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There are at least as many reasons why some Corvette lovers have more than one example of America's Only True Sports Car as there are multiple Corvette households. That holds true for DeSoto, Missouri's Terry Smith. Several years ago, Terry and his wife, Kathy, were at Corvette Funfest at Mid America Motorworks. They were proudly showing off their L79-powered '68 Corvette as part of the "Funfest 50," chosen to represent the first-year C3 in that special display honoring Corvette's 50th Anniversary. Their '68 was flanked by two other Vettes that had something that the Smith's Shark didn't have. "I had a '67 big-block on one side of me, and a '69 big-block on the other," says Terry. "I told my wife, 'I think that we need to start looking for a big-block." But, unlike some spouses who may have disagreed, Kathy went along with the idea. "I had just about talked myself out of buying it, and she said, 'Let's go ahead. It's an investment, and we might as well have fun as we're doing it," he says. "She didn't twist my arm too far, though!"
Once that arm twisting (estimated at 1/16 inch) was completed, Terry began his search for a 427-powered '68 to join the 327-powered one they already had. Fortunately for the Smiths, they didn't have to look outside of Missouri to find the car that you see here. "I got it in 2006 up at Schroeder Motors," recalls Terry. "He deals in Corvettes up in St. Charles, Missouri. It was the first car we ever bought from him, and we did OK as far as I'm concerned."
See if you think this is OK: A '68 Corvette coupe that was built with the hydraulic-lifter-equipped, 400 horsepower RPO L68 427, wearing three Holley two barrels underneath its triangular chrome air cleaner like its solid-lifter sibling (the RPO L71 427) does. A Shark optioned with a Rock Crusher and a luggage rack. This one was wearing its original Safari Yellow acrylic lacquer paint on the outside, and its original black vinyl seat covers and OEM black nylon loop-pile carpets inside. Unlike their L79-which Terry had restored himself-the L68 was complete, intact, and drivable. Sort of. "The car wasn't fun to drive when we first got it," Terry says of the 427-powered car's persistent cooling problems, which first cropped up on the trip home from St. Charles. "That was a nightmare. When you have to sit there and watch the temperature gauge spike, it's not fun." The solution-a black-epoxy-coated aluminum radiator from DeWitt's, plus a Weiand high-flow water pump. Combined, they cured the car's chronic cooling crises, and helped Terry and Kathy keep their eyes on the road (and not the temperature gauge) when they were out on the road.
There's some other non-OEM hardware on this car, along with the cooling system, courtesy of the Shark's previous owner. He'd updated the L68 with an L88-grind camshaft, while freshening up a car that had tallied 82,000 miles since its purchase in Las Vegas in 1968. "He rebuilt the engine, put all new factory-numbered bushings on it, and cross-referenced everything to verify that it's a numbers-matching '68," says Terry of the Corvette that, according to the history that accompanied it when he bought it, had been a garage queen between 1988 and 2002.
One item on this '68 is strictly for appearance's sake: the luggage rack on the rear deck. Terry doesn't use it. "I've seen people tie their T-tops to it, but I'm not going to do it," he says. "I can just see them falling off, and a semi running over my T-tops."
However, the 427 under the hood does get regular use, and Terry says it's really something to drive. "It's got more oomph than I really want to test it to," he says with a laugh about the upgraded L68's power. "I like the way the cam sounds-it lopes, and sounds good." And this car does get driven regularly. "As a matter of fact, we had it to a show this past Sunday at the AmVets in DeSoto," Terry says. "It took a first, and the other one (their 327-powered '68) took a third."
Terry says that he's learned many of the quirks of the first-year Shark, thanks to having two in his garage. "I am stumped once in a while," he says. "Recently, I tried to get the wiper motor and washer pump working. I had to get the original motor rebuilt, because it's the only one that will work. The '69-'72 wiper motors won't put the wipers or the wiper door in the proper timing." Regardless of their quirks, both of the Smith's '68s were honored at Corvette Funfest in 2007, when Mid America Motorworks founder and president Mike Yager picked both of them for his President's Choice award.
If you're still looking for your first Corvette-or if you're like the Smiths and are looking for another to complement the one already in your garage-Terry has this advice. "If you've ever dreamed about owning one, like I have ever since I was a kid, you need to go for it and get one. The more I drive it, the more I like it. "People say you either love 'em or you hate 'em, but I love mine more and more every day."
Data File: '68 Chevrolet Corvette coupe
Terry J. Smith, DeSoto, Missouri
Production '68 Corvette coupe
Bodywork: Chevrolet's St. Louis Assembly Plant, St. Louis, Missouri
Paint: Original DuPont Safari Yellow acrylic lacquer; Paint preparation and applied by Chevrolet's St. Louis Assembly Plant, St. Louis, Missouri
Frame: Production '68 Corvette
Suspension: (Front) Coil springs, unequal-length A-arms, tubular shocks and stabilizer bar (Rear) Independent with heavy-duty transverse leaf spring bundle and tubular shocks
Steering: OEM GM-Saginaw recirculating-ball, non-power-assisted
Brakes: OEM GM-Delco Moraine four-wheel disc brakes, non-power-assisted
Wheels: OEM 15x7-inch stamped steel Rallye wheels with correct-for-'68 center caps and trim rings
Tires: Firestone Super Sport Wide Ovals, F70-15 red stripe, on all 4 corners
Chevrolet overhead-valve Mark IV big-block V8 (RPO L68)
Originally Built: Chevrolet Motor Division's Tonawanda Engine Plant, Tonawanda, New York
Modifications: .030-inch overbore, forged steel crankshaft, steel connecting rods, L88-grind camshaft, Lenadi pistons, Weiand high-flow water pump, DeWitt aluminum radiator
Modifications: Bill Grimes, Peverly, Missouri (Prior owner)
Displacement: 427 cubic inches
Compression Ratio: 11.0:1
Cylinder Heads: Production RPO L71, cast iron
Ignition: OEM GM-Delco distributor, high-capacity coil and Holley electronic ignition
Induction: RPO L68's 3x2-barrel Holley carburetors: R3659A (front/rear), R4055A (center)
Camshaft: Production RPO L88 camshaft with solid lifters and roller rockers replaced OEM hydraulic-lifter L68 cam
Exhaust: OEM cast iron manifolds with 2 1/2-inch pipes
Horsepower: 400 @ 5400 rpm (Advertised)
Torque: 460 ft. /lbs. @ 3600 rpm (Advertised)
Muncie M-22 heavy-duty close-ratio 4-speed manual (RPO M22)
Shifter: Original '68 Corvette four-speed shifter with spring-loaded reverse lockout
Rear End: RPO G81 Positraction with 4.11:1 rear gears
Production 1968 Corvette
Additions By Owner: Head rests, teak steering wheel
Seats: Production '68 buckets with black vinyl seat covers
Carpets: Original black nylon loop-pile
Instrumentation: OEM '68 Corvette (0-160 mph speedometer, 0-7000 rpm tachometer with 5600 rpm redline, plus fuel level, oil pressure, ammeter, coolant temperature gauges)
Sound System: RPO U69 GM-Delco AM/FM stereo radio
Heater: OEM GM-Harrison heater/defroster
A/C: Before driving briskly with windows open and T-tops off, stand in front of GM-Frigidaire freezer with door wide open


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Review Details
Aerostich Combat Touring Boots
- Product Review (submitted on April 29, 2010):
I found there was little break in necessary and have ridden x-continent 5 times with them and through all kinds of weather; hot, cold, wet, very wet, dry, extremely hot, etc., and three Iron Butt runs.
Do a seasonal maintenance of cleaning and water proofing.
The general grouch I've heard is the cheezy laces get hung up and fuzzy on the hook and loop. This is true. Miserable laces. Easy fix: Leather boot laces. Get rid of the little plastic slide and tie the leather laces like you were taught.
Keep the rubber side down.

subset: commoncrawl


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As the Boys of Summer approach another fall, the excitement of baseball's postseason looms.
How did we get to this past? Glad we asked. With 25 days left in the Major League Baseball regular season, we present a list of 25 men who have defined the sport's year to date — and likely may to come.
Alex Anthopoulos
Blue Jays fans hold legitimate aspirations of ending their 22-year playoff drought, the longest active streak in baseball, thanks to Anthopoulos. The general manager acquired Troy Tulowitzki and David Price, shifting a team on the postseason fringe into a potential October power.
Jake Arrieta
There are better pitchers...


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Skip to comments.Wanted by the Fertility Police
Posted on 10/24/2001 9:08:40 PM PDT by Brian Kopp DPM
Crisis - June
Wanted by the Fertility Police
By Mary Walsh
At the pool last summer I met a mother of a three-year-old and a five-year-old. She started talking to me about my two youngest girls, Patricia and Kathleen. Slowly, she realized that Brian, the four-year-old boy bobbing up and down with great delight in the three-foot end, was also mine. When Maggie, my seven-year-old, came swimming up, I could see the fear in the woman's face. "Four!" she gasped, then repeated, "Four." Then Michael came back from the diving board. "Good heavens!" she exclaimed. "You have five?" I replied, "Well, actually, I have six. Christopher is not here. He's at a friend's house today."
Six. She was stunned. I tried to help her out: "Really, it's not so bad. We have a lot of fun, especially at the pool in the summer." Six. She was still stuck on the number. When she came to, she told me that she and her husband were "thinking about having another child," but they were not yet sure if they would. When I told my husband about the incident, he joked, "Did you tell her you have to do more than just think about it?"
This is only one of the many run-ins I have had with the people I call the fertility police. OK, so I admit it: I am jaded. Over time, I have become accustomed to the rude comments, "the glare," "the stare," and the "How could you possibly take up my airspace?" attitude from people with no more than two kids. Any mother with more than two, or with children close in age, knows exactly to what I am referring: that look of condescension that says, "Don't you know what causes that?"
One of my favorite movie scenes is in Cheaper by the Dozen (1950), when the father of the twelve-child Gilbreth family refers to those "piddly little families with five or six children." (In another great scene in that movie, the local Planned Parenthood representative flees the Gilbreth house in shock.) I guess that with six, I have one of those piddly little families, though most people I meet do not seem to think so. It is no secret that most people today think that managing more than a couple of children is darn near impossible. Contemporary culture is quite fond of ignoring the Creator and hence forgets that "with God, all things are possible."
Lectures at the Grocery Store
My first two children, Michael and Christopher, were both born in May, Christopher on our second wedding anniversary. Needless to say, encounters with the fertility police were frequent. The fertility police can be either well-meaning or downright rude. An encounter with them can be as simple as a shake of the head or as complex as lengthy inquiries about the proximity of the children's birthdays or unsolicited advice about the most effective methods of contraception.
One place where I frequently run into the fertility police is the grocery store. There, one woman called me crazy. Another nearly fainted in the soup aisle while I was shopping with my daughter Kathleen, then a month old. This distraught woman insisted on telling me what it was like to be the mother of not only a newborn but also of a three-year-old boy (the "curse" of the human race, as she put it). When I told her I also had a three-year-old son and six children in all, she started muttering to herself, "Six children, six children, six children...," and made a beeline away from me. She did not utter a peep to me in the cereal aisle.
Being open to new life and not cooperating with the contraceptive mentality of today's culture makes a Catholic parent a walking sign of contradiction. Apparently, seeing a family with more than two children causes a searing jab in the consciences of some people who had considered the issue of whether to have more children moot. Why else would complete strangers tell me their darkest secrets about using birth control, along with their reasons for avoiding having another child, some even graphically describing "cutting and burning those tubes"?
My sister has a friend in Pennsylvania who is a mother of five. Her husband works as an engineer for a behemoth company. When he announced to his coworkers that he and his wife, both Catholics, were expecting their fifth child, the fertility cops started trailing into his office to read him the riot act. He responded with, "Hey, man, I get my marching orders from Rome." They were shocked by his response, and didn't bother him again.
My sister's mother-in-law, Martha, would probably have been classified as certifiable today. She and her husband were married at age 35 and subsequently blessed with five daughters and four sons in ten years. Martha's husband, a World War II veteran, probably never imagined that God had this in store for his life on December 6, 1941, when he was sent out of Pearl Harbor on a submarine the day before the Japanese bombed it.
Last year, I clicked on a financial advice column on the MSN Web site just for fun. It featured an article on the biggest financial mistakes people make. I could not resist taking a peek, since I am always on the lookout for ways to save money. The venomous words "having too many children" jumped off the screen at me. The article said that one or two children were bad enough; that children are extremely expensive and time-consuming; that the problem with having a third child is that the parents often want to have a fourth; and that four children are just too many. Children, one of the greatest joys of married life, the symbol of love between a husband and wife, were summarily dumped into the bin of financial mistakes.
Unless a woman is lucky enough to have a pro-life doctor, the joy of finding out that another child is on the way is usually tempered by the impending grief the expectant mother encounters at the obstetrician's office. "Oh, boy," she thinks. "Here comes another lecture from Dr. Fertility-Is-a-Disease." Thankfully, there are some wonderful pro-life doctors, but their offices can be few and far between. Those of us who do not relish the thought of delivering a baby in a car prefer to stick closer to home. That, of course, has its price. Sometimes the comments of doctors and nurses are unreal. "Do you want your tubes tied before I take out the epidural?" "Is this one it?" "We need an adult activity center in the county, so adults will have something to do at night."
Obstetricians and hospital staff should be overjoyed to have the business, yet they persist in their negativity to- ward large families. Luckily, my doctor has gotten used to the idea that my Catholic faith actually means I will not use contraception. I am sure he is puzzled, but at least I do not have to deal with his lectures. Obstetrical staff, however, is often worse than the doctor. The "look" alone is enough to wither healthy houseplants.
The contraceptive mentality of our culture has trickled down even to our children. A fourth-grader in the CCD class I teach asked me when I was pregnant with my daughter Maggie if I was "going to keep it." "You already have two," she said. This little girl was ten years old, and she already thought two children was enough. How sad it is that many children today see love limited in this way. Children learn most of what they know from their parents; thus, it is vitally important for parents to give their children a proper upbringing in the culture of life.
My children are always so thrilled to find out that a new baby is on the way that they can hardly stand to wait. Seven months (we break the news when I'm about two months pregnant) is just too long. Their anticipation of visiting Mommy and the new baby in the hospital fills them with joy and excitement. When the baby comes home, we have a "zero party" to celebrate his or her original birthday.
Large-Family Flak
Cultural opposition to large families, while nothing new, is especially intense today. Even when I was growing up, the neighbors teased my mother, calling her "Mrs. Rabbit" because she gave birth to the five of us in seven years. Though we have had our share of spats like any other family, we are tightly knit. Family closeness is not something that can be bought or sold, but it is one of the most precious gifts you can have. I thank God for the gift of my big family.
Sometimes the flak large families receive comes from those who should know better: grandparents. Some mothers and fathers are actually afraid to tell their own parents that another baby is on the way. For heaven's sake, it is not as if they were unwed teenagers. Responsible sex used to mean being married; now it means using a pill or a condom.
Flak can even come from Catholic natural family planning (NFP) advocates. For example, my friends Adele and Ryan were on vacation with their seven children. At Mass on Father's Day, as they left the pew, a man shoved an NFP brochure into Ryan's hand. Which one of their beautiful children did this man think should not exist? Was it any of his business to suggest that there was something wrong with their style of "family planning"?
In our society, if a woman chooses to abort her baby, the pregnancy and fetal destruction are private matters between only the "woman and her doctor." If she has the baby, her decision becomes public property: How closely are your children spaced? Do you intend on having more of them? Are you going to have your tubes tied?
One of the reasons for this hostility toward large families is a failure to trust in divine providence and the graces of the sacrament of matrimony. Even many Catholic NFP-users are so caught up in managing every temperature and trace of mucus that the big picture becomes lost in a blur: Every child, "planned" or not, comes into the world through the grace of God and is part of His plan. God will not give you more than you can handle, and He will always be there with abundant graces to help you.
Large-Family Misconceptions
There are many misconceptions about large families, and most of them spring from the pervasive anti-child attitudes of our culture. Some of these misconceptions are:
You cannot love more than two children.
Your numerous children will not be able to attend college.
It takes a fortune to raise more than one child.
Parents of large families do not have any private time.
It is impossible to raise a large family in 2001.
Love, however, does not divide or subtract with more children-it multiplies. A new sibling not only receives the love of his or her parents but of all the other siblings as well. Mother Teresa once said, "How can you say there are too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers." With her ability to speak from the heart and pierce like a sword, Mother Teresa knew that it is impossible to be a good parent and remain selfish. Putting the good of your child ahead of your own needs requires commitment and sacrifice.
I do not spend wakeful nights worrying about how to put my children though college. If college is in God's plans for them, I am sure we will find a way. There are loans, scholarships, and good old-fashioned diligence. The evils of the day are sufficient unto themselves, and it is fruitless to spend countless hours in worry. Time is better spent working out God's plan for us and helping our children discern His plan for them.
It does not take a fortune to raise children, either. They may want designer clothes or the hottest toy, but they certainly do not need them. In fact, we can teach our children valuable lessons about priorities and detachment by telling them the reasons why we do things.
For example, my husband was talking at the dinner table-where great conversations originate-with our two oldest sons. They were remarking on the fact that I buy everything on sale. "Do you know why Mom buys everything on sale?" my husband asked. "So she can stay home and take care of you and teach you." They were amazed: "Mom loves me enough to stay home with me" is the message they received. My husband and I do not feel the need to buy lavish accoutrements because we are already giving our children the best of our time, talent, and resources. We do not have to bear the guilt that many other parents feel today for dumping their children in day care or dropping them off at an ex-spouse's house, and then compensating them with new toys or exotic vacations for having wrecked their world.
As for private time, there's always the shower. Sometimes I am able to stay awake for a few hours after the children go to bed-and sometimes I put on my jammies right after them. But even when I don't have a lot of time to myself, I don't care because I know there will come a sad time when I will no longer hear the pitter-patter of little feet. There will be no more requests for drinks of water, infectious giggling, or midnight whispering about the day's events. Likewise, there will be no more arguing over who sat in whose spot on the couch, who drank the last of the chocolate milk, or who wrecked the greatest Lego creation since last week. Nor will there be any more "creative cleaning," in which my kids jam half the possessions of a Third World nation under their bunks. So I am content to recognize that there is a time for everything and to cherish their childhood while it is here. Parents do not always see their efforts pay off immediately. It may take years, but every good deed, wiped nose, tied shoe, changed diaper, answered question, and story read will form a child who grows secure in love and faith in God, a soldier of Christ.
All big families are as unique as the individuals who make them up, and thus, there is no perfect way to run a large household. One thing is for certain: Parents, in order to survive, will mellow as they have more children. I never fully understood the concept of picking my battles until I had children. Really, the fate of the world does not depend on whether a toddler takes a bath in a mud puddle: Clothes can be easily washed. Naps, however, are important for both mother and child, so I insist on them.
Surprisingly enough, parents with more children tend to be more organized. Families with eight always get to Mass before us, and we arrive before those with three. (I guess we need a couple more children to be truly punctual.) I love the magnet I once saw on a friend's refrigerator that read, "Cleaning your house while your children are growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing." I do what I can for the day, and of course, my older children are a big help. If the house is not perfect by twilight, it is OK. We live here.
It is not impossible to raise a large family. First and foremost, we do not do it by ourselves: We do it by the grace of God. When people ask me how I manage, I often try to lighten the conversation by saying that I do not manage the children-they manage me. What I should say is that God has given me the strength to fulfill my vocation, and He will strengthen you to do yours. "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of" (that comes from another of my favorite movies, The Bells of St. Mary's).
There are lots of little ways to cut costs: Buy on sale, plan your meals according to the grocery store specials (but do not become neurotic about it), buy clothes after the season for next year, go to library book sales, shop early for Christmas, and ask St. Anthony to help you find things that you need.
No Such Thing As Too Many
Dear friends of mine, Dave and Kathleen, are truly heroic people. When I met Kathleen, she and Dave had three children of their own-two daughters and a son-and had just adopted two sisters who had been in their foster care. At the time, her oldest was five, the next was four, and the other three were each seven months older than the next. Dave was transferred to Thailand, and they lived down the street from an orphanage. Soon after, they adopted a seven-month-old boy who was thought to be physically and mentally disabled, but all he needed was a family like Dave and Kathleen's to love him. Later, they adopted two sisters who had been beaten by Mommy and Daddy No. 3, and a twelve-year-old girl whose Thai name, Pan, meant "no name." Her new name is Claudia. Then they adopted a seven-year-old boy abandoned at a construction site and rescued by a Catholic priest. The priest had heard of this American family and asked them to take in the little Cambodian boy. Last, they adopted Yimmie, which means "Smile" (she was with them only 18 months because of red tape that prevented her adoption). Kathleen calls her family her "little United Nations."
It often appears to the worldly that people who accept children lovingly from God are a few cards short of a full deck. Contrary to popular opinion, however, large families know they have something of great value. Remember the parable: A man buys a field for an outrageous price, and everyone thinks he is crazy. But in fact, he knows there is treasure buried on the land. The world may not understand the value of every human child God sends to us, but we do if we are willing to open our hearts and minds to trust completely in Him.
While raising children is not always easy, most things in life that are rewarding require much time, effort, and commitment. Children are irreplaceable, and no material thing or vacation could ever compensate for not having them.
Michael, eleven, has a heart of gold and is always helpful and kind. Christopher, ten, is his brother's best friend. Maggie, nearly eight, is a tomboy (no surprise considering she has two older brothers) and the Pied Piper to her younger siblings. As the middle child, Maggie is a conspirator with the older boys and a ringleader with the younger children. Brian is five and keeps us entertained with his infectious laughter and silly antics. He enjoys his big audience. "I love home," he often says (I would not trade that compliment for all the tea in China!). Patricia, three, is our little redheaded princess who craves nail polish, tea parties, dolls, and going to the store. Kathleen is 18 months old and thoroughly enjoys her walking and discovery skills. Her smile lights up the room. She loves to sing in church but thinks all the hymnals there belong to her, and consequently, she scowls at anyone who picks one up.
Without my beloved husband, of course, I would not have these beautiful children. He is my cavalry riding to my rescue at the end of the day. He keeps me calm and helps me focus on God's big picture for us. I know that fairy tales are not supposed to come true, but we'll be married for twelve years in May, and all I can say is that he truly has been my prince.
One of the questions that newlyweds most often hear is: "Will you have children, and if so, how many?" I used to say that I wanted six because I figured it would keep the fertility police at bay for a while. Now my husband and I are expecting our seventh child in November. How many children will we have in all? Only God knows the perfect number for us.
Mary Walsh writes from Fredericksburg, Virginia
Back to Crisis June 2001 Table of Contents
Back to Catholic Information Center on Internet
I'm not even Catholic and that's a cool line. The writer points out the most glaring liberal hypocrisy of all: abortion is a private choice over what a woman 'does with her own body,' but it is perfectly acceptable to criticize someone for choosing to have that child and a few more besides, bringing in the govt if necessary. So much for staying out of someone else's bedroom.
I see dirt poor families getting by with three or four children while couples with six-figure salaries are tying their tubes because they "can't afford" a second or third child. We've got three and would like to have at least one more. My kids are priceless--worth more than all of the luxury cars, six and one-half bathroom houses and high-priced vacations in the world.
We have five (in seven years). When I was expecting my 5th, I was in the grocery store. The cashier's eyes got wide when she saw my four little ones and realized I was having another. She said, "Don't you know what causes that?"
I replied, very cooly, "Yes, and my husband and I enjoy it so much, we can't stop!"
Well, she got so red in the face and embarrassed, that I decided that was my response to all those thoughtless clods!!
I think Mrs. Walsh is being more than a tad defensive about the size of her family. What's "venomous" about an article stating the facts of reality? More children do cost more money, and if you want to save money one good way is simply to have fewer children. If you don't like that advice, don't take it. Find other ways of saving money (or earning more).
As someone who has only one child (but four siblings), I have no problem with those who prefer large families, as long as they pay for all those children themselves. Don't go on welfare, and don't make me or other taxpayers shoulder the cost of your decision. That way we can all be free to make our own life choices without imposing those choices on our neighbors.
Today its much happier. With all those kids grown up and with children of their own, my kids have lots of cousins and our frequent family get togethers are lots of fun. Sadly, when her mother fondly reminices about the kids growing up, the kids usually bring her back to earth.
We have a boy and a girl. Last spring my wife arranged a trip for my daughter and I to visit the San Diego Zoo, Animal Park and Sea World on the opposite coast. It was the best trip of my life. My daughter and I grew even closer than we had ever been. She knows she alone is my "princess" and is as devoted to me as I am to her. Next year in addition to our family vacation my son and I are going camping in the Grand Canyon. Saturday mornings I take my son to hockey practice she takes my daughter her horse riding lessons or vice versa.
We have tried to expose our 2 kids to as many activities as possible to allow them to find if they have a passion or talent for something. My wife and I have had many activities one on one with each of our two children that would have been less possible with a large family.
This is just my experience and not to be construed as negative to all large families of which my knowledge is very limited.
by Brian J. Kopp, DPM
My advice to the newlywed:
While youre young, use your head!
Have a baby...
Have a few!
I dont mean just one.
Or even two.
How about four?
How about eight?
(Making babies is really great!)
Dont worry about college.
Dont worry about clothes.
Their every need God already knows.
And when youre old,
in time of need,
with no more clamoring mouths to feed,
look to those you two made.
To be your comfort.
To be your aid.
Your children today are your greatest treasure.
You will receive in the amount you measure.
Gods greatest gift to husband and wife?
A newborn child!
An eternal life!
Our Unexpected Date With the Culture of Death
by Brian J. Kopp, DPM
Let me share with you our unexpected date with the Culture of Death this past weekend. We were in Chicago for a wedding. We had left our children with Sue's parents for this "adults only" wedding and reception (we assumed it was "adults only" to save on wedding expenses). The bride was Sue's best friend from high school. They were in youth group together in Sue's Lutheran church growing up.
Although neither of us were in the wedding, we were staying in the groom's condo (we couldn't afford the posh hotel where they reserved rooms for their out of town guests) and had been invited to the rehearsal dinner. Friday evening we went to the rehearsal. It was in a Lutheran church in the city of Chicago four blocks from Wrigley's field where the Chicago Cubs play. It was a very yuppie, affluent area.
The church sign said "Holy Trinity Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), A Reconciling in Christ Church." I wasn't sure what that meant. There were beautiful icons and many candles in this church, kneelers, a crucifix front and rear, both with a corpus, and a Holy Water font at the entrance. Further, there was a statement in the bulletin about the importance of the role of Mary the Mother of God in our devotions and spirituality and Martin Luther's writings extolling Marian devotion, and the reason they use incense in their liturgy and celebrate weekly "Holy Eucharist" instead of the Lutheran norm, which is far less often.
As we rode to the rehearsal dinner with the groom, I asked him about the church and its pastor. He wasn't clear about all the details because he had just joined this church several weeks before, having just abandoned his Roman Catholic upbringing. However, he thought the pastor had a Catholic background, and that the pastor had some "issues" with certain Catholic teachings.
He said a fellow participant in the "new member" classes the previous week had been in training to be a Lutheran minister. The ELCA said he had to choose between being a pastor or an openly practicing homosexual, and he had chosen the latter and subsequently joined this church. The groom said he was fairly certain the pastor was of homosexual orientation but had chosen to be a pastor, implying the pastor was not an open and practicing homosexual. Further, he said the "boys town" (homosexual men's) section of Chicago was just 2 or 3 blocks from this church. He also suggested we not talk about the subject because people at the wedding would be offended.
Saturday Sue and I went to the church 3 hours before the wedding so Sue could share family pictures with the bride while the bride was preparing for the wedding. I walked around the church and found a bulletin board outside the pastor's office.
There was an explanation that "A Reconciling in Christ" Church accepted and supported the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) lifestyle, newsletters were posted for the Lutheran LGBT ministries, and many pictures of several deceased AIDS victims from this church hung on the walls.
Most eye catching was this headline, "Condom Packing Pizza Party." Alongside was an open invitation for one and all to join in helping to pack 10,000 condoms for the upcoming Chicago Gay Pride parade while eating pizza and Pepsi. It dawned on me that I had never realized that the Culture of Death even throws parties in its own honor. It was clear that this church affirmed homosexuality and homosexual acts as healthy Christian behavior to be celebrated and welcomed and not judged.
By this point, I really didn't care to attend the wedding, and would have left to return home to my kids, but Sue convinced me that it would have been uncharitable to our hosts. The 15 minute Lutheran wedding was thankfully uneventful.
Between the wedding and reception was a 3 hour break. We found a beautiful, huge old Catholic church, St. Mary Star of the Lake, in a Hispanic neighborhood. We attended their anticipated mass, a welcome respite from the tomfoolery of the day so far. The old priest seemed decent but insisted on playing fast and loose with the words of the mass.
As I approached Holy Eucharist in line, I genuflected prior to receiving communion. The priest stopped and said sternly, "May I request that you refrain from genuflecting in line?!?" I did not answer but my heart screamed out, "NO, you may NOT ask me to NOT give proper reverence to the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ in this Holy Eucharist!!!" I wondered if he too, this crusty old Chicago priest, had lost his faith like the groom in the wedding. At least the groom joined another church. This was the worst affront to my sensibilities the whole weekend.
We then drove to the "adults only reception," at a restaurant the likes of which I had never entered. It was situated on the top floor of a 40 story luxury apartment building, overlooking Lake Michigan's Chicago shoreline, with the rest of Chicago's skyscrapers in view from the 270 degree view. It seems the reason our children weren't invited had little to do with economic hardship, as 170 guests enjoyed $75 dinners and a world class view.
We sat at a table for eight. One seat was empty. The woman explained her husband could not attend because he had just had surgery, and indicated a "snip snip" motion with her fingers. The guest across from me winced and his wife asked, "How many do you have?"
"Two," was the woman's reply.
The others nodded their approval.
My wife and I locked eyes and exchanged an unspoken expression of disbelief at the never-ending litany of the Culture of Death this weekend had dealt us. After trying for several years now, we had just learned the previous day that once again, God had not yet blessed us with our next pregnancy. And here were healthy young affluent yuppies throwing away their gift of fertility like so many barnyard animals.
Seated next to me was a kind, warmhearted man with an easy smile, whose Albanian Muslim parents had fought communist oppression in Albania and fled to America for freedom in the 1950's. He said he really didn't know the Muslim faith of his father and had never entered a church here in America since arriving here as a 6 month old in 1959. He smiled as we discussed matters of faith. He said it was really great to actually meet someone who went to church every Sunday. He was not joking in any way when he stated that he simply did not know anyone who attended church. He was essentially raised in Chicago with no religion for 40 years, and he knew no one that believed. No one.
We drove home Sunday. It took 9 long hours to return to the loving, happy, screaming arms of our beautiful 3 young children. It has never felt better to be home. I never realized what a sheltered paradise we live in here in this rust belt steel town in the mountains of west central Pennsylvania, where a large percentage are Catholic and a large portion of them still believe and still attend mass regularly. I never missed my two sons and my daughter so fiercely in my life as I did while immersed in that Culture of Death in Chicago. It is good to be home in simple, sheltered, small town USA.
Before we left we placed a small housewarming gift for Sue's friend and her new husband on the kitchen counter, a country sampler of some jellies and jams from our local fruit stand.
On it I attached this note:
"Dear J & C, Congratulations on your marriage! Thank you for letting us be part of your celebration and welcoming us to stay in your home during our visit here.
One thing Sue and I have learned is that the greatest gift of our marriage is our children. The only thing we can do in life that lasts for ETERNITY is bear and raise children to give Honor and Glory to God. We can write great novels, build marvels of architecture, even bring peace to the world through great acts of heroism or diplomacy, but none of these things lasts for Eternity. The only thing we can take with us to Heaven is the soul of a child. Their souls are our only Eternal treasure that we can store up in this life. Be generous in having children and raising them to love Him, and God's generosity will flow in untold and wondrous ways!
Here's a corny poem I wrote long ago for a college friend's wedding, updated a little:
My advice to the Newlywed?
While you're young, use your head!
Have a baby...
Have a few!
I don't mean just one,
or even two.
What about four?
How about eight?
(Making babies is really great!)
Don't worry about braces,
or college, or clothes.
Their every need
God already knows.
Then when you're old,
in time of need,
with no more clamoring mouths to feed,
look to your children
that you (and God) made,
to be your joy,
comfort and aid.
Your babies today
are your greatest treasure.
You will receive
in the amount you measure.
God's greatest gift
to husband and wife?
A newborn baby.
An Eternal Life!
Brian and Sue"
Its a silly little note, and a corny poem, my one and only attempt at poetry. Compared to the sophisticated, high brow company this couple keeps, it will probably seem to them to be so much hayseed and backwards thinking from their eccentric Catholic friends from backwoods Pennsylvania. But Truth has a power all its own, and this couple may never hear this message elsewhere. Despite the culture they live in, like so many others they are good decent people, if a bit ignorant of reality, and deserve to hear the Gospel of Life.
The Culture of Death isn't simply abortions at a clinic. It is any lifestyle that is not open to life, be it one of contraception, sterilization, homosexuality, abortion, or euthanasia, and it is being preached in many pulpits, both religious and secular. I pray they hear this little message, a message of a Culture of Life that groans to be heard above the roar of the Culture of Death out there in that big city and across this nation and world.
Just make damn sure that you ask God, and not my already excessive tax payments, to bail you out.
"Cathlolic" countries like Spain and Italy are having 1.5, 1.2 children per woman. Same with Japan. Half the women in this country between 15 and 44 haven't had children, are they all waiting for their 30s? It's harder then. If we don't love your family and our nation enough to make a future generation for it we are doomed. And I fear that the response to the terrorist war is not going to be, have babies, but this is no world to bring babies into. I feel that myself, and I only thank God that He sent this child before this happened.
Mrs VS
Just curious...the greatest demographic threat threat to this country in the next three decades is the inversion of the population pyramid. My kids, and the kids of these other large families, will be paying your social security checks and medicare benefits, while those who whined several decades before about our large families have few if any offspring to fill the coffers.
I'll make you a deal...stop whining about medicaid today for large families, and we will fight against your kids for you when they desire to euthanize you 'cause you're taking too much of their paycheck.
The Catholic Church supports the most effective, inexpensive, and safe method known to modern science. The Sympto-thermal method of Natural Family Planning, not to be confused with the less effective rhythm method, has been proven to be 95 to 99% effective. An article in the British Medical Journal of March 1993 entitled "Natural Family Planning: Effective Birth Control Supported by the Catholic Church," states:
"Increasingly studies show that rates equivalent to those with other contraceptive methods are readily achieved . . . Indeed, a [World Health Organization] study of 19843 poor women in India had a pregnancy rate approaching zero [99.2%] . . . whatever the standpoint there is no doubt that it would be more efficient for the ongoing world debate on overpopulation, resources, environment, poverty, and health to be conducted against a background of truth rather than fallacy. It is therefore important that the misconception that Catholicism is synonymous with ineffective birth control is laid to rest. Understanding the simple facts about the signs of fertility confers considerable power to couples to control their fertility, for achieving as well as preventing conception."
Unfortunately, the multi billion dollar contraception and abortion industry would suffer greatly from just such knowledge in the hands of couples. Therefore, they and their advocates have a vested interest in keeping the knowledge of the effectiveness of Natural Family Planning from the masses who would otherwise buy their products and obtain their abortion services. The derision of the Catholic Church and her teachings, and the insinuation that Natural Family Planning is inherently ineffective, serves to protect this vast industry.
Once I teach a woman the art of Natural Family Planning, I may never see her again. There is no monetary gain for me. I will never get paid for an office visit to renew a prescription or a surgical fee to implant a device or to "fix" reproductive organs that were not broken, in order to cause sterility. But I have given her a power, an independence, and a freedom of choice she will never receive in a contraception or abortion clinic.
No deal. You have 'em; you pay for 'em.
we will fight against your kids for you when they desire to euthanize you 'cause you're taking too much of their paycheck
I'm not stupid enough to assume that there will be any Social Security system left, and have made other arrangements.
From a father of six, tell them that they 'terminated their mother's pregnancy' by being born alive, and that doctors who hack babies to death have aborted their own conscience. Their souls have rigor mortis.
Well that's one thing I CANNOT say about our family with four kids. We just can never seem to get to Mass on time, except when I'm serving (Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist) and I absolutely HAVE to be there a few minutes early. Even with the two older ones off to college, we still seem to get delayed for one reason or another.
All of our closest friends seem to have at least four and some have six children, and they DO look upon children as a wonderful blessing.
A good comeback for those of us with more than the 'allowed' two or three kids when we are confronted by the 'fertility police' would be "They are my "old age insurance". They'll be paying MY Social Security and yours too"!
We never had much money growing up, but we didn't really notice, because our parents took good care of us. We relied on each other to help us grow up.
Big families are a big blessing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


text:
Cirque du Soleil provide media representatives with show and corporate press kits.
KOOZA tells the story of The Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world.
KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil: It combines two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor.
The Innocent's journey brings him into contact with a panoply of comic characters such as the King, the Trickster and the Obnoxious Tourist and his Bad Dog.
Between strength and fragility, laughter and smiles, turmoil and harmony, KOOZA explores themes of fear, identity, recognition and power. The show is set in an electrifying and exotic visual world full of surprises, thrills, chills, audacity and total involvement.
Touring in
Charming and sophisticated, The Trickster is a sublimely quick and agile being, a genius who knows all about the world of KOOZA because he created it. He appears and disappears at will and there's electricity in the air each time he arrives on stage. He created this world for The Innocent and keeps a watchful eye out for him. He teases him, and plays tricks on him with his powers, but it's The Innocent's own subconscious that leads the dance…
The Innocent is a naïve and melancholy loner carried off into The Trickster's world. Outwardly childlike, ingenuous and simple, he is eager to get to know the new world he's in, but as soon as he uses The Trickster's powers he discovers an unexpected and jarring environment, a reflection of his soul.
The King is the king of fools, the most burlesque of all the characters. His hair is tousled and his crown has a mind of its own as he tries desperately to gain the respect of those who are crazier than himself.
The two Court Clowns are The King's foolish footmen, his indispensable sidekicks in the extravagant adventures in the realm of KOOZA.
The very strange Heimloss lives beneath the stage where he's in charge of the mechanical machinery that gives life to everything in the hidden world of KOOZA.
In this crazy world, even The Dog is nutty. He chases everyone, barks and is impossible to control. The word "training" means nothing to him. But like everyone else he's drawn to The Innocent and becomes his playful, over-the-top companion.


text:
The Daily Tribune (http://www.dailytribune.com)
Saturday, April 5, 2014
DALLAS >> Oakland's Travis Bader finished runner-up in the Quicken Loans college 3-point Championship on Thursday night at SMU's Moody Coliseum. Bader scored the most points through the first two rounds with 45, but finished with 14 in the final round.
"I had an amazing time here in Dallas with an elite group of athletes and I'm happy I was able to put on the Oakland uniform one more time," said Bader.
Baylor's Brady Heslip tallied 18 points in the final round to edge Bader. He scored 38 points through the first two rounds.
This is the second time Oakland has recorded a second-place finish in the 3-point championship as former sharpshooter Erik Kangas (2005-09) posted a runner-up finish in 2009 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.


text:
Categories: Business, Corporate, Commercial Law Law Practice Skills
Instructor(s) Harvey, Cori
Increasingly, lawyers are called upon to use business and economic tools to analyze legal problems in all areas of practice (incl. business law, family law, civil litigation, government & policy work, among others). This course will offer introductory modules of accounting, finance, microeconomics, and law & economics.
Prerequisites: none. However, this course should not be taken by students with previous training in business, economics, or finance.
Grading: Written exercises and small graded assessments after each module; no final exam.


text:
AMERICANS ARE TALKING ABOUT President Barack Obama's first female Hispanic Supreme Court nominee. Middle Easterners are discussing the opening of France' first military base in the Gulf. Iranis are preparing to elect a new president. Pyongyang is threatening to launch more nuclear missiles. Seoul is still mourning the demise of a former president. And the Indian community in Sydney is accusing Australians of racism following a spate of attacks against an Indian student. In the Philippines, lawmakers and high profile lawyers are debating on a celebrity doctor's explicit sex videos! Welcome to RP, the entertainment capital of Asia.
For the first time following the spread of their sex video, actress Katrina Halili and Dr. Hayden Kho faced each other at a Senate hearing last Thursday. It was the week's most intense Senate moment – since the heated exchange between Juan Ponce Enrile and Aquilino Pimentel.
Before the hearing started, a fuming ex-cop and former Pagsanjan, Laguna mayor-turned tabloid columnist Abner Afuang poured bottled water on Dr. Hayden Kho. Senate committee on youth, women and family relations chair Jamby Madrigal was shocked. In her entire adult life, it marked the first time she saw a man get wet.
When former Pagsanjan, Laguna mayor Abner Afuang poured water over Hayden Kho's head, Sen. Jamby Madrigal shouted, "Please arrest that man. Arrest that man!" Madrigal then wished she could repeat the same exact words soon – as the Senate puts into trial Sen. Manuel Villar Jr.
Members of the senate were surprised by the dousing incident last Thursday. Sen. Panfilo Lacson asked if there was enough security. Sen. Francis Escudero asked if they could hold an executive session. Sen. Lito Lapid asked about the brand of the bottled water.
Cosmetic expert Vicki Belo, who was in Europe, denied spreading Hayden Kho's sex videos. During the hearing, Belo's statement was read by her lawyer, Ateneo law graduate, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila president, former opposition spokesman, and senatorial aspirant Adel Tamano – who was hoping to get ample exposure and media attention at the Senate hearing… until a former cop stole the whole show.
Lawyer Adel Tamano insisted that Dr. Hayden Kho made 40 sex videos but with four women only. Hindi pa man senador, sinungaling na.
THIS JUST IN. The Philippine Movie Press Club has just released the nominees for Star Awards for TV. Along with Startalk and The Buzz, the Philippine Senate received a nomination for Best Showbiz-Oriented Talk Show. Congratulations!
Before and after the Senate hearing, Dr. Hayden Kho – clad in Tide-white polo – granted several one-on-one interviews with various networks and newspaper reporters. Reli German has officially started his job.
In those interviews, Hayden Kho said his behavior might have been triggered by a bad experience with a former girlfriend who slept with four other men including a cousin of his while they were together. He also blamed another ex-girlfriend who allegedly recorded their sexual trysts without his consent. Amazing! I wonder how much money has Vicki Belo poured into Reli German's PR arsenal to cook up such tales.
During the Senate hearing, Katrina Halili said she thought Hayden Kho was a doctor. She eventually realized he was a director. But after watching those post-Senate hearing interviews, Hayden Kho has exposed his talent in fiction. Brillante Mendoza's got competition!
Elsewhere: Startalk's editorial on the Hayden Kho sex video scandal aired last May 23, 2009.
In Other News…
Lim and Afuang
Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim visited former cop-turned tabloid columnist Abner Afuang at the Pasay City jail where he was detained following the dousing incident at the Senate. Lim said, "I want to sympathize and show my support for Abner." Asked how he felt about Lim's statement, Afuang said, "I feel like an oil depot."
Influenza A
Health officials say there are now 14 confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1) in the country. But senators are not worried. That's just 14. What's fourteen compared to 40 sex videos?
Lakas-Kampi Merger
Administration-allied parties Lakas-CMD and Kampi have merged. But rumors say… this early, the newly-wed parties are already showing cracks… to which staunch opposition senator Jamby Madrigal said, "Awesome! I love cracks."
Erap's Comeback Film
Former president Joseph Estrada says he will gauge his 2010 presidential bid on the box-office results of his comeback movie, "Ang Tanging Ama N'yong Lahat." Pwes! By all means, let us support a mass boycott of that film!
Doon… sa South Korea, ang dating pangulong iniimbestigahan dahil sa katiwalian… tumatalon sa building. Patay!
Dito… sa Pilipinas, ang dating pangulong napatunayan ang katiwalian… tumatakbo sa halalan. Patay… tayo d'yan!
Doon… sa Amerika, ang addict sa liposuction, inooperahan ng mga cosmetic surgeon.
Dito… sa Pilipinas, ang addict na cosmetic surgeon, hinahayaang mag-liposuction.
Doon… sa Afghanistan, binabato hanggang mamatay ang babaeng nagtataksil sa asawa.
Dito… sa Pilipinas, ang babaeng nagtaksil sa asawa, binoboto hanggang maging senadora.
Enjoy your weekend!
"Obscenity is the sign of a weak mind trying to express itself."
Survey Says…
If Erap would run again for president, do you seriously believe he'll win?
Not this time: 81%
Definitely, yes!: 19%
We have a new survey. Please vote now.
Congratulations to my Los Angeles Lakers: 2009 NBA Western Conference champions! See you in the finals!


text:
Submission + - EFF: Ubuntu v12.10 A Major Privacy Problem (eff.org)
An anonymous reader writes: Ubuntu version 10.12 was released and it includes a whole range of new features and updates. However, EFF demands that Ubuntu should disable "online search results" by default. Users should be able to install Ubuntu and immediately start using it without having to worry about leaking search queries or sending potentially private information to third party companies such as Amazon, BBC, Facebook, and Twitter. Let us make sure that you respect your users' privacy and security.


text:
- Number of children:
- 4
- Age of children:
- 9,16, 21, 23
- Relationship status:
- Married
- Parenting advice I follow:
- I don't "always" do this but when I don't, it is a mistake. I listen and be true to what I hear. I listen to advise, I listen to my children and I listen to myself. I have the ability to know within whether I am being too harsh, too soft, too strict, too lenient...then all that is left is the courage to act on this knowledge.
- Parenting advice I ignore:
- I try not to ignore any parenting advise I listen to it and if it is useful I use it and if not I don't. I find that no "technique" works all the time because each moment and each situation is too unique.
- Favorite activity with my kids:
- I love to watch them grow, not just in the physical realm but in all aspects: character, compassion, knowledge...I find that you can do this with any activity. But I do like to play cards with them.
From Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Joined 30th October 2007
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Currently on my Life Wish List:
To discover a better way to teach what I have been trained to teach.
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text:
|Krell Evolution 202 Stereo Preamplifier
|Friday, 01 June 2007
Page 3 of 3
The Downside
Sonically, the most jaded recording and mastering engineers would be hard-pressed to pick fault with the electronics. Krell critics will need to reevaluate their opinion of Krell based on the extended highs and even better bass that one can hear on the Evolution system. Yet there are issues that need to be considered when investing in a system at this level. First of all is heat. The Evolution 900 amplifiers pump heat into your room, the likes of which I haven't felt from an amplifier since the days of the Cello Performance II Class A mono blocks. I had my AC unit set on 69 when it wasn't even 69 outside in order to keep my room comfortable during my many hours with the Krell Evolution system. Size is another consideration if you, like me, rack-mount your equipment. I am not sure a typical Middle Atlantic rack will accommodate the depth or the weight of the amplifiers. Perhaps they are meant to be installed on the floor, parked on some slabs of granite, but as a recovering audiophile, I do what I can to rack-mount my gear in order to have the best of both worlds.
The Evolution 202 stereo preamp is also hard to pick fault with. As a two-chassis device, it competes favorably with the best from Mark Levinson and Halcro and, as a system, provides impressive musical performance. With that said, the remote truly stinks. Built of aluminum, it is heavy, not backlit and hard to use. To suggest that an audiophile client will be using a Crestron system is a bit presumptuous. The buttons are all about the same size. Volume should be larger and should be more responsive. The knob on the front of the preamp is great, but the remote stinks.
The Krell Evolution 505 SACD player is a very capable front end and a valued part of the overall audio system. Its remote is just as bad as the Evolution 202, with the front faceplate taking the "one button fits all" approach too far. In a dimmed room, it's nearly impossible to make the player do what you want. Switching from 5.1 SACD to stereo is a complicated but not impossible feat for the player. There should be one button that accomplishes this important task. The last dig on the player is a frustrating one, and that is at $10,000, there is no excuse for the 505 not to play every DVD-Audio title - not just the ones without digital rights management coding. When $500 players on the market can play every disc on the market, it's hard to understand why a $10,000 unit can't perform the same feat.
In terms of accurate and exciting musical reproduction, I don't think you can do any better than the Krell Evolution system in today's marketplace. $65,000 is a lot of money to invest if you are judging the performance of the system merely from this review. Before you pass judgment on the system, take a listen with my warning – the sound is addictive. You might find yourself rolling into your local high-end audio dealer at 1 PM to find the salesman looking to actually go home at 7 PM, and you'll be wondering where the time went as well as the remainder of your home equity line of credit.
Dan D'Agostino and Krell have outdone themselves with this Evolution audio system. It is the most exciting package of electronics I have auditioned in my system. The Evolution system was able to get bass from my Wilson WATT Puppy Version 7 loudspeakers that I thought you needed a subwoofer to hear. The highs are spectacular and the ability to resolve detail is second to none. Forget the Patek Philippe for now. Cancel your order for the Gulfstream G150 – you might just need a Krell Evolution audio system first.


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Local law enforcement agencies have adopted a new set of arrest standards in Mesa County. The standards include making fewer arrests and writing more citations for offenders who aren't considered dangerous.
It used to be you drink, you drive; you go to jail. But now a days there's just no room at the Mesa County Jail for these offenders and it's got law enforcement agencies adopting alternatives.
About two years ago a consultant came to Mesa County and recommended that new arrest standards be created to ensure the detention facility is used to hold only those who are accused of serious crimes, pose a risk of violence, or are believed to be a flight risk.
District Attorney Pete Haughtzinger supported the initiative and says since adopting it the jail has been able to house more serious offenders which is its purpose.
According to Sheriff Stan Hilkey, virtually every entity involved with law enforcement helped to fashion the standards and slowly implement them over the summer. Under the new set of rules officers are directed to release offenders with citations for: Acts classified as petty offenses, Class I or II Traffic Offenses, and all Misdemeanors except domestic violence. Those arrested for DUI's are to be released to a responsible party or taken to Colorado West Mental Health's Detox Center.
The new standards are also affecting the way local bail bondsmen do business. Instead of bailing out DUI offenders they find they are making more money when those who are cited fail to appear in court.
The Mesa County Jail is designed to house 336 inmates, but on any given day the population is around 375 and on the weekend's it's known to hit 400. But with these new arrest standards in place, a Meth Treatment Facility being built and new programs in place like the Work–Ender and Meth Fast-Track Programs; Sheriff Hilkey hopes that while we can't control overcrowding at the jail, we will continue to do everything in our power to manage it.
The new arrest standards were adopted last month, and similar ones are being utilized in many communities along the front range.


text:
If you can afford it, by a couple of really really cheap boxes and put a few different Unix flavors on them.
recommend: FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, & Solaris 7.
That will not only give you the most common Unix flavors on today's servers but you will be able to see their intricate details like the difference between how `ps' acts on each.
For shells, you will get: ksh, csh, sh, tcsh, zsh, pksh, bash and a couple more obscure ones.
I would recommend sticking to these at first.
ksh: unix standard shell ( default shell on Solaris & SunOS)
csh: standard and default shell on BSD Unix's
bash: standard and default shell on Linux
As for commands go and get O'reilly's
Unix in a Nutshell
Linux in a Nutshell
Learning the Korn Shell
Learning the C Shell
Learning the Bash Shell
all of which can be found at http://www.oreilly.com/
hope that helped


text:
Carriage House Players will kick off its 26th season with "Seussical the Musical."
This Broadway hit is a combination on 27 much-loved Dr. Seuss stories set to music. You will see many of Dr. Seuss's characters on stage like The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who, Thing 1 and Thing 2 and many, many more.
"Seussical" will be directed by Mickey Johnson, assisted by Brandi Barnes and Jennifer Taylor. Auditions for "Seussical" will be Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. at the Lincoln County Museum and Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lincoln County Museum.
There are over 20 speaking and singing parts for all ages, eight and up. Those auditioning must go with a prepared song and sing either a cappella or with a karaoke CD. No one will be allowed to sing over a singer on a CD.
The style of the musical is lively and fun, so participants should choose their audition song accordingly.
For more information concerning auditions for "Seussical," please contact Mickey Johnson at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Performance dates for "Seussical the Musical" are Feb. 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15 and 16 at the Lincoln County High School Adnia Rice Theater.


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The current burger renaissance has brought with it a growing, near mystical focus on mythology. By that, I mean how provenance, design and background combine to deepen and differentiate the experience of each creation.
While all food has this to some extent – think Hereford rump steak hung for 28 days – it's more granular with burgers. It's about shifting proportions of different cuts of meat, thickness of grain, seasoning, condiments and accompaniments. Between those two brackets of bun, there's a battlefield of countless permutations.
It's easy to get a bit carried away with all this. However, one thing I do know: every time someone discusses the chuck to rib ratio and the knock-on effects for total fat content, my mouth has a nice time while brain patiently tries to absorb the info.
It turns out that this attention to detail is really mostly a manifestation of the love the chef has put into the dish. Such is the case with the most recent BurgerMonday event, BURGERMAT.
Continue reading #BurgerMonday: Burgermat, where art meets meat


text:
BOSWELL, OK -- Great circus acts usually involve impressive tricks or large animals.
But the best acts always combine the two.
Twelve-year-old Jamie Manous is doing just that.
"Like I said, I'm a daredevil," she said.
Manous is practicing her latest trick - hula hooping on the back of a horse.
"I'm always trying to try new tricks, and that was the hardest trick I've ever learned."
On Saturday she's taking the show on the road, performing in the Durant Homecoming Parade. It's a way to raise money for Moore Oklahoma tornado relief efforts.
"I didn't know what to do, and I've very good at hula hooping, so I decided to do that," she said.
Manous started developing the trick a few years ago on a pony. She recently graduated to a horse.
"At first it was scary. But then I got used to it. She's been my horse for five years," she said.
And we had to ask - does it freak mom out?
"She's got good balance, and if the horse does trip, she catches herself. We've tripped out here in the yard doing it," said her mom, Jennifer Manous.
Saturday is the first of three performances. The next one is the Boswell Homecoming Parade on June 29th, followed by the Boswell 4th of July celebration.
"I'm proud that she wants to help other people. I'm just tickled to death. But she's always out there to help somebody," Jennifer Manous said.
Donations go to the Frisco Association of Baptist Working Men - earmarked for Moore. The public can donate at each event or at the First Texoma Bank in Boswell or Durant.
So what's the craziest trick she's ever done?
"Probably jumping off my horse and keeping the hula hoop up," she said.
She did a test run of the performance at the Fort Towsend homecoming parade. But she said Saturday is a new atmosphere.
"I'm kinda nervous, because Durant's parade is probably bigger than Fort Towson's."
But she doesn't show it. Remember? She's a daredevil.


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'The Biggest Loser' Recap: Week Two Curse Hits The Ranch
Monday, January 07, 2013
Chrissa Hardy
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
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It's day two of
The Biggest Loser
premiere and week two for the contestants. Yes, the
week two. I don't understand the science behind this week two curse, but it happens every single season. I mean, these people are still adjusting and still have so much weight to lose. How is it possible to hit a wall this early on? But, I guess we'll just have to see if the curse strikes for a fourteenth time.
The Return of the Red Line
The red line, aka "The Quick Cut", is back for week two and will take out the person on the losing team with the lowest percentage of weight loss. The red line is good, in my opinion. I hate the deliberations and the pleading and the tears. I can appreciate that the red line is purely based on numbers, and numbers don't lie. The red line, along with the numbers that show up on the scale, clearly present the amount of hard work put in to the previous week's workouts.
Three New Gyms
This season, each trainer has designed their very own outdoor fitness facility that they will train the contestants in when they want to leave the BL Gym. Each spot looks hard-core and extremely intimidating. First we arrive at Bob's. He has about 15 hard-bodied gym rats flying through pull ups and tossing weights around like they're getting paid to (which I assume is absolutely the case). Bob's workout pals will be helping him train the contestants this week and go through what looks to be several grueling stations.
Then we head over to "Dolvett's Dungeon." This facility looks even more intense and comes equipped with large ropes and sandboxes. Jackson is still not medically cleared for normal training and is restricted to walking only. I cannot imagine how frustrating that must be. To be there, and to want to be involved in the workouts and not being able to join in? I would walk 500 miles. I would walk 500 more. See what I did there?
Now it's over to Jillian's facility. Jillian's space looks bare compared to the others, and there's a reason for that. She has less gear and stations because she believes that the contestants will be more successful utilizing their own body weight in their workouts as opposed to weights and machines.
Week two has fewer tears, fewer faints and zero vomit. But, the workouts are still breaking the contestants down. Only a few of them cracked in week one, so the emotional realizations will continue to flow until every single one of them gets to the root of their unhappiness. Jillian is the absolute best at making the contestants crack. Her method of getting there is just brilliant. Push them physically to the point of tears, then stay in their face until they begin to realize what's been holding them back from the lives they deserve to be living.
Dr. H. Brings the Fear
I love when Dr. Huizenga visits the ranch. He always delivers bad news in the beginning. They wouldn't be on the ranch if they were healthy! Diabetes, sleep apnea, fatty blood, fatty liver, and an onslaught of medications that are needed to currently manage these diseases. The most amazing thing is how many medications become no longer necessary once the weight is lost. Your body does what it's supposed to do if you take care of it. Such a simple concept, right? Yet 80% of people in this country are considered overweight. SERIOUSLY? That is a terrifying number.
Jillian Softens Her Tone
Jillian meets with her remaining three team members to see why they keep hitting a wall. She makes it clear that Nathan has been doing extremely well, and this really doesn't have much to do with him. It's all about Danni and Pam. Pam and Danni share their needs during workouts, and the goals they are hoping to achieve at the end of this journey, and Jillian offers to do whatever she can to help.
The Challenge
The contestants are in for a football-themed challenge today, with San Diego Chargers Tight End Antonio Gates guiding them. Sunny, Lindsay and Bingo are back to participate too! YAY! The kids are changing their habits and doing well at home. I cannot get over how wonderful these kids are. The prize for this one goes to them. The winning team will get a $5,000 grant for their school and a special school visit from their favorite NFL player.
The stations for this challenge are divided into four quarters, and test strength, speed and agility. The fastest team overall wins the prize for their kid. The blue team finishes in third with an overall time of 3:52. The red team comes in second place with a time of 3:40. The white team wins it for Sunny with an overall time of 3:01.
Fitness Test
The kids take the
Biggest Loser
Fitness Test, which is the one we all took in school and absolutely despised. I could never do pull ups, not even one. But the three of them will take the test now, and then take it towards the end of the season, so they can see their progress. Clearly all three are behind the national "healthy kid" average, so the trainers give them additional fitness homework, to keep them on track.
Last Chance Workout
Jillian wants her team to see that she isn't the toughest trainer on the ranch. She decides to team up with Bob and they will train the two teams together. Dolvett takes his team to the gym. Despite the fact that these people are still seriously out of shape, they are starting to get it. They are pushing themselves. They are listening to their trainers. They are becoming warriors. They are starting to see that they can achieve their goals. Plus, a few more tears, screams and ... almost vomit.
The Weigh In
Blue team is up first. David loses 9 lbs to start them off. Gina loses 7 lbs. Not bad for week two, eh?! Alex loses 6 lbs. Michael loses 14 lbs! Jeff gets up there last and loses 0 lbs. Goose egg. Silence. The curse makes itself known. Yikes. The overall loss for the team is 36 lbs and 2.35 %.
The red team is up next and they need to lose more than 31 lbs to avoid the red line. Cate loses 5 lbs. Francelina loses 6 lbs. Jackson has been sick, but did what he could with the restrictions he had, and loses 4 lbs. Joe loses 12 lbs. Lisa is up last and needs to pull at least a 5 to keep the red team safe. Lisa skates by and loses 5 lbs. PHEW! The overall team loss is 32 lbs and 2.38%.
The white team is the last to go and needs to lose 19 lbs or more to be safe for one more week. Pam is up first and loses 8 lbs. Danni loses 5 lbs. It's all on Nathan's shoulders now. Nathan needs at least 6 to save white. He pulls a 5. Jillian's team loses another member. White is down to two. The overall loss for the team is 18 lbs.
The Elimination Check-In
Nathan is under the 300 lb mark after some time spent at home, and he looks amazing! Just to send a few more tears down your cheeks, he proposes to his girlfriend on camera and she says yes! Nate has lost 60 lbs to date and hopes to land at 240 lbs for his wedding day. Awww. Go Nate!
Compete in Fantasy TV: Make your picks on who you think will be going home. Hurry, you have until Monday, January 14 at 12pm PST to decide.
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text:
April 5, 2013
The State and Future of Legal Education
Sponsored by the McGeorge Law Review at the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific.
About the Symposium
Legal education is under the spotlight in terms of the services and value they provide their students. While the number of applications for law school has steadily increased since over the past decade, employment numbers for recent law school graduates have declined.
This symposium provided an assessment of how legal pedagogy can best prepare students for the emerging legal services market. In addition, the symposium addressed what must law schools do to provide real value to their students, who face a very uncertain future in a changing legal market and economy.
9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Panel 1: What is the Purpose of Legal Education?
- Professor Katherine Kruse, Hamline University School of Law
- Dean Kent Syverud, Washington University School of Law
10:50 a.m. to 12:35 p.m.
Panel 2: How are we teaching students to think, act and become lawyers?
- Professor John Osborn Jr., University of San Francisco School of Law
- Professor Ruth Jones, University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law
- Professor Gerry Hess, Gonzaga University School of Law
1 p.m. to 1:40 p.m.
Lunch Presentation
- Professor Michael Olivas, University of Houston School of Law
1:45 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Panel 3: The Value of Legal Education in the Face of High Costs
- Richard Matasar, New York University, Vice President for University Enterprise Initiatives & Professor of Management
- Professor Carrie Menkel-Meadow, UC Irvine School of Law
- Raquel Aldana, Professor of Law, Director of the Inter-American Program, McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific
- Clark Kelso, Professor of Law, McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific
- Larry Levine, Professor of Law, McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific


text:
Once again the plans are in the works for government and the banks to give a big "up yours" to the American Taxpayer.
Bank of America Deathwatch: Moves Risky Derivatives from Holding Company to Taxpayer-Backstopped Depository
Bank of America Corp. (BAC), hit by a credit downgrade last month, has moved derivatives from its Merrill Lynch unit to a subsidiary flush with insured deposits, according to people with direct knowledge of the situation
Remember the effect of the 2005 bankruptcy law revisions: derivatives counterparties are first in line, they get to grab assets first and leave everyone else to scramble for crumbs. So this move amounts to a direct transfer from derivatives counterparties of Merrill to the taxpayer, via the FDIC,
This move paves the way for another TARP-style shakedown of taxpayers, this time to save depositors
Basically BOA is in serious shat...and they are taking their riskiest financial contracts and getting the FDIC to back it with a guarantee. So instead of these deriviatives being losses, the good ol boys at BOA get guaranteed money if they flop.Quote:
Bank customer initiates a swap position with Bank. In doing so they intentionally accept the credit risk of the institution they trade with.
Later they get antsy about perhaps not getting paid. Bank then shifts that risk to a place where people who deposited their money and had no part of this transaction wind up backstopping it.
This effectively makes the depositor the guarantor of the swap ex-post-facto.
That the regulators are allowing this is an outrage.
If youre a Bank of America customer and continue to be one you deserve whatever you get down the line, whether it comes in the form of higher fees and costs assessed upon you or something worse.
And people wonder why there is a tea party?


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That is 100% pure awesomeness.
Need an image for the Paula Broadwell peice - get me something from the internet!
According to This Denver TV Station, Paula Broadwell Wrote a Book Called All Up In My Snatch
John Cook
Via the folks at AmericaBlog: When Denver's ABC affiliate put together a piece on the ever-devolving Petraeus affair yesterday, the station needed an image of the cover of Paula Broadwell's Petraeus bio All In to show its viewers. So it naturally went to the internet, which was a big mistake.
The reporter thought he was just grabbing an image of the cover of Broadwell's book, but he actually grabbed one that had been doctored by some hilarious internet wag to read All Up In My Snatch (lol get it?). And then he put it on TV, next to an image of Broadwell.
The station's news director told us: "Yes it happened. It was a mistake."
That is 100% pure awesomeness.
Methinks she/he is a tranny.
she's like 50 percent Mallory Keaton and 50 percent dude
Last edited by Timmy®; 11-13-2012 at 02:34 PM.
Sent from my 8.6 acre property with 4 bedroom house with waterfront views and low utility costs because of the gas well on my property using fireworks...
The general and the Mrs.
Last edited by BushyTheBeaver; 11-13-2012 at 06:39 PM.


text:
PHILADELPHIA – Todd Bowles isn't certain if he will call defenses from the field or the press box when the Eagles oppose the Atlanta Falcons Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
With Hurricane Sandy looming, the newly appointed defensive coordinator might want to stay upstairs, where he worked as secondary coach.
Bowles can say with certainty the so-called predictability of the defense amplified by critics of fired coordinator Juan Castillo wasn't the reason the Eagles lost their last game in overtime to the Detroit Lions.
"We lost because we lost," Bowles said. "We didn't make enough plays to win the game. It wasn't because we were predictable or unpredictable."
Predictability or a lack thereof has ignited a furor among players who felt their quotes were twisted merely to bash Castillo.
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham, the part-time pass rusher, insisted his use of 'predictable' wasn't intended to blame Castillo for the shortcomings of the players, as reported by a website.
"I didn't want to come off like I was blaming anybody," Graham said Thursday. "I respect Juan as a coach. I respect his personality and everything. I talked to him about it and basically let him know that that isn't what I was trying to do."
Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who ranks among the league leaders with three interceptions, was bitter about what he feels are wrong and distorted perceptions of Castillo.
"When things go bad, people are going to pick on something," Rodgers-Cromartie said. "But I didn't see those problems with the defense. Just look at the statistics. Juan is my guy. He's the one who turned me into a press corner last year and this year. He was always willing to help you. He was great at picking out the weakest part of your game and staying with you after practice to help you work on it. Juan made me a better player, taught me how to take better advantage of my speed.
"Everybody is entitled to their opinion and can say what they want but I was always taught that everybody should be accountable for himself. It's easy to blame other guys when something goes wrong. That's the way I feel."
The Eagles (3-3) are 12th overall in yards allowed (330.8), third in third-down defense (29.1 percent) and 11th in points allowed (20.8). The red zone defense is third-best in the league.
But the Eagles have just eight takeaways, tied for eighth in the NFL.
With the offense turning the ball over 17 times, 13 of those miscues by quarterback Michael Vick, the Birds are next-to-last in the league with a minus-9 turnover ratio.
The Eagles' pass rush also has been anemic. The Birds have failed to register a sack in three straight games and are next-to-last in the league with 7 sacks. The league average is 15 sacks per team.
While players insist they don't expect major changes, Bowles freely admits he has his own way of looking at football. He isn't Castillo.
Falcons head coach Mike Smith hopes it takes the Eagles at least as much time to get used to Bowles as it does preparing for him.
"We're going to get some un-scouted looks, I'm sure of that," Smith said on a conference call. "We're not anticipating they're going to switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 by any means. But I think the way that the game is going to be called is going to be probably different.
"The situational football, the most important plays, the third-down plays, the red zone plays, the plays that really make a difference in a game I'm sure are going to have a little different philosophy with coach Bowles. I know Coach Bowles has a great reputation. He's worked with a couple of guys on our staff so we are somewhat familiar with him although not as a defensive coordinator calling a game."
Rest assured whatever happens this weekend Bowles is going to consider the source of those predictability questions.
Predictability can be a good thing. The Eagles' 1991 defense – perhaps the best in the history of the franchise – was predictable.
"Every defense is going to have a base where they're going to be predictable," Bowles said. "No matter what team you're on or what coach you have, everybody's going to have a scheme. Our scheme is the wide-nine. You know that going in. You play as hard as you can and you keep your base core and game plan-wise, you try to adjust and tweak some things as you see fit, if that fits the game plan. If it doesn't, you always come back to your core.
"So, it's not as much as being predictable. It's just trying to get your playmakers in better position to make more plays. I don't think that's unpredictable or predictable. It's just getting to see what your guys can do best and letting them do it."


text: In 1972, Motown legend Marvin Gaye composed the soundtrack for the film, Trouble Man. Many critics say it was one of his finest musical achievements. To mark the film's 40th anniversary, Universal Music is releasing a special edition. Guest host Celeste Headlee speaks with saxophonist Trevor Lawrence and director Cameron Crowe.


text:
OSEC Congressional Testimony
Testimony Prepared for United States Secretar of Labor Robert B. Reich Committee on Foreign Relations United States Senate [09/20/94]
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:
Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you on the important matter of the ratification of ILO Convention 150 concerning labor administration. As you know, it obligates us to organize, coordinate and effectively operate our labor law and labor policy administration activities. Consultation, cooperation and negotiation with employer and worker representatives are key elements in the effective operation of a labor administration system. It is the view of this Administration that the United States is in full compliance with the terms and conditions of Convention 150, and we urge your advice and consent to ratification.
As you know, I chair the President's Committee on the ILO which includes the Secretaries of State and Commerce, the President's National Security Advisor, and the Presidents of the AFL-CIO and United States Council for International Business.
The Tripartite Advisory Panel on International Labor Standards (TAPILS), chaired by the Solicitor of Labor, is the legal subcommittee of the President's Committee. The other members of TAPILS are the chief legal advisers of the Departments of State and Commerce and legal counsel for the AFL-CIO and the U.S. Council for International Business. TAPILS undertook an extensive review of Convention 150 including a detailed examination of the precise meaning and obligations of the Convention and consistency of U.S. law and practice with its provisions. TAPILS found that the system of labor administration in the United States is properly organized and coordinated and effectively operated to be in full compliance with Convention 150. After review of this legal report, the President's Committee unanimously agreed to recommend to the President that he seek the Senate's advice and consent to ratification.
Chairman Moynihan, let me take this opportunity to recognize your leadership on ILO matters. Because of your long-standing interest in the ILO, and your singular role in seeing to it that the Senate gives renewed attention to ILO issues; in 1988, the United States began once again to ratify ILO Conventions after a 35 year hiatus.
I am proud to say that this Administration is firmly pledged to pursuing the ratification of ILO Conventions, and this Committee's continuing support will be a tremendous boost to our efforts to press for improved respect for labor standards in the international community. The next time I appear before you to support ratification of an ILO Convention I expect it will be on Convention 111, a major human rights convention concerning the prohibition of discrimination in employment.
This year marks not just the ILO's 75th year of service, but also the 50th anniversary of the ILO's Declaration of Philadelphia, perhaps the most ambitious attempt so far to articulate an international position on labor standards. The ILO is the only member of the United Nations system where governments meet with workers and employers as equal and autonomous partners. This political structure reinforces the linkage between democracy and a free economy, between democratic values, independent trade unions and free enterprise. Preserving this tripartism and the integrity of the ILO's standard setting and supervisory processes is crucial to American interests. As the Constitution of the ILO so aptly states, "the failure of any nation to adopt humane conditions of labor is an obstacle in the way of other nations which desire to improve the conditions in their own countries."
American workers are aware, sometimes painfully aware, of the relevance of those words from 1919, as they labor in today's global economy. Far more ideas, goods and services, capital, and workers flow into and out of almost every country than they did 50 years ago. And they do so far more rapidly. Ours is an age of instant international communication and mobility which heightens the importance of international consensus on worker rights.
Over the past months I have become even more aware that international attention is focused on the role of labor standards in economic development. I travelled with the President to Europe in June and as part of that trip chaired the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's discussions on its major unemployment study. From there, I went to Geneva to address the annual Conference of the ILO. In both of these international organizations the relationship between labor standards and employment is very much on the agenda. Mr. Chairman, I would like to take a few minutes to offer some views on how we might proceed on these matters.
Fortunately, we have advanced beyond the Cold War and the conceptual gridlock that plagued the international community for so long. Few are willing to argue openly that labor standards are strictly internal affairs. Nor, today are there many who would argue that standards must be identical in every nation to those attained in the most advanced economies. As we map the middle ground, there are, however, some fundamental standards to which every country is expected to conform. Some labor practices simply place countries outside the community of civilized nations. Certainly any such list would include goods produced by forced labor, and some forms of child labor. Nor is poverty a valid pretext for restricting freedom of association and organization or the rights of employers and workers to bargain collectively.
Clearly, the international community cannot attempt to dictate levels of working hours, minimum wages, benefits or health and safety standards uniformly matching those of the United States and other industrialized countries; the view that developing countries must grow richer in order to improve living and working conditions, and that they must trade if they are to grow richer, has merit. Implicit in this belief is the acknowledgement that standards should not be static, that a country's ability to offer its citizens better working lives rises with development, and that international expectations may properly rise as well. It is, therefore, appropriate to expect labor standards to improve as economies develop. Countries with rising mass living standards offer growing markets for other countries' exports and thus all countries have an economic stake in broadly shared prosperity abroad. Free trade is a means, not an end. The end is rising living standards worldwide. More jobs, and better jobs.
If the world can legitimately expect rising labor standards to accompany development, then what criteria beyond those core norms provide guidance for where the international community should focus its attention?
Labor conditions are determined by both economic and political factors, and it is difficult to disentangle the effects of each. But the existence of democratic institutions multiple parties, freedom of speech and press, clean elections does give cause for confidence that labor conditions reflect what the country can afford, given its level of development. The less democratic the country, the greater the grounds for suspicion or concern that labor standards are being suppressed in order to serve narrow or misguided interests.
What response should the international community make to policies that affront the set of standards it articulates?
First, any response ought be authorized and implemented multilaterally, in order to increase the odds that the intervention will be effective.
Second, there should be a menu of potential responses to labor standard abuses, varying in both the nature and severity of their effects. This range could include technical assistance to clear the path to improvement, so-called "sunshine" provisions in order to highlight abuses, perhaps ineligibility for international grant and loan programs, and targeted trade measures.
Obviously, the purpose of any intervention must be to bring about change in the offending nations. We must be pragmatic, and must not lose sight of the fact that trade itself by opening an economy to external influences and empowering a wider range of internal interests can be a catalyst for progressive change.
Developing a detailed program for advancing international labor conditions will occupy us for many years. And the Administration is very much concerned that it work with you, Mr. Chairman, and other members of this Congress as we proceed in this regard. Meanwhile, we should continue to give practical force and effect to the ILO's core mission of setting and adopting international labor standards. Convention 150 sets the framework for the development of effective national labor policies.
We understand it to be a non-self executing treaty. As a non-self executing treaty, Convention 150 would not, if ratified, become directly enforceable as U.S. law in U.S. courts. The language of the Convention does not give specific rights to individuals. Existing legislation brings the United States into full compliance and no new legislation would be required if the Convention is ratified.
While Convention 150 sets precise obligations, it is written so as to allow for maximum flexibility in recognition of differing systems of government among the ILO's member states. In the United States there is no central, unitary body responsible for coordinating all labor activities or running the system of labor administration. While the Department of Labor has primary responsibility, the system includes numerous administrative and independent agencies, the quasi-judicial bodies of the Federal Government as well as the functions of various state and local level agencies. The Convention requires coordination of labor administration activities among all these bodies as well as consultation, cooperation and negotiation with employers and workers. The thorough TAPILS review concluded that the U.S. system is appropriate to national conditions and is properly organized and coordinated and effectively operated.
In summary, Mr. Chairman, the Administration requests the Senate's advice and consent to ratification of ILO Convention 150 not only to demonstrate our support for the important technical goals of this Convention, but also to enhance our own standing and influence in the ILO that unique tripartite international organization dedicated to protecting and raising living standards worldwide.
Thank you Mr. Chairman.