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President George W. Bush and Prime Minister John Howard today reaffirmed the strength and vitality of the bilateral relationship between Australia and the United States, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the alliance between the two countries. The President and the Prime Minister expressed the conviction that the alliance has been a pillar of stability in the Asia-Pacific region and has made an essential contribution to global peace and security over the past half century. The Prime Minister welcomed the clear commitments expressed by the President to continued active U.S. engagement in the Asia-Pacific region. They agreed the U.S. presence in the region helped contribute to the stability that was essential to ensure economic growth and greater prosperity for all countries in the Asia Pacific.
President Bush and Prime Minister Howard discussed a broad range of regional and global security issues. Both underscored the importance of Indonesia's successful democratic transition and expressed support for Indonesia's territorial integrity. Noting the positive steps President Megawati and her team have taken to promote policy reform and national unity, President Bush and Prime Minister Howard reaffirmed their support for the new government's efforts to build a stable, united, democratic and prosperous Indonesia. The two leaders welcomed the peaceful election in East Timor and emphasized the importance of continued international support and assistance, including through the United Nations, to ensure a successful transition to a stable, viable and independent state.
The President and the Prime Minister agreed that the economic transformation underway in China will have a major impact on the region and the world. The President and the Prime Minister welcomed the prospect of China's accession to the WTO and affirmed their desire to see China take up a constructive role as a full member of the international community. In this context, they reaffirmed the importance of China's observance of its non-proliferation undertakings and underlined their close interest in China's respect for human rights. The President and the Prime Minister agreed that Japan makes an important contribution to regional stability, emphasized the importance of Prime Minister Koizumi's reform initiatives, and expressed optimism that continued reform will produce significant benefits over time for the people of Japan and for the global economy. On the Korean Peninsula, President Bush and Prime Minister Howard reiterated their strong support for renewed North-South engagement. The Prime Minister welcomed the United States' offer of dialogue to North Korea following the Administration's policy review and encouraged North Korea to respond positively. The two leaders welcomed the growing opportunities for political, commercial and security cooperation with India.
President Bush and Prime Minister Howard expressed shared concern about the threat to global stability posed by ballistic missile proliferation and weapons of mass destruction and increasingly capable ballistic missiles as a means of delivery. They agreed on the need for a comprehensive approach to counter these threats, including enhanced non-proliferation and counter-proliferation measures as well as continued nuclear arms reductions. They also agreed that missile defense could play a role in strengthening deterrence and stability as part of this comprehensive approach. The Prime Minister looked forward to further consultation with the United States on these issues and welcomed the Administration's active dialogue on the issue with allies as well as Russia and China.
The President and the Prime Minister resolved to work together closely to expand trade globally, regionally and bilaterally. They agreed that launching a new global trade round in Doha is a top trade priority for both nations. They emphasized that agriculture must be a core element of the next trade round in order to level the playing field. They confirmed their commitment to achieve open markets in the AsiaPacific region, including using APEC's full potential more effectively. The President and the Prime Minister reaffirmed their commitment to enhance their already close economic relationship, including the possibility of a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA). They discussed the contribution an FTA could make to their shared global and regional trade objectives. They noted the strong trade and investment flows between the United States and Australia and the spur an agreement could give to further growth. They asked their trade ministers to report back to them before the end of the year on how to advance the proposal. The President noted the importance of consulting with Congress and other interested parties in deciding the Administration's position on the FTA.
President Bush and Prime Minister Howard agreed that climate change poses a serious long-term challenge. The President and the Prime Minister recognized that climate change is a global issue requiring a global approach and expressed their commitment to develop an effective and science-based response.
The President and the Prime Minister greatly enjoyed their discussions, which were characterized by unusual warmth and candor. They believe the meeting strengthened their personal partnership and the partnership between their two nations. The goodwill generated today will be valuable in moving forward on their common agendas.
NOTE: An original was not available for verification of the content of this joint statement.
George W. Bush, Joint Statement Between the United States of America and Australia Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/213465


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Patagonia Opposes TPP
By Rose Marcario, Patagonia CEO
Now that full text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has finally been made public, we can say unequivocally that we oppose it, as it advances the interests of big business at the expense of the environment, workers, consumers, communities and small businesses. This confirms our previous fears (here and here) about the agreement's serious social and environmental costs.
The proposed trade agreement between the U.S. and 11 other Pacific Rim nations, crafted behind closed doors over a five-year period, may indeed cut tariffs, increase trade and build closer economic and regulatory relationships among its signatories, as its proponents say. But it will also weaken worldwide labor standards, harm the global environment, diminish regulatory safeguards and enable corporations and individuals that already have far too much influence gain even more at the expense of everyone else.
Map: The Footprint Chronicles®
The proposed trade agreement was released to the public on Nov. 5 and is now available for review and modification before Congress votes on it some months from now. Countries that are party to the agreement include: the U.S., Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Peru, which together represent about 800 million people and 40 percent of global trade.
Why would Patagonia oppose a trade deal that likely would benefit our bottom line? Because beyond being in business to make money, we're a mission-driven company working to use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. We also seek to promote better, safer and healthier living and working conditions for the people who make our clothing and gear. And we want to see full transparency in the workings of business and government.
We see none of those things in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Experience tells us that trade agreements tend to serve the few and the monied at the expense of others. These deals are often opaque (often intentionally so) and rife with unknown or unspoken consequences. We saw this with NAFTA and GATT, which eviscerated the U.S. textile industry, greatly limiting our company's ability to make products here at home.
At Patagonia, we design and market clothing, gear and food, relying heavily on the expertise of trusted partners to produce them. We also partner with NGOs and individuals in the environmental, conservation, wildlife, labor and agriculture communities who study agreements like the TPP to measure their effects on the greater good. Here are a few of their concerns, which we share. You can find more robust discussions online.
- TPP Lacks Transparency: The proposed agreement was created behind closed doors, influenced heavily by corporate lobbyists and lawyers representing those who stand to benefit most.
- TPP Promotes Fossil Fuels: The words "climate change" do not appear anywhere in the agreement, demonstrating real disregard for the most pressing environmental problem we face. TPP promotes domestic exportation of liquefied natural gas, encouraging even more fracking here at home and expanding the use of climate-changing fossil fuels worldwide at the expense of renewable energy.
- TPP Threatens Food Safety: The agreement would erode efforts to protect consumers and improve food safety, sovereignty and labeling. Instead it benefits today's widespread model of industrial agriculture and food production based on GMOs, synthetic chemicals, antibiotics and additives.
- TPP Weakens Labor Protections: The agreement defends labor standards but offers no new requirements for countries to enforce such standards among suppliers.
- TPP Fails to Protect Wildlife: The agreement does little to protect wildlife habitat, address illegal wildlife trade or fight poaching.
- TPP Threatens Legal Protections: Investor-State Dispute Settlement, which is used in TPP and other trade agreements, allows foreign companies to challenge domestic laws and regulations written to protect U.S. consumers and communities. Instead of U.S. courts arbitrating those disputes, the job would fall to the World Bank or a division of the United Nations.
As Congress considers TPP, we must ask, who benefits? Does it serve the many, in our country and abroad, or only a few—those who have the economic and political muscle to get their interests written, opaquely and without public oversight, into law? We oppose TPP because the costs for the environment, workers, consumers, communities and small businesses would outweigh any potential gains. We encourage individuals to contact their elected representatives in Washington and voice these concerns.

subset: commoncrawl


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Rosemary Mint: soft herbal fragrance. Sweeter than you may think, given the name, and honestly refreshing & clean scented, too.
Bright green organza bag.
Each purchase is for 2 sachets packaged in a clear plastic pillow box. I strive to package each scent in the same color organza bag, time after time, but if out of stock of one color, I will sub a similar. Each sachet is crafted from aroma beads, little polymer beads that soak up about 30% of their weight in fragrance, slowly dispersing it over time. Finally, I keep all listed scents in constant rotation. That means that I have some packaged for sale and some waiting to be packaged and still more in manufacture. If out of already packaged sachets, no worries. Generally a day or two and I have them again. Any order containing sachets, however, may be delayed a few days if one or more of your choices is in the manufacture zone. Drop me a line if you have any questions prior (or after) purchase.
To use: just place a sachet where you want a bit more freshness. Maybe in your lingerie drawer. Tuck one into your sneakers to keep them fresh (boots too). Put them in your car, in the desk drawer in your office, or even in luggage to banish the stale smell between travels. They work great in gym bags, too!
Sachet lifespan depends on where you put it, and how much heat is in the area. In a hot car in Texas during the summer...maybe 6 weeks. In your luggage? Well, I personally have a Lemongrass sachet that has been in my luggage for nearly 8 years now. Every time I open it up to pack for a trip, the soft fragrance is there. Keep in mind, too, that you can re-scent these and use them over and over. And yep, I sell the Refresher Oils, too!
Sachets are filled by hand, not weight. Since the individual bags are sewn (and not by me) bag sizes may vary somewhat. I buy a 3x4 bag from my main supplier but do notice that some shipments are bit different than others.
Great for gifts. And I'm sure you'll find many uses for these, even more than I mentioned. One final note, some packages will look a bit oily...due to shipment heat. In those cases (for sure) and just as a general rule, don't put these on surfaces that are porous such as wood, fabric, carpet or similar. The fragrance may move beyond the bag (and since the sachets are colored...so will the colorant..and will stain porous surfaces).


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Friday 30 May 2014
The Tour of Cambridge
Tour of Cambridge.
On Monday 7th July, the world's biggest bike race is coming to Cambridge. Whilst most people may think this is just a bike race, my experience of it over many years of going to see it in France, is somewhat different. It's a pageant, a festival, a celebration of all things good about being outdoors in glorious summer. Locals do their utmost to show off their neighbourhood, to let the world see why coming to their part of the world is more than desirable, it's essential for wellbeing.
With that in mind, I set out to record the route through town and celebrate, with a little British panache, the places that it passes. I've created a guide to the route with some musical accompaniment (of fanciful quality) and listed places of interest with links for further interest.
I'd recommend watching the video in full screen with the sound turned up. This has lots of twists and turns that's worth staying around for!
Places of Interest.
Cambridge has many places of interest. I attempt to give you a brief guide to the more famous ones as they appear on the clip. If you need more, Wikipedia has all these places listed and tourist sites, such as Visit Cambridge, contain much more information.
There are many further curious corners, along with hotels, restaurants, and a large selection of independent shops, throughout the location of this film. This is all easily accessible along verdant paths and quiet streets by bike, the quickest way to get around!
0:42 to the right. Parkers Piece. 25-acre common, now regarded as the birthplace of the rules of Association Football.
0:51 visible ahead to the left. Our Lady Roman Catholic Church. An imposing example of the 19th Century Gothic Revival, it was built to the designs of Dunn & Hansom of Newcastle between 1885 and 1890.
1:47 on the left. Entrance to Downing College. Downing College was founded in 1800 and is often described as the oldest of the new colleges and the newest of the old.
2:03 on the left. St Andrew's Street Baptist Church. The Bunyan Window is a notable feature of the building.
2:10 on the right. Emmanuel College. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I.
2:33 on the left. St Andrew the Great Church. Informal evangelical church with elegant iron interior pillars and a typical Victorian exterior.
2:33 on the right. Christ's College. The college was founded by Lady Margaret Beaufort in 1505 and was the twelfth of the Cambridge colleges to be founded in its current form.
2:45 on the left. Holy Trinity Church. Started in 1189 and built on up to and during the English Reformation (1550–1750).
2:56 on the right. Sidney Sussex College. The college was founded in 1596 under the terms of the will of Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex (1531–1589).
3:04, on the left. Wolfson Building, Trinity College (see Trinity below).
3:21, on the right. The Holy Sepulchre (Round Church). The church was built around 1130, its shape being inspired by the rotunda in the church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem.
3:35, on the right. St John's College. The college was founded by Lady Margaret Beaufort in 1511.
3:53, on the right. Trinity College. The college was founded by Henry VIII in 1546, from the merger of two existing colleges: Michaelhouse and King's Hall.
4:17, on the right. Trinity Lane, public access to The Backs. The Backs is a picturesque area to the east of Queen's Road where several colleges of the University of Cambridge back on to the River Cam.
4:18, on the right. Gonville and Caius College (pronounced "Keys"). It was refounded in 1557 by Royal Charter as Gonville and Caius College by the physician John Caius.
4:19, on the left. Saint Michael's Church.A valuable social centre.
4:33, on the right. Senate House. The Senate House of the University of Cambridge is now used mainly for degree ceremonies and was built in 1722–1730 by architect James Gibbs in a neo-classical style using Portland stone.[2]
4:35, on the left. Great St Marys. The present building was constructed between 1478 and 1519, with the tower finished later, in 1608. The cost of construction was covered largely by Richard III and Henry VII.
4:35, ahead on the right. The iconic Kings College Chapel. The building of the college's chapel, begun in 1446, was finally finished in 1544 during the reign of Henry VIII. King's College Chapel is regarded as one of the greatest examples of late Gothic English architecture. It has the world's largest fan-vault, and the chapel's stained-glass windows and wooden chancel screen are considered some of the finest from their era. The building is seen as emblematic of Cambridge.
4:54, on the right. Kings College. King's was founded in 1441 by Henry VI, soon after he had founded its sister college in Eton. The screen and gatehouse of Front Court was completed in 1828 under plans drawn up by William Wilkins.
5:14, on the left. Corpus Chronophage Clock. Translated as "time eater", this clock was officially unveiled to the public on 19 September 2008 by Cambridge physicist Stephen Hawking.
5:26, on the right. St Catherines College. The three-sided court was built during the period 1675 to 1757 and is one of only four at Oxbridge colleges.
5:31, on the left. Corpus Christi College. Founded in 1352 making it the sixth-oldest college in Cambridge. The only college established by Cambridge townspeople.
5:38, on the left. St Botolph Parish Church. The church was by the south gate of medieval Cambridge. The existing church was built in 1350.
5:42, on the right. The Pitt Building. Neo-Gothic building designed by Edward Blore, & completed in 1832. Named after William Pitt the 18th Century Prime Minister.
5:49, on the right. Mill Lane to Mill Pond and Coe Fen. A large part of the green swathe through Cambridge following the river Cam, often with cattle grazing. Coe Fen forms a natural area that was once important for the commerce of Cambridge.
5:51, on the left. Pembroke College. On Christmas Eve 1347, Edward III granted Marie de St Pol, widow of the Earl of Pembroke, the licence for the foundation of a new educational establishment in the young university at Cambridge.
5:54, on the right. Emmanuel United Reformed Church. The current church was built, opening as Emmanuel Congregational Chapel in 1790.
5:58, on the right. Little Saint Mary's. The current church was built in 1352, having the dual purpose of College Chapel to Peterhouse and Parish Church.
6:03, on the right. Peterhouse College. It is the oldest college of the University, having been founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely and granted its charter by King Edward I.
6:14, on the right. The Fitzwilliam Museum. The museum was founded in 1816 with the bequest of the library and art collection of the 7th Viscount FitzWilliam. The "Founder's Building" itself was designed by George Basevi, completed by C. R. Cockerell and opened in 1848; the entrance hall is by Edward Middleton Barry and was completed in 1875.
6:33, on the left. Old Addenbrookes. Addenbrooke's Hospital was founded in 1766 on Trumpington Street, but in 1976 it relocated to larger premises further out of the city to the southeast at the end of Hills Road, hence the name of this site now.
7:09, on the left. Hobson's Conduit Monument. Hobson's Conduit is a watercourse that was built from 1610 to 1614 by Thomas Hobson to bring fresh water into the city from springs at Nine Wells.
7:59, on the left. Botanic Gardens. The garden was created for the University of Cambridge in 1831 by Professor John Stevens Henslow (Charles Darwin's mentor) and was opened to the public in 1846.
8:11, on the right. Coe Fen. A large part of the green swathe through Cambridge following the river Cam, often with cattle grazing. Coe Fen forms a natural area that was once important for the commerce of Cambridge.
10:53, on the left. Wingate Way. Not currently historical, but will be when the bike race really starts at this point, having been neutralized through the streets of the centre.
11:21, on the left. Trumpingon Village Hall. Trumpington is a village on the outskirts of the city, with a long tradition of agricultural learning centred at Anstey Hall is a former country house built c.1700 within its own parkland.
12:22, underneath. The Guided Busway. It is the longest guided busway in the world, and was opened on 7 August 2011.
12:35, on the left. Addenbrookes Road to Addenbrookes Hospital and Nine Wells. The springs at Nine Wells is the source of Hobson's Conduit, bringing fresh water into the city.
13:52, ending in Great Shelford. Great Shelford is a village located approximately four miles to the south of the city. President of the United States Barack Obama traced his ancestry to the village in 2009.
And to Come. The route out from Cambridge to the Cambridgeshire border....
A guide to the musical whimsy behind the video, with a fantasia of popular British classical pieces. Although it's interesting to note the wide variety of European influence included!
We start with the 1812 Overture (Tchaikovsky) with it's use of La Marseillaise (French national anthem) to mark the entrance of this great French race. But are we in France? No, this is Britain!
So, we quickly despatch Tchaikovsky and move to the central piece in The Planets Suite, Jupiter (Holst). Holst, of mixed Swedish, Latvian and German ancestry, composed it in 1915 whilst living in nearby Thaxted. The piece has long been associated with traditional English culture having been influenced by folk music. It takes us from Our Lady Roman Catholic Church at the north end of Hills Road (locally referred to as Hyde Park Corner), up Regent Street and St Andrews Street, with the final crescendo as we enter the centre of town.
In town, we switch to a short phrase of A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Britten), written in 1945 to be an inspiration to youngsters by another East Anglian composer. Then, as we pass through the historical, collegiate centre of town we go through an inconic classic, The Pomp And Circumstance March No.1 in D Major (Elgar). This is called "The Graduation March" in some parts of the world, so it seems appropriate here, especially at the surge of "Land of Hope and Glory" as it passes the Senate House where Cambridge graduation takes place. And it's no co-incidence that this is where the most iconic sight of Cambridge, Kings College Chapel, also appears!
As we start to pass out of the centre, we move into Zadok the Priest (Handel). Handel was born in 1685 in Halle, Duchy of Magdeburg (now in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany), and moved to London in 1712. He composed Zadok the Priest for the coronation of George II of Great Britain in 1727, and has been sung at every subsequent British coronation. Again, the rousing vocal entrance happens as we see the stunning Fitzwilliam Museum in all it's glory.
As we start to move out of town, the riding will speed up in anticipation of the bike race to come. And the music seeks to follow this excitement with The Sailors Hornpipe from the Fantasia on British Sea-Songs (Wood). It was written in 1905 by Sir Henry Wood to mark the centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar. The hornpipe is a traditional Irish, Scottish and English dance.
Finally, we come back to France with Boléro (Ravel), knowing that we are on our way there! Ravel was born in the French part of the Basque country and was influenced by Basque-Spanish heritage, including local folk songs and dances. The piece, which premiered in 1928, is based on traditional Spanish dances. It seemed very appropriate.
Map of Streets.
View Cambridgeshire Tour de France Route in a larger map
0:10 Gonville Place, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonville_Place
1:24 Regent Street, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regent_Street,_Cambridge
1:58 St Andrews Street, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Andrew%27s_Street,_Cambridge
2:37 Sidney Street, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Street,_Cambridge
3:10 Bridge Street, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_Street,_Cambridge
3:30 St Johns Street, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John%27s_Street,_Cambridge
4:02 Trinity Street, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_Street,_Cambridge
4:37 Kings Parade, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Parade
5:16 Trumpington Street, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumpington_Street
7:08 Trumpington Road, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumpington_Road
11:08 Trumpington High Street, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumpington,_Cambridgeshire
12:02 Shelford Road, Trumpington, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumpington,_Cambridgeshire
12:46 Cambridge Road, Shelford, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Shelford
Cambridgeshire County Council have given much encouragement and support to creating this film. Please do note, no taxpayers money has been spent! I've done this to celebrate the city of Cambridge and it's bike culture.
Simon, my trusty companion during the main ride. He had my back as I was trying to get the best camera angle on the road. A job not without the odd jumpy whistle!
Outspoken, for the loan of some of the camera equipment and for general support in getting this project underway.
Cab, for the loan of more of the camera equipment.
Explosion at 0:49 courtesy of Mark DiAngelo.
And to Come.
The route out from Cambridge to the Cambridgeshire border....
2 comments:
Many thanks. I am one of the many volunteers on this stage of the Tour de France. There is a wealth of info here.much appreciated. Have sent the video to all my friends and family so that they know what to expect Although it'll be so, so different on the day.
ReplyDeleteRepliesHi Erica,
Thanks for the send out! And congrats on being a volunteer, you are much appreciated! So many people are giving so much for this, it's quite humbling. I've got completely taken up spending most hours not working doing this and organising the community project www.Bit.ly/CamBuntingTdF. I've met so many fantastic people doing that in the past couple of months!
Keep on enjoying cycling!
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Breeders weekend: We're Gonna Rise
Live, at a free San Francisco show:
[Part of The Breeders weekend]
Become in some way a "fan" on Facebook
No Rock posts through Twitter: Follow @xrrf
Live, at a free San Francisco show:
[Part of The Breeders weekend]
The collapse of Pontins - taken into administration yesterday - might have prompted a lot of think pieces about bluecoats and Butlins and hi-de-hi, but there's a musical angle to the threat hanging over the chalet-and-cafeteria holiday camps.
Over the last few years, Pontins has been plumping up the bottom line by offering a home to indie-rock weekenders: originally All Tomorrows Parties, and now the NME-themed Weekenders.
KPMG are confident they can keep Pontins as a going concern; ATP jumped over to Bultins a couple of years back. So it's not quite the end of the road now. But if the Pontins camps do vanish, it's likely they'll take some of the indie weekends by the sea with them, if only due to the cut in capacity.
Inspired by the Pulp reunion, Tom Ewing creates a rule-of-thumb for a comeback that works:
Second, understand what you mean to people. Barlow and company's initial return was so triumphant because they knew their fans remembered them as a lost first love and made music that was bittersweet and grownup: the pop equivalent of an old flame friending you on Facebook. If, like the Spice Girls, they had jumped into a reunion pretending nothing had changed it would have been a disaster.
Can it really be true, as Wikipedia claims, that a very early version of The Breeders opened for Steppenwolf in 1977?
What was largely seen in 1988 as a kind of supergroup with a Pixie, a Pixie's twin, a Throwing Muse and one of The Perfect Disaster wasn't quite a continuation of the Deal twins' early group; the only revival was of the name. But it's still quite a thought.
Sadly, it doesn't look like the band's date at the Bronze has survived the attentions of Fox solicitors, so let's leap in with Divine Hammer and Cannonball, recorded for an MTV New Years Eve special in 1993:
I suspect to casual followers of the band, that single video might possibly embrace 'all there is to know about The Breeders'. Which could make the rest of the day something of a challenge.
Last Splash
Title TK
Mountain Battles
Breeders online
4AD site
The Breeders Digest
The Breeders on Last FM
The Breeders on Spotify
More to come around the weekend
We're Gonna Rise live in San Francisco
No Aloha live in Dublin
Gigantic live in Japan
Damon Albarn is claiming to have recorded the next Gorillaz album on a iPad in hotel rooms around the world:
"I fell in love with my iPad as soon as I got it, so I've made a completely different kind of record," he said. "It's ironic, being the sort of technophobe and Luddite that I am." He also offered a few vague clues as to its direction. "It sounds like an English voice that has been put through the vocoder of America. More American-sounding than Blur ... I'm going to try and put it out before Christmas."Now, it's not impossible - but you've got hope that alongside the final product, Albarn also releases the things exactly as they were recorded onto his iPad, as - surely - for a sound that Gorillaz audiences look for is going to require quite an extensive bit of post-production?
We know what The Sun thinks of Wayne Rooney, right? He's no better than he should be.
He's shamed, says Pete Samson:
SHAMED Wayne Rooney arrived in the States yesterday - to stay slap bang in the middle of America's strip club capital.He's a a sleazeball, say Richard Moriarty and Guy Patrick:
SLEAZEBALL Wayne Rooney pesters a busty blonde for sex while on the prowl at a drunken party.When Scott Sutter accused Rooney of giving footballers a bad name, Paul Jiggins could only agree:
Wayne's such a cuckroo[sic] clotYes, he's a shamed, sleazeball clot. Who would want to be seen with Wayne Rooney now he's been so ruthlessly exposed in The Sun, eh?
It's possible to defend the idea of spending a lot of EU money on a very high-profile concert to promote cohesion. It gets a bit harder when the money in question reaches half a million quid. And it turns into an uphill struggle when that money had been earmarked to promote Italian culture and defend traditional music and ended up going on an Elton John gig.
Still, I'm sure the Campania tourism exec who helped plan the event, Dario Scalabrini, can explain exactly how Elton John is promoting genuine Italian culture, and what the people of the region got for half a million:
"Elton John sang the Neapolitan song O Sole Mio for the first time ever. The audience was crying with emotion."Ah, that old emotional crying. So different from other types of crying, like crying with algebra, or crying with a side order of chips.
Given the extent to which Gordon fawns over every doing of the Gallagher ("oh, you said that man was a twat - why, you exhibit so much wit, sire"; "why, sire, these trousers you have in some way overseen the design of are so much more than mere trousers - I shall wear nothing else") his lukewarm reaction to the Beady Eye single must be setting off all kinds of alarms:
The track is all right. I was more than happy to hear it roaring out the radio a few times. But that spark that separates the good from the spectacular is missing.For Gordon talking about a Gallagher, that's the equivalent of the sort of words which made Glen Medeiros cry.
By Simon Hayes Budgen 0 comments
More from No Rock on gordon smart, liam gallagher, oasis, reviews, the sun
Music and movie companies ought to pay internet network operators to deliver stuff to customers who are already paying to receive it, reckons O2 chief executive Ronan Dunne:
"Isn't it fair to ask those big companies that are fuelling the data surge to help make a contribution to the infrastructure? If consumers alone are paying for the data there is no incentive on content providers to use networks efficiently," he said.Actually, given that most telecoms companies have spent the last decade rolling about in massive vats of profit instead of making their networks keep up with demand, most content producers do their best to make efficient use of networks, as they're aware that there are lots of web users who are sat trying to access their sites via Edge, or contended-to-trickle ADSL.
"So we think that part of the solution may come in moving away from the old one-size-fits-all model," said Dunne. "The alternative – that we all continue to pay for unlimited access – would simply end up pricing out the vast majority of our customers, who will continue to have a relatively modest but growing use of data in order to pay for the small proportion of very high users."
Well done to Foster And Allen, who have managed to feed Gordon Smart's obsessions with chart battles to the point where he's leading with a massive feature on them this morning.
Naturally, being a sensitive writer, Gordon is able to handle the idea of older men releasing a record without falling into stereotyping older people:
Taking The OAPHa ha, old people are so funny, Gordon.
BEARDY folk singers FOSTER & ALLEN have declared war on TAKE THAT in a manband v granband chart battle.
It will send ripples through the Saga holiday set, with pacemakers on red alert.
And the blue-rinse pin-ups are spoiling for a scrap.
On a visit to Sun HQ, they poked a walking stick in TT's direction and thundered: "We're ready. It's war."
Someone pull the panic cord for the warden.
Gordon's big splash this morning is Kanye West's sticky warm effusions about... it says Coldplay here. Can that be right?
"America has, and probably always will, dominate music across the globe but it's always been the British who pull out that very special band.Coldplay? Chris Martin and The Coldplays?
"We have had amazing bands like NIRVANA and GUNS N' ROSES but it's the British who have had the cream with The Beatles and THE ROLLING STONES setting the standard. I love Coldplay, and I honestly think they are on the same level as The Beatles."
"In 30 years, when Coldplay are old men, people will look back and say, 'These guys were more talented than The Beatles.'""It was aaaaaallll Yelllow"? That Coldplay?
"I have worked with Chris Martin and the man is a genius - as a performer and a songwriter he is on the same level as JOHN LENNON."Certainly, the best of Chris Martin's work this decade has been every bit as good as anything Lennon has done in the last ten years.
The best ever? The best ever band in the world? Did I suggest that Kanye only had two records? I must have overestimated; he can clearly only ever have heard Coldplay. God knows how this came about - perhaps he has badly damaged hearing which can only hear noises in the sound range of a plodding, low moan, and as such only Coldplay records make it into his register."I am not saying this sort of s*** lightly, it's really how talented the guy is. And Coldplay can go down as the best ever - even bigger than The Beatles."
That is a massive compliment, and a controversial pop view.Actually, it's because of selling millions of albums. Had they sold a few hundred, people wouldn't even have an opinion on them.
I'm a fan, but Chris Martin and co, despite selling millions of albums, divide opinion.
By Simon Hayes Budgen 2 comments
More from No Rock on chris martin, coldplay, gordon smart, kanye west, the beatles, the sun
If we're being fair, there's no reason to assume that Beady Eye is going to be like Nowaysis but with guesswork. They might be going to surprise us. It could be Liam Gallagher's redemption.
Tomorrow, when a free download is made available via the Beady Eye site, we might find ourselves struggling to understand how someone who has spent years treading water underhoof could turn in a life-changing, life-affirming, life-tasting track of subtle joy and secret magics.
I'd bet against it, but there's always a chance, right?
Since they went to all the trouble of pretending to like Justin Beiber, the least we can do is bring you the MTV EMA winners list. If you're reading this in an office or other public place, please try and keep your howl of despair to yourself:
Best New ActIt might be obvious to laud Lady GaGa, but at least you can see the performance. But Beiber? That's going to look embarrassing when looking back in two years.
Best Pop
Lady GaGa
Best Alternative
Best Rock
30 Seconds To Mars
Best Male
Justin Beiber
Best Video
Katy Perry - California Gurls
Best Hip Hop
Best Live Act
Linkin Park
Best Female
Lady GaGa
Best Song
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Best European Act
Marco Mengoni
Best Push Act (no, us, neither)
Justin Beiber
Best World Stage Performance
Tokio Hotel
The MTV European Music Awards took place on Sunday - you can be forgiven for not noticing; after all, with MTV's current programming, you'd assume that the European Awards would consist of the last six American Teen Choice Awards being run back-to-back.
During the course of the night, a perosn ran onto stage while Rihanna was doing a song.
Sorry, did I say person?
A CRAZED fan leapt on stage to get at RIHANNA at the MTV Europe Music Awards.Of course, it was a crazed fan.
By Simon Hayes Budgen 0 comments
More from No Rock on gordon smart, mtv europe awards, rihanna, the sun
Of course Courtney Love greeted her New York Times interviewer naked and drunk. Of course she did. The only real mystery in the event is why Rolling Stone wrote about it thus:
She may have tried to remake her image in recent years, but Courtney Love's interview with New York Times reporter Eric Wilson lived "right up to my worst reputation," as she put it.Rolling Stone thinks Love has been trying to remake her image in recent years? Really? With the endless rants about houses bought in Curt's name, and fuck this and screw that, and Ryan Adams stole something and the people she doesn't get on with are all wrong and evil and Activision never got permission to do that thing they did and so she's going to sue them just as soon as her daughter comes back?
Yes, of course, there's a blustery statement trumpeting the news:
"We will always be our worst audience, until we stop being an audience and start being an artist," he said. "Any art is flesh and blood, no matter how you perform, decorate or display it. But we all want the passionate horror of that blood. And blood is what I am here to bring."But all the bluster in the world, and the dignity-salvaging side label called Hell, Etc, can't alter the fact that what Cooking Vinyl do - and do bloody well - is a nice line in bands whose focus is on serving the audience they have, rather than conquering new worlds. Manson - god bless him - has joined music's greatest conservation programme.
The overhaul of the typography for the Brit awards might seem an odd thing for Gordon to get excited about:
In recent years the awards show has looked like a dated rock'n'roll cliche.An "exciting new format based on the Oscars", eh? Given that the Oscars is a bunch of the same old faces giving awards to the same old faces, it's hard to see why the Brits aren't like the Oscars already.
But all that is set to change with a new venue, statue, exciting new format based on the Oscars and a new logo - a bold BRITS instead of the old scribble design.
A source said: "The new committee is ripping the guts out of the old Brits.The trouble, surely, is that while people might not have known if The Hurt Locker or Avatar was going to win, with the Brits nobody really cares if Kasabian or Paolo Nutini take the prize. Simply saying "we're going to make it dramatic like the Oscars" won't suddenly stop the shortlist being clogged up with Asda-rack-ballast like every year.
"The idea is to make the Best Album award like the Best Film at the Oscars. They loved the drama this year when no one knew if The Hurt Locker was going to win Best Picture ahead of Avatar.
"That sense of drama has been lost from the Brits and they want to get that back."
The voting academy will get a complete overhaul as well, with key players replacing industry dinosaurs.If they're so important, why are they only voting for album of the year. And who do you mean by "artists"? Because if everyone, say, who sold more than 200 tracks in a year get a vote, that would be interesting. If it's just letting Elt and Robster and Chris have a go, then you might as well not bother.
And most importantly, artists will get their say on who bags Album Of The Year.
Brits chairman David Joseph said: "Artists are the most valuable part of our industry so inviting them to join the Voting Academy is an obvious step."
I've seen the secret plans for the new show, which will be screened live on ITV and it will be better for everyone - fans, artists and my mob."My Mob"? Has he started to confuse himself with Mac Muprhy? Is he running a youth club in the Bizarre offices, to the chagrin of the snooty bloke in a blazer running The Times official reader's club?
PETER KAY's quickfire quips had the Brit Awards crowd in stitches.Not much mention of rock and roll cliches there.
The host called LADY GAGA "New York's answer to SU POLLARD" - and "the only woman who shops at Ikea for her dresses".
On a serious note, the lads are a good pick for the show.And his team carried on praising them even while most people were in A&E having toes uncurled:
KYLIE MINOGUE, JAMES CORDEN and MAT HORNE got their Brit Award hosting duties off to a great start with a spoof performance of Kylie's hit track Can't Get You Out Of My Head.Indeed, one of the things I don't think I've ever seen The Sun describe the Brits as is a rock and roll cliche - even when Liam Gallagher is throwing swears around and stomping off stage, the Bizarre team is stood applauding the exciting and shocking event.
The Best Album category will take centre stage under the new name of Mastercard Album Of The Year Supported By The Sun Bizarre Column.Oh, yes. Just like the Oscars. All the prizes in the Oscars carry two sponsors' names, right?
By Simon Hayes Budgen 0 comments
More from No Rock on brits, gordon smart, millennium dome, oscars, the sun
I'm enjoying the rather splendid Out On Blue Six feature, They Could Have Been A Bit Like The Beatles, which explores the official Second Summer Of Love (TM) of 1989 through the curious attempts to try and psych-up mainstream acts. God knows how many of these relics they'll work through, but already up is Danny Wilson's Second Summer Of Love:
A bit like when people like Herman's Hermits sang about flowers and love for one or two singles before they got spooked by that bloke from Procol Harum dressed as a druid on Top Of The Pops and went 'normal' again....and New Kids On The Block's Tonight:
It probably won't surprise anyone to learn that there's a distinct lack of political posturing in the lyrics, which seem to be more concerned with reiterating just how famous New Kids On The Block are and how many people come to see their live shows.There is, as you'd expect from Blue Six, a proper scoring system which means we can expect RESULTS.
By Simon Hayes Budgen 0 comments
More from No Rock on bookmarks, new kids on the block, other music blogs are available
If you have tears, prepare to shed them now:
My Chemical Romance star Gerard Way dyed his hair pink so he wouldn't be grouped in the same category as other rockers in their thirties.That's right, Gerard. Having pink hair is the act of a dangerous rebel, living by their own rules, on the edge of society. Dammit, outside society.
He said: "I'm happier, but I think in some odd ways more rebellious.
"In some ways the colour is more rebellious, even if it's self-rebellion, there's no big, secret, hidden enemy."
Our most-read MySpace related stories since 2005:
1. Preston declares MySpace began and ended with The Arctic Monkeys [November 2006]
2. Jarvis Cocker turns up on MySpace [July 2006]
3. Nice MySpace You've Got Here: Maggie Horn [February 2007]
4. MySpace steals Mobile's name for its own URL [November 2008]
5. MySpace announces plans to sell music [September 2006]
6. MySpace plans to sell music flop badly [April 2007]
7. MySpace buys and absorbs Imeem [November 2009]
8. MySpace announces plans to sell downloads, again [February 2008]
9. Nice MySpace You've Got Here: The Berg Sans Nipple [February 2007]
10. MySpace struggles to find CEO [August 2008]
These were the interesting new releases:
Suede - Best of
Download Best of
Neil Diamond - Dreams
Download Dreams
Pet Shop Boys - Ultimate
Download Ultimate
The Temper Trap - Conditions Remixed
Download Conditions
Alex Ross - Listen To This


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In order to try and ensure that businesses are ready to trade post-Brexit, HMRC is automatically enrolling them in the customs system.
HMRC has confirmed that more than 88,000 VAT-registered businesses across the UK will be allocated an Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number in order to enable them to keep trading with customers and suppliers in the EU after the UK has left.
The government announced that 72,000 businesses have already registered for EORI numbers and numbers will be allocated to VAT-registered businesses to speed up the rollout of the scheme and help ensure the smooth transit of goods.
EORI numbers are a unique ID number allocated to businesses that enables them to be identified by Customs authorities when doing business with other traders.
HMRC has warned that if businesses do not have an EORI number post-Brexit, they will be unable to continue to trade with EU Member States.
Internet link: GOV.UK news


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Ignacio Rodríguez-Iturbe, the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been named a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
The academy, while under the direct protection of the Pope, is an autonomous body composed of 82 scientists from around the world. Previous and current academy members include many Nobel Prize winners.
The academy's mandate is to serve as a source of objective scientific information for the Vatican and the international scientific community. Members are neither selected nor influenced by national, political or religious factors.
The purpose of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences is to promote the progress of the mathematical, physical and natural sciences and the study of related epistemological questions and issues.
A native of Venezuela, Rodríguez-Iturbe is one of the world's leading authorities on hydrology and is considered one of the fathers of ecohydrology, a field that integrates the hydrological and ecological sciences.
Rodríguez-Iturbe, a member of the National Academy of Engineering as well as a number of other academies throughout the world, received his undergraduate degree from the Universidad del Zulia in Venezuela and his graduate degrees from the California Institute of Technology and Colorado State University. Before joining Princeton in 1999, he taught at Zulia, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Universidad Simon Bolivar and Texas A&M.
Last year the Tribunal de las Aguas de Valencia in Spain bestowed upon Rodríguez-Iturbe its highest honor, the "blusa del agua," in recognition of his contributions to the science of water. His numerous other awards include the American Geophysical Union's Horton and Macelwane medals and the Stockholm Water Prize, which is considered the Nobel Prize in all subjects related to water.
Pope Benedict XVI will formally receive Rodríguez-Iturbe into the academy in a Solemn Pontifical Audience in October 2008.


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Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart |
The 21-year-old actress attended the UK premiere of the penultimate movie in the vampire film series at London's Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford with the 25-year-old actor – who is in a relationship with her off-screen – and admitted she liked shooting the "close-up" love scenes in the film.
Kristen – who plays Bella Swan in the motion picture - said: "It was an interesting experience. It was different to what we ever had before. Because usually we can just refer to the book, we've got pages.
Visit Kristen Stewart's profile page
Over one million North American tourists visited Ireland this year
New York's gay Irish keep mass attendance alive
"But it was good - everyone thinks love scenes are always going to be really awkward and stuff - but you know appropriately so. Lots of close-ups and sexy face."
The movie sees the onscreen lovers Bella and Robert's vampire alter-ego Edward Cullen get married following his proposal at the end of the third film 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse' – and the heartthrob thinks the motion picture "wouldn't make any sense" if the nuptials didn't occur.
He said: "I proposed to Bella so many times ... you had to get married at some point otherwise it wouldn't make any sense. It would look like you had some kind of issue."
The couple were joined by co-star Taylor Lautner - who plays werewolf Jacob Black in the movie series – at the premiere, which was attended by a number of stars including singer Pixie Lott, Heidi Range and pregnant The Saturdays singer Una Healy who was accompanied by her boyfriend Ben Foden.
Trailer to 'Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 1':


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Carol Orsborn
Carol Orsborn is Founder of FierceWithAge, the Digest of Boomer Wisdom, Inspiration and Spirituality. Dr. Orsborn is the best-selling author of 21 books including her newest book: Fierce with Age: Chasing God and Squirrels in Brooklyn. (Spring 2013) With a doctorate in religion from Vanderbilt, Dr. Orsborn is a sought after speaker/retreat leader and spiritual director.


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MailNews Core
Mail and news components common to Thunderbird and SeaMonkey
Select a component to see open bugs in that component:
Account Manager
Problems with setting up accounts within MailNews.
Address Book
Problems with the address book backend and shared frontend bits
For problems with mail or news message attachments.
Problems with RDF data sources and application logic. Most likely, your problem can fit in one of the other components so this component should be rarely used.
Build Config
Bugs concerning the comm-central build system and build problems with that repository that are not specific to one of the applications. For example, bugs in mailnews/ Makefiles.
Problems with the writing a new email or replying to one including using the autocomplete feature. Generally, problems found are within the compose window before sending a message. A few examples: 1. User interface and functionality problems with the html compose window and the plain text compose window. 2. Problems with addressing a mail message or adding an attachment.
Problems with underlying code in storage of address book content and mail/news summary files. If the problem you are encountering is with the user interface of the address book or of accessing mail, then this component should not be chosen.
Feed Reader
For bugs in MailNews Feed Reader featureset
Problems with using filters to filter your mail. A few examples: 1. User interface and functionality problems with creating, editing, deleting, using filters. 2. Incoming mail is not filtered properly.
Bugs that cannot be categorized into other components in Mailnew Core
Import Mail, Import Mail Settings from third party applications. Also, Import Address Book entries and preferences.
Internationalization is the process of designing and developing a software product to function in multiple locales. This process involves identifying the locales that must be supported, designing features which support those locales, and writing code needed.
LDAP Integration
Problems with LDAP functionality that relate to mail/news components. For example, performing LDAP queries in the addressbook, LDAP typedown addressing/autocompletion, and LDAP preferences.
Localization is the process of adapting software for a specific international market; this process includes translating the user interface, resizing dialog boxes, replacing icons and other culturally sensitive graphics (if necessary) and customizing features.
Problems with parsing the MIME structure and displaying messages. When this problem happens, it's often useful to attach a copy of the mail message generating the problem. If you have Communicator 4.x, you can select the message and save it as an .eml file (just save with the .eml extension). A few examples: 1. The contents of a message do not display properly. Certain items do not show up.
Problems with getting mail from the user's spool file. (/var/spool/mail/*). This is UNIX only.
Problems with general networking issues integrating with libnet. For specific protocol problems, please choose: IMAP, News, POP, or SMTP from the list.
Networking: IMAP
Problems with receiving mail when your mail account is set up for IMAP. This component should be chosen if you've verified that the receiving problem is specific to IMAP protocol. A few examples: 1. Interoperability problems with IMAP servers (i.e. folders, naming conventions) would fall into this component. 2. Using the IMAP delete model
Networking: NNTP
Problems with reading, posting, or subscribing to newsgroups (also sometimes referred to as USENET)
Networking: POP
Problems with receiving mail when your mail account is set up for POP. This component should be chosen if you've verified that the receiving problem is specific to POP protocol. Deleting messages to the trash folder would also fall into this component.
Networking: SMTP
Problems with sending mail. If you have specific problems with the compose window, you should choose the "Composition" component from the list.
Problems with printing mail messages and address book cards.
Profile Migration
Problems with migrating your profile from Communicator 4.x to the current Mozilla mail. Choose this component if you've verified that the problem you are seeing does not occur when you create a new profile and add the mail or news account you were using with migration.
Problems with the mail/news search backend
This component covers all bugs that relate to use of cryptography, S/MIME, and SSL issues for MailNews. Or, use this component if you have a MailNews security bug.
Security: OpenPGP
OpenPGP is about all aspects related to encrypted or signed email messages using the OpenPGP protocol.
Security: S/MIME
S/MIME is the sending of signed and/or encrypted email.
Simple MAPI
File a bug against this component for problems when using the simple MAPI feature. This feature allows a non-messaging application to perform messaging operations, such as send, address, and receive messages.
Testing Infrastructure
Bugs relating to the testing infrastructure that is specific to the mailnews code, e.g. xpcshell-tests, fake servers.
XUL Replacements
For bugs affecting XUL bindings removed from Firefox which still need to be supported in Mailnews Core


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Please note, due to COVID-19, events listed on our Events Calendar may have been temporarily suspended. Please contact the hosting organizations to check their status.
Event viewing instructions:
1. You will see the events of the whole month, in small segments, in the colour of the organization, with the title of the event and the time,
2. Put your cursor on the event and you will see a small pop-up box with the name of the event, the time and price,
3. Now left double-click on the event itself: a full -page window will open, with all the information about the event. This window has a white background and black distinctive easy- to- see writing.
View Our Handy Guide
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
13 Fri |
12:00 am
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1:00 pm
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4:00 pm
5:00 pm
6:00 pm
7:00 pm
8:00 pm
9:00 pm
10:00 pm
11:00 pm
11:00 am
Sholem Aleichem Speaker Series on Friday AM
Sholem Aleichem Speaker Series on Friday AM
Dec 13 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Our SASSY group meets online on Friday mornings to hear stimulating guest speakers and participate in lively discussions. Open to all ages. For more information or to be added to the Zoom invitation list: email@example.com Every Friday at 11:00 am we welcome Guest speakers who have expertise, passion and incredible knowledge about a multiplicity of themes from current affairs, to artists[...]


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Designer Floral Waistcoat Silky Novelty Vest Comit Steel
Designer Floral Waistcoat Silky Novelty Vest Comit Steel
Men's Designer Dress Attire in Trendy Prints by BW UK
(We are Passionate in your Attires, message us to request Latest Collection)
Crafted from soft silk feel jacquard fabric expertly woven to 1400 stitches with timeless floral design, delicate and exquisite for any fashionable character, the Made-to-Fit & Ready-to-Wear waistcoat in a Tailored-Modern Fit offers an excellent option and stylish touch for a smart and classy look.
Superb quality, decent and durable, the versatile waistcoat set (vest, long necktie, 10" x 10" pocket square & cufflinks in matching fabric) pairs well with your outfit, the classy V-neck design with a single breasted 5 or 6-button closure, 2 welt pockets and adjustable strap over a clean satin back for a comfortable yet Bespoke-like tailor. Dine out in your French shirt with the matching cufflinks attached on and shine throughout the night.
Confidently attend any wedding and the party afterwards, go to your Church and banquet in these pieces, leave memories at Graduation Ceremony and the Prom, present yourself at work and Business meetings or industrial conferences. It's a versatile yet essential set that adds flair to a gentleman's wardrobe thus one of the best gift choices to please the special person - just watch them risen to the occasion.
● Kindly obtain your latest measurements and order correspondingly, check against garment sizes with our Waistcoat Size Chart (exchanges can take weeks and incur unnecessary cost). Simply message us should you need assistance on sizing, and we will update size and print availability with you when your choice is short on stock. 4XL and bigger sizes might be available ready to dispatch for some styles, if not, we normally offer customizing service for even one piece (cost 20% - 50% extra depending on case).
● Images are close demonstrations only and the actual color(s) may vary slightly coming to real light conditions, in which cases, your review (image attached) could help others. Shirt & Suit are not included in your purchase but we do offer a great selection, again kindly message us for styling info. Main fabric: silky microfiber (not silk for optimizing texture performance reasons), lining: polyester (plastic and metal parts used in accessories).
● To keep the garment and accessories in good states and shape, clean and iron with care, and keep everything in one place and away from children and pets. Check all images for details of product and dress guides. Tap to read more
● UK & US stock with 2-8 working day delivery aim to most UK & US addresses if stock is available, or free international post from suppliers at no extra cost that can take up to 15 business day (longer at busy festival times), please allow longer terms during busy seasons or simply contact us soon after order placed. International warehouse and post services for buyers from elsewhere.
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Here in Southbank and Knithouse, we want you to stand out, we like to see you shine in our Selected Attire, and we know nothing else is more important.
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We want you to be happy, even when things goes wrong (it does!), so let us know, everything, anything. We are here to get things straight again.


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Lake Hallstatt & Gosau Valley - All for one!
It is the short distances, an excellent network of hiking and biking trails, perfect transport connections and of course, the welcoming hosts - this is what recreation seekers from all over the world appreciate most in the four holiday communities of the UNESCO World Heritage region of Hallstatt Dachstein Salzkammergut: Whether you are in the hiking region of Gosau, the biking mad Bad Goisern on Lake Hallstatt, in the pulsating Hallstatt or in the cave worlds of Obertraun - with the abundance of hotels, apartments, B&Bs, holiday houses, youth hostels and camping sites you will surely find the right place for your unforgettable holiday in the Salzkammergut.
Boarding House
Private Room
Camp Site
Youth Hostel
Holiday home


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Over such as sort period of time the Internet has developed quite a lot and is continuing to grow. In keeping up with the change, we've been on the frontiers testing and implementing new products and ideas. Sometimes we'll find many of these products and ideas are unknown to our own fields of endeavor, especially here in Pittsburgh.
More on What Makes Us Different Here in Pittsburgh
What really makes us different is that we care about providing you with the highest quality product for the most reasonable price. This starts with the fundamentals used on every project. Laying out a project timeline, doing research (if necessary), hand write programming codes, lots of testing, working fast and efficient, and ensuring the client is satisfied with the end result. Basically we are striving to be the best in our field. If your interested in having someone like that do work on your project, then contact us for your web design or web development needs. To begin send us a quote request from our home page. Please note that we do work internationally and for those based locally in Pittsburgh. |
pittsburgh web design | sitemap | articles | website design pittsburgh pa | business web site design | custom web site design
Copyright © 2007 Sean Gallagher All Rights Reserved.
flash web design pittsburgh, custom web site design pittsburgh, web site design services pittsburgh


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My husband declared these Air-Fried Hot Wings were a "10 out of 10!" when he came home from the gym and found them in the fridge. It was all I could do to save him some, I think I could have devoured the whole plate. I can't wait to make more for the Super Bowl on Sunday. And to think they were made without a drop of oil!
Friends from Instagram have been listening to me go on about my exploration of the T-fal ActiFry for the past week. I'm pretty smitten with this versatile "healthier cooking" machine. Read on for the super-easy Hot Wings recipe (I've included an oven method too!), the french fries, risotto and granola I also made and the chance to win an ActiFry (a $250 value) of your own! [THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED]
Continuing my pursuit of making healthier versions of some of my favorite dishes, I was intrigued by the ActiFry, which bills itself as the "healthy alternative to traditional deep fryers." Hot air pulses into the ActiFry while a stirring paddle continually moves the food around for even cooking. It's not "frying" as we traditionally know it, but the end result is food that gets evenly crisped with a scant amount of oil. It takes just one tablespoon of oil to make crispy french fries…that had me intrigued!
Naturally, the very first thing I tried in the ActiFry was french fries (in fact, I may or may not have made the fries within the first hour that the machine arrived at my house). As a french fry connoisseur, I was very pleased with how they came out. The fries were surprisingly crispy, despite the fact that they were cooked in such a small amount of oil. Were they as crispy as traditional fries? Well, no. I'd say they were more comparable to baked french fries, but more tender and with the added benefit of the continuously stirring paddle to keep them from sticking to the pan. These fries were a big hit in our house!
Yup, I made Saffron Risotto with Shrimp and Peas in the ActiFry too. At $250, this would be a pretty expensive french fry machine if that's all it could do. But no…it has quite a range of capabilities and I set out to explore them. I adapted one of the risotto recipes I found in the recipe booklet to use the frozen cooked shrimp and peas I had on hand. If you've ever made traditional risotto you know there's a bit of stirring involved. The ActiFry's stirring paddle takes care of that work for you. However, I will say this recipe did begin to push the limits of the machine. The rice seemed to prefer to travel in a group around the ActiFry, rather than remain evenly distributed. As a result, the risotto didn't come out quite as creamy as I'd prefer. But it was still a tasty one-pot dish that required little active attention.
This crunchy Cherry Almond Granola was another surprise hit. Start to finish, it took less than 15 minutes to make, even while wrangling my kids who were eager to help. They enjoyed measuring and stirring the handful of ingredients – then we poured it all into the ActiFry and let the machine go. Just like with the fries, I appreciated that the stirring paddle kept the granola moving so not one bit of it stuck to the pan (as can easily happen when you bake it in the oven).
** Win a T-fal ActiFry ($250 value)!! ** [THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED]
The T-fal company would like to send one lucky Cooking On the Side reader an ActiFry of their own. (By the way, you can also find the ActiFry for sale on Amazon).
Here are four ways to enter, you can do any or all of them (please leave separate comments for each entry):
- Leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite football-watching treat.
- Subscribe to free updates from Cooking On the Side via e-mail or RSS
- "Like" Cooking On the Side on Facebook
- Follow me on Pinterest
The giveaway will close on Monday, February 4 at noon PST. [THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED] I will use random.org to select one winner and announce the winner in this post. I will contact the winner via e-mail – if I don't receive a response within 5 days I will draw another name. My apologies to international readers, the prize can only be shipped to U.S. addresses.
**UPDATE 2/4/2013: Congratulations to our winner, #57 Carole!
Hot Wings
ActiFry method adapted from the Chicken Wings recipe in the ActiFry recipe booklet. Baked method adapted from Bon Appetit.
Prep time: 1 minute (ActiFry); 5 minutes (oven) | Cook time: 30 minutes (ActiFry); 50 minutes (oven) | Total time: 31 minutes (ActiFry); 55 minutes (oven)
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for the baked method)
- Buffalo sauce
ActiFry Method:
- Place the chicken wings in the Actifry and season them with salt and pepper. Cook for 25-30 minutes.
- Add 1 Actifry Spoon of Buffalo sauce (or more if needed) when there are 3 minutes left.
Oven Method:
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss the wings and the vegetable oil together in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Spread the wing out in a single layer on the prepared rack. Bake wings until cooked through and skin is crispy, 45-50 minutes.
- Toss the wings in Buffalo sauce.
This post and giveaway have been sponsored by T-fal. I received an ActiFry for review and I have been compensated for my time. My opinions are, as always, my own.


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In hopes of taming a monstrous spike in COVID-19 infections, India opened vaccinations to all adults Saturday, launching a huge inoculation effort that was sure to tax the limits of the federal government, the country's vaccine factories and the patience of its 1.4 billion people.
The world's largest maker of vaccines was still short of critical supplies — the result of lagging manufacturing and raw material shortages that delayed the rollout in several states. And even in places where the shots were in stock, the country's wide economic disparities made access to the vaccine inconsistent.
The country's ambitious effort was also partly overshadowed Saturday by a fire in a COVID-19 ward in western India that killed 18 patients, and the death of 12 COVID-19 patients at a hospital in New Delhi after the facility ran out of oxygen for 80 minutes.
Only a fraction of India's population will be able to afford the prices charged by private hospitals for the shot, experts said, meaning that states will be saddled with immunizing the 600 million Indian adults younger than 45, while the federal government gives shots to 300 million health care and front-line workers and people older than 45.
So far, government vaccines have been free, and private hospitals have been permitted to sell shots at a price capped at 250 rupees, or around $3. That practice will now change: Prices for state governments and private hospitals will be determined by vaccine companies. Some states might not be able to provide vaccines for free since they are paying twice as much as the federal government for the same shot, and prices at private hospitals could rise.
Since state governments and private players compete for shots in the same marketplace, and states pay less for the doses, vaccine makers can reap more profit by selling to the private sector, said Chandrakant Lahariya, a health policy expert. That cost can then be passed on to people receiving the shots, increasing inequity.
"There is no logic that two different governments should be paying two prices," he said.
Concerns that pricing issues could deepen inequities are only the most recent hitch in India's sluggish immunization efforts. Less than 2% of the population has been fully immunized against COVID-19 and around 10% has received a single dose. Immunization rates have also fallen. The average number of shots per day dipped from over 3.6 million in early April to less than 2.5 million right now.
In the worst-hit state of Maharashtra, the health minister promised free vaccines for those ages 18 to 44, but he also acknowledged that the shortage of doses meant immunization would not start as planned on Saturday. States say the paucity of shots is one reason why immunizations have declined.
In a positive development, the country on Saturday received its first batch of Sputnik V vaccines, which it is importing from Russia. Moscow has signed a deal with an Indian pharmaceutical company to distribute 125 million doses.
India thought the worst was over when cases ebbed in September. But mass gatherings such as political rallies and religious events were allowed to continue, and relaxed attitudes on the risks fueled a major humanitarian crisis, according to health experts. New variants of the coronavirus have partly led the surge.
The country's shortage of shots has global implications because, in addition to its own inoculation efforts, India has promised to ship vaccines abroad as part of a United Nations vaccine-sharing program that is dependent on its supply.
Indian vaccine makers produce an estimated 70 million doses each month of the two approved shots — the AstraZeneca vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India and another one made by Bharat Biotech.
The federal government is buying half of those vaccines to give to states. The remaining half can then be bought by states and private hospitals to be given to anyone over 18, but at prices set by the companies.
The federal government is buying shots at 150 rupees each, or $2. The Serum Institute will sell the shots to states at 300 rupees each, or $4, and to private players at 600 rupees each, or $8. Bharat Biotech said it will charge states 400 rupees, or less than $5.50 for a shot, and private players 1,200 rupees, or more than $16.
By comparison, the European Union paid $2.15 per dose for the AstraZeneca vaccine. The company says that price is discounted because the EU contributed to the vaccine's development.
The strain is mounting on the Serum Institute, which in addition to being India's main supplier is also a critical supplier of the U.N.-backed initiative known as COVAX, which more than 90 countries are depending on. The institute paused exports in March.
"The urgent demand for vaccines in India is bad for the rest of the world," said Ravi Gupta, a professor of clinical microbiology at Cambridge University.
Some experts warned that conducting a massive inoculation effort now could worsen the surge in a country that is second only to the United States in its number of infections — more than 19.1 million.
"There's ample evidence that having people wait in a long, crowded, disorderly queue could itself be a source of infection," said Dr. Bharat Pankhania, a senior clinical lecturer specializing in infectious diseases at Britain's University of Exeter. He urged India to first stop the circulation of the virus by imposing "a long, sustained, strictly enforced lockdown."
Pankhania cautioned that immunization efforts alone would not help immediately stem the current spike of COVID-19, since shots "only start to bear fruit in about three months' time." Vaccination would help prevent future waves of infection, he said.
Given the urgent need for vaccines, some experts said rationing available doses is critical.
"Vaccines need to be delivered to the areas with the most intense transmission," Gupta said, explaining that vaccines should be used as "emergency control measures" in specific regions of India rather than offering doses to all adults across the subcontinent.
Pankhania said the widely seen images of Indian virus patients gasping for air and smoke billowing from makeshift funeral pyres should spur rich countries to share their vaccines more freely. He criticized the approach taken by many Western countries that are attempting to vaccinate all citizens, including younger people at low risk, before sharing any doses.
"It is better globally to immunize all the (vulnerable) people that need to be protected rather than to immunize entire populations in only some countries," Pankhania said.


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You know, I don't usually _feel_ old, bionic knees notwithstanding. But I got a letter a couple of months back from the "Be the Match" organization that gave me pause for a moment.
"Be the Match" ® is the registry for the National Marrow Donor Program ®, which I've belonged to for the last thirty years or so. This is the registry that allows people to volunteer as a potential donor for bone marrow, should their genetics prove a good match for someone in need of a transplant.
I've never been asked to donate—evidently I don't match many people
After thanking me, the letter went to say (in boldface type, no less):
"With your 61st birthday approaching, you will soon complete your eligibility for being on the registry as a potential donor."
So evidently my bone marrow has expired, in terms of shelf-life. [g] The letter went on to ask me to donate $100 (tax-deductible—or at least it _was_, before the latest round of tax-hikes) to the Registry, to help them in recruiting a replacement donor.
Frankly, I thought it might be more effective to mention it here, in case any of you kind folks feel moved to sign up. The letter says further:
"Since 1987, we have facilitated more than 50,000 transplants from unrelated donors to give patients a second chance at life. Last year alone, we helped more than 5,500 people get the transplants they needed. We're very proud of those accomplishments, but we have much more work ahead of us. Each year 10,000 patients with leukemia, lymphoma and many other life-threatening blood cancers need a marrow transplant from an unrelated donor."
So. If any of y'all are interested in helping out with this valuable work, you can find out more details at BeTheMatch.org/help. Any of you who haven't expired yet, I mean…
P.S. You want old? Well, age is relative. The photo above was taken this past August in the park at Castle Leod, Strathpeffer, Scotland. The tree I'm standing in front of was planted by Mary of Guise (this would be Mary, Queen of Scots' _mother_) when she came to visit the castle back in 15-something. [You can see more about the Castle itself here.] Both the tree and I are doing Just Fine, Thank You.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
Make way for the new Apple iPhones by trading in your old iPhone to Gazelle! Apple's next-generation phones are expected to be unveiled next week and have faster processing, more RAM, and integrate the Force Touch technology found in the Apple Watch and some MacBook models.
So out with the old, in with the new, as they say! Trade-in your old iPhone at Gazelle — they'll even pay you cash for it!


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The prices of the things we buy, from floor lamps to canoes and bicycles, are slated to go up, literally overnight, as the Trump administration makes good on a promise to raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of imported Chinese products.
With trade talks between the U.S. and China yielding no deal, consumers and the businesses that serve them say they're bracing for bigger ripple effects.
Retailers, manufacturers, small farmers and multinational conglomerates are united in their concern about the potentially damaging impacts of additional tariffs to their businesses and their consumers.
The way that reverberates through Jim Kittle's family furniture business is indicative of how that might pass down through to consumers.
Kittle's Furniture started in 1932, expanded throughout Indiana and has remained in the family for three generations.
About 30% of all the household furnishings in their stores are made in China, then shipped by boat to the United States. As of Friday, new tariffs increased from 10% to 25%, raising the underlying cost of those items. (Tariffs of 10% on $200 billion of Chinese imports took effect last September. And back in April of last year, the Trump administration levied tariffs of 25% on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods.)
Determining new sticker prices will be a challenge for Kittle, who already has goods on order. If those goods shipped after midnight Friday, they were subject to the new tariffs.
"Is that going to affect the first container that arrives in Los Angeles?" he asks. "And if it is, we're going to have to reprice those goods on that container."
Kittle has been through this before. Last fall, a 10% tariff took effect. Back then, Kittle and his Chinese suppliers agreed to absorb most of that. The cost to consumers only increased 3%.
This time around, his suppliers can't afford to do that. And neither can Kittle nor other retailers — their profit margins are already so low.
Moreover, even the furniture that isn't made in China still often include parts manufactured in China, so those, too, will increase in price.
China took measures to counteract the effect of those price increases. In addition to imposing its own tariffs on U.S. imports to China, the country devalued its own currency. That had the effect of making Chinese products cheaper, relative to the U.S.
"Of course that's going to nullify some of the intended effect Trump is aiming for, which is to shift American producers and consumers away from Chinese goods," says Menzie Chinn, an economics professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Still, the previous rounds of tariffs are already making life more expensive. They've increased consumer costs by $1.4 billion a month, according to experts from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Princeton and Columbia University. To date, tariffs have largely affected raw materials like chemicals and wooden beams used to make other products, so the cost increases appear incremental to the consumer. But additional new tariffs would boost prices on a broader number of finished goods — things consumers actually buy, like bicycles.
This latest round of tariffs will add another $500 a year in costs for the average American household, says Katheryn Russ, an economics professor at the University of California at Davis. And that could grow. President Trump has pledged to broaden tariffs even further to all Chinese imports — including big-ticket items. "Once the tariffs go onto cellphones, I mean then you're going to see people scream," she says.
The sticker price issue is only one of Jim Kittle's concerns. Indiana's main industries include farming and car manufacturers, which are dealing with retaliatory tariffs China imposed on American goods. That means Kittle's customers are already squeezed. "If they don't have any money even to buy a tractor, they're not going to buy furniture," he says.
That precisely what's happening not far from one of Kittle's stores in Lafayette, Ind., to Brent Bible, a farmer.
Since China imposed tariffs last fall, Bible has nowhere to sell his soybean and corn crops. And that situation just got worse, because the futures trading market started planning for higher tariffs earlier this week, Bible said. "Just in the last three days of trading, we've seen the price reduction that equates to about a $50,000 loss for us," he added.
Bible isn't just running a business, he's also a consumer, and increased tariffs on steel and aluminum have raised prices on tractors and farm equipment he needs. As both a supplier and a consumer, he says tariffs are hitting him on both ends. "We are buying those products at an increased price, and we're paying that tariff."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Creating an Offline MDT Deployment Media
Everything is working fine in your main office, you capture, you deploy, you migrate, but you have a bunch of small branch offices (10-20 PC's) with limited bandwidth where you need to do the same thing. Well…you could just tell the people in those offices to leave their desktops and laptops on and deploy or migrate those over night, but still there are a lot of GB to transfer. The second thing is that not all of those workers can leave their laptops at the office, or they just don't want to, who knows… An investment in a server is out of the question, maybe later. So how can you deploy using MDT those PC's in those branch offices ? The answer is:
create a deployment media where you put all the operating systems, drivers, applications you need for those PC's and use this DVD to deploy those systems. Now let me show you how to create this MDT media. I will use MDT 2013 for this demo.
I presume you have your applications,
your OS's,
and your drivers imported in MDT. I recommend to be very granular and create a folder for every platform, OS type, OS version, because it will help you so much later on.
Besides those, I also presume you have your Task Sequences created and ready to rule.
Now expand Advance Configuration, right-click Selection Profiles and choose New Selection Profile. By creating a Selection Profile you control what's included in the deployment media and what's injected in the OS during the task sequence.
Give the Selection Profile a name and hit Next.
Here is the screen where you select what to include in the media. Now you see why I told you earlier to be granular with the folders. Since I want to deploy only Windows 7 and Windows 8 in those branch offices I will select only these OS's and task sequences. If you select a root of the folder here and later on you create another folder under it in the Deployment Workbench and import OS's, application, drivers or what have you, this folder (or subfolder we may cal it) will be automatically included in the selection profile.
At the Summary screen click Next to save the changes, then hit Finish to close the wizard.
And a new Selection Profile is created.
If you forgot or you need to add a new task sequence later on, you can modify this Selection Profile by opening its properties.
Now that we have a selection profile for our branch offices computers it is time to create a deployment media. Right-click the Media folder and choose New Media.
Give it a path where to save the media content but, do NOT, I repeat do NOT save it in your deployment share. The Selection profile drop-down-box is the important part here. If you click it, you should see the Selection Profile created earlier. Choose that and click Next.
On the Summary screen click Next and wait a few seconds for the wizard to finish
then close it.
Now you should see the new media created, and if you right-click it and choose Properties, a window similar to the one from the DeploymentShare should pop-up.
The Rules tab is the more interesting one. Here you can use the rules just like in the DeploymentShare, to automate the OS installation.
If you open Bootstrap.ini you can see that there is no root path specified, or credentials to connect to a deployment share. This is because WinPE has all the OS's, drivers, applications on this media, so no deployment share is needed.
The folder specified during the wizard has the exact same structure as the DeploymentShare but if you take a closer look most of the folders are empty (operating systems, drivers, applications etc).
When you are done editing the rules and options click OK to close the media properties window than right-click the media from the Workbench and choose Update Media Content.
This will create an ISO image with all the OS's, drivers, applications that you specified in the Selection Profile wizard. Depending on how many operating systems, applications, drivers you selected, the wizard can take a from a few minutes to a few dozen minutes to complete.
At the end hit Finish to close the window.
Now take a look in the root of the folder you specified during the media creation wizard (mine was D:\MDTMedia). You should see an ISO image created that has a few GB in size.
All you have to do now is burn this image to a DVD or Blue Ray media and boot the computers you want to deploy from this media. Select the type of platform and let it load the WinPE environment.
If you did not specified in the Bootstrap.ini to skip this part you will have to do it manually by clicking Run the Deployment Wizard to install a new Operating System.
Select your Task Sequence
and hit Next to begin the deployment.
This is a neat feature of MDT and is heavily used in environments where booting from the network is not an option. Give it a try and see if it works for you.
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Devastating flooding in northeast Australia has forced thousands of people from their homes and brought snakes and crocodiles onto the streets as authorities warn of strong winds and more rain on the way.
Much of the city of Townsville in Queensland state is flooded, with residents left without power and some compelled to seek safety on the roofs of their homes, according to CNN affiliate 7 News.
Intense rain on Sunday forced authorities to open the floodgates on the Ross River Dam to relieve pressure and prevent a collapse, releasing around 1,900 cubic meters of water per second downriver. The dam was holding 224% of its capacity Monday afternoon,according to CNN affiliate 9 News, after peaking Sunday night at 247%.
"Dangerous and high-velocity flows will occur in the Ross River Sunday night into Monday. Unprecedented areas of flooding will occur in Townsville. Expect access routes to be cut," the Queensland Bureau of Meteorology said in a statement.
The massive downpours hitting Townsville come as Australia is reeling from arecord-breaking heat wavethat affected all eight of the country's states and territories.
More rain is now forecast, with about 100 millimeters (4 inches) of rain scheduled to hit Townsville Monday and another 50 millimeters (2 inches) to 75 millimeters (3 inches) on Tuesday, according to CNN meteorologist Karen Maginnis.
9 News reported that entire suburbs of Townsville were completely submerged. Local resident Gresham Ross told 9 News that the floodwaters are the highest he's seen in 30 years of living in the area.
"You just can't believe how much water has come down from the Ross River," he said.
'A one in 100-year event'
On Saturday, as the flooding rapidly worsened, police in parts of Queensland were going door-to-door to warn residents to leave their homes.
"It's basically not just a one in 20-year event, it's a one in 100-year event," state Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Saturday, according to 9 News.
Speaking Monday, Palaszczuk warned: "There's going to be heavy rainfall over the next couple of days."
"There will also be damaging wind gusts and intense rainfall with significant flash flooding. So, once again, our message is, if you don't need to be out on the roads, please don't," she added.
Hundreds of homes in Townsville have already been inundated, 7 News reported, and there are fears between 10,000 and 20,000 properties could be at risk from the coming bad weather.
To make matters worse for the terrified residents fleeing their homes, there have been numerous sightings of crocodiles and snakes being swept along with the floodwaters, 9 News reported.
Mundingburra resident Erin Hahn told the broadcaster she spotted a freshwater crocodile in front of her father's house Sunday night.
"(It) was nearly a meter or two long (3.3 to 6.6 feet)," she said.


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Source: www.benefitspro.com
By Kathryn Mayer
A new study finds only 49 percent of workers in small businesses with fewer than 50 employees were offered and eligible for health insurance through their employer in 2010, down from 58 percent in 2003.
Larger firms are much more likely to provide health benefits. About 90 percent of workers in firms with 100 or more employees were offered and eligible for health insurance in both 2003 and 2010, according to the report from the Commonwealth Fund.
Low-wage workers in small businesses were the least likely to be offered and eligible for coverage: Just one-third of workers making less than $15 an hour in small firms were both offered and eligible to enroll in their employer's health plan, compared to 70 percent of small firm workers making over $15 an hour.
Report coauthor and Commonwealth Fund Vice President Sara Collins says the report "highlights a nearly decade-long trend of declining health insurance coverage and rising costs for workers in small businesses, particularly those who make less than $15 an hour."
"As a result, many people who work for small businesses can't afford the health care they need or have medical bills they are unable to pay," she says.
About half small business employees (45 percent) reported trouble paying medical bills in 2010, and 46 percent reported that they skipped needed medical care because of cost, the report says. That's about ten percent higher than those workers working in larger firms.
Small business workers were also more likely to be dissatisfied with their health insurance, with 29 percent rating it fair or poor, compared to 16 percent of those at larger businesses. They also don't have as much choice when it comes to health plan options.
But Commonwealth researchers say health reform should help address and solve some of these problems by offering premium tax credits to certain small businesses and by granting subsidies to many uninsured workers toward their purchase of health insurance beginning in 2014.
"The Affordable Care Act should mitigate this trend by improving the affordability and comprehensiveness of health insurance both for small-business owners who want to offer health benefits and for workers in small businesses who can't get coverage through their jobs."
The Commonwealth Fund is a nonpartisan research foundation that supports PPACA. Though they argue the law will help small businesses, opponents say the law will burden small businesses while raising taxes.