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This marks the beginning of the end of the 500 euro bill.
The European Central Bank announced Wednesday that it will phase out the 500 euro banknote because of concerns that this banknote "could facilitate illicit activities."
"There is a pervasive and increasing conviction in the world of public opinion that high denomination banknotes are used for criminal purposes," said ECB president Mario Draghi earlier in the year in response to a journalist's question about the future of Europe's most expensive bill.
The ECB is responsible for issuing euro banknotes that are used by all 19 nations in the eurozone.
Europe's top law enforcement officials maintain that the 500 euro banknote (worth about $576) makes it easy for criminals to launder money since it's so easy to move around undetected.
In a report last year, Europol said cash was still the "instrument of choice" for terrorists and 500 euro notes were in high demand, though they're not popular for everyday transactions.
"The 500 [euro] note alone accounts for over 30% of the value of all banknotes in circulation, despite it not being a common means of payment," the report said.
Related: Pennies and nickels cost more to make than they're worth
The bank said the issuance of the note will be stopped around the end of 2018, when a new series of banknotes is set to be introduced.
The bank said the 500 euro note will remain legal tender and can therefore continue to be used as a means of payment and store of value. It said the bank note can be exchanged at the national central banks of eurozone countries for an unlimited period of time.
The European Commission said earlier this year it would work with the ECB and Europol to find ways of stopping terrorists' cash flows.


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subset: commoncrawl


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By Steve Leonard, creator of Doctrine Man!!
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
The "Iron Major" phase of your career can seem to drag on forever, drifting in that twilight zone between the nostalgia of company command and the halcyon days that are sure to come. Every day is another day on staff, where success is often measured in terms of slide production or Unit Status Report ratings. Even the term "Iron Major" is a misnomer, often confused for a reference to physical acumen when it is actually a euphemism for the resolve necessary to endure successive years on staff with little to no authority.
In their own way, those years were also deeply rewarding for me. First as a brigade Support Operations Officer (SPO), then as an Executive Officer (XO), I could share the knowledge gained from a decade's worth of experience with younger leaders, helping them to grow and develop along the way. I was able to leverage wisdom earned in combat to advantage as we, in turn, prepared to launch into a new war. Along the way, I realized that I had become that "old major" I looked up to as a junior officer; I strived to live up to their legacies, to be the leader I saw in them.
For me, those two "key and developmental" positions defined my Iron Major years. Years of technical development prepared me well for my year as a SPO; a year in the Command and General Staff Officer Course, followed by a year in the School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) and an assignment as a division planner only refined that development. Success as a SPO can be attributed to a number of factors, but there are a few stand out from the crowd:
Integration: As a SPO, you are a key member of the brigade staff, and the one member of the staff most responsible for keeping the brigade combat ready. That means being an integral part of the brigade commander's team, not a wallflower who shows up for the weekly maintenance meeting. Get involved and stay involved.
Anticipation: More so than anyone else, the SPO is responsible for anticipating the support requirements of the brigade and ensuring those needs are proactively met. If you are reacting to the needs of the brigade, you are robbing the commander of vital combat power and lethality. Understand and project the logistical needs of the brigade, consumption rates, and delivery times and methods. And always remember that the logistics estimate changes constantly.
Flexibility: The logistics system is not always going to respond to your needs, so a good SPO must build flexibility into any support plan: alternative sources of supply, local purchase options, backup maintenance, non-standard casualty evacuation, etc. Support should be as seamless as possible, and flexibility goes a long way to preventing operational pauses due to interruptions in sustainment.
Dependability: Trust is essential between the supported and supporting organizations. The SPO is the critical link in that relationship. We have all heard horror stories about how trust broke down because of a lack of dependability. Your job is to make sure that does not happen, and it is probably the one thing that will keep you up at night the most often.
My XO time was equally rewarding, and I look back on it today as probably the single greatest learning experience of my career. My brigade commander possessed a near sense of coup d'œil on the tactical battlefield, an innate ability to "see" the fight before it unfolded. Keeping up with a leader with such ability pushed the staff to new heights. Not a day passed when we were not learning something from him, and that learning paid dividends for the rest of my career.
Serving as an XO or Chief of Staff is the closest approximation to cat herding as you will find, and there is a dearth of quality writing on the subject. Of the eight paragraphs that detail the functions of the staff in Army Doctrine Reference Publication 6-0, Mission Command, only three offer any real insights into how the staff supports the commander, arguably the most significant duty of the XO. So, where do you start?
Focus: If the staff truly exists to support the commander, then the XO needs to maintain a singular focus on the boss. How much focus depends on the commander. A good leader does not require a lot of "care and feeding"; a less-capable leader will tend to put demands on the staff that can detract from the mission. The XO must manage both the expectations of the commander and "fighter management" of the staff, and there will be times those two will conflict. Welcome to the life of an Iron Major.
Decision-Making: If war is truly a contest of wills, then the arbiter of success is the ability to make qualitatively better decisions faster than your opponent. A mentor of mine once said to me, "At the end of the day, the hardest thing you will ever do is execute command and control in combat." That is the crux of what the XO and the staff do for the commander: help them make the best decisions possible with the information available at the time.
Calm: The XO is often occupied negotiating the tenuous peace between the staff and the subordinate commanders (who often think the staff work for them). That can mean keeping the staff from levying less-than-useful requirements on subordinate units and helping the commanders to understand why the staff tasks them. When caught in this tug of war, always remember: never lose your cool, never let them see you sweat. If you are yelling, you are not in control. If you are not in control, someone else is, and you are failing the commander.
Pretty Colors: One of the least understood jobs of the XO is to help the commander to stay "on task." Commanding an organization is hard enough; it is even harder with constant distractions. Sometimes, that means helping the commander help themselves. My rule: if it does not help the commander to make a decision, then it is probably something that you can handle yourself. This is often easier said than done, however.
Aside from professional military education and engaging mentors, self-study and emulation are important to preparing for life as an Iron Major. In the realm of self-study, I probably consumed hundreds of books on decision-making and leadership under fire (pretty much a year in SAMS) leading up to my Iron Major years. For brevity's sake, I recommend the following books:
Defeat into Victory: Field Marshal Sir William Slim should be mandatory reading for every leader. Few books capture what it means to lead as clearly and succinctly.
Iconoclast: As a staff officer, success is typically determined by your ability to "sell" an idea, to make a convincing case when it counts. Gregory Burns' book is a primer on how to translate an idea into something that excites and motivates people. It is also a cautionary tale about those who lack that ability.
Influence without Authority: This is your go-to source as a staff officer, because this is your life. If you have not read it, do so. If you have, read it again.
A last piece of advice? Keep your sense of humor about you. You are going to need it more than you think.
Steve Leonard is a former senior military strategist and the creative force behind Doctrine Man!! He is a non-resident fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point, the co-founder of the national security blog Divergent Options, co-founder and board member of the Military Writers Guild, and a frequent contributor to the Atlantic Council's Art of Future Warfare Project.


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From Catchpenny Prints, Bowles and Carver, London, first published in the late 1780s
Allemand Swiss was a popular English country dance that was enjoyed in the American colonies and may have been one of the most popular American country dances by the end of the 18th century. The tune and dance also go by the title of the "Faithful Shepherd." The musicians on this recording have taken the liberty to play the tune as a canon, or round, with the various instruments coming in at the beginning of the tune, after other instruments have already started, and continuing on.
Instrumentation: fiddle, flute, fife, soprano recorder, hammered dulcimer
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Here's a list of quick answers for questions we're often asked. If you still have questions after reading these, please click here and contact us. We look forward to working with you.
Most orders are shipped within five business days. Holidays can slow down production (we're a small team), so please order in advance around holidays to make sure your gifts arrive in time.
US orders are shipped via FedEx Ground or USPS Priority Mail from Charlotte, North Carolina, which adds 1-5 days of shipping time depending on your location. Contact us if you need faster shipping and we can provide a quote. International orders are shipped with FedEx International Priority, which adds 3-5 days of shipping time, depending on what part of the world you live in. All orders receive tracking numbers.
Custom prints will take an additional 1-2 weeks for the development of the print. Please click here for more information on custom City Prints.
The answer is always yes! There are a couple ways to get your hands on a print that we don't have listed on our site.
- Send us a note using the contact form here. If we get enough requests, we will create the print and add it to the site.
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We guarantee 100% customer satisfaction. If you are not happy with the quality of your print, contact us within 30 days of receiving your order and we will print and ship another free of charge. We can't offer refunds if you simply changed your mind. We describe our prints in detail on the site and have a bunch of pictures. Please ask us questions prior to your order if there's anything you're unsure about.
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Yes, we can print up to 4′ x 8′, but we have to use a large format press so the price does increase. We can print up to 26″ x 38″ on our special pearlescent stock. Prints larger than 26″ x 38″ will be printed on a heavy 24 pt clay-coated stock. Please contact us for a quote.
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There are two options for framing our 12″ x 12″ prints:
1. 23" x 23" Frame and Matt (recommended)
Our 23″ x 23″ frames are black with a 1.75" wide genuine-wood molding and a 11.75" x 11.75" measurement inside the mat. Print is enhanced with a soft white acid-free mat, which is bevel cut and placed on top of the prints. The print and matt are protected by a premium crystal-clear acrylic overlay. The back of the frame is sealed with a dust cover for added protection. Industrial silver hanging hardware is bolted to the back of the frame – ready to hang on your wall. Pictured below.
2. 16.5" x 16.5" Frame
Our 16.5″ x 16.5″ frames are black with a 2.75" wide heavy polystyrene molding. We chose to mount the prints without an acrylic overlay, which shows off the unique properties of our paper stock when it hits the light. The back of the frame is sealed with a dust cover for added protection. Industrial silver hanging hardware is bolted to the back of the frame – ready to hang on your wall. Pictured below.
3. 1.5″ Deep, Gallery-Wrapped Canvas
We print directly on high-quality canvas, then stretch the image over heavy gauge 1.5″ deep wood stretcher bars. Corners are braced with additional bars and heavy hardware is attached to the back so your piece is ready to hang. You can add gallery wrapped canvas to any print in our inventory by selecting that option on the product page. Square City Prints will be 30″ x 30″ on canvas, rectangular prints will be 30″ x 40″. Pictured below.
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Katie, Tony and Tim Rodono – read the story behind City Prints here.


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from The Century Dictionary.
- Pertaining to the fists or to pugilism; fistic.
- noun A dialectal variant of
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Noted for it's fist-like quality
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word fisty.
It was when she shook hands with him and lacerated her tender skin in the fisty grip of his rope-calloused palms.
Note also that whilst his eyes are covered, he may find that his other senses become heightened, so be careful not to touch him, even gently, on the face, lest it feel to him like a powerful fisty assault.
We could viddy each other's flushed litsos and the shaking of fisty rookers, and there was a lot of creeching and cursing.
Where's the show? John Myles Aavedal 2010
All this time this devotchka, his loving and faithful wife, just stood like froze by the fireplace, and then she started letting out little malenky creeches, like in time to the like music of old Dim's fisty work.
Where's the show? John Myles Aavedal 2010
They made a real pudding out of this starry veck, going crack crack crack at him with the fisty rookers, tearing his platties off and then finishing up by booting his nagoy plott
Where's the show? John Myles Aavedal 2010
Olternatiblee, Ai oenlee waer mai LBD wen Ai is standin in teh bar, holdin a martoonee in a ellygunt manner, lukking seksy an so fisty caytid.
Day 2: - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008
– They'd study fisty-cuffs I believe, if they did, says I, for she hates him like poison; and there's no great love lost between them. '
Camilla 2008
Or may she gets into fisty cuffs with the kids in the playground over cars like a little Miss I cohabit with....
back to work... Katy 2008
They have among themselves a sewing society to make clothes for the poor, which holds meetings, passes resolutions, never comes to fisty-cuffs or bowie-knives as sane assemblies have been known to do elsewhere; and conducts all its proceedings with the greatest decorum.
"Coal Hole," where, to the edification of the public, he engages in a fisty combat with a notorious boxer.


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In Citizens United Reciprocal Exch. v. Espinoza, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court reversed and remanded a trial court's dismissal of an insured's counterclaim against its insurer alleging bad faith, breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing, and other claims in a declaratory judgment action. Plaintiff, the insurer, issued a personal auto insurance policy to defendant. The policy required the insurer to pay damages for bodily injury or property damage for which any insured became legally responsible because of an auto accident. Defendant had only one vehicle listed on the Declaration page of the policy, a 2004 Volvo sedan.
The accident in question occurred when Defendant rented a U-Haul, but then allowed a friend to drive the vehicle. The friend was in an accident, and the other driver brought suit against both Defendant and the friend. Defendant's insurer, Plaintiff, initially provided coverage under a reservation of rights, but ultimately denied coverage, stating the friend was not an insured under the policy. Plaintiff then brought a declaratory judgment action against Defendant. Defendant then brought counterclaims alleging bad faith and related claims. Prior to the beginning of trial, Plaintiff changed its position to allege it denied coverage not because of the friend's status as an insured, but because Defendant did not meet the definition of insured provided in the policy, because he was not using the vehicle at the time of the accident.
In relation to his bad faith claims, Defendant intended produce evidence of Plaintiff's failure to provide him with an attorney at his deposition, as well as testimony from the claims manager regarding the denial of coverage. Although the case was set for jury trial, prior to seating a jury the parties agreed to instead conduct a bench trial. However, during the bench trial, the judge treated the case as a motion hearing rather than a trial, disallowing Defendant from present its evidence regarding the bad faith claim, including barring the presentation of any witness testimony by either party. The judge treated the case as a summary judgment proceeding, entertained oral argument, and rendered a brief opinion finding the policy provided no coverage to Defendant. Defendant then appealed this ruling.
On appeal, the Appellate Division cited many problems with the judge's approach. First, Defendant was not provided notice that, instead of a trial, the matter would be resolved without testimony or documentary evidence. Furthermore, no exhibits were marked for identification, none were formally accepted into evidence, and no testimony was permitted. Thus, the judge made his decision based on the stipulated facts presented by the parties in their prior motions for summary judgment, despite the ruling denying summary judgment on those motions due to remaining disputed material facts. The judge made no specific findings of fact, and merely stated his conclusion that no coverage existed. The Appellate Division thus found it impossible to give meaningful appellate review absent the trial court judge's reasoning for his opinion, particularly given the evidentiary shortcomings of the trial. Thus, the Appellate Division reversed the trial court's finding, and remanded for further proceedings to allow Defendant the opportunity to present relevant testimony and documents in support of his claim for coverage.
Date of Decision: Jan. 23, 2015
Citizens United Reciprocal Exch. v. Espinoza, Docket No. A-5841-12T4, 2015 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 133 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. Jan. 23, 2015) (Haas, J. and Higbee, J.).


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The Department of Defense is splitting up and reorganizing its acquisition system in an effort to keep up with the times. A changing threat landscape and a new world order in how technology is developed, and business is conducted is behind the shift, according to DoD officials.
The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (AT&L) is being divided into two organizations, each with an undersecretary in charge: Acquisition and Sustainment, and Research and Engineering. The reorganization, ordered by Congress as part of the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), is intended to simplify and streamline processes for developing and testing new technology and fielding it more quickly than DoD does now.
The two-year transition process officially took effect Feb. 1, though it's starting with a 120-day working period during which DoD is setting up offices and developing a prototype for how to implement new processes before any actual changes take hold.
The goal is to get DoD up to what Deputy Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan last year called "the speed of relevance" in investing in new capabilities to keep the U.S. military ahead of Russia and China. "The DoD research, engineering, acquisition and sustainment organizations and processes must be sources of competitive advantage that ensure the warfighting superiority of U.S. forces around the globe," according to a DoD report in response to the 2017 NDAA.
DoD leaders have expressed concern about the potential of falling behind China, Russia, and other adversaries in a number of new-tech areas, including artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, and cyberspace, noting Russia's recent cyberattacks on infrastructure. (Not to mention Russia's recent tests of an "invincible" ICBM that purportedly can strike undeterred anywhere in the world, and one that can shoot down satellites, something China also recently demonstrated again. Meanwhile, rapid technology advances in the private sector is driving DoD to lower some of the barriers to getting its hands on new capabilities and getting them into the field.
For acquisition, that means making it easier for companies to do business with DoD while doing more for less, Shanahan said. And speed is of the essence.
"Importantly from an AT&L perspective, we had traditionally had milestone decision authority," Ben FitzGerald, director of the Acquisition and Sustainment Office of Strategy and Design, said last week at a seminar on the change. "That has been delegated down to the [military] services. We now have the authority to create a new tier of acquisitioning … to do rapid prototyping [and] rapid fielding."
Managing acquisition will be a data-driven approach on at least two levels, FitzGerald said. One level will be focusing on the performance of the acquisition system, and one will be examining the capabilities of products and services. Sustainment–maintaining operations throughout a mission–will be a key focus, because it accounts for about 70 percent of capability costs, but also provides the opportunity to improve capabilities while in use.
"An opportunity to innovate is usually in the sustainment phase," FitzGerald said. "We need to figure out how to bring that community up front so it can influence how we design, so we can design for sustainment, so we have ways to prototype into sustainment, so we can think about the sustainment of [areas such as] software."
DoD officials have talked for years about the need to develop, test, and deploy new technologies at an accelerated pace, and the need to do it in concert with industry. The restructuring of its acquisition processes, officials say, can help make that happen by design.


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In years past, starting on the first day of November, my social media feed would be overflowing with thankfulness posts. Honestly, it got on my last natural nerve. Most of it seemed like so much "humble bragging" — an excuse to tell people just how wonderful your life is (or how wonderful you want it to appear to be) without saying "Hey y'all! Compared to me your life is sad and pitiful and so not on trend. Your children are dumb and a little ugly, your husband's a shiftless loser, and I can't believe you don't have your Christmas tree up by the first week of November. Oh, and Santa loves us and probably not you because we've gone to feed the homeless in our Jimmy Choo pumps dear hubs got us right after he bought us a Mercedes to run carpool in. Excuse me while I go to Hot Yoga and live my best life in my exer-casual pants that show off the thigh gap I've busted my ass to get."
The rest was so sappy I wanted to throw up. "Thank you Lord for sending me a daughter who is brave and strong and beautiful and a Mensa candidate and a marathon runner and a she-coon warrior-queen who can conquer her darkest fears and live her wildest dreams and save one-eyed puppies and kick the butts of everybody who even looks at her sideways and bake a mean biscuit all while working three jobs and going to night school and dancing like nobody's watching." [Insert appropriate string of love and strong arm and heart-eye emojis here punctuated with a unicorn and a rainbow.]
But this year? Not a one! Not one! Not even a vague-book "I'm so blessed for reasons I can't say yet." And honestly, much to my surprise (and disgust) I miss it!
I know it's been a right shitty year on a number of levels. First there's politics (whatever side you're on) — news fatigue is real. Then there are the hurricanes, fires, and floods that have caused serious devastation and incredible loss of life and changed some of our favorite places irreparably. The shootings — so so many shootings — so many shootings that I can't even keep track of them all which makes me sad on a whole other level. And speaking of sad, in addition to a dear friend, we've lost Aretha, Tony Joe White, and Roy Clark who are probably all pickin' and grinnin' in the Promised Land while Stan Lee soars through the heavens like the superheroes that soared from his imagination, God rest their souls collectively and individually. And all this on top of our individual daily defeats, disappointments, and discouragements.
I get it. I've had my own upsets this year. My own setbacks. My own heartbreaks. But Husband accuses me of being an eternal optimist, so I've compiled a list of things that I am thankful for, which is in no way intended to be braggadocious, and in every way intended to recognize that there's always a silver lining to every cloud. Arggghhh, did I just write that sappy drivel? Vomit!
All sappiness aside and in no particular order, in the year of our Lord 2018 I am thankful for:
- Seeing my words between two covers and on the store shelves! Yes, I published a book! This little collection of essays represents the fulfillment of a dream I squelched for many years until finally I said, what the hell! And I went for it. Find out more about the book here. And the cherry on top of the publishing sundae was seeing my book on the shelf at the national BookExpo in New York, which you can read about here.
- Losing 30 pounds. Then I gained 10 back. But I still lost 20. And I learned better eating habits, I feel better overall, and my clothes fit better which means that I feel cuter which means that I'm in a better mood. I didn't realize how bad I was feeling until I felt better. And now that I've been eating better, all those old Southern standbys (I'm looking at you mac and cheese, fried foods, and tea so sweet your teeth hurt) that I used to pig out on, make me feel bad. So I've adapted and evolved. Yay me!
- Heated seats in my car. Proof that God loves women who wear dresses and wants us to be happy and comfortable.
- Seeing Sonny Boy thrive at college in a city that is rife with opportunity. He gets to experience art and culture and diversity and independence. He'll have the chance to do things I never even dreamed of when I was 19. Now I'm not saying that every time he leaves, I don't feel like someone has reached down my throat and pulled out my heart and stomped it into a flat, lifeless greasy spot in the middle of the road. But we do have FaceTime, and we talk and text just about every day. And I get to go to Chicago to visit, and I just flat love Chicago. So there's that.
- Sitcoms that make me cry, which means that despite all the bad things we see and hear every day, my heart can still be touched and moved even if it is by a sappy moment on television and even if Husband laughs at me when I reach for a Kleenex. When I stop crying at sitcoms, then I'll worry.
- The feminist men in my life starting with my Daddy, who taught me that I was just as smart and worthy and capable as any man. Then there's Brother, Husband, and Sonny Boy — who along with Daddy, have always supported and encouraged me in more ways that I can count. And I would be completely remiss if I didn't give a shout-out here to the feminist women who came before me — my great-grandmothers, grandmothers, great-aunts, and Mama, who put their shoulders to the grindstone and their minds to the books and worked twice as hard for half the pay, never complained, and raised families all at the same time.
- Ergonomic crochet hooks. As many of you know, I'm just a little obsessed with crocheting (read more about it here), especially Granny Squares. My daily meditation is going round and round and round and round making squares big and little. But my mind is busy y'all, busy. So to quiet it, I crochet a lot, a whole lot. And all this happy hooking makes my right hand and wrist hurt — that is until I discovered the ergonomic crochet hook! With a little rest and my new hooks, I'm back in business!
- The new doohickey on my iPhone that tells me how much time I waste on my iPhone. Lord, y'all … have I wasted some time. I just didn't realize how much until the doohickey showed up. Now I know, and when I find myself running down a rabbit trail on Facebook or my new favorite game (the Wizard of Oz color matching thingie), I think of those reports and how much writing (duh!) or crocheting I could be doing instead of wasting my time scrolling through Twitter or celebrity photos. Then I put the phone down and get busy.
- Being included in scattering the ashes of a friend who recently passed. Now, when you go to a gathering to celebrate a life well-lived, eat a plate of barbecue and some of the best potato salad you've ever had, and then someone unexpectedly hands you a little baggie of ashes and you see the bone shards and flesh dust, it's hard not to be taken a little aback. But then you feel honored — really deeply honored and humbled — to be entrusted with the mortal remains of someone's loved one and life partner. Then you buck up and find what you think is the perfect spot in a beautiful garden, say a little prayer, and return them to the earth. Then you spend a few days wondering if you did it right. Then you realize that there is probably no wrong way, and go right back to feeling honored and humbled.
- A perfect fried egg. Mama used to make me fried eggs that were "blindfolded and lacy" which sounds a little dirty now that I write it all out. Anyway, the blindfolded part is accomplished by flicking hot bacon grease over the tops of the yolks to cook them without flipping the whole egg. The lacy is the crispy brown bits around the edges. Every egg she fried slipped from the cast iron "egg skillet" in perfect yellow, white, and crispy brown glory. In my whole adult life, I've never been able to fry a blankety-blank egg like my Mama. I've scraped stuck-on egg bits off I don't know how many skillets and ruined breakfast (and sometimes dinner) more times than I can count. But now I'm getting close to egg perfection. I have a new, nonstick skillet that combined with hot coconut oil (remember that healthy eating thing from above?), turns out a nearly perfect, "lacy" egg. I know it's a cheat. I know it's not cast iron which docks me some Southerner points. But if it means getting that good egg lace, I'll make the sacrifice.
And the last thing that I'm thankful for is:
- YOU! Yes YOU! You for reading all of these little posts I write. You for buying books and reading them. You for sharing your stories with me, along with your laughter and, sometimes, your tears. Thank you thank you thank you!
I hope you all have a safe, happy Thanksgiving filled with more gravy than not, more good sweet family than not, more naps than not, and more love than not!


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Susan Fennessey Tullson
Born 1969
This famous woman that lives in Little Compton is a mother, English teacher, basketball coach, and a CCD teacher, but I call her mom. Susan Tullson was born in 1969, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She likes to say that she is so lovable because her birthday is on Valentines Day. Her parents are Francess and Thomas Fennessey. She moved to Little Compton when she was four, and has remained here ever since.
Susan is the oldest of seven children: Tom, Dan, Brendan, Ed, Shane, and Caitlin. When she grew up, she was always playing outdoors with her siblings. She liked riding her bike to the Brownell Library, and sometimes made the trip twice! Susan also liked playing basketball, softball, soccer, and dancing, with family and friends. In fact, she danced for ten years with my same dance instructor today! Her fondest childhood memories were playing Manhunt, Kick the Can, and going to the beach.
Susan's family comes from County Cork, Ireland. Both sets of her grandparents sailed here. Many of her family members are musical. They enjoy singing, dancing and performing. This might be why she named all her own children with Irish names. For example, my name is Deirdre, which is Irish for a queen.
My mother went to Wilbur McMahon and St. Philomena's for grade school, and later she traveled all the way up to East Providence to attend St. Mary's Academy Bayview. She developed a love for debating as well as a love for her English classes. She played basketball for four years, she ran track as well, and performed in many Cabaret shows.
Later, she attended Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland where she majored in English and teaching. Eventually, she came back to Rhode Island where she went to Providence College for her teacher certification. Then, she earned her Master's degree from Rhode Island College.
Susan began her teaching career at Riverside Middle School in 1991, and later taught at Martin Middle School. Susan enjoyed many years teaching English and then moved to Dartmouth Middle School in Massachusetts, where she presently teaches in a English Lab setting. Susan also runs the school's talent show and is the coordinator and coach for the PBIS team at her school.
My mom met my dad, Christopher Tullson, at South Shore Beach in Little Compton. RI, while they were lifeguarding. She has six children whose names are Sean, Colin, Neal, Evan, Maeve, and Deirdre Tullson. She also has nine nieces, and one nephew, with one niece or nephew on the way. She enjoys going to the beach in the summer with everyone! She also likes going to all of her children's basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, and baseball games. Her husband and kids are the best things that have ever happened to her!
Susan always jokes that someday her goal is to get on her favorite show called Shark Tank. She has many ideas for inventions and just knows that her next idea will be the one! If you need to find her she will either be on the beach or teaching a class!
Based on an interview with Susan Tullson, April 2020.
Written by: Dierdre Tullson, Grade 5 -Wilbur & McMahon School


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Casa Fernández is now AGANORSA Leaf.
The company is changing its name, transitioning from a name that references its owner to one that ties in with the larger agricultural empire of which it is a part.
AGANORSA stands for Agricola Norteña S.A., a company owned by Eduardo Fernández Pujals, that includes livestock, tobacco growing and cigar rolling. It's most known for growing leaf in Nicaragua, which it sells to a laundry list of companies, but it also operates the Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A. (TABSA) factory, as well as factories in Jalapa and Miami.
The AGANORSA name has appeared on Casa Fernández cigars before, but the company behind selling cigars has been referred to as Casa Fernandez or Tabacalera Tropical, the predecessor.
"AGANORSA tobacco is our strength," said Terence Reilly, vp of sales and marketing, in a press release. "It's essential cigar aficionados associate our cigars with the incredible leaf we grow. Changing our name to AGANORSA LEAF is a crucial step towards that goal."
The company says that the Casa Fernández brands will remain the same, but they will be updated to include the AGANORSA Leaf name.
"Since day one the leaf that we grow in Nicaragua has made our cigars distinctive in flavor and aroma," said Max Fernández. "AGANORSA tobacco has always been unique. You can recognize it when you taste a cigar made by us. With AGANORSA LEAF hopefully people enjoy the same experience I have; from the early days when I walked into tobacco fermentation barns and cigar factories as a kid with my father Eduardo, Arsenio and our team of experts. The aroma and experience lingers in your memory, and it will forever stay with you.


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Day 46
My wife tells me this picture is a big Pinterest hit. What else can I do but to try and drive some blog views by tapping into an already hot commodity? And now all of you get to, through some minor sleuthing, compare a drawing of mine to it's origin. I'll also add that this is the first 24 Hour Sketch to implement graphite pencils with varying hardness: HB, 2B, 4B, and 6B. Have a good weekend.


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Site Council Meeting Agendas
Welcome, Parents!
Parents, relatives, and community members are encouraged to volunteer in the classroom, either as tutors or for specific activities or events. They are also encouraged to help their children at home and can assist the classroom teachers by preparing materials at home.
The School Site Council meets regularly, and parents and community members are encouraged to attend meetings and be participants in the ongoing planning for the site.
Anyone wishing to be involved in our school community may call our school office at (530) 627-3242 x2000 and talk with our Principal, Karen Cole or Secretary, Tasha Marshall. Parents/Guardians may also contact classroom teachers directly.


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Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Beyond the book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
A profoundly moving story of family, history, and the meaning of home, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait.
Lydia is dead. But they don't know this yet... So begins the story of this exquisite debut novel, about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee; their middle daughter, a girl who inherited her mother's bright blue eyes and her father's jet-black hair. Her parents are determined that Lydia will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue - in Marilyn's case that her daughter become a doctor rather than a homemaker, in James's case that Lydia be popular at school, a girl with a busy social life and the center of every party.
When Lydia's body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together tumbles into chaos, forcing them to confront the long-kept secrets that have been slowly pulling them apart. James, consumed by guilt, sets out on a reckless path that may destroy his marriage. Marilyn, devastated and vengeful, is determined to find a responsible party, no matter what the cost. Lydia's older brother, Nathan, is certain that the neighborhood bad boy Jack is somehow involved. But it's the youngest of the family - Hannah - who observes far more than anyone realizes and who may be the only one who knows the truth about what happened.
A profoundly moving story of family, history, and the meaning of home, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, exploring the divisions between cultures and the rifts within a family, and uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.
Everything I Never Told You
Lydia is dead. But they don't know this yet. 1977, May 3, six thirty in the morning, no one knows anything but this innocuous fact: Lydia is late for breakfast. As always, next to her cereal bowl, her mother has placed a sharpened pencil and Lydia's physics homework, six problems flagged with small ticks. Driving to work, Lydia's father nudges the dial toward WXKP, Northwest Ohio's Best News Source, vexed by the crackles of static. On the stairs, Lydia's brother yawns, still twined in the tail end of his dream. And in her chair in the corner of the kitchen, Lydia's sister hunches moon-eyed over her cornflakes, sucking them to pieces one by one, waiting for Lydia to appear. It's she who says, at last, "Lydia's taking a long time today."
Upstairs, Marilyn opens her daughter's door and sees the bed unslept in: neat hospital corners still pleated beneath the comforter, pillow still fluffed and convex. ...
The overall tone is elegiac as the author seamlessly weaves past and present, going back in time decades before Lydia's birth to uncover the factors in her parents' lives which ultimately contribute to Lydia's demise. Ng's prose is exceptionally perceptive; she realistically conveys her characters' inner motivations, dreams and disappointments, providing a rich understanding of what has brought them all to this particular juncture...continued
Full Review
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(Reviewed by Kim Kovacs).
According to the 2010 census, the number of mixed-race and mixed-ethnic couples in America grew by 28% from 2000 to 2010. At one time marrying outside one's race was considered, at best, controversial, but a 2007 Gallup poll cites 87% of Americans as approving of the practice. Such levels of acceptance were not always apparent, however, with state anti-miscegenation laws remaining on the books as late as 2000.
The term miscegenation, meaning the interbreeding of different racial types (irrespective of marriage status), was first coined by the American press in the 1860s, in articles countering the abolition of slavery. The implication was that a huge population boom of mixed-race children would occur without laws prohibiting the races ...
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For fans of Everything I Never Told You and The Mothers, a deeply moving and unflinching debut following a young Vietnamese-Australian woman who returns home to her family in the wake of her brother's shocking murder, determined to discover what happened - a dramatic exploration of the intricate bonds and obligations of friendship, family, and ...
In Hayley Scrivenor's Dirt Creek, a small-town debut mystery described as The Dry meets Everything I Never Told You, a girl goes missing and a community falls apart and comes together.
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Funcom takes another swing at the Lego MMO.
Legos seem the perfect property for an MMO. They're customizable, can work in any setting, play well with licensed properties, and imbue a childlike sense of play. Well, that's what Play Well Studios thought with Lego Universe, but that didn't turn out too well. Secret World developer Funcom thinks it can do better, and has announced Lego Minifigures Online. It will also let you unlock in-game characters by buying legos in real life, which would be utter genius if Skylanders and Disney Infinity didn't do it first.
Lego Minifigures Online will let players explore places like Pirate World, Space World, and Medieval World. As they wander, they'll collect minifigures and level-up their characters. Unlike Lego Universe, Minifigures Online will be F2P from the start. Predictably, Funcom is aiming it towards a younger audience, so don't expect a full-fledged PvP MMO with competitive raiding.
Now that Skylanders showed the world that combining a video game with collectible toys is a mad scientist formula for printing money, someone finally realized that Legos are a prime target for this strategy. To that end, Lego Minifigures Online will be tied into the Minifigures toy line, so each new lego figure will come with a code that will allow you to play with them in the game.
Powered by Funcom's DreamWorld platform, Lego Minifigures Online will be a full-featured PC game with DirectX 11 support. Just in case any kids out there don't happen to have an overclocked gaming rig, they can also play right in a web browser, or on an iOS or Android tablet.
Lego Minifigures Online will launch on PC, iOS, and Android devices in the second half of 2014.


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One of the things I really love about golf is the people who play it. 99% of the golfers I have met are "good folks". And the 1% who aren't, can't be real golfers, IMHO.
Recently I was fortunate to meet one of those really good folks from Texas – Allen Baytes. Allen is a golfer with a dream to help children in need through golf. So he started an organization called Texas Golf ConneXion (TGC).
TGC will host a series of "Compete for Compassion Skin Games" in Houston, TX in 2013 designed to bring more fun back into golf, and leverage the generosity of players and sponsors to make a positive impact in the community.
"Compete for Compassion grew out of my love for the game and a compelling desire to use my passion for golf for a greater good," said Baytes. "Something has been driving me for 5 years to create tournaments that are not only a lot of fun for our local Houston golfers, but are a vehicle for raising awareness and money for kids in need."
The first event of the year, scheduled for April 28, 2013 at High Meadow Ranch Golf Club, is a FUNdraiser, where 2-person teams scramble to win $5,000 in Skins and a $5,000 medal purse. Golf guys and gals over 18 years of age are welcome.
Handicaps, mulligans and gimmees are not in play, having been replaced with a true spirit of friendly competition. Entry fees are $195 (plus taxes) per player and the registration deadline is April 15, 2013. So if you live anywhere near Houston, I encourage you to register your two-person team.
No charity tournament can run without sponsorship, and this year Compete for Compassion has been fortunate to receive support from a number of companies who share the same commitment to the game and to helping children reach their full potential, including: Swanson Golf Center, Piretti Fine Putters, Blue Label Vodka, and Peli Peli Restaurant.
Swanson Golf Center, named Best Practice Facility in Houston Chronicle's 2010 Golf Guide, is holding its annual Demo Day on April 6, 2013 where visitors can enroll for the first Compete for Compassion event.
"We are delighted to offer our support to Compete for Compassion and the work they are doing," said Matt Swanson, owner of Swanson Golf Center. "Golfers are well known for 'giving back' and we are proud to partner with the organizers and players to be game changers for children who desperately need help."
"We are extremely grateful to our sponsors and their generosity," said Baytes. "But we can't sit on our laurels; we still need to continue to grow our contributions by attracting even more sponsors. But I have a strong belief in the power and passion of people in the golf industry and am confident together we will be able to raise even more money for our kids and make a significant difference in their futures."
It's people like Allen and his sponsors that make me proud to be part of the golfing community. If you would like to help out even a little bit, there are numerous levels of sponsorship available. So please contact Allen Baytes, Tournament Director at Texas Golf ConneXion to find out more.


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For those seeking to expand their mind beyond reality, virtual reality headsets allow you to enter a new world. However, many find the headset to be clunky and uncomfortable. One Japanese broadcaster has developed a similar visual experience without the headwear and with 8K picture.
NHK, Japan's public broadcaster, has debuted a super high definition experience based on a rounded and domed 8K projection screen with a moving seat. The seat moves in sync with the video footage. The screen itself is large enough to cover your entire field of vision to keep outside distractions out. You do not get the same depth as VR, but it is sufficient to wet the pallet. A Mashable writer compared the screen to the curved IMAX theaters which encompass most of the audience within its gigantic curved screen.
The WonderVision Sphere 5.2 (5.2 is the screen's width in meters), as it is called, debuted at South By Southwest festival this year. The demonstration video included a five-minute clip of a flyby through Tokyo, going past all of the city's main attractions. All of the footage was collected on a single 8K camera before being loaded into NHK's system. The ride will be available for demo at the Digital Content Expo in Tokyo this October.
NHK has made a big push with their 8K content in the past few years. They first displayed their step up from 4K video in 2014 at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, they started broadcasting events live in 8K for the first time and are preparing a major push to do the same for the 2020 games in Tokyo.
NHK is not the only company working on their 8K offerings. In April, Facebook released its 8k ultra-high definition Surround 360 virtual camera. On the television side, Samsung and LG have both added 8K products to their line which will cost you upwards of a few thousand.


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"The answer therefore to the first of the two questions of pure reason with reference to its practical interests* is this: Do that which will render thee worthy to be happy." – Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason.
The last four blogs looked at subjective or internally derived metaphysical statements of the highest degree of certainty and empirical truths of lower, but still high certainty. We can now intersperse within these an analysis of ethical certainties, or propositions of human conduct.
The first of these is the fifth metaphysical proposition – I have free will. Any theory of human conduct must begin with the assertion or the assumption of free will. Ethics is premised on choice. There is no ethical question on the destruction caused by a tornado since the tornado is not thought to be a cognitive agent with free choice. Likewise there is no moral responsibility for my kicking the physician who taps my knee with his hammer while standing too close to my foot. Only voluntary actions are the subject of ethics.
The corollary of this first principle is: Human conduct matters. This is derived from pure reason based on the meaning of free will as free agency and the definition or assumption of conduct as a form of causality with resulting effects. If human action despite being free has no effects, conduct does not matter and ethics is undermined.
Next is the crucial point – There is good and evil. This we must assume for ethics to apply, but is also experienced phenomenologically via perceptions filtered through reason. While specific goods may be subjective, the concept of 'good' as opposed to 'evil' is intuitive and universal. Common sense and humanity lead all to assume a child accidently stepping off a cliff is evil while a body of fresh, clean water is good for a person alone dying of thirst in the desert. Obviously many goods and evils are less self-evident.
By logic we arrive at the next ethical certainty, Good conduct is preferable to evil conduct. Therefore any value system will support saving a healthy, innocent child from stepping off a cliff rather than pushing him or her to her death. The corollary to this proposition is the mandate of the physician: First do no harm. In all human conduct the avoidance of harm to others is the highest priority by intuition and experience. Similarly, needless blinding of innocent animals, even if pleasurable (presumably to a mentally ill person) is not justified in any system of ethics.
Within the limits above, the ethical principle of the next highest degree of certainty is I should aim to make a good life for myself. Logic and common sense inform this, even when making a good life for oneself is sacrificing for the good of others or self-denial. Choosing the saintly road is premised on the belief that a good life for myself is one of saintliness, not that concern for others makes a bad life for myself.
(continued next post http://philosophicalguidance.com/2020/07/31/certainty-synthesis-part-v-continued/)
* What ought I to do?


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Does Medicare for All Mean Abolishing Insurance Companies?
Two experts debate.
Natalie Shure and Max B. Sawicky
The latest issue of In These Times is a special, extra-length issue devoted entirely to the subject of socialism in America today. This special issue is available now. Order your copy today.
Yes, We're Coming for Your Private Insurance Plan
By Natalie Shure
Since the 2016 Bernie Sanders campaign popularized the idea, "Medicare for All" has blossomed into a nationwide rallying cry, racking up congressional supporters and challenging the D.C. consensus around what is politically possible. But for many Democrats, support comes with fine print.
The popular slogan initially described a single-payer system, in which the government would act as the sole insurer. Sen. Sanders (I-Vt.) has proposed such a bill, co-sponsored by several other Democratic presidential contenders, including Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.), Kamala Harris (Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.). On February 26, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) introduced a single-payer bill in the House, co-sponsored by presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawai'i) and multiple potential candidates.
But Booker now says he would keep private insurers around, and Warren has hedged, expressing openness to alternatives that would expand coverage through a combination of public and private insurers.
There are political reasons to do so. Not only does the deep-pocketed healthcare industry oppose single payer, but one recent poll found that respondents' support for Medicare for All plunges to 37 percent when they're told it could eliminate private coverage. The central question: Can private health insurers be part of the solution?
A clear-eyed analysis of our ailing health system yields a simple answer. The for-profit health insurance industry as we know it must be categorically eliminated.
Countries like Germany built their health systems atop a social insurance model in which the primary purpose is to pay for care. The U.S. system, however, grew out of models of for-profit property insurance — which means that health insurance was only ever intended as a safeguard against the risk of catastrophe.
This model assumes payouts for damage are rare, a fundamentally ill-fitting way to finance, say, the needs of chronically ill patients, extensive cancer treatments or comprehensive maternity care.
If a driver totaled their car four times a year, they would be practically uninsurable — they'd be locked out of coverage completely, or charged astronomical premiums to safeguard insurer profits. This tactic is essentially what health insurers have attempted to impose on sick people. For decades, they barred people with preexisting conditions from purchasing policies, or charged higher premiums to people likelier to use more care. Insurers still charge older patients higher premiums and often find technicalities to deny claims for payouts. A 2018 federal analysis concluded that privately managed Medicare Advantage plans engaged in widespread improper claims denial to boost profits.
Obamacare and other legislation banned the health insurance industry's most egregious practices. But they can't change the fact that the most basic purpose of a healthcare financing system — to pay for whatever care people need — is fundamentally at odds with the interests of for-profit insurance.
The reliance on private insurance creates structural obstacles to reform. For instance, a piecemeal web of competing insurance plans makes it difficult for any given insurer to command any leverage in negotiating prices with healthcare providers and drug companies. This obstacle is a large part of why U.S. healthcare costs are so high. By contrast, a single government payer would be able to exert far greater control over healthcare costs.
Furthermore, private insurers' vested interest in minimizing "medical loss" — that is, payouts for care — leads to eye-popping administrative bloat on the part of both insurers and providers as each side struggles to pinpoint who pays what. All too often, navigating the snarl falls to individual patients, who are forced to call, sit on hold, beg, appeal, sue or go bankrupt to get care.
After decades of entrenchment, the U.S. insurance industry has only exacerbated problems in healthcare financing while adding no value whatsoever for patients. We deserve an efficient, equitable system. A unified public pool is the best way to deliver one.
If You Build a Public Option, They Will Come
By Max B. Sawicky
There is a new current of nay-saying on "Medicare for All" (M4A). At the risk of associating with some unsavory characters, I'm afraid I have to join the chorus.
The prevailing progressive view, presented by Natalie, is taking on the unfortunate nature of a litmus test. In this version of the policy, private health insurance would be legislated out of existence, replaced with a new regime of universal, single-payer insurance.
The idea that we must eliminate private companies to have real M4A flies in the face of experience, not to mention political sense. Actually existing universal systems in Europe still rely heavily on the participation of private insurance companies. In these mixed systems, the huge size of public programs allows governments to negotiate prices with healthcare providers and maintain downward pressure on costs.
More importantly, forcing everyone to change their health insurance risks a potent political backlash. Demanding that Democratic candidates commit to eliminating private insurance could sustain our current, repulsive ruling junta in the 2020 elections.
For anybody who hasn't done a deep dive into the M4A legislation floating around Congress — in other words, most people — this new vision of Medicare is an unknown. It involves a wholesale revamp of really-existing Medicare, which is very far from adequate.
The desire, perhaps the governing assumption, is that almost all your medical expenses would be paid by somebody else, essentially financed with taxes collected from the population as a whole. Can this be accomplished?
On the "affordability" bugaboo, there should be no doubt. Universal single payer can be much cheaper than our current system. Those who say "we" can't afford it are referring to themselves, upper-income taxpayers who can most definitely afford more taxes but would rather forgo the opportunity.
The 500-pound gorilla in the room is the politics of conversion. The switch to M4A would mean lower insurance premiums, perhaps no premiums at all, but higher taxes for some. Any big change such as this creates what social policy wonks call "winners" and "losers."
Winners are those who, after the change, enjoy some preferred combination of better insurance benefits and lower total payments in taxes, premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. Losers are those who do not. Despite the shortcomings of private insurance, many who are well insured would not look favorably upon being compelled to enter a new, yet-to-be-defined insurance regime. They could legitimately fear being stuck in a plan with lesser benefits, and a tax code that would increase their own tax liability, perhaps even more than they would save in premiums.
Total costs could decrease, and research suggests the average benefit would be positive across all but the very top income brackets, but the likelihood remains that a great many individual oxen will be gored.
Many of those who come out behind might find themselves in opposition. We can think such persons as selfish as we like, but that won't make them disappear or shut them up. The "vast majority" would be better off under M4A, but the vast minority can be quite a pain in the ass.
For this reason, I'd argue that excellent-Medicare-for-anybody-who-wants-it is a political no-brainer, and full-tilt M4A is political suicide. The former would be not unlike the "public option" suggested during the Obamacare debates, but with better coverage at lower cost and the express aim of making private insurance obsolete.
There are times to reject political constraints. On some issues, compromise is sabotage. M4A is not one of those cases, because it is possible to get to universal coverage by more politically feasible, alternative means. A buy-in available and affordable for all is one such alternative. It leaves nobody behind.
Without doubt, existing buy-in proposals have deficiencies. Sen. Sherrod Brown's (D-Ohio) limited notion of expansion only to people over 50 is particularly disappointing. That doesn't mean a robust plan is impossible.
Critics of the buy-in are justified in noting that existing Medicare leaves a lot to be desired, so a buy-in should itself be tied to an expansion of coverage under Medicare. It should eliminate the need for private "Medigap" plans that supplement Medicare benefits. Again, the point is to design a program that renders competing arrangements inferior, not to exclude them by fiat.
I would not suggest a candidate for office concoct a detailed plan — all that does is provide targets for nitpicking. A candidate need only say that anybody will have the choice to enroll in an expanded Medicare program. Increased costs will be defrayed by some combination of higher taxes and, unlike Obamacare, affordable individual premiums. People can still buy private insurance plans, as they do now.
In current debates, the political dangers of what could be called the absolutist position of M4A tend to be glossed over. There is a reluctance to acknowledge, much less explain, the failure of state-level M4A ballot initiatives in Colorado and California. Advocates also gloss over the presence of the conservative Blue Dogs and the moderate New Democrat Coalition, with 100-plus members, within the House Democratic majority. What sort of incremental moves they would support remains to be seen.
Presently many candidates for the presidential nomination give at least rhetorical support to M4A. In the very possible event that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who defends the more ambitious version of M4A, does not get the nomination, the winning candidate will embark on the usual move to the center. At that point, those committed to maximum M4A will convey their disapproval, to no avail, except for the weakening of the Democratic ticket in the national elections. By contrast, a credible, realistic transition to a fully built-out Medicare plan can unite Democrats and progressives against the barbaric alternative that looms before us.
A Hybrid Won't Cut It
By Natalie Shure
Max is correct that there are major political obstacles to winning Medicare for All (M4A). The most significant pushback, however, will come from the healthcare industry itself — not from imagined hordes of Cigna superfans. Yes, polls show Americans are skeptical about eliminating private insurers, but most will find much to embrace about no longer arguing over unpaid claims, searching for providers who accept their policies and poring over dozens of plans during open enrollment.
In a country with nearly 30 million uninsured people and many more with plans they can't afford to use, it's tough to make the case that the interests of "losers" in the transition to M4A should supersede the needs of those losing already. Such a sizable swath of the country surely already constitutes a "pain in the ass."
The Obamacare backlash was not about people's allegiance to their insurance companies; patients were angry to lose their doctors when shifted onto different provider networks. An "improved and expanded Medicare for All," however, will offer a broader slate of benefits and options than more cost-conscious private plans, allowing a larger portion of patients to keep their providers. Even for those who truly enjoy their employer-sponsored policies, volatility and change already define the system: They can easily lose insurance in the event of job loss or divorce, or at the whim of their boss. A coherent, unified and stable public pool would avoid this.
Max is also correct that universal healthcare systems abroad maintain a role for private insurance, but not always for the better. In Canada, for instance, some provinces do not make prescription drugs available through the government insurer. This is not a model to follow, but a shortcoming activists are fighting to change.
Germany and France have private insurers, but many are structured as nonprofits, or else intended to complement (rather than replace) government coverage. Switzerland's system could be compared to Obamacare, but there, firms are barred from making a profit off of basic policies; even then, Switzerland's healthcare costs are far higher than those of its peers, suggesting we can and should do better.
In the U.S. context, Max's "optional buy-in" plan could fail to streamline our piecemeal system and do little to increase leverage in pricing negotations. Without automatic enrollment — which M4A could make law — uninsurance rates would remain high: A 2013 Congressional Budget Office analysis found a public option would have practically no effect on uninsurance rates. Inertia would also leave many underinsured in the private insurance market, facing staggering medical bills for rejected claims. The semblance of "choice" may seem politically expedient, but such a structure forfeits the key advantages of a single-payer system.
Ultimately, Max's argument in defense of private insurers boils down to the fact that we already have them. That simply isn't good enough. For-profit insurance companies add no value and have been at the root of structural problems plaguing our healthcare system for nearly a century. The crisis is beyond the point of being salvageable through technocratic tweaks. Financing American healthcare through for-profit insurers is immoral and unsustainable, and must be unequivocally rejected. The lessons of history — including those of Obamacare, for all its flaws — suggest that, were a robust public system built, so, too, would a constituency to passionately defend it.
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By Marc Schindler
This blog post originally appeared on The Huffington Post's Crime Blog
In the not so distant past, election cycles inevitably saw a political race to incarcerate where candidates competed to be the toughest on crime. Making history as the first candidate to raise the issue of ending the "incarceration generation" during a presidential election, Hillary Rodham Clinton has effectively repudiated the very policies her husband and others designed and implemented during the drumbeat of the lock 'em policies of the 1990s. The hallmark of that effort was the 1994 Omnibus Crime Bill, which was signed by Bill Clinton and resulted in increased federal funding for police and prisons, and encouraged longer prison sentences.
The political landscape has changed dramatically, and leaders from all across the spectrum are finally embracing "smart on crime" reforms to reduce the costs and size of a criminal justice system widely recognized to be broken and ineffective. In just the last few months, amidst calls for racial justice and policing reforms in communities like Baltimore and Ferguson, over six hundred interested lawmakers, advocates, faith leaders and researchers attended a national bipartisan summit in Washington calling for criminal justice reform.
The radical shift in rhetoric, however, has yet to be followed by the kinds of sweeping, comprehensive reforms that would result in a serious dent in our nation's prison population. By contrast, when the tough on crime movement took hold in the '90s, it was followed by expansive and widespread policy changes at every level of government that resulted in an explosion in the prison population. With the exception of a two-year dip, prison and jail populations nationally have continued to rise. As of 2013, there were 2.2 million people in prisons and jails and 4.8 million in the community on probation or parole, for a grand total of nearly 7 million people under the justice system's control. If we are serious about ending the failed era of mass incarceration, we need to have the rhetoric followed by concrete policies and implementation.
The need for these changes has been evident for decades, and finally is getting the attention it deserves. Sadly, it has taken recent tragic events to put a national spotlight on problematic policing practices with racially disparate impact, neither of which is a new problem. That said, while policing reforms are critically important to eliminating the use of excessive force and reducing the number of people coming into the justice system, they remain part of a larger criminal justice approach that has devastated already vulnerable communities, and targeted people of color.
None of these problems are new and have been documented before, including by the Kerner Report issued in 1968 following unrest in communities of color across the country. Finding that the unrest in African American communities was largely the result of frustrations due to a lack of economic opportunity, the report called for investments to create jobs, improve housing and address de facto segregation in our communities.
Now, almost 50 years later little has changed and we see many of the same pervasive problems existing in cities across the country. And in fact, maybe the biggest change is that in addition to the problems of the past, we have now added mass incarceration to the list of problems plaguing these communities. For example, in a recent analysis, the Justice Policy Institute and the Prison Policy Initiative found that Maryland spends $300 million to incarcerate people from the city of Baltimore, who make up one out of three people in state prison. Freddie Gray's neighborhood of Sandtown-Winchester/Harlem Park has an incarceration rate eight times that of the state of Maryland, with the result being that $17 million in taxpayer dollars are spent each year to incarcerate people from that small community.
The same neighborhood has some of the city's worst indicators for public health, including lower levels of income and education, a high exposure to lead paint, and a shorter life expectancy than neighborhoods within a short radius, essentially the same types of conditions documented in the Kerner Report. The only "investment" with a clear impact in that neighborhood is the criminal justice system, which touches nearly everyone in Sandtown-Winchester in some way.
As the camera crews pull away from Baltimore, few have noted that policymakers in Annapolis and federally took no meaningful steps in the last legislative session to reduce prison or jail populations.
Without a dramatic change, spending on prisons and a criminal justice approach as the first response to economic challenges will continue to undermine the social fabric of the most vulnerable neighborhoods. And even millions of dollars invested in social services will do little to improve circumstance if the criminal justice system continues to touch nearly every element of people's lives.
Efforts to reform the justice system are not new, and many of the political leaders championing changes today are followers rather than the innovators. Some are even trying to undue the consequences of their own actions taken in the 90s. Those in the field know that ending mandatory minimum sentences by giving judges more sentencing discretion, reversing "truth in sentencing" laws that result in unnecessarily long times in prison, and providing treatment rather than incarceration to drug offenders are the types of changes that are needed.
It is important to recognize that progress has in fact been made in some states. The state of New York was able to reform its draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws in 2009, and saw an 18 percent decrease in the prison population without compromising public safety. California recently shifted a series of offenses from felonies to misdemeanors, which will mean fewer people can be sent to state prison. But mandatory minimums that keep people in prison too long remain on the books in both states.
No single category of reform will turn around the era of incarceration generation. Appropriate practices in policing that serve the community rather than fight it are essential to neighborhood and community interactions. Providing robust treatment and mental health options to keep people outside of the prison system is essential. Allowing people who have served their time to successfully reintegrate into communities is critical to allowing people to stay out of the system.
To make a significant reduction in the population of people in prison would also require a tough and unflinching look at who is in prison, for how long, and to what benefit.
To make a significant reduction in the population of people in prison would also require a tough and unflinching look at who is in prison, for how long, and to what benefit.
An examination of violent offenses more broadly shows that, according to a recent report by the National Institute of Justice, even though burglary is categorized as a property offense, it is most often prosecuted as a violent offense. Looking at the aging population of prisoners, who research suggests are unlikely to ever offend again, would provide another class of individuals who could be returned to the community with minimal public safety risk.
Looking closely at the category of "sex offender," for example would reveal that many who are on registries are not the predators they are imaged to be. "Romeo and Juliet" crimes can fall in that category, as can exposure in public. And providing developmentally-appropriate approaches to 18-24 year-olds, who are neurologically wired to change, is another entire category of people who could be managed more effectively and save precious tax dollars.
The '90s saw impassioned rhetoric followed by sweeping changes and a rapidly different prison population. While no one is advocating for the knee-jerk policies of the past, we are still waiting for a comprehensive national reform agenda that looks closely at each point of the system, from the first contact with police to diversion, sentencing, or prison to reintegration after contact. We moved the ship but are still waiting for the tide to turn.
The good news is that more today is known than ever before about what works and doesn't work to address offending and promote safety. We have the information and research to support making big changes. We now need the leadership to usher in a new age.
Marc Schindler is the Executive Director of the Justice Policy Institute.


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The first ENT centre of Shravan ENT care India Pvt. Ltd. was inaugurated at Vytilla, Ernakulam the commercial capital of Kerala in November 2000. Our main promoter and Chief consultant is Dr. [Lt. Col.] Mathews P. George MS [ENT].
ENT is the branch of medicine that diagnoses and treats disorders related to Ear, Nose, Throat, Head and Neck and Speech & Language. At Shravan, we focus on compete ENT care encompassing the essence of morbidity health care.
Our aim has always been at providing quality and cost effective ENT care, while maintaining high ethical standards, guided by years of expertise and experience.
Avoid using ear buds to clean the ear, it is dangerous. Ear canal is akin to a curved tube closed at one end by a thin paper [Ear drum]. The tube is narrow in the middle. Hence complete cleaning of the ear with ear bud is not possible. Attempt at cleaning with ear bud, will remove the wax partially only. The rest of the wax is pushed onto the ear drum. It is also prone to accidental damage to ear drum. Always get the ear wax cleaned by an expert.
Very irritative / painful. Kill the insect by drowning the insect, pour water / spirit / oil into the ear. Once the insect is dead the emergency is over. See the ENT specialist the next day.
Insect in the ear
When children have mild to moderate hearing loss they will show diminished performance. When ever a child's response is inadequate to expectation, is naughty, is inattentive and or lazy, do not blame the child. The handicap your child faces can be easily appreciated by you with this simple test.
Close both your ears tightly with your index fingers. Now listen to other talk "with and without" the ear plugged. Get the child investigated for mild to moderate hearing loss in a good ENT / audiological centre.
Known as giddiness also. Ear ailment is the commonest cause of giddiness. In ear giddiness, hallucination of movements is the main symptom. It should be differentiated from Dizziness / Blackout / fits / weakness. Ideally for giddiness you should see an ENT specialis
When there is infection in the ear with a hole [perforation] in the ear drum which does not heal with medical treatment it is called CSOM. Once confirmed CSOM can be cured only by surgery [Tympanoplasty].
The majority believe in the philosophy "Delayed speech give Speech therapy". This is not the ideal management. You have to analyze the cause of delayed speech and then if the cause is -
Hearing loss - refer to ENT specialist / hearing aid fitting / AVT.
Mental retardation - IEP by Special educator for Mentally challenged.
Learnig disability - IEP by Special educator for Learning Disability.
All children prior to being referred to the special educator for evaluation have to be evaluated for hearing by an objective test [OAE / Threshold BERA]. As far as possible all challenged children should be habilitated / trained in a normal school [inclusive education] setting. Specialized school should be for the very bad cases only.
No ear drops. Keep sterile cotton in the ear. Avoid water entry to the ear. See the ENT specialist the next day.
Wax is a normal secretion in the ears, like tears in the eyes. It helps in keeping the ear clean. Wax collection in the ear is abnormal and has to be removed. Hard wax has to be softened by using drops before cleaning. Cleaning is done by syringing / suction / by ear hook under vision. Always go to an expert for the same. Never indulge in self cleaning it can be dangerous.


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(JTA) — President Obama has said privately that "Israel doesn't know what its own best interests are," columnist Jeffrey Goldberg wrote.
In a column posted on the Bloomberg website late Monday, Goldberg wrote that when Obama was told that the Israeli government had approved plans to advance the development of housing in the controversial E-1 corridor between Maale Adumim and Jerusalem, the president "didn't even bother getting angry."
"In the weeks after the U.N. vote, Obama said privately and repeatedly, 'Israel doesn't know what its own best interests are.' With each new settlement announcement, in Obama's view, Netanyahu is moving his country down a path toward near-total isolation," Goldberg wrote.
Goldberg called Obama's relationship with Netanyahu "complicated," and said Obama has been a "reliable ally" on "matters of genuine security." He criticized Netanyahu for supporting Republican candidate Mitt Romney in last November's U.S. presidential election.
"Obama, since his time in the Senate, has been consistent in his analysis of Israel's underlying challenge: If it doesn't disentangle itself from the lives of West Bank Palestinians, the world will one day decide it is behaving as an apartheid state," Goldberg wrote.
Goldberg suggests that Israel "may one day soon notice a significant shift" in American diplomatic protection in venues such as the United Nations.
If another issue, such as a vote on Palestinian statehood, arises again in the United Nations, "It wouldn't surprise me if the U.S. failed to whip votes the next time, or if the U.S. actually abstained. I wouldn't be particularly surprised, either, if Obama eventually offered a public vision of what a state of Palestine should look like, and affirmed that it should have its capital in East Jerusalem," Goldberg wrote.
"What Obama wants is recognition by Netanyahu that Israel's settlement policies are foreclosing on the possibility of a two-state solution, and he wants Netanyahu to acknowledge that a two-state solution represents the best chance of preserving the country as a Jewish-majority democracy. Obama wants, in other words, for Netanyahu to act in Israel's best interests."


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Since you use your car to travel, it's more than likely important to you. It is important to learn more about auto repairs if you are not familiar with this topic. If this applies to you, this article will teach you auto repair basics.
Ask a potential mechanic if they have experience with working on the exact kind of car you have. If yes, then you can trust them with your car.
Get your car washed often to keep rust at bay. Salt and other harmful chemicals will speed up the rusting process. If you want to avoid rust at all costs, do your best to clean the car thoroughly after contact with these substances. Make sure to wax your car so as to protect the paint.
Always ask your mechanic for OEM parts. These are the manufacturer's original parts. Generic parts can be cheaper but OEM parts will last longer and usually come with a better warranty. What may seem like a deal now can cost twice as much as buying OEM in the first place.
If you're headlights are giving off dull light, they may just be dirty. Sometimes the road's greasy residue can get on a light and reduce the output of light. Be sure to clean them with a strong glass solvent in order to get the best light possible.
Find a mechanic who has experience with the make and model you drive. While all cars have the same basic components, there are big differences as to how they are attached and located under the hood. If you are not confident in a local mechanic, pay a little more to get an authorized dealer to work on the car.
You should always care for your car. Even knowing how to do simple maintenance may save you tons of money instead of going to a mechanic. Use this information the next time your vehicle is acting funny.
Auto Repair Long Beach
Foreign and Domestic Auto Service Shop
Call Today: 562-920-1871 – Fix Your Car Today
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This session covers the most common don'ts when it comes to custom soft window treatments. You'll see and hear some interesting stories about inappropriate choices, bad installations and custom window treatment no-no's and we'll tell you how to turn it into a do. You'll come away with some great tips, tricks and trade secrets on what to avoid on future projects.
Webinar: On Demand


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Pregnancy is said to be a very beautiful stage in the life of a women. Many of them find it as a dream to have their own child into this world. Although every women wants to experience this period in life not many are possibly ready for it. Intercourse is carried out several times which can be avoided through protection but not many do the required thing. Not many of them use protection while their intercourse which then leads to pregnancy. A woman must be pregnant simply if she wishes to and not when it is imposed on her by family or the partner. After such intercourse one faces an unwanted pregnancy. This is the reason people are made aware of using protections and avoiding such illegal practices.
Abortion is a big crime. If you do not want the child, then better not bring him or her into this world. Killing a child before or after birth is quite inhuman of a person. Abortion is illegal in many parts of the world. Not every country stands abortion. In some countries there is a fine or jail for doing such to both surgeon and the person who is aborting the child. According to the universal rule one person brings other person into this world. If you have got the right to bring a child into existence then do not abort it. All these are just illegal practices which are not entertained in many countries.
Abortion is mainly categorized into two, one is natural abortion and the other one is induced abortion. Natural abortion simply means a miscarriage. Miscarriage means termination of the child on its own and not through any kind of procedure. Miscarriage occurs due to the faults of the women herself. If she is working all the time and not taking care of the other life in her womb, then miscarriage occurs. Miscarriage might occur when the lady has some disorders or she is facing from certain diseases which are not good for her health. Such disorders or diseases directly affects the child and the mother as well which can lead to miscarriage. The materials are flown out in the form of heavy bleeding.
Another one is induced abortion which means abortion which is done on purpose. This kind of abortion is done mainly when the person do not want the child to come into existence or when the pregnancy is probably unwanted.
There are certain ways through which abortion can be done. One is through a surgery and other one is through medicines. According to a research, the total amount of people who opted for surgical abortion has reduced in number whereas people who use medicine as a tool for aborting the child are more.
Surgical abortion is less in use as it takes a person to spend a lot of money for just a simple abortion. Many doctors do this surgery just to make money out of patient and through a good will. Abortion through surgery should be done only by trusted doctors as a wrong surgery from a wrong doctor can make a person infertile. Such surgeries should be taken place only after ensuring that the surgeon is a trusted surgeon who can ensure good results out of it. It includes a lot of cost such as travelling, doctors fees plus the medicines cost. Very few people opt for a surgical abortion. There are people who go to other states for such purposes to ensure complete privacy.
Abortion with the help of medicines is the safest of all. Abortion through medicines is safe enough and is cost efficient. You need not spend much of your money over such an abortion. The medicines are very cheap which can be afforded by anyone. The plus point is that it ensures complete privacy and you can do it by just staying at home. Make sure you keep your partner or some friend along with you while doing this procedure as you can face heavy bleeding, very painful cramps in the start. You can also face blackouts so ensure that you are with a person who can help you out when any such problem arises. Buy MTP kit for abortion as it is the best abortion pill so far. It is less in cost and can be easily available on the site. Use this kit for ensuring a complete and safe abortion.


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A short send-off ceremony was held at the Addo-Kufuor Conference Room for the 2017/2018 batch of National Service Personnel, who served with the Ministry of Defence. The ceremony offered an opportunity for them to interact with the staff of the Ministry.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister for Defence, Hon Dominic Nitiwul advised them to apply the knowledge they had acquired during the service period to prepare themselves for the job market. He encouraged personnel to keep in touch and call on the Ministry for assistance when the need arises.
The Deputy Minister for Defence, Hon Derek Oduro (rtd) on his part urged the service personnel to be disciplined as it would open doors for them. He assured them of the Ministry's support. Some senior officers and staff also took turns to give farewell messages and advise to the personnel.


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According to Ken Rosenthal and John Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com, the Seattle Mariners have indicated to clubs that left-hander Jarrod Washburn is "officially available."
Furthermore, Morosi and Rosenthal report that the Mariners have formally placed a call to the Yankees informing them that they'll officially begin listening to offers.
The Yankees are believed to be very interested in acquiring another starting pitcher, and it's believed the two names at the top of their list are Bronson Arroyo and Washburn, however, at this point Arroyo seems like a last resort should they not be able to complete a deal for Washburn.
Another team very interested in Washburn is the Milwaukee Brewers, but one complication for the Brewers could be the impending free agency of Jarrod Washburn. After being burned last year by CC Sabathia, many folks around baseball believe the Brewers might be hesitant about landing another potential three-month rental. However, others within the Brewers organization believe that because Washburn in a Wisconsin-native, the team might be able to convince him to agree to a contract extension, but as of now this is just all speculative.
It's believed that in exchange for Washburn Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik is seeking at the very least a major league ready shortstop. If that is in fact true it would make the Brewers seem much more viable candidates than the Yankees. The Brewers could present a package built around current big league shortstop J.J. Hardy (who was drafted by Zduriencik), or even one around prized young shortstop Alcides Escobar. On the other hand the Yankees don't really posses a top-level shortstop that they could offer the Mariners, but they do have a collection of young arms in the minor leagues that they could potentially build a deal around.


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OILMONSTER.COM- Oil prices extended gains on Monday as investors stood on guard for any moves against Russian oil and gas exports that might come out of a meeting of leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations meeting in Germany.
The prospect of more supply tightness loomed over the market as western governments sought ways to cut Russia's ability to fund its war in Ukraine, even though G7 leaders were also expected discuss a revival of the Iran nuclear deal - which might lead to more Iranian oil exports.
Producer nations in OPEC+, which includes Russia, will likely stick to a plan for accelerated oil output increases in August when they meet on Thursday, sources said.
But, for now, the pressing supply worries outweighed growing concerns over the potential for a global recession following a string of downbeat U.S. economic data.
Brent crude futures edged up 22 cents, or 0.2%, to $113.34 a barrel by 0342 GMT after rebounding 2.8% on Friday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $107.73 a barrel, up 11 cents, or 0.1%, following a 3.2% gain in the previous session.
Both contracts posted their second weekly decline last week as interest rate hikes in key economies strengthened the dollar and fanned recession fear.
However, oil prices remained well supported above $100 a barrel while prompt monthly spreads remained wide in backwardation as crude and oil product supplies remained tight.
Backwardation occurs when prompt prices are higher than prices for delivery in future months, indicating tight supplies.
G7 leaders, who began their meeting on Sunday, are expected to discuss options for tackling rising energy prices and replacing Russian oil and gas imports, as well as further sanctions that do not exacerbate inflation.
These measures include a possible price cap on Russian oil exportsto reduce Moscow's revenues while limiting damage to other economies.
"It's unclear whether a price cap will achieve this outcome," Commonwealth Bank of Australia analyst Vivek Dhar said in a note.
"There's still nothing stopping Russia from banning oil and refined product exports to G7 economies in response to a price cap, exacerbating shortage conditions in global oil and refined product markets."
G7 will also discuss the prospect of reviving the Iran nuclear talks after the European Union's foreign policy chief met senior officials in Tehran to try to unblock the stalled negotiations, a French presidency official said on Sunday.
In addition, some of the G7 leaders are pushing for an acknowledgement of the need for new financing for fossil energies investment, two sources told Reuters on Sunday, as European states scramble to diversify supplies.
Courtesy: www.reuters.com


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Esther Ann "Zan" Reeser, age 86, formerly of Compass, passed away at Tel Hai Retirement Community of Honey Brook on Tuesday, January 14, 2014. She was the wife of the late Edward L. Reeser.
She was born in Nine Points, PA, daughter of the late Frank W. & Marian (Baldwin) Hershey. She was a member of St. John's Episcopal Church of Compass and a graduate of Scott High School. Zan played on the All American Girls Professional Baseball League for the Springfield Sallies during W.W. II and is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Zan loved entertaining her family and friends who frequently gathered in her kitchen sharing stories, laughter and fun. She enjoyed traveling, woodworking and was an avid bird watcher. She loved her children and grandchildren and will be greatly missed.
Surviving are two children: three grandchildren: and two brothers. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Phyllis Ann Reeser, and two sisters: Elizabeth O'Donnell and Eleanor Hershey.
A private graveside service will take place at the Pequea Presbyterian Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Evercare Hospice, 700 American Avenue, Suite 206, King of Prussia, PA 19406. Arrangements by the Shivery Funeral Home, Inc., Christiana & Paradise.
Author: Lancaster Journal (PA)
Contributed By: Merrie Fidler
Copyright: Lancaster Journal (PA), 1/15/2014


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I like the concept of Chromebooks: simple, uncluttered, always up to date, affordable, and easy to use. Unfortunately, there are a lot of trade-offs! I recently bought a Microsoft Surface Book, although my original goal was to get a Chromebook. I primarily use my laptop for podcasting, web design, and graphic design. Still, for me, it was next to impossible trying to justify purchasing a Chromebook suitable for any serious work. I wanted a 2-in-1 with pen input, and I was willing to give up the Adobe suite of products if I could find suitable alternatives.
My conclusion is this, even if you love your Pixel phone and all that is Google, you will not love trying to be productive on a machine that is not designed for working professionals. It doesn't have any of the mainstream app professionals use to do real work. If you want one as a writing, web surfing secondary device, go for it; just don't pay more than $600 for one!


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Life at The Farmhouse Buffalo Checked Dog Bandana
What is cuter than a fur baby in his/her Farmhouse mode? Pretty much, nothing! Great for those Holiday pictures! Pairs well w/ our Farmhouse Buddy matching leash! Perfect gift for your dog loving people.
- Large fits up to a 22 inch neck
- Small fits up to a 15 inch neck