text:
Vance McAllister
|Vance McAllister
|U.S. House, Louisiana, District 5
|In office
|November 21, 2013-Present
|Term ends
|January 3, 2015
|Years in position
|Rodney Alexander (R)
|Elections and appointments
|First elected
|November 16, 2013
|Next general
|November 4, 2014
|Term limits
|High school
|Forest High School (1992)
|Military service
|United States Army
|Years of service
|January 7, 1974
|Place of birth
|Oak Grove, Louisiana
|Office website
|Campaign website
- 1 Biography
- 2 Career
- 3 Committee assignments
- 4 Key votes
- 5 Issues
- 6 Elections
- 7 Campaign donors
- 8 Analysis
- 9 Personal
- 10 Recent news
- 11 See also
- 12 External links
- 13 References
He defeated Tom Gibbs, Peter Williams, Eliot Barron, S.B.A. Zaitoon, Henry Herford, Jr., Weldon Russell, Jamie Mayo, Robert Johnson, Marcus Hunter, Phillip Weatherly and Clyde Holloway in the open primary on October 19, 2013. He then advanced to a runoff election on November 16, 2013, where he defeated Neil Riser (R).[4][5]
In the 2013 special election, McAllister had the support of the popular "Duck Dynasty" television series celebrities, Phil and Willie Robertson.[6]
McAllister initially announced on April 28, 2014, that he would retire at the end of his term in 2015 after calls for his resignation.[7][8] The decision came after McAllister was caught on video kissing a married campaign staffer.[9]
On June 30, 2014, McAllister announced he would instead leave the decision up to the voters and run for re-election in 2014.[10]
McAllister was born on January 7, 1974, in Oak Grove, LA. He graduated from Forest High School in 1992 and attended the University of Louisiana, Monroe.[11]
He served in the United States Army from 1992 to 1994, and later in the Louisiana National Guard. Prior to entering Congress, McAllister was a business owner.[11]
Committee assignments
U.S. House
McAllister serves on the following committees:[12][13][14]
- Agriculture Committee
- Conservation, Energy, and Forestry
- Department Operations, Oversight, and Nutrition
- General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
- Natural Resources Committee
Key votes
113th Congress
The 113th Congress has had 55 out of 5,401 introduced bills enacted into law (1 percent) as of November 30, 2013. Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 1.14 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session.[15] For more information pertaining to McAllister's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.[16]
Farm bill
On January 29, 2014, the U.S. House approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill.[17] The bill passed by a vote of 251-166. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that would kick in when prices drop.[18][19] However, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states.[19] McAllister voted with 161 other Republican representatives in favor of the bill.
2014 Budget
On January 15, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014.[20][21] The House voted 359-67 for the 1,582 page bill, with 64 Republicans and three Democrats voting against the bill.[21] The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations.[22] It included a 1% increase in the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel, a $1 billion increase in Head Start funding for early childhood education, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency and protected the Affordable Care Act from any drastic cuts. McAllister voted with the majority of the Republican party in favor of the bill.[20]
Government affairs
On July 30, 2014, the U.S. House approved a resolution 225 to 201 to sue President Barack Obama for exceeding his constitutional authority. Five Republicans--Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Paul Broun of Georgia, Scott Garrett of New Jersey, Walter Jones of North Carolina and Steve Stockman of Texas-- voted with Democrats against the lawsuit.[23] McAllister joined the other 224 Republicans in favor of the lawsuit. All Democrats voted against the resolution.[24][25]
Votes for money
A report in June 2014 alleged that McAllister told the Northeast Chapter of Louisiana CPAs an unidentified colleague on the House floor told him he would receive a $1,200 contribution from the Heritage Foundation if he voted against unidentified legislation related to the Bureau of Land Management.[26]
McAllister was quoted as saying he voted no but never received a check.[26] He claims that the quote "was taken completely out of context."[26]
He said in a statement, "I have never cast a vote with the expectation or anticipation of receiving any money for a vote. I was just trying to illustrate how much money controls Washington, D.C., and the reporter took the comments totally out of context."[26]
Video kissing staffer
McAllister was caught on video kissing a woman believed to be on his congressional staff just before Christmas 2013.[9]
Surveillance video from inside his district office in Monroe, Louisiana, showed McAllister kissing a woman identified by the newspaper as a congressional staffer for McAllister.[9][27]
McAllister's office issued a statement on April 7, 2014:
"There's no doubt I've fallen short and I'm asking for forgiveness. I'm asking for forgiveness from God, my wife, my kids, my staff, and my constituents who elected me to serve. Trust is something I know has to be earned whether you're a husband, a father, or a congressman. I promise to do everything I can to earn back the trust of everyone I've disappointed. From day one, I've always tried to be an honest man. I ran for Congress to make a difference and not to just be another politician. I don't want to make a political statement on this, I would just simply like to say that I'm very sorry for what I've done."[28][29]
McAllister's office said it planned send a letter to House Speaker John Boehner on April 9, 2014, requesting an FBI investigation concerning the leak of the video.[30]
McAllister missed a scheduled campaign appearance on April 14, 2014, and reportedly was instead attending family counseling.[31][32]
GOP reaction
- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said April 8, 2014, that McAllister's constituents "deserve an apology."[33]
- "I think that his constituents deserve an apology. I'm glad he issued an apology," Cantor said.[33]
- On April 29, 2014, Cantor called for McAllister to resign.[34]
- "When we took the majority, I had said that I believe we ought to hold ourselves to a higher standard. And I think what has happened in his instance doesn't meet that standard. So I told (McAllister) that I thought he should resign," Cantor said.[34]
- Speaker John Boehner said on April 10, 2014, that McAllister has "decisions he has to make. I expect all members to be held to the highest ethical standards."[35]
- Roger F. Villere, Jr. Chairman of the Republican Party of Louisiana publicly called on McAllister to resign on April 10, 2014.[36]
- "The Republican Party of Louisiana calls on Vance McAllister to resign his seat in Congress. Mr. McAllister's extreme hypocrisy is an example of why ordinary people are fed up with politics. A breach of trust of this magnitude can only be rectified by an immediate resignation. He has embarrassed our party, our state and the institution of Congress. A video showing him engaged in conduct unbecoming a member of Congress, on public time, in a public office, with one of his employees, was the focus of the national press for days. I call on Mr. McAllister to put the interests of his nation, state and party above his own and step aside. We are praying for Mr. McAllister and the families that are involved. I attempted to resolve this matter privately and directly with Mr. McAllister, but his chief of staff chose to make this information public. Therefore, I have chosen to release this statement today."[36]
- Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal (R) called for McAllister to resign on April 10, 2014.[37][38]
- "Congressman McAllister's behavior is an embarrassment and he should resign. He says he wants privacy to work on his issues with his family. The best way to get privacy and work on putting his family back together is to resign from Congress."[37]
- National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden would not say on April 13, 2014, whether McAllister should resign.[39]
- "It's bad. It's wrong. He needs to answer and be held accountable. We should be held to a higher standard than what I've seen in that video," Walden said.[39]
Other reactions
- Potential challenger and state Rep. Bob Johnson (D) called on McAllister to resign on April 8, 2014.[40][41]
- "This is another embarrassment to Louisiana. I think he needs to resign, and I don't think he can be effective."[40]
Gov. Jindal's comments
McAllister issued a statement following Gov. Bobby Jindal's speech in Washington D.C. on February 24, 2014. In the speech Gov. Jindal said that President Obama was "surrendering" to the Democratic agenda and also spoke out against a federal minimum wage increase and Medicaid expansion.[42]
In the statement McAllister said:[42]
"I thought, 'You know what, I'm not going to skirt the issue. Republican, Democrat, it don't matter. Those working poor have paid that money in. That money's going to Washington. It's their money. For me to say I'm against Medicaid expansion makes me the best congressman California and Massachusetts could ever have, because that's where that money's gonna go. It's about doing what's right. You keep your people healthy, they'll continue to work. They'll do better. The money's there. As a business guy, I don't like Gov. Jindal standing up there and trying to use political points to argue that the state can't afford the small fraction it would eventually have to pay to draw down billions in benefits. It don't take Einstein to figure out that's a pretty darn good return on your investment.'"
Congressional position
At a Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Monroe, Louisiana, on January 23, 2014, McAllister shared some blunt initial impressions of his position in Congress.[43]
"It sucks. It ain't no fun. But, the day I start enjoying it in Washington, D.C., is the day that I should come home," McAllister said[43]
On June 30, 2014, McAllister announced he would leave the decision up to the voters and run for re-election in 2014.[44]
"Without a doubt this decision comes after much thought and prayer. This district has been home to me and my family all of my life. I know the needs of this congressional district very well. I also know that this district needs a strong, conservative voice in congress. I plan to continue to stand up for our veterans, bring common sense solutions to our nation's problems and most importantly I will fight to get our fiscal house back in order."[45]
McAllister initially announced on April 28, 2014, that he would retire at the end of his term in 2015.[7][46]
John Fleming, Representative for Louisiana's 4th Congressional District, said McCallister "absolutely" did the right thing by declining to run for re-election.[47]
"When something like this happens, there is huge pressure to tell it all and reveal it all, and you're hounded until you do. After he announced his decision not to run again, which I respect, you're not having that level of discussion. I think it's best for both he and his family," said Fleming.[47]
In June 2014, McAllister first indicated that he might reconsider another run. "I would imagine [I'll decide] in the next couple of weeks. I'm leaning 55 to 45 percent for running. There is overwhelming support asking me to reconsider [and] it's up to the people to decide," he said.[48]
McAllister won election to the U.S. House representing the 5th Congressional District of Louisiana.[1] The election was held to replace Rodney Alexander, who announced his resignation in order to take a position as the next Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs at the end of September 2013.[49]
He defeated Tom Gibbs, Peter Williams, Eliot Barron, S.B.A. Zaitoon, Henry Herford, Jr., Weldon Russell, Jamie Mayo, Robert Johnson, Marcus Hunter, Phillip Weatherly and Clyde Holloway in the open primary on October 19. He advanced to the runoff election on November 16, 2013, where he defeated Neil Riser (R).[50][5]
|U.S. House, Louisiana District 5 Runoff General Special Election, 2013
|Vote %
|Vance McAllister
|Neil Riser
|Total Votes
|Source: Louisiana Secretary of State, "11/16/2013 Special Election Results,"
|U.S. House, Louisiana District 5 Special Election Open Primary, 2013
|Vote %
|Neil Riser
|Vance McAllister
|Clyde Holloway
|Phillip "Blake" Weatherly
|Jay Morris
|Marcus Hunter
|Robert Johnson
|Jamie Mayo
|Weldon Russell
|Henry Herford, Jr.
|S.B.A. Zaitoon
|Eliot Barron
|Tom Gibbs
|Peter Williams
|Total Votes
|Source: Official results via Louisiana Secretary of State
Campaign donors
Candidates for Congress are required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are McAllister's reports.[51]
|Vance McAllister (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
|Date Filed
|Beginning Balance
|Total Contributions
for Reporting Period
|Cash on Hand
|Year End Report[52]
|January 31, 2014
|April Quarterly[53]
|April 15, 2014
|Running totals
Substantial debt
At the end of March 2014 – before the revelation of McAllister's extramarital kiss with a congressional staffer – his campaign owed $207,275 to a variety of political consultancies and law firms. His campaign also owed $395,000 to McAllister, who took out a massive personal loan in the midst of his self-funded special election campaign.[54]
It's unclear whether McAllister, who made a fortune in the oil business, has repaid any of his debts since the latest political and personal disclosure forms were filed with the Federal Election Commission.[54]
The congressman reported having $8,425 in the bank for his campaign at the end of March 2014.[54]
April 2014
In April 2014, after the release of a controversial video that featured McAllister and an aide kissing, McAllister's campaign account dropped to just $8,425.[55]
Like-minded colleagues
The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.[56]
McAllister most often votes with:
McAllister least often votes with:
Lifetime voting record
According to the website GovTrack, McAllister missed 47 of 510 roll call votes from November 2013 to August 2014. This amounts to 9.2 percent, which is worse than the median of 2.5 percent among current congressional representatives as of August 2014.[57]
Voting with party
The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.
McAllister voted with the Republican Party 0.00 percent of the time, which ranked 231st among the 234 House Republican members as of August 2014.[58]
McAllister is married and has five children.[59]
Recent news
| Know more information about this profile?
Submit a bio
This section displays the most recent stories in a google news search for the term "Vance+ McAllister+ Louisiana+ Senate"
- All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.
- Loading...
See also
- Louisiana
- United States congressional delegations from Louisiana
- United States House of Representatives
- Louisiana's 5th Congressional District
- Louisiana's 5th Congressional District special election, 2013
- Louisiana's 5th Congressional District elections, 2014
- 113th Congress members behaving badly
External links
- Social media:
- Biographies:
- Political profiles:
- Financial (federal level):
- Interest group ratings:
- Issue positions:
- Legislation:
- Public statements:
- Voting record:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 KATC, "14 candidates in 5th District congressional race," accessed August 22, 2013
- ↑ Roll Call, "8 Things to Know About Rep.-Elect Vance McAllister," accessed November 19, 2013
- ↑ WAFB, "5th Congressional District Vance McAllister sworn in," accessed November 21, 2013
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "November 16, 2013, Election Results," accessed November 16, 2013
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Louisiana Secretary of State, "U. S. Representative -- 5th Congressional District," accessed October 19, 2013
- ↑ The Republic, "Riser and McAllister headed to November runoff for Louisiana's 5th District congressional seat," accessed October 19, 2013
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 NOLA.com, "Vance McAllister won't seek reelection, The News-Star reports ," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ The News Star, "UPDATE: McAllister won't seek re-election, will finish term," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Politico, "Report: Video shows Vance McAllister kissing staffer," accessed April 7, 2014
- ↑ NOLA.com, "Rep. Vance McAllister will run for re-election," accessed July 2, 2014
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Bioguide, "MCALLISTER, Vance M., (1974 - )," accessed November 25, 2013
- ↑ NOLA.com, "Vance McAllister, Louisiana's newest congressman, get his committee assignments," accessed December 17, 2013
- ↑ Insurance News Net, "Congressman McAllister Announces Subcommittee Assignments on the House Agriculture Committee," accessed March 18, 2014
- ↑ U.S. House of Representatives, "Committee assignments," accessed March 31, 2014
- ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, First Session of the 112th Congress," accessed September 5, 2013
- ↑ Congressional Record, "Resume of Congressional Activity, Second Session of the 113th Congress," accessed March 4, 2014
- ↑ Clerk of U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote 31: H.R. 2642," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "House clears farm bill," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 New York Times, "Senate passes long-stalled farm bill, with clear winners and losers," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 CNN.com, "House passes compromise $1.1 trillion budget for 2014," accessed January 20, 2014
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 U.S. House, "Roll Call Vote 21," accessed January 20, 2014
- ↑ Roll Call, "House passes $1.1 trillion omnibus," accessed January 20, 2014
- ↑ U.S. House, "House Resolution 676," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ Yahoo News, "Suing Obama: GOP-led House gives the go-ahead," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ Washington Post, "House clears way for lawsuit against Obama," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 Shreveport Times, "Vance McAllister says comments were taken 'out of context'," accessed June 9, 2014
- ↑ The Ouachita Citizen, "VIDEO: Rep. Vance McAllister in extramarital embrace," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ Yahoo News, "Congressman apologizes after compromising video posted," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ NOLA, "Vance McAllister on video showing kiss with staffer: 'I've fallen short and I'm asking for forgiveness'," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ The News Star, "McAllister to ask for FBI probe on leaked video," accessed April 9, 2014
- ↑ The Town Talk, "Congressman McAllister seeking family counseling," accessed April 15, 2014
- ↑ The News Star, "McAllister cancels appearance, undergoing counseling," accessed April 15, 2014
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 The Hill, "Cantor withholds judgment on McAllister," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 The Advertiser, "McAllister rejects Cantor's call to resign," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "Vance McAllister's new problem: His own party," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 Louisiana GOP, "Statement from Roger F. Villere, Jr. Chairman, Republican Party of Louisiana," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 Washington Post, "Jindal: McAllister an 'embarrassment,' should resign," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ NOLA.com, "Bobby Jindal calls on Vance McAllister to resign," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 Politico, "Walden declines to say whether McAllister should resign," accessed April 14, 2014
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 NOLA.com, "Vance McAllister should resign, says state lawmaker," accessed April 15, 2014
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Vance McAllister's Potential Challenger Calls On Him To Resign," accessed April 15, 2014
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 KNOE TV,, "McAllister speaks out after Jindal episode in D.C.," accessed February 25, 2014
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 Shreveport Times, "U.S. Rep. Vance McAllister: Congressional job 'sucks'," accessed January 24, 2013
- ↑ NOLA.com, "Rep. Vance McAllister will run for re-election," accessed July 2, 2014
- ↑ Washington Post, "Embattled Rep. Vance McAllister is running for reelection," accessed July 2, 2014
- ↑ NY Daily News, "Smooching Congressman Vance McAllister won't run for reelection," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ 47.0 47.1 Shreveport Times, "John Fleming: Vance McAllister right not to run for re-election," accessed June 10, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "Vance McAllister might un-retire," accessed June 23, 2014
- ↑ Nola.com, "Rodney Alexander to join Jindal administration, departure from Congress will trigger special election," accessed August 8, 2013
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "November 16, 2013, Election Results," accessed November 16, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Vance McAllister 2014 Summary reports," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Year End Report," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "April Quarterly," accessed April 23, 2014
- ↑ 54.0 54.1 54.2 Politico, "'Kissing congressman' Vance McAllister heavy in debt," accessed July 2, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "McAllister campaign coffers: $8,425," accessed April 19, 2014
- ↑ OpenCongress, "Vance McAllister," accessed August 1, 2014
- ↑ GovTrack, "Vance McAllister," accessed August 4, 2014
- ↑ OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," accessed July 2014
- ↑ Washington Times, "Married Rep. Vance McAllister caught kissing staffer: "I've fallen short'," accessed April 8, 2014
|Political offices
|Preceded by
Rodney Alexander (R)
|U.S. House of Representatives - Louisiana, District 5
| Succeeded by


text:
|Hawthorn Suites Pinole properties are listed below. Search for cheap and discount Hawthorn Suites hotel rates in Pinole, CA for your business gathering or personal travels. We list the best Hawthorn Suites Pinole properties so you can review the Pinole Hawthorn Suites hotel list below to find the perfect place.
Our search will list Pinole, CA hotels/lodging that have a comparable rating of a Hawthorn Suites.
Booking a group or meeting? Get bids from hotels in Pinole CA
All Hawthorn Suites in or near Pinole
Hotels like Hawthorn Suites
Next: Show All Available Comparable Hotels with Pricing >

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Two Weeks in Umbria
Castellaro, Niccone Valley, Italy
Not a typical rental, it is the home of a friend, whose mother bought the property and did all the restoration over five years, starting in 2000. It is high on a hill, far into the country, five kilometers up a dirt road and buzzing with birds and bees and tons of lavender.
Over the years I've stayed in houses in Italy a number of times (here's my last post on a trip to Tuscany in 2009), and what was remarkable about this visit was the hot, dry, wild but silent landscape of Umbria and the house itself, which was large and lovingly restored with many, many careful details and some modern touches as well.
What do you do in a house like this? You relax. You congregate for meals, talk and read, you spend a lot of time down at the pool (it was very hot) and you drive out most days to tour the surrounding towns and try the local restaurants. You also stay up late. Due to the hot weather and big, winey lunches, dinner was often just finishing at midnight as the cool evening settled in. While the surroundings were stunning, what is most memorable are the many conversations had and the deeper check-in that you get with friends and family members when you're this far away. Good homes do this - they comfort, they inspire and they set the stage for people to connect. In the end of the day, that's what it's really about.
>> Castellaro's Website
>> Map of Spedaliccio, near Umbertide (the house is right off the road here)
Inside Downstairs
Inside Upstairs
36 Comments
In my next life I'd like to be Ursula. She is a lucky girl!!! Looks fabu!
I am taken with what you wrote:..."Good homes do this - they comfort, they inspire and they set the stage for people to connect. In the end of the day, that's what it's really about" I have always said that home should be the best destination you can imagine. I would love to see more articles here that approach how we design and decorate our environs to reflect these ideas of connection and inspiration and comfort...in a deliberate fashion. Your photos of Umbria are incredible, a fitting follow-up what would be to bring the sense of all that beauty/comfort and connection - home.
Umbria is one of my favorite locales in Italy. This home is lovely -- how I'd love to be there right now!
This home, the surroundings, make me wonder "What If I had been born and raised here?" I think surroundings like this are powerful beginnings for a different kind of person who takes off from a much more informed platform that naturally provides a much wider vista. Unspoken ambiance.
the house and property looks AMAZING!
your photography is beautiful!
I couldn't be more jealous!
thank you for sharing!
Lingering on each photo made me feel as if I just took a mini spa day. Wonderful. I just added a destination to my Bucket List!
Pure heaven on earth...
The key words here are"lovingly restored".It is so evident that the owners love this house.
Man, I wanna belong to YOUR family, Maxwell! Maybe an adoptive Auntie? I wouldn't be too much trouble, really.
One word~~perfection !
two words: no fair.
Everything you said is so true and not easily achieved but well worth aspiring to. These pics could be many locations(in terms of the 'feeling') as it so much IS what you make of a place, space, environment. Great post and wise words. Thanks!!
Oh how I enjoyed this post! Esp after just returning from a trip with my boyfriend to Manarola and Treviso, Italy! We would much rather skip the big cities (despite missing the the big ticket items) in exchange for an authentic, quiet experience, sans other tourists...
Beautiful photos!
What a lovely house - I wonder whether my parents know the owners, they've had a house in the Niccone valley for over 30 years! I can confirm that it's absolutely beautiful.
Here's my parents' house: http://www.umbrian-garden.net/
I miss it when I'm not there...!
But please note - it's Spedalicchio, not Spedaliccio!
You are one very, very fortunate man. Who gets to travel like this? It seems you are always somewhere. Yes, you are one fortunate man.
Love it. Do you know who those paintings are by?
I'm with mon-truc-en-plumes. Looks like heaven to me.
Can I please come with you guys next time you go. Please, pretty please.
Hi Maxwell Thank you for your newest travel update. Having read your acount of Turkey we stayed at the Nisanyan Hotel in Sirince as well as took a short 4 day cruise on a Turkish wooden boat last month. Wonderful experience! Thanks you it was beyond all expectations.
Please adopt me Maxwell -- as a long-lost sister! I love this house, and love Italy. What you write about it is exactly what I feel.
Sailing along the Turkish coast on a gullet is on my to-do list; what another fantastic vacation!
Maxwell, I think I may be the long lost sister of your friend who owns this house. I was stolen by gypsies and then escaped by stowing away with a traveling south american family who took pity on me and allowed me to live with them until I could find you all again. My prayers have been answered! Which room is mine? I'm packing light- just my bathing suit and appetite!
Seconding Apt 3f's comment. The line about what real homes do "they comfort, they inspire and they set the stage for people to connect" is really sticking with me.
Your mother is too kind. The home is perfect and the grounds are beautiful. Such great memories Ursula will have.
loved this post! just beautiful! Made me dreamy just looking at each picture.
I too have been influenced by these posts and have booked a gullet trip for september 1st. After reading maxwell's coount of him time in turkey Im really looking forward to it!
This house is beautiful!
This is really something special. Soul-soothingly good.
Wow! So beautiful. Just where I would want to be vacationing in bare feet on yummy tile floors. The design and decor is perfect for the home and setting.
Beautiful... and perfectly captured.
Holy moley, that house is PURE LOVE! <3
Calgon—take me away!
How much did this cost?
so lovely and calm and homey
Beautiful photos. I'm Italian and can't wait to go again, hopefully next year. I'm a writer and it's a dream of mine to go for several weeks to just take in the landscape, food, wine and write to my heart's content.
I adore the tiles in the kitchen. Where are they from?


text:
My Account
Order Status
My Basket: empty
Nutty Blog
Nutty Recipes
Nutty Trivia
Nutty Nutrition
Nutty Links
Return to Help Index
My Account
How do I create an account?
Click the "
My Account / Order Status
" link at the top right side of our site.
Enter your email address.
Select "I am a new customer".
Then simply follow the prompts to complete setting up your account. Your information is NEVER sold to any other company and is kept completely private. Please view our
Privacy Policy
for more information.
How do I edit my account information?
Click the "
My Account / Order Status
" link at the top right hand side of our site to edit your account information.
How much is my shipping?
Shipping is automatically calculated prior to submitting your payment information. Simply add items to your cart and proceed to the Checkout page where you will be offered Shipping Method choices and their prices.
I forgot my password.
Click the "
My Account / Order Status
" link at the top right hand side of our site. Under the login box you'll see a link that says "Forgot your password? Click here". That link will send an email to you with your password.
How do I return my product?
click here for more information on returning an item
I received the wrong product.
If you feel that you have received the wrong product, please contact customer service within 72 hours of receiving the product.
What is your return policy?
Please see our
Terms & Conditions
for complete details regarding our return policy.
When will my order ship?
Please see each individual item page for more information on the availability of each item. Also, after placing your order, you may click the "
My Account / Order Status
" link at the top right hand side of our site to track the status of your order. You will receive a shipment confirmation when your order has shipped and tracking information within 24-48 hours of shipment.
Have questions or comments?
Email Us
or call us at:
Company Info
About Us
Contact Us
Our Plant
My Account
Shopping Cart
Order Status
Site Maps
Product Index
Category Index
Customer Service
Help and FAQ
Shipping & Deliveries
Returns & Exchanges
Privacy Policy
With us
Copyright ©
Built with


text:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
I'm not QQing, far from it. I happen to like the low level content and have very much enjoyed going back and playing it. I was loremaster before because I love questing so this is a great expansion for me due to all the new quests. I've done all the Cata questing but have just begun to do/redo all the old world stuff.
But as you point out, adding all those quests and revamping all those zones took a ton of man hours. Many people I know have shown no interest in the low level stuff. Clearly not a scientific poll, but I've never claimed otherwise. The point is, that time could have been spent on other stuff, possibly higher level stuff. And my suggestion is that maybe that would have kept more people happy.
Getting away from making up how I play the game and then critiquing it, why do you think there are less players now than before? and how do you think spending development time on lower level content vs post 80 content affects subscriber numbers?


text:
My name is Nelly, live in Russia. I'm a cosplayer and make up artist.
I will post some of my works here and i hope you'll enjoy it!)
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
"Sherlock BBC" cosplay (female version)
fem-Sherlock by Silent Ripfem-John by me
make up by me too ))photo by Roman Gloss


text:
Same bank, new name. Six banks in a Nebraska–based system are consolidating.
Platte Valley State Bank will change their name to First National. Banking officials say their goal is improving customer experience.
They promise more products, and are putting an emphasis on local decision making.
"The community bank that we were remains. This is not a merger, this is not a new bank buying a bank," said bank president Mark Sutko. "It's simply taking an existing company, a Nebraska-based company, the largest privately owned banking company in the U.S., and just bringing six banks together so it's completely different. So the community bank we were we remain, but we'll only enrich it."
And while technology continues to evolve, Sutko says the changes will offer the best of both worlds.
"It takes those traditional pasts and keeps them and it combines them with the creative virtual world that's out there, so no matter what age a customer would like to do banking we'll have innovative new ways to allow that to happen." Sutko added.
The bank appearance and employees will remain the same, and the name will change over by the end of fiscal year 2014.
General and news information or questions:
Across the Midlands Information:
Comments: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: 308-743-2494
News Fax: 308-743-2660
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2014 WorldNow and NTV. All Rights Reserved.
For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.


text:
Holy engorged monkey bottoms, Batman! This "experiment" is almost over. Which is to say March is drawing to a close, so I can soon stop using the world's worst phone. But this isn't a post about the world's worst phone (which is surprisingly not a Droid Razr, a hybrid of two of the most fickle phones ever made.) Phones will be another post, assuming I ever get around to making one.
As intrepid readers of this blog might note, I didn't fully engage with this experiment the way I had planned. I did register two new email accounts (AOL and Yahoo) to use for my personal correspondence. I did email my friends and family to let them know to contact me using those for the foreseeable future. I did change my social networking accounts and others I use regularly (Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, NYPL, Amazon, Drugstore.com, Seamless-don't-you-judge-me) to logins/contact details associated with the new email addresses. And that's about it. I didn't switch over accounts that I haven't used this month, which means there's a bunch of unread stuff waiting for me over at GMail. Including a bunch of emails from forgetful friends, and some Irene Adler-esque dinner invitations from Barack Obama. I'm not hungry, Barry. Why would I have dinner if I'm not hungry?
This has driven home how little actual (i.e. personal) email I get. Fully 90% of my email is nonsense from mailing lists I've ended up on over the years. A further 7% is relevant, but not personal (i.e. purchase receipts, credit card statements), leaving only 3% or so that is personal correspondence. FYI these numbers are unscientific, in that they were fished from the aforementioned protuberant buttocks of a libidinous bonobo*.
It's very freeing, considering the amount of email I have to wade through at work, to only get a couple of messages a day. Actually it's not a huge change, considering I usually ignore most of my email unless GMail marks it as being of high importance. That's a feature I wouldn't mind seeing from AOL or Yahoo. It's also further proof that Google products are ideal for lazy people such as yours truly. It's like having a really incompetent robot PA to pre-screen your messages. How did you know that I don't care about my Sallie Mae statement this month, but I really need to get this 10% off deal on all P&G products from Drugstore.com? Thanks incompetent robot PA! You're
the best generally OKish!
In addition to convenient modifications for lazy people (+ Gchat right in your email!), GMail also has the least obtrusive ads of the three services I've used. AOL and Yahoo both have much larger, more obnoxious ads. Colors! Moving images! After you send an email, AOL even re-routes you to a page featuring ads and their news stories. Neither service takes you directly to your mailbox upon login, but rather to their news sites. GMail takes you right to your mailbox (or your Google account main page) and all their ads are text based. That's swell. They also generally trust that you're a person, or at least they don't discriminate against you if you're a robot. Yahoo will sometimes make you fill out a Captcha before you can send your email, which is very annoying.
Now that I have so many email accounts I will have to decide where to route my messages in the future. Should I make my AOL account exclusively for financial stuff? Should my Yahoo account be linked to all my social networking profiles? Should I register a Hotmail account to sign petitions with and give to probable spammers? I like not having to look at that stuff. Then I can use my Gmail account (note how I'm not planning to continue this past April 1st) for real mail, and only real mail. What a thrill!
*I'm currently reading The Fry Chronicles. You know who to blame for the word choices in this sentence.


text:
E-mail this story
How to handle a car fire
Cars in movies seem to explode into a raging ball of flames with far greater frequency than they do in real life, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. Even if you just smell burning wires or see smoke, don't assume that flames aren't close behind.
Matt Schmitz
August 4, 2013


text:
|Hasselbeck practices, expects to start, but still feels soreness in side
|Written by Admin
|Wednesday, 31 October 2007 14:49
``Worked for the Red Sox. Trying it,'' the Boston-area native and former Boston College Eagles quarterback said Wednesday.
The Seahawks quarterback hopes it works for achy sides, too.
Hasselbeck made it through his first practice since he strained his right oblique muscle in a win over St. Louis on Oct. 21, though he appeared bothered. He winced. He bent over at the waist. He consulted the team trainer and quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn. And he continually rotated his right, throwing arm in a windmill motion, as if to loosen it.
It was loose enough. One pass was a perfectly lofted, 50-yard throw that reached D.J. Hackett's hands as the receiver sprinted down the sideline.
``Yeah, I think he was conscious of just seeing how it feels, just to see what it felt like to make all the throws. It was good,'' Zorn said.
Hasselbeck and the Seahawks said he'll be ready to start when skittish Seattle (4-3) comes off its bye and plays at surging Cleveland (4-3) on Sunday.
``I was probably a little bit careful,'' Hasselbeck said after skipping only a couple of snaps with the first-team offense.
Monday, he sat out all the drills while Seneca Wallace - who went 2-2 starting last season while Hasselbeck was out with a sprained knee - and Charlie Frye worked with the first team.
``Honestly, it's something that was painful,'' Hasselbeck said before going back into the training room for more treatment and more ice wrapped onto his side. ``I've worked hard all last week trying to get better trying to do what I could, and I think the things we did really helped. I feel really good going into this week.''
The area of Hasselbeck's injury - sustained when Rams pass rusher Claude Wroten slammed his helmet and shoulder pad into Hasselbeck's side as he threw an incomplete pass in the second quarter of the Seahawks' most recent game - gets pulled each time Hasselbeck raises the ball to throw it.
``It has to do with your torso and twisting,'' said Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, a former college quarterback at USC. ``It might affect the quarterback more than any other position on the team, if you stop and think about it.
``It's not gone entirely ... but I expect in a couple of days it probably should be gone. And yes, he has to fight through it.''
Hasselbeck had the best September of his career, leading Seattle to three wins in its first four games even though Shaun Alexander and the running game was stalled. This month, he's been sacked eight times in three games - two of them losses. Yet he is completing 61.4 percent of his passes for the season and has had at least two touchdown passes in four of the past five games.
He's not the only Seahawks player hurting.
Leading receiver Deion Branch was supposed to be back by now from a sprained right foot that has caused him to miss the past two games. But he was in sweat pants, a sweat shirt and knit cap instead of a uniform during practice Wednesday. Holmgren said Branch has a 50 percent chance of playing Sunday.
Pro Bowl left tackle Walter Jones was limited in practice by a chronically sore shoulder. Starting right tackle Sean Locklear was limited by a sore ankle. And Holmgren said Marcus Pollard is a ``long shot'' to play against the Browns. The tight end had surgery to repair partially torn cartilage in his right knee. Will Heller, who caught a career-high two touchdown passes against the Rams, will likely start again. Defensive tackle Rocky Bernard was limited by a sore groin.
In an effort to shake up the running game, Holmgren inserted oft-injured veteran backup Floyd Womack at right guard for Chris Gray and left guard for Rob Sims during first-team drills Wednesday. Sims, a native of Macedonia, Ohio, and former Ohio State player whose father Mickey played for the Browns from 1977-79, sounded resigned to Womack starting for him Sunday.
And disappointed.
``I've got 400 people coming to the game. It's going to be crazy if it goes down that way,'' said Sims, a fourth-round draft pick last year who has started all seven games this season. ``Yeah, it would be embarrassing, embarrassing for my family. But it's not about me, it's about the team.
``I'm hoping this is the time I can look back on in my career and say, I turned the corner - to being great from being good.''


text:
California Premiere
Screening followed by Q&A with film producer Marc Pierschel (all the way from Germany!)
(Please make sure to turn the CC on for subtitles)
Food scandals, climate change, lifestyle diseases and ethical concerns move more and more people to reconsider eating animals and animal products. From butcher to vegan chef, from factory farmer to farm sanctuary owner – Live and Let Live tells the stories of six individuals who decided to stop consuming animal products for different reasons and shows the impact the decision has had on their lives.
Jan and Karin transformed an intensive dairy farm into a retirement home for animals which offers refuge to cows, horses, pigs, chickens and many other animals rescued from certain death. Ria and Hendrik are activists who liberate chickens from a factory farm to bring them to a sanctuary. Chef Aaron used to slaughter rabbits, serve veal and foie gras at his restaurant, until one day he reconsidered his ways and opened an all-vegan Italian restaurant. Jack, a professional track cyclist training for the Olympic Games in 2016 in Rio, discovered he's even faster on a plant-based diet. Philosophers such as Peter Singer, Tom Regan and Gary Francione join scientists T. Colin Campbell and Jonathan Balcombe and many others to shed light on the ethical, health and environmental perspectives of veganism. Through these stories, Live and Let Live showcases the evolution of veganism from its origins in London 1944 to one of the fastest growing lifestyles worldwide, with more and more people realizing what's on their plates matters to animals, the environment and ultimately – themselves.
Find out more about the film HERE


text:
Fidel Castro discloses brother's words to Obama
HAVANA (AP) — Cuban President Raul Castro introduced himself to President Barack Obama in English at Nelson Mandela's funeral, telling him, "Mr. President, I'm Castro,"…
HAVANA (AP) — Cuban President Raul Castro introduced himself to President Barack Obama in English at Nelson Mandela's funeral, telling him, "Mr. President, I'm Castro,"…
HAVANA (AP) — Elian Gonzalez, the young Cuban boy who survived a boat sinking and became a political football during the 2000 U.S. presidential campaign…
"Pancho the Pelican," right, looks at his adopted mother Magela Guerrero, holding her puppy Rome at her home in Havana on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) by Andrea RodriguezAssociated Press Writer HAVANA (AP) — Pancho the Pelican apparently prefers the company of humans to his own kind, and the grit of the big city to a life spent soaring through the breeze above the Caribbean Sea.
In this June 9, 2013 photo, Cuban track and field legend Javier Sotomayor, right, and Olympic volleyball champion Mireya Luis, pose for a photo inside Sport-Bar 2.45, named after the height in meters (equivalent to 8 feet, 1/2 inch) of Sotomayor's world record high jump, in Havana, Cuba. (AP Photo/Franklin Reyes) HAVANA (AP) — Cuban track and field legend Javier Sotomayor has launched a sports bar named for the height of his world record high jump. An Olympic volleyball champion has opened a swanky new Italian restaurant, and salsa star Hugo Morejon has a first-rate automotive repair shop. Armed with money and name recognition, Cuban athletes and artists who have long enjoyed a far more luxurious lifestyle than their compatriots on the Communist-run island are embracing the new world of private enterprise. In doing so, the celebrities have exposed themselves to more than a little envy from a population already weary of the perks they've long had.
GLORIA ROLANDO AND TONYAA WEATHERSBEE by Tonyaa Weathersbee No doubt, last month was a fortuitous time for Gloria Rolando, the renowned Afro-Cuban filmmaker, to be touring the United States.
(NNPA)–When the FBI announced that they were placing fugitive Assata Shakur (Joanne Chesimard) on the list of most wanted terrorists and that they were offering an additional $1 million for her capture, it caught most of the world by complete surprise.
SANDRA GUZMÁN by Sandra Guzmán (CNN) — When does a romantic anniversary trip with your hubby to celebrate five years of marital bliss become an international kerfuffle, complete with calls for you to be prosecuted for treason? Well, when it's Cuba, where Americans are banned from traveling to for tourism, thanks to one of the most enduring embargoes in the history of mankind.
ASSATA SHAKUR (AP Photo/New Jersey State Police, File) (YourBlackWorld.net)–Why, after so many years, would the FBI decide to place a 65-year old activist on it's most wanted terrorists list? People are asking this question about Assata Shakur, a former Black Panther who has been able to evade authorities for the last 40 years. Her conviction for allegedly killing a police officer and wounding another has long been called into question and she has garnered a tremendous amount of public support, particularly within the Black community.
ROSA CLEMENTE By Charlene Muhammad LOS ANGELES (FinalCall.com) – Rappers and music audiences appear to be engaged in a battle over freedom of speech and consumerism with a backlash against negative lyrics.
Copyright ©2014, . . All Rights Reserved Powered by WordPress.com VIP


text:
VICKSBURG (WKZO) -- A Vicksburg man has been cleared by a jury in Kalamazoo County of arson charges from a fire at a paper mill last summer. Kevin Chapman was acquitted Wednesday and had been arrested in September in California. Witnesses had told police there were roughly seven people between the ages of 18 and 21 drinking at the old Vicksburg paper mill when the fire started.
Kalamazoo's Morning News 6:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Kalamazoo's Morning news


text:
- Musician's Friend Best Selection, Price & Service. Guaranteed.
Need Help? Call our Gear Heads at 800-449-9128Private Reserve Guitars 866-926-1923
Need Help? Call our Gear Heads at 800-449-9128
Accommodates almost any recording situation.
The Blue multi-pattern Reactor pushes the envelope of modern microphone design and performance while making multiple mic setups more accessible. Reactor fuses an innovative pattern selection method with a swiveling capsule head for perfect positioning, and features Blue's premium condenser capsule, fully discreet Class A solid state components, and proprietary preamp for simple live switching between patterns (Cardioid, Omni or Figure-8). To facilitate use in multiple mic setups (like Mid/Side, X-Y), Reactor's capsule head rotates a range of 90 degrees for perfect positioning in tight spaces and easy pattern adjustability. Reactor's recording pattern selection is both intuitive and stylish, featuring LED backlighting on the pattern indicators and a magnifying element that compliments its forward-looking design.
Achieve a world-class contemporary sound!
Review Snapshot®by PowerReviews
Best Uses
Reviewed by 12 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-10
Previous | Next »
Best Uses
Comments about Blue Reactor Multi Pattern Condenser Mic:
You definitely get what you pay for with this mic and maybe a little more (especially if you find it on sale).
At first I was upset to find Blue neglected to include a dB pad or a low-cut filter, but the other day I used it to single mic a drum kit just for laughs and it's like the thing compresses itself. Very present, but it handled the dBs just fine and it was right up on the kit.
People seem to complain about the weight and how it topples stands and causes the shock mount to sag.. Well, it is heavy, that's absolutely true, but with a little more attention to setup I was able to secure the mic just fine on a pretty terrible stand. Fixing the mic at a downward angle proved to be a little more difficult, however.
I think it would be very hard to find many other mics of this caliber at this price point.
Best Uses
Comments about Blue Reactor Multi Pattern Condenser Mic:
I would love to give this 4.5 stars, but since that option does not exist I went ahead and gave it 5 stars.
The sound from this (in all patterns) is just sweet, No other word to describe. Sweet, sweet, sweet. Smooth, warm, crisp.
So far I have used mostly for male vocals & hardly any EQ was needed to cut through the mix.
Here is the caveat -- the thing weighs about 1.5 tons & a proper shockmount was apparently not designed for it (?!?)
So positioning & placing the Reactor on a mic stand is a precarious act akin to walking a tightrope between two Vegas skyscrapers on a windy day.
Even when placing it upside-down (as a Blue rep recommended), it's wobbly... I have a heavy-based mic stand.
I had read about these shockmount issues before I purchased it & thought maybe some were exaggerating. They're not, so just be forewarned & have a good stand.
So 5 stars for the sound, but hoping there is some sort of alternate shockmount planned from Blue for the future of this baby -- cause it's a fabulous sounding mic.
Best Uses
Comments about Blue Reactor Multi Pattern Condenser Mic:
I have now used this on one recording (setting aside my Rode NT1A) and the sound is there. The shock mount should have been made to accomodate the large body. There are ways around this like using an arm and tilting the mic to the side. Even then you will need to secure the mic stand. I designed a vocal booth and placed it inside the booth on small table top mic stand. I am after the end result of good recordings, not cosmetics. On sale or the SDOD it's a great buy. Blue makes good quality mics.
Best Uses
Comments about Blue Reactor Multi Pattern Condenser Mic:
great mic and great service
Best Uses
Comments about Blue Reactor Multi Pattern Condenser Mic:
Sooth and warm sounding microphone with no hi end brittleness. Extremely well made. Needs to be securely fastened to its shock mount since it is very heavy.
Best Uses
Comments about Blue Reactor Multi Pattern Condenser Mic:
Everyone should have an all around multi-patterned mic and this one fills that bill. Only thing is - this is a HEAVY mic. You probably won't be able to use this on your average boom stand. You may need a wrench on the mic holder to keep it from sagging.
Best Uses
Comments about Blue Reactor Multi Pattern Condenser Mic:
Have only used this mic a few times, but I love it so far. Mic'd a Peavey half stack with a Line 6 head, with 3 mics. an SM58, a Samson C03, and this Blue, to compare/contrast. Ran them through a Mackie Onyx board and listened with Dynaudio powered monitors.
The Blue had a very nice full guitar sound from the cabinet. I was impressed. I like using SM57/58's, and there is definitely a time and a place for those, but this Blue really impressed my by comparison.
Can't wait to record vox with it, I have high hopes!
Best Uses
Comments about Blue Reactor Multi Pattern Condenser Mic:
This is a great sounding microphone. Warm, and most important for a vocalist, it's not brittle on the hi end. It's very heavy which shouldn't matter, but it does. It is hard to secure on the shock mount.
Best Uses
Comments about Blue Reactor Multi Pattern Condenser Mic:
I own and have used many quality multi-pattern microphones (Sontronics Helios, Avantone CV-12, U87, AT4050, AKG 414, Rode NT2000) in my day. The Blue Reactor is by far the most versatile large diaphram condenser microphone I have used. This is not due to a transparent or neutral sound, but due to the way the polar patterns effect the tone for use with such a wide variety of sources. Is it aesthetically beautiful? It is to me; I love the neo-retro styling. Love or hate it, fine, but give it a chance from the tonal perspective.
Typically I try to match the microphone's tonal tendencies with the opposite of the source to balance things out. (E.G. Dark microphone=bright source or darker source=brighter microphone.) This is obviously not always the case depending on how you want things to sit in the mix, but I find that when selecting a mic for a particular source those are my personal tendencies or what I end up deciding even if I don't start there because of the results.
I'll try my best to describe my experience with the 3 different patterns and their effect on the sound:
The cardioid pattern is quite bright and works great for "in-your-face" or intimate vocals. It also works wonderfully for dark instrument sources that you want to "pop". It isn't a bright as the Blue Blueberry, but it works wonderfully. The presence boost is not in a place where you will constantly be struggling with sibilance or "s" sounds. It mostly above that range at 10K or so. At least for my male vocals it wasn't an issue. I could see it getting bright or having too much sizzle for a female vocal, but then I might consider changing the pattern to influence the tone (see figure-8). Will it work for all vocals, no. But it might work with quite a few.
The figure-8 pattern has a slightly rolled off top end sound that works great for fattening up electric guitar, ukelele, or any bright sources like horns (if you don't have a ribbon microphone). The figure-8 pattern had the most prominent proximity effect, which can be used to your advantage as well for adding some low end. It was reminiscent of the tone you might expect from a "long ribbon" mic. Maybe just a hair brighter and less of a mid bump.
The Omnidirectional pattern is somewhere in the middle of those two tone-wise having a little more high end than the figure-8, basically no proximity effect, and extended bass response (without any boost in the bass frequencies. This is probably the most neutral sounding (while still slightly adding some presence)
A lot of people complain about how heavy this microphone is… Yes it is heavy. If you have a proper stand it isn't a problem. If you know how to tighten a shock mount it isn't an issue. I personally haven't felt like the shock mount is poorly designed or can't handle the weight of this microphone.
In the long run, this is a sound studio investment, especially if you don't have one quality large diaphram condenser in your mic locker at home. If this was around when I had not yet chosen one microphone yet for my home studio and I had the opportunity to try it first to understand its benefits and limitations then I would have for sure picked one up. It is not a neutral microphone; it does offer 3 quite distinct colors to match to your sources when recording.
I recommend it. You won't be disappointed.
Best Uses
Comments about Blue Reactor Multi Pattern Condenser Mic:
This is an inspiring mic.
It's looks are arguably interesting or just wierd.
It's shock mount is shocking. It's hard to get the mic in it, and then it's hard to stabilize.
It's so heavy that it can double as a training weight.
But all that aside, it's a Great mic. It simply sounds fantastic!
And after all, isn't that what we want from a mic?
The sound is very detailed, clear, airy, with a crisp high end and full mid range and low end.
What's also impressive is that the noise level is very low (as low as Neumann 102, 103), while the signal level is high. I only use about 3/4 the gain I use on other similar mics.
And on top of that it handles transients better than my Neumanns. You can blast it with "p"s and it won't break up.
This thing is as good - or better - than mics costing twice as much.
Displaying reviews 1-10
Previous | Next »
Our product catalog varies by country due to manufacturer restrictions. If you change the Ship-To country, some or all of the items in your cart may not ship to the new destination.


text:
The deal is hugely important for Dassault, that had been considering stopping production on the Rafale jet as recently as December due to a lack of demand.
It's a win for Nicolas Sarkozy and a loss for David Cameron, who had hoped that Britain's bid with the British-made Eurofighter Typhoon would win the contract.
India had sought bids from a number of companies, including those from the US and Russia, in order to replace its aging Soviet=era planes.


text:
Book your room at Hotel Questenberk
4-star romantic hotel in Prague (Mala Strana) near Strahov Monastery
Located in the city center of Prague, this romantic hotel is near the airport and within walking distance of Loreta Monastery and Treasury and Strahov Monastery. Also nearby are Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral.
Hotel Features
In addition to a restaurant, Hotel Questenberk features a bar/lounge. Other amenities include a coffee shop/café and complimentary wireless Internet access.
Room Amenities
LCD televisions include premium satellite channels. Guestrooms also feature beds with pillowtop mattresses, complimentary wireless Internet access, and refrigerators.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Hotel Questenberk
At your hotel
Dining options at the hotel include a restaurant and a coffee shop/café. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Business amenities at this 4-star property consist of a 24-hour business center, limo/town car service, and a meeting room.
A computer station is located on site and high-speed wireless Internet access is complimentary. This romantic hotel also offers a terrace, tour/ticket assistance, and barbecue grills.
Hotel Questenberk has designated areas for smoking.
- Terrace
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- 24-hour business center
- Porter/bellhop
- Coffee shop or café
- Coffee/tea in lobby
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Supervised childcare/activities (surcharge)
- Total number of rooms - 27
- Multilingual staff
- Express check-out
- 24-hour front desk
- Number of floors - 4
- Elevator/lift
- Bar/lounge
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Complimentary newspapers in lobby
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Express check-in
- Computer station
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Free Wi-Fi
- Designated smoking areas (fines apply)
- One meeting room
- Designated smoking areas
- Luggage storage
- Laundry facilities
- Barbecue grill(s)
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Restaurant
- Room service (limited hours)
- Television in lobby
- Wedding services
- Garden
- Picnic area
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Year Built 1610
Stay connected
Available in all rooms: Free Wi-Fi
Available in some public areas: Free Wi-Fi
In your room
- Pillow menu
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
- Complimentary bottled water
- Premium TV channels
- Premium bedding
- Phone
- Refrigerator
- Minibar
- Minibar (stocked, some free items)
- Daily housekeeping
- Private bathroom
- Complimentary toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Shower/tub combination
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- Desk
- In-room safe
- Satellite TV service
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Free Wi-Fi
- Air conditioning
- Climate control
- Soundproofed rooms
- Egyptian-cotton sheets
- Pillowtop mattress
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Individually furnished
- Individually decorated
Eat and drink
Onsite dining venue - Overlooking the garden, this restaurant specializes in international cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests can order drinks at the bar and enjoy alfresco dining (weather permitting).
Room service (during limited hours) is available.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Scooter/moped rentals nearby
- Bicycle rentals nearby
- Mountain biking nearby
- Cross-country skiing on site
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
The fine print for Hotel Questenberk
When you arrive
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
When you leave
Check-out time is noon
How you can pay
Accepted at this hotel: American Express, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, JCB International, MasterCard, Visa
Your pets
Pets allowed, Pet maximum weight in kg is 15
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- No onsite parking is available.
- Airport shuttle fee: CZK 700 per vehicle
- Valet parking fee: CZK 500 per day
- Rollaway bed fee: CZK 750 per night
We should mention
A resort fee is included in the total price displayed. Children 12 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


text:
Summer Fruits & Vegetables: What Do You Miss the Most?
Okay, I know we are all about seasonality here at The Kitchn and I appreciate beets, cabbage and potatoes just as much as the next gal, but these winter days have me pining for the succulent sweets of summer time. How about you?
You know when you get a perfect, hot, sunshiney day off work and you visit your local farm and pick strawberries, peaches, then a bushel of blueberries? That's what I'm talking about. Let's get dreamy here folks! Which summer fruit or veg do you miss the most?
Related: Craving Summer Recipe: Gluten–Free Peach Crisps
(Image: Leela Cyd Ross)
35 Comments
Thank goodness I canned a bunch of peaches and pears! I love peaches and am bummed that here in CO we get them in Aug/Sept vs. late June with how I grew up with them in CA.
Peaches! Nectarines! I guess any stone fruit, really. . . .
This photo made me sigh with sweet sweet longing.
Tomatoes of all kinds!!
Strawberries! My kids adore them and I still buy them off-season to keep them eating a variety of fruits, but they're the saddest, mealiest strawberries ever. Last season we were overseas and missed our window for u-pick strawberries and it just didn't feel like summer without a massive box of the perfect berries in the fridge, waiting to be turned into jam and tarts. There's always next year, I guess.
I'm enjoying the heck out of citrus, which is currently in season here in south Louisiana. We should start seeing strawberries in a month or so, although I'm concerned it didn't get cold enough this winter (highs have been hanging around the low 70s a lot) for a really good crop. I could definitely go for a warm from the sun tomato or a peach right now, though....
Tomatoes, cherries, and plums. Next year I'm not going to miss out on cherry season, even if canned or frozen aren't quite the same as fresh.
Easy-tomatoes! And while this is more of a spring vegetable but green garlic and aspragus. Love those too.
As for fruit...I adore nectarines and apricots.
Tomatoes for sure! Also strawberries, cherries, and blueberries.
Sweet eggplant, nectarines, sweet corn, tomatoes, and loads of fresh herbs. I've mitigated the pain of winter with the 2 gallon bags of blueberries I froze this past summer by slowly working through them for breakfast with yogurt and homemade granola. I am, however, staring down my last frozen bag of roma tomatoes, and know now is the time to be strategic. It's a LONG time till tomatoes.
I agree with the above posters: any fresh berries and garden tomatoes. Frozen berries and canned tomatoes are paltry substitutes, but they'll do.
For Summer produce it's peaches peaches peaches but for other times of the year I'm craving fresh pumpkin or celery root when they're not available.
peaches and nectarines!
Peaches - yum. Also, and this isn't specifically summer, but I crave asparagus all year. It's season is so short!
@INKSTAINEDWRITER Yes! Asparagus, how could I forget. Just last weekend I was moaning about how it was still 3 months away and how I couldn't wait to use it 20 different ways. Aaaaasparagus. Mmm.
Tomatoes and nectarines. The out-of-season and/or imported ones just don't compare!
Peaches and cherries. Hands down!
Juicy, sweet watermelon - so refreshing!
but really, I miss two Jersey staples the most: corn and tomatoes. Mid-June and the return of the farmers' market cannot come soon enough around these parts.
Peaches, and just about everything else! It's so hard to incorporate vegetables right now because nothing seems super appealing, all I want is fresh from the garden goodness!
Peaches, tomatoes, grapes, berries ... pretty much all fruits. Though I did can a bunch of peaches, and I opened up a jar the other day for a little taste of summer. Yum!
I miss tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes!
watermelon, tomatoes, berries (of all varieties). Ok really just all fruits!
PEACHES! i was just thinking last night about how ready i am for peach season to begin. to hold myself over until then, i bought a bag of frozens to toss into smoothies... sigh.
I miss cherries!
heirloom tomatoes. cut thick on sourdough bread.
Heirloom tomatoes!!
stone fruits
shell beans
But I live in California and Spring is right around the corner!
I can't wait to bite into a juicy, red cherry that stains my fingers and tongue.
- Garden tomatoes so I can eat them in sandwiches or on BLTs or salted as a salad,
- REAL strawberries, not those red pointy golf balls in the store,
- any fresh stonefruit,
- fresh green beans that were not grown in Mexico or California or goodness knows where and
- cherries. Especially tart cherries. Two years ago I basically missed the local cherry season (we were moving into a new house) and this past year the harvest was so poor they were hideously expensive and there was no U pick in our area. Tart cherries scarcely even made it to the farm stands. Had to content myself with less-than-perfect, but oh-so sweet and dark sweet cherries.
Crap. Now I REALLY miss summer! :( Only 6 more months. Although the weather outside (55 today in the Hudson Valley) wouldn't make you think that tomorrow was Feb. 1st. *sigh*
Strawberry, Asparagus, Apricot and Cherry times are right around the corner for Californians. Love the spring time bounty.
Baseballs- spring training is just around the corner...
Tomatoes of August and September (I'm a Michigander now...), and last year's were wonderful. The only other thing I miss in winter are strawberries that actually taste right, but they should show up in another month or two from Florida... I don't eat very many since it is expensive to ship, but I love them.
Berries and watermelon!!!
The big, orange-fleshed, deeply ribbed melons that are called Indiana or Honeyrock melons here in Ohio. They're very sweet, and the best ones do have a bit of honey flavor to them. I never see them out of season, they don't seem to be imported, so I buy as many as I can possibly use while they're available. Maybe they're strictly a midwest thing?
My tomatoes and green plumbs from my tree.


text: NBC: Administration Knew Most People Would Not Be Able to Keep Their Plans by John Sexton 28 Oct 2013 View Discussion Share This: A new report by NBC News confirms that the administration knew President Obama's oft-uttered promise "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan" would not prove true for millions of Americans: Four sources deeply involved in the Affordable Care Act tell NBC NEWS that 50 to 75 percent of the 14 million consumers who buy their insurance individually can expect to receive a "cancellation" letter or the equivalent over the next year because their existing policies don't meet the standards mandated by the new health care law. One expert predicts that number could reach as high as 80 percent. And all say that many of those forced to buy pricier new policies will experience "sticker shock." [...] the administration knew that more than 40 to 67 percent of those in the individual market would not be able to keep their plans, even if they liked them. Yet President Obama, who had promised in 2009, "if you like your health plan, you will be able to keep your health plan," was still saying in 2012, "If [you] already have health insurance, you will keep your health insurance." "This says that when they made the promise, they knew half the people in this market outright couldn't keep what they had and then they wrote the rules so that others couldn't make it either," said Robert Laszewski, of Health Policy and Strategy Associates, a consultant who works for health industry firms. Laszewski estimates that 80 percent of those in the individual market will not be able to keep their current policies and will have to buy insurance that meets requirements of the new law, which generally requires a richer package of benefits than most policies today. If the 80 percent figure is correct then approximately 11 million people will lose their current plans and have no choice but to purchase the new government approved plans. This figure does not include the 7 million or so who could be dumped off their employer plans as a result of the reform.


text: Ok...although I'm four glasses down on a cheap Austrailian Chardonney and I have to say...I'm enjoying this bottle. Recently I've taken a fancy to the mass exports of our friends to the west. Little Penguin, Jacobs Creek, a host of others. Nothing extravagant (actually quite cheap really) but acceptable. Anyone care to add their current wine preferences? I'm not very well read when it comes to wine but I do know these are very, very pedestrian.


text:
No-bake Chewy Fruit and Nut Bars
Photo: Annabelle Breakey
More From Sunset
Recipe Time
20 Minutes
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
- Calories: 162
- Calories from fat: 44%
- Protein: 2.9g
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated fat: 1.8g
- Carbohydrate: 21g
- Fiber: 1.9g
- Sodium: 68mg
- Cholesterol: 3.6mg
- 1 1/2 cups puffed brown rice cereal*
- 1 cup dried tart cherries
- 1 cup whole roasted unsalted or raw almonds
- 2/3 cup chopped dried apricots
- 1/4 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
- About 2 tbsp. butter
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup brown rice syrup*
- 1/4 cup creamy almond butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1. Line an 8-in. square pan with foil. Butter foil. In a large bowl, stir together cereal, cherries, almonds, apricots, and chocolate.
- 2. Combine 2 tbsp. butter, the sugar, syrup, almond butter, and salt in a small saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium heat until butter melts and mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Immediately pour bubbling mixture over cereal mixture and stir until well combined.
- 3. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan, using lightly buttered hands. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. Tip out of pan onto a work surface and peel off foil. Using a sharp buttered knife, quarter mixture and then cut each quarter into 5 bars.
- *Find at natural-foods stores and Whole Foods Market.
Make ahead: Up to 1 week, chilled airtight between layers of waxed paper.
My Notes
Only you will be able to view, print, and edit this note.Add Note
No-bake Chewy Fruit and Nut Bars Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Snacks
- CONVENIENCE: Kid-Friendly, Make-Ahead, Portable/Picnic
- MAIN INGREDIENT: Fruits, Nuts
- DIETARY CONSIDERATION: Low Cholesterol, Low Sodium
- PUBLICATION: Sunset
More Recipes Like This
Fruit and Nut Chewy BarsSunset
Fruit-and-Nut Breakfast BarsSunset
Indulge your cravings!
Free Daily Indulgence Newsletter: You'll get our most indulgent sweets and savory treats.
We Respect Your Privacy. Privacy Policy


text:
Real life Dr. Light capsule hologram
This made the rounds a month ago after Andrew Butterworth created it for Gauntlet Gallery's "Mega Man Boss Battle" show, but I'm posting it anyway because I GIF'd the clip up after seeing it on Albotas, and because it's now available to purchase for $3,000!
You can see the original Light Capsule replica video here.BUY Mega Man games and more, upcoming games
Awesome. But like games I like but don't love, I think I'll wait a few months and pick it up used.


text:
ROCKTALK forum
View latest messages in My Forums
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Topic - KMF: The People's Choice?
Frank the Husky - on 17 Nov 2013
The voting for this award cannot be judged fair under the current way of doing things. "Climbing 1" had about 5 screenings over Sat and Sun, whereas "Adventure & Exploration" got 2 (or possibly 3) in smaller venues. I know there are logistical issues around the size of the venue and more people probably want to see the climbing films than the non climbing ones, but this inevitably skews the voting massively in favour of the big budget climbing docudramas like The Last Great Climb. I imagine that will win again despite not being the best film.
I think the value of the award is currently meaningless. Is there any way that things can be changed to make the voting more representative? Could votes for a film that is only shown once have double or triple weighting? Does it even matter?
... not showing 38 replies to this topic ...
Register as a New User or login to gain full access to the forums. Registration is quick and completely free.
If you are definitely logged on, press Ctrl+F5 keys to reload this page [read more]
Unregistered users can only read messages in the most recent topics.
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
My Forums


text:
Acadia <<uh KAY dee uh>> was a region in eastern Canada. It became the site of the first permanent French colony in North America. French colonists settled there in 1604. Acadia included what are now Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The colony also included parts of what are now the province of Quebec and the state of Maine.
In 1755, during the French and Indian War, British officials tried to force the Acadians to swear loyalty to the British king. But the Acadians refused. Between 1755 and 1763, the British forced about 10,000 Acadians to move to colonies farther south. Their story is told in the poemEvangeline (1847) by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, an American poet.
After much hardship, most of these people later returned to Acadia and settled in New Brunswick. Some Acadians went to Louisiana, a former French colony in what became the United States. Descendants of these Acadians are called Cajuns.
Incoming search terms:
- 66 south globe
- globe of the north pole


text:
Coconut-Curry Seafood Crêpes
More From Sunset
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
- Calories: 537
- Calories from fat: 52%
- Protein: 34g
- Fat: 31g
- Saturated fat: 19g
- Carbohydrate: 30g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Sodium: 706mg
- Cholesterol: 256mg
- 3 1/2 cups fat-skimmed reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 pound (26 to 30 per lb.) shelled, deveined shrimp, rinsed
- 1/2 pound boned, skinned salmon fillet, rinsed
- About 1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter or margarine
- 1 onion (about 8 oz.), peeled and minced
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 pound shelled cooked crab
- Curried Crêpes
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
- 1. In a 2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, bring broth to a boil. Add shrimp, cover pan, and remove from heat. Let stand until shrimp are barely opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), 1 to 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a board.
- 2. Return pan with broth to high heat. When boiling again, add salmon, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand until fish is barely opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), 8 to 9 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer to board. Pour broth into a 1-quart glass measure or a bowl; rinse and dry pan.
- 3. Set pan over medium-high heat and add 1/4 cup butter; when melted, add onion and stir often until limp, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle flour over onion and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in reserved broth and the coconut milk, then whisk over medium-high heat until mixture boils and thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- 4. Meanwhile, remove any bits of shell from the crab; put crab into a bowl. When shrimp and salmon are cool enough to handle, cut shrimp into 1/2-inch chunks and with a fork, flake salmon; put these into bowl with crab. Mix in 1 1/2 cups coconut sauce.
- 5. Lay one crêpe flat in a lightly buttered 9- by 13-inch pan. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the seafood mixture onto half the crêpe, spreading to within 1 inch of edge; fold bare half of crêpe over filling, then fold in half again to form a triangle. Repeat to fill remaining crêpes, slightly overlapping in a single layer in pan. Cover and chill up to 1 day.
- 6. Uncover and bake in a 350° regular or convection oven until crêpes are hot in the center, 35 to 40 minutes.
- 7. Spoon remaining coconut sauce evenly onto dinner plates. With a wide spatula, transfer crêpes to plates, setting in sauce. Sprinkle cilantro evenly over crêpes. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
My Notes
Only you will be able to view, print, and edit this note.Add Note
Coconut-Curry Seafood Crêpes Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Main Dishes
- CONVENIENCE: Entertaining, Make-Ahead
- CUISINE: American
- MAIN INGREDIENT: Fish, Shellfish
- COOKING METHOD: Convection Oven, Bake
- PUBLICATION: Sunset
More Recipes Like This
Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut-Curry SauceCooking Light
Coconut Curry Jasmine RiceCoastal Living
Thai Coconut Curry ShrimpCooking Light
Do you love cookies?
We do too! Get your favorite holiday cookies delivered to your inbox.(Nov.-Dec.)
We Respect Your Privacy. Privacy Policy


text:
To view more pictures and information please visit our website www.classiccarliquidators.com. After viewing the vehicle you may give us a call at 903-891-0000 and one... More
The Stutz High Duty Fire Engine Company came to life in 1919 when A.C. Mecklenburg & Harry Stutz came together to form a new... More
Solid little example of the pretty and popular, MGB Roadster. Local Virginia car that was with same owner for last 12 years. Car was... More
This 1961 250GTE Chassis #2709 is a superb original example in need of a very straightforward recommissioning. Grey with black interior. The car is... More
Very original... More
This 1977 Maserati Bora 4.9 is an extremely rare and desirable find. Red with black interior. An excellent original example need of minor cosmetics.... More
1968 Corvette that can be used as a driver. The car is in brilliant red with a black interior and it has a black... More
1962 Chevrolet NovaWhite 1962 Chevrolet Nova model in mint conditionClassified as a 2-Door convertible model with several optionsEquipped with a 235 cubic inch straight... More
By 1932 Pierce-Arrow had long established its sterling reputation as one of the finest manufacturers of premier motorcars in the country. In 1928 the... More
In the 1980s one surefire way to demonstrate success was to go out and buy a brand new Ferrari Testarossa. The exotic mid-engined supercar... More
This matching numbers 1967 330 GT 2+2 Chassis #9435 is from the final series of production with the attractive two headlight nose and a... More
Just in!... More
Porsche 911 Twin Turbo! Alcantara Headliner! Please call for additional details.... More
1965 V.W. Convertible - 1300 C.C. - 4 Speed - Rare - $16,950... More
Same owner since 1979. In storage for the past couple of years. Starts, runs and drives. Steering a little loose. The car was most... More


text:
- Ethics Home Page
- About the Center
- Focus Areas
- Publications
- Events
- Contact Us
- Site Index
Ethical Political Leadership: Speaking Hard Truths
By Judy Nadler
The success of the California recall made it clear that the voters are unhappy with their political leaders. In Sacramento, the governor-elect and state legislature will be convening to discuss solutions to the state's financial crisis. It seems an impossible task: one party following up on campaign sound bites to cut spending and roll back taxes; the other party, the legislature that has been paralyzed by partisanship for nearly a year, and was barely able to pass an overdue budget.
Even as the dust settles on the statewide recall, candidates for local offices and proponents of ballot measures are in the heat of battle for the November 4 election. In carefully worded ballot statements and fiery campaign speeches, candidates are outlining the problems, perhaps the opportunities, and prescribing the solution to issues ranging from affordable housing and traffic congestion in local neighborhoods to fluoridation of the municipal water system. Pressed for answers at candidate's forums, endorsement interviews, and in campaign coffees, few candidates are willing to admit they don't have all the answers. And few are willing to adopt taxes or cut services to pay for programs.
Some part of the responsibility for the unwillingness to speak the hard truths must rest with the public who are woefully mistrustful and uninformed about how government works. When asked why they don't trust government, the top reasons given are that government is inefficient, wastes money, and spends money on the wrong things.
Who is going to speak the hard truths? In an environment of term limits and recall elections, is there any hope that our elected leaders will look at the long-term impact of their decisions? Will we see more deferring of tough decisions, more legislation that puts off to the next generation the problems and debts of the current? Are our leaders going to be willing to risk the support of their constituents by taking an unpopular position? Will the revolving door created by term limits bring more partisanship to local elections? Is there any chance to overturn the unwillingness to hear bad news?
How did we get to this place, and what are our chances of stemming or turning the tide? One possible source of the problem may be the way in which we conduct our campaigns. The huge amount of money needed to run a competitive election encourages alliances along traditional party lines, but has also evolved to include special interest groups. The public perception of "pay to play" has an impact... How can the candidate turned officeholder speak out on Indian gaming issues after taking significant campaign contributions from those interests? If when you're campaigning, you advocate a position in support of controlled growth, but once in office discover the issues are vastly different than you anticipated, how can you fulfill your campaign promises without compromising your ethics by doing the right thing? In some cases, the campaign becomes a series of polls or focus groups figuring out what the public wants to hear, and the candidate promising to deliver on those issues.
What have we done to encourage public sentiment that looks for the quick and painless solution to difficult problems? How can we encourage the public to gain a greater understanding of how government works, and become more involved through boards, commissions, or even elected office?
Has the media contributed to the pressure to say "the right thing" in such a condensed sound bite that it becomes not part of the solution or debate, but the entire debate? With a Google search, reporters can call up a vast history on candidates and their stands, and point out discrepancies in their stated positions. Being consistent is considered good in government, but not at the expense of flexibility.
Once elected, how can or should those campaign promises be fulfilled? Arnold Swarzenegger promised to eliminate the vehicle license fees, a primary source of revenue for local government, but promised to do so without cutting services paid for with those monies. Will the public be willing to be flexible with the new governor; should he and his new team find that there are, in fact, no easy answers to California's crisis?
Ethical decision making asks that you consider all the facts, walk in the shoes of those affected, consider all the options, and evaluate them based on a series of questions, including which does more good than harm, and which is best for the community as a whole. In a state as diverse as California, is there such a thing as "the common good" and if so, who defines it? In issues that run along geographic or demographic lines, does the elected leader have a responsibility to those who elected him or her, or to the broader constituents of the region or the state? If you know that only a certain percentage of your constituents are registered and come to the polls, are you any less obligated to serve their needs?
Consensus and collaboration are important in decision making, but if that means crossing the aisle the political consequences can be painful. One party leader stated his plan to oppose and seek to defeat any member of his party who "defected" on key issues. In this environment, there is little room for independent thinking or speaking the hard truths. Perhaps we should aspire to author James MacGregor Burns' definition of leadership: "Leadership is leaders inducing followers to act for certain goals that represent the values and the motivations the wants and needs, the aspirations and expectations of both leaders and followers. And the genius of leadership lies in the manner in which leaders see and act on their own and their followers' values and motivations."
October 23, 2003


text:
Share your comments
Antique bakery. 2
Yoshinaga, Fumi
Adult Fiction YOSHINA
Yoshinaga, Fumi
Adult Fiction YOSHINA
Summary: As Tachibana, Ono, and Kanda continue to run the bakery "Antique," their daily routine is suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a tall, mysterious man in dark sunglasses. Addressing Tachibana as "my lord", his name is Chikage Kobayakawa. Not only does the man's appearance lead to surprising revelations about bakery manager Tachibana and his past, but also triggers chef Ono's notorious "demonic charm." The bakery also deals with the hectic holiday rush, and this year, Tachibana has decided to start a special Christmas delivery service - as Santa in a red Ferrari!
Question about returns, requests or other account details?
Add a Comment
|Submission Guidelines


text:
Don't-Miss Tablet accessory Stories
TrewGrip wants to change how you type on your mobile device
We first spotted this flipped-around mobile keyboard at CES. Now we've gotten a chance to try out a prototype before the finished version arrives this fall.
Will the TrewGrip keyboard strike the right key for mobile users?
TrewGrip takes a traditional QWERTY keyboards, splits it in two, and flips it around so you can touch type on your mobile device. We put a prototype of this mobile keyboard through its paces.
This robot from Zuta Labs may change the way you print
The future of portable printing may be contained in Zuta's Pocket Printer, a four-wheeled robot that's a little smaller than a CD case. But that's only if its makers can improve on a crowd-funded prototype.
Hands-on with iStick, a USB drive with Lightning connector
Sanho's iStick is a storage device that features both USB and Lightning connectors, making it easier to transfer files between Macs running OS X and mobile devices running iOS.
Expo Notes: Livescribe hopes to make the pen mightier in the digital age
The smartpen maker came to Macworld/iWorld to show off its Livescribe 3 smartpen and tout the third-party apps that now work with the smartpen.
Microsoft's Surface Power Cover set to ship next week
Prepare to spend almost $200 for the extra battery capacity.
iToi's video chatting accessory is a sight to behold
This iPad case may look kind of odd, but it addresses a lot of the issues you can run into with FaceTime and Skype chats on your tablet.
Hands-on: When iPads get drunk, they dock with the TrewGrip keyboard
If you've ever longed for a keyboard for your iPad mini or phone that's vaguely suggestive of a pasta shell, perhaps the TrewGrip is for you.
TrewGrip takes a backwards approach to a mobile keyboard
The TrewGrip keyboard for phones and small tablets takes a standard QWERTY keyboard, splits it in two and flips it around, so that you type as if you're holding a steering wheel.
MIT powers up new wireless charging prototype
Researchers at MIT are working on creating a new kind of wireless charging network and one that can expand offering much more opportunities than the networks available today.
Microsoft Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 benchmarks and hands-on
We go hands-on with Microsoft's new Surface 2, Surface Pro 2, and some of the new covers for Microsoft's flagship device. Plus, we have benchmarks!
Microsoft covers every base with 8 new Surface accessories
From battery boosts to portable productivity to, um, music mixing, the slew of new Surface accessories covers most everyone's needs.
Reports: Power Cover to add battery boost to Surface tablets
Taking a cue from convertible tablets, the Surface Power Cover keyboard will include a battery to give users a bit more time before the tablet runs out of juice.
Microsoft's Surface slates get permanent price drops, cheaper Touch Covers
No matter whether the cost reductions come as compensation for lackluster sales or to clear the way for a new generation of tablets, Microsoft's Surface slates just received a permanent price reduction.
Wall power outlets are so 2012
In the future, phones, tablets and wearable computing gadgets won't come with chargers, they'll use inductive chargers built into desks, kitchen counters, bedside tables, cars, and other surfaces.
Tech For Life: More apps and gear for air travelers
We're still stuck at the airport, but not to worry -- we've got the right apps and accessories on hand to take some of the agony out of flying.
Tech For Life: More apps and gear for air travel
We're still stuck at the airport, but not to worry -- we've got the right apps and accessories on hand to take some of the agony out of flying.
Tech For Life: Cooking up a storm with kitchen-friendly gadgets and apps
Whether you aspire to become a four-star chef or just avoid a four-alarm fire the next time you cook dinner, the right accessories and apps can be invaluable in the kitchen.