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navigation(redirected from dead reckoning)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
navigationthe right of way of the public over a river to use it as a highway.
NAVIGATION. The act of traversing the sea, rivers or lakes, in ships or
other vessels; the art of ascertaining the geographical position of a ship,
and directing her course.
2. It is not within the plan of this work to copy the acts of congress relating to navigation, or even an abstract of them. The reader is referred to Story's L. U. S. Index, h.t.; Gordon's Dic. art. 2905, et seq.


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Team Obama says there will be some changes made by the time the second presidential debate at Hofstra University near New York between President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney rolls around.
Analysts say good because Obama turned in a less-than-stellar performance last week at the University of Denver.
From the get-go last week Romney was on the attack, aggressive as he laid out his plan to put the U.S. economy on the path to recovery, cut taxes, create jobs and help the middle class, as well as differentiate between his vision for America's future and that of President Obama.
Post-debate analysts said Obama appeared on camera as irked, tense and not fully engaged while Romney came to play and show the American people why he should be president. His eye contact with Romney was near non-existent -- and he looked down a lot while jotting notes when he wasn't speaking. Plus, Romney's jabs at his record left Obama playing defense.
An estimated 67.2 million people watched the first presidential debate, Nielsen reported. Viewership for the Obama-Romney tilt was up 28 percent compared to the first presidential debate in 2008 between then Senator Obama and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
"The president gave non-verbal signals that he did not enjoy the event, and that detracted from his performance," political commentator Steven Schier, a political science professor at Carleton College in Minnesota said. "The president did best when discussing the impact of his policies upon particular individuals and how the policies would help them."
While Romney must build on his solid, winning performance, Obama "needs to find fresh lines of attack upon Romney and also have more factual support for the positions he espouses," Schier said.
Comic and political commentator Bill Ma her posted on his Twitter account: "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Obama looks like he DOES need a teleprompter."
Because Obama seemed passive and defensive, he "will need to command the campaign agenda in the coming days to remove that impression from voter's minds," Schier said.
Even though snap-polls indicated Romney won Wednesday's debate, he gave the Obama campaign grist to mill, MS NBC.com said, citing, among other things, Romney's declaration that he wouldn't reduce taxes paid by the wealthiest Americans. However, Romney support for extending tax cuts made during the George W. Bush administration, and the non-partisan Tax Policy Center reported Romney's tax plan would give the top 0.1 percent an average tax cut of more than $246,000.
What puzzled some Democrats was that Obama never raised covertly recorded comments in which Romney criticized the "47 percent" of Americans who don't pay taxes as people who won't take responsibility and call themselves victims.
"I don't know," Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, told Politico when asked about the omission. "I guess because he's a gentleman."
Despite it not being mentioned in Denver, Obama campaign officials signaled it would bring up Romney's "47 percent" comments, Politico reported.
"We are making the case in a lot of different ways," Obama senior adviser David Plouffe said.
Obama aides told The Hill the president will aim to be aggressive in the second debate at Hofstra by initiating a more forceful attack when he believes Romney is fudging the truth.
"It's like a playoff in sports," Obama senior campaign strategist David Axelrod told reporters Thursday during a conference call.
He said there are strategic judgments "that have to be made and we'll make them."
While conceding Romney was "very good on the attack, that's his forte," Axelrod said the Republican candidate's position on taxes, spending, Medicare and financial sector regulation will ultimately choke his candidacy.
"The long-term result of this is going be that the concerns people had about his positions are going to continue to be the concerns they have about his positions," he said.
Other Democratic strategists echoed the same view.
Veteran party strategist Donna Brazile posted Thursday on her Twitter page: "Last night, Romney was severely conservative w/some of his answers but mildly moderate on others. Obama just couldn't hit the right target."
She later posted: "Romney came to play and pivot. Did he get a few good punches? Yes, but did they harm the president? Hardly. Round one is over: Wonky debate"
A former Obama official told the Hill Obama, more than others, understands what happened Wednesday.
"I don't think his advisers need to tell him anything -- the president is a competitive guy," the unidentified person said. "He knows what happened. He'll know what to do for the next one."
Given that as many as 25 percent of voters indicate the debates could prompt them to switch their preferred candidate, commentator Schier said this year's debates play a bigger role than debates in previous years.
"This is particularly the case because there is widespread dissatisfaction with national conditions and the country's direction," he said. "That discontent creates voter volatility in which debates can matter a lot."
For that reason, he said, "the president will need to perform better in future debates ... to prevent the first debate from becoming the crucial turning point in the entire campaign."

subset: commoncrawl


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David Taylor came up through the ranks in this industry like so many others before him, eventually owning and operating four separate bars over the last decade.
Today, however, Taylor has moved from club ownership to the music side of the business, creating a new music format that's sweeping through Texas. Bottles & Boots is a promotion currently in action one weeknight each week in four bottle-service venues from Dallas to Fort Worth to Austin. Collaborating with a DJ in Houston, Taylor creates an urban/ country hybrid of music, mixing the words from country songwriter legends like Bonnie Raitt and Willie Nelson with hip-hop and rap instrumentals from moguls like Jay-Z and Diddy.
"My concept was to come up with a night that would make a Texas venue's core clientele happy but not impede on the other people who might come in by offering all country-western styled music," he says. "With different nights, you tend to get different crowds, and when they intermingle, it can discourage one of the types, depending on the music played."
The mix of urban and country music has kept crowds happy and bottle service orders high at several venues, including Red Fez in Austin and Candleroom in Dallas. At Candleroom, it's even helped draw in people outside of the core client base, according to Tommy DeAlano, owner of Candleroom and Sunset Lounge. "We've seen a steady growth and awareness of the promotion [from patrons] and definitely have been able to see momentum once people understand what they're hearing and seeing," he explains. "We see folks that are typical 'boot scooters' not sure about the club world who come in and enjoy the night, as well as our mainstay customers converting and actually admitting that they are country fans."
To entice guests even more, Taylor took the concept one step further and teamed up with Zodiac Vodka. Now, groups of 10 who come in are supplied with a complimentary bottle of Zodiac, courtesy of Taylor, and then they typically stick around and up the bar sales with extra orders.
Taylor explains that he charges for the music format setup, but that he also offers a "total turnkey" product. "I go in and promise the owner of the club, at minimum, 100 people for that night. I do all of the fliers, music and print advertising, and it ends up where it doesn't cost the owners anything."


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BUFFALO, N.Y., Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Christian Ehrhoff had a goal and assist in a three-goal third period that gave the Buffalo Sabres a 4-2 win over Boston Friday.
Ehrhoff broke a 2-2 tie with a goal at 9:02 of the third and then assisted on an insurance goal by Cody Hodgson that closed out the scoring.
Tyler Myers and Drew Stafford had a goal and an assist apiece in the win, which ended Buffalo's two-game losing streak. Ryan Miller stopped 30-of-32 shots.
Dougie Hamilton had a goal and an assist for Boston, and Rich Peverley added the only goal of the second period. Anton Khudobin allowed four goals on 26 shots for the Bruins, who lost their second in a row.


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Welcome back to my blog.
I spent much of this week attending the Knights of Columbus Annual Convention in Tennessee. However, before I left, I had the opportunity to attended the annual Family Day for Boston seminarians which the Vocations Office organizes each summer.
We have a Mass followed by a cookout with the seminarians and their families. The celebration has been an opportunity to meet the families of the new seminarians.
Seminarian Carlos Suarez sings at the Family Day Mass
Its always nice to have an opportunity to meet the families of our seminarians
This year the barbeque was on Sunday, and it was a perfect day weather-wise. It was wonderful to be able to meet the seminarians, their parents, brothers and sisters who came as well as an opportunity for them to meet each other.
Leading grace
The weather was perfect for a cookout
– – –
Each year at the beginning of August, the Knights of Columbus have their convention, and I always go with the delegation from Massachusetts. This year, there were about 80 knights and their wives from the Commonwealth attending. Bishop Daniel P. Reilly – who is the Knights' chaplain and retired bishop of Worcester – went with us as well as Fall River Bishop George Coleman and the two Melkite bishops, Archbishop Cyril Bustros and retired Bishop John Elya.
Bishop Reilly (on the right) is the State Chaplain of the Knights
The meeting was the 125th anniversary of the Knights of Columbus and was held in Nashville, Tenn. I never thought I would live long enough to see Nashville, but it was a very interesting place and it is, of course, famous for its country-western music.
Bishop Bob Hennessey with Mass. State Deputy Vincent Rumasuglia and his wife Renie
The hotel had these huge atriums, they call them. They are outdoor areas under glass so that even though it was 101 degrees outside, we were in an air-conditioned outdoor place. It was very unusual, but a beautiful setting.
The atrium of the hotel was like a small neighborhood under glass!
This year for the first time, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone came to the convention. He is the Vatican's secretary of state, the position which is sort of the second-in-charge in the Church. One can think of it as being something like being the vice president in the United States.
Greeting Cardinal Bertone together with
the Nuncio to the U.S. Archbishop Pietro Sambi
Cardinal Bertone was the main celebrant at the opening Mass. However, he does not speak English so he celebrated the Mass in Latin and Italian. He preached in Italian, but they had simultaneous translation for the people. He gave a beautiful homily, very much focused on the life and legacy of Father Michael J. McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus.
The convention was Cardinal Bertone's first visit to the States in his role as secretary. He was given an award by the Knights, the Gaudium et Spes Award, the organization's highest honor.
Cardinal Bertone receives his award.
On the right is Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport who is
Supreme Chaplain to the Knights
He addressed the assembly the next day and focused on the role of the laity in the Church. I want to share that significant address with you:
First of all, allow me once again to express my sincere gratitude to Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and fellow Knights for the invitation to visit Nashville for this historic 125th Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus. I am honored by the opportunity to address all of you this evening on a topic as dear to me as it is to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI: "Faith in Action: Witnessing to the 'Yes' of Jesus Christ."
Presiding the opening Mass the day before
This evening, I will reflect on the importance of this "Yes" for the Church's lay faithful. I will indicate some of the primary characteristics of the lay vocation within the Church and in society at large, and I will point to a few particular challenges facing the laity today.
Both in his work as a theologian and now in his ministry as the successor of Peter, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has repeatedly drawn attention to the distinctive and irreplaceable role of the laity in the renewal of the Church's mission in the modern world. At 78 years of age, Pope Benedict said "Yes" to his brother cardinals, to the Church, and to the Holy Spirit when he was asked to accept the Petrine ministry after the long and remarkable reign of the Servant of God, Pope John Paul II. The Holy Father's willingness to assume pastoral duties as Chief Shepherd of the universal Church bore witness to the fundamental attitude required of every Christian — Pope, Bishop, priest, consecrated, or lay person; it is the disposition exemplified in our Lady's humble but sure response to the Lord's heavenly messenger in Nazareth: "Fiat!" — "Yes!"
The "Yes!" of Faith in Jesus Christ
But what exactly is the essence of this "Yes"? More specifically, how is one to live it out as a member of the laity?
In regard to the first question, this "Yes" is quite simply the "Yes" of faith. It is our full, unmitigated acceptance of Jesus as Lord and our commitment to follow him as master and teacher. Indeed, the word "Yes" only makes sense within the context of a dialog between two persons: someone who utters the "Yes" and someone who accepts it. In the case of faith, the person to whom we utter this "Yes" is none other than the Son of God, the Anointed One, the Eternal Word made flesh. Pope Benedict has emphasized the critical need for each of us to encounter Jesus; more importantly, he has shown and continues to show — both in his words and through his life — that true fulfilment, joy, and lasting peace can only be found by saying "Yes" to God's plan of salvation as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. Only in intimate communication with the incarnate Son of God do we discover the grace to "put our faith into action."
Your founder Father Michael McGivney was prophetic — indeed, well ahead of his time — in that he clearly understood that this complete and total "Yes" to Christ was in no way exclusive to those who received holy orders or had taken religious vows. On the contrary, it is a "Yes" required of every man and every woman.
As a young curate at Saint Mary's Church in New Haven, Father McGivney became keenly aware of the laity's need to be actively and fully engaged in the life of the Church by exercising virtue, cultivating prayer, and caring for others. He had a deep appreciation for the special characteristics of the lay vocation as being thoroughly immersed in the spheres of the family, civil society, and public life. He made it his goal to develop practical ways of ensuring that faith could be put into concrete action: especially by providing for the material needs of orphans, widows, the imprisoned, alcoholics, the unemployed, and the destitute.
However, it is sometimes easy to forget that Father McGivney's conviction was based on an even more fundamental insight: namely, that our concern for the needy and our perseverance in charitable works will eventually become attenuated and deprived of their deeper meaning if they are not rooted in faith — faith understood as the indwelling of Holy Trinity in our hearts through divine grace as we renew our "Yes" each day to the person of Jesus Christ.
Father Michael J. McGivney
Faith and Love
This is precisely the message Pope Benedict XVI conveys through his Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est. When asked why he devoted his first Encyclical to the theme of love, he replied that he wished to manifest the humanity of the faith. Only by living the life of faith — that is, only by deeply immersing ourselves in the love and mercy of God as revealed in Jesus Christ — are we able to love and forgive our neighbor as ourselves. When it comes to living this faith in the midst of an increasingly complex and contradictory world, no one knows more about the obstacles and challenges that can so easily discourage us than the Church's laity. Whether in family life, in the workplace, or in the public square, lay persons are continually tempted to compromise their "Yes" to God by diluting Gospel values and by placing limits or conditions on love of neighbor.
The Holy Father underlined the unique challenges posed by the contemporary world to the lay vocation during his Pastoral Visit to Brazil. Noting that America is a "continent of baptized Christians," he asserted that "it is time to overcome the notable absence — in the political sphere, in the world of the media and in the universities — of the voices and initiatives of Catholic leaders with strong personalities and generous dedication, who are coherent in their ethical and religious convictions." The Pope insisted strongly that it is necessary for Christians who are active in these social and cultural milieus to strive to safeguard ethical values. Above all, he said, "Where God is absent — God with the human face of Jesus Christ — these values fail to show themselves with their full force, nor does a consensus arise concerning them. I do not mean that non-believers cannot live a lofty and exemplary morality; I am only saying that a society in which God is absent will not find the necessary consensus on moral values or the strength to live according to the model of these values, even when they are in conflict with private interests." In short, being a Catholic in the world today takes courage; yet it takes no more courage than it did when Jesus called his first disciples in Galilee.
The role of the lay faithful: VaticanII and Benedict XVI
The Holy Father frames his teaching on the role of the laity within the context of the Second Vatican Council, and interweaves it in an unbroken line with the teaching of Pope John Paul II. The guiding principle is always the same: namely the "universal call to holiness."
"It is quite clear," the Council fathers teach us, "that all Christians in whatever state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity." Insofar as it is a call to holiness, the call to the lay state is no less a "vocation" than that of the priesthood or religious life. It has its own distinctive nature, which is absolutely essential to the healthy, overall functioning of the Body of Christ, the Church. Lumen Gentium explains: "It is the special vocation of the laity to seek the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will."
Clearly, if lay persons are to "carry out" and "develop" temporal matters according to "Christ's way," they must first know Christ. They must take seriously Saint Paul's exhortation to have "the mind of Christ." This vision of the Church as proposed by Saint Paul and elaborated by the Second Vatican Council demands not only our active engagement with the world, but primarily our active engagement with the person of Jesus. Otherwise, we can easily fall into the trap of confusing the way of Christ with the ways of the world.
Through Christ's passion, death, resurrection and ascension, he has renewed the face of the earth; but — as is evident in the words he speaks in the Gospel of Saint John — the "world" still "has not known" Christ, and in fact often "hates" Christ. It is no surprise then that Christians often encounter resistance, opposition, and even persecution in the world. Pope Benedict reminds us that the only possible response for a Christian in the face of rejection is love — a response made possible for us through the grace of Christ. Because God's very existence is love, love is the very essence of the Christian life. The universal call to holiness is about patiently, deliberately, and "programmatically" sharing this love with the world. It is for this reason that the metaphor of "leaven" — used by our Lord and adopted at the Second Vatican Council — so aptly describes the concrete reality of living as a Christian in this world: the work of Christians is often hidden, but nonetheless steady and consistent, causing the entire dough to rise.
"The Church sets out with humility on her journey, between the sorrows of this world and the glory of the Lord. On this journey, we will need to grow in patience." Nevertheless, as the Holy Father noted, "the Catholic Church grows in every century. Today too, the presence of the Crucified and Risen Lord is growing. He still has his wounds, yet it is precisely through his wounds that he renews the world, giving that breath which also renews the Church despite our poverty…In this combination of the humility of the Cross and the joy of the Risen Lord…we can go ahead joyfully, filled with hope."
Enthusiasm and boldness, filled with hope, have always been characteristic of the Knights of Columbus, and this will no doubt remain at the heart of their apostolate in the future.
Cooperation in the Church: A Challenge and an Opportunity
I would like to pause for a moment to reflect on this point. Our integral and persuasive witness to the truth of the Gospel depends heavily on the ability of Bishops, priests, deacons, religious and laity to work together for the spread of God's Kingdom by acknowledging the distinctive role of each vocation within the Body of Christ. For the Knights of Columbus, perhaps this is most clearly evident at the parish level. How wonderful it is to behold the pastor, the local council of Knights, and the rest of the parish mutually supporting one another as they each exercise their unique forms of service for the building up of the local community!
During your time together at this 125th Supreme Convention, I would invite you to encourage and inspire one another by sharing experiences and ideas of how to facilitate effective cooperation between yourselves, your Bishops, your pastors, members of the parish staff, and the civic communities in which you live and work. If your local community is suffering from the wounds of division, be they large or small, take the opportunity to deepen your cohesion, since when this is lacking in a parish family or a local Church, the ability to witness to Christ in the larger society is weakened. At such times, prayer and faith are all the more essential to bring about healing and reconciliation. Pope Benedict writes: "the Spirit is…the energy which transforms the heart of the ecclesial community, so that it becomes a witness before the world to the love of the Father, who wishes to make humanity a single family in his Son."
Benedict XVI's Pauline Vision of the Church
On June 28th — the eve of the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul — Pope Benedict announced the opening of a special Jubilee year commemorating the bimillenary of Saint Paul's birth. Over the next year, the Church will reflect on the life and writings of this great "Apostle to the Gentiles."
In fact, the vivid images Paul uses to describe the Church — both at the local and universal level — have always been very dear to His Holiness. He employs them often in more informal discussions with clergy and laity.
For example, in responding to a question addressed to him during an audience with members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, the Holy Father recently said: "The Church, though a body, is the body of Christ and therefore a spiritual body, as Saint Paul teaches. This seems extremely important to me: that people will be able to see the Church not as a super-national organization, not as an administrative body or means for power and domination, not as a social agency — even though she carries out a social and 'supra-national' mission — but rather as a spiritual body.
Pope Benedict is not only a man of deep theological wisdom; he also brings to the Petrine ministry extensive pastoral experience. He has no illusions about the serious challenges confronting local ecclesial communities today.
One such challenge is the tendency to focus too narrowly on the administrative, bureaucratic, and financial aspects of parish and diocesan life. Not that these are unimportant — on the contrary! However, we end up viewing worldly realities through a distorted lens if we fail to see them with the eyes of Christ. We can only be prudent stewards of worldly goods if we freely subject them to the good of eternal life.
Every concrete method and strategy taught and promoted by Father McGivney in the public square was aimed at the good of the human person destined for eternal life. Father McGivney's legacy lives on today in the Knights' continuing effort to keep themselves — and others — informed about complex issues regarding human life, justice, freedom, and the common good.
Friendship and Joy: The Key to Understanding Pope Benedict XVI
Finally, I must say a word about two recurring themes in Pope Benedict's teaching which are absolutely essential for the "animation" of "the entire lives of the lay faithful": friendship and joy. These, I believe, are the keys for grasping Pope Benedict's thought on what it means to translate faith into action.
The words "friendship" and "joy" echo continuously throughout his preaching, especially when he addresses himself to young people as they prepare to gather for the 2008 World Youth Day in Sydney. According to Pope Benedict, "friendship" and "joy" have God as their primary reference. The Holy Father never tires of reminding us that God is near, that he is our friend, and that he is constantly speaking to us about the most essential things in life. He accompanies us on our journey through this life, in our joys and sorrows, and — as a Good Shepherd who cares only for his flock — he never abandons us.
At the 2005 World Youth Day in Cologne, His Holiness said this to the young people present: "A true revolution can take place only by radically turning to God without reserve; he alone is the measure of all that is just, while at the same time existing as love eternal. And what could possibly save us if not love?"
Love is the source of the Holy Father's inspiration in all that he undertakes, and especially in his commitment to dialogue. He has spoken with countless lay persons, listening attentively to their practical ways of reasoning. He truly follows the agenda he set for himself at the beginning of his pontificate: "My true program for governing the Church is not to carry out my own will or pursue my own ideas, but to place myself together with the entire Church in listening to the Word of the Lord, discerning his will, and allowing myself be led by him, because he alone will guide the Church through this phase of history."
The Holy Father always teaches with clarity and precision, and with a spirit of humility and encouragement. He wants everyone to understand how beautiful and fulfilling it is to be a Christian, to experience a personal, living encounter with a life-changing "event," to meet the One who opens a whole new horizon and gives life a new, decisive direction. It is precisely for this reason that even the commandments are never too burdensome for us if we are abiding with Christ.
In his first public interview after having been elected Pope, the Holy Father summarized his deepest wish, both for young people and for the entire world:
"I want them to understand that it is beautiful to be a Christian! The generally prevailing idea is that Christians have to observe an immense number of commandments, prohibitions, precepts, and other such restrictions, so that Christianity is a heavy and oppressive way of living, and it would therefore be more liberating to live without all these burdens. But I would like to make it clear that to be sustained by this great Love and God's sublime revelation is not a burden, but rather a set of wings — that it is truly beautiful to be a Christian. It is an experience that gives us room to breathe and move, but most of all, it places us within a community since, as Christians, we are never alone: first of all, there is God, who is always with us; secondly, we are always forming a great community among ourselves: a community of people together on a journey, a community with a project for the future. All of this means that we are empowered to live a life worth living. This is the joy of being a Christian; that it is beautiful and right to believe!"
Indeed, how beautiful it is to believe, for to believe is to say "Yes" to Christ; and to say "Yes" to Christ is to bear witness to our faith in action. My dear Knights of Columbus, may you always remain men firmly committed to this "Yes" — "Yes" to your families, to your Church, and to your communities — but most importantly, to Christ who is the "Yes" to all our hopes and desires. God bless you all.
The convention was opened by Carl Anderson, who is the supreme knight. The meeting began with a letter from the Holy Father. Then, there was a video greeting from President George Bush.
I was very impressed by what the president had to say, particularly about the work of the Knights of Columbus in making this a better country. He reiterated his support for the Gospel of Life, and it was to me a reminder of why there were so many Catholics who had voted for this man in the last election. Although everyone is focused on the terrible tragedy of the war and how unpopular this president is now, his message to the Knights of Columbus and the good things he had to say impressed me.
Following that, they read a letter from Prime Minister of Canada Steven Harper, also praising the work of the Knights of Columbus. That was followed by a letter from Gloria Arroyo, president of the Philippines. There was another letter from Mexican president Felipe Calderon and a video message from President Lech Kaczynski of Poland.
The fact that the Holy Father himself and five heads of state would address the assembly, shows the great influence and the force for good that the Knights of Columbus are — not just in our own country but in other parts of the world as well.
During the banquet, they sing the state anthems from every state and from several countries. During the anthems, people wave flags, and we had our Massachusetts flags.
Bishop Elya shows his Massachusetts flag before the dinner
Delegations from each state waive their flags
The group from Poland
They also gave me a Virgin Islands flag,
so I took this picture with a group from my previous diocese
The Massachusetts people wear the three-cornered colonial hats
Carl Anderson presented some of the achievements of the Knights in recent years at the banquet. Anderson is an outstanding layman, a man of great intellectual and spiritual resources who is a wonderful leader of the Knights. He said that last year the Knights contributed $143 million in donations, $109 million of which came from state and local councils. The largest donors, the knights who gave the most per capita, were the knights from the providence of Quebec, Canada, which I thought was very interesting.
Not only have the Knights made great financial contributions to many Catholic causes and to many social causes, to help the poor and the handicapped, but they have also given almost 70 million volunteer hours. If one were to put a price tag on that, it would be worth over $1 billion a year. They have also in the last year organized almost 400,000 blood donations and 6 million visits to the sick.
The Knights are now at their highest membership ever with 1.7 million knights. In the last year alone 250 new councils have formed. The latest country they have gone to is Poland. They now have eight active councils in that country. There was a nice Polish representation at the convention. The Knights have also reached out to college campuses, and there are 128 college campuses that have councils. They are, of course, working with the squires and young men. In addition, they have 49 military councils and have provided almost a half million prayer books for the soldiers. Archbishop Edwin O'Brien says that it is one of the best tools of evangelization that he has experienced in his time as a chaplain of the Archdiocese for the Military Services.
The Knights have certainly been so supportive of the Church, priests, vocations, family life, the Gospel of Life and the handicapped. They really have a remarkable record, and I am sure that listening to Carl Anderson's report made everyone there feel very proud to be Catholic and to be associated with the Knights of Columbus. I want to share with you a portion of his report that had to do with responsible citizenship and particularly with the Knights commitment to the pro-life cause and the defense of marriage:
Canadian Knights, in partnership with their bishops and the Catholic Organization for Life and Family, have fought abortion on demand there. In México, the Philippines and Poland, international abortion rights groups are now putting on the pressure to recognize a similar access to abortion. In each of these countries, Knights stand on the front line to battle for the right to life.
And that is precisely where we will continue to stand.
Carl Anderson
We are the backbone of the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., and the Canadian March for Life in Ottawa. A few months ago, when the government of México City sought wider legalization of abortion, Knights there helped lead the public response. One newspaper said it was the first time the Knights of Columbus had marched in the streets there since the time of the Cristeros.
No matter the country or continent, we Knights of Columbus will never accept a society where innocent unborn children are victimized by abortion.
On this issue we have made our own the words of Winston Churchill, who said during some of the darkest days of World War II, "This is the lesson: Never give in, never give in, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small." My brother Knights and ladies: On abortion, we will never give in.
We will fight on until the day when society once again protects the right to life of every unborn child. We applaud the U.S. Supreme Court for taking the first step in ending the regime of abortion on demand through its decision upholding the Partial Birth Abortion Ban. This decision confirms and strengthens our resolve to continue to fight for the nomination and confirmation of justices who know that a judge's job is to interpret the law and not to invent "rights" that are nothing more than an excuse to impose their own notion of proper public policy.
Last fall, we vigorously joined the battle in Missouri against a state constitutional amendment to fund embryonic stem cell research. Proponents who stood to gain financially from the amendment spent enormous sums of money on misleading ads. They won, but by a much narrower margin than had been predicted. But the battle is not over, in Missouri or anywhere else. We helped to win a significant victory in Delaware by defeating in the state House of Representatives a bill promoting embryonic stem cell research.
We provide major financial support to the National Catholic Bioethics Center, and major funding for the U.S. bishops' pro-life education campaign. We will keep working with them to educate every citizen about the immorality of embryonic stem cell research.
One of the most difficult battles we face today is the threat to the institution of marriage. In Canada, just a day after my historic meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Parliament refused to reconsider Bill C-38, which legalized same-sex marriage. But Canadian Knights are not going to give up the battle.
In the United States last fall, Knights were instrumental in helping to win passage of state constitutional amendments protecting marriage in seven of the eight states where an amendment was on the ballot. Twenty-seven states now have constitutional protections for marriage, and referendums will be on the ballot in other states next year as well. In these efforts we have a simple strategy – trust the people to decide.
That is why in Massachusetts, Knights were in the forefront of a drive that gathered a record 170,000 signatures on petitions to put the issue of same-sex marriage before the voters. Yet the state legislature refused. The effort had been approved earlier in the year, but failed this time by five votes. With all their talk about democracy, legislators refused to trust the people – they refused to give the people of Massachusetts the final say.
Our goal will always be to pursue laws that protect the life and dignity of every person, and the integrity of marriage and family. We must pray for, and support, those of every party who stand firmly on the side of life and family. And we must also pray for those who know what is right, but who are weak when the moment of decision is at hand.
I know there are some – even some Catholics – who say it is time to put issues such as abortion behind us. But today, as we reflect on the great history of the Knights of Columbus – of brother Knights who through the years stood strong against the bigotry of the Know-Nothings and the Ku Klux Klan and during the persecution of the Church in México – when we remember this proud tradition, we have to ask: What kind of Catholics do they think we are? Is it possible that they do not realize that we will never cease to persevere against the evil of abortion?
My thanks to the Knights of Columbus national organization for sharing some of their photos of the States Dinner and Mass with us.
I'd also like to share with you some other photos from the Massachusetts delegation.
For the photo of the week, I have selected this photo wearing my colonial tricorn hat along with the rest of the Massachusetts group.
Yours in Christ.
Cardinal Seán


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Whittier, CAHome Menu
City Calendar
Bouncy Baby Storytime & PAL Time
- Date: 11/07/2018 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM
- Location: Whittwood Branch Library
10537 Santa Gertrudes Ave.
Whittier, California 90603
This storytime is specifically designed for infants 0-24 months and their caregivers. Join us for 20 minutes of stories, puppets, nursery, songs & music to inspire a love of reading and learning! 20 minutes of Play & Learn Time immediately following.Return to full list >>


text:
Tutorials, sessions, and keynotes were recorded and the video compilation is now available for purchase.
If you need to create sites, apps, and services that are fast, scalable, resilient, and highly available (spoiler: you do), then you need to be at Velocity. Learn directly from the smart, innovative people who have built end-to-end optimization into their businesses through rapid development, continuous deployment, deft instrumentation, and automated feedback loops—and fostered the organizational culture needed to make it work. See Who's Attending
To help support diversity in the technology community, while Velocity registration is open, we're raising funds to send to NCWIT, the National Center for Women & Information Technology. Please consider joining us in supporting this worthy organization by making a modest donation when you sign up. O'Reilly Media will match those donations at the end of the conference.
For exhibition and sponsorship opportunities, contact Gloria Lombardo at email@example.com
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View a complete list of Velocity contacts


text:
Monday, July 16, 2012
Chateau du Petit Thouars
11 comments:
Absolutely LOVE Walter-Mitty-ing this visit at the chateaux....till we get to the part where Dimitri wants to play catch between tastings....and my eyes have to follow the bouncing ball! I try valiantly to perform my half of the game, but "tasting" seems to have put me off my game!ReplyDelete
Painting and wine tasting - sounds like an artist's paradise!ReplyDelete
Beautiful castle and location.
Magnifique! And your French language must be flowing like the wine! ritaReplyDelete
Haha it's the bottled chateaux that are the best kind, non?ReplyDelete
What a wonderful experience you're having, and a rare one for us since you've swapped Paris for gargoyles and turrets in the vineyards!
Cool castle. Lucky winemakers if they live there, they'll have a long and healthy life:)ReplyDelete
Love your studio:) What a fantastic trip you are having!ReplyDelete
Many Thanks for the post, it's great !ReplyDelete
I really feel that you captured the atmosphere of the domain
D and I look forward to seeing you again soon
Have a great summer!
Sébastien du Petit Thouar
You've really outdone yourself on photo essays with this post.ReplyDelete
I love your artwork, the historic art, the maps and your photos! Great post!
Simply gorgeous winesReplyDelete
Larry Walker loves them


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Dabbler: Valentine's Gift Guide
Are you and your lover/partner/best bud finding yourself in a rut this Valentine's Day? Why not embark on a year's worth of hobbies and projects to stir things up.
Dabbler (a Brooklyn Brainery Project) emails a big secret hobby to your inbox each and every month. From hands-on crafts to esoteric pursuits, you'll amaze friends, wow enemies with your expanded horizons!
The newsletter goes out on the 15th each and every month, and it'll run you two dollars a month!
You'll get several billion notes, book recommendations, background, how-to's, a million and one links for further study, and anything else we think you'd find half-useful, because, if you're anything like us, sometimes you need a little nudge in order to learn something new.


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This week, after six years, the nerviest and most expensive Long Con in history finally reached its end, only its target wasnt a murderous gangster but the American television audience. Early indications are that millions of people, just like the gangster in The Sting, are going to stay conned. Millions of others are going to figure it out and they are going to be furiousbut unlike a psychopathic gangster, they will have no recourse except impotent complaint. And then there are those of us who figured out that it was all a bluff years ago and yet have stayed around to the bitter end.
The producers managed to confuse things by dwelling on wreckage of the pilot episode crash at the very end of the finale, leading many people to guess everyone had died in the first crash and the whole six years of Lost was one big confusing purgatory. I thought that aspect was poorly handled. If you're going to use vague, metaphysical elements to resolve a storyline which, while fantastic in parts has always been grounded in consensus reality and a timeline everyone could agree upon, you have a responsibility to make clear how that resolution relates to the rest of the story.
Oh, and here's a list of some of the many dead ends or red herrings or loose threads.http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1936291
The way Lost really SHOULD have ended:...via The Daily What http://thedailywh.at/post/634520031/animated-gif-of-the-day-how-lost-should-have-ended


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Kitchen Suppliers Brisbane
Whether you are looking for a stand alone kitchen sink unit, kitchen tapware, kitchen sinks, kitchen cabinets or cupboards, we will have something to meet your specific needs.
Delivery Options
The kitchen cabinets and cupboards are not flat pack – all cabinets are fully assembled, making installation quick and easy.
In-store Pickup & Collection – After placing your order by phone, arrange a time for collection from our store. However, the items are not flat pack. If you are choosing to collect your items in store, please discuss the type and size of the items to ensure they will fit in your vehicle.
Home Delivery – If you are unable to visit our store for collection, we are happy to arrange delivery to your address.
Delivery Costs – Delivery costs depends on the item to be shipped. Rates start at around $70 (including GST) for local delivery in the Brisbane Metro area, and increase depending on distance from the store. For remote, regional, or interstate locations, our sales team will be able to give you more information. You can contact them prior to purchasing using the contact details.
NOTE: All delivery options are subject to availability, geographical location and your product being in stock. Please contact us to check what delivery options are available to you.
Kitchen Suppliers product accessories are for display purposes only and are not included unless specifically nominated. Prices may vary due to various factors including but not limited to freight, packaging and insurance. All prices include GST. Any photos or illustrations shown on the web site are for illustrative purposes only and may vary, as may availability of products.


text:
The Edinburgh Earth Observatory (EEO) is a multidisciplinary research unit which provides a strategic focus and support base for the University's expertise in the Geosciences. Our main research focus is on understandings the Earth and its environment through the effective exploitation of both in situ and remote observations.
There is now a greater need than ever before for information on the current state of the Earth System and its processes. Further research and long-term monitoring are required to help formulate and quantify the emerging scientific based understanding of planet Earth. Such insight allows for the assessment of impacts and accurate prediction of future change. Many national and international organisations have identified the need for co-operation and integrated programmes for global observations. The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) has recently implemented a 10 year plan to increase the effectiveness of Earth observations and create a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). The Edinburgh Earth Observatory (EEO) aims to contribute to this goal by co-ordinating research and outreach within Edinburgh and with its partners.
All parts of the School of GeoSciences have an involvement in what may broadly be termed Earth Observation. Strengths in this area are: remote sensing and GIS modelling (Geography); measuring and modelling land-atmosphere fluxes of trace gases (Ecology); modelling atmospheric transmissivity and stratospheric ozone (Meteorology); seismology and hydrocarbon detection (Geology & Geophysics). Colleagues in these disparate areas have recognised the great potential for synergy, and the need for an intellectual base for a unit in the School where this potential can be realised.
The Observatory aims to address a range of interdisciplinary science issues and seeks to identify new research themes in response to science needs and future funding opportunities. The issues currently include: the carbon cycle, and how it should be managed; atmospheric composition and human health; detecting long term trends in atmospheric composition; land use change and how it impacts upon climate; long-term trends in biological activity of the planet; rapid climate change; vegetation change; detection and analysis of environmental risks and hazards.
The goal of the EEO is to promote and facilitate the exploitation of both in situ and remotely sensed measurements of the Earth System. This will be achieved by:
The EEO will be based around four main activities:


text:
Live at the University Of Cadiz
Quantity in Basket:
Price: $16.00
Adam Levy & the Brass Buttons
ALERT!! Very kool recording of Honeydogs
frontman Adam Levy terrific, spirited performance backed by the
more-than-capable Spanish roots poppers The Brass Buttons that sees him
revisiting his back catalog of both Honeydogs and solo recordings! TRACK LISTING: 10,000 Years, Aubben, Clemens
In Plainview, At Ohms Never Die, Devices, Vermillion Billows, When Your
Wells Run Dry, We Are, Our Post Morten, I Miss You, Two Weeks, Watching,
Potters Field, and Naubinway!
ALERT!! Very kool recording of Honeydogs
frontman Adam Levy terrific, spirited performance backed by the
more-than-capable Spanish roots poppers The Brass Buttons that sees him
revisiting his back catalog of both Honeydogs and solo recordings! TRACK LISTING: 10,000 Years, Aubben, Clemens
In Plainview, At Ohms Never Die, Devices, Vermillion Billows, When Your
Wells Run Dry, We Are, Our Post Morten, I Miss You, Two Weeks, Watching,
Potters Field, and Naubinway!
What appears to be
the final installment of "The Lockdown Session" series by the recently extremely
prolific Andrew Taylor! This third session was
... read more »
Involved in music since the '90's, Nick Bertling
primarily made his name as a drummer in Baltimore. Bands such as Puddle, Gary B
& The Notions, Naked Blue, Alto Verde, They Hear and others.read more »
may recognize Janne Borgh as the bass player in the fab ANC4, but he is also a
songwriter, singer and guitar player in his own right. He's a self-proclaimed Anglophile who loves
layered harmon
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RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! read more »
speed ahead now, no more looking back," Dent May confidently croons on his
fifth LP, "Late Checkout". The
un-nostalgic sentiment and sobering clarity of his latest body of work
signifies taking a refl
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Real deal rock 'n' roll comin' atcha
from Los Angeles. We don't know which
gutter these guys crawled out of, but wherever it is, these dudes are comi
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ACCEPTING ORDERS NOW!! read more »
RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! The label and CD
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Led by singer
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On their
10th studio album, Ex Norwegian take a psychedelic trip driving thru
progressive pop territories under multi-coloured skies with 10 original tracks
sending a love letter to classic British psychedelia.read more »
The companion to "Hue Spotting" is a very,
very kool kollection of kovers by the band who display excellent taste, knowledge,
and loving care in delivery of their song selection from between the years
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London based Green Seagull return with "Cloud
Cover", their second long-player. Since
forming in 2016, ... read more »
After four strong
albums in 11 years, this Minneapolis foursome disbanded from 2014-2018. Hold
Me In is their first LP since read more »
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is no middle ground with tribute albums.
They either turn out as a haphazard collection of fan musings with a lot
of hits and eve
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band started off 2019 with their self-released debut single "Until There Was
You" and "And Then She's Gone" which showcased the twin guitar jangle and chime
of Ray Carmen (vocals, guitar) and Mike ... read more »
When the world at
large met Lothar And The Hand People they were electronic rock explorers. If you've ever head a Lothar and The Hand
People song, it was
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Brand new release from this The
Devon, U.K band who have been weaving together their own cosmic tapestry for 10
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in part by '60s guitar bands, Matt has been carving out an impressive niche for
himself. Initially learning his trade with Aussie out
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Matt Purcell is an Australian-born singer now based
in Ireland. This is his 2010 debut. read more »
KOOL KAT MUSIK LABEL!! Were thrilled to welcome Nick Pipitone back
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is the first album by Nick Piunti & The Complicated Men. After 4 successful
solo albums beginning with 2013's "13 In My Head", Nick felt like it
was time to shake things up with a new band.
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WOW!! Peter Halls music combi
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Sink into a vision
of a dreamy psychedelic universe which seems to have been Peter Dunton's own on
"Circus Days," the third collection of previously unreleased
... read more »
RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL! The ever-prolific Richard Turgeon is
back with "Sea Change", his fourth release on the Kool Kat label! Richard explains - "Th
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After releasing a
well-received, four-song EP, "Diana Dors", Ed Rogers and Stephen Butler have
unleashed their first full-length album, "Poets & Sinners".&
... read more »
8/21 RELEASE - The
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8/21 RELEASE. This
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at landscapes and loved ones and an increasingly unstable world, Rolling
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Marsha Hunt graces the cover: Before and
after 1969. Her adventures in
music, and in the counter-culture.
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rock royalty, they prefer to think of themselves in more modest terms: as t
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You can't get much
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... read more »


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We all have one. A novel, or perhaps a whole spate of novels, whose ending was so intensely traumatic that we may never, ever recover from it. An ending that stays with us long after we close the book and shove it under our bed, where it will remain, gathering dust, until we can bear to look at it again.
Endings affect us all differently. Likewise, the traumatic endings I speak of traumatise us for different reasons. To be honest, I'm yet to put my finger on exactly why particular endings have affected me so deeply. I can deal with bittersweet endings. I can deal with terrible sacrifice and the death of main characters—in certain contexts. I can deal with varying levels of loneliness and separation and heartbreak and hopelessness.
And yet, I have read a couple of books that I still can't get over, sometimes even years later. Here, I share five such books (don't worry, I won't actually give the endings away!). These are not the gut-wrenching cliffhangers that sometimes occur mid-series, but the very conclusive endings that occur at the close of a series or stand-alone novel. The endings from which there is no solace at all. What novel endings will you never recover from?
#1 – Dragon Moon by Carole Wilkinson
In the time of the Han Dynasty, Ping has grown to become a skilled Dragon Keeper. Now she and the young dragon Kai must make the perilous journey to the ancient dragon haven, where Ping will learn that her greatest challenge is yet to come.
MY FEELINGS: This book has a special place in my heart, as it was the first book to ever make me cry 😥 I just remember curling up on the couch in the foetal position, tears streaming down my face, and even a big hug from my mum didn't help! #stilltraumatised
GENRE: historical | paranormal | YA
SERIES: Dragon Keeper #3
#2 – The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
Will is the bearer of the subtle knife. Now, accompanied by angels, he must deliver the powerful, dangerous weapon to Lord Asriel. He needs Lyra's help if he is to unravel the myriad plots twisting around him…but first he has to find her.
MY FEELINGS: Yeah…no. Damn you Philip Pullman! How could you put poor Lyra and Will through all that, and then…then… Gah! This is one of my favourite series, but I still haven't brought myself to read it a second time!
GENRE: science fantasy | YA
SERIES: His Dark Materials #3
#3 – The Unwanted by Jeffrey Ricker
Jamie Thomas is struggling to just get through his junior year, when he learns that the mother he was always told was dead is actually alive—and she's an Amazon! Now she's back, and she needs Jamie's help to break a curse that has doomed her people to extinction.
MY FEELINGS: Now, I loved this book. I really did…right up until those last few chapters, at which point I had to fight the urge to throw my Kindle across the room! Maybe I'll bring myself to forgive Jeffrey Ricker one day. Maybe.
GENRE: low fantasy | LGBT | YA
SERIES: (stand alone)
#4 – Made of Stars by Kelley York
When Hunter and his half-sister Ashlin return to their dad's place for the first winter in years, they learn that their childhood friend, Chance, is harbouring dark secrets. Something is seriously off—but how can they save the boy they both love if they can't trust a word he says?
MY FEELINGS: How could a book with such a beautiful cover cause me so much pain? How?! This book had everything I love in a contemporary YA story…everything except one thing: an ending I can actually live with!
GENRE: contemporary | LGBT | YA
SERIES: (stand alone)
#5 – Half Lost by Sally Green
Nathan will stop at nothing to end the rule of the tyrannical Council of White Witches and get revenge on the girl who brought the rebel Alliance to its knees. But as his tally of kills rises, Nathan loses himself a little more, and even the love of his best friend, Gabriel, may not be enough to save him.
MY FEELINGS: Well, I did love this book, as I mentioned here. What I didn't mention is how the ending tore my heart and soul to shreds and stomped all over the remnants! And I only read this a few weeks ago so it's still super raw…
GENRE: low fantasy | LGBT | YA
SERIES: Half Bad #3
Have you read any of the books above? What novel endings still traumatise you to this day?
Rebecca Alasdair


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The blurb for Madonna King's soon-to-be-published book on a treasurer who has just brought down his first budget, Hockey: Not Your Average Joe, begins with the tantalising question: "Will this man be Australia's next prime minister?"
''The son of an immigrant and a Bondi beauty queen, Joe Hockey is one of Australia's most popular politicians with one of the nation's toughest jobs," it continues. "So, how did he get there? And can he deliver?"
It promises to be an absorbing read, but the popularity claim is open to debate after the worst received budget in a generation. While the published polls show Tony Abbott has borne the brunt of voter anger, Hockey has also lost a serious amount of skin.
Polling by UMR research for the Labor Party confirmed Hockey as one of the country's most popular politicians after the election, with 51 per cent giving him a positive rating and just 30 per cent a negative one, for a net score of plus-22. While the ratings held up well until early this year, Hockey dipped into negative territory the week before the budget, on the back of leaks suggesting pre-election promises would be broken, and deteriorated further after this was confirmed.
Hockey's net rating went from minus-9 one week out, to minus-14, with 50 per cent of voters disapproving of his performance and 36 approving. It is still better than Abbott's net rating of minus-22, but it underscores the breadth and depth of the challenge now facing the Coalition.
If anything, the second week after the budget has been worse for the government than the first. Abbott has struggled as the principal salesman, not least because of his stubborn refusal to concede the breach of trust. Hockey hasn't fared much better.
A man who is known for his empathy tended to camouflage it while batting away questions on the ABC's Q&A from those who say they will be hurt by the budget. To Korey Gunnis, who complained about the $7 co-payment to the visit the doctor, and whose conditions included rheumatoid arthritis, cerebral palsy, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, chronic asthma, hearing loss and clinical depression, Hockey simply replied: "Well, from what you said, you wouldn't be hit by the so-called Medicare co-payment.''
As for whether the payment was a tax, the Treasurer grudgingly conceded that it was, but only after a tedious exchange with host Tony Jones. ''You want to call it a tax, you can call it anything you want,'' Hockey flatly declared. ''You can call it a rabbit. I don't mind. You can call it whatever you want but, it's a – it's tax.''
When Jones countered that, if it was a tax, it was a broken promise, Hockey replied: "Well, we didn't say – we didn't say we wouldn't raise any taxes." The problem here is that there are copious pre-election quotes from Abbott suggesting the exact opposite. "What you'll get from us are tax cuts without new taxes," is one of many.
Then came Abbott's exchange with Jon Faine on ABC radio on the reintroduction of indexation of fuel excise.
FAINE: But would you agree that in your budget you have introduced new taxes?
PM: I agree that the fuel excise indexation is restoring an old form of tax.
FAINE: Is it a tax?
PM: Excise is a tax – there is no doubt about that.
FAINE: So, you have introduced a tax?
PM: We have restored something that was there before.
Usually, budgets recede as talking points the week after they are delivered, but not this one; it continues to provoke intense interest on talkback radio and in the letters pages of the newspapers.
Beyond the semantics of broken promises is the question of fairness, with modelling showing that those at the lower end of the income scale will bear the most pain. Beyond that are the questions still unanswered, including what impact the deregulation of university fees will have on those who begin their courses next year. Professor Bruce Chapman, the architect of the Higher Education Contribution Scheme, sees the planned changes as more radical that the abolition of fees by the Whitlam government or the introduction of HECS, saying fees in some elite areas could go up by a factor of three.
And beyond the detail is the question of whose budget this is anyway, and what is driving it. Is it Abbott's, or Hockey's? An introspective Prime Minister acknowledged a level of public confusion about his own motivations in one interview, observing: "Well, pre-election, I was supposed to be some kind of old-fashioned DLP pseudo-socialist. It's only subsequent to the election that I'm supposedly of a different ilk."
This raises another question that was underscored by the wildly divergent responses to Abbott's wink, when a pensioner claimed on talkback radio that she worked on a sex call line because she needed the money. Who is the real Tony?
One of the biggest political dangers for the Coalition is that it has booby-trapped its own budget, ensuring a flow of bad-news stories until the next election as different harsh measures come into play and have their impact on, for instance, the young unemployed (from January next year), or doctors' patients (from July next year), or university students (from 2016).
Then there is the impact of spending cuts in a host of areas, including the one that Abbott is determined will define his prime ministership for all the right reasons: indigenous affairs.
But the biggest danger for Abbott is that he has, in the minds of voters, done what Paul Keating did when he reneged on the L-A-W tax cuts in 1993, or Julia Gillard did when she introduced a carbon tax after promising there would not be one. That is, he has breached a commitment that seemed so crystal clear, one that will be easily recalled at the next election (and incorporated in ALP ads).
As the pressure is applied in the coming weeks and months, the commitment of both Abbott and Hockey to their budget, and to each other, will be tested on multiple fronts: by the special pleading of sectional interests; the exposure of further inequities or unintended consequences; the need to find common ground with a new Senate from July 1; and the response of aggrieved state premiers.
If Abbott and Hockey prevail, voters will come to see their budget as a watershed in Australian history for all the right reasons. If they fail, the Coalition could end up carrying not one fatally wounded leader, but two.
Michael Gordon is political editor of The Age.


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This expertise helps you assess your business intelligence challenges and develop an analytics roadmap to deliver the most value from your data.


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Here's a cautionary tale for anyone dreaming of winning the record $640 million Mega Millions jackpot Friday night: It's a dangerous world out there for lottery winners.
The winner, warns Chicago lawyer Andrew Stoltmann, will be besieged by con artists, investment scams, family members whom they haven't seen in decades, and scores of charities – some legitimate, some imaginary.
"It is tragic," says Mr. Stoltmann, who represents a man whose $5.5 million lottery winnings were wiped out due to what the lawyer says was bad investment advice.
Others say what's tragic is that more people don't pay heed to the miniscule chance of winning the Mega Millions. According to lottery officials, the odds of possessing the winning ticket are 1 in 176 million – meaning an individual would be more likely to get hit by lightning or be eaten by a shark. One statistician notes that the Chicago Cubs have a better chance of winning the World Series this year.
"People know there are long odds," says Scott Hoover, a professor of business administration at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. "But people are irrational in buying. They see it as a form of entertainment because if you look at it as an investment, it's a horrible thing to do."
Some buyers are well aware that winning is a very remote possibility. At New York's Port Authority bus terminal, Henry Wallace is among the lottery players lined up Friday at a Hudson News kiosk.
"I figure it's about the same as the chances of Nicole Kidman walking into the Port Authority and handing me an Oscar," says Mr. Wallace, who works for the Bergen County (New Jersey) government. "But why not? It's just a dollar and a dream."
But this week, for every American who sees buying a ticket as a waste of good money, there's another who is eager to be parted from his or her earnings. The pace at which Mega Millions tickets have been selling is phenomenal. Since Tuesday, Mr. Hoover estimates, people have spent about $600 million on tickets – and perhaps as much as $1.2 billion since the last winner on Jan. 24. In Massachusetts, tickets were selling at the rate of 14,000 per minute on Friday, says Beth Bresnahan, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Lottery.
"This is unprecedented," says Ms. Bresnahan. "The scale of this thing is driving the increase. People are coming out of the woodwork."
Hitting the jackpot is not necessarily the salvation from financial problems, at least for those who've won more modest amounts. In a 2009 study of people who had won between $50,000 and $150,000 in the Florida Lottery, three economists found that if a winner had been in dire financial straits beforehand, the lottery money only postponed bankruptcy.
"What our study suggests is that bankruptcy is about something other than money," says Mark Hoekstra, a professor at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. "Whatever got you into trouble did not change after you won the lottery – it was not just bad luck."
One problem for lottery winners, he suggests, may be that many are not adept at managing large sums of money.
That seems to be the case for some of Stoltmann's clients. He has worked on behalf of four different lottery winners, most of whom got bad financial advice. He counsels winners not to take the lump-sum payment. "If [instead] you take a stream of payments over multiple decades, you can make a catastrophic mistake or mistakes, learn your lesson, and be OK," he says.
Lottery tickets are not ordinarily considered good investments. But from a purely mathematical standpoint, buying a ticket for $1 is a good investment so long as there are no other winners, says Phil Yates, assistant professor in mathematics at St. Michael's College in Colchester, Vt. "With the jackpot at $640 million, assuming you are the only one to win, your expected profit is positive," he says. "Typically these jackpots don't get this large."
But Mr. Yates, who has never played the lottery, says he's not tempted. "I'd rather spend the dollar on something I would enjoy, like a cup of coffee."
If no one wins the lottery Friday night, the next jackpot will be $975 million or more, according to Bresnahan. But given the blizzard of ticket sales, mathematician Yates says he would be shocked if there's no winner.
The potential drawbacks of winning has indeed dawned upon some lottery players. At the Port Authority, five people who work in the IT department at 1199 SEIU Benefit and Pension Funds each put in $200. All five declined to give their names, saying they wouldn't want their names to be public if they end up winning the jackpot.
Mr. Hoover of Washington and Lee, who acknowledges that he has bought Mega Millions lottery tickets, he says he won't let many people know if he wins. "My first call is to my wife; my second call is to my lawyer," he says. "You don't want to have the risk of kidnapping, charities hounding you, friends asking for money."


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Golf lessons. A trip to the beach. Happy Hour at the pub. Like thumbprints and snowflakes, no two entertainment budgets look alike.
We all make choices with how we spend our fun money, and, for the most part, we all have to adjust our financial picture when new recreational outlets come along.
With that in mind, then, it seems prudent (if not premature) to explore how cannabis consumers might work marijuana into their budgets if it ever becomes legal—which some suggest is a foregone conclusion following the approval of medical marijuana in 14 states and three others considering bills to make pot legal for personal use.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
Cost Analysis
Let's talk numbers first, because last we checked, dime bags cost anything but.
Cannabis sold on the street is derived from any number of agricultural strains. Some are higher quality than others, and thus more expensive.
Nationally, a gram of quality marijuana costs roughly $15 to $20, while an ounce can cost anywhere from $200 to $500, according to government estimates. (See CNBC's analysis of prices and demand)
Little empirical data exists on how much recreational pot users spend each year to get high, since it varies by person. Allen St. Pierre, executive director of National Organization for The Reform of Marijuana Laws, Norml, an advocacy group for the legalization of marijuana, confirms most "regular" users consume pot at least several times per week. With one or two joints per gram—it adds up.
Most marijuana users, he notes, could expect to spend anywhere from $2,300 to $3,500 a year, depending on how often they imbibe and the quality of their product.
That's roughly in line with how much consumers spend each year on alcohol.
According to a 2009 Gallup survey, those who drink alcohol consume an average of 4.8 alcoholic beverages per week—or nearly 250 per year.
Depending on their drink of choice and whether they consume them at home or a bar (more pricey), that could set them back anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $3,000 per year, or more.
Those who smoke one pack of cigarettes a week, meanwhile, at $7 a pop (it's higher in some states) drop roughly $364 per year to support their habit. For the pack-a-day smoker, however, that's about $2,550 a year.
A 2008 survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Samsha, estimated 15.2 million Americans used marijuana at least once in the 30 days prior to the survey, while 129 million drank alcohol, including beer, liquor, wine and mixed drinks—23 percent of them (58 million) reported participating in binge drinking
Another 71 million Americans age 12 and older were current users of a tobacco product, of which nearly 60 million smoked cigarettes.
How much it might cost you to light up on a regular basis if weed becomes legal, however, is something of a moving target.
Most predict taxes and regulation of the product would force prices lower by up to 50 percent since drug dealers would no longer charge a premium for risking jail time—much like the price of alcohol after the prohibition was lifted in 1933.
Lawmakers in Tennessee, who are mulling a bill to legalize medicinal marijuana, seem to agree. Those who drafted the proposal estimate the cost would be roughly $60 an ounce, 20 percent of which would come back to the state to administer the program.
"That's probably 75 percent below current black market prices," says Paul Kuhn, a partner with an investment management firm in Tennessee and board member of Norml. "Like wine, there is a pretty good correlation between quality and price. You can have someone paying $500 an ounce for cannabis or $200 an ounce."
Regardless of price, however, those who choose to partake of pot in a post-prohibition society would have to consider its impact on their bottom line—especially if they plan to hit the pipe consistently.
Like any expense, says Phil Cook, a certified financial planner in Torrance, Calif., it should be included in your budget to help manage costs.
"This [marijuana] would be considered a luxury item obviously so you need to classify that as any other entertainment expense and then see if it fits within your budget," he says. "What's more important? Smoking marijuana or your longer-term goals?"
While some suggest the fiscally responsible should allocate no more than 5 percent of their total budget towards entertainment, Cook says he believes the correct percentage is whatever your income and expenses will bear.
If you're fully funding your 401(k), directing an appropriate amount towards your kids 529 college savings plans and you've set aside an emergency fund worth at least 3 to 6 months of living expenses, says Cook, how you spend your discretionary income—and how much you spend—is up to you.
If, after crunching the numbers, however, you find your income is insufficient to support a new hobby, it's time to reassess.
"Are you buying Starbucks every day or would you rather buy marijuana?" says Cook, noting he does not use weed himself. "I know couples where both parties work, but they have a housekeeper. That seems kind of luxurious. It all boils down to priorities."
Remember, too, if pot becomes legal, you may be able to reduce or eliminate your expenditure for alcohol or tobacco as a source of after-hours relaxation.
Kuhn adds that marijuana would likely be first to go "if you fall on hard times" since it exists in the category of a discretionary expense—but not necessarily.
A popular 1970s catchphrase from the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, an underground comic strip, suggests "dope will get you through times with no money better than money will get you through times with no dope."
This article is part of a series originally published on CNBC.com


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Leap and Bound is a mission in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories given by Bryan Forbes to protagonist Victor Vance.
After being tied in a chair, Forbes is now asked by Lance and Vic for information about the shipments coming into town. He informs them of a deal going-on in Downtown and the dealer only meets one-on-one and doesn't believe in bodyguards. Lance goes to see the dealer while Vic goes up on a roof watching over him with binoculars. After a short moment Lance is kidnapped by the dealer and taken into a big freighter in Viceport. Vic gets in a car and follows the boat with Lance in it at shore and enters the big freighter. Sharks gang-members are protecting the place, Vic kills all the enemies on his way and makes it inside the freighter. After untying Lance, the two realize Forbes' information are fake. Victor, then, takes all the cocaine packages in the freighter and meets Lance on the shore.
(Lance, Vic, Forbes inside the house.)
Bryan Forbes: So you want information. And what better source than a cop, right?
Lance Vance: Hey, Vic, see? Great minds think alike.
Bryan Forbes: Yeah, fools seldom differ, dip shit. You want info? How about this? There's a dealer's boat mooring up Downtown today. The dealer's not the trusting kind, and he'll only meet one-on-one. He's carrying money and coke, and he doesn't believe in bodyguards.
Victor Vance: Why should we trust you?
Bryan Forbes: If I'm lying, genius, I'm a dead man, right?
Lance Vance: I'll meet this guy, Vic. You can watch over me, and I'll see you down there.
(Victor finds Lance inside the shipment and unties him.)
Victor Vance: I thought this guy didn't use bodyguards?
Lance Vance: Forbes' info is seriously out of date. I'll get us some transport, you get what we came for, and I'll meet you on shore.
(Lance and Victor in Viceport.)
Lance Vance: Hey! Make sure that no one can see it back there.
Victor Vance: Nice wheels...
Lance Vance: I was in a hurry! The sooner I offload this coke, the better. This junk heap ain't doing my image any favours. Hey, catch you later, bro.
Victor Vance: Hey! Don't mind me, dick!
The reward for completing this mission is $1,500.


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- This event has passed.
Sign of the Times: Urban Sketches of Vintage Signs by Suhita Shirodkar
March 24, 2018 @ 12:00 am - 5:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 12:00 am on Sunday and Saturday, repeating until December 23, 2018
Featuring urban sketches by local artist Suhita Shirodkar, this exhibit documents the landscape of commercial and vintage signs in and around San Jose, some under threat from development, and some already lost to time.
Follow Suhita Shirodkar's work here
Vintage Signs of San Jose: http://www.vintagesignsa
Blog: https://sketchaway.wordp


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Keith Christopher has outgrown his Sarasota studio.
The 900-square-foot space, located in an industrial warehouse off U.S. 301, used to suit the sculptor just fine. That is until Pomona moved in.
Dismantled and adhered to boards, Pomona is the 33-year-old artist's largest project to date. A monumental sculpture commissioned last fall by the developers of Citrus Square, the new downtown condominium project on Orange Avenue, Pomona is a whopping 13 feet long by 9 feet high.
"I can't wait to see her finished in the off-white color," Christopher says. "It's hard to visualize her when she looks like a chocolate Easter bunny."
He fixes his gaze on the goddess taking up most of his studio. Sculpted from a deep brown classic clay, Pomona, named after the Roman goddess of fruit trees, has undergone several transformations since Christopher started the project eight months ago.
For one: She's less curvy.
"The commissioning party wanted her thinner," Christopher says. "But I didn't want her to look like a bikini model, so we had to find some middle ground. The piece is supposed to be more classical, more voluptuous."
Although most of the work was sculpted in less than two months using only one model — a 20-something Sarasota cosmetology student — the changes to Pomona's body pushed back the March installation date and required hours of tedious re-sculpting and the use of additional (skinnier) models.
"Personally," Christopher says, "I prefer the voluptuous female form."
However genuine the statement, it seems to contradict the bevy of slender nudes padding much of the artist's portfolio and studio.
"A lot of those hang in the lobbies of plastic surgery offices," he says, gesturing toward his collection of cosmetically enhanced nudes finished in bronze and resin. "There's a market for that stuff."
A Lakewood Ranch resident, Christopher studied business at Arizona State University and apprenticed with renowned Arizona bronze sculptor John Soderberg when he was 18 years old. Under Soderberg's tutelage he sculpted "First Day Home," an almost photo-like realistic image of a father cradling a newborn baby. He credits the piece — a tribute to his own father, who died when Christopher was 15 — with helping launch his career as a figurative sculptor.
The life likeness of "First Day Home" had universal appeal. Christopher had captured fatherhood in one pivotal moment. The resulting work was at once sentimental, strong and literal, themes he has remained faithful to for 16 years.
"I believe with figurative sculpture it's easier to convey an idea or a story," Christopher says. "As a craftsman or an artist, I appreciate the challenge. There's a great deal of technical work required and it gives me daily gratification."
Even his pregnancy casts and children's portrait sculptures are highly technical and capture every crease and dimple.
Swigging from a gallon jug of water, Christopher glances ruefully at Pomona. With so many hours invested in the sculpture, there were moments when aggravation eclipsed gratification, which is a reality to which any artist can relate.
"You can get too close to a piece," Christopher says. "You don't know the level of your final execution until two, three years down the road, when you find all the things you would have done differently."
The shelves behind him are stacked with worn polyurethane molds. Like cookie cutters, the molds are used to create limited-edition runs of his female forms.
A pull-behind trailer obscures a cramped rehearsal space, where Christopher, who moonlights as the lead singer of a local cover band, Someone from Somewhere, practices between gigs. Up a steep flight of wooden steps is a 300-square-foot bedroom that Christopher built himself to make all-nighters more comfortable. Aside from an old television set and piles of VHS tapes, the loft is the roomiest nook in the studio — until Pomona moves out.
Asked whether he's apprehensive about displaying such a large piece of work in a permanent public space, Christopher replies with an emphatic no.
"Art is subjective," he says. "One person will love it; one person will hate it. You can only offer your best or hand someone a piece of clay to see if they can do better."
Contact Heidi Kurpiela at [email protected].
Keith Christopher has outgrown his Sarasota studio.


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See what's baggin' for attention inside the HONOLULU Magazine Food and Dining Editor's carryall
That's All She Tote
Martha Cheng isn't your typical dining editor. First off, she's slim enough to rock the fashion week runway samples we receive and only puts up a tiny fight when we coerce her into being our fit model. Secondly, and surprisingly, her everyday tote isn't packed with foodie bites or a stash of menus. The only indicator that it belongs to a culinary critic is a set of worn-down wooden flatware—and a spork!
We're guessing that's all you need to have excellent taste. But if you don't believe us, take a look.
"I have A LOT of requirements for my bag, and this tote is the only one that can fit a laptop, camera and water bottle and doesn't look like a computer bag. It has a ton of pockets to keep me organized and a cross-body strap for when I bike. It doesn't quite go seamlessly from the office to a night event, but at least its fun, bright color keeps it from looking all business and serious! Plus, since it's waterproof, it's easy to wash out exploding jams and leaky hot sauces."
Moop The Carrier wax-coated tote, $179, moopshop.com.
A food editor's mouth is her paycheck, so Martha insures her lips (and warm smile) with Sugar lip treatments.
Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment, $25, Sephora, Ala Moana Center, 944-9797.
When she's not digging into fresh catches, Martha's catching waves. A polarized pair of Maui Jim tortoise-shell pink punchbowl sunglasses helps her see Marinelands' (her fave spot) surf conditions clearly.
$199, West Marine Honolulu, 420 N. Nimitz Highway, 526-4420.
An admirer of local talent, Martha keeps Everything is Jake postcards on her inspiration wall at work.
Na Pali postcard, $3, South Shore Paperie, Kilohana Square, 744-8746.
"Since my Canon 5D camera is attached to me more than my husband, I'm looking to swap it out (the camera that is) for a smaller one that's more discreet."
This Klean Canteen stainless steel wide-mouth water bottle keeps Martha super cool and hydrated, especially when biking from one foodie event to the next.
$19.95, Roberta Oaks, 19 N. Pauahi St., 428-1214.
"The main reason I carry this To-Go Ware reusable bamboo utensil set is to avoid disposables. I'm always eating, and I don't like throwing away something I've used for just two seconds. I'm Chinese and I hate waste."
$15, Super Citizen, Kahala Mall, 599-4333.


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- Open Mountainbike Maps for Italy published ---
It has not been so busy today compared to yesterday, but many people floded this site nonetheless. The maps were downloaded over 110 times.
So not as many people as yesterday (somehow the time of my statistic page is wrong - the yesterday count went up to 5000 page views and 700 unique visitors) but still many many mountainbikers interested in high quality maps. Great
I got behind the problem of the Swiss maps not being compatible with Mapsource 6.15.4 (been using an old program) but now it's fine. Actually I only need to do one click now to update a map. Only getting maps done the first time really takes time. Except for Germany the maps compile with reasonable speed, so I will add some countries. Italy is just being generated and France comes too.
This weekend I gotta work elsewhere, so from tomorrow evening no more updates till Sunday we (Tom, Watzlaf and me) need to test some new raxski prototypes, so no new features will be added anymore over the weekend. Spring Conditions in the mountains (even too hot), but still plenty of snow in the east of Austria (around 4m at 1500m altitude at Hochkar).
Italy is uploading rigt now. For France you will have to wait till next week.
Look at Roma, it's plastered with drinkinkwater ..... Italians still have a lot to catch up though on the OSM. Lets hope this map helps. If anyone speeks Italian - spread some words on italian mountainbike Forums please.
Ein weiterer Tag mit viel zu tun.....
Falls einer meiner Besucher Italienisch spricht, bitte, bitte oeffnets ein Topic in italiensichen Mountainbike oder OSM Foren, die Italienischen Mountainbiker muessen noch viel arbeiten damit ihre Karten brauchbar werden. Hoffentlich kann openmtbmap.org ihnen dabei helfen.


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Mrs. Adna-Thompson: "Hi, I'm one of your patients, and I'm at Glove World amusement park today."
Dr. Grumpy: "What can I do for you?"
Mrs. Adna-Thompson: "Well, we're in line for the Fiery Fist O' Pain, the roller coaster that goes upside down a few times. I'm afraid the upside down part will give me a migraine."
Dr. Grumpy: "So..."
Mrs. Adna-Thompson: "So, can I hand my phone to the attendant? I want you to tell him not to send my car on the upside-down part."
Dr. Grumpy: "Um, I think that's a function of the track. There's nothing he can do about it. Why don't you just not go on the ride?"
Mrs. Adna-Thompson: "That's what the attendant and my husband both said! You're no help at all!"