text:
About a year ago, Alan Thompson, a religious man and chairman of the Ravalli County Commission, found himself in the difficult position of having to face down a room full of his staunchest political allies and fellow Christians.
The mostly female crowd, many with babies on hips and Bibles in hand, had descended on the county commissioners to persuade them to hire a Mississippi-based Christian law firm to appeal a district court ruling that struck down three of the county's obscenity ordinances. Convinced that pornography was taking a personal toll on their men and children, the crowd looked to Thompson, a devout Mormon, as their legal savior to lead them back to a purer time, back to the days when "men's" magazines were kept discreetly behind the counter.
Thompson and his two colleagues on the commission said no.
Initially, an appeal handled by the American Family Association Center for Law and Policy, a Tupelo, Miss. law firm, looked like a promising deal. Its lawyers had ample experience arguing constitutional law before state supreme courts, where the Ravalli County case was headed, and they pledged to represent the county for free. But when the three commissioners investigated further they discovered that the firm's lawyers wanted the county to cede all control of the appeal to them, something that set off warning bells to the board and its attorney. And because the firm focused more on religious issues than on the law, the board and its attorney feared that the firm planned to exploit Ravalli County as a national test case.
"I personally wasn't ready to relinquish control," says Thompson, months after he made the decision that turned his supporters against him. "There were people who chastised us on both sides. But we felt legally it was what needed to be done."
That the American Family Association Center for Law and Policy is a Christian law firm with its own agenda of promoting Christianity in the law was of no consequence to Thompson. "Being that they have moral convictions shouldn't enter into it," he says. That the county would lose all control over its own legal appeal did.
When it became clear to the crowd that Thompson planned to put political duty ahead of religious conviction, he felt the full force of their anger. Several of the women rose, pointed fingers at him, accused him of letting families down and insisted on continuing the debate even after the decision had been made. One woman literally thumped her Bible at him. Another stood and declared that she didn't care if the appeal cost taxpayers millions of dollars. She wanted her children and her husband kept safe from the godless and corrupting influence of pornography at any cost.
Secular arguments like legal fees and maintaining legal autonomy didn't sway them. The public discussion, Thompson now says, was "difficult when you know a yard's worth of information and someone else knows an inch and says you're wrong." Still, for weeks to come he felt their anger, and was barraged by angry phone calls both at the office and at home.
Says Thompson about that difficult decision more than a year ago, "Well, I do my own thinking. I don't walk in lockstep with anybody. I think the decision made at that time was the right decision."
To this day, there are still people in the community who refuse to speak to him. Difficult as ostracism can be in a small community like the Bitterroot Valley, Thompson has shown a stubborn streak in office. "I'm not going to turn over the reins of government to
a local [pressure] group," he says. "I'm just not going to kowtow to
these groups."
Leading the charge
So who are these religious groups? And who is leading them?
"There's no question about it," says Dallas Erickson. "The people in our group are religious, that's for sure."
Erickson heads up a group called Montana HOME—Help Our Moral Environment. He helped form the group in the early 1990s as a way of educating people about the harm that obscenity was causing to society and to get laws passed restricting it. It is Montana HOME, and another group known as Montana Citizens for Decency through Law, that spearheaded the drive to outlaw obscenity in Ravalli County.
In 1994, Bitterrooters approved three ordinances heavily promoted by Erickson that outlawed the distribution of obscene material, the display of obscene material to minors and public indecency. Two years later, the ordinances were challenged in court by a group of writers, photographers and video rental entrepreneurs, including the Ravalli Republic newspaper in Hamilton, the newspaper's long-time reporter Ruth Thorning, Missoula novelist Jon Jackson, a video store owner, who rented out X-rated movies, Chapter One Book Store owner Russ Lawrence and Hamilton photographer John Demme. The county was named as the sole defendant.
In November 1999 District Judge Jeff Langton ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, effectively striking down all three ordinances, though they were never removed from the books. Last week, under pressure from Erickson and Harris Himes, pastor of the Big Sky Christian Center in Hamilton, the board informally decided that it will, in fact, appeal the ruling.
Erickson acknowledges that Montana HOME pressured the county commissioners to take up the appeal, but says he is unconcerned about violating any separation of church and state. The country's founders were religious people, he says, arguing what many Christian fundamentalists have said before: "There is no separation of church and state. That's a figment of the media's imagination."
Himes quickly jumps in to smooth over Erickson's faux pas. "It's not as much a figment of the media's imagination," he adds hastily, "as it is [an interpretation of] the Supreme Court."
Montana HOME, Himes says, represents "a wide range of desires. I would say, by and large, the great majority of people in HOME have a religious perspective. You have people who prefer that this country return to Biblical principles. At the other end of the spectrum are people who might not be of a particular religion but understand how pornography affects the community."
Technically, Erickson is correct when he says that the phrase "separation of church and state" is not found in the U.S. Constitution, says Christine Kaufman, co-director of the Montana Human Rights Network. "But it's been a long-standing principle of our government and a distinguishing characteristic of our democracy. Every time religion and government come that close you have these conflicts because we're not all the same religion," she says. "I think what we're seeing worldwide is the effects of religious extremism and we must guard against it if we are to safeguard democracy."
Although Ravalli County's three ordinances had their origins in Christian principles, Himes says that outlawing obscenity is not strictly a religious issue, just one of plain decency. According to Erickson, who admits to have personally—and thoroughly—surveyed the fare offered in Missoula's adult video rental shops, one can rent 180 videos showing women performing "sexual acrobatics," women who are crucified and burned, and those who appear to be enjoying it all.
For Erickson, that's the difference between pornography, which cannot be defined, and obscenity, which was clearly defined by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 in Miller vs. California. Obscenity, according to this ruling, is blatant sexual imagery that inspires unhealthy lust, appeals to the prurient interest and has no literary, political or scientific merit. And it's obscenity that can be restricted, says Erickson, by adopting local ordinances as defined under Miller vs. California.
But even Miller vs. California doesn't go far enough for many of these Bitterroot anti-obscenity crusaders. "What is allowed under Miller would not be allowed under the Bible," Erickson says. "Anything that allows people to lust would not be permitted under the Bible."
While the federal ruling outlawing obscenity remains the law of the land, Erickson says that federal attorneys don't prosecute violations in Montana; hence the need for local ordinances. And since county attorneys and local judges are elected and must answer to their constituents—unlike federal attorneys and judges, who are appointed—they can be more easily swayed.
Which begs the question: Who decides what is obscene and what is merely pornographic? In Erickson's world, complaints would be handled by the police, who would investigate and ask the county attorney to prosecute violators.
If the ordinances stand, Erickson concedes that First Amendment rights would probably suffer. But in the long run, he argues, the ordinances would protect many more people than they would harm.
Nonsense, argues county commission attorney Jim Mickelson. Society doesn't outlaw guns because they harm some people. "They call themselves conservatives," he says, referring to groups like HOME, "and take 180-degree views of the issues."
Privately, there are those in Ravalli County who say that Erickson and Himes have a much larger agenda in mind than just ridding Ravalli County of obscenity. Their real motivation is to vote Judge Langton out of office when he comes up for reelection in 2004 as punishment for striking down the ordinances. Erickson and HOME, critics say, don't want to see this matter resolved anytime soon, because a quick resolution would spoil their plans.
The wording of the ordinances is also paramount because their supporters want to see this issue taken all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where they believe the ordinances would be upheld. Local legal experts, however, suggest that the challenge would go no further than the state Supreme Court.
"People assumed Judge Langton knew more about the law than he did when they voted him in," says Erickson. "Personally, if Judge Langton is so fouled up that he would go against basic Supreme Court decisions, I guess I would vote against him, but that's certainly not the point of the ordinances. If the [Montana] Supreme Court overturned him, it may have political repercussions against him. If you're asking me if I would campaign against him now, I probably would."
Points of law
Why Langton's ruling arouses so much opposition is odd, considering that he did not rule on the plaintiffs' claim that the three ordinances violate the First Amendment guarantee of free speech. That fact has given the county commissioners the wherewithal to appeal this ruling without antagonizing either the Christian Right or First Amendment advocates.
Still, the Montana Human Rights Network's Kaufman says the county commission won't be able to avoid coming up against Christian sensibilities. "There isn't any way the county commissioners can stay away from the religious hook," she says.
But for the board of county commissioners, Langton's ruling provides a way out of the trap of pitting religion against the First Amendment. The judge ruled that the ordinances are overly broad and go beyond state law restrictions on obscenity. Montana cities and counties may approve more restrictive obscenity laws than state law, but in this case, he ruled, the three ordinances were so overly broad that they could encompass behavior or materials already permitted under state law.
In his ruling, Langton wrote: "[A]n argument which has not been raised by the plaintiffs, but which appears obvious to this Court, is the potential for facial overbreadth challenges based upon the powers conferred to local governments by virtue of [state law]. The use of this power to provide 'more restrictive' ordinances than just provided by the statute on obscenity and the display of obscenity to minors creates a substantial risk for a constitutional challenge for overbreadth."
Ironically, this was an argument made by neither side in the original lawsuit. It's a ruling that's thrown local lawyers for a loop, but also takes the county commissioners off the hot seat and provides them with a political, rather than religious, reason to file the appeal. Says Mickelson, "It diffuses the emotional issue."
Since the ruling, Ravalli commissioners have interpreted the decision to mean that the county cannot pass any ordinances of any kind—not just obscenity laws—that are stricter than state law.
Although it appears the ruling addresses the obscenity issue only, some commissioners fear that it could affect all ordinances passed by the county, including restrictions on billboards, cell phone towers, stray dogs and open containers, to name but a few.
As Thompson puts it, "Judge Langton went off on another tangent than the arguments made by either side. It's not a stretch of the imagination to know that if his ruling stands you can't pass a
billboard ordinance. So that's very important."
The cost to taxpayers
In the two years since Langton's ruling, the decision to appeal or not has been a political hot potato. Neither the current board of commissioners nor previous boards were willing to take on an issue so freighted with morality. The commissioners have been so reluctant to discuss their options that their attorney, Mickelson, virtually had to strong-arm them into settling with the plaintiffs for damages, the least controversial part of this case.
In the past two years, the board has only desultorily pursued the appeals process. For one thing, the board hasn't found a lawyer willing to represent the county. But when the time clock appeared to be running out, the board was pressured to take the issue more seriously. And when they were handed a political basis for the appeal—the county authority issue—the relief among them was almost palpable. The county now has less than 60 days in which to file its appeal.
And so the race is on to find an attorney. Pastor Himes, who is also an attorney, has offered his services. Although he's only licensed to practice law in California, he says he's willing to do the legal legwork for the lawyer who is eventually hired to handle the appeal.
County attorney George Corn has already said he is unwilling to represent the county, and in fact, has largely avoided the entire fray. Corn's wariness has prompted criticism from those who say he's shirking his official duties.
"It's not just a simple or straightforward constitutional case," says Corn, who will ask Montana Attorney General Mike McGrath to clarify Langton's ruling as it pertains to the county's authority to pass ordinances. "I'm going to say, 'Look, if that's the issue, won't you come in and take a look?'"
Likewise, Mickelson, who represents the county in civil matters, has said he will not represent the county in this particular case. "I guess I don't agree with some of the language in the ordinances. I think they go too far."
The ordinances, says Mickelson, encompass acceptable activity, and could restrict what people choose to have delivered to their homes via magazine subscriptions, cable TV, even the Internet. "It becomes a very subjective thing. To me, it's almost too difficult to regulate. There's a strong feeling among lawyers that the argument is a loser. I just don't believe it's a defensible position."
Which may be why Erickson and Himes have submitted the name of yet another Christian-oriented law firm to represent the county. The Liberty Counsel, based in Orlando, Fla., is similar to the American Family Association Center for Law and Policy in that it directly advocates Christianity in the public realm.
The board has yet to decide whether to hire The Liberty Counsel, though they've vowed to consider it. Thompson says it makes sense to hire a firm with experience in constitutional law, but Mickelson has advised the board to hire a local attorney because the Montana Supreme Court would likely take a dim view of out-of-state attorneys arguing a case in Montana.
Some past and present county commissioners, including Betty Lund, have urged Erickson to simply reword the ordinances to make them invulnerable to a legal challenge—and save the county thousands of dollars. Erickson has declined to do so. He and his followers insist on taking the three ordinances, word for word, to the U.S. Supreme Court, legal costs be damned.
Thus far, the costs to Ravalli County taxpayers have exceeded $70,000. Considering the county's other expenses—the county is expected to shell out as much as $300,000 to $400,000 to remodel the courthouse—questions arise as to what benefits, if any, taxpayer will reap from this appeal. In addition, a new district judge position was created by the 2001 Legislature and the remodeled courthouse must accommodate the new judge, his staff, a new courtroom, jury room and chambers by January 2003. The county is also planning on moving some of its offices out of the courthouse to a new building, which will be leased for 10 to 15 years at a cost of nearly $15,000 a month.
Despite such expenses, Thompson insists that the cost of this appeal won't make much of a dent in an already bruised county budget. He estimates that an appeal could run anywhere from $8,000 to $10,000. "That's not anything that would break the camel's back," he says.
Of course, if either side decides to appeal a ruling by the Montana Supreme Court—since this case deals with a state constitutional question, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals would not get involved—the next step would be the U.S. Supreme Court.
As for the cost of taking a case to the High Court, that's sheer speculation, says Mickelson. "You'd have to find [an attorney] with more experience, and the cost would go up." A good ballpark figure, he says, would be upwards of $100,000.
Where the true costs lie
"Taxpayers, whether they be in Montana or anywhere else, have come to appreciate and expect church and state separation," says Steve Benen, a spokesman for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, a Washington D.C.-based government watchdog group. "It's not surprising that taxpayers might be frustrated supporting what would appear to be a religiously motivated campaign."
Benen says that if ever there was a time to discuss the implications of religious extremism it's now. But the nature of religious extremists, be they Christian, Muslim, or anything else, is that they don't recognize how their own notions of morality can dramatically affect those who don't share their beliefs.
Local pastors and their congregations have every right to speak out against obscenity or any harmful influences in a community, he argues. But they have no right to insist that their religious beliefs be enshrined into law. It's not about religious vs. non-religious community members, Benen says, but whether a local government takes its marching orders from a church.
While Thompson, Mickelson and others involved in the case will not speculate on how the Montana Supreme Court might decide this case, few lawyers who spoke to the Independent believe it would go beyond Montana since the U.S. Supreme Court long ago addressed the issue of pornography, and this case raises no new legal issues.
At the state level, the high court could overturn Langton's ruling on the county's authority to pass obscenity ordinances, or it could decide on the constitutional issues that Langton did not rule on. Then again, it could do something entirely unpredictable.
"It would be nice to go to court and win the whole thing," says Thompson. "Will that happen? I have no idea."
Says Erickson, simply, "Let God decide."


text:
This is a list of the top Personal Development books that had a huge impact on my life. I am asked often which books do I think are the best. Well I am not sure I could say these are the best as that is up to you but these are the ones that had the most impact on me.
Have you read these? If you have what affect did it have?
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Positive Personality Profiles: Discover Personality Insights to Understand Yourself and Others
Leadership and Self-deception: Getting Out of the Box
Developing the Leader within You (Maxwell, John C.)
His Needs, Her Needs: Building an Affair-Proof Marriage
The Present: The Gift That Makes You Happy and Successful at Work and in Life

subset: commoncrawl


text:
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The Richmond men's basketball held a nine-point halftime lead over Saint Joseph's, but the Hawks scored the first 15 points of the second half to slip past the Spiders, 61-55.
With the setback, Richmond falls to 14-11 on the season overall and to 4-6 in Atlantic 10 conference play. The Hawks had lost three-straight to the Spiders at Hagan Arena, but opened up a slim lead in the closing minutes and held on to improve to 14-9 on the year and 5-5 in A-10 action.
Off the bench, sophomore Kendall Anthony scored a team-high 13 points, while junior Cedrick Lindsay added 12. Wayne Sparrow had a solid, all-around game, totaling nine points, eight rebounds and three steals.
The Spiders return to action on Saturday when the team will host St. Bonaventure at the Robins Center, with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m. The contest will be televised in Richmond on WTVR's digital channel 6.3.


text:
eBook Educators Group
where educators come to learn from one another
Lacey Estrada has not received any gifts yet
Give Lacey Estrada a Gift
Join eBook Educators Group
Welcome toeBook Educators Group
Sign Upor Sign In
Old TeleRead site hacker-proofed. Related WP-to-HTML tips. And thanks to Nate and Tim.
Should you leave your day job to freelance? From finances to insurance, here's what to ponder.
Castle of Cagliostro and copyright's limits to creativity
Ebooks and eyestrain: Eleven tips for newbies and old-timers. Now share your own wisdom.
Click 'buy' to get the free ebook
© 2017 Created by Will DeLamater.
Powered by
Badges |
Report an Issue |
Terms of Service
Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator.


text:
More than 2,000 people in 23 countries worldwide now have confirmed cases of the new strain of the H1N1 flu, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.
Over half of the 2,099 laboratory confirmed cases are in Mexico, the apparent epicenter of the virus, where 44 people are confirmed to have died of the disease, popularly referred to as swine flu. Thirty percent of the W.H.O. confirmed cases are in the United States, where authorities say the virus is now widespread, and two deaths have been reported.
Please login/join to leave a comment


text:
2004 Chevrolet Corvette Problems
RepairPal has identified the most common problems with the 2004 Chevrolet Corvette based on complaints from actual vehicle owners. We'll tell you what the problem is and what it'll take to fix it.
The steering wheel position sensor may fail, resulting in the service stability message being displayed.
A coolant leak may develop from the water pump. The engine may overheat as a result of the coolant loss. A leaking water pump should be replaced.
Illumination of the Check Engine Light may be the result of a loose or worn gas cap.
The service steering column lock message may be displayed, the engine may start and stall when put into gear. Our technicians tell us that this fault is related to the anti-theft system and the steering column lock system must be repaired as necessary. Certain models were recalled for this issue. For more information on this recall please click here»
The spark plugs should be replaced every 100,000 miles. Our technicians recommend replacing the spark plug wires also at this time.
One or both secondary air injection check valves may become restricted causing poor air flow resulting in illumination of the Check Engine Light. It is often recommend to replace both check valves even if a fault code is set for only one bank of cylinders. Replacing only one valve may result in a return trip to the repair shop.
Brake fluid can become dirty and may cause problems in the brake system; it should be flushed every 60,000 miles.


text:
Watauga, NC, USA < change city >
Reception Sites (25)
Caterers (8)
Photographers (8)
Florists (6)
Rentals (3)
Cakes (3)
DJs (2)
Bands (1)
Wedding Day Beauty (1)
Invitations (1)
Limos (1)
Tuxedos (1)
Wedding Fashion (1)
Ceremony Musicians (1)
See All Vendors >
Classic Event Rental Inc
Hickory, NC, USA
2 ratings, 2 reviews, 2 weddings
The one hour drive to Asheville was worth it to work with Amanda at Classic Event...
Lake Norman Party Rentals
136 Stutts Rd. Suite 4
Mooresville, NC 28117
(704) 664 5969
1 rating, 1 review, 1 wedding
They are a fantastic company, we got married on a Sunday which can be tricky and ...
It's My Party
325 1st Ave SW
Hickory, NC, United States
1 rating, 1 review, 1 wedding
When we needed more candelabras than they had in stock, they went to work to acqu...
Boone Rent-all And Parti...
1818 Nc Highway 105 Byp
Boone, NC, United States
1 rating, 1 review, 1 wedding
They were very easy to work with and made lots of time to sit with us and make su...
A & J Rental
1610 W D St
North Wilkesboro, NC, United States
1 rating, 1 review, 1 wedding
Very professional, friendly, and knowledgeable staff. They were very flexible wi...
Miss Match Rentals
Blowing Rock, NC, USA
1 rating, 1 review, 1 wedding
If you're looking for vintage plates, napkins, mason jars or anything beyond the ...
Jefferson Rent-all
427 South Main Street
Jefferson, NC, United States
1 rating, 1 review, 1 wedding
Jefferson Rent-all was great! They provided the rental equipment. Very courteous ...
Classic Tent Rental Inc
1 Sunny Ridge Dr
Asheville, NC, United States
0 ratings, 0 reviews, 1 wedding


text:
Free personalized radio that
plays the music you love
Jim Steinke
Selected Discography
Track List: Playing By Heart-The Art Of The Solo Acoustic Guitar: Vol 1
Track List: Sleepers Awake-The Art Of Solo Acoustic Guitar: Vol. 2
Similar Artists
Saint Patrick's Church
1046 E. 34th street
Los Angeles , California 90011
( 323 ) 234-5963
This sounds nothing like Dylan's tune
As with 'the.bridge' , I can't find any of his recordings on the I-Net either.
~Bob Shank, Tucson
Don't have a Pandora account? Sign up
Already have a Pandora account? Log In


text:
Family Experiences, Online Programs Fight Learning Loss
The Assistant Director of Instruction for Laramie County School District 1 says 'summer learning loss' is a real concern for students.
But Brent Young says there are steps parents can take to minimize the problem, which can occur while students are out of school and away from their studies. Young says family experiences, such as trips to museums and historic sites and even local parks, can provide learning experiences and spark an interest in learning more about a topic. Young says even family conversations about everyday topics can help expand a student's vocabulary and provide an opportunity for learning.
Meanwhile, the Wyoming Department of Education is offering two free summer online programs to keep students sharp over the summer months. The programs "Find A Book Wyoming" and the "Summer Math Challenge" are both available at the department of education website. The math challenge gets underway this week, while students can access "Find A Book Wyoming"anytime.


text:
IBC has consumer information centres in all of its regional offices to address specific questions that may not be covered on this website. If the information officers at these centres do not know the answers to your specific questions, they will direct you to someone who does. Please don't hesitate to give them a call.
For information regarding your particular insurance policy, please contact your insurance representative.


text:
Julie Vorobyov Photographer
amdietzModel Female New York, New York, US
My Website: facebookMy MM URL: http://www.modelmayhem.com/amdietz
Mayhem # 1442218
About MeI want to work for the exposure and for experience. I am very creative and artistic and have been involved in the modeling industry for a few years now and I am looking to take it to the next level. I want to shoot to build my book and gain more experience in order to book big jobs and campaigns.
Have you worked with amdietz? Add Credits for amdietz! >>
Julie Vorobyov Photographer
DayaneOhira Photographer
Veronika Powers Photographer
Julie Hoppe Clothing Designer
Irkinst Clothing Designer
VW Studios Photographer
Loading Content


text:
Russian Federation
Federal Law No. 284-FZ of December 25, 2008 on the Transfer of Rights on Unified Technologies
WIPO Lex: Disclaimer and copyright notice
|Date of Entry into Force:
|January 9, 2009
|Date of Text (Enacted):
|December 25, 2008
|Type of Text:
|Main IP Laws: enacted by the Legislature
|Subject Matter:
|Enforcement of IP and Related Laws, Transfer of Technology
|The Federal Law on the Transfer of Rights to Unified Technologies regulates the transfer of rights to civil, military, and special technologies, which belong to the Russian Federation or a subject thereof or other persons, either wholly or jointly, with or without tenders or auctions.
|Available Texts:
Федеральный Закон № 284-ФЗ от 25.12.2008 г. «О передаче прав на единые технологии» (Version with Automatic Translation Tool)
|Related Legislation:
|WIPO Lex No.:


text:
This energy-infused mini by Terani H1259 channels trending retro details. A vivid border studded with sparkling beads accents the curved, strapless neckline. Handfuls of beads strew the surface of the contoured bodice to the empire waist. Dip-died flapper fringe shimmies in tiers along the curvy skirt, finishing just below the mini hemline with a final frisson.
Please refer to our return policy.
We are an authorized retailer of all the dresses we sell. We only sell 100% authentic dresses.
Find a lower price and we will match and beat it by 5%
Free shippingFree ground shipping on orders over $50.
Free shipping
Free ground shipping on orders over $50.
Click to get estimated price in different currancy
Terani H1259
Similar Items
Masterful Hand Painted Strapless Cocktail Dress by Holt
Hand Painted Vintage Inspired Mini Dress by Holt
Swirling Painted Sweetheart Mini Dress by Holt
Strapless Sequins and Stones Cocktail Dress by Night Moves by Allure
Ravishing Asymmetrical Painted Mini Dress by Holt
Feathered, belted sweetheart mini by Mac Duggal Homecoming
Strapless Sequin Evening Gown by Sherri Hill
Slinky sheath dress by Tony Bowls Evening
Chic and asymmetrical strapless mini by Tony Bowls Cocktail
Copyright ©2008-2017, NewYorkDress.com. All Rights Reserved.
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy


text:
Who Needs Two Nickles To Rub Together When You Can Use Two $1 Trillion Platnium Coins?
|Anonymous Coward (OP)
User ID: 5549032
United States
Report Abusive Post
Report Copyright Violation
From the link above:
Enter the platinum coins. Thanks to an odd loophole in current law, the U.S. Treasury is technically allowed to mint as many coins made of platinum as it wants and can assign them whatever value it pleases.
Under this scenario, the U.S. Mint would produce (say) a pair of trillion-dollar platinum coins. The president orders the coins to be deposited at the Federal Reserve. The Fed then moves this money into Treasury's accounts. And just like that, Treasury suddenly has an extra $2 trillion to pay off its obligations for the next two years — without needing to issue new debt. The ceiling is no longer an issue.


text:
Jackson jurors end first day of deliberations
Page Tools
Jurors in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial have ended their first day of deliberations.
The eight women and four men were escorted out of the courthouse by sheriff's deputies after just two hours of huddling over whether to convict the superstar on 10 counts that could see him jailed for more than 18 years.
Jurors got into two vans outside the courthouse and were whisked quietly away, to return to their homes for the weekend.
The panel was due back in court on Monday morning at 8.30am (01.30 AEST Tuesday) for what courtroom observers believe will be the start of deliberations in earnest on Jackson's fate.
Earlier, Judge Rodney Melville told the eight women and four men of the panel to start deliberations by selecting a foreperson and then to begin considering the evidence in a bid to reach a verdict on each charge.
"You are not partisans or advocates in this matter, you are the impartial judges of the facts," he told them before sending them out after a dramatic four-month trial in the California town of Santa Maria.
The no-nonsense trial judge told jurors each one of them must strive to make up their minds, but also warned them not to hesitate to change their opinions if they felt it was right.
Melville also told Jackson he could remain at his Neverland estate until a verdict is reached. "Mr Jackson, I have no problem with you being at your residence."
Jackson is charged with 10 counts of molesting a 13-year-old cancer patient in February or March of 2003, plying the boy with alcohol and plotting to kidnap him and his family.
The 46-year-old "King of Pop" has pleaded innocent to all the charges, which could together see him put behind bars for years.
Jackson's defence claims the star is an innocent man-child who became the target of a greedy financial predator and her children who made up the allegations in a bid to extort him.
Get The Age home delivered for as little as $2.70 a week*


text:
Baseball Topples UCLA Again
Feb. 28, 1998
LOS ANGELES - USC held on for a 10-9 victory over UCLA on Saturday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium. UCLA rallied in the ninth inning and scored two runs.
The Bruins had the tying run on third base and the winning run at first base, but senior Jack Krawczyk struck out pinch-hitter Eric Reece to end the game, earning his sixth save of the season and the 32nd of his career to become the Pac-10's all-time career saves leader. The old record was held by Brett Merrick (Washington, 1993-1996).
USC had stormed out to an 8-2 lead after three and a half innings. UCLA scored five unanswered runs with two in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth. In the fifth inning, senior Brett Nista and junior Eric Valent hit back-to-back home runs.
The score was 8-7 in favor of USC entering the seventh inning. Junior Jason Lane hit a two-run home run to give USC a 10-7 lead. Lane pitched three strong innings in relief and allowed just one run to earn the victory, improving to 2-0 on the season. Freshman Chad Cislak suffered the loss for UCLA. He allowed eight runs (five earned) in five innings and dropped to 2-3 on the season.
In the ninth inning, Nista singled. After Krawczyk retired Valent and senior Eric Byrnes, freshman Garrett Atkins reached base safely on an error by senior third baseman Morgan Ensberg. Freshman Chase Utley and senior Cassidy Olson followed with RBI-singles. Reece, a redhsirt freshman, who had just one collegiate at bat before the game, was called on to pinch hit for freshman Nick Lyon who was 0-2 with two strikeouts. Reece swung and missed at a 2-2 pitch to end the game.
Ensberg and freshman Seth Davidson had three hits apiece for USC. Nista led UCLA with four hits.
USC 023 300 300 10 18 2 UCLA 110 221 002 9 15 5 USC: Penny, Weibling (5), Lane (6), Krawczyk (9) and Munson UCLA: Cislak, Carter (6) and Green W: Jason Lane (2-0) L: Chad Cislak (2-3) HR: USC Ensenerg (4), a three-run shot in the third; Lane (4), a two-run shot in the seventh UCLA Nista (3), a solo shot in the fifith; Valent (6), a solo shot in the fifth Records: USC: 12-3, 4-1 UCLA: 7-10, 2-5


text:
Solve a mysterious murder set in the sixteenth century, chase the tracks of Professor Robert Langdon, the main character of the last best-selling novel by Dan Brown, have a wine tasting riding a quad bike or chasing old ghosts.
What do these curious experiences have in common? They are all unusual itineraries and tours to explore our beautiful Tuscany from a new and original point of view. Here are some ideas for a different experience of this magical land.
1) Discover the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence following "Hell", the Dan Brown novel set in the city. The Mus.E, an association that takes care of the heritage of the Civic Museums of Florence, has created a special tour inspired by the book, learn more here.2) Solve a crime set in the Renaissance and get to know the main monuments of the historical centre of Florence in six hours. The tour operator Accord organizes the "Historical whodunit tour" in collaboration with the "Compagnia del Giallo". It's the Renaissance and there is a murder that involves Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Machiavelli; "detective-travellers" have to reveal the murder by chasing clues in the main buildings and monuments of Florence. 3) Know the mysterious side of Tuscany with Mystery Tuscany. Diana, the ghost river of Siena, the spirit of the Baron Brolio, the stories of love and death of beautiful Matilda in the castle of Poppi and the Devil's Bridge in Borgo a Mozzano, are some of the legends told in the film, half way between a fiction and a documentary, created by the Associazione Culturale Galgano from Siena. You can also join the tour and visit the places of mystery with Mystery Tuscany Tour. 4) Taste the great wines and the traditional desserts of Tuscany, but with a good dose of adventure. This is the offer of Crazy Quad Toscana, which accompanies tourists around the beautiful landscapes around Arezzo riding a quad bike. 5) Sail the waters of the Arno River in the magical light of the sunset on a vintage ship driven with a pole. The tour is organized by Florence and Tuscany Tours. 6) Travel in a carriage: for "slow travel" lovers there is "Toscana in Carrozza" with short and long offers. You can choose between a night in the historic centre of Florence or a trip to Siena, all created to live the magical atmosphere of the past with the slow pace of the horses that allows you to fully enjoy the beauty of the landscapes of our region. 7) Have a drink in the most important museums of Florence. "Aperitivo ad Arte" takes place in the State Museums of Florence, after the usual closing time and comes with cultural moments – a visit to some of the rooms of the museum – and other more convivial moments during which visitors can enjoy an aperitif in environments of rare beauty. Original post on Diari Toscani by Roberta Ristori.