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REPLY TO: Ann Reed Administrative Div. (9l9) 716-6800 FAX (919) 716-6755
August 14, 2002
Terrence D. Sullivan Director of Research, Research Division North Carolina General Assembly 300 N. Salisbury Street Raleigh, North Carolina 27603-5925
Re: Advisory Opinion: Appointment to the State Board of Mortuary Science, S.L. 2001-294; S.L. 2001-486; G.S. §90-210.18(b); North Carolina Constitution, Article I, Section 32 and Article II, Section 24
Dear Mr. Sullivan:
You have asked for our opinion regarding whether SL 2001-486, Section 1A-27, was legally effective to appoint George S. Parrott as a public member of the Board of Mortuary Sciences, and, if so, what is Mr. Parrott's term.
- 2001-294, effective December 1, 2001, amended G.S. §90-210.18(b) to change the method of appointing public members of the State Board of Mortuary Science from three appointments made by the Governor to one appointment by the Governor, one by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and one by the Speaker of the House. To stagger the terms of the public members, Section 12 of S.L. 2001-294 extended one existing public member's term to December 31, 2002, specified that the President Pro Tempore was to appoint a replacement for a second public member whose term expired December 31, 2001, and went on to provide, "The public member of the board whose term expires December 31, 2003, shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives." These provisions of S.L. 2001-294 were in turn amended by Section 2.3 of S.L. 2001-486 to replace the language specifying appointments directly by the President Pro Tempore and the Speaker with language specifying appointments by the General Assembly on recommendation of the President Pro Tempore and the Speaker, effective December 16, 2001.
- 2001-486, in Section 1.31, appointed Mr. Windell Daniels to the Board for a term beginning on January 1, 2002, and expiring on December 31, 2004, on recommendation of the President Pro Tempore, and in Section 1A.27 appointed Mr. George S. Parrott to a term beginning on January 1, 2002, and expiring December 31, 2003, on recommendation of the Speaker.
Terrence D. Sullivan Page 2 August 14, 2002
The Board's Executive Director has questioned the effectiveness of Mr. Parrott's appointment.
Has George S. Parrott been legally appointed to the Board?
The General Assembly appointed George S. Parrott to the Board in Section 1A.27 of S.L. 2001-486. The term was specified in the act as beginning January 1, 2002, and expiring December 31, 2003. Therefore, it is our opinion that Mr. Parrott, by legislative enactment, has a position on the Board for the specified term.
Did George S. Parrott replace an existing public member on the Board?
It is our opinion that Mr. Parrott replaced the existing public member who was appointed by the Governor to serve a term expiring December 31, 2003.
Effective December 16, 2001, the General Assembly gave itself authority to make two public member appointments to the Board, and in the same session law it made two appointments for terms to begin January 1, 2002. The result of S.L. 2001-294 and S.L. 2001-486 is that the Board has one public member appointed by the Governor, serving a term expiring on December 31, 2002, whose successor the Governor will appoint; a second public member, Mr. Parrott, appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Speaker, serving a term expiring on December 31, 2003, whose successor will be similarly appointed; and a third public member, appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore, serving a term expiring on December 31, 2004, whose successor will be similarly appointed. The terms are staggered, and each appointment source has a representative as of January 1, 2002.
The legislation does not specifically address the status of the public member appointed by the Governor to serve a term expiring December 31, 2003, but we conclude that Mr. Parrott replaces him. The usual term of a Board member is three years; Mr. Parrott's appointment is for two years. His term expires on December 31, 2003, the date this other Board member's term would normally have expired. Replacing this other Board member with Mr. Parrott results in three public members appointed according to the newly enacted provisions. Otherwise, the result would be four members, one of whom would be an "extra" Governor's appointee. Nothing in the legislation indicates an intent to temporarily increase the size of the Board.
The Board's Executive Director has suggested that the language in Section 12 of S.L. 2001294, as amended, providing for staggered terms of public members, should be interpreted as postponing the General Assembly's authority to fill the position of this other Board member whose term expires December 1, 2003. However, that is not what Section 12 says, and the amendment to
G.S. §90-210.18 changing the appointing authority was effective, as amended, on December 16, 2001, without limitation. The General Assembly certainly knows how to specify when it intends a Terrence D. Sullivan Page 3 August 14, 2002
change in appointing authority to take effect at the expiration of a given term. See, e.g., 1991 Sess. Laws, c. 739, s. 34 (the act changed various appointments made by the Lieutenant Governor to appointments by the President Pro Tempore; s. 34 provides, "This act applies to any appointments for terms beginning on or after January 1, 1993, and also applies to the filling of any unexpired terms where the term began before that date but the vacancy occurs on or after that date."); see also 1995 Sess. Laws, c. 490, s. 65 (this act also changes appointing authorities and has similar applicability language).
Can the General Assembly replace an existing Board member whose term has not yet expired?
There is no property right in membership on the Board, and the General Assembly may dispossess an incumbent member and replace him with its own appointee if it so chooses.
"All power which is not expressly limited by the people in our State Constitution remains with the people, and an act of the people through their representatives in the legislature is valid unless prohibited." State ex rel. Martin v. Preston, 325 N.C. 438, 448-49, 385 S.E.2d 473, 478 (1989). Although there are several 19th century cases that recognized some sort of property right to public office, these cases were overruled by Mial v. Ellington, 134 N.C. 131, 46 S.E. 961 (1903), which recognized the right of the General Assembly to create new offices of superintendent of roads and supervisor of roads in Wake County that effectively replaced plaintiff's office of supervisor of roads in Raleigh. Since Mial, other opinions have continued to recognize that there is no property right in a public office. See, e.g., Penny v. Salmon, 217 N.C.276, 7 S.E. 2d 559 (1940) ("the right to office is no longer a property right, and there can be no vested right therein which would prevent the Legislature from dealing with it as public policy requires"); Crump v. Snead, 134 N.C. App. 353, 517 S.E. 2d 384, cert. denied, 351 N.C. 101, 541 S.E.2d 143 (1999). With no property right involved, there is no due process issue or impairment of contract issue that would prevent the General Assembly from replacing the Governor's appointee to the Board with its own.
Although the General Assembly cannot alter features prescribed in the North Carolina Constitution for constitutionally created offices, the Board is not a constitutionally created office, but is instead a legislatively created body. As such, the General Assembly has authority to deal with its composition and its members' terms as the General Assembly sees fit. See Penny v. Salmon, 217 N.C.276, 7 S.E. 2d 559; Crump v. Snead, 134 N.C. APP. 353, 517 S.E. 2d 384. It can provide an appointing authority different from the Governor. See State ex rel. Martin v. Melott, 320 N.C. 518, 359 S.E.2d 783 (1987).
Additionally, the appointment of Mr. Parrott does not seem to be an exclusive or separate emolument prohibited under Article I, Section 32 of the North Carolina Constitution. In general, our courts have applied a two-part test to an exemption or benefit: (1) whether the exemption or benefit is intended to promote the general welfare rather than the benefit of the individual, and (2) whether there is a reasonable basis for the legislature to conclude that the granting of the exemption Terrence D. Sullivan Page 4 August 14, 2002
or benefit serves the public interest. See Peacock v. Shinn, 139 N.C. App. 487, 533 S.E.2d 842 (2000); see also Crump v. Snead, 134 N.C. APP. 353, 517 S.E. 2d 384, cert. denied, 351 N.C. 101, 541 S.E.2d 143 (1999). Mr. Parrott's appointment appears to meet that test by implementing the change in appointing authority without particular delay or imbalance between the different appointing authorities while at the same time providing for staggered terms.
Finally, even if the appointment is taken as special legislation, it is not included in the list of prohibitions on local, private, or special acts in Article II, Section 24, of the North Carolina Constitution.
Is George S. Parrott qualified to serve as a public member of the Board?
In correspondence subsequent to the initial inquiry, the Executive Director of the Board indicates that Mr. Parrott is licensed by the Board and asks whether this disqualifies him from serving as a public member of the Board pursuant to G.S. §90-210.18(b3), which provides: "The public members of the Board may neither be licensed under this Article nor employed by a person who is."
In our opinion, Mr. Parrott's appointment by the General Assembly is valid, notwithstanding the statutory prohibition against licensees serving as public members of the Board. One legislature cannot bind another legislature except where constitutional rights are involved, and as we pointed out above, there is no property right in membership on the Board. Mr. Parrott was appointed to this position by the legislature in Section 2.3 of S.L. 2001-486, which became effective December 16, 2001. Where the legislature enacts two provisions, one of which is special or particular and the other general, the specific provision will control over the general. S.L. 2001-486 was enacted after G.S. §90-210.18(b), but even if that were not the case, the rule that the specific controls the general is applicable without regard to respective dates of passage. Food Stores v. Board of Alcoholic Control, 268 N.C. 624, 628-629, 151 S.E.2d 582, 586 (1966). Thus, the specific language appointing Mr. Parrott contained in S.L. 2001-486 controls over the general statutory provisions regarding public appointees.
The Executive Director further states that Mr. Parrott cannot serve as a member of the Board because his "personal interests" reveal a "potential conflict of interest," which disqualify him from serving as a public member of the Board under Governor Michael F. Easley's Executive Order No.
1. The Executive Director does not specify what these "personal interests" may be, and in any event Executive Order No. 1 by its terms does not apply to appointments made by act of the General Assembly and signed by the Governor into law.
In conclusion, it is our opinion that George S. Parrott has been appointed by legislative enactment to the Board of Mortuary Science for a term beginning January 1, 2002, and expiring December 31, 2003, and that Mr. Parrott replaces the public member of the Board who was
Terrence D. Sullivan | |
Page 5 | |
August 14, 2002 | |
appointed to this term by the Governor. | |
Sincerely, | |
Ann Reed | |
Senior Deputy Attorney General | |
P. Bly Hall | |
Assistant Attorney General |


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1 rafter dead, another rescued after flash flood hits Grand Canyon river
Jul 15, 2021, 12:26 PM | Updated: 9:57 pm
(National Park Service Photo)
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — One person who went missing from a Colorado River rafting trip in the Grand Canyon during a flash flood was found dead Thursday in frigid water while a second person was found alive, a park spokeswoman said.
The flood was part of monsoon storms that have inundated Arizona this week, including in Flagstaff where city streets were left a muddy mess as water mixed with logs and debris swept through. Cleanup was underway Thursday with the threat of more rain looming.
At the Grand Canyon, a torrent of water rushed through a slot canyon and washed away the camp where two commercial rafts with 30 passengers pulled off the river to stay Wednesday evening, said Grand Canyon spokeswoman Joelle Baird.
Authorities initially believed that two people had been swept into the river and launched a search by air, ground and water to find them. One was found at the camp that the group had abandoned to seek a safer place to sleep, Baird said. The other was found dead in the water next to the camp that flooded, she said.
The motorized trip operated by Arizona Raft Adventures was scheduled to last more than a week. A company spokeswoman on Thursday referred questions to John Dillon, the executive director of the Grand Canyon River Outfitters Association that represents the outfitters permitted in the canyon.
Dillon said he hasn't yet spoken to company officials, one of whom is on another trip on the river. He said while the outfitters were pleased to hear one rafter was found, they're saddened by the death of the other.
"Our hearts our broken that people on the trip lost somebody, people at home lost somebody," he said. "That matters more than anything else."
A park helicopter took two paramedics to the river late Wednesday to treat and stabilize the injured rafters after receiving a satellite phone call from someone on the trip asking for help. Seven passengers who were injured were airlifted out of the canyon, Baird said. She wasn't sure of the extent of their injuries.
Baird said the park will help the other rafters who want to cut their trip short get off the river, she said.
The flood hit the camp set up about 40 miles (64 kilometers) downstream from where the rafts launched at Lees Ferry near the Arizona-Utah state line, turning the normally greenish-colored river into a muddy brown. Forecasters had issued a flash flood watch for the area Wednesday, but it's not clear whether the rafting guides were aware.
Radar showed about an inch (2.5 centimeters) of rain along that stretch of the Colorado River, according to the National Weather Service.
Park officials did not immediately release the name of the rafter who died. At least two other people have died this year on Grand Canyon rafting trips that draw tens of thousands of tourists, locals and researchers annually.
James Crocker, 63, of Colorado died after he fell into the river at the top of a rapid in June. Members of his private boating groups pulled him out of the water but couldn't revive him.
Deborah Ellis, 60, of Idaho died after the commercial raft she was on hit rapids and flipped in late April. An autopsy report released to The Associated Press in response to a public records request determined she drowned.
The entire Southwest, which has been desperate for rain after two years of dismal monsoon activity, has been hammered lately with storms. More rain is in the forecast.
In Tucson, a fire department swift water team rescued a father and his two daughters from the roof of their vehicle Wednesday after they drove into a usually dry wash and got stranded in the floodwaters, said Golder Ranch Fire District spokesman Capt. Adam Jarrold.
"Our message, telling everybody, be patient, especially here in the desert," he said. "The water comes up quick, but it also goes away quick."
Farther north in Flagstaff, floodwaters have inundated communities in the shadow of a mountain that burned in 2019 and adjacent neighborhoods, sending at least one vehicle floating down a city street. Residents had been somewhat prepared for a major flood with sandbags around their homes and concrete barriers to redirect water. Still, many of them have been digging out.
Flagstaff and Coconino County declared a state of emergency over the monsoon flooding, opening up funding and allowing officials to request state assistance, according to a news release.
Flagstaff likely can recoup some of the costs for responding to and repairing flood damage related to wildfires under a recent state law. Cities also can be reimbursed for providing emergency shelter and support for people who are displaced, but it does not allow spending to repair individual homes.
The threat of flash flooding will remain through next week, the National Weather Service said, though the coverage will be more scattered than widespread.
"The moisture is not going anywhere, and it will heat up as well, so those are perfect ingredients for thunderstorms in the afternoon and evenings in Arizona," said Evan LaGuardia, a meteorologist in Flagstaff.

subset: commoncrawl


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In this game, repair the damaged car and defend it from zombies. With the collected money, buy better weapons. With the experience, improve one of many skills. Controls: arrow keys (or WASD keys), S - car repair, spacebar - lay mines, 1-9 change weapons.
Be the first to comment.
Play our games and their subgenres: Action games | Online games | Shooting games | Weapons games | Defense games | Retro games | Zombie games
You can also play related games to Dude and Zombies games . See listed free game tips bellow.
In the war of penguins and zombies, help penguins in the destruction of their enemies. to do so, bounce bullets and if you hi..
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Destroy the greatest number of zombies. after each of your death, buy new weapons and shoot again. control with wasd or arrow..
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All parts of legendary zombie killing game. Buy and upgrade your car or truck and kill them all.
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Games which are similar to Angry birds style. Shoot and hit enemies by cannon and save friends.
Tycoon games are one from the best types of online strategic games. Build your own railroad, hotel, resort, nightclub or building.
Great strategic online game from Middleages time. Millions of players around the world. Fight with them and be great king of your land.
You have to build city in game Shadow kings. Your mission is to develop the economy of city. Attention, you will be under attack of enemy units!
Zombie games take place in modern day-styled game worlds. Zombie outbreaks are normally the product of scientific experiments gone wrong.
Cooking games are usually aimed at children, especially girls. These educational games teach girls how to read and follow recipes.
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Educational games can encompass any number of game categories. They are usually aimed at younger children who are playing games for the first time.
Select vehicle and ride. Famous Uphill rush series presents latest part of fantastic ride.


text: LUCID Launches the Triton Industrial Camera, Setting a New Price Performance Standard2018-09-27 09:43:27 Richmond, BC, Canada - September 26, 2018 - LUCID Vision Labs, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of unique and innovative industrial vision cameras, today announced the availability of its Triton™ GigE Vision camera line. The Triton camera sets a new price performance standard in the industrial camera market. Active Sensor Alignment for superior optical performance, a lightweight, compact 29 x 29 mm size, and IP67 protection make the Triton camera suitable for any industrial environment. The M12 Ethernet and M8 I/O connectors provide a robust connection resistant to shock and vibration and are protected from dirt, dust, and water. By adding an optional IP67 sealed lens tube, the Triton can operate in harsh environments without the need for bulky enclosures. All Triton cameras are actively aligned to minimize image sensor tilt and rotation, and to precisely position the image sensor to the lens mount for sharp, crisp images, even in the corners. "Industrial camera requirements have evolved over the years and a wide range of applications now require more robust, compact and cost-effective solutions," says Rod Barman, Founder and President at LUCID Vision Labs. "Packed into a compact 29 x 29 mm size, the Triton camera features a rugged, industrial design for long-term reliability and is available at a very attractive price point." The GigE Vision and GenICam compliant Triton camera ranges from 0.4 MP to 20 MP including the 5 MP Sony IMX250MZR/MYR polarized, 12.3 MP Sony IMX304 global shutter CMOS, and 20 MP Sony IMX183 rolling shutter CMOS image sensors. All LUCID cameras conform to the GigE Vision 2.0 and GenICam3 standards and are supported by LUCID's own Arena software development kit. The Arena SDK provides customers with easy access to the latest industry standards and software technology. |


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Cruise Weekly – Comment by Roderick Eime
Historically, modern expedition cruising goes back to Lindblad's Antarctic cruises of the 1960s, while in our region, Coral Princess Cruises founder, Tony Briggs was one of the first to offer extended cruises on the Great Barrier Reef with a converted, Fairmile-class, WWII-era submarine chaser in the early 1980s.
Today, small ship, adventure-themed cruises abound and many new operators are capitalising on the abundant scenic and natural wealth of our coastline from the Kimberley to Tasmania. But while WA's Kimberley enjoys solid capacities, some of our other regions do not.
Initially the repositioning sector from Cairns to Kimberley was developed to incorporate Arnhem Land and Cape York expeditions, but these cruises have sometimes struggled to attract viable numbers.
Kimberley region stalwarts, North Star Cruises, have deleted their "Over the Top" itinerary in favour of an ambitious West Papuan itinerary for 2009. Their first exploration is fully booked with loyal past passengers, leaving just Orion and Coral Princess to operate this region.
"This (11-night voyage) is one of the most underrated itineraries we have," says Briggs, "Arnhem Land presents some of the best indigenous experiences anywhere and along with World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef and Cape York, it's a spectacular voyage."
Orion offers similar expeditions, instead split into two products; the 7-night "Art of Arnhem Land" and the 5-night "Tropical Reefs and Culture" from Thursday Island to Cairns.
Orions' fares begin at about $700pp per night, while Coral Princess are slightly cheaper.


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Can I Run It?
Do you want to find out the games that your PC can run? Just enter the CPU, RAM, OS, and GPU and we'll list all the games that are compatible with your computer system.
Games You Can Run
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Our system requirements checker takes your input and compares it with system requirements of 38623 games and lists down all the games that your PC can run.
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All of the above things in a matter of mili-seconds and a button click. Isn't it blazing fast?
The search result is by default sorted based on the popularity of the games, but you can choose the game genre you want from the search page and you'll get the compatible games in that genre. Isn't it a really good way to find the games that might interest you?.
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You can browse through the dedicated game pages to find out the minimum & recommended system requirements to run that game, one games in that genre, and other interesting details about the game. In case you input your system specifications before visiting page, instead of showing recommended specs, we'll compare the game specs with your system's specifications.


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Sign In | Register | About Sunnyvale | Contact Us
Chances are no matter what you need, you are most likely to find it in Sunnyvale. Most of the businesses here are locally owned. If you prefer chain favorites you'll find them here too. The greatest thing about this multicultural neighborhood is that you can find whatever you need even it takes some research at first.
For food shopping, you can choose from a wide selection of markets. These markets carry American food, meats, cheeses, and other staples, but you can also find many markets that specialize in ethnic foods. There are Mexican groceries, Asian markets, and European delicacies. No matter what kind of food you are craving, you can find a market that serves up what you need.
Sunnyvale businesses encompass all services from attorneys, house cleaners, doctors, home security and architects to financial advisors. If you are looking for home services or business services, it is always a good idea to start with the local businesses for all of your needs, even if you're looking for car or home insurance. The Internet is changing the way we shop, but it is also putting local companies out of business. Consider using a local vendor the next time you need to buy or hire a service.
For your home to look picture perfect, there are interior decorating firms, landscaping companies, gardening businesses, and flooring shops. You can also find qualified and experienced contractors for that addition you have been planning for the house and hire a local plumber or electrician to finish the project. There are many roofers, painters, and pool installers in Sunnyvale who can help you keep your homes in shape.
The clothing stores in the area offer a large selection of men, women and children's apparel. If you are looking for high fashion from a national retailer, you can visit the department stores and designer shops of Santana Row. However, if you are looking for something with a trendy vibe made by a local resident, then you can find it in Sunnyvale. The fashions vary widely, and there are many different ethnic communities represented in the clothing stores in Sunnyvale.
There are literally thousands of shops and stores that can provide anything you need. From supplies for your hobbies, hardware for house repairs, parts for your car or a quart of oil, even obscure board games you can be certain that there is a store in Sunnyvale that will have exactly what you need.
The next time you need something, consider shopping locally because the residents of Sunnyvale can keep our local economy going strong. By shopping locally, you'll keep your money right at home where it is most needed.


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Unprecedented fragmentation, a weakened government that will have to go in search for further allies to keep functioning, and a new record low for the Labour Party. Those were the main features of the outcome of last month's provincial elections, on March 18, which determined not just the make-up of provincial legislatures but also the Dutch Senate.
Because of the continuing collapse of the Labour Party, the results also constituted the worst performance for the left overall in provincial elections since 1994, while centrist parties — the Democrats '66, a party for the elderly and various regional lists — did well.
I contributed a rather exhaustive analysis of the election results, with plenty of maps and charts, as guest post to the World Elections blog, and it's also on Medium. Maybe see you there!


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By Category
By Year
Press Room > PReleases_2002
(Click here to see full chronological or category based lists)
The Campaign Finance Institute announces its eGuide to the Federal Election Commission's Latest Regulations for the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.
A comprehensive study of Internet-based federal campaign finance disclosure concludes that the system "is riddled with problems." The study, just released, was conducted by a blue ribbon Task Force on Disclosure of the nonpartisan Campaign Finance Institute (CFI).
On September 9, The Campaign Finance Institute held a luncheon forum "Do the FEC's Soft Money Regulations Undermine the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act?" For those who could not attend the event, a streaming video and transcript are now available on the CFI website.
Vital Statistics on Congress, 2001-2002 by Norman J. Ornstein, Thomas E. Mann and Michael J. Malbin, is now available in print. This year, for the first time, you can get all of that book's campaign finance information online. Co-author Malbin is Executive Director of The Campaign Finance Institute (CFI) as well as a professor of political science at the University at Albany, SUNY. CFI has put all of the book's campaign finance tables and charts on its website, http://www.CFInst.org, together with explanatory notes that are not in the book.
The Campaign Finance Institute (CFI) today convened a Blue Ribbon Task Force on Financing Presidential Nominations to study the system's problems and make recommendations for change.
From a campaign finance perspective, control of the House after the 2002 election is still up for grabs, according to Michael J. Malbin, Executive Director of the Campaign Finance Institute.
In a study of 30 major political organizations, the Campaign Finance Institute (CFI) has released a report (click here to download, 1042K, pdf) projecting the impact of recently passed legislation on the politics of 2004 and beyond. This report suggests, "there are likely to be huge changes in interest group strategies over the next two elections, just as there have been over the past two."
The Campaign Finance Institute is proud to announce the launch of CFInst.org/eGuide, the Campaign Finance eGuide, offering nonpartisan analysis of the Shays-Meehan and Ney-Wynn campaign


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You can configure your next web-based, intranet line of business application in Azure infrastructure services.
You can deploy your next web-based, intranet line of business application in Azure using a combination of Azure virtual machines and an Azure cross-premises virtual network.
The basic process is:
- Create an Azure virtual network with multiple subnets for each tier of your application using a portion of your on-premises private address space.
- Connect the Azure virtual network to your on-premises network with a site-to-site VPN connection or ExpressRoute.
- Create the resource groups, availability sets, storage accounts, and load balancers for the virtual machines in each tier of the LOB application.
- Create and configure the servers used for identity and authentication for your LOB application.
- Create and configure the database servers for your LOB application.
- Create and configure the web and other servers for your LOB application.
Here is an example that uses:
- Two Windows Server Active Directory (AD) domain controllers for identity and authentication.
- A Windows Server cluster and SQL Server AlwaysOn Availability Groups for the database tier.
- An internal load balancer to distribute incoming connections to two web servers.
For a different perspective and an explanation of how it works for intranet users, see the Line of Business Applications architecture blueprint.
You can also test this in a simulated hybrid cloud configuration, in which you build out the following:


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I'm not quite sure if this is the right category to post in. I don't want a left sidebar, just a right one. I want the header to go from the left to right margin. But I want the posts to be slightly indented from the left.
How can I achieve this? I've tried all the options and have tried searching here, but can't come up with a way to do this.
Thanks for any help you can give me.


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You'll often hear automakers brag of a sports car's zero-to-60 performance but less often for a big-rig truck. On Thursday night, Tesla boasted of both.
Tesla revealed an all-new version of its Roadster sports car that can go from a stop to 60 miles an hour in 1.9 seconds, a figure that would make it the fastest-accelerating production car ever.
That was after Tesla unveiled its new semi-truck, which CEO Elon Musk said can go zero-to-60 in five seconds with an empty trailer. That's a figure usually associated with luxury sedans, not big trucks. Walmart has said it plans to test the new Tesla trucks, according to CNBC.
With a full load, the truck can still reach that speed in 20 seconds, according to Musk, much faster than any diesel-powered truck.
Only after talking about the truck's speed did Musk mention its range. It can go up to 500 miles with a full load at highway speeds, he said.
That's more than twice the distance of most trucking routes, Musk claimed, allowing a driver to make a round trip before recharging. A 300-mile version will also be available.
But truck drivers may still have some reservations.
Regardless of whether Musk is right about the typical length of trucking routes, 500 miles is still far less than diesel trucks can travel. And diesel fuel tanks can be refilled much more quickly than batteries can be recharged
The Roadster will have a range of 620 miles and a top speed of over 250 miles an hour. That would put it, at least, near the 261 mile-an-hour top speed of the $3 million Bugatti Chiron.
The Roadster will also be able to run a quarter mile from stop in 8.8 seconds, Tesla said. For comparison, the 840-horsepower Dodge Challenger Demon, a single-seat car engineered specifically for drag racing, manages it in just under 10 seconds.
Unlike the previous version of the Roadster, Tesla's first model which went out of production in 2012, this car will have four seats.
The Roadster will cost $200,000 and a $50,000 deposit will be required to reserve one.
It is not clear yet what the final price of the truck will be.
The semi's drive systems are guaranteed to last for 1 million miles, Tesla said. Thanks to the low cost of running it, buyers should make back the additional cost in just two years, Tesla claimed.
Inside the Tesla semi's cab, the driver is seated in the center -- rather than on the left or right -- with a large touch screen on each side.
Without a large diesel engine, the driver will have a roomier cab than in other trucks, Tesla said. The truck will also have an enhanced version of Tesla's semi-autonomous driving system, AutoPilot.


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Created by Jijith Nadumuri at 30 Mar 2010 03:51 and updated at 30 Mar 2010 03:51
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Section 49
XLIX Vaisampayana said, In the midst, O Bharata, of all those assembled kings, Bhishma, the son of Santanu, then said these words unto Duryodhana, Once on a time, Vrihaspati and Sakra went to Brahma. The Maruts also with Indra, the Vasus with Agni, the Adityas, the Sadhyas, the seven celestial Rishis, the Gandharvas, Viswavasu, and the beautiful tribes of the Apsaras, all approached the ancient Grandsire. And having bowed down unto the Lord of the universe, all those dwellers of heaven sat around him. Just then, the two ancient deities, the Rishis Nara and Narayana, as if drawing unto themselves by their own energy the minds and energies of all who were present there, left the place'
Thereupon, Vrihaspati asked Brahma, saying, Who are these two that leave the place without worshipping thee? Tell us, O Grandsire, who are they? Thus asked, Brahma said, These two, endued with ascetic merit, blazing with effulgence and beauty, illuminating both the earth and the heaven, possessed of great might, and pervading and surpassing all, are Nara and Narayana, dwelling now in the region of Brahman having arrived from the other world. Endued with great might and prowess, they shine in consequence of their own asceticism. By their acts they always contribute to the joy of the world. Worshipped by the gods and the Gandharvas, they exist only for the destruction of Asuras' Bhishma continued, Having heard these words, Sakra went to the spot where those two were practising ascetic austerities, accompanied by all the celestials and having Vrihaspati at their head. At that time, the dwellers of heaven had been very much alarmed in consequence of a war raging between themselves and the Asuras. And Indra asked that illustrious couple to grant him a boon. Thus solicited, O best of the Bharata race, those two said, Name thou the boon,
Upon this Sakra said unto them, Give us your aid, They then said unto Sakra, We will do what thou wishest. And then it was with their aid that Sakra subsequently vanquished the Daityas and the Danavas. The chastiser of foes, Nara, slew in battle hundreds and thousands of Indra's foes among the Paulomas and the Kalakhanjas. It was this Arjuna, who, riding on a whirling car, severed in battle, with a broad-headed arrow, the head of the Asura Jambha while the latter was about to swallow him. It was he who afflicted the Daitya city of Hiranyapura on the other side of the ocean, having vanquished in battle sixty thousands of Nivatakavachas. It was this conqueror of hostile towns, this Arjuna of mighty arms, that gratified Agni, having vanquished the very gods with Indra at their head. And Narayana also hath, in this world, destroyed in the same way numberless other Daityas and Danavas. Even such are those two of mighty energy that are now seen united with each other. It hath been heard by us that the two heroic and mighty car-warriors, Vasudeva and Arjuna, that are now united with each other, are those same ancient gods, the divine Nara and Narayana.
Amongst all on earth they are incapable of being vanquished by the Asuras and the gods headed by Indra himself. That Narayana is Krishna, and that Nara is Falguna. Indeed, they are one Soul born in twain. These two, by their acts, enjoy numerous eternal and inexhaustible regions, and are repeatedly born in those worlds when destructive wars are necessary. For this reason their mission is to fight. Just this is what Narada, conversant with the Vedas, had said unto the Vrishnis. When thou, O Duryodhana, wilt see Kesava with conch-shell and discus, and mace in hand, and that terrible wielder of the bow, Arjuna, armed with weapons, when thou wilt behold those eternal and illustrious ones, the two Krishnas seated on the same car, then wilt thou, O child, remember these my words. Why should not such danger threaten the Kurus when thy intellect, O child, hath fallen off from both profit and virtue? If thou heedest not my words, thou shalt then have to hear of the slaughter of many, for all the Kauravas accept thy opinion. Thou art alone in holding as true the opinion, O bull of the Bharata race, only three persons, viz, Karna, a low-born Suta's son cursed by Rama, Sakuni, the son of Suvala, and thy mean and sinful brother Dussasana'
Karna said. It behoveth thee not, O blessed grandsire, to use such words towards me, for I have adopted the duties of the Kshatriya order without falling off from those of my own. Besides, what wickedness is there in me? I have no sin known to any one of Dhritarashtra's people. I have never done any injury to Dhritarashtra's son; on the other hand, I will slay all the Pandavas in battle. How can they that are wise make peace again with those that have before been injured? It is always my duty to do all that is agreeable to king Dhritarashtra, and especially to Duryodhana, for he is in possession of the kingdom' Vaisampayana continued, Having listened to these words of Karna, Bhishma the son of Santanu, addressing king Dhritarashtra, again said, Although this one often boasteth saying, I shall slay the Pandavas, yet he is not equal to even a sixteenth part of high-souled Pandavas. Know that the great calamity that is about to overtake thy sons of wicked souls, is the act of this wretched son of a Suta! Relying upon him, thy foolish son Suyodhana hath insulted those heroes of celestial descent, those chastiser of all foes.
What, however, is that difficult feat achieved by this wretch before that is equal to any of those achieved of old by every one of the Pandavas? Beholding in the city of Virata his beloved brother slain by Dhananjaya who displayed such prowess, what did this one then do? When Dhananjaya, rushing against all the assembled Kurus, crushed them and took away their robes, was this one not there then? When thy son was being led away as a captive by the Gandharvas on the occasion of the tale of the cattle, where was this son of a Suta then who now belloweth like a bull? Even there, it was Bhima, and the illustrious Partha, and the twins, that encountered the Gandharvas and vanquished them. Ever beautiful, and always unmindful of both virtue and profit, these, O bull of the Bharata race, are the many false things, blessed be thou, that this one uttereth' Having heard these words of Bhishma, the high-souled son of Bharadwaja, having paid due homage unto Dhritarashtra and the assembled kings, spoke unto him these words, Do that, O king, which the best of the Bharatas, Bhishma, hath said. It behoveth thee not to act according to the words of those that are covetous of wealth. Peace with the Pandavas, before the war breaks out, seems to be the best. Everything said by Arjuna and repeated here by Sanjaya, will, I know, be accomplished by that son of Pandu, for there is no bowman equal unto him in the three world'
Without regarding, however, these words spoken by both Drona and Bhishma, the king again asked Sanjaya about the Pandavas. From that moment, when the king returned not a proper answer to Bhishma and Drona, the Kauravas gave up all hopes of life
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When do you need an ABN?
An Australian business number (ABN) is a unique 11-digit number that the Australian Business Register issues to all businesses, identifying your business to the community and government whilst also making it easier to keep track of business transactions for tax purposes.
While it is compulsory for businesses with a GST turnover of $75,000 or more to have an ABN and to be registered for GST, businesses with a GST turnover of less than $75,000 can still apply for an ABN and may choose to register for GST. You are entitled to an ABN if you are aligned with the following entitlement criteria.
Carrying on or starting an enterprise in Australia:
An enterprise includes activities done in the form of a business, as well as acting as the trustee of a super fund, operating a charity and renting or leasing property. Features of a business include:
- Significant commercial activity, involving commercial sales of products or services, and is of a reasonable size and scale.
- Intention to make a profit from the activity as demonstrated by a business plan and a set rate of pay.
- The activity is repeated, systematic, organised and carried on in a business-like way with records being kept.
- The activity is carried on in a similar way to that of other businesses in the same or similar industry.
- The entity has relevant knowledge or skill.
- The entity has the appropriate insurance, such as public liability and WorkCover.
Making supplies connected with Australia's indirect tax zone:
Even if your business or organisation is located outside Australia, you may be entitled to an ABN if you are carrying on an enterprise in Australia or involves making supplies connected with Australia's indirect tax zone.
A Corporations Act company:
Companies registered with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) are entitled to an ABN.
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Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Does quality matter in the wine industry?
I'm not here to slam Hollywood; it drives me crazy when Congressmen do so. The entertainment industry is America's most important; not only do we make a fortune exporting films, TV shows and music; we also simultaneously export the desire for the products shown within.
In fact, rather than disagree with the fact that Hollywood executives don't think film quality has much to do with success, I'm going to take the obvious position: this is their job. They have a lot of money riding in the industry and they know more about it than I do. Most likely they're right.
And that thought leads me to the question in the headline: Does quality matter in the wine industry?
Let's stipulate that, as with film, a wine can't be technically inept. Movies have to be in focus; wines have to avoid bacteriological infections, unintentional oxidation or other obvious flaws that even a novice couldn't ignore. The wine industry has only mastered this in the last 15 or 20 years, but with the exception of severely corked wines or wines damaged in transit, almost every commercial wine today is at least drinkable.
Do they really need to be any better than that?
I would argue that they don't: that the wine industry and Hollywood have more in common than we like to admit.
Don't get all huffy with me about how you love your single-vineyard Washington Syrah, and you never buy that mass-market crap. Well, I haven't paid to see a mainstream Hollywood action film in years. What's the difference? You and I, we're in the niche market, whether it's for independent films or small-production wines. Collectively, we matter; both Hollywood and the larger wine industry have thousands of people devoted to making products to please us.
But we're not where the big money is. There's an expression in the wine industry about the stacks of cases you see in the center aisle of stores: "Stack 'em high and watch 'em fly." You and I, we shop from the shelves, where the good stuff is.
The rest of America grabs wine from the stacked cases with the on-sale signs, and goes to see Hollywood blockbusters, with little regard for what the critics think.
Just food for thought for a Tuesday. Wine lovers like to think we matter, but we're really just an easily definable niche market.
15 comments:
- John M. Kelly said...
Spot-on post, Blake. But kind of obvious. McDonalds sells way more hamburgers than Boon Fly Cafe or Fremont Diner. Hyundai sells way more cars than Maserati. Etc. For most consumers and products it is a matter of cost, and "good enough" is just that.
But from a producer standpoint, turning out mass quantities of "good enough" requires a commitment to quality control far beyond that practiced by the maker of that single-vineyard Washington Syrah. So quality DOES matter. However you define it. - September 6, 2011 at 8:23 AM
I know lots of winemakers who would find these comments insulting, because they are always striving to make next year's wine even better. To say that quality does not matter in the wine industry is a gross generalization. Or maybe it's verbal bomb-throwing. I'm disappointed in this posting, it's one of your worst.
- September 6, 2011 at 9:27 AM
I think you have a good point. I have heard it said that a person does enough at his job to make sure it doesn't get them fired. I think, in some cases, that goes for wineries and winemakers also. For large producers why put out 90-point wines when a 83-point wine will do? Smaller cult wine producers might not be bringing out their best because the wine doesn't get drunk anyhow just put in storage and auctioned of at Christies years later and many consumers are just buying it for the fact that they can afford it. Sometimes you just can't reproduce what you did last year, so you do what you can to get by. I bet Lebron James doesn't put up 40 points every night because at some point he realizes that he doesn't have to.
- September 6, 2011 at 10:54 AM
- W. Blake Gray said...
John: It's a good point. I have come to take technical competence for granted, but you're right, that is a type of quality.
Patrick: I'll take that as a compliment, because I think I've written a lot worse posts.
I'm not meaning to insult anyone. Surely the winemakers of whom you speak have noticed how hard it is sometimes to sell 500 cases of great Sangiovese while 100,000 cases of characterless Cabernet is flying off the shelves. - September 6, 2011 at 10:57 AM
- Greg Harrington said...
I think this is a very salient point. I use the music analogy. We want to be the Sonic Youth of the wine world - long history, few disappointments, loyal solid following and both critical and some mainstream appeal while remaining true to the original vision. Like Blake said, its a small niche market.
- September 6, 2011 at 11:29 AM
- Nicolas said...
I do believe that we have to make good wines to stay alive, small or big wineries. A wannabe boutique that does not get high reviews will not sell wine at the price it demands. Same for a larger up and coming wine companies trying to grow, a 83 won't do - believe me. Now, if you are a behemoth (AKA Gallo, The Wine Group, St Michelle...) you can trade scores for market muscles and great prices. Quality matters to newer entrants that need to find their market - for established players, you can let it slip a bit... - September 6, 2011 at 1:20 PM
Art is subjective Hollywood can mass produce these fluff filled movies and still turn over big profits. How does this affect the bottom line? well its great to go see a bad movie in a huge 3D screen but will you buy the DVD most likely not. The wine industry does apply certain characteristics like hiring a well known winemaker to elevate consumer opinion of quality. Now on the question of quality who gets to make this golden standard and on what points should we judge them. I think everyone should have the liberty to create as he or she sees fit. Once the general consensus demands higher quality wines producers will have to follow according. There is no sale gimmick, no marketing tool to replace a good wine.
- September 6, 2011 at 3:31 PM
- Unknown said...
Art is subjective Hollywood can mass produce these fluff filled movies and still turn over big profits. How does this affect the bottom line? well its great to go see a bad movie in a huge 3D screen but will you buy the DVD most likely not. The wine industry does apply certain characteristics like hiring a well known winemaker to elevate consumer opinion of quality. Now on the question of quality who gets to make this golden standard and on what points should we judge them. I think everyone should have the liberty to create as he or she sees fit. Once the genera
- September 6, 2011 at 3:34 PM
Blake, I agree with your observation that quality doesn't matter in wine (as long as it's not really flawed), however I disagree with how you frame the argument. The statement "You and I, we're in the niche market, whether it's for independent films or small-production wines" arrogantly suggests that you, me and the people that read this blog "get it" while everyone else is a moron.
The idea that quality doesn't matter is actually more pervasive in the "niche" markets than the mass markets – people that spend $7 on a bottle of wine from Chile don't even think about any of the high-brow, esoteric aspects of wine, they just know they like drinking it. It is what it is.
Conversely, people that spend $70 on a bottle of WA Syrah usually are buying less for how good a wine is and more for the perception of luxury and exclusivity that comes with ownership of certain bottles. If taste was all that mattered, why spend over $1,200 on a bottle of Lefite when Pichon Comtesse de Lalande will get you within 98% of the quality for less than 1/6th of the price? Why spend $250 on a bottle of Quilceda Creek Cab, when there are about 100 other WA cabs out there in the $30 - $40 range that are 95% as good, maybe even better?
The problem that is trying to balance itself on the Quality fulcrum is the artificial, non-value-added, perceptions of luxury and exclusivity. They are completely fake concepts (like promoting sustainability and then shipping your wine in the 1 kilogram bottles that you had imported from France) and they are almost entirely promulgated by the wine media.
The wine media is instrumental in helping people THINK there is something special about spending that extra money or about owning something that a handful of other people want but can't have. This is a common manifestation of many root-causes… whether people want something because they think they can't have it (like the hot girl at a frat party) or because they are sheep and are obedient to "journalists" like Jay Miller or that idiot Paul Gregutt (I swear, my dog demonstrates more intellectual curiosity than he does).
As the owner/winemaker of a truly small business, I can unequivocally say: No, unfortunately quality doesn't mean shit. How much money you have to impress people (namely members of the wine media) does. - September 6, 2011 at 4:55 PM
- W. Blake Gray said...
Anon: I completely agree with you that it's hard to correlate how much people spend on wine with how much they know and care about it.
However, I think readers of wine blogs in general, and my wine blog in particular, are much more knowledgeable about wine than the average wine drinker.
Look at the people who comment on this blog, and what they say. This is not an indifferent crowd. We may not agree on much, but I almost never get the kind of "No wine is worth more than $10 comments" I used to get at the Chronicle. People who think that way just don't read wine blogs. - September 6, 2011 at 5:26 PM
- W. Blake Gray said...
I should add, I WISH I controlled the media for people who buy $150 bottles every night, but I don't. Robert Parker owns that market, James Suckling and his former employer go after it, but those people don't read wine blogs in general or this blog in particular either. They follow The Master.
- September 6, 2011 at 5:28 PM
- BikrDave said...
Lots of thoughts about this but can't seem to organize them just yet. Will work on that; how about this for now - an analogy from the bike industry (and probably from the automotive industry) too:
Can we point to any sort of "trickle down" effect, where practices first pioneered at niche wineries have been adopted by mass-market producers? I don't know the technical details well enough, but can certainly speculate that between vineyard management, fermentation and aging, there must be some widely adopted practices that can trace their roots back to some eccentric farmer/winemaker at some hoity toity label. Much like I've seen front (and now full) suspension and disc brakes make their way from $5,000 bikes down to the under $1,000 set.
In other words, maybe the mass producers owe some debt of quality to the higher end of the market? Just a thought.
My other thought, which will still need to crystallize, is that movies all cost the same - there's no up-sell there, and probably dubious status to be had by being a consumer of only art house movies. In contrast, the more drinkers we move from beer or spirits to wine, the more of an audience we potentially have for our beloved single vineyard WA syrahs. And so better the chances for those beloved wines to endure.
The success of Batman 5 does nothing to aid in the possible future production of Mike Leigh movies. The success of a mass-marketed Tempranillo just might end up putting more cash in the pocket of higher end Rioja bodegas.
Or is the theory that the lower-end drinkers are forever to remain at that lower end?
- dave - September 6, 2011 at 8:20 PM
The existence and prominent talk about the "higher end" stuff that you and I and others of our ilk drink is critical to supporting demand for the floor stacks. The average wine drinker is generally aspirational, despite the fact that they rarely ever move off the floor stacks. Having a clear view of the really good stuff is critical in supporting the sales of the floor stacks.
Tom Wark - September 7, 2011 at 7:51 AM
- Paul said...
During our WSET Diploma the course coordinator cautioned the high-end loving class never to sneer at the mass market brands that none of us would ever dream of ordering, as these wines are ultimately what support the more cerebral parts of the industry.
- September 8, 2011 at 1:12 PM
From someone who sells wine in a tasting room I can say that your point is true. Most people are looking for a bargain and will buy a case of $4 bottle of white that a critic would surely slam. Most people are looking for something comfortable and consistent.
- September 13, 2011 at 7:38 AM


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What might you think of doing when?
Provided by Kent Butcher, MBA, Registered Investment Advisor Representative
January 26, 2016
If you had a timeline of the financial steps you should probably take in life, what would it look like? Answers to that question will vary, but certain times of life do call for certain financial moves. Some should be made out of caution, others out of opportunity.
What might you want to do in your twenties? First and foremost, you should start saving for retirement – preferably using tax-advantaged retirement accounts that let you direct money into equities. Through equity investing, your money may grow and compound profoundly with time – and you have time on your side.
As a hypothetical example, suppose you are 25 and direct $5,000 annually for 10 years into a retirement account earning a consistent 7%. You stop contributing to the account at age 35 – in fact, you never contribute a dollar to it again. Under such conditions, that $50,000 you have directed into that account over ten years grows to $562,683 by the time you are age 65 with no further action from you. If you contribute $5,000 annually to the account for 40 years starting at 25, you end up with $1,068,048 at 65.1
Aside from equity investment, you will want to try and build your savings – an emergency fund equal to six months of salary. That may seem unnecessarily large, or just too grand a goal, but it is worth pursuing, particularly if you are married or a parent. You could suffer a disability – not necessarily a permanent one, but an illness or injury that might prevent you from earning income. About 25% of people will contend with such an episode during their working lives, the Council for Disability Awareness notes, and less than 5% of disabling illnesses and accidents are job-related, so workers' comp will not cover them. As Money notes, just 13% of millennials have disability insurance.2,3
What moves make sense in your thirties? You may have married and started a family at this point, so your spending has probably increased quite a bit from when you were single. As you save and invest in pursuit of long-range financial objectives, remember also to play a little defense.
You should think about creating a will and a financial power of attorney in case something unforeseen happens. Another estate planning/asset protection move that becomes essential at this point is life insurance. Right now a 20-year, $250,000 term life policy for a 35-year-old can cost less than $30 a month. It will not build cash value like a permanent life policy, but it can easily be renewed (and in some cases, converted into permanent life insurance).4
What considerations emerge between 40 and 50? This is where you may be "sandwiched" between taking care of your kids and your elderly parents or relatives. Your spending may reach a new peak; hopefully, your salary is rising as well.
Try to maintain your retirement planning effort in the face of these financial stresses – your pace and level of retirement account contributions. You may have teens or pre-teens at home, and if you have not yet considered creating a college fund that can grow and compound over time, now is the right time. You should not dip into your retirement fund to pay for their college educations, no matter how onerous college loans may seem.
You may want to look into long term care insurance. If you are wealthy, or soon will be, it may not be worth buying; you may have the money on hand to pay for years of nursing home care (or other forms of eldercare) that might be needed as you age. If you find yourself in the middle class, LTC insurance may be worth the expense depending on your health history and health outlook. Buying it before age 50 and while you are in good health is a wise move, if you are interested in such coverage.
Between 50 and 60, you are in the "red zone" before retirement. If you can, accelerate your retirement saving through greater contribution levels and/or the catch-up contributions allowed for many retirement accounts after age 50. You may want to tolerate less risk in your portfolio as retirement nears; you may not. Some investment professionals contend that in this era of low interest rates and low inflation, it makes much more sense to tilt a portfolio toward equities than toward fixed-income investments – provided you can put up with the inevitable volatility. Other investment professionals feel that is simply too risky a decision, even with some boomers needing much larger retirement nest eggs.
If possible, think about (and plan for) an approximate retirement date. Aim to reduce your debt as much as possible by that time or earlier. Retiring with multiple major debts can be stressful to say the least. Lastly, check in with a financial professional to gauge how close you are to realizing your long-term financial objectives.
Kent Butcher may be reached at 918-747-5585 or email@example.com.
This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.
1 – businessinsider.com/compound-interest-and-retirement-savings-2015-3 [3/12/15]
2 – disabilitycanhappen.org/chances_disability/disability_stats.asp [7/3/13]
3 – time.com/money/3178364/millennials-insurance-why-resist-coverage/ [8/27/14]
4 – valuepenguin.com/average-cost-life-insurance [12/23/15]


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Welcome to King of Games Farm, providing personalized private horse training and management in the Sierra Nevada foothills, near Grass Valley, California.
Services include dressage training and starting, individual horse management, indoor or pasture boarding, lay-up, and retirement.
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The name King of Games derives from an ancient Pakistani inscription:
Let other men play at other things. The game of kings is still the king of games.
- a reference to polo that we paraphrase in French - Le jeu de rois est le «Roi des Jeux»
- to reflect our heritage and original roots in the game of kings
. Over the years our focus has shifted to dressage and jumpers, but the name remains the same.
Please browse our site, and send us any questions or comments you may have. And while you're here, please take a moment to sign our guestbook (below) and please include how you found us.
Best Regards,
Denis H. Simard
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say I was apprehensive is an understatement! Thank you Denis for all the
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I've called Denis the horse whisperer. I've taken advice from him that
has worked.
Jake is loved and happy at Uncle Denis'.
This is a personalized board and care facility offering training,
lessons and care as well as hosting SATS® clinics. Personalized care and
boarding by a horse owner and lover is ideal.


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Buffalo mass shooting: Accused gunman charged with federal hate crimes
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - The white gunman who killed 10 Black people in a racist attack at a Buffalo supermarket was charged Wednesday with federal hate crimes that could potentially carry a death penalty.
The criminal complaint filed Wednesday against Payton Gendron coincided with a visit to Buffalo by Attorney General Merrick Garland. He met with the families of the people who were killed and placed a bouquet of white flowers at a memorial outside the Tops Friendly Market, which has been closed since the May 14 attack.
"No one in this country should have to live in fear that they will go to work or shop at a grocery store and will be attacked by someone who hates them because of the color of their skin," Garland said at a news conference.
Garland, who halted federal executions last year, did not rule out seeking the death penalty against Gendron, 18. He said "families and the survivors will be consulted" as the Justice Department weighs whether to seek capital punishment.
Gendron is already facing up to life in prison if convicted on state charges in the May 14 rampage, which also left three survivors — one Black, two white — with gunshot wounds.
The federal hate crimes case is based partly on documents in which Gendron laid out his radical, racist worldview and extensive preparation for the attack, some of which he posted online and shared with a small group of people shortly before he started shooting.
FBI agents executing a search warrant at Gendron's home found a note in which he apologized to his family and wrote he "had to commit this attack" because he cares "for the future of the White race," according to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint.
Three children of 86-year-old victim Ruth Whitfield said they told Garland at their private meeting that they wanted to make sure he didn't view the Buffalo shooting "as a singular case."
"This is a problem throughout America," said one son, former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield Jr.
"It doesn't stop with justice for our mother and the other nine victims. It's how do we prevent these horrific crimes from happening, from breaking the hearts of other families," said another son, Raymond Whitfield.
Gendron's attorney, Brian Parker, declined to comment.
So far, the evidence made public against Gendron suggests he acted alone, but Garland and Deputy FBI Director Paul Abbate said investigators were examining the gunman's communications with others prior to the shooting.
About 30 minutes before he opened fire, Gendron invited a small group of people to see his plans for the attack, which he then broadcast live on social media. It wasn't clear if any of the people who accessed Gendron's diary or saw his livestream did anything to alert authorities.
In his writings, Gendron embraced a baseless conspiracy theory about a plot to diminish white Americans' power and "replace" them with people of color, through immigration and other means.
The posts detail months of reconnaissance, demographic research and shooting practice for an attack aimed at scaring everyone who isn't white and Christian into leaving the country.
Gendron drove more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) from his home in a nearly all-white town near the New York-Pennsylvania border to a predominantly Black part of Buffalo. There, authorities say, he fired approximately 60 shots at shoppers and workers with a semiautomatic rifle.
Three wounded people — one Black, two white — survived. Video of the assault showed Gendron momentarily holding his fire to apologize to a white store employee after shooting him in the leg. Gendron surrendered to police as he exited the supermarket.
Gendron wrote racial slurs and statements including, "Here's your reparations!" on his rife, the affidavit said.
Gendron was already facing a mandatory life sentence without parole if convicted on previously filed state charges. He pleaded not guilty to a domestic terrorism charge, including hate-motivated domestic terrorism and murder.
The federal case is likely to present a quandary for Garland, who has vowed to aggressively prosecute civil rights cases but also instituted a moratorium on federal executions last year after an unprecedented run of capital punishment at the end of the Trump administration.
The moratorium halts the Bureau of Prisons from carrying out any executions as the Justice Department conducts a policy review. But the memo does not prohibit federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty, a decision that ultimately will fall to Garland.
President Joe Biden has said he opposes the death penalty and his team vowed he would take action to stop its use while in office.
In the aftermath of the Buffalo attack, and another deadly mass shooting committed by an 18-year-old at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, New York lawmakers banned the sale of semiautomatic rifles to anyone under age 21.
The U.S. Senate followed on June 12 with a bipartisan agreement on more modest federal gun curbs and stepped-up efforts to improve school safety and mental health programs.
Garland on Wednesday endorsed changing federal law to raise the age for purchasing some types of rifles.
"The Justice Department agrees with the president that 18-year-olds should not be able to purchase a gun like this," Garland said.
It wasn't immediately clear when Gendron would appear in court on the federal charges.
"This process may not be as fast as some would hope, but it will be thorough, it will be fair, it will be comprehensive and it will reflect what is best about our community and about democracy," said U.S. Attorney Trini Ross, a Buffalo native.


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Shearer, John Bunyan
19 July 1832–14 June 1919
John Bunyan Shearer, educator and minister, was of Dutch, English, and Welsh ancestry. The first of seven children born to Ruth Akers Webber and John Akers Shearer in Appomattox County, Va., he received the usual farm training provided the sons of farmers. In addition, from ages six to seventeen he spent every year except one at Union Academy in his native county. His study of Latin and Greek led to his employment as an assistant instructor of these subjects in Union Academy. At eighteen he entered Hampden-Sydney College, in Virginia, where he was graduated with honors and an A.B. degree in 1851. That fall he embarked on a three-year theological course at the University of Virginia and earned an M.A. degree in 1854. He helped finance his education by offering his services as a tutor, teaching school, and preaching during his stay at the university.
Four years before completing his education, Shearer married Lizzie Gessner at Hampden-Sydney. To him she was a major source of inspiration. In 1858 he finished the theological program at Union Seminary in Hampden-Sydney. Licensed to preach by the Roanoke Presbytery on 17 Apr. 1857, he successively became the pastor of churches in Bethlehem and Concord, a church in Chapel Hill, and the Orange Presbytery. Since the Civil War had left the university in Chapel Hill disorganized, Shearer became pastor of Spring Hill Church, in Halifax County, Va., where he could teach as well as preach.
In May 1870 he took charge of Stewart College in Clarksville, Tenn., and later was made president by the board of trustees. Shearer and one of the institution's chief trustees, the Honorable D. N. Kennedy, became close friends and together were responsible for the founding of Southwestern Presbyterian University in Clarksville (now Memphis). Shearer received a D.D. degree from the McCown School in 1872 and an LL.D. from Southwestern Presbyterian in 1889.
As president of Southwestern Presbyterian University, Shearer organized a faculty and gained support that led to the enrollment of 150 students. At the peak of his accomplishments, however, his health began to fail; indeed, the years 1878–79 were almost totally lost to him because of ill health. Shearer withdrew as head of the university and nominated the Reverend John W. Waddell as chancellor. Still unable to leave the field of education completely, he began to provide biblical instruction in English, Greek, and Hebrew.
Shearer spent nine years laying the foundations and building the walls of the institution and another nine in the classroom teaching. In 1888, after recovering his health, he accepted the presidency of Davidson College, in North Carolina, a position he held for thirteen years. Once more he resigned because of poor health, but he continued to teach his favorite subjects—biblical instruction and philosophy. After the death of Shearer's wife Lizzie in January 1903, the Reverend M. E. Sentelle, D.D., was elected adjunct professor of biblical instruction and professor of philosophy to succeed Shearer.
As a result of Shearer's ministering and teaching, Bethlehem and Concord churches at Hampden-Sydney, Va., and Spring Hill Church at Halifax County, Va., became self-sustaining. The effectiveness of his teaching is demonstrated by the large number of pupils who passed under his tutelage.
Shearer was the author of a three-volume Bible Course Syllabus (1895–96), Modern Mysticism (1905), Sermon on the Mount (1906), Studies in the Life of Christ (1907), The Scriptures: Fundamental Facts and Features (1908), Selected Old Testament Studies (1909), Hebrew Institutions: Social and Civil (1910), Selected Old Testament Studies (1911), and One Hundred Brief Bible Studies (1912). He died at his home in Davidson.
Samuel A. Ashe, ed., Biographical History of North Carolina, vol. 8 (1917).
Presbyterian Church in the United States, Synod of North Carolina Minutes, 1849–1972 (1919).
Rev. E. C. Scott, Ministerial Directory of the Presbyterian Church, United States, 1861–1941 (1942).
Who Was Who in America, vol. 1 (1981).
Additional Resources:
"John Bunyon [sic] Shearer." Davidson Encyclopedia. Archives and Special Collections. Davidson College. http://sites.davidson.edu/archives/encyclopedia/john-bunyon-shearer (accessed September 18, 2013).
"John Bunyan Shearer, A.M., D.D. 1870-1879." Archives, Rhodes College. http://www.rhodes.edu/barret/23364.asp (accessed September 18, 2013).
Shearer, John Bunyan. The canon of Scripture: is it divinely authenticated? Richmond, Va.: Whittet & Shepperson, printers. 1893. Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/canonofscripture00shea (accessed September 19, 2013).
Image Credits:
E. G. Williams and Bro., engraver "J. B. Shearer." Engraving. Biographical history of North Carolina from colonial times to the present volume 8. Greensboro, N.C.: C.L. Van Noppen. 1917. 445. Internet Archive / N.C. Government & Heritage Library. https://archive.org/stream/biographicalhist08ashe#page/n581/mode/2up (accessed September 18, 2013).
1 January 1994 | Caldwell, Irene


text:
Jorge Rezende
Professor at the Mathematics Department of the Faculty of Science of the University of Lisbon.
Member of the Group of Mathematical Physics of the University of Lisbon.
- Paper "Periodical plane puzzles with numbers" [PDF]
- Paper "Jogos com poliedros e permutações" [PDF]
-- published in Boletim da SPM (43), October 2000. - Paper "Sobre os puzzles com poliedros e números" [PDF]
english version: "On the Puzzles with polyhedra and numbers" [PDF]
- Paper "Puzzles with polyhedra and permutation groups" [PDF]
- Paper "Three puzzles with polyhedra and numbers" [PDF]
- More puzzles [PDF]:
- Paper "Polyhedron puzzles and groups" [PDF]
- Photos of polyhedron puzzles
- Polyhedra and numbers
- Home page at ludicum.org
- Polýedros
- Paper "The Sturm-Liouville problem and the Polar Representation Theorem"
- Paper "Period and energy in one degree of freedom systems" [PDF]
- Ruy Luís Gomes Centenary
Scientific interests
- Feynman path integrals
- Stationary phase method
- Semi-classical aproximation in quantum mechanics
- Schrödinger operators
- Borel summability


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HAVEN RESCUE We are individuals living across the United States who have been drawn together as volunteers for the sole purpose of preserving and protecting pure breed and non-pure breed Papillons in need. The actions of this all-volunteer group are directed toward the development of a network of rescuers, transporters, foster homes, and liaisons with animal shelters and other rescue groups in order to provide information and assistance. Our group will provide veterinary medical care, spay and neuter program, rehabilitation in foster homes and careful screening for appropriate adoptive homes with our ultimate goal being the welfare and protection of these small companion animals. Working together we are making a difference - one Papillon at a time.
©2005 - 2018. Papillon Haven Rescue (Incorporated) All rights reserved. |


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Is Your Driver's License Enough for Domestic Flights?
Maybe you've seen news reports about changes to identification laws for boarding a domestic flight. And maybe you've been confused by those reports — with their mentions of deadlines, extensions and fuzzy state-by-state decisions.
That's because, well, it's confusing. And changing all the time. Here's what you need to know before you hop on a plane in 2018:
- Starting Jan. 22, travelers from a handful of states may not be able to use their current licenses to board domestic flights
- As of this writing, those states are Louisiana, Michigan and New York — but negotiations are ongoing to grant those states compliance or an extension, so don't panic yet
- States that have been granted extensions have until Oct. 1, 2018, to meet federal requirements on what is called a "Real ID"
- If you live in a compliant state, you don't have to rush out and get a new license before you fly; you can wait until you must renew your license, or October 2020, whichever comes first.
- Want to play it safe? If you have a passport, bring it along if you fly after Jan. 22.
Read on to learn more.
Wait, back up. Why is this happening?
The Real ID Act, passed in 2005, requires states to meet higher security standards in how they process applications for licenses and identification cards, as well as how they design and issue the cards.
Implementing the act has been tricky. That's in part because the federal government set the standards, but it's the state governments that must meet them. The Department of Homeland Security has been enforcing the act in phases. Tracking those phases and deadlines — and, in many cases, extensions — can get confusing.
The next significant deadline is Jan. 22. After that, licenses from states that haven't met these standards or been given an extension to do so may not be accepted by federal agencies, such as the Transportation Security Administration.
How will this affect me and my travel plans?
You don't need one of these standardized licenses to drive. And you can always use a passport or one of these other forms of identification to pass through TSA. But if you rely on a license for air travel, you eventually need a Real ID to board airplanes.
If you do use your driver's license to board domestic flights, check this DHS map to see whether your state is compliant with the Real ID Act; has an extension for Real ID enforcement; or is under review. Here's what each of those terms means for you:
If your state is compliant: You can use the license in your wallet to board domestic flights until the ID expires or until Oct. 1, 2020, whichever comes first.
If your state has been granted an extension: Homeland Security may grant an extension to states that aren't compliant but that have "demonstrated that they're on their way to compliance," says Justine Whelan, assistant press secretary at the DHS.
If you live in one of these states, you can keep using your driver's license to board domestic flights until Oct. 1, 2018. If your state doesn't become compliant or receive another extension by then, the TSA may not continue to accept your license.
Note that Homeland Security may renew an extension if, according to the DHS website, "the state has provided adequate justification for continued noncompliance." If the extension expires without renewal, the DHS may grant a short grace period before licenses are no longer accepted.
If your state is under review: Right now, Homeland Security is deciding to either grant these states another extension or confirm their compliance. The department has until Jan. 22 to do so. After that date, the TSA may not accept noncompliant licenses from those states.
But the situation won't necessarily come to that. For example, although Michigan is currently "under review" on the DHS map, Fred Woodhams, a spokesperson from the Michigan Department of State, expects the state to be fully compliant or get another extension before Jan. 22. Representatives from other "under review" states expect they'll get the signoff for compliance or an extension before the upcoming deadline, too.
If you live in a state that's being reviewed, visit the website of whichever branch of state government oversees motor vehicles. (Names vary from "department" to "office" to "bureau" of motor vehicles across states.) Search those sites for Real ID information, and you'll likely find that Jan. 22 will come and go without disrupting your travel plans too much. For example, the New York Department of Motor Vehicles offers this resource for residents.
What do I do now?
The federal and state governments have been rolling out the Real ID Act for years, so compliance deadlines "are a surprise to no one," Whelan says. "States have planned accordingly for these upcoming changes for years." The best thing you can do now is to pay attention, she says. Visit the website of the state branch that oversees motor vehicles to see whether you should take any steps to renew your license.
If you live in a state that's "under review" and want to be extra safe, bring your passport (or consider applying for one) to ensure smooth travels going forward. The article Is Your Driver's License Enough for Domestic Flights? originally appeared on NerdWallet.


text: Archangels are very powerful, wise, and loving guides who can motivate and heal you in miraculous ways. This deck of 45 oracle cards by Doreen Virtue will familiarize you with the 15 archangels, give you messages from them, help you to invoke them, and answer some of your important life questions. You'll learn how to give an accurate archangel reading for yourself and others with the help of the enclosed guidebook.


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Alex Ross
About the Artist
Born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in Lubbock, Texas, Alex made his artistic debut at three when, according to his mother, he grabbed a piece of paper and drew the contents of a television commercial he'd seen moments before. By age 13 he was scripting and drawing original comic books. Ten years later? He was hired by Marvel Comics to illustrate Marvel's central characters in the comic book event, Marvels (1994).
Having established himself creatively and financially with superhero projects, Ross turned to the real world with Uncle Sam, a 96-page story that took a hard look at the dark side of American history. Like Marvels, the individual issues of Uncle Sam were collected into a single volume - first in hardcover, then in paperback - and remain in print today. Ross would eventually go on to win the Comic Buyer's Guide Award for Favorite Painter. He won so many times that the award was officially retired.
Alex's work has celebrated the 60th anniversaries of Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, and Wonder Woman with fully painted, tabloid-sized books, depicting each of these characters using their powers to inspire humanity as well as help them.
In recent years, Ross has applied his artistic skills to outside projects with comic book roots, including a limited-edition promotional poster for the Academy Awards. In 2015, Alex was chosen by Apple Corps LTD to be commissioned as the first artist in over 30 years to paint the Fab Four. Driven by the Beatles legendary music and inspired by the generation's new trends in art, "Yellow Submarine" is a classic of animated cinema. Alex has often been referred to as 'the Norman Rockwell of comics' yet his "Yellow Submarine" piece reveals the similarly powerful influence of master surrealist Salvador Dali, whom Alex has also recognized as a guiding influence on his style.
Forty years ago, Spider-Man learned that with great power comes great responsibility. Looking at Alex Ross, it's obvious the lesson took.
Looking back, it makes perfect sense that Alex Ross would become one of the world's most preeminent and well-respected comic book artists. It's a job he's been preparing for nearly all his life.