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Ingmar Bergman's 'The Seventh Seal' is one of those movies which has sat around in my flat for in excess of two years without being watched. Having finally taken the plunge and committed myself to it I can't help feeling a little ashamed that I had neglected it for so long. It's a film whose reputation precedes it. I remember reading about how Woody Allen loves Bergman, and how these Swedish movies were rooted in this kind of Kierkegaardean existentialism. It always sounded up my street, but I had never quite got there, until now.
The movie starts out on a beach on the Swedish coast. A knight and his squire have been washed up on the shore, presumaby after a battle. Upon awaking, the protagonist Antonius Block, finds himself face to face with the allegorical figure of Death, who has come to collect him. Stating that he is not ready to die, he makes a bargain and challenges Death to a game of chess. If Antonius wins, Death will release his grip. If Death wins, he can claim Antonius. During the game Antonius and his squire roam Swedish coast, in one last attempt to understand life, death, love, and the prospect of God.
The medieval Sweden portrayed in the movie is ravaged by the black death, triggering community investigations into the meaning of life, and the fear of death. Bergman's use of collective investigation into an individualistic issue is novel. The existentialists, by nature, are prone to think in terms of the individual, but what about individuals facing the same personal crisis together? The only other example of this which I can think of is Camus' 'La Peste'. We see a range of reactions during Antonius' travels, including last minute flings, despair, murderous tendencies, and the absurd tension of our protagonist, as he searches for meaning where there is none.
The most fascinating character for me, however, is not Antonius, but rather Jof. He is a performer and entertainer, who leads a nomadic existence with his wife Mia, and young child Michael. We are first introduced to Jof, as he tumbles acrobatically from his cart in the morning, having just woken up. He is full of playfulness, chatting with his horse, and smiling, exuding a joie d'vivre unshared by other characters. During this dawn scene Jof experiences a vision. In the quiet morning meadow in which he sits, he sees an apparation of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus. Upon seeing this he runs back into his cart to tell his sleeping wife what he has seen. Jof is such an endearing character because he is naïve, accepting, and seems to live in the present. He is filled with wonder at his vision, but typically no-one seems to really believe him. Later on in the film he is the only character who is able to see that Antonius Block is playing chess with the allegorical Death.
There is a certain parallel between Jof and the fool characters in Shakespeare's plays. It always seems to be the coxcomb/fool/entertainer character who is able to see the true nature of things. Jof is able to penetrate the surface reality of situations and see into a symbolic realm beyond. Jof's character forms a counterpoint to almost all others in the movie. It is telling that the characters who search for meaning, who are past and future oriented, are those who never achieve this higher plane of vision. Bergman seems to be implying that Jof is only able to see these things because his life is totally present oriented. He is the typical idiot character, who, ironically, is able to obtain more answers than any of the others who scrabble around trying to rationalise, or 'believe'.
Perhaps Bergman is trying to make some kind of statement about the artist as a visionary. After all, the one who can express himself most freely is the one who is able to transcend reality. The amusing thing, for me anyway, is that Bergman's work undercuts the endeavours of the existentialists like Sartre, and Kierkegaard whose rational philosophy leads to answers, but can rarely lead us into a pure acceptance of the wonder of life and death.
I'm alone tonight in my flat. It's dark outside, and I live on the main road connecting central and north London. This means that I can hear all of the cars going past, and the more wet it is outside the more of a 'whoooosh' noise they make as they go past. To drown them out I'm listening to this:
And sitting here, in this ambient half-light, thinking about Chopin I suddenly realised the significance of that amazing scene near the end of Roman Polanski's movie The Pianist, where the main character, malnourished, shell-shocked and disorientated is caught by a Nazi soldier in an abandoned house. The protagonist tells the soldier that he used to be a pianist, and so the soldier asks him to play. What the man plays is key - he plays Chopin - not one of the great German classicists like Beethoven or Wagner - but Poland's crown jewel Chopin.
Now this is significant because what follows is a mind-blowing performance, and at the end of this movie we see the German soldier accepting Polish beauty. He lets the main man leave, unharmed. It seems that he is humbled by the fact that a human being in such a wretched condition is able to express such beauty. But the fact that it is Chopin which elicits this reaction is so awesome. Poles were the ethnic group most severely affected by the Holocaust in terms of death toll at concentration camps.
The fact that Chopin is played is also an expression of pride and nationalism, and a continuing affirmation of identity in the midst of Nazi terror. Maybe I've been a bit naïve, but I hadn't connected the dots before. This has made me love this film even more than I already did.
For anyone who hasn't seen it, I highly recommend it. Based on my experiences in Warsaw and reading, it seems to give a relatively accurate portrayal of the Warsaw ghetto, and the severe destruction the city faced during the war.
The jazz café in town. I sit down and arrange my things at a small bar overlooking the street. Through the filthy window, pock-marked with the pattern of dried raindrops, the buses drive past. They are full of passengers, and the windows are steamed up. All I can see are muffled figures, as if through frosted glass. A small child rubs his arm across the window, clearing for himself a portal to the outside world. He looks out, and for a second or two we make eye contact. We stare at each other while the bus is stationary, and somehow, across this space, it's as if we're not actually looking at each other. We are separated by a window, and the distance between. The child leans in towards the window, and soon his continued exhalations erase him, as the window clouds once more. The bus heaves a little, and a green light says go.
A girl sits next to me on the bar-like area, which is lined with wooden stools. These stools are so close together that I can't turn to see her face without visibly moving around, and triggering her attention. Nonetheless what I do see are her hands, which are slender and pale. Up towards her wrist are the first shadows of freckles, and a slim brown watch. She arranges her own things at the table. She has a small black notebook, a pen, and a grey Samuel Beckett book. I consider starting a conversation.
I begin to think: if I was reading a Beckett book in public and someone commented on it, I would instantly like that person. I consider whether she has decided to read this book for pleasure or to study. Anyone who reads Beckett for pleasure must be someone who enjoys reflecting on the aesthetic parameters of hopelesness. It seems apt given the nature of this day. We sit here, looking out onto a grey and dismal street, and the people walk past, like in a Lowry painting, small and miserable and cold. I am too shy and I don't say anything.
What happens as she sits down is that the Beckett book is discarded in favour of the small black notebook. Far from watching her every move, I am concerned with my own work and trying to make progress in a neutral environment, free of most distractions. As I work I find myself looking across, but still not seeing her face, and I notice that she is writing into this book with conviction. As I sit, trying my hardest to push even fifty words out of my fingers, I wonder how this girl is just trail-blazing a stream of consciousness next to me. I lean back slightly in my chair, and I can see the back of her head, and medium-length brown hair.
I read the notes she is making, peering over her shoulder. I see that it's not anything explicitly creative, but instead, of all things, it seems to be a life plan. I see bits of text like 'Ok, so first I need to…', making her sound as if she were trying to get her thoughts together. I realised that this actually was a stream of consciousness. Something was coming together. She mentioned that she would need to sell her Cello, and at the bottom of the page her end goal was 'be free'. Upon reading this a smile materialised on my face. The irony of reading Beckett and writing about 'freedom' seemed too perfect in this situation.
I was reminded of a quote I had read by Beckett during my undergraduate degree: 'All life long the same questions, the same answers' (Endgame). The irony of what I saw struck a chord with me. I had read Beckett too, and this time last year I recalled having spent a sullen night in Russia, making my own life plan, feeling like I was trapped and needed to get out. I stayed up that night with a traveller I had met discussing what comes next, and in the company of that stranger I felt unusually positive. My end goal was also freedom of a sort back then. An escape from my working life at that point, and a grand entrance into something different and fulfilling.
Still sat in this cafe, I considered how the girl sat next to me seemed to be doing the exact same thing, and I knew that there was something I wanted to say to her, but I didn't know what it was. With a kind of sadism I watched her making this plan, wondering how long it would be before she was dissatisfied once again.
Life goes in cycles, and we create prisons for ourselves. Sure, we are slaves to universal bondages, the revolt of the flesh, sexual desire, anger, pain, but more frustratingly, we are slaves to our self-made bondage. What could this girl have been trying to escape from? It must have been something which she felt that she had enough agency to feasibly change. 'Think about Waiting for Godot', I wanted to say, 'and the illusion of progress'. When we make a change, our new life inevitably becomes our new bondage. We make the same decisions again and again, and even though we take a different route, we still 'try again, fail again, fail better'. Things might be better in the short term, but by living anything other than an animal existence, we cannot be happy. We may take a different path, things may be better in the short-term, but eventually we become bored, complacent and need to re-invent again. This is a good thing, but at the same time making plans with a view towards attaining freedom is absurd. We may be able to achieve contentment or satisfaction, in a limited capacity, but never will we achieve freedom. As Estragon says in Waiting for Godot: 'that's how it is on this bitch of an earth'.
(via nminusone)
Sonder [2:39] from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, written by John Koenig.
sonder - n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own
In May 2008 Bitcoin's pseudoanonymous creator Satoshi Nakomoto published an article outlining his vision for a peer to peer based currency system which would not be reliant on any financial institutions. The grounding or unique idea behind this was the fact that Bitcoin would be entirely decentralised. Nakamoto identified a central weakness in our current financial system: namely that we have to place faith in third parties to hold our money. For most of us this third party is usually a bank. The key weakness with our banks, as we saw during the wall street crash, is that the stability of our investments in banks is based on public faith. When faith wanes, and people withdraw en masse, the banks will crash.
The Background
Bitcoin has gained significant traction and increased credibility in 2013 despite its inception four years ago now. Nevertheless, although the currency has been around for a significant amount of time, so much mystery continues to surround it. Despite the many Bitcoin simplification videos and articles floating around on the internet, it requires significant cross referencing and 'digging' to come to an understanding of how this currency works, and why its design is so revolutionary. Bitcoin has presented itself as an alternative in an economic climate dominated by fear and uncertainty - unlike our current bank-based system Bitcoin is founded on a stable algorithmic base, rather than a trust base, which helps to mitigate risk of financial collapse.
Wikipedia defines Bitcoin as 'a cryptocurrency where the creation and transfer of bitcoins is based on an open-source cryptographic protocol that is independent of any central authority' - whilst this is a technical description, it's not particularly useful in coming to an understanding of Bitcoin. I think the most challenging stumbling block in terms of understanding Bitcoin is that firstly, it is different to anything we know, and secondly all transactions are entirely intangible. Therefore I will try to structure my explanations by reference to tangible analogies.
How does it work?
The easiest way to think of Bitcoins is as physical money. One of the key benefits of Bitcoin is that it is not regulated by a third party. Consider a simple transaction. You go into a shop to buy a bottle of water, and you pay by card. Your card tells your bank to pay the seller the required amount of money. Bitcoin is more akin to cash in that bitcoins are stored by the owner, rather than by an institution. Think about if you have £500 cash. You can store this in physical places, and there is no third party involvement if you want to buy something with it. You simply hand over the cash in exchange for goods. Bitcoin functions in just this wat. It can be stored in a Bitcoin wallet and any transactions result in the coins being transferred directly to the receiving party.
How is new money created?
One of the most ingenious elements of Bitcoin is the method by which new currency is introduced to the Bitcoin pool. Unlike with the federal reserve or bank of England where money can theoretically be printed in an infinite amount, there is a cap on Bitcoins. There can only ever be 21 million Bitcoins. This is the limit imposed by the system code. Currently approximately half of the total Bitcoin population has been mined, with about 10 million still to be mined. The mining algorithm is incredibly sophisticated and self-regulates the Bitcoin economy.
When it comes to our current financial system, there is no limit to the amount of money which the Bank of England can print. However, the number of Bitcoins is pre-determined and finite. This gives Bitcoin a stable base. Just looking at case studies such as Zimbabwe, and Weimar Germany in the '20s, we can see that if new currency is pumped into a system too quickly it can totally lose its value. Conversely, if currency is introduced too slowly or ceases to flow effectively, we experience economic stagnation. The goal of the banks is to try and plot the middle ground, but as empirical evidence shows, this isn't always so simple.
Bitcoin seeks to mitigate the risk of boom and bust, as its built in algorithms ensure that currency is not released into the Bitcoin economy either too quickly or too slowly. The process through which currency is introduced is known as 'mining'.
The actual process of mining involves the solving of 'blocks' which are complex algorithms. These are solved using keys, which are 64 digit codes. The correct code will release 50 new Bitcoins to the pool. This is effectively free money. Bitcoin mining is becoming an incredibly competitive business, and increasibly people are coming together into mining pools, whereby each person in the group receives their share of coins every time a block of code is collectively solved. Bitcoin regulates the flow of currency through its reactive algorithms. If it were the case that Bitcoins were being released too fast, the algorithm would become more complex and therefore be more difficult to solve, thus slowing the flow of Bitcoins into the pool. To clarify the process of mining the following illustration may be useful.
There is a room, and in this room there is a metal box including 50 gold coins. However, there is a padlock attached to this box which prevents the gold from being accessed. Within the room you have 100,000 keys to the lock, and only one of the keys will release the gold. It's a matter of trying to unlock the box and access the gold, but the number of keys results in a time lag, which monitors how often the gold can be obtained. The first one to unlock the box gets the coins.
Now imagine that the keybearers begin to efficiently open these locks through their speed and power. If this were the case, the system would ensure that for the next 50 coins we have the same padlocked box, but instead a significantly higher number of keys. This helps to slow down the release of currency.
What about Bitcoin performance?
A quick glance at the graph below serves to show the extent to which Bitcoin has grown in value over the last 12 months. Since August last year the value of one Bitcoin has grown from approximately $10, to $105 today, representing a growth of over 1000%. The graph below also shows the volatility of the currency. Within one year the value of coins has fluctuated by about $250, starting off at $10, and peaking during April at a huge $260.
The viability and long term value of the currency is a subject of much debate at the moment, as the use value of Bitcoins continues to be relatively low. Some websites such as Wikileaks, Wordpress, and OkCupid have begun to accept Bitcoins as a valid currency, however the relatively small practical use of the currency constantly threatens to reduce its value. Only when and if Bitcoins are more widely accepted will their values become less volatile.
The currency has also been under considerable scrutiny by financial regulators, who are worried about the presence of illegal activity in the trades of Bitcoins, as a piece of software known as Tor, allows users to hide their identity in trades, allowing them to trade on what is known as 'The Silk Road' (An online black- market), with impunity. To clarify here, there is no impunity because to sign up for Bitcoins you are not required to submit the sort of detailed personal information you would expect to submit to a bank (such as name, address, etc). This makes transactions difficult to trace back to an identifiable party.
What next?
What we see with Bitcoin is a radical currency which destablises our current financial paradigm, and proposes something which is entirely digital, and through which we don't need to place faith in a state run bank, or any other financial institution. Instead we solely put our faith in the Bitcoin code (which is totally open source and anyone can review). Interestingly Bitcoin made such an impression in Canada that the government has devised its own decentralised currency known as MintChip. If more countries follow suit we could see a radical shift in the way we think about and use our money.
But for now Bitcoin still has a long way to go in convincing investors that it is not a high risk product, that it is truly built on a sustainable model, and that the public can use Bitcoins without the fear of coins being hacked and stolen. Nonetheless, I hope that this serves to clear away some of the mystery surrounding this fascinating phenomenon.
As a final note, Bitcoins can be traded freely on MtGox, which is the most well-established platform for Bitcoin trading.
If that still doesn't make sense check out this video:
Fiction has always occupied an important role in the process of 'working through' the traumas of the past. A new documentary by Joshua Oppenheimer entitled The Act of Killing invites perpetrators of Indonesia's 1965/66 genocide to re-create their memories of the past through film, instigating a long overdue reconciliation process.
The events of Indonesia's para-military coup of 1965/66 remain a mystery to many westerners. Unlike other mass killings in Rwanda, Srebrenica, or Cambodia, Indonesia's past seems to have somehow faded from history books on this side of the world. However, a new documentary by Joshua Oppenheimer entitled The Act of Killing seeks to cast light on Indonesia's anti-communist purges of '65 and '66, by encouraging leaders of anti-communist death squads to re-enact the murders they committed nearly fifty years ago. Oppenheimer allows the self proclaimed 'gangsters' to re-create their memories of 65/66 on film, and in any style they wish, with whatever props necessary. The results are fascinating.
The role of fiction in understanding such acts of mass violence is key. Primo Levi, one of the most famous commentators and survivors of the holocaust states explicitly in his book Moments of Reprieve that fiction is a key pathway to understanding, as it helps develop empathetic experience. By allowing Indonesian war criminals to re-enact the past through fiction Oppenheimer encourages them to remember, and re-consider their past actions.
Cathy Caruth, a leading scholar in the emergent field of trauma studies highlights the importance of fiction in the process of understanding and working through traumas of the past. Trauma theory usually comes into play as a result of victim status. However, Oppenheimer's documentary asks us to question to what extent the perpetrators of such crimes also experience trauma from an awareness of their own actions. Just because a person has killed over 1,000 other human beings that person does not cease to be a human, and sometimes this is something which is easy to forget. This realisation of humanity enhances the horror of such acts, as it is much easier to disassociate the perpetrators of such crimes from the rest of us, but they are still human, and their actions will still elicit psychological reverberations.
The war criminals followed in the movie, led by Anwar Congo, experience total impunity in Indonesia, where they are hailed as national heroes for their acts. The criminals are members of a right-wing paramilitary group – 'The Pancasila Youth' - which actively collaborated with the government to effect a purge of around five-hundred thousand PKI (Indonesian Communist Party) members and Chinese immigrants. Worryingly, the documentary shows the way in which the collaboration endures to this day, with Chinese immigrants and 'communists' facing continued intimidation and discrimination.
Other case studies such as Serbia have shown that the normal process if for war criminals to face charges by the international courts of justice in The Hague. A fact which led Serbian killer Radovan Karadzic, as one example, to disguise himself and go into hiding. The Act of Killing shows us that there is no such fear in Indonesia. The criminals are shown to appear on TV speaking about the murder of communists, and the continued discrimination of chinese and communist groups as if nothing were amiss. During the movie one of the gangsters states that he would love the international courts of justice to call him to trial, because he believed he had done nothing wrong.
What is perhaps most shocking about The Act of Killing, is the way in which the war criminals choose to portray the past. Anwar Congo, the lead man, tells the audience how he was inspired by Hollywood cinema in Indonesia, and used to run a ticket touting business for the western movies. Re-enactments of murders and torture are often rendered by him in the style of the cliche American movies he is so in awe of. In one scene Anwar plays a John Wayne esque character riding a horse. In another scene a prisoner interrogation is acted out in the style of an American gangster movie. The adoption of these forms is uncomfortable and fundamentally problematic. However, the killers' choice of form goes a long way towards exposing how lightly the genocide is taken by them to this day.
Trauma theory is fixed on the notion of the victim overcoming trauma through repetition and understanding. The Act of Killing shows us this process from the side of the aggressors rather than the victims. The perpetrators of these crimes are shown to also experience trauma. Lead man Anwar Congo speaks of a particular image which haunts his dreams of a man he decapitated with a machete, as well as facing other night terrors from his murdered victims. The dawning realisation of the gravity of their past actions slowly seeps through in these re-enactments, provoking a long deferred realisation and regret.
We can only hope that the high profile nature of The Act of Killing and its critical acclaim will help to bring war criminals to justice, and to raise awareness as to the continued discrimination and seeming lack of remorse for the killings of 1966.
Originally posted at The Wiener Library
To visit a concentration camp memorial is to visit an estranged place. A place where the disconnect of time alone, from the liberation of the camp in 1945 to the present day, creates a feeling of unshakeable discomfort and disorientation. In this place where the birds sing idly, oblivious to the legacy of history, you feel incredibly aware of where you are standing: on a former concentration camp site, and yet somehow it is so difficult to reconcile this immaculate place of calm to what you know it represents.
Walking across the expanses of land which comprise Auschwitz or Dachau, one can reach out for an understanding, trying to recall historical truths from the pages of books you have read, or by superimposing photos of the past onto the precise places where they were taken, but this revelation never comes. I've previously thought to myself, if only I could kneel down, put my head to the ground, and bring myself into contact with the earth; maybe it would reveal to me its hidden secrets, locked away for so long. Maybe it would unwittingly confide in me and convey all that it had witnessed, this dumb, blind, passive observer. But no, I would have to use the tools afforded me: the site in its current form, and my own judgement.
Earlier in the month I made a trip out to Munich. A ten minute train journey out of the city leads you to the relatively quiet suburban Dachau. Like the small town of Oświęcim which is more commonly known as Auschwitz, this place seemed like any other small town. It is the burden of a name which seems to weigh heavy on these places, and although it represents a naivety on my part, I can never help feeling uneasy upon realising that in these places, despite all that has happened, life seems to continue as normal.
Dachau was the first concentration camp set up by the Nazis in 1933, and in comparison to other camps such as Sachsenhausen or Auschwitz, it was used mostly as a forced labour camp. Dachau was the initial incarceration centre for those singled out by the Nazi's as presenting an immediate threat to Hitler's power. During its early years a significant number of inmates were political prisoners, such as rival party members, and outspoken proponents of communism. However, as Hitler's war progressed, the demographic of the camp changed radically to include all types of Nazi branded outcasts.
Before visiting Dachau the only other camp I had visited was Auschwitz, and it was only upon seeing a second camp that I began to fully appreciate the role of curation in guiding understanding and perception. In fiction for example, which is wholly narrative, it is easier to perceive the ways in which narrative voice and tone can sway us in different directions, forming and guiding our opinions. However, when it comes to physical spaces this is somehow less apparent. We are more inclined to think of physical objects, such as the concentration camp barracks, or watch-towers, as being immutable. They are brick and mortar, and surely that fixes their meaning in the past? At Dachau this is not the case. The deletion and selective reconstruction of parts of the site mean that these spaces have a power to guide thought or carry narrative, and it is this narrative formed of selective presentation which can sometimes tread a difficult ethical line.
When I had visited Auschwitz three years ago, I recall how raw the experience of seeing the camp was. When you walk out through the gatehouse at Auschwitz-Birkenau and onto the train tracks you are presented with barracks almost into the distance, and the scale of this site inspires terror. Most pressingly what I felt at Auschwitz was that somehow the site feels unchanged, unmanipulated. The brick furnaces at the end of the camp, (which the Nazi's attempted to destroy before making their retreat), look untampered with. They are a crumbling ruin, showing an indication of the partially standing former structure, but there has been no attempt at re-construction. These furnace foundations seems to have sat unchanged, only for the wearing effects of time. The point I am trying to make here is that at Auschwitz-Birkenau in particular, the site almost seemed to present an unmediated 'as it was' view of things, and for me this was incredibly affecting.
I was surprised to have such a different experience at Dachau, and maybe the clue to this difference is in the name. We have on the one hand 'Auschwitz Concentration Camp Museum', and on the other 'Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site'. On a basic level the role of a museum, we might say, is to educate and inform, whereas the purpose of a memorial site is to commemorate or to serve the purpose of encouraging remembrance (although these definitions are not mutually exclusive by any means). At Dachau I was surprised at how calm and peaceful the site felt,a dn I was struck upon coming into the camp, by the seemingly landscaped and well kempt banks, which gave me the first impression of a place which is highly maintained.
Every inch of Dachau is carefully crafted. A number of watch-towers have been re-constructed. Of the 17 rows of 'barracks' which stood on the site only one row remains. At the far end of the site are three large religious memorials. Taking the central position at this end is a Catholic worship memorial, to its left a Christian memorial, and to the left of that a Russian orthodox church. Far off to the side is the Jewish monument, which interestingly unlike the others is not a religious shrine. It is instead a cave of mourning.
Walking around Dachau I couldn't help thinking back to Auschwitz – how the site had been devoid of religious influence, and how it felt untouched. There were no immaculately kept lawns, physically deleted parts of the camp, or religious shrines. Dachau seemed so different. How could I pick out what was real from what was not? I began to question what each part of the memorial site conveyed to me, and then how it conveyed it. The extent of reconstruction and deletion at Dachau led me to question why it wasn't conveyed more like the other camp I had been to.
Another student I met raised a question which continued to play in my mind for the rest of my trip. She asked whether this difference in presentation, and the choice to create a 'memorial' rather than a 'museum' could be tied back to some kind of cultural obligation based around aggressor and victim statuses in the post-war period. Upon leaving Dachau I began to think of the camps as being in dialogue with each other, and this is something which will remain with me. Where the Polish curated Auschwitz seems to be a very raw and unforgiving experience, the German curated Dachau seems to be an exhibition of national mourning and remembrance, it is somehow more solemn and reflective. It is like an apology. A site of atonement. Whereas Auschwitz is a stark proclamation of horror.
Originally posted at The Wiener Library


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The election is over. Obamacare survived.
So what's the story in your state or community?
Implementation. Or lack thereof.
So here's an overview of where things stand in D.C. – and what it means for the health beat.
(Soon we will post a short separate item on the new state insurance exchange deadlines. If your state wants to run its own exchange, the deadline is still Nov. 16. They have more time to fill in the details though.)
The Affordable Care Act will not be repealed. Maybe the House will still hold a few symbolic repeal votes, but it's not going to be repealed. That does not mean that critics of the law won't try to dismantle parts of it. Some likely targets include the Medicare Independent Payment Advisory Board and some of the industry taxes, particularly the medical device tax. Watch your own legislators to see where they go on this—if you are in a state or district with a medical device industry, watch the Democrats as well as the Republicans (and the medical device businesses themselves). Ask them how they want to offset the funding; if they eliminate one of the taxes that paid for the coverage expansion, where do they want to get that money instead? Adding to the deficit isn't going to go over as a solution.
The law's funding is vulnerable. How vulnerable and which parts? Hard to say yet. But for what it's worth, #DEFUND is the new Twitter rallying cry for opponents of the law (some of whom do not seem to realize that the Republican House can't act unilaterally … but I digress). There will be ample opportunities for Republicans to try to take a whack at this, not just through the annual budget and appropriations process but through the lame duck session of Congress getting under way this week that will try to find a way of averting, at least temporarily, the fiscal cliff. Continue reading

subset: commoncrawl


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Blue Room Ideas
Star & Stripes Living Room
True blue - whether of the sky or navy variety - is one of the most versatile decorating hues.
Because of the beachy location of this blue and white living room, the owners used semigloss paint finishes for the walls. Higher-gloss finishes are much easier to clean and work well in humid, high-traffic beach homes.They also used removable cushion covers for their seating areas—outdoor-rated fabrics such as Sunbrella are easy to wash and will stand up to wet swimsuits and towels.
Video: Spruce up your living room for under $100 >
Blue-and-White Bedroom
For this home, designer Darryl Carter chose classic milky shades, as well as the palest robin's egg blue (Albermarle Blue by Darryl Carter Colors by Benjamin Moore) in the master bedroom. He even convinced the homeowners that their dark-brown four-poster bed could make the move from relic to marvel with light-gray paint.
In this photo: Benjamin Moore's Ashmead Gray transformed the master bedroom's mahogany Henkel Harris four-poster. Custom drapes from Calico Corners add a hit of pattern, and an antique leather trunk provides extra storage. The duvet and shams are by Area.
Traditional Bath
Blue and white gain new freshness and grandeur in St. Antoine wallpaper in BP948 by Farrow & Ball. The symmetrical arrangement of the sinks and cabinets by A-Ball brings order to a small space. Minwax stain was applied for the bold diamond pattern on the floor.
Do you like this story? Become a fan of MSN Living on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for the latest updates on love, fashion, parenting, home decor & much more!
Homework Desk
A built-in recess in a Maryland farmhouse was made into a homework area. A pink vintage mirror adds depth and light, and a blue and white chair livens up the desk.
Bursts of Color
Bring color into a bathroom not only through a bright wall hue, as seen here in this small space, but also through fresh flowers, like blue hydrangeas. They'll provide a pleasing pick-me-up every morning.
Blue Hues
Various shades of blue work well together in this country kitchen. Notice the deep blue floors—and the darling dogs too!
Bold Blue
A beach cottage in North Carolina goes for a nautical theme in the bathroom, with bold blue walls and white accents. The dark blue works well for the space, since time spent here is brief.
Kids' Room
The boys' room in this Vermont country home feature custom bunks that were designed with extra storage—drawers and shelves—in mind.
Bright Idea: Use a nautical bulkhead light to illuminate a tight spot on the cheap. ($12.97; homedepot.com)
Stenciled and Stylish
These walls were stenciled with silver paint, then finished with bronze highlights. Benjamin Moore's Super White freshened up a 30-year-old Saarinen table. A lively patterned and completely washable plastic floor mat was brought in to bring joy underfoot.
Bold Blue
Blue is a calming color, which might be why it's a common hue for bathrooms. The walls of this blue bathroom (which happens to be from our 2010 eco-friendly House of the Year!) are Benjamin Moore Natura in Fiji.


text: The One Small Step: Chapter Two wiki last edited by Renchamp on 12/07/13 07:09PM View full history Our story opens with Yorricks Mother talking on the radio to Alter, the leader of the Israeli Army. We find out that she was good friends with Alters commanding officer when he was alive. That she discovered bad things about the "Culpepper Ring " ( of which Agent 355 is a part Of ) and she thinks her son has been kidnapped. Alter reveals her agenda for searching for Yorrick, she actually does want to kidnap Yorrick, so Israel will have the only living male, to continue their nation. Natalya reveals the reason why the astronauts are landing in Kansas and not Russia as planned, Apparently not all of the nuclear power plants were shut down and some had melt downs, making the landing spot too irradiated to be safe. In space the two male astronauts get into a fight over a suspected sabotageing of one of their suits.


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By 1x.com
Updated: June 2013. Author Peter Kahrel updated this Short Cut to cover InDesign CC. Several examples have been added, and most examples are now analysed in more detail.
Author note: In Adobe InDesign CS6, GREP has not changed at all. Therefore, the information in this title is valid and up to date for CS6.
Updated: August 2010. Author Peter Kahrel updated this Short Cut to cover InDesign CS5.
Updated: November 2009. Author Peter Kahrel updated this Short Cut to address typos and reader comments.
GREP (short for "General Regular-Expression Print") is a powerful tool that lets you use wildcards ("jokers") to search and replace text. InDesign's GREP implementation can be used for text and also for formatting codes, finding patterns in text as well as literal text.
GREP moves beyond the restrictions that hampered earlier InDesign search features, but unfortunately it does have the reputation of being difficult to master. As with many things, it can be challenging to learn, but, fortunately, a lot can be done with surprisingly simple expressions. The aim of this Short Cut is to show how to create simple but powerful regular expressions.
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No, there is no better PDF
By gasyoun
from Krasnodar
About Me Educator
Comments about O'Reilly Media GREP in InDesign:
I'm fascinated.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
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Mastering GREP made easy!
By Fried Spark
from Aerdt, Netherlands
About Me Designer
As a designer I started to use GREP in InDesign a half year ago, bit by bit, but reading the Adobe InDesign Help section was not very encouraging. After reading this book I use GREP every working day. And it is addicting: every time I find new ways to speed up formatting and to avoid mistakes. Boring Find-Change actions become magic tricks and entertaining puzzles, with a lot of satisfaction (and time saving) solving them. Every InDesign user should understand and use GREP, and this book is the best way to master it.No five stars: I don't like the design. And as a Dutchman, knowing the author is dutch, maybe someday a Dutch version would be awesome!
(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)
Excelent reference
By profeivan
from Bogota, Colombia
There´s a lot of information about GREP coding, but this book is excelent in demostrating, through precise examples in InDesign, how to make searches with this powerful tool. A must have reference for busy designer.Un libro excelente!!!
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Idris Elba aroused by bow ties
Idris Elba gets aroused by dressing up in fancy clothes for awards shows and wearing a bow tie.
Idris Elba gets aroused by wearing a bow tie.
The 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' actor joked that getting dressed up in fancy suits for the forthcoming awards season turns him on, especially when he wears a formal necktie.
He wrote on Twitter: ''My Bow makes my d**k hard every time I smile...is that normal? (sic)''
He then posted another picture of him adjusting his bow tie with a cheeky smile on his face, and captioned it: ''Had fun...releasing the beast..:) (jokes) (sic)''
The tweet prompted an enormous response from the British star's fans, leading him to add: ''Wowsers! Crazy how many new followers you get when you mention the D*** If I owned a Bow tie company I'd be laughing. Dickie Bows by Driis.''
Idris - who is expecting a baby with his make-up artist girlfriend Naiyana Garth - may find himself wearing a bow tie quite often in coming months as his portrayal of South African civil rights leader Nelson Mandela for his latest film has been nominated for many awards including a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama. The film is also hotly tipped to gain a few Oscar nominations when they are announced on January 16.
The actor has said he strived to portray the former president of South Africa in a human way, and show what he was like behind is public profile.
He explained: ''Everyone talks about how he walked into a room and you would feel [special] when you met him. He was also very funny and was always making people smile, which is very funny because he seems so serious.
''It's kind of interesting to know that he liked to joke, he's a human. He had his flaws, he had his moments. We wanted to make him real.''
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Here's a new song by T.I. featuring Chris Brown entitled "Don't Matter." It appears on the DJ Drama & Trap-A-Holics' "Trap Music: Expect The Unexpected" mixtape due out next month. Download "Don't Matter" Here.
Stream it:
- Rita & Dominique
Chris Brown's high-powered lawyer, Mark Geragos, told TMZ on his way out of the courtroom this morning he wants the Rihanna case against his client dismissed because of leaks in the case.
Geragos told us, "Leaks can form the basis for a motion to dismiss the case in regard to outrageous governmental misconduct."
The Judge has set a date of May 28th for Brown's preliminary hearing. Brown did not attend today's hearing.
-Ashleigh / Rita
Source: TMZ.com
Will Rihanna's leaked police photo drain the life from the prosecution's case against Chris Brown?
If Brown attorney Mark Geragos has his way, it will.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg today set a preliminary hearing for May 28 on Brown's double felony case—the result of Geragos pushing for as late a court date as possible to allow him adequate time to respond to the still-pending investigation into just how Rihanna's police photo was released.
Should the gruesome photos' appearance prove to be the result of a police transgression, Geragos told E! News that he will move to have Brown's entire case dismissed.
"The leaks can form the basis for a motion to dismiss the case in regards to outrageous governmental misconduct," Geragos said.
Neither Rihanna nor Brown were present for today's hearing, though the "Umbrella" singer's interests—and those of her jewelers—were represented in the courtroom.
Source: E! Online
- Amee
Rihanna's jewelry is going to be free!
As you probably know, she was wearing $1.4 mil in borrowed jewelry when she was allegedly beaten by Chris Brown. She was supposed to give it back to the jeweler a while back — but it's been held by the cops since Brown's arrest.
Today the judge ruled the jewels can go back to their rightful owner. The LAPD will take photos of the bling in case it's used as evidence in the trial. But expect a plea bargain.
Brown's lawyer, Mark Geragos, also asked the judge to order the LAPD to turn over the investigative reports on the leaked photo.
Chris Brown is not required to attend court in Los Angeles Wednesday morning, when a preliminary hearing date will be scheduled for the embattled R&B singer.
Brown is accused of punching, choking, and biting his then-girlfriend, Robyn "Rihanna" Fenty in Los Angeles after a pre-Grammy Awards party February 8th. He is charged with felony assault likely to cause great bodily injury and making criminal threats.
If the two sides fail to agree upon a deal, and the case progresses to the preliminary hearing stage, the case will be presented to a judge who will then decide if there is enough evidence to make Brown stand trial.
Rihanna's attorney, Donald Etra, said that the "Disturbia" singer would prefer if prosecutors and Brown reach a plea agreement before a trial, but that she would testify if called upon.
Source: Radar Online
- Amee
Turning another page in the Chris Brown / Rihanna assault case, Brown is due to appear back in court today (April 29th) to make his first appearance since entering a plea of not guilty earlier this month.
How today's legal proceedings unfold will largely be determined on whether or not Brown's lawyers are able to strike a deal with the district attorney.
Some of the major factors pushing the case towards a plea deal are the fact that Chris Brown is a first-time offender with no other criminal history, and both pop superstars could do without additional shocking information being made public from the night in question.
If no plea deal is struck and the case goes to trial, Brown could face a maximum of four years and eight months in prison if he's found guilty, according to an L.A. County District Attorney spokesman.
Brown is facing felony charges of assault and making criminal threats.
Source: Gossipgirls.com
CATEGORY: News, Personal Life, Rumors | PERMALINK
Rihanna ditched the US over a week ago for the sunny skies of Barbados where she has been spotted with the likes of Katy Perry, Beenie Man and some mystery guy. According to my reader, she has fled the country to avoid testifying against Chris Brown.
"In California, the state asks the "victim" to testify at the preliminary hearing(Wed.). The victim may not feel like testifying and if so the case is DEAD. Chris walks. Without a doubt. The court can subpoena the "victim" to testify". But Rihanna gets the hell out of the country! US cannot serve a subpoena on someone in Barbados! Or, they can if the Bajan government has some agreement with the US but that would be overkill for this kind of case. The DA and Judge doesn't want to get into a situation where they have to cite her for contempt and even arrest her because this is a domestic violence case and it will look like they are victimizing the victim. So what do they? THEY HOLD HER JEWELRY HOSTAGE? That's right, Necole. In other words, if you don't testify we're gonna hold this 1.4M worth of jewels 'til you do. Let the jewelry companies sue you. ANd, this could also affect the quality of the plea deal because they could imply that if Chris doesn't accept a specific plea agreement then they're gonna hold onto the jewels even longer because they may need it for evidence in an eventual trial. Their actions implicitly suggest that they don't have a case against Chris Brown."
Source: Necole Bitchie
- Amee
CATEGORY: News, Personal Life, Rumors | PERMALINK
More rumours..
Are Chris Brown and Rihanna broken up, or aren't they?
At issue are a flurry of text messages that reportedly were exchanged between the two after Brown was photographed in a West Hollywood tattoo parlor with Girlicious singer Natalie Meji on April 13.
"When Ri saw the pictures, she sent Chris a text message, and Chris said, 'It's none of your business,' " reported Us Weekly.
Brown's rep denies that the two are dating, and told People magazine that the singer was at the parlor with "a woman named Dean," but Mejia seems to think differently.
"Things are going well between us. … (Brown) has treated me like a gentleman at all times," she told RadarOnline.com on April 13.
Brown and Rihanna have yet to confirm that they've parted ways. Rihanna recently announced she will give her first live performance since the alleged assault with a May 28 concert in Dubai.
Our sources say tomorrow's Chris Brown hearing will not end with a plea bargain, although we know both sides are deep in discussion. But it looks like Rihanna could score something big.
Rihanna's lawyer is asking the judge to release the jewelry Rihanna was wearing when she was beaten. The jewelry was taken as evidence just after the beating and she wants it back — it was on loan from jewelers and they either want her to fork it over or pay $1.4 mil.
We're told the cops would like to return it as well. There are reports the D.A. is objecting to returning it —
reportedly for leverage so Rihanna will cooperate. But our sources say the D.A. has not taken a position.
Rihanna's lawyer and Brown's lawyer want to take photos of the jewelry and use them if the jewelry ever becomes evidence in a trial. But legally, her lawyer doesn't have authority to appear in Brown's case — in legalese her lawyer doesn't have "standing." So the judge could simply refuse to hear Rihanna's lawyer.
Will the judge release the hostage jewelry? Stay tuned! Hearing is tomorrow.
Source: TMZ
CATEGORY: News, Personal Life | PERMALINK
Progress has been made on a plea deal for Chris Brown, a source close to the situation tells RadarOnline.com exclusively.
Brown is facing two felony charges for his altercation with Rhianna. Cops say he brutally beat her in his car on Feb. 8.
Court action in the case resumes Wednesday when the parties will try to set a date for Brown's preliminary hearing. He's charged with assault likely to cause great bodily injury and making criminal threats.
Brown signed a waiver and is not expected to be in court Wednesday.
Meanwhile, one source close to the situation says progress has been made on plea deal talks. Even so, that source tells RadarOnline.com, there are still issues to be worked out and a deal is "close, but not imminent."
The source says barring a last-minute breakthrough it is unlikely a deal will be announced Wednesday but both sides have moved closer together.
It is still uncertain what is preventing a deal from being closed by the District Attorney's office and Brown's attorney Mark Geragos.
If no deal is reached and the case progresses to the preliminary hearing stage, the case against Brown will be presented to a judge, and that certainly won't be pretty for the singer. One photo that surfaced of Rihanna after the incident showed her face beaten badly.
-Ashleigh & Rita
CATEGORY: Celebrity Speak, Scandelicious | PERMALINK
Just got some interesting news. Website Islandista is reportng that at a concert in Barbados this past weekend reggae susperstar Beenie Man performed for an audience which included Rihanna.
MediaTakeOut.com claims that during Beenie's performance, he called out Chris Brown – in front of nearly 10,000 fans. Here's how Islandista is reporting it:
Beenie touched the stage at about 7:30 and gave a generally decent performance – certainly the crowd was with him.
Then … he start calling for Rihanna to "report back stage immediately".
And then he start talking up a set of things about the infamous beating incident between her and Chris Brown, asking the crowd if they [thought] it was "an idiot thing that Chris did" while singing a very off-key version of the hook to 'Umbrella'. You could hear a collective 'ooooohhhh!' as the crowd sucked in its breath when he said it.
For most that would be enough, but not for Beenie. He continued on his rampage:
Beenie kept calling for [Rihanna] and singing 'Umbrella' and lo and behold, she actually came up on the stage. Then he start singing his version of Umbrella , part of which went "I don't have no fancy car/But [I'll] never give you no scar".
Trust me. I was shame for de girl. Everyone was shame because the crowd didn't really hype up and carry on the way they had been earlier when he was just performing all his hits. I just wanted it to end.
This sounds painful … but it doesn't end there:
But Beenie wasn't done. He told her that Chris [will] get vexed when he sees the pictures of him (Beenie) and Rihanna hugging up on stage because he is the 'girls dem suga' and anything the sugar touches get sticky.
Source: MediaTakeOut & Islandista
– Felicia


text:
2007 Space Elevator Games - (Entry 31)
October 17th, 2007
Both LaserMotive and Centaurus passed the "qualification" tests that were run today. This means that all 8 teams which have showed up "qualified".
I put "qualified" in quotes because now I'm not quite sure what that means. It was my understanding that the teams which passed todays tests were considered qualified. Now it's my understanding that this is only provisional. If the weather tomorrow does not permit additional qualification runs, then the tests today will be considered qualification ones. However, if the weather tomorrow does permit runs to be made, then the teams have to go through the same qualification tests which the Kansas City Space Pirates successfully did on Monday.
At least that's my understanding now. I'm sure it will be clarified in tomorrow morning's team meeting.
I am uploading the "qualification" videos now to YouTube. They will take some time and then I will include them in the next post.
In the meantime, I'd like to salute the hard-work and inventiveness shown by the three people who were largely responsible for putting together the indoor "qualification" rig. From left to right, they are Michael Fischer, Bryan Laubscher and Vern McGeorge. Some people may recognize Michael as being one of the entrants into last year's Games. He tells me that he is also an honorary member of the E-T-C team. Bryan is the safety officer and is also a major booster of the Space Elevator concept (and a partner with Dr. Brad Edwards in Black Line Ascension). Vern is a long time Spaceward volunteer and is one of the crew who works in the background making things happen.
Thanks, guys. Without your work today, these runs would have never happened.
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Entry Filed under: Space Elevator Competitions
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1. LaserMotive » Blog &hellip | October 18th, 2007 at 8:28 am
[…] Ted posted yesterday, we qualified for running on the main crane - or so we thought. First thing Wednesday morning, we […]
2. All Fall Down - The Space&hellip | June 30th, 2012 at 10:06 pm
[…] stuff fixed, so that the competitions can go on. I have blogged about Vern's contributions before, and that didn't do him justice - he's one of the good guys that just makes things […]
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Archived Content
The content on this page is provided for reference purposes only. This content has not been altered or updated since it was archived.
For Consumers
Tentative approval for pediatric formulation of stavudine
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted, on December 21, 2005, tentative approval to generic stavudine for Oral Solution, 1 mg/mL manufactured by Aurobindo Pharma LTD., of Hyderabad, India. This product is the first generic version of the approved product, Zerit for oral solution, manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb. This child-friendly product is indicated for use in pediatric patients with HIV from birth through adolescence.
Stavudine (d4T) is active against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS. It is in the class of drugs called nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), which helps keep the AIDS virus from reproducing, and is used in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.
FDA tentative approval means that although existing patents and/or exclusivity prevent marketing of this product in the U.S., it meets all of FDA's manufacturing quality and clinical safety and efficacy standards required for marketing in the U.S. As with all generic application assessments, FDA conducts an on-site inspection of each manufacturing facility and of the facilities performing the bioequivalence studies prior to granting approval or tentative approval to these applications to assess the ability of the manufacturer to produce a quality product and to assess the quality of the bioequivalence data supporting the application.
Tentative approval by FDA means that this product will now be available for consideration for purchase under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
Richard Klein
HIV/AIDS Program Director
Office of Special Health Issues
Food and Drug Administration


text:
Book your room at Hotel JK Regency
Deluxe Room, 1 Double BedMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 2 infants)
Hotel with free self parking, in Mumbai (Andheri East)
This hotel is located in Mumbai (Andheri East), near the airport, Shoppers Stop, MIDC Industrial Estate, and Santacruz Electronic Export Processing Zone. Also nearby are Gilbert Hill and Andheri Sports Complex.
Hotel Features
Hotel JK Regency provides complimentary wireless Internet access, 24-hour room service, a porter/bellhop, and dry cleaning/laundry services.
Room Amenities
LCD televisions come with premium digital channels. Guestrooms also feature refrigerators, wireless Internet access (surcharge), and air conditioning.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
At your hotel
At your hotel
Public areas are equipped with complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access. This hotel offers access to a business center. For a surcharge, the property provides a roundtrip airport shuttle (available 24 hours) and a train station pick-up service. This Mumbai hotel also offers tour/ticket assistance, multilingual staff, and complimentary newspapers in the lobby. Onsite self parking is complimentary. A total renovation of this property was completed in December 2011.
- Total number of rooms - 26
- Number of floors - 6
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Year Built 2007
- Tours/ticket assistance
- 24-hour front desk
- Laundry facilities
- Airport transportation (surcharge)
- Babysitting or childcare
- Business center
- Complimentary newspapers in lobby
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Express check-in
- Express check-out
- Free Wi-Fi
- Multilingual staff
- Porter/bellhop
- Luggage storage
- Room service (24 hours)
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Train station pickup (surcharge)
- Free self parking
- Television in lobby
Stay connected
Available in all rooms: Wireless Internet access (surcharge)
Available in some public areas: Free Wi-Fi
Park your car
Free self parking
In your room
- Desk
- Climate control
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- Hair dryer (on request)
- Digital TV service
- Wireless Internet access (surcharge)
- Complimentary toiletries
- In-room safe
- Ceiling fan
- Air conditioning
- Complimentary newspaper
- Refrigerator
- Daily housekeeping
- Bathtub or shower
- Premium TV channels
- Phone
Eat and drink
24-hour room service is available.
The fine print for Hotel JK Regency
When you arrive
Check-in time starts at noon
Minimum check-in age is 18
Special check-in instructions:
When you leave
Check-out time is noon
How you can pay
Accepted at this hotel: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
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 pets or service animals allowed
- A 17.41 percent city/local tax will be charged
- Fee for in-room wireless Internet: INR 600 (for 24 hours, rates may vary)
- Fee for wireless Internet in all public areas: INR 600 (for 24 hours, rates may vary)
We should mention
Local laws may restrict unmarried guests from sharing rooms. Guests are responsible for providing proof of marriage, if requested by the hotel. This property offers transfers from the airport and train station (surcharges may apply). Guests must contact the property with arrival details 24 hours prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property.


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Other titles in the Taylor's Guides to Gardening series:
Taylor's Guide to Shade Gardening: More Than 350 Trees, Shrubs, and Flowers That Thrive Under Difficult Conditions, Illustrated with Color Photographs (Taylor's Guides to Gardening)by Taylors
Synopses & Reviews
Publisher Comments:
With more than 265 color photographs of the 350 best trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, bulbs, ground covers, vines, ferns, and grasses for shade, this 17th volume in the acclaimed Taylor's Guides to Gardening series gives gardeners all the help they need to turn a problem area into a delight.
This comprehensive guide addresses one of the most common problems for gardeners. Shade Gardening has over 250 color photographs of the 350 best trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, bulbs, ground covers, vines, ferns, and grasses for shaded areas. Articles cover the basics of growing plants in the shade as well as such subjects as city gardens, flowers, foliage plants, pests and diseases, and lawns.
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text:
Can't wait till Kemp wins the MVP now.
Can't wait till Kemp wins the MVP now.
I forgot to use the Cy Young as another time to say Cliff Lee is overrated. Seriously, no one voted him first. That is a prime example of how over hyped he is. I want to give the person who put him in fifth place a high five because they are my only hero. I miss saying Halladay, celebrate.
"If I had been pitching with the Indians that year we would have won the world series"
Douchebags don't skank away from their team and then come back just because you think they're finally good enough for you. I do not understand how any true Phillies fan can like him.
Something Cliff Lee is used to.
As James puts it. Overrated.
Observer theme by Zack Sultan


text:
There are approximately 50 million Americans uninsured for healthcare. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("ACA") seeks to have about 30-35 million of those covered by private and public health insurance. About half of those will be covered under the "Individual Mandate" that each individual, subject to certain exceptions, purchase health insurance or pay a "penalty". This half will also consist of persons who become insured as a result of the mandate that "large" employers provide certain coverage or pay a penalty. The other approximate half was to consist of those individuals newly covered under an expansion of Medicaid. The United States Supreme Court addressed the constitutionality of the "Individual Mandate" and the Medicaid Expansion.
Before the Court could address the merits of the challenge to the Individual Mandate, the Court had to determine whether jurisdiction was precluded by the Anti-Injunction Act, which provides that the court lacks jurisdiction of suits to restrain the assessment or collection of "any tax." Noting that ACA required the penalty to be assessed and collected "in the same manner as taxes," Chief Justice Roberts concluded that this language made little sense if the assessable penalties were themselves taxes for purposes of the Anti-injunction Act. Thus, the Court had jurisdiction.
Chief Justice Roberts then found ACA to be constitutional in part and unconstitutional in part. Joined by Justices Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas and Alito, the Chief Justice found that the Individual Mandate was unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause. To permit Congress to regulate individuals because they chose not to become active in commerce by purchasing a product would open a new and potentially vast domain of unauthorized Congressional authority. However, noting that there could be no criminal penalty and no government lien for nonpayment of the "penalty," Chief Justice Roberts determined the Individual Mandate could be upheld under the Taxing Clause because the "penalty" could reasonably be construed as a tax on those with a certain level of income who chose to go without health insurance. Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan joined this determination.
Joined by all other Justices besides Ginsburg and Sotomayor, Chief Justice Roberts found the portion of ACA that permitted the Secretary of Health and Human Services to withhold all Medicaid funding from states that refused to accept the Medicaid expansion as unconstitutional coercion. However, rather than strike down the Medicaid expansion, Chief Justice Roberts, joined by Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor and Kagan, ruled that this portion of ACA was not enforceable. Thus, states are free to accept or reject the Medicaid expansion.
Justice Ginsburg, joined by Justices Sotomayor, Breyer, and Kagan, called Justice Roberts' Opinion on the Commerce Clause "stunningly retrogressive," "crabbed," and a "rigid reading" that made "scant sense." Conceding that Congress "had to use some new tools" with the Individual Mandate, she wrote that Chief Justice Roberts relied on a "newly minted constitutional doctrine" that the Commerce Clause does not permit Congress to compel individuals to become active in commerce. She found that the large number of healthcare uninsured created a crisis in healthcare cost (both for the premium-paying insured and the taxpayer) and availability that had a national dimension beyond the capacity of the states separately to handle. The Individual Mandate was well within the power of Congress to define the terms of payment for an interstate good, namely medical care, that all will eventually need. She noted that Congress could have established a single payer system, but elected to leave a "robust role" for private enterprise insurers and the states. She found the Individual Mandate to be entirely consistent with earlier Supreme Court precedent that Congressional prohibition on wheat cultivation for personal consumption was a lawful exercise of Congress authority under the Commerce clause to regulate the interstate wheat market. The refusal of person to buy insurance, when aggregated, likewise has a substantial impact on the healthcare market. She concludes that since Chief Justice Roberts concluded that the Individual Mandate could be upheld under the Taxing Clause, the Chief Justice did not need to address its constitutionality under the Commerce Clause.
Justice Ginsburg found that it was not beyond Congress's spending power for Congress to require states to accept the Medicaid expansion or lose all federal funding. Congress can prescribe the conditions for receipt of federal funds and amend those conditions. Here, there can be no tenable claim of lack of notice that the conditions for receipt of federal money could change. She concludes, however, that Chief Justice Roberts' decision not to throw out the Medicaid expansion altogether was a practical solution.
Dissenting Justices Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas and Alito noted the case presented two issues of first impression: (1) Whether a failure to engage in economic activity is subject to regulation under the Commerce Clause, and (2) Does the tax and spending power permit the conditioning of a State's continued receipt of federal funds under a massive state-administered federal welfare program upon its acceptance of an expansion of that program. Regarding the first, by analogy, to go beyond the wheat-for-personal- consumption precedent and hold that the failure to grow wheat affects commerce "is to make breathing in and out the basis for federal proscription and to extend federal power to virtually all human activity." The dissenters noted that young healthy people are far removed from the interstate market and that to require them to buy insurance "converts the Commerce Clause into a general authority to direct the economy." The dissenters noted that a surcharge upon those who had not purchased health insurance when they did enter the system, or a denial of a full tax credit to those who did not buy insurance, could be lawful, "But to go beyond that, and to say that the failure to grow wheat or the refusal to make loans affects commerce, so that growing and lending can be federally compelled, is to extend federal power to virtually everything."
The dissenters would stop with the holding that the Individual Mandate violates the Commerce Clause. The holding of the Court that the Individual Mandate could be upheld under the Taxing power cannot be sustained because the question is not whether Congress had the power to frame the "penalty" as a tax, but whether it did so. Congress clearly described and intended the "penalty" to be a penalty. "[W}e have never held--never---that a penalty imposed for violation of the law was to trivial as to be in effect a tax." Nor has the Court ever classified as a tax an exaction imposed for a violation of the law. "We have no doubt that congress knew precisely what it was doing when it rejected an earlier version of this legislation that imposed a tax instead of a requirement-with-penalty...Imposing a tax through judicial legislation inverts the constitutional scheme, and places the power to tax in the branch of government least accountable to the citizenry."
Regarding the Anti-injunction Act, "what the government would have us believe in these cases is that the very same textual indications that show this is not a tax under the Anti-Injunction Act show that it is a tax under the Constitution. That carries verbal wizardry too far, deep into the forbidden land of the sophists."
The dissenters note that seven members of the Court agree that the Medicaid Expansion is unconstitutional. They decry that the entire expansion was not thrown out, since it will mean that states that elect not to expand will have to pay huge sums to the federal fisc for the sole benefit of expanding Medicaid in other states. The dissenters state that this is an unabashed judicial rewriting of the Medicaid expansion provisions of ACA.
Finding the major provisions of ACA inextricably interlinked to operate in the manner Congress intended, and finding that there was no evidence that Congress would have enacted any of the ACA's other provisions in the absence of the other provisions, the dissenters would have held the entire law unconstitutional.
We note that five members of Court found the Individual Mandate violated the Commerce Clause, but a different five members found that it was constitutional because four found it did not violate the Commerce Clause and could be upheld under the Taxing Power and one who found it violated the Commerce Clause concluded it could be upheld as a tax. Justice Kennedy in oral argument described the Individual Mandate as a fundamental change in the relationship between the federal government and the individual. Given that there can be no criminal penalty and no lien for failure to pay the "penalty," the Individual Mandate may in fact be more of a "nudge" than an actual penalty, but if the dissenters are correct that a new worrisome federal power has been established, we should hope that this "nudge" is not from the nose of the camel under the tent.
By Daniel O. Jamison & Robert W. Pendergrass
The information contained in this blog is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. No recipients, clients or otherwise, should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this blog without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from an attorney licensed in the recipient's state. The content of this blog contains general information and may not reflect current legal developments, verdicts or settlements. The Firm expressly disclaims all liability in respect to actions taken or not taken based on any or all the contents of this blog.


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Orenburg Knitting: Knitting Gossamer Webs with Galina Khmeleva Video DownloadJoin Galina Khmeleva in an exploration of the rich tradition of Orenburg lace knitting. Learn More
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Orenburg Knitting: Knitting Gossamer Webs with Galina Khmeleva Download in HDJoin Galina Khmeleva in an exploration of the rich tradition of Orenburg lace knitting. Learn More
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Surface Design with Silk Screens Soy Wax Resist & Fabric Manipulation with Ginny EckleyHere's your ticket to a one-of-a-kind design adventure with fiber artist Ginny Eckley. Learn More
Item Number: 13QM06
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Spin-Off Spring 2013 Digital EditionThe Spring 2013 issue focuses on spinning businesses, plus see an eighteenth century spinner using a Great Wheel, discover handpainted yarn, and get several knitting patterns. Learn More
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Layered & Fused Applique Quilts: From Fabric Scraps to Recycled Circles with Jane LaFazioJoin artist Jane LaFazio to learn her technique for creating a fabulous unique art quilt from cloth scraps. Learn More
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Quilting Arts TV Series 1100 DVDTune in to the latest season of 'QATV' to get fresh ideas for contemporary quilting, explore a multitude of artful approaches to design techniques, and more. Learn More
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Handwoven SeptemberOctober 2012This issue features the winners of the 2012 Handwoven garment challenge "Look Ma, No Sleeves." Projects include a sleeveless coat for a child with inlaid swivel, a tailored men's vest in diversified plainweave and crackle, and a kumihimo wire bracelet. Also in this issue is a section on how to wash your handwovens without fear. Learn More
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Gwiyomi Player with GRi (o⌒.⌒o)
Gwiyomi Player was made to act cutely to someone's lover (Gwiyomi means "cutie"). This got really big and was very popular in Korea last year, and it's actually very cute.
Gwiyomi words: 1 plus 1 is cutie. 2 plus 2 is cutie. 3 plus 3 is cutie. 4 plus 4 is cutie. 5 plus 5 is cutie. 6 plus 6 is *kisses* cutie!


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NFL >> New York Jets
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Found June 26, 2012 on Gridiron Grit:
PLAYERS: Vladimir Ducasse, Brian Schottenheimer, Wayne Hunter
TEAMS: New York Jets
TEAMS: New York Jets
Vladimir Ducasse was widely considered a project with exponential potential when he was chosen by the New York Jets in the second round (61st overall) of the 2010 draft out of UMass. Photo Via Vladimir Ducasse Facebook Page In his first two seasons, Ducasse, 24, has appeared in 18 games with one start, but his playing time has been very limited, an indication that he hasn't been ready to tackle the tasks of being a starting offensive tackle at the next level. Ducasse was the primary backup at guard and tackle in 2011 and often struggled significantly when he was on the field. But the Haitian-born offensive lineman knows he's facing a make-or-break season as he enters his third year in the NFL. "That's how I see it. That's what I see it as. This is my third year, and I put a lot of pressure on myself that I have to do better than last year," Ducasse said in an interview with the Newark Star-Ledger. "I can't go into this year expecting, 'You know what, I'm going to do the same thing I
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Legendary promoter Bill Graham kept a remarkable library of the live performances he touted in the heyday of rock and roll. As you might expect, amongst the tapes lie a treasure trove of classic performances from the rock icons of that generation. With Internet radio becoming an intriguing entertainment commodity, Vault Radio, which came on the air (or more appropriately, on the net) this past Wednesday, adds to the medium's allure, presenting live classic rock from the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and an extraordinarily young Bruce Springsteen.
Culled from tapes that have been stored in the basement of Bill Graham Presents headquarters until purchased by Wolfgang's Vault in 2003, Vault Radio plays the performances in their original form, without enhancements or remixing. Given that Graham worked with practically every major act in the sixties and seventies, the 5 million dollars reportedly paid for the library, which consists of thousands of live shows, may be a bargain. Wolfgang's Vault presents Vault Radio in a simple fashion, providing the song title, artist, venue and year, leaving the historic context of the performances to the listener. Although the promoter in Graham might have appreciated a more comprehensive presentation, Vault Radio is worthy monument to his considerable legacy.
Friday, February 10, 2006
Bill Graham's Legacy: Vault Radio
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The reviews for the BlackBerry PlayBook are coming out and the critics, although generally in favor of Reasearch In Motions's (RIM) approach, don't feel as though the PlayBook can save RIM in it's current state. Now I'm not going to get into that topic in this post, but I do want to discuss the lack of certain "core" applications missing at launch from the BlackBerry PlayBook.
At launch, the BlackBerry PlayBook will ship without native e-mail, contacts, or calendar apps. It will also be without BlackBerry Messenger, a key feature to BlackBerry devices. RIM wanted to make BlackBerry a secure device out the box and therefore to have access to those features you must connect your BlackBerry device to the PlayBook. Given the fact that the first PlayBooks will be wi-fi only, this makes sense. It doesn't make sense to have e-mail trying to be pushed to a device when there is no wi-fi connectivity. Why would I need to look up contacts when I can't necessarily do anything with them when not in a wi-fi area (no call, text, e-mail. or bbm)? The only sore point to the missing core apps would be the lack of a calendar app, that does seem important. But lets take a closer look at the BlackBerry Bridge, the app that connects a BlackBerry to a PlayBook and why RIM went that route.
Reviewers are not keen to the idea that a PlayBook needs to have a BlackBerry to do key features. But this is nothing new to the technology world. RIM wants people in their ecosystem. This is no different than an Apple product (iPad, iPod, iPhone) needing to connect to iTunes, or an Android device needing a GMail address, or a Windows product needing a Hotmail/Live address. The makers of these products want you within their ecosystem. Why should RIM be any different?
People can argue that needing a particular type of e-mail address is completely different than needing a particular type of device, but one can lead to the other. Once you're within an ecosystem, you want to have the devices that go along with that ecosystem so you can the best service out of your connected devices. When Android first arrived on the scene with the G1, I was very excited to get one becasue I was a heavy user of Google products (Google Maps, Gmail, Google Search, Google Reader, Chrome). I was within the Google ecosystem and wanted to get the most out of these products therefore I thought Android was the perfect solution at that time. I know of people who want Windows Phone 7 devices becasue they loved their Zunes and have an Xbox; they are within the Mircosoft ecosystem. My sister-in-law was a blackberry addict (much like my wife), but she really wanted an iPad. She waited and got the iPad 2 on the first day it came out. She is in love with her iPad, she loved the apps, the browser, the way it looked. Everything. I talked to her last week, she had gotten rid of her BlackBerry and is now an iPhone user. Apple lured her into their ecosystem, just as the Big Bad Wolf did with Little Red Riding Hood. RIM is not in the wrong for offering users of their products the best expirence, and if you want the best expirence then you will use their products. In the buisness world, it is far less expensive to keep a customer than to get new ones. Also once a consumer has purchased multiple products within one ecosystem then they are less likley to leave it. RIM knows this and is leveraging their current customer base to stay in the BlackBerry army and not defect to battlefields of Android or iOS.
In my expirence, people are purchasing tablets to browse the web, play games, maybe watch some movies on a larger screen. Tablets are eating away at the sales of netbooks, becasue they were serving very similar purposes. If people are looking at those features (web browsing, playing games, media, etc) and even some document creation and editing then the PlayBook is going to be great device right out of the box. The PlayBook is a solid device and RIM is headed in the right direction with their new OS and ecosystem strategy.
Word on the web is that Netflix, Amazon, iTunes, Blockbuster, and Hulu are all nervous about a new deal that Facebook struck with Warner Bros about renting movies. I've become very accustomed to the Netflix model and I very much enjoy being able to stream movies to my tv (through my Xbox) to my tv. I do not want to sit on the computer on Facebook and attempt to watch a movie.
¿Will Facebook pause chats while I'm watching my movie?
¿Will Facebook maximize the viewing window for the movie? Or will it be a hover over like Facebook has started doing with its pictures?
Now the deal states that if you rent a movie you can watch the movie on that movie's Facebook fan page. Almost all of my social interacts have already been taken over by Facebook, I don't want my media interactions to be the same way. It will be sad day when I have to have various subscription services to enjoy movies, and I can see the .market headed in that direction. Hopefully this idea will be a flop and studios will allow their movies to be in various arenas at the sametime. Much like the way they deliver their movies to various movie theatres and I don't have to only see Warner Bros movies in Muvico theaters and Pixar movies at Sony theatres. Consumers want simplicity. I understand that products need to differentiate, but that shouldn't come at the cost of the consumer's ease of use for your product.
Last week Apple CEO came off his medical leave to make a special appearance and announce the iPad 2…
Actually I was going to go into a long detailed recap of the event and tell of all the features of the iPad 2. But in my opinion there's nothing ground breaking. Apple released this product to stay competitive. Yes it has dual-cameras (a front facing and a rear facing camera). It has a dual core A5 processor. It is thinner than the iPhone 4. All of these were necessary for a next iterative product, but all of these were also what was expected of Apple. Apple added things, especially the cameras, that were hoped and expected to have been included in the first iPad. Apple is very smart in its consumer purchase strategy. These types of iterative upgrades and additions worked on its iPod line and somewhat in the iPhone devices, why wouldn't the same strategy work in the tablet market?Here's why: the price. iPods may be expensive, but no where near as expensive as the price of a tablet. Sure no one wants to spend another $150 - $200 on a newer model iPod. But if I purchased an iPad for $500, I'm definitely not going to get a new one just because they added some cameras. People are hurting in this current economic landscape and the tablet market is a new field that people are still trying to not only understand but to also fit this device into their lives. If the manufacturers like Apple or Motorola or Research In Motion (RIM) or Samsung or any of the other tablet makers want to market tablets as laptop/netbook replacements that's all well and good, but they need to have the product cycle stand as if consumers are going to hold on to these devices for more than 9 months.
What are my thoughts on the new iPad? It's going to sell well, as Apple products generally do, but I don't think this product is worth the hype. If you already have an iPad I wouldn't upgrade to this 2nd generation tablet from Apple. If you don't own a tablet already, then I would wait before purchasing this device. Sure it has all the hype surrounding it, it has tons of apps. However I see the forecast for tablets and it's about to be a downpour of devices from HP, RIM, Samsung, Motorola, HTC, Dell all of which could possibly fit into your life better than an iPad. They may not have all of the apps, but in this new market place having apps isn't going to be the prime selling tool. I believe if you can find a tablet that will fit seamlessly into your life and complete the tasks that you need it for than it will be the correct tablet, the correct extension of your computing life for you.
New products are always coming out, this is true, but Apple don't make consumers who have purchased your device feel as though their product which may be no more than a few months old feel as though they are driving a Ford Model T in 2011.
I need to write on my blog more…I have written anything about technology in a few weeks. Maybe I got burnt out and needed to take a break…which is completely understandable. People need to take breaks from things…no runs on all cylinders all the time, and I need to realize when its time for me to take a step back and breathe.
To be honest, after the events at MWC I really don't know what is going on in the tech industry. I heard there's an Apple announcement tomorrow. After all this Charlie Sheen nonsense the press conference will be no where near as exciting…
I will get back to blogging very soon.


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Bizcraft Deliveries Down in First Nine Months
The pace of the decline of general aviation aircraft deliveries slowed in the third quarter, according to statistics released yesterday by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). Overall deliveries dropped by 9.8 percent during the first nine months versus the same period a year ago, while industry billings fell 10.2 percent, from $13.5 billion to $12.1 billion. Worldwide shipments of business jets eroded by 13 percent from 491 in the first nine months of last year to 427 this year, while the 223 turboprops handed over so far this year represented a nearly 6-percent drop-off from the 237 delivered last year. "These shipment and billings numbers show some improvement over the sharper decline experienced in the first half of 2011," said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce, who used the occasion to call further attention to perceived political attacks on the industry. "Considering the fragility of the economies in the traditional markets of North America and Europe, this is not the time for new, undue government burdens to be imposed on general aviation," he said.
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Developed by Fox News commentator and 2008 Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, the Learn our History DVD series gives students a chance to travel back in time to see history as it really happened! Give students a sense of pride in their American heritage with these patriotic DVDs that highlight the strengths of America's history.
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