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Long distance becomes distasteful when other aspects are disturbing
Lena replies:Dear Scarlet(een), I live 1500 miles away from a guy I've been seeing. Without planning it, our travels have brought us to the same cities a couple times in the past few months. Unusual for me, but fun. We're not dating, but I guess he likes me because he seems to be trying to hold things together between us. I like him...sometimes. Problem is he's SERIOUSLY weird and on top of it has waaay more experience than I do. I don't know if I can handle an ongoing physical relationship with him anymore - even if I'm 1500 miles away most of the time. Yesterday while I was visiting him he told me he was sending porn to a female friend who wanted to see the evolution of his tastes from ages 18-25. Then he said he thought of all porn as art and an uncomfortable discussion followed when I disagreed. Guess I'm down for the count on that subject since I don't watch porn usually.
aspiring phoenix's question continues here:
Later he made a joke about vaginal discharge and starting talking about cervical fluid and fisting his ex, which she apparently loved. He segued into telling me about having seen similar-looking substance after pounding a guy's a**. (I already knew he had sex with men.) Then he started talking about watching the ecstasy on a girl's face as he watched her feed a 3 ft bendable dildo up her butt.
I didn't know how to respond. The images are so graphic in my head!
I am a combination of shocked, grossed out and uncomfortable with his history (there's more than I wrote) and I am beating myself up because I feel so narrow-minded. This is not the first conversation we've had like this. He doesn't say he wants that from me or insinuate that I lack something because I don't share his perspective/experience. Still, even though I know there is nothing wrong with me for not exploring sex the way he has, I feel inadequate. Even though we are only 3 years apart I feel so much younger, so naive and inexperienced and SOOOOO vanilla.
My history looks boring and bashful compared to his, and I don't want to feel ashamed and unable to accept my own preferences because they are less sensational. I worry I am going to starting bullying myself into doing sexual things I wouldn't do otherwise.
I don't know how to begin to talk to him. I don't see where our minds would meet and am afraid that if I bring it up he will just feel unappreciated. I also don't see how I could be satisfying for him for long.
He is helping a friend move today and so we left his place together at 8am. She called him while we were walking to the train to say she'd pick him up. He told me this friend was his ex-gf of two years who he recently split after a long, drawn-out break. He said he wasn't sure it was a good idea for me to be around when they met. Five minutes later he said goodbye, gave me a quick hug and ran down the block and around the corner.
AAARGH. I don't know what to do. I am in way over my head. I don't even know how to get any of my issues on the table - or even figure out what they are! I almost want to call it quits. Help!
aspiring phoenix, It makes me sad to read what you're describing because I can tell this: You are a smart, eloquent, extremely open-minded, and independent woman. (And, yes, it shines through in your response and I truly do believe it!)
As for this guy, however, I'm not going to beat around the bush: He sounds like a downright jerk.
I am not criticizing you for going out with him. Certainly, there have been some very good moments that have kept you meeting up. Plus, this isn't some all-encompassing relationship either, but something of mutual convenience that has continued to work out. (I use the term "partner" quite often, as well as "this guy" and "he" and a few other words; I am not looking to label you and your [sexual] relationship but rather mix up terminology. My apologies if any of this makes your uncomfortable or incorrectly sums up your interactions.)
Here comes the tough response: I realize it, unfortunately, may come across as a bit preachy at times. That is unintentional, because I mean it out of genuine solidarity. However, the tone of what you describe affects me so greatly that I cannot hide my grave concern.
To mix things up -- for better or for worse -- I have referenced some Motown hits as headers to guide through my reply. Those songs may be old, but their words still ring true today. I hope you like oldies, too; if not, please bare me with me!
"You had better stop and think"
That Aretha Franklin lyric is directed towards your partner, not you, because what he's doing just doesn't seem right to me. Admittedly, my answer is quite biased, but for the following reason: A lot of us at Scarleteen have had personal experience with bad partners. We want to help others get out of and avoid going through the same, especially when they describe something that seems off or uncomfortable. Fortunately, there are a lot of great people out there, too; they say "you better shop around" for a reason, right?
But for now, however, I'd like to focus on what bothers me about this guy.
In the same line, you write that this guy, perhaps not a serious boyfriend but definitely a long-term sexual partner, is "seriously weird" and has "waaay more experience" than you.
While human sexuality can be healthfully explored and expressed in many ways and forms, the bottom line being mutual consent, his bragging about things that, clearly, make you very uncomfortable is inconsiderate and, in fact, quite cruel. That he uses his "so-called" sexual experience and prowess to make you feel "so naive and inexperienced and SOOOOOO vanilla" is total BS to me. You do not seem any of those things, but even if you were, why would that be a problem? And to throw a random curveball, some flavor "experts" believe that one's preference for the taste of vanilla does not mean that person is boring or bland, but rather possesses an acute and finely tuned sense of taste. You're welcome to disagree, but you could even interpret that in a positive sexual way, too.
"It was just my imagination... running away with me"
The Temptations are talking about daydreaming in a positive way there, but having your head stuck in the clouds can also be a bad thing.
Honestly, I am not even sure if I believe all this "experience" he talks about. Maybe it's for real but I have to wonder if he's confusing his, obviously extensive knowledge of porn and/or vivid imagination with his real-life experience. While I'm neither a medical doctor nor an expert on sex toys, the bit about about the three-foot dildo seems more than a bit unrealistic. So much so that I, in fact, I googled the term to see what was out there.
You know, I'm pretty open-minded, but I'll admit I was holding my breath (and wondering what this was going to do to my google cache) when I did it. That's because, to me, being open-minded means believing "to each, their own" while also being honest with myself as to my own personal tastes. I can be OK with stuff, sexual or otherwise, without being into it or even totally comfortable with it myself.
Back to the search results: Pretty much every site that came up was porn-related, to no great surprise. (Perhaps your boyfriend would recognize some of the titles?) I did find one adult sexuality site that mentioned the dangers of the deep penetration using even a 1.5-2 ft dildo and recommended a few safety precautions. That makes sense now, come to think of it. Porn stars are professionals in their field and, as with anything film-related, there tends to be a lot of airbrushing and special effects editing.
My point to all that: I think he may very well be fibbing. He might be making you feel bad, but he could very well be fooling himself, too. I have a feeling that Mr. Experienced-Beyond-Belief may be making a lot of this up in order to hide his, yes, his own feelings of (sexual) inadequacy. And you shouldn't have to do that in a relationship! Good relationships are about you being you at your happiest (at least more often happy than not) and make you feel good about exactly the person you are, no ifs ands or buts about it, rather than what someone else, or even you, wish you were. That you're not happy and feeling the need to walk on eggshells makes me sad, but it doesn't -- and shouldn't -- have to be that way!
There's nothing wrong with not having a lot of "experience"! Honestly, the concept of "experience" in a sexual sense doesn't mean much, because things are different every time, even with each partner: our mood, our hormones, our history, it's always changing. If anything, good experience show us this and reminds us to be a bit more patient, understanding, and modest. Someone can have had 100 partners but that's not saying much if it wasn't positive. To me, good sex is more about a good attitude, awareness of our desires and limitations, as well as those of our partner/s. This is best accomplished by, first, self-exploration and, later, communication with others. There may be a lot of words exchanged, but I'm not seeing good communication going on with you two and, chances are, nor was it there with his past partners.
Let's get back to why people lie: I believe that lying is often about this: People make stuff up because they don't feel adequate, good enough about who they really are. Therefore, in order to feel better or measure up, they feel they the need to embellish their pasts. This is unfortunate for them, because we're all OK as is. These lies become unfair and unkind when used to make others' feel bad, which could very well be what your boyfriend is doing now. I'm not the guy and I'm not a mind reader so I can't say for sure what's going on in my mind, but it could be the case.
OK, let's switch gears and assume that all he's said is true. That's fine and certainly possible. However, it's downright inappropriate and disrespectful for him to rub it in your face when it makes you unhappy and uncomfortable.
Open communication in a sexual partnership is one thing; sharing each and every detail and experience is another. Disclosing one's sexual medical history is essential; talking about how past experiences made you feel is important, too. Additionally, some partners enjoy hearing about partners' past sexual escapades. Others are turned on by hearing, watching, or even participating in sexual activities with their partner and third part(ies). However, plenty of people do not feel this way and it sounds like you're one of them. Perfectly fine, and something he needs to recognize and respect. RESPECT! That's the key word here, just as Aretha sings it loud and proud. It's not about you being open-minded, because you certainly are, it's about his respecting your boundaries.
Scarleteen has an article on pornography (linked below) that explores different viewpoints on porn: The bottom line is porn is a personal decision, that's is OK as long as it doesn't get in the way of one's everyday life. That said, porn is fantasy and not meant to be a guide for partnered sex in real-life relationships. You may not be a fan of porn, but you aren't telling him to stop looking at it; to me, that's being open-minded and understanding. You are allowed to disagree, that it's not all art to you. Just as you accept he feels differently on the topic, he needs to respect your feelings on porn. This is the case for other relationship stuff, too: It's always OK to respectfully disagree. Ultimately, it's your -- or his -- choice to take it or leave the relationship, because of it, if it's that important. And that's OK, too.
"What's going on?"
Marvin Gaye may not have been singing about your boyfriend, but I have to agree: What is going on between this guy and the ex you mention? While it's technically fine for him to freely exchange information with friends, pornographic or not and regardless gender, that exchange does seems quite fishy based upon other things you describe here.
His ditching you all of the sudden to help a friend, who also happens to be an ex of questionable relationship status, whom he is secretive about, was an incredibly a crappy thing to do. Totally unacceptable in my book for a number of reasons. While we don't have to share all the nitty gritty details of our lives with our partners, we also shouldn't be hiding things from them. (His behavior here strikes me as especially odd, considering how he overshares so much other stuff with you!)
Long-distance relationships can be challenging in that they go from long-time-no-see to 24/7-togetherness. It's OK or even recommended to set aside some alone time during those visits, be it to do schoolwork, exercise, catch up with friends or just be alone. However, it's also recommended -- even important -- for you to get to know each other's family and friends. It helps you and your partner get to know each other better and share your lives, and those people tend to want to know their friend's special partner. Hiding a partner isn't a good sign.
"Does your mama know about me?"
Bobby Taylor may been talking about his girlfriend's mom, but I'm going to apply that to your boyfriend's ex. Unfortunately, I get the feeling here that he's not being honest with either of you-- you or his ex... and who knows who else! Plus, he isn't even all that smooth about it. Mature people are generally able to interact with their exes decently, assuming there wasn't abuse or bad air between the two of them. While some people need a long break from a former flame, others feel the importance of still being there to lend a hand. I can understand that your guy here wanted to help out, but it just doesn't add up.
What bugs me most, however, perhaps even more so than the apparent deceit, is that he left you all of a sudden. If he has to rush to help a friend in dire need due to an emergency, that'd be one thing (and you'd probably be able to go along.) Ditching you in a strange place all of the sudden for something premeditated is another.
"You keep me hanging on."
The Supremes speak of a boyfriend whom they realize is no good for them. Still, they can't seem to let go. You mention he works to keep you coming back when you're 1,500 miles away. Well, you do seem like a cool person who, yes, he is lucky to be with! However, to look at this in a less positive light, his wanting to keep you around isn't necessarily a good thing. It could be because he's manipulative, even a bit sadistic, and enjoys making you uncomfortable. Totally not OK. With good reason, you speak of his actions making you "almost want to call it quits." My question is what's holding you back? Again, I recognize that there are surely some good things in this relationship, but right now the bad things seem to totally outweigh those. You deserve better.
"Leavin' here"
Eddie Holland sings, "All you fellas better change your ways / they're getting sick and tired / They're leaving this town in a matter of days." He's talking about women done wrong by the men in their lives. Granted, this sweeping statement cannot be applied to all men or all women. However, I hope it applies to you.
It is your choice as to what you're going to do about this relationship. But because you asked, I recommend physically leaving as soon as you can -- can you catch an earlier flight or stay with someone else or in a hotel? -- and ending this relationship. [You could go to the message boards if you need some help with this or email back.] Normally, I'd recommend talking it out, discussing what you want and seeing what he wants, and how you're feeling about this all. However, I don't see that healthy dynamic present; in fact, I believe the relationship could even be abusive. As you said, you "don't even know how to begin to talk to him" and worry that, should you raise these very valid points, he'd disregard them and you'd feel "underappreciated." It shouldn't be that way... it's not your fault and not something to beat yourself up over, but I'd just make the move to end it here, once and for all.
Again, you don't even owe him an explanation if you don't feel comfortable giving him one. I do recommend, however, getting out of there asap once you do say it, because I'm concerned about his treatment of you. As you said yourself, you "worry" are you "going to starting bullying myself into doing sexual things I wouldn't do otherwise." That really, really worries me to hear, because that's a red flag in a relationship. You are smart to recognize a potential danger; please get out as soon as you can. I have included the Abusive Partner Checklist at the bottom; I am concerned about you.
"You make me feel (like a natural woman)"
Cheesy lyrics aside, good relationships should make you feel, to borrow from Aretha again, "so good inside." Right now I'm going to assume, or hope (as I said from the start, this is a very biased answer), that you will leave soon or even have left this guy already.
Let's talk about you and what we can do to help you feel good about yourself, in or out of future relationships.
I'd start by recommending you get a full STI screening; we recommend these for any and everyone who is sexually active; however, in your situation, I would give you an extra strong recommendation to do so. I'm saying this not because of his sexual orientation but because of what appears to be lying and deceitful behavior.
I also want to address your own sexuality and open-mindedness. You are perfectly fine as you are; you don't seem "boring" or "bland" or "close-minded" or "naive" at all! Even if you "were," it'd be perfectly OK, because it's important that we stay true to ourselves. My challenge is for you to reflect upon your own sexual preferences and views on sexuality, not so much about your past experiences but personal philosophy. I want you to get to a place where you feel good about who you are. I feel good about you and I'm sure many others do; this guy may not, but he's a jerk and his whole view is skewed. However, I realize that's all easier said than done.
Discovering and experiencing our sexuality is a lifelong journey. (Quick, cue the music!) I believe it's best started through education (please see the articles below), reflection (reviewing what you want and what you've had) and discussion (talking to helpful friends and family or even a professional counselor.) I'd also recommend taking a break from relationships for awhile while you're working on this.
"Reach out, I'll be there"
You truly do seem like a great person-- one who's stuck in an unfortunate situation right now, but not forever. Please do reach out to the resources available to you -- friends, family, the volunteers and users here, for starters -- we all want to see you happy and in healthy relationships, with yourself and others.
I would like you to give yourself credit for your strength and intuition. I understand that you're confused right now, quite rightfully so: This is a tough space to be in. Dealing with it is hard, harder than you or anyone should have to work for a relationship. However, I think you already know that in your heart of hearts. It's amazing how our gut can tell us when something seems wrong, even if our heart or head's telling us otherwise. Good luck, and please do stay in touch!
I've added a lot of links to articles here. There are quite a bunch, but just start with a few that look interesting and continue if you'd like- - they're all useful and applicable in different ways.
10 of the Best Things You Can Do for Your Sexual Self (at Any Age)
Why I Deeply Dislike Your Older Boyfriend (I know this guy is just three years older but I see the unequal dynamics that make it worth mentioning)
Be a Blabbermouth! The Whats, Whys and Hows of Talking About Sex With a Partner
Blinders Off: Getting a Good Look at Abuse and Assault
Getting Through a Breakup Without Actually Breaking
Making Sense of Porn and other Sexual Media
Potholes & Dead Ends: Relationship Roadblocks to Look Out For
Reciprocity, Reloaded
Safe, Sound & Sexy: A Safer Sex How-To
Safer Sex...for Your Heart
Seven Ways to Love Your Body
Sexual Negotiation for the Long Haul
Squirt: On Ejaculation
Supermodel: Creating & Nurturing Your Own Best Relationship Models
Testing, Testing..
To Be... AWESOME or Just Be –– Tips on Making the Most of Your Life Right Now!
Working the Kinks Out


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subset: commoncrawl


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Fukushima reminds us that nuclear technology is inherently dangerous, whether in a reactor or in a bomb. There are 443 nuclear reactors in operation around the world; there are 22,000 weapons. The reactors have some justification; the bombs have none. Like a doomsday machine that no one has yet turned off, thousands of nuclear bombs still sit atop missiles ready to launch within minutes. Thousands more are stacked in reserve, dangerously vulnerable to theft or accident.
None of these weapons, each capable of killing hundreds of thousands of innocents in an instant, has a necessary military mission today. US officials admit that the 200 or so hydrogen bombs we keep in Europe are "purely symbolic" and do not figure into any operational plan. Nor would a US president ever need to push the button that would drop 100 bombs each on Moscow, St. Petersburg and dozens of other Russian cities. But these weapons still trigger fierce debate in Washington, with conservative politicians arguing against any efforts to cut their number like Japanese soldiers lost in the jungle, fighting on long after the war has ended.
Worse, their existence and continued enshrinement in national security strategies provoke and justify weapons programs by others. Tad Daley takes this issue head on in his new book Apocalypse Never: Forging the Path to a Nuclear Weapon-Free World.
Unsustainable Policy
Daley says, "perpetual possession means perpetual proliferation." Every time the United States goes on a diplomatic mission it brings with it the baggage of over 2,000 operational nuclear warheads. It is an avoidable hypocrisy that undermines our efforts to check the spread of nuclear weapons around the world. Ambassador Celso Amorim, former minister of External Relations in Brazil, made this point clear at a Washington conference in March. Brazil had a nuclear program in the 1980s, abandoned it, and has been a champion against nuclear weapons since. But its partnership is not guaranteed. "I honestly don't see how Brazil will take further steps in relation to nonproliferation," said Amorim, "before seeing some steps being taken on disarmament."
Daley hammers away at this enduring strategic reality, but does not go into detail on timelines for the elimination of these weapons. Many others do. This month, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov in The International Herald Tribune jointly applauded the approval of the US-Russian New START agreement to cut nuclear arms. No time to rest on our laurels, though. "We should build on this momentum and take new actions" to accelerate the implementation of New START reductions, forge ahead with new negotiations for deeper cuts in all categories of nuclear arms and take unilateral measures to cut weapons and reduce state secrecy."
Transparency is one of the keys to further reductions. It can reduce suspicions, increase mutual confidence and dispel some of the nuclear mystique. National Security Advisor Tom Donilon indicated last month the administration might move more in this direction: "As a first step, we would like to increase transparency on a reciprocal basis concerning the numbers, locations, and types of nonstrategic forces in Europe." This could build towards the type of rigorous inspection system that Daley and others say will be necessary to eliminate all weapons.
Less Bang, More Bucks
One need not be a nuclear abolitionist to see that a policy that reduces their number pays not just security dividends but financial ones. Buried in this year's budget are funds for the development of the next generation of nuclear-armed submarine, bombers, and missiles. If carried out, the replacement programs would cost $300 billion over the next ten years.
These are weapons that we do not need, built to counter a threat that no longer exists, with money that we no longer have. A growing bipartisan consensus is coming to appreciate this reality. As Republican financier Peter G. Peterson wrote, "We should reduce the size of the arsenal and limit funding for nuclear research."
Normalization of Zero
Can we? Daley thinks so: "If people believe that elimination of nuclear weapons is possible, they will actively work to bring it about." I agree. In fact, there is a growing bipartisan consensus that we can and must, including Henry Kissinger, James Baker, Colin Powell, Bill Perry and Sam Nunn.
This consensus has yet to fully reach Washington, although the bipartisan approval of the New START treaty last December (with 13 Republican votes) was encouraging. Normalizing the goal of zero nuclear weapons will put us on the path to a safer world—one in which citizens do not live under the shadow of impending annihilation and terrorists have no access to the world's deadliest weapons. Daley's book is a worthy contribution to this effort.


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To help promote MoMA's Tim Burton retrospective, we asked Burton himself to animate the MoMA logo for a thirty-second video that would be used to promote the exhibition on television, at the Museum, and online. Tim quickly came up with a concept utilizing stop-motion animation, and he asked Allison Abbate, his producer on Corpse Bride (2005) and the upcoming full-length version of Frankenweenie, if she could help pull things together.
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November 13, 2009
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Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota
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Potosi, Wisconsin
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LeClaire, Iowa
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Hannibal, Missouri
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St. Louis, Missouri
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Memphis, Tennessee
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Natchez, Mississippi
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New Orleans, Louisiana
Going Down the Great River Road
- Route distance:
- 2,254 km
- Suggested Time:
- 1-2 weeks
Follow the Mississippi River from Minnesota to Louisiana
The beating heart of America lies in its great middle. The pulsing artery of the nation is the Mississippi River and following its path by car provides a unique and unforgettable view of this nation. This is the river that sparked the imagination of one of the USA's finest authors, Mark Twain. Control of the river was a key factor in determining who won the U.S. Civil War. For much of the nation's early history, the Mississippi was as important to the USA as the Nile to Egyptians. It stretches from its headwaters in icy Lake Itasca in Northwestern Minnesota and flows more than 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles) to the Gulf of Mexico, fed by dozens of tributaries along the way. A trip down the Great River Road, a series of thoroughfares stretching from Minnesota to Louisiana, is an opportunity to experience a wide range of American regional culture and the eclectic diversity of its people. To understand the river is to understand the USA. Plan your next Great River Road trip and explore the USA even more.
Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota
Begin your trip in Minnesota when you fly into Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport. The modern metropolis of Minneapolis was the jumping off point for westward expansion and home to grain mills along the Mississippi River banks, remnants of which you can see today. The friendly city was also the lifelong home to one of the USA's most innovative performers: Prince. The First Avenue Club is the venue where Prince began performing and would continue to play throughout his career. Nearby in Bloomington, the Mall of America – the second largest shopping mall in the United States – offers 500 retail stores, rollercoaster rides, luxury hotels and a water park. In the summer, catch a Minnesota Twins game at Target Field, consistently ranked as one of the best ballparks in Major League Baseball.
Potosi, Wisconsin
After Minneapolis drive south through Minnesota to the quaint town of Potosi. The National Brewery Museum in Potosi, Wisconsin merges the transportation and commerce that the Mississippi is known for with Wisconsin's storied brewing heritage. The museum explores the history of Midwestern brewing and offers tours of the facility where its beer is made. The museum also has a dedicated section on the history of the Great River Road. After the tour, cross the border into Iowa at Dubuque, which sits as the crossroads of Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. There you can visit the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and stretch your legs on a walk in Eagle Point Park, taking in the panoramic river views.
LeClaire, Iowa
The picturesque town of LeClaire, Iowa is the perfect place to take a ride on an iconic Mississippi River riverboat complete with a red paddle wheel that will take you back in time. The cruises are 90 minutes long and discuss the importance of the Mississippi River. After, stop at the not-to-be-missed Buffalo Bill Museum, commemorating LeClaire's most famous native son William "Buffalo Bill" Cody and his Wild West Show. For birdwatchers, LeClaire has some of the best viewing areas for migratory bald eagles. Fans of reality television will not want to miss Antique Archeology, the antique shop featured on the TV show American Pickers.
Hannibal, Missouri
No trip on the Great River Road would be complete without a visit to the hometown of one of the USA's most beloved authors, Mark Twain. His boyhood home and museum are situated in a recreated town animated by historical actors and interpreters. It is a charming and immersive introduction to the life and times of one of the world's greatest literary icons. If this isn't enough Americana for you, the museum also features 15 original Norman Rockwell oil paintings.
St. Louis, Missouri
As you drive into St. Louis, Missouri, the state's second largest city, you will see the famous Gateway Arch. Marvel at the massive landmark from below, then take the elevator up to the top for panoramic views of the city. Take a break from driving with a stroll through the sprawling Forest Park, where you'll find the St. Louis Zoo, Missouri History Museum and more. Afterward, head to Busch Stadium, home to the St. Louis Cardinals, to catch a baseball game right in the center of town.
Memphis, Tennessee
Cruise through St. Louis into Memphis, Tennessee known as the "home of the Blues." Catch some of the city's favorite tunes along Beale Street and learn about music history at Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum. Make sure to track down some authentic Memphis barbecue at spots like Central BBQ or Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous. The two major attractions in Memphis are Graceland and The National Civil Rights Museum. Graceland is the iconic estate of the King of Rock 'n Roll Elvis Presley. With its shag rugs, mountains of gold records and two private planes, the Lisa Marie and Hound Dog II, Graceland is the ultimate monument to Elvis' life and aesthetic. The National Civil Rights Museum is housed in the former Lorraine Motel, the site of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination in 1968. After paying tribute to Dr. King and The King, stop by the Peabody Hotel for a drink and one of Memphis' quirkiest and most beloved traditions: the duck walk.
Natchez, Mississippi
No trip through the Deep South would be complete without a visit to a stately, antebellum Southern mansion, and Natchez, Mississippi offers enchanting options. Longwood, a one-of-a-kind octagonal mansion with an onion dome, was built in 1860, though the interior was never completed due to the outbreak of the Civil War. A great place to eat nearby is the Carriage House, an eatery in another 19th century mansion serving Southern staples and a very popular brunch.
New Orleans, Louisiana
End your study of the Great River Road in New Orleans, a Louisiana city that just bursts with music. Walk around the French Quarter to take in the unique buildings and narrow streets with art galleries, eateries and more. Take in the action on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, where revelers party in the street; or opt for a more low-key night taking in jazz and other local beats on Frenchmen Street. Once your journey is complete, head to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport to travel home.
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Venue Guide: Lesser-Known Hip Hop Spots


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DENVER -- The deeper the Denver Broncos play into this season, the harder it is to pick against them.
There's simply something to this team that goes far beyond its mind-boggling offensive statistics or the star power of its quarterback. It's the Broncos' mental toughness, their unyielding belief that they can weather whatever challenges come their way. Now that they've drawn the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII, the Broncos are looking even more like a team about to claim its third championship in franchise history.
For all the great things Seattle has accomplished this season, the Seahawks are arriving at the wrong place at the wrong time. This is the year when Peyton Manning and the Broncos get to savor being the team of destiny, the squad that can thrive even when chaos hovers all around them. They've lost key starters on their offensive line. They watched their best defensive player tear his ACL before the regular season ended and their best defensive back suffer the same fate in their first playoff game. Oh yeah, Broncos head coach John Fox also missed a month of work after undergoing open-heart surgery.
The point here is that Denver is officially this year's Baltimore Ravens, with Manning playing a role that worked well for Ray Lewis last year. That team battled through extensive adversity before eventually beating San Francisco in Super Bowl XLVII. The Broncos now have a similar attitude -- that they will not be deterred -- that is working in their favor.
"What we've been through, throughout the year, how we finished last year, everybody deserves to be in at this point," said Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker, referring to Denver's upset playoff loss to Baltimore last season. "It just shows how we stuck together and now we have an opportunity to play in the big game."
The Broncos also have a chance to face a Seattle team that they should beat. There's no question the Seahawks have a great defense: relentless pass rush, speed and athleticism at linebacker and aggressive ball hawks on the back end. What they don't have, however, is an offense that is dynamic enough to exploit a Broncos defense that has been depleted by injuries to players like Pro Bowl outside linebacker Von Miller, defensive end Derek Wolfe, safety Rahim Moore and cornerback Chris Harris. That unit surprisingly has played well in the postseason and that means Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson could face more issues than you'd expect.
For one thing, New England quarterback Tom Brady couldn't dominate the Broncos' defense -- he went 24-for-38 with 277 yards and one touchdown -- in Denver's 26-16 win in the AFC Championship Game. The Seahawks have marginally better talent at receiver than the Patriots but they've also been hurt in two areas. Wide receiver Percy Harvin was plagued by injuries all season and ultimately sat out Seattle's 23-17 win over San Francisco in Sunday's NFC title game. The Seahawks also lost wide receiver Sidney Rice to a torn ACL in late October.
As much as Seattle has survived with less heralded targets like Golden Tate, Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse, this is still an offense that ranked 26th in the NFL with 202.2 passing yards per game. This really is a unit built around the power running of Marshawn Lynch and the opportunities that approach creates for Wilson's play-action passing. Seattle simply doesn't have the weapons in the passing game to frighten a Broncos secondary that has quickly become a patchwork unit. That matters big in a game where Seattle will need to score touchdowns to win.
The Seahawks also won't be facing a quarterback who will make the errors that doomed San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick on Sunday. Kaepernick had three fourth-quarter turnovers in that contest, including an interception in the final seconds that resulted from Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman tipping an ill-advised pass to linebacker Malcolm Smith for the game-clinching interception. Forget for one moment Sherman's postgame bluster or the classless way he celebrated that play -- by taunting wide receiver Michael Crabtree and clutching his throat in the choke sign. Manning isn't making that throw in that situation. He's going to find the weakest link in the Seahawks' secondary and wear that guy out whenever possible.
That doesn't mean the Seahawks won't get theirs. They deserve all the hype they're getting on that side of the football. It's just that Manning didn't set league records for passing yards and passing touchdowns in a single season solely by getting on a nice roll. He's blessed with exceptional talent around him and a league that is biased toward offense. In other words, bet on Seattle -- a team that loves to clutch and bully receivers -- to not get nearly as many breaks from the officials as it might against other opponents.
This contest already is shaping up as a possible swan song for Manning, which means the emotional advantage resides in Denver. There's clearly a noticeable looseness to him at this time of year that has never been visible in the past. This is a man who was fighting to keep his career alive three years ago, after four neck surgeries nearly sidelined him forever. He can appreciate the effort it took to overcome both that and his departure from the Indianapolis Colts, the franchise that drafted him into the NFL in 1998.
Manning certainly recognizes how close he is to the conclusion of a phenomenal career. If this is where it's going to end, he's entirely comfortable with dropping one-liners at his news conferences and savoring the ride for all it's worth. Great quarterbacks with that type of mindset are tough to beat at this time of year. As Manning said after completing 32 of 43 passes for 400 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday, "Playing quarterback is what I was focused on doing today. Nothing more than that."
In many ways, Manning's past three NFL seasons fit perfectly with what the Broncos have become as a team this season. They've had to learn new things about themselves, adjust on the fly and face the doubts that lingered in the wake of last year's crushing playoff loss to Baltimore. The lone upside of that defeat is that it created a hunger in Denver that has driven the Broncos to this point. While Seattle is just blossoming into a perennial championship contender, the Broncos understand they have only so much time left to win a title with Manning under center.
So while this year's Super Bowl is a clash of the two best teams in football -- the top scoring offense versus the top scoring defense -- it also will be a reminder of how championships are now won in this league. There's no doubting that Seattle has the advantage in depth and health at the moment. On the other hand, Denver has shown more resolve and toughness in a season that offered setback after setback. Given what we've seen from recent champions, those are simply difficult traits to bet against.


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I think it's called irony, not plagiarism
That's the most humorous -and logical-thing to do if they really think that Cuppertino stole their design (which, to be fair, appears quite likely, as the main point of that article of yours ridiculing the claim was that the devices don't run the same OS -which is, as the claim was about design, pretty far from the point -"several thousand light years appart"-style far).
I mean, whether or not Apple stole their design -my take on this is "yes" but...- there is no way that this company could get justice from an US court (what with Apple pockets being bottomless and merkin IP system only recognizing merkin intellectual "property" -even when it's a blatant rip-off, when there's a metric ton of proven prior art or when the idea is so blindingly obvious that any 3-yo kid in human history probably came up with a similar idea).
So they choosed to flip the bird at Mighty Apple instead, probably making some cash in the process as I can totally see a lot of people parting cash for this, either for it's ironic value or not, especially in China. Mind you, I'm not even remotely Chinese and I would totally get one of those if they were available here, just fo' teh lulz. And chances are Shenzhen can get away with it, too. Which is the way it should be. Frankly that's hillarious, and it's only a skin (i.e. design) so it's appropriate retaliation, too.


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Monday, June 11, 2007
Erskin on the History of WTO Dispute Resolution since 1947
Daniel H. Erskine, Esq., has posted a brief abstract for an article, Resolving Trade Disputes, the Mechanisms of GATT/WTO Dispute Resolution. It appeared in the Santa Clara Journal of International Law. The article itself is not posted, but the author can be reached through his SSRN page. Here's the abstract: The World Trade Organization's Dispute Settlement Body grew out of decades of experience and the frustrations of sovereign nations regarding the method of settling international conflicts between states over tariff and trade issues. This article discusses the historical development of the World Trade Organization's dispute resolution system. The first section analyzes a number of agreements and proposals entered into and put forward during the period from 1947 through 1990. The second section addresses the instrument which inaugurates the World Trade Organization's current dispute settlement procedure and further describes a number of submissions by nations for improvements to the mechanism.


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I recently replaced my interface (that had two headphone jacks and volume pots) with a new interface that only has one of each. My next move was to pull my 13-year-old Rolls HA-43 headphone amp out of the box-o-cables-and-stuff. I noticed that there's a crackling noise audible when you change the volume on any of the sliders.
Here's the weird part: This happens on all of them. (Will double-check that it's all four channels, and not just the first two.) In the same way. And I'm fairly certain that it didn't used to make that noise.
What might have caused this? Is it worthwhile to diagnose and fix, or should I just toss it out and buy a new one?


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MEDINA, Ohio – The generosity of a 14-year-old Ohio boy had both tears and donations flowing during an auction at the Medina County Fair.
When Austin Lettner decided to auction his 230-pound hog Millhouse, he decided not to keep the money for himself.
"One day my parents just asked me, well asked me and (my brother) Logan if we wanted to keep the money for our pigs or donate it, and we said donate the money," Austin said.
The decision was made to donate the proceeds from the auction to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He hoped to raise about $1,000.
"The people that we are donating the money to, they need the money more than we do. No kid should have cancer," he added.
When the auction for Millhouse started on Sunday, the bidding soared. Bidders ran the price far above the average to an amazing $12 a pound, raising nearly $3,000.
But the auction was far from over.
The auctioneer told those in the barn that, while they don't normally do this, they would open it up for anyone who wanted to donate an additional dollar a pound to go directly to the charity.
"It was a sea of cards that just came up," said Jamie Lettner, Austin's father.
More than 20 people bid an additional $230 with one bidder giving $500.
"All the way through here there wasn't a dry eye from the biggest burliest men to the highest paid-guy in here. Everybody was just tearing up and crying, they were so proud of these boys and themselves. They should be extremely proud of themselves for coming and and supporting these children. Not just mine, but all of them," Lettner said.
"It was just an amazing feeling to me to see everyone throwing up their signs and bidding for it," Austin said.
When the bidding finished, the effort raised more than $11,000.
"They are not farmers. They run gravel pits, they run shoe stores to have them come out and put that money back into their community, it's a beautiful thing," the boy's father said.
"It just shows the quality of people here in Medina County, that individuals would do something like that and the buyers would do so much more on top of it," said Michael Gall, the livestock sale president.
"It's just so heartwarming and it makes you feel good as a parent that my children chose to donate some of their money, instead of keeping it for themselves. They could have done a lot with that money, but instead they chose to help kids and families who need it more than they do," said Stacey Lettner, Austin's mother.
To magnify the charitable effort, the buyers donated Millhouse to help feed people through another local charity.
Later, when Austin sold another of his hogs, the bidders rewarded him for his charitable contribution by bidding $10 a pound.
Both Logan and Austin hope their charitable efforts will inspire other members of 4-H, a youth development organization, to do the same thing.
"What makes me happy is when the whole family comes out and supports the fair supports the kids," said fair board president Bob Toth.
During the fair, many 4-H members show their animals that they have spent months raising.
"The goal is to get it to proper weight. They are invited to the auction. They are able to sell at auction and hopefully, the proceeds pays for the cost of that animal and all that feed," Toth said.


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Many Austrians Are Wrong About Peak Oil Theory
Time and again I read Austrian School economists dissing Peak Oil Theory. They likely do this because they have not taken the time to fully understand the theory behind peak oil. Instead, they get caught up in the doom and gloom predictions made by many proponents of Peak Oil Theory and the erroneous calls for some sort of government intervention to alleviate the matter. The problem with this dismissive attitude, however, is that by not acknowledging the validity of Peak Oil Theory, the Austrians lose legitimacy in the eyes of a large percentage of the population, namely the environmental left.
In my younger days I, too, dismissed environmental concerns such as air pollution and overfishing, because in the back of my mind any acknowledgment of such would seemingly destroy the validity of the free-market. Only after having missed many opportunities with environmentalists did I finally discover a way to reconcile free-market economics with the environment. The same can be said for many Austrian economists who fail to acknowledge the validity of Peak Oil Theory.
One recent example of Peak Oil Theory denial is a piece written by David Deming and published by LewRockwell.com. To be sure, I am not familiar with David Deming or his economic background. My apologies to Austrians if David is not a student of our school. This attack on Peak Oil Theory, among other articles, having been published by LRC and Mises.org does demand a response from at least one student of the Austrian School and proponent of Peak Oil Theory. I will now go line by line of David's article and pick apart his faulty logic.
Peak Oil is the theory that the production history of petroleum follows a symmetrical bell-shaped curve. Once the curve peaks, decline is inevitable.
True. For anyone who studies math, physics, or pretty much any other type of statistics or science, you'll find that the nature of systems commonly take the form of a Gaussian(bell-curve). Although, it doesn't have to necessarily be symmetrical.
The theory is commonly invoked to justify the development of alternative energy sources that are allegedly renewable and sustainable.
This is a loaded sentence. Whether or not the proponents of Peak Oil Theory advocate the use of renewable energy sources is moot. It has nothing to do with the validity of Peak Oil Theory. This is a smear attempt. Furthermore, he throws in the word "allegedly" as if solar, wind, and hydroelectric power are "allegedly" renewable. They are renewable. I don't think there is any disputing that.
Peak Oil theory was originated by American geologist M. King Hubbert. In 1956 Hubbert predicted that US oil production would peak between 1965 and 1970. When production peaked in 1970, it was interpreted as proof that Hubbert's model was correct and that US oil production had entered a period of inexorable and irreversible decline. Unanswered was the question of whether or not US production had declined simply because it had become cheaper to purchase imported oil.
Peak Oil is a theory based upon assumptions.
False. The theory does not rest on any assumptions about future demand. Regardless of whether demand skyrockets or plummets, the rate of production is destined to decline at some point. It is not a matter of if, but when.
Like other scientific theories, it is subject to empirical corroboration or falsification. Although Hubbert correctly predicted the timing of peak US oil production, several of his other predictions based on Peak Oil theory were wrong.
He is being extremely deceptive here. First, he writes about theories and empirical evidence, which is fine. But then he writes about false predictions. Predictions and theories are two totally separate beasts and he is trying to attack the theory of Peak Oil by way of false predictions. Example: Everyone on Earth will die(theory). Tomorrow, everyone will die (prediction). Two days from now when it is proven that not everyone is dead, will the theory then be proven false? The answer is no. Poor example, but you get the point.
Hubbert predicted that the maximum possible US oil production by 2011 would be one billion barrels. But actual production in 2011 was two billion barrels. Hubbert predicted that annual world oil production would peak in the year 2000 at 12.5 billion barrels. It didn't. World oil production in 2011 was 26.5 billion barrels and continues to increase. Hubbert was grossly wrong about natural gas production. In 1956 he predicted that by 2010 US annual gas production would be 4 TCF. But in 2010, US wells produced more than 26 TCF of gas.
Mere false predictions that add nothing of value to his claim that Peak Oil Theory is false.
The flaw of Peak Oil theory is that it assumes the amount of a resource is a static number determined solely by geological factors.
Is oil a static resource or is it not? If anyone can prove that oil is regenerated at a rate of any significance for human consumption then I will admit that Peak Oil Theory is wrong. But that hasn't happened. By all accounts the reserves (including undiscovered) of oil within planet Earth are understood to be finite. This fact alone shoots dead his entire argument.
But the size of a exploitable resource also depends upon price and technology. These factors are very difficult to predict.
How much oil can be exploited has nothing to do with the finite amount of oil that exists in Earth. The amount of oil that is exploitable in the future may change one's predictions when Peak Oil hits, but it does nothing to disprove the Theory of Peak Oil.
The US oil industry began in 1859 when Colonel Edwin Drake hired blacksmith Billy Smith to drill a 69-foot-deep well. Subsequent technological advances have opened up resources beyond the limits of our ancestors' imaginations. We can drill offshore in water up to eight-thousand feet deep. We have enhanced recovery techniques, horizontal drilling, and four-dimensional seismic imaging. Oklahoma oilman Harold Hamm is turning North Dakota into Saudi Arabia by utilizing hydraulic fracturing technology. US oil production has reversed its forty-year long decline. By the year 2020, it is anticipated that the US will be the world's top oil producer.
A nice history lesson that has nothing to do with disproving the Theory of Peak Oil.
For at least a hundred years, people have repeatedly warned that the world is running out of oil. In 1920, the US Geological Survey estimated that the world contained only 60 billion barrels of recoverable oil. But to date we have produced more than 1000 billion barrels and currently have more than 1500 billion barrels in reserve.
Again, these were predictions about what would be recoverable. The predicted amount that is recoverable has nothing to do with the amount of oil in existence.
World petroleum reserves are at an all-time high.
This is likely bullsh!t. I write "likely" because few people know for sure. There are only a handful of entities that have a true stock of global reserves. For example, there are many who believe that Saudi Arabia(the most productive OPEC nation by far) falsifies the true amount of reserves that they have. There is speculation that they overstate their reserves so as to intentionally keep the price of oil low. While one might think that Saudi Arabia would benefit from higher prices one must realize that the Saudi puppet King is beholden to the U.S. And the U.S. Federal Government does not want skyrocketing oil prices.
There are also many other political considerations concerning the amount any OPEC nation may produce relative to others. In other words, politics are likely hiding the true quantity of global reserves. Even if petroleum reserves are at an all-time high it says nothing about the future of reserves. It is false logic. Example: Home prices are at an all-time high. We have nothing to worry about. Crash!
The world is awash in a glut of oil.
Bullsh!t. Even by official reports the amount of oil that has ever been discovered in Earth is equivalent to three Lake Tahoes. And half of that has already been consumed. I would not call that awash. Would you?
Conventional oil resources are currently estimated to be in the neighborhood of ten trillion barrels.
Deception. Notice he uses the word resources here. There is a huge difference between sweet crude oil and oil shale, for example. Sweet crude can be easily extracted and yields a very high EROEI. Oil shale on the other hand is extremely difficult to extract. The amount of energy required to extract and produce usable oil from shale is relatively low to other forms of oil.
The resource base is growing faster than production can deplete it.
The resource base has not been growing at all. Oil is finite for all intents and purposes.
In addition to conventional oil, the US has huge amounts of unconventional oil resources that remain untouched. The western US alone has 2000 billion barrels of oil in the form of oil shales.
And we'll be lucky to net 200 billion of that.
At a current consumption rate of 7 billion barrels a year, that's a 286-year supply.
If we are lucky to net 200 billion barrels of oil it would mean a thirty year supply for the United States. This is also assuming the current consumption rate remains stagnant. I will admit, however, that in this regard one could count this as increased oil production. But it does not take into account the amount of oil necessary to extract oil shale. The net aggregate of produced oil will, at some point, decline.
Nine years ago, I predicted that "the age of petroleum has only just begun." I was right. The Peak Oil theorists, the malthusians, and the environmentalists were all wrong. They have been proven wrong, over and over again, for decades. A tabulation of every failed prediction of resource exhaustion would fill a library.
Notice how he throws the Malthusians in with Peak Oil theorists? It is clear to me that there is a very large difference between food production(renewable) and oil production(non-renewable).
Sustainability is a chimera. No energy source has been, or ever will be, sustainable. In the eleventh century, Europeans anticipated the industrial revolution by transforming their society from dependence on human and animal power to water power. In the eighteenth century, water power was superseded by steam engines fired by burning wood. Coal replaced wood, and oil and gas have now largely supplanted coal.
Sustainability is a chimera? And this gets a pass from the Austrian School economists? Krugman would be proud! Not only does this line of thinking promote high-time preference but I find it laughable that he could write that "no energy source has been, or ever will be, sustainable." Unless he wishes to employ the strawman argument, I think it's safe to say that solar energy is an inexhaustible resource.
In the far distant future we will probably utilize some type of nuclear power. But for at least the next hundred years, oil will remain our primary energy source because it is abundant, inexpensive, and reliable.
This is another prediction which has no bearing on the legitimacy of Peak Oil Theory. And as far as his prediction is concerned, if oil is our primary fuel for the next century it will not be because of its excellence as a resource, but because humanity is still burdened by the regressive beast called The State.
Petroleum is the lifeblood of our industrial economy. The US economy will remain stagnant and depressed until we begin to aggressively develop our native energy resources. As Harold Hamm has said, "we can do this." What's stopping us is not geology, but ignorance and bad public policy.
Finally, something I can agree with!
To conclude, Peak Oil Theory is real. Many libertarian types are guilty of attacking predictions made by proponents of Peak Oil Theory instead of the theory itself. While I'm all for attacking predictions made by Peak Oil Theorists and their naive(or sinister) calls for government intervention, the refusal to acknowledge the theory of Peak Oil automatically disqualifies libertarians from the discussion table. A strong case can be made that much of what governs United States foreign policy and global finance is a result of Peak Oil Theory. It behooves libertarians to study Peak Oil Theory in earnest and steer the conversation towards free-market problem solving instead of turning a blind eye to the theory altogether.
Seth King
California native Seth King created the Daily Anarchist in March 2010 in an effort to recruit citizens to exercise their liberty irrespective of government regulations. The ultimate goal of the Daily Anarchist is to de-legitimize state interference by the outright refusal to obey all laws that are unjust, aggressive in nature, and violate the libertarian ethic. Rapid and thorough understanding of the philosophy of freedom coupled with strategic non-violent, non-cooperation on the part of citizens the world over, can and will ensure genuine, lasting reform.
It is the position of the Daily Anarchist that there exists no political solution to our current socio-economic and environmental problems and that the only legitimate interactions between and among people are those freely assented to by all parties concerned.


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A popular accessory for macro shooting, the Wimberly PP100 Plamp is an easily positionable arm used to hold macro subjects and other useful objects. One end clamps to your tripod, while the clip grasps the object.
The Plamp holds a reflector or gobo in just the right spot to get that burst of light or shadow that changes a shot from okay to extraordinary. Get that annoying branch out of the shot without disturbing anything else. Position the gooseneck arm and a grey card to shade your lens or take a light reading. Or, hold a flower steady so that the shutter speed can be slow enough to get the aperture you'll need for extreme depth of field at macro distances.
- Length
- 22" (55.9cm) fully extended
- Weight
- 0.31 lb (140 g)


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1345.4 - SA Stats, Sep 2006
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 26/09/2006
Page tools: Print Page Print All | ||||
BUILDING APPROVALS For each of the last six months the total number (in trend terms) of dwelling units approved in South Australia has risen, from 884 in February 2006 to 968 in July 2006 (an increase of 9.5%). For the same six month period Australia dwelling units approved has risen by 10%, from 12,215 to 13,431. The trend estimate for Private sector houses has risen for the last 3 months to be 658. DWELLING UNITS APPROVED, Trend, South Australia Source: Building Approvals, Australia (cat. no. 8731.0) The total value (in trend terms) of building approvals for South Australia has fallen for the last six months to $243.3m in July 2006, while for Australia there has been an increase to $5,422.8m. VALUE OF BUILDING APPROVED, Trend, South Australia Source: Building Approvals, Australia (cat. no. 8731.0) Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window. |


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Berlin Plans To Reduce Spending While Giving Raises
BERLIN — The town of Berlin is proposing a balanced budget even though the Mayor and Council are currently including a 2-percent salary raise for all employees.
"We're not between a rock and a hard place. I think it's going to be a tight budget but I don't think it's going to make anybody miserable," said Mayor Gee Williams.
The proposed general fund for the upcoming fiscal year will be $4,775,001, a 2-percent reduction from last year's budget of $4,869,001. While expenditures are down, Williams did note that revenues have also seen a slight dip due mainly to recent property assessments that lowered values in Berlin. However, though revenue on that front decreased $172,000 or about 6 percent, the mayor took a positive look at the overall picture.
"Quite frankly, the way people were talking a couple of years ago, that's a relief compared to some of our worst fears," he said of the property tax revenue loss. "And I also believe that if some of the things that are in development come to fruition we'll make up that 6 percent before the next re-assessment."
Other areas have not been so lucky, Williams added, saying that revenue loss from property assessments has brought many towns "to their knees." Berlin is in a much better boat, said the mayor. He attributed much of that success to the town's emphasis on making Berlin as business friendly as possible.
"We just have to continue to support business development and economic development to the best of our ability," he said.
Having a dedicated force of town employees is another boon to Berlin that has attributed to its success, claimed Williams, which is why the council is currently including a 2-percent across the board raise for all employees in next year's budget.
"The department heads have shown very good management skills in managing their budgets for each department," he said.
This would be the second salary increase in three years, with employees receiving a bump in 2011 but only a one-time bonus last year. This is only a proposed budget and that could change before the plan is finalized early next month, however.
While the current budget is balanced, Town Administrator Tony Carson explained that there's a good chance the end budget could be even better. He pointed out that last year more revenue was collected than projected and Berlin seems to be on track to repeat that.
"Just last fiscal year we collected $1.2 million more than projected," he said. "We're on pace to again, probably not by $1.2 million but by a significant amount, have our revenues increase for FY13."
There's also an expectation that expenditures might come in lower than budgeted in the next fiscal year, which would continue a pattern of the last four years. If revenues come in higher and expenditures lower than expected, Carson remarked that Berlin is on a good path.
"Every year if we can have that we're certainly going to be able to have some significant fund balances," he said.
Berlin will also be entering this year's budget with a prior year surplus of $181,000, which makes up the majority of the $182,000 projected capital budget for next year.
Some areas the town hopes to see more revenue collected than projected would be casino grants and funding from the Department of Liquor Control (DLC). Just like last year the town is currently budgeting $200,000 in the expectation of local impact grant funding, the money that the Casino at Ocean Downs shares with Berlin for providing town services like police coverage. Last year that $200,000 was exceeded to the tune of about $216,000, something the council hopes to see again but is being cautious while budgeting.
Likewise, grant funding from the DLC liquor mart in Berlin is not being budgeted for. The $100,000 the town budgeted last year was not received and the council decided to take a better-safe-than-sorry approach this year and not expect anything. Should any money be received Williams said it will be considered a surprise.
A final budget won't be adopted until early May and the council still has to review the town's enterprise fund. Williams is expecting a basically flat budget, though, and highlighted how unusual that is with all of the changes to utilities this year. For example, an entire new stormwater utility has been added, while the electric utility has seen a $67,000 loss in revenue due to the council's decision to lower non-residential rates.
Sacrificing that revenue to offer businesses in town better electric rates was not a decisions taken lightly, said the mayor, but one he still fully supports.


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REUTERS Monday, 17 June 2013 09:27 AM EDT
When do you take the addict off the methadone?
That's essentially the dilemma facing the U.S. Federal Reserve's 19 policy makers when they meet in Washington this week.
Since the height of the financial crisis in 2008, the U.S. economy and everyone with a stake in it have become hooked on the massive amounts of stimulus injected by the U.S. central bank.
Now, though, consensus is building among policymakers that the time is nearing to adjust their $85 billion-a-month asset purchase program, dubbed quantitative easing, but divisions remain over just when to start reducing the dosage.
In recent weeks, even the program's most ardent supporters, including Chairman Ben Bernanke, have begun signaling a willingness to dial back the pace of bond buying before too much longer. Meanwhile, those who have never liked it insist the moment has arrived and worry the Fed's grip on markets is weakening the longer the program remains in full force.
"We haven't taken steps in the face of better data to scale it back. So I worry that the markets believe we don't have the capability or willingness to do that," Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser told Reuters in a recent interview.
Indeed, the question of the market's faith in the Fed has taken on added urgency in the weeks since Bernanke's May 22 comment that the Fed could reduce the pace of its quantitative easing in the "next few meetings" sparked a global bond and stock selloff that continues to reverberate.
It is a delicate balance Bernanke and his colleagues must now strike. Moving too soon risks jarring markets, sending interest rates higher and choking off credit to a sputtering recovery.
Still, it is also clear the center of gravity in the debate at the Fed has shifted closer to support for a slimmer program, with Chicago Fed's Charles Evans, centrist John Williams of the San Francisco Fed and dovish Boston Fed chief Eric Rosengren all growing warmer to the idea.
Some officials are eager to get away from the steady drip feed markets have come to expect in the hope this will break their habit of relying largely on guidance from the central bank, instead of shifts in the economy, to make their bets.
In this view, a policy meant to adjust dynamically to shifts in the economy has been held hostage to market expectations.
This week's two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting, which wraps up on Wednesday, is a critical juncture in the debate over the program's future. While chances remain slim that the panel will vote to start the so-called tapering process now, the debate over that timing and execution will be in full swing.
Fed officials will discuss probable sizes of a reduction in bond buying, and what economic signals would merit a decision to ease off a bit.
One idea is to buy fewer Treasurys, while leaving in place the $40-billion-a-month purchases of mortgage-backed securities, which some officials believe are more effective in supporting the economy.
But as they gauge the economy's readiness for a policy downshift, Fed officials don't see eye to eye.
To St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, for example, inflation is worryingly low; to Kansas City Fed President Esther George, who like Bullard has a vote on policy this year, the bigger risk is a future rise in inflation.
But several of those closer to Bernanke's inner circle see little risk on either inflation extreme.
At the Fed's last meeting on April 30-May 1, Dallas Fed chief Richard Fisher pushed for an immediate tapering, while another official, most likely Minneapolis Fed President Naryana Kocherlakota, wanted to step harder on the policy gas pedal.
Most of the policy makers wanted evidence of continued progress from the economy before scaling back.
The shift in views toward a potential easing in the pace of bond purchases is being driven by this year's sustained jobs growth, which has offered officials heart that the economy will emerge from its current fiscal policy-induced soft patch with a fair amount of vigor.
Still, there is widespread agreement that the economy is not ready yet. That means financial market anxiety, and the risk of a damaging spike in bond yields, is likely to build as the subsequent meetings in July and September approach.
A Reuters poll of economists on June 7 found that 42 of 48 expected the central bank to trim purchases before year-end. Of those, 21 said a reduction would likely occur in the third quarter; 19 specified September.
The gravitation toward a September exit date from earlier views closer to year-end circles back to Bernanke and his "next few meetings" comment during congressional testimony last month.
Some analysts speculate it was a deliberate move to shake up markets and remind them to pay attention to the economy.
If shaking up markets was the goal, it worked; the yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note is near its highest level in more than a year and bond market volatility has spiked. From a record low on May 9, the Merrill Lynch Volatility Expectations index has jumped more than 55 percent.
Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein suggested last week that slightly edgier markets may be just what the Fed wants to recalibrate monetary policy expectations.
"If you want to handle that in the best way, you create a little bit more uncertainty in the market," he told an event sponsored by Politico.
By lifting bond yields now, it could make an eventual trimming of bond purchases easier, while taking a little steam out of frothy markets. But it also carries the risk of disabling an economy fighting its way through a soft patch.
"It's created a lot of confusion in the market," said Scott Anderson, Bank of the West's chief economist and chair of the Economic Advisory Committee of the American Bankers Association, which meets regularly with Fed policymakers. "When I look at the economic numbers, I just don't see it yet, I just don't see the strength in the labor market that would require a scale back."
Just as Bernanke drove up expectations for a near-term reduction in bond buying, his comments sparked bets that the Fed would raise interest rates sooner than had been anticipated.
Before he spoke, interest rate futures markets were pricing in the first rate hike in April 2015. Early last week, they had October 2014. By Friday, they had moved back to January 2015.
Even that may be early.
Fed officials have said they do not plan to even consider raising rates until the unemployment rate, now at 7.6 percent, falls to at least 6.5 percent, as long as inflation does not threaten to go much above their 2 percent target.
Based on the latest Fed forecasts, unemployment isn't likely to fall that low until well into 2015. The central bank will release new forecasts on Wednesday.
"They are trying to keep the interest rate policy and the QE separate," said Ethan Harris, chief U.S. economist at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch. "They've got this guidance language in there on the interest rate that is supposed to anchor that. Well, the anchor is slipping fast here."
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text: NASIG 32nd Annual Conference Racing to the Crossroads June 8 to 11, 2017 Indianapolis, IN Publishers, vendors, librarians, and others in the fields of electronic resources and serials are encouraged to submit proposals relating to scholarly communication, publishing, resource acquisition, management, and discovery. Proposals based on emerging trends, case studies, and descriptive and experimental research findings are encouraged. Proposals reflecting the conference theme will be especially valued. As we have in recent years, the PPC specifically welcomes programs focusing on the Core Competencies that the NASIG Core Competency Task Force developed for Electronic Resources Librarians. Please refer to the [ Core Competencies ]( http://www.nasig.org/site_page.cfm?pk_association_webpage_menu=310&pk_association_webpage=1225 ). Program topics inspired by the Core Competencies include: ● Electronic resource life cycle and management ● Collection analysis and development ● Standards and systems of cataloging and classification, metadata, and indexing ● Technology and providing access to electronic resources ● Licensing and legal framework ● Standards, initiatives, and best practices ● Scholarly communication ● Life cycle of print serials ● Workflow of print resources ● Effective communication with those within and without the library community ● Supervision and management of staff in electronic and print serials departments ● Personal qualities of electronic and/or print serials resources librarians ● Management of projects related to electronic and/or print resources Please use the [ online form ]( https://proposalspace.com/calls/d/679 ) to submit a proposal or program or idea. This Call for Proposals will close on November 15, 2016. Please note the following: ● The PPC welcomes proposals that are still in the formative stages, and may work with potential presenters to focus their proposals further. ● Proposals should name any particular products or services that are integral to the content of the presentation. However, as a matter of NASIG policy, programs should not be used as a venue to promote or attack any product, service, or institution. ● Time management issues generally limit each session to one to three speakers for conference sessions. Panels of four (4) or more speakers are discouraged must be discussed in advance with the Program Planning Committee ([ prog-plan at nasig.org ]( mailto:prog-plan at nasig.org )) ● Please refer to the NASIG [ reimbursement policy ]( http://www.nasig.org/site_page.cfm?pk_association_webpage_menu=308&pk_association_webpage=1358 ) for reimbursement of speaker expenses. ● All session speakers must complete a [ Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) ]( http://www.nasig.org/site_page.cfm?pk_association_webpage_menu=308&pk_association_webpage=1364 ) prior to speaking at the conference. ● NASIG may provide online live streaming of presentation sessions, and all speakers will be required to give NASIG the right to stream this content. Inquiries may be sent to PPC at: [ prog-plan at nasig.org ]( mailto:prog-plan at nasig.org ) We look forward to a great conference in Indianapolis! Steve Kelley and Violeta Ilik NASIG PPC Chair and Vice-Chair ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Leigh Ann DePope Publicist, NASIG, Inc. publicist at nasig.org | @NASIG ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Established in 1985, NASIG is an independent non-profit organization working to advance and transform the management of information resources in all formats and business models. For more information about NASIG and our member opportunities, please visit http://www.nasig.org/.


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Web Design Training in Manchester, April 2024
Manchester Course schedule
Our Web design courses in Manchester are shown here — including links to course outlines and to details of course dates for April 2024
Course titles link to course outlines — providing detailed descriptions of course contents, prices, prerequisites, etc.
Dates link to summaries of essential facts about a specific course date in Manchester.
Manchester training centre details below — map, photos, directions, facilities, etc.
Manchester April 2024
- Basic HTMLOnline 1-day £450 Book
- Basic HTML1-day, Manchester £450 Book
- Web Design Essentls.2-day, Manchester £850 Book
- Basic CSSOnline 1-day £450 Book
- Basic CSS1-day, Manchester £450 Book
- CSS LayoutOnline 1-day £450 Book
- CSS Layout1-day, Manchester £450 Book
- Basic HTML1-day, Manchester £450 Book
- Web Design Essentls.2-day, Manchester £850 Book
Web design training centre Features & facilities
- Modern, well-equipped training rooms
- Right in the middle of Manchester's central business district
- Right next to Manchester Town Hall and Albert Square
- Within walking distance of Manchester Piccadilly, Victoria and Oxford Rd railway stations
- Direct trams from Manchester Victoria (Navy Line and Pink Line)
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- Direct trams from Manchester Deansgate (Blue, Green, Navy, Pink and Purple Lines)
- Adjacent to major bus routes
- Within yards of major hotels, entertainment, cultural and shopping facilities


text:
IBM has acquired Intelliden, a network automation software vendor, and will integrate the company's technology into its Tivoli Software group.
Intelliden was founded in 2000 by former WorldCom executives, to make technology that automates configuration of network devices such as hubs, routers and switches. This capability will be crucial as data centers adopt virtualization and cloud-based services, IBM said Tuesday.
"Analysts estimate that more than 60 percent of network outages are caused by manual configuration errors," IBM said in the acquisition announcement. "By acquiring this automation technology, IBM aims to help clients improve network service availability, decrease risk through compliance reporting and improve staff efficiency."
Intelliden's software is used by telecom companies, service providers and other enterprise customers, including Cbeyond, Scotia Capital, Telecom Italia and TELUS.
Intelliden recently released iAudit, a free cloud-based application that checks network device configurations against guidelines set by vendors such as Cisco and Juniper. Intelliden's products also include software that automates management of operating systems in multi-vendor networks; automation of network change and configuration management; and dynamic provisioning of network resources.
Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. IBM said its software group has acquired more than 50 companies since 2003.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Brown plans to admit wiretap evidence in court
Let the espionage masterclass commence
Updated Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to announce plans for at least a partial lift of the British ban on use of wiretap evidence in court, according to reports. The conclusions of the government's deliberations following the seven-month Chilcot Review into the policy have leaked to the media ahead of the planned announcement later today.
BBC political reporter Nick Robinson says he has learned that Brown is "minded" to allow use of phone-tap or other electronic intercept evidence in a small number of crucial cases. At present, such evidence is inadmissible in court.
The plans are expected to face strong opposition from the intelligence and security services, as they feel that making intercept evidence admissible will lead to their methods being revealed to the world. Under disclosure rules, it is difficult for British prosecutors and investigating spooks or police to withold any information in their possession which could be relevant to the case.
This is so that defence lawyers can have a chance to argue against it properly, but it has been known in the past for terrorist defendants to use the rules to gain valuable intelligence on the operating methods of the British security forces.
An example of the operational constraints this can impose can be found in the operations of bomb-disposal robots. The van from which the robot is controlled has facilities to record the video pictures sent by the robot, but this is never done (or at least never was when your correspondent was operational). The recordings would often be very useful, but they would also be potential admissible evidence - and a rich mine of intel for bomb-makers. So they don't get made in the first place, and this also saves the huge admin burden of collating and storing the tapes under evidence-handling rules.
Interception of Communications Commissioner Sir Paul Kennedy - who oversees the use of wiretapping by the Secret Intelligence and Security Services, and GCHQ - came out firmly against the plans.
"The targets for criminal investigation do not know what the security services can and cannot do," he told the Beeb. "They have a good idea, but the boundaries are by no means certain... the first prosecuted case will be a master class for those involved in espionage or whatever... They will be watching closely to see how the system works."
All that said, the use of wiretap evidence could obviously have huge benefits too. In many cases the security services consider that a given person is a wrong'un, usually because they have bugged him or intercepted his comms and he has said that he wants to bomb a nightclub or something. But this doesn't let prosecutors build a case because such evidence is inadmissible, which leaves the government in a cleft stick.
They can tie up scarce, expensive spooks and/or secret plods watching him and his associates round the clock forever, but there are only so many surveillance teams available. So the next logical step becomes the use of worrying new powers to detain without charge for long periods, to impose control orders, ultimately perhaps to intern or deport (and then maybe render to somewhere nasty).
So considered against the background of rapidly-eroding civil liberties, some at least might be willing to accept an occasional masterclass in spookery held in the nation's courts. The Tories and Lib Dems, for instance, are broadly of this opinion.
"We have been calling for this for years," said shadow Home Sec David Davis.
"The use of intercept has proved vital to counter-terrorist efforts almost everywhere else in the world."
It's also just possible that the spooks of old Blighty are actually mainly worried about people learning quite how limited their capabilities are, rather than the disclosure of an armoury of impressive unknown tricks. The spies might perhaps be more afraid of embarrassment than operational compromise. ®
As expected, the Prime Minister has announced plans for limited court admission of wiretap evidence to Parliament. However, there will be a complex regime of checks and safeguards.
Speaking to MPs, Brown said that a non-partisan team of privy councillors lead by Sir John Chilcot - who produced the just completed review on which the PM's decision was based - would develop the rules under which intercept evidence could be used. The Chilcot review will provide a starting point.
The plans met with cross-party support and near-universal backing from most interested parties. Civil-rights groups, regular police and prosecutors all responded warmly.
It is understood that the clandestine services - SIS/MI6, SS/MI5 and GCHQ, perhaps to some extent joined by the secret SO15 counterterror police - continue to strongly oppose the moves. They will now be hoping mainly to minimise the administration burden of transcription and recordkeeping which will accompany disclosure of some intercepts in court.


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Item #: SCP-275
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: Subject is to be contained within two 6 m x 6 m (20 ft x 20 ft) subterranean cells, that is only accessible by a freestanding overhead elevator, although she is allowed short term access to the communal facilities contingent on good behavior, and is accompanied by no fewer than two operatives, all armed with gas grenades filled with an incapacitating agent.
Personnel are not to assist SCP-275's self-destructive behavior unless authorized by Level-4 personnel; such behaviors are either potentially harmful to bystanders, or pointless.
Subject has requested:
- One prayer rug (Approved)
- One Qu'ran (Approved)
- Halal food (Approved)
- To be allowed to perform a pilgrimage to Mecca (Denied)
- Daily portions of chili pepper of a minimum Scoville scale rating of 1,000,000 (Approved, contingent on good behavior)
- Regular haircuts (Approved)
- Hot coals (Denied)
- To be flogged (Denied)
- To be stabbed (Denied)
- To be beaten (Denied)
- To be shot (Denied)
- To be electrocuted (Denied)
- To be set on fire (Denied)
Description: SCP-275 is a woman who cannot be physically damaged by any means available to the Foundation. Subject is of apparently Middle-Eastern origin and claims to have grown up 'somewhere in the Ottoman Empire', but to have been a homeless orphan with no memories before the age of approximately ten. Subject claims to be one hundred and sixty-eight (168) years of age, despite appearing to be in her mid-thirties. Subject is 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) tall and weighs 190 kg (419 lbs), again despite having an appropriate and healthy-sized figure. Hair and eyes are brown. She speaks most languages of the Middle East fluently, and speaks English with a mild accent.
SCP-275 is perfectly normal in the fact that she needs to breathe, eat, and sleep. However, subject is almost completely resistant to physical trauma, various forms of radiation, and extreme temperatures. By SCP-275's own recollection, her flesh has never experienced any damage, and her skin has never been pierced or scratched.
Testing indicates that the majority of SCP-275's mass is composed of the elements common to all organic life. However, it is currently believed that many of the structural compounds have been replaced with significantly more durable substitutes, and the subject's tissues also appear to contain significantly elevated amounts of various heavy metals. Foundation researchers have thus far been unable to collect tissue samples.
Attempts have been made to X-ray the subject, but results were inconclusive: subject's skin contains significant quantities of radio-opaque elements, repelling most attempts to penetrate it with radiological or electromagnetic means. Diffractometry tests upon cell samples extracted from urine, feces, and menses indicate the presence of several novel polymers; however, the degree to which these polymers are represented in other tissues is speculative at best.
This "impenetrability" of the subject extends through the entirety of the subject, including her hair and nails. Subject has claimed that her hair and nails have not been properly cut since she was fourteen (14), just before her condition manifested itself; in Foundation custody, her hair is to be cut by weekly exposure to a ████-Watt laser, and her fingernails and toenails are to be abraded with an angle grinder on a biweekly basis.
In addition to this, due to her physical makeup and density, her biology has been slowed as well. Subject ages at least a fourth of the normal rate of aging; also, her menstrual cycle is approximately six months long, with menses itself generally lasting for three to four (3 -4) weeks.
SCP-275's mental state has been described by Dr. Glass as "worrying": because her anomalous condition prevents her from experiencing most forms of sensation, she indulges in self-destructive behavior in an effort to perceive tactile stimuli.


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In this retrospective case series from a university veterinary medical center, the frequency of canine and feline emergency visits were noted with respect to the lunar cycle.
In this retrospective case series from a university veterinary medical center, the frequency of canine and feline emergency visits were noted with respect to the lunar cycle. Emergencies were classified as animal bite, cardiac arrest, epilepsy, ophthalmic, gastric dilatation-volvulus, trauma, multiple diseases, neoplasia, or toxicosis. Of the 11,940 cases seen during the 11-year period, 9,407 involved dogs and 2,533 involved cats. The lunar cycle was classified into eight phases, ranging from new moon to full moon to waning crescent moon, and lasted 29.5 days. The effect of the lunar phase on the emergency visits was evaluated by calculating relative risk.
The results of the study revealed that the number of emergencies on full moon days was not significantly different from nonfull moon days for either dogs or cats. However, significant differences existed in the number of emergencies for both animals observed on fuller moon days (waxing gibbous, full moon, and waning gibbous phases) compared with other days. The risk was 28% greater in dogs and 23% greater in cats. According to the authors, these slight increases would probably not be recognized by attending emergency clinicians. They also acknowledged the limitations of this low caseload study and concluded that further investigations at other clinical facilities with greater patient numbers are warranted.
The effect of the lunar cycle on animal and human medical conditions has always been a source of interest and debate. Although this study is limited to one institution and small animals and has low case numbers, the data are revealing because they may dispute the notion that moon phases influence caseload. The authors also present references from the human medical field with conflicting evidence regarding the relationship between the moon and disease states. Unfortunately, in this paper, the effect of the lunar cycle on the type of emergency was not delineated. The authors also noted that the exact mechanism for explaining the effect of the moon phase has never been elucidated.
Wells RJ, Gionfriddo JR, Hackett TB, et al. Canine and feline emergency room visits and the lunar cycle: 11,940 cases (1992-2002). J Am Vet Med Assoc 2007;231(2):251-253.
The information in "Research Updates" was provided by Veterinary Medicine Editorial Advisory Board member Joseph Harari, MS, DVM, DACVS, Veterinary Surgical Specialists, 21 E. Mission Ave., Spokane, WA 99202.
Joseph Harari