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Record of Lodoss WarSynopsisA thousand years ago, the sacred lands of Lodoss was torn apart when the gods fought each other with all their might. The only ones left were Marpha and Khardis, who were left in a deep sleep. In the era that followed, men sought to conquer and rule in their stead, and nations still clashed in war, albeit less destructive. To prevent a single community from becoming too strong, unseen forces put them up against each other, with the intent of letting neither of them win. Young Parn gets caught up in the middle of all this. Driven by the desire to make good the apparent betrayal of his father, he decides to travel to Valis to become a knight. This he does with his group of companions, some of which he meets before even setting out on his journey. ReviewLodoss Wars! If there is any love for adventure and fantasy in your soul, you will know about this show, especially if you've been an anime fan for a good number of years. For good and bad, The Record of Lodoss Wars OAV is a classic in more ways than one. The OAV itself were built around a series of novels, which again were built around a concept similar to D&D role playing. Heading up this roster is Parn, as typical a reckless, eager teenager as you'd ever find. His type is generally the most common in stories like this, also often used in Japanese, story-based console RPGs. What he lacks in talents at the beginning, he often makes up with in moxie, though naturally, he would not survive for long without the aid of his friends and allies, conveniently shared between most of the common RPG archetypes; the wizard, the cleric, the elf, the dwarf and the thief. The traditional build of Lodoss Wars is both its best friend and greatest adversary. On one hand, it allows for some pretty epic storylines involving gods and great dragons clashing together. It's hard not to be impressed each time the intro animation rolls around, and you see the giant black dragon emerge from the mist, landing on the mountaintop fortress above it, opening its mouth in a giant, bellowing roar. (That you won't get to hear due to the opening theme, but still...) But then, you'd also have to put up with some pretty predictable plot twists and a dialogue that just plain hurts at times. Part of this blame might fall upon the rather sad excuse for a dub. The acting quality varies greatly, but they all seems to be afflicted with a weird thing where they all talk really slowly, as if the audience were all a bunch of slow-on-the-uptake idiots. Never mind that most of the lines in Lodoss Wars reads like heavy-handed monologues. I'm guessing -- or hoping -- it's not as ridiculous as in the Escaflowne movie. I would at least like to think there's something even more pompous out there. Of course, that also means you can have some fun with this series. (Like how many LOTR orStar Wars references can I put in here? Or even play "find the D&D RPG cliche".) What's really surprising, though, is that despite Lodoss Wars being a Madhouse production, the animation is surprisingly pedestrian. The art is actually pretty good, which will make this show look very appealing in screenshots, but Lodoss Wars is actually a very interesting study in animation budget saving. I have to hand it to the editing team too; while it's glaringly obvious, it's also not quite as bad as it sounds. Actually, it's nice to see some classic OAV animation after all this cheap CG tomfoolery in newer shows, even if it's making me feel my age. The music is all sweltering classical fare, though, which makes the whole thing even better. Also, ironically enough, I much prefer the English version of Adesso Fortuna, the opening theme, compared to the Japanese (no offense to the Japanese singer.) There has been released a lot more good fantasy anime after the creation and release of this show. One of my most recent titles are Utawarerumono, which was a compelling title in its own right, and shares more than a few passing similarities with Lodoss Wars, despite its somewhat modernized settings and story (and the oddly harem-ish add-on.) This show might be considered old-school, but it has still aged remarkably well, and should be considered a part of the curriculum of any fan of adventure and fantasy. It's a classic, simple as that. — Stig Høgset Recommended Audience: No nudity or foul language, although this fantasy is about war, and people do get killed in this anime. Probably okay for all but the youngest of audiences. Version(s) Viewed: Official All region release by Manga Entertainment. Review Status: Full (13/13) Record of Lodoss War © 1990 Kadokawa Video |
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Game Of Thrones Season 7: What We Know
Everything We Know About Game Of Thrones Season 7
The countdown is on until the penultimate Game of Thrones season arrives. Whet your Westeros appetite with everything we know about season seven so far…
The Release Date
New seasons of GoT usually debut in April but this one will launch a little later. To be precise, on Sunday 16th July on HBO in the US and Monday 17th July on Sky Atlantic in the UK. The summer air date is because "Winter is here", so shooting in sunny weather last year didn't work.
The teasers and trailers show a huge battle ahead between the living and the White Walkers, with Jon Snow saying: "The same thing is coming for all of us. There is only one war that matters – the great war. And it is here." After years of looming ominously in the background while the Great Houses of Westeros competed for supremacy – "like spokes on a wheel", as Daenerys describes them – the White Walkers are finally about to make their presence felt.
New King of the North Jon Snow, Queen Cersei of King's Landing and Daenerys of the new Targaryen empire are shown making their way to their respective thrones. There's a portent of possible trouble to come as Cersei lets out a frozen icy breath which dissolves into the terrifying undead eye of the Night King. Winter has arrived. Brrrr, spooky.
Joseph Mawle, the actor who plays Benjen Stark, has been spotted in Belfast, suggesting that dead Ned's dead-ish younger brother will feature in season seven. Remember when he returned in season 6 to help Bran, after being stabbed by White Walkers and saved by the Children of the Forest? We reckon Uncle Stark has a role to play in the White Walker war.
Mark Gatiss has also confirmed that he will return as Tycho Nestoris from Braavos' Iron Bank, which could spell money trouble for Cersei (Lena Headey).
Long-lost Gendry (Joe Dempsie) – bastard son of Robert and the final Baratheon heir – was last seen rowing from Dragonstone to the mainland in season three. He's rumoured to be back and joining The Brotherhood Without Banners.
There's also buzz that long-dead Dothraki leader Khal Drogo could be back, after actor Jason Momoa was snapped alongside Kit Harington and posted a workout pic on Instagram with the caption: "I prepare for the north."
And there are whispers that villainous Walder Frey (David Bradley) could be rising from the dead, although fans reckon this means Arya will wear Walder's face to get access to more Frey enemies on her list.
Oscar-winner Jim Broadbent will be among the newcomers this year, appearing in five episodes as an old professor type, probably Archmaester Marwyn, who helps guide Samwell Tarly on his journey.
Rising star Joseph Quinn, previously known for period dramas Dickensian and Howard's End, will play an all-new character (one who doesn't appear in George RR Martin's novels) named Koner.
Tom Hopper (from Black Sails and Merlin) has also been spotted on-set and is thought to be playing the recast Dickon Tarly – Sam's younger brother, who was previously portrayed by Freddie Stroma.
Carrot-topped crooner Ed Sheeran will be following in the footsteps of fellow musicians Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody, Coldplay's Will Champion and Sigur Rós by making a brief appearance – reportedly a surprise treat for his mate Maisie Williams (Arya Stark).
Electro-indie band Bastille are also believed to have shot a musical cameo, dressed as wildlings, for the season finale.
The season six finale saw Daenerys finally set sail for Westeros, with all her dragons by her side, hurtling towards a confrontation with Cersei who has seized the Iron Throne.
The dragons for season seven will be larger than ever – the size of 747 jumbo jets, according to director Matt Shakman. They could also find riders: many fans believe that Jon Snow is a future dragon rider, and that Tyrion is also part-Targaryen, giving him an affinity with dragons.
Without her kids around to give her humanity, Queen Cersei seems colder and more calculating than ever. There's long been a "Queenslayer" theory that Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) will be driven to kill his sister/lover, either by choking her or with the "Widow's Wail" sword. Other fans predict that she'll meet her demise at the hand of either Jon Snow, The Hound or even Arya Stark.
Jon & Daenerys
The official season seven poster shows fire and ice colliding. Does this mean Jon Snow and Daenerys will finally meet? It seems so, as Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington have been spotted filming scenes together.
But will it be a face-off or could Dany make Jon – her long-lost nephew – her husband, as part of another GoT incestuous partnership?
The Dragonpit
Seventeen of the show's main characters were spotted together in Seville last autumn, fuelling feverish speculation that some of GoT's biggest players will meet up near a ruined King's Landing Dragonpit in the season finale.
These include Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), Ser Bronn of Blackwater (Jerome Flynn), Jon Snow (Kit Harington), Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) and Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) – and a whole host more besides. Sounds tasty.
The Starks
Maisie Williams and Isaac Hempstead Wright have also been spotted together on-set, suggesting that a reunion for estranged siblings Arya and Bran Stark could be on the cards – although Hempstead Wright has hinted at "collisions" between the pair.
Williams has been spotted filming scenes with wolves, hinting that her direwolf Nymeria – last seen as a cub – could make a howling return.
Clash Of The Cleganes
Talk about a heavyweight clash. Fans have been excitedly speculating that the much-hyped Cleganebowl – an epic fight between The Hound and his now zombified brother The Mountain – will finally come to pass this season. Oof.
The Budget
Showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss have said that they want the entire story to span 73 hours, meaning we have (sob, sniff) a mere 13 left. We'll get seven episodes this year, then the eighth and final season (which starts shooting in September) will span just six instalments. I know, right?
However, these last two mini-seasons taking just as long to shoot as a normal 10-episode series because of their sheer scale. We're talking epic production and big set pieces, with an increased budget of $10m per episode, up from $6m in season six.
TV shows
Game of Thrones

subset: commoncrawl


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Haiti Update: Electoral Runoff and Aristide's Status
Written by Stephen Lendman Subject: ImperialismWith world attention focused on Middle East events, mainly Egypt's, Haiti's gotten little attention despite its compelling need for real change. So far, it's nowhere in sight, nor openly discussed, or demanded like visible millions are doing abroad.
Stay tuned. It may happen if visceral anger spreads globally by enough people knowing that democratic freedoms depend on them - through massive, sustained grassroots pressure, accepting nothing less than ouster of corrupt, repressive regimes for equitable, just ones they choose.
Imperial Washington Suffocates Long Suffering Haitians
Despite sham November presidential and parliamentary elections and growing calls for new ones, a runoff March 20 second round is scheduled, led by two Washington-approved presidential candidates:
-- former first lady Mirlande Manigat of the right-wing Rally of Progressive National Democrats (RDNP); and
-- "Sweet Micky" Michel Martelly, a right-wing anti-Aristide entertainer.
Representing Haitians: no one, so expect little public opposition against continuing old, destructive, anti-populist harshness.
Unless pressure forces change, Haitians again will be cheated, choosing pro-Washington, pro-corporate, anti-populist officials top to bottom in the new regime.
If plans remain unchanged, a new president will be named on April 16. On February 7, Preval's term expired, but parliament-passed legislation let him stay in office until mid-May.
Commenting in a February 3 press release, Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), said:
"Now two right-wing candidates, who received from 6.4 and 4.5 percent of registered voters, respectively, will compete for the presidency, in another farcical 'election.' This is a big setback for democracy in Haiti. Far from fixing the problems with the first elections, this is simply an attempt to impose an illegitimate government on Haiti, and it will backfire."
On January 30, that possibility perhaps brought Secretary of State Clinton to Haiti, like a modern-day empress making demands - telling Preval it's:
"important that the election go forward so there can be a new president. There is so much work to be done, and the international community stands ready to help (read exploit at the expense of Haitians set up again for betrayal)."
In six whirlwind hours before heading home, she met with Preval and the three leading candidates, forcing out Jude Celestin, "literally under the threat of starvation," according to Weisbrot. Moreover, she did it despite pressing Middle East events, Egyptians and others regionally demanding democratic freedom and justice.
Tahrir Squares proliferate globally, including in Haiti and across America where hopefully mass liberating fervor may also emerge, spread and persist as courageously as in Egypt.
In recent weeks, Washington and Western allies pressured Preval to accept OAS's recommendation to dump Celestin, despite CEPR's analysis showing its analysis was "deeply flawed....and the Center noted that six out of seven of (its) 'experts' were from the US, France, and Canada," the cabal that ousted Aristide. They now run Haiti like a plantation, denying it fair elections, freedom, and sovereignty.
Letting Aristide Come Home
Exiled for nearly seven years after US marines abducted him at gunpoint in February 2004, he wrote an open letter saying:
"As far as I am concerned, I am ready....today, tomorrow, at any time. The purpose is very clear: To contribute to serving my Haitian sisters and brothers as a simple citizen in the field of education."
It's also vital for medical reasons, Aristide saying he's had six eye surgeries, experiences "unbearable pain" in winter, and must avoid another one "to reduce any risk of further complications and blindness." A previous article explained, accessed through the following link:
As a result, on January 31, attorney Ira Kurzban, representing Aristide, wrote Haiti's Interior and Foreign Affairs Ministers, requesting "Return of His Excellency Former President of the Republic of Haiti Jean-Bertrand Aristide," saying:
He understands that "the Council of Ministers has agreed to issue a diplomatic passport to President Aristide befitting his position as a former President of the Republic."
He thus requested it "immediately and that plans for his return commence" at once. He also asked Haitian authorities to arrange with their South African counterparts for his "immediate return."
Moreover, he asked that proper security be provided, according to Haitian law.
On January 19, New York Times writer Ginger Thompson headlined, "Aristide Says He Is Ready to Return to Haiti, Too," saying:
Days after Baby Doc Duvalier's arrival, Aristide requested permission for himself. "It was not the first time that Mr. Aristide had talked publicly of his desire to return to Haiti, but (this) statement....threatened to fuel tensions already stirred" by Duvalier's presence.
That The New York Times commented is noteworthy, no matter its longstanding animosity toward Haiti's only democratically elected president who served faithfully, righteously, honorably, and selflessly. He was all-giving, asking nothing in return. Why else would Haitians revere him, rallying for him openly to show support.
Aristide's London Guardian Op-Ed
Whatever its reason, the Guardian printed what US publications suppress, Aristide's article headlined, "On my return to Haiti," saying:
"A profit-driven recovery plan, devised and carried out by outsiders, can not reconstruct my country."
Indeed not. It can only exploit poor Haitians, ravaging them for profit, pillaging their resources like a previous article explained, saying Haiti is no stranger to adversity and anguish. It experienced over 500 years of severe oppression, violence, slavery, despotism, colonization, reparations, embargoes, sanctions, occupation, deep poverty, starvation, unrepayable debt, and natural calamities like hurricanes, epidemics and earthquakes, followed by little or no outside aid.
Reflecting on Haiti's January 2010 earthquake, he said the primary school he attended "collapsed with more than 200 students inside." Devastation hit throughout the struck area - "65 seconds that irrevocably changed Haiti." Its full impact won't ever be known.
What is known is:
"(t)he exceptional resilience demonstrated by the Haitian people during and after the deadly earthquake reflects the intelligence and determination of parents, especially mothers, to keep their children alive and to give them a better future, and the eagerness of youths to learn - all this despite economic challenges, social barriers, political crisis, and psychological trauma. Even though their basic needs have increased exponentially, their readiness to learn is manifest. This thirst for education is the foundation for a successful learning process: what is freely learned is best learned."
For Lavalas under his leadership, education was "a top priority." During his tenure, "more schools were built (than) between 1804 to 1994: one hundred and ninety-five new primary schols and 104 new public high schools constructed and/or refurbished."
A year later, "young people and students (try) to fill the gaping national hole left since" 1/12/10. Public thirst for education can't be extinguished. Instead of rebuilding what was lost, "an exogenous plan of reconstruction (is planned) - one that is profit-driven, exclusionary, conceived of and implemented by non-Haitians - cannot reconstruct Haiti."
Haitians must have direct involvement doing it. Since February 29, 2004, the day Aristide was exiled, he's vowed to "return to Haiti to the field I know best and love: education." Citing Nelson Mandela, he agreed that "education is a powerful weapon for changing the world."
He wants to help Haitians change theirs. They both deserve it, unimpededed by imperial exploitation and plunder, taking all, giving nothing back in return - a Washington specialty globally.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at email@example.com. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Show All Answers
You can either call the Assessor's Office with the property location or owner's name or you may self retrieve this information from our Digital Mapping Program.
Mass appraisal is defined as the use of standardized procedures for collecting dataand appraising property to ensure that all properties within a municipality arevalued uniformly and equitably. It is the process of valuing a group of propertiesas of a given date, using common data, employing standardized methods andconducting statistical tests to ensure uniformity and equity in the valuations.Assessors use mass appraisal procedures and techniques when determining thefair cash value of properties in their municipalities.
The assessment date is January 1 for the upcoming fiscal year. New construction (i.e. new homes, additions, sheds, decks, etc.) and demolitions are assessed as of July 1. (For example January 1, 2021 is the assessment date for fiscal 2022 valuations other than additions or demolitions that occurred until June 30, 2021. Fiscal 2022 runs from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.)
Yes. The Assessors Office lists a book and page reference on the property record card for most of the properties. Deed references (book and page numbers) are recorded at the Hampshire County Registry of Deeds. You can contact the Registry of Deeds located at 60 Railroad Avenue, Northampton, MA. 01060 at 413-584-3637.
Yes, you can find this information by calling our office or looking on the Registry of Deeds website. Please keep in mind that the Assessors office is typically a week or so behind the Registry of Deeds information.
Applications & Forms Page
However, persons that receive an abatement and the amount granted is public information.


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- Date: 10 October 2013
- Author: Emily Deemer, Natural Habitat Adventures
Are you one of those people who thinks they're not a cruise person? Do you think cruises are too boring and not active enough for you? Do you shudder at the idea of being cooped up on a floating city with a thousand other passengers for days?
I share those same sentiments. But I dare you, take a moment to learn about small-ship adventure cruises, not all cruises were built alike. Soon you'll be daydreaming about a cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula to get face to face with Gentoo penguins, humpback whales and the most extreme icebergs you've ever seen.
1. You get to go places others have only dreamed of.
Sometimes, the farthest corners of the earth can only be reached by sea. An adventure cruise is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the most remote, natural spaces on the planet. Adventure cruise ships are much smaller than commercial cruises, meaning they can access off-the-beaten-path ports and dock in natural areas that larger cruise ships cannot. Smaller ships are able to get extremely close to colossal icebergs and giant whales in Antarctica, or navigate through secluded areas of earth's most complex ecosystem on an Amazon cruise.
2. Smaller ships mean a more intimate experience.
Small-ship voyages allow you to travel by sea in a more personal way. You don't feel as though you're packed like sardines in a can, and you will get more personalized attention from the Expedition Leaders. You have the ability to get to know the entire crew, from the captain to the chef and hear their stories about the area. A smaller ship lends itself to more opportunities for discussion and building friendships with passengers as well.
3. On-board experts enhance your experience.
Small-ship adventure cruises feature on-board naturalists, scientists and historians to give you an expert's perspective on the local ecology, biology, culture, history, and more. These experts accompany you on your shore excursions to give you the most enriching and immersive experience in some of the most pristine, natural places on earth. Having these experts on board allow you to continue the conversation after the shore excursion is over.
4. These are not cookie-cutter tours, they are expeditions.
Adventure cruises are nothing like a spring break cruise to the Bahamas. Rather, adventure cruises are expeditions, where every day is a new adventure. These types of cruises have more of a go with the flow attitude, where a captain has the ability to make an unscheduled stop if a supreme wildlife viewing opportunity presents itself! They also offer an array of equipment for exploring the coastline at close range and ashore, such as Zodiacs and kayaks for exploring Iceland's glaciers.
5. Greater respect for the environment.
The smaller ships used on our selectively chosen adventure cruises have a smaller carbon footprint than mega commercial cruise ships. They emit less CO2, they don't damage coral reefs with their anchors nor do they carelessley dump sewage in the wrong places as they way larger ships might. In addition, small-ship cruises are more about the local destinations than the voyage. They provide greater benefit to local communities by encouraging guests to purchase items from locals such as crafts, food and beverages.
If you liked this article, you might also enjoy:
Top 5 Reasons to Go on an Active Adventure
8 Places to Interact Authentically with Locals
Top 5 Places for Nature in Europe


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1. Non-emergency type reports only2. Non-violent crimes (There was no force used and there were no injuries to anyone, and/or no weapons were involved.)3. Crimes in which the suspect is unknown.4. The types of crimes listed below only.
If the crime occurred at the University of Montana please contact UM Public Safety at (406) 243-6131.
If the crime outside the city limits of Missoula please contact the Missoula County Sheriff's Department for non-emergencies at (406) 258-3452.
(1) A person commits an offense under this section if he knowingly: (a) gives false information to any law enforcement officer with the purpose to implicate another; (b) reports to law enforcement authorities an offense or other incident within their concern knowing that it did not occur; or (c) pretends to furnish such authorities with information relating to an offense or incident when he knows he has no information relating to such offense or incident.
(2) A person convicted under this section shall be fined not to exceed $500 or be imprisoned in the county jail for any term not to exceed 6 months, or both.
History: En. by Sec. 1, Ch.513, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947,.
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Sell Your Barnes & Noble Gift Card
Saturday, January 29th, 2011Do you have an unwanted Barnes and Noble gift card you don't plan on using? Whether there is nothing out there you want to read or would rather have cash to spend on something else Giftah.com will turn your unwanted Barnes and Noble gift card into cash. Many times our gift cards end of gathering dust in a dresser drawer for years before being used, if they ever are used. If you don't use a gift card right away chances are it will end up sitting for years or in some cases may even become lost or expire.
Giftah offers an alternative for those who know they will not be using their gift card, our service allows you to turn almost any unwanted gift card into cash. Whether it is a B&N gift card redeemable at Barnes and Noble or a gift card for another major North American retailer we will give you cash back for your card. All you need to do check out our website, fill out a short form and submit your gift card. Within 24 hours of your Barnes and Noble gift card's balance being verified you will receive payment by Paypal. Its fast, easy and frees up cash to spend on what you really want. Don't keep your gift card waiting, sell your Barnes and Noble gift card and get cash for what you really want.


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Laws, Regulations and Annotations
Business Taxes Law Guide – Revision 2024
Sales And Use Tax Law
Revenue and Taxation Code
Division 2. Other Taxes
Part 1. Sales and Use Taxes
Chapter 7. Overpayments and Refunds
Article 1. Claim for Refund
Section 6902.2
6902.2. Refund; offset of personal income or bank and corporation tax liability. (a) (1) In lieu of claiming the credit allowed by Section 17053.49 or 23649, a person who has paid sales tax reimbursement to a retailer or use tax on a purchase or purchases of property for which a credit may be allowed pursuant to those sections, may file a claim for refund equal to the credit amount that would otherwise be allowed pursuant to those sections. Any claim so filed shall be submitted to the board on a form prescribed by the board, shall be filed no earlier than the date a claim could have been made for a tax credit or carryover of a credit under Section 17053.49 or 23649, whichever is applicable, and shall be for an amount not in excess of the amount of the credit that could have been used to reduce the "net tax," (as defined in Section 17039), or the "tax," as defined in Section 23036. Any credit carried over pursuant to Section 17053.49 or Section 23649 may not be refunded under this section until the credit carried over could be applied to reduce the "net tax" (as defined in Section 17039) or the "tax" (as defined in Section 23036), as applicable. Under no circumstances may any claim for refund exceed the "net tax," as defined by Section 17039, or the "tax," as defined by Section 23036, after the allowance of any credits authorized by Section 17039 or 23036. A claim for refund shall, unless the sale or use of the property is otherwise exempt under this part, be accompanied by proof of payment of the tax to a retailer, including, but not limited to, a copy of an invoice or purchase contract that indicates the following:
(A) The date on which the purchase occurred.
(B) A description of the property purchased.
(C) The price paid for the property.
(D) The amount of tax paid with respect to the purchase.
(2) In the case of a person who has self-reported use tax to the board, the claim for refund shall also indicate the amount of use tax paid and the period for which that tax was remitted.
(3) Any person who claims a refund under this section shall make an irrevocable election to waive the equivalent amount of credit allowed under Section 17053.49 or 23649. Any refund claimed under this section shall be in lieu of claiming any credit under Section 17053.49 or 23649. Any person electing to file a claim for refund pursuant to this section shall provide a copy of the personal or bank and corporation tax return on which the tax liability was assessed for which the in-lieu refund is being claimed under this section.
(b) No interest shall be paid on any refund made pursuant to this section.
(c) Notwithstanding Section 6961, the board may recover any refund or part thereof that is erroneously made pursuant to this section. In recovering any erroneous refund made pursuant to this section, the board, in its discretion, may issue a deficiency determination in accordance with Article 2 (commencing with Section 6481) or Article 4 (commencing with Section 6536) of Chapter 5. Except in the case of fraud, that determination shall be made within three years from the last day of the month following the quarterly period in which the board approved the refund.
(d) The board shall provide an annual listing to the Franchise Tax Board, in a form and manner agreed upon by the board and the Franchise Tax Board, of the persons who during the year have claimed a refund of sales or use tax under this section and the amount of the refund issued to each person.
(e) Any refund approved by the board pursuant to this section shall be payable from the General Fund.
History—Added by Stats. 1994, Ch. 547, in effect September 12, 1994. Stats. 2003, Ch. 606 (SB 1064), in effect January 1, 2004, substituted "reduce the net … or 23036" for "offset personal income or bank or corporation tax liability" after "have been used to" in the second sentence of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a).
Note.—Section 2 of Stats. 2003, Ch. 606 (SB 1064) specifies that the amendments made to subdivision (a) of Section 6902.2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code by Section 1 of that act are declaratory of existing law, but are effective for any claims for refund filed with the State Board of Equalization on or after August 7, 2003.


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Services Available
At Northfield Family Dental Group, we provide the appropriate care for our patients based on their individual needs. We are committed to offering a range of comprehensive dental services and providing healthy and happy smiles. Our skilled team of dental professionals will address all of your dental care needs, whether preventive or complex. Here you will find a list of the various dental services we provide.


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Two Girls Astound With Christian Cup Song Version of 'You're Beautiful'
Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Reflect on Who Jesus Is during Lent - Your Daily Prayer - February 29
If you're a part of a complicated denomination, simplify it. Lent is between you and Jesus. Make some margin to connect with Him. Take the journey.
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The latest news and hot topics trending among Christian music, entertainment and faith life.


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Christopher Hitchens' Widow Says 'God Never Came Up' on His Deathbed
Christopher Hitchens' widow says the topic of God never came up in the last days of the atheist's life.
In promotion of the late atheist's newly released book, Mortality, his widow Carol Blue went on "CBS This Morning" on Friday and briefly talked about Hitchens' last days and his thoughts about life and death as expressed in the book.
"There were many friends there (at the hospital) and he was the one kind of carrying the conversation, bringing up the various subjects," she said. "God never came up, if anyone's interested. It just was a non-subject."
Blue added, "If he had had a 'revelation' he would've been the first to share it and he would've done it in a very interesting way but as it happens he didn't."
Hitchens, author of God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, died last December at the age of 62 from pneumonia, a complication resulting from his stage IV esophageal cancer.
Blue noted that though Hitchens knew he was very sick, he didn't expect to die at that point.
When he checked into the hospital in Houston after catching pneumonia, Hitchens had even written an email to his editor about postponing his column, saying he expected to get out in a few days.
Hitchens' oncologist had told him that he would be in the one percent of people who'd be alive in that shape, according to Blue. But he caught pneumonia, which led to his death.
Mortality, released this week, is a compilation of essays Hitchens wrote about his cancer. He detailed everything from the day he was rushed to the hospital and found out he had cancer to his optimism and hope to be cured.
"It's a kind of contemplation about the sad fact that we're all born to die," Blue summarized, adding that it's a "very intimate narrative."
In the months after his cancer diagnosis to his death, Hitchens continued to affirm atheism and has stated that he would never accept Christ even on his deathbed, at least not while he's lucid.
In a letter to the American Atheists conference in 2011, he stated that as the idea of death becomes more familiar, "pleading for salvation, redemption and supernatural deliverance" becomes "more hollow and artificial." And instead of the "false consolations of religion," which he equates with superstition, Hitchens said he places his trust in medical science and the support of friends and family.


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Previous Lesson
Complete and Continue
5 Step Method to win your Time Management Challenge
Welcome to the Time Management Challenge!
Step 1 - Taking Stock of Your Time
How do you manage your time?
Your Time Management Assessment begins here
Assessment Score Analysis
What did you learn about yourself today?
Step 1 Final Words
Step 2 - Ready to set your SMART Goals?
Create Your Time Management SMART Goals
Create Your Action Plan
What did you learn about yourself today?
Time Management Tip - Pareto's Principle
Step 2 Final Words
Step 3 - Analysis of a Productive Day
2 Types of Daily Tasks (5:09)
Maintenance Transforming (6:36)
Strategy - Delegate
Paired Comparison for Time Management
What did you learn about yourself today?
Step 3 Final Words
Step 4 - Dealing with Time Bandits
Review Time!
Strategy - Productivity Journal
What is a Time Bandit?
How much control do you have over your Indirect Bandits?
Time Bandits - Indirect Control
Time Bandits - Direct Control
Strategy - Do you know your priorities?
Did you discover anything about your priorities?
Strategy - The Power of No
What did you learn about yourself today
Step 4 Final Words
Booster Support - Break and Form Habits
Step 5 - Overcoming Challenges More Productivity Tools for your Time Management Tool Kit
Welcome to Step 5!
Strategy Overcome Procrastination
Tips to Chop it Up
Strategy Eating Frogs
Strategy Create Rituals
Strategy Organizing Your Workspace
Strategy Wotkflow Management
What did you learn about yourself today?
Step 5 Conclusion and Final Reflection
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The final version 1.0 of FaceTime for Mac is now available on the Mac App Store. It also supports HD video calls on the new supported Intel Macs.
FaceTime for Mac makes it easy to talk, smile and laugh with friends and family on their iPhone 4, iPod touch or Mac. Getting started is quick and easy — simply enter your Apple ID and you're ready to go. Whether you're talking to someone on an iPhone or on another Mac, video calls with FaceTime look great. There's no better way to stay in touch with all your favorite faces.
Simple to Get Started
• Setup is quick and easy – just enter your Apple ID.
• With just one click, you can make a video call to an iPhone 4, an iPod touch, or another Mac.
Easy-to-Organize Contacts
• Make calls using your existing Address Book contacts – you don't have to enter your contacts from scratch.
• Add the people you call most often to your Favorites list.
• Quickly review your past calls with Recents.
High-Definition Video
• Receive HD video calls at up to 720p on supported, Intel-based Macs.*
• A Mac with a standard-definition camera delivers up to VGA-quality video for Mac-to-Mac calls.
Elegant Interface
• Window and playback controls fade away so the focus stays on your conversation.
• View transitions smoothly when an iPhone 4 or iPod touch user switches from front to rear cameras or from
portrait to landscape views.
• FaceTime's widescreen aspect ratio makes it easy for families and groups to participate in a call.
• Enjoy your video call full screen, using every inch of your beautiful Mac display.
Ring Anywhere, Any Time
• Incoming calls ring on your Mac, even if FaceTime isn't running.
• If you have more than one Mac, incoming calls ring on every one so you can answer on the Mac that's most convenient.
*Video calls require a built-in FaceTime camera, an iSight camera (built-in or external), a USB video class (UVC) camera, or a FireWire DV camcorder; and a 128-Kbps upstream and downstream Internet connection. Making HD video calls requires a built-in FaceTime HD camera and a 1-Mbps upstream and downstream Internet connection. Receiving HD video calls requires a supported Intel-based Mac.
Available for $0.99, FaceTime for Mac can be downloaded from the Mac App Store.
Download FaceTime for Mac


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Data last updated: December 2023
Supply Annual Report
The Supply Annual Report discusses aspects of UNICEF's interaction with the market, and includes detailed annexes on: supplier countries by dollar value, how much we spent with individual companies, where the supplies are used, by country and value, and numbers invited to bid (and responses) by country. Previous Supply Annual Reports are also available.
UNICEF Annual Report 2015
UNICEF Annual Report 2015 highlights results achieved for and with children and young people across the full continuum of humanitarian action and development work. It takes stock of UNICEF activities in all programme areas during 2015, underscoring the organization's commitment to providing a fair chance for every child - especially the most disadvantaged. The report outlines UNICEF's efforts in a year marked by numerous humanitarian emergencies, including the global migrant and refugee crisis. It also emphasizes the role that UNICEF and partners played in making sure that children's rights were at the heart of the new global goals adopted at the United Nations in September 2015.
Annual Report of the Executive Director 2016
Annual report of the Executive Director, 2016: performance
and results, including a report on the implementation of the
quadrennial comprehensive policy review
UNICEF Annual Report 2016
This report details the results achieved by UNICEF for and with children worldwide in 2016. It covers the organization's programme work, humanitarian action, partnerships and advocacy efforts in all strategic sectors, with an emphasis on reaching every child and accelerating progress for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged girls and boys. The report also highlights UNICEF's innovations, its efforts to improve efficiency and effectiveness, and the stories of individual children and families directly affected by UNICEF's work in the course of its 70th anniversary year.
Report on Regular Resources 2016
Regular resources (RR) are at the center of UNICEF's ability to deliver results for every child, particularly those most vulnerable. All UNICEF offices benefit from the allocation of RR, with the largest share spent on programmes for children and the balance used to support the core structure of the organization - without which we would not be able to deliver on our mandate. UNICEF's Report on Regular Resources 2016 presents key results achieved with RR in the course of the year, highlights revenue and expense trends, and acknowledges the generosity of government and private-sector partners who have generously contributed RR to UNICEF.
2016 Annual Results Report Humanitarian Action
In 2016, UNICEF and partners responded to 344 humanitarian situations of varying scale in 108 countries - the largest number of situations and countries recorded since tracking began more than a decade ago.
2016 Annual Results Report Gender Equality
UNICEF remained well positioned in 2016 to foster gender-equitable outcomes for children as a catalyst to a more just world - helping girls and boys realize their full potential and helping societies make progress on gender equality.
2016 Annual Results Report Social Inclusion
UNICEF's social inclusion interventions in 2016 helped countries make progress on advancing the right of every child to grow up free from poverty, bias and discrimination, and gain access to needed services, information and support.
2016 Annual Results Report Child Protection
UNICEF and its partners contributed to the protection of children from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect in 2016, addressing the impact of rights violations on children and the communities in which they live.
2016 Annual Results Report Education
Throughout 2016, UNICEF maintained its commitment to improve learning outcomes, increase school access for all children and promote quality teaching, quality learning and positive learning environments


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There's this dish passed around among Acadian families called Coquilles St Jacques, a French dish involving scallops and white wine sauce covered with Gruyere and baked in clamshell dishes. This isn't how I was shown how to make the dish at all, though, and it seems every family does it a little (or a lot) differently. This is no Alton Brown recipe; it's not an exact science, more of an art. Through a large number of modifications, I've come to a rough outline of a recipe, though my way of making this recipe is incredibly flexible and forgiving, so you could easily modify it to your tastes. I'm calling it Coquilles Maudit Jason, with "maudit" meaning "damned", seeing as how I'm not in any way a saint.
I've included a number of options, including a choice between white wine sauce and savory gravy. If you try this, let me know how you've modified it in the comments below.
Continue reading "Coquilles Maudit Jason"


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International Year of Astronomy Kicks Off With Strong Support from the National Science Foundation
News story originally written on January 15, 2009
The grand opening ceremony of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA 2009) is being held in Paris, France, on Jan. 15 and 16, 2009. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has devoted millions of dollars to underwrite IYA 2009 activities.
IYA 2009 is a global celebration of astronomy and its contribution to society and culture. There will be a strong emphasis on education, public participation and the involvement of young people, and with events at national, regional and global levels. Representatives from more than 135 countries are already involved, forming the world's largest ever astronomy network.
NSF is involved in the Galileoscope Project, an official cornerstone project of IYA2009. The Galileoscope will enable children to experience observation through a great yet affordable ($10/each) telescope. The Galileoscope creates a true-color corrected view through a high quality eyepiece in a telescope with a design ideal for looking at bright objects like the Moon and planets. "Hands-On Optics" teaching kits are part of a 4-year NSF-sponsored project used by over 20,000 students nationwide, mainly in after-school settings.
NSF has contributed more than $2 million for the production of "400 Years of the Telescope," an interactive, multimedia project that will provide a set of informal science learning experiences, enabling the public to participate in real and virtual telescope experiences, understand the far reaching advances that the telescope has made possible, and discover how technology, science, and society are interconnected.
NSF's National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and representatives of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) are working together on The Dark Skies Awareness Cornerstone Project, which features three citizen scientist programs: GLOBE at Night, Great World Wide Star Count, How Many Stars. These campaigns help scientists map light pollution globally while educating participants about the stars. Each provides opportunities for you to get involved! Check out the above web sites and start observing!


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HAPPY WEDNESDAY! I hope your day is a great one so far. I can't wait to share with you an amazing discount at the end of today's post for one of my favorite places to shop for the kids and me. I've also got a chance for you to win an awesome giveaway! This post is sponsored by thredUP. Thank you so much for your support of my family and our sponsors, you are all the best!
Have I ever mentioned to you before how much I love clothes, especially active wear for me and cute outfits for the kids? I love them a lot. I think the absolute best combination is when you find really cute clothes and you get a killer deal on your purchase. My sister and I refer to that feeling as the shopper's high. She even gets this shopping high from finding awesome grocery shopping deals, I need to start doing that.
I absolutely adore finding my favorite brands and pieces of clothing at such amazing deals. Oh and seeing how much money you save after you make the purchase… yeah, that is really fun for me.
I've been using thredUP for the last few years now. ThredUP is a huge online store that buys and sells high-quality secondhand fashion! They have awesome stuff for women and for kids. I find the cutest things for the kids on thredUP. Who wants to pay full-price for clothing that kids are going to grow out of in just a few months?!
I LOVE the price of secondhand items but I do not love going in to a secondhand clothing store and searching through everything because there is just so much to sort through. It stresses me out.
With thredUP online store, you just enter exactly what you are looking for including size, type of clothing, brand, color and price. Once you do that, a great selection of exactly what you are looking for pops up for you to choose from. This is all done while you are in the comfort of your own home in your pajamas at 2 a.m. (yes, when I can't sleep… I shop) or at anytime that you want. ThredUP has all of my favorite brands to choose from like Lululemon, Gap, Old Navy, J. Crew, Forever 21, Banana Republic, Anthropologie, H & M and so many more! You can find so many like-new items from top name brands and designers for up to 90% off.
Yes, please.
Online shopping is my favorite especially with kids that think that a store is a place for them to run around like crazy and pretend that I am their personal jungle gym.
Your order from thredUP arrives right away in an adorable polka dot box. Everything is folded so nicely and wrapped in tissue paper. The first time I ordered from thredUP I was worried about how everything would smell because I didn't know with consignment items what it would be like. BUT I will 100% tell you, everything I have ordered has arrived smelling perfect. Each item that thredUP sells has been TRIPLE CHECKED to make sure that everything is like-new (or actually brand new with tags still on). Each day thredUP adds thousands of items so you will always have a ton of new things to check out. Be careful because it can be addicting to check back every day for new stuff you want to buy;)
Brooke has already started a love for her own little style (and she already tells me how she wants her hair each day… Andrew can't believe it) so she loves seeing everything that I pick out for us. Also, I am really excited because thredUP offers a ton of amazing maternity pieces which will be perfect when that stage of life comes for us.
Here is what I ordered this last time around from thredUP! I wanted to show you the savings on each piece too so you can get an idea for how great the deals are!
Nike Active Pants for me—> Retail $54 and I got them for $15.99.
Gap Ankle Boots for Brooke—> Retail $55 and I got them for $12.99.
Lululemon Athletica Track Jacket for me—> Retail $118 and I got it for $50.99.
Old Navy t-shirt for Knox—> Retail $13 and I got it for $4.99.
Zara Dress on Brooke—> Retail $43 and I got it for $13.99.
Gap White Jeans for Brooke——> Retail $35 and I got them for $17.99.
Floatimini Pullover Hoodie for Brooke—> Retail $85 and I got it for $25.99.
Knox's Blue Hoodie from The Children's Place—> Retail $30 and I got it for 11.99.
Knox Old Navy Khaki Shorts—> Retail $17 and we got them for $5.99.
Madewell t-shirt for me—> Retail $60 and I got it for $17.99.
I saved 65% off retail through thredUP ——> That is a savings of $331.10 on all of the items above!!
Also, if you have clothes that you don't wear anymore just order a thredUP Clean Out Kit and fill it with the items you no longer want. Then just put it on your porch. You can even check out the website beforehand to see what thredUP does and does not take and what the payout will be!
I am so so excited about this lulu jacket that I ordered through thredUP. It seriously feels like I just got the jacket straight from the Lululemon store but I paid SO much less for it because of thredUP.
Knox sporting his sweet shorts and top from thredUP. That little grin of his:)
Best friends forever, until they are not and fighting about something… the way it goes with all siblings right?!
I wanted to share a small update about how blending is going over here with these pictures of our cute kiddos. Blending has felt like it fit together so naturally for us but at the same time it has taken some time to get in the swing of things. With all of the different arrangements, having two other parents to work with has been a major adjustment but it is coming together.
NOTHING comes close to how blessed I feel for being able to be in Knox's world now and seeing how much Brooke loves her brother and Andrew. Seeing us all together laughing, playing and cuddling up on the couch is the best thing in my world and I couldn't ask for anything more. But with everything in life, there are hard parts. I think the hardest part of blending would be trying to find my place. I'm not Knox's mom (he has an amazing one) but I am his step-mom and finding what that definition means for me and Knox has taken some trial and error. Figuring out how I am involved in discipline or decisions or where I fit in his heart takes time. I've been discouraged at times and so has Andrew when it comes to finding how to fit in best with all of the different factors that come along with a mixed home and all of the back and forth that comes with these two BUT I just have to remind myself that love is all that matters. Something that Andrew and I decided is that we are doing special dates each month where I take Knox out and he takes Brooke out. I think spending time working on our personal relationships with our step-child is what matters, not figuring out where I fit in to it all perfectly. Just strengthening that relationship one day at a time, spending one-on-one time and loving them with every piece of our hearts is the way to find our place in their world. I would love to hear any advice from anyone reading that has blended a family!
We shall see how the teenage years go with these two kiddos (I adore this Zara dress from thredUP that I got for Brooke)… she already gives me attitude ha. Good thing I taught high school for a few years, I know all of the tricks in the book;)
ThredUP has a really great discount for you guys today——> The first 100 people to use my code HRG40 will get an extra 40% off their first order)! This discount applies to new customers only and up to a $50 discount!
HERE IS HOW TO ENTER THE $250 GIVEAWAY!!! You are going to really want to enter this one:
*****Click HERE to browse thredUP!
*****Leave a comment on this post with a link to your favorite item from thredUP to win $250 shopping credit!!!
So excited for somebody to win and have a huge shopping spree. GOOD LUCK!


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Citizen's Charter:
- Conceived by Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of British India, on the death of Queen Victoria in 1901.
- Expected to be a living institution in memory of the Queen with particular emphasis on Indo-British history.
- Raised on a land measuring sixty four acres
- Contributions obtained from the Indian Princes and people totaling more than Rs. 80 lakhs in those days.
- Foundation stone laid by the then Prince of Wales, later King George V, on January 4, 1906.
- Formally opened to the public in 1921.
- An autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture (MoC)
- Victoria Memorial is governed by
- Victoria Memorial Act, 1903 (as amended from time to time)
- Victoria Memorial Rules, 1973
- Victoria Memorial Service Regulations, 1987
- Board of Trustees empowered to acquire and hold property, to enter into contracts and to do all that is necessary for and consistent with the purpose of the Act
- Secretary & Curator is the Chief Executive of Victoria Memorial Hall.
- To be the premier period museum in the world on Indo-British history in the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries
- The mission of the VMH is to function as the premier art gallery, museum, research library on art history and museum studies, and cultural space in the city of Kolkata.
- In order to pursue this mission, it collects, conserves and disseminates knowledge among the general public about art objects, historical relics, and documents relating mainly to Indian history in the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
- In addition to the exhibits on permanent display, the VMH also organizes regular special exhibitions, lectures, publications, cultural programmes and interactive educational activities – both on-site and in different parts of India and abroad – in its four focal areas of activity, namely, art, culture, heritage and the environment.
- The VMH promotes research through its research fellowships and library resources, networks extensively with other museums, historical societies and the academia.
- It seeks to promote positive social change through its outreach activities with non-museum organizations and community groups.
- It always strives to be – and is recognized by the wider community – as a museum without walls.
- A period museum focusing on Indo-British history.
- Collection of 28,394 objects, including oil paintings, watercolours, sketches, lithographs, photographs, rare books and manuscripts, stamps and postal stationery, coins and medals, arms and armour, sculptures, costumes, personal relics, etc.
- Many of them displayed in 9 existing galleries. Temporary exhibitions are held throughout the year.
- Recently acquired 5,000 paintings of Bengal School of Art on enduring loan from Rabindra Bharati Society
- By far the most-visited government museum in India, and one of the most-visited museums in the world (34 lakh gallery visitors in the year 2014-15).
As Education Centre
- Organizes Lectures/Seminars/Workshops on Art, Culture, History, and Heritage on regular basis.
- Celebrates important national / international/ days by organizing various programmes.
- Library has 15,000 books including rare ones. Leading library of art history and museology in Bengal
- Organizes programmes for involvement of visitors, specially students, in museum activities.
- Light & Sound show(under renovation) on history of Calcutta
Art Preservation Centre
- VMH has full-fledged Restoration/ Conservation Unit.
- Also provides technical support to other institutions in conservation/restoration.
- Has provided technical assistance to museums in North Eastern States in recent past.
- Organizes training /workshops for both in-house staff and other museum professionals regularly.
Entertainment Centre
- VMH with its vast and picturesque garden, together with pathways and waterbodies, is a huge attraction for people.
- The iconic building built in the Indo-Saracen style is also a big draw.
- Gardens alone annually visited by very large crowds.
- Visitors
- Students
- Morning and Evening Walkers
- Research Scholars
- Many eminent persons in various Cultural fields e.g. Films, Arts, Paintings etc.
- Foreigners
- We expect from citizen of India to give their feed back after observation of exhibition of art objects and artefacts exhibited in different galleries of VMH and also suggestion for improvement of the existing system of exhibition & preservation of the Art & Artefacts
- India as seen by Simpson (set of 5 prints)
- India in the Eyes of the Daniells (set of prints)
- Select Views of India (set of 5 prints)
- Charles D'Oyly's Calcutta – Album one
- Charles D'Oyly's Calcutta – Album two
- Natural History Paintings: series -1
- Natural History Paintings: series -2
- Natural History Paintings: series -3
- Picture Folio No. -1
- Picture Folio No. -2
- Picture Folio No. -3
- Modern Masters
- India: Land and People
- Catalogue of exhibition on Mother Teresa
- Catalogue of exhibition on Gaganendra nath Tagore
- Catalogue of exhibition on Krishna- Iconographic Representations
- A set of 10 picture post cards on Mughal Miniatures
- 3 different key chains with motifs from the Victoria Memorial collection
- 3 different coffee mugs with motifs from the Victoria Memorial collection
- The Picturesque Ganga
- Spiral note pads with motifs of Kalighat Paintings
- 2 sets of picture post cards with paintings of Jamini Roy.
Please contact to the Secretary and Curator , Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
Phone No. 2223 -5142/2223-1889
E-mail: email@example.com


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Emerald Hill House
When Singapore belatedly began to value its built heritage, the traditional shophouse suddenly became much sought-after with some stunning make-overs. Richard Ho, a specialist in conservation projects, previously carried out a beautiful renovation to a shophouse in Penang. Darlene Smyth looks at an equally elegant one in Singapore.


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Using resources efficiently is both a responsible business practice and a means of reducing our environmental impact. We have made important strides in promoting renewable technologies and in reducing the energy, water and waste associated with our facilities. While our greatest impacts come from the manufacturing of our products in suppliers' mills, our control over the facilities we own and operate allows us to change those operations more rapidly. In 2012 and 2013, we opened new headquarters offices in the United States and Europe that combine renewable energy with green building innovations.
While continuing to seize opportunities to decrease resource consumption in our operations, our primary focus must be on our most impactful hotspots - during material processing and product manufacturing (see Product). Some of our Chinese mills are participating in an innovative program designed to provide them with energy efficiency audits, tools and energy service company (ESCO) financing. This program leverages the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership's (REEEP) project work that found that, with proper training and tools, Chinese factories are willing to self-finance energy efficiency improvements. However, wider-scale efficiencies require outside financing.
To develop a broader model for increased improvement, VF and the Chinese National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) implemented a comprehensive supplier energy efficiency program in 2013 and 2014 for select suppliers to VF and The North Face. The goal was to replicate the program successes broadly across our Chinese supply chains and elsewhere.


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Finally, some hardware hacking on an iPad. Finding the 3G connection that came with the iPad lacking, this industrious hacker yanked it out and replaced it with the guts from a MiFi. At the cost of his GPS, he's gained a better connection and is now a wifi hotspot. It wasn't horribly complex, but he did have to do a tiny bit more than just plug and play.
[thanks Smilr]


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By Linda W. Yezak
Ever since our vocabulary extended beyond "Mama" and "Dada," most of us have been engaged in verbal communication, although true communication is rarely limited to voice alone. Human dialogue, human interaction, is a complex series of mechanisms that dictate how information is communicated and received. It isn't as simple as one person talking and another listening. Communication embodies the entirety of each person involved in the conversation:
• Personal Background and Experiences
• Personal Influencers–family, friends, workmates, casual companions
• Attitude
• Biases
• General Emotional Framework
Information is presented by the speaker from the basis of who he is, but it's not limited to what he says. Other factors either clarify his words or confuse the listener:
• Tone of Voice
• Body Language/Physical Stance
• Facial Expressions
• Gestures
• Current Environment/Situation
During conversation, the speaker can gauge whether his message is being received as intended by regarding the listener's body language/physical stance and facial expression–two elements of non-verbal communication.
On the receiving end, the listener hears the words, compares them to the tone of voice, body language, expressions, and gestures of the speaker, and goes through an entire gymnastic routine to decipher not just what is being said, but what is meant. And the listener draws on his own personal background and experiences, influencers, attitude, biases, and overall emotional framework to interpret what is being said.
For instance, when I was a kid, my dad used a particular tone of voice when he was angry about something. It was the first warning that I'd better stop doing whatever I was doing, or start doing whatever I was supposed to be doing. Now, whenever I hear that tone, I tend to feel either guilty or defensive. Either way, I cringe inwardly, because I dread what's going to happen next if I don't figure out what I've done or not done–even if nothing is going to happen next. I was rarely disciplined as a child, because the warning tone itself was enough to make me behave.
Problem is, my husband uses the same tone when he's explaining things. He's not angry, he's just explaining–and I'm on the defensive and jittery and not hearing a word he's saying, because I'm trying to figure out what I've done to deserve that tone of voice.
Which illustrates other components of conversation:
• The speaker's motives–apparent and subconscious
• The listener's interpretation of those motives
• The listener's internal response–mental, emotional, and physical
My husband may use that particular tone of voice because he's in "teacher" mode. Maybe subconsciously, he enjoys teaching and wants to be recognized for what he knows. For my part, I don't interpret his motives. I react to the tone. And after well over twenty years, you'd think I'd know better, but that's another discussion.
What does all this mean to you, the writer?
This is a treasure trove for writing dialogue. Every component of conversation can feed text, subtext, conflict, tension. The trinkets in this chest can help you with dialogue tags, action beats, and internal monologue also, as you show your reader the character's physical and emotional reactions to what is being communicated. And in doing so, you reveal more of your character's personality and backstory.
Enliven your dialogue and make it as complex as the components of communication allow–and those components allow a lot of complexity.
Linda W. Yezak lives with her husband in a forest in east Texas, where tall tales abound and exaggeration is an art form. She holds a BA in English and a graduate certificate in Paralegal Studies. Thirty years later, she's finally putting her degree in English to good use, combining it with her natural inclination toward story-telling to create fun, unique novels and award-winning short stories. Linda's latest releases are The Bucket List Dare and The Final Ride, a finalist for the 2017 Christian Small Publishers Association's Book of the Year award.


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The Boston Globe
August 1, 2007
ts/articles/2007/08/01/antibias_effort_stirs_anger _in_watertown/
Antibias effort stirs anger in Watertown
Debate focuses on genocide
By Keith O'Brien, Globe Staff | August 1, 2007
WATERTOWN — As far as town proclamations go, the one that declared
Watertown a No Place for Hate community in July 2005 seemed like a pretty
innocuous one. The goal was to celebrate diversity and challenge bigotry.
And the program, in place in 67 Massachusetts communities and hundreds of
others nationwide, has generated very little controversy elsewhere.
But that has not been the case in Watertown. In recent weeks, the town that
bills itself as No Place for Hate on a sign outside Town Hall is abuzz with
anger and frustration, especially among the large Armenian population. At
issue is not the program itself, but the group behind it, the
Anti-Defamation League, and in particular the ADL's refusal to acknowledge
the Armenian genocide at the hands of Turks during World War I.
"It's kind of the worst hatred to deny genocide," said Nayiri Arzoumanian, a
woman of Armenian heritage who has lived in Watertown for eight years. "It's
the worst kind of hypocrisy."
The debate began in letters to the editor of the Watertown Tab newspaper and
has pitted Watertown Armenians against the ADL's national director, Abraham
H. Foxman. Now what was once considered a positive civic effort, declaring
Watertown No Place For Hate, finds itself at the center of a debate burdened
by divisive international history and politics.
For decades, Armenians have fought to get the Turkish government and other
world leaders to recognize the deaths of as many as 1.5 million Armenians
during World War I as genocide. The refusal of the ADL to support the
Armenians, especially as they lobby Congress to recognize the genocide, has
fueled the local war of words.
Sharistan Melkonian — chairwoman of the Armenian National Committee of
Eastern Massachusetts, based in Watertown — accused Foxman of engaging in
"genocide denial" in an interview with the Globe. She said she will call for
the Watertown No Place for Hate program to sever its ties with the ADL
unless it denounces Foxman's position and acknowledges the genocide.
In a separate interview, Foxman countered that it would be "bigoted" to
dismantle a program focused on fighting hatred simply because the ADL does
not share the Armenians' point of view. And Foxman maintained his position
that the ADL, which has spoken out against ethnic cleansing in the Balkans
and genocide in Darfur, does not have a role in the long-standing dispute
between the Armenians and the Turks.
"We're not party to this, and I don't understand why we need to be made
party," Foxman said.
It is a tense and tangled debate that has taken Watertown officials and the
ADL by surprise. The ADL says it never faced this issue until it bubbled to
the surface in Watertown, home to more than 8,000 Armenian-Americans. How
the town will respond is not yet clear, said Mark Sideris, Town Council vice
But some residents of Armenian heritage are clearly troubled.
"I'm not against, particularly, No Place For Hate," said Dikran Kaligian, an
Armenian-American who has been a Watertown resident for 17 years. "I think
it's got its heart in the right place. But let's get some answers."
The ADL has certified No Place For Hate programs in hundreds of towns and
cities across the United States. After a year, during which the town or city
organizes anti-bias programs, the municipality receives a placard from the
ADL to be posted for public display.
When town councilors declared Watertown a No Place for Hate community in
July 2005, it generated just a few lines in the town minutes and passed
unanimously by a voice vote. "It seemed like a reasonable thing for the town
to do," Sideris said. And he never expected that it would become
controversial. But in recent weeks that is what has happened.
According to Armenians and many historians, the Turks systematically killed
as many as 1.5 million Armenians living under the Ottoman Empire between
1915 and 1923. A Polish-Jewish lawyer later coined the term genocide, citing
the Armenian experience. But the Turkish government has never acknowledged
their history as such, leading to decades of anger and frustration among
Foxman said he is surprised that he has become a target of Armenians. The
ADL, a group founded in 1913 to fight anti-Semitism, has no official
position on the Armenian genocide, he said.
"I'm not going to be the arbiter of someone else's history," he said in the
interview, adding that he does not believe that Congress should either. When
asked specifically if what happened to Armenians under the Ottoman Empire
was genocide, he replied, "I don't know." The ADL only takes positions, he
said, on current events, not on something that happened in the past.
But Armenian leaders say that is a disingenuous answer coming from an
organization that often pressures people to stand up for human rights around
the globe. They believe that Israel's ties to Turkey, a rare Muslim partner
in the Middle East, have influenced the ADL's point of view. By refusing to
become an "arbiter of history," Melkonian said, the ADL is suggesting that
there is some question whether genocide happened, and that is what
infuriates Armenians.
"You would never ever say that about the genocide in Darfur; you would never
ever say that about the Holocaust," said Melkonian. "You need to stop
genocide anywhere you can, and the only way to stop genocide in the future
is to acknowledge that it happened."
The entire debate has become "politics at a different level," said Town
Councilor Stephen Corbett, far beyond anything concerning Watertown's No
Place for Hate program, a well-received effort that since 2005 has
cosponsored public forums on immigration issues and produced a video and
traveling exhibition about the many faces of Watertown.
"Ultimately, we'd like to get back to the business of doing the basic kind
of local programs that we can do, free and clear of the shadow of this
controversy," said Will Twombly, the cochairman of Watertown's No Place For
Hate committee.
But Twombly, whose program receives corporate money through ADL's grant
program, said it will not be possible to move forward until the committee
meets with ADL's regional director Andrew H. Tarsy and asks some tough
questions about its stance on the Armenian genocide. At that point, Twombly
said, the committee will decide on the best course of action, including the
option of severing ties with the ADL altogether, effectively ending the
program. He said the committee acknowledges the Armenian genocide, even if
the ADL does not.
"Clearly, No Place For Hate is a program based on tolerance, based on
respect for differences, and based on mutual respect and care for
individuals, and in no way does the Armenian genocide represent any of those
values," Twombly said. "Not to condemn the genocide and fully recognize it
for what it was, I personally find inconsistent with the mission of No Place
for Hate."
From: Baghdasarian


text:
Kanyana's aim will be to educate the public about our fragile environment, the need to understand the importance of balancing nature and maintain healthy biodiversity for future generations. This project may assist Gaskell Sand Quarry to successfully continue maintaining best practice with their restoration and rehabilitation programs in the Banksia Woodlands on the Swan Coastal Plain.
Individuals can make a difference. It's what we do - look, listen, learn and lead in our daily life.
Perth - Western Australia
Education and raising awareness
Quarry Life Award 2018


text:
(the cover to Mickey Hart's 1972 album Rolling Thunder)
The basic timeline of the Grateful Dead's recording history is that Workingman's Dead and American Beauty, both released in 1970, elevated the band from underground oddballs to profitable hitmakers. Within the next few years, a variety of Grateful Dead projects were available in stores, including the first New Riders album (released August 1971), Hooteroll by Howard Wales and Jerry Garcia (released September 1971), Garcia's first solo album (December 1971), Bob Weir's solo album Ace (May 1972) and most mysteriously, Mickey Hart's solo album Rolling Thunder (September 1972). Deadheads generally see these releases as a sign of the band's diverse musical talents, finally given some exposure once the band became a profitable entity.
While all the solo albums and side projects had sincere musical goals, I have been considering the motives that would probably have driven the record companies to support these projects. A recent post of mine questioning when the Hooteroll album was recorded generated a sequence of fascinating Comments and some excellent follow-up posts on JGMF. While JGMF's analysis of the timeline of Hooteroll is fairly accurately defined, numerous other information came to light in his research. The most significant factor is the critical role that Columbia Records played for Dead-related releases in the early 1970s, a significant factor because the Dead recorded for Warner Brothers. Why was Columbia anxious to promote a band whose recordings they did not even own?
The thesis I am going to propose here is that Columbia Records was very anxious to sign the Grateful Dead to a recording contract after their Warner Brothers contract expired, and their various efforts were designed to make Columbia attractive to the Dead, and particularly Garcia. Warner Brothers, in turn, anxious not to lose a potentially profitable act on the verge of getting very popular, had little choice but to respond by offering solo record deals to Garcia, Weir and Hart, in order to emphasize how they could be just as cool as Columbia. In the end, of course, the Dead signed with neither company, but they seemed to have milked the cow fairly dry in the meantime. I am not aware of this thesis being directly postulated elsewhere, and I do not have any special inside information, but I think the sequence of events in 1970-72 points to a great anxiety on the parts of Warner Brothers and Columbia Records to curry favor with Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead by financing a variety of solo projects.
Original Grateful Dead Record Contract, October 1966
According to Dennis McNally, the Dead signed with Warner Brothers in October 1966. Although record company contracts were (and are) shocking in the amount of power and reward they provide to the record company versus the artist, by 1960s standards the Dead's contract was not particularly ruinous. In general, this would have put Warner's in good standing when the Dead compared themselves to many of their peers, who had had unfortunate experiences. Another advantage for Warners was that Joe Smith, the executive who had signed the Dead, was still in place in the early 1970s, and his relationship with the band was intact.
However, California law limits the duration of record company contracts to seven years. Typical contracts were something like 5 years with two renewable one year options, or something similar, so the Warners contract could not have extended beyond October 1973. I am probably simplifying a complex subject, but for the purposes of this argument I am emphasizing that while the Dead had little control over their recording career in the 1960s, as the 1970s began Warners had to consider their contract status (update: a Commenter has pointed out that Lenny Hart had secretly extended the Dead's Warners contract in Fall '69, as their three album deal had expired, but Hart pocketed the $75,000 check without telling the band. While this complicates my hypothesis somewhat, the broad narrative is still intact).
Workingman's Dead, the band's first release of the 1970s, was strikingly commercial, much to the surprise of Joe Smith, and when American Beauty followed later in the year Warner Brother suddenly had to consider how far they were willing to go to hang onto the Dead. Columbia got interested, too, and that had to affect how Warners saw the band (update: Columbia had tried to sign the Dead when Lenny Hart secretly renewed their contract with Warners). The circumstances were similar to a star baseball player who is entering free agency--as the end of the contract nears the horizon, the team has to start thinking of how to entice the player to remain on the team, rather than forcing the player to put up with his role and be quiet about it.
The Grateful Dead and The Recording Industry, 1966-69
When the Grateful Dead were signed by Warners in Fall 1966, they were a hip underground band, but no one at Warners probably thought they would be hugely successful. Warners was Hollywood's most unhip company, and the Dead had what would now be called "street cred." The company probably hoped the band's infamy would sell a few records and make a little money, but in an industry dominated by hit singles by the likes of The Beach Boys, nobody really thought a band with a lead singer named Pig Pen were going to become big stars. Rock music was considered disposable pop music, and no one considered the idea that even the Beatles would still be selling records in five years, much less some band playing improvised blues. However, just as record companies in the 1970 signed punk bands with few prospects in order to look cool, Los Angeles and New York companies all wanted to have a few underground sensations on their label, and the Dead were the epitome of that in 1966.
The Grateful Dead's four releases of the 1960s probably fit Warner's expectations. The Dead remained famous and infamous, were regularly written up in Rolling Stone and had a knack for showing up at important events like Monterey Pop, Woodstock and Altamont. None of their records sold very well, and no hit singles were forthcoming. The Dead had spent something like $125,000 in studio time to record Aoxomoxoa--a Beatles-like sum of money at the time--and the record hadn't sold much. Live/Dead was cheaper and better reviewed, but nobody at Warners thought that rock bands could record mostly instrumental albums that would sell forever, like jazz albums--in fact, they probably didn't believe jazz albums would sell forever, either, because Warners didn't release jazz. Still, Warners was probably happy with the Dead, since they were hip and Warners wanted to be hip, so losing a little money on the band was well worth it (and they must have continued to feel that way, since they renewed the Dead in 1969).
The Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia and The Recording Industry, 1970
Much to everyone's surprise, the Dead's relationship to the musical landscape changed dramatically in 1970s. When Joe Smith received the advance tape of Workingman's Dead in Spring 1970, he put it on expecting a new psychedelic opus, and before "Uncle John's Band" was even over, he realized he might have a hit on his hands. FM rock radio, another San Francisco invention, had spread to most major cities, so hit singles in and of themselves were not the only way to get airplay. In FM, cool counted, and the Dead were cool, so songs with hooks and lyrics about cocaine were going to get a lot of airplay because they were racy, rather than in spite of it.
The biggest trend in the rock music history in early 1970 was the rise of Crosby, Stills and Nash, whose first album was not only a giant hit, but seemed to be ushering in a wave of quieter and more melodic music that emphasized traditional songwriting and harmony singing. Not only was Workingman's Dead right in line with that trend, but the widely awaited follow up album, Deja Vu (now with Neil Young on board), released in March , 1970, featured Jerry Garcia on pedal steel guitar. "Teach Your Children" was released as a single in May 1970, and had risen to #16 by mid-Summer. I cannot emphasize enough that record company presidents would have been impressed more by the fact that Garcia had played the introductory hook to a Top 20 single than by the finest "Dark Star" ever imagined.
Workingman's Dead was released in June 1970, as "Teach Your Children" was climbing the charts, and the November 1970 release of American Beauty would have confirmed that the Dead's ability to write and sing catchy, FM-friendly songs was no fluke. While the industry would not have cared about the Dead's live performances per se, they would have appreciated that the band was out there touring non-stop. By the end of 1970, so many of the Dead's contemporaries had broken up (like Big Brother) or undergone dramatic personnel changes (like Quicksilver), and even bands who managed to stay together (like the Airplane) did not tour with the relentlessness of the Dead.
The whole record industry would have noticed that during 1970, the Grateful Dead had gone from being a colorful gang of pirate outlaws to a band completely in tune with musical trends, touring heavily behind not one but two albums that were receiving heavy FM airplay and selling well. The industry would have also known that the Dead's contract with Warners was going to expire somewhere between 1971 and 1973, and if a company wanted to sign the band they would have to make themselves seem attractive to the Dead long before the Warners contract was set to end.
Clive Davis and Columbia Records
The record industry was always hugely profitable, and once the Beatles expanded the universe of musical purchasers, the amount of money to be made was very large. Columbia Records had always been the most successful record company, and when staff attorney Clive Davis took it over in 1967, he made them the industry's biggest success. Davis was not a musician, but he had a knack for working with stars. He signed Big Brother in order to get Janis Joplin, and although he was criticized for overpaying at the time, the low six figures he paid to get the band out of a terrible contract was repaid many times over, first with Cheap Thrills and later with Janis's solo albums. Davis has admitted that he was trying to sign the Dead in the early 1970s, and not surprisingly his focus was on Jerry Garcia, who was the Dead's "star," however much Garcia himself was uncomfortable with the role.
There had been a number of interesting efforts at country rock in the late 1960s, including The Byrds lp Sweetheart Of The Rodeo, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco and Ian & Sylvia, to name a few. None of them had sold very many records. Nonetheless, in late 1970, Columbia signed the New Riders Of The Purple Sage. Now, to give Davis some credit, Columbia was a promoter of country rock (they had the Byrds and Poco, for example), and in fact Columbia made plenty of money out of the Riders. However, it's plain to me that Davis signed the New Riders in order to get some traction with Garcia (update: a Commenter cites John Dawson's confirmation of this). The Riders had the same endless studio time at Wally Heider's that the Dead and the Airplane did, and as a new band that need not have been indulged that way. Plainly, Davis wanted to show Garcia how generous Columbia could be.
Alan Douglas and Douglas Records
Alan Douglas was mainly a jazz producer. While he had his own label, Douglas Records, it was financed and distributed by Columbia, so it was another branch of the Columbia tree. Douglas was quoted a lot in Rolling Stone and Billboard, and he seems to have been one of the "house hippies" at otherwise staid Columbia. Record companies in Manhattan and Hollywood had discovered that a lot of younger, long-haired bands were not comfortable with attorneys and accountants wearing suits and drinking martinis, so they made sure to have some hip guys on the staff who shared the tastes and vices of the musicians they were trying to court. Columbia was particularly big and stuffy, so Douglas had a particularly important role in persuading musicians that Columbia wasn't just a bunch of suits.
Douglas Records signed Howard Wales to a contract in Summer 1970, and Alan Douglas seems to have persuaded Jerry Garcia to participate in Wales's album project. At this time, I do not think Warners had any rights to Garcia as a solo artist, as the company had not originally thought there was much potential for noodly guitar players without movie star looks. I think Douglas was Clive Davis's man in this enterprise, trying to prove to Garcia that Columbia would support the weirdest, most far out music imaginable. Davis had signed the New Riders, but they were a song-based entity, potentially quite commercial. Howard Wales, on the other hand was way, way out, so Davis sent his most way out producer--Douglas--to demonstrate to Garcia that there were no barriers to playing at Columbia. Columbia, unlike Warners, had a great jazz catalog, and Davis was shrewd enough to know that Garcia might want to be on Miles Davis's label.
More surprisingly, JGMF found a November 7, 1970 Billboard article not only announces that Garcia would be recording with Howard Wales, but that Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann will be recording a "percussion album." To top it off, Douglas--meaning Columbia--built Hart a studio:
The Kreitzmann[sic]-Hart LP will be recorded at a fully-equipped 16-track studio Douglas has installed in Hart's barn in Navato [sic], Calif. The studio, designed by Kreitzmann [sic], Hart and Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead under the supervision of engineer Dan Healy, will be completed within the month.We know that the Dead were broke in 1970, because Lenny Hart stole so much money from them. I had wondered how Mickey Hart could have afforded to build a studio, but now we can see that Columbia paid for it. Columbia Records, it seems, had signed two of Garcia's pals (Howard Wales and the New Riders) and built the Dead their own studio. Columbia was also providing seemingly unlimited studio time for the Riders and supporting two uncommercial projects (Wales and Hart) in the interests of art. Columbia Records was a money-making proposition, and they didn't expect to sell a lot of Howard Wales albums. Clive Davis wanted Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead, and throwing money around on quixotic recording projects was his coin of the realm.
Joe Smith and Warner Brothers Response, 1971-72
After signing the Grateful Dead as a sort of hip money loser, Joe Smith would have found himself in a dilemma in early 1971. The Grateful Dead had released two successful albums the year before, seemed right in tune with the mellower direction of the early 1970s and were more popular than ever on the concert trail. Warner Brothers controlled the Dead through 1971 and beyond, up to a point, but they would have suddenly had to start thinking about how they could keep the Dead on the label. Record companies, like baseball teams, have to be concerned not only with success but the appearance of success. If the Dead left Warners for Columbia, other bands might draw the conclusion that Warners wasn't a cool place to work.
Garcia had stated that he only did his first solo album because he needed the advance money to buy a house for Mountain Girl and their family, which is why the album is bracketed by a "Wheel" and a "Deal." Until recently, however, I had never really considered why Warners had offered Garcia a solo album. While I doubt that Columbia could have recorded Garcia as a true solo artist, they had gotten him to make two albums, and Garcia got paid session fees for the endless New Riders sessions. Songs like "Deal" could have been used on a new Grateful Dead album, but I think Joe Smith was interested in showing Garcia that Warners was just as generous and open-minded as Columbia. I know Garcia was recorded in July 1971, so that means Smith put the deal together before that, shortly before Hooteroll was released in September 1971.
Warners would have extended the Dead's contract for 1972--I think the Dead had little say in the matter--but the clock would have been ticking. Nobody had necessarily considered Bob Weir a potential star back in the 1960s, but Smith must have recognized that lavishing too much attention on Garcia alone might not have been a winning strategy. While I believe that Weir's 1972 solo album Ace was part of the Grateful Dead contract, the Dead must have known they finally had some leverage, and Weir's album was the result.
Mickey Hart's Rolling Thunder album, released in September 1972, was a quizzical release even at the time. Although there were a few conventional songs, and an all-star cast, even hip radio stations were not going to play tracks like "Insect Fear." Hart had left the Dead 16 months before the album was released, and Warners must have known it would not sell, so they had to have some motive for releasing it. The history of the album is made even stranger knowing that it appears to have originally been a Columbia project for a Hart/Kreutzmann percussion album.
It's my hypothesis that in early 1971 Joe Smith was on a campaign to show Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead that they should stay at Warner Brothers when their contract expired, and the money that Smith would have thrown around would have been done with that in mind. Mickey Hart was unable to continue touring with the Dead in February 1971, due mainly to the stress resulting from his father's corrupt handling of the band's finances. However, while the Dead remained close to Hart and considered him an ex officio member of the group, the fact was the Dead were still digging themselves out of debt, and would not have had much money to spare. How was Hart going to afford his ranch and studio without joining a band or scaling down or otherwise changing his plans?
I think Joe Smith offered Mickey Hart a two album deal and an advance in 1971 when he left the group. This would have given him the cash to keep his ranch and studio while taking a break from touring. This would also have taken a monkey off the Grateful Dead's back. If Warners was looking out for Mickey, then the Dead could rest easy about his status. Joe Smith didn't expect anyone to buy Rolling Thunder when it came out, but he would have been in the midst of negotiations with the Dead for their future, so he would have been happy to keep his promises. The next year, when the Dead had already departed for their own label, Smith had no interest in releasing Hart's follow up album and the record remained in the can, yet another sign of how Smith and Warners saw the contract with Hart.
Aftermath 1973
Of course, after the heated courtship between Columbia and Warner Brothers, the Grateful Dead chose neither. To the surprise of the entire industry, the Grateful Dead started their own label. I assume Warners exercised their final option, because the Dead owed them one more album. They released the desultory Bear's Choice, which we now know was a selection of the least interesting material from one of the greatest Dead weekends ever. Bear's Choice was released in July 1973, and Wake Of The Flood was released in October 1973. The Grateful Dead had signed their Warners contract in October 1966, and they "played out their option," so that they were free to set their own path after the full seven years.
For all the record company machinations that I have asserted took place, I do not mean for a second to suggest that all the recordings made by Garcia, Weir, Hart and their friends were not sincerely intended to be music of the highest quality. Art is a commercial enterprise, however, whether or not artists like to admit it, so Garcia and the others were probably happy that the cards were falling their way. To give the record companies their due, the Grateful Dead turned out to be bigger than anyone could have expected, and many of the album projects must have provided a handsome profit for the record companies.
Garcia and the rest of the band were hardly naive about music as a business, but their role in it was to make music. The untold part of this story, which I cannot divine by mere ratiocination, was this: who negotiated these advantageous arrangements for the Dead? It takes a cool head to play off two suitors only to jilt both of them, and I hardly see Garcia or Weir sitting in meetings all day with attorneys. I have to think that one of the principal players in this little dance was future Grateful Dead Records executive Ron Rakow, a wheeler and a dealer from way back. Given Rakow's checkered history, if he shrewdly navigated solo contracts for Garcia, Weir and Hart, and helped facilitate arrangements for Howard Wales and the New Riders, it would go a long way towards explaining how the band had enough confidence in Rakow to make him the head of their record company. Until Rakow or others explain what really went on, if they ever choose to do so, the financial mechanics of the Dead's first side ventures will remain obscured.