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Barbara 'WebMama' Coll Speaking Events
Barbara Coll and her team speak internationally on subjects as wide ranging as business intelligence, brand messaging, web analytics, keyword discovery, search marketing, lead generation and conversion tactics. See all upcoming events below.
From her 1998 debut in the online marketing speaker's world (an unfortunately storm that year kept Eric Ward from making his speaking slot) at Thunder Lizard Design's Web Design conference, to SES 2000 in Dallas to RIMC Iceland in 2012 to eMetrics Toronto in 2013 Barbara has enjoyed sharing her knowledge with the crowds who define the ever evolving world of web marketing.
Peruse all of WebMama.com's and Barbara Coll's previous conference presentations and webinars.


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Father's rights during a divorce extend beyond the right to custody of children. Many fathers find themselves fighting for property. When fathers and mothers cannot agree on division of property, courts make the decisions. A father's rights lawyer will help a dad who is battling for property during a divorce, putting together a case that considers the rights of the client.
State laws determine the method used to divide property during divorce. Several states are community property states where each spouse retains his or her separate property and the remaining community property accumulated during the marriage is divided evenly based on the value of the marital estate. Other states use equitable distribution laws that base decisions on fair or equitable distribution.
The family home is typically the most-contested item in property disputes during divorce. Circumstances dictate who get the house and this is where father's equal custody rights come into play. If the father is awarded primary or sole custody, the home will generally be awarded to him. If the father purchased the home with his own funds and is not awarded custody, a lawyer may be able to build a case for awarding the home or an equivalent value to the father.
From a legal standpoint, neither spouse has the right to ask the other spouse to leave the home. If the spouses cannot come to an agreement, the court will make the decision based on state law and property system. Fathers should retain attorneys to help them fight for their right to retain this property, which is typically the most important asset held by the couple. If fathers choose to represent themselves in court, they may not fully exercise their rights, giving them a greater chance of losing the case.
A property settlement agreement puts property division decisions in writing. Some agreements also include child custody, child support, and spousal support decisions. No matter how restrictive or comprehensive this agreement is, it can be incorporated into a divorce decree to become a legally binding component of the final divorce judgment.
Father's rights to property during a divorce can be based on several factors. Hiring an attorney is the best way to understand and exercise these rights. With the help of this legal expert, fathers can fight for the property to which they are entitled and stand a good chance of coming out on the winning end of the dispute.

subset: commoncrawl


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This article is by Lesley Hensell of Riverbend Consulting.
Over the last few months, Amazon has made significant changes to the Seller Central interface. Each of these modifications is a subtle nudge, encouraging certain seller behaviors and discouraging others.
Many sellers, however, have not seen these changes for what they are. In their efforts to keep up and adapt, they have failed to question why Amazon modified Seller Central in this way.
The short answer? Every one of these changes makes life easier for Amazon, and harder for sellers. As an Amazon seller, it's critical that you understand the ecommerce giant's strategies and then make your own choices about how to respond. Following Amazon's hints and recommendations blindly could prove disastrous for your bottom line.
The Seller Central dashboard
Seller Central is the interface that sellers use to manage their Amazon accounts. Until recently, most pages of Seller Central had essentially been unchanged for about a decade.
Suddenly, over the summer, Amazon made dramatic changes to the home page of Seller Central. In the past, sellers could easily see their sales for the past 7, 15 and 30 days, their open cases with Seller Support, their feedback rating and more at a glance.
Now, many of these important data points are buried deep inside the Seller Central interface. In almost every case, the change was made to advance an Amazon-centric goal. Here's how it works.
1. Amazon wants sellers to file fewer cases
As a seller, there is only one way to get assistance from Amazon with common problems. You must open cases, by going to the "help" area of Seller Central and describing your issue. Seller Support will then either call you or respond with a written message.
But here's the rub. Amazon does not want sellers to file cases. They don't really want to hear from sellers – at all. Every case filed means time and money spent by the Seller Support team, the Catalog team, and countless other teams inside of Amazon. Seller contact costs money. It's that simple.
In the past, a widget on the home page was available to "manage cases." This is where sellers could see – at a glance – if Amazon had replied to their support requests. In addition, it provided easy access for filing additional cases to help with anything from missing inventory to problems with product detail pages and more.
So what did Amazon do? They disappeared the case log off the home page. This makes it more difficult to file cases, and more likely that sellers forget to follow up before Amazon's inadequate answers are permanently archived, making it impossible to re-open the cases. (FYI, sellers can now click the teeny-tiny word "help" in the top-right of the home page to find their case log.)
2. Amazon wants sellers to stop asking for feedback removal
Seller feedback is for comments from buyers about the storefront from which they purchased a product. Amazon shows potential buyers the store's star rating, and what percentage of positive feedback they have.
Seller feedback is not supposed to be about the product that was purchased. In addition, if Amazon fulfilled the item and the complaints are about delivery, the feedback is considered invalid since the buyer's experience was Amazon's fault, not the seller's. In either of these cases, sellers can ask for 1-, 2- or 3-star feedback to be removed.
Over the last couple of years, Amazon has worked hard to automate its feedback removal system. If particular words are detected in seller feedback, for example, it will be automatically removed upon a request from the seller.
For a decade, a widget on the home page of Seller Central put each seller's feedback rating front-and-center. The moment a seller logged in, they were greeted with their "star" rating, and they could click on those stars to find any recent negative feedback. Two clicks later, they could ask Amazon to remove the feedback.
As part of the Seller Central redesign, the feedback widget disappeared from the home page. There is only one possible reason for that. Amazon wants sellers to stop asking for negative feedback removal – which opens a case and requires work from Amazon employees.
3. Amazon wants lower prices on the platform
With the Seller Central redesign, Amazon added widgets for "Match Buy Box Price" and "Match Low Price" to the Seller Central home page. These widgets feature a competing offer and a suggested new price. They lack all other context for sellers.
A seller who feels anxious about revenue might be tempted to match the price, which can be done with a single click, right there from the home page.
Why is this a bad strategy for sellers? Amazon is comparing apples to oranges. For example, sellers can usually charge more for Prime offers. But the widgets encouraging lower prices don't show whether the competing offer is Prime-eligible or not. In addition, any seller worth his salt won't lower a price if the Buy Box seller is about to run out of stock.
The best advice? Ignore these widgets completely. Rely on non-Amazon repricing software or manual common sense instead.
4. Amazon managers use sellers to back up their "successes"
Amazon sellers desperate for entertainment need look no further than the Seller Polls on the home page of Seller Central. These are written by program or project managers, ostensibly seeking to gather data about the seller community.
Unfortunately, these one-size-fits-all poll questions are shallow and mean almost nothing. Many sellers are afraid to answer in the negative, thinking Amazon might somehow take revenge. (I know that sounds like a conspiracy theory, but Amazon has struck fear into the hearts of many intrepid sellers.)
The questions include such brain teasers as:
- I feel connected to other Amazon sellers. (Answer: Depends on your business model.)
- I trust that the inventory I send to FBA is handled appropriately. (Answer: A resounding no.)
- Amazon protects me when I report a customer for taking advantage of my business. (Answer: Nope.)
From experience with thousands of Amazon sellers, I can report that the answers to these polls are not honest. Sellers who would give an unattractive answer simply refrain from participation. Most likely, these polls are used to pad the positive results program managers need to show executives inside Amazon.
What's a seller to do?
For years, Amazon has preached that sellers should be proactive, rather than reactive. This is one piece of advice with which I heartily agree.
- File cases when you need to file cases – and set reminders to follow up. Don't let the hiding of "help" be discouraging. Set a reminder each day to check the cases section of Seller Central for responses and information requests.
- Check feedback every day and file feedback removal requests as needed.
- When Amazon refuses to remove negative feedback, take advantage of the seller response tool. Positively tell your side of the story if feedback isn't removed.
- Don't allow Amazon to bully you on pricing. Make pricing decisions based on FBA versus MFN offerings, number of competing offers, volume available, seasonality, margins and other concrete factors. Use a repricer or common sense – not Amazon's repricer or recommendations.
Amazon continues to offer the most powerful platform in the world. To get the most out of it, you need to find your own way – and focus on your own numbers.
This article was by Lesley Hensell, co-founder and co-owner of Riverbend Consulting, where she oversees the firm's client services team. Lesley has personally helped hundreds of third-party sellers get their accounts and ASINs back up and running, leveraging two decades of experience as a small business consultant and almost a decade as an Amazon seller.


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From small single person offices to large developments/resorts, the obligation is always on the "local talent" to ensure smooth installations and implementations. Why? Working with and being successful on any project in the Islands is not something to be taken lightly. It requires a great deal of prior experience gained the hard way – by doing the job first hand to be able to succeed.
Our longevity in these Beautiful by Nature islands – a decade thus far – is fair testament to the above. We are unique in one particular area – training and certifications from industry leading vendors and partners. It is with them and through these channels that we are able to succeed.


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My 2007 Toyota Tundra that is only really a work truck still has pretty low mileage, with 30,000 miles on it total. I am having a problem with braking, where after I push the brake pedal for a couple seconds the truck kind of surges forward. It's not a light bump either, I thought a car bumped me the first time it happened. What would cause this? Is this a serious problem?
Any unusual braking occurrences should be viewed as potentially serious. However, the symptom you describe is more indicative of a common issue Toyota had with the Tundra, causing them to issue a on it. It has to do with replacing the rear propeller shaft (drive shaft) with an improved design. It affected 2007 - 2008 4WD Tundras. The bulletin number is TBS-0015-08, which stated in part and effect:
"Some owners of 4WD equipped 2007 - 2008 model year Tundra vehicles may experience a clunk/thunk noise from the rear of the vehicle or a "bump-from-behind" sensation just before or when accelerating from a stop. Improvements have been implemented on the rear propeller shaft (driveshaft) to reduce this condition..."
This warranty was in effect for 5 years from the date the vehicle was put into service. Even though your truck is past this covered period, I recommend that you contact your Toyota dealer and inquire about this bulletin and the availability of the improved drive shaft design.
Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing


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Public sector organization can't bet on luck when it comes to the cloud, but smart helps – specifically OMB's Cloud Smart policy, according to MeriTalk's newly released "Smart > Lucky: Pillars to Fed and SLED Cloud Success" report.
The report, underwritten by Dell Technologies and Microsoft, found that 75 percent of public sector IT managers believe their agencies aren't moving to cloud aggressively enough.
This said, the majority – 71 percent – confirm the Federal Cloud Smart policy is helping their organizations accelerate cloud adoption.
The Cloud Smart policy, initially released in September 2018 by the Office of Management and Budget, is intended to help improve IT service delivery and increase flexibility in IT procurement.
In terms of moving the ball forward on cloud adoption, the report asked Fed leaders what additional pillar they would like to see included in future cloud policy. Roughly a third (32 percent) said data management, 24 percent said cloud for artificial intelligence and machine learning, 21 percent a focus on citizen services, and 19 percent said shared services.
The report identified three hurdles public sector organizations face on the road to cloud adoption:
- Only 43 percent of respondents said that know who is responsibly for each cloud security measure;
- The majority (67 percent) said their workforce "is not ready to take full advantage of cloud"; and
- Nearly three quarters (73 percent) of respondents said they want more guidance on "how to efficiently and effectively procure cloud solutions."
Agencies who are rapidly moving to the cloud don't just have "the luck of the Irish" on their side; instead the report found they are following the Federal Cloud Smart policy's advice. Respondents who ranked themselves as "advanced" cloud organizations are more likely to have implemented identity, credential, and access management guidelines, established talent development guidelines, and created cloud procurement guidance.
Fed and SLED IT leaders agree that a hybrid IT model is the most effective approach – because one cloud does not fit all. Agencies need to evaluate workloads and match to the best option – on-premises, off-premises, or in a co-location facility, survey respondents said. However, the research identifies gaps in risk management across hybrid environments. Sixty-seven percent are not performing continual risk prevention assessments across all environments and 66 percent say they are not improving consistency between on-premises and cloud security.
To overcome barriers to cloud adoption, IT leaders recommend more formal cloud training and sharing best practices across public sector organizations.
Read the full report, please click here.


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Former high-ranking officials of the Department of Finance (DOF) have appealed to the Senate to preserve the revenue requirements under the Duterte administration's Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN) that are intended to support the government's massive investment program for high and inclusive growth.
Ex-DOF Secretary Roberto de Ocampo, a member of the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF), said during a recent hearing of the Senate ways and means committee that he is supporting the proposed in its original form as the measure would improve tax compliance, and bring in more investments that would create more jobs, thus benefiting the country's underprivileged sectors.
Former Finance Undersecretary Romeo Bernardo, who also attended the hearing, made a more direct appeal "to preserve as much as possible the original revenue requirements" under the original TRAIN as proposed by the DOF, more so now that the government is facing the burgeoning requirements of funding the law on providing free tuition and other fees for enrollees in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), the pensions for uniformed personnel and the increased social security benefits for retirees.
Another former finance chief, Margarito Teves, underscored the "importance and urgency" of passing TRAIN in its original form to "enable the government to finance our growing needs as a developing country, such as accelerating infrastructure development, closing the gaps in health and education and improving social protection programs for the poor and marginalized" while staying within the manageable deficit level of not more than three percent of GDP.
The position of the FEF, which has among its prominent members Teves and Bernardo, was read by the latter during a recent Senate ways and means committee hearing a week before the Senate's version of the TRAIN was approved by the panel and endorsed by its chair, Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, for plenary approval.
The original DOF proposal for TRAIN aims to lower personal income taxes while raising an additional P157 billion in net incremental revenues during the first year of its implementation in 2018. The House version approved a P134 billion package.
Ex-NEDA director general Felipe Medalla, who is currently a member of the Monetary Board and also of FEF, said the TRAIN is necessary to maintain the Philippines' debt-to-GDP ratio and reduced cost of borrowing, which is now even lower than that of Malaysia and Indonesia and on par with Thailand.
Moreover, he said tax reform will shift the burden of paying income taxes from salaried workers to the rich.
According to FEF's position, "it believes that the comprehensive tax reform program will allow every Filipino an equitable opportunity to contribute to a sustained and truly inclusive economic growth."
FEF, an advocacy group for good economic performance and market-friendly reforms, is among the 200 organizations and institutions that have expressed their support for TRAIN.
It noted that "With the right set of policies and programs that create an enabling environment for private sector investments, the Duterte administration can achieve its growth target of at least 7% annually, reduce poverty from 21.6% to around 13-15%, and significantly reduce the unemployment rate over the next six years. Fiscal stability sustained funding for government programs, and investment-friendly tax policies can help the government attain these objectives."
The FEF said the entire TRAIN package can help raise the additional one trillion pesos needed annually to fund investments in infrastructure, education, health, social protection, training, and research and development. "
Moreover, its design and various components address identified problems in the current tax system namely: 1) a narrow tax base; 2) complex collection policies with numerous leakages; 3) cumbersome and costly exemptions with debatable benefits; 4) inequitable taxation of salaried workers; 5) uncompetitive rates vis-a-vis our country's peers; and 6) tax policies that are prone to gaming, evasion, and corruption," it said.
"We particularly support the downward adjustments in the personal income tax on the grounds of fairness. We also strongly back the reduction in the corporate income taxes, which will promote and attract more investments and facilitate job creation," the FEF said.
It further expressed its support for the key revenue-enhancing measures and "commend (ed) the proposals for incremental revenues for public investments, notably: 1) the increase in fuel taxes; 2) the rationalization and reduction in fiscal incentives; 3) the selective lifting of bank secrecy laws with respect to fraud; and 4) the expansion in the VAT base (including lifting of exemptions on cooperatives, low-cost housing, renewable energy, and for senior citizens except for medicine)."
The FEF has for its Board of Advisers, former Prime Minister Cesar Virata and former Socio-economic Planning Secretary Dr. Gerardo Sicat.
Its Board of Trustees is chaired by de Ocampo and includes Bernardo as vice-chairman, political economist, and entrepreneur Calixto Chikiamco as president, former Finance Secretary Ernest Leung as treasurer and Ricardo Balatbat as executive director and corporate secretary.
The FEF's other prominent members former Presidential Adviser for Strategic Projects Gloria Tan Climaco; investment bankers Simon Paterno, Eddie Gana, and Vaughn Montes; international trade law adviser Anthony Abad; corporate lawyer Perry Pe; and urban land planning expert Dr. Art Corpuz.
More on TaxReform News
PRRD econ team takes decisive steps vs inflation in 2018 →Date Posted: February 11, 2019
President Duterte's economic team undertook prompt and decisive measures to rein in inflation in 2018, resulting in a marked slowdown that experts say could lead to the domestic economy picking up steam next year.
Over 6-M compensation earners to enjoy zero tax starting January →Date Posted: January 22, 2018
Starting this month's payday, over six million or 86 percent of compensation earners with taxable … Continue reading Over 6-M compensation earners to enjoy zero tax starting January
Real property valuation reform to speed up infra lift Phl economy →Date Posted: December 15, 2019
Land is a vital resource for any nation and, according to a World Bank study, … Continue reading Real property valuation reform to speed up infra lift Phl economy
Over 1,000 entrepreneurs take part in 'Sulong' regional forumsDate Posted: April 29, 2019
More than 1,000 entrepreneurs, mostly representing small and medium enterprises (SMEs), were consulted by the … Continue reading Over 1,000 entrepreneurs take part in 'Sulong' regional forums


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- Felt Paper Scissors (Store ID 1), our online craft supply store, where you earn a 5% commission anytime your customers purchase products from feltpaperscissors.com.
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You can apply to join our affiliate program here. Should you have any questions about our affiliate program, please do not hesitate to contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Polishing Services
Make your interior distinct
The professional countertop and floor polishing services of Canvastone can bring the sparkle back to the appearance of the granite, marble, travertine, and other stones in your home or business premises.
Granite and marble are premium materials renowned for their long-lasting beauty. Nevertheless, over time, they'll begin to lose their lustre as the surface becomes worn, dulled, and scratched, despite regular cleaning and basic maintenance.
Professional services rendered by Canvastone will restore your countertops and floors to their former glory by using specialised polishing techniques and products that will make your stone surfaces look as good as new.
However, when it comes to polishing granite and marble floors, you can have too much of a good thing. An experienced marble and granite floor polishing company will never make your surface so shiny that it poses a safety risk by being too slippery.
Wish to bring the brilliance back to your stone surface?
Speak with Canvastone.
The granite and marble countertop and floor polishing services of Canvastone
1. Cleaning the surface
Granite and marble polishing begins with a thorough cleaning of the surface to ensure it's free from any debris or dirt.
2a. Polishing marble and granite countertops
Granite and marble countertop polish typically comes in the form of a cream containing light abrasives to avoid the risk of scratching the surface.
Special stone polishing powder can be used wet or dry to restore the gleam to your marble or granite while removing minor stains and scratches.
We'll use different types of compound depending on whether the primary colour of the stone is light or dark.
We'll also take care not to exert too much pressure, which can damage the stone.
2b. Polishing granite and marble floors
Floors have a far greater surface area than countertops, and the method and polishing equipment deployed differ.
Professionals may go through 4 steps in polishing stone flooring:
- Grinding. This process involves the use of an industrial diamond polishing pad fitted to the drive plate of a floor-buffing machine. It levels uneven flooring, brought about by poor installation or settling of the subfloor, thereby removing protruding tile edges. It can also get rid of deep scratches and stains.
- Honing. Diamond floor polishing pads of finer grit would then be utilised to enhance the smoothness of the flooring.
- Polishing. If the flooring is in good condition, this step would suffice in bringing back the shine of the stone floor. Diamond polishing pads of even finer grit are applied here.
- Buffing or crystallisation. A chemical is sprayed onto the stone and worked in with steel wool pads, creating glass-like crystals on the surface. Heat and friction are then applied to these crystals with a floor-buffing machine to create the mirror-like shine.
Granite and marble polishing prices
The cost of polishing stone countertops and floors depends largely on the area and condition of your surface. If your surface has gone for many years with little care and attention, the number of steps required to bring it to shine would be higher, so the job would take a longer time to complete.
Quality + Affordability
Canvastone has a wealth of experience in producing polished finishes for new granite and marble surfaces in its fabrication department, prior to installation. And they can bring this expertise into your home or business to bring the sparkle back to your premises with a high standard of floor and countertop refinishing.
Our skilled technicians ensure they're always up to speed with latest developments in stone polishing techniques and technology.
Whether you're looking for the best granite polishing service, quality marble polishing services, or a brilliant travertine tile polish, Canvastone can bring a factory-fresh gleam to your countertops and floors, and advise you on how to keep them looking good for years to come.
Get cost estimate
Call +65 3159 1492 or request a callback. We'll respond to you within 3 working days.


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If you suffer from leg veins in Thousand Oaks and want to restore youthful beauty to your legs once again, varicose vein removal at the Renaissance Laser and Vein Institute is for you. Via state of the art laser treatments, varicose veins and spider veins can be effectively removed from the legs without scarring, invasive surgery, or severe discomfort. Laser vein removal is performed under local anesthesia, and involves the insertion of a needle catheter into the problematic vein. The catheter houses a small laser diode which pulses brief, powerful energy into the vein, causing it to heat, seal up and wither away with time. Laser treatment for leg veins in Thousand Oaks is safe and highly effective; significant, if not complete, relief from the appearance of the varicose veins is achieved within a few months after the procedure. The initial heat brought on by the laser makes the vein shrink and get reabsorbed into the body as blood flow is redirected to other, more healthy veins.
Laser removal of leg veins in Thousand Oaks doesn't require incisions, stitches, or a night in the hospital. For more information about varicose leg vein removal with the Renaissance Laser and Vein Institute, please call and schedule an appointment today.


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donald trump, abandoning his warm and fuzzy — really fuzzy — persona, has threatened nuclear war with north korea. Trump has opted for war and furry, promising fire and fury commensurate with his global experience, never seen before.
Please feel free to share this hellish image with friends and enemies.


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"Focus Group"
by P. Orin Zack
Lonnie strode through the encampment of pro-union protesters outside the capitol building in Olympia with a timid smile on his face. A dozen organizations had come together to fight the new governor's plan to strip the state's public service unions of their collective bargaining rights, each one proudly identifying itself both in dress and on signs. Gail Kerr, the leader of the teachers' union, had just concluded a rousing speech, and Lonnie joined in the cheer that followed.
"No class warfare!" he yelled, nodding conspiratorially to the people around him. "No class warfare!" With this good-natured camaraderie returned in kind, he joined in the public grousing against the governor, his party, and the business interests supporting them, yet held his tongue when the mass of protesters took up a chant to oust the man from office.
After the weeks-long occupation of the capitol building in Wisconsin at the beginning of 2011, the Republican Governors Association had shifted the focus of its strategy of destroying the American middle class by driving a stake through the labor movement at its heart to the next state, and then the next. Now it was Washington's turn, and the former attorney general who'd just won the governorship wasted no time acting on his signature campaign promise. As had happened in other states, non-conforming legislators balked, vowing to deprive those supporting the governor of a quorum, and a swarm of organizations swept in to lay siege to the capital building.
As much as he disliked what the governor was doing, this mission was Lonnie's big chance to make a name for himself and open the door to the influence and standing that were rightfully his. He may have been a geek, but he was a very special kind of geek, the kind that has been known to wield the power publicly held by the ruling elite. His interest in psychology, neurochemistry and electronics had blended into a frothy concoction that held a special appeal for men with a thirst for power. The governor's strategist rewarded him with the chance to put his theory into action. The money, he promised, would come later, after he'd proven himself right.
Both sides in the standoff had refined their methods in response to the citizens' uprisings in Sudan, Egypt and Libya, and the labor protests that had spread like a range fire across the US. The public relations armory traditionally wielded by those in power had been augmented with tactics right out of the CIA's psy-ops playbook. Meanwhile, the armies of protesters had learned that the Internet they so depended on would either be tainted or unavailable, and fashioned their own edge networks to route around this intentional damage so they could coordinate their actions and reach the rest of the world.
Still, there were limitations to what Lonnie could know about the situation. He mused, while doing his best to blend into the crowd, about what it would be like to directly sense the energy fields that he'd spoken to the governor's strategist about. In his mind's eye, Lonnie imagined that he could feel the subtle energy generated by the minds of those around him. The recent discovery that the electrical signals transmitted along neurons also generated an enveloping magnetic field confirmed something he'd suspected for years, a hunch that explained recent political events, but also suggested a plan of action.
What it didn't do was alert him to a movement in the crowd, just out of his field of vision. Just as he'd finished satisfying himself that everything was going according to plan, he found himself ringed by a contingent of the ad hoc security force that roamed the protest to keep things peaceful. Fearful for his safety, he tried to duck between them and melt into the crowd, but the crowd resolutely refused to cooperate. He felt like a virus beset by white blood cells.
"Is there a problem?" he asked warily.
"That depends," one of the citizen security squad replied. "We understand that you've been seen speaking with the governor's men. Do you have some sort of "in' with him that we should know about? If you do, the combined leadership would like a word with you."
Lonnie thought fast. That morning, the governor had ordered mass layoffs, and charged scores of so-called "instigators' with a laundry list of crimes in an effort to blackmail the missing legislators into returning to the state. That could offer him a way out of this. "Yeah," he said, "you've got me there. I did speak with him, but it wasn't my idea."
"Yeah. The governor's man was looking for dirt to use in their blackmail scheme, and threatened my family if I didn't talk."
"What did you tell him?"
He looked away briefly to buy time, and then returned the man's level gaze. "Well, I didn't throw anyone under the bus, if that's what you're thinking. About the only thing I knew for sure was that each of the groups out here has their own agenda, so I told him it would be prudent to try to deflect them from their goals."
"That's not exactly an original thought, you know. Besides, it's been tried, and it doesn't work."
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).


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CNN reports on worrying developments in Egypt:
"Egypt's highest court on Thursday declared the country's parliament invalid and cleared the way for a member of former President Hosni Mubarak's regime to run in a presidential election runoff this weekend.
The Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that parliament must be dissolved, state TV reported. An Egyptian constitutional law expert told CNN that following the court's decision, a political decision would be made about whether to dissolve parliament.
Following the ruling, Egypt's interim military rulers claimed to have full legislative control of government. Parliament had been in session for just over four months."
On the details of the ruling, CNN continues:
"The court had ruled that about one-third of Egypt's members of parliament were invalid because they ran as independents and later joined party blocs.
In a separate case, the court also ruled that a law banning former regime members from running in a presidential election was unconstitutional, clearing the way for former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik to run in a runoff this weekend against Mohamed Morsi, the head of the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm."
This is a developing news story.
Got something to say about what you're reading? We value your feedback!


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Local Bulletins | Closures | Updates
Town of Wasaga Beach facilities are open to serve the public.
Offices are open Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Residents are encouraged to make an appointment or utilize online options for service where available. Please note that due to high call volume you might not have your call answered immediately. We apologize and ask that you try calling again.
See available online options.
See our contact directory.
Our COVID-19 Information Page is your one-stop resource for information about the Town of Wasaga Beach's response to the pandemic.
Get details on provincial regulations.
Get details on reopening.
On this page you will find our Community Information Bulletins, e-newsletters, federal and provincial announcements, links to upper-tier government websites, and much more. This includes a link to our Business Recovery Portal, information about visiting Wasaga Beach, and the status of town services.
Questions? Please contact us:
Close contact and gatherings
What you need to know
Visit the Government of Ontario website for full details.
Visiting the beachfront
Planning a visit to the beachfront? There are a few things you should know:
If you have physical distancing concerns while at the beachfront, or you are concerned about gatherings, you have a few different options:
Please note the sand-covered portion of Beach Drive - this is the land at Beach 1 in front of the commercial buildings and south of the black light standards - is owned by the Town of Wasaga Beach. Municipal law enforcement officers patrol this area, helping enforce provincial orders and town bylaws.
Beyond the black light standards and up to the water's edge is part of the provincial park.
Thank you for choosing to spend time in our community.
Municipal Facilities - Status
Town facilities are OPEN to the public.
If you have business to conduct with the town, please consider contacting us by phone or e-mail rather than visiting one of our facilities.
Civil marriage services are available through our Clerk's Department. COVID-19 restrictions apply. Contact our Clerk's Department for details.
For details about online payment options, see our web page.
To reach staff during regular business hours, please see the contact directory. Regular operating hours for most departments are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mon-Fri.
Town services at a glance
Parking Passes
|For parking pass information, see our related webpage.
|Municipality is an essential service provider
The Town of Wasaga Beach continues to provide important public services to the community during the pandemic.
The town is an essential service provider as deemed by Ontario Regulation 82/20 (2.1) and as a result, the stay-at-home order does not apply to municipal employees.
Our staff continue to report to work and are available by telephone and e-mail. Most town facilities are open to the public for counter service, however, we encourage people to conduct as much business as possible through remote means.
To ensure the safety of our workforce, employees will continue to perform COVID-19 symptom screening before the start of each shift. Staff are also continuing to practice physical distancing and wear face coverings where appropriate. Enhanced cleaning protocols continue at all town facilities.
Community Information
|COVID-19 Assessment
|COVID-19 Vaccination Information


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Reaching across dayparts for inspiration, Union League Club Executive Chef Michael Garbin designed the Everything Spice-Crusted Salmon to appeal to fans of a good "everything" bagel. "Everyone I know enjoys smoked salmon, cream cheese, tomato and red onion on an everything bagel for Sunday morning brunch," he says. "Taking those flavor components, I came up with this 'play' for each meal period."
Garbin makes an everything-bagel spice mix, including poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried onion garlic and kosher salt. He then crusts a salmon medallion (he suggests using a high-fat-content salmon) with the spices and pan-sears it in olive oil until browned. The salmon is complemented by a celery root slaw accented with Creole mustard, as well as tomatoes, capers and lemon.
Union League offers club members several dining options, and this dish multi-tasks perfectly.
"For breakfast, I add eggs prepared any style. For lunch, I serve it with an accompanying petite salad or as a smaller portion as an appetizer for dinner," adds Garbin.


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Earlier this week, the folks over at Microsoft announced a lightweight alternative to the beefy Xbox Series X known as the Xbox Series S. But what if I told you that the official reveal wasn't the first time the world caught a glimpse of the cute little console?
In a cheeky bit of preemptive marketing that I'm currently falling for hook, line, and sinker, Xbox head Phil Spencer snuck an Xbox Series S into his June 24 keynote address at this year's Gamelab Conference. Xbox's official Twitter account spoiled the secret earlier today (ignore the incorrect date, that's just when the interview archive was uploaded).
Funnily enough, that wasn't the only appearance the Xbox Series S would make before its reveal a few days ago. Phil also noted that the console was present in his office during an interview with YouTube personalities iJustine and Jenna Ezarik published on July 24.
I spent the last 10 minutes or so poring over Phil's other appearances from the past few months, almost like a game of I Spy or Where's Waldo, but came up empty handed.
While we've all heard how much smaller the Xbox Series S is compared to the Xbox Series X—which could probably function as a small kitchen stool—this in-the-wild teaser really puts the less powerful console's diminutive size and innocuous appearance into perspective.


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Zeel launched in early 2012 to bring the ZocDoc model to alternative healthcare providers. In other words, just as ZocDoc makes it easy to search for doctors based on specialty, proximity and insurance coverage and book appointments directly, Zeel aimed to do the same for the other half of the market: From massage therapists and personal trainers to nutritionists and acupuncturists.
Since then, Zeel has gone on to onboard thousands of wellness providers and book thousands of appointments for a wide range of practitioners. However, during the past 18 months, one vertical in particular emerged as the most active and the most significant source of traffic: Massage. The team discovered, co-founder Samer Hamadeh tells us, that about half of its appointment requests were for massage, many in-home and that over 55 percent of those requests were for same-day service.
Because the industry isn't set up to capitalize on same-day requests, the co-founder says, the startup decided to abandon the horizontal approach and refocus its efforts on massage, specifically of the on-demand and in-home variety. Zeel soft-launched its on-demand massage service in December, but eager to become a mobile-first product in the same way Uber provides on-demand car services, Zeel began developing iPhone and Android apps.
Today, Zeel is officially announcing its new, massage-focused product and releasing its iOS app (with Android to follow next month), allowing anyone and everyone to book same-day, in-home massage appointments while on-the-go. Through its app, Zeel now enables users to select a 60 or 90-minute massage, specify whether they prefer a male or female massage therapist, decide between Swedish and deep tissue massage, and indicate their location and preferred appointment time or time window. When they hit "Book now," the request goes out to nearby, available therapists one at a time, much like requests to Uber drivers, until one of the Zeel therapists accepts the request.
Hamadeh says that the over-arching motive behind its new product is to, simply put, make massage accessible to everyone. Furthermore, it aims to solve the hassle around booking a massage — having to call around and schedule in advance, for example. The startup has recruited over 100 licensed and vetted massage therapists who are available on-demand and will confirm appointments and be on their way within minutes of booking your appointment.
Zeel is also attempting to take some of the hassle out of the process by offering a set price (including tax and tip), which is charged directly to users' credit cards. And, because in-home massage inherently has the potential for all kinds of creepiness, the co-founder assures us that all of its therapists are vetted (in person), licensed, certified, insured and own their own portable massage tables.
As to why Zeel decided to limit its potential market by focusing on massage, rather than the alternative? Hamadeh hopes that by focusing on one vertical and doing it really well Zeel will be able to build a more meaningful (and useful) service than trying to be everything to everyone. In turn, he tells us that there are currently over 290,000 licensed massage therapists in the U.S., 73 percent of whom are solo practitioners. Furthermore, 41 million Americans receive at least one massage each year, while the average customer books six appointments per year.
By standardizing the price and removing the friction around booking and payments, Zeel hopes to be able to increase the frequency with which we indulge ourselves in a little massage. Particularly because, in truth, 44 percent of massage appointments are booked for medical and health reasons, many of which are ongoing. Hamadeh says, in its experience thus far, Zeel has found that 55 percent of in-home requests are same-day, but only 25 to 35 percent of those are actually booked. As a result, that market opportunity could be double or triple the amount of current massages.
The other issue is that, when most people decide to book a massage, they want to be lying on the table within a few hours of booking. The reality is, the co-founder says, that appointments booked more than a day in advance on the old Zeel system tended to get cancelled or changed. And, on the therapist's side, 30 to 40 percent of their day is free, and the average therapist has to work two or three jobs and doesn't have health insurance — so even if an appointment means traveling far (and is inconvenient) most therapists will take it anyway.
By using the Uber model, Zeel is able to help therapists book more appointments and organize their day in a way that doesn't require them to travel 50 miles to an appointment, while removing the hassle of phone calls, and back and forths over SMS with customers.
Of course, Zeel is hardly the only place or service to offer massage. There are a slew of options for people looking for a massage therapy solution, whether it be spas, health clubs, gyms and so on. There are in-home options, too, as people can turn to sites like Thumbtack and Craigslist to look for therapists. The problem is that most spas don't offer on-demand, let alone in-home massage, and the marketplaces that do offer in-home service can be pretty sketchy or require you to submit a request to a therapist and hope he or she calls you at some point.
On the customer side, it's hard to verify that the person about to come to your apartment isn't a serial killer, but Hamadeh assures us that his vetting process is solid and that all of Zeel's therapists have stellar educational credentials, current state licenses, and excellent prior and current employment.
Just as important, he says, is that the same safety issue applies for therapists, too. When customers sign up for Zeel, the startup uses a "major identity verification agency" to confirm their legal name, birthday, location, legal home address and so on. If things don't check out, no massage for you.
Only verified customers can book appointments, the co-founder tells us, in an attempt to provide extra security measures for therapists. And, on the customer side, Zeel vets and curates its roster of therapists itself with the goal of decreasing the creepiness factor on both sides of the equation.
Zeel is initially only available in the New York City area, where the base price of a massage in Manhattan will costs $130 (and $120 in the outer boroughs) before tax and tip. While this seems high, Hamadeh says that it prices Zeel's service favorably compared to spas like Equinox, Bliss, Four Seasons, Exhale as well as other in-home solutions in NYC. In fact, the team debated launching in New York first because of the pricing factor (everything is more expensive in the Big Apple). But, the co-founder said that the price of a Zeel massage in Manhattan will likely be the most expensive in the country.
To that point, the startup plans to launch in a new city each quarter and will be coming to California in the fall. For readers in NYC looking to test out the new service, using the code "TECHCRUNCH" will get you a $25 discount on your first appointment.
Zeel.com has raised $1.5 million in outside capital to date from a number of investors, including Prolog Ventures, a life sciences and healthcare venture firm, former Midway Games chairman and LogMeIn board member Ken Cron, long-time healthcare investor Esther Dyson, Lightspeed Venture Partners' Ravi Mhatre and former Facebook director of monetization and current CRO at Pinterest, Tim Kendall, among others.
Zeel at home here, on mobile here.


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Obama Says Drug Legalization is "An Entirely Legitimate Topic for Debate" [Updated]
The staggering vote count and significant media coverage of the demand for discussion of drug policy in today's YouTube interview were too great to ignore. Obama gave us an answer this time, and here it is:
Update: Let me begin by saying that the substance of the President's answer is inconsequential insofar as nothing more than this could possibly have been expected. The greatest significance of today's event lies in the fact that a pro-legalization police officer overwhelmingly won the popular vote on YouTube and compelled a response from the President of the United States. By acknowledging the legitimacy of this discussion, Obama helps us to dig an even deeper grave for the dying notion that there is anything frivolous or unserious about arguing for an end to the War on Drugs.
The banal pot-jokes and rank stereotyping that have often tainted mainstream discussion of the legalization movement have no place in this conversation, and the President's words should serve to discredit those who've voiced distracting insults instead of potential solutions. Whatever else the President may put forward, his singular decision to accept and defend our advocacy as "entirely legitimate" is a leap forward, both for the discussion as a whole and for Obama himself.
I will address in a separate post the appropriate criticisms of his specific remarks (of which there are many), but let us not fail to find any promise in today's events simply because we expect much more. This is a heroic accomplishment by our friends at LEAP and really the entire drug policy reform community, which has achieved blinding visibility in recent years and shattered the presumption of public deference that has long sheltered the drug war from mainstream opposition.
He is not a pro-cannabis anti-drug war president
He wants to treat responsible cannabis use as a medical problem and basically call cannabis users people with a addiction problem. If you read between the lines and analyze what he says, then you will see his position and what he proposes will not work. Further, his position will continue with the violation of personal freedom to consume cannabis responsibly.
Did You Expect Something Different?
You're right, of course, that he still sees consumers of even mild drugs like cannabis to be victims of their own desires. That's the most generous reading I can give to the above video, and it's full of problems.
Still though, did you really expect something different? Just acknowledging that it's a legitimate topic for debate is actually a pretty striking declaration, and flies in the face of Kerlikowskie's "not in my vocabulary" bull. Remember that in the fight for drug law reform, the federal government will be the absolute last group to join the party, no matter who is in office. They'll have to be dragged along by we the people, kicking and screaming every step of the way.
This isn't a "good" answer, as anyone who cares about drug policy reform will freely acknowledge. But it could have been a whole lot worse.
No, but
I did not expect anything different from him. However, I assume other people might have, and I just want it to be clear that his response did not dodge the question. He certainly answered and opposes legalization and opposes a real end to the drug war. He only wants to rename the drug war and change tactics a bit. All of which, will not help.
He is however, the most
He is however, the most progressive President in regards to the Drug War that the United States has had. He is not dictator of the US. Congress plays a large role in how this nation is governed. Sadly, many in this nation still fall for the Reaganesq "Just Say No" BS. Thankfully, things are changing slowly.
The President is running for re-election and is in a climate where anything that he says could be considered slightly controversial is presented as him "ignoring the constitution" or proof that he is "unAmerican". When he is re-elected, I think we will see more action. Especially if states continue to pass treatment/harm reduction friendly regulation.
As the article stated, just him acknowledging that legalization is a major step. The fact that he talks about how treatment is more favorable than arrest is something that we haven't really ever heard from a President. This President is far more aware of the impact of drug abuse on society, especially its impact on the American inner-city.
It is up to us to continue to bring this issue up and let him know where we stand. Right now, we have some very serious problems and I want him to focus on creating more jobs and keeping the last 22 months of job growth going. Once we stabilize the economy we can focus even more on the issues discussed at this website.
Cannabis use, while not physically addictive can have psychological effects. It can effect people negatively. To act as if it doesn't is as silly as keeping it illegal is. However, I do not get the impression from his statements that you do.
Not Good Enough
And Obama pulled the Schwarzenegger. "Now I don't support it but I'm open for a discussion." Translation "I am a political vagina who is afraid to say what I said January 21st 2004 on camera again so hopefully this tricks you dopers into thinking I support you so you re-elect me. Oh and also do all the drug law reform work for me, because like I said I Am A Political Vagina."
We don't care if you think discussion is legitimate. We want you to stop implying cannabis users are doped up addicts and drug law reformers are misguided hippies. we want what Rosa Parks wanted. Equality in Civil Liberties. Sorry Obama but you pushed me into doing something I said I would never do. Registering as a Republican, I'm voting for Gary Johnson in 2012! I don't accept fox hole pleas to placate me the year before you want to get re-elected. You had four years to show us an administration based on Science instead if Politics, you didn't. Why should I believe another four years would be any different? You have one year left, doubtful it will be any different though.
Right on
I too am seriously considering voting for Gary Johnson. Though I don't agree with your choice of wording, "political vagina." I think Obama is wrong and ignorant on the issue of cannabis.
I did not mean to offend with
I did not mean to offend with the term. It was actually what I considered the least offensive from my possible list of terms. For correctness sake let's just go with Political Coward. Also, High five on Gary Johnson. A lot of people think he is crazy but I feel he is just very different from what we would consider traditional politics and worries a lot of people.
I did not mean to offend with
I did not mean to offend with the term. It was actually what I considered the least offensive from my possible list of terms. For correctness sake let's just go with Political Coward. Also, High five on Gary Johnson. A lot of people think he is crazy but I feel he is just very different from what we would consider traditional politics and worries a lot of people.
Its time we move away from traditional politics anyway
I was just a tad offended, only because of the gender association vagina = coward/weak. No need to reaffirm the false gender stereotypes. Beyond that, I think we need to take the higher ground and avoid name calling. And believe me, I am not trying to put you down or piss you off. I know its hard, I often need to take many deep breaths and think carefully before I write when I see some of the stories on blogs such as this. I try really hard to take the direct criticism route and offer a counter-argument to whatever fallacy or irrational thought that irks me, but I myself fall into pissed of rants where I call people fools and such. You see Bill O'Reily name-call "pin-head" all the time once he starts to lose an argument. Who, I must say, is an irrational and ignorant man. He and the people like him are going to be the biggest obstacle in ending prohibition and getting cannabis legalized, because they buy into the propaganda, never have and never will try it (not that they should or have to, just at least respect what others do), and will refuse to see any other point of view as plausible.
As far as traditional politics goes and Gary Johnson, we need to get away from the rhetoric, double talk, and constant fallacious reasoning that we see in political debates from politicians, pundits, and newscasters. You know...personal attacks, claims that loose association counts as cause (like the gate-way drug theory, or trying to reason that parents who consume cannabis commit child abuse), straw man arguments, etc. I think if people really want to reform education, change American attitude, and compete with other nations then start with philosophy classes in junior high - logic and moral theory, but not metaphysics, most college kids can't even handle it - sound reasoning skills never lose value and are a platform for all fields of study. In addition, if you reason correctly you'll see cannabis legalization is a good thing. But anyway, now I've ranted a bit too much about non-issues...Gary Johnson 2012.
What can the President say or do?
Think about it, he can not do anything but, he can make sure things get enforced.... Do we all agree Marijuana should be controlled at State levels and the Feds should only be over seeing it. The people who where instrumental in getting Marijuana prohibited had few if any rights to do so at that time but, due to the (dark ages attitude) and none to minimal knowledge of what it is or what it can do and if it was or is deadly... although they did in fact fill their pockets with money with profits from DuPont and their investments! Some really good reading ---> http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuana-illegal/ also, California back in the day also, good reading http://www.lewrockwell.com/armentano-p/armentano-p48.1.html I guess the President can do something... http://www.drugwarrant.com/ , so why have we not gone forward as in the past? So, who gained and who lost at this point I ask you, the rich get richer and the poor well what can I say we all just trying to make it.
There is hope we just have to be smarter than the average do nothing status quo folks.
Obama's remarks
Don't expect Obama to come all the way across at once. It's a painful process, but we don't need the backlash that accompanied Bill Clinton's attempt to allow gays in the military. That set back the process for years.
Obamas said "no legalization" in so many words and then gave all the reasons for it. He set the stage for the public to say what the...? if drug use is a health problem, why are we treating it as a crime problem? Then he won't be able to explain and will have to come across-his lame duck term.
I stopped reading right after
I stopped reading right after you called the President of the United States a "political P*ssy". That is what you meant by calling him a "vagina", do not try to play dumb. Saying stuff like that doesn't help at all and feeds into the sterotype that some hold about harm reduction advocates.
President Obama is dealing with a house full of hard right "tea party" Republicans. Do you see them passing any type of drug legalization laws? No. President Obama is not king of the United States. Congress introduces laws. Furthermore, this is mainly a states issue. If the majority of the people in the US start decriminalizing drugs in their respective states than he is going to see the support. We are not there yet.
Obviously, he needs to worry about his re-election. The economy is starting to improve, 22 months straight of job growth. This is what he is worried about right now. Just imagine how the Republicans would react if he said we should legalize drugs. Do you see what I am getting at? There are far more factors at play than just the President.
We have to be realistic here.
The fact that he said that treatment is more effective than arrest and that legalization is a "valid issue" is more than any President has ever done. These are steps in the right direction.
A window of opportunity is upon us
The window of opportunity opened up a crack today. Now we need to seize the moment and build the momentum going forward, just like they are doing in Tunisia, Egypt etc. If we don't, then all hope will be lost.
No More Lies in 2012 - Ron Paul
He will start to debate it when it becomes near election time and he will make people think he will legalize it but it won't change federal law. They will still kill your dog, then you and come and get your guns.
He also said he "wants to change the attitudes of people about drugs". He needs to change his own attitude on smoking and lying. Leave it to the families to change their childrens attitudes, not the government.
When he said he wants to change our attitudes, it make me feel I am a child and he is my parent.
I think that he is going to either sick Eric Holder on everyone again and vomit propaganda so that people will still believe it is harmful.
Now a word from (their) Sponsor
While Obama had to quit smoking $igarettes to run for President, Boehner (up to a pack a day of a "Light" brand), still wavers. Check statistics on donations from tobacco industry: Boehner and McConnell in top five (several hundred thousand each).
That money, while it appears small compared to election costs, actually buys the Companies the right to spend an undisclosed huge multiple of that on salaries for the well-dressed, well-trained lobbyists who haunt the politicians' staffs and Congressional offices schmoozing with all available individuals and pushing pro-tobacco anti-"Drug" viewpoints. What is John H. Fish (Vice President for Legislative Affairs at R. J. Reynolds, and a former member of Boehner's Congressional staff) telling Mr. Boehner to do about cannabis legalization? How much is Reynolds paying him for his services?
Obama is now calling cannabis
Obama is now calling cannabis patients and users a health problem? This guy is lying or is out of touch. On second though Obama' s admitted drug use must have made him stupid. If this guy does not get progressive or create real change, I am not going to vote for this guy again.
from escalating punishment to least harm. Different pov.
It's not so much a health problem, it's just that the issue belongs in the Health realm instead of the Crime realm. If they want to consider everyone who uses as a patient who needs counseling; well, that's an improvement over viewing cannabis consumers as moral degenerates. Then, in the Health realm, we can advance the discussion to "everyone who uses is a patient topping off their endocannabinoid system," and refer to the ancient Chinese pharmacopoeia describing cannabis as a general tonic.
Of course Kathryn you are
Of course Kathryn you are right, he said they need council. This is what I meant too.
This is were I am offended. As a cannabis patient I do not need counseling. I am a leader in company and in my industry as a whole. I am athletic. I invest successfully... well mostly. In other words I am a healthy contributing member to society and our economy. I am healthy except for my injuries, and not a burden on health care. I take care of my injuries with a natural substance. Just because I ingest cannabis -- now I am now a crisis to society and need to go before psychiatric council? I wonder if they have any special medications planned for people who are soothed by cannabis to 'wean' them off?
And I do not like the government wanting to reduce demand by -- changing the way people think -- about drugs. This is hard sell propaganda meant to scare people over. I don't like his mind f*ck thingy.
I hope that President Obama was just trying to pander to his drug warrior opponents, to just balance out what he thought was a profound move to: 1. Acknowledge the questions, even from BEFORE. and 2. Say we need a debate and mean it. Then Obama will be my hero and I will easily vote for this clever man.
Our votes are a inside joke, I donot believe that we truely have a real voting system. They have us vote with the delusion that we are free but in fact they are the ones that truely elect our leaders
Obama's response
This was a HORRIBLE Response to a great question.
Obama, doesn't get it. He thinks that answer is to "go after drug cartels" and treat willful consumers as addicts. He wants to expand the government's deficit spending even further with government sponsored drug treatment clinics. This is NOT the constitutional role of our government and you can't just "shift resources" on the subject.
If you're supporting Americans' freedom of choice, you need to ELIMINATE wasteful, over-reaching programs like the DEA. and half of the other enforcement / judicial resources and let people be responsible for celebrating their freedoms any way they see fit, so long as they harm no others. Now THAT"S AMERICAN FREEDOM.
And, while we're on the subject, why are the American people so happy to concede to government regulation when advocating for legalization? Again, the government's role is NOT to babysit our choices in the free market. Until we amend the constitution to say that the government has the right and responsibility to decide what can and can't be presented for choices in the "free" market, prohibition is just wrong. Obama, like most other politicians on both sides, are just way off base in understanding the constitutional job description of their duties.
Still a hypocrite
Clever,oh yes,by half.He's clever alright.He just made the legalisation side think they scored a point while confirming the prohibition of drugs for all time.It wasn't that long ago he was all for the decriminalization of marijuana,sorry cannabis.Then he found out he actually had a chance at being elected and we became a bunch of drugged out losers.This is the guy that did several face plants in bowls of coke and was lucky enough to get away with it.Now everyone who does a line is right for rehab,and right now.Politicians!The guy who mentioned Egypt had the right idea.It's time we took it to the street and demanded the right to freedom over what we put in our own bodies.We are suffering under laws passed in the Victorian era.What other laws from that era that forbid personal behavior still exist in law?Obama has proven himself to be a hypocrite.I said that I was willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt.Now there's no doubt at all.
US Constitution vs. Controlled Substances Act (CSA)
Article I, Section 8 Clause 8 of the Constitution provides that Congress shall promote the progress of science and useful arts.
Over 50,000 products can be made from hemp, including cancer cures.
By classifying hemp as a Schedule I drug, the CSA subverts the intent of our founders and the Constitution. Congress, and apparently the President, think that the CSA preempts the Constitution.
The War on Drugs is a war on hemp. Americans who use, grow, buy and sell anything hemp are simply abiding by the US Constitution.
It's law enforcement and legislators who are refusing to abide by the Constitution.
It's time to remove all things hemp from the Controlled Substances Act.


text: We are so excited to announce our upcoming East Coast Tour! We will be doing a few shows with Mike + Ruthy in New York state at Jalopy in Brooklyn and The Linda in Albany! We are so honored to be part of the Joe Val Festival happening in Framingham, MA on February 13-14. Nice way to spend Valentine's Day! Then a new venue for us, the Brickhill House Concert in Orleans, MA on February 15th. The Parlor Room will be next and up to Vermont at the Nectar's Presents in Burlington. The tour will finish in Montpelier, VT at the Spice on Snow with The Cajun Country Revival! A whole weekend filled with Cajun and Old Time Music, delicious food and lots of dancing!


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Last week, online video surfaced of an African-American therapist lying on the ground with his hands in the air moments before he was shot by a North Miami police officer.
Charles Kinsey, 62, was stretched out beside his autistic patient Arnaldo Rios-Soto, who had wandered away from a local group home, before he was shot in the leg by police. Authorities defended the shooting, which was prompted by a 911 call from a neighbor claiming Rios-Soto had a gun and was attempting to kill himself. Recordings of the harrowing 911 call have since been released, revealing key details missing from the original police narrative.
In the recording, an unidentified woman can be heard telling the dispatcher that the man with the "gun" looked mentally-ill and that the object he was holding might not be a gun at all.
"There's this guy in the middle of the road, and he has what appears to be a gun," the woman said in a 911 tape released late Thursday by Miami-Dade police. "He has it to his head, and there's a guy there trying to talk him out of it."
"I don't know if it's a gun," she continued. "But he has something the shape of a gun, so just be careful. "But he's sitting in the middle of the road."
The caller also described the men in detail, telling the dispatcher "He's a Spanish guy, young kid. Spanish guy with gray shorts and gray pants. The guy that's trying to talk him out of it is green shirt and black shorts. But I think the Spanish guy looks like a mentally ill person."
A short time later, SWAT officer Jonathan Aledda fired a single shot at Kinsey, hitting him in the leg. Rios Soto, 26, sat cross-legged next to his caretaker and continued to fumble with what turned out to be a toy truck. Video of the shooting quickly went viral and sparked national outrage over yet another Black man shot at the hands of police. Luckliy, Kinsey survived.
According to the Miami Herald, Miami-Dade police released the three-minute, 19-second recording on the same day Kinsey spoke publicly for the first time since he was released from the hospital. The therapist was briefly reunited with Rios-Soto in the days following the shooting. Kinsey told reporters the young man jumped from his hospital bed and embraced him when he showed up to the room for their private meeting.
"When he saw me, he jumped right up and he wanted to cry," Kinsey said.
"He is looking well. He is doing really well, and he was very happy to see me," the therapist added. "He gave me a real big hug, and I sat with him for about 10 to 15 minutes."
Per the Miami Herald, Rios-Soto is still hospitalized in the psychiatric ward of Aventura hospital due to the emotional trauma caused by the shooting.
The president of the local police union still defends Aledda's choice to fire his gun, asserting that the officer intended to shoot, Rios-Soto, not Kinsey, because he thought the therapist's life was in danger. Aledda is currently on administrative leave as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducts a thorough investigation into the matter, Florida's WPLG Local 10 reports. The investigation is expected to take anywhere from 45 to 60 days.
According to the Miami Herald, recordings of the conversation between the dispatcher and responding officers have not yet been released. Somewhere in the line of communication, the dispatcher might have failed to tell the officer Rios-Soto appeared to be mentally ill and that he might not have a gun. Those key details poked a few holes in the police's initial story.
"I don't think there was a dispute about the 911 call," Kinsey's attorney Hilton Napoleon said. "The issue is going to come when the radio transmission is released. I really do believe justice will be served at the end."
Mistakes on the part of 911 dispatchers have proved fatal for some, like Tamir Rice. In that case, the dispatcher failed to tell responding officers that the gun the 12-year-old was seen playing with was probably a toy. Rice was shot with seconds of police arriving on the scene.
911 dispatchers also hung up on Chicago teen Quintonio LeGrier three times before the 19-year-old was gunned down by a police officer.
Listen to the 911 call here:


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Parent's Retreat Tee
Pre-Order shirts for registered participants only. The colors of the shirt may vary based on availability.
This order will close on 10/8/2023 at 12 am Central Time. You will pick up your shirt(s) when you attend the retreat. They will NOT be shipped to you.
There will not be extra tees available at the retreat for purchase as this is a pre-order ONLY.
Don't forget to visit the rest of COPS SHOP for all your retreat merchandise needs. Some of the merchandise you see online will also be available for sale at the retreat.


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La Samaritaine Pont Neuf is finally, almost, ready
La Samaritaine, the greatest construction project of the world's largest luxury construction company – encompassing an uber-chic department store, luxury hotel, hi-tech office space and even public housing – is finally, almost, ready.
Or, at least, it will be in April next year. Almost two decades in the making, the €750 million project includes the relaunched Samaritaine 20,000 square-meter department store and the latest edition of haute gamme hotel Cheval Blanc, 72 rooms all overlooking the Seine with a starting price of €1,500 per night, dreamed up by architect Peter Marino. Besides over a dozen restaurants – several designed to win Michelin stars – shared between store and hotel, there are a further 96 public housing apartments, and even a large two-story crèche.
LVMH acquired La Samaritaine back in 2001, a storied department store first built in 1870 by the famed Cognacq-Jay family, who boast their own impressive private museum deep in the Marais. Three years after the acquisition, LVMH closed the whole structure, citing major asbestos and structural problems in the main building. This began a convoluted series of proposals and negotiations with City Hall in Paris, which only really culminated in 2015, when proper construction began.
"Ernest Cognacq and Louise Jaÿ, who donated the motto 'in constant progress' to their store and their foundation, set the direction. I think I can say today that we have, with tenacity, respected their wish and that the La Samaritaine of tomorrow will more beautiful than ever, re-finding its place at the center of Paris," said LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault.
By any standards, this is an extremely eclectic project architecturally. The Cheval Blanc is located on the south side, in a late Art Deco building; while the department store is one of the world's greatest examples of Art Nouveau architecture. Designed by Frantz Jourdain, it features magnificently soaring cast-iron staircases; sublime frescoes of giant peacocks and leopards; exceptional mosaics; monumental iron forged iron figures; gypsy characters and a beautiful glass atrium.
Part of the main structure is given over to swankier public apartments, while a second smaller block to the north is composed of a brand-spanking-new techy building of undulating glass on rue du Rivoli, along with a half-dozen slim 17th century buildings made with traditional brick, clay and wooden floor beams for the public apartments. One pre-requisite for winning the approval of the then-Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoé was the creation of public housing, located on the western side on rue de l'Arbre-Sec.
"The city of the future will be all about conserving space wisely and communities living in flexible, multiple use buildings. Which is what a mixed project like La Samaritaine is all about," argued Jean Jacques Guinony, LVMH's financial director and CEO of La Samaritaine, at a press conference to unveil the nearly completed complex. It is one of four major building projects in the eastern end of the 1st arrondissement, including the restoration of Les Halles shopping complex; the refurbishment of the adjoining park in front of the Saint-Eustace gothic cathedral and the Bourse de Commerce, Pinault Foundation, due to open in mid-June, and designed by Japanese architect great Tadao Ando.
Somewhat unexpectedly, LVMH has handed management of the store to DFS, the Duty Free Stores group it acquired in 1996, which extends into 16 airports and 18 large surface multi-brand stores. The most recent is T Fondaco dei Tedeschi, a luxury department store on Venice's Grand Canal, billed as Italy's answer to Harrods and set in a beautiful Renaissance building radically reworked by Rem Koolhaas.
"Part of the soul of Paris is located in this place. So, we want to offer an atypical experience. It will be both the smallest Parisian department store and the biggest concept store," laughed Eléonore de Boysson. She promised some 600 brands, without revealing many names; and stressed that some 40 would be exclusive. And promised that the beauty section would be the largest in Europe, at 3,000 square meters, while noting there will be no food department or kids section. Part of the store – focused on streetwear and lifestyle brands - will continue in the rue du Rivoli structure, a building designed by Sanaa, the Pritzker Prize winners of 2010, Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa.
There will be even a concept gift store abutting the hotel; a 300 square-meter VIP space and a fifth floor devoted to some dozen restaurants. Taking a leaf out of the BHV book, the 2nd arrondissement department store which added a highly-successful edition of Eataly last year.
April's opening will also confirm LVMH's ambitions as a high-end innkeeper. The new Cheval Blanc joins a luxe ski hotel in Courcheval, a tony hotel in St Tropez, and an elegiac resort in the Maldives. Moreover, it also joins LVMH's burgeoning new division, LVMH Hotellerie, whose key element is the Belmond Group, acquired this spring, which includes such stellar names as the Copacabana Palace, Rio; the Splendido in Portofino and the Sanctuary Lodge in Machu Picchu. LVMH also already owned Bulgari, with hotels in Milan, Bali, London, Beijing, Dubai and Shanghai.
"It will focus on the Art of Receiving French Style. Most the major hotel groups are either Anglo-Saxon- or Asian-owned, so this will be a major difference. A residential hotel à la française," commented Cheval Blanc CEO Olivier Lefebvre.
Cheval Blanc, which overlooks Paris' most visited bridge Pont Neuf and the Ile de la Cité, where Notre Dame is located, will include roof top suites and 250-square-meter pool with views north to Montmartre; and a custom-made spa created with Dior Beauté. By Paris standards the rooms will be substantial – starting at 45 square meters. The Cheval Blanc chain already boasts two three-star restaurants, and its top eatery here will clearly be aiming to join that elect.
All told, the complex will create some 2,300 jobs, with 380 of them in the hotel, meaning a roughly four-to-one ratio of staff-to-guest – talk about pampering. Some 800 will work in the retail space, where 60 former staffers, laid off in the previous decade have applied for positions.
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text: I came across another of many seagull photos from my trip to Australia in February and March of this year. It doesn't matter where I am, I'm usually making images. I travel a lot for work and the contents of this blog reflect that. But whether I'm far from home or restlessly awaiting my next trip, I'm almost always photographing. I look for excuses to get in the car and drive somewhere new, even if it's just down the road a short way. Simple, everyday moments like this are all around us, near or far. I get a lot of joy just searching for them.


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Company Events
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Are you planning an event for the whole company; a quarterly lunch, a safety meeting, or a holiday party? Ocean West Catering will make it easy for you. Our catering team will customize a menu and set of services to fit your needs and your budget. No need to run all over town to order all the necessities for your event. In addition to the food, Ocean West can provide beverages, dessert, and rentals such as tables, chairs and A/V equipment. Need a location for your special event? Just visit our Venues Page for the perfect spot. Please select your Menu Choices or if you prefer select from the First Course Menus and we'll handle the rest.
Company Picnics
Company picnics are one of our specialties. Ocean West offers one stop shopping for all your picnic needs. Inflatable jumpers & slides, picnic games, popcorn carts, cotton candy and shaved ice machine are just a few of the favorites available for your next company picnic.
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When all you need is food, no service staff, we offer affordable, casual Invisible Chef or Drop Off catering for your company function, picnic, holiday party or for any catered event.
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Please give us a call or text us at 604.722.4857 today or Email Us with any questions you may have. If you prefer, use our Contact Us form with your questions to ensure our availability.
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Inside:Remember the Gift
That was given to you,
He came to bring life,
So you can begin anew.
Remember the Gift
And how much He gave
He sacrificed His life
So that You could be saved.
Always remember the reason for the season.
- Fifteen cards with fifteen envelopes.
- Size is 8.5" L x 5.5" W.


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Paper of World Bank Energy Department, No 3, December 1981
"The first comprehensive study financed by the Bank of the effects of energy price changes in a developing country was completed in September 1981 for Egypt. Although the data and model used in the study are clearly specific to Egypt, the study provides insight into the mechanisms through which energy prices affect other prices in the economy and, therefore, the incomes of rich and poor consumers, the profitability of key industries, the balance of payments, and the government budget. This note is not a summary of the Egypt study. Rather, the first section is organized around a series of empirical questions about energy pricing and use in developing countries; it summarizes the evidence from Egypt. The second section brings together this evidence to formulate a set of policy recommendations that can be derived from the pricing study."
Click here for PDF of paper
Reproduced with permission of World Bank


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I mentioned before that my kids gave me a subscription to Storyworth, which sends weekly story prompts to me. At the end of the year, the family will get a book of the stories. Here's the prompt and my story from week two.
What was your most memorable birthday? My 21st.
I'm in our tiny apartment living room, and in the middle between the couch and the TV is the ironing board and a basket full of wrinkled clothes. The TV is on, but the incessant drizzle and gray sky outside the sliding glass door overpowers the 24" TV screen. The wet pavement of our cracked patio looks nasty with blown damp leaves. Bedraggled, drooping petunias surround the cement square. It's my 21st birthday, and my husband is at work. Eventually I get dressed in my new jeans and matching vest with leather trim. Half the laundry is still in the basket, but we're meeting at Valentine's nightclub in the Kalamazoo Center. I drive toward downtown. The rain has let up, but there is still a slight mist, and the streets are wet. A 21st birthday is supposed to be a big deal, at least that's what I've heard. But this is a disagreeable Tuesday, and I've been completely alone all day. As I get close to the outdoor mall, the sun wakes and a brilliant rainbow spreads it wings across the sky. I park my car in the parking garage attached to the Kalamazoo Center, then I head toward the convention building, across the skywalk nestled underneath the rainbow. I look down the long expanse of hallway. The new sun is glinting sideways through the glass. What's that lying on the ground halfway across? When I get closer, I stop and look down. There's a $100 bill, partially folded in half, as if it fell from a large wad of money. Or as if it descended from the rainbow.
Note:$100 in 1976 is $469.71 in 2021
I've wondered why this birthday was so memorable to me. I'm not a person motivated by money, much to the gardener's annoyance. A gloomy, gray day with icky ground isn't my idea of a fun time. Neither is ironing, something I almost never do today. And I'm sure I had a lot of fun at Valentine's, a club owned by actress Karen Valentine. They made great Brandy Alexanders, and I loved that drink in those days (drinking age was 18). But the memory of that particular evening escapes me. Instead, I have a very detailed, almost extensive, memory of the afternoon ironing and then the drive downtown and finding the money. It seems that the effect of a pleasing surprise arriving almost miraculously after a period of feeling depressed was so powerful that I've never forgotten it. In fact, it probably contributed to me becoming a more optimistic person than I had previously been.
This memory is involuntary, as described by writer and critic Sven Birkerts. It's been 9 years ago that I wrote about working on my memoir (hahahahahaha) and how important involuntary memories are to the pursuit of the meaning of our memories. You can read it here: Breaking the Codes of Childhood
Imagine if I hadn't found that $100 on my birthday. I might be a different person today.
And guess what? I found a photo of me in that jeans outfit in the same month as my 21st birthday! This is a different night, at a friend's home.


text: This episode of The Five Count was our eighth annual Princemas celebration! During the show we played our favorite Prince songs, Dustin discussed his upcoming trip to Paisley Park, Ton defended his love for Harry Potter, we argued about which Gary Busey film is the best, and decided which shade of purple to paint Ton's bedroom. Merry Princemas!


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well hello!
I just wanted to give you an official invitation to check out my new site! Just click on over if you're reading via email or reader and let me know what you think! {The site isn't perfect in terms of design, but it's definitely good enough to give me a running start!}
I was starting to outgrow my space {and capabilities} at my wordpress.com website, so Julie {fabulousblogging.com} helped me move my entire site {all 9 years of it!} over to wordpress.org. And with a site like mine, I wanted to make sure the whole thing made it over! I'm so glad I asked Julie to help, and I'm super excited to take one of her upcoming courses! Moving my blog and taking Julie's courses open up so many other possibilities for me – I can share so much more with you, and it allows me to really build on how and what I can share! I'm thrilled with the possibilities!
I spent some time considering how I was using my web space, and how I wanted to commit to it and use it more in the future – and the possibilities are really exciting to me! I'm looking forward to sharing more using periscope and videos, sharing more printables with you, I'm committed to working on reprinting my Mom's book, and I'm excited to continue my planning series, my Morning Basket series, and many other topics you've requested! Speaking of…if you haven't yet had a chance to read my latest post on temperaments and how it informs your intuitive planning style, I'd REALLY love to hear what you think!
So…I just wanted to welcome you to the new spaces! I'm so glad to have you here!


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Parliamentary cycling group hopes to build on 2012's track success to get UK pedalling up European tables of bike use
Peter Walker, The Guardian, Sunday 20 January 2013
Britain's cycling infrastructure – or lack of it – is blamed for the low percentage of women and children who use a bike as their main means of transport. Photograph: Tim Graham/Getty Images
It was a mantra heard time and again amid the cosy fug of 2012's British sporting success: with a Tour de France title, another clutch of Olympic golds and Bradley Wiggins our sports personality of the year, we were now officially a nation of cyclists.
Except we're not. Exclude racing or tourism and Britons are near the bottom of just about every European cycling ranking. Just 2.2% of people use a bike as their main means of transport, lower than all but a handful of EU nations such as Bulgaria, Malta and Cyprus.
Other statistics are equally damning. About 2% of British children ride to school, compared with 40% in Denmark and 20% in Sweden. Almost three-quarters of British cyclists are men, a statistic that speaks of a macho, gung-ho cycling culture where riders are expected to mix it with speeding cars, buses and trucks.
"When it comes to cycling as everyday transport the UK is so far down the table it's almost scary," said Kevin Mayne, director of development at the Brussels-based European Cyclists' Federation. "With all these Olympic medals people maybe have this idea that the UK is doing OK in cycling. But it's not."
And yet cycling advocates hope things could be about to change. This week is the start of a pioneering parliamentary inquiry into how best to get Britons on their bikes, building on the momentum from last summer's sporting triumphs and an energetic cycle safety campaign by the Times. All three main party leaders have signed up. Expectations are growing that Downing Street could be on the verge of making a significant commitment.
"It's all to play for," said Roger Geffen, policy director of national cycling lobby group the CTC and among those giving evidence to the all-party parliamentary cycling group(APPCG) of MPs and peers, which has organised the hearings. "The inquiry is hugely timely and hopefully it paves the way for some sort of high-level announcement from government."
The first of the inquiry's six evidence sessions starts on Wednesday, taking the views of experts, government departments, cycling luminaries such as the Olympic champion-turned bike builder Chris Boardman and members of the media, including the Guardian. It is hoped David Cameron or Nick Clegg will appear.
Ian Austin, the Labour MP for Dudley North who co-chairs the APPCG, said the plan was to turn 2012's generalised rhetorical enthusiasm into definite commitments. "We want a detailed report with some very clear recommendations, which we can then ask all the political parties to sign up to. If we can get the party leaders to commit to cycling in advance of the election we can make some real progress."
It has long been a policy truism that more cycling is good for all: carbon emissions fall, road congestion eases, people get fitter. Equally accepted is how to bring this about, using a template devised by the Dutch and Danes and tested in dozens of cities.
To get cycling mainstream, experts agree, you need wholesale investment in infrastructure, most obviously well-designed and continuous cycle lanes, separated from faster traffic by a kerb or other barrier and with cyclists offered protection at junctions. The philosophy was summed up by Enrique Peñalosa, who as mayor of Bogotá revolutionised transport in the Colombian capital: "A bicycle way that is not safe for an eight-year-old is not a bicycle way."
Without this, according to Mayne, cycling never expands beyond an intrepid core of mainly young, predominantly male riders: "The studies show you more or less never drop below 1% of people who cycle, and this can rise to maybe 5% or 6% without infrastructure. But anything more than this needs the cyclists catered for. That means high-quality lanes, probably segregated on main highways. It means speed management, massive investment in cycle parking so every cycling trip is possible. It certainly means getting hugely behind women and children cycling."
Such a commitment has been beyond the imagination, let alone daring, of successive British governments faced by a powerful and aggressive motoring lobby and a wider public who, studies show, still largely see cycling as a leisure pursuit or worse, see a bike as a child's toy.
It would require considerable investment. In a paper submitted to the inquiry, Rachel Aldred, a London academic specialising in cycling, estimated a cost of just over £1.1 bn a year for cycling to even begin the process of catching up with other nations, seemingly a lot but marginal set against the £16bn cost of just one rail project, Crossrail.
"Relatively, cycling is extraordinarily cheap," said Mayne. "Cycling schemes routinely pay back their investment in one to three years. Your average road scheme pays back on paper in 20 years but usually doesn't pay back at all. You can hit your climate change targets, your health targets, everything else. It's a no-brainer."
While Britain is littered with bike lanes they are almost universally piecemeal and substandard, often just a narrow strip of paint inches from speeding traffic. London and a handful of other places, notably Brighton and Southampton, are now proposing limited Dutch-style segregated schemes. More of the same is vital, according to Mayne: "If you're given a fixed amount of money do you do one thing well or lots of things badly? You do the one thing well. If you spend every penny you've got on a high-quality segregated lane it will attract people and you can build confidence on that route."
Geffen, however, argues that even poorly designed lanes have a purpose in gradually building up cyclist levels to a point where the momentum of opinion is sufficient to begin making bold choices.
"Good infrastructure is vital but even that only goes so far," said Geffen. "At some point, if you're going to have room for all these new bikes and bikes lanes, you have to start talking about ways to reduce traffic levels. That's where delivering on cycling really gets difficult."
Source: guardian.co.uk
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American Eskimo Dog
American Eskimo Dog Breed Information & Background Originating from Germany, the American Eskimo Dog is a member of the Nordic breed. Also referred to as "Eskies", these dogs have been used for hunting, herding, and hauling. Most notably, this breed played a vital role in farm life and assisted in daily tasks. Due to their…Read More