zip ties to attach the main base of the tree onto the black slate rock. I admit I don't always make things look good, but I make them work. I intended to cover the base with white decorative sand so I didn't care too much about these details. I tried to find Christmas moss from Tropica in Barcelona but it is hard to find. (Between you and I, if in the US there are 20 good stores in New York, in Barcelona there are only 3 or 4 good ones.) So I used regular Java moss, Taxyphyllum barbieri (Vesicularia). I tied the Java moss with nylon thread on the branches, one by one; and then I inserted them in the base. This time I wanted the branches to be permanently stuck in there so I used some crazy glue on the tip. Once I had the tree done, I considered what to do with the Riccia fluitans I had. Here in Europe we celebrate the three Wise Men, so I thought about making the Star of Bethlehem, but that is not typical in the US. So I decided to make the typical five-point star on top of the tree. I have been rushing on this project to get it done by December 1st . So that means I used what I had handy. I work in my family business, an office supply store, so I am familiar with paper, clips, laminating plastics, etc... I used the laminating plastic to draw the star. I cut the shape of the star and I used it as a base for the velcro. I could have tied the Riccia onto the plastic but it is better for the Riccia to grow on the velcro surface. After the star was done I inserted it on the top of the tree with the help of a pushpin and velcro. I still had some Riccia left and I thought I would use it to make ornaments hanging from the branches or long shiny garland along the Christmas Tree. The ornaments didn't work out, but for the garland I used a white string (like the one IKEA gives you to tie stuff onto the car. I used some small pieces of heavy sinkers to avoid floating). To finalize it I used white sand to recreate winter snow, with some small rocks so the arrangement looks a little more natural. I debated whether to use small guppies or angelfish, I decided to use angelfish, because they are "angels", i.e. christmas angels, plus they match the color of the sand. This project was not intended to make something natural like a long-term tank, this project was to make something special for Christmas. My main goal was to make a nice photo of the Christmas tree for the holidays, make it into a holiday greeting card and send it to aquatic plant friends. If you are interested in learning about the photography, I used four lights to shoot the final photo: 1-In the background with a blue gel on it to recreate the sky (from top to bottom); the sky has to be more light on top than the bottom. 2- A "canon beam light" just for the star, in full flash power with a yellow gel on it. (The star has to look yellowish, that's why I choose the riccia in first place.) 3- A light on top facing down with a green gel on it, to give color to the tree. 4- A final light on top of the tank too, with minimal power and no gel color for the fish, I shot the photo with tungsten settings, F/11 and 1/125, ISO 80 I think. Well, that's all, Hope you like it and Happy Holidays! Lluis Barcelona, Spain
Abstract: Barge of Heaven: Cleopatra the Goddess Lecturer: Alison Futrell For Shakespeare’s Cleopatra, a yearning after immortality is the last of her many and varied carnal desires, as she abandons physical pleasures for her final self-presentation as eternal queen, her final reality in reunion with Antony. The historical Cleopatra VII, as a prominent political figure, likewise developed multiple personae to enable positive interactions with a range of audiences in the ancient Mediterranean. Her deployment of divine identities, far from the hubristic posturing of an arrogant egomaniac, sent important messages to different groups, asserting her legitimate imperial authority and structuring her engagement with major powerbrokers in Egypt, securing her realm through ritual means. She used the titles of “New Goddess” and “New Isis” to reassert dynastic claims in the Eastern Mediterranean and to present herself as an accessible and familiar agent of power, to be revered and trusted as a source of support and aid. Her notorious meeting with Antony took place aboard the barque of Isis, a venue deliberately arranged as a public demonstration of the nature of Cleopatra’s leadership. In Upper Egypt, Cleopatra acted as Thea Philopatora, the Father-Loving Goddess, reinforcing connections established by her father, Ptolemy XII Auletes, that bound her reign to elites outside the pockets of Graeco-Macedonian settlement. Cleopatra was especially concerned with the area around Thebes, a long-term node of Egyptian power and a previous focal point for resistance to the Ptolemies. Cleopatra became a highly visible participant in ancient religious traditions, such as the installation of a new Buchis bull at the Temple of Mentu in Hermonthis, when the queen herself escorted the new bovine incarnation of the god to his new home, transported with all due panoply on the barque of Amun. She also continued royal sponsorship of construction in major sanctuaries of the Thebaid, including Edfu and Dendera, where she was represented, in text, image, space and movement, performing the function of the divine ruler in Egyptian cosmology and as an agent and earthly version of Hathor, moving via ritual barge between the two sanctuaries as part of the annual Festival of Reunion. It is in this context that we should interpret the Nile cruise undertaken in 47 BCE with Julius Caesar. This was not simply a luxurious pleasure excursion, a holiday outing in sunny Egypt, but a sacred procession featuring the new divinity, queen and goddess, partner and chosen of gods.
What You Should Know Before You Visit the National Archives at San Francisco Research Appointments Please contact us to set up a research appointment so that our staff can provide you with the best possible assistance during your visit. We will respond within 10 working days of the receipt of your inquiry Telephone: 650-238-3501 Mailing Address: The National Archives at San Francisco Leo J. Ryan Memorial Federal Building 1000 Commodore Drive San Bruno, California 94066 What Staff Can Do For You: - Provide advice regarding holdings that might relate to your research topics - Furnish relevant finding aids to our holdings - Retrieve requested records so you can examine them in our textual research room If you plan to use only our microfilm resources or public access computers, no appointment is necessary. If you anticipate that you will require assistance with these resources, please contact our staff in advance of your visit. Hours Please Note: We are proposing a change in our hours. 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Tampa Bay Lightning @ Winnipeg Jets Game Preview: We Gonna Rock Down to...Electric Avenue Winnipeg Jets versus Tampa Bay Lightning game preview, including Keys to the Game, lineups, and prediction. Winnipeg Jets versus Tampa Bay Lightning game preview, including Keys to the Game, lineups, and prediction. Winnipeg Jets versus New York Islanders Game Preview, complete with Keys to the Game, player lineups, and prediction. Winnipeg Jets versus Florida Panthers game preview, including player lineups, Keys to the Game, and prediction. Keep your eyes on the tank prize, folks. The Jets meet the Lightning for the 5th time this season, with the Jets leading the series 3-1-0 to Tampa's 1-2-1 in a game that could be the last meaningful match either team plays this season. Winnipeg Jets @ Carolina Hurricanes Game Preview: The Biggest Game of the Season in Relation to the Offseason With #greatesttankbattles well under way, the Jets look to do some damage to the rangers aspirations while attempting to avoid the series sweep as the teams do battle at the MTS Centre on Wednesday night. Winnipeg Jets versus Ottawa Senators preview, complete with Keys to the Game, Lineup, and Prediction. And hopefully no Randy Jones. Winnipeg Jets versus Nashville Predators preview, complete with Keys to the Game, Player Lineups, and the eerie feeling that we will soon be engaged in a tank battle. Winnipeg's playoff hopes hang by a thread as they roll into D.C. to face division rival Washington as the Jets and Capitals do battle on Friday night. The Winnipeg Jets fly into dangerous territory as they take on Malkin, Crosby and the rest of the Penguins in Pittsburgh. The Jets need a win to keep pace in the race for 8th, while Pittsburgh seeks the crown in the Atlantic Division. A preview of tonight's Southeast Division contest between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Winnipeg jets. It's not that Winnipeg needs to win, they just can't afford to lose. A crucial late season matchup between division rivals the Washington Capitals and the Winnipeg Jets, as the Jets look to close the gap on the final playoff spot in front of their home fans. The Jets look to make a frantic dash back into playoff contention as they face the Dallas Stars, who are winners of 6 straight. The Flames and Jets meet in Cowtown and an old rivalry heats up. The Jets look to bounce back after last night's loss in Vancouver as both Canadian squads make the push for the postseason. The Jets meet the Canucks for the first time since moving from Atlanta, as Winnipeg is in Vancouver tonight to take on some familiar faces. Winnipeg Jets versus Buffalo Sabres preview, complete with player lineups, Keys to the Game, and prediction. A look ahead at tonight's uber important tilt between the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets, as fierce division rivals battle it out with both teams looking to smooth their paths towards the playoffs. A Southeast Division battle sees the Winnipeg Jets and Tampa Bay Lightning duke it out as both teams scramble to gain ground on the 8th spot in the Conference, as well as the top spot in the division. The Jets play game 3 of 8 in a row at the MTS Centre and look to continue their winning ways at home against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers. A look ahead at Friday night's tilt between the Boston Bruins and the hometown Winnipeg Jets as the two teams square off at the MTS Centre. This game is the first of 8 straight home games for the Jets. The Jets look to bounce back from a pair of losses as they head into the Wild of Minnesota. Both teams currently sit at 58 points and are fighting for their playoff lives. A look ahead at tonight's Valentines Day matchup between the Winnipeg Jets and the New York Islanders at MTS Centre. Both of these teams will be looking for a date...in the playoffs. So action should be intense. The Winnipeg Jets face-off against the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center as the battle for the Southeast Division crown heats up. Game Preview: Make sure your elderly neighbor can find his Leafs sweater Winnipeg Jets versus Montreal Canadiens preview, complete with player lineups and prediction. A look ahead at tonight's match-up as the Panthers tangle with the Jets in a Southeast division match-up that is a "must win" for both teams. And it's only February 3rd...
- News Archives > - Article STEM students building bridges to bright futures January 26, 2013 By Dave Palmer Related Links LOS ANGELES (Jan. 26, 2013) -- During Great Minds in STEM's Viva Technology Day at Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles, Jan. 18, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commanding General Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick delivered last-minute instructions to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, students during the beam bridge challenge. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than half of the 30 fastest-growing occupations through 2018 are STEM-related. Environmental engineers are leading the way at an expected 31 percent job growth. "We cannot do this without great partners," said Chair and CEO of Great Minds in STEM Ray Mellado. "The Army Corps of Engineers is the largest civil engineering organization in the world. Here in Los Angeles, we have a leader who has not only embraced this problem, but he's made it a priority for him and his people. Colonel (R. Mark) Toy (Los Angeles District commander) has been a great leader and a great partner." In his remarks, Toy said that it is no coincidence the Corps is so dedicated to STEM and under the leadership of Bostick, that passion will continue. "My wife is the principal of an elementary school," said Bostick. "To the principals, the educators, those who enforce discipline and education, you're really what makes this all work and we're happy to be partners. Out of 100 ninth-graders, only six will go on to pursue STEM. That's our challenge. By the year 2020, we will need a million more engineers, so we have to start early." GMiS is USACE's partner organization for STEM. Established in 1989 as HENAAC, Great Minds in STEM is a non-profit organization that focuses on STEM educational awareness programs for students from kindergarten to career, according to their charter. "In China, they will graduate 700,000 engineers a year," said Bostick. "We do about 70,000 in America. And, many of those engineers go back to their home countries." Bostick and Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations Maj. Gen. Michael J. Walsh, South Pacific Division Commander Brig. Gen. Michael C. Wehr, and his district commanders from Albuquerque, Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco, visited the school and interacted with the students. "Dream big," said Bostick. "Our job is to mentor, to reach out to make you believe you can do anything and just reach for the stars. There is a lady, Frances Hesselbein, who earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Clinton put it around her neck in the White House. She often says that, 'there are two institutions, that since the beginning of our country, have sustained our democracy, our freedom, and that's public education and the United States Army.'" During Viva Technology Day, students participated in hands-on competitive, educational challenges. They worked in teams led by college students and Los Angeles district interns who major in STEM. USACE has three career internship opportunities: Pathways Internship Program for current students, Recent Graduates Program [2 years] and Presidential Management Fellows Program. For more information, visit.
Tested : Rover 800 Coupé THE Rover 800 Coupé proved once and for all that the talented styling team at Gaydon really could turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse – compare the gawky R17 saloon to any Coupé and you’ll see what we mean. JONATHAN SELLARS tests the rarest 800 Coupé of them all, the two-litre Sterling. Does it really combine all the beauty of its more powerful stablemates without any of the drawbacks? You smoothie… There's no denying the 800 Coupé has style... ROVER proudly labeled it ‘a prestigious gentleman’s carriage’, but does the Viking flagship of the Nineties really live up to the expectations fashioned by its stately looks and £30,000 price tag? Let’s turn the clock back a decade or so. It’s 1996 and as a teenager with a fast developing fascination with all things automotive, being dragged around the showrooms as my parents test drive the new 200 series is hardly an unwelcome pursuit for me. But I’m not interested in the little bubble shaped car. My attention is drawn to the big expensive looking saloon on the other side of the showroom. It looks just like the chauffeur-driven car the Prime Minister always pulls up in on the television, and as a rather diminutive 13-year old sitting in the giant drivers seat, surrounded by more banks of controls than an aeroplane cockpit and that rich new leather smell I’m almost left in awe. If you’d told me I’d be a Rover 800 owner by the age of 21 I’d have thought it unreal, and if the cars hadn’t already been dinosaurs by that time I might just have been right. In reality though, depreciation quickly did its stuff. First impressions stick and when something more modern was required to take some of the strain off my 16 year-old MG Maestro as a daily commuting car, the sales brochures I’d taken back with me from that childhood showroom visit were the first to come off the shelf. I’d never really intended on owning the Coupé variant until, after two rather ill-fated encounters with saloons, a good friend mentioned to me that she was selling her pampered 1997 2-litre Sterling Coupé. With the asking price being little more than a replacement ‘KV6’ engine and the uncertainty that would go with it, I could hardly say no. But that’s enough sentimentality. What’s the Sterling actually been like to live with over the last year? Performance and Economy A maximum power output of 140bhp means it lags behind the V6 and turbocharged models in the range, but it is still a lively performer, cracking the 0-60mph dash in under 10 seconds and going on to over 120mph. Even with over 1300kg of car to pull, the 2-litre engine feels lively. There’s no shortage of torque throughout the rev range giving a respectable acceleration from rest to 60mph in just under 10 seconds and plenty of response on the move, with 30-70mph through the gears achievable in 9.2 seconds. Even at motorway speeds it’s rarely necessary to bury the pedal into the carpet to get an instant and measurable response. Unfortunately any kind of acceleration is accompanied by more noise than one expects from a car of this class, but I have not accounted for its sole modification, a non-standard exhaust system installed by the previous owner which will have some bearing on this. I still miss the smoother power delivery and overall refinement of the V6 I owned previously. Although quite adequate for the car, the T-Series just doesn’t quite have the same feel to it leaving me wanting a little bit more at times. The gearbox fitted to these cars has a positive feel to it, although I often find the clutch up-take is a little too sudden for smooth changes which can spoil an otherwise relaxed ride around town. Once allowed to settle at a constant cruising speed though, the Rover is at home and it really will waft along quietly and effortlessly. A recent 1500 mile touring break provided not only an excuse to put the car through its paces on some of Britain’s toughest roads but also a chance to gauge its average economy over a long distance run. Over the three days some 207 litres of petrol were consumed (£190 worth at the time) which works out at about 31mpg. That doesn’t sound too bad, until you consider that much of the mileage was covered on motorways and fast ‘A’ roads! Handling and Ride The sheer size of any Rover 800 takes some getting used to. At almost five metres in length and with its wide ‘C’ pillars and long bonnet, intricate low speed maneuvering in the Coupé was never going to be easy. This is somewhat compensated for by the steering which works very well in this situation. It’s exceptionally light and effortless to turn from lock-to-lock quickly, something that also proved helpful when confronted by a notorious Lake District mountain pass involving alarmingly steep gradients interjected by an unrelenting series of hairpin bends. It is almost possible to feel a little too remote from the road at times, but Rover’s “positive centre feel” system does add a little more weight at higher speeds through the bends just where it’s needed. On the whole the ride is comfortable and dignified, the car soaking up bumps and potholes with ease. Occasionally the limited travel of the suspension does cause it to crash around a little but in reality this only happens if, for example, you take a particularly abrupt speed bump a bit too fast. There’s a little roll through the corners coupled with perhaps ever so slight understeer, but this doesn’t seem to have too much of an adverse affect giving a reassuring feeling of poise and stability throughout. Fast roads with sweeping bends may be very pleasurable in the Sterling, but point it at a motorway and it’s in its element. The big long body feels consistently stable at speed where in some smaller cars you often get that slightly unsettling wobble at times. There’s none of that here and it is surprising just how quickly and comfortably the miles begin to pile on with the driver barely noticing. Wind noise is certainly evident on the motorway, but not to the extent that it becomes intrusive. At the wheel If the Coupé looks distinguished from the outside, its interior has a certain ambience that would not have disappointed even the most discerning driver. The wood and leather formula may be a little old fashioned but it has been well executed in the Sterling giving it that distinctly English air that almost identifies a Rover. Such details as the branded door inserts, contrasting piping in the seats and even the neatly arranged rows of warning symbols at the bottom of the window glass give the car a touch of individuality. All controls (and there are a lot of them) surround the driver in comfortable reach, except those mounted on the armrest where I have visions of mistakenly jettisoning the contents of the boot instead of opening the sunroof while driving. The armchair-like seats are great, supportive in all the right places and adjustable in every which way. Passengers often find themselves nodding off on long journeys especially in the rear compartment where they are almost completely cocooned from the world around them. There are three seats in the rear but the third is really only child sized and with all three occupied things become intimate, at best! Despite what you’d expect of a Coupé legroom is quite adequate for most throughout. I’m convinced that stowage space inside the cabin did not come high on the list of priorities at design stage. Whilst there’s the occasionally handy Austin Rover trademark coin tray, the door bins are narrow and inaccessible, there are no cup holders, anything in the tray beneath the centre console interferes with the handbrake and the glove compartment can barely accommodate the handbook let alone anything else. If you spend a lot of time in the car, this becomes an issue. Finish and equipment If you’re taken in by the Sterling’s grandeur don’t look too hard for its flaws, because you won’t have to. Build quality was vastly improved in the later years and everything feels solid enough with the squeaks or rattles of earlier cars far less evident. But some of them are still there and the generally excellent finish is marred slightly by one or two cheap looking clip-on bits of plastic trim. Being the top model equipment levels are generous as is to be expected, right down to the various different interior lights, presumably for reading your Financial Times. Rover were throwing everything at the later 800s to increase their appeal and the only option lacking by modern standards is Satellite navigation. The climate control with its rather complex 14-button control panel is a wonderful system when you learn how to use it, and particularly impressive is the 6-speaker stereo which delivers some of the best sound quality I’ve experienced in any factory standard car. Verdict There’s no doubt about it, the Rover 800 Coupé is an attractive car. Its elegant lines and lavish interior won it accolades from its introduction and it won’t look at all out of place in the director’s spot even today. Comfort and long distance ability are also significant strengths. With such qualities it could, and should, have been a runaway success in the US market for which it was primarily developed had it been given the opportunity. Of course, this alone is not sufficient to make a truly great car into a class leader and comparing certain aspects of it with similarly priced rivals of the time towards which the Rover has aspirations, it is easy to see why the list price had actually fallen somewhat by 1997. But if it falls short in the detail, it doesn’t do so by far. The main problem is surely the badge. No matter how hard it tried the Rover name no longer had the kudos behind it in a highly competitive and image-conscious market to frighten the usual German heavyweights, and that’s a shame for such a worthy contender. If you like your comforts and don’t mind sacrificing a bit of practicality, as an understated modern classic the Rover 800 Coupé has it all and now is the time to buy while they’re so affordable and relatively easy to find. It’s one of those cars you’ll find yourself glancing back at in the car park, and you’ll even want to keep on finding excuses to make long journeys for the most trivial reasons, too. That kind of appeal has to put it on anyone’s shortlist.
Location: Contaminant Fate and Transport 1a.Objectives (from AD-416). 1b.Approach (from AD-416). 3.Progress Report The objectives of project 5310-61000-014-00D are to improve mathematical models of critical biogeochemical processes in irrigated agricultural soils and to use computer simulation to investigate alternative water and soil management practices and their effects on agricultural productivity and environmental quality. FY2011 was the final planned full year of the project. The project initiated in 2007 with 2.6 Scientists and 3.0 technical support staff. Following the retirements of 4 key personnel (2 scientists and 2 support staff), the project has been operating with 1.3 scientists and 1.0 technical support staff. Consequently, it has been necessary to prioritize milestones over the last couple of years. In FY2011, progress was made in modeling several key biogeochemical processes, supporting national program efforts to develop decision support systems for managing degraded irrigation waters, including tools for determining the fate and transport of salts, trace elements, and pesticides. Progress includes: 1. The permeability of a porous material (such as soil or rock) is a measure of the rate at which water can flow through the material and it is a critical parameter in a number of important hydrological processes such as infiltration, flooding, erosion, evaporation, groundwater flow, and the movement of pollutants belowground. Scientists have long sought to understand how different arrangements of pores in rock or soil lead to different permeabilities. In FY2011, we developed a new theoretical pore-scale model explaining the relationship between the permeability and electrical conductivity of porous materials and demonstrated that it was more accurate than earlier models. The findings will assist researchers seeking to measure or predict permeability and related important hydrological parameters and processes. (Obj. 2C) 2. Pesticide volatilization from agricultural soils is one of the main pathways in which pesticides are dispersed in the environment. Past investigations have shown that the volatilization rate results from non-isothermal transport process in the soil and depends critically on the water content of the soil surface. In FY2011, progress was made in modeling the effects of soil moisture status on pesticide volatilization. The new knowledge may contribute to management practices which will better protect agricultural workers and surrounding communities from potentially toxic emissions. (Obj. 2B) 3. Improved mathematical models for simulating the accumulation and leaching of salts and trace elements in irrigated soils are needed to maintain productivity with degraded irrigation waters. In FY2011, extensive salt accumulation and leaching data collected over four years were analyzed and compared with model predictions. The analysis will contribute to improved predictive models and decision support tools which will allow for greater utilization of marginal quality waters. (Obj. 1A) 4. A GUI was developed for the CHAIN-2D simulation model. (Obj. 2B) 5. Due to retirements and changing priorities, HYDRUS development has been transferred to our colleagues at the university and in industry (). (Obj. 2A) 4.Accomplishments 1. Pore-scale physics explains soil and rock properties. The permeability of soil and rock is a critical parameter affecting a number of important hydrological processes such as infiltration, flooding, erosion, evaporation, groundwater flow, and the movement of pollutants below ground. Scientists have long sought to understand how different arrangements of pores in rock or soil lead to different permeabilities. In FY2011, ARS researchers at Riverside, California used techniques from theoretical physics to develop a new model explaining permeability in terms of pore-structure and demonstrated that the model was more accurate than previous models. The findings will assist researchers seeking to measure or predict permeability and related important hydrological parameters and processes.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SKIN: the seduction of surfaceSaturday May 19 – Sunday September 9, 2012 SKIN: the seduction of surface opens at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia May 18, 2012 – HALIFAX, NS – On May 19th the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS) unveils SKIN: the seduction of surface, a compelling display of contemporary art where place, race, religion, identity and sexuality are all explored and probed through physical and conceptual ideas of skin. Drawn from the AGNS Permanent Collection, as well as from numerous international private and public collections, SKIN: the seduction of surface brings together 36 works by Canadian and international artists whose collective work explores notions of skin in paint, print, sculpture and performance. The exhibition features Jana Sterbak’s internationally acclaimed Vanitas: Flesh Dress for an Albino Anorectic. Sterbak’s sculpture is created from 50 pounds of raw flank steak that is stitched together and hangs on a dress form. Over the course of the exhibition the heavily salted meat will decompose, cure and dry out. Other artists whose work is included in the exhibition are:. Sarah Fillmore, Curator of SKIN says: “SKIN is really about layers of life: scars, protective covering, a surface, a mediator and a conveyor of identity. This show pulls works in various media together in the hopes of exploring some of the notions of skin, our perceptions of surface and the seduction and sometime revulsion of that covering. The surface begs to be scratched and I invite you to join in.” Ray Cronin, Director/CEO says: “Certainly Jana Sterbak’s Vanitas has sparked much debate. Raw meat sewn together to form a dress, hanging in a Gallery setting, says so much about consumption, sexuality, appetite, beauty and revulsion. I’m thrilled that the AGNS has been able to bring this iconic work to Halifax and to offer the opportunity for our visitors to come and form their own opinion.” SKIN: the seduction of surface has been organized by the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and is curated by Sarah Fillmore, Chief Curator at the AGNS. The exhibition is accompanied by a full-colour catalogue. Dates Media Preview: Friday May 18th at 10.30am. A chance for media to preview the exhibition, meet the curator and several participating artists including: Jana Sterbak, Sarah Maloney, Emily Falencki, Mitch Mitchell, Doug Guildford, Cora Cluett, Janice Wright Cheney, Emily Vey Duke and Cooper Battersby. Evening Reception: Friday May 18th at 6:30pm. Members and Invitation Only Event. NOW OPEN LATE - New Opening Hours: As part of our mandate to make the Gallery more accessible to visitors effective May 20th the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia will be open:. MEDIA IMAGES are posted on the website here.: -30-For information contact: Donna Wellard \| Marketing and Communications \| Art Gallery of Nova Scotia \| Phone 902-424-2903 \| Cell 902-483-2019 \| gov.ns.ca
Dr. John Meadowcroft and Dr. Jaime Reynolds examine the role of Arthur Seldon (1916–2005 ) and the Liberal antecedents of the Institute of Economic Affairs. ‘I was persuaded into economic liberalism by intellectual conviction and the evidence of events and into Liberal Party sympathies because the Conservatives were too socialist and the socialists too conservative’. ‘I graduated by national insurance and state education to the LSE. There I read voraciously Lenin, Laski, Strachey, Dalton but was more influenced by Robbins, Plant and Hayek. The war and post-war siege economy, several years as editor of a trade journal, the years as an economist in industry and five years working in fruitful partnership with Ralph Harris at the IEA have reinforced the view I had acquired from a teacher that the nineteenth century was the great age of emancipation and that the classical economists were basically right.’ Arthur Seldon Capitalism (1990) ‘… we lost people from the Liberal Party who described themselves as neo-liberals of the sort of Thatcherite school. I was reading the other day that Arthur Seldon was involved in the Liberal Party in Orpington at the time of the by-election. He was typical of a certain school of Liberal who abounded in the party at that time …’ David Steel, interview in Marxism Today, October 1986 Though few Liberal Democrats would recognise him as such, Arthur Seldon was probably one of the most influential Liberal thinkers and publicists in Britain in the period from the 1950s to the 1970s. Seldon was founder Editorial Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs, the free-market think tank , which played an important role in the revival of economic liberalism that led to the global implementation of policies such as the privatisation of previously nationalised industries, the control of inflation via sound monetary policy and the application of market-oriented service regimes where public goods were provided by the state. In the UK these policies were implemented by the Conservative Government of Margaret Thatcher and its successors. This association with Thatcherism has led many Liberal Democrats to reject the notion that the ideas Seldon advocated had any connection with Liberalism. Conrad Russell, in the opening of his An Intelligent Person’s Guide to Liberalism contrasts the ‘moral’ liberalism of Roy Jenkins (of which he clearly approves) with the economic liberalism of the IEA (of which he clearly disapproves). Yet while it is true to say that Seldon’s tireless advocacy of economic liberalism had its greatest impact on the Conservative Party, rather than the Liberal Party, it is nevertheless the case that many Liberals recognised the continued relevance of economic liberalism to the Liberal cause. Jo Grimond was a regular IEA author, contributing papers to six different IEA publications, and wrote that ‘Liberals must at all times stress the virtues of the market, not only for efficiency but to enable the widest possible choice … Much of what Mrs Thatcher and Sir Keith Joseph say and do is in the mainstream of liberal philosophy.’ Certainly, Seldon, who is now eighty-eight years old and living in retirement in Kent, always saw himself as more of a liberal, or ‘conservative radical’ than a Tory. For over three decades he was an active member of the Liberal Party and only severed his connection with the party in the 1970s. Arthur Seldon, the Liberal Party and the IEA. Seldon was born on 29 May 1916. He later described his tragic and poverty-stricken childhood, upbringing and education in the East End of London, as an ‘indoctrination against capitalism’. He recalled that at the age of eight in the 1924 general election, he cheered the Labour candidate for Stepney, and booed the Conservative and Liberal cars. Seldon’s family name was Margolis, but both his parents died in the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 and he was brought up by foster-parents (two of his elder siblings went to live with uncles, and two were sent to an orphanage). Seldon’s foster parents were Jewish refugees from Ukraine, whose family name Schaberdain was adopted by Arthur. His foster-father died in 1927. His foster-mother set up ‘shop’ in the front room of their East End home selling lisle stockings in order to pay the rent. The family were kept afloat by a £100 payment from a Friendly Society, paid for by his late foster-father’s weekly contributions of two shillings. For Seldon such enterprise and mutual insurance was a model of voluntary working-class responsibility and welfare that was to be replaced by state benefits and the ‘dependency culture’. The family fortunes improved in 1931 when his foster-mother remarried (a tailor) and they moved to the relatively middle-class suburb of Stroud Green In 1928 Seldon won a free place to Sir Henry Raine’s (Grammar) School off the Commercial Road where he was taught history in the sixth form by E. J. Hayward, a Liberal of the old school ‘whose teachings on the guild system and its replacement by industrial capitalism, with its advantages for living standards and liberties, intrigued me more than the Fabian influence of the persuasive economics master.’ Nevertheless, when he arrived at the LSE in 1934, having won a state scholarship, he seems initially to have shared the prevailing far-left attitudes of the majority of students, before joining the tiny Liberal Society. He supported the anti-Fascist protests against Sir Oswald Mosley’s march through the East End in 1936. Seldon studied and researched at the LSE from 1934 to 1941, graduating with first class honours in economics in 1937, and then becoming a research assistant to Arnold Plant. He also studied under other liberal and Liberal academics including Hayek, Lionel Robbins, Frank Paish, George Schwartz, who kept alive free-market economics in what Seldon described as ‘the hostile anti-capitalist environment of the 1930s’. It was during his time at the LSE that Seldon Anglicised his surname, apparently following advice from Arnold Plant who thought such a change wise in the light of the rise of Anti-Semitism in Europe. In 1937 the Liberal Party established a committee of inquiry into the distribution of property inspired and chaired by Elliott Dodds. It included Harcourt Johnstone, Sinclair’s right-hand man and expert on economic issues in the party leadership. Plant and Robbins were approached for their advice and they asked Seldon to write a paper on the effect of an inheritance tax. This led Dodds to ask him to draft the committee’s report 'Ownership for All' which was adopted by the party conference in 1938. In Seldon’s view, ‘the proposals for the diffusion of private property rather than its replacement by public (socialised) property raised the flag of classical liberalism for the last time in the Liberal Party’. Its questioning of public ownership and proposals for selective privatisation were denounced by the Labour Party as a violent shift in the Liberal position back to laissez-faire and individualism, at odds with both Labour and Conservative thinking on the ‘socialised sector’. Yet despite its unfashionable and ‘right-wing’ reputation, Ownership for All has stood the test of time better than many of the so-called radical tracts of the 1930s, and many of its arguments would be regarded as mainstream, if not left-wing, today. It was a radical attack on the maldistribution of wealth and property in inter-war Britain – inequalities which it described as ‘gross and shocking’. The uneven spread of property prevented equality of opportunity, wasted social resources, reduced consumer choice and menaced democracy by providing a recruiting ground for Fascism. The report rejected outright any absolute right of property and insisted on society’s right to modify laws of inheritance to reduce inequality and spread wealth. The causes of the maldistribution of property were traced to faulty laws and policies, particularly inheritance law, lack of educational opportunity for the poor, encouragement of monopolistic industrial concentration, divorce of ownership from control of companies, and indirect taxation on wage-earners in the form of tariffs, quotas and subsidies. However Ownership for All was unusual for the times in rejecting statist solutions such as planning and public ownership; it argued unashamedly for market solutions, greater competition and the extension and permeation of property ownership throughout society. It combined a positive view of freedom and economic liberal ideas in a distinctive platform for the party: The policy we have advocated is not one of ‘laissez-faire’. Quite the reverse. It would involve determined, and even drastic, State action at numerous points. Such action, however, would not take the form of Government control or management … Its main objects would be to create the legal structure in which a free economy can best function; to see that the market is efficient and honest; to outlaw restraint of trade; to break down unjust and artificial privileges; to preserve the national resources …; to maintain and expand the social services; and to place before all the opportunities of a full life hitherto open only to the rich. In a word, the Liberal view is that it is the function of the State ‘to create the conditions of liberty’… While it is unclear how far Seldon’s drafts shaped the final document, it is striking that many of the arguments and much of the style of argument anticipated his later critique of state ownership and provision and his championing of markets and competition, which essentially built on the framework laid down in Ownership for All. The Liberal Party continued to use the ‘Ownership for All’ slogan into the late 1940s. In July 1941 the Liberal Party Organisation published his pamphlet The Drift to the Corporate State, which analysed the likely effects of wartime economy measures, especially those encouraging monopoly, on the post-war economy. He was scathing about what he described as ‘the tendency in the 1930s to the formation in many basic industries of joint monopolies of employers and workers for the exploitation of consumers’. While conceding the need for some industrial concentration and planning in time of national emergency, Seldon was blunt about the potential dangers it posed: ‘it is the corporative system of industrial organisation, which is incompatible with parliamentary democracy; it is the British variant of what in Italy is called Fascism’. Where monopoly was unavoidable (‘natural monopolies’) he argued – anticipating ideas that were novel in the 1930s but have become commonplace in recent decades – that ‘public regulation may be more suitable than public ownership [and] there would appear to be no good reason for exclusive public ownership in the public utility field, where a mixed regime of private, public, and semi-public monopolies, all equally subject to regulation by Parliament or a delegated authority would be superior’. He called for ‘State action to “cleanse” industry of its avoidable monopoly; and this will involve a more active State, a State more conscious of the conditions and consequences of monopoly …’ Between 1941 and 1945 Seldon served in the army in North Africa and Italy. He married Marjorie Willett in 1948. Her father Wilfred was a formerly devout Christian who became a communist and nature writer for the Daily Worker. Up to his death in 1961, he and Seldon would debate the issues of communism versus capitalism. Marjorie was to become an active Liberal, free trader and campaigner for education vouchers in her own right. On his return to Britain after discharge from the army in 1946, he was drawn back into Liberal Party activity after attending a meeting chaired by Clement Davies at which Roy Harrod, the Keynesian economist, was a speaker. In 1947 Seldon was asked by Philip Fothergill to chair a committee on the aged. He consulted Beveridge whom he knew from LSE days, and who was, by the late 1940s, concerned that the expansion of the Welfare State was jeopardising the voluntary welfare movement and Friendly Societies. The committee’s report was unanimously endorsed by the Liberal Assembly in 1948. Arthur and Marjorie Seldon were very active in the Orpington Liberal Association in the 1950s as it began the local success that culminated in Eric Lubbock’s famous by-election victory in 1962. Both of them served as president. Marjorie organised local anti-Eden demonstrations over Suez in 1956. They had three sons, Michael, Peter and Anthony, Anthony becoming the well-known political writer and biographer of John Major and Tony Blair. For some ten years after the war, Seldon worked in industry as editor of a retailing magazine, Store, from 1946 to 1949, and then as an economic adviser in the brewing industry in an office headed by Lord Tedder, former Air Chief Marshall of the RAF, where his connections with the Liberal Party, still associated with Methodism, the non-conformist conscience and temperance, aroused some unease. The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), founded in 1955, was the brainchild of Antony Fisher and future Nobel laureate F. A. Hayek. Fisher, like its first Director, Ralph Harris, was a Conservative – the two first met at a Conservative Party meeting – though the IEA was always non-partisan, such that when Harris was raised to the peerage by the newly elected Margaret Thatcher in June 1979 he sat as a crossbencher in the Lords. However Liberals played a major part in its early days. Oliver Smedley, a free-market zealot, a vice-president of the Liberal Party and its most vocal free-trade campaigner at assemblies in the 1950s, whom Fisher knew through the Society of Individualists, played an important role in the early formation of the IEA, providing the organisation’s first offices at his business premises (and campaigning headquarters) at 24 Austin Friars in the City of London. Other Liberals, Lord Grantchester (Sir Alfred Suenson-Taylor) and Sir Oscar Hobson were on its Advisory Board, while academics associated with the Liberal Party such as Alan Peacock and Jack Wiseman were to become active in the IEA. The IEA’s first pamphlet published in 1955, on the Free Convertability of Sterling, was written by another Liberal, George Winder. In 1956 Arnold Plant recommended Seldon to Lord Grantchester who was trying to give the newly formed IEA ‘a liberal intellectual thrust’. Seldon was appointed Editorial Director of the IEA in 1957, a function he held until his retirement in 1981 and then again between 1986 and his second and final retirement in 1988. From 1959 he was also Executive Director of the IEA. Seldon’s direct involvement with the Liberal Party seems to have wound down from 1957 as the IEA, seen by some potential sponsors as a Liberal ‘front’, worked to establish its non-party credentials. Nevertheless he continued to sympathise with and vote for the Liberals for another two decades. He took part as ‘an independent economist’ in a fierce debate on health and education vouchers in the party in 1966–67, speaking at a ‘Liberalism is about Liberty’ fringe meeting at the Liberal Assembly in 1966 on ‘The Welfare State and the Economy in the 1970s’. He also wrote articles in support of vouchers in the Liberal magazine New Outlook at this time. Other proponents of vouchers or a more pluralist approach to welfare included Professors Alan Peacock and Michael Fogarty, and John Pardoe MP. The prominence in the IEA of the Liberal founders diminished in the late 1950s. Fisher and Harris found Smedley’s outspokenness a handicap in securing business funding, and with Grantchester he was gradually pushed out, although Smedley remained one of the seven ‘subscribers’ when the IEA became incorporated in 1963. Graham Hutton an ex-Fabian economist and journalist linked to the Liberals was brought in as a replacement. Smedley, Grantchester and S. W. Alexander increasingly focused their efforts on the Free Trade Union (FTU), which they took control of following a funding crisis in 1959 (and renamed it the Free Trade League). The FTU had strong connections with the Liberal Party into the 1940s and 1950s (Sinclair and Samuel were vice-presidents). It also provided a link between post-war economic liberals like Seldon, who sat on the FTU executive from 1946, and the pre-war Liberal free marketeers such as F. W. Hirst, Sir George Paish and Vivian Phillipps. Seldon, sometimes with Marjorie, was a contributor to the FTU journal The Free Trader. After the Smedley-ite takeover in 1959, its Liberal stalwarts Sir Andrew McFadyean and Deryck Abel withdrew. Smedley, Alexander and Grantchester carried on, with a rump of like-minded, mostly Liberal, free traders and anti-common-marketeers into the 1970s. Seldon was dropped from the executive in 1959, suggesting that his sympathies did not lie with the Smedley group. In contrast to the Smedley-ites hostility to the Common Market, Seldon seems to have taken a pragmatic approach to Europe, though he was critical of the level of subsidies under the Common Agricultural Policy and the operation of monetary union. There is surprisingly little about Europe in his writings. The Conservative party had little appeal for Seldon until the era of Margaret Thatcher. He wrote that ‘in my lifetime the Tories have enlarged state authority by fits of absent-mindedness, and my political sympathies have been Liberal, but I prefer to think of myself as a conservative radical: conservative about preserving the principles of a good society but radical about reforming the institutions required to preserve them in a world of change.’ He did not regard the Tories as a free-market party: ‘the Conservatives in general have had an indifferent record. In the 1930s they sponsored producer protection when they abandoned free trade in 1932, introduced transport licensing, agricultural marketing boards and other ‘anti-capitalist’ restrictionist policies.’ His final break with the Liberals seems to have occurred in the 1970s though Seldon is somewhat unclear exactly when. He later recalled that he ‘retained private hopes of a Liberal revival under Jo Grimond but abandoned it when he was followed in 1967 by David Steel, a party manager with little interest in policy and, it seemed, almost no understanding of economic liberalism indicated by a remark in a Marxism Today interview about my outdated laissez-faire’. However Jeremy Thorpe not Steel succeeded Grimond in 1967, and Steel did not become leader until 1976 and the Marxism Today interview did not appear until 1986. Whenever Seldon finally broke with the Liberals, he continued to claim some of their leading figures for his ideas. When he dedicated his collected writings, to the ‘politicians who rolled back the State’, he included, alongside Thatcher, Joseph, Tebbit, Powell and other Tories, the Liberals Elliott Dodds, Jo Grimond and John Pardoe. Arthur Seldon’s liberal thought Arthur Seldon’s political philosophy was founded upon the consistent application of the principles of economic liberalism to economic, social and political problems. Seldon’s training in classical economics at the LSE instilled in him the belief that it was only a market economy that could efficiently and fairly ration scarce resources, ensure that the benefits of economic action exceeded the costs, including the opportunity costs, and co-ordinate the actions of the many individuals and firms who constituted an advanced economy. In Seldon’s view a market economy was able to perform this function because it utilised the knowledge communicated by prices generated in the marketplace. The price mechanism worked spontaneously without the need for a single co-ordinating body. The failure of socialism relative to capitalism could be explained by the economic chaos caused by the attempt to abolish markets and prices: ‘The use of the free-market pricing system explains the relative success of capitalism and the failure of socialism.’ The pricing system was the invisible hand of the market that led self-interested individuals to undertake actions that benefited others even if such altruistic outcomes were no part of their original intention. He held that not only was a market economy superior in terms of efficiency, it was also morally superior to alternative economic models because it achieved economic co-ordination without the need for an over-arching political authority that directed particular individuals to undertake certain tasks or use resources in particular ways. Seldon’s principal contribution, in his role as commissioning editor of more than 350 IEA monographs and author of twenty-eight book and monographs and 230 articles, was to apply these principles as a critique of all forms of government intervention, ranging from Marxist-Leninist state socialism to the post-war social democratic consensus, and from the provision of public goods by local authorities to national land-use planning controls. Seldon wrote: Micro-economic analysis of the prices and costs of individual goods or services and their adjustment at the margin by individual suppliers and demanders can be no less enlightening in the public than in the private sector of the economy. While accepting that markets were not perfect, Seldon sought to show that markets were almost always a more effective means of providing goods and services than via government dictat, and, moreover, such outcomes could be achieved without the need for restrictions on individual liberty that so often accompanied attempts to achieve similar outcomes by central direction. For Seldon there did not exist a category of public goods and a category of private goods to which different principles should be applied, rather there existed a whole range of goods and services that people wanted, but because resources were finite, some mechanism was needed to ensure the production of those goods for which demand was greatest at a cost that did not exceed the benefits. In Charge, Seldon set out his thesis that many public services would be delivered more efficiently and used more sparingly if users were required to pay for them at the point of delivery just as they did in the private sector. Seldon’s application of micro-economic principles to the public sector led him to develop a critique of the pathologies of democratic government that anticipated the emergence of public-choice theory. In 1960, two years before the publication of Buchanan and Tullock’s landmark work The Calculus of Consent, Seldon wrote: Representative government … at its worst … impoverishes and enfeebles the community by capitulation to articulate and persistent sections at the expense of the long-term general interest. Much so-called ‘economic policy’ can be understood only in terms of pressure from organised producers – in trade associations, trade unions or other groups. For Seldon, the tyranny of the majority that had so concerned classical liberals such as John Stuart Mill and Alexis de Tocqueville had been realised in the ability of organised minorities to extract special privileges (rents) from government at the expense of the unorganised majority. The political muscle of French and German farmers, British coal miners and American steel producers meant that through a combination of subsidy and protection these groups were allocated privileges that far exceeded the market value of their economic contribution. The result of the ability of such groups to capture the political process for their own advantage was not only the unfair transfer of resources via political means (rent-seeking), but distortions of the price system that impoverished society as a whole because it led producers to misallocate capital in response to distorted price signals. One of Seldon’s most original contributions was his application of the principles of public-choice theory to analyse of the role of producer interests in education in the defeat of the Thatcher Government’s attempt to introduce education vouchers, a subject close to his heart. In The Riddle of the Voucher, Seldon argued that the combined power of teacher unions and civil servants in the Department of Education had prevented the implementation of a policy that was supported by ministers and many politicians, academics and parents. Arthur Seldon and Liberal Party politics One of the most intriguing questions of British political history is why the economic counter-revolution led by Seldon and the IEA had its greatest impact on the Conservative Party rather than on the Liberal Party. Economic liberalism had long been a cornerstone of the Liberal Party; the party had been formed from the coalition of Whigs, Radicals and Peelites united by Peel’s repeal of the Corn Laws, and the raison d’être of many of those who had kept the party alive from the 1920s to the 1950s was to preserve the spirit and natural home of free trade. Indeed, there seems good reason to believe that in the mid-1950s the great majority of economic liberals were to be found in the Liberal rather than Conservative Party. The story of the adoption of economic liberalism by the Conservative Party is the story of how the economic liberals came into the ascendancy in that party as they were simultaneously marginalised in the Liberal Party. While at certain elections, notably 1929 and 1945, the appeal of the Liberal Party had inclined to the centre-left, up until the 1960s the Liberal Party was still the party of economic liberalism, the open economy and free markets. It was under the leadership of Jo Grimond after 1957 that the party shifted to the centre-left, despite the fact that Grimond himself had strong economic liberal sympathies and for much of his early career was an outspoken critic of the post-war consensus from the economic right; Grimond’s political strategy of replacing Labour as the principal anti-Conservative force in British politics led him to emphasis the more ‘progressive’ aspects of party policy. This, combined with Community Politics and growing local-government strength, attracted a new generation of party supporter and activist with little sympathy for the economic liberal traditions of the party. Grimond was succeeded by Jeremy Thorpe who had long been an opponent of the economic liberal wing of the party, but probably the crucial break with economic liberalism came with the election of David Steel as party leader in 1976. Steel, who described himself as a Keynesian Liberal, was intent on positioning the Liberal Party as the centre-left alternative to the extremes of left and right deemed to be presented by the Labour and Conservative parties. As the Liberal Party went into alliance with the SDP in 1981 and reacted against economic liberalism à la Thatcher, with its apparent rejection of much of the Liberal/Keynes/Beveridge welfare heritage, any prospects of an economic liberal revival within the party quickly evaporated. The conversion of the Conservative Party to economic liberalism can be dated to the 1975 election of Margaret Thatcher to the party leadership. Thatcher was the leader of a relatively small faction within the Conservative Party which had long advocated the adoption of monetarist policies and greater individual freedom in the economic sphere as the solution to Britain’s relative economic decline. On election to the party leadership she set out her belief in ‘a free society with power well distributed amongst the citizens and not concentrated in the hands of the state. And the power supported by a wide distribution of private property amongst citizens and subjects and not in the hands of the state’. It should be noted that while economic liberalism was extremely influential within the Conservative Party during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, it never achieved the level of orthodoxy that is sometimes portrayed. The early Thatcher cabinets contained a number of ‘wets’ in senior posts, while Michael Heseltine’s famous declaration as President of the Board of Trade at the 1992 Conservative conference that he would intervene in the economy ‘before breakfast, before lunch, before dinner and before tea’ was indicative of the hostility to economic liberalism that endured amongst large swathes of the Conservative Party. Conclusion While today the economic liberalism espoused by Arthur Seldon and the IEA is most closely associated with Thatcherism and the Conservative Party, many of the economic liberal policies pursued by the Thatcher and Major governments would have been recognised as within the mainstream of liberalism by previous generations of Liberals and by members of continental European Liberal parties. It is open to question what would have happened to the Liberal Party and to UK public policy had the economic liberal counter-revolution occurred within Liberal rather than Conservative ranks. Certainly, it may have been possible that economic liberalism could have been combined with social liberalism to form the basis of a truly libertarian movement, rather than with the social conservatism of the Tory Party. What is clear is that the long-standing practical and intellectual links between Arthur Seldon and the IEA and the Liberal Party are indisputable. Jaime Reynolds is guest-editor of this Special Issue.
Library search Your search filters - Protests Brazil: Campaigner against property project silenced by court 26 Apr 2013 ARTICLE 19 has lent its support to the case of Ricardo… Venezuela: Critical situation for free speech post-election 24 Apr 2013 ARTICLE 19 urges the newly elected Venezuelan government… Azerbaijan at the UPR: Time to cease politically motivated arrests and the imprisonment of opposition activists and journalists 12 Apr 2013 Since its last UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR),… Bangladesh: Action needed now to stop gender-based violence against journalists 10 Apr 2013 ARTICLE 19 calls on the government to condemn violence… Egypt: Law Relating to the Regulation of the Right to Demonstrate in Public Spaces 25 Feb 2013 In this analysis, ARTICLE 19 finds that the Draft Law… Vietnam: Jailing of thirteen pro-democracy activists is an abuse of fundamental rights 09 Jan 2013 ARTICLE 19 condemns the jailing of thirteen pro-democracy… UK: Court battle over the 24 7 six-year peace protest forced to end after a blanket ban on tents outside Parliament 17 Dec 2012 An activist who has staged round the clock peace protests… Kazakhstan: Ongoing crackdown on criticism and the muzzling of independent media 17 Dec 2012 ARTICLE 19 is deeply concerned about the ongoing crackdown… Kazakhstan: Banning and suspension of media outlets is politically motivated censorship 12 Dec 2012 ARTICLE 19 is concerned by the Court decision on 4… Southeast Asia: Obama must speak for those who are silenced on his visit 17 Nov 2012 President Obama must use his historic trip to Southeast… Azerbaijan: Demand for the immediate release of jailed protesters 27 Oct 2012 A week on from a peaceful protest against government… Russia: Appeals court upholds Pussy Riot jail term and fails to protect political dissent 10 Oct 2012 An appeals court in Moscow has upheld the two-year… Myanmar: Law on assembly and procession inconsistent with human rights 20 Sep 2012 The Decree on the Right to Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful… Tunisia: Indefinite ban placed on protests in iconic avenue ends in violence 10 Apr 2012 ARTICLE 19 calls for the lifting of the indefinite… Uganda: Police must be held accountable for brutality against journalists 22 Mar 2012 ARTICLE 19 condemns the recent brutal attacks… Azerbaijan: ARTICLE 19 calls on authorities to ensure safety and security of detained activists 20 Mar 2012 ARTICLE 19 calls on the Azerbaijani authority to immediately… Women of Courage 09 Mar 2012 In a period of greater crackdowns on protests and free… Bahrain: Forty-eight rights groups call on King to free Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, whose life is at risk in prison 07 Mar 2012 7 March 2012 – ARTICLE 19 joins 47 IFEX members… Russia: International spotlight on tomorrow’s protests 03 Feb 2012 ARTICLE 19 calls on the Russian authorities to respect,… UK: Blanket ban on marches in six London boroughs violates freedom of speech 02 Sep 2011 ARTICLE 19 is concerned about the blanket 30 days ban… Iraq: Draft Law on Expression, Assembly, and Protest 14 Jul 2011 The Iraqi Draft Law on Freedom of Expression, Assembly,… Malaysia: Crackdown on Electoral Reform Protestors 09 Jul 2011 Kuala Lumpur 09.07.11: Malaysian police arrested more… Fifty Fatullayevs outside London Embassy demand release of jailed Azerbaijani journalist 19 Apr 2011 London 19.04.11: Protesters wearing masks bearing the… States Should Support Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council on Libya, Hold International Investigation 22 Feb 2011 London, 22.02.11: ARTICLE 19 urges the international… Extraordinary Historical Moment and Opportunity for Egypt 11 Feb 2011 London, 11.02.2011: As Hosni Mubarak’s resignation… Organisations Worldwide Call on Egypt to Respect and Protect Freedom of Expression and the Right to Information 04 Feb 2011 Civil society organisations from around the world are… International Community Must Ensure Rights of Egyptians are Upheld 01 Feb 2011 See the full text at: Belarus: Government Cracks Down On Dissent 22 Dec 2010 London 22.12.10: ARTICLE 19 condemns the Belarusian… Iran: New Crackdowns on Speech 14 Dec 2010 Index on Censorship and ARTICLE 19 condemn the intimidation,… Russia: Crackdown on Right to Assembly is Unconstitutional 29 Oct 2010 Moscow 29.10.10: Ahead of the upcoming 31 October protests,… Demonstration to Call for Release of Eynulla Fatullayev 24 May 2010 See the full text at: Azerbaijan: Authorities Clamp Down on Protesters in First Election-Related Demonstration 15 Apr 2010 Yesterday, up to 47 members of the opposition Musavat… Nepal: Government Putting Journalists at Risk 12 Oct 2009 ARTICLE 19, the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ)… Belarus: Violation of Freedom of Assembly 19 Feb 2009 Letter condemning the use of force and violence against… Bahrain: Calls to Enforce Article 134 of Penal Code Prompts Fears of Crackdown on Freedom of Expression 07 Nov 2008 Press release regarding the recent statement by the… Nepal: Protesting Tibetan Refugees Threatened with Expulsion 19 Sep 2008 Press release on the new government in Kathmandu implementing… Nepal: Tibet Protesters Released 10 Jul 2008 Press release welcoming the Supreme Court’s decision… Brazil: Marijuana March Prohibited, Demonstrators Detained 15 May 2008 Press release condemning a series of judicial decisions… Nepal: China's Pressure against Free Expression Condemned 08 Apr 2008 Press release condemning the steps taken by China to… Tibet: Dialogue and Respect for Free Expression, the Legitimate Response 25 Mar 2008 Press release condemning the Chinese authorities’… Brazil: Cameraman Detained During Land Protest 07 Mar 2008 Press release condemning the abuses committed by military… Estonia: Court Urged to Throw out Incitement to Rioting Case 28 Jan 2008 Press release urging an Estonian court to uphold the… Georgia: Demonstrations and Media Reporting Repressed 08 Nov 2007 Press release expressing concern about the suppression… Burma: UN Urged to Act as Protestors Attacked 26 Sep 2007 Press release urging the United Nations to take immediate… Burma: One Hundred Thousand March for Freedom 24 Sep 2007 Press release calling for international solidarity… Burma: Ongoing Protests Signal a Time to Unite 04 Sep 2007 Press release urging the international community to… Nepal: Call for End to Attacks on the Press 19 Aug 2007 Statement of the International Press Freedom and Freedom… Sub-Saharan Africa: Freedom of Association and Assembly 15 Mar 2001 Report on freedom expression and freedom of association… HRC: Kivenmaa v. Finland 31 Mar 1994 The author was fined for having held a public meeting…
The Mayan Calendar The famous Mayan calendar, used by pre-Columbian civilization, is a set of distinct calendars and codes, also used by other communities evolved inhabitants of Guatemala. The calendar is extremely complex and has its own timings and connections, and from combinations referring to the elements, cycles can arise. The reasoning used for the basis of the calendar were made from systems used in the region, since the sixth century BC The formations are not uncommon in it because they had been on various calendars used by past civilizations like the Olmecs, Aztecs, and Oszapotecas Dosmixtecas. Even the timing was not invented by the Mayan people, the greatest innovations and enhancements have been created for them. Along with the Aztecs, the Maya civilization holds more elaborate calendars of existing and documented. There are several strands to the Mayan calendar, however, is the most important one with intervals based on 260 days and it is possibly the oldest of humanity. The Mayans had a different way to use the calendar, since they kept records of long periods of time and inscribed on the date of occurrence, all important events, to confront those that could occur. This use took the name of the Long Count, based on the days passed from one point to another. Some situations involved were seen by the Long Count, taking account of astrology, as bleak and dangerous because of this, the battles always began in the periods that coincided with these cycles. Everything depended on the interpretation that civilization could periods. For reasons still unexplained, some scholars or curious about it, the Internet spread the idea that the Mayans predicted the end of the world for the year 2012, when in fact what has been described is that this year is a closed cycle, were fulfilled as stipulated by day calendar calculations. Embarking on a wave of doom, many films were released and books were sold, the money for the Hollywood film industry, including one that featured the most unusual and frightening situations for doomsday, which would be December 21, 2012. A lot of speculation on the subject will still be around our heads, since according to the predictions can still be solar storms, giant meteor, natural disasters and many other disasters. However, there is no reason for panic, since nothing has been confirmed by serious scientists or scholars, and even those who are dedicated to the subject are not in consensus on the fact and some say that the errors are written to decipher the grotesque, reaching differences 50 to 100 years, since the Mayan calendar was translated into Latin, creating problems of interpretation.
Hijabs and Hats Melanie Russett Chiffon Oblong Wrap Hijab with Striped Edging Your Price: $15.00 Sale Price: $9.50 Ariana Russett Chiffon Oblong Wrap Hijab Your Price: $15.00 Sale Price: $9.50 Alisha Purple Chiffon Oblong Wrap Hijab with Striped Edging Your Price: $15.00 Sale Price: $9.50 What is Hijab, what are Hijabs and what is Hijab Fashion? Hijab is a broad concept that refers to the idea of modesty in Islam. The term hijab in Arabic means a ‘screen’ or ‘partition’ but in everyday use, the word hijab has come to mean anything from the general idea of modesty as it pertains to Muslim women, to the actual headscarf that is worn by observing Muslim women as an emblem of their faith. A Muslim woman who dresses modestly and covers her hair is said to “observe hijab” or “practice hijab” and also referred to as a “mohajaba” or “hijabi”. Hijabs (plural) always refers to the the Muslim headscarf . Muslim hijabs have over the centuries evolved and changed depending on many ethnic, cultural, geographic and socioeconomic factors such as who is the person wearing the hijab, where in the world the hijab is worn etc. The practice of wearing the Islamic hijab by a large number of Muslim women has resulted in the evolution of many different hijab styles with an established and thriving industry now devoted to hijab fashion. There are many popular hijab styles in the Islamic hijab world. Let’s start with the most tailored and most convenient option (but not necessarily the most fashionable), called the Al Amira hijab. This type of Muslim hijab is sewn and pulled on over the head, is commonly made of a stretch material and can be a one piece or 2 piece Al Amira hijab. 2 piece al Amira hijabs consist of a separate underscarf that covers the hairline and keeps any hair from showing and a top piece called a buknuk that covers the head shoulders and chest. The 1 pc Al Amira is similar but the underscarf and buknuk are sewn together into one hijab that you pull over your head. Since it stays in place without pins, the al Amira is suitable for the hijabi who wants a no-fuss full coverage option, and also for students and women who are physically active and play sports. The simplest muslim hijab option is the oblong scarf called the Shayla hijab. This is basically a simple rectangle hijab that is generously sized so the wearer (called the hijabi) can wrap it around her head in any way she wishes. Shayla hijabs probably require the most creativity but also can look the most fashionable, because there are just so many different ways you can wrap your Shayla hijabs. Shayla hijabs also give the hijabi the opportunity to accessorize her hijab with pretty hijab pins and even hijab flowers, for a pretty, feminine, more dressed up look. For hijabis who prefer the look of the Shayla hijabs but like a hijab that offers full coverage and don’t want to spend as much time styling their hijabs, there is the in- between option, the Mona hijab. This has a tailored under cap with an attached oblong Shayla hijab. Just slip the cap on for hair coverage, and then drape your attached Shayla, and voila, you’re ready. Like square hijabs? Then check out Turkish square hijab styles. Also more fashionable, Turkish square hijab styles are often worn with the hair formed into a high bun or pony, and with the hijab peaked at the forehead and a headband underneath to cover the hairline. This gives the hijabi a more couture look with added height and looks graceful especially with professional and career wear. For a variety of muslim hijabs and hijabs online, explore the unique range of hijab fashion at Artizara. We have a handpicked selection of beautifully fashionable shaylas and square hijabs in a variety of colors and fabrics. Whether you like solids or stripes, textures or interesting weaves, we have you covered in so many creative ways. Want a complete outfit, and not the fashionista type who mix-n-matches hijab styles? Here’s the best part, we’re the only company that carries hijabs online that are dyed to match our wide selection of Islamic clothing for women! Take the guesswork out of hijabs and hijab fashion. With so many hijab styles to choose from, you need look no further than hijabs online from Artizara!
Tracy Girdler has been painting for as long as she can remember. Art is in her bloodline. Her great-great grandfather actually started Crayola as a way to help kids draw in color! Lucky to have both of her grandmother's in her life, and lucky that they were both accomplished artists, she grew up thinking of painting as just another normal activity. Due to the fact that her father was a diplomat, she also got to experience living in different parts of the world. Her suitcase full of rich memories, which she could emotionally pull from in her art, grew fatter by the year. She'd like her paintings to speak for themselves, but understands, like all us artists do; that what's in our brain doesn't always translate perfectly onto canvas. Her paintings are the result of what she sees and feels. They aren't "pretty pictures." With each drop of paint that touches a canvas a drop of hope, of love, of life, extends from her brain to her hand. This of course means that paintings don't always turn out the way she originally envisioned. We've all been there as artists. The canvas layers grow thick; you begin to wonder if you're trying to be Jackson Pollock; trying to be a hack; thinking that Jackson Pollock himself was a hack. Then, all of a sudden, the painting feels complete and your heart can beat again. That's how Tracy feels when she's creating art. What she pours onto a canvas isn't just paint. It's a collection of everything she's ever experienced emotionally. It's her lifeblood. She knows though, that you the viewer are the final judge. Take a look at her work! Try to find your own meaning within them. If you succeed at that, then she's succeeded as an artist. Foxcroft School AP Art Program Corcoran College of Art + Design Video 80, Rome, Italy: Internship Post Production Northeastern University, Bachelor of Arts, College of Arts & Science Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA: Internship On display in The Four Seasons Hotel Lobby, Boston, MA On display in The Ritz Carlton Hotel & Residences Entrance, Boston, MA Sales to & Commissioned for Private Collections & Commercial Spaces: US, Europe, South America 2010 Group Show Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA November 2010 2011 Art Hop, Burlington, VT September 2011 2011 Holiday Art Hop, Burlington, VT December 2011 ARTslant Showcase Award Winner May 2012 NYC Times Square finalist in Art Takes Times Square competition; Art displayed on Times Square Billboards June 2012 ESSIE Award Finalist July 2012 Named top 100 artists of the SELF 2012 Artists Wanted International Contest July 2012 Gallore Gallery ESSIE Award Exhibit August 2012 Work Selected for Artists Wanted Art Book Publication August 2012 Colorida Gallery, Lisboa, Portugal Exhibit September 2012 Solo Exhibit Galleria Monogramma, Roma, Italia November 2012 Exhibit Hofficina d'Arte Art Gallery, Roma, Italia December 2012- currently Solo Show, Liberty Hotel, Boston, MA January 2013 Art New England Magazine Office: On Display, January 2013 On Display at Park Plaza Hotel, Boston, MA February 2013 Solo Show, Gallery 601, Boston, MA March 2013 Neiman Marcus, Boston: On Display, November 2012- April 2013
Hey dude. So, how was the flight? Where are you staying? The flight, in total, was about thirteen hours, which was a kind of hell: I have to say, however, that I obviously have a less refined palette than a standup comedian, as I rather enjoyed the airline food. Perhaps that's a perk of flying with Lufthansa (who are not paying me to say this). They were showing Rock Of Ages on the plane; if I had to write a recommendation for the promotional poster of Rock Of Ages, I would like it to say "watch it kind of drunk on a plane!" - Philippa Snow, as I imagine these to be the best circumstances for it. I am currently staying in the Art Deco district, which has this swampy-aired Lynchian beauty to it, a little like people who like that sort of thing would imagine a new Lana Del Ray video to look. The Christmas decorations everywhere feel a little out-of-place. Do you have a minibar? No. Furthermore, the opening last night had a cash bar. Not cool, art. Not cool. Is it hot over there, because I seem to recall you not enjoying the warmer climes so much... ? And you usually dress in black and/or fur… in fact, what on earth are you wearing? It's balmy - vaguely tropic, but in the vein of being gently caressed by the heat rather than outright assaulted by it. I don't know if that makes sense, it's 8am here. I'm wearing, currently, sheer black stockings, black short shorts, a sheer 70s polkadot shirt (black, durr) and a big black straw hat. Everything I have is black. I walked through the park to get to the convention centre and some b-ball kids asked me if I was a ghost. Lol. What have you seen so far?. Lawrence Weiner, CAKE AS PIE PENDING RESOLVE, 2012; Courtesy Marian Goodman Gallery, N. Let's say you buy an individual coke bottle in America; it has more coke in it than a person needs at any one time. The difference is the difference between those bottles. I need more sleep here than I did at Frieze, perhaps. Basically it’s more American then. Favourite art so far? Sadie Coles Gallery has some great work on display. Some smaller Berlin galleries with some great fanzine-y stuff as well. I absolutely fell in love with some large collage sort of things by Leigh Ledare, done with NYT headlines. A lot less creepy than the overt mummy stuff. Leigh Ledare, An Invitation: Friday, July 22, 2011, 2012, Photolithograph, 144.8 x 76.2 cm; Courtesy Pilar Corrias, London. Most pretentious thing you've heard so far? I saw a woman give away her passes because she felt that the class of buyer-slash-attendee was too low. She must have seen you going in. Most clueless person you've talked to so far? None yet, but for some reason nobody can understand my accent, which I find absolutely baffling. Can not fathom why. Ok, I can’t resist… most horrible outfit of last night? A girl turned up in a see through dress with big black pants underneath. "Don't look at the art, look at meeee!" Dalston in Miami. You're there all week, aren't you? Ha, makes you really sound like a standup. Actually that’s a brainwave. You doing standup. About art. Hmm. Anyhow, what's the plan for the coming days? There are a couple of things going on tonight - a Richard Prince party (launching, bizarrely, a drink), a Fendi/Andy Warhol thing. After that it's a lot of salon talks, gallery mooching and, I hope, consignment shopping. Bateman-style business card swapping. Mexican food. I'm so jealous, tell me something to make me feel better. The plane was screening Rock Of Ages. I said that already, but it bears repeating. --Philippa Snow, Charlotte Jansen (Image at top: Philippa Snow riding into Miami, visual approximation.)
. Getting lost in Worlds is easy. The embraceable beer gut, for example, is part of a series calledThe Swimming Cities of Serenissima. It tells the story of a two-month journey taken by 30 New York artists on three homemade rafts built from salvaged materials. The group traveled from Slovenia to Venice, Italy, on the Adriatic Sea, stopping to give circus performances along the way. In another corner of the gallery sits “The Golden Gate 1”―an egg-shaped, wooden mobile home. There’s a surfboard mounted to the roof, while the inside packs a bed, storage, a kitchen stove, a sink and a toilet. Through the cockpit window, you can see a small steering wheel with an iPod Touch embedded in its center. Designer Jay Nelson's original concept sketches ride tandem to the sculpture/vehicle. “The Golden Gate 1” has a 10-mile traveling range, with a top speed of 20 miles an hour―yet the surprisingly compact craft hovers on wheels barely bigger than a bicycle's. Then there’s 1013 First Street, a house built in 1903, then purchased and renovated by Albuquerque artist Justin Bagley in 2002. Bagley completely repaired the run-down house with salvaged materials and has lived there since―without gas or hot water. An old TV in the gallery plays a video of his handiwork in progress, and a photo album gives glimpses of inside of the house, decorated beautifully with handmade floors and antique furnishings. On the wall beside the album are hundreds of scraps of paper with sketches, measurements and scribbled notes. The salvage theme carries into Jed Lind’s Small is Beautifulseries. He photographed houses from the Shetland Islands, off the northernmost coast of Scotland, where harsh weather and a lack of building materials means that many houses have old boat keels for roofs. Across the Great Divideoccupies the upstairs gallery and spans 1969 to 1977, during which time Roberta Price took more than 3,000 photos. Most are of relaxed, happy-looking hippies in the Southwest. In one, a hatchet-bearing man wearing nothing but white socks and boots is on his way to chop wood. Another bears the caption “Smokes thoughtfully while contemplating a Tarot reading.” There’s also a shot of “Further,” the bus that transported author Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters across the country, outside of Santa Fe in 1969. Echoing the Shetland houses a floor below, the Drop City Commune dome complex, outside of Trinidad, Colo., was built using hoods scavenged from old cars at a junkyard. There’s also a shot of “Further,” the bus that transported author Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters across the country, outside of Santa Fe in 1969. In sharp contrast to these halcyon scenes are Price’s photographs of the October 1969 antiwar march on Washington. In one image, smiling protesters gather for the march. In another, a police officer leans against a cement wall next to a peace sign drawn in chalk. There's tension in the diptych, a brewing storm of idealism and force that would ultimately end in tear gas. The photos in Across the Great Divide look more like family snapshots than an art gallery exhibition, which suits the subject matter well. Worlds Outside This One, however, is what will keep you at the gallery longest, as each structure, photo and piece of ephemera invites a more personal sort of interaction. The two 516 exhibits blend worlds both known and unfamiliar, and both are worth exploring.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Making effective communication, a human right, accessible and achievable for all. Featured Partner Become a Partner Audiologists require the knowledge, desire, and discipline to identify potential ethical violations. Professional organizations and credentialing bodies in audiology typically require a commitment to follow their professional code(s) as a requirement for maintaining membership or a credential (Shinn, 2004). Some practitioners know about the ASHA Code of Ethics while others are familiar with their state board of examiners' code of conduct or ethics; it is important for all practitioners to be well versed with both sources of professional obligations. Gaining and maintaining that knowledge takes a desire to learn and the discipline to follow through on ethical queries. Because ethics is so important in health care, most hospitals and health care organizations have created and published their own codes of ethics for their staff—another source of standards that practitioners cannot overlook (Kummer & Turner, 2011). Thus, most audiologists are subject simultaneously to multiple standards of professional conduct; standards that can and do overlap. Not surprisingly, professional ethics standards also tend to change over time. For instance, the Code of Ethics of ASHA was first issued in 1930, and it has been amended several times since then. Uniformity among state board of examiners' codes of conduct and ASHA's Code of Ethics could ease practitioners' burden in becoming familiar with and staying abreast of multiple, overlapping professional obligations. Unfortunately, though increased uniformity is desirable, it is not the reality. The dissimilarity among state codes is significant, even though most states with licensure laws have professional conduct standards based on ASHA's Code of Ethics. While some states initially adopted ASHA's Code of Ethics in whole or in large part, many deviated over time. That occurred presumably because of political or practical realities or failure to update state codes when ASHA updated its code. The end result for most practitioners is the challenging task of learning and applying multiple, sometimes inconsistent ethics rules, codes, and standards. A survey of four randomly selected state boards of examiners' codes demonstrates the variation among the professional codes and conduct rules of state licensing boards that apply to speech-language pathologists and audiologists. In this article, I will compare and contrast the state conduct rules and codes in Delaware, Ohio, Maryland, and Mississippi and reference the current ASHA Code of Ethics (2010). For the purposes of illustration, I will examine four common areas of ethical discourse in each code of ethics or conduct rules— This article is only a brief snapshot of some provisions in these selected codes; it is not a substitute for reading the entire code for each state where one is licensed, in addition to reading the ASHA Code of Ethics. ASHA Code of Ethics Principle IV Rule J: "Individuals shall not provide professional services without exercising independent professional judgment, regardless of referral source or prescription." So, no matter what the audiologist's circumstances, it is incumbent on the practitioner to determine when to accept limitations on professional responsibility. Unlike ASHA and three states above, Delaware does not currently address this specific topic in its code of ethics. No obvious conclusions can be drawn, however, by the absence of this provision but it is puzzling. Maryland's provision is most similar to ASHA's, but is less restrictive: The language uses "may" instead of the more legally compelling "shall." Because of the varied and significant ethical dilemmas presented by prescription, the ASHA Board of Ethics (BOE) wrote an Issues in Ethics Statement about Prescription (2010) to provide additional analysis and focus. This ASHA BOE resource is instructive for all practitioners regardless of whether their state boards specifically address prescription. This provision is quite similar among all five sources. The more inclusive and arguably better drafted versions include broader language, such as "directly or by implication" or "expressed or implied, oral or written." Maryland's provision is most similar to ASHA's but appears to allow more discretion (i.e., uses "may" as opposed to "shall"). ASHA Code of Ethics Principle I: "Individuals shall honor their responsibility to hold paramount the welfare of persons they serve professionally or who are participants in research and scholarly activities, and they shall treat animals involved in research in a humane manner." This provision is quite similar among all five sources, with ASHA's being the most expansive (e.g., including participants and animals). Some of the other codes address scholarly activities elsewhere. While the first four provisions are very similar, Ohio takes a different tack. Requiring licensees to identify competent, dependable referral sources may well lead to better protection of the public. The authors of Ohio's code appear to believe that the practitioner would be better informed about competent, dependable referral sources than would the individual patient. So, as these examples show, the variations are not necessarily large or predictable and are unlikely to disappear. The challenge for practitioners is felt acutely when members or certificate holders inquire of ASHA for assistance in evaluating a potential or actual ethical dilemma that is associated with differing standards. ASHA's Code of Ethics can be easily located on its website. On the other hand, it is difficult at best to quickly locate online most state boards' codes of ethics or standards of conduct. Web addresses change periodically, and sites can go down, so even bookmarking is not always helpful. In the heat of the moment, the inquiring member or certificate holder can forget the requirement to comply with the mandates of both ASHA and the applicable state board(s) of examiners. If they have not previously appreciated this dual obligation, members or certificate holders may find the situation overwhelming. Fortunately, with a little advance preparation, this situation can easily be overcome. Ideally, before faced with an ethical or a time sensitive issue, the practitioner can take the time to locate all of the codes of ethics and standards of conduct that apply to his or her professional conduct. If clarification is needed, the practitioner can contact the compliance or ethics officer at his or her place of work and get information on ASHA's Code of Ethics on the website, and locate the state board of examiners conduct rules. There are a number of steps practitioners can take to prepare for ethics challenges. Minimal advance preparation can relieve unnecessary stress and lead to better evaluation of the ethical implications of a factual scenario in professional practice. Heather Bupp, [email protected] Director of Ethics American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2010). Code of ethics. Available from. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2012). Issues in ethics statements. Retrieved from. Chabon, S. S., & Ulrich, S. (2006, February 7). Uses and abuses of the ASHA code of ethics. The ASHA Leader. Del. Reg., 3700 Bd. of Examiners of Speech/Language Pathologists, Audiologists & Hearing Aid Dispensers. (2005). 8 DE Reg. 1106 (2/1/05); 9 DE Reg. 1267 (2/1/06); 24 Del.C. §3715(a). Retrieved March 1, 2012, from. Kummer, A. W., & Turner, J. (2011). Ethics in the practice of speech-language pathology in health care settings. Seminars in Speech and Language, 32, 330–337. Md. Reg. 10.41.02 Code of Ethics [PDF]. (1974). Retrieved March 1, 2012, from [PDF]. Miss. Regs. Governing Licensure of Speech-Language Pathologist and Audiologists. (1975). Miss. Code Ann. §73-38-13. Retrieved March 1, 2012, from [PDF]. Ohio Admin. Code, Bd. of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, Ch. 4753-9 Code of Ethics. (1973). Retrieved March 1, 2012, from. Shinn, R. (2004, March 16). Ethics and audiology. The ASHA Leader. Print This Page Advertisement Advertise With Us
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) Fresh fruits and vegetables are never a problem unless they have bugs (certain vegetables, such as lettuce or broccoli, are commonly infested with insects. These vegetables must be carefully inspected before consumption); or they were grown in Israel (Israeli produce must be tithed and (generally) may not be from a Sabbatical year. Rabbinical certification is necessary to ensure that the tithing and Sabbatical laws were observed). Meat must come from cud-chewing mammals with hooves that are split, and must be slaughtered and processed in a specific, “kosher” way. Poultry are limited to chickens, ducks and certain other non-predatory birds (see How do I know whether a particular bird is kosher or not?), which must be prepared in the same manner as kosher beef. The consumer can know if meat/poultry is kosher by looking for a Kosher certification on the packaging. Kosher seafood must have fins and scales. Grains, beans, and legumes (without additional ingredients) are cool. Wines, beverages and anything liquid are only good if they’ve got a kosher symbol on their label (also see Does 100% juice need Kosher certification?). Kosher today means that a Kosher certification company has inspected the production process from start to finish. They check every vat, oven, conveyor belt, container and piece of packaging machinery to really make sure that nothing non-kosher gets in your food C.. How do I keep kosher? 1. Kosher made simple For kosher food, just look for the kosher labels on the package: circled K or U, Star-K and others. (A plain K1 don't mean much.) They tell you that they’re certified kosher. See What are all those kosher symbols? Mixing meat and milk products in any way, shape or form is not kosher.2 And Kosher is more than what you eat—it’s what you eat it on, and how you make it, too. So it's necessary to have separate dishes, cutlery, utensils and gadgets, and ovens, for meat and dairy items. Most processed foods are kosher today, anyway, as more and more supermarkets are tuning in to the trend and supplying kosher provisions. You can usually find kosher stock without much of a search 3. “What about my favorite foods?” Not to worry. You can almost always find kosher substitutes. And many processed foods are kosher today, anyway. As for meat and poultry, more and more supermarkets are tuning in to the trend and supplying kosher provisions. You can usually find kosher stock without much of a search. And with the magic and convenience of the Web, an ever-growing selection of on-line purveyors will internationally deliver kosher whatever, straight to your door at rock-bottom prices, in the event you don’t find what you want in the aisles. You can even get kosher buffalo! I kid you not:. 4. Eating Out Most cities with a fair sized Jewish community have kosher eateries serving up some of the most fabulous food you’ll ever eat. Visit for a kosher joint near you. (Helps if you don't live in South Dakota.) 5. Eat! Eat! Eat! Want Beef Stroganoff? How about Beef Sukihaki? Ever tried Bruschetta? Or Pasta Olio Aglio? It’s all kosher, and yours for the taking. There are approximately 17 gadzillion kosher cookbooks available, and more coming out daily. Start with the Spice and Spirit Kosher Cookbook, the mother of all kosher tomes, available from Amazon or your local Chabad center. Above all, if you’ve got any questions about kosher matters, get answers: call your local Chabad rabbi posthaste. Footnotes ADD A COMMENT Editor's Comment Mitzvot » Kosher » About Mission Statement \| Add Ask Moses To Your Site \| Press Releases \| Reviews \| Support Ask Moses \| Moses Store AskMoses.com © 2013
- Apartment - 1315497244_fachada.jpgSant Joan CalmArea: EixampleCapacity: 6 Guests Features4 Bedrooms 1 Double bed 4 Single beds 2 Bathrooms 2 comments9.5 Amenities - TV - ADSL - Heating - Washing machine - Dishwasher - Fridge with small freezer - Gas stove - Oven - Microwave - Spanish coffeemaker - Kettle - Juicer - Toaster - Elevator - Balcony - Salón - Shower - Bath - Hair dryer - Entryphone - Iron / Ironing board Description Sant Joan Calm benefits from a lot of natural light because it opens both over the street and the inner courtyard. It is very well situated on the Passeig Sant Joan; from where you can walk to the popular neighbourhood of Gracia. It is also situated at a walking distance from the city centre and its shopping area, Passeig de Gracia, the historical centre as well as the Arc de Triomf. This 93m2 apartment is set on the fifth floor with elevator. It offers a very spacious living and dining room with a semi separated veranda over the inner patio. It disposes of a convenient table, two double sofa beds, a high quality TV and audio equipment. The separated kitchen enjoys however a direct access to the dining room for your commodity. There is a small independent room where the washing machine is stored so that you are not bothered by the noise. Three bedrooms open to the street, one with a small balcony and all of them enjoy a lot of natural light, a view over the beautiful century old trees and large cupboard. One bedroom offers a double bed, while the other two have two individual beds. There is an extra interior room with a double sofa bed. Sant Joan Calm has two bathrooms: one with shower and the other with a bathtub. Due to maintenance works, the elevator will not be working between the 10th of july and the 16th of august of the current year 2013. We will compensate our costumers with a 20% discount. Rates and other Sant Joan Calm apartment rental conditionsMinimum stay: 3 nightsRates (including taxes), from:Price per night:120 €Price per week:798 €Price 1 month:2.250 €Price 2-6 months2.150).Tourist tax (0.72€/person/night) not included - Area - Surrounding of the apartment Sant Joan Calm Supermarket Supermarket Supermarket open daily from 8:00AM to 2:00 Restaurant Restaurant Estel de GràciaFrancisco Giner 23 08012 Tel. 93 368 44 29Mediterranean cooking in a very pleasant ambiance. Bar - Sant Joan Calm
The American Society for Surgery of the Hand works very hard to give our members important member benefits and opportunities, but especially in this time of substantial health care reform, it’s important to join an outreach effort that extends beyond the reach of the Hand Society. The AMA is a rich resource for physicians. In addition to your ASSH membership, joining the AMA is an efficient way to be a part of the decisions that will shape the health care industry. In the message below, Andrew Gurman, MD, ASSH member and AMA Trustee, has shared the incredible accomplishments of the AMA in the past year which have benefited us as hand surgeons.Sincerely,L. Andrew Koman, MDPresident, ASSH AMA: A Helping Hand for PhysiciansAndrew Gurman, M.D.Trustee, American Medical Association As we focus on the day-to-day work of caring for patients, our energy is concentrated on how to best care for our patients, successfully run our practices, and balance our time at work and with families.. As we all know only too well, this year we once again faced the specter of a steep Medicare physician payment cut. Advocacy by AMA and its member physicians turned the tide, and eighteen months of Medicare physician payment cuts were replaced with updates that better reflect growing medical practice costs – this represents a positive swing of $17,000 on average per physician. These past few months, AMA has made headlines because of its work to make health insurance companies pay appropriate fees for out-of-network care. AMA lawsuits against Cigna, Aetna and WellPoint claim that each insurance company conspired with Ingenix, a unit of UnitedHealth Group, on a price fixing scheme to set artificially low reimbursement rates for out-of-network care. A year-long investigation by the New York attorney general confirmed that the Ingenix database is intentionally rigged to allow insurers to shortchange reimbursements. AMA President Dr. Nancy Nielsen stood by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s side during the public announcement. While these are two of the more visible examples of the AMA’s work for physicians, there are many more that fly a bit lower on the radar screen. For example, the AMA worked with the National Council of Insurance Legislators to craft model legislation outlawing silent PPO’s. This is an insurance industry practice that siphoned millions of dollars from physicians in the form of discounted fees that were never agreed to. Recent partnerships with state medical societies have benefited our colleagues in Florida, Arkansas and Pennsylvania. In late 2008, the AMA and the Florida Medical Association successfully fought for the physicians’ right to provide and oversee the medical decisions for patients at Lawnwood Medical Center. The AMA gave significant support to physicians in Arkansas who successfully argued in the courts to overturn economic credentialing by the Baptist Health System. In Pennsylvania, influential testimony by the AMA helped defeat the proposed merger of Highmark and Independence Blue Cross, thus preventing a monopoly. The AMA does so much more in the areas of medical education, credentialing, quality and safety. For example, a brand new online learning center was launched for physicians interested in implementing ePrescribing. The new online learning center includes complete and unbiased information on ePrescribing vendor prices and features and calculators to estimate time savings and determine Medicare ePrescribing incentive payments. The AMA-convened Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement works with the specialty societies and others to develop performance measures, and are considering topics that would apply to hand surgery such as carpal tunnel syndrome. The work of the AMA benefits all physicians, and we are stronger together. The truth is that we can make a real difference when we work together to improve the health care system. This year looks to be the year for health care reform, and the AMA is hard at work to ensure that reforms are meaningful and benefit physicians and patients. In these tough economic times it’s tempting to cut costs and not join as many organizations. But the rapid pace of change in the health care system makes it more important than ever that you add your voice to the debate through membership in the AMA. I invite you to join us, and feel free to contact me at [email protected]. You can also follow news of what the AMA does for you through Twitter at.
I'd been too busy for any metaphysical life, but it was the night of the Full Moon, so I forced myself onto the balcony for a brief ceremony. It was the first time in days I'd sat quietly with myself. I was surprised to discover how peaceful the night was. A veil of blue-white moonlight fell gently over the patio. A faint odor of lemon blossoms played somewhat coyly with my senses. I locked my gaze onto the Moon and breathed in deeply. I felt my barriers dissolve. My etheric body seemed to merge with the night, as though I'd been drawn into an invisible current of Full Moon tide... until... Until I could push it away no longer. Three balconies away, a dog was yapping. Nonstop. It was one of those tiny dogs, the kind with a bark so piercing, it goes straight to the center of your forehead like a small, well-placed hatchet. Possessing the stamina of long distance runners, dogs like this can go on for hours. My mood swung precariously... watching the Moon... trying to ignore the yips and yaps... when my desire for peace suddenly jumped off its end of the teeter totter and I fell headlong into a whine of persecution, "All I wanted was to honor the Moon, my life is so harried, can't I have just these few brief moments in peace... poor me, poor..." And then I got it. The message was as clear as the great round Moon above: Nothing was in my way.. "Part of insights' mystique is their seemingly sudden and random appearance. Why do insights come when they do? We might be stumbling in the dark for days, desperate for illumination, yet nothing comes. According to Eastern traditions, the explanation may lie with the Moon." Likely I saw this once on a bumper sticker. Or read it in one of those daily meditation books. But on this Full Moon it arrived as an insight, meaning I no longer heard the barking dog once I got it. That sound dissolved. Insights have a power that ideas do not. Ideas are cheap, easy to find. They swirl around us like dust devils. Insights, however, are sharp and penetrating. They go to the center of situations, illumine our stuck places, propel us toward new actions and perspectives. Insights pop. They're liberating. And their intensity can nourish us long after the moment they show up. Part of insights' mystique is their seemingly sudden and random appearance. Why do insights come when they do? We might be stumbling in the dark for days, desperate for illumination, yet nothing comes. According to Eastern traditions, the explanation may lie with the Moon. My barking-dog insight appeared on the night of the Full Moon. The Full Moon period itself straddles both day and night - it's not necessary to make reference to the night here. Tibetan lamas and Hindu sages believe that at certain moments in the lunar cycle, especially at New and Full Moons, energetic doorways can open and receiving insights is easier. "Lunar gaps" is, what astrologer Michael Erlewine calls them, "regular opportunities, joints in the nick of time, when insights are somehow more possible than at other times."[1] Lest we start imagining a dramatic tear in the fabric of space/time, where insights rain down like a special effect in some sci fi movie, Erlewine is quick to point out that the gap he describes is actually a gap "in our particular set of obscurations, our own cloudiness."[2] The gap opens in our own (normally muddled) mind. It's the Eastern belief that insights appear at certain Moon times because there's a greater likelihood for mental clarity then. This is why many Eastern religions routinely set these days aside for fasting, meditation, and worship. One of the most auspicious of these lunar times is the Full Moon. Years ago when I got the notion to start honoring the Full Moon, I went searching for a vaguely imagined pagan something-or-other, like dancing naked around a purple lunar maypole. Not surprisingly I never found (even in Southern California!) anywhere this was done. I settled for arranging my crystals in a medicine wheel in my backyard, lighting incense, sage or candles, and circumambulating it all, maybe holding a positive visualization, something lofty like world peace. But over the years my rituals acquired a greater and greater simplicity. I now honor the Full Moon with a quiet sit. I head out after sundown and wait for the Moon to come peeking over the mountains. I sit there watching till the Moon is fully above the mountains. This slows me down nicely. I head back into the house with a calmer mind, but I don't always bring enlightenment back inside. When I need an insight at the Full Moon, however, I do what Erlewine advises: I observe. Writes Erlewine, "The word 'observe' is a lot closer to what happens during these lunar gaps. OBSERVE the nature of the day. OBSERVE your mind at that time. (...) It is while being present - observing these seed times - that the so-called lunar gap can show itself."[3] This is a fine formula for making the most of the Full Moon: Tune into whatever is happening. By devoting quiet attention to the outer and inner worlds, your mind can settle and clear. A gap will open in the chatter of conditioned thinking. An insight pops. You see into your situation with new and greater precision. Just as the Moon is made full with the opposing Sun's light, so you will be illuminated too. Mist. This was a familiar scene in the horror films I grew up on. Of course I never met a real werewolf. But I often heard it said: the Full Moon drives people crazy. Why is it that the Full Moon brings greater clarity to the East, but in the West on Full Moon nights, nurses and cocktail waitresses steel themselves for a wild and challenging time? In the West it's widely reported that murders, arson, and suicides increase at the Full Moon; also, traffic accidents, domestic violence, fights at hockey games and prisons; calls to poison centers and admissions to psychiatric hospitals soar. At least that's what people say, although most scientific research has failed to prove them right. That doesn't deter the believers, who chalk it up to a conspiracy among scientists to deny the obvious, that the Full Moon makes us nuts. There are a few empirical studies that have successfully proven this belief. They're widely quoted. They're also criticized for lacking proper research controls (one covered a period where a high percentage of Full Moons fell on weekends, days that also show a high correlation with the reported behaviors). Bottom line, the Full-Moon-makes-us-crazy statistics can't be replicated. What's more, they often contradict each other, with some studies confirming that Quarter Moons bring the greater tension. Nonetheless, in a study among students at universities in Florida, Canada, and Hawaii, when queried about the Moon, half agreed that people are strange when the Moon is full.[4] Why does the belief in full-Moon crazies persist? Scientists point to the believers. The human mind is irrational and easy to fool, they say. It likes solutions, but rarely wants to work at them. When something odd occurs it's easy enough to look up and finger the giant lone culprit in the sky. Who can miss the Full Moon - although when wild, wacky events occur at other times, few seem to notice its absence. Cognition studies have shown the mind typically seeks to confirm its beliefs and conveniently ignores or discredits contrary evidence. In other words, we believe what we want to believe. ."[5] ." After years of watching Full Moons, I'm inclined to side with the scientists. Blaming the Moon for bad behavior seems generally unfair. Many Full Moons are positively lovely. Nor have I killed anyone, gone into a hospital, or even gotten into an accident when the Moon was full. But I'm intrigued by the persistence of the lunacy rumor. Unlike a scientist,? According to folklore, if you sleep outdoors under a Full Moon, you'll either be attacked by a werewolf or become one. Werewolf stories have appeared everywhere, in cultures diverse as England, Bavaria, Navajo, and Babylon. dilemma is as difficult as ever. Cemented, corralled and cowed into our cubicles, or racing hither and yon, it's a wonder we don't hear more breakout werewolf rumors. But then maybe we do. With our connection to the wild so thinned, we may have simply upgraded the werewolf story, calling it "Full Moon crazies" rather than a literal turn back to the beast. The Full Moon may evoke strange behaviors when our natural spirit goes too long unrecognized - or when we're around someone else like that. The more pent up and disconnected we are, the greater our need to erupt from civilized codes. If my theory is true, then reckless driving, domestic violence and suicide attempts can happen at anytime - not just when the Moon is full (which seems to agree with the statistics). But perhaps these events hit us more deeply when we see the Full Moon rise, evoking memories of all that we've lost, provoking our yearning to connect with the wholeness of nature again. . I doubt you'll really go crazy. You just might feel more sane. And if you've got the urge, know that it's quite all right to howl. A peaceful monk or a howling werewolf: the Full Moon makes sense of them both. There may be no greater emblem for reconciliation and wholeness than the Full Moon, rising at sunset and setting at dawn, filtering the dark with light. It's the only Moon phase that shines the whole night through. That one side of the planet finds clarity in the Full Moon and the other sees lunacy simply sings of the moment's astronomy: there is an opposition between Sun and Moon. The East, with its dharma of contemplation and greater identification with lunar impermanence, does what the Moon does: it reflects. It stills and offers itself to receive the light of awareness. Insights illumine the inner world. The West, with its dharma of action and greater identification with solar will, does what the Sun does: it projects. It finds its reflection in the outer world, staring back from a lunar mirror. Western Full Moon insights often come by way of conflict, via a meaningful meeting with someone other. Either approach might bring enlightenment. Both are routes to resolving the opposition and achieving a wider perspective on life. ." If we meet an "other" on Full Moon nights (or by way of transit or opposition in our natal chart through planets separated by 180 degrees), the encounter will frequently mirror a neglected or unconscious aspect of ourselves. What we repress or deny in our personalities, what we shove into our own personal darkness, will often attract its expression in the outer world. The man who thinks he has no anger will meet someone who does. The woman who thinks she is supremely compassionate will keep finding people who aren't. An astrologer who thinks she's in tune with the lunar vibrations will suddenly hear her own nervous mind in a yapping dog three balconies away. Against the sometimes chaotic, sometimes endlessly routine experience of life, oppositions remind us of the need for balance. Whether by natal aspect or transit, oppositions challenge us to reach compromises between our expectations and reality, to embrace our inner contradictions, to move beyond our experience of a separate self into an acknowledgement of our unity with the world.They challenge us to realize that sometimes there are two valid and distinctly opposite points of view. Because life accommodates them, we can and should learn to as well.. Until we allow ourselves to embrace multiple sides of an issue, there can be no experience of wholeness. Nothing resolves an opposition like acceptance. This is a hard truth for me sometimes. Having no planetary oppositions in my chart, it's not natural for me to think this way. Ask the partners I've been with! They'll tell you that according to Dana, there is only one way to meditate, load a dishwasher or train a dog. I've got the bottom line on raising children, and if I need to do laundry, the washing machine is suddenly, quite exclusively mine. Those without oppositions tend more towards self-containment than compromise. Where there's a void in the chart, we attract those who have what we lack. Typically I've been with men whose charts are laced with oppositions. The draw between us is powerful. Yet on the surface we can both appear pretty uncompromising. My opposition-rich partners are trying to work out a balance between opposing inner urges. They want things to be fair, but are also afraid of being swept into acquiescence or paralyzed by feelings of dependency. I take a stand, they resist it; we switch and do it the other way around. Straining and stumbling, we're trying to learn what healthy compromise really is. Perhaps the only real difference between us is that I end arguments with "I'd be fine by myself," while they conclude "I'd be fine with somebody else"! Oppositions offer a tantalizing gift of wholeness. But like a wise teacher using skillful means, they lead us first to what stands in our way. So strong has the pressure of Saturn-and-Pluto's opposition been this past year (in 2001/2002; editor's note), few among us have escaped its confrontation of our limits and obstinacy. Where this pair of planets has straddled our charts is where our cherished beliefs, like so many World Trade Centers, have been toppled, however traumatically, so that we might more seriously begin the work toward inner and outer peace. Whatever your politics, the stalemate between the Palestinians and the Israelis, stands as a kind of global Sabian image of an opposition not worked through. ." Oppositions reveal. Just as Luna on Full Moon nights fully accepts the light of the Sun, so must we accept whatever truths shine toward us. These won't always be negative.. The lunation cycle's climax can bring fulfillment or failure. Either way, life goes on. The Full Moon is also a turning point. It begins the waning hemi-cycle. After the Sun/Moon opposition, comes the Full Moon period's inconjunct - an aspect of disequilibrium. The waxing inconjunct at the Gibbous phase asks us to make last minute adjustments and refinements. The Full Moon's inconjunct reminds us that no matter what pinnacles or valleys we've reached, life doesn't stop. Perhaps it's this awareness that inspires a more philosophical tone during the waning hemi-cycle. We're drawn to build and achieve during the waxing days, but in the waning days we're moved to review, discard, and perhaps reorient ourselves. It's a more thoughtful,internal time. Those born at the Full Moon are often pulled between these two orientations. And typically their stress is worked out through relationships. For virtually every Full Mooner I've known, relationships are a central theme in their lives. Whether it's one key relationship that seems to supply their center of gravity, or a series of traumatic relationships that gradually matures their understanding, or even a repudiation of relationships to keep themselves sane - negotiating a balance via the "other" is an important way to reconcile the special lunar energy in their chart. Achieving wholeness is a weighty birthright. Full Moon babies may instinctively (and perhaps overwhelmingly) feel, to paraphrase Walt Whitman, that they "contain multitudes." They often have high expectations of themselves, an urge towards greatness, a desire to achieve something significant this lifetime. It's said that Buddha was born on the Full Moon. His influence has endured for thousands of years. And at the core of his teachings lies an incredible reconciliation of life's myriad oppositions: all selves, says Buddha, are one. That's a nice thing to contemplate during the next Full Moon.
Welcome to the site. If you are a member please login or register a new account. Registration allows you to access some exclusive downloads, participate in polls, post comments and more.. Created by Webmaster on 30 May 2011 - 12:10. Pageviews : 2129 Height: 6ft (1.83m) Spouse: Theresa (1984 - present) 4 children Trivia from IMDB: Doubled for Elvis Presley in several of his movies, including Kissin' Cousins (1964), in which there was an error in one of the scenes where you can see it's Lance when it's supposed to be Elvis. Lance LeGault is an accomplished pilot, and enjoys flying his Cessna Skyhawk. He also breeds Arabian horses on his ranch. Last name is pronounced "LUH-GOH" .. not "Gault" as in "Fault" Earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Wichita, Kansas. Father of actress Mary LeGault. Is well known for his portrayals of military personnel, especially officers. Mini Biography from IMDB: Lance LeGault was born as William Lance Legault on May 2, 1935 in Chicago, Illinois. LeGault grew up in Chillicothe, Illinois and graduated from Chillicothe Township High School in 1955. Lance began his acting career as a stunt double for Elvis Presley; he appears in the 60s Presley vehicles Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), Kissin' Cousins (1964), Viva Las Vegas (1964) and Roustabout (1964). With his tall, lean, compact build, strong, intense and commanding screen presence, and highly distinctive low, deep, gravel voice, LeGault has been frequently cast as various stern and severe military types in both movies and television programs, alike. His most memorable film roles include "Iago" in the Shakespearean rock opera Catch My Soul (1974), evil pimp "Burt" in the offbeat French Quarter (1978), vicious hired-killer "Vince" in Coma (1978), formidable card sharp "Doc Palmer" in the made-for-TV Western The Gambler (1974), the austere "Colonel Glass" in the hilarious Stripes (1981), steely prison guard security chief "Lieutenant Barnes" in the terrific Fast-Walking (1982) and the strict "Reverend Bates" in Nightmare Beach (1989). LeGault had recurring parts on several TV shows in the 80s: outstanding as the cunning and antagonistic "Colonel Roderick Decker" on "The A-Team" (1983), ramrod "Colonel "Buck" Greene" on "Magnum, P.I." (1980) and rugged cowboy bounty hunter "Alamo Joe Rogan" on "Werewolf" (1987). Among the many TV shows Lance has had guest spots on are "Land of the Giants" (1968), "Gun Law" (1955), "Wonder Woman" (1975), "Barbary Coast" (1975), "The Rockford Files" (1974), "The Incredible Hulk" (1978), "Battlestar Galactica" (1978), "The Dukes of Hazzard" (1979), "Dallas" (1978), "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" (1979), "Voyagers!" (1982), "Dynasty" (1981), "Knight Rider" (1982), "Airwolf" (1984), "Murder, She Wrote" (1984), "MacGyver" (1985), "Major Dad" (1989), "Quantum Leap" (1989) and "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987). Outside of his acting gigs in both films and TV shows, LeGault has also worked as a lounge and nightclub singer (he even recorded a self-titled album in 1970). In addition, Lance has done voice work for cartoons and video games as well as the narrator of the tour audiotape for Elvis Presley's Graceland Mansion and Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. Lance LeGault lives on a ranch in California. ]
Enter your email address: Plus Weekly Training Articles, Videos, and Exclusive Offers By Athletes' Acceleration \| March 5th, 2008 In my email yesterday I talked about the importance I place on educating my athletes about their training so they understand exactly what is going to make them better athletes. How, like Morpheus in the movie The Matrix, I offer them the blue pill (just train and go home) or the red pill (the truth about becoming a faster athlete). And what a profound impact taking the red pill can have on athletic performance. How profound? Here at Athletes’ Acceleration we’re celebrating our most recent success story in helping young athletes reach new levels of athletic achievement! This past winter I went back to my alma mater and began working with a group of high school sprinters I had never seen or met before. Just 14 weeks later, my girls 4×200 meter relay team achieved something that hadn’t been done at the school since Ronald Reagan was President (a span of 22 years) - won an All State Championship! To celebrate this impressive accomplishment by a hard working and highly dedicated group of athletes, we’re having a special ‘State Champions’ sale here at AthletesAcceleration.com. From Wednesday March 5, 2008 until 11:59pm EST on March 7, 2008, you’ll save 15% on every program and resource on this site. And this discount applies whether you purchase one program or several. We only promote resources that meet our high standards of approval, so you can be sure any choice you make will be a good one. So visit: And check out all the highly effective coaching and training resources we offer. To apply the 15% discount to your purchase, When checking out, simply enter the coupon code: SCSM And remember, this offer ends on Friday March 7, 2008 at 11:59pm EST. Again, don’t forget the code: SCSM ------------------------------ \| March 4th, 2008 I strongly believe in educating my athletes as to why we’re training the way we are. Why what we’re doing is going to make them faster. And I strongly encourage them to ask questions so it makes sense, not just blindly follow what I tell them to do like all their other coaches. In a way I consider myself to be like Morpheus, a character in my favorite movie, The Matrix. My athletes are like Neo, the main character. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about you should really go rent this movie.) There’s a scene in the movie where Morpheus offers Neo a choice… Take the blue pill and the story ends. Neo wakes up and believes whatever he wants. Take the red pill and, as Morpheus says, “You stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes. Remember — all I am offering is the truth, nothing more.” Invariably most of my athletes take the red pill. And I start telling them the truth. Before long they start to see just how purposeless and ineffective the training they’ve gotten in the past was. The more success they have, the more questions they ask. The more time they are willing to commit to getting better. The results speak for themselves. It’s a double edged sword, however. Once athletes know the truth about real training, it’s very difficult to go back and buy into what some of their other coaches are telling them because they know it makes no sense. That it’s not making them better. It’s probably even erasing some of the progress they’ve made. After all, I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that 8 out of 10 youth/high school coaches don’t know very much about speed, strength and conditioning. At least not in my experience. Many people still believe that speed can’t be taught or significantly improved. Oh it can, believe me. In fact, this winter I accomplished something in 14 weeks that hadn’t been done in the 22 years prior to my arrival. That’s right, 22 years. Not since 1986. And I’m not saying this out of arrogance or as an indictment of previous coaching efforts. Because numbers are objective facts. Tomorrow I’m going to tell you exactly what that is and how you can directly benefit from my success. So keep an eye out for my email tomorrow. Remember, you can ignore tomorrow’s email (take the blue pill) and believe whatever you want to believe. Or you can take the red pill. Because like Morpheus, all I’m offering is the truth, nothing more… Until tomorrow, Latif Thomas aka Morpheus By Athletes' Acceleration \| March 3rd, 2008 Polls and surveys seem to be all the rage these days, especially with the political primaries in full swing. I’m a big believer in the value of surveying your audience. After all, our primary function is to provide you with resources and information that will improve your coaching and your athletes’ performances. Patrick and I have a new idea we’ve been kicking around for a while now. But we want to make sure you are interested in it before we invest too much time and energy into it. It doesn’t matter if we think it’s a great idea if you aren’t interested! So I put together a quick survey that I’d like you to take. It’s quick and painless and should only take you about 2 minutes to complete. Your feedback will let us know whether we’ve got a good idea on our hands or a dud.
- College Football - NFL - College Basketball - NBA - MLB - NASCAR - Golf - Fantasy - Store - Monthly 2013 NFL Mock Draft Athlon Sports predicts the first 32 picks of the 2013 NFL Draft. By: Nathan Rush \| 2/8/13, 9:45 AM EST Submitted by Nathan Rush on Fri, 2013-02-08 09:45 1. Kansas City Chiefs1 of 33. 2. Jacksonville Jaguars2 of 33. 3. Oakland Raiders3 of 33 Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida An explosive 3-technique tackle in the mold of Warren Sapp, Floyd is flying up draft boards due to his size, athleticism and relatively few red flags compared to his 2013 peers. 4. Philadelphia Eagles4 of 33 Dion Jordan, OLB, Oregon Chip Kelly wants to play a 3-4 defense and knows just what kind of player Jordan can be. A perfect fit both schematically and in terms of familiarity with the coaching staff. 5. Detroit Lions5 of 33 Eric Fisher, LT, Central Michigan There may not be much of a talent gap between Fisher and Texas A&M's projected No. 1 pick Luke Joeckel. Fisher is a plug and play left tackle from Day One. 6. Cleveland Browns6 of 33 Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama The consensus top cornerback in the draft is the best player on the board for the Browns, who could also make a surprise splash by reaching for a quarterback to compete with Brandon Weeden. 7. Arizona Cardinals7 of 33 Matt Barkley, QB, USC The Cardinals have been fans of Barkley throughout the draft evaluation process. Even with the acquisition of Carson Palmer, Arizona could still use a quarterback of the future to build on. 8. Buffalo Bills8 of 33. 9. New York Jets9 of 33. 10. Tennessee Titans10 of 33 Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama Hall of Fame guards Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews are now the Titans' head coach and O-line coach, respectively. If anyone knows Warmack's value, it's those two. 11. San Diego Chargers11 of 33. 12. Miami Dolphins12 of 33 Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina Two of the better guard prospects of the past decade are in this year's draft, in Alabama's Chance Warmack and Cooper, whose quick feet and overall athleticism are rare for an interior lineman. 13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers13 of 33 Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State The latest in a long line of Seminole corners, the X-man looks the part and would fill a need for the Buccaneers, who remain players in the Darrelle Revis sweepstakes. 14. Carolina Panthers14 of 33 Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah A heart condition discovered during medical screenings at the Combine has caused Star's shine to fade. But the Panthers would pounce on this top-5 talent if he fell. 15. New Orleans Saints15 of 33 Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia Another health risk with top-5 potential, Jones' spinal stenosis has scared off some teams. On tape, Jones is the top 3-4 outside linebacker and a perfect fit for the Saints. 16. St. Louis Rams16 of 33 Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri The St. Louis native has the size and swagger to be the type of distruptive D-lineman coach Jeff Fisher loves. 17. Pittsburgh Steelers17 of 33 Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame One of the potential surprises come draft night, Eifert could be selected much higher than expected due to his status as the clear-cut top tight end available. 18. Dallas Cowboys18 of 33 D.J. Fluker, RT, Alabama The big man is a mauler at right tackle and likely could kick inside to guard with similar results. The Boys need O-line help and Fluker would certainly provide that. 19. New York Giants19 of 33 Alec Ogletree, MLB, Georgia A pre-Combine DUI has teams scratching their heads regarding the knucklehead factor with Ogletree, the top middle linebacker in a solid class of inside backers. 20. Chicago Bears20 of 33 Manti Te'o, MLB, Notre Dame Brian Urlacher's replacement going to the heart of Fighting Irish territory? That's too good to be true. But still not as hard to believe as the Te'o tale of internet love gone wrong. 21. Cincinnati Bengals21 of 33 Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas The top safety in the class has a wide range of landing spots, starting in the early teens and going into the twentysomethings. Cincy is a club where team need meets prospect value. 22. St. Louis Rams22 of 33. 23. Minnesota Vikings23 of 33 Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia One of the fastest players and fastest risers in this year's draft, Austin made Geno Smith look good. The triple-threat would slide right into Percy Harvin's old role in Minny. 24. Indianapolis Colts24 of 33 Menelik Watson, RT, Florida State Protecting Andrew Luck is priority No. 1 for the Colts. Watson is raw but possesses the type of frame and feet expected from a former college basketball player turned O-tackle. 25. Minnesota Vikings25 of 33. 26. Green Bay Packers26 of 33. 27. Houston Texans27 of 33. 28. Denver Broncos28 of 33. 29. New England Patriots29 of 33 Robert Woods, WR, USC Although he was overshadowed by Biletnikoff Award-winning Trojan teammate Marqise Lee (No. 9), Woods is still a top-flight playmaker in his own right. 30. Atlanta Falcons30 of 33 Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M Once thought of as the "next Von Miller," at least in terms of draft stock, Moore has taken a tumble down the board, going from top-10 to back-half of the first. 31. San Francisco 49ers31 of 33 Margus Hunt, DE, SMU The "Eastern Block" is a 6'8" monster who could be a long-term replacement option to the aging warrior Justin Smith at end in the Niners' dominant 3-4 scheme. 32. Baltimore Ravens32 of 33. - 33 of 33 Other Slideshows You Might Like The first round of the 2013 NFL Draft will be held on Thursday, April 25..
Self-managed superannuation funds: A statistical overview 2008-09 is available in Portable Document Format (PDF). Download a PDF of Self-managed superannuation funds: A statistical overview 2008-09 (NAT 74068, PDF, 644 KB). Purpose As part of the Super System Review (the Review), A Statistical Summary of Self Managed Superannuation Funds was released on 12 December 2009. The majority of the Self Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSFs) information included in that paper was sourced from both publicly available and previously unpublished ATO data. This publication updates the Super System Review statistical summary using 2008-09 year data. We propose to provide annual updates. Where appropriate, we refer to Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) data for comparisons to the SMSF sector. Background The ATO began regulating SMSFs in the 2000 financial year under the regulatory framework of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (SIS Act). For information on what constitutes an SMSF and the ATO's regulatory role, go to Traditionally, SMSF data was collected on the super fund income tax return. From 2008, a new SMSF annual return (SAR) was developed to enhance regulation of SMSFs and collect more reliable data. Generally the data for this overview has been collected from: The SMSF sector remains the largest sector of the Australian superannuation industry, with 99% of the number of funds and over 30% of the $1.23 trillion total super assets1. At 30 June 2010, there were around 425,000 SMSFs and almost $387 billion in assets.2 There were also approximately 810,000 members in the SMSF sector, about 7% of roughly 11.6 million members in Australian super funds.3 The data shows the SMSF sector responds to government initiatives or changing economic circumstances, particularly in relation to total asset holdings and shifts in asset types held. This is not inconsistent with the general view that SMSF trustees establish SMSFs for control and flexibility. Such observations take into account that 2010 data is not yet included in the majority of this overview's analysis. In recent years there has been a trend for members of new SMSFs to be from younger age groups than those of the total SMSF member population. Overall, SMSF members compared to non-SMSF fund members tend to be older and have both higher average balances and higher average taxable incomes. SMSFs directly invested 76% of their assets, mainly in cash and term deposits and Australian listed shares (a total of almost 59%). Estimates of the return on assets for the SMSF sector show negative returns for 2007-08 and 2008-09. This is consistent with the total super industry, although the size of the negative returns was smaller for SMSFs. Estimates of the operating expense ratio of SMSFs shows a direct relationship with the asset size of the SMSF. In the five years to 30 June 2010, SMSFs have been the fastest growing sector of the Australian superannuation industry. During this period total super assets grew by 60%, while SMSF assets grew by 122%.4The SMSF sector contributed the largest proportion with 46% of the total 60% growth in super assets. Graph 1 shows the breakdown of the 60% growth in total super asset by fund type, based on APRA data. Graph 1: Proportion of 5 Year Total Superannuation Growth by fund type The overall growth in SMSF asset holdings can be attributed to continued establishment of new SMSFs, increase in contributions and net rollovers into SMSFs, and investment earnings (SMSF investment performance is discussed later). Between the years ended 30 June 2005 to 30 June 2010, SMSF numbers have grown by 47% (see appendix 1 table 3). Graph 2 shows the most significant growth (13%) occurred in the year ended June 2007, coinciding with the introduction of the government's Superannuation Simplification measures.5 By 2009 the growth rate had dropped to 2006 levels, most likely influenced by global economic circumstances. SMSF numbers stabilised in 2010, reflecting the improvement in community confidence. Graph 2: Growth in the number of SMSFs from 2005 to 2010 Over this period, net establishment of new funds (establishments less wind ups) averaged over 25,000 a year (or approximately 2,100 a month) while wind ups averaged over 5,000 a year. Overall, net establishments show a similar pattern as total fund numbers as establishments peaked in 2007 and windups peaked in 2009. Despite the continued establishment of new SMSFs, the majority of SMSF funds have existed for over 10 years (41.8%) with 20.4% having existed for three years or less (see appendix 1, table 4). Over the five year period to 30 June 2009, contributions to the SMSF sector averaged $32.5 billion a year (member $23.6 billion, employer $8.9 billion, see appendix 1, table 1). Contributions peaked in the year ended 30 June 2007. This was the same year the Super Simplification measures abolished reasonable benefit limits and introduced a $1 million transitional contribution limit. SMSF member contributions consistently exceeded employer contributions during this five year period by approximately three to one. Since 2007, annual employer contribution amounts to SMSFs have remained relatively constant. In comparison, the amount of member contributions have varied from 84% of contributions made in 2007, to 69% and 63% in 2008 and 2009 respectively (see appendix 1, table 1). Over the five years, most member contributions have been to SMSFs with assets worth between $500,000 and $5 million. Employer contributions have been spread mostly across SMSFs with assets worth between $200,000 and $2 million. This is particularly evident in the years ended 30 June 2008 and 30 June 2009 (see appendix 1, table 1). Graph 3 compares contributions to SMSFs proportionately to all super fund contributions for the years ended 30 June 2005 to 30 June 2009 as reported by APRA.6 It shows contributions to SMSFs over the five years have generally remained under 30% of total super contributions. In 2007 however, the surge in member contributions saw SMSF contributions increase to 41% of total contributions. Overall, for the five years to 30 June 2009, the proportion of member contributions to SMSFs have generally trended upwards. Note that more recent events and data from the year ended 30 June 2010 onwards are not included in this overview. It is anticipated that government initiatives such as the halving of the caps on concessional contributions introduced from the year ended 30 June 2010 will slow the growth trend in member contributions. Graph 3: Contributions to SMSFs as a percentage of Total Australian superannuation contributions (member, employer and total) For the five years to 30 June 2009, the $50.4 billion rolled into SMSFs consistently exceeded the $14.2 billion rolled out of SMSFs (see appendix 1, table 2). On average it is reported over $10.1 billion is rolled into SMSFs and $2.8 billion is rolled out of SMSFs annually. ATO data does not distinguish between amounts rolled between SMSFs and that rolled to or from non-SMSFs. However, the net result is an inward rollover amount of $36.1 billion over the five years. Graph 4 shows inward rollovers trended upwards at a faster rate than outward rollovers, particularly up to the year ended 30 June 2008, and levelled off in 2009. Graph 4: Total SMSF rollovers The overall net inflow into SMSFs was $142.9 billion during the five years to 30 June 2009. Graph 5 shows that in all years, this is predominantly attributable to contributions made to SMSFs and in particular the surge in contributions in the year ended 30 June 2007. Net transfers and benefits have tended to have limited impact on total SMSF flows. Up to 2007, annual net flows directly reflected the amount of contributions received. In the two years after 2007 however, benefit payments trended upwards at a faster rate, affecting total net flows. Prior to 2007, benefit payments as a percentage of total contributions were between 30-40% (2004-2006), while after 2007, they were between 55-60% (2008-2009).7 Graph 5: Breakdown of SMSF fund flows SMSFs can be established with either a corporate trustee (where all members of the SMSF are directors of the corporate trustee) or with individual trustees (where all members of the SMSF are trustees). At 31 December 2010, around 73% of SMSFs had individual trustees rather than a corporate trustee (see appendix 1, table 5). Graph 6 shows that in recent years there was a noticeable shift away from corporate trustees, with almost 90% of newly registered SMSFs in the year ended 30 June 2010 established with individual trustees. Graph 6: SMSF trustee structure For the year ended 30 June 2009, almost 70% of SMSFs reported they were solely in the accumulation phase, whereas just over 30% reported they were making pension payments to some or all members and so considered to be in the pension phase.8 Those SMSFs which commenced pension payments in 2009 had, on average, been established for at least five years. Of SMSFs commencing pension payments in 2009, almost 49% were over five years old, less than 39% were less than two years old and almost 11% were operating in their first year.9 All SMSFs must have their financial accounts and compliance with the SIS Act audited annually by an approved auditor. Hence, approved auditors play a key role in ensuring SMSF compliance with regulatory obligations. At 30 June 2008, it is estimated there were over 11,000 approved auditors, who conducted about 33 audits on average in the year ended 30 June 2009.10 Of these, 39% performed less than five SMSF audits in 2009. There are however, early indicators of a shift towards approved auditors performing the audit of larger numbers of SMSFs (see appendix 1, table 6). In the year ended 30 June 2009, approximately 15% of approved auditors were reported as also providing other services for SMSF clients such as a tax agent, accountant or financial advisor or administrator. Tax agents and accountants also play a significant role in the SMSF sector. As at December 2010, SMSFs were serviced by around 16,300 different tax agents or accountants, with approximately 83% of all SMSFs registered with a tax agent. However, 98% of SMSF annual returns are lodged by a tax agent.11 Tax agents and accountants have on average 21 registered SMSF clients. The majority have only a small number, with 62% having 10 or less and 21% (or 3,410) a single SMSF client. In contrast, 4% or 630 tax agents and accountants have registered more than 100 SMSFs (see appendix 1, table 7). At 30 June 2010, there were about 810,000 members in the SMSF sector, of whom 54% were male and 46% female. Generally, female members tended to be younger than male members, with a higher percentage falling within all age groups, apart from those 65 and over where males exceeded females by almost 6% (see appendix 1, table 8). Approximately 68% of SMSFs had two members, almost 23% were single member SMSFs and about 4% had either three or four members.12 At 30 June 2009, almost 25% of SMSF members received pension payments, including members who were fully or partially in the pension phase.13 At 30 June 2010, 74% of SMSF members were aged 35 to 64, while just over 80% of SMSF members were older than 45 years of age (see appendix 1, table 8).14 Recently established SMSFs tend to have younger members than the total SMSF member population. Graph 7 shows that of the almost 6,500 SMSFs established in the June 2010 quarter,15 7.5% of members were aged over 65. In comparison, over 20% of the total SMSF member population were aged 65 and over at June 2010. In the June 2010 quarter, members below 35 years of age represented almost 11% as compared to over 5% for the whole SMSF member population. In addition 65% of members of these newly established SMSFs were less than 55 years of age compared to almost 46% of members of all SMSFs. Graph 7: Proportion of SMSF members by age range In the non-SMSF sector only 3% of account holders are over 65, while in the SMSF sector only 6.1% of members are under 35 years of age (see appendix 1, table 9).16 Graph 8 provides a comparison of SMSF and non-SMSF member ages at June 2009. In the SMSF sector 67% of members were over 50 years of age compared to 23% of members in the non-SMSF sector.17 In contrast, there was a higher proportion of members below 50 years of age who held accounts in the non-SMSF sector (76%), with just over 33% of SMSF members in this age range. Graph 8: Age distribution of SMSF members and non-SMSF members as at June 2009 The average taxable income of all SMSF members in the year ended 30 June 2009 was almost $86,500. Those aged 35 to 59 had the highest average taxable income of over $100,000 (see appendix 1, table 9). The average taxable income of all other age groups is below $71,000, with members over 65 having the lowest average taxable income of less than $60,000. SMSF members of all ages had a higher average taxable income in 2009 than non SMSF members which was just over $48,900 (see appendix 1 table 9). Graph 9 shows SMSF trustees aged 35 to 49 had the most significant difference in average taxable income, earning $110,000 compared to non-SMSF members with below $60,000. For the 35 and under age ranges and those aged 60 and over the difference is relatively consistent. Graph 9: Average taxable income of SMSF members and non-SMSF members by age range At 30 June 2009, the average SMSF member balance was $439,000 (see appendix 1, table 10), which is almost 20 times the size of the average account balance of non-SMSFs of approximately $22,000.18 Graph 10 shows that as SMSF members age, their balances increase and their taxable incomes decrease. The average SMSF member balances range from over $50,000 for members under 35 to over $708,000 for those over 65 (see appendix 1, table 9). While the average balance of SMSF members over 60 increases, the proportion of members in the older age ranges declines. The largest proportion of members were aged 50 to 59 with an average balance of just over $440,000. Graph 10: 2009 Taxable income and average balance of SMSF members by age range Graph 11 shows that over the five years to 30 June 2009, average SMSF member account balances have grown steadily, peaking with almost $477,000 in 2007 before falling by 7.9% in 2009 to around $439,000. Graph 11: SMSF and SMSF member asset sizes Over the five years to 30 June 2009, the proportion of members with less than $100,000 asset balances decreased from 35% to 25%. Those with asset balances over $1 million rose from 5% to 10% (see appendix 1, table 11). Graph 12 shows there was a general shift in member accounts towards the larger asset ranges over the five years. The majority of members hold assets of between $100,000 and $500,000 (48.5%). The proportion of members in this range has remained relatively constant over the five year period. Graph 12: SMSF member asset sizes over 5 years A comparison however, of the three years ended 30 June 2007 to 30 June 2009 in Graph 13, shows the proportion of member balances within assets ranges below $500,000 rose, while the proportion above $500,000 declined. Graph 13: SMSF member asset sizes over 3 years SMSF assets sustained a five year growth period to 30 June 2009, peaking in the year ended 30 June 2007 to almost $912,000, then falling 8.4% to almost $836,000 by 30 June 2009 (see appendix 1, table 10). This compares to the median SMSF asset size by 30 June 2009 of approximately $471,000 (over $509,000 and $493,000 for 2007 and 2008 respectively). The difference between the average and median asset figures reflects the number of SMSFs with over $1m in assets (25% in 2009). As mentioned previously in relation to total SMSF asset growth, the fall in average and median SMSF assets (2008 and 2009) coincided with the global economic downturn. At 30 June 2009, 49% of SMSFs had assets between $200,000 and $1 million (see appendix 1, table 11). Generally over the years ended 30 June 2005 to 30 June 2009, the proportion of SMSF assets across asset ranges follow a very similar pattern to that of SMSF members. Graph 14 shows that for the five year period, the proportion of SMSFs holding assets of less than $500,000 fell, while the proportion of SMSFs holding greater than $500,000 in assets rose. Graph 14: SMSF asset sizes over 5 years In contrast, Graph 15 compares the latest three years ended 30 June 2007 to 30 June 2009. The proportion of SMSFs with assets below $1 million rose (except those holding less than $50,000) while the proportion with assets above $1 million declined. Graph 15: SMSF asset sizes over 3 years At 30 June 2009, the two most significant SMSF asset holdings were in Australian listed shares (29.2%) and cash and term deposits (29.7%) (see appendix 1, table 13). Graph 16 shows that 58.9% of all SMSF assets were directly invested in these two asset classes. Graph 16: SMSF asset allocation Graph 17 compares the significant shifts of all SMSF asset holdings between the years ended 30 June 2008 and 30 June 2009. Generally over the two years there was a shift away from listed trusts, other managed investments and listed shares towards cash and term deposits and real property (both non-residential and residential). In contrast, there was a corresponding increase in the proportion of SMSFs holding investments in cash and term deposits, listed shares, non-residential property and other assets in particular. Interestingly for listed shares, there was a clear reversal of the shifts in the proportion of assets held and the proportion of SMSFs holding those assets. This indicates that there was an overall reduction in the value of holdings of listed shares over the two years, however more SMSFs invested in listed shares. This was probably a response to economic trends. Graph 17: 2008 to 2009 Percentage change of total SMSF assets and of SMSF population holding assets by asset type As at 30 June 2009, 76% of the SMSF sector assets were reported as directly invested by the SMSF with just under 20% invested in trusts and managed investment structures. The remaining investments held included overseas and miscellaneous assets such as collectibles or other assets (see appendix 1, table 13). The SMSF asset types were allocated relatively evenly across the SMSFs asset ranges (see appendix 1 table 14). Note that smaller SMSFs were more likely to hold cash and term deposits than larger funds. Larger funds turned towards Australian listed shares and held a relatively larger proportion of non-residential real property and unlisted trusts. Comparing SMSFs in the accumulation phase to the pension phase, just over 30% of SMSFs in the pension phase held almost 49% of reported assets for the year ended 30 June 2009.19 In 2009, SMSFs reporting in the pension phase had very similar assets to SMSFs in the accumulation phase (see appendix 1 table 15). The only obvious change was SMSFs in the pension phase had slightly less property and slightly more listed trust and listed share assets. As at 30 June 2009, just below 11% of SMSFs reported holding all of their investments in one asset class, representing approximately only 5% of all SMSF assets (see appendix 1 table 16). Smaller SMSFs were more likely to hold only one asset class (35% of those with less than $50,000 in assets). This is consistent with the fact that smaller SMSFs held the highest proportion of assets in cash and term deposits, almost 52% for those with less than $50,000 in assets (see appendix 1 table 14). Less than 7% of SMSFs which fall within each asset range over $500,000 hold only one class of asset, (see appendix 1, table 17) indicating that as funds grow, there was a clear tendency to spread investments. Care must be taken when using SMSF performance figures, particularly when making comparisons, as SMSF statistical data reported before 2008 is not necessarily reliable. While the methodology used to estimate SMSF performance resembles APRA's, the data collected is not the same. Notwithstanding, the estimated return on assets (ROA) for SMSFs was positive for the year ended 30 June 2007. This was followed by negative returns in the years ended 30 June 2008 and 30 June 2009 (16.7%, -6.3% and -6.7% respectively).20 Comparisons to APRA regulated funds of more than four members showed the same trend for the three years (14.5%, -8.15 and -11.7% respectively).21 Graph 18 shows that for the years ended 30 June 2008 and 30 June 2009, most SMSFs experienced a negative ROA (almost 70% of SMSFs in 2008 and almost 72% in 2009). In both years, the highest proportion of SMSFs had ROA of -20% or less. Graph 18: SMSF return on assets in 2008 and 2009 The estimated SMSF ROA shows a direct relationship between SMSF sizes and asset ranges. The larger the SMSF the more improved the ROA (see appendix 1, table 12). Graph 19 shows the estimated average ROA by the SMSF size for the years ended 30 June 2007 to 30 June 2009. Overall, in 2009 the ROA for SMSFs was generally less than 2008 for all size ranges (apart from the $1 million to $2 million range). The continued negative performance in the estimated SMSF ROA in 2009 coincides with the downturn in the world economy. Graph 19: SMSF return on assets by fund size As with estimated SMSF investment performance data, care must be taken when using the operating expense ratio figures as comparisons may not be meaningful. SMSF statistical data reported before 2008 is not necessarily reliable and while the methodology used to estimate the operating expense ratio is as close as possible to APRA's, the data collected is not the same (see appendix 2). Notwithstanding, the estimated average operating expense ratio of SMSFs fell from 0.72%, to 0.67% and 0.57% over the years ended 30 June 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively.22 Average SMSF operating expenses in 2009 were almost $5,300 compared to approximately $6,000 and $6,400 in 2007 and 2008 respectively. SMSFs with less than $50,000 in assets had a 7% average operating expense ratio compared to SMSFs with more than $500,000 in assets that had an average of less than 1% (see appendix 1, table 19). As can be expected, graph 20 shows the estimated operating expense ratio for SMSFs declined in direct proportion to the increased size of the funds. Graph 20: SMSF operating expense ratio by fund size The majority of SMSFs had an estimated operating expense ratio of less than 1% (64.5% of SMSFs in 2009), the highest proportion (almost 36% in 2009) had an estimated operating expense ratio of 0.25% or less (see appendix 1, table 20). Approved auditors play a major role in regulating SMSFs. In the year ended 30 June 2009 the average audit fee was $656.23 Average audit fees varied significantly. For those approved auditors reported as providing other services, their average fee was $942 compared to $612 for those who only completed the SMSF audit (see appendix 1, table 21). In the year ended 30 June 2009, over 50% of SMSFs paid less than $500 to approved auditors for audit fees, while almost 4% paid $2,000 or more. Approved auditors are required to submit to the ATO, as part of the annual audit, Auditor Contravention Reports (ACRs) that disclose SMSF contraventions according to ATO reporting guidelines. These range from administrative contraventions to more serious contraventions, such as breaches in relation to investment in in-house assets. Overall, the percentage of the SMSF population with ACRs from the year ended 30 June 2004 to 30 June 2009 audit years has remained relatively stable at approximately 2% of all SMSFs each year.24 There were 8,126 SMSFs that had ACRs lodged containing 17,866 contraventions in the year ended 30 June 2010. Just under half of these contraventions were reported as rectified. The most common reported contraventions were loans or financial assistance to members (20%), while in-house assets and separation of assets constitute 17% and almost 14% respectively. In monetary terms, these two contraventions represent over 25% and 28% respectively of the reported contraventions up to 2010 (see appendix 1, table 23). The demographic of SMSFs with ACRs generally align with the SMSF population. Analysis shows there is no correlation between the receipt of an ACR and the SMSF asset size, SMSF income range, years since establishment or the structure of the SMSF. This table illustrates the total value of contributions to SMSFs during each financial year and the mean and median amounts over those periods, along with contributions by fund size. These figures are estimates based on SMSF income tax and regulatory return form data. To ensure consistency, the Total Contributions figures used are those reported in the Self-managed super fund statistical report, December 2010 (available at). This table illustrates the total value of rollovers into and out of SMSFs during each financial year and the mean and median amount over those periods and by fund size. These figures are estimates based on SMSF income tax and regulatory return form data. To ensure consistency, the Total Rollover figures used are those reported in the Self-managed super fund statistical report, December 2010 (available at). This table illustrates the: These figures are estimates based on SMSF income tax and regulatory return form data. To ensure consistency, the figures used in this table are those reported in the Self-managed super fund statistical report, December 2010 (available at). This table illustrates the age distribution of SMSFs, based on years since their establishment date. This table illustrates the trustee structure (either corporate or individual trustees) of the SMSF population at 31 December 2010 plus new registrations for the years 30 June 2008 to 2010. This table illustrates the proportion of approved auditors to the number of audits they performed within the years 30 June 2007 to 2010. These figures are estimates based on SMSF income tax and regulatory return form data. This table illustrates the distribution of tax agents by the number of SMSFs registered as their clients at 31 December 2010. This table illustrates the approximate age and gender distribution of SMSF members at 30 June 2010, along with the age distribution of members of SMSFs established in the June 2010 quarter. The age ranges in this table align with those reported in self-managed super fund statistical reports. This is an estimate based on Australian Business Register (ABR) data. To ensure consistency, the percentages of members used for all SMSFs are those reported in the Self-managed super fund statistical report, December 2010 (available at). This table illustrates the approximate age and gender distribution of SMSF members at 30 June 2009, along with the average and median account balances. It also compares SMSF members' average taxable income to non-SMSF members' average taxable income. The age ranges in this table align with those as reported in APRA's Annual Superannuation Bulletin. This is an estimate based on Australian Business Register (ABR) data. This table illustrates the average and median SMSF fund asset sizes and member account balances at the end of each financial year. These figures are estimates based on SMSF income tax and regulatory return form data. To ensure consistency, the average figures used in this table are those reported in the Self-managed super fund statistical report, December 2010 (available at). This table illustrates the approximate distribution of SMSFs by fund asset sizes and by members account balances at the end of each financial year. These figures are estimates based on SMSF income tax and regulatory return form data. To ensure consistency, the percentages used in this table are those reported in the Self-managed super fund statistical report, December 2010 (available at). This table illustrates the average ROA of SMSFs by asset size. The ROA is calculated by determining the net earnings, and comparing this to average assets during the financial year to determine the percentage return on assets. This table illustrates the value and proportion of assets held by the SMSF population for each type of asset listed on the 2009 SMSF annual return as well as the mean and median value. It follows that SMSFs will have different asset allocations in individual cases. These figures are estimates based on SMSF income tax and regulatory return form data. To ensure consistency, the total monetary amounts used in this table are those reported in the Self-managed super fund statistical report, December 2010 (available at). This table illustrates the proportion of SMSF assets held for each type of asset listed on the 2009 SMSF annual return by the asset size of SMSFs. This table illustrates the proportion of assets held by accumulation and pension phase SMSFs, for each type of asset listed on the 2009 SMSF annual return. This table illustrates the distribution of SMSFs that have 50% or more of their assets by value invested in one particular asset class. For example, 41% of SMSFs hold 80% of their assets in one particular asset class, representing 28.5% of total SMSF assets. This table illustrates, by fund size, the distribution of SMSFs that have 50% or more of their assets by value invested in one particular asset class. This table illustrates, by asset class, the distribution of SMSFs that have 50% or more of their assets by value invested in that asset class. This table illustrates average SMSF operating expense ratios by fund size. The operating expenses of an SMSF are calculated using various deduction labels from its income tax return. The total is then compared to its average assets to get a ratio of expenses to assets. This table illustrates the distribution of SMSFs across various ranges of operating expense ratios. This table illustrates average and median SMSF audit fees reported in 2009. It also distinguishes SMSFs whose auditors performed additional services for the fund and those who only performed the audit service. These figures are estimated based on SMSF income tax and regulatory return form data. This table illustrates the proportion of SMSFs that are within certain audit fee ranges for the years 30 June 2008 and 2009. This table illustrates the general type of contraventions that have been reported since the start of contravention reporting in 2005 (up to 30 June 2010) by approved auditors to the ATO. Data limitations and differences in methodologies impact the analysis of SMSFs and any comparison of SMSF with non-SMSF sectors. Prior to the development of the SAR for the 2008 and later income years, there were concerns about the reliability of certain statistical information reported on the annual superannuation fund return form. In 2010 the ATO moved to a new Integrated Core Processing (ICP) system for collection and handling of its data holdings which has impacted on the reproduction of certain historical SMSF data. We will continue to improve the methodologies of reporting SMSF information, which may result in changes to figures in the future. Differences in methodologies can include: 1 APRA 2010, APRA September 2010 Quarterly Superannuation Performance, 9 December 2010, (see table 'Key statistics', p7). 2 ATO 2010, Self-managed super fund statistical report, December 2010 3 Australian Bureau of Statistics 2007, Employment Arrangements, retirement and Superannuation, Apr to Jul 2007 (Re-issue), Cat. No. 6361.0, ABS, Canberra, p.16. 4 APRA 2011 and APRA 2006, APRA June 2006 Quarterly Superannuation Performance, 28 September 2006 (see table 'Key statistics', p.7), APRA June 2010 Quarterly Superannuation Performance, 9 September 2010 (see table 'Key statistics', p.7). 5 In 2006 Government announced major reforms known as Superannuation Simplification which included a suite of measures aimed to simplify complexities faced by retirees, improve retirement incomes and provide greater flexibility. 6 APRA 2010, APRA September 2010 Quarterly Superannuation Performance, 9 December 2010, (see table 'Financial Performance - Trends', p.28). 7 ATO 2010, Self-managed super fund statistical report, December 2010. 8 Based on 2009 SAR lodged data. 9 Based on 2009 SAR lodged data and ABR data. 10 Based on 2008 SAR lodged data. 11 Based on 2009 SAR lodged data. 12 ATO 2010, Self-managed super fund statistical report, December 2010. 13 Based on 2009 SAR lodged data. 14 Age ranges used as per ATO 2010, Self-managed super fund statistical report, for comparison purposes. 15 ATO 2010, Self-managed super fund statistical report, June 2010. 16 Age ranges used as produced in the APRA Annual Superannuation Bulletin, for comparison between members of SMSF and members of non-SMSF funds. 17 APRA 2009, Annual Superannuation Bulletin, APRA statistics, 10 February 2010. 18 APRA 2009, Annual Superannuation Bulletin, APRA statistics 2010 (Table 11, pg 39). 19 Based on 2009 SAR lodgments. 20 Calculations based on SMSF 2007 return and 2008 and 2009 SAR reported data. 21 APRA 2009, Annual Superannuation Bulletin, APRA statistics, June 2010. 22 Calculations based on 2007 SMSF return and 2008 and 2009 SAR reported data. 23 As reported on the 2009 SAR lodgments. 24 As per ATO ACR data as at June 2010. Last Modified: Thursday, 7)
Like. Thinking about self-managed super. Setting up an SMSF. Managing your fund's investments You need to manage your fund's investments in the best interests of fund members and in accordance with the law. Your investments must be separate from the personal and business affairs of fund members, including yourself. Accepting contributions You can accept money contributions for your members from various sources but there are some restrictions, mostly depending on the member's age and whether they've exceeded the contribution caps. Generally you can't accept an asset as a contribution from a member, though there are some exceptions. Reporting, record keeping and administration As a trustee you'll have a number of administrative obligations - for example, you'll need to arrange an annual audit of your fund, keep appropriate records and report to us on the fund's operation. Accessing your super Accessing the super in your SMSF to pay benefits is generally only allowed when a member reaches what's called their 'preservation age' and meets one of the specified conditions of release - for example, they retire. There are very limited circumstances, such as death or terminal illness, where a member's super can be accessed before this. There are significant penalties for unlawfully releasing super benefits. Understanding tax and SMSFs The income of your SMSF is generally taxed at a concessional rate of 15%. To be entitled to this rate your fund has to be a 'complying fund' that follows the laws and rules for SMSFs. Winding up an SMSF At some point you may need to wind up your SMSF. This could happen if all the members and trustees have left the SMSF or all the benefits have been paid out of the fund. Self-managed super funds - home Overview Accepting contributions and rollovers Reporting, record keeping and administration Managing your own super is a big responsibility. There are strict rules that govern how you can use a self-managed super fund (SMSF), how you can invest your money and when you can get at it. Before deciding whether to manage your own super, think about the following. Consider your options and seek professional advice If you're not confident you can get a better result from an SMSF, you may be better off with a different type of fund. Make sure you have enough assets, time and skills To establish a competitive fund you need considerable super savings available to invest and be willing to put your own effort into managing the fund. At times you might need to consult with professionals and advisers, which adds to the cost of managing your fund. Understand the risks and laws All ﬁnancial decisions carry risk, so it's important to think carefully about your investment options to balance the level of risk against the level of ﬁnancial return. You also need to be sure your super investments are legal. For more information, refer to Thinking about self-managed super. If you set up an SMSF, you're in charge - you make your own investment decisions and you're responsible for complying with the law. Or you can put your super in a large super fund where it's pooled with the super of other members and professionally managed by the trustees of the fund. Most people invest their super this way. It's an important decision and the best approach for you depends on your personal situation, so we recommend you see a qualiﬁed and licensed professional to help you decide. Financial advisers, tax agents and accountants can help you understand what's involved and advise on the best option. If you decide to set up an SMSF, make sure it's for the right reason: saving for your retirement. Don't set up an SMSF to try to get early access to your super, or to buy a holiday home or artworks to decorate your house. These things generally don't comply with super law, and schemes to get early access to super are usually illegal and fraudulent. You'll need the money, time and skills to: As a trustee of an SMSF, your main responsibility is to ensure you've invested your fund's money appropriately, so ask yourself: If you're not conﬁdent you can get a better result, you may be better off leaving it to super professionals. Costs of setting up and running an SMSF To establish a viable SMSF that's competitive with large funds you'll need around $200,000 in super savings. Your ongoing costs will be around $2,000 to run a median-sized fund each year, including $180 each year for an annual supervisory levy. If you set or join an SMSF, you'll also need to have adequate life insurance in case you die or you're unable to work because of an illness or accident. There can be a big variation in the cost of setting up and running a fund. It depends on the cost of the professional accounting services you use and the cost of tax, audit and legal advice you obtain to run the fund. Life insurance can also be expensive compared to the large funds: they buy group policies that enable them to offer life insurance beneﬁts (for illness or accident) at relatively low cost. Think carefully about your investment options and how to manage the associated risks. You need to consider: Avoid risking all your retirement savings in one or a few investments. By spreading your investments (diversifying) you can help control the total risk of your investment portfolio. Super funds, including SMSFs, receive signiﬁcant tax concessions as an incentive for members to save for their retirement. However, you need to follow the tax and super laws to receive these concessions. If you decide to set up an SMSF, you're legally responsible for all the decisions made, even if you get professional advice. When you set up an SMSF you become a trustee (or the director of a company that is a trustee). What it means to be a trustee A trustee is responsible for running the fund and acting in the best interests of the members. As a trustee you need to manage the fund and its investments separately from your own affairs. How your SMSF is regulated We administer the relevant super laws for SMSFs, work with you to help you meet your obligations and verify compliance, but we don't provide financial or investment advice. Laws, rules and consequences You're also responsible for running the fund according to its trust deed and the super laws. If you don't, the tax concessions that normally apply to your super may be affected and you may face penalties. Your fund must be run for the sole purpose of providing retirement benefits for the members. Steps to setting up an SMSF Your SMSF needs to be set up correctly so that it's eligible for tax concessions, can pay benefits and is as easy as possible to administer. Here are the steps to setting up your fund: For more information, refer to: When you set up an SMSF, you take on the role of either a:. We expect you to: All trustees and directors are equally responsible for managing the fund and making decisions - even if one takes a more active role in its day-to-day running. For more information, refer to Setting up a self-managed super fund (NAT 71923). The. As an SMSF trustee, you must act according to your fund's trust deed and the super and tax laws. If there's a conﬂict between the super laws and the trust deed, the law overrides the trust deed. At the heart of the super laws is a principle called the 'sole purpose test'. This means your fund needs to be maintained for the sole purpose of providing retirement benefits to, we regulate SMSFs to ensure they comply with the super law. Failing to comply is known as a contravention of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (SISA) or Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994 (SISR). Our aim is to improve compliance and help you manage your SMSF. We do this through education, fund reviews and client services. Where we find that you're genuinely making an effort to meet your obligations, we'll work with you to rectify any breaches. Early access to super is illegal Schemes that try to get your super money out of existing funds early are illegal and fraudulent. If you participate in one of these schemes you risk of having to pay heavy tax and legal penalties. You also won't be eligible for any compensation under super law if your super fund suffers from fraudulent conduct or theft. Consequences of failing to comply If you fail to perform your duties according to the laws, the tax concessions that normally apply to your super may be affected and you may face penalties. We will take a firm approach with you if you fail to make a genuine effort to comply, or if you set out to deliberately avoid meeting your legal obligations. Depending on the severity of the breach, we may: If we consider that the assets of your fund are at risk, we can take action to protect them. This may include: It's a good idea to use SMSF professionals to help you. For example: Many SMSF professionals also offer packages or kits to make the process easier. If you buy a package or kit, make sure the trust deed complies with the latest changes to the law and is specific to your fund, its objectives and the members' circumstances. If you use an SMSF professional to help you set up your fund, you're still responsible for making sure it's done correctly. For more information, refer to Running a self-managed super fund (NAT 11032). You can check: You can choose one of the following structures for your fund: Your choice of trustee will make a difference to the way you administer your fund and the types of benefits it can pay, so you need to make sure it suits your circumstances. We recommend you discuss your trustee options with an SMSF professional. If your fund has individual trustees, it's an SMSF if all of the following apply: If your fund has a corporate trustee, it's an SMSF if all of the following apply: Single member funds It's possible for you to set up your fund with only one member. If you have a corporate trustee for a single member fund: You can also have two individuals as trustees. One trustee needs to be the member and the other needs to be either:: Generally, members under 18 years of age can't be trustees of a super fund. A parent or guardian can be a trustee for a member who's under 18 years of age and does not have a legal personal representative. A company can't be a trustee if: Penalties can apply if you act as a trustee while disqualified. 'Australian superannuation fund'. For more information, refer to Residency of self-managed super funds.. For more information, refer to Setting up a self-managed super fund (NAT 71923).. For more information about trustee declarations or to obtain one, refer to Trustee declaration (NAT 71089). When a member joins your fund, record their TFN. You'll need to provide each trustee's or director's TFN when you register the fund with us. If a member hasn't quoted their TFN: For more information about TFNs and how we tax contributions, refer to Running a self-managed super fund (NAT 11032).. The fund's bank account needs to be kept separate from each of the trustees' individual bank accounts and any related employers' bank accounts. Once your fund is legally established and all trustees have signed a trustee declaration, you need to register your fund with us. When registering your fund, you can: You can register: Electing for your fund to be regulated For your fund to be a complying fund and receive tax concessions, you need to elect for it to be regulated and comply with the super laws. Non-regulated funds aren't entitled to tax concessions, and the members' employers (and the members who are self-employed) can't claim deductions for contributions they make to the fund. You need to make the election within 60 days of establishing your SMSF (generally your fund is established once the trust deed has been signed and the first contribution is made). Getting a TFN and ABN We allocate a tax file number (TFN) and Australian business number (ABN) to all funds that register with us. Once we've given you an ABN, we place some of your fund's details on the Australian Business Register. Funds with an ABN are also included on Super Fund Lookup. Other super funds can use Super Fund Lookup to check whether your fund is a complying fund for transferring super benefits. Your details may not appear on Super Fund Lookup for up to seven days while we undertake registration checks. Other super funds will not transfer super benefits while your fund's details are not on Super Fund Lookup. Illegal early release Early access to super is illegal. A newly registered SMSF will not automatically show as a complying fund in Super Fund Lookup. Instead it will show a status of 'Registered - status not determined'. This status indicates that the fund has not been operational for long and has not provided enough information for the ATO to determine its compliance status. Such a fund has not been issued with a notice of compliance (NOC) as it has not yet lodged its first SMSF annual tax return. This means additional checks will need to occur before any APRA-regulated fund will process a rollover benefit payment to an SMSF with this status. Registering for GST You need to register the fund for goods and services tax (GST) if its annual GST turnover is more than $75,000. Your fund needs to have an ABN to register for GST. Most SMSFs don't have to register for GST because SMSFs mainly make input-taxed sales, and these don't count towards your GST turnover. See Goods and services tax for more information. We regulate SMSFs. All other funds are regulated by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). For more information about our role and how we work with you and others to regulate your fund, refer to How your self-managed super fund is regulated (NAT 714. One of your key responsibilities as a trustee is managing your fund's investments. Your investment decisions should be designed to protect and increase your members' benefits for retirement. Your investment strategy You invest according to your written investment strategy. This sets out your fund's investment objectives and how you plan to achieve them. It takes into account the personal circumstances of all the fund members, including their age and risk tolerance., 'arm's length' basis and don't buy assets from, or lend money to, fund members (or other related parties). Generally, your fund can't borrow money. Ownership and protection of assets You need to manage your fund's investments separately from the personal or business investments of members, including yourself. This includes ensuring that the fund has clear ownership of its investment assets. The sole purpose test The fund's investments are for the sole purpose of providing retirement benefits to members - there can't be any pre-retirement benefits to members or related parties (such as letting members use an investment asset). Investing in collectables and personal use assets From 1 July 2011, all collectables and personal use assets purchased by SMSFs will have to comply with tightened legislative standards. The ATO checks that you manage your investments in accordance with the super laws and will help you understand your responsibilities, but we don't provide financial or investment advice. For more information: When preparing your investment strategy, you need to consider: While the super laws don't tell you what you can and can't invest in, they do set out certain investment restrictions you need to comply with. Make your investments on a commercial, 'arm's length' basis and don't buy assets from, or lend money to, fund members (or other related parties). Any time your SMSF makes an investment, it needs to be made and maintained on a strict commercial basis. This is referred to as an 'arm's length investment'. The purchase and sale price of fund assets should always reﬂect a true market value for the asset, and the income from assets held by your fund should always reﬂect a true market rate of return. Unless an exception applies, trustees generally can't: The investment restrictions are some of the most important rules you need to comply with under the super laws. If you don't, we may impose significant penalties. We recommend you speak to an SMSF professional to make sure your investments comply with the law. For more information about the investment rules, including the limited exceptions under the super laws, refer to Running a self-managed super fund (NAT 11032). One of your trustee responsibilities is to ensure the assets of the fund are protected. To protect fund assets in the event of a creditor dispute, and prevent costly legal action to prove who owns them, assets should be recorded in a way that: Fund assets (other than money) should be held in the name of either: The assets can't be held in the name of a trustee or member as an individual. Your SMSF needs to meet the sole purpose test to be eligible for the tax concessions normally available to super funds. This means your fund needs to be maintained for the sole purpose of providing retirement benefits to your members, or to their dependants if a member dies before retirement. If you or any party directly or indirectly obtain a financial benefit when making investment decisions and arrangements (other than increasing the return to your fund), it's likely your fund will not meet the sole purpose test. When investing in collectables such as art or wine, you need to make sure that SMSF members don't have use of, or access to, the assets of the SMSF. The most common breaches of the sole purpose test are: Tightened legislative standards apply to SMSFs investing in collectables and personal use assets. This is to ensure SMSF investments do not give rise to a current day benefit and that such investments are made for genuine retirement purposes. These standards apply to all new investments from 1 July 2011, with all existing holdings of collectables and personal use assets to comply with these standards or be disposed of by 1 July 2016. Contravening the sole purpose test is very serious and may lead to trustees facing civil and criminal penalties (in addition to the fund losing its concessional tax treatment). For more information on the new legislative standards, refer to New regulations for self-managed super fund investments. For more information about the investment rules, including the limited exceptions under the super laws, refer to Running a self-managed super fund (NAT 11032). A contribution is a payment made to your fund in the form of money or an asset other than money (called an 'in specie' contribution). Provided the governing rules of your fund allow it, your SMSF can generally accept: You need to properly document contributions and rollovers - including the amount, type and breakdown of components - and allocate them to the fund members' accounts within 28 days of the end of the month in which you received them. Allowable contributions There are minimum standards for accepting contributions. This is to ensure contributions are made for retirement purposes only. Whether a contribution is allowable depends on: These are minimum standards - the trust deed of your fund may have more rules around accepting contributions. In specie contributions In specie contributions are contributions to your fund in the form of an asset, rather than money or cash. Generally, you can't intentionally acquire assets (including in specie contributions) from related parties of your fund. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, such as listed securities and business real property acquired at market value. Rollovers and transfers A rollover is when a member transfers some or all of their existing super to your fund. For more information refer to Running a self-managed super fund (NAT 11032). There are two broad types of contributions - mandated employer contributions and non-mandated contributions. The amount of contributions made for a member is subject to contributions caps. Mandated employer contributions Mandated employer contributions are those made by an employer under a law or an industrial agreement for the benefit of a fund member. They include super guarantee contributions. You can accept mandated employer contributions for members at any time, regardless of their age or the number of hours they're working at that time. Non-mandated contributions Non-mandated contributions include: Whether you can accept a non-mandated contribution depends on the member's age and circumstances. For example, for members under 65 years of age, you can generally accept all types of contributions (subject to the relevant contribution caps), but for members 75 and over you can't accept any non-mandated contributions. For some types of contributions you can only accept the contribution if the member quotes their tax file number (TFN). Contribution caps Contribution caps apply to contributions made for a fund member in a financial year. Contributions that are within the caps generally receive significant tax concessions. There are different caps for: The caps are indexed annually. The contribution caps are listed in Key superannuation rates and thresholds. For more information about contribution caps and allowable contributions, refer to Running a self-managed super fund (NAT 11032). In specie contributions are contributions to your fund in the form of an asset, rather than money or cash. Generally, you can't intentionally acquire assets (including in specie contributions) from related parties of your fund. However, there are some significant exceptions to this rule, including: For more information about acquiring assets from related parties, see Managing your fund's investments. A member's super benefits can generally be rolled over or transferred within the super system with their consent. If you accept a rollover of benefits from another super fund, that fund can ask you to show that your fund is a complying fund before processing your request. For a current listing of regulated complying super funds, visit Super Fund Lookup at For more information about the reporting requirements for rolling over or transferring benefits, see Paying benefits to members. Employment termination payments Most employment termination payments (previously known as eligible termination payments) can no longer be rolled over into super. However, some transitional arrangements apply. Generally, transitional termination payments are employment termination payments received after 1 July 2007 that an employee was entitled to receive in an employment contract that existed before 10 May 2006. Transitional termination payments need to be made before 1 July 2012 and can be contributed or rolled over into a super fund. As a trustee of your SMSF you need to: As a trustee of an SMSF, you're required to appoint an approved, independent auditor to audit your fund each year, at least 30 days before the auditor must give a report to the trustee. The auditor report must be given to the trustee by the day before the fund is required to lodge its SMSF annual return. Your auditor is required to: You should appoint your auditor early to allow enough time to do the audit and lodge the SMSF annual return on time. An audit is still required even if no contributions or payments were made in that income year. Before an auditor can start to audit, you or your SMSF professional need to prepare information about your accounts and transactions for the previous financial year. This information is then sent to the approved auditor. All SMSFs need to lodge an SMSF annual return with us each year, in order to: The lodgment and (where applicable) payment dates are: You can't lodge the SMSF annual return until the audit of your SMSF has been finalised, as information from the audit report is required to complete the regulatory information in the return. Failure to lodge your SMSF annual return by the due date can result in penalties and the loss of your SMSF's tax concessions. To download the SMSF annual return (NAT 71226) and instructions (NAT 71606), refer to Self-managed superannuation fund annual return. Newly registered self-managed super funds If your fund is newly registered but has not begun operating, you may not have to lodge an annual return or pay the supervisory levy of $180. You can ask us to cancel the ABN, which can be re-registered when the fund has assets that are set aside for the benefit of members. If the fund has now received a contribution or a rollover amount, you can notify us in writing or by fax on 1300 550 356 advising us that the SMSF: Write to us at: Australian Taxation Office PO Box 1128 Penrith NSW 2740 Amending your SMSF annual return To amend any part of your SMSF annual return, you need to lodge a complete amended return: You can't request amendments via written correspondence or by using the form Request for amendment of income tax return lodged by tax professionals (NAT 71837). The SMSF annual return is more than an income tax return. You also provide important regulatory information and contributions information about each member. This information is inter-related - changing one label on the form is likely to require labels in other sections of the form to be amended too. For this reason we need you to always complete the form in full, not just the parts you want to amend, and provide contributions information for all members, not just the member whose contributions you need to change. For example, suppose an SMSF annual return overstates the employer contributions reported for one of its two members by $1,000 due to an arithmetic error made when preparing the return. To correct the error a new annual return is lodged reporting all information as previously reported, but with amendments to: You can obtain a paper version of the SMSF annual return (NAT 71226) by: When rolling over benefits and current year contributions, you need to complete a Rollover benefits statement (NAT 70944) and provide copies to the receiving fund (or funds) and the member whose benefits are being rolled over. The Rollover benefits statement allows the receiving fund to: You need to check that the rollover is to a complying fund. You can download a copy of the Rollover benefits statement (NAT 70944) and the accompanying instructions How to complete a rollover benefits statement (NAT 70945). You can check whether the receiving fund is a regulated complying super fund using Super Fund Lookup at One of your responsibilities as a trustee of an SMSF is to keep proper and accurate tax and super records to manage your fund efficiently. It's a good idea to take minutes of all investment decisions, including: If, as one of the fund's trustees, you invest the SMSF's money in an investment that fails, the other trustees could take action against you for failing to be diligent in your duties. However, if your investment decision was recorded in meeting minutes that were signed by the other trustees, you will have a record to show the other trustees agreed with your actions. You need to make certain records available to your fund's approved auditor when they audit your fund each year. You may also need to provide accurate records to the ATO if we ask to see them. You need to keep the following records for a minimum of five years: You need to keep the following records for a minimum of 10 years: Don't forget that income tax record-keeping requirements also need your attention - especially documents on deductions, capital gains tax and losses. As a trustee of an SMSF, you need to notify us within 28 days if there is a change in: You also need to notify us within 28 days if the fund is being wound up. To tell us about changes to your SMSF, either: You can't use the SMSF annual return to tell us about a change in the structure of your SMSF. The super in your fund is intended for your members' retirement and generally can't be accessed until then. Preserved and non-preserved benefits Most of the super held in your fund will be in the form of preserved benefits. These must be preserved in the fund until the law and your fund's trust deed allows them to be paid. Preservation age Preservation age is generally the age that a person can access their super benefits. permit early access to super benefits before a member reaches their preservation age, but these occur only in limited circumstances, such as terminal illness or permanent incapacity. Paying benefits Payment of benefits is usually as a lump sum or an income stream (that is, a pension). If a benefit is unlawfully released, the ATO may apply significant penalties to you, your SMSF and the recipient of the early release. All contributions made by or on behalf of a member, and all earnings for the period after 30 June 1999, are preserved benefits. Employer eligible termination payments (before 1 July 2007) rolled over into a super fund are also preserved benefits. Preserved benefits may be cashed voluntarily only if a condition of release is met and then subject to any cashing restrictions imposed by the super laws. Cashing restrictions tell you what form the benefits need to be taken in. There are two other types of benefits: Preservation age is generally the age that you can access your super benefits. A person's preservation age depends on their date of birth, as set out in the following table. Several of the conditions of release require that the member has reached their preservation age. Conditions of release are the events your member needs to satisfy to withdraw benefits from their super fund. The conditions of release are also subject to the rules of your SMSF (as set out in the trust deed). It's possible that a benefit may be payable under the super laws, but can't be paid under the rules of your SMSF. The most common conditions of release for paying out benefits are: There are a number of other circumstances in which benefits can be released, such as incapacity, severe financial hardship, temporary residents leaving Australia, terminal illness or injury, and terminating gainful employment. Some of these permit early access to benefits before reaching preservation age. There are specific rules for each of these and some have restrictions on the way the benefits can be cashed. Generally, rollovers or transfers to other super funds don't require a condition of release to be satisfied, subject to the governing rules of your SMSF. However, money rolled over from an employer into a super fund (before 1 July 2007) is preserved and can generally be cashed once the member reaches preservation age and meets a condition of release. Early access or release of preserved benefits and restricted non-preserved benefits is permitted in very limited circumstances and may include: For information about releasing super early under severe financial hardship, on compassionate grounds, permanent or temporary incapacity or due to a terminal medical condition, contact your super fund first. You can also refer to Conditions of release to access your super before retirement (including natural disasters). For more information about APRA and early-release applications: Trustees should consider their obligations when allowing/considering early access such as: Setting up or using an SMSF to gain improper early access to super is illegal. If a benefit is unlawfully released, the ATO may apply significant penalties to you, your SMSF and the recipient of the early release. Beware of promoters who claim they can help you access your retirement benefits, such as for buying a house, car or a holiday or for solving your financial problems. These schemes are illegal and there are severe penalties if you access your super before you're legally entitled to. For more information, refer to Running a self-managed super fund (NAT 11032). For more detailed information about access to benefits on compassionate grounds contact the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) Infoline on 1300 131 060. Benefits from a super fund may generally be paid as a lump sum, income stream (pension) or annuity, provided the member has satisfied a condition of release (for example, retirement). When paying benefits you may have administrative obligations such as withholding tax or obtaining an actuary's certificate. Income streams Income streams need to be either account-based or non account-based. Account-based income streams have the following general characteristics: A new account-based transition to retirement income stream may be started on or after 1 July 2007. These income streams need to meet the standards of ordinary account-based income streams but are also required to have a maximum annual payment limit of 10% of the account balance. Commutations of these pensions can't be taken in cash except in limited circumstances. Non account-based income streams have the following general characteristics: Before starting to pay any income stream, we recommend that you seek the advice of a professional such as an accountant, financial planner or actuary. PAYG withholding and administrative obligations You may have to withhold tax from benefit payments. This happens if the payment is to a member less than 60 years of age, or to a member 60 years of age or more and the benefit is from an untaxed source. If you have to withhold tax from a benefit payment to a member, you need to: You don't need to provide a payment summary if the payment is a lump sum because the member has a terminal illness or injury. If you're paying income streams to members, you can claim a tax exemption for fund income that is related to paying the fund's current pension liabilities. To do this you may need a certificate from an actuary to work out the amount of exempt income from assets that support the pension payments. SMSFs are subject to income tax but receive concessional treatment, provided they are complying funds. A complying SMSF's assessable income is generally taxed at a rate of 15%, while for a non-complying fund the rate is 45%. The most common types of assessable income for complying SMSFs are: However, certain types of SMSF income are taxed at different rates:. Certain contributions received by a complying SMSF are included in its assessable income and are usually taxed as part of the SMSF's income at 15%. These 'assessable contributions' include:. For more information, refer to Self-managed super funds and tax exemptions on pension assets. Your SMSF's assessable income includes any net capital gains, under the capital gains tax (CGT) provisions. A net capital gain is: Complying SMSFs are entitled to a CGT discount of one-third, if the relevant asset was. For more information, refer to Capital gains tax essentials. Member assets A member may decide to sell an asset to generate cash to make contributions to your super fund, or contribute assets rather than cash to your super fund - known as an 'in specie' contribution. In either situation, the member will trigger a capital gains tax (CGT) event when they sell or transfer the asset. This means the member may have to pay CGT. Non-arm's length income is taxed at 45%. SMSFs are required to invest on a commercial, 'arm's length' basis. The purchase and sale price of fund assets should always reflect a true market value for the asset, and the income from assets held by your fund should always reflect a true market rate of return. SMSFs generally can't: Broadly, an amount of ordinary income or statutory income is non-arm's length income of a complying SMSF if: Like other taxpayer entities, a complying SMSF is entitled to deduct from its assessable income any losses or outgoings that are: Expenses that a complying SMSF can deduct include: Losses and outgoings relating to exempt current pension income are generally not deductible because they are incurred in earning exempt income. If you carry on an enterprise, you must register for GST if your GST turnover is $75,000 or more. However, most SMSFs don't have to register for GST because most SMSFs mainly make input-taxed supplies, which don't count towards your GST turnover. Input taxed supplies include financial supplies and supplies of residential premises by way of rent or sale. However, you may choose to register for GST. In deciding whether to register voluntarily, you should consider: Your SMSF must register for GST if it makes supplies, other than input-taxed supplies, that exceed the GST turnover of $75,000. For more information, refer to GST and financial supplies for self managed super funds. To wind up your SMSF you need to: There are a number of reasons why you might need to wind up your SMSF: In some cases you'll be able to pay beneﬁts to members when you wind up your SMSF. In other cases the members won't be able to, or won't want to, take their beneﬁts so you'll need to roll them over to another super fund. Once the fund is wound up, it can't be reactivated. For more information, refer to Winding up a self-managed super fund (NAT 8107). You need to let us know within 28 days of the fund being wound up. You need to do this in writing and include: Send your letter to: Australian Taxation Ofﬁce PO Box 3578 ALBURY NSW 2640 You need to make sure that: If you've wound up your fund and haven't met a condition of release, you can't access your super. Your super needs to be rolled over into another complying super fund. There are serious penalties for using your super before you are legally allowed. There may be capital gains tax implications on the disposal of assets when you are paying benefits or rolling over benefits to another fund. For more information, refer to Capital gains tax essentials. When winding up your fund you still need to have an audit completed before you can lodge your annual return. You need to lodge your SMSF annual return and complete all labels at item 9, 'Was the fund wound up during the income year?' You must also ﬁnalise payment of any outstanding tax liabilities at this time and lodge any outstanding returns from previous years. For more information, refer to Self managed superannuation fund annual return instructions (NAT 71606). If you need to lodge a return for any year before 2008, call us on 13 10 20 for help. It's important to wind up your fund correctly. If you don't lodge the required reports it's likely our compliance team will contact you to do so. If you fail to carry out these responsibilities, you may be selected for further compliance activities. You may also be subject to penalties. Conﬁrmation of your wound up fund To conﬁrm that you've met all of your tax responsibilities, we'll send you a letter stating that we have: Don't close your SMSF bank accounts until you've received this confirmation from us - otherwise you won't be able to bank any refund you're entitled to. Last Modified: Thursday, 28)
AT&T Survey: Businesses in Canada's Commercial Capital Place High Priority on Disaster Preparedness and Recovery AT&T Business Continuity Study Reveals Local Businesses Are Prepared For Unexpected Disaster, Proactively Investing in Security Toronto, Canada, May 02, 2012 As one of Canada’s primary commercial centres, Toronto requires increasingly complex network infrastructure for its major industries, which include finance, telecommunications, education, and medical research. To ensure that these services continue uninterrupted, IT executives in the city must be prepared for diverse threats like extreme weather, ‘virtual’ events like security breaches and power outages – the effects of which still resonate with local businesses that lost power in the Northeast Blackout of 2003. A recent AT&T study indicates that a vast majority (85%) of Toronto-area companies have developed business continuity plans to help identify, prevent and respond to adverse conditions, a third of whom are saying it has become a priority in recent years due to natural disasters and security issues. The survey shows that this level of preparedness has extended beyond theoretical threats for a plurality (44%) of companies who have had to invoke their business continuity plans in the past year. Despite a volatile economy, businesses continue to invest in new technologies. Six out of ten (59%) Toronto executives surveyed indicate that in 2012 their companies will make strategic investments in areas like mobile applications (37%), cloud computing (35%) and security solutions (27%). Cloud computing has become a particular focus – a majority (57%) of executives are either currently using cloud or considering using it as part of their business continuity strategy. When it comes to disaster recovery, executives would most frequently use cloud computing for data storage (40%) and Web servers (37%). AT&T recognizes the risks associated with unexpected external threats and offers a wide array of business continuity services, encompassing disaster planning, risk management, recovery preparedness and communications readiness. In times of severe network damage that exceeds the capacity of local resources, AT&T deploys its Network Disaster Recovery (NDR) team that can rapidly recover vital networks services in an effort that would otherwise take weeks or months. “Today’s businesses are more connected than ever and it is essential that communities and leading organizations continue to prepare for and establish a response to these unexpected situations,” said Kelly Morrison, Senior Technical Specialist, AT&T NDR. “AT&T responds to these threats to help restore vital telecommunications services for our business and government customers following a disaster.” For the first time since 1997, AT&T will be conducting a full-scale NDR simulation from May 4 through May 7 at Toronto’s Canadian National Exhibition Grounds. Held several times a year throughout North America, these NDR exercises simulate the loss of a network office due to disaster and are designed to test, refine and strengthen AT&T’s business continuity and disaster recovery services in order to minimize network downtime. Business Continuity Study Key Findings AT&T’s 2012 Business Continuity Study found that businesses in the Greater Toronto Area are preparing for potential disasters and investing in additional technology: - The vast majority (85%) of local companies surveyed already have a business continuity plan in place. - Six out of ten (60%) have tested their continuity plan in the last 12 months. - A plurality (44%) has invoked their business plan in the last 12 months. - More than two thirds (69%) suggest they implement specific protective actions when the federal or provincial government issues an alert for an impending disaster. - Eighty five per cent (85%) indicate the complexity of network infrastructure is increasing. - Nearly eight out of ten (79%) report their IT budgets will be higher in 2012 than in the previous two years. - A majority (52%) indicate cloud computing is currently part of their corporate infrastructure. For more information on the 2012 AT&T Business Continuity Study, including complete research results visit Study methodology The results are based on an online survey of 100 Information Technology (IT) executives in Toronto, Canada. The study was conducted by Research Now with companies having total revenues of more than $25 million (except for government entities). Surveys were obtained between March 15 and 23, 2012. AT&T NDR Program This week’s NDR exercise at the Canadian National Exhibition Grounds in Toronto includes an extensive deployment of AT&T’s network recovery equipment. The exercise tests and refines the team’s speed and efficiency in restoring wireline and wireless network operations in the event of an actual disaster. Essential to AT&T’s own comprehensive business continuity plan, the Toronto NDR exercise features the following disaster recovery equipment: a total of 24 pieces of disaster recovery equipment, including: - Three technology recovery trailers - A portable, satellite communications system used for first-in, emergency communications - A 53’ incident command/team support trailer This exercise marks AT&T’s second exercise in the Greater Toronto Area; the last local exercise was held in 1997..
2012 Toyota Sequoia 11 different trims available - MSRP - $40,930 to $61,805 Calculate Payment - MPG - 14 City - 20 Hwy 2012 Toyota Sequoia Summary People who viewed the Toyota Sequoia also viewed: The 2012 Toyota Sequoia is a 4-door, 7-seat Sport Utility, available in 11 trims, ranging from the SR5 4.6L 4x2 to the Platinum 5.7L w/FFV 4x4. Upon introduction, the $40,930 SR5 4.6L 4x2 is equipped with a standard 4.6L, 8-cylinder, engine that achieves 14-mpg in the city and 20-mpg on the highway. an Automatic transmission is standard. The $61,805 Platinum 5.7L w/FFV 4x4 is equipped with a standard 5.7L, 8-cylinder, engine that achieves 13-mpg in the city and 17-mpg on the highway. an Automatic transmission is standard. View data about 2012 Toyota Sequoia vehicles online at Autobytel.com Browse automobiles for sale and find the 2012 Toyota Sequoia of your dreams. Autobytel.com has multiple tools to help guide you through the car buying process. Review data on MSRP, security features, extras, and optional additions. 2012 Toyota Sequoia, you can get a variety of information online for free from Autobytel.com. Get a brief account on the 2012 Toyota Sequoia, see feedback from qualified auto reviewers, and see owner feedback. A savvy consumer will make sure to do diligent research before they even step foot on a car dealership lot. 2012 Toyota Sequoia. See the list price, number of miles on the car and comparable price on other similar vehicles. 2012 Toyota Sequoia overview page you can see a myriad of useful tools. See some great pics of 2012 Toyota Sequoia automobiles from all angles. These interior and exterior pictures are compiled from stock images commissioned by the automobile manufacturer, spy shots, and auto show pics. Browse the by trim level and see the MSRP on various 2012 Toyota Sequoia vehicles. When looking to buy a car; be sure to check-out the different models offered. Find and compare the options and features offered on each trim. These are comprised of information about body styles, packages, and additional equipment. See exactly what kind of equipment comes standard on 2012 Toyota Sequoia Toyota Sequoia autos. Take advantage of the multiple gadgets built into every page when looking for a 2012 Toyota Sequoia on the Autobytel.com website.. Be sure to research and take advantage of these deals if you plan to buy a 2012 Toyota Sequoia as it will save you money in the end. Finally get auto loan financing or see your credit score for free at the Autobytel.com website. Advertisement Advertisement
Lender's mistake lets store founder off the hook A Wisconsin bank can't collect on a dealership co-founder's $3 million personal guaranty even though the dealership defaulted on floorplan and real estate loans, a Wisconsin Court of Appeals panel has ruled. Mid-Wisconsin Bank can't enforce the guaranty because it didn't obtain a first-lien position on the assets subject to the loans as promised, the three-member panel ruled. The unanimous decision clears Richard Smith, co-founder and a shareholder of the now closed dealership, of potential liability. In 2005, Smith Brothers Ford Inc. in Mosinee, Wis., needed refinancing. Its lender had declared the store in default after discovering that collateral had been double-financed. Smith applied to Mid-Wisconsin Bank to refinance its obligations. After a loan appraisal, Mid-Wisconsin approved more than $9 million in refinancing, with inventory and real estate as collateral and a $3 million guaranty signed by Smith. At the time, the bank's commercial loan officer told Smith and his son, the company president, that the bank would obtain first-lien position on the dealership's collateral by paying off a prior loan from Advantage Community Bank. Later, however, it was discovered that Advantage was still in first position on the collateral with $1.7 million in loans. Mid-Wisconsin's loan officer claimed that his failure to obtain the first-lien position was an oversight. Even so, he was terminated for negligence. After Smith Brothers Ford defaulted on Mid-Wisconsin's loans, the bank sued Smith to recover on his guaranty. A Marathon County Circuit Court judge ruled against the bank and rescinded the guaranty. In affirming that decision, the appeals court said the bank "concedes its agent falsely represented that Mid-Wisconsin would obtain first priority on the business collateral" and that Smith stated under oath that "he would never have agreed to the guaranty if Mid-Wisconsin had not assured him it would obtain first position on the business collateral." The court said Smith was entitled to rely on the loan officer's statement and that "the misrepresentation dramatically altered Smith's calculation of the transaction's risk." Smith's lawyer, Randall Nesbitt of Sturgeon Bay, Wis., said the decision means that a lender's "failure to act aboveboard is going to release guarantors from their obligations." The bank did not appeal further, and the time to appeal has expired, according to the bank's lawyer, Mark Sauer of Wausau, Wis. Sauer also said the appeal didn't affect a $4 million-plus jury award the bank won against Smith's son, company president, and Smith's daughter, company principal, for intentional misrepresentation and conspiracy. The time to appeal has passed, Sauer said, adding that the award still hasn't been paid. Outcome: Appeals court says no, citing the bank's failure to secure a first-lien position on the store's collateral. You can reach Eric Freedman at [email protected].
If you own a vintage vehicle, chances are the original windshield has seen better days. Years of use and abuse, especially from worn wipers, have taken a toll on it by forming scratches in an otherwise perfectly good windshield. But how do you resolve the problem? You could change the windshield. This sounds great until you laundry list the pros and cons. Changing it will yield a nice clear windshield. But in doing so, you’ve replaced a windshield that might have very important factory markings. It will also require the weatherstripping to be replaced, and chances are if you car doesn’t have a water leak now, there’s a good chance it will after the windshield is replaced. There’s an additional concern on early Mustangs due to the design of the headliner, which wraps around the upper windshield flange. The weatherstrip surrounds the flange. If the headliner is original, it’s more than likely brittle and any disruption around it could tear the headliner. Lastly, there aren’t many windshield replacement shops that regularly change 45-year-old windshields. Many are unfamiliar with molding removal so in addition to buying a new windshield and weatherstrip, you might wind up buying new windshield moldings. The bottom line is that replacing a windshield is an expensive way to get rid of scratches. An excellent alternative is to use Eastwood Products’ Glass Polishing Kit. The kit is designed to remove years of wiper haze and minor scratches from glass. Keep in mind it won’t remove deep scratches. A deep scratch is identified as one that will catch your fingernail. If the scratches aren’t deep, then the glass polishing kit is the way to go. The great thing about it is the cost is minimal and using it avoids the pitfalls of replacing a windshield. We decided to try the kit on this 1965 Mustang. Forty-five years of wiper blades moving back and forth had created several large scratches directly in front of the driver. While the scratches were noticeable, they passed the fingernail test. The project took about two hours to complete and the end result was amazing. The scratches were eliminated completely at a cost much lower than if the windshield was replaced. This is Eastwood's windshield scratch removal kit. It includes polishing compound, polishing wheel, adapter shaft and a variety of abrasive discs. The discs are used with severely scratched windshields and were not needed for this windshield repair. The windshield had two wiper scratches on the driver side. The photo shows the most severe scratch. Keep in mind, if the scratch is deep enough to catch your fingernail when moved over the scratch, the windshield should be replaced. Using a crayon or tape, mark the scratch locations on the inside of the glass. Remove the windshield wiper arms. Cover the car to avoid getting the glass compound on the body and to reduce cleanup time. Carefully cut an opening around the windshield and tape the covering to the windshield molding. Clean the windshield thoroughly. Soak the polishing wheel in ½-inch of water for 5 minutes. Do not oversoak, as it may swell the wheel unevenly. The polishing compound contains silica. A large amount of silica dust is generated in this process. It is important not to breathe in the dust. Wear a properly fitting dust mask prior to use. In a clean container, mix the compound in a 1:1 ratio with water or until it becomes the consistency of gravy. Moisten windshield with water. Insert the wheel into a drill having a maximum speed of 1,500 rpm. Apply the compound directly to the scratch and polish at 600 to 1,500 rpm with light steady pressure. Rewet polishing wheel frequently to keep the compound wet and to avoid heat build-up which can crack the glass. After polishing, clean the glass to determine if all of the scratches have been eliminated. If scratches remain, reapply compound and polish a second time. After all of the scratches have been removed, remove crayon markings from the windshield. Remove the plastic cover and clean the windshield. Re-install windshield wipers and you're finished. The best part is all of the money you saved. The repaired windshield is scratch free. SOURCE Eastwood Products (800) 343-9353
About 40 years ago somebody put a radio into 1 VEV. Today such vandalism seems mad, but perhaps it made sense then. During its recent restoration at RS Williams, they found the evidence. It had been covered up in later years but there, deep inside, were the holes that had been cut to take a 1960s car radio and its speaker. Whoever was responsible didn’t quite have the gall to desecrate the handmade Zagato body by drilling an antenna hole through it but, as Richard Williams told me: ‘Concealed antennas were available then. Perhaps it had one of them.’ The pair of Aston Martin DB4GT Zagatos, registered 1 VEV and 2 VEV on May 19, 1961, and campaigned by John Ogier’s Essex Racing Stable, have long been a legendary part of Aston Martin history. Heroically, they went into battle against the dominant Ferraris after the Works ceased racing officially. First they faced the 250GT SWB but then along came the fabulous 250GTO, which of course turned out to be one of the greatest GT racing cars ever made. As the Astons were about 12% heavier than a 250GT SWB, they became instant underdogs. The DB4GT Zagatos were magnificent thoroughbreds but they just weren’t quick enough. When the GTO appeared in 1962, it got worse: the Astons were then 18% heavier than the opposition. To be brutally honest, the position became steadily more hopeless for the Astons. Nevertheless, Ogier gave it his best shot. He ran a superb team, he hired the best drivers and 1 VEV and 2 VEV came out fighting. Unfortunately the account opened very badly when the brand new pair retired early in the 1961 Le Mans 24 Hours. Both suffered head gasket failure because the heads had not been properly tightened down. But that simple cock-up made no real difference to the race result. One hour in, Ferrari held the first four places and the new Astons were fading away without ever being near the top ten. A couple of outdated DBR1s were lying seventh and eighth early on, but not one Aston Martin finished the race – a sorry tale after the Works team’s glorious outright one-two with the DBR1s in 1959. Ogier’s team got a great boost in their next race, the GT event supporting the British GP at Aintree. In damp conditions, Australian driver Lex Davison, in 2 VEV, gambled on the right tires and seized the lead from Jack Sears on the very last lap to win by just 1.2 seconds. Jack should have been driving a Ferrari 250GT but an unfortunate mechanic had smashed it up, driving to Aintree on the road. Different days indeed! Jack raced an E-type instead, a near-standard car with its soft-top raised, and very nearly won. The famous Lightweight E-types, which certainly were a match for the 250GTOs, were yet to come. In fact, there was no Ferrari opposition in that 1961 Aintree race, the other 250GT also having been crashed before the start. One of our most respected magazines then made a blunder by reporting: ‘Whitmore brought the other Essex Aston Martin Zagato home third.’ John Whitmore did finish third, but he drove the Essex team’s standard DB4GT, not a Zagato, and he was on dry tires. It had looked like the smart choice but he was out of luck. As things turned out, 1 VEV was never beaten by its team mate, 2 VEV. Back then, the chief mechanic in the Essex Racing Stable was Ian Moss. Now 70, and still extremely active – he’s a keen badminton player – Ian recalls the 1961 and 1962 seasons clearly: ‘1 VEV was the car we used for most of the work. When testing, it was 1 VEV that we normally took. Those cars were perhaps half a hundredweight lighter than standard as they had no bumpers, lightweight racing seats and some interior panels had been left out in the build. The Ferraris were much lighter, had better traction and a much stiffer chassis. The way I saw it, Ferrari made a racing car and adapted it for the road while Aston took a road car and converted it for racing.’ Half a hundredweight equates to 25.4kg: in other words, not a lot. A DB4GT Zagato was lighter than a standard DB4 but, as we have seen, it was always an overweight racer. There was also plenty of bullshit over horsepower. Ian says:‘Despite official claims, 1 VEV never had more than 270bhp in those days. Horsepower figures sell cars, but torque wins races!’ Aston Martin tweaked its straight-six 3670cc engine up to a compression ration of 9.7:1 for the Zagato and claimed 314bhp but nobody today denies the true figure was well short of that. Ian says they did see 310bhp from one engine much later on but it was a 3.9-liter, which went into the second 2 VEV after the original was wrecked at Spa in 1962. Perhaps 1 VEV’s finest moment came in its second race, the 1961 RAC Tourist Trophy at Goodwood. Roy Salvadori gave chase to the Ferraris and after 108 laps he finished a mere three seconds behind Mike Parkes’ 250GT. It was a glorious result, even though he was ‘only’ a close third because Stirling Moss, in another Ferrari 250GT, finished a lap ahead of the entire field. That sort of performance was rather expected of Stirling then. Recalling it, Roy says: ‘Compared to a GTO or an E-type, the Aston Zagatos were much heavier to drive. You had to really thrash them to get the times down, but it was a wonderful team to be part of. We worked hard at our pit stops but somehow we always seemed to be stationary a little longer than opposition, and that car was really hard on tires.’ He wasn’t kidding: I looked it up and found that Roy had 14 new tires fitted during that Goodwood race, and no punctures! Behind him, and another lap down we should note, were Jim Clark in 2 VEV and Innes Ireland in a normal DB4GT. But stop a moment, this is known history. What are we really talking about when we consider such famous, well-documented cars today? What is there new to say? Nearly 20 years ago, when I was on another magazine, we published the definitive history of 1 VEV and 2 VEV. It was a superb piece of work by Doug Nye. Writing about it now we can give a progress report on 1 VEV and, surprisingly enough, there’s plenty of new information, not the least of it being our driving impressions after pushing it hard round Castle Combe circuit. If this car looks great, it goes even better. Fresh from its absolutely perfect, wonderfully sympathetic rebuild, it’s as good as new, if not better. We’ll get to that but, first, let’s take to the track. The car is waiting, in sunshine in the paddock, all ready to go, and the new owner, Adrian Beecroft, has invited us to take him round as fast as we like. Call him mad if you like, but we go back a few years and he trusts me for some reason. There are no belts but the old bucket seats are comfortable, the engine starts instantly with a fabulous, deep, eager roar and we trickle away in first towards the circuit. Apart from the steering, which is heavy, it’s as easy to potter around as a Morris Minor. Even the clutch is fairly effortless to manage and there’s nothing harsh about 1 VEV. Out on the circuit, however, the performance is utterly stunning. On our second lap we came up behind a gorgeous new Aston Martin; it was being driven well so I can’t imagine what that bloke thought when we appeared alongside, coming out of the tight righthander at Quarry, and released 1 VEV with full throttle in second gear. It took off with a trace of opposite lock and wheelspin. There was just no contest. We had gone. On the longer straights, it fairly leaps ahead and the acceleration above 120mph is still very strong. It’s set up for the road at present, so the damping is a bit soft, calling for care in the fastest bends. It could get out of hand quite easily at speed but, aimed accurately, it is very stable, it likes a bit of sideways style and I was surprised at how well the Vredestein tires held on. The brakes were suffering from mild pad knock-off, needing an occasional bit of left-foot encouragement on the straights, but that’s normal enough with new brakes and it’s easily corrected. Even if the 250GTOs did beat this beautiful Aston on the circuits, I think 1 VEV would win hands down for road-driving pleasure. As Ian Moss said, this Aston Martin was basically a road car. Back in 1962, Autocar magazine was allowed to road test a new DB4GT Zagato, an extraordinary privilege when you think that only 19 were made and the price new was £5470. Admittedly, an equivalent Ferrari cost even more then, but the price of a contemporary Jaguar E-type – just over two grand – puts it into perspective. Several final drive ratios were available, that test car being fitted with a middle-of-the-range 3.31:1 cwp giving a rev-limited top speed of 153mph at 6050rpm on Dunlop R5 tires – they gave 25.3mph per 1000rpm in top. The Autocar testers, renowned for their accuracy, recorded 0-60mph in 6.1 seconds and went on to a remarkable 0-140mph in 32.2 seconds. Today 1 VEV is quicker than that. Its power is well above the 314bhp claimed in 1961 and the torque figure is now 348lb ft. With its Vredestein tires and 3.06:1 final drive it does 27.3mph/1000rpm and that equates to 165mph at the same 6050rpm. It would pull that easily. Richard says that with the right back axle it would do 180mph and I’m sure he’s right. Matched against modern machinery, only the most outrageous supercars would see it off. If this story serves to remind us of anything, it is this: owners of such fantastic cars usually tend to treat them appropriately. But in the late 1960s 1 VEV was nothing more than a used car with very little value. As a former race car, apparently of no great distinction then, it surely made an unusual road car with exceptional looks and performance, but no doubt it threatened to drop further in value while costing its owners a small fortune to run. For those who could afford it, 1 VEV provided entertaining motoring for a series of owners, one family using it simply as a roadgoing hack for years. Perhaps that radio was fitted around that time. All of its owners appreciated what it represented, all the way down the line, but it wasn’t taken as seriously as it is today. Nobody guessed then that it might appreciate in value. When speaking to Roy Salvadori he told me that during the 1960s he had an Aston Martin DBR1 which he advertised in the right magazines for a year before anybody was prepared to buy it. He was relieved to get £1100 for it in the end. Today, 40 years on, if the whispers we hear are true, a DBR1 is worth about 9000 times that much – and 1 VEV is coming up fast. Back in 1990, 1 VEV had just been restored and William Loughran paid £1.54m for it at auction. He soon sold it on for a small profit. A few months later, as the market collapsed all round the world, 2 VEV was auctioned in Monaco but was withdrawn when the bidding failed to reach £850,000. A year or two later, Loughran bought 1 VEV back and he owned it for 15 years before selling it to Adrian earlier this year. ‘They are beautiful,’ says Loughran. ‘I’ve had five or six of them, and a few years ago I had one that had been rebuilt by RS Williams. When the weather was nice after work, I used to take 1 VEV home, just for the pleasure of driving it. It had seemed great until I drove the car restored by RS Williams and realised that by comparison 1 VEV drove like a bag of spanners. I joined the queue and in due course it went to RS Williams for the full works.’ Although 1 VEV had been restored previously, that was 17 years ago and time had taken its toll. Also, restoration standards were then not as high as they are today. A strong point in the car’s favour was that it still had all its principal original parts, including the engine, gearbox and back axle. Once Richard Williams had taken the car in and stripped it down, however, it was clearly in dire need of a full cosmetic and mechanical rebuild. The mechanical side of the job was quite straightforward, but the body was rather more tricky. Not only had it been poorly repaired in the past, meaning that there was a great amount of filler under the paint, but somewhere way back in time it had also lost the correct shape of its rear wings. It took some time to get that right. Ian Moss was called in as a consultant and William Loughran also inspected the car at crucial stages of the body builder’s work. With the aid of photographs, plus Zagato’s own original drawings and dimensions, this aspect of the restoration was given the most painstaking attention. As all the DB4GT Zagatos were handbuilt, every one is a little different but finally 1 VEV’s correct original shape was brought back into being to the satisfaction of all concerned. The brief was to restore it as it was in 1961, not as a modern historic race car, even though some concessions were made to later engineering know-how. That’s why it has the original low-backed racing bucket seats, no seat belts and no rollcage. Although Adrian races other cars, the fact is that 1 VEV carries an unusual responsibility because is such a stunningly original car. What it’s really worth now is a private matter, but there’s no doubt that it amounts to several millions. More to the point, Adrian is acutely aware that it has never suffered anything approaching a serious shunt. Mainly for that reason, he aims to use 1 VEV only for more gentle events, such as the regularity class in the French Tour Auto. It should be ideal. » Thanks to the St James’s Place Wealth Management Group for inviting us to Castle Combe during their track day for existing and potential clients. Two senior partners of St James’s Place were kind enough to allow us to test 1 VEV during the day.
‘thrilled by the fantastic driving of Dick Jacobs in his maroon, 1¼-liter MG saloon’. Time and again Jacobs would draw level with Marshall and Bennett in their 1½-liter Javelins and cheekily pass them at Stowe, only to be overhauled on the long drag up Abbey Curve. However, Jacobs refused to give up and, to the great delight of the spectators, gradually outstripped those two Javelins and set off after the class leader, another Javelin driven by Bert Hadley. When Hadley’s engine expired in a cloud of smoke, Jacobs swept through to take the class victory. Serious touring car racing began on that day, and that’s what this story is all about. It might have been an amusing sideshow to motor racing’s purists, but it was an important business to the participants. Jacobs was there to sell MGs from his dealership, Mill Garage in Chigwell Road, London E18. For Jaguar, the Silverstone races were a golden opportunity to demonstrate the crushing superiority of the magnificent, elegant MkVII saloon, which emerged head-and-shoulders above all rivals. As the Production Touring-Cars had proved so popular, the BRDC kept them in the Silverstone programmes of 1953 and 1954, with Jaguar MkVIIs the outright victors every time, and Jacobs also winning his class with the same MG on all three occasions. Our archive photograph, from the 1954 race, appeared in Dick Jacobs’ autobiography An MG Experience. The caption, ‘Class winner Dick Jacobs lapped by Stirling Moss, car no 3’ is, however, incorrect. Ian Appleyard won that race in car number 3 and the picture shows him lapping Jacobs at Copse Corner, Silverstone. The fast Jaguars lapped the MG twice that day. Following closely behind are the two MkVIIs of Tony Rolt (5) and Stirling Moss (4), the latter playing ‘catchup’ after the starter motor apparently jammed at the Le Mans-style start. Apart from a change in colour, the MG has survived intact. It is owned today by Marc Hanson, who contacted us to say that the ex-works MkVII of Tony Rolt is another remarkable survivor, and owned now by a great Jaguar enthusiast, Peter Burton. Marc wondered whether we would like to reunite the cars, some six decades after that significant race. We did exactly that. Life is somewhat less relaxed these days, however, especially at Silverstone, but Stuart Pringle and his staff at the BRDC took the trouble to accommodate us free of charge so that we could try the cars on the Grand Prix circuit and capture an image of them together again at Copse Corner – which happens to be the one part of the circuit that hasn’t changed since 1954. The BRDC is conscious of the history of the club and of the circuit, and we are very grateful to all concerned. Out on the circuit, it was obvious that both these cars are extremely well maintained and almost unbelievably original – they’re just as they must have been when Jacobs and Rolt raced them all those years ago. On my first lap in the MG, it dawned on me that the introduction of production car racing in the 1950s was of extreme significance, bringing about a host of rapid improvements in everyday family saloons. It’s easy enough to produce a list of all the faults in these cars but that’s hardly the point, except that it’s interesting to appreciate just what the drivers had to overcome when racing them back then. The MG YB was still essentially a pre-war design, a perfectly charming small sporty saloon, with its ‘suicide’ doors and heavy construction, but distinctly out of date even in 1952. It feels very slow today despite its ‘Stage 2’ tuning, which lifted the power and speed considerably from the 46bhp and 71mph of the standard model. It has MG TD-type twin carburettors, plus bigger valves and heavier valve springs and is as it raced at Silverstone in 1953. In 1952, the cars were meant to be standard showroom models but that Stage 2 tuning was permitted in 1953. When the rules were further relaxed for 1954, Jacobs went for a pretty wild engine specification that he claimed gave him 100mph. As that made the car almost impossible to drive in normal traffic, Marc has opted wisely for the 1953 specification. The MG feels quite stiffly sprung and poorly damped but it handles safely and predictably, despite occasional yet harmless little skips on the limit through a fast corner. There’s no denying that the outside front suspension plunges rather uselessly as you turn-in and the body rolls a lot in heavy cornering. A shift of direction when negotiating an ess-bend exposes the lethargic response of the antique chassis design. That’s the plain truth but it’s still great fun to drive this immensely important early racing saloon, and it is a wonderful thing that it has survived. We have to respect Dick Jacobs’ achievements, understanding what he was up against in those early days. Approaching Peter’s Jaguar in exactly the same spirit, we can note the excessive body roll in hard cornering and there’s no doubt that the Jaguar drivers had to manage the rather weak drum brakes when racing these cars. Jaguar, of course, was already pioneering disc brakes but the saloons were still on drums. The MkVII is much bigger and heavier than the little MG and it is also immensely faster. Through the many direction changes at the very fast Becketts section of Silverstone, the old Jaguar turned out to be much more responsive than I expected; yes, it does roll a lot but it’s not a wallowing great barge. It can be wound up and almost tricked into flicking through those bends quickly, and with surprisingly little steering movement. It was, in short, a hell of a good car in its day and Moss, Rolt and Appleyard must have felt like kings of the GP circuit back in 1954. All three shared the outright fastest lap at 2min 16sec, an average of 77.48mph. The BRDC had put production car racing on the agenda at Silverstone very effectively but it was the Brands Hatch-based British Racing & Sports Car Club (BRSCC) that took it a stage further. Led by enterprising BRSCC Club Secretary Ken Gregory, Brands Hatch was expanding fast. The Kentish circuit had been extended in 1953 with the addition of Druids Hill Bend and plans to create a Grand Prix circuit were already in place by then. Gregory and his fellow directors were looking for ways to increase spectator attendance at Brands Hatch and the other circuits at which they had started to run meetings. Production touring cars, or saloons as they called them, fitted the bill perfectly. If I could go back in time and see just one saloon car race of the past, it would be the BRSCC’s International ‘Sporting Life’ Trophy for Production Saloon Cars at Oulton Park on 27 August 1955. This long-forgotten event seems perfectly astonishing now. There was one foreign entrant, Swedish driver Jo Bonnier in a very fast Alfa Romeo 1900, and he won the 15-lap race by 12.4sec from Ken Wharton’s Austin A90 Westminster. Incredibly, third place overall went to Tony Brooks, then on the brink of GP stardom but on this occasion driving a DKW to victory in the up-to- 1100cc class. Brooks even beat the supposedly faster MG Magnette, entered by Dick Jacobs and driven by Alan Foster to victory in the next class up. It gets better. Believe it or not, Stirling Moss was driving a works Standard Ten in the up-to-1100cc class. Moss had, as ever, got away first at the Le Mans-style start and, although he was overtaken immediately by the faster cars to end up second in class, his conduct of the Standard was described as ‘amazing’. That was not all. While Bonnier cruised serenely ahead, Ken Wharton had a Longbridge-Dagenham fight of mammoth proportions on his hands. His Austin was swapping second place like mad with the Ford Zephyr entered by Raymond Mays. The Ford’s driver was a certain Mike Hawthorn, standing in for Peter Collins at the last minute. Unfortunately, the Mays-prepared Zephyr’s engine blew up but what a race that was. Reporter Cyril Posthumus called it ‘a striking demonstration of the capabilities of the modern production saloon car, and excellent entertainment throughout.’ Production car racing had really arrived and Ken Gregory went on to introduce the first BRSCC British Saloon Car Championship in 1958. There were four classes based on engine capacity, modifications were strictly limited and it was a great success. Despite fanciful suggestions about competitors being able to race the family car and also use it for shopping during the week, saloon car racing was already a serious business and manufacturers were quick to become involved. Marc Hanson’s MG YB and Peter Burton’s Jaguar MkVII must be the oldest survivors from the earliest British saloon car races, making them highly prized collectors’ items. It helps that the histories of both cars are known. Dick Jacobs acquired his YB direct from the MG works at Abingdon, specifically for the 1952 Silverstone race. He sold it in late 1954 and it had a series of owners who hardly used it. A basic restoration was carried out in the 1970s, when it was repainted two-tone green but otherwise left essentially undisturbed. After following the car for some time, Marc put in a successful bid at the Silverstone Classic sale in 2009. He had the engine rebuilt by MG specialist Peter Edney, had the suspension restored to as-new condition, and now uses the car in numerous suitable events such as the Brighton Speed Trials, Jersey International Motoring Festival and sprints at Goodwood and other venues. He has collected a few trophies and, as he says, it’s the first time the car has won anything for nearly 60 years. The full history of Peter Burton’s imposing Jaguar is even better known. In 1954 it was the company car of Arthur Whittaker, director and general manager of Jaguar Cars Ltd, who had been working with William Lyons since joining the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1924, aged 20. The Jaguar boss was knighted in 1956 but he was still plain Mr Lyons in 1954. Even so, it’s easy to imagine him announcing sharply: ‘Whittaker, we’re taking your car for Major Rolt to drive in the Production Car Race at Silverstone.’ It was driven into the competitions department and specially prepared with C-type engine parts and a modified, close-ratio gearbox. The suspension was stiffened and the rear spats altered. After the race it was sold but has been preserved safely ever since. As a committed Jaguar enthusiast, Peter Burton acquired ‘LHP 5’ recently. He uses it on the Mille Miglia re-run and hopes to race it at a future Goodwood Revival. As the sole surviving ex-works MkVII to have competed in a major race when new, Peter’s Jaguar joins Marc’s MG in a place of special honour in the history of British Touring Car racing – but we can still call them saloons if we prefer. Specifications 1952 MG YB (in 1954 racing form) Engine 1250cc four-cylinder, OHV, two 1.75in SU carburettors Power 90bhp @ 6900rpm Torque Not known Transmission Four-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Steering Rack and pinion Suspension Front: wishbones, coil springs, lever-arm dampers, anti-roll bar. Rear: live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs, lever-arm dampers Brakes Drums Weight 1041kg Performance Top speed c100mph. 0-60mph 19sec 1951 Jaguar MkVII (in 1954 racing form) Engine 3442cc straight-six, DOHC, two SU H8 carburettors Power c210bhp @ 5200rpm Torque Not known Transmission Four-speed manual, rear-wheel drive Steering Recirculating ball Suspension Front: wishbones, torsion bars, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar. Rear: live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs, lever-arm dampers Brakes Drums Weight 1753kg Performance Not measured
"The Family That Slays Together..., pt. 1/Gemberling's Requiem/Spagett" S2008 - B+ Community Grade So here we are–part one of the two part climax that ends the third season of Venture Bros. Feels a little weird, doesn't it? We only started a few months ago; seems too soon to be saying goodbye. Which, really, is my biggest criticism for this season as a whole. Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer are clearly in love with the world they've created, and as viewers, we benefit form the care and attention they put into the small details; making sure each character has a back story, connecting those back stories in often surprising ways, and, of course, the references to off-hand remarks in earlier episodes that's been a show hallmark from the very beginning. There's craft at work here, basically, and nerds at play. That's not an inherently bad thing. But as we run headlong into the finale, there are a few niggling doubts that stay with me. While all the meticulous attention rewards close viewing, it also means that there's precious little time to stop and relax. There have been some brilliantly funny bits in this batch of episodes, but you can't help wishing the writers would let a few chunks of mythology pass by the wayside in order to give us more time to simply enjoy the characters and their interactions. It's an easy enough problem to overlook when there are still more shows left in the season, but knowing now that time is nearly up, I find myself wondering about all those disparate threads, and how so many moments of potential were left hanging just so we could move on to something shiny and new. For instance, remember Rusty's apparent change of heart back in "The Doctor Is Sin"? Maybe "change of heart" is stretching the point, but there was a clear indication of a character shift, that maybe, just maybe, he might grow up a little. There's a nod to this in "ORB," but that's about it Every other appearance he's had, he's been just as grasping and selfish as ever, and given the way part one of "The Family That Slays Together Stays Together" plays out, he doesn't seem to be changing any time soon. That's not to say "Family" isn't bitchin'. Turns out the death car ("Adrian") attack last week wasn't a fluke. Brock gets the bad news from Molotov Cocktease that OSI has issued termination orders, and they've hired three crack assassins to do the deed: Herr Trigger, a German psychopath who really loves his work, Go Fish, specializing in sea-based kills (and there's always a canal, or an inlet, or a fjord), and the too-cool for a codename Le Tueur, who collects Silver Age comics and has an elephant chestpiece. Brock determines the best thing to do is to get the Ventures to Spider Skull Island to keep them safe and give him elbow room to protect himself. But since Dean, Hank, and Rusty all have the survival instincts of a horny Crystal Lake pothead, things probably aren't going to work out as planned. "Family" has some terrific action sequences, with Brock having to kick three asses in a row in a variety of gruesome and/or comic ways. Not all the jokes land–Herr Trigger's fetishism got old quick, as did the second trip in as many weeks to Hunter Gathers' strip club–but the ultra-violence was great. Having Brock back in fighting form is always a good thing, and the way he interacts with Hank and Dean throughout "Family" was sweet without ever getting overly sentimental. (The whole "I don't love you, boys!" moment works because it wasn't overplayed; in most shows, there'd be a beat with Brock looking all sad after the jet left, but that didn't happen here because it simply isn't necessary.) Plus, some of the jokes were great. The subplot with the Monarch finally making an assault on the Venture compound, only to find the whole place deserted apart from a distraught (and half-naked) Sgt. Hatred, had the Moppets in their usual form (pity their stuffed animals), and Monarch, as always, struggling in vain against the incompetencies of his staff and reality itself. And for once, it was nice to get to the end, think, "Oh man, there's no way they can tie all this together" and actually be right. Still, my problem with this season isn't that Rusty's spiritual awakening (or whatever) got shortchanged, it's that in giving over so much time to mythology and plot, some of the connection between the audience and the Venture family was lost. With some shows, a thirteen episode season would be a blessing, but here, I wish we could have a few more shows; because there's a potential here, that potential I first mentioned way back at the premiere, for Venture Bros to be something more than just an extended series of in-jokes and dark parody. There's a depth to the cast that the creators haven't completely engaged with yet. It's a good show that could be a great one; it just needs that one last push. Who knows? There's always part 2. Maybe we'll get some orb-time, and maybe Rusty'll be less of a dick. We'll just have to wait and see. Looks like Fat Guy Stuck In Internet is bidding us farewell, at least for now. That'd make a perfect segue into some sort of "Please god, may it be forever!" type comment, but I'll give 'em this much: the show went out on a high note. "Gemberling's Requiem" has the closest thing to visual excitement that the series has yet produced, and it even flirts (in a few brief moments) with actual pathos. It's quickly undermined pathos, and the episode's ending is as much a buzzkill as anything else the show's done, but for a couple minutes, I actually found myself engaged. Gemberling and Chains have finally (after a journey in which no actual progression was ever indicated) made it to the CEO's Dark Tower fortress. After passing through the Field of Delights–Gemberling and Chains' buffalo chicken induced dreaming, with the fat guy longing for home and the bounty hunter finally finding a cure for "ass cancer," was a hoot–Gemberling confronts the Big Bad on his home turf. The CEO sends the evil Byte to do his dirty work, and the fight here isn't half bad, ending in a not-entirely-lame Fellowship of the Ring nod. The climactic battle between Gemberling and the CEO is pretty good too, with lots of swooping camera angles and even some tension, a definite rarity for the show. And the climax to the climax, with the candle gag that opened the ep finally getting a pay-off, wasn't too shabby either. But then it gets all dumb again, cutting through the weak suspense with a Back To The Future nod that's not all that amusing. I dunno. My prejudices as a reviewer have always been a problem for me when it comes to Fat Guy, since I'll always be pulling for story to take precedence if one ever shows itself; but given the fairly successful attempts to be funny and halfway-plotted in the minutes leading up to that final, limp punchline, I don't feel like I'm entirely to blame for getting annoyed. Outside from the nominal framing sketches that follow the two title characters each episode, Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job! isn't about "plot" at all, and more power to it. While I wasn't a huge fan of the rascal-based sketching of, um, "Rascal" last week, "Spagett" managed to hit some traditional beats without settling into a rut. Calling back to an earlier sketch about a freakish balding man with a penchant for pasta and spooking people, the ep finds Tim in high spirits; as he tells Eric, Steven Spielberg wants to make a Spagett movie, which is the first step to fame, fortune, humiliation of your best friend, etc. There's even a pre-made poster: Spagett and the Golden Treasure. (Tag-line: "Spagett about it.") Things get more embarrassing when Eric visits Tim on set, disrupting the shoot and getting the cold shoulder from Brian Posehn (actually Brian Posehn) and Spielberg himself (not actually Steven Spielberg). There's some karmic justice when the movie tanks, and Tim undergoes plastic surgery to make himself look like Spagett permanently without knowing the franchise is doomed; but the kids still love him, and Eric is still the guy on the sidelines who gets photoshopped into a fern. In between all this, we get a brief moment with Steve Brule ("Take your sister to the prom!"), an ad from Steve Schirripa for a product that makes eggs grow in your large intestine, a quick bit with Video Match ("When I lend you a diaper, make sure you return it"), and a biology class on the nature of penises that leads to the music video, "I Got Chubs For You." "Spagett" felt pretty solid to me. While the green-screen jokes in the main sketches were a little old, the outfit Tim wore made it work; and just the fact that Spagett is a hideous, hideous frigging thing gave the Hollywood-doesn't-get-it stuff more of an edge. And all the other bits were fine too–the eggs ad started off as standard (and gross) Mr. Show style comedy, but the brief flurry of edits near the end changed the tone, and the "Chubs" video was just all kinds of wrong. Tim & Eric is the kind of show you enjoy without ever being able to tell anyone else you like it; the more indefensible it becomes, the more it sticks with you. This one was only about a 7 on the Off-Putting Meter, but while there was nothing like the "Not Jackie Chan" boardgame buzzer moment (the chicken-hatching bit came close, due largely to the grainy video), there wasn't anything as dull as "Swingtown." All hail the middle of the road. (Or, in this case, that part near the side where all the dead squirrels end up.) Grades: Venture Bros, "The Family That Slays Together Stays Together, Part 1": A- Fat Guy Stuck In Internet, "Gemberling's Requiem": B+ Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job!, "Spagett": A- Stray Observations: --There's an extra two minute scene with the Monarch and crew if you watch "Family" at Adult Swim.com. It doesn't add much to the plot, but it's funny. --Loved Brock's howls of pain after dismantling his car. Also, H.E.L.P.E.R.'s response. --Hank's really coming into his own this season, isn't he? --I caught James Urbaniak (voice of Doctor Venture and others) on an old Law & Order: Criminal Intent. It's very weird hearing Rusty's voice come out of a non-cartoon. --"I can barely hear you because I'm not
Cake Pops & Donuts Do you know what this is? Just a couple doughnut pans that Bed Bath & Beyond has I have been wanting a doughnut pan for ages and finally picked one up last night. I got the regular size (yellow) which is still not going to make “huge” doughnuts. I didn’t need the mini size because I personally don’t have the patience to fill up all those little holes and be all neat and tidy about it. Plus, I got something else… I have been coveting the Babycakes products for years and decided to go for it. I got both a Donut Maker and a Cake Pop Maker They were each $19.99 at BB& Bb ut I had $5 off coupons for both, so each item cost me a whopping $14.99 I can handle that. That’s why I thrift shop for dishes. And it sounds like many of you do, too. Thanks for the info about the Corningware dish from my last post in the comments. A 70s favorite is seems. I also hoard BB & B coupons because they never expire. So now I can get busy Donut making and Cake Pop Making I didn’t buy a Whoopie Pie Pan but I was tempted. I think I have plenty of new toys to play with but how fun do Whoopie Pies sound? I don’t have any donuts or cake pops or whoopie pies around right now, but I do have these and these Peanut Butter Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies to tide me over til I can make some donuts and donut holes, i.e. cake pops Questions: 1. Donut or Doughnut? My fingers type Donut easier than they do Doughnut. Donut is usually preceded by the word Mini. Mini donuts remind me of everything good and right from my childhood. So I vote Donut. 2. Have you ever made donuts? If so, please share your fave recipe. Same with Cake Pops, i.e. donut holes. Recipes please. There are so many recipes and it seems that donuts are the next really hot foodie trend and everywhere I turn, I find more recipes. Overwhelming! I want moist, rich, not super cakey, and not dry donuts. Flavor? I am open. From vanilla to chocolate to pumpkin spice. And anything goes with glazes and frosting, too. Countless combinations. I love personal stamps of approval so hopefully you’ve tried and made some winners. 3. Do you have a donut pan, a donut maker, or a cake pop maker? If you don’t have a donut pan, for about 7 bucks you can get one. And for 14.99 with a coupon at BB & B, you can snag the other Babycakes items. And in the meantime, I have read that most donut recipes will work just fine in muffin tins. Or you can pipe a donut shape onto a cookie sheet from a corner that’s been cut off from a Ziplock baggie filled with batter. Thanks for the KeVita Drinks Giveaway entries OMG, I love that vintage Corningware!! We had that set when I was growing up. I hated it then but want it now! haha Checking out that vintage web site… awesome, thanks! :D Reply I bought a cake pop maker too! I know they aren’t REAL cake pops, but still, cake balls! Super cool. :) Reply Averie @ Love Veggies & Yoga replied: — October 20th, 2011 at 5:09 pm Let me know if you come across any recipes that work well for you in your cakepop maker. I’m all ears! Reply I’ve been wanting one of those donut pans for MONTHS! I’m buying one this weekend, cannot wait :) Fall weather screams donuts to me, so it’s necessary now more than ever ;) Reply I follow Bakerella’s cake pop recipe because they are the moistest, and although they are more work than using a cake pop maker – they are well worth it. I have never seen any of those pans before (or the cupcake or donut maker). Reply oh ya you got one!!! you will love it we need to get the cake pop pan, we never made any yet Reply hi averie, i haven’t commented in a long time, but i have been reading…. a donut pan has been on my list for a long time…just wondering, if i got the machine, does it make nicer, rounded edges on both sides of the donut?…i was thinking this might be the only reason not to get the baking pan……any thoughts?? Reply Averie @ Love Veggies & Yoga replied: — November 10th, 2011 at 11:45 am I got both the pan and the maker b/c they were both cheap….8 bucks and 14.99 with my coupons. I have been using the actual donut pan more, just b/c cleanup is easy and i can make recipes to share w/ readers with the donut pan b/c more people have pans than the makers. But both of them make smooth, round donuts. Reply just got the whoopie maker….. yeah….. i love it soooo much. i got the babycakes one and it made mini whoopie pies, yum….. unfortunately i ate 4 of them::)) Reply Averie @ Love Veggies & Yoga replied: — November 16th, 2011 at 7:13 pm What recipes are you using for them? The recipes for donut-maker donuts are different than donut pan in the oven donuts…or in your case whoopies pies. I didn’t buy their cookbook… Reply You do not have to buy a whoopie pie pan. Donut pans and cake bite pans make sense, but just follow this recipe and they form themselves. I made them for a cake walk at work last week and they were being fought over. :) Reply I never would have thought to look at BB&B for these things! Wow! Reply Averie @ Love Veggies & Yoga replied: — November 29th, 2011 at 2:17 am so cheap. like 8 bucks. just buy it :) Reply
Boedker's off-season goal to get meaner. Coyotes forward Mikkel Boedker jumps into the boards after scoring against the Kings 3/12/13.. ." Doan doesn't regret decision to stay with Coyotes. Coach Dave Tippett's contract is set to expire, as is General Manger Don Maloney's. Goalie Mike Smith and center Boyd Gordon headline the team's class of pending unrestricted free agents.," he said. "Not at all. Not once have I ever thought that. The group of guys in here is the reason why. Obviously I'm a huge fan of the city, the Valley. The organization has been great to me. But the group of guys that are in this room, that's why you choose to stay and you stay.". "I think it was disappointing when it never worked out," Doan said. "It didn't get done when we thought it was. I think because everyone kind of got pretty excited about the fact that it was going to get done and it didn't made it a little tougher. But we've dealt with it in the past, and it's amazing the way the guys have handled it and unfortunately we didn't handle it as well this year." The ownership instability didn't prevent the Coyotes from re-signing Doan, but it could very well sever the team's relationship with Smith. Negotiations between Smith's camp and the Coyotes have been hampered by the uncertainty as Smith wants to know where he'll be playing long-term. "I think it affects the group more in the fact of players you want to sign," Tippett said. "Maybe they're here that you want to sign longer-term, and you can't get signed so they're wondering where their future is. "The unique situation with Shane, there's not many players in sports right now that would take that leap of faith right now. That was a very unique situation. But you have lots of other players on our team that in a normal situation on a normal team that's owned, they would probably be signed." Since Jamison's bid fizzled, other suitors have emerged. The favorite is Renaissance Sports & Entertainment. That group was supposed to meet with Glendale officials and league representatives Tuesday, but the meeting was cancelled. News of when the parties might reschedule the get-together hasn't surfaced, and perhaps that's by design. "Since Greg Jamison's bid in January didn't come to fruition, it's been very quiet and that's on purpose," Maloney said. "The NHL has purposely gone 180 degrees the other direction in the sense that there are no stories out there with that's happening behind-the-scenes. But rest assured, they've been working diligently trying to get an ownership in place that will have long-term success and that's what we want. "Great organizations start from the top down. We all know it. We've been relatively successful on the ice, but you can replay the tape last year and the year before and the year before. We have to have it settled. The positive thing I think for Arizona hockey fans is it will be settled. We still remain hopeful it will work out here. I'm encouraged by the things that I know, but I'm an optimistic person by nature, too. "I think from an organization, we're in a great place to continue to push this group forward and build this franchise. But we have to have something come to some sort of resolution on ownership, and we're optimistic that means playing here in Glendale in a great building in front of terrific fans." For years, Doan has matched that optimism -- if not verbally than definitely with his actions. But living in limbo is trying. And guessing when this will finally end isn't fun, either. "I'm not even convinced," Doan said when asked if he agrees a resolution will be reached this summer. "I'd love for it to be over, and obviously I'd love it to be here. I've made that more than clear, but hopefully it is over and hopefully it is here. And again, I didn't think there'd be any chance it could go for four years but it has." Daly gives Coyotes ownership update NHL Deputy Commissioner was a guest on Sportsnet's HOCKEY CENTRAL at Noon on Monday in advance of the league's draft lottery, and the conversation turned to the league-owned Coyotes. Asked if the process is any closer, Daly said, "Yes. "It’s still a work in progress," Daly told the panel. "There’s still a lot of work to be done, but it’s still something that we're diligent about trying to complete." Daly confirmed the purchase price would be more than $150 million but said, "there are no guarantees" the team will remain in Phoenix. He mentioned the City of Glendale as a "big question mark. "There's no doubt we’re dealing with Mr. Gosbee and Mr. LeBlanc and trying to work through and get to a deal with them," Daly said. "But there are other interested people that we’re working with at the same time, as well. Nobody has exclusivity here. But obviously we’re getting close to having to make some decisions and sign some documentation, and we’ve got to work on it. I was on a conference call again last night. It’s something we’re working on." Canadian financier George Gosbee has teamed with Canadian venture capitalist Anthony LeBlanc to assemble an investment group to purchase the team. Darin Pastor, the founder and CEO of wealth management firm Capstone Affluent Strategies of Irvine, Calif., has also expressed interest. And even though his bid to buy the Coyotes fell through in January, Greg Jamison said he was still continuing his efforts. The Coyotes missed the playoffs this season after three consecutive berths. An early off-season should be a busy one. General Manager Don Maloney's contract is set to expire, as is coach Dave Tippett's. Aside from dealing with contracts on the hockey operations side of the ledger, goalie Mike Smith and center Boyd Gordon headline the team's class of unrestricted free agents. Forwards Mikkel Boedker and Lauri Korpikoski and defenseman Michael Stone are restricted free agents. "We came very close to selling this team a couple times, and some unforeseen circumstances kept it from happening," Daly said. "That's why I’m the first person who can’t give any guarantees on any result here. At some point in time, you beat your head against the wall enough times you have to try a different hole." Coyotes missed practice time during lockout-shortened season At the conclusion of every season, Coyotes coach Dave Tippett spends a portion of the summer dissecting, analyzing and logging the statistics and trends from the previous campaign. It's likely Tippett does this later in the off-season as he will be part of Team Canada's coaching staff at the World Championships this spring, Hockey Canada announced Saturday. But when he does sit down to digest the season that was, categorizing the impact the lockout had on the season will undoubtedly be part of his research -- even though he hopes that's a situation that never happens again. "It’d be interesting to see where everything falls out," Tippett said. "The one thing that seemed to me early the teams with high skill, the games were so sloppy early that the high skill teams that could capitalize on chances seemed to take advantage early. Chicago was a great example of that." Tippett might look at the performance of teams that had players competing overseas compared to teams that had most of their players stay at home. Or perhaps he'll study if teams that had players skate together during the lockout fared better than teams that had most of their players were scattered. But it seemed like once the season started, one of the most influential results of the lockout was the lack of practice time. "When there are times when your game is not in order or you have some injuries and you have players that need a full practice, but you got half your team is (too) tired to practice, those things have implications on what you’re doing," Tippett said. That seemed to particularly impact the Coyotes, who benefit from the repetition of practice to stay committed to their defensive style. "That being said, it’s like when there's bad ice in a game," Tippett said. "Everybody’s in the same boat. I don’t like to use excuses like that. That doesn’t work. You just find ways to overcome those things." The Coyotes tried, not falling out of playoff contention until the final week of the regular season. The rigorous travel induced by a compact, 48-game season also didn't help the Coyotes find extra time to hit the ice in between games. When the Coyotes close out the regular season tonight in Anaheim against the Ducks, they will complete their seventh back-to-back set of the season. "It’s not the norm," Tippett said. "That being said, everybody has to do it. There are some areas where your travel is tougher than others. The amount of miles that the Western teams fly is much greater than the Eastern teams. So it might have had more effect out here. "That being said, you always try to manage around those things. We tried to manager our players. We tried to err on the side of rest rather than practice a lot of nights. Talking to a lot of other coaches around the league, I think a lot of others were in that same boat. Rest, you always think to play your best you've got to be at 100 percent. That being said, there sure were times we wished we could have done a lot more practicing." In hindsight, though, Tippett wouldn't have added more practice time into the season. Frankly, it wasn't possible. "I don’t think you could have," he said. "When you come in everyday, you read your players. You can even read players as they’re getting off that plane at night and see where they are and see their energy levels. There were some times in the season where it was hard. You could tell the guys were dragging, and it’s not just physically. It’s mentally." Game Day: Avalanche at Coyotes - The Coyotes are 3-0-0 in the final regular-season home game under Tippett and have won seven of their last eight home finales. - They're 22-17-10 in the first game of back-to-backs. - The Coyotes have won nine of their last 11 home games against the Avalanche. - The Coyotes are 19-for-19 on the penalty kill against the Avalanche over the past two seasons. - The Avalanche are 1-6-1 in the first game of back-to-backs this season. - J.S. Giguere's next appearance will tie him with Ken Wregget (575) for 45th place on the all-time list for games-played by a goalie. D Michael Stone most improved among Coyotes The Coyotes will hand out their annual team awards before Friday's home finale against the Colorado Avalanche. The team doesn't recognize the most improved player but if it did, defenseman Michael Stone would seem the obvious choice for that honor. Stone didn't crack the top six to start the season, shuffling between the Coyotes and the American Hockey League until he stuck around with the big club after a recall Feb.22. Since then, he's become a reliable option on the third pairing with a big shot from the right side. The 22-year-old, taken 69th overall in 2008, made his Coyotes debut last season, playing in 13 games and two playoff games, but this season has been a turning point in his career. Stone has played in 38 games, and his five goals rank second on the team among defensemen. He scored his fifth Wednesday in a 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks when he walked into a shot from the right faceoff circle. "(Radim Vrbata) made a really good play to get me the puck," Stone said. "I had so much time I could have had a cup of coffee before I shot it. I’m glad it went in. I would have been pretty disappointed if it didn’t considering how much time I had. I just picked my spot and put it in." A heavy shot has always been a strength of Stone's, and the Coyotes need that offense -- especially from the right side of their blue line. But the fact that he's releasing it more frequently is a sign of the confidence he's gained at the NHL level. "I like to shoot the puck, as you can see," he said. "I’ve done it a lot in my career. It’s not something that I just started doing. Yeah, you build more confidence as things go on here." For Stone to earn this much opportunity with the Coyotes, he's had to improve the play in his own end -- namely his physical presence. At 6-foot-3, the Coyotes want Stone to use his height to his advantage. "I think being physical isn't just going out, running around, trying to hit people," he said. "It’s just being hard and firm in front of our net and taking guys' time and space away. It’s something I need to work on, finding guys that are loose, just you can even say having a good stick, stick on puck. I just need to continue to build on that." Stone has done that so far in his time with the Coyotes this season, and that's why the coaching staff has been able to rely on him in crucial games and even dole out occasional power play time. "He’s just got experience," coach Dave Tippett said. "He’s put his time in in the American (Hockey) League. He’s come to the NHL, and he’s had some ups and downs and he was back and forth between the minors early. But now you see a player when he comes up and he has the confidence to play in all situations, not just be out there but is confident out there, is willing to step up on a guy in the gap or is willing to be a little reckless and get away with it. "That’s a player he’s confident enough to play in the league. He’s not scared to make a mistake. Like a lot of young players he's gone through that process and he’s come out of it very strong. I think he’s got a long career in this league." Tippett compared Stone's style to that of a former defensive stalwart for the Coyotes. "I think he’s similar to Adrian Aucoin," Tippett said. "Same kind of player, plays the same kind of role. You look at his junior years he was the captain of his team. Great leadership. He’ll continue to grow. He’s a very good player for us." Stone's entry-level contract expires after this season, and he'll become a restricted free agent. But based on his growth this season, it seems like a no-brainer that he'll be back in the mix next season -- possibly starting in the top six this time. "That's a goal for me," Stone said. "Whether that happens or not, that’s not really up to me. I just control what I can control. I think I just have to keep building and continue to be consistent." Game Day: Sharks at Coyotes - Winger Mikkel Boedker has a career-high five multi-point games this season. - Winger Radim Vrbata has scored five of his nine goals this season in the first period. - Boedker and Doan lead the Coyotes in scoring against the Pacific Division with nine points each. - Michalek has led the Coyotes in blocked shots in five of his six seasons with the team. - The Sharks carry the second-longest current playoff streak in the NHL (nine straight berths). - In their last meeting, the Sharks registered a season-high 24 shots in a single period. Captain Shane Doan named Coyotes' nominee for Masterton Trophy The. Letdown in second period against Sharks unusual for Coyotes A 24-7 shot advantage for the San Jose Sharks in the second period of Monday’s game led to a 3-0 deficit for the Coyotes. That result after so much offensive pressure isn’t a surprise, but it was odd that the Coyotes let it happen during the second which had been one of their strongest periods recently. In that 4-0 loss, the Coyotes had 12 shots in the first and limited the Sharks to 10 in a scoreless first period. "We took our foot off the gas for whatever reason," winger Dave Moss said. "The first we had jump, and we’re hounding the puck. In the second they controlled the play, and we were never able to sustain any pressure." In their previous four wins, the Coyotes scored nine goals and out-shot their opponents 58-38 in the second period. - In a 3-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings (April 2), the Coyotes scored the go-ahead goal in that period. - In a 4-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings (April 4), they scored three goals and out-shot the Wings 20-5. - In a 4-0 win against the Colorado Avalanche (April 6), the Coyotes again scored three goals and had 18 shots compared to 10 from the Avalanche. - In a 3-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers (April 10), they had two goals and 12 shots with the Oilers managing seven. Game Day: Sharks at Coyotes - The Coyotes rank fifth in the Western Conference for 5-on-5 goals-for/against radio at 1.07. - They are ninth in the league with 30.4 shots per game. - Winger Rob Klinkhammer and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson are a team-high plus-7. - Center Boyd Gordon has four goals and six points in his last nine games. - Six Coyotes have played in all games so far this season including defenseman Keith Yandle, Ekman-Larsson, winger Mikkel Boedker and Vermette. - Center Joe Thornton has 65 points in 60 career games against the Coyotes.

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