text:
This is still in progress, I have a bit more to add to the end of this but I didn't want to leave you with nothing so Ta-Dah...
Ash POV
Last week's Barbeque had gone well, and we had much to work on as a whole but overall the performance could be considered a major stepping stone to success. I never forgot what I had promised myself that life changing night. And to think it was all for her. Sure I cared about all the members, but none of them could really motivate me like she did.
I went to school early that morning and happened to see Ariana standing in the hallway. She was staring distantly at a few posters on the wall, with a perplexed expression. "Hey!" I called out to her and I saw that her eyes instantly lit up when she saw me. I was happy that my presence had momentarily distracted her from her current worries, but I wanted to know what plagued her so.
"What's got you so down?" I asked her curiously because I wasn't accustomed to seeing her without a cheery smile. Ariana had a rejuvenating smile that spread like pathogens in the wind, and never ceased to always make my day better.
Find that her cleverly misleading cast had been overseen; she let out a weary sigh before addressing me properly. "You noticed?"
"Of course Ariana, a good friend always notices. Especially when such a lovely soul is unsettled…Now, care to share with me?"
"… It's my Photography project… I need a model, and nobody available exactly fits my criteria. It's due next Thursday and I'm a bit stressed that I won't be able to finish it." While she vented this to me I tried to stop the obviousness caused by my twitching mouth to give away the fact that this was a perfect opportunity for me! I was completely free this Sunday, and I would be ecstatic to do this for her.
I was about to happily offer myself when his impulsive, and sickening egotistical voice filled the air. Phil Brandy, a trombone player with a mouth big enough to fit three entire double cheese burgers at once like that lady I saw at White Castle the other day. He was a narcissistic kid that constantly obsessed over working out, and would care more for his amateur abs then if his own mother were dying. The biggest thing that peeved me about that jerk though was his painfully obvious crush on Ariana.
Phil blurted uselessly, and I could tell Ariana was only trying to be polite when she gave him her attention. "Oh… Hey Phil-" she began, only to be instantly cut off by the blabber mouth.
"Hey Ariana! What's shakin' baby? Wanna talk with me, sure you do come on, here come get breakfast with me. Protein is everything baby!"
She gave me an apologetic glance as she was pulled away, and I replied with a sympathetic smile. "I- I'll see you later I guess!" I called after her disappointedly as she was whisked away around the corner.
Luckily Nokia had been sticking around school campus a lot lately, helping construct choreography moves and studying the drill. He was one of my good friends and a first year in a community college nearby. He knew the ins and outs of Marching Band and more importantly, girls. I went into the upstairs storage center of the band room where I found him sitting in one of the rooms reading our new drill.
I tapped on the door lightly and he looked up, his surprised look soon becoming a welcoming smile. "Oh hey Ash," He greeted a bit distractedly before facing me fully. "I was just overlooking tonight's drill, what's up?"
My heart raced a little at the thought of hanging out with Ariana but my body tensed more so at the fact I would have to ask her first. "I need your advice regarding…" I hesitated for a moment, not sure how to express my current distress to my best friend.
"Regarding?" Nokia urged curiously, and I could tell he already knew the subject I was trying to talk about.
I took a deep breath and raised my shoulders to look at him more confidently as I spoke, "Ariana." I said her name carefully, as to pronounce every syllable and form of her name correctly. "I was planning on helping her with a project this Sunday. It's my only free day before it's due for her."
His amused expression changed drastically and fell into a disheartening frown. "Look…" he began slowly, "I knew this was going to have to happen sooner or later but have you even consulted The Low Brass section?"
I was abashed at his response, I had completely forgotten about attaining permission. "No, I forgot about that. It shouldn't be too hard right? I mean, all I want to do is hang out with her."
Nokia stood up and put his hands on my shoulders. "You do understand the band hierarchies do you not?"
"Of course, and frankly I don't care!" I replied in a defensive like manner for I had already worried about this in the past and knew where he was taking this. Plus I already decided that I would take the risk and would do anything to win her, and her section over.
"Calm down and you should care if you ever want to hang out with her outside of school." He stated firmly.
My irritation relieved at his words, "You're going to help me?" I asked him surprised.
"Yes, but pay close attention to this beforehand warning. Low brass has always been the most mysterious, and nonsensical section in the history of all bands. Pink Devils' is known to have the most brutal of them all. You're asking to spend time with their best female member, and I know for a fact they will not let you within 10 feet of her outside of band and school without a series of trials. Do you understand so far?" He shot a serious look at me while speaking to make sure I was following along and went so far as to flick me when I began to day dream during his explanation.
I nodded eagerly, but my gaze was far ahead of him. I was internally panicking, why were there already so many obstacles for just a simple hang-out? I shook my head and tapped my foot a few times to regain my composure. I looked up at Nokia with determination, "What do I do first?"
Nokia seemed to be in deep thought, "You must set up a meeting with the Boss otherwise known as Head Section Leader. Do this by finding one of his messengers, a freshman, and get him to figure out a time for you two to meet." He explained this to me overly discreetly, despite being alone in the same room. "After you're done, return here and I'll tell you how to impress the Boss on first encounter."
I slowly returned downstairs and exited the Band room. My eyes darted around endlessly, searching for any freshmen member of the Low Brass. Finally after wandering two halls, in F hall there he stood… shadily hanging about the Low Brass dominated classroom, F.4.
"Hey!" I called out to the raunchy fellow, his name was Evick and as soon as he heard me, he took off down the hall. Damn it… With extreme precision I chased the little rat down and tackled him to the floor. "Dude!"
"What, I have to use the bathroom!" he whined. I let him up, and tried to ignore his persistent glare towards me. Many lower classes despised my perfection and high position, but I respected them none the less.
"Oh… well, I just need you to set up a meeting with your leader."
Evick sighed and pulled out his notepad and pencil, "State your reason."
"Ariana," I retorted bluntly. My frustration only grew as he snickered while scribbling down on his pad.
"Last question," he told me wearily, "Of what importance are you? Do you even hold any worthiness to approach our great leader?"
This kid was pulling all the wrong strings. Like back in the day when old woman yet worked in factories, and they were barely able to neither see nor work with their arthritis filled hands. I grasped him roughly by his shirt and leaned in intimidatingly close. "You tell your leader, that Ash Ambrosia wants to have a talk with him. Drum Major." His eyes became fear stricken at my assertion and he scurried off back to the F4.
I waited patiently outside of the classroom door and after about 7 and a half minutes, the kid ran back out. He had a more welcoming approach which surprised me, "Wan Q, 2:35. If you're even a second late, don't bother showing up." I gave one short nod, and as the kid went back in I could faintly make out their leader before the door closed. My eyes widened when I realized who stood before him, it was Phil! And the leader seemed to converse with him rather respectively. The leader met my eyes for a split second and I could already sense his cockiness and disdain for me.
His name was Dave Dingle or D.D, and he'd like to go by Diva Dave but the only people that would call him that were freshmen and cowering low brass. Most of us preferred Derpy Dave, ever since his derp fall during a performance back in his freshmen year.
I made haste to Nokia and ran up the stairs excitedly. "Dude, I did it! Now what?" I badgered while caught up in my success.
"Good!" exclaimed Nokia, "Now, while approaching the leader you must exhibit your dominance. It's best to go in shirtless,"
"Also bring a gift to impress the leader like money, or something shiny. He likes a confident and witty approach so do not under any circumstances show any sign of intimidation or anxiety. Got it?"
I patted his shoulder gratefully, "Yeah, thanks a bunch Nokia!" His speech ended perfectly on time, right as the bell rang.
School became more agonizing then ever and I must have glanced at the clock thousands of times before finally it read 2:27. HOLY CRAP, 2:27, I need to get out of here! I quickly ran to the front of the classroom, "I have to go!"
"Poop…" someone added from the back of the room, but there wasn't time to react and I sprinted out of the school, heading towards Wan Q. I must have looked like a wild man or something because a woman tackled her child out of my way. Geez… I forced my legs to take larger steps as I ran. My lungs were ready to burst, 2:32. Come on…
2:34… There it was! Wan Q, that horrible Chinese restaurant. I took a magnificent leap forward and ripped off my shirt before bursting through the two, Asianly engraved front doors. 2:35.
All eyes were on me and I breathed heavily in response. My radiant sweat rolled down my unmistakable perfectly sculpted abs."I'm here to talk about Ariana Claire Shelby."
"So is he," replied D.D, and much to my dismay, pointed to another snickering figure among the Chinese darkness, Phil. He was too shirtless, but nobody in the room would dare deny my body over his.
"But first…my gift." D.D ordered. "Phil here was dedicated enough to give me a set of fine silver spoons…"
HIS GIFT, OH SHIT! I chuckled lightly aloud; I'm going to kill myself. No wait, think Ash, think… Money and shiny things! I got it… my drivers' license! I reached into my pocket with a smug expression and pulled out my wallet. I took out my drivers' license and held it up for the group to see and among the gasps I heard a light scoff which I assumed came from Phil.
My eyes scanned my surroundings and I saw that D.D sat in an elegant red chair, his face hidden by a large plant that stood as tall as a 4'1 midget. Around him were his fellow senior type, and junior type. Bowing before him were his loyal and sneaky freshmen. I saw that D.D stood from his chair and walked towards me. I held up my license with dignity, as he approached and didn't bat an eyelash when a stream of light revealed his face.
He snatched the license from my hands greedily and held it up to the only stream of light in the room. "So shiny…" he murmured admirably. "What is it about Ariana?"
"I want to help her with a project this Sunday." A large lump in throat threatened my voice's mystical capability but I managed to push through it.
A series of gasps erupted once again around me but I stood my group, my body flushing with manliness.
D.D laughed loudly, and I only narrowed my eyes in response. "How unfortunate, our respectable member Phil has already asked permission to ask Ariana on a date this Sunday."
"Please," I stated rather than begged, trying to maintain my omniscient figure. "She needs this project done, and this Sunday is my only free day! I will embark on any tasks you bestow upon me, just please give me a chance against Phil."
D.D sighed in frustration, "Then again, because you are drum major I am burdened with the golden rule to allow you to compete against our worthy member and complete the tasks we assign."
My heart raced, now was my chance! "Anything!" I insisted.
"Ash, your first task is to buy my loyal members and I a meal of whatever we choose." He told me in a cunning tone, and then turned to Phil next. "Phil, you… must eat 3 dumplings."
Was the food here even edible? My face twisted visibly into a suspicious fashion but I decided to hold my tongue. I watched in disgust as Phil practically joined in on the meal I was paying for and I had an underlying sense that he was being favored.
I stood idly and waited for the group to receive their meal. The food here looked absolutely disgusting, and the only thing that anyone benefited from this was food poisoning. Low Brass was full of masochist, and I respected Ariana a great deal for handling this. Once the food came I immediately and grudgingly paid for their $67 meal. "Okay, what's next?" My voice was growing in impatience, and despite my actual loss, the others consoled Phil on having to eat so much food.
"Do a little dance for me. Phil, open up everyone's fortune cookies."
My expression became horrified, "What the hell man?!" Wasn't being shirtless enough for these guys? Plus opening fortune cookies, seriously?!
D.D stood and slammed his hands against the table that was as wooden as a tree. "No questions! If you want to date Ariana then you better strut your mama's stuff!"
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, "If I'm gonna… if I'm going do this, at least put on my jam." What about my… Oh to hell with dignity! My dignity belongs to Ariana Claire Shelby.
Bring the action… When you hear this in the club, you're gonna turn this sh.. up.
Close enough. I jumped on the nearest table, and rotated my hips in a slow and taunting manner. I moved every limb to the beat of the song and gave it everything I got. As a man I felt totally stripped, and letting loose never hurt anyone… but in my situation, perhaps a decline in mental health would be the case.
In the corner of my eye I saw D.D whisper something to Phil and during my improved routine Phil suddenly came over and stuck his foot out. It was too late to dodge it and I tripped over his foot which caused me to land with a thud against the floor. I took another deep breath and stood up, making like nothing had happened. After 5 minutes of this torturous performance, and being forced to listen to Phil reading everyone's fortunes, I was called to stop by D.D. "That's all I can take…" he admitted breathlessly.
I exhaled and looked at him with gratitude for finally allowing me to stop. "What's my next task?" I asked hopefully, wondering if it would be any better than my previous tasks.
"Uh…" D.D fumbled for a moment, while looking up and if I wasn't so caught up in trying to impress them, I probably would have pointed out the fact he was beginning to make things up on the spot. "We're all heading back to the school. We told Galactica we would repaint the shed white, but I think you should do it instead. Phil, you shall be troubled with the task of passing him the brush and paint." Phil groaned in response and dropped to one knee melodramatically. "… I shall do it for Ariana."
"So brave…"
"He's so selfless!" exclaimed a few of the other members.
To maintain my sanity and growing rage, I clenched and unclenched my fists multiple times as I reluctantly followed the group back to the school. As we approached the shed, I was awed by how run down the building actually was. To repaint the entire wall would take hours, and to think that Phil brat only had to pass me the damn brush…
I pulled out the ladder while Phil brought out the paint and set it down next to me. He flashed me a devious grin but for his leader's eye, patted me on the back roughly. "I respect your competition, and may the best man win Ash."
"Yeah… same to you," I retorted through gritted teeth. I climbed the ladder regretfully and felt so overwhelmed that I had one of the most horrible thoughts. Was a simple photo shoot really worth all this? I forced myself to pray for forgiveness, and nearly punched myself in the face for ever thinking to blame her innocent being for any of this. Of course, everything to do with her was most definitely worth it. Phil tossed me the paint can which momentarily stunned me when I tried to catch it, and I nearly toppled over with the ladder. Next came the brush, and for once I was finally gladdened to be rid of their presence for a while.
Unbeknownst to me, down below D.D unraveled his last task of the day to Phil. "If you really want Ariana, I suggest you follow this next task. I want you to push Ash off the ladder, and hopefully it'll be an accident he won't wake up from in time for this Sunday."
Phil cackled, "It would be my absolute pleasure sir…"
I had just finished painting the upper half of the wall when suddenly the entire structure I stood on violently lost its balance and sent me plummeting towards a terrible fate. Using my hard earned strength I thrust my arm out and grabbed onto the side of the roof. I was dangling like a rag doll, and I glanced down at the ground to see the ladder far out of reach. "PHIL!" I called desperately.
Ariana POV
I walked through the parking lot to set up for sectionals at 5 when a weird dangling shadow caught my attention from the corner of my eye. My eyes followed the movement and I could see a boy hanging on to the edge of the shed building. I immediately stepped forward in a rush to head over and help the poor guy when Phil took up my entire vision. "Phil!" I exclaimed, "There's someone on the roof and I need to-!"
"What are you talking about girl? Whatever, anyway I got this fortune today and I need help deciphering it." He ignored my hyped looks, and instead shoved his fortune into my face.
"Phi-" and once again I was interrupted. I sighed impatiently and read the fortune quickly in my head. this is not of importance to the beholder but to the forced finder. What you assume is true, but the nit wit is keeping you from sight. Crazy fortune… but what does it mean? "Okay Phil, I have no idea now if you'll excuse me I think someone is in troub-" This time I stopped in my tracks. When I looked past his thick head, I saw that the dangling boy I had seen before was no longer anywhere in sight.
I rubbed my eyes a couple times and then awkwardly shrugged off the whole ordeal. What a weird thing to imagine… especially since it kind of reminded me of Ash.
Ash POV
Before I could even try to pull myself up, my sweating palms gave out and sent me straight towards the ground. Luckily but yet painful, my fall was braced by the well placed bushes below me. I climbed out with only a few scratches and brushed myself off. When I looked up I saw Phil walking away and talking to Ariana. I stared in disbelief and soon realized that the cheeky bastard must have pushed me. My guess was only confirmed when Phil draped an arm around her shoulder and turned his head to give me a victory-like expression.
No, maybe he thought he was winning but I was going to model for Ariana at all costs, and nobody, not D.D or Phil was going to stop me!
I climbed the ladder with new found inspiration and painted that wall with love and passion, like a fish going for the worm stuck on a hook. The worm was Ariana, and the hook was the edgy tasks I was getting. If I saw through their cleverly masked plans, I would be able to skillfully retrieve the worm… but if I didn't… I would be pierced and eventually ridiculed while fried on a pan.
It took me about 50 more minutes to finish the wall in my current state and when I finished, I quickly went to the field that Adira had set up all by herself. Though with 10 minutes left before stretches, I consulted the Low Brass regarding my next task.


text:
I have been living in London for a month now, and while I love the rush of the city, after one trip too many on an overcrowded tube, pounding from dreary pavement into sweaty metal box, I needed some fresh air. So to Hampstead Heath I went. On a sunny Autumn afternoon, it was the most glorious place in all of London.
I had heard of Hampstead Heath of course, even seen it in films, with that iconic view of London in the background. But what surprised me, as I walked up a track, kicking through the first of the Autumn leaves, is how so much of the 'Heath' is actually much more like a forest. To me, a heath conjures up sparse, open land with maybe the odd scrubby plant, but the area called Hampstead Heath is mostly woodland. It took hardly any time at all to be completely lost among trees, squelching through mud, not a single sound of the city to be heard.
Birds chirruped, leaves rustled, the odd twig snapped underfoot. Occasionally, I would meet somebody else along one of the muddy trails, but they too were dressed in suitable attire for a woodland walk, and it felt like I had been transported back into the deep English countryside.
With golden rays of late afternoon sunlight filtering through the trees, it was almost impossible to believe that I was still in the middle of a metropolis. It bears no resemblance to any kind of city park – it is natural and wild.
Finally, after tramping round the woodland with little sense of direction, I emerged onto the 'heath' bit of Hampstead Heath. The trees gave way to an open hilltop. Then, as I reached the very top of the Heath, London reappeared. It is the kind of view you'll pay £25 to see from the top of the Shard or on the London Eye, but here it is free. Even though I could pick out all of London's major landmarks, they seemed reassuringly distant. The sinking sun was reflected in the shiny buildings of the city, making it seem as if they were glowing orange.
Over the city vista, an almost-whole moon was rising. I kept turning from city in front of me to nature behind me – and the whole place kept me captivated for more than an hour. I watched as they sky segued through paintbox colours – pink and orange, purple, then dusky blue.
The sun sank behind the trees; the moon rose ever higher and became bright. Slow, pulsating lights appeared at the top of the skyscrapers and planes flashed across the sky, flying under the moon.
I was tempted to wait until all the lights came on across the city, but it was getting colder by the minute and I was a little worried about finding my way off the Heath in the dark. So, once I had to pull on my gloves, I decided it was time to go.
Ten minutes later, I found myself in Starbucks, ordering a chai latte to warm myself up, while outside taxis and red London buses whizzed up and down the busy street. It felt like I had been so far away from London, yet it had still been here all along.
What a very blessed place London is, to have countryside right inside the city. I know I will be back at Hampstead Heath for my next country fix after a few more tube journeys.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Expert Insight on Waterfront Homes in Virginia Beach It's been a while since I wrote my first post about Waterfront Homes in Virginia Beach. Since then prices have rebounded off the bottom of the market and in my opinion, should continue … [Read more...]
Waterfront Homes in Virginia Beach
July 21, 2015 by
Waterfront Homes in Little Neck
September 16, 2014 by
If you're considering looking at Waterfront Homes in Little Neck, the first thing you'll need to decide upon is what type of waterfront do you want? This is because depending on where a particular home is located in Little Neck, the type … [Read more...]


text:
Simply add water to this powder. Then watch and feel the slime form. Comes in an attractive laboratory tube with a screw lid.
Choking hazards: Not suitable for children 3 years and under
*Subject to item availability. Please leave your contact phone number where possible*
Delivery times are dependent on your location.
International orders please contact us prior to ordering
For your security and peace of mind all postage is registered through Australia Post and is a flat rate of $12 inc. GST throughout Australia.


text:
This woman is in Congress. Her name is Corrine Brown, and she's a House representative from Florida. And I knew that America had a growing illiteracy issue, but I didn't realize it was so bad that we were electing people to the legislature that didn't know how to read. And I'm not simply referring to this bumbling speech that Brown delivered in her pajamas about how "Tim Tivo" and "Irving Myers" won the national championship in January.
In 1993, Brown was fined $5000 for an ethics violation as a state legislator. She was on trial in 1996 for gerrymandering her district out of predominantly black neighborhoods. In 1998, the Congressional Accountability Project found that Brown had violated the House gift rule. And apparently she's racist, too. From Wikipedia:
On February 25, 2004 Brown referred to the George W. Bush administration as a "racist" "bunch of white men" in a meeting with senior State Department officials and members of Congress.[7] Assistant Secretary of State Roger Noriega, a Mexican American, said that he deeply resented "being called a racist and branded a white man." Brown replied to Noriega and Cuban-American Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart that "you all look alike to me".
Alright, enough of that. Watch the video after the jump. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll start rooting for Ohio State.
|Spencer Hall at Sporting Blog|


text:
What does WISH mean in Unions?
This page is about the meanings of the acronym/abbreviation/shorthand WISH in the Community field in general and in the Unions terminology in particular.
Wholistically Integrated Socioeconomic Health
A deeper look into health: Combining "holistic" within the word wholistic,then intelligently mixing that concept with a knowlege of the "socioecomomic" the people and their enviromental factors.
Find a translation for WISH in other languages:
Select another language:
What does WISH mean?
- wish, wishing, want(noun)
- a specific feeling of desire
Discuss this WISH abbreviation with the community:
Use the citation below to add this abbreviation to your bibliography:
"WISH." Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2018. Web. 24 Feb. 2018. <https://www.abbreviations.com/term/1382499>.


text:
Accompanying article: Kefir
Using the same kefir grains (see Kefir—Homemade) as for making kefir milk, you can make a variety of healthful, lactic-acid fermented beverages.
Sandor Katz, writes in Wild Fermentation that "You can kefir fruit or vegetable juice, or water with any sweetener you like, or rice milk, soymilk, or nut milk. Cranberry juice dyed the grains red and Gatorade (!) left a neon blue stain. Whatever the medium, the grains seem to transform it, though they do not rapidly multiply as they do in milk. The process is exactly the same as kefiring milk."
My favorite medium is apple juice. Apple cider is a bubbly, refreshing and healthful lacto-fermented beverage with a pleasantly acidic and complex flavor derived from fermentation.
Fermentation (1) eliminates the carbohydrates and (2) forms lactic-acid and lactobacilli. Either fresh or pasteurized apple juice may be used, however fresh juice yields a longer-lived and more vital cider. Note: This cider may develop about .5 percent alcohol and so it is not recommended for recovering alcoholics. To reduce the development of alcohol, you may add a pinch of salt.
1 quart unfiltered apple juice*
2 tablespoons of home brewed cider or a lacto-fermented starter (see Kefir)
Place apple juice, starter and salt in a quart jar. (Fermentation works best in full containers.) Rest, do not tighten, the lid and leave at room temperature for 12 – 24 hours or until it gets bubbly (fermentation time varies). Cover tightly and refrigerate. Note how the flavor profile changes over the next several days from mildly sweet and "green" to rich, buttery and mildly acidic rather than sweet.
Reserve some cider or the kefir grains from this batch to start your next batch. If kept overly long the flavor becomes "off", it tastes funky-yeasty and a thick, yeasty sediment develops on the bottom. Although it's not harmful to drink, discard it. Your sense of taste will unerringly prevent you from drinking spoiled cider.
*Tart juice from less sweet fruits such as pear, sour cherry, apricot or pomegranate may be substituted. Note: juice blends with grape juice concentrate will not work. Neither will a "sweet" juice, such as orange, peach or mango. However, for a flavor variation, add a tablespoon of cranberry or blueberry concentrate to apple juice.
May you be well nourished,
Rebecca Wood


text:
Video: Speak Out And Support A Balanced Budget Amendment
September 26, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Business, Congress, Conservatives, Constitution, Economy/Finances, GOP, Government, House of Representatives, Illinois, Jobs, Randy Hultgren, Republicans, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Video: Speak Out And Support A Balanced Budget Amendment
From the office of Rep. Randy Hultgren (Ill., 14th District)…
A balanced budget amendment (BBA) to our Constitution is a permanent solution to our nation's fiscal crisis to legally force future Congresses and Presidents to stop spending money they don't have. Earlier this week I sat down to share my thoughts about a BBA and why it's so important for the future of our country.
America Speaking Out (ASO), www.americaspeakingout.com, is an online community aimed at giving you a voice and the power to set the agenda in Congress. Through ASO, you can express your opinion about the BBA, which will be voted on in the House this fall.
I encourage you to visit www.americaspeakingout.com now to express your opinion about a BBA. It is through the support of the citizens like you that a BBA will become a reality – bringing much-needed certainty to the small business community, putting an end to the out-of-control spending, and restoring accountability to Congress.
Read more
A REAL American Would Wait Longer For Gov't Healthcare
September 25, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Democrats/Leftists, Entertainment, Government, Health, Hollywood, Liberals, Michael Moore, Movies, RightPundits.com, Warner Todd Huston | 2 Comments
-By Warner Todd Huston
Hey, you selfish Americans! What's this business where you think you deserve to get healthcare when YOU think you need it? What is the deal with your arrogant feeling that you must be treated for your illness right away? I mean, if you were a REAL American, you'd put your selfish needs behind you and wait in line for substandard, hard to get government healthcare. At least so says "filmmaker" Michael Moore.
According to Real Clear Politics, Moore scolded Americans for being selfish in their healthcare choices. Moore was talking Obamacare on the little watched HBO cable show called Real Time with left-wing host Bill Maher.
Read the rest at RightPundits/com.
Herman Cain Ad: Obama, a Failure to Lead
September 25, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Conservatives, Economy/Finances, Elections, GOP, Herman Cain, President, Republicans, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Herman Cain Ad: Obama, a Failure to Lead
Congratulations to Herman Cain for his big win of the Florida Straw Poll. In celebration I thought I'd post his TV ad again…
The UAW's Waning Days?
September 25, 2011 | Filed Under Business, Campaign Finance, Capitalism, Democrats/Leftists, Detroit, Economy/Finances, Elections, Government, Jobs, Liberals, UAW, Unions, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
The UAW's Waning Days?
-By Warner Todd Huston
Reuters has a very interesting article detailing the fall of the United Auto Workers (UAW) in the modern era. It is a long article, but if you are interested in the way the UAW intends to keep itself relevant to the auto industry on into the future, it is worth the read.
It is also a good article if you want a glimpse of the possible end to the UAW. Its deep financial troubles, its steady loss of members and plants to represent, and its powerlessness to spread its cancer to other auto makers in the south is an ominous warning that the UAW might be headed for the dust bin of history.
Let's not start popping champagne corks yet, though. We should not count the UAW out, of course, as it is still very powerful. But things are not looking good for the once supremely powerful union.
Read more
Tom Weber, Republican for Lake County Board
September 25, 2011 | Filed Under Elections, Lake County, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Tom Weber, Republican for Lake County Board
From the Tom Weber campaign…
Through leadership and common sense, my goal is to set the standard for what being a good steward of the taxpayers' trust is all about. I will be forward thinking, work to eliminate senseless regulations, and work towards eliminating wasteful spending.
I will be honored to represent my friends, neighbors and small business.
I am a small business owner and have been part of this community my entire life, and I want to help our community thrive once again.
The 3rd District is not only part of my history, but part of my family's history as well. The Webers have lived and been employers in this community for over 100 years. As I walk the district and speak with people, many are not earning what they did 4 years ago. Many more are having a difficult time managing their own budgets. Any way that we can give the taxpayers relief will help. Its time to get creative to help them. As stewards of taxpayer money we need to learn how to do more with less.
Read more
Frank Hyland's Food for Thought: The Most Closely Held Secret
September 25, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Frank Hyland, Jobs, President, Taxes | Comments Off on
Frank Hyland's Food for Thought: The Most Closely Held Secret
-By Frank Hyland
On the night of January 20th/21st, 2009, a large, dark SUV pulled onto the White House grounds and disgorged the deepest, darkest secret of the administration – In addition to Barack H. Obama, his twin brother, Tele P. Obama, resides in the White House and has covertly exercised the responsibilities of the Presidency ever since, whenever he could get away with it. The existence of Tele P., of course, has been kept a closely held secret by the President's senior staff. But a review of the President's actions over the past almost-three years has thrown a feared and unwanted spotlight on Tele P. In the process, the reputation of the President's senior staff, which has been much maligned as a lying bunch of Chicago thugs, has been restored. Just a brief review of the ill-considered, amateurish actions of Tele P. will quickly convince you of his existence:
** Barack told us all this August that he would unveil his Jobs Plan soon, in order to deal with the urgency of the situation. While Barack remained in the White House working feverishly, Tele P. was photographed on vacation in Martha's Vineyard and telling us that he would give the speech when he returned, thereby destroying the sense of urgency expressed by Barack.
** Actually, Tele P. began countering Barack from the very beginning. Tele P. ignored the concerns of the American people and, while Barack was in his office working long and hard on a jobs program, Tele P. emphasized a healthcare reform package and targeted banks and Wall Street.
Read more
Ga. Middle School: Muslim Polygamy Is Normal, Burkas Good For Women
September 24, 2011 | Filed Under 9/11, Anti-Americanism, Children, Christianity, Civil Rights, Democrats/Leftists, Education, Ethics, Georgia, History, Islam, Islamofascism, Koran, Liberals, Patriotism, PCism, Religion, Society/Culture, Terrorism, Warner Todd Huston, Western Civilization | Comments Off on
Ga. Middle School: Muslim Polygamy Is Normal, Burkas Good For Women
-By Warner Todd Huston
A middle school in Smyrna, Georgia included in an assignment material that essentially shows 7th grade children that Islamic polygamy is a perfectly legitimate concept and that there is nothing wrong with the strict dress codes used to oppress Muslim women the world over.
The material was presented to the 7th graders at Campbell Middle School as part of a discussion of the school's dress codes, apparently meant to use the ideas of Islamic culture for women's clothing as some sort of example to compare how the school regulates clothing for its students in Georgia.
The concepts were presented in the lesson as a letter from a fictional 20-year-old Muslim woman named "Ahlima." In this letter "Ahlima" tells readers that she wouldn't mind if her husband took a second wife and also extolled the virtues of the burkha. She claims that American women are "horribly immodest" in the way they dress.
As to polygamy, the fictional Ahlima says, "I understand that some Westerners condemn our practice of polygamy, but I also know they are wrong."
Read more
More Pressure on Obama's DOJ OVer Fast & Furious
September 24, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Eric Holder, Ethics, Government, Liberals, Mexico, President, RightPundits.com, War On Drugs, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
More Pressure on Obama's DOJ OVer Fast & Furious
-By Warner Todd Huston
The pressure for Obama's Department of Justice to come clean on its part in the murderous program to arm Mexican narco-terrorists is mounting as another GOP lawmaker demands answers.
Representative Lamar Smith (R, Texas) who is the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee has sent a letter to Attny. Gen. Eric Holder demanding more information on the part the DOJ had in the failed program to track guns in Mexico.
Smith warned Holder that recent personnel changes would not paper over or hide its culpability in the program variously known as Gunwalker or Operation Fast And Furious. Smith told Holder that he can't "pin this scandal on a few individuals and expect it to be forgotten."
Read the rest at RightPundits.com.
Victory for Bloggers: Illinois Blog Wins Lawsuit
September 24, 2011 | Filed Under 1st Amendment, Blogging, Computers, Constitution, Free Speech, Freedom, Illinois, Inernet, Law, Liberty, Technology, The Law, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Victory for Bloggers: Illinois Blog Wins Lawsuit
-By Warner Todd Huston
In a good sign for blogger free speech, a lawsuit against a high profile conservative blog in Illinois has just been tossed out. A political contributor brought the lawsuit over a story about property tax reassessments and political contributions. This is a victory for free political speech as well as a victory for the status of blogs in the world of "journalism."
I've been aware of this story for some time but the folks at Illinois Review, the blog in question, asked me to sort of keep it all quiet. There were all sorts of legal questions being thrown about and since the folks that run the blog don't have deep pockets and the whole thing was being born at their own expense, they wanted to be sure this whole mess didn't escalate and hurt them too bad financially.
The lawsuit meant to silence the blog was a convoluted one, to be sure. Illinois Review had posted a story that revealed that former Ill. State Rep. Paul Froehlich (R, Schaumburg) had sought campaign contributions from property owners who had won property tax relief claims that the Representative had assisted in getting settled. But after the story went live, due to the notoriety the county assessors office reversed those tax relief decisions.
Read more
Kinzinger/Gonzalez Amendment Adopted into TRAIN Act Forces Agencies
September 24, 2011 | Filed Under Adam Kinzinger, Business, Capitalism, Congress, EPA, GOP, Government, House of Representatives, Illinois, Liberals, Regulation, Republicans, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Kinzinger/Gonzalez Amendment Adopted into TRAIN Act Forces Agencies
From the office of Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill., 11the District)…
To Assess Consequences of EPA Regulations for U.S. Energy, Manufacturing & Jobs
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-11) along with Congressman Charles Gonzalez (D-TX) today offered a bipartisan amendment to the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts to the Nation (TRAIN) Act, H.R. 2401. The Kinzinger/Gonzalez Amendment would give Americans the opportunity to receive an explanation of the costs and job impacts associated with a new EPA regulation on gasoline before it can be enforced. The amendment was adopted and the TRAIN Act passed the House with bipartisan support.
Currently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is developing a "Tier 3" rulemaking that would further reduce sulfur levels in gasoline to an average of 10ppm – this is a 70 percent change from today's already low levels. In 2004, Tier 2 rules reduced sulfur by 90 percent from 100ppm to 30ppm. The Kinzinger/Gonzalez Amendment forces the EPA to ensure that the economic and job impacts of the Tier 3 regulations are thoroughly analyzed and reviewed.
Read more
Former Elmhurst Police Chief Millner Endorses Dillard
September 24, 2011 | Filed Under Conservatives, DuPage County, Elections, GOP, Government, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Republicans, Senate, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Former Elmhurst Police Chief Millner Endorses Dillard
From the reelection campaign of Senator Kirk Dillard…
At the York Township Republican Committeemen meeting, Illinois State Senator and long-time Elmhurst Police Chief John Millner (R-Carol Stream) endorsed Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Westmont) in Dillard's race for re-election to the 24th Senatorial District. Millner is also a Past President of the Illinois Police Chiefs Association.
Calling Dillard one of Illinois finest legislators, and a friend of all of the communities in DuPage County, Millner cited Dillard's accomplishments, especially in the areas of accountability/transparency, fiscal policies and law enforcement.
"Sen. Kirk Dillard is the voice of DuPage County in Springfield and we must have his valuable experience in stopping the tax, spend and borrowing agenda," Millner said.
Read more
Shaking Assumptions Regarding Natural Disasters
September 24, 2011 | Filed Under Christianity, Frederick Meekins, Religion | Comments Off on
Shaking Assumptions Regarding Natural Disasters
-By Frederick Meekins
Though the event displays the wonder of God and His creation, no minister can hand down an edict one way or the other whether a particular earthquake other than the ones foretold in prophetic passages of Scripture such as the Book of Revelation was an act of retribution and judgment.
Countless congregations no doubt heard from the hyperpious among their number how they were disappointed the quake didn't result in total destruction and that any not so eager for it all to end aren't even worthy of the chewing gum stuck under the pew.
In response to the earthquake, it has been admonished that it id God and not government that saves you. But should you need to be pulled from the rubble, is it the direct hand of God doing so or, in the vast majority of instances, is it more likely to be a policeman, firefighter, members of the National Guard or a group of average concerned citizens? Taking this mindset to its natural conclusion, is it therefore wrong to express gratitude toward parents if they do something good for you? Is it wrong to verbalize one's love to one's spouse if language can only be used in such an exclusivist and univocal manner? Furthermore, if we are to wait on the direct divine intervention of God to determine what happens to us in such calamitous upheavals, does that mean we should not seek medical attention during times of sickness or to even prepare a meal to stave off hunger?
Read more
Issa Getting 'Zero Percent' Cooperation from DOJ on Operation Fast & Furious Investigation
September 23, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Liberals, Mexico, President, RightPundits.com, War On Drugs, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Issa Getting 'Zero Percent' Cooperation from DOJ on Operation Fast & Furious Investigation
-By Warner Todd Huston
Rep. Darrell Issa (R, Calif.) recently told Greta Van Susteren that he and Senator Chuck Grassley (R, Iowa) are getting "zero percent" cooperation from Obama's Department of Justice in their investigation into Operation Fast and Furious, Obama's disastrously failed program that ended up arming Mexican narco-terrorists.
Said Issa, "This has continued to be frustrating that, as the Mexican government tells us publicly, they're being kept in the dark, we can't give them information from the Department of Justice. We can only give them information we're getting from whistleblowers — and we're getting a lot."…
Read the rest at RightPundits.com.
Illinois at Bottom of Favorable Business Climate List
September 23, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Business, Capitalism, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Jobs, Liberals, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment
-By Warner Todd Huston
Thanks to Illinois Democrats and Governor Pat Quinn, Illinois now sits among the worst states in the country for jobs and business. Texas and North and South Carolina rank as the best.
Illinois is the state with the third worst business climates in the country. Only New York and last rated California are worse in the survey of 322 corporate executives conducted by Development Counsellors International (DCI).
The survey, taken every three years, asks the executives a series of questions meant to discern the most effective tools for marketing and business that leads to deciding where to open new offices and expand business. Executives cited low operating costs and a pro-business climate as the chief reasons for looking upon a state favorably.
California remains the worst state, the survey found.
Read more
Obama's Mounting Scandals
September 23, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Congress, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Ethics, Government, Liberals, President, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Obama's Mounting Scandals
-By Warner Todd Huston
The Heritage Foundation has a post giving a run down of some of the scandals mounting in the Obama administration… you know, the most ethical administration ever? Yeah. That one.
Most of them have to do with Obama's penchant for crony capitalism. Like the good socialist he is, Obama wants to pick the winners and losers in the world of business so he shovels mounds of the taxpayer's cash to the companies of pals and donors so that they will… well, apparently so that they will give him money back in donations and then just go bankrupt!
The post at Heritage details the crony capitalist scandals of failed companies like LightSquared and Solyndra.
Read more
Five Wars, 63 Years of Terrorism, and Israel Survives
September 23, 2011 | Filed Under Alan Caruba, Anti-Americanism, Anti-Semitism, Islamofascism, Israel, Liberals, Terrorism | Comments Off on
Five Wars, 63 Years of Terrorism, and Israel Survives
-By Alan Caruba
The people who have given us bagels and lox, potato latkes, and chicken soup, in addition to the Old Testament, Albert Einstein, and a list of Nobel Prize winners as long as your arm, are in for yet another interesting week.
Last week, Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas announced that the Palestinian Authority would not make a bid for statehood at the United Nations. That may have had something to do with massive pressure from the United States, Europe, and Saudi Arabia.
You can always trust a Palestinian's word, right? Wrong. The next day, September 15, Abbas said the PA had changed its mind and would go to the UN Security Council to ask that it grant statehood to Palestine, admitting it as a full-fledged member.
Read more
Kinzinger, House Energy and Commerce Committee Passes Bipartisan Legislation to Prevent U.S. Cement Plant Closings and Save Jobs
September 23, 2011 | Filed Under Adam Kinzinger, Congress, Conservatives, Energy, GOP, House of Representatives, Regulation, Republicans, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Kinzinger, House Energy and Commerce Committee Passes Bipartisan Legislation to Prevent U.S. Cement Plant Closings and Save Jobs
From the office of Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R, 11th District)…
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed bipartisan legislation known as the Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011. Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-11), who serves on the Committee and is an original co-sponsor, says the bill would protect domestic cement manufacturing and tens of thousands of American jobs.
Kinzinger made the following remarks in his opening statement:
"Last September, the EPA released new regulations on the American cement industry. These new requirements will cost $3.4 billion, close 18 of America's 100 cement plants, and leave 20,000 Americans without jobs.
"When this rule is in full effect and the plants are closed, where will America purchase its cement? From China, a country that is producing cement with zero environmental safeguards? With the increased demand in China global hazardous pollution will rise with these new rules.
"This bill gives regulators time to develop practical rules for cement manufacturing facilities and will protect jobs in the cement industry, the manufacturing industry, and the construction industry that could otherwise be sent overseas. Enough is enough. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bipartisan legislation."
The Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 was first introduced on On July 28, 2011. The legislation would grant federal regulators more time and guidelines to develop achievable rules governing emissions from cement manufacturing facilities. This necessary extended timeline would prevent plant shutdowns, while protecting jobs. Estimates confirm that recent rules issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could result in shutting down nearly 20 percent of the nation's cement plants in the next two years, driving up the price of cement, increasing imports, and eliminating thousands of jobs.
Read more
A Blueprint for Illinois Job Creation
September 23, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Business, Capitalism, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, GOP, Government, House of Representatives, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Jobs, Liberals, Regulation, Republicans, Senate, Taxes, Tom Cross, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
A Blueprint for Illinois Job Creation
From the Illinois House Republican Caucus…
We traveled around Illinois this week introducing our new jobs plan to several communities in an effort to become more competitive with other states in order to retain and grow jobs.
Media Round-up:
- Read about the jobs plan in Decatur (Decatur Herald-Review).
- Watch our efforts on a television station in Peoria (WEEK-TV)
- Listen to a radio show in Chicago (WIND radio-560 AM).
We've all seen the news. Mounting debt, sluggish consumer confidence, zero jobs created in August – the first time since World War II that the U.S. economy had a net zero jobs created for a month – and the Illinois unemployment rate at a staggering 9.9%, nearly a full point higher than the national average.
Read more
Ethics Violator, Crook, Congressman Gets Nice New 'Official Portrait' In U.S. Capitol
September 22, 2011 | Filed Under Charlie Rangel, Congress, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, House of Representatives, Liberals, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Ethics Violator, Crook, Congressman Gets Nice New 'Official Portrait' In U.S. Capitol
-By Warner Todd Huston
Apparently, crime does pay. New York Democrat Congressman Charles Rangel has been censured by the House of Representatives for corruption but that won't stop him from getting a wonderful new portrait unveiled in the capitol of the United States of America.
This week Rangel is being allowed the honor of having an official portrait of himself hung in the Longworth House Office Building. It's a portrait he paid for himself… out of his campaign funds…
Read the rest at RightPundits.com.
Obama: The Economy Isn't My Fault, I SWEAR TO GOOOOOOOD
September 22, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Government, Jobs, Liberals, President, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Obama: The Economy Isn't My Fault, I SWEAR TO GOOOOOOOD
I have to apologize to Freedom Works. I stole their video and added the Jake Blues apology scene into it. Freedom Works did not add that scene from the movie, but I just couldn't resist it.
President Obama's NLRB & Their Summer Assault On American Jobs
September 22, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Government, House of Representatives, Illinois, Jobs, Liberals, NLRB, President, Public Employees Unions, Regulation, Taxes, Unions, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
President Obama's NLRB & Their Summer Assault On American Jobs
-By Warner Todd Huston
Obama pretends that he wants to cut regulations and make it easier for businesses to make jobs. Unfortunately, what he says and what he does with his powers to regulate are two very, very different things.
From the Workforce Fairness Institute:
Read more
Chicago: Union Members Collect Millions in Tax $$ With Sweetheart Pension Deal
September 22, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chicago, Cook County, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, GOP, Government, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Liberals, Pensions, Public Employees Unions, Taxes, Unions, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Chicago: Union Members Collect Millions in Tax $$ With Sweetheart Pension Deal
-By Warner Todd Huston
Now this is the sort of corruption we are used to seeing in Illinois, eh? This week the Chicago Tribune and WGN TV has found up to 23 retired union operatives that are collecting millions in taxpayer dollars because they had pals in government tweak the state's pensions laws to favor them.
These former government workers that were government union members got pliant politicians to alter the pensions laws to say that their pension remuneration would be calculated not on the lower pay they received when they retired from government, but from the much higher salary they received when they worked as union operatives. These folks worked as union bosses at the same time as working on the clock for government.
The "luck" of former union boss and Dept. of Streets and Sanitation worker Thomas Villanova is a typical example. Villanova last worked full-time for the city in 1989 and made $40,000-a-year. But he was also a union big wig making $198,000 annually upon his retirement in 2008 at age 56. His city pension, it appears, was calculated on the union salary of $198,000 instead of his real salary of $40,000 — itself obviously a no-show job in the first place.
Villanova stands to make millions off the taxpayers.
Read more
Did 85 Democrats Vote In Favor of Government Shutdown?
September 22, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Congress, Conservatives, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, GOP, Government, House of Representatives, Liberals, Republicans, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston, Washington D.C. | Comments Off on
Did 85 Democrats Vote In Favor of Government Shutdown?
-By Warner Todd Huston
Back on August first the whole country was waiting for the House of Representatives to raise the debt ceiling and offer a continuing resolution to prevent a feared government shutdown. That was done with the support of 95 Democrats who claimed they were desperate to prevent that shut down. (Relevant amendment)
However, in a follow up vote on Sept. 21 on another bill (H R 2608), 89 of those same Democrats reversed their vote and have essentially voted in favor of a government shut down by voting "no" on the latest continuing resolution to keep the government's doors open.
Of course, Democrats voted against this bill because increases in budgets (such as that for FEMA) were offset with cuts in other areas. Democrats simply want to increase spending without the fiscally responsible act of cutting spending elsewhere.
Read more
Cook Commissioners Refuse to Take Furlough Days?
September 22, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chicago, Constitution, Cook County, Cook County Board, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Illinois, Liberals, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Cook Commissioners Refuse to Take Furlough Days?
-By Warner Todd Huston
News today had it that two Cook County Commissioners have refused to take the agreed upon furlough days as required by the 2011 budget, days meant to save the county money. Both William Beavers and Earlene Collins have both refused to take the 10 days off.
Collins claimed on Chicago's WLS AM 89 radio that she shouldn't have to suffer the indignities of the cut in salary that the days off would mean. She says her base pay has never risen since she was first elected to office and that she has already cut out much of her office allowances and other staffing funds so she should not have to take a cut in pay, too.
In fact, claims Collins, she's already made cuts that amount to more than the some $9,000 that her 10 day furlough would add up to.
Read more
Label Them Liberal: No Labels, no honesty, no guts
September 22, 2011 | Filed Under Daniel Clark, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Government, Liberals | Comments Off on
Label Them Liberal: No Labels, no honesty, no guts
-By Daniel Clark
You might remember a Peanuts strip in which scoutmaster Snoopy tries to teach his bird scouts a lesson in survival. "If I were lost in the woods, you know what I would do? I'd open this can of tennis balls," he says. "You know why I'd open this can of tennis balls? Because, when I was packing my gear, I thought it was a tall can of soup." That's the sort of confusion that an organization calling itself "No Labels" is trying to inject into our political discourse.
No Labels, which claims to represent the "vital, civil center" of the political spectrum, aims to "overthrow the tyranny of hyper-partisanship that dominates our political culture today." To that end, it tells politicians to "put aside their labels" and "check their preconditions at the door," so that they can end "gridlock," and get on with the business of solving problems.
Read more
Hultgren Statement On President Obama's Remarks To UNGA
September 22, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Anti-Semitism, Democrats/Leftists, Foreign Countries, Illinois, Israel, Liberals, Palestinians, PCism, President, Randy Hultgren, Society/Culture, UN, Warner Todd Huston, Western Civilization | Comments Off on
Hultgren Statement On President Obama's Remarks To UNGA
From the office of Rep. Randy Hultgren (Ill., 14th District)…
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14) today released the following statement in response to President Obama's speech to the United Nations General Assembly.
"This week, the Palestinian Authority may attempt to have the United Nations vote on the question of Palestinian statehood; this is not only misguided, it is a stunning violation of the spirit of the Oslo Accords," said Hultgren. "We find ourselves at this crossroads due to a failure of leadership on behalf of President Obama. Had the President been a more effective leader, he would have issued his veto threat at an earlier date, in time to influence and shape international opinion against any change in Palestine's status at the UN.
"I had hoped that the President would use his speech before the General Assembly today to lay down a clear marker of his support for Israel. Instead, he once again chose the route of moral equivalence, falsely blaming Israel for the peace process's lack of progress.
"I have always believed that our relationship with Israel is unique in world history, and critical to both countries. Those beliefs were reinforced when I had the opportunity to visit Israel and meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu in May. President Obama must stand up this week not only for Israel and the Israeli people, but also for a commitment to the peace process and the rule of law."
Launch of Choice Media — Education News Service
September 22, 2011 | Filed Under Children, Education, Public Employees Unions, Teachers Unions, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Launch of Choice Media — Education News Service
ChoiceMedia.tv to Serve as Nation's 'Education Reform Homepage'
NEW YORK, NY, September 19, 2011 — Choice Media launches today, a non-profit news service devoted to covering all facets of K-12 education quality and reform.
"Education remains the most under-reported facet of American life by the traditional news media," said Bob Bowdon, founder of Choice Media. "The coverage it does receive is often shallow and scandal-focused, with too little attention paid to the intractable systemic failures of a broken education model. Choice Media will attempt to reddress this imbalance."
Read more
Why Obama's Love Affair with Planned Parenthood?
September 21, 2011 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off on
Why Obama's Love Affair with Planned Parenthood?
-By Kevin Roeten
Asheville's Planned Parenthood Health Center
What is happening with Obama and Planned Parenthood (PP)? Obama and the United Nations? It's a plain fact Obama can reduce the debt easily. But he's not budging with those items. Obama's being very coy about his actions. Obama will not cut taxpayer funds for PP, even though 98% of their expenditures are for abortion.
Obama seems to think PP can do no bad. Lately, he decided to trample the will of New Hampshire. On 9/13, the Obama administration made a decision to force New Hampshire taxpayers to fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business, even after New Hampshire's Executive Council voted to revoke a $1.8 million contract.
PP says the reinstated grant will not fund abortions. But it frees up money the abortion business would otherwise have to spend on advertising and promoting abortions. Obama Administration did not provide any competitive process for other non-abortion agencies to compete for the contract.
Read more
Up to 150 Mexican Citizens Killed By Obama's Gunwalker?
September 21, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, Government, Liberals, Mexico, Republicans, RightPundits.com, War On Drugs, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Up to 150 Mexican Citizens Killed By Obama's Gunwalker?
-By Warner Todd Huston
Just the other day, I noted that we don't even know how many Mexicans have been killed by Obama's effort to arm Mexican narco-terrorists via his Operation Fast and Furious program. Now the Mexican government has put an initial estimate on that number and it reaches upwards to 150 or more Mexicans dead at the Obama administration's hands.
Not only have Mexican authorities determined that up to150 people have been killed by Obama's guns but to this very day the U.S. government has offered Mexico no explanation or coordination on the disastrously failed program.
As bad as any deaths are, one death in particular should tend to truly enrage the Mexican government over the Operation Fast and Furious debacle..
Read the rest at RightPundits.com.
Rep. Walsh WILL Run Against Hultgren in the New 14th District
September 21, 2011 | Filed Under Congress, Conservatives, Elections, GOP, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Joe Walsh, Randy Hultgren, Republicans, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off on
Rep. Walsh WILL Run Against Hultgren in the New 14th District
-By Warner Todd Huston
I spoke to Rep. Joe Walsh in Lake Villa, Illinois this past weekend and one of his first questions to me was about running against Hultgren in the new 14th District. Obviously the question was weighing heavily on him that weekend.
I told him it would be a tough fight but that I felt Joe had gone a long way to get his name recognition up in his first big year in D.C. Other than that, I had no advice on whether or not Joe could win there.
Well, now Congressman Walsh has made the final decision and will run against Republican Randy Hultgren in the new 14th District.
Read more
Social Networking
Help the Soldiers!
American GeniusOur Founding Ideas
- The Declaration of Independence
- The Federalist Papers
- The U.S. Constitution
- Debates of 1787
- The Anti-Federalist Papers
- The Writing of John Locke
"Governments are instituted among men,deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776
Recently Written
Featured Sites
What THEY Say:
Foreign News In English
Illini Alliance
of Thinking
Political Parties
Contact UsEmail Publius' Forum
Other Blogs
Gun Rights
Separation of School
from State
Radio Hosts
|Publius' Forum
|Politics, News, Commentary


text:
HYDERABAD, India -- India's government launched an ambitious food-for-work program yesterday aimed at moving millions of poor farmers back from the brink of starvation by helping them feed themselves.
The national food-for-work program is planned to create employment in 150 of the poorest districts suffering from drought, floods, and other natural disasters.
''This is a first step toward the eradication of rural unemployment and ensuring that nobody goes without food," said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who kicked off the nationwide effort with a brief ceremony in Aloor, a village in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Under the program, workers would earn 11 pounds of food grain for a day's work, with at least 25 percent of their wages paid in cash. The federal government would provide additional food grain and funds to the states.
Singh said the program would help accelerate rural development and boost farm production by building irrigation canals and roads and bridges.
''We will move faster to develop roads and other infrastructure in rural areas," Singh said.
Harvansh Prasad Singh, a federal minister who attended the program's launch, said the federal government had allotted $450 million for the plan.
Creating jobs for millions of unemployed small farmers, many of them devastated by drought and the failure of the monsoon rains, was a major campaign promise by Singh's Congress Party during its surprise win in May's national elections.
India's agriculture is largely dependent on seasonal monsoon rains. Scanty rainfall this year has forced many farmers to sell off their lands or take loans from money lenders at exorbitant interest rates. Local newspapers in recent months have reported at least a dozen suicides by impoverished farmers unable to repay loans.


text:
Over the past few days, I have been working my way through several articles on cognitive linguistics. In particular, I have been focusing on applied cognitive linguistics.and the way this discipline looks at phrasal verbs. That is, how to take cognitive conceptualizations of phrasal verbs and apply those to instruction.
The basis for many applied cognitive linguistic approaches come from Lakoff and Johnson (1980), Tyler and Evans (2003), Kurtyka (2001), and Rudzka-Ostyn (2003). (Full disclosure: I have not read the former two references.)
Cognitive linguists argue that phrasal verbs are not as arbitrary as they might seem. Instead, they are grounded in perceptual experience, from which their metaphorical meanings extend. One common conceptualization of phrasal verbs is as interaction with a container (Kurtyka). For example, in the sentence "Please throw out some ideas," the container is the place in which ideas are held (i.e. the mind). Out represents the movement from the inside of the container to the outsider. Throw also has an important role in establishing meaning, as it represents the manner by which the ideas leave the container. Together, they build semantic meaning that is quite clearly cognitively represented (Mahpeykar and Tyler, 2014). Most, if not all phrasal verbs can be described using a container. This container can be visualized as a simple box container, a mouth, a body, an area, etc.
Another way to conceptualize phrasal verbs is by thinking of them in terms of a landmark (LM) and trajector (TR). For example, in the sentence "He turned into a good student.", "He" is the trajector, "good student" is the landmark, and this relationship is defined in terms of the phrasal verb turn into. Due to the abstract nature of the LM-TR conceptualization, the container metaphor seems to be much more common in the literature.
White (2012) looked at much of the previous research on cognitive linguistic approaches to phrasal verbs and designed an instructional approach, which they then tested in an EAP classroom. The following summary looks at the approach, the experiment, and the findings.
White, B. J. (2012). A conceptual approach to the instruction of phrasal verbs. The Modern Language Journal, 96(3), 419-438.
White reviews a number of articles on cognitive linguistics and phrasal verbs, basing their approach on a synthesis of ideas and focusing on the container, which they call "zone of activity". White presents 5 stages of phrasal verb instruction, all grounded in previous research and theories. They argue that this approach enables "deeper encoding and longer retention" (p. 425).
- Orientation – This stage is meant to reorient students to phrasal verbs, teaching them that they are now random but rather meaning is formed through interaction between the verb and particle. This interaction occurs in the container, or what White refers to as a "zone of activity."Using the sentence "Throw out the trash," White explains that "The zone of activity in (3) can be interpreted as immediately surrounding the person holding the trash (i.e., the trashcan is outside of the zone)" (p. 423). In the more metaphorical sentence, "Now that my father is getting older, he put
up his golf clubs," White says "the clubs begin in the zone of activity because the father presumably played golf on a regular basis. They are then placed out of the zone; in a metaphorical sense, they are put up on an out-of-reach shelf" (p. 423).
- Collection – This stage requires students to "hunt" for phrasal verbs in various sources, building up a collection for analysis.
- Meaning Discussion – The third stage requires the creation of an "exploration worksheet" based on phrasal verbs in context selected from the student collection. Students discuss the meaning and then the teacher gives feedback and appropriate definitions of the verbs.
- Drawing – Students choose phrasal verbs to draw, incorporating the zone of activity/container imagery in order to explain how phrasal verbs are represented.
- Sharing – Finally, students share their drawings, explaining their representations of the phrasal verbs. White writes that this approach places emphasis on inferring meaning from figurative language rather than simple memorization
The Study
This instructional approach was tested in two university-level EAP courses taught by two different instructors. These courses had a combined population of 30 students. Students were given pre- and post- dialogue-based instructional tasks consisting of phrasal verbs with up, out, through, off, down, and in. For these tasks, students were required to explain the meaning of underlined phrasal verbs. A subsection of these tasks recycled up and out phrasal verbs in both the pre- and post- tasks and thus became pre- and posttests. The study was conducted over 7 weeks. Each week, students work through the 5 stages outlined above. Each exploration worksheet consisted of 4 phrasal verbs. Student feedback was also collected.
Results, Discussion, Adaptation
The average increase for all from pre- to post-task for all phrasal verbs was not significant. However, for the pre- and posttest up and out phrasal verbs, the increase was significant with a "modest" gain in scores (p. 429). Fourteen students improved, two remained the same, and six students' scores fell. The analysis found examples of post-task explanations incorporating the new perspective and zones of activity, even if they did not lead to correct answers.
The author recommends adapting this approach by giving more conceptual information, focusing more on the particles, and giving more feedback on drawings – especially regarding the zone of activity. This can also be extended to not just phrasal verbs but prepositions in general (see Tyler, Mueller, and Ho, 2011).
As the author admits, this is not a "silver bullet" to learning phrasal verbs (p. 430). However, building mental models of representation in order to understand figurative language such as phrasal verbs is based on grounded cognitive linguistics theory. The challenge is to find instructional approaches that make these models salient to students while improving their ability to inference, hopefully in real-time. The research is relatively new in this area and it is hoped that more work is done to help find ways to better learn English's complicated phrasal verb system.
Kurtyka, A. (2001). Teaching English phrasal verbs: A cognitive approach. In M. Putz, S. Niemeir, & R. Dirven (Eds). Applied Cognitive Linguistics II: Language Pedagogy (pp. 29-54). Berlin / New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. Chicago/ London : University of Chicago Press
Mahpeykar, N., & Tyler, A. (2015). A principled cognitive linguistics account of English phrasal verbs with up and out. Language and Cognition, 7(01), 1-35.
Rudzka-Ostyn, B . (2003). Word power: Phrasal verbs and compounds (a cognitive approach). Berlin / New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
Tyler, A., & Evans, V. ( 2003 ). The semantics of English prepositions: spatial scenes, embodied meaning and cognition. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press .
Tyler, A., Mueller, C., & Ho, V. (2011). Applying cognitive linguistics to learning the semantics of English to, for and at: An experimental investigation. Vigo International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 8, 181-205.


text:
How did the documentary "Art Practices [between] Gender and Technology"? Research has been a project of the Departmental Unit of Analysis, Design and Society School of Design ESDi and has been a project funded by the Institut Català de les Dones. What is the purpose of the project? The research, based on a feminist perspective, and performance studies, aims to identify and analyze those artists developing collective and collaborative practices using new technologies in their processes. The film wants to make visible and publicize the work and commitment of the current creators regarding social potentialities of free technologies. As well, research networks and free pedagogies that encourage socialization of knowledge and collaborative work. The project focuses on new technologies and their potential. Where is the social and creative potential of these new technologies? In its educational potential: knowledge sharing, exchange, collaborative work, etc.. They are also very important as they allow us to jump borders and physical space. Thus ICT can promote a more just and more democratic. Do you have the feeling that there is more potential now than years ago? The creative potential of new technologies is growing and we can detect, for example, in the field of art practices, called Art in new media, but is equally spectacular creativity that enhance the new technologies in other disciplines, such as design or association communities. How to locate labored interest groups that appear in the documentary? We conducted in-depth interviews with the artists and groups. We value your speech, identifying subjective factors, personal, cultural, social, economic and political. We were interested in selecting groups of artists using new technologies as a platform of knowledge, mediation, communication and free distribution. And this selection emerged artists featured in the final... Artists like Núria Güell, Lilia Villafuerte, Donestech, Miniprimer.Tv, Chicks on Speed, and so on. You speak about new technologies but in a feminist way. Why? Noting the gender discourse and critical theories we find that these new technological practices applied to the field of art made visible, so visionary or delusional, new ways of understanding male-female tension. In this area we find the concept of cyberfeminism, as a way to understand the cyborg in the terms proposed by Donna Haraway (go beyond feminist premises before the seventies). But, although they have high hopes for this sector even as Judy Wacjman explains, the cultural stereotype technology establishes man as suitable activity. And this is seen in art-technology field. The technology applied to art remains an area mainly occupied by men. But, curiously, in Catalonia we have found a strong effervescence of artists and groups that are trying to reverse the situation. Year to year grow and collective events such as Corpus Femlek Deleicti, Donestech, Generatech working in this line. With your research are you discover new concepts and ways of working? Above all we have seen that we knew is much more important than we thought. Certainly creativity that enhance new technologies and traveling freely through the network is important. But what is more important is that, through it, was re-configured to access other forms of knowledge, new sensibilities, new behaviors, new intentions, new purposes that stop responding only to the regulations of the establishment. And, finally, what is the message that you would like to reach the viewer? We would like to inform you about new technologies are harnessed ideas and creative works silent, but a potential long-term socially effective, responsive to the idea of community, collaboration, sustainability, equality. Precisely these are the values promoted by feminist theory, the effects feminist i> that should promote new technologies use and expansion if you want, also, a humanist and liberating dimension .
November 29, 2012
Maia Creus and Ines Martins interview about the documentary


text:
Bovis Homes - Marine Drive, TQ14
Prices from £386,000 to £569,995
Images may include optional upgrades at additional cost
Development info
Welcome to Marine Drive, a prestigious phase of just twenty six homes with far reaching sea views across the Teign estuary to Shaldon and beyond. These high specification four and five bedroom homes have been thoughtfully designed to take full advantage of the impressive outlook. This includes bi-fold doors opening onto balconies to many living spaces and French doors with Juliet balconies to many master bedrooms.
Situated on the northern outskirts of Teignmouth this exclusive development is just minutes from Teignmouth town centre and the seafront, whilst the city centre of Exeter is less than 15 miles away.
If you are a first-time buyer considering your first step onto the property ladder, or if you are looking to make your next move in the market, we can help. !
- help. to Buy - Equity: The Government-backed shared equity scheme where you need just a 5% deposit and a 75% mortgage, with a 20% equity loan from the Government. This is available on selected properties up to £600,000 at Bovis Homes developments in England.
- Home Exchange: Bovis Homes could buy your property from you, allowing you to reserve the home of your choice. We could also help. by purchasing a property further down the chain. Please note, terms and conditions apply.
- Smooth Move: Bovis Homes could deal with the estate agents on your behalf and cover the costs of selling your existing home.
Bovis Homes
At Bovis Homes quality and service come first. Our homes are carefully planned, to provide practical, attractive and useful living space designed around the needs of today's modern lifestyles. Many homes and apartments offer open-plan living areas and all come with a high level of internal specification included as part of the price, such as contemporary fitted kitchen with integrated appliances. Bedrooms with fitted wardrobes and en suite shower rooms are also regular features in many of our home, all included for your convenience and comfort.


text:
If you are music maniac like I am then you would know the importance of an excellent pair of earphones especially an amazing earphones like the gold earphones by Happy Plugs. It is a Stockholm based company that manufactures unique audio instruments and this one is truly unique. These earphones have been plated with 18 carats of gold. These days technology has become the foremost way to display exclusivity. Today's best accessory has become your iPhone or your tablet. We hear of gold plated iPads, cellphones etc but we rarely hear of accessories to match the luxe factor of these gadgets.
It would be a shame if you buy a really sleek cellphone and attach a plain looking earphone. I know I wouldn't like it. But that sleekness comes with a price. In this case, a price of $14,500. We have seen a few bejewelled earphones in the past but very few of them look as classy like this one. It is blinged up but not in the in your face type. So it is perfect for a lot of people including myself who prefer an understated yet luxurious style. Well, that and a whole lot of money of course.
A total of 25 grams of gold has been used in each earbud. That's a total of 50 grams. Even the Queen of England doesn't wear that much gold. Well maybe sometimes she does. And its not just the gold that makes it special, the acoustic level of the device is great too. And if you don't have that kind of change in your pocket then the company also offers similar looking golden coloured earphones that cost $30. Now that much I am sure you can spend. And the next time you are listening to music with your earphones on you would surely receive some envious glances.


text:
Is new voice of change more than an echo?
Published 12:00 am, Thursday, January 6, 2011
If Andrew Cuomo's first State of the State address is any indication of style, we can expect a lot more shouting than we're used to from the governor's office in the days to come.
Maybe that's a good thing for us, a little passion with our rhetoric. I suppose it shows that he really means it and that he expects to be taken seriously. Certainly the two moments during his speech when he got more and more strident over the growing applause were arresting, startling, for those of us watching. A huge departure from the usual ho-hum, pie-in- the sky delivery of the routine State of the State. This one was certainly not routine.
The first moment was a little mystifying, when he got really worked up over the upstate incarceration of downstate youth. I'm not suggesting our juvenile justice system doesn't deserve emotional involvement, and a lot of it, but it seemed odd that as a subject it would elicit a virtual scream from Cuomo that "incarceration is not a jobs program." After all, this was a sweeping speech on everything wrong with New York, which covers a lot of territory.
So, OK, we got it. Close the under-utilized facilities up in the boonies and keep the prisoners closer to home, find alternative good-paying jobs for those local guards instead, and we'll all be happy. Now, do you close those prisons first? Or do you find the alternative jobs first? OK, maybe that's a riddle for next week, when, for the governor, poetry famously turns into prose.
The other prolonged moment of a worked-up Andrew was the rising crescendo at the finale directed at members of the Legislature. It sounded a little like a tent revival meeting, or a self-esteem clinic on steroids. I think he was telling the legislators they can do better, and that he was rooting for them.
We can all appreciate the dilemma Gov. Andrew Cuomo confronted. We have heard, to death, about reform and change, working together, transforming government, ethics, responsiveness to the people, putting the hex on special interests, pay to play, etc.
We have heard it over and over from the well-meaning and charlatans -- it's hard to tell the difference -- to the point of disbelieving them all. So, with many of the same talking points, what was our new governor to do to get our attention? Do a shout-out, which he did.
That said, overall, it was a darned good speech. Except for those few moments, he spoke naturally, conversationally, with warmth and humor. He was believable. These days, that's saying a lot. He sounded like he was still on the stump, and loving every minute of it, talking to a captive audience of all the whos of Whoville at a venue he picked. A politician's dream. And, he certainly had a lot to say for all of us to mull over.
But what can we actually wrap our arms around and wrestle to the ground from this speech? In truth, not much.
It was a grand laundry list of plans to make plans, which in turn will likely be significant to the future of New York state government and politics if those plans as he envisions them survive. But there's no guarantee of that either. This is New York, after all, where the "special interests" Cuomo repeatedly demonized in the speech include people who use wheelchairs as well as paid lobbyists. I predict the love fest between legislative leaders and the governor we observed at Wednesday's carefully choreographed event will last until about this afternoon.
The State of the State address was certainly not a plan of transformation, as it was billed, so much as a presentation of a couple of the vehicles that will provide us with a blueprint. Notably, committees or commissions to look at restructuring state government, reducing mandates on localities, and the big one, re-doing Medicaid. So at best we're several steps from a working transformation plan. But it's a start.
Are New Yorkers for the most part strongly supportive of Andrew Cuomo in "right-sizing" state government? Absolutely. In theory, at least. Although, let's see how we react when we have to put wage-earners on the street to do it, and how we feel about the governor playing god with people's livelihoods and the well-being of New York families.
Still, a thoughtful restructuring of state government is probably the most important undertaking Andrew Cuomo has embraced, and we wish him a world of luck in getting it done. It needs doing.
But it is also an enormously complicated project if it's to be done fairly and with maximum efficiency. It requires the involvement of those who would be adversely affected as well as supervisors and Cuomo's restructuring staff. If the governor does this transparently and even-handedly and pulls it all off, including finding work for those displaced, it will be his legacy. If he doesn't, it could well be his Waterloo.
As for popularity, bask in the moment, Andrew Cuomo. You will never be more popular as a New York politician than you were yesterday, no matter how loud you get.
Contact Fred LeBrun at 454-5453 or by e-mail at email@example.com.


text:
Site Navigation
Join Bonnie's Sewing Center online newsletter. It's FREE and lets you know about new classes, tips and special offers.
(model number BLE3ATW-2)
How can Baby Lock improve sergers even more? Let the new Enlighten serger show you how! This revolutionary serger features the latest in threading technology, ExtraordinAir Threading. With just one push of a button, ExtraordinAir takes your thread through all the loopers at once, instantly, with a gust of air. Plus, expand your creative options with the exclusive Wave stitch. With so many innovations, the Enlighten will teach you just how easy serging can be.
Automatic Thread Delivery System
Set the Enlighten to the type of stitch you want and serge. The Enlighten will deliver a balanced stitch on any fabric with any type of thread. It even goes from one fabric type to another without skipping.
Pure Lighting with 3 LED lights
The LCD lights bring new clarity to serged stitches, which gives it pure lighting
Full-Featured Differential Feed
Instore purchase Only!
More information...
<< Go Back
why buy from Bonnie's Sewing Center
Made in America • Website designed and maintained by ad-graphic.com - Updated: February, 2018


text:
Legislative Update: Week #7
HB 442, Alcohol Amendments
HB 442, which makes changes to the state's alcohol policy, streamlines and standardizes Utah's liquor laws by improving prevention measures, updating restaurant and retailer operations, clarifying licensing regulations and modifying the makeup of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC) Advisory Board.
It will improve training requirements for licensees, focusing on prevention of over-consumption and selling to minors, in addition to implementing new underage drinking prevention programs for 8th and 10th graders.
It also brings greater consistency to application of liquor law in restaurants by allowing three options for a buffer or barrier between the alcohol dispensing area and dining area. Restaurants can choose to either leave the currently prescribed barrier in place, install a 42" barrier between dining and dispensing or create a 10' buffer for minors. There is nothing unique about these requirements, and many states have restrictions of some sort regarding children near bar areas, including Washington, Michigan, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Arizona, New Hampshire, Indiana, Idaho, Rhode Island, North Dakota, Oregon, Minnesota, Arkansas and Alaska.
Clean Air
The Legislature just passed one of the most significant pieces of legislation for clean air in years. With SB 197, refineries in the state are incentivized to switch over to the production of Tier 3 fuels which have a lower sulfur content and provide for much cleaner burning.
If everyone in the state were to use Tier 3 fuels and cars, it would be the equivalent of removing four of every five vehicles on the road. The investment of producers to change from Tier 2 to Tier 3 fuels will be significant, in the tens of millions of dollars, and this bill provides a sales tax exemption on certain products that are needed for that transition.
Some of the other clean air bills passed this session include:
- HCR 5, a concurrent resolution to support the dedication of a portion of the state funds from the Volkswagen settlement to replace a portion of our dirty diesel school buses with clean fuel buses.
- HB 96, creating a requirement for operators of gasoline cargo trucks to prevent the release of petroleum vapors into the air.
- HB 104, which allows counties to use revenue from emissions fees to maintain a national ambient air quality standard.
- SB 24, extending the heavy duty vehicle tax credit to include heavy duty vehicles with hydrogen-electric and electric drivetrains.
The Legislature also appropriated an additional $1.65 million for air quality research and air monitoring.
Justice Reform
Two years ago, the Utah Legislature passed HB 348, which began the process of reforming our state justice system. The point of that reform is to carefully screen those arrested for crimes in order to determine the main driver of their criminality: substance abuse, mental health issues or criminality itself. This will allow for diversion and treatment where appropriate, and improve our current high levels of recidivism.
We also began the process of reforming the juvenile justice system this year with HB 239, based on recommendations from the Juvenile Justice Working Group. These recommendations include preventing deeper involvement in the juvenile justice system for lower-level offenses, protecting public safety by focusing resources on those who pose the highest risk and improving outcomes through reinvestment and increased system accountability.
We appropriated funds for an electronic records system that will provide better communication among agencies and tracking of those in the adult system. It will enable judges to have access to screenings prior to sentencing and ensure proper placement of those more in need of help than incarceration.
If this process is followed, we will see more people in mental health and drug treatment programs. Last year the Legislature passed HB 437 which, in combination with federal funds, would have given the state $100 million to help the very most impoverished Utahns, including the chronically homeless and those involved in the justice system. A year later we are still waiting for full approval from the federal government to begin implementation. At this point we're able to move forward with a small portion of the plan, giving us access to $22 million.
We also appropriated $17.4 million in new money for mental health/behavioral health treatment and $3 million for jail-based substance abuse programs. This should allow us to draw down another $32 million in federal funds.
This year the state has set aside nearly $3 million more for county jails to adequately deal with those who need to be taken off the street and incarcerated. This will alleviate jail overcrowding pressures that exist in certain counties and help law enforcement in doing their job, especially in cleaning up problem areas downtown.
Increasing Education Funding
The Legislature has determined to significantly increase education funding this year. A total of 57.5 percent of new revenue will go toward public education, the largest share in recent memory, and Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU) will see a 4 percent increase. Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind will also receive a much-needed new campus in Utah County.
The Security Behind the Scenes
There are many incredible men and women frantically working to keep the Utah House of Representatives running smoothly throughout the short, seven-week session. One such group is known as the Green Coats. They are led by the Sergeant-at-Arms, Mike Mitchell. This group of 15 men are responsible for security in our lobbies, galleries and committee rooms. KUTV on Channel 2 spotlighted the Green Coats in a recent news story . Watch it here.
A Tribute to Utah's Fallen Soldiers
The House of Representatives had the privilege of honoring Utah's fallen soldiers and their families on the House floor. Rep. Justin Fawson, who served in the National Guard for almost 10 years, paid tribute to these soldiers and their families in a moving speech. Rep. Fawson then asked for a moment of silence to remember these brave men and women.


text: Moisture On Command May 15, 2009 02:08 PM Tweet TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Dan Anderson Farm Journal Columnist Email What is one of the primary factors that prevent farmers in the heart of the Corn Belt from raising 300 bu. per acre corn? Water. More precisely, the timing of when plants get water. Farmers in western Kansas and Nebraska often harvest 300 bu. per acre corn simply because their dry climate and light soils require irrigation. Relying on irrigation allows them to provide optimum moisture to their crop at just the right times. Farmers in parts of the country where Mother Nature provides moisture haphazardly know thirsty crops will fall short of their potential. The notion that they are not doing all they can to maximize yields has spurred a growing interest in irrigation among farmers, says Mark Stumpenhorst of Hook's Point Irrigation in Stratford, Iowa. "In central Iowa, guys have been getting 200 bu. corn even if they get a little dry in July or August," Stumpenhorst says. "They're assuming that they're getting the highest yields possible. Irrigation might bump those 200 bu. yields up to 250 bu. simply by never allowing the corn to feel stress from lack of moisture." Even though drought is infrequent in north-central Iowa, pockets of sandy soil undermine Steve Prohaska's yields every summer. After careful analysis, he invested in a center pivot irrigation system in 2002. Meticulous record keeping has proven it to be a sound investment. "On the farm where I have a center pivot irrigation rig, for the four years prior to installing the rig I averaged 158.5 bu. per acre," says Prohaska, who farms near Garner, Iowa. "With irrigation I've averaged 211.25 bu. per acre. I'm averaging almost 53 bu. better, simply by being able to provide moisture when my crop needs it." A little water makes a big difference. Prohaska puts on an average of 3.5" of water a year. "I water at night to reduce evaporation and only put on ½" to ¾" [of water] at a time," he says. "My records indicate that with $4 corn I need 34 extra bushels per acre to cover my irrigation costs. With $5 corn I only need 28 extra bushels. I've been averaging more than 50 extra bushels, so irrigation makes me money." The only stumbling block to irrigating where irrigation isn't a tradition is water availability. A center pivot irrigation rig that spans 160 acres can gulp 900 gal. to 1,000 gal. of water per minute. Few farm ponds can supply adequate water. Wells are preferred, but some areas of the Midwest have difficulty tapping high-capacity aquifers. "My well is 380' deep, and that's close to the limit of being cost-effective," Prohaska says. "I had it calculated that if we didn't hit adequate water by 400', irrigation wasn't going to work for me." Steve Bitner of Central Illinois Irrigation in Havana, Ill., says local well drillers should know the location and capacity of regional aquifers. Bitner says some farmers find ample water at only 100', while others can't drill deep enough to find an aquifer adequate to feed an irrigation rig. "The depth of a well affects the price of the initial investment as well as the cost of running the rig," Bitner says. "In general, the average irrigation system around here, including a well, costs around $800 per acre. Break that down over the 20- or 30-year lifespan of a rig, and you're looking at $26 to $27 per acre [per year] cost, against an annual increase in yield of 50 or more bushels. Irrigation pencils out pretty good." Neil Parr of Mason City, Ill., had to drill only a 200' well to find adequate water to supply his 1,300' center pivot, which covers 160 acres. This past year was the first year that he decided to irrigate. "It was a wet year, and I only ran it a little in June to test it, some more in July to sidedress 28% nitrogen and then I put on half an inch every week in August," Parr says. "Corn on my unirrigated ground right beside it topped out at 175 bu. per acre. My irrigated corn yielded 247 bu. acre. "I should've installed irrigation 20 years ago," he says. You can e-mail Dan Anderson at firstname.lastname@example.com. Back to news