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Thoughts and observations on the radio/TV station and wireless tower trading markets. A look at the impact and integration of new media into station operations. Station values, stations for sale, radio and TV station news, towers, and more from a Director of Media Services Group and co-publisher of Inside Towers.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
New York Times: Radio Giant Races Crisis in Cash Flow
A Call to Action to the NAB and RAB
If there ever was a time for professional training and development in radio, it is now. The need is particularly dire in the sales departments, where qualified sales candidates are hard to find in all market sizes.
The NAB and RAB should seize this opportunity to capture a major industry resource: make a deal with Kimberly and her team, as well as Clear Channel, to take over and run the training business. And the industry should commit to supporting it by training personnel on an ongoing basis. Perhaps the state broadcasting associations can lend financial support as well.
We can't ignore radio's talent drain to new media and nine years of flat to declining revenue.
David and Jeff: What do you say?
Media Services Group
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Restructuring An Entire Industry (Radio)
Broadcast companies will be divided into two distinct camps by their lenders:
1) Good operators with bad balance sheets
2) Bad operators with bad balance sheets
Fortunately, there are a few operators with good balance sheets, but very few.
Good Operators with Bad Balance Sheets
- Excess debt will be converted to equity; remaining debt will be restructured with payment terms matching the companies' ability to pay.
- Owners will keep a stake and management will keep their jobs and be incentivized to perform under the new arrangement.
Bad Operators with Bad Balance Sheets
- Lenders will adopt a "throw out the bums" mentality.
- Assets will be liquidated, or in some cases, sold to entrepreneurs (and financed by the lender) who know how to make the business work.
So who are the winners and losers?
- Lenders who stay calm, carefully analyze their problems and possible solutions.
- Existing broadcasters without a leverage problem, particularly if they want to grow their business.
- Existing broadcasters who become pro-active in dealing with their problems.
- Entrepreneurs who know how to operate (and have been patiently waiting for a window to get in).
- Attorneys and smart, experienced broadcast restructuring consultants.
- Smart distressed debt buyers who pair up with entrepreneurial operators.
- Over-leveraged and under-operated broadcasting companies.
- Lenders who panic.
- Investors who bought into the over-leveraged and under-operated broadcasting companies.
Those are my thoughts . . . what are yours?
Media Services Group
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Another good article (McVay new Media)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Old Meets New: Priceless
Kids simply do not have the same passion for radio and TV that we, the Boomers, had when we were growing up. My focus group (daughters ages 16, 19, and 22) gets their music from multiple sources. And they live via texting, Facebook and iTunes. They are tired of hearing the same dull crap on the radio.
So here is your investment to teach the old dog a few new tricks:
1) Buy an iPhone. Cost: $300
2) Sign up a Twitter account http://www.twitter.com/. Cost: FREE
Search a subject (try your home town or "Radio") and follow some people.
3) Start a Facebook page. http://www.Facebook.com. Cost: FREE
4) Read "What Would Google Do?" http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=what+would+google+do.
Cost: $17.81
5) Set up a My Yahoo or Alltop page http://www.yahoo.com/ http://www.alltop.com/ with relevant news and blogs. Cost: FREE
6) Seek out and listen to your programming people and make a few local sales calls while you're at it. Cost: FREE
7) Start thinking about how to program your station(s) to get your listening communities truly involved. Cost: PRICELESS
Those are my thoughts . . . what are yours?
Media Services Group
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Now on Alltop.com
Las Vegas (NAB) in the Rear View Mirror
While overall attendance was down, the Media Services Group suite was very busy. Despite fewer pre-set appointments than usual, we filled two full days of meetings with broadcast station owners, potential buyers, and members of the financial community. My partners and I now have a much better perspective on marketplace conditions than we did prior to the convention.
At present, the trading market is virtually locked up (with the exception of some small market sellers who are willing to seller finance their deals). We have buyers and we have sellers. But there is no credit to finance the transactions; therefore, there are precious few transactions. The logjam will not break until credit returns to the industry.
With so few transactions, station pricing is a guess at best. We believe that if there was liquidity in the marketplace, stations would change hands in the range of 5x to 8x broadcast cash flow. But this is based on anecdotal evidence; there are really no data points to rely on at present.
Mike Andres of BIA predicted an unprecedented number of broadcast loan defaults this year. I believe that most broadcast loans are either already in default or will be in default by the end of the year (though some loans have been renegotiated with relief extended nine to twelve months).
Media Services Group expects a number of engagements in the coming months assisting borrowers and lenders in the restructuring of many of these problem loans. Look for a lot of debt being converted to equity. There will likely be some liquidations. While this will be a long and painful process, solid broadcast companies should emerge at the end with balance sheets and debt structures favorable to future growth.
We also believe that a number of funds specializing in distressed debt will be negotiating with the banks to buy broadcasters' paper at deep discounts. It could provide them with a cheap entry into the broadcast space and generate significant returns once the business regains its footing. However, holders of existing equity, beware.
Bottom line: very stormy seas ahead with smooth sailing ahead for those companies able to stay afloat until the storm passes. This will be a much longer and deeper problem than the one many of us suffered in the early 90's. Now is a great time to assemble your team to help navigate the tempest. It will soon be time for "all hands on deck."
Those are my thoughts . . . what are yours?
George Reed
Media Services Group
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
More from the NAB
I want to single out one winner, Bud Walters. I worked for him at his first radio station while I was in high school. He is a great broadcaster and a great guy. He gives a lot back to the industry. I am proud to be his friend, and pleased that he was selected as one of this year's honorees.
And while I'm extending kudos, let me add that the Broadcasters Foundation is a great organization. They support broadcasters in need. It is a great cause. Remember them in your giving. http://www.broadcastersfoundation.org/
Media Services Group
Monday, April 20, 2009
NAB update
If you're looking for Media Services Group, we're at the Bellagio (suite # 32057). Suite traffic from prospective buyers and sellers is off; probably the lowest traffic in twenty years of NAB's.
On the positive side, great dinner at Ferraro's (West Flamingo) Saturday night.
Attended the Garvey Schubert Barer breakfast this morning. Thanks to Erwin Krasnow for the hospitality. It was well attended. Ivan Braiker spoke about Hip Cricket (texting).
Banks are scarce. Not sure that any of them are doing any new lending. Some job casualties in the media lending ranks. Bad.
Attended the opening reception. David Rehr spoke about Radio 2020 and Radio Heard Here; discussed the digtal TV transition and mobile TV.
Interesting time for the business. Radio is being re-set.
Media Services Group
Friday, April 17, 2009
Radio Scenario Planning
A group of successful radio industry executives (owners, researchers, digital media, program consultants, and brokers) convened in Hilton Head a couple of weeks to ponder the future of the radio industry. I was fortunate to have been invited by the group's host, Jim Hooker. Jim spent his career as a sales and organizational development consultant and as owner and CEO of Pride Communications, a group of ten radio properties in the suburban Chicago market that he sold in 2000 to NextMedia. Susan Hooker, Jim's wife, and a former Motorola executive, conducted the two-day session, which focused on the development of several possible directions the industry could take in the next ten to fifteen years. She had conducted similar sessions for Motorola business leaders in past years.
Last week's session followed an exercise Susan conducted in 1995 which accurately predicted a scenario of deregulation and consolidation resulting in an initial rapid escalation in radio station values, but also warned of a "Nightmare Scenario" in which a general homogenization of program content, declining audiences, and an increase in competition from on-line advertising, could result in significant problems for radio's business model. That 1995 scenario work proved to be such an accurate predictor of today's challenges to the radio industry that several people who participated in that session proposed the recent Hilton Head meeting.
Scenario planning is complementary to strategic planning, but different in that is focuses on what is most uncertain about the environment in which a business will have to operate. The purpose is to develop a number of alternative possible future scenarios, based upon the interplay of the most powerful and most uncertain of those forces that will impact the future of the business over an extended period of time (typically ten to fifteen years). Scenario planning legitimizes talking about those things that we worry might happen, but are totally out of our control. In fact the dimensions of scenarios are, by definition, forces that are uncontrollable, uncertain and will have a powerful impact on the business whose future is being contemplated.
The driving forces guiding the future course of the radio industry, as identified by the Hilton Head participants were:
1.) The state of the economy and whether or not it would return to growth in retail sales and revenue in the service sectors.
2.) The adoption rate of the "Digital Revolution" by the public and the rate at which equipment manufacturers and radio broadcasters integrate complementary technologies into their offerings.
3.) The development of local content by broadcasters as they exploit their current and future delivery platforms and the acceptance of that newly enriched content by the "listener communities" that broadcasters serve.
Over the course of the two-day meeting four potential scenarios for radio's future were developed based on the interplay of these driving forces. The scenarios were shaped by the rate of adoption of new content, digital delivery augmentation of existing AM and FM radio signals and the overall improvement in the economic factors that shape the retail environment which is a major driver of radio revenues.
One of the conditions driving the future of the industry remains a huge variable. The leverage of the large public broadcasting groups, who control a vast majority of the industry revenues and who have been laboring to dramatically reduce costs in the current economic environment, represent a potentially negative impact on the industry's performance and innovation. The consensus of the group was that this operating reality in the industry has not been a catalyst for innovation. Quite the contrary, this trend of squeezing out costs to try to improve the bottom line has created a downward spiral of less innovative programming and more homogeneous offerings. Risk taking has been squeezed out, making radio much less interesting to our audiences.
While back office consolidation was believed to have been worthwhile across the industry, programming consolidation was largely believed to have gone too far. The unintended consequence of consolidation may have been to have "killed the goose that laid the golden egg." The potential breakup of some of the major groups could serve to either stimulate new investment and innovation or result in a disruptive realignment of station operation and direction.
Currently, there is a major disparity of operating results from smaller local and regional broadcasters and the largest 50 radio markets where the public companies have a clear dominance. This difference makes fertile ground for experimentation in the 50+ markets, which may be where radio's renaissance will begin.
In looking forward to 2020, there is another possible "Nightmare Scenario," in which economic stagflation, the "Digital Revolution," and listeners' evolving preferences work against the radio industry, making it exceedingly difficult for radio companies to survive and thrive.
But there is also a potential brighter future in which economic growth, technological advances by broadcasters, equipment and software manufacturers, and listener preferences will evolve in such a way that radio will thrive once again. What kind of advances might take hold that would spur a radio renaissance? If radio can become interactive, with its content available when and how listeners want it via podcasts or streaming, and open to listener input via messaging and texting as well as voice, with personalities who can captivate the imaginations of their audiences once again, then radio will have a very happy future. Look for this to occur first in some of the second and third tier markets rather than the top 50.
How will the group know which scenario is actually unfolding? We developed some twenty metrics that will be collected and tracked quarterly over the coming years . . . So stay tuned.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Edison Research and Arbitron release "The Infinite Dial 2009"
Click at the bottom of this post for the whole study, but here are some quick takeaways:
AM/FM radio has broad impact in the new digital world
- 92% of Americans 12+ use AM/FM radio each week
- One in five say AM/FM radio has a big impact on their lives
- Radio's "Total Impact" is second only to cell phones among audio devices/media
- Eight in 10 Americans say they will continue to listen to AM/FM radio as much as they do now despite increasing advancements in technology
- Online radio users spend more time with radio overall, not less
Recent Growth in Online Radio Usage is Promising
- An estimated 42 million tune to online radio on a weekly basis, which is more than twice the number from 2005
- The key radio demographic of 35 to 54 year olds are becoming more frequent online listeners
Radio's Digital Platforms Provide Advertisers with New Touch Points to Reach Desirable Targets
- Radio's digital platform users are a highly attractive segment
- Online radio users are well-educated, upper income, full-time employed and digitally savvy consumers
- Broadcasters are providing an increasingly wide variety of digital options for advertisers and new methods to connect ROI with media spend
Americans are Exercising More Control Over Their Use of Media
- Americans are increasingly enhancing their use of traditional media with new ways to control how, when and where they consume information and entertainment
Consumers Expect to Find Their Content Online
- Broadband access is the norm
- Media not meeting consumer expectations will suffer
- Pulling digital audio streams will accelerate adoption of alternative choices
Consumers Want Expanded Media Options in Their Cars
- One-third of Americans say they are interested in online radio in their cars
- Satellite radio continues to add subscribers
- iPod and podcast usage continues to grow with more car radios with auxiliary jacks
Audio Content Providers Should Not Ignore the Explosion of Online Video
- Radio station web sites must embrace online video
- Use of online video exceeds online radio
- Two-thirds of monthly online radio users also watched online video in the past month
Media Should Accelerate Efforts to Get Their Content on Mobile Phones
- Mobile phones are the next frontier
- Content providers should find ways onto mobile phones
Little Evidence to Date of Significant Interest or Uptake for HD Radio
- Awareness has not changed substantially
- Value proposition not clear to consumers
Social Networking is Now Mainstream
- One in three Americans (12+) and 2/3 of teens and 18-24s now have a profile on a social networking site
- Social networking is a vital communication channel for consumers; content providers should find ways to tap the power of this new digital platform
Take the time to read the entire presentation.
Media Services Group
Workouts: Two Perspectives
As you might suspect, borrowers and lenders have two very different perspectives of the workout process. Without taking sides, I will attempt to present an overview.
The broadcaster wants to restructure the loan(s) on terms which allow him to pay back the obligation from the business' free cash flow. Generally, they want to buy time. This often means deferred payment terms, a lower interest rate, debt forgiveness, equity infusion, and possibly asset sales. An alternative (but a difficult one when credit is "frozen" as it is now) is to simply refinance the loan with a new lender.
The broadcaster takes the position that the current problems are a "bump in the road," and given time, effort, and flexibility on the part of the lender, everything will work out just fine.
If the lender refuses to negotiate acceptable restructured terms, the war escalates. A Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing is in the broadcaster's arsenal to stave off foreclosure (at least temporarily).
Lenders simply want their money back. And they don't much care how it happens. Ideally, they would like to see the borrower/broadcaster refinance their debt with a new institution. Failing that, they want the assets sold . . . immediately. If the broadcaster refuses to cooperate (in their view), the lender might take steps to have a receiver appointed, charging the receiver to liquidate the company.
If the lender believes that the problems are temporary, they may agree to restructure the note, generally collecting fees for the restructure agreement, and usually with provisions that they will be made "whole," perhaps getting additonal security.
Lenders often (but not always) want to avoid the bankruptcy court. At times, they can negotiate a forbearance agreement with the borrower to agree to allow a receiver to be appointed, perhaps with the broadcaster's agreement as to who the receiver will be.
And now, a word from our sponsor. The choice of a receiver is critical. The ideal receiver has M & A transaction experience as well as station operating expertise. That is a rare combination. You can probably count on one hand the number of firms serving the broadcasting industry who have that expertise (Media Services Group is one; Larry Patrick's company is another). Unfortunately, a number of "consultants" hang out their shingles in every downturn; check the track records before hiring workout expertise.
Those are my thoughts, what are yours?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
CPI down 0.1% in March from February
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Step up for the NAB Political Action Committee
BIA Advisory Services Sees Growth in Radio Valuations Dependent on Industry's Ability to Transform into an Expanded Operation
Hiring a Media Broker
At the risk of appearing self-serving (as I am a media broker), here are some thoughts on hiring a professional to sell your Radio/TV assets.
Should you hire a broker in the first place? There is a reason that the media brokerage practice exists, and it parallels that of real estate. Sellers have learned over time that media brokers provide a basket of services which net more value in a sale than any possible commission saved by trying to do a deal "direct." Sellers have a business to run; in most cases, they simply do not have the time to run a sale process. Often too, buyers and sellers often clash, particularly if they are competitors. A media broker provides an often necessary buffer zone in the negotiating process.
Good media brokers understand the financial markets and how to best structure a deal that will actually get to the closing table. They have negotiating experience and usually, a relationship with the prospective buyer. They have a track record in working with counsel to complete the transaction documents (and work out business issue problems between the buyer and seller directly, which counsel often cannot do since they have to interact with opposing counsel). And most brokers provide escrow services, usually at no charge. Enough of the sales pitch.
What do you look for?
Integrity, honesty, and discretion.
Nothing beats experience. Choose a professional who has completed a lot of deals. Brokerage is a tough business; it takes a long time to get really good at it. Pare down your list of broker prospects to those who have proven track records.
Choose a busy broker. Deal flow brings deal flow. A busy broker knows the active buyers and the active financial participants.
Get recommendations. Talk with the brokers' most recent clients. Ask your colleagues in the business for referrals.
Look for a broker who understands finance.
Look for a broker who understands your digital revenue initiatives. This is a new area for many broadcasters. A broker must be able to explain to buyers the benefits of digital revenue (which may not yet be apparent from your P & L's).
Avoid brokers who promise a purchase price which defies logic. Many potential sale processes have gone awry when the seller hires a broker who promises a "sky high" price after ignoring broker prospects who presented honest expectations.
Look for a brokerage firm who is visible in the broadcasting community. If a broker operates in the shadows, he/she is probably not the ideal choice to get your project in front of the most able buyers.
Have a "beauty contest." Narrow your list to the top three, and invite them in for presentations. The cream will rise to the top.
Retail sales down in March
We're not yet out of the woods.
Monday, April 13, 2009
A Tale of Two Strategies
1. "Leverage our National Talent"
2. "Live and Local"
Let's take a closer look at the two paths.
"Leverage our National Talent"
- Syndicated big talent/national footprint
- Big margins/low expenses
- Smaller sales force
- Hit the numbers or you're gone
- "Ad Council" PSAs
- Strict adherence to tried and tested format rules
- "One to Many" programming strategy
- Heavy reliance on national revenue
- Talent involved in the communities
- News departments staffed with news people
- Good margins (but much lower than the first scenario)
- Keep adding salespeople so long as the incremental revenue is greater than the incremental expense
- Budgets are flexible; management is responsive to local opportunities
- Local PSAs
- Will break the format "rules" if prudent
- "One to One" programming strategy
- Heavy reliance on local revenue
Both strategies may work. But I'm betting on "Live and Local," especially in smaller and mid-size markets. Those are my thoughts; what are yours?
Friday, April 10, 2009
Bayliss deserves your support
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Let's get connected!
If you like the blog, then please either 1) click to Follow, or 2) add my RSS fee by clicking "Subscribe to Posts." I encourage you to comment on any entries. Or you can email me at: email@example.com
If you belong to LinkedIn (and we know each other), let's get together there as well: http://www.linkedin.com/in/georgerreed
And last but not least, if you Twitter information on the radio and/or TV industries: http://twitter.com/GeorgeReedRadio
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Spring NAB around the corner
The Media Services Group partners and associates will once again be holding court at the Bellagio. To schedule a confidential meeting, email: email@example.com or give me a call at 904-285-3239.
I look forward to seeing you there.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Radio industry to restructure
Private and public radio companies alike are going to have to restructure their balance sheets. There is no way that the current anemic revenue growth will allow most radio companies to meet their debt covenants in 2009. That, coupled with the difficulty of shedding assets at a multiple higher than their leverage multiple, paints a dire picture for 2009.
On the plus side (for the broadcasters at least), most lenders recognize the fact that fire-selling assets in the current environment makes no sense. It will make their bad situations worse. That leaves them with two options: 1) either negotiate a workout with the existing stakeholders and management, or 2) foreclose, appoint a receiver, and try to hold on until times improve. In the majority of cases, existing management is the best management, so it is time to hit the negotiating tables.
Cumulus Media Partners has already been to the table. They recently proposed to swap senior subordinated debt for a combined debt/equity package. I do not think that the noteholders have many options and predict that the deal will be successful. If it fails, there will probably be a trip to the bankruptcy court. And I predict that this deal is only one of many to come. Note: the outcome of this deal should become public soon, but thus far I have not seen an announcement.
Grupo Radio Centro LMA's KMVN, Los Angeles (Emmis)
Dickey, Field, Morgan Join NAB Radio Board
Radio Ink Hispanic Radio Converence
Weekly online radio usage jumps to 42 million Americans
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Re-inventing radio
Related website:
Related website:
Related website:
Those are my thoughts. What are yours?
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Another one bites the dust (maybe)
Mark Ramsey Looking for Top 10 Twitter Must-Follows for Radio Broadcasters
HD Radio sets hit one million
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Internet Didn't Kill Newspapers, Newspapers Killed Newspapers
Fast forward to today. Many, if not most, papers are losing money. Bankruptcies are rampant. Century old dailies are being shut down. Revenues from most local papers' Internet efforts are paltry.
Two things happened. Papers failed to control their costs (often by failing to deal effectively with their unions). And they failed to develop and implement effective Internet strategies. Remember when many tried to sell subscriptions to their Internet sites? Many failed to realize the simple truth that Internet content is free; ad supported models were the only way to go. Look what happened when most of the classified advertising migrated to Craigslist; gone, and never to return.
Newspapers had the opportunity to reinvent their sales forces and rethink their strategic direction. It didn't happen. Are radio and TV broadcasters the next to make the same mistake?
News from the Internet Advertising Bureau points to a 10.6% growth in 'net revenue last year. $23.4 billion in revenue placed the Internet ahead of radio and cable TV, and rapidly gaining on local TV and newspapers.
Newspapers killed newspapers; the Internet could have been the salvation instead of simply the beneficiary. SNL Kagan predicts Radio/TV revenue declines for at least the next five years in a new report. Broadcasting's leaders need to coalesce around an industry wide strategy to begin thinking like digital businesses with big, local loudspeakers. How about adding this as an agenda item at the next NAB Board meeting?
Those are my thoughts. What are yours?
When will this (the credit crunch) end?
The credit crunch has virtually stopped station trading. The "When will this end?" question comes up daily. The short answer: When liquidity returns to the credit markets. And clearly, no one, not even the administration, knows the answer.
However, perhaps we can learn something from history. The last major credit freeze took place in the early 1990's. You may remember the "Highly Leveraged Transaction ('HLT')" fiasco. Banks quit lending to broadcasters, and many called their existing loans. Station trading, other than distress sales, ground to a halt. Prices plummeted on those few trades that did occur.
That debacle lasted some 18 months. If you define the "start" of the current freeze at the time banks started pulling back, we have already exceed the 18 months. If you define the "start" as the beginning of the recession (two negative growth GDP quarters), we have a while to go.
But here is a guideline: watch the stock market. Unfortunately, it is best viewed from a rear view mirror. But the market tends to be a leading indicator. Once it appears to have put in a bottom, look for things to improve in the subsequent six months. Market watchers might suggest watching the 200 day moving average of the Dow; once the moving average begins to move north, we could be on our way to recovery.
Those are my thoughts? What are yours?


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French Ambassador Visits Mobile for Airbus Inauguration
On September 13 and 14, Ambassador Gérard Araud visited Mobile, Alabama, where he celebrated the inauguration of the new Airbus Group assembly line at Brookley Field along with French Consul General in Atlanta Denis Barbet, and CEO of Airbus Fabrice Bregier. Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and Mayor of Mobile Sandy Stimpson were also present and expressed pride in this joint initiative to promote economic development in their region.
Airbus invested $600 million in this factory, which will manufacture the A320, Airbus Group's best-selling model. This investment will boost the region's economy, as the new plant will employ 1,000 workers and should create more than 4,000 indirect jobs, including many in France. Ambassador Araud spoke with the Mobile area news station Local15 during the inauguration and praised the initiative, which will also attract other French corporations to invest in Alabama.
French Consul General Denis Barbet recently spoke of this boost in French investment in the region, saying that since Airbus first announced it would build a factory in Mobile three years ago, the country's presence "has already increased with the $2 million investment of Safran and most recently the announcement by Hutchinson Corp. to open an aerospace manufacturing center of excellence in Mobile." Consul General Barbet expressed hope "to celebrate other investments between France and Alabama in the years to come."

subset: commoncrawl


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Magento 2 is an open-source eCommerce platform that provides omnichannel solutions for its partners and developers. This version is even more flexible than its predecessor. Magento 2 allows merchants to upload both simple and downloadable products. Here are some easy steps that will make the setup process of downloadable products—digital products that can be sent in a file such as games, eBooks, music, etc.— a piece of cake.
Step 1: Open configuration page for downloadable products.
- Log-in to your account and select Catalog from the left panel of your Dashboard. Then go to Products.
- Once the Product page loads up, click the Add Product button and select Downloadable Product from the drop-down menu.
Step 2: Complete basic information about your product.
- Once you're redirected to the New Product form, fill in the required fields to complete your product's basic information: Choose its name, SKU, and price; decide whether it's taxable or not; add an image for it; enter the quantity in stock; choose which category it belongs to; and add a description
Step 3: Upload your file.
- Proceed to the Advanced Settings and fill up the Downloadable Information section.
- Enter the title of your downloadable products list. It represents the entirety of your downloadable links if you have more than one; it can be the title of your album, eBook series, etc.
- Select whether these links can be purchased separately. If you select Yes, you can set the price and download limit for each link.
- Click Add New Link to open a new row or section. Enter the specific title of this link and its price if it can be purchased separately. You have two options for your file:
1) You can click Browse Files to attach the file directly;
2) You can choose URL and insert the link where your file can be found.
- Choose whether it's shareable which enables clients to share the link with others without logging in, or only for a single user.
- Finally, decide whether you want it limited or unlimited. Enter the maximum number of downloads or tick the Unlimited box below.
To add a new file, just click on the Add New Link button again and repeat the steps.
Step 4: Add free samples.
- If you want to give a free sample of your product, add a new link from the Samples section below the Links section.
- Enter the title and attach the sample's file. You can add a sample for each product by adding another link.
Step 5: Save your updated configurations.
- Double check the details you've entered and the files you've uploaded. Click on Websites button and tick in the box of your main Magento store. Make sure the product's status is online.
- Finally, click Save and wait for the page to refresh itself before leaving it. Go to your Magento store and check your samples to confirm if the links are running well.
That's it. Now, you've got a downloadable product!


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No Quarter
But it wasn't them. It was You.
Yes, I did it, and for the act I take partial responsibility. It could have been any of us.
But it wasn't any of you. It was You. You alone are responsible.
I understand. I understand, but something you aren't considering is if it hadn't been me, it would have been another. Quite a significant fact if you really take it into account. I won't allow anymore of this finger pointing, this blaming, this incessant child-like chiding. Aren't you my wife? Doesn't the ring around your finger signify better or for worse? Though this might be a 'for worse' scenario, you should be on my side when the levee breaks.
After the fact, my being absent, washing the children's clothes at the river when all this took place, might warrant my taking sides, but there are no sides to take. One either does something or doesn't do something, and you did something, and that something makes you guilty.
So you side with the sympathizers. You will send me to the dogs and not even stand by my side.
That word again—side. I am not on any side. And I would never leave you. I would never even hold this conversation outside of these walls, but I will not like the stares implicating you, through me, of guilt, next day I go to the market or when I walk the children to school.
So this is humanity? Others, present others, I should add, brothers in guilt can just go home after the incident and wash their hands and pronounce themselves clean. If a man judges you or I, it is because his own guilty conscience wishes to rid itself of the burden of guilt all present should feel. They use me as a scapegoat.


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Alien Resurrection Deleted Scenes
Posted by Darkness on December 30, 2013 (Updated: 23-Jun-2015)
Below you'll find a list of Alien Resurrection deleted scenes. The special edition version of Alien Resurrection is 7 minutes longer than the theatrical cut but has 13 minutes in total of altered scenes. There's a great article on Movie-Censorship.com that compared the Theatrical and the Special Edition version of Alien Resurrection. The first part of this article includes added scenes in the special edition but the list isn't exhausted. There is some additional dialogue and minor shots in some scenes. The second part of the article includes scenes that were scripted but most likely never filmed.
Alien Resurrection Special Edition Scenes
Opening Credits
The opening credits of the film are different. In the special edition, it starts off with a shot of a bug been squashed by a man in a space capsule.
When the scientists are doing surgery on Ripley 8, she awakes in the middle of it, grabbing the scientist's arm and tries to break it.
In the medical examination, Ripley 8 is shown a picture of a little girl. She clearly remembers Newt from Aliens, she smiles and then her face turns to sadness.
Vriess's Joke
Before Johner throws the knife at Vriess, Vriess says a joke to Call: "What has two thumbs, one eye, a pink tongue, and screws like a god?". Vriess later throws a screwdriver at Johner.
The Chapel
There more dialogue in the scene with Ripley 8 and Call when she interfaces with 'Father'. Ripley asks her why she came here and Call says she wanted to protect people. Ripley then tells her she wanted to do the same and reminisces about a girl who had bad dreams – referencing Newt from Aliens. When Distepheno comes to get them, Ripley asks Call if she dreams and Call tells us they have neurol processors that enables them to do that. Ripley 8 says "When I sleep, I dream about them. It. Every night. All around me. In me. I used to be afraid to dream, but not anymore." "Why?" "Because no matter how bad the dreams get, when I wake up it's always worse."
Alternative Ending
Alien Resurrection has a different ending in the special edition. There's a shot of the Betty landing on Earth which has been completely destroyed. We then see Ripley 8 and Call sitting down and Call wonders what they should do when the military arrives. The camera pans up to show a destroyed Paris and with the Eiffel tower in the background.
Other Missing Alien Resurrection Scenes
This section includes things that were in the Alien Resurrection original script but were never filmed.
Dark Dream
The film had a dream sequence opening in the script. There's a shot of a large wheat field with a woman and girl with black hair. The girl says "My mom always said there were no monsters, no real ones, but there are." The girl slaps a bug on the back of her neck and soon she is swarmed by the bugs. There is lots of blood rising at her feet and the girl opens her mouth to scream, but the black insects crawl into her mouth.
A birds eyes view of a field, the soft golden waves filling the screen. Sharp contrast to what we have seen before.
There is a woman wandering through the field. Beside her a girl, seven or eight, in dingey sundress. Both have black, tousled hair.
My mom always said there were no monsters — no,real ones — but there are.
The girl stops, looks around her. The wheat comes all the up to her chest, and nothing else is visible as far as she see.
She looks back at the woman but the woman is already more than fifty yards away.
The girl's expression becomes perplexed.
She slaps a bug on the back of her neck. Pulls it off and is HUGE, wriggling fleshily in her hand. Her expression becomes even more distraught, but she cannot muster forth a shout.
The sound of insects-fills the air. Another bug lands on her, another. She looks down in growing horror and sees:
Blood. At her feet, rising, filling the field, rising above the wheat, a sea of blood now, dark, thick.
The girl tries again to scream, raises her arms. She is completely covered in insects, a skittering black shroud of them, and when she finally does SCREAM they flood into her mouth.
Hell's Garden
The main characters enter an area of the Auriga filled with a huge garden, which supplies most of the food for the ship's crew. St Just, a main character, finds a jeep and they all get on it. Ripley 8 drives it through the huge jungle and an alien leaps out of the jungle onto Hillard and kills her. Ripley 8 drives faster as more aliens emerge from the jungle and St Just kills the alien on Hillard's body. An alien falls down into the vehicle's path, and Ripley 8 drives the jeep into the jungle. The crew fight off the aliens, and Johner almost falls off, but he is saved by Vriess. St Just is badly hurt by an alien before he kills it. The jeep bounces down the slopes in the garden with the aliens close behind. It goes into the left hall at the end of the garden, and Ripley 8 brings it to a stop. Everyone abandons the jeep and shoots the aliens, but the aliens' acid blood begins to melt through the hull of the ship. The crew runs away as St Just is firing at the swarm of aliens with his wrist guns. He runs out of ammo and pulls out two more disposable wrist guns, continuing to kill the aliens. His guns' ammunition runs out and the hall then bursts open pulling everything in that sector into space. The others make it into another sealed sector just in time.
The scene was removed early in development due to budget cuts according to conceptual artist Sylvain Despret. The character of St. Just was removed and some of his parts were merged with Christie in the final shooting script. The above picture is a mockup for a magazine article about Alien Resurrection.
Waste Tank 5
Ripley 8 is originally hung upside down from the ceiling of Waste Tank 5, which is the location of the Queen's nest and Gediman is hung next to her. He tells her that the aliens have been draining him. The Queen is killed by the birth of the Newborn, and it's described as a spider creature with no eyes. It has pincers on the sides of its mouth and red veins running through its body. The Newborn spots a soldier hanging from the ceiling who begins to scream, and it leaps onto the ceiling near him. It grabs the soldier and inserts its tongue into his throat to drain the soldier's blood. After it finishes with him, it kills Gediman. Ripley 8 escapes from her cocoon and falls into the pool just as the Newborn leaps at her. She emerges from the pool with the rifle that the soldier had and kills several aliens. She sees light coming from holes that were shot in the tank and runs inside it. The Newborn chases after her, but it's too big, and Ripley escapes through a vertical shaft.
Alternative Ending
Call and Vriess fly the Betty out of the Auriga's airlock while Ripley 8 and the Newborn hold on to the outside of the ship. The Auriga crashes into snow-covered mountains, and a wave of fire chases the Betty. Johner sees Ripley 8 holding on but refuses to open the hatch because of the Newborn. The shockwave from the Auriga shakes the Betty, and Ripley 8 is thrown off, but she grabs hold of one of the Newborn's tentacles. Call pushes Johner aside and opens the hatch. The Newborn heads for it, but Call comes out with a Grenade Launcher and blasts it. It merely wounds the Newborn so Call fires again but misses. Ripley 8 gets inside, and Call closes the hatch as the Newborn rams into it. Call takes over piloting beside Vriess as the Betty nears close to the wooded ground below. Johner informs the others that the Newborn is behind the thrusters, avoiding debris. Call turns on the thrusters, which hurts the creature.
The Betty crash lands, and Call leaves to see if the Newborn is dead. The Newborn lunges at her, and its tongue shoots out. Its flesh is black in spots, but in other places, new pink flesh has been uncovered. She dodges it, and the Newborn runs away. Call gets a grenade launcher to go after it, but Ripley 8 convinces Call that she should go instead. Ripley 8 hunts the Newborn by following its tracks in the snow. She races through the trees and reaches a cliff face where she sees a huge city in the distance. The Newborn rises in front of her in the darkness and hits her with its tentacles. Ripley 8 manages to get a shot off, but the creature is only stunned, and it knocks the futile weapon away. Call comes to the rescue in the Harvester and rams into the Alien. The Newborn gets back up and it's hit by the harvester again, but its tentacles shoot out, hitting Ripley 8 off the cliff. She manages to grab hold with her nails digging into the cliff's side, and she crawls back up.
The Newborn throws the Harvester, but the vehicle shoots back at the Alien at top speed, crashing into it. The Harvester is thrown upside down from the collision, and Ripley 8 reaches the top of the cliff, racing for the grenade launcher. The Newborn goes toward her, but she fires, knocking it back until the gun runs out of ammo. Ripley 8 screams and lunges into the beast, sending them into the Harvester. Call throws a lever activating the machine's blades, which shred the Newborn. Ripley 8 gets free from the alien's grasp and helps Call escape from inside the Harvester as acidic blood rains down. They get free, and it explodes. Call, Ripley, Vriess, Christie, and Johner gather around the fire, relaxing. They all decide to leave before troopers arrive.


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My Listings
321 FOURTH Avenue in New Westminster: Queens Park House for sale in "Queens Park" : MLS®# R2087945
321 FOURTH Avenue New Westminster V3L 1P1 : Queens Park
3 renovated bathrooms and a very spacious second floor main bathroom with claw foot tub and a large modern shower. The 4th floor features an all new extremely large master suite with ensuite and office area. You will enjoy your evening glass of wine either from your front wrap around deck or one of your 3 back yard patios surrounded by the tranquility of the ponds running through your beautifully landscaped backyard. The oversized double garage is heated and insulated. This 67 X 120 (8040sq/ft) fully fenced and hedged property sits on a corner lot in one of the most desirable areas of New Westminster. Just a short stroll to all amenities including Queens park, uptown malls, schools and professional offices! With over 4300sq/ft of living area, you will not be disappointed! Some of the furniture can be included!
Data was last updated January 24, 2020 at 04:10 PM (UTC)


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Smoked pork shoulder or "picnic ham" isn't a true ham -- those come from the hind legs, and shoulder is from the front legs -- but it offers ham-like flavor in a smaller, more convenient size. For example, a rolled shoulder is a boneless piece of the picnic that makes good slices, but only weighs 2 to 4 pounds. They're sold fully cooked, and only need to be reheated before they're served.
Step 1
Open the shoulder roll's packaging, and drain out any brine that's seeped from the ham. Pat it dry with clean paper towels.
Step 2
Place the ham in a small roasting pan or casserole dish. Pour in a half-cup of water to provide some moisture as it bakes, then cover the dish with its lid or a tightly wrapped sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Step 3
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and place the shoulder on its middle rack.
Step 4
Bake the rolled shoulder for 35 to 40 minutes per pound, or until it reaches a food safe temperature when tested with an instant-read thermometer. If the shoulder came in its original packaging from the packing plant, that temperature is 140 F. It if was re-packaged or deboned at the butcher shop, it should be heated to 160 F instead.
Step 5
Remove your ham from the oven and increase the temperature to 500 F. Uncover the ham and brush it with your preferred glaze, then return it to the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until the glaze is bubbly and caramelized. Let the ham rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving and serving it.
- Professional Cooking; Wayne Gisslen
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Ham and Food Safety
- Food Safety.gov: Ham Cooking Chart
- You can heat the ham at a lower temperature for a longer time, if you prefer, which requires more patience but produces a juicier end result. At 250 F, your shoulder will need approximately 50 to 60 minutes of cooking time per pound.
- Glazing the ham is optional, but lends a pleasant flavor and traditional appearance.
- Thinkstock/Stockbyte/Getty Images


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Top|H&M Skirt|Thrifted Pumps|Jessica Simpson Bag|Coach
Thursday, June 15, 2017
When I started this blog in 2010 my style was pretty different. I was really into pencil skirts and high heels. I rocked that ladylike look almost every single day! Over the years my style evolved and became a bit more casual. However, this look brings me right back to the early days of IKC when almost every look featured a pencil skirt. This midi skirt is the best and was super cheap a thrift shop from my hometown. If there is one thing that I love it's a steal of a deal, and that will never change no matter how much my look evolves!
1 comment:
- Kaelyn Choo said...
Love your look, so chic! Lucky you to find the pencil skirt at a great deal. I think pencil skirt is classic and chic, my favourite type of skirt.
Have a great weekend!
- June 16, 2017 at 10:56 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Lamps are a necessity that often intrigue me. When I see one that is interesting, I'll frequently do a double take. When I saw the handcrafted iconic historically inspired table lamps from Pendulux, that combine functionality and modern luxury, I was really taken.
An elegant tabletop or desk space is often a dream. More often than not, at least for me, the surface becomes a "function-only" zone. At one point, I had a glass table so I would be sure to clean my desk before leaving town. Now I have a beautiful desk in dire need of help. These lamps inspired me to make room for one.
I have the Berlin Table Lamp, inspired by a desk lamp found in a photograph of Albert Einstein's study. The lamp has a vintage hand crank, three-legged base; its height and solid brass locking knobs can be adjusted between 18 inches and 24 inches. It looks truly elegant on my clean desktop.
Th 24-inch-high Leonardo Table Lamp is modeled after the drawings of Leonardo Da Vinci. Calling on 17th century styles, the lamp's cast iron base is molded from a bell clock and the On/Off switch is reproduced from an Italian clock winding key from that era. The brass rod at top facilitates lamp adjustment. The cloth covered electrical cord is another enhancement.
The Liverpool Table Lamp is made of nickel plate and solid brass and has adjusting knobs and fittings. The cord is covered with cloth and has vintage candelabra bulbs. Despite its overall modern look, a hint of retro style continues to shine through.
When you visit the Pendulux site, you will see all the unusual historically inspired products created by a team of six young individuals who work well together to create and inspire each other. They do have a lead designer, but all meld their experience. The company was founded in 2014; I believe it will stand the test of time for decades to come. I am thrilled with my lamp and my clean desk. If you try one of the Pendulux products, please let us know which one you have and how you like it.
To learn more go to https://www.pendulux.com.


text: Munich and Boca Raton, FL – Aug 15, 2016: Unify, the Atos brand for communications software and services, today announced that it has appointed Luiz Domingos as Head of Product House for Unify Software and Platforms. With this appointment, Domingos joins the Unify Executive Committee and assumes responsibility for the entire Unify product portfolio as well as Atos' social collaboration technology blueKiwi. Domingos succeeds Peter Kuerpick.Read More


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A wave of shockness flown threw my body my chest my universe I finally passed but wait my iron what if that stops me? I thought.
The guy in the blue suit yes he had a blue new York blood center uniform.
He takes a tiny prick of blood from my finger puts it in some machine it beeps really loudly. ''Did I pass do I have enough iron?'' I ask him awaiting his response.
'' yes your ok he then sends me to the donor bed I cant believe it I passed I'm donating blood still a tad bit of all those thoughts I had in my head earlier the nurse tells me to calm down that its gonna be ok alright Diana that's was her name I trust you I think but I just respond ok . She inserts the needle I n my arm this is it I say as the blood follows down the stream into the pint of blood bag theres no turning back your saving a life steph and your not gonna die or pass out or anything like that. I Feel fine the whole thing as the blood flew the bag. After it was done it took longer than fifteen minutes went in there around 150 didn't leave till 240 but it was worth it . After the bag was filled and Diana took out the needle from my bruised right arm I felt so happy smiles on my face a joy of happiness I did it. Long story short I asked Diana a whole bunch of questions just to be safe. :)
It was done everyone had asked if I was ok even one of my bosses ''im fine I don't feel dizzy shockingly like most people do I feel fine''. I sit down on the food table and drink apple juice and a bag of pretzels. Me and my boss and the NY blood center talk about how I cant donate till September 28th.
I'm ok with It I told them I might do it again in October or November at the hospital or at my schools blood drive. We smile I walked out the room with happiness also they gave me some snacks to take home and a ice pack for my bruised up arm. I saved 3 lives today and that's something! something that took years months but it was worth it and I encourage everyone to donate blood if you can! save that life.


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We are the expert team provides best trolling motor battery and best trolling motor and its reviews that allow the people to consider the best suited trolling batteries and trolling motors for them.
Trolling Battery advisor privileged to offer the annual scholarship opportunity for those students who want help for their further studies. This is the opportunity that every student should take part and win the $1000 as their pricing money.
If you want to be the part of this scholarship program, then check out the following eligibility and requirements that every student needs to follow:
If you are a student of the undergraduate and postgraduate courses then you can submit your application for this program. Keep in mind that you must have outstanding writing skills and must have a capability to write the engaging content.
Applicants need to write the 1500-2000 words content on following mentioned topic and submit it on our website. Remember you should pick only one topic and write down the imposing content. Only PDF and DOC file will be acceptable. So, if you think that your writing skills can impress our experts and readers, and then submit your application now!
Topics that you need to pick one of them:
- Advantages And Disadvantages Of Owning A Trolling Motor
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To submit your application, write down the content with your full name, email, and college/university ID proof at our E-mail email@example.com OR https://www.trollingbatteryadvisor.com/scholarship
You can submit your application till 25-03-2019 and result will be announced at 30-04-2019. So start writing today and submit your application today!


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Your Local Scheme
Alderton close residents nhw
Scheme information
This scheme was setup by Alderton Close Residents to deal with Parking issues, Anti Social behaviour and Drinking and Drugs issues due to the proximity of Water Mead Country Park and Temple through way and entrances. We are now trying to work closely with the Police and Temple to get the council to address the problems they have created in the area.
- the scheme doesn't have a website


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1. Prayerfully consider the amount of giving that is appropriate for you.
This should be your first step in becoming involved in establishing the Build to Reach Foundation. Pray for both faith and wisdom in making your decision. Ensure you and your husband/wife have discussed this and are in agreement on the amount to give.
2. Make your commitment to the Build to Reach Foundation 2014 Offering.
Consider what you will give on Friday 25th or Sunday 27th June 2014 as a one-off gift.
3. Start preparing for the exciting plans for 2014. During July, you will have an opportunity to make your commitment by completing a commitment card. Also take this time to also consider how you will give.
Not Equal Giving But Equal Sacrifice…
Over the past two years we have raised $157,000. What an amazing act of generosity and faith. This year we are believing for $100,000 for the Build to Reach 2014 offering. By achieving this faith goal we will be able to begin work on the renovation, opening our doors wider to bring God and people together. Any offering of this magnitude will be sacrificial. We will all have to rise to the challenge, though it will be different for each of us. It's not equal giving, but equal sacrifice. While we can't all give the same amount, we can all give sacrificially. This way, everyone can play a part. For some, a sacrificial gift may be $500, for others it could be $50,000. God will impress a specific amount on your heart if you ask Him to.
A sacrificial gift is one that requires you to:
• change your lifestyle
• rearrange your priorities
• actually give something up
only be determined by you and the Lord. We urge you to make your gift a matter of prayer, being confident that God will clearly direct you, enabling each to "give as he purposes in his heart" ( 2 Corinthians 9:7). Our faith goals will come about as a result of our prayerful consideration of the question: "What does God want me to do?" Our response to the challenge before us must be made on the basis of God's will for each individual and/or family.
To determine the rightness of your faith goal,
ask yourself these three questions:
1. Was it born in prayer?
2. Is it truly sacrificial?
3. Does it involve faith?
Build to Reach requires a financial commitment separate and above what we already give in weekly offerings. Through prayer and commitment, this offering will make such a difference to the growth of our church, allowing us to reach and build people more effectively.


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All product information is direct from Chain Reaction Cycles. Merchant's category is Protection > Helmets.
MTB Protection/Helmets: Head injuries aren't cool so keep that noggin protected with a quality mountain bike helmet that's up to the job. Whether it is a versatile lid that can take you from the trails to the street, a skate inspired design for the jumps, or a full face for gnarly downhill riding, make sure you protect your head whilst riding. We stock men's, women's and kids' helmets in a variety of sizes to fit every rider. Even if MTB isn't your chosen discipline, then all of our helmets are up to EU standards for use by any cyclist, skateboarder, scooter rider or rollerblader. Extend the protection beyond your head and keep the rest of your body safe from the bumps and bruises of the trail with our selection of kneepads, elbow pads, back protectors, mouth guards and more here at Action Sports Club.


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The following came today from one of our PLOS Bloggers, Seth Mnookin, whose book, The Panic Virus chronicles the rise of the antivaccine movement, including its celebrity spokesperson du jour, Jenny McCarthy. In the book, and his recent blog posts, Mnookin profiles McCarthy and recounts how the antivaxx message has scared parents out of getting proper immunizations for babies and young children — in the process posing a grave threat to kids' health; one that has already resulted in pertussis and measles outbreaks in the US and UK.
Needless to say, giving McCarthy a daily TV platform such as The View to spew such misinformation is a BAD IDEA. A petition to get ABC to reverse its Jenny McCarthy hiring is circulating and can be found here: http://www.change.org/petitions/abc-s-the-view-just-say-no-to-adding-jenny-mccarthy-to-the-view
Although Seth addresses his post to other science and health journalists, its message is equally relevant to today's parents.
A PSA to journalists writing about vaccines: Thimerosal was never used in the MMR vaccine
Posted: July 16, 2013
The shameless and lamentable decision on the part of ABC to hire Jenny McCarthy as one of its co-hosts for the daytime talk show The View has, once again, brought the topic of vaccines and autism into the news. Fortunately, the spineless "on the one hand, on the other hand" reporting that characterized this debate for so many years has, for the most part, been replaced by an almost universal acknowledgment that vaccines are a safe, life-saving public health intervention — and that there is not now and never has been the smallest shred of evidence showing a causal link between any vaccine and autism.
As someone who's been reporting on and writing about this issue for five years, I know how confusing it all can be — and anti-vaccine activists (like McCarthy orRFK Jr.) take advantage of this confusion by moving the goalposts, throwing up smokescreens, and generally doing whatever they can to obfuscate the reality of the situation. (When there aren't any facts on your side, your only hope is to create enough distractions so that the public forgets what the real issue was in the first place.)
Which is why I get a little nuts when I see well-meaning journalists who are attempting to grapple seriously with the issue make basic mistakes. Take thisLos Angeles Times story titled "Jenny McCarthy on 'View': A new forum for discredited autism theories." After running through the sorry history of charlatan/opportunist Andrew Wakefield's efforts to scare people into thinking the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine could cause autism, the author writes (the emphasis, obviously, is mine):
Subsequent efforts to replicate Wakefield's findings failed. But vaccination rates began a steep decline anyway, and a new generation of parent activists — skeptics of the biomedical industry's claim on their children — was born. Meanwhile, the findings spurred additional research, which suggested that the specific culprit in the MMR vaccine was the widely used preservative thimerosol.
I'll say this as clearly as I can: The MMR vaccine does not and never didcontained thimerosal. (This mistake is made so often that the FDA has included it as one of it's FAQ's about thimerosal.) It's a small, niggling point in this larger debate — but when the anti-vaccine movement's entire tactic is to blur reality, it's crucially important that those of us dedicated to uncovering and reporting the truth make sure we get every last detail right.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED… Here is Seth Mnookin's four part series on McCarthy and her antivaxx movement:


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Anti-Whaling Warrior, Captain Paul Watson
Captain Paul Watson photo: Animal Planet
Who hasn't heard the infamous old-school eco-slogan, "Save the Whales?" But do most of us know who actually charges up the effort? Animal Planet takes an in-depth look at one of the leading whale conservation groups in the premiere of their brand new 7-part series called Whale Wars, starting on November 7. The show follows Captain Paul Watson and his team of dedicated volunteers who put the "save" in "Save the Whales"—braving choppy international seas and coming face-to-face with unforgiving whaling fleets.
Not everyone's a fan of the groups fierce, confrontational ways though. A quick search on TreeHugger about the Captain and his Sea Shepherd Conservation Society revealed some differing opinions about the group who many call extremist—not such a surprise considering the Captain planted his green roots as the co-founder of Greenpeace. But whether or not you find his team's tactics a tad too severe, doesn't extreme injustice (i.e. whaling) sometimes call for extreme measures? Check out my interview with the good Captain and ascertain for yourself. TH: You've been crusading to save whales as far back as the '70s. You clearly have affection for the species. What do you love about whales and what makes them so important to planet earth?
Captain Paul Watson: The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is concerned and involved with active conservation efforts to protect and defend all marine wildlife species--from plankton to the great whales. But I will admit that I have a special place in my heart for the whales and the dolphins. A wounded whale spared my life in 1975 and protecting whales is a repayment on the debt. I also happen to regard the killing of a whale as murder. These are the most socially complex and intelligent sentient beings on the planet. They have larger, more complex brains than we do but because they have a non-manipulative intelligence (i.e. intelligence without technology), we as technologically intelligent beings dismiss their sentience.
And there is another reason we do what we do. If we cannot prevent the extinction of such a magnificent and intelligent creature, what chance do we have to protect the other species in the oceans? If these marine species die, the oceans die. If the oceans die, then we also will perish.
TH: Though the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has put a moratorium on whaling, why are several countries continuing the controversial practice?
CPW: One word - greed. When there is money to be made from exploiting nature, that is in and of itself enough of a powerful motivation. Unfortunately there are fortunes to be made in destroying the oceans and no profit to be found in protecting the seas and the threatened life within. Japan, Norway and Iceland are blatantly violating international conservation law in their ruthless slaughter of the whales.
TH: What species in particular are at risk do to whaling? Are these same whales also at risk due to climate change factors or other conditions?
CPW: All the species of whales are endangered. The threats go beyond hunting to depletion of food supplies because of over-fishing, the destruction of plankton due to ocean temperatures rising, increased acidity in the seas and pollution--especially with heavy metals like mercury and ship traffic as a cause for collisions and noise pollution. Whales are killed today to supply the limited demand for whale meat or to be used in pet foods or as fodder for fur-bearing animals used in the fur trade.
TH: Why is it so difficult to put an end to whaling?
CPW: We have all the laws we need to stop the slaughter of whales but we lack the political and economic will on the part of governments to enforce the laws. Sea Shepherd simply upholds the laws that exist but that are not being enforced. Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary could be ended tomorrow if nations like the United States or Australia demanded that the criminal slaughter of whales is ended.
TH: Have you ever been put into life-threatening positions during your plight? If so, describe the scenario(s) and the challenges you were faced with.
CPW: We have experienced numerous life threatening campaigns. We have been rammed, depth charged, shot at and had concussion grenades thrown at us. In our last confrontation with the Japanese whaling fleet, I myself was shot and my life was saved only because I was wearing a Kevlar vest. But that is not important in comparison to the brutal slaughter of the whales with explosive harpoons.
TH: How did the show Whale Wars come into fruition?
CPW: This is a series that many networks will wish they have on their channel. Our reasoning was that if Deadliest Catch could be so popular, Whale Wars should be even more popular. Why? In Deadliest Catch we have men in ships in rough seas catching crabs. With Whale Wars we have men and women from a dozen different nations going out to sea in rough weather to help save the whales. We also have icebergs, whales, penguins and dramatic ship-to-ship confrontations. Animal Planet saw the potential and went with it and I believe it will be a terrific success.
TH: In the show, which of these species will you be defending?
CPW: We will be defending Piked whales, Humpback whales and Fin whales.
TH: What would you hope results from the new series?
CPW: Increased awareness of the fact that endangered whales are being illegally slaughtered in an established whale sanctuary. And increased awareness around the importance of defending our oceans and conserving life in the seas.
TH: Time Magazine named you one of the environmental heroes of the 20th Century in the year 2000. That must feel good! What advice would you give to aspiring eco-heroes?
CPW: Our greatest satisfaction is the knowledge that our interventions save the lives of whales and other species of marine wildlife. My advice to anyone is to simply understand that individuals have the power to make a difference and that it is the passion of individuals that changes the world. Follow your dreams and use your natural born talents and skills to make this a better world for tomorrow.
TH: When you're not waging war against whaling, what do you enjoy doing in your down time?
CPW: Since 1971 I have not had much down time. I enjoy what I am doing. Onboard ship I do engage in scuba diving, fencing and archery.
TH: And finally, what are a few things TreeHugger readers can do to help the cause?
CPW: Become a supporting member of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Check us out at www.Seashepherd.org.
Thanks, Captain!
Check out Whale Wars on Friday, November 7 at 9 PM est and see what fellow readers are saying about the new series on TreeHugger's forums.


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Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) are one of the most important ways to make certain that your Raymond home is a comfortable place to live. If you're sitting in a warm room during summertime, or shivering in your house during the winter, the experience can be emotionally and physically stressful. Our mission is to make sure that neither of those scenarios happen, which is why we are here for you twenty-four hours a day.
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Location: Eau Claire
Position: Post Adoption Resource Specialist
Department: Adoption
Phone: 608.519.8065
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Biographical Info:
I am a Post Adoption Specialist in our Eau Claire office. I have a Master of Science Degree in Human & Community Resources, with a focus in Child & Family Studies. I have worked in the field of Post Adoption since 2009. I love getting to know all of the adoptive families that I meet on Home to Stay visits. I live in Eau Claire, along with my husband and two sons.


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Double Trouble. Twin Republics: Eugenics, Euphemisms & History Repeating Part II
"Either order in the cosmos is real, or chaos exists.
If chaos reigns, then the fragile equalitarian doctrines and emancipating programs of the revolutionary reformers have no significance;
For in a vortex of chaos, only force and appetite signify."
Russell Kirk in The Conservative Mind
Euphemism: a mild or an agreeable expression substituted for a realistic description of something disagreeable.
Eugenics: The science and art of improving a race or breed by mating individuals with desired characteristics; sterilizing or eliminating those not deemed worthy of procreating. (Greek, meaning: well-born)
In Part I of Double Trouble we introduced the shocking reality of eugenics, forced sterilization and elimination of "unproductives" and "undesirables" in the United States and Germany.
Thirty-two of the United States of America had enacted such forced sterilization legislation, with Indiana being the first state in the world to do so in 1907.
From the 1922 document Eugenical Sterilization in the United States by Harry Hamilton Laughlin, (D. Sc. Assistant Director of the Eugenics Record Office, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, New York and published by the Psychopathic Laboratory of the Municipal Court of Chicago, December 1922), we cite the following definitions from Section 2 to see if you might know of any individuals who would fit these definitions:
"(a) A socially inadequate person is one who by his or her own effort, regardless of etiology or prognosis, fails chronically in comparison with normal persons to maintain himself or herself as a useful member of the organized social life of the state;"
"(b) The socially inadequate classes, regardless of etiology or prognosis, are the following:
(1) Feeble-mindedness;
(2) Insane, (including the psychopathic);
(3) Criminalistic (including the delinquent and wayward);
(4) Epileptic;
(5) Inebriate (including drug-habituates);
(6) Diseased (including the tuberculous, the syphyilitic, the leprous, and others with chronic, infectious and legally segragable diseases);
(7) Blind (including those with seriously impaired vision);
(8) Deaf (including those with seriously impaired hearing);
(9) Deformed (including the crippled); and
(10) Dependent (including orphans, ne'er-do-wells, the homeless, tramps and paupers."
That's probably enough for now.
Did you note anyone that might not make it to parenthood if those same standards were reenacted today in efforts to improve the gene pool, improve the economy, lessen the ranks of government entitlement dependence, and assure green earth sustainability?
At the same time Social Darwinism was enacting legislation in the United States, it was also advancing its "survival of the fittest", "might makes right" theories in Germany in yoke with the economic and political developments of cost-benefit analyses of political medical care. Ie. Nationalized healthcare.
Much of this work of eugenics and genetics was carried out by the German physicians and anthropologists (usually one and the same), and by 1927 the opening of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Anthropology, Human Genetics, and Eugenics was hailed as the "German Oxford." Their 1932 report summarized their mission:
"The term eugenics means to establish a connection between the results of studies in human genetics and practical measures in population policy."
Under these enlightened self-credentialed scientists whose God was themselves, with their new "understanding" of genetics, the science of eugenics, would now redefine "poverty" as merely an expression of degeneracy (Entartung) andgenetic inferiority.
"Inferior" and "superior" became natural terms used by persons of nearly all political persuasions, as readily as the terms: "handicapped", "disabled", "impaired", "socially dependent", or "disadvantaged" are used today.
Following WWI many felt that scant resources should not be wasted on the sick and suffering. The philosophy that the herd, the Volk, the masses, as more important than the individual, led to the belief that individuals who had become "worthless, defective, or unproductive" had to be sacrificed or discarded for the survival of the majority.
Neuropathologist Alfred Hoche and lawyer Karl Binding published a pamphlet in 1922 The Sanctioning of the Destruction of Life Unworthy of Living. In it they relativized the legal and moral prohibition of "Thou shalt not kill", alternating between economic and medical arguments.
By the time the National Socialist Party (Nazi) came to power in Germany, the mentally ill and the mentally delayed had begun to be sterilized and to be subjected to euthanasia in large numbers in German government funded institutions.
"No profession in Germany became so numerically attached to the National Socialism in both its leadership and membership as was the medical profession.
Because of their philosophical orientation (science had replaced veneration for God) toward finding a more scientific basis for medical research and practice, government funding for research and the practical benefits of acquiring university positions and medical practices from the many banned and exiled German Jewish doctors, many physicians supported Nazi policies.
One of the first Nazi laws, passed July 14,1933, was the "Law for the Prevention of Progeny of Hereditary Disease", intended to consolidate social and health policies in the German population and prohibit the right of reproduction for persons defined as "genetically inferior." The theories, and practices of politicized medicine of the United States and the German Weimer Republic eugenicists catalyzed to unrestrained actuality in Nazi Germany.
A "Genetic Health Court", predecessor to our Health and Human Services (HHS) rationing committees or the United Nations Committee for Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), consisted of doctors and judges who made decisions about forced sterilizations. As "Advocates of the state", doctors would prosecute those persons charged with being "genetically ill" in sessions that lasted on average no longer than 10 minutes, and from which the public was barred. In 1935 an adjunct law was added to include forcible abortion up to the sixth month of pregnancy.
Following the forced sterilization laws which physicians performed on over 400,000 women, the National Socialists next implemented the strategy of Euthanasia to solve the remaining problems of the "unwanted" genes, poverty and the "inferior unproductives."
(This should still be a shock, even as today, Belgium allows doctors to kill children up to 12 months of age without parental consent, if they believe they are "not normal" and euthanasia is allowed for persons of any age who are disabled or terminally ill. But not just there, check out Netherlands, New Mexico, and Montana rulings on euthanasia.
All made so easy and at fingertips with today's internet accessible United States DNA registry for newborns on unified database platforms.)
Pediatrician Ernst Wentzler personally decided (as consultant to Hitler's Chancellery) on the deaths of thousands of handicapped children. Hans Nachtsheim placed delivery orders for handicapped children for his pressure chamber experiments on epilepsy.
And the terror of Twins, Josef Mengele delivered genetic and anthropological "material" from Auschwitz to the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute and conducted his gruesome twin experiments on the child victims of the Holocaust.
(It was not safe to be a twin of any genetic heritage. Twins were at risk of being used for experimentation since the Weimer Republic.)
"Julius Hallervorden of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute (now the Max Planck Institute) carried out several research projects based on euthanasia programs. Hallervorden and others systematically collected the brains of their patients who had been killed, taught the murdering doctors how to dissect, and cooperated closely with institutions where murdered children had previously been given thorough examinations and tests."
(All very scientific, of course, with no God to answer to, the "scientist as a god" must still hold to some ethic? Ahh yes, The Scientific Method.)
"During interrogation by an American officer in 1945, he [Hallervorden] stated,
"I heard that they were going to do that…and told them…if you are going to kill all these people, at least take the brains…
There was wonderful material among these brains beautiful mental defectives, malformations and early infantile disease.
I accepted the brains, of course.
Where they came from and how they came to me, was really none of my business."
In a system of nationalized healthcare in which so many were routinely on government assistance, routinely condemned as unworthy of living, and sentenced to die, the temptation proved strong to use human subjects in medical experimentation prior to their tragic, terrible and useless deaths.
The Luftwaffe needed data to determine lethal altitude levels, so those destined for elimination were used for a program called: Trials for Saving Persons at High Altitude.
German ships were being sunk in frigid Atlantic and North Sea waters so painful ice bath experiments were conducted in a program entitled: Avoidance and Treatment of Hypothermia in Water; as well as human experiments utilizing pharmacologic interventions, chemical and biological warfare, minimal nutrition, and infectious diseases.
So what's the point of rehashing all this gruesome history?
Recall that in Germany, and even today in Germany, all children are Wards of The State. Yes. The money follows the child.
German parents or guardians are paid a monthly stipend for each child. Education is all Nationalized or State regulated education. So in essence the German is owned by the State. The Volk, The Republic, the socialist society has a claim on you, your life, and your future.
WE own you and you have an obligation to be productive to The State.
In reality, many Americans have chosen the same path of being Wards of the State. Nearly 50% of Americans are on some form of the 126 entitlement programs now offered by the bureaucratic Welfare State of the United States.
From Healthcare, to Education, Social Security to Disability, medicine, to food stamps, therapies and financial aid, grants, counseling, social programs and interventions, not to mention the nationalization of charities and the church via non-profit, tax credit, tax exemption and 501 (c) 3 favors.
The moral and fiscal landscape of America today, looks far worse than Nazi Germany did 80 years ago. The American people today are far less equipped physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually to detect the lies, "scientific" pragmatism, and slippery slopes of mass manipulation.
Legalized abortion exemplifies a new form of medicide. Doctor-assisted suicide is a step toward euthanasia. Modern genetic testing and the Human Genome Project can be the steps to a new eugenics.
Are health care rationing, which is always the result of government involvement in medical care, Electronic Health Records linked with International Diagnostic Coding, Nationalized education standards, on-line computer adaptive "learning", and Assessment testing, Workforce development, longitudinal prenatal to corpse national databases on individuals, infant DNA registry, and increasing numbers of the citizens not paying taxes and on government entitlement programs, the clear paths toward the 21st Century definition of "life unworthy of living"?
Nazi Nationalized Medicine was implemented by a political-medical-economic framework on the basis of political health care, a scientific and social philosophy, absent of God, imposed by a totalitarian regime. Clearly this was Societal Planning.
The evil in these regimes and ones like our own, stems largely from a government bureaucracy in which 90 percent of the participants think 90 percent of the time about "processes" and not Purpose. And in which a majority of the citizens either are on the bureaucracy payroll, receive the welfare or both.
In what is supposed to be a Republic,
"A popular government, even more than a monarchy or aristocracy, requires such consecration, because the people then enjoy a share of power, and must be made to understand the responsibilities of power."
"All persons possessing any portion of power ought to be strongly and awfully impressed with an idea that they act in trust:
And that they are to account for their conduct in that trust to the one great Master, Author, and Founder of society."
Edmund Burke in Reflections on the Revolution in France
There can be no "sanctioning" of anything in a society which chooses to remove, replace or rebel against the One Who grants and sanctifies life, liberty and purpose.
And a society who bails out on God's definition and purposes for The Family.
By the way, the loophole in Harry Laughlin's Model Eugenical Sterilization Law was…The Family.
"Section 2(a)….provided that the term socially inadequate shall not be applied to any persons whose individual or social ineffectiveness is….is adequately taken care of by the particular family in which it occurs."
Those on state or federal dependence were "fair game" under United States sterilization laws, just like those of nationalized medicine under Nazi Germany.
(Thanking God for His provision of my Godly Family and His protection of my mom and her twin growing up under Hitler….and now watching History Repeat Itself.)
The Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk
Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation by Ronald Reagan 1984
Marc S. Micozzi, M.D. Ph.D. November 01,1993 National Health Care: Medicine in Germany, 1918-1945 Does the modern bureaucratization of medicine risk a return to the horrors of national socialist medicine?
Eugenical Sterilization in the United States by Harry Hamilton Laughlin, D.Sc. Assistant Director of the Eugenics Record Office, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, New York and Eugenics Associate of the Psychopathic Laboratory of the Municipal Court of Chicago, December, 1922


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- Any good places to run in La Jolla north of San Diego? Thinking beaches or awesome view. 2012-08-20
- Weekly recap of Tweets, Links, and Ideas: Please find below my mostly focused mentions on #infosec and relevant … http://t.co/W0G2VlEo 2012-08-20
- Working with a great group of #infosec pros on #ISO27001 in La Jolla.. Best part: Open run on beach tomorrow & then surfing Wed! 2012-08-20
- TED Reveals Top 20 Most-Watched Talks, Sir Ken Robinson Tops The List http://t.co/n1nNXxFk 2012-08-22
- Dear travelers, go to La Jolla CA .. good grief that place is beautiful – running, trails, beach, kayak, open water swims, food ++ wow. 2012-08-22
- Hmm, it seems my #Parallels installation suddenly forgot it's license? Odd; frustrating, I certainly am not traveling w/ disc – others too? 2012-08-24
- "Design for Outcomes" best line of whole preso: T. Prestero: Design for people, not awards – TED http://t.co/rROYIvwa 2012-08-24
- Three Rivers Park District : Bryant Lake Regional Park http://t.co/bnebF8a3 <-ran 9 miles here and to hotel; tons of trails in area! 2012-08-24
- The Great CON is out! http://t.co/bWCQG8fW ▸ Top stories today via @VRHax @QuickSrv_Leader @al_o_fansome 2012-08-25
- I shall be trying this soon – coconut oil popcorn. Kinda #paleo http://t.co/6VU2KMKF 2012-08-25
Weekly recap of Tweets, Links, and Ideas
August 27th, 2012 · No Comments
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Skip to comments.Is Qatar fuelling the crisis in north Mali?
Posted on 01/22/2013 8:43:36 AM PST by bayouranger
Oil-rich gulf state Qatar has a vested interest in the outcome of the north Mali crisis, according to various reports that have been picked up by French MPs, amid suspicion that Doha may be siding with the rebels to extend its regional influence.
Since Islamist groups exploited a military coup in the Malian capital of Bamako in early 2012 to take control of the entire north of the country, accusations of Qatari involvement in a crisis that has seen France deploy troops have been growing.
Last week two French politicians explicitly accused Qatar of giving material support to separatists and Islamists in north Mali, adding fuel to speculation that the Emirate is playing a behind-the-scenes role in spreading Islamic fundamentalism in Africa.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and Communist Party Senator Michelle Demessine both said that that Qatar had questions to answer.
If Qatar is objecting to Frances engagement in Mali its because intervention risks destroying Dohas most fundamentalist allies, Le Pen said in a statement on her party website, in response to a call by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani for dialogue with the Islamists.
The first accusations of Qatari involvement with Tuareg separatists and Islamist groups came in a June 2012 article in respected French weekly the Canard Enchainé.
In a piece title Our friend Qatar is financing Malis Islamists, the newspaper alleged that the oil-rich Gulf state was financing the separatists(http://www.france24.com/en/20130121-mali-refugees-unhcr-interview-islamist-cut-off-hands).
A month later Sadou Diallo, the mayor of the north Malian city of Gao [which had fallen to the Islamists] told RTL radio: The French government knows perfectly well who is supporting these terrorists. Qatar, for example, continues to send so-called aid and food every day to the airports of Gao and Timbuktu.
The presence of Qatari NGOs in north Mali is no secret. Last summer, in the wake of the separatist takeover, the Qatari Red Crescent was the only humanitarian organisation granted access to the vast territory.
One member of the Qatari humanitarian team told AFP at the end of June that they had simply come to Gao to evaluate the humanitarian needs of the region in terms of water and electricity access.....
~~ I'm shocked! The filthy qataris wouldn't betray the kafirs, right?
It would be an extension of the effort Qatar is already making in Egypt, Libya and in Tunisia.
Another State Dept home run!
Maybe Algore knows?
Seriously, though, Qatar has been suspected of funding jihad in the past.
Qatar wants to establish Al-Gorezeera TV in Mali
Tune in to Al Jazeera to find out. Same goat time. Same goat channel!
Instead of running around in the Sahara desert France should tackle the problem at its root. And let ELF exploit the Qatari oil reserves for all I care.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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A new survey from Career Builder exposes what will be an increasingly common trend as America ages demographically -- older workers are being forced to keep working and postpone retirement for financial reasons.
More than seven-in-ten (72 percent) workers over the age of 60 who said they are putting off their retirement are doing so because they can't afford to retire financially, according to a new survey by CareerBuilder.
The good news is that many older workers are putting off retirement for positive reasons as well.
About 70% of workers delaying retirement said they are doing so partly because they enjoy their jobs according to CareerBuilder. Hence there are many Americans who are, yes, putting off retirement for financial reasons, but at the same time are pretty happy to do so since they enjoy working.
Such job satisfaction will become necessary for most young Americans, since fully supporting retirees from ~60 years onwards will be simply untenable as an increasing proportion of America becomes old due to demographic change and extended life expectancies. Already, in 2012 about 1 in 3 American workers will be over 50 years old according to The Economist.
Thus the financial crisis may have delivered an unwanted wake-up call. Americans will need to quickly learn how to work longer into their silver years.
Luckily, as the satisfaction rates in the survey above show, this situation might not be as bad as you'd expect. Let's hope.


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Front pocket & side panels have been crocheted from fine nettle thread & cotton. A nettle braided drawstring has been embellished with natural dyed felt balls. The wooden peace symbol on the front pocket is our message to the world. Long handles provide comfort for your shoulder. Three pockets enhance the practicality, with a cut pocket at the back, an internal patch pocket and a crochet patch pocket at the front. these are all useful for keys, mobile phones or any other small daily necessities.
Take lunch with you and let's go on a picnic!!
18cm x 25cm x 7cm
Strap: 70cm
Fabric: Main- Nettle, Lining- 55% Hemp 45% Cotton
Crochet Parts & Pocket: 50% Nettle 50% Cotton
String: Nettle
Badge: Wood
Beads: Felt


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June 12, 2015, 5:24 pm
New Denver City Council member will make stop at ethics board
Denver City Councilwoman-elect Stacie Gilmore plans to appear before the Board of Ethics next week to discuss her potential conflicts of interest.
During the campaign, the District 11 candidate in far-northeast Denver pledged to seek the board's advice when questions arose about ethical issues surrounding the employment of her husband, Scott Gilmore, who as Denver's deputy director of parks and recreation is a mayoral appointee.
She also, for 19 years, has led a Montbello nonprofit called Environmental Learning for Kids that has received more than $500,000 in city contracts, mostly for youth education and employment programs.


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Drink your coffee in style. 14oz coffee mug. Microwave safe, hand-wash preferred.
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