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Blog Archives
OH FFS: On Mike Pence and Marital Ethics
I cannot believe the brouhaha over VP Mike Pence's comments that he won't dine alone or meet alone with women in order to protect his marriage. Gods forbid a man make choices that support his personal and religious ethics and commitment to the woman he married. I wasn't planning on writing anything on this, but having been in two discussions and recently seen the mess at Patheos Pagan portal, I felt moved to weigh in. Pence doesn't need "consent culture" as Beckett so naively assumes, but maybe Pagans need to develop a sense of traditional values.
While I disagree with almost every point of Pence's political policy, I fully support the respect and mindfulness with which he treats his marriage. This isn't a matter of having little respect for women, or of thinking himself incapable of control. It's a matter of simple common sense. He is refusing to put himself in a situation where A) he might be tempted to break his vows (temptations happen, we're biological creatures) and B) where he might be perceived as unethical or worse falsely accused. Frankly, given the insanity of the left I don't blame him one bit. I would never want to put someone I loved through that.
But moreover, this is common policy in some fields. I teach and my supervisors have always told us not to meet privately with students of either gender. We were counseled to always crack a door open and to meet in the department when and where other professors were present. This protects not only the faculty member, but the student too. It's also not an uncommon practice across religions. This is every day for devout Muslims, Orthodox Jews, and many denominations of Christians. I do this to some degree. Since I married I don't meet with male clients privately. My work-around is having studio space where someone else is almost always present and I schedule those client meetings when the CPA in the next office over and his receptionist are going to be present. It's a matter of respect and avoiding the impression of impropriety. (For the record, my husband doesn't care whether or not I do this and finds it old fashioned and amusing).
The question that I would ask VP Pence, and that I'd drill hard for an answer is this: what are your work-arounds? How do you ensure that these practices don't unfairly discriminate against your female co workers?
I have quite a lot of religious taboos and I can tell you that there are always work- arounds. There are always ways of accommodating one's secular work while adhering to one's religious principles. It takes a bit of thought and sometimes a bit of creativity but there are always ways to accommodate both (or almost always).
I don't know why everyone is getting so worked up over this. This is their personal choice, the way they respect their commitment to marriage. The only ones who really have a say in this are Pence and his wife and yet even having or presenting a traditional marriage based on values is so shocking in this day and age that all these people need to jump in and tell them that maybe Mrs. Pence should be doing a slutwalk instead. Have any women come forward alleging discrimination by Pence because of this? Would they be happier if his career was mired in the kinds of scandals that Bill Clinton and Anthony Wiener have? Would they be happier if some poor aide was coerced into a sexual situation with him because that's the norm in DC today? The culture has fallen so low that they can only wallow in degeneracy, promiscuity, and lack of willpower. The idea of holding to a standard is 'triggering' to them. It's not surprising that many of the Pagans speaking about this were the ones who defended Kenny Klein and attacked the family that he abused. This kind of permissive, anything goes attitude, which is in stark contrast to the values of our ancestors, is going to ensure that there is no future for these communities.
Finally, if you value something you make both choices and sacrifices to preserve it. Virtue doesn't just happen. As any of our ancestors would tell us, it takes thought and constant vigilance. It takes cultivation. Why is it always about sexual permissiveness? If one really values consent, then that includes the decision to abstain from fucking everyone and everything on the planet; it includes the decision to honor one's commitments. But no, the person with values is always the one attacked because in the end, they don't want us to have values because values lead to traditions and culture and the ability to see through hardship.
Censorship is Never Ok: Whitney Museum and Artist Dana Schutz Face Attacks Over Key Piece in the Whitney's 2017 Biennial.
Apparently there is a small furor brewing over at the Whitney Museum in New York City. It all centers around a painting featured in their 2017 Biennial: "Open Casket 2016" by artist Dana Schutz.
Firstly, here is the painting in question:
("Open Casket 2016" by Dana Schutz)
It is a memorial piece, her interpretation of the horrific murder of Emmett Till, which helped spark this nation's Civil Rights movement.
The photo of Emmett Till in his casket has become iconic, a symbol of the fight for justice that galvanized this nation, a fight that is still going on. Till's mother, having lost her only son in a most horrific manner, insisted on an open casket saying, "Let the people see what I have seen." He was murdered for supposedly whistling at a white woman. The woman in question admitted that her accusations were false just this year.
I still remember my own response when, early in my twenties I first saw the iconic photograph of Mr. Till in his coffin (it is extremely graphic and I am not posting it here, but this link will take readers directly to the photograph). It was like a punch in the gut. It leveled me. It apparently left quite an impression on Dana Schutz too, and her painting shows that the death of Emmett Till still has the power to affect us today. When I saw that she titled it 'Open Casket 2016' I was even more moved, because it's a clear statement that what happened to Till is still happening. It's an acknowledge of the pain of ever mother who has ever lost her child to racism and violence. The artist herself said that she responded viscerally as a mother to Emmett Till's death.
Art critic Hannah Black has a problem with that and has started a campaign not only to have the painting removed, but to see it destroyed. Not only has she started a petition to that effect (recently amended to show only the names of black signatories) but she is also encouraging her non-black supporters to vandalize the painting having recently updated her post to say the following, "Non-Black people super very welcome to help get painting destroyed tho [sic] in other ways."
She doesn't like this piece and she is calling for it to be destroyed. She is advocating for others to try to destroy it. She is calling for the willful silencing of an artist and the destruction of that person's art. She is willfully trying to shut another artist down.
Hannah Black and those signatories are saying this painting is exploitative because the artist isn't black. From the day of the opening last week, there have been protestors lined up in front of Ms. Schutz's painting purposely blocking it from being viewed by those attending the exhibit. Its sole offense? The artist isn't black. I'm not a fucking basket of fruit but that doesn't stop me from painting the occasional still life. Art is that thing which crosses all boundaries after all. One does not need to be a particular anything in order to paint it.
Apparently "Open Casket 2016" is racist and exploitative though because the artist isn't herself black. That is the objection, not the nature of the art itself. Seriously, if you would find this piece acceptable if the artist were black, then you're not worried about exploitation, you're just a racist. You, Ms. Black, are the worst kind of racist and I sincerely hope that you are arrested for attempting to promote vandalism and destruction of Museum property. You are a disgusting human being.
I also hope the Whitney doesn't cave here and I hope to Gods they have security on this painting, which represents one of the most horrific events in the American Civil Rights movement. We should remember this event. We should be struck and moved and rendered by art. What we shouldn't do is censor it. Ever but most especially when it upsets us.
We've seen this play out before. How many cultural icons do these deluded people need to destroy before we learn our lesson? Can anyone say Inquisition, Cultural Revolution, Soviet Russia? The moment you begin advocating for the destruction of artistic freedom, you lose. NO SUBJECT SHOULD BE OFF LIMITS TO AN ARTIST. I hope this makes Dana Schutz's career.
Be sure to check out my other sites:
Wyrd Curiosities at Etsy
My academia.edu page
My amazon author page.
Walking the Worlds Journal
My art blog at Krasskova Creations
My blog about all things strange, weird and medieval.
And if you like what you see, consider becoming a sponsor at Patreon.
Wow…Just…Wow: talk about missing the point
Someone emailed a colleague of mine out of the blue with the following question (he shared it largely out of shock at the utter obliviousness of it all):
-" What does the shaman who horses (1) deities get in return for all the sacrifice, hard work & suffering they had to endure to become a shaman in the first place?… Can the shaman expect to be a highly skilled & powerful sorcerer whose (sic) able to bring about change in his life & this world through sorcery, after horsing deities for years? Or is it dependent on the relationship that is forged with the deity?"
The question is offensive on many levels and oblivious on many others, so much so that I was left quite literally speechless when my friend emailed me. (I think I said something to the effect of 'I don't know quite what to say here but you do get the best questions. Damn!').(2)
Even writing this, I'm still pretty boggled by the question. First of all, what do you get? You get a job. You get the honor and privilege of serving the Gods, a particular privilege that most people never even conceive of let alone experience.
But more to the point, it's not about us. A shaman provides service to the Gods and to the community. It's not self-serving. No one in their right mind would want this job and yet, it is an honor and a privilege to be taken up in this way.
I just am so boggled by the incorrect attitude displayed in the email, not just to the idea of a shaman's work being for personal empowerment, but the idea that we can use relationships with the Gods for personal greed. It is so incredibly wrong. If you ever wanted a primer on how not to approach the Holy Powers, this is it.
There are many ways to approach the Gods but first and foremost there is a foundational commonality on those that are appropriate and that commonality is respect. These are Holy Powers. They are the Movers and Shapers of the Cosmos. We were created to exist in right relationship with Them. They do not exist to pander to the worst of our instincts and desires.
Part of regaining right relationship with the Powers involves understanding that everything is not about us. We are not the super-center of the cosmos. The universe does not exist to cater to our whims and to stroke our egos.
So to answer this fool's question, you get to be of service. You get to go to your grave knowing you did your part to restore right relationship communally with the Gods. You get to experience specific Deities more closely than can ever be imagined. That is both a grace and a blessing. No, you cannot, as a result of horsing (or anything else we do) expect to be "a highly skilled & powerful sorcerer" capable of bending the world to his will (and if you want to study magic, that too is a lifetime's commitment and takes sacrifice). This is not a D&D game. And everything, everything is always dependent on the relationships we forge with our Gods, and those relationships that we nurture? They're the reward for the work.
1. To horse a Deity is to carry that Deity via possession. It's terminology drawn from the Afro-Caribbean traditions. The Deity "rides" the devotee as one might ride a horse.
2. I asked my colleague's permission to share the question for this post.
Be sure to check out my other sites:
Wyrd Curiosities at Etsy
My academia.edu page
My amazon author page.
Walking the Worlds Journal
My art blog at Krasskova Creations
My blog about all things strange, weird and medieval.
And if you like what you see, consider becoming a sponsor at Patreon.
A Valuable Lesson…on what NOT to do
This shows everything NOT to do when you want to work effective magic, up to and including insulting the city and land spirits.
How utterly pathetic. If you want to be competent, do the opposite of what you see here.
A Perfect Example of Acedia
Or "I don't believe in Gods because polytheists are mean. Muh feelings. Muh feminism. The patriarchy."
My husband is a bit of a provocateur. He often sends me articles of which he thinks I ought to be aware. Today was one such example, though I think he mostly does this to wind me up and get me going. Sometimes I even allow that to work. Like today. I woke up to find this piece of steaming horseshit in my inbox. Because my husband cares.
Ah what the hell. I haven't gone on a good tear in awhile.
So the author of the aforementioned piece begins by announcing that she has "god-fatigue." Makes me wonder what the Gods have with us sometimes but oh well, let's look at the piece paragraph by paragraph. cracks knuckles
"After taking a couple of weeks off from blogging, and then being gently informed by my editor that those couple of weeks were actually six months, I realized that I'm burned out on gods."
Yes, that's called acedia, and reams of paper have been expended with advice on how to combat its degenerative effects on one's spiritual life. It's certainly not something to indulge, nor is it something of which to be proud.
Generations of Christian theologians have written about this particular spiritual vice with a goal of preparing people to combat it. It was once considered one of the eight deadly vices, which Gregory the Great compressed into the seven deadly sins. Acedia is spiritual negligence but it leads to a listlessness and torpor in attending to spiritual duties. John Cassian referred to it as a 'persistent and obnoxious enemy' and Psalm 90 calls it the 'noonday demon.' (1). It can afflict anyone engaged in spiritual practice and the generally accepted "cure" for this affliction is work: lack of idleness, consistent prayer, more spiritual engagement.
Evagrius of Pontus in his text Praktikos also talks about Acedia and Cassian was deeply influenced by and indebted to this earlier theologian:
The demon of acedia—also called the noonday demon —is the one that causes the most serious trouble of all. He presses his attack upon the monk about the fourth hour and besieges the soul until the eighth hour. First of all he makes it seem that the sun barely moves, if at all, and that the day is fifty hours long. Then he constrains the monk to look constantly out the windows, to walk outside the cell, to gaze carefully at the sun to determine how far it stands from the ninth hour, to look now this way and now that to see if perhaps [one of the brethren appears from his cell]. Then too he instills in the heart of the monk a hatred for the place, a hatred for his very life itself, a hatred for manual labor. He leads him to reflect that charity has departed from among the brethren, that there is no one to give encouragement. Should there be someone at this period who happens to offend him in some way or other, this too the demon uses to contribute further to his hatred. This demon drives him along to desire other sites where he can more easily procure life's necessities, more readily find work and make a real success of himself. He goes on to suggest that, after all, it is not the place that is the basis of pleasing the Lord. God is to be adored everywhere. He joins to these reflections the memory of his dear ones and of his former way of life. He depicts life stretching out for a long period of time, and brings before the mind's eye the toil of the ascetic struggle and, as the saying has it, leaves no leaf unturned to induce the monk to forsake his cell and drop out of the fight. No other demon follows close upon the heels of this one (when he is defeated) but only a state of deep peace and inexpressible joy arise out of this struggle.(2)
While Evagrius was writing specifically for monastics, it was understood that acedia wasn't just something against which monks and nuns had to guard. It could afflict anyone. It's spiritual laziness, spiritual torpor…I might even go so far as to call it a spiritual depression and it requires treatment. Monks had an advantage over the lay person in that they had a systematized access to teachers, spiritual directors, superiors, etc. Pagans and Polytheists can suffer from acedia too and unlike monks, we don't generally have access to competent spiritual direction. Our communities just aren't there yet (as this article so clearly shows. Commentators on the piece are more interested in spewing pseudo-feminist claptrap about "the patriarchy" than offering advice on how to overcome spiritual depression). Acedia is horrible and it can be wrenchingly difficult to haul oneself up out of the pit into which it can thrust a person.
The author of the piece goes on, declaring:
"I never came to Witchcraft for the gods,"
and that says it all right there. But you stayed, you know, so you could do your part in preventing any actual spirituality from happening.
Still further, we're told:
"…but mythological deities–you know, the ones whose stories you can read at your local public library–hold such a fundamental place in modern Paganism that they quickly seeped into my practice. Starhawk's writings center on nature, the immanent Goddess, and the horned God; Reclaiming Witchcraft centers on gods from world mythology and folklore to the point that–and this is a very gentle, loving critique–we hold rituals in Redwood forests and on dramatic beaches and give only the most cursory nod to the abundant spirits around us, focusing instead on gods and stories from faraway cultures. I stepped back from my local ritual planning circle in part because we invoked gods even for business meetings, and I was tired of elaborate, theatrical invocations for deities I didn't care about. Other Reclaimers find deep meaning in the gods they work with, and I'm happy for them. But I eventually had to admit that it wasn't for me."
Wow. So you're shallow and it just rubs you the wrong way that people participating in a RELIGION want to actually focus on Gods (though I agree: nature spirits should also be given their due, especially when in their domain).
I also question the term 'work with Gods.' Do we work with Them or honor Them, venerate Them, praise Them, celebrate Them? I know that this term is in common usage and I've used it myself in the past but more and more it rubs me the wrong way. What message are we sending when we talk about working with Gods? If it's the sense that we are in Their employ, well ok. I can see that. Too often though it comes across more as though They are pieces in some game that we're playing, an attitude that sets my teeth on edge. I think it's important to be mindful of the language we use in discussing the Gods and in discussing our relationship with Them and I'm aware there's a learning curve here for all of us. It can be sometimes difficult to find comprehensive terminology for experiences and Beings that seem so far beyond the power of language to adequately describe. It's important to try though.
Asa continues: "This isn't to say that I've never had good or powerful experiences with gods. I have, and I continue to. It's just taken me a long time–an embarrassingly long time–to realize that the antlered god I love so fiercely is older and wilder than the embossed silver figure with the Roman name; that statements like "the Morrigan is the goddess of sovereignty" currently accomplish nothing except to carve off and lock away swaths of the Morrigan's infinite potential; that it really is ridiculous to take stories recorded and adapted by Christians and try to pound them into Pagan orthodoxy. (All the dogma thrown down by thin-skinned BNPs, all the shrieking and squawking between hard polytheists and atheist pagans, haven't helped, either.)"
The names don't carve off and lock away anything because actual devotees realize that a name is just that: one way of calling on a tiny part of an enormous Force. They allow us a means of engagement, of interaction but no one with any sense thinks that a single name encompasses the fullness of any Deity.
And all those hard polytheists? They're engaged in something called theology and tradition-building which is important to people who care about their Gods. It's how traditions grow and become something that lasts beyond one generation. It's how we develop praxis that actually keeps the Gods central instead of tangential to our traditions. It's how we develop theology.
Beyond that, you really shouldn't be giving people on the internet power over your religious practices and beliefs. If it's that much of a problem, disengage from the internet and focus on your Gods and spirits. If you don't think land spirits are getting enough attention, well, work on that, because that's important. Spirits of the land, spirits of our cities, spirits of place often don't get the attention or the offerings they deserve. It's only been in the last seven or eight years that I've seen our various communities really grasp the importance of honoring the ancestors. I don't think as groups that we're really there yet with land vaettir.
"What is the purpose of this post, exactly? I'm not sure. Partly it's to explain where I've been all these months. And partly it's to hold myself accountable to the heart of my practice, which I found breathtakingly articulated by Peter Grey when I first discovered his writing:
'Witchcraft is quintessentially wild, ambivalent, ambiguous, queer. It is not something that can be socialised, standing as it does in that liminal space between the seen and unseen worlds. Spatially the realm of witchcraft is the hedge, the crossroads, the dreaming point where the world of men and of spirits parlay through the penetrated body of someone who is outside of the normal rules of culture. What makes this all the more vital is the way in which the landscape of witchcraft is changing. Ours is a practice grounded in the land, in the web of spirit relationships, in plant and insect and animal and bird. This is where we must orientate our actions, this is where our loyalty lies'."
well, accountability is good. It is the heart of any spiritual practice so maybe, just maybe, there's hope for you yet. Certainly polytheism is deeply relational. It is all about that interconnecting web of relationships: with Gods, ancestors, land spirits, elders, one's community, one's family, one's country, one's world.
"For many Pagans, working with named and storied gods reinforces their connection to the land. That's beautiful and vital and life-giving, and I'm glad that it's happening."
…those relationships should be reinforcing relationships with the Gods. Engaging with the Holy Powers shouldn't have to be a step toward something else, something more human, more oriented to our world for it to be considered valuable. Ever and always it seems the Gods get short-changed.
"For me, though, those names and stories have proven to be a distraction."
It shouldn't be. Story is powerful and transformative. If it's a distraction then perhaps it's not being engaged with properly. The stories are only the beginning, not scripture, not end-points. This article began by neatly dismissing 'myth,' which shows rather a lack of knowledge about what 'myth' actually is. μῦθος is story, speech, that which is worthy of being recorded and retold. It has purpose, design, and power. It has the ability to transform the listener. It is a container for Mystery. We can remake ourselves through the power of Story and re-ignite and remake our relationships with our world and our Gods. To dismiss our myths as distractions shows a remarkable lack of both clarity and creativity.
But let us continue, "When I write about deities in public, I find that some readers' comprehension stops where a god's name begins (Oh, yes, that god, I'm already an expert in that god, no need to listen further), and accusations of "unverified gnosis" (can you think of a sillier, more pointless term?) take the place of any semblance of theological discussion."
Well, shame on those readers and yes, I agree UPG is the most idiotic expression ever to come into being. It's often used as a means of shutting down discourse, especially theological discourse. All religion, if we want to think about it academically, might easily be termed UPG. Lack of comprehension on the part of readers is an incitement to better clarity not a reason to stop engaging.
"When I call to them in private, the names veil everything around me in a vague demand for reality to conform to some myth. I mean, not all the time. When I see Venus, I smile at Inanna in the sky. I pray to Sophia and to Shekhinah. I pour milk and whiskey for Anu and the Bucca. But it's a matter of calibration, of catching the moment when the name and the prayer stand in for actual contemplation, when we swap modern Christian hegemony for the hegemony of some other wealthy priesthood from the past."
Ah, I forget sometimes when dealing with Marxists that anti-theism is at the core of Marxist theories so of course it all eventually comes down to hegemonic structures with them. So sad. Is it any wonder depth of engagement is difficult? It's actually not a matter of catching the moment when it comes to devotion. It's a matter of learning to put oneself in the appropriately receptive head and heart-space for engagement to occur. There is an element of surrender there, and the accountability of personal preparation. But I guess Marxists are only good at getting other people to submit.
To continue, "What I'm saying, I suppose, is that despite (because of) Very Serious High Priests and impassioned flame wars, concepts like "Morrigan" or "Cernunnos" have started to feel like brightly colored illustrations in a picture book to me. We can do better with our theology, opening up possibilities instead of shutting them down. (Demands to "verify" gnosis serve only to stamp out any insights that don't serve the most powerful voices.) Meanwhile, in my own practice, I've gone back to my roots, finding the exact same gods I left behind–only older and wiser, with names that are unpronounceable."
First of all, THEY'RE NOT CONCEPTS. Maybe that's your problem. Start approaching Them like Beings and not concepts and you won't have a spiritually empty life. This is what we can learn from our ancestors. But oh, I forgot: Marxist. Ahistorical. I guess following a belief structure (Marxism) that once encouraged throwing shamans out of planes to see if they could fly (and in reality to break the religious structures of indigenous peoples) does put a "fly in the ointment" so to speak, when it comes to serious engagement.(3)
Finally, she concludes, "As I write this, it's raining in Los Angeles–a precious event that may actually have a chance of pulling us out of our six-year drought. The gratitude coursing through me at the sound of water, the sense of peace I feel when I look out at the winter clouds, is what brought me to Witchcraft. Witchcraft, to me, is keeping my eyes open to the countless spirits and oracles all around me."
But not Gods apparently. Fuck them I guess.
- See Cassian's Institutes, Book 10.
- Evagrius Ponticus, The Praktikos & Chapters on Prayer, tr. John Eudes Bamberger, OCSO (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian, 1981), pp. 18-19.
- See here. It was actually Soviet policy in the early years of the Soviet Union to attack shamans and spiritual leaders int his way.
Viva la Revolution
I hate identity politics. I find them utterly inane and it appalls me to see how much they're seeping into the fabric of our communities. I was thinking about this today as I was studying and contemplating our communities and the Gods. Identity as anything other than a servus or serva deorum (to borrow and slightly amend a term from late antiquity) is, to my mind, both short sighted and sad.
The only identity that should consume us, drive us, define us, envelop us is as a devotee of our Gods. Anything else is irrelevant, limiting, shallow. What does it matter what gender, orientation, race, size, etc. someone is? These things are variable in comparison with the soul. These things can change. These are things of man. The only identity that matters is whether or not we're in clean service to our Gods. Be one laity or clergy or somewhere in between, we carry our Gods and Their mysteries with us. We are carriers of Their Mysteries. We carry Them and it's incumbent upon us to do it well.
I support indigenous cultures, and the right of each of us to participate in the restoration of our indigenous polytheisms because those are specific expressions of the Mysteries of the Gods. They are containers, sacred and beautiful for those things the Gods may give. Maintaining them is part of being in right relationship with our Gods. They are important but to obsess over genitalia or with whom someone might choose to partner…not so much. Those things are fluid. What do you do then if the Gods tell you to change those things? The flesh is beautiful, pleasurable, sacred, and sometimes even holy but all things of the flesh are transient. It is the Gods that are eternal and immortal.
Our society, our world more and more is becoming narcissistic, shallow, secular, and soul-warping. Why? Perhaps because when people are like that, they're easily manipulated. Obsession with identity politics is part and parcel of that. If you have no grounding in anything else other than your 'identity,' you can be sold products, you can be divided into opposing camps, you can be rendered irrelevant. Having a grounding in nothing else makes it that much easier to spit on the sacred.
I'll give you a perfect example. A few days ago Wild Hunt posted an article about the suicide of Pagan artist and shaman Seb Barnett. A "regular commenter," some foul piece of shit by the name Damiana decided to use this memorial piece as the venue to attack Barnett's memory. Why? Identity politics (and apparently lack of compassion, piety, sense, and the ability to form a critical argument) to violate this memorial space. It was disgusting to read and very sad. Instead of remembering this poor kid's death, someone desecrated and dismissed it. Their priorities were not the sacred, not remembrance, not propriety but mindlessly chanting their identity politics to the world (while challenging the opinions of those who are actually of the identity Damiana purported to be defending, at one point even questioning whether or not a commenter was actually Native…because they disagreed). THIS shows exactly what happens when you prioritize identity politics, human nonsense, anything not only above the sacred but also above common decency. One shouldn't have to be told to respect the dead and the space in which others remember and grieve. If you do, I not only question your identity but your right to call yourself a human being.
The only thing worth one iota of our fervor is the Gods. There's a wonderful quote by Catherine of Siena, which I'm slightly pluralizing for obvious reasons: "Be what your Gods meant you to be and you will set the world on fire." This world of products, prefabricated identities, and gross irreverence needs to burn. Putting the Gods first would be the truly revolutionary act.
Seriously? Oh I'm so scared (sarcasm)
It is no surprise to anyone that i'm not a fan of the current social justice movements impacting our communities. It's not that I think inequalities shouldn't be addressed (I very much think they should be effectively addressed) but rather than i question the tactics of harassment, bullying, and attempted intimidating of anyone who doesn't buy into certain opinions wholesale. I'm very much a fan of free speech, discourse, and discussion.
Imagine my amusement then when I began receiving emails about my etsy shop from a "concerned community member." My refusal to remove certain items has led to veiled threats like
"I just want to make sure that I'm correctly understanding you so that I can accurately convey your answers to the others who are concerned about this!"
You know, with the undercurrent of 'bow to our demands or we're going to fuck with you.' I've about half a dozen, maybe more emails from the same person about this, even though I have indicated that their discomfort is their own issue, and I"m not changing my etsy site and even though I have requested that communication cease.
Let the games begin. I have had better people than these come at me. It's almost laughable that someone would try to intimidate me like this. I did point out that perhaps if they are so concerned about social injustice they should stop harassing me and get out there and do something worthwhile to change the inequalities that really are twisting and corrupting our world, to which I was assured
"that online work has its place in the landscape in which we live today, as part of a larger strategy of coalition-building — but I understand that there are disparities along many lines of differences between us in how that tends to play out.
I'd say that my working group is primarily focused on advocacy and activism, but we sometimes entertain fantasies that our larger spiritual community might be a place where we could all care for each other and protect each other from micro- and macroaggressions and harm. (That's why I'm the one messaging you, as a fellow white person!)"
You know what i entertain fantasies of? A community that prioritizes veneration of the Gods and actual religion. Maybe a community that doesn't feel the need to demand group think. Definitely a community that doesn't pull such assed up passive aggressive attempts at emotional extortion. This is the worst kind of slacktivism that I've seen in awhile and I'm sure these people entertain notions that they are equivalent to Martin Luther King and Malcolm X because they sent some emails and tweeted footage of actual people out there on the streets trying to make a difference. Come for me. I"ve been Heathen probably longer than y'all have been alive. Have at it.
Are You Really Ok With This?
I never, ever thought I'd be writing something supporting the AFA. I'm not a member and I'm not folkish but over the last couple of weeks as more and more people in our communities dogpile on them, I've been watching from the side lines growing more and more concerned. Then yesterday, I saw this article and that the not so aptly named Camp Courage had, at the last minute, caved to pressure from HUAR and others who were calling in and refused to honor their contract to host an AFA harvest gathering. The AFA was left scrambling to find a new venue, which I'm told they did. That's when I decided I had to say something.
Why are more people not up in arms about this? Seriously. Do you not see what is going on?
A group made a statement articulating its values. They never said that they spoke for all of Asatru or Heathenry. They specifically said they don't monitor what their own members do or how well they adhere to these values. They made a statement about their core values on their own facebook page, to their own members. Whether or not you agree with that statement is beside the point. They have both freedom to speak and freedom to assemble in this country. Moreover, groups and traditions have the right to make decisions about their values and membership. If one doesn't like the result, well the adult thing to do is to find a group or tradition more suited to one's own values. That of course, predictably, is not what happened here.
Now, I rather expected the Troth to take a run at them. There's been long standing tensions between the folkish and universalist camps within Heathenry and they are after all competing for the same demographic. There was never any expectation that the Troth would take the high road. (For the record, I am most adamantly NOT a member of either the Troth or the AFA. I have theological issues with them both). As you can see from the link, they're not even responding to what the AFA actually said; they're responding to what they would like us all to believe they said. What I didn't expect was for everyone else to unthinkingly jump on the outrage brigade with them.
No one seems to have given a thought that this is polytheists attacking another group of polytheists – and not just verbally but with real world consequences; or more troubling, to the long term effects of such behaviors. I am old enough and have been a polytheist long enough to remember when gatherings were kept secret, when groups didn't post about things, when there was a veil of secrecy over who was doing what and where, and on the way this stifled the growth of our traditions. Is that what we want to go back to?
Those attacking the AFA are doing so thinking that they are perfectly justified in doing so, and may even think they are doing a good thing. After all, these people think differently. They don't tow the leftist party line. They don't give a rat's ass about what HUAR, Rhyd, G&R, tumblr or any other group of people might think. They have to be brought down. Well, it's the AFA today but I think HUAR and co. are testing the waters, just as they were doing when they tried to brand me a racist for posting a video critical of rape gangs (really people, read my blog and make up your own mind there). They're doing this to see A) how people react and B) if they can whip the communities up into a frenzy and take down this organization. What's next? Are they going to go after John Michael Greer because he disagrees with Rhyd? Or will it be some poor group of Dianics who just want to be left to practice their tradition in peace? (I happen to think Dianics are ludicrous but you know what my response is to that? I don't try to attend their gatherings). Whose livelihood are they going to destroy next? They've already managed to get a teacher at Cherry Hill to resign. It's no longer enough to say "I disagree with their position on X and here's why," now the opposition has to be demonized (regardless of what their position actually is, mind you. Let's call them far right, fascist, racist, homophobic, transphobic insert charged term du jour here). It's no long enough to have one's own space, now opposition must be silenced and brought to heel until they confirm ideologically.
Think about that. While you're patting yourself on the back for protecting diversity, think really hard about that.
Think about who might be next. Think about your own gatherings disrupted because someone doesn't find you ideologically pure enough. Think about the phone call to your boss outing you as Pagan, Heathen, pseudo fascist (even if you're not). Rhyd is going around (most recently on John Beckett's patheos column) talking about how there is no witch hunt from the anarcho-Marxist left. He'll still be saying that I'm sure, when they come for you
If you're not ok with this, say something
Rhyd's call for an anti-fascist witch hunt hasn't resulted in any witch hunting but his friends on tumblr haven't seemed to have caught that memo.
EDIT apparently some people think i agree with this horse shit (the article linked below). I do not. I find these tactics repugnant. I posted to alert people as to the depths to which some will sink in order to silence free speech and to prevent our traditions from rooting and growing.
I particularly like these leaps in logic (and law):
2. Trap them. Catch them doing or saying something illegal and record it. Anonymously notify the correct authorities. If he's racist he's probably also a raging misogynist, here is a pretty high percent chance he beats women. Bust him for that.
3.Sabotage. Sabotage everything. Their protests, their social events, their rituals…their relationships. Sabotage them physically, sabotage them magically. Block them at protests. Blast distractingly loud noises in the vicinity of their rituals. Curse them liberally.
NO pun intended, I'm sure.
I guess freedom of speech really isn't free. or a thing. anymore.
Is this the community you want? Are these the tactics of which you approve? Your silence makes this possible.
Tumblr is the Devil
Over breakfast this morning I was having a lively chat with a colleague about our respective requirements for our formal students and apprentices (and by formal student, I do not mean someone who signs up to take one of my online classes, but rather someone who has formally contracted with me to be taught within one of the lineages I carry). My friend was surprised when I told her that one of the first things I do now is require my formal students and apprentices to delete any tumblr accounts they may have and to stay off tumblr completely for the duration of their training. I used to make this a strong suggestion, but over the last year it's become pretty non-negotiable for me.(1)
Over the past year, I've had the opportunity to watch those ensconced in the tumblr community interact devotionally. I've seen the nonsense coming endlessly out of these sites (more so than on any other type of social media including Facebook and Twitter): the reification of pop culture as proper polytheism, the often complete lack of critical thinking, the shallowness, and the lack of reverence (and let's not forget the tumblr wives of Loki…or Kai lo ren because you know, over there, they're basically the same thing anyway. Sorry Tom Hiddleston. Sorry). I think that last – reverence or lack thereof– is what made me finally come to my decision: pretty much without exception of those I have personally experienced, I find that the tumblr pagan and polytheist communities encourage a lack of reverence.
Nor do I mean that this is something that is occasionally a side effect of participating in tumblr, I mean it is actively encouraged. The result is people who cannot maintain themselves in sacred space without feeling the need to crack jokes, to lesson the ambiance of reverence, to reduce to the lowest common denominator, the protocols of veneration.
I want to be very clear about something, and this is something that I try very hard to lay out to prospective students and apprentices before taking them on via contract, those of us working in our respective polytheisms – in my case Heathenry and cultus deorum, a little Starry Bull on the side—are not seeking to develop in ourselves the outlook, perspective, worldview, ethics, and morality of our current popular culture. We are looking to develop a polytheistic worldview in tandem with how our ancestors, born and raised in polytheistic cultures, would have approached the Gods, ancestors, and devotion. We are seeking to ensconce ourselves in a polytheistic perspective, to develop polytheistic ethics, and to grow in reverence and awareness of our proper place before the Gods. Anarco-leftists and co. , tumblr, and others can rail and rant and rave about that all they want. We will not be moved. We are not seeking to create ourselves in a post-enlightenment, post modernist image. We're seeking to restore the values and traditions of our ancestors. It's precisely the cultivation of those values and that worldview that I think tumblr most effectively damages. It panders to the populist voice of the lowest common denominator and to be clear: lie down with dogs, as the saying goes, one does wake up with fleas.
I believe (as did Aristotle) that it is important to cultivate relationships that encourage right behavior, that help us develop habits of reverence, of piety, of excellence in our devotional work. These things are habits. They are things that lie within our control, that we may develop or not. It is very, very difficult not to be affected by those with which we associate every day, and most of us are online an awful lot. I would venture to say that for the average pagan or polytheist, the online venues that we each frequent are a vital part of our community experience – sad but true, and true for almost all of us. I hear from people every day who are spread out across the country, across the globe who have no one else in their immediate area who is also a polytheist, or if they do, it may not be their particular polytheistic religion. It's natural to want fellowship. I think we just have to be rather discerning about where we find it and one thing that tumblr won't cultivate is just that: discernment.
- I realize that there are artists who use tumblr solely for artistic sharing and such, and normally I would say 'sure, that's fine' but more and more I think with a level of pollution such as I typically see on tumblr, it's best to just cut that shit off cleanly, and not allow any means whereby it might infect. Any doorway is a possible hazard. So apologies to my artist friends out there!
They folks, for those interested, the piety possum buttons are available. I'm charging $3 a button, plus $2 shipping and handling. I'll have them up on etsy soon but in the meantime, feel free to contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com if you want one. There is a limited supply.


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Counterfactuals and Foreign Policy Analysis
Richard Ned Lebow
Counterfactuals seek to alter some feature or event of the pass and by means of a chain of causal logic show how the present might, or would, be different. Counterfactual inquiry—or control of counterfactual situations—is essential to any causal claim. More importantly, counterfactual thought experiments are essential, to the construction of analytical frameworks. Policymakers routinely use then by to identify problems, work their way through problems, and select responses. Good foreign-policy analysis must accordingly engage and employ counterfactuals.
There are two generic types of counterfactuals: minimal-rewrite counterfactuals and miracle counterfactuals. They have relevance when formulating propositions and probing contingency and causation. There is also a set of protocols for using both kinds of counterfactuals toward these ends, and it illustrates the uses and protocols with historical examples. Policymakers invoke counterfactuals frequently, especially with regard to foreign policy, to both choose policies and defend them to key constituencies. They use counterfactuals in a haphazard and unscientific manner, and it is important to learn more about how they think about and employ counterfactuals to understand foreign policy.
Referendums in the European Union
Derek Beach
This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. Please check back later for the full article.
Referendums are frequently used by the European Union (EU) to ratify EU-related propositions. There are three main types of referendums: (a) on joining (or leaving) the EU, (b) ratification of new EU treaties or agreements, and (c) advisory referendums on particular EU-related issues, like whether Turkey should join the EU. While referendums have been widely criticized as being decided by "second-order" factors such as governmental popularity, there is evidence that, when a proposition matters for voters, voting behavior is dominated by issue-voting. However, even when issue-voting dominates in high salience referendums, there is also evidence that voters hold a status-quo bias; and in instances where a vote is close, voter dispositions to keep what they know instead of opting for more unsure gains can tip the balance towards a no vote. In lower salience referendums, party cues and recommendations play a significant role.
When referendums are close, campaign effects and the importance of information provided by campaigns matter. Information and debates can make an issue salient for voters and can provide sufficient information to enable the voters to match voting intention with their underlying EU attitudes. However, not all voters react to campaign information in the same fashion. For example, pro-EU information can make voters with negative EU atittudes even more prone to vote no, whereas voters with positive EU attitudes are not as strongly motivated.
In the past several years, most EU referendums have resulted in negative outcomes. There have been negative outcomes in low salience referendums in countries like the Netherlands, where there is evidence that second-order factors mattered. In contrast, in the December 2015 referendum in Denmark on transforming the Danish opt-out into an opt-in on Justice and Home Affairs, Danes decided based on their EU attitudes (issue-voting). In particular, opponents of more integration were more highly motivated, pushing the outcomes towards a clear no. In June 2016, a majority of British voters decided to leave the EU based on their negative attitudes towards the EU, in particular because of economic and identity-based fears about the downside of EU membership relating to immigration and sovereignty.
War in Political Philosophy
Helen Frowe
We can distinguish between three moral approaches to war: pacifism, realism, and just war theory. There are various theoretical approaches to war within the just war tradition. One of the central disputes between these approaches concerns whether war is morally exceptional (as held by exceptionalists), or morally continuous with ordinary life (as held by reductive individualists). There are also significant debates concerning key substantive issues in the ethics of war, such as reductivist challenges to the thesis that combatants fighting an unjust war are the moral equals of those fighting a just war, and the challenge to reductivism that it undermines the principle of noncombatant immunity. There are also changing attitudes to wars of humanitarian intervention. One under-explored challenge to the permissibility of such wars lies in the better outcomes of alternative ways of alleviating suffering. The notion of unconventional warfare has also come to recent prominence, not least with respect to the moral status of human shields.

subset: commoncrawl


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Funny video - "Is the presentation ready yet?"
Please check out the first of a new series of myBrainshark promo videos, entitled "Is the presentation ready yet?"
The video project was led by Linda Woods from the myBrainshark marketing team with production by Tom Lee, our digital media editor extraordinaire. We enlisted the help of Improv Boston actors Patrick French and Deanna Tolliver, got some time at the Heart Punch sound studio in Allston, MA, played some video footage of a shark chasing a fish, and then just let the actors riff for a couple hours. Nothing was scripted. We got some pretty funny stuff! Hopefully you'll agree.
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AS part of the efforts of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to cushion the effect of the economic recession in the country, the Apex Bank through its programme Anchor Borrowers Program (ABP) has targeted 30,000 farmers in Bauchi state to promote agriculture and generate more jobs for the teeming youths in the state.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the stakeholders meeting held at BSADP conference hall Bauchi , the Deputy Director, Development and Finances of CBN Bauchi, Masa'ud Ibrahim Tulu, said though the target in Bauchi was 30, 000 farmers adding that already over 10,000 had registered, opened account with five Banks of FCMB, UBA, Sterling, Jaiz and BOA.
According to him, under the scheme CBN would screen registered farmers and train the extension workers to make up with the Agricultural technology and the structures of the Scheme.


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Need a book? Engineering books recommendations...
Return to index: [Subject] [Thread] [Date] [Author]
Re: HP 430 plotter[Subject Prev][Subject Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
- To: <seaint(--nospam--at)seaint.org>
- Subject: Re: HP 430 plotter
- From: Christopher Wright <chrisw(--nospam--at)skypoint.com>
- Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2007 11:47:38 -0600
On Feb 7, 2007, at 10:40 AM, Daryl Richardson wrote:
If you haven't disposed of your old computer don't. At least until you solve the current problem. Networking the old with the new may be your best solution.I don't know jack about networking Windows, but I've kept a couple of obsolete Macs around for storage and running legacy software that doesn't play well with OSX. Everything's hooked together with a combination of Ethernet and wireless. Ethernet really works well for this sort of thing because it's pretty generic and OS independent. It's the perfect solution, especially if you hate throwing stuff out. Seems like you should be able to use your old machine to run your plotter and feed it from whatever new hardware you end up with.
Christopher Wright P.E. |"They couldn't hit an elephant at chrisw(--nospam--at)skypoint.com | this distance" (last words of Gen........................................| John Sedgwick, Spotsylvania 1864)
http://www.skypoint.com/~chrisw/ ******* ****** ******* ******** ******* ******* ******* *** * Read list FAQ at: http://www.seaint.org/list_FAQ.asp* * This email was sent to you via Structural Engineers * Association of Southern California (SEAOSC) server. To * subscribe (no fee) or UnSubscribe, please go to:
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Abella has been begging me for at least a year, probably closer to two years, to cut her hair. I posted a photo on Instagram with a question in the caption. "Abella has been begging me to cut her hair short, do you think I should let her do it?" Almost...read more.
Crown Braids are so beautiful but they can be a challenge. Hair needs to be long (for traditional crown braids) which rules out lots of people. I have a technique to show you that just might help! We call it the Easy Crown Braid. This is one of our favorite...read more.
Hello Lovely, I'd like to share with you 3 hairstyles that will survive the summer heat! You know, the kind of heat that makes your hair all sweaty and makes it stick to any surface it comes in contact with? 😉 I live in Barcelona, where summers tend to get...read more.
This beautiful combo side braid can be as simple or as fancy as you want. One thing is for sure, you will turn heads and get lots of compliments! To see your own photo recreations of this style featured in our app, feel free to tag your photos on IG...read more.
Today we have a pull thru braid that can be worn to just about any event! We are in full swing wedding season, this would be perfect whether you are a guest or in the bridal party!There are so many ways you can style a pull thru… we've shown you...read more.
Hello, Katie from Abella's Braids here! It's finally June! School is out and wedding season is in full swing! So we thought, what better to do for our monthly post than bridal styles! All of these styles are done on my daughter Charlie, so they are shown more as a...read more.
Summer is here! We are always looking for hairstyles that keep the hair off the neck during those Hot Summer Days! This hairstyle uses a rope twist, 3 strand braid, and a fishtail braid. I love this combo because it has a beautiful, soft boho look! Kamri finally launched HER...read more.
Hello lovely! So happy to be back this month to give you some haircare tips for summer! I'm excited to share a super easy summer hairstyle that can be achieved on curly hair. Don't worry if you don't have naturally curly hair, I don't either! 🙂 Treat your hair with...read more.
Did you say you wanted to feel a little 'Fancy' today? All you need to do is add a few braids! I love the beautiful texture of this hairstyle. You will definitely achieve the 'Wow' factor with this one! This hairstyle is perfect for a special occasion or an everyday...read more.
Today we have not 1 but 3 great hairstyles to show using a Waterfall Braid. Abby loves this option for several reasons. First, it's Gorgeous! Second, it's great to cover crazy flyaways. Last, it looks way more complicated than it is.Option #1- Cascade Waterfall This is such a beautiful and...read more.


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HERO3/HERO3+ Standard Lens Replacement Housing by GoPro
Discontinued Online
This item is discontinued and no longer available for purchase. You may want to search our site for a similar item.
Check Store Availability
Please be aware that pricing and product availability in-store may vary from what's available online because each store is independently owned and operated.
This is a GoPro HERO3/HERO3+ Standard Lens Replacement Housing. This kit allows you to replace the glass lens on your GoPro housing. Includes two lenses and seals, replacement screws and a screwdriver for hassle-free repairs.
- Glass lens replacement kit for GoPro HERO3 Replacement Housing
- Includes two lenses and seals, replacement screws and a screwdriver
- HERO3 Replacement Housing/HERO3+ BacPac Compatible Housing
This product was added to our catalog on October 16, 2013.


text: When your divorce is over and the dust has cleared, you may think your need for an attorney has ended. Thing again. There are circumstances that make it wise to keep a post-judgment lawyer's phone number handy. If, for instance, your divorce agreement provides for alimony, it may need to be modified or terminated at some point in time. An alimony agreement can be modified or terminated when the circumstances that were present at the time of the divorce agreement have substantially changed.


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Author Archives
How to develop a picture from a corpse's eye
The morning of November 16, 1880, Wilhelm Friedrich Kühne (1837–1900), a professor of physiology at the University of Heidelberg, dissected the head of an executed murderer in his dark room within minutes of the man's death. Kühne worked around the… Read More ›
Was this hymn printed on mummy paper?
The people of Norwich, CT celebrated the bi-centennial anniversary of their city's settlement September 7th and 8th in 1859. To mark the occasion, the publishers of the local newspapers printed a hymn on brown paper to be sung during the… Read More ›
Scientists resolve myth about the identity of the Dark Countess
The Countess and the Princess In 1807 an enigmatic couple arrived in the village of Hildburghausen in Central Germany and lived in the castle of Eishausen for the next 30 years. The villagers referred to the solitary duo as the… Read More ›
A 13th Century Guide to Forensic Anthropology
The oldest existing forensic science text is The Washing Away of Wrongs (also known as the Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified, or Hsi yuan chi lu), written around 1247 CE. Sung Tz'u (or Song Ci), who is considered to be… Read More ›
The human bone chandelier and other creepy decorations of the Cabaret of Death
Patrons from far and wide came to sip drinks with names like Cholera and Arsenic while sitting at a coffin under a real human bone chandelier in the Cabaret of Death, a peculiar Parisian watering hole that opened in the… Read More ›
Dozens of ghost ships found off the coast of Japan
Ghost ships are vessels found adrift at sea with its crew either dead or missing under mysterious circumstances. They appear in folklore and historical accounts. Probably the most famous fictional ghost ship is the Flying Dutchman, the legend of which… Read More ›
Santa Claus' three graves
While the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari, Italy is widely accepted to be home to the relics of Saint Nicholas, there are two other cities that allege to possess his grave: Venice, Italy and Newtown Jerpoint, Ireland. This osteological controversy started when the… Read More ›
Did long-term corseting really cause women to meet an early demise?
H/T: Dr. Kristina Killgrove's article "Here's How Corsets Deformed The Skeletons Of Victorian Women" on Forbes. For centuries people have deformed their skeletons to mold different parts of their bodies to what is considered an ideal shape in their culture. Long-term corseting,… Read More ›
How to make honey infused corpse medicine
Corpse medicine was a type of remedy produced with the bones, organs, and blood from dead bodies. It is mentioned in ancient medical texts and histories from Greece, China, Mesopotamia, and India. One of the more peculiar accounts of corpse… Read More ›
The vampire slayings of 19th century New England
The vampire myth originates in ancient beliefs in demons or evil spirits who feed on the blood and flesh of the living. Cultures all over the world have a version of a blood-sucking creature that returns from the grave to… Read More ›


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Transportation expenditures in 2005
March 30, 2007
After remaining essentially unchanged in 2003 and 2004, transportation expenditures rose significantly in 2005, up 7.0 percent over the previous year.
A significant increase in spending on gasoline and motor oil (26.0 percent) largely fueled this change. Over the same period, average prices for gasoline and motor oil increased a similar 22.0 percent as measured by the Consumer Price Index.
Spending on vehicle purchases increased 4.3 percent following a 9.0-percent decrease in 2004. Vehicle purchases are typically large and infrequent so it is common to see wide fluctuations from year to year because even small changes in the percentage of consumer units buying vehicles can affect the overall mean expenditure.
Spending on public transportation, which includes both intracity and intercity mass transit and taxi fares, airline fares, and ship fares, rose 1.6 percent.
These data are from the Consumer Expenditure Survey. Find out more in "Consumer Expenditures in 2005," (PDF 143K), BLS Report 998. The components of transportation expenditures are vehicle purchases (net outlay), gasoline and motor oil, other vehicle expenses, and public transportation.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Transportation expenditures in 2005 on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2007/mar/wk4/art04.htm (visited April 25, 2017).
Recent editions of Spotlight on Statistics
STEM occupations: past, present, and future
A look at employment and wages in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics occupations.
Workplace injuries and illnesses and employer costs for workers' compensation
Workplace injury and illness data and the costs to employers for workers' compensation in natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations.
A look at the future of the U.S. labor force to 2060
Projected long-term trends in the growth, size, and composition of the labor force.
Union membership in the United States
Historical trends in union membership among employed wage and salary workers; union membership by a variety of demographic characteristics.


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SisterMentors, a great nonprofit program here in the D.C. area that I volunteer with.
SisterMentors is a unique mentoring program that is helping to change the lives of disadvantaged girls and women of color in the D.C. metro area. We are looking to raise the profile of the program and get feedback on SisterMentors' work. You can check SisterMentors out online at sistermentors.org.
There are two upcoming information sessions on May 8 and May 22, from 8:30-9:30 a.m., at Schiff Hardin
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5/3/2017 » 5/4/2017Counter Terror Expo
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THE INDEPENDENT HOTELIER'S ONE STOP SHOP, IBC is a global independent hotel network that believes in individual unique character and empowers each hotelier to compete cost effectively against large hotel brands.
IBC Marketplace: Technology Platform + Member Benefits = More Profit
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Source: Faith Bemiss | Democrat
It's all in a day's work for Missouri State Fair Forensic Consultant Don Lock, of Jefferson City, who spent Wednesday inside the MSF Coliseum taking muzzle prints of steers weighing up to 1,500 pounds.
Lock who spent 30 years with the Missouri State Highway Patrol as a fingerprint and handwriting expert, has been helping out at the MSF for 24 years. To his estimate, he's muzzle printed between 15,000 to 18,000 animals in that time.
Last Thursday he and his assistant Andrea Johnson, of Hughesville, muzzle printed goats and lambs in the Sheep Pavilion. Wednesday's bovine printing, during the 4-H/FFA Steer Show, was a little more high key. A little more testy.
After being exhibited the three top steers, in each category, were muzzle printed. With the help of Austin Coslet, of Marshall, the steers were placed into a cattle chute. Most went quietly. Some did not. The steers were pulled into the chute by Coslet and usually pushed from behind by others. One testy steer decided he wouldn't move into the chute, backed out quickly and almost took Coslet for a spin.
Once into the chute, and once it was secured, Coslet placed a towel over the steer's eyes to calm it and Tiffany Dugan, an Ag teacher from Hughesville, wiped the muzzle dry. Lock then applied ink and then print paper.
Lock said one of his most interesting memories muzzle printing steers is when they break loose.
"You see these little kids here?" he said. "You have a little kids with a big steers and we have occasionally what we call a runaway. The steer just gets away and he just goes crazy, it stays in the arena, but it's almost like a wild horse."
Muzzle prints are as unique as a human fingerprint and are used to identify the correct animal during competitions.
"What we're doing now is keeping the honest people honest," Lock said. "In year's past, they were doing some switching."
Years ago Lock muzzle printed the cloned sheep, Dolly, who was cloned at Roslin Institute in Midlothian, Scotland. Dolly was born in 1997 and lived for six years.
"There are no two (muzzles) alike," he added. "Even cloned animals are different."
Muzzle printing dates back possibly further than fingerprinting Lock noted.
"You don't hear as much about muzzle printing because animals don't burglarize property," he added laughing.
Lock worked in the MSHP crime lab for three decades, he retired 15 years ago and now runs his own forensic consulting business.
"I've been in the forensic field for over 45 years," he said.
When not involved with muzzle printing, Lock's main "function" is handwriting examinations for law enforcement and local and state officials. Lock also does fingerprint examinations, photography and crime scene forensics.
"On a daily basis, I do handwriting cases for law enforcement all over the state and country," he said.
Not all states use muzzle printing, but many do.
"Missouri, they stay with the muzzle printing primarily because of the cost, and it's fool-proof," he noted. "There again, muzzle prints are like fingerprints, no two alike."
Another benefit to the art of printing an animal's schnoz is time.
"I can muzzle print an animal, and she'll pull the file print, and I can give her an answer within minutes," Lock said. "Verses days if you're going to go with DNA, and DNA is so expensive. So, this is a quick process and it's a fool-proof process and it works. "
Lock said he enjoys helping people through muzzle printing.
"It's something I like, and it's not boring," he added. "I'm still working, you have to remember I retired from the highway patrol 15 years ago and I'm still working. So, as long as I'm healthy and my mind is still with me, I'm going to keep working in forensics."


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DuPont Textiles joins with Outlast on PCMs
November 4, 2002,
DuPont Textiles & Interiors (DTI) is hoping that its latest alliance with Outlast Technologies represents a step toward its goal of delivering 25 innovations over the next five years.
Outlast has patented its PCMs, which interactively absorb, store and release energy in response to the unique needs of each individual and the demands of the environment.
As part of the agreement, DTI assumes ownership of a percentage of Outlast and has agreed to work jointly with Outlast to leverage PCM technology "to design new products that extend the application possibilities and increase the value to the consumer."
According to Donna Kelloway, comfort products team manager for DTI, when applied to a sheet, PCMs continually absorb the heat of the user, initially providing a cooling effect. As the night passes and the user cools off, the PCMs release the absorbed heat via the sheet and provide a constantly warm bed. If the user gets out of bed, he or she returns to sheets as warm as when they had left them. Outlast's PCMs are called Thermocules and are already used by a variety of products, from gloves and apparel to industrial products.
"Outlast has the technology, and we are the experts in everything else," Kelloway told HTT, "so let's see what kind of products we can develop together.
"Hopefully we can come out with a more extensive offering than there is today."
David Trerotola, vp of Home & Industrial Textiles for DTI, said Outlast's partnership with DTI "will also yield new innovations in home and industrial products."
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Stylish Greek key patterning creates classic elegance for this modern twin upholstered headboard with Akis Noir fabric. Loy blend padding creates a soft resting place for reading in bed.
Akis Noir Upholstered Twin Headboard
For item EU4K571 if ordered by 1 pm Pacific Time
Monday, May 15 - Friday, May 26*
Wednesday, May 17 - Friday, June 2*
"Shipping Time" is the estimated number of business days it will take to process and ship your order, subject to product availability.
"Delivery Time" is the estimated number of days it will take for your order to arrive at your delivery address.
Free shipping available in the lower 48 contiguous United States only.
Freight, white glove and threshold shipping items may be excluded.


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My Content
Membership has its privileges! Sign up or sign in to gain full access to both All About Jazz and Jazz Near You. Learn more.
Track Listing: More Than Mine; Captured (part 3); Mama Done; Until Tomorrow; Blossom Tree; Feed The Spirit (The Children & The Warlock); Waking Sleep (Thoughts); Chiaroscuro; Desire; More Than Mine (alternate take).
Personnel: Zara McFarlane: vocals; Binker Goldings: saxophone; Camilla George: saxophone; Zem Adu: saxophone; Peter Edwards: piano; Nick Walsh: double bass; Andy Chapman: drums.
We need your help and we have a deal. Contribute $20 and we'll hide the six Google ads that appear on every page for a full year!


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Restaurants For Sale in Cornelius NC
Searched the DealStream database for Restaurants For Sale in Cornelius NC and found no matches. Expanded the search to nearby areas and found the following matches.
Profitable Pizzeria and Bar in Prime Location #466487 posted Apr 12, 2017
- Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
- $360,000
Locally owned and operated Pizza and bar located in prime part of Charlotte. This restaurant offers both lunch and dinner and is open 7 days a week.
Newly Remodeled Restaurant #466359 posted Apr 11, 2017
- Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
- $89,000
Location, Location, Location! Check out this newly remodeled restaurant near Charlotte. Owner put his money and time here and now due to family sickness he must move away. Look at the photos. Very nice. He has the sales up to aprox $20,000 per month after opening just 3 months ago and no advertising....
Frozen Yogurt Franchise #464632 posted Mar 14, 2017
- Mooresville, North Carolina, United States
- $250,000
Frozen Yogurt Franchise established for less than a year in Charlotte-Mooresville, NC for sale or partnership. Location Location Location- Power-center with popular co-tenants. Get around 18-25% return on your investment YOY. #1 Frozen Yogurt Franchise in the world with nearly 600 plus locations worldwide....
Italian Bistro #454831 posted Sep 29, 2016
- Gastonia, North Carolina, United States
- $75,000
This profitable bistro is known for its homemade fresh pasta sauces, gourmet pizzas, meatballs. Italian wines and craft beer. Customers can enjoy a pairing of their favorite wine with their favorite Italian meal. Current owner will stay on for ample time needed to train and transfer recipes to a new...
Pizzeria #452762 posted Aug 30, 2016
- Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
- $139,000
A pizzeria currently operated by Italian, in one of the best locations of Charlotte!!! With a total revenue of $38K/month and no royalties! The location is a hard to find location with water fountain right in the front. This is a business with a great history of 20+ years. Growth opportunities for...
Steakhouse Restaurant with Real Estate Included #346096 posted Dec 10, 2013
- Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
- $2,999,000
This prime restaurant in Southwest Charlotte is on a major road situated on 1.54 acres with front and rear drives, attractive landscaping and mature trees, as well as some fencing. Tasteful western décor in natural wood tones includes all furnishings, all dining seating, wait area seating, wait stations,...
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Silver Black LM wheel (2) (Needs rim to complete. Picture shown for display purposes only.)
Super Rim Black Lip with Blue Mandarin Insert (2pcs) - Tetsujin 2x RIM type01 "Black" 2x Disc Mandarin "Blue" 6mm / 9mm / 12mm offset..
Super Rim JASMINE Matte Black 2pcs (Needs Rim Part to Complete)..
FS rim -FBK disk GT offset changeable wheel set (4) - MST..
S rim -FBK disk GT offset changeable wheel set (4) - MST..
Demi Works – For all lovers of Rear Wing ! Give your bodyshells originality with New Universal Duck Tail Rear Wing ! Made of polycarbonate ......
CS-R tire (2WD-Harder) (2 pcs) Gold Dot..
Your Home For RC Drift!
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Previous English Lexile Map - Poster
MetaMetrics has redesigned the 24" x 36" Lexile Poster. If you are interested in ordering the previous version of the Lexile poster, they are on clearance. We have discounted the price to $1.00 each plus shipping and handling. Stock up, while supplies last!
Product ID #416


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Randy Brienen
Randy was born in central Illinois and has lived in Tallahassee, FL for more than 25 years. He is married to Debby (also an artist) and has raised three children. He is a mainly self-taught artist working in acrylic. He has drawn and painted on and off most of his life. In 2007 Randy started painting seriously and immediately found collector interest in his impressionistic and abstract styles. His use of vibrant colors and bold textures are a creative interpretation of his subjects and surroundings. He served 2010 – 2012 on LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts board of directors. He is a past Vice President of the Tallahassee Area Watercolor Society.
Edens Gate
Acrylic – 16×20
Hidden Lake
Acrylic – 30×40
Highland Colors
Acrylic – 36×48
Horses of Carmargue
Acrylic – 30×40
Monet's Pond
Acrylic – 36×24


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Soho Square officials have decided to act after another underwhelming FA Cup weekend of disappointing attendances and few upsets, with leading Premiership players like Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy nowhere to be seen.
The decline in the Cup's status has been so marked that even clubs such as Bolton and Wolves have elected to rest their best players during this season's competition.
There was little of the so-called magic of the Cup in yesterday's fifth-round draw, which paired Arsenal and Chelsea for the fourth year running and handed Third Division Swansea a decidedlyunromantic trip to Tranmere.
The FA are so concerned by the Premiership clubs' attitude to the competition that their communications director Colin Gibson marked his first day in the job by issuing a stark warning.
He said that, unless there is an improvement next season, teams will be punished - probably through fines - for not selecting their strongest sides.
Gibson said: 'It has not gone unnoticed that some clubs have not fielded anything like their strongest teams this season.
'While it's only a few teams, I would like to emphasise just how important it is for managers to respect the values of the FA Cup and the importance supporters place in it.
'Clubs and managers should also remember that it is the paying public - their fans - who suffer most when they field a weakened team, which is clearly unacceptable.
'We will not be taking any disciplinary action on this occasion, but in future we will be monitoring this area of the game closely.'
The FA insist the warning is a general one and not aimed at particular clubs but they are bound to have been made uncomfortable by Bolton manager Sam Allardyce's defiance over the weakened team he picked for the third-round tie against Tranmere, which they lost 2-1 in a replay.
Manchester United, who left Van Nistelrooy out of the side who won at Northampton on Sunday, and Arsenal, who omitted Henry from the team who beat Middlesbrough, are also open to criticism.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will have to decide whether or not the challenge of Chelsea will demand Henry's involvement.
The holders, chasing a third consecutive cup triumph, have beaten their London rivals in each of their three previous FA Cup meetings, winning 3-1 in the fifth round in 2001, 2-0 in the 2002 final, and 3-1 last year in a quarter-final replay.
But Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot said Chelsea's dismal record at Highbury - they have not won there for 10 years - will put 'determination in their bellies'.
He said: 'So far, we haven't beaten them but that doesn't mean we can't win at Highbury this time. We are not disappointed with the draw and, as always, we'll look forward to facing them.
'Because our record at Highbury has been so bad in recent years most of us know what it's like to suffer defeat there, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing because we will all have a lot of determination in our bellies. None of us wants to lose at Highbury again. We'll go there and give it our best shot, but there is no reason at all why we can't beat them.'
Manchester United could also face a fifth-round derby, but only if troubled-Manchester City pull off an unlikely victory in their fourth-round replay at Tottenham next week.
Liverpool host Portsmouth in the only other all-Premiership tie, with three Nationwide League teams certain to reach the last eight. One of them will be Swansea or Tranmere, but that was little consolation for the Welsh Third Division side, who had dreamed of a trip to Old Trafford or Highbury rather than Prenton Park.
Lee Trundle, who scored the winner in the 2-1 fourth-round win over Preston, said: 'With all respect to Tranmere you've got to feel a bit disappointed. But we've got to be upbeat about it. We've got a good chance of going there and winning.'
Trundle, Liverpool-born but who qualifies for the Republic of Ireland through his mother and is the subject of an inquiry from new Northern Ireland boss Lawrie Sanchez, will wear a protective mask during the game after having surgery on a cheek fracture yesterday.Reuse content


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H.R.6170 - Clean Coal-Derived Fuels for Energy Security Act of 2008110th Congress (2007-2008)
|Rep. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV-2] (Introduced 06/03/2008)
|House - Energy and Commerce
|Latest Action:
|06/03/2008 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. (All Actions)
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Text: H.R.6170 — 110th Congress (2007-2008)All Bill Information (Except Text)
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Introduced in House (06/03/2008)
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
To require the inclusion of coal-derived fuel at certain volumes in aviation fuel, motor vehicle fuel, home heating oil, and boiler fuel.
Mrs. Capito (for herself and Mr. Shimkus) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
To require the inclusion of coal-derived fuel at certain volumes in aviation fuel, motor vehicle fuel, home heating oil, and boiler fuel.
This Act may be cited as the "Clean Coal-Derived Fuels for Energy Security Act of 2008".
In this Act:
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term "clean coal-derived fuel" means aviation fuel, motor vehicle fuel, home heating oil, or boiler fuel that is—
(i) substantially derived from the coal resources of the United States; and
(ii) refined or otherwise processed at a facility located in the United States that captures up to 100 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions that would otherwise be released at the facility.
(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term "clean coal-derived fuel" may include any other resource that is extracted, grown, produced, or recovered in the United States.
(2) COVERED FUEL.—The term "covered fuel" means—
(A) aviation fuel;
(B) motor vehicle fuel;
(C) home heating oil; and
(D) boiler fuel.
(3) SMALL REFINERY.—The term "small refinery" means a refinery for which the average aggregate daily crude oil throughput for a calendar year (as determined by dividing the aggregate throughput for the calendar year by the number of days in the calendar year) does not exceed 75,000 barrels.
SEC. 3. Clean coal-derived fuel program.
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall promulgate regulations to ensure that covered fuel sold or introduced into commerce in the United States (except in noncontiguous States or territories), on an annual average basis, contains the applicable volume of clean coal-derived fuel determined in accordance with paragraph (4).
(2) PROVISIONS OF REGULATIONS.—Regardless of the date of promulgation, the regulations promulgated under paragraph (1)—
(A) shall contain compliance provisions applicable to refineries, blenders, distributors, and importers, as appropriate, to ensure that—
(i) the requirements of this subsection are met; and
(ii) clean coal-derived fuels produced from facilities for the purpose of compliance with this Act result in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions that are not greater than gasoline; and
(i) restrict geographic areas in the contiguous United States in which clean coal-derived fuel may be used; or
(ii) impose any per-gallon obligation for the use of clean coal-derived fuel.
(3) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER REGULATIONS.—Regulations promulgated under this paragraph shall, to the maximum extent practicable, incorporate the program structure, compliance and reporting requirements established under the final regulations promulgated to implement the renewable fuel program established by the amendment made by section 1501(a)(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109–58; 119 Stat. 1067).
2015 THROUGH 2022.—For the purpose of this subsection, the
applicable volume for any of calendar years 2015 through 2022 shall be
determined in accordance with the following table:
|Applicable volume of clean coal-derived fuel
|Calendar year:
|(in billions of gallons):
(B) CALENDAR YEAR 2023 AND THEREAFTER.—Subject to subparagraph (C), for the purposes of this subsection, the applicable volume for calendar year 2023 and each calendar year thereafter shall be determined by the President, in coordination with the Secretary and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, based on a review of the implementation of the program during calendar years 2015 through 2022, including a review of—
(i) the impact of clean coal-derived fuels on the energy security of the United States;
(ii) the expected annual rate of future production of clean coal-derived fuels; and
(iii) the impact of the use of clean coal-derived fuels on other factors, including job creation, rural economic development, and the environment.
(C) MINIMUM APPLICABLE VOLUME.—For the purpose of this subsection, the applicable volume for calendar year 2023 and each calendar year thereafter shall be equal to the product obtained by multiplying—
(i) the number of gallons of covered fuel that the President estimates will be sold or introduced into commerce in the calendar year; and
(I) 6,000,000,000 gallons of clean coal-derived fuel; bears to
(II) the number of gallons of covered fuel sold or introduced into commerce in calendar year 2022.
(1) PROVISION OF ESTIMATE OF VOLUMES OF CERTAIN FUEL SALES.—Not later than October 31 of each of calendar years 2015 through 2021, the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration shall provide to the President an estimate, with respect to the following calendar year, of the volumes of covered fuel projected to be sold or introduced into commerce in the United States.
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than November 30 of each of calendar years 2015 through 2022, based on the estimate provided under paragraph (1), the President shall determine and publish in the Federal Register, with respect to the following calendar year, the clean coal-derived fuel obligation that ensures that the requirements of subsection (a) are met.
(B) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.—The clean coal-derived fuel obligation determined for a calendar year under subparagraph (A) shall—
(i) be applicable to refineries, blenders, and importers, as appropriate;
(ii) be expressed in terms of a volume percentage of covered fuel sold or introduced into commerce in the United States; and
(iii) subject to paragraph (3)(A), consist of a single applicable percentage that applies to all categories of persons specified in clause (i).
(3) ADJUSTMENTS.—In determining the applicable percentage for a calendar year, the President shall make adjustments—
(A) to prevent the imposition of redundant obligations on any person specified in paragraph (2)(B)(i); and
(B) to account for the use of clean coal-derived fuel during the previous calendar year by small refineries that are exempt under subsection (f).
(c) Volume conversion factors for clean coal-derived fuels based on energy content.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of subsection (a), the President shall assign values to specific types of clean coal-derived fuel for the purpose of satisfying the fuel volume requirements of subsection (a)(4) in accordance with this subsection.
(2) ENERGY CONTENT RELATIVE TO DIESEL FUEL.—For clean coal-derived fuels, 1 gallon of the clean coal-derived fuel shall be considered to be the equivalent of 1 gallon of diesel fuel multiplied by the ratio that—
(A) the number of British thermal units of energy produced by the combustion of 1 gallon of the clean coal-derived fuel (as measured under conditions determined by the Secretary); bears to
(B) the number of British thermal units of energy produced by the combustion of 1 gallon of diesel fuel (as measured under conditions determined by the Secretary to be comparable to conditions described in subparagraph (A)).
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President, in consultation with the Secretary and the clean coal-derived fuel requirement of this section.
(2) MARKET TRANSPARENCY.—In carrying out the credit program under this subsection, the President shall facilitate price transparency in markets for the sale and trade of credits, with due regard for the public interest, the integrity of those markets, fair competition, and the protection of consumers.
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President, in consultation with the Secretary and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, may waive the requirements of subsection (a) in whole or in part on petition by 1 or more States by reducing the national quantity of clean coal-derived fuel required under subsection (a), based on a determination by the President (after public notice and opportunity for comment), that—
(A) implementation of the requirement would severely harm the economy or environment of a State, a region, or the United States; or
(B) extreme and unusual circumstances exist that prevent distribution of an adequate supply of domestically produced clean coal-derived fuel to consumers in the United States.
(2) PETITIONS FOR WAIVERS.—The President, in consultation with the Secretary and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall approve or disapprove a State petition for a waiver of the requirements of subsection (a) within 90 days after the date on which the petition is received by the President.
(3) TERMINATION OF WAIVERS.—A waiver granted under paragraph (1) shall terminate after 1 year, but may be renewed by the President after consultation with the Secretary and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(A) IN GENERAL.—The requirements of subsection (a) shall not apply to small refineries until calendar year 2018.
(i) STUDY BY SECRETARY.—Not later than December 31, 2013, the Secretary shall submit to the President and Congress a report describing the results of a study to determine whether compliance with the requirements of subsection (a) would impose a disproportionate economic hardship on small refineries.
(ii) EXTENSION OF EXEMPTION.—In the case of a small refinery that the Secretary determines under clause (i) would be subject to a disproportionate economic hardship if required to comply with subsection (a), the President shall extend the exemption under subparagraph (A) for the small refinery for a period of not less than 2 additional years.
(A) EXTENSION OF EXEMPTION.—A small refinery may at any time petition the President for an extension of the exemption under paragraph (1) for the reason of disproportionate economic hardship.
(B) EVALUATION OF PETITIONS.—In evaluating a petition under subparagraph (A), the President, in consultation with the Secretary, shall consider the findings of the study under paragraph (1)(B) and other economic factors.
(C) DEADLINE FOR ACTION ON PETITIONS.—The President shall act on any petition submitted by a small refinery for a hardship exemption not later than 90 days after the date of receipt of the petition.
(3) OPT-IN FOR SMALL REFINERIES.—A small refinery shall be subject to the requirements of subsection (a) if the small refinery notifies the President that the small refinery waives the exemption under paragraph (1).
(g) Penalties and enforcement.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Any person that violates a regulation promulgated under subsection (a), or that fails to furnish any information required under such a regulation, shall be liable to the United States for a civil penalty of not more than the total of—
(i) $25,000 for each day of the violation; and
(ii) the amount of economic benefit or savings received by the person resulting from the violation, as determined by the President.
(B) COLLECTION.—Civil penalties under subparagraph (A) shall be assessed by, and collected in a civil action brought by, the Secretary or such other officer of the United States as is designated by the President.
(A) IN GENERAL.—The district courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction to—
(i) restrain a violation of a regulation promulgated under subsection (a);
(ii) award other appropriate relief; and
(iii) compel the furnishing of information required under the regulation.
(B) ACTIONS.—An action to restrain such violations and compel such actions shall be brought by and in the name of the United States.
(C) SUBPOENAS.—In the action, a subpoena for a witness who is required to attend a district court in any district may apply in any other district.
(h) Effective date.—Except as otherwise specifically provided in this section, this section takes effect on January 1, 2016.


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Mom's One-Pan Chocolate Cake
|3 Cup (48 tbs)
|2 Cup (32 tbs)
|Baking cocoa
|9 Tablespoon
|Baking soda
|2 Teaspoon
|1 Teaspoon
|Vanilla extract
|1 Tablespoon
|Vegetable oil
|2⁄3 Cup (10.67 tbs)
|2 Tablespoon
|2 Cup (32 tbs)
Sift the flour, sugar, baking cocoa, baking soda and salt into a greased 8x8 inch cake pan.
Make 3 holes in the flour mixture.
Pour the vanilla into one hole, the vegetable oil into the second and the vinegar into the third.
Pour the water over the entire mixture and whisk until well blended.
Bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Frost as desired.
Rate It
Nutrition Rank
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: Complete recipe
Calories 4758 Calories from Fat 1381
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 156 g239.6%
Saturated Fat 23.2 g116.1%
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 4897.8 mg204.1%
Total Carbohydrates 809 g269.8%
Dietary Fiber 17.3 g69.1%
Sugars 509.7 g
Protein 46 g91.8%
Vitamin A Vitamin C
Calcium 13.6% Iron 117%
*Based on a 2000 Calorie diet


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The 113th Congress is a beacon of hope for women like me who have been waiting for stronger representation in government for years now. The 2012 election set the record for the number of women to hold seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate. A total of 98 women will take the oath… [Continue Reading]
Women Professionals Seize the New Year!
2012 – The Year of the Entrepreneur!
In our "Asks the Authors" podcast on predictions for 2012, we claim that 2012 will be "The Year of the Entrepreneur!" In fact, we believe these Evolutionary business owners and idea people will lead the way as we emerge from the Great Recession and will be ahead of the game in 2013 as more traditional… [Continue Reading]


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Flame Princess/Gallery
< Flame Princess
2,854pages onAdd New Page
this wiki
this wiki
|Gallery for
Flame Princess
|Place images in galleries in appropriate sections. Do not post fan art here.
Designs and costumes
"All the Little People"
"Vault of Bones"
"Jake Suit"
"Frost & Fire"
"Earth & Water"
"The Red Throne"
"The Dark Cloud"
"Bun Bun"
"The Music Hole"


text:
Sorry, currently out of stock
Just a really beautiful comb, which will look even better on your in your home. Hand-cut from a single piece of horn, with rounded tips to the teeth, and polished with fine sand. It's just wonderful production.
Because horn is a natural product, Each piece has a unique colour. Handmade in England
Design and Origin
Handmade in England
Specs & Fit
18cm Long.
Delivery & Returns
They will be delivered worldwide by DHL Express, which takes 2-4 days. They are shipped from our warehouse in Melbourne or Los Angeles depending on stock available.
Have more questions? We would seriously love to chat. Contact us here!


text:
MAX Vertical PrePacker (VPP)
The MAX Vertical PrePacker-VPP vertical bagging system is an efficient, automated polybagger dedicated to prepack order fulfillment. Protect your prepacked items from dust and other irritants by integrating a Tension VPP into your distribution center.
Rated at speeds above typical hand-packing operations, the VPP improves your throughput and efficiency.
- Customizable to your specific operation.
- Proven, field-tested MAX 20™ technology.
- Clear bags for fast product identification.
- Manuals and video clips on the HMI for quick troubleshooting.
- Off-the-shelf parts to keep costs down.
The automated VPP can be used in a variety of industries, including e-commerce, catalog, direct response TV, order fulfillment clothing and soft goods, nutraceuticals or spare parts.
Runs Smooth
Secure Packaging
On the Move
Integrate Tension's automated MAX™-VPP vertical prepack bagger into your prepack operation to speed up your overall packing process and keep your distribution center's products clean and safe.
How It Works: Pack and Seal
The simple operation of the VPP boosts your operator's productivity - driving down labor costs per package. To operate:
- The operate initiates the cycle.
- Bag grippers and vacuum assist open the polybag.
- The operator places the contents into the bag.
- Using the standard foot switch or optional light curtain, the operator initiates the bag sealing process.
- The completed package drops into a Gaylord or integrated take-away conveyor.
Downtime is kept to a minimum - material changeovers are easy, facilitating short runs and using multiple bag sizes. Turn your VPP into a MAX™ 20 by adding a printer and print barcodes, graphics and alphanumeric text directly onto the bags.
Multiple Applications
This system is well suited for many prepack operations:
- e-commerce,
- catalog,
- direct response TV,
- order fulfillment clothing and soft goods prepack,
- vitamins,
- supplements,
- nutraceuticals,
- pharmaceuticals, and
- spare parts distribution.
Custom Solutions
Tension can create and configure workstations specific to your operation along with both infeed and take-away conveyor system options. Contact Tension to learn more about how the VPP can make an immediate impact on your operation.
- Max 12™ Bag sizes - 2" x 4" up to 12" x 25"
- Max 20™ Bag sizes - 2" x 4" up to 20" x 30"
- Actual throughput/output varies by operation. Factors including, but not limited to, staffing levels and productivity, workflow presentation, data/scanning interfaces, product availability and order/product mix impact results. Contact Tension for details.
- Electrical: 110 VAC, 50/50/Hz
- 15/4 Amps
- Air Feed: 5 CFM/80 PSI of clean dry air
- Pass through: up to 6"
- Bag thickness: 1.0 mil to 4.0 mil