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Comparisons have been made between Sen. Barack Obama and President John Kennedy, and on some points the comparisons are well founded.
Both were and are young candidates running against war heroes. Both are barrier breakers, Kennedy the first Catholic president, Obama the presumptive first black president. Both wives of the candidates were and are intelligent, attractive and not camera shy. The hopes of young people appear to be vested in both. Obama and Kennedy are and were what has come to be known as "rock stars," charismatic figures. Both were and are running on a program of change, though the "change" envisioned by Obama is somewhat different than the change envisioned by Kennedy. It seems odd to recall now that Kennedy had accused Eisenhower of being soft on Communism, part of a campaign salient in which the new and untried prospective president sought to assure a doubtful public that he was willing to "bear any burden" for the cause of liberty.
There are some important differeneces as well: Kennedy was a war hero; Obama is an anti-war hero.
But on one point a comparison is not justified: Obama has said that he would meet with the facilitator states of jihadist terrorists, Iran and Syria, "without preconditions."
Someone went through the trouble of digging up declassified memoranda during the Kennedy administration that shows Kennedy was entertaining the possibility of "secret" negotiations with Fidel Castro, and Kennedy's openness to the possibility of discussions is being held up as supportive of Obama's intention to negotiate with terror facilitatators.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
First of all, the diplomatic situations in both cases are not the same. Kennedy had supported an ill conceived attack on Cuba, the Bay of Pigs fiasco, but there was at the time no "hot war" between the United States and Cuba.
Secondly, the possibility of direct talks with Cuba's Castro was heavily preconditioned.
According to the information provided by those who wish to draw a parallel between Kennedy and Obama, the talk with Castro was conditional, not unconditional as Obama has proposed in the case of Iran.
Here is the important part of a George McBundy's Nov 12 1965 memorandum:
"In particular, we would be interested in knowing whether there was any prospect of important modifications in those parts of Castro's policy which are flatly unacceptable to us, namely the three points in Ambassador Stevenson's recent speech of which the central elements are (1) submission to external Communist influence, and (2) a determined campaign of subversion directed at the rest of the Hemisphere. Reversals of these policies may or may not be sufficient to produce a change in the policy of the United States, but they are certainly necessary, and without any indication of readiness to move in these directions, it is hard for us to see what could be accomplished by a visit to Cuba."
"A reversal of these policies," McBundy writes, "are certainly necessary, and without an indication of readiness to move in these directions, it is hard for us to see what could be accomplished by a visit to Cuba."
The preconditions were never met. President Kennedy died at the hands of Lee Harvy Oswald, who had connections to Castro. The assassination and Castro's obvious unwillingness "to move in these directions," as was indicated by his move into the bosom of the Soviet Union, made any contact in the Johnson administration impossible.
Obama's promised talks with Iran and Syria, both of which are supplying munitions and training used to kill American soldiers now fighting a hot war (not a cold war) in Iraq, is categorically different from the strategy adopted by the Kennedy administration in the case of Castro's Cuba.
go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you;
may your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!"
--Samuel Adams
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Obama and Kennedy
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Iron Gate Won't Open Bug[edit]
Occasionally, iron gates won't open when you hit the pressure plate in Ayleid Ruins. If this happens to you, follow these steps:
- Get to the pressure plate that doesn't work.
- Make a new save.
- Quit game to dashboard.
- Log out of XBox Live than back in.
- Reload game, pressure plate will work.
After returning the Armor of Tiber Septim, Martin tells you that he has discovered the third item required for retrieving the Amulet of Kings. It is a Great Welkynd Stone and can be found in the ancient ruin of Miscarcand. Miscarcand is located between Kvatch and Skingrad. Travel there and you'll find some easy Goblins outside on guard. Take them out and enter the ruin through the spiral staircase in the center of the site.
Miscarcand is inhabited by both Goblins and undead Zombies and Skeletons that will be leveled to your ability. If you keep to the upper path and follow your compass, you'll reach the destination soon enough. There are only a limited amount of chests and none of the loot we found was even worth carrying. It was mostly health and magicka restoration potions. The best treasure you can acquire by fully searching this dungeon is a wealth of Welkynd Stones which can be plucked from their holders.
The difficult part of this dungeon comes when you finally get to the Great Welkynd Stone. Save your game before you pick it up. As soon as you do, the King of Miscarcand, a very powerful Lich, and two high level Zombies come out to attack you. The King of Miscarcand is extremely dangerous and you should try to keep the slow moving Zombies between him and you so that his ranged attacks are shielded while you grind it out with the undead monsters. When it is just you and him, rush him and attack him at close range. His magical staff and powerful spells will make short work of you if you try to take him out from afar. When he's dead, grab his items and make your way back out of the dungeon. Return the Great Welkynd Stone to Martin to complete the quest.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Grand Gargantua: a photographic history of typography from the 15th to the 19th centuryThursday, May 20th, 2010
Ooooooo. This is going to be neat.
Paul Dijstelberge, a bibliographer and an Associate Professor at the University of Amsterdam, and his colleague John, Editor of the I Love Typography blog, are producing a unique history of typography: they are taking high-resolution images of 50,000 printed works from the 15th to the 19th centuries, tagging them, and posting them online with commentary. Their project is called Grand Gargantua and will occupy them over the next few years. All images will show samples of printing from the University of Amsterdam library. Click here to see a sample of the images they've taken so far.
It will be interesting to see the extent to which Paul and John annotate each specimen. For now, it's fun to run your fingers through the flashing jewels of this collection.
— Paul Razzell


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Filtes de moules a fromage
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Filets de Moules a Fromage 50 x 50 cm
Code article: 3457
Filets de Moules a Fromage 50 x 50 cm
Up to 2 kg: 50 x 50 cm
This traditional cheese cloth is made of cotton.
It ensures the drainage of the whey and the forming of the rind.
The cheese cloth can be reused several times. How many times depends on the frequency of use and the cleaning process.
Cleaning. The cheese cloth can be cleaned by immersing it overnight in a cleaning liquid.
For the cheese cloth we advise a maximum cleaning temperature of 40° C
€ 2.60


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In one of the worst episodes of carnage since the uprising began 15 months ago, Syrian tanks and artillery pounded Houla, a rebel-controlled village near the restive city of Homs, during the day, opposition groups said, then soldiers and pro-government fighters stormed the village and killed families in their homes late at night.
Amateur videos said to be taken in the aftermath showed row after row of victims, many of them small children with what appeared to be bullet holes in their temples. Other videos showed gruesome shrapnel wounds caused by what activists said was a barrage of shelling that started Friday in response to demonstrations after the weekly prayer service and that continued Saturday.
United Nations monitors visiting the village on Saturday counted at least 92 bodies and found spent tank shells, which they cited as evidence that the Syrian military had violated its part of a truce in firing heavy artillery at civilians. A United Nations statement said the observers confirmed that "artillery and tank shells were fired at a residential neighborhood."
International officials largely blamed the government.
Continue reading the main story
"This appalling and brutal crime involving indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force is a flagrant violation of international law and of the commitments of the Syrian government to cease the use of heavy weapons in population centers and violence in all its forms," the top United Nations officials said in a statement. They called on Syria to stop using heavy weapons in population centers and for all sides to cease violence.
The White House said the attack was "a vile testament to an illegitimate regime that responds to peaceful political protest with unspeakable and inhuman brutality."
Gory images posted online — particularly the scene of rows of dead children smeared with blood — prompted an emotional outpouring of antigovernment demonstrations across Syria and calls for sectarian revenge.
Activists said that much of the slaughter had been carried out by pro-government thugs, or "shabiha," from the area. Houla is a Sunni Muslim town, while three villages around it are mostly Alawite, the religion of President
A man in a black knitted mask who appeared on one
The rebel Free Syrian Army, the loose federation of armed militias across the country, issued a statement saying it was no longer committed to the United Nations truce because the plan was merely buying time for the government to kill civilians and destroy cities and villages.
"We won't allow truce after truce, which prolongs the crisis for years," the statement said.
The Syrian government blamed "terrorists," its catchall phrase for the opposition, for killing the civilians.
State television repeatedly broadcast pictures of members of one household who had been massacred, calling the deaths "part of the ugly crimes that the terrorists are committing against the Syrians with the financial support of some Arab states and others."
SANA, the state-run news agency, said that "armed terrorist groups attacked law-enforcement forces and civilians" in the nearby town of Teldo, which prompted security forces to "intervene and engage the terrorists."
But the direct accusation from the United Nations, which is monitoring the tattered April 12 cease-fire, rebutted the government's standard claim that outsiders or their domestic dupes are to blame for the violence.
Syria sharply limits access to the country for foreign correspondents, making independent verification of events there difficult. But there has been a pattern of similar government assaults in recent months against villages sympathetic to the opposition.
Activists said that there had been firefights between the armed opposition that controlled the village and the government forces besieging it. Although the United Nations statements called for stopping violence on both sides, neither suggested that the opposition was involved in the deaths of civilians in Houla.
The massacre also prompted new questions about the continued effectiveness of the truce just as Mr. Annan, the architect of the plan, headed to Damascus. The opposition has criticized the truce, and the United Nations
The observers produced a quick assessment, the first time they have issued a publicly damning report so soon after an episode of violence. Despite their efforts, as well as the unusual step of the United Nations directly accusing the government of perpetrating major violence, the massacre soured Syrians even more on their presence, since the killing took place despite observers being deployed in nearby Homs.
The United Nations observers reported that in addition to the more than 90 dead, they counted more than 300 wounded, Mr. Annan's spokesman, Ahmad Fawzi, said. Opposition groups put the death toll at around 100 killed, including 50 children.
The United Nations statement stopped short of accusing the government of responsibility for the entire toll.
Gen. Robert Mood, the head of the United Nations observer mission in Syria, said in a statement that "the killing of innocent children and civilians needs to stop," but added that the circumstances behind all the deaths remained "unclear."
"Those who perpetrated this atrocity must be identified and held to account," she said in a statement. "And the
Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, issued a statement accusing Syria's government of committing "new massacres" and added that
The British foreign secretary,
The Syrian National Council, the umbrella opposition organization in exile, condemned the killing and called for three days of mourning.
Details of what happened were murky, as is often the case in Syria.
Saleem Kabani, an activist reached via
Then gunmen from the Free Syrian Army left the center of the town to try to assault the government checkpoints from which much of the barrage originated, he said.
Taking advantage of the absence of any armed men inside the village late Friday, government soldiers moved in, along with volunteers from surrounding hamlets, to kill civilians, Mr. Kabani said.
Another activist in Homs reached via Skype, using only the name Saif, said the people of Houla were demonstrating on Saturday despite renewed shelling. Activists in Houla had told him that more bodies were left on roads exposed to government fire and in houses, he said.
The government appeared to have anticipated the demonstrations that took place on Saturday in solidarity with Houla. Damascus took on the look of an armed camp on Saturday, with closed shops and a heavy military presence.
Activists reported demonstrations in at least 10 neighborhoods. Few protesters seemed to accept the government version of events. "The regime kills thousands of Syrian citizens, and Annan's monitors are watching and writing the number of killed people as if they were game scores," said Fadi, a 25-year-old demonstrator in the southern Damascus district of Qaddam.Continue reading the main story


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Delaware Detox and Rehabs For Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Like most states, Delaware has been monitoring drug and alcohol treatment data within their state funded programs. And, according to the statistics, there have been a sharp increase in addicts seeking help for heroin abuse. This trend is not unique to the state of Delaware, but this small state does see a disproportionately large number of heroin cases each year. According to new report, this state ranks tenth in drug overdose mortality rates, mostly due to the increase in prescription painkiller use.
Prescription Painkillers v Heroin
While heroin many be considered the worst drug, or the most dangerous drug, prescription painkillers are no different. Despite being prescribed by a doctor, and purchased at a pharmacy, these drugs are just as addictive, provide the same high as heroin and are responsible for hundreds of deaths every month. Many people who use prescription painkillers consider that the pills are not as dangerous or as bad as heroin, however, this is not true. In fact, Fentanyl, a potent prescription painkiller, has been found in batches of heroin throughout the country and is responsible for more deaths in each state. Prescription painkillers have taken Delaware by storm, increasing the number of opioid addicts in the state each year. It is important to understand that if a loved one or family member is struggling with a prescription painkiller problem, they are using the equivalent of heroin. And, as mentioned above, some painkillers are even stronger than heroin. And prescription painkillers and heroin are not only ruining the lives of those that are addicted. In 2016 3 out of every 100 babies born in Delaware suffered from opioid withdrawal due to being born to mothers who abused either heroin or prescription painkillers while pregnant.
Drug Rehab Programs
Rehabilitation is considered one of the most effective steps to take when trying to overcome and addiction to drugs and alcohol. However, many people do not enroll in treatment or have little information as to how treatment could actually help them. Addiction specialists are available to discuss the benefits and different types of treatments available to those suffering from an addiction problem. Additionally, many addicts are resistant to treatment and family members have to step in and research and locate the right facility for their loved one. This is perhaps the most common way that an addict enrolls in treatment, because of the intervention and guidance of a loved one. There are several different types of treatment facilities located in or around Delaware. Sometimes families elect to send the addict out of state, or away from their hometown. This can be beneficial in limiting the number of distractions and ways out for the addict, who will be struggling throughout their journey to sobriety.
Rehabilitation programs are designed to allow the addict to focus on their lives and what led them to turn to drugs and alcohol in the first place. In addition to providing a safe place, filled with sober people, and intensive counseling, treatment facilities help with coping mechanisms, goal planning and social skills oftentimes lacking in an individual with a drug and/or alcohol problem.
Rehabs that Accept Insurance
There are several treatment centers within the state of Delaware that provide state-funded treatment programs. These programs are oftentimes free, or charge a fee based on a sliding scale. Those that have Delaware Medicaid can also take advantage of these programs. Some addicts have private insurance and are looking at enrolling in a treatment center that accepts this form of payment. Each treatment program is different, as far as what insurance is accepted. Addiction specialists can help find the right treatment for your loved one that accepts their insurance as well. It is important that when looking for treatment, one has the insurance card at hand.
Paying for Treatment
Some people do not have insurance at all, or have insurance plans without any mental health or substance abuse benefits. In this case, some may consider going to a private pay rehabilitation facility. This type of center can be beneficial because they often have longer enrollment periods and may also provide more encompassing after care options. There are also several treatment lending companies available. An addiction specialist can assist with locating these facilities as well.
Contact Us for Rehab Help Today
The state of Delaware is a pioneer when it comes to the food industry. Hay, potatoes, soybeans and corn are all important crops in the state. Popular recreation areas within the state include the Trap Pond State Park, Delaware Seashore, Cape Henlopen and Rehoboth Beach. As good as Delaware is for the country, they still have to deal with the same issues as the rest of the nation when it comes to substance abuse and mental illness issues.
Substance Abuse in Delaware:
The most commonly abused illegally trafficked drugs in Delaware are marijuana, crack cocaine, powder cocaine and heroin. Unfortunately, clandestinely manufactured drugs like methamphetamine and club drugs are also popular within the state of Delaware. Recent investigations have revealed many drug trafficking organizations are moving from the inner city neighborhoods of New York and Pennsylvania into Delaware. The reason behind this relocation is to seek out new customers in an area where there is less local and state level law enforcement present.
Delaware's Drug Threat Assessment:
Heroin currently poses the biggest threat to the state of Delaware. Low cost and high purity heroin is readily available in the state. Cocaine is the second greatest threat to Delaware. Crack and powdered cocaine are commonly abused and readily available within the state. The abuse of cocaine has been the drug most often associated with violent crime within Delaware.
Mental Illness in Delaware:
In addition to issues with drugs, mental illness also poses a problem in Delaware. Of the approximately 900,000 people who call Delaware home, 29,000 live daily with a serious mental illness. In 2006, 91 citizens died by suicide. Since suicide is often a result of undertreated or untreated mental illness, Delaware is committed to helping their citizens get the help for mental illness they need.
Help For Substance Abuse And Mental Illness in Delaware:
Serenity Properties, Georgetown:
Serenity isn't a traditional treatment center. Instead, it is a set of homes that provides recovery housing for those seeking to recover from alcohol and drug abuse and addiction. There are three homes for women and three for men. These houses provide dozens of beds, which are in a convenient location so patients can walk to counseling, stores, meetings or jobs.
Sodat Delaware, Inc., Wilmington:
This center is the oldest such treatment facility in the state of Delaware. They provide referrals and outpatient counseling along with DUI evaluation for alcohol and drug addictions. Sodat is a community-based, private center dedicated to the treatment, intervention and prevention of substance abuse and other co-occurring disorders.
Delaware is an amazing state to call home. Anyone who lives within its borders most likely agrees. Any Delaware citizen who wants help overcoming a substance abuse problem should seek out treatment facilities like those listed above.


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|Global share of total research and development spending by selected country/geographic region in percentages for 2010 and 2011, and forecast for 2012
|R&D Magazine
|Dec 2011
Start of full article - but without data
Share of Total Global R&D
2010 2011 2012
Americas XX.X% XX.X% XX.X% U.S. XX.X% XX.X% XX.X% Asia XX.X% XX.X% XX.X% Japan XX.X% XX.X% XX.X% China XX.X% XX.X% XX.X% India X.X% X.X% X.X% Europe XX.X% XX.X% XX.X% Rest of World X.X% X.X% X.X%
Source: Battelle, R&D Magazine
Full article
Global R&D spending is expected to grow by about X.X% to more than $X.X trillion in 2012, according to an analysis performed by Battelle and R&D Magazine. This advance is slightly less than the X.X% growth seen in 2011 following the end of the global recession and accompanying R&D stimulus incentives. Most of the global funding growth is being driven by Asian economies, which are expected to increase nearly X% in 2012, while European R&D will grow by about X.X% and North American R&D by X.X%. U.S. R&D is forecast to grow X.X% in 2012 to $XXX billion.
The U.S., European Union (EU), and Asia continue to be the strongest regions for R&D, with a combined total of nearly XX% of all global spending. R&D growth in emerging economies has lowered the U.S. share of global funding to about XX%, although the U.S. remains dominant in absolute terms, and annual increases in U.S. R&D still exceed the total budgets of most countries.
U.S. Economic Concerns
Federal government spending on R&D in 2012 is forecast to decline by about X.X% to $XXX.X billion, while U.S. industrial spending is forecast to increase by X.X% to $XXX.X billion, and academic spending is projected to increase X.XX% to $XX.X billion. Significant government budget reductions are responsible for the drop in federal R&D spending, although R&D is likely to decline proportionally less than the overall federal budget. R&D sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) will see one of the biggest declines (down $X.X billion to $XX billion forecast for 2012) for the third consecutive year.
The weak U.S. government R&D spending outlook will be partially offset by one of the strongest increases in industrial R&D spending over the past XX years. This continues a trend of complementary shifts that has helped sustain growth in total U.S. R&D spending. For example, in 2003 and 2004, flat industrial R&D investment was offset by record federal R&D spending, while in 2005 and 2006 industry spending increased and federal government spending decreased.
Part of the 2012 industrial R&D investment can also be attributed to steadily increasing investments by U.S. companies in their offshore research facilities. The overall percentage of such R&D investments is still reasonably small, but many companies are leveraging the economic and collaborative benefits of globalization.
As evidence of the value of scientific discovery as a platform for innovation, the U.S. is targeting about XX% of all R&D at basic research programs, performed mainly in academic and industrial research laboratories. Sponsorship comes mostly from the public sector, with objectives for national scientific leadership and economic competitiveness. Efforts to double the budgets for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Science, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) still have supporters in Congress despite efforts to reduce overall government spending.
Commercial outcomes are equally important, and U.S. industries have increased expectations for return on their R&D investment. Though only XX% of the companies surveyed several years ago calculated ROI on their R&D, more than XX% do it now, with most using improvements in product quality, competitiveness, and new product sales as key indicators.
Except for Greece, all countries in the Battelle/R&D Magazine's list of Top XX global R&D spenders are expected to increase their R&D budgets in 2012. Even economically distressed Italy, Ireland, and Portugal will see significant increases in their R&D investments. The EU continues its strong investments in R&D at the individual country level as well as through the European Commission's (EC's) Framework Programme (FP). The EC is planning to increase its eighth version (FPS) in 2014 by nearly XX% to $XX billion per year in basic R&D programs.
China, which became the world's second largest R&D investor in 2011, remains noteworthy as well. Driven by GDP growth, its rate of spending will remain strong in 2012.
Three new emerging economies joined this Forecast in 2012: Malaysia, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. Starting from relatively small commitments (R&D expenditures at less than X.X% of gross domestic product), each intends to increase its funding over the next several years to reflect the R&D ratios of more innovation-oriented economies.
This report reflects the global researcher viewpoint of R&D. The multinational respondents to our survey confirm trends reported elsewhere, including expectations of future funding constraints across all R&D sectors--government, industry, and academia--as the most critical concern for researchers. It also reveals that the U.S. continues to be the recognized leader in a broad range of technologies such as aerospace, agriculture, military, materials, and life science.
Global R&D Spending Forecast
2010 2010 R&D 2011 2011 R&D 2012 GERD PPP as % of GERD PPP as % of GERD PPP Billions GDP Billions GDP Billions U.S. $ U.S. $ U.S. $
Americas XXX.X X.X% XXX.X X.X% XXX.X U.S. XXX.X X.X% XXX.X X.X% XXX.X Asia XXX.X X.X% XXX.X X.X% XXX.X Japan XXX.X X.X% XXX.X X.X% XXX.X China XXX.X X.X% XXX.X X.X% XXX.X India XX.X X.X% XX.X X.X% XX.X Europe XXX.X X.X% XXX.X X.X% XXX.X Rest of World XX.X X.X% XX.X X.X% XX.X Total X,XXX.X X.X% X,XXX.X X.X% X,XXX.X
2012 R&D as % of GDP
Americas X.X% U.S. X.X% Asia X.X% Japan X.X% China X.X% India X.X% Europe X.X% Rest of World X.X% Total X.X%
GERD, Gross Expenditures on R&D, PPP, Purchasing
Power Parity
Source: Battelle, R&D Magazine
Share of Total Global R&D
2010 2011 2012
Americas XX.X% XX.X% XX.X% U.S. XX.X% XX.X% XX.X% Asia XX.X% XX.X% XX.X% Japan XX.X% XX.X% XX.X% China XX.X% XX.X% XX.X% India X.X% X.X% X.X% Europe XX.X% XX.X% XX.X% Rest of World X.X% X.X% X.X%
Source: Battelle, R&D Magazine
Forecast Gross Expenditures on R&D (GERD)
Billions of U.S. Dollars


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Contribute to the ministry at Trinity Episcopal Church.
Direct Contributions
Make a direct payment by Credit Card to Trinity.
Naming a charitable organization such as Trinity Episcopal Church, Chambersburg as a beneficiary in a will is probably the most common, and for some individuals, the easiest, way to provide a gift. You can designate a specific gift amount or percentage of the estate, and also indicate how you wish your gift to be used.
Charitable Gift Annuity
A charitable gift annuity is a gift vehicle whereby a donor transfers cash or securities to a charitable organization and in return receives fixed payments depending on the donor's age, as well as a charitable deduction for a portion of the initial gift. In the Trinity Episcopal Chambersburg Charitable Gift Annuity program, the minimum gift amount is $5,000. Contact the Church Office for more information.
IRA qualified charitable distributions
For those older than 70 1/2, a qualified charitable distribution permits direct transfers to a qualified charity such as Trinity Episcopal Church Chambersburg from a tax-deferred IRA savings account.


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"[T]he overall ability of entrepreneurship to facilitate … economic prosperity depends disproportionately on the … performance of a very small number of new firms." Guzman and Stern, 2016.
For at least the past 30 years, the rate of U.S. business formation has been falling and the average age of existing firms has been rising. Since 2000, two other things have happened: productivity growth has slowed, while many skilled jobs have disappeared. Startups are thought be a key source of innovation in the economy and of net job creation. At the same time, as Schumpeter's notion of creative destruction suggests, the death of old firms is a critical part of the renewal process. So, the declining trend of entry and exit has people worried that U.S. business dynamism is ebbing (see our earlier post).
How concerned should we be? To be completely honest, we don't really know; at least, not yet. But the answer is important, because it can help orient the U.S. economic policy framework to support the creation of successful businesses that generate high-quality jobs. In this post, we summarize some new research aimed at helping us understand what the decline in business formation really means. Does it signal a fall in the number of successful firms that contribute substantially to business value added, productivity, and employment? Or, is it a decline in the formation of firms that never exceed a tiny scale and have little impact on the broader economy?
To make some headway in addressing these questions, we start with a few facts. A key finding of the foundational work by John Haltiwanger and his coauthors is shown in the following chart, where we plot the rates at which firms are born and die. The Business Dynamics Statistics (championed by Haltiwanger when he was chief economist at the Bureau of the Census) shows that, as a share of existing firms, the number of new firms fell from an average of 14 per 100 in the 1980s to less than 10 over the most recent five years of data (to 2014). The rate at which firms die declined by less—from a bit under 12 in the 1980s to roughly 9 in the recent period. Because the economy grew over this period—since 1980, real GDP per capita increased by 70 percent while employment rose by almost 50 percent—we can infer that firms became older and larger.
Rate of firm entry and exit (percent of existing establishments), 1977-2014
Over this same period, productivity growth rose and then fell. The following chart plots the 10-year lagged growth rate of total factor productivity (TFP) growth (adjusted for capacity utilization). The first data point, plotted as 1977, shows that from 1967 to 1977 TFP grew at nearly a 1½% average annual rate. During the decade ending in 2004, TFP growth peaked at almost 2%. Since then, it has plunged below ½%.
Total factor productivity adjusted for capacity utilization (10-year lagged growth rate in percent), 1977-2016
Are these patterns of business formation and productivity growth related? A cursory glance at the two charts does not suggest a close match. That is, it would be difficult to account for the rise and fall of productivity growth using the persistent downward trend in business formation. The following chart shows the cross-correlations of contemporaneous and lagged entry and exit rates with annual TFP growth. What stands out is that, at a lag of five years when the correlation magnitudes are largest, these are negatively correlated (the estimated correlations are -0.18 and -0.20, respectively). As an aside, we note that this says nothing about employment. To the extent that start-ups play a role in job formation, we should still be concerned, independent of whether their rates of birth and death are related to productivity growth.
Correlations of total factor productivity with lagged firm entry and exit rates (annual data), 1977-2016
Recent work by Guzman, Stern and coauthors starts from here—that is, from the lack of a close relationship between measured business formation and productivity growth. They examine the intriguing notion that the ebbing rate of start-ups represents a decline in the formation of firms that matter relatively little for the economy as a whole—for value added, productivity, and job creation.
The key is to distinguish between two types of firms: those that are likely to stay small and those that are likely to grow. Most new firms—like plumbers and self-employed consultants—have little potential to either generate jobs or contribute to productivity growth. Indeed, an exceedingly small share of firms ever reaches substantial size or stature. Taking a very restrictive view of success, Guzman and Stern (GS) examine the probability that, within six years of being formed, a new firm will either conduct an initial public offering (IPO) or be acquired. In their sample, which covers over 12 million firms in 15 states representing roughly half of U.S. GDP from 1988 to 2014, the likelihood of such a "growth event" is 1 in 3,500. That is, for every 3,500 firms that are started, only one "succeeds". Put differently, outcomes are extremely skewed, with only a tiny share of firms accounting for virtually all the growth performance.
So, has the observed fall in the aggregate U.S. start-up rate been associated with a decline in the number of firms that are likely to succeed? To answer this question about "entrepreneurial quality", GS note that the likelihood of success is associated with a limited number of early-stage characteristics. Strikingly, they find that if a firm is both registered in Delaware and has filed for a patent in its first year of existence, then it is nearly 200 times more likely to succeed. That is, such firms succeed at the rate of more than 1 in 20 (rather than 1 in 3,500)! The likelihood of success increases further if a firm's name is short and does not include the name of the founder, and it is located in a high-tech cluster such as information technology in Silicon Valley or biotechnology in Boston. GS then use this predictive model to estimate the current quality of entrepreneurs: high-quality firms are those that have these propitious characteristics at birth.
The following chart, reproduced from their paper, shows the "Regional Entrepreneurship Cohort Potential Index" for the entire United States. For each cohort (based on the year of founding) the chart depicts the expected number of successful firms (scaled by real GDP) computed from firm characteristics at founding. The pattern is striking: between the dot-com bust in 2000 and the financial crisis in 2007, the quality of entrepreneurial startups was higher than at any time prior to 1998. And, with the exception of the dot-com boom and bust, the "nowcast" measure for 2014 is at the highest level over the period for which they have collected data.
We draw several inferences from this collection of results. First, while the rate at which people start firms has fallen by something like 40 percent, most of these "missing" start-ups were unlikely to expand in a way that influences the macroeconomy in a notable way. In fact, the chances of being truly successful—defined as issuing publicly traded equity or being acquired—is vanishingly small. Of the 20 million or so firms created in the past 20 years, fewer than 6,000 have "succeeded". And, importantly, the number of these high-quality firms has not been declining.
But the key lesson from this research is that we still have much to learn about how and under what conditions firms thrive. And, even more importantly, we need to know more about the conditions that lead firms―both new and old―to hire people and pay them well. How can we encourage more startups of the kind that are likely to succeed, enhancing productivity and creating good jobs? To be clear, this is not a question of industrial policy. It is not about some government bureaucrat picking winners and losers, something that has typically proved counterproductive. Rather, it is about establishing rules and conditions that encourage entrepreneurial success. We applaud the researchers who are trying to figure this out, and look forward to analyses that will advance our understanding and guide future policy.


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Boisdale of Bishopsgate is a fine dining restaurant, Champagne and marble-topped oyster bar in the heart of The City. The creative British cuisine has proven its worth with a 2016 Michelin Guide recommendation, and regular events and live jazz nights keep the atmosphere alive. There is something for everyone on the menu, with dishes featuring the likes of lobster, steak and burgers, and a cocktail list and wine menu to satisfy all tastes. The main dining hall features warm Boisdale livery of dark reds and greens with a touch of tartan.


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I'm going to be honest here, Eleanor is a horrible sleeper. She has only slept through the night twice in 11 months. On average she wakes up three times from dusk until dawn for 30-40 minutes each waking. If you've noticed a few extra wrinkles around my eyes since this little bright eyed monster arrived now you know why.
Before we packed up and headed for Italy we had her on a pretty tight bath, milk, bed routine and she was starting to improve, slightly. Fast forward six weeks and it all feels like it was a waste of time and tears. Daniel and I have officially thrown in the towel and slapping on the 'bad parent' badge.
Our little night owl refuses to go to bed until we do. We figure we might as well take advantage of her nocturnal ways and take nighttime strolls, enjoy a vino in the piazza or dine out. Perhaps she is just a little European baby at heart, they don't seem too bothered to be up past 11pm.
For daytime naps we turn her to face us in the Ergobaby 360 4 position carrier and she sleeps for 45 to 90 minutes but she refuses pram naps.
The only downside to having a possum for a child is that she likes to sleep in until 10am. If we try and wake our little teenager up any earlier she is a nightmare during the day, so we can't really plan any morning activities. I almost miss the jetlagged baby that woke us up at 5am 8 days straight.
If you've managed to get your traveling babe to bed at a reasonable hour please tell us how you did it!


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Saturday, October 16, 2010
furry possibilities
Thanks so much, friend Chris, for cleaning out your sewing room. I found a bag of this fur in the back of my van the other day (Michael had forgotten to tell me about it). I am not sure what I'll do with these wild beasty furs. But I love looking at them and dreaming up kooky stuff. I have to be very careful when I handle it or puffs of fur start flying all around from the cut edges.
You guys might not be able to see it very well from my mediocre photos, but most of the dark furs have undercoats of eye popping colors like acid green and violet. I've never seen such stuff. Chris, it really makes me wonder what in the world you made from it. Fun fun fun.
7 comments:
I can see the undercoats of violet and red. Amazing looking stuff! The top coat on the red looks kind of feather. Can't wait to see how you use these :DReplyDelete
hmm... so many ideas. it would be interesting to see what she made. I know you will come up with something FAB to inspire us all. ;)ReplyDelete
Those wouldn't last long at my house. My daughter is always raiding my scrap bags and pulling out all the fuzzy, furry, softie fabrics. Right now, she has a piece of pink fur at the entrance to her door. It's her "doormat" she told me...and you have to be barefoot to step on it. That's her rule.ReplyDelete
I've always wanted to know about how to make a detachable collar & cuffs that could be added onto just about any jacket / blazer… I'm not a sewing guru like you, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what you come up with!ReplyDelete
I sew with fur all the time. (Eskimo + above the Arctic Circle = needs fur to be warm!)ReplyDelete
If you trace the pattern you need on the underside, and you use a very sharp razor blade (I use an ulu) to cut it out. No fur flying everywhere. Well, except if it's arctic fox, that fur goes everywhere.
I'd like to see some of these psychedelic colors on a fox hat! :)
Thanks for your votes of confidence. Actually, my daughters have both decided to be furry animals for Halloween so this is a very convenient windfall.ReplyDelete
Finnskimo, thanks for the fur tips! I have almost zero experience with fur, faux or real. I don't have an ulu lying around, but I'm sure I can substitute.
power balanceReplyDelete
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GREENACRES — The City Council at tonight's meeting is expected to discuss and vote on making a land use and zoning change to allow Nissan to build a 46,764-square-foot dealership across the street from Braman Honda of Palm Beach.
The planned dealership would be built on the north side of Lake Worth Road where a vacant commercial golf-cart company now stands.
In other meeting matters, staff is also scheduled to update the council on Jog Road landscaping upgrades.
Also expect a discussion on the city taking steps to live stream its council meetings, something many municipalities, including Wellington, Lake Worth and Royal Palm Beach, have been doing.
The meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m., City Hall Council Chambers.
Please follow me on Twitter @KevinDThompson1 or feel free to call at 561-820-4573 or email me at firstname.lastname@example.com with story ideas, comments and really nice places to listen to live jazz.


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Clothes -- Even though it's the middle of winter I included a few spring/summer pieces. Girlfriend has enough winter clothes. Last summer she lived in her jelly sandals so I figured she'll need a pair for this summer.
Books always make the list because a kid can never have too many books. Every night we have to read at least three books. Emerson always says "one more."
Toys -- We bought Emerson a kitchen for Christmas so I wanted to add a few pieces. Isn't the coffee maker too cute? Playing to the summer theme again I included a Green Toys tool set and Little People camp set.
It's all about keeping things simple.
Do you have a two year old? What's their favorite book or toy?
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Village Builders® has been recognized as Houston's luxury homebuilder for over forty years and offers unique homes from the $310s to over $600,000. Steeped in a tradition of excellence, quality craftsmanship and attention to detail – Village Builders® homes have been a sign of success for generations of Texas families.
All Village Builders® homes showcase a number of luxury features and upgrades included in the price such as 8' interior doors, high-end hardware, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Homes can be further personalized with the latest choices in options through Village Builders® award-winning Design Studio.
Village Builders® superior product is paralleled by their unyielding commitment to customer service. From the moment you enter a Village Builders® Community, your complete satisfaction and peace of mind is their ultimate goal.
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Wildwood at NorthPointe 55': 15603 Ponderosa Bend, Cypress, TX 77429
Wildwood at Oakcrest 75': 19006 Thompson Ridge, Cypress, TX 77429
Monday – Thursday, & Saturday: 10am – 6pm
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If you wish to speak with Dr. Maples, please call direct at: (417) 440-0826
If there is no answer, leave a message and she will return your call as soon as she is available to do so--usually within the same business day.
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This might be a first in the country: The failed West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection is emerging as such an embarrassingly pro-coal anti-mountain public relations nightmare for Gov. Joe Manchin that even retired coal miners have taken to the streets against the state's environmental regulators, calling on the federal EPA and Office of Surface Mining to take over the key duties of the dysfunctional state agency.
The uprising in the Appalachian coalfields against failed state government action on mining policy is growing--today, coalfield residents took their protests directly to ground zero of the state's regulatory failure.
Following 12 previous protests and civil disobedience actions in the Appalachian coalfields this spring and summer, a contingent of four protesters locked themselves to the WV DEP doors in a nonviolent sit-in. Four protesters were reportedly arrested.
While the WVA Department of Environmental Protection carried out the "Blaster's Exam" today, as part of its unfettered support for mountaintop removal mining and the daily detonation of 3.5 million pounds of ammonium nitrate/fuel oil explosives in historic mountain communities, scores of fed up coal miners and coalfield residents also rallied at the agency's office this morning. The protesters presented an embarrassingly long list of the agency's failure to hold up its mandate to protect and restore the environment, ensure water quality, and enforce strip mining, and demanded the resignation of WV DEP Secretary Randy Huffman.
According to the coalfield residents, the DEP has failed to hold mining operators accountable for violations, refused to thoroughly address the potential dangers of coal slurry injection and to set permit limits for abandoned mine site discharge, and misled residents on regulatory actions.
The protestors posted condemnation signs: "Closed Due to Incompetence" and "Department of Encouraging Pollution."
"The WVDEP ignores or dismisses citizen complaints and refuses to exercise their duty to shut down operations with repeat violations or to deny permits to operators with outstanding violations," retired West Virginia coal miner Chuck Nelson declared. "It is imperative that we restore the enforcement of all mining laws, so that citizen's civil and human rights are upheld, and our families and homes are protected from the impacts of mining, and from the hazards of industrial waste."
On Monday, August 10, in a rare call for federal intervention in this growing national emergency, coalfield citizen groups including Coal River Mountain Watch, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition and West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, along with the Sierra Club and the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment, formally petitioned the OSMRE to withdraw approval of the state's surface mining program and substitute federal enforcement. The petition concludes:
"Given West Virginia's refusal to enforce the law in the face of coal industry interests, we believe that the only remedy that will protect the State's essential environmental resources is for OSM to substitute federal enforcement, in whole or in part, of the state's surface mining program."
The entire petition can be seen here: http://wvgazette.com/static/coal%20tattoo/bufferzonepetition.pdf
Earlier this month, the EPA actually announced its intention to exert greater scrutiny over the WVDEP process of permit applications received for surface mining operations "with valley fills".
Testifying last month at the first bipartisan US Senate hearing on mountaintop removal in a generation, DEP Secretary Huffman stunned the crowd by chucking his environmental protection mandate out the window and openly defended the reckless part of West Virginia's Big Coal economy beholden to devastating mountaintop removal operations. Huffman defiantly lectured the US Senators: "West Virginia and the nation need jobs and coal. Nothing in the debate over mountaintop mining debate is going to change that in the short term."
As if offended by the ancient mountain range and lush hardwood deciduous forests in our nation's carbin sink of Appalachia, the mountain state's top environmental regulator then depicted West Virginia mountains as "steep, hostile terrain."
Hostile terrain? What happened to "Wild and Wonderful"? Or the state motto, montani semper liberi?
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This was not the first time for Huffman to declare his horror of the mountains--in the mountain state.
On April 20, Huffman made an extraordinary admission in an interview with the West Virginia Public Radio, declaring that the mountains impeded the state's development, and therefore, needed to be destroyed through mountaintop removal.
"Mainly what we're concerned about as regulators is the ability to develop land after mining," he said. "You need valley fills if you're going to have a viable post mining economy. You need flat land. And in order to have flat land you need to have valley fills, and one of our biggest concerns is that EPA is wanting to reduce the size and number of valley fills in Appalachia."
The radio interview is here:http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=9248
As the state's top environmental regulator, Huffman apparently failed to read the EPA's 2002 EIS report that "it is unlikely that any more than 2 to 3% of the future post-mining land uses will develop land uses such as housing, commercial, industrial, or public facility development" after mountaintop removal operations.
In fact, Huffman and the WVDEP have apparently failed to consider a lot of basic environmental and human rights issues in the coalfields, none more critical than the impact of injecting coal slurry in underground mines. In the face of overwhelming scientific evidence of contaminated leakages of toxic coal slurry into watersheds and wells, Huffman brazenly told an AP reporter this spring: ""We studied specifically the possibility the slurry injection had migrated into the water, and there's not a geologic connection between where it was stored and where their problem is."
Despite Huffman's denial, scientific tests on water samples contaminated by coal slurry this spring " found six metals--antimony, arsenic, lead, barium, cadmium and chromium--in levels that exceeded federal standards for primary drinking water at one or more sites."
The study is at the Coal Tattoo blog: http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/03/19/citizen-slurry-study-ii/
Charleston Gazette reporter Ken Ward has filed numerous stories on Huffman's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy on coal slurry injections:
Here's a chart of coal slurry injection sites:
For more information on coal slurry issues, see: http://www.sludgesafety.org/coal_slurry_inj.html
"The WVDEP simply fails to adequately regulate the coal industry," said Rock Creek resident Lorelei Scarbro. "When WVDEP Secretary Randy Huffman runs off to lobby the EPA to grant illegal valley fill permits, he's abdicated his responsibility to the people. Corporate coal influence has become so great inside the WVDEP that he has become a public relations spokesperson for the coal industry instead of an enforcer of mining laws and regulations."
"We will not sit idly by today while the WVDEP is granting blasting certifications for coal companies to demolish our mountains and ruin our homes and communities," said Bo Webb of Naoma. "It is time for Huffman to resign or be fired. He's derelict in his duties and grossly incompetent at best. Quite possibly a case for criminal negligence could be made."


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The Full 90
A closer look at the 2011 SuperDraft and what it could mean to KC
There isn't a Mel Kiper Jr. for the MLS SuperDraft. This is probably because the SuperDraft, historically, has taken a back seat to foreign-player acquisitions and the allocation of U.S. national team members returning from Europe.
That changed a few years ago, thanks to the involvement of adidas (Generation adidas players don't count against a team's salary cap) and teams looking to build a core of young players (Dallas, for example).
This year should be an extension of that importance. With larger rosters (30 slots) and an improved focus on developmental players (six slots on the team's roster are reserved for players who are 24-years-old who don't count against the salary cap -- this includes home-grown players such as Jon Kempin), the MLS SuperDraft will be a quick way for teams fill out their squad.
As with last year, this promises to be a fairly deep and talented crop of college players turning pro.
A brief history of KC drafts
There are 10 players drafted by Sporting Kansas City who are still on the team:
• Davy Arnaud, #50 overall (2002)
• Jack Jewsbury, #43 overall (2003)
• Eric Kronberg, #40 overall (2006)
• Michael Harrington, #3 overall (2007)
• Chance Myers, #1 overall (2008)
• Roger Espinoza, #11 overall (2008)
• Matt Besler, #8 overall (2009)
• Graham Zusi, #23 overall (2009)
• Teal Bunbury, #4 overall (2010)
• Korede Aiyegbusi, #20 overall (2010)
Some former notable Sporting KC first-round draft picks (and where they are now):
• 2000: Nick Garcia, #2 overall (Appeared in 224 games for Kansas City; spent the last few years with San Jose and Toronto, currently out of contract and available in the MLS re-entry draft)
• 2001: Jose Burciaga Jr, #12 overall (Appeared in 115 games for KC; out of MLS since 2008)
• 2004: Matt Taylor, #4 overall (Spent one season with KC, was selected by Chivas USA in the 2005 expansion draft; currently playing with Rot Weiss Ahlen in Germany's 3rd division)
• 2005: Scott Sealy, #11 overall (Appeared in 88 games over three seasons with KC before moving to San Jose then Israell; currently under contract with the San Jose Earthquakes)
• 2006: Yura Movsisyan, #4 overall (Was the first non-Division I player selected in MLS draft history, was traded to Salt Lake in 2007; currently playing with Randers in Denmark)
About the 2011 draft
The first step in the college draft will be the combine Jan. 8-11. Team president Robb Heineman has said that the team is exploring a few trades around the league, but will likely wait until after seeing a few players in the combine before pulling the trigger.
Head coach Peter Vermes, who sits on the combine committee, says the team's college scouting this year has been "excellent." Here are the college seniors invited to the combine.
The draft is Jan. 13 in Baltimore.*
*The draft takes place in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. It is held in Baltimore this year, in 2012 it will be held in Kansas City. That's according to Steven Goff at Soccer Insider.
Here's the draft order:
1. Vancouver
2. Portland
3. D.C. United
4. Chivas USA
5. Philadelphia
6. New England
7. Houston
8. Vancouver (from Toronto)
9. Chicago
10. Kansas City
11. Seattle
12. Columbus
13. New York
14. Real Salt Lake
15. San Jose
16. Los Angeles
17. Dallas
18. Colorado
Kansas City has four picks overall, one in each round: #10 (Round 1), #32 (Round 2*), #46 (Round 3), #64 (Round 4)
*Pick acquired from Real Salt Lake in exchange for midfielder Luis Gil. Kansas City traded their natural Round 2 selection to Philadelphia for defender Shavar Thomas.
For further research
I will admit, my knowledge of the college game is somewhat lacking. Okay, it's completely lacking. But there are people who know things. Here are a few links to scope if you'd like more information about the 2011 SuperDraft. (I know I'll be hitting up YouTube soon.)
• Soccer by Ives has his big board of available players.
• The Early Bath has an early look at potential Generation adidas players.


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Our Chiropractors investigate root causes
At Live Free our chiropractors are multidisciplinary specialists utilising a diverse range of techniques and therapies to provide you with the best care possible. Our approach is to find the root cause of your ailment before treating you and then work with you to find a solution that best suits your lifestyle and personal goals. Integrating different therapies together allows us to personalize and individualise care to you.
Our chiropractors are trained in biomechanics, manipulation, mobilisation, acupuncture, active release, functional range release & conditioning, tool assisted soft tissue release, dynamic neuromuscular stabilisation, taping, exercise prescription, rehab and much more. Using these methods, we work with you to form a plan of care that suits your individual needs.
Multi-faceted treatments to suit your condition
Our treatments not only relieve, symptoms or pain but focus on finding the root cause, correcting imbalances and preventing reoccurrence. Our bespoke assessments allow us to spend the time needed to find out you, your goals and how our recommendations fit into your lifestyle. Initially many clients see us more regularly but our ultimate goal is to restore health so that you only see us for an occasional MOT.
Bespoke Whole Body Assessments
Our chiropractors regularly help patients who suffer from disc injuries, headaches, sciatica, knee pain, shoulder pain, sports injuries and many other musculoskeletal complaints. We look at the body as a whole, assess for imbalances and offer treatment that aims to correct those imbalances and optimise your health. Whatever your goal or need we are here to help you Walk, Run and Play Free!
Our chiropractors James and Nicole look forward to seeing how they can help you!
What people are saying about us
Live Free's unique way of treatment worked for me as Nicole combines her skills and uses many techniques to treat the problem. My chronic hamstring problem has been resolved and I continue to see Nicole's for injury prevention. I like that Nicole understands what it takes to be a competitive athlete as she is an Ironman athlete herself. I have no hesitation to recommend Nicole's services to pro-athletes as well as the general public.Maya, Student & Track Athlete, London
Nicole first helped me with a painful, recurring hip injury, in the space of only a few sessions it was much better. Nicole gave me the knowledge and tools to understand the cause of the injury and how to make continuous improvements to prevent further injury. My performance in the gym, general health and posture have improved noticeably since I started seeing Nicole for treatments. Nicole and the friendly team at Live Free are always my first port of call if I have any issues, they are helpful, professional and above all effective!
Emile, CrossFitter & occasional Accountant
I like Nicole, she gives us exercises to do, she gives us advice, she listens to us and she teaches us tricks – picking up our toys with our feet to make them stronger. She helps us to learn about being healthy.
Edith, 7 year old, aspiring Birdwatcher, Vet & Fairy
I'd been struggling with back discomfort for the past year. A friend recommended Dr K Hussein and he was very friendly, professional and listened carefully to my concerns. He clearly explained why I was experiencing the back discomfort and carried out a range of treatment. He also gave me exercises to continue at home to maintain what was achieved in the sessions. Since attending the sessions I can definitely see and feel an improvement. My breathing and posture have significantly improved and I'm a lot more comfortable at work.
Poonam, Dentist and Gym Junkie
My experience with Khalil at Live Free Wellness was a very positive one. I got ART® for my neck and shoulders and saw improvement fairly quickly! He also gave me exercises to do to ensure I could stay feeling good on my own. I would definitely recommend him to others.Erin Samueli


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The staff of the Norwich Public Schools' Human Resources Department recognizes that recruiting, selecting, and maintaining quality employees are key to the success of our students' performance. Toward this end, we pledge our continuous support and service as we all strive to promote students' learning and preparation for their futures.
Diane Harrington860.823.6284 ext. firstname.lastname@example.com
90 Town Street
Norwich, CT 06360
860.823.1880 fax


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Neighborhood Bridges: Critical Literacy in Your Classroom
"Bridges has proven that you can take the quietest child and bring the best out of him/her."
– 4th grade teacher, Traphagen School, Mt. Vernon
We are proud to announce an expansion of our nationally recognized Neighborhood Bridges program for 2016-17. Recognized by the U. S. Department of Education as a model of arts integration, Neighborhood Bridges places teaching artists alongside teachers for a 10-week residency that integrates theatre and storytelling into the ELA & Social Studies curriculum. Teacher testimonials are available.
Call for more information: 914.251.6232


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Five Things I Love About D&D 5e/
I'll admit it, I was quite reluctant to give D&D fifth edition a try. I got burned when 3.5 came out, because I'd just bought the 3.0 books a short time before. 3.5 came out way too soon on the heels of 3.0. To me it seemed to either be a money grab on the part of Wizards of the Coast, or an indication they'd put out 3.0 before they'd sufficiently play tested it. Basically, 3.0 was a playtest, one that we all paid top dollar to participate in. However, I finally decided the changes were worth it and did make the game significantly better, so I bought in.
I got quite a few years of play out of D&D 3.x, but then, due to numerous moves around the country, I stopped roleplaying for a few years. When I decided to come back to the hobby, I learned there was a new edition of D&D—fourth edition. I was skeptical to say the least, but as it had been years since I'd last played D&D, I decided to check out 4th. I watched some actual plays on YouTube and read through the PHB, and I came to the realization/opinion that D&D 4th edition was not an improvement at all. In fact it was quite the opposite—the worst version of D&D I'd ever seen. It was a dumbed-down D&D that seemed more like a tabletop RPG version of an MMO than the Dungeons & Dragons I'd loved for years.
It was then that I found Pathfinder, and I had some fun with it for a while. To me it seemed like D&D 3.75. Just as 3.5 made some much-needed improvements to third edition, Pathfinder made many improvements to 3.5. However, after a short time of running and playing Pathfinder, I came to realize I didn't like what it was doing to my roleplaying experience. I didn't enjoy Pathfinder as I'd enjoyed all the other RPGs I'd played. It was then that I got into Numenera, and I haven't since had any desire to play or run Pathfinder.
When I first heard about D&D 5th edition (or D&D Next as it was called then), I just rolled my eyes. I saw it as just another example of WotC's ability to sell the same books to their customers over and over again. When the free PDFs of the basic rules came out, I gave them a quick glance, and it seemed a lot like third edition to me. So I didn't give it any more thought.
However, I kept hearing about D&D 5e, and despite my prejudices and preconceptions, I couldn't ignore how most people seem to think it's the best version of D&D ever made. I've heard many people describe it as a blend between 2nd edition and 3.x, with a few good ideas from 4th edition thrown in (yes, there were a few). I finally decided to get over it, and see what all the fuss was about. I broke out the free PDFs again, and this time I read them in their entirety. The more I read, the more I liked what I was reading, and the more excited I got. I hadn't even finished all the PDFs when I decided to get the Players Handbook.
I've just started running D&D 5e, and I'm sold on it. I definitely like it better than 2nd edition, 3.x or Pathfinder. It gives me the classic "D&D experience" I remember from my earliest days of roleplaying without any of the headaches that came along with D&D back then.
There are a lot of reasons I love 5th edition and think it's the best version of D&D ever made. Here are my top five.
No grid or miniatures required!
Before D&D 3.x I never used a grid or miniatures when I ran or played D&D, or any roleplaying game for that matter. I was aware that some people did, but I never felt the need.
When 3.0 and then 3.5 came out, I started using a grid and minis for the first time. For the most part I enjoyed it. Now I think that a lot of my enjoyment was due to the "newness factor," and also because I used minis and the grid sparingly, only for the largest and most complicated encounters.
When I got into Pathfinder, a grid was pretty much required. I found myself spending more time in adventure prep drawing out scenes on my wet-erase battle mat than planning the adventure or developing NPCs. I played with and ran for numerous groups with a variety of people, and in every group the gameplay quickly became something more resembling a tactical wargame than a roleplaying game (I would say devolved). Even with the best groups, RP pretty much ended as soon as initiative was rolled. Instead of roleplaying we discussed five-foot steps, attacks of opportunity, movements and positioning, and looked up rules.
One of the selling points of Numenera when I got into it was the lack of a need for a grid or miniatures, and after some time with that game, I resolved to never again play an RPG that required a grid. If I ever feel a need to play with minis on a grid, I'll play Star Wars X-Wing.
D&D 5e can be played without a grid. In fact, using a grid and miniatures is presented as an optional rule in the game. Though the game does still use distances measured in feet, this can easily be replaced with something like Numenera's immediate, short, long distance system. Honestly, anything beyond that is kind of false precision anyway (unless you're using a grid).
This change in D&D has been interesting. Going from no-grid-play to grid-play and back again. Now people call no-grid-play Theater of the Mind, which I find amusing. Back in the day we never called it that. There was no need to call it anything. It was just how you played the game. I recently was recruiting players for a 5e campaign, and someone asked me how I could run a game without a grid. I feel our hobby is in a sad state of affairs when someone asks a question like that, so I'm glad 5e doesn't require a grid—not just for my own enjoyment of the game, but so new people to the hobby can see that all you really need is your imagination.
It wasn't until I saw the backgrounds and associated mechanics in 5e that I realized that D&D had never before had any roleplaying mechanics (other than an optional rule that the DM could give a middling amount of xp for good roleplay). Granted, we always roleplayed our hearts out without any roleplay mechanics, but having RP mechanics in the game sends a good message, especially to new players and DMs.
Not only do I like the background and other mechanics because they're there, but they're also really good at fleshing out your character. A common problem with D&D in the past was that you often didn't know your character when you started playing. It would take a few sessions (or even a few levels) to really develop the character into something more than numbers on a piece of paper.
5e has an ingenious system where you choose a background for your character. This can be anything from criminal to noble. Not only does the background explain what your character has done in life before becoming an adventurer and provide some interesting and relevant starting equipment, but it also gives you lots of roleplaying hooks.
Your background provides a list of possible personality traits. You can choose two, roll for them randomly, or use them as inspiration for choosing your own traits. These are just quirks of your personality. So a criminal might choose, "I blow up at the slightest insult," while a noble might choose, "My favor, once lost, is lost forever."
You also choose an ideal, bond and flaw in the same way. Your ideal is something you believe in or something you strive for. Your idea can be tied to an aspect of your alignment (e.g. law or good), or it may not, but it's always tied to your background. A criminal might have the ideal of, "Honor. I don't steal from others in the trade," while a noble might have the ideal of, "I must prove that I can handle myself without the coddling of my family."
Your bond is a goal that your character has. The criminal might have the bond, "I'm trying to pay off an old debt I owe to a generous benefactor," while the noble might have the bond, "I will face any challenge to win the approval of my family."
Your flaw is just that, a flaw that holds your character back or can make life interesting. An example flaw for a criminal is, "If there's a plan, I'll forget it; if I don't forget it, I'll ignore it," (I've known a lot of PCs with that flaw, come to think of it). An example flaw for the noble is, "I secretly believe that everyone is beneath me."
From the very beginning you know a lot about your character in 5e. Not just how good he is in combat or what spells he can cast, but what he's like, what his goals are, and what holds him back. There's a lot of room for customization here, and if you're ever stuck on an aspect of your character's personality, you can always roll on the relevant table, or peruse the choices and look for one to jump out at you. Even if none of them quite fit, it's very likely that one will give you an idea of your own.
Not only does the background system help you flesh out your character, it also gives the DM some clear guidelines of how and when to reward you for roleplaying. Not only can you earn xp for playing these aspects, but you can also gain Inspiration, which allows you to gain Advantage on one roll of your choice.
Advantage and Disadvantage
One of the annoying things about running 3.x or Pathfinder was all of the modifiers. There were +2s and -2s all over the place, from things like flanking, higher ground, limited visibility, or because the DM felt like being a dick, just to name a few. It was tedious and time-consuming. Players often had to recount their bonuses every turn (you'd hate to miss a bonus from a conditional modifier or a buff!). This slowed down play and was not fun.
Fifth edition has done away with a lot of this with an elegant system of Advantage and Disadvantage. Many of the things that would have given you a bonus in an early edition now give you Advantage. Many of the things that would have given you a penalty now give you Disadvantage. Advantage simply means you roll two d20s instead of one, and you take the higher roll. Disadvantage means you roll two d20s and take the lower roll. Elegant, simple, fun, easy peasy. Getting to roll two dice is a lot more fun than adding and subtracting a bunch of ones and twos!
The system is so easy to use it really speeds up play. Multiple Advantages or Disadvantage don't stack. You either have Advantage or Disadvantage, or you don't. If you have Advantage and Disadvantage on a roll, they cancel out and you make a normal roll (it doesn't matter how many sources of Advantage or Disadvantage you have). Not only is the system easy and fast, but it's effective too. Having Advantage and Disadvantage matters in powerful way that is far more visible than a +2 bonus ever was.
The Magic System
I have never been a fan of D&D's magic system (what many people inaccurately call "Vancian magic"). I never thought the idea of a wizard forgetting spells every day, no matter how many times he'd cast them, made any kind of conceptual sense.
D&D 5e has made some small changes to the magic system that not only help it make more sense conceptually, but also leads to interesting and fun strategy and gameplay, while giving casters more options than they had before.
If you look at a spell caster's class table, it will look very similar to previous editions. However, instead of having a given number of spells per day for each spell level, casters have known spells, prepared spells and spell slots.
Cantrips (0 level spells) work as they do in Pathfinder, which is to say the caster knows a given number of cantrips that she can cast an unlimited number of times per day.
A wizard's known spells are all the spells in her spellbook, while a cleric's known spells are all the cleric spells of a level the cleric can cast (just like previous editions). Other than this difference, wizards and clerics work identically when it comes to spellcasting. A wizard can prepare a number of spells equal to her wizard level plus her intelligence modifier. These spells can be any spells the character knows and can cast in any combination. When the wizard casts a spell, she uses a spell slot. So a wizard casting Magic Missile would use a first level spell slot. Many spells that used to scale based on the caster level (e.g. Magic Missile) now scale based on the level of spell slot that is used to cast the spell. Spells also tend to be more effective at low level. For example, cast at first level, Magic Missile produces three missiles, and produces one additional missile for each level above 1st that it's cast at (so 4 missiles as a 2nd level spell, 5 missiles as a 3rd level spell, and so on). Wizards also have the ability to regain a few of their depleted spell slots when they rest for an hour.
I really like this system. No longer are you limited by a specific list of spells. You have access to all your prepared spells, and you can cast them in various spell slots. So if you only need three Magic Missiles to take out a foe, you can use a 1st level spell slot. If you need more fire power, you can use one of your higher spell slots.
There are also spells that can be cast as rituals (like Detect Magic). This means you can cast the spell without using a spell slot. This is great for utility spells. You no longer have to take up a spell slot with an Identify spell that you never end up using.
Limits on Ridiculousness
Another thing I love about fifth edition is that it sets caps on things like ability scores, magic items and spell buffs.
You can't raise an ability score higher than 20. You can't have an ability skill higher than 15 at character creation unless you roll it (i.e. the point-buy and standard array options don't allow scores higher than 15). Part of what makes 5e great is that the power curve has been toned down. This will, along with other mechanics, speed up play at higher levels as compared to 3.x or Pathfinder. Having a hard limit on ability scores at character creation and overall makes it much easier for a GM to balance encounters and use published adventures. When I ran a Pathfinder adventure, I always had to do calculations at the beginning to see where my PCs stacked up ability score-wise compared with "standard" PCs. I would often have to adjust the encounters in the adventure accordingly. With 5e, if you follow the rules, you'll never have that problem, and the spread is smaller and limited (there is no ability score limit in 3.x or Pathfinder).
You're also limited in how you can stack magic items and how many you can have. This is done with the attunement system. Powerful magic items require you to attune to them in order to use them (or to gain access to their most powerful abilities). You can only be attuned to three magic items at a time. This again limits power creep and limits the possible disparity among PCs and between the PCs and the challenges they face. It also simplifies the magic item identification process because anyone can attune to an item, and by attuning to it, you learn what it does and how to use it. Spells like Identify are now used to learn about the item more quickly (attunement takes an hour). No longer do you need to worry about filling every "item slot" with magic items like you're playing an MMO. Instead you can focus on a few powerful items that are unique and meaningful to your character.
Ridiculousness is also curbed when it comes to stacking spell buffs. Many common buff spells, like Bless, now require concentration to keep up, and a caster can only concentrate on one spell at a time. There are buffs like Mage Armor that don't require concentration, but the number of buffs a given character or party can have active is now limited by the concentration mechanic. This eliminates the requisite time spend stacking buffs before a combat in 3.x or Pathfinder, and it also makes each buff more meaningful. PCs now have to make decisions about which buff each caster will maintain and on whom, instead of just casting everything they have on everyone. This also reduces the divergence of capability of different parties based on party makeup.
So there you have it—five reasons why I love fifth edition D&D and prefer it to earlier versions or Pathfinder. I have many more reasons, so if you enjoyed this article, let me know, and maybe I'll do a sequel in the future.
Five More Things I Love About D&D 5e
You can also hear my first impressions of D&D 5e on this episode of my podcast, Game Master's Journey.


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Indoor succulent plant gardens
Aloes succulents and fat plants grow easy indoors in pots or containers. Good drainage and strong light is all that they need. Here are two indoor gardens. A succulent indoor garden in a flat container with mainly fat plants from South Africa and a desert garden in a bowl with succulents and aloes from Namibia. The soil mix contains dolomite gravel, coarse sand and soil. A very weak plant food is given every 6 months with a sprinkling of a few Magnesium sulphate crystal between the plants. (A quarter teaspoon at the most.)
click on the photo to enlarge. The succulent plants in this indoor garden from South Africa. The white plant at the back is a Cotyledon, next row from the left is Aloe davyana, Aloe hybrid in the center and to the right back. Front row from the left is Euphorbia mammilaris. Gasteria species, Gasteria x Aloe hybrid and a group of Aloe brevifolia plants. The ground cover is two Crassula sp. The container is watered thoroughly and then permitted to dry out.
click on the photo to enlarge. This is a desert garden with plants from Namibia. The back row left to right:- mesemb, Tylecodon species, Aloe variegata, Euphorbia gariepina. Front left to right:- mesemb, Cotyledon species, the small plants are Euphorbia juttae, Aloe melanacantha and the small plant to the right of Aloe melanacantha is Anacampseros buderiana. This garden receives only enough rain water to damp the soil. It is then permitted to dry out. It may be necessary to merge the bowl in rain water once a year to rinse out salts or better would be to replace the growing medium with a fresh mix.
For more information and tips see cultivating succulent plants in pots and containers
farmcat added to gene pool
4 years ago


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The intersection of video games and books hasn't always been a ripe field for harvest. I remember reading the "Worlds of Power" books inspired by video games as a youth of which Metal Gear was my favorite but otherwise there has been little written about video games that seemed like something worth my time until I discovered the Boss Fight Book series. These books are very conversational quick reads with a smattering of history, facts, and jokes that help you appreciate the games on which they are based a little more. Reading these books are like having a really good conversation with an informed friend about the game, and if you don't have many friends doesn't that sound delightful?
This latest entry which was released last month is written by a brother-sister team who use the footnotes to rib each other throughout the book. And I almost wish this sort of footnote use was commonplace in all non-fiction works.
1 Anthony: Even if I was generally better at them.
2 Ash: I WILL EAT YOUR SOUL COME AT ME.
When I think of Metal Gear Solid as a series I think it is extremely odd as it got chest deep in moral quandaries played out within soap opera story lines with characters having almost exclusively terrible names. Thankfully, this book breaks all those things down to humorous effect.
There are two Hideo Kojimas.
One Kojima injects every Metal Gear Solid game
with earnest if overbearing discussions of nuclear disarmament,
the morality of genetic experimentation, the
nature of warfare, and the difference between patriotism
and terrorism.
The other Kojima lets you call Rose in Metal Gear
Solid 4 and shake your SIXAXIS controller to make her
boobs jiggle.
I won't spoil too many choice bits of text but I did enjoy this breakdown of the painful Ocelot battle.
The boss fight becomes a sort of ballet, if
ballet consisted of dancers moving two feet, stopping
abruptly, moving another two feet, stopping abruptly,
and then shooting each other in the face.
In the end, I kinda wanted to go play Metal Gear Solid again and see if I can finally beat it without killing anyone besides bosses. Or maybe I will keep the old Playstation locked up despite its 20th Anniversary and try out the shiny new one on my XBONE. If you grew up on this series as I did this book is a wonderful read and a bargain at 5 bucks. If not maybe another book in the series would be more appealing. I got my eyes on Jagged Alliance 2.
EarthBound by Ken Baumann
Chrono Trigger by Michael P. Williams
ZZT by Anna Anthropy
Galaga by Michael Kimball
Jagged Alliance 2 by Darius Kazemi
Super Mario Bros. 2 by Jon Irwin
Bible Adventures by Gabe Durham
Baldur's Gate II by Matt Bell
Continue? The Boss Fight Books Anthology


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Tuesday, December 08, 2009
So it would appear that necromancy has its roots in communicating with "dead" things. I recently listened to a man describe certain Egyptian rituals concerning the dead at the time of death. I think his point was that the ritual was not so much about the dead thing but about how the living could piggy back on the moment the recently deceased relinquished their livingness. The carcass encased a series of moments they accumulate and are released like a bottle rocket. The vapors intoxicating, the sparks burning the retinas of those left on the hillside. That illumination filling the living receptacles with insight. Maybe Hunter S. Thompson knew something of this when he asked to be shot from a cannon upon his dying.
1 comment:
- Russell Maycumber said...
Hard core history Dan Carlin-Suffer the Children. He suggest historical accounts of children being beaten at public executions in order to greater impact their impressions of these moral lessons associated with the corporal punishment. Piggy back or like a dust devil, the intense passing sucking up attention...?
- December 14, 2009 12:55 PM
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About Me
- Russell Maycumber
- St. Augustine, Florida, United States
- I spill ink ,it collects here.


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Katie Price displays painful hair extensions tugging on her scalp
Ouch… doesn"t that hurt Katie Price displays painful hair extensions tugging on her scalp
3:02 PM on 16th May 2011
Katie Price might have toned down her make-up lately by opting for a more natural approach; however her hair still looks anything but.
The former glamour model flew out from Gatwick airport today and landed in Manchester with hair extensions that appeared to be pulling on her scalp.
She had a full head of extensions attached to the roots of her hair, which she piled into a large bun.
Beauty is pain Unfortunately Katie Price"s hair extensions don"t even look good, yet must be causing her a bit of pain
If she was trying to achieve a glamorous full head of big hair though, her attempt was unsuccessful and instead her barnet just looked painful.
The Pricey arrived in Manchester solo and must have left her Argentinian boyfriend Leando back in London.
The mother-of-three appeared happy to be on her own though, as she strutted through the airport in skin tight grey jeans and suede boots.
Despite being without Mr Penna today, Jordan spent last night with her Latin lover for drinks and dinner.
Katie and her Leandro were both wearing torn jeans and T-shirts as they headed to the Mayfair Bar in London.
Business trip: Katie arrived in Manchester today after flying out of Gatwick Airport for a series of meetings
Texting Leandro Katie was snapped texting on her mobile phone – no doubt checking up on her Latin lover
Katie, 32, was all in white as she stepped out in ripped skin tight jeans, feathered boots and a T-shirt adorned with a woman riding a horse saying 'ranch' over her chest.
While 25-year-old Penna matched his scuffed jeans with a plain black T-shirt and cowboy-inspired boots.
After enjoying a few drinks at the exclusive bar, the couple decided to enjoy a meal at Roka Restaurant in central London.
The eatery serves contemporary Japanese cuisine, which is prepared in front of diners by expert chefs.
Katie was also busy voting for Blue to win Eurovision over the weekend and tweeted on Saturday night: 'Go uk go uk let's win win win wooo come on BLUE xx'
Matching ensembles: Katie Price and Leandro Penna dined together in matching torn jeans, although Jordan"s were white and Penna"s were blue
She also tweeted: 'Anyone outside UK VOTE for Blue Eurovision they were sooo good x'.
Butdespite her efforts to cheer them on, Blue were knocked out of the competition, with Azerbaijan winning the song contest instead.
Afterwatching the Eurovision Song Contest Katie and Leandro went out on Saturday night to the Brentwood nightclub Sugar Hut with their new pal Lauren Pope.
The Only Way Is Essex star and the couple partied the night away at the club, which is owned by Kirk Norcross's father Mick.
Andas Katie flaunts her new relationship with Penna, her second husband Alex Reid has apparently been wooing fellow reality TV shat Chantelle Houghton.
But Price has so far not said a word about her former husband's alleged relationship with the lads' mag favourite.
Date night: After enjoying a few drinks at the Mayfair bar, the couple decided to enjoy a meal at Roka Restaurant in central London
Peekaboo: Leandro stuck his head out of the lift door as Katie walked out of the Japanese restaurant at the end of the night


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Oh my goodness. We are here in O-H-I-O! Let me start this really ridiculously long post about our move. I'm not quite sure where to begin...but I'm thinking this will be a multiple part post.
About four weeks ago - wow, has it been that long? The movers came to our house and packed up all our belongings. Like...all of our stuff. Every single room was empty *sniff sniff* and every single room was filled with boxes....
Before the movers came...yes, like days, weeks and months I pulled things out and put them aside. The things that I just wouldn't trust anyone to take - photo albumns, first outfits/baptism dress, bills, jewelry...but aside from all that (and our vacuum and carpet cleaner) everything was packed and loaded on the truck.
We spent a couple days cleaning up the house for the new tenants! We scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed some more. If you know us - we aren't dirty but some how we found lots of dust, goo and grime. We cleaned everything so that our renters did not have to do it...though, I'm sure they probably sprayed things down themselves it wasn't the horror stories you hear some people speak of....they walked into a perfectly clean (and very loved but not worn at all just loved) house!
Once the movers had taken all our stuff away we opted to just sleep in a hotel. I cannot stand hotels but its better than nothingness....or is it? Well, regardless...we then spent five days in a hotel.
Hotel life was not exciting...in fact, I didn't enjoy it. We spent a lot of time out and about doing things we needed and wanted to do before leaving Texas...we visited Sea World, spent time with friends, Gator participated in Team Camp with her gymnastics team, eating out -- a lot! We ate at the Cove....the kids really enjoyed that place and well, I needed to do laundry so it was a good option...(laundry at the restaurant...yes, seriously).
We also ate at Texas Pride on the night we had to drop the doggies off at camp --- need to board your dogs in San Antonio? You have got to check out Mrs. Goodiecookies -- she FABULOUS! We really will miss her!
I was really worried about the drive. It was going to be way too many miles - I think 1250 or more...and I had to do it ALL BY MYSELF. Ok, so I wasn't solo...I was following the hubby and had 3 of 4 kids in the van but still. I had to physically drive the entire thing. The first day we drove up to Texarkana....we stopped there and had dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings. The kids thought it was the coolest place ever because while we slept in Arkansas we ate in Texas. YaY - Texarkana!
The next day there were a few hiccups in our plans and it was slow(er) going than we had hoped. Thankfully we got news that the moving truck would not be in Ohio for Friday so we had plenty of time to drive....we decided to do a pitstop and visit family in Tennessee (although our original plan was to drive through Arkansas to Kentucky completely by-passing Tennessee). I'm glad we stopped though. It was a much needed rest and the kids and dogs had a place to stretch, run and be loud....I think it was a really good decision!
The third day we hopped in the car and drove for what felt like forever....we FINALLY hit Ohio at rush hour...of all times - Friday at rush hour! But, we made it to our home!
I don't have much to say about our arrival into the house. We did have some balloons greeting us and a big gift under them....and our neighbors jumped over within minutes of us arriving to introduce themselves (they are all fabulous, btw). We also had a bag of goodies inside waiting for the kids!!
We evaluated the house and got started with our "to-do" list...first, finding food....getting odds and ends and checking into the hotel! We stayed at the hotel through the weekend until our HHG (house-hold-goods) arrived on Monday. Phew. It was a smart move as we needed to deep clean the house!
All our stuff arrived on Monday and we were surrounded with boxes...boxes, boxes everywhere!!!! I was slightly over whelmed with the amount of junk a family can accumulate. I thought we purged quite a bit before the move but then I realized I brought a lot of stuff with us that I was like "seriously?!'' - second purge time!
We got all the big stuff mostly set up and then started to paint that first week. We have plans to paint almost everything. We (with the help from our Dad's) have painted all but the bathrooms and Master bedroom. The house looks amazing. I do need to figure out how to give it some curb appeal outside...the backyard also needs a little love but so far all the changes we have made are for the best!!! Now, I'll upload some before and after photos of the house so you can see all our fabulous changes in the next post :)
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Our Move. Part 1 of ? :-D
written with love by Home Is Where They Send Us at 14:09
1 comment:
Yep, purge before AND after a move. it's always how it goes!!! Dena
- August 22, 2013 at 4:24 PM
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Ideological foes Nader, Norquist spar, but sometimes agree at NPC luncheon
September 4, 2014 | By Wes Pippert | firstname.lastname@example.com
Two unlikely colleagues -- consumer advocate Ralph Nader and anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist -- said they agree on many things but continued to disagree over campaign finance and governmental regulation in a joint appearance at a National Press Club luncheon Sept. 4.
"We can win on things we agree on," Nader said.
Nader also had sharp criticism of Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Clintons' relationship with Wall Street.
"The two parties are one corporate party with two heads," Nader said. "The Democrats are worse than the Republicans.
"The Clintons are now Wall Street. They are corporatists, militarists. Hillary hasn't seen a war she doesn't like or she hasn't opposed a weapons system she doesn't like."
For his part, Norquist's sharpest reaction came in response to a question from the audience, "Why do you hate government?"
"Why use that language?" Norquist asked, adding that what he actually advocates is a more limited government. "We have too many laws," said Norquist. "That doesn't have anything to do with hating government."
Nader and Norquist, who have debated on previous occasions, both recited several issues past and present on which the "left" and the "right" could agree. Nader cited such things as auditing the Pentagon budget and bringing government procurement. He said the "ideological schism" is not as apparent to "people back home" as it is in Washington.
Norquist said there was agreement between the left and right on "corporate welfare" -- the government ought not be stealing people's money and handing it to somebody else — period." And he suggested that both sides believe in a strong national defense but not wasting money.
"We can reduce the cost of national defense while making it stronger," Norquist said.
One area of disagreement was on campaign finance, which arose when a questioner asked whether the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision giving greater rein to corporate contributions was good or bad. Norquist said people should have "complete freedom" to spend money as they like.
Nader repeated his support for public funding of campaigns. He said the notion that money is speech "would have horrified our Founders."
Norquist told another questioner that he did not believe his opposition to any tax increase has inhibited tax reform. "No," he said. "Without the pledge [a pledge in which candidates or members of congress vow to oppose any tax increase], you wouldn't get tax reform."
Norquist answered a twice-asked question about abortion by saying: "I focus on taxes."
Norquist also said he agreed with Nader on reducing mandatory minimum sentences for offenders.
When asked what was his biggest area of disagreement with Norquist, Nader said: "regulation." He said government regulation was "absolutely essential" for such things as water, food and emission control.
NPC President Myron Belkind, in his kicker question, asked both speakers what they would do if they were emperor for a day.
Norquist said, "No emperor, ever." Nader said: "Abdicate."