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The Pentagon has prepared military options for responding to the Syrian crisis ranging from bombing targets inside the country to deploying thousands of ground forces to secure chemical weapons sites, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a letter to the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Gen. Martin Dempsey made clear that he was just presenting options and the decision is for civilian leaders to make.
Dempsey's letter to Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is the most comprehensive public description yet of the stark choices the administration faces in responding to a civil war that has lasted more than two years, has led to the deaths of 100,000 and has confounded U.S. policymakers.
Dempsey provided the options in response to a request from Levin and Sen. John McCain of Arizona, a ranking Republican member of the committee, which is considering his nomination for a second term as chairman.
Dempsey came under fire last week from McCain, who sharply questioned Dempsey during his confirmation hearing. Dempsey had been reluctant to publicly discuss options while the White House is still reviewing them. McCain has advocated for a stronger response to the civil war in Syria.
The White House has been reluctant to get too deeply involved in the conflict. The U.S. government is providing non-lethal aid to rebels and recently the White House said it would begin providing arms and other support for rebels.
The options outlined by Dempsey would involve a much deeper involvement by U.S. forces, carrying with them high costs and significant risks.
The options outlined by Dempsey include:
• Train, advise and assist the opposition. Ground troops would be used to train rebels in tactics and the employment of weapons. The number of troops required ranges from several hundred to thousands. It would require establishing safe zones outside Syria and would cost an estimated $500 million a year initially.
The plan risks inadvertently helping extremist groups who are among the rebel groups fighting the regime of Bashar Assad, Dempsey said. It could also provoke cross border raids by Syrian government forces and could result in insider attacks against U.S. forces.
• Stand-off strikes. Aircraft and missiles would be used to attack hundreds of Syrian government military targets, such as air defense systems and regime air and naval forces.
This option would require the United States and its allies to muster "hundreds of aircraft, ships, submarines, and other enablers," Dempsey wrote. It risks provoking retaliatory strikes by the Assad regime and could also result in inadvertent civilian casualties, he said.
• No-fly zone. This option would be designed to ground Assad's aircraft, preventing them from attacking civilians and rebels. It would also stop Assad from supplying his forces by air. This option would require knocking out the Syrian air defenses and attacking Syrian aircraft on the ground and in the air. It could cost as much as $1 billion a month for a year.
This option could result in the loss of U.S. aircraft, he said. It may also fail to reduce violence or shift the balance of power on the ground, since Assad's forces rely heavily on mortars and artillery — not only aircraft — to attack rebels.
• Buffer zones. This option calls for the establishment of sanctuaries for rebel forces outside Syria, most likely in neighboring Turkey or Jordan. The zones would allow rebels to train and humanitarian aid could be distributed to refugees.
"Thousands of U.S. ground forces would be needed, even if positioned outside Syria, to support those physically defending the zones," Dempsey wrote. It would also require a limited no-fly zone to prevent attack from Assad's aircraft. The cost would exceed $1 billion a month.
The risks include Assad's forces firing artillery into the zones and killing refugees. "The zones could also become operational bases for extremists," Dempsey wrote.
• Control chemical weapons. This plan calls for destroying portions of Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons, interdicting their shipment around the country and seizing and securing weapons components. It would require establishing a no-fly zone and launching air and missile strikes "involving hundreds of aircraft, ships, submarines and other enablers," Dempsey said. "Thousands of special operation forces and other ground forces would be needed to assault and secure critical sites."
The costs could exceed $1 billion a month, he said.
"Once we take action, we should be prepared for what comes next," Dempsey wrote.
USA Today


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Pacific Southwest, Region 9
Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, 147 Tribes
Chemical Spills Prevention and Preparedness
To contact a Region 9 Duty Officer for oil or chemical spills in Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands please call (800) 300-2193. This number is staffed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
National Links
The Emergency Prevention and Preparedness Program is located within the Response, Planning and Prevention Branch of the Superfund Division. It is home to EPA Region 9's prevention activities under Superfund Law (CERCLA), the Emergency Prevention and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA), and the Clean Air Act Risk Management Plan Regulations (CAA 112(r)).
In collaboration with the Emergency Response program, it is also home to the planning and preparedness activities required by CERCLA, EPCRA, and the Clean Water Act as amended by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA). Each of these laws and this program's planning, outreach, and enforcement activities provide the foundation for the Pacific Southwest Region's
Emergency Prevention Programs
The key functions of the Region 9 Emergency Prevention Programs are regulatory enforcement and compliance outreach. We work very closely with federal, state, and local partners and have developed important industry-based collaborations as well. The main program elements are outreach and education, compliance assistance, inspection and investigation, and enforcement. The prevention laws that we implement are:
- EPCRA non-313 (a.k.a. Community Right to Know Act)
- CAA 112 (r) (a.k.a. Risk Management Program)
- CERCLA 103 (Release Reporting Requirements)
For more on these laws and EPA's Prevention Programs please go to the EPA HQ Office of Emergency Management.
Emergency Preparedness Programs
The emergency preparedness programs are designed to provide the foundation for planning coordination and collaboration with federal, state, and local response partners. The National Response System and the National Contingency Plan provide the framework for this important safety continuum element in coordination with the National Response Plan. The key organizational tools that we use to support our planning and preparedness responsibilities are:
- U.S. Mexico Border Planning
- Regional Response Teams
- Area Contingency and Geographic Response Planning
- Preparedness Outreach
For more on EPA's Preparedness Programs please go to the EPA HQ Office of Emergency Management.
Program Contact
For more on Region 9's Emergency Prevention and Preparedness Programs please contact:
Kathryn Lawrence, Chief
Emergency Prevention and Preparedness Section
U.S. EPA Region 9
Mail Code: SFD-9-3
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94903
Phone: (415) 972-3039
Pacific Southwest NewsroomPacific Southwest Programs | Grants & FundingUS-Mexico Border | Media CenterCareers | About EPA Region 9 (Pacific Southwest)A-Z Index |

subset: commoncrawl


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He's unable to resist her. He refuses to give up on her.
Hot and Cold release Blitz
"Firefighters AND cops? Amy Briggs AND Mikey Lee? This is kind of a no-brainer to pick up. Who can say no to firefighters, cops, Amy Briggs, AND Mikey Lee? Really? No one." ~ Kristin ~ Book Lovers Obsession
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Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2kpdxAD
Free in KU!
"I LOVED this book! It's got crime, mystery, drama, and ohh yeah SEX!! ~ Goodreads Reviewer
Dani Moore has been burned.
Still recovering emotionally from a recent assault, Dani spends her days blogging and riding around with her brother, a homicide detective. She's going through the motions with no real hope of ever getting back to "normal life." But when she meets Scott Walker, the city's new arson investigator, the heat between them is undeniable. Scott's the nicest guy she's ever met. And it doesn't hurt that he's so attractive she can barely breathe. Finally out of school and working his first big arson and murder investigation, Scott hasn't had time to get involved with anyone. But when he meets Dani he's convinced that the gorgeous girl who lights a fire in his heart will be his. He's unable to resist her, even though she runs hot and cold. He refuses to give up on her, even though his new partner is Dani's brother. Dani may be able to put the past behind her and allow Scott to teach her how to trust again, but will the case go cold while their love ignites?
Hot and cold is an all new CONTEMPORARY ROMANTIC stand-alone collaboration between Mikey Lee and Amy Briggs and is now live. Features cops, firefighters, crime and sex...you want it!.
\\ Sisterhood Reviews //
Review by Becky Rendon
Hot and Cold is my first read by either of these authors. It's a cute romance with the added suspense of the case.
Arson Investigator Scott Walker hasn't had time for anything but school and work. As a newbie to investigations, he's finally getting his footing. He never expected to meet the woman of his dreams at a crime scene. Well, meet is a strong word- more like glimpse.
Dani has had it rough. Her recovery is taking longer than her brother likes but her safety is more important. She isn't ready to date again, or is she? One look at the guy helping her brother on a case and she changes her mind. Scott is good looking and sweet.
The relationship is heating up but the case appears to be going stale. Setbacks happen. Will Dani and Scott catch what they are looking for or will it all go up in smoke?
reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
* * *
About the authors:
Mikey Lee:
Mikey Lee is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and is a strong supporter of the military. He has a degree in Criminal Justice and he started writing as a way to express his creative side.
Mikey and his wife live happily in West Virginia, where he tries to make his wife fall in love with him every day. He also talks in his sleep. He has been so humbled by the support of readers, bloggers, and other authors.
Amy Briggs:
Amy Briggs is an Orlando-based writer, consultant, and entrepreneur. Leaving the corporate life behind, Amy now runs several small businesses from the comfort of her home while spinning realistic, thrilling and romantic stories. Formerly a firefighter and EMT in New Jersey living next to a military base, Amy was drawn to creating stories around emergency services and the military and draws on her experiences to show the depth and emotional side of the lifestyle.
Connect with the Authors:
Mikey Lee:
Amy Briggs:


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Program Description
Graduate Programs in Bioscience is a consortium of 12 home areas and their affiliated Ph.D. programs, organized to provide the best possible research training and professional development for graduate students pursuing Ph.D.s in the life and biomedical sciences.
UCLA has a long tradition of excellence and leadership in the biomedical and life sciences and in developing innovative and effective graduate training programs. In 1993, UCLA developed the ACCESS program, one of the nation's first unified admissions and first year training programs for graduate students entering bioscience Ph.D. programs. ACCESS was a model for umbrella programs that followed at other institutions.
Graduate Programs in Bioscience expands and refines the ACCESS model. Initiated in 2013 following extensive strategic planning, we build on the strengths of ACCESS by providing an organized network of programs that offers students breadth and flexibility to best pursue their interests across the wide range of bioscience Ph.D. programs. At the same time, we introduce the benefits of individually tailored education in smaller training communities, defined by research themes, not traditional departments. We are invigorated and enthusiastic in our continued commitment to a program that empowers our students to excel.
The Home Area model of graduate training
Home Areas are cohesive research training communities of faculty, students and postdoctoral researchers with shared scientific interests. They stem from UCLA's areas of research excellence rather than traditional departmental divisions. In this way Home Areas draw together an interdisciplinary group of faculty and trainees from across the university to tackle basic and translational problems at the forefront of each field.
These academic "homes" are designed by faculty to promote and support individualized training and career-building opportunities for students in the home area.
This framework provides specialized, in-depth educational programs while maintaining flexibility for students to explore frontiers beyond any single home area. Likewise, faculty are able to contribute in multiple home areas according to their research interests. Providing students with a combination of deep immersion in a field and the opportunity to explore new horizons creates limitless and unique educational possibilities.
Each home area is affiliated with a degree-granting Ph.D. program, a union that sets the specific courses, advising opportunities, and research, scholarship, and examination requirements.
Courses of study
Each home area has designed a specific course of study to prepare students for careers in bioscience research in their chosen area of specialization. While the specifics are customized at the home area level, there is a general training progression.
In the first year, students engage in quarter-long research rotations in different laboratories to gain research experience and identify a faculty member to serve as the advisor for dissertation research. For rotations, students have access to faculty affiliated with any of the ten home areas.
The first 1-2 years also typically involve coursework to ensure that students have a strong concept foundation and develop advanced skills needed to critically evaluate the literature, recognize important questions in the field, design effective approaches, critically analyze data, and communicate clearly through oral and written forms of expression.
In the second year students normally develop a dissertation proposal and prepare for an oral examination by the dissertation committee. Written and oral exams are required at UCLA to advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree; the format can vary according to program. In recognition of the value of the professional skills associated with teaching, many programs require students to gain experience by serving as teaching assistants in two undergraduate and/or graduate courses.
The third, fourth, and fifth years focus on developing independence in cutting edge research, through dissertation project studies. Students are encouraged to present and publish their research in preparation for their thesis defense and, ultimately, the transition to the next phase of their career. Further support for this transition is offered through activities directed at professional skill development and career planning.
Graduate Programs in Bioscience brings together over 400 faculty from 29 departments across the campus, including the UCLA College and Schools of Medicine, Engineering, Dentistry, and Public Health. The range of research training possibilities is exceptional, extending from fundamental properties of molecules, cells, and organisms to the causes, diagnosis and treatment of disease. This breadth of opportunity is built on a culture of collegiality and mentorship dedicated to the success of our trainees and colleagues.
Financial support
All students making timely progress toward their degrees receive financial support that includes a competitive stipend, full tuition, health insurance, and various student services fees that cover gym facilities and academic support services.
Many UCLA students in the biosciences are successful in winning extramural fellowships. Graduate Programs in Bioscience offers workshops and one-on-one mentoring for students who wish to apply for such opportunities as well as recognition in the form of a stipend increase during the fellowship period.
Career development
At UCLA we aim to train students to become leaders in their chosen fields and their chosen careers. We view graduate training as a critical stepping stone along diverse careers paths that may lead to academic teaching and research, industry research, entrepreneurship, policy analysis, law, and management; among many others possibilities. UCLA provides career development resources and opportunities to prepare our students to follow their passion and enter tomorrow's workforce in whatever capacity that may be.
The leadership of Graduate Programs in Bioscience fully embraces the UCLA Principles of Community and the David Geffen School of Medicine Statement on Diversity and Inclusion. We appreciate the unique background and experience each student brings to GPB and consider them essential to the vitality and excellence of our program.


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ZoneAlarm Mobile Security Premium [Subscribed]
With ZoneAlarm® Mobile Security for Android™ you can rest assured that your mobile device is fully secured from malicious apps and Wi-Fi attacks. ZoneAlarm also detects viruses such as HummingBad malware,and new Android vulnerabilities: QuadRooter and Certifigate. ZoneAlarm by Check Point protects your smartphone using a multi-layered approach:
- Device Layer – Protects you from vulnerabilities on the device itself such as suspicious processes and operating system hacks.
- Apps Layer – Most of the apps are safe, but not all of them. This layer protects you from vulnerabilities and privacy risks that are caused by suspicious and malicious apps and updates.
The latest virus is called HummingBad, can control your phone, collecting your personal data and making it act like you've clicked on ads that you haven't. - Network Layer – Even the most secure device can be hacked when connecting to a public Wi-Fi. In this layer we analyze how secure is your connection and alert you on Man-In-The-Middle Attacks, in which hackers can gains access to all the information sent from your smartphone to a Hotspot connection.
App Features:
★ Apps Protection- Scans for infected apps, and harmful updates and alerts you on risks.
★ Device Shield- Alerts you to suspicious processes and guards your operating system from attackers.
★ Wi-Fi Ranking- Ranks the Hotspots around you to ensure you connect to the most secure option.
★ Wi-Fi Protection- Detects unsafe Wi-Fi networks that can compromise your privacy.
★ 100% Privacy- We don't collect or share any personal information with anyone.
★ No Ads- This app is only about your mobile security with no hassle.
What's new
We made stability and performance improvements.


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Richard A. Sherman, CPA
Servicing Arlington, Mansfield, Fort Worth and all of DFW Metroplex
What does your business mean to you? On a practical level, it is your livelihood. On an emotional level, it is the sum total of your financial hopes and dreams. In both cases, your business success is key to your future wellbeing. It is too important to leave to hope, a faceless "program," or a "firm" which farms the real work out to junior staff accountants who have no real knowledge of you, or your business.
When it comes to your business, medical practice, real estate, or tax planning, you need a partner you can trust. A local team player, right here in Arlington, Mansfield, Fort Worth, and covers the DFW Metroplex. You need a CPA with experience and a solid history of 35 years of successful business management.
Richard, understands business in Arlington, Fort Worth and all of North Texas. Unlike many CPAs, Richard is not turning his practice into a "virtual" firm, communicating only through internet forms and automated response and filings. He has real world management experience and will sit down with you in person, learn your business methods and goals, and strategize at your side for maximum growth and security. It is a valuable service, Texas style, face to face, owner to owner, with a proven track record.
Medical Practice Management and Consulting
Grow You Practice, Maximize Income, and Reduce Costs with one of the most qualified healthcare management consultants in Arlington, Mansfield, Fort Worth and all of DFW Metroplex with over 23 years of experience specifically in medical practice management.
Business Planning
Your business is too important to leave it to chance, luck, or mere hope in an improving economy. You need a business consultant with experience managing businesses for growth, through good times and bad.
Accounting Services, In-Person Presentation of Monthly Statements
Financial statements are key to understanding your business, Richard takes the time to personally present this information every month, to ensure that you understand it thoroughly and to discuss your business' future. He is the certified public accountant who understands your needs.
Real Estate Investment Management and Accounting
Real Estate accounting and tax preparation requires a thorough understanding of tax law and depreciation, particularly capital gains. Having spent much of his career managing real estate investment and development companies, Richard is a leading DFW Metroplex real estate CPA.
Tax Filing, Preparation and Pro-Active Planning
Reliable, accurate and safe tax planning, preparation and filing. No computer program can understand your tax and financial situation or offer you appropriate advice based upon your individual needs, for that you need Richard A, Sherman, CPA. He has a deft understanding of tax law, and knows that problems foreseen are calamities avoided.


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In July 2016, the Australasian Computer Music Association is joining forces with the Australian Forum for Acoustic Ecology and NIME 2016 (New Interfaces for Musical Expression) to host an interdisciplinary conference at the Queensland Conservatorium on the theme of Sonic Environments. Drawing inspiration from contemporary acoustic ecology, Sonic Environments invites composers, performers, academics, field recordists, acoustic ecologists and technologists to present research and creative works exploring the ecological, social and cultural contexts of our sonic environments. This conference aims to expand our current understandings of acoustic ecology and the role of sound and technology in understanding rapidly changing environments across the world. The conference theme encourages interdisciplinary perspectives on sound and aims to explore the possibilities of emerging technologies ranging from augmented reality sound walks and generative ecological compositions to networked performance connecting communities and immersive sound in virtual reality. We also invite research exploring aural awareness and investigations of natural and anthropogenic sounds and their relationship with the environment. Sonic Environments is hosted in collaboration with NIME 2016 (New Interfaces for Musical Expression) the premier international conference in designing human-computer interfaces and interactions for musical performance. Visit our call for participation for further information. Submissions close on April 8th, 2016. For more information visit www.sonicenvironments.org Leave a Reply. |
April 2023


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Driver Reviver will scan your PC to identify out of date drivers. Driver Reviver can quickly and easily update these drivers to restore optimum performance to your PC and its hardware and extend its life. |
By keeping your drivers updated, you are ensuring that you continue receiving updates containing bug fixes, performance improvements, and potential new features from the manufacturer.
Installing the wrong Driver or malware could render your PC inoperable and potentially put you at risk. Driver Reviver ensures accurate detection and consistently delivers the correct drivers.
It can take numerous hours to track down each Driver for each single piece of hardware connected to your PC. Driver Reviver accomplishes this in minutes through a quick scan and update process.
Driver Reviver is unbelievably easy and quick to use and include safety features like automatic backups, restore wizard, exclusions, scheduler and more to keep your computer in good shape.
How to Update Your DriversHardware Drivers are essential software applications that enable devices, which are connected to your PC, to communicate with your operating system and other software on your computer. These Drivers allow your software to access the full functionality and feature set available for each piece of hardware connected to your computer.
As both your operating system and the software applications running on your PC are updated, new Drivers are needed to ensure that your hardware can remain fully functional within its new environment. Many manufacturers do not contact you to advise that a new Driver has been released for your hardware. You therefore might be unaware that new, updated Drivers are available for your system, and you may be missing out on some additional new functionality, features or security patches for your system.
Considering all of the individual components on your PC, not to mention external devices such as printers, scanners, web cams, Hard Drives and more, keeping abreast of all the latest Drivers can not only be a time consuming and tedious task, but also one that can be terribly confusing.
Driver Reviver solves this problem by allowing you to scan all of your hardware to identify the current Driver that is installed on your system, and determines if it is the most up-to-date version. Once the required updates are identified, Driver Reviver then allows you to quickly and easily download and install all these updates from one central location. Driver Reviver ensures you are getting the maximum performance from your PC, its components and its software.
One of the most important features of Driver Reviver is how it sources its Driver updates. Other Driver update tools collect their Driver's from various sources on the Internet and store them on local servers which run the risk of the Drivers being obsolete or even worse, not being from the original equipment manufacturer and potentially containing crapware or spyware.
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This plugin lets you hide custom menu items based on user roles. So if you have a link in the menu that you only want to show to logged in users, certain types of users, or even only to logged out users, this plugin is for you.
Nav Menu Roles is very flexible. In addition to standard user roles, you can customize the functionality by adding your own check boxes with custom labels using the nav_menu_roles
filter and then using the nav_menu_roles_item_visibility
filter to check against whatever criteria you need. You can check against any user meta values (like capabilities) and any custom attributes added by other plugins.
In WordPress menu items and pages are completely separate entities. Nav Menu Roles does not restrict access to content. Nav Menu Roles is only for showing/hiding nav menu items. If you wish to restrict content then you need to also be using a membership plugin.
- Go to Appearance > Menus
- Set the " Display Mode" to either " logged in users" , " logged out users" , or " everyone" . " Everyone" is the default.
- If you wish to customize by role, set the " Display Mode" to " Logged In Users" and under " Restrict menu item to a minimum role" check the boxes next to the desired roles. Keep in mind that the role doesn't limit the item strictly to that role, but to everyone who has that role's capability. For example: an item set to " Subscriber" will be visible by Subscribers and by admins. Think of this more as a minimum role required to see an item.
Support is handled in the WordPress forums. Please note that support is limited and does not cover any custom implementation of the plugin. Before posting, please read the FAQ. Also, please verify the problem with other plugins disabled and while using a default theme.
Please report any bugs, errors, warnings, code problems to Github
- Upload the
folder to the/wp-content/plugins/
directory - Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress
- Go to Appearance > Menus
- Edit the menu items accordingly. First select whether you'd like to display the item to Everyone, all logged out users, or all logged in users.
- Logged in users can be further limited to specific roles by checking the boxes next to the roles you'd like to restrict visibility to.
This is likely due to a conflict with another plugin (or theme).
As of WordPress 5.4 the
hook has been added to WordPress core.Nav Menu Roles is therefore attaching directly to this hook without needing to replace the custom Admin Menu Walker, of which there can still be only one. If the Walker is replaced by a theme/plugin and the core hook is not included, then Nav Menu Roles cannot add it's fields.
A non-exhaustive list of known conflicts:
- UberMenu 2.x Mega Menus plugin (UberMenu 3.x supports NMR!)
- Add Descendants As Submenu Items plugin
- Navception plugin
- Suffusion theme
- BeTheme
- Yith Menu
- Jupiter Theme
- iMedica theme
- Prostyler EVO theme
- Mega Main Plugin
Workaround #1
Shazdeh had the genius idea to not wait for a core hook and simply add the hook ourselves. If all plugin and theme authors use the same hook, we can make our plugins play together.
Prior to WordPress 5.4, I used this idea and modified my admin nav menu Walker to only adding the following lines (right after the description input):
<?php // Place this in your admin nav menu Walker do_action( 'wp_nav_menu_item_custom_fields', $item_id, $item, $depth, $args, $id ); // end added section ?>
Since WordPress 5.4, I no longer replace the Walker at all and would advise other plugins and themes to do the same.
But for those that still are, they definitely need to include the now-core hook.
Ask your conflicting plugin/theme's author to add this code to their plugin or theme and our plugins will become compatible.
Instructions for Patching Your Plugin/Theme
Should you wish to attempt this patch yourself, you can modify your conflicting plugin/theme's admin menu Walker class.
Reminder: I do not provide support for fixing your plugin/theme. If you aren't comfortable with the following instructions, contact the developer of the conflicting plugin/theme!
1. Find the class that extends the
. The fastest way to do this is to search your whole plugin/theme folder forextends Walker_Nav_Menu
. When you find the file that contains this text you will know which file you need to edit. Once you find it here's what the beginning of that class will look like:class YOUR_THEME_CUSTOM_WALKER extends Walker_Nav_Menu {}
2. Find the
methodIn that file you will eventually see a class method that looks like:
function start_el( &$output, $item, $depth = 0, $args = array(), $id = 0 ) { // some stuff truncated for brevity }
3. Paste the action hook somewhere in this method!
In Nav Menu Roles, I have placed the hook directly after the description, like so:

 <label for="edit-menu-item-description-<?php echo $item_id; ?>"> <?php _e( 'Description' ); ?>
 <textarea id="edit-menu-item-description-<?php echo $item_id; ?>" class="widefat edit-menu-item-description" rows="3" cols="20" name="menu-item-description[<?php echo $item_id; ?>]"><?php echo esc_html( $item->description ); // textarea_escaped ?></textarea> <?php _e('The description will be displayed in the menu if the current theme supports it.'); ?>
 <?php // Add this directly after the description paragraph in the start_el() method do_action( 'wp_nav_menu_item_custom_fields', $item_id, $item, $depth, $args, $id ); // end added section ?>
Workaround #2
As a workaround, you can switch to a default theme (or disable the conflicting plugin), edit the Nav Menu Roles, for each menu item, then revert to your original theme/ re-enable the conflicting plugin. The front-end functionality of Nav Menu Roles will still work.
Workaround #3
Only works with WordPress less than 5.4.
Download and install this tiny plugin. Activate it when you need to make the NMR options appear and then disable it when you are done editing.
I'm using XYZ Membership plugin and I don't see its " levels" ?
There are apparently a few membership plugins out there that don't use traditional WordPress roles/capabilities. My plugin will list any role registered in the traditional WordPress way. If your membership plugin is using some other system, then Nav Menu Roles won't work with it out of the box. Since 1.3.5 I've added a filter called
just before my code decides whether to show/hide a menu item. There's also always been thenav_menu_roles
filter which lets you modify the roles listed in the admin. Between these two, I believe you have enough to integrate Nav Menu Roles with any membership plugin.Here's an example where I've added a new pseudo role, creatively called " new-role" . The first function adds it to the menu item admin screen. The second function is pretty generic and won't actually do anything because you need to supply your own logic based on the plugin you are using. Nav Menu Roles will save the new " role" info and add it to the item in an array to the
variable. -
Existing Compatibility Plugins
If your membership plugin is not listed here, you may be able to use the above bridge plugins as a template. Scroll down to the bottom of the main plugin file and you will see a section for " Helper Functions" . If you modify the 3 wrapper functions according to your membership plugin's logic, the rest of the plugin should handle the integration with Nav Menu Roles.
Adding a new " role"
The roles in NMR are filterable distinct from the global
. This allows for compatibility to be added between plugins that don't use the core roles to determine access, like some membership plugins./* * Add custom roles to Nav Menu Roles menu list * param: $roles an array of all available roles, by default is global $wp_roles * return: array */ function kia_new_roles( $roles ){ $roles['new-role-key'] = 'new-role'; return $roles; } add_filter( 'nav_menu_roles', 'kia_new_roles' );
Note, if you want to add a WordPress capability the above is literally all you need. Because Nav Menu Roles checks whether a role has permission to view the menu item using
current_user_can($role) you do not need to right a custom callback for the
nav_menu_roles_item_visibility` filter.In case you do need to check your visibility status against something very custom, here is how you'd go about it:
/* * Change visibility of each menu item * param: $visible boolean * param: $item object, the complete menu object. Nav Menu Roles adds its info to $item->roles * $item->roles can be "in" (all logged in), "out" (all logged out) or an array of specific roles * return boolean */ function kia_item_visibility( $visible, $item ){ if( isset( $item->roles ) && is_array( $item->roles ) && in_array( 'new-role-key', $item->roles ) ){ /* if ( // your own custom check on the current user versus 'new-role' status ){ $visible = true; } else { $visible = false; } */ } return $visible; } add_filter( 'nav_menu_roles_item_visibility', 'kia_item_visibility', 10, 2 );
Note that you have to generate your own if/then logic. I can't provide free support for custom integration with another plugin. You may contact me to discuss hiring me, or I would suggest using a plugin that supports WordPress' roles, such as Justin Tadlock's Members.
Sort the roles alphabetically
Add the following snippet to your theme's
file:/* * Sort the NMR roles * @param: $roles an array of all available roles with ID=>Name * @return: array */ function kia_sort_roles( $roles ){ if( is_admin() ) { $array_lowercase = array_map( 'strtolower', $roles ); array_multisort( $array_lowercase, SORT_ASC, SORT_STRING, $roles ); return $roles; } } add_filter( 'nav_menu_roles', 'kia_sort_roles' );
If every item in your menu is configured to display to logged in users (either all logged in users, or by specific role), then when a logged out visitor comes to your site there are no items in the menu to display.
will then try check itsfallback_cb
argument… which defaults towp_page_menu
.Therefore, if you have no items to display, WordPress will end up displaying ALL your pages!!
If you don't want this, you must set the fallback argument to be a null string.
wp_nav_menu( array( 'theme_location' => 'primary-menu', 'fallback_cb' => '' ) );
You must do this for every effected instance of
in your theme templates. It is not possible for me to tell you where they are located, butheader.php
is a very common location for the main menu.Alternatively, you could do this universally by adding the following snippet to your child theme's function.php file or by adding it via the Code Snippets plugin:
/** * Disables the fallback page menu for all menus * * @param array $args Array of wp_nav_menu() arguments. * @return array */ function kia_nav_menu_args( $args ) { $args['fallback_cb'] = ''; return $args; } add_filter( 'wp_nav_menu_args', 'kia_nav_menu_args' );
The Nav Menu Roles plugin stores 1 piece of post meta to every menu item/post. This is exported just fine by the default Export tool.
However, the Import plugin only imports certain post meta for menu items. As of version 1.3, I've added a custom Importer to Nav Menu Roles as a work around.
How Do I Use the Custom Importer?
- Go to Tools>Export, choose to export All Content and download the Export file
- Go to Tools>Import on your new site and perform your normal WordPress import
- Return to Tools>Import and this time select the Nav Menu Roles importer.
- Use the same .xml file and perform a second import
- No duplicate posts will be created but all menu post meta (including your Nav Menu Roles info) will be imported
Yes, but manually. WPML developers have informed me that the meta data for nav menu items is not synced by WPML, meaning that menus copied into a new language will not bring their custom Nav Menu Roles settings. However, if you manually reconfigure the settings, the new language menu will work as expected.
Contributors & Developers
"Nav Menu Roles" is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors"Nav Menu Roles" has been translated into 20 locales. Thank you to the translators for their contributions.
Translate "Nav Menu Roles" into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
- Fix: Typos.
- Fix: Top-level display of hidden child menu items of hidden parent menu items.
- New: Add support for " hiding" a menu item by role.
- Fix: PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined method WP_Customize_Manager::settings_previewed(). settings_previewed() does not exist until WordPress 3.9.0+.
- Tweak: Alphabetically sort role names.
- New: Customizer support! props @westonruter!
- Fix: Strict array typecasting for nav menu classes.
- Fix: Only auto-apply classes on front-end. Prevents appending duplicate classes on each save.
- Fix: My hook made it into core for WP5.4!! Can finally stop overriding the admin menu Walker.
- Fix: PHP Notice: Undefined variable $item
- Add the NMR roles as css classes to the menu output
- Improve menu editor role checkbox list UX, by making list items full-width. Props @lkraav
- Check all object properties exist before accessing. Resolves PHP notices for custom menu items.
- Include a !empty() check on menu $items
- Update donation link
- Update donation link
- Update required and tested against versions
- Add support for multisite. Props @open-dsi and @fiech.
- Use new Walker for WP4.7
- Prevent nav menu items edited in the customizer from rendering when they should be excluded
- Remove deprecated screen_icon()
- Reduce number of parameters passed to
- Switch input names to use a counter [nav-menu-role][100][1]. For some reason [nav-menu-role][100][] doesn't post an array and hypenated names [nav-menu-role][100][gold-plan] wreak havoc on the save routine. Shouldn't impact anyone not using hyphenated role names.
- Fix style issue in WordPress 4.5
- revert priority of walker back to default because themes are not actually using the hook to add their own fields. sadface.
- remove all admin notices
- add fancy debug messages
- tweak CSS to initially hide checkboxes on newly added menu items (defaults to " Everyone" so roles should not appear)
- Update Walker_Nav_Menu_Edit_Roles to mimic Walker_Nav_Menu in WordPress 4.4
- Change language in metabox to try to explain min caps versus strict role checking
- keep tweaking the FAQ
- update readme, update error notice, add more links to the FAQ
- add Italian language. props @sododesign
- Updated FAQ with patch instructions for conflicting plugins/themes
- add Portugeuse language. props @brunobarros
- adjust admin UI to be more user-friendly. Options are now: show to everyone, show to logged out users, and show to logged in users (optionally, logged in users by specific role)
- add Guajarati language. props @rohilmistry93
- more language issues -> sync svn+git version numbers
- Try again to add languages. Where'd they all go?
- Add French translation. Props @Philippe Gilles
- Update list of conflits
- Don't display radio buttons if no roles – allows for granular permissions control
- Feature: Hiding a parent menu item will automatically hide all its children
- Feature: Add compatibility with Menu Item Visibility Control plugin and any plugin/theme that is willing to add its inputs via the
hook. See the FAQ to make our plugins compatible.
- Hopefully fix missing nav-menu-roles.min.js SVN issue
- Switch to instance of plugin
- Add notice when conflicting plugins are detected
- Remove some extraneous parameters
- Add Spanish translation thanks to @deskarrada
- update to WP 3.8 version of Walker_Nav_Menu_Edit (prolly not any different from 3.7.1)
- minor CSS adjustment to admin menu items
- checked against WP 3.8
- Add to FAQ
- add JS flair to admin menu items
- update to WP 3.7.1 version of Walker_Nav_Menu_Edit
- Add nav_menu_roles_item_visibility filter to work with plugins that don't use traditional roles
- Update admin language thanks to @hassanhamm
- Add Arabic translation thanks to @hassanhamm
- Fix Nav_Menu_Roles_Import not found error
- Stupid comment error causing save issues
- SVN failure to include importer files!
- Added custom importer
- Major fix for theme's that use their own custom Walkers, thanks to Evan Stein @vanpop http://vanpop.com/
- Instead of a custom nav Walker, menu items are controlled through the wp_get_nav_menu_items filter
- Remove the custom nav Walker code
- Fix link to plugin site
- Fix labels in admin Walker
- Clean up debug messages
- Initial release


text:
TAT Spread Happiness & Built Confidence for Tourists & Communities with Happy Paradise Campaign
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) launched the Happy Paradise Campaign to present tourism products and services, bringing impressions and new experiences to tourists in the Phuket Sandbox programme through the Happy Paradise Campaign while supporting the local communities and local culture.
Giving Happy Paradise Welcome Kit & Happy Paradise Souvenir to the Phuket Sandbox Tourists.
The reopening program of the pilot provinces to welcome back international visitors started with the Phuket Sandbox programme on the past July 1, 2021. To July 31, 2021, there are about 14,000 tourists in the Phuket Sandbox programme which generates more than 829-million-baht income. In order to bring impressions to tourists and support the communities, TAT has launched the Happy Paradise Campaign to welcome tourists back, bringing impressions and confidence in traveling in Thailand, as well as spreading income to southern local communities and tourism entrepreneurs in the Sealed Routes: Phuket, Krabi, Phang-nga, Ko Samui, Ko Tao, and Ko Pha-Ngan.
The Happy Paradise Campaign presents tourism products and services while attaching importance to establishments awarded the safety and health standard under the SHA+ symbol through various Happy Paradise activities. One of the activities is giving 1,000 Happy Paradise Welcome Kits to international visitors who arrived in Phuket on 12-14 August 2021. The welcome kit consists of the Tourism Ambassador 2021 Special Edition badge and the Journal Book. Tourists can get a special discount by showing the badge to participating establishments in the Sealed Routes.
Moreover, all tourists who stay in SHA+ hotels are also given the Happy Paradise Souvenirs which are a unique local product from southern communities:
1. Manorah beaded keychain from Phatthalung,
2. Pandanus phone bag from Krabi,
3. Batik notebook from Phuket,
4. Rubber tree phone/picture holder from Trang,
5. Batik pants from Phuket,
6. Batik mat from Krabi,
7. Batik face mask with pearls straps from Phuket, and
8. Batik face mask with Manorah beads straps from Phatthalung.
The Happy Paradise activity also includes the shows to spread local southern culture through the Manorah Dance and Ron Rae Dance. The shows was held on 18-23 August, 2021, at the designated hotels. Last but not least, the Happy Paradise Campaign holds an online activity for tourists to participate in. Check into tourist attractions in Phuket, take photos of the Happy Paradise souvenir, and post it on social media with the hashtag #ThailandHappyParadise to get a chance to win prizes.
TAT is confident that the Happy Paradise Campaign will be another factor to help support and recover Thailand's tourism industry, as well as generating income under a performance that focuses on safe tourism and helping the communities to stay strong.


text:
The Ducks gave Mark Mitera five years. Even that wasn't enough time to save his status as a first-round bust.
Mitera's time in the organization ended Friday, when he was shipped to the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Mathieu Carle.
Carle has played in three NHL games in four pro seasons, all in the Canadiens organization. Coincidentally, the 23-year-old was taken in the same 2006 draft class (second round, 53rd overall) as Mitera (first round, 19th overall).
Carle spent all of last season with the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Canadiens' AHL affiliate, leading all Bulldogs blueliners with 11 goals. By comparison, Nathan Paetsch led an underperforming group of Syracuse Crunch defensemen with eight goals in just 34 games after arriving in a midseason trade.
Mitera, 23, was part of that young Syracuse blue line, playing 71 games and leading the group with 22 points. In his first full season at the AHL level, he also scored six goals and collected 50 penalty minutes.
Yet even after working his way up from the ECHL, Mitera never lived up to expectations. For that Brian Burke deserves just as much credit for reaching to draft the former University of Michigan defenseman ahead of Claude Giroux, Milan Lucic, Chris Stewart, Brad Marchand and Cal Clutterback, to name just a few.
Carle will be hard-pressed to crack an increasingly deep Ducks blue line, but he should be a bigger force in Syracuse than Mitera, who gets a fresh start.


text:
Samsung RS72R5001M9/D2 700L Side By Side
– SpaceMax™ Technology: Store more food with a very spacious interior. Its unique SpaceMax™ technology enables the walls to be much thinner as it uses a minimal amount of high-efficiency insulation. So it creates more storage space without increasing the external dimensions or compromising energy efficiency.
– All-around Cooling: Make sure that all your food is properly cooled – wherever it is in the fridge. An All-around Cooling system continually checks the temperature and blows out cold air. It cools the fridge evenly from corner to corner, so every item of food stays fresher for longer.
– Digital Inverter: Samsung Digital Inverter Compressor lasts your food longer with up to 50% energy savings, and it also can keep working for 21 years continuously*. It automatically adjusts its speed in response to cooling demand, so it reduces wear and tear. And its durability is guaranteed for 10 years.
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– Power Cool / Power Freeze: Enjoy a rapid cooling performance. At the touch of a button, Power Cool blows intensely cold air into the fridge to quickly cool your groceries or favorite drinks. And Power Freeze delivers a fast blast of cold air into the freezer. It's great for freezing or firming up frozen food and making ice.
– Deodorizing Filter: Keep the inside of the refrigerator deodorized and preserve the original flavor and aroma of food for longer. The built-in natural fiber Deodorizing Filter eliminates strong smells as the air is continually passed through activated carbon filters. So there's no need for other odor-fighting solutions.
– Vege Box: A large capacity Vege box provides a convenient space to store a large amount of fresh vegetables and fruit. And because it's so big it's much easier to find everything, as they're all in one place and easy to get to, so you can enjoy them more often without taking up valuable kitchen space.
– Non-Plumbing Ice and Water Dispenser.
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text:
With thumb and forefinger I examined carefully the ball peen hammer. The sparrow slid violently into third base. Night after night it was Nascar, kettle corn, karaoke. Wendy wore burlap, clapping her hands. Zinc divided the men from the boys. My mind made a snuffling noise. The forest absorbed us, knowing all along. Peg slid her girlhood toward us across the ages. When I say indigo bunting I fucking mean indigo bunting. The kiln was a metaphor Joan was fond of. The greased hog loved the attention. The orphan snapped me in the balls with his towel.
The lump in Jim's pants was his ball peen hammer. The sparrow was a piece of meat with wings. Night laid us all face down naked in the grass and "flossed" us. Wearing burlap, Wendy stepped into the phone booth. Brad had a funny little zinc limp. My mind drank from its tank. The forest was full of gongs. Girlhood down the chimney. Did I not say indigo bunting. Joan talked on and on about the kiln, gesturing. I stood at attention, which many felt unnecessary. The orphan recommended the steak tartar.
A ball peen hammer was spending the century at the bottom of Lake Baikal. The sparrow swept crumbs with one wing, slapped at the cat with the other. Night with some spit on its chin. Wendy allowed herself to be shot from a cannon (wearing burlap). It was zinc that they found in our long johns. My mind was standing on one of its reins. Don't believe what you're told in a forest. Girlhood tore the Shih Tzu a new one. Kurt stepped a little too honestly from his robe of indigo bunting. We'd decided the kiln had a vagina, and searched for it. You suggested I pay attention. I cried out to the orphan. To all orphans.
With vintage 80's pigeon shit the ball peen hammer'd been carefully caked. The sparrow was walleyed; he looked at Denise coldly. Night was crawling toward me like some kind of injured kitten. If it looks, feels and smells like burlap it still could be canvas. The bar-top was made of zinc; the gerbil sensed this. My mind kicked twice at the stall wall. Jim walked into his closet as if it were a forest. The chapter on girlhood upset us. All November babies, to be swaddled in indigo bunting. I set my beer on Joan's kiln and she smacked me. Attention is what you will pay to your trumpet Dad said, hiccuping. The nightjar was an orphan, and sat in the highest branches.
Rewinding carefully, the police watched again what Wanda's lips did when she said ball peen hammer. The sparrow ate pulled pork for fifty minutes. Night foamed at the mouth for the hell of it. They say Christ wore both socks and a shoulder bag made of burlap. We ran through the museum sucking zinc lozenges. Someone dressed as a nun said you have broken my mind into her omelet. When they slit open the unicorn it was full of forests. Girlhood stopped the mowers from idling in the lilac. I ask to have only indigo bunting pulled over my eyes. The kiln is loose now, and alone, and rolls unsteadily across town. Jim is demonstrating what heightened attention looks like. The orphan can only play the Liszt sonatas with a paper bag over her head.


text:
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text:
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Dietary fibre (both soluble and insoluble) from psyllium husk, flaxseed, sugar beet, fenugreek, apple pectin, rhubarb root, prune juice fruit extract, broccoli, carrot and fig fruit.
Fibre is a key ingredient to a healthy, varied and balanced diet. And this dietary fibre complex offers more than just roughage! It also provides cellulose, pectin, hemicellulose, lignin and gums.
Sugar beet fibre, in particular, contributes to an increase in faecal bulk in two ways: the insoluble components of the fibre increase faecal bulk by absorbing water in the large intestine, while the soluble components are fermented by bacteria in the large intestine leading to an increase in bacterial mass.
100 capsules per pot
Per capsule:
Psyllium husk powder – 500mg
Flaxseed powder – 70mg
Sugar beet fibre – 60mg
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Apple pectin powder – 20mg
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Prune juice fruit extract 5:1 (equivalent to 50mg fresh prune juice) – 10mg
Broccoli extract 15:1 (0.5% sulphurophane) (equivalent to 75mg fresh broccoli powder) – 5mg
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Ingredients: Psyllium Husk Powder, Capsule: Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC) (Vegetarian), Flaxseed Powder, Sugar Beet Fibre Powder, Fenugreek Powder, Apple Pectin Powder, Rhubarb ext 30:1, Prune Juice Fruit ext 5:1, Broccoli ext 15:1, Carrot Powder, Fig Fruit ext 4:1, Fennel Seed Powder.
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text:
I still dream.
How can there be perfect stillness
When my brain's so noisy?
We carry on a constant dialogue within ourselves. This is the origin of our problems.
The very word 'dialogue' means talking between two sides. We could not have an inner dialogue unless there was a split in our minds. We all have two sides; as long as they are not united, we cannot attain the wholeness that spirituality requires.
Even with years of self-cultivation, it is not easy to tame the wild mind. One might appear to have attained perfect control in all waking situations, only to find endless turbulence during meditation and sleep. This is a sign of incomplete attainment. Perfection must be total.
The process of perfection is long and must be methodical. Although our efforts must be to the utmost, we must never risk repressing ourselves. Indeed, rather than shutting away the unpleasant or unruly aspects of ourselves, we must take them all out and examine them. Daily introspection brings harmony to all our facets. Those aspects that are bad can be dissolved. Those that are of advantage can be cultivated. This effort will take many years, but in this gradual way, we resolve ourselves with our subconscious mind and free ourselves from the struggle and conflict.
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Or Follow Us On Twitter #essentialsofrecovery


text:
The world will continue to face an unabated risk of an irreversible environmental disaster unless there is a fundamental change in the collective human heart, warned His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch at a gathering of distinguished environmentalists, scholars, entrepreneurs and activists, which he convened on the island of Heybeliada/Halki from June 18th-20th.
"The real crisis is not in the environment but in the human heart," said His All-Holiness as he opened the gathering, known as the Halki Summit and co-organized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Southern New Hampshire University. It was the latest green initiative by the Ecumenical Patriarch, whose activities over the past two decades have included five educational seminars on Halki island, site of a famous monastery and theological school, and eight water-borne symposia in places ranging from Brazil to Greenland.
His All-Holiness expressed his gratitude to the co-sponsor of the summit, Southern New Hampshire University, which is the first carbon neutral campus in the state of New Hampshire and nationally recognized for its innovative programs in the Unites States. President Paul LeBlanc commented: "A central role of universities is to convene expert people around complicated and critical questions, and no more important question faces us than the fate of our planet."
Jane Goodall, the East Africa-based conservationist and founder of a green movement that operates in over 130 countries, said she had come to the Halki summit to drive home her belief that "every individual makes a difference every day of life, and we have a choice as to what sort of difference we make."
Jim Hansen, president of the NASA Institute for Climate Change, called for religious leaders to renew their engagement with a global environmental challenge which was steadily growing in gravity. "We cannot ignore the consequences of continued unchecked exploitation of fossil fuels without creating a tragedy of monstrous proportions," he said.
Other keynote speakers included Bill McKibben, founder of the global climate protest movement 350.org, and Gary Hirschberg, founder of the organic yoghurt company Stonyfield Mountain.
Closing the summit, His Eminence Metropolitan John of Pergamon, said the gathering had marked a new milestone in a dialogue between religion and science, which had shown up a deep interdependence between the two fields of knowledge. "Religion and science do not complement one another, they interpenetrate one another," he said, while calling for an intensified effort to promote environmental awareness at all stages of education. For further information, visit www.halkisummit.org.


text:
Bicycle Helmet Cop
My name is Greg. I've been riding bikes since as far back as I can remember. I had training wheels for about a day before I begged my father to take them off. A few shaky hours later, I was riding my bike all over the neighborhood. I rode through high school, to my classes in college and now to work every day.
Biking is a passion. A way of life for me.
So it worries me when I see all the bikers in LA riding without helmets. It's such a simple thing that can do so much good. Helmets save lives. It's as simple as that.
Sure, helmets are not sexy. But neither is a concussion or worse.
My project is called Bicycle Helmet Cop. It involves me dressing up in a uniform that looks official but not too much like LAPD too get me into trouble. I would stand on busy streets and stop bikers under the guise of giving them a ticket for riding without a helmet.
Instead I would give them a free bicycle helmet and only ask in return that they encourage others they see to wear helmets. Maybe in a small way, that could make a difference.


text:
Farming the Woods
With information on mushrooms, sugaring, ginseng, fruit and nut trees, forest farming in a changing climate, and more...
Learn how to fill forests with food by viewing agriculture from a remarkably different perspective: that a healthy forest can be maintained while growing a wide range of food, medicinal, and other non-timber products.
The practices of forestry and farming are often seen as mutually exclusive, because in the modern world, agriculture involves open fields, straight rows, and machinery to grow crops, while forests are reserved primarily for timber and firewood harvesting.
In Farming the Woods, authors Ken Mudge and Steve Gabriel demonstrate that it doesn't have to be an either-or scenario, but a complementary one; forest farms can be most productive in places where the plow is not: on steep slopes and in shallow soils. Forest farming is an invaluable practice to integrate into any farm or homestead, especially as the need for unique value-added products and supplemental income becomes increasingly important for farmers.
Many of the daily indulgences we take for granted, such as coffee, chocolate, and many tropical fruits, all originate in forest ecosystems. But few know that such abundance is also available in the cool temperate forests of North America.
Farming the Woods covers in detail how to cultivate, harvest, and market high-value non-timber forest crops such as American ginseng, shiitake mushrooms, ramps (wild leeks), maple syrup, fruit and nut trees, ornamentals, and more. Along with profiles of forest farmers from around the country, readers are also provided comprehensive information on:
- historical perspectives of forest farming
- mimicking the forest in a changing climate
- cultivation of medicinal crops
- cultivation of food crops
- creating a forest nursery
- harvesting and utilizing wood products
- the role of animals in the forest farm
- how to design your forest farm and manage it once it's established.
Farming the Woods is an essential book for farmers and gardeners who have access to an established woodland, are looking for productive ways to manage it, and are interested in incorporating aspects of agroforestry, permaculture, forest gardening, and sustainable woodlot management into the concept of a whole-farm organism.
Copyright 2014, softcover, 384 pages
Customer Reviews
My Farmer, My Customer
New! Learn from Marty Travis's experiences converting the Spence Farm into one of the most successful farming co-ops in the United States today.


text:
Leviticus Chapters (English Bible : Douay – Rheims Catholic Bible – Challoner Revision – DRB)
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2 Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: If any man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers, that dwell in Israel, give of his seed to the idol Moloch, dying let him die: the people of the land shall stone him.
3 And I will set my face against him: and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, because he hath given of his seed to Moloch, and hath defiled my sanctuary, and profaned my holy name.
4 And if the people of the land neglecting, and as it were little regarding my commandment, let alone the man that hath given of his seed to Moloch, and will not kill him:
5 I will set my face against that man, and his kindred, and will cut off both him and all that consented with him, to commit fornication with Moloch, out of the midst of their people.
6 The soul that shall go aside after magicians, and soothsayers, and shall commit fornication with them, I will set my face against that soul, and destroy it out of the midst of its people.
7 Sanctify yourselves, and be ye holy because I am the Lord your God.
8 Keep my precepts, and do them. I am the Lord that sanctify you.
9 He that curseth his father, or mother, dying let him die: he hath cursed his father, and mother, let his blood be upon him.
10 If any man commit adultery with the wife of another, and defile his neighbour's wife, let them be put to death, both the adulterer and the adulteress.
11 If a man lie with his stepmother, and discover the nakedness of his father, let them both be put to death: their blood be upon them.
12 If any man lie with his daughter in law, let both die, because they have done a heinous crime: their blood be upon them.
13 If any one lie with a man as with a woman, both have committed an abomination, let them be put to death: their blood be upon them.
14 If any man after marrying the daughter, marry her mother, he hath done a heinous crime: he shall be burnt alive with them: neither shall so great an abomination remain in the midst of you.
15 He that shall copulate with any beast or cattle, dying let him die, the beast also ye shall kill.
16 The woman that shall lie under any beast, shall be killed together with the same: their blood be upon them.
17 If any man take his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother, and see her nakedness, and she behold her brother's shame: they have committed a crime: they shall be slain, in the sight of their people, because they have discovered one another's nakedness, and they shall bear their iniquity.
18 If any man lie with a woman in her flowers, and uncover her nakedness, and she open the fountain of her blood, both shall be destroyed out of the midst of their people.
19 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy aunt by thy mother, and of thy aunt by thy father: he that doth this, hath uncovered the shame of his own flesh, both shall bear their iniquity.
20 If any man lie with the wife of his uncle by the father, or of his uncle by the mother, and uncover the shame of his near akin, both shall bear their sin: they shall die without children.
21 He that marrieth his brother's wife, doth an unlawful thing, he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness: they shall be without children.
22 Keep my laws and my judgments, and do them: lest the land into which you are to enter to dwell therein, vomit you also out.
23 Walk not after the laws of the nations, which I will cast out before you. For they have done all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.
24 But to you I say: Possess their land which I will give you for an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God, who have separated you from other people.
25 Therefore do you also separate the clean beast from the unclean, and the clean fowl from the unclean: defile not your souls with beasts, or birds, or any things that move on the earth, and which I have shewn you to be unclean.
26 You shall be holy unto me, because I the Lord am holy, and I have separated you from other people, that you should be mine.
27 A man, or woman, in whom there is a pythonical or divining spirit, dying let them die: they shall stone them: their blood be upon them.


text:
This Saturday marks the inaugural running of the Ultra Race of Champions (UROC) 100k at the Wintergreen Resort outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. As the name would suggest, the race organizers aimed and succeeded at bringing together a solid group of America's top ultrarunners even in the race's first year, which I'll be covering live on Twitter (follow us).
Let's start with the big five for this weekend: (click on runner to jump to interview) Geoff Roes (pre-race video interview), Dave Mackey, Ian Sharman (pre-race video interview), Mike Wardian, and Dave James. There are more than a few big ultra wins and blazing times from that crowd over the past couple years. (Here's our UROC women's preview)
Behind those guys, a slew of other guys could challenge for the top spots including:
- Eric Grossman – He won the Miwok 100k in 2009, but has stayed closer to home this year. That doesn't mean he's taken a step back as he ran a solid personal best at the Promised Land 50k in April and set a course record at the Iron Mountain 50 mile a few weeks ago. He's primed to race the East's mountains.
- Scott Gall (pre-race video interview) – One of two huge wildcards in the field. He's a Olympics trials marathon qualifier and a former fifth place finisher at the World Mountain Running Championships. However, he's only run two ultras, both of which were 50ks. He did run a 3:18 trail 50k at Ice Age this May.
- Michael Owen – Ran an impressive 9th at the TNF EC Championships in San Fransisco last December and, at 22 years old, just ran a 16:26 at his 100 mile debut at Burning River.
- Matt Flaherty – A 2:26 marathoner and a 5:59 trail ultra guy should make him the third big wildcard, but he just ran that course record 5:59 at the Wisconsin TNF EC race this past weekend. He admits that could be a bit close to UROC. TNF EC was only his second 50 mile or longer race.
- Jason Bryant – This year Bryant's blown away our preconceptions of him as a technical trail specialist with third places finishes at the USATF championship Bandera 100k and Nueces 50 mile. Still, few run rocky Appalachian trails better than he does.
- Chris Reed – He's long been a steady runner out east, but has improved of late with a second at last year's Mountain Masochist 50 mile and a speedy 18:12 at Western States this summer. A good choice for the second half of the top 10.
- Jake Reed – A 23 year old with only four 50ks under his belt, but with three wins and a third.
- Jon Allen – A 2:35 marathoner with half a dozen small ultra wins. Aside from a fourth at The Bear 100 last year, it's hard to stack him up against other top ultrarunners.
Other top men mentioned on the UROC website: Jordan Whitlock, Jeremy Pade, Troy Shellhamer, Todd Falker, Bran Hinton, Matt Wilson, Michael Oliva, and Eric Buckley. The youngster Whitlock could be the dark horse out of that group.
A few entrants won't be racing, including Karl Metlzer, Duncan Callahan, and Andy Jones-Wilkins. While we wish AJW wasn't battling plantar fasciitis, we're psyched that he'll be helping out with iRunFar's coverage of the race. We've yet to receive confirm, but Andy Henshaw doesn't have UROC on his blog's racing calendar.
Here are a few links to additional commentary before we get into our interviews:
Geoff Roes
iRunFar: After UTMB you said that you needed to take a break and, impliedly, that you wouldn't be racing UROC. Now, less than three weeks later you're back in the game. Why the change of heart
Geoff Roes: I took 10 days completely off after UTMB. When I started to do some light runs again I felt good and decided to stick to my commitment to run UROC. I've been feeling better each day for almost 10 days now so I've built a little bit of confidence back up, but really I'm just running to take a nice trip out East, see some friends and family, and have a good time. I like racing and I think this is going to be a fun one. I'll still be taking some nice rest after this one.
iRF: What have you done the past three weeks to "reset" your body and mind? Do you think these steps would help others collect themselves after possibly overdoing it running-wise?
Roes: For me resetting is all about having no plan of what things will look like after a period of time away from running. I just knew I needed some time away after UTMB. I really didn't think that would lead to still running UROC, but when I came back to running that was were my cleared mind and body took me. The key is to just come back totally fresh in your mind and just let that take you where it will.
iRF: Compared to many of the ultras you compete in, the UROC field is heavier with the flat and fast crowd as compared to more mountain trail oriented runners. How do you think that will influence the race? How do you feel your mixed skill set of mountains and road (5:49 at AR 50 last year) matches up against the field and the course?
Roes: Honestly, I haven't even thought about any of this. It's going to be a solid field for sure and I look forward to just getting out there on race day and see what I have and how it all plays out.
Dave Mackey
iRunFar: You've been running great this year with a USATF championship at 100k, wins at American River 50 and Miwok 100k, and a course record at the Waldo 100k. What do you think your best race of the year has been and why?
Dave Mackey: Miwok was by far the toughest race of the year. I had never raced a long ultra like that where there was a road marathon style pack stuck together for such a long duration of the race, with the same surges and tactics which play into road racing. I had won Miwok a couple times before and, historically, I'd come into the Randall turnaround with nobody nearby. This year there were six of us and I was on the edge the whole time. Going into mile 60 into Tennessee Valley, Mike Wolfe and Hal were running super hard and I knew it would take an extra effort to get that win. Lucky I had it in me. I found it one of the most inspiring trail ultras I have ever run, as most of the guys were seemingly on the edge too and running one of their best races at the same time. Even a few years ago, Mike's and Hal's times would easily be performance of the year. It's fantastic to see an evolution of the sport, and in many other aspects in addition to performance.
iRF: You were unable to run over at The North Face Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc races because your school semester restarted. How did your training go over the summer before heading back to class? Since school started?
Mackey: Our program runs all spring, summer and now so I haven't had time to focus training in the summer. I took the last fall and winter off from school so I did get in some focused training at that time. But I have actually had an even season of training and racing all year, with not too many 100 mile weeks. In May I was recovering from Miwok and American River and trying to taper for Western States 100 at the same time, but probably ended up training too much anyway in the form of 75 mile weeks. After Western States until now I haven't run over 3 hours besides Waldo 100k, with a focus on quality hill climbing in July and some leg turnover. This general formula works well and has hugely contributed to my consistency in the long term. Since Waldo my longest run has been 2.5 hours, and a few quality runs as well. I have needed to take extra days off due to school, which I am not very worried about as the 5 weeks between Waldo and UROC are all recovery anyways; just gotta try to stay peppy and not gain too much weight! On the latter point I think I have gained a couple pounds, which is nice. I have had a bit of bronchitis the past week, so I hope that clears by Saturday.
iRF: You've literally been unbeatable at 50 miles and 100k this year. Who do you think will be your biggest challengers at UROC and why? How have you prepared for the significant amount of paved road running?
Mackey: Wow. I actually don't like to think about the competition at UROC as it may give me nightmares this week! Really any guy on the list can win this. This race is the most stacked non-100 non-international in the US as far as I know. Man, I don't like this question as I know there are a bunch of guys I will be missing. Geoff emailed me and said he is racing, which I think is way cool as he has had a tough year in some races, but raced well in others, and I hope this time he busts out a solid performance. But, of course, I want a better one than him at the same time. Scott Gall is a wild card; under 50 miles he could possibly be the fastest out there. Mike Wardian is … wel,l he is Mike Wardian! He just podiumed at the World 100k so I can't see him being recovered from that. Dave James goes out fast and if he can keep his pace he will be right up there. Ian Sharman has the greatest potential of anyone out there, but he may race hard ultras too often to peak at the right times. Andy Henshaw just raced worlds, too, and podiumed, so otherwise I'd see him in the action. On paper ,Michael Owen and Jordan Whitlock look fast, too.
As far as pavement, I haven't been hitting it too hard the past month or two, but I am not worried in the least. My Hoka Bondi B will prevent me from getting too trashed. Those shoes have been a big part of my success this season.
Ian Sharman
iRunFar: You've already raced quite a bit this year with at least 540 miles of racing from eight ultras alone. How are your legs feeling at this point in the year?
Ian Sharman: That question got me thinking and I looked up how much I have raced this year and the total is around 900 miles, which seems like a lot to me and definitely took a toll around Spring that I still don't think I've recovered from. Races are just too much fun and I've found it very difficult to say no to ones I know will be excellent (and there's a lot of them). I'm more worried about a nasty head cold that just hit me 10 days before the race, but the enforced lack of running may help. Like I said to you before UTMB, over-tapering is better than over-training.
iRF: You ran the sixth fastest time in Waldo 100k history last month, but fellow UROC competitor Dave Mackey bested you by 36 minutes. Do you think Waldo was indicative of your fitness? Do you think the extra road sections at UROC can help you reel in Mackey?
Sharman: Dave is having a great year and is a difficult man to beat over 100k of trails at any time, but I was disappointed to be nowhere near him at Waldo – he just ran every mile 30 seconds quicker than me and I was never in touch, feeling off my game all day. The road sections at UROC should make it faster for everyone and will mix things up a bit, but Dave isn't exactly slow on roads either. Neither's Mike Wardian and he'll be the one who benefits most from the roads.
iRF: You've obviously got road speed, but you also suggest that you're a solid technical descender. How do you think the highly varied terrain of UROC will suit you?
Sharman: All I've seen is the course profile and have no idea how technical the course gets but I do love steep descents, especially with big rocks to jump around on, so some of that would be great. After all, trail running in the UK often means fell running which involves no path to follow on descents, just hell-for-leather bounding downhill. And I like a course with variety since it gives the legs a break from just using the same muscles in the same way for the entire distance.
Michael Wardian
iRunFar: To start, you just won individual silver and team gold while running a PR at the 100k World Championships. What are your thoughts on that race?
Michael Wardian: I am so so excited with our team race at the 100K Worlds, everyone laid it down and let it hang out and really went for it and that was impressive and I was just glad to be in the mix. I don't like to lose, so coming in second while my best finish ever and a PR was not the Goal, so I need to work harder to get to the top of the podium and I will for next year in Italy.
iRF: You've had a great season on the roads with a USATF 50k championship, your best effort at the Comrades Marathon (11th overall), a solid Badwater debut (3rd), and, now, the 100k World Championships. Are you excited for the significant amount of road at UROC?
Wardian: Thank you about my season. It has been incredible. I have been working really hard and doing lots to try and improve, so it is nice to see some good results. Comrades was big deal as think it was the second best time ever from a male USA runner behind Alberto Salazar and I know I can improve next year. Badwater was amazing. Super glad I was able to podium at Badwater and run longer and farther than I have before. I don't know if you caught it but I also finished pretty high (believe 16th) at the super competitive Two Oceans Marathon, and would like another crack at that course.
In addition to the above also winning a bunch of marathons (National Marathon, Delaware Marathon, San Francisco Marathon, Grant Pierce Indoor Marathon, Lower Potomac Marathon-as Spiderman setting a Guinness World Record) and getting my Olympic Trials Qualifier and a new PR by running 2:17:49 at the Grandma's Marathon, just a few weeks after Comrades and The North Face Endurance Challenge, DC. I also won the first ever The North Face Endurance Challenge 50K & 1/2 marathon road races in Kansas City, that was a great tough race and lots of fun too. In addition, I have set personal best at 10 Miles, 10K, so seems like things are going really well and jazzed to keep improving and keep mixing it up with the best of the best.
As far as if I am excited about "road running" at UROC, I don't really care if it is road or trails. I will run any surface/terrain, anywhere, anytime. If there are people racing and I can make it, then I would like to be there. I don't consider myself a "road guy," just a runner and whatever you put in front of me I will accept the challenge and do my best and mix it up.
iRF: On the flip side, how have you incorporated trails into your summer training?
Wardian: I always run trails, so not really doing anything different. As mentioned, I run everything and I love road, bike path, dirt, gravel, snow, wet surfaces, sand, treadmills, I don't care, as long as I can run it, I will.
Dave James
iRunFar: You had a great early season placing second at two USATF championships behind Dave Mackey at the Bandera 100k and Jason Schlarb at the Nueces 50 mile. You also won The Coast Challenge as well as the Coldwater Rumble and American Canyon 50ks. You've had some ups and downs since then. What have you been up to?
Dave James: When I got back from Costa Rica, I started working tons of OT as an EMT out here in Phoenix at my new job. I was on 3 month new hire probation and the extra money was nice. I was on nights working about 60 hours a week in 12 hours shifts. My running and health suffered. There were some awesome life moment's too: I got married! We got a puppy! They both run.
The "slump" started when I decided not to go race Way Too Cool 50K. I had just gotten beat and I also took an OT shift instead of racing the road 100K championships and Zane Grey. When I got selected for the US Team for the IAU World Trail Championships in Ireland, I tried to up my training but the cold rain and hills in Ireland took their toll on me and although I helped the USA take 6th as a team, my 50th place finish was a huge personal disappointment.
The experience was amazing though and motivated me to run the USATF 100 Mile National Championships in Ohio at the end of July. I started Western States with no real intent of finishing just 2 weeks before Ireland, but was shocked at how sluggish and slow I felt after just a slow 50K. The longest run I had done before that 50K on the States course was in April at Leona Divide when I DNFed around the same distance when James and Jorge and Josh dropped me like the old married working man I felt like that day.
iRF: You won the USATF Championships at Burning River. Can you tell us a little more about that?
James: I won, but I had a horrible race. I couldn't pull away until about mile 33 due to early stomach issues and multiple bathroom breaks. I was still under Todd's CR pace and building a solid lead but about halfway through I was tired and drained and knew it would be a long day. There was a young kid that was chasing me and he was close, about a mile back through 80 miles. Eric Grossman was also running strong but I think I got into his head at a little out and back section when he was coming down a hill with one of the volunteers marking the course and I was on my way back out. I pulled the same move I used at Javelina in 2009, turned on the smile and cheered him on and told him he looked good as I kicked it up a gear. In the end, I finished just under 16 hours at Burning River, about an hour slower than I would have liked but I guess with only deciding about 2 weeks before the race to go for it, I was right where I was suppose to be that day.
iRF: What are your thoughts heading into UROC?
James: For me to be racing at my potential I need the rest of my life to be "right" first. When I ran that 13:06 100 miler and made it another 20 miles, when I set the CR at Javelina, when I ran the streak of USATF Championship seconds: the 5:52 50 2nd place finish to Todd, and the two you mentioned everything outside of running was great! Today, I am working a job that tires me out, where I am not appreciated, and have to interact with people on their worst day. Still, while Dave Mackey has to be the UROC favorite you know I won't be shy out there. ;)
Call for Comments
How do you think the men's race will play out at UROC? Who's the man to beat? Who are the long shots that will surprise us?


text: Samuel is a realistic artist whose work expresses his personal experiences and encounters in the inner city, as well as in his travels. He translates the impact of his vision into his artwork, which depicts the tender, innocent and emotional side of children, women and elderly. Abstracts are also a large part of Samuel's artistic endeavors. Recently, he has undertaken the task of combining realism and abstract into one creation to obtain the proper mood in his drawings and paintings. Since childhood, Samuel has loved and created art. Inspired by his family to pursue his dreams, Samuel's art has become renown. His works have traveled throughout the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, and even Brazil. Samuel has won many awards and prizes for his art. His artwork has appeared on TV shows such as "Generations," "Different World," and "The Cosby Show."


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Customers pay one last visit to Tower Diner
It was the end of an era on Sunday.
Tower Diner, a neighborhood cornerstone since 1993 that is housed in a historic Colonial bank building, was forced to shutter. The Queens Boulevard building is currently slated for demolition to make way for a new housing development.
The distinctive white clock tower has been an unofficial landmark in the neighborhood for generations.
"It's an unofficial landmark," said Regina Judith Faighes. "I grew up on 99th Street, and when my dad gave people directions to our home, he would tell them to look for the building with the clock tower."
"I had a long wait for my table, and normally that would upset me," she said of her final visit Sunday. "But this afternoon I was happy for the delay, because it gave me more time to experience the diner, with its warm and inviting classic decor."
Longtime patrons had one last meal and took the chance to reminisce with staff, many of whom are regarded as extended family.
"The food was consistently fresh and delicious and the service was always excellent," said Jane Firkser-Brody. "It is very disheartening to see yet another Forest Hills venue being destroyed, along with the charm and uniqueness of our awesome neighborhood."
Tower Diner was opened by Jimmy Gatanas and his wife Anthi. Their sons Spiro and John worked in the business and later acquired it. It was the only diner of its kind in the vicinity, and became a go-to spot for dates, family outings, and birthday and graduation celebrations, as well as business meetings.
Tower Diner enticed the palates of notables such as Al Roker, Ti-Hua Chang, and Alonzo Mourning.
For the Gatanas family, who immigrated from Greece, Tower Diner exemplified the American Dream. They employed approximately 40 people, and gave back to the community with fundraisers benefiting St. Jude's, sponsored PS 175 and Forest Hills High School sports teams, and donated Thanksgiving turkeys to local schools.
David Giwner moved from Manhattan in 2009, and called it his go-to diner in Forest Hills.
"I've never had a bad meal," he said. "Losing Tower Diner is like losing a family member and a staple of our once great community. This is another piece of NYC history gone."
Kevin Sanichara and his mother said the staff felt like a second family.
"I've been coming here almost every week for the past 20 years," he said. "I will miss the ambiance and aesthetic of the old clock tower and the compass on the ceiling."
For Matthew Semble, Tower Diner represents a big part of his life with his late wife Kathy Fogel.
"After Kathy's passing, the employees and management reached out to me and my son Alex, and sent many meals during shiva and beyond," he said. "There aren't many businesses that had such a positive impact on our community."
In addition to enjoying one last meal, patrons had the chance to sign a petition opposing the demolition, which will also include several small businesses and the Trylon Theater, which is currently home to Ohr Natan synagogue.
"I'm going to miss the diner, and especially the tower for which it was named," said Michael Hennessy. "Hopefully the community will fight any further neighborhood destruction."
"I strongly oppose the redevelopment plans for Tower Diner and the Trylon Theater," added Jeffrey Witt. "We do not need nor want the type of the development being proposed. The charm and beauty that attracted people to live here is being destroyed."


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Those who understand that America is now on the wrong track cannot reasonably vote for Obama in November, because he is absolutely unwilling to change, perhaps even ideologically incapable of changing, course. Evidence abounds.
First, consider his disastrous economic record and his rejection of any semblance of a course change. He and his economic advisers told us his stimulus would keep unemployment below 8 percent. It didn't. He didn't consider for a second that his policies exacerbated the economic crisis. He blamed Bush and said that if anything, he - Obama - hadn't spent enough. He demanded more stimulus packages - high-speed rail, other infrastructure, American Jobs Act. He continued to grow government in a wide variety of areas; things continued to get worse. No sign of any significant economic recovery; we had the worst recovery in 50 years. No sign of unemployment relief. He didn't change course.
Despite his failed performance, he told us in 2009 that only the government could break this business cycle. He told us in Osawatomie, Kan., that the private sector couldn't lead us back to economic vitality on its own. Recently, he told us that successful entrepreneurs didn't build their businesses - or roads or bridges or whatever claptrap he pretended to have meant. He refuses to reconsider his flawed notions. Arrogance, as much as ignorance.
If you think that despite all this, Obama may have learned his lesson and will change course going forward, you are fooling yourself. Obama won't change his economic policies, because he is addicted to spending and to growing government on several levels. His economic philosophy, his ideology and his political survival demand that he stay the course.
He firmly believes that only government spending - Keynesian pump priming - can stimulate a moribund economy. He believes it to the point that he's willing to bankrupt the nation to do it. His philosophy countenances no other alternative methods of recovery, specifically letting the private sector breathe and recover on its own. That's the economic philosophy component.
He also knows that the most efficient way to redistribute wealth and otherwise reallocate resources from groups he believes less deserving to those he believes more deserving is through an increasingly progressive tax code and more government spending. That is, even if he shared the ordinary American's debt aversion and reasonable anxiety about our horrifying financial predicament, he wouldn't discontinue (hasn't discontinued) his pursuit of ever-greater taxing and spending, because to do so would be tantamount to abandoning his quest, his obsession to fundamentally transform America. That's the ideological component.
Finally, he fully realizes that even if he didn't firmly believe in expanding the welfare state - incentivizing states to expand their food stamp rolls, extending unemployment benefits, sabotaging welfare reform, increasing the percentage of people not paying income taxes and otherwise presiding over the unprecedented swelling of the welfare state and those dependent on government aid of one form or another - he would still be compelled to continue expanding it because he believes a great majority of his constituents depend on this expansion. He couldn't win re-election without doing so. That's the political component.
The same general themes hold true for Obama's extremist environmental agenda. His policies are enormously destructive to our coal, oil, nuclear energy and natural gas industries, but he shows no signs of letting up, even though these policies are also manifestly destroying American jobs and otherwise harming the economy. Why would he? He telegraphed his actions, and he's merely fulfilling his promise.
While sabotaging our reliable energy sources, he is also throwing as much federal money as he can at failed green energy projects, which are so ill-conceived that a reasonable person might conclude his goal is to waste money. Solyndra wasn't the only such failed enterprise, as we've shown. There were a dozen others, and despite these failures and the unconscionable waste, he has revealed nothing but a defiant determination to double down and spend more on other such projects. It's mind-blowing.
Likewise, he pursued Obamacare with maniacal intensity, even when the public clearly and emphatically registered its dissent. His response was more haranguing speeches to browbeat the recalcitrant, ignorant masses into seeing his superior wisdom. Even after the stated purposes for his grand design have been shown to be fundamentally flawed - it's going to bend the cost curve up, not down, and dramatically so, and it's going to leave 30 million people uninsured - he is more determined than ever to implement it against the people's will.
I am just getting warmed up here; I haven't even discussed his politics of division or his wars on business, our defenses and the Constitution. The bottom line is this: If you like Obama's record, vote for him, because you're only going to get more of it - way more if he wins and thinks he has a mandate.


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We just got back from our annual trip to Destiny Ridge Vineyard for Alexandria Nicole Cellars' Harvest Party in the Vines. This wine club event sparkles with fun every single year.
The weather in central Washington was much cooler this year than previous ones when the thermometer soared to near 100 degrees. But a little wind and rain didn't dampen the spirits of the amazing ANC team, who worked for days preparing for the festivities.
In addition to the favorites of years past — a wine-balloon toss, grape stomp and dancing, accompanied by a vast array of stellar ANC wines and a delicious menu from Chef Frank Magana — this year's Harvest Party also had a theme.
Cirque du Harvest 2013 featured entertainers in bright costumes and white face makeup, dancing on stilts, doing magic and passing out unusual appetizers, such as alligator bites.
The ANC team joined the fun, wearing top hats and multi-colored rings with flashing lights, and encouraged party revelers to step into a photo booth set up for the occasion.
Our hosts, ANC co-owners Ali and Jarrod Boyle, displayed their trademark warmth and humility, along with grace and down-home friendliness that permeated through everyone who attended.
We would be remiss if we didn't flag the wine, created with talent, skill and passion by Jarrod and his hard-working vineyard and winery teams. In addition to old favorites and library wines such as Block 17, Destiny and Quarry Butte, wine club members tasted Little Big Man, Cabernet Franc, Jet Black, Shepherds Mark and Pinot Gris.
We've been members of the Alexandria Nicole Cellars wine club for years; it is the epitome of what we look for — stellar wine, fabulous people and incredible events. If you're not a member, think about it. Seriously.
For party photos, have a look at ANC's Facebook page. We hope to see you there next year.


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