text:
Which sex is the worst about washing up? Why is it so important? We've got the dirty truth on how and when to wash your hands.
Information and Resources
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
How It Is Done continued...
You will need to take off all or most of your clothes, depending on which area is examined (you may be allowed to keep on your underwear if it is not in the way). You will be given a gown to use during the test. If you are allowed to keep some of your clothes on, you should empty your pockets of any coins and cards (such as credit cards or ATM cards) with scanner strips on them because the MRI magnet may erase the information on the cards.
During the test, you usually lie on your back on a table that is part of the MRI scanner. Your head, chest, and arms may be held with straps to help you remain still. The table will slide into the space that contains the magnet. A device called a coil may be placed over or wrapped around the area to be scanned. A special belt strap may be used to sense your breathing or heartbeat. This triggers the machine to take the scan at the right time.
Some people feel nervous (claustrophobic) inside the MRI magnet. If this keeps you from lying still, you can be given a medicine (sedative) to help you relax. Some MRI machines (called open MRI) are now made so that the magnet does not enclose your entire body. Open MRI machines may be helpful if you are claustrophobic, but they are not available everywhere. The pictures from an open MRI may not be as good as those from a standard MRI machine .
Inside the scanner you will hear a fan and feel air moving. You may also hear tapping or snapping noises as the MRI scans are taken. You may be given earplugs or headphones with music to reduce the noise. It is very important to hold completely still while the scan is being done. You may be asked to hold your breath for short periods of time.
During the test, you may be alone in the scanner room. But the technologist will watch you through a window. You will be able to talk with the technologist through a two-way intercom.
If contrast material is needed, the technologist will put it in an intravenous (IV) line in your arm. The material may be given over 1 to 2 minutes. Then more MRI scans are done.
An MRI test usually takes 30 to 60 minutes but can take as long as 2 hours.
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
I don't think it has anything to do with you personally. Its more about the reduced traffic to the site. Personally, I dislike the format, the difficulty posting pictures, and the cattiness and meanness of some of the members. The big turnoff for me was when a poster, excited over a weekend find, started a Monday morning post with a name similar to MMF and several people jumped all over her about starting an MMF post before the regular poster did and they chased her off the board. If those people want to own the board, then they can have it. I much prefer Facebook and Pinterest which are more user-friendly and you can unfriend or stop following anyone who you disagree with or who offends you. I always enjoy your photos so I think that, given the reduced traffic, the number of views is a better indicator of the level of interest in what you post rather than the number of responses.
MyLifeVacation1, I LOVE your flower garden
Here goes:
I do NOT claim to be an expert, I only offer an opinion on this topic as I see it. I hope I offend no one, but if I do, I will deal with it. I am wordy on this post (and most of the time these days) so if you hate wordy posts, just skim over it, no offense.
I hit 'post now' with a bit of anxiety, BUT it is how I felt today reading the comments so I hope it is taken with less importance than I was intending, just to state reasons and explanations as to how I arrived at a conclusion.
I am glad to know you were lurking! It is good to be busy and have work that is for sure!
I hope you do have time to post your new wood floor!
And you are so right, LIFE gets busy and LIFE has a way of creaping in on our routines.
How wonderful that you also were lurking Makes me feel so much better when posting when I know that there really ARE nice people out there reading posts!
I think you will find that on any board (harassment) because they can post in anonymity so the cutting words of alter egos can flow.
I love your flower garden too!
I agree, reduced traffic to this site! Who knows how long they will keep it open?
I like Facebook and Pinterest too, and on a Blog, you can choose not to post a negative comment by monitoring before accepting the posts. That does not work with open forums like this one.
I was just attacked (with words) on another board from two posters who must tag team. I deleted my post, wrote that I would not return to read their comments. I checked back 4 days later, all comments stopped by them. No audience, no battle! This was a new board for me to post on, so I was the stranger that someone could hone in on. I KNEW this was the fact, did not take it personally and LEFT. This happens ALL over the internet where comments are allowed! Even though the boards that are public, those posting on them forget and put up the 'territorial' walls! Always boggles my mind!
And I am going to comment to any posters (people not feeling they 'fit in' here). IF you remember your first days at school in September when you were going to a new school (such as transition from middle to high school). The rules were different, the kids were different, only scattered few friends around, and you felt like you didn't fit in. This is ALSO the process of reintroducing yourself to a new board or situation, you gradually find where you fit in with a group. Group dynamics are complicated. And there are many books written on it. Everyone automatically goes to the slot left vacant that is not being expressed and plays the roles (such as Huskies pulling a sled). The Alphas claim their spots (and aggressively protect) and others take what they like or can handle.
So, that being said, just hang around where you do not feel comfortable, post neutral comments and try out what you want to say, the responses will show you how tight or accepting the team is. As they say choose your battles!
Cliques are like teams, they can get strong when they are the 'only ones left standing'. So, when members leave, the remaining create a survivor-bond. That is why 'older' (not meaning age) posters develop a supportive type behavior towards other loyal posters who are still around. This happens with Bloggers too. It is not meant to cause harm, just emotional protection against being emotionally hurt by getting close to someone and having them leave so quickly. That causes new posters to shyly post and see what happens.
Too deep a theory, but hopefully helpful.
This psychology of the board communication is so complex I obviously picked only a few points and also simplified it too much and added my own opinions so take them or leave them (you may comment your opinion about my opinions... lol).
So, if anyone feels 'left out' or not fitting in... it is the dynamics at work, NOT YOU and no one means to attack or ignore, they just have a different perspective that happens in THEIR life and time they have to post!
We are only human and our behavior is not simple (as just reading the news shows us) and we are not sheltered from the world as the internet shows us so much more going on in life every day than we were ever exposed to before all this instant technology! Financial hard times contribute to our insecurities about our homes, and lifestyles and can create envy.
iPads and modern phones make it so people can check their messages and respond in a few words. Not everyone is sitting at home on a home computer, so they may just read the text, view the photos (on their phones IF they follow and get updates from the board) and continue with their day. IF lurkers do not have any set up to have daily emails (setting also has a weekly setting) then they will only find out what is going on when they actually visit the site. I am reminded every day of what is posted because I opted for daily notification. Everyone's situation is different.
But I have to tell you, sitting at the computer for me is because I HAVE to rest between chores, and I used to lay down. I got tired of that because holding and reading a book was next to impossible for me to do, so I sat at the computer where I do mind puzzles to keep my mind sharp and then now have included viewing a couple of boards and playing scrabble with some of my friends online.
Now I have more time for life and less for computer, so I am slowly backing out of what has become superfluous activity for me (like FB games and boards where I am not a regular). Almost like cleaning and organizing my home, same for my time. That does not mean I do not like the people who post, I will just have less time to spend reading and commenting.
The time we DO have is precious, we can choose to spend it however WE like! I choose to live where LOVE and Flow of life is peaceful, so I will follow and gather where those vibrations are and where others seek same no matter where that leads me. It does not mean here or there, it means following the flow that makes me happy and consciously cause no harm (I am human and therefore subject to being imperfect...).
I have been alive for 63 years, most of that life was not pleasant (no choice), but some of my life was very good and I have appreciation for those good times. I want to ADD more!!! My life is about, actively pursuing positive energy, beautiful things to look at (nature, art & design), the process of creating and collecting and keeping the good friends while on my journey.
ISN'T THAT what counts when you come down to it? The pursuit of happiness?
WISHING all of you HAPPINESS for the Holiday season and year ahead!This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mary Ruth,
Mary Ruth
*****We don't see things as they are, we see things as WE are! ***** (Anaias Nin)***** http://pinterest.com/mary_ruth/
I agree. I have been busy myself and haven't had much time to get on here like I used to. I hope to settle down soon so I can come back to post and comment.
"Worms Eat My Garbage"
hi daciaB,
glad to see you posting!
I hope you have a great holiday season!
Time is short like our money (make less, and worth less) these days!!!
AND create a drama... and get over 1,000 views!!! Said in FUN!This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mary Ruth,
Mary Ruth
*****We don't see things as they are, we see things as WE are! ***** (Anaias Nin)***** http://pinterest.com/mary_ruth/
Mary Ruth, I started this thread and as you see my first post has to do with why my threads get so little response. this is taking the current membership into account. I am speaking of responses to my posts, relative to others of the current membership.
Of course I know that many people have left and also that the boards are managed with new management.
I don't think Magnaverde is active on Gardenweb either. One thing that concerns me when people disappear is actually concern for their health and well being, while taking into account that people sometimes drop in and out of groups for personal reasons that have nothing to do with health.
Also personally I have had no trouble with the boards technology. Can post pics same as always, get connected same as always, so those kind of problems are news to me.
WWanda, I am not being too sensitive. I am asking a simple question. I am a very active member of this board (and others also) Even with reduced membership, some people seem to be board favorites and others not. That is not being too sensitive that is recognizing things for what they are. Also of course I am not speaking of all members at all times.
Lets say member B posts and I always respond, but she never responds to any of my threads, wouldn't you wonder?
Many people have posted on this thread about cliquishness and while it is hard for me to imagine how some individuals who rarely meet IRL could form a clique, it does seem that some posters have a following or are board favorites (less so now than in the past)
MLV1, yes I understand that, in fact there is one poster who seems to be gunning for me now. Don't know why, but it will probably prevent me from posting anymore pics because why should I go to the trouble to take them, upload them, decrease the sizes, post them; to have snide, insulting remarks made?
Life today seems to be made up of much rudeness, maybe the anonymity of communications (like these) maybe just the common culture is becoming coarser and crueler (look at reality t.v.!) and that is the simple answer.
Emily, I hesitate to post further to this thread because, frankly, I'd just like to see it disappear. IMO if one has any expectations as to popularity on forums one is sure to be disappointed. I don't think this is the first time you have asked the question as to WHY you don't get the responses you expect. I no longer have expectations of multiple responses to my threads but do watch the views so know there are many people who may benefit. That is my goal in posting, not to get a lot of glory. Home decor forums for me are a place to learn about home decor and not a 'social center' for meeting 'friends' online.
I've never had problems with the technology here or on any other forum but used a Mac most of the time which I know you also do which have fewer such problems I believe.
*Some* people never, or almost never, post to my threads and you are one of them. I also only occasionally post to your threads, especially those showing your home, because I have little to say. Like aychihuahua I am no longer "offering platitudes or attagirls or empty affirmations" that are meaningless. Surely you must know that your style is not going to be popular with everyone. Neither is mine which is why I don't post many pics of my home and don't try to solicit those empty platitudes I might get. When I do start an informational thread I just throw it out there with no expectations and sometimes don't even 'tend' it as I used to. Just don't have the time or inclination to attach much emotion to it. It's only a forum after all, not really all that important in my life altho I do enjoy learning new things when that happens.
Cliquishness is a definite factor in play here and I know there used to be many PM groups behind the scenes because I was involved with several in the past. Those are breeding grounds for cliquish behavior and it's hard to believe the nastiness of some otherwise well-mannered members unless one sees it in person. Forums are like a mini-universe just like life and there will always be those who follow and defend those they admire or think have more power than they do. There will also be those who are not followers so don't buy into that scenario. Is part of your problem that you want to be a "board favorite" and feel that's not happening for you?
Unlike some other's who have commented I do think it is personal and I feel that strongly. Some of us who have been here for years have made enemies and you and I are included in that. I think that when a person posts asking why they are not more popular it just causes some others to want to tell them to 'grow up' as life is not a popularity contest. I think your expectations of being universally liked is not realistic. I don't regard responses on forums as a popularity contest and don't depend on them for my social life which I think some seem to do.
I expect there will be some who take offense at my take on this situation and that's too bad but not my problem. These are my honest opinions and you can report my post or not - your choice.
"I have always had an aversion to the concepts of in style and out of style." ~Rose Tarlow
Inspirational pics: http://inspiration4u.shutterfly.com/
I see other boards struggling with less activity...I thought many people had transferred most of their time to Facebook.
I come/go on the boards depending on what my life is encountering. We have times when the house is like a B&B with so many guests. During those spells I am not on for weeks at a time.
Also, for many months I couldn't really contribute much to the decorating boards as we were trying to sell our home and I was veryyyy active up in the Real Estate section.
And there are times when I am so overwhelmed by the beauty y'all achieve that I just 'look' at the posts and say "Wow" and move on.
I do; however, appreciate all the time/effort so many of you apply for us all to enjoy
I mostly lurk unless I can contribute something worth while or comment if I find a real piece of "eye candy" someone has posted. Maybe we need a "like" button like facebook has. That way we can quickly acknowledge we do like/appreciate what was posted and comment further if we feel the need
I'm not going to bash but I think your assessment of LOS is coming off as she has mental health issues??? I think that's a bit harsh. I along with Joyluck don't see this thread going anywhere.
Aychihuahua, I'm not sure if you realize it, but this is very abusive behavior to call somebody basically nuts even privately let alone on an open forum. Have you heard of defamation of character? That is so nasty and disrespectful.
Here is the definition in case you arn't aware.
"Any intentional false communication, either written or spoken, that harms a person's reputation; decreases the respect, regard, or confidence in which a person is held; or induces disparaging, hostile, or disagreeable opinions or feelings against a person."
Not sure why I bother coming here at all.
****Look at objects not only for what they are, but for what they could be, vg****
Excellent idea!
Ok, and Wow! Maybe I spoke too soon. There will never be growth on this board if people forget that this is a DECORATING message board, not a place for bashing of ANY kind.
Well, when one poses the question of why one is being mistreated, one must expect (if not hope for) frank replies. My own opinion is that ALL of us are very senstive about the number of, or lack thereof, replies our threads receive. It is childish, but then I gave up long ago wondering when I would be too mature for childish reaction.
LOS, I was going to stay out of this and PM you with my thoughts, but here goes:
We, you & I and I'm sure others are older, and on the "down" side of our decorating. I can only speak for myself, but I'm not redecorating whole rooms or houses. I don't want to. Like you, I LIKE the furnishings I have. I maybe get a new piece here and there, but they are few. Most of the pictures I post are "old news" and therefore not so interesting to the entire group. Also, the younger members of the group and the professional decorators are not into our style. I get few responses most of the time, and I get it.
I do admire you for continuing to post. You are one of the people on this board that make it interesting, and I admire you willingness to stay active on the boards.
Finally, I DO NOT think you need professional mental help! That's just being mean, and a good example of why people don't post much anymore.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Annon,
It is good to hear from you Jill. You have been missed.
Summers are just this side of hell, but you don't have to shovel sunshine...
Click on the left to show albums
I'm finding this difficult to believe. We're descending into dangerous territory here and it boggles my mind.
Some of us need to grow up and some of us need to shut up...take your pick.
**Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain**
Not that my opinion matters since I don't post much, but I second Belstone.....I was glad to get out of high school to get away from this kind of thing.....
We all have busy lives-work, home, family, health issues, etc. This is a message board where we come to post, or lurk for enjoyment. And this is not enjoyable...
LOS, I dont have time to read all the responses to this post, but I am one who appreciates what you post and your thoughtful responses to others.
I often don't have time for reponses or others have said it as
lady s you always do a great job on every thing you do
I have been a member of HGTV boards off and on since 2001 or 2002. I pop in every now and again and have re-registered several times as the boards have gone through various changes. I seldom post anymore and only pop in every few months. The format here is frustrating and it gives my computer major fits. I also like to discuss other topics besides Decorating and HGTV tends to like us to stay on topic. But I do keep this place on my favorites and every now and then do come and visit.
I used to know so many folks from here but over the years many have scattered. There's a few old time HGTVers here: http://z6.invisionfree.com/Mum...mbo_Gumbo/index.php? and we always welcome anyone else to join in.
Jill, I am glad to see you again. I have so missed you and I am thrilled at your news of being engaged. I left you a couple of PMs last time I popped in here and would love to catch up with you. Unfortunately.....I can't move around here very well and have no idea if I even sent the pms or if you received them and my old email you had for me is no longer in use and hasn't been in use for several years. Please, please, please come by MJG and catch up.
I have to apologize, I have been SO lazy about replying to posts. I will try harder. I'm sorry about that. It's nothing personal.
But I was on a cruise about the time of this thread. Sure had fun, and wish I was still on it.
Thought both efforts to be very well done. Just a busy time of year for me, where I spend most of my waking hours focused on clients homes, with not much time for my own place.So commenting on someone else's work is woefully lost in the shuffle.
Keep posting. You may be the spark someone else desperately needs.
I had some time away from the boards due to some major life changes. We put our home up for sale, and after 2 times at closing ending in catastrophe. Spent some time moving around & taking it all in. I did stop by time to time, but didn't post much.
When I did post, I also felt like I didn't fit in. There are ceratin posters who seemed to "clique" and some who didn't.
I always enjoyed getting real ideas from real people without just the inspiration pics. I can find pictures anywhere. I liked the opinions from others. Others eyes see things differntly than we do, and it was great to get feedback ( when people responded). There were the few responses that I was really tired of from certain posters. For example I enjoy darker colors , and there was always the push for me to change paint when I stated i do not care for lighter colors in my personal home. There was always insult without anything nice, or any good advice.
Here recently, I have asked for a little master bedrrom help, as of tomight 130 views and 2 comments from 1 person other than myself.
But yet, other posts , not even related to decorating get replys.. I guess I am gonna give up, and delte my posts.. I don't really care for blogs, and really enjoyed this place before , but now its quite sad.
I'm just getting on here for the first time in a month or so. I've been too busy to be as active as I once was. Maybe that is the case for many people. Don't take it personally.
"Worms Eat My Garbage"
Sometimes it's just a simple "I don't know what to say" so I don't say anything.
Boo, I've been away from the boards for a bit. I will go take a look at your post
Don't any of you leave this board. I love this decorating board. And there isn't many of them. Please don't any of you go. We can keep this board going. I will miss y'all if you left. : (
Just came back to see if the OP was still MIA. She is. Too bad. I also note that one particularly mean-spirited post has been deleted (unless I missed it). Smart move. I just hope that a private message of apology was issued -- although the mean-spirited post was issued publicly, I think a public apology to the OP should have been issued but that would be too much to ask I suppose. Oh well, life goes on, a new year is about to begin, and things will be better.
I have been off these boards for a month and a half. It's been so busy around here trying to get the kitchen done and the house and yard ready for holiday parties.
Plus, I guess I just needed a break. But now that I've decided to get back on, the first thing I see is more turmoil. I haven't read all the posts in the thread but I get the jist.
LOS you shouldn't put that much importance on what others think or if they reply or comment to your posts. In the worldly scope of things it's pretty insignificant. Sure, we all enjoy getting compliments from board members but if we don't does it make our lives or our work any less enjoyable?
Hello everyone,
Yes I remember those good old days with drunk kitty and janiekins cat that gave a demonstration on how to place a throw,,we honestly has good clean fun, no one was hurt but had plenty of laughs..I just checked in this evening and lo and behold this perked my interest..
Good evening to all...
Hi Joyce, how ya doing? Good seeing you : )
Thank you, doing great, miss the fun times...
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mary Ruth:
"I like Facebook and Pinterest too..."
I am one of your followers on Pinterest. Love your boards. - Cyndi
I like your "like" button idea, but then i suddenly realized there would be an issue with people only getting a certain number of likes and others not getting much at all. It's like Twitter, facebook, Instagram, and all the other sites. some people beg for followers and responses, and some just go along and get minimal to nothing in response. I've been on Twitter for over 3 years and still have "relatively few" followers. Same for Instagram, hardly much, but i just do it for me and have a few people i 'chat' with. I"m used ot not being a popular person, though.
I'm not on here a lot because I don't have time to be. I come to see all of the posters on here who posts pictures and ideas. I don't always comment but please know that I read every post and look at all your pictures. I like it better than pinterest.
Really, things have changed??? LOLThis message has been edited. Last edited by: CER,
Lady of Shallot and others who are frustrated, please understand that some of us have to be 'away' for a while. Personally, I'm jut now getting back to here. I had acute bronchitis and was flat out for three weeks; I couldn't even eat. Then came holidays which were rough for me due to a family issue.
I love to look at everyone's pics, but must admit I don't always respond. Doesn't mean I don't appreciate everyone's efforts.
I very seldom respond to any posts. Most of the time what I want to say has already been said. I love looking and reading though.
I have also felt that there were no responses to my posts and it bothers me. I feel a bit better knowing others have the same problem. I have also noted that so often someone posts soon after a prior post and the first one gets bumped down. I have started looking at the forum list of posts to see what I have missed. This also lets me see if anyone has actually viewed my posts. If people are at least viewing them, I am satisfied. Marylee
Hi Kayhil..
I'm over in Clemmons NC.. just wanted to say hello and welcome to a fellow NC'er..
to see my projects view my Blog.
I have tried to avoid commenting on this thread so as not to bump it up again, but since it's already been bumped up yet again, I will say my piece. Was it REALLY necessary to resurrect this thread? This thread caused much drama over a year ago, and we almost lost one (or more) of our valued members over it. It should die and be buried. Please don't bump it up any more.
Just want to point out that the original thread posting occurred over a year ago.
As many of you know, I often post links in response to a dilemma or purely to jump start a sluggish period. They frequently offer tips and pics and many respond with heartfelt thanks that I gave them direction or inspiration, though obviously we are all capable of doing our own searches. Some newbies, I sense, can be at a loss as to what to enter into the search engines while others are pressed for time. Of course some of my link threads go unanswered, but that doesn't bother me. I find it, challenging, fun and rewarding to offer the links as they tend to educate or inspire me also.
Though this board and other HGTV boards are my daily haunt, I do not find them excessively rude or cliquish. If so, I would not venture here. Certainly there are exceptions, but on the whole, I think we are fortunate as public forums go. I do think we should gently encourage OPs to respond, over a reasonable time, to the assistance they have been generously offered so at least we know they came back to read them. I think that is practicing good forum etiquette and in doing so, others will be more inclined to offer help down the line.
Some of us are more sensitive then others and tend to take things personally. Others let irritants slide off their backs. That is the nature of human beings. Long time posters however should know that they are respected and appreciated. It would behoove us to put this in print from time to time simply as a reminder that we are all valued for our contributions even if you may disagree with a design Philosophy from time to time. There are posters from every walk of life, socio-economic background, age group, history, personalities, education levels, etc. Behind these written words and all are equally important in maintaining a board that is warm, welcoming, diverse and respectful of others.
We should focus on the positives these boards offer each and every one of us rather than allow our minds to go to pet peeves most of us encounter on occasion as the pluses, I think we can all agree, far outweigh the negatives. It is positive thinking that will manifest itself into the written word that will make these boards shinning examples of what public forums should exemplify. We owe it to HGTV and each other.
So, my friends, let me state that I appreciate each and every one of you!
Well you burned this bridge by being such a pill on my threads so that's always another possibility.
Charles this thread was started over a year ago (don't know why CER pulled it up) and I would really like it if you could cut and paste what you consider such objectionable remarks, because I do not believe I have ever said anything unkind to anyone on these forums.
In fact I apologized profusely to you for any perceived (on your part) insult to you on the thread you started and also wrote you a p.m. which you did not respond to.
These forums are supposed to be informative, enlightening and actually pleasurable for the members.
I am certainly willing to meet you more than half way but I can't accept responsibility for actions I have not taken.
I'm going to say this and probably get skewered for doing so, but really? Again? This is so 'high school', and didn't we all leave that behind a while ago? (ok, decades for me!) Do we really need to hash over who likes who more, or who we don't like, but we'll pretend to like them because they're the cool girls and we want to be liked as much as everybody likes them?
By the way MyLifeVacation1-the garden picture you posted way back when is beautiful, and I'd be happy to trade gardening tips with you, but we're probably in different zones!
Ugh, I'm sorry LOS.
I've never been one to pay attention to detail (except when decorating though) and I found this thread while "searching" for something. It came up and since I just came back to the boards I thought it was interesting because it sorta hit on why I left in the second place...I say second because it's not why I left in the first place (long story) So this is my second come back...um, let me see...here, gone, here gone, here...yeah cause you can't count creating my profile in 2003...that's not a come back.
Any how...when I came back the second time things had just changed so much. And originally almost everyone on here commented on everyone's everything. Even if someone's decorating was gag. Then when I came back their were suddenly cathedral ceilings with brand spanking new furniture, brand new accessories, brand new curtains. And some of the old gang just wasn't posting as much and my style was just not appreciated (or so I thought). Or maybe it was just so darn good no one commented out of intimidation.....LOL. Who knows.
That's my story and I'm sticken to it.
Hey and I'm sorry to have shaken things up.
Look Emily here's the deal, I probably shouldn't have posted what I did. It was petty and childish. But, I just couldn't help myself. Some of your opinions are so brusque I always think of you as some sort of Teutonic know it all. I've never met you so I'm probably way off, I can only say I shouldn't formulate opinions of peopple based on thier posts.But this wah, wah, wah, why doesn't anybody like me?, let me post something so everyone rallies around me to tell me how great I am B.S. was too rich to pass up.
Ok, ok...I hope this ancient thread is finally allowed to be put to rest. It is serving no positive purpose. It is obvious that LOS overcame her initial concern and due to the topic being raised again, may actually question once again her acceptance here. That would be a shame and I hope it is not the case. BTW, she is NOT the only poster who has ever expressed a similar observation regarding lack of responses. One has to wonder, does it take a controversial topic to garner as many responses as this thread? Good grief!
I am sure newbies following this will either split for a friendlier forum or be more apprehensive about participating on this one. That would be an unfortunate perception and could eventually result in the demise of this/these boards. It is not an accurate representation of this forum and it's contributors. I hope this will no longer be bumped to page one. It's a dead horse so let the horse rest in peace people. Let us strive to be civil adults who are sensitive to each other's feelings just as HGTV intended. We may not like what is voiced from time to time, but we can learn to hold our tongues for the greater good. I am not suggesting we can never disagree, but we can disagree respectfully. Frankly, the length and depth of this dated thread has shocked me and I refuse to add further to it's new and sad life. I hope you all will follow suit. PEACE!
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When the dust settles, Joni Mitchell may stand as the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century. Uncompromising and iconoclastic, Mitchell confounded expectations at every turn; restlessly innovative, her music evolved from deeply personal folk stylings into pop, jazz, avant-garde, and even world music, presaging the multicultural experimentation of the ... Read more in Amazon's Joni Mitchell Store
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- Antique Jewelry
- The Ages
- Engagement Rings
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Bird Motif Amethyst Pearl Ring
Coveted by patrician and plebians alike, this deeply hued oval faceted natural amethyst of an estimated 6.20 carats is seated upon a throne of 14k white gold. Attendants in the guise of wired tiny seed pearls surround the royal princess with a luster of their own. Bird appliqués of 14k yellow gold appoint the sides with their lyrical accent – all in white gold filigree.
Date: Circa 1930.
Measurements: 13/16 of an inch (2.0 cm) in length north to south on the hand and rises 1/4 of an inch (0.8 cm) in height off the finger. Weight of 5.1 grams (3.3 dwt).
Ring Size: US 5-1/4 (UK K; Euro or Int. Circum. 49.9 mm; Int. Dia. 15.9 mm; Japan over 9) and easily can be sized to fit most. Ring sizing information.
Hallmarks: Pat Pend; 14k; SMCo possibly for Sommer & Mills.
Condition: Excellent.
Origin: American.
Note: Gemstone was not removed to preserve the integrity of the setting. Weight is approximated by measurement and formula and may vary from actual weight.
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- Antique Jewelry
- The Ages
- Engagement Rings
- Antique Rings
- Diamond Jewelry
- So Much More
French Classical Revival Tri Color Gold Pendant
Shades of Napoléon and Joséphine battle with this Classical Revival motif pendant. Rose, yellow and green 18k gold adds life to this banded circular pendant accented with ribbon bow designs. A round garland of six green gold leaf forms alternates with seven (7) natural pearls (guaranteed to be natural) to encompass a four petal flowerhead of rose gold with natural pearl center. Rods of yellow gold run north and south throughout the open space of the pendant. Please note the bow form surmount in 18k rose gold. A later date 9k yellow gold open oval chain accompanies the pendant.
Date: Circa 1900.
Measurements: 1-1/2 inches (3.8 cm) in length including top bale by 1 inch (2.6 cm) at the widest. Chain is 15-5/8 inches (40.0 cm) in total length. Weight of 3.1 grams (2.0 dwt) for both pendant and chain.
Hallmarks: French horse's head; another French mark.
Condition: Excellent.
Origin: France.
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Tejay van Garderen of the BMC Racing Team became only the third American to win the best young rider classification at the Tour de France Sunday while teammate George Hincapie made history by reaching Paris and finishing a record 16th edition of the world's greatest bicycle race.
Two In Top 10
With van Garderen (fifth) and Cadel Evans (seventh), the BMC Racing Team was one of only two teams with two riders in the top 10 at the end of the three-week, 3,496.9-kilometer race. The BMC Racing Team finished third in the team classification (behind RadioShack-Nissan and Sky ProCycling) while getting all nine of its riders to the finish line – one of only four teams to do so. Van Garderen's performance in only his second Tour was particularly impressive, BMC Racing Team President Jim Ochowicz said. "I expected him to be here to help Cadel on the climbs and he was doing that," Ochowicz said. "I didn't think he could do it every day like he's done it and he's been able to do that. So that was a bit of a surprise for us, and I think for him too."
Hincapie Leads Into Paris
Bradley Wiggins (Sky ProCycling) became the first rider from Great Britain to win the Tour de France while his teammate and world road champion Mark Cavendish won his third stage. Wiggins finished 11:04 ahead of van Garderen and 15:49 in front of Evans. Urged on by Wiggins and his team, Hincapie led the peloton onto the Avenue des Champs-Élysées near the end of the 120 km race. "I'm actually really good friends with a lot of the Sky guys and I would have liked to have been a little bit more low key about it," Hincapie said. "But they were asking me to do it. So I went ahead and did it and it was a real honor for me to lead them into Paris." In what is likely his final Tour after announcing he will retire next month, Hincapie finished 38th overall in his 17th appearance. Hincapie did not finish his first Tour in 1996 but he did reach Paris in each of his next 16 consecutive starts, a record.
Evans Appreciative
Hincapie's 16 finishes match that of Dutchman Joop Zoetemelk (1970-1973, 1975-1986) and he registered a career-best 14th overall in 2005 while winning his only Tour stage the same year. He wore the yellow leader's jersey for one day in 2006 and helped three riders win a total of nine Tour de France titles: Lance Armstrong (1999-2005), Alberto Contador (2007) and Evans last year. On Stage 16 of this year's race, Hincapie was given an appreciative handshake by Evans as he led last year's winner across the line. "He's really one of a kind and I've always admired him even before I knew him," Evans said. "He's always been so professional. He's the first rider to go to bed at night and he's the first guy in the morning still at his age now. Having him as a teammate is like having an extra set of eyes. It's incredible his experience and his eyes for the race."
In White All But Two Days
Van Garderen follows in the footsteps of previous American white jersey wearers Greg LeMond (1984) and Andy Hampsten (1986). The 23-year-old spent all but two days of the race in the white jersey. Fourth in the prologue to earn it, he lost the jersey on Stage 7 to Rein Taaramäe (Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne) after finishing more than three minutes behind the stage winner. But he regained it by finishing fourth in the 41.5 km individual time trial on Stage 9. "I think it's another few years before I can think about switching this color (to yellow)," van Garderen said. "Luckily I'm still eligible for this color next year so maybe I'll try to win this again before I think of the big prize. Being able to learn from veterans like George and Cadel and that I can actually hold up to a three-week race has been wild."
Listen to complete comments from Evans, Hincapie, Ochowicz and van Garderen on the BMC Racing Team Tour de France AudioLine.
Click here to view photos from the final stage.


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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 March 24, 1882) was an American poet who wrote many works that are still famous today, including The Song of Hiawatha, Paul Revere's Ride and Evangeline. He also wrote the first American translation of Dante Alighieri's Inferno and was one of the five members of the group known as the Fireside Poets. Born in Maine, Longfellow lived for most of his life in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in a house occupied during the American Revolution by General George Washington and his staff.


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An extension has been granted for the census tracts still affected by the loss of major employers Mohawk Industries and Trinity North American Rail Car. The Less Developed Census Tract designation, now available to employers through the 2013 tax year, adds incentive for businesses to create jobs.
Defined business enterprises in manufacturing, warehousing and distribution, processing, telecommunications, broadcasting, research and development, or tourism physically located within the 9604-01, 9604-02 and 9606 census tracts are eligible for a $3,500 job tax credit against up to 100 percent of state tax liability and payroll withholding for five years for the creation of five net new jobs.
The original LDCT designations were granted due to the loss of 229 jobs from Mohawk's spun yarn facility in Cartersville and 659 jobs from Trinity Rail Yard near Cassville.
"Basically, the number of dislocated workers was a certain percentage of the workforce in that census tract," said Cartersville-Bartow County Department of Economic Development Executive Director Melinda Lemmon. "The goal is to encourage job creation in areas of economic distress.
"In this case, the extension was a joint request from County Commissioner Steve Taylor and Cartersville Mayor Matt Santini."
Extension approval was made by the DCA board of directors in their April meeting and formally announced by letter to local officials this week. Lemmon and Existing Industry Director Rachel Rowell have made themselves available for consultation with industry representatives and project managers interested in taking advantage of the LDCT designation.
"It's an extraordinary opportunity," Lemmon said. "One that we may only have until the end of the year. So the companies that are in these census tracts should really take a look at it and decide if it's a strategic opportunity for them.
"Normally, a Bartow County business would have to create 15 jobs and they would only get $1,750 in job tax credits per job for each of five years. With the Less Developed Census Tract, they get $3,500 and that's a big difference. There's also a difference in how they can use those credits. Anywhere in Bartow, normally what would be received is credits could be used against 50 percent of a company's state income tax liability. Within these Less Developed Census Tract areas, they can use it against 100 percent of state income tax liability and payroll withholding tax."
Santini emphasized the designation extension as another tool in economic development efforts to bring jobs to the area and promote a business-friendly environment.
"The importance of having that [designation] is that it gives additional incentives to companies that might be interested in locating in that area," Santini said. "There are job tax credits available and other items that would make that area more attractive to a company that is looking to locate here or a company looking elsewhere that may see this area as financially beneficial. So if there is a company that wants to bring quality jobs to the area and locate there, we'd be happy to have them.
"What we're trying to do is create an atmosphere that is conducive to business and industry. Unfortunately there is an area that is less developed, which means there are empty buildings, but the fact that we're being aggressive in doing all we can to make those areas viable and incentivized so that they won't be empty is the whole point."
For more information, call the Cartersville-Bartow County Department of Economic Development at 770-382-1466.


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Meet John Burgess, New Executive Director of the LL.M. Program
We're excited to announce that Adjunct Professor of International Law, John Burgess, has accepted the position of Executive Director of the LL.M. Program. John has had an extraordinary career as a practicing attorney in international trade, finance, mergers and acquisitions, and security law. Listed in the Best Lawyers in America and Massachusetts' "Super Lawyers", John recently retired as a partner in the WilmerHale law firm. A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and former President of the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities.
A traditional legal education is no longer sufficient to equip international lawyers with the tools they need to succeed in the complex field of international law. International lawyers need a broader contextual understanding, not only of the law but also of the societies and institutions in which international law is made, interpreted, and applied.
The Fletcher LL.M. in International Law trains lawyers to understand this perspective. Taught by a distinguished international law faculty with extensive real-world experience, the LL.M. Program addresses the historical, political, cultural, and economic framework within which contemporary international lawyers operate. This perspective is crucial in preparing students not only to be international lawyers but to become leaders in their fields who understand law contextually, not just as a technical tool. Fletcher's LL.M. Program helps students consolidate, expand, and advance their existing careers, and it provides superb preparation for those interested in a new career in international or non-governmental organizations, government agencies, international businesses and law firms, diplomatic missions, foreign and defense ministries, and other international institutions. Please view a representative list of employers of recent LL.M. graduates.
Fletcher is in a unique position to prepare the next generation of global leaders. Our alumni have a global vision, as well as a pragmatic approach to solving the world's most pressing problems.
During your year at Fletcher, you will have exclusive access to some of the most innovative thinking in international law, addressing the most pressing issues of the day.
Among the distinctive features of the Program is a "High Table" luncheon series, throughout the academic year for LL.M. students and faculty that features presentations by outside experts from the public and private sectors, faculty, visiting scholars, and other guest speakers. The High Table allows unique access and opportunities to engage in an invitation-only setting, providing students with insights drawn from the personal experiences of the speakers.
The five-day, year-end Capstone Colloquium is another unique feature of the Program. Students have the opportunity to complete their year of study by listening to and exchanging ideas with guest speakers, the Fletcher law faculty, and their fellow classmates, in a residential setting that is both stimulating and relatively informal. Contacts made during the Capstone have led directly to employment opportunities, publishing outlets for thesis work, and cementing relationships with friends and colleagues. For the first four years of the Program, the Capstone has been held at the Tufts University Center in Talloires, France.
Buttressing our distinctive LL.M. programming, the LL.M. curriculum offers students a multidisciplinary experience, both during and after their year at Fletcher. The cutting-edge Fletcher curriculum includes courses in international law, business, economics, political science, diplomacy, and area studies.
Admission to the LL.M. program is highly selective and is limited to no more than 25 students, which enables us to support each student's unique academic and professional interests. Admissions decisions are based on an evaluation of each candidate's application by the LL.M. faculty and the Program directors
The Fletcher experience does not end with receipt of your diploma. The Fletcher alumni community, as well as the Office of Career Services and the Program director, are available during the academic year and thereafter to support each student's professional goals. Our resources provide career mentoring, strategy, and networks designed to give Fletcher alums an insider's understanding of the international job market.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Louis M. Aucoin of the United States as his Deputy Special Representative (Rule of Law) for Liberia.
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The Eclipse Experience is a fresh approach to banking with unequaled personal service – so good it takes you by surprise. Come in, be surprised, and discover Inspired Banking.
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eDAQ Introduction
This seminar is day one of a three day eDAQ user's session that allows new users to become familiar with the unit, how it functions and how to communicate with it. The session includes a thorough "trouble shooting" section to define how to deal with potential problems that may be encountered in the field. This day gets new users started with their system.
Objective: The attendee will become familiar with the eDAQ, the communication methods that it uses and key parameters associated with its normal operation.
Typical Seminar Chronology
9:00 AM Brief introduction, attendee suggestions for additional topics to be covered at the end of the day
9:30 AM The eDAQ—the structure of the system, how it was conceived/developed and what it has evolved into
10:00 AM The eDAQ—the composition of a system, what is required, what is optional and what is available. Includes a detailed description of all components, modules and functions
10:30 AM Break
10:45 AM Continuation with individual eDAQ components
12:00 AM Lunch
12:45 PM eDAQ communication methods, including getting connected and setting IP address and other settings
1:30 PM Power—what the eDAQ requires, how best to provide it and the consequences of getting it wrong
2:00 PM The configuration parameters of the eDAQ, how to define time zones, storage methods and format types and how to navigate the web interface
3:00 PM Break
3:15 PM Test Control Software (TCE), getting familiar with the interface, a detailed explanation of each feature
4:15 PM A start to finish 'quick start' approach to using the eDAQ to collect data using generated signals
5:00 PM Recap and discussion of attendees' additional topics to be covered (as identified at the beginning of the day
NOTE: This seminar is part of the multi-track eDAQ Master Class and is the first day in the multi-day seminar. Existing users or those familiar with the eDAQ may wish to skip this track and join us for the next two tracks (User Instruction and Advanced Application).
Jun 19, 2012 Jun 19, 2012 - Jun 19, 2012
Southfield, MI (HBM nCode Training Center)
Deadline for registration
Jun 15, 2012


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Tale of four cities
Community bank leader Ken Burgess learned versatility meeting challenges in three diverse Texas markets. He's using it to help meet banking's challenges in Washington
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- Written by Steve Cocheo
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- Comments: DISQUS_COMMENTS
Friends and fellow managers kid Ken Burgess that he is a triple Type-A executive. Burgess focuses intensively on his work, indeed, on anything he considers important. And perhaps it won't surprise you that when it comes to one of his favorite hobbies—gardening—he doesn't grow something pedestrian like radishes or peas. Burgess raises peppers—blistering hot peppers—and puts them up in Mason jars as preserves, hot sauces, and pepper jellies.
The flavors start out hot and preservation intensifies them. A jar of one of Burgess' prize varieties looks like innocent string bean segments. Bite one, and you'll think the pepper was all promise and no kick.
Wait for it. Count to three—actually, two—and then extinguish your mouth. A serious fellow who knows how to be all business, Burgess smiles with a twinkle in his eye as a visitor samples roaring-hot cocktail sauce he's made, and which Burgess denigrates as too weak. He tinkers a bit more. "Now?" he asks. "Wow!" says the taster, in enjoyment and surprise. The reaction pleases Burgess. His other hobby is golf. He loves the game and dreamed of going pro in his youth. Even as a busy chairman, he shoots in the mid '70s.
This banker's aim to do something well permeates his approach to political involvement, too. In many visits to Washington—now as 2012-2013 chairman of ABA's Community Bankers Council—he's found that a serious effort to influence issues can pay off.
The key is to keep at it, win or lose. "After you've done it enough times, it becomes comfortable," says Burgess. But he adds that bankers must step out of their comfort zone. "You have to be willing to sit down with your opponents," says Burgess, "not just with somebody who already believes in what you are saying."
"I've heard some bankers say, 'It won't do any good to visit with X or Y, because they are on the other side,'" Burgess continues. "But they don't realize that that's one of the better opportunities you can have. You could possibly change that person's thinking."
Burgess has been trying to pass on this mindset to his managers and employees. His $650.1 million-assets FirstCapital Bank of Texas, N.A., does business in three congressional districts. One facet of his game plan: Invite a member of Congress into each market's operations at least once a year, if not twice, to build understanding of the industry's concerns at the grass roots.
Attacking sources of energy
Doing business in Midland, Texas, his bank's headquarters, has taught Burgess an interesting parallel lesson: Sometimes in this country, we beat up on industries we need.
Midland sits in the Permian Basin—the geological structure that produces nearly a quarter of the domestic oil produced in this country. Most communities have forests of trees. Midland has forests of pump jacks (production wells), drill rigs (exploratory wells), and mesquite. When you are out in the oil fields, you see the wells and their supporting structures and facilities, such as tank farms, across the horizon, along with the occasional flame. The gas mixed in the oil in drill-rig bores has to be vented off and expended. Water trucks, "mud" trucks, and "fracking sand" trucks seem to clog some roads.
When experts speak of what, until recently, was unthinkable—U.S. energy independence—places like Midland are what they are talking about. Major oil companies left the area years ago, but more than 100 small companies drilling using new technologies have created boom times, driving the simplest hotel rooms into hundreds of dollars a night—when you can find one.
Yet Burgess and local oil men will shake their heads over criticism that the oil and gas industry draws over what might happen as a result of new techniques, in spite of precautions and compliance with government rules.
In a way, community banking suffers the same kind of attention, Burgess believes, also in spite of its importance to America. "I feel community banks' image has been tarnished by the economic crisis," he says. "We've been lumped in with investment banks and some of the larger banks." He hopes, as council chair, to contribute to efforts to turn that image erosion around. "And that," he adds, "may help turn the tide on dealing with some of the onerous legislation and regulation that we have been dealing with." While large banks have the manpower to cope, albeit expensively, with the massive body of new rules, Burgess fears Dodd-Frank regulatory expansions will push community banks past what they can handle.
Speak now, or forever pick up pieces
When Burgess agreed to serve on the Community Bankers Council, he realized the job would have to be done proactively, and encouraging grassroots action would be part of that. "If the regulatory perspectives of bankers are not tapped in helping to set policy, then the policies we have to live by won't be very favorable," he says. The original Basel III capital proposals represent a critical example. Community bankers who didn't understand the dramatic impact the regulators' proposals would have on their institutions "either hadn't read them or didn't understand what they were reading," he says.
Engagement is critical for bankers these days, Burgess believes, and he works to set an example. He's brought his views on Basel III to bankers at a special panel discussion at ABA's 2012 Annual Convention, and filed a pointed comment letter. And that's just one issue that bankers face. Burgess hopes that new efforts, such as ABA's Financial Education and Advocacy Initiative, a 501 (c)(4) organization, will help educate lawmakers and the public about banking's importance.
Burgess may be zealous, but a long banking career taught him to be a realist. Sustained effort is key. "Changing the direction of policy is like changing the direction of a battleship," he says. "It doesn't happen instantly."
Building on history and experience
Working hard at something is no new thing to the Burgess family. Ken Burgess, Sr., now of Abilene, had been a farmer elsewhere in Texas. He'd been doing some consulting for a community bank and wound up working for it full time. Within a few years, he was running the bank, and went on to start banks of his own. His three sons worked in his own institutions in high school, and Ken worked in one bank later on for five years.
"He worked us hard, on the farm and other jobs he had us do along the way," says J. Greg Burgess, Ken's brother. "But that's what brought us into banking." Greg Burgess' own career includes a long stint as credit analyst at the original First National Bank of Amarillo, where he worked for Don Powell, Texas banker and FDIC chief during the George W. Bush administration. Brad D. Burgess spent a long career in other Texas institutions, including 20 years at American State Bank. Today, all three brothers work for FirstCapital. ("I'm harder on them than I am on other managers," says Ken Burgess. "I'm trying not to play favorites.")
"This is not a family bank; it just worked out looking that way," says Burgess. Actually, the bank's ownership comprises nearly 500 shareholders, which made the ABA victory over the old 500-shareholder registration threshold, won last year, critical for privately held FirstCapital.
The bank's leadership responsibility and duties span a cadre of officers, who reside in all three of the bank's markets—all reporting to Ken Burgess. The senior management team consists of Jay Isaacs, FirstCapital's president; Ted Awerkamp, COO; and Brad Burgess, CEO. Greg Burgess is market president in Amarillo.
The bank's three distinct Texas markets—Midland; Lubbock, over 100 miles away; and Amarillo, over 220 miles away—are so far apart that the bank uses techniques beyond the ordinary e-business methods that most bankers use today, to keep things running smoothly. For instance, the bank owns a King Air private plane for times when managers or other bankers need to shuttle from one market to another—it saves much time. Loan-committee meetings utilize TV cameras and large TV screens, so lenders in all markets can meet "together." Technology is great, but the bank still has a bias towards the personal—making a major decision via email, for instance, is frowned upon.
Three faces of Texas
Burgess started FirstCapital in 1998, as First National Bank of Midland, after a favorite local institution that failed during the energy-lending crisis of the 1980s. Today, the bank's three markets include:
• Midland, now a booming oil and gas market, has had its ups and downs, being tied to energy. The local paper, the Midland Reporter-Telegram, features a pullout section called "Oil Report" every Sunday, and most local businesses are part of, service, or depend on the energy business. Burgess and other local leaders work hard to expand the community's economic base even as good times have returned. Recently, XCOR Aerospace, the private space-transportation company, announced that with financial breaks from the city, it would locate its research and development headquarters in Midland.
• Lubbock. Cotton farming drives Lubbock's economy—25% of domestic cotton comes from its environs. Education, especially Texas Tech University, provides strength and staying power. Here, north of Midland, the bank has concentrated on mortgage lending and commercial real estate lending, along with a heavier retail presence than in its other markets. A broader industrial and manufacturing base also adds more diversity to Lubbock than energy-based Midland. And Burgess plans to expand further into cotton-production lending. Overall, "our market share here is nowhere near what it could be," says Brad Burgess, based here. "Our main challenge has been finding enough qualified people to staff the expansion." With 28 banks vying for share, competition is fierce.
• Amarillo, further to the north, relies on cattle ranching. The bank's operation here began in 2002 as a loan-production office built around Greg Burgess and four other bankers formerly with Don Powell's First National, sold to Wells Fargo. Gradually, the operation has built up to 30 full-time employees. The Amarillo operation has been concentrated on real estate lending but has been working to broaden its efforts. As part of this, the bank is building its ability to offer cash-management products for all markets. The effort, under Ted Awerkamp's direction, comes out of Amarillo. Operations staff is based in Amarillo as well.
In December, a new Amarillo headquarters will open to further cement FirstCapital into the community. Ken Burgess acknowledges that bank branches are evolving away from their traditional functions. Yet he remains convinced that in spite of technology, which he very much believes in, bank customers still put importance on a physical presence for a community bank.
"People still need a place to find a live banker, when they need one," says Burgess. His brother Greg adds that, especially when a bank is a comparatively new player, "you still have to have a physical location, so people know you are doing business in that market and are available. The new building will be a statement for us, an advertisement for us." In many ways, Amarillo remains a small town in spirit, and to be part of it, you have to occupy bricks and mortar.
Common to all three markets are extremely low unemployment rates—indeed, they are the strongest employment markets in Texas.
Do right by your customers
A common philosophy arching over these markets is conservative and prudent lending, bolstered by true relationship banking. Even with aggressive competition, FirstCapital management insists on understanding customers' affairs and going after all their business, not just opportunistic one-offs where cutthroat pricing wins.
"We've chosen not to play that game," says Jay Isaacs, president. "We don't believe that pricing should be the driver of a customer's credit choice." For the lender, this means not grabbing all the potential fruit. "The last thing we want to do," he says, "is to lend a borrower into trouble."
This is part of how the bank builds confidence with customers and prospects, explains Brad Burgess, in charge of the Lubbock market. "Business clients have to be able to trust you and see their bank as their 'silent partner,'" he explains.
In Amarillo and Lubbock, the bank moved in on its own, rather than acquiring, building up gradually. It's an "acquire the banker, not the bank" strategy. Ken Burgess feels it produces a better cultural fit—no institutional attitudes to undo.
"We've got plenty of growth opportunities in our three markets," says Burgess. "We don't have to go looking for additional markets." (That is, for now, he adds.)
What helps draw attention to FirstCapital in all three markets is employee willingness to play a role in local affairs. "That's pretty much how this whole bank has been built," says Burgess, "through the involvement of bankers and directors. We've done better with that than if we had done a lot of advertising."
Making community banking work
Increasingly, ground-level coaching at FirstCapital must be left to other managers, and it's been about five years since Burgess surrendered his last loan jacket. While he admits he likes to have a peek into deals now and then, he understands he must move on. "I'm not very good at letting go," Burgess says, "but I'm getting better." He says the bank has a strong, experienced senior team in place, overseeing an energetic, younger staff, and this permits him—obligates him—to concentrate on the big picture.
Burgess sees elements of both art and science to the community banker's job. "To be successful, the best banks are going to have to have a great deal of creativity," he says. "The art is using that creativity to differentiate your institution from competitors. The science comes in that you still have to have, or develop, an understanding of the principles of banking so you properly monitor asset quality and your balance sheet."
A former bank CFO himself, Burgess, chairman, "is very hands on with our numbers," says Tracy Bacon, executive vice-president and CFO. (All three brothers have degrees from Texas Tech: Ken in accounting, and Greg and Brad in finance.) While she says Burgess avoids micromanaging, "Ken knows every number in the bank, and he will be at my door when something changes, asking what happened."
The efforts of Burgess and his team have paid off. "We have a good story to tell," Bacon explains. "We're growing the bank at a significant pace, while preserving our efficiency ratio, and maintaining a good, solid ROA of around 1%." Last fall, the company did a stock offering, which was sold by officers and directors, rather than by an investment bank. It was sold to individuals in the three markets the bank serves. Last March, SNL Financial named FirstCapital to its list of the 100 best-performing community banks for 2011. Burgess minds many numbers, from earnings to efficiency ratios, and it is said he's never far from his iPad.
Burgess "gets" tech. But he resists suggestions that banking is going solely down a tech path. He believes community banking comes down to relationship banking—something he first learned from his father. Ultimately, "our mission here is not to sell product, but to serve people," he says. "Community banks like ours can change lives. If we do that really well, then we'll do well."
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I need some help in defending the libertarian position on the Civil War. I have read (briefly) Tom DiLorezo about Lincoln, but I need help in articulating the position that we hold.
1. Is there any concrete evidence that can be put forth that the North could have avoided war and the Civil War was not inevitable?
2. Are there any realistic and compelling explanations of how slavery could have been phased out without a civil war or some type of bloody conflict at some point? I ask because to me it seems like even if Lincoln tried to avoid war and the North did there best to pursue peaceful solutions, that the institution of slavery was so deeply imbeded in society that it would eventually require some type of serious conflict?
I don't know how to refute that claim.
Do you have any advice to put forward about how I can better defend the Rothbard / DiLorenzo view of the Civil War, Lincoln and slavery in the 19th century?
Thanks so much.
1. All the North had to do was withdraw its troops from the South and recognise the CSA. Why would the CSA invade them? The South only wanted independence, not control of the entire USA. Thus the term 'civil war' is itself incorrectly applied to that conflict.
Libertarians are generally divided on the Civil War. On the one hand, you have a tyrant who instigated the conflict and created the war, destroying the original ideal of America as the land of limited government in the process. On the other hand, you have a collection of states refusing to let go of an evil practice that was about as anti-libertarian as any practice goes.
For question 1, I would read John Denson's "A Century of War". The first half of that book is about how Lincoln tricked the South into firing the first shot. It is available for free on this website.
For question 2, I would argue that almost everywhere that slavery has existed, it has also been phased out by the people in the offending country without a conflict between states. I find it hard to believe that the South was the ONLY place that would not have also eventually phased it out. Furthermore, Lincoln could have taken many steps before resorting to war. For example, he could have promised freer markets or a stronger Southern influence in Congress in return for the freedom of most or all the slaves. 650,000 deaths for the freedom of 4 million people seems like a Pyrrhic victory to me, especially when you factor in the tremendous growth in government, the Greenbacks, and the "war powers" Presidential precedent that were all created by the war.
2. Are there any realistic and compelling explanations of how slavery could have been phased out without a civil war or some type of bloody conflict at some point? I ask because to me it seems like even if Lincoln tried to avoid war and the North did there best to pursue peaceful solutions, that the institution of slavery was so deeply imbeded in society that it would eventually require some type of serious conflict?
The north would out compete the south due to its mass industrialization and slavery would soon be phased out. Honest workers and a high amount of capital produces far better than people constantly struggling against each other as is in slavery.
"Since people are concerned that 'X' will not be provided, 'X' will naturally be provided by those who are concerned by its absence.""The sweetest of minds can harbor the harshest of men."
I can't remember where, but I read that, based upon the going rate to purchase a slave's freedom and the amount of money spent (debt incurred) by the North to fund the war, the North could have instead spared the death and destruction by simply purchasing all the slaves' freedom. These are, no doubt, based upon estimates, but it is one argument that can be made as to how war could have been avoided while bringing (nearly) the end of slavery peacefully.
The only one worth following is the one who leads... not the one who pulls; for it is not the direction that condemns the puller, it is the rope that he holds.
Great Britain abolished slavery in all her territories in 1834. It was a carefully arranged "road map" which was completed in 1838, when the slaves in Jamaica became completely free. The process went surprisingly smoothly: granted, there were tensions and difficulties but no blood baths or widespread rioting. Jamaica experienced a small but bloody riot in 1865 which was put down quickly and brutally (memories of the Indian Mutiny were still fresh), but that had more to do with how justice was administered than with slavery itself.
It has often been argued if Lincoln had made the abolition of slavery the ultimate goal of his presidency he could have succeeded with little or no violence ensuing. A road map similar to that designed by the British could have been implemented with relatively little difficulty, especially if the Southern States were to be given something in return. We know very well Southern States used slave labor to grow agricultural commodities which were mostly sold on the European market, feeding the booming textile industry in Britain, France, Belgium etc. We also know Southern States usually prefered importing goods from Europe than buying them from the Northern States, for no other reason it was a most convenient agreement (ships arrived from Europe carrying industrial goods and left loaded with agricultural commodities). Lowering tariffs on imported European goods and stimulating agricultural exports would have probably be enough to "sell" the abolition of slavery to Southern legislators.
Contrary to popular opinion slaves weren't that cheap: ever since the import was forbidden prices had soared and slavers made larger profits between 1840 and 1860 than in previous decades because restricted supply meant they could ask as much money as they wanted. In 1860 emancipation was only a matter of time since plainly put slavery was becoming uneconomical. Granted, a slave received no salary and could be treated badly. On the other hand he/she needed to be fed, housed, guarded and, given the restricted supply, could not be worked as hard as in previous decades. Buying a new slave was expensive and prices were in an upward trend. Freed slaves or immigrants from Haiti, Jamaica etc could do the job just as cheaply if not more cheaply (all things considered) and there was almost no limit on supply. Again this argument could have easily convinced Southern legislators if properly presented and perhaps included in a "bundle" with other benefits.
But of course we know very well emancipation was a just a moral excuse Lincoln brilliantly concocted to sell the war. Yankee industrialists and ship owners didn't want the South to import large quantities of European goods and ship their cotton, sugar etc on French and British ships. Bureaucrats in Washington didn't like the idea of decreased revenues from tariffs and large powers to local governments. The military wanted to expand: many regular Army colonels and generals who had served in the Mexican War remembered how much they had to rely on State militia (Jefferson Davis had led a Mississippi regiment which was instrumental in winning the Battle of Buena Vista) and the governors' goodwill. Finally let's not forget ideology: the XIX century was when the modern, highly centralized nation-State was born. Robert E. Lee was offered the highest rank in the Union army but refused because it would have meant drawing his sword against Virginia, which he considered his own country, not the US. Many Southerners considered Mississippi, Texas, the Carolinas etc their homeland, not the US as a whole, and were ready to kill or be killed for it. This may sound incomprehensible to the modern American, who has been brought up in what is a XIX century Nation-State not very different from France (the Nation-State par excellence) and her offspring, Italy, but it meant a lot back then.
Great post Kakugo. Care to turn it into a VR article? It would be most welcome.
the confederate president supported and fought for the expansion of slavery,
the position that we hold
the position that we hold
I'd just like to caution that just because some Austrian said it doesn't mean it's true. I'm not saying he's wrong (haven't read it), but don't trust him just because he's might agree with your biases.
Great post Kakugo. Care to turn it into a VR article? It would be most welcome.
I will do it in due time.
Together we go unsung... together we go down with our people
| Post Points: 5
This is one of the best articles I've ever read on this subject: The Real Significance of the 'Civil War' by Tom Woods. Here is the money quote:


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Hemann helped revitalize downtown Salisbury during his tenure
SALISBURY — Justin Dionne said Randy Hemann, the outgoing Downtown Salisbury Inc. leader, has lived up to his name during his 16-year tenure.
Hemann shares a moniker with He-Man, the protagonist in the Masters of the Universe franchise popular in the 1980s.
"If anyone has any doubts about what the He-Man has done for Salisbury, just tell them to look around," Dionne told the crowd last week at the F&M Trolley Barn. "…When downtown Salisbury needed a superhero, you were there."
People gathered to pay tribute to Hemann, who will leave DSI on April 30 to become the city manager in Oxford.
Dionne's new venture — he's artistic director for Lee Street Theatre, which will open a $1.5 million performing arts center this fall in an old warehouse — is a good example of Hemann's economic development track record as downtown's top executive.
Under Hemann's leadership, downtown Salisbury has experienced $51 million in investment since 2001, including 40 new residential units, streetscape enhancements, 240 new parking spaces, an entertainment district, an arts and technology district and two new performing arts venues with 350 total seats.
"Randy's impact is profound," said Mark Lewis, president of the DSI board of directors.
The key to Hemann's success has been a master plan created in 2001 and updated in 2010, Lewis said. These "living, breathing documents" served as the guide for everything Hemann has done, Lewis said, and made the 19-member Downtown Salisbury Inc. board "one of the most effective I've ever served on."
The master planning process included more than 150 volunteers, and the documents have worked because they reflect the community's priorities, Lewis said. Hemann continually turned back to the master plan for guidance and kept the documents literally in front of board members as they made decisions.
The results have made downtown Salisbury one of the finest small cities in North Carolina, supporters say.
In 10 years, the downtown tax base has increased by 169 percent from $56.4 million to $84.7 million in roughly a 20-square-block area. Downtown Salisbury Inc.'s revolving fund has revolved 10 buildings, creating $2.7 million in investment, 53 new jobs and eight residential units.
Hemann's focus on boosting the number of people who live downtown has spurred additional development, Lewis said.
"That is one of the key things that drives the success of a downtown," he said. "They demand services like restaurants and nightlife."
Hemann wasn't shy about asking for money. He helped raise $215,000 in grants and private donations to establish a trolley service in partnership with the Tourism Development Authority and took advantage of state grants to help developers buy and rehabilitate former eyesores, like two cottages on South Lee Street that now house The Perfect Smoke cigar shop and soon, Emma's restaurant.
There have been some stumbles along the way. In 2007, Downtown Salisbury Inc. bought the Empire Hotel, a vacant hotel at 212-228 S. Main St., for $1 million with the help of financing provided by eight local banks.
The project stalled during the recession, and the property remains vacant and a debt burden for DSI. But Hemann has continued to market the property, and a developer has shown enough interest to warrant a study due to the DSI board in six weeks.
For years, Hemann has advocated for left turns at the Square to no avail.
"How's the left turn coming, Randy?" F&M Bank President Steve Fisher joked at Thursday's roast.
There was also Hemann's failed attempt to convince City Council to support narrowing Main Street from four to three lanes.
But Hemann's successes far outnumber his failures. City leaders and downtown business owners credit him for having the vision, and perhaps more importantly the patience, to see projects through, including Easy Street, the Fisher Street entertainment district, the Railwalk Arts district and more.
"Randy truly understood the art of revitalizing a downtown," Fisher said. "Randy knew that vision without passion is just an idea, and that planning without patience is an idea soon forgotten."
While downtown Salisbury is blessed with a rich history and many dedicated and talented entrepreneurs and "community angels," it takes someone to coordinate those assets, Fisher said. Hemann managed to conduct that symphony with great results, he said.
Hemann has the ability to look at a dilapidated building and see the potential of new jobs and new sources of revenue, said Paul Fisher, chairman and CEO of F&M Bank.
Hemann worked each day with one goal in mind.
"How do we keep downtown alive, economically viable and pedestrian-friendly?" Paul Fisher said.
Before the tourism authority took over marketing and promotions for Downtown Salisbury Inc., Hemann and his staff planned and executed 14 annual events that attracted 20,000 people annually. Now focused solely on economic development and downtown revitalization, Downtown Salisbury Inc. employs only Hemann and a part-time assistant.
A "walking library" of knowledge about downtown development, Hemann worked to find new uses for old buildings, Paul Fisher said.
"Randy was a godsend for Salisbury," Fisher said. "He mustered the great people he found here, shared his vision and expertise, got their buy-in, and together they created one of the finest small cities in the state of North Carolina."
Hemann was part of a leadership group that recognized Salisbury's future economy should be centered on the "creative economy," focused on arts and culture, tourism, high-tech industry and diversity, said Lewis, a former City Council member.
"Randy's involvement in the direction of our economy is more than just a building on Main Street," Lewis said.
While the growth of the tax base is one measure of Hemann's accomplishments, he is also responsible for helping to nurture the city's entrepreneurial spirit, evident in new restaurants, theaters and a hotel, despite the recession, Lewis said.
Hemann's contributions to Salisbury will stand the test of time, Steve Fisher said.
Speaking at the Trolley Barn tribute to Preston, Hemann's son, Fisher encouraged the teenager to come back to Salisbury with his own family some day and drive through downtown.
"Tell your family how much your dad did here," Fisher said.
Contact reporter Emily Ford at 704-797-4264.


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Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Bentley collaborated to create the Global Talent Index, a scale measuring strength of talent and innovation in metropolitan regions.
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WBZ Radio reports on the new Global Talent Index unveiled by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. The report was created with help from Bentley's Center for Marketing Technology and accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.
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BMC Racing Team's Cadel Evans said he suffered through one of his most difficult days in the Tour de France as the race reached the mountains of the Pyrenees Saturday.
Tempo Hard To Match
Evans conceded 4:13 to stage winner Chris Froome, who soloed in 51 seconds ahead of Sky Procycling teammate Richie Porte to take the race lead. "It was my worst day in the Tour when I've been healthy. I was nowhere in the mix," Evans said. "I knew I wasn't at my best, but certainly I didn't expect to be that far off the best." Evans went on to finish 26th in the 195-kilometer stage and sits 23rd overall, 4:36 behind Froome. "Sky rode a tempo that was really consistent – from when they started on the Pailhères to when they hit the bottom of Ax 3 Domaines," Evans said. "They rode a consistent, solid pace. Not many people could match it."
Van Garderen Affected By Heat
BMC Racing Team's Tejay van Garderen, winner of the best young rider classification at the race last year, finished 12:15 behind Froome in 56th. Van Garderen said he suffered in the heat more than the effects of a crash on the opening stage one week ago. "The heat really started getting to me, which is strange because I'd done a lot to prepare for the heat with the sauna and I've had good rides in California and San Luis, which were all really hot," van Garderen said. "So I didn't think that was going to be an issue. But for some reason, today, it really seemed to affect me." Teammate Michael Schär, who was caught up in crashes on Wednesday and Friday – the latter of which injured his left shoulder – managed to finish the stage in 164th place, 31:15 down.
Listen to complete comments from Evans, Amaël Moinard and van Garderen on the BMC Racing Team's Tour de France Audio Line.