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Some educated people who read about the Navy's planning for the next generation of ballistic-missile submarine (SSBN) pause to ask if all of this is really necessary. After all, the Cold War is long since over, the trajectory on our nuclear weapons inventory is downward, and our budget is under pressure.
"Is it necessary?" The answer—without hesitation—is a resolute "Yes." A strong U.S. nuclear deterrent anchored by a survivable SSBN force is necessary today, and it will be necessary tomorrow. It will be necessary the day after tomorrow. It will be necessary for decades. It will be necessary for generations.
Idealism vs. Realism
Global Zero and other organizations talk about the world reaching zero nuclear weapons in 20 or 30 years.1 Such timelines are not remotely realistic. Pretending that it is possible for the world to achieve zero nuclear weapons within a few decades is not only unrealistic, but it also has the destructive effect of undermining our resolve to take the steps necessary to preserve a stable and secure nuclear future.
How can there be such a dramatic gulf between the relevant points of view—one imagining a world free of nuclear weapons in our lifetimes and another that foresees our great-grandchildren living with nuclear weapons? What causes the divergence between "Global Zero thinking" and what we might call "nuclear realism," and, most important for us from a practical standpoint, how can we be sure that our investment in a future SSBN is, in fact, necessary?
The divergence in conclusions can be traced in large part to a different treatment of three major points that can be addressed one by one. In each case, we will see that Global Zero thinking is associated with a fundamental misunderstanding.
Nuclear deterrence is about the "non-use" of nuclear weapons. What is "deterrence?" For our purposes it is influencing the decision-making of others so they choose not to do something that we do not want them to do. In our case, we are talking about deterring the use of nuclear weapons or deterring coercion by threatening to use nuclear weapons. Consistent with the past, President Barack Obama's 2010 Nuclear Posture Review reaffirmed that our "nuclear forces will continue to play an essential role in deterring potential adversaries and reassuring allies and partners around the world."2
Liberal commentator Rachel Maddow's 2011 book Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power dedicates a 26-page chapter to U.S. nuclear weapons and uses the word "deterrence" (in any form) only twice.3 Her discussion of the concept takes five lines and addresses only the Cold War. In contrast, she uses the terms "hair-trigger alert," "apocalypse," "destroy the world thousands of times over," "Armageddon," "push the button," and "annihilate" a total of 12 times and the word "explosion" 15 times. Her conception of nuclear capability seems only to consider deterrence failure, as if it is a certain thing, while the historical reality is the opposite.
In stark opposition to Maddow's war-centric take on nuclear weapons, the 72-page unclassified version of the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review used "deterrence" in all of its forms well over 100 times. How many times did it use any of the other terms that Maddow preferred? A grand total of zero.
The kind of thinking that focuses on nuclear warfighting completely misunderstands the role of our nuclear forces. These forces do not exist to "push the button"—they exist to prevent the button from being pushed. The purpose of our nuclear arsenal is deterrence. As fomer Defense Secretary James Schlesinger likes to say, "Nuclear weapons are used every day."4
Nuclear deterrence is hard to measure, so it requires wide margins. In these days of "metrics, metrics, metrics," it is easy to think that if we can't measure it, it isn't important. But deterrence is impossible to measure with precision. We can tell, for the most part, what makes deterrence stronger or weaker, but we can't put a number on it. Deterrence is a matter of perceptions. It takes place in the head of an adversary who lives in another country, has different values, is under different pressures, and has different goals.
This means that if we want effective deterrence, we had better include in our analysis generous safety margins to account for the degree of uncertainty that is inherently present in every aspect of deterrence strategy.
Because deterrence is subjective, it must be communicated clearly. If we want effective deterrence we must deal with bold colors, a large font, and single-syllable words. Subtle and nuanced deterrence messages have a long history of being misunderstood.
Also, deterrence takes place in the context of past behavior. Each event is not an isolated occurrence. Situations are understood in light of what has gone before. "Red lines" have to mean something. Promising action and then not delivering undermines credibility and may lead to misunderstood communications in later cases. Over the last few months, we have seen these challenges manifest themselves in our dealings with North Korea.
In today's fiscal climate, the push in defense planning is to cut all "waste," and for many that means shaving our nuclear deterrent to no more than exactly what is necessary. Treating deterrence matters with false precision is dangerous, because it gives us unwarranted confidence that we can shave margins right to the limit. In addition, this kind of thinking places far too little emphasis on the other players, which is where deterrence really takes place.
Nuclear deterrence happens in the minds of those on the "other side." Remember, deterrence is about impacting the adversary's decision-making, not ours. This sounds simple, yet it is easy to forget in practice. To take a Global Zero example: Just because we in the United States may be able to imagine flourishing as a nation in a world without nuclear weapons does not mean that all other nations can imagine this same thing. They occupy different places in the international community than we do, and there are good reasons to think that some of them believe they could not even survive let alone flourish if they did not have nuclear weapons.5
Deterrence is a multi-player game in which a successful approach depends on what the other players do. Thomas Schelling, one of the foundational thinkers in the development of deterrence theory, used to emphasize that there are three kinds of games—games of chance, games of skill, and games of strategy. The discriminating characteristic of a game of strategy is that each player's best approach is a function of what the other players do.6 We can't devise our strategy in isolation. Imagine playing chess by choosing all of our moves in advance: It would not work.
As we think about what investments are necessary for our own strategic future, we must be mindful that there are other players in the world and we must adapt our approach to their existence and behavior—both our friends and our potential adversaries.
With this background in mind, we must ask one key question: "Will we still need a nuclear deterrent late in this century?"
A Spectacularly Daunting List of Conditions
First, let's consider Global Zero. What are the chances that we will get rid of nuclear weapons by late in this century?
President Obama has taken a position consistent with many prior administrations: As long as nuclear weapons exist, the United States will maintain a safe, secure, and effective arsenal to deter any adversary and guarantee that defense to our allies.7 In order for America to abandon its nuclear weapons, others would have to abandon nuclear weapons, too, and adopt a robust inspection and verification regime. Let's take a quick international tour and, as we go, ask ourselves the likelihood of achieving each given condition in 20 years, 50 years, or 100 years. Remember that for Global Zero, we have to reach and sustain all of these simultaneously:
• France and the United Kingdom would have to resort to defense dependent on conventional deterrence, the failure of which has caused them grievous harm in the last century.8
• Israel would have to be secure enough to give up nuclear weapons. Perhaps the first step would be if Israel were surrounded by nations that all agreed it had a right to exist.
• Iran would either not get the bomb or would get it and then give it up. Any proliferators based on Iran would have to also give up nuclear weapons.
• India and Pakistan would have to bury the hatchet and not have other reasons for keeping nuclear weapons (such as Iran or China having nuclear weapons).
• Russia would have to be willing to give up the primary thing that makes it a global superpower.
• The Chinese would have to agree to multilateral reductions and a transparent inspection model they have already said would be "impossible" with their culture.9
• North Korea would have to give up the nuclear weapons it uses for international extortion to collect foreign aid.
Now, realistically, what are the chances that all of these conditions will be achieved and stable by the end of the century? We could almost just as well ask what the chances are that any of these might occur, much less all of them. Each of these problem areas already has a long history measured in decades or centuries. We would probably have to suspend everything we know about power politics, national security, religious animosity, and history to entertain the hope that nuclear weapons would disappear by 2070.
So most of us will conclude with confidence that Global Zero will not happen this century. For those few who wish to cling to the small sliver of hope that all of these unlikely events will occur before the century is out, one more question is relevant. Should we as a nation bet everything on the hope that this unlikely event will occur, or should we remain prudently sober and make the necessary investments in a stable future deterrent?
We can help answer this question if we look at the international "trend arrows" on nuclear matters to see which way they are leaning. If not Zero, can we at least hope for improvement?
Trends 'Almost All in the Wrong Direction'
Go back to the mid-1990s. The Cold War had just ended, the Internet economy was beginning to boom, the federal budget was balanced, and the big idea was that liberal democracy, capitalism, and peace were irreversibly going to spread around the world. A global moratorium on nuclear testing was emerging. Russia was being liberalized by President Boris Yeltsin. The North Koreans and the Pakistanis did not have the bomb. India had only done one test in 1974. 9/11 had not yet taken place. The Chinese economy was about number eight in the world, behind Italy.
In the 1994 Nuclear Posture Review, what did we do? With this benign setup, we formally adopted a "lead but hedge" strategy. We would take the initiative in nuclear cuts in the hope that others would be inspired to follow. We already had unilaterally shut down our weapon-production facilities, removed nukes from surface ships, ground forces, and aircraft-carrier aviation. We stopped enhancing our nuclear-weapon capabilities. We shrank our SSBN force from 18 down to 14 Ohio-class submarines. Even in those heady optimistic days, however, we verified the need to retain the three legs of our "Nuclear Triad" composed of bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and SSBNs based in both oceans.
Unfortunately, the world has not followed the benign path we hoped for back in 1994. Russia has gone from Yeltsin to Putin to Medvedev and back to Putin. Freedom House judges that the former Soviet Union under Putin "now rivals the Middle East as one of the most repressive areas on the globe." Around the world, freedom has been retreating for seven years in a row.10 9/11 has occurred, and radical Islam is moving from being a "non-state actor" into the "nation-state" category. India and Pakistan have had several crises and "exchanged" nuclear tests in 1998. The Chinese economy has gone from number eight to second place in the world, and China is growing its nuclear arsenal, unrestricted by any treaty and without the slightest transparency. North Korea has withdrawn from the Non-Proliferation Treaty, has tested three nuclear devices, and has declared its intent to expand its nuclear arsenal. And of course there is Iran.
There is no denying that in virtually every major category, the world's nuclear trajectory is much less benign than it was only 20 years ago. With the important exceptions of a series of nuclear-force reduction treaties between the United States and Russia and the increased security of former Soviet nuclear forces as a result of the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat-Reduction Program, the changes have almost all been in the wrong direction.
The conclusion is inescapable. Virtually every long-term trend suggests that the future international nuclear environment will be more stressing than it is today, not less.
The Required Future Nuclear-Force Mix
To determine what we need for deterrence 50 years in the future, we can get some solid clues by looking back 50 years. By 1963, we had our Triad of bombers, SSBNs, and ICBMs. The bombers were flexible in routing and payload capability and were visible so they could be used for signaling. We have seen that signaling used recently with North Korea. The ICBMs were scattered around the country in hardened silos such that a determined large-scale attack on the continental United States would be needed if an adversary wanted to avoid a counterattack. This created a significant complicating factor in adversary planning, which acted to provide stability. Finally, the ultimate backstop and guarantor of deterrence were the SSBNs, continually at sea, undetected and survivable, providing a second-strike capability, which assured strategic stability.
This basic arrangement, 50 years later, remains intact. We know how to use it. We know what flexibility it delivers. Even though the number of nuclear weapons has been reduced by 75 percent since the Cold War, the Triad remains the basic structure shared by the United States, Russia, and China. There have been some changes, of course, and both Russia and China have added a fourth leg to their arsenal—road-mobile ICBM systems. Although the world has changed in many ways, the United States still faces large nuclear forces in multiple countries employing a wide range of delivery systems. While their current intentions may seem benign relative to the nuclear crises of the Cold War, the fact that that there are other countries that base their national security in their nuclear forces should give us pause when we contemplate further weakening of our posture.
The environment of nuclear-armed adversaries that caused us to adopt the Triad still remains, and to deal with it the Triad continues to provide us and our allies with a stable, visible, survivable, and flexible nuclear-deterrent force. We need to keep a strong Triad-based nuclear deterrent—and it must be anchored by survivable SSBNs to provide the strategic stability of an assured second-strike capability.
The Critical Role of Extended Deterrence
Finally, we need to consider "extended deterrence." This is another name for the "nuclear umbrella" that the United States extends to some of our friends and allies, providing them the benefits of our nuclear deterrent without their having to develop their own nuclear capability. Extended deterrence plays the crucial role of reducing the incentive for proliferation among our friends.
It was noted previously how deterrence happens in the mind of the "other side." The two actors who determine if our extended deterrent is sufficient are the adversary of concern and the ally of concern. If we want to prevent proliferation by our friends, they must have confidence in our deterrent, and that includes the nature of the force mix as well as our resolve. Many of our friends feel they need particular capabilities for effective deterrence in their regions. This is why our NATO allies have asked us to preserve our non-strategic nuclear forces in Europe.11 It is why South Korea welcomed the overt deployment of B-2 bombers to the Korean peninsula.
In many ways we are already running out of margin on our extended deterrent. The pressure is showing up from nervous allies. As we draw down our nuclear forces and as potential adversaries grow their forces—think China, North Korea, and potentially Iran—the viability of our extended deterrent will become an increasing issue. Margins will grow thinner, increasing the risk of proliferation and, with it, insecurity.12
We must remember that the single most important thing we can do to reduce the chance of proliferation among our friends is to keep our extended deterrent strong and flexible.
The world is moving in a nuclear direction that is more complex, less stable, and less secure. For more than 20 years, we have tried the moral high ground of "lead but hedge," but now we must acknowledge the unfortunate fact that other nations have not followed our lead. They did not give up nuclear-weapons production facilities, they did not retire theater nuclear systems, and they did not refrain from testing and proliferation. The responsible action for the United States now is to demonstrate firmness to our adversaries and our allies by investing in the recapitalization of our strategic deterrent to ensure it remains available, survivable, and flexible for the coming century. The first element of the Triad requiring this investment is the undersea leg—our SSBN force.
This action will demonstrate resolve to friend and foe alike, reducing the chance of proliferation by our friends and miscalculation by our adversaries. It is essential that we not flinch on this critical test of our national character.
1. Global Zero Action Plan, www.globalzero.org/get-the-Facts/GZAP.
2. Department of Defense, 2010 Nuclear Posture Review Report, Executive Summary, www.defense.gov/npr/docs/2010%20nuclear%20posture%20review%20report.pdf.
3. Rachel Maddow, Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power (New York: Crown Publishers, 2012), 216–41.
4. James Schlesinger quoted in Melanie Kirkpatrick, "Why We Don't Want a Nuclear-Free World," The Wall Street Journal, 11 July 2009.
5. Harold Brown and John Deutch, "The Nuclear Disarmament Fantasy," The Wall Street Journal, 19 November 2007.
6. Thomas Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict (London: Oxford University Press, 1960), 3.
7. Robert Gates, foreword to 2010 Nuclear Posture Review Report.
8. Edmond Seay, "Theatre nuclear weapons and the next round of bilateral New START Treaty talks," British American Security Information Council, Nuclear Policy Paper, no. 12, January 2013, www.basicint.org/sites/default/files/npp12.pdf.
9. Phillip Dorling, "China Determined to Rival U.S. Arsenal," Sydney Morning Herald, 28 February 2011.
10. Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2013, www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2013.
11. Seay, "Theatre nuclear weapons." NATO website statement on importance of U.S. nuclear forces, www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_50068.htm?.
12. Dorling, "China Determined."


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KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine won support Tuesday from Baltic nations and Poland in its quest to obtain Western fighter jets, but there were no signs that larger nations like the U.S. and Britain have changed their stance of refusing to provide warplanes to Kyiv after almost a year of battling Russia's invading forces.
"Ukraine needs fighter jets ... missiles, tanks. We need to act," Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said in the Latvian capital of Riga at a news conference with his Baltic and Polish colleagues. Those countries, which lie on NATO's eastern flank, feel especially threatened by Russia and have been the leading advocates for providing military aid.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov held talks with his French counterpart, saying they did not discuss specific fighter jets, but they did talk about aviation "platforms" to help Ukraine's ground-to-air defense.
"I don't know how quick it will be, this response from Western allies" to Kyiv's requests for fighter jets, Reznikov said. "I'm optimistic and I think it will be as soon as possible."
He also listed weapons Ukraine has sought in the past year, starting with Stingers, and said the first response was always, "Impossible.'' Eventually though, he said, "it became possible.''
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, speaking with Reznikov, said there are "no taboos" on sending fighter jets. He also confirmed France is sending 12 more Caesar cannons in the coming weeks.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that France doesn't exclude sending fighter jets but set out conditions before such a step is taken, including not leading to an escalation of tensions or using the aircraft "to touch Russian soil," and not resulting in weakening "the capacities of the French army."
Reznikov's trip came a week after Western nations pledged to send Kyiv sophisticated modern tanks.
Several Western leaders have expressed concern that providing warplanes could escalate the conflict and draw them in deeper.
The U.K. government, among Kyiv's staunchest supporters and military suppliers, said sending its fighter jets is "not practical." Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman, Max Blain, said Tuesday that "the U.K.'s Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets are extremely sophisticated and take months to learn how to fly," although he didn't say London was opposed to other nations sending planes.
Asked Monday if his administration was considering sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden responded, "No."
On Tuesday, Reznikov was asked if Biden's ''no" to F-16s was the final word.
"All types of help first passed through the 'no' stage," he said. "Which only means 'no' at today's given moment. The second stage is, 'Let's talk and study technical possibilities.' The third stage is, 'Let's get your personnel trained.' And the fourth stage is the transfer (of equipment)."
Reznikov said Ukraine went through those stages before it got the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, the Bradley armored vehicles and 155mm artillery.
"Remember the story of the German Leopards -- the answer was also 'no,'" he added. "And now we have a tank coalition. Therefore I believe an airplane coalition is within reach. But first there should always be a leader. And that's why I'm here."
Kyiv has repeatedly urged allies to send jets, callling them essential to challenging Russia's air superiority and to ensure the success of future counteroffensives spearheaded by Western tanks.
The West also has ruled out providing Kyiv with long-range missiles able to hit Russian territory, citing potential escalation.
After months of haggling, Western allies agreed last week to send the tanks, despite the hesitation and caution of some NATO members.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz appeared to balk at providing fighter jets, suggesting Sunday the reason for the discussion might be "domestic political motives" in some countries.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Monday there are "no taboos" in efforts to help Ukraine but added that jets "would be a very big next step."
Asked Tuesday about Western weapons supplies to Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov repeated the Kremlin's view that "NATO long has been directly involved into a hybrid war against Russia."
Following talks in Moscow with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, he said the Russian military will "take all the necessary measures to derail the fulfillment of Western plans."
He said Shoukry conveyed a message from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken about Ukraine, which repeated calls from Washington for Russia to withdraw. Lavrov said "Russia is ready to hear any serious — I want to underline this word — proposal aimed at comprehensive settlement of the current situation."
Both Ukraine and Russia are believed to be building up their arsenals for an expected offensive in the coming months after the war being deadlocked on the battlefield during winter.
Asked about Lithuania's call for fighter jets and long-range missiles for Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the comments "reflected an aggressive approach taken by the Baltic nations and Poland, who are ready to do everything to provoke further escalation without thinking about consequences."
Croatia President Zoran Milanovic, meanwhile, criticized Western nations for supplying Ukraine with tanks and other weapons, arguing those deliveries will only prolong the war.
Early in the conflict, discussions focused on possibly providing Kyiv with Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets that Ukrainian pilots are familiar with. In March, the Pentagon rejected Poland's proposal to transfer its MiG-29s to Kyiv through a U.S. base in Germany, citing a risk of triggering a Russia-NATO escalation.
Ukraine inherited a significant fleet of Soviet-made warplanes, including Su-27 and MiG-29 fighter jets and Su-25 ground attack aircraft. Switching to Western aircraft would require Ukrainian crews to undergo long training and raise logistical challenges over maintenance and repair.
Russia methodically targeted Ukrainian air bases and air defense batteries in the opening stage of the war, but Ukraine has relocated its warplanes and concealed air defense assets, resulting in Moscow's failure to gain full control of the skies.
After suffering early, heavy losses, the Russian air force has avoided venturing deep into Ukraine's airspace and mostly focused on close support missions along the front line.

subset: commoncrawl


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As the votes continue to be counted, many on the Right are talking of the Popular vote loss and that it is just a sliver of the electorate. They talk of an Electoral College mandate, and the significant vote count victory that holds.
While true, lets make sure we understand the reality of this 'mandate'
Of the more than 120 million votes cast in the 2016 election, 107,000 votes in three states effectively decided the election.
The current Popular vote spread is about 600,000, roughly the population of Wyoming. That spread is sure to grow, and is already larger then Gore's spread over Bush.
Of course it doesn't matter, other than to stifle talk of any type of mandate. Trump is our President Elect, and barring some kind of Electoral College arm twisting by the Right to seat a hand chosen candidate, we will have a President Trump on January 20th
The entire article is worth a gander. It lays out what happened and where.


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A non-mirrored volume resource is a DataKeeper resource where no data is replicated to any node in the cluster. This resource type should only be used where the data is temporary and/or non-critical such as MS SQL Server tempdb space. In this case, when MS SQL restarts on another node after a failover or switchover, the tempdb space is automatically recreated so replication of the data is not necessary.
This non-mirrored volume resource will be able to come Online and go Offline on all cluster node without ever affecting the configured volume. Additionally, the volume will remain unlocked and writable at all times on all nodes in the cluster.
To configure a non-mirrored volume resource:
- Configure a volume on all cluster nodes using the same drive letter (all nodes must use the same drive letter).
- Create any directories that are required for the volume on all cluster nodes.
- Create a DataKeeper Volume resource using the Failover Clustering UI. Provide a name that best describes its intended use – (Example: "DataKeeper Volume F (Non-Mirrored)"). The following steps will set the Properties needed for the non-mirrored resource:
• In the Failover Cluster Manager, right-click the Cluster Group or the Role that will contain the non-mirrored DataKeeper Volume Resource. If a role has NOT been defined, an Empty Role must be created.
• Select Add a Resource, More Resources, then select DataKeeper Volume.
• Right-click on the new DataKeeper volume resource and select Properties.
• Enter the Resource Name you selected earlier (Example: "DataKeeper Volume F (Non-Mirrored)") then click OK. You do not need to change any other properties at this time.
The following steps will set the Properties needed for the non-mirrored resource:
- Assign the following properties using Powershell:
VolumeLetter =F (if the drive letter is F, otherwise whatever the drive letter is)
NonMirrored =1 (there is no space between Non and Mirrored)
- Add the properties using Powershell:
Get-ClusterResource "DataKeeper Volume F (Non-Mirrored)" | Set-ClusterParameter –Name VolumeLetter –Value "F"
Get-ClusterResource "DataKeeper Volume F (Non-Mirrored)" | Set-ClusterParameter –Name NonMirrored –Value 1
If this non-mirrored volume resource is to be used with MS SQL Server for tempdb space the following configurations steps are needed:
- Ensure that the volume security settings for the user account that is chosen to run SQL Server services has full access to the volume on all nodes in the cluster.
- Ensure that the "SQL Server" resource in the Failover Clustering group has a dependency on the new DataKeeper Volume resource.


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We have always been blessed with very strong customer support employees. They all have the experience of providing excellent insurance customer service and support for many years. We have a personable, hardworking, detail oriented, conscientious staff of employees. As a result we have been able to smoothly fold in to our organization books of business from other insurance agencies and maintain high retention of those customers.
In addition to our staff, we represent a very strong and large group of insurance companies to not only incorporate the existing customers of these mergers and acquisitions but to also provide the agency owner with strong markets, if their goal is to continue in the business.
Our approach to Mergers & Acquisitions is very flexible because we recognize that each agency owner is in his or her own unique circumstance with their own unique goals. It is not just a numbers or ratio transaction but it is personal not only to the agency owner but also to us. Our goal in any merger or acquisition is to make it seamless and a non-event to the customer and to make it something the agency owner feels totally good about. Something that addresses the agency owners specific motivations. That might be an agency buyout; an agency perpetuation plan; the desire to continue in the business but have someone else handle the "back office", ie all of the administrative work including employee, customer, vendor and carrier relationships.
If you are an agency owner or if you are a producer that owns your book of business, and you have ever considered selling or merging or something in between please contact Lon Brown at firstname.lastname@example.com. There is certainly no obligation and any discussions we have will be held in the strictest of confidence.


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1. The Department of Immigration rolled out issuance of the ePassport with effect from 1st September 2017. Holders of valid manual passports (dark-blue in colour) must replace it with an ePassport by 30th November 2022. After this date, all manual passports will be rendered invalid for travel.
2. Passport applicants who are 18 years old and above must be holders of a valid Kenya National Identity Card (click on the link to download the official statement of the Embassy for those with no ID cards) to be able to apply. Parents or court-appointed guardians who hold a valid Kenyan ID card can apply for their children who are under the age of 18.
3. If you do not have an ID card or you lost it and only have a (laminated) copy, you must obtain an original ID card first before applying for the ePassport.
4. The Kenya Embassy in Berlin does not issue ID cards. You must travel to Kenya or the Kenya High Commission in London to register and be issued the ID card.
5. All passport applications must be made on the Department of Immigration Services page www.ecitizen.go.ke. You will have to enter your ID card number to be able to register on eCitizen and then apply for the passport on the Department of Immigration Services page. The passport fee must also be made on the same page via the payment options available.
6. In order to register successfully, a verification code will be sent on the number you enter. Currently, the codes are only sent to Kenyan mobile phone numbers that have never been registered on eCitizen. You must therefore enter an active Kenyan number on the telephone number field (you can enter the number of a relative or friend who has never held a passport). Kindly note that the codes expire if not entered immediately.
7. Applicants who hold a manual passport should apply for a REPLACEMENT on eCitizen and not for a NEW PASSPORT!!!!
8. When entering foreign alphabet letters, e.g. Ä,Ö,Ü, these letters should be anglicized to AE, OE and UE. There should not be any commas or any other symbols on the application entries.
9. The payment options for the ePassport are indicated on eCitizen. If you do not have a credit card, a relative in Kenya can make the payment for on your behalf via MPESA or any of the other Kenyan mobile payment options.
10. You cannot make any corrections or edit your ePassport application once you have submitted it. Ensure therefore that all your details are correct before submitting the final data online.
11. Your ePassport photo will be captured at the Embassy. The 3 photos stated on the checklist are for file purposes only. Ensure that you appearance on the day adheres to the photo guidelines on the checklist.
12. All eCitizen inquiries should be directed to eCitizen (telephone: +254 780 206 206; email: firstname.lastname@example.com).
13. If your passport has expired, and you do not have an ID card, you will be issued a one-way Emergency Travel Document by the Kenya Embassy accredited to your country of residence, in order to travel to Kenya to process the ID card.
(a) VALIDITY OF A PASSPORT
Kenyan passports are issued with a validity of ten years and are non-renewable. They are not available beyond ten years from the original date of issue. If at any time a passport contains no further space for visas, bears incorrect information, is lost or damaged, a new passport must be obtained. The same applies for if any official changes are required e.g. a change of name after marriage.
It is important to start the process of replacing your passport 6 months before expiry, in order to have a valid passport by the time your residence permit or old passport is set to expire.
The Embassy does not issue temporary passports.
Caution: Passports are valuable documents and should not be altered in any way or allowed to pass into possession of unauthorized person. If lost, withdrawn or destroyed the fact and circumstances should be immediately reported to the Kenya Embassy and the local police. Under such circumstances, new passports can only be issued after exhaustive enquiries have been done.
(b) RECOMMENDER
All passport applications must be recommended by the holder of a valid Kenyan ID card, who is not related to the applicant. YOU CANNOT RECOMMEND YOURSELF, YOUR CHILD OR ANY OF YOUR RELATIVES!!!
If your recommender is not in your area of residence, you must send him/her the recommender's page to fill in and send it back to you per post or email as a clear scanned PDF document together with the front and back of his/her Kenyan ID card as stated on the checklist.
(c) LOST PASSPORT REPLACEMENT
If you happen to have lost your passport, contact your local lost and found office to see if the passport was found and deposited there. You can also email the Embassy (email@example.com) to find out if the passport might have been sent to us. If your search remains futile, you will have to report its loss at your local police station and then proceed to a Notary Public to swear an Affidavit on the loss.
The Kenyan passport remains property of the Kenyan government and should be handled with extreme care and kept safe at all times. You are advised to only carry coloured photocopies of it and of your residence permit (if it is stuck inside your passport) for identification purposes. Passports should not be carried to night clubs or any social gathering, since these are the most common reported areas of loss.
(d) APPLYING FOR A FIRST PASSPORT FOR YOUR CHILD
If you are the holder of a valid Kenyan passport or your child was born while you are still a Kenyan, you can apply for a passport for your child by filing the relevant application on eCitizen.
Children who have other nationalities must provide the passport of the other nationality too when applying for the Kenyan passport. If the passport of the other nationality is not available, you will have to provide proof from the other country stating that the child does not hold a passport of that country.
The application must be accompanied by the International Birth Certificate of the child that has been certified by the issuing authority.
(e) CHANGING SURNAME
All change of name should be made under application No. 3. CHANGE OF PARTICULARS on eCitizen. Ensure you only enter the names that should appear in the new passport when filling in the online application.
Change of name in Kenya is only possible in following cases:
(i) AFTER MARRIAGE
Women who have married and taken up their husband's surname must apply for the change of name on their Kenyan passport too to avoid complications in the future. You will have to fill in your names as stated on the marriage certificate, on the online passport application form.
Note that for hyphenated surnames, your Kenyan surname should always appear before the German surname you are adopting.
(ii) THROUGH DEED POLL
If you changed your name through a deed poll, you will have to submit a certified copy of the deed poll and the Kenya Gazette Notice of the name change in addition to other documents on the relevant checklist.
(iii) CHANGE OF NAME FOR KENYAN CHILDREN
A change of name for Kenyan children who are adopted can only be made if an official adoption is filed for and approved by the High Court of Kenya and an official change of name through deed poll done and a Kenya Gazette Notice of the same is issued.
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development also has to issue a Letter of NO OBJECTION to ADOPTION. You will have to provide certified copies of the High Court of Kenya documents as well as certified copies of the name change documents and Letter of NO OBJECTION as stated above.
(f) HOW TO BOOK A BIOMETRICS APPOINTMENT
Once you have successfully filled in the relevant passport application and paid for it online, upload the eCitizen-generated application PDF form and upload it on the required field together with other required uploads. It is only after uploading the required documents that you should book an appointment through the booking link on this website.
Download the relevant application checklist below and after obtaining all the necessary requirements, book an appointment to submit the application and biometrics capture in Berlin.
Booking Requirements:
- You MUST first apply and pay for the epassport on www.ecitizen.go.ke
- Ensure that you enter your eCitizen EPP1/CPP1 application reference as follows EPP1-XXXXXXXXX (enter the number) or CPP1-XXXXXXXXX (enter the number) on the required field when booking the appointment. Appointments booked without entering this important reference will be cancelled.
- Ensure that you enter the name of the applicant whose biometrics will be captured on the booking portal and not of the person booking.
- Each applicant must be booked for an appointment slot separately.
- Each applicant must bring the documents that are stated on the relevant checklist below, in the order specified.
- You must have an original Kenyan ID card and birth certificate among other requirements to be able to apply for the ePassport in Berlin. Attempting to appear without these originals will be a futile attempt.
- Download the RELEVANT checklist from the confirmation email for your biometrics appointment.
(g) DURATION OF PROCESSING
The epassport is processed in Kenya and sent back to the Embassy within 4-6 weeks. There are cases that can take longer due to several factors.
Once your passport is received in Berlin, the notification RECEIVING will appear on your ecitizen account when you click on the submitted application.
(h) HOW TO RECEIVE YOUR NEW PASSPORT AFTER BIOMETRICS
Your epassport will be posted to you via DHL. Send the following to the Embassy via secured mail:
1. Your current passport
2. A photocopy of the Photo Token receipt you received on the day of biometrics
3. For sending the passports back to you: 1 DHL EXPRESS DOMESTIC End of Day shipping label for Germany(click here to access it). Buy this exact shipping label online and ensure you have entered the shipping details FROM: Embassy/ TO: You.
4. An A4-size padded envelope with the DHL shipping/transport label stuck on it.
Insert all of the 4 items above into another envelope and send to the Embassy via DHL.
You should send the following to the Embassy via any courier service of your choice:
1. Your current passport
2. A photocopy of the Photo Token receipt you received on the day of biometrics
3. For sending the passports back to you: 1 DHL EXPRESS ENVELOPE End of Day shipping label for your country (click here to access it). Buy this exact shipping label online and ensure you have entered the shipping details FROM: Embassy/ TO: You.
4. An A4-size padded envelope with the DHL shipping/transport label stuck on it.
Insert all of the 4 items above into another envelope and send to the Embassy via any courier service of your choice.
(i) KENYANS WITHOUT IDENTITY DOCUMENTS
If you were born in Kenya but have never held a Kenyan passport or ID card or only have a recently issued Kenyan birth certificate, you cannot apply for a Kenyan passport. If you are able to prove your Kenyan citizenship to the Embassy, you may be issued a one-way Emergency Travel Document to travel to Kenya to procure your identity documents.
If you are sent by your local Foreigner's Authority to apply for a passport or Travel Document and you fail to bring the application documents, you WILL NOT be issued any confirmation letter as proof that you were at the Embassy.
(j) EMERGENCY TRAVEL DOCUMENT
If you have to travel to Kenya and do not have a valid passport, you may be issued an Emergency Travelling Document to allow you to travel to Kenya. Click here for the checklist of requirements.


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New Jerusalem Monastery, Russia
In the 17th century, a little town located just 50 kilometers from Moscow suddenly became a stronghold of the spiritual and geographical revolution: it was supposed to become the new Holy Land of the Christians, with an exact replica of The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, its topography and relics. This is how the local hills gained their names: Mount Zion, Mount Tabor, and the Mount of Olives. In addition, the Istra River was renamed the Jordan River. These were the only similarities to the Holy Land — the brutal Russian climate remained unchanged, and the little settlement near Moscow named "New Jerusalem" couldn't become the center of Orthodox Christianity.
The famous Patriarch Nikon of Moscow, an unusual person who, although being greatly misunderstood by contemporaries, played a huge role in the history of Russia. In fact, he was the author and initiator of the already mentioned changes. Among Nikon's schismatic ideas were the church reforms that permanently divided the country, giving rise to the Old Believers movement.
Patriarch Nikon was actively involved not only in the religious but also social life of the country, trying to interfere with government affairs. Alas, he crossed the line in this sphere, just as he did with the church. As a result, he was evicted from Moscow and then settled down in New Jerusalem, placing the construction of the Resurrection Cathedral under his personal supervision.
We have to give credit to the scale of the idea. The Resurrection Cathedral was supposed to visually represent the leadership of Russia in the world of Orthodox Christianity. The Patriarch ordered architects to copy the Palestinian Cathedral and, at the same time, gave them room for creativity. For example, there was the idea of building a temple with 365 chapels representing each day of the year! However, this particular idea was turned down during the construction. Nevertheless, the cathedral, decorated with hand-painted tiles and white-stone carvings, turned out to be rather whimsical. The domes of the underground church rose up from the ground level in front of the main section — the Resurrection Cathedral was crowned with a mighty dome that rests on the cross-shaped foundation; and further behind them, there was a huge stone-tented roof over the Holy Sepulchre Chapel. The tent was so big that the architects couldn't secure it well enough, and so in 1723 it collapsed.
After the two fires that followed the first incident, the cathedral underwent a major restoration, which was supervised by architect K. Blank, who implemented the design from the famous Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli. By the 20th century a number of additional structures appeared in the monastery. However, in 1941 most of the buildings were damaged due to the war, and many architectural monuments were completely destroyed. Some of them were rebuilt, except for the main architectural piece — the gigantic seven-tier belfry.
Today the New Jerusalem monastery shares a ground with the art museum that is also located on its territory. The city of Istra (former Voskresensk) has always been in the shadows, silently growing around the monastery. Like the monastery, during World War II, the city was occupied and then completely destroyed during the retreat of the enemy troops. After the war, architect A. V. Schusev designed a master plan that would turn the city of Istra into a large recreational center; but industrial and scientific research fields began to develop here instead. This is why, aside for the New Jerusalem Monastery, the main "landmarks" of Istra are a baby food factory, furniture and textile factories, as well as tile, brick, and other plants. This contrast of old and new is depicted in our panoramas that were shot in the freezing (below 0°F!) winter of 2009.
17 May 2010
Read more


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This article originally appeared on HBR.org (subscription may be required).
As sure as the tides rise and fall, the next recession will spur many companies to cut their prices indiscriminately. During the last recession, producer prices fell by nearly 8% and took nearly two years to recover. Why? Executives often assume that slashing prices and profit margins is the only way to keep their customers and market share. Salespeople, desperate to make their quota, fail to hold the line on discounting, and companies want to maximize their use of assets even when demand softens.
That perspective is shortsighted. Across-the-board price cuts can permanently erode a company's profitability and strategic position. For example, during the last recession one global equipment manufacturer aggressively slashed prices. The executive team thought of the situation as a zero-sum game—unless they cut prices, customers would defect to competitors—so a contract at 80% of the previous price was better than no contract. Because the manufacturer's contracts typically last five years, however, the decision hurt its profits for a long period and deprived it of cash to invest when the economy recovered.
By contrast, preparing for the next recession now on the following four fronts can prevent a broad-based price decline.
Know your place in the market and exactly what drives your profits. In order to navigate the trade-offs between price and volume, well-prepared companies factor in their standing as a market leader or follower. Market share leaders have an outsized influence on how the market weathers the storm, with their pricing moves prompting many followers to behave similarly. Leaders have some responsibility to maintain order and ward off indiscriminate discounting. Followers, meanwhile, should take a measured approach, accounting not only for their own strengths but also for the market leader's behavior. A follower may be tempted to take share by aggressively undercutting the market but doing so would risk losing a price war to the leader, thereby damaging everyone's future earnings when the economy recovers.
Awareness of what drives profitability for both the company and its competitors at the individual customer level is particularly valuable. A major supplier of food ingredients facing a decline in demand assessed its major accounts in North America by modeling the profitability of each account against its competitors' delivered cost for each. It became clear that for a substantial number of accounts, the company's profits were below those achieved by competitors. For this group of accounts, competitors had lower prices but also lower logistics costs because their distribution centers were close to customers. The food ingredients supplier walked away from $60 million in revenue and, within 60 days, replaced that volume with more profitable volume—namely, where it had lower delivered costs than competitors.
Price through a segmented, value-based approach. Different customer segments have different price sensitivity and value different elements of an offering. Pricing should reflect these variations in perceived value through a tiered offering, with each tier addressing a progressively higher willingness to pay for additional features.
Understanding each customer's preferences allows a company to devise attractive bundles of products and services so that even if overall unit volumes drop during a recession, the company still can maintain or increase its market share with customers. Likewise, if customers buy complementary products from multiple suppliers, there may be an opportunity to grow share by trading modest price concessions for commitments to high volumes—especially before inventories get drawn down. If a customer worries about holding inventory when its sales volume outlook is cloudy, a supplier could offer repurchase terms or markdown protections.
In some cases, an effective move involves creating a separate brand and operation for price-sensitive customers. Dow Corning saw that silicone was becoming a commodity with the entry of low-cost competitors from China. When it did a fresh segmentation of the customer base, Dow Corning realized that a large segment of "price seekers" did not need all the high-value services bundled into the price of its product. Instead of cutting prices, Dow Corning launched the Xiameter brand, with a limited number of products, a minimum order size, limited technical support, and online-only orders. Xiameter proved successful as a standalone business, drawing in new customers rather than cannibalizing the existing customer base.
Patch the price leakage. Price leakage is insidious, accumulating over time. Giveaways, such as free freight, longer payment terms or free customer support, often fly under the radar and collectively can bleed substantial profits.
Prior to the 2001 recession, trucking company Freightliner turned to heavy discounts and aggressive buyback guarantees to protect market share, and it wound up selling to unprofitable customers. Its operating profit swung from $900 million in 2000 to a loss of $1.2 billion in 2001—far worse than competitors Paccar and Navistar, both of which had decided to be more disciplined in pricing, even if that meant losing volume. After that experience, Freightliner shifted gears to focus on securing profitable business rather than chasing market share.
Companies should check to ensure that they're not giving away more than they are contractually obligated to provide. Salespeople who want to keep a customer often let these sorts of freebies slide. Strict enforcement of contract terms and discount policies, along with clear communications and training, help to keep the sales team honest.
Develop dynamic pricing where it makes sense. When markets shift suddenly, the commercial organization should have the flexibility to adjust prices quickly. That requires laying the groundwork by having the right data, analytics, and monitoring program.
Companies that excel in dynamic pricing have access to real-time data on changing market conditions, which informs fast decision-making processes to push out price changes quickly and easily. True dynamic pricing depends on real-time variables, such as seasonality, inventory levels, and competitor pricing, and it is powered by automated digital tools.
One fuel distributor with aggressive goals to raise profitability was hamstrung by pricing that relied on dated protocols and analysts' best judgment. The distributor gathered and linked data from multiple sources into one database and developed a dynamic pricing solution that accounted for more than a dozen variables. By testing and revising an algorithm through several iterations at filling stations, it refined its pricing recommendations engine to optimize pricing, having analytically derived the most relevant competitor sites and site-specific consumer price elasticities. The pilot demonstrated an improvement of 14 percentage points in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, with only 1 point of lost fuel volume, and the distributor is rolling out dynamic pricing to other sites.
Companies that fare well during a downturn and surge ahead of competitors in the subsequent recovery have gotten their pricing house in order before the recession hit. Ideally, executives can build a profit cushion now through price discipline and cost reductions, then retain that war chest to help weather the storm.
Shihwan Chung is a principal with Bain & Company's Customer Strategy & Marketing practice. Ron Kermisch is a partner with Bain & Company's Customer Strategy & Marketing practice. Mark Burton is an expert vice president with Bain & Company's Customer Strategy & Marketing practice.


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When it comes to a personal loan, you have to first learn to use it responsibly. Because if you miss a repayment, your credit score will be impacted adversely. And remember, that a credit score is an indicator of how well you manage your personal finances. Also, it plays a defining role when you apply for any kind of loan – secured and unsecured. It is suggested to apply for a loan slightly larger than what is needed so that you will be assured to have enough money to pay all bills necessary and still have some money left over to ensure that your bank account stays current.
A credit score can be defined as a number which reflects the financial situation of a person. If the person is well-off when it comes to financial matters, then he or she is said to have a high credit score. On the other hand, if a person is the exact opposite of this, then they possess a low credit score. There are a lot of factors that are considered by financial institutions for the purpose of evaluating a person's credit score – usually, the credit scores of people vary from 300 to about 850.
A personal loan is a type of loan that is given by digital lenders, banks and credit unions to aid you in your plans, be it starting a small business, or making a big purchase. Personal loans tend to have an interest rate(s) lower than the credit cards; however, they can also be put to use for combining several credit card debts together into one monthly lower-cost payment.
Now, your credit score is built by keeping in mind various parameters from your credit reports. These reports serve the purpose of trailing your history of utilization of the credit across the duration of seven years. These credit reports are comprised of information, including how much credit you have utilized to date, the type of credit in your possession, the age of one's credit accounts, whether one has put in for bankruptcy or liens filed against them, actions of debt collections taken against them, one's total open lines of credit as well as recent inquiries for hard credit.
Like any other type of credit, personal loans are very capable of affecting your credit score. This can be done through the process of applying and withdrawing a personal loan. If you are curious as to how personal loans can end up affecting your credit, then read on to find out more about the context. There are many ways in which your credit can be affected by personal loans and some of them are listed below:
The ratio of your debt-to-income and loan
Debt-to-income ratio is considered to be the measure of your amount of income that you spend on the debt repayments. In the case of lenders, the amount of income that you receive is said to be one of the major factors proving that you are able to repay your loan.
Some of the lenders have come up with their own debt-to-income ratio so that their proprietary credit scores may make use of it in the form of a credit consideration. Do not fall into the kind of mindset that possessing a high amount of a loan would hurt your credit. The most damage it can do is raise the ratio of your debt-to-income so that you won't be able to apply for loans anymore without it getting rejected or denied.
Paying loans on time will make credit scores soar
The moment your loan is approved, you have to make sure that you settle the payments of each month on time and in full. Delay in repayment may significantly impact the state of your credit score. However, on the other hand, if you make the payments on time every month, then your credit score will soar high, leading to an overall good score. This will not only make your name to the preferred borrower's list, but it will prove to be beneficial for you in the long run.
Since your payment history is comprised of almost 35% of your credit score, paying loans on time is essential in cases like these so that your credit score can maintain a positive status.
Variety is built into your credit type
There are about five factors that are responsible for determining your credit score. These are composed of the payment history, the length of the credit history, the utilization ratio of the credit, the credit mix and new inquiries of the credit in accordance with FICO®.
The credit mix only accounts for about 35% of your total credit score, whereas when it comes to a personal loan you can have a varying mix of the credit types. This mix of all types of credit is viewed at a high level of approval by the creditors and lenders.
Origination fee charged by loans
Most of the lenders end up charging you an origination fee. This fee cannot be avoided at any cost and is instantly taken off from the amount of the loan payment. The amount of origination fees depends upon the amount of the loan you are about to borrow. Late payments can lead to an overdraft of fees and late expenses. Therefore, make sure that you pay complete repayment for each month before the deadline.
Avoiding penalties when it comes to payments
Some of the credit lenders tend to charge an additional fee if you end up paying your part of the loan earlier than the agreed date. This is because they are looking for moderate amounts of interest on your loan. Now, seeing that you have paid off your part of the loan before time, they will miss out on that interest that they could have possibly made if you had not cleared the debt soon enough before the deadline.


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Assignment: Motorcycle Patrol, District 1
Date of Birth: March 30, 1877
Appointment Date: 1896
End of Watch: April 30, 1916
Officer Frederick Wright was born in England and moved to Hawaii when he was seven years old.
On April 26, 1916, during the evening hours, Motorcycle Officer Fred Wright and a tandem rider in his sidecar were at the intersection of King Street and Maunakea Street when they were struck by a speeding postal mail collection vehicle.
Officer Wright suffered serious injuries as a result of the collision and was transported to Queen's hospital for treatment. Officer Wright died four days later as a result of his injuries.


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OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Athletics won the Jon Lester sweepstakes, acquiring the left-hander and outfielder Jonny Gomes from the Boston Red Sox for slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes before Thursday's trade deadline.
Oakland, with the best record in baseball at 66-41, also received cash from Boston in another blockbuster deal by A's general manager Billy Beane. The Red Sox also get a draft pick in a deal confirmed by both teams.
"I believe that the deliberations leading to the two trades we did today were deeply analyzed, thoughtful and value-added," A's owner Lew Wolff said in an email. "The best trades are when all parties have potential benefits, and what Billy accomplished is an example of such a win-win. The calls I have received from other owners were very complimentary."
A few hours later, the Red Sox traded their No. 2 starter, right-hander John Lackey, to the St. Louis Cardinals for right-hander Joe Kelly and outfielder Allen Craig, a person with knowledge of the deal said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because neither club announced that trade.
Lester is having an outstanding season with a 10-7 record and career-best 2.52 ERA in 21 starts. He has allowed seven earned runs in his last eight games with 54 strikeouts and nine walks. But the Red Sox put him on the trading block because he can become a free agent after the season.
He was sought by many teams, including Pittsburgh and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 30-year-old, three-time All-Star originally was scheduled to start Wednesday night for the slumping Red Sox, who instead scratched Lester ahead of the trade deadline.
After winning their third World Series in 10 seasons last year, with Lester getting two of the four wins with a 0.59 ERA against St. Louis, the power-poor Red Sox are last in the AL East with a 48-60 record. They had Thursday off after losing for the eighth time in nine games to drop 13 games behind first-place Baltimore.
While the Red Sox look toward next season, the A's are determined to take the next step after losing in each of the past two Octobers in five-game division series to Detroit. Oakland was off Thursday before returning home to begin a weekend series with Kansas City tonight.
It's unclear what day Lester would start, though it's likely to be Saturday. Sonny Gray (12-3) is scheduled for Friday. Manager Bob Melvin has discussed the idea of giving some pitchers extra days between outings to keep them fresh in the second half.
"Well I am awake," Gray posted on Twitter when the trade news broke early Thursday. Oakland later sent lefty Tommy Milone to the Twins for outfielder Sam Fuld.
Beane believes in starting pitching depth, and the A's sure have it. Lester joins Gray, Scott Kazmir and recently acquired Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel, each dealt by the Chicago Cubs on July 4.
Gomes, a fan favorite who grew up in nearby Petaluma, provides Oakland with a veteran presence that proved invaluable during the A's run to the AL West title in 2012. The A's reached the playoffs for the first time in six years.
He also was a respected clubhouse leader in Boston, which signed him as a free agent before last season. Gomes is hitting .234 with six homers and 32 RBIs in 78 games this season.
For Boston, this marks another big move of a starting pitcher to the Bay Area after Jake Peavy was traded to the San Francisco Giants on Saturday for two solid pitching prospects.
The 28-year-old Cespedes won the past two Home Run Derby titles at the All-Star game. The Cuban left fielder is in the third season of a $36 million, four-year contract he signed before spring training 2012. Cespedes is batting .256 with 17 homers and 67 RBIs, 26 doubles and three triples.
Speculation had centered on the Red Sox seeking prospects to add to their already deep farm system. That would have given them more young players to use in another deal for an established player, possibly a power-hitting outfielder.
They got that in Cespedes, whose 17 homers is the exact number hit this season by the nine Red Sox players who spent time in the outfield. And Gomes' six was the most.
Lester has said leaving the Red Sox doesn't rule out a return to the team next season. He had said he would take a hometown discount to stay in Boston, but the team's four-year, $70 million offer in spring training fell far short of what he could get on the open market.
Lester leaves his only pro baseball organization. The Red Sox drafted him in the second round in 2002. He made his major league debut June 10, 2006 and got no decision in a 7-4 loss to the Texas Rangers. He won five of his next seven starts before taking his first loss in his 10th.
In his nine major league seasons, all with Boston, Lester is 110-63 with a 3.64 ERA. He's also a proven postseason star with a 3-0 record in his two World Series. He pitched 5 2-3 shutout innings against the Colorado Rockies in the clinching fourth game in 2007.
Without Lester and Lackey, Clay Buchholz heads a rotation that includes youngsters Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster and Brandon Workman.
Felix Doubront began the season in the rotation but was ineffective and sent to the bullpen before being traded to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.
Boston's minor league system is rich with pitching prospects, featuring right-handers Anthony Ranaudo and Matt Barnes at Triple-A Pawtucket and left-handers Henry Owens and Brian Johnson at Double-A Portland.
As get Lester, Gomes from Red Sox for Cespedes
Professional Sports
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From Wichita to KU, and now NBA, Gradey Dick aims to rep Kansas well
Sam McDowell: How Patrick Mahomes has forever changed the game — and his legacy — in Kansas City


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Alcove Carpentry is a traditional joinery service with many years experience.
We take pride in providing a range of handcrafted, quality joinery services and bespoke products that will help bring ideas for your home into reality at realistic and affordable prices.
Alcove Carpentry can help clients in all aspects of home and business carpentry inside and outside in new build, renovation and restoration.
In addition, we offer painting and decorating services to create beautiful interiors and taking part in their transformation. All of our works are carried out by craftsmen with many years experience in the trade.


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Storm is the ultimate in family protection. He is a social dog raised in a busy home with kids ranging in ages from 5-12, and other dogs. He has attained the coveted Royal Dutch Police Certificate.
Storm has a fun upbeat personality and will be a perfect addition to anyone looking for REAL protection. He has over the top skills in the protection, and can handle any threat he encounters. He is a top tier protection dog and second to none.
In the home storm is a joy and he of course has the Scott's K9 mandatory OFF switch. He bonds fast and is always up for a fun day out, but will be just as happy with a quiet night in.
I was referred to Scotts K9 by a friend who had owned two of Steve's dogs. My friend put me in contact with Steve and after a very informative phone conversation with him, I followed up with a visit to meet Steve in person and his dogs. Few days later Steve came to my home with the Malinois I had chosen. Steve helped me to introduce my new dog to the new environment and trained me to effectively interact with my new dog. The quality of the dog, its training, its temperament and disposition and the responsiveness and support I receive from Steve and his team have far exceeded my expectations. One example of his outstanding service and support was his offer to continue training me and my dog to be a very effective team. Every time I have visited Steve with my dog he has indeed carried out very comprehensive training sessions for me.
I can't give enough praise to Steve for the quality of his dogs, their training and the outstanding 24/7 support he provides l. Not only I have a new wonderful companion in my daily life with my Scotts K-9 Malinois but I have new great friends in Steve and his team. I very strongly recommend to contact Steve if you are considering an executive protection dog.
"If you are looking for a no nonsense approach, based in integrity and decades of experience; I highly suggest Scott's K9. I personally scoured the US for the best K9 source/trainer and believe this is it. Any question that my wife or myself have posed is answered clearly and concisely. Steve and his staff are exceptional. In a time where many proclaim to be something, they prove it through actions, not words."
"I wanted to thank Steve Scott for training Jackie. I reached out though the website talk to Steve personally, which is nice. He met me and my family and we asked a lot of questions. Steve answered all my questions so he could find the right dog for my family. Steve flew out with a member of his team and worked two days with my family and Jackie. I high recommend Steve and his dogs. You will not be disappointed and he always answers the phone for help and questions. First class service thank you thank you."
"We were fortunate enough to spend time with our close friends who had purchased one of Steve's dogs and we were impressed. Our lives had taken a path where it made sense to make the investment in a protection dog and, thus, a call to Steve was made. Steve was extremely responsive, a wealth of knowledge in regards to protection dogs, and more importantly, took the time to ease all concerns we had around the idea of a protection dog (we have small children, are they safe around youngsters, do they travel well, can they swim, etc). We might not have been so sure at that initial call, but Steve knew from our conversation that Nico was the one for us (and he was absolutely right). Steve and Josh (who is very talented as well!) brought Nico to us with extreme professionalism, knowledge (training and adapting Nico to our lives) and encouragement (they knew we would bond in a few days, even if we weren't so sure). Our expectations were exceeded – from the first call to bringing him to his new home to now sending photos and asking for tips and advice. We are lifelong clients and friends and we look forward to continuing our relationship with Steve for many years to come."
"Approximately a year and a half ago my husband passed away. I felt the need to purchase a personal protection dog. I researched extensively but decided at the time I needed to wait for a year to make any major decisions. A couple of months ago I had an incident that prompted me to pursue researching dogs again. Many of the people that I had researched prior were no longer in the business and I talked to quite a few new ones. No one could match Steve and his expertise. When I called and told him why I wanted to purchase a dog he told me not to buy a dog for just one incident. He wanted to make sure I really needed a dog and to not buy on impulse. I explained this was not a decision made on impulse but one I had been pondering for over a year. We talked for a long time and he questioned me extensively. I asked many questions and he was frank and open with his responses. He matched me with the perfect dog! Macho fits my personality perfectly! He goes everywhere with me. He has been in church, dentist office, hospital, doctors office, restaurants, road trips, out with the horses, grocery store… there is not a place or destination I don't feel completely comfortable taking him. I have taken him to crowded areas with many people and other dogs. Nothing phases my dog. He is sweet and loving but also knows how to do his job! He has taken great care of me and thwarted potentially dangerous situations during my travels. If you are considering purchasing a guard dog/personal protection dog do yourself a favor and talk with Steve. He stays involved after purchase. He always answers texts and phone calls or calls back as soon as he is able. I am thankful for my Macho!"
"We were referred to Steve Scott by a friend who had purchased a dog from Scott's K9 about six months earlier. They were very happy with their dog. We already had an older German Shepherd who could sometimes be a little aggressive/too overly-protective. So we were concerned that a Belgian Malinois might be too much for us. We also read a number of stories about how challenging a Belgian Malinois can be. Steve assured us that this would not be the case and that Avi (a female) would be the perfect family dog.
That has totally turned out to be the case. Steve and Josh spent time on two days making sure that we were comfortable with Avi, understood all of her commands and that Avi was comfortable with us. And for the following couple of weeks, Steve regularly checked in to see if we had any questions or concerns.
Avi quickly bonded with our family and with our German Shepherd. Avi is the perfect family dog. She is extremely friendly and welcoming to all guests. She is a loving dog and does not project any sense of aggression. At the same time, we are totally confident that if there ever was a threat, Avi would do her job. And her discipline in following commands is incredible.
We could not be happier with our experience with Scott's K9. Everything that Steve told us turned out to the be the actual case."
"On behalf of my family, I would like to express our sincerest appreciation, excitement, and love for our newest addition – German Shepard (Centurion) – YENNA. She has a vigilant eye, impressive discipline, and a loving demeanor. Steve, Josh, family and staff, our experience has been informative, comforting, and exhilarating. Thank you for your professionalism and the family-oriented approach. YENNA has become a part of our family and we are extremely pleased, thank you! Highly recommend!"
"I would like to thank you and your company for my new dog Ki. When I decided upon Scotts K-9 for my purchase of a family protection dog and companion, I had researched many companies throughout the United States and concluded from testimonial and experience that Scotts k9 would be the correct choice. I waited one month before writing this letter to get a grasp on the reality of how special and amazing of a dog I had purchased. This letter is difficult to write as every expectation I had was met and far surpassed anything I could imagine. The months leading up to receiving Ki, Steve was in contact with myself the whole time giving me updates on the dog and information on handling the dog when received. Upon delivery of the dog, Steve and his associate arrived in South Carolina with complete professionalism and gave me a in depth training course and socialization skills with my Malinois. The bond between myself and the dog was within one day! Ki responded to my commands and wanted to please even though my Dutch was quite sub-par for her standards. The dog beyond her intellect is an absolute beautiful standard of the Belgian Malinois breed as I am reminded by anyone who comes in contact with her. The compassion and drive the dog expresses to myself is like none I have ever experienced from any dog I have owned or encountered in my life. After receiving my dog, Steve has been in contact to check the status of her and to answer any questions I might have and I know Steve will be there without a doubt any time I might need his assistance in the future. In one month after receiving her I have taken Ki on four airplanes, traveled to three states, multiple cities and a four-day road trip throughout the desert of Southern Utah. On each airplane, car and in the airports, she was calm and attentive to all my commands despite the massive distractions all around. Not only did Ki behave with upmost manners she was the best companion I could ask for during my travels. Throughout the travel days in two very large airports across the country we encountered many "trained" service dogs who did not come close in comparison to the obedience and affection of Ki. With the obedience and affection completely beyond expectation there was now the question of the personal defense and how she would react in dangerous situations and when a threat presented itself. Ki and I went on many long walks in the late hours of the evening throughout areas and parks of the city that I would not have gone out to before without an armed escort. Ki immediately was aware of the situation and completely alert to all her surroundings. Without any fear or apprehension, she walked as instructed in command as my personal bodyguard. Upon every encounter of all strangers she was alert of their presence many moments before I noticed a possible threat. She showed no sign of aggression to strangers but they knew she was watching their every movement and without a doubt would defend her owner's life with her own, and I truly believe that. Steve, I cannot thank you enough for my new family member Ki and I would recommend your company to anyone who is looking to purchase the absolute best companion, perfect standard and obedience of the Malinois and without a doubt a personal full-time family bodyguard for life."
"Blitz is the greatest dog we have ever known. You can get any type of dog in the world, but if you want a best friend, a constant loving companion to your family and your loved ones, then take our advice and call Scotts K9. I have owned and trained over 10 dogs in my life and none compare to what you get day 1 with no experience needed from Scotts K9. They find the very best dog for you and ensure (and I mean ensure) that it's a wonderful fit for your family. I have the most loving, kind, athletic dog, always ready to run, walk, catch a frisbee, chase a ball, swim or sit with you and watch some TV. Scott's dogs are simply the best of breed, best trained, and most loving and protective companions I have ever known on over 50 years of experience with every breed you can think of. Call us anytime for a referral."
"Think all the other reviews say it best awesome guy to work with and still there for u if needed. Got my dog from him almost a year ago and she is awesome have so much fun with her. Would recommend Scott's K-9 to any one."
Ready for the ultimate family
protection companion?
A highly trained German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois can defend a family or individual from any threat with advanced detection abilities.


text:
Many years ago I awoke from a particularly vivid dream which I simply could not forget. Yet I did not think I could capture the full effect of this vision through drawing or painting or any other medium. In an attempt to graphically duplicate some of the dream's elements, I went into my studio and began to sketch on an artist's pad, trying to re-draw the forms and shapes and colors which I had so vividly seen just a few moments before. This sketch is represented here in a size closely representing the original 3" diameter pen & ink drawing.
An Atmospheric Landscape of Unusual Design
In my dream I visualized a brightly painted string instrument (violin, viola or cello) loftily sailing or silently floating above a large expanse of agrarian fields, allowing momentary musical notes to emanate from the instrument, each note gently descending into the cultivated soil below. Some of the notes disappeared entirely beneath the rust/ green fields while others almost seemed to become half-planted farm implements or scythes suited for agricultural harvest. There was a farmhouse in the distance which almost became a wooden music stand in my imaginative perception. A tree in the foreground appeared to be bright red instead of the usual earth colors we usually associate with the forest or hedges of greenery. The mountains in the left distance modeled a most unusual striped effect, exhibiting variations of orange and brown and almost seeming to become the feathered branches of the red tree in the foreground. The sky above breathed with a majesty of Prussian blue and a thousand small particles of ethereal light. From this elementary sketch I painted a more finished design in a 12" format via acrylic paint, a piece which now hangs on my living room wall. Both the original sketch and finished product come as close as I could have imagined in the capture and illustration of a vividly colorful dream.
Strings & Orchestral Sounds
This sketch reminds me of the evocative power of both the string orchestra and the symphonic orchestra, sounds which I have come to cherish ever since my first exposure to music in the 1950's. The string orchestra especially captivates my musical imagination in works such as Edvard Grieg's "Holberg Suite" Op. 40, Antonin Dvorak's "Serenade for Strings in E major" Op. 22, and Edward Elgar's "Serenade for Strings in E minor" Op. 20. All three of these marvelous compositions are performed by the Rotterdam Chamber Orchestra directed by Conrad van Alphen on Telarc. I also have the "Complete Music for String Orchestra" by Edvard Grieg featuring the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra led by Terje Tonnesen on BIS. Another superlative recording is entitled "Leroy Anderson: Sleigh Ride & Other Holiday Favorites" featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin on Naxos. Anderson's "Suite of Carols for String Orchestra (1955)" radiates a positive and enchanting glow which I never tire of, no matter how often I listen. There is great charm in Anderson's inventive style as can be heard in "Sleigh Ride," "Horse & Buggy," "Suite of Carols for Brass Choir," "A Christmas Festival," "The Golden Years," "Suite of Carols for Woodwinds," "Angels in Our Fields," "Bugler's Holiday," and several other holiday favorites. Such music becomes indelibly woven into the inner textures of our cultural character, producing notes which gently fall to earth from stringed instruments, offering a rich and bountiful harvest for future ages.


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After a long distance romance, Amanda and Adam took to planning a beach wedding that told the story of their love! They mixed Southern touches in honor of their roots with chic vintage decor to create a lovely bohemian vibe. The contrast of the dapper gents in black bow ties and the organic handpicked wildflowers play off each other perfectly! I must say, I love Amanda's advice for folks planning a wedding: "You can't avoid the craziness, so just embrace it!" Such sage advice that can be applied to all aspects of life!
Special SW thanks to Kaytee Lauren for sharing this gorgeous day with us!
Could these fellas get any more dapper? So very GQ!
Since our wedding encompassed a vintage and bohemian vibe, I knew immediately that I wanted organic, handpicked wildflowers to complement the antique and rustic decor. We had every type of colorful wildflower you could imagine, with pops of pink peonies and bright billy balls. My favorite floral detail was the magnolia leaf garland we hung from our driftwood arbor and our sweetheart table. It was absolutely stunning.
What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you? The Outer Banks is one our favorite places in the world. We have both spent a lot of time there over the years, but more importantly, it was the first place we visited and spent time together as a couple, almost five years ago to the day that we got married.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We decided to recite traditional vows, though we exchanged letters to each other prior to the ceremony that expressed our love to each other in our own words.
No first look for us. As much as we wanted to shy away from a lot of the formalities of a traditional wedding, there were still a few traditions that we wanted to retain. There's something truly romantic about waiting to share that first look moment right before the ceremony–we will cherish that for the rest of our lives.
Adam's late grandfather was a Baptist minister, and he had married countless couples over many years. He had a prayer he said for every ceremony that we incorporated into ours. It was beautiful.
Both of our rings hold special meaning. Mine were custom-made by a small, family-owned jeweler in NYC. They symbolize the start of our marriage in one of the greatest cities in the world. Adam decided to use his late grandfather's wedding band. He and Adam's grandmother were married for over 60 years. Adam had the inside of the band engraved with his grandfather's initials, followed by his own, with the intention of passing it on through our family.
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. We did a simple buttercream cake for cutting, but also wanted to offer a variety of our favorites desserts for our guests to enjoy: key lime pie, glazed doughnut holes, and cupcakes.
How did y'all meet? Tell us your love story. From Adam: Amanda and I met in 2008 through work and mutual friends. Just as we began to feel our relationship could be something more, Amanda moved to Nashville, Tennessee to finish school. Almost six months after she moved, I flew to Nashville with a buddy for a weekend. Amanda and I reconnected and I ended up canceling my flight home so that I could stay an extra day. From then on, we traveled to see each other whenever we could, and lived for the moments that we got to spend together, even if they were only a weekend at a time. We knew that if we could make that situation work, we could get through anything together.
Tell us all about the proposal! My family was vacationing in Virginia Beach, where I was raised. The night before we headed home, we went out to dinner and then decided to take a walk to enjoy our last night of vacation. When we got to the street I grew up on, Adam took my hand and we walked out onto the beach. The sun was going down and it was gorgeous. We stood there together just looking out at the ocean when Adam turned to me and dropped down on one knee. The next few moments were a bit of a blur, but it was incredible to be able to say YES!" in a place that means so much to me.
When did y'all get married? June 7, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 85
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. I think finding my wedding dress was the easiest part of the whole wedding planning process. From day one, I knew the exact vibe I was going for and I immediately fell in love with a Sarah Seven gown I had seen online. I booked an appointment at Lovely Bride in NYC, and after trying on the "Practically Perfect," I was sold. It was the perfect beachy boho dress.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? We wanted to stay true to our Southern roots without going over the top, and we knew that food was the easiest way to get that right. We served Carolina BBQ, coleslaw and potato salad–as traditional as it gets. Burlap and vintage doilies covered the tables and we used mason jars for glassware. In lieu of a traditional guest book, we had our guests sign vintage postcards from our favorite Southern cities.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? We saved money by choosing our venue, Pelican's Landing. It's the perfect classic beach house located on the oceanfront in Corolla. It's a one-stop shop that includes everything from ceremony benches to place settings. The property owner also owns a local catering company, which we used to cater our wedding, and our guests couldn't stop raving about the food.
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Relax, don't sweat the small stuff, and enjoy every second. You can't avoid the craziness, so just embrace it! You're getting married and that is the most important thing. Also, don't skimp on a day-of coordinator–they are life savers!
What's next for you as a couple? What are you most looking forward to about married life? We are enjoying life in New York City and looking forward to what the future holds. We're getting the chance to begin our journey as husband and wife in a place neither of us had ever imagined, so we are living for the moment and making the most of each day.
Photographer: Kaytee Lauren Photography / Planner: A Premiere Event / Venue: Pelican's Landing / Florist: Bells & Whistles / Cake Baker: Hibou Pastries / Caterer: Coastal Provisions / Rentals: Metro Rental / DJ: Outer Banks Music Masters / Bride's Gown: "Practically Perfect" by Sarah Seven / Bride's Accessories: Ivy & Aster / Makeup Artist: Rebecca Wood / Bride's Shoes: Kate Spade / Groom's Attire: Zara / Groomsmen Attire: J. Crew / Ties: The Tie Bar
Kaytee is my photographer too! She did such an amazing job on this wedding and I can't wait until mine in September! :)
yeah kaytee get it girl!! these are incredible.
Absolutely stunning! Looks like a dream-come-true wedding!
Wow! Loved this. The groom's suit–fit, texture, the whole nine–was absolutely amazing!
Awww! So fun!!! Small world! This is Michael's cousin and his beautiful bride!! :) Yay!!! Love this Marissa!!!! xoxo
I love the concept about this black tie beach wedding, looks like a music video with a happy ending, lovely couple and the beach just make the day perfect
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1) You might have heard this before, but you HAVE TO TURN OFF CAPTCHA, aka WORD VERIFICATION aka PROVE YOU'RE NOT A ROBOT. You really don't need that "keep out" sign. (If you're worried about spam, disabling anonymous comments is the best defense, and you can also you use comment moderation.)
If you don't know how to turn it off, there's a video in the FAQ to help you.
2) Do you have a way for visitors to follow your blog?
You can use Google Friend Connect (GFC), follow by email, follow by RSS feed, or all three. We recommend that you have at least one if not all three options available for guests to be able to come read more, or look at your great photos, or listen to your creative songs, or learn your awesome craft ideas. You do want more followers, right?
3) Have you cleaned up your sidebar? (I need to...egads, it's cluttered...) What I mean is, do you have your sidebar in a logical order? How to follow you (see #2) should be near the top, if not THE top item. Arrange the rest of your items in the order of importance ~ what do you want people to know about you and your blog. Some may not scroll all the way to the bottom, so put the important "stuff" at the top.
4) Do you have your participant badge displayed? I'm talking about this one, found in the banners/badges tab above:


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Share Extras provides a collection of easy-to-install add-ons for Alfresco Share, providing custom dashlets, document actions and more.
Displays the most recent blog posts from within a site and allows quick authoring of new posts directly from the site dashboard
Map-based views of geotagged content items in Share, plus support for adding/modifying geotags via a map interface
Enhanced document previews for a range of different document and media types, plus a dashlet allowing any content item to be displayed on a site dashboard.
Display and interact with Twitter feeds on a dashboard, including your personal timeline, tweets from a specific user or list, or search results
Customised login page for Alfresco Share, including a password reset dialog that can be used to recover a lost password.
Spring Surf extension allowing remote endpoints to be easily set up against OAuth 1.0 and OAuth 2.0 services
Interact with the MyAlfresco service from your on-premise install
Enrich the default Share wiki page view with support for dynamic tables of contents, embedded document previews, in-line data lists/tables and syntax-highlighted code
Dashlet to display a user-defined piece of content on a user or a site dashboard
Display a slideshow display of photostreams sourced from Flickr photosharing service. Supports user feeds, contacts's photos and photos marked as favorites.
Display information from and interact with GitHub directly from Alfresco Share
Display current weather observations and a three day forecast for over 9,000 locations across the world, sourced from BBC Weather
Track usage of Share using Google Analytics. Supports global or site-based configuration using different Analytics Site IDs, or a combination of both.
Displays UK train arrivals and departures from the National Rail Enquires web site
Display a chosen SurveyMonkey survey on a site dashboard and allow users to submit responses directly inline
Define user polls using Data Lists and add to a site dashboard, where site users can then vote
Custom Document Library action to choose a JavaScript file from the Data Dictionary, which will be run against a file or folder
Display upcoming events from any iCal feed accessible over the Internet, similar to the RSS Feed dashlet provided in Alfresco Share
Administration console component to navigate and view information on nodes stored in the repository stores, similar to the Node Browser component in Alfresco Explorer
Embeds the popular CKEditor as a WYSIWYG editor in Share for use when creating or editing rich content
Report on 'expired' content in the repository, owned by the current or a chosen user, including a dashlet view and a full-page report
Administration console component to bulk-create repository users from CSV or JSON data, with a range of configurable options
Display recent LinkedIn messages on your personal dashboard and compose new status updates
Displays your personal Yammer feed on a dashboard and supports posting new updates or replies to existing messages
Displays a list of top tags used in the site, as a tag cloud on the site dashboard, with links to the full list of items matching each tag
Complete Welsh translation of Alfresco Share and repository messages / Cyfieithiad Gymraeg llawn o Alfresco Share a'r negesueon repositori
Display summary information on the content within a site, on the site dashboard
Welsh translation of the Alfresco Web Quick Start modules and the Alfresco Web Editor and Quick Start web applications


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Title text: 'ARE YOU TURNED ON YET?' 'I DON'T THINK SO--ARE YOU?' 'MAYBE A LITTLE!' 'OK, FIVE MORE MINUTES.' |
Megan and Cueball get the idea to build a rotating bed from a TV show like Cribs, which documents the decadent homes of the wealthy. The comic starts in media res, leaving readers confused or concerned until the silly cause of the situation is revealed.
Rotating beds are typically used for sexual activity and variety, but Cueball and Megan have made theirs rotate far too fast, like a merry-go-round, to be useful for this purpose.
The last panel is a flashback to earlier that day, when they see a rotating bed on television. Megan comments that a rotating bed does not seem difficult to build.
The title text implies that the high speed of rotation is not accidental as we may have assumed from the comic, but intentional, due to Megan and Cueball's erroneous belief that the rotation itself is supposed to turn them on, not the sexual activity they would engage in on the moving bed. A turning bed is also a pun with "turned-on."
- [Cueball clinging onto bed sheets while being dragged away by centrifugal force.]
- Cueball: AAAAAAAA
- [Megan similarly clinging on.]
- Megan: AAAAAAAA
- [Overhead shot of both spinning around a plain white circle in a room with other accoutrements.]
- Both: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
- [Cueball is sitting on a couch watching TV and Megan is standing behind the couch, with a frame overlapping the top of the panel containing a heading.]
- Heading: Earlier that day...
- Cueball: Haha, check it out–This guy's mansion has an actual rotating bed.
- Megan: You know, I bet it wouldn't be too hard to build one of those...
The usefulness of rotation in romance has been mentioned before in 162: Angular Momentum. Perhaps the problem is that they are spinning the bed clockwise instead of counter-clockwise? Erenan (talk) 19:18, 28 August 2012 (UTC)
I think the difference lies in the commonly understood meaning of rotation as opposed to say spinning. Rotating can mean slow or fast, but spinning is usually faster. Is there a word that implies a gentleness to the rotation. They probably want a pivoting or turning bed. DruidDriver (talk) 01:00, 16 January 2013 (UTC)
Maybe Megan and Cueball would have been more turned on if they instead made a Turing bed.18.104.22.168 21:24, 20 March 2013 (UTC)
The explanation needs to be fixed. The phrase "The rotating bed is supposed to be a sexy device" implies that the device itself is sexy. 184.108.40.206 20:57, 12 November 2013 (UTC)
- It's not? Then why am I turned on so much? 188.8.131.52 23:26, 12 November 2013 (UTC)
- Because of your spinning bed fetish. 126.96.36.199 00:42, 13 November 2013 (UTC)
How would a Turning bed help at all with sex? Benjaminikuta (talk) 18:10, 7 October 2014 (UTC)
- @Benjaminikuta that was my question too - the reason I looked up this Exain in the first place. I still have no clue. A google search produced only porn sites.
Before reading the explanation, I always thought that this was something about frictionless environments. Leafy Greens (talk) 00:47, 17 November 2014 (UTC)
What the heck does "requires expanding" mean? I'm removing this tag until it can be made more specific. Djbrasier (talk) 13:09, 27 May 2015 (UTC)
I'd possibly get tured on by a Turing bed. --18.104.22.168 01:22, 29 May 2021 (UTC)