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The economic news this week highlights what happens when governments are unable to confront the root cause of the financial collapse – the risky speculation and securities fraud of the big banks. What happens? They blame the people, cut their benefits, tax their savings and demand they work harder for less money.
In the United States there have been no criminal prosecutions for securities fraud in the big banks. Just as the Justice Department has made it clear that the big banks are too big to jail because doing so jeopardizes the stability of the banking system; financial fraud investigator Bill Black points out that the SEC cannot institute fines that are too big for the same reason. "The art is to make the number sound large to fool the rubes, but to insure that the fine poses only a modest inconvenience to our 'most reputable' fraudulent banks." So, the SEC trumpets "more than 150 firms and individuals, with sanctions totaling $2.7 billion." Black points out that this number sounds big, but it isn't compared to the losses caused by the fraud epidemic in the US which are well in excess of $15 trillion. A trillion is a thousand billion. Are we, 'the rubes' or do we know that our government is in cahoots with big finance?
In fact, the big banks have been engaged in all sorts of nefarious activity for a long time, asWashington's Blog points out with this jaw-dropping list of crimes, and are rife with fraud. And, this week the biggest of the too big to prosecute, JP Morgan, had its financial fraud and disrespect for government on display when the Senate Banking Committee issued a massive 300 page indictment, errr report, documenting the $6.2 billion "London Whale" scandal. The report traces the scandal right to the top, CEO Jamie Dimon, and shows how the bank lied to bank examiners and investors. Experts state the obvious from this evident fraud; investigations and fines, and possibly a large monetary settlement are possible but a prosecution by DOJ remains unlikely. Obvious because everyone knows the game in Washington is one of no criminal prosecutions.
Although, another too big to jail bank, Goldman Sachs did have a loss in court this week, when the US Supreme Court refused to overturn a Court of Appeals decision requiring the bank to defend a civil suit by investors claiming securities fraud. There are lots of hurdles ahead, but this provides a glimmer of hope.
This week our too big to prosecute philosophy of the (lack of) Justice Department was shown to apply to foreign banks as well. The second largest bank in Germany got a pass when it offered a job to an IRS agent who cut its tax burden. Again, the rubes were told that Commerzbank paid $210 million in tax liability, sounds good, but it was only 62% of what it owed. The day after the agreement the IRS officer was offered a job at Commerzbank. The agent pled guilty to charges this week, but the bank and the officers involved were not prosecuted.
Europe is showing us what happens when government fails to confront the big banks – the people pay and the economy collapses into depression. Is this our future?
The horror story of the week for struggling workers and poor countries has to be Cyprus. The country was being built up as a big banking area but when it all went sour, they went to the EU for a bailout. The EU hemmed and hawed and finally agreed, but with a very big requirement which takes structural adjustment to a new level of abuse – they required "a one-off 10 percent tax on savings over €100,000 and a 6.75 percent tax on small depositors. Senior bank bondholders and investors in Cyprus' sovereign debt will be left untouched." [See update below.]
This is causing a run on the banks in Cyprus, but is also raising red flags in many other struggling Euro countries. Can bank accounts in Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal or any other country in Europe be safe? Are more and more people going to take their money out of the banks and keep it under their mattress? It may seem like the sane thing to do but a run on the banks will just weaken shaky banks further.
Leaders of the EU, IMF and Germany are all staying with their demand for more austerity and greater productivity (i.e. lower wages for greater output). At the same time they are urging bailout of the banking system which remains weak. This same leadership recognizes their approach may lead to a "social explosion" and Standard & Poors is also warning that the situation is socially explosive. The reality is that southern Europe is essentially in a depression and Germany, EU and IMF are demanding that they squeeze more money out of impoverished people.
In Washington, DC, the two Wall Street parties keep talking about cuts to the budget – austerity measures that will hurt the old, the poor, the young and working class – and disregard the fact that government spending is actually not the problem. While they push austerity, they remain silent as big business interests go into their sixth year of big tax avoidance. Paul Buchheit summarizes "For over 20 years, from 1987 to 2008, corporations paid an average of 22.5 percent in federal taxes. Since the recession, this has dropped to 10 percent – even though their profits have doubled in less than ten years." He highlights the worst of the worst. On top was Obama's jobs czar, General Electric.
There is some sanity, but not much, among the US financial elite. Dallas Fed Chairman Richard Fisher told the Conservative Political Action Conference that it was time to break up the big banks and end the crony capitalism that protects them. Liberal Democrat Sherrod Brown has introduced a bill to do just that. Of course it is opposed by the administration so it will probably not go anywhere.
Instead, President Obama is pushing the anti-democratic Trans Pacific Partnership which is a gift to the big banks and other transnational corporate interests. For the big banks it will require countries to let capital flow in and out without restriction, not allow the banning or regulation of risky investments like derivatives and credit-default swaps and will prevent the formation of much-needed public banks. Our Wall Street government continues to serve Wall Street first at the expense of the people's necessities.
All of this shows it is time to remake the banking system: hold security fraud violators criminally accountable, break up the too big to jail banks, support community banks and credit unions and create public banks at least at the state and local level; and make the Fed transparent and accountable to democracy. This would be a transformed banking system that would serve the people and the economy, move toward economic democracy and take power away from corrupt Wall Street. Failure to confront and remove the plague of Wall Street-centered banking will continue to infect the entire economy. Is Cyprus in our future? It doesn't have to be.
Update: On Tuesday, March 19, the Parliament in Cyprus rejected the tax on bank accounts after mass protests by the people. This leaves Cyprus in a mess with no bailout and no money to contribute to a bailout. Will Russia invest in future oil found recently off the coast of Cyprus in return for the Parliament protecting $30 billion in Russian deposits that are in Cyprus banks? Will Germany and the EU bend, not requiring Cyprus to raise money for the bailout? Will Cyprus leave the EU? Lots of questions without answers right now, but the banks in the country will remain closed until they figure it out.
Kevin Zeese JD and Margaret Flowers MD co-host ClearingtheFOGRadio.org on We Act Radio 1480 AM Washington, DC and on Economic Democracy Media, co-direct It's Our Economy and were organizers of the Occupation of Washington, DC. Their twitters are @KBZeese and @MFlowers8.
This article is based on a weekly newsletter from It's Our Economy. You can sign-up here to receive this free newsletter.


text: SINical Heart By Teri Kay Release Date: February 12th Genre: Contemporary Romance Hosted By: Chance Promotions #Amazon #OneClick #RockstarRomance Amazon : (http://amzn.to/2lmySP0) Add to your TBR : ( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33016517-sinical-heart ) SYNOPSIS When it's young love, you think some things are meant to last forever, but circumstances can change the course of one's life in an instant.... I got my girlfriend pregnant when I was sixteen. How is a sixteen year old mature enough to be a father? There's too much I wanted in my life, but a baby, something that's a part of me and Kennedy, seemed like the perfect family.... My boyfriend got me pregnant when I was seventeen. I was scared, there was no way I could give this child the life he or she deserved and I wasn't ready to be a mother.... Giving your child up is one of the hardest things I'd ever done and now here it is twenty years later and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about that child.... And now...he's looking for us. I think about Justin too and the rockstar life he now leads. What I thought was something that would last forever is now just a memory, but now I'm seeking Justin out, for circumstances beyond my control, all because of the child he didn't want to give up. I knew this day would come eventually, but with my marriage falling apart and Justin's career skyrocketing to the top, what will fate have in store for all of us? ABOUT THE AUTHOR I am an obsessive romance reader turned writer. An amazing group of indie writers have inspired and encouraged me to pursue this crazy dream and now I can't imagine stopping. Born and raised, I have always lived in Southern California. I am happily married, with two small fur babies. I love my job as a teacher and wouldn't want to do anything else. Except maybe be a full time writer. Between reading, writing, and teaching, I have little free time. But in those rare moments I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, binge watching reality television and baking. Facebook I Twitter I Instagram I Amazon Author Page I Goodreads Author Page Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terikayauthor/home Twitter: https://www.Twittwe.com/TeriKay_Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terikay_author/ Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/TeriKay/e/B01MQ6IR8P/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1 Goodreads Author Page: www.goodreads.com/author/show/15598697.Teri_Kay Leave a Reply. |

subset: commoncrawl


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The Richmond Housing Authority is a public entity chartered by the City of Richmond, California in 1941 as a separate legal entity under the provisions of the Housing Act of 1937. It is funded by the Federal Government and is subject to the rules and guidelines of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The City Council of the City of Richmond acts as the Board of Commissioners for the Housing Authority. A Public Housing Advisory Board, consisting of community leaders or professionals and public housing residents, also provides the Housing Authority with advisory services.
The Richmond Housing Authority's purpose is to provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing for low-income individuals in the City of Richmond, California.
The Richmond Housing Authority administers a Low-Income Housing (LIPH) program, The program relies on HUD formulas for rent determination which follow federal regulations and Housing Authority policies and procedures.
In addition, the Housing Authority receives other funding for capital improvements and site/development revitalization.


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- Home
- City Government
- Departments & Divisions
- Housing Department
- Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program
- Objectives of Community Development
Objectives of Community Development
Local Objectives
- Conservation and expansion of the city's existing housing stock
- Provision or improvement of public facilities such as, but not limited to, streets, sidewalks, parks and recreation, and neighborhood facilities
- Provide relocation assistance to families displaced due to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and other related activities
- Refinement and implementation of the city's Comprehensive Plan, as well as the development of other plans targeted for neighborhood, inner city redevelopment, and affordable housing initiatives
- Development and support of those facilities and services which meet the physical and other needs of the elderly, handicapped, and lower-income citizens of the city
- Promotion and stimulation of neighborhood and inner city economic development
- Continued enforcement and support of the principles of fair housing
- Preservation of historically significant properties within the city
- Revitalization of deteriorating neighborhoods; prevention and elimination of blighting influences; and conditions detrimental to health, safety, and public welfare, including but not limited to, acquisition, demolition, and site clearance activities
National Objectives
All eligible CDBG activities and programs must meet one of the three national objectives:
- Benefit to low- and moderate-income families
- Aid in the prevention or elimination of slum or blight
- Meet an urgent need
In addition, a majority of the funds must be spent on activities that directly benefit low and moderate income persons (70% or greater). The city currently spends over 95% on activities that benefit low and moderate income persons.
Benefit to Low- / Moderate-Income Persons
For an activity to benefit low- / moderate-income persons, the activity must qualify as an area benefit or a direct benefit. An area benefit is an activity that benefits all persons in a particular area where at least 51% of the residents are low/moderate income. An example of an area benefit would be to pave a street in a low-income neighborhood.
A direct benefit is an activity that directly benefits individual low/moderate-income persons or households. An example of a direct benefit would be to rehabilitate a low-income homeowner's house. The city uses census statistics provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in establishing income eligibility guidelines. Block group data is used to indicate areas where greater than 51% of the population is low and moderate income.
Prevention or Elimination of Slums or Blight
For an activity to qualify in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight, it must meet a definition of a slum, blighted, deteriorated, or deteriorating area under state or local law. Also, there must be a substantial number of deteriorating or dilapidated buildings in the area, as well as other needed physical improvements. The activity must meet the criteria of one of the three following categories:
- Eliminate slum and blight on an area basis
- Eliminate slum and blight on a spot basis
- Be in an urban renewal area
Urgent Need
This category is designed only for activities that alleviate emergency conditions. Existing conditions, which are of recent origin, must pose a grave and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community. The recipient of CDBG funds must be unable to finance such an activity and confirm that other financial sources are not available to alleviate such needs.
Physical Address
420 W. Chase St.
Pensacola, FL 32502
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 12910
Pensacola, FL 32521-0031
Phone: 850-858-0350Fax: 850-595-0113


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Brownie Overload.
Brownies are so versatile.
They can turn a boring, old, boxed-mix dessert into an impressive, rich treat with just a few add-in's or decadent frosting. And yes, sometimes I use a boxed mix. They are delicious!
Brownies are easy to whip up and usually a crowd pleaser. I mean, who doesn't like brownies?
Bailey's brownies will put some pep in your step and make it easier for you to tell your husband that you really just don't care who wins the Kentucky Derby this year, and that you'd rather stay home and drink mint julep's on your own couch while wearing a big goofy hat.
Really, you just cant bear being seen with him one more time in his Dale Earnhart, Jr t-shirt, smell horse you-know-what all day at the local track, or sit in the car listening to Waylon-you-make-my-ears-bleed-Jennings. I don't even know care who that is.
While booze in a baked good is never a bad thing, these cookies and cream brownies are so tasty that they may make you loopy.
This means that you can eat them and simultaneously ignore your that-person-you-live-with's bodily functions and jet-engine snoring. You also won't realize when he watches Oceans Thirteen or Urban Cowboy for the 27th time. Or when he starves to death because you haven't cooked anything in the past 16 minutes.
It doesn't get much better than the peanut butter brownies, especially when you can trick your significant other into eating them because there is protein in peanut butter.
So what if he tops them with chicken breast or some gag-inducing pepperoni for an extra boost?
The s'mores brownies might be your absolute favorite.
I can tell you one thing: they definitely will become your favorite when after the 2 hours you spent making them, your husband casually mentions that he 'doesn't really like s'mores.' They might become your thighs' favorite, too.
Cappuccino brownies make all right in the world.
With one bite, they make you forget about all of the cowboy boots and hats in the love-of-your-life's closet. And the plethora of 90's grunge CDs.
And maybe. . .just maybe, that giant stuffed turkey.
And that, my friends, is why you should have a brownie.


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Cerebus #239 (February 1999) Art by Dave Sim & Gerhard |
(from 'Aardvark Comments: Reflections - 20 Years Of Cerebus' in Feature #4, 1997)
"Did you see the look on her face when I suggested that the whole Cirinist/Kevillist agenda is to smother the light of reason in the dark of emotion? She had absolutely no answer!"
"Dave, that's the last time I introduce you to my mother."
A difficult man to speak of reasonably, his identity so inextricably entwined with his work in the public eye, his life shuffled in amongst the pages of the chronicle to which he has devoted the larger part of it. (A chronicle which remains famously unfinished until we're already too far into the next millennium to go back: only two thirds of Cerebus, only two thirds of Dave Sim has so far revealed itself above the water line. Leviathan rises in excruciating slomo.)
This of course is the whole problem and most of the solution in one. Dave Sim the human being is not Cerebus the publication, nor is he Cerebus the character. He and his work must obviously be considered separately. And yet...
...And yet this is to ignore the creator's obvious urge to fuse, face-first, with his creation. Stacked up in one twenty-year-deep pile, the back issues reveal a sex life as geology: the bedpost strata yielding fossil seams of editorial and letters page: others, significant or otherwise, embedded in the woodpulp shale, footnote autobiography. The book becomes a sweethearts oak. The valentines obliterate each other, carved in palimpsest. Megaphone confidences shared, an intimacy twenty thousand strong. He doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve so much as wear a zoot suit made of hearts.
It doesn't end there. How can we distinguish the cartoon from the cartoonist when the sheer duration of the work, its clockwork frequency, makes it screamingly evident that this is, and canonly be, the whole of a man's life we see before us? Let's be very clear on this. If he's not writing, drawing, publishing, promoting or out someplace signing it, he's thinking of it. Even if he thinks of something else that is not it, the thing he thinks of will inevitably end up as part of it. Damn it. This is the product of his body, mind and soul, his chromosomes, his parents' chromosomes. Here's what he saves his white light for, jealously guards his precious fluids for. He means this. This is all of him transformed by alchemy to ink and off-white paper, with the central figure in unvarying moral zip-a-tone between the two. In the gray area. The twilight Carl Barks demimonde between the human and the animal. The full-drag no-man's land between the woman and man straddled revealingly by this hermaphrodite protagonist. We can't speak of Dave Sim unless we speak of Cerebus. Likewise, to write a negative review of Cerebus is to sneer loudly at Sim's choice of tie while in a public place. He and his work dissolve and merge in inextricable suspension. And, as pointed out above, as yet we only know two-thirds of either. Loneliness of the long-distance runner.
With the life and story both unfinished it's not safe, not yet, to talk about the themes, the shapes. Best wait until the last third hauls itself out of the water, see exactly how the contours of those narratives (the life, the work) resolve themselves before we say a word. All we can talk of, safely is the style. I can only speak for myself, of course, but I have always found his personal style refreshing, even charming. Then again, if he enters your living room, even the female houseplants wilfully and slowly turn their heads away; defy the basic laws of photosynthesis. When he's in France, feminine nouns avoid his lips.
Artistically, his style is less ambiguous: very few people have the chops of comic narrative down in the way Dave has them down. The almost musical arrangement of the panels, stave-like on the double-spread. Pitch-perfect grasp of character conveyed in line, whether from sable brush or typewriter. Near-atrophied genre conventions like the sound effect or word balloon transmuted in his hands become seamless components in the flowing, plastic medium of his narrative. The conjured soundscape. Verbose silences. In sum, a staggering display of heavily-considered craft, of innovation almost as a reflex. He is a master, and a monster (from the Latin monstro; or "Great Googly-Moogly Lor' Lookit That!").
Or, in the immortal words of the divine Max Miller, have a good look, Missus. You might never see another one.


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Contributed by: JL (NDM#1). JL is our Disney Driven Lifestyle Coach and creator of The Disney Driven Life as well as the Neurotic Disney People Community.
JeniLynn was born and raised in South Florida. Being so close to Walt Disney World, she grew up regularly visiting the Mouse and developed a fascination with the creativity of Disney Parks. Noticing that her happiest moments seemed to always take place in Walt Disney World, JeniLynn began trying to recreate the magic of Disney in her everyday life beginning in her pre-teen years. Adulthood, sixteen years of marriage, and three children later, JeniLynn continues to lead a Disney Driven Life and diligently works to pass her love for Disney on to her husband and children. She has blogged for Touring Plans and been a contributing writer for The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, and she currently co-hosts Orlando Attractions Magazine: The Show; however, her primary focus has always been with the community that has grown around her own site, The Disney Driven Life. Through these venues JeniLynn strives to help other Disney fans stay connected to the brand that has served as a keystone in her family's life.


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The Hawaiian Archipelago: Six months amongst the palm groves, coral reefs, and volcanoes of the Sandwich Islands By Isabella L. Bird, 1875 LETTER 31
The Climate of the Islands—Their Advantages—Their Drawbacks—Gossip—A'uhou—Evils of an Exotic Civilization—Aloha nui to Hawaii-nei
Hawaiian Hotel, Honolulu, August 6th
My fate is lying at the wharf in the shape of the Pacific Mail Steamer Costa Rica, and soon to me Hawaii-nei will be but a dream," Summer Isles of Eden!" My heart warms towards them as I leave them, for they have been more like home than any part of the world since I left England. The moonlight is trickling through misty algarobas, and feathery tamarinds and palms, and shines on glossy leaves of breadfruit and citron j a cool breeze brings in at my open doors the perfumed air, and the soft murmur of the restful sea, and this beautiful Honolulu, whose lights are twinkling through the purple night, is at last, as it was at first, Paradise in the Pacific, a blossom of a summer sea.
I shall be in the Rocky Mountains before you receive my hastily-written reply to your proposal to come out here for a year, but I will add a few reasons against it, in addition to the one which I gave regarding the benefit which I now hope to derive from a change to a more stimulating climate. The strongest of all is, that if we were to stay here for a year, we should just sit down "between the sun and moon upon the shore," and forget "our island home," and be content to fall "asleep in a half dream," and "return no more!"
Of course you will have gathered from my letters that there are very many advantages here. Indeed, the mosquitos of the leeward coast, to whose attacks one becomes inured in a few months, are the only physical drawback. The open-air life is most conducive to health, and the climate is absolutely perfect, owing to its equability and purity. Whether the steady heat of Honolulu, the languid airs of Hilo, the balmy breezes of Onomea, the cool bluster of Waimea, or the odorous stillness of Kona, it is always the same. The grim gloom of our anomalous winters, the harsh malignant winds of our springs, and the dismal rains and overpowering heats of our summers, have no counterpart in the endless spring-time of Hawaii.
Existence here is unclogged and easy, a small income goes a long way, and the simplicity, refinement, kindliness, and sociability of the foreign residents, render society very pleasant. The life here is truer, simpler, and happier than ours. The relation between the foreign and native population is a kindly and happy one, and the natives, in spite of their faults, are a most friendly and pleasant people to live among. With a knowledge of their easily-acquired language, they would be a ceaseless source of interest, and every white resident can have the satisfaction of helping them in their frequent distresses and illnesses.
The sense of security is a very special charm, and one enjoys it as well in lonely native houses, and solitary days and nights of travelling, as in the foreign homes, which are never locked throughout the year. There are no burglarious instincts to dread; and there is no such thing as "a broken sleep of fear beneath the stars." The person and property of a white man are everywhere secure, and a white woman is sure of unvarying respect and kindness.
There are no inevitable hardships. The necessaries, and even the luxuries of civilization can be obtained everywhere and postal communication with America is regular and rapid.
When I began this letter, a long procession of counter balancing disadvantages passed through my mind, but they become "beautifully less" as I set them down in black and white. If I put gossip first, it is because I seriously think that it is the canker of the foreign society on the islands. Its extent and universality are grotesque and amusing to a stranger, but to live in it, and share in it, and learn to enjoy it, would be both lowering and hurtful, and you can hardly be long here without being drawn into its vortex. By gossip I don't mean scandal or malignant misrepresentations, or reports of petty strifes, intrigues, and jealousies, such as are common in all cliques and communities, but nuhou, mere tattle, the perpetual talking about people, and the picking to tatters of every item of personal detail, whether gathered from fact or imagination.
A great deal of this is certainly harmless, and in some measure arises from the intimate friendly relations which exist between the scattered families, but over-indulgence in it destroys the privacy of individual existence, and is deteriorating in more ways than one. From the north of Kauai to the south of Hawaii, everybody knows every other body's affairs, income, expenditure, sales, purchases, debts, furniture, clothing, comings, goings, borrowings, lendings, letters, correspondents, and every thing else: and when there is nothing new to relate on any one of these prolific subjects, supposed intentions afford abundant matter for speculation. All gossip is focussed here, being imported from every other district, and re-exported, with additions and embellishments, by every inter-island mail. The ingenuity with which nuhou is circulated is worthy of a better cause.
Some disadvantages arise from the presence on the islands of heterogeneous and ill-assorted nationalities. The Americans, of course, predominate, and even those who are Hawaiian born, have, as elsewhere, a strongly national feeling. The far smaller English community hangs together in a somewhat cliquish fashion, and possibly cherishes a latent grudge against the Americans for their paramount influence in island affairs. The German residents, as everywhere, are cliquish too. Then, since the establishment of the Honolulu Mission, church feeling has run rather high, and here, as elsewhere, has a socially decisive tendency. Then there are drink and anti-drink, pro and anti-missionary, and pro and anti-reciprocity-treaty parties, and various other local naggings of no interest to you.
The civilization is exotic, and owing to various circumstances, the government and constitution are too experimental and provisional in their nature, and possess too few elements of permanence to engross the profound interest of the foreign residents, although for reasons of policy they are well inclined to sustain a barbaric throne. In spite of a king and court, and titles and officials without number, and uniforms stiff with gold lace, and Royal dinner parties with menus printed on white silk, Americans, Republicans in feeling, really "run" the government, and in state affairs there is a taint of that combination of obsequious and flippant vulgarity, which none deplore more deeply than the best among the Americans themselves.
It is a decided misfortune to a community to be divided in its national leanings, and to have no great fusing interests within or without itself, such as those which knit vigorous Victoria to the mother country, or distant Oregon to the heart of the Republic at Washington. Except sugar and dollars, one rarely hears any subject spoken about with general interest. The downfall of an administration in England, or any important piece of national legislation, arouses almost no interest in American society here, and the English are ostentatiously apathetic regarding any piece of intelligence specially absorbing to Americans. The papers pick up every piece of gossip which drifts about the islands, and snarl with much wordiness over local matters, and in the absence of a telegraph one hardly but feels the beat of the pulses of the larger world. Those intellectual movements of the West which might provoke discussion and conversation are not cordially entered into, partly owing to the difference in theological beliefs, and partly from an indolence born of the climate, and the lack of mental stimulus.
After all, the gossip and the absence of large interests shared in common, are the only specialities which can be alleged against Hawaii, and I have never seen people among whom I should better like to live. The ladies are most charming, essentially womanly, and fulfill all domestic and social duties in a way worthy of imitation everywhere. The kindness and hospitality, too, are unbounded, and these cover "a multitude of sins."
There are very few strangers here now. It is the "dead season." I have met with none except Mr. Nordhoff, who is writing on the islands for Harper's Monthly, and his charming wife and children. She is a most expert horsewoman, and has adopted the Mexican saddle even in Honolulu, where few foreign ladies ride "cavalier fashion."
My friends all urge me to write on Hawaii, on the ground that I have seen the islands and lived the island life so thoroughly; but possibly they expect more indiscriminate praise than I could conscientiously bestow!
Honolulu is in the midst of the epidemic of letter writing, which sets in on the arrival of the steamer from "the coast," and people walk and drive as if they really had business on hand: and the farewell visits to be made and received, the pleasant presence of Mr. Thompson, and Mr. and Mrs. Severance, of Hilo, and the hasty doing of things which have been left to the last, make me a sharer in the spasmodic bustle, which, were it permanent, would metamorphose this dreamy, bowery, tropical capital. The undeserved and unexpected kindness shown me here, as everywhere on these islands, renders my last impressions even more delightful than my first. The people are as genial as their own sunny skies, and in more frigid regions I shall never sigh for the last without longing for the first
S. S. Costa Rica, August 7th
We sailed for San Francisco early this afternoon. Everything looked the same as when I landed in January, except that many of the then strange faces among the radiant crowd are now the faces of friends, that I know nearly everyone by sight, and that the pathos of farewell blended with every look and word. The air still rang with laughter and alohas, and the rippling music of the Hawaiian tongue; bananas and pineapples were still piled in fragrant heaps; the drifts of surf rolled in, as then, over the barrier reef, canoes with outriggers still poised themselves on the blue water; the coral divers still plied their graceful trade, and the lazy ripples still flashed in light along the palm-fringed shore. The head-ropes were let go, we steamed through the violet channel into the broad Pacific, Lunalilo, who came out so far with Chief Justice Allen, returned to the shore, and when his kindly aloha was spoken, the last link with the islands was severed, and half an hour later Honolulu was out of sight …
… The breeze is freshening, and the Costa Rica's head lies nearly due north. The sun is sinking, and on the far horizon the summit peaks of Oahu gleam like amethysts on a golden sea. Farewell for ever, my bright tropic dream! Aloha nui to Hawaii-nei!
A Chapter on Leprosy and the Leper Settlement on Molokai
Back to Contents Back to History
donch.com home photos baritone ukulele lucky u live hawai'i


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So there I was, ready to grab a pint of Talenti when I saw this bad boy on the bottom shelf. Don't ask me what made me check, but I instantly noticed this pint out of place. I thought it was S'mores at first. I read the description. Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream with a Toasted Marshmallow Swirl & Fudge Covered Almonds. Toasted Marshmallow ice cream? Are you serious? You expect me NOT to buy this? It could have cost $10 and I would have bought it, I don't care, I want it! I want it now!!
I can't wait any longer! I dive in! Oh the scoopage!
and.... wow, that is weird, it's like Rocky Road without the chocolate. Envision a super well made, squishy, creamy, rocky road, but then somehow extract the chocolate flavor because there is none. Like none-none. Fudge on the almonds you say? Yeah, that's like putting new rims on your 24 year old rust bucket, it doesn't matter. - disclaimer, my car is working it's way up to rust bucket... just teasing car, don't break down on me.
I'd call this one weird but that doesn't seem fair, it's too good for that. Immensely different is another choice, but that term still isn't quite right because it's different, yet it really does feel so familiar. Heck, call it bizarro rocky road because it is rocky road, but it isn't. I don't know what they were thinking when they made this, but massive kudos for going far outside the box on this one.
So, what's my conclusion? Do I sound pretty confused? Well, maybe I am. Overall, I like this ice cream, but at the same time, it's confusing my brain as it searches for a chocolate vibe that isn't there. Unless you don't like almonds, you've got to try at least one pint of this stuff just for the funk factor. A sugary funk factor that is.
Maybe I should mention that this a sweet flavor, but not crazy sweet. It's got marshmallow flavor, but the flavor itself is mild. It's kind of soft and squishy like real marshmallow, but the flavor still isn't the same. I guess I am still on my quest to find a marshmallow flavored ice cream that tastes exactly like marshmallow (I will find you... someday!)
Verdict? totally different yet very familiar
Buy Again? debating it
On Second Scoop: Well well well. I went at this flavor a bit differently today. I attacked a big puddle of swirl (shown above), then ate every almond I could see, and then went back for some more base & swirl. Now I am left with a chilly cold marshmallow aftertaste and possibly a mild sugar overload. The swirl is very gooey, and when eaten by itself and in excess, there is no mistaking that it's (mildly toasted) marshmallow. I know I didn't make it very clear yesterday, but I would love to see this swirl in an actual B&J Rocky Road flavor or even in their S'mores flavor. The base is somewhat mild compared to the swirl, but still fun and worthy to be used somewhere else... Like say with a peanut butter swirl with graham cracker crust chunks, mmmmm, just like peanut butter and fluff on crackers. I can dream, can't I? Oh, and one more thing. While part of me thinks the almonds get in the way, the other part of me realizes that a straight marshmallow on marshmallow flavor might get old quickly without something to break it up.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/2 cup (101g) Servings Per Container 4 | |
Amount Per Serving | |
Calories 250 | from Fat 110 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 12g | 18% |
- Sat Fat 7g | 35% |
- Trans Fat 0g | |
Cholesterol 50mg | 17% |
Sodium 55mg | 2% |
Total Carbohydrate 32g | 11% |
- Dietary Fiber <1g | 2% |
- Sugars 24g | |
Protein 4g | |
Vitamin A 8% | Vitamin C 0% |
Calcium 10% | Iron 0% |


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Multilevel Distribution | Business Opportunity – Consent to Service
Georgia law requires any multilevel distribution company or business opportunity seller to irrevocably appoint the Georgia Secretary of State as its agent for service of process for any alleged violation of the Multilevel Distribution and Sale of Business Opportunities statute (O.C.G.A. Sections 10-1-410 through 10-1-417).
Each seller numbering among its participants or purchasers any resident of this state, which has agreements made in this state, or which has its principal place of business in this state, shall irrevocably appoint the Secretary of State of this state as its agent for service of process for any alleged violation of this part....[O.C.G.A. Section 10-1-416(a)]
A standard-format Consent to Service may be used to fulfill this requirement, or you may use the form provided below. If you choose to fulfill this requirement using some other format, please be aware that that language "irrevocably appoint the Secretary of State of Georgia as its agent for service of process" is essential. Any Consent to Service document not containing that language will be returned by the Secretary of State.
There is a nominal filing fee charged by the Secretary of State's Office for submission of the Consent to Service. Mail the Consent to Service form with a cover letter to Secretary of State.
Brochures, sales literature and any other documents will not be kept on file. If you have any questions, contact the Secretary of State's Corporations Division.


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Parallel tree scanning by composition
My last few blog posts have been on the theme of scans, and particularly on parallel scans. In Composable parallel scanning, I tackled parallel scanning in a very general setting. There are five simple building blocks out of which a vast assortment of data structures can be built, namely constant (no value), identity (one value), sum, product, and composition. The post defined parallel prefix and suffix scan for each of these five "functor combinators", in terms of the same scan operation on each of the component functors. Every functor built out of this basic set thus has a parallel scan. Functors defined more conventionally can be given scan implementations simply by converting to a composition of the basic set, scanning, and then back to the original functor. Moreover, I expect this implementation could be generated automatically, similarly to GHC's DerivingFunctor
Now I'd like to show two examples of parallel scan composition in terms of binary trees, namely the top-down and bottom-up variants of perfect binary leaf trees used in previous posts. (In previous posts, I used the terms "right-folded" and "left-folded" instead of "top-down" and "bottom-up".) The resulting two algorithms are expressed nearly identically, but have differ significantly in the work performed. The top-down version does work, while the bottom-up version does only , and thus the latter algorithm is work-efficient, while the former is not. Moreover, with a very simple optimization, the bottom-up tree algorithm corresponds closely to Guy Blelloch's parallel prefix scan for arrays, given in Programming parallel algorithms. I'm delighted with this result, as I had been wondering how to think about Guy's algorithm.
- 2011-05-31: Added
instances forT2


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Privacy Policy
Updated January 01, 2021
Here's What We Want You To Know
GreyLit was developed by professionals who are passionate about knowledge mobilization, information dissemination, closing the evidence access gap and not re-inventing the wheel. Our goal is to create a platform that allows grey literature to be searched, shared, reviewed and collaborated upon with people who want to move research forward by applying it to their work. We respect and appreciate all of the hard work that went into creating the intellectual property shared on GreyLit, we expect you to do the same.
This Privacy Policy is intended to demonstrate and explain our commitment to protecting your privacy online with integrity, transparency, and security.
The Personal Information that GreyLit collects from you and that you provide to GreyLit is processed in Canada and is stored on servers in Canada. The Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documentation Act has been deemed to provide adequate and similar protection to that which applies within the European Economic Area and the United States.
We use your Personal Information to generate statistics which pertain to reading behavior or achievements. We also generate statistics for internal purposes in order to constantly improve the platform and its features.
We have advertising on our platform so we can keep our costs low, and inform you of relevant products or services. We do not share Personal Information with third party advertisers for their direct marketing purposes.
We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure your Personal Information is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.
Here's How Our Lawyers Would Say It
Table of contents:
- Introduction
- Information we collect and how we collect it
- How we use information we collect about you
- Sharing of Personal Information with third parties
- Transfers of Personal Information outside of the
- European Economic Area
- Security
- Closing your account and retention of Personal
- Information
- Data subject rights
- Objection
- Contact information
1. Introduction
GreyLit aims to connect readers to research and information. Any natural or legal person who, as a recipient of the Service, accesses or uses the Service for any purpose is a User ("User", "you"). Our registered Users ("Members") share their professional identities and credentials, display their academic publications, engage and collaborate with their networks, exchange knowledge and professional insights, post and view relevant content, and discover business and career opportunities. Some content is also visible to unregistered or logged-out Users ("Visitors").
This Privacy Policy sets forth the collection and use practices of GreyLit, 1969 Upper Water St., Suite 1300 Purdy's Wharf Tower II Halifax, NS Canada B3J 3R7 ("GreyLit", "we", "us", or "our") for Personal Information (defined below) we obtain and use in the course of providing the services rendered to you through the GreyLit website available at https://www.GreyLit.net, and through any of its web pages and associated applications which may be available on multiple devices, including mobile applications ("Service"). This Privacy Policy may refer to the Users of GreyLit's Service as "Members", "Visitors", or "you" or through any second-person pronouns, such as "yours", etc.
GreyLit reserves the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, in particular, to reflect changes in market conditions affecting GreyLit's activities, changes in technology, changes in relevant laws and regulatory requirements, and changes in GreyLit's system capabilities. In the event we modify this Privacy Policy, any new version shall be effective 30 days immediately after the posting of such revised Privacy Policy on the Service, unless stated otherwise. If we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will notify Members by email or other reasonable means, including through notifications on our Service. If you object to the new version, you should stop using our Service and/or close your account. If you continue to use our Service after having been provided with such notice you will be deemed to have acknowledged the Privacy Policy.
2. Information we collect and how we collect it
A. The information you directly and voluntarily provide to us
In order for the Service to function, we need to collect from you and process certain data and/or information about your person or your scientific involvement ("Personal Information").
Registration. If you choose to create a Member account on our Service, you will be required, during the registration process, to provide certain information, such as your name, an email address, and a password. By default, your real name will always be visible to Users of the Service, whether they are registered or not, but your password will always be kept secret.
Other Personal Information. We may require that you provide other information that can be used to identify and/or contact a natural person, including a name, postal address, telephone number, and email address. Also, for some features, you may be invited or required to provide information relating to yourself, including, for example, demographic information, such as gender, birthday, or occupation, and research vita, authorship of articles, academic or research expertise or interests, conferences you have attended, groups of which you are a member or correspondence sent to us through the Service.
Related information. We may present biographical, publication, and other information to you that may relate to you or your work, and enable you to voluntarily incorporate it into your profile on the Service and associate it with your Personal Information.
Sensitive information. We do not collect sensitive information such as information about your race, political views, religious views, or health conditions.
B. How we directly collect Personal Information
There are a number of ways in which we collect Personal Information from or about you. These may include, without limitation:
At time of registration. When you register for the Service you will be required to provide Personal Information sufficient to establish a GreyLit account.
At time of creation of your researcher profile. After registering for the Service and creating an account, you may want to provide us with supplementary Personal Information in order to create a detailed profile. You may be invited to associate certain information we present to you with your account, such as articles, institutional affiliation, and biographical information.
Communications from you. When you email or write to us, you may provide us with your name, contact details, and other Personal Information as part of your message.
Customer Support. You may provide us with Personal Information when you telephone or email us to request technical assistance with the Service or information that you would like to receive about our services.
Email/Direct mail campaigns. We may contact you from time to time to share information about new services, promotions, or special offers.
Jobs and external communications. If you contact us about a job or other corporate matters you may provide us with your name, email address, and other Personal Information.
Third party providers. When you choose to benefit from a service or offer presented by GreyLit on behalf of a third party, you may share Personal Information with GreyLit to enable us to pass it on to the third party. Please note: GreyLit does not process any payment data. All payment data are collected and processed by third-party providers, namely Stripe.
Other uses. Our Service is a dynamic, innovative environment, which means we are always seeking to improve the services we offer you. We may introduce material new features, which may result in the collection of new information and in different ways; if we do so, we will inform you by updating this Privacy Policy.
C. Information we automatically collect
We and service providers acting on our behalf store log files and use tracking technologies such as cookies, web beacons, tracking pixels, and local shared objects, also known as flash cookies, to collect information relating to you and your use of the Service.
"Cookies" are small files that enable us to store and collect specific information related to you and your use of the Service on your computer or other end devices. They help us to analyze the number of people who use the Service, usage frequency, User behavior, advertising effectiveness, to increase security and tailor our Service to your needs and preferences.
After you have logged in to your account on the Service, we use so-called "session cookies" to identify you during the course of your session. Upon the termination of your session, the session cookie is automatically deleted.
We also use "persistent cookies" to record information about repeat Users of the Service. Persistent cookies are designed to help us continually improve the products and services we offer you. Persistent cookies do not contain Personal Information such as your name, IP address, etc.
You can edit the settings of your browser to prevent cookies from being stored, to limit the storage of cookies to certain websites, or such that your browser informs you every time a cookie is sent. You can also delete cookies from your computer's hard drive at any time. However, please note that if cookies are deactivated you will not be able to take advantage of some of GreyLit's features.
In addition to cookies, GreyLit uses so-called pixels, web beacons, clear GIFs, and other similar mechanisms ("Pixels"). A Pixel is an image file or link to an image file added to the website code but not sent to your end device (e.g. PC, smartphone, etc.). Pixels are largely used for the same reasons as cookies, i.e. to analyze the number of people who use our Service or, if the User's email program allows HTML, to determine whether and when an email was opened. Pixels help us to check and optimize the effectiveness of our Service and offers, as well as advertising campaigns served on GreyLit. Pixels do not provide us with Personal Information and do not enable us to track Users. Pixels are usually used in conjunction with cookies. If you have deactivated the use of cookies in your browser, then Pixels will only report an anonymous website visit.
We also use pixel-based and cookie-based conversion tracking technologies to, for example, measure the success of advertising campaigns served on GreyLit. To this end we use technologies provided by Google.
The information we automatically collect about you and your use of the Service includes:
- IP addresses;
- the type of computer or mobile device you are using;
- your operating system and version;
- your mobile device's identifiers, like your MAC Address, Identifier for Advertising (IDFA), and/or International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI);
- types of browser used;
- your browser language;
- referring and exit pages, and URLs;
- platform type;
- the number of clicks on a page or feature;
- domain names;
- country;
- landing pages accessed;
- pages viewed and the order of those pages;
- the amount of time spent on particular pages or parts of pages; and
- information collected for performance purposes (e.g. average load, render time of pages, etc.).
D. Information about you from third parties
We receive information about you and your activities on and off the Service from third-party partners, such as information from advertisers about your experience or interactions with them. We also obtain information about you from publicly available sources, such as information regarding previous research published by you and affiliations that may be associated with your profile.
Third party advertising including tailored advertising and analytics:
We have advertising on our Service so we can keep our costs low, and inform of relevant products or services. We do not share Personal Information with third party advertisers for their direct marketing purposes unless you give us your prior consent.
When advertisers or ad networks place advertisements on our Service, they may collect or we may share the following types of information from within our Service:
- performance data (such as the number of clicks on an advertisement);
- aggregated and/or de-identified information about you and other Users collectively that is not intended to specifically identify you (such as Users who live in Berlin);
- certain technical information (for example, IP addresses, non-persistent device identifiers such as Identifiers for Advertising (IDFAs), and de-identified persistent device identifiers such as a hashed Android ID); and
- other contextual data about your use of the Service (for example, your session length).
Advertisers or ad networks may collect this information through the use of tracking technologies like browser cookies and web beacons (see explanations above), and they may use a single tracking technology or multiple tracking technologies at the same time.
The information collected may be used to:
- measure how effective advertisements are;
- offer you targeted advertising in order to personalize your experience by showing you advertisements that are more relevant to you; and/or
- undertake web analytics to analyze traffic and other User activity to improve your experience.
After clicking on a third-party advertisement, you may no longer be on a site hosted by GreyLit. GreyLit cannot be responsible for any third party, or its affiliates or agents, failing to use your Personal Information in accordance with such third party's privacy policy, or any contractual or other legal obligations to which such third party, its affiliates or agents, may be subject.
E. Use of Google services
GreyLit reserves the right to use certain Google services, operated by Google, Inc., California, USA ("Google"). Google services may include Google Analytics, a web analytics service, Google Analytics Advertising Features, namely for remarketing with Google Analytics, Google Display Network Impression Reporting, Google Analytics Demographics and Interest Reporting, and integrated services that require Google Analytics to collect data via advertising cookies and anonymous identifiers, and Google's DoubleClick Services. Any information generated by the cookies about your use of the Service (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States of America. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the Service, compiling reports on website activity for us, and providing other services relating to website activity and Internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law. More information about Google's data privacy and security can be found here. Please see Google's page on 'How Google uses data when you use our partners' sites or apps', and Google's terms and policies for further information.
With respect to Google Analytics, the following additional safeguards apply: we have activated IP anonymization so that your IP address will be shortened by Google within the European Economic Area before the data is forwarded and stored in the USA; only in exceptional cases are IP addresses sent to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. Google will not combine your IP address collected via Google Analytics with other data that Google holds.
F. Communications
Many communications that you initiate through our Service (for example, an invitation sent to a non-Member) will list your name in the header of the message. Messages you initiate may also provide the recipient with aggregate information about your network (for example, how many people are in your network). Other communications that you initiate through the Service, like a request for a full-text, will list your name as the initiator but will not include your personal email address. Once you have connected with an individual, regardless of who sent the invitation, your contact information that you choose to include in your researcher profile will be shared with that individual.
3. How we use information we collect about you
The Personal Information that you provide to us may reveal or allow others to identify aspects of your life that are not expressly stated on your profile (for example, your picture or your name may reveal your gender).
We use the Personal Information described above to:
- Enable you to benefit from the Service. We process your Personal Information in order to provide the Service in a way that is tailored to your interests. This allows us to administer your account with GreyLit and customize the services GreyLit provides to you through the Service. For example, we will process your Personal Information to provide dynamic web pages that are individually adapted to you.
- Conduct research. We conduct research and development for the improvement of our Service and the User experience.
- Offer you tailored advertising content. We aim at offering you advertising content that is the most relevant to you. In this context, we use, whether separately or combined, the Personal Information you provide, we collect, or we infer from your use of the Service and the Internet. This enables us to display advertisements that best match to your particular interests.
In order to show these advertisements and measure their performance on and off our Service, we work with a variety of business partners. - Communicate with you. We may use your Personal Information to communicate with you about GreyLit and products or services by email, postal mail, telephone, text message, or other means.
If you wish to stop receiving promotional communications from us, you can follow the unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of each email we send, or, if you have an account with us, change your preferences by signing into your account through the Service. - Ensure the security of your Personal Information. We process your Personal Information in order to avoid its accidental or unlawful destruction, as well as its loss, alteration, or unauthorized disclosure. For example, we process the number of profile pages you view so as to detect and prevent data harvesting. Likewise, we truncate the last octet of your IP address to prevent you from being identified.
- Generate statistics. We use your Personal Information to generate statistics which pertain to reading behavior or achievements. We also generate statistics for internal purposes in order to constantly improve the Service and its features.
You can object at any time to processing of your Personal Information for statistical purposes by filling out the form on the GreyLit.net platform or by changing your account preferences.
4. Sharing of Personal Information with third parties
Generally, GreyLit does not share the Personal Information collected - or that you provide to GreyLit - with third parties unless we have obtained your prior consent. Note, however, that GreyLit reserves the right to share the Personal Information it has about you with vendors, agents, and contractors who assist GreyLit in administering the Service and in providing benefits to you.
We may also share Personal Information in response to legal process or when the law requires it (for example, in response to a court order) or, to the extent permitted by applicable law, to protect the rights, property or safety of GreyLit, the Service, Users of the Service (including you), and others.
GreyLit may also disclose Personal Information as is necessary to identify, contact, or bring legal action against a person or entity who may be violating GreyLit's Terms of Service, or who may be causing harm to, or interfering with, other Users of the Service.
In addition, in the event that assets of GreyLit are transferred or sold to another entity, Personal Information may be transferred to the acquiring entity and/or to potential acquiring entities to the extent permitted by applicable law and we will seek your consent where required.
5. Transfers of Personal Information outside of the European Economic Area
The Personal Information that GreyLit collects from you and that you provide to GreyLit is processed in Canada and is stored on servers in Canada. The Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documentation Act has been deemed to provide adequate and similar protection to that which applies within the European Economic Area.
Your Personal Information may also be transferred to any third parties as described in this Privacy Policy. Some of these third parties with whom your Personal Information will be shared are located outside of the European Economic Area, in countries whose data protection laws may not be as extensive as those which apply to us.
If we transfer your Personal Information to countries outside of Canada or other areas which do not offer adequate and similar protection, we will ensure that we do this in accordance with applicable data protection regulations (for example, by putting in place an appropriate data transfer agreement). We will do this with a view to ensuring the level of protection which applies to your Personal Information processed in these countries is similar to that which applies within Canada and the European Economic Area.
6. Security
We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure your Personal Information is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law. We use appropriate security measures to protect against unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, and disposal of your Personal Information.
All pages are secured using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology, which encrypts data between our computer and your end devices. To make sure your Internet browser is using the latest security features, you may want to download the most recent version of it, which should have full SSL support.
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your User ID and password which relate to your access to certain pages of the Service and/or any account you set up with us. You agree to accept responsibility for all activities which occur in relation to the same. You should not permit other people to use your User ID or your password. Please contact us promptly if you believe your User ID or password may have been compromised. We will not be responsible to you if there is unauthorized access to your login details or unauthorized activity on the Service as a result of your login details becoming known by someone else, unless this was due to our negligence.
Despite our efforts regarding security it is important to bear in mind that the Internet is not a secure means of communication. Personal Information communicated through the Internet may be intercepted by other people. We cannot guarantee the security of Personal Information sent to us through the Service. You accept that you use the Service at your own risk.
7. Closing your account and retention of Personal Information
If you have created an account through the Service, we will close your account upon your request. We may also close or disable inactive accounts or accounts that are used in violation of our Terms of Service or any applicable law.
We will retain Personal Information from closed or inactive accounts to the extent and as long as it is necessary and relevant for our operations and/or to comply with law, prevent fraud, collect any fees owed, resolve disputes, troubleshoot problems, assist with any investigations, enforce our Terms of Service, and/or take other actions otherwise permitted by law.
In general, Personal Information from closed or inactive accounts will be deleted or anonymized one year after the account is closed or deactivated unless we have reasonable grounds to believe that the Personal Information should be retained for one of the purposes identified above.
8. Data subject rights
You may be entitled to exercise some or all of the following rights free of charge (such rights may vary depending on the requirements of the applicable legislation):
- require (i) information about whether your Personal Information is retained and (ii) access to and/or (iii) duplicates of your Personal Information retained, including the purposes of the processing, the categories of Personal Information concerned, and the recipients or categories of recipients to whom the Personal Information is disclosed and where possible, the envisaged period for which the Personal Information will be stored, or, if not possible, the criteria used to determine that period;
- request proper rectification, removal, or restriction of your Personal Information, e.g. because (i) of the incomplete or inaccurate nature of the Personal Information, (ii) it is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected, (iii) the consent on which the processing was based has been withdrawn, or (iv) you have taken advantage of an existing right to object to the data processing; in case your Personal Information is processed by third parties, we will also forward your request for rectification, removal, or restriction to such third parties unless this proves impossible or involves disproportionate effort;
- receive the Personal Information concerning you, which you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit those data to another controller without hindrance from our side; where technically feasible you shall have the right to have the Personal Information transmitted directly from us to another controller;
- refuse to provide and – without impact to data processing activities that have taken place before such withdrawal – withdraw your consent to processing of your Personal Information at any time;
- not to be subject to any automatic individual decisions (automatic decisions based on data processing by automatic means, for the purpose of assessing several personal aspects) which produce legal effects on you or similarly significantly affect you.
You may (i) exercise the rights referred to above or (ii) pose any questions or (iii) make any complaints regarding the data processing by contacting us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
9. Objection
You have the right to object, at any time, to the processing of your Personal Information on legitimate grounds by contacting us at email@example.com.
10. Contact information
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please email our Data Protection Officer at email@example.com.
Data Protection Officer
GreyLit 1969 Upper Water St., Suite 1300 Purdy's Wharf Tower II Halifax, NS Canada B3J 3R7


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Thinking about purchasing a new car? You might want to think twice about the color you pick as it can give insight into your personality. While back is said to be a power color, dark blue exudes confidences and gray screams practicality.
Take a look at the list below to see which color best matches your personality.
Black: Powerful, classic, elegant
It's the ultimate power color. "So it's a person who is not easily manipulated," says color consultant and trend forecaster Leatrice Eiseman."They love elegance and appreciate that which is classic. And they're usually this way in everything else that they choose. This is a person who probably wears a lot of black in their wardrobe because that color really speaks to empowerment."
Best car in this color: Jaguar XJL
White: Pure, pristine, direct
White car owners are hard to please. "There's a degree of fastidiousness," says Eiseman. "These are people who generally like things to be very pure and pristine and clear and direct. There's nothing you can hide under the color white." The woman who chooses a white ride is more likely to keep her car super clean. And she lives the rest of her life this way, too.
Best car in this color: Ford Escape in Oxford White
RELATED: 4 ways to add paint to your home this year
Pearl: Glamorous, exciting, sophisticated
Not to be mistaken with white, pearl adds some glamour to your game. "We're not talking about a white matte finish," Eiseman explains. "There's something chic going on here, even a little excitement. Because whenever you add a metallic surface, you're giving it a jewel-like quality and a subtle kind of drama."
Best car in this color: Lexus RX in Starfire Pearl
Silver: Futuristic, prestigious, elegant
Those behind the wheel of a silver whip have several things going for them. "Silver has a rather cool, futuristic connotation, yet with a dash of preciousness," says Eiseman. "Because anything that's a true metallic - like silver or gold - there is this perception that it's worth more. So this is not the kind of person who would be satisfied with gray. They would have to have that metallic finish because they want it to look more prestigious. This is the kind of personality that appreciates elegance with a bit of flash."
Best car in this color: Nissan Altima in Brilliant Silver
Red: Sensual, dynamic, outgoing
There are two different kinds of reds: vibrant and deep-blue. Both express the same traits. But those who go vibrant are bolder. "There's definitely an element of sensuality that goes with red," Eiseman says. "There's that dynamic quality and high energy. They like to be seen as someone who really stands out and they like to call attention to themselves. They don't shy away from it. It's definitely an outgoing individual."
Those who ride around in a deeper bluish-red (wine or maroon) have the same inclinations, but are more subtle. "They want to be perceived the same way as the red but they're far less obvious about it," Eiseman explains. "It's not in your face. It's underlying. You have to look a little deeper to find the true meaning of who they are."
Best car in this color: Ferrari California
Gray: Neutral, sober, practical
What you see is what you get with the straight-forward owners of gray cars. "It's a color that is obviously very neutral," says Eiseman. "So it's really rather sober. The person who chooses it is usually very practical, very pragmatic. They're people who make lists and talk things out."
RELATED: Need more energy? Try painting your room these colors
Best car in this color: VW Tiguan in Pepper Gray Metallic
Light-mid blue: Calm, faithful, true; Dark blue: Confident, credible, authoritative
It's probably safe to trust the driver of a blue car, no matter what the shade, though there is a distinct different between light and dark hues.
"Light-to-mid blue is always considered cool to the touch, cool to the eye," says Eiseman. "Those who drive this shade like the coldness of it in the metal. And they're the kind of people who have a calm demeanor to the point of really being unshakable. They're very faithful. This is the kind of person that if it's your friend, they're going to be your friend forever."
And "NYPD Blue" wasn't just a show title. "The dark blues are much more confident," Eiseman says. "The drivers like being credible, an authority figure."
Best car in this color: Scion iQ in Pacific Blue Metallic
Orange: Artistic, individual, complex
An orange car screams unique. "It's one of the most interesting colors because people who choose orange are usually very artistic, creative, original," says Eiseman. "And they're very individualistically charming. There's a certain complexity to this kind of personality as well."
Best car in this color:Toyota Prius C in Habanero
Brown: Powerful, unique; Beige: Natural, down-to-earth
Cars in these colors have multiple meanings. "It used to be that a brown or beige car meant a no-nonsense down-to-earth person because those colors were most associated with common sense," explains Eiseman. "However, in the last 15 years, there's been some new connotation in brown because of its association with rich chocolate and coffee browns."
RELATED: The best bedroom color for a good night's sleep is...
The new browns are complex. They can mean the driver is down to earth, or she is someone who craves the same elegance, power and high style that black carries but wants to come across as more unique. "It's a more glamorous take on a neutral dark color," says Eiseman. "And that's because of the connotation of coffee and chocolate."
Beige, like brown, is also a no-nonsense color. But it doesn't have the strength of the darker shade. "It's really very down to earth," says Eiseman. "Natural is the key word."
Best car in this color: Volkswagen Jetta in Toffee Brown Metallic
Yellow: Joyful, sense of humor
Expect the owner of a yellow car to be young at heart. "They have a sunny disposition," shares Eiseman. "A person who chooses yellow really knows that they're going to be noticed and they usually have a great sense of humor."
Best car in this color: Chevrolet Camaro
Dark green: Well-Balanced, trustworthy, traditional; Light green: Organic, no-fuss, understated
Someone seated in a green ride usually leads a well-balanced life. "Green is the most-balanced color in nature," says Eiseman "The deeper the green, the more trustworthy, and also the more traditional. Unless it's a year where teal is big - and that lasts for a few years and then goes away. But I'm talking about Jaguar green. That was a classic color and that feeling of traditional still hangs on with that particular green." Anyone opting for a lighter, yellowish green has a connection to nature. "So you've got a person who likes to be thought of as no fuss, very simple and understated," says Eiseman. "There's nothing artificial about it."
RELATED: The top 2 paint colors for creating a relaxed vibe at home
Best car in this color: Dodge Dart in Citrus Peel Pearl
Gold: Warm, intelligent, glamorous
Gold is considered the most precious of all materials. "There is an implied warmth," Eiseman explains. "But there's also a certain kind of intelligence attached. And those who fancy gold also love comfort and will pay for it. It's an attention getter, but a very glamorous one."
Best car in this color: Toyota Sienna in Sandy Beach Metallic
A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.
This article was originally published Oct. 28, 2013 on TODAY.com


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Defying Congress, Obama Sends U.S. Taxes to Russian State Arms Firm
Defying Congress, Obama Sends U.S. Taxes to Russian State Arms Firm
Written by Alex Newman
Despite a bipartisan federal law prohibiting financial contracts with the Russian government-owned arms giant Rosoboronexport, the Obama administration announced that it would be purchasing another $680 million worth of military helicopters from the state company for the Afghan regime of Hamid Karzai. The contract comes after the Pentagon already spent $411 million with the supplier since May of 2011, bringing the estimated amount of U.S. taxpayer funds funneled to the state-owned behemoth to about $1 billion in recent years.
The latest deal, however, drew furious outrage from across the political spectrum. Critics and lawmakers complained that the controversial scheme would boost Russias military-industrial complex even as millions of Americans remain out of work. Other opponents highlighted national security concerns. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and human rights groups also expressed opposition to the plan, citing a congressional ban on deals with Rosoboronexport and the fact that the Russian military supplier has been arming rogue regimes around the world.
Under an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed into law by President Obama, the U.S. government is prohibited from sending funds to or entering into contracts with Rosoboronexport, lawmakers noted. The only exception to that prohibition is if the Secretary of Defense deems it to be in the interest of national security. Now, a bipartisan coalition of members of Congress led by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) is demanding that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel explain what possible excuse there could be to purchase more military helicopters from the government-owned Russian arms dealer.
Despite this new law, we learned that the Army intends to enter into a new contract with Rosoboronexport in the coming weeks to procure 20 additional helicopters for the Afghan National Security Forces, the 10 lawmakers said in a strongly worded March 25 letter sent to Hagel urging him to kill the contract. This plan runs in direct contravention to both the spirit of the FY13 NDAA and the clear legislative intent of Congress to ban further business dealings with Rosoboronexport. In our view, any attempt by DoD to utilize prior-year funds would constitute a direct subversion of existing law.
In the letter, the bipartisan group of U.S. representatives also asked Hagel to prepare a detailed briefing explaining the decision. What is the national security justification of continuing business with Rosoboronexport? the lawmakers asked, outraged because the state-owned company has been supplying weapons to the Syrian regime amid a war against Western-backed Islamists. Relatedly, last year, DoD notified Congress of plans to purchase 33 Mi-17s from Rosoboronexport for the Afghan National Security Forces. What is the national security justification for the additional 20 helicopters this year? ... What steps is DoD taking to ensure that it does not support financially or otherwise enablers of mass atrocities?
Hagel has received the letter and intends to respond, Pentagon spokesman James Gregory was quoted as saying in an e-mail to Russias state-run RIA Novosti news agency. The Department of Defense (DOD) has notified Congress of its intent to contract with Rosoboronexport for 30 additional Mi-17 rotary-wing aircraft to support the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) Special Mission Wing, he said. Given current timelines, the department has determined that Rosoboronexport is the only viable means of meeting ANSF requirements.
In the Senate, lawmakers are furious as well. Among other concerns expressed by senators was the fact that the Pentagon did not solicit bids from any other company for the helicopters, according to news reports. Speaking to Businessweek, GOP Senator John Cornyn of Texas said that seems just plain stupid. Sen. Cornyn is one of 17 senators thus far, including eight Democrats and eight other Republicans, urging the Defense Department to cancel the contract. Experts say there are plenty of helicopter suppliers that could fill the order.
Critics, however, lambasted the decision from all angles. "Aside from throwing almost $700 million to a company owned by the Russian government at a time when Obama has taken a chainsaw to the United States military, subsidizing the Russian defense industry helps it develop more weapons that will be sold to Americas enemies," noted analyst Daniel Greenfield in a piece for FrontPage magazine. "That money will help fund R&D for the next generation of weapons that an American military dismantled by Obama will be facing on the battlefield."
In an analysis offered by the Capitalism Institute, an organization dedicated to advancing free markets and limited government, multiple problems with what it called the "corrupt" deal were highlighted. Among the examples cited in the piece about what was wrong with the contract: giving taxpayer money to Russia, sending more military hardware to the Afghan government, using no-bid contracts, and bypassing Congress.
"Thats right, this foreign aid is even worse than the aid being given to Egypt, because at least Egypt was buying U.S. hardware," the institute noted, referring to Obamas controversial decision to send fighter jets and tanks to the Muslim Brotherhood regime. In the end, like almost all of our foreign policy, this was about power. Its not about liberty, or security, or the economy. Its about power brokering. We simply cant afford this any longer. People need to know that theres bipartisan anger over Obama taxing us to give to the Russians."
The John Birch Society, a conservative organization and an affiliate of this magazine, has been sounding the alarm about the Russian government for decades. It also expressed opposition to the latest scheme not to mention the fact that foreign aid, including arming foreign governments, is not authorized by the Constitution. In a weekly video address, CEO Art Thompson criticized the deal. "Isn't that nice?" he wondered sarcastically. "I guess they didn't inform the generals at the Pentagon who the enemy is."
Thompson also highlighted the fact that the Obama administration was sending advanced military weaponry to the Islamist regime now ruling Egypt after the U.S. government-backed Arab Spring overthrew the previous government. Adding insult to injury, the new Muslim Brotherhood-dominated Egyptian government recently announced an integration deal with the mass-murdering genocidal regime ruling Sudan, which the U.S. State Department has listed as a state sponsor of terrorism for over two decades.
Other critics of the Rosoboronexport contract pointed to documents released by WikiLeaks suggesting that the Obama campaign had received Russian money. The controversial deal with Russias military-industrial complex, however, is not the first time the Pentagon has been embroiled in scandal surrounding its procurement decisions to arm the Afghan regime. The U.S. Air Force, for example, decided to purchase fighter planes from the Brazilian government-controlled company Embraer for the Karzai regime even though the American company Beechcraft said it was willing and able to provide more cost-effective alternatives.
Russia and Brazil, of course, are both members of the so-called BRICS an alliance of socialist and communist-minded regimes that also includes the Communist Party dictatorship ruling mainland China, the African National Congress (ANC)-South African Communist Party (SACP) regime ruling South Africa, and the socialist-oriented Indian government. The BRICS group recently released its latest manifesto calling for a global currency that would eventually displace the increasingly unstable U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency.
The Rosoboronexport contract is also not the first time that the Obama administration has been under fire for cooperating with the Russian military. As The New American reported last year, the administration invited airborne terror troops from Russia to train with U.S. forces on American soil for the first time in history, fueling suspicion and outrage among critics.
The Russian soldiers are here as invited guests of the U.S. government; this is part of a formal bilateral exchange program between the U.S. and Russia that seeks to develop transparency and promote defense reform, Cmdr. Wendy L. Snyder, U.S. Defense Press Officer for policy, told The New American in an e-mail. Aside from typical military training, the exchange will include discussions on the rule of land warfare, developing appropriate rules of engagement, and employing cultural literacy and competency in the tactical environment.
Analysts are not hopeful, but whether or not the massive public and congressional outcry will end up killing the potentially unlawful contract with Rosoboronexport remains unclear. As Obama told then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev over an open microphone last year before his reelection, I'll have more flexibility" after winning another term. It appears to critics as though, unless Congress takes serious action, the increased flexibility will mean further problems for the United States at least for the next four years.
Alex Newman, a foreign correspondent for The New American, is currently based in Europe. He can be reached at email@example.com.
Related articles:
Russian Troops Coming to U.S. for Terror Drills, DoD Confirms Obama to Medvedev: "After the Election, I'll Have More Flexibility"
Chuck Hagel a Committed Internationalist
FBI Busts Russian Espionage Network
Chuck Hagel: A Brief Look at Obama's Nominee for Secretary of Defense
Russia's Continued Cold War
Russia Celebrates Victory Day with Military Parade
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Russia Threatens to Kill NATO War in Afghanistan
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Obama-backed Egypt Forging One Nation With Sudan Terror Regime


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Heart, Rush, Deep Purple + More Nominated for 2013 Induction in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Grousing about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's nominees for induction has become an annual tradition, but this year, several groups of long-suffering fans may be surprised to find themselves without an axe to grind: At long last, perennial "why aren't they in the Hall?" favorites Rush are on the ballot.
They join an eclectic group of nominees that includes Heart, Deep Purple, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Procol Harum, Albert King, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, the Meters, Chic, Randy Newman, the Marvelettes, Kraftwerk, Donna Summer, Public Enemy, and N.W.A.
"The definition of 'rock and roll' means different things to different people, but as broad as the classifications may be, they all share a common love of the music," said Rock and Roll Hall of Fame CEO Joel Peresman in a press release, acknowledging the broad artistic territory encompassed by the nominees. "This year we again proudly put forth a fantastic array of groups and artists that span the entire genre that is 'rock and roll'."
It now falls to the more than 600 Hall of Fame voters to decide who makes it in -- and who will take the stage for the annual all-star jam at the induction ceremony. Next year's gala, which marks the Hall of Fame's 28th annual event, will take place in Los Angeles on April 18, 2013 and be recorded for future broadcast on HBO.


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Hohn Cho
Hohn was radically converted in 2004 while working as a lawyer in the entertainment industry. He immediately joined Grace Church and has ministered in the Foundry, Crossroads, and now Cornerstone and Grace Advance. Hohn earned his undergraduate and law degrees from University of California, Berkeley, and works as a transactional/M&A attorney in the biotech industry. He married his wonderful wife, Heather, in 2012, and they have two beautiful daughters, Abigail and Elizabeth.


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Don't get us wrong: We love a gorgeous, towering platform heel. Our feet? Not so much. And, while we're willing to sometimes suffer for fashion, it can't be an everyday thing. So, we're giving our poor tootsies a break and embracing the not-so-humble shoe. These clever kicks manage to be that magical mix of stylish and practical — and we are wearing them everywhere.
The last couple of seasons have seen the preppy staple shake off its fusty past. In its place are metallic, bejewelled, two-tone, and monochrome styles just perfect for nearly any occasion. And, that's the real reason why we place this shoe above all others. The trusted lace-up is so darn versatile. It makes a basic outfit feel fancy and lends a hipster-vibe to a glitzy look. Plus, when you wear them, you can run to catch a bus or dance the night away. Ahead, our edit of the best styles for spring. Slip them on, tie them up, and get walking.


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This article was written in conjunction with a film program I co-organized in Spring 2012 for Flaherty NYC entitled "The Lives of Animals", a series that explored a few of the ways in which animals and film have served to illuminate (and sometimes obfuscate) one another; I dedicate it to my friend and co-curator Kathy High.
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But how unobtrusive can one really be? As I write this, my dog stirs with agitation at the higher overtones in the string quartet I'm listening to (just as she has on earlier occasions with the same piece of music)- a physiological response, and a welcome reminder of the heightened sensitivity for some animals (as described by Temple Grandin and others) to our bodily and technological presence. To be truly unnoticed means lowering oneself along the Great Chain of Being, becoming that proverbial fly-on-the-wall; the documentarian's negotiated parameters with human subjects are replaced by the necessity of the crew's distancing and concealment as their only hope of capturing the animal "acting natural"- with extremely long lenses, and often with a blind or some other technique such as those used in hunting. (4)
1) An essay on talking animals is planned for the hopefully not-too-distant future.
2) Jonathan Burt, Animals in Film (Reaktion, 2002), pp. 38-39.
3) Cynthia Chris, Watching Wildlife (University of Minnesota Press, 2006), pp. 16-17; Derek Bousé, Wildlife Films (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000), pp. 51-52.
4) Hanna Rose Shell, Hide and Seek: Camouflage, Photography, and the Media of Reconnaissance, (Zone Books, 2002), pp. 37-39.
5) Bousé, p. 31.
6) Ibid.
7) Susan Orlean, "Animal Action", The New Yorker, November 17, 2003,
8) Joseph Cunneen, Robert Bresson: A Spiritual Style in Film, (Continuum, 2003), p.102.
9) Jean Collet, quoted in Cuneen, p. 107.
10) Dana Polan, "Au Hasard Balthazar", Senses of Cinema, February 2007,