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posted on 10 August 2016
CBO Projects Substantial Increases In Spending For Social Security And Health Care Programs
from the Congressional Budget Office
-- this post authored by Xiaotong Niu and Julie Topoleski
CBO projects that spending for Social Security would increase noticeably as a share of the economy - from 4.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016 to 6.3 percent in 2046 - if current laws generally remained unchanged. Spending for the major health care programs is projected to grow even faster: Net outlays for those programs would increase from 5.5 percent of GDP now to 8.9 percent in 2046. (The major health care programs include Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program, as well as spending on subsidies for health insurance purchased through the marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act and related spending.)
About three-quarters of the increase in spending for the major health care programs would be for Medicare.
Continued growth in those programs would boost the already large share of the federal budget going to people who are 65 or older. By 2046, spending for Social Security and the major health care programs (mostly Medicare) for people 65 or older is projected to account for about half of all federal noninterest spending.
CBO's projections incorporate the assumptions that the laws governing those programs will not change and that Social Security and Medicare will pay benefits as scheduled under current law regardless of the status of the programs' trust funds. That approach is consistent with a statutory requirement that CBO's 10-year baseline projections incorporate the assumption that funding for entitlement programs is adequate to make all payments required by law.
The Aging Population and Rising Health Care Costs Are Projected to Boost Spending for Those Programs
Two factors - the aging of the population and excess cost growth in health care - account for the projected rise (with respect to GDP) in federal spending on Social Security and the major health care programs. Excess cost growth is the extent to which health care costs per beneficiary, as adjusted for demographic changes, grow faster than potential GDP per capita.
Under current law, gross spending on Social Security and the major health care programs is projected to be 16.3 percent of GDP in 2046. (Gross spending on Medicare excludes the effects of certain Medicare receipts, mostly premiums paid by enrollees.) Without aging or excess cost growth, that amount would be 10.7 percent - compared with today's value of 11.0 percent. Aging accounts for 3.3 percentage points, or roughly 60 percent of the difference. Excess cost growth accounts for the rest, 2.3 percentage points.
The Aging Population. The aging of the baby boomers and continued increases in life expectancy will substantially increase the share of the population that is 65 and older. Between 2016 and 2046, that share will increase from 15 percent to 21 percent.
With more people over 65, there will be more Social Security beneficiaries and higher federal spending on benefits. That trend accounts for nearly all the projected long-term increase in Social Security spending as a percentage of GDP.
Aging also contributes to the projected increase in spending for the major health care programs as a share of GDP - particularly for Medicare. As the population ages, Medicare beneficiaries will make up more of the population. Beneficiaries will be older, on average, and older beneficiaries tend to have higher average spending. Both of those trends would increase Medicare spending. CBO estimates that aging explains just under half of the increase in spending for the major health care programs as a share of GDP between 2016 and 2046.
Rising Health Care Spending per Beneficiary. Even though growth in health care spending has slowed in recent years, CBO projects that excess cost growth will be greater than zero, on average, over the next 30 years. For the major health care programs, excess cost growth accounts for just over half of the projected increase in spending as a share of GDP between 2016 and 2046. (Because such cost growth leads to higher federal debt - which slows the growth of GDP - it slightly raises projected spending for Social Security as a share of GDP.)
About the Authors
Xiaotong Niu is an analyst in the Long-Term Analysis Unit at CBO, and Julie Topoleski is chief of that unit.
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Hello Everyone, Since last week's report we have had one new a11y bug reported. Details are in section one. A draft survey for the CAPTCHA bug was presented to Mike Smith four months ago. A status update would be useful. Details are in section two. We currently have an "A11yTF" keyword backlog of HTML5 Spec bugs. Details are in section three. Complete details are as follows. 1. NEW BUGS: 1.1 Bug 10168: Please consider adding a section on role="presentation". Reported by Laura Carlson on Steve's alt-techniques document. http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=10168 Recommendation: Apply the "A11yTF" keyword. This bug meets draft a11ytf bug criteria. http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Bugs/KeywordCriteria 2. CAPTCHA BUG: A draft survey for the CAPTCHA bug was delivered to Mike Smith in March. http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/CAPTCHA_Survey http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html-a11y/2010Mar/0437.html http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html-a11y/2010Mar/0402.html As discussed at March 18 teleconference, the target time frame to go live was over four months ago. http://www.w3.org/2010/03/18-html-a11y-minutes.html#item02 Mike, what's up with this? Has it been decided to not hold a survey or postpone a survey or cancel a survey? Is this bug now considered superseded by the alt Change Proposals? Should I drop this item from this weekly report? 3. "A11yTF" KEYWORD BACKLOG: We currently have thirty seven HTML5 Spec bugs awaiting task force decision of whether to apply the a11ytf keyword or not. http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Bugs/Bugs_Awaiting_A11yTF_Keyword_Decision We currently have seven Bugs on Document "HTML5: Techniques for providing useful text alternatives Bugs" awaiting task force decision. Steve Faulkner is editor of that document. http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Bugs/Bugs_Awaiting_A11yTF_Keyword_Decision#Text_Alternatives_Techniques_Bugs_Awaiting_Decision The initial sets of "A11y" bugs, which were determined to have the "A11yTF" keyword applied to them in January 2010, are at: http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Bugs/accepted The initial set of "A11y" bugs, which were determined not to have the "A11yTF" keyword, applied to them in January 2010 are at: http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Bugs/rejected 4. RELATED REFERENCES: Weekly Resolved and Rejected Bugs Reports Archive http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Bugs/Weekly_Resolved_and_Rejected_Bugs_Reports Backlog of Bugs Awaiting "A11yTF" Keyword Decision http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Bugs/Bugs_Awaiting_A11yTF_Keyword_Decision "A11yTF" Keyword Criteria (Draft) http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Bugs/KeywordCriteria Bug Status Table: http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Bugs#Bug_Status_Table Escalating a Bug to an Issue: http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Bugs/Escalating_a_Bug_to_an_Issue Accessibility Change Proposal Status Table: http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/HTML/wiki/Accessibility_Change_Proposal_Status Best Regards, Laura -- Laura L. CarlsonReceived on Saturday, 17 July 2010 08:56:32 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Wednesday, 7 January 2015 15:05:12 UTC

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Alien Earths (2013)
By a Senior writer
Started by
spud the mackem,
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THERE is no change at the top of division four (North) as all the leading clubs won, with leaders Mold and third-placed Ruthin also collecting try bonus points.
Mold won at Bala 23-6 with tries from scrum-half Jamie Griffiths, flanker Rowan Whalley and two from wing Alex Green. Centre Dan Edmunds completed the scoring with a penalty. Outside-half Dafydd Yaxley replied with a brace of goals for the home side.
Ruthin ran in five tries in their local derby clash with Dinbych, winning 36-5, the tries coming from full-back Kyle Davies (2), centre John Evans, prop Wayne Williams and scrum-half Rhys Hughes. Outside-half Adam Robson added four conversions and a penalty.
Second-placed Caernarfon overcame visitors Nant Conwy 15-7 with tries from hooker Paul Williams and flanker Dewi Williams, outside-half Kelvin Morris adding a conversion and penalty. The visitors' points came from a try by wing Tristan ap Howell, which outside-half Peredur Ellis converted.
Llangefni were top scorers of the day in division four with a 59-0 win at Newtown. Theycrossed for eight tries, three for No 8 Rhys Owen and two for prop Rhodri Owen, and other touchdowns coming from wing Iwan Davies, replacement Simon Griffiths and full-back Arwel Roberts, who also added the goal kicks.
Colwyn Bay moved up the table as they collected their first try bonus point of the season following their 40-17 home win over Dolgellau. Tries came from centre Patrick Leach, wing Jay Beardmore, scrum-half Ben Evans, No 8 Aled Zackey and two from full-back Tom Blackwell. Outside-half Ashley James added five conversions.
Llandudno scrum-half Rhodri Carlton Jones kicked three penalties and converted a try from prop Danny Barlow to help his side overcome Llanidloes 16-5.
Bro Ffestiniog, unbeaten leaders of division five (North), continued their 100 per cent run with a 13-5 success at Bethesda. Brothers Barry and Dai Roberts grabbed a try apiece, with outside-half Edwin Roberts adding a conversion.
Wrexham overcame Cobra 19-13, while Pwllheli were the day's top scorers with a 78-5 home win over Rhyl.


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A covenant is like a contract. God has a covenant He made with Abraham. He even did the ancient equivalent of shaking on it with Abraham, 4000 years ago. The only thing is, that Abraham has still not received what God promised him. Abraham is dead and buried. He is in a sense, waiting for the return of Christ. Jesus is a "seed" or descendant promised to Abraham, who will bring blessing to all the families of the earth. That is the gospel. It says that in Galatians chapter 3. The promises to Abraham include this special descendant, the land of the middle east, and eternal life on earth. Abraham was also promised to defeat all his enemies and rule over them. The only part of this that's happened so far, is the promised descendant, but even he has yet to come back to earth and bring blessing to all the families of the earth. So what is he waiting for?
Christ is at this time, calling out people and working with them from heaven. He acts like a mediator between God and men. Those who respond correctly to the call from God, get baptised into Christ, after believing the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. To believe, they first learn. Then they repent of their sins, and get baptised. That causes them to enter into the covenant with God that Abraham entered into. Thus, they become joint heirs with Abraham of the land and life to come. God's covenant is the most important contract in history. The good news is, that you still have time to enter into that contract with God. You must learn what He says in His Word, and believe it, then repent, and obey that Word. The time is growing short. You must act now. Start studying the bible today! You can be an heir of the planet. That is great news.


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Sgt. Jerry Wooters first encountered Jack "the Enforcer" Whalen at Hollywood's Mark Twain Hotel, which served as an office of sorts for the big man trying to fill the void left by the jailing of Mickey Cohen.
Whalen was imposing -- some swore he was 6-foot-4, 250 -- and had the thickest hands anyone had seen. He'd once clobbered a dance instructor in the lobby of the Mark Twain to collect a $15 debt. Now he was messing with two members of the Gangster Squad, who called for backup.
"They said, 'We tried to place him under arrest and he wouldn't come,' " Wooters recalled. "So I went over to him, all my 165 pounds, and I said, 'Whalen, I understand you're a tough guy, really good fighter.' He said, 'Where's your badge?'
"So I said, 'Now do you want to go easy, or want to go hard?'
"He says, 'Dick, what's your name?' So I tell him." Whalen flashed a smile befitting a movie star and said: "Oh, hiya, Jerry. I heard about you."
And that's how the renegade cop met the renegade gangster and how they became friends for life, or however long life could last, in Los Angeles of the 1950s, for someone named Jack "the Enforcer."
Whalen might well have heard of Jerry Wooters, for things had a way of happening around the charming rogue of a cop who exuded a screw-you edge to crooks and his bosses alike. He'd joined the force on a lark in 1941 when a friend said, " 'The police are giving an exam. Let's go down and take it.' It cost a buck."
The LAPD was filling its ranks after its purges of the 1930s, when a mayor and police chief sold promotions and a secret unit planted a bomb under the car of a city reformer. Wooters paid his $1 and became part of the generation that was supposed to change all that.
In one of his first raids as a vice officer, 20 suspects escaped a gambling house when he tangled with the home's pet terrier, earning the headline: "Faithful Fido Mutilates Seat of Raiding Officer's Pants."
Later, Wooters boasted how he was going to avoid the war by enlisting in a reserve unit at a movie studio. Then he arrested a judge's nephew at a gay bar, and, BOOM, they sent him to the Pacific in a B-17 and gave him a big Brownie camera to take pictures of Japanese positions.
Over Guadalcanal, an enemy round blew the head off the gunner next to him. Later, a shell crippled the plane, leaving the crew adrift in a raft. They were certain a Japanese patrol would finish them off, but Wooters bet the others that an American destroyer would get to them first, on the fifth day. "I won $30," he said.
After he came home with his medals, that penchant for gambling eventually landed him on the Gangster Squad. Wooters was a uniformed sergeant along Wilshire when he crashed its Christmas party. The secretive unit had invited some civilians who quietly helped it, as in setting up a front company to lease phone lines that carried signals from bugs planted around town.
One squad member blew a gasket when he saw the scene in a back room: Someone they had not invited, a cop no less, was down on the floor, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, trying to separate some of those civilians from their money.
"Well, you know, God dang, to have a man in uniform, especially a supervisor, playing craps, which was illegal," recalled Con Keeler, the squad's bugging expert.
Imagine his surprise when Sgt. Wooters joined their ranks.
With Mickey Cohen sidelined by a tax case, the LAPD saw an opening to crush bookmaking in the city. The Gangster Squad needed a sergeant who really knew the world of bookies. Wooters had worked them during his time in vice.
Thus did it take on the cop who would enrage Mickey and lead the investigation that changed the rules for policing in California, that in his first assignment.
Charles Cahan had been a runner for a bookie, then overnight, "he had about six joints . . . the Cadillac convertible . . . all the fancy broads," Wooters recalled. "[Chief] Parker said, 'I want this son of a bitch in jail.' "
No problem. Cahan operated out of houses, stationing phone clerks upstairs. The squad would sneak in at night and hide microphones. The squad's budding electronics genius, Bert Phelps, used Wheaties from the kitchen as glue to reattach a piece of wallpaper -- a flower -- over a bug in a wall. After they picked up Cahan and 14 others in April 1953, the cops were matter-of-fact at the trial. No, they hadn't bothered with warrants. How did they get through a door? "Kicked it open." A window? "With my foot."
Wooters insisted he warned prosecutors to protest when defense lawyers began harping about a bug under a dresser. He told the district attorney, "You've got to bring out that this is not a bedroom -- you can't violate a man's bedroom." All he got back was "Jesus Christ, who's prosecuting this case?" It was no different than what they'd done for years, after all.
Then the state Supreme Court had its say on the Cahan case on April 27, 1955, and found "flagrant violation of the United States Constitution." The ruling named names, starting with Wooters', whose "intelligence unit" had done stuff like breaking and entering, and bugging bedrooms, that "would be almost incredible if it were not admitted."
That's how California got the Exclusionary Rule, mandating that evidence illegally obtained could not be used in court. The message was clear, recalled Phelps, one of Wooters' partners in the anything-goes days of the Gangster Squad.
"From then on you couldn't do it," he said, "supposedly."
Wooters was in one of three LAPD cars at the airport on Oct. 10, 1955, when Mickey Cohen flew home from federal prison in Washington. He'd completed his five-year term for tax evasion with 480 days off for good behavior. He was met by his wife and pet boxer and soon announced he was going into the nursery business. He'd sell and rent out plants, real and plastic, and perhaps open an ice cream parlor. Beauty and sweets, that was the new Mickey.
The squad quickly guessed the deal with "Michael's Tropical Plants" -- a variation on the protection rackets gangsters had run for ages. Mickey would suggest that bars and restaurants carry his fake ferns, at $1,000 a month, or else. But Mickey's probation officer asked the LAPD not to provoke him, to give him a chance, so Wooters and his partner would simply park across South Vermont, watching and waiting.
Their first confrontation was behind the Ambassador Hotel on Wilshire. Wooters followed a mob collector there and was making him empty his pockets when Mickey materialized "in, naturally, a Cadillac. When I turned around he said, 'Come over and shake my hand.' "
Perhaps Jerry was a bit harsh in declining, saying, by his own account, "I don't shake hands with no pimps." Later, Mickey accused him of pulling a gun as the insults escalated. "He comes charging out of the car," was Wooters' version. "I came out with a .38. Unfortunately, he didn't try anything."
Confrontation No. 2 came when Wooters investigated a tip that Mickey had roughed up a manager of Schwab's drugstore to collect a $500 debt. The victim wouldn't talk, so they called everyone before a grand jury, where Mickey saw Wooters in the waiting room and said, "You're the son of a bitch that's trying to kill me."
"The 'killer cop,' that was me," Wooters said. Then he thought: If they couldn't get Mickey for extortion, why not cursing? Cursing before women, to be exact, the district attorney's secretaries.
They actually took Mickey to trial for disturbing the peace, in February 1957. Of course, Mickey's attorney turned it into the trial of someone else. "If Mr. Cohen is found guilty," the defense lawyer said, "it will give Wooters a license to hunt." It took the jury less than two hours to decide this was hardly the case to send the city's celebrity hoodlum back behind bars.
Mickey shook the hand of the foreman and said, "I'll try to live up to your verdict." Soon after, he went on TV and declared, "I killed nobody that didn't deserve killing."
With hindsight, we may decide that Jerry Wooters had no business in police work. But to his partners from the 1950s, he was the best street cop they ever saw. It was as if Jerry had a pipeline into the city's underworld.
"God, for a few years, they thought I was the best detective in town," he said. "As long as you had Jack, you had the world."
That would be Jack Whalen, the Enforcer, his buddy.
Times researcher Maloy Moore and former researcher Tracy Thomas contributed to this series.


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member of Pere Ubu, active in the band from 1975 to 1979, then again from
1996 to present.
From the early eighties through early nineties, he played somewhat sporadically in a band called Tripod Jimmie with Lennie Bove, first in Ohio/Eastern Pennsylvania, then in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tripod Jimmie's first album was recorded live on a pier in Erie, PA. While unknown for the most part, TJ is unique and interesting band in its own right. MP3s of TJ can be found on the MP3 page.
In early Ubu, the
songs either started as jams, or Tony and/or I (or Tim or Peter in the
very early times) would work out a basic riff to get the ball rolling.
Everyone was responsible and in control of their own playing. David usually
did his part last. This became very ponderous and, after I left, I assume
somewhere in the fall-apart stage, that method was scrapped. When it worked,
it was awesome, with 5 or 6 strong, different personalities making major
contributions. I think the problem with that was the destructive nature
of some of us. The temptation to trash someone else's idea was too strong.
The temptation to stand with your own thing to the detriment of others
was just as strong. Result-deadlock. Remember this when we get to your
last history question.
In jimmie, the songs were mostly started from a Lenny riff, then I put a guitar around that. We often had some sort of silly idea that would set off the process. Bald Electrician, for instance, came from Lenny's observation that electricians seemed to be thin on top, probably hair loss due to electric shock. "The more you lose, the better you remember". This was satisfying for me as a guitarist, because I didn't have to worry about holding things together, I could just let it rip. Not sure it worked as well from a song content stand point.
I started playing at age 17 on bass. The reason is a little unusual, but may explain a lot. I wanted to race cars, but met with complete resistance from my family. I wasn't strong enough to overcome the resistance, so looked for something that had a lot of energy, and demanded the same kind of complete concentration. (Actually, I had forgotten about that until I was about to type "I can't remember why"). My technique quickly outstripped my esthetic, I overplayed. My friends talked me into taking up guitar. Technically, I have more talent on bass, and I can hear a strong bass influence in my playing. I think what you are referring to is the 2 lessons I took before I went into the Army. I had been trying to learn guitar, and figured I would have plenty of time in the Army to work on it.
3-J was actively influenced by soul music. In fact one of the things I was thinking about at the time was what it would be like if some alien was exposed to all relevant information about R&B except actually hearing it. HE wouldn't have any cultural background to fit it to. He wouldn't have all the hidden keys. Kind of like "you say potato, I say potato, lets call the whole thing off". I don't have a direct line from what comes in to what comes out. Perhaps a closer line 20 or 30 years ago, but not now. I do all sorts of things to try to change how I sound, but I always sound the same.
When Ubu started it was highly unusual to start out writing music. Bands would develop a local fan base by having a great stage show. Only then would they dare to try a few "originals". Copy bands were the norm, actually, that's all there were. Think about it. A generation before the Beatles etc. made a major breakthrough being able to write and record their own stuff. They did this only after years of playing other's songs. Of course, playing and writing are two different skills, so many really good bands just couldn't make the switch. Ubu, on the other hand, started at the creative process. Worked great for me, I couldn't bring myself to play the intro to Smoke On the Water like it was on the record.
Actually, I'm not sure how much thought was put into how many guitarists. We started with 2/3 and 2 left. Under the Ubu technique of going with what's happening, we got 1 replacement. 1 guitar, 1 bass. Later, after I'd left, I asked to come back, and David decided that the form was 1 guitar. The number of guitars didn't affect the song writing as much as the personalities involved. Jimmie had 1 guitar, and I got to rip up because Len was there so strong. In Ubu I couldn't do that because I didn't trust the song to still be there if I took off for a while. More basic than that, the song structure hung on me. Any leads I did had to still act as song structure. In Ubu I was a rhythm player that played leads, in Jimmie I used a "lead" style of playing to push the rhythms. Strangely, even though the people are different in Ubu now, I'm still primarily a rhythm oriented player. And yes, Jones and I play together on virtually all of Pennsylvania. Most of the really tasty leads are his.
In the times I've worked with David, he has ideas, themes, subject of interest, phrases, etc ready, but, for the most part, doesn't tell us. He'll tell us enough to give us a hint of a direction, but not enough to unduly influence our processes. We (mostly me on PA) bring in musical ideas, and flesh them out into songs, with his input. The farther along the process goes, the more direction he gives. Then he takes the stuff away and puts words to it. Then back to the band for any adjustment. THEN we relearn the songs for performance. Not the best way to do it, but with the constraints of all our locations, schedules, etc, it works remarkably well. PA had 1 week of rehearsal/song writing, and one week of studio work, followed by a few more days of mixes/ fixing. I think we put it on the road with a day's rehearsal.
Actually, I wasn't taking issue with Jimmie being simpler, but your reason for it. Jimmie was simple on purpose. How far could we deconstruct the song structure while still having a rich, complete song? Pretty far as it turned out. The main components of the songs were voices, but the rhythm harmonies and melodies etc. were considered, used as "voices". Kind of like, every component of the song was put together like the voices in Ball Of Confusion. How big can we get with 2 voices, 3 instruments and a demented taped player.
Ah, Jimmie. Think about the difference between playing with people, and playing with a machine. When you play with people there is the moment. All the changes that small timing movements, change of attack, mood etc. do to make music so wonderful. When people play with machines, they don't interact, they "play to". By not playing to we gave Jimmie life. We played, jimmie played, it was different every time, there was interaction. Jimmie had parts, in for the chorus, out for the verse etc. He didn't have notes, harmonies, rhythms etc. that had to be in exactly in THAT SPOT! Someone once said that we were Jimmies back-up band. The possibilities were endless. In one song, Jimmie played a mutated part of Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique. So we jammed with a dead person. A first, as far as I know. By the way, we got the idea from Allen Ravenstine. He used a tape deck into his synth a little in the early Ubu stuff. We just went a little more extreme with it.
I don't have any interest in solo work I think in terms of ensemble. No trade-offs. I just can't satisfactorily play alone.
I can't remember how long we played at the Pirates Cove. A year or two. We were always rehearsing for the purpose of song writing.
Early Ubu used taping as part of the process. It was (is) impossible to separate the act of playing from listening to it to decide it's (what you're playing) merit. The only way to compose on the fly is to have a way to monitor it. Taping. Also, folks have always liked to tape Ubu.
Touring then, for me at least, was about like touring now. I wasn't responsible in either case for finding the gigs. For the most part, we don't play the same venues over and over, so it's always a new variation on the old experience. A few wonderful shows for audiences that appreciate us, a bunch of shows in places that don't know us for people that don't care. That's not right. We will play in a town somewhere, and it will be in some small club, and the staff won't know or care about us. The place will be about a quarter full, mostly with people with nothing to do. Most will hate it. But always, ALWAYS, there will be a very few people who have been waiting all their life to see us. Could be Madison, Wi, or Sydney Aus., it's the same. It can be so unpleasant, but so important. Almost like a sacred duty. The hardest thing, by far, to deal with in Ubu is the schizophrenic reaction we get. I can't begin to describe what it's like to present our music to a group of people. A musician plays to people for the reaction. When the reaction is so strong, and varied
I don't know what's out there. Peter and I developed that noisy guitar sound kind of at the same time. I think he was probably a little better at it. He could just about get away with doing it on acoustic guitar. I was more compact, he was more self- indulgent. He would go off, and we'd be "come ON already". Then we'd hear the tape, and it would be magnificent. Don't want to talk about his personal problems.
Allen Ravenstine had done electronic music in the studio, and had some recording gear. I did Steve Canyon. I think some others had done a little something or other. Remember that Tim (and later Tony) had never played a musical instrument before. Ken wouldn't tell us anything unless we asked. We'd do something, wonder why it didn't sound the way we thought, then he'd tell us why. He didn't want to unduly influence the process. The home recording was a compositional tool. Actually, the studio, at the beginning, was more of a reporting device than an instrument.
Ubu did covers entirely to fill time. That's no longer necessary.
A couple things were going on to point me out of Ubu. For one, I liked touring and everyone else seemed to hate it. Ironic, since I never went on tour again until I rejoined the band. For another, David was going thru a religious phase that I resented having my name associated with. Remember, back then it was publicly seen as a band, not DT and the Ubus. Those were side issues, really. The big thing was New Picnic Time. I felt we'd made certain mistakes on Modern Dance, certain other mistakes on Dub Housing, and New Picnic Time would put it all together in the definitive Rock album. Instead, it was a new thing. I was Very disappointed. If it didn't happen then, it wasn't going to happen. So, I went off to do it myself. And failed, obviously. Ubu is an entirely different entity now. Amazing, since it's still very much Ubu. People think it's David's band now, but it's not. David serves Ubu, as we all do. Back in the day, it was anarchy. Now it's very much under David's direction. I may be the only one who thinks so, but to me, the musicianship in the band is at it's highest level ever. Then, I was, probably, the most accomplished musician in the band. Now, I'm probably the least. I'm speaking strictly about the ability to have technique available to serve inspiration. Everyone who ever played in Ubu had lots of creativity. No-one in their right mind would try to rate, or quantify creativity in Ubu. The process is different now. Most importantly, no one has any notions of popularity or monetary reward. While this can be frustrating, it's also liberating.
I use whatever suits my fancy. Some guy in Cle bought out an entire year's production of white Gibson Flying V's. I thought that was wonderful, and started begging people to get me one. It took several years... A few years ago, I was thinking about the nature of the electric guitar. Originally it was supposed to be a way to make the acoustic guitar audible in a big band. It was supposed to sound like an acoustic guitar, only, well, loud. Of course, people started realizing what the possibilities were, and the electric guitar got a life of it's own. Nothing has really changed, tho, since the humbucking pickup back in the late 50's or early 60's or whatever. Everything since then has been a development of either the Gibson Humbucking sound, or the Fender sound. But. Great strides have been made in amplifying acoustic guitars. Why not run the whole sequence again with the new acoustic technology? So I had a guitar built with just one pickup- a Mike Christian piezo bridge pickup made so the heavy metal guys could play their obligatory tender acoustic number without switching guitars. Only I use it--that's right--as an electric guitar, with the amp sound, distortion etc. It SCREAMS! Has more dynamics than any guitar I've ever played. Amp wise, I use a rented, or Ubu standard issue Twin Reverb amp. I've had a variety of amps over the years. Have no special preference. I use .012-.054 Stainless roundwound strings. I pick really hard, and the heavier strings sound better under those conditions. Also, it discourages the old string-bending cliche.
In the day, I used a Fender Telecaster Deluxe, with whatever as a backup. The Tele was a real piece. I used to vibrato by shaking and twisting the whole guitar. The neck got so loose it wouldn't tighten up any more. I had to glue it in place. The intonation changed with the intensity of picking (something all guitars do, but not as much). Made the overtones really wild. You couldn't tune it with an electronic tuner, the signal was too weird. A friend has it now, he had it restored. Not the same. It's really amazing to me that I can use almost any guitar, amp, whatever, and I still sound the same. I even switched to metal finger picks from flat pick, and I still sound like me. Huh!
I use pedals for
two reasons. One pedal, a Digitech RP6, I use to have a good sound that
I can plug into any clean amp and be workable. By the way, I use a lot
more distortion than it sounds like. My picking style overpowers the distortion.
Yes it does. The other use of a pedal is for an instant volume change.
Any EQ pedal, or whatever, will do.
....Fade out.


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Hello readers! Apologies for not being active. But I'm back today, and since it's graduation season, I decided to show you all how to create a congrats card that shakes around!
No-Line Copic Coloring FreesiaPosted on April 2, 2017
Hey everyone! Today I have a card for you using a no-line Copic coloring technique with the Altenew Fresh Freesia stamp set.
Distress Ink Blending and Water Bleaching EffectPosted on February 18, 2017
Hello fellow paper crafters! Today I have a card for you with some Distress Ink blending and the Paper Smooches Dainty Flowers 2 dies. I also use a fun gold spray bottle from Heidi Swapp.
Partial Die Cutting TechniquePosted on February 12, 2017
Hello readers! Apologies for not posting in two months, but today I have a card for you displaying a partial die cutting technique and the Mama Elephant Cityscape die cut. I also use some new ink applicators called the ClarityStamp Stencil Brushes. Jennifer McGuire reviews these amazing tools here.
Ink Blended Tri-Square Window with Copic Colored CrittersPosted on December 3, 2016
Hello everyone! I am sorry for being inactive and not posting. Life kind of got in the way, but I am back today with a card I made that was inspired by a card Laura Bassen made, and I will link to her card here.


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Photograph by Al Goldberg
"Playing a gig on your 50th birthday," says singer-songwriter Michael Eck. "This only happens once."
And so Eck will spend his 50th birthday in the spotlight at the Steamer No. 10 Theatre in Albany on Saturday (April 19). These days, you can frequently see Eck performing as a member of such bands as Ramblin Jug Stompers, Lost Radio Rounders, Frank Jaklitsch & Friends, the Berkshire Ramblers and more. But on Saturday, he'll be going it alone, drawing selections from four solo albums and entertaining friends and fans in his "maximum solo acoustic" mode.
WHO: Michael Eck
WHAT: 50th Birthday Maximum Solo Acoustic Concert
WHEN: 8pm Saturday (April 19)
WHERE: Steamer No. 10 Theatre, Albany
HOW MUCH: $13 in advance; $15 at the door


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Pantsuits: How To Still Look Feminine and Own It
Can you really look feminine in a pantsuit? Well, if you take away the padded shoulders and frump….then the answer is YES! The pantsuit has become a staple piece in many high-powered female wardrobes. But wearing a pantsuit is no… Continue Reading


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Only one takeaway from Wisconsin: Money shouts (UPDATED)
Wisconsin is the first recent election that doesn't need five, three or even two takeaways. One will do.
(Unions are weak? Check. Scott Walker is a way better candidate than Tom Barrett? Double-check. Obama sat it out, sapping enthusiasm? Damn straight. "Psychological blow" to Democrats? Call Freud. Independents swinging to the right? Meh.)
But that's all background noise. There's really only one story in Wisconsin, though you wouldn't know it from the high paragraphs of most news analyses. It's M-O-N-E-Y.
Cash doesn't talk in 2012, it shouts, and Wisconsin was a sonic boom that's breaking glass in Chicago.
Conservative groups outspent unions and progs in Wisconsin by an estimated SEVEN-TO-ONE.
UPDATE: Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, speaking to Jim VandeHei on POLITICO LIVE took issue with what he called the "money narrative" and claimed Walker supporters beat the unions on door-knocking and made four times as many phone calls.
"I got a quarrel with Glenn," he said. "I don't know how this is going to break down on the money. I don't know what public employee unions spent in Wisconsin, but let's assume we beat them on the money. But we beat 'em on the ground too! We crushed 'em on the ground. We would have crushed them if it was just ground game vs. ground game."
Here's the only paragraph you really need to read this ayem, courtesy the Center for Public Integrity
"Through April, Walker's top three donors combined gave more than challenger Barrett's campaign had raised overall. Four of Walker's top seven donors are out-of-state billionaires, including former AmWay CEO and former Michigan gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos, and casino magnate Adelson, who each gave $250,000."
Walker, exploiting a loophole that allowed him to hoard cash months ago, out-raised Barrett, a pathetic fundraiser who turned out to the political equivalent of the Milwaulkee Bucks, by a TEN-TO-ONE margin, $30 million to $4 million. This was the first purely Citizens United Election -- and in that regard it should send a chill through Chicago and everywhere else Democrats are counting their pennies or begging Jeffrey Katzenberg to please, please, please save us.
Democrats seemed stunned and addled. A flack for AFSCME predicted, in the hours before the polls closed, that Wisconsin would be all about "turnout" and get-out-the-vote efforts.
It was about ad spending. And how does that bode for the presidential race? Obama's Chicago brain trust is relying on field organizing, Romney's Boston headquarters looks like an ad firm.
RNC chairman Reince Priebus called the win a "resounding victory over Obama's campaign arm and the liberal special interests."
But that's exactly the opposite of what's happening in 2012: Obama didn't spend a dime in Wisconsin (and came out ahead of Romney in exit polls) while the "liberal special interests" barely had two dimes to rub together.
Using Priebus's rubric, this was a victory --and an historic one -- for the "conservative special interests." It won't likely be the last.


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I stopped writing.
I do that. Stop doing things I love when I find myself at my most lost.
I stopped singing when my Dad died.
I stopped a whole lot of things after the birth of my son as I went through postpartum depression and processed my difficult birth experience. Some of that related to being a new mom; the missed showers, the lack of sleep. A lot of it related to how traumatized I was; the missed laughter, the missed enjoyment of almost anything for a long time.
It's strange to go through segments of your life like that; where you find yourself going through motions and not really present. Before you know it you've lost some indescribable amount of time and some irreplaceable amount of present living and some inexplicable self-deprivation of things you love.
"You need to write about it," my husband said. He would leave the computer window open to my blog, sitting silently on the screen collecting cobwebs and losing meaning.
"I will," I would reply, and then busy myself with the comforting monotony of daily life tasks that never find themselves completed.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you write anything," he would say again urgingly.
"I just don't have anything to say," I would lie, and he would pretend to believe me.
And so tonight, I'll write about it.
The last time I wrote anything was on the eve of my 30th birthday. I was not-so-subtly freaking out about it and I had all these great post ideas about how I was going to reveal my hidden worries about turning thirty, or the things I was actually looking forward to about turning thirty, or maybe even breaking down that terrible list of what a woman "should" have accomplished by the time she turned thirty and revel in what I've accomplished instead.
Instead, I woke up on the morning of my 30th birthday and got ready for a hair appointment. In true "oh-my-God-I'm-turning-thirty" style I planned to get a drastic hair cut. I stopped on the way at this very nice French restaurant that serves lovely chocolate croissant pastries and a special Ginger Chai latte and ordered it to go. Only it's been so long since I've treated myself there that they no longer serve the ginger chai latte and someone had just purchased the very last chocolate croissant.
Still optimistic, I continued on to my hair appointment where I showed my stylist a picture of the new cut I wanted, one that required chopping 7 inches off of my hair, adding layers, and adding some red highlights. (Did I mention the whole I-was-freaking-out-about-turning-30-part?) In order to add red, first we had to get out the blondish highlights that had been in during the summer, so my stylist matched my hair all back to it's original color and than cut off all of my hair. Per my non-chocolate-croissant-eating request. (Side note: I don't make good decisions when I'm hungry. Or, apparently, 30.) Then we went to add in the red.
And it came out bright purple.
Like, Halloween witch purple.
By the time all of this had occurred it was time for me to go pick my son up from school.
With short, purple, wet hair.
Despite my speeding I was a few minutes late to pick up my son who greeted me with a "Mommy, why is your hair purple? Is it for Halloween?"
I got us home and settled the toddler with lunch. I was feeling a bit sick but thought it was probably from the lack of eating and just my general state of being stressed about the day.
I went to the bathroom and then I saw it. All of the blood.
It had soaked through my clothes and the sickness I was feeling was cramping.
And then, I knew.
My husband came home from work about an hour later to find me hunched over, crying, with purple hair.
"I don't think there's a baby anymore," I sobbed.
We quietly whispered our conversation and spelled words between the little voice that asked "Why is Mommy crying?" and "What are you guys talking about?"
"Do you want me to call and cancel tonight? I have something planned but you don't have to go."
"NO! It's my fucking 30th birthday. I don't want to spend it being completely miserable. This just isn't how I wanted this to go," I continued sobbing.
I found myself laying in our king sized bed surrounded by the hugs of my husband and my son and realizing that the short lived excitement of a June 2014 baby would never come true.
I had discovered the two tell tale pink lines on a pregnancy test just a little over a week before. And just to be sure, seen the words PREGNANT on another test. Within a week my husband and I had both discovered and lost a baby.
I called the OB/GYN who put told me to wait for the triage nurse to call. When she called she encouraged me to go straight to the emergency room.
"Why?" I asked. "Can they do anything? Or would it just be for informational purposes?"
"It would just be for informational purposes, but it's important to know what's going on with your body," she replied.
"I already know what's going on with my body. I'm having a miscarriage" I replied in my mind, but in reality it probably came out more like "Ok, thank you." I'm an eternal people pleaser.
I talked to my husband about it and ultimately decided not to spend my 30th birthday sitting in an emergency room. I took some advil, splashed water on my face, and went back to the hair salon to get out the purple.
It was, after all, my birthday.
A few hours later my purple hair had been dyed black because it was the only way to cover up the color. It was not the look I was going for but it was styled and curled and I purchased a lovely red lipstick to fully embrace my bold new look. The reality of what was happening set in every time I went to the bathroom and every time I let myself think about it. I found myself crying as I drove home and again when my sister called and my husband accidentally answered the phone.
I had been avoiding all of the happy birthday calls and messages all day.
By 6:00 that evening I was dressed and had fixed my make up. A friend picked me up and drove me to a local restaurant where I was surprised by a group of girlfriends waiting for me. My husband had organized a girl's night complete with pre-ordered appetizers and wine (which I happily drank. Because, in light of recent events, there was no reason for me not to.)
We laughed and drank wine and told stories. I was so thankful to be in the company of such sweet friends and to find moments of genuine joy in a day that had certainly not gone as I had imagined.
I came home late at night and curled into the arms of my husband. I heard my son sigh in his sleep across the hall and felt my cats curled up at my feet.
And finally, I slept.
Welcome to 30.


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|Oracle FAQ
|Your Portal to the Oracle Knowledge Grid
Home -> Community -> Usenet -> c.d.o.server -> understanding oracle client library
when we install oracle to a unix box, we had to link this client library thing or server library thing, ie, library_path, or ld_path and whatever has to do with this library thing.
okay , my problem is that i dont really understand how this client, client library thing is all about? Received on Wed Apr 14 2004 - 01:35:03 CDT
Original text of this message


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The Compact is the newsletter of the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, published three times a year and edited by Polly FitzGerald Kimmitt. It contains lots of information about upcoming events, new publications and general society and Mayflower news. Take a look at our archives to retrieve older issues for free (scroll down).
Each issue includes a message from our Governor, information about the next meeting with a form to register, new members, Society business, and items of special interest for and by our members. To look at the current issue, please click on the image below.
If you have an interesting Mayflower-related story, please feel free to submit it to the office for possible inclusion in a future issue of The Compact.
Current Issue
|Fall 2017


text: Carson loves to run. anytime, anyplace, all he wanted to do was RUN. in circles, in a straight line, in a figure 8! he was one furball full o' energy! we found little newborn him on the side of the road with his 3 brothers, and his mother. his mother was very sick, we knew, so we took the whole bunch to the vet straight away. after 2 hours of nervous energy, X-rays, and tests, the doctors informed us that the mother had Skunygulosys. well, we had NO IDEA what that was. "HUH?!??!!?" is all we could say. they told us that skunygulosys was a rare and little-known disease that cause barfing, itching, and swelling. we had no idea what to do!!! so we took all 4 pups home, and of course, named them. here's what we came up with::: Carson Jamison Langly and Fred now, we weren't expecting the mother to live, but she cowgirled up and made it! after 3 months of being in the animal hospital, she came through!!! but by the time she was out- 3 of her pups were gone. we had kept only carson. this made one angry momma. but she has learned to cope- and so have we!!! Carson and his mother, who we named Momma Jo, live with us now, happy as can be... well, almost. after the loss of 3 of her sons, momma jo wasn't really perky... but she tried. carson is very energetic- and it took us a LONG time to house-break him. YIKES. but him and his family will always have a special place in my heart.Add to Favorites


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Function is just as important as style when choosing your bathroom sink fixtures. Even if you do not remodel your bathroom, changing the sink faucet and handles can sometimes make your bathroom more functional.
Faucet Centers
Believe it or not, there is something of a science behind choosing the right sink faucet. The first thing to do is measure your faucet centers. Sinks come with premade holes for the faucet and handles, and with different spacing between holes.
A single-hole faucet is needed for a sink with 1 hole. Usually these are lever type faucets. The advantage of these faucets is that they take up very little room, so you can use them with a smaller sink in a smaller bathroom. It is also easier to use by children and makes it harder for them to scald themselves by because there is no hot water tap by itself. A single lever faucet is also easier for older people or people with arthritis to use. They can be a little more fragile and often the entire faucet needs to be replaced if it breaks. The disadvantage is they have a modern look that is not in keeping with traditionally styled bathrooms. A variation on this faucet is the vessel faucet, which is a tall faucet designed to accommodate the height of vessel sinks.
Centerset faucets have the faucet and 2 handles mounted onto a single base. They can be used on sinks with 1 hole and sometimes 3 holes. These are the most difficult for people with arthritis to use, and they are difficult to clean because the handles are so close to the faucet. But this is a very common style.
The widespread faucet has 2 handles set off from the main faucet, It is easier to get hot water only out of. And it has a more traditional look but you can also find very sleep, contemporary widespread faucets. Crossbar handles are the most traditional of all and are found in period baths.
There are also wall mount faucets, which are rarely used except in high-end bathrooms. They require a special plumbing set up. Electronic touch faucets are used mainly in commercial settings. You might want a gooseneck style faucet. Do you dye your hair? Consider getting a faucet with a spray nozzle.
Think about how you use a sink. If you like to fill a glass with water, your facet has to be high enough to do that. Many bath sinks are shorter to prevent splash out. You will also want a higher faucet if you wash your face at the sink.
Materials and Construction
Faucets can be built based on one of several principles. Compression faucets rely on washers to manage the water flow. This is the conventional way to make a faucet. You do have to clean the screen every so often. Newer faucets use balls, cartridges, and disks. They are easier to operate and maintain, bur the plastic parts used in most of these faucets mean they are very durable. Cartridge faucets have a cartridge flow mechanic that can be replaced if there is a leak. Faucets with a pair of ceramic disks are the most durable and trouble-free, but they can also be the most expensive.
Pricing can be anywhere from $20 up to $1,000 or more for a solid-brass faucet set with designer styling. Remember that leaks waster water, and water is expensive is many parts of the country. So sometimes it is worth spending a little more to get the quality needed in such a heavily used fixture.


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Ace Enders and a Million Different People Pro
Rock / Alternative
Ancora, NJ
Amely Pro
Pop / Rock / Alternative
Orlando, FL
Pop Punk / Rock
Pop Punk / Pop Punk
East Freehold, NJ
Rock / Pop / Alternative
Orlando, FL
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Hi, i invite listen my music, please add me as fans. http://www.purevolume.com/javierkraus, and, add in facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Javier-Kraus/100498443429620, Thanks for your time and enjoy! May 04
listen www.purevolume.com/sextorm Dec 05
Hey! you should definitely check out my new band on facebook and give us a like. Let us know what you think! www.facebook.com/holdmeheroine Sep 15
http://www.purevolume.com/bjmo "Music made with the heart and not with the hands" leave a comment Please ! May 16
heyy whats up? heard my band yet? :] Jan 04
Hey, I'm in a pop-punk band called Church & Chambers (http://www.purevolume.com/churchchambers). We're giving away some free songs and thought you might like them. Download them here http://www.mediafire.com/?zmq2zn1t6t2qq3m Mar 25
hey what's going on :D Mar 18
Hey! I wanted to share some music with you! =] www.purevolume.com/zackoval If you like it become a fan and maybe comment on what you think! Mar 16
Hey :) Mar 09
Heyyy there!!! My name is Brison X and I'm informing you that my NEW EP is streaming RIGHT NOW on purevolume. Will you give it a listen??? Pretty Please??? =] It'd mean the world to me!!! www.purevolume.com/melinamay Feb 28
Hi, I'm Jamie! :) I'm twenty and in community college. I've been a vegetarian since August 2010. I can either be extremely random or extremely quiet. I'm one of the most indecisive people you'll ever know. I'm obsessed with old-school Blink-182 and All Time Low [the girl's a straight-up hustler]. Lately I've been listening to a lot of Breathe Carolina, Forever the Sickest Kids, and He is We. I adore Jonathan Cook, Caleb Turman, Alex Gaskarth, Christofer Drew, & Jordan Witzigreuter. And I'm still finding out who I am.


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Home » Enakku Vaaitha Adimaigal Official Teaser
Enakku Vaaitha Adimaigal Teaser. Starring Jai & Pranitha in the lead roles. Directed by Mahendran Rajamani and Music Composed by Santhosh Dhayanidi. Starring: Jai, Pranitha, Naan Kadavul Rajendran, Kaali Venkat, Karunakaran, Thambi Ramiah & others. Written & Directed by: Mahendran Rajamani DOP: Mahesh Muthuswami Music Composer: Santhosh Dhayanidi Editor: Gopi Krishna Art Director: V Sasikumar Producer: Shan […]
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Regina Cassandra Latest Pics
Regina Cassandra Latest Pics and Images. Get Actress Regina Cassandra's New Photos and Stills gallery.
Sony Charishta Latest Hot Saree Pics
Sony Charishta Latest Hot Saree Pics and Images. Get Actress Sony Charishta's New Hot Saree Photos and Stills gallery.
Mishti Chakraborty New Black Dress Photos
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Hansika Motwani New Pics At Zee Telugu Apsara Awards 2017. Get Actress Hansika Motwani's Latest Images, Stills and Pics Gallery from Zee Telugu Apsara Awards 2017.
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3 Tips to Make Content More Mobile, Collaborative, and Productive
Today, we all expect the apps we use at work to be as simple and effortless as the apps we use in our personal lives. However, most employees are forced to choose between using on-premises systems for sharing (email, SharePoint), or a more mobile, flexible cloud-based solution.
What's an IT department to do?
This white paper reveals 3 ways that customers can use Box, a born-in-the-cloud content collaboration platform, to make the content in Office 365 more mobile, collaborative, and productive, internally and externally. Discover these 3 tips and several key use cases as you read on.


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ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – Former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson may make another run for president.
The Online National Journal reports Johnson hopes to run for President in 2016.
Johnson was the Libertarian party's presidential pick in the 2012 race.
He got just under one percent of the popular vote in the general election which is about 1.2 million votes.
He says he would love to run as a Libertarian again.


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Linner Notes
On the other hand, the composer himself, when he is the performer of his own composition, does not always perform his work in exactly the same way. Why? Because he lives; because perpetual variability is a trait of a living creature's character.
(Bela Bartok: Mechanical Music. 1937)
The above quote is even more applicable to a Steve Coleman and Five Elements performance, especially when that performance is live in front of an audience. These are the conditions under which the latest Steve Coleman and Five Elements album The Tao of Mad Phat was recorded.
For this form of African-American music communication is the main focus. Steve wanted to capture this very important ingredient in a commercial recording years ago, as most of the music he grew up listening to and was heavily influenced by was live music. Musically and spiritually this band performs very different when other people are present to share in the experience. In Steve's own words:
The Tao of Mad Phat differs from the concepts of the earlier Five Elements albums in that the music on this album was performed live before a studio audience. The main intention is not so much the realization of a commercially perfect project, but the documentation of the living process expressed through music. The way the band performs "live" has been pretty much a separate development from the way we play on recordings. We realized some time ago that some of the things we do in concert, like the collective meditations concept, have not been documented on recordings. This concept involves restructuring either our own music or that of others by changing basic rhythmic, melodic, and emotional aspects using intuitive-logic, then spontaneously merging the altered music with other music which has been similarly restructured.'
'This music is about our experiences in every day life. It is a living music. We are very influenced by many of the styles and creations of music from the past and present but we are most concerned with the expression of our lives, as this is what we know best. We don't want to imitate other music, we don't even want to imitate ourselves. Music for us is a way of communicating experiences using the abstract language of organized sounds.'
The Tao of Mad Phat refers to the 'way of life' of Mad Phat, a fictional character that represents the personification of the 'attitude' in the music being heard on that particular performance and on the album as a whole. The emotional, spiritual, intuitional and technical elements used in the musical performances are creative extrapolations of the same elements used by the musicians in the every day living process. The boarders or fringe zones where these elements converge are enigmatic areas that explore a logic beyond words. This is indeed a living music.
The musicians included in this session are Five Elements members Steve Coleman (alto saxophone), Andy Milne (piano/keyboards), David Gilmore (guitar), Reggie Washington (electric bass), and Oliver Gene Lake Jr. (drums and percussion). Special guests for this project are Roy Hargrove (trumpet), Josh Roseman (trombone), Kenny Davis (bass), Matthew Garrison (electric bass) and Junior "Gabu" Wedderburn (percussion). Joe Marciano (recording and mix engineer). Recorded May 6, 7, and 23, 1993 in Brooklyn NY.
Track List
- The Tao Of Mad Phat 15:29
- Alt-Shift-Return 07:10
- Collective Meditations I (Suite):
– Guards On The Train 03:04
– Relax Your Guard 00:39
– All The Guards There Are 02:10
– Enter The Rhythm (People) 04:04
– Changing Of The Guard 03:56
- Incantation 03:56
- Laid Back Schematics 08:15
- Polymad Nomads 10:36
Music available on the downloads page.


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There are a lot of dirty cheaters on MotorStorm online, but also a lot of honest racers who are just damn good at it. Here are some tactics you can use to make you better, and how to spot a cheater…
1) Road rage
To survive on the rugged roads of MotorStorm you have to be a complete swine. Like the guy who rammed us. He hit just the right spot and it sent us into a complete 360 degree spin. People in big rigs and racing trucks seem to be the worst and will make a point of running over anyone they see on a bike, just to get a few seconds ahead of the pack. But those are the breaks and you have to get used to it, or you'll regularly be left behind in a cloud of dust.
2) Cheaters
There's a glitch that lets you have infinite boost. We won't say how to do it (because it's naughty), but it involves repeatedly tapping a button. People also complain about the amount of speed people seem to get on Rock Hopper. "The track is full of quirks. Sometimes your car will shoot straight up and land upside down after a jump," explains veteran player Snooptalian. The new update fixes the boost glitch, but the cheaters will find a way around it. They always do.
3) Exploder
There's a dirty, risky tactic that lets you explode your car and send the carcass soaring over the finishing line, gaining you a few extra seconds. You have to know exactly when to start boosting before the checkered flag so that you overheat and blow up at just the right time. This is for real experts only, however, and chances are you'll get the trajectory wrong and bash into the side of the track rather than sail majestically across the finish. It's fun to try, though.
Defining moment
MotorStorm really comes into its own when you're in the midst of a massive group of other racers on a full server. The ensuing chaos is nightmarish and you'll most likely end up on your battered metal ass.
Pack of wolves
You only find yourself jostling among the group at the start of the race, which is a shame. The rest of the time the pack seems to be very spread out.
Done and dusted
Choosing a vehicle is just as important as driving well. And consider the track's surface as well. For dustier courses, we suggest using buggies.


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Watch out for car hire excesses
Excesses can be ferociously expensive and hire companies will offer you the opportunity to reduce that figure by paying an additional daily supplement - known as additional liability insurance, a collision damage waiver or theft protection - which can significantly bump up the total cost of hiring the carRachel England, journalist
How can we help you with car hire today?
With the help of weholiday.co.uk[1] you can find a great deal on car hire at thousands of destinations worldwide, looking at the factors which matter most to you, and with the ability to choose between airport and city pick-ups.
Need more information?
Book with confidence - weholiday.co.uk benefits from ABTA and ATOL membership.
If you click the 'Get Prices' button above, our quick-and-easy form will ask you to input your chosen car pick-up point, pick-up date and time, and drop-off date and time.
Our search results will then present the options which you can refine by car class - mini, economy compact, intermediate, standard, premium, full-size and luxury.
You can also refine the options to specify the number of doors, if you require a passenger van, an estate (wagon) or convertible, and whether or not you want air conditioning and a manual or automatic gearbox.
The results display an image of a typical car from the named class with a brief description of the deal and the price.
When you see an option you like, you can click on the 'show important information' button to see a more detailed description of the package showing what's included in the price, optional extras and fees, deposit and payment requirements, fuel policies, pick-up and drop-off rules, driver requirements and other key terms and conditions.
Did you know...?
- Some companies won't give an exact indication of the excesses you're liable for until you've made a payment and arrived at the hire station
- In North America it's illegal in some states to have opened containers of alcohol anywhere in your vehicle
- In Spain failure to carry a reflective hazard triangle will be met with an on-the-spot fine
- In France it's mandatory for all motorists to carry an unused breathalyser kit meeting French specifications
You can then choose to proceed and buy online, or there's the opportunity to purchase over the telephone, something you may have to do if you're booking car hire at the last minute.
If you're struggling with the options, you'll see a phone number you can call for help, plus links to a 'contact us' page.
You can also try Gocompare.com's guide pages, where you'll find the answers to more frequently asked questions.
Our guides provide help with the different types of vehicles available and on additional requirements to consider such as fuelling options, child seats, air conditioning, additional drivers, breakdown cover, sat-nav, driving across borders, and whether to choose a manual or automatic car.
Read more about whether to consider booking your car with your holiday, pick-up and drop-offs, mileage limits, driving licences, passports, why you may require a credit card to hire a car, excesses, inspections and insurance, and see if you find our guide to driving abroad to be of use.


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I sometimes refer to postings on the blog Pterosaur Eyewitness, and I now tackle the controversy in "Jonathan Whitcomb: Pterodactyl Expert." I will not get into any of the controversy on religion. Actually the subject of religion is not covered in depth, but that is what apparently elicited the critical comments on the original cryptozoology.com forum.
Regarding the fossils of pterosaurs, Whitcomb is nothing like a paleontologist. He probably could not tell the species of a fossil of one if he dug it up himself. He is a cryptozoologist who interviews eyewitnesses of what many call "pterodactyls," which is simply the name many non-paleontologists use for "pterosaur." He searches for the eyewitnesses who think that they have seen modern pterosaurs, and he tries to figure out if they misidentified a bird or a bat or if they saw what they think that they did.
Within the popular concepts of paleontology, Whitcomb's writings about modern pterosaurs appear ridiculous. In that sense, he could not possibly be an expert on pterosaurs. But the original title for the cryptozoology.com discussion was "Jonathan Whitcomb: Pterodactyl Expert." The word "pterodactyl," in this sense, refers to the layman's expression, not the paleontologist's. Since common people report seeing modern "pterodactyls," and cryptozoologists like Whitcomb interview them and believe most of those common eyewitnesses, Whitcomb is an expert. But of course that is in the sense that modern pterosaurs could be living among humans.
So what does all this boil down to? If all pterosaurs (AKA pterodactyls) are extinct, nobody whose experiences are confined to eyewitnesses can be an expert, even if he writes books on the subject, like Whitcomb has done. But if even just one of the eyewitnesses has actually seen a modern pterosaur, then Whitcomb is an expert, having interviewed perhaps more eyewitnesses than any other cryptozoologist. Of course with all that said, the existence of modern pterosaurs does not necessarily mean that all of his ideas are correct.
But is there such a thing as a pterodactyl expert? The subject came up recently online.


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CAIRO (Feb. 14)
Hassan el Banna, leader of the fanatical anti-Zionist Moslem Brotherhood, today protested to the Egyptian Government against the showing here of a newsreel depicting Jewish re-settlement in Palestine.
The film, which is on view in three Cairo cinemas, pictures French post-war reconstruction. A few shots are devoted to the settlement of a small Palestinian village by Jewish immigrants from France.


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Why is Lord Capulet having a feast/party? And why does Romeo decide to "crash" it?Also, what is Juliet's relationship w/her parents like?
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It is not very clear why Capulet is having a party... we just know that there is one.
Romeo very reluctantly goes to the party. Benvolio is with Romeo when Capulet's servant who can't read asks Romeo to read the list of names that the servant needs to go invite. The servant acted as the local evite or text message... but had to use his feet and speak. His illiteracy forced him to rely on an apparently well-to-do looking person who happened to be a Montague. Romeo read the list and out of courtesy, the servant invited the boys as long as they weren't Montague.
Ironically, they were.
Benvolio encourages Romeo to go because Romeo was trippin over a girl named Rosaline and Ben thought if they went to the party, he could convince Romeo that other girls were prettier than Romeo's Rosaline.
Mercutio backed Benvolio up and further pressed Romeo to go even though Romeo didn't want to.
Juliet's relationship with her parents is good until she meets Romeo. After she falls for Romeo, Juliet's parents press her to marry Paris and they have no idea her heart is elsewhere. If she could be honest with them things would be different, but apparently she feels under these circumstances (like most teens) she needs to hide.
They appear to be having the party because it's traditional. We are not told exactly why, but Lord Capulet tells Paris (Act I, Scene 2) that it is something that they always celebrate.
Romeo is not really the one who decides to crash it. Benvolio and Mercutio are bugging him to go in. He doesn't want to because he's moping about Rosaline. But they keep making fun of him so he goes a long.
Juliet gets along fine with them. They care about her wishes (in terms of marriage) and she says that she will pay attention to their advice.


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and numerals and their ancient religious uses in our e-book
Ancient Creation Stories told by the Numbers
by H. Peter Aleff
The hieroglyphic numeral sign sequence
marked the making of numbers and world
The ancient Egyptian numeral system
That heavenly entity bends down to the up-reaching human, and both come together to form the "ankh". This fusion with the divine brings breath and life to the human, and it connects the eternal with tangible reality, as in the statues and temples which the Egyptians built for the gods to dwell in on earth, and which their representative the pharaoh upheld with each god's rituals to receive and maintain that life.
The numerals which connect these two components of "Life" form thus an orderly ladder between earth and heaven, many centuries before the biblical Jacob would dream of this vital link with the divine.
The ancient Egyptian kings monopolized the role of the human in this life- giving and life- maintaining equation, and they used that role to power the pharaonic system for the more than three thousand years of its existence. We can therefore say that this simple equation described and provided the motivation or energy for the cultural achievements of ancient Egypt, and that it functioned back then as an equivalent of the equally simple E = mc2 which now describes and provides our energy and powers our civilization.
Moreover, both the Shen-Ring of "Eternity" and the Ankh sandal strap of "Life" were made from double rope, so the designer of these ingenious metaphors for describing the creation and essence of the world further anticipated the currently fashionable and equally all- encompassing string theory for the creation and underlying nature of that world.
String theory has been called "mathematical theology" because the realms its authors postulate and describe are about sixteen orders of magnitude beyond any currently conceivable experimental verification. Its ancient rope version falls in the same category, but its designer(s) and proponents deserve extra credit because they needed only five orders of magnitude beyond their first observable phenomenon, the emergence of sun and life, to fully account for the beginning of all.
Also, the ancients tied the end of their sequence back to that beginning and so added a purpose to their creation, an achievement which the modern theorists have yet to match.
Read more about the signs that compose this series, or explore another ancient creation story told by the numbers -- the biblical account of Genesis One expressed as quasi- equations between constants with symbolic values that reflect their mathematical properties.
Contact us at recoveredscience.com


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Father, as I look ahead to the next several days I would ask for Your watch care over my family. Keep us safe and keep us in the center of Your will. Help us to love each other and to make the most of our time together. Help me to keep my heart fixed upon You – to be motivated by what You would do. Help me to be a true reflection of You in all I say and do.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-28 (<<click here)
Lord, me being holy (my sanctification) is wholly dependent upon You. I cannot sanctify myself. Some days it feels as though I can barely keep myself pointed in the right direction. All I can really do is to totally (spirit, soul, and body) give myself over to You. You have given me a free will and I willingly give my life over to You. Who but the creator of me would know best. You alone know what is now (in its entirety) and what will be (in all its possibilities).
Again, Lord, Paul refers to You as "the God of peace" and again, from the many experiences in my life, I know most assuredly that true peace is found only in You. Any peace I can generate is short lived – and probably even that little bit rightly must be attributed to You.
Only You can make me holy. Only you keep me blameless in my entirety (spirit, soul, and body). Only You "will make this happen" for You call me and You are faithful. You are my everything. I find completion only in You. Help me to be all You want me to be! Help me to live my life to the fullest – fulfilling Your call with every breath! Amen – so be it!
August 8th, 2015, Sat, 5:59 am


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Read Manifesta Journal #12 online here.
"The true art of a curator is an art of compromise." No doubt Pierre Restany's bon mot reflects the reality of curatorial practice. Curators are dealing with different and often alien interests—political, economic and social. In realizing their oeuvre, they must always satisfy the requests of politicians, sponsors, managers, artists, professionals and large audiences. What are the limitations of this art of compromise? Does an art of compromise also presume a consciousness of what should not be a matter of compromise? These are among the many questions that lay at the ground of Manifesta Journal 12 on curatorial ethics; these questions ultimately also try to examine whether ethics is a secondary consideration for curatorial work, or inextricable from the process and as such a consistent part of the curator's intellectual self. Miguel Á. Hernández-Navarro, in the Discourse section, takes his point of departure from Simon Critchley's position on ethics, which claims action in order not to limit itself to mere discourse. Accordingly, the curator's job is an ethical one which is shaped by a multiple commitment towards the institution, the artwork and the public. In the Positions section Dieter Roelstraete questions if curatorial ethics as such exists, and whether it's not a questions of doing it. He argues that all curating should be ethical: it should be caring about the stranger. Thomas Wulffen writes a personal account of his withdrawal from curating, and Søren Andreasen and Lars Bang Larsen speculate on the concept of mediation as a condition of today's curating. A group of curators (Magali Arriola, Francesco Manacorda, Gerardo Mosquera, Mark Nash, Giacinto Di Pietrantonio, Kathrin Rhomberg) has been invited to contribute with brief statements defining their position of curatorial ethics. In dialogue with Miguel Á. Hernández-Navarro, Simon Critchley further delves into the relation of ethics to the arts and the ethical responsibility of curators for action. Further in the Dialogue section, a conversation between Pier Luigi Sacco and Angela Vettese focuses on the complex relations between art and economy, and Zoran Erić interviews Maria Rus Bojan and Ami Barak, who curated this year's Venice Biennial Romanian Pavilion, about the ethics in artist-curator collaboration, the professional ethics of curators and their responsibilities. Jan Verwoert questions in the Variations section if there is something like a codex for con-artists, cultural producers, writers, and curators, or if this should just be just called the ethics of disappointment. In the Practice section, Katerina Gregos describes the many tasks curating requests beyond display and interpretation of art which often end up in strategic choices in pursuit of political and aesthetic correctness, and clientelism. She argues for a concentration on art and the visual and a thorough research, which seems to get more and more lost in today's curating. MJ #12 is the final issue of the second Manifesta Journal series.
The issue includes contributions by Søren Andreasen, Magali Arriola, Ami Barak, Lorenzo Benedetti, Simon Critchley, Zoran Erić, Jonathan Griffin, Katerina Gregos, Miguel Á. Hernández-Navarro, Lars Bang Larsen, Francesco Manacorda, Gerardo Mosquera, Mark Nash, Giacinto Di Pietrantonio, Alessandra Pioselli, Kathrin Rhomberg, Dieter Roelstraete, Maria Rus Bojan, Pier Luigi Sacco, Marjolein Schaap, Jonas Staal, Jan Verwoert, Angela Vettese and Thomas Wulffen.


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I have recently moved into an old cottage with a very owergrown garden. In amongst the weeds is an apple tree which looks in a poor state. Is there anything I can do to help it recover?
Fruit & veg
Old apple treesJump to latest post
1 to 1 of 1 replies


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Trae Patton/NBC
Trae Patton/NBC
No one ever said that competing in Hollywood Game Night was going to be easy!
NBC's hit game show series is back for a second season, and this time host Jane Lynch is ready to throw some extremely difficult games at this year's wild and crazy celebrity contestants.
"We have some new games, but we're not messing up what made it great," the Glee star recently revealed to E! News. "You really do feel like you're at a party with these people. This season, there's a lot of new celebrities where people are having fun and the line blurs between celebrity and friend and they all just become gamers. "
We've snagged an exclusive hilarious first look at Monday's all-new episode of Hollywood Game Night as the Spice Girls' Mel B tries to lead her start-studded team to victory, but struggles with a tricky tongue twister.
In the surprisingly difficult memory game, Link in the Chain, the contestants must quickly guess the word that their team captain is describing to them.
However, in true HGN fashion, there's a big catch: Before they guess the word, the players must rename each and every previous answer in the round as well as put them in the correct order. To top it all off, each of the words begin with the same letter, making transforming their long-winded answers into a giant workout for both their memories and their tongues.
Take a look at our exclusive clip above as Mel B, joined by her teammates Brooke Camhi, Nate Berkus and Erika Christensen, battles with her brain and tries to complete the chain as fast as she can. (Spoiler alert: Parenthood's Erika Christensen puts everyone to shame with her amazing memory.)
Hollywood Game Night airs Monday at 8 p.m. on NBC.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Big Little Lies Season 2 Story Details Revealed With Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz Officially Returning


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Gerstein / Guerrero / Cleveland Orchestra
"Kirill Gerstein, in his debut with the [Cleveland] Orchestra, proved to be a bold, sensitive soloist [in the Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3], with an ability to send piano sound vibrantly into the summer night. … [He] made the lyrical material sing, and his fingers appeared to be unstoppable amid Rachmaninoff's torrent of notes."
– The Plain Dealer, Donald Rosenberg, July 2008
• Liszt, Schumann and Knussen
• Sonatas for Viola & Piano Vol. 1
Launch player
• Brahms, Schubert and Franck
• Sonatas for Viola & Piano Vol. 2


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John Kerry will be on FOX's "Geraldo at Large," talking about the situation in Afghanistan and his call for more troops there tonight at 8pm EST. Geraldo Rivera was reporting from Afghanistan, and word has it that it was a really engaging interview, so tune in!
Here's the line-up for the Sunday Shows:
- Meet the Press hosts Rudy Giuliani.
- Face the Nation hosts Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE).
- This Week hosts Joe Biden and the roundtable consists of George Will, Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts.
- Fox News Sunday hosts Mike Huckabee and John McCain, the Dean of the Nat'l Cathedral Samuel Lloyd.
- Late Edition hosts Pakistani Pres. Pervez Musharraf, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and a roundtable with The Hotline's Amy Walter, CNN's Ed Henry, and CNN's Suzanne Malveaux.


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Telfair Museums provides many opportunities for families to visit the museum, learn, and make art together. If you're looking for a fun and educational activity for children, you've come to the right place!
Hand Casting Special
Saturdays and Sundays from April 1 – May 13
$15 per person (plus museum admission)
Preserve every detail! Create a fun and memorable keepsake of your loved ones hand. This activity for family and friends or just interested individuals is perfect way to create a personalized sculpture. Using quick setting skin-safe materials we will make a mold of your hand resulting in highly detailed, colorful and expressive plaster hand casts. The process takes about an hour, and pre-registration is required.
Art Start: Stroller and Toddler Tours
3rd Thursday of Every Month
$5 per child / adult members free / adult non-members $20
Start your day with art with our new and combined programs! Once a month, our youngest patrons are invited to the museum for story time, a special tour, and an art activity. Strollers, crying babies, toddlers, and older siblings are all welcome here. Come play and learn with us!
April 19
Complex Uncertainties, Movement and Motion in Art
Drop-In Studio
Daily | 1-4pm
Jepson Center
FREE with museum admission
Unleash your creativity, and join us in our studios every day for artmaking projects for all ages! Work at your own pace and comfort level through an array of creative mediums such as watercolors, collage, calligraphy, origami, coloring books (for adults, too!), and much more. Each month features a special project designed to connect with a specific exhibition at the museum. A studio assistant is always on-hand to answer questions and assist guests. Drop-In Studio is open all year round and perfect for all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult caregiver.
Landscape Painting
Movement and Motion in Art
Free Family Days!
Telfair Museums' Free Family Days for Chatham County residents are offered throughout the year. Enjoy music, artist demonstrations, hands-on art-making, and guided tours free of charge.
Open during regular Jepson Center hours
A great place to visit after school, on rainy days, on weekends, or just anytime, the Telfair's hands-on learning gallery and interactive exhibits provide an excellent introduction to big ideas about art.
Educator Guides
DOWNLOAD EDUCATOR GUIDES on our educational resources page before your museum visit and explore the museum with fun and educational search activities.


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It used to be that when I was a kid, one honey cake was sufficient for Rosh Hashanah. If my mom was feeling really ambitious an apple cake might follow the next night. But these days, with the availability of so much more of the fall fruit harvest everywhere, it makes sense to celebrate that bounty.
Think figs. I had yet to meet a genuine fig until I was an adult and living on the left coast. I only knew fig from that infamous cakey cookie that we all know and sometimes love.
I had no idea they were an adorable little fruit that arrived at the market early fall. The first time I tasted a real fig it had been picked that morning from a co-worker's tree. I felt slightly nervous about that first bite because it had no resemblance to that flat dry cookie – and it was juicy – like real fruit.
Assured that they don't have to be cooked to be edible, I gingerly took a tiny little taste. I was instantly smitten and managed to eat almost the whole bowl of fruit by myself. Let me tell you – even if you are tempted – Don't. Do. It. A little bit of fig is a good thing. A pound or more of figs is like getting your fiber fill for the year in one big-gulp.
But since that day almost two decades ago, I find any excuse to buy fresh figs when they arrive at the market. I love them plain. And I love them cooked (try roasting some with a drizzle of olive oil and honey). I love them baked into goodies and this tart is no exception. The flavor is something you won't forget and if you love figs, apples, honey and pomegranate – this tart is for you.
You will want to visit here for an easy GF pie/tart crust – just use all vegetable shortening to keep the tart dairy-free.
What a sweet start to the New Year. L'Shana Tova!
|Rosh Hashanah Figgy Tart, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
- 3-2-1 pie crust made with 100% shortening instead of butter (see post for link)
- 1 jar Fig Preserves or jam
- 2 - 3 large granny smith apples
- 1 lemon
- 5-6 tablespoons honey (plus a little more for squeezing)
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate concentrate (juice)
- 1-2 dozen fresh black mission figs
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- 1-2 teaspoons pomegranate concentrate
- Preheat oven to 350. Press crust into a 9 to 10 inch tart pan. Chill crust while oven preheats.
- Spread fig preserves in a thin layer all over bottom of chilled crust. Cut up apples into ¼ inch size cubes. Zest about ½ the lemon over the apples in a small bowl. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice and toss. Stir together the honey and pomegranate concentrate and add one tablespoon of the mixture to the apples. Stir. Place apples in the chilled crust over the layer of fig preserves. Press down to fit snuggly. Drizzle honey over the apples. Cut stems from figs and cut each fig in half. Lay them in a circle pattern over the apples with cut side down. Fill in the entire top snuggly. Press gently. Drizzle the remaining honey, pomegranate mixture over the top of the figs.
- Place tart pan on sheet pan (to catch any drips) and bake about 35 minutes and rotate. Bake for about 15 minutes more or until the crust is lightly golden and the apples are cooked. Cool for about 10 minutes.
- Heat a tablespoon or two of honey with a teaspoon or two of pomegranate concentrate until bubbling. Brush immediately on top of the tart to the edges. Cool and serve. Spoon additional honey/pomegranate sauce over each piece if desired.
How about some more Fig Tart recipes?
Eat the Love's (Hi Irvin) GF Fig & Raspberry Mascarpone Tart & Local Honey
From Chez Pim – Pim's Best Fig Tart
And from Helene Dujardin at Tartelette a fabulous Gateau De Riz Aux Figues


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Enough with the witch-hunt already. There was no incompetence or conspiracy in Nokia board's $25M Elop deal
Last week Nokia filed their proxy materials for the Shareholder Meeting to approve the sale of its mobile division to Microsoft. Buried in the documentation were a few paragraphs regarding the compensation Nokia CEO Stephen Elop will receive when the sale goes through.
A whopping $25 million! Or 18.8 million Euro ($25.3M), to be exact.
Internet erupted in righteous indignation. What, after he destroyed Nokia, this $%^%&% Trojan horse Elop gets a quarter of a hundred million dollars?! What a travesty!
Over the weekend things got worse.
Enterprising Finnish journalists dug up a mention of "change of control " clause in Elop's contract. It said that if Nokia, or significant part of Nokia gets sold, all of the options and restricted/conditional shares that Stephen Elop has been granted during his tenure as CEO vest early, and will be bought from him for a price of 4.2 Euro per. Which was the biggest part – $19.6 million – of his $25M windfall.
And all the hell broke loose. "Elop was a trojan horse" conspiracy theorists suddenly felt vindicated:
"You see – even before hiring Elop, they've already wrote the contract so that his main goal will be to destroy Nokia, and sell it cheaply to Microsoft! It explains everything!!!"
Even respectable Forbes joined in:
"This effectively means that the board hired a man who was given a giant carrot to drive down Nokia's overall valuation and phone volumes while preparing a sale to Microsoft. What could possibly be a reason to structure Elop's original contract in this manner? Did the board in fact end up promising Elop more compensation in case he sells the phone division than if he runs it with modest success?"
And Tomi Ahonen concocted a 9000 word fairy tail about how Big Bad Elop swindled the clueless Board and killed Nokia.
The problem is –it is all nonsense.
Yes, the $25 million compensation for Stephen Elop, for what is an ultimately failed tenure as CEO, looks and is excessive. But in these days of hugely compensated rock-star CEOs, is that news? Did you hear about Thorsten Heins payday after Blackberry gets sold? Do you know how much Hewlett-Packard CEO Leo Apotheker took home after only 11 months of running HP PC and Palm divisions into the ground?
Yes, Nokia board made a lot of mistakes over the years. Before and after Feb. 11th. Most grievous of which was to bet the company 100% on Windows Phone. But to accuse them of gross incompetence, or even ill intent/conspiracy to destroy Nokia over Elop's contract incentives? A simple look at the publicly available Nokia annual reports and proxy materials will show you that such accusations are a big pile of horse manure.
Here are the facts.
- Out of the 18.8M Euro compensation package Stephen Elop gets after the sale to Microsoft is completed, the part everyone is angry about – is 14.6 million Euro worth of Nokia shares Elop now owns due to accelerated vesting of "change of control" clause. Which means he now owns ~3.5 million Nokia shares.
- Before February 11th deal was made and announced, Stephen Elop was only granted 100K of restricted Nokia shares vesting in 2014. Other equity grants included 500K options at 7.59 Euro price, and from 75-300K performance shares. So, before Microsoft deal was signed, Elop was set to receive only 900K, or 25% of Nokia stock he currently owns. But only if the new strategy worked, and Nokia sales and share price went up. If, as it happened, Windows Phone strategy didn't work and Nokia share price fell below 7.59 Euro, options will become worthless, performance shares will be voided, and Elop will be left with only 100K restricted shares, worth 420K Euro today.
- After Feb. 11th deal was signed, to make sure Elop gave the new strategy his best shot, Nokia Board renegotiated his contract. They reduced CEO cash bonuses by 30%, instead giving him a chance to earn up to 750K additional Nokia shares, on top of the traditional equity incentives. The condition? New strategy/company turnaround has to work, and by the end of 2012 Nokia stock price should get to 17 Euro (from 8.30 Euro on Feb. 10th). 750K Nokia shares would have been worth 12.75 million Euro at that price.
- More than half of Elop's controversial equity award, worth 7.7 million Euro (at 4.2EUR price) is part of normal CEO compensation package, and would have been his if he just stayed with Nokia for the next 2-3 years. Whether he sold the company or not. The only way he wouldn't receive those – is if he decided to leave, or was fired with good cause.
- A total of 780K (22% of current total) Nokia shares have been granted to Elop before Nokia's first major profit warning on May 31st, 2011, when Nokia stock tanked below 4.2 Euro level.
- The "unusual" shares that he received due to "change of control" clause, make up about 6.9 million Euro of Elop's equity compensation package. Or about 1.6 million Nokia shares.
- By my best estimate, majority of that stock is part of 2012 and 2013 performance shares award, where Elop was given a chance to earn somewhere between 350K and 2.8 million shares, depending on how Nokia performed in 2012-2015.
- At the time the first part of controversial equity was granted, Nokia was already more than a year into contract with Microsoft, and the high probability that the new strategy can fail was apparent to everyone. Nokia stock traded between 1.5 and 3 Euro. Any steps Nokia CEO and the Board took with the goal to raise the company market value after that, were aligned with shareholder interests.
- The actions Nokia board and CEO undertook after May 2012, when the first controversial performance shares were awarded to Stephen Elop, worked. Even without Microsoft deal. On September 2nd, a day before the deal to sell mobile division to Microsoft was announced, Nokia stock traded for 3 Euros, almost 100% above its lowest point in July 2012. With MSFT deal, Nokia shares are now at 4.9 Euro – up 300+%. And, yes, those actions Included granting stock options and performance shares to company CEO.
So those are the facts. Now a bit of speculation.
If Nokia Windows Phone strategy worked, Elop was in line to receive 13 million Euro worth of shares as bonus from his special deal with the board, made after Feb 11th. If Nokia performed to the max in 2011 and 2012, at the start of 2013, and including only restricted and performance shares awarded by the board as a normal course of business, Elop would have owned an additional 680K restricted and about 1 million performance shares. (I reduced maximum performance share award to OPK levels). Add it all up, and it translates into a total of 2.43 million Nokia shares worth 17 Euro each. Which in turn gets you to 41 million Euro, or 55.5 million US dollars Elop would have received if his bet on Windows Phone paid off. And that's even before options kick-in. How is that for incentive to do the best by Nokia?
And one more thing. Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo served as Nokia CEO for 4 years, from June 2006 till September 2010. Stephen Elop was CEO for three. Want to guess how much OPK took home in equity awards between 2008 and 2010, during his last 3 years as Nokia CEO? When the seeds of Nokia 's downfall were sown? It's a bit tricky to figure out exactly, but according to my best estimate – between 11 and 17 million Euros. Yes, there was no early vesting provision in case of change of control in his contract. And yet, the amounts both CEOs earned in equity compensation, for bringing Nokia down from its glory days, are remarkably similar. But somehow I must have forgotten all the outrage directed at OPK compensation package, when he left in September 2010.
It seems that most of the equity awards to OPK were in the form of performance shares. Even though recorded as compensation for the years 2008-2010, none of them were delivered to him and have been cancelled upon his departure from Nokia. The actual value of equity compensation OPK received in 2008-2010, was 4.5 million Euro. I apologize for not getting this right the first time.
This is the first part of this post, giving you mostly my conclusions about CEO compensation from Nokia annual reports. Check back tomorrow, for part 2- a detailed breakdown of how I arrived at these conclusions.


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Kansas University senior cornerback Kendrick Harper, who left Saturday's victory over Louisiana Tech late in the first quarter on a stretcher, was released from the hospital Sunday evening and was doing "fine", according to coach Mark Mangino.
"As we speak, he's being released," the coach said Sunday evening. "He had a battery of tests taken, and everything seems to be fine. He feels a lot better. In fact, I just talked to him a few minutes ago, and he's being released and he says he feels a lot better. That's good news."
Harper appearred to be injured during a head-first collision with Louisiana Tech receiver Phillip Livas. He came off the field on his own power, but was later put into a stretcher and taken away in an ambulance.
Despite his release, however, it was unclear whether the Hartwell, Ga., native and Butler County Community College transfer would be available for the Jayhawks' game against 19th-ranked South Florida on Friday in Tampa.
"I've never even discussed that with him or our medical staff," Mangino said. "I was more concerned with his health. When he comes in tomorrow I'll talk about that. I don't have any clue, and it's not even been discussed, to be quite honest with you."
University doesn't anticipate a problem with South Florida weather: Severe weather stemming from Hurricane Ike is not expected to affect Kansas' Friday night matchup with South Florida in Tampa, school officials said Sunday.
"The people at South Florida called us last week and they don't expect any problems," Kansas associate athletics director Jim Marchiony said Sunday. "At that point, they thought that it might come through on Tuesday, but they don't expect any problems (with the game)."
Last week, rumors on various Web sites suggested that if the severe weather prevented the teams from playing in Tampa, it was possible the game could be moved to Memorial Stadium.
But Marchiony, who said he'll keep in touch with South Florida officials throughout the week, was quick to shoot down those rumors Sunday night.
"There's been a lot of talk on the internet, apparently, of the game being moved to Lawrence," he said. "That will not happen. Any of that, that will not happen."
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