text:
DD1 has been studying ballet since she was knee-high to a grasshopper. She is graduating from high school this year and has decided to go another route, career-wise. I wanted to do a professional photo shoot to mark this milestone and decided to go with a photographer she knows who has a real knack for ballet photography in outdoor settings. (She used to sometimes partner with him in pas de deux class).
I just received almost 200 pics from the shoot and couldn't be happier. This photographer is reasonably priced (at the moment) because he's still getting his business going. He also takes non-dance-themed pictures, and he's photographed weddings and the like.
If you follow my blog at all, you know I don't take money for advertisements. I only recommend something I am happy with. I couldn't be happier with Ballet Zaida. Yes, Oliver is in the Bay Area, but I'm sure you could fly him somewhere if you wanted him badly enough. :)
I'm intentionally including only pics taken from a distance, but there were plenty of close up shots as well.
Oh, I was going to sew her something to wear for the shoot, but I didn't. ;)


text:
Getting ready to tie the knot? If you're searching for a venue, but looking for alternatives to stuffy hotels and party halls, we've got just the thing for you. You can have the intimate wedding of your dreams at BlissWood Bed and Breakfast Ranch. Our scenic guest ranch is the ultimate venue for a beautiful outdoor Texas wedding.
Conveniently located just 50 miles outside Houston, Texas, BlissWood is the perfect destination for an elegant outdoor wedding. Our property in the gorgeous Texas Hill Country offers a scenic and romantic backdrop for your special day. Surrounded by nature, with breathtaking lake views and lavish grounds, the great outdoors will provide the perfect decor for your ceremony.
We also have wedding packages to suit every couple. Whether you're planning an elopement, a small gathering, or a larger wedding, we can help you do it right. We recently held a beautiful, intimate wedding with just six guests. The ceremony (and the bride) were picture perfect and they held a wonderful small reception at Carol's at Cat Spring Restaurant.
When you plan your wedding at BlissWood, we'll help you take care of all the details. Our wedding packages include all the important things like flowers, music for the ceremony, and even the cake! You'll also want to book a photo session with Skeeter Hagler, our resident Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer. We have lots of great photo spots to choose from! From bridges to meadows to gardens, we have a wide variety of beautiful locations for your photos.
And best of all, the experience doesn't have to end when the reception is over. You and your guests can opt to spend the night in any of our comfortable B&B guest houses and suites.
When you tie the knot at BlissWood, you'll start your marriage off right. With bliss! Call us at 713-301-3235 to start planning your dream wedding!

subset: commoncrawl


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The library of our institute. |
"Library is a temple of books", -- somebody said. And I fully agree with these wise words. Every person in our country elder than 14 years old, I'm sure, was at least one time in the library. The majority of young people has subscriptions to the libraries they like. The libraries not only give us a vast choice of books, but also offers excellent opportunities of having rest. As you know, I study at the Far-Eastern State University, and I'm very proud that its library is thought to be the one of the largest in Primorye and even the whole Far-East. Soon after our studies began, we had heard for a course of lectures about the university library. We were told about the rules of using books we take from the library and about its catalogues. Having listened to this course, we passed an examination that showed everything we had learnt. Soon I had to visit our library the first time as I needed a text book on economics. I went downstairs (as library is situated in the ground floor) and found a room I was searching for. But I didn't get the immediately as it was many students. So I waited for my turn. I asked to a librarian if I could get the book on economical theory. She answered affirmatively and soon brought me a book which name was . Than the librarian asked me if it was for the first time I used the library's services. I answered that it was true, and she suggest me to receive reader's ticket. I was interested to know what documents I had to provide for this. She told that she needed only my photo 3x4 cm and some money. Fortunately, I had picture with myself and two minutes later I was the owner of reader's ticket, which proves that I am a real member of the university library. So, that is my story about our library. By the way, I want to say you that I was greatly surprised the level of service in it. It was very pleasant to meet kind librarian that was eager to help in everything you ask. |


text:
Cursor's Fury is the third book in the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. The book starts two years on from where the Academ's Fury ended.
I can't even begin to tell you how exciting the last hundred pages of this book were. I was totally freaking out. I finished the last page at about 02:00 in the morning, got out of bed with an exited giggle and ran into the next room to grab the next book in the series. I read that for a couple of hours more before I finally gave up and went to sleep.
If you are thinking about reading this series, please don't read any spoilers. Jim Butcher has done an brilliant job of mixing predictability and complete surprise. The predictability of the plot works really well because you have a good idea what is going to happen, but you are desperate to see if it does because there are enough surprises to keep you guessing, or questioning what you think is coming round the corner.
Love it.


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Updates have been made for a couple of different access methods to information about Utah State Archives records available for research.
For the first time since beginning to use an online catalog powered by Horizon (SirsiDynix), we did a complete update of catalog records which yielded at least 200 new record series not previously found in the catalog. To be included in the catalog, a series needs to be considered permanent (i.e. historical) and have holdings available from the Archives. These holdings could be original paper, microfilm, or both (electronic formats have not generally made their way into the permanent collections–yet).
One of the major updates found in the catalog record are links to series inventories or finding aids. This is because of the new web site with a different URL. As part of the grant-funded project to update finding aids to the latest EAD (Encoded Archival Description) format, we took the opportunity to review the content of all finding aids before creating new documents to put online. We are also making some inventories available online for the first time which were previously only in the research center as paper temporary lists. While there are still some to finish reviewing and publishing, over 1,100 are now online.
- View Series Inventories (browse list will be updated soon)
All series inventories are also simultaneously available in the Mountain West Digital Library EAD Statewide Index (that's the grant project). This is an exciting result of almost two years of work with thousands of finding aids from the largest repositories of historical archival collections in Utah all in one place.


text: On Tue, 2004-12-07 at 15:23, Josh Kayse wrote: > Ok, my first post, so please be gentle. > > I've recently been tasked to build a diskless cluster for one of our > engineers. This was easy because we already had an image for the set > of machines. Once we started testing, the performance was very poor. What performance is poor? Is it the whole code that is slowing down or is it just the disk IO? > Basic setup follows: > > Master node: system drive is 1 36GB SCSI drive > /home raid5 5x 36GB SCSI drives Have you tuned the performance of your raid5 device? Depending on your controller, should probably be seeing 100 MB/s for both read and write. Or is this software raid? > Master node exports /tftpboot/192.168.1.x for the nodes. > > all of the nodes are diskless and get their system from the master > node over gigabit ethernet. > All that worsk fine. > > The engineers use files over nfs for message passing, and no, they So this used to work ok? Did it work with the same NFS server before you had it export the diskless filesystem? > will not change their code to mpi even though it would be an > improvement in terms of manageability and probably performance. > > Basically, my question is: what are some ways of testing the > performance of nfs ande then, how can I improve the performance? > > Thanks for any help in advance. > > PS: nfs mount options: async,rsize=8192,wsize=8192,hard > file sizes: approx 2MB If possible, increase the MTU on your interfaces. Also test your NFS performance and compare it to the raw disk performance. Craig


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To appear ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology (TOSEM), 1997.
The full text of this paper is here (in PostScript).
We use formal specifications to describe the behavior of software components, and hence, to determine whether two components match. We give precise definitions of not just exact match, but more relevantly, various flavors of relaxed match. These definitions capture the notions of generalization, specialization, and substitutability of software components.
Since our formal specifications are pre- and post-conditions written as predicates in first-order logic, we rely on theorem proving to determine match and mismatch. We give examples from our implementation of specification matching using the Larch Prover.


text:
Concluded WG Multiple Interfaces (mif)
Note: The data for concluded WGs is occasionally incorrect.
WG | Name | Multiple Interfaces | |
Acronym | mif | ||
Area | Internet Area (int) | ||
State | Concluded | ||
Charter | charter-ietf-mif-04 Approved | ||
Document dependencies | |||
Additional resources | Issue tracker, Wiki | ||
Personnel | Chairs | DENG Hui, Margaret Cullen | |
Area Director | Terry Manderson | ||
Liaison Contacts | DENG Hui, Margaret Cullen | ||
Mailing list | Address | firstname.lastname@example.com | |
To subscribe | https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/mif | ||
Archive | https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/browse/mif/ |
Final Charter for Working Group
Nodes attached to multiple networks may encounter problems due to conflict of network configuration information and/or simultaneous use of the multiple available networks. This can happen over multiple physical network interfaces, a combination of physical and virtual interfaces (VPNs or tunnels), or even indirectly through multiple default routers being on the same link. For instance, current laptops and smartphones typically have multiple access network interfaces.
The MIF problem statement document [RFC6418] enumerates the problems into 3 categories:
1. Lack of consistent and distinctive management of configuration elements, associated with different networks.
2. Inappropriate mixed use of configuration elements, associated with different networks, in the course of a particular network activity / connection.
3. Use of a particular network, not consistent with the intent of the scenario / involved parties, leading to connectivity failure and / or other undesired consequences.
The purpose of the MIF working group is to describe the architecture detailing how devices attach to and operate in multiple networks. The group shall also analyze how applications can be influenced by these existing mechanisms. The WG shall employ and refer to existing IETF work in this area, including, for instance, strong/weak models (RFC 1122), default address selection (RFC 6724), ICE and other mechanisms higher layers can use for address selection, DHCP mechanisms, Router Advertisement mechanisms, and DNS recommendations. The focus of the working group should be on documenting the system level effects to host IP stacks and identification of gaps between the existing IETF recommendations and existing practice. Having completed some of its initial goals the group is also developing the following:
An incrementally deployable architecture, defining a consistent approach and recommended practices for handling sets of network configuration objects by hosts, attached to multiple networks, which enable hosts to improve network connectivity for the host's applications and users. Each of these sets of network configuration objects is referred to collectively as a provisioning domain (PVD).
A set of requirements for changes to or the uses of protocols, that provide network configuration information, to enable improved handling of multiple sets of network configuration in networks and hosts. For example, requirements for DHCPv6 options, Neighbor Discovery options etc. to communicate association of the configuration information with particular networks.
In cooperation with other working groups, uses of existing protocols in accordance with the requirements produced under item 2. Any changes of function of protocols are out of scope.
A MIF API: While no changes are required for applications to run on multiple interface hosts, a new API could provide additional services to applications running on hosts attached to multiple networks. For instance, these services could assist advanced applications in having greater control over first-hop, source address and/or DNS resolver, interface and other network configuration element selection. This API will be defined as an abstract interface specification. That is, specific details about mapping to operating system primitives or programming languages will be left out, and the API will not be specified in terms of familiar APIs (e.g., "BSD sockets API"). In addition to the new API, the behavior of existing APIs may be changed to improve the behavior of unmodified applications.
Guidelines to applications, to provide an improved connectivity experience when the host is attached to multiple networks or there is a change in the set of networks the host is attached to, e.g., via MIF API usage.
The MIF working group will document either as part of the MIF API specification, as part of the MIF architecture document, or in a separate document, the issues and requirements for a high-level MIF user interface that would allow the user to exert control over how individual applications or application roles make use of different provisioning domains and network interfaces.
A specification for the format, generation and usage of PVD IDs.
Network discovery and selection on lower layers as defined by RFC 5113 is out of scope. With the exception of identifying requirements for additional DHCPv6 and/or ND options, as well as requirements for possible related changes in these protocols, the group shall not assume any software beyond basic IP protocol support on its peers or in network hosts. No work will be done to enable traffic flows to move from one interface to another. The group recognizes existing work on mechanisms that require peer or network support for moving traffic flows such as RFC 5206, RFC 4980 and the use of multiple care-of addresses in Mobile IPv6. This group does not work on or impact such mechanisms. Future work in this area requires rechartering the working group or asking other, specialized working groups (such as DHC or 6MAN) to deal with specific issues.
Date | Milestone | Associated documents |
Jul 2016 | MIF API extension solution to IESG for publication as an Informational RFC |
Done milestones
Date | Milestone | Associated documents |
Done | Initial draft on DHCPv6 and ND extention adopted by the WG | |
Done | Initial draft on format and usage of PvD ID adoped by the WG | |
Done | MPvD Architecture draft submitted to the IESG for publication as an Informational RFC | |
Done | Initial draft on MPvD architecture adopted by the WG | |
Done | Submit advanced DNS server selection solution to IESG for publication as a Proposed Standard RFC | |
Done | Initial WG draft on MIF API extension | |
Done | Initial WG draft on advanced DNS server selection solution | |
Done | Analysis draft submitted to the IESG for publication as an Informational RFC | |
Done | Existing practices draft submitted to the IESG for publication as an Informational RFC | |
Done | Problem statement draft submitted to the IESG for publication as an Informational RFC | |
Done | Initial draft on analysis of existing practices adopted by the WG | |
Done | Initial draft on existing practices adopted by the WG | |
Done | Initial draft on problem statement adopted by the WG | |
Done | WG chartered |


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Exciting news at ~THE DINING ROOM AT THE RITZ-CARLTON~: after 20 years of a fine dining format, the esteemed location will be closing to undergo a makeover and a total re-concepting. The new space will be more approachable, contemporary, and less formal—the publicist for the property emphasizes the feeling will be warm and comfortable. Chef Ron Siegel—who has been leading The Dining Room since July 2004—will be creating a new dining experience that will offer more flexibility, modernity, and simplicity (more details on the menu format soon).
One big change will be the addition of a bar and lounge area in the dining room—featuring handcrafted cocktails and small plates—designed to appeal as much to locals as to guests just passing through. The plan is to create a lively and prominent bar, with a fun environment that will spill over a bit into the actual dining room. There will also be a chef's table and a glassed-in private dining room. (When all is said and done, there will be 146 seats total.)
There will also be two entrances to the restaurant, either a direct (and more prominent) entrance from the porte-cochère, or through the lobby. Speaking of the lobby (and lobby lounge), those two spaces are slated for some upcoming renovations down the road as well.
The redesign will begin after September 15th, and should be reopening before the end of the year. In honor of Siegel's groundbreaking salt and pepper tasting menu, it will be available once again from August 9th-September 15th. You'll be able to congratulate Ron during this weekend's SF Chefs—he'll have a table at the Saturday afternoon Grand Tasting (from 12pm-4pm).
Chef Ron Siegel. (Photo originally provided by Ritz-Carlton San Francisco.)


text:
To Make One Happy, Make One Busy
In Greek mythology, the gods punished Sisyphus by condemning him to roll a rock up a steep hill for eternity. But he was probably better off than if they'd condemned him to sit and stare into space until the end of time, conclude the authors of a new study on keeping busy. They found that people who have something to do, even something pointless, are happier than people who sit idly.
"The general phenomenon I'm interested in is why people are so busy doing what they are doing in modern society," says Christopher K. Hsee, of the University of Chicago. He co-wrote the study with Adelle X. Yang, also of the University of Chicago, and Liangyan Wang, of Shanghai Jiaotong University. "People are running around, working hard, way beyond the basic level." Sure, there are reasons, like making a living, earning money, accruing fame, helping others, and so on. But, Hsee says, "I think there's something deeper: We have excessive energy and we want to avoid idleness."
For the study, volunteers completed a survey, and then had to wait 15 minutes before the next survey would be ready. They could drop off the completed survey at a nearby location and wait out the remaining time or drop it off at a location farther away, where walking back and forth would keep them busy for the 15 minutes. Either way, they would receive a candy when they handed in their survey. Volunteers who chose to stay busy by going to the faraway location were found to be happier than those who chose to be idle.
Not everyone chose to go to the faraway location. If the candies offered at the two locations were the same, the subjects were more likely to choose to stay idle. But if the candies offered at the two locations were different, they were more likely to choose the far location—because they could make up a justification for the trip, Hsee and his colleagues say. The research is published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
Hsee thinks it may be possible to use this principle—people like being busy, and they like being able to justify being busy—to benefit society. "If we can devise a mechanism for idle people to engage in activity that is at least not harmful, I think it is better than destructive busyness," he says. Hsee himself has been known to give a research assistant a useless task when he doesn't have anything for them to do, so he isn't sitting around the office getting bored and depressed. "I know this is not particularly ethical, but he is happy," says Hsee.


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Product Overview
On their 2016 album, Bad Vibrations, A Day to Remember claim to have approached the writing process with no expectations and organically came up with their finest work to date. According to Jeremy McKinnon, ADTR's frontman, this album "... came together organically. We took some time to get together and write with no real expectations," says the singer. The band took a trek up to Fort Collins, CO where they'd collaborate with Descendants' Bill Stevenson who produced the album. The lead single "Paranoia" raced up the Active Rock Charts upon release, and McKinnon recalls, "That song just kind of came out of nowhere one day-and we were all really pumped on it." Radio is just one key to this band's success, as touring is front and center to the ADTR master plan. The band has curated their own music Festival, dubbed Self Help Fest - since 2014 - with the attendance growing each year. In March 2016 over 17,000 fans attended the fest in San Bernardino, CA., which was headlined by ADTR and featured some of the best bands in the scene.


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16 The 2006 intercensal error for total capital city Statistical Divisions was -0.53% (-70,400 people) and for the remainder of Australia was -0.30% (-22,300). The proportion of the Australian population estimated to be living in capital city Statistical Divisions in 2006 based on the preliminary estimate was 63.55%, compared with 63.60% based on the final figure, an intercensal error of -0.05 percentage points; the corresponding error for 2001 was +0.41 percentage points. 17 In recognition of the inherent inaccuracy involved in population estimation, in general population figures less than 1,000 in the text and accompanying summary tables are rounded to the nearest ten, figures over 1,000 are rounded to the nearest hundred, and figures over 1 million are rounded to the nearest 10,000 or 100,000. While unrounded figures are provided in the spreadsheets, accuracy to the last digit is not claimed and should not be assumed. Percentage change in population is based on unrounded numbers. INTERPRETATION OF LGA RANKINGS 18 The spreadsheet called 'Population Estimates by Local Government Area, 2001 to 2011' (under the Downloads tab) has LGAs ranked within states and territories according to both 'largest' and 'fastest' preliminary growth, identifying areas in Australia currently experiencing significant changes in population size. Largest growth is based on the absolute change in population between June 2010 and June 2011, while fastest growth is based on the rate of change in population (that is, the percentage change in population) for the same period. LGAs with populations of less than 2,000 people at June 2010 have been excluded from the fastest growth rankings. 19 Due to the inherent imprecision of small area population estimates and the variation in population size, rankings should be considered indicative of relative growth between LGAs within each state and territory, not definitive. AVERAGE ANNUAL RATE OF GROWTH 20 The average annual growth rate is calculated as a percentage using the formula below, where P0 is the population at the start of the period, Pn is the population at the end of the period and n is the length of the period between Pn and P0 in years. SUB-SLA POPULATIONS 21 For the 2006 Census, Collection Districts (CDs) were designed for the collection and dissemination of census data. In aggregate, CDs cover the whole of Australia without gaps or overlaps. In census years, one or more CDs form an SLA. 22 To provide some indication of estimated resident population below the SLA level, the ABS prepares population estimates for CDs. These estimates can be aggregated to form population estimates for regions such as Remoteness Areas, and are used in the calculations of population estimates for SLAs created after the 2006 Census. By this means, population estimates for areas other than those provided in this product may be available on request. 23 Population estimates at the CD level as at 30 June of a census year are compiled by apportioning the population estimate for each SLA across the CDs within the SLA, using census usual residence counts. In subsequent years, the 30 June population estimates for SLAs are apportioned across CDs by taking into account population change implied by indicator data in each CD since the census year. For SLAs involved in boundary changes, each CD may be assigned to one or more SLAs, and for CDs which fall within more than one SLA an estimate is made of the split of the CD's population across SLAs. The CD populations within each SLA are then adjusted (on a pro-rata basis) to add to the SLA population. CENTRE OF POPULATION 24 The centre of population is one measure used to describe the spatial distribution of a population. The method used to calculate centres of population in this product is based on the centroid and population of each CD. To calculate the centre of population for an area, the latitude and longitude coordinates of the centroid of each CD in that area are multiplied by the CD's estimated resident population to obtain weighted latitudes and longitudes for each CD. These are summed to obtain a weighted latitude and longitude coordinate for the area, then divided by the total population of the area to obtain a single latitude and longitude coordinate. 25 Due to the inherent imprecision in small area estimates, the centre of population should be considered indicative only of the distribution of population, and cannot be ascribed to an exact location. The use of different geographical level data could result in different centres of population. SERVICE POPULATIONS 26 Service population estimates are a different measure of population. They take into account seasonal and itinerant populations which are not included in the ERP. More information about the concept of service populations is available in Chapter 6 of Information Paper: Population Concepts, 2008 (cat. no. 3107.0.55.006). Currently the ABS does not produce service population estimates but has published two working papers which investigate the feasibility of producing such estimates: Demography Working Paper 1996/4 - When ERPs aren't Enough (cat. no. 3112.0) and Demography Working Paper 1999/3 - Service Population Pilot Study: An Investigation to Assess the Feasibility of Producing Service Population Estimates for Selected LGAs (cat. no. 3117.0). AUSTRALIAN STATISTICAL AREAS 27 This publication contains data presented according to the 2011 edition of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC), which refers to boundaries as defined at 1 July 2011. Under this classification, statistical areas are defined as follows:
28 The ASGC is updated on an annual basis. The appendices of this product provide a summary of SLA and LGA changes between the two latest editions of the ASGC. These appendices contain boundary changes which involve population and also list name changes. They do not include code changes. 29 LGAs are proclaimed by various state and territory government authorities and changes are gazetted throughout the year. Presently, LGAs are used as the base on which SLAs are defined for the ASGC. Because this definition process takes time, some LGAs gazetted during the year leading up to an ASGC edition are not processed in time for inclusion in that edition, and are instead included in a later edition. 30 The Remoteness Structure is defined only in census years and its purpose is to classify CDs which share common characteristics of remoteness into broad geographical regions called Remoteness Areas (RAs). Within a state or territory, each RA represents an aggregation of non-contiguous geographical areas which share common characteristics of remoteness. As characteristics of remoteness are determined in the context of Australia as a whole, not all RAs are represented in each state or territory. The delimitation criteria for RAs are based on the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA), which measures the remoteness of a point based on the physical road distance to the nearest Urban Centre in each of the five size classes. 31 Further information concerning statistical areas is contained in Australian Standard Geographical Classification, 2011 (cat. no. 1216.0). 32 In July 2011, the ABS replaced the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) with the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS). Under this classification, statistical areas are defined as follows:
33 Further information on these statistical areas is contained in Australian Statistical Geography Standard: Volume 1 - Main Structure and Greater Capital City Statistical Areas, July 2011 (cat. no. 1270.0.55.001). CALCULATION OF AREAS AND POPULATION DENSITY 34 The area figures used in this issue are based upon the SLA level of the Australian Standard Geographical Classification, 2011 edition. The areas of the SLAs were calculated using ABS standard Geographic Information Systems software from the digital boundaries of this ASGC edition. Higher level spatial unit area figures are aggregations of the relevant SLA areas. The area of each SLA is included in the SLA spreadsheets accompanying this publication. 35 The population density for an SLA is calculated by dividing the estimated resident population for the SLA by the area of the SLA. The result is expressed as a number of people per square kilometre for each SLA. The population densities of SLAs as at June 2011 are illustrated in the Population Density maps in this product. These maps must be considered as illustrating an approximation of the true distribution of the population. For example, any SLA comprising one or more small population centres surrounded by a large, sparsely populated area will be illustrated with the average population density for the SLA as a whole, so the small population centres will not be apparent. MAPS 36 A complete series of SLA maps is available in Australian Standard Geographical Classification, 2011 (cat. no. 1216.0). ACKNOWLEDGMENT 37 ABS publications draw extensively on information provided freely by individuals, businesses, governments and other organisations. Their continued cooperation is very much appreciated; without it, the wide range of statistics published by the ABS would not be available. Information received by the ABS is treated in strict confidence as required by the Census and Statistics Act 1905. RELATED RELEASES 38 Other ABS releases that are freely available on the ABS website <www.abs.gov.au> and may be of interest to users of this product include:
Australian Demographic Statistics (cat. no. 3101.0) Australian Historical Population Statistics (cat. no. 3105.0.65.001) Births, Australia (cat. no. 3301.0) - SLA-specific datasets Deaths, Australia (cat. no. 3302.0) - SLA-specific datasets Regional Statistics - available on the ABS home page Population Estimates: Concepts, Sources and Methods (cat. no. 3228.0.55.001) ADDITIONAL STATISTICS AVAILABLE 39 As well as the statistics included in this and related publications, additional information is available from the ABS website <www.abs.gov.au> by selecting Topics @ a Glance, People and then Demography. 40 The ABS may have other relevant data available on request. Inquiries should be made to the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070. Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window. |


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Andante Law Group of Daniel E. Garrison, PLLC announced that Jaclyn D. Foutz has joined the firm as an attorney. Her practice is concentrated in commercial litigation, bankruptcy, reorganization and capital recovery. She represents creditors in collection and enforcement matters, as well as in all facets of bankruptcy proceedings and advising clients on creditors' rights.
Daniel E. Garrison, Managing Partner of Andante Law Group stated, "We are pleased to have Ms. Foutz join our firm. She is a very talented litigation and bankruptcy attorney who will compliment our firm's corporate restructuring, business bankruptcy, loan workouts and enforcement, and commercial litigation practice.
Prior to joining the Andante Law Group, Ms. Foutz was with Ballard Spahr LLP in Phoenix. She began her legal career clerking for Justice Andrew Hurwitz at the Arizona Supreme Court. Before re-entering private law practice, Ms. Foutz founded and was General Counsel to the Human Tribe Project, a patient support and fundraising website.
She earned her BS from the University of Arizona in 2000 and her JD in 2005 from Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. She is licensed in both state and federal courts in Arizona and U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.


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WASHINGTON — The No. 1 question about President Barack Obama's health care law is whether consumers will be able to afford the coverage. Now the answer is coming in.
Published: September 4, 2013
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR — Associated Press
The biggest study yet of premiums posted by states finds that the sticker price for a 21-year-old buying a mid-range policy will average about $270 a month. That's before government tax credits that act like a discount for most people, bringing down the cost based on their income.
List-price premiums for a 40-year-old buying a mid-range plan will average close to $330, the study by Avalere Health found. For a 60-year-old, they were nearly double that at $615 a month.
Starting Oct. 1, people who don't have health care coverage on their job can go to new online insurance markets in their states to shop for a private plan and find out if they qualify for a tax credit. Come Jan. 1, virtually all Americans will be required to have coverage, or face fines. At the same time, insurance companies will no longer be able to turn away people in poor health.
The study points to the emergence of a competitive market, said lead author Caroline Pearson, a vice president of the private data analysis firm. But it's a market with big price differences among age groups, states and even within states. A copy was provided to The Associated Press.
The bottom line is mixed: Many consumers will like their new options, particularly if they qualify for a tax credit. But others may have to stretch to afford coverage.
"We are seeing competitive offerings in every market if you buy toward the low end of what's available," said Pearson, a vice president of Avalere.
However, for uninsured people who are paying nothing today "this is still a big cost that they're expected to fit into their budgets," Pearson added.
The Obama administration didn't challenge the study, but Health and Human Services spokeswoman Joanne Peters said consumers will have options that are cheaper than the averages presented. "We're consistently seeing that premiums will be lower than expected," she added. "For the many people that qualify for a tax credit, the cost will be even lower."
With insurance marketplaces just weeks away from opening, the Avalere study crunched the numbers on premiums filed by insurers in 11 states and Washington, DC.
Eight of them are planning to run their own insurance markets, while the federal government will run the operation in the remaining four. There were no significant differences in premiums between states running their own markets and federal ones.
The states analyzed were California, Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. No data on premiums were publicly available for Texas and Florida — together they are home to more than 10 million of the nation's nearly 50 million uninsured people — and keys to the law's success.
However, Pearson said she's confident the premiums in the study will be "quite representative" of other states, because clear pricing patterns emerged. Official data for most other states isn't expected until close to the Oct. 1 deadline for the new markets.
The study looked at premiums for non-smoking 21-year-olds, 40-year-olds and 60-year-olds in each of the 11 states and the District of Columbia.
It compared four levels of plans available under Obama's law: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Bronze plans will cover 60 percent of expected medical costs; silver plans will cover 70 percent; gold will cover 80 percent, and platinum 90 percent.
All plans cover the same benefits, but bronze features the lowest premiums, paired with higher deductibles and copays. Platinum plans would have the lowest out-of-pocket costs and the highest premiums.
Mid-range silver plans are considered the benchmark, because the tax credits will be keyed to the cost of the second-lowest-cost silver plan in a local area.
The average premium for a silver plan ranged from a low of $203 a month for a 21-year-old in Maryland to a high of $764 for a 60-year-old in Connecticut.
The silver plan premiums for 40-year-olds were roughly $75 a month higher than for 21-year-olds across the states. But the price jumped for 60-year-olds. The health law allows insurers to charge older adults up to three times more than younger ones. That's less of a spread than in most states now, but it could still be a shock.
"It's striking that the curve increases quite dramatically above age 40," said Pearson. "As you get older and approach Medicare age, your expected health costs start to rise pretty quickly."
But older consumers could also be the biggest beneficiaries of the tax credits, because they work by limiting what you pay for health insurance to a given percentage of your income.
For example, an individual making $23,000 would pay no more than 6.3 percent of their annual income — $1,450 — for a benchmark silver plan.
That help tapers off for those with solid middle-class incomes, above $30,000 for an individual and $60,000 for a family of four.
The study also found some striking price differences within certain states, generally larger ones. In New York, with 16 insurers participating, the difference between the cheapest and priciest silver premium was $418.


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ENLARGES ORIGINAL STEREO OPENING FROM 1.5 DIN TO 2 DIN. W/ I NSTALLATION HARDWARE INCLUDED. A2DP Wireless MP3 Audio Playback from Enabled Device. Works with steering controls, extra adapter required. Playback from DVD & CD of MP3 & MP4.
Playback from 4GB USB of MP3 & MP4. AUX Audio Input for Personal Media Devices. ID3 MP3 Tag Reading for Track & Artist Information. Audio Equalizer w/ User Presets.Front & Rear Pre-Amp Audio Outputs. Video Input & Output for Optional Auxiliary Devices. Custom Backgrounds & Screen Savers.
POWER ACOUSTIK CD/DVD WITH BLUETOOTH. This installation dash kit enlarges your 3" oem opening to 4" allowing installation of today's newer double din radios. It will require cutting of the oem plastic dash (Dremel recommended), and the installation is not reversible. You cannot re-install the oem radio later.
MESSAGE US TO ADD ANY OF THESE OPTIONS. THIS PACKAGE FITS THE FOLLOWING VEHICLES. The item "98 99 00 01 DODGE RAM BLUETOOTH CD/DVD USB AUX SD CAR RADIO STEREO PKG" is in sale since Wednesday, November 13, 2019.
This item is in the category "eBay Motors\Parts & Accessories\Car & Truck Parts\Interior\Dash Parts".gordon" and is located in Bradenton, Florida. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South africa, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa rica, Panama, Trinidad and tobago, Guatemala, El salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Antigua and barbuda, Aruba, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Saint kitts and nevis, Saint lucia, Turks and caicos islands, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei darussalam, Bolivia, Ecuador, Egypt, French guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Cayman islands, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macao, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Peru, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Viet nam, Russian federation.


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Heisler: Call Off the Hurricane Watch? | by Kevin
In today's South Bend Tribune (scroll down to the second story in the link), Senior Associate AD John Heisler -- who held primary scheduling responsibilities under Kevin White and retained that role under Jack Swarbrick -- seemed to put to bed the idea that a future matchup with Miami (or Alabama, or Georgia, or other "heavyweight") might be in the cards for Notre Dame. While I'll leave to speculation the extent to which the portions not in quotes are Eric Hansen's independent conclusions, as opposed to the product of his discussion with Heisler, the article does draw a bleak picture of the prospect of a Canes-Irish renewal:
A recent Miami Herald story quoting Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick as "very interested" in awakening the dormant football rivalry with Miami has gained a little more momentum than reality might allow.The article states that a schedule featuring Miami would require "restructuring existing contracts with long-time partners, departing from the 7-4-1 scheduling philosophy (seven home games, four road games, one off-site game) or both." As such, "[t]he flexibility simply doesn't exist."
The Irish do have holes in their upcoming schedules, but all of them involve teams that would either be willing to play in South Bend with no return game or at an off-site game in which Notre Dame controls the TV rights and gate receipts.
Home-and-home series could only be created by bumping a current partner from an existing contract.
"I'd have to say that some of it is Jack, in his first year, kind of taking stock of where we are and where we're headed relative to scheduling," said ND senior associated athletic director John Heisler, who deals with scheduling on a day-to-day basis. "He's looking at what sort of commitments we have in contract form and at the more informal conversations we've had and then just trying to figure out just what roads we're going to try to head down.
"I think all that is a little bit of a work-in-progress still. In fact, it's a lot of work in progress."
Could the Miami-ND series happen? Yes, but other than an off-site game it could not without either restructuring existing contracts with long-time partners, departing from the 7-4-1 scheduling philosophy (seven home games, four road games, one off-site game) or both. The flexibility simply doesn't exist.
As for Swarbrick, he is smart enough not to be quoted as saying Notre Dame would be "very uninterested" in a series with anyone.
First things first: the inconsistency between Swarbrick's and Heisler's messages is a bit disconcerting. Have the two discussed their respective views on scheduling -- generally or regarding this potential series?
Second, the article assumes the existence of "contracts with long-time partners." Which contracts, and with which teams? We keep pretty good track of scheduling announcements here on BGS, and we've never seen anything public about contracts with Purdue, Michigan State or Stanford. Are these signed deals, or just longstanding agreements? Absent signed deals, ND is pretty wide-open. ND remains rightly beholden by tradition to play USC and Navy every year. But the remaining ten games -- including those usually played against Purdue, Michigan State, and Stanford -- are probably open to discussion. Flexibility has already been demonstrated with the longstanding Purdue and Michigan State series: two years ago, it was announced that we would be taking a hiatus from PU and MSU at some point in the future to accomodate other teams.
Yet even assuming these contracts exist and they mean ND has no open schedule slots for the foreseeable future, as a practical matter they represent little more than a starting point in a new set of negotiations. No one can be ordered to comply with a contract for specific performance (you can be forced to pay money, but you can't be forced to work, perform, or play a football game -- the courts don't want to get into the involuntary servitude business). That means, even in the worst-case scenario that ND is sued and loses, the most they would have to do is cut a check. Of course, one would hope that ND, with an impressive new General Counsel and a successful attorney running the athletic department, would not find itself in such a position in the first place.
Finally, ND might not be completely booked even if it were locked into and keeps certain long-term deals. As ShermanOaksND pointed out on NDNation, ND may still have an open spot or more beginning in 2014.
I'm interested to hear your thoughts about this un-development. What can be done to provide for more interesting and challenging future schedules? Should anything be done at all?


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We've once talked about our first choice of fabric being rayon sarongs. Next, we want to talk about the most popular traditionally used sarong
material – cotton fabric. Various cultures
in South East Asia used cotton sarongs also known as "Batik" for their traditional
women attire known as "kebaya". The combination of a "kebaya" top and batik sarongs are historically worn by women in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Burma, Singapore, southern Thailand, Cambodia and the southern part of the Philippines.
Baba nyonya Kebaya traditional attire for women in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei (Image via Pinterest) |
Kebaya style women seen in Bali culture (Image via Pinterest) |
..before that, what is Cotton? Cotton is a white, natural fiber cultivated from the seeds of cotton plants, they are made in threads and used to make soft, breathable-like textile when it comes to fashion.
Cotton plants (Image via |
If you're a big fan of soft, fluffy and comfy wraps, then
cotton sarongs are perfect for you. And why
would you choose cotton Sarong over other fabrics? Well, they make a great
beach wrap if you like the exotic look and makes an ideal wrap for windy days at the beach. Batiks are handmade via batik stamp or hand stamp and so each batik sarong is a unique piece of its own! We feel that
it makes a great picnic mat too, its durable fabric makes it easy to lay out in
the sun and you can even get the whole family in because our traditional
sarongs comes in a larger size of (74 x 42 inches) compared to our regular sarongs that are usually measured (66 x 44 inches).
Traditional Batik Wraps by 1 World Sarongs |
If you like to think out of the box, try using your cotton sarong for home ware such as curtain drapes, table cloth cover, bed throw and so much
more. Have you ever thought about using your cotton sarong at home? That aside, we always feel that
sarongs make a great travel companion because they are so reliable in all
situations. We think that cotton sarongs would work great as your temporary travel bed sheet
(soft on your skin!), a portable blanket (nice, thick and warm!) and a towel (the
fabric absorbs water very well!).
Not to mention, cotton sarongs can be worn and used for all seasons –
be it spring, summer, fall or winter! Some of customers use their cotton
sarongs to wrap up their necks, head or shoulders for the cold season. Some
even take it with them on date night at the movies when it gets chilly with air
conditioning. Cotton is thick and solid enough to keep you warm than say
polyester or rayon fabric.
By the way, have you ever wondered where does Cotton grow? Cotton is usually harvested in warm climates and some of the main producers in the world are countries like the U.S., Uzbekistan, China , India, Brazil, Pakistan and Turkey.
Image via thehindu.com |
Fun Facts about Cotton:
- Absorbs up to 27 times its own weight in water
- Has a comfortable, soft hand
- Easy to wash
- Is durable and strong
- Conducts heat well
- Resists graze & chemicals impacts
- Resists pilling and moths
- Easy to handle and sew
- Do not overexpose your cotton sarong under the sun for longer durability.
- Due to its low resiliency, after a quick wash, avoid squeezing it dry for fewer wrinkles on fabric.
- Keep your cotton sarong washed with the same color clothing to avoid color spill over.
- Do not use hot water, stick to cold wash
Cotton sarong by 1 World Sarongs |
In a nutshell, why do we use more of rayon sarongs than
cotton fabric? Well, cotton as sarongs doesn't really drape as well as rayon and
they are higher in cost and since we try to run our business with sustainable practices, we want to be efficient and would rather produce more with rayon material than cotton. While cotton can be more durable and gives
a feeling of breath-ability but in our experience, rayon seems to flow better on
a body and have more breath-ability which makes it great for the tropical
weather. Plus, it's allows us to offer you fair prices and good quality sarongs at the same time, which is why it's our primary choice of sarong fabric. That doesn't mean we don't ADORE our cozy cotton sarongs though!
Peace & Love,
The 1 World Family


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Phil Bryant on Drugs | |
Congress authorized the Labor Department to craft a rule that would provide states the option to drug test unemployment insurance applicants. Unfortunately, the Obama Administration drafted the rule too narrowly, undermining the intent of Congress and permitting drug testing in too few instances.
Drug testing UI applicants can help individuals suffering from substance abuse to access necessary care and treatment so they may re-enter the workforce as healthy and productive members of society. We believe this rule should be replaced with a new rule that allows increased flexibility for states to implement UI drug testing that best fits the needs of each state. We look forward to working with Congress on this issue going forward.
To combat pockets of serious crime in our state, I have asked you to fund a violent crime strike force composed of state, local and federal law enforcement officers. These elite forces will respond to a specific high-crime area and hit gangs and drug dealers where they live.
OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2016 NORML scores as follows:
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Law's mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to achieve the repeal of marijuana prohibition so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer subject to penalty.
NORML is a nonprofit, public-interest lobby that for more than 30 years has provided a voice for those Americans who oppose marijuana prohibition. We represent the interests of the tens of millions of Americans who smoke marijuana responsibly and believe the recreational and medicinal use of marijuana should no longer be a crime.
NORML supports the removal of all criminal penalties for the private possession & responsible use of marijuana by adults, including the cultivation for personal use, and the casual nonprofit transfers of small amounts. This model is called "decriminalization."
NORML additionally supports the development of a legally controlled market for marijuana, where consumers could purchase it from a safe, legal and regulated source. This model is referred to as "legalization."
NORML believes that marijuana smoking is not for kids and should only be used responsibly by adults. As with alcohol consumption, it must never be an excuse for misconduct or other bad behavior. Driving or operating heavy equipment while impaired from marijuana should be prohibited.
NORML strongly supports the right of patients to use marijuana as a medicine when their physician recommends it to relieve pain and suffering.
Lastly, NORML supports the right of farmers to commercially cultivate hemp for industrial purposes, such as food and fiber production.


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Indiana Governor Portrait Artist: Theodore Clement Steele (1847 - 1926) - Porter
Indiana Governor Portrait
Artist: Theodore Clement Steele (1847 - 1926)
Albert Gallatin Porter (1824-1897), painted 1885
Governor of IndianaJanuary 10, 1881-January 12, 1885
Artist: Theodore Clement Steele, American, 1847-1926
oil on canvas, 40 1/4 x 30 (102 x 76.1)
Signed and dated l.r.: T. C. Steele/1885
Theodore Clement Steele, perhaps one of the most revered of all painters who remained in this state, was a native of Indiana. He was born in Owen County in 1847. When he was four years old, his family moved to Waveland, where he received his early schooling and some instruction in art at the Waveland Academy. He had very little formal training in painting, but he probably derived some help from visits to Cincinnati and Chicago in his impressionable years. His first activities as a professional painter took him to Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1870. Three years later he moved to Indianapolis and opened a studio on the Bradshaw Block, where he remained until 1880. Portrait painting continued to be his chief activity during that period, and although he painted several prominent people, he was not commissioned to portray the governors then in office. In 1880, he went abroad for more intensive training at the Royal Academy of Art in Munich and stayed there five years.
UPON HIS RETURN to Indianapolis in the summer of 1885 from Munich, T. C. Steele opened his studio again and began taking commissions for portraits. One of his first was that of Porter. Circumstantial evidence points to the probability that Porter postponed having his portrait painted until Steele returned, knowing something of the artist's ability and reputation. It must have been an important assignment for Steele, in that it would help greatly in re-establishing him in the city.(1)
Technically, that portrait reflects that academic method of painting that was prevalent in the Munich schools late in the nineteenth century. The palette is dark and limited, and the method of execution is controlled. A series of thin glazes are built up by the layering of brushstrokes, creating a luminosity and fine texture in the skin tones. In this early portrait, however, technique seems to have been an overriding concern, leaving the pose and expression somewhat frozen. While the portrait reflects the governor's kindly disposition, it displays none of the forcefulness of this accomplished man's character.
(1) The painting was exhibited at A. Lieber and Company, Indianapolis, on July 20, 1885; see, respectively, Steele, Steele, and Peat, The House of the Singing Winds, p. 33, and George Chambers Calvert, Theodore C. Steele Memorial Exhibition, Indianapolis, 1926, p. 17, no. 61.)
Source: Peat, Wilbur D. Portraits and Painters of the Governors of Indiana 1800-1978. Revised, edited and with new entries by Diane Gail Lazarus, Indianapolis Museum of Art. Biographies of the governors by Lana Ruegamer, Indiana Historical Society. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society and Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1978.


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The Tasmanian devil has been listed as an endangered species by the Tasmanian Government.
A deadly and disfiguring facial cancer, which often kills within months, has cut the island state's wild devil population by as much as 60 per cent.
The reclassification from vulnerable to endangered status highlights the severe nature of the threat to the marsupial.
Primary Industries Minister David Llewellyn said the upgrading to endangered status reflected the plunge in the devil population resulting from the facial tumour disease. "The order has now been gazetted, and the new status becomes official today," Mr Llewellyn said.
Wildlife and disease experts are working with state and commonwealth governments to combat the disease.
{ 1 comment }


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The B.C. Green Party says it does not believe its members' personal information was stolen, after the party worked with a Victoria-based tech company that's mired in an international privacy scandal.
Executive director Laura Lavin says the Greens contracted AggregateIQ between January and August 2016 to create a new voter database.
She says the party has received written confirmation from AggregateIQ that it destroyed any data it collected from the Greens at the end of its contract.
The company faces accusations that it played a role in influencing Britain's vote to leave the European Union.
RELATED: B.C. company denies link to Facebook data scandal
Canadian whistleblower Christopher Wylie has also alleged that AggregateIQ used algorithms developed by Cambridge Analytica, a company he says improperly harvested personal data from more than 50-million Facebook users to help Donald Trump win the U.S. presidency.
In a statement posted on its website this week, AggregateIQ denies any connection to Cambridge Analytica and says it works in full compliance with the jurisdictions where it operates.
The Canadian Press


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Veterans' Day
We here at the Water Street Inn want to thank all Veterans and Active Military this week with a special.
All rooms are just $99 per night any night between November 8th through November 15th 2010 and we will also buy you dinner and breakfast.
(One meal per table, good 11/8/2010 – 11/15/2010, must be a veteran or active military, dinner would be one entrée, not good with any other offer, one special per person.)
Water Street Inn
101 Water Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082


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'Click It or Ticket' in Guttenberg
Law enforcement officers from the Guttenberg Police Department will be cracking down on unbuckled motorists and passengers as part of the national "Click it or Ticket" campaign.
Beginning May 19 and running through June 1, the annual initiative includes high visibility law enforcement seat belt checkpoints and saturation patrols, as well as local and national publicity designed to ensure that drivers and passengers recognize the life-saving value of seat belts.
"Using a seat belt is the simplest way for a driver and his or her passengers to protect themselves when traveling," said Gary Poedubicky, acting director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. "In 2010 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 12,546 lives nationwide."
The front seat belt usage rate in New Jersey currently stands at 91 percent. Poedubicky noted that the goal for this year's campaign is to increase the statewide rate to 92 percent. "To meet our goal, we must continue both enforcement and public outreach efforts that educate all motor vehicle occupants about the importance of buckling up, every ride," he said.
Poedubicky added that the campaign will focus on rear seat passengers as well. Despite laws requiring adult back seat passengers to buckle up, adult back seat belt use stands at only 44 percent.
During the 2013 "Click it or Ticket" campaign, 422 police agencies participated in the two-week initiative. As a result of the effort, law enforcement officers issued 26,049 seat belt citations, 4,895 speeding summonses and made 860 drunk driving arrests.
Free health seminar on weight loss surgical options at Palisades Medical Center
On Wednesday, May 28, the Palisades Medical Center will host a free health seminar on weight loss surgical options. Today, there are many bariatric (weight loss) surgical options for people who have been unable to achieve significant weight loss through diet and exercise.
Featured seminar speakers will include medical professionals from The Weight Loss Institute at Palisades Medical Center. The event will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., with registration/check-in at 6 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Food and refreshments will be served. For registration information contact Nikki at (201) 854-5702.
Palisades Medical Center is at 7600 River Road, North Bergen. Free transportation will be available from 60th St. and Bergenline Ave. starting at 5:30 p.m.
Angel Roque and his orchestra to perform on May 18
The Union City Performing Arts Center presents a musical journey through the recordings of pianist Angel Roque on Sunday, May 18.
Angel Roque was born in Havana, Cuba on Feb. 7, 1964. Studying piano as a child, he developed his technique at the Manuel Saumell Conservatory. On May 28, 1980, at age 16, he left Cuba due to political issues. Arriving in the United States, he temporarily left music to work full time to support himself. Then, in the late 1980s, he started his musical career over, forming a duet with piano and guitar, and began performing at night clubs and private functions. Focusing on different rhythms and styles, he formed the group Pop Caribe.
In 1994 he began performing on television and radio as Angel Roque and his Orchestra, and producing musical arrangements for other artists.
In late 1997, Roque realized his dream of becoming a professional piano soloist. He created his first production, "Tres Romances y El Piano de Angel Roque," with bolero as the main theme. Playing old favorites with modern arrangements introduced a new era for Roque.
The May 18 performance will take place at 3 p.m. at the Union City Performing Arts Center, 2500 Kennedy Boulevard, Union City. Tickets are $30, $40, and $50.
For tickets and information contact (201) 348-4332 or visit www.unioncitypac.com.


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"We wanted to recruit the state and make sure that the players in all areas that we have an opportunity to present ourselves, what we have to offer," London said. "Whether it's 757, 804, 703, 434, whatever area code it is, we're going to try to do the best in those areas."
U.Va. football coach Mike London, quoted in the Washington Post.


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Trisha Scarf (Nude)
Channel you inner modern gypsy vibe with the Trisha Scarf. Made in Turkey.
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text: Take a look at some of the hate mail on this site…some people actually have said it ruined their lives because their friends have believed in this stuff, and yes in fact I do know a girl who told me about this, and yes, she does belive in this stuff, with all of her heart. I don't think that you people take into consideration that not everyone is the brightest crayon in the box and people will believe in anything they're told..it's a fact of life. I mean…I'm all for fun and games and joking around…but there really is a point of taking it to far. I mean…come on…look at what you're doing in your spare time…it kind of depresses me.


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The Financialization of the Economy
Economics / Economic Theory Oct 29, 2015 - 11:11 AM GMTRoger Bootle once wrote:
The whole of economic life is a mixture of creative and distributive activities. Some of what we ''earn'' derives from what is created out of nothing and adds to the total available for all to enjoy. But some of it merely takes what would otherwise be available to others and therefore comes at their expense.
Successful societies maximise the creative and minimise the distributive. Societies where everyone can achieve gains only at the expense of others are by definition impoverished. They are also usually intensely violent….
Much of what goes on in financial markets belongs at the distributive end. The gains to one party reflect the losses to another, and the fees and charges racked up are paid by Joe Public, since even if he is not directly involved in the deals, he is indirectly through costs and charges for goods and services.
The genius of the great speculative investors is to see what others do not, or to see it earlier. This is a skill. But so is the ability to stand on tip toe, balancing on one leg, while holding a pot of tea above your head, without spillage. But I am not convinced of the social worth of such a skill.
This distinction between creative and distributive goes some way to explain why the financial sector has become so big in relation to gross domestic product – and why those working in it get paid so much.
Roger Bootle has written several books, notably The Trouble with Markets: Saving Capitalism from Itself.
I came across this quote while reading today's Outside the Box, which comes from my friend Joan McCullough. She didn't actually cite it but mentioned Bootle in passing, and I googled him, which took me down an alley full of interesting ideas. I had heard of him, of course, but not really read him, which I think may be a mistake I should correct.
But today we are going to focus on Joan's own missive from last week, which she has graciously allowed me to pass on to you. It's a probing examination of how and why the financialization of the US and European (and other developed-world) economies has become an anchor holding back our growth and future well-being. Joan lays much of the blame at the feet of the Federal Reserve, for creating an environment in which financial engineering is more lucrative than actually creating new businesses and increasing production and sales.
There are no easy answers or solutions, but as with any destructive codependent relationship, the first step is to recognize the problem. And right now, I think few do.
What you will read here is of course infused with Joan's irascible personality and is therefore really quite the fun read (even as the message is sad).
Joan writes letters along this line twice a day, slicing and dicing data and news for her rather elite subscriber list. Elite in the sense that her service is rather expensive, so I thank her for letting me send this out. Drop me a note if you want us to put you in touch with her.
I am back in Dallas after a whirlwind trip to Washington DC. I attended Steve Moore's wedding at the awe-inspiring Jefferson Memorial; and then we hopped a plane back to Dallas and Tulsa to see daughter Abbi, her husband Stephen, and my new granddaughter, Riley Jane, who was delivered six weeks premature while we were in the air. The doctors decided to bring Riley into the world early as Abbi was beginning to experience seriously high blood pressure and other problematic side effects. Riley barely weighs in at 4 pounds and will spend the first three years of her life in the NICU (the neonatal intensive care unit). Having never been in one before, I was rather amazed by all the high-tech gear surrounding Riley and all of the usual medical devices shrunk to the size where they can be useful with preemie babies. The doctors and nurses assured me that the frail little bundle I was very hesitant to touch would be quite fine. And Abbi is much better and already up and about.
As I was flying back to Dallas later that afternoon, it struck me how, not all that long ago, in my parents' generation, both mother and daughter would have been at severe risk. Interestingly, both Abbi and her twin sister were significantly premature as well, some 30 years ago in Korea. The progress of medicine and medical technology has allowed so many more people to live long and productive lives, and that process is only going to continue to improve with each and every passing year.
And now, I think it's time to let you get on with Joan McCullough's marvelous musings. Have a great week!
Your glad I'm living at this time in history analyst,
John Mauldin, Editor
Outside the email@example.com
The Financialization of the Economy
Joan McCullough, Longford Associates
Yesterday, we learned that lending standards had eased and that there was increased loan demand from institutions and households, per the ECB's September report. (Which was attributed to the success of QE and which buoyed the Euro in the process.)
This has been bothering me. Because it is a great example of the debate over "financialization" of an economy, i.e., is it a good thing or a bad thing?
The need to further explore the topic was provoked by reading this morning that one of the larger shipping alliances, G6, has again announced sailing cancellations between Asia and North Europe and the Mediterranean. This round of cuts targets November and December. The Asia-Europe routes, please note, are where the lines utilize their biggest ships and have been running below breakeven. So it's easy to understand why such outsized capacity is further dictating the need to cancel sailings outright. G6 members: American President, Hapag Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Mitsui, Nippon and OOCL. So as you can see from that line-up, these are not amateurs.
We have already discussed in the past in this space, the topic of financialization. But seeing as how the stock market keeps rallying while the economic statistics have remained for the most part, punk, time to revisit the issue once again. Is it all simply FED or no FED? Or is the interest-rate issue ground zero and/or purely symptomatic of the triumph of financialization over the real economy?
Further urged to revisit the topic by the seemingly contradictory developments of the ECB banks reportedly humming along nicely while trade between Asia and Europe remains obviously, significantly crimped.
Let's make this plain English because it takes too much energy to interpret most of what is written on the topic.
Snappy version:
Definition (one of quite a few, but the one I think is accurate for purposes of this screed):
Financialization is characterized by the accrual of profits primarily thru financial channels (allocating or exchanging capital in anticipation of interest, divvies or capital gains) as opposed to accrual of profits thru trade and the production of goods/services.
Economic activity can be "creative" or "distributive". The former is self- explanatory, i.e., something is produced/created. The latter pretty much
simply defines money changing hands. (So that when this process gets way overdone as it likely has become in our world, one of the byproducts is the widening gap called "income inequality".)
You guessed correctly: financialization is viewed as largely distributive.
So now we roll around to the nitty-gritty of the issue. Which presents itself when business managers evolve to the point where they are pretty much under the control of the financial community. Which in our case is simply "Wall Street".
This is something I saved from an article last summer which ragged mercilessly on IBM for having kissed Wall Street's backside ... and in the process over the years, ruined the biz.
... "And of course, it's not just IBM. ... A recent survey of chief financial officers showed that 78 percent would 'give up economic value' and 55 percent would cancel a project with a positive net present value—that is, willingly harm their companies—to meet Wall Street's targets and fulfill its desire for 'smooth' earnings.... http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2014/06/03/why-financialization-has-run-amok/
IBM is but one possible target in laying this type of blame where the decisions on corporate action are ceded to the financial community; the instances are innumerable.
You probably could cite the well-known example of a couple of years back when Goldman Sachs was exposed as the owner of warehouse facilities that held 70% of North American aluminum inventory. And how that drove up the price and cost end-users dearly. (Estimated as $ 5bil over 3 years' time.)
First link: NY Times article from July of 2013, talking about the warehousing issue.
Second link: Senate testimony from Coors Beer, complaining about the same situation.
http://www.banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm? FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=9b58c670-f002-42a9-b673- 54e4e05e876e Well, here's another from the same article which makes the point quite clearly:
... Boeing's launch of the 787 was marred by massive cost overruns and battery fires. Any product can have technical problems, but the striking thing about the 787's is that they stemmed from exactly the sort of decisions that Wall Street tells executives to make.
Before its 1997 merger with McDonnell Douglas, Boeing had an engineering-driven culture and a history of betting the company on daring investments in new aircraft. McDonnell Douglas, on the other hand, was risk-averse and focused on cost cutting and financial performance, and its culture came to dominate the merged company. So, over the objections of career-long Boeing engineers, the 787 was developed with an unprecedented level of outsourcing, in part, the engineers believed, to maximize Boeing's return on net assets (RONA). Outsourcing removed assets from Boeing's balance sheet but also made the 787's supply chain so complex that the company couldn't maintain the high quality an airliner requires. Just as the engineers had predicted, the result was huge delays and runaway costs. ... Boeing's decision to minimize its assets was made with Wall Street in mind. RONA is used by financial analysts to judge managers and companies, and the fixation on this kind of metric has influenced the choices of many firms. In fact, research by the economists John Asker, Joan Farre-Mensa, and Alexander Ljungqvist shows that a desire to maximize short-term share price leads publicly held companies to invest only about half as much in assets as their privately held counterparts do." ...
That's from an article in the June, 2014, Harvard Business Review by Gautam Mukunda, "The Price of Wall Street's Power" also cited in the Forbes article. This is the link; it is worth the read though you may not agree with parts of the conclusion: https://hbr.org/2014/06/the-price-of-wall-streets-power
The upshot to this type of behavior is that the balance of power ... and ideas ... then migrates into domination by one group.
Smaller glimpse: Over-financialization is what happens when a company generates cash then pays it to shareholders and senior management which m.o. also includes share buybacks and vicious cost cutting. This is one way, as you can see, in which the real economy is excluded from the party!
Part of the financialization process also includes 'cognitive capture' where the big swingin' investment banking sticks have the ear of business managers.
And the business managers/special interest groups, in turn, have the ear of the federal government. See? The control by Wall Street is still there, but sometimes the route is a tad circuitous! The clandestine formulation of the TPP agreement is a perfect example of this type of dominance. (Congress shut out/ corporate lobbyists invited in.)
So the whole process goes to the extreme. Therein lies the rub: the extreme.
So that business obediently complies with the wishes of these financial wizards. Taken altogether, over time, our entire society morphs to where it assumes a posture of servitude to the interests of Wall Street.
An example of that? John Q.'s sentiment meter (a/k/a consumer confidence) is clearly known to be tied most of the time to the direction of the S&P 500. Which of course, is aided and abetted by the foaming-at- the-mouth Talking Heads who pretty much .... dictate to John Q. how he is supposed to be feeling.
Forty years on the Street, I am still agog at the increasing clout of the FOMC to the extent where we are now hostages to their infernal sound bites and communiqués. Another example of the process of creeping financialization? I'd surely say so!
This is not an effort to try and convict "financialization" as indeed it has its place. When it is used prudently. Such as to facilitate trade in the real economy! Sounds kind of Austrian, eh? You bet. The simplest example of this which is frequently cited is a home mortgage. The borrower exchanges future income for a roof via a bank note.
And so it goes. Financialization humming along nicely, facilitating trade in the real economy.
Unfortunately, along the line somewhere, it got out of hand. Which is where the World Bank comes in.
As they have the statistics on "domestic credit to private sector (% of GDP)"
Why do we wanna' look at that? Well the answer is suggested by yet another institution who has studied the issue. Correct. The IMF. Which espouses the notion that:
... ""the marginal effect of financial depth on output growth becomes negative ... when credit to the private sector reaches 80-100% of GDP ...
Does the above sound familiar? Right. Too much financialization crimps growth.
That's when we turn to the above-referenced World Bank table. Which shows the latest available worldwide statistics (2014) on domestic credit to private sector % of GDP.
Okay. Maybe we oughta' read this bit from the World Bank before we get to the US statistic:
... "Domestic credit to private sector refers to financial resources provided to the private sector by financial corporations, such as through loans, purchases of nonequity securities, and trade credits and other accounts receivable, that establish a claim for repayment. ...
The financial corporations include monetary authorities and deposit money banks, as well as other financial corporations ...
Examples of other financial corporations are finance and leasing companies, money lenders, insurance corporations, pension funds, and foreign exchange companies." ...
Clear enough. Again, the IMF suggests that 80 to 100% of GDP is where it gets dicey in terms of impact on growth:
In 2014, the US ratio stood at 194.8. In 1981 (as far back as the table goes), our ratio stood at 89.1.
For comparison, also in 2014, Germany stood at 80.0; France at 94.9. China at 141.8 and Japan at 187.6. Which is suggestive of what can be called "over-financialization". So what's the beef with that, you ask?
For all the reasons mentioned above which led to increasing dominance by the financial sector on corporate and household behavior, the emphasis leans heavily towards making money out of money. Which I'd like to do myself. You?
But when massaged into the extreme which is clearly, I believe, where we find ourselves now ... at the end of the day, we create nothing.
By creating nothing, the economy relies on the financialization process to create growth. But the evidence supports the notion that once overdone, financialization stymies growth.
" ... The whole of economic life is a mixture of creative and distributive activities. Some of what we "earn" derives from what is created out of nothing and adds to the total available for all to enjoy. But some of it merely takes what would otherwise be available to others and therefore comes at their expense. Successful societies maximize the creative and minimize the distributive. Societies where everyone can achieve gains only at the expense of others are by definition impoverished. They are also usually intensely violent." ... Roger Bootle quoted here: http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=5537
In short, corporate behavior is dictated by Wall Street desire which in turn results in a flying S&P 500. Against a backdrop, say, of a record number of US workers no longer participating in the labor force.
So instead of cogitating the entire picture and all of its skanky details, we have so farbeen willing to accept a one-size fits all alibi for stock market action where financialization still dominates; the only choice is what financialization flavor will trump the other: "FED or no FED".
I now wonder if when Bootle said a few years back ... "they are usually intensely violent", if this wasn't prescience. Which can be applied to the current political landscape in the US where the financialization of the economy has so excluded the average worker ... that he is willing to put Ho-Ho the Clown in the White House. Just to change the channel. And hope for relief.
As you can see, I am trying very hard to understand how as a society we got to this level.
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18 February saw a fan vote hand Iron Maiden their first ever Brit Award for Best British Live Act. Although the smart money was always on Maiden's fervent fanbase to vote them to victory, recognition from the UK industry has been a long time coming.
Why should you care? Here are ten good reasons…
1. Their live prowess is well documented
We can think of good live albums, we can also name very good live albums, then there's Live After Death. Captured - with apparently little or no overdubs - at Long Beach Arena, California on the band's gruelling Powerslave tour in 1984, it's everything metal should be.
Musicianship as tight as their spandex, spirit, fire, brimstone, band mascot Eddie as a giant Egyptian mummy and a tour de force of classic anthems. Hear this and you'll want to see this band.
2. They've defied the ageing process
A whole 24 years after the release of Live After Death, Maiden came back with their Egyptian stage set on the Somewhere Back In Time tour to prove very little has changed. They are still a jaw dropping force live, except now more popular than they've ever been as dads bring their children along to pass the torch of Maiden fandom.
Maiden can still play the 13 minutes of Rime Of The Ancient Mariner like their lives depend on it and show a whole new generation why even the juggernaut that is Metallica are still not quite worthy in comparison.
3. They knew when to put the old gang back together
Bringing Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith back into the Maiden fold at the same time in 1999 was a canny move. The Blaze Bailey-fronted lean (or wasted?) years had witnessed Maiden soldiering on, playing significantly smaller UK shows than they had in their eighties heyday.
Fans kept the faith and were now rewarded. Cue a comeback tour, a return to much improved form with the Brave New World album and the added bonus of a three-amigo guitar attack with Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers.
4. Their back catalogue is unrivalled
No other metal band has a run of releases that can even remotely rival Maiden's seven-record run between 1980's classic eponymous debut - with Paul Di'Anno on vocals - and 1988's conceptual Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son.
Between them were songs that would inspire a generation of metal musicians and countless pub arguments over the merits of the underrated Killers and whether the second side of Piece Of Mind lets it down.
5. Few metal bands are more erudite
Heavy metal has a reputation as being music for idiots. That's not just unfair, it's also completely inaccurate - and nobody proves it more than Maiden. They are metal's most bookish band.
Founder/bassist Steve 'Arry' Harris is not just extremely well-read, his passion for classic literature has inspired numerous Iron Maiden songs: To Tame A Land (based on Frank Herbert's sci-fi classic Dune), Rime Of The Ancient Mariner (Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 18th century poem of the same name), Lord Of The Flies, The Phantom Of The Opera, Seventh Son Of The Seventh Son (Orson Scott Card) and Murders In The Rue Morgue (Edgar Allen Poe) to name but a few.
6. There's only one Bruce Dickinson
Pilot, world class fencer (that's swords, not fence installation), author, radio DJ, historian… somehow Iron Maiden's frontman manages to fit world tours around all his other pursuits.
But multi-tasking and flying his bandmates to shows isn't the reason why he's held in such high regards by the Maiden faithful. Bruce's air-raid siren vocal power has remained in remarkably fine fettle after all these years - he can still hit those operatic high notes.
It's part of the reason why Maiden are still such an incredible experience to see live and coupled with Bruce's energy and enthusiasm, it's a force to be reckoned with onstage.
7. They have the best mascot
Everyone should own at least one Iron Maiden t-shirt. Maiden invented much of the imagery we take for granted as being part and parcel of the metal experience with visuals that have consistently embodied the spirit and imagination of their music.
But they still do it better than anyone else. Their past album covers created by Derek Riggs are truly iconic (especially so for the Killers and Powerslave albums), while their skeletal mascot Eddie has become as famous as the band themselves - he's been with them every step of the way.
8. They are Britain's biggest and best metal export
Despite maintaining underdog status and being consistently ignored for years by mainstream media in the UK, Maiden have stomped on regardless to become cherished around the world from Mexico to Malmo.
The UK has produced three of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time in the form of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. But no homegrown metal talent since has threatened to justify a place amongst these three kings.
It makes for even more reason to cherish Maiden; the finest of the trio and still delivering the goods live and on record with their most recent A Matter Of Life And Death album.
9. They've never chased a scene
Maiden are the ultimate inspiration that sticking to your guns is the best way forward. They were innovators in the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, but when that faded away they didn't surrender.
When grunge, nu metal and heinous rap metal pillaged the land, they fought on with their twin harmony axes. And now as metal comes full circle and the traditional approach becomes popular again who has the last laugh? Maiden are still top dog.
10. Just listen to those guitar harmonies
Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest and Wishbone Ash innovated the twin guitar harmony sound for heavy metal and rock. We salute them for it. But nobody does it better than Maiden. It's become their trademark and is truly something to behold live - especially now they bring in three part harmony parts on some songs with Janick Gers.
For a masterclass in the art just listen to Aces High, Caught Somewhere In Time, Die With Your Boots On, Phantom Of The Opera and, of course, the genius of Hallowed Be Thy Name…
Now read Interview: Iron Maiden on their enduring appeal
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What is T-Rex? Part Dinosaur, Part Cotton-tini, Part Ice Cave.
Let me explain: if you're a fan of Rainforest Cafe and other themed restaurants, you'll love T-Rex. It takes themeing to the max — meteor showers, ice-bound wooly mammoths, a moving octopus bar — it's all there. And it is what you make it. If you're expecting gourmet food and bend-over-backwards service, you're in the wrong place. If you're expecting a fun, entertaining meal with decent grub and lots to look at — Welcome to T-Rex!
Located in Disney World's Downtown Disney, T-Rex is a prehistoric carnival of themeing. Each room has a different focus: an ice cave, complete with shifting colors and an embedded T-Rex skeleton; and undersea room with giant jellyfish lampshades and a moving octopus presiding over the bar; a meteor shower room, where you'd better watch out every 10 minutes or so; a fern forest with giant wasps and a triceratops so big you can seat three parties in his…midsection…? And it goes on from there!
After first being seated in the Ice Cave, I realized that the wacky blue and red colors of the room would no doubt make the food look unappetizing, both for me and for any pictures I was going to take. So I asked if we could be moved to a spot with more normal lighting and we ended up in the Meteor Shower room. Very cool at first, but after the fifth meteor shower, we were ready to take our leave 😉 Maybe that's how they turn the tables faster…?
The menu here is massive, so be ready to read when you get there. You'll soon get used to the themed food names and eventually start to ignore the "mammoth," "paleozoic," "mega," "giganto" adjectives preceding each entree's description. (I never did understand what was supposed to be "mesozoic" about mahi mahi… .) You'll have a wide selection of dishes that you'll find on just about every other American family chain restaurant these days — mozzarella sticks, burgers, steaks, sandwiches, ribs, etc.
T-Rex even has a wide variety of dino-themed alcoholic drinks, including beers, wines, and mixed drinks. One of these has garnered quite a name for itself in the Disney foodie community — the Cotton-tini. There are three types of cotton-tini: Candy Apple, Cosmo-Paleo, and Tropical — and the drink actually comes with cotton candy nestled inside…
We skipped the spirits this time, however, and put our order in for some Megalosaurus Mozzarella (fried mozzarella) and Dexter's Dual Dip (tri-colored corn chips with queso for dipping). The Dexter's Dual dip was supposed to come with Shrimp-Artichoke dip, but since I'm a queso fiend, we ordered two of those instead.
The mozzarella was decent — the cheese was flavorful and the sauce wasn't too sweet. I liked the two different presentations of the mozzarella.
The Dexter's Dual Dip was unimpressive. The chips tasted stale and the cheese tasted like second-rate, straight-from-the-tin-can "nacho cheese." Coming from Texas, we were disappointed and ended up leaving a lot of the queso untouched. (By the way, I didn't become a queso snob until I moved to Texas a while back; chances are this queso would have been completely acceptable had I not been so spoiled by "the real thing" in so many great Tex-Mex joints around here.)
We split a full rack of ribs (called the Mega Mes-o-Bones) for our entree. These were interesting, and probably the best part of the meal. While a bit overdone, they still tasted fine and were enjoyable. The fries — waffle fries — were good. They tasted like mass-produced fries, but, when I'm reviewing, waffle fries are always a good thing.
For dessert, we couldn't help ourselves. We dove into the Meteor Bites — donut holes with caramel and chocolate sauce for dipping, and the Ice Age Indulgence — layers of ice cream sandwiches, fudge sauce, whipped topping, and heath bars.
The meteor bites were tasty; they were cakey as opposed to light and airy. They reminded me of Dunkin' Donuts, for those of you who have that chain nearby.
But the Ice Age Indulgence was pretty poor. It tasted like old ice cream that's been sitting in the freezer a bit too long. I have no doubt that this dessert is delicious when it's fresh, but this definitely tasted "left-over."
I'm glad I visited T-Rex once, but I'm in no hurry to go back. While the themeing is outstanding, the service was a let-down (very slow) and the food wasn't anything to write home about. In fact, it was probably worse than what I usually get at my local Applebees or TGIFriday's.
And don't be fooled by the kid-friendly decor — this place isn't cheap. It'll still cost you $30 for a filet and $26 for a full rack of ribs. Sandwiches will set you back $12-15 a piece. If the themeing is worth it to you, then it might be worth a visit. But, in my opinion, neither the food quality nor the service is good enough to justify those prices. I'd rather take my family to Whispering Canyon Cafe or 50's Prime Time Cafe for that kind of money. But, as I said, the themeing is something special and might be worth paying for.
Now I know T-Rex has plenty of fans, and I'm eager to hear from you! What dishes do you recommend? What were your positive and negative experiences with this dining spot? Looking forward to your comments!