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4.57pm: Here's an afternoon summary.
• Nick Clegg has launched the process which will lead to a referendum on electoral reform taking place next year. The referendum (set for 5 May 2011) will be included in a bill that will also make provision for a boundary review equalising the size of constituencies and cutting the size of the Commons from 650 to 600 at the time of the next election. Clegg said that he wanted the next election to be fought on the new boundaries using AV. But he faces strong opposition from a coalition of MPs committed to first-past-the-post (mostly Tories) and Labour MPs opposed to the boundary review.
• But the Electoral Commission has not endorsed the plan to hold the referendum on the same day as the Scottish and Welsh elections. Several MPs criticised this aspect of Clegg's plans, often on the grounds that differential turnout in Scotland and Wales might make the overall result unfair. The Electoral Commission is not going to say whether or not it supports the timing until the government has published its bill. But a spokesman has just told me it can see "advantages and disadvantages" in holding the referendum on 5 May 2001.
• Clegg also announced a partial climbdown on the coalition plans for fixed-term parliaments. The government will legislate to fix 7 May 2015 as the date for the next general election. But the proposal to create a law saying that there will be no general election unless 55% of MPs vote to over-ride the fixed-term parliament legislation has been revised. Clegg confirmed that a majority of MPs would still be able to pass a vote of no confidence and he said that if a new government could not be formed within 14 days of a successful no confidence vote, an election would be called. But, in other circumstances, two thirds of MPs would have to vote for a dissolution of parliament, Clegg said. (See 3.46pm)
• Michael Gove, the education secretary, has just announced the Building Schools for the Future projects covering nearly 700 schools will be cancelled with immediate effect. In a statement, he also announced a review of all capital spending in schools. Ed Balls said it was "a black day for our country's schools".
• Danny Alexander, the chief secretary to the Treasury, has announced spending cuts worth £1.54bn. He said that although these commitments were made by Labour, the money was not available. (See 4.37pm)
4.50pm: Here's some reaction to the Clegg statement.
This is from Alexandra Runswick, the deputy director of Unlock Democracy.
Unlock Democracy welcomes confirmation that the prime minister's power to choose the date of the election is finally being consigned to history. Fixed term parliaments are an important rebalancing of power from the executive to parliament. These new proposals are stronger than those initially announced and far more likely to stand the test of time. It is good to see the government listening and engaging constructively.
We welcome this historic announcement and look forward to actively campaigning for the abolition of the outdated first past the post system. After weeks of speculation, the public can now look forward to a long overdue debate about our electoral system and the chance to change to a system which gives them more choice at the ballot box.
And this is from Ashley Dé from the Electoral Reform Society.
The worst kept secret in Westminster is fantastic news for anyone interested in rebuilding trust in politics.
On May 5th 2011, and for the first time in our history, the people expected to use the voting system to elect their parliament will have the chance to change it. We have MPs enjoying power without any real mandate and millions of voters who've never made a difference in election after election. It's time we turned the page on the politics of the 19th Century and this is that chance.
Our decrepit system has consistency failed the public, so it's fitting that its fate rests with the judgement of the British people. This is their chance to make first-past-the-post history.
And this is from Andy May, a spokesman for Take Back Parliament.
Tory back bench dinosaurs are making a hypocritical attempt to shut down the referendum vote.
Insisting on at least 40% of registered voters having to vote yes before a bill is passed is absurd. Only one in twenty MPs would have been elected to parliament had this rule been used in the general election.
Supporters of the No campaign are desperate to wreck the referendum from the start and frustrate the democratic will of the people. The public deserves a real choice on a fairer voting system.
4.42pm: The Liberal Democrats have just announced that John Sharkey will chair the Lib Dems' Fairer Votes campaign. Sharkey is a former joint managing director of Saatchi & Saatchi who has worked for the party before.
4.38pm: Back in the Commons, Julian Huppert, a Lib Dem MP, says he can't understand the opposition to AV. All parties in the Commons use some form of preferential voting in their internal elections, he says. And some MPs were elected using preferential voting systems until 1950. Huppert is referring to the university seats (which used STV).
4.37pm: Nick Clegg is still delivering his statement, but I'm going to break off because the Treasury has just issued the written ministerial statement from Danny Alexander. He is cutting spending programmes worth £1.54bn. Education is losing £1bn, business £265m, communities £220m and the Home Office £55m. These programmes were due to be funded either through "end year flexibility" (a Treasury rule that allows underspending to be redistributed) or from the reserve. Alexander said that it was "highly unrealistic" to expect the underspending to release enough money and that there was not enough money in the reserve to make up the difference.
Alexander said:
The previous government committed to spending money it simply did not have, but this coalition government has taken action to address this serious situation. The decisions have not been easy, but the understanding and cooperation of my cabinet colleagues has enabled us to act swiftly to ensure that the nation can live within its means.
The reality is that these unfunded spending promises should never have been made, because the money was never there to pay for them. We did not make this mess, but we are cleaning it up.
4.19pm: Cathy Jamieson, Labour, asks if the government has consulted the Scottish government about the date of referendum. Clegg says it will be consulted, implying that it has not yet been formally asked for its view. Clegg says the government believes in telling parliament first.
4.18pm: Frank Dobson says he has 86,000 electors in his Holborn and St Pancras constituency. It is the sixth largest constituency in the country. But he is aware that many people are not on the register. What will the government do about it?
Clegg says Labour did nothing to address this problem when they were in power. But if he can rectify the problem, he will.
4.09pm: Chris Bryant, the Labour former minister, asked if the cut in the number of MPs would be followed by a cut in the number of ministers in the Commons. Clegg didn't address the point in his reply. Christopher Chope, a Tory backbencher, tried again to get him to answer, but Clegg just made a broad point about MPs still being able to hold the executive to account.
4.04pm: David Davis, the Tory backbencher, has queried the decision to hold the referendum on 5 May 2011. He said he was not worried about voters not being able to understand the question. He was worried about "differential turnout" (because the turnout may be higher in Scotland and Wales). Clegg dismissed the charge. But a few minutes later Bernard Jenkin, another Tory backbencher, rose to press the point again.
4.00pm: Charles Kennedy, the former Lib Dem leader, has just asked a question. Kennedy is thought to be very sceptical about the coalition, but he has said little about his reservations in public. When he got to his feet, we thought he might take a swipe at Clegg. But he didn't. He just asked a technical question about constituency size.
3.59pm: Clegg is replying now. He starts with a tribute to the work Labour did in its early years on constitutional reform. But the consensual tone doesn't last long. He's now accusing Straw of being "misleading and patronising" in what he said about the dangers of the AV referendum being hold on the same day as the Scottish and Welsh elections. And he ends with a broadside against Labour.
Is the Labour party a party of progress or of stagnation? Is it a party that stands for something, or does it just stand against everything? Is the Labour party in favour of change or is it just in favour of itself?
3.52pm: Jack Straw is responding for Labour. He says that the plans to allow for an election 14 days after a vote of no confidence, if no new government can be formed, represents a U-turn.
On AV, Straw says Clegg used to call it a "miserable little reform".
Straw says Labour supports voters being allowed a vote on AV. But that will not be used as "cover" for proposals in the same bill changing the boundaries of constituencies and cutting the number of MPs.
The need for constituencies to be the same size is already set down in statute, he says.
Of the 10 largest constituencies, six are Labour. And of the 10 smallest, only three are Labour. (Generally Labour constituencies have fewer votes, which is why the Tories complain that more votes are needed to elect a Tory MP than a Labour MP.)
Straw also complains that Clegg wants to redraw boundaries without taking account of the 3.5 million people who are not on the electoral register.
On the call to cut the number of MPs, Straw says the international comparisons used by Clegg are "tendentious in the extreme". Straw says Clegg has also failed to make allowance for the fact that MPs now do more constituency work than in the past.
3.49pm: Clegg is still making his statement.
Addressing the subject of the referendum on the alternative vote, he says it will be on 5 May 2011. Having the referendum on the same day as the local elections, and the elections in Scotland and Wales, will save £17m. Voters will be able to understand the difference between the issues.
Clegg says the 2015 election will be fought on the new boundaries. Only two constituencies should be exempt from the rules saying constitutencies have to be roughly the same size: Orkney and Shetland, and the Western Isles. There is jeering in the Commons; Orkney and Shetland is a Lib Dem seat.
3.46pm: Nick Clegg is speaking now. David Cameron is sitting on the front bench listening.
Clegg says the government has an ambitious programme for political renewal. He rattles through the proposals in the coalition agreement. And he says he will give more details about some of them this afternoon.
First, he introduces legislation to fix the date of the next general election: 7 May 2015. "This prime minister" - ie, Cameron - has given up his power to set the date of the election.
Clegg addresses the "55%" issue. MPs will still be able to pass a motion of no confidence. These powers will be written in statute. If no new government is formed within 14 days of a vote of no confidence, there will be an election.
There will still be provisions for the Commons to vote for a dissolution of parliament. But that will need the support of two thirds of MPs, not 55%.
Clegg says these rules will ensure, if no government can win the support of the Commons, there will be an election.
Second, he says the government wants to cut the size of the Commons to 600. There are 650 MPs now. Originally the Tories said they wanted to get rid of 10% of MPs. The coalition has settled for a slightly lower number.
3.36pm: With Nick Clegg about to make his AV statement in the Commons, here's an afternoon AV reading list.
• Fraser Nelson at Coffee House suggests David Cameron is contemplating the re-alignment of British politics.
There is an analysis emerging in Tory circles, which I suspect Cameron shares, that the era of majority governments is over in Britain. That coalition is the new future – which is why it's good to ensure the Lib Dem deal is built to last. The AV system would, of course, make this outcome more likely. I suspect it won't be long before we hear Danny Finkelstein telling us how AV is quite a good idea, and will benefit the Tories after all. If we're so nice to the Lib Dems, they'll put us No.2 on their preference list and that will help in Labour-Tory marginals. He's largely there already.
• Mike Smithson at PoliticalBetting wonders whether AV could end up destroying the Lib Dems.
We've seen in the London Mayoral elections, where there's a simplified alternative vote, how the big two squeeze out the yellows. Could what happens to Clegg's party in the capital every four years apply at general elections?
• Sunny Hundal at Liberal Conspiracy considers the arguments that would be effective in an AV campaign.
3.15pm: At the lobby briefing this morning someone asked about Sebastian James. The name didn't mean anything to most of us, and the prime minister's spokesman wasn't very revealing. But I've just taken a peak over the Times's paywall and all is revealed. Sam Coates reveals that he is a Bullingdon Club contemporary of David Cameron's. He was in the notorious photo, and he will be appointed to head a government review looking at how money is spent on school buildings. According to Coates, James's full name is the Right Honourable Sebastian Richard Edward Cuthbert James. He is now the group operations director of DSG International, the company that runs Curry's.
2.51pm: Sally Keeble, the former international development minister, is giving evidence to the Iraq inquiry this afternoon. I expected the hearing to be quite dull. But the inquiry has just released a letter she sent to Tony Blair in June 2003 in which she strongly criticised Clare Short, the international development secretary at the time of the war, and the department as a whole. Here's an extract:
Following our phone conversations, I want to set out my misgivings about DfID's performance in dealing with the humanitarian consequences of the action in Iraq ...
There were of course difficulties because of Clare's position. Some of the consequences of her decisions were disastrous, specifically: the lack of pre-planning, the difficulties in providing humanitarian supplies for the troops, the refusal to contribute £6m towards the dredging of Um Qasr and the refusal to engage fully with [the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance].
However, quite apart from the political difficulties, there were also real difficulties with the performance of the department at official level.
The inquiry has also released the text of a letter sent in response by Suma Chakrabarti, the DfID permanent secretary at the time, dismissing Keeble's claims as "unfounded".
2.27pm: Lord Patten's briefing must be over (see 12.08pm). According to Channel 4 News, the Pope's visit is going to cost at least £10m.
1.44pm: Here's a lunchtime summary.
• Danny Alexander, the chief secretary to the Treasury, is set to announce fresh spending cuts worth £1bn. In a written ministerial statement this afternoon, Alexander is expected to say that programmes that would have been funded by Whitehall underspending under Labour's plan will not go ahead because the money is not available. The departments affected include education, business, communities and the Home Office. Last month Alexander cut or froze government spending projects worth £10.5bn.
• A union leader has said that civil servants will strike if the government tries to cut their pensions or their jobs. Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, issued the warning this morning, when several unions thought they would be discussing the issue today with Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister. But the meeting is now not going ahead. Maude will deliver a speech about civil service reform later today. Union figures believe that Maude will announce cuts to sick pay provisions for civil servants and the extension of variable pay rates for people working in different regions, as well as changes to redundancy pay arrangements. (See 8.28am, 12.08pm, 1pm)
• Ed Balls has said he would be "very wary" of supporting a switch to the alternative vote in a referendum. The Labour leadership contender suggested that the idea was being proposed "in a partisan way" as part of an attempt to "gerrymander" the constitution. Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, will make a statement about the plans for a referendum on AV, which will be combined with moves to equalise the size of parliamentary constituencies, in a Commons statement at 3.30pm. The broad thrust of what Clegg will announce has already been revealed. But the statement should be interesting because it will provide us with an indication as to how Labour will react, and how strongly the Tories will oppose the abolition of first-past-the-post. (See 10.48am and 12.08pm)
• Ofcom has rejected complaints about Sky News' coverage of the general election. Ofcom received almost 2,800 complaints from viewers who had objected to Adam Boulton's treatment of the Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg, and his on-screen clash with the former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell, as well as Kay Burley's interview with a campaigner for electoral reform. Mark Sweney has more details at Media Guardian.
1.00pm: What really happened to that Cabinet Office meeting to discuss cuts to civil service redundancy pay? Downing Street said this morning: "There was no meeting planned, so no meeting was cancelled or pulled out of." But the union version is rather different. Here's was one union source told me.
We did not get a formal invitation to a meeting. But we were told from the Cabinet Office that there would be a meeting, that it would be at 4pm today and that it would be to discuss an announcement going to be made by Francis Maude. This morning we were then told that it was not certain whether the meeting would go ahead or not. Then, at about midday, we were called officially by the Cabinet Office and told that it was off, with no explanation why. It's a bit disingenuous for them to say that it was not being planned.
Interestingly, the unions believe that the Maude announcement will not just cover the civil service compensation scheme. They're also expecting Maude to announce cuts to the sick pay provisions for civil servants and the extension of variable pay rates for people working in different regions.
12.57pm: Ed Balls has given a strong hint that he would not support switching to the alternative vote electoral system in a referendum campaign. According to PoliticsHome, this is what he told the Daily Politics show:
I'm very wary ... I support AV, it's in our manifesto, but if this is being done in a partisan way while gerrymandering the constitution. Why should we [Labour] campaign for something which is being done in an improper way?
12.42pm: Earlier I put up a post about a survey of Conservative party members showing that they are mostly very happy with the decisions being taken by the coalition (see 9.57am). A ConservativeHome survey at the end of last week also showed Tories backing 11 out of the 14 main measures in the budget.
Liberal Democrat members also seem to be on board. This morning Liberal Democrat Voice published its own survey. It is based on a small sample (350 members) but it suggests a majority of Lib Dem members back all the major budget measures. Predictably, the measure that attracted most Lib Dem opposition was the VAT increase. But 48% of Lib Dem respondents supported it, and only 42% opposed it. This is Stephen Tall's conclusion:
For the moment, then, it seems that Lib Dem members – like much of the public – are prepared to give the new coalition government the benefit of the doubt as they tackle the UK's financial mess.
12.08pm: I'm just back from the Downing Street briefing. Here are the main points.
• Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister, won't be meeting civil service unions today to discuss cutting redundancy payments. Downing Street said there was "no meeting scheduled". That will come as a surprise to the unions, who seemed to know this morning exactly when it was meant to be taking place. (See 8.37am.)
• Nick Clegg's statement to the Commons will cover the government's plans for a referendum on the alternative vote and for equalising the size of parliamentary constituencies. Other issues may come up too, but he won't say much about Lords reform.
• Downing Street said the government had "no plans" to change the law governing strikes. The prime minister's spokesman played down the Times story (see 10.44am), but did not deny it.
• Lord Patten, the former Tory chairman, will give a briefing later today about the Pope's visit. David Cameron has given Patten the job of overseeing the preparations for the pontiff's trip.
• Michael Gove, the education secretary, is making a statement in the Commons about school spending cuts. It will partly overlap with a written ministerial statement from Danny Alexander, the chief secretary to the Treasury, about the last government's end-of-year spending. (See 8.28am.)
• The announcement about an inquiry into allegations that British officials colluded in torture will come "quite soon".
• Downing Street will not explicitly back John Bercow's plans for reform of prime minister's questions. (See 10.23am.) The prime minister's spokesman said Cameron would be "open" to suggestions from the Speaker, but he would not comment in any further detail.
• And Downing Street also refused to say whether Cameron supported the parents who let their their children, aged eight and five, cycle a mile to school on their own. (The story was here in the Sunday Times yesterday, but you'll only be able to read it if you've subscribed.) Boris Johnson today challenged Cameron to back the parents. (See 10.44am.) The prime minister's spokesman said Cameron "thinks people should be taking decisions for themselves". But he would not comment on the particular case, or criticise the school for challenging what the parents are doing.
10.54am: I'm off to the Downing Street lobby briefing. I'll post again after 11.30am ...
10.48am: Nick Clegg is making a statement on electoral reform this afternoon. I presume this will be the announcement about the referendum on the alternative vote taking place in May next year. Clegg was due to announce this tomorrow, but the news has already been well-trailed so he may well have decided just to get on with it.
10.44am: I've already mentioned a couple of the stories in the papers today (see 9.23am and 10.23am). Here are some of the others worth flagging up:
• Sam Coates in The Times says that ministers are considering tightening the laws regulating strikes. Although Downing Street is saying it has "no plans" to change union legislation, the story quotes a Tory source saying the cabinet is "feeling inclined to be very bullish and aggressive" about confronting the unions. Coates says one option being discussed is a change that would require a certain proportion of workers to vote in favour for a strike for it to be legal, instead of just a majority of those actually voting. The CBI has said that 40% of the workforce should have to vote for a strike for it to be allowed.
• Lord Ashdown says in an article in the Times that the coalition is failing in Afghanistan.
In these kind of operations, winning militarily but losing politically means losing. And we are losing politically. It's the insurgency that is expanding across the country, not the writ of Kabul.
He says the international community should start preparing an international conference on the future of Afghanistan, "a bit like Dayton for Bosnia". He goes on: "Would this prevent any chance of a civil war? No. But it might give us the best available bulwark against one."
Both the Times stories are locked behind the paper's paywall.
• Boris Johnson in the Daily Telegraph says he supports the couple who are allowing their children, aged eight and five, to cycle a mile to school on their own.
Children, especially male children, need to learn about risk and daring; and if we don't give them opportunities for excitement they will simply invent their own, with gangs, and sometimes that will end in disaster. That is why I passionately support the right of the Schonrocks to take their own decisions, and to take their own risks, and I hope our new government does so, too.
• Philip Hammond, the transport minister, has said that pensioners could consider paying for their bus travel instead of using their free bus passes, to help the public finances, the Daily Telegraph reports.
• The Daily Mail says John Bercow has allowed his nanny and her husband to live rent-free in the Speaker's official residence.
10.23am: I'll post a summary of the main political stories in the papers quite soon, but I'm going to give Steve Richards's interview with John Bercow in the Independent special treatment because it's full of good lines. Here they are:
• Bercow said that the leader of the opposition gets too many questions at prime minister's questions.
Six questions are too much for the leader of the opposition. They end up taking a large number of minutes, say 10 minutes out of 30; that is a third of the time gone.
• He attacked the Daily Telegraph. He criticised the paper for what it said about his decision to appoint a black woman as chaplain to the Commons. And he suggested it was making a mistake in continuing to run stories about MPs' expenses.
If there is a newspaper which has defined itself by MPs' expenses, massively increasing its sales, using it as its USP, if it thinks it's going on for several parliaments to come then it's guilty of delusion on an industrial scale.
• He said that party conferences should take place at weekends, so that the Commons can carry on sitting through September.
It is quite wrong for party conferences to be used as an excuse for the Commons not to sit. Conferences could be held at weekends. Parliament should sit throughout September.
• He claimed that "organised barracking" of speakers during PMQS began in the 1970s. Bercow said that he had conducted some research and discovered that the shouting started about 40 years ago because of the mutual loathing felt by Harold Wilson and Ted Heath. Bercow said the public "detest" this behaviour.
• He said that the people who attacked him or his wife, Sally, were either snobs or bigots.
The snobs are those who regard themselves as socially superior because of their background, the person they have married, or the money they've got. The worst snobs are of no distinction at all. The bigots are people who cannot bear the idea of a Speaker with an opinionated wife. If she wants to be a Labour MP she has every right ... but of course whether she succeeds is a matter for her and Labour.
Is Bercow right about the public "detesting" rowdy behaviour at PMQs? I can believe that people do write to him to complain. But I suspect that they also find the aggro quite watchable. There are parliaments that conduct themselves in a more "civilised manner" as Bercow is calling for – the European parliament, the Scottish parliament, the Welsh assembly – but I'm not aware of any evidence that shows that that's good for ratings.
9.57am: Conservative party members are strongly opposed to Ken Clarke's plans to cut the number of people being sent to prison. According to a survey for ConservativeHome, 65% of members are opposed, and only 31% are in favour.
But I'm being mischievous. The survey is actually very good for David Cameron. ConservativeHome asked about 17 early decisions taken by the coalition government and the other 16 are strongly supported by Tory members.
9.23am: The Daily Telegraph has splashed on the government's plans to change the rules relating to civil service redundancies. James Kirkup's story includes this quote from a letter sent from the Cabinet Office to human resources directors in the civil service.
You must not assume that the old terms will continue unchanged for more than the next couple of months or so.
The Telegraph story also claims that "some ministries have 'pools' of several hundred workers who do not have allocated jobs but who are not sacked because of the cost".
9.14am: Not all public spending has ground to a halt yet. As Reuters reports, Serco has just announced that it has signed a £415m contract to build and manage a new prison at Belmarsh in London.
8.37am: The talks about the civil service compensation scheme are not due to start until 4pm, I've been told by a union official. The PCS (see 8.28am) is expecting to be joined by five other unions: the FDA, Prospect, Unite, GMB and the Prison Officers' Association (POA). They will be meeting Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister.
8.28am: It looks as if civil service cuts will be the story of the day. Ministers are due to meet civil service union officials today to discuss possible changes to the civil service compensation scheme, which determines how much civil servants receive if they get made redundant. The government thinks it's too generous. But Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, has already been on Radio 4 warning that the government's stance could provoke a strike. According to PoliticsHome, this is what he said:
We live in difficult times, we have a crisis caused by financial markets, and now it's hard-pressed public servants who are paying the price, and that can't be right.
People need to understand that there is no democratic legitimacy for cuts on this scale. I believe there is no argument for cuts in public services at all at the moment.
If we get attacked on pensions and jobs and pay then I think the inevitability of industrial action stares us in the face.
I'll be blogging more about the talks throughout the day. And there will be other public spending news too. As Nicholas Watt reports in the Guardian, Michael Gove is due to announce today cuts of up to £3.5bn in the schools budget. I'm not sure yet whether this is related to a written ministerial statement that George Osborne will be making today about "public spending control". Otherwise, it's a bit patchy. Norman Baker, the transport minister, is making an announcement about green buses. Sally Keeble, the former international development minister, is giving evidence to the Iraq inquiry at 2pm. I'll be keeping an eye on these stories, as well as covering any other breaking news from Westminster and bringing you all the best politcs from the papers and the web.


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About Talking Hands Therapy
Talking Hands Therapy is a Counselling, Psychotherapy, Family Support and Advocacy Service for Deaf and Hearing Clients throughout the South West of England. The service is provided by Lynda Quick. It is based in Exeter and can be delivered in British Sign Language (BSL), Spoken English or Signed Supported English (SSE).
Our Therapeutic Services

subset: commoncrawl


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Provincial government in Punjab has announced to set up special bazaars dubbed as "Christmas Bazaars" on the occasion of Christmas this year. These bazaars are intended to facilitate Christian community of the province to shop items for daily use on discounted prices. These bazaars are due to open for the public on December 22 on wards in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Sialkot and various cities of Punjab.
The Provincial Minister for Human Rights and Minorities' Affairs Khalil Tahir Sandhu announced the setting up of Christmas bazaars during a meeting held in Lahore. He detailed that the provincial government is keenly interested in facilitating the Christian community on the occasion of Christmas. Kahlil Tahir also said that these bazaars will provide quality products to the consumers at prices comparatively less than routine rates. He further said that the authorities have directed the concerned security authorities to ensure fool proof security at these Christmas bazaars.
Also Read: Pakistan government to start Christmas train this Christmas
During this meeting, the Provincial Minister for Human Rights and Minorities' Affairs also stated that the Punjab Government is earnestly taking all measures to ensure fool proof security at churches across the province. He said that he had already directed the concerned officials to chalk out efficacious plans in order to secure the public place, churches and all places likely to harbor gatherings at Christmas. During the meeting he said that the authorities have been directed to make sure that the security personnel are deployed at the churches on Christmas Eve.
Last year, similar bazaars were also set up in six different locations in Lahore, including Youhanabad – one of the largest Christian neighborhoods in the country. Other locations included, Jallo Mor in Wahga Town near BRB Canal, Gulberg Town near Makkah Colony, Nishter town near Yohanabad Ferozpur Road, Data Gunj Bakhsh Town opposite Don Basco School near Railway Headquarters, Shalimar Town at China Scheme Chowk and in Data Town the bazaar has been set up at Elahi Bukhsh Road.


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MAC Cosmetics
M•A•C (Make-up Art Cosmetics), a leading brand of professional cosmetics, was created in Toronto, Canada in 1984. The company's popularity has grown through a tradition of word-of-mouth endorsement from makeup artists, models, photographers and journalists around the world. M•A•C is now sold in 79 countries/territories worldwide.
The MAC standard is set by the work of the M·A·C Pro Team. Responsive to the ever-changing vibe of fashion, the M·A·C Pro Team creates looks for the international fashion runways as well as the dramatic and performing arts that are key influences all over the World.
Since 1996, MAC Cosmetics is part of the high-end prestige brands of Estée Lauder Companies. Group's premium brand portfolio: Estée Lauder, M.A.C, Bobbi Brown, Prescriptives, La Mer, Jo Malone, Tom Ford Beauty, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty.
M∙A∙C Cosmetics takes great pride in producing the finest quality prestige makeup. Because of this, we vigorously pursue counterfeiting operations and the individuals responsible for the production, distribution and sale of counterfeit goods that visibly appear to be authentic M∙A∙C Cosmetics products but lack the superior quality, research and development time invested in all of our products.


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Karma Beans - original Sculpture and Watercolors
June 5 - July 2017
Introducing "Karma Beans" by Angel Oloshove. You can purchase her Ombre Pottery Cups here.
About the Artist: Angel Oloshove (b. 1981, Temperance, MI) studied painting at California College ofthe Arts. She worked in graphic design and toy development in Tokyo. In 2009 sheturned her focus to develop her studio practice in ceramic sculpture. Her work often experiments with painterly glazes to express feelings oftranscendental experiences through form and color. She has balance a fine artpractice of sculptural ceramics as well has her own line of functional design potterystocked in design boutiques throughout the United States.Her exhibition Floating Worlds was selected as a Critic's Pick for the April 2015 issueof ArtForum. In 2015, she was named one of "Ten Modern Ceramists Shaping theFuture" by AnOther Magazine. Angel's ceramic designs and artworks were shown atthe inaugural Texas Design Fair at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. Shehas also exhibited at Gallery Hanahou (New York), Front St. Gallery (Oakland, CA),and several arts institutions across Japan. She was a finalist for the 2015 Houston Artadia Award, and is an incoming residentartist for at the Houston Center of Contemporary Art.
You can follow Angel Oloshove on her website.


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Small Business
One juicy story: Caribé Exotic offers taste of the tropics
COMPANY NAME: Caribé Exotic Juice
Headquarters: Miami and Washington, D.C.
Concept: Build lasting supply chains to connect Caribbean and Latin American producers to the U.S. market. Right now, the company is focusing on helping small farmers in the Dominican Republic make use of excess fruit by purchasing produce the farmers ordinarily would discard and making cold-pressed juice from it. The juice is then sold in Miami and Washington, D.C., under the Caribé brand.
Story: While undergraduates at the University of Miami, Cristian F. Robiou and Luis Solis wondered why larger beverage companies did not source fruits at large scale from the Caribbean and Latin America to make natural juices favored by Hispanic consumers. Passion fruit and sour sop, for instance, are popular in multicultural households, but high-quality, ready-to-drink options did not exist in the market.
That question was the intellectual genesis of Caribé. But the soul of the company developed later, as the founders tried to solve the question.
"While graduate students, we researched the question and found a suite of issues that made building a supply chain more prohibitive in this part of the world: wide-scale disorganization at the local governmental level in the Caribbean, disorganization as to the way representatives handled their duties, and even wider corruption at the EX/IM level. This angered us," said Robiou. He was then in his first year at Harvard Law School, while Solis was in his first year at Darden Business School at the University of Virginia.
The research project began as an aloe farm and eventually became Caribé Exotic Juice, a company selling cold-pressed juices made from exotic fruits imported from the Dominican Republic, where both Robiou and Solis grew up. Dominican farmers, who typically struggle to sell their products overseas, directly benefit. The arrangement in turn improves the social and economic conditions of thousands of agricultural workers in the DR.
"We realized there was a lot of paving to be done to make sure we could make this concept work," Robiou said. "But we did it because we care about helping and developing the Caribbean and doing so in a way that benefits U.S. consumers."
In 2014, Caribé launched its juice in the mid-Atlantic. The local Whole Foods picked it up. Now the company has four juices, found in all Whole Foods in Washington, D.C., and Maryland, and soon will carry the juices in New York and New Jersey. The juice will also soon be in 50 Harris Teeter supermarkets and is approved to launch in 100 Krogers.
Caribé is also found in many fast-casual restaurants and independent stores in Miami, including The Daily Creative, Spring Chicken, Jimmy'z Kitchen, Wynwood Cafe and Pinecrest Wayside Market. Robiou hopes to get into Whole Foods and Publix in South Florida. "We're committed to Miami. We are going to make it work."
The four flavors are Starfruit (15 calories, drink it straight up or use as a mixer), Passion Fruit, Guava and Acerola Berry. Coming soon: a Caribé coconut water (made with Dominican coconuts and a splash of lime) and a mango mix. A cold-pressed coffee drink — with a Caribbean twist, of course — is in the works. The bottles retail for $2.99 to $3.49.
Website and social media: caribejuice.com and instagram.com/caribejuice
Launched: February 2014
Management team: Cristian F. Robiou (based in Miami); Luis Solis (based in Washington, D.C.)
No. of employees: Eight full-time employees spread out among operations, marketing and sales, plus 16 part-time employees.
Financing: $750,000 from friends-and-family financing rounds. The team expects to soon complete a $2 million financing round with Dominican and American investors.
Milestones: 34 new Harris Teeter supermarkets added to accounts. Likely closing a premier natural beverage distributor in the Northeast representing 13 new states that will feature Caribé. Met with the president of the Dominican Republic in late August to discuss the impact.
Biggest startup challenge: Dealing with the Caribbean and Latin American business culture, as well as Miami's. "It's very much who you know and less about the numbers … and I wasn't prepared for that," Robiou said. "I thought that if you can prove the business case, that's that, but that hasn't been the case here. But being here has forced me to address that weakness in myself. It has made me, I think, a stronger leader because you can't forget that business is fundamentally about people, about relationships."
Next steps: Building out broader partnerships within Miami and capturing key stores to help expand markets across relevant demographics. Caribé wants to bring in more marketing employees and focus explicitly on advertising for 90 days in 2017. The team is developing more dynamic branding tied to Miami.
"We want to be the standard here in Florida. I want someone to be able to walk into a Whole Foods or a Publix and find Caribé on the shelf," Robiou said. That kind of availability brings home the idea we had when we started Caribé, of seeing Miami as this link to the best of the Caribbean. We care very, very much about growing from here and being something that stands for good in Miami."
Mentor's view: Seeing the health trends, Adam Meltzer, owner of The Daily Creative, said he began carrying Caribé products in his restaurant about a year ago and sales are strong. He also introduced Robiou to Gordon Food Service, a distributor that Robiou is now working with. "When I first tried the passion fruit flavor, I was immediately impressed with the unusual, yet refreshing taste. It piqued my interest to try them all," Meltzer said. "The challenge that he faces moving forward is to keep the buzz going, to keep the Caribé name fresh in people's minds with social media, tastings etc. Marketing will be the key to his success from here on."|
Nancy Dahlberg: @ndahlberg
Read more Startup Spotlights:
Would you wear business jammies? Fashion startup creates ultra comfy work clothes
Rising Tide Car Wash stars in new Starbucks video series
Toy inventors believe 'there's a hero inside every boy'
This startup wants to take you shopping – through virtual reality
Grocers, distributors catch the Banana Wave
Octopi making waves in shipping industry
Mediconecta brings telehealth to emerging markets.


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The Greater Lawrence Bar Association welcomes you to its annual Spring Dinner at the North Andover Country Club. The event will be held on March 24, 2015, and will feature guest speaker the Hon. Nancy Gertner, (Ret.) Judge, U.S. District Court, whose prepared remarks are entitled "Duck, Avoid, Evade - The Problem With the Federal Courts".
The GLBA will also honor Mary McCabe, Associate Justice of the Massachusetts District Court with its Leadership Award. The Leadership Award is given each year to a member who not only ably serves his or her clients and constituents, but also generously gives back by donating services, money, and most importantly, time in order to make the community a better place, an ideal that Mary McCabe exemplifies every day.
Please join us on March 24, beginning at 6:00pm for social hour with hors d'ouevres and cash bar, and dinner beginning at approximately 7:30pm. Guests choose at registration between the following dinner entrees: stuffed chicken breast with spinach, tomatoes, and blended cheese with roast garlic cream; citrus brined pork loin with stone fruit gravy; or baked fillet of haddock, cracker crumb coating, and maitre'd hotel butter.
Please RSVP by March 18, 2015, by registering online or by returning the order form with your payment to Samer Obeid, Law Office of Matthew A. Caffrey, P.C., 93 Main Street, Suite 211, Andover, MA 01810.


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How To Use Instagram to Get Leads
In today's post, I'm going to teach you how to post pictures on Instagram to get leads. Instagram is just getting started in the marketing arena so you will be able to capitalize on it using these techniques.
It's super simple…
It's super fun…
Let's talk a little about Instagram!
It's HOT! And everyone is hanging out at. if you're not one of them you're missing out big time.
Let's face it…people are attracted to pictures. and if you're not on Instagram posting pictures ask yourself… Why not?
I've been using Instagram since April 2015. And I have to admit at first I thought it was just another pinterest thing.
To me it just seemed like everybody was posting pictures of their pets, their food, selfies galore, and scenery which is great, but not a real marketing tool.
I avoided Instagram for a really long time.
How To Post Pictures On Instagram To Get Leads
If you have you ever wondered how to post pictures on Instagram to get more leads, likes, comments and followers….
….today is your lucky day to learn how to do that.
But first…Let's get into the science of Instagram:
How To Post Pictures On Instagram To Get Leads
Now that you know the science on how to post pictures on Instagram and understand that Instagram Users are more than just people who post pictures
What is going to be your next move?
The question is ….are you going to rise to the top with it or without it?
You already know how to post your pictures to Instagram.
Now it's time to dig into the lead generation part.
You see, what most people are doing is they are sending Instagram traffic directly to their affiliate link from their bio.
This is so wrong!
You need to seriously stop doing that… Unless of course you want to keep getting the same results that you're getting.
When I talk about getting results, I'm not talking about getting people to like Instagram pictures or comment on them…
I'm not even talking about getting people to follow you.
What I'm talking about is something that's a little bit more something with BAM!!!
Want to know what it is?
Of course, you do!
It's actually quite simple. Yet very little marketers know about it.
Especially the ones that are being taught to spam their affiliate link all over the damn place. And that's probably what your company is teaching you to do…
They're teaching you to post your affiliate link all across social media. And you want to know what that makes you look like?
It just makes you look like everyone else. Don't you want to stand out from the crowd?
Don't you want to start looking like everyone else in your company?
Here's how to do it…you'll need:
1. A lead magnet
2. A capture page
3. An autoresponder
4. And a blog
I talk more about 2, 3 and 4 here.
A lead magnet is an offer that is specific so your target market. It's what's going to get them to want to bite your offer. Just think of fishing. It's the same thing.
A capture page is what you're going to put the lead magnet on so that you can generate a lead. And when I say lead what I really mean is collecting an email address from people who are interested in your lead magnet. Simple!
An autoresponder works in conjunction with the capture page. When you collect a lead from your capture page, their email address is automatically put and in autoresponder system. And that autoresponder system automatically should send them an email on your behalf without you having to do it manually each time you generate a lead. It also allows me to follow up with my leads. I basically send them an email and direct them to my blog.
A blog is what ties everything together and allows you to brand yourself and build relationships with your prospects by sharing valuable content that they are interested in.
And it's a simple as that.
By now, you should understand how important it is to learn this format if you want to start getting leads from Instagram.
If you really want to become an EXPERT on Instagram and generating leads you NEED to Get This NOW!
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Army medic veterans finding themselves underemployed
By SHARON L. LYNCH | Bloomberg News | Published: September 11, 2012
SAN ANTONIO — Army Spc. Daniel Hutchinson once sliced a man's throat to keep him breathing.
He knows how to slip a needle between a patient's ribs to re-inflate a lung. He fastened tourniquets on dozens of shredded limbs during 12 months in Iraq.
Saving lives set him up for not much more than minimum-wage work at home. Combat medics, the Army's largest specialty after infantry, are hindered in the job market by a military that doesn't fully document their skills and a hodge-podge of state licensing laws that don't account for armed-forces experience.
Recruits who grew up hearing the Army slogan "Be All You Can Be" are finding unemployment among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans outstrips the civilian rate. Military engineers, truck drivers, machinists and information technologists face obstacles like those that medics encounter. Many use federal benefits to pay for civilian schooling in skills they've already mastered, said Rep. Jeff Miller, a Florida Republican and chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
"We are literally wasting millions of tax dollars requiring someone to attend training they have already completed, which could be spent on more advanced qualifications," Miller said in an email.
Veterans cost the Defense Department $942 million in unemployment compensation last year, and the number of post- Sept. 11 veterans using education benefits through the GI Bill climbed to 555,329. The total tuition cost to taxpayers was $8.1 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The unemployment rate for veterans in Hutchinson's age group, those 25-34 years old, was 9.7 percent in July compared with 8.2 percent for non-veterans, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Joblessness among vets under 24 hit 19.9 percent that month, compared with 15.5 for their peers who didn't serve in the military.
"It seemed like any medical profession that I wanted to get into required at least a year of training to learn stuff that I had already done and trained other soldiers to do," said Hutchinson, who eventually gave up on becoming a paramedic or nurse and started a veterans' support group.
His struggle shows the hurdles U.S. policymakers are trying to eliminate to bring more veterans into the workforce.
Soldiers, sailors and air men perform at least 20 manufacturing-related jobs such as welding and machine repair without the civilian credentials that would help secure jobs outside the service, according to the Obama administration. While Congress approved a law July 14 declaring military training sufficient for many federal job licenses and certifications, the measure won't help vets who specialized in health care because their credentialing falls under states' jurisdiction.
Another piece of legislation, the 2011 Vow to Hire Heroes Act signed by President Barack Obama on Nov. 21, ordered the Labor Department to work with states to standardize a patchwork of differing cross-border requirements. The department is working on a contract to study the problem, according to an email from Ismael Ortiz, acting assistant labor secretary for veterans' employment and training.
Army medics and their Air Force counterparts are certified as basic emergency medical technicians, not better-paid paramedics, even though they practice some skills reserved for paramedics in civilian life. Navy corpsmen lack even that basic certification because they don't take a required civilian test when they finish training.
Volunteers fill about half the basic EMT jobs nationwide, according to the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, a Columbus, Ohio-based organization that offers uniform exams and certification recognized in 45 states. Basic EMTs who do get paid sometimes earn as little as minimum wage, said June Iljana, California's deputy director for emergency medical services.
Paramedics, who hold higher-level licenses, can earn about $45,000 a year, she said. They respond to emergency medical calls, assess patients and administer life-saving first aid en route to hospitals.
The Labor Department estimates the United States will need 120,800 more EMTs and paramedics over the course of this decade.
At Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio, Texas, the armed services turn out about 12,500 combat medics, Navy corpsmen and Air Force medical technicians a year. About 20,000 serve on active duty in the Army and 20,000 in the National Guard and Reserves.
These "docs," as they're called, manage pain and injuries on the battlefield, treat colds and stomach aches, and distribute medicine. They also learn paramedic skills, including how to re-inflate a collapsed lung, insert breathing tubes and administer morphine.
Training culminates in 11 days of war games on undeveloped land north of San Antonio. In June, sweat dripped from soldiers' faces by 7:30 a.m. Green grenade smoke obscured the Texas sun as temperatures climbed toward 98 degrees Fahrenheit.
"Boomer out!" Staff Sgt. Jason Jackson shouted, a warning that blank artillery was about to explode close enough to rattle the barracks. "Get down on the ground for crying out loud!"
A medic pushed a five-inch tube up her training partner's nose and down his throat, a procedure called intubation that can keep unconscious victims breathing. Nearby recruits debated how much morphine would be appropriate as they treated simulated gunshot wounds and amputations. Civilian EMTs certified at the basic level aren't allowed to give prescription narcotics or intubate patients.
"Coming this route, you get way better training than if you take the courses in the civilian world," said Pfc. Brian Driggs, 22.
As many as 95 percent of Fort Sam students pass the basic EMT exam, said Don Parsons, deputy director of combat medic training at the base. That compares with 66 percent overall, according to data from the National Registry group.
Maria Aliftiras, 34, a Fort Sam instructor who spent 11 years in the Army Reserves then earned her civilian paramedic's license, said about half her 1,200 hours of courses and clinical work through San Antonio College repeated what she already knew about physiology, anatomy and trauma. Advanced cardiac care was "the only real challenge," she said.
"If I was going to recommend anything to the Army, I would raise the level of certification that they are getting," said Jeff Bailey, director of San Antonio College's Emergency Medical Services program. Last year, he relied on two Navy corpsmen in his basic EMT class to help teach. "They have the skill set, they just can't use it."
Aliftiras spent $3,500 and more than a year on her paramedic education. The cost rises to $8,950 for California students who enroll in the National College of Technical Instruction, a for-profit company that bills itself online as "the largest paramedic and EMS training institute in the United States." NCTI's tuition varies by location, said Karin Gasch, a spokeswoman for the school.
Even the most accomplished combat medics may need additional training for such tasks as inserting an IV into an elderly patient with fragile veins or treating someone in diabetic shock, said Bill Brown, executive director of the National Registry of EMTs. Veterans should complete the full range of paramedic courses through civilian schools, no matter their experience, he said.
"We have to handle all age groups and all diseases," Brown said.
Before licensing paramedics, states typically require them to ride along on ambulance calls and work in hospital emergency rooms. The San Antonio College program requires students to spend at least 480 hours on such clinical training, for example.
While military personnel get such experience once they're assigned to a unit, the skills they add in the field usually aren't documented, according to instructors at Fort Sam. The void leaves vets unable to prove their ability to civilian employers.
One workaround would be to allow veterans to take placement tests gauging how much additional education they need to earn a paramedic's license without starting from scratch, an approach that Representative Miller said he might support.
"If a medic or corpsman can pass those tests, I see no reason why they shouldn't be licensed," Miller said.
Obama's plans to reduce U.S. ground forces worldwide are expected to return more than 1 million service members to civilian status in the next five years. To ease the veterans' transition, the administration in May created a task force to work on closing the gap between military training and civilian work requirements.
The panel, which is starting with 20 manufacturing specialties covering 126,000 service members, started pilot certification programs with the American Welding Society, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council.
In July a small group of Army engineers began six weeks of training that will culminate with the society's civilian certification exam, said Lori Dick, spokeswoman for the trade organization.
Many Army candidates are expected to pass on their first try, said Tony Stamilio, the Army's deputy assistant secretary for civilian personnel and quality of life.
The task force plans to turn to health-care professions next, according to the Obama administration.
The American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars are focusing on winning recognition for military EMTs and commercial truck drivers. Both occupations are licensed or certified at the state level.
"These two are consistently at the top of the list," for action, said Ryan Gallucci, deputy legislative director for the VFW. "You have a work force that you believe has certain skills, but they are not able to apply them in the civilian sectors."
So far 27 states agreed to recognize military experience for veterans seeking work as commercial truck drivers.
To help veteran medics, the administration amended a grant program for nursing schools to favor those that give academic credit for military training. In fiscal year 2011, the program awarded more than $102 million. A similar incentive program is available for schools that train physician's assistants.
For Hutchinson, such steps come too late to foster a career in emergency medicine.
Upon his return to Columbus, Ohio, he looked into working for Rural/Metro Corp., an ambulance company owned by New York- based private equity firm Warburg Pincus, and discovered they didn't pay basic EMTs enough to cover his monthly bills, he said. The company pays between $18,300 and $34,600 for basic EMTs in Ohio on a 44-hour week, said Rural/Metro spokeswoman Liz Merritt.
More research into the demand for health-care workers led Hutchinson to enroll in community college as a step toward nursing school. There, the man accustomed to attending gunshot wounds and damage wrought by improvised explosive devices found himself overwhelmed. Crowded classrooms and chatter in foreign languages reminded him of Iraq, stirring episodes of post- traumatic stress. He dropped out and applied for Veterans' Administration benefits.
"It was real difficult," he said. "I just locked my door and shut my curtains."
Today he lives with his sister and uses his partial disability check to fund Ohio Combat Veterans. The group connects former soldiers with one another, helps them find jobs and navigate federal bureaucracy.
The home page on Hutchinson's website quotes Theodore Roosevelt: "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards."


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MEET COURTNEY: Her Story
For so long I let stress and anxiety diminish my self-trust, and what I thought my true potential was.
For most of my life I struggled with food. Growing up with sights on a professional dancing career, I constantly compared my body to others', and to what the industry idealizes as that flawless "dancer's body". I truly believed that if only my tush were a bit smaller, or my thighs were a touch slimmer, I would be that much better.
Unable to see my individually badass figure as powerful and beautiful, I went on a self-destructive journey to achieve what I thought of as "perfect".
From extreme diets, to starving myself, to over-exercising, this focus on how I looked chipped away at my quality of life. Moving into adulthood, I had unfulfilling jobs, poor choices in romantic partners, and deteriorating relationships with my family. These all prevented me from providing my body with the self-care or respect necessary for healthy habits, and I continued to suffer from a poor body image.
It was a vicious cycle that left me feeling completely out of control, depleted of energy, and emotionally drained.
It wasn't until I found the Institute for Integrative Nutrition that I was able to empower myself. I re-learned how to eat in a way that supported my body, and created realistic eating habits that are right for my mind and body, and that leave me happy, productive, and in control of my mental and emotional states.
I am a certified Health Coach and certified Pilates Apparatus and Mat instructor, studying under master trainer Ella Ben-Aharon from Pilates Sports Center located in Encino, CA and The Lab in Brooklyn, NY. I have knowledge of a variety of food lifestyles such as vegan, raw food, paleo, and macrobiotics, and hold a BFA in Dance from the University of Florida. Some of the many practitioners I studied under include Deepak Chopra, Mark Hyman, Andrew Weil, David Katz, Harville Hendrix, John Douillard, Marion Nestle, and Neal Bernard.
My health coaching advice has been featured in numerous health and wellness articles on digital platforms such as Reader's Digest, Yahoo, MyDomaine, and Byrdie.
I love this work from the bottom of my heart. I live my life with an overall feeling of contentment, vitality, and confidence in my body and what I have to offer the world. My goal is to spread this feeling with others, and to help everyone feel their best self, every single day.
- You are what you eat. Every single thing you eat, your body absorbs - make a habit of educating yourself.
- Treat your body like it belongs to someone you love.
- If you don't recognize the ingredient, neither will your body.
- Diet is just one piece to the puzzle. It is important to have a balance in all areas of you life.
- We can juice, cleanse, take up acupuncture - but if we are unhappy in a job, relationship or our physical activity this creates an imbalance and we cannot truly and completely be happy and healthy.
- Creating good lifestyle habits now can last you a lifetime and will only save you from health problems and unhappiness in the future.


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Well, it seems the have called of the NDA and the lawyers for LucasArts and BioWare have been caged back up. This means I can tell my SW:TOR story.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is the second attempt to cash in on the STAR WARS IP in MMO form. It has been in development for about 5 years. The angle this one has is that it is set 5000 years before the current movies. This is a double edged sword, as the developers are not shackled by current cannon, or feel the need to place characters like Luke Skywalker or Han Solo in needlessly. It allows them to create a new Star Wars storyline by maintaining the legacy of what makes the Star Wars Universe great. However the downside is that they are not using familiar characters and locations, and this may turn more than a few people off.
First off, let me put this out there: from what I have played ,I LOVE IT. At it's simplest, it is the child of World of Warcraft and Mass Effect ( which itself was the spiritual successor to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic). If you are shaking your head asking why is it not more like KOTOR, it TOTALLY IS. It is set in that Universe, sure, most the gameplay more closely resembles Mass Effect.
The way you interact in the game is all WoW. The movement, the combat. The zones. However, it is the story and how they make you PLAY the game that is all Mass Effect. Whereas in previous MMOs, your character exists and takes a part in a larger story, in SWTOR, the story is all about you. Your first 10 levels is all about YOU. Sure, there are plenty of side quests, but during your first few hours in the game you are creating your role in the bigger story to come. So much so that the opening crawl is tailored to fit your character. There are instances in the game that exists ONLY for you and they only server to move your plot line along. Other classes/players can't even go in. This makes you feel like you REALLY own your character. The quests are standard MMO fodder. Take item X to person X. Meet person X at location X. Kill X number of beasties or bad guys. But, as opposed to simply leveling your character, you are advancing your own story. And did I mention the dialog? EVERYBODY talks! No chat balloons. They talk. And just like Mass Effect, your responses dictate how they respond and how your character develops. Want to be a dick? BE ONE and eventually join the dark side. Be the hero, and join the light side. You can even play it in the middle.
That being said, I think a lot of modern MMO players will find this boring. This is not a kill'em and loot 'em game. The fast pace of WoW is definitely missing and I found that to be a relief. This game was made for ROLE PLAYING. Not PVP rewards, not PHAT LOOTZ. I have noticed a lot of the criticism of the game stems from this. Some players are already at level 50. The highest level currently achievable. They are complaining of the lack of end game content. To me I feel like they missed the point. If you go into the game with the mentality of getting to the highest level as fast as possible, I feel like you are short changing yourself. This MMO centers on story and is meant to be enjoyed as such.
So far, I really like the game. A lot.


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Participants in the event included Eaton Township, Reed's Salvage Corp. and the Ross Group of companies which includes Ross Environmental Services, Inc., Ross Incineration Services, Inc. and Ross Transportation Services, Inc.
Household hazardous materials were collected by the Ross companies free of charge to township residents and associates of the Ross Group of companies. Materials available for collection included paint, motor oil, household chemicals, discarded cleaning products and more. These household items are reflective of the types of materials that the Ross companies safely manage for customers on a daily basis.
Over the last 28 collections, the Ross companies have collected and disposed of 128,770 gallons of household hazardous waste in an environmentally sound manner.
"We feel truly honored to have this opportunity to meet with residents face-to-face to help them dispose of their hazardous waste items through Dumpster Days," said Justis Clifford, Senior Communications Specialist for Ross Environmental Services, Inc. "This is a service the Ross companies are proud to provide the community, but at the same time, we believe we are getting back just as much. We look forward to participating in Dumpster Days for many years to come."


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This article by Richard Heinberg gets to the core of the problem facing civilised life in the 21st century, as he puts it – "the cascading complex of crises that will hammer civilisation to bits during the remainder of this century". He argues that the reductionist mode of thinking that separates aspects of these crises from the entire interconnected cascade and feeds a belief in technofix solutions needs to be replaced by holistic thinking that sees how these crises are interrelated. Three main 'solutions' would be:
- reverse the growth of human population
- shrink and relocalise economies
- abandon fossil fuel use and switch to renewable energy sources
Unfortunately such solutions are not politically viable and contradict the vested interests of powerful elites. In addition the scale of change required in the time available to avoid disaster and systems' collapse seems far too great.
Dmitry Orlov's (2012) The Five Stages of Collapse suggests that the sequence of a cascade of collapsing systems would be:
- Financial
- Commercial
- Political
- Social
- Cultural
This is not a cheering prospect but Orlov's research of how previous collapses have progressed is very persuasive despite the social inertia that binds most of us to business-as-usual and reductionist thinking.


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Green Drug Rug Hoodie - Crazy soft and comfy, made from recycled T-Shirts that are friendly to the environment! Our Mexican hoodies have a V-neck with ties in the front, a deep front pocket and long sleeve.
All our hoodies sizing refers to US men's size and run true to size. We suggest that women buy down a size from their regular size in women's.
Most items ship within 24 hrs. Super fast priority shipping (1-3 Business days) to the United States.
We also have fast worldwide shipping. Most items get delivered to any country in 5 days.


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I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified -- St. Paul, I Corinthians 2:2
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Walking the Way of the Cross with Pope Benedict
4 comments:
- Wayne said...
Our Lady of Victory parish has been using modified versions of these reflections found in a pamphlet sold by Our Sunday Visitor (I believe). They are very well done and keep the timing about where everyone expects. I highly recommend them.
- February 21, 2013 at 9:30 AM
- Wayne said...
Here is a link to that pamphlet if you are interested: https://catalog.osv.com/catalog.aspx?search=way+of+the+cross&x=0&y=0. There is a link to a preview of the entire pamphlet on that page as well.
- February 21, 2013 at 9:39 AM
- Wayne said...
Sorry, I just tested the link in my previous post and it doesn't work. Here is the link, just copy and paste: https://catalog.osv.com/Catalog.aspx?SimpleDisplay=true&ProductCode=P288
- February 21, 2013 at 9:43 AM
- Fr Martin Fox said...
Oh good! Thanks for that!
- February 21, 2013 at 10:45 AM


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While MSN adCenter has been in pilot mode since mid-October, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is announcing the official launch of adCenter at Thursday's MSN Strategic Account Summit… as well as the new name change to Microsoft adCenter.
Along with the launch comes news that adCenter will launch in the UK market on a limited basis in June, begin testing their contextual advertising this summer, provide ads on multiple Live products and drop Yahoo! Search Marketing ads from all US-based searches on MSN Search.
The name change is a very curious decision. With all search related products branded under the MSN name, why change MSN adCenter to Microsoft adCenter? When going to the adCenter site now, it has been entirely rebranded Wednesday evening to coincide with the Thursday announcement. It will be interesting to watch others weigh in on this topic. I am not sure that rebranding from MSN to Microsoft is the best decision for adCenter, but it is certainly a decision that will get people talking about the possible reasons why for the rebrand.
The launch into the UK market is a natural progression for adCenter, and they seem to be taking a similar pilot route into the UK as they did in the US. However, with the experience behind them with the US pilot, I wouldn't expect that the UK pilot would last very long before fully launching.
It has been known that MSN would eventually launch a contextual advertising product to compete with Google AdSense & Yahoo Publisher Network, so this isn't entirely a surprise. But having a summer target date for testing is something many potential publishers will be watching for when the ads begin running on MSN & Microsoft network sites.
And dropping Yahoo! Search Marketing ads is not a surprise at all. MSN has been cutting back on the percentage of ads they show from Yahoo as their adCenter pilot progressed, most recently dropping Yahoo ads to only 30% of all US searches on MSN Search.
Advertisers will also be able to see their advertisements appearing across a number of MSN & Microsoft properties in the future, including Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live Safety Center, Windows Live for Mobile, Office Live and Office Online, and the Xbox® Web site Xbox.com. This definitely ends much speculation about how many of these new free Live branded products would be monetized to make them worthwhile. And it gives adCenter a platform to test contextual targeting prior to launching a product for publishers.
For current pilot advertisers, nothing much will be changed. But for those wanting to advertise, you will no longer have to wait for an invite or an open sign-up day to be able to run ad campaigns on MSN Search.
Postscript From Danny: On the name change, I guess the biggest surprise is that they didn't call it Windows Live adCenter 🙂
Postscript 2: Microsoft's press release is below:
REDMOND, Wash. ? May 3, 2006 ? Today at the seventh annual MSN® Strategic Account Summit, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer announced the launch of Microsoft adCenter, the company?s online advertising platform now serving 100 percent of paid search traffic on Microsoft® online properties in the U.S. market.
Ballmer recognized the advertising community for its pivotal support of Microsoft?s rapidly expanding digital content network and said the company is set to deliver even richer opportunities for advertisers in the months to come.
?Ad-supported software services are an integral part of Microsoft?s plans to give consumers access to a broader variety of digital media, whenever they want and on whatever device they prefer,? Ballmer told the audience of more than 700 leading innovators in the advertising, marketing and media industries. ?Our close partnership with the ad community is extremely important to us as we evolve Microsoft from a software company into the world?s largest, most attractive provider of online media through MSN, Windows Live? and adCenter.?
Announced a year ago at the sixth annual Strategic Account Summit in March 2005 as a comprehensive platform and set of tools for advertisers, the Microsoft ad platform was launched today by Ballmer in the U.S. (English version only), joining the service?s availability in Singapore and France and serving 100 percent of paid search ads in these markets. Microsoft adCenter also will begin testing with a limited number of advertisers in the U.K. market in June.
As the advertising engine for Windows Live, MSN and other Microsoft online services, Microsoft adCenter is helping advertisers strategically plan their online buys and is designed to help them gain a higher return on investment by utilizing real audience intelligence and advanced targeting capabilities.
Performics Inc., the performance-based marketing division of DoubleClick Inc., is using Microsoft adCenter extensively with its clients. Stuart Frankel, president of Performics, joined Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft senior vice president and chief advertising strategist, in demonstrating Microsoft adCenter?s capabilities at the Strategic Account Summit.
?We are very encouraged by the results of our campaigns in adCenter. In particular, during the pilot, the vast majority of our clients? conversion rates have been better on MSN than the other major search engines,? Frankel said.
Ballmer and Mehdi outlined a broader vision for adCenter at the conference, sharing a road map of how adCenter would be enhanced to address advertising opportunities beyond paid search. Ballmer noted that Microsoft was committed not only to a next-generation advertising platform for its advertising customers, but also to building through MSN and the Windows Live services the largest, most engaged audience on the planet.
Microsoft adCenter is designed to ultimately provide advertisers with a one-stop-shop experience, whether buying search, contextual or display ads across a number of Microsoft properties. Ballmer emphasized the importance to advertisers of accessing powerful tools and audience intelligence in an easy-to-use, accessible way, and that Microsoft?s network of online sites and services will deliver to advertisers a range of audiences with very different demographics that advertisers will be able to reach in one consistent way. Contextual advertising testing begins on MSN in the U.S. market this summer. In addition, the following Microsoft properties are preparing to launch ads in the near future: Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live Safety Center, Windows Live for Mobile, Office Live and Office Online, and the Xbox® Web site Xbox.com.
The one-stop-shop experience of Microsoft adCenter will allow advertisers to track ad campaign performance and report results in a holistic and measurable way. In response to advertiser feedback, Microsoft has not only built adCenter to deliver innovative reporting capabilities, but also announced that it had acquired DeepMetrix Corp., a privately held provider of Web analytics and business intelligence tools for online marketers and publishers. Expanding upon DeepMetrix technologies such as LiveSTATS.BIZ, Microsoft will deliver new Web analytics applications in future releases of Microsoft adCenter.
More information about Microsoft adCenter and registration is available at http://advertising.msn.com.
Postscript Barry: Figured I add a bit more to this, since Gary Price sent me a few relevant links. The video of the presentation can be found here and the full transcript here.
Related reading
The evolution of Google's rel "no follow"
Anyone relying on rel=nofollow to try and block a page from being indexed should look at using other methods to block pages from being crawled or indexed.
Optimizing for voice search: Q&A with Mastercard's Guillaume Conteville
Mastercard's SVP of Global Digital Marketing Guillaume Conteville discusses optimizing for voice search and his upcoming session at the Search Summit.
Different ways voice search is affecting your brand
More people searching for information on the web using voice-commands is a paradigm shift being observed. Four crucial ways voice search impacts your brand.
Search transformation projects: Q&A with SAP's Siddharth Taparia
Siddharth Taparia, SVP and Head of Strategic Transformation and Partner Marketing at SAP, discusses his upcoming session at the Search Summit on search transformation projects.


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Ancestry.com: Where Online and Genome Privacy Issues Meet
June 4, 2012
One of the leading unresolved information privacy issues is the scope of protection for personal information associated with online activities.
Another critical and open information privacy concern is the extent to which genetic information should be protected from access and disclosure.
These two challenging privacy topics meet in the context of Ancestry.com's new genome database service.
Ancestry.com operates an online system that assists individuals to conduct genealogical research, helping them to explore their family histories.
The company reportedly has nearly two million subscribers. Recently, Ancestry launched a service enabling its members to compare their genomes with those of all other Ancestry members in the company's DNA database.
Participating Ancestry subscribers receive DNA kits, provided by Ancestry, and they submit saliva samples to the company.
Ancestry extracts the DNA at its lab, mapping approximately 700,000 genetic markers for each sample.
Ancestry uses software to compare each sample with all others in its database to identify relationships.
The Ancestry software can identify familial relationships ranging from siblings to fifth cousins.
To date, much of the attention the Ancestry system and similar systems offered by companies such as 23andMe and Family Tree DNA have incited focuses on the issue of whether participants in these genome databases should have the option to shield their DNA from searches conducted by other parties.
It is important to note that there are also other significant privacy issues raised by widespread use of these consumer-oriented DNA databases.
One important issue is the security of these DNA databases.
They are likely to become attractive targets for unauthorized parties.
Accordingly, standards and procedures to ensure that these databases are secure from both online and in-person security breaches are necessary.
Another issue to be addressed is the scope of authorized third party access to the databases.
For example, these DNA databases may eventually be viewed as attractive sources of information for law enforcement and national security authorities.
The extent to which those government authorities should have access to the DNA databases is a critical issue which must eventually be addressed.
The intersection of Internet and genome technologies creates promising opportunities for consumers and businesses.
It also raises challenging legal and public policy issues.
Until those issues are effectively examined and resolved, consumers and enterprises should exercise substantial caution as they make decisions regarding participation in DNA databases.
The Internet experience has taught us that once information has become available, even if initially only for limited purposes, it is ultimately extremely difficult to maintain control over future access to, and use of, that information.
Consumers now properly fear loss of control over their personal financial information and they increasingly exercise safeguards to protect the privacy of that information.
Genome information can be even more sensitive and damaging than financial information.
One can reasonably argue that genome information is the most personal of all personal data.
For this reason, DNA databases merit the most rigorous security and privacy safeguards, and consumers should be exceptionally cautious about sharing that information.


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Broken-hearted Cheryl Cole put on a brave face yesterday as she returned to work for the first time since splitting from cheating husband Ashley.
The devastated Girls Aloud star spent nine hours filming a new TV shampoo ad.
Looking weary, the singer was picked up from her Surrey mansion at 7.35am and taken in a chauffeur-driven silver Mercedes to North London's Spring Studios.
Cheryl, 26, kept it together at the shoot for beauty product firm L'Oreal while the cast and crew were ordered not to mention Ashley, 29, or to ask her for autographs.
An onlooker said: "She looked tired and drawn but determined to put her work face on and to give a good performance.
Ever the professional, she didn't break down or cry.
She was friendly and just knuckled down.
"She said she realised she couldn't keep cancelling work commitments and needed to get back to business.
"Working keeps her mind off her turbulent private life. She's going to wash Ashley right
out of her hair.
"Cheryl did a fantastic job and the shoot went brilliantly. You would never know she
had just left her cheating husband."
The campaign, part of her £500,000 12-month contract with the French beauty label, will be aired this spring.


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Whether you are looking for a new furnace or furnace repair in Tampa, there are a number of mistakes that can prevent you from enjoying an optimal level of comfort in your home and cause you a great deal of stress in the long run. It is always important for your furnace, AC, or other HVAC unit to have HVAC repair and inspections at appropriate times. Keep reading to learn about a few common furnace mistakes that you will want to avoid.
Combating Efficiency
When it comes to HVAC appliances, newer models are typically more efficient than the generation of models that is currently being replaced. While this efficiency can help you save money on your energy bills as well as reduce your environmental impact and increase your home comfort, the appliances cannot achieve these feats without responsible use by the homeowner. This means that you should always keep your windows and doors closed while using your furnace so the heat does not escape outdoors; this dramatically reduces efficiency. You should also refrain from placing pieces of large furniture in front of vents and air ducts so that the flow of heat is not impeded.
Waiting to Repair or Replace a Furnace
Between air conditioner repair and furnace repairs, HVAC repair companies have their work cut out for them. However, your furnace and air conditioner repair company can help you stay comfortable if their services are utilized at the right times. Just like you should not wait until the middle of the summer to call your AC repair company, you should not wait until the dead of winter to seek furnace repair. These repairs can take time and are dependent on the availability of the repair company, so it is best to seek these types of repairs during mild weather.
Undervaluing the Installation
While the HVAC unit itself is important, the proper installation is just as necessary when it comes to achieving a comfortable indoor atmosphere. Always utilize a qualified HVAC repair and installation service. It is okay to shop around for comparison, but never go with a company just because they are the cheapest.


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India - budget reflection/
People say visiting India is not for every stomach and I think I have to agree with that. I probably would not recommend it to most people, but we are for sure coming back… just probably not to the Rajastan region. Do not take me wrong, Rajastan is all you would expect from India. It was just too tout-y or better to say tourism has drained some of the charm from it. You might still find women in amazing colorful saris, rich flavours of food, and the biggest contrast to say Europe or US; we were just hoping to feel the charm the way we experienced it in Tamil-Nadu and Kerala regions. We loved the south and will definitely return, at some point in our lives, after we explore some of the other beautiful regions of India (this country is HUGE).
Overall India was amazing and we had some of the best experiences on our travels. It is pretty, yet still dirty. It is polluted, yet still you find regions actively banning plastic bags. It is full of contradictions - apart from food. Food in India is amazing and has no contradictions whatsoever.
In India staying on the budget proved easy even with all the activities we incorporated in our visit. We did four game drives (safaris), two cooking classes, went to our first ever Kabaddi game, learned how to dance Bhangra for maybe our future career in Bolywood movies, and like everyone else tested our bodies at two yoga studios. On top of that we celebrated Tans birthday in a fancy restaurant, visited Taj Mahal, the Golden temple and few smaller attractions. As usual our itinerary was more filled with experiences and eating, than with the number of must see sights such as the thousands of temples. This is just the way we do it and love it.
In India we spent in total 56 days and needed to do our visa run to Nepal half way through, which made us pay visa costs twice as we used an E-visa type. Our accommodation was varied, from a very rustic fan room, to a nice hotel chains with AC (no it was not Taj group, but a more affordable probably 3-star range hotels). In the southern regions we used local non AC and AC buses with one overnight train, whilst in the northern regions we stuck to train travel in various price ranges (first class sleeper, to 5 hours-standing with no room to bend your knees and an elbow-in-your-back general seating). We ate out ALL THE FREAKIN' TIME as the food was so good we could not resist; we did so in local Dhaba places or restaurants, and tried few street snacks to keep us full in between meals. We were also constantly fed by our friends in Chandigarh, before they took us out for a night or two out at their favorite spots. It was a great way to discuss about their lives in India and ask questions about their culture. We are always very grateful for such insights.
Our estimated budget for India was 14.00 GBP per person per day as a mixed budget, which was also appropriate knowing that we did splurge at least during half of our India stay. We managed to be under that, so again the financial fairy is happy.
As you will see below, we included all the activities in the total. We thought that as we skipped temples and other usual activities on a traveler's to do list in India this cost should be included (as to replace the cost we might encounter for entrances). Overall safari and cooking classes were extremely affordable, and the Bollywood dance class cost could be a replacement for the yoga retreat that most travelers would sign themselves up for.
Sum per person including visa & Tan's Birthday present
Estimated total cost: 864.00 GBP
Actual cost: 840.49 GBP
Off budget: + 23.51 GBP
COST PER DAY (per person)
Time in India excluding Tan's birthday present
Estimated per day: 14.00 GBP (+ visa of 26.00 GBP each) MIXED BUDGET
Actual cost: 13.71 GBP (includes visa cost) MIXED BUDGET
Excluded activities from cost
Birthday: 145.00 GBP


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How Do I … ?
About Us
Judicial Services
86th District Court
Criminal Division
Domestic Violence Court
Courtroom Procedures
One of the basic rules in a criminal case is that both sides have the chance to question the witness. Questions asked by both sides have the same goal: to find out what is true.
Don't let the defense lawyer upset you. It may seem at times that he is trying to pin you down, but he has the right to test how many facts you know and remember.
Answer all questions to the point. It is the responsibility of the lawyer to bring out the truth by asking questions.
If you can answer a question with a single yes or no, do so. Answer only questions asked. Do not volunteer additional information.
If you don't know the answer to a question, say so. Do not guess or speculate.
If you don't understand or didn't hear the question, ask that it be explained or repeated.
If either lawyer raises an objection, stop speaking at once. After the Judge has ruled, you will be asked to go on.
When Testifying
Tell the Truth. The single most important item of advice is to tell the truth.
Dress Neatly. It is important that you are dressed appropriately in court.
Be Prepared. Think about the answers you will give to the questions you probably will be asked.
Stick to the Facts. The Judge wants to hear only the facts as you know them to be, not what someone else has told you.
Relax, Speak Clearly. You have nothing to fear when giving true answers. When you are asked questions, give the Judge your answer as clearly and concise as possible.
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During a period of rapid growth, Harmer has recently seen the launch of new cast iron and stainless steel product ranges, the creation of a dedicated technical team and the expansion of its sales team. In its latest move, the company will see Mr Mascall take on the role of national sales manager, bringing with him 25 years of industry experience.
Mr Mascall started his career in the merchant sector, going on to work for some of the UK's most recognised building product manufacturers. In his new role, he will oversee a number of new product launches that represent major developments in the Harmer product offering to the civils drainage market. New products will include Filcoten Channel Drainage and SML Below Ground Drainage.
Managing director Steve Durdant-Hollamby said: "To assure longevity within this industry, you must always be aware of how technology is constantly changing our work processes and react quickly to what your customers are telling you. At Harmer, we have developed our products and services accordingly over recent years, and this has resulted in a fully comprehensive portfolio, which is completely relevant to an ever-changing market.
"The appointment of Steve Mascall is a valuable part of our development – his background and experience within the civil drainage market will aid our expansion and enable us to move forward with future plans."


text: This weekend we will be racing at Fastrax in Bennettsville,SC. Even though Jonathan has been prepping tires, the karts are far from ready and have been in the trailer since the last race. When I get home tomorrow I have a lot of work to do but hope to have everything in top racing condition to hopefully bring home a win Saturday night.


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Thursday, May 17, 2007
I was web browsing on Tuesday night trying to find out if there was a new Dick Francis novel out this year. I found it on both Amazons - Dead Heat out in September, co-written with son Felix - but so far I've not found anything more about it other than a reference to it in on a racing page.
Posted by Karen (Euro Crime) at 6:05 am
1 comment:
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The Ribcor line has always been unique due to its visual technology that helps generate amazing loading quick release. The new Ribcor Trigger ASY will still feature the visible Pop Matrix Technology, but the layup will be completely new. The ASY-I Flex Profile was developed to maximize the performance of every single fibre in the stick. This allows the players to release even quicker than before. The structure of the blade has also been modified to increase puck feel and reduce weight. The new Ribcor Trigger ASY stays true to the DNA of the Ribcor line while, once again, improving its feel and performance.
- ASY-I Flex Profile - A complete new layup allows for an even quicker release. Designed with feedback from NHL players and validated in the CCM Performance Lab.
- Technora Reinforcement - Aramid fibre that provides incredible durability without compromising performance due to its bending properties.
- Pop Matrix Technology - Performance fibres are constantly in tension for a quick and efficient power transfer and loading while being protected by the outer layers.
- Ascent Blade 2 - The structure has been modified to reduce the weight and improve puck feel while maintaining the stiffness in the toe.


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The End Of Democracy Brought to You by Thatcher, Reagan and Trump
The corruption of small D democracy, the corruption of human rights, the corruption of civil rights, the destruction, actually, of civil and human rights, the destruction of the public sphere, the the deconstruction of government - or as Steve Bannon famously said, the deconstruction of the administrative state, in other words taking apart government.
Did Trump Just Announce His 9/11 'Unification' Strategy?
There are two bright-red warning lights flashing right now on the dashboard of what's left of American democracy. While Donald Trump is hyper-aware of both of them, the media and most of our politicians are ignoring them.
They are War and Crash.
Daily Topics - Monday February 5th, 2018
Is Trump trying to purge the government of disloyal elements?
In his State of the Union speech this week Donald Trump asked Congress to give him the power to purge cabinet agencies. He said:
Daily Topics - Friday February 2nd, 2018
Did Trump Violate The Hatch Act By Asking Supporters To Donate During The State Of The Union?
I got this email a couple of days ago from Trump headquarters after I got off the air, it was 4:10 p.m. Pacific time: "Fred," (because I'm registered as Fred Flintstone with the Trump campaign)...
What Will Happen to the Economy When the Federal Reserve Stops Buying Bonds?
Chuck Butler does a daily newsletter called the Daily Pfennig - the German word for penny - and he talked about a Minsky moment in bonds in yesterday's newsletter.
Why Donald Trump is actually the Ultimate "Globalist"
So Donald Trump goes to Davos and the whole media in America is like, "whoa, he's hanging out with the globalists, how can he do that?"
How Can Conservatives Claim to be Pro Life and Still Oppose DACA?
I don't think that you can argue that a two-year-old decided to take a risk to come to this country with their parents, any more than you can argue that the African Americans decided to come over to the United States.
Net Neutrality Means You Can Have The Internet Your Way
The international order is changing as a result of populism, and I would argue that the populism is a response to the disintegration all around the world in developed countries of the middle class, as the predatory class, the over class, the top 1% keeps taking more and more and more.
If we Don't Regulate Capitalism It Will Dismantle Democracy!
The New York Times has a piece by Max Fisher and Amanda Taub and it's a little video where they point out that over the last 200 years we've gone from basically no democracies in the world - or a couple, ours being one of the very first.
What To Do About The Right Wing Media?
The Republicans have the power to out-message Democrats almost every time.
You find a majority of the people who show up on television are Republicans, the majority of the pundits who are on television are Republican-leaning or conservative, even on MSNBC.
The airwaves of this country are almost exclusively right-wing. You've got Fox so-called News.
Why Isn't The The Growth Of White Right Wing Terrorists Being Seen as a Threat To Our Country?
The Southern Poverty Law Center is reminding us - and there was a great thread by SunLei over at Democratic Underground pointing this out, and thanks for the for the tip on that - that we're not paying atte
Why Don't Norwegians Immigrate to the United States?
This is from Occupy Democrats: "Dear Trump: this is why Norwegians don't immigrate to America."
The World Happiness Rank for the United States, we're number 19 - Norway, number one.