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The homicide rate is probably the top political story in Chicago so far this year, with an approximately 30 percent citywide increase in murders between 2011 and 2012 and a succession of new pronouncements from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy on how they are responding to the problem.
The homicide rate is probably the top political story in Chicago so far this year, with an approximately 30 percent citywide increase in murders between 2011 and 2012 and a succession of new pronouncements from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy on how they are responding to the issue.
Unfortunately, the solution is complicated in terms of what local political leaders and also specific Chicago communities can do regarding a problem that stirs much emotion. The Chicago homicide rate has, in fact, gone down, significantly and continually, over the last 20 years. However, citywide numbers do not provide a complete picture because of the enormous fluctuations in homicides between neighborhoods.
Addressing the homicide problem looks to be an issue of addressing social and economic segregation as much as any change in law enforcement tactics.
Lies, Damn Lies, and Homicide Statistics
The daily coverage of homicides, for example stories on the number of city murders reported over a weekend or over a month, can elide the larger citywide trend. According to Chicago Police Department crime data, there were 308 murders at the end of July putting Chicago on pace to have 528 homicides by the end of 2012.
This is a higher per capita murder rate than New York City and Los Angeles, which have each seen declines in homicides this year. And it would exceed the 440 murders Chicago recorded in 2011.
But last year's murder rate was the lowest since 1965. There will almost certainly be far fewer homicides in 2012 than there were in, for example, 1992, when police recorded 943 murders or 1974 when city murders peaked at 970.
The murder rate in Chicago, and nationally, has gone down, while other major social problems including unemployment, home foreclosures, and poverty have grown worse over the past few years. Put another way, the decline in murders is one of the few ways in which the city and country are making measurable, long-term social progress.
As for the spike in 2012, James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston who has studied Chicago crime issues, says unequivocally that it is a "statistical aberration."
Fox compares 2012 with 2008, a year in which the police department recorded 510 murders compared to 445 killings in 2007. The Chicago City Council held hearings in the summer of 2008 that pilloried erstwhile Police Superintendent Jody Weis for the rise in homicides. One year later, the homicide rate resumed its decline, though Weis remained unpopular throughout his tenure.
Albert Lurigio, a psychologist at Loyola University of Chicago who studies violence in the city, also says that homicide trends must be measured over years, not months. "The fluctuations of month to month are usually not significant," Lurigio says.
He believes that homicides "are an indicator and symptom of a community in distress."
"It never occurs in isolation from other social problems," Lurigio says.
Mad and Tired in Austin
West Side Ald. Emma Mitts (37th) is not impressed by the long-term citywide decline in murders. Asked about whether these statistics provide hope, Mitts said, "It was hopeful for the areas that it went really down in."
Much of the 37th Ward is located in the Austin neighborhood, one of 77 Chicago neighborhood areas. Since the start of 2007, there have been 199 murders in Austin, according to data compiled by the Chicago Tribune. Austin is the most populous of the city's 77 neighborhoods with 98,000 people, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.
But the greater population cannot account for the disparity between Austin and, for example, Lincoln Park. The affluent near North Side neighborhood had a population of 64,000 in 2010 – and six murders total since the start of 2007. Lakeview, the most populous neighborhood after Austin, with 95,000 people including the Emanuel family, has recorded 11 homicides since 2007.
Mitts says that responding to murders has become a permanent part of her job.
"You get mad and tired of going to funerals," she says, adding that "violence overshadows the work we could be doing" to improve Austin. Part of the problem, Mitts says, is community disinvestment, with Austin having the highest number of foreclosed homes in the city. Also, the neighborhood unemployment rate has gone north of 30 percent in the economic downturn.
"There is an interrelationship in the community between the economics and violence," says Phillip Jackson, former head of the Chicago Housing Authority and now executive director of the Black Star project, which provide services to CPS students on the South and West Sides.
Jackson says that many of the teenagers he works with would "gladly take a minimum wage job", but are cast aside and drawn to "the economic black market."
Mitts would like to see a better organization of neighborhood block clubs "so people are not afraid to share what is going on." Another step the alderman would like to see is enforcement of a curfew ordinance Emanuel signed into law last year. The ordinance prevents youths 16 years of age and younger from being out past 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends. Nonetheless, Mitts says overall the police are doing a good job, particularly identifying gang members who may initiate violence. "We cannot just say the police need to do a better job," Mitts says. "We need to do a better job in our community."
Austin has been economically disadvantaged and plagued by violence for decades. So has West Englewood, which has suffered 135 murders since 2007, and North Lawndale, which has seen 91 killings over the last five years.
Chaos in Chatham
Like these neighborhoods, Chatham on the South Side is more than 90 percent black. Unlike Austin, Chatham has a reputation for social and economic prosperity. In 1986, the Chicago Sun-Times ran a series called "The Chatham Story" that profiled the "upwardly mobile blacks" who were "building a community of excellence." Residents then included Roland Burris, briefly a U.S. Senator, and Eugene Sawyer, briefly a Chicago mayor.
But Chatham has gradually changed. The Chicago Sun-Times Mary Mitchell reported in a column last year that poverty and unemployment in the neighborhood is significantly up, while the population is down. Also, Mitchell noted that while serious crime is down in Chatham, as it is citywide, certain police beats in the neighborhood are the most violent in the city. Overall, Chatham has had 63 homicides since 2007, an above average number for the city considering the neighborhood population amounted to just 31,000 people in 2010.
The alderman of Chatham is Roderick Sawyer, son of former Chicago mayor Eugene Sawyer. Sawyer defeated 6th Ward incumbent Freddrenna Lyle in a run off last year as voters expressed concern about increased violence and loitering. Sawyer says that a prevailing resident complaint is that former public housing project tenants have moved into the neighborhood and provoked violence.
"People are coming from the public housing program and may not realize how things are done in Chatham," Sawyer says.
However, the alderman says that it is unfair to blame new neighborhood residents or even economic stresses. The problem boils down "to the inability to deal with personal conflict." On this point, he agrees with Lurigio, the Loyola professor, that the city was wise to start coordinating with Ceasefire this May. Ceasefire, which gained prominence partly due to the 2011 documentary The Interrupters, treats violence as a public health issue. The group counsels gang members to prevent personal conflicts from becoming violent. "I like what Ceasefire does because they get to the core of the matter," Sawyer says.
Jackson of Black Star says what is happening in communities like Austin and Chatham is a larger issue of social disinvestment, with violence being one symptom of the problem. Asked if the changing city homicide rate affects his group's work, Jackson says, "Absolutely not. We continue to get the same reports from our community leaders."


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The many shipwrecks along the North Shore are tragic reminders of the power and fury of Lake Superior. That power is something every paddler must respect and not underestimate. The same dramatic features that enrich the shoreline experience, such as lake cliffs, can pose serious hazards to unwary paddlers. Placid summer waters can change in minutes to life-threatening conditions, and cliff areas can prevent paddlers from seeking safety on shore. Paddlers need to be prepared mentally and physically to deal with these conditions and possess the paddling skills necessary to assure their own safety and that of others. Local marine weather forecasts should be monitored before and during any trip on the lake. Paddlers need to understand the implications these forecasts have on overall lake conditions, as well as the shoreline area they plan to travel. Wave heights can be greatly increased by shoreline features and currents.
Safety training and gear
- Seek instruction and practice kayak skills, including rescues, before paddling on Lake Superior. Be certain your boat has adequate bow and stern flotation and that you have access to a pump for emptying a flooded boat.
- Each paddler must have a wearable U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation device readily accessible.
- Each kayak or canoe must have a bright white light on board after sunset to be displayed in time to prevent a collision.
- Other items you should carry with you: Spray skirt, float for paddle, whistle, emergency flares, water, snacks, sunscreen and compass.
- Bring maps with you. Maps provided online are not adequate for use as your sole navigational aids. You can obtain USGS topographic maps and NOAA charts of the North Shore from a variety of sources, such as kayaking or camping gear retailers. Learn how to use maps and a compass for navigation before setting out on the lake.
- All watercraft (including non-motorized canoes and kayaks over 9 feet in length) must be registered in Minnesota or the state of residence.
Safe travel
- Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation device (Life Jacket).
- Be familiar with dangers of hypothermia and dress appropriately for the cold water (32 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit). Cold water is a killer?wearing a wet or dry suit is strongly recommended.
- Travel with a companion or group. Know the skill level of other paddlers in your group. Discuss safety issues before leaving shore.
- Study shoreline features on your chart and review exit points before launching. Remember, cliffs can cause additional water turbulence and prevent you from going ashore.
- Choose your trip and daily travel distance in relation to experience, fitness and an average kayaking speed of 2-3 mph.
- Fog frequently restricts visibility to zero. Bring a good compass and know how to use it.
- Anticipate changes in weather, wind and waves by monitoring a weather or marine VHF radio and using your awareness and common sense. The National Weather Service broadcasts a 24-hour updated marine forecast on KIG 64, weather band channel 1 on the maritime VHF frequency from Duluth. You can hear a version of this broadcast by calling 218-729-6697; press 4 for Lake Superior weather information. You also can use the VHF radio to call for emergency help.
- Check the weather before you head out. The National Weather Service Web site is a source of forecasts for regional weather along the North Shore.
Duluth-Superior Harbor safety
- The Duluth Harbor is a major port in the U.S. Familiarize yourself with the rules of the nautical road, and stay out of the shipping lanes. When using the Minnesota and Wisconsin entrances, be aware that while inbound ships are easily spotted at some distance, the outbound ships are not visible from the end of the entrances. When paddling through the entrances, stay to the right side in order to not give up your right-of-way. Obtain a chart of the Duluth Harbor for specifics regarding shipping lanes.
- Be aware of special paddling hazards in the Duluth-Superior harbor. Outgoing currents through the Minnesota and Wisconsin entrances can clash with incoming reflected waves to create chaotic paddling conditions. Stay near the shore and keep well away from commercial and recreational boating traffic. Fog can be a particular hazard in busy areas. Several areas in the St. Louis Bay may be subject to waterfowl hunting seasons.


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Taper Length Drill Bit, Drill Bit Size 17.50mm, Drill Bit Point Angle 140°, R Thinning Point
- Item # 34YF76
- My Part #
- Mfr. Model # HP258-6890
- Catalog Page # N/A
To zoom in, use the keyboard to focus on the arrow icon within the product image. Once it receives focus, use the arrow keys on the keyboard to move and position the product image. The zoom feature provides no benefit to users who are blind.
Using 360° Viewing:
- Rotate: Use top-to-bottom, side-to-side by use of mouse arrow.
- Zoom In: Double click on image.
- Zoom Out/Reset: Put photo at full zoom & then double click.
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- Shipping Weight 1.0 lbs.
Country of Origin Varies Country of Origin is subject to change.
Note: Product availability is real-time updated and adjusted continuously. The product will be reserved for you when you complete your order. More
Technical Specs
- Item Taper Length Drill Bit
- Drill Bit Size 17.5mm
- Decimal Equivalent 0.689
- Measurement System Metric
- Material - Machining Carbide
- Finish - Machining TiAlN
- Drill Bit Point Angle 140 Degrees
- Drill Bit Point Type R Thinning Point
- Flute Type Spiral
- Number of Flutes 2
- Flute Length 171mm
- Maximum Drilling Depth 171mm
- Helix Angle 30 Degrees
- Cutting Direction Right Hand
- Shank Type - Machining Straight
- Shank Dia. 18mm
- Shank Length 52mm
- Overall Length 223mm
- Depth:Dia. Ratio 8xD
- Drill Length Class Taper Length
- Coolant Fed Coolant Through
- Number of Coolant Holes 2
- Drill Bit Grouping Individual
- Series HP258
- Standards Not Rated
- Drill Diameter Tolerance +0.007/+0.025mm
- Sheeter Drill No
- Material Grade - Machining General Purpose
- Primary Material Application Cast Iron, Hardened Steel, Steel, Tool and Die Steel
- Primary Material Application ISO Code H1, K, P
- Secondary Material Application Aluminum, Hardened Steel, Inconel, Stainless Steel, Titanium
- Secondary Material Application ISO Code H3, M, N, S2, S3
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Retail orders typically ship in 2 to 3 business days. Please do not combine retail with pre-orders.
The Fabric Stache team.
Sold Out
|Please read the following closely. This listing has multiple bases available via a drop down menu. Please be sure to select the correct base for your project.
|Fabric is digitally printed using reactive dyes . Fabric base options vary from design to design but may include:
|Knit Jersey - This luscious fabric is digitally printed on 95/5 cotton/lycra knit Jersey, 220 gsm, using a reactive dye. It is 52-58 inches wide. This high quality medium weight knit features 4 way stretch with excellent recovery making for extremely comfortable garments.
|French Terry - Smooth on the front face and "loopy" on the back, French Terry is known for it's added warmth and snuggle factor. This is a 95/5 cotton lycra blend, 260-280 gsm and 52-58 inches wide, that offers all the best options. Softness, warmth AND 4 way stretch with excellent recovery. Perfect for ALL clothing.
|Brushed Poly - Soft and silky against the skin, this brushed poly is a poly/spandex blend base fabric that has added processes to add softness. It weighs in at 190 gsm and 52-58 inches wide, it is digitally printed with reactive dyes.
Fabulous 4 way stretch and recovery makes it excellent for leggings and the soft drape makes for lovely tops.
|Woven- Well structured, fine hand with a nice close weave, this 100% cotton woven comes in at 140 gsm, 52-58 inches wide. It is digitally printed using modern reactive dyes. This is a lovely quality and perfect for everything from bags and purses to clothing. Of special note, this is wider than your traditional retail cotton woven that is 44 wide.
|Minky- We love our new Minky base and think you will too! 100% polyester, weighing in at 200-210 gsm and 52-58 inches wide, this minky has a moderate 4 way stretch. This feature makes it perfect for everything from a blanket to a cuddly onesie or a super snugly hoodie for little to big people!
Swim - Soft silky and full of structure! Swim is perfect for all kinds of beach and swim wear. This is a 80/20 blend and 210 - 220 gsm in the typical 58-60 inches width. This base was heavily tested by a rambunctious tween boy who spent two weeks in Mexican sun, surf and pools without a wash with zero fade and shape loss. See the review video on the Fabric Stache wall for more details of the test.
|**PLEASE choose fabric type CAREFULLY**
|Short run prints may have some small flaws as noted in the Fabric Stache group and colors may differ than represented on the screen. Every effort is made for coordinates to match, but are not always exact. Retail yardage may not be continuous. If available you will get continuous yardage, as inventory gets low it may be necessary to fill with multiple cuts. If this is ever a concern for your needs, please send a PM to check. PRE-ORDER yardage will always arrive continuous. Sold as is.
|Please DO NOT order pre-order fabric and In Stock fabric in the same order. Thank you, this will prevent delayed shipping for you.
|By purchasing you agree to all the terms set out in the pinned post of the Fabric Stache Facebook group


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Hello everyone!
I have one non-standard for this forum question.
Programming and Computer Science managed to become my passion, and I'd like to make career in this field. But, unfortunately, it so happened, that now I'm studying in non-technical university, so my fellow student's have nothing to do with programming and computer science in general. This yields one big difficulty for me: I'm unable to constantly stay in contact with people, who share my interests. But this is crucial for further development and building career.
By now, I've made several attempts to solve this problem.
First, I've participated in this forum and one Facebook group of similar destination. Helping newbies with their Java-related questions really helps to refine once skills, but does not yield any community experience (at least, for me).
Second, while taking Machine Learning course on Coursera, I've found on their forum several threads, where people teemed up to work together on certain ML problems. I've registered in 3 or 4 such groups. But seems, that they've been totally inactive for about 2 weeks already.
I believe, that the best community sense can be yielded from some teem work on common problem. I'm highly interested in Java (SE and EE, it's web applications part), Scala (even more than Java), Machine Learning, High-loaded software (parallel computing, you know, I had just a brief introduction, but was excited). But, of course, first two implies, that it would be fun for me to work on pretty much every project who requires programming skills.
I ask for some piece of advice for me: how do I get involved into community of programmers given, that I can do that only via means of Internet? Please, if you have some ideas, let me know, I'll be very grateful!


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Extra race day on May 31st. May 18, 2015 13:21:45 GMT -8
Extra race day on May 31st.
Quick Reply
Welcome to Shoutbox. Post your viewpoints here, but keep your posts civil.
Keith Tanaka: The mid-engine Lotus Europa will be allowed to race in the Foreign Production Sports (hardtop) class. The D3 Hardbody rules have been updated to include this revision (see post above). Jul 11, 2020 13:29:18 GMT -8
Keith Tanaka: Not sure yet when we can return to our racing. In the meantime, just saw a very interesting interview with Jim Hall talking about his Chaparral car designs (see post above for video clip). Jun 3, 2020 15:51:02 GMT -8
Keith Tanaka: Just heard the sad news today. Jay Henry passed away. He battled cancer although he didn't want others to know of his health condition in the last year or so. We'll miss his enthusiasm for our hobby. RIP Jay. Apr 16, 2020 16:24:25 GMT -8
Keith Tanaka: Unable to race slot cars because of the Coronavirus outbreak, here's some interesting interviews with some Legends of our hobby talking about the Golden Era of Slot Car Racing (see above). Apr 3, 2020 10:25:55 GMT -8
Eddie: Greetings to my Hardbody Racing friends. I hope all of you are doing well, and that we'll be racing again sooner rather than later! Apr 1, 2020 10:20:15 GMT -8
Keith Tanaka: The Trans Am Enduro is postponed. We'll reschedule the enduro when authorities deem its safe to conduct group activities. Mar 27, 2020 19:35:56 GMT -8
Keith Tanaka: Racer Handicap and Lap Differential charts updated to include races on 3-15-2020 (see above). Mar 20, 2020 19:46:16 GMT -8
Keith Tanaka: The D3 Hardbody race for March 29th has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus situation. The Trans Am enduro has NOT been postponed at this time, but any change in schedule will depend on the virus situation in the coming weeks. Mar 17, 2020 12:31:40 GMT -8
Keith Tanaka: Sunday's hardbody race report has been posted at our Smugmug website (see link above). Mar 16, 2020 18:06:14 GMT -8
Keith Tanaka: Yesterday's D3 Hardbody races at BPR had a lite turnout of racers probably affected by the Coronavirus. Gonzo raised the bar again by exceeding the GTP total lap record of 266 with 268 laps (nearly 269 laps!). Race report to be posted later today. Mar 16, 2020 10:18:53 GMT -8
Keith Tanaka: Team HiTech will be in the enduro. We now have 8 teams for the enduro. Feb 28, 2020 11:14:20 GMT -8 *
Keith Tanaka: The enduro has 7 teams participating so far. Waiting for Team Hitech and Slot Car LFR to respond. Feb 22, 2020 21:04:48 GMT -8
Eddie: Team Autorama is in, we just don't know WHO we are. Yet. :-) Feb 16, 2020 9:05:30 GMT -8
Keith Tanaka: Team signups for the Trans Am Enduro in April have begun (see above). Who's going to race? Jan 31, 2020 16:41:44 GMT -8 *
Keith Tanaka: Sunday's D3 Hardbody race report has been posted at our Smugmug website (see above for link to report). Jan 20, 2020 19:04:25 GMT -8
Keith Tanaka: The D3 Hardbody Racing 2020 calendar arrived recently. For those who ordered one, I'll have the calendars at BPR on Sunday, January 19th (next D3 Hardbody race day). Jan 8, 2020 11:13:29 GMT -8
Keith Tanaka: Sunday's D3 Hardbody races had another sub 5 sec. lap by Jim Lane (2nd time for Jim). A lot of fast, close racing again with lots of laughs at our last race for 2019. Race report to be posted later today. Happy New Year everyone! Dec 30, 2019 12:28:59 GMT -8
Keith Tanaka: The Sub 5 Second "Club" chart has been posted (see above). Who will be the next D3 Hardbody racer to join this fast lap club? Dec 27, 2019 15:37:41 GMT -8
Keith Tanaka: The Racer Handicap chart has been updated to include the races on 12-15-19 (see above). Dec 27, 2019 14:34:43 GMT -8
Keith Tanaka: Sunday's D3 Hardbody race report has been posted at our Smugmug website (see post above). Dec 17, 2019 11:11:19 GMT -8


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Eager professionals gathered at ROC in Santa Monica to learn from the brightest and most savvy business executives from LA's top tech companies, start up CEO's, accelerators, and VC's who will be leading LA's original and largest start up tech entertainment festival, Silicon Beach Fest.
Created by Digital LA, Silicon Beach featured startup and Hollywood entertainment speakers at panels, parties, hackathon, demo day, and startup showcases.
Splash Magazines had a few questions for the 2013 host of Silicon Beach Fest, Ron McElroy, CEO of ROC.
Splash Magazines: How have the past few days of Silicon Beach Fest been for you and ROC?
Ron McElroy: Really good. The main focus of why we had Silicon Beach Fest was to make people aware of ROC. ROC is a platform for start up companies or young companies that want to learn and understand:
-How to attract funding:
-ROC employs many venture capitalist in which the client have access
-The ROC educators come from USC, UCLA and Pepperdine
-Educators organize events
-ROC allows a number of companies to exist and grow in 45,000 square feet with like-minded visionaries to exchange ideas, collaborate, and to create a business action-plan.
SM: What seminars are taking place at ROC and Silicon Beach Fest?
RM: They range any where from how-to-start-ups to tech panels. They're panelists from companies such as YouTube, Google, General Assembly, and much more. Everything that you could possibly want to hear about business, high tech, and new products is here at Silicon Beach Fest.
To get tickets for next years Silicon Beach Fest, please visit www.SiliconBeachFest.com
To find out more about ROC, please visit www.realofficecenters.com


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Nothing is more precious than life, and that's the philosophy that drives Phileo.
As global population continues to increase, the world faces a growing demand for food and greater sustainability challenges.
According to the team at Phileo Lesaffre "Working at the crossroads of nutrition and health, we are committed to delivering future evidence-based solutions that enhance animal health and performance. In each and every country, our team's progress is led by the most advanced scientific outcomes as well as the field input of experienced farmers".
Visit the website HERE.
The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the
magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd
For additional daily news from aquaculture around the world: aquaculture-news


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I prefer to chain piece this step. It may seem a little bit daunting to keep track of all those squares without mixing up your perfect layout -- so I will show you the method I use to keep track of everything.
We will sew two rows together at a time. Place your row 1 stack and your row 2 stack to the side of your machine, with the row 1 stack closest to you. Orient the stacks so that the bottom edge of the stacks are closest to you.
Take the pair furthest from you and snip the threads. Open the pair of blocks, keeping the end you just snipped towards yourself. Snip the second pair and open it, again keeping the end you snipped towards yourself, and place it to the right of your first pair.
Repeat for the next two pairs.
If all of this made sense, you have now survived sewing two rows of your quilt together!!
Continue this method with all other rows.
Here's what you will do: Alternate the direction you press your seam allowances for each row. I press all my odd-numbered rows' seam allowances to the left, and all my even-numbered rows' seam allowances to the right.
Rows! Done! We're nearing the end of the piecing!!


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Friday, December 3, 2010
christmas jars
20 comments:
- AnonymousDecember 3, 2010 at 2:53 PM
Love these. I have about a thousand mason jars so this a perfect project for me. ;)ReplyDelete
So-So Cute!!!ReplyDelete
wow. what a great idea. Love these. Soooo cute. Thank´s for sharing.ReplyDelete
SO cute...you are so creative!! I wish I was a child growing up in your house...so fun! My kids are so deprived!! :)ReplyDelete
Absolutely adorable project!ReplyDelete
Thanks for sharing
Regards from Tuscany
wow - these are super cute! they would look so lovely with candles in the same mason jars too...isn't hobby lobby the best?!ReplyDelete
those are so lovely! (i know i'm commenting long after xmas time, but I just discovered this.....wow!!)ReplyDelete
: )
Alix, modernkiddo
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
I know that this is an older post but I just found it and I LOVE these, they are adorable. I am going to make some for this Christmas!ReplyDelete
Can you tell me where you got the cute reindeer?ReplyDelete
super cute! xo nancyReplyDelete
Darling...I love how simple and pretty it is.ReplyDelete
Perfect idea for favors!ReplyDelete
Love this idea! Mason jars are so versatile :DReplyDelete
would love to know where you got the little deer i finally hunted down these adorable little trees!!ReplyDelete
Completely brilliant!ReplyDelete
love these. the look spectacular. I will be sharing in my JUNIOR EPITOME shopping gift guide online this week.ReplyDelete
So simple and still gorgeous! Amazing!ReplyDelete
I have been obsessed making them also!!!ReplyDelete


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Zero Tolerance and School Safety
The Time is Right to End 'Zero Tolerance' in Schools
Zero Tolerance Schools Discipline Without Wiggle Room
Zero Tolerance and Alternative Suggestions
The above links will lead you to sites on both sides of the debate over Zero Tolerance in schools. I leave it to you to read them, make your own conclusions.
I won't summarize them, but give you some observations:
A school with a strongly worded rules on dress code and school behavior online, with the consequences for infractions clearly stated. Syllabi/Lesson Plans, posted online as well, readdressing the same concerns. The conduct rules are posted in the main office as well.
What was seen: two students being taken out of the school in hand cuffs by police officers; not one student dressed in the very well laid out dress code (hoodies and hats were worn; scarves as head wear; tee shirts with graphics; etc); students walking around the hallways by the front door guard, near the main office, sitting on the floor; a school official hugging a student (one "rule" was "no contact between students of any type, hugging mentioned); a student walking into the office, talking to a secretary, her trying to send him on his way to class but he cut his class, as he came back in less than fifteen minutes later to "hang out"; and during the classroom change, uncountable number of cell phones and electronics being used in a school they are supposedly banned.
This was one school, but I've seen variations played out in many.
I made a mention of this, at times. to various teachers or staff, and the answer is almost always the same: a shrug of the shoulders, or the complaint that no one enforces it, or they can't enforce them. They don't get support from any number of sources (parents, the principal, whoever).
I've also seen schools where the parents are very involved and supportive, where the rules of conduct and dress are enforced. Are there still problems? Of course. You are dealing with a wide variable of situations. Yet, when rules don't matter, consequences are basically non-existent…
I haven't written here in quite awhile. Observing what I have in the last half a year (really, last four years) has sometimes left me dumbstruck. This experience just left me shaking my head.
What do you see that will work?


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Slideshow: Happy 50th, Nigella Lawson!
Top Facts That'll Surprise You About Nigella Lawson
Top Facts That'll Surprise You About Nigella Lawson
You may be shocked to learn that Nigella Lawson, the British coquette of the cooking world, has been around for half a century. It's true: on Wednesday, the celebrity chef rang in the big 5-0 with her husband, art collector and advertising mogul Charles Saatchi, and a friend in East London. To pay tribute to the self-proclaimed domestic goddess and all her achievements, the UK's Daily Mail compiled 50 little-known facts about the famous food figure. Curious to know the 10 that surprised us most? Read on to find out.


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NEW YORK (Reuters) - These days Google Inc is on a roll, making it the $800 gorilla in the room. Its shares hit an all-time closing high of $821.50 on Monday and some securities analysts are already forecasting the search company could soon be a $1,000 stock.
Its surge to new highs has come as its Android software dominates the mobile phone market and it continues to lead in mobile advertising. The gains have put Google firmly in third place among U.S. companies in terms of market value after Apple Inc and Exxon Mobil Corp.
Google has been on a steep rise since late last year, hitting new highs multiple times, and is up 16.1 percent since the start of the year. That makes it the highest-priced stock in the S&P 500 by more than $100 and puts it within striking distance of the median analyst price target of $851 a share, according to Reuters data.
"It seems to be the big momentum stock right now," said Eric Kuby, chief investment officer at North Star Investment Management in Chicago, whose firm does not own Google.
At least two brokerages - Sanford Bernstein and Credit Agricole Securities - believe the stock could hit $1000 a share before long and several others have a price target of more than $900.
Still, at least one insider, has decided it is time to bail out of a big slab of his stock. Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt recently filed to sell roughly 42 percent of his stake in the Internet search company, citing "individual asset diversification and liquidity," according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
Schmidt owns roughly 7.6 million shares of Class A and Class B common stock. Google said in a filing in early February that Schmidt planned to sell the 3.2 million shares of Class A stock in a stock trading plan over a period of a year. At current value, that would be worth about $2.6 billion.
Wall Street has grown more sanguine about Google's transition towards a more mobile-focused strategy.
It has attempted to extend its lead in Internet search advertising onto a mobile platform, a shift forced by the increasing prevalence of smartphones and tablets, but that eats into margins. Over the past year, however, Google has managed to slow the average pace of ad-rate declines, while its Android platform continues to expand its lead over rivals such as Apple's iOS.
"Mobile search is doing well and mobile is the future," said Kerry Rice, an analyst at Needham & Co. "Few companies are as well positioned for the coming mobile-centric world we live in better than Google."
Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission ended an investigation into the company in January without any significant action.
Google shares received wide attention after their August 2004 initial public offering. At an $85 offer price, it was the most talked-about IPO at that time. The stock opened at $100 on its first day of trading, hitting $200 in January 2005 and then $300 in June of that year.
The stock is up 721 percent since its first started trading at $100. Its top investors include Fidelity, which owns 6.5 percent of outstanding shares. Vanguard Group and State Street Global Advisors also own at least 4 percent of its shares and BlackRock and T. Rowe Price have at least 3.5 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data based on filings to December 31.
While investors have worried since its inception about how much money Google can make from online advertising, the company has garnered a lot of attention recently because of the popularity of its Android mobile software.
"We're at $800, I think you can certainly see this at $900," Rice said.
Still, on a valuation basis, the stock scores relatively low. Google is in the bottom 25 percent in a Thomson Reuters StarMine valuation that looks at expected growth rates in the next decade.
This intrinsic value, which estimates the cumulative annual growth rate in the coming 10 years using a blend of its own models and analyst estimates, puts Google shares at $680.40, suggesting the stock is overvalue.
Another factor in its valuation is Google's forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio, which is 17.3, higher than the S&P 500's 13.5. A higher P/E suggests investors are pricing in higher earnings growth.
Conversely, Apple stock, which for years has been the darling of investors, but is down 21.1 percent since December 31, is trading on a forward P/E of only 9.2.
"There's a lot of money that likes the tech sector and I think Google has kind of taken over from Apple," Kuby added.
Reporting By Caroline Valetkevitch. Editing by Andre Grenon


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Difference between revisions of "Historical:SoC 2009 idea"
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== Straight-line detection for automated lens calibration ==
== Straight-line detection for automated lens calibration ==
One of the techniques for lens calibration is to [http://hugin.sourceforge.net/tutorials/calibration/ optimise straight lines]. Tom Sharpless suggests: "Hugin needs an easy and reliable way to do
One of the techniques for lens calibration is to [http://hugin.sourceforge.net/tutorials/calibration/ optimise straight lines]. Tom Sharpless suggests: "Hugin needs an easy and reliable way to do straight line lens calibration. many years using various calibration systems, photogrammetrists decided the straight line method best. often use naturally occurring straight lines rather than special calibration rigs.
straight line lens calibration.
using various calibration systems, photogrammetrists
The key is software that can follow and estimate their positions to subpixel accuracy. raw of calibration curved, a human to designate which lines are straight in reality
the straight line method
occurring straight lines rather than special calibration rigs. The
--but of .
key is software that can follow
subpixel accuracy.
straight in reality -- but
Revision as of 20:14, 4 March 2009
If you are a student willing to participate in The Google Summer of Code 2009, do as suggested below:
- find out what ideas we have for SoC projects this year (read below);
- make up your mind, if you want to pick one of those tasks or if you have your own idea;
- join our community at hugin-ptx;
- introduce yourself and tell us about your plans and wishes.
- add your proposal to the student proposal page - see examples from last year
IMPORTANT: at the time of writing it is not known yet if we will be admitted to Google Summer of Code 2009. We can not guarantee you a place in the program, but we recommend you start preparing your application early as the application process is very competitive.
Development style
Most of the projects below are related to Hugin, and some also relate to Panotools or tlalli. Hugin is mostly written in C++, and uses the VIGRA image processing library to support different types of images (for example, 8bit, 16bit and float (HDR) images). The core functionality is implemented in a platform independent C++ library, which is used by the GUI based on wxWidgets toolkit, and the command line programs (nona, fulla). We also very much welcome contributions to Enblend/Enfuse.
The development of the projects should take place in a separate branch of the projects CVS (or SVN) repository. Communication with the mentors should usually happen through the appropriate mailing list. All code should work on the major platforms supported (Linux, OSX, Windows).
The following people have volunteered to be primary mentors:
- Andrew Mihal
- Bruno Postle
- Jim Watters
- Daniel M. German
- Tom K. Sharpless
- Tim Nugent
- John Cupitt
The following people have volunteered to be secundary mentors:
- Pablo d'Angelo
Possible Projects
We welcome you to propose your own ideas.
Some of the SoC2007 projects and SoC2008 projects proposals were not done in the past years and are potential projects for this year:
- SoC2007_projects#Interactive panoramic viewer (This was completed but there is further possible work to be done, particularly a joint project with VLC to integrate the viewer in their media player)
- SoC2007_projects#Processing of very large images (using the VIPS framework, or even GEGL if ready)
- SoC2007_projects#Architectural Overhaul of Panotools
- SoC_2008_ideas#munin_.E2.80.94_interactive_openGL_based_GUI
- SoC_2008_ideas#enblend-enfuse_zenith.2Fnadir_and_more
- SoC_2008_ideas#Ghost_removal_for_enfuse
- SoC_2008_ideas#Lens_Database (the library part is done, see lensfun, but there is still no system for updating the database)
- SoC_2008_ideas#tCA_Correction (this is done, the tca_correct tool now exists in the hugin-0.7.0 release)
- SoC_2008_ideas#Extend_hugin.27s_output_options_for_stitching
- SoC_2008_ideas#Utility_for_creating_a_Philosphere
Python Bindings
expose all functions / libraries as Python bindings
3D extension of panotools library
the current assumption of panotools is that all images are shot from the same point of view in a different direction. develop and implement the mathematics to adjust for a shift in the point form which the pictures where taken.
enblend/enfuse gimp plugin
Various GUIs for enblend and enfuse already exist (e.g. ImageFuser), however nothing that would as useful as a gimp plugin. e.g. gimp opens multilayer TIFF files created by hugin and other tools, an option to 'blend visible layers with enblend' would allow manual adjustment of masks during blending.
bracketing pano model
Currently the Hugin pano model has no provision for brackets / stacked images. This project would modify the pano model to make provision for image stacks to be considered as a single image or to be optimized locally as a stack before being optimized globally as a panorama.
hugin RAW support
hugin is never going to be a RAW converter with all the options of a tool such as ufraw, so I would be wary of adding half-baked RAW support to hugin that produced second-rate results.
Something that ought to work very well would be if hugin/enblend could support RAW output, specifically 'linear DNG'. In this workflow, hugin would import RAW via dcraw as 16bit linear data with no correction. It would then output linear DNG files which could be opened in any RAW converter for further tweaking.
This would be a good summer of code project: modify hugin to use dcraw as an input plugin, integrate TCA correction, modify enblend to write linear DNG (or create a standalone tiff2dng tool), modify hugin GUI to enable it, fix any ufraw bugs reading linear DNG.
hugin colour balancing
Internally hugin uses the EMoR photometric model. This means that adjusting the colour balance in hugin by altering the red/blue channel multipliers will give better results than doing the same in an image editor such as the Gimp/Photoshop - Provided the photometric parameters for the camera are calibrated properly. There is potentially unexplored interesting stuff that can be done with this capability: grey pickers, temperature sliders, curve adjustment etc...
A related problem is that hugin has an internal 'lens' representation that it used to link lens parameters for different photos together, this capability really should be split into three models: lens grouping photos with the same lens but potentially different CCDs, sensor grouping photos with the same CCD but potentially different lenses, position stacked images that can be rotated together (see #bracketing pano model above) - This is tinkering with hugin fundamentals and needs to be overseen by Pablo.
Straight-line detection for automated lens calibration
One of the techniques for lens calibration is to optimise straight lines. Tom Sharpless suggests: "Hugin needs an easy and reliable way to do straight line lens calibration. After many years using various calibration systems, photogrammetrists seem to have decided the straight line method is best. It is robust, accurate, and can often use naturally occurring straight lines rather than special calibration rigs. And it works well with fisheye lenses, which many other methods do not.
The key is software that can automatically follow strong "line-like" curves and estimate their positions to subpixel accuracy. Then, using a reasonable model of the lens, an optimizer like the one in Hugin can fit parameters that straighten the lines. Since the raw images of calibration lines are generally curved, a human may have to designate which lines are straight in reality. However, fully automatic straight line calibration is theoretically possible, based on jointly optimizing lens parameters and estimated line shapes.
A tool of this kind would be especially valuable for calibrating fisheye lenses, something the PanoTools family of s/w has always done poorly. Part of the problem is that the original PT library used the equal-angle model for fisheye lenses, instead of the equal-area model most modern fisheyes are actually designed to. Apparently libpano13 now has the equal-area model, too, but Hugin continues to use the equal-angle one. So an important part of this project could be to revise Hugin to handle fisheye lenses more correctly.


text:
RailsConf 2010 Schedule
Below are the confirmed and scheduled talks at RailsConf 2010 (schedule subject to change).
Customize Your Own Schedule
Create your own RailsConf schedule using the personal scheduler function. Mark the tutorials, sessions, keynotes, and events you want to attend by clicking on the calendar icon next to each listing. Then click on "personal schedule" below and get your own customized schedule generated.
Room: Ballroom Foyer
Room: Exhibit Hall B
Room: On Your Own
Room: See BoF Schedule for Locations
Birds of a Feather Sessions (BoFs) - Monday


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Cardiac Rehab programs now open to heart failure patients
Many who could benefit from attending cardiac rehabilitation didn't have a coverable diagnosis. Yes they had significant heart disease with congestive heart failure, but were not covered to attend rehabilitation. For many years I assisted in fighting to get this coverage. It is wonderful to see it finally here. This opens access to many patients who would benefit from exercise, lifestyle intervention, education, prevention and managing of their chronic heart disease.


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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tore into fellow world leaders at the United Nations Thursday for giving Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a forum.
Giving the Iranian leader, who has repeatedly scoffed at the Holocaust, "legitimacy" brought shame to the world body," Netanyahu thundered. He recalled in detail the war that sent 6 million Jews to their deaths in concentration camps and noted it was the UN that created the Jewish state. Although Netanyahu commended those who boycotted or walked out on Ahmadinejad's speech, including the U.S., Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and Seweden, he but condemned those who indulged the fiery Iranian leader.
"To those who gave this Holocaust denier a hearing, I say on behalf of my people. ... Have you no shame? Have you no decency?" Netanyahu said. "What a disgrace. What a mockery of the charter of the United Nations."
Netanyahu accused the world body of being silent on attacks on Israelis from Hamas, while condemning Israel for its offensive in the Gaza Strip last January. He did draw applause when he talked about the need for a Palestinian state.
In his speech, Ahmadinejad accused Israel of "inhuman policies" and "racist ambitions" in its treatment of Palestinians," and accused the U.S. of bringing "war, bloodshed, aggression, terror and intimidation" to Iraq and Afghanistan.
U.S. & World
Later in the evening at about 6 p.m., Netanyahu, was scheduled to speak at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan. You can watch the livestream here.
Get more: MSNBC, Jerusalem Post


text:
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text:
The Glitter Report: Week 1 - Opening Night!
The ballroom was abuzz with activity again with a new band, a new music director and, of course, all new stars. Old friend Maks was back as new cohost Erin Andrews was quick to point out before the night kicked in to high gear. Here are the highlights for Week 1 of Season 18 of Dancing with the Stars!
Dance of the Night: They saved the best for last on opening night. Eleven teams took to the floor before Charlie and Sharna got their chance. They certainly made the most of it by getting a total of 27 from the judges. It was the high score of the night. See why:
Dancing on a Cloud City: You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy than you will in the ballroom. Guess that's why Billy Dee needed a little help from a pair of Stormtroopers and R2-D2 before blasting off into his cha cha with Emma. Was the Force strong with this one? You be the judge. Don't be influenced by the Ewoks.
Holy Moly!: James Maslow of Big Time Rush fame totally caught Peta Murgatroyd off guard when he walked through the rehearsal room door. It seems these two went on a dinner date once, but then he went away on tour. James would definitely take her on another date…someday. For now, they plan to keep things professional. We'll see how that works out. It's a long season filled with romantic dances.
Early Season Crowd-Pleaser: Carrie Ann thinks Drew Carey may have a monopoly on that one. Time will tell. Time will tell.
She's so Modest: Candace warned her partner, Mark, that she's a mom who is most likely going to stay on the modest end of things regarding her costumes. Not sure if she'll be able to do the same with her routines. After all, Bruno said he was "torn between ecstasy and torment" after this first dance.
Growing Pains: Candace and Danica were both child stars who both dated the same guy. That would be Jeremy Miller of Growing Pains fame. News of how he and Candace broke up was news to Danica, as you can see here.
The Quotes Are In:
Len (to NeNe after her cha cha): "It was like an all-you-can-eat buffet of fun and entertainment."
Tony: I rocked it out there with you.
Peta (after realizing a guy she once dated is her dance partner): "Holy moly!"
Len (to James): "We're here for a bit of eye candy for the ladies."
Bruno (to Danica after her foxtrot): "I love a good kisser."
Bruno (to Sean after his contemporary dance): I thought you were going to be a lump of ice.
Bruno (after Billy Dee's cha cha): "I want Darth Vader."
Len (to Meryl after her cha cha): You're nice on ice, but I'm telling you this… You're good on wood.
Candace (after Candace's contemporary dance): "I was torn between ecstasy and torment."
Len (after Amy's cha cha): "You got a Bronze Medal at the Olympics. You got a Gold Medal in the cha cha cha."
Diana: Meryl has asked me to help her with her turns.
Tom: We've determined that Diana has a dry wit and that the judges are all wet.
Medal-Worthy Performance: It didn't get the highest score of the evening, but Amy and Derek's hot cha cha sure was entertaining and inspiring. Carrie Ann called Amy a "beacon of light." Here's why:
Highlights of the Night: Here's a quick rundown of every routine of the evening!
Relive the Dances 9/23|A look back.|Catch the highlights from tonight's performances.


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Street railway strikes in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were frequently the occasion for large-scale collective violence in North American cities and challenged the capacity of local authorities to maintain civic order. However, this was only the most visible manifestation of the challenge that street railway workers' collective action posed to the order of liberal capitalism, an order constructed on several intersecting dimensions. Using the example of Canadian street railway workers from 1886 to 1914, a period of rapid urbanization and industrialization, this article explores the ways the collective action by workers and their community sympathizers challenged the workplace, marketplace, and "streetplace" orders of liberal capitalism. It discusses how those challenges were met through political and legal processes of resistance and accommodation, taking into account the fragmentation of state power, hostile public opinion toward the street railways, and conflicting views over the legitimate scope for workers' collective action.Image credit.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Tucker on Canadian Street Railway Strikes
Eric Tucker, Osgoode Hall Law School, has posted Who's Running the Road? Street Railway Strikes and the Problem of Constructing a Liberal Capitalist Order in Canada, 1886, which is forthcoming in Law and Social Inquiry. Here is the abstract:
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The Miami Heat stomped the New Orleans Pelicans last night, which means that LeBron James was free to engage in some on-court shenanigans late in the fourth quarter.
Right after converting a tough layup that gave the Heat a 20-point lead, James noticed an older woman sitting courtside trying to take his picture. So James decided to strike a pose for her before walking over to the sideline and giving the lady a kiss on the cheek.
If there's one thing we've learned about LeBron James this year, it's that he is the most mom-friendly player in the NBA.
G/O Media may get a commission


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Thank you SO much to everyone who came all the way out to our Bee-Day @ the HoneyLove Sanctuary!! What an amazing crew of HoneyLovers we have!!
We brought up a rain barrel, and planted some California Native BEE-friendly plants (from Matilija Nursery). We branded and painted 9 medium supers (bee-boxes) with linseed oil, and made starter strips for all of the boxes' frames… and we cleared and leveled out spots to better situate our hives for some hands-on mentoring!!!


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There was a set of 12 of these Starbles sold through vending machines in theatres in Southern Ontario. Apparently, Southern Ontario was a test market, and the Star Wars Starbles never really took off, so they never saw wide distribution. You could also obtain a promotional kit/case that contained all 12 Starbles as well.
If they were $2 each, that would be a different story.
Quote from: David on April 7, 2009, 04:18 PMIf they were $2 each, that would be a different story.10 cents IMO. How much are normal marbles nowadays? I have no clue, but $4?
I saw those too, and the Jawa was very tempting but I ultimately passed. I also thought it was pretty cool that they made a Tarkin marble.
Page created in 0.08 seconds with 19 queries.


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text:
Brendan DeMelle | December 15, 2009
By Brendan DeMelle • Tuesday, December 15, 2009 - 01:46
Despite video evidence, Christopher Monckton stated in an interview yesterday with Associated Press:
"It was not I who called them Hitler Youth. It was three Germans and a Dane in the audience."
It would appear that a more appropriate title than "climate denier" for Monckton, might be "reality denier." For Monckton to now deny what he has admitted repeatedly on tape as doing, shows just how willing he is to bend the truth.
Here's the video (again) of Monckton calling young climate change campaigners the "Hitler youth":
After lying to Associated Press about his Hitler youth comments, Monckton then proceeded to compare the climate activists to Adolf Hitler's fascist army, saying the activists were attempting to stifle free speech, using tactics "last seen here when the Nazis occupied Denmark."
RickJames replied on Permalink
You're defending this?
You're defending this bunch of self righteous punks shutting down a meeting and shouting down the speaker?
This isn't a demonstration, It's a strong arming and a shutting down of peaceful assembly. It's anti democratic. Hitler would rather enjoy the whole spectacle.
"Hitler Youth" fits as a description of this activity.
Monckton clearly meant he wasn't the FIRST to call these troublemakers "Hitler Youth". He was repeating someone elses apt description, much as I am now. I didn't come up with it.
JR Wakefield replied on Permalink
Of course they do.
Anything for the cult's cause.
MichaelMaser replied on Permalink
The Cult?! Hardly, but unravel the Denier Society ...
and you'll see very obscure, duplicitous and deceptive campaigning and execution at every level leading to … well, I won't spoil a good story about a True Cult but it's revealed in meticulous detail in 'Climate Cover Up: the crusade to deny Global Warming.'
It's a great stocking stuffer and I highly recommend you add it to your christmas list!
Mark Francis replied on Permalink
A relevant point of rebuttal:
You see, the problem is, they aren't Nazis.
RickJames replied on Permalink
that's a point. maybe I need
that's a point.
maybe I need a new label for them. I'm open to suggestions
"Climagoons" has a certain appeal.
I define "climagoon" as an overzealous CO2 protester, who in his shortsighted, self righteous zeal tramples on the right to free speech of others. Some "climagoons" may be inclined to throw rocks.
Arie Brand replied on Permalink
What would you call them
What would you call them James if they had come out in favor of your cause (which you deny having - still above the fray, uh?).
These demonstrations show one thing though: by and large European youth has not been misled by denialist bs.
And what I saw of them they were largely peaceful except for a core group that the Danish police tried to isolate from the rest with predictable results.
Amabo replied on Permalink
Moncton is right, and you Mr. DeMelle are not. Listen closely.
Moncton is right, and you, DeMelle, are wrong. Can you not tell the difference in speech? Moncton talks like a Canadian or American. The person labeling the rabble-rousers as Hitler youth sounds like a Brit to me. By the way, the Brit was absolutely right in all of his comments.
RickJames replied on Permalink
The Lord is guilty of being a
The Lord is guilty of being a Brit. He wouldn't deny the charge.
CamMacKay replied on Permalink
Certainly has shown the comparison to hitler youth too accurate for comfort. Thousands throwing bricks, smashing property, shouting monotonous chants, disruptic opposing points of view, while understanding nothing about the issue. Just a bunch of automotons fueled by the ends justifies the means rhetoric and lashing out violently.
When you have a relgious ferver that attacks everything that emitts C02, it becomes a very dangerous. When we shut down all the factories and automobiles, will these people target the biggest emitter of c02 on the planet, namely human life?
Already we have a global warming group in britain that is supporting efforts to prevent breeding in Africa. We are a long way now from a nazi like movement but all the elements are in place for some fanatical leader to take advantage of these deluded youth.
Mark Francis replied on Permalink
Birth control?
"global warming group in britain that is supporting efforts to prevent breeding in Africa."
Who would that be?
Are you trying to say that someone is pushing — gasp – birth control in Africa?
I see you are still diluting the atrocities of the Nazis.
How goes your petition?
pterandon replied on Permalink
Monckton may be evil on climate but he is right here.
These are in all truth fascist tactics, to shut down a peaceful assembly. Shame on you for defending these kids. It is also quite clear that his comments are directly in regards to these people using fascist tactics– it is not an attack on say every member of Greenpeace– and you have engaged in sloppy journalism to make the connection.
Mark Francis replied on Permalink
Some deserved sarcasm
So, when I'm at a political event, and some young Conservatives show up and start deliberately chanting so loud so as to make the speaker impossible to hear (as they do do), am I supposed to label them as fascist? Or do I label them as Nazis? Or how about 'rude'?
I hear those Nazi fascist Greenpeace freedom-haters were defacing our Parliament last week. 20 were arrested.
And not too long ago we had some Nazi fascist budding terrorists stand up in the House gallery and disrupt Parliament with chanting!
Oh, why do these Hitler-worshiping radical commie-fascists hate freedom so much?
Monckton demonizes good science, and falsely defames scientists. He'll be out there burning books any day now.
Who's the fascist?
CamMacKay replied on Permalink
Out too lunch
Yeah, sorry pal you rarely if ever see a group of conservatives disrupt a meeting. But you do see radical environmentalists block peoples access to work. Attack police and innocent bystanders, destroy public and private property etc…
This could have been exmbarrasing for Monckton but it hasn't been as the label he uses accurately describes the conduct. (As a result you have seen scant mention of this outside of desmog)There we're over 1,000 arrests! How many do you think were not caught? These same tactics have been applied here in canada by trying to start a riot in our parliament, disrupting elected officials, costing people work by blocking access to their factory etc…
REad a history book this is how the fascist movement started out, the paralells are extremely frightening. Right down to attempts to dehumanize people by calling them deniers this movement has gotten way out of hand. Even on this blog I have seen people wish for a day when all old people are dead so they can implement a green policies and advocate hate crime legislation for sceptics.
You are allowed to enjoy freedom of assembly and publically express your opinion. You are not allowed to revoke those rights from others. That is not democratic conduct.
pterandon replied on Permalink
2001 election? Teabaggers?
/Yeah, sorry pal you rarely if ever see a group of conservatives disrupt a meeting./
The problem with the Hitler youth tactics of the environmentalists pictured in that video is that it is too similar to the Hitler youth tactics of the conservatives who shut down vote counting in Florida 2001, to close to the Hitler youth tactics of the conservatives who populated Congressional town halls this summer.
I originally took personal offense at Mockton's comments, as I thought he was talking about all green activists. Now that I saw the video I'm offended that these nuts are giving all greens a bad name.
sahil replied on Permalink
cosmetic dentists


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Swordfish, a meaty delicacy that can be cooked many ways
"Close your eyes when you eat swordfish," said Artie Hoerning, "and you'll think you're eating a New York shell steak. It's that tender, that juicy."
Hoerning, owner of Artie's South Shore Fish & Grill in Island Park, has spent a lifetime catching swordfish, selling swordfish, cooking swordfish and, to him, no other fish can compare. "Even people who say they don't like fish like swordfish," he said.
Swordfish's meaty texture and affinity for bold flavors make it the rare fish that feels right for a winter meal. There is no more versatile a fish: It can be grilled, roasted, sauteed, stuffed or skewered.
If swordfish has a downside, it's the price. While regularly stocked in most fish markets, it's always among the most expensive fish in the case. This time of year, swordfish on Long Island can cost anywhere from $11 to $28 a pound, with most markets selling it in the high teens.
It's usually impossible to beat the prices at Mastic Seafood in Mastic, which last week was selling swordfish for $10.99 a pound, actually "a little high for us," said co-owner Jim Cassidy.
To save customers money, Mastic often brings in the smaller swordfish known as pups, weighing between 50 and 100 pounds. (Swordfish in the 100- to 200-pound range, called markers, yield the 10- to- 12-ounce steaks that most markets and restaurants desire.)
In Great Neck, Marine Fisheries was selling swordfish for $27.99 a pound. Owner Charlie Fravola unapologetically declared that the fish he's getting right now from Florida "is the best sword you can get." (Both Artie's South Shore in Island Park and Jewel of the Sea in Woodbury were getting around $18 a pound for swordfish; Uncle Giuseppe's in Smithtown had it last week for $15.99 a pound, Setauket Seafood for $21 a pound.)
The high price of swordfish makes it all the more important that you choose it wisely and cook it properly. As with all fresh fish, it should be plump, glistening and virtually odorless. The reddish bands embedded in the swordfish's flesh are called bloodlines, even though they are not actually blood vessels but only darker-pigmented meat. "On a fresh swordfish," Hoerning said, "the bloodlines should be bright red, never brown."
Swordfish steaks should be cut 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick. Any thinner and they're apt to overcook; thicker and they're hard to cook through. The easiest way to tell if a steak is done is to take its temperature with an instant-read thermometer: Lift the fish up with a pair of tongs so you can slide the thermometer into it horizontally. It should read 120 to 125 degrees. If you prefer a lower-tech method: Pierce the fish with a sharp paring knife, then lay the blade flat against your lip. It should be hot.
What's the deal with mercury?
Swordfish finds itself at the center of two nonculinary controversies: mercury levels and sustainability.
Nearly all fish that live in the ocean contain traces of mercury, but larger ones, such as swordfish, tend to contain higher levels. The FDA has identified four fish -- swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish -- whose mercury levels are high enough that pregnant and nursing women and young children are advised to avoid them. (For the rest of the population, says the FDA, moderate consumption poses no health threat.)
More knotty is the problem of sustainability. According to the Blue Ocean Institute (blueocean.org), the nonprofit maritime conservation group headquartered at Stony Brook University, swordfish stocks in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans are relatively abundant.
But many swordfish are caught using longlines, miles-long fishing lines set with baited hooks. "Longlines," according to Blue Ocean's sustainable seafood guide, "may also catch unwanted or endangered animals like sharks, seabirds and sea turtles, and may negatively impact the abundance of these species." Catching swordfish with harpoons results in less "bycatch."
This simple recipe, created by Newsday's Erica Marcus, is inspired by the flavors of Sicily. It also can be cooked on the grill.
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and finely minced
1/4 cup finely minced parsley
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large (12-ounce) swordfish steaks, 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick
Additional extra-virgin olive oil for coating fish
For garnish:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon capers
Lemon slices
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To make filling: Combine bread crumbs, lemon zest, minced capers, minced parsley and 1/4 cup olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Cut each steak in half, through the skin, so you have 2 triangular pieces. "Butterfly" each piece by cutting through it horizontally, starting at the point opposite the skin, and opening it like a book. The cut should extend back to within 1/2 inch of the skin, but do not cut through the skin. Spoon a quarter of the filling into each piece of swordfish, spreading it evenly. Pat the piece of fish back into a neat shape.
3. Heat a large, ovenproof skillet (with no plastic or wood accents) over medium-high heat. Brush or rub 1 side of each piece of fish with oil, then sprinkle on salt and pepper. Place fish, oiled side down, in skillet, then oil and season the side facing up. Do not touch the steak for at least 3 minutes, then gently lift it up to see if it is nicely browned. When it is, gently flip it over. When all steaks are flipped, transfer pan to preheated oven. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until flesh is just opaque. (Poking through with a sharp knife will do the trick.)
4. Carefully transfer fish to a platter and sprinkle with chopped parsley and capers. Anoint with more olive oil. Garnish with lemon slices. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Piperade is a Basque tomato and pepper stew. A mix of red, yellow and orange bell peppers makes a nice presentation, according to this recipe from The Washington Post. You'll have a bit of leftover piperade, which can be used as a side dish, stirred into a quick soup or pasta sauce or served with toast and poached eggs for breakfast.
The piperade can be made and refrigerated a day in advance. Reheat it in a microwave on high for several minutes before baking with the swordfish.
For the piperade
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 medium bell peppers (preferably red, yellow and orange), seeded and cut into 1-inch squares
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed with your hands, plus the juice
8 cloves garlic, cut crosswise into thin slices
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon ground piment d'espelette (see note)
1 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus a few leaves for garnish
For the fish
4 (6-ounce) skinless swordfish steaks, 3/4 inch thick
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
Best-quality extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
1. Make the piperade: Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high until the oil shimmers. Add the onion, bell peppers and salt, stirring to coat evenly. Reduce heat to medium; cook vegetables gently until peppers are soft, about 15 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomatoes and juice, garlic, orange juice, piment d'espelette and smoked paprika. Increase heat to medium-high; once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed so the mixture gently bubbles. Stir in the chopped thyme.
3. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Have at hand a baking dish large enough to hold all the swordfish steaks in a single layer. Transfer 4 cups of the piperade to the baking dish, spreading it evenly. (You will have about 2 cups of leftover piperade for another use.)
4. Season the steaks well on both sides with salt and pepper. Wipe out the large saute pan, place over medium-high heat and add the oil; when oil is hot and shimmering, add the steaks and sear about 3 minutes, or until nicely browned.
5. Transfer fish to the baking dish, uncooked side down. Do not overlap the steaks. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until an instant digital-read thermometer inserted into the center of the steaks registers 125 degrees.
6. Divide the piperade evenly among wide, shallow bowls or individual plates. Top each portion with a swordfish steak. Drizzle with a little olive oil, then garnish with the thyme leaves. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
Note: Piment d'espelette, a Basque seasoning made from dried, ground red peppers, is available at specialty grocers. You also can substitute hot paprika.
This entree from The Washington Post is dinner-party worthy. Ask your fishmonger for a center-cut chunk of skin-on swordfish (with no bloodline), about 5 inches long and 4 inches thick -- akin to a small rib roast.
The stuffing mixture can be made and refrigerated a day in advance. The roast can be prepped and refrigerated several hours before it is baked.
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons capers, drained
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
2 cups plain panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves
1 (2-pound, 4-ounce) piece of skin-on swordfish, cut from one side of the center, with all traces of bloodline removed
1. Use a tablespoon of the oil to grease the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. To make stuffing: Heat the remaining 1/2 cup oil with the butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until the butter foams. Add the capers and cook 1 minute, until they blister. Stir in garlic and thyme; cook 15 seconds. Add bread crumbs, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, lemon juice and rosemary, stirring until thoroughly incorporated. Let cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay a long piece of kitchen twine horizontally down the center of a cutting board. With its long side facing you, center the swordfish on top of the twine, skin-side down. (This is so you can tie the roast together after you finish stuffing it.) Cut 5 equidistant slices into the swordfish, making sure to stop slicing a half-inch before you reach the skin (at the bottom). This will create flaps that enclose the stuffing, and a total of 6 slices. Season each slice lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Fill each opening with an equal amount of the stuffing, pressing it in gently. As stuffing falls onto the cutting board, press it back between the slices of the fish. Don't worry if the roast looks a little messy. Tie the whole roast together with the twine to keep the end slices from collapsing as they cook. Transfer the tied roast to the baking dish, sprinkling any crumbs from the cutting board evenly over the roast.
4. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour; an instant digital-read thermometer inserted into one of the center slices should register 125 degrees. Discard the twine. Carve through to the bottom of the roast to separate the 6 slices. Serve each slice with plenty of stuffing. Makes 6 servings.
Tonnato (from "tonno," Italian for tuna) is a creamy sauce often served with thin slices of cold roast veal. In this Washington Post recipe, the sauce gives a boost of flavor to mild, meaty swordfish. We call for Italian canned tuna here because it imparts nice flavor. Cara Cara oranges are navels with a bright pink flesh and tangy flavor. If you can't find them, blood oranges or regular navel oranges will work fine.
The dressing and tonnato can be refrigerated (separately) a day in advance.
For the salad
2 Cara Cara oranges
5 ounces canned, oil-packed Italian tuna (reserve the oil)
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pound skinless swordfish steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
8 ounces red leaf lettuce leaves or salad mix of your choice
For the dressing
1 or 2 Cara Cara oranges
1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 teaspoons capers, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. For the salad: Use a serrated knife to slice off the ends of the oranges. Place them on a cutting board and remove their peels and white pith, leaving as much of the fruit intact as possible. Holding the fruit in your hands, carefully cut between the membranes to separate the segments; place them in a bowl.
2. Squeeze any juice from the leftover fruit membranes and trimmed bits into a liquid measuring cup, to be reserved for the dressing.
3. Combine the tuna fish and its oil with the lemon juice in a food processor. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.
4. Season the cubes of fish well with salt and pepper. Heat the canola oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the fish to the pan and cook, stirring, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the fish cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
5. For the dressing: Use a Microplane grater to zest the oranges. If you have less than 1/2 cup reserved juice from segmenting the salad oranges, squeeze the juice from 1 or 2 oranges to yield 1/2 cup total.
6. Combine the parsley, capers, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, orange zest and 1/2 cup of orange juice in a blender. Puree until smooth.
7. When ready to assemble, add any juices that have accumulated in the pan of cooked swordfish to the parsley dressing. Place the greens in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with 3/4 cup of the dressing, tossing to coat evenly, then divide the dressed greens among individual plates. Arrange equal portions of the swordfish cubes on each salad.
8. Squeeze 2 tablespoons of the tonnato over each portion, then arrange the orange segments on top. Use the remaining 1/4 cup of dressing to finish/garnish each serving. Makes 4 servings.


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The previously rumored Jay-Z/Justin Timberlake tandem tour is a real thing now, with dates and venues and everything. The tour kicks off July 17 in Toronto before hopping around to some of North America's biggest cities and stadiums. A full list of dates is below.
Tickets for the typically modestly named "Legends Of The Summer" tour will go on sale for all cities save New York on Thursday, Feb. 28, though Citi cardmembers will have access to tickets starting today at 12 p.m. local time in each city. Regular, non-Citi-card-holding fans can also RSVP or download the LiveNation mobile app for access to presale tickets.
July 17—Rogers Centre—Toronto, Ontario
July 19—Yankee Stadium—New York, New York
July 22—Soldier Field—Chicago, Illinois
July 26—Candlestick Park—San Francisco, California
July 28—Rose Bowl—Los Angeles, California
July 31—BC Place Stadium—Vancouver, British Columbia
Aug. 4—Hershey Stadium—Hershey, Pennsylvania
Aug. 6—Ford Field—Detroit, Michigan
Aug. 8—M&T Bank Stadium—Baltimore, Maryland
Aug. 10—Fenway Park—Boston, Massachusetts
Aug. 13—Citizens Bank Park—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Aug. 16—Sun Life Stadium—Miami, Florida


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There's been a lot of talk about Nibiru for quite some time. Personally, I have thought all along that there is something to it, although I couldn't possibly guess how it will all pan out. There is always a lot of hype and fear, so on one hand you have movies like 2012 ramping up the paranoia, and on the other hand, you have very little honest reporting about it in the MSM. We hear about Nibiru, Planet X, Marduk, and Comet Elenin, and it is still not clear to me whether these are all one and the same or whether the first three are the same and the last is another body altogether.
Here is a little summary of what I have been hearing about Nibiru. I am just noting this quickly so it may not be 100% accurate, but I will update it down the road:
– Around September 27, 2011, there will be an alignment of Nibiru, earth, and two other planets. In the past, this kind of alignment has resulted in large quakes, so many believe we will be in for another big one at that time.
– October 2011, Nibiru will pass in front of the earth and we will then go through its trail of debris. This may be nothing serious, or it may lead to us being hit by some big asteroids.
– November 11, 2011, Nibiru (or Elenin, depending who you ask) will align with earth, venus and mars. I would imagine this would mean we could have another major earthquake.
– According to Richard Hoagland, FEMA is planning something big for November 11. He also says Elenin is a spacecraft.
– According to Carl Calleman, the world will end on October 28, 2011 (so I guess FEMA shouldn't bother about November). http://www.calleman.com/
– The Mayan calendar supposedly ends on December 21, 2012, but there are some who say this date is wrong because our calendar is wrong altogether.
– Some say that movies like 'Armageddon' and 'Deep Impact' are predictive programming for the coming disaster involving Nibiru/Elenin.
Russian TV recently disclosed that Nibiru is real and will cause a disaster of Biblical proportions.
CNN has also put out a report recently saying that Nibiru is real:
This is not something to which I have been devoting a lot of time because I just reason that if we really are about to be wiped out by a brown dwarf/comet/space station/other, there is really not much we can do about it and we would be better off to make the most of the time we have left than to worry about our impending doom. However, I do think it is important to be aware of this event because a major shift in consciousness is taking place on earth right now, a kind of '100th monkey' phenomenon, and all these changes and events like the approach of Nibiru are part of that. Facing destruction by a rogue planet is not that much different than facing your own death from any other cause in that it serves to help you reflect on your life, the state of your spirit and soul, and it pushes you to rearrange your priorities. The Bible tells us to 'be in this world but not of this world' and sometimes it is only when we face a major threat that we start to perceive the unimportance of our material lives and realize our true nature as spiritual and metaphysical beings. Nibiru is just another gift that is challenging us to go beyond this world.
Or, it could be nothing but another psy-op. Either way, don't get caught up in the far.


text:
neutral(redirected from neutrally)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
Of or relating to an opinion that a market will neither trend up or down in the near term. That is, a neutral analyst is neither bearish nor bullish; he/she believes that the market in question will remain roughly in its current value. Neutral analysts design neutral investment strategies, which are designed to perform the best if the market(s) in which one is investing do not move significantly. One example is a portfolio that is exactly half long and half short. See also: Market neutral.
1. An investment opinion that is neither bullish nor bearish. A neutral opinion for an individual stock generally indicates the stock should not be purchased or sold.
2. Of or relating to an investment position that is likely to produce the best results if the market does not exhibit a major upward or downward movement.


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I agree totally - if green products want to be successful, they need to be as high quality, or of even higher quality than the products they are designed to replace.
4 Reasons Why Green is Good, But Isn't Always Better
I'm all for taking care of the world around us. In fact, it surprises my friends and family when I share my enthusiasm for sustainability and wise use of our natural resources. Is it possible, however, that we've taken "green" issues at more than their face value? Do we accidentally limit our discernment and give false credence to anything that calls itself "globally-aware"? Of course. And here are four ways we sell ourselves short by sporting those green-colored glasses.
We give credit where it isn't due. I recently reviewed the most horrible children's book. It was pitched to me as a "green" book designed to teach children about clean habits and hybrid cars. Unfortunately, it was lame. There was an unbelievable plot, thin characters, and sub par illustrations. I tried to love this book because I believed in the values it taught, but I just couldn't get behind its credibility as a children's story. I often see other book reviewers giving this book the highest praises for its innovative approach at teaching kids green values, and I'm confused. Since when is it OK to lower our standards for an agenda (no matter how valid that agenda may be?)
We overlook other vital teachings. Before the green movement was popular in my area, we still picked up trash at the local park. We called it "being a good neighbor." We also recycled our cans and bottles. It was considered a "good return on an investment." We used as little water as possible, often employing rain barrels and mulch to keep our usage low. We called it "being a good steward of the resources we were given." Today we speak of many of the same practices. We teach our children the exact same ideals, but not for the reasons we did before. Now it is "good for our earth and good for our environment." I'll agree. I just hope that we don't forget to pass on other important life lessons because they now conveniently fall under this "eco-umbrella."
We believe everything. The term "greenwashing" was invented for a reason. It is all too tempting to get a piece of the pie by rebranding a product or service under an earth-friendly name. Everywhere you look, big brands are switching formulas, packaging, and advertising to signal their official entrance into this global initiative. We just need to be careful who we believe. By taking the time to dig deep and evaluate each product for what it really is, we can keep our wits about us in this fast-changing world. Who knows? Maybe your old standby has actually been more "green" all along.
We become divided. I have never attended an Earth-day rally. I don't buy organic vegetables. At first glance, it would appear that I am on the other side of the fence from my more environmentally-active friends. If you took a second look, however, you would see that there are simply no Earth-day rallies near me, and the gas used to get there would be costly and wasteful. I grow my own vegetables (in an organic fashion.) I recycle what I can. I take the clippings from my neighbors and use them in my garden. I own free-range chickens and use rain water for my flowers. I'm more eco-aware than you would think, but I've just never applied the label. Most people are beginning to think like me (and like you.) We are not all that different. I don't need a t-shirt or a club to tell me that we have the same ideals and goals. Let's try to remember that "green" is less about being part of something and more about doing your part.
It's exciting to explore all the ways we can take care of our planet, and I feel encouraged to know that so many people care. Let's keep it in perspective when we move into the next few years, and remember that it's nice to feel good but it feels better to do good!
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Being Frugal is Being Green! The problem facing the planet is over consumption. Frugality is reducing your consumption.
Therefore, when you practice a frugal lifestyle, you are in essence, living a green lifestyle as well.
Keep it up!
You said it very well! Except in cases where extreme frugality leads to overshopping (even buying a billion bottles of FREE shampoo you will never use can be wasteful), I agree. Thanks for the comments!
I agree with you that "green is less about being part of something and more about doing your part." Unfortunately, the "green movement" is more about telling people what to do and pushing a socialist political agenda, and has almost nothing to do with personal responsibilty.
You've made some excellent points in this article.
Regarding frugality and over consumption, it makes me cringe to see the switch to more efficient vehicles pitched as a "green" change. Vehicle production requires a huge amount of energy, probably quite a bit more than is saved by increasing the mpg. Plus, replacing an otherwise serviceable vehicle is not always a frugal move--$22,000 for a Prius would buy a lot of gas for an existing car.
I for one am glad you raised the stewardship point. It's important to let kids know there are other grown up reasons as well for doing their part. Every family has only so many resources to go around, and stewardship is a huge part of managing those resources.
Very nicely done! I agree on every point. Many times "green" overlaps with some other value I hold, a kind of "win-win", but there's a balance to find in most every situation. It's easy to get tunnel vision and get too focused on one aspect of something and lose sight of the bigger picture. Sorry this is sounding trite, not nearly as well expressed as Linsey's post. Good job, Linsey.
Great article, and the end alludes to a point that bothers me a lot-- It seems like these days being "green" is a status symbol. Like "I am better than you because I do x-y-z." Hybrid cars, as Marion mentioned, are a great example of this, especially since there's usually a less-green ulterior motive that accompanies a hybrid purchase (*cough* savings on gas prices).
I once saw a bumper sticker that said "I <3 My Hybrid." And it really frustrated me a lot. It just seems like a lot of people think it's more important to be seen as "green" than to just spend their time practicing it.
Very well put. At our house we do the little things. We watch our money, drive the cars in an efficient manner, use cl bulbs; you know, the typical rap. Thing is; little stuff adds up and makes a huge difference. One does not have to be financially well off to make a meaningful impact; and for a lot of us the small things are all we can do. As the demand for better engineering comes along and various consumer goods need actual replacement it will cost less to move into those better products. (technology bringing down cost) All we have to do is encourage our trendsetters to desire greener products. Then we wait, eventually prices of these great new wisbang items will be affordable.
what gets me is people who proclaim "green"ness in their lives, go out and buy a prius and use cfl bulbs without realizing that the prius is the most harmful vehicle on the planet (what happens to the lead batteries after they've worn out their use? that's right, straight to the dump. after only 4 years or so!), and that cfl bulbs are so hazardous to humans and the environment that sensible scientists are warning people not to inhale the gas from a broken bulb, or dispose of them haphazardly (the mercury in those things will mess you up!).
On the long term effects of many green initiatives (hybrids, CFL's were mentioned), I think that the important thing is to stay focused on the entire reason the "green" movement was originally created. Yes, there is agenda. No, we may not all agree on the best way to keep our planet clean. But by practicing the simple courtesies that people have been charged with since the beginning of time, we can fulfill our responsibilities easily by remembering to treat one another with dignity and respect. Like my 4-year-old says, "This place would be a mess if we didn't pick up after ourselves." (Playroom or planet - makes no difference.) Thanks so much for all the kind feedback!
There is still much work to be done to have a green world but I believe things are in motion, I'm not sure how well in motion.
For sure some companies profit from this movement and they may not be as green as they say. We need to check everything before we buy it.