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Hasbro SDCC Exclusives Giveaway: So Much More Than Meets the Eye
Comic-Con is about so many things for so many people. For movie fans, it's about the never-before-seen footage rocking Hall H. For cosplayers, it's one of the few places in the world people out of costume are the outsiders. And for collectors, it's all about the limited-edition geek swag lining the exhibition floor. Now, thanks to Hasbro and Yahoo Movies, you won't have to brave the mega lines to claim your own SDCC exclusive…because we're giving them away!
This year at Comic-Con, Hasbro is going big (and mini) in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Transformers by offering three totally awesome collectibles. One lucky Yahoo Movies Twitter follower will win one of each of the following Hasbro SDCC exclusives:
-Transformers 30th Anniversary Tour Edition Action Figure Collection (shown above): Featuring Optimus Prime, Megatron, Smooth Jazz, and Soundwave as glam rockers in the Knights of Unicron, the universe's most totally awesome hair band. Also joining the band are Laserbreak, who transforms into a face-melting guitar and Ratbat, who converts into a keytar. Yes, a keytar. ($184.99)
-KRE-O Transformers Class of 1984 30-Pack: Including Optimus Prime, Soundwave, Ultra Magnus, Decepticon Rumble, and some bodacious '80s accessories like a floppy disk, boom-box, and even a KREON mullet. ($59.99)
-Transformers Dinobots Action Figure Collection: The Autobots' saviors from Transformers: Age of Extinction, including Grimlock, Snarl, and Strafe, come complete with the steel and gold look that brought them fame and glory back in 1985. ($159.99)
Here's how to enter:
Step 1: Follow @yahoomovies on Twitter
Step 2: Tweet this message:
More than meets the eye! I want to win #Transformers #SDCC exclusives from @HasbroNews and @yahoomovies: http://yhoo.it/RollOut #YGiveaway
Note: One entry per person/email address/Twitter handle.
Step 3: The giveaway ends 11:59 p.m. PT on August 2, 2014. Winners will be notified on Twitter and will receive a Direct Message with further information. Keep in mind, this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.
[Related: Batman Crazy: 75th Anniversary and Comic-Con Exclusive Giveaway]
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3. Conduct: By entering the Promotion, entrants agree to comply with and be bound by these Official Rules. The Official Rules will be posted at http://movies.yahoo.com/blog throughout the Promotion. Failure to comply with these Official Rules may result in disqualification from the Promotion. Entrants further agree to comply with and be bound by the decisions of the judges, which will be final and binding in all respects. Yahoo! reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be: (a) tampering or attempting to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Promotion or any Yahoo! or Promotion-related website; (b) violating the Official Rules; (c) violating the terms of service, conditions of use and/or general rules or guidelines of any Yahoo! or Promotion related property or service; or (d) acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE PROMOTION MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS. SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, YAHOO! RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
4. Prizes: Grand Prize: One (1) grand prize winner will receive one of each of the following prizes: KRE-O Transformers Class of 1984 30-Pack ($59.99), Transformers 30th Anniversary Tour Edition Action Figure Collection ($184.99), Transformers Dinobots Action Figure Collection ($159.99)Approximate retail value of prize pack: $190. The following applies to all Prizes: Approximate retail value of all prizes: $460. Limit one prize per winner. Prizes cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion or offer. Prizes may not be transferred or assigned except by Sponsor. Only listed prizes will be awarded and no substitutions, cash equivalents or redemptions will be made, except that Sponsor reserves the right to substitute any prize package with another prize of equal or greater value in the event that an advertised prize (or any component thereof) is not available. Expenses not specifically stated above, together with the reporting and payment of all applicable taxes, fees, and/or surcharges, if any, arising out of, or resulting from, acceptance or use of a prize, are the sole responsibility of the winner of that prize. Yahoo! expressly disclaims any responsibility or liability for injury or loss to any person or property relating to the delivery and/or subsequent use of the prizes awarded. Yahoo! makes no representations or warranties concerning the appearance, safety, or performance of any prize awarded. Restrictions, conditions, and limitations apply. Promotion Entities will not replace any lost or stolen prize items.
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10. Sponsor: Yahoo! Inc., 701 First Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089. Twitter, Inc. is not a sponsor of this Sweepstakes.
Photo Credits: Hasbro


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As you all know from an earlier post that I made, I am a recently converted Anabaptist. I still do not have a church yet, but I am searching. For now, I see myself as an Anabaptist seeker or an "Anarcho-Anabaptist". Despite my lack of a specific Anabaptist tradition, there is still the larger tradition of Anabaptism that I most certainly identify with. Of course, there is a lot of diversity within that tradition — liberals, conservatives, radicals, and even fundamentalists. All of the branches of Christianity seem to be also present in Anabaptist Christianity. Even with all these different shades of interpretation, there are some common principles that make one an Anabaptist.
Two examples of Anabaptist principles were shared by Kurt Willems for Patheos, and I wanted to share them here as well. I think that these two lists make a perfect summary of Anabaptist Christianity, and can help those who find this site understand our stance. In fact, there was recently a comment on this site that said the Young Anabaptist Radicals was "anti-Anabaptist". It was a very strange comment, and seemed to limit Anabaptism to a very small category of beliefs. So, sharing these principles may help people understand just how broad the tradition we claim is, while also giving them an introduction to it.
Core Convictions of the Anabaptist Network
1. Jesus is our example, teacher, friend, redeemer and Lord. He is the source of our life, the central reference point for our faith and lifestyle, for our understanding of church and our engagement with society. We are committed to following Jesus as well as worshipping him.
2. Jesus is the focal point of God's revelation. We are committed to a Jesus-centred approach to the Bible, and to the community of faith as the primary context in which we read the Bible and discern and apply its implications for discipleship.
3. Western culture is slowly emerging from the Christendom era when church and state jointly presided over a society in which almost all were assumed to be Christian. Whatever its positive contributions on values and institutions, Christendom seriously distorted the gospel, marginalised Jesus, and has left the churches ill-equipped for mission in a post-Christendom culture. As we reflect on this, we are committed to learning from the experience and perspectives of movements such as Anabaptism that rejected standard Christendom assumptions and pursued alternative ways of thinking and behaving.
4. The frequent association of the church with status, wealth and force is inappropriate for followers of Jesus and damages our witness. We are committed to exploring ways of being good news to the poor, powerless and persecuted, aware that such discipleship may attract opposition, resulting in suffering and sometimes ultimately martyrdom.
5. Churches are called to be committed communities of discipleship and mission, places of friendship, mutual accountability and multi-voiced worship. As we eat together, sharing bread and wine, we sustain hope as we seek God's kingdom together. We are committed to nurturing and developing such churches, in which young and old are valued, leadership is consultative, roles are related to gifts rather than gender and baptism is for believers.
6. Spirituality and economics are inter-connected. In an individualist and consumerist culture and in a world where economic injustice is rife, we are committed to finding ways of living simply, sharing generously, caring for creation, and working for justice.
7. Peace is at the heart of the gospel. As followers of Jesus in a divided and violent world, we are committed to finding non-violent alternatives and to learning how to make peace between individuals, within and among churches, in society, and between nations.
1. A high view of the Bible.
While not worshipping the Bible itself, for that would be bibliolatry, Anabaptists accept "the Scriptures as the authoritative Word of God, and through the Holy Spirit…the infallible guide to lead men to faith in Christ and to guide them in the life of Christian discipleship." Anabaptists insist that Christians must always be guided by the Word, which is to be collectively discerned, and by the Spirit.2. Emphasis on the New Testament.
Since Christ is God's supreme revelation, Anabaptists make a clear functional distinction between the equally inspired Old and New Testaments. We see an old and a new covenant. We read the Old from the perspective of the New and see the New as the fulfillment of the Old. Where the two differ, the New prevails, and thus Anabaptist ethics are derived primarily from the New Testament.3. Emphasis on Jesus as central to all else.
Anabaptists derive their Christology directly from the Word and emphasize a deep commitment to take Jesus seriously in all of life. Such a view runs counter to notions that the commands of Jesus are too difficult for ordinary believers or that Jesus' significance lies almost entirely in providing heavenly salvation. Rather, salvation of the soul is part of a larger transformation.4. The necessity of a believers' church.
Anabaptists believe that Christian conversion, while not necessarily sudden and traumatic, always involves a conscious decision. "Unless a person is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Believing that an infant can have no conscious, intelligent faith in Christ, Anabaptists baptize only those who have come to a personal, living faith. Voluntary baptism, together with a commitment to walk in the full newness of life and to strive for purity in the church, constitutes the basis of church membership.5. The importance of discipleship.
Becoming a Christian involves not only belief in Christ but also discipleship. Faith is expressed in holy living. In Christ, salvation and ethics come together. Not only are we to be saved through Christ, but we are also to follow him daily in obedient living. Thus, for example, Anabaptists from the beginning renounced the oath. They determined to speak truth. "For them there could be no gradations of truth-telling." Anabaptists continue to teach that salvation makes us followers of Jesus Christ and that he is the model for the way we are to live.6. Insistence on a church without classes or divisions.
The church, the body of Christ, has only one head. While acknowledging functional diversity, Anabaptist believers set aside all racial, ethnic, class and sex distinctions because these are subsumed in the unity and equality of the body.7. Belief in the church as a covenant community.
Corporate worship, mutual aid, fellowship and mutual accountability characterize this community. An individualistic or self centered Anabaptism is a contradiction in terms.8. Separation from the world.
The community of the transformed belongs to the kingdom of God. It functions in the world but is radically separate from the world. The faithful pilgrim church sees the sinful world as an alien environment with thoroughly different ethics and goals. This principle includes separation of church and state. Therefore, Anabaptists reject all forms of civil religion, be it the traditional corpus Christianum or more recently developed forms of Christian nationalism.9. The church as a visible counterculture.
As a united fellowship of believers every Anabaptist congregation models an alternate community. Such a covenant community functions as an authentic counterculture.10. Belief that the gospel includes a commitment to the way of peace modelled by the Prince of Peace.
Here Anabaptists differ from many other Christians. Anabaptists believe that the peace position is not optional, not marginal, and not related mainly to the military. On the basis of Scripture, Anabaptists renounce violence in human relationships. We see peace and reconciliation — the way of love — as being at the heart of the Christian gospel. God gave his followers this ethic not as a point to ponder, but as a command to obey. It was costly for Jesus and it may also be costly for his followers. The way of peace is a way of life.11. Commitment to servanthood.
Just as Christ came to be a servant to all, so Christians should also serve one another and others in the name of Christ. Thus, separation from a sinful world is balanced by a witness of practical assistance to a needy and hurting society.12. Insistence on the church as a missionary church.
Anabaptists believe that Christ has commissioned the church to go into all the world and all of society and to make disciples of all people, baptizing them and teaching them to observe his commandments. The evangelistic imperative is given to all believers. These principles constitute the essence of Anabaptism. While each emphasis can be found elsewhere, the combination of all twelve constitutes the uniqueness of Anabaptism.The Protestant Reformation had not gone far enough. The early Anabaptists, while diverse and far from perfect, committed themselves to nothing less than the restoration of the New Testament church. We, their heirs, have the privilege of reemphasizing these twelve principles, in word and deed, here and now.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Napatree Bikes Place Category: Attractions Map Phone Reviews Website No Records FoundSorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again. Google Map Not LoadedSorry, unable to load Google Maps API. Driving Walking Bicycling Public Transport Miles Kilometers 401-348-6317 Leave a Review Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment. < Click here for website >


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Driven: Delaunay-Belleville Type O6
Sometimes, you have to get to know a person before you appreciate their – well, at the risk of sounding too Californian about it – their inner beauty. It's the same with cars. I don't think anyone could put hand on heart and say this Delaunay-Belleville is an elegant car. Impressive, yes; distinctive, certainly. But with its functional, flat mudguards and disc wheels that are doubled-up at the back to support its considerable avoirdupois, it might less charitably be described as a better-than-average looking camion. Spend a little time with the Delaunay, however – and preferably drive it – and then you might find yourself starting to fall for its attractions. Particularly when you hear its remarkable, romantic story.
The name Delaunay-Belleville doesn't mean a lot to the British these days, but the situation was very different in the late 19th century. The Belleville company, as it was then, made steam engines and boilers, big boilers, and they supplied some of the leading navies of the world. And, of course, the navy that led them all was the British Navy. Belleville boilers went into Dreadnoughts and even into the Royal Yacht Victoria & Albert.
Ironically, in view of events a decade later, the early 1900s were relatively peaceful and the company decided it needed to diversify. More accurately, its managing director, Louis Delaunay-Belleville, decided it should. Monsieur Delaunay-Belleville had been plain Louis Delaunay until he joined the company and married the boss's daughter, after which he changed his name and that of the business. In 1903, La Société des Automobiles Delaunay-Belleville was founded, and a range of cars appeared late the following year.
All that experience with steam engines – and a canny move
by Mr D-B, who engaged the services of experienced motor engineer Marius Barbarou, formerly of Clément and then Benz – paid off, because even the earliest D-B cars were soundly engineered and featured pressure lubrication, a feature of the company's steam engines but virtually unknown in the world of motor cars. The first Delaunay-Bellevilles were big, four-cylinder luxury machines, with 16, 24 and 40hp engines, and they found a ready market among the rich. Czar Nicholas II of Russia, one of the earliest petrolheads, was a patron, and as the historian David Burgess-Wise puts it, his fleet of Delaunays '…was serviced on the marble workbenches of the grandiose Imperial personal garages at Tsarskoe Selo and Peterhof'.
It was, of course, a similar story in Delaunay's native France. With its eight-litre, six-cylinder engine, the 1913 Model O6 pictured here was the French equivalent of a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, and the size of a small charabanc – count the people in the black-and-white photo on the previous page; there are eight, plus the mechanic. Its first owner is unknown but in about 1917 it was bought by a Mr de Brou de Lauriére, whose family had invested money in the nascent Michelin business and become very rich as a result.
It's been in the de Lauriére family ever since.
Monsieur de Lauriére gave the car to his young nephew, Pierre, who is behind the wheel in the old photo. The de Lauriére family had almost as many cars as they did houses, but even though the Delaunay was quite old-fashioned by the early 1920s, it was a favourite of Pierre's and often chosen for long trips in preference to the 40hp Renault, the Panhard-Levassor, Clement-Bayard and Chenard-Walcker with which it shared garage space.
We know this because of a chatty article that appeared in a 1929 bulletin of the Automobile Club du Périgord, the region slightly more than halfway down France where the de Lauriére family had its estate. Pierre de Lauriére drove out to meet members of the Club, who were on a touring holiday, in his 'extraordinary, ancient, glorious and powerful Delaunay'. 'I haven't yet told you about Pierre de Lauriére's Delaunay?' exclaims the Club's reporter in mock surprise. 'Allow me to introduce it…'
We learn that when it was less than a year old, it was used to transport the then-President of France, Raymond Poincaré, across the Périgord, but by the time of writing in 1929 it had become a little cranky and was often hard to start, requiring passengers and passers-by to help push it: 'That certainly got the blood circulating, but this hygienic exercise, when it had to be repeated often in summer, wasn't without its drawbacks…' The Delaunay's outing to meet the Club members was probably one of the last duties it performed before WW2, when, along with all the other cars in the de Lauriére stable, it was laid up.
For rather longer than just the duration of the war, in fact. All the cars previously mentioned, plus a few later additions, such as a Bugatti Type 44, had their wheels removed to prevent the cars being stolen by Nazi soldiers. And they remained that way until the garage was reopened – in 1984.
Bugatti specialist Francis Courteix was given the job of recommissioning the cars for Pierre de Lauriére's son, Patrick. 'The family owned lots of properties in the area,' he says, 'and we found the wheels hidden behind a false wall in a house 5km from the garage. We had to break the wall down to get them out.'
The dry and well-ventilated conditions of the garage had done a good job of preserving the Delaunay, and while Francis stripped the engine as a precaution, he found absolutely no wear in the cylinders. The leather was in good condition, and the hood intact – but it was decayed and fragile, and on its first outing in wet weather it leaked like a sieve, so the owner decided to replace it. He also asked Francis to give the body a fresh coat of paint, because he wanted to use the Delaunay on classic car rallies and was worried about it rusting. Most of us (including Francis) would have preferred just to give the original paint a good waxing, but c'est la vie…
Paint, hood and tyres aside, the car has needed very little doing to it since it was rediscovered in 1984, although Francis has added an electric starter – turning the 8.0-litre engine, even when decompressed, is not for the faint-hearted. He is particularly proud of the Delaunay carburettor, a very rare item because it drinks fuel and was usually swapped by later owners of Delaunays for more frugal alternatives.
Activating that electric starter prompts the Delaunay into life with no hesitation, its six-cylinder motor idling with a throaty burble. You sit comfortably in a leather bucket chair, with a chunky steering wheel in front of you – while the car isn't at all Ghost-like in detail, it has that same unstoppable locomotive kind of presence. You can tell this car was built for serious motoring.
Drag the gearlever back into first – the four-speed gearbox has a slightly unusual shift pattern: second is where first normally is, and vice versa, with third and fourth in the normal positions, so you have to go 'around the corner' to move between second and third – and it's a pleasant surprise to find that the clutch is quite progressive, although the steering is massively, arm-wrenchingly heavy at parking speeds.
You can never forget the Delaunay's sheer weight (about 2.5 tonnes), but it accelerates purposefully, and the gearchange proves to be refreshingly easy – Francis Courteix says the Delaunay is much easier to drive than the 40hp Renault that has kept it company for most of its life. The steering is precise and slop-free when on the move, which gives you confidence to gun this monstrous car to 50mph and beyond. It feels as though it will run all day at this kind of speed, and you can understand why Pierre de Lauriére preferred it for long journeys.
Like any big car of the period, the Delaunay prefers going to stopping; the brakes work fine, but there aren't any on the front, so you drive with anticipation, just in case… Of more concern are sharp corners, where the weight of the steering can catch you out if you've been bumbling along in a more-or-less straight line for a while. The engine is not quite as whisper-quiet as a Rolls-Royce's but it emits a pleasantly thrummy sound, and there's just a hint of bite to the exhaust note.
With the good ship Delaunay safely back at anchor, there's time to reflect on what a fine machine it really is. Some of the details are entrancing: the two sides of the bonnet, for example, which wrap around the engine like a 19th century Belleville boiler – although it's been suggested the cylindrical shape was actually adopted to duct air efficiently around the engine – meet and are clipped together at the top; release the catches and the sides can be unhinged at the bottom and lifted away from the engine. Then there are the quick-release caps for the radiator and fuel tank: pull a plunger on either cap and it retracts three internal locking prongs. So much less fiddly than laboriously screwing a cap on and off, with the attendant risks of cross-threading.
You'll have gathered that we warmed considerably to the Delaunay over the course of an afternoon. There's an honesty to it that induces you to find its looks characterful rather than challenging, and its rarity and unique provenance are added attractions. Only 55 were built, reputedly, and you can count the survivors on the fingers of one hand. Makes a Ghost look common.
Despite diversifying into commercial vehicles after WW1, the company was dealt a mortal blow by the Depression of the late 1920s, although it persisted in the car business to the very end. Its swansong would be a Mercedes 230 imitator, the RI6, in the late 1930s, which was briefly revived post-war before Delaunay went the way of Talbot-Lago, Delahaye, Delage and all the rest.
The ultimate irony was that the Delaunay factory was taken over by Robert de Rovin in 1948 and used to make microcars. It's hard to think of
a more pointed example of going from the sublime to the ridiculous.
1913 Delaunay-Belleville Type O6
Engine 7999cc six-cylinder cast in two blocks of three, T-head sidevalve, magneto and coil ignition, single Delaunay carburetor, pressure lubrication
Power Rated at 39.8hp
Transmission Four-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Suspension Front: beam axle, semi-elliptic springs. Rear: live axle, semi-elliptic springs anchored at rear to transverse, inverted semi-elliptic
Brakes Rear drums only plus transmission brake
Weight c2700kg
Performance Top speed 70mph (est)
Published Dec 7th, 2015


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The Xume 77mm Lens Adapter and Filter Holder Starter Kit from B&H includes one lens adapter and two filter holders to provide quick and easy attachment and removal of two different filters on one lens.
The Xume Lens Adapter and Filter Holder system revolves around both filters and lens' filter rings receiving precision-machined metal rings and then utilizing NdFeB rare Earth magnets to facilitate a secure, but easy to remove, connection between the filter and lens. By using a magnetized, non-threaded connection, the chance of cross-threading or jamming filters onto the lens is eliminated and time is saved when swapping filters.


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Senate passes bill letting states tax online sales
Published 12:00 pm Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The Senate aimed to help traditional retailers and financially strapped state and local governments Monday by passing a bill that would widely subject online shopping — for many a largely tax-free frontier — to state sales taxes.
The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 69 to 27, getting support from Republicans and Democrats alike. But opposition from some conservatives who view it as a tax increase will make it a tougher sell in the House. President Barack Obama has conveyed his support for the measure.
Under current law, states can only require retailers to collect sales taxes if the store has a physical presence in the state.
That means big retailers with stores all over the country like Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Target collect sales taxes when they sell goods over the Internet. But online retailers like eBay and Amazon don't have to collect sales taxes, except in states where they have offices or distribution centers.
As a result, many online sales are tax-free, giving Internet retailers an advantage over brick-and-mortar stores.
"We ought to have a structure in place in the states that treats all retail the same," said Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation. "Small retailers are collecting (sales tax) on the first dollar of any sale they make, and it's only fair that other retailers who are selling to those same customers the same product have those same obligations."
The bill would empower states to require businesses to collect taxes for products they sell on the Internet, in catalogs and through radio and TV ads. Under the legislation, the sales taxes would be sent to the state where the shopper lives.
Supporters say the current tax disparity is turning some traditional stores into showrooms, where shoppers pick out items they like, then buy them on the Internet to avoid sales taxes.
"It's about the way commerce has changed in America," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. "Bookstores, stores that sell running shoes, bicycles and appliances are at a distinct disadvantage. They've become showrooms."
Internet giant eBay is leading the fight against the bill, along with lawmakers from states with no sales tax and several prominent anti-tax groups. The bill's opponents say it would put an expensive obligation on small businesses because they are not as equipped as national merchandisers to collect and remit sales taxes at the multitude of state rates.
"Giant retailers have a requirement to collect sales taxes nationwide because they have physical presence nationwide," eBay president John Donahoe wrote in an online column over the weekend. "Likewise, today small retail stores and online retailers collect sales taxes for the one state where they are located. That's a fair requirement."
"If the bill passes, small online businesses would have the same tax compliance obligations and face the same enforcement risks as giant retailers, despite the fact that they are usually located in just one state."
Businesses with less than $1 million in online sales would be exempt. EBay wants to exempt businesses with up to $10 million in sales or fewer than 50 employees.
Some states have sales taxes as high as 7 percent, plus city and county taxes that can push the combined rate even higher. For example, the combined state and local sales tax is 9 percent in Los Angeles and 9.25 percent in Chicago. In New York City, it's 8.5 percent and in Richmond, Va., 5 percent. In many states, shoppers are already required to pay unpaid sales tax when they file their state income tax returns. However, states complain that few taxpayers comply.
Many governors — Republicans and Democrats — have been lobbying the federal government for years for the authority to collect sales taxes from online sales.
The issue is getting bigger for states as more people make purchases online. Last year, Internet sales in the U.S. totaled $226 billion, up nearly 16 percent from the previous year, according to government estimates.
States lost a total of $23 billion last year because they couldn't collect taxes on out-of-state sales, according to a study done for the National Conference of State Legislatures, which has lobbied for the bill. About half of that was lost from Internet sales; half from purchases made through catalogs, mail orders and telephone orders, the study said.
Supporters say the bill makes it relatively easy for Internet retailers to comply. States must provide free computer software to help retailers calculate sales taxes, based on where shoppers live. States must also establish a single entity to receive Internet sales tax revenue, so retailers don't have to send it to individual counties or cities.
Opponents worry the bill would give states too much power to reach across state lines to enforce their tax laws. States could audit out-of-state businesses, impose liens on their property and, ultimately, sue them in state court.
In the Senate, lawmakers from three states without sales taxes are leading the opposition: Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon. They argue that businesses based in their states should not have to collect taxes for other states.
Delaware also has sales tax, though Delaware's two senators support the bill.
Grover Norquist, an anti-tax advocate, and the conservative Heritage Foundation oppose the bill, and many Republicans have been wary of crossing them.
Even so, the issue has a bipartisan flavor. The main sponsor, Sen. Mike Enzi, is a conservative Republican from Wyoming. He has worked closely with Durbin, a liberal Democrat.
In the House, Republican Speaker John Boehner has not commented publicly about the bill, giving supporters hope that he could be won over.
Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which would have jurisdiction over the bill, has cited problems with the legislation but not rejected it outright.
"While it attempts to make tax collection simpler, it still has a long way to go," Goodlatte said in a statement. Without more uniformity in the bill, he said, "businesses would still be forced to wade through potentially hundreds of tax rates and a host of different tax codes and definitions."
Goodlatte said he's "open to considering legislation concerning this topic but these issues, along with others, would certainly have to be addressed."


text:
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Texas' decision to reject Medicaid expansion quickens trend toward using justice system as mental health substitute
Obviously this means the Texas prison system won't be taking advantage of possible state-budget savings from pawning off prisoner hospital costs on the feds. But the more I consider it, the implications for the justice system from this ill-considered political stance are profound and much more far reaching, particularly as it regards the use of jails and prisons as a substitute for funding a more robust community-based mental health system.
At Monday's House County Affairs hearing, Chairman Garnet Coleman noted the irony in response to testimony by witnesses regarding the effectiveness of Veterans Courts, which are essentially mental-health courts aimed at current and former military members. Citing the example of a mentally ill veteran coming back from Afghanistan who, as a civilian, earned less than 133% of the poverty rate, Coleman noted such a person could essentially gain access to mental health services only by committing a crime. (The Department of Veterans Affairs provides some services, he noted, but nothing like those needed for someone with a chronic, serious mental illness.) By rejecting Medicaid funds, said Coleman, the state would strip away options for indigent veterans and everybody else below the 133% threshold to access treatment services outside the justice system.
His comments got me thinking: The biggest implication for the criminal justice system from rejecting Medicaid funds really stems from the missed opportunity to attract billions (with a "b") in new funding for mental health services that would be delivered outside the criminal justice system.
This would be huge. When discussing the problems posed by the criminalization of mental illness, there's bipartisan acknowledgement that the justice system isn't the best vehicle for providing mental health services. But it's all we've got for now, the fatalists lament, and if one wants to suggest expanding community-based mental-health services, the first response is always "show me the money." Heck, last session legislators even cut mental-health budgets in prison, much less community-based services. With the opportunity to expand Medicaid services on the table - and the feds paying for ALL of it for the first several years, 90% after 2019 - the money to pay for indigent mental services is now officially available. State leaders only need say "yes."
Without such an influx of community-based mental health funds, indigent mental-health care costs will continue to plague county jails and local emergency rooms. Other testimony at Monday's House County Affairs hearing mentioned that, while the overall Bexar County jail populations is declining (as is happening to various degrees across the state), demand for mental-health beds is the one category that continues to increase, straining capacity. And their experience is a microcosm of what's happening statewide.
The reasons are obvious. Texas has under-invested in mental-health care to the point that the state faces a court order declaring long wait times for forensic hospital beds unconstitutional. Mentally ill inmates in jails cost much more than the per-inmate average and pose unique procedural challenges resulting from the justice system's inability to constructively deal with them. The decision to reject billions in community-based mental health funds for the indigent only exacerbates the problem.
35 comments:
Assume the Guv and Lt. Dave were to just say "yes." What entities in the private sector would benefit, in addition to the recipients of mental health services? And by how many dollars a year would they benefit? In other words, maybe Perry and Dewhurst just haven't been given the proper/most effective incentives to say yes.
- Alyssa said...
Mental health has a habit of being tossed to the side. Too many people don't understand the consequences of leaving psychiatric disorders untreated. The problem is that coverage is too out of reach for some, and unless you can find a low cost clinic that offers psychiatric services, it's too expensive to get without insurance.
I have plans to move to Texas in the next year, and it still makes me a little sad that this is what I have to look forward to. - 7/19/2012 03:41:00 PM
- Unknown said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
Texas prisons already house mentally ill offenders some of who are in there minor charges, some I suspect are being housed there because it's better than them being on the street where their family can't protect them so lets say the local law enforcement gets tired of dealing with them they are a nuisance, the family can't make them take their meds or stay in a facility or group home so they are charged with enough charges to get them locked up for a short while to give the family a little respite and the community. It is sad to say but being in prison is sometimes safer than being on the street if your mentally ill.
- Unknown said...
It must be a slow news day. Warehousing the mentally ill in the prison system is old news. That practice has been going on since rocks and water. In my time in the system I have seen my share of patients that were in need of mental health services. However, in the majority of cases those patients did not commit the offense they were incarcerated for secondary to their mental health diagnosis. If the patient's diagnosis can not be connected to the crime by cause and effect is that warehousing? It also should come as no surprise that many inmates develop their need for mental heath care services after being imprisoned. There are many situations when the provider does not know which came first.
Mental Heath Care is an important aspect of the care TDCJ inmates are all entitled to by Federal mandate. There are those that would gut this aspect of the health care severely but, the constant focus on the suicide rate for TDCJ inmates prevents that from happening. Whenever, an inmate commits suicide the investigation by OIG is swift and sure. In fact it is assumed that the care system failed the inmate and is responsible for his death until it can be proved otherwise.
Mental health care is important but, not anymore so than any other aspect of care. Perry and his legislature need to realize that the care of prisoners is not something they can under fund. Sooner of later a case of improper treatment will come before a Federal Judge. When that happens they will not believe what happens next even while it's happening. What will they say to voters then, when correctional heath care costs go up 4 or 5 times what it is now. - 7/19/2012 03:53:00 PM
"There are many situations when the provider does not know which came first."
That's not surprising when you have an inmate with 5 previous psychiatric hospitalizations and nobody bothers to get the records. Getting records of prior treatment might be a good way to figure out which came first. But, that might be too much trouble, I guess. - 7/19/2012 04:52:00 PM
- Unknown said...
Anon 452
What a great suggestion. Do you recomend that the patient have at least 5 hospitalizations to qualify.
At intake when patients are screened for their medical backgrounds it would be ideal to send for any medical history deemed important but, I'm afraid the system is not now nor has it ever been funded for that kind of an expenditure. If you must make sarcastic suggestions try to keep them based in reality. - 7/19/2012 05:08:00 PM
- Gritsforbreakfast said...
Doran, I think Perry will be hearing LOT from those folks. We're talking about $130 billion over ten years, with TX putting up maybe $16 billion tops, last I saw. Plus, if we don't take it, hospitals doing indigent care still lose a chunk of their Disproportionate Share money and then, believe me, all hell breaks loose.
VVG, not a slow news day: Usually we just complain about the lack of funding for mental health care. That's not news. The news hook is that, at this particular historical juncture, between now and next May, the state has a viable option to do something about it. - 7/19/2012 05:35:00 PM
- Unknown said...
I hope that something is done about the mentally ill in the Texas prison system and I also hope they see fit to fund the other aspects of medical and dental care as well. - 7/19/2012 06:07:00 PM
- Gritsforbreakfast said...
VVG, it's just that the mental health piece is the aspect of the justice system MAJORLY impacted by Obamacare - the in-prison health services will remain a state liability no matter what.
"If you must make sarcastic suggestions try to keep them based in reality."
How much does it cost to send a letter to a state hospital asking for records. Last I checked, Vincent, a stamp was 45 cents. But, I guess that's too much to spend before you messing with a person's meds. You can't effectively treat someone without knowing their history. REALISITICALLY, Vincent, any doctor that treats a patient like I'm talking about without reviewing prior records is guilty of malpractice, at least they would be on the outside.
Vincent, let's be REALISTIC. You and I both know that its not money that prevents this. After all 45 cents for a stamp seem pretty REALISTIC to me. - 7/19/2012 06:44:00 PM
- Unknown said...
Good point, I wasn't as aware of that content of your blog as I should of been. It's just that it upsets me both morally and with respct to fiscal responsibility, (pay now or later when the Feds get in the act), that nobody seems to care about this particular set of human beings - patients.
Don't get me wrong the attempted manipulation of the medical department by inmates adds enormously to the cost of their care but, that goes with the territory. For example it is common place for inmates to claim they will harm themselves, (are suicidal), just because they think that being transported to Crisis Management in an emergent manner will keep them from facing a case at the unit they are at. My point is there is a lot of waste in the mental health budget. Probably much more than in an area like primary care. To bad things can't be improved across the board. - 7/19/2012 06:57:00 PM
- Unknown said...
Anon 644
Sorry, it takes a lot more than a stamp. There is a good deal of expense involved in the man power necessary to disseminate the information and incorperate it in the EMR, (electronic medical record). That procedure times thousands of patients is not possible financially. Especially at the present time. Right now the funding is so poor there is not enough personnel to do much more than hang on and hope there are not any bad outcomes secondary to under staffing. If this is your goal contact your State Rep and tell him/her how you feel. Or break out your credit card - mine is tapped out. - 7/19/2012 07:26:00 PM
Excuses, Excuses.
Vincent, I didn't say you had to do that for every inmate. But, when you have one with a significant history of treatment for mental illness, any competent doctor should insist on reviewing those records. So, apparently you are saying that TDCJ can't afford competent doctors.
Btw, this problem has been raised to the legislature. In fact, a while back there was a nurse on here who allegedly worked on a mental health unit who was very offended when I said they didn't get records. She insisted the got all the records. So, either you or she isn't telling the truth. At that time, Grits mentioned that some people had been trying to address this issue and I sent him a copy of a letter that I had from a Psychologist with TDCJ who told me, in writing, that they did not get these records.
This is the type of thing that will get the federal courts involved. Again, I never said you need to get records on every inmate. That's the same kind of overresponse that seems to be typical with these sorts of things. I say, you need to get records on inmates with significant histories. Your response is that it will be too expensive to get them on all inmates. See the problem there?
As I said, this type of thing is going to help get the federal courts involved. Because, for some of these inmates, you need info on their previous treatment to provide competent treatment.
I just don't buy that its too expensive to request a few records for the inmates where it is really necessary. If the doctors at TDCJ are treating patients like the one I'm talking about without reviewing these records, they are definitely not competent and shouldn't have a medical license. But, I suppose, and maybe you can tell me - maybe they just can't afford competent doctors? - 7/19/2012 08:19:00 PM
- Prison Doc said...
Medical Records. Ah yes...often requested, seldom received, rarely helpful. It takes a lot more than a stamp and good intentions.
(1)You have to have the right form, properly signed, properly witnessed. It has to specify which records and what time interval.
(2) It needs to be sent to the right place. Offenders in TDCJ rarely know the correct name or location of their previous treating
facility, or the name of the physician, all of which are vital facts
(3) The request has to wind its way successfully through the bureaucracies of the prison unit, and usually through Galveston and/or Huntsville. It then has to get to the correct healthcare facility.
(4) Many records are the size of an old fashioned metropolitan phone book, so there likely will be a charge for copying at 25 cents a page and shipping. This has to be paid in advance. No money, no records.
(5) The record then has to make it all the way back through the same channels. It will not be likely that the offender is still at the same unit or that the requesting provider is still involved in the case.
(6) Unless the patient has a straightforward psychiatric diagnosis like schizophrenia or manic-phase bipolar disorder, the record won't be helpful. It will show a melange of antisocial behavior, substance abuse disorder, bad psychiatric care, physician-induced prescription drug overuse, and a whole host of other information that is not helpful.
(7) patients treated in the medicaid system or community health clinics formerly known as MHMR but now called by a variety of euphemistic names, have rarely been helped at all. Often they have worsened under that care. That is not to say that MHMR doesn't help some folks, it's just that all of the treatment failures end up in prison or jail.
I think Texas is right to decline the Medicaid money. On mental health it is wasted--doesn't help. I know that "lack of mental health care" conjures up an vision of poor lunatic inmates languishing naked in a cell, ranting and raving without care. Sorry, but that is not the case. Almost all of these poor souls have problems with living, no good social network, serial substance abuse, personality disorders, or other dreadful problems that are not amenable to mental health care. - 7/19/2012 09:07:00 PM
Prison Doc, I respect your opinion. You make some good comments on here and you seem to care about what you do. But, on this you are way off base:
(2) It needs to be sent to the right place. Offenders in TDCJ rarely know the correct name or location of their previous treating
facility, or the name of the physician, all of which are vital facts
Most of this patients relevant records could have been obtained from 1 state hospital. The offender was perfectly capable of providing this info, if anyone had ever asked her. I was communicating with the Director's office through several letters and in none, did anyone ask for this info.
(4) Many records are the size of an old fashioned metropolitan phone book, so there likely will be a charge for copying at 25 cents a page and shipping. This has to be paid in advance. No money, no records.
A state hospital shouldn't be charging to provide records to another state agency. Furthermore, these records could have been easily obtained from the District Attorney. It seems if they have them they should be required to send them without being asked.
(6) Unless the patient has a straightforward psychiatric diagnosis like schizophrenia or manic-phase bipolar disorder, the record won't be helpful. It will show a melange of antisocial behavior, substance abuse disorder, bad psychiatric care, physician-induced prescription drug overuse, and a whole host of other information that is not helpful.
First, I can't give you all the details here, but believe me, these records would have been helpful. Second, if you think schizophrenia and bi-polar are always straight-forward diagnoses, I assume you are not a psychiatrist. Btw, bipolar was one of her diagnoses. - 7/19/2012 09:46:00 PM
Continued from above
7) patients treated in the medicaid system or community health clinics formerly known as MHMR but now called by a variety of euphemistic names, have rarely been helped at all. Often they have worsened under that care. That is not to say that MHMR doesn't help some folks, it's just that all of the treatment failures end up in prison or jail.
I'll agree with you on this one.
(1)You have to have the right form, properly signed, properly witnessed. It has to specify which records and what time interval.
(3) The request has to wind its way successfully through the bureaucracies of the prison unit, and usually through Galveston and/or Huntsville. It then has to get to the correct healthcare facility.
5) The record then has to make it all the way back through the same channels. It will not be likely that the offender is still at the same unit or that the requesting provider is still involved in the case.
These are nothing but pure bureacratic Bullshit excuses, and, Prison Dcc, I thought you were better than that. Should we accept these as justification for failing to provide competent care?
You say these records are "rarely helpful." If you don't ever get them, how do you know? That again, sounds like a bullshit bureacratic response. In this case, and in many others I'm sure they would be helpful. I am aware of another case involving another inmate, where it was not a mental health issue but just a medical issue, where the inmate was permanently injured in a procedure because the doctor didn't have info about a prior treatment that he should have. So, the "rarely helpful" excuse doesn't fly. In the mental health case I'm talking about, the doctor recently wanted to take her completely off her medication. Anyone, doesn't even have to be a doctor, who knows her history immediately realizes what a bad idea this would be. Fortunately, we were able to change the doctors mind. That would have been simply a crazy thing to do - but without the records, the doc didn't know that. So, YES THESE RECORDS WOULD BE HELPFUL. If she didn't have family that tries to look out for her she probably would have been taken off the meds, just to save a few bucks.
Almost all of these poor souls have problems with living, no good social network, serial substance abuse, personality disorders, or other dreadful problems that are not amenable to mental health care.
In this particular case, none of these apply. This person had good family and social support, no substance abuse, no personality disorder. I suspect that, while your description may fit many mentally ill inmates, there are many others it would not apply to.
No offense, Prison Doc, like I said, from what you've had to contribute on here before, I respect you. But, all you've done here is provide bureaucratic Bullshit excuses and downplayed a serious problem. This will come back to bite TDCJ in the ass one of these days. Unfortunately, this agency can't seem to fix any problem until they are bitten on the posterior. - 7/19/2012 09:47:00 PM
Cotinued from above:
Don't you think, when you have got a person who has several psychiatric hospitalizations, that it is important for a treating psychiatrist to know what meds have been tried before. Many of these meds take some time before their effectiveness can be evaluated. So, the doc at the prison could waste months trying meds that have already been proven to be ineffective with this person. All the while, the patient suffers, because someon was too lazy to fill out a couple of forms. Furthermore, as I said, this person was almost taken off her meds because the doc didn't know anything about her history. This person is in prison for a crime committed while she was in a delusional state. She should be in a hospital instead but that's another story. So, had she not had any family to help, she would have been taken off her meds and would have most likely ended up going through a serious psychotic episode. What would it have costs the prison system to deal with that. Probably would have been cheaper to get the records. Now, how many inmates who didn't have family to intervene has this sort of thing happened to? - 7/19/2012 09:57:00 PM
At the risk of beating a dead horse: In the case I'm talking about, there is simply no good rational reason why they records couldn't be obtained with a simple request sent to the state hospital. Cost 45 cents.
- Prison Doc said...
Anonymous, you obviously are intimately concerned about and familiar with several salient details of one particular case; my comments are referring to hundreds of cases encountered over an almost two-decade period.
However, if an offender is well maintained on certain medications, why was that information not provided at prison intake? And if their previous psychiatric medications were so darn effective, why did that person offend in the first place> That is prima facie evidence that the medication was not effective to treat the problem.
You can rail on about how my comments are bureaucratic bullshit. Let me let you in on a little inside secret: once you enter the criminal justice system, EVERYTHING AND EVERY DAY is bureaucratic bullshit from meals to clothing to toilet tissue to uniforms. And no, a 45 cent stamp will not get you valid legally usable copies of medical records any time, anywhere, from any source. Seems like they should but Uncle Sam has sabotaged that seemingly easy task. Dream on.
I wish you and your offender well. We inside the razor wire just try to do the best we can for folks with the limitations we have, which are legion. - 7/19/2012 10:21:00 PM
I am the mistress of getting records where I work; usually it takes several phone calls when they are urgently needed. At other times I have tried to obtain records and get sent back a form that says, "not treated at this facilty during date requested" or no record of this patient with this date of birth. In addition to all that I do I must a) find the exact name of the clinic b) city c) date of service d) if these are VA records, the VA has their own form to be filled out and sent in e) have the offender sign the release of information f) find out what exact name DOB, SSN used when they went for care g)if I am faxing the form call to ensure said fax was received. Now multiply this effort by 3-4 patients a day and it's almost not worth the effort. "have a clerk do this". What clerk? She was reduced in force. "Do without those records". The reason for obtaining such records is usually continuity of care, I hear over and over the patient was just about to have surgery on____ and now here she is in jail.
sigh. it will never end. if only obamano could make it so that all records are available to others on a chip that would be implanted under the skin. - 7/19/2012 11:02:00 PM
I agree with prison doc. If you are not behind those wires and involved in the day to day process it is very hard to understand. I understand Anon. has a personal situation affect him directly and understand his frustration. It's just hard to comprehend the day to day workings and the bs, hoops, etc. we have to jump through, all in all most of us are there to help the best we can within our means. We do have sucess stories, good outcomes but of course the press doesn't hear about those stories.
- Unknown said...
I understand your frustration as you have a personal emotional stake in this debate. If you have read what I have written you most know my sentiments about the correctional care system. However, many people like me have to work everyday in this system and we are well aware that the level of care is not what it should be in many instances. There is a stigma perceived by the public that if you are a health care worker in the correctional system you must be inept and that is the only place you can work. Why? Because logic tells most people, who would want to work in prison? They're right, it is a horrible environment but, there are plenty of skilled caring people who work everyday and put up with all the incompetent cracks and don't get very many thank you's to do it.
When you say it will take Federal intervention by a judge to change things for the better you're right. At least so far the Governor and the legislature don't seem to what to do it. Believe me; those of us who work in the prison medical system would like nothing more. At the present time we are dangerously low on staff and haven't had a raise in 4 years. A Federal judge would probably say, "No wonder care is not up to par the first thing that is needed is adequate personnel". I am sorry your daughter is in the prison system. Not a good place to be if you need really need top notch care. But, the truth is, it will take a lot more than a stamp and caring medical staff to fix it. Better funding is what is needed first before anything can even begin to be fixed. - 7/20/2012 01:43:00 PM
I offered my copies of my grandsons medical records and was told "No Thank You we have our own file. The fact that he had been in medical an psyc care since he was three didn't seem to matter.
Hold the high hopes for now. Any extra money will be going to DPS for their pay raises next session. That is a priority over CJ and mundane mental health issues.
prison inmates and the mentally ill are vehicles for moving money. All TX is interested in is where the money moves - not what the money does. the last thing they want is to lose their milk-cow. I think that's where the voting logic comes from. in that light, it makes perfect sense. too bad so many people have to suffer for it, but then, we are just a domesticated herd, are we not?
Chip implanted under the skin is not an answer. But of course you give fire to the reason to give gov't another way to move money in. Don't you see? You are not expected to produce results. Just be there and look like you're doing something. Results would screw up the whole system. If you were able to obtain the records, it would be something else they would throw in front of your endeavors. You are part of a dog-and-pony show to move funds - nothing more. TDCJ basically has been operating to keep inmates alive long enough to bring in money. the true number of deaths is probably well hidden. You should walk away and get a real job somewhere else - or else get angry enough to make a difference. You'll have to use your imagination, creativity, and intelligence. It's either that or just take it.
- Unknown said...
Anon 919
"TDCJ basically has been operating to keep inmates alive long enough to bring in money".
What planet do you live on? That is the most obtuse convoluted piece of reasoning I have read in awhile. Texas spends $7.75 an inmate a day on correctional medical care and the security budget is so small in is impossible to hire and keep officers. Try comparing those budgets to other states and you will see how far down the list Texas is. The prison system is a drain on the state economy that the legislature does not want to fund. You need to call them up and let them know they don't need to worry about it anymore since TDCJ is actually making money.
Every death of an inmate in the TDCJ system is investigated by OIG. All that information is a matter of public record. - 7/21/2012 11:05:00 AM
- sunray's wench said...
Why are medical records not attached to an individuals social security number? Surely that would make them much easier to locate?
Prison doc,
DSHS should be your main contact point to get medical records from any state hospital, they are supposed to track any and all hospitalizations thru the Care system. There is no oversight or anyone checking the accuracy of this, but it's better than nothing. Someone from your unit needs to contact the Mental Health and Substance Abuse division of DSHS at 1-866-378-8440. This should be a start to getting something done in regards to getting basic records from a hospital the state is in charge of.
As far as mental health records from local MHMR's, TCOOMMI funds local MHMR's with COC liaisons who have access to medical records for the MHMR they work for. There is no charge for records and most can be scanned and emailed. Most offenders(not all) have been seen at some point by a local MHMR, so this is a starting point, not a complete fix. Records should be shared with no need for a signed ROI, Folks in all aspects of the criminal justice system need to be aware of SB 839. Please look it up, it will be extremely helpful in getting records from local mhmrs to TDCJ-ID staff. Here is contact info for the folks at TCOOMMI: They are paid to do this and just because there is no oversight, they shouldn't be given a pass to not do anything.
April Zamora -Director firstname.lastname@example.com (512)465-5100
Bennie Jo Wagner -Assistant Director
firstname.lastname@example.com 512-465-5100
They have access to email and phone contacts for all local COC's in the state of Texas. These are people who can and should get you records, free of charge and without any kind of release of information thanks to SB 839(which has been in effect since 2007), ridiculous that the state hasn't made more people who work in TDCJ-ID aware of this..Hopefully this will help you and others. - 7/23/2012 09:31:00 AM
TDCJ likes warehousing the mentally ill, especially on death row. In fact, they even create mental illness where none existed before. This should be a felony. It usually takes less than 3 years for a stressed-out, vulnerable DR inmate, housed on solitary confinement, to go stark raving mad. Then when the crazed inmates act out, they are further punished by putting them on level, taking away all their belongings, commissary, visits, sometimes even toilet paper, and feeding them food a dog wouldn't eat. Some guards like to torment them. They were not sentenced to be tortured AND executed!
If things are so bad on death row how do the inmates there get cell phones?
Now, we are dealing with the minds of simpletons hell bent on reducing costs which will ultimately fail. First of all, speaking from nearly 23 years of experience in correctional mental health, I can assure you this is going to result in a federal lawsuit. Prison is the absolute worst place to treat someone with a documented history of serious mental illness. The cost of treating patients in prison is much higher than treating them in the free world.
Why? Well, I could write a book on this subject, but I will hit the major problems. Due to reduced prison & correctional managed care budgets: a) seasoned TDCJ-ID officers & experienced mental health clinicians are leaving in droves; b) staff training specific to officers, medical personnel; & psychiatric clinicians has been significantly reduced over the years; c) deep staff cuts have occurred in prison facilities designed to separate those with substandard intelligence from the general population. I could go on and on, but Texas has never profited from their mistakes. Our GOP leadership has gutted effective programs instead of isolating and resolving areas worthy of review & correction. Yes, there were areas of expenditures that could have been refined & modified.
The buffoons in the Texas legislature & Prison board have created a hostile working environment that continues to worsen.
I am thankful that I am outside of this maelstrom of pervasive incompetence. Those in the Texas legislature are an embodiment of buffoons. I am embarrassed to say I'm from Texas. - 7/24/2012 10:49:00 AM
Pvt Administrative Psych Provider: It is incredibly important that GRITS attempts to bring these issues for discussion. After 30 years in this field, I can not accept that we just give up. I have administered a private, state contracted, residential psychiatric treatment facility for more years than I care to count. It maintains an excellent record of care; it meets or exceeds regulatory guidelines; and yes, even obtains treatment records so that treating psychiatrists can be aware of which meds work best and know past medical history (i.e.contagious diseases). We do so at a 1/3 to a 1/5th of the State Hospital Costs. This is possible for the following reasons:
1. lack of a bureaucracy (small corporation)
2. demanding internal standards
3. efficient, effective personnel management policies.
4. refusal to be a "how can we not do this" provider.
5. and a lack of corporate greed.
I do not say any of this to belittle anything anyone has posted. I merely offer that providing care can be done if there is great effort put forth. Unfortunately, government/State operated facilities can be hamstrung by overregulation, poor management, and bureaucracy.
Unfortunately, our tasks have become harder with the reduction in Medicaid funding; Medicaid managed care quagmires in obtaining medical services and medication payment; and the loss of physicians who will treat Medicaid recipients. We care for the most ill psychiatric patients, who will return to prison or state hospitals without their medication, at a much higher costs. I do not have the answers, but, I can not accept defeat. - 7/24/2012 01:06:00 PM


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Classic Reviews: 2013 Ford Focus ST
Disclaimer: Ford provided the vehicle for this review.
This is not an ordinary car review. I didn't simply putter down to the local fair trade coffee shop for a latte', count the cup holders, check the gas mileage and hand the keys back. No, I had more devious plans. This car was driven half way across the country (2,446 miles total), flogged on a road course, hurled down the drag strip, shined up for a car show, then driven back to the beginning (you can read about the entire road trip here). The prep for this expedition consisted of tightening the lug nuts and checking the fluids. That's it. No tire changes, no brake changes, nothing. The car had to run the gauntlet in stock spec while performing flawlessly. And it did so with aplomb. But then again, that is what it was built to do.
Let's turn back the clock a few years. The Focus ST isn't the first performance Focus that Ford has produced. The SVT Focus was a great little car and has developed quite a cult following. You got great handling and decent power in a neat package. And with the hatchback body you got decent utility as a bonus. So how do you capitalize on a previous success while upping the ante? Why better handling and even more power of course!
From the start Ford had to know that stellar handling was going to be a requirement. After spending a day at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit attending the Ford Performance Driving School I was left in awe. This car absolutely claws its way around track. Run hard to the corner, stand on the brakes, cut the wheel then bury the throttle. The front wheels feel like they are going to rip the track apart as they pull the rest of the car through the turn. There were several times when I was thinking "there is no way this car can make this corner" as I powered through a turn. On the straights there was plenty of power to keep up with traffic. In the hands of veteran race car driver Steve McCarley the Focus ST not only kept up with Mustangs, Shelbys and Boss 302s on the track, it was passing them! Remember, this car was bone stock, as delivered to the show room floor.
At the drag strip the Focus ST was a little out of its element but still put on a show. Launching the car was a bit of a trial-and-error experience as there is plentiful power on tap. Leave the line at about 2,500 and hope you got the tires warm enough, because if you hit the 1-2 shift hard it will spin like crazy. I was only able to get low 15s from the car due to my awful technique, but the mid 90mph trap speeds told me there was more in the car if I was a better driver. The next day I shined up the little beast and entered it into an All Ford Super Show. While no awards were won, it garnered plenty of looks and a ton of questions from the attendees.
So it is a track day hero, but how is it to live with? Quite easy actually. The seats are amazingly comfortable while still being extremely supportive. The deep bolsters that keep you in place on the track also make for extremely comfortable driving. I spent 46 hours behind the wheel of this car and at no point was the seat a problem or did I feel uncomfortable. The ride is a great balance between taught and sporty. Cornering is tight with responsive steering without being twitchy at highway speeds. The hatchback has plenty of room for everyday life but the real functionally comes from the rear doors. As a parent of two boys the ability to tote kids around is a must for me. I easily fit both kids with car seats in the rear while my wife was quite comfortable in the passenger seat. Dad-mobile test: passed.
Power delivery from the 2.0L EcoBoost engine is exactly what I look for in a turbo car...but better. Turbo cars of old had to rely on low compression ratios in order to live comfortably with forced induction. Not so thanks to the wonder of direct injection. The 2.0L EcoBoost has a healthy 9.3:1 compression ratio which delivers 252 horsepower and plenty of off-boost power. Around town and on the highway there is plenty of power for motoring about. But the magic happens when you start tipping into the boost. Power builds fast but is not explosive, just a great sense of urgency in your forward motion. Driving down the highway in sixth gear it is no problem to pass slower traffic with just a touch of the pedal. Even better was the ease in which the Focus ST climbed the mountains of Tennessee while in sixth gear. No fuss, just plentiful power pushing you uphill.
It was hard handing this car back when my two weeks were up. Outstanding performance combined with real world functionality make the Focus ST a great choice for those who want a single car that can do it all.
Want more Ford content? Check out our Ford Enthusiast Headquarters!
Published Dec 7th, 2015


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Some people are dilettantes while others, like Gary D. Eyler, owner of the Old Colony Shop, simply know a lot about a wide range of things from art to history, antiques, manuscripts and stamps. Even though he is only 47, Eyler has been actively pursuing his interest in 16th-19th century antiques, art, documents, maps, prints and rare manuscripts for 35 years. He is particularly passionate about 17th century America and has been running a successful framing and antique print and paintings shop on South Washington Street for the past 30 years.
Eyler founded Old Colony in 1989 after spending approximately 10 years working with the Barnes Gallery. When the owner, Jim Barnes, passed away, the gallery closed, leaving Eyler without a job or an outlet for his talents. Eyler decided to lease the former Barnes Gallery site and opened the Old Colony Shop.
On any given day, Eyler gets requests for museum-quality framing or fields phone calls from places like the White House. Customers stop by to show him rare, family heirlooms or talk about an old print for framing. Recently, Eyler restored the Norman Rockwell watercolors in the West Wing of the White House. The White House also had him frame the ribbons and scissors used for the re-opening of the White House Press Corps room, the Situation Room, and also the scissors and ribbon used for the U.S. Embassys opening in Afghanistan. At the request of the Vatican, Eyler framed Pope John Paul IIs Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Eyler has always had the ability to assimilate his knowledge of art, antiques and history to make fantastic discoveries. For example, a small, framed etching of a figure that hangs in his shop is an original etching by Rembrandt that Eyler acquired while in high school. I found the etching at an antiques show in a print bin for $2, Eyler said. It had an R and the date of 1631. It turned out to be an original Rembrandt etching entitled the Little Polander. This is the smallest etching Rembrandt ever produced.
Eylers passion for collecting began at an early age with his prize-winning stamp collection. By the age of 13, he was working with a stamp dealer. Three years later, Eyler became a rare manuscript dealers apprentice. The following year, he began working with Barnes. Throughout these years, Eyler read history voraciously. Although attending college was a natural progression for the gifted Eyler, he chose to continue working rather than pursue a formal education. I was fortunate enough to know what I loved doing and to have had several years of working in an apprentice role with very knowledgeable, specialist dealers and collectors, Eyler said. I knew what I wanted to do and I was lucky to have the chance.
Before he turned 20, Eyler had not only completed four apprentice years, but he had assembled a rare manuscript and stamp collection and purchased a 1595 breech-loader cannon. Since then, Eyler has acquired all sorts of interesting items. He has such an extensive collection of Jamestown artifacts that he donated 22 pieces to the Commonwealth of Virginia for the 400th anniversary celebration of the settlements founding. In 2006, his Jamestown collection was the featured Lyceum exhibit for the Alexandria Jamestown festival. The Alexandria Historical Society recognized Eyler in 2007 for his generosity and dedication to Virginias history as a result of his research, work and donation of artifacts to the state.
Skipp Calvert has been doing business with Eyler for decades and said that, Theres not a room in our home that doesnt have an Old Colony frame or rare print. Garys talent never ceases to amaze us. He is an immensely gifted artist and collector. Similarly, Courtney Elwood said, Gary gives the same care and attention to framing our childs artwork as he does framing national treasures and priceless works of art. Hes the kind of framer you tell your friends about.
When Eyler is not toiling away or talking with customers at his shop, he loves hiking and reading and is completely devoted to his wife, Donna, of 20 years and his two daughters, Erin, 16, and Lisa, 12. His own childhood was peripatetic thanks to his fathers military career. Eyler was born in Key West, where Eyler recently donated the original 1934 deed to the Ernest Hemingway house. After the Eyler family left Key West, he ended up attending 12 schools in Hawaii, Southern California, England and various places on the East Coast before moving to Virginia when he was 17.
Eyler instantly embraced the area and its rich history and particularly enjoyed hiking around the Great Falls area. One day while hiking there, he made a significant, historic anthropological discovery: petroglyphs of the oldest known depiction of people on the East Coast dating back to the late Archatic period. The area where the 3-inch high carvings are located is now preserved by the National Park Service. The three etched figures depict various states of throwing a spear and some have suggested that these petroglyphs are an ancient guide to spear throwing or are perhaps describing a hunt. I loved looking for petroglyphs as a child in Hawaii, Eyler said. I couldnt believe when I found these figures in Northern Virginia.
I love what I do. Even if I won the lottery tomorrow, Id keep collecting history and sharing what Ive learned, Eyler said. My interest in history has led to important discoveries and finding treasure that is in plain view. I love the history, quaintness and charm of Alexandria and the wide range of exposure to old and interesting things that customers bring in. I know Ill continue to learn more from the people who come to my shop.


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text: The CrossLoop application allows a person at one computer to view and/or control a remote computer. The person accessing the remote computer will be able to see the desktop, use the mouse and use the keyboard. The CrossLoop application works great for helping or being helped by friends and family or for being helped by CrossLoop's support specialists.


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Husky Liners | The Trux Super Store | Baytown TX
It started with a passion for hunting and fishing trips, combined with a neat streak. Bob Tyler would take his Lab on his trips, but his vehicle would end up with mud splattered all over the floor. When Bob looked for a washable liner to protect the cargo area, there was none to be found. So he decided to make one for himself and the Husky Liner was born. Winfield Consumer Products demonstrates that neat streak as the facility is clean and well lit, providing an atmosphere for a safe work environment and the manufacture of a quality product by employees who care. It is a privately held company, whose primary business consists of designing, manufacturing and supplying automotive accessories for light trucks, sport utility vehicles, vans and cars to the aftermarket. Starting in 1988, the Company designed the original custom fit floor and cargo liner. WCP has grown from that idea to a 197,000 square foot manufacturing and distribution operation, becoming the automotive aftermarket's leading source for thermo-plastic floor and cargo liners. WCP's proprietary products include Husky Liners branded custom fit floor and cargo liners, heavy duty floor mats, custom molded mud guards, aluminum accessories and various other products to serve the aftermarket. WCP controls the entire process of its products, from the product design and tooling to warehouse and distribution with a strong commitment to quality, customer service, financial strength and the well being of its employees. The mission of Winfield Consumer Products is to meet, and where possible, exceed the requirements of our customers. This is demonstrated by being the originator of the custom fit floor and cargo liners, having the engineering and design team be customer focused and having the best customer service and distribution in the industry, with virtually all orders received shipped within 24 hours."


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Build your door
Arch overlay
Available for Princeton and Eastman
Always installed in the top section of the door and only available with Panoramic windows or without windows.
Clear Panoramic without grid
4 vertical lites Panoramic
8 lites Panoramic
Without windows
Decorative hardware
Handmade wrought iron texture
Door knockers
Slightly Bumpy Texture
Unit of measure to evaluation the thickness of sheet metal. The smaller the gauge number, the thicker the steel.
Glass type
There are so many possibilities!
To learn more about all of Garaga's window options, see:
There is a lot more than Clear Glass
Available Orion windows (with grids)
Available windows with Stained Glass
Difference between a thermopane and a double-pane window
Try for an overall view of your home
Avoid photographing at an angle or vertically


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Emile Gallé is widely considered the leading artistic innovator of the Art Nouveau movement, creating works of glass and furniture that are breathtakingly beautiful and awe-inspiring in their complexity and variety.
Born in 1846 into a family with a tradition of glassmaking in the town of Nancy, France, Gallé had the good fortune to be well educated and well traveled; both would suit his later pursuits.
Gallé combined his artistic talents with his great passion for botany. This love of nature would most distinguish Gallé's innovative glass works and furniture, setting him apart from the traditional Victorian craftsmen of the day. Heavily influenced by his father, Gallé worked for the family glassworks and began introducing his floral designs to their more traditional wares. By the mid-1870s, Gallé was becoming more and more influential in the business and by the 1890s he had fully immersed himself in its artistic endeavors.
But, Gallé's experimentation and innovation was not limited to works in glass, though it is perhaps the medium for which he is best known. The artist also produced extraordinary pieces of furniture and, like his glass, nature was the intrinsic theme. In every instance, Gallé implemented that theme with an almost poetic fluidity.
Gallé's experimentation with cameo glass began after a visit to the British Museum in 1871, where he saw the great Portland Vase. This ancient cameo glass work inspired Gallé; and his interpretation of the art form was nothing short of genius. By working with multiple layers of glass, Gallé was able to create an incredible dimensional effect that would prove elusive to all but the most accomplished artisans of the day. Today Gallé's cameo glass has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity as people once again recognize the exceptional nature of his work.
During his lifetime, Gallé enjoyed great success and acclaim, triumphing at the great Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900 and later being elected to the prestigious Légion d'Honneur. At the peak of his career, he employed more than 300 artisans who assisted him in his tireless experimentation with chemisty, color and techniques in the production of art glass. It would be Gallé who fulfilled the most prestigious commissions for the treasured cameo works, including those from the City of Paris, the Russian Royal Family and scores of aristocrats from around the world.
Emile Gallé died in 1904 at the young age of 58, during the height of his career. He was a man who enjoyed fame and fortune, yet remained true to his vision of exalting nature in his work. Gallé remained the master of the art and today, his works continue to be highly sought after by collectors.


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Home Products Meira T White Gold, Pave Dagger Diamond Necklace
Product Description from Meira T "Edgy & Chic White Gold Pave Diamond Dagger Necklace with White Topaz and Diamond Bezel Charms."
Michael Herr Diamonds & Fine Jewelry is located in Chesterfield, MO, a western suburb of St. Louis, MO. Please see the map below for directions.
If you are not located in the St. Louis area but interested in purchasing the product shown, please contact us and a member of our staff will be happy assist you.
To request an order, please fill out the form below and member of our staff will contact you as soon as possible to discuss order and shipping information.


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Cisco Password Fumble: Hardware Security At Risk
Password implementation error results in easy-to-crack Type 4 passwords in latest versions of IOS and IOS XE operating systems that run Cisco's switches and routers.
March 20, 2013
Anonymous: 10 Things We Have Learned In 2013
Anonymous: 10 Things We Have Learned In 2013(click image for larger view and for slideshow)
Cisco has released a security bulletin warning that a move to strengthen passwords on some devices resulted in making passwords much easier to crack.
The vulnerability affects recently released versions of the IOS and IOS XE operating system that runs on Cisco routers and switches. The problem stems from Cisco's use of the Type 4 password algorithm in the operating system, and its failure to salt – add random bits to -- passwords or use PBKDF2, which randomizes passphrases and adds a salt, thus deriving a cryptographic key that's more difficult to crack.
"Due to an implementation issue, the Type 4 password algorithm does not use PBKDF2 and does not use a salt, but instead performs a single iteration of SHA-256 over the user-provided plaintext password," said the Cisco security warning. "This approach causes a Type 4 password to be less resilient to brute-force attacks than a Type 5 password of equivalent complexity."
[ Curious about Cisco's long-term game plan? Read Cisco CTO: Internet Of Everything Much More Than SDN. ]
The flaw affects only devices that have been upgraded to versions of IOS or IOS XE that support Type 4 passwords, and only affects those devices' "'enable secret' and 'username secret' commands," according to the security advisory. "No other Cisco IOS or IOS XE features use this algorithm to hash passwords or keys." Previous versions of IOS and IOS XE used the Type 5 algorithm.
Some caveats about the vulnerability: Cisco said that Type 4 passwords must have been purposefully generated, because no preexisting passwords on its devices would have been automatically updated. "There is no automatic conversion of existing Type 5 passwords to Type 4 passwords after upgrading a device to a Cisco IOS or Cisco IOS XE release that has support for Type 4 passwords," said Cisco.
To mitigate the vulnerability, Cisco recommends organizations search for any Type 4 passwords they've generated, and replace them with Type 5 passwords, which Cisco's devices do generate correctly.
The Type 4 password weaknesses were reported to Cisco on March 12 by security researcher Jens Steube, who's the developer behind the Hashcat advanced password recovery tool, as well as beta tester Philipp Schmidt. They worked with Cisco on a "coordinated disclosure," which the company made just six days after receiving the pair's notification.
For context, Cisco devices don't store plain-text passwords, but rather a cryptographic hash of a password. With any attempt to authenticate to a device, after the password gets entered, it's run through the same one-way cryptographic password hashing algorithm, and the result is compared to the known-good hash that's already been stored. If the two hashes match, the newly entered password is legitimate.
Password hashes are designed to be one-way operations, meaning the hash shouldn't be able to be decrypted to reveal the original input. But in the case of Cisco's Type 4 password algorithm implementation error, the password hash is insufficiently random, meaning that an attacker able to obtain a password hash could crack it.
"In my eyes, for such an important company, this is a big fail," Steube toldArs Technica about Cisco's password security fumble. "Nowadays everyone in the security/crypto/hash scene knows that password hashes should be salted, at least. By not salting the hashes we can crack all the hashes at once with full speed."
For example, Steube studied a Cisco Type 4 password hash -- "luSeObEBqS7m7Ux97dU4qPfW4iArF8KZI2sQnuwGcoU" -- that he found posted to an online forum as part of a configuration file and was able to quickly crack it.
The Type 4 approach that Cisco had intended to take was to add an 80-bit salt to a plain-text password, then run it through a SHA-256 hash algorithm 1,000 times to produce a password that's very difficult -- in terms of required computational power and speed -- to decrypt, should the hash be obtained. As noted, Cisco's implementation only ran the password through the SHA-256 hash once, failed to add a salt, and failed to use PBKDF2 to apply a pseudorandom function to further strengthen password security. That left the resulting password hash less secure than if it had been hashed using existing Cisco's Type 5 approach, which ran a password through 1,000 iterations of the MD5 hash function.
Going forward, Cisco said that it will discontinue using Type 4 passwords, and recommended users stick to Type 5 passwords for now. "Future Cisco IOS and Cisco IOS XE releases will not generate Type 4 passwords," it said. "However, to maintain backward compatibility, existing Type 4 passwords will be parsed and accepted. Customers will need to manually remove the existing Type 4 passwords from their configuration."
Stay tuned, however, for Cisco's preferred Type 4 replacement. "A new password type will be introduced: This new password type will implement the original design intended for Type 4 passwords, which is PBKDF2 with SHA-256, an 80-bit salt, and 1,000 iterations," said Cisco. "The exact type is yet to be determined."
InformationWeek is conducting a survey on security and risk management. Take the InformationWeek 2013 Strategic Security Survey today. Survey ends March 29.
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