text:
The baiji (Chinese: 白鱀豚; pinyin: báijìtún (help·info)) (Lipotes vexillifer, Lipotes meaning "left behind", vexillifer "flag bearer") was a freshwater dolphin found only in the Yangtze River in China. Nicknamed "Goddess of the Yangtze" (simplified Chinese: 长江女神; traditional Chinese: 長江女神; pinyin: Cháng Jiāng nǚshén) in China, the dolphin is also called Chinese river dolphin, Yangtze River dolphin, whitefin dolphin and Yangtze dolphin. It is not to be confused with the Chinese white dolphin.
The baiji population declined drastically in decades as China industrialized and made heavy use of the river for fishing, transportation, and hydroelectricity. Efforts were made to conserve the species, but a late 2006 expedition failed to find any baiji in the river. Organizers declared the baiji functionally extinct,[4] which would make it the first aquatic mammal species to become extinct since the demise of the Japanese sea lion and the Caribbean monk seal in the 1950s. It would also be the first recorded extinction of a well-studied cetacean species (it is unclear if some previously extinct varieties were species or subspecies) to be directly attributable to human influence.
In August 2007, a Chinese man reportedly videotaped a large white animal swimming in the Yangtze.[5] Although it was tentatively confirmed that the animal on the video is probably a baiji,[6] the presence of only one or a few animals, particularly of advanced age, is not enough to save a functionally extinct species from true extinction. The last known living baiji was Qi Qi (淇淇), which died in 2002.
Anatomy and morphology
Baiji were thought to breed in the first half of the year, the peak calving season being from February to April.[7] A 30% pregnancy rate was observed.[8] Gestation would last 10–11 months, delivering one calf at a time; the interbirth interval was 2 years. Calves measured around 80-90 centimetres (32–35 in) at birth, and nursed for 8–20 months.[9] Males reached sexual maturity at age four, females at age six.[9] Mature males were about 2.3 metres (7.5 ft) long, females 2.5 metres (8 ft), the longest specimen 2.7 metres.[9] The animal weighed 135–230 kilograms (300-510 lb),[9] with a lifespan estimated at 24 years in the wild.[10]
When escaping from danger, the baiji could reach 60 km/h (37 mph), but usually stayed within 10 to 15 km/h (6–9 mph). Because of its poor vision and hearing, the baiji relied mainly on sonar for navigation.
Historically the baiji occurred along 1,700 kilometres (1,100 mi) of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze from Yichang in the west to the mouth of the river, near to Shanghai. This had been reduced by several hundred kilometres both upstream and downstream, and was limited to the main channel of the Yangtze, principally the middle reaches between the two large tributary lakes, Dongting and Poyang.[11] Approximately 12% of the world's human population lives and works within the Yangtze River catchment area, putting pressure on the river.[12] The construction of the Three Gorges Dam, along with other smaller damming projects, also led to habitat loss.
Evolutionary history
Fossil records suggest that the dolphin first appeared 25 million years ago and migrated from the Pacific Ocean to the Yangtze River 20 million years ago.[13] It was one of four species of dolphins known to have made fresh water their exclusive habitat. The other three species, including the boto and the La Plata dolphin, have survived in the Río de la Plata and Amazon rivers in South America and the Ganges and Indus rivers on the Indian subcontinent.
It is estimated that there were 5,000 baiji when they were described in the ancient dictionary Erya circa 3rd century BC. A traditional Chinese story describes the baiji as the reincarnation of a princess who had been drowned by her family after refusing to marry a man she did not love. Regarded as a symbol of peace and prosperity, the dolphin was nicknamed the "Goddess of the Yangtze."
In the 1950s, the population was estimated at 6,000 animals,[14] but declined rapidly over the subsequent five decades. Only a few hundred were left by 1970. Then the number dropped down to 400 by the 1980s and then to 13 in 1997 when a full-fledged search was conducted. Now the most endangered cetacean in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records,[4] the baiji was last sighted in August 2004, though there was a possible sighting in 2007.[5] It is listed as an endangered species by the U.S. government under the Endangered Species Act.
Causes of decline
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has noted the following as threats to the species: a period of hunting by humans during the Great Leap Forward, entanglement in fishing gear, the illegal practice of electric fishing, collisions with boats and ships, habitat loss, and pollution. During the Great Leap Forward, when traditional veneration of the baiji was denounced, it was hunted for its flesh and skin, and quickly became scarce.[2]
As China developed economically, pressure on the river dolphin grew significantly. Industrial and residential waste flowed into the Yangtze. The riverbed was dredged and reinforced with concrete in many locations. Ship traffic multiplied, boats grew in size, and fishermen employed wider and more lethal nets. Noise pollution caused the nearly blind animal to collide with propellers. Stocks of the dolphin's prey declined drastically in the late 20th century, with some fish populations declining to one thousandth of their pre-industrial levels.[15]
In the 1970s and 1980s, an estimated half of baiji deaths were attributed to entanglement in fishing gear. By the early 2000s, electric fishing was considered "the most important and immediate direct threat to the baiji's survival."[2] Though outlawed, this fishing technique is widely practiced throughout China. The building of the Three Gorges Dam further reduced the dolphin's habitat and facilitated an increase in ship traffic.
- circa 3rd century BC: population estimated at 5,000 animals
- 1950s: population was estimated at 6,000 animals
- 1958–1962: The Great Leap Forward denounces the animal's traditional venerated status
- 1970: The Gezhouba Project begins
- 1979: The People's Republic of China declares the Chinese river dolphin endangered
- 1983: National law declares hunting the Chinese river dolphin illegal
- 1984: The plight of the baiji draws headlines in China[16]
- 1986: Population estimated to be 300
- 1989: Gezhouba Dam complete
- 1990: Population estimated to be 200
- 1994: Construction of the Three Gorges Dam begins
- 1996: IUCN lists the species as critically endangered
- 1997: Population estimated to be less than 50 (13 found in survey); a dead baiji was found with 103 open wounds[13]
- 1998: 7 found in survey
- 2003: Three Gorges Dam begins filling reservoir
- 2004: Last confirmed sighting
- 2006: None found in survey, declared "extinct"
- 2007: Results of survey published in the journal Biology Letters.[17]
|Survey Area
|No. of km surveyed
|No. of baiji sighted
|No. of baiji estimated
|3–6 groups
|>20 groups
|42 groups
|< 100
Conservation efforts
During the 1970s, China recognized the precarious state of the river dolphin. The government outlawed deliberate killing, restricted fishing, and established nature reserves.
In 1978, the Chinese Academy of Sciences established the Freshwater Dolphin Research Centre (淡水海豚研究中心) as a branch of the Wuhan Institute of Hydrobiology. In the 1980s and 1990s, several attempts were made to capture dolphins and relocate them to a reserve. A breeding program would then allow the species to recover and be reintroduced to the Yangtze after conditions improve. However, capturing the rare, quick dolphins proved to be difficult, and few captives survived more than a few months.[2]
The first Chinese aquatic species protection organisation, the Baiji Dolphin Conservation Foundation of Wuhan (武汉白鱀豚保护基金), was founded in December 1996. It has raised 1,383,924.35 CNY (about 100,000 USD) and used the funds for in vitro cell preservation and to maintain the baiji facilities, including the Shishou Sanctuary that was flooded in 1998.
Since 1992 five protected areas of the Yangtze have been designated as baiji reserves. Four were built in the main Yangtze channel where baiji are actively protected and fishing is banned: two national reserves (Shishou City and Xin-Luo) and two provincial (Tongling and Zhenjiang). A fifth protected area is an isolated oxbow lake located off of the north bank of the river near to Shishou City: the Tian-e-Zhou Oxbow Semi-natural Reserve. Combined, these five reserves cover just over 350 kilometres (220 mi), about 1/3 of the baijis range, leaving two-thirds of the species' habitat unprotected.[12]
As well as these five protected areas there are also five "Protection Stations" in Jianli, Chenglingji, Hukou, Wuhu and Zhengjiang. These stations consist of two observers and a motorised fishing boat with the aim of conducting daily patrols, making observations and investigating reports of illegal fishing.[12]
In 2001 the Chinese government approved a Conservation Action Plan for Cetaceans of the Yangtze River. This plan re-emphasised the three measures identified at the 1986 workshop and was adopted as the national policy for the conservation of the Baiji. Despite all of these workshops and conventions little money was available in China to aid the conservation efforts. It has been estimated that US$1 million was needed to begin the project and maintain it for a further 3 years.[28]
Efforts to save the mammals proved to be too little and too late. August Pfluger, chief executive of the Baiji.org Foundation, said, "The strategy of the Chinese government was a good one, but we didn't have time to put it into action."[29]
In-situ conservation
Most scientists agreed that the best course of action was an ex-situ effort working in parallel with an in-situ effort. The deterioration of the Yangtze River had to be reversed to preserve the habitat. The ex-situ projects aimed to raise a large enough population over time so that some, if not all, of the dolphins could be returned to the Yangtze, so the habitat within the river had to be maintained anyway.
Ex-situ conservation
The Shishou Tian-e-Zhou is a 21-kilometre (13 mi) long, 2-kilometre (1.2 mi) wide oxbow lake located near Shishou City in Hubei Province. Shishou has been described as being "like a miniature Yangtze … possessing all of the requirements for a semi-natural reserve". From the designation as a national reserve in 1992 it has been intended to be used for not only the baiji but also the Yangtze finless porpoise. In 1990 the first finless porpoises were relocated to the reserve and since then have been surviving and reproducing well. As of April 2005 26 finless porpoises were known to live in the reserve. A baiji was introduced in December 1995, but died during the summer flood of 1996. To deal with these annual floods a dyke was constructed between the Yangtze and Shishou. Now water is controlled from a sluice gate located at the downstream mouth of the oxbow lake. It has been reported that since the installation of this sluice gate, water quality has declined since no annual transfer of nutrients can occur. Roughly 6,700 people live on the 'island' within the oxbow lake and so some limited fishing is permitted.[12]
Success of Shishou with the porpoises and with migratory birds and other wetland fauna has encouraged the local Wetlands Management Team to put forward an application to award the site Ramsar status.[30] It has also been noted that the site has incredible potential for ecotourism, which could be used to generate much needed revenue to improve the quality of the reserve. The necessary infrastructure does not currently exist to realize these opportunities
Captive specimens
A baiji conservation dolphinarium was established at the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) in Wuhan in 1992. This was planned as a backup to any other conservation efforts by producing an area completely protected from any threats, and where the baiji could be easily observed. The site includes an indoor and outdoor holding pool, a water filtration system, food storage and preparation facilities, research labs and a small museum. The aim is to also generate income from tourism which can be put towards the baiji plight. The pools are not very large (25 m arc [kidney shaped] x 7 m wide x 3.5 m deep, 10 m diameter, 2 m deep and 12 m diameter, 3.5 m deep) and so are not capable of holding many baijis at one time.
Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine documented their encounters with the endangered animals on their conservation travels for the BBC programme Last Chance to See. The book by the same name, published in 1990, included pictures of a captive specimen, a male named Qi Qi (淇淇) that lived in the Wuhan Institute of Hydrobiology dolphinarium from 1980 to July 14, 2002. Discovered by a fisherman in Dongting Lake, he became the sole resident of the Baiji Dolphinarium (白鱀豚水族馆) beside East Lake. A sexually mature female was captured in late 1995, but died after half a year in 1996 when the Shishou Tian-e-Zhou Baiji Semi-natural Reserve (石首半自然白鱀豚保护区), which had contained only finless porpoises since 1990, was flooded.
|Date range
|Conditions of rearing
|Survival time
|Qi Qi
|1980-01-12 – 2002-07-14
|Outdoor & indoor, non-filtered
|22.5 years
|Rong Rong
|1981-04-22 – 1982-02-03
|Outdoor non-filtered
|228 days
|Lian Lian
|1986-03-31 – 1986-06-14
|Outdoor non-filtered
|76 days
|Zhen Zhen
|1986-03-31 – 1988-09-27
|Outdoor non-filtered
|2.5 years
|Ya Ya
|1981-03-03 1981-03-20
|17 days
|Jiang Jiang
|1981-12-07 – 1982-04-16
|Outdoor non-filtered
|129 days
Current status
The Xinhua News Agency announced on 4 December 2006 that no Chinese River Dolphins were detected in a six-week survey of the Yangtze River conducted by 30 researchers. The failure of the Yangtze Freshwater Dolphin Expedition (simplified Chinese: 长江淡水豚类考察; traditional Chinese: 長江淡水豚類考察; pinyin: Chāng Jiāng dànshuǐ tún lèikǎochá) raised suspicions of the first unequivocal extinction of a cetacean species due to human action[31] (some extinct baleen whale populations might not have been distinct species). Poor water and weather conditions may have prevented sightings,[4] but expedition leaders declared it "functionally extinct" on 13 December 2006 as fewer are likely to be alive than are needed to propagate the species.[4] However, footage believed to be a baiji from August 2007 was released to the public.[32]
The Japanese sea lion and Caribbean monk seal disappeared in the 1950s, the last aquatic mammals to become extinct. Several land-based mammal species and subspecies have disappeared since then. If the Baiji is now extinct, the North Pacific right whale has become the most endangered marine mammal species.
Some scientists retain hope for the species:
The fact that the expedition didn't see any baiji dolphins during this expedition does not necessarily mean that the species is extinct or even 'effectively extinct', because it covered a considerable distance in a relatively short period of time... However, we are extremely concerned. The Yangtze is highly degraded, and we spotted dramatically fewer finless porpoises than we have in the past.—Wang Limin, director of the World Wide Fund for Nature, Wuhan office[33]
A report of the expedition was published online in the journal Biology Letters on August 7, 2007, in which the authors conclude "We are forced to conclude that the baiji is now likely to be extinct, probably due to unsustainable by-catch in local fisheries"[34]
"Witness to Extinction: How We Failed To Save The Yangtze River Dolphin", an account of the 2006 baiji survey by Samuel Turvey, the lead author of the Biology Letters paper, was published by Oxford University Press in autumn 2008. This book investigated the baiji's probable extinction within the wider-scale context of how and why international efforts to conserve the species had failed, and whether conservation recovery programmes for other threatened species were likely to face similar potentially disastrous administrative hurdles.
Some reports suggest that information about the baiji and its demise is being suppressed in China.[35] Other reports cite government media English language reports in China Central Television and Xinhua News Agency as evidence to the contrary.[36]
In August 2007, Zeng Yujiang reportedly videotaped a large white animal swimming in the Yangtze in Anhui Province.[5][37] Wang Kexiong of the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has tentatively confirmed that the animal on the video is a baiji.
On October, 3, 2011 the sighting of almost 20 porpoises was reported in Chinese media. The sighting was done from a bridge in Nanjing city. It should be noted however, that the sighting has not been confirmed by independent media sources.[38]
The lives of finless porpoise are also at risk. On October 11, 2007, Chinese state media announced that under a development plan an additional 4,000,000 people will be relocated from their homes near the dam by the year 2020 due to ecological concerns, while a forum of officials and experts warned of a possible "environmental catastrophe" if preventive measures are not taken.[39][40][41] Currently, the quality of water in the Yangtze is falling rapidly, due to the dam's preventing dispersal of pollutants; algae blooms have risen progressively since the dam's construction; and soil erosion has increased, causing riverbank collapses and landslides.[42] The report detailing this was officially released in September 2007.[43] Senior Chinese government officials and scholars said the dam could cause a "huge disaster ... if steps are not taken promptly."[42] The same scholars and officials previously had defended the Three Gorges Dam project.[44] Xinhua also reported that tens of billions of yuan had been spent to prevent pollution and geological disasters by tree planting, measures to maintain species diversification, shutting down 1,500 polluting industrial and mining enterprises and building 70 sewage and waste treatment plants, all of which are "progressing well." [44]
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Skip to comments.Sunday Morning Talk Show Thread 9 December 2012
Posted on 12/09/2012 4:56:19 AM PST by Alas Babylon!
The Talk Shows
December 9th, 2012
Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows:
FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Sens. Chuck U. Schumer, D-N.Y., and Bob Corker, R-Tenn.; Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to the U.S.
MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
FACE THE NATION (CBS): Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, leaders of President Barack Obama's now-defunct deficit commission; Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, N.J.
THIS WEEK (ABC): Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.; Reps. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, and Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz.
STATE OF THE UNION (CNN): hristine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund; Reps. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Tom Cole, R-Okla.
Durbin on for the 3rd week.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM NBC's "Meet the Press"
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ABC's "This Week"
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM "Fox News Sunday"
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM CNN's "State of the Union"
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM CBS's "Face The Nation"
Listen at the link above WHILE you FReep!
Meet the Press Meet the Press mailbox (web page for comments)
Face the Nation email@example.com
Fox News Sunday firstname.lastname@example.com
ABC This Week email@example.com
CNN State of the Union CNN State of the Union (web page for comments)
The Sunday Morning Bray, by Bray!
This is the email that caused me to resign as County Chairman:
Liberalism is an atheistic cult. The DNC is actually communism wrapped in their liberal religion to mask the fact they are attempting to create their utopian enslavement. The first thing Communists want is to take God out of all government institutions such as schools and government to be replaced with secularism. Secularism is an atheistic belief which replaces the Bibles Ten Commandments and teachings of honesty and integrity with moral relativism. One can lie, cheat and steal if the end justifies the means. This gives the government officials, elitists, leaders free reign to make up morality as they see fit and declare what is right and wrong. Rather than having personal morality or responsibility they believe in a social morality allowing them to live an immoral personal life and having it absolved through social morality.
The Democrats have replaced personal morality with social morality which means to be a good person you no longer have to worry about your personal failings but your societal failings. This allows you to put the social good in front of your personal responsibilities to make yourself a good person. You can be a drug addict, leave your family in shambles or steal from your boss but, as long as you drive a Prius and are concerned about polar bears, you are a good person. You can live any immoral lifestyle you want and, as long as you believe in Social Justice, you are a saintly person in their belief system. This is where the cult lifestyle comes in since you have to take God out of your life and replace it with social morality to work yourself into goodness. Liberals earn their way into their heaven of a perfect liberal.
Liberalism is a Godless religion whose High Priests are scientists. Since they dont believe in God or a superior being the only people who can explain; existence or truth are scientists. They wont accept the myth of creation so they have to have the scientist explain our coming to being through evolution. According to evolution the top of the evolutionary chain is man which means that the only thing superior to man is a more intelligent man or a group of men together like government or science. That should disprove their theory right there.
The average liberal will accept anything a scientist says since they think the scientific method is based on facts and infallible. When a scientist declares something true by consensus such as evolution or Global Warming they accept it as absolute truth. Never mind science has been wrong about similar theories such as acid rain, DDT, Spotted Owls or AIDs affecting heterosexuals they accept it without question. The liberal will accept it completely without hesitation and when someone dares to question the findings of these scientists, that person is attacked and declared a heretic or ignorant of science. The truth is science has been corrupted by politics and now is closed to competitive theories and will destroy careers of non believers.
Many liberal will brag about how they are vegans who love Polar Bears and try to save the earth from those evil 1%ers. They are tolerant of everyone except those who disagree with them. They live their lives to be the perfect liberal who try to earn their way into liberal perfection. Their lives are a series of clichéd phrases and actions, trying to be more liberal than the liberal next to them. They are all pro-choice, for homosexual marriage, for salary equality. They worship the earth and most of all you vote Democrat... None of these social laws have anything to do with personal responsibility but enslaving others to your social morality. Tolerance is their sainted behavior and intolerance and Republicanism is the ultimate sin. Every one of these cultish beliefs either directly or indirectly lead you to voting for more communism and less individual freedom.
While they look in sanctimonious disdain at Christians and their religious myths and intolerance to be scoffed at they will spend untold millions on frauds which have no credible proof. It takes far more faith to believe in evolution than God when you look at the extremely long odds of random evolving of our complex species yet they laugh at the idea there may be a creator. Both take large amounts of faith to fill in the gaps yet ones is laughed at while the other is taught in every institution in the country. The reason is these institutions have agreed that evolution is true through consensus which means all gaps in the theory are ignored completely and questioning is stopped. Anybody who argues against the so called proof or evidence are declared heretics to their religion and not admitted into the church of science. This consensus tactic has been repeated throughout liberal politics to declare their ideas right and any dissention attacked.
The mediots are who determine which theories are valid and which need to be rejected and they of course are members of the cult. The media has decided to promote every tenet of their religion from evolution, feminism, veganism, racism, homosexuality, choice, Global Warming, hate the wealthy, communism and every other lifestyle agenda the establishment considers normal. The only miracle is that after forty years of political and cultic brainwashing is the American dream still lives in half of this countrys citizens. After being mocked and vilified for all of these years Conservatives still have the ability to make these elections competitive considering the overwhelming forces standing against them. There are still people willing to stand up and proudly proclaim their faith in God as well as their trust in individual responsibility.
This should still give us hope that if we find candidates who can articulate Conservatism there are enough people to vote for them. Rather than trying to be like liberals with all their group dividing isms, lets explain how capitalism and God free you rather enslave. Rather than falling for the right colored or gendered candidate, we need to find the ones who can explain the concept of trusting in our own individuality to provide for our families and friends. Rather than bowing to evolution and Global Warming we need people to become informed of the giant gaps in those theories and ask the dirt worshipers to explain why evidence points away from evolution and why there was no warming of the earth for the past ten years? Lets move away from consensus as a Party and use the power of variety and experimentation to pave a way to victory from election to election. The country is starving for leaders and rather than following the affirmative action consensus model lets promote leaders who will lead the followers into our ranks and start attacking the cult. As one of their heroes said, lets choose our leaders by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.
Pray for America
I sent this to my Precinct People. One of them who didnt like me sent it to the Oregonian and the firestorm erupted so before the RINOs could make hay I resigned.
Note: The above opinion is not necessarily my own, but FReeper Brays. If you wish to discuss this, please ping Bray.
I'm very sorry to read the above and what you endured.
I think it ultimately falls on the voters—the people of this country who now have reached such a large block and love free stuff and stories of fairness instead of real life and responsibility.
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
—John Adams
Seems there might not be much talk about the Middle East, and Egypt, in particular, save for maybe one show.
Thanks for thread A.B. Let's hope Morsi resigns this week.
I'd like to see the mob overrun his palace.
Sic Semper Tyrannus and all.
Once again, CNN has the most interesting guests. I'll have to suspend my unofficial boycott.
I sent this to my Precinct People.
When I started to read the 'email' I thought it was sent to you, and you objected to it. I was confused because I wholeheartedly agree with every word of it, and strongly believe that one of the slim chances that we have to regain sanity among American voters is to proclaim the message that 'liberalism' is a religion, and our Constitution forbids the Establishment of any particular religion.
Then I read that you had written the message. I am sorry that you felt you had to resign, and I hope you will still continue to spread this message.
Durbin wants Harry Reid's job and is pushing hard to become the spokesperson for the Dems, imho.
Where's Bob Costas? Is he still trying to interpret Psy's lyrics to see if he should be offended? Because obviously Bob would not be able to understand the lyrics as Psy wrote and delivered them.
Instead we get Simpson and Bowels doing their reunion show routine. When I wake up early, I expect to see an infomeercial where those two guys are selling cures to what ails your economy and dancing lessons.
Uchh uchhhh uchhhh!
Corker and Wallace talking about the GOP caving on tax increases.
Get the Pukeometer!
And Schmuckey......I'm gonna hurl.
Its tough to assume a leadership position and not endure flack,just a necessary par of the job. Your words of wisdom are so strong,so direct, so to the point, few will argue. The few who will however will be outraged to the point of fleeing any mirror that shows who they really are.
Unfortunately, many Republicans think that the correct path to achieve agreement with liberals,which is impossible on the face of it,is appeasement. It never is. We never learn.
AB, I didn't endure much. I didn't and still haven't read the drivel the Oregonian wrote and my post was printed and read by 100,000 people. Some are going to understand it and some are not. Sadly a large percentage of Republican's don't and they are in power.
I got out of a broken situation that was going to take hours and hours to fix if it ever could. I sent the email to get my PCP's up to speed for the battles.
Pray for America
Schumer's phrase of the day: " ... the bottom line is ..."
Schumer is a snake. Period. And the Pubbies don't have the moxy to stand up to him and his fellow snakes. Always playing defense.
RG, most of the flak was about to come from our politicians who had already caved to the paper. I had just won some elections and found by the data the paper didn't matter and all they had to do is say no comment and it would have been over. Rather they were going to start giving moral outrage speeches and demand I resign.
I also heard the Country Club had already begun a recall election the day I was elected. I had a choice of clinging to a job that was going to give me 14 hour days and have these leaked to the paper or resign and pull the rug out from under them. I pulled the rug.
Pray for America
I wonder if the Oregon foresters who have had to bow to the Idol Spotted Owl would agree with your message, or would they still "believe" that management crushed their union and their jobs?
Schumer was conspicuously absent from the Sunday shows in the months between the conventions and the election. Dem focus testing must have shown that he is a net negative for potential voters.
Now he can be the obnoxious unctuous spokesman as often as he likes.
Senator Corker thinks next year is going to be lollipops and rainbows as the Dems and Pubbies set down to work on real issues.
[Is Corker that clueless? Or is everything 'we' see coming from Capitol Hill just dog-and-pony shows, while the American public gets screwed by both parties?]
Liberals worship Big Government.
You would be amazed how many on our side asked why I sent the email. Everybody is afraid of their own shadow like they are ever going to be liked by the media. It is the media's job to destroy them and get Dems elected.
Bottom line is, more people read that post than has ever read one of my posts and in the belly of the beast. Look at the howling it caused and like they say, if you throw a rock over the fence the dog that yelps is the one you hit.
Meanwhile over on mtp the genuflexing goes on over just how much the Republicans are to blame for ozeros budget deficit.
Some get it others don't.
One who does get it is Clarice Feldman over at the Thinker.
While we agonize over just how much we have to beat suntanned John Boehner over the head because he won't COMPROMISE
the world is falling apart.
The Mid-East is a disaster. Libya funneling weapons all over the mideast,Benghazi ignored,again...,Syria due to be taken over by al-queda,and the MBafter they release some posionous gas and then blame it on Assad. Egypt's Morsi becomes a dictator and by the way all the wmds we are guarding from our looking posts in Turkey came from Iraq where there were "no wmds" except for the 70 plane loads flown in by Gen. Georges Sada who was Sadaam's former Air Force general.He supervised the 70 flights in gutted 707's and 747's into damascus and the rest of the non-existent wmds were trucked in by tractor trailers according to CIA satellite films.
Michigan votes out unions.
GM may have to pay back bond holders,on and on and on. But, our topics today are:
How much do we blame the Republicans for not caving to our Dear Leader for his budget deficit.
Meanwhile Barry boy is getting ready for his next golf trip. That's before he goes to his 35 million dollar mansion in Hawaii,that he cant afford, for two weeks.
Where no one can find the BC.
A bit bizarre anyone?
You and I who have to lead.We just don't understand the country clubbers mentality of needing to be loved,liked or to compromise.especially when we are right and the left is dead wrong.
Your words still ring out loudly and are the hope of the future.Like me you just don't have 14 hours a day to appease the weak willed.There is work to be done.
Lots of dog and pony shows going on, for the last several years. On the C-Span morning chit chat show, there is a segment about Syria and WMD, which started with another clip of Obama boldly invoking Truman's Third Option. Obama added his own special junior-high-playground-while-nobody-else-is-around-tough-guy language, just to show that he means Obama business.
Truman's Third Option? It's the one the history books never mentioned. Option 1, invade the Japanese islands with resulting casualties in the millions and end WWII. Option 2, use the atomic bomb to force a Japanese surrender and end WWII. Option 3; talk tough in front of the cameras while they are rolling, then rely on a friendly media to deliver. (By the way, Option 3 does not involve ending WWII.)
I want my first response to bray's email to stand here independent of reference or quibbling of any sort and simply state that it is brilliant stuff.
And where are the Republicans in Congress etc not howling that The WMD's went to syria from IRAQ! We knew this had been possible before Sadam fell, instead we are still apologizing.
They should be Screaming..."There are your WMD's! Now shut up about Bush and the Iraq War that Obozo lost after we won it."
STATE OF THE UNION (CNN): Reps. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Tom Cole, R-Okla.
Actual voices of sanity. Candy reprised her role as dem advocate, but the two Republicans gave excellent responses. There is Hope!
He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah. (John 1:23)
There is a lot I would like to say here, but I just can't clearly articulate it right now .... other than to say that somehow, we need to find a way for like-minded people, people who share the same values and faith as yourself, to come together and work to overcome the evil that has become rampant in the country. I think the GOP is so far gone that we need to step outside that box ... it's become a hindrance, an obscurer of the truth, an enabler of those who lack the original vision of the country's founding, the upholding of Christian principles that, up until recently, have enjoyed God's blessing, and the courage and conviction to stand up for what is true, right and good.
Morning AB, All.
Thank you AB for doing this thread and thank all you yon commenters for joining in.
Just got back from mass, singing at the 8:30 am mass. Also sang for Christmas pagent thing last night, this after driving back from Baltimore as I'd went up for granddaughter bday.
At Chuck E. Cheese, natch. Which I paid for.
Let me begin, just quickly by the dawning realization I have that not only are these current crop of elected Repubs not up to the task, I seriously think they are all part and parcel of the political class.
And yon ladies and gems, I got a real problem with this country's political class. They own us, they tell us what to eat, how to live, who to love, when and what manner of worship.
You don't think any of those pubs knew about that mortgage debacle, giving loans to anyone breathing? You don't think the pubs could have worked on, say, economic issues instead of those stupid, stupid campaign finance reform McCain got all involved in that no one in American cared about?
I think they put Dole and McCain and other losers out there cause I DON'T THINK THEY WANT TO WIN!
I think they're perfectly happy just sitting around, bargaining on campaign finance reform that no one cares one whit about, jawing in the congress cloak room, happy to let the Dems take the lead while surreptitiously helping the Dems if by no other method than by ignoring the damage the Dems and libs are doing.
I think a Tea Party will soon be formed.
I think Jim DeMint might be the beginning.
Lord I hope so.
Cause we got a political class in this country and by me this is worse than having a damn dictator. With a dictator there's only guy to get outta there. With this political class it's an enormous job.
Yep RG, I am a leader and don't have time for all the politics that goes with it. I had a job to do and a limited time to do it so I was trying to get these people on board. I forgot they were absolutely ignorant to these ideas and it shocked many of them.
We wonder why there are no leaders with big ideas, this is why. It was amazing how everybody I described played their part.
Off to church, but...
That's a rather interesting and astute observation, Maica!
The Mid-East is a disaster. Libya funneling weapons all over the mideast,Benghazi ignored,again...,Syria due to be taken over by al-queda,and the MBafter they release some posionous gas and then blame it on Assad. Egypts Morsi becomes a dictator and by the way all the wmds we are guarding from our looking posts in Turkey came from Iraq where there were no wmds except for the 70 plane loads flown in by Gen. Georges Sada who was Sadaams former Air Force general.He supervised the 70 flights in gutted 707s and 747s into damascus and the rest of the non-existent wmds were trucked in by tractor trailers according to CIA satellite films.
I believe our great partners for peace, the Russians, also helped move some of the non-existent WMDs from Iraq into Syria.
That said, I will add that I doubt Assad has any intention of using them, or ever did, or is even "so desperate" that he would contemplate using them.
There can't be any point in believing anything Obamsky and the apparatchik media tell us, is there?
MM you nailed it. I do feel like a voice in the wilderness and there were a number who wanted me to stay. It was going to be a firing squad from people I tried to get elected and not worth the time.
Yes it is time to think outside the Republican box.
Pray for America
a firing squad from people I tried to get elected...
How horrible!
Since you brought it up here's the latest on Benghazi which changes from week to week so dramatically I haven't been able to keep up.But just read this excerpt and than try and fathom it all.
"None of this is new in the Obama regime. When Obama was making deals illegally with terrorists worldwide to get that 300 million dollar wire fraud transfer to his campaign, an entire system was being laid which also included direct cash transfers to terrorists in Afghanistan as these were Obama's good terrorists.
For a reminder in this, there was that little terrorist in Afghanistan working for Mr. Obama and the CIA who was feeding them data for Predator strikes which were all bogus and he later did the suicide bomber job on the CIA station there. This is what Barack Obama has been up to in narco cash and weapons trade for these terror groups, and it has been from day one "off the books" in the CIA was managing this for Mr. Obama, but not informing Congress exactly what was really taking place to keep these criminal transfers from being made public."
Our side learns very slowly.
It's the low information voters on steroids.
It's also the fact that we get an education here on FR that is second to none. We take stuff for granted here that the rest of the world is totally ignorant to.
Rather than trying to be like liberals with all their group dividing isms, lets explain how capitalism and God free you rather enslave.
Basically "capitalism" was first spit out by Marx as an epithetic label for western industrialism of the time. Marx's stupid, simplistic view reduced all economic outcomes to "investment," ignoring more factors and forces than I could possibly list here.
Suffice it to say, Solyndra would be doing bofo business today if all that mattered was "investment"—and there wouldn't be any point in any business doing customer service if "capitalism" was all there was to it.
(OK I'll stop nitpicking now.)
Exactly, other than random moments of journalism as Rush so adeptly says they are useless.
It would have been horrible but, it turned into a circular firing squad and when they said, "fire" I ducked.
Great Point, except there are no free markets anymore. The bigger problem is nobody understands the free market since it hasn't been taught for about 50 years. It only exists in a small percentage of people's daily lives.
Pray for America
This guy Cory Booker might be in the Demovik mix for 2016. You know there MUST be a black entrant to cash in on- and extend the glory of the Great Obamarama Era of Noble Black Leadership, blah blah blah.
I got him at 10-1 right now to be nominated; 5-1 if he actually throws his hat in the ring. He could even run against Christie and still run in 2016.
(Assuming the Great Obamarama doesn't find a way to name himself Leader For Eternity, of course.)
(Also: Booker will have to learn to speak slower, however. Too much rat-a-tat-tat.)
I can not STAND to hear marbles mouth Mcconnel! He is literally an old white guy..and he is in a PR position trying to out-media obama.HUH? Alan Simpson has charisma and can speak to the young even if he is an old white guy.
Best thing to happen this week was Jim Demint, a marketing expert, going to the Heritage Group and putting some fire into the conservative message. We can't RE-EDUCATE an entire generation that was lost to govt schools, but we can communicate differently with them.
Best thing to happen this week was Jim Demint, a marketing expert, going to the Heritage Group and putting some fire into the conservative message. We cant RE-EDUCATE an entire generation that was lost to govt schools, but we can communicate differently with them.
I agree he can really become a focal point for conservatism in a way that a wonk cannot. Also, he should be able to get Heritage into the states a little more deeply.
BTW: One of my fondest memories of being a DC reporter was a day I spent at Heritage. I walked in there (to interview one of their economics gurus) and in about 5 minutes I was trying to figure out a way to ask how I could go about getting a job there.
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text:
Skip to comments.Police Fatally Shoot an Unarmed Driver on the Grand Central Parkway (National Guardsman)
Posted on 10/05/2012 9:48:53 AM PDT by opentalk
A New York police detective shot and killed an unarmed man, whose hands, a witness said, were on the steering wheel of his Honda, after he had been pulled over early Thursday for cutting off two police trucks on the Grand Central Parkway in Queens, the authorities said.
...The shooting, which occurred at 5:15 a.m., was the latest in a series of episodes in which police officers fatally shot or wounded civilians.
..A passenger in Mr. Polancos car, Diane Deferrari, said in a phone interview Thursday night that just before pulling the car over, officers appeared irate that Mr. Polanco had cut them off. She said that one of the officers but not Detective Hamdy stuck up his middle finger and was screaming obscenities from one of the moving police trucks.
As soon as we stopped they were rushing the car, Ms. Deferrari said. It was like an army.
She said a group of officers swarmed the car, yelling for the three people in Mr. Polancos car to put their hands up. Mr. Polanco, whose hands were still on the steering wheel, had no time to comply, Ms. Deferrari said. At that instant, a shot rang out, and Mr. Polanco gasped for air, she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The NYC Keystone Kops claim another victim.
"The detective, Hassan Hamdy, 39, a 14-year veteran assigned to the Emergency Service Unit, fired one bullet through an open window of the car,..."Begs the question, was there something visible on the victims vehicle identifying the victim as an Army reservist which could enflame the muslim detective beyond his civil call to duty?
Did they find out if he had a dog so they could kill it as well?......../s?
Detective Hassan Hamdy? Hmmmm.
This doesn't sound good for the NYPD...not good at all.
Even one of the union spokesmen said that this shooting may be questionable (apparently, for those who didn't read the article, the cops in one car felt they had been cut off by the victim's car, and gave him the finger as they went around him before they stopped him - however, this is the New York Times' account).
Looking at the other shootings, I think they were all justifiable. But this shooting is probably the one that will give Bloomberg the basis for making the cops go out unarmed as British cops do. Start the body count...
Did he have a dog costume on?
These aren't the cops you see on "BlueBloods".
They probably have not had time to get over to the poor guy's house to check for one...
If this is as it seems then nothing short of Conviction of Murder is appropriate here.
Killed for cutting them off? In Queens? Everyone cuts everyone off in Queens.
Sorry, but if this driver's hands were on the steering wheel he posed no threat. This sounds like a case of ROAD RAGE on the cops' part. I understand their anger but if the guy PULLED OVER AND HIS HANDS WERE ON THE STEERING WHEEL, SHOOTING HIM DEAD was a bit excessive.
I wonder if the victim was in his reserve uniform?
They will check for his home address then raid a neighbor (80 year old widow). Shoot her and her small toy poodle, Mitzi!
A "bit" excessive? Good grief how about murder!
Have you ever driven in Queens?
The story says the victim was shot in the abdomen. It seems like the cop would have to have been standing pretty close to the victim to do that unless he shot through the door.
Shot from passenger side.
Bet this goes down as accidental discharge.
Cops usually let loose once a round is fired. I'm surprised anyone in the car survived.
Sounds more like an execution than a "shooting".
We used to call this murder.
I don't like anything about NYC.
At least in north Florida they don't generally shoot you...they put you in handcuffs and take you to a flashlight party with a half dozen of their buddies.
The saying is "No One Says 'No' to the JSO".
Just a little practice for when Ubama flips that Interwebs "off" switch and lets slip the dogs of genocide.
"I'm on the job!" from the back seat may have saved them.
Makes you think all the other cops knew there was no reason to be shooting.
I, fortunately, have no direct experience with this, but it seems that many times, multiple officers will surround a suspect, all shouting conflicting orders. The person faced with that situation is essentially damned if they do and damned if they don't.
It would seem prudent in these types of engagements, especially when pulling over someone on the freeway with no prior record (if they didn't run the plates first, they probably should have) that one officer be pre-designated as the primary communicator and scene controller, either via rank, first on scene, or whatever, and the other officers remain silent unless making observations (such as "Gun!").
(Did I leave anything out?)
My only comment was regarding the hands off approach to occupy wallstreet protesters -comparison. Hope more facts are coming. Like why not use a taser first. If appropriate.
NOT TRUE! It will be ruled a good shoot. I guarantee it. There is almost never a case where a cop on duty shoots and kills someone where it is not ruled a good shoot. Ask Amadou Diallo ask Renaldo Cuevas Ask the nine people shot by police at the empire state building a couple of months ago (and how quickly THAT story died, eh)
The most recent exception to this that I'm aware of was in 2006 here in Atlanta where some white cops murdered a 92 year old black woman. basically went to the wrong address shot her to death and tried to cover up what happened. They were not convicted of murder and conspiracy after the fact, but rather violation of oath of office which carries a much lesser sentence. The only reason they were prosecuted at all was they were white and shot a black woman in black run Atlanta.
If a cop murders you or a family member, the only justice that you will get is if your remaining family takes condign action on their own.
No I think you got them all. :-)
My comment wasn't directed toward you.
"Now kiddies put your heads down on your desks and take a nap"
No, they didn't find a dog so they shot the drill instead...it looked menacing.
Like why even have a gun drawn in the 1st place.
Is that SOP for a traffic stop
Really? Bloomberg does NOT dislike guns per se. He dislikes guns NOT in the hands of the police. If you think he or any other liberal gives a gnat crap about the life of some citizen compared to their beloved thugs in blue, you've been living on a different
planet universe
"SHOOTING HIM DEAD was a bit excessive."
NO, Shooting him dead was murder!!! It's getting close to time for some serious payback for these instances of police criminal behavior. If the courts won't start incarcerating these murderers, then the people need to take matters into their own hands. Cops have become a national disgrace, just union thugs with guns!
In terms of criminal prosecution you could be correct.You could even be correct in terms of the findings of a disciplinary board.But you *know* that there will be lawyers lined up out the door wanting to represent the family.Who knows what such a lawyer might turn up about the service records of the cops involved.Who knows what the lawyer might turn up on the cop with the moslem sounding name.I think it's more likely than not that the family has just won the lottery...if for no other reason than the City of New York wanting to settle this thing quietly so as to avoid "discovery".
And believe me, that was a last step on a long road.
"If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you Hamdy."
It was even worse for the poor guy they murdered.
sounds like an assassination
was there a romney bump sticker on his car?
I agree. I was talking about criminal prosecution where the cop/criminal who committed the crime actually faces some consequences for his actions rather than the taxpayers taking it in the shorts.
Yes, that is much more sensible than all of them rushing the car barking orders.
Still, this would seem to have been a fairly standard traffic stop, and in those situations, there is no conceivable reason to rush the vehicle with guns drawn at all. That they did tells me that they must have been looking for an opportunity to shoot the guy, it's the only explanation that makes any sense.
Yeah him too. I got lazy about typing in examples of thugs in blue literally getting away with murder.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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Diamonds International
A visit to Cozumel would not be complete without previewing the selection of fine jewelry offered at Diamonds International.
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Limited Edition
Manhattan Lace Long Robe
Style: 570059663
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Dramatic long robe with an empire waist is trimmed in scalloped lace and has an attached charmeuse belt. Gorgeous over the Manhattan Lace Long Gown. An ensemble reminiscent of glamorous lingerie of the past, in the modern comfort of silky-soft knit jersey.
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- Charmeuse belt is attached at the sides.
- Length: 55".
- 90% Polyester, 10% Spandex. Machine wash, cold. Imported.
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Restoration Local Advantage 1-888-443-3110
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Most water damage is not caused by flooding or other large scale events, but rather it is the result of small leaks that went unnoticed over an extended period. By the time the leak is discovered, the damage has already been done, damage that may easily amount to hundreds or thousands of dollars. Whats worse, water damage will not be covered under most homeowners insurance policies if there is any way that the damage can be proven to be the result of homeowner neglect. Restoration Local is ready and available to determine and document the extent of the damage and work with your homeowners policy agent to make sure your claim is not denied and that all repair work is adequately covered.
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Zip Codes Near Ravine, PA
Nearby Cities
Water Damage Frackville
Water Damage Hubley
Water Damage Raven Run
Water Damage Pitman
Additional Restoration Services
- Water Damage Company
- Sewage Clean Up
- Fire Damage Restoration
- Mold Removal and Remediation
- Information about Water Damage on Wikipedia
Longitude: -76.403816000000


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Jun 12, 2012
Informed CIO: Private Cloud Automation
Our InformationWeek 2012 Private Cloud Survey shows that the technology has reached a tipping point: 51% of 414 respondents, all of them involved with managing, purchasing, advising on or implementing data center technologies, are either starting a project (30%) or have a private cloud today.
Unfortunately, when we asked those building private clouds about nine critical steps, orchestrating automation across multiple subsystems came in dead last (see Figure 1, p. 5). Let's be clear: no automation, no cloud.
How do we figure that? NIST defines cloud as having five essential characteristics: on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity or expansion, and measured service. While virtualization and proper WAN engineering will provide resource pooling, elasticity and broad network access, measured service and—most importantly—on-demand self-service are not part of standard virtualization management suites. No, for self-service, automation is required to drive the infrastructure in a preprogrammed fashion in accordance with "customer" desire, even if private cloud "customers" are really just internal resources. Here's how to get there. (S5170612)
Research Report


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Feb 17, 2012
Private clouds are the next stage in the virtualization of IT. A private cloud consists of pools of computing, storage and networking, all of which are available on demand. By using a private cloud, IT can more quickly provision new applications and services, adjust capacity to meet changes in resource demands and operate more efficiently overall. A private cloud also pushes IT closer to a service provider model, because it allows IT to roll out a service catalog to business users, who then can choose from a menu of applications or infrastructure services.
To build a private cloud, you have to lay the groundwork in three areas. First, virtualize compute, storage and network resources. Second, enable automation and orchestration to streamline common tasks, such as spinning up virtual machines (VMs), allocating storage, and rolling out port profiles that define network rules and policies. Last, actively market the new services to business units and internal customers. This report provides a blueprint for IT shops considering building a private cloud. We'll review each part of the process and identify potential pitfalls that can hinder construction. (S4220212)
Research Report


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skatingtripods wrote: how anybody can argue that he's too expensive, based on market value, is laughable.
Laughable is your manipulation of stats.
Take Jason Bay in your example (which he is not a good comparison by the way but the one with Cuddyer is)
Jason Bay's career numbers only fall down to where Willingham's are, due to injuries he suffered the last 2 seasons. It has nothing to do with his talent level. Jason Bay when healthy and in his prime was/is 3x the player Willingham is. Before these last 2 seasons his all around numbers were light years better than Willingham. The Mets paid him the contract he got because he had a proven track record of being an All Star and having Above Average offensive output and pretty good defense. They were paying him as a marque free agent as he should have been paid like one.
Willingham is only possibly getting that much due to supply and demand, that doesn't make it right nor does it mean he should get it. Willingham does not have a track record that indicates he should get that much money, but its free agency so teams will overpay which is part of the game. That being said I do see your point when compared to Cuddyer, it is ridiculous that Cuddyer is more sought after than Willingham when Willingham has had better career numbers. However it is scouts and GM's that are making that assumption so maybe they know or see something about Cuddyer that doesn't show up in the stats column that makes him more valuable than Willingham.
Also I don't doubt that he would help this team, just not on a 3 year deal for a team that constantly bitches about having to have financial flexibility or always points out their bad contracts as excuses when not being able to make moves or to have the ability to resign people. I would prob sign Willingham as I stated before on a one year deal. I desperately want this team to improve but they need to do it without screwing themselves even more for the future.


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Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Basic Pembroke Welsh Corgi Information
- Lifespan: 11 - 13 years
- Height: 10 - 12 inches
- Weight: 25 - 27 pounds
Medical Conditions Seen in Pembroke Welsh Corgis
- Von Willebrand's Disease
- Cataracts
- Corneal Dystrophy
- Cutaneous Asthenia
- Epilepsy
- Hip Dysplasia
- Intervertebral Disk Disease
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy
- Retinal Dysplasia
- Urolithiasis (Bladder Stones)
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Traits
- Jogging Partner
- Lap Dog
- Good with Children
- Warm Weather
- Cold Weather
- Grooming Requirements
- Shedding
- Barking
- Ease of Training
Pembroke Welsh Corgi History
- It may not look like it at first glance, but breed historians contend the corgi descends from the spitz family of dogs. This family is characterized by small pointed ears, pointed muzzle, thick fur, and a bushy tail. The corgi is a dwarfed version, likely related to the Swedish valhund or Norwegian buhund.
- The name Corgi may be derived from the Welsh "cor" (dwarf, or sometimes, to gather) and "ci" (dog), although it could also be derived from the word for cur.
- A Welsh cattle dog was mentioned as early as the 1100s, although it's not know if that was a type of corgi. They were well-documented by the 1800s.
- Corgis were used to drive cattle, gather flocks of geese and chickens, herd sheep and ponies, and to guard the farm.
- Their short stature and nimble action enabled them to duck beneath the kicking hooves of cattle.
- As a working dog, they were passed over in the early days of dog showing. Only in 1926 did they enter the show ring in England. At first, Pembroke and Cardigan Welsh corgis were shown as the same breed, despite the fact that the two were almost certainly derived from different stock.
- In 1933, Princess Elizabeth acquired her first Pembroke corgi, drawing attention to the breed. Her Corgis remain the most well-known Corgis in the world.
- The first corgis came to America in the early 1930s.
- The AKC recognized the Pembroke in 1934.
- By the 1960s, the Pembroke was one of the most popular dogs around the world, and especially in Britain. Its popularity has since waned somewhat, but it still has many followers.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Behavior Concerns
- Makes a biddable and fun-loving family member.
- Gentle and playful with children.
- When excited, many tend to nip at heels in play.
- Moderately outgoing toward strangers.
- Good with other dogs and pets.
- Willing to please, learns quickly.
- Does best with reward-based training using food or play.
- Some can bark a lot.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Suggested Exercises
- Makes a fairly calm and alert housedog if given adequate exercise.
- Requires daily exercise in the form of a long walk or short run. Vigorous games are also helpful.
- A well-fenced yard is essential.
- Herding is the favored exercise.
- This is not a breed for an inactive owner.
- Obedience training is essential for the mental exercise it provides.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Grooming
- Coat is medium length and somewhat coarse.
- It requires brushing once a week to remove dead hair.
- Shedding is average.
Suggested Pembroke Welsh Corgi Nutritional Needs
- Pembrokes have a tendency to be overweight.
- Adult dogs should be fed a balanced diet, with restricted calories if the dog starts to gain too much weight.
Did you know?
- Grapes and raisins are harmful to dogs.
- Some dog parasites are transferable to humans.
- Many common pet ailments may be detected early and prevented by visiting your veterinarian twice yearly - saving both time, money, and most importantly, ensuring the best quality of life for your dog.
Come visit us, we would love to see you!
We are here to help! Book an appointment today to continue your pet on a path to great health and wellness
Ask the Vet
Have unanswered pet health questions? Dr.Donna Spector, with 10+ years of hands-on Internal Medicine experience, is here with your answers every Friday.


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CP wrote:See, I disagree. Schools are always feeling the pressure to protect those at the top of the chain, particularly when those figures are nationally prominent and bring donors and money to the school just by their very presence. They only take action when forced to do so because the risk/reward slants too far in favor of covering it up for as long as possible.
Punishing the institution by taking away the money has the side effect of punishing student-athletes, but the institution still needs punished. Perhaps knowing that your programs will receive the death penalty if you allow this type of behavior to continue might prevent the next college president from looking the other way.
Just punishing the individuals insures that those in charge will just be smarter about throwing those beneath them under the bus. Protecting themselves and the institution is always their paramount concern. If, in the future, that means flipping on a prized asset like Joe Paterno (or Jerry Sandusky), then I would much rather have the potential tortfeasor on notice that he'll be turned in (and not protected) when he crosses the line.
And I respect that opinion.
But I think that the institution has been punished and will be punished further. Penn State is done as a tier 1 university. It will be decades, if they ever recover. And the lawsuits will come. They will pay out tens of millions over this. It will hurt and they will suffer.
And given that, I think that the NCAA bringing further punishments punishes the wrong people too much without adding much relative to the suffering PSU is going to suffer over this.


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This week Evan put together a Paramore prize package including the Limited reprint of the 'Paramount' t-shirt as well, a special version of the LA Trio Poster and the 'Shine Brighter' rubber bracelet.
Winner: Congratulations Cynthia M. from Santee, CA you are this weeks winner! Thanks to all who entered!


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Baseball BlackBaseball Collection. Select different.
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Embraceable Cool Nights
Support Pink Chemise w/Removable Cups
Style: 570067852
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Luxuriously soft pink chemise finished with a ruched bodice, black sheer lace inset under the bust and a satiny bow. From our Embraceable™ collection featuring the soothingly soft Cool Nights® knit you've come to love.
- From the Embraceable™ collection of PJs. The softest, most luxurious in the world.™
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- Wide straps in front; adjustable elastic back straps.
- Double-layered, seamed bodice offers gentle lift and soft support. Removable cups offer more coverage.
- Non-cling.
- Approximate length: 35.5" from shoulder.
- 93% Rayon, 7% Spandex. Machine wash, cold. Imported.
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Limited Edition
Ravishing Plunge Push Up Noir Bra
Style: 570062991
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Luxurious eyelash lace adds an elegant touch to your favorite Ravishing™ Plunge Push Up Bra. Amazing lift, perfect cleavage and a deep, décolletage neckline— it's sensual, supportive and totally gorgeous!
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- Signature hook-and-eye closure.
- Sizes: 34-36 B-D; 38 C-D.
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Black Cami
Style: 2570048736
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Luxuriously soft cami finished with a ruched bodice, feminine lace and a satiny bow. From our Embraceable™ collection featuring the soothingly soft Cool Nights™ knit you've come to love. Wear with the Cool Nights™ PJ Short or Crop Pant.
- Superior to cotton in softness, our Cool Nights™ knit draws perspiration away from skin to keep you cool and dry.
- Stretch knit retains shape and silky drape, even after countless washings.
- Adjustable straps.
- Double-layered, seamed bodice offers gentle lift and support.
- Non-cling.
- Length: 26.5" from shoulder.
- 93% Rayon, 7% Spandex. Machine wash, cold. Imported.
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SENSA Kit - Month 4
About this item
SENSA® is a leading weight-loss tool that has helped hundreds of thousands of people lose weight without traditional dieting, stimulants or pills.
Doctor Formulated- SENSA® is based on 25 years of research and testing from Dr. Alan Hirsch, this groundbreaking weight-loss system uses science and your sense of smell to help you eat less and lose weight. Dr. Hirsch spear-headed one of the largest studies on a non-prescription weight loss product where 1,436 people lost an average of 30.5 pounds in only 6 months.
Each month contains two shakers - one to keep at home and one to take with you. Shake the Tastants labeled "Salty" on salty or savory foods and the Tastants labeled "Sweet" on sweet foods. After 30 days, move on to the next month even if you have Tastants left over from the previous month.
- It's Easy - Shake SENSA® on your food before you eat
- Fits in your purse or pocket, no drastic lifestyle changes
- No stimulants, No pre-packaged meals, Calorie-free, Sugar-free, Sodium-free
- Based on 25 years of research, Studies show average weight loss of 30.5 pounds in 6 months
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David Frum has the story HERE:
Have you noticed that homelessness isn't worse? Here we are, living through the most protracted joblessness crisis since the Great Depression — and surprisingly, fewer people are living on the street.
The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that the number of the chronically homeless declined by 30% between 2005 and 2007. You might have expected the numbers to spike again when the financial crisis hit but no. Since 2007, the number of chronic homeless has dropped another 19%.
A broader measure of the number of homeless counts the number of ...
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Sep 24, 2012
What Is Software-Defined Networking?
Software-defined networking has the potential to fundamentally change the networking industry. Given that potential and the buzz that surrounds it, you might guess that SDN is a well-understood concept and has been deployed by a large number of IT organizations. The reality is that only a small percentage of IT organizations claim to be very familiar with SDN. In addition, our InformationWeek 2012 Software-Defined Networking Survey shows that only 4% of IT organizations have already implemented SDN and only another 5% of IT organizations are testing it. At present, SDN is only for early adopters.
It will be challenging for SDN to be broadly deployed in the near term in part because it's not a narrowly defined technology like TRILL or SPB. Rather, it's an approach to networking that focuses on centralizing control functionality and providing programmatic interfaces into a wide range of network equipment. It also requires an extensive ecosystem of vendors. The breadth of what is referred to as SDN is partially a result of the varying ways that it's possible to centralize control and provide programmatic interfaces into network elements.
This report aims to bring clarity to the nascent SDN market by outlining the major approaches to SDN. We dig into how these approaches are similar and where they differ, and we examine the benefits and drawbacks of each approach. It also shares the results from the InformationWeek Software-Defined Networking Survey, which measures IT pros' familiarity with and attitudes toward SDN and OpenFlow, a new protocol closely associated with SDN. Finally, it provides guidance to help IT organizations develop a strategy for SDN. (R5451012)
Survey Name InformationWeek 2012 Software-Defined Networking Survey
Survey Date July 2012
Region North America
Number of Respondents 250
Purpose To gauge awareness of and adoption plans for software-defined networking and OpenFlow technology.
Research Report


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Standard Poodle
Basic Standard Poodle Information
- Lifespan: 10 - 13 years
- Height: 15 - 21 inches
- Weight: 45 - 65 pounds
Medical Conditions Seen in Standard Poodles
- Otitis Externa
- Cushing's Disease
- Urolithiasis
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Epilepsy
- Hypothyroidism
- Addison's Disease
- Cardiomyopathy
- Von Willebrand's Disease
- Cataracts
- Entropion
- Gastric Dilation and Volvulus
- Glaucoma
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy
- Sebaceous Adenitis
Standard Poodle Traits
- Jogging Partner
- Lap Dog
- Good with Children
- Warm Weather
- Cold Weather
- Grooming Requirements
- Shedding
- Barking
- Ease of Training
Standard Poodle History
- The standard poodle is the original version of the poodle. It probably descended from the Barbet, a curly-coated dog found in France, Russia, Hungary, Germany and elsewhere in Europe.
- The German version of the Barbet became the dog we now know as the Poodle.
- The original poodle was a water dog known for its retrieving abilities. In fact, the word "poodle" comes from the German word "pfudel," which means "puddle" or "to splash," a reference to the poodle's ability as a water retriever.
- In France, the poodle was known as the caniche or chien canard, both names in reference to its duck-hunting ability.
- The poodle later worked as a circus performer, military dog, guard dog and guide dog.
- The poodle's hair cut originated as a working clip for retrieving in cold water. The hair was cropped close to cut down on its weight and drag, but left longer over the head and chest for warmth. Although it's often claimed the hair was left longer on the joints and tail tip for warmth and protection, evidence suggest that the style arose later, as decoration when the poodle became a performing circus dog. Regardless, the clip became more accentuated over time.
- The French aristocracy became enamored with the poodle and adopted it as its own. It eventually became the national dog of France.
- The AKC recognized the poodle in 1887. Only later did they split the breed into three varieties according to size.
- After a period in the 1920s during which they almost vanished from the American scene, poodles staged a comeback in the 1930s.
- Poodles were the most popular breed in America from 1960 to 1982, the longest continuous run of any breed, although standards were not as popular as the other sizes.
Standard Poodle Behavior Concerns
- Makes a biddable and fun-loving companion.
- Playful and very good with children.
- Friendly to strangers, other dogs and other pets.
- Does best with reward-based training involving food, games or praise.
- Eager to please, bright and responsive, poodles are among the easiest of dogs to train.
- Excels at obedience and agility competitions, therapy dog work, and even contraband detection.
Standard Poodle Suggested Exercises
- Makes a calm yet alert housedog.
- A long walk or jog, or several vigorous games, every day will meet its exercise needs.
- Poodles have even been trained to pull a dog sled.
- Enjoys retrieving.
- Standard poodles do well in dog parks.
- Games and tricks provide needed mental exercise.
- Swimming is a favored exercise, but a full coat can weigh down a dog.
- Its thick coat provides some protection against cold weather, but it cannot withstand prolonged exposure unless exercising.
Standard Poodle Grooming
- Coat is curly, harsh and dense.
- Brushing and combing every other day is necessary to prevent matting.
- Most people have their dogs professionally clipped every six weeks.
- Most people opt for a sporting clip where the hair is fairly short all over.
- Originally, poodle's coats were corded, so they hung in long dreadlocks. This takes a lot of work and is difficult to wash, so the style has fallen out of favor.
- Shedding is below average.
- The eyes should be checked regularly for hair or lashes that may irritate their surface.
- Hair growing inside the ears may need to be plucked out or clipped.
- While no dog is non-allergenic, poodles seem to cause allergic reactions in fewer people.
Suggested Standard Poodle Nutritional Needs
- Poodles tend to stay in good weight. The thick coat can sometimes obscure weight problems, so be sure to use your hands to feel.
- Adult dogs should be fed a balanced diet, with restricted calories if the dog starts to gain too much weight.
Did you know?
- Grapes and raisins are harmful to dogs.
- Some dog parasites are transferable to humans.
- Many common pet ailments may be detected early and prevented by visiting your veterinarian twice yearly - saving both time, money, and most importantly, ensuring the best quality of life for your dog.
Come visit us, we would love to see you!
We are here to help! Book an appointment today to continue your pet on a path to great health and wellness
Ask the Vet
Have unanswered pet health questions? Dr.Donna Spector, with 10+ years of hands-on Internal Medicine experience, is here with your answers every Friday.


text:
5 Seemingly Small Hard Ciders and Their Big Corporate Owners
According to market research firm SymphonyIRI Group, hard cider sales at supermarkets and other stores hit about $90 million for the 12 months ending Oct. 30. That's up more than 65% from a year earlier and outpaces the 5.6% growth of wine, 13% growth of the craft beer segment and 1.4% decline in overall beer sales just a year earlier. Considering that SymphonyIRI's research excludes sales at liquor stores discount stores such as Wal-Mart
Part of cider's appeal is that it has roughly the same low alcohol content of beer, but a sweeter flavor for those put off by hop or grain bitterness. Hard cider makers press apples for their juice, add yeast and let the mixture ferment in a process similar to winemaking. The yeast chows down on the sugars in the juice and produces a concoction with 5% to 6% alcohol by volume. That's similar to beer and, like beer, can have its alcohol levels reduced to a more drinkable brew below 4% ABV or raised to a potent, wine-like concoction closer to 12% ABV.
Nonetheless, hard cider sales still get tossed into the overall beer market and account for 0.2% of of sales, according to a report by Nomura Research, which is a sixth of the 1.2% market share held by Samuel Adams Brewer Boston Beer
That sweetness gets cider just about everywhere. Roughly half of cider's consumer base is made up of women, compared with only 20% for beer. It also sells for an average of $35 a case, according to Nomura. That's well above the $29-a-case paid for imported beers and $33 brought in by craft beer.
Since last year, Anheuser-Busch InBev