text:
Hyperinflation for sale: Newsmax and Dick Morris cash in on anti-Obama rhetoric
Research ››› ››› MEDIA MATTERS STAFF
Since President Obama's inauguration, right-wing website Newsmax has repeatedly used inflammatory anti-Obama rhetoric and stoked readers' fears of hyperinflation and economic collapse to drive sales of the financial-services products it offers, including newsletters and investment programs. Fox News analyst Dick Morris and Steve Forbes have played key roles in promoting Newsmax's financial products and economic rhetoric.
In this report:
- Newsmax uses anti-Obama rhetoric and stokes fear of hyperinflation to drive sales of the financial-services products it offers.
- Newsmax promotions entice participants to spend $1,295 or more on investment schemes that promise a "Potential Reward" of thousands in return.
- Newsmax's investment schemes center on stock tips from Newsmax's "chief financial adviser," or advice on entering foreign currency trading markets.
- Morris was paid to tout one Newsmax promotion to his mailing list, and Newsmax rented Morris' mailing list to promote another scheme.
- Morris and Forbes have appeared in the videos and webcasts Newsmax uses to promote the website's financial products.
Aftershock: Newsmax's scheme
Initial offer included Aftershock book, trial newsletter subscriptions. On January 26, Newsmax Media CEO Christopher Ruddy sent an email to Newsmax's mailing list announcing Newsmax's Aftershock offer, which included a "free" (after spending $4.95 for "shipping and handling") copy of the book Aftershock: Protect Yourself and Profit in the Next Global Financial Meltdown by David Wiedemer, Robert A. Wiedemer, and Cindy Spitzer (John Wiley & Sons, 2010). The offer also included free trial subscriptions to three Newsmax financial newsletters: a two-month trial to The Franklin Prosperity Report, a three-month trial to the Gold Stock Adviser, and a four-month trial to the Financial Intelligence Report. Each newsletter must be individually canceled during their respective trial periods to avoid being charged a full year's subscription to them -- $99 each for the Financial Intelligence Report and the Gold Stock Adviser, and $49 for the Franklin Prosperity Report.
Newsmax book offer also included access to "exclusive Internet broadcast" with Morris. In his email, Ruddy wrote that responding to his email would put the responder on a "VIP Waiting List" in order to "claim your copy of this book and reserve a spot to view an exclusive Internet broadcast I'm filming with Fox News analyst Dick Morris along with an esteemed panel of experts." In a Feburary 10 email to his own list, Morris wrote that "Newsmax has asked me to team up with them in a financial webinar to elaborate my views" and stated that "[t]o view this important internet broadcast all you need to do is secure one of the copies of Aftershock that my friend, Christopher Ruddy, the CEO and Editor in Chief of Newsmax, has secured."
Book predicts popping of dollar, government debt "bubbles," and "enormous amounts of money to be made" during subsequent hyperinflation. The book jacket of Aftershock says that in 2006 the authors "accurately predicted the popping of the housing bubble, the collapse of the private debt bubble, the fall of the stock market bubble, the decline of consumer spending, and the widespread pain all of this was about to inflict on the rest of the economy." The book goes on to predict the imminent bursting of "the dollar bubble and the government debt bubble" [Page 60] and "movement toward what we call the 'triple double-digit ' economy" -- double-digit unemployment, double-digit inflation, and double-digit interest rates [Page 81]. The authors state, "There are enormous amounts of money to be made during the Bubblequake and Aftershock. In fact, we predict that more real (non-bubble) money will be made in the Bubblequake and Aftershock than in the last three decades combined" [Page 127]. "Good investments" include those "that take advantage of a falling stock market" and those "that take advantage of a falling dollar" [Page 130].
Newsmax launched website to push Aftershock webcast. Newsmax created a special, password-protected website, AftershockProfits.com, which contained articles and videos pertaining to the economy, some of which attacked the Obama administration and federal officials. For example, in a video posted on the website, James Dale Davidson claimed that "supposed improvements" to the economy were a "hoax" that was "faked by the government," adding that "the whole administration is based upon one lie after another." On February 25, the site featured a webcast hosted by 2008 Libertarian Party vice presidential candidate Wayne Allyn Root and featuring Ruddy, Morris, "International Currency Expert" Sean Hyman, and Robert Wiedemer.
Ruddy said he "put $1.5 million of his company's money 'on the line' " to give readers access to "Money Matrix Insider." The ultimate goal of the webcast was to promote what it called the "Money Matrix Insider" -- a method of investing in foreign currency exchange markets. Newsmax provided further details on the offer in a web page (PDF) carrying Hyman's byline, which stated that "Christopher Ruddy is so confident in the rewards to be had from this legal caper, that he put $1.5 million of his company's money 'on the line' to make this opportunity available to you." Newsmax is charging $1,495 for the "Money Matrix Insider" package -- described as a $1,000 discount off the regular "membership price" -- apparently operated by Hyman, which includes instructional DVDs, tips and alerts, and access to a "vast, password-protected Web site [where] you will be delivered members-only articles, weekly videos and audio commentary, the track record, and the ability to ask [Hyman] questions or suggest topics to be discussed in weekly commentaries." The web page touted the importance of being "one of the first 1,000 to order today" at the discounted price. The page touted a "Potential Reward" of "$137,000 (or more) Legally in Your Pocket in the Next Year Alone!"
Aftershock: Newsmax's rhetoric
Ruddy: Aftershock authors "foresee a very dangerous future for your wealth and our nation." In his January 26 email, Ruddy announced that "I'm going to give 5,000 fortunate Americans an incredible (and 100% free) gift. I want to make sure you are one of them. I've secured 5,000 copies of a powerful book I recently finished reading. The book is from a trio of authors who accurately predicted, in the beginning of 2006, the four financial bubbles that have since crippled our nation. Now they've penned the follow-up. The revelations in their new book are nothing short of shocking. ... The authors foresee a very dangerous future for your wealth and our nation. The authors not only document the catastrophic threats but also -- and more importantly -- they offer actionable solutions you can take now to defend your money and multiply it many times over. "
Co-author Wiedemer suggested "outright manipulation" in jobless numbers. Robert Wiedemer suggested in a February 10 article (PDF) posted on the AftershockProfits.com website that government officials were using "outright manipulation" in the unemployment statistics it publicized (bolding and underline in original):
So, is the government trying to mislead us?
It certainly isn't trying as hard as it could to emphasize statistics that show the real situation. It's also not clear it is trying hard to be more accurate.
Is there outright manipulation?
I don't know for sure, but certainly anyone who works in the production of government economic statistics knows which way to swing bias if there are any judgment calls or efforts to improve the statistical methodology.
The old saying may apply -- figures never lie, but liars always figure.
Hyman: "Personally, I think they [sic] numbers were majorly fudged!" Hyman wrote in a February 12 article (PDF) regarding a recently announced increase in gross domestic product, "Personally, I think they [sic] numbers were majorly fudged!" Hyman added: "In the stock market, they used to have a saying for CEOs and CFOs that played with the numbers on their books. They'd say that they 'cooked the books.' I think our own government may be guiltier of this right now than many of these corporations that got hammered for doing the very same thing. But hey, when you 'are' the law...who's going to prosecute you?"
Davidson claimed "supposed improvements" to economy were "faked by the government," a "hoax." In a February 16 video posted on the AftershockProfits.com website, James Dale Davidson, a Financial Intelligence Report columnist and an original investor in Newsmax who has been on the Newsmax board of directors, disparaged the government's economic as "statistical falsies":
I think what we have seen in the last -- 2009 and so far the few days into 2010 is a simulated recovery which has been generated by the government faking it in a lot of different ways, putting out what I call statistical falsies on the economic numbers to make it seem like the economy's stronger than it is."
I think a lot of the supposed improvements have been faked by the government. I think they did a very effective job of raising stock prices, and I believe that they used the quantitative easing as a way of funneling money into the market. And it's not a coincidence that the market started to rally in March of 2009 at the same time they announced that they were going to do the quantitative easing. So in my view, it's all created by the government as a hoax.
Davidson went on to say of the Obama administration's report of "jobs saved" due to the stimulus package: "It's a lie. It's a lie. That's the basic thing. You remember Congressman Wilson, in a speech in September when Obama was talking to Congress, jumped up and said, 'you lie.' Now, Miss Manners thought that this was probably worse than if Wilson had basically mooned him. ... But what I think is that it comes closer to revealing state secrets, that the whole administration is based upon one lie after another."
Davidson: Buy gold because "the dollar is cooked," warns of Wiemar-style hyperinflation. In a February 16 video posted on the AftershockProfits.com website, Davidson said:
I think gold is basically an investment that you have to have in your portfolio, unfortunately, because I think the dollar is cooked. I mean, we have gone through a policy in this country that puts our fiscal ratios worse than the Weimar Republic was before they had hyperinflation. Much worse than Brazil was 15 years ago when they had hyperinfation. I have a Brazilian wife, so I have a little bit of insight into Brazil, and from 1980 to 1997, they had a trillion-fold increase in the price level in Brazil -- a trillion-fold, according to the IMF. They never had once a deficit worse than a third as bad as our current deficit in terms of percentage of GDP. The highest deficit they ever had was 5.4 percent of GDP; we had 12.9 percent last year.
Precious-metal brokers advertise at Newsmax, other conservative outlets. The precious-metal investment firm Goldline, for example, sponsors the commodities price ticker on Newsmax's Moneynews.com page. Goldline and other similar investment firms regularly advertise on conservative media outlets, including Glenn Beck's radio and TV shows. Politico reported that the relationship between such investment firms and conservative commentators has "become an increasingly profitable synergy for everyone involved -- the retailers, the networks and an array of hosts including [Bill] O'Reilly and Beck, as well as radio talkers Mark Levin, Michael Savage, Laura Ingraham, Dennis Miller, Fred Thompson and G. Gordon Liddy."
Aftershock: Morris' role
Ruddy: "Dick Morris agrees that every American investor should read this book to secure their financial freedom." In his original January 26 email, Ruddy wrote in large, bold type: "Dick Morris agrees that every American investor should read this book to secure their financial freedom." Ruddy's email also highlighted the participation of "Fox News analyst Dick Morris" in Newsmax's webcast.
Morris urged email list to sign up for Newsmax's Aftershock book promotion in order to access webcast. In a Feburary 10 email to his list, after suggesting that "major inflation" was likely, Morris wrote:
Newsmax has asked me to team up with them in a financial webinar to elaborate my views and answer questions concerning the serious issues presented in Aftershock.
To view this important internet broadcast all you need to do is secure one of the copies of Aftershock that my friend, Christopher Ruddy, the CEO and Editor in Chief of Newsmax, has secured.
He believes this book is so important to your financial well-being that he is giving it away for free. I suggest you claim one of these quickly fleeting copies - you can do so by clicking here.
Newsmax promoted scheme on Morris' mailing list. Subscribers to Morris' mailing list received emails from Newsmax about the Aftershock promotion, including on March 4 and March 11. Newsmax was described as a "paid sponsor."
TV ad for promotion highlights Morris blurb. In April, Newsmax began offering the initial promotion -- a copy of Aftershock, plus the trial newsletter subscriptions -- in TV ads airing on Fox Business. Among the blurbs for the book included in the ad is one from Morris: "Aftershock ... is a must read!":
Morris bashed Obama in Money Matrix video: "[T]he cancer's dead, now we're suffering from the chemotherapy." In the February 25 webcast, Root introduced Morris as "the man Time magazine once called the most influential private citizen in America" -- a claim that came from a September 1996 Time article published shortly before Morris resigned in disgrace from Bill Clinton's re-election campaign. During the webcast, Morris plugged Aftershock and attacked President Obama as promoting economic policies that would result in "more inflation" and "huge increases in interest rates." From the video:
ROOT: Well, you know, I just finished interviewing Robert Wiedemer, the co-author of Aftershock. I'm sure you've read Aftershock. What did you think about its bold predictions?
MORRIS: Well, I thought it was a very good book. I thought that he really makes the point that the events that we've experienced over the last year are not going to be isolated occurrences. They stemmed from something and they will lead to something. And you can't go through the kind of disruption we've had in the financial system and, much more importantly, the kind of ill-conceived remedies for dealing with it of the Obama administration without having tremendous consequences. And that's why the concept of the word "aftershock" I think is a particularly good one because we had the shock of the financial crisis, but then we're going to have the aftershock.
ROOT: Interestingly enough, you mentioned shock and aftershock, and of course, your famous book is called Catastrophe. What comes after the aftershock? Catastrophe.
MORRIS: Well, I think that the aftershock will be a catastrophe. We have to understand that the disease we had, which was the financial collapse and the recession which it caused, is basically coming to an end. And what we are entering now is the results of the cure, not the results of the disease. You know, the cancer's dead, now we're suffering from the chemotherapy. And the therapy that we've had of huge budget deficits, massive increases in government spending, soon to be big increases in taxes, and then huge increases in interest rates, all of which are now inevitable, you're dealing with a situation where the cure will be many times worse than the disease ever was. In fact, it reminds me of the old medieval doctors who used to bleed their patients, you know, to get rid of the evil spirits in their veins. And that would cure them, and when it didn't and they were worse and worse, they said, ah, we know the solution -- take out more blood, get rid of more evil spirits. So finally the poor son of a gun died. And that's kind of what Obama's like. He's saying, well, he's sick, let's spend more money and increase the deficit. Ah, he is not recovering. Well, let's spend more money and increase the deficit even more. And that is going inevitably to lead to inflation.
Morris warned that Obama will raise taxes in an effort to "make things work." In a March 5 video posted to the AftershockProfits.com website, Morris claimed that in the 1990s, "the only way we balanced the budget, the only way we eliminated the deficit, was to cut the capital gains tax from 28 to 20 [percent], and eliminate it on homeowners who sell their homes for [$]250[,000] or less." By contrast, he said, "Obama is heading in exactly the opposite direction. He's going to raise the capital gains tax, raise the income tax, raise the dividend tax, raise the inheritance tax, maybe add a value-added tax on top of it, all of which are designed to make things worse, not better."
Morris: Obama "elbowing aside the small businesses" to borrow money. In a March 15 video posted on the AftershockProfits.com website, Morris said that because the Obama administration is financing the recently passed job-creation package out of deficit spending rather than out of tax revenue, Obama is "going to the loan window, elbowing aside the small businesses, borrowing the money himself, and then lending a piece of it to the small businesses and saying: 'Now go create jobs.' Whereas if he simply got out of the way and let the small business directly borrow the money, you could create many, many more jobs."
Aftershock: Forbes' role
Forbes in Aftershock video: Return to gold standard. Forbes magazine CEO and editor in chief Steve Forbes appeared in a February 16 video posted on the AftershockProfits.com website. Asked why the U.S. should return to a gold standard for its currency, Forbes responded:
Well, precisely because the dollar is weak. Why are interest rates short-term low? The default position. People are afraid to move their money anywhere else, so they dump it. They just want something safe because of the uncertain environment. Like the depression in the 1930s -- we had low rates then. Boy, a lot of good that did us. So that's a sign that the system is not functioning when you get zero percent interest rates. Look at Japan in the 1990s -- a decade of stagnation. So in terms of gold, what it would do is you would -- businesses would be able to borrow money again, so you'd get real economic growth again. And you would also have lower long-term interest rates. Not the Fed trying to artificially keep them low, but natural low, which means they would last and people would be able to buy mortgages again.
"Emergency Dollar Summit": Newsmax's scheme
Promotion apparently also tied to foreign exchange trading. An October 2009 email from Ruddy touted a November 5, 2009, "Emergency Dollar Summit" webcast with Steve Forbes. An email by Ruddy sent after the webcast references the prospect of a $137,000 "payout" in the next year; a similar claim also appears in the Aftershock promotions. Ruddy's email urges readers to click on a link "now" in order to view the webcast; the link now goes to promotional materials for the "Money Matrix Insider."
"Emergency Dollar Summit": Newsmax's rhetoric
Promoting summit, Ruddy attacked Obama's "dangerous policies" and accused him of turning economy into a "calamitous situation." In his October 2009 email, carrying the subject line "Robbed: Join Steve Forbes in Defending Your Wealth from Obama Policies," Ruddy wrote:
I believe Sir Walter Scott said it best. . .
Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.
And I believe this perfectly sums up the calamitous situation the Obama administration has gotten our national economy, and more importantly your personal wealth into.
Unfortunately, the real threat to your money isn't getting anywhere near the attention it deserves.
I'm speaking of President Obama's dangerous policies that have caused the value of the dollar to plummet to historically low levels.
This has catastrophic consequences for your investments and every penny you've worked so hard to earn.
Promotional materials: Summit discussed possibility of "1930s Level Depression in the Very Near Future," suggested "Currency Investing" as "Smartest Play." According to promotional materials for the summit, the following topics were discussed:
- The Dangers of a Weak Dollar for America and You!
- The Real and Perilous Threat of Inflation
- The Risk Facing 401(k)s and Your Retirement Savings
- Could the Fed's Policy Lead America on the Path to Another Devastating Crash?
- Could We Possibly Suffer a 1930s-Level Depression in the Very Near Future?
- Could Currency Investing Actually Be the Smartest Play For Protecting Your Wealth in the Face of a Devalued Dollar?
"Emergency Dollar Summit": Forbes' role
"Join Steve Forbes for the Emergency Dollar Summit!" Promotional materials for the webcast urged readers to "Join Steve Forbes for the Emergency Dollar Summit!" Forbes was identified as "CEO and editor of Forbes magazine" and as "one of the top financial experts in the country."
"A Call to Arms": Newsmax's scheme
Newsmax offers package including stock tips from Ruddy's "private financial weapon" for $1,295. On May 7, 2009, Newsmax hosted "A Call to Arms," a "national internet webcast" in which Ruddy invited viewers to pay $1,295 for a package including a year's worth of stock tips from Ruddy's "chief financial adviser." Ruddy wrote (PDF) that the "Million Dollar Secret Code" he promoted in the "Call to Arms" webcast is based on the stock-picking of analyst David Frazier, whom Ruddy called his "private financial weapon." Ruddy stated that he was investing $1 million of Newsmax's money in the promotion, adding, "David believes he can bring a 50% to 70%-plus return over the next 12 months to this $1 million." The promotion would provide "About 36 Massive Profit/Minimum Risk Plays," in which "[y]ou will be given guidance about exactly what to buy, at what price, and how much. David Frazier will provide you with all of the research and analysis behind each recommendation. And you will get a 48-hour head start on me, before I can buy the exact same stock recommendations."
The promotion also included access to a special website for "members-only videos, podcasts, and articles that you will find nowhere else," a one-year subscription to Newsmax's Financial Intelligence Report, and two books, including Milton Friedman's "absolutely prophetic" Money Mischief, which "details exactly what Barack Obama is doing to inflate the currency and the dangers that lay ahead." Ruddy claimed that the package is actually a "$6,818" value but offered it to readers for $1,295.
"A Call to Arms": Newsmax's rhetoric
Ruddy: "[P]rotect your wealth from Wall Street and the Obama administration's outreached hands." In promoting its investment scheme in his April 20, 2009, email, Ruddy billed the webcast as an opportunity to "Speak Up Against Obama's Socialist Spending" as a way to "protect your finances and investments from the far-reaching hands of President Obama"; and as the next step following the "Tax Day Tea Parties."
In webcast, Ruddy slams "the President of the United States actually telling GM who they should have as their CEO." During the May 7, 2009, webcast, the event's host, former CNN Headline News anchor Bob Losure, had the following exchange with Ruddy:
RUDDY: It used to be that the old view about the America stock market -- the Warren Buffett view -- was you buy and hold a stock forever. You just sit on it. If you bought Pepsico stock in the 1950s and held it, just a few hundred dollars, you'd be a millionaire 50 years later. It was the American century. You didn't have to anything. The country was growing. They used to have a saying: "What was good for GM was good for the country."
LOSURE: Well, you know, it's interesting how the rules have changed. Now here you have President Obama running General Motors.
RUDDY: It's really incredible, isn't it? You have the President of the United States actually telling GM who they should have as their CEO, what types of cars they should be building at GM. Meanwhile, the whole country has been going through what I call economic whiplash. You've had the Federal Reserve over the past 10 years just keep on gyrating interesting rates. Meanwhile, the Washington policy-makers and the Federal Reserve are spending trillions of dollars, and with a snap of their fingers, they're creating trillions of dollars. And this is going to have a huge impact on the federal economy and everybody's wealth.
"A Call to Arms": Morris' role
In paid email to Morris' list, Ruddy highlights Morris' appearance in webcast touting "Million Dollar Secret Code." In a May 20, 2009, paid email to Morris' email list, Ruddy stated that "Just 2 weeks ago, we held the 'Call to Arms' webcast program with Dick Morris. In the webcast, Newsmax revealed its Million Dollar Secret Code." Ruddy also wrote: "As you loyal readers know, Dick Morris has repeatedly warned of President Obama's socialist plans for the U.S. economy. The 'Secret Code' will help protect your wealth against such plans. Dick Morris knows David Frazier, the guru behind this remarkable program."
In webcast, Morris attacks Obama for "leading America into socialism," endorses "Secret Code." During his appearance on the "Call to Arms" webcast, Morris stated, "I think that Obama definitely is leading America into socialism." He also commented that "of course" Obama's policies will lead to "huge inflation," adding, "I don't see how any expert could disagree with that." He concluded that "we're looking here really at the recession prolonged by Obama's reckless spending and borrowing, which raises interest rates, then a period of inflation when we come out of the recession, and then probably a second recession."
Later in the interview, Losure asked Morris, "David Frazier is heading 'Your Secret Million Dollar Code, and I think you know Chris Ruddy. He's investing a million dollars in his portfolio to track this code. Now is this something you'd recommend to people?" Morris replied, "Well, I'm not putting in a million, but I sure am putting my own money into it." He also suggested that the "Million Dollar Code" was "a strategy" people could use to "keep yourself safe" from "the kind of offensive Obama is launching against the American economy."
In identifying Morris, Losure noted that "you've seen appear regularly on Fox." During Morris' appearance, on screen text identified him as a Fox News analyst:
Morris was paid to tout webcast on his mailing list. In a May 4, 2009, "Urgent Message" to his email list, Morris warned that Obama is leading the country toward "socialism," "rocketing inflation," and a possible second recession. Morris advised his readers to sign up for the webcast in order to "protect your wealth and investments from the far-reaching hands of Barack Obama and the Democrats in Washington."
Morris explained that "[e]ven though they are paying me to send you this e mail; I have, in fact, invested my own money with them because I think they are onto something":
I have been warning that President Barack Obama is leading America down a dangerous path to socialism. But, en route, he will take us through an even longer recession than we need to have; rocketing inflation, and perhaps a second downturn to cure the inflation.
All this will have grave implications each of our personal assets and stock portfolios.
Many people are worried -- and they have good reason to worry.
I believe it's extremely important for Americans to take steps now to protect their money and their financial freedom.
So I agreed to participate in a special seminar online called "The Call To Arms" hosted by my friend Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax as well as famed former CNN anchor Bob Losure -- scheduled for Thursday, May 7th.
Even though they are paying me to send you this e mail; I have, in fact, invested my own money with them because I think they are onto something. We expect upwards of 250,000 people to participate.
I want to encourage you to sign up for this "Call to Arms" online meeting. There is no charge to attend. After you sign up, they will give you FREE access to a members-only website. This site will help you protect your wealth and investments from the far-reaching hands of Barack Obama and the Democrats in Washington.
Ruddy, Morris also teamed up on financial seminars before 2008 election
Ruddy and Morris were featured in a series of Newsmax seminars in January 2008. Ruddy and Morris were also prominently featured as part of a series of Newsmax seminars (PDF) in California in January 2008 titled "Grow Your Wealth In Turbulent Times." According to the promotion for the seminars, "famed political guru Dick Morris will be joining us to offer his take on how the '08 elections will affect your portfolio. Dick is predicting a Democratic takeover with enormous changes for capital gains, taxes, budget priorities and other areas, with broad-based economic consequences." The seminar cost $75 per person to attend.
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text:
Winter is certainly over when the daffodils bloom.
Saturday was the first day that the daffodil fields at Calhoun Plantation were open to the public.
They call it 'U-Pick' and thousands take advantage of the Merrick family's generosity to do just that.
Gathering a bouquet is fun and if you wander through the fields and cut your own blossoms, the price is a mere 20 cents a stem, versus 25 cents each for those precut. Whether you pay 20 cents or a quarter each for your golden blooms, being out in fields of these harbingers of spring renews the spirit.
Years ago when Cornelius Ysbrand Van Duyn began planting daffodils in fields he rented from local farmers, we had no idea that his business venture of shipping flowers would segue into a Bluffton tradition.
From Pritchardville, where stray daffodils still pop up here and there in former fields that have become established residential communities, to the Okatie and some say perhaps the daffodil fields on Cat and Cane Islands over in Beaufort, Van Duyn planted a myriad of varieties of daffodils.
Van Duyn also experimented with gladiolas and managed to propagate one that was such a deep purple as to seem black. Sometimes, when I drive past Sonic on U.S. 278, I see in my mind's eye, the fields of gladiolas that once burst into color there in the late summer. On my 16th birthday, Icy VanDuyn brought me an enormous bouquet of gladiolas, including his father's prize purple ones.
When tomatoes were no longer the wonder crop for farmers in Bluffton, some of the more enterprising remembered the daffodils which were still blooming in the fields each February even after Van Duyn had left and once again, they became a desirable cash crop.
Down in Pritchardville, the railroad station had been brought across the road when the overpass was built and it now sat on the edge of Bubba Crosby's property. This forlorn building became the distribution point for daffodil blooms.
Now, pickers who had been recruited for the tomato fields came to gather flowers. Wearing special metal rings with a curved blade designed to swiftly cut through the flower's stem, they could collect daffodil blooms swiftly and efficiently. As a harvesting machine, it was primitive and effective.
Blooms cut in the morning hours out on Oak Forest or Calhoun Plantation were transported to Pritchard Station There, the blooms were counted out into bundles of 10, fastened with a rubberband and laid out in a single layer into a wide flat box to be driven to the Savannah airport and flown north.
By evening, these golden daffodils of the sort that so fascinated poets Wordsworth and Tennyson, would be in florist shop windows that overlooked snowy streets of Philadelphia or Boston or New York City.
With the care of the Merrick family, the daffodil fields of Calhoun Plantation still provide that extra jolt of floral sunshine for visitors of all ages to enjoy.
This weekend, barring bad weather, the fields will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Calhoun Plantation is off Pinckney Colony Road which is located between Rose Hill Plantation and Eagle's Point on U.S. 278.
For detailed information, refer to www.3sistersfarm.com.
The Merricks love dogs but ask that you please leave them at home. Don't forget your camera.
Annelore Harrell lives in Bluffton and can be reached at email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
It was a little crowded shooting in Amsterdam yesterday.
Apparently, the local football club won a big championship game and everyone was out to celebrate.
Monday, May 16, 2011
It was a little crowded shooting in Amsterdam yesterday.
Apparently, the local football club won a big championship game and everyone was out to celebrate.
310 comments
wow…so many things going on in this picture… love all different moods you have captured in this one.
weel, you sure got your cultural event!
Haha, cool! It was indeed a busy weekend in Amsterdam after Ajax won the national title (the most important game of the year in Dutch soccer).
I really hope you enjoyed your stay, though!
What fantastic energy juxtaposed by her demure presence. Loving her warm mustard top. Great shot.
so bright and happy!
haha yes all ajax fans were totally crazy after the match, beautiful photo tough!
love, selina
great photo!
The contrast of calmness and excitement and the sharp colour outfit are eye-catching.
I like her outfit!
fun fun fun :D
…and how I miss Amsterdam…
She looks so unimpressed with the football-mad guys! haha
Nice shot – interesting composition.
ha! I love this shot.
Yes we did! Too bad for the Sartorialist everybody wore the red-and-white Ajax shirts. :)
And yet she manages to keep her poise. Clearly a very classy lady.
It's almost a small modern version of Rembrandt's 'Nightwatch'. Alot of things going on, but the actual focus is on the girl. Great!
I loooooooooooove the comments. The local football team is known as Ajax Amsterdam, they are extremely famous (they invented "total football") & they won the League (national competition) last year.
They have a pretty stylish jersey too (though not as exciting as Paris Saint-Germain's – designed by Daniel Hechter himself).
This looks like it could be a Benetton ad. Great shot!
All during the day i kept thinking; Poor Scott,…poor scott!
You really made it work though!
The local, and also the biggest of Holland, football club Ajax played against the then current number one and defending champion..and won! Making Ajax this year's champion. For the 30th time ha!
/just so you lot know ^^
- Proud Ajax fan
The shot is perfect – the dynamic around underlines the pure lines of the girl's outfit.
This photograph is so vibrant and alive. Beautiful!
hahaha Yeah, Ajax won the Dutch national championships and puts them into the European champion of champions tournament. (I hope this helps – I was trying to explain without assuming any prior knowledge of the Eredivisie and Champions League).
Was the woman in the middle at the game? She seems a little non-plussed by the giddy fans around her. If you want to see stylish football fans (ie not wearing the usual uniform of football shirt, etc.), take a trip to a few Italian football grounds during the Serie A season.
Ohhh a great image!!
this is great, I like how the yellow sticks out, she looks so calm amidst the excitement! Great photo :)
Oh ha! This photo is so neat! I love the way she's standing so still and there's so much energy going on around her. And that tunic thing is so cute!
ha nice shot. Love that the girl just stands there looking all mysterious and the rest is jumping of joy.
I find it so interesting how the gorgeous girl in yellow looks to so oblivious to the celebrating men around her. Her expression and posture is such a contrast. As is her style and coloring. It's as if she was added to the photo.
That`s how I know and love my Amsterdam: alsways crowded, always loud, always fun ! :)
and lots of trendy people as we can on the photo – I like it !
usually I don't comment on your work, but this picture is so great I need to write something.
love it!
Ajax won the Eredivisie Championship after 7 years (circa 2004) they now play in the Champions League as Dutch league winners which is the equivalent of being in the NBA playoffs. It's a money spinning football/soccer competition comparable to the Superbowl in it's viewership worldwide. Culturally it's amazing to see the waterways chocked full of supporters… In 2000 I saw Amsterdam policeman aiding a female Oranje (Dutch National Soccer Team) supporter roll a spliff/blunt/weed in the city streets with her on his back after they reached the European Semi Finals which is the European version of the World Cup. You asked for culture, so enjoy…
this is so funny! i love it! the quality is unbelievable too
HAHAHHA so funny pics…
Love the serious of the woman in center of the pics…. ;))
Very nice pic
MUST HAVE: Delfina DELETTREZ http://magmoiselle.fr
Quality photo as per…Ajax had just won the Eredivisie for the first time since 2004.
usually I don't comment on your work, but this picture is so great I need to write something.
Love it!
I love this picture! The girl's cute. She looks like she just arrived from another planet and accidentally ended up in this mess.
i loveeeeeeeeeeeee !!
Fabulous photo Scott.
Love the explosion of colours.
That girl is stunning
lee x
I like that you use the word "local" football club about Ajax Amsterdam ;-)
So sorry you had to see us "Amsterdammers" at our not-so-very best ;-)
It gave you the chance to take a picture of the most stylish football shirt in Europe.
love it!
I was the first time in 7 years that ajax won the national championship, and the 30th time overall. Most loaded game in years, great moment to be in town!
Great picture too.
yes you're right Ajax won the cahmpionship.
Anyway, amazing photo!
Love the energy of the moment!!!
ajax and it is the eredivisie, the dutch national league.
A great mood in this picture, but the poor girl looks a bit worried
What a good Shot!, I hope you survived it, it could be a big mess in the city on these days…Greetz
Anna from Amsterdam http://www.annalindeman.blogspot.com
Yep, Ajax won.
This picture is hilarious :)
love that mustard color sweater with the pockets.
Was this close enough to a bullfight?
It's Ajax! One of the big football clubs in Europe!
Ajax of Amsterdam won the national football (soccer) tournament.
Love this photo!
Haha it was crazy in Amsterdam, it always is when Ajax wins! This is a really good shot and i love her outfit!
Hope you had a good time in Amsterdam!
You definitely got right smack in the middle of things Scott, AJAX won the country championship for the 30th time….
You should come to Norway tomorrow! Big day, a looooot of people and beautiful national costumes!
I love this picture the best of both worlds come together the sartorialist and ajax! Great!
Thanks Scott,
love the girl standing their in the middle :)
Yeha it had been a long time since Ajax won…
Poor girl :) They stole her shot! :)) Great photo!
The girl in the middle is so calm, love her mustard tunic
great energy and everyone looks great!! love Amsterdam!!
they actually won the championship for the 30th time ;) it was a big deal haha. LOVE the photo though
I love the static girl surrounded by the moving guys.Is that a sleeveless jeans shirt?
"a bit crowded", I hope you missed the masses on the Museumplein.
Yes, there it is. You caught Amsterdam on a crazy moment.
the girl certainly stands out from the guys!
I luv it so much!!
Astonishing use of colour, i love.
Very cool style but too bad that the supporters actually have something to celebrate…..
Soccer and fashion usually don't mix in my mind, but next time you are in Italy you should go to a game where you will see some of the best dressed men around. I went to an Inter Milan game a few years ago and was astounded at the way the supporters dressed, a far cry from the English game where it's nylon shirts all round-yuck!
Oh my god haha I love how the guys seem to have photobombed this picture! (even if they happen to know the lady)
Great mood! :)
It's so neat how you captured the festivity and excitement of fans in their sportswear, and then you catch a solitary chic outfit amidst all of it.
much love.
the picture is fantastic.
Nothing could interupt a fashion moment.
Not only did they win, it was the 30th national championship for them and the first one in 7 years.
this picture is great! the movement is really cool
I would like to think that they are cheering for her brilliant mustard jumper
This photo is so fun. I love the different pose of each person.
Ajax won Eredivisie yesterday beating Twente 3-1 in last match!!!
haha btw funny shot… :)
it's very nice the difference between the boys that are excited and the girl who's serious. great shot!
Local football club haha? AJAX, our national pride!
Great picture by the way :)
wonderful tableau! I love her calm against their madness.
I like her stillness amongst everything.
Wow, I LOVE this photo, and yeah i was in Amsterdam too, it was so crowded, but you wanted a cultural event, you got THE dutch event.
I love this kind of pictures where everyone is happy!
I love that girl's outfit. It's really inspiring. Thanks for sharing!
yeah our local soccer club won! Everyone was partying that day.
I LOVE how the super fashionable girl is surrounded by the more casual football supporting dudes!
The fact that the girl in the center is standing still and everyone is jumping around her is really cool, great contrast.
This is so cool! The energy is amazing!
love it! http://www.fut-il.com
Fantastic shot especially since the girl looks so serene!
they won the championship! great picture!
Indeed Ajax won the national championship and dutchies get crazy with soccer ;)
I'm having flashbacks of the early 90s Benetton ads of my youth…it's a good sort of flashback.
You grab the atmosphere pretty well ! Bravo !
Bright primary colors. The jump. The guys with baggy pants and her tight leggings. Major elements here.
Visit the Salon of Rights at:
nice apron.
Ajax has won the national soccer league yesterday, Amsterdam was one big party!
Haha yes you got your cultural event after all! Unfortunately not the most fashionable one.. ;)
Love the photo.
Wow! I love it, such a pretty shot!
I love this shoot!
The seriously expresion of the girl mixed with the excited crowd!
WOW. i was there but this picture almost captures ALL of the things that was going on out there. just WOW. too bad i didn't see you! what a talent.
ha ha great picture!
oh dear… nobody thought about THATH when we heard you were going to Amsterdam! But yeah, the local football club (Ajax) is the most famous football club in Holland, I think.
Awesome picture though! Very interesting. I love her just standing in the middle of the picture, when there's so much going on around her.
With everything going on in this shot, my eyes still go to her.
I love this so much! The boiled wool and the jerseys together are hysterical.
AJAX won! Great shot though.
love the footwear
Come in Liège in Belgium Tuesday…final of belgium football cup
We LOVE jumping pictures. Especially colorful ones like these. Thanks.
whoa! what a cool photo. i like the girl in the middle, she looks cool. :)
OMG, I´m so happy you´ve witnessed this! It was THE event Amsterdam was actually waiting for (for 7 years!)
I love how the crazy fans are jumping and the girl stands still in the picture, LOVE it!
warm regards from Amsterdam :D
That is so funny…welcome to Europe and be glad you weren't on the streets in Dortmund yesterday. (celebrating german soccer championship with 400.000!! people on the street looking like bees;)
please post more!
I LOVE this photo! I love how calm and self assured the girl is, her personality directly reflected in that wonderful outfit. It almost looks like the gentlemen are photoshopped in because she is so unfazed by them
that's hilarious- made for a great shot though!
oh, poor thing! but she still looks great! very brave!
Haha you got a special day by chance :) I hope you liked Amsterdam and mostly I hope you took a boat ride around the canals.
The picture is so great, that fine looking girl is like photoshoped behind the fans :)
Haha, ahw I already felt a bit sorry for you Scott! Amsterdam was such a mess yesterday.
Love it! there is so much energy in this photo, wish I was there for the party! x
Yes, Ajax Amsterdam won! They are the best football team in the Netherlands 2010/2011 after 7 years.
Soccer meets fashion. Love it!
That's Ajax….a little more than just 'the local football team'.
Well Amster-Dam-it, I wish i could have been there !
It is so cheerful and so european atmosphere :)
YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! Ajax!!
The "local football team" it's called Ajax and it's one of the most emblematic teams in the world. Yesterday they won the Eredivisie (the highest football league in the Netherlands) which was missing since 2004. Great picture by the way!
I can appreciate the stillness of this moment. Great photo!
This photograph, literally, speaks a thousand words. Just wonderful.
The flyng Dutch men!
brilliant picture!
Such a great Photo!
Really really nice.
that yellow vest is so amazing
I know I'm not leaving there but, I think it's an honor for are country
The local football club is called Ajax and is one of the greatest football clubs in the world.
I doubt this photo was taken on the Prinsengracht as that is a canal; the word 'gracht' in Dutch means 'canal'.
Other than that, intriguing picture with this mysterious, pale girl in the middle.
Love all those colours together!!
Really nice pic.. but, as usual.. from you!!! ^_^
Check my blog, nice advices on fashion for all, in italian and english..
is it Iris in the middle?
Beautiful photo!!
Yeeeyyy !!! AJAXXXXX !!!!
<3 from Amsterdam !!!!!!!!!!!!!
x isabella
it was alax
and they won the most important championship in the netherlands
everybody is stil partying
ps really nice to see the Netherlands on this site for ones!
I love the yellow!
Ha ha. You tried to shoot in your usual singular manner but it just wasn't going to happen was it! So you let it evolve into something else – wonderful!
This photograph is quite compelling.
I absolutely love this picture!
Can't wait to see more of your photos from Amsterdam! I was visiting this weekend as well (Sunday was CRAZY!) and was struck how wonderfully fashionable everyone was.
spectacular shot
It was on the corner of Prinsengracht and the Leidsestraat.. I saw the picture being taken and talked to mister Schuman for one second :)
LOVE this picture. so euro and captures such a different spirit than you see in the U.S. Such a great moment!
Love that mustard sweater. she's killin it :)
LOVE this picture! So euro and a spirit that you don't see in the U.S. A truly great moment!
I love your blog. I follow you :)
What a great moment!
LOVE how the boys are all clamoring like monkeys for notice, and the girl just stands there quietly in her fierce fashion stance, literally the center of attention. It's why we rule: holla!
looool this photo is so cool. Girl is so stylish and still and guys are all crazy. Amazing capture!!!
This photo is great! You really captured the spirit!
oh my god, that's the greatest photo!
how many times did you asked them to jump? ;)
Hi There,
We at ELLE magazine posted this picture at our Facebook page,http://www.facebook.com/pages/ELLE/275770550192#!/pages/ELLE/275770550192
Just because we loved the picture. The composition, the movement, everything. And ofcourse Amsterdam! We hope you dont mind. Ofcourse we redirected the picture to it's original location, here your blog.
Hope you had a nice stay in Amsterdam.
I love this as a photograph and could see it being used in a clothing ad.
She seems so cold and absent between the joy of the boys:an interesting contrast.
One of the best pictures I have seen on the blog! So alive, contrasting and dinamic!
Muchas felicidades!
OMG i love this
I love how the girl in yellow stands there like if she wasn't part of them :)
The lady in the middle keeps her fabulous pose around all the joyful celebration. I like her yellow vest!
Great spontaneous composition, footballers and fashionista.
Such a wonderful and vibrant photo! You never cease to produce a great shot.
This is one of my favorite pictures you've taken :)
nice shot. I'd like to see more shots from amsterdam.
Love this pic'
She might be better-dressed, but they're clearly having more fun. I'd rather be them any day!
love how the girl keeps calm amidst the celebration going on around her.
This blog is absolutely a phenomenal reference even for online fashion stores for men like ours.
Thank you and keep up the good work!
Interesting picture, looks like someone take it too serious. Sure she was supporting Twente. Haha.
Espectacular los fans del Ajax! Los invito a que conzcan nuestros blog: http://www.fashionlevyfood.com ! Desde Bs As, Argentina les mostramos la moda gurmet local ! Los esperamos!
One of your best. Spectacular!
this is just unbelievable… bravo
Caught the game on satellite, was a really good game. Would of loved to be celebrating on the streets there!
Wholesale Clothing
I LOVE this! So fun, so much energy. It's also silly!
wow. this picture is wonderfull!!
you really should come to antwerp ;)
I really like the contrast between the model's emotions and those of the fans! :D
my city, Amsterdam.
Ajax did a great job, and so did you!
Loving the photo.
oh,wonderful picture!
Love the colors in this one. Plus it's just a fun photo!
Haha, this is such a hilarious photo. I can sense the excitement of those fans.
Wicked pic, so colourful! :)
fantastic <3
Without a doubt your best picture up to date.
Not necessarily technically, but oh boy does this picture elicit something from us or not. What a joy and vibe amidst that serenity dressed in mustard.
OMG your in AMSTERDAM! I would love to see you there, just to be able to shake your hand..Great shot, as always :-)
I like it, although of course I don't support Ajax, mind! :) But besides that I really like the whole feeling about it.
I bet you didn't ask them, haha :)
Haha, indeed, it was really crowded!
But you can call this THE match of the Dutch soccer teams, so everybody was very nervous about who was going to be the champion. (I wasn't, actually. ;))
But I really love this shot!
It captures the moment perfectly. Great job!
hahaha this is so great! it's like one of your typical photographs of a gorgeous, serious person, but there are randomly cheering men around her. SO GREAT! i like their clothes too…
The local football club, ha… Ajax is one of the most famous football clubs in the world and has fans in every corner of the globe. They just won after years of coming close so it must be a great time to be in the city! Gotta love the fashionable girl surrounded by inevitably drunk fans.
this is a wonderful shot!
whenever I return home from europe (or anywhere from overseas) i miss how colorful the rest of the world's wardrobe is – while in america everything is so drab
Cool that girl……..!!!!
love that yellow top!
Love this!
Amazing photo! Love colours! :)
How colourful in clothes and atmosphere!
Love her mustard tank top!
Hi Scott,
You did a magnificent job capturing the girls'serenity and the energy & excitement of the fans in one picture.
There probably weren't a lot of great photo opportunities in the sea of red-white dressed football fans, but this one is just a true gem. Well done!
haha, i love how all the guys around the girl are freaking out and she's just chillin :D
what an amazing shot!! her hair looks like mine!
I guess we were both in Amsterdam on Sunday! It was impossible to bike around. Hope you had fun. Come to The Hague.
Many editorial photographers would give their eyeteeth to create a shot like this! (And now they'll all hate you because this photo will remind them that their "fake enthusiasm" photos are just that… :))
Haha, I like the girls clothes
Ghehe AJAX ♥
Favorite Sart shot of all time. I like to imagine that she didn't know all these fans were going to fly into frame from out of nowhere. (Probably not the case.)
The contrast of fashion-y stoicism and earnestness is hard to beat. Although it looks to me like she's trying real hard to keep a straight face.
So much FUN
Really great shot!!! Hope you had a great time!
this picture is AMAZING!
AJAX KAMPIOEN!!! The third star!!!
Scott – you're a lucky, lucky man. You wanted to observe something truly Dutch. This is it! It does not get better than this! The buzz in the air….incomparable.
Glad to see you embraced the true Amsterdam spirit and joy in your blog.
And it is very typical for Ajax fans to jump…
And kudos to you for calling it a football club, not a soccer club.
This nuance is much appreciated!
Hooray, 'football'. Thank you Scott, your use of english english is refreshing :). x
Absolutely gorgeous!
I'm impressed with the commenter who wrote Rembrandt's Nightwatch! Lovely colors and energy here.
wwwoooww" your blog and your photos are soo fantastic and amazing! i love it!
ha ha. i love this.
perfect shot!
I love the look of the girl and the way she's posing while the guys are on the air. Brilliant photograph! :)
another place i would SO love to go to. always looks like great people and great fun. thanks for sharing.
xx, http://wordbyjessie.com
Love the mustard with black. Her contrasting expression with those of the guys makes an interesting photo!
Heard you visited Oger Amsterdam with Ă big smile! ;-)
Hmmm… yellow/black. Must be a NAC Breda fan who took the wrong train home.
Great capture!
Love it!!!
What a GREAT picture. But people were acting like morons, getting superdrunk and even fighting. That's not how the Sartorialist needs to see Amsterdam:)
How long will you be staying?
i love how the regained composure against the excitement of the footie fans, captured perfectly!
Let's hear it for the boys!!!
Peace. Love. LOL!
Haute Khuuture Blog
I smell a new style for shooting an editorial spread. I see VOGUE all over this.
one of the best pictures you've taken in my opinion.
the lighting could be a bit better but yeah,
its awesome.
I love this shot, the colours and composition are fabulous. I feel like I'm there, like I can hear them roar for their team. Wonderful, thanks.
You're a cosmopolitan!
Can NOT express how in love I am with this photo!!!
I really love this blog, I read it daily but rarely comment…but I absolutely love this photo! There is so much energy in it and the woman's outfit is stunning!
love it so much
I hope you had fun taking photos of happy people!
Love all the shoes!
Just like an improvised Lacoste print ad! How fun!
That's one of your best pictures ever.
Hahaha here I was advising you to go all the museums, all the while the chance of witnissing a bull fight like event was there all along! Wonderfull, you captured it.
Amazing shot. Bravo.
This is my favourite photograph of yours so far.
I like how you have the usual shot of a cool 'idle' central subject but made more interesting by surrounding them with all this energy.
Brilliant work!
haha! I was in the middle of that crowd! It was a beautiful day for Amsterdam, our club won the Dutch laegue! This photo is made perfectly! This beautiful photo pictured that beautiful day! Kisses from Amsterdam
Hahaha. Such a cool picture. Probably one of your best ever.
Well, the calm and assured women in the focus of the picture, flanked by the embodied joy, happens to be my beautiful daugther. On my worries of het being amidst the frenzy, she replied: 'Dad, I'm an Amsterdammer!'.
Thank you for all the kind replies, thank you for this epic picture.
I hope you noticed that this picture capsulates the essence of the youth of Amsterdam: joyous, assured, free and: truly mixed. Opposed to the political mainstream they create their own open society.
lovely lovely photograph
It was a crazy week-end indeed! Too bad I didn't know you were coming, would have loved to see you work!
Great shot!
wow!!this photo is amazing!
That made me laugh. Great photo!
Great and happy photo.
ha ha…this is one classic
I'm so in love with the colors in this picture……and the woman's outfit is inspirational.
Great photography
Love this girl!
I love the pic, but more the girl, her outfit and her haircut :-)
Hope you have more photos from your stay in Amsterdam! Hope you enjoyed!
AMAZING ♥!
Lovely! Absolutly lovely photo. The Boys are so gorgeous in their elation.
One teeny tiny mistake: That is most definitely NOT the Prinengracht. There are no trams (Rails are visible)on the Prinsengracht. It is probably The Leidsestraat which intersects the Prinsen…
Just sayin'.
loving all the different moods you captured in this photo.
so full of life!
Amazing. Like an editorial shot.
Haha. It looks like you were trying to capture a shot of her, and the guys just jumped in. Love it!
Looks like a Benetton ad from the 80's !
that's so cooool! i absolutly love t! the girl seems a little lost in the middle but that's what makes this pic perfect …
This picture is amazing! What a fantastic moment to capture!
haha i love this!
I love this shot! One of your best in a while. Fantastic.
Great shot!
I was so into the girl's look I didn't realized the boys were actually jumping.
Great photo. Love the contrast between the hipster girl and all the sporty guys around her. Amsterdam fashion, in a nutshell.
What a great moment you've captured. Such jubilation!
This reminds me of inception.. where that mob bursts through behind the guy…
Anyways, beautiful photo.. amazing contrast between the girl and those guys.
could easily be an editorial for a magazine. love the intensity of the girl in the middle amidst all those jumping guys
Hahahaha great picture !!!
i like this site
I was there that weekend too! Crazy energy!! And you captured it in this shot! Brilliant!!
Amazing shot, and sweater. can I have it?
Your blog is just an absolute constant inspiration to me, thankyou so much Scott.
Wow, I absolutely love the colour of the sweater of the woman in the middle! <3
really crazy colors!
ahhh this picture has given me the strongest sense of nostalgia in years. i grew up in amsterdam but have been living in london for many years now, no matter where i end up amsterdam still is home…
Looks like a Benetton ad. =)
This photo reminds me of Norman Parkinson
wow. i saw this on my page as i was scrolling on bloglovin and thought this was an editorial.
the perfect picture at the right time. the girl in the middle makes this photo.
Great photo!!!
VIVA HOLLANDIA!! haha great photo.
love the sportswear!
….it brings a smile on my face <3 …love M
love this! have been there those days and it was a mayhem. cool shot and composition :o)
Yes Ajax won:) love this picture.
AJAX! Well dressed Ajaxians as well.
that girl is perfect on so many levels
What a nice pics and nice comments from everyone..!!!!
PS: it was so a nice day
Im that Boy in the pic Holla @ je boy from Amsterdam!
Waaaauwzzz al the comments on the pic so nice.. Im that boy in the pic hahaha just saw it now the first time.. Nice pic by the way..
J'adore cette photo, les couleurs sont superbes.
j'adore ce blog!
umltzung fuumlr Leute, die beim Zahlen ihrer Hausraten in Ruumlckstand gerieten. Ein groszliger Teil des Geldes flieszligt in die Weiterbildung. Gennett und sein Team vom PillowtexProjekt lockten uumlber die Haumllfte der ehemaligen Textilarbeiter in ihre Schule. Geholfen hat sicher, dass die, die jetzt aufs College gehen, ein Jahr laumlnger Arbeitslosengeld bekommen. Und auch, dass es sonst nicht viel zu tun gibt, in Kannapolis, North Carolina.Viele machen bei uns den Hauptschulabschluss nach. Dann muumlssen sie lernen, sich auf dem Arbeitsmarkt zu orientieren, sich zu bewerben. Die meisten Arbeiter haben nie im Leben eine Bewerbung geschrieben, sie waren nie zu einem Einstellungsgespraumlch. Sie stellten sich am Anfang ihres Arbeitslebens
verschieben, zunaumlchst auf den Sommer . Grund fuumlr die Verzoumlgerung ist eine weitere Spezialitaumlt des deutschen Hochschulsystems. Der Test kostet naumlmlich pro Bewerber Euround die Hochschulen sind sich nicht sicher, ob sie das Geld eintreiben duumlrfen.SPIEGEL: Herr Heym, in Ihrem gerade erschienenen RomanPargfrider blickt ein alter Jude auf sein Leben zuruumlck. Sind Siedas selbstHeym: Ich gebe zu, daszlig es da gewisse Parallelen gibt. In denmeisten meiner Buumlcher haben die Charaktere etwas von mir an sich.Woher sollte ich denn sonst nehmen, was ich schreibeSPIEGEL: Sie wurden in eine juumldische Familiehineingeboren. Wie hat das Juumldischsein Ihr Leben beeinfluszligtHeym: Vor allen Dingen dadurch, daszlig ich verfolgt wurd
Ugg Classic Tall Boots
en und gehen, Siemens bleibt bestehen, beschreibt ein hochrangiger ExManager die Hybris, die auch ihn selbst bald erfasste.Das Problem fuumlr Heinz K., den Buchhalter, ist deshalb am Anfang auch kein moralisches, nur ein logistisches: Wie bekommt man so viel Geld von Muumlnchen aufdie Konten nach Innsbruck oder Salzburg Wie weiter nach Nigeria oder Moskau Und wie um Himmels willen macht man das so korrekt, auf den Cent genau, dass alles seine schoumlne Ordnung hat Mag ja sein, dass man Korruption betreibt, aber bitte auf Deutsch, also mit Antrag, Genehmigung, doppelter Unterschrift.So begann ein SiemensKorruptionsfall gewoumlhnlich mit einem Vermerk, dem sogenannten Grundsatzpapier Provision fuumlr Kundenauftraumlge, auszufuumlllen vom Vertr
fhalten zu koumlnnen.Gegen die aumlrgste Demuumltigung, die dem Christentum von CharlesDarwin zugefuumlgt wurde, vermochten sich die Kirchenoberen schonnicht mehr zu wehren. Gegen den Widerstand christlicher Fundis hatder Papst der Darwinschen Evolutionstheorie vor zwei Jahren sogarseinen amtlichen Segen gegeben. Kein Gott, so hatte derNaturforscher Mitte letzten Jahrhunderts verkuumlndet, habe dieMenschen nach seinem Ebenbild geformt vielmehr seien sie nur dieVettern der Tiere, hervorgegangen aus einem Prozeszlig natuumlrlicherAuslese.Mit der Zeit wurde Gott so zum Platzhalter fuumlr jeweils dieNaturphaumlnomene, welche die Wissenschaftler gerade noch nichtentschluumlsselt hatten. Inzwischen ist dem goumlttlichen Willen nur einletzter Schlu
Ugg Tasmina Flip Flops
Speaking of Rembrandt's Night Watch, I am absolutely sure the photo was taken at Rembrantplein not at Prinsengracht which gives more charm to the fabulous picture
j'adore ce blog!


text: I recently purchased the very huge, very cool, and very expensive book "The Art of Ralph McQuarrie", six pages of which are dedicated to McQuarrie's conceptual art for what is listed in the book as "Unfilmed Star Trek Feature, late 1970s", better know to Trek historians as Philip Kaufman's aborted film "Star Trek: Planet of the Titans". The best thing is seeing large reproductions of several of McQuarrie's concept paintings that most of us have seen before, and conceptual sketches, most of which I'd seen elsewhere. But what made this extra interesting was Ralph's notes on the images. Since much of what's known about this project is rumor and assumption, I thought I'd dig up some of the images in the book and note what McQuarrie says about them, and what hints that provides about what was and wasn't planned for the film. NOTE that the images here are ones I've seen all over the net and had on my hard drive. I didn't dare try to put this big ol book into a scanner! The caption above seems to confirm that the design of the ship was that of Ken Adam, not McQuarrie's per se, despite what some people want to see as a Star Destroyer influence. This explanation fits with the Adam sketches of the ship seen in The Art of Star Trek. Ok, the nonsense about dense material negating gravity aside, the many sketches of the detached saucer, in the "shroud", shown landed, and the various landing pads on what appears to be Earth and Vulcan all appear to indicate that the artists at least were toying with the idea of a ship that routinely separates, leaving the warp drive in orbit while the saucer lands on planets. It appears the artists were blue-skying ideas while the scripts were being developed, suggesting many ideas that probably never made it into the actual screenplays. As to the Enterprise, some of the sketches in the book show close-ups of the nacelle fronts, which are shown to have domed ends, but these are recessed into the front of the nacelle cylinders: a detail not apparent on the photos I've seen of the study models.


text:
Commercial, Personal/Corporate, Products, Public Service, Regulatory
By James Careless | March 1, 2008
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AEROSPACE FILTRATION SYSTEMS IS displaying its newly certified inlet barrier filters at Booth 4013.
Designed for the Eurocopter AS350 powered by either Turbomeca Arriel or Honeywell LTS1010 engines, the inlet barrier filter can be installed without modification to the engine cowl and without downloads to calculate, according to the manufacturer.
The system features a sealed engine intake plenum that replaces the sand filter, engine air particle separator, or alternate barrier filter. The Aerospace Filtration system includes an integral bypass system with a rear-facing bypass door and breathable plenum to reduce the chance of debris entering the engine.
A switch in the cockpit operates the bypass system.
According to Aerospace Filtration, a growing number of AS350 operators are protecting their helicopters with its inlet barrier filters. Operators worldwide have made more than 75 installations of the new filters since their certification by U.S. and Canadian authorities last year, it said. One, Dwight Jones, owner of Mountain Air Helicopters in Santa Fe, N.M., calls the filters "the very best air inlet protection available."
"The system is simple to maintain," Jones said. "We operate our helicopters in some very extreme conditions, with the majority of our landings on unimproved helispots in mountainous, high desert areas where dust, dirt and sand are a constant worry."
Mountain Air Helicopters specializes in firefighting and other utility work in New Mexico's hot and high terrain, arguably some of the toughest environments for helicopter operations.
"Smoke, ash, and other contaminants related to the fire environment produce additional engine air hazards," he said. "These contaminants are power robbers and at the altitudes we work, we need all the engine power we can get."
With satisfactory power checks, Aerospace Filtration said, AS350s equipped with its filters can operate to basic inlet charts with no flight or gross-weight restrictions. The flight manual supplement for Arriel-powered AS350 filters permits operation to basic inlet or sand filter performance charts, it said, depending on engine health and filter condition.
Aerospace Filtration filters are certified for most commercial and military helicopters and widely used by U.S. military helicopters in combat environments in the Middle East.


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After nearly 15 months in Kinston, overseeing the construction of the Woodmen Community Center and Lions Water Adventure water park, Lance Bliss is preparing to head home.
After nearly 15 months in Kinston, overseeing the construction of the Woodmen Community Center and Lions Water Adventure water park, Lance Bliss is preparing to head home.
�Like the old song says, �I�ll be home for Christmas,� � he said last week.
Bliss, 55, is a field superintendent for the Darland Construction Co. of Omaha, Neb. Darland is the general contractor hired to build the nearly $13 million community center and water park on West Vernon Avenue, on the former site of a Smithfield packing plant.
Bliss, a native of Tekamah, Neb., has been in Kinston since October of 2011, supervising the construction efforts. He will head home this week.
�The first person I met was Bill Ellis,� he said of the Kinston-Lenoir Parks and Recreation director. �He came and picked me up, gave me a whirlwind tour of the town.�
The community center is a project of the Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society, which is headquartered in Omaha.
The Woodmen contributed $7 million toward the project through their charitable and community arm, the Woodmen Foundation. The city, county, state and Golden LEAF Foundation put up nearly $2 million, and $4 million came through private contributions to build the water park.
The Lions Industries for the Blind of Kinston contributed the majority of the funds for the water park, which has been designed with a number of features to assist blind and visually-impaired patrons.
�This is a one-of-a-kind of thing and as a builder, as a superintendent, it was a fun, challenging (project),� Bliss said.
Bliss has coordinated about 25 subcontractors in Kinston performing a variety of tasks, from building the pools to installing stairways to constructing the basketball court, and many more.
�When you are actually here every day and you�re seeing it come together, then you have a real deep appreciation for the craftsman � down to the guy that's pouring the concrete and digging the ditches,� Bliss explained.
Bliss went out of his way to recognize the subcontractors on the project, as well as Kinston and Lenoir County government officials and staffers, and members of the community who supported the Woodmen project.
�It's about the community and what they have now,� he said. �I was just fortunate enough to be part of it; I was just blessed to be here.�
The two-story, 50,000 square-foot community center had its grand opening in July; the inflatable cover known as the �bubble� was installed over the competition and therapy pools earlier this month, and construction of the water park is expected to wrap up by the beginning of next year.
About 80 to 100 workers from the various subcontractors were on the site at the peak of construction. Bliss said he worked to hire as many local contractors as possible.
Workers with Pro-356 Electric of Kinston were among them � the company name is derived from the Bible verse Proverbs 3:5-6.
�It�s been a great experience,� Electrical Superintendent Paul Councilman said. �It�s one of the best buildings I�ve ever done.�
Councilman has also worked on the expansion and renovation of large sections of Moss Hill Elementary School, but the Woodmen project was one of the largest � it was also a unique experience.
�In 26 years of electrical work I�ve never done a water park and it was just a great experience to be able to do it,� he said.
Councilman said Bliss is �one of the best general contractors I�ve ever worked with; he�s a real good guy.�
Danny Rice, a member of the Woodmen of the World�s national board of directors, said Darland Construction has been a contractor on other Woodmen projects.
He also praised Bliss for his efforts in Kinston.
�He's been so good to work with and has got such a good personality and has just been so great for all our contractors and venders to work with,� Rice said.
David Anderson can be reached at 252-559-1077 or email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at DavidFreePress.
Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lordwith all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (King James Version)
Source: biblegateway.com


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Home prices in San Joaquin County reached their highest level in about five years in April.
Home prices in San Joaquin County reached their highest level in about five years in April.
The California Association of Realtors said the median price - half more, half less - reached $195,960 last month, for a one-year increase of 19 percent.
"California's housing market maintained its momentum in April, getting the spring home-buying season off to a good start," CAR President Don Faught said.
The statewide median price of an existing, single-family detached home climbed 28.9 percent from a $312,500 in April 2012. That was the 14th straight month of annual price increases and the 10th consecutive month of double-digit annual gains.
"The upsurge in the median price continues to be driven by an increase in sales in the upper-price range, where low inventory is less of an issue," said Leslie Appleton-Young, CAR's vice president and chief economist.
"Over the past year, home sales in the $500,000-and-higher market segment posted a year-over-year gain of 35 percent on average, which contributed to an increase in the statewide median price of nearly 30 percent from the previous year."
Higher home prices have cut the number of distressed sales, with about three of every four sales statewide in April being an equity sale. That's down from about half being distressed sales 12 months earlier.
CAR said Wednesday that about 43 percent of San Joaquin County home sales in April were distressed sales, down from 62 percent in April 2012.
Nationwide, home sales ticked up last month to the highest level in 31/2 years, helped by a jump in the number of houses for sale.
The National Association of Realtors said that sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.97 million, up from 4.94 million in March.
Home sales have risen 9.7 percent in the past 12 months, evidence that the housing market is still improving. But sales have been roughly flat since November.
Home sales in San Joaquin County were up 13.9 percent in April compared to March and up 1.7 percent from April 2012, the California Association of Realtors said.
Nationwide, the number of homes for sale rose 12 percent in April from March to 2.16 million. But inventory is still almost 14 percent lower than a year earlier.
Homes available for sale in San Joaquin County remained flat in April, with 667 on the market, according to figures compiled by Trendgraphix.com. That's down from the 1,076 homes for sale in April 2012 and roughly a two-month supply of for-sale homes.
The increase in inventories nationwide partly reflects the beginning of the spring selling season. The supply of homes would be exhausted in 5.2 months at the current sales pace. That's below the typical level of about six months.
More Americans are interested in purchasing homes: Buyer traffic has risen 31 percent in the past year, the Realtors' group said.
Record staff writer Eric Grunder contributed to this report.


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text: Dealer is not responsible for pricing errors. Prices good for three days from date publication. Pictures can be for illustrations purposes. All vehicles subject to prior sale. New car prices include applicable manufacturer incentives & manufacturer offers in lieu of special financing. Plus tax, title, tag and dealer fees. Used vehicles prices plus tax, title, tag and dealer fees. All offers with approved credit. All prices, specifications and availability subject to change without notice. See dealer for complete details.


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I don't care what game you are playing, half elves are always getting the short end of the stick. Take their racial mount from Vanguard: Saga of Heroes latest update "Telon Rides On", which introduces faction-based racial mount quests for players 30-50. What the hell is that supposed to be?
A turtle.
The dark elves are rocking a spider, the wood elves get...whatever the hell that giant bug is supposed to be, and the half elves get a damned turtle. I suppose it could have been worse. They could have only gotten half a turtle.


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Summer of Science: The Great Sunflower Project
Join Gretchen LeBuhn of San Francisco State University's Great Sunflower Project to learn how you can help monitor and protect our most important pollinators: bees. These insects are responsible for one third of all food in the US, as well as important natural products like medicines. In monetary terms, bees are worth trillions of dollars. In human terms, they are crucial to our survival, but studies have shown that bee populations are experiencing severe declines. Since 2008, thousands of citizen scientists have helped the Great Sunflower Project build the largest single body of information about bee pollination in North America.
With the Great Sunflower Project, explore insect specimens inside the Gallery of California Natural Sciences and then search for bees in the Museum Garden. Afterwards, you can check out LeBuhn's book Field Guide to the Common Bees of California: Including Bees of the Western United States, available in the OMCA Store.
Included with Museum admission. Meet in the Oakland Section of the Gallery of California Natural Sciences.


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TV stuntman Steve-O is facing legal action from a woman who slipped and fell while taking part in a new karaoke show he hosts.
The Jackass prankster is the presenter of upcoming gameshow Killer Karaoke, in which contestants are reportedly sprayed with water to distract them as they try to belt out their favorite hits for the cameras.
But one performance has resulted in a lawsuit – contestant Susanne Ohman claims she "fractured and damaged her tibia, patella, ligaments, knee, leg, bones, and injured her muscles, bone, circulatory system, and body" when she lost her footing as she walked off the platform after a performance on the show – and now she's suing for compensation.
Ohman alleges she has had to undergo extensive surgery as a result of her injuries, and she is facing further operations in the future.
Steve-O is named as a defendant in the legal papers alongside the show's producers.


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The chilling acts the 15-year-old boy is accused of defy imagination:Pumping his mother, brother and two younger sisters with bullets.
Gunning down his dad when he returned home.
Texting a picture of his lifeless mother to his 12-year-old girlfriend.
Plotting to kill strangers outside a supermarket.
But, family members say, Nehemiah Griego is no monster. They can't fathom what could have gone so terribly wrong.
"Whether it was a mental breakdown or some deeper undiagnosed psychological issue, we can't be sure yet," his uncle, former New Mexico state Sen. Eric Griego, said.
"What we do know is that none of us, even in our wildest nightmare, could have imagined that he could do something like this."
The family statement, sent to CNN affiliate KOAT, describes the boy as a gifted athlete and musician who was active in youth services at church.
It said the teen accompanied his father on mission trips to Mexico and wanted to continue a long family history of military service by becoming a soldier.
It's a far different picture of the teen than the one authorities paint.
Sheriff: Teen planned shootings for at least a week
Bernalillo County Sheriff Dan Houston said Griego was "involved heavily" with violent video games, and that he "was quite excited as he got the opportunity to discuss that with our investigators."
He said the boy planned the shootings for at least a week. That he told investigators he was frustrated with his mother. That he contemplated killing his girlfriend's parents. That he hoped to continue his killing spree at a Walmart "with mass destruction" and die in a shootout with police.
The teen's demeanor, as he shared all this, was "stern, very unemotional," Houston said.
Now, Griego will stand trial as an adult in the weekend killings, prosecutors announced.
He was arrested Saturday night, after deputies found the bodies of his mother, father, brother and two of his sisters in their home on the outskirts of Albuquerque.
The tragedy unfolds
The tragedy unfolded early Saturday morning, when Griego carried a .22-caliber rifle to where his mother and 9-year-old brother slept side by side, an arrest affidavit said.
The teen fatally shot his mother, waking his younger brother Zephania in the process.
When Griego told Zephania that their mother was dead, the younger boy did not believe him, the document stated.
"So Nehemiah picked up his mother's head to show his brother her bloody face," the affidavit said. "Nehemiah stated his brother became upset, so he shot his brother in the head with the same rifle used to kill his mother."
After that, police said, "Nehemiah stated he lost his sense of conscience."
The boy went on to kill his sisters, 5-year-old Jael and 2-year-old Angelina, before his father Greg came home from a volunteer graveyard shift at a homeless shelter.
Authorities believe the father, a former pastor at an Albuquerque church and a chaplain to the city's fire department, was the last to be gunned down in the home.
'Beyond any human reasoning'
Most of the victims were shot with the .22, but a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle was also used in the killings, sheriff's Lt. Sid Covington said. Authorities said the weapons appear to have been purchased legally.
The Griegos had five other, grown children, none of whom lived at home, Covington said.
After the slayings, Griego "spent the majority of the day with his girlfriend," Houston said.
He even sent his girlfriend a picture of his slain mother, Houston said.
Authorities arrested the teen after he attended his family's church with his girlfriend, and a staff member called deputies.
Griego was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday to face two counts of murder and three counts of child abuse resulting in death, but the hearing was waived, KOAT reported.
The affiliate said Griego's case will go to a grand jury within 10 days.
"This is beyond any human reasoning or understanding at this time," the sheriff said.
CNN's Leslie Holland contributed to this report.


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Every election produces new winners and losers.
It also triggers inevitable questions such as "What was the biggest surprise?" and "Who took the loudest flop?" Here's a look at some of Tuesday's East Bay superlatives:
Upset — Veteran Democratic Congressman Pete Stark's verbal diarrhea and bizarro-world behavior of the past few months caught up with him and he lost to an upstart from his own party, Dublin Councilman and Alameda County prosecutor Eric Swalwell. The state's new top-two primary system made the switch-up possible, giving Swalwell not one but two bites at Stark's seat.
Fizzle — Richmond voters overwhelmingly nixed what would have been the nation's first anti-obesity tax on sugary drinks. Proponents blame the millions of dollars the national beverage industry dumped into the campaign. But frankly, the tax would have died under its own weight. No city wants to be singled out for the fat people's tax.
Yawner — Republicans hailed 25-year-old Ricky Gill as the party's ticket to victory in the newly drawn 9th Congressional District, which includes portions of eastern Contra Costa and a large chunk of San Joaquin County. But conventional wisdom and a double-digit Democratic Party registration advantage prevailed, and voters handily re-elected grown-up and Democrat Jerry McNerney. And for goodness' sake, Gill just graduated from law school in June.
Mirror, mirror — Contra Costa and Alameda County matched the rest of the state on all but two of the 11 statewide ballot measures. East Bay voters would have repealed the death penalty and Alameda County wanted labeling on genetically modified foods.
Taxing — While eight out of 10 tax and bond measures in California cities and schools passed, East Bay voters appear to have rejected 10 out of 23 tax-related measures. For example, Alameda County's road tax was losing by 2 points as of Friday. The Oakland Zoo tax was defeated by less that 4 percentage points. Angst over firefighter pensions torched a fire safety tax in Contra Costa's largest fire district, which will lead to station shutdowns. And the Contra Costa community college bond was failing.
Contrast — Oakland and West Contra Costa school district voters, some of the poorest in the region, overwhelming approved local taxes. The school bond in the affluent San Ramon Valley, meanwhile, was holding on by six-tenths of a percentage point as of vote totals late Friday.
Tax, baby, tax — Orinda, Moraga and Pinole voters voted 69, 70 and 78 percent respectively in favor of sales and utility tax hikes in their towns that will fund local services.
Weird — Sitting is still legal in Berkeley. Voters rejected a measure that would have prohibited sitting on sidewalks, a move business leaders hoped would roust the homeless who occupy the walkable real estate in front of their establishments.
Even weirder — If a dead person is elected to the Los Medanos Health Care District, would anyone notice? Apparently not. Darnell Turner, who died earlier this year, was the highest vote-getter with nearly 9,000 votes. (To be fair, a friend of Turner told my colleague Eve Mitchell that she and a few others voted for him to honor his memory.)
Goodbye — Assemblywoman Mary "A Brain Tumor Made Me Do It" Hayashi came third in her nervy bid for Alameda County supervisor. You remember Hayashi. She said her medical condition and preoccupation with a cell phone call pushed completely out of her mind the leather pants she had stuffed into her bag at Neiman Marcus, leading to her arrest and no contest plea to shoplifting.
Rancorless — Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates enthusiastically endorsed ranked-choice voting before the election. The question was whether he would still sing its praises after Tuesday. He will. His opponents were unsuccessful in their efforts to re-enact what happened when ranked-choice mathematics propelled Jean Quan to the winner's circle over heavy favorite and former Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata.
Regroup — The Richmond Progressive Alliance not only lost the soda tax, none of their candidates won a seat on the council. Voters instead re-elected Nat Bates and Tom Butt, and put credit union CEO Gary Bell in the third open seat. The alliance had become emboldened after helping elect Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and council members Jovanka Beckles and Jeff Ritterman. But with Ritterman retiring, they now have just two rock solid votes.
And lastly, the biggest unknown is how Concord Councilman-elect Ed Birsan's political story will end. As every challenger learns, campaigning is one thing but governing is another.
Like many candidates do, Birsan lobbed repeated verbal grenades into the very public agency he has now been elected to run. As a result, many city employees and incumbent council members distrust him. The police union will not soon forget his vow to strip them of their political clout. City staff even installed a physical gate inside City Hall because Birsan too freely and presumptively wandered into workers' offices.
Birsan will do what a winning challenger does when he or she takes office: He'll either learn to play nice and count to three (the number of votes required to pass any legislation) or he'll fight and squabble for four years and voters will replace him as ineffective.
GOT POLITICS? Read Politics With LisaV at PoliticswithLisaV.blogspot.com.
Contact Lisa Vorderbrueggen at 925-945-4773, email@example.com, politicswithlisav.blogspot.com or Twitter.com/lvorderbrueggen.


text: Daughter of Goldie Hawn and '70s comedian Bill Hudson and stepdaughter of Kurt Russell, it was pretty much a given that Kate Hudson would choose a career in Hollywood. Her first professional job was guesting on Party of Five in 1996 and by 1998, she had made her first film, Ricochet River. Her resume is mostly littered with comedies like 200 Cigarettes, How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, Fool's Gold and Bride Wars, but her most critically acclaimed role, for which she won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar, was playing groupie Penny Lane in the 2000 drama Almost Famous. More recently, she has put her singing and dancing skills to the test in Rob Marshall's Nine and on Glee. Her love life is as bohemian chic as the fashions she makes trendy. She recounted losing her virginity and the ensuing conversation she had with her mom at 15 to Details. She met future husband Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes at a Halloween party when she was 19. They started dating in 2000, married on New Year's Eve that same year, had son Ryder in 2004 and divorced in 2006. She also counts actor Dax Shepard, cyclist Lance Armstrong, Owen Wilson and Yankee Alex Rodriguez among her famous former flames. She returned to her rocker roots in 2010 when she hooked up with Muse frontman Matthew Bellamy. A little over a year from going public with the relationship, the two were engaged and welcomed son Bingham.