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The Democratic Party of California could have taken a nice long drag over the weekend, but instead it passed on a chance at hash-pipe history.
Up for debate during the party's executive board meeting this weekend in San Jose was a motion to support Proposition 19, which would allow for the legal use of marijuana for recreational purposes.
If passed, you no longer will need (or pretend) to be sick in order to get high. The board voted 101 to 85 against endorsing the measure. Instead the party is officially "neutral."
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With apologies to Bill Clinton, you might say the joint was lit but the party didn't inhale. Not that they didn't want to. State Democratic party chairman John Burton, who says he hasn't been stoned in years, supports 19 and was in favor of an all out endorsement.
Burton believes the measure will stimulate turnout of younger voters, whom he believes will help party candidates up and down the ballot. He also strongly believes that legalization is simply the right thing to do. It is clear that most of the party leadership agrees. The worry, of course, is that voters don't. As a result, Democrats backed off.
You see, the D's are in a street fight this fall and are worried. Barbara Boxer, who has been in Congress for 28 years, currently trails Republican Carly Fiorina in the race for U.S. Senate. Boxer is already considered one of the most liberal members of the Senate. She opposes Prop. 19, and for good reason. If the former Marin County Supervisor backed legalizing pot (which still is prohibited by federal law, which she is sworn to uphold) it could tip the scales among moderate Democrats and Independents by demonstrating that she is simply too left for even California.
It also risks taking her "off message." Right now, with the state's unemployment rate at 12.3 percent, the make-or-break issue is the economy and jobs. Legalizing hash implies you are less worried about job creation than what people can do to ease the pain of joblessness.
And then there is Attorney General Jerry Brown.
Brown, who also opposes Prop. 19, would be severely compromised by a party that supported legalization. First, it would diminish his standing as the state's top law enforcement officer, which is his current job. It too would take him "off message" (see paragraph above), and it would add resonance to opponent Meg Whitman's effort to portray him as a 72-year-old "new age" politician from the hippie era.
Brown's past moniker of "Governor Moonbeam" would take on new life.
Of course there is also one other reason why running with a party that endorsed Prop. 19 would be problematic. Polls indicate the measure is already losing. But the candidates aren't out of the woods yet. Don't expect the GOP to take a pass on this issue because the state party is "neutral" on Prop. 19.
"Neutrality" means the party wouldn't mind if pot became legalized. That is a far different position that the one taken by, say, President Barack Obama's drug czar, who recently visited Los Angeles and denounced the measure in the strongest terms.
Boxer and Brown may believe they dodged a big problem with Sunday's vote. This isn't the last you will hear about the state Democratic Party's position on this year's marquee ballot measure. While the candidates' position is clear, they will be challenged to separate themselves from the party that nominated them.


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I have been interested in learning formal math formally enough so that I could write a proof assistant using some simple parsing tools, and explain to someone else with little math knowledge how to write one. Naturally, it would be a very clunky and tedious assistant, but this is the standard I have set for myself for "really understanding" a formal system.
I'd like to do this with a typed calculus, but you work with what you can get. The most formal explanations out there seem to be for the untyped lambda calculus. However, I haven't found a good formal explanation of how one detects/avoids problems with bound/unbound variables and problems with the same variable being bound in overlapping scopes. It seems like these kinds of problems should not just be avoided but somehow simply the result of an incorrect usage of the formal rules for constructing expressions. Does anyone know of a good way to understand these problems?
I asked a related question here.

subset: commoncrawl


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Family Across the Sea shows how scholars have uncovered the remarkable connections between the Gullah people of South Carolina and the people of Sierra Leone. The ancestors of the Gullah were African slaves brought to the Sea Islands because of their expertise in rice cultivation. Family Across The Sea documents how the Gullahs incorporated many aspects of African culture in the daily life of the plantations. The Gullah language contains over 3,000 words of African origin and resembles the Krio language of Sierra Leone. One woman speaks what many African Americans will feel: "Now, I know that I have really come home."
More About This Film
For licensing, film rights and permissions, contact Tim Carrier, the distributor South Carolina ETV, or Folkstreams.


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15 Companies That Originally Sold Something Else
Some companies find their niche and stick to it. Others, though, have to adapt to changing markets in order to thrive. Here's a look at some companies that switched industries at some point in their histories, usually for the better.
1. Avon
David H. McConnell started Avon in 1886 without really meaning to. McConnell sold books door-to-door, but to lure in female customers he offered little gifts of perfume. Before long, the perfume McConnell was giving away had become more popular than the books he was selling, so he shifted focus and founded the California Perfume Company, which later became Avon.
2. Nokia
The telecom giant got its start in Finland in 1865, when Fredrik Idestam opened a pulp mill and started making paper on the banks of Tammerkoski. The company later bounced around a number of industries before getting serious about phones in the 1960s.
When the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company's founders opened their business in Two Harbors, Minnesota, in 1902, they weren't selling Post-It Notes. The partners originally planned to sell the mineral corundum, an important ingredient in building grinding wheels, directly to manufacturers.
4. Wrigley
Like Avon, the chewing gum company got its start with a popular freebie. William Wrigley, Jr. founded the company in 1891 with the goal of selling soap and baking powder. He offered chewing gum as an enticement to his customers, and eventually the customers didn't care about the baking powder; they only wanted the gum.
5. DuPont
E.I. du Pont started the company that eventually became one of the world's largest chemical concerns in 1802 as a gunpowder business. Eventually the French immigrant expanded his business to include dynamite and other explosives before going into more diversified chemicals.
6. Tiffany & Co.
The jewelry and silverware hot bed was originally a stationer called Tiffany, Young, and Ellis when it started in 1837. In 1853 Tiffany switched its core business and began focusing on jewelry.
7. Coleco
The defunct electronics corporation actually began as a leather goods company in Connecticut in 1932. In the early days it was known as the Connecticut Leather Company, which was later shortened to "Coleco." Oddly, fellow defunct computer marketer Tandy was also originally a leather goods company; it switched to electronics after acquiring RadioShack in 1963.
8. Raytheon
The defense contractor started up in 1922 as the American Appliance Company, which worked on refrigeration technology. Eventually the company branched out into other areas of electronics and became Raytheon in 1925.
9. Colgate
The hygienic products company got its start in 1806, but it didn't make its first toothpaste until 1873. Founder William Colgate initially manufactured soap, candles, and starch.
10. Xerox
When Xerox got off the ground in 1906, it was as a maker of photographic paper and photography equipment called the Haloid Company. The company didn't introduce what we would think of as a copier until the Xerox 914 made its debut in 1959.
11. John Deere
The man behind the giant fleet of green tractors got his start as a blacksmith in Grand Detour, Illinois. After struggling to make plows that could cut through the area's tough clay, Deere hit on the idea of building plows out of cast steel, and his blacksmith gig gave way to a booming farm-supply business.
12. Hasbro
The company behind Transformers and G.I. Joes began in 1923 as Hassenfeld Brothers. The titular brothers didn't make toys, though; they sold textile remnants. Their business gradually shifted into school supplies before making the leap to toys after the 1952 introduction of Mr. Potato Head.
13. Reading Entertainment
Remember the Reading Railroad from the last time you played Monopoly? The company still (sort of) exists! The Reading Company got out of the railroad business in 1976 but was reborn as Reading Entertainment, which operates movie theaters mainly in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S.
14. Berkshire Hathaway
The sprawling holding company helmed by Warren Buffett was originally a textile manufacturer that took off in 1839. Buffett took control in 1962, though, and by 1967 he started to move outside of textiles into insurance and other sectors.
15. Abercrombie & Fitch
When David Abercrombie founded the clothing store in 1892 in New York City, he wasn't dreaming of clothing high school and college students everywhere. The store was originally a sporting goods shop and outfitter; Abercrombie even outfitted Charles Lindbergh for his famous flight across the Atlantic. The version Abercrombie & Fitch you see in your local mall started to come about after Limited Brands bought the company in 1988.
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From the Manufacturer's Label:
Now Foods Organic Popcorn is a great alternative to regular popcorn. Whether air or oil popped, you will get big, tender, fluffy puffs, without additives or preservatives. For a tasty treat, pop up a batch the next time you have movie night, and watch the faces of your friends and family light up as they tell you it's the best popcorn ever!


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- Mission Impossible
- Assault Course
- Raft Rat Race
- Bush Craft
- Initiative Exercises
- Mountain Biking
- Mountain Walking
- Orienteering
- Team Development
Oooops! We've got a new website and the page you are looking for has probably moved! Use the links below to find what you are looking for!
Mendip, established in 1978, has evolved into one of the biggest and most reputable outdoor activity providers in the South West. Providing activities from our bases and sites across the Mendip Hills and beyond.
We work with education groups, businesses, Not For Profit clubs and organisations, families, groups of friends and individuals .
Our 250 acre woodland activity site on the edge of the Mendips has a private 50 acre rock sport quarry with a 150 foot abseil and climbs to challenge all abilities. We also have a climbing tower, a permanent archery and rifle shooting range, a dry slope for skiing, snowboarding and tobogganing, a camping area, several bushcraft and forest school sites, orienteering courses and an abandoned mine which forms one of the best geo-cache courses in the country.
Our other green-field activity centre in Hewish has exclusive river access for canoeing, kayaking and raft building and a permanent assault course with two parallel lanes of challenging obstacles including daring river crossings.
We have also negotiated use of the best natural resources across the Mendips and beyond for rock and water sports and have a regional network of bases and accommodation across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset and South Wales for residential or other specialist activities.
Our instructors are the best in the industry, are fully qualified, experienced and enthusiastic. They are all CRB checked, first aid trained and passionate about what they do.
We are one of the biggest and most respected outdoor activity providers in the South West, backed by the Activities Industry Mutual (£5million PL and £10million EL) and inspected and approved by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority and the institute for Outdoor Learning. We are proud of our quality badge for Learning Outside the Classroom and approved by the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme. All our PCV registered minibuses have high backed, front facing seats, with three point seatbelts. Each bus is checked daily and by a certified mechanic every 10 weeks.
Learn to ski or snowboard on our teaching slope or build your confidence and perfect your technique on our challenging 165 metre slope complete with bends, moguls, bumps, jumps and quarter pipe. Children aged 4-12 can try our floodlit toboggan slope!
Try kayaking, canoeing, raft-building or join us on a river trip or sea canoeing expedition!
We have a 250 acre woodland site within the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for land based sports and bush-craft and a green-field multi-activity site with an assault course with two parrallel lanes of challenging obstacles!
We have a climbing tower and our own, private, 50 acre rock-sport quarry with a 150 foot abseil and climbs to challenge all abilities. We are based on the Mendip Hillls which has the largest underground cave network in the country waiting for you to explore!
We have several field archery ranges, a rifle shooting range and access to indoor facilities so you can shoot with Mendip year round. We also have an adventurous 10 hole woodland Frisbee Golf course.


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Break out the golf clubs for tee time at Alpine Meadows
TAHOE CITY, Calif. and#8212; Alpine Meadowsand#8217; annual Snow Golf Tournament will tee off at 9 a.m. at the top of the mountain off the Summit Express chairlift, Saturday, April 21. This highly anticipated spring event features the only mountaintop snow golf course around. Itand#8217;s the best of both worlds: skiing or snowboarding combined with golf for a beautiful spring day than on the slopes.
The nine-hole course starts at the top of the Summit Express chairlift off of Sunspot and weaves its way down the mountain to the bottom of Alpine Bowl Chair. Players are provided scorecards, pencils, clubs and tennis balls. All competitors must be wearing skis or a snowboard to navigate from hole to hole, but are allowed to remove one foot to drive, chip and putt. Winners will receive prizes including golf rounds at Old Greenwood, Grayand#8217;s Crossing, Coyote Moon, Tahoe Donner Golf Course and Resort at Squaw Creek, in addition to Alpine swag and more. The grand prize will include a two-night stay at the Mission Hills Country Club in Palm Springs for two people including two rounds of golf each day at golf course of choice (Mission Hills, Indian Wells or Desert Falls).
Registration starts at 9 a.m. at the top of the Summit Express chair and is free (with a lift ticket or season pass). All scorecards will be entered into a raffle beginning at 3 p.m. on the Sun Deck. A live performance by Shotgun Wedding Quintet will also take place on the Sun Deck from 1-4 p.m.
and#8212; Submitted to firstname.lastname@example.com


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The U.S. Secret Service is investigating a rash of debit card fraud cases that appear to be linked to Chicago-area Michaels store transactions.
Chicago media are reporting that Bloomingdale (IL) police have received 16 reports of fraudulent ATM withdrawals made from consumers' debit card accounts, and scores of other fraud reports have been made to authorities across the Chicago area by shoppers at the company's 35 area stores. All of the fraudulent transactions apparently involve $500 withdrawals made at out-of-state ATM's. All of the victims had previously made transactions at one of Michaels Chicago-area stores.
Compromised PIN pads, a common way of stealing debit card identities, in Michaels stores are speculated to be to blame for the string of frauds, but the investigation is still ongoing. Customers who have made purchases at Michaels stores should monitor their card statements for fraudulent activity and report any unauthorized activity to the card issuer. Consumers may also want to consider changing PIN numbers and other security settings on cards used in Michaels stores.
Michaels says it was contacted about the fraud this week by banking and law enforcement officials, and is working to assist authorities in the investigation.


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13-year-old boy dies after Copper Mountain skiing accident
A 13-year-old boy is dead after a skiing accident at around 1 p.m. today on Copper Mountain.
Tristan Bartlett was pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m. at the St. Anthony Copper Mountain Medical Clinic located at the base of the resort, said Summit County Coroner Tim Keeling.
Keeling said Barlett hit a tree. The Houston resident was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, the coroner said.
Keeling said that Bartlett's next of kin has been notified, but that no further information will be available while the incident is under investigation.
Tracy LeClair, the spokeswoman for the Summit County Sheriff's Office, said the incident is not currently being investigated as a criminal matter.
"There's no indication that there was any criminal activity at all," she said.
Copper Mountain Ski Patrol received a call at 12:53 p.m. that a 13-year-old was involved in an accident on the beginner trail Vein Glory. Ski patrol provided emergency first aid before transporting Bartlett to the clinic, according to a written statement from Copper Mountain Resort.
Officials there said the teen was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. While not required of skiers, wearing a helmet is highly recommended, said Stephanie Sweeney, a Copper Mountain spokeswoman.
An investigation of the incident is under way at Copper Mountain. Sweeney was unable to provide details on how that investigation would be carried out.
The incident appears to be one of the first skiing-related deaths in Summit County this season.
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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The UMBC men's track and field team has swept the weekly America East Male Performer of the Week awards for the second time this outdoor season, the conference office announced on Tuesday morning. Senior Trae Proctor (Brandywine, Md./Thomas Stone) was named the conference Male Track Performer of the Week while sophomore Vincent Rentzsch (Oranienburg, Germany/Elite Sportschule Potsdam) earned his second Field Performer of the Week honor of the season.
In addition, the Retriever men are ranked eighth in the Mid-Atlantic region in the first United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll of the outdoor season.
Two weeks ago, Rentzsch and senior Dennison Long (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt/FIU) swept the men's awards while junior Alisha Beeman (Bridgeport, Conn./Bunnell/Hartford) won the Female Field Performer of the Week citation.
Proctor earns his first conference award of the campaign, and second in the last two seasons, after a record-breaking performance at the Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla. The senior broke his own school record of 14.12 in the 110m hurdles with a new mark of 14.05. Proctor placed 19th out of a national field of 50 athletes. He had previously qualified for the IC4A Championships with his time of 14.14 at the FSU Relays back in March and leads the conference with his new time.
Rentzsch, meanwhile, garners his second field award in three weeks after earning a top-ten finish in the javelin at the meet at the University of Florida. The sophomore placed sixth out of 20+ athletes with a weekend-best toss of 63.38m (207'11"). Rentzsch, an NCAA Championships participant last spring, currently leads the America East with his top season toss of 66.09m (216'10") at the FSU Relays.
The UMBC track and field team is back in action this weekend at the Mason Spring Invitational in Fairfax, Va. on Saturday, April 12.


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LEXINGTON, Kentucky - After another unbelievable season that results in UMass Boston volleyball competing in their second straight NCAA National Championship Tournament, the Beacons closed out 2013 ranked 22nd on the final American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 Poll, which was released earlier this week.
The now back-to-back and three time NCAA Regional Tournament champions, UMass Boston had it's hands full in 2013. With nine freshmen on the roster, four of which were in the starting line-up Co-Head Coaches Terry Condon and Michael Houlihan had to figure out how they were going to make the pieces fit.
After a tough September and early October, the Beacons flipped the switch and became instant contenders for the regional crown. With a perfect 7-0 record in Little East Conference player, UMass made quick work of Western Connecticut State University and Keene State College to hoist their fifth straight LEC tournament title. From there the Beacons would lose just two games on their way to a 3-0 run in the NCAA Regional Tournament defeating top-regionally ranked teams in Wellesley College, Roger Williams University, and Williams College.
In the first round of the "Elite Eight" the Beacons faced their toughest challenge in the top-ranked Calvin College Knights. The now 2013 national champions had to battle for every point as the Beacons looked to pull off the upset. After taking a 2-0 lead UMB clawed their way back from a nine-point deficit to force a game four, which went to the Knights.
On the final regional poll, the Beacons were ranked 12th overall and finished out 2013 with a record of 24-16. Freshman Julia Murphy (Canton, Mass.) was named the LEC Co-Offensive Player of the Year and was named a NEWVA Honorable Mention and All-Rookie Team selection alongside classmate Elizabeth Glavan (Edina, Minn.). Glavan was named the LEC Defensive Player of the Year and was the only Beacon to earn AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention honors.
In total six players earned All-Little East Conference honors with Murphy and Kirsten Morrison (North Reading, Mass.) earning a spot on the first team. Glavan, Megan Pollock (Wilton, Calif.), Corrine Porter (Huntington Beach, Calif.), and Patsy Boland (Chicago, Ill.) were named to the Second Team.


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Laconia's Top Home Siding ServicesAs Laconia's premier roofing and siding service, we pride ourselves in our unparalleled customer service and top quality craftsmanship. Our vehicles and employees are fully insured and we do not subcontract any of our projects. Our continuing education on the latest industry standards and technology allows us to provide our customers products that meet the highest standards possible. Our sterling reputation has garnered us many honors and awards for excellence.
Metal RoofingFor our metal roofing systems, FBI Contracting utilizes an automated folding machine made by the world leader in metal manufacturing and folding. This allows us to fabricate roof panels with exact precision, ensuring they will keep their strength and shape over time. More and more homeowners are turning to FBI Contracting for the distinguishing elegance of metal roofing styles.
Siding OptionsWe have a variety of siding solutions to fit your needs and budget. Our siding options will make your home more beautiful, valuable, and energy efficient. FBI Contractor's team of experts will help you make an informed decision and complete your siding project in a timely and efficient manner.
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FBI Contracting will work with you to protect your investment. For a free consultation, contact us today!


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mosh27 needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 41 designs submitted by 11 freelance designers.
Amfins or Amphins
We have developed a fin for swimming with an amphibian concept. Hence the name Amfin or Amphin - a play on words for amphibian.
I am looking for a logo for this brand that
Children, parents shopping for children and corporate buyers looking for the next great product.
This is a logo that will most likely go on the package and the physical product so it has to be kid friendly but not too childish - especially for the larger size.
The name we are going out with is "Amfins" or "Amphins" - still undecided until we see how the logo would look for either name. But in either case we have to get the message across that this is an Amphibian style fin.
I have attached a picture to provide an idea of what the product is and looks like. Please provide new ideas and consepts.
We want the deliverable to include a high resolution image (jpeg or Tiff), a psd (with all layers) or vector file. A version of the logo suitable for e mail and web and high resolution print quality
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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The casino behind the 6:5 blackjack payout
Which Colorado casino proposed changing the rules to allow operators to lower the payout on blackjacks from 3-to-2 to 6-to-5?
The Double Eagle Hotel & Casino in Cripple Creek, according to Division of Gaming spokesman Don Burmania.
Regulators approved the change last month, and operators can implement the lower payout beginning April 30.
Michael Smith (pictured), CEO of Double Eagle's parent company, said other casinos were also involved in the proposal.
"The request was made by some casinos. My table games folks were involved in the submission," Smith said.
Smith is the president of the Colorado Gaming Association, an industry trade group that represents about two dozen casinos in the state.
He said Double Eagle is considering adding a single-deck, pitch game that would feature the lower blackjack payout.
"That's what we're discussing. I don't know if it's ultimately going to happen," he said. "That's the only thing we're considering at this time."
Implementing the 6-to-5 payout on multi-deck games would swing the odds heavily in the house's favor. No Colorado Read more…


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What Your DAN Membership Includes:
Dive safety should be taken seriously. When you join DAN, your exclusive member benefits ensure that you have access to invaluable resources including:
The cost of a dive accident can exceed $100,000 USD. Make sure to take full advantage of your DAN membership with DAN dive insurance. DAN offers three comprehensive plans that provide protection and peace of mind in the event of a dive accident. These scuba diving insurance plans are recognized worldwide and cover you whether you are scuba diving or not.
What PADI Divers Are Saying
"It's an inexpensive way to ensure the best health and travel services for divers." – PADI Rescue Diver
"DAN helps make me feel more secure on dive trips." – PADI Divemaster
"DAN insurance is an absolute necessity. Why would anyone dive without it." – PADI Open Water Diver
"You never think it can happen to you until it does. Without DAN I would have huge medical bills and uncertainty about continuing diving." PADI Master Scuba Diver


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Indebted countries see borrowing costs edge up
FRANKFURT, Germany Europe's indebted countries have seen their borrowing costs edge higher after the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled it could start phasing out its bond-buying program.
The market shift raises concerns that governments will face a bigger financial burden in their struggle to escape the financial crisis that has plagued Europe for the past 3 1/2 years. But borrowing costs are still far below crisis levels from last summer, and some analysts say homegrown problems are the bigger risk.
The Fed's stimulus, which was aimed at boosting the U.S. economy, has also helped financial markets around the world. The Fed -- along with other central banks -- cut interest rates to near zero and pushed newly created money into the financial system by buying longer-term bonds with the aim of stimulating the economy.
The bond buying -- which is known as quantitative easing, or QE -- has driven down longer-term interest rates. It also sent money flowing into stocks and riskier bonds as investors sought higher returns than the near-zero rates available on safe investments.
Thanks to QE, bonds issued by the shakier governments -- such as Portugal, Italy and Spain -- rose in price, sending their interest yields lower, since price and yield move in opposite direction. For a time, governments enjoyed those lower interest costs each time they borrowed on bond markets, taking some pressure off their finances. The yield on Italy's 10-year bond, for example, fell from 4.72 percent in February to 3.78 percent at the beginning of May. Spain's fell from 5.35 percent to 4.06 percent over the same time.
Bernanke said this week that the Fed expects to begin tapering the purchases at end of this year -- and end them around middle of next year -- so long as the economy improves according to its forecasts.
This has sparked the fear that the end of the Fed's stimulus will erode Europe's bond market respite -- that bond prices will fall and yields and rate costs will rise.
Portugal, Italy and Spain saw bond market borrowing rates rise Thursday as the Fed's new message made stocks and bonds plunge worldwide. Yields on 10-year Italian, Spanish and Portuguese bonds rose about a third of a percentage point. By Friday, they had stabilized -- Italian bonds were little changed Friday, yielding 4.50 percent, while Spanish bonds saw yields decline slightly to 4.80 percent. Bonds in bailed-out Portugal bonds are yielding a higher 6.41 percent.
Eswar Prasad, professor of trade policy at Cornell University, says rising interest rates in the United States as the Fed tapers down its QE could be bad news for countries such as Greece and Portugal, which are struggling with big government debts.
"Distressed economies on the periphery of the eurozone could face a spike in borrowing costs if higher U.S. interest rates divert a greater share of global capital flows toward the U.S.," Prasad said.
But these countries' new, higher borrowing rates remain far below the levels that last year made people fear the eurozone might break up. Then, Italy's 10-year yield was at 6.36 percent and Spain's had hit 7.38 percent.
Those yields fell after the European Central Bank offered to buy government bonds. No bonds were bought, but the mere proposal helped send yields lower.
"I think what we saw yesterday was an overreaction," said Luca Cazzulani, deputy head of fixed-income strategy at UniCredit Research. "In terms of borrowing costs, I don't see a source of concern right now."
Analysts also stressed that the reason Bernanke has made this announcement was because the U.S. economy is currently showing signs of improvement -- and that is good news for Europe. A healthier U.S. will buy more European exports. And the end of the Fed's bond purchases will likely push up the value of the U.S. dollar against the euro, making European products less expensive in America.
"A stronger U.S. economy and a weaker euro could be a net plus for the eurozone as a whole," Prasad said.
Ultimately, it is growth that will help Europe reduce its debt. European leaders are also working to strengthen oversight of their banking system, while national governments have been making halting progress toward making their economies more business-friendly so they can grow faster.
Carsten Brzeski, senior economist at ING, pointed out that Europe's weak economy means that the European Central Bank will keep its rates down or even cut them from the current record low of 0.5 percent to support the weak eurozone economy.
That will tend to keep rates lower in Europe. He said bond yields "should not be affected by tapering. I personally expect that markets will calm down again.
"The biggest worries for peripheral bond yields is clearly homemade stuff and not Bernanke tapering."


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The Best Verified Psychologists in Plainsboro, NJWhat is a Psychologist?
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|Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Arts and Sciences
|Intermediate French
|Six semester hours plus one hour lab.
|An intensive intermediate French course for students who have completed the beginning French course sequence (FREN 1311 and 1312). Review of grammar introduced in FREN 1311 and 1312; reading of average difficulty in French; practice in conversation and composition. Prerequisite: FREN 1312. Crosslisted with FREN 2311 and FREN 2312.
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|Taunton, Mass.
|High School:
|Noble and Greenough School
|House Affiliation:
Sophomore • 2012-13
An honarable mention All-Ivy choice ... Looks to be one of Harvard's top defenders ... Was on the first line and totaled +3 in Harvard's first two wins of the season at Quinnipiac and Princeton Oct. 26-27 ... Assisted on all three of the Crimson's goals in a 3-1 win over No. 2 Cornell to set career bests in points and assists ... Scored her first career goal during a 9-0 win at Union Jan. 4 ... Scored a goal and took a career-high eight shots against Princeton (W, 3-0) Jan. 11 ... Found the back of the net in back-to-back games agianst UConn (W, 5-1) Jan. 15 and RPI (W, 4-1) Jan. 18.
Freshman • 2011-12
Helped the U.S. Women's National Team to a goal medal at the 2011 Four Nations Cup in November … Notched first collegiate point by assisting on the game-winning goal in overtime against Clarkson Oct. 29 … Picked up an assist in 5-2 win against New Hampshire Dec. 9 … Had assists in win over Connecticut (8-1, Jan. 3) and tie at Quinnipiac (3-3, Jan. 7) … Handed out a pair of helpers in 10-1 win over Princeton Feb. 4.
Before Harvard
Four-year member of the hockey team and three-year member of the softball team at Noble & Greenough … Served as captain of both teams as a senior … Also captained the U.S. National Women's Under-18 Team in 2011 … 2011 Nobles Shield recipient for hockey and two-time all-conference selection … Received the Newell Hockey Cup as a senior … Led hockey team to four league championships and regional titles in 2008 and '09 … Captured a silver medal with U.S. U18 team at 2010 Women's Ice Hockey World Championships and a gold medal in 2011 … Three-time all-conference softball pick and led team to league championships in 2009 and '10 … Academic distinction all four years of high school and 2010 Harvard Book Club Award recipient … Enjoys hiking and camping.


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The hard-fought politics of approving President Obama's payroll tax break erupted on full display Tuesday when Democrats stalled a must-pass spending bill needed to keep the government running as negotiations with Republicans have floundered over a compromise proposal that would continue the expiring tax cut for 160 million workers.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is unwilling to let the GOP-led House recess for the holidays without approving a continuation of the tax break, which is a priority for the White House and puts an additional $1,000 on average in workers' paychecks.
The House on Tuesday is expected to approve Speaker John A. Boehner's proposal to extend the payroll tax cut, but the bill Boehner compiled to attract reluctant Republican votes contains GOP priorities that are opposed by Democrats. Obama has vowed a veto.
To stop the House from heading home, Reid has refused to sign off on a must-pass bill needed to fund the government into 2012. That legislation was also headed for a vote this week, and its passage would have completed the House's work.
With days remaining to strike a deal, the maneuvering put Washington's sausage-making on display as both sides seek the advantage on issues that could carry politically heavy prices.
"They are wasting time catering to the tea party when they should be working with Democrats on a bipartisan package that can pass both houses," Reid said Tuesday. "If Republicans continue to block these reasonable plans to cut taxes for 160 million workers, there will be consequences."
Democrats say they are not just delaying the unrelated spending bill, having objections to GOP provisions on abortion, the coal industry, Cuba travel and other policies that have not been resolved. Republicans say the two sides had already sorted out those problem spots.
"I'm hopeful that the Senate leaders will come to their senses," Boehner said. "There's no reason to hold this bill up."
The strategy of holding up the annual spending bill while the tax-cut issue gets resolved carries risk, and Republicans criticized Democrats for threatening a government shutdown. The spending bill is needed to keep federal offices running past Friday.
"Let me say that again: the president and the Democratic majority leader of the Senate are now saying they'd rather shut down the government than allow this job-creating legislation to become law," said Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the GOP leader.
The payroll-tax package Boehner compiled is expected to receive widespread Republican support in the House after he loaded it up with GOP priorities, including a provision to advance development of the controversial Keystone pipeline that Obama has vowed to veto.
Democrats say Boehner has spent so much time creating a package that could pass the GOP-controlled House that negotiations on a compromise bill that could be signed into law have stalled. Reid called Boehner on Monday and told him as much.
The payroll-tax measure contains a handful of other provisions that are objectionable to Democrats, including how to pay for the package. Democrats want to impose a surtax on those earning $1 million or more a year, while Boehner proposes spending cuts across various government functions.
Democrats also object to the GOP plan to scale back unemployment benefits for jobless Americans as well as a provision that would rollback air-emission standards on industrial boilers that emit mercury and other toxins.
Leaders from both sides say they want to continue the tax break, which expires Dec. 31, even though Boehner has struggled to bring his rank-and-file on board.
At a closed-door meeting of Republicans on Tuesday, much of the dissent had dissipated.
"We're going to do what we were sent here to do," Republican Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri said afterward. "Everyone is not happy with stuff. You always have to compromise."
Conservative Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah delivered a message to his peers that underscored the politics of the situation before them.
"I stood up and said, 'I'm really good at voting no. I spent two years mastering that. This has a lot of positive in it,'" Chaffetz said. He said he would go on to vote for the package.


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Welcome to Cary Swim Club's Reporting Page
At Triangle Aquatics, LLC we pride ourselves in providing service beyond expectation! If any part of your experience at Cary Swim Club did not meet your expectation - we want to know about it! If someone or something positively affected your experience, we want to know that as well! Please take a moment to complete the brief survey below and please be sure to include as many details as possible so that we may take action as soon as possible. Thank you for choosing Triangle Aquatics, LLC and we appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback that will improve our services!


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What Do You Mean It Isn't Free from the Minnesota Family Historian is an excellent discourse on the value of genealogical services and information and the actual behind-the-scenes costs.
Along the same lines, Thomas MacEntee of Geneabloggers was quite transparent in sharing information regarding making money in the genealogy field. Those who have a dream of doing genealogy as a full-fledged career may have their eyes opened to this economic reality. It is not as easy as Thomas makes it look!
Also weighing in the topic of making money in genealogy were Amy Coffin of We Tree Genealogy and James Tanner of Genealogy's Star.
My Top 3 Bits of Advice for Blogging from Marian's Roots and Rambles
How to Create Online Content Like an Immortal Renaissance Artist from Copyblogger (not a genealogy blog, but excellent advice for the digital writing community)
Dear Myrtle has an excellent piece on the Bureau of Land Management and researching land records.
For those looking to expand their genealogy education, learn about 140 free online genealogy research courses offered from FamilySearch. This comes from GeneaPress.
Other recommended reading
Other bloggers also offer their recommendations and weekly highlights. Check their recommended reading lists:
Randy Seaver's Best of the Geneablogs on Geneamusings.
Greta's Follow Friday on Greta's Genealogy Blog.
Elizabeth O'Neal's Best Bytes on Little Bytes of Life.
Jennifer's Climbing My Family Tree.


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Robert F. Gallagher, dentist
by Walter Fox
Robert F. "Bob" Gallagher, 86, a dentist who had maintained a practice in Chestnut Hill for nearly six decades, died Nov. 17 of heart failure at Jefferson Hospital.
An early advocate of preventative dentistry and good nutrition, Dr. Gallagher was one of the first dentists in the Philadelphia area to hire an oral hygienist. Early in his practice he specialized in restorative dentistry, adapting techniques that later would become widely used across the country.
The founder of the Chestnut Hill Dental Group and a leader in his profession, he believed in continuing dental education long before it became mandatory. He served for 15 years on the board of the Pankey Institute, an internationally renowned school for advanced postgraduate dental studies. For his service to the institute, he was honored for exemplary leadership by the L.D. Pankey Dental Foundation.
In 2002 he received the Philadelphia County Dental Society's Golden Certificate "in recognition of his 50 years of service to the advancement of the art and science of dentistry."
Dr. Gallagher's daughter Peggy Vezzosi said her father, who was still seeing patients until he entered the hospital, "loved his work and patients so much that being a dentist was not work to him – he wanted to work until he could not."
Early in his professional career he volunteered his dental services once a week at clinics in the city.
Longtime residents of Chestnut Hill, Dr. Gallagher and his wife, the former Lynn Donatucci, lived in the Margaret Esherick House designed by architect Louis Kahn before moving to the Hill House apartments in 2008.
Born and raised in Erdenheim, Dr. Gallagher was a graduate of Our Mother of Consolation Parish School, La Salle College High School and what is now La Salle University. He received his degree in dentistry from the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Between graduating from high school and attending La Salle College, he served in World War II with the Army Air Corps in the China-Burma-India Theater. After graduating from dental school he was commissioned a captain in the Air Force Reserves.
While studying dentistry, he supported himself and his family by working as a plumber's assistant, a postal clerk at Philadelphia's Main Post Office and as a research assistant at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Wyndmoor
Aside from his professional interests, Dr. Gallagher also was an admirer of classic cars and each year attended the Concours d'Elegance, one of the world's leading car shows in Pebble Beach, Calif.
An avid golfer who played on the La Salle high school team, he was a lifelong member of the Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, where he had been a caddy as young man. He also played on the bridge team at Whitemarsh and at Chestnut Hill Hospital, where he was a staff member.
He also was a member of Sunnybrook Golf Club and the Key Biscayne Yacht Club. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and the Philadelphia Aviation Country Club.
He was a lifelong member of Our Mother of Consolation Church in Chestnut Hill and, since the early 1970s, a member of St. Agnes Church in Key Biscayne, where he maintained a second residence.
In addition to his wife and daughter, Dr. Gallagher is survived by sons Robin and Patrick; seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Dr. Gallagher's first wife, Myra Malley Gallagher, preceded him in death.
A funeral Mass was celebrated Nov. 22 at Our Mother of Consolation Church. Memorial donations may be made to the Robert F. Gallagher, D.D.S – 42 Scholarship Fund, La Salle College High School, 8605 Cheltenham Ave., Wyndmoor, PA 19038.
Claire B. Pierce, volunteer
Claire B. Pierce, 96, of Lower Gwynedd, a longtime volunteer at several Chestnut Hill venues, died Nov. 7 at Spring House Estates.
Mrs. Pierce had been a volunteer for 35 years at Chestnut Hill Hospital in the emergency room and on patient floors. She also had worked at the hospital's Main Street Fair from its inception until 1991 when the event was discontinued, and was a volunteer at Monkey Business, a Chestnut Hill consignment shop that formerly benefited the hospital.
Born in Wilkes Barre, Mrs. Pierce was raised in Mt. Airy. She attended Friends Central Academy and graduated from Germantown High School. She was a member of the Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church for more than five decades.
She is survived by a son, Guy C. Pierce, of Blue Bell; sisters Jean Smith and Marion Fuller, of Bethlehem; three grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. Mrs. Pierce's husband, Guy C. Pierce Jr., preceded her in death.
A memorial service was held Nov. 23 at the Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church with inurnment in the church's columbarium. Memorial donations may be made to the church at 8855 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19118. – WF


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Snowman purists may object, because this smirking seasonal statue, which stands just 0.01mm wide—one fifth of a human hair—is actually built from tin and titanium, not fresh powder. But still!
The more you learn about this snowman, the less whimsical he becomes. He doesn't actually, glow blue; that's a lab-created effect. It's not actually snowing around him; that would appear to be a Photoshop trick. His facial features weren't lovingly assigned by breathless children; they were carved from metal with a focused ion beam. His nose is not a carrot or a coal, but a microscopic bead of platinum. Yet he is, undeniably, a snowman.
Just like that, except in the National Physics Laboratory in England, with a lone bacterium. Magical! [DailyMail via Dvice]


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Forms Jobs
The City-County Planning Board holds sketch plan review meetings.
Land Use Administration and other information, Planning Board
Receive E-Mail Notification When New Information is Posted on this PageAs a member, enjoy the benefits of MyCityofWS, including your choice of newsletters, and notifications about events and site updates. Login and Manage Your Subscriptions Now.


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An athlete from India has made history by being the first woman gymnast to compete at the Olympics.
Dipa Karmakar is the only Indian woman to ever qualify for the Games in gymnastics and is also the first Indian gymnast competing at the Olympics in 52 years, according to Olympic.org.
The last time India competed in gymnastics at the Olympics was during the 1964 Tokyo Summer Games — with eight men making the national team.
Karmakar failed to qualify for the uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise and individual all-around during the preliminaries. Her vault score of 14.850 put her among the top ten in the overall standings for that event on Sunday.
The 22-year-old qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics after successfully completing the Produnova — one of the hardest vaults that has a difficulty rating of 7.0 — with a score of 15.600 at a test event for Rio.
According to her bio on NBC Olympics, Karmakar was the first Indian woman to win a bronze medal in gymnastics at 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on the vault. She also took the bronze at the 2015 Asian Championships after executing a double front somersault on the Produnova vault. She was the third woman in history to ever land it.
"After I got the 2014 bronze medal, my life changed," she explained to Olympic.org. "People have made me a celebrity. Wherever I go they ask for a picture and an autograph with me. People treat me like a Bollywood star."
The hashtag #DipaKarmakar began trending on Sunday with well wishes for the gymnast.
Karmakar is one of 124 athletes from India competing in Rio — the largest delegation the country has ever sent in Summer Olympic history.


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Il est plus difficile pour un pauvre de devenir riche
Posted by Québec de Droite in Banque, Banque centrale, Oligarchie on dimanche 31 juillet 2016
Comment l'État aggrave les disparités économiques
Publié le 17 juillet 2016 dans Monnaie et finance
Selon Piketty, les marchés sont responsables de l'accroissement des inégalités économiques. Mais ce sont les États eux-mêmes qui sont la cause des hausses des inégalités qu'ils prétendent combattre.
Par Philipp Bagus.
Le dernier livre best-seller de Thomas Piketty, Le Capital au XXième siècle porte sur l'augmentation des inégalités liées au capitalisme. Les statistiques que Piketty met en avant soutiennent que les inégalités économiques grimpent et il conclut que les États devraient réparer ce « problème » avec encore plus de taxes sur les riches.
Il est vrai que le fossé entre les « super riches » et le reste de la population s'est creusé ces dernières décennies. Il est devenu plus difficile d'obtenir une fortune de taille moyenne via un salaire moyen. Mais peut-être que la raison la plus importante a été largement négligée dans le débat : notre système monétaire monopolistique – comme Andreas Marquart et moi le montrons dans notre nouveau livre « Blind Robbery! How the Fed, Banks and the Government Steal our Money ».
Dans un système monétaire fiat les coûts de production de monnaie chutent quasiment à zéro ; l'incitation à la production de nouvelle monnaie devient alors irrésistible. Et toute création de monnaie redistribue rentes et richesse, car tous les agents économiques ne reçoivent pas la nouvelle monnaie au même moment. Certains l'obtiennent plus tôt, d'autres plus tard. Les premiers en bénéficient car leurs encaisses maintenant plus élevées leur permettent d'acheter au prix ancien, pour l'instant bas. Une fois cet argent dépensé par les premiers, il circule jusqu'aux prochains bénéficiaires qui sont un peu moins avantagés à mesure que les prix augmentent. La nouvelle monnaie se propage progressivement à travers l'économie et modifie les prix à la hausse. Dans cette opération, les premiers récipiendaires de monnaie sont bénéficiaires, tandis que les derniers à en voir la couleur sont déficitaires : ils subissent la montée des prix bien avant une potentielle hausse de leurs revenus. Le pouvoir d'achat des derniers récipiendaires de la nouvelle monnaie est dégradé.
Mais qui sont ces premiers récipiendaires de la nouvelle monnaie dans notre système monétaire fiat ? Ceux qui en bénéficient doivent la recevoir où elle est produite, à savoir dans le système bancaire sous forme de prêt. Et pour être en mesure de se faire prêter par une banque il est utile d'être riche. Les personnes riches qui détiennent quantités d'actifs comme des actions ou de l'immobilier peuvent engager leurs actifs comme garantie pour de nouveaux prêts. Ils peuvent alors utiliser ces emprunts pour obtenir encore plus d'actions et de valeurs immobilières dont les prix continuent d'augmenter en conséquence.
Puisque les coûts de production de monnaie sont proches de zéro dans notre système monétaire fiat, où les banques centrales et les autres banques sont en mesure d'en créer, on peut s'attendre à ce que les réserves de monnaie croissent continuellement. Par conséquent, les prix ont tendance à augmenter régulièrement. Dans un tel système, il n'est pas très judicieux d'économiser des espèces afin d'acheter des actifs comme une future maison. Il est raisonnable de s'endetter tôt dans le but d'acheter une maison avant qu'elle ne soit encore plus chère et rembourser la dette dans une monnaie dont la valeur se sera dépréciée. Puisque les actifs tels que les propriétés, les obligations ou les actions peuvent servir de garantie pour de nouveaux prêts et ainsi de moyens de devenir premier récipiendaire de nouvelle monnaie, dans notre système monétaire fiat les prix des actifs tendent à s'élever avec ceux des biens et des services, c'est-à-dire des salaires. C'est une des raisons qui explique pourquoi il faut en moyenne de plus en plus de temps pour acheter une maison avec un salaire moyen. C'est aussi pourquoi, dans notre système monétaire fiat, il est plus facile pour un riche de le rester et de plus en plus difficile pour un pauvre de devenir riche, par rapport à un système de monnaie-marchandise.
Pendant que les très riches, l'industrie financière et les grandes entreprises profitent de leur accès direct et rapide à la nouvelle monnaie créée, les classes ouvrières et moyennes, qui tendent à être des récipiendaires tardifs, doivent faire face à la montée des prix immobiliers, énergétiques et alimentaires. Le coût de la vie et les fortes taxes empêchent les classes ouvrières et moyennes d'épargner et d'investir dans des produits financiers.
Pour résumer, notre système monétaire conduit à une redistribution qui a tendance à faire circuler les richesses en direction des riches. Notre système monétaire est une création de l'État. Nous avons une monnaie monopolistique d'État, des planificateurs centraux des affaires économiques (les banques centrales) ainsi que des banques qui reçoivent des privilèges spéciaux de l'État. Ainsi, le point de vue de Piketty selon lequel les marchés sont responsables de l'accroissement des inégalités économiques est trompeur. Ce sont plutôt les États eux-mêmes qui sont la cause des hausses des inégalités qu'ils prétendent combattre.
Donald Trump his major speech on trade policy
Posted by Québec de Droite in Libre échange, Mondialisation, Trump on jeudi 28 juillet 2016
La mondialisation a été imposée par l'oligarchie américaine pour faire des trillions de profits en exploitant la nature humaine à l'échelle mondiale.
Nos politiciens, nos médias et des économistes charlatans veulent maintenir le statu quo.
Regardez les finances lamentables de TOUS les pays occidentaux: trop de dépenses et pas ASSEZ DE REVENUS.
Évasions fiscales, chantage salarial, chantage pour obtenir des subventions, chantage fiscal, la musique classique de nos multinationales.
Il est grand temps qu'on se réveille, si vous ne le faites pas pour vous, faites-le au moins pour vos enfants.
Extrait de : Trump Spells Out a Winning Trade, Ian Fletcher ,Huff Post, 06/28/2016
Donald Trump has just delivered his major speech on trade policy, at an aluminum plant in Monessen, PA.
You can watch it on YouTube here. There's a transcript here.
Hillary Clinton recently gave a long speech attacking Trump on many things. In it, she retreated from her recent feint against the Trans-Pacific Partnership and attacked Trump for "protectionism," so it seems the divide between them on the issue remains clear.
Here are the key excerpts from Trump's speech:
"America has lost nearly one-third of its manufacturing jobs since 1997 - even as the country has increased its population by 50 million people.
At the center of this catastrophe are two trade deals pushed by Bill and Hillary Clinton:
First, the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA.
Second, China's entry into the World Trade Organization.
NAFTA was the worst trade deal in history, and China's entrance into the World Trade Organization has enabled the greatest jobs theft in history.
It was Bill Clinton who signed NAFTA in 1993, and Hillary Clinton who supported it.
It was also Bill Clinton who lobbied for China's disastrous entry into the World Trade Organization, and Hillary Clinton who backed that terrible agreement.
Then, as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton stood by idly while China cheated on its currency, added another trillion dollars to our trade deficits, and stole hundreds of billions of dollars in our intellectual property...
It was also Hillary Clinton, as Secretary of State, who shoved us into a job-killing deal with South Korea in 2012.
As reported by the Economic Policy Institute in May, this deal doubled our trade deficit with South Korea and destroyed nearly 100,000 American jobs.
As Bernie Sanders said, Hillary Clinton 'Voted for virtually every trade agreement that has cost the workers of this country millions of jobs.' "
The above is all sadly true. He went on,
"The Trans-Pacific Partnership is the greatest danger yet.
· The TPP would be the death blow for American manufacturing.
· It would give up all of our economic leverage to an international commission that would put the interests of foreign countries above our own.
· It would further open our markets to aggressive currency cheaters. It would make it easier for our trading competitors to ship cheap subsidized goods into U.S. markets - while allowing foreign countries to continue putting barriers in front of our exports.
· The TPP would lower tariffs on foreign cars, while leaving in place the foreign practices that keep American cars from being sold overseas. The TPP even created a backdoor for China to supply car parts for automobiles made in Mexico.
· The agreement would also force American workers to compete directly against workers from Vietnam, one of the lowest wage countries on Earth.
· Not only will the TPP undermine our economy, but it will undermine our independence.
· The TPP creates a new international commission that makes decisions the American people can't veto.
· These commissions are great Hillary Clinton's Wall Street funders who can spend vast amounts of money to influence the outcomes.
· It should be no surprise then that Hillary Clinton, according to Bloomberg, took a 'leading part in drafting the Trans-Pacific Partnership.'
· She praised or pushed the TPP on 45 separate occasions, and even called it the 'gold standard.'
· Hillary Clinton was totally for the TPP just a short while ago, but when she saw my stance, which is totally against, she was shamed into saying she would be against it too - but have no doubt, she will immediately approve it if it is put before her, guaranteed."
Here's Trump's actual specific agenda on trade:
"Here are seven steps I would pursue right away to bring back our jobs:
One: I am going to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which has not yet been ratified.
Two: I'm going to appoint the toughest and smartest trade negotiators to fight on behalf of American workers.
Three: I'm going to direct the Secretary of Commerce to identify every violation of trade agreements a foreign country is currently using to harm our workers. I will then direct all appropriate agencies to use every tool under American and international law to end these abuses.
Four: I'm going tell our NAFTA partners that I intend to immediately renegotiate the terms of that agreement to get a better deal for our workers. And I don't mean just a little bit better, I mean a lot better. If they do not agree to a renegotiation, then I will submit notice under Article 2205 of the NAFTA agreement that America intends to withdraw from the deal.
Five: I am going to instruct my Treasury Secretary to label China a currency manipulator. Any country that devalues their currency in order to take advantage of the United States will be met with sharply
Six: I am going to instruct the U.S. Trade Representative to bring trade cases against China, both in this country and at the WTO. China's unfair subsidy behavior is prohibited by the terms of its entrance to the WTO, and I intend to enforce those rules.
Seven: If China does not stop its illegal activities, including its theft of American trade secrets, I will use every lawful presidential power to remedy trade disputes, including the application of tariffs consistent with Section 201 and 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962."
The above agenda is not crazy. It is, in fact, fairly standard trade-hawk stuff, and would be different from previous trade hawks only in that Trump appears set to actually do all these things, rather than just talk about them. These are all solid, meaningful actions, which have been discussed in knowledgeable circles for years, not impulsive daydreams: the man has been doing his homework. They are all all designed to happen within existing law: even his mention of withdrawing from NAFTA carefully reminds everyone that the treaty itself contains a withdrawal provision. There's no wild talk of kicking over the existing global trading system by storming out of the WTO. He understands that chaos wouldn't be good for our economy.
That being said, there's the obvious hint that a President Trump could hypothetically up the ante if our trading partners don't fall into line. For one thing, America can hypothetically withdraw from the WTO, just like from NAFTA, and Trump doesn't have to make that threat openly for it to be tacitly there. For another, the Section 201, 301, and 232 tariffs Trump mentions aren't quantitatively limited: they could, if things really got nasty, be big tariffs on major industries. So the message seems to be
"I'm serious about trade reform, serious about not screwing it up, and I'm willing to play nice if other nations are. But if they're not, I'll escalate to whatever it takes to get this done."
Would this agenda actually solve America's trade crisis? Well, obviously the above steps are all ultimately quantitative in effect, so it would depend on how far they were pursued, but yes, these are the right measures to do the job. They're not the only possible measures - trade can be manipulated by a lot of different levers - but they're valid. This is not window dressing.
How far a hypothetical Trump administration would push, in a environment where Trump won't be king, merely a president subject to any number of political constraints from Congress on down, cannot be predicted outright. But it's obvious that a) this is one of his big priorities, on which he would spend serious political capital, and b) this agenda would be popular with the public, so Congress will feel a lot of pressure to go along.
How America's trading partners would react, is even less predictable. My own guess is that they'll recognize that the days of Uncle Sam playing Uncle Sucker are over, and strive to maintain as much stability in the global trading system as they can in a world in which the days of racking up huge surpluses against the U.S. are gone for good.
They know they can't stop a truly determined United States from forcing its trade back into balance, they know an endless American deficit can't go on forever anyway, and they know that causing chaos by kicking up a futile fuss will be very expensive for them.
All in all, this is a winning proposal on trade.
Note: For readers new to my column, I am not a Trump supporter per se. Here's where I said nice things about polar opposite Bernie Sanders. If Hillary Clinton had a rational trade policy, I would praise it.
Lectures complémentaires :
1. Dérapage de la droite: Mondialisation
2. Un petit cours 101 sur la mondialisation
3. Unbiased Look at "Free Trade
4. TTIP is about a huge transfer of power from people to big business."
Dishonesty wasn't really a solution, it was simply easier
Posted by Québec de Droite in Banque centrale, Dette publique, Oligarchie
· Quand nous empruntons des milliards de nos enfants, pas graves !
· Quand nous créons une bulle immobilière et nous endettons le peuple à la limite du déraisonnable, pas grave !
· Quand nous détruisons l'épargne des gens qui ont travaillé fort toute leur vie pour l'acquérir en maintenant des taux d'intérêt trop bas, pas grave !
Un système de fourberie et de malveillance !
If We Can't Be Honest, No Solution Is Possible
Dishonesty wasn't really a solution, it was simply easier.
Scale-invariant refers to a dynamic that functions equally well on the micro-level as it does on the macro-level. (The scientific definition is:"scale invariance is a feature of objects or laws that do not change if scales of length, energy, or other variables, are multiplied by a common factor.")
Accounting is scale-invariant. If a household has fewer assets than liabilities, it is insolvent. If a $10 billion company has fewer assets than liabilities, it is insolvent.
Human emotions also have scale-invariant features, as we all share the same wetware / genetic heritage / naturally selected default settings and capabilities.
The notion that the ideal solution to a problem is to hide it by ignoring it and refusing to discuss it is scale-invariant. "The elephant in the room" in a marriage is a problem that one or both partners fear might blow up the relationship, and neither is willing to take that risk.
In a corporation (for example, in Nokia before it collapsed), mid-level managers hide problems for fear of being fired or demoted.
In national governments and central banks, major financial/ economic problems are glossed over with soothing public relations and rigged statistics.
We all know this "solution" (hiding a problem and refusing to acknowledge it directly) eventually blows up the relationship, the corporation or the national economy.
Dishonesty wasn't really a solution, it was simply easier: directly acknowledging a serious problem is difficult for many reasons. Nobody likes to acknowledge failure and/or powerlessness, and nobody likes to sacrifice or ask others to sacrifice.
So we ignore the problem, gloss it over, mask it, and refuse to honestly confront the unwelcome realities.
Kyle Bass has consistently maintained that China's ballooning debt has reached the point that the government, despite its claims to the contrary, can no longer control the inevitable implosion of China's $3 trillion in corporate debt and trillions in other private-sector debt.
In comparing the asset-liability mismatch that triggered the collapse of the U.S. housing bubble in 2008 with China's current mismatch, Bass said:
"...our asset-liability mismatches were two and a half percent of our system, and you know what they did. So China's excesses (at 10% of their system) are already, they're already so far ahead of the world's excesses in prior crises that we're facing the largest macro imbalance in world history. And to this day, I can't figure out why people don't see it for what it is."
If we can't be honest, no solution is possible.
Many of us declared the official response to the Global Financial Meltdown of 2008-09 nothing but smoke and mirrors and extend and pretend.
Interestingly, after seven years of weak growth and rising wealth/income inequality,the mainstream media is finally discussing the reality that the official "fixes" of quantitative easing (QE) and zero-interest rate policy (ZIRP) have not been solutions at all: they've only exacerbated imbalances and inequalities that have grown in size and severity.
Putting off the day of reckoning is not a real solution. Solutions require honesty, and currently that honesty is too painful to bear.
So instead of getting an opportunity to think through a long-term solution, we'll get another meltdown (this time in China) and the authorities will choose politically expedient "extend and pretend" fixes that only make the underlying imbalances and instabilities worse.
Denial is not a solution, and neither is acting like the problem doesn't exist. But this is our short-term default setting in all scales of human life.
There is a high price to be paid for not solving problems, just as there is a great dividend for those few who have learned to tackle problems head-on in a brutally honest fashion
Low-wage earners with graduate degrees on rise
Posted by Québec de Droite in Éducation on mercredi 27 juillet 2016
Le problème est relativement simple, pourquoi payer un PHD en biochimie à $120,000 en cdn quand je peux avoir les mêmes qualifications au 1/4 du prix en Inde, valable pour tous les secteurs professionnels.
Quand seul le coût de la masse salariale compte, nous coûtons trop chers avec les pays émergents.
Vivre le libre échange stupide sans considérer les coûts sociaux et environnementaux de nos démocraties.
Low-wage earners with graduate degrees on rise, new study shows
The Globe and Mail, Published Wednesday, Jul. 13, 2016 12:00AM EDT
University degrees do not always lead to higher wages.
A new study shows that the ranks of low-wage earners with a master's degree or PhD has soared over the past two decades.
Of the employees with a MA or PhD, 12.4 per cent were low-income earners in 2014 compared with 7.7 per cent in 1997, according to a study by the Centre for the Study of Living Standards, an economics research group.
Incidence of low-wage jobs, by educational attainment
1997 2008 2014
The study showed that the percentage of low-wage earners grew across all levels of education but increased at a higher rate among the most educated.
There was a 60-per-cent increase in low-wage incidence among employees with a MA or PhD from 1997 to 2014. Meanwhile, over the same period, there was a 20-per-cent increase among low-wage workers with a bachelor's degree, according to the study.
Employees with little education or some high school still represent the largest proportion of people who fall in the low-income group. (Of the workers with zero to eight years of education, 50.7 per cent were low-income earners in 2014 compared with 44.6 per cent in the late 1990s.) But what is surprising is the percentage growth among employees with top degrees.
"Increased educational attainment should be lowering the incidence of low wages over time. This, however, is not showing up in the actual incidence of low wages," said the study authored by Jasmin Thomas, an economist. "This suggests that the demand for well-paying jobs has outpaced the supply."
The survey looked at all employees between the age of 20 and 64. It classified a low-income earner as someone who earned less than two-thirds of the median hourly wage for full-time workers.
The study also found that the prevalence of low-income earners was the highest in the accommodation and food-services sector, followed by retail trade and agriculture
Housing accounted for a about half of Canada's economic growth in 2015
Posted by Québec de Droite in Endettement, Immobilier on lundi 25 juillet 2016
Extrait de : Canada Real Estate Is Essential To The Economy. This Graph Shows Just How Much, The Huffington Post Canada, Jesse Ferreras, 03/02/2016
Canada's economy emerged fairly strongly in the fourth quarter of 2015, despite projections of zero growth.
And for that, you can thank real estate.
Data released by Statistics Canada on Monday shows the country's gross domestic product (GDP) growing by 0.8 per cent in the fourth quarter. Canada's total annual GDP growth was 1.2 per cent.
Housing accounted for a $7.4 billion increase in GDP — about half of Canada's economic growth in 2015, the agency said.
GDP measures economic activity within a specific time period. It is a simple method for determining a country's economic health.
When GDP is positive, that means an economy is growing. When it's negative, that means an economy is shrinking, or contracting.
Real estate GDP grows steadily from month after month, while other industries, such as manufacturing, oil and gas, tend to fluctuate.
Most of the real estate GDP had to do with "imputed rent," University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombe told The Huffington Post Canada.
It's a concept that involves calculating how much it would cost to rent out an owner-occupied property.
Imputed rent accounted for just over $4 billion in real estate GDP, Tombe said, and much of Canada's overall GDP growth.
Agriculture followed second to real estate after generating around $3 billion in GDP, followed by finance and insurance at just over $2 billion.
While manufacturing saw heavy economic activity relative to other industries, it also experienced negative growth of approximately $2 billion on the year.
The very fact that the economy managed to grow over the course of 2015 demonstrates just how essential real estate is — but it's also an observation making some analysts uneasy.
"It is concerning to see that degree of concentration coming from one sector," TD Bank economist Brian DePratto told Bloomberg in January.
"This underscores the importance of real estate to Canadian growth, and also reinforces how key of a risk the real estate sector is for the Canadian economy."
Last year, ratings agency Fitch said Canadian homes were overvalued by about 20 per cent, though the numbers varied by location.
Prior to that, the Bank of Canada said housing could be overvalued by as much as 30 per cent.
Fitch predicted that rising prices in Canadian housing markets in the last decade will eventually abate, "with modest declines to follow."
Lectures complémentaires :
1. Dérapage Harper : La plus grosse bulle immobilière pour créer une économie artificielle par endettement (3)
2. De quels moyens disposons-nous pour ralentir le marché de l'habitation (Desjardins)
Sanders lance un sérieux avertissement au parti Démocrate
Posted by Québec de Droite in Démocratie, États-Unis, Oligarchie on samedi 2 juillet 2016
Dans un éditorial New York Times publié mardi soir, le sénateur Bernie Sanders a émis un avertissement à la direction du parti démocrate qui, s'ils ne se réveillent pas dus à la profonde insatisfaction des pauvres et des classes populaires aux États-Unis, ils peuvent très bien se réveiller à un choc similaire vécue par beaucoup au Royaume Uni la semaine dernière, quand une majorité — alimentée en grande partie par les frustrations financières — a choisi de quitter l'Union européenne. « Ce rejet de la forme actuelle de l'économie mondiale pourrait arriver aux Etats-Unis ? Vous pariez que c'est possible. »
— Bernie Sanders « Surprise, surprise. Beaucoup de travailleurs en Grande-Bretagne, ont vu une baisse de leur niveau de vie, tandis que les plus riches dans leur pays sont devenus beaucoup plus riches, ils ont tourné le dos à l'Union européenne et d'une économie mondialisée qui ne parvient pas à eux et leurs enfants, à vivre décemment » Sanders écrit.
Bernie Sanders: Democrats Need to Wake Up
By BERNIE SANDERS JUNE 28, 2016
Surprise, surprise. Workers in Britain, many of whom have seen a decline in their standard of living while the very rich in their country have become much richer, have turned their backs on the European Union and a globalized economy that is failing them and their children.
And it's not just the British who are suffering. That increasingly globalized economy, established and maintained by the world's economic elite, is failing people everywhere. Incredibly, the wealthiest 62 people on this planet own as much wealth as the bottom half of the world's population — around 3.6 billion people. The top 1 percent now owns more wealth than the whole of the bottom 99 percent. The very, very rich enjoy unimaginable luxury while billions of people endure abject poverty, unemployment, and inadequate health care, education, housing and drinking water.
Could this rejection of the current form of the global economy happen in the United States? You bet it could.
During my campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, I've visited 46 states. What I saw and heard on too many occasions were painful realities that the political and media establishment fail even to recognize.
In the last 15 years, nearly 60,000 factories in this country have closed, and more than 4.8 million well-paid manufacturing jobs have disappeared. Much of this is related to disastrous trade agreements that encourage corporations to move to low-wage countries.
Despite major increases in productivity, the median male worker in America today is making $726 dollars less than he did in 1973, while the median female worker is making $1,154 less than she did in 2007, after adjusting for inflation.
Nearly 47 million Americans live in poverty. An estimated 28 million have no health insurance, while many others are underinsured. Millions of people are struggling with outrageous levels of student debt. For perhaps the first time in modern history, our younger generation will probably have a lower standard of living than their parents. Frighteningly, millions of poorly educated Americans will have a shorter life span than the previous generation as they succumb to despair, drugs and alcohol.
Meanwhile, in our country the top one-tenth of 1 percent now owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent. Fifty-eight percent of all new income is going to the top 1 percent. Wall Street and billionaires, through their "super PACs," are able to buy elections.
On my campaign, I've talked to workers unable to make it on $8 or $9 an hour; retirees struggling to purchase the medicine they need on $9,000 a year of Social Security; young people unable to afford college. I also visited the American citizens of Puerto Rico, where some 58 percent of the children live in poverty and only a little more than 40 percent of the adult population has a job or is seeking one.
Let's be clear. The global economy is not working for the majority of people in our country and the world. This is an economic model developed by the economic elite to benefit the economic elite. We need real change.
But we do not need change based on the demagogy, bigotry and anti-immigrant sentiment that punctuated so much of the Leave campaign's rhetoric — and is central to Donald J. Trump's message.
We need a president who will vigorously support international cooperation that brings the people of the world closer together, reduces hypernationalism and decreases the possibility of war. We also need a president who respects the democratic rights of the people, and who will fight for an economy that protects the interests of working people, not just Wall Street, the drug companies and other powerful special interests.
We need to fundamentally reject our "free trade" policies and move to fair trade. Americans should not have to compete against workers in low-wage countries who earn pennies an hour. We must defeat the Trans-Pacific Partnership. We must help poor countries develop sustainable economic models.
We need to end the international scandal in which large corporations and the wealthy avoid paying trillions of dollars in taxes to their national governments.
We need to create tens of millions of jobs worldwide by combating global climate change and by transforming the world's energy system away from fossil fuels.
We need international efforts to cut military spending around the globe and address the causes of war: poverty, hatred, hopelessness and ignorance.
The notion that Donald Trump could benefit from the same forces that gave the Leave proponents a majority in Britain should sound an alarm for the Democratic Party in the United States. Millions of American voters, like the Leave supporters, are understandably angry and frustrated by the economic forces that are destroying the middle class.
In this pivotal moment, the Democratic Party and a new Democratic president need to make clear that we stand with those who are struggling and who have been left behind. We must create national and global economies that work for all, not just a handful of billionaires.
Source: Bernie Sanders: Democrats Need to Wake Up


text:
Image via Wikipedia Dates set at April 21 meeting of Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission in Wichita
PRATT — At the Public Hearing portion of the April 21 meeting of the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission, regulations for antelope and elk seasons were approved.
Pronghorn antelope season dates for 2011 include the follow: Archery – Sept. 24-Oct. 2 and Oct. 15-31; Muzzleloader – Oct. 3-10; and Firearm – Oct. 7-10. The application deadline for the resident-only firearm and muzzleloader permits is June 10. Resident and nonresident pronghorn antelope archery permits are unlimited and available over the counter through Oct. 30.
Elk season dates for 2011, both on Fort Riley (Unit 2A) and off the fort were also set: Archery statewide (except units 1 and 2A) — Sept. 19-Dec. 31; Fort Riley (Unit 2A) – Sept. 1-Oct. 2. Muzzleloader statewide (except Unit 2A and a portion of Morton County, Unit 1) – Sept. 1-Oct. 2; Fort Riley – Sept. 1-Oct. 2. Firearm statewide (except Unit 2A and Unit 1) – Nov. 30-Dec. 11 and Jan. 1-March 15, 2012; Fort Riley (Unit 2A) Antlerless Only permits first segment, Oct. 1-31, second segment, Nov. 1-30, third segment, Dec. 1-31. Fort Riley firearm season for holders of Either-Species/Either-Sex permits — Oct. 1-Dec. 31.
As in past seasons, a limited quota of any elk and antlerless only elk permits that are valid on Fort Riley (Unit 2A) and in units 2 and 3 will be available to residents and Fort Riley military personnel only. The application deadline for limited-quota elk permits is July 8, 2011. Unlimited hunt-own-land elk permits are valid in units 2 and 3 and will be available through March 14, 2012. Over-the-counter elk permits valid only in Unit 3 will be available through March 14, 2012. Applications will be available online June 8. No paper applications are available, but those without internet access may apply by phone, 620-672-5911, and ask for Licensing.


text:
Get ready to pay more to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey when you drive from New Jersey into New York City.
The third of five annual toll hikes is scheduled to go into effect on Sunday at bridges and tunnels.
Cars with E-ZPass tags will pay 75 cents more when they cross the George Washington, Bayonne and Goethals bridges and Outerbridge Crossing, or go through the Lincoln and Holland tunnels.
U.S. & World
Stories that affect your life across the U.S. and around the world.
That makes the E-ZPass peak toll $11 and the off-peak toll $9.
Cars paying cash will continue to pay $13.
The heaviest burden will be borne by trucks or towing combinations with six or more axles. Their off-peak E-ZPass rate will rise from $66 to $78 and the peak E-ZPass rate will rise $12 to $84.


text:
It is nominations time for the annual District 7 awards. Below is a description of each award. If you would like to nominate someone for one of these awards, for each award, please write the person's name and a brief explanation of why you are nominating them.
Send your nominations to Scott Stevenson at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Deadline for submission is June 25, 2010.
Toastmaster of the Year: This person should have served the best interests of the membersof District 7 above and beyond the requirements of their position in District 7. This personshould have quantifiable results as a leader, is an inspiration to other in Toastmasters, andshould have accomplishments outside Toastmasters.
Division Governor of the Year: This person should have worked well with the Area Governors within the Division and with the District Officers. This person should have had successful speech contests. This Division Governor should be a positive, motivational force in the District.
Area Governor of the Year: This person should be a positive, motivating force in the Area and the District. This person should have had successful Area contests and quantifiable results in the Area in membership, educational accomplishments, dues paid, and Area visits to clubs.
Rookie of the Year: This person should be in the first year of activity at the District level and could be an Area Governor, committee chairperson, etc. This person is someone whose enthusiasm and energy is contagious.
Lou Webb Award: Named after the District 7 Telephone Coordinator, this award is for long-time service to the District. This person is an experienced advisor for District Officers, not for the glory but simply out of dedication to serving the District.
Herb C. Stude Educational Service Award: Named after Past District Governor, Herbert C. Stude, DTM. This award recognizes the person who has delivered the most educational service to District 7 members, whether through educational modules or educational sessions at District meetings and conferences. This person represents the teacher who gives to others, and motivates them to learn.


text:
Three years ago today I lost my Mother to lung cancer.
The saddest day of my life.
It's not been easy at all, but somehow, someway you learn to cope with the loss. And through tragedy I found love, hope and peace with LW. Six months after I lost my Mom, LW walked into my life and never once looked back. For he too can relate....he lost his Father, in a terrible car accident, 44 years earlier. While he never got to know his Father (he was 1 when he passed), there's nothing like an empty space in your heart.
I'm not going to be sad today. I know my Mom would not want that. I will quietly remember her and be grateful for the time I did have with her.
I know she knows...I'm gonna be alright.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Three Years Ago
Three years ago today I lost my Mother to lung cancer.
Posted by Danica at 8:34 AM 5 comments
Labels: Mom
Monday, December 27, 2010
2010 In Review
I have to say, it's been one very crazy trying year....emotionally and physically.
Having my hysterectomy in January was the most difficult decision I have ever made. There's nothing that can or ever will take away the pain of not being able to have children. I'm grateful to be pain free in my abdomen area, but there's nothing worse than an eternal broken heart. I know my friends and family probably think I'm okay with not being a mother, but I'm not. Most days I fake it, some days I ask myself why me, but I will never second guess my decision to be pain free. I haven't felt this good physically in years! I guess I just didn't know what a true broken heart felt like.
But I'll be okay. In the new year I'm going to focus less on what I don't have and look to what I do have. Be grateful for having a loving man and two beautiful step daughters, who hopefully appreciate all that I do for them.
Once I was settled and physically healed from surgery, which seemed to take forever, I was on the road to happier times.
LW and I got engaged in May, which was a total suprise! I mean I knew he would eventually ask me, just not in the manner in which he asked and just not at the time he asked me. He caught me completely off guard. I love that about him. He's always surprising me with his love. I can honestly say, I've fallen deeper in love with him this year. Yes we had a difficult summer with his oldest daughter moving home, but we pulled through and came out pretty strong in the end.
Lauren moving home was hard, but we managed and are coasting along just fine now. It was hard for me to adjust to another woman in my house...let alone, someone I would eventually be a step mother too. We don't see too much of her now as she's busy with her life and I know it saddens LW. We need to make a better effort in the coming year to create family time. We can't expect her to want to spend time with us, if we don't try to do the same.
All in all it was a trying year...filled with happy times and sad times, but as the year wraps up, we came out a much stronger family. Our love for each other will pull us through the challenges ahead. I have much to look forward to next year....a wedding, a honeymoon, our first family vacation with Lauren, Lauren moving to her own place...we have loads to be grateful for. I need to get better at reminding myself of that!
Here's hoping each of you have a blessed New Year!
Posted by Danica at 11:22 AM 2 comments
Monday, December 20, 2010
Blue Monday
This post is in honor of my blogging friend LaVoice, who every Monday hosts "Blue Monday". LV is such a wonderful, caring, compasionate lady. She's over 80 years old and amazes me every day with her blogging and camera skills. I couldn't love her anymore if she were my very own grandmother. Such a treat to know her....even if it is only through blog land.
Friday I came home from work and in my mailbox was this beautiful ornament LV had gotten for me.
I must say it brought tears to my eyes, as it was the most thoughtful, spontaneous gift I have ever received from someone I have not met in person. It honestly reminded me of something my Mom would do for a stranger. My Mom was always the giving type, even when she had nothing to give.
So thank you LaVoice. From the bottom of my heart. I will treasure it always just as I treasure you!
And here is the ornament proudly displayed on my Christmas tree.
Merry Christmas!
Posted by Danica at 10:01 AM 4 comments
Friday, December 17, 2010
The Wedding Dress
I couldn't wait to show you all my dress so I will show you the picture of the dress from the bridal website.
My dress, however, will NOT have a train and where you see 'tan' on the dress, I will have orange. :-) I'm a lover of all things orange.
I ordered it the week of Thanksgiving so it will take another two months for it to come in. It was a special order.
And here is my Matron of Honor's dress. She will look so beautiful in it. Her dress has already arrived and is home safe and sound with her. She will be wearing a watermelon color (not pictured). which is actually a hot pink color.
We have yet to order the dresses for the girls. Kassidy picked a new color (lime green) that will not be available until January so we had to post pone ordering her dress. And since we posted poned Kassidy's we post poned Lauren's because she wanted to see what new strapless styles are being released in January as well. She has picked a royal purple color.
I'm so excited to see how all of the colors are going to flow together. It's going to be a very bright summer wedding!
Let the planning begin!
LW will be wearing an orange tie to match me and the best man will be wearing watermelon to match the matron of honor.
Posted by Danica at 12:10 PM 1 comments
Labels: wedding
Happy Holidays
It's been awhile since I have last posted. Sorry about that.
Life has just gotten in the way! I'm busier (in a good way) then I ever dreamed possible. There's not been much time for lounging....and when that time comes, I'm usually fast asleep as I'm tired as all get out.
I've been working out on a regular basis. I've lost inches, not weight, but I've gained some pretty good muscles. I will rock that strapless wedding dress (I'll post pictures when the dress comes in - takes about three months and I ordered it at Thanksgiving). My arms are thinner, my thighs are thinner, my waist is smaller and my endurance is longer. I'm getting the shape back I had when I was 30. I know it was only 7 and a half years ago, but I seriously did let myself go for awhile there. I think I sank into this deep depression when I got divorced and my Mom died. I'll never fully admit that, but I was a different person then. But now I'm happy, healthy and living life.
The anniversary of my Mom's passing will be here before I know it. December 29th will mark three years I've been without her smile, guidance, and love. Some days are harder than others. There's no lying about that. It's hard when your parents die. A little piece of you goes with them. We've placed a wreath on her grave every year she has been gone and this year all four of us (my siblings) are placing special pine cones on her wreath on Christmas Eve. It's kind of a neat way to keep her in hearts this holiday season. Christmas was my Mom's favorite holiday.
Christmas will be a busy one for us! With two kids home, I hope I can make this a holiday they will never forget. I can't wait to see their faces Christmas morning as they walk down the stairs to see their pile of gifts. And more importantly, I can't wait to see, what is now my family, sitting together, in the livingroom, with the fire going, opening up presents and laughing and crying. Watching LW with his girls will be the best part. He hasn't spent Christmas with the two of them together in about 4 years, so this year will be extra special for him.
I'll leave you with the photos we had taken of the girls in October. Some were Christmas presents, some were placed in our Christmas cards.
If I don't return this week to blog land, I hope each of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'll do my best to get to each and everyone of your blogs to wish you a Happy Holiday season.
Posted by Danica at 11:12 AM 3 comments
Labels: Christmas


text:
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, General Research and Reference Division
Charles Morris, The Old South and the New (Philadelphia?: s.n., 1907)
While other crops where economically significant, cotton was by far the South's and the country's most important staple crop. By 1860 cotton exports amounted to more than 50 percent annually of the dollar value of all United States imports. After the Civil War, the cotton-growing industry got on its feet again by development of a "cropping system." The planter gave each tenant a plot of land and a portion of the crop: half the crop, or less if the planter furnished the tools, seed, and mules. The tiny insect called a boll weevil invaded Texas in 1898 and ate its way across the South from west to east. Farmers turned to food products, which required thirty times fewer workers. These laborers found themselves out of a job.