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By Facsimile and First Class Mail
January 18, 2002
The Honorable Lisa Murkowski
Chair, House Labor and Commerce Committee
Alaska House of Representatives
Alaska State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
Re: Alaska Senate Bill 37
Dear Representative Murkowski:
We write in response to your request for comment on Alaska Senate Bill 37, a bill that seeks to authorize competing physicians to engage in collective bargaining with health plans over fees and other terms.(1) As discussed below, the Commission has opposed legislation before the U.S. Congress that would create an antitrust exemption for physician collective bargaining, and the Commission staff has expressed similar concerns about bills before state legislatures. We continue to believe that the behavior authorized by the physician collective bargaining legislation would significantly increase health care costs and harm consumers.
You also specifically solicited our opinion on whether the bill meets the legal test of the state action doctrine. As you know, state economic regulation can immunize private parties from federal antitrust liability, but only where the displacement of competition furthers a clearly articulated policy of, and is actively supervised by, the state government. In the case of Senate Bill 37, the level of government involvement described falls far short of the level of "active supervision" required by the Supreme Court.
I. Physician Collective Bargaining
The Commission's opposition to legislation intended to create an antitrust exemption for physician collective bargaining has historically focused on two fundamental points, both of which are relevant to your consideration of Senate Bill 37:
(1) such legislation would likely harm consumers - an antitrust exemption would authorize price-fixing by physicians, which could be expected to result in increased consumer costs and decreased consumer access to care; and
(2) such legislation would not likely improve the quality of care - an antitrust exemption would not likely improve patient care, and there are other, more effective means of addressing quality of care issues that do not sacrifice the benefits of a competitive marketplace.
A. Consumer Harm
In testimony before Congress regarding a proposed federal antitrust exemption for physician collective bargaining,(2) the Commission detailed the predictable impact on consumers that such legislation would have:
Without antitrust enforcement to block price fixing and boycotts designed to increase health plan payments to health care professionals, we can expect prices for health care services to rise substantially. Health plans would have few alternatives to accepting the collective demands of health care providers for higher fees. The effect of the bill . . . can be expected to extend to various parties, and in various ways, throughout the health care system:
- Consumers and employers would face higher prices for health insurance coverage.
- Consumers also would face higher out-of-pocket expenses as copayments and other unreimbursed expenses increased.
- Consumers might face a reduction in benefits as costs increased.
- Senior citizens participating in Medicare HMOs would face reduced benefits . . . .
- The federal government would pay more for health coverage for its employees through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and military health programs.
- State and local governments would incur higher costs to provide health benefits to their employees.
- State Medicaid programs attempting to use managed care strategies to serve their beneficiaries could have to increase their budgets, cut optional benefits, or reduce the number of beneficiaries covered.
- State and local programs providing care for the uninsured would be further strained, because, by making health insurance coverage more costly, the bill threatens to increase the already sizable portion of the population that is uninsured.
These widespread effects are not simply theoretical possibilities. The record of antitrust law enforcement sets forth the impact of collective 'negotiations' on the public. For example, as described in the Commission's complaints, collective bargaining by anesthesiologists in Rochester, New York, and by obstetricians in Jacksonville, Florida, forced health plans to raise their reimbursement, and the result was increased premiums for the HMOs' subscribers.(3) Other cases have challenged actions by associations of pharmacists who succeeded in forcing state and local governments to raise reimbursement levels paid under their employee prescription drug plans.(4) In one such case, an administrative law judge found that the collective fee demands of pharmacists cost the State of New York an estimated $7 million.(5)
Prior Commission cases illustrate the types of physician conduct that have raised problems. Price-fixing is one type of such conduct, and last year's Alaska Health Network, Inc.(6) case is a prime example. In that case, the Commission alleged that competing physicians organized and conspired to fix the prices and other competitively significant terms on which they would deal with health plans in Fairbanks, Alaska. Another type of conduct is price-related group boycotts, such as the one addressed in the M.D. Physicians of Southwest Louisiana, Inc.(7) case. There, the Commission charged a group of competing physicians with conspiring not to deal with certain third-party payers, as part of an unlawful enterprise designed to prevent managed care contracts from taking hold in the Lake Charles, Louisiana region.
There is widespread agreement that horizontal agreements among competitors can raise the most significant competitive concerns. The facilitation of naked horizontal price-fixing is among the most serious of these concerns, as such conduct predictably and consistently results in substantial consumer harm. Departing from the general rules of antitrust in such a competitively sensitive area presents substantial risks that would not be offset by procompetitive gains from physician collective bargaining.
The two arguments that have typically been presented to justify a departure from the general rules of antitrust in this context are that, given health plan concentration, physician collective bargaining would (1) increase patients' quality of care, and (2) allow physicians to bargain on a more "level playing field." The former argument is based on a misunderstanding of both current law and the effects of collective bargaining, as will be discussed in the next section.
The latter argument is more straightforward, but equally problematic. As the Commission explained in its testimony before Congress:
Arguments that consumers would not be harmed by an antitrust exemption for collective bargaining by independent health care professionals appear to rest on assertions that the [federal] bill would balance the bargaining power between health care professionals and health plans. These assertions, however, are incorrect. The bill would permit doctors to create monopolies. On the health plan side of the ledger, the evidence does not support the suggestion that most (or even many) areas have only one or two health plans.(8)
Furthermore, even if the assumption that physicians confront monopoly health plans were correct, authorizing collusive conduct by physicians would not necessarily serve the interests of consumers. The argument that physician collusion would merely counterbalance hypothetical monopsony power by health plans implicitly assumes that collective bargaining would generate physician fees no larger than the fees that would exist in a competitive market. However, there is little reason to believe that a successful physician cartel would settle for fees at the competitive level. If a health plan possessed actual market power, health care consumers could be doubly harmed by physician collective bargaining, because they could be forced to pay the health care plan's monopoly mark-up on top of the elevated fees charged by the physicians.
B. Quality of Care
Proponents of antitrust exemptions for physicians often suggest that greater physician bargaining power against health plans would result in increased quality of care for patients. This claim fails for two reasons: (1) physician collective bargaining has historically focused on physician compensation, rather than patient care; and (2) current antitrust law already permits physicians to work collectively on legitimate quality of care issues.
Immunizing collective bargaining imposes costs while providing little assurance that consumers' interest in quality care will be served. As the Commission stated before Congress:
Collective bargaining rights are designed to raise the incomes and improve the working conditions of union members. The law protects the United Auto Workers' right to bargain for higher wages and better working conditions, but we do not rely on the UAW to bargain for safer cars. Congress addressed those concerns in other ways.(9)
Moreover, discussions between physician groups and health plans are not illegal. Current antitrust law permits doctors to collectively negotiate with health plans in various circumstances in which consumers are likely to benefit. The Health Care Guidelines - jointly issued by the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice - emphasize physicians' ability under the antitrust laws to organize networks, and other joint arrangements, to deal collectively with health plans and other purchasers.(10) In addition, through their professional societies and other groups, health care professionals can jointly provide information and express opinions to health plans.(11)
As the Commission explained in its congressional testimony:(12)
[T]he antitrust laws do not prohibit medical societies and other groups from engaging in collective discussions with health plans regarding issues of patient care. Among other things, physicians may collectively explain to a health plan why they think a particular policy or practice is medically unsound, and may present medical or scientific data to support their views . . . .(13)
The Commission has never brought a case based on physicians' collective advocacy with a health plan on an issue involving patient care. Our cases have addressed instances in which physician groups (1) negotiated collectively on fee levels or other price-related issues, or (2) collectively refused to contract with plans, either to gain acceptance of their price-related demands or to prevent or delay market entry by managed care plans generally. In all such cases, the Commission has been very careful to make sure that its orders do not interfere with the legitimate exchange of information and views between health plans and health care practitioners. Indeed, in the Commission's first litigated case involving collective negotiations by physicians - Michigan State Medical Society - the opinion emphasized that the antitrust laws do not prohibit health care providers' collective provision of information and views to health plans.(14) Specific language was inserted in that order, and in subsequent orders, to make it clear that bans on anticompetitive agreements among competing providers do not prohibit the provision of information and views to health plans concerning any issue, including reimbursement.(15)
Accordingly, blanket antitrust immunity for physician price-fixing is not necessary to protect patient welfare.
II. The Alaska Bill
Nonetheless, Senate Bill 37, like its federal and state counterparts, seeks to confer antitrust immunity with respect to collective physician conduct. To be sure, Senate Bill 37 also contains a number of provisions designed to protect consumers from the potential harms arising from a physician collective bargaining exemption. In some respects, these provisions resemble protections contained in physician collective bargaining bills introduced in Texas and the District of Columbia, on which the Commission staff also has commented.(16) As with the protections in the Texas and District of Columbia bills, these provisions - addressing a health plan's market power, the size of the physician bargaining group, and potential boycott conduct - do not alleviate the risk of substantial consumer harm resulting from a collective bargaining exemption.
A. Minimum Threshold for Health Plan Market Power
Section (d)(1) of Senate Bill 37 states that physicians may "collectively negotiate with a health benefit plan the items described in (b)" - including fees or prices - provided that the health benefit plan has "substantial market power." "Substantial market power" is defined as "more than 15 percent of the market share." Id. at § (s)(4). Alternative formulas by which market power may be measured are set forth in Sections (f)(1) and (f)(2).
This market power screen is unlikely to guard against consumer harm.
First, the screen does not apply to all collective bargaining by physicians, or even to all price-related bargaining. Rather, it applies only to certain kinds of price-related matters. For example, the market share screen does not apply to negotiations concerning the formulation and application of reimbursement methodology. Id. at § (a)(6). The method a health plan uses to calculate its payments to providers for particular services, however, can have a direct and significant impact on the ultimate price that providers receive for their services, and thus such matters are also "price" terms. Moreover, even collective bargaining over other, more clearly "non-price" issues in a health plan contract can have a substantial effect on the ultimate costs paid by consumers.
Second, there are significant problems with the concept of health plan market power as defined in the bill. As the Commission staff noted in its comment on the District of Columbia bill:
Market power is, simply put, the power to raise prices above competitive levels, or in the case of buyers, the ability to reduce prices below competitive levels. Market share can indicate market power, but only if based upon a properly defined market. Even if the bill's categories correctly identified relevant markets, a 15% market share . . . is not a level ordinarily assumed to constitute market power.(17)
Although the Alaska bill's definition of "substantial market power" is not entirely clear, one thing is certain: it does not define antitrust markets in a legal or economic sense. For example, it uses as a proxy for a relevant geographic market the health plan's "service area," but this area does not necessarily correspond to a proper relevant antitrust geographic market, and could serve to overstate the market share of the plan.
Furthermore, by setting the market power threshold at a 15 percent market share, the bill would authorize anticompetitive behavior by physicians in many situations in which the health plan would not in fact possess market power. Indeed, 15 to 20 percent is below the level courts typically require before upholding a finding of market power.(18) Finally, the bill does not take into account that even a plan with a large share of a market might be constrained from exercising market power if new entry by competing plans is easy.
Third, in practice, the market share screen appears unlikely to provide any limitation at all. That is because the bill would create a presumption that a health plan has substantial market power (Section (f)), unless the health plan persuades the Attorney General that it does not meet the 15 percent threshold. It seems unlikely that a health plan would seek to offer such proof, however, because the kind of price-related collective bargaining to which the market share screen applies can occur only if the health plan agrees to engage in such negotiations. See Section (d)(3). Thus, it appears that a health plan could simply decline to negotiate with physician collective bargaining groups, without making any showing regarding market share.
In addition, it should be noted that the bill's restrictions on collective fee negotiation to situations where the health plan consents to such negotiations would offer only limited protection to consumers. Such a restriction could limit certain kinds of anticompetitive effects, by preventing groups without health plan consent from engaging in even preliminary bargaining activities (such as physicians entering into agreements on the fee levels to be sought) that could facilitate anticompetitive agreements with respect to physicians' individual dealings with health plans. Nonetheless, a variety of risks remain. First, although participation is voluntary, some health plans may feel compelled to deal with a group if it includes most of the physicians in a particular specialty or many physicians with large numbers of loyal patients. Second, even absent any implicit coercion, in some circumstances a health plan may find it less troublesome to simply accede to price-setting by physicians and then pass the higher costs on to consumers. In either case, such behavior presents a risk not only to the enrollees of the particular plan in question, but also to other consumers, because a group of physicians organized to bargain with one health plan could more easily collude in its dealings with other health plans that eschew collective bargaining.
B. Limitations on Size of Physician Negotiating Group
Section (g)(6) of the Senate Bill 37 states that an authorized third party "may not represent more than 30 percent of the market of practicing physicians in the geographic service area or proposed geographic service area if the health benefit plan has less than a five percent market share." In addition, Section (g)(7) authorizes the Attorney General to limit the percentage of practicing physicians represented by an authorized third party. However, the Attorney General may not impose a limit of "less than 30 percent of the market of practicing physicians" and may not impose any limit at all if "the market of practicing physicians . . . consists of 40 or fewer individuals." Id.
These limitations on the size of the physician group authorized to collectively bargain are also unlikely to adequately protect consumers. First, the 30 percent limitation applies only in those cases in which the health plan has a very small share of the (potentially ill-defined) market. Furthermore, the 30 percent limit appears to contemplate a percentage of all physicians and, if so, it would not necessarily prevent aggregation of a large portion of the physicians in a given specialty. Given the high level of specialization among physicians, and the fact that different medical specialty services often are not substitutable, the relevant market for antitrust purposes may be a particular specialty or specialties rather than physicians as a whole. And just as individual specialties may constitute different product markets, relevant geographic markets may differ by specialty.
C. Exclusion of Physician Boycott Conduct
Section (m) of the bill states that the antitrust exemption for physician collective bargaining does not extend to boycott conduct. Specifically, Section (m) states that no provision of the bill should be construed as authorizing "competing physicians to act in concert in response to a report issued by an authorized third party related to the authorized third party's discussion or negotiations with a health benefit plan." It further notes that authorized third parties "shall" inform physicians of Section (m) and "warn them of the potential for legal action against those who violate state or federal antitrust laws." Id.
Although this provision is likely to prevent Senate Bill 37 from being used as legal cover for explicit boycott threats, it does not protect consumers from all boycott-related concerns arising from physician collective bargaining. As the Commission has previously observed, collective negotiations can by their very nature convey an implicit threat that, if the health plan does not agree to terms acceptable to the physician group as a whole, it will be prevented from successfully negotiating agreements with the members of the group separately.(19) Furthermore, by immunizing agreements among competing physicians on the fees and other terms they will accept from health plans, the bill facilitates coordinated conduct - such as collusive refusals to deal - that, even though not immune, would be difficult to detect and prosecute.
III. State Action Immunity
Under the judicially-created "state action" doctrine, a state may override the national policy favoring competition only where it expressly decides to govern aspects of its economy by state regulation rather than market forces. A state may not simply authorize private parties to violate the antitrust laws.(20) Instead, it must actually substitute its own active control for the discipline that competition would otherwise provide. To that end, the state legislature must clearly articulate a policy to displace competition with regulation, and state officials must actively supervise the private anticompetitive conduct.(21)
Senate Bill 37 faces severe difficulties under the "active supervision" prong of that test. In order for state supervision to be adequate for state action purposes, state officials must "have and exercise ultimate authority over the challenged anticompetitive conduct."(22) Senate Bill 37 falls far short of providing the "pointed reexamination"(23) of private anticompetitive conduct necessary to confer antitrust immunity.
The Supreme Court has made it clear that the active supervision standard is a rigorous one, designed to ensure that an anticompetitive act of a private party is shielded from antitrust liability only when "the State has effectively made [the challenged] conduct its own."(24) Active supervision requires that the state exercise "sufficient independent judgment and control so that the details of the rates or prices have been established as a product of deliberate state intervention, not simply by agreement among private parties."(25) In this instance, the bill does not appear to provide the Attorney General with the means to exercise sufficient independent judgment and control.
Lack of Active Supervision
The regulatory scheme established by Senate Bill 37 endeavors to provide state supervision of physician collective bargaining by authorizing the Attorney General to approve or disapprove: (1) the composition of a physician collective bargaining group, (2) a brief report on any proposed collective negotiations, and (3) a contract that was the subject of collective bargaining. The Attorney General's role is limited in significant respects, however, making it unlikely that the regulatory scheme would be found to provide the level of active supervision required to confer antitrust immunity.
1. Review of Composition of Physician Groups
The power to approve or disapprove the composition of a physician collective bargaining group is provided by Section (g)(7). This provision states that the Attorney General may limit the percentage of physicians represented by an authorized third party, but that the limitation "may not be less than 30 percent of the market." Furthermore, the Attorney General "shall" consider the potential competitive benefits and anticompetitive effects described in Sections (k) and (l). The Attorney General has no power to impose such limitations when the market of practicing physicians consists of "40 or fewer individuals."
The Supreme Court has emphasized that active supervision requires that state officials "have and exercise power to review particular anticompetitive acts of private parties and disapprove those that fail to accord with state policy."(26) The Attorney General's limited review of bargaining groups at the formation stage, under Section (g)(7), would not amount to active supervision of "particular anticompetitive acts." Indeed, in a market of "40 or fewer individuals," the Attorney General has no authority whatsoever to review the composition of physician groups. This loophole may be particularly significant in a state like Alaska which, due to its population and its large geographic area, may have a large number of physician specialty markets consisting of 40 or fewer providers.
2. Review of "Brief Report" on Proposed Negotiations
The power to approve or disapprove a "brief report" on any proposed collective negotiations is provided by Section (h)(1)(B). This provision appears to provide the Attorney General with authority to disapprove proposed negotiations if the physician group is found to be "not appropriate to represent the interests involved in the proposed negotiations."(27) It is unclear, however, what authority this actually would confer, or how the Attorney General could make such an assessment on the basis of the limited information that the third party representative is required to submit. The report would describe the proposed subject matter of the negotiations and a statement of the expected efficiencies or benefits, but it would not supply a wide variety of information that would enable the Attorney General to assess the likely competitive effects of the negotiations. Further, there is no provision for the Attorney General to require submission of additional information, nor any mechanism by which to receive input from other physicians, affected health plans, or patients.
3. Review of Collectively Negotiated Contracts
The power to approve or disapprove a contract that was the subject of collective bargaining is provided by Sections (i) and (j). Section (i) states that the Attorney General "shall" either approve or disapprove a contract "within 30 days after receiving the reports required under (h)." During that brief period of time, the Attorney General is to attempt to ascertain whether "the competitive and other benefits of the contract terms outweigh any anticompetitive effects." Lists of competitive benefits and anticompetitive effects that the Attorney General "may" consider are provided in Sections (k) and (1), respectively.
These provisions have two principal defects that are likely to vitiate the active supervision required by the state action doctrine: (1) the Attorney General is presented with insufficient information, and (2) the Attorney General is given insufficient time. Additionally, a provision requiring a written decision for both contract approvals and disapprovals would help to ensure that adequate information is both sought and reviewed.
(a) Insufficient Information
In order for state action immunity to apply, Supreme Court precedent requires the State to "undertake[] the necessary steps to determine the specifics of the ratesetting scheme."(28) Senate Bill 37 falls far short of providing the information necessary for state officials to make such a determination. Moreover, what little information is provided is all at the initiative of third parties. The bill does not authorize the Attorney General to request or gather specific additional information of any kind.(29)
The "brief report" would contain the "proposed subject matter" of the negotiations and one party's "explanation of the [expected] efficiencies or benefits." Notably absent from the "brief report" is a wide variety of information that would assist the Attorney General in assessing the likely competitive effects of the negotiations. An Attorney General armed with greater information - including, for example, information concerning product and geographic market definition, current price levels, availability of substitutes, or ease of entry for new competing physicians - would, of course, be better able to make appropriate determinations. An equally troubling omission from the process is any mechanism by which to receive input from other physicians, affected health benefit plans, or patients. Indeed, the process provides no notice to any of these groups, and so no means for them even to be aware of the potential value of their input.
To attempt to ascertain credibly whether "the competitive and other benefits of the contract terms outweigh any anticompetitive effects" - the core stated criterion of the Attorney General's review - without sufficient data, or adequate input from other parties, would be extremely difficult. Making judgments about competitive effects is the Commission's core function. To carry out this function, the Commission employs a large staff of lawyers and economists, who rely on information gathered from the careful review of a complete documentary record and interviews of numerous key witnesses. "Active supervision" need not necessarily entail the same exhaustive examination but, at the very least, it should constitute a pointed and meaningful review.
In addition, Section (h)(3) requires an authorized third party to provide the Attorney General with all communications "to be made to physicians" related to negotiations. This requirement, however, omits at least four additional categories of potentially critical competitive information: (1) communications from physicians to authorized third parties, (2) communications from authorized third parties to health plans, (3) communications between physicians, and (4) communications between authorized third parties.
It is worth noting that the core conduct at issue here, naked price-fixing among horizontal competitors, is deemed to be per se illegal precisely because the law presumes that in almost no circumstances imaginable will the benefits "outweigh any anticompetitive effects."(30) To be able to attempt such a judgment, the Attorney General needs to be able to review the relevant information.
(b) Insufficient Time
The law of active supervision requires that the Attorney General have and exercise "independent judgment and control" sufficient to render the challenged conduct effectively that of the State and not that of private parties. Yet Section (i) allows only 30 days for the Attorney General to review the facts and render a decision about the anticompetitive effects of a given contract. The time period is mandatory ("shall either approve or disapprove . . . within 30 days") and there is no provision for extension.(31) It is by no means clear that the Attorney General could complete the "pointed reexamination" required to immunize the underlying physician conduct in such a short time.
IV. Transparency
Section (i) of Senate Bill 37 provides that "[i]f the contract is disapproved, the attorney general shall furnish a written explanation of any deficiencies along with a statement of specific remedial measures that would correct any identified deficiencies." Notably, the bill contains no complementary provision requiring a written decision to approve a proposed contract. A written decision, expressly considering the potentially anticompetitive implications of a proposed contract and attempting to quantify the consumer impact and expected effect on consumer prices, would serve a number of salutary purposes. First, it would inform affected parties of the levels at which prices were being fixed, and so provide an opportunity for comment or challenge as to the appropriateness of those levels. Second, it would help inform the public of the likely impact of the proposed contract on their health care costs.
Under the current draft, an explanation is required only when the Attorney General disapproves a contract. From a consumer perspective, however, disapproval of a contract is the less troubling result. Disapproval indicates that market forces will continue to govern, whereas approval indicates that they will be temporarily suspended, with a potentially adverse impact on price and access. It is the latter situation that more clearly warrants an explanation and is more properly subject to consumer scrutiny.
* * *
In sum, the proposed antitrust exemption for physician collective bargaining is likely to result in increased consumer costs and threatens to reduce access to care. Furthermore, the risk of consumer harm does not appear to be offset by any substantial procompetitive benefits or increased quality of care.
Parties claiming immunity under the state action doctrine bear the burden of establishing their entitlement to such immunity. If the Alaska Legislature were to enact a bill that fails to provide for the level of active supervision required by Supreme Court precedent, physicians relying on the bill's provisions to confer antitrust immunity would risk exposure to potentially significant financial liability for their actions.
Thank you for your inquiry. We hope you find these comments helpful. Should you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Jeff Brennan at (202) 326-3688.
Joseph J. Simons, Director
Jeffrey W. Brennan, Assistant Director
Bureau of Competition
R. Ted Cruz, Director
John T. Delacourt, Attorney
Office of Policy Planning
1. These comments are views of the staff of the Bureau of Competition and of the Office of Policy Planning of the Federal Trade Commission. They do not necessarily represent the views of the Commission or of any individual Commissioner. The Commission has, however, voted to authorize the Bureau of Competition and the Office of Policy Planning to submit these comments.
2. Testimony of Federal Trade Commission before the House Judiciary Committee on H.R. 1304 (June 22, 1999) ("FTC Testimony on H.R. 1304") at 5-6 available at http://www.ftc.gov/os/1999/06/healthcaretestimony.htm (Attachment A) (footnotes 3-5 in original).
3. Southbank IPA, Inc., 114 F.T.C. 783 (1991) (consent order); Rochester Anesthesiologists, 110 F.T.C. 175 (1988) (consent order).
4. See, e.g., Baltimore Metropolitan Pharmaceutical Assoc., Inc. and Maryland Pharmacists Assoc., 117 F.T.C. 95 (1994) (consent order); Pharmaceutical Society of the State of New York, Inc., 113 F.T.C. 661 (1990) (consent order).
5. See Peterson Drug Company, 115 F.T.C. 492, 540 (1992). See also Pharmaceutical Society of the State of New York, Inc., 113 F.T.C. 661 (1990) (consent order).
6. Docket No. C-4007, 2001 WL 443471 (F.T.C. April 25, 2001) (consent order).
7. Docket No. C-3824, 1998 WL 566834 (F.T.C. August 31, 1998) (consent order).
8. FTC Testimony on H.R. 1304, supra note 2, at 6-7.
9. FTC Testimony on H.R. 1304, supra note 2, at 10.
10. See Statements of Antitrust Enforcement Policy in Health Care, 4 Trade Reg. Rep. (CCH) ¶ 13,151 (Aug. 1996) ("Health Care Guidelines") available at<http://www.ftc.gov/ reports/ hlth3s.pdf> The Health Care Guidelines discuss "messenger model" arrangements designed to minimize the costs associated with the contracting process.
11. See, e.g., Schachar v. American Academy of Ophthalmology, 870 F.2d 397 (7th Cir. 1989); Statements 4-5 of Health Care Guidelines, supra note 10.
12. FTC Testimony on H.R. 1304, supra note 2, at 7-8 (footnotes 13-15 in original).
13. [The Health Care Guidelines] create an antitrust safety zone for health care providers' collective provision of non-fee-related information to health plans. . . . [See Statement 4 of Health Care Guidelines, supra note 10.]
14. 101 F.T.C. [191,] at 302-09 [(1983)].
15. Id. at 314; see also Southbank IPA, 114 F.T.C. 783 (1991) (consent order); Rochester Anesthesiologists, 110 F.T.C. 175 (1988) (consent order).
16. Letter to the Texas Legislature on Senate Bill 1468 (May 13, 1999) available at http://www.ftc.gov/be/v990009.htm (Attachment B); Letter to the District of Columbia Office of Corporation Counsel on Bill No. 13-333 (Oct. 29, 1999) ("District of Columbia Letter") available at http://www.ftc.gov/be/rigsby.htm (Attachment C).
17. District of Columbia Letter, supra note 16, at 3-4.
18. Although the federal courts have not identified a precise market share figure that constitutes market power, the guidance they have provided strongly suggests that 15 to 20 percent is not sufficient. In Jefferson Parish Hosp. Dist. No. 2 v. Hyde, 466 U.S. 2 (1984), for example, the Supreme Court rejected the possibility that the defendant hospital had market power in spite of the fact that it serviced roughly 30 percent of the relevant market. Subsequent opinions from lower courts have tended to adhere to this 30 percent "rule of thumb." See, e.g., United States v. Eastman Kodak Co., 63 F.3d 95 (2d Cir. 1995) (30 percent share of U.S. photocopying market too small to give rise to inference of market power); New York v. Anheuser-Busch, Inc., 811 F. Supp. 848 (E.D.N.Y. 1993) (40 percent market share insufficient to show market power in light of low barriers to entry); Manufacturer's Supply Co. v. Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co., 688 F. Supp. 303 (W.D. Mich. 1988) (25.8 percent market share insufficient to show market power).
19. See Alaska Healthcare Network, Inc., Docket No. C-4007, 2001 WL 443471 (F.T.C. Apr. 25, 2001) ("Payors believed that they could not go around [Alaska Healthcare Network] to contract individually with physicians in Fairbanks, and thus that they had no alternative but to reach agreement with AHN or to give up their planned entry into Fairbanks."). See also Michigan State Medical Society, 101 F.T.C. 191, 296 n.32 (1983) ("the bargaining process itself carries the implication of adverse consequences if a satisfactory agreement cannot be obtained"); Preferred Physicians Inc., 110 F.T.C. 157, 160 (1988) (consent order) (threat of adverse consequences inherent in collective negotiations).
20. See Parker v. Brown, 317 U.S. 341, 351 (1943) ("a state does not give immunity to those who violate the Sherman Act by authorizing them to violate it, or declaring that their action is lawful").
21. See California Retail Liquor Dealers Assn. v. Midcal Aluminum, Inc., 445 U.S. 92 (1980).
22. Patrick v. Burget, 486 U.S. 94, 100 (1988).
23. Midcal, 445 U.S. at 105-06.
24. Patrick, 486 U.S. at 106.
25. Federal Trade Commission v. Ticor Title Insurance Co., 504 U.S. 621, 634-35 (1992).
26. Id. at 634 (emphases added).
27. The Attorney General may not approve the report if: (1) the group of physicians "is not appropriate to represent the interests involved in the negotiations" (a provision seemingly redundant with Section (g)(7), discussed above), or (2) the proposed negotiations "exceed the authority granted in this chapter." If either of these conditions is satisfied, the Attorney General "shall" enter an order "prohibiting the collective negotiations from proceeding."
28. Ticor, 504 U.S. at 638.
29. Courts have tended to reject claims of state action immunity where state officials lacked sufficient information to conduct a meaningful review of the private conduct. See, e.g., Ticor Title Insurance Co. v. Federal Trade Commission, 998 F.2d 1129, 1140 (3d Cir. 1993) (finding lack of state supervision where Connecticut never obtained necessary information that would have enabled it to assess the appropriateness of filed rates). In contrast, courts have tended to accept such claims where the review included hearings and an opportunity for potentially affected parties to be heard. See, e.g., TEC Cogeneration Inc. v. Florida Power & Light Co., 76 F.3d 1560 (11th Cir.), amended in part, 86 F.3d 1028 (11th Cir. 1996) (rates determined by Public Service Commission rulemaking and subject to extensive agency proceedings); DFW Metro Line Services v. Southwestern Bell Telephone, 988 F.2d 601, 606-07 (5th Cir. 1993) (Public Utility Commission conducted both broad-based ratemaking proceedings and adjudications of specific complaints about the reasonableness of rates); Lease Lights, Inc. v. Public Serv. Co., 849 F.2d 1330, 1334-35 (10th Cir. 1988) (state held public hearings to assess reasonableness of rates).
30. See Arizona v. Maricopa County Medical Society, 457 U.S. 332 (1982) (holding naked horizontal price-fixing among physicians to be per se illegal).
31. In addition, the current legislative draft is ambiguous as to when the 30-day clock commences. Section (i) allows 30 days from receipt of "the reports required under section (h)," without specifying which report - the "brief report," the "copy of all communications," or the contract itself.


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Andrew, the web wizard who designed this site and www.roystonellisebooks.com, tells me that the first page of a blog should start with a welcome to readers.
So welcome! But at this stage I don't know if I have any readers.
Of course, I have readers for my printed books. In the 1980s my series of Bondmasterbooks, which I wrote under the pseudonym of Richard Tresillian, sold in millions. How do I know? The publishers printed that on the cover, so it must be true!
More prosaic, though, are the sales of my guide books. Royalty statements for Sri Lanka: The Bradt Guide indicate readers are in their hundreds but they are participants as well as readers. They write to tell me what they have discovered so that I can incorporate their views in a subsequent edition. When they disagree with me, I acknowledge that.
After all, some people visit Sri Lanka for spiritual upliftment, wanting to learn more about Buddhist culture, explore the country's ancient ruins, and detox on a diet of ayurveda cuisine. Others come for adventure like white-water rafting, or white-knuckle driving in Sri Lankaâs wild traffic.
Then there's the incredible appeal of Sri Lanka's wilder life. The big three (elephant, leopard and sloth bear) are to be seen without much effort beyond a sturdy backside for bouncing in a jeep along jungle trials, and patience while everybody ticks off sightings of their favourite animals, and you have seen nothing except an elderly cockroach.
From the window of my attic library where I am writing this, I see nature in the raw without leaving Horizon Cottage.
Pigeons turn up regularly every morning for breakfast, squirrels scramble for breadcrumbs on the veranda roof, monkeys gambol on the lawn, and snakes frequently frighten us as they glide towards to the kitchen.
Lena, the cat I had for seven years previous to the current Lena (I always give my cats the same name, it's one less thing to remember), died a heroine.
She found a poisonous snake on the rug in my bedroom and tried to defend me as I groped my way to bed. The snake bit her; Ramesh, my houseboy killed it; and Lena slunk off to die quietly in the jungle.
Is this High Life Style?
Well, yes, it is. It's my lifestyle and I am frequently high.
I recognise that because I have for the past 50 years successfully managed to survive as full time author, my "life style" Â is not typical. As for "High Life," thatâs the title of a weekly column I used to write about restaurants and hotels.
Restaurants, hotels, booze, books, travel, people and other oddities, are the essence of This High Life Styleblog. So, to commence, here is a menu of a dinner I attended recently.
Guess which hotel and I'll ask my colleague, George Ellis, of what-am-i.com to send you his ebook AM I SALAD? free of charge!
Scandinavian style marinated herrings with condiments, served with beer and chilled vodka shots.
Tartar of Norwegian Salmon, Gravad Salmon and Kalix Black Roe.
Duo of Poached Nordic Char and Bering Sea Cod.
Northern Elderflower Sorbet.
Pink roasted filet of Reindeer with morel sauce and lingon.
Cheese with rhubarb marmalade.
Flowers of Cloud Berry, Nordic Blue Cherries, Lingon Berries and condiments.
Thanks for joining me
Royston Ellis

subset: commoncrawl


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Either hold the party later, when cousin is no longer in the country. Or, invite them by mail (no phone calls) and then be coolly polite and distant when they are in your home. Do not engage at all. Have lots of bean dip ready and be super duper busy with preparations and other family members.I think if you have a family party and don't include them, their contempt will go nuclear. Some might even take their side.


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Daddy and His Baby on the Town
Daddy takes her dancing: One tango and one waltz And she's sweating from the heat. He tosses her easily, strongly to the beat, And presses so close she can feel his cock throb. Daddy takes her out to eat: The finest food and dry champagne. She knows she's dessert Because Daddy loves to please her. Oh, but first he'll tease her Make her giggle like a girl. Daddy gives her presents On any...Read On
Added: 17 May 2013 | Category: Love Poems | Avg Score: 4.67 | Tags: erotic erotica poetry desire roleplay | 1 Comment
Mama did say there'd be days like this, but I'm not sure she thought that day would end like this.
In my office at work today, as usual I listened to the radio as I worked. The radio was tuned into the oldies station. As I stood at the light table, working on some layouts for a client, the song on the radio changed. Blasting from the radio were the voices of The Shirelles singing Mama Said. I went walkin' the other day, ye-ay-ee-ah-yay, Everything was goin' fine. I met a little...Read On
Added: 17 May 2013 | Category: Gay Male | Avg Score: 4.81 | Tags: older/younger rough incest mention gay sex bisexual men anal coach | 4 Comments
A man takes business pictures, but the two ladies want to have some fun
My name is John, I'm 27, and I'm a professional photographer. I have brown hair and eyes, and I'm 5'10. I usually take pictures of beautiful women, the kind you'd see in the Victoria's Secret catalog. I have a variety of ladies I take pictures of when they are just in their bras and panties or some lingerie. Most of the women I take the pictures of are in their early to mid twenties. ...Read On
Added: 17 May 2013 | Category: Group Sex | Tags: lesbian sex pussy eating nipple licking threesome blow job pictures
Was she just a tease?
" Cocktease ," he had called her, out of earshot of her husband and his wife. In retrospect, perhaps she had overdone it a bit from time to time. A flash of lace now and again, a breast resting snugly against his arm as she poured him another glass of wine, a little parting of the lips and quick swish of the tongue as they said goodnight following visits. Truth be told, these had been more...Read On
Added: 17 May 2013 | Category: Quickie Sex | Avg Score: 4.33 | Tags: infidelity quickie sex cheating marriage | 1 Comment
I can't think of a one liner. Perhaps if I could, I would have spared us all the 66 liner below.
Big ears! he shouted and ran away Stuck out his tongue, pulled my hair all day And made me cry * Hey, is your Ellie playing out, Mrs Jones? We broke a window throwing stones And never got found out * Billy's got a girlfriend! his mates all cried No I bloody haven't! She's a liar. Ellie lied! But we held hands later * You're beautiful, gorgeous, I wish that we ... ...Read On
Added: 17 May 2013 | Category: Love Poems | Avg Score: 4.67 | Tags: name role identity love life | 6 Comments
Memories of mine from when I started and became what I am.
It was two days later. I had been burning and feeling bizarre and elated and lost all at the same time, trying to come to terms with what I had done and felt. And what had been done to me. The phone rang late in the afternoon. I answered. "Hi Sweetie, it's Nick. I just wanted to see how you are?" I said I was fine, trying to not let him know how insecure and happy and thrilled I felt by...Read On
Added: 17 May 2013 | Category: Group Sex | Avg Score: 4.33 | Tags: teenager threesome oral | 5 Comments
My photo shoot with a teenage client becomes x-rated. Later a freak coincidence leads to more!
This story now consists of parts one and two. They are posted together in order to adhere to competition rules. If you have already read the first part, please scroll down to the second half. Hello, my name is Josh Newman and I am a studio photographer. I work mainly with models and actors who need headshots. I have a small loft on the upper east side of Manhattan overlooking Central...Read On
Added: 17 May 2013 | Category: Straight Sex | Tags: photo model teen blowjob reluctance big cock | 9 Comments
Jogging sucks, but running in the woods of Diomede is a pleasure...
To keep myself in shape I'd taken up jogging, but I hated slogging up and down the same roads again and again. As the summer got into full swing running on a hot road turned unbearable. I felt like I was going to pass out from the heat. To get off the road I'd found a trail through the woods to take. It was a lonely patch of woods, but it was quiet, and thankfully cool. Also, running through...Read On
Added: 17 May 2013 | Category: Supernatural | Avg Score: 4.75 | Tags: masterbation nymph nude outdoors sex woods
A quiet housewife discovers her bossy side...
Steph felt the warm puff of air on her face as she pulled the door to the drying machine open. She hoisted up the laundry basket to sit on her hip, before grabbing a fistful of warm clothing and dropping them in. She emptied the dryer and slammed the door shut, before hobbling into the living room and setting the basket beside the coffee table with a thud. As she sorted and folded...Read On
Added: 17 May 2013 | Category: Incest | Avg Score: 4.64 | Tags: mother son dominant | 5 Comments
You found me Lost and alone Broken and defeated Not able to see From all the tears Clouding my vision My mind You reached out a hand Helped me up But let me cry Understanding Sometimes tears need to fall You held me close In a tight embrace Like a cocoon Sheltering me from the world Giving me peace A safe heaven And in my cocoon My tears dried up My...Read On
Added: 17 May 2013 | Category: Love Poems | Avg Score: 5 | Tags: heartache hope mending new start | 16 Comments
He watches her being taken
After her goodbye kiss to me she turned and walked away. I watched how her ass moved so seductively as she walked with the narrow thong running down between her sexy cheeks. I heard the erotic clicking of her high heels on the floor as she made her way directly back to him. Watching her hips sway and hearing the sound of her heels as my loving wife walked away from me was something I would...Read On
Added: 17 May 2013 | Category: Wife Lovers | Avg Score: 4.89 | Tags: hot wife cuckold wife watching | 5 Comments
Woman who secretly enjoyed being spanked and caned while at school seeks a repeat of the experience
I sat in my study reading The Times. The news from Europe was not good: Adolf Hitler's Third Reich was threatening to engulf Europe in war once again, less than twenty years after the end of The Great War of 1914-1918. I felt that my recent retirement as Headmaster at a very exclusive girls' boarding school was unlikely to be as quiet and restful as I had hoped if it was to be overshadowed...Read On
Added: 17 May 2013 | Category: Spanking | Avg Score: 4.83 | Tags: spanking figging | 3 Comments
Waking up horny on Sunday morning.
Stretching out into our bed, "You're still here? Thank God," I said. A sigh, a groan a sexy poke, My fingers moving as you woke. Sunday mornings, they are the best, Stay in bed - but not to rest, Exploring you: I'm heading south, Taking you into my mouth. A suck, a lick that's all you need, My mouth soon filling with your seed. Another suck, and your cock grew, A hunger, a...Read On
Added: 17 May 2013 | Category: Love Poems | Avg Score: 4.55 | Tags: sunday morning sex straight blowjob swallow | 8 Comments
The next day went by without any issue, partly because Brian had come to me the previous night after I had left him with my thong shoved in his mouth, and partly because I had things to do. I had to admit that when Brian knocked on my door last night after what I had already put him through, I was ecstatic that he didn't just jerk off on his own; he obeyed me when I told him if he was going...Read On
Added: 17 May 2013 | Category: Incest | Avg Score: 4.94 | Tags: incest cum eating dirty talk panties lesbian | 8 Comments
A grey and cold evening Sitting at the bar that night The wall of the noise You left when you were smiling That was your final act My eyes never shed a tear You are just antisocial You'll always be a plastic image You think you're so modern When you walk in front of me My heart is still burning With the flames of wasted yearning Will it burn for evermore I go forward, hate remembering...Read On
Added: 17 May 2013 | Category: Love Poems | Avg Score: 5 | Tags: loneliness | 9 Comments


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"Fresh and Enetertaining"
I purchased this novel on a whim, primarily on the strength of it's description. It turned out to be a great investment and a pleasant surprise! It's best experienced without much knowledge of the plot as most of the fun comes from the characters (who make numerous pop culture references and even compare themselves to Scooby Doo and his pals) unraveling the mysteries of the building where they live. Cline has a to-the-point writing style, a good sense of humor and he keeps this story rolling along.
14 isn't a deep novel or a book that will blow the reader away with tremendous, in-depth characterization. It's good, fun genre fiction with a memorable cast of characters and some genuinely surprising twists and turns. I highly recommend it.
"Caution: May Only Appeal to Gamers"
I'll state right off the bat that the headline of this review may be unfair but I felt like I should give fair warning. I loved Grossman's previous novel, "Soon I Will be Invincible" and highly recommend it. I was looking forward to "You" but unfortunately, it was a disappointing listen. For me, it was the equivalent of listening to a gamer talk about their character or tell you about their video game experience for 13+ hours.
Video games are fun. I've been playing them most of my life and they can be an immersive, engaging experience. One of this novel's themes deals with that aspect of gaming, the degree to which a player identifies with the protagonist they're playing. However, video game characters rarely have much depth and that's where "You" runs into trouble. Grossman's a talented writer but the stakes in this book never feel high and the characterization is pretty thin. There are long passages describing game play that I found very dull, difficult listening. The descriptions of generic characters in fairly generic fantasy and science fiction settings engaging in the sort of activities you'd expect from that combination of elements really dragged. Perhaps readers who avidly play the kind of games described in the book or readers with a keen interest in video game design and programming will find this novel an engrossing listen but for me, it was a tedious slog and I barely made it to the end. After enjoying "Soon I Will Be Invincible" so much, it pains me to say that about "You" but I still consider Austin Grossman a talent worth watching and I hope I'll find his next novel more satisfying.
Meanwhile, unless you're really captivated by the sort of characters and experiences found in fantasy games, think twice about investing your time in this novel. It may not be for you.
"An entertaining suspense novel"
Crouch keeps the story moving and the plot twists coming in this dark-but-entertaining suspense novel. I purchased it after listening to his superior (and, if I'm not mistaken, more recent) book Pines, which I highly recommend. Abandon is less satisfying, in part because it's central mystery is solved long before it ends and there were a few too many twists and coincidences for my taste. However, that's nitpicking and if you're looking for an entertaining thriller with some old west flavor (the novel flips back and forth and tells the story of Abandon in two different times), this book is a good ride.
I thought the narration was a little stiff but Luke Daniels seemed to warm up as he read and he did a nice job with accents and dialects. His overall performance, like the book itself, is solid.
The highlight for me was an unexpected bonus, a related short story at the end, read by the author, who does a fine job. I actually enjoyed it more than the novel itself!
"A Great Premise"
I read Gateway back in the '70s and remembered it as a book that sounded cool but disappointed me. Looking back, I wondered if perhaps it was just too mature or too difficult for me to relate to at a young age so I decided to give the audiobook a try. Oliver Wyman's reading is excellent and author Frederick Pohl's basic premise of abandoned alien ships that launch to pre-programmed, but unknown, destinations is one of the better ideas in science fiction. The book never quite delivers on the evocative promise of it's central idea, never quite evokes the sense of wonder, or horror, that you might expect from it. Instead, it focuses on it's flawed central character, Robinet Broadhead, as he faces both his fear of the unknown and the psychological after effects of a journey in one of the alien vessels. It makes for an interesting story but there's so little exploration of the intriguing concept that it's ultimately disappointing. We get a feel for Broadhead's experience but not enough of a feel for what humanity is finding out there, what the alien ships (and alien constructed setting of Gateway itself) are like. The author almost seems disinterested in them. They're a means of exploring Broadhead's character but as a character, he's not fully developed enough for that goal to make Gateway a completely satisfying read.
In the end, while Gateway is a good book and I can recommend it, my second experience with it was as disappointing as the first. If you choose to listen, just go in knowing this book is primarily a character study. Armed with that information, you may enjoy it much more than I did.
"A Riveting Listen"
I loved the way the story developed, always hinting at it's central mystery while keeping the listener guessing, wondering, what was really going on.
Ethan. The entire story revolves around his experience.
His reading added a level of emotion, tension and drama that I don't think I would have experienced if I had just read the book.
I highly recommend this, especially for fans of TV shows like The Twilight Zone or Persons Unknown.
"Pulp Perfection!"
Paul Malmont's sequel to The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril is every bit as entertaining as it's predecessor. It may be even better and for listeners who may be wary of the word sequel: don't worry. This book holds up fine on it's own. In fact, it's a blast. Malmont's pacing is excellent. He keeps the book moving and pays loving homage to the pulp tales his characters wrote while portraying them convincingly and telling a great story of his own.
Robert Heinlein, L. Ron Hubbard, L. Sprague DeCamp, Isaac Asimov, Walter Gibson (creator of The Shadow) and other pulp writers and historical figures populate this fun WWII-era story and true it's inspiration, it's a wild adventure.
Christopher Lane's reading is superb so if you're looking for an entertaining listen, the Astounding, The Amazing and the Unknown delivers.
"Worth the Credit"
I rarely listen to abridged books because I loathe the very idea of slicing books up to make them shorter or more palatable. However, I was bored, I needed entertainment and I thought The Club Dumas would be just right for my mood so I downloaded this abridged audiobook version of the novel. Despite being in the mood for the book, I still might have balked at an abridged version but David Warner was the reader and that sealed the deal for me.
Overall, I loved the book! I won't get into the plot (it can be read elsewhere) but the writing was excellent, the story compelling and the ending very satisfying. Warner's performance didn't disappoint but there were moments where I could clearly feel that something well worth reading had been deleted. Consequently, I'm docking what I think would probably have been a 5 star read one star because it was abridged. I plan to pick up the novel and read it so I can see what I missed but even based on the abridged version, I can highly recommend The Club Dumas. It's a book for book lovers.
"Superbly Written and Thought-provoking"
I've read and/or listened to this novel 3 times and I like it more each time. It's a thoughtful, engrossing first contact story with theological, moral and science fiction themes. The Sparrow tells the tale of a Jesuit mission to an alien world and, more specifically, the story of Father Emilio Sandoz, the lone survivor of that mission. His experience is life-changing, to say the least.
Russell writes interesting, highly plausible characters and she not only explores the theological implications of the book's events, she also creates a memorable alien culture.
David Colacci's reading is quite good. He starts a little uncertainly but quickly gains his footing, giving voice to the various characters without ever taking accents and dialects to distracting extremes.
I can't recommend The Sparrow highly enough but be warned: if you're the type of science fiction fan who wants action-packed space opera, this isn't the book for you. It's a book about people and ideas, not an action/ adventure story.
"A Turbulent Time"
I downloaded The Gods of Gotham because I really enjoyed Lyndsay Faye's previous novel, Dust & Shadow. That account of Holmes and Watson pursuing the notorious Jack the Ripper was riveting and if anything, Faye's latest is better. The characterizations are vivid, the plot twists unexpected and the story moves along at a crisp pace without ever feeling rushed or contrived.
The Gods of Gotham, set in 1845, tells the tale of Timothy Wilde, a former bartender who finds himself a reluctant member of New York City's newly-founded police force. Wilde finds himself embroiled in a grisly mystery in a city that not only has some resentment towards the police (dubbed "copper stars" because of their copper badges) but is beset by corruption and racial tension as irish catholic immigrants pour into the country, compelled by the great potato famine to look for a new start in the U.S.A. It's a rich background for a mystery story and the author brings the period to life.
Faye is on a roll and I can't wait for her next book.
Regarding the reading: when I began listening, I wasn't sure if Steven Boyer was going to be a good fit for the material but he quickly won me over. He deftly brings the characters and events of Faye's novel to life for the listener.
"A Great Summer Listen"
Child's latest is entertaining, if not up to the high standards set by his best collaborative efforts with Douglas Preston (I thought the two authors explored an archeological mystery far more successfully in Thunderhead) . In The Third Gate, Child takes an interesting mix of subjects ranging from near death experiences and scientific exploration to an ancient curse, sets his story in a typically remote location and spins a well-paced, exciting tale. Fans of books like The Ice Limit, Riptide and Deep Storm should have a good time with this one. I did!


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Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean as she landed in Northern Ireland, about 15 hours after leaving Newfoundland.
King Henry VI of England died in the Tower of London at age 49.
Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto died while searching for gold along the Mississippi River.


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Thursday, March 3, 2011
FO: Eco Trinity
Pattern: Trinity Stitch Hat
Yarn: left over Ecological Wool from when I made this awesome sweater.
Notes: This is my favourite knitted hat. I found the stitch easy and enjoyable, and I love the result. The hat is comfy, warm and fits me perfectly. Plus, I'm obsessed with Eco Wool.
I finished this ages ago, but then there were so many other things to post about, it kind of got left in the dust. But I wear it often, and it's just so lovely. I think it has the perfect amount of slouch.
And in case you missed it, the green cowl I'm wearing is this one.
24 comments:
- Beti said...
Hat is beautiful!! You knitted perfect things!! For me you are the best :) greetings from Poland
- March 3, 2011 at 3:23 PM
- monikita said...
I love how seed stitch looks in bulky yarn. You've made a gorgeous hat! I just ordered two skeins of Eco Wool (in yellow) to make a Twenty Ten cardigan. It will be my first time working with Eco Wool, and I can't wait to try it out!
- March 3, 2011 at 3:29 PM
- Luba said...
I am making the very same awesome sweater out of the same awesome yarn, and thinking that I too will have some left to make a similarly awesome hat!
- March 3, 2011 at 3:46 PM
- jen said...
Love it, it looks so good! I'm biased though, I made this hat about 3 years ago and have worn it every time I needed a hat since. Bad thing is that the trinity part of mine stretched SO much, I now look totally Rasta when I wear it.
- March 3, 2011 at 4:14 PM
- Karen said...
Such a great hat! I can see why you love it. The stitch pattern is so cushy soft looking.
- March 3, 2011 at 6:39 PM
- Michele said...
Very cute! I love the slouchy hat - and that is a great stitch pattern. It looks like you will get a lot of wear out of that.
- March 3, 2011 at 8:25 PM
- Ibunnysavetroy said...
I love the hat! too cute. good to see you still have snow around, I was wondering if only CT had that issue STILL!
- March 3, 2011 at 9:28 PM
- Maryse said...
This is such a beautiful hat! Perfect! I'm sure it will inspire many of us!
- March 3, 2011 at 10:07 PM
- orata said...
I love Eco Wool too! Your hat looks awesome with the cowl--enjoy the winter accessories while you can :)
- March 4, 2011 at 1:22 AM
- Eva said...
This is a really cool hat! Bugger the winter is almost over and I decided to stop the hat knitting. I put it on my list for next winter :)
- March 4, 2011 at 1:41 AM
- Knit 1 LA said...
Beautiful hat! Love Eco Wool, such a great yarn!
- March 4, 2011 at 2:10 AM
- kessainstitches said...
This is lovely! The seed stitch looks really good in this yarn.
- March 4, 2011 at 9:08 AM
- Sungopolis said...
I love hearing about garments after they've been worn a bit. Gives me a better idea of what works in the long run. Beautiful hat. And beautiful photos too. I love how he caught the light in your eyes.
- March 4, 2011 at 9:08 AM
- Rachael said...
So pretty and it looks so warm!
- March 4, 2011 at 10:06 AM
- Kara said...
I am always won over by a slouchy beret. This one is no exception!
- March 4, 2011 at 11:35 AM
- The Sweatshop of Love said...
So pretty! I've got to start knitting with more neutrals. I say that every time I comment on one of your beautiful FOs. You just do them so well!
- March 4, 2011 at 11:49 AM
- elena gold said...
really nice! :)
- March 4, 2011 at 12:37 PM
- CU@5 said...
I really like your new hat. I have to try out trinity stitch. Eco wool must be nice to work with. I'm also going to knit Aidez sometime but I didn't find a right yarn for this project.
You look so beautiful on the second pic. The light is amazing... - March 4, 2011 at 12:49 PM
- hibou said...
That stitch definition makes me swoon!
- March 4, 2011 at 3:49 PM
- Hilary said...
Gorgeous! You're right...the amount of slouch is *just* right. And I love the color and the great stitch definition. What a perfect winter hat!
- March 5, 2011 at 12:36 PM
- Cakewalk Yarns said...
beautiful hat! You are right, it is just enough slouch. I am not a fan of the overly exaggerated.
- March 5, 2011 at 1:44 PM
- Louise said...
Very nice!
- March 5, 2011 at 1:44 PM
- CanarySanctuary said...
Lovely photos - and a wonderful hat! The bulky yarn looks way so fab in this stitch.
- March 9, 2011 at 12:39 PM
- Yarny Days said...
This is just gorgeous! Perfect yarn for that hat. I love it!
- March 9, 2011 at 7:58 PM


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misscoyxo Well that was like a bullet to the head. </3
9 days ago.
Olirulz_747 Well that was awfully grim for a bullet to the head ._.
VinVDJ THE CALL... That was an awesome movie. Now onto BULLET TO THE HEAD! Movies and more movies :)
merrmj bullet to the head is such a good movie why haven't i watched it yet
soul3dout saw bullet to the head today... for stallone's sake. jason mamoa has come a long way from baywatch hawaii.


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I did it in 2009. I did it in 2010. I did it in 2011.
And I'm doing it in 2012: The NCAA's "play-in" game — or its "first round" farce, as the NCAA wants you to call it — is a sham. Here's my repeated rant, with the school names changed. Look for it next year, too, and every year I'm employed at Crain's and still writing this blog.
Previously, the play-in game was two 16 seeds battling for the right to play in the actual NCAA tournament against a real, live No. 1 seed. I hated it then, and I hate it even more now; now it's four 16 seeds: Mississippi Valley State, Western Kentucky, Lamar and Vermont. Why do I hate it so much? Because those four teams won their conference tournaments. Here's a list of this year's conference tournament champions. Can you imagine asking Michigan State, or Vanderbilt, or Louisville, or Florida State, or any of the other big names to play their way in to the opening round?So why ask the other conference tournament champions? Sure, you can argue that if Mississippi Valley State can't beat Western Kentucky, it can't beat Kentucky. But that's not the point. MVSU earned the right to have the chance to beat Kentucky, as did Western Kentucky, Lamar and Vermont, and N.C. Asheville and LIU Brooklyn, the latter being the two 16 seeds who don't have a "play-in" game. It's a joke. Won't you please help me undo this injustice? Write your state senator.
I was very surprised to see Detroit, which won what I contend is a very difficult Horizon League, get a 15 seed and have to play Kansas. The Titans were the league's preseason favorite, but finished third, which perhaps hurt them when it came time to seeding. But they beat Cleveland State and Valparaiso and also beat (an admittedly down) Butler twice and played Notre Dame, Alabama and Mississippi State tough. Detroit also beat St. John's.According to Real Time RPI, the Horizon League's conference RPI was 14th in the country; the Ivy League's was 13th, and Harvard got a 12 seed. The Colonial Athletic Association's RPI was below the Horizon, but Virginia Commonwealth is a 12 seed. (And yes, I realize the Commodores have a pedigree, etc.)Just seemed like a tough draw for a good team from a good conference.
Speaking of Detroit, I have them upsetting Kansas. Which means Kansas likely will go to the Final Four, because I annually fail badly when picking this tournament. My picks: Sweet Sixteen: Kentucky, Wichita State, Baylor, Duke, Memphis, Louisville, Marquette, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Florida State, West Virginia, North Carolina, Temple, Georgetown, DetroitElite Eight: Kentucky, Duke, Louisville, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Florida State, UNC, GeorgetownFinal Four: Kentucky, Missouri, Vanderbilt, UNCWinner: MissouriMy upsets: New Mexico State over Indiana; Colorado over UNLV; Xavier over Notre Dame; Long Beach State over New Mexico; North Carolina State over San Diego State; Ohio over Michigan; West Virginia over Gonzaga
Reader Comments
Readers are solely responsible for the content of the comments they post here. Comments are subject to the site's terms and conditions of use and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of Crain's Cleveland Business. Readers whose comments violate the terms of use may have their comments removed or all of their content blocked from viewing by other users without notification. Comments may be used in the print edition at editorial discretion.


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If you can't attend classes in person, Chattahoochee Technical College also offers plenty of online courses. These 11-week courses are perfect for students with less flexible schedules, or for those who can't commute to class daily.
The North Metro campus is one of eight in the CTC system. Located in Acworth, "The Lake City," North Metro is situated at the base of the gorgeous North Georgia Mountains, right near Lake Acworth. It's only about 30 miles outside of Atlanta, so you don't have to worry about a long commute to get to classes.
Chattahoochee Technical College is also unique in its emphasis on improving the local professional community. The North Metro campus provides non-credit classes and training programs for Cobb County residents, allowing you to continue your education without the long-term commitment of an associate's degree.
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Out-of-State Tuition
Retention Rate
Licenses, Accreditations, and Memberships
Accreditations ?Accreditation refers to the practice of being reviewed by an independent, non-profit accrediting agency that specializes in educational quality.
- Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Total Students
- 1,903
Undergraduate vs. Graduate
- Undergraduate
- 100%
- Graduate
- 0%
Full-Time vs. Part-Time Students
- Full-Time
- 100%
- Part-Time
- 0%
Students Coming From In-State vs. Out-of-State
- In-State
- 100%
- Out-of-State
- 0%
Ethnic Diversity
- African-American
- 18%
- Asian
- 1%
- Caucasian
- 74%
- Latino
- 2%
- Other
- 5%
Students State Origin
- Georgia
- 100%
International Students
- International
- 0%
- Domestic
- 100%
Learn more about Chattahoochee Technical College, North Metro Campus:
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This web site and associated pages are not associated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Chattahoochee Technical College, North Metro Campus. CampusExplorer.com has no official or unofficial affiliation with Chattahoochee Technical College, North Metro Campus.


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Ventura's Premiere Music Venue! Come see for yourself!
Find out what's coming up at Zoey's Cafe using the online calendar http://www.zoeyscafe.com/
The Market Place hosts over 300 vendors every Saturday and Sunday of the year. Products range from fresh produce and crafts, to used tools and new clothing. Arts & Crafts, Tools, Antiques & Collectibles, Fresh Flowers, Produce, New and used clothing, School and Office supplies, plus much much more!
During the Downtown Ventura Tasting Tour, guests will stop at six shops and restaurants for tastings and conversations with the chefs, owners, and entrepreneurs behind some of the county's best eats. The tours are informal and intimate, giving a behind the scenes look into the local food scene and insight into the history and architecture of Ventura.
Partnering businesses include Spencer Makenzie's, Paradise Pantry, Trufflehounds, Watermark on Main, Palermo Coffee, We Olive, Marie Shannon Confections, and Spice-Topia.
Private tours are available upon request for groups of 8 or more. Tours run most Saturdays and Sundays, starting at 11am. 24 Hour Reservation Required.
Happy hour 7 days a week! Come on by and enjoy one of our Peirano's specialty house drinks and something off of Chef Grenner's amazing Happy Hour menu!
Monday - Friday 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm Saturday - Sunday 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Enjoy hands-on activities. Arts and Crafts Projects for the Whole Family
Photo Caption: Cousins Robbie Gutierrez (left) and Jaime Diaz (right) enjoying an art project at Family Time, a free event held at the Ventura County Museum of History & Art on the third Sunday of the month.


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1. This draft is for 5 players.
2. Hector, Marcus, Merlinus, Ninian/Nils, and Athos are free for all to use.
3. Bartre and Karla are drafted as a pair.
4. Geitz and Wallace will remain undrafted.
5. Marcus is banned after Chapter 16.
6. The game will be played on Hector Normal Mode only.
1. Undrafted units may recruit characters, rescue undrafted units and NPCs, trade, visit Shops and Armories, and dig up items in the desert.
2. Undrafted units may not do anything not listed above, including but not limited to meatshielding, building Supports, opening Doors or Chests, talking to Fargus in Chapter 17x, or Seizing Castles in Chapter 25.
3. All Gaiden Chapters except 19xx, 23x and 28x are required to be visited. 23x and 28x may be visited at the player's discretion, and don't count towards the total turncount up to 20 turns taken per chapter.
4. Other units may do as they please without penalty.
5. Defend chapters count the last played Player Phase for turns if the timer is waited out.
1. Undrafted units have a 4 turn penalty, per unit per chapter.
1. Matthew is free for Chapter 11.
2. Meatshielding is allowed for Chapter 13x.
3. Lyn, Kent, Sain and Wil are free for Chapter 16.
4. Undrafted Thieves may be used to obtain necessary Promotion items and open Doors or Chests.
Unit picking:
1. After four more people apply, I will randomly generate an order.
2. Player #1 will choose one unit for Player #2. Player #2 for Player #3. Player #3 for Player #4. Player #4 for Player #5. And Player #5 for Player #1.
3. The order of picking will be 1 2 3 4 5 5 4 3 2 1, just like in a regular draft.
Participants (order randomly chosen):
1. Refa
2. Blues003
3. PeppyHare4000
4. The Spanish Inquisition
5. Serious Sam
Refa's team, chosen by Serious Sam: Nino, Rebecca, Vaida, Rath, Isadoora, Erk, Florina
Blues003's team, chosen by Refa: Renault, Canas, Bartre/Karla, Hawkeye, Serra, Lucius, Kent
PeppyHare4000's team, chosen by Blues003: Karel, Lyn, Guy, Raven, Dart, Lowen, Pent
The Spanish Inquisition's team, chosen by PeppyHare4000: Legault, Jaffar, Eliwood, Mathew, Heath, Priscilla, Fiora
Serious Sam's team, chosen by The Spanish Inquisition: Wil, Louise, Harken, Dorcas, Farina, Oswin, Sain
Members left to pick:
Edited by Blues003, 04 March 2012 - 03:22 PM.


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Deportivo de La Coruña are one of the more successful Spanish football teams in La Liga history and have always played great football.
Coach Miguel Ángel Lotina will be looking for improvement on last years disappointing finish in the league. Catch Deportivo in action, get your tickets now!
Malaga CF
Malaga, Spain
Málaga - Deportivo La Coruña
Mon 28 Apr 2014
Estadio La Rosaleda
Tickets from £68.50
We guarantee that you'll get the tickets you ordered in time for the event or we'll refund your money.
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Visit Eden this Christmas to meet Father Christmas and his reindeer - a magical experience that kids will love and remember forever!
Follow the Father Christmas trail before meeting the great man himself for a fireside tale, and take home a piece of Christmas magic! Greet the elves and meet real reindeer.
Lantern processions, Christmas trails, live music and delicious festive food and drink.
Seeing Father Christmas is included in admission, but it's a busy time for him so please book in advance online or by calling 01726 811972. Ice skating can also be booked in advance - £6 per session.
Only those who have booked a place will be guaranteed a session with Father Christmas.
Father Christmas
Traditional yuletide performer, with a seemingly bottomless bag of fun and magic, adored by children and adults alike. Alas, his visits to these shores come but annually, but each year his performances are met with a heady mix of anticipation and excitement, celebration and commercialism. And like all the greats, he is often referred to by a single name: Santa. Unlikely to disappoint.
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1. | toad | ||
A derogatory term for the african american, often used in prison. That toad jacked my socks!
toad images | |||
2. | Toad | ||
(N.) The guardian/assistant of Peach Toadstool, the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. About 2'6", and 50 lbs. He's a member of his race called the "Toads," who are elfish-like people with Mushroom heads ( or maybe they're hats. I dunno. )
His name is kind of like how "Guy" or "Man" is a name to us, even though it's what we are. His age is very indetermined, much like Santa's Elves. He could be anywhere between 8 and 38. On the old TV series in the early 90's, he was at least old enough to drive, but in the new "Anime-Style" video games, he's very young, like around age 6, as his voice is very high-pitched. Toad belongs to a race named the Toads. He can be played in Super Mario Kart 64.
3. | toad | ||
1. What Lando forbids.
2. A new drug craze, "toad" is slang for the Colombian spotted toad. When licked, the toads give a euphoria that's . . . that's just great. Side effects include chills all through your body, and loss of control of your bladder and your sphincter (that's your butthole). There'll be blood gushing from you, every time that you cough. And forget getting lucky: "it" falls off. Your whole life will hit the skids, and your kids will be born without eyelids. Other slang for using toad includes "Lilypadding," "Frenching the prince," and "Doing Kermit" "Mr. Toad, how many licks does it take of you to end up in the center of a Rhode Island State Prison?"
4. | Toad | ||
A Toad is a warty frog-like animal, you assclown
5. | toad | ||
1. a suffix added to any word rhyming with it. the addition of the suffix transforms the word into a clause answering the question that prompted the utterance of the word to begin with. usage notes: (a) the preceding word alters its spelling to resemble that of the suffix (i.e., "oa"). (b) some circles of linguists argue that the resulting clause can take any tense. (c) responsively, toad is used in its second use (see below). (d) the requirement of rhyme can be stretched if the user of "toad" as a suffix is intoxicated, and the general consensus is to only need to rhyme the vowel section of the word. 2. (mf) one's person. 1. "what are you doing?"
"koadtoad." (koadtoad means "i'm programming") "why are your eyes red?" "smoaktoad" (smoaktoad means "i was engaging in the consumption of cannabis") 2. "where is yr toad? it was supposed to get here an hour ago." "sorry to disappoint yr toad but my toad got stuck in traffic" |
6. | toad | ||
general derogatory term used to denote a stupid, foolish, rude, or otherwise undesirable individual. among friends, can also be used affectionately. usually used as a noun, but can also be used as an adjective. i can't believe you said that, you are such a toad.
get out of my way, you huge toad. i'm sorry your parents grounded you, that is so toad. |
7. | Toad | ||
A large woman who walks slowly down the street. The combination of her large size and slow speed make it difficult to pass her on a standard sidewalk. A normally paced walker will easily catch up to the slow and wide walker, but, unfortunately, it will be nearly impossible to pass the slow and wide walker because the sidewalk is too narrow. The normally paced walker will have to stop to give the slow and wide walker space between the two walkers. Then the normally paced walker will catch up again, thus repeating the cycle. This repeated stop and catch up and stop action is similar to a toad is hopping slowly down a sidewalk. Charles Wellington IV was late for his important Madison Avenue appointment because he got caught behind a toad off the subway. He could not pass her on the busy street, and the toad had no inclination that there was a man who was walking like a normal person behind her.


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4:30 am, November 19, 2012
THE COMPANY: Osborn, Cleveland
The supplier of surface treatment products and high-quality finishing tools got its start in 1887 when John J. Osborn launched a business that made horse and butcher block brushes as well as street cleaning brooms.
Today, Osborn has more than 10,000 standard finishing products and more than 100,000 customized products for customers in about 120 countries.Osborn's product lines include metal finishing products, maintenance tools and Load Runners rollers. The company serves customers in markets including metals processing, manufacturing, pipeline and energy, welding, construction and maintenance.Throughout its history, Osborn has maintained headquarters in Cleveland while adding locations in 15 countries to better serve its global customers.In celebration of its 125th anniversary, Osborn has published the company's history in a coffee table book. The book "captures a valuable piece of brush making history and takes the reader from the company's beginning to present day," Osborn says.For information, visit www.Osborn.com.
Reader Comments
Readers are solely responsible for the content of the comments they post here. Comments are subject to the site's terms and conditions of use and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of Crain's Cleveland Business. Readers whose comments violate the terms of use may have their comments removed or all of their content blocked from viewing by other users without notification. Comments may be used in the print edition at editorial discretion.


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Chris Fortin is a Zen priest, a teacher in the Everyday Zen sangha, and a MFT psychotherapist and Spiritual Counselor.
Marc Lesser, is the CEO and a co-founder of Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI), a company dedicated to promoting world peace through transforming organizational culture and supporting the development of enlightened leaders worldwide. The core program, developed at Google, offers training in mindfulness-based emotional intelligence grounded in science.


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I love it when a coder can create a race in moments, yet can't find a memory leak we've had for five years.
"What I love is when your coder, who's never been a builder before, decides to create an area. He/she wants to create a maze area with 250 rooms...and only 10 rooms is going to actually have it's own description. I'm sorry, me head builder. You coder. You follow builder rules. Give me 250 destinct room descsriptions....Not 10."
That's a tall order.. I would strive for the best in their field in all my staff, if I were to run a mud.
I still don't see why you can't do this creatively. If you can achieve a decent level of interactivity in your rooms and areas, the mud 'feels' bigger regardless of actual size. I understand we all have our own ideas on building but I feel like it can be a waste of time and resources to build an area with no purpose other than 'it makes the mud seem larger' or 'well, we needed this wilderness thing'. *Besides, most players read the room description once if you're lucky.*Well, maybe if all the rooms were interactive and had unique descriptions (or dynamic descriptions that directly influence gameplay) the players would not turn them off. I am not fond of repeat descriptions when I play either.
You are in a massive forest, surrounded by gargantuan trees.
You are in a large forest, surrounded by gargantuan trees.You are on a small pathway in a large forest, surrounded by gargantuan trees.You are standing on a path of moss in a large forest, surrounded by gargantuan trees.You are standing near a patch of moss in ....


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State Police said the crash happened on La. 103 west of La. 13.
According to investigating troopers, 59-year-old Dwain Lafleur of Ville Platte was traveling east on LA 104. A 1998 GMC Propane transport truck driven by 70-year-old Jerry Hebert of Ville Platte, was traveling west on LA 104 approaching Lafleur. For reasons still under investigation, Lafleur crossed the center line and struck Hebert's vehicle head-on.
Lafleur, who was wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Evangeline Parish Coroner. Hebert sustained minor injuries in the crash and was treated at the scene. Routine toxicology samples were obtained from both drivers and have been submitted to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.


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This person is looking for a carpool buddy.. http://stagecoachfestival.com/forum/...ead.php?t=2762
Well .. my gf and I went to the grocery store and boy did we do some damage! Woo hoo!! YES this is my first Stagecoach! I have heard soooo much about it and was even offered a ticket last year but due to my motorsports contracts I have always been preoccupied. This year I planned on attending this event back in November so I cleared my calendar and wrote out exclusions just for this event! I am sooooo pumped! The toyhauler is nice 'n clean, sheets are washed, food has been bought, just need to assemble and make some jello shots!
Now keep 'em nice .. Don't want melted chocolate ..haha .. Seriously, that's sooooooooo RAD of you! After going to her website I figured I could just order them but they'll be much better this way! I am off to the grocery store! Remember, the offer was FOOOOOOOD! Thanks again!!
Well the way you guys set up it looks like a couples thing!~ bwahahahaha
That works too!~ Who is this by the way? Are you Brad or are you Jory? haha.. Who am I making deals with? You can both come by (obviously) for food...
Now I am even more exciteddd! I will be camping too but in EDII! I will drop the toyhauler off Thursday and return Friday afternoon!~ You guys are more than welcome to come by to get a plate of food! I will PM ya my number!
Ahhh lalalalaluckyyyyy!~ Seriously! I have had one of those uhh what do they call 'em? CRAVINGS for 'em for like 2 years now!~ haha... Are you guys camping?
Sweet Creations chocolate truffles... the cayenne pepper ones........ think you could swing it? http://www.sweetcreationsbycindy.com I will pay you back of course.
Sooo I kinda notice you are from the Lompoc area......... I happen to have a FAVE choco/truffle shop up there.............. Wanna do a lady a favor?
Senior Member


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Country Momma Cooks makes her own Bulk Mixes. Check out her recipe for Fudge Brownie Mix.
The Crafty Blog Stalker made the cutest name banners during what looks like a wonderful crafty night with the girls.
My Favorite Finds made these adorable ribbon centerpieces. They would be so cute on so many occasions!
Repeat Crafter Me made these crocheted coin purses. I LOVE all the colors.
Laura's Bits n Bobs made this fantastic shirt from a baggy ill fitted t-shirt. She gives detailed steps so you can make your own.
GREAT JOB ladies! Go ahead and grab yourself a Featured Button! Face Book Features, make sure you get a button too. If you didn't get featured here head over to Terry's to see if she featured you.
This is a shared link party so if you link it up here it will show up on the fabulous Terry's blog These Peas Taste Funny. We want to see everything you have to link up! Old projects, new posts, giveaways, Etsy shops, recipes, crocheting, any and everything. If you have more than one thing to link up, even better. Here are our very simple rules.
If you would like an e-mail reminder about the party let us know in the comments. Make sure you leave your e-mail address with your comment. We will happily add you to the list.
Grab a button if you need one.
Party On!!
Click on read more, to see the links and add your own.


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Course Catalog
Art 8
Course Code: AVMSART8 |
Provider: Aventa Learning Note:
This course has additional technical requirements. See below for details. |
Subject: Arts |
Grade: 6, 7, 8 |
Credits: 0.0 (High School) | Level: Standard |
Course Features: | - NCAA: The online provider has applied for NCAA approval. Use the NCAA code below and check the DLD NCAA Eligibility page for information on the status of the provider's courses. NCAA High School Code: 030618 NCAA Eligibility Information |
Terms Available: |
Completion Time: | Approximately 90 instructional hours per semester |
Course Cost: | $284.00 |
Materials Cost: | None |
Total Cost: | $284 |
Special Notes
State Course Code
Technology Requirements
The school or student is responsible for providing:
General Workstation/Laptop Requirements:
We strive to minimize the technical requirements for our courses. Our multimedia is almost exclusively flash-based to minimize the need for plug-ins. Other requirements include:
- Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) is recommended for stability, but both the ESR and final release channel are supported (both Mac and Windows)
- Internet Explorer 8 or 9 (Windows) (Must not be in compatibility mode)
- Safari 4 or higher (Mac OSX)
- Google Chrome stable channel (both Mac and Windows)
- Popup Blocking Disabled
- Windows XP, Vista, and 7
- Macintosh OS X 10.5, 10.6, and 10.7
- 512MB or higher
- 1024 X 576 or higher
- Soundcard and Speakers/Headphones
- Microphone required for certain courses
- Sun Java 6 (Blackboard 9.1 does not work properly with Java 7)
- Flash Player Version 10 or higher
- QuickTime Version 7 or higher
- Real Player required for certain courses
- Jaws 11 or higher (for accessibility)
Third Party Applications:
- Google Earth 6.0
Network Requirements
The school or student is responsible for providing:
Aventa will provide a complete list of external sites that require access upon request to individual districts/schools.
Special Technology Requirements
These are course-specific requirements that go above and beyond the Provider Baseline Technical Requirements.
The school or student is responsible for providing:
Materials to be ordered via the DLD
The DLD Registrar may order the following materials via the DLD upon registering the student:
No additional materials required for this course.
Standards Alignments
Syllabus / Outline
• Orientation: Introduction to art appreciation, getting started, timeline of the modern world
• Resources: Art journals, art associations, careers in art, online resources
• India, China, and Japan – ukiyo-e, city planning, modern architecture
• Europe: Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Anselm Kiefer, Guggenheim Bilbao
• The United States: Picasso, Frank Lloyd Wright, Andy Warhol, Romare Bearden, Duane Hanson, Cindy Sherman
• The Americas: Mexican muralists, Native American jewelry and textiles
• Africa and the Pacific Cultures: Art of Burkino Faso, Nankani compound, African furniture, Maori meetinghouse, sand painting
• Other Art Forms: Advertising and graphic design, crafts, film and television
• Writing About Art: Art historians and critics, critical analysis


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Environmentalists challenge toll road ruling
By Mecklenburg Times staff reports
Published: November 5,2011
The Southern Environmental Law Center is challenging a ruling that paves the way for the more than $700 million Monroe Bypass project to move forward. On Monday, the SELC filed an appeal in federal court after U.S. District Court Judge James Dever III said an environmental-impact study was done properly. The appeal was filed on behalf of Clean [...]