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East Hampton March 31, 2011 To the Editor, Full of bull should be the conservative Republican motto for the next two years. Those who believe that their doo-doo doesn't stink are immune to any realities that waffle in the putrid air that passes through their respirators. Dealing with deficit cretins who rave and rant about socialism has engendered a new game called smack a hypocrite. It's for those politicians who deny that they live on the federal nipple yet benefit enormously from the federal government's largess. How it works: All of our federal tax dollars go into a pool and are distributed to those states that are most in need of support. The government collects about $2.5 trillion in taxes but the top seven states account for more than 50 percent of those revenues. So much of the country gets tax dollars contributed by the top 7 states. In fact, 34 states get more back than they actually contribute, some way more. So take the examples of Jim Demint of South Carolina and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, both rabid deficit and no-tax conservatives who cry incessantly about how their tax dollars are spent. South Carolina gets $1.35 back for every dollar it pays in, and Kentucky gets $1.51. Independent Alaska gets $1.84, and good old Mississippi gets $2.02. Are they offering to give this money back? Mr. Demint and Mr. McConnell both deserve a serious tarring for their disingenuous bull. State deficits in the light of inequitable, or even justifiable, federal distribution policies can be seen in a different light. New York, for example, pays about $245 billion (2007 figures) each year and gets back 79 cents for each dollar. So, we donate about $49 billion to the rest of the country, then we pay state taxes, city taxes, local taxes, and sales taxes to make up for the $49 billion we donate. Thirty-three states pay less in taxes than New York donates to pigs like Mr. McConnell and Mr. Demint, who trash us all the time. Sounds like we're in Sweden, but without the meatballs. California pays more than $315 billion and donates $65 billion to the rest of the country. Imagine having an extra $65 billion a year for the past 10 years. Between New York and California, we could wipe out the federal deficit in 10 years. So part of the country gets screwed while another part lives off the fruits of the federal government. Why is it that all the deficit noise come from the states with their hands out? All the conservative Republicans are sucking on the federal nipple while they stick pins into its body. Where are the Tea Party heroes when it comes to battling for fairness in government spending? They're happy to tax government workers by freezing their wages and cutting their benefits, but they aren't willing to take the lips off the nipple that keeps them afloat. NEIL HAUSIG
Published 4 months ago
Last updated 4 months ago
Their Hands Out
April 7, 2011


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Top Items:
CNN Poll: Is Bush still to blame for economy? — Washington (CNN) - Although nearly two-thirds of Americans still give the nation's economy a thumbs down, the percentage who rate the current economic conditions as good now stands at its highest level in six years, according to a new national poll.
Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Hot Air
Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo: CNN Poll: Americans Still Blame Bush For Struggling Economy
Ginger Gibson / Politico:
O'Reilly reporter confronts Pelosi — A reporter from Bill O'Reilly's television program attended House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's weekly press conference to confront her about why she won't sit for an interview with the Fox News anchor. — "Bill O'Reilly has a quick question for you …
Discussion: Talking Points Memo and TheBlaze.com
Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo: Pelosi Won't Go On 'The Factor' Because Of O'Reilly's 'Disrespect' For Obama
Ted Barrett / CNN: Senate fails to advance unemployment bill
Molly K. Hooper / The Hill:
Cantor takes mission impossible
Cantor takes mission impossible
Discussion: Daily Kos, Politico and Washington Monthly
Joan McCarter / Daily Kos: House GOP: This time there will be an Obamacare replacement plan, for real
Seung Min Kim / Politico: Immigration reform's other hurdle
Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:
Senate Fails to Pass 3-Month Extension of Jobless Benefits
Senate Fails to Pass 3-Month Extension of Jobless Benefits
Discussion: The World's Greatest … and Prairie Weather
Ramsey Cox / The Hill:
Senate rejects jobless benefits
Senate rejects jobless benefits
Discussion: Washington Monthly
Ed Kilgore / Washington Monthly: Third Strike on UI
Deirdre Walsh / CNN:
Boehner signals immigration unlikely this year
Boehner signals immigration unlikely this year
Discussion: msnbc.com, No More Mister Nice Blog and Politico
Steve Benen / msnbc.com: Boehner's 'trust' issues on immigration
Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
Boehner Doubts Immigration Overhaul Will Pass This Year
Boehner Doubts Immigration Overhaul Will Pass This Year
Discussion: Washington Post, News Desk, The Daily Caller and The Week
Chris Cillizza / Washington Post: John Boehner pooh-poohed immigration reform this morning. Here's why.
Amy Davidson / News Desk: John Boehner's Immigration Nihilism
Michael Brendan Dougherty / The Week: The GOP will survive immigration amnesty
Wall Street Journal:
Russian Officials Fire Back at Olympic Critics — One Sochi Defender Claims Only 103 Registered Complaints; 'Surveillance Video' in Hotel Rooms — SOCHI, Russia—Rooms without doorknobs, locks or heat, dysfunctional toilets, surprise early-morning fire alarms and a Welcome Wagon of stray dogs …
Patt Morrison / Los Angeles Times: For media in Sochi, it's more Potemkin village than Olympic village
Gregory Ferenstein / TechCrunch: In Russia, Bathroom Mirror Watches You!
John Aravosis / AMERICAblog News: Russians put spy-cams in Olympic bathrooms, showers, per Deputy PM
Dante D'Orazio / The Verge: Russian official says government has video surveillance of Sochi hotel room showers
ThinkProgress: Russian Officials Defend Decrepit Facilities By Citing Surveillance Footage Inside Hotel Showers
Candice Leigh Helfand / CBS DC: Russian Official Reveals That Hotel Surveillance Video Records Shower Activity
Sarah Hofmann / The Daily Caller: RED STARE: Russians spy on media with cameras installed in Sochi showers
Tom Boggioni / The Raw Story: Russian Olympic official proud of doorknobs on doors, cameras in showers
Ban Ki-moon condemns persecution of gay people in Russia
Ban Ki-moon condemns persecution of gay people in Russia
Discussion: Towleroad News #gay, Taylor Marsh, Advocate and ThinkProgress
Andy Towle / Towleroad News #gay: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon Denounces Attacks on LGBTI People in Sochi Remarks: VIDEO
Daniel Reynolds / Advocate: U.N. Secretary General: 'We Must All Raise Our Voices' Against Homophobia
David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:
Racing to Save the Stray Dogs of Sochi
Racing to Save the Stray Dogs of Sochi
Discussion: Voices
Brandon Wall / Voices: Photos: The dogs of Sochi, we salute you
Ernesto Londoño / Washington Post:
Military dog captured by Taliban fighters, who post video of their captive — In the annals of prisoner of war videos, this seems to be a first. A slightly befuddled Belgian Malinois appears on a tight leash, surrounded by heavily armed, bearded men boasting of their battlefield loot.
Giuseppe Macri / The Daily Caller: Taliban takes U.S. military dog hostage [VIDEO]
Taliban Fighters Claim To Have Captured U.S. Military Dog — The Taliban this week released a video that may well be the first of its kind — one that shows a dog they claim to be a U.S. military service dog, still wearing its gear, and that they say was captured after a lengthy firefight with American troops.
Afghan Taliban capture British military dog
Afghan Taliban capture British military dog
Rob Crilly / Telegraph: The Taliban capture a British dog of war
Julian Pecquet / The Hill:
Obama official: 'F—k the EU' — President Obama's top diplomat to Europe has been caught on tape saying "F—k the EU." — The conversation between Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and U.S. Ambassador to the Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt was anonymously leaked on YouTube.
Giuseppe Macri / The Daily Caller: Obama's top European diplomat says 'F-k the EU'
Christopher J. Miller / kyivpost.com:
'F**k the EU,' frustrated Nuland says to Pyatt, in alleged leaked phone call (UPDATED) — In a conversation leaked online and posted to YouTube on Feb. 4, voices closely resembling those of U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland discuss loosely …
Discussion: Business Insider, New York Times, BuzzFeed, Hot Air, Gawker, Firedoglake and Mediaite
Brett LoGiurato / Business Insider: Top US Diplomat Says 'F— The EU' In Leaked Phone Call, And The US Is Blaming Russia
Allahpundit / Hot Air: "F*** the EU": Top State Dep't official's phone call to U.S. ambassador in Ukraine leaked online
Gabrielle Bluestone / Gawker: American Diplomat Caught On Tape Saying "F**k the EU"
DSWright / Firedoglake: Recording Allegedly Has US Diplomat Saying 'F**k the EU', Meddling In Ukraine Politics
AOL Chairman Slashes 401K Benefits, Blames Two Women Who Gave Birth To Sick Babies — AOL Chairman and CEO Tim Armstrong blamed the babies of two employees for increasing the company's benefit costs on Thursday, explaining in a conference call that AOL had to pay millions out in medical bills and alter its entire benefits package.
Jia Lynn Yang / Wonkblog:
AOL chief cuts 401(k) benefits, blames Obamacare and two "distressed babies" — AOL chief executive Tim Armstrong blames the new health care law for why his company has made a major change to its 401(k) benefits. (Photo by Pete Marovich/Bloomberg) — AOL chief executive Tim Armstrong …
Discussion: CNBC, The Raw Story, ThinkProgress and Gawker
Matthew J. Belvedere / CNBC: AOL changing its 401(k) benefits due to Obamacare
Arturo Garcia / The Raw Story: AOL chairman blames 'distressed babies' for company changing 401(k) benefits
Yahoo! News:
Hillary's question: not if, but how — Let's be clear about this much: no matter what the soothsayers on cable TV tell you, Hillary Clinton is no more likely to clear the Democratic field and avoid a primary in 2016 than Dennis Rodman is to become her secretary of state.
Seth Masket / Washington Monthly:
Are People Already Tired of Hillary?
Are People Already Tired of Hillary?
Discussion: American Prospect, The Dish and Mother Jones
Paul Waldman / American Prospect: If You're Tired of a Politician, It Just Means You Don't Like Them
Andrew Sullivan / The Dish: Clinton Fatigue? — Drum is worried about it. I'm already exhausted.
Kevin Drum / Mother Jones: If Hillary Runs, What Exactly Will She Run On?
How John Podesta is changing Obama's White House
How John Podesta is changing Obama's White House
Discussion: The New Republic
Dana Davidsen / CNN:
Biden: LaGuardia like a 'third world country' — (CNN) - LaGuardia airport is notorious for older crowded terminals and other constraints that contribute to horrid flight delays. And Vice President Joe Biden doesn't appear to be a big fan. — "If I blindfolded someone and took …
Lucy McCalmont / Politico: Joe Biden likens LaGuardia to '3rd world'
Cheryl Hurd / nbcbayarea.com:
Controversy Surrounds Lunch Menu at Concord High School — Administrators at a Northern California private school are facing tough questions and offering a big apology after a menu controversy. — Students at Carondelet High School for Girls in Concord wanted to come up with ways …
Discussion: The Moderate Voice and The Raw Story
Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:
New Bogus GOP Obamacare Attack Debuts In 2014 Political Ad (VIDEO) — Despite the consistent refutation of their claim that the Congressional Budget Office said Obamacare would cost the country 2 million jobs — even from within their own party — Republicans are now putting the attack in congressional ads.
Discussion: The Plum Line, americanthinker.com and ThinkProgress
Greg Sargent / The Plum Line: Morning Plum: Republicans double down on another Big Lie about Obamacare
Rick Moran / americanthinker.com: An object lesson in why exaggerating the facts comes back to haunt you
ThinkProgress: Conservatives Seize On Report To Argue Obamacare Is A Job Killer — But The Author Says They're Wrong
Chicago Tribune:
Obamacare and the incentive to work
Obamacare and the incentive to work
Discussion: Weekly Standard, Shakesville and Hot Air
Jeffrey H. Anderson / Weekly Standard: CBO Director: Obamacare 'Creates a Disincentive for People to Work'
Melissa McEwan / Shakesville: Legions of Lazy Strawpeople
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air: Why is the White House cheering disincentives to work?
White House.gov Blog:
Six Economic Benefits of the Affordable Care Act
Six Economic Benefits of the Affordable Care Act
Discussion: Washington Monthly, WRAL-TV, Talking Points Memo, National Review, The Daily Banter, Politico, AEIdeas and No More Mister Nice Blog
Jennifer Nicoll Victor / Washington Monthly: Did the CBO just kill Obamacare?
Capitol Broadcasting Company / WRAL-TV: Report on health law sparks misleading claims by Tillis, other Republicans
Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo: GOPers Oughta Love Obamacare: It Likely Encourages Entrepreneurship
Yuval Levin / National Review: A Few More Thoughts on the CBO Report
Bob Cesca / The Daily Banter: Digital Journalism is Destroying Accuracy for the Sake of Being Fast and First
David Nather / Politico: White House embraces CBO report
James Pethokoukis / AEIdeas: Does Obamacare exchange an opportunity ladder for a poverty trap?
Russell Brand / Guardian:
Philip Seymour Hoffman is another victim of stupid drug laws — In Hoffman's domestic or sex life there is no undiscovered riddle - the man was a drug addict and, thanks to our drug laws, his death inevitable — Philip Seymour Hoffman's death was not on the bill.
Discussion: Associated Press, Mediaite, The Huffington Post and New York Post
Matt Wilstein / Mediaite: Russell Brand: America's 'Extremely Stupid Drug Laws' Helped Kill Philip Seymour Hoffman
April Sperry / The Huffington Post: Russell Brand Calls Philip Seymour Hoffman A 'Victim' Of Existing Drug Laws
Jails Enroll Inmates in Obamacare to Pass Hospital Costs to U.S. — Being arrested in Chicago for, say, drug possession or assault gets you sent to the Cook County Jail to be fingerprinted, photographed and X-rayed. You'll also get help applying for health insurance.
Discussion: Crime and Consequences Blog, Rush Limbaugh and Weekly Standard
Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:
Paul Ryan Is the Odds-On Favorite to Win the Republican Nomination in 2016 — There's been a lot of blathering about who the front-runner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination is, and so far I've resisted taking part. But I guess I'm kind of curious: Is there much of a case to be made for anyone other than Paul Ryan?
Discussion: Hot Air and CANNONFIRE
Allahpundit / Hot Air: Is Paul Ryan the man to beat in 2016?
GOP ends week with no debt plan — House Republicans left Washington Thursday without a plan to lift the debt ceiling. — Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are pretty clear in their position: They want a clean debt limit increase. — The nation's borrowing limit needs to be lifted by the end of the month …
Discussion: ThinkProgress, Business Insider, Firedoglake, Talking Points Memo and CNN
Danny Vinik / Business Insider: On The Debt Ceiling, John Boehner Is Winning
Jon Walker / Firedoglake: The Five Stages of GOP Grief Over the Debt Limit
Dan Merica / CNN: Paul says GOP infighting is a good thing
Robert Costa / Washington Post:
Boehner proposes linking debt-limit hike to a restoration of recent cuts to military benefits
Boehner proposes linking debt-limit hike to a restoration of recent cuts to military benefits
Discussion: CNN, Daily Kos, The Monkey Cage, PostPartisan, Hot Air, Business Insider, The Plum Line, Post Politics, Federal Eye and Talking Points Memo
Jonathan Capehart / PostPartisan: The GOP is wasting time fighting over debt ceiling (again)
Allahpundit / Hot Air: Newest GOP debt-ceiling demand: Undoing cuts to military benefits that they agreed to two months ago
Ryan Cooper / The Plum Line: Has debt limit hostage taking finally burned out?
Wesley Lowery / Post Politics: Boehner: 'Difficult' to move on immigration reform in 2014
Josh Hicks / Federal Eye: Military pensions and Boehner's debt-ceiling idea

subset: commoncrawl


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The National Council of Teachers of English and the Council of Writing Program Administrators offer this statement, a white paper, on writing assessment in postsecondary education. This white paper is meant to help teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders articulate the general positions, values, and assumptions on writing assessment that both the National Council of Teachers of English and the Council of Writing Program Administrators jointly endorse. What follows is an articulation of common understandings and general agreements in the membership of both organizations on the following:
- The connections among language, literacy, and writing assessment
- The principles of effective writing assessment
- The appropriate, fair, and valid use of writing assessment
- The role and importance of reliability in writing assessment
Connections: Language, Literacy, and Writing Assessment
Writing instruction and literacy education at all levels are formal ways in which societies build citizens, and in which citizens develop reading and communication behaviors and competencies in order to participate in various communities. Learning to write better involves engaging in the processes of drafting, reading, and revising; in dialogue, reflections, and formative feedback with peers and teachers; and in formal instruction and imitative activities. A preponderance of research argues that literacy and its teaching are socially contextualized and socially constructed dynamics, evolving as people, exigency, context, and other factors change. The varied language competencies and experiences with which students come to the classroom can sometimes conflict with what they are taught or told to value in school. The assessment of writing, therefore, must account for these contextual and social elements of writing pedagogy and literacy.
Principles of Effective Writing Assessment
The principles of effective writing assessment that can take the form of classroom tests and grades or extracurricular exams measuring student writing ability are highly contextual, and should be adapted or modified in accordance with local needs, issues, purposes, and concerns of stakeholders. These assessments function across large-scale and classroom contexts and are used to make important decisions about students, curriculum, and teachers. Generally, there is agreement about the following principles that tend to be a part of effective, meaningful, and responsible writing assessment:
- Writing assessment should place priority on the improvement of teaching and learning.
Writing assessment responds to student, teacher, institutional, and other stakeholder needs. It should be used to foster environments for student learning. In placement testing, this principle might demand that administrators consider the local classroom conditions students will be entering after they have been placed into a writing course, or the places in the local communities from which students come.
- Writing assessment should demonstrate that students communicate effectively.
The effectiveness of student performance should be connected to criteria relevant to the educational decisions the assessment is designed to facilitate. For example, in placement testing, student performance should indicate a readiness for the curriculum of the course in which the student is placed. In exit testing, student performance should indicate the completion of course goals and objectives and a readiness to write for the next course or courses in the curriculum. We acknowledge that writing assessment must communicate to a variety of stakeholders the essence of what we want students to learn and the evidence of such learning.
- Writing assessment should provide the foundation for data-driven, or evidence-based, decision making.
In some cases, assessment is designed to improve student performance, and in others to improve teaching and curricula. The purposes for assessment differ depending on the desired results of the assessment project. Programs may assess end products of a student's semester-long work to consider how and whether that work demonstrates the outcomes for the course. Depending on the purpose of the assessment, results can be used to improve instruction at multiple points in the curriculum.
- Writing assessment should be informed by current scholarship and research in assessment.
While writing assessment should be locally grown and implemented, those designing, implementing, and validating writing assessments should also stay informed of current developments in the fields of writing assessment, composition theory, and literacy studies. This means that those involved in writing assessment should be supported (financially and otherwise) to share and disseminate their own assessment and validation findings and work.
- Writing assessment should recognize diversity in language.
The methods and language that teachers and administrators use to make decisions and engage students in writing, reading, responding, and revising activities should incorporate meaningfully the multiple values and ways of expressing knowledge by students present in the classroom and local communities. Assessments and the decisions made from them should account for students' rights to their own languages (see the Guideline approved by the Conference on College Composition and Communication in 1974 and reaffirmed in 2003).
- Writing assessment should positively impact pedagogy and curriculum.
Curriculum designers and teachers should attempt to understand and incorporate into instruction the ways in which the assessments can improve the curriculum and instruction in classrooms. Positive writing assessment takes into account the nature of writing as a social process and product, situated within particular contexts (e.g., classrooms or timed environments), and limited or shaped by these factors.
- Writing assessment should use multiple measures and engage multiple perspectives to make decisions that improve teaching and learning.
These multiple measures and perspectives can include the use of several readers and the perspectives they bring to student texts. A single off-the-shelf or standardized test should never be used to make important decisions about students, teachers, or curriculum.
- Writing assessment should include appropriate input from and information and feedback for students.
Students should have access to the goals, purposes, and scoring criteria for required assessments. Students should also receive appropriate feedback for any important decisions made about them.
- Writing assessment should be based on continuous conversations with as many stakeholders as possible.
Developing, researching, and validating a writing assessment is a constant process, and one should expect the assessment, its results, and its products to change over time. Thus, it is important to have conversations about the assessment (e.g., dialogue about the features particular teachers notice in student portfolios in various courses).
- Writing assessment should encourage and expect teachers to be trusted, knowledgeable, and communicative.
Teachers should be the primary agents in writing assessment, and therefore need to be continually educated in writing assessment, to engage in dialogue with one another locally, and to find ways to gain the trust of the other stakeholders. Additionally, other stakeholders should support teachers in their efforts to become more knowledgeable about writing assessment and to communicate to all stakeholders involved.
- Writing assessment should articulate and communicate clearly its values and expectations to all stakeholders, especially students and, if applicable, parents.
Assessment should not be invisible, mysterious, or elusive to any stakeholders. There should be a variety of ways stakeholders can understand and be informed about the local writing assessment and its methods, findings, and products.
Appropriate, Fair, and Valid Use of Writing Assessment
The Appropriate use of writing assessment, whether in a classroom or large-scale context, means that it fits the context and decisions that will be made based on it. Appropriateness can also be understood as a measure of the decisions made. For example, when placing students into courses based on portfolio readings, one might ask—and measure in some way—how appropriate the decisions are (do students and teachers later find that the placements put students in the right places?). Appropriateness might also be considered regarding the kinds of evaluation/feedback provided, based on their purpose or use (e.g., grades, summative feedback, formative feedback, recorded audio responses, no responses, detailed annotations/marginalia, responses offered to the entire class and not individual students, etc.).
The Fair use of writing assessment is crucial, since it can be used to make important decisions about individuals. A concern for fairness should guard against any disproportionate social effects on any language minority group. Writing assessments that are used to make important decisions about individuals and the material and educational conditions that affect these individuals should provide an equal opportunity for students to understand the expectations, roles, and purposes of the assessment. For instance, if students have no recourse, or opportunities to respond to evaluations or judgments of their writing, or if they do not have any access to the criteria used to evaluate their writing or to the uses of the assessments of their writing, then those assessments may be unfair. Considering the fair use of power does not mean giving equal power to decide to all stakeholders in an assessment. It means all stakeholders should have as much power over the assessment as their particular roles and positions dictate they can have, considering the ethical and expedient administration of the assessment, and the purposes of judgments.
The Valid use of writing assessment decisions and evaluations is a complex and technical activity. "Validity refers to the degree to which evidence and theory support the interpretations of test scores entailed by proposed uses of tests" (American 9). Every use of an assessment requires a validation inquiry in which an argument is made that the theoretical understanding of the assessment and the evidence the assessment generates support the decisions being made on behalf of the assessment. For example, if we use any method to place students into first-year writing courses, we must provide evidence that students are being correctly placed and profit from the educational experience. Questions such as how well students learn in each course of the curriculum must be answered in order to validate placement decisions. This inquiry-driven, researched-based activity is a required part of the appropriate, fair, and valid use of writing assessment.
Reliable Assessment
A reliable assessment provides consistent results, no matter who conducts the assessment. Because writing assessment often involves more than one rater scoring student performances, it can also involve interrater reliability, a measure of the degree of consistency from one rater judgment to another. A student's score thus might depend upon the bias of the reader rather than upon the document or product being assessed. Attention to reliability is an integral part of any responsible validity argument.
Works Cited
American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education. Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association, 1999.
Conference on College Composition and Communication. "Students' Right to Their Own Language." College Composition and Communication 25 (1974).
Additional References
Writing Assessment: A Position Statement prepared by the CCCC Assessment Committee


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Gov. Snyder signs new emergency manager law, gives options to financially troubled communities.
DETROIT (AP) ? Gov. Rick Snyder put a new emergency manager law on the books in Michigan on Thursday, weeks after voters repealed a version that gave sweeping powers to a single person to overhaul financially distressed communities.
The new law, passed by a Republican-controlled Legislature, will give local governments and ailing school districts the opportunity to choose their own remedy. If a review team finds that a financial emergency exists, those communities can request an emergency manager, ask for a mediator, file for bankruptcy or introduce a reform plan with the state.
"This legislation demonstrates that we clearly heard, recognized and respected the will of the voters," Snyder, a Republican, said in a statement. "It builds in local control and options while also ensuring the tools to protect ... residents, students and taxpayers."
The law won't kick in until late March. Under the old law, the power to send an emergency manager rested solely with the governor. It was a threat to labor unions because managers had the power to throw out contracts.
Under the new law, a manager still would have the power to change contracts. But local officials also have the option to develop an alternative plan if it saves the same amount of money as the manager's proposals. Local governments can remove a manager after one year with a two-thirds vote of its elected officials.
The philosophy behind the law is that troubled local governments may lack the political consensus needed to get back on track or they simply need expertise to get past their financial problems.
The law includes a $770,000 state appropriation to cover managers' salaries, a provision that would shield it from another statewide vote because spending bills are immune to referendums. Rep. Tim Greimel, D-Auburn Hills, accused Republicans of going to "extreme lengths" with that provision.
Managers are working now in Benton Harbor, Ecorse, Flint, Pontiac and Allen Park, as well as in the Muskegon Heights, Highland Park and Detroit school districts. But they're operating under a decades-old law with fewer teeth that automatically kicked in after the November election. The communities have struggled with lower tax revenue due to a drop in property values and a weak economy.
Allen Park, near Detroit, was stable until it sold bonds for a movie studio that went bust. Residents recently voted down a tax increase.
Ray Holman, a lobbyist for a UAW local that represents 17,000 state workers, gathered signatures to get a repeal of the old law on the ballot. He said the new law is "only slightly better" and predicted critics would explore a legal challenge.
"It's the exact same law with window dressing. Ultimately, it's a dictator's law," Holman said. "It's disingenuous to say Gov. Snyder listened to the people. He's flat-out wrong."
Threatened with a state takeover last spring, Detroit is operating under a set of financial reforms negotiated by the Snyder administration and city officials. The city, however, continues to struggle and is under yet another review.
Snyder promised last week that some type of "action will be taken" in Detroit in the weeks ahead, but probably before the new manager law takes effect.
The City Council has sent a plan to state Treasurer Andy Dillon that calls for layoffs, days off without pay, the sale of some assets and possible pay cuts, council members said during meetings Thursday at the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News.
They said the money-saving moves exceed those proposed by Mayor Dave Bing, who has said 400 to 500 layoffs, or 5 percent of the workforce, are likely in the new year.


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BOSTON, Mass. – Led by a dominant performance from junior center Rahshjeem Benson (Boston, Mass.) men's basketball defeated Suffolk University by the final score of 92-78 Thursday evening in the Clark Athletic Center Gymnasium. Benson posted 31 points and 19 rebounds to push UMass Boston to 4-2 on the year as well as giving them their first 3-game win streak since the 2005-06 season.
From the field the giant center was 14-for-19 and 3-for-8 at the line. On the glass 13 of his game-best 19 boards came on the defensive side. Dangerous from everywhere on the hardwood, the Boston native handed out four assists and had four blocks and four steals in 36 minutes of action.
The 30+ points marked the second straight year that a Beacons player has hit that mark against the Rams. Last season, Isaac Jenkins '12 recorded 39 points against Suffolk in the 100-98 overtime victory.
As a team, UMass was solid from start to finish shooting 54.9% on the night on 39-of-71 shooting. They also held a +15 advantage on the glass (46-31) and absolutely dominated the paint on both sides of the court scoring 62 of the team's 92 points, while also coming up with 28 defensive rebounds and eight blocks.
Behind Benson in Thursday's strong win was sophomore forward Brian Clarke (Miramar, Fla.) who finished with 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Carl Joseph (Brockton, Mass.) totaled 15 points, five boards, and three blocks and was a solid 5-of-6 at the line.
For the Rams (1-3) four of their starting five finished in double-figures, with Caleb Unni recording a team-best 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting, which included three 3-pointers and 4-of-6 shooting at the line. Matt Pepdjonovic led the Rams on the glass with nine boards and finished third on the team in scoring with 15. He also fueled the Rams defense at the basket with his team-best three blocks.
The first 20 minutes of Thursday's non-conference game was a close affair as UMass never held more than a seven point lead. Midway through the opening half freshman forward Jahleel Moise (Brockton, Mass.) gave the Beacons their largest lead at the time on a huge dunk, which put UMB up 19-13. The Beacons would consistently hold-off any run by the Rams and eventually closed out the first half with a 7-2 run, to go into the locker room with a 44-37 lead on the scoreboard. Dropping in final basket of the half was Vinny DeLucia (Miami, Fla.) with less than four seconds remaining.
After the break, the Beacons began to quickly distance themselves from Suffolk. With a jumper by Benson in the first three minutes UMass pushed their lead to double-figures for the first time all night. Benson would continue to drive the Beacons in the second half as he dropped in 22 of his 31 points in the final 20 minutes of play. He would also collect 12 of his 19 boards as well.
The closest Suffolk would come to getting back into the contest came with just over six minutes left in regulation, when Colin Halpin made it a 7-point (72-65) affair on a jumper. However that late rally did not last very long as UMB quickly pushed their lead back to double digits with baskets from Joseph, Yusuke Fukata (Osaka, Japan), and of course Benson.
Men's Basketball returns to action this Saturday when they travel to Western Connecticut State University for a 3 p.m. Little East Conference game.


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Are there any methods to query several features by id other than one entry by a single url request?
The scenario is I store around 200 point layers in PostgreGIS. Each maintains 100k entries GPS points. My boss wants to let them "move" in the browser. Obviously it's impossible to query all entries at once. So I want to query like 1k entries for one layer in every query. So basically I want to query the features by their id, like "starID<=ID<=endID". But it seems like by WFS url query, it can only query one entry every time by the featureID=ID. I'm also thinking about using the ordinary Postgre other then PostgreGIS, but just in case there might be spatial queries in the future.


text: Most prostate massagers have a larger, bulbous head that rubs against the prostate, creating maximum arousal. Some even feature external stimulation as well, allowing for an even better anal experience. At Adam & Eve, we offer a collection of prostate massagers that includes anal dildos, vibrators, beads, and plugs. Our prostate toys range in size to accommodate beginner users as well as those who are more advanced. Perfect for use with a partner or during solo play, prostate toys are sure to provide amazing sensations that will hit the spot.


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Welcome to the next edition of our brand new series, PUP News of the World! Every week we will be posting a round-up of all of our most exciting national and international PUP book coverage. Reviews, interviews, events, articles–this is the spot for coverage of all things "PUP books" that took place in the last week. Enjoy!
As we near the end of 2013–where did the year go?–we've entered the season of "Best of" lists. Princeton University Press is excited to highlight just some of the most recent titles that have been featured as the best of the past year.
Anat Admati & Martin Hellwig start it off as THE BANKERS' NEW CLOTHES is included in "The WSJ Best Nonfiction of 2013″ roundup. What separates this title from the pack? "In a year of important books about the recent economic crisis, the most important one told us simply how to stop the next one," says the WSJ. Interested in learning more? Check out chapter one.
Mike Tyson, whose new book was released earlier this fall, pointed to a PUP book as one of his favorites of 2013. THE QUOTABLE KIERKEGAARD, edited by Gordon Marino, is a "collection of awesome quotes from that great Danish philosopher," Tyson says.
The English translation of THE PLUM IN THE GOLDEN VASE was finally completed when PUP released the fifth volume this fall. Tash Aw names David Tod Roy's translation as one of his favorites of the year, saying that this last volume "completes the joyous rediscovery of a genuine masterpiece." See the full entries for both Tyson and Aw here in the Wall Street Journal's "12 Months of Reading" article.
For the scientists in the bunch, EINSTEIN AND THE QUANTUM is another 2013 favorite. Science Friday's Ira Flatow named the book as one of his favorites, and Jennifer Oullette picked it for her list on Cocktail Party Physics. Have that "Einstein curiosity" about this title? Hear more from author A. Douglas Stone on this Physics Central Podcast.
Maria Popova of Brain Pickings selects ITALO CALVINO: Letters as one of her "Best Books on Writing and Creativity 2013." Popova called the book "an absolute treasure trove in its entirety — the most profound intersection of writing, philosophy, and literary voyeurism since Susan Sontag's journals and the diary of Anaïs Nin." PUP is releasing a paperback edition this spring.
To round out our bunch–or should we say batch–we turn to the beloved cookbook by Merry White, which was re-released in a 40th Anniversary Edition this fall. COOKING FOR CROWDS is named one of the Atlantic's "Best Food Books of 2013." Illustrated by the New Yorker's Ed Koren, this charming book offers simple, step-by-step instructions for easy cooking and entertaining on a grand scale–from hors d'oeuvres to desserts. Corby Kummer says:
"Not just enormously charming but useful, full of sturdy recipes that can still seem mildly exotic no matter how much we flatter ourselves at the sophistication of our palates….This is more, that is, than an artifact of Brooklyn avant la lettre. It's full of practical dishes and tricks you'll call your own, like tossing fresh-roasted almonds in maple syrup to serve on ice cream."
Gurcharan Das discusses the state of India and the issues highlighted in AN UNCERTAIN GLORY in his recent Wall Street Journal review. Listen to this interview with Amartya Sen, who co-authored the book with Jean Dréze.
You can also hear an interview with Francisco Bethencourt, the author of RACISMS, as he spoke to The Forum this week. RACISMS is the first comprehensive history of racism, from the Crusades to the twentieth century.
Did you hear all of the buzz about US President Barack Obama's selfie? PUP author Simon Blackburn says it could have been worse. Check out his explanation in the Financial Times. His book, MIRROR, MIRROR, will be released this spring.


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This Wednesday is the second class of our 3-week introductory course for Arduino. Attendees should bring with them a laptop, Arduino, electronic components* and a USB cable for their Arduino. Some spare Arduinos and electronics will be available on the day, but they will be given out on a first-come-first-served basis.
The class is free, but spaces are limited so attendees are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment. As 091 Labs is a non-profit teaching-and-learning group, any donations on the day would be greatly appreciated.
*Components should be similar to those found in ARDX Starter Kit for Arduino, available here:


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Mixed martial arts star Jon "Bones" Jones said Friday that he has been told he will headline UFC 172 in Baltimore, raising the possibility of the city's first hosting of a pay-per-view Ultimate Fighting Championship event.
In an interview with Fox Sports' Ariel Helwani, Jones, the brother of Ravens defensive end Arthur Jones and UFC's defending light-heavyweight champion, said he would fight next in Baltimore.
"My brother's a Raven, so this is going to work out great for me," he said. "I think the marketing going into this is going to be phenomenal."
Asked whether the event had been finalized, Jones said: "Yes, Baltimore. It may be official."
Asked about the timing of such an event, Jones hedged even further. "You know, I'm not sure," he said of UFC's scheduling. "There hasn't been a contract signed, so I don't really want to jump the gun and get ahead of myself."
Pressed again about whether the event was "100 percent" certain, Jones said: "I don't know, man, honestly."
UFC spokesman David Lockett said late Friday night that the company does not have any events currently scheduled for Baltimore.
UFC has held lower-level events in the area before, but none with the draw of a pay-per-view fight night, particularly one with Jones, perhaps the sport's most marketable figure.
It is unclear where such an event would be held in Baltimore. The most likely venue would be Baltimore Arena, which, with a capacity of 14,000, is sized similarly to the indoor arenas that typically host top-level UFC fights. In 2011, for instance, at Washington's Verizon Center, "UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson" drew an announced 9,380, with a total gate of $706,775, according to an MMAjunkie.com report.


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MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - President Barack Obama pressed Congress on Monday to at least hold a vote on banning assault weapons, the most contentious part of his plan to curb gun violence in the United States.
Obama's comments suggested a realization in the White House that it will be difficult to get such a ban passed by lawmakers, despite consistent public support for the measure.
Opposition is high in Congress, including among some Democrats, and by calling simply for a vote, Obama seemed to acknowledge that even getting that far - let alone having an assault weapons ban approved - would be a struggle.
"We should restore the ban on military style assault weapons and a 10-round limit for magazines. And that deserves a vote in Congress, because weapons of war have no place on our streets," Obama said as uniformed law enforcement officers stood behind him at the Minneapolis Police Department's Special Operation Center.
It was Obama's first trip outside Washington to promote gun control since he announced a package that includes calls for universal background checks and 10-round limits on ammunition magazines.
"No law or set of laws can keep our children completely safe. But if there's even one thing we can do, if there's just one life we can save, we've got an obligation to try," Obama said.
With a busy agenda that includes immigration reform and climate change, Obama hopes to move quickly on gun control before memories fade of December's shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, that killed 20 children and six adults.
A vote in Congress on the assault weapons ban might be held separately from other gun control measures.
Senator Dianne Feinstein has said Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid promised that even if the ban is left out of a broader package to curb gun violence, she will have the opportunity to offer it as an amendment on the Senate floor.
Gun control efforts face an uphill battle against a powerful pro-gun lobby and a strong U.S. tradition of hunting and gun ownership. The right to bear arms is guaranteed to Americans in the U.S. Constitution.
Obama noted that support was widespread for universal background checks before guns are sold and indicated that he would press especially hard for that part of his proposals.
"The vast majority of Americans - including a majority of gun owners - support requiring criminal background checks for anyone trying to buy a gun," he said.
"So right now, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate are working on a bill that would ban anyone from selling a gun to somebody legally prohibited from owning one. That's common sense. There's no reason we can't get that done."
Obama urged legislators to name a permanent director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a post that has been vacant for years.
Minnesota is emblematic of the challenges Obama will face in advancing gun control in Congress.
While the state's two Democratic U.S. senators have said they are sympathetic to measures to curb gun violence, the National Rifle Association, the largest U.S. gun-rights group, is influential in the state.
It has backed all four Republicans and two of the Democrats who represent Minnesota in the House of Representatives, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
But Minneapolis has a tradition of gun control. The city took steps in the mid-2000s to reduce incidents involving guns and juveniles after an outbreak of violent crimes.
On the way to Monday's event, Obama's motorcade passed a man holding a sign that read, "Ban private ownership of military weapons."
The Newtown massacre mobilized support for measures to contain access to certain guns and ammunition.
The Obama administration has included access to mental health and an examination of the effects of violent video games as part of its efforts to stem gun violence.
Gun-control efforts have foundered in the past despite strong public support, in part because many gun owners believe advocates of gun control oppose owning and using firearms in general.
Writing Jeff Mason; editing by Alistair Bell and Christopher Wilson


text: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 Mothers Today Less Physically Active Than 1960s Moms Today's mothers are spending an average of 12.5 hours less per week on physical activity (PA) than mothers in the 1960s—a difference that researchers are describing as a "significant reallocation" of time to sedentary activities that could contribute to a potential public health crisis. The findings, published in the December Mayo Clinic Proceedings, examined data contained in the American Heritage Time and Use Study, an activity log program that has captured more than 50,000 diary days and 90 behavioral categories from mothers beginning in 1965. Researchers divided the mothers into 2 groups—those with children between the ages of 5 and 18 (mothers with older children or MOC), and those with children younger than 5 (mothers with younger children, MYC)—and reviewed activity logs over a 45-year period, 1965–2010.What they found, according to the authors, was alarming: Weekly hours of PA in mothers of older children dropped from 32 to 20.9 hours per week, with a 7 hour-per-week rise in sedentary activity (SED) to 24.7 hours a week. For mothers with younger children, the decrease in PA was even more significant, with weekly PA dropping from 43.6 hours per week to 29.7. The increase in SED was slightly less than the MOC group, up by 5.7 hours per week to a 22.7 hour-per-week average. Energy expenditure decreased for both groups, with the MOC group showing a 1,238 drop in weekly calories burned and the MYC group burning 1,572 fewer calories per week. To offset this decrease and maintain their weight, mothers in the MOC group would need to consume 178 fewer calories per day than mothers in the 1960s, the researchers estimated; MYC would need to consume 225 fewer daily calories. Stay-at-home mothers reported almost 2 times the decrease in physical activity as working mothers and higher rates of sedentary activity. Researchers attributed most of the difference to a significant rise in "screen-based media use" and wrote that "with each passing generation, mothers have become increasingly physically inactive, sedentary, and obese, thereby potentially predisposing children to an increased risk of inactivity, adiposity, and chronic [non-communicable diseases]."


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If you couldn't tell from my previous post "Mantis Madness", I am wild about mantids! They are quite possibly me very favorite insects, although, it's hard to say – because I love all insects!
This past Saturday, Valentine's Day, the Cockrell Butterfly Center put on a great event called Hug-A-Bug. This event celebrates insects that are beneficial to your garden and lots of people showed up to hug a bug of their own and take home ladybugs to release in their gardens.
I just happened to have about six different species of mantids that I wanted everyone to be able to see, since they are definitely considered beneficial. These mantids all came from a good friend of mine named Yen Saw. Yen is a hobbyist here in Houston who raises mantids from all around the world. He has been so generous and donated several of them to us.
Since meeting him, and with his help, I've been raising them like crazy. Maybe that's why I like them so much. But what's not to like? They are fascinating, unusual, beautiful, charismatic, and so photogenic. If you missed Hug-A-Bug, not to worry, you can see these amazing insects right here. Of course I took pictures of them all!
|photo credit: emills1
|photo credit: emills1
The Devil Flower Mantis is found in Northern Africa and the Middle East. Since they are a desert-dwelling species, they love the heat here, but not the moisture – so we have to keep her very dry.
The name comes from their diabolical look, but they are very shy. These are so beautiful and the detail on their wings is amazing. Flower mantids are very specialized predators. They all have beautiful coloration, which helps them camouflage themselves within certain flowers. They sit on a flower and wait for an unsuspecting pollinator to arrive, and then they grab it! They catch things like bees, flies, butterflies and moths. It's really amazing to see one of these mantids catch a fly in mid-air!
| photo credit:
emills1 Asian Flower Mantis
This one is called the Asian Flower mantis and it comes from South and Southeast Asia. They are quite small, but have a very big appetite.
Their colorful wings and triangular eyes help them blend in with flowers. They are very shy and don't enjoy being handled at all. Right now I'm raising nymphs of this species that are adorable!
My favorite of the flower mantids is the Spiny Flower Mantis from Africa.
|photo credit: emills1
They are fabulous! They have a very distinctive pattern on their back to deter predators. If that doesn't work, they flash their brilliant yellow hind-wings. Many insects flash bright colors like red and yellow. In nature, these colors serve as a warning saying, "stay away – I'm dangerous."
It's really quite an interesting display and luckily, this mantis did it while I photographing her. She stood there, beating her wings as if she were in flight for several minutes. You can see what it looked like in the photo below! They also have spines covering their body, which make them look even more menacing. No one wants to mess with these little mantids.
|photo credit: emills1
Mantids are masters of camouflage. They have a lot riding on their ability to blend in with their environment. Not only do they need protection from a wide variety of predators, they must also remain hidden from their unsuspecting prey. If they are discovered, the prey will skedaddle and they'll be left hungry.
Different mantids exhibit camouflage that tells you what kind of environment they live in. The orchid mantis, for example – I'll bet you don't need to scratch your head for too long to figure out where they hide! The Florida bark mantis has extraordinary camouflage as well.
|photo credit: emills1
You can see for yourself here! It looks like nothing more than an old, lichen-covered piece of bark. It's amazing to me that an insect this cool is native to the US. I would be so excited to see one of these in my backyard!
This Grass Mantis has got be, hands down, my very favorite! He is a cutie and we want him to stay around forever!
Unfortunately, males do not have as long of a lifespan. This is another native beauty and can be found in Florida and Georgia. We have some similar species here in Texas that are called stick mantids.
|photo credit: emills1
These mantids not only blend in, they resemble a harmless walking-stick. So a small insect might feel a little too comfortable getting close to this guy – until they are face-to-face with those grasping front legs!
So there you have it, my mantis show!
I hope you will stumble upon some of these amazing creatures while venturing outside. Any time you are out in nature, it's a good idea to bring your camera. There are so many beautiful things that can catch your eye.
Photographs are a cheap and easy way to personalize your home or office. My walls are covered with photos of bugs – including, of course, lots of praying mantids!
|photo credit: emills1
|How could you not love a face like that?!
Spring is almost here and I'm starting to see lots of bugs – pretty soon they'll be all over the place. Until next time, happy bug watching!


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Editor, the Record:
Editor, the Record:
In the upcoming election, I urge everyone to vote for Mitt Romney. Here are my reasons to do this.
First, President Obama's health care law will force employers and private citizens to purchase health insurance policies which will pay for abortion and contraceptives, even if it goes against their moral and religious beliefs.
Second, Obama's belief that if we keep printing up more money, our economy will be fine.
Third, Obama's foreign policy, which seems to be reducing American arms and telling the world how sorry we are for being us.
Fourth, Obama's belief that the president's job is to decide which laws he will enforce and which ones he won't, even to the point of encouraging defense contractors not to inform their employees of upcoming layoffs as they are required to do, telling the companies that the government will pay their fines for breaking the law.
East Stroudsburg


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I have repeatedly argued that naked credit default swaps should be banned. See this and this.
Savvy commentators like Wolfgang Munchau and Yves Smith are saying the same thing.
As I wrote last July:
Obama's regulation of credit default swaps leave loopholes large enough to drive the biggest trucks through. Specifically, it forces over-the-counter credit default swap transactions to be traded through an exchange unless it is a non-standard cds. So all that the "financial innovators" who melted down the economy have to do is get a little creative in drafting their cds' – or just to tell regulators "oh no, that wasn't a standard contract", and they are excepted from the regulation.
Similarly, the Obama administration has just passed a new set of regulations "getting tough" on the naked short selling of stocks, which independent economists say can manipulate stock prices and bring down otherwise healthy companies.
But the regulation will exempt hedge funds, and allow them to continue hiding their shorts from regulators.
That's like passing a law outlawing arson to publicity and fanfare, but quietly exempting convicted arsonists from the new law.
As I wrote last September:
George Soros says … that credit default swaps are "toxic" and "a very dangerous derivative" because it's easier and potentially more profitable for investors to bet against companies using them than through so-called short sales …
Credit default swap counterparties drive company after company into bankruptcy, and that – once a company the counterparties are betting against goes bankrupt – the counterparties cut in line in front of all of the bankruptcy creditors to get paid (and see this and this).
Now, the head of credit strategy at investment giant UniCredit is saying the same thing:
"It's like buying fire insurance on your neighbor's house — you create an incentive to burn down the house," said Philip Gisdakis, head of credit strategy at UniCredit in Munich.


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First Presbyterian Church
The First Presbyterian Church of Stamford, Connecticut was founded in 1853 and dedicated its first house of worship, a white frame colonial church at the edge of downtown Stamford. In 1884 a stone church replaced this building as the congregation's membership increased and Stamford expanded around it. In 1952 the congregation's size had doubled and acceptable worship and classroom space, and parking were problems. They decided to celebrate the congregation's centenary by moving to a new building at 1101 Bedford Street. In the 1940s they had bought this eleven acres of rolling and wooded land, at what had become the new edge of downtown Stamford.
The site's building committee was originally in favor of building another white frame colonial church. However, some committee members became intrigued with the possibility of building a modern design church after visiting St. John's Lutheran Church in Midland, Michigan (Designed by Adrian B. Dow who apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright). To resolve the question of colonial vs. modern, a firm of architects, Sherwood, Mills, & Smith was asked to study the project in collaboration with an outside architect. One of the partners was acquainted with Wallace Harrison and recommended choosing him as the outside architect.
"Donald F. Campbell, First Presbyterian's pastor, remembers that at his first meeting with Sherwood, members of the congregation, and Harrison, the latter 'expressed his interest in getting to know me and our theology. He wanted to go to Europe to look at churches there. Wally didn't know what he would do, but he was honest about it. He was the only one without preconceived ideas for the project.' As a result of this meeting, Harrison, in association with the firm of Sherwood, Mills, & Smith was asked to design the church complex: he would be responsible for the sanctuary (and a bell tower added in 1968); Willis N. Mills would take on the remainder of the project, consisting of a small chapel and an educational complex" (Newhouse 167).
Dr. Campbell explained to Harrison that Christian theology as interpreted by American Presbyterians "addressed a God who was as much a part of everyday life as he was a transcendental being — a concept that the new sanctuary should somehow convey" (Newhouse 169). In 1953 Harrison visited churches and cathedrals in Europe reflecting on how to design a modern sanctuary, which would express this theology. His design was approved by the congregation, construction began, and the sanctuary was dedicated in 1958. When the sanctuary was completed Harrison declared, "the church was the most satisfying job I ever worked on" (Newhouse 172).
The sanctuary is constructed of 152 precast concrete panels, which rise to a height of sixty feet and span the sanctuary space without supports, forming a canopy. For eighty percent of the side wall length, the panels are inlaid with 20,000, one-inch thick pieces of colored pot-metal glass manufactured in Gabriel Lorie's atelier in Chartres. Harrison, depicting themes from the crucifixion and resurrection, arranges the stained glass in abstract designs. This main portion of the sanctuary, the nave, is entered from the narthex, mostly in darkness except for a small amount of light entering from stained glass at the rear of the narthex. Although it was not intentional by Harrison, the sanctuary is in the shape of a fish leading to the name "the Fish Church."
The chancel of the sanctuary is dominated by a 32-foot high cross, faced with wood from the library of Canterbury Cathedral in England, damaged by bombing during World War II. Seating capacity in the nave is 670, with 50 more seats in the balcony above the narthex.
The Maguire Memorial Carillon Tower, designed by Harrison, rises to a height of 260 feet and is located along side of the sanctuary. It contains fifty-six bells and incorporates thirty-six bells, which were given to the City of Stamford in 1947 by the Nestle Company. The Church holds these bells in trust for the city.
Wallace K. Harrison first became aware of Gabriel Loire's technique of embedding colored chunks of pot-metal glass into concrete during his European tour of churches after receiving the commission.
"(He) turned his attention to Loire's béton-glas to see if this material of medieval origin could be used with a structural system of folded concrete that would span a space without supports. On the grounds of his Long Island home, in the same area where he had worked out the problems of prefabricated housing, Harrison spent painstaking hours tilting heavy concrete panels to test the angles at which they would stand and hold weight. The result was the use of 152 similar precast concrete panels for the sanctuary, rising to a height of sixty feet to support the structure. Each concrete structure element is reinforced with rows of protruding steel rods (reinforcement rods) that are fastened to the rods of adjoining concrete sections and then reinforced with larger rods and a layer of cement (concrete) (Harrison is forming a cast in situ vertical joint which combines the precast panels). For almost the entire width of the side walls, the panels are inlaid with thick chunks of faceted, multicolored glass. At either end, where the church is made of concrete unrelieved by glass, the exterior walls are covered with slate shingles, as is most of the roof. … the church is 234 feet long, fifty-four feet wide, and covers an area of 11,500 square feet" (Newhouse 169).
"There are, however a few noteworthy exceptions that embody his (Harrison's) personal style; among them are the First Presbyterian Church at Stamford, Connecticut, two auditoriums, one for Rockefeller University in New York and another for the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D. C., and a small lodge for Nelson Rockefeller at Pocantico" (Newhouse 166).
In 1964 Harrison employed the béton-glas technique he first used in the First Presbyterian Church, in construction of the Hall of Science for the New York World's Fair. The Great Hall is constructed of an undulating eighty-foot high, fifteen-inch thick wall. The wall is formed into 5,400 rectangular coffers of about twenty-eight by forty-eight inches. Inside each rectangle is a thin panel of concrete studded with chunks of cobalt blue Dalla de verre glass. Standing in the Great Hall, the effect is … as Harrison intended … of floating in the void of space. In 2014 a major renovation of the Great Hall, now known as the New York Hall of Science, will be completed.
Newhouse, Victoria, Wallace K. Harrison, Architect, New York, NY, Rizzoli, 1989


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I can't believe it's been two years since my last post. Things have gotten SO busy! I started working in the local school district here and then was hired full time as a teacher's aide. Now, I'm in the education program finishing up my Special Education degree. It's very time consuming, but it is the realization of a dream started long ago.
This summer, I am busy reading. I am currently reading four books with others on the list. I want to use this summer to read since the school year is incredibly busy for me. Here is a list of books that I intend to read this summer:
The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers
Custard Crime by Jessica Beck
Deep Fried Homicide by Jessica Beck
Dove in the Window by Earlene Fowler
Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
How to Bake a Perfect Life by Barbara O'Neal
Left Neglected by Lisa Genova
The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman
The Paris Wife by Paula McClain
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
The Secret's in the Sauce by Linda Evans Shephard
Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay
This Girl by Colleen Hoover
Top Secret Twenty-one by Janet Evanovich
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis
The Typewriter Girl by Alison Atlee
The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton
I am also working on some afghans for my Helping Hands group. I am loving it and have missed being creative.
My family has also been expanding. On October 31, 2013, my son married his sweetheart. Her name is Cheyenne and she is the perfect match for him. They seem very happy and I am very proud of them. Then, on May 16, 2014, my life changed forever when my first grandchild was born. Miss Emma Marlee Moore was born in St. George, Utah and she is just the most precious baby ever.
So, life has been all about work, school, and family for me and I wouldn't have it any other way!!
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Wow! Two years really?
Posted by Paula at 10:51 AM 0 comments
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NFL Media's Aditi Kinkhabwala reported Tuesday that the Cleveland Browns went into free agency looking for help at safety, slot receiver and running back.
After locking up Donte Whitner and floating an offer sheet to pass-catcher Andrew Hawkins, the Brownies are on the prowl for that aforementioned backfield help.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that Cleveland is the front-runner to land Ben Tate, the former Houston Texans rumbler that they've coveted for months. Tate is scheduled to visit with the Browns and it wouldn't be a surprise if he's signed to a contract, per Rapoport.
The 25-year-old ranked as our No. 1 free-agent runner because of his combination of youth and potential as an every-down back. He exits Houston with relatively fresh legs, but his injury history makes durability a concern for any team signing him.
We also expect the Browns to use one or more of their 10 draft picks to bolster a backfield -- currently inhabited by the likes of Fozzy Whittaker, Edwin Baker and Dion Lewis -- that flatlined hard down the stretch in 2013.The "Around The League Podcast" is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.


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Views: 646
I have all my fundamentalist baptist family members on a very limited profile. Can't have them seeing the real me--liberal, queer, atheist. The limited profile has apparently offended my Grandmother, who needs to be all up in my business. She's been complaining to other family members and it just got back to me last time we visited. She actually said something to me about it, to which I had no polite reply. She's also PMed me asking why my status says I'm online when I don't reply to her right PMs away. I'm feeling a bit cyber stalked! If I could un-friend her, I would. It's just not right for a 68 year old to be so savvy with social networking. Cheese and rice!
Edit: Oh, this post is dated. I tend to do that a lot. Oh, well. Sorry for the bump.


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www.matousec.com has published a new technique for evading OS firewall protections.
The attack is described in http://www.matousec.com/info/articles/khobe-8.0-earthquake-for-windows-desktop-security-software.php and in http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/39924/
A race condition attack that evades access control checks by substituting system call arguments.
ZoneAlarm Extreme Security 9.1.507.000 was reported to be vulnerable. However, ZoneAlarm has a protection against this type of attack.
To enable this protection ("Off" by Default), proceed as follows:
Launch the ZoneAlarm extreme Security GUI.
Select the "Program Control" menu item.
Under "Program Control", click "Custom". The "Custom Program Control Settings" popup appears.
Access the "Program Control" tab, and select "Advanced Control".
Select "Enable Timing Attack Prevention".


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At about 9'oclock in the morning on Friday 6th December 2013, I set-up a PC, dongle and Turnstile antenna at Someries Junior School in Luton. The Dashboard was displayed on my PC, which also dispayed a frequency spectrum and waterfall, using SDRSharp. FUNcube-1 was tracked with Orbitron on a separate monitor and the Warehouse was displayed on a second PC. I was early enough to catch and upload 4 frames for the pass of about 15 degrees at 9.45 am, which showed me that the system was working. About 10 minutes before the 69 degree pass, that was predicted for 11.16, a helpful computer technician noticed that my PC was running on batteries and the charge was about to run out! The 13 amp power supply plug for the computer had not been pushed home firmly enough. This was quickly remedied and disaster avoided.
The children from the Science Club, the Head, and others gathered around the set-up at 11.15, watched the arrival of the satellite on Orbitron, and saw and heard the strengthening signals on SDRSharp. One child was assigned to call-out the numbers of collected frames as they showed-up on the Dashboard and another called out my call-sign, each time it appeared on the Warehouse display. Thirty-two frames were uploaded.
When the pass was over I spent a few minutes displaying some of the graphs and explaining a little of the data, before the children returned to their regular classes. All enjoyed the demonstration and I was relieved that it was successful.
Ted, G3YWA


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Pakistani Taliban issue demands before peace talks
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — The Pakistani Taliban demanded Sunday that the government release militant prisoners and begin withdrawing troops from the group's tribal sanctuary before they participate in peace talks, raising doubts about prospects for negotiations.
The demands came as a roadside bomb claimed by the Taliban killed a major general and two other soldiers as they were riding in a vehicle in the country's northwest, the military said. The general was the top army commander in an area containing the Swat Valley, where the military carried out a major offensive against the Taliban in 2009.
The Taliban's leadership council issued the peace talk demands while meeting to discuss the government's offer to negotiate, said the group's spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid.
Pakistan's major political parties endorsed peace talks with the Taliban last week as the best way to end a decade-long insurgency that has killed thousands. But it's unclear what steps the government is willing to take to convince the militants to negotiate.
It's also unclear what would be acceptable to the army, which has lost thousands of soldiers fighting the Taliban and is considered the country's strongest institution.
"The Taliban have been deceived in the past in the name of peace, so the government will have to take some steps before the start of talks to assure the Taliban that the government is serious about the peace process," Shahid told The Associated Press by telephone from an undisclosed location.
The government must release Pakistani Taliban militant prisoners and show that it is withdrawing soldiers from the tribal region along the border with Afghanistan, Shahid said.
"If the government does not take these two steps, the peace process cannot go forward," said Shahid.
Intelligence officials and militant commanders said the Taliban and the army exchanged a small number of prisoners last week, though the army denied the swap.
The army has carried out scores of operations against the Taliban in the tribal region, but the militants continue to carry out attacks.
The roadside bomb that killed Maj. Gen. Sanaullah Niazi and two other soldiers Sunday was planted near the Afghan border in the Upper Dir district, the military said. Upper Dir and the Swat Valley are located in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The Pakistani Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack.
Also Sunday, a roadside bomb killed one soldier and wounded another in the North Waziristan tribal area, the main sanctuary for Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the country. On Saturday night, militants ambushed a group of tribal policemen riding in a vehicle near the northwest town of Bannu, killing two of them and wounding four others.
No one has claimed responsibility for those attacks.
Many observers are skeptical about peace talks with the Taliban since prior agreements fell apart. Critics say the deals simply gave the militants time to regroup and continue their fight against the state.
It's also unclear what room for compromise the Taliban and the government would find if they did sit down to negotiate. The militants have criticized Pakistan's democratic system, demanded the imposition of Islamic law and stipulated the government must end its alliance with the United States.
Even if the two sides could strike a deal, it's unclear how well the Taliban could enforce it. There are dozens of militant groups based in the tribal region with varying degrees of allegiance to the Taliban.
The U.S. is wary of a peace deal because it could give Afghan Taliban militants greater space to conduct cross-border attacks against U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan. But it could be hard for the U.S. to push back against negotiations — it wants Pakistan's help in striking a peace deal with the Afghan Taliban.
The Afghan and Pakistani Taliban are allies but have focused on different targets. The Afghan Taliban fight coalition troops in Afghanistan, while the Pakistani Taliban largely battle the Pakistani state.
The Pakistani Taliban indicated they were open to holding peace talks at the end of last year but withdrew that offer in May after the group's deputy leader was killed in a U.S. drone strike.
Associated Press writers Asif Shahzad and Sebastian Abbot in Islamabad, Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Disney Driven Week In Review 7-27-14
Maria H. (ndm#130) 0 Comments a new hope, agent p rebel spy, all things mama, Amazon Instant Video Store, Ariel, ariel winter, Aurora, Back-to-school, blog conference, blue milk, bobby moynihan, books, BSM Media, bubbles, C-3PO, cafe fanatic, Castaway Cay, Chewbacca, chris mcveigh, clothes, color sheets, cove cafe, crafts, cuckoo-loca, cups, d-signed, d.i.y., Darth Vader, Darthenshmirtz, DCL, Death Star, death star popcorn, DHS, Disney, disney books, Disney channel, Disney Cruise Line, disney jr, Disney Junior, Disney Parks, disney sisters, Disney social media, Disney Social Media Moms, Disney XD, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disneyland, diy, dl, dme, doc mc stuffins, dream fantasy, driod masters, emerald city, Erin Glover, evanora, expecting perfect, Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort, family, family movie night, fans of mickey mouse's house, fashion, featurette, food, force for change, frette bedding, girl meets world, glinda, google play, great and powerful, grumpy cat, guardians of the galaxy, HAN SOLO, hellobee, Hollywood Hotel, home movie, hot air balloons, hot dogs, huggies mom inspired, i am a mommy nerd, imperial march, itunes, jabba the hot dog, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, jane kaczmarek, kohl's, Leanne O'Regan, legos, leigh-allyn baker, lifestyle, lightsaber, Luke Skywalker, Magic, magic tricks, magic wand, Magical Express, mam grubbs, mama grubbs grub, maria bailey, Marvel, maximus, mco, michaela zee, Michelle Himmelberg, Mickey Mouse, Microsoft Xbox, ming-na wen, Minnie Mouse, minnie's costume contest, Mom Talk Radio, mominspired, nadine bubeck, napkins, ndk review, On the Road, orlando international airport, Oz, padawan punch, party favors, Pepper's Ghost, Perry the Rebelpus, peter quill, PHINEAS AND FERB: STAR WARS, popcorn, popcorn balls, Port Canaveral, preschool, princess ariel, princess aurora, Princess Leia, princess rapunzel, Princess Tiana, printables, psi bands, R2-D2, Rapunzel, real mom of sfv, robert morse, Rod Serling, royal treasury, Royal Treasury: Read-and-Play Storybook, sheriff callies wild west, sisters on a shoestring, slap dash mom, slave 1, Sleeping Beauty, Sleeping Beauty: Read Along Storybook & CD, snuggwugg, sofia the first, Star Wars, star wars episode iv, star wars episode vii. j.j. abrams, star wars music, star wars preschool, STAR WARS REBELS, stormtrooper stromboli, story time, stromboli, Tatooine, teri hatcher, the joyeful journey, theodora, Tiana, tiana and stella, TIE fighter, tilty cup, Tower of Terro 20th Anniversary, Tower of Terror, Tower of Terror 20th Anniversary, tracey clark, travel, Tweens, Twilight Zone, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, unicef, Vacation, video editing, vista cafe, Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney World, watch disney, wave phones, WDW, wdw magic, wicked witch, Wonder, yoda soda, Youth Clubs
It's the Disney Driven Week In Review! We understand that life keeps you busy, so here is a listRead more


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It's all about the details.
When you're hosting a special event, whether it's an intimate gathering or a lavish affair, our job is to ensure that it runs smoothly and effortlessly.
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Are simple, easy-to-administer rules ruining America? There's a classic debate over whether laws and regulations should be simple rules or complex standards. Systems with simple rules are easier to adminster, but they get results wrong some of the time. Standards get the right result more often, but they are expensive to adminster. A fanciful example: speed limits. A single speed limit—60 m.p.h.—may be generally OK, but still often wrong because it's too high in bad weather or at night, or too low when there's no one on the road or for drivers rushing to the hospital. A standard would get it right, but be harder for cops to administer on the spot. (Yes, I know drivers are supposed to change their speed based on conditions, but this is just for illustration.) Cheap simple rules are should be preferred when error costs (the frequency and severity of wrong results) are low, but standards should be used when the error costs are high enough. But is it possible that using simple rules generally will create a calloused public that will seek to game the system more and make the simple rules less efficient?
That question poppoed into my mind when I read Frank Bruni's op-ed castigating Tim Ferriss for suggesting that travelers place unloaded starter guns in their checked bags. (Ferriss says this will guarantee close scrutiny, and reduce the risk of your bag being lost.) Bruni says that there's an epidemic of selfishness in the country:
While I doubt there will be a rush on starter pistols by airline passengers — it's just too much trouble, and too bizarre — his overarching interest in gaming the system at hand is mirrored in other Americans' behavior. So is his emphasis on personal advantage over the public good, which would be undermined if every traveler did as he counseled. There'd be bedlam in airport security operations and a ludicrous number of people carrying around what could be mistaken for lethal weapons.
Selfishness run amok is a national disease (and, to judge by Greece, Italy and a few other European countries, an international epidemic). Too many people behave as if they live in a civic vacuum, no broader implications to their individual behavior.
Is a system of simple rules encouraging this? Perhaps if the system weren't so easy to game, people would do it less? If people didn't feel like others were taking advantage of loopholes, they wouldn't try to do the same? If TSA agents could exercise judgment to punish—or make things harder—for folks like Ferriss, perhaps everyone would just follow the rules and everything would go more smoothely?
But consider also this Planet Money episode, where economist Luigi Zingales argues that America is becoming more like Italy: a place where connections and money determine public policy, instead of the general welfare. He argues that we need simpler rules, not more nuanced standards. As he sees it, the more nuanced a rule is, the more likely it is to be read only by the rich (or their employees) seeking to take advantage of the nuanced sub-clauses. These nuances are often intentional giveaways to favored groups or businesses. And this looks a lot like Italy, in Zingales' telling.
In Italy, post-World War II communist governments needed to convince businesses that they weren't about to have their property and money confiscated by the government. So the government offered sweetheart deals and guarantees to businesses. But when bribes (or sweet contracts) first start being used, they become necessary. This raises prices for everyone, from infrastructure projects to produce. And it's not just money: it's trust. When he arrived here, Zingales was shocked when Americans paid attention to local leaders' warnings about a severe storm. He thought that the direction to tape up windows meant someone's brother owned a tape factory. In Italy, as Zingales describes it, it was a good idea to find out what the government wants you to do—then do the opposite. If people can't trust their leaders, the costs of effectively handling crises and day-to-day government activities become enormous.
But maybe here the issue isn't that the rules are too simple: it's that they're too complex. Getting on a plane is a massive ordeal. And apparently it's OK to pack an unloaded starter gun in checked luggage. (Are others forbidden?) Perhaps if it were simpler to get on a plane (and to check luggage), everyone wouldn't feel so shafted, and Bruni's "selfishness" wouldn't be such a problem.


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Well, this worked really well with Saints fans, so I thought I might go to the well 1 last time and roll this idea now that the Big Game is upon us all.
I'm assuming that we will have quite a few Broncos Fans visiting us over the next few days, so I thought it would be cool to have an open invitational thread to Broncos Fans to share their insights/thoughts on the Broncos and this matchup... and of course vice versa for Seahawks fans as well.
Here's the ground rules once again (I'll repeat exactly what I wrote when I did this both times with the Saints-Seahawks Previews) -- I'd like for this thread to be a Q&A thread both for Broncos Fans ... and for Seahawks Fans. Above all, I want this to be a respectful discourse. Let me put my Dad hat on here for a second and say that I really want to stress respect here. No provoking comments, degrading jokes, smack talk, etc here. If you guys want to do that outside of this thread or in the Smack Shack -- fine. Whatever. Not here alright. Moderators (Radish and others) I'm really hoping for your support again on this, as I want this to be a clean Q&A friendly discourse here. We can disagree obviously, just do so in a respectful manner. I'd like for Saints Fans to feel welcome to honestly share ... because you get the best answers and best discourse that way. Let them see what I already know to be true -- that Seahawks.net is the best NFL fan forum out there bar none. OK?
So, Hawks fans, ask your questions about the Broncos ... and I'm hoping Broncos fans will feel free do the same and ask us about our team. The idea is to get more educated about each others' teams rather than simply preaching to the choir or talking past one another.
That said, let me be the first to start and I'll begin with a couple of general questions ...
Broncos fans, thanks for joining us here for the next 12 days or so. Would you be so kind as to answer the following intro questions ...
1) If you would be so kind, could you give us a scouting report/breakdown on your team (both offense and defense).
2) It's no secret that the Seahawks are one of the most (if not THE MOST) physical teams in the NFL. They are an "in your face" punishing team, both defensively and offensively actually. I'm curious to know, how has Denver done when they have faced those kinds of teams.
We love details around here, so feel free to go for it.


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Me, Myself & Irene
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Me, Myself & Irene is a 2000 film directed by the Farrelly Brothers. The film is about a Rhode Island state trooper named Charlie who, after years of continuously suppressing his rage and feelings, suffers a psychotic breakdown which results in a second personality, Hank.
From gentle to mental (taglines)
Charlie Baileygates/Hank Evans[edit]
- Charlie's like origami, he folds under pressure.
- Just because I rock doesn't mean I'm made of stone.
- Yeah, she's pretty much screwed. Come on, I'll buy you a beer.
- This is my body! Do you understand that? I'm calling the shots from now on, Hank. I don't need you to fight my battles for me. If you can back down from something this important, you're nothing at all. YOU'RE NOTHING AT ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!
- Narrator: It's funny how a man reacts when his heart gets broken. Some break down and cry like a baby. Others, they take out an Uzi and climb a clock tower.
- Hank: Still wanna skip-rope in the street?
- Little Girl: I'm gonna tell my daddy on you, Charlie!
- Hank: Wrong answer. And the name's Hank, fuckface.
- Charlie: Alright, Hank, truce?
- Hank: For now, fucker.
- Charlie: Hank, we're shot.
- Hank: Come on, you pussy. It's just a flesh wound.
- Charlie: [seeing Lieutenant Gerke in the road] Oh, shit!
- Hank: Don't worry about him. [runs over Lieutenant Gerke]
- Charlie: Hank, what have you done?! Oh my God!
- Hank: Don't you just love it?
- Hank: What the hell are you still doing here?
- Charlie: You can't just throw me away, Hank. We're in this together.
- Jim Carrey - Charlie Baileygates/Hank Evans
- Anthony Anderson - Jamal Baileygates
- Mongo Brownlee - Lee Harvey Baileygates
- Jerod Mixon - Shonté Jr. Baileygates
- Renée Zellweger - Irene P. Waters
- Chris Cooper - Lt. Gerke
- Robert Forster - Colonel Partington
- Richard Jenkins - Agent Boshane
- Michael Bowman - Casper/Whitey/Milky
- Daniel Greene - Dickie Thurman
- Tony Cox - Shonté Jackson
- Traylor Howard - Layla Baileygates
External links[edit]
- Me, Myself & Irene quotes at the Internet Movie Database
- Box office information


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Carrot Jockeys Make Excellent Ground Troops
I make no bones about my bid for Wrecky World Domination, and I think you'll all agree that Cake Wrecks is an excellent model for government. [insert joke about Wrecky administrations here]
Anyway, I can tell my evil plan is working, in part, by the number of Carrot Jockeys successfully infiltrating society at large. Here are just a few of the NMBCJ sitings I've had reported:
Here they are flying/gallivanting in classic carrot formation through Mallory H.'s home...
Spreading spelling errors in Ann S.'s...
Terrorizing Jennifer and Krista in their "stealth CCC" mode...
Circling up for a little Jockey powwow over at Maggie H.'s...
And even easing the pain of "workforce reduction" over at Ryan J.'s.*
You know how ELSE I can tell my bid for Wrecky World Domination is working? By winning all three Bloggies Cake Wrecks was nominated for at the Ninth Annual Weblog Awards on Monday. That's right, my loyal wrecky henchpersons, thanks to you Cake Wrecks is "officially" the Best New Blog, Best Writing of a Blog, and Best Food Blog** of 2008. Woot woot!
Next stop: Disneyland. That's right; I shall not rest until I've ridden the Matterhorn enough times to make myself physically ill. And that, my friends, is a campaign promise. [nodding seriously]
*In case you're wondering what that is, Ryan explains "We had trouble finding anything like the babies from the infamous cake screw-up, so we used a rubber fetus we had laying around. Don't ask me why we have a rubber fetus hanging around." Roger on that, Ryan; I won't ask.
** As sweet as victory is, the fact is I've never considered CW a "Food Blog", and feel undeserving each time an award site places it in that category. So allow me to to give a shout-out to the other, more appropriate, nominees in that category. If you like to cook, or even to just read about people who do, check them out:
Chocolate & Zucchini
The Pioneer Woman Cooks (Also the winner of Best Blog of the Year. If you haven't already, go see what all the buzz is about. )
Bakerella (The one, the only.)


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Winterburn backs Henry loan move
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Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn believes the return of Thierry Henry to the Emirates could provide a huge lift to the club.
Manager Arsene Wenger has been weighing up a move for the club's record goalscorer, who would be a available on a short-term loan deal from his Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls, and reports have suggested a two-month offer is on the table.
Henry, who has been training with the Gunners to keep his fitness levels up, would provide cover for when Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho leave for African Nations Cup duty. Asked about the possibility of a deal, Winterburn told Sky Sports News: "I hope everything works out as everyone is expecting. It's terrific news for supporters of Arsenal."
Copyright (c) PA Sport 2011, All Rights Reserved.News Now - Sport News


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EncantadIa May 19 2017 - PInoy Tambayan
Encantadia May 19 2017 Full Episode Replay
SHOW DESCRIPTION: Encantadia (2016 TV series) is a Filipino fantasy television series by GMA Network. It is dubbed as the modern requel (retelling-sequel) to the 2005 fantasy series with the same name. The show was first aired on July 18, 2016 in the Philippines and worldwide through GMA Pinoy TV.
The cast including those who will portray the sang'gres or keepers of the four gems were revealed on April 4, 2016. Kylie Padilla played the role of Amihan, Alena by Gabbi Garcia, Danaya by Sanya Lopez and Pirena by Glaiza de Castro.
It is based from the hit sineserye produced by the same network, Kung Aagawin Mo Ang Langit which stars Carla Abellana, Mike Tan and Michelle Madrigal.
Encantadia is a vast and magical continent in an "unnamed", enchanted realm. It comprises three kingdoms: Lireo, Sapiro and Hathoria. These three kingdoms, and the Lirean territory, Adamya, bear the four elemental gems that hold the continent in balance. Lireo, in the east, is the kingdom that cared for the gemstones of air and water, with its territory, Adamya. Sapiro, the northern kingdom, kept the gemstone of earth and had its lands blessed with precious metals and stones, and its soil fertile unlike any other land. Hathoria, the kingdom of the west, held the gemstone of fire and utilized it for the development of weapons and war machinery.
The three kingdoms were able to live in peace, but day came when the Hathors (inhabitants of Hathoria) gave in to their greed and started a war to claim the other gems, that they may gain power and rule over the whole continent. The Hathors first waged war with the Sapiro, in pursuit of the gemstone of earth. The Sapiryan king, King Armeo, before Sapiro's fall, was able to kill the Hathor king and claim the gemstone of fire. Sapiro, after the war, was left in ruins. While the death of the Hathor king, and the loss of the gemstone of fire, weakened the Hathor force and made them retreat. King Armeo gave the gemstone of fire and earth to his older cousin, Raquim, and willed that the gemstones be given to Ynang Reyna of Lireo for safekeeping. The four gems have not been separated since.
Years have passed and the story unfolds in Lireo, where Ynang Reyna, Minea, will choose her successor from her daughters Pirena, Amihan, Alena and Danaya. She and Imaw, an elder from Adamya, can feel imminent danger lurking, and as the gods call her to Devas, she has to leave the kingdom of Lireo in good and capable hands. She put her daughters to the test to see their capabilities and know who is best fit to be the next queen. Minea chooses and crowns Amihan, which to Pirena's dismay, led to her rebellion. The chain of events that transpired made way for the separation of the gemstones. Pirena, after having stolen the gemstone of fire sided with the Hathors and gave them back the power they've lost. Hathor now plans to rise up from hiding and bring Lireo to its demise, with the end in view of ruling over the whole of Encantadia.


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Boosted by the red-hot iPhone 5, exports of Apple products will give the Chinese economy a monster lift in the fourth quarter, according to Barclays.
"We estimate that as much as one-third of Chinese export growth in 4Q12 will be Apple related," said Jon Windham, an analyst for the firm, in a note Monday.
The new iPhone 5, along with the iPad, iPod and Mac lines, are assembled in China, using many materials from the region as well. The company sold 2 million iPhone 5s in the first 24 hours the device went on sale.
China still exports many more things than Apple products — everything from socks to steel. In fact, on an overall basis, Apple products will account for just four percent of total China exports in the last quarter of this year, according to Barclays. Still, it seems like the country is turning to Apple to drive that second derivative: growth.
Shares of Apple surged to a new record high as pre-order numbers of its new phone began to hit the Street. Just like its predecessors, the device says on the back of it, "Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in China."
Apple has been criticized in the past for working conditions of its plants in China, however the company has tried to stem that outcry by carrying out more inspections of factories and by publishing an annual supplier responsibility report.
But before one jumps all over Apple for outsourcing jobs when America's economy is struggling, one must look at how the US benefits from this arrangement as well, says Mitch Goldberg of Client First Strategy. From its retail store employees to the high-paid engineering jobs created here in the US, Apple does much for its home country's economy, he said.
(Read More: Apple's iPhone 5 Sales Could Add Half a Point to GDP)
And the outsourced manufacturing allowed Apple to charge the same price for the iPhone 5 as it did for the iPhone 4S, he said.
Sales of Apple's new device could add as much as half a percentage point to U.S. fourth quarter GDP, according to JPMorgan .
"The company should manufacture its products anywhere on the globe it deems best," said Client First Strategy's Goldberg. "If China benefits, then so be it. If anyone finds it so repugnant that the Chinese economy benefits from manufacturing Apple products, they are allowed to vote with their dollars and buy an alternative made elsewhere."
For the best market insight, catch 'Fast Money' each night at 5pm ET, and the 'Halftime Report' each afternoon at 12:00 ET on CNBC. Follow @CNBCMelloy on Twitter.
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