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The Modern's architecture suits the Diebenkorn paintings perfectly. Soon I was seeing a potential painting in every space of the Tadao Ando building.
Monday I discovered some treasure. Finally found the parking and trailhead for the Spring Creek Nature Area. Had begun to think the city of Richardson, Texas created a trail system it didn't want anyone to use. Since these trails are close to my workplace I could have a little more walking time than driving to my usual Plano trails. Afternoon light is so soon gone this time of year.
The rhythm of the traffic overhead was jarring at first, but gradually comforting. Only a little graffiti and day-glo orange spray-painted markings for utility crews. Trash in the creek, of course.
Tuesday, no treasure. The "LOW BTY" message showed on the thermostat. In a clumsy attempt to open the battery door, I pulled the thermostat too far from the wall and broke a wire. Spent a cold night in my old sleeping bag, grateful at least not to sleep under and overpass like too many homeless people in this country.
Wednesday's treasure was Mario the repairman. He's happy to arrive at the time I can be home, does a quick fix, and charges little. He's glad to help me with the other little things like the darn smoke detector hanging out of the wall while he's here. Mario, in fact, seems pretty much happy about everything, a lesson I need. I'm getting better understanding his accent. He's getting better understanding my vague descriptions of malfunctions.
Thursday's discovery was more jarring. I walked into the nursing home room to find Dad entangled but mostly uncovered and having removed his diaper. You might be saying "TMI". I sure was. He hollered at me to get him some help. Since he usually doesn't talk, that was note-worthy. I'm looking for the silver lining here! I found Big Red and she talked him calm and got everything put back together.
Dad insisted on being spoonfed as he couldn't shove the ham and yam in fast enough. He's eating like a horse lately. After I fed him I offered to soak his fingernails and trim them. He insisted soaking was unnecessary. I said I could only help if he soaked and softened the nails. He proclaimed he didn't "need any damn help" and ordered me to "sit on the chair." Hasta la vista, Baby!
Friday I walked a different part of the Spring Creek trail. Learned, too, that the Richardson police use the trailhead parking to set up a speedtrap for drivers on the 75 access road, so drivers beware.
F W I N T E R Y 2011" is just exactly this season.
Took Dad a poinsettia. I'd be happy if Scrooge's ghosts convinced Howie to keep the diaper on. God bless us every one!
Spring Creek Nature Area
51 acres south of Renner Rd extending from Central Expressway to Foxboro Park at Plano Rd and Braeburn Dr
Multi-use trail, natural areas, hardwood forest, pedestrian bridge over winding Spring Creek, picnic benches, horseshoe pit. Restroom facilities and parking located at trail head at SE corner of Renner and Central Expressway. Trail links with Galatyn Woodland Preserve.
© 2011 Nancy L. Ruder


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Feminist Studies, the History of Consciousness and Center for Cultural Studies present…
Tuesday, APRIL 18 | 3:00-4:30 | HUM 1-210; UCSC
Comparative urban studies are on the rise, raising new questions about translation, fungibility, and transit. How can we study the material effects of global capital in various urban spaces without conflating the spatial struggles and transformations of one space upon another? How can superimposing Western understandings of gentrification upon non- Western places impose onto- epistemological violence? This talk, moderated by Feminist Studies doctoral candidate and Anti- Eviction Mapping Project co-founder Erin McElroy, will feature Bucharest-based housing justice activist, artist, and scholar Veda Popovici. Veda will share more about the Bucharest's direct action collective, the Common Front for the Right to Housing, as well as histories of postsocialist neoliberal housing restitution laws that have incited current Romanian spatial struggles. Erin and Veda will discuss a growing call to think both global capital formations and comparative urbanism in Romania through decolonial analytics.
Veda Popovici: The Light Revolution and its Aftermaths
Wednesday, APRIL 19 | 8:00pm | SUB ROSA, 703 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz
Throughout all of February, tens of thousands took the streets in Romania to protest corruption of the political class. Far from being the first spontaneous mass protests in recent local history, they were the first of such magnitude to affirm a clear right-wing position. Corruption, an exclusively right-wing issue, works as a discursive mechanism portraying Romanian society as backward. Self-defined as messianic multitude, the aspirational middle-class that asserted itself through these events is on a mission to save us from backwardness and correctly implement the civilizational imperative of the Western world.
Western media embraced what turned out to be the confirmation of its post-Cold War narrative of the political coming of age of Romania through liberalism and capitalism. As local radicals, the Light Revolution meant the further demonization of the broad left and of direct action tactics. As international radicals, we expect solidarity not with the imperialist narrative of the "at last enlightened East" but with local resistance to the liberal paradigm of civic, peaceful protest.
About Veda Popovici
Veda Popovici is a Bucharest-based housing justice activist, artist, and scholar. She will talk about current political action and concerns in Romania, including recent mass protests.

subset: commoncrawl


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Home > Tea and Coffee > Coffee-Reviews >Willoughby's House Blend
Have you tried this product? Tell us something about it!
Awesome outstanding roast. You'll love this coffee.
This is such a wonderful coffee flavor...
The beans are fresh and the aroma draws you.
Their drip coffee is smooth, flavorful and delicious


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App Modernization
Modernizing your business-critical application is key to your company's digital transformation.
It's a way to disrupt your industry and engage with people in meaningful ways. While traditional applications are built to get the job done, a modern application impacts how the job is done. Your core business application should be a positive experience. Redapt aligns your application to your most strategic business opportunity by modernizing how you interact with employees and customers through your application.
Key Benefits
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Create a new experience for your customer that leads to new revenue channels, new target markets, and increased brand recognition.
Give internal teams easily digestible and up-to-date information at their fingertips, in the office or in the field.
Modernize internal development applications and processes to increase productivity, product quality, and speed-to-market.
Custom Applications
The potential of custom applications is limitless. These can be customized to your structure, your operations, your employees, or your customers. Tactical initiatives—like shifting applications to the cloud or building SSO—can improve the availability and continuity of information while enabling your employees at a comparatively low cost. Or, redefine the user experience with larger scale projects like websites, kiosk PoS systems, business insights provided to the customer, gamification, payment methods, or sales enablement. This can mean new, tailored ways for your customers to interact or even new revenue opportunities.
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Whether you have applications in place or are currently developing them, Redapt can assist with building confidence through a DevOps model that allows greater efficiencies from start to finish. DevOps is a method of development centered on Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) that enhances collaboration and innovation from inception to deployment.
Many companies initially implement DevOps as a method to store version code safely, but there are greater values to unlock with this methodology, such as decreasing time-to-market by using CI/CD and automation to quickly roll out and test features. The Redapt DevOps process brings each feature to market quickly and reliably while avoiding untimely delays and downtime. It empowers your employees while continuously improving your applications.
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Spine Vodka: Awesome Concept by Johannes Schulz
German designer Johannes Schulz created this fantastic packaging concept for a premium vodka. He explains the idea behind the self-initiated project:
"My task was to create a unique visual concept for an Vodka bottle with a provoking name.
I integrated the spine with the ribcage to communicate a product with a 'backbone', a beverage that lives up to its promise, to be a honest and strong drink."Packaging Design Product Design Posted on August 18, 2013


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|Misc Paintball Items Tanks, Barrels, Hoppers. Everything else paintball related is sold in here
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Rec Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Impulse Parts Box
So I've got this project box that I never got around to finishing. I'm selling it as a LOT. NO PARTING WHATSOEVER. In this box are some rare'ish parts. I'm looking to sell/trade my way back into the sport. I know someone out there will want this.
First, there is a complete working impulse. Mostly stock, except for:
-Locking Smart Parts feedneck
-WAS board with eye and eye-cover.
Last I checked, it was working. Stock barrel included.
Also in the box, and mind you, all of these are brand new, most have original packaging.
-Black Strange Impulse body. Completely unused.
-high rise feedneck
-Strange LPR
-Shocktech supa-fly bolt
-New Designs RAT valve
-brand new stock ram/hammer assembly
-RARE black OTB vert frame. 90 frame. Brand new grips.
Between all of this, you'd have a mostly new marker and a bunch of parts leftover. If I don't get a good sale, I'll just keep it, put the marker together and start using it. No skin off my back. I've got various barrels (stiffi, hammerhead kit), a rail, and several on/offs sitting around as well.
Asking: $400 obo. High? probably. But some of this is super rare and some collectible. Shoot me an offer, worst I'll do is say no.
Edit!! Pics can now be seen here: https://s391.photobucket.com/albums/o...Impulse%20Lot/
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One thing I've found slightly amusing about the WikiLeaks cables so far is the entirely superfluous efforts of the authors to paint the US in a saintly light, despite the (intended) highly restricted audience. For instance, in the now-notorious write-up of Prince Andrew's boorish behaviour, we have the American ambassador "gently reminding" the prince that her country's presence in Central Asia is not in any way a continuation of the "Great Game", ie. competition with Russia for spheres of influence. Well, if you believe that you'll believe anything, but it appears the US has a self-image to maintain at all costs.
In the light of which, we shouldn't be surprised that the newly-published documents relating to the Megrahi release generate more spin than light, and seek to bolster the favoured US narrative despite the - quite literally - total absense of supporting evidence. One cable is dramatically titled "Qatar's Involvement in Al-Megrahi's Release" - but that 'involvement' seems to consist solely of the Qataris speaking to the Scottish government. It's fairly plain that there's an intense longing on behalf of the author for something far juicier, but instead all he/she can do is faithfully record the Qataris' entirely plausible denials of wild (and seemingly rather vague) US allegations of "any financial or trade incentives to induce Al-Megrahi's release".
Another cable purports to relate the Scottish government's "underestimation" of, and Alex Salmond's private "shock" at, the US reaction to Megrahi's release. But once this light dusting of spin is brushed away, what we actually learn is that Salmond's private statements were near-identical to what he was saying in public. It seems his "shock" related primarily to FBI director Robert Mueller's public letter of protest, and given that the widespread view in these parts was that Mueller's intervention was astonishingly thuggish, ill-conceived, self-indulgent and unprofessional, it's hard to see what reaction other than "shock" would have been appropriate in the circumstances. It's gratifying to learn that the Scottish government's representative made abundantly clear to the US that the shock was of the "offended" rather than "humbled" variety, although you'd be forgiven for thinking otherwise from the cable's billing (not to mention the Guardian's credulous summary).
Of course, it's the little details that give the authoritativeness (or otherwise) of these documents away, so it's also somewhat amusing to learn that the Americans were clearly basing their understanding of the Scottish Parliament's procedures not, as you might expect, on a close reading of the Scotland Act, but instead on the media's entirely erroneous belief that a two-thirds majority was required to pass a motion of no-confidence in the government. And this is supposed to be the world's most sophisticated intelligence-gathering outfit?
A pro-independence blog by James Kelly - voted one of Scotland's top 10 political websites.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Americans even spun themselves on Lockerbie
Posted by James Kelly at 2:00 AM
Labels: Lockerbie, politics, Prince Andrew, Royal family, Scottish politics, USA, WikiLeaks
1 comment:
- AnonymousDecember 9, 2010 at 2:39 AM
As just demonstrated in the latest wikileak about Trident/Gordon Brown [ http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/dec/08/wikileaks-cables-trident-nuclear-us ],ReplyDelete
i've just realised that Whitehall bureaucrats/politicians keep the US very informed about what the British Government is doing and thinking.
Almost as if the UK is an American satellite state.
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As part of a larger bathroom renovation, I was commissioned to make a custom cherry vanity. Here the base cabinets have been assembled and had the face frames attached. All the cherry face frame and drawer parts were milled down from rough lumber in my shop.
The end panel on each drawer base is a cherry veneer, left unstained to provide contrast to the rest of the piece.
Installed in the client's home. The cabinet doors were built with the same cherry veneer to match the end panels.
Hardware installed, along with the top and sink. The piece was finished with several coats of polyurethane which helped to mellow the contrast between the stained face frame and the unstained veneer panels.


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What have we wrought?
What have we wrought?
By Gerald Internet Anthropologist Think Tank
The civilian sector has picked up the fight
in support of the Iranian people.
So far the civilian sector has help provide
encrypted secret channels of communication
for the Iranian people.
And made the effort so the "Whole world
is watching" phenomenon.
And indeed the whole world is watching.
Including our enemies, al Qaeda, Taliban
and criminals.
The civilian sector has not introduced any
new technology just put many of them together
to defeat the Iranian Inrtelligence services.
While I am proud of the Iranian people and
the Iranian cyber Mujahideen.
But it gives me pause.
We have tracked down and traced
45 terrorist webmasters and hackers.
Al Quada and taliban.
Now they will start using the same technology
for secure communications.
And the cycle begins again,
to try and find a way in to their
com links and channels.
And then I remember the start of the
WWW, and its predecessor Bulletin boards.
Back when no one even sold security programs.
Everybody could run the Internet naked,
no security at all.
And I long for the days of no security
and privacy.
But al Qaeda changed all that.
I have expended a large part of my
But now the world must worry about
the terrorist, nukes, and criminals.
And how the web enables them.
The trade off of the civilians of the
world is to help Iranian people
knowing the terrorist and criminals
will also use the same secure programs.
They made the choice and sacrifice.
I salute them.
Tactical InternetSystems analyst
. What have we wrought?
Labels: What have we wrought?
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Saturday, January 29, 2011
Reading List
My favourite magazine shop in Berlin Do You Read Me? compiles these rather amazing reading lists online. Its something I've attempted in the past so I feel its time to update. Aside from my own books and Twin, Dazed, AnOther and where I scribble:
Theft is Vision
Bob Nickas
The Coming Insurrection
The Invisible Committee
Complete Short Stories
JG Ballard
Yu Ogata and Ichiro Ogata Ono
Forced Entries
Jim Carroll
Imperial Bedrooms
Bret Easton Ellis
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold
John Le Carre
Ministry of Fear
Graham Greene
Magazine, Interiors
Acne Paper
Magazine, Culture
Posted by Francesca Gavin at 10:31 AM
Labels: books, Do You Read Me, Francesca Gavin, reading list
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Archive for November 2008
Friday Fun
Posted November 28, 2008on:
I yield to Wittingshire. And Wittingshire again.
Nov. 28 round-up
Posted November 28, 2008on:
Via Expat Yank, the BBC reports that more parents in the UK are 'keeping' babies with Down Syndrome. The article was part of a lead-up to a BBC Radio documentary called Born with Down's. (If you don't know already, I'm not fond of the way "keeping your baby" has come to mean deciding whether to kill the child, instead of weighing whether to seek parents willing to adopt.)
In the Expat Yank post linked above, Robert links to a September 6, 2008, post of his that looked at Gloria Steinem's take on Sarah Palin, hunting, and abortion. An excerpt:
However, overlooking just for the moment our standard euphemisms such as "procedure" and the submerging of it into her own coined term "reproductive freedom," because, in the end, the ultimate outcome in both cases is precisely the same, we find outselves in a remarkable place: the killing of wolves and bears obviously morally infuriates and disgusts Ms Steinem a great deal more than does the killing of pre-born human babies.
And remember the killings of those latter doesn't even usually involve shooting at them from low-flying helicopters. A hunter can at least miss from up there. But pre-borns killed in a controlled, clinical environment lack even that narrow window of possible escape.
Well, yes. Wombs are supposed to be uncommonly safe places, but they do serve as traps in the case of abortions.
James M. Kushiner has noticed that "Many of the biggest successes in the culture of death's campaign have been the redefinition of words or the use of words to obscure truths." In A Crying "Vegetable"?, he takes issue with the use of "persisent vegetative state". He uses the Lauren Richardson case as an example. He also says, "to return to my question about words, what should we call this current state of mind among doctors and judges: Persistent Vegetative Conscience?" (I'm not sure I'm willing to go exactly there, but I do see his point.) For more on the misuse of words, and how it muddies thought, see Defending words in the political vocabulary.
Video: Volition
Posted November 26, 2008on:
My thanks to Michelle for pointing out this short film. My deep thanks to the people who put it together.
Nov. 26 round-up
Posted November 26, 2008on:
Of course, abortion isn't just a problem in the United States, or just in Western cultures. A poet from India pleads for the unborn babies of his country.
Continuing the international theme, C-Fam (Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute) is collecting signatures on a pro-life, pro-family petition to be handed to the United Nations, in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (via Cheryl)
Speaking of petitions, this Fight FOCA petition now has over 277,000 signatures. FAQs on FOCA.
What the other side is up to: Planned Parenthood of Indiana is encouraging people to buy gift certificates from them, to give as gifts for Christmas. The certificates can be redeemed for any of Planned Parenthood's 'services', including abortion. (Just when you think they can't sink any lower…)
Some good news: In an update from a story link from yesterday, Robert Lavars' sister-in-law has withdrawn her petition to become the guardian of his disabled wife. The sister-in-law was considering killing her sister by starvation and water deprivation if she gained custody. (I cannot get used to the idea that it has become legal to refuse to feed someone, or give them water, simply because they are disabled. In my wildest nightmares I couldn't have imagined this. At least, in this case, the husband isn't having any of that option.)
Matt Bowman counters mainstream media misinformation on laws to protect pro-life health care workers from being pressured to participate in activities that violate their conscience.
The latest Life Digest at Baptist Press has good news (adult stem cells leave embryonic ones in the dust, again) and bad news (a judge has blocked the enforcement of a law in Oklahoma that requires ultrasounds be performed before an abortion), and more good news (earlier this month, Uruguay's President Tabare Vazquez, a physician, vetoed a bill that would have legalized abortion in that country). According to the Background Notes on Uruguay at the United States Department of State website, Vazquez (full name Tabaré Ramón Vázquez Rosas) belongs to the Frente Amplio party, which is a coalition of left-of-center factions.
Nov. 25 round-up
Posted November 25, 2008on:
In a recent papal address, Pope Benedict XVI talked about caring for sick children (including those in the womb), and the need for medical professionals to offer the best both in expertise and humanity.
The embrace of eugenics in the 1920s by doctors and the intelligentsia is still bearing (bad) fruit today. Wesley Smith takes a look at the murderous 'practical ethics' of Peter Singer and his ilk. Singer also gets spotlighted in this post by Anne Morse titled "My grandchildren versus field mice."
Robert Lavars' sister-in-law is trying to gain legal guardianship of his disabled wife, over his objections. The husband wants to keep his wife alive. His wife's sister is willing to order that food and water be withheld. There is a hearing today. I am cocking my ear, trying to hear help riding to the rescue from the folks who claimed that spousal rights trumped everything else in the Terri Schiavo case (where Terri's unfaithful husband was openly planning to marry a mistress by whom he'd had children, but was claiming rights as her husband anyway).
The Georgia (U.S.A.) Supreme Court has launched a campaign encouraging people to 'Get Married, Stay Married'. The co-chairs of the Supreme Court Commission on Children, Marriage and Family Law explain why, and add qualifiers, here.
The U.S. Navy now offers paid paternity leave to married men.
Things might be starting to look up for babies with Down Syndrome in Scotland.
The GOP in Virginia has chosen its candidate for the 2009 governor's race. Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell has a strong pro-life track record.
The Sunday Washington Post Magazine took a look at a pro-choice medical student trying to decide whether to become an abortion provider.
As always, feel free to add to the round-up in the comments.
Nov. 22 round-up
Posted November 22, 2008on:
Dr. William Luckey examines "The Common Good as an Excuse to Override Human Dignity".
Nat Hentoff educates the readers of Jewish World Review about FOCA and other things, in The abortion president. (hat tip: Alliance Alert)
Good news. Lauren Richardson's mother no longer wants to starve her to death. (hat tip: Alliance Alert)
Joseph M. Scheidler argues in an op-ed piece at USA Today that the primary person making the "choice" in abortion often isn't the mother. He also goes over what he thinks helps and what doesn't. (via Suzy B., where the use of faux pro-lifers in the post title and text has triggered some disapproval in the comment section, as well it might. Let's try to keep our discussions to the facts and morals of the issues, shall we, and not resort to name calling. Besides, some of us were fence straddlers for a while before becoming solidly pro-life. As far as I can see, there's no reason to think that many of today's fence straddlers can't be won over, too, if they don't get shoved off the fence in the wrong direction first.)
Via Head Noises, Wesley Smith reports on embryo adoption.
The Practicing Catholic shares a diplomatic, pro-life Open Letter to President-Elect Barack Obama that appeared at Vox Nova on Nov. 14.
Barb at SFO Mom is responding to people who want the Catholic Church to turn the other way when Catholics vote for pro-abortion politicians.
Friday Fun
Posted November 21, 2008on:
Tennessee Ernie Ford bravely has a flock of children on camera with him… (and just see what it gets him)…
P.S. According to this clip, that's his son right beside him, and the performance was filmed in 1957.


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In late July, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act celebrated its fourth birthday. The Act, which was borne out of the financial crisis, has generated a mixed reaction since it was first signed in 2010. The legislation was designed to increase regulation of the financial sector and prevent any repeat of the great recession. President Obama, upon signing the Act, criticised the "unscrupulous lenders" that "locked consumers into complex loans with hidden costs" as well as the system that "left taxpayers on the hook if a big bank or financial institution ever failed". Mr Obama pledged that the Dodd-Frank Act would guarantee "transparency" and would "rein in the abuse and excess that nearly brought down our financial system".
However, despite the rhetoric, many observers have suggested that the law has actually done significantly more harm than good to the US financial system. Indeed, many of the Act's critics have claimed that, due to the detrimental effect that Dodd-Frank has had on the national economy, it should be repealed immediately. Proponents of the Act, however, have fiercely opposed any proposed changes, including potential improvements, on the grounds that revisiting the legislation could weaken it and perhaps open the door to repeal.
In 2014, the Act occupies a precarious position, according to law firm David Polk. As of 18 July, only 208 – or 52.3 percent – of Dodd-Frank's 398 rulemaking requirements have been met so far.
Although only half of the Act's provisions have been implemented, it has made progress in some important areas. Dodd-Frank has arguably improved money markets, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) agreeing to have money market funds rise and fall based on the value of bonds they hold, rather than trying to mimic bank accounts. Further progress has been made in consumer protection, through the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, tasked with defending customers' interests in their dealings with financial companies.
Despite these improvements, a large chunk of the Act's requirements are still unknown to the financial services industry. As a result, many market participants are still in the dark regarding how the regulatory landscape will evolve going forward. Congressional implementation of the Act's clauses has been particularly slow. Out of 280 rulemaking deadlines that have passed so far, 127 (about 45 percent) of them have been missed by regulators.
Criticism of the Act has been strong from both ends of the political spectrum. The left has criticised the Act for not going far enough, claiming that banks should be forced to hold even more capital than is currently required. The right believe the Act is anti-business, and is the financial system's equivalent of the Affordable Care Act.
Successes and failures
However, the Act has enjoyed a number of successes. The primary role of Dodd-Frank since its inception has been to make the financial services industry safer, and in some ways it appears to be fulfilling this criterion. Under Dodd-Frank, banks are now required to hold more capital, a move which will have an adverse effect on profits but will safeguard the wider banking system as it makes banking failures less likely in the long run. Furthermore, derivatives trading must now occur on exchanges, which will help to foster a greater degree of clarity about banks' real risk exposure. The Volcker Rule is forcing risky trading out of those financial institutions whose failures could cause significant damage to the wider economy. Furthermore, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has been able to create a "single point of entry" process which can facilitate the winding down of a large failing bank without prompting massive, catastrophic runs.
These perceived successes aside, the Act has provided critics with plenty of ammunition in its first four years. Opponents of Dodd-Frank, including Mark Calabria, director of financial regulation studies at the Cato Institute, have claimed that the Act and its myriad, sweeping regulations have provided an unwelcome distraction to a number of groups, most notably the SEC. "Of the 400 some rules required by Dodd-Frank, almost a hundred involve the SEC. Many of these, such as the Conflict Minerals, compensation ratio disclosure and say-on-pay, are both controversial and unrelated to the financial crisis. Title IX of Dodd-Frank reads like a grab-bag of random items that have little bearing on protecting retail investors or avoiding future crises," he says. It is certainly true that large sections of the Act have implications for industries and companies outside of the financial sector. There are a number of provisions targeting companies in the energy industry, a number of which are required under Dodd-Frank to disclose every payment they make to foreign governments, for example.
One of the biggest failures of Dodd-Frank to date has been the Act's inability to bring about the end of 'too big to fail'. For some observers, the Act has only served to institutionalise this notion by creating "systemically important financial institutions". A recent report released by House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Patrick McHenry, entitled 'Failing to End Too Big to Fail: An Assessment of the Dodd-Frank Act Four Years Later', claims that the Act has only served to worsen risks within the financial system and has "recklessly handed financial regulators a blank check for taxpayer-funded bailouts". The report claims that the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), which was established by the Act, has wholly failed to live up to its statutory mission of identifying and mitigating systemic risk. "Regulators had sufficient tools to resolve failing institutions before Dodd-Frank and simply chose not to use them," says Mr Calabria. "For instance, a receivership mechanism was in place for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that would have resolved those entities with zero cost to the taxpayer. So, yes, Dodd-Frank offers regulators more tools – but the fundamental problem is that regulators have too many options, rather than a lack of options. Unless we tie the hands of the regulators, in the next crisis they are just as likely to engage in ad hoc bailouts as they were in the last one."
Since the inception of Dodd-Frank, JPMorgan Chase, Citibank and Bank of America have become the three largest banks in the world, and Wells Fargo has gone on to become the world's sixth largest bank. The combined assets of the four largest US banks now amount to 97 percent of the US' 2012 GDP. Therefore, since the Act was signed into law, a number of banks which could be considered 'too big to fail' have managed to grow larger. Some analysts and activists have suggested that 'too big to fail' firms should be downsized and broken up, but the global nature of these banks makes that proposition highly unlikely. The only way in which a group would be split up under Dodd-Frank is if it were to fail, at which point the FDIC would take over the firm and begin the liquidation process. This process would likely be limited to the dismissal of the board and a number of senior executives; the FDIC would not liquidate the institution as a going concern. Instead, the FDIC's plan would call for the recapitalisation of the holding company by converting debt to equity and then use new capital to support existing subsidiaries. While the holding company's legal identity would change, and holders of bonds issued by that entity would suffer losses, existing contracts with creditors to the operating subsidiaries would remain in place. While this process is designed to minimise the risk and disruption potentially posed to the financial services industry, it simply serves to put in place another protective layer for failing firms. Should a big bank fail, the Act will allow for that bank to be bailed out one way or another. "We still have almost 200 rulemaking items to go under Dodd-Frank," notes Mr Calabria. "Many are minor but several will have a major impact, and of course the costs of all the minor ones do add up. Despite all the costs, the benefits will be few. I do not believe Dodd-Frank has ended bailouts, nor do I believe Dodd-Frank has fundamentally helped either consumers or investors. Its legacy will be one of distraction. Ultimately, much of it will be softened or repealed, although its major structures will remain. Perhaps its worst legacy will be setting our financial system up for another crisis. Unfortunately, it has also had the legacy of making financial regulation far more political than it need be," he adds.
Dodd-Frank has had a profound effect on whistleblowing in the US. Under the Act's whistleblower provisions, the SEC can protect the identity of whistleblowers and reward them for their efforts in highlighting illegal activity. As a result, the SEC has handed out approximately $16m to 13 whistleblowers to date. However, there are many within the financial services industry that are dissatisfied with the Act's whistleblower provisions, and have been from the outset. Some have suggested that congressional republicans might try to repeal a number of Dodd-Frank's whistleblowing provisions, though this seems unlikely, especially considering the SEC's move to establish an Office of the Whistleblower, along with a dedicated whistleblowing website.
Despite the encouraging progress that has been made by the Act in clamping down on illegal activity, Dodd-Frank's whistleblower provisions remain extremely contentious. Since the Act was ratified, federal courts have regularly disagreed over the scope of its anti-retaliation provisions. Most notably, the courts have varied on their interpretation of the provisions relating to those employees who report alleged violations of federal securities laws to their employers, without also providing that information to the SEC. The continued uncertainty over the Act's anti-retaliation provisions has had significant consequences for employers, both in terms of the potential volume and expense of defending against retaliation claims, as well the impact that anti-retaliation protections may have on employees' willingness to cooperate with their employers' internal compliance procedures. Thankfully, it would appear that some degree of clarification could soon be forthcoming. The Federal Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, in the case of Bussing v Legent Clearing LLC et al, is set to offer some explanation on the issue. However, if the court comes down in the affirmative, it will directly contradict the ruling of the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which ruled in 2013 in the case of Asadi v GE Energy (USA), LLC that reporting to the SEC is required. Responsibility for a final answer on the subject may eventually fall to the US Supreme Court.
The Dodd-Frank Act is by no means perfect, and it would be foolhardy to suggest otherwise. Its vast size and complex nature has made it very different to any similar legislation in American history. While some supporters of the Act believed that its myriad provisions could be enacted within 18 to 24 months, four years later those predictions look naïve. The Act's primary aim was to increase accountability and transparency in the US financial system. Dodd-Frank hoped to curtail the excessive Wall Street risk-taking that nearly decimated the global financial system. Since its inception, the Act has subjected the $600 trillion global derivatives market to increased levels of regulation. It has also increased banking oversight and created a new consumer protection bureau. Dodd-Frank has undoubtedly created a great number of new jobs in the financial services industry and a number of cottage industries associated with the sector. Most notably, compliance departments have seen a great surge in recruitment over the last four years. Critics point out that the Act is responsible for burdening the US with compliance costs in the region of $21.8bn and has generated an enormous amount of red tape. These onerous costs and compliance regulations have fallen on both multinational and smaller community banks alike. Accordingly, they have had a particularly negative impact on companies that are in no way prepared or able to carry this increased regulatory burden.
Although the Act has scored a number of victories and has made progress in certain areas, due to its numerous failings, particularly around the institutionalisation of the 'too big to fail' principle, the first four years of Dodd-Frank can hardly be considered an undisputed success.
© Financier Worldwide
Richard Summerfield


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Ecobrow Defining Wax
$ 26.00
New Packaging!
Celebrity Brow Artist Marco Ochoa created EcoBrow Defining Wax as a 100% natural, lightweight, and smudge-proof coloring wax that allows you to achieve beautiful full brow effects.
- 100% Natural
- Mineral-based
- Paraben-free
- With Vitamin E
- Never tested on animals
- 3.4 grams
- Made in USA
Marilyn: This true, fleshy taupe with a hint of gold will not turn red or orange and provides soft, natural definition for fair-skinned brunettes and women with all shades of blonde hair. Quite simply, Marilyn is a blonde's best friend.
Think: Gwen Stefani, Meryl Streep and Kate Hudson.
Suggested for: Platinum, golden, and strawberry blonde hair.
Rita: Finally, a product that doesn't just lump redheads into some other category but rather caters specifically to their full spectrum of gorgeousness – from the lightest to the richest shade of red.
Think: Julianne Moore, Jessica Chastain and Christina Hendricks
Suggested for: Auburn, ginger, and strawberry red hair.
Sharon: If anyone captured the essence of the '60s, it was model/actress Sharon Tate. With her effortless style, understated beauty and signature feathered brows, the Valley of the Dolls starlet inspired this soft, ash brown on the cool end of brunette palette. All these years later, Sharon still has an indelible place in our hearts – and soon this shade, too, will be indispensable on your vanity!
Think: Cara Delevingne, Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Alba.
Suggested for: Dark blonde, light and medium ash brown hair.
Penelope: A brown with no red was hard to find, but Marco worked tirelessly to arrive at this unique color – a best-seller and the most universal shade in the line. Penelope works for brunettes as well as blondes wishing to give their brows that extra "Wow!" factor.
Think: Sofia Vergara, Angelina Jolie and Eva Mendes.
Suggested for: Chestnut to medium brown hair.
Think: Zoe Zaldana, Salma Hayek, and Mila Kunis
Suggested for: Chocolate to dark brown hair.
Frida: Our darkest shade is inspired by the great Frida Kahlo, an artistic soul and brave spirit who stayed true to herself, even in the face of insurmountable odds. She also touted some of the most iconic eyebrows around. If you happen to be blessed with naturally fabulous brows like Frida and just want the subtlest hint of definition, this shade, free of browns and with gray undertones, is the one for you. Or, conversely, if you're going for high impact, simply layer it on! That goes for all our shades.
Think: Monica Bellucci, Lupita Nyong'o and Lilly Collins.
Suggested for: Natural black hair.
INGREDIENTS: neopentyl glycol diheptamate, silica, cetyl acetate, acetylated lanolin oil, ceresin, polyethylene cera microcristallina (microcrystalline wax), nylon-12, cetyl recinolente, dimethicone, natural fragrance, tocopherol (vitamin e).
May Contain (+/): Iron Oxides (CI77491/77492/CI77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI77891)


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Trying to solve the wrong problem inhibits your ability to solve the real problems. With orphans in politically and economically overstressed countries, that is especially true.
For decades as a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Edwin R. Keedy wrote those numbers on the board. Then he would ask, "What's the solution?"
Almost every semester, one student would say, "Six." Another would say "Two." Then someone would invariably shout out "Eight!"
Then Keedy would point out the error in their answers.
"All of you failed to ask the key question: What is the problem? Unless you know what the problem is, you cannot possibly find the answer."
Trying to solve the wrong problem inhibits your ability to solve the real problems.
With orphans in politically and economically overstressed countries, that is especially true.
AIDS and other diseases have claimed the lives of parents leaving their children behind. Crime and war create another faction of fatherless children. Abject poverty leaves some parents unable to care for their children and makes the best option to leave them with an orphanage or relative in order to insure that they are fed.
John F. Kennedy said, "The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were."
That's what I admire about www.iloveorphans.com. This group of friends with a heart for the children who have been discarded by their families or society is inspiring.
They have raised funds and supported activities to develop an orphanage in Bukaleba, Uganda. The first phase of that facility opens in just a couple of weeks. About 50 children younger than 6 will be cared for and taught by Arise Africa workers. Arise Africa is made up of Ugandan people solving a Ugandan problem.
They will feed, shelter and try to find permanent homes for these children who lost their biological families.
In a country with almost 10 percent of its population made up of orphans younger than 14, the problem is all too real. But it has taken more than $130,000 to create a sanctuary to offer care to 50 of the several million Ugandan orphans.
Those 50 children are currently part of the problem. But thanks to the work of these organizations, they may one day become part of the solution. The work of iloveorphans.com will grow exponentially as every group of 50 benefits from the care and education they receive in Bukaleba.
At iloveorphans.com they show love to the children who have no biological family to love and care for them.
Jesus told his followers, "Whatever you do for the least, you do for me." (Matthew, 25:40).
Author Barbara Johnson once said, "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than the person to be loved."
That is the ultimate solution to any problem.
When you love someone enough to help them in any way you can, the problems become less important and the solution becomes more apparent.
Kent Bush is publisher of the Augusta Gazette in Augusta, Kan. Contact him at augusta.gazette.com.


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Bronze barn owl sculpture
Bronze barn owl sculpture
Miniature hot cast solid bronze barn owl.
"Barn owl" weighs in at a comfortably solid 23 grams, and fits in the palm of your hand.
Height: 2 Inches
Width: 0.75 Inches
Depth: 1 Inch
These gorgeous little sculptures make wonderful wedding favours for your guests and are a perfect and lasting way for friends and family to remember your special day. Deep discounts are available for purchases of 100 or more. Please contact me for details.
Add To Cart


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f you're someone who loves to travel, got loads of experience in foreign countries and you have a knack for finding those special out of the way places that make a trip so memorable, then you would probably make a great Travel Consultant. Using your personal knowledge and experience of a particular city, country or region combined with research that you do on the Internet and in guidebooks, you will create customized travel itineraries for clients, sharing your experience with others who are bound for distant shores.
Depending on the needs of your client, you may be required to compile everything from a one-page overview of must-see chruches in Milan to a detailed hour-by-hour itinerary for a 2 week driving tour of Southern France. You may also be asked to book rental cars or accomodation, or even bicycles for that matter, but be prepared just in case, and adjust your rates accordingly to cover the cost of long-distance phone calls, faxes and deposits.
Startup costs will include a computer and Internet connection to do your research and communication with travel agents, airlines, car rental companies and hotels. Network by asking everyone you know if they know someone who could use your expertise; your clients will come to you largely by word-of-mouth. You might also try contacting a few travel agents for referrals. Visit travel fairs and distribute your calling card. Hanging around the travel guidebook section of your favorite bookstores and striking up conversations might also help pull in a couple of clients.
Anyone with a computer can put together a pretty complete travel itinerary these days. You'll want to set yourself apart by offering services and expertise no one else can. Take the time to get to know your client and be ready to make those special suggestions that show you understand and appreciate his or her unique preferences and travelling style. You'll want to know your destinations backwards and forwards, of course, so be prepared to plow much of your income right back into your own personal travel funds. The good news is though, that this is that if you're a great Travel Consultant, the money coming in will be far more than the money going out. Besides, you get to indulge in your passion for travelling. It's almost like being paid to go on holiday!


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about alice hq
HeLLO there, i'm alice.
I am a Minnesota-based wedding and engagement photographer, passionate about bringing my clients' most memorable moments to life in photographs. I strive to go the extra mile to make every session as spectacular as it can be, and have earned a reputation as creative, reliable, and generous—at least that's what my eight year old daughter tells me.
Couples throughout the Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the greater Midwest know me for my positive attitude and attention to detail. No matter your need, I will take the time to get to know you and deliver timeless photographs you'll cherish for a lifetime. Aside from being a photographer, I'm also a wife and mother of three, and a lover of snow, coffee, and good music.


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People searching for GREAT Mosel Riesling usually find just what they are looking for here..!
Weingut BOLLIG – LEHNERT
There is no great mystery to " Wine-Making " one just needs Patience, Skill, dedicated passion for your work, the very best of Vineyards and leave the rest to Mother-Nature !
Welcome to Weingut Bollig-Lehnert,
We hope that you are able to find the information that you are searching for, should you however require more details regarding a particular wine, the Estate, or our current Riesling Portfolio then please do not hesitate to contact us.
Stefan Bollig
Weingut Bollig-Lehnert
PROWEIN SHANGHAI 12th – 14th November 2019
Weingut Bollig-Lehnert looks forward to visiting Shanghai once again this year for the PROWEIN International Wine Trade Fair
What a Vintage the Mosel has produced in 2018 ….possibly one of the finest on record but certainly since 1962 ! – the outstanding Quantity together with an outstanding Quality makes up for two recent disapointing Mosel Riesling harvests.
With both cellars now overflowing! Weingut Bollig-lehnert set for an exciting and hectic 2019 ! – with a programme of visits to the USA & Japan plus two Corporate visits to China in 2019 ,
We look forward to the next working year and the interesting and exciting challenges plus new opportunities ahead in.
Thankyou to all our valued customers for your support in 2018.
Stefan & Jill Bollig
Weingut Bollig-Lehnert Johannes Trithemius Straße 62, 54349 Trittenheim Tel: 0049 6507 5077 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com www.bollig-lehnert.de
Our partner S.J.Bollig GmbH


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Congratulations to the teachers & students of the RCM Vocal Department for their wonderful achievements at The Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod held on September 3-6. RCM vocal students were awarded 25 First Places, 18 Second Places, 3 Third Places & 10 Highly Commended.
The RCM is also delighted to announce that the Riverina Songbirds, Senior Choir & Minor Detail ensembles are the Open & Youth Choral Champions! 3 RCM students also took out the 3 Vocal championships for Open, Junior & Senior Soloists! Congratulations to everyone involved!


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TFAA and AAC Collaborating on Change
This past weekend at the USA Track & Field Annual Meeting, athletes participated in an open meeting of the Athlete Advisory Committee (AAC), which included a presentation by Travis Tygart, CEO of USADA. It was clear that structural issues, conflicts of interests, and inconsistent policy enforcement jeopardize the integrity and independent ability of WADA to operate without outside influence and thus negatively impacting the profession of Athletics.
At the conclusion of the meeting, members of the AAC as well as the Track & Field Athletes Association (TFAA) in attendance agreed to support a petition endorsing the recommendations made by a separate group of National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADO) earlier this year known as the Copenhagen Reform Proposal (PDF).
We encourage everyone to support the petition by signing the petition found HERE on change.org. Please join us in support of this very important initiative by SIGNING the petition and by sharing via your social media using the following hashtags: #CleanSport #EmpowerWADA #TFAA #USATFAAC. Thank You!
Adam Nelson
President, TFAA


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As Blain Broomfield, UCD graduate launches his writing career, Rachael Lafferty reviews his debut novella 'Morsus'
A poignant portrayal of both the vulnerability and passion of youth, Blain Broomfield's novella, Morsus, follows four students around the campus of Connolly College, Dublin. Set in the Spring/Summer term of 2007, these young and well-educated protagonists have the world at their feet – albeit the romantic world of Celtic Tiger Ireland.
In the style of Bret Easton Ellis, author of American Psycho, Morsus is written in a stream of consciousness. Tales of drugs, lust and jealousy ensue as Broomfield's ability to characterise is evidenced throughout. The setting and characters will be recognised by most – young students whose world was masked by Ireland's prosperity, their sense of entitlement no doubt familiar to those of similar backgrounds. From Freddie adjusting to urban life to Samantha, the intellectual 'It Girl', the reader cannot but find themselves relating to this debut novel.
The plot tells of the insecurities faced by these students as they discover what it means to be a young person in Dublin during the elaborate noughties. Despite this somewhat austere premise, Morsus remains light-hearted from start to end. Abercrombie and Starbucks feature throughout as Broomfield recreates the glory days of the student. Although certain similarities can be drawn from the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly books, the D4 anecdotes and satirical nature, Morsus has a certain rawness not found in the Paul Howard series. Each character is dealing with their own problems while trying to fit in with the crowd.
Broomfield, himself a Politics and Economics graduate of UCD, acknowledges that the book is partly autobiographical. It is clear from the almost sentimental depictions of the time that the author thought fondly of his college days, noting in the preface, "There is no beginning, middle or end, as that is how it seemed at the time." From moments of self-deprecation to overt cockiness, these characters and their experiences are accessible to all.
Less than a hundred pages long, Morsus should be read by all students and graduates alike, as it not only sheds some light on an almost dismissed era, but is as significant today as it was during the economic boom, in that the pressing issues of young people remain the same.
A contemporary tale of campus life during the Celtic Tiger, Broomfield has achieved the perfect balance of satirical humour and sincerity.