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About this Banjo
The Pisgah Appalachian is all you need if you are looking for a quality, step-up banjo! It is a simple, classic, no-frills banjo, similar in features to the Pisgah Possum, but with a rolled brass tone ring instead of persimmon to give a little more punch to the tone. This banjo is perfect for anyone looking for a solid heirloom banjo that can be played for centuries and doesn't break the bank.
Banjo Specifications
Walnut, Cherry, or Maple
12″ or 11″
Standard-26 3/16″, Short scale-25 1/2″, or A-scale-23 1/2″
Rolled Brass
"Classic" Old-Time sound with good sustain and volume, not too bright and not overpowering. Can be muted for a more plunky tone.
$1,628 w/case
5lbs 14oz
Paddle headstock
Folk Heel
Persimmon fingerboard
Standard frailing scoop
Traditional dowel stick construction
Quilted star inlay
Delrin nut
Walnut face dots
Two way adjustable truss rod
Remo renaissance head
Traditional tailpiece
18 notched tension hoop
Gotoh tuners
Aged brass Balsam Banjoworks hardware all made in USA
PBCO banjo strings
Pisgah limited lifetime warranty
Nickel or brass hardware custom orders only
Price includes Access stage one case w/PBCO logo
Free Shipping
We offer free shipping on orders over $199 that are shipped to an address in the Continental United States. Competitive worldwide rates.
Lowest Prices
We have the lowest online prices for new banjos - guaranteed. If you find a lower advertised online price, we will match it or beat it.
Banjo Experts
We are banjo experts and more importantly banjo players too! We are ready to answer your pre-purchase questions and support you beyond your purchase.
Easy Returns
We offer a 30-day return policy and 60-day exchange policy. More details are available on our customer service page.
Extras when you buy from Banjo.com
Every banjo is carefully setup before shipping saving you from the "some assembly required" hassle.
Also know as the 5th string capo, we recommend installing spikes on the 7th & 9th frets. This is a free service we include for all 5-string banjo purchases. Click to read more.
Start pickin' the day your banjo arrives. We include: strap, tuner, and picks.
Start improving your playing immediately. Get 7 weeks of online video banjo lessons delivered right to your email inbox. Taught by a master banjo instructor.
Not sure where to begin? We covered the basics in this short guide to buying your first banjo. Still not sure? Send us a note or give us a call and we'll help you make the best decision.
Free Download
I would recommend them to anyone and everyone
Fantastic banjos sold by fantastic people. I have bought two banjos from Banjo.com and about to buy my third from them. These guys are just great people to go business with; knowledge, banjo players themselves, and just super nice. I do business with them because they are not just looking to sell my any banjo. They provide great input based upon what I want and need; not just what cost the most. I would recommend them to anyone and everyone interested in getting a banjo.
Highly recommend them to others
Barry at Banjo.com helped me make a great choice on purchasing a new banjo. He answered my emails and phone calls promptly. After a few conversations I went with his newly designed Bish Line Coal Dust. I ordered it and he kept me updated on its progress. It arrived in perfect condition and it's even nicer than he described. I will keep Banjo.com at the top of my list for any future purchases and would highly recommend them to others. Thank you again to Barry and his staff.
I couldn't be more pleased with this lovely instrument and the customer service
I recently purchased a Deering Sierra mahogany open back banjo from Banjo.com. Since I live in north Georgia, only two and one-half hours from the home of Banjo.com, I was able to visit the Banjo Barn where Barry give me the opportunity to "test drive" several banjos and he assisted me in narrowing down to my final choice. I must say, I couldn't be more pleased with this lovely instrument and the customer service I received from Barry and Banjo.com. Thank you!
Barry Waldrep
Owner, Banjo.com
The owner of Banjo.com is professional musician Barry Waldrep. Barry has toured professionally for the past 30 years. Raised on traditional Bluegrass, and a forerunner on the Jam Band circuit. He has toured and recorded with many artists such as The Zac Brown Band, Randy Travis, Joey & Rory and also has performed with bluegrass greats like John Cowan, Tony Trischka, Scott Vestal & Tony Rice. Read more.
Have a question about an instrument?
0% Financing
We offer financing through Affirm and PayPal with rates as low as 0%. Terms and conditions are determined by the financing institution, not Banjo.com.
Major Credit & Debit Cards
We accept all major credit and debit cards. We never store your payment information, all transactions are securely processed.
Use available funds funds in your PayPal account or choose to use PayPal financing. The web's most trusted payment option.
Railroad Spikes
We can add these as a free service when you purchase a banjo from us. When you add this banjo to your cart just select that you want the capos. What is this? When you use a standard capo on your banjo fretboard, fretting strings 1 through 4, you'll need to capo the 5th string separately. The 5th string starts at the 5th fret. If your standard capo is on the 2nd fret, you also need to capo the 5th string two frets higher, at the 7th fret. We recommend installing railroad spike capos on frets 7 and 9 (A and B). We install them on the fretboard just under the 5th string, an idea that was developed and used by Earl Scruggs himself. We use them, and so do most of the professional players we know. When you're playing, you don't really notice the spikes because they're out of the way, but they're always there when you need them. Simply slide the 5th string under the spike. When you're done, slide it out.


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Rule-Mate 2000 GPH 12 Volt Fully Automated Bilge Pump
The Rule-Mate® 2000 GPH pump consists of a powerful Rule® bilge pump and a highly intelligent circuit board in a single housing. The pump activated when the water reaches 2-1/2" and automatically shuts off when the pump senses no water against the impeller, reducing the remaining water to approximately 5/8".
Rule-Mate Intelligence
Rule-Mate Bilge pumps have built-in programming that can sense when the pump is running but not pumping water. This is a very unique feature to bilge pumps because it protects the pump and the vessel, especially the vessels batteries. If debris fouls the sensor or the pump becomes air-bound, the pump will stop running and begin to "check" for water every 2-1/2 minutes. Once the debris is removed, the pump will revert to its normal operation, turning on when the water reaches 2-1/2" and shutting off at 5/8".
- 2000 GPH (7570 LPH) at 0' (13.6V)
- All-in-one pump and switch
- Extra long life heavy duty motor
- 1" NPS discharge with 1" AND 1 1/8" screw-on ports
- Three year warranty
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including FORMALDEHYDE (GAS) which is known to the State of California to cause cancer. For more information go to P65Warnings.ca.gov.
- Volts: 12v
- Operation: Automatic
- Gallons Per Minute: 33.3 GPM
- Gallons Per Hour: 2000 GPH
- Type: Electric
- Box Dimensions: 5"H x 7"W x 8"L WT: 4.3 lbs
Owner's Manual (pdf)

subset: commoncrawl


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Mad Match—Nature's Strangest Relationships
(Nature, 1×50 min.) From desert to jungle; they may take advantage of others or live in symbiotic harmony; our planet is filled with every possible type of strange, wild relationship.
Company Info & Contacts
Terra Mater Studios (TMS), a subsidiary company of Red Bull, is a full-blown production unit that produces and distributes a wide variety of programming for TV and theatrical release. TMS is committed to the highest production values regarding visual excellence, innovative technology and amazing storytelling. Core production genres are nature, science and history, resulting in blue-chip prime-time series and specials. TMS also explores new styles to create exciting and different factual-entertainment formats. And for the big screen TMS produces stories that are highly relevant and strongly rooted in reality: from the classical feature doc to wild drama where nature plays the main role, further on to fiction films where real stories are the matrix for the scripts. On its YouTube channel, TMS shows exclusive short-form videos about the diversity of nature, conservation and environmental topics.


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Estate And Letting Agent In Stanwell Moor
The Property Gene Of Your Community
Proud to be making a difference in Stanwell Moor, Seymours have been part of Surrey's DNA for over 30 years. Our passion truly lies in the communities we live and work in with over 20 branches covering property sales and lettings across Surrey.
What's Happening In The Stanwell Moor Area?
Latest Properties In Stanwell Moor
No properites currently available - Search all properties here
What's Nearby?
Ready To Start Your Journey
Stanwell Moor has its own unique charm, our local insight is invaluable in setting the right price for your property. Start your journey moving home with a free valuation from your local partner at Seymours.


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Players Become Fan-Favorite Alucard in New Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 DLC
Called Revelations and taking place before the events of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, he will be preparing for the return of his father, Gabriel
Mark your calendars. On March 25th, Konami Digital Entertainment will release extensive new DLC for its recently-released epic Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, in which exclusive branches of the storyline and expansion of the plot will unveil the fate of the Belmonts. Entitled Revelations, it will be available for Xbox 360 on Xbox Live Games and PlayStation 3 on PlayStation Network.
Take on the role of Alucard, the turned son of Gabriel who possesses his own unique and powerful abilities. Use the powers of Glaciem and Igneas; change into a wolf or a swarm of bats; turn back time. And oh yeah…drink a lot of blood.
Discover Alucard's strong ties to his father's story and fate. Visit all-new locations and experience familiar ones as the game is enhanced and extended. Set events in motion that lead to the 3D epic Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, which is currently available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.


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1. Acceptance of Terms. These Website Terms of Use, as updated from time to time by Lewis-Clark State College ("LCSC"), apply to this website which is published by a LCSC education, research, or service area (internal or external to LCSC) ("website"). You should carefully read these Website Terms of Use before using the website. This is a legally binding agreement. If you do not agree with these Website Terms of Use, you are not authorized to use this website.
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4. Prohibited Behavior. You are responsible for your behavior in your use of this website and for respecting LCSC's and third parties' (person or entity) rights in connection with the website and its content.
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Location: 395 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Tel. 310.899.1000
Date: May 20, 2011
Cuisine: Latin-Asian Fusion
Rating: Color me confused — It's in a mall, and it's pretty good.
As I discussed previously, this is a slightly commercialized but pretty tasty mall restaurant whose appearence has accompanied the rooflift of Santa Monica Place. This one is Latin-Asian fusion. Sort of Asia de Cuba meets Rivera.
The roof terrace is pretty awesome. I wish more places in LA had great outdoor spaces.
"Hot & sour egg drop soup, foie gras-pork dumplings / enoki / green onion." This is one of two repeats from last time. It had a very inserting note to the sour, from tamarind I think. The richness of the dumplings too is very nice as is the texture of the enoki.
"Crunchy calamari salad, Lemongrass / Mixed greens / Orange-coriander sauce." This was a tasty salad, mixing a nice dressing with tasty calamari. The batter was very good, with something sweet in it. The fry was a little strong, but that doesn't mean it doesn't taste good.
"Thai chicken empanadas. Chile poblano / Oaxaca cheese / mango-curry salsa." These were heavy little fellows, and I mean literally. They weighed about twice what I would've expected. They tasted good too, but weren't exactly light.
"Achiote-hoisin pork arepas, corn masa / avocado / crema fresca." These are serious flavor bombs. The meat tastes a bit like a good short rib, and goes perfectly with the typical pairing of avocado and crema fresca. There is just a bit of heat from the chilies. This is one of my favorite dishes.
"Chicken Tandoori. Masala-achiote roasted chicken / black bean dal / cilantro & mango salsa." The chicken itself was so soft it felt (and looked) a bit like shrimp. Tasty too, but not one of my absolute favorites.
"Chipotle-miso glazed black cod. Daikon radish / pea sprots lemon-togarashi aioli." This is a reinterpreted version of the Nobu Matsuhisa classic. It's a tad overdone.
"Beef short rib udon noodles. Shitake / Asparagus / Basil / Cilantro / Ginger-hoisin broth." It's hard in this picture to see the beef and the noodles underneath, but they're there. This and the calamari were probably my favorites of the new dishes we tried this time.
Another view of the roof deck.
While this was still a tasty (and reasonably priced) meal, we did better with our selections the previous time. Perhaps that is because we forced ourselves to order some new things when some of the other ones (that we'd tried before) sounded better. I guess we know our own taste because they did!
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Out of stock
DLC provides wholesale veterinary supplies. Our website allows visitors to browse stock.
Do you have online ordering?
Yes, we do provide online ordering however, we require users to register and login to our wholesale area.
If you require assistance with any product information please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
You may also call one of our two offices; Melbourne: 03 9360 9700 Queensland: 07 5428 3666


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A jury has acquitted a man of stalking model and reality TV star Kendall Jenner and convicted him of trespassing at her secluded Hollywood Hill home
The jury of seven women and five men returned the verdict Monday against Shavaughn McKenzie after a seven-day trial in which Jenner described her fear at finding McKenzie lurking in her driveway and banging on her car window in August.
A defense attorney had urged jurors to reject the stalking charge, saying there was no evidence showing McKenzie intended to cause Jenner fear.
McKenzie is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 10 on the misdemeanor trespassing charge. He could face up to six months in jail but will likely be released because of credits for good behavior.
His attorney Taylor Shramo said he hopes to secure mental health treatment for McKenzie, a Florida native who traveled from Georgia to Los Angeles last year and started hanging around outside Jenner's former home.
The verdict marks the second time this year that a Los Angeles jury has rejected a stalking case involving a celebrity. In February, a jury acquitted an Ohio man of stalking Gwyneth Paltrow after determining he did not intend to cause her fear by repeatedly sending letters to her.
In the Jenner case, Deputy City Attorney Alex Perez said in court that McKenzie, 25, had tracked Jenner's whereabouts for 15 months before his arrest. He noted that McKenzie has never said how he learned that Jenner had moved to the hilltop home tucked away from the street and accessible only after driving through a 13-foot gate.
Perez said he was disappointed by the verdict and hoped McKenzie would receive treatment.
Perez said McKenzie followed Jenner's car onto the property and only left after she backed out of the driveway and three of her friends arrived to detain McKenzie until police arrived.
"I've never been so scared in my life," the 20-year-old Jenner testified, saying she had recognized McKenzie as the same man who twice accosted her while she was driving outside her former home.
Jenner said his refusal to leave her Hollywood Hills property prompted her to make panicked calls to friends for help.
"I definitely don't feel safe in my own house anymore," she testified.
Jenner obtained a civil restraining order Oct. 13 that requires McKenzie to stay away from her for five years.
Shramo urged jurors earlier Monday to reject the case, saying McKenzie merely wanted to talk to Jenner and posed no danger to her. He accused Perez of emphasizing Jenner's celebrity status to try to gain a conviction.
"He wants you to be star-struck," Shramo said.
He said after the verdict that mental health professionals have repeatedly found that McKenzie doesn't have violent tendencies.
The incident has caused Jenner distress as she pursues a modeling career and appears on her family's show, "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."
"She doesn't want to be surrounded by security," Perez said. "And she certainly doesn't want to be stalked."
A forensic psychiatrist hired to evaluate McKenzie testified that he was delusional and his efforts to locate Jenner were part of his mental illness.
McKenzie's mother June Osavio told jurors she repeatedly tried to get help for her son, but he refused to take his medications. He disappeared in March 2015 after they moved to Georgia, she said.
Osavio called the verdict fair.
Jenner is the younger sister of Kim Kardashian West. In court, Jenner shyly recounted her career, which has included doing a cover photo for Vogue magazine and modeling for top fashion lines.
Credit : Associated Press (AP) | Photo Credit : (AP)


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Find information and get free insurance quotes.
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Basic Search Stone Collection: Volume 43 - Item 46 | Advanced Search | Online Archives | Help | ||||||||||||
46. [Robert C.] Schenck, Speech of Mr. Schenck, of Ohio, in Reply to Mr. Giddings, in the House of Representatives, December 27, 1849, in Debate upon a Resolution to Appoint the Standing Committees (Washington, DC: Gideon & Co., 1850). (16 p.)
Speech defending the appointment of Northern members of Congress to standing committees.


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The Orange County Commissioners will be discussing their new representation plan again tonight. Personally, I think making minor changes is a waste of time. The current plan is overly complicated and is not any more representative than the current at-large elections.
In February, the board chose a proposal for a referendum in November that would have created a five-member panel -- as it is now -- with the county divided into two districts. In a three-to-two vote, the board agreed candidates would live in the districts but be nominated and elected by voters.
Under the proposal, Chapel Hill Township would be its own district and have two board members. The rest of the county would be another district and have one board member. The other two board members would be elected at-large countywide.
- heraldsun.com: Officials may tweak district representation proposal, 3/21/06
My proposal would look something like this:
- Increase the Board from 5 to 7 members.
- Eliminate partisan primaries. Maybe have district primaries, if ...
- Create 4 geographics districts (voted on only by people in that district) and 3 at-large seats.
Cummulative systems (whichever variation you pick), will allow coalitions to form across geographic regions - for instance, urban voters teaming with rural farmers to elect a candidate supporting farm preservation.
Not that I am against it, necessarily, but is cummulative voting legal yet? How can the BOCC institute a method of voting that isn't legal in the State of North Carolina?
If disenfranchisement is the reason for districting, non-partisan elections would remedy the disenfranchisement of a much larger segment of the voting public, the Independent, than the much smaller Northern OC Republican contingent. And, unlike the Repubs, the Independent can only vote for either parties candidates in the primary, they cannot field their own.
Again, I don't neccessarily disagree with the non-partisan point that you make, but what Northern OC Republicans? It was rural Democrats who initially petitioned the BOCC along with Representative Bill Faison (D). The charge for District Representation seems to be organized by rural Orange County Democrats, not Republicans.
For that matter, the Orange County GOP has been characteristically silent on this and other important Orange County issues for years. Can anyone name one local issue the Orange County GOP has recently taken a stand on? Hint: You don't even need one hand to count.
I guess I just don't understand the label "Northern OC Republican contingent" with respect to this issue.
7 members, more than 2 districts - anything less is no kind of change.
It's really a mess.
I'd go with Mark on the 7 members but add (or subtract, if you will):
replace districts concept with cummulative voting, non-partisan elections to open representation to the %30 of registered residents not-affiliated with a party, super-precincts to increase rural and university turnout, shorter terms to "keep it fresh".
Jason Baker wrote a fun piece on the OC-BOCC proposal yesterday.
Tonight's meeting is @ 7:30:
Southern Human Services
2501 Homestead Road
Chapel Hill, NC
The democratic travesty ;-) is agenda item 9a.
Before Gerry jumps in to defend our county's Dem super-majority - while the BOE reports only %25 of voters are independent (unaffiliated or libertarians) - the rolls for Dems are inflated.
Here's my quick analysis (which could be completely off-base):
BOE reports 94,482 voters in OC, roughly 50K Dem, 21K Rep and 23K Independent (how's that for framing?).
I have a dataset that represents a subset of these voters in Chapel Hill. I ran that dataset against public records to check mailing addresses. I found that many of the Independents had "fresh" registrations whose addresses matched consistently with public records. I found many more Dems "fell out" off the list when I did an equivalent match - they were "stale", so to speak.
So, my belief is that the records overcount Dems. Extrapolating Chapel Hill's numbers (which represents a fair chunk of all OC voters), we can infer a similar inflation of the Dem majority figures in OC as a whole.
BTW, according to 2002 census, there were 122,526 residents in OC then - we can imagine more now. Given that, it's interesting that only 28K+ residents are supposedly not registered (because they're kids?). Looks like the voter rolls could use a good review.
Yay! An issue we all agree on!
Now if only the BOCC would listen to reason...
I agree that the plan on the table is not worth going to the effort to change it. While I am not sure that cumulative voting is something that would get enough support here to be adopted, I do see some advantages, particularly in that geography is just one of many diverse considerations.
Have you seen how many committees the current 5 commissioners serve on? Maybe 7 would be better in this respect.
Will, thanks for the pointer to Jason's article. It is hilarious and some parts are pretty insightful.
Wow! What committee hogs! To think they've rejected me from every committee I've applied for these past two years...
I know we're asking for a little political courage here but I think the overall benefit of opening the process will actually reward the incumbents (at least initially).
Cummulative systems (whichever variation you pick), will allow coalitions to form across geographic regions - for instance, urban voters teaming with rural farmers to elect a candidate supporting farm preservation.
If disenfranchisement is the reason for districting, non-partisan elections would remedy the disenfranchisement of a much larger segment of the voting public, the Independent, than the much smaller Northern OC Republican contingent. And, unlike the Repubs, the Independent can only vote for either parties candidates in the primary, they cannot field their own.
I wonder if the OC is a microcosm of a larger movement away from the two dominent parties, not towards a third or fourth alternative, but to the "no party" party. If so, our BOCC should acknowledge that trend and support reform that creates the widest possible democratic process.
any of the following would require approval by the General Assembly:
1) cumulative voting
2) IRV (instant runoffs)
3) nonpartisan primary
4) nonpartisan general election
And term limits would probably involve a state constitutional amendment, I think (Gerry?)
Paul, someone told me that many of the petitioners were Rep. Doesn't matter if it was Rep or Dem driving the process - districting will not address the current fundamental problems with representation and will not decrease the disenfranchisement of the largest sector of registered voters - independents.
Mark, shorter terms not term limits.
Gerry, if you don't ask, you won't get... For instance, red-light cameras and the lottery also required the permission of the legislature - is cummulative voting any worse?
If the OC BOCC wants to set things right, why not ask them to be bold - an have them make fundamental adjustments in the system?
Looks like a referendum will come forth in November. A 7 member board with county-wide voting in the primary and general elections. It passed 4 to 1 (Moses Cary dissenting).
I was fascinated to learn during Commissioner Barry Jacobs comments regarding district representation that he considers himself to be a "conservative". Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit!
So I trundled up to the hearing to ask the BOCC for 3 alternative items to be voted on:
1. cummulative voting
2. non-partisan elections
3. seven member board
and to forget about the divisive district proposals.
Interesting hearing in some ways. Jacobs and Halkiotis strongly defending their ruralness, Carey trying to retrogress to the worst position, Gordon and Foushee flailing about a bit, and most every speaker a BOC candidate or State Rep ;-).
Everyone, except Halkiotis and myself, said this "wasn't about politics". Yet, they all support proposals that extend the dominant power structures (Halkiotis went into length about being born Democratic - an being unapologetic about maintaining the Dem edge in "the OC"). If it isn't about politics, then a referendum on non-partisan elections (even if it requires legislative permission) should be a no-brainer. Moreso since Faison and company claim their impetus is all about the franchise. Non-partisan elections will give voice to the %25+ OC voters that have none now.
Discussion went on at length on how to balkanize the OC, including the confounding issue of district nomination/election vs. district nomination. I countered Faison's claim of the supremacy of geographical representation by pointing out that in the new voter demographic "it isn't geography, it's issues."
The BOCC continued to treat "the maps" as some kind of static shrine of voter demographics. This after recently sitting through hours of presentations highlighting the quickening pace of population growth throughout the county. The question of "what to do when Cedar Grove's population triples in the next 5 years?" still hasn't entered the picture. There's no way to fairly cut this baby - call in Solomon - forget divisively dividing "the OC".
Finally, there was some debate on 5 vs 7 reps. Halkiotis said "it's elementary math" to others claims of complexity. OC populations in hitting 150K, these guys sit on a bazillion boards and are spread awful thin. I made the point that 7 over 5 was nothing more than addressing the current workload more efficiently.
So, the motion on the table was for a 7 member board, split into the proposed districts, along map lines Jacobs and Gordon, I believe, will derive.
Where do we stand?
No real attempt to correct longtime deficiencies in the system, every attempt to preserve the dominant power structure and a race to the worst, most divisive and balkanizing proposal on the table.
Thank you for the post WillR but do you or anyone else expect this BOCC to make real changes to how we elect them. The only reason they are doing anything is because a bill was introduced in the General Assembly. When the Dems' power is threaten they will be for change.
As for commissioners serving on these committees, has anyone kept attendance data?
Jacobs is rural, huh?
I wonder why lawyer Bill Faison was able to stomp him in my (and Jacobs') precinct for their primary a couple years ago...
And folks are right when they say this isn't a Rep vs Dem thing. This is a Chapel Hill/Carrboro/Ellie Kinnaird actually mentions you/I want to live in the towns but can't afford it vs Hillsborough/rural voters. The fact of the matter is we end up with Jacobs being pointed to as a rural candidate when he can't even carry his own precinct. He's a nice guy, but he is elected by Chapel Hill, not me and my neighbors.
And that ain't gonna change any time soon with this proposal. Without district primaries, you might as well just not do anything at all.
Jacobs is rural, huh?
More than that. Commissioner Jacobs clearly stated last night, in no uncertain terms, that he was a "conservative".
The fact of the matter is we end up with Jacobs being pointed to as a rural candidate when he can't even carry his own precinct.
Going back to the 2002 Primary for BOCC, I think Jacobs faired much better in the rural precincts than he did in the 2004 Primary for NC House 50. Although Jacobs did win Orange County in 2004 by 664 votes. It must have been his "conservative" base getting out the vote. ;-)
On the other hand in 2002, Steve Halkiotis did not fair so well in rural Orange County. In the 2002 Primary for BOCC, Halkiotis came in last place in most rural precincts and barely placed third in his home precinct. That year's Democratic challenger was Orange County School Board member Keith Cook who placed well in rural precincts.
Patrick, when I and others first introduced these ideas the first week of BOC hearings, I expected, at least, a cursorary review by the staff and a footnote in their report. Of course, we didn't even get the courtesy of a dismissive review.
Given that, I thought I'd give the BOC another chance to discuss options that would promote wider electoral participation and encourage issues-oriented collaboration.
The suggestions are back out there for them to ignore again.
But at least we have a bright example in which to throw the wretched solution they're headed for in stark relief.
I agree with you on Halkiotis as well, but his poor rural showing might be due in part to his (from what I understand) huge lack of popularity in the Orange County School System. One would imagine teachers would vote en bloc, but more importantly, they have a lot of community interaction and a lot of parents didn't particularly like Halkiotis' tenure as a principal way back before my day.
The lack of fair representation has been an unacknowledged problem in so many issues over the last few decades - the merger issue being the most recent. It has been a large source of divisiveness, confusion, and political apathy. This has translated into policy which is less informed that it could be.
This proposal may just add more frustration to the mix - although there is the real possibility that enlarging to seven members will have a positive effect and facilitate getting more diverse, better representative commissioners to the table. Of course, if this does happen, the commissioners will lump the pathetic district changes in with that success and call the whole thing a solid reform. It is very disappointing that after all these years and countless discussions of this problem that we are presented with an alternative that barely can be called mediocre.
Interesting poll results from Editor & Publisher
Republicans had gained the upper hand in recent years, but 33% of Americans, in the latest Gallup poll, now call themselves Democrats, with those favoring the GOP one point behind. But Gallup says this widens a bit more "once the leanings of Independents are taken into account."
Independents now make up 34% of the population. When asked if they lean in a certain direction, their answers pushed the Democrat numbers to 49% with Republicans at 42%. One year ago, the parties were dead even at 46% each.
looks like an expansion to 7, of which 4 of the seats are to be elected like the current system, the other three nominated by districts and elected at-large
Apr 19, 2006 : 12:02 am ET
CHAPEL HILL -- The county commissioners Tuesday night made a major change to a plan altering how commissioners are elected.
The commissioners voted, four to one, to allow voters to only nominate candidates living in their district. A measure to allow district nomination had been voted down before.
Barry Jacobs, chairman of the commissioners, voted against the measure.
Voters countywide would be able to elect any candidate in the general election, no matter which district he or she lives in.
A map was for district representation was also unanimously adopted Tuesday night. The map divides the county into two districts. Voters in Chapel Hill Township would select two members, while voters in the rest of the county, which is in another district, would nominate one. The remaining four commissioners would be elected at-large, according to the proposal.
The board must still approve a resolution encompassing expanding the board, the district map, and a plan to transition to the new structure. Once the resolution is approved, the proposal will go onto the November ballot for voters to accept or reject.
Yep, the quickening slide into disenfranchising mediocrity.
IRV starts to move again
(latest edition is the 4th edition, which was approved in committee today and will be posted to the website above above Tuesday evening. Provides for up to 10 counties to test IRV in partisan primaries in 2006, and 10 cities to test IRV in 2005. Senate may vote Wednesday July 11.)
IRV starts to move again
(latest edition is the 4th edition, which was approved in committee today and will be posted to the website above above Tuesday evening. Provides for up to 10 counties to test IRV in partisan primaries in 2008, and 10 cities to test IRV in 2005. Senate may vote Wednesday July 11.)
(corrected 2006 to 2008)
IRV starts to move again
(latest edition is the 4th edition, which was approved in committee today and will be posted to the website above above Tuesday evening. Provides for up to 10 counties to test IRV in partisan primaries in 2008, and 10 cities to test IRV in 2007. Senate may vote Wednesday July 11.)
(corrected 2006 to 2008 and 2005 to 2007, sorry for multiple posts)
Thanks Gerry. Hopefully IRV is the first step towards cummulative voting. Now, what's the chances for non-partisan BOC elections?
I had an interesting interchange with Bill Faison at a County Commissioners meeting several months ago when I suggested to him that IRV or cumulative voting would be a better solution than any district plans and also mentioned this legislative initiative. He very aggressively told me that there was no such initiative or he would know about it. I said I thought that Paul Luebke was one of the people working to advance this and he fired back at me that no-one listens to Luebke and that he doesn't get anything done. It was a strange and informative moment.
Governor Easley on Thursday signed into law Paul Luebke's bill to allow IRV (Instant Runoff voting)
SECTION 1.(a) The State Board of Elections shall select local jurisdictions in which to conduct a pilot program during the 2007 and 2008 elections for local offices using instant runoff voting. The State Board shall select:
(1) Up to 10 cities for the 2007 elections.
(2) Up to 10 counties for the 2008 elections.
In selecting those local jurisdictions, the State Board shall seek diversity of population size, regional location, and demographic composition. The pilot shall be conducted only with the concurrence of the county board of elections that conducts elections for the local jurisdiction. If a city is selected that has voters in more than one county, the concurrence of all the county boards of elections that conduct that city's elections is required. The pilot program shall consist of using instant runoff voting as the method for determining the winner or winners of a partisan primary or a nonpartisan election that normally uses nonpartisan election and runoff or nonpartisan primary and election. Instant runoff voting may also be used to determine results in an election where nonpartisan plurality elections are normally used, but only if the governing board of the local jurisdiction concurs.
As used in this section, "instant runoff voting" means a system in which voters rank up to three of the candidates by order of preference, first, second, or third. If the candidate with the most first‑choice votes receives the threshold of victory of the first‑choice votes, that candidate wins. If no candidate receives the threshold of victory of first‑choice votes, the two candidates with the greatest number of first‑choice votes advance to a second round of counting. In this round, each ballot counts as a vote for whichever of the two final candidates is ranked highest by the voter. The candidate with the most votes in the second round wins the election.
The threshold of victory of first‑choice votes for a partisan primary shall be forty percent (40%) plus one vote. The threshold of victory for a nonpartisan election and runoff or nonpartisan primary and election shall be a majority of the vote. The threshold of victory in a contest that normally uses nonpartisan plurality shall be determined by the State Board with the concurrence of the county board of elections and the local governing board.
If more than one seat is to be filled in the same race, the voter votes the same way as if one seat were to be filled. The counting is the same as when one seat is to be filled, with one or two rounds as needed, except that counting is done separately for each seat to be filled. The first counting results in the first winner. Then the second count proceeds without the name of the first winner. This process results in the second winner. For each additional seat to be filled, an additional count is done without the names of the candidates who have already won.
Other details of instant runoff voting are as described in House Bill 1024 (First Edition) of the 2005 Regular Session of the General Assembly, with modifications the State Board deems necessary, in primaries and/or elections for city offices, for county offices, or for both. Those modifications may include giving the voter more than three choices in case of multi‑seat contests. The State Board shall not use instant runoff voting in a primary or election for an office unless the entire electorate for the office uses the same method.
so, will either the Chapel Hill or Carrboro Town Boards (with the concurrence of the county board(s) of elections) volunteer their mayoral and/or town board elections as a pilot for 2007, or will the Orange County Board of Elections volunteer a countywide primary in 2008 for a test? Is there any local interest in this?
Fantastic news Gerry.
I think the BOCC should ditch the district plan and ask to adopt IRV. I've always been told migrating towards cummulative voting would be much more difficult than implementing non-partisan BOCC elections. With this win, I'll be back before the commissioners asking for both...
Solid good news - I hope the democrats can prevail over the Democrats to make this happen in O.C.
Can someone explain how this will work in districts with multiple representatives? Will they still be filled one at a time, chosen from pairs with the most first place votes? If that is the case, it seems like it is possible that someone could get elected with only a few percent of the vote.


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Freedom: Another Casualty of the Gay Agenda
If you think that same sex marriage and "non-discrimination" laws are all about love and tolerance, you couldn't be more wrong. A decision out of the New Mexico Supreme Court last week clearly shows why. The decision is itself intolerant and discriminatory.
According to the Court, Christian photographer Elane Huguenin violated New Mexico's "non-discrimination" law by politely declining to photograph a same-sex commitment ceremony. Although the lesbian couple that brought the complaint easily found another photographer, Elane Photography now must pay nearly $7,000 in court costs for merely exercising her First Amendment rights.
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was put in place to prevent exactly what the New Mexico Supreme Court has done: using the strong arm of government to force citizens to advocate (not just tolerate) ideas and behaviors that contradict their religious or moral convictions. Forcing people to support same sex weddings or commitment ceremonies is forcing them to advocate same sex behavior.
The First Amendment protects not only the right to free speech, but also the right not to be coerced into speech. Former Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Warren Burger wrote, "The right of freedom of thought protected by the First Amendment against state action includes both the right to speak freely and the right to refrain from speaking at all. . . . A system which secures the right to proselytize religious, political, and ideological causes must also guarantee the concomitant right to decline to foster such concepts." Wooley v. Maynard, 430 U.S. 705, 714 (1977). Even the U.N. Human Rights Committee recognizes a universal human right not to be coerced into advocating any idea. (You know our country is stuck on stupid when our courts are getting human rights lessons from the U.N.!)
Now, if you justify this decision because you disagree with Elane Photography's religious or moral position, you're not thinking like an American (or a U.N. person). Imagine a homosexual videographer being forced to video a speech that a conservative makes against homosexual behavior and same sex marriage. Should that homosexual videographer be forced to do so? Of course not! Then why Elane Photography?
It is important to understand that Elane Photography was not refusing service because of the "sexual orientation" or sexual attractions of the couple. In fact, Elane Photography was happy to work with lesbian clients on other projects that did not involve advocating homosexual behavior (for example, taking professional head shots). In this case however, she declined service because she did not want to use her artistic talents to advocate sexual actions that went against her moral and religious beliefs.
But isn't this just like a white photographer refusing to photograph a black wedding?
I know it's very fashionable to compare homosexuality to race, but the comparison is completely fallacious. And as Chesterton said, "Fallacies do not cease becoming fallacies when they become fashions."
First, homosexuality, unlike race, is a behavior, and statistically a harmful behavior. As a result, people have good moral reasons-even beyond religious beliefs-for opposing or not wanting to advocate homosexual behavior. But since race hurts no one, there is no moral justification for refusing to serve someone merely due to race.
Second, people are born into their race but not their sexual behavior. Sexual behavior is always a choice, race never is. You will find many former homosexuals, but you will never find a former African American. (I know whom you're thinking about. Let him rest in peace!).
Now, some believe there is a gay gene for homosexual attractions. But there's not only no evidence for a gay gene, identical twin studies suggest it doesn't exist. Yet even if we one day find some kind of genetic component to homosexual attractions, that would not mean that homosexual actions must be advocated by anyone. Being born with certain tendencies doesn't necessarily justify acting on those tendencies. If it did, Elane Huguenin could have justified her actions by simply claiming that she was born with the anti-gay gene!
New Mexico Justice Richard C. Bosson justified his actions this way: "The Huguenins are free to think, to say, to believe, as they wish; they may pray to the God of their choice and follow those commandments in their personal lives wherever they lead. The Constitution protects the Huguenins in that respect and much more. But there is a price, one that we all have to pay somewhere in our civic life."
I have a newsflash for Justice Bosson: People in North Korea and Iran are free to think, believe and pray to the God of their choice too! But that's not freedom of religion. The "free exercise" of religion means that you can actually live according to your religious beliefs. Justice Bosson and his misguided colleagues are essentially saying, "You can be a Christian as long as you don't act like a Christian. It's fine if your pastor or the Bible tells you to do something, as long as you don't actually do it." So we can't obey God anymore? Is that the "price" we have to pay, Justice Bosson? Looks like the time for peaceful civil disobedience is here. Jail anyone?
Despite his inane ruling, Justice Bosson does seem to recognize the chilling implications of his decision. He wrote: "…the Huguenins… now are compelled by law to compromise the very religious beliefs that inspire their lives. Though the rule of law requires it, the result is sobering. It will no doubt leave a tangible mark on the Huguenins and others of similar views."
This is only one of many "tangible marks" that the mainstream media continues to ignore as they cheer on intolerance disguised as "gay rights." There is a long and growing list of marks tattooed on people of faith and people of conscience who are being discriminated against beyond just the Huguenins. This is not tolerance or "non-discrimination." It is exactly the opposite. It is totalitarianism-do what we say, or else!
Our country has a choice to make: either maintain the value of freedom enshrined in our Constitution, or usurp the value of freedom by mandating conformity to the gay agenda. Unless the church and other freedom-loving people begin to speak up and get involved – and by that I mean in politics, education, the media, and law-we will lose the very freedoms our founders spilled their blood to secure.
Yes, there is a price to pay. But the price isn't giving up your Constitutional rights as the New Mexico Supreme Court mandates. The price is getting involved to protect those rights.
P.S. Click here and go to the top of the list to hear my in-depth interview with Jordan Lorence, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorney who argued the case for Elane Photography. You can also see Jordan interviewed by Shannon Bream here. ADF is considering an appeal to the United States Supreme Court.


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October 30, 2006
Parents' Love, Not Sexual Orientation, Is Key to Kids' Well-Being
Does a parent's sexual orientation affect her child's development? And if so, how?
These are the questions posed by Prof. Charlotte Patterson in her article in the newest issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, a highly respected academic journal published by the Association for Psychological Science.
Papers in Current Directions are intended to be "concise reviews spanning all of scientific psychology and its applications" that are "written by leading experts in terms that are accessible outside of the realm of research subspecialties."
Consistent with these criteria, Dr. Patterson's article doesn't report new data. Rather, it reviews previously published research and synthesizes the findings for other professionals.
Noting that most studies have focused on lesbian mothers rather than gay fathers, Dr. Patterson highlights two eras in contemporary research on sexual minority families.
In early studies — conducted mainly during the 1970s and 1980s — researchers examined children who were born to a married mother and father but were subsequently raised by their lesbian mother after a divorce or separation. They found few significant differences between the children with a lesbian mother and children whose divorced mothers were heterosexual.
Because these children began life in the context of a heterosexual marriage, however, the question of how their early experiences might have affected their long-term development remained open. What would be the outcome for, say, infants adopted by same-sex couples or children conceived by same-sex couples through donor insemination?
More recent research has addressed this issue by studying children raised from birth in families headed by a same-sex couple. For these studies, children and parents have been recruited through a variety of strategies. Some researchers have located participants through friendship networks and word of mouth, while others have sampled specific groups that included both heterosexual and lesbian parents (e.g., sperm bank clients). Still others have used probability samples that are representative of the entire population.
Regardless of how participants were recruited, all of the studies converge on similar conclusions. In Dr. Patterson's words,
"Does parental sexual orientation have an important impact on child or adolescent development? Results of recent research provide no evidence that it does. In fact, the findings suggest that parental sexual orientation is less important than the qualities of family relationships. More important to youth than the gender of their parent's partner is the quality of daily interaction and the strength of relationships with the parents they have."
Thus, if you want to know which children are most likely to be developing in a healthy way, don't focus on their parents' sexual orientation. Instead, find the children who have warm and affectionate relationships with their parents.
Dr. Patterson's article, "Children of Lesbian and Gay Parents," appears in the October 2006 issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science.
In addition to her many scholarly publications on this topic, Dr. Patterson has also written a summary of research findings on lesbian mothers, gay fathers, and their children that is available on the website of the American Psychological Association.


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What does directionality® mean?
Directionality in fabric means "the ability of the fabric or the fabric system to move liquid water to where you want it". Liquid water? Isn't all water liquid? Well, actually, no! Water dissolves in air in relatively small quantities to form moisture vapour. Most people who own an Outdoor jacket these days know about Moisture Vapour Transmission fabrics, or, in other words, breathable membranes. The theory goes that these fabrics can transmit the evaporated sweat from our bodies.
So, water exists in three forms: LIQUID, which we drink and which we feel as condensation inside our garments, VAPOUR, which we cannot see, but which surrounds all of us, and ICE – frozen water, which we find building up on the inside of breathable membranes in extremely cold conditions.
Why would you want to move liquid water within a fabric, instead of moisture vapour? The answer is quite simple; it is much more efficient to move liquid water. Why? Because liquid water occupies so much less space than water vapour – in fact even fully water saturated air at 20 degrees centigrade contains less than 1/70,000 of the amount of water than the same volume of liquid water. Therefore, if you want to move water, moving it as a liquid has to be more efficient than moving it as moisture vapour.
What benefits does directionality® bring?
Directionality is all about comfort. We all know that we sweat, and we sweat to cool down. Evaporation of sweat, or the transition of liquid water to moisture vapour, absorbs a very large amount of energy and keeps us cool.
So, sweating is good, until we sweat too much, and end up wet. Being wet is problematic because it feels uncomfortable, but even more problematic because it stops our clothing from being able to insulate us. Why? The classic problem in the mountains is to first be too hot, and sweat, and soon after be much too cold. The reason is quite simple, liquid water, that is, sweat or condensation, transmits heat 20 times more effectively than still air. So if we replace the air in our clothing with sweat, condensation or rainwater, we lose 95 per cent of our insulation.
Therefore the challenge in the outdoors, in potentially cool conditions, is to maintain plenty of still, dry air around our bodies, and to avoid it being replaced with water.
One answer to the water problem is to try to use body heat to evaporate any excess water in our clothing systems. But that quickly cools us down too much. A far better answer is for the clothing to move the water to where we need it, which in cooler conditions, is always away from us, and therefore to protect our insulation. DIRECTIONAL fabrics are designed to move liquid water to where we need it to be.
Nikwax has created directional fabric systems which are highly efficient at moving liquid water. Páramo has ingeniously made use of these systems to produce high performance outdoor clothing.
Páramo directional clothing systems are better at keeping you cool when you need to be, and better at keeping you warm in cool conditions. It is that simple. Fabric breathability on its own is not enough – directionality is essential to avoid a build up of water in your clothing when you are working hard. Too much moisture in your clothing will lead to sudden and rapid cooling when you stop and rest.
Water-repellent directionality – hydrophobic fabric
All fabrics branded Nikwax are water-repellent. They are designed to push water way from the wearer. These fabrics are used in out layer or mid layer garments.
Water absorbent directionality – hydrophilic fabric
All fabrics branded Parameta are water absorbent. They are designed to move water by a process called capillarity or wicking. Parameta fabrics are rapid drying and move water laterally within the fabric for optimum drying efficiency, or from one face to the other, for optimum cooling. Parameta fabrics are worn next to the skin.


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cHAPTER 17
Of Perseverance of the Saints
Paragraph 1
Those whom God has accepted in the beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, and given the precious faith of his elect unto, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved, seeing the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, from which source he still begets and nourishes in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality; 1 and though many storms and floods arise and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation and rock which by faith they are fastened upon; notwithstanding, through unbelief and the temptations of Satan, the sensible sight of the light and love of God may for a time be clouded and obscured from them, 2 yet he is still the same, and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salvation, where they shall enjoy their purchased possession, they being engraved upon the palm of his hands, and their names having been written in the book of life from all eternity. 3
(1) John 10:28,29; Phil. 1:6; 2 Tim. 2:19; 1 John 2:19, (2) Ps. 89:31–32; 1 Cor. 11:32, (3) Mal. 3:6
Paragraph 2
This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, 4 flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father, upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with him, 5 the oath of God, 6 the abiding of his Spirit, and the seed of God within them, 7 and the nature of the covenant of grace; 8 from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.
(4) Rom. 8:30, 9:11,16, (5) Rom. 5:9, 10; John 14:19, (6) Heb. 6:17–18, (7) 1 John 3:9, (8) Jer. 32:40
Paragraph 3
And though they may, through the temptation of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins, and for a time continue therein, 9 whereby they incur God's displeasure and grieve his Holy Spirit, 10 come to have their graces and comforts impaired, 11 have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded, 12 hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves, 13 yet shall they renew their repentance and be preserved through faith in Christ Jesus to the end. 14
(9) Matt. 26:70,72,74, (10) Isa. 64:5,9; Eph. 4:30, (11) Ps. 51:10,12, (12) Ps. 32:3–4, (13) 2 Sam. 12:14, (14) Luke 22:32,61–62


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15. Grazer Konferenz – Qualität der Lehre: Teaching and Learning – Expanding our Resources
28. - 30. April 2011, Wien, Österreich
Dear Colleagues,
It is again a special pleasure for me, for Jörg Stein, and for our hosts and co-organisers from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna to welcome you to the 15th Graz Conference on medical education. Graz was the venue of the first conference that Jörg Stein and I organized in 1995 and we met there almost every year until 2004. Starting in 2005 the conference was hosted in turn by all Austrian Medical Universities.
But never before has a university of veterinary medicine been the venue of this conference. I regard this as an important step forward for our meeting, since universities of "human" and veterinary medicine face so many similar challenges. Thus we can and should attempt to learn from each other. It is a hope of the organizers of this meeting that such joint activities will not remain an isolated event.
If you are interested in finding out more about this conference as well as past and future Graz conferences please visit the web site at its new home: http://grazconference.at/
Herbert Plass is the conference web-master and also edited the 2011 conference program booklet and those of recent years. The complete conference programs can be downloaded from the web site.
The conference gave us an opportunity to learn from our colleagues and to discuss new ideas. Please come to next year's conference, which will be another first: it will take place at the Medical University of Timisoara, Rumania, April 19-21, 2012.
Richard März


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Start Your Collection
Learning coin terminology and acquiring basic collecting knowledge are important first steps for those entering the numismatic hobby.
Getting started in numismatics
Young or old, affluent or not, all sorts of people find coin collecting an accessible hobby. Many famous collectors started as children or young adults, and this is also the kind of hobby and vocation that gets passed to generations within families and shared with friends. Because studying numismatics also involves learning about history, politics, art and much more, this hobby has educational value. Of course, coin collectors also find this hobby exciting and sometimes, profitable. The first step for novice coin collectors usually includes learning the language of coin collecting. Special terms describe a coin's condition, type and appearance. Mastery of basic terms opens the door to gaining more knowledge.
Learning coin terminology and acquiring basic collecting knowledge are important first steps for those entering the numismatic hobby.
From the U.S. Mint's first facilities, to the discovery of the Saddle Ridge Hoard, read about the historical places, people and events that have shaped numismatics.
Bullion investing and coin collecting go hand in hand. Learn all about the basics of investing and the many different bullion coins available.
What's so special about the Morgan dollar? How many different types of Lincoln cents have there been? Get familiar with all U.S. coins, past and present.
Making coins come alive
The very first American colonists had little need for coins in the wilderness. They bartered with trade goods, Native American wampumand tobacco. As civilization grew, the British did not always give the Americans permission to mint their own coins, but the colonists found alternative sources of coins and on occasion, struck coins without royal authority. For example, the Massachusetts Bay Colony set up its own mint in Boston in 1652 during a period when England lacked a king and continued striking 1652-dated silver coins for decades. Thus, early examples of U.S. Colonial coins were born. In April of 1792, the U.S. Mint was established in Philadelphia, the nation's capital at the time.
Numismatics, the studying of coins, and the collecting of coins both stand apart from investing in coins for their bullion value. Still, the bullion value of most collectible coins still needs to get considered. Even today, the U.S. Mint and mints of other nations' produce bullion coins that are different from regular coins intended for currency. Through much of history, coins derived most of their value from their metal content. While people used coins as currency for thousands of years, the practice might have been closer to trading small bits of copper, silver, gold and other precious metals. However, as gold and silver rose in value, the intrinsic worth of the precious metals in the coins began to exceed their face value. In the U.S., for example, the replacement of 90 percent silver coins with base metal coins began in 1965.
Learning about U.S. coins means learning about the history of the country. Very often, decisions about a coin's content, value and design were made because of political, economic or social events of the time that they were minted. In some cases, political figures or mint executives even made decisions because of favoritism, nepotism or personal competitions — and learning these details makes old coins come alive.


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The Silhouette Mint™ stamp sheet sets allow you to continue to create additional custom stamps. This stamp sheet set is perfect for users who already own the bases from the stamp kit and just need more stamp sheets to keep creating additional stamps.
This offering includes 2 sheets allowing you to create 2 custom stamps.
Stamp sheets are the customizable sheets that are fed into the Mint machine to create your stamp. Once created, you can mount the customized sheet onto the stamp mount, which has an adhesive surface to hold your stamp in place. Stamp mounts (not included with this set) can in turn be placed onto a stamp base (a wooden block) for easier handling. Labels are included so that you can label the stamp mount's cover and the back of the base so you can tell at a glance which stamp is which while they are covered or turned upside-down.
Stamp Size: 30mm x 60mm
For use with:
- Silhouette Mint™
- 2 stamp sheets
- 2 stamp mounts
- 2 labels
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A year after the steep drop in crude prices in 2014, oil and gas companies have made all the easy cuts—the low-hanging fruit is off the tree. Procurement teams across the industry have pushed for price reductions from suppliers, clamped down on discretionary spending and deferred capital expenditures. As oil prices slumped again this year, the industry shelved $200 billion worth of projects to protect dividends.
All of these represent valuable ways to reduce short-term spending but probably are still not enough to make lasting changes. What's more, in some cases short-term thinking can do long-term damage. For example, maintenance is an easy target for cost reductions, but these cuts are inherently shortsighted. Production losses resulting from equipment failures can hurt cash flow far beyond any savings that may result from maintenance cost cuts.
Now, as the industry faces the likelihood of a long-term low-price environment, procurement teams need to look beyond short-term tactics and take a more proactive and strategic stance within their organizations—for example, working further upstream in project design and collaborating with the engineering and design teams to reduce complexity before it is locked into long-term procurement costs (see Figure 1). Long-term shareholder returns depend on growth and capital efficiency more than paring discretionary costs.
Three areas where procurement teams must strike the right balance
Bain's work with clients identifies three areas where leading procurement teams strike the right balance between short-term cost reduction and long-term optimization (see Figure 2).
Reset supplier relationships. As prices dropped, oil and gas suppliers' inboxes filled with letters from customers asking for price reductions of as much as a third. These initiatives helped to reclaim some of the margins that had shifted to service providers in the boom times.
But the best buyers also understand their suppliers' cost structures and strategic importance to their business. They avoid squeezing so hard they put suppliers out of business, which benefits no one, especially where strategic relationships have been carefully cultivated over many years.
Buyers should also try to get a better understanding of suppliers' costs and the value of the products and services procured. Among the strategies to reduce costs:
- Aggregate demand. Combine purchases across the entire portfolio, rather than individual projects, to get bigger volume discounts.
- Embrace standardization and modularization. Remind engineers and the front line of the cost advantages of working with existing equipment, especially in lean times. Reuse designs and avoid introducing new complexity.
- Avoid onerous terms. When buyers squeeze suppliers on price or other purchasing terms, suppliers have to find ways to mitigate these risks by purchasing insurance or raising prices down the line.
- Adopt low-cost solutions for shared activities. Identify areas where buyers and sellers can cooperate to realize joint savings. For example, a helicopter contractor and its oil company client could cooperate to jointly plan their schedules to ensure better utilization of their transport service, reducing costs for both.
Armed with these insights, procurement teams can develop a prioritized action plan that includes negotiations with their largest suppliers, running a sourcing program for the largest and most expensive categories and renegotiating important contracts. Buyers should also be open to bids from competing vendors, as suppliers jockey to gain or maintain share. (See below "A moment of opportunity for oilfield services.")
Increase capex efficiency. Most if not all oil and gas companies have already reviewed their capital spending, deferring or canceling new projects. Long-term capital efficiency will require more extensive changes, including reducing complexity throughout the organization. Strategically minded procurement teams get involved in the early stages of design, when decisions determine long-term costs.
With sector inflation waning, some companies with strong balance sheets may find this the ideal time to accelerate projects, given reduced competition around opportunities and better rates for services and equipment.
Develop a culture of cost-consciousness. As cost pressures increase, procurement teams attack discretionary spending with a fine-tooth comb, cutting small luxuries such as coffee machines or canceling training. But these moves usually have little effect on spending, and they can damage morale and weaken capabilities.
A more important role for procurement involves fostering a culture of cost-consciousness so that staff across the organization can make the right decisions for themselves. This begins with systematic cost transparency. The employees who specify a product or service, those who purchase it and those who use it may be different people. This makes purchasing difficult. Better to make sure that all three categories—those who specify, buy and use—stay involved in purchasing decisions and can see and understand the cost and value.
Most procurement teams say that they consider total cost of ownership but often overlook it for short-term savings, especially in lean times. Applying total cost of ownership correctly can be difficult because it requires a holistic view on spending across functions and time. For big projects, getting involved early in front-end engineering design allows procurement to participate in decisions that lock in 80% to 90% of costs.
Toward a more strategic approach
Procurement teams can make a more sustainable contribution to their companies' success by taking a more proactive and strategic approach, which requires building up three critical capabilities.
Plan for uncertainty. Given the broad range of outlooks for the sector, a scenario-based approach is the best strategy for dealing with evolving market conditions. Leading procurement teams develop a set of scenarios based on various market conditions. Under each scenario, they determine changes in demand and their appropriate response. They then continuously monitor signposts that indicate the likelihood of the various scenarios materializing and adjust their actions accordingly. For example, in boom times when demand for pipeline materials runs high, it's important to lock in capacity at mills to ensure a steady supply. When demand slackens, it's less important to lock in capacity and probably more important to collect bids from prequalified suppliers to increase the speed to market. The procurement team should advise the business on these kinds of challenges. (For more on scenario planning, see "What the recent oil price shock teaches about managing uncertainty.")
Strengthen category management. Procurement teams become more effective as they gain expertise about the industries from which they source. As experts, they should be able to offer deep insights about their suppliers' businesses, including market size, growth patterns and the market share of competitors. By developing a good understanding of the value drivers in a category, teams learn what products and services should cost and how events will affect their suppliers and costs. Best-in-class category managers should be able to answer questions such as:
- Which suppliers generate superior returns and why?
- Where will consolidation occur, and what role will their suppliers play?
- How will disruptive technologies and changing customer preferences shape the market?
Procurement category managers can improve their capabilities by building bridges with the commercial and engineering groups such as setting up cross-functional teams, sharing information on an online platform or holding focused idea-generating sessions. Investing this way in development benefits the whole company, and the low-cost environment provides a strong motivation for bolstering the procurement team with analytics, commercial and strategic performers.
Improve ability to detect risk. Procurement teams can take steps to get better at assessing the risks faced by their suppliers.
- Audit supplier performance. An audit can help identify potential performance, financial or capability risks. Frank discussions with suppliers can help procurement understand their position and assess their ability to continue to deliver.
- Assess midterm market risks. Looking ahead can help identify potential supply risks from consolidation, regulatory constraints, geopolitical risks or other wild cards.
- Look after emerging suppliers. In many countries, contractors select suppliers in line with local content goals. Sometimes contract requirements with national oil companies or other resource owners may entail supporting these suppliers through difficult economic periods.
Near-term projections for the global oil and gas industry continue to forecast increases in supply against weak demand growth. With no sign of a quick return to higher crude prices, it will become increasingly important for procurement teams to step up their game. By becoming more proactive in their counsel on better purchasing behavior, by becoming experts in the industries that supply them and the contracts that manage the value chain, and by advocating reductions in complexity, procurement teams can become one of the most important agents in the industry's transformation for leaner times.
A moment of opportunity for oilfield services
Oilfield service (OFS) contractors were among the first to feel the pinch of falling oil prices, as producers immediately began asking them to reduce their rates and other costs. Between July 2014 and February 2015, the OFS sector market cap took a hit of more than $100 billion, with some categories proving more resilient than others (see Figure).
At the same time, capable OFS providers see this as a moment of opportunity, as oil and gas producers shop for new suppliers who can meet their needs in a cost-constrained environment. Now is the time to crack open entrenched relationships between existing suppliers and oil companies.
Among the ways to take advantage of the moment:
- Come up with innovative proposals for service providers and suppliers to work together to reduce total cost of ownership. These could include point solutions in which the supplier agrees to seamlessly and comprehensively take on a task that would free up resources for the provider—for example, asset integrity testing.
- Use the price drop as an opportunity to create new services. Insights gleaned from big data and advanced analytics may be even more valuable in this environment than they were a year earlier if they can help producers operate more efficiently or effectively.
- Create a platform for fundamental change within the company. Revenue under pressure can help generate momentum for greater transformation.
On a broader level, OFS providers may also identify opportunities to pick up assets or businesses that oil producers or midstream companies might divest as they rationalize their portfolios.
Francesco Cigala is a partner with Bain & Company in Kuala Lumpur. Lodewijk de Graauw is a Bain partner in Perth, and John McCreery is a partner in Bain's Houston office. Hasan Shafi is a Bain principal in Sydney.