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5:30pm, All Eisner winning creators of PIXU will be today at Meltdown Comics, 7522 W Sunset boulevard, for a signing you may never forget.
For more info, access http://www.meltcomics.com/blog/2008/07/15/pixu/.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Meltdown Signing TODAY!
Posted by Bá at 2:10 PM 3 comments
Labels: 2008, becky cloonan, comics, Eisner, Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá, L.A., Meltdown, Pixu, signing, Vasilis
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Eisner Award Winners!
We won for best Anthology with 5. AWESOME!
We won for best limmited series with Umbrella Academy.
We won for best digital comic with Sugarshock.
Thank you all.
We love comics and we love you.
Posted by Fábio Moon at 3:17 PM 20 comments
Labels: 2008, 5, awards, Eisner, sdcc, Sugarshock, umbrella academy
Friday, July 25, 2008
Posted by Bá at 11:10 PM 7 comments
Labels: 2009, comics, Daytripper, Fabio Moon, gabriel ba, HQ, Quadrinhos, Vertigo
Umbrella interview and more from SDCC!
The Comic Con has been great and crazy at the same time. PIXU is going really well and people really like hat they see. The ones who got issue #1 can't wait to issue 2 to come out.
On a panel about the horror line at Dark Horse, they announced that "following up on this year's BPRD 1946, BPRD 1947 will be written by Mike Mignola and Josh Dysart with Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon on art. "For this story we needed two different styles of art for two different styles of scene," Scott Allie said, and indicated that the artists were big fans of BPRD".
There's an interview with Gerard about Umbrella Academy on Comicbook Resources. Click, here to read it.
OOOOHHHHHH!! And check the Wall Street Journal today, there's a big feature on Fábio and I, our carreer and lots of interviews about us and what to come. Reallly cool stuff! Read it online here.
We have a big announcement happening today. Water divider for us, that's for sure.
And the Eisners at night, which we're are very confident.
Stay tuned!
Now we have to go have breakfast with Mignola.
Posted by Bá at 12:30 PM 6 comments
Monday, July 21, 2008
One day, lotta work! Off to the Comic Con!
Last day of work before leaving for San Diego. We're all set.
- We're gonna sell original pages of Umbrella, Casanova, Sugar Shock;
- We have PIXU!!
- We also have CASANOVA vol.1 softcover, CASANOVA vol. 2 set(issues 8-14), Ursula, Rock'n'Roll, the Eisner nominated 5 and the Eisner nominated De:TALES.
we'll be on booth 2729, from Wednesday 'till Sunday.
We'll be signing at:
Thursday - Dark Horse - Fábio and Bá - 1pm-2pm
Saturday - Dark Horse - Umbrella Academy - 4pm-5:30pm
and at CBLDF at some point.
And now here's a video of my last day of work, penciling 2 and a half pages and inking 5, in order to travel to San Diego in peace.
Posted by Bá at 12:40 PM 3 comments
Labels: 2008, 5, casanova, CBLDF, comic con, comics, Pixu, Quadrinhos, San Diego, umbrella academy, video
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Original art for sale at SDCC - UMBRELLA.
Do you like The Umbrella Academy and have this inner desire to have an original page from the series? Hey, this is your chance as we'll be bringing original pages from the first series to San Diego for SDCC. We won't have EVERY SINGLE PAGE at the con, so if you have a favorite, please let us know as soon as possible, because we leave on Monday.
And if you need a reminder of how great this series was, click on the images below for bigger versions:
We all loved Dave Stewart's colors on the series because he's the best, but this pages are just phenomenal in black and white.
By each issue, the art was getting better, moodier, more graceful.
Bá loves the Kraken because he can play on the most iconic super hero themes, like being mysterious like batman or athletic like Daredevil. And the last issue was just phenomenally out of this world.
Yes, Bá will bring the original art from the TP cover.
Drop us an email if you like a particular page, or if have any questions about the artwork and, if you're going to San Diego, I'll probably see less than a week.
Posted by Fábio Moon at 1:14 AM 3 comments
Labels: gabriel ba, Gabriel Bá, original pages, pages, sdcc, umbrella academy
Friday, July 18, 2008
Original art for sale at SDCC - second call.
We're almost done finishing up all we need to do before our trip. Two or three sleepless nights and we're set to go. If you're going to San Diego and has that inner desire to buy some original art from either Casanova or Sugarshock, this is your chance, as I'm bringing the pages to SDCC.
I'm not bringing EVERY SINGLE PAGE, so if you have any particular one you'd like, let me know. If you need a hand, click on the images below for a bigger image:
Looking at the pages again, I realize I really like the work I've done on this series.
I loved to draw this sex sequence.
The last issue has some of the best pages I've ever done. It was a very nice farewell to this characters, and I miss them as much as you all.
Pages 1, 3 and 6 are real favorites of mine, and I had no idea where the story was going when I started drawing the series. I thought it would all take place on Earth, for starters.
Action! Fights! Space! Who knew I would draw that some day, with all the down-to-earth relationship stories I like to tell? I really like the way the characters move and behave throughout this series.
I'll bring all pages from issue 3 as well, and a lot more pages from Casanova, but I wanted to give you guys a taste and a reminder of the pages before you can decide to hang some art on your wall.
We'll be at the Image Island booth at SDCC, which is booth 2729, so come look for us there, and don't forget: GET PIXU WHILE YOU CAN.
Posted by Fábio Moon at 10:43 AM 1 comments
Labels: art, casanova, original pages, sdcc, Sugarshock
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Original pages at the Comic-Con - first call
So, ever since we started doing high-profile projects as Casanova and Umbrella Academy, from time to time we get emails asking if we sell original pages. Since we live in Brazil and we don't want to deal with international shipping and paypal and stuff (not right now), the only time we actually get to sell our pages is when we go to San Diego for the Comic Con International.
If you're going and you're interested, now is your chance to let us know.
Well, the convention is 2 weeks away and we will be bringing original pages to sell. Next week we'll post a page with all the pages we'll bring (yeah, it's impossible to bring a year's worth of pages of 2 monthly series).
Stay tuned.
Posted by Bá at 6:54 PM 2 comments
Labels: casanova, comic con, comics, Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá, original pages, pages, San Diego, umbrella academy
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
The theatre.
Sometimes, in order to avoid losing the movement of the free hand drawing, I use reference photos on the sketches. This way, you can copy the boring angle of the picture in the sketch just to learn how that building works and to learn its details, but when you're doing the actual page, you're free from the reference photo and you can just draw like you like.
Posted by Fábio Moon at 2:24 AM 4 comments
Friday, July 04, 2008
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
New online Umbrella
Click here and read the brand new Umbrella Academy short story "Anywhere but here".
Posted by Fábio Moon at 4:48 PM 1 comments
Labels: comics, DHP, umbrella academy
Monday comics.
Monday, we got together with two friends, Grampá and Rafa Coutinho, and at dinner we made a fast crazy comic at eight hands on my sketchbook. One would ink the other's pencil, and then the next had to continue the previous panel.
Nothing that makes sense, but great fun.,
First panel is Grampá inked by Bá, second panel is me inked by Rafa.
Then, it's Bá inked by Grampá, and Rafa inked by me.
Now, it's Rafa inked by Grampá and Ba inked by Rafa.
Finally, Grampá inked by me and the last panel is Rafa inked by Bá.
Less than a month before San Diego, and we're all so excited.
Posted by Fábio Moon at 4:25 PM 3 comments
Labels: art, collaborations, comics, friends, grampa, Rafa Coutinho, São Paulo


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Blue Mountain Water has been established since 1989 and is one of the UK's leading water cooler company.
The company has built up a reputation for excellent customer service with a personal approach.
All our water is sourced from The National Forest in Derbyshire to guarantee premium quality water.
As an independent water cooler company, all our staff ensures a personal commitment to the level of service they provide to each customer.
We are based centrally in the United Kingdom and are confident that we will be able to look after all of your drinking water requirements.
Blue Mountain Water offers you an excellent choice of water cooler models, ranging from mains fed water coolers, bottled water coolers and desktop water dispensers.
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Our friendly and professional service team will deliver your spring water direct to your water dispenser all part of our comprehensive service.

subset: commoncrawl


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First American Financial Announces First Quarter 2013 Earnings Conference Call
SANTA ANA, Calif., April 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), a leading global provider of title insurance and settlement services for residential and commercial real estate transactions, today announced that it will host a conference call on Thursday, April 25, 2013, at 11 a.m. ET.
The call will follow the release of the company's earnings results for the first quarter of 2013, which is scheduled earlier that day at 7:00 a.m. ET.
The conference call, which will also be broadcast over the Internet and is open to investors, members of the financial community, the media and other members of the public, can be accessed online at www.firstam.com/investor or by dialing toll free (888) 606-8414. Callers from outside the United States may dial (212) 547-0240. The pass code for the event is "First American."
An audio replay of the conference call will be available through May 3, 2013, by dialing (203) 369-1472. An audio archive of the call and a copy of the first-quarter 2013 earnings release, including the financial information contained therein, will also be available on First American's investor website.
About First American
First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF) is a leading provider of title insurance and settlement services to the real estate and mortgage industries, that traces its heritage back to 1889. First American also provides title plant management services; title and other real property records and images; valuation products and services; home warranty products; property and casualty insurance; and banking, trust, and investment advisory services. With revenues of approximately $4.5 billion in 2012, the company offers its products and services directly and through its agents throughout the United States and abroad. More information about the company can be found at www.firstam.com.
Media Contact: |
Investor Contact: |
Carrie Loranger |
Craig Barberio |
Corporate Communications |
Investor Relations |
First American Financial Corporation |
First American Financial Corporation |
(714) 250-3298 |
(714) 250-5214 |
SOURCE First American Financial Corporation


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In early April 2009, Unilever's chief marketing officer, Simon Clift, told attendees at Ad Age's Digital Conference, "No matter how big your advertising spending, small groups of consumers on a tiny budget might hijack the conversation. So this Internet thing is much bigger and more interesting than just finding successors to TV advertising."
In expounding on the power and intricacies of social media, Clift's core message came down to a simple truth about the media, diluted by Ad Age, "Listening to consumers is more important than talking at them." Social media, in itself, is not a strategy, but it must be understood in order to be deployed as a tactic.
In fact, social media is a tide that seems to be growing into a tsunami, and it's about to engulf you, if it hasn't already. Think of the coverage in this issue as a life jacket. It is clear that social media and the Internet in general have influenced and impacted the way we communicate and do business, and will continue to do so. The shoreline has changed, and understanding the change is essential.
The beauty industry, it is comforting to note, has a unique edge on other industries, and the backstory of its relationship with consumers is full of examples analogous to social media. In the September 2008 issue of GCI magazine, Jamison Davis wrote: "The beauty business has always enjoyed a certain word-of-mouth evangelism. The promotion of products designed to enhance one's personal appearance is a practice made more believable when the advice is coming from a friend or acquaintance a consumer can trust."


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Parshat Lech Lecha
Ten generations have passed since Noach. Man has descended spiritually. In the year 1948 from Creation, Avram is born. By observing the world, Avram comes to recognize G-ds existence, and thus merits that G-d appear to him. At the beginning of this weeks Torah portion G-d tells Avram to leave his land, his relatives and his father's house and travel to an unknown land where G-d will make him into a great nation. Avram leaves, taking with him his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, their servants, and those whom they converted to faith in G-d. When they reach the land of Canaan, G-d appears to Avram and tells him that this is the land that He will give to his descendants. A famine ensues and Avram is forced to relocate to Egypt to find food. Realizing that his wifes beauty would cause his death at the hand of the Egyptians, Avram asks her to say that she is his sister. Sarai is taken to Pharaoh, but G-d afflicts Pharaoh and his court with severe plagues and she is released unmolested. Avram returns to Eretz Yisrael (Canaan) with much wealth given to him by the Egyptians. During a quarrel over grazing rights between their shepherds, Avram decides to part ways with his nephew Lot. Lot chooses to live in the rich but corrupt city of Sodom in the fertile plain of the Jordan. A war breaks out between the kings of the region and Sodom is defeated. Lot is taken captive. Together with a handful of his converts, Avram rescues Lot, miraculously overpowering vastly superior forces, but Avram demurs from accepting any of the spoils of the battle. In a prophetic covenant, G-d reveals to Avram that his offspring will be exiled to a strange land where they will be oppressed for 400 years, after which they will emerge with great wealth and return to Eretz Yisrael, their irrevocable inheritance. Sarai is barren and gives Hagar, her Egyptian hand-maiden, to Avram in the hope that she will provide them with a child. Hagar becomes arrogant when she discovers that she is pregnant. Sarai deals harshly with her, and Hagar flees. On the instruction of an angel Hagar returns to Avram, and gives birth to Yishmael. The weekly portion concludes with G-d commanding Avram to circumcise himself and his offspring throughout the generations as a Divine covenant. G-d changes Avrams name to Avraham, and Sarais name to Sarah. Hashem promises Avraham a son, Yitzchak, despite Avraham being ninety-nine years old and Sarah ninety. On that day, Avraham circumcises himself, Yishmael and all his household.
Life in the Fast Lane
"Go for yourself" (12:1)
Very soon, only the speed of light will limit our ability to communicate a thought, a picture, a sound or a sentence from one side of the world to the other, and beyond. The meaning of the word distance has changed forever.
Just as the electron has shrunk our world, so too there has been a quiet and maybe even more fundamental revolution in the way we look at traveling. We see nothing special in the fact that several hundred people can file into a large metal room and find themselves on the other side of the world in a matter of hours.
A little more than a hundred years ago, to circumnavigate the globe would have required months of arduous, dangerous and expensive effort, almost beyond our imagining. Nowadays, the major drawback in circling the earth in a plane is an aching back from sitting in a reclining chair that doesnt quite live up to its name. We have breached the last frontier. Distance has become no more than a function of time spent in a chair.
The electron and the 747 have had their impact on our culture in other ways. Our cultural mindset mandates that speed is of the essence. How fast can I get there? vies in importance with Where am I going? Immediacy has become an independent yardstick of worth. How fast is your car? Your computer?
Our age has sought to devour distance and time, rendering everything in a constant and immediate present. Now this. Now this. Now this. (Interestingly the languages of the age film and television, computer graphics are languages which have trouble expressing the past and the future. They only have a present tense. Everything happens in a continuous present.)
All of this makes our spiritual development more and more challenging. Spirituality is a path. And like a path you have to walk down it one step at a time. Your fingers cannot do the walking on the spiritual path. You cannot download it from the Internet.
Everything in the physical world is a paradigm, an incarnation, of a higher spiritual idea. Travel is the physical equivalent of the spiritual road. The quest for spirituality demands that we travel, but this journey is not a physical journey. Many make the mistake of thinking that hitchhiking around the world and experiencing different cultures will automatically make them more spiritual. The truth is that wherever you go, there you are. When your travel is only physical you just wrap up your troubles in your old kit bag and take them with you.
Spiritual growth requires the soul to journey. Our soul must notch up the miles, not our feet. The spiritual road requires us to forsake the comfortable, the familiar ever-repeating landmarks of our personalities, and set out with an open mind and a humble soul. We must divest ourselves of the fawning icons of our own egos which we define and confine us, and journey.
Lifes essential journey is that of the soul discovering its true identity. We learn this from the first two words in this weeks Torah portion. "Lech lecha." "Go to yourself." Without vowels, these two words are written identically. When G-d took Avraham out of Ur Kasdim and sent him to the Land of Israel, He used those two identical words: "Lech lecha", "Go to yourself."
Avraham experienced ten tests in his spiritual journey. Each was exquisitely designed to elevate him to his ultimate spiritual potential. When G-d gives us a test, whether its the death of a loved one or a financial reversal or an illness, its always to help us grow. By conquering the obstacles in our spiritual path, be it lack of trust in G-d or selfishness or apathy, we grow in stature. We connect with the fundamental purpose of the journey, to journey away from our negative traits and reach and realize our true selves.
We "go to ourselves."


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James A. Richman
Justice Richman was born and raised in San Francisco. He attended Saint Ignatius High School, the University of San Francisco, and its School of Law. He received his J.D in 1965, graduating first in the class, and was president of the McAuliffe Law Honor Society.
Following law school Justice Richman clerked for the Honorable Raymond L. Sullivan on the First District Court of Appeal, and then served a year as Assistant Professor at Gonzaga University School of Law. In June 1967, he joined the law firm now known as Cooley Godward LLP, where he became a partner in 1972, and where he practiced law until appointed to the Alameda County Superior Court in 1996. Justice Richman served on the Superior Court for nine years, in both criminal and civil assignments, the last seven years in the law and motion department. He was appointed to the Court of Appeal in February 2006.
Justice Richman's practice at Cooley Godward was general commercial litigation, with emphasis on probate and trust litigation, primarily for charitable or non-profit institutions. His clients included the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, and Guide Dogs for the Blind; he also represented the University of San Francisco and the Pacific School of Religion. Justice Richman also handled insurance coverage and related issues for business clients of the firm, and was the lead attorney on over 40 cases in the California and federal appellate courts.
From 1972 to 1997, Justice Richman taught as an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law, where he taught Evidence, Torts, and Civil Procedure Before Trial; he also served on the faculty in 2000 as a Distinguished Visiting Professor. He has also taught at numerous legal education programs, teaching both lawyers and judges. Before his appointment to the court, Justice Richman was involved in many bar associations and legal professional societies, and is currently a member of the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers and the Earl Warren American Inn of Court.
Justice Richman's community involvement included many years with the San Francisco Boys and Girls Club, where he served on the Board of Directors from 1984, including terms as President (1994) and Chairman (1995). He was an original member of the Steering Committee of Loaves and Fishes, a Berkeley-based organization which provides meals, clothing and other necessities for the homeless, and also acts as a shelter.
Justice Richman and his wife, the former Janet Wilhelm, have three adult children and seven grandchildren.


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Anti-Semitism and Anonymity on Twitter
"Anonymous" is a pretty apt name for the motley crew of anarchist hackers who like to disable and deface the websites of groups or people "they" don't like. We can't interrogate their motives. Only their work offers clues, sometimes quite unambiguous ones.
When Anonymous recently tried to take down the website for Yad Vashem — on Holocaust Remembrance Day, no less — this was anti-Semitism. Despite many newspapers, including The New York Times, describing the group that day as "pro-Palestinian," it's hard to understand how vandalizing the website of Israel's Holocaust museum furthers the Palestinian cause.
But at least Anonymous wears its anonymity on its sleeve. The bigger problem with anonymity online is the way it serves as a mask on social media platforms that provide a bullhorn of unprecedented volume to anyone who wants it. I'm thinking of Twitter, and a recent case that poses interesting — some would say serious — questions about how social media abets hatred in new and dangerous ways.
Last year, thousands of Tweets in French bearing the hashtag #unbonjuif ("a good Jew," as in, "A good Jew is a dead Jew") streamed through the social media site's enormous network. The Tweets were usually violent comments about Jewish influence or blood curdlingly anti-Semitic jokes — one Tweet simply linked to a picture of an ashtray.
The Union of French Jewish Students sued Twitter last fall in the French equivalent of the Supreme Court, demanding the company provide the names of those Tweeting out the vile stuff (it would have been a long list since at one point the hashtag was trending among the three most popular topics in France). The students won, but Twitter has refused to comply, and in late March they sued again, this time to fine the company over $50 million for not obeying the ruling.
On the face of it, this seems like a straightforward matter of free speech. That's what Twitter is arguing.
Since its servers are based in the United States, it respects First Amendment law, which offers a very broad umbrella of protection. Basically, if there is no threat of immediate violence, it's fair game. Since Twitter sees as its mission (not to mention its business) to provide an open forum, it makes sense for them to be dogmatic on this point. The American in me instinctually gets this.
Twitter is simply a tool. It can be used by anyone — to project interesting ideas and witty asides, or racism and stupidity. And we should leave it to the free marketplace of Tweets to sort it all out. I wouldn't want Twitter to become the arbiter of what counts as authentic hate speech and what doesn't.
But I'm also a Jew. And the Jew in me has a hard time ignoring the particular context of French Jewry and the sense of embattlement it is currently experiencing. Between the shooting spree at a Jewish school in Toulouse last year that killed four people and the earlier torture and murder of a young Parisian Jew, Ilan Halimi, there is a deep sense of dread that has led to an increasing emigration by Jews out of France. For those French students suing Twitter, the endless vile Tweets must have felt like the walls closing in on them.
Complicating this already complicated issue is anonymity. What the French students wanted was not to ban the use of #unbonjuif (Twitter eventually deleted the most offensive Tweets). They wanted the names of those who Tweeted.
France has more stringent hate speech laws and those making threatening anti-Semitic statements could possibly be prosecuted if their identities were known. Those laws exist because of France's history and because its citizens feel more acutely than Americans do that potentially dangerous speech has to be quickly suppressed.
At some level Twitter, as global as it is, understands the need for sovereignty. The company's policy states that users must comply with their local laws. But this is meaningless when you consider that anyone can create a fake handle and start tweeting with impunity.
There is, of course, a defense of online anonymity to be made. Think of all the revolutions throughout history and the new ideas, dangerous at first, that would never have existed if their authors had to declare themselves publicly. Many of the Tweets emanating from the Arab Spring or the 2009 Iranian protests were anonymous. And some of the funniest material on Twitter comes from joke handles (remember @InvisibleObama, which appeared after Clint Eastwood's conversation with an empty chair last summer?). Much of the vibrancy of a platform like Twitter could be compromised if users were forced to register with their real names.
Against this ideal of total freedom, though, stand the particulars of history and society. Sitting here in front of my computer in America, I think anonymity is important, even if it provides cover for hate and can become a tool for cowards. It would be a mistake to use the law to override it except under extreme circumstances. But can I say the same for Europe?
The hate that lies under anonymous cover in France or Germany clearly feels even scarier and more nefarious to its citizens. That's why their laws are harsher for prosecuting that hate. At a moment when we are so enthralled by transnational, earth-flattening forums like Twitter, couldn't we also make room for these concerns, balancing our enthusiasm with a respect for the way national history shapes our sense of what should or should not be spoken?
Gal Beckerman is the Forward's opinion editor and writes a monthly column about the media. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter @galbeckerman


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You don't need to worry about cleaning clogged gutters or downspouts. We are the preferred choice for professional Memphis gutter cleaning services. Memphis home owners consistently turn to the property maintenance and cleaning experts at Memphis Gutter Cleaning to provide the highest quality gutter and downspout cleaning services. Our experts thoroughly inspect your downspouts to determine the best way to clean your gutters. Let our Memphis Gutter Cleaning professionals take care of your clogged-up gutters! We are the best choice for gutter cleaning in Memphis, Tennessee and surrounding areas.
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-most populous city in Tennessee, after Nashville. Memphis is the fifth-most populous city in the Southeast, the nation's 28th-largest overall, as well as the largest city bordering the Mississippi River and third largest Metropolitan statistical area behind Saint Louis, MO and the Twin Cities on the Mississippi River. The Memphis metropolitan area includes West Tennessee and the greater Mid-South region, which includes portions of neighboring Arkansas, Mississippi and the Missouri Bootheel.
Alcy - Ball, Annesdale Park, Barton Heights, Belle Meade, Berclair, Bethel Grove, Bunker Hill, Central Gardens, Colonial Acres, Cooper-Young, Douglass, Downtown Memphis, East Buntyn, East Memphis, East Parkway


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Every week in the NFL is important. Some are just more important than others. Here are the NFL teams most desperate for a win in Week 16.
Desperate teams have been on fire, going 12-4 the last three weeks when they aren't facing each other.
6. San Francisco 49ers: A loss toPete Carroll's Seattle Seahawks would force the 49ers to play an extra round in the playoffs and probably have to win two road games to make the Super Bowl.
5. Chicago Bears: Could there be anything worse than completing a free fall with a loss to Ryan Lindley in Arizona, where Dennis Green's bunch once let Lovie Smith's team off the hook?
4. Minnesota Vikings: We'll start to take the Vikings a lot more seriously as a potential playoff team if they can beat a team like the Houston Texans on the road.
3. New York Giants:Ravens fans might feel desperate for a win, but it's very possible Baltimore will have backed into an AFC North championship by the time this game has started. This matchup of wounded teams should decide the Giants' playoff fate. They host the Philadelphia Eagles next week in a game where they will be heavily favored. Win in Baltimore, and the Giants should be in the tournament.
2 and 1. Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals: This is as close to a playoff game as you can possibly get in Week 16. Andy Dalton's first win over a division opponent other than the Cleveland Browns would knock out the Steelers and put the Bengals in the playoffs. It might give them a chance to win the division next week. A Cincinnati loss would put Pittsburgh in the driver's seat for the last AFC playoff spot. It's really a must-win for both sides. Doesn't get much more desperate than that.
(Note: The Dallas Cowboys somehow avoided the list for nearly the first time ever. They can't be eliminated from the NFC East race this week no matter what. This week is big, but next week is bigger.)
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.


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Brown Bag It! 14 Great Ideas for Weekday Lunches
Looking for lunch? Maybe you're making an effort to pack your lunch more often as you head into the busy autumn season? Here is a roundup of 10 good ideas, recipes, and menus that will help you throw a lunch together.
14 Great Ideas for Weekday Lunches
• 1 Make Your Own Fruit-on-the-Bottom Yogurt Cups – Why buy yogurt cups? Make your own, and you can use homemade yogurt, too, if you're inclined.
• 2 5 Lunches Under 400 Calories – Five nourishing, well-balanced lunches.
• 3 For Tomorrow's Lunch: 10 Basics to Cook Tonight – 10 make-ahead staples (mostly starches) that can form the base for a week of lunches.
• 4 How To Poach an Egg in the Microwave – A great addition to your office lunches!
• 5 Make-Ahead Recipe: Thin-Sliced Roasted Pork with Southwestern Spices – A great recipe for make-ahead lunches.
• 6 Egyptian Tomato Soup – Ready for soup? Try this recipe with fresh summer tomatoes.
• 7 Crisp Tuna-Cabbage Salad – A fresh take on tuna.
• 8 10 Vegan Lunch Ideas – Ideas for the vegan brown-bagger.
• 9 Make Your Own Lunch Box Ice Packs – A simple how-to on making your own ice packs.
• 10 Lunch-Packing Inspiration – A lovely gallery of inspiring lunches.
• 11 Back To Work and School: 15 Great Lunchbox Snacks – Homemade granola bars, and more.
• 12 Pack a Lemon in Your Lunch Bag – A lemon! So many uses!
• 13 Sweet and Funny Lunchbox Notes – Write your sweetie a note for the lunchbox.
• 14 Zojirushi Mr. Bento Stainless Lunch Jar – One of the best lunchbox options out there.
More Lunch Goodness
Lunchboxes & Bags
• Can You Recommend a Good Insulated Lunchbox?
• Desperately Seeking: No-Leak Soup Containers for Lunches
• Three Styles Of Bento Lunchboxes
• Kitchen Organization Tour: A Visit With Bento Expert Biggie of Lunch In a Box
Tips & Good Ideas
• How to Re-Heat Leftovers in the Microwave
• Our Readers' Questions About Lunch
• Perk Up Sandwiches with Seasoned Salt
• Snack On The Go: Veggies Stored In Dip
Lunchbox Recipe Roundups
• Lunches That Don't Need Reheating
• 5 Dinners That Make Great Lunches
• 5 Lunches With 5 Ingredients Or Less
• Yummy, Homemade, & Filling Snacks for My Lunchbox?
• 10 Small Sweets For Your Lunch Sack
More Lunch & Lunchbox Snack Recipes
• Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Open-Face
• Kalamata Olive and Parsley Potato Salad
• Egg, Arugula, and Herb Tartine
• Chickpea of the Sea
• Big Green Salad with Shallots, Chicken, Smoked Almonds, Goat Cheese, and Dates
• Cuban Sandwich
• Ploughman's Lunch
• Bacon Fat Popcorn
• The Single Beet Lunch
(Images: See linked posts for full image credits.)


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Here is big boy on his last day of school.
The kids had a party with pizza and a bounce house. I can't begin to explain the love he has for school. There is pure pleasure when we say. "school!"
There he is in the orange shirt. I forgot to put on his spirit shirt. :)
I love his toddler Montessori classroom. It is just perfect. I need to take a picture of their little toilet and sink, the area where they put their dishes, the entry area where they change their shoes, etc. I will do that soon.
Big boy is so independent. I love his guide and all of the assistants. There is one guide and two assistants.
Hope you are having a wonderful summer, if it is summer in your part of the world!


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Fault Tolerance in a High Volume, Distributed System
01 Mar 2012Originally posted on the Netflix Tech Blog:
In an earlier post by Ben Schmaus, we shared the principles behind our circuit-breaker implementation. In that post, Ben discusses how the Netflix API interacts with dozens of systems in our service-oriented architecture, which makes the API inherently more vulnerable to any system failures or latencies underneath it in the stack. The rest of this post provides a more technical deep-dive into how our API and other systems isolate failure, shed load and remain resilient to failures.
Fault Tolerance is a Requirement, Not a Feature
The Netflix API receives more than 1 billion incoming calls per day which in turn fans out to several billion outgoing calls (averaging a ratio of 1:6) to dozens of underlying subsystems with peaks of over 100k dependency requests per second.
This all occurs in the cloud across thousands of EC2 instances.
Intermittent failure is guaranteed with this many variables, even if every dependency itself has excellent availability and uptime.
Without taking steps to ensure fault tolerance, 30 dependencies each with 99.99% uptime would result in 2+ hours downtime/month (99.99%30 = 99.7% uptime = 2+ hours in a month).
When a single API dependency fails at high volume with increased latency (causing blocked request threads) it can rapidly (seconds or sub-second) saturate all available Tomcat (or other container such as Jetty) request threads and take down the entire API.
Thus, it is a requirement of high volume, high availability applications to build fault tolerance into their architecture and not expect infrastructure to solve it for them.
Netflix DependencyCommand Implementation
The service-oriented architecture at Netflix allows each team freedom to choose the best transport protocols and formats (XML, JSON, Thrift, Protocol Buffers, etc) for their needs so these approaches may vary across services.
In most cases the team providing a service also distributes a Java client library.
Because of this, applications such as API in effect treat the underlying dependencies as 3rd party client libraries whose implementations are "black boxes". This in turn affects how fault tolerance is achieved.
In light of the above architectural considerations we chose to implement a solution that uses a combination of fault tolerance approaches:
network timeouts and retries
separate threads on per-dependency thread pools
semaphores (via a tryAcquire, not a blocking call)
circuit breakers
Each of these approaches to fault-tolerance has pros and cons but when combined together provide a comprehensive protective barrier between user requests and underlying dependencies.
The Netflix DependencyCommand implementation wraps a network-bound dependency call with a preference towards executing in a separate thread and defines fallback logic which gets executed (step 8 in flow chart below) for any failure or rejection (steps 3, 4, 5a, 6b below) regardless of which type of fault tolerance (network or thread timeout, thread pool or semaphore rejection, circuit breaker) triggered it.
We decided that the benefits of isolating dependency calls into separate threads outweighs the drawbacks (in most cases). Also, since the API is progressively moving towards increased concurrency it was a win-win to achieve both fault tolerance and performance gains through concurrency with the same solution. In other words, the overhead of separate threads is being turned into a positive in many use cases by leveraging the concurrency to execute calls in parallel and speed up delivery of the Netflix experience to users.
Thus, most dependency calls now route through a separate thread-pool as the following diagram illustrates:
If a dependency becomes latent (the worst-case type of failure for a subsystem) it can saturate all of the threads in its own thread pool, but Tomcat request threads will timeout or be rejected immediately rather than blocking.
In addition to the isolation benefits and concurrent execution of dependency calls we have also leveraged the separate threads to enable request collapsing (automatic batching) to increase overall efficiency and reduce user request latencies.
Semaphores are used instead of threads for dependency executions known to not perform network calls (such as those only doing in-memory cache lookups) since the overhead of a separate thread is too high for these types of operations.
We also use semaphores to protect against non-trusted fallbacks. Each DependencyCommand is able to define a fallback function (discussed more below) which is performed on the calling user thread and should not perform network calls. Instead of trusting that all implementations will correctly abide to this contract, it too is protected by a semaphore so that if an implementation is done that involves a network call and becomes latent, the fallback itself won't be able to take down the entire app as it will be limited in how many threads it will be able to block.
Despite the use of separate threads with timeouts, we continue to aggressively set timeouts and retries at the network level (through interaction with client library owners, monitoring, audits etc).
The timeouts at the DependencyCommand threading level are the first line of defense regardless of how the underlying dependency client is configured or behaving but the network timeouts are still important otherwise highly latent network calls could fill the dependency thread-pool indefinitely.
The tripping of circuits kicks in when a DependencyCommand has passed a certain threshold of error (such as 50% error rate in a 10 second period) and will then reject all requests until health checks succeed.
This is used primarily to release the pressure on underlying systems (i.e. shed load) when they are having issues and reduce the user request latency by failing fast (or returning a fallback) when we know it is likely to fail instead of making every user request wait for the timeout to occur.
How do we respond to a user request when failure occurs?
In each of the options described above a timeout, thread-pool or semaphore rejection, or short-circuit will result in a request not retrieving the optimal response for our customers.
An immediate failure ("fail fast") throws an exception which causes the app to shed load until the dependency returns to health. This is preferable to requests "piling up" as it keeps Tomcat request threads available to serve requests from healthy dependencies and enables rapid recovery once failed dependencies recover.
However, there are often several preferable options for providing responses in a "fallback mode" to reduce impact of failure on users. Regardless of what causes a failure and how it is intercepted (timeout, rejection, short-circuited etc) the request will always pass through the fallback logic (step 8 in flow chart above) before returning to the user to give a DependencyCommand the opportunity to do something other than "fail fast".
Some approaches to fallbacks we use are, in order of their impact on the user experience:
Cache: Retrieve data from local or remote caches if the realtime dependency is unavailable, even if the data ends up being stale
Eventual Consistency: Queue writes (such as in SQS) to be persisted once the dependency is available again
Stubbed Data: Revert to default values when personalized options can't be retrieved
Empty Response ("Fail Silent"): Return a null or empty list which UIs can then ignore
All of this work is to maintain maximum uptime for our users while maintaining the maximum number of features for them to enjoy the richest Netflix experience possible. As a result, our goal is to have the fallbacks deliver responses as close to what the actual dependency would deliver.
Example Use Case
Following is an example of how threads, network timeouts and retries combine:
The above diagram shows an example configuration where the dependency has no reason to hit the 99.5th percentile and thus cuts it short at the network timeout layer and immediately retries with the expectation to get median latency most of the time, and accomplish this all within the 300ms thread timeout.
If the dependency has legitimate reasons to sometimes hit the 99.5th percentile (i.e. cache miss with lazy generation) then the network timeout will be set higher than it, such as at 325ms with 0 or 1 retries and the thread timeout set higher (350ms+).
The threadpool is sized at 10 to handle a burst of 99th percentile requests, but when everything is healthy this threadpool will typically only have 1 or 2 threads active at any given time to serve mostly 40ms median calls.
When configured correctly a timeout at the DependencyCommand layer should be rare, but the protection is there in case something other than network latency affects the time, or the combination of connect+read+retry+connect+read in a worst case scenario still exceeds the configured overall timeout.
The aggressiveness of configurations and tradeoffs in each direction are different for each dependency.
Configurations can be changed in realtime as needed as performance characteristics change or when problems are found all without risking the taking down of the entire app if problems or misconfigurations occur.
The approaches discussed in this post have had a dramatic effect on our ability to tolerate and be resilient to system, infrastructure and application level failures without impacting (or limiting impact to) user experience.
Despite the success of this new DependencyCommand resiliency system over the past 8 months, there is still a lot for us to do in improving our fault tolerance strategies and performance, especially as we continue to add functionality, devices, customers and international markets.


text:
Usher's Son Hospitalized in ICU After Pool Accident
Usher's Son Hospitalized in ICU After Pool Accident
Usher's son Usher Raymond V is in the ICU at an Atlanta hospital after a serious accident in a residential pool Monday, TMZ has learned.
Sources tell TMZ, the accident occurred yesterday just after 2 PM in Atlanta. We're told Usher was not there at the time.
Here's what we know ... The child was playing in the pool with his aunt and saw a toy in the drain. He dove down to get the toy and his arm got stuck in the drain. The aunt immediately dove in to rescue him but couldn't get his hand out. The maid then dove in and tried but was also unsuccessful.
The maid screamed for help. Two audio-visual contractors working in the house came out, dove in and freed the boy. One of them administered CPR immediately and rushed to the hospital. The boy was "conscious, alert and breathing. People connected with Usher tell us he rode with his son to the hospital in the ambulance, but according to the police report, Usher met his son there.
5-year-old Usher Raymond V is the oldest of Usher's two sons with ex-wife Tameka Raymond. We're told Usher and Tameka are currently at the hospital.
Doctors have been running a series of tests and doctors say he'll be ok.
This is the second accident to strike a child in Usher's family. Tameka's 11-year-old son Kile from a previous relationship passed away last year from injuries sustained during a jet ski accident.


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Will Last Resort finally bring ABC great ratings in its timeslot or will it be cancelled — like last season's Charlie's Angels remake? We'll have to wait and see.
The first season of Last Resort typically airs Thursday nights at 8pm on the ABC network. The cast includes Andre Braugher, Scott Speedman, Daisy Betts, Robert Patrick, Daniel Lissing, Dichen Lachman, Camille de Pazzis, Sahr Ngaujah, Jessy Schrams, and Autumn Reeser.
Below are the TV show's ratings for the 2012-13 season, the best way to tell if Last Resort is going to be cancelled or renewed for a second season.
These figures will be updated as the weeks progress so be sure to bookmark and return to this page:
Final series averages: 1.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 6.26 million total viewers.
Episode 01-13: Thursday, 01/24/13 (series finale)
1.2 in the demo (+20% change) with 5.48 million (+8% change).
Season averages: 1.38 in the demo with 6.26 million.
Episode 01-12: Thursday, 01/17/13
1.0 in the demo (-17% change) with 5.07 million (-13% change).
Season averages: 1.39 in the demo with 6.33 million.
Episode 01-11: Thursday, 01/10/13
1.2 in the demo (+20% change) with 5.81 million (+18% change).
Season averages: 1.43 in the demo with 6.44 million.
Episode 01-10: Thursday, 12/13/12
1.0 in the demo (-17% change) with 4.94 million (-9% change).
Season averages: 1.45 in the demo with 6.50 million.
Episode 01-09: Thursday, 12/06/12
1.2 in the demo (+20% change) with 5.44 million (+5% change).
Season averages: 1.50 in the demo with 6.68 million.
Episode 01-08: Thursday, 11/29/12
1.0 in the demo (-17% change) with 5.20 million (-9% change).
Season averages: 1.54 in the demo with 6.83 million.
UPDATE: ABC has cancelled the series but all 13 episodes are expected to air.
Episode 01-07: Thursday, 11/15/12
1.2 in the demo (-14% change) with 5.68 million (-5% change).
Season averages: 1.61 in the demo with 7.06 million.
Episode 01-06: Thursday, 11/08/12
1.4 in the demo (+8% change) with 5.98 million (-8% change).
Season averages: 1.68 in the demo with 7.29 million.
Episode 01-05: Thursday, 10/25/12
1.3 in the demo (-24% change) with 6.53 million (-8% change).
Season averages: 1.74 in the demo with 7.56 million.
UPDATE: ABC has ordered two additional scripts.
Episode 01-04: Thursday, 10/18/12
1.7 in the demo (+6% change) with 7.06 million (+3% change).
Season averages: 1.85 in the demo with 7.81 million.
Episode 01-03: Thursday, 10/11/12
1.6 in the demo (-16% change) with 6.89 million (-14% change).
Season averages: 1.90 in the demo with 8.07 million.
Episode 01-02: Thursday, 10/04/12
1.9 in the demo (-14% change) with 8.00 million (-14% change).
Season averages: 2.05 in the demo with 8.66 million.
Episode 01-01: Thursday, 09/27/12
2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 9.31 million total viewers.
Season averages: 2.20 in the demo with 9.31 million.
Year-to-year, the network was up slightly but that's not very encouraging when you consider ABC was airing the big bomb known as Charlie's Angels. It was a distant third in its timeslot in the demo and a close third in viewers — behind The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men on CBS and The X Factor on FOX. This is a tough timeslot but Last Resort clearly didn't rise to the challenge.
Note: These ratings are collected by the Nielsen company and are the final national numbers. These are different from the fast affiliate numbers which are just estimates of the actual ratings and are reported on by most other outlets. The final nationals are typically released within 24 hours of the programming or, in the case of weekends and holidays, a couple days later.
What do you think? Do you like the Last Resort TV series? Do you think it should be cancelled or renewed for a second season?


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During the State of the Union address President Barack Obama proposed raising the hourly minimum wage $1.75, from $7.25 to $9.00.
This would be a significant move, and conveniently there's an immense amount of research available pertaining to its effects.
Studies found that an increase in the minimum wage didn't generally lead to mass terminations of employees, but also may lead to a decrease in the number of teenagers in the workforce. We also know that a number of major companies rely on minimum wage employees.
We know that the U.S. minimum wage is low compared to other rich nations, and that the proposed hike would bring the current minimum wage in line with historical levels.
One major result of a hike in the minimum wage is that it has a similar impact as a stimulus package, a study from the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank found. Essentially, households impacted by a $1.00 increase in the minimum wage use that additional revenue to make purchases of large durable goods, often home appliances and especially cars. This net effect has a positive impact on the economy in the quarters following a minimum wage increase.
It's clear that adult workers largely benefit from the hike, big box retailers and chain restaurants would have to make adjustments, and retailers of large durable goods tend to see immediate sales benefits.
Still a major question that hangs over the debate is the impact that a hike in the minimum would have on small businesses.
A 2006 study from the Fiscal Policy Institute found that states with minimum wages above the federal level had faster small business and retail job growth.
Here's how small businesses fared in states with a state minimum wage hike compared to states that just kept the federal minimum in the years of interest:
Small businesses in states where minimum wage was higher than in surrounding areas saw faster growth, more employees and a higher annual payroll growth.
The performance is even more significant in the small business retail sector:
While the 40 states without a higher minimum wage saw a contraction in the number of establishments, states with a higher minimum wage saw slight growth.
Even more, small businesses in states with higher minimum wage performed better in all categories.
The prevailing wisdom that higher wages hurts small business owners doesn't really hold up.


text:
It is a little-known fact that Mitt Romney made his fortune by selling false statements on the black market. He's got a guy he knows in the Caymans who will buy fibs for $5,000 and straight lies for $10,000. As he's giving interviews or speaking at rallies, a staff member records what he says, wringing out the stray pieces of wheat and packing up the chaff for shipment to the Caribbean.
What I'm saying is that Mitt Romney has a casual association with factual accuracy.
Last night, he made a lot of money from his Caymans contact, pulling in the highest dollar amount for this little bit right here:
You put $90 billion into — into green jobs. And — and I — look, I'm all in favor of green energy. Ninety billion [dollars] — that — that would have — that would have hired 2 million teachers. Ninety billion dollars. And these businesses — many of them have gone out of business. I think about half of them, of the ones have been invested in, they've gone out of business. A number of them happened to be owned by — by people who were contributors to your campaigns.
For this little number, Romney earned about $90 billion. Because it is wrong. Very, very wrong. Others have made this point — ThinkProgress and Wonkblog — but it's worth spelling out how far from the truth Romney was.
The claim:
$90 billion of stimulus money was invested in green companies, half of which went out of business. "A number of them" were owned by contributors to Obama's campaigns.
The truth:
From the New York Times:
That is a gross overstatement. Of nearly three dozen recipients of loans under the Department of Energy's loan guarantee program, only three are currently in bankruptcy, although several others are facing financial difficulties.
But that loan-guarantee program doesn't constitute $90 billion. Romney's campaign only clarified this morning that he was referring just to that loan program — which only consists of about $16 billion. Of $90 billion in investments in green projects — money that went to energy efficiency and high-speed rail and a number of other things — the amount that's gone to failed projects is less than 2 percent.
Then there are those donors. Setting aside the fact that 550,000 people gave $200 or more to Obama in 2008, is the president handing out money to cronies? Again, the Times:
Mr. Romney also said that many of the companies that received such loans were supported by campaign contributors. George Kaiser, a major fund-raiser for Mr. Obama's 2008 campaign, was an investor in Solyndra, the failed solar panel maker, but there are also examples of Republican and Democratic campaign contributors who invested in companies supported by the loan guarantee program.
So … no.
Oh, also Mitt Romney strongly advocated government investment in green tech when he was governor of Massachusetts in 2004. That seems pertinent, since Romney's entire argument was that Obama was misguided.
Obama wasn't — but it was hard for a viewer to determine that. In theory, presidential debates give the candidates a chance to present differing options for addressing the country's problems. It's important, then, that candidates are honest and deliberate in presenting their policies.
Kidding! Say what you have to say to get elected. Better strategy. And if you can make a few bones from your mystical island lie-procurer by doing so, go for it. That's just how America works.


text:
ALTADENA, Calif. >> Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies have released a video of a barking Chihuahua angrily chasing off robbers at an Altadena smoke shop.
The video, released Monday, shows two hooded men, one armed with a rifle, running into the Ace Smoke Shop on July 7 and demanding money.
As the store owner begins putting money in a backpack carried by one of the men, the owner's Chihuahua begins barking incessantly and jumping at the men, chasing them out of the store and down the street.
At one point, one of the men even points his rifle at the Chihuahua, but the dog is undaunted.
Neither the store owner, nor the dog was injured


text:
Maine lawmakers expect a wave of gun control bills in response to the shootings at an elementary school in Connecticut that claimed 26 lives, including 20 children.
But even as the massacre prompts calls for adding background checks or limiting the bullet capacity of some firearms, such legislation faces an uphill battle in a state that has rejected similar measures and recently loosened its gun laws.
In the last two-year session, the Legislature passed a law that allows holders of concealed-weapons permits to stow guns in their vehicles on public property, including parking lots at the Capitol complex in Augusta, prisons and courthouses.
And, over objections from the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, it passed a companion bill allowing employees with concealed-weapons permits to leave guns locked in their cars at work.
The legislation is somewhat less controversial than proposals in other parts of the country, such as allowing guns on college campuses. Nonetheless, Maine has been part of a national momentum behind pro-gun bills.
Gun control advocates say the time to ban assault weapons is now.
Advocates held a vigil Sunday night in Portland stressing that point. They also called for state reforms, including background checks for purchases at gun shows and private sales, and limiting the size of firing magazines.
Thomas Franklin, a board member with Maine Citizens Against Handgun Violence, urged lawmakers to stand up to the National Rifle Association. Franklin said Maine could show the nation that "grief can be turned into action."
The recent loosening of Maine gun laws was overseen by a Republican-led Legislature. While Democrats have regained the majority, new leaders so far appear cool to any overhaul of Maine's gun laws.
In a written statement, Senate President Justin Alfond, D-Portland, said there isn't a simple answer to the mass killings, but a solution involves "law enforcement, educators, mental health providers and family members."
Ericka Dodge, Alfond's spokeswoman, said that although last week's shootings created a cultural tipping point for action, "this isn't just about guns."
Other Democratic lawmakers agreed.
Rep. Mark Dion, D-Portland, a former Cumberland County sheriff, said that while there are "holes" in the state policies governing access to firearms, filling them would address only part of the problem.
"The real theme here is that violence is the default answer to some people affected by mental illness," said Dion.
Suggestions of a multi-pronged policy approach echo the discussion at the national level. Despite President Obama's recent vow to prevent future mass killings, his administration has indicated that gun control won't be the only focus.
Jay Carney, Obama's press secretary, told reporters Monday that gun violence is "a complex problem that will require a complex solution."
Gun control advocates blame the deep-pocketed National Rifle Association and its influence on state and federal lawmakers for a proliferation of pro-gun laws amid increasing examples of violence.
The Sunlight Foundation reported Monday that the NRA spent more than 4,100 times as much on this year's federal elections as the nation's leading gun control group, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, $24.3 million to $5,816. And the NRA has spent 73 times more than the Brady Campaign lobbying the 112th Congress.
In Maine, the NRA's political action committee has spent over $137,200 on state legislative elections since 2002. The Sportsman's Alliance of Maine, primarily a hunting advocacy group that is not always aligned with NRA interests, has spent over $175,000.
Richard Dyke, who once owned Bushmaster Firearms in Windham, has spent over $68,000 on Maine elections and legislative candidates.
By contrast, the political arm of Maine Citizens Against Handgun Violence has spent $9,228 since 2002.
Maine Citizens Against Handgun Violence has spent more lobbying state lawmakers than the NRA has since 2002, $43,799 to $29,125. The Sportsman's Alliance of Maine has spent $110,039 over the same period.
It's not clear whether Maine lawmakers have made a political calculation to acquiesce to the pro-gun lobby. What is clear is that stricter gun-control bills have not gone very far in Maine, with either party in control.
In 2009, the Democratic-led Legislature rejected a bill that would have forced sellers at gun shows to do background checks on buyers before selling them firearms. The bill died in committee without a vote in the House or the Senate.
Other bills, such as requiring dealers to provide trigger locks on handguns and banning assault weapons, have been defeated.
Rep. Kenneth Fredette, R-Newport, the House Republican leader, said Maine's gun laws reflect the values of its residents. He said it is appropriate to have a discussion about what caused the tragedy in Connecticut, but the dialogue shouldn't begin and end with taking guns from law-abiding citizens.
Sen. Anne Haskell, D-Portland, said she expects that lawmakers will see a host of gun control bills in this session. And Haskell, a gun owner and hunter who has a concealed-weapons permit, said the proposals will go beyond an emotional response to the killings.
"I don't want people to end up with a false sense of security," she said. "I don't think there's an easy solution until we can understand what drives somebody to go to a school, deliberately target children. It surpasses any kind of understanding."
David Trahan, executive director of the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine, said his group would give thoughtful consideration to any proposal.
The alliance already partners with gun control groups to promote voluntary background checks and gun safety education.
However, Trahan said, lawmakers should be wary of people seizing on tragic events to advance laws that infringe on citizens' Second Amendment rights.
Staff Writer Steve Mistler can be contacted at 791-6345 or at: email@example.com
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text:
I am accepting charitable donations,.
ETH: 0x66e2871ef39334962fb75ce34407f825d67ec434 | BTC: 38B6vGaqNvMyTtoFEZPmNvMS7icV6ZnPMm | xDAI: 0x66e2871ef39334962fb75ce34407f825d67ec434
layout: post title: Glock. I mean, "good luck." date: '2017-06-08T12:17:00.000-07:00' author: Adam M. Dobrin tags: modified_time: '2017-06-13T12:19:50.309-07:00' thumbnail: https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mqqi0Ihuq7I/WUA6Q2duNQI/AAAAAAAADWk/_ybHlrXlt5odzFRyXK8UFnc7y57npfR8QCK4B/s72-c/image-743642.png blogger_id: tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1378654699550157226.post-6560181258258119140 blogger_orig_url: ./2017/06/glock-i-mean-good-luck.html
not with a glock...
to help your "luck," Glock... just like Kentucky... is "of Clark Kent." let me really help you out, you are too.
gl o ver? SON OF MORNING (TRAILER) - YouTube
cl o ar? c the light of "adam really:" Carroll Cloar - Wikipedia
gl o an? the good luck of "an" Pierre Le Gloan - Wikipedia
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Adam M. Dobrin <email@example.com>
Date: Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 12:44 PM
Subject: Re: Glock. I mean, "good luck."
To: firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, Norad <n-nc.peterson.n-ncspecialstaf firstname.lastname@example.com il>, n-nc.peterson.n-ncspecialstaff .email@example.com , usaf.pentagon.saf-cio-a6.mbx.a email@example.com, usarmy.belvoir.hqda-oaa-ahs.mb x.rmda-foia-privacy-alert@mail .mil, email@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, dfas.indianapolis-in.zcc.mbx.d email@example.com, dha.ncr.pcl.mbx.dha-privacy-of firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, jeanette.m.weathersjenkins.civ @mail.mil, email@example.com, stephanie.j.courtney.civ@mail. mil, email@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com, whs.mc-alex.esd.mbx.osd-js-pri email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com l, christopher.m.landwehr.mil@mai l.mil, email@example.com il, email@example.com, mayra.a.lazala-stock.civ@mail. mil, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com l
Cc: Thirteen to l'Chaim <firstname.lastname@example.com theapocalypse.com>, The Free Press <email@example.com>, The Free Press <email@example.com>
From: Adam M. Dobrin <email@example.com>
Date: Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 12:44 PM
Subject: Re: Glock. I mean, "good luck."
To: email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, Norad <n-nc.peterson.n-ncspecialstaf
Cc: Thirteen to l'Chaim <email@example.com
Now check out "glomar" and "glow." That "w" is work. Mar means Si, like in Mary.
The point of my ahem, targeting of the NSA, is to show us all how we are absolutely incapable of using technology properly today; we have allowed a surveillance state to be created and persist; and in the light of that darkness... we have failed to use that technology to do anything at all beneficial for our society. "Code Adam" here, is about stopping child abductions with more than "an amber alert" ... with the technology we know the government possesses and uses (probably just for drug dealers) we could already be in a much happier world.
Except we allow "them" to "hide" that this surveillance exists? So there's no way we could possibly use it for "justice." Ingenious, you all are.
Why don't one of you geniuses request my "file" from the NSA. You could even FOIA my FOIA requests; that would probably be enlightening. At the same time, you might find a really funny example of "good luck" in the transcripts from my SEC deposition in this case: https://www.sec.gov/litigation /litreleases/2008/lr20481.htm That company was "CURA Group" see, we were a group, and now you are gonna c me glow.
we are here. get ready.
On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 10:22 AM, Adam M. Dobrin <firstname.lastname@example.com> wrote:
Now see.. Gload, gloam, and Glome.What is the definition of gloaming?ᐧOn Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 9:10 AM, Adam M. Dobrin <firstname.lastname@example.com> wrote:ᐧ


text:
1 For I want you to know how great a astruggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at bLaodicea, and for all those who have not 1personally seen my face,
2 that their ahearts may be encouraged, having been bknit together in love, and attaining to all cthe wealth 1that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a dtrue knowledge of eGod's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,
3 in whom are hidden all athe treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 aI say this so that no one will delude you with bpersuasive argument.
5 For even though I am aabsent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing 1to see 2your bgood discipline and the cstability of your faith in Christ.
6 Therefore as you have received aChrist Jesus the Lord, so 1bwalk in Him,
7 having been firmly arooted and now being bbuilt up in Him and cestablished 1in your faith, just as you dwere instructed, and overflowing 2with gratitude.
8 aSee to it that no one takes you captive through bphilosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the celementary principles of the world, 1rather than according to Christ.
9 For in Him all the afullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
10 and in Him you have been amade 1complete, and bHe is the head 2over all crule and authority;
11 and in Him ayou were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of bthe body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
12 having been aburied with Him in baptism, in which you were also braised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who craised Him from the dead.
13 When you were adead 1in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He bmade you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14 having canceled out athe certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and bHe has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
15 When He had 1adisarmed the brulers and authorities, He amade a public display of them, having ctriumphed over them through 2Him.
16 Therefore no one is to 1aact as your judge in regard to bfood or bdrink or in respect to a cfestival or a dnew moon or a eSabbath 2day—
17 things which are aa mere shadow of what is to come; but the 1substance 2belongs to Christ.
18 Let no one keep 1adefrauding you of your prize by bdelighting in 2self-abasement and the worship of the angels, 3taking his stand on visions he has seen, 4cinflated without cause by his dfleshly mind,
19 and not holding fast to athe head, from whom bthe entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and 1ligaments, grows with a growth 2which is from God.
20 aIf you have died with Christ 1to the belementary principles of the world, cwhy, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to ddecrees, such as,
21 "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!"
22 (which all refer ato things destined to perish 1with use)—in accordance with the bcommandments and teachings of men?
23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the 1appearance of wisdom in 2aself-made religion and self-abasement and bsevere treatment of the body, but are of no value against cfleshly indulgence.
About New American Standard Bible: 1995 UpdateThe New American Standard Bible, long considered a favorite study Bible by serious students of the Scriptures, has been completely revised and updated in this new 1995 translation. Preserving the Lockman Foundation's standard of creating a literal translation of the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic manuscripts, the 1995 NASB provides a literal translation that is very readable. Formalized language and outdated words and phrases have been replaced with their contemporary counterparts. In short, the 1995 NASB is a Bible translation that is very conducive to word-by-word study and is also able to be read (and understood) by the whole family. |
Copyright |
New American Standard Bible
NAS Cross References and Translator's Notes
NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible The "NASB," "NAS," "New American Standard Bible," and "New American Standard" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by The Lockman Foundation. Use of these trademarks requires the permission of The Lockman Foundation. PERMISSION TO QUOTE The text of the New American Standard Bible® may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of The Lockman Foundation, providing that the verses do not amount to a complete book of the Bible nor do the verses quoted account for more than 25% of the total work in which they are quoted. Notice of Copyright must appear on the title or copyright page of the work as follows: "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission." When quotations from the NASB® text are used in not-for-sale media, such as church bulletins, orders of service, posters, transparencies or similar media, the abbreviation (NASB) may be used at the end of the quotation. This permission to quote is limited to material which is wholly manufactured in compliance with the provisions of the copyright laws of the United States of America and all applicable international conventions and treaties. Quotations and/or reprints in excess of the above limitations, or other permission requests, must be directed to and approved in writing by The Lockman Foundation, PO Box 2279, La Habra, CA 90632-2279, (714) 879-3055. http://www.lockman.org |
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So there's been some silliness about the Windows 7 "build forking" stuff out in the blogosphere, which is to be expected. No one outside of Microsoft really understands how Microsoft creates Windows, but everyone seems to have an opinion about it for some reason, and some people even try to speak from a position of authority about how it's done. (Which I find odd, but whatever.) I tried to downplay this stuff on this week's Windows Weekly podcast because I don't think the process is necessary relevant from a conversational standpoint, whereas how Microsoft is changing the Windows experience is extremely relevant. But I had to address this issue in my Windows 7 build 7106 screenshot gallery because, obviously, it's confusing that builds are now jumping up and down between the 70xx and 71xx series.
As a follow-up, I heard from a Microsoft employee who's emailed me from time to time off the record about Windows 7. And I'd like to present an edited version of what he told me here, if only to address the confusion out there. What it boils down to is that Microsoft has been forking the build since Windows 7 development began.
This "forking" procedure is a bit different than before. The build number jump now is actually identical to the process followed for the Beta.
For the Beta, builds 6980-7000 (or so) were reserved for potential beta clients, while development went on ahead for build 7022 as the first post-beta pre-RC build at the same time.
It's not so much a "per-feature" issue Microsoft is avoiding here, working on individual features and slamming them all together in the end, but rather working towards a more stable public release.
Once into Beta "Lockdown", and then into Beta "Escrow", the bar for fixes gets extremely high. Only the most severe, important fixes are taken, fixes that have the least risk to the stability of the Beta. Any riskier fixes are postponed into the post-beta builds (7022+) to help keep the Beta as stable as possible.
Now, the same thing is going on with RC - the bar gets really high for RC bugs, and anything that will be fixed for RTM, but might be too risky to fix yet for RC, goes into the 7105+ builds.
Hope this helps.


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If you are anything like us, you are suddenly filled with childlike glee when you think of big fluffy poofs of cotton candy. The thought of making it at home has a certain appeal, but that machine is a mystery reserved only for those elite enough to get through cotton candy maker school. Or so we thought. As it turns out, it is actually quite simple. You can make one and be serving cotton candy in an afternoon with parts you probably have sitting around. The video above is pretty easy to follow, but if you want more information, there's an instructable as well.
[via MakeZine]


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To the Abbé Arnoux
19 July 1789
Papers 15:282--83
Books on the subject of Juries.
Complete juryman, or a compendium of the laws relating to jurors.
12mo. 3/
Guide to English juries. 12mo. 1/. 1682.
Hawles's Englishman's right. 8vo. and 12mo. 1/
Jurors judges both of law and fact by Jones. 3/
[Volume 5, Page 364]Security of Englishmen's lives, or the duty of grand juries.
12mo. 1/
Walwin's juries justified. 4to. 1/
Paris July 19. 1789.
Dear Sir
The above is a catalogue of all the books I recollect on the subject of juries. With respect to the value of this institution I must make a general observation. We think in America that it is necessary to introduce the people into every department of government as far as they are capable of exercising it; and that this is the only way to ensure a long-continued and honest administration of it's powers. 1. They are not qualified to exercise themselves the EXECUTIVE department: but they are qualified to name the person who shall exercise it. With us therefore they chuse this officer every 4. years. 2. They are not qualified to LEGISLATE. With us therefore they only chuse the legislators. 3. They are not qualified to JUDGE questions of law; but they are very capable of judging questions of fact. In the form of JURIES therefore they determine all matters of fact, leaving to the permanent judges to decide the law resulting from those facts. But we all know that permanent judges acquire an Esprit de corps, that being known they are liable to be tempted by bribery, that they are misled by favor, by relationship, by a spirit of party, by a devotion to the Executive or Legislative; that it is better to leave a cause to the decision of cross and pile, than to that of a judge biassed to one side; and that the opinion of 12 honest jurymen gives still a better hope of right, than cross and pile does. It is left therefore to the juries, if they think the permanent judges are under any biass whatever in any cause, to take upon themselves to judge the law as well as the fact. They never exercise this power but when they suspect partiality in the judges, and by the exercise of this power they have been the firmest bulwarks of English liberty. Were I called upon to decide whether the people had best be omitted in the Legislative or Judiciary department, I would say it is better to leave them out of the Legislative. The execution of the laws is more important than the making them. However it is best to have the people in all the three departments where that is possible
.The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. Edited by Julian P. Boyd et al. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1950--.


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Burt Bacharach
2007 SCL Ambassador Presentation to Burt Bacharach, excerpted from Dan Foliart and Arthur Hamilton's introductory remarks.
From SCL President Dan Foliart:
Burt Bacharach can and has done literally everything. Burt was born in Kansas City, but only lived there a short time before he moved to New York City, where he spent most of his youth. He studied music at McGill University, the Mannes School of Music and at the New School for Social Research. His composition teachers included Henry Cowell and Darius Milhaud. These teachers must have done good work as he has been recognized for his extraordinary achievement in the arts by such universities as USC and UCLA, such organizations as the Songwriter's Hall of Fame and honored by NARAS with its New York Hero Award.
In the 1950s and early 1960s he was the pianist, arranger and conductor for Marlene Dietrich with whom he toured. The first time I became aware of Burt Bacharach was during my formative years of listening to the radio and buying records; mostly 45s. I learned to look beneath the title and see the name in parenthesis. Curiously enough when I would look at my favorite artists and songs I' d see Gene Pitney, Only Love Can Break a Heart, True Love Never Runs Smooth, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and here were these names: Bacharach-David. Then I'd go to Bobby Vinton: Blue on Blue—Bacharach- David. Bobby Vee-Be True to Yourself,—Bacharach-David. Gene McDaniel-Tower of Strength –Bacharach-Hillard, Jack Jones, Wives and Lovers, Bacharach-David. I got to thinking, "who is this man with the last name Bacharach?"
Well, that was only the beginning, as you know. His collaboration as writer and producer soon thereafter with Dionne Warwick produced such songs as Walk on By, Do You Know the Way to San Jose, Anyone Who Had a Heart and I Say a Little Prayer only to mention a few. These became the classic songs of that generation. Dionne was only one of many artists who have found magic in his songs. Artists as diverse as The Beatles to Streisand, The Barenaked Ladies to Diana Krall, Twista to Herb Albert have all benefited from their association with him.
My next encounter with Burt was being one of the millions that watched those amazing specials that Smith-Hemion produced. He was nominated multiple times for an Emmy for these shows. In one of my first introductions to the process of writing film music I remember that Burt would demonstrate using the movieolla and how and he'd have to look at an Ursula Andress scene in Casino Royale (tough duty) over and over in order to write The Look of Love which he received an Oscar nomination for and then another one would show him looking at Katherine Ross and Paul Newman in scenes he was scoring for Butch Cassidy and writing Raindrops, which he won two Oscars for and I got to thinking to myself, " so this is this man, Bacharach, and his first name is Burt." He has continued to make wonderful specials to this day, like TNT's Masters Series One Amazing Night, and Burt Bacharach Tribute on Ice and he has appeared as a special guest on American Idol four times. He continues an ambitious touring schedule, which includes stops in such far away locales as New Zealand, where I saw numerous posters announcing his appearance during my trip there last year at this time.
Well, I headed off to college, and for those of you who may remember the 8 Track tapes—on my drives from Oklahoma to Massachusetts I would literally melt the tape listening to the cast album of the Broadway hit, Promises, Promises and those great instrumental albums, mostly for A&M Records like Reach Out, Make it Easy on Yourself, and The Man, Burt Bacharach. Fortunately for all of us, most of this material has been re-released on more current media by Universal, as have numerous other impressive anthologies.
Just a few of Burt's illustrious achievements in the area of film and television Music are: The five Academy Awards nominations and the three wins for Butch Cassidy and Arthur. His three golden globe awards and the seven Grammys, including the Trustees Award with Hal. His amazing scores for Arthur, Casino Royale, Night Shift and What's New Pussycat, which also gained him an Oscar nomination. Other great movie songs like, one of my personal favorites, the April Fools, A House is Not a Home, and of course, Alfie, which he received an Oscar nomination for. That's What Friends Are For and how he has donated all of the proceeds from the song to the American Foundation for Aids Research, which currently total $1.5 million dollars. His thought provoking and Grammy winning CD entitled, At This Time, which paired his melodies with his first time ever self-penned lyrics.
From SCL Vice-President, Arthur Hamilton:
Listening to songs has always been an important part of our lives. Hearing them work their way into our minds and hearts–and sometimes staying there forever.
We all know songs. When we hear one for the first time, sometimes we say, "that's a good song." Occasionally, we say, "that's a great song." But whenever we have heard one special kind of song for the first time, we have always been able to say, "that's a Bacharach song."
It's not just the added bars in the bridge, or the extra beats in a bar–the odd shape of its structure. It's where the melody is going, and how it gets there, that gains our complete attention. We hear it move in a direction we didn't expect, and we say, "where the hell is it going?" And when it gets there, we know it had a mind of its own, and it took us to a new place. And, we have learned something from it.
His work has let us discover a talent of the highest order, and the wonder and mystery of it still amazes us.


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Inuyasha: Final ActSynopsisAfter many days and nights hunting for shikon shards, both Inuyasha and his team as well as Naraku, brushes up on those final touches on their respective plans, heading off for the final confrontation. ReviewWhen I rounded off the original Inuyasha at 167 episodes and about halfway into the manga, I was thinking something the lines of "Man, if they ever create an anime version of the remainder of the manga, will I have to sit through another 160++ episodes?" Apparently, in 2008 or 2009, Sunrise listened and answered with "Nah! 26'll do." No, seriously; they covered the entire remainder of the manga in about.... 1/6th or 1/7th the amount of episodes. I imagine the board of directors, when asked by the staff about how they planned on dealing with the sequel, strapped rockets on everyone's chairs and lit all their fuses. And it works. Maybe a little bit too well, because the show barely have time to breathe, much less put any filler material in there. We start off as team Inuyasha is tracking down Hakudoshi and the baby, just as Naraku is doing the same. Most of the shards have also been gathered, and somehow fused into a nearly complete jewel by itself, the missing pieces basically being reduced to the two Koga has in his legs and the one keeping Kohaku alive. Nearing the endgame, various confrontations start getting a little fatal even for characters who have followed us from the beginning. Some of you might have concerns about whether the important stuff from the manga made it into the anime, so seeing as it did, that's one armageddon averted, I guess. So yes, manga fans, the big Kagura scene? It's in there. So is the episode about Sesshoumaru and Rin (and the Tenseiga.) Everything. While we're on this subject, there's something I have to bring up. Basically, the music. Kaoru Wada still does the excellent in-show score, but seeing as Final Act seems to be dead set on following in the original's footsteps, this means having each episode begin and end with pop music. Sometimes really inappropriate pop music. Imagine, for a second, a certain last scene with Kagura, one of Naraku's hench... women. Final Act actually does this scene credit, with nice usage of CG for the field it's taking place in, and Wada's score swells with the emotional impact of the scene itself. And then the episode ends, and you hear "With you" by AAA as the credits roll. (Google it.) It's just inconceivable that anyone would think ending a pivotal (and very emotional) scene in an episode with bad Eurovision Song Contest music could ever be a good idea. All I'm saying is that it's a good thing you can skip these when you watch them on DVD or Bluray. Speaking of which, I'm not entirely sure if Inuyasha: Final Act is worth getting on Bluray. While the art and animation is certainly decent enough, and I'm guessing various parts near the end might be worth the visual upgrade, I'm... going to go with the opinion that the DVD version is probably enough for most people. Thankfully, the dub is not only up to scratch, but a bunch of the voices in the show actually sounds like the actors had a hoot doing them. This goes doubly for a lot of the one-episode characters, like the old drunkard guru who helps Sango repair her huge-ass boomerang. (Bonerang? Naw, that sounds vaguely dirty.) I was a little worried when I heard they had swapped out some of the voices, most notably Kagome and Sesshoumaru's actors. Thankfully, Kira Tozer hops straight into the role as Kagome, and while her voice is slightly different, it was easy to adjust to it. Michael Daingerfield as Sesshoumaru takes a little more time getting used to, but it's certainly doable. I still miss David Kaye, though. It feels kind of odd finally being done with Inuyasha: Final Act. Despite kinda counting as shonen fare, the show is surprisingly light on actual fighting (and heavy on adventure, romance and plotting), but more importantly, Final Act comes to a conclusive end. (Let's ask ourselves; how many long-running TV shows do that these days?) I can't really say whether the average shounen fan would be willing to drop shows like One Piece or Fairy Tail for this, but manga fans should definitely be satisfied with how Inuyasha: Final Act turned out. The pace shift'll whiplash the hell out of you, but The Final Act continues -- and brings closure to -- one of my favorite shonen diversions. — Stig Høgset Recommended Audience: Various demons still die en masse, and while the show still isn't even close to as bloody as the manga, but I'm pretty sure I saw some blood in there this time. Possibly. Version(s) Viewed: Bluray release, bilingual. Review Status: Full (26/26) Inuyasha: Final Act © 2009 Sunrise, Shogakukan Productions Co., Ltd. |
© 1996-2015 THEM Anime Reviews. All rights reserved. |


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Romans 9:19-23
Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?This theme and argument were not original to the Epistle to the Romans, or even to Paul more generally. In fact, this theme is not merely a New Testament theme. It is firmly rooted in the Old Testament.
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory ... .
The outlines for the theme are found first in Job.
Job 4:17-19
Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker? Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: how much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?Here we see the basic point emphasized. Man is not in a position to judge his maker. It is not necessarily crystal clear that the "houses of clay" refers to the body as opposed to mud huts, but it becomes clear soon:
Job 10:9
Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?The reference in Job harkens back to the Creation:
Genesis 2:7
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.Man is like pottery in this way - that God made us from the dust of the ground.
Against the backdrop of Job and Genesis (we know Genesis was written by Moses, but we don't know exactly when Job was written), Isaiah provides similar and further elaborated variations on the theme:
Isaiah 29:15-16
Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?Here the rebellion of the people against God is answered with the potter's clay analogy. They are just his clay - are they really going to deny his existence/power or his wisdom?
And it gets stronger:
Isaiah 45:7-12
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it. Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth? Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.In this passage, God takes ultimate responsibility for everything. He even says "I ... create evil," not that he is morally culpable for it, but that he decrees it. The potsherds can debate each other, but none of them can stand in judgment over God or demand that God account for his actions toward them. It's as absurd as if a child was to question the authority of his parents to procreate him. God says he is not accountable to man for what he has made.
Moreover, the righteous (like Job) acknowledge their relationship to God as the potter:
Isaiah 64:8
But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.When we see these precedents for Romans 9, the point in Romans 9 becomes clear. Paul is arguing that the question is impudent. Man cannot question God's holding man responsible, even though no one can resist the will of God. That's like a pot saying, "why did you make me this way?" to the potter. Paul affirms that God, like a potter, does have a purpose for his different pots. Moreover, for Paul that is enough to vindicate the potter.
Occasionally, we are told that some other passage is the precedent for Romans 9. I would refer to these as faux precedent passages. The most popular of these is in Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 18:1-13
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart. Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.The point of the passage in this case is to emphasize God's mercy in judgment. God is saying that he is free to change the way that Israel is treated, and he offers to do so if they will repent. There is an aspect of sovereignty here, but this aspect of sovereignty has to do with God's ability to accept repentance. Such a point does not fit with the objection about why God finds fault despite having an irresistible will.
We see a similar theme in some of the non-canonical inter-testamental books.
For example, in Sirach we find the following expression, which seems to be drawn from Jeremiah:
Sirach 33:13
As the clay is in the potter's hand, to fashion it at his pleasure: so man is in the hand of him that made him, to render to them as liketh him best.There is also an interesting passage in Wisdom. This passage, on its own, has some nice linguistic similarities to the Romans passage. However, in context the point being made is totally different, namely about the absurdity of idolatry. Don't worship a statue: it could just as easily have been a chamberpot.
Wisdom 15:7
For the potter, tempering soft earth, fashioneth every vessel with much labour for our service: yea, of the same clay he maketh both the vessels that serve for clean uses, and likewise also all such as serve to the contrary: but what is the use of either sort, the potter himself is the judge.Still it provides the intuition behind the apostle's argument: the potter is sovereign over the clay the same way that God is sovereign over mankind. Just as it would be absurd for a chamberpot to complain about its duties, seeing as it wasn't consulted regarding what it was going to be, so it is absurd for men to complain that God's showing mercy on whom He will, and hardening others is somehow unfair.


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Definition: This entry gives the average annual number of births during a year per 1,000 persons in the population at midyear; also known as crude birth rate. The birth rate is usually the dominant factor in determining the rate of population growth. It depends on both the level of fertility and the age structure of the population.
Source: CIA World Factbook - Unless otherwise noted, information in this page is accurate as of January 1, 2020
See also: Birth rate map


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From "Dodgers' sale deal doesn't close on schedule" by Bill Shaikin at the LA Times:
Frank McCourt bid farewell to his manager Saturday. The new owners of the Dodgers met with the players Sunday, in advance of an anticipated news conference Tuesday.
All of the activity revolved around the expected closing of the Dodgers' sale Monday. However, the deal did not close on schedule, leaving McCourt with ownership of the team for what appeared to be one final night.
The closing now is expected to occur Tuesday morning, according to three people familiar with the sale process. The sale does not appear to be in jeopardy, the people said.
The failure to close the sale came at the end of a day of meetings among attorneys for McCourt, MLB and Guggenheim Baseball, the incoming owners. The delay involved the approval of documents that had not been cleared by the court-appointed mediator supervising the sale, the people said.
McCourt did meet a Monday deadline to pay a $131-million divorce settlement to his ex-wife, Jamie, according to a person familiar with the matter but not authorized to comment, eliminating the possibility that she could intervene in the sale process.
Hey, what's one more day after eight years of waiting? I mean, it's just one more day...right?
UPDATE: It is done. From "Dodgers sale closes; McCourt era ends" by Shaikin:
Frank McCourt surrendered ownership of the Dodgerson Tuesday, closing a turbulent chapter in the history of one of baseball's most historic franchises.
The new owners wired the final payment on the record $2.15-billion purchase price on Tuesday, closing the transaction that ended the McCourt era and ushering in Guggenheim Baseball as the Dodgers' third owner since the O'Malley family sold the team in 1998, individuals close to the negotiations confirmed.
The new ownership group, fronted by Magic Johnson and incoming Dodgers President Stan Kasten, is expected to hold its first news conference on Wednesday. Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter, who arranged the financing as chief executive of Chicago-based Guggenheim Financial, is expected to make a rare public appearance at the news conference.