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Columbia River 2017
Calendar is pretty well booked through first week of August: sports, folks visiting, visiting folks, travel, fishing trips with kids, Lake MI. BWCA end of August. Wedge in some trout fishing where possible; if possible. Busy time and not a bad thing at all. Majority of our time is spent guiding our kids in their various pursuits: athletics, fishing, relationships, eating (that's a big one), getting hair cuts that look cool, acquiring clothes that aren't jeans or nice shirts but rather shorts or tights or quick dry T-shirts. We probably thrive in such settings for the most part; it's what we're here to do.
One consequence of attempting to merge calendars for various persons who are each generally becoming exponentially busier as years pass is that the task becomes increasingly difficult. I had opted out of CarpCon 2017, sending my regrets and best wishes to JM and company. No dates in May worked; last weekend of April is my kid's birthday. Etc.
My wife is pretty good about supporting these adventure chapters and I think she realized that I hadn't spent more than a day away since deer hunting in November (which was two days). It's probably healthy for adults to on occasion engage others of similar age/sex/interest, particularly if the engagement involves a shared pursuit. She recommended I work with JM in an attempt to craft a short-notice trip to the Columbia River Gorge. I credit her; credit JM and his family for making it happen.
The river was high and cold; dates were April 20-23 with the redeye back that night. Never been there that early in the year, as far as I can remember. Pretty risky. But in this case JM had locked down a good situation that would remain as a fallback if our examination of the river confirmed what was suspected: too early.
We poked around the river and the picture was painted pretty well. Comes down to temperature which in this case was a function of residence time. From the interweb: The hydraulic retention time (HRT), also known as hydraulic residence time or t (tau), is a measure of the average length of time that a compound (ex. water) remains in a storage unit (ex. lake, pond, ocean). Waters with higher HRT had accessible carp in them. Flowing water with lower HRT showed no accessible carp. We imperiled ourselves to walk to one inside corner on the river that JM figured would be off-current enough to allow for warming; indeed it was so, and this little triangle seemed to hold every carp in the river. We caught one in about four seconds (catching a 12-13 carp in four seconds is considered a failure because I didn't catch one of the 20 lbers; I kind of agree but also pause at the suggestion) and left. The real deal was in some water with very long residence time: water that had pushed through culverts and flooded what is typically upland. The carp found this development to be very desirable in that it provided warmth, foraging and fellow fishes; no real predators at hand save the occasional fly anglers.
We ended up pounding on this inundated land days one and four. On day one, we wore ourselves out catching around 60 fish by early afternoon. We left to scout some other water; found nothing good. Decided to head back as the sun was setting; with little effort caught around 40 more to bring daily total to 100 carp to hand no joke. And that was passing on dozens of "small" fish. Day two we fished a cul de sac (I think translates to bottom of the bag) that we knew would have high HRT. Fish around. It was a greater challenge and they weren't as thick in there, but it was just enough to keep us interested; keep us in fish all day. Think we touched 50 that day. Day three JM stayed home and for the first time ever I drove away from his place without him for a day of fishing. Odd feeling for sure. I was to meet up with Mountainscaler; the Cuban cigar grinding bonefisherman. We had some intel that turned out to be sour; basically killed our morning. We walked around in balls-deep water kicking fish that we couldn't see. Mostly talking politics and mumbling about our current condition. I had a bed of laurels so I wasn't sweating it too bad. And he was practically en route to Cuba so I don't think he was too worried either. We drove a lot; fished a little; he caught one fish; I caught zero and it was a good day if you can believe it. At one point a big white pickup stopped us at a scrub corner; we were standing in our waders drinking can beer; do you have a lighter they said. Yes, he did. We listened to them talk about fish they'd caught; studied the Negro Modelos in their cup holders; they on their way without much salutation. I hate cigarettes so I had refused but I did hint that I wanted one of those beers; they never did give me one; I've always been told I should be more direct. Day four we went back for more rodeo in the tight quarters. One more time to the well of giving. We were very deliberate in standing with the landowners, listening to their stories and offering our appreciation for the access. As JM said: it's remarkable what happens when you show people an ounce of decency. I've heard stories of anglers lipping off to landowners, leaving litter in the yard, parking out of place, etc. In fact we lost one of our best trout stream accesses in SE MN thanks to said behavior. In this case, after listening intently to these guys talk about the work they do, the operation they run, some chapters of their life histories... listening and nodding and validating and appreciating. They were literally giving US gifts and telling us to come back any and all the time. I'll remember them confirming verbally that we were careful and respectful; that was our aim all along. Whilst catching a ridiculous load of fish.
|Some good mirrors. We could see them plain as day. Some of the biggest I saw wouldn't eat. Did hook one that may have been close to 20; broke me off. Fish pictured here very pleasing to eye.
|We released most fish unscaled, and without picture. This tub was resting after unhooking and I liked the dimension of the gut so I snapped this photo as it appeared to be inviting as much. Didn't weigh it; pretty nice fish though. An internet 35 lber.
|Lot of fish this size.
|Went back and forth between two fly rig and single hybrid. That's my version of the hybrid, to be clear.
|Like the scales on this one.
|Dimensions pretty remarkable.
Guides and good fisherman offer both micro and macro scale skills/knowledge/advice. The micro stuff for JM is the two fly rig and the ability to get they fly where it needs to be, even in very deep water. We don't talk about that stuff much; I know he can do it and I can do it a lot of the time but not all of the time. But we don't talk about it much because one just has to keep working on it. On day three when we fished without JM, the macro level stuff was really apparent: (1) knowing based on general context/weather/flows how to sequence the waters to fish, (2) knowing the pace at which to fish them, (3) knowing when to say screw this, abort and move on. You wouldn't call those fishing "skills" but you would underscore them as invaluable in crafting a good fishing day.
Thanks JM and family for hosting on short notice. Thanks to my family for sending me on my way. Thanks Mountainscaler for driving so damn far to walk around in turbid water with no light. Thanks to the good dudes who let us on their property to wade around looking through the various carp on hand.


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By Carl Begai
Talking to musicians / artists about the creative process is what this journalist tour-of-duty is all about. Actually being part of the creative process offers a new and valuable perspective of the time and energy spent on bringing the music from vision to the studio. Since 2004 I've played a small role in helping to shape the lyrics for the German / Norwegian folk metal band, Midnattsol, an ongoing collaboration that forces me to dig deeper each time vocalist Carmen Elise Espenæs asks for my feedback.
For the record, I couldn't write a song to save my or anybody else's life. When I was first approached by ex-Midnattsol guitarist / co-founder Christian Hector about proof-reading lyrics for their debut, Where Twilight Dwells, I took on the task not really expecting to do anything more than offer suggestions on using correct tenses and how to improve grammatical structure. In actual fact it became an interesting exchange of ideas with Carmen who, at that point, was very much in a learning-by-doing phase as a singer / songwriter.
Three albums in and Carmen has found her stride. In truth she doesn't need my help anymore, but I was happy to offer it when she was finalizing the lyrics for the new album, The Metamorphosis Melody. I was pleasantly surprised – and more than a bit impressed – to find myself challenged by Carmen's ideas rather than being met with grammatical errors, resulting in a full week of chaos and comedy as we bashed her lyrics into shape.
Following is our behind-the-scenes look at Carmen's work on The Metamorphosis Melody, with me playing her soundboard and the voice of sporadic reason.
(And if any of this seems self-serving or narcissistic, it is. If you can't be proud of your own accomplishments there's no reason why anyone else should treat them seriously :-)…)
CB: When you were writing lyrics and melodies for The Metamorphosis Melody, did you find it easier to compose compared to the previous albums now that you have more experience working in music and speaking English?
Carmen: "I don't have any problems coming up with ideas for songs. I have lots of them, and there are always parts of lyrics lying around because I'll be doing something and an idea will often just come to me, so I have to write it down. This time I had new requirements for myself as a songwriter, and I had the eagerness to improve. I thought the music was great, so the lyrics had to be the best Midnattsol has ever had. The ideas were there, but I think it was such a great learning process having you to help me and inspire me to bring the language to a higher level. You contributed to that in a big way."
CB: The thing about your lyrics this time was that you didn't really need me anymore. I found that kind of funny, and I remember saying that a few times. They were almost perfect in most cases.
Carmen: "Thanks, but it was a motivational thing to hear what you thought about them. I know that you'll tell me honestly what you think, so I didn't have to wonder if something was okay or not, or maybe too cliché. I'm very scared of clichés, I hate them, and I know a lot of metal fans do, too (laughs)."
CB: I remember having a few conversations where you suggested saying certain lines or verses a number of different ways, '…but I need a word for this…,' and I'd be sitting there thinking 'Jesus Christ, this Norwegian chick is challenging me in my own language (laughs).' We'd talk at night, you'd give me the idea or theme and I had to come up with a word or phrase, so it was 'Call me in the morning, I'll have something for you. I hope.'"
Carmen: "(Laughs) I think one of the coolest ideas was 'A Poet's Prayer' (inspired by Christina Rossetti's poem 'Hurt No Living Thing') as the song title. Trying to find the right title for the song was so difficult, and that just fit the moment you said it."
CB: It's kind of weird listening to the album and hearing some of the things we worked on. It's strange to be associated with the songs on that level, but very cool as well.
Carmen: "I was looking forward to hearing what you thought of the album, because I think everyone has a certain impression – maybe like a film in your head – when you hear song lyrics or read a poem. I'm wondering if some of the songs came out the way you expected them to, or what your expectations were. "
CB: The vocal melodies on the album – on 'A Poet's Prayer' and 'The Tide', for example – were a surprise since I didn't have them when we were working on the lyrics. There are several time where I'm thinking 'Holy shit, that's awesome!' because I didn't expect the end result. And 'Kong Valemons Kamp', the melodies in that song are amazing. The whole song is outstanding. I think it's my favourite track on the album.
Carmen: "And we had to struggle a bit with the lyrics for that one. I knew what I wanted to write about, I had the basic idea and the direction, but the problem was how to bring it up to a very high level. The music limited us a bit because we had to put the whole fairytale into these short lines. That was a great collaboration. Every time I hear the line 'golden wreath' I think of that because I originally had it written 'golden reth' and was singing it that way (laughs)."
CB: There's also the line 'A sense of you on the bed' in the same song, and you originally had 'A scent of you…' which brought up a whole different mental image."
Carmen: "(Laughs) I remember coming up with the lines 'When I wake up…' because I'd been at the gym for two hours, and I had been listening to the music for the song the entire time. When I got home I still had enough energy to go for a jog in the forest near my place, and by the time I got back I had the melodies and lyrics in my head. That's when I reached for the phone and called to ask 'What do you think of this?' (laughs)."
CB: The one thing that stands out is when you called one morning telling me you were going in to record the vocals for a song – I can't remember which one – and you wanted to make sure a certain line worked. Then you called back at noon saying 'It worked out great! Now, I've got this new idea for the other song we talked about earlier…'"
Carmen: "Yeah… you have six minutes before I go in to record! (laughs)."
CB: Do you think that pressure to get things done within a limited time affected your performance? From where I was sitting it was a pretty intense exercise for you, and that's the sort of thing that makes or breaks a singer when you put him or her in the booth to record.
Carmen: "That's a good question. I don't really know. I was having a really bad time before I came down to record, so there was some pressure there. One of my family members was ill and we thought she was going to die, so I didn't have the full concentration I needed to finish the writing. All of us in the band were under pressure to get finished in time, and then this happened. I didn't know how I was going to get through it, but there was nothing else I could do. I decided I had to think positive and do the best that I could, that maybe it would help rather than just sitting around waiting and wondering what would happen."
"I tried to keep thinking positive, and between that and the pressure it did help. On the song 'Forvandlingen', for example, I wasn't quite sure how I should sing it. I didn't know if I should sing it with a powerful voice or pull back because I didn't have a clear idea; I hadn't rehearsed it very much. When I was in the studio with Markus (Stock / producer) I just sang what came to mind and he thought it was beautiful. I was very surprised. It was like, 'Where did that come from?' because there wasn't months of rehearsing behind it. It was either going to go to hell or be fantastic (laughs). I think maybe it was that eagerness to make things the best I could plus that pressure that brought it out."
"Even if the pressure did have an influence on my performance – and I remember saying this to my friends shortly before I left Norway to record – something has happened to my voice. There's a development there that I can't explain."
CB: Your voice on Nordlys was very operatic. It sounds much more natural now, like it did on the first album, only much stronger.
Carmen: "I think my voice sounds different now compared to the previous albums, but there are some of the basic qualities that still exist. So, I think there's a red line connecting all three even though my voice is different."
CB: And I have to ask, has your sister (Leaves' Eyes vocalist Liv Kristine) told you what she thinks of the album yet, and do you believe her?
Carmen: "(Laughs) She thinks it's great, but we don't talk that much about music. It's not out #1 topic of conversation because I don't see her that much, so when we do get together we talk about Norway and our family more than anything else."
– all photos of Carmen by Rune Stensøy
– Midnat-Troll self-portrait by Carl Begai
For information on Midnattsol and The Metamorphosis Melody go to their official website here.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Image: Plate from a copy of the Mishnah, Frankfurt am Main, 1720. Public Domain.
.ובמקום שאין אנשים השתדל להיות איש
The absolute best thing about being a teacher is the opportunity to learn from one's students.
I taught a class on Pirkei Avot, the Verses of the Fathers, a few years ago. One day we talked about Chapter 2, and a question came up about the verse that is usually translated:
In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.
I pointed out that in a spirit of greater inclusion, some translators translate anashim as "human beings" and ish as "human being." A student ventured the following translation, which I much prefer:
In a place where there are no menschen, be a mensch!
Originally, the Yiddish word mensch came from the German for "person." By the 20th century, it had taken on an additional layer of meaning, that of a person who is decent and kind, one who embodies the best of humanity. The Jewish-English Lexicon offers Rosten's translation: "An upright, honorable, a decent person."
Perfect, no?


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Friday, May 31, 2019
It Is NOT Unconstitutional To Indict A Sitting President
Attorney General William Barr (aka "Whitewash Willie) would like to have his cake and eat it too. He has said that if Mueller had found Trump obstructed justice then he should have charged him with that. But he also holds with the Justice Department opinion that says it is unconstitutional to indict a sitting president, because the only remedy for a sitting president is impeachment and removal from office.
The impeachment clause of the Constitution (Article 2, Section 4) is in the image above. It is short and to the point, and simple says how the president can be removed for office. It does NOT say the president is above the law and cannot be indicted. In fact, that is nowhere in the Constitution. It exists only in the minds of weak Attorney Generals (mostly Republicans).
Why is the impeachment clause in the Constitution? It's because the Founding Fathers knew they must include a way to remove a president from office who had committed criminal behavior. It was never meant to substitute for a criminal procedure (indictment and trial). It was only a way to get a criminal out of the presidency. Without it, a president could commit a gross criminal act and remain in office.
The idea that a sitting president cannot be indicted puts the president above the law, and in a true democracy (or representative democracy), no one can be above the law. Only tyrants are above the law.
Inflaming The Issue
Biden Leads In New Polls In N. Hampshire And S. Carolina
The two charts above are from the Tel Opinion Research Poll of New Hampshire Democrats and Democratically-leaning Independents. About 600 voters were questioned between May 20th and 22nd, and the poll has a 4 point margin of error.
The two charts above are from the Tel Opinion Research Poll of South Carolina Democrats and Democratically-leaning Independents. They questioned 600 voters between May 22nd and 24th, and the poll has a 4 point margin of error.
The polls show Biden has a 21 point lead over Sanders in New Hampshire, and a 27 point lead over Sanders in South Carolina -- and in both states, Warren is nipping at Sanders' heels.
South Carolina is not a surprise. Sanders lost it in 2016, and is likely to lose there again in 2020. But New Hampshire is a big surprise for me. Sanders won over 60% of the New Hampshire vote in 2016, and to remain a viable candidate in 2020, he needs to win there again. Trailing by more than 20 points could signal that the Sanders campaign is in trouble.
NOTE -- In these polls, voters were not given a list of candidates to choose from. Instead, they were asked simply -- Who would you like to see win the Democratic presidential nomination?
Not Looking At The Same Thing
Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Mueller's Statement Tosses The Ball To Congress
Robert Mueller addressed the nation in a short speech on Wednesday. And the cartoon above sums up what he said very well. Republicans (and Trump) don't want to admit it, but Mueller's speech can be summed up with three bullet points:
* Russia substantially interfered with the 2016 election on behalf of Trump, and they will do it again in 2020.
* Donald Trump is guilty of multiple attempts to obstruct justice.
* Congress needs to address both of those facts.
Here is the full transcript of Mueller's speech:
Robert Mueller addressed the nation in a short speech on Wednesday. And the cartoon above sums up what he said very well. Republicans (and Trump) don't want to admit it, but Mueller's speech can be summed up with three bullet points:
* Russia substantially interfered with the 2016 election on behalf of Trump, and they will do it again in 2020.
* Donald Trump is guilty of multiple attempts to obstruct justice.
* Congress needs to address both of those facts.
Here is the full transcript of Mueller's speech:
Good morning, everyone, and thank you for being here. Two years ago, the acting attorney general asked me to serve as special counsel and he created the special counsel's office. The appointment order directed the office to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. This included investigating any links or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump campaign.
Now, I have not spoken publicly during our investigation. I am speaking out today because our investigation is complete. The attorney general has made the report on our investigation largely public. We are formally closing the special counsel's office, and as well, I'm resigning from the Department of Justice to return to private life. I'll make a few remarks about the results of our work. But beyond these few remarks, it is important that the office's written work speak for itself. Let me begin where the appointment order begins, and that is interference in the 2016 presidential election.
As alleged by the grand jury in an indictment, Russian intelligence officers who are part of the Russian military, launched a concerted attack on our political system. The indictment alleges that they used sophisticated cybertechniques to hack into computers and networks used by the Clinton campaign. They stole private information and then released that information through fake online identities and through the organization WikiLeaks.
The releases were designed and timed to interfere with our election and to damage a presidential candidate. And at the same time, as the grand jury alleged in a separate indictment, a private Russian entity engaged in a social media operation, where Russian citizens posed as Americans in order to influence an election. These indictments contain allegations, and we are not commenting on the guilt or the innocence of any specific defendant. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The indictments allege, and the other activities in our report describe, efforts to interfere in our political system. They needed to be investigated and understood. And that is among the reasons why the Department of Justice established our office. That is also a reason we investigated efforts to obstruct the investigation. The matters we investigated were of paramount importance. It was critical for us to obtain full and accurate information from every person we questioned. When a subject of an investigation obstructs that investigation or lies to investigators, it strikes at the core of their government's effort to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable.
Let me say a word about the report. The report has two parts, addressing the two main issues we were asked to investigate. The first volume of the report details numerous efforts emanating from Russia to influence the election. This volume includes a discussion of the Trump campaign's response to this activity, as well as our conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to charge a broader conspiracy. And in the second volume, the report describes the results and analysis of our obstruction of justice investigation involving the president.
The order appointing me special counsel authorized us to investigate actions that could obstruct the investigation. We conducted that investigation, and we kept the office of the acting attorney general apprised of the progress of our work. And as set forth in the report, after that investigation, if we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime.
The introduction to the Volume II of our report explains that decision. It explains that under longstanding department policy, a president cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional. Even if the charge is kept under seal and hidden from public view, that, too, is prohibited. A special counsel's office is part of the Department of Justice, and by regulation, it was bound by that department policy. Charging the president with a crime was therefore not an option we could consider. The department's written opinion explaining the policy makes several important points that further informed our handling of the obstruction investigation. Those points are summarized in our report, and I will describe two of them for you.
First, the opinion explicitly permits the investigation of a sitting president, because it is important to preserve evidence while memories are fresh and documents available. Among other things, that evidence could be used if there were co-conspirators who could be charged now.
And second, the opinion says that the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing. And beyond department policy, we were guided by principles of fairness. It would be unfair to potentially — it would be unfair to potentially accuse somebody of a crime when there can be no court resolution of the actual charge.
So that was Justice Department policy. Those were the principles under which we operated. And from them, we concluded that we would not reach a determination one way or the other about whether the president committed a crime. That is the office's final position, and we will not comment on any other conclusions or hypotheticals about the president. We conducted an independent criminal investigation and reported the results to the attorney general, as required by department regulations.
The attorney general then concluded that it was appropriate to provide our report to Congress and to the American people. At one point in time, I requested that certain portions of the report be released and the attorney general preferred to make — preferred to make the entire report public all at once and we appreciate that the attorney general made the report largely public. And I certainly do not question the attorney general's good faith in that decision.
Now, I hope and expect this to be the only time that I will speak to you in this manner. I am making that decision myself. No one has told me whether I can or should testify or speak further about this matter. There has been discussion about an appearance before Congress. Any testimony from this office would not go beyond our report. It contains our findings and analysis and the reasons for the decisions we made. We chose those words carefully, and the work speaks for itself. And the report is my testimony. I would not provide information beyond that which is already public in any appearance before Congress. In addition, access to our underlying work product is being decided in a process that does not involve our office.
So beyond what I've said here today and what is contained in our written work, I do not believe it is appropriate for me to speak further about the investigation or to comment on the actions of the Justice Department or Congress. And it's for that reason I will not be taking questions today, as well.
Now, before I step away, I want to thank the attorneys, the F.B.I. agents, the analysts, the professional staff who helped us conduct this investigation in a fair and independent manner. These individuals who spent nearly two years with the special counsel's office were of the highest integrity. And I will close by reiterating the central allegation of our indictments, that there were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election. And that allegation deserves the attention of every American. Thank you. Thank you for being here today.
How To Get Filthy Rich
Thursday, May 30, 2019
The Public Favors Free Tuition And Cancelling Student Debt
A college education is very expensive these days. Even public colleges and universities have priced themselves out of the reach of many poor and working class students, and those who borrow to attend those schools find themselves with a crushing debt upon graduation.
Republicans don't seem to care. They want to cut the amount of grants available to students, and raised the interest rate students must pay when they borrow to go to school. Once again, it shows the Republicans only care about the rich.
Democrats have proposed a couple of plans to help needy students better themselves by getting an education. One would provide free tuition at public colleges and universities. Another would cancel up to $50,000 of debt to students from families making less than $100,000 a year.
What does the public think of the Democratic plans? A significant majority of them approve of both plans. About 61% of adults and registered voters support free tuition at public colleges and universities. About 56% of adults and 58% of registered voters support cancelling up to $50,000 in debt for families making less than $100,000 a year.
These programs make a lot of sense. In fact, they would pay for themselves over time, since those college-educated individuals will pay a lot more in taxes over their working life. Other developed nations know this, and many of them already offer free college tuition. It's time for the U.S. to do the same.
The charts above are from the latest Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between May 26th and 28th of a national sample of 1,500 adults (including 1,120 registered voters). The margin of error for adults is 2.6 point, and for registered voters is 3 points.
End This Circus!
Democratic Candidates Being Considered By Primary Voters
This chart reflects the results of the newest Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between May 26th and 28th of a national sample of 590 Democrats and Independents expected to vote in the Democratic primary. Each respondent was asked who they are considering voting for in the 2020 Democratic primary, and they were allowed to choose as many candidates as they wished.
Note that only 10 out of the 24 candidates are being considered by a double-digit number of voters, and only 7 are being considered by more than 20% of them. Only Joe Biden is being considered by a majority of voters.
Alabama Obstetrics
Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
The Moral Acceptability Of 21 Issues In The United States
These charts are from a recently released Gallup Poll -- done between May 1st and 12th of a national sample of 1,009 adults, and has a margin of error of 4 points.
The top chart shows the opinion of Americans on whether these 21 issues are moral or not. The bottom chart shows the difference in the opinions between liberals and conservatives on those issues.
Phone Scam
The Seattle Times.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Is The Gillibrand Candidacy A Waste Of Time And Money?
Gillibrand, in the first quarter, raised less money than any of the other supposedly qualified candidates. And in every national poll of Democratic candidates to date, she has scored less than 2% support.
Why is she having so much trouble get her candidacy off the ground?
You might think that it's because she's not well known to voters outside her home state of New York. That's true. But she's not even very popular inside the state of New York. A Quinnipiac University Poll from last March (done of New York voters) showed she has a favorable rating from only 29%, while she was viewed unfavorably by 35%. And it wasn't a whole lot better among Democrats (42% favorable to 20% unfavorable). That's not good when less than half of home state Dems view her favorably. Why should national Democrats support her when her home state doesn't?
Gillibrand was quick to jump on board the "Me Too" movement. Nothing wrong with that, since that's something most Democrats support. But she did it by knifing Senator Al Franken in the back by demanding he resign from the Senate -- because of a right-wing effort to denigrate him with a fake accusation. Most Democrats were upset by that, even women, because they knew Franken was one of the strongest male supporters of women's rights in the Senate.
Another reason for her slow start is that there doesn't seem to be a lane for her to run in. For those wanting a woman to be nominated, there are three other female senators in the race -- Elizabeth Warren (on the left), Kamala Harris (center-left), and Amy Klobuchar (centrist). All are more credible and better campaigners, and that haven't left Gillibrand with a constituency to appeal to.
Also troubling some is her seeming with on issues. As a House member, she was center-right on issues. To become a senator, she moved to the left. What are her real beliefs?
There is no candidate for which the June debates are more important than Gillibrand. She must break out after a great debate performance, and star showing better in the polls. If she doesn't, her candidacy may not last out this year.
Scranton Times-Tribune.
The Results Of The Black Census Project Survey
The Black Census Project surveyed over 31,000 Blacks throughout all 50 states. What they found is shown in the charts below. Politicians would do well to read their report.
Student Debt
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Public Says Dems Share Their Values More Than GOP
These charts reflects the results of the latest Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between May 18th and 21st of a national sample of 1,113 registered voters, with a 3.1 point margin of error.
Republicans love to call themselves the party of "values". We can debate whether that was ever true, but if it was, they are now abdicating that title. Probably thanks to their unquestioning support for the most amoral and dishonest president we have ever had, and their support for anti-family, anti-immigrant, anti-minority, and other discriminatory policies, the voting public doesn't believe Republicans share their values.
About 45% of registered voters say Democrats share their values, while only 39% say Republicans do -- a gap of 6 significant points.
This doesn't bode well for the GOP in the upcoming election.
Punch And Judy (Trump Version)
The Reason Why There's Hope For The Future
I'm rather ashamed of the Silent and Baby Boomer generations. By preferring Republicans and clinging to discrimination, they have screwed up this country (and its economy).
Fortunately, there's hope for a much brighter future. That's because the younger generations, especially the Millennials and Generation Z, are much more liberal and much less discriminatory than the older generations.
These charts are from the Pew Research Center.
Can't Be Done
It's Time To Legalize Marijuana In The United States
The federal government, and all 50 states, should legalize marijuana for both medical and recreational use. We need to stop making criminals out of otherwise decent and hard-working people. And we could use the taxes that legalization would produce, and the jobs the marijuana industry would create. It has never made any sense to make this innocuous herb illegal, considering it is the least harmful drug we have -- far less harmful than any legal drug.
Here is the case for legalization made by former Labor Secretary Robert Reich:
The federal prohibition on marijuana has been a disaster. For decades, millions of Americans have been locked up and billions of dollars have been wasted. It's also deepened racial and economic inequality.
We must end this nonsensical prohibition.
The facts are staggering. In 2017, more Americans were arrested for marijuana possession than for murder, rape, aggravated assault and robbery combined.That's one marijuana arrest every minute.
The costs associated with enforcing this ban – including arrests, court costs, and incarceration – reach nearly $14 billion a year.
Prohibition also hurts the economy in terms of lost wages. And Americans with criminal records have a harder time finding a job and getting the education they need.
On the other hand, legalizing, taxing, and regulating is good for the economy and creates jobs.
By simply levying a tax on marijuana like we do cigarettes and alcohol, state and local governments could raise more than $6 billion a year. This doesn't even include additional revenue from taxes on the marijuana industry.
States like Colorado and Washington that tax and regulate marijuana have already generated millions of dollarsfor health care, education,and other public investments.
But this is more than an economic issue. It's also a matter of racial justice and equality.
The federal prohibition on marijuana dates back to anti-Mexican sentimentin the 1930s. In large part, it was nothing more than another way to criminalize communities of color.
Today, black and brown Americans are still much more likely to be arrested for marijuana than white Americans, despite using marijuana at similar rates.
Given the racist legacy of these laws, it's particularly important that the economic gains of legalization extend to communities that have been most harmed by the war on drugs.
Support for marijuana legalization has surged in recent years, with two-thirds of Americans now in favor of it. Even a majority of Republicans are in support, and more states are taking action to reform their laws and move toward legalization.
Yet Donald Trump and his administration are trying to turn back the clock. They've even formed a task force to weaken public support for legalization and help spread misinformation about so-called"marijuana threats."
Just as with the prohibition on alcohol in the 1920s, the federal prohibition of marijuana has been unnecessarily cruel – wasting billions of dollars, unjustly harming millions of lives, and furthering racist policies.
It's time to legalize marijuana.
Trump's Parrots
Monday, May 27, 2019
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Jamex Solutions for Any Market Opportunity
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Choose from a variety of flexible payment methods to provide top-notch service for your patrons. In the library world it is important to provide top notch service for patrons. However, this should never be at the expense of financial responsibility. Jamex solutions can help libraries of any size control and recoup costs related to copying and printing.
Balance tight budgets and reduce resource waste with our print management products. Like many other market sectors, education faces the challenges of tight budgets with high accountability of where money is spent. For this reason, it is critical to limit non essential use of print and copy resources.
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Customize Jamex stored-value cards to send in mailers or give as rewards to loyal customers. Cards themselves become a critical link, tying customers to that location and building repeat business. In addition, cards present many unique marketing and promotion opportunities:
Minimize staff involvement and improve operational efficiency to recover the cost of providing copy/print services. Our cash vending systems can be fitted with a coin changer that meets government regulations for accepting and paying change with dollar coins.


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Description: In the first chamber, I have alien specimins in jars. For the jars, I used glass yogurt jars I collected over time (I make a lot of yogurt drinks. My wife asked me why I was clutering the kitchen with all these jars and when I told her, she just rolled her eyes and walked away). For the alien specimins, I used Sculpey modeling plastic. Now, I am by not means a sculptor, so if I can make these things, so can you. I think the key to making something passible is just a little patients and some creative detail. The creatures looks a lot like the face hugger from Ailen. Actually, since it crawls out of an egg that looks a lot like the egg from Alien, I guess it is a face hugger. I am not worried about plagerizing here. If the kids recognize it, then it should evoke fear since those things are pretty nasty (and emotion is what it is all about, not originality. I don't think James Cameron will mind). Anyway, I made the things out of Sculpey and cloths-hanger wire.
I wanted the alien to fill the jar, so I knew I would have to fold it up to get it in the jar, then unfold it and fix it up a bit before baking it (Sculpey bakes in a normal oven at 275 degrees). No problems. I then put it in my cold oven and very slowly brought the temperature up. I likewise let the oven cool very slowly (I have found that it is actually rapid cooling that tends to break hot glass). Success! Or so I thought.
Now, in life your are going to have good ideas and bad ideas. The trick is to identify the bad ideas before you actually implement them. I failed to identify this bad idea before spending plenty of time making my hard plastic alien that can no longer be removed from the glass jar. What did I not think through? How the heck am I going to paint this thing let alone not get paint all over the jar? My after-the-fact solution...patience. Lots of it. I shoved a papertowl in the jar to protect the glass, made a bent brush (I yanked off the tip of a wooden brush and stuck it on the end of a wire) and proceeded to paint a small piece, let it dry, then paint another small piece, bending the brush at different angles each time to reach different areas.
I had to paint everything one color but that will be fine for what I want to do with it. Ya, I missed a few spots but it won't matter. The last step will be to fill the jar with water and dip the tip of a green highlighter pen in the water for a few minutes to make the water glow green under black light.
I also made a "guardian stalk", an egg and a partially dissected egg with an embryonic face hugger thingy. For that, I used some clear bathroom caulk for some goo oozing from the cuts.
I put the things in the jars, used hot glue to hold them to some plastic stands that I spray painted silver, and filled the jars with water (except the last one which, again, I filled with Derek's glowing potion. For lighting I used a strand of fading white Christmas lights and a black light. Worked pretty good.


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Heating & Air Conditioning Service and Repair
Anyone who spends a lot of time in their car knows how important it is to have a functioning air conditioner and heater. If you intend to stay cool and comfortable during the hot summer drives or warm in the winter season, keeping your temperature control is a must, especially in extreme weather cases while in traffic.
At Advanced Electronic Engine Auto Service, we focus on customer service and auto heating & AC repair to maintain pleasant travels. Our trained team of auto service mechanics are fully certified and able to do any job your vehicle requires. When your vehicle's air conditioning or heating system breaks down, you will need an experienced auto electrical service to repair it as soon as possible. Whether you need auto AC repair, engine repairs, or transmission service, we have the expertise to bring your car back to working order.
Advanced Electronic Engine Auto Service is proud of keeping drivers of the Los Angeles, CA community safe and comfortable in their cars. Come to our auto repair shop if you have any problems with your vehicle. For auto AC & heating repairs, call us to schedule an appointment today!


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The Tracker Marine group is in to the field of manufacturing of recreational as well as fishing boats. The company was founded in the year 1978 by Johnny Morris, also the founder of Bass Pro Shops. The Tracker Marine is owned by the Bass Pro Shops today. The Tracker Marine has manufactured more than 450,000 boats as of today. They own several brands under which their products are sold. Some of the well known brands are tracker boats, nitro, tahoe, grizzly, sun tracker and mako. Their growth is organic as well as inorganic as they also acquired other boat brands since their inception.
There are currently 3 consumer reviews about Tracker Marine available. Share your review.
Please take a note that you are about to post a public review about Tracker Marine corporate office on CorporateOffice.com. This review will be public, so please do not post any of your personal information on this website. If you would like to contact the corporate offices of Tracker Marine, please use their contact information such as their phone number, website, and address listed above to contact them. However, sometimes staff from Tracker Marine headquarters do read the reviews on this website.


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An Act to create 111.335 (1) (am) of the statutes; Relating to: prohibiting consideration of the conviction record of an applicant for employment before the applicant has been selected for an interview.
|Date / House
|8/27/2013 Asm.
|Introduced by Representatives C. Taylor, Barnes, Pasch, Goyke, Hebl, Berceau, Kessler, Ohnstad, Johnson and Young;
cosponsored by Senators L. Taylor and Harris
|8/27/2013 Asm.
|Read first time and referred to Committee on Labor
|4/8/2014 Asm.
|Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1


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Weed Control in Lawns
Weeds have plagued man since the beginning of agriculture, stealing vital nutrients and sunlight from crops intended to feed hungry families. Luckily, most of us no longer have to compete with weeds for dinner, but they still are annoying when it comes to maintaining a nice lawn!
When it comes to weed control, it is a good idea to prevent them from sprouting in the first place! The easiest way to do this is to ensure that your lawn is thick and full, which will make it very difficult for weeds to emerge.
Many people complain that crabgrass "takes over" their lawn in summer. The truth is that the lawn first dies back due to another issue, and the weeds sprout out of the bare dirt that is no longer covered by your lawn.
Make sure that you feed your lawn when it needs nutrients. This depends on what area of the country you are living in and also on the type of lawn you are growing. See our cool season and warm season maintenance guides!
Dealing with Weeds
Even the best maintained lawn will occasionally have a weed issue. The first step in controlling weeds is identifying what type of weed it is, as different products are effective against different types of weeds.
Weeds generally are one of two types: broadleaf and grassy.
Grassy Weeds
Grassy weeds include crabgrass, annual bluegrass, and creeping bentgrass. These grasses look similar to turfgrass and are harder to control since they are physiologically similar to the desirable grasses. Most will require multiple applications of herbicide spaced about a week apart. The chemicals used for grassy weed control can also damage your desirable lawn grasses if applied incorrectly.
Broadlead Weeds
Broadleaf weeds are easier to identify and include clover, dandelion, henbit, and really any weed that had broad leaves instead of grass-like blades. Most broadleaf weeds can be readily controlled with a single application of a broadleaf herbicide. We recommend a liquid as opposed to a granular herbicide as the liquid coats the plant much more uniformly.
Once you have identified the weed, its time to think about control. Herbicides work best when the plant is growing rapidly, as the chemical is absorbed and transported through the weed more rapidly. The most important aspect of applying a weed control chemical is reading the label! Most people do not read the label or directions for products that we use in our day to day lives. Do not make this mistake with weed control chemicals. A small note on the label may make the difference between killing a few weeds or killing your entire lawn! Also, do not apply chemicals on a windy day. Broadleaf herbicide will injure any broad-leaf plant that it touches, including your flowers and shrubs!


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Gallon Glass Jug
JuJu Purified Alkaline Water uses Glass over Plastic. Glass is also better for the planet: made from all-natural, sustainable raw materials, glass is 100% recyclable and can be reused endlessly.
750 ML Glass Bottle
Glass, unlike some plastic bottles, does not contain any harmful chemicals such as BPA, phthalate, PVC, or polycarbonate, so nothing can leach into your water from a glass bottle.
16 oz Glass Bottle
Drink colder and more pure-tasting water that looks elegant and is thicker and sturdier than plastic.
Benefits of drinking Purified Alkaline Water
A major benefit of drinking alkaline water is its ability to wash away toxins that may cause your body to develop diseases and illnesses. Alkaline Water helps boost your immune system.
JuJu Alkaline Water goes through a 10-Stage Filtration process with reverse osmosis and is free of Chlorine, lead, and other harmful chemicals. Our water is not only Alkaline it is also Purified. What is the point in drinking dirty Alkaline water?
Drinking alkaline water significantly helps in weight loss. Diseases cannot live in an alkaline environment. Alkaline water could help with a variety of health issues, including:
- Acid reflux
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Cancer
Cancer cells do not live in an environment with a neutral pH level. Cancer thrives in an acidic environment. The alkaline balance of the body is important to prevent the growth of malignant cells. Everything a person eats contributes to the acidity levels of the body. Alkaline water is useful because it keeps the acid in the body neutral. For a healthy body, a pH level of 7.0 to 7.2 should be maintained. Drinking alkaline water can help you maintain those levels. JuJu Alakine Water has a natural pH of 9+.
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Set up your Alakine Water delivery. We currently sell Glass Gallons, 750 ML, & 16 Oz Bottles & Wholesale Cases.


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Latest news
Fellow Organises RSM Symposium on Zoonoses
12th January 2010
Centre Fellow, David Spratt, FLS (Lond), FIBMS, FRSM, has arranged a one day symposium on "Zoonoses – from wildlife to warfare". Held under the auspices of the Pathology Council of the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM), it will take place at the RSM in London on 2nd February 2010.
"This meeting will discuss the threats to humans, animals, and the environment from the emergence and transmission of zoonotic organisms", commented David Spratt:
The relevance to the Centre's work is that our interference with natural systems is leading to the increasing emergence of such organisms and threatening the natural balance of the planet's ecosystems. Our use of animals in entertainment (zoos, circuses, exotic pets, etc) also puts animals into environments where such organisms can proliferate – with their subsequent passage to other animals and humans.
The Symposium will be chaired by Dr James Kirkwood, Chief Executive of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, and speakers will include: Professor Richard Titball, Professor of Molecular Microbiology, Exeter University ("Zoonotic pathogens and biological weapons"), Dr Andrew Cunningham, Head of Wildlife Epidemiology, Zoological Society of London ("Zoonotic disease threats from wildlife"), and Professor Stephen Palmer, Mansel Talbot Professor of Epidemiology, Cardiff University ("Rats, lice, mad cows and history").
David Spratt, a Chartered Scientist, Chartered Biologist, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, is Manager of the Department of Cellular Pathology for the North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust.
Conference details are available here, and people who would like to know more can email David at email@example.com.


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Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee blocked DuMont's nomination from the start, when President Obama nominated him in April 2010.
In DuMont's place, President Obama has nominated an attorney with strong Republican ties.
In a separate announcement Thursday evening, the White House announced that President Obama is nominating attorney Richard Taranto, a former law clerk for failed Supreme Court nominee and right-wing conservative Robert Bork, as well as Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
Taranto also served three years as an Assistant to the Solicitor General in the Office of the Solicitor General of the United States Department of Justice.
DuMont was out of the country and could not be reached immediately for comment. But the National Law Journal published a November 4 letter DuMont sent to President Obama, saying he understood his nomination was being held up by "one or more" Republicans on the Judiciary Committee.
"Under the circumstances," wrote DuMont, "drawing the process out further does not seem either sensible for me or fair to the Federal Circuit…."
DuMont was the first openly gay person to be nominated to a federal appeals court. In his responses to the Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire, DuMont had something to please senators on both sides of the aisle, and he was very forthcoming about his involvement in and support for gay legal groups. He indicated that he is a member of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Attorneys of Washington ( GAYLAW ) and a former member of the National LGBT Bar Association. He worked for the Department of Justice under President Clinton and was a member of DOJ Pride, the GLBT employee organization, serving as its vice president between 1994 and 1996. He is also a member of Yale GALA.
But DuMont's responses to the Committee's questionnaire also indicated that he signed onto a letter of support for one of President George W. Bush's controversial conservative appeals court nominee, Miguel Estrada, and clerked for an appointee of President Reagan, 7th Circuit Court Judge Richard Posner.
DuMont earned the highest rating from the American Bar Associationunanimously well qualified.
The full Senate has approved the confirmations of two openly gay nominees to federal district court seats Alison Nathan and Paul Oetken, both to the U.S. District Court in Manhattan. But Nathan's confirmation was contested by Republicans and was approved by a 48 to 44 vote, along strict party lines. A third nominee was reported out of committee on a voice vote November 3.
� 2011 Keen News Service. All rights reserved.


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More About The Print
With a remarkable process, Steve Baylis builds layers of oil and wax glazes with transparent pigment, before responding to them with final passes of gestural brushwork. Drawing on a personal meditative practice, Baylis explains this piece was created with, and exudes, meditative qualities.
"This painting is very special to me. Since the beginning of my abstract art practice, I have envisioned this painting in my head, however it took several years to realize it."


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I have another DIY project, well tiny one. I like to make changes and every little thing makes me happy. I've had two Angels that I used for the decoration. They were red... As you probably noticed I'm a bit obsessed with grey, white, green and yellow at the moment. Looks like our whole house will be in those colours.
What I used for my little DIY is;
- Two Angels
- Super glue
- Yellow ALDI spray paint
- Primark hair grips
Here is the final result. His and her Angel:-)
Happy Monday Everyone.


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Multiple pricing in a catalog
You can create several prices for one product to use them in different catalogs. One catalog could be for retailers and another one for wholesalers. We call it different price levels.
Create catalogs with different price levels in 7 easy steps.
1. From the page menu on the left, click Products and select Categories.
2. Create a new category (for which you will do multiple pricing) by clicking at Create new category on the top right corner. If you want to do multiple pricing for the existing category, select a pencil icon in front of the category name.
To find more info on how to create a new category, click here.
3. Scroll down to the Product Fields section and click Add new field. In the pop-up menu that appears to write a field's name and select Money as a type. Click Apply.
4. Now, if you go to a Products – All products section, you will see a new field appeared. Write down needed price options for existing products, create a new product manually or upload a list of products automatically. Read more about how you can use CSV, store import (e.g. Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce), or websites, Google Drive, Dropbox.
5. Go to a catalog you want to include the created price option. Here select Product Grids at the right part of the screen.
6. Go to the Grid Template section. Select the desired Template by clicking on it. Then click on the pencil icon that appears when a mouse cursor is pointing into the template option.
7. In the popped-up window, fined a created field at the right part of the screen and press + icon in front of it. After the name of the field should appear in the working area. Save changes.
IMPORTANT! Changes that been made in a template will take place across ALL the catalogs this template is used.
Pricing in a Price List
Go to the catalog and select the Price List icon.
2. Select one of the price list templates and click on it.
3. Add products to the price list and go to Fields section.
4. You will see all possible fields to include in the price list at the left part of the screen. Select the needed one and click Add in front of its name.
The field will appear on the right part of the screen, which means it will be shown in the created price list. Press Create list.
Selecting a Base Price for a Catalog
Set a Base Price Field in Catalog properties. Now all the {{Price}} tokens will show this price.
Use master catalogs to re-use the same catalog pages with different pricing.
You can copy an existing catalog and change Base Price field to another price field in catalog properties of the new catalog copy from the catalog list page.
Use bulk Assign Field action in the products page if you need to calculate a price for many products based on other price field.
Or you can use edit in Excel and product re-import for fast product field changes.
Multiple pricing in a Showroom
The process of setting up several prices in a Showroom is similar.
Create needed pice files in the category. Follow steps 1 to 4 in the previous section.
Go to your Showroom and select the Base price field on the right part of the screen. Find a needed field in the appeared menu.


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Without British Freemasonry there would be no modern state
of Israel. In the 1860s, the British-Israelite movement was initiated from
within Freemasonry. Its goal was to establish a Jewish-Masonic state in
the Turkish province of Palestine. Of course, that would mean dealing with
the Turks at some point down the line, but first the country would have
to be repopulated with Jews. And the idea wasn't to bring in more of the
same religious Jews who already were the majority in Jerusalem and elsewhere,
but the kind of Jews who would eventually accept the Masonic view of history.
Yes, wife. According to British Freemasonry, he had four of them. His first, a Nabatean named Cypros produced five children, the most famous being Caradoc, a future king who would fight Rome with savage success.
But it was the second, Mary Magdelene who was even more significant. Her father was an early British Celtic king and she a Celtic princess. Their children and all their descendants produced the British royal lineage. With this marriage, Jesus became a Celtic royal and he was given a suitable new royal name, Jesus Cunobeline.
Shortly after his arrival in Britain, Jesus Cunobeline and his family were given royal jurisdiction over a huge tract of land in southern Wales. It is for this reason that the Prince Of Wales is considered a direct anscestor of the first king of modern Wales, Jesus Cunobeline, with privileges that extend to all of Judaism and Israel.
Just before Emperor Claudius attacked Britain, Jesus abdicated his crown to his son Caradoc, who defeated the Romans at every turn. But through trickery, he and his father, Jesus Cunobeline were captured and shipped in shackles to Rome. Caradoc appealed to the Roman Senate for clemency and was granted it on condition that Britain never fought Rome on its soil again. He accepted the proviso and he and his entourage were given a palace of their own. Jesus lived there for seven years.
Then he sailed to Egypt to learn the secrets of the Egyptian mystery schools. He was an honored student and soaked in the secret handshakes, cryptic messages and graduated revelations. The Christianity of Jesus became Freemasonry.
Jesus wanted to share his new complete Essene/Druidic/Essene religion and that proved his undoing. He was stoned to death in London, aged 63, for betraying his vows and revealing the secrets of the mystery schools.
However, back in Rome, presbyters had combined the lives of Jesus and Judas Thomas to create a rapidly growing religion. The British-born Roman emperor Constantine of York, a direct descendant of Jesus, and his mother Helena saw a great advantage in spreading a publicly accepted story of Jesus to create unity in the empire, while keeping the true story alive amongst the most trusted of British royalty and their closest allies.
Constantine gathered a British army and smashed his way to Rome. Shortly after, in 330, he convened a conference of presbyters in Nicaea to unify Christianity. Final gospels were voted on and a New Testament created. But to assure that his empire's newly official religion never forgot the Israelite roots of Jesus and the British royal line, Constantine tacked the Jewish scriptures onto the New Testament.
As far as British freemasonry is concerned, they are both the true Jews and true Christians. This, they reason, is the right that comes with knowing the secret truth of Jesus.
And when they re-created Israel in their distorted image, the Freemasons had no room in the country for those Jews they considered deluded. Through Chaim Weizmann, they eliminated religious Jews and patriotic Jews from the Zionist movement. They were condemned to die in Europe.
Those who did arrive in Israel were thoroughly inculcated in socialist, secular, occultic values. Israel was to be transformed into a Masonic Jewish state ruled by their rightful leaders, the Freemasons of Britain.
But something unexpected happened during the 1930s. The religious Jews, both of Israel and Eastern Europe, rejected this peculiar Zionism as a foreign growth on G-d's intended Judaism. And non-religious, but patriotic Jews led by the likes of Jabotinsky, Begin and Shamir fought to expel the British from their land. And they fought so well that the British ordered their Jewish Masons like Teddy Kollek (33rd degree) and Yitzhak Rabin (32nd degree) to betray their fellow Jews and turn them over to the British or to murder them outright.
The British Freemasons and their Jewish quislings managed to do the bidding of the British, to the point of joining them in an attack of Egypt in 1956. There was still hope that a British Freemasonic Israel could yet be created by the Ben Gurions, Weizmanns and Dayans they had placed in power. But in 1977, all illusions were smashed by the election of Menachem Begin as prime minister. Since then, Britain has declared a covert war against an Israel that turned to G-d and Jewish patriotism instead of rule by Masonry. The Oslo process begun in London in November, 1992, was their ultimate revenge.
Beware Mitzneh
The Council On Foreign Relations assigned their member, Dan Kurtzer, the US Ambassador to Israel, to identify the best Labor candidate to thoroughly control and get Israel back on the Oslo track. The winner is Haifa mayor Amram Mitzneh. Watch his upcoming meteoric rise, backed by CFR dollars.
Finally, In Hebrew, the Rabin Documents
Before they are removed, Hebrew readers go to the following site. The most important of the Rabin murder documents are up there with concise explanations of their significance by Meir Meshulum. Copy them and send them around while they're still there.
Sharon Bops To The Latest Hit
David Orbach's song Who Murdered Yitzhak Rabin, has a new fan. Look at the lyrics to the song followed by Ariel Sharon's letter in response to hearing it:
Who Killed Yitshak Rabin Words and music by David Orbach
Who killed Yitshak Rabin? And Oh my G-d why did he go to Heaven? Its not me said Bill Clinton to Monica Levinsky Its true the Chief of the CIA George Bush killed a Mossad Agent In order to continue to sell weapons to Iran and to finance the Contra in Nicaragua But its not the CIA who killed Yitshak Rabin its the French I didn't want to kill Yitshak Oh please don't kill me Who killed Yitshak Rabin? And Oh my G-d why did he go to Heaven?
Its not me said Jacques Chirac Yes its true when I was P.M. I sold French planes and missiles and a nuclear plant to Adolf Adolf Saddam Hussein Who gave antrax to Ossama Ben Laden But its not me who organized the evening when Yitshak Rabin was killed Its the radio director of Europe no. 1 Jean Frydman I didn't want to kill Yitshak Oh please don't kill me Who killed Yitshak Rabin? And Oh my G-d why did he go to Heaven?
Its not me said the Mayor of Jerusalem Its true I organized all the demonstrations At the Municipality of Jerusalem and it was written on the Placards: Death to Rabin Its true I stabbed Bibi in the back when I said Barak will be better than Bibi But you know its the law of democracy the law of sodomocracy I didn't want to kill Yitshak Oh please don't kill me Who killed Yitshak Rabin? And Oh my G-d why did he go to Heaven?
Its not me said Carmi Gilon in his golden exile in Denmark Its true that three months beforehand I received written information that a law student from Herzelya wants to kill the Prime Minister and I did nothing to prevent it to arrest him on the contrary I helped him They never understood that it ain't no good to take so long to bring Yitshak to Dr. Barabach and Dr. Hiss through King Shaul Blvd. Yes Yitshak went to Heaven like King Shaul I didn't want to kill Yitshak Oh please don't kill me Who killed Yitshak Rabin? And Oh my G-d why did he go to Heaven? I didn't really want to kill Yitshak said Yigal ben Geula I just wanted to stop Oslo the Scandinavian pirates I never understood why they ordered an agent to film the whole scene from the roof They knew that I was going to try something I felt in a trap But I swear I used my right hand and not the left hand like they showed on the falsified video I was just a messenger of G-d Oh please don't kill me Who killed Yitshak Rabin? And Oh my G-d why did he go to Heaven?
Its not us said Shimon Peres and Yossi Belin Its true we began the conspiracy against the President of the State Ezer Weizman You know when Peres wanted to be President instead of Weitzman Its true we blackmailed Rabbi Arye Deri to be sure that Shas would sign Oslo Its true we used the same methods as the Mafia But you know there are people who think Yitshak Rabin was a kind of Messiah Like King Shaul Mashiach Ben Yosef, Mashiach Ben Yosef The Messiah is coming, The Messiah is on the phone.
Dear David and Rachael,
My best wishes and my blessing at the occasion of your son's birth. I regret that I won't be able to participate in the Brit Milah. I wish you lots of simcha and nachat. Thank you very much for your disc I like your music very much especially the poem about the creation of a Kurdistan State in Northern Iraq and a Palestinian State capital Bagdad. I like also the song about Yitshak Rabin.
I bless you,
Ariel Sharon
No, this letter is not a forgery. Prime Minister Sharon actually wrote it. Short of saying he is humming it in the shower, this is quite a plug.
www.mp3.com/David_Orbach (if you want to listen to the song Who Killed Yitshak Rabin) www.davidorbach.com
My books, as always, are available by writing me, punching
my name into Amazon or in the US, by calling toll free 1 877 RABINYY. Chapter
Seven of my new unpublished book is up at www.pushhamburger.com/barry.htm
An archive of my work is found at: http://www.redmoonrising.com/bclist.htm


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Missing Person Research
University of Wollongong Australia
The psychological impact of having a missing loved one
Thousands of people are reported missing worldwide each year. Research indicates that for every person that goes missing, a network of people are affected, and the impact on the psychological well being of those left behind can be profound.
Researchers from the School of Psychology at the University of Wollongong, Australia, are seeking participants to help them explore the emotional processes people go through when they have a missing loved one. This research is important for gaining insight into how the best possible support might be provided to those left behind.
The researchers are seeking participants who are 18 years or above and fluent in written and spoken English for involvement in an online survey. If you have a loved one who is missing and are open to sharing your experience you are invited to take part. Participation is entirely voluntary and those that choose to be part of the study can withdraw at any time without consequence. All details provided will be confidential, as will be the details of the person who is missing.
If you would like further information or are interested in participating, please visit:
If you have any questions, please contact Cecilia via email: email@example.com


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The New Survey-Grade Work Tool: Propeller PPK and AeroPoints
Download your complete guide to the Propeller PPK Solution
Seeing a drone flying over a worksite is becoming more common, but drone surveying has also gained a reputation for being overly complex, not accurate enough, and something only people with in-depth flight and surveying knowledge can actually benefit from.
In many cases, that hasn't been too far from the truth.
That's why DJI and Propeller have teamed up to create a drone surveying solution that's accessible to everyone and highly accurate—Propeller PPK.
In this ebook, we'll cover what PPK is, how it works, and how a Propeller PPK solution can improve:
- Surveying on a site without any drone technology
- Measurement and management on a site using a drone and traditional ground control
- Drone surveying workflows on sites using AeroPoints


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For many of GeoCash users, today is a BIG day. Within a few hours of this blog post, we will be releasing our hotly anticipated Geo Network app GeoScan, a collaboration between GeoDB and the AboutGoods Company.
What is GeoScan
It is a mobile app (Android and iOS) where you can share your shopping receipts and some profile data to exchange personalized stats and get rewarded in GEOs. Thus, geoScan helps you to keep track of your expenses and be aware of what you buy. How does geoScan work?
The process is too easy; you only need to take a picture of a receipt and confirm that you want to share the photo. After that, the receipt image and your profile data will be sent to the GEODB ecosystem, anonymizing your data and sending it to AboutGoods.
AboutGoods will analyze the receipt image and process all the information, applying the ultimate artificial intelligence techniques. Once they get a result, they will notify GEODB's ecosystem of the result of the analysis, and if everything is correct, the receipt data will be updated in the app. The receipt will be submitted to be rewarded by a smart contract.
Main functionalities
Below, there are briefly described the main features of geoScan.
Data anonymity.
Each user will log in to the app using their Apple or Google accounts. This will provide a temporary token that we will use to create a pseudo-user, so neither GEODB nor AboutGoods stores confidential data such as emails or names. Apart from that, the app will not ask users any personal information that can be used to discover their identity; examples are year of birth, pets, gender, family members, postal code. None of these fields are mandatory, so the user can leave them blank, but the more they share, the better stats and more rewards will receive. The only required data to share a receipt is the geolocation and specifying a wallet address to receive the rewards.
Integration with geoCash.
We know that people want to use our app but may not have previous knowledge of cryptocurrency or don't have a crypto wallet. For this reason, geoScan is integrated with GeoCash, which includes some basics about cryptocurrency and allows users to create a crypto wallet and to claim the obtained rewards. History of receipts. You can access all the receipts that you have shared. That is their content, the amount of reward, and the original picture that you sent. This is helpful because you don't always need to have all your paper print receipts together, as you have a backup in geoScan — rewards in a publicly traded token. Receipts are rewarded in GEO, which is a token that can be used for trading. Once the system double-checks that a receipt is valid and processes it, this receipt is sent to a smart contract to be rewarded. The reward of each receipt is not instantaneously allocated, as it is computed considering all receipts within the same block. That means that there might be a certain delay since a receipt is processed until its reward is calculated.
Personalized stats.
GeoScan provides two kinds of stats: reward and receipt stats. The former contains the stats of the rewards obtained by the user in a week, a month, and a year. The main screen also shows the total number of GEOs rewarded to the user since they started using the app. The latter provides essential information about the receipts shared by the user, such as the money spent in each category (food, leisure, personal health…), store, or comparison with similar users in your region. This functionality is still in progress.
First availability in France
After the huge user success of GeoCash, our focus is now to bring real adoption to GeoDB — ODIN ecosystem. We now focus our efforts where we have buyers ready to buy our data. This is one of the reasons we want to concentrate on France to start with. As we get more interest from other countries, we will slowly expand there.
Thank you, everyone, for your tremendous support so far! We continue to evolve!
Team GeoDB


text: In 1978, Kukla, Burr and Ollie joined the Broadway cast of "Side by Side by Sondheim," a revue of Stephen Sondheim songs. A high point was Burr sitting on the edge of the stage, holding Kukla as he sang "Little Lamb." A song Sondheim wrote especially for KFO in the 50s, "The Two of You," was added to the show when Burr joined the cast.


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Tara Folks accessories certainly give cocktail dresses a little extra glamour. This 'Katy' bag is made from lizard-effect leather and embellished with suede fringing. The tulip, structured shape looks so cool with its elegant chain strap that drapes over your shoulder. Stow your cash and lipstick inside and now you are ready for your date-night!
- White lizard-effect calf leather
- Length of silver brass chain: 116 cm
- Shoulder strap drop: 58 cm
- Drawstring closure
- Height: 14 cm
- Width: 15 cm
- Made in Istanbul


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Mrs McNosh Hangs up her Wash (CAN, JP, US, INT)
Written by: Sarah Weeks
Illustrated by: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Published by: HarperCollins
Published on: May 7, 2002
Ages: 3+
Girls' Day has passed, the plum blossoms line the roads, and the weather is warming up. It's spring again in Japan.
For me this means something practical- it is the best season for me to hang up the wash outside. You see, in most of Japan dryers are practically nonexistant. Everyone hangs up their wash outside their house. But where I live, over a small body of water from a very active volcano, dryers are much more common because of the ash that rains down on us in the summer. Winter and spring are usually ash-free, just because of the wind patterns, not because it stops spewing ash! But I hate clothes dried outside in the winter, and I hate having to iron clothes because they go crispy in the cold.
There's nothing like the smell of line-dried clean sheets fresh with the smell of spring blooms.
I think Mrs. McNosh would agree. She likes laundry a lot more than I do though, and even does it by hand on an old laundry board!
This Mrs. McNosh books is a fun read but it makes me feel old. My kids have no idea about handwashing clothes or that hanging up a phone is not just an expression! I better go out and buy one of these.


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Handspun hand dyed art yarn. Handspun Hand dyed Angora/Merino/Silk, Art Yarn, Bulky. This Core spun angora yarn was made using my own hand carded fiber, merino, firestar, angora. This is bulky weight thick and thin yarn, 36 yards, 1.8 oz.
This yarn is soft and will work up lovely into any knitting or crochet project as well as weaving it into a scarf or shawl.
These yarns are high quality yarn because they are completely hand made , and so there is a limited quantity because it is handmade. I use professional dyes on all my yarns so there is no fading of colors or bleeding out. Use the option menu to select the skein you would like.


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This recipe provides an optimally healthy way to enjoy waffles by making your own waffles using the highest quality ingredients, and your own fresh, vegan "ricotta-like" cheese. It is a mouth watering treat that can be served for breakfast, or as a snack or dessert anytime of the day. It provides healthy carbohydrates, fats and proteins. It is naturally low in sodium, cholesterol free, and rich in fiber. It is rich in numerous micronutrients and the berries provide abundant antioxidants.
TYPE: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert
PREP TIME: < 15-30 mins (depending if making your own waffles)
SERVINGS: not set, make according to personal needs
- Vegan
- Wheat-free or Gluten-free (depending on ingredients chosen)
- Soy-free
- Corn-free
- Peanut-free
- Refined sugar-free
Goodies Needed
- Homemade Waffles OR Frozen Waffles (ex: Van's Natural Waffles)
this waffle recipe is gluten, dairy and egg free
- 1 1/4 cup sprouted brown rice flour, or finely ground almond flour, or millet flour, etc.
- 1/2 cup of potato starch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce
- 3/4-1 cup of water or brown rice, almond or coconut milk
Sweet Vegan Cheese:
- 1-2 cups soaked Almonds or Macadamia Nuts
- 1-2 Tbsp Maple Syrup or Raw Honey (organic)
- 1-2 Tbsp Non-Dairy Milk (organic, original)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract (organic, natural)
- Berries (organic, fresh)
- Almonds (organic, raw)
- Waffle maker, (or) Toaster/Toaster Oven
- Food processor
Preparation Steps
- The night before, soak 1-2 cups of your nuts in a bowl of water.
- Make your homemade waffles according to recipe. (If you cannot make your own, toast some frozen, natural, whole grain waffles.)
- Make your cheese by draining the water from the nuts, rinsing them and putting them into your food processor, along with the rest of the cheese ingredients. Process on high speed just enough to see the mixture get crumbly and start to smooth out in texture.
- Wash your berries and cut any that need to be cut into smaller pieces. (Don't use frozen fruit as it will make your waffles soggy.
- Once your waffles are ready, spread a generous layer of the cheese on top and top with some berries.
- Garnish with some almonds or other nuts if desried, and enjoy.
Meal Nutritional Benefits
- Provide rich supply of fuel for your body, from the carbohydrates
- Whole grains offer fiber, macro and micronutrients
- Always choose the highest quality ingredients for most health benefits, otherwise it can quickly turn into an unhealthy meal
Coconuts (Coconut Oil):
- Has various health promoting qualities in almost all areas of the body
- Contains antimicrobial, antiviral and antibacterial properties
- Supplies body with rich and healthy source of saturated fats in the form of medium chain triglycerides
- Scientifically tested to prevent & heal dementia and Alzheimer's
- For a complete overview, read about the [health benefits of coconuts](http://www.evolvingwellness.com/post/guide-to-coconut-nutrition-health-benefits-food-products
- are a protein powerhouse and provide a delicate crunch with every bite
- good source of (in descending order): manganese, vitamin E, magnesium, tryptophan, copper, vitamin B2, and phosphorus
- lower bad cholesterol, reduce risk of heart disease, provide protection against diabetes, provide protection against cardiovascular disease, promote healthy weight, prevent gallstones and help with energy production
- for more information, visit the almonds detailed overview from World's Healthiest Foods
Macadamia Nuts:
- good source of (in descending order): manganese, vitamin B1, copper, fiber, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B6, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, potassium, zinc, calcium and selenium
- provide a rich source of energy, healthy fats, protein and a wide array of vitamins and minerals
- have been linked to enhancing good heart health, lowering cholesterol and protecting against cardiovascular disease
- rich in antioxidants and various other phytochemicals and thus enhance overall good health and decrease chances of various cancers
- for more information, visit the macadamia nut overview from NutritionData.com
Non-Dairy Milk:
- provides optimally healthy plant proteins and fats
- naturally cholesterol free
- avoids the problems associated with dairy (use of hormones, drugs, acidity, mucous formation, allergies, etc.)
- depending on source, like soy, hemp, coconut, almond or brown rice; offers a variety of different healthy nutrients and health benefits
- always aim for ORGANIC and ORIGINAL, unsweetened varieties
- always choose the least processed versions
- good source of (in descending order): vitamin C, manganese, fiber, iodine, potassium, folate, vitamin B2 and vitamin B5
- contain antioxidant properties to prevent cancer, enhance healthy immune function and protect against rheumatoid arthritis
- for more information, visit the strawberry detailed overview from World's Healthiest Foods
- good source of: vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin E, iron, calcium, fiber, folate, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and vitamin B5
- contain antioxidant properties to prevent cancer, enhance healthy immune function and enhance overall good health
- for more information, visit the blackberries detailed overview from Nutrition Data
- Excellent source of antioxidants
- good source of (in descending order): vitamin C, manganese, fiber and vitamin E
- helps prevent cancers through antioxidant action (especially colon and ovarian), enhances proper cardiovascular health, improve nighttime vision, protect against macular degeneration, help protect brain from oxidative stress, enhance proper gastrointestinal health and help with both constipation and diarrhea
- for more information, visit the blueberries detailed overview from World's Healthiest Foods
Raw Honey:
- acts as a natural and delicious sweetener
- has anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties
- helps with type 2 diabetes, LDL cholesterol, boosting immunity, healing wounds, athletic performance and cough suppression
- for more information, visit the honey detailed overview from World's Healthiest Foods
Maple Syrup:
- a healthy natural sweetener when in its purest, high quality form
- provides a good source of various micronutrients like manganese and zinc
- enhances heart health, immune health, and prostate health
- offers antioxidants to protect from free radical damage and cancers
- for more information, visit the maple syrup detailed overview from World's Healthiest Foods


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According to the latest report by TransUnion Healthcare, hospital patients are continuing to face an increased financial burden as healthcare costs rise and revolving credit becomes less available. The report analyzed data from around 400,000 providers and found an 11 percent decrease in the consumer's ability of pay for select medical procedures. CNBC claims that the findings highlights the fact that consumers of medical services are shouldering a larger share of the bill, even though overall healthcare cost have been rising a much low rate in the last few years.
"Our latest report demonstrates that consumers continue to feel the pressure of rising healthcare costs," said Gerry McCarthy, president of TransUnion Healthcare in an official statement. "Despite a slowly improving economy, many consumers are finding they have less money to make these payments. This issue is not just about patients, though, as thousands of healthcare administrators across the country face the challenge of providing quality care while also seeking fair compensation."
CNBC reports that in 2014, there was an 11 percent jump in average patient costs from $2,245 in late 2013 to $2,491. Rising costs for popular joint-replacement procedures can be primarily blamed for sharp increase, with the average out-of-pocket costs for these procedures growing from $2,535 to $3,135. At the same time, patient deductible costs rose by almost 7 percent the last year from $1,062 to $1,133 and expected to rise even further in the coming years.
With increasing costs, more and more patients can be overwhelmed by medical debt. By taking advantage of Professional Medical Services' outsource receivables management tools, hospital administrators can reduce their backlog of claims and increase their operational efficiency.


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Welcome to Firstmom's German Genealogy Resources
Firstmom's Genealogy Resources & Records
Feel free to link to this page and share it with the world!
My German Ancestors-
German World GenWeb SiteThis is the German Genealogy site of Rootsweb.
Tools/Guides for German Research
Location/Type Specific Sites
Societies and Organizations
Schprechan sie Duetsch??? Translating those German Documents and more
Glossary of German terms found on gravestones and in other documents. This is not an all inclusive list, just a small set of common terms I've found helpful, for more indepth translations see the sites listed above.
Alter von -- age of
Bruder von - brother of
Eheliche - born to people who were married
Frau von - wife of
Gatte - Man of
Gattin von - Wife of
Geboren , geb. - born
Geborene - maiden name
Gestorben, gest. - died
Gro�mutter - grandmother
Gro�vater - grandfather
Hier ruhet - here lies
In Gott - in God
Jahren, Jahr, Jahre, J. - years
Kind des - child of
Mutter - mother
Sohn des/der - son of
Tagen, tage, ta - days
Tochter des - daughter of
Vater - father
Verlobte - engaged
Monat, Monate - Month/s
Culture, Heritage, Misc. German Related Topics
German Surname Pages
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to visit Firstmom's German Genealogy Page.
Webmaster: Kathy Huish


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Banquet Facility
The banquet facility at Spring Primavera of Fall River, MA has hosted hundreds of parties over the years. Our staff loves hosting events and providing stunning service. The food is displayed in a vibrant arrangement designed to tantalize the eye and palate. By utilizing our unique combination of American and Portuguese cuisine, your guests can enjoy a dining experience far and above the average banquet facility. We can seat up to 220 people comfortably and will create a diverse menu sure to satisfy everyone.
Our banquet facility includes:
● Expert Service—Our staff go above and beyond typical banquet service. We have the experience to serve large parties. The kitchen and servers work in rhythm to ensure everyone receives their food and drinks as ordered and on time. Catering to hundreds of people can be a challenge for the average restaurant. However, when you entrust your event to us, it is sure to go off without a hitch!
● Full Bar—No gathering is complete without plenty of booze. We will have a full bar stocked and ready to go for your guests. The selection can be changed upon request. We make every effort to provide the finest quality wines, craft beers, and premium spirits. Our bar staff are veteran cocktail crafters and may even be able to introduce you to your new favorite drink!
● The Event—Every event can be handled by our banquet facility, including: wedding catering, funeral catering, birthday parties, business banquets, sports banquets, private parties, baptism catering, and whatever occasion you can think of! We can even provide a DJ for entertainment!
Feel free to stop by and check out our banquet facility anytime. We can give you the full tour and let you sample the food if you have not already. We cannot wait to see you!
Business Address:
Tiverton, RI 02878
Call Now !
Business Hours
Fri 11:00am-12:00pm
Sat 11:00am-1:00am
Sun 12:00pm-12:00am


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Remember Me
$35.00 $30.00
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Floor Plans
Premier Apartment Living in Vibrant Tempe, AZ
See What Eastridge Apartments Has To Offer You
Stunning Luxury Resort Apartment Homes
Eastridge Apartments1522 E. Southern Ave Tempe, AZ 85282
Eastridge Apartments, perfectly located in Tempe, AZ!
Welcome to Eastridge Apartments, the home you deserve. These apartment homes feature the amenities you want for maximum efficiency and convenience. Eastridge presents six floor plans to give you the opportunity to select the right home for your needs. Relax in our beautifully landscaped community and allow yourself the pleasure of a comfortable, professionally managed apartment community.
We are just minutes from Arizona State University, Mesa Community College, Carsten's, Tempe Market Place and Downtown Phoenix. With easy access to I-10, Loop 101, US 60 and Loop 202, you can easily be anywhere you need to be.
Give us a call and let us show you your new home today!
Other Great Luxury Apartment Homes in Arizona:
Thank you for sharing our community website!


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With great anticipation, Kelela's debut album emerges as an epic portrait of an artist spanning the past and future of R&B. In her hands, however, the genre knows no boundaries and so Take Me Apart exists as an absolutely singular and fearless addition to a canon of recent classics. From her very earliest work, honesty and vulnerability have been cornerstones of Kelela's art — even when clad in the armor of the avant-garde electronics she so deftly inhabits — and Take Me Apart sees her double down on both the emotional intensity and resonance of her message as well as the sonic seeking she is renowned for.
On 2015's acclaimed Hallucinogen EP, Kelela swept listeners along in the rush of ecstasy and the melancholic vapour trail of a hopeful, but ultimately doomed liaison. Hallucinogen would prove to be a turning point, and The New York Times would name it's single, "Rewind," one of the "25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music Is Going." The EP's oversized impact would ignite a period of kinetic worldwide live shows culminating in Kelela crisscrossing the globe on tour with The xx. In parallel with this, 2016 and early 2017 would see Kelela grace a handful of crucial records as a feature vocalist — from longtime ally Solange's majestic A Seat At The Table, to Danny Brown's immense Atrocity Exhibition and most recently, the star-studded Humanz from Gorillaz.
These appearances would be tantalizing signs leading the way to Take Me Apart. Amplifying the ideas explored on Hallucinogen, here Kelela treats relationships and their effects like a Matryoshka doll, unveiling layer after layer to find herself at the center. Expressing an honest vision of how we navigate dissolving ties with each other and yet remain sanguine for the next chance at love, the emotional ricochet is traced across the album's narrative. Take Me Apart stands not only as an intensely personal chronicle, but also a defiant and turbulent statement direct from Kelela; "Despite it being a personal record, the politics of my identity informs how it sounds and how I choose to articulate my vulnerability and strength. I am a black woman, a second-generation Ethiopian-American, who grew up in the 'burbs listening to R&B, Jazz and Björk. All of it comes out in one way or another."
The process of crafting Take Me Apart embraced the approach of widely collaborative R&B, hip-hop and pop production while roaming a strange and wonderful path. Working with a cast of peers including Arca, Jam City, Kelsey Lu, Terror Danjah, and The xx's Romy Madley-Croft (just to name a few) — Kelela deconstructs many results of their collaborations and builds them back up into pieces of a cohesive whole, effectively orchestrating these multitudes in aid of her singular vision. "It's this tapestry I've knitted together that attracts different types of listeners and challenges them at the same time, often within the same song.
"That's what I want to bring to my entire catalogue" says Kelela. Testament to this approach, the album opens with a stunning trio of high points from the low-slung mechanized swing of 'Frontline' to the kaleidoscopic splendor of 'Waitin' — by which point you've been pulled straight into the tale Kelela is weaving, and the warped and chaotic beauty of the title track before dropping into 'Enough' which sounds as if it could have been transmitted from a neon-lit jazz club in Akira's Neo-Tokyo.
The timeless, zero-gravity ballad 'Better' sees Kelela at her most unadorned — baring her soul to a nameless other over subtly transforming piano and synth textures while first single 'LMK' is all staggering club swagger that manages to span the past 20 years of innovative R&B while still exploring another dimension of possibilities. These songs typify the melding of classic song-craft and inventive production approach at the album's core, but it's here where things take yet another exhilarating turn. 'Truth or Dare' has the brittle snap and vocal twists of a Neptunes track while 'Blue Light' sees Kelela weld her sweeping pleas to the warped sonic palette of Grime, pointing the way forward to a possible future of cybernetic soul.
Now we are swept into the slipstream of a pair of breathtaking Arca collaborations in 'On And On' and the otherworldly grandeur of 'Turn To Dust,' which conjures images of the powerful and iconic diva of Besson's The Fifth Element; and it's a short trip to the unforgettable pneumatic gospel of album closer 'Altadena,' a perfect uroboros link back to 'Frontline' to begin the saga all over again. At this point you're left with the feeling that this trip through Take Me Apart is one you'll be making many more times.


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Jazz Articles about Pago Libre
Pago Libre: John Wolf Brennan - Tscho Theissing - Daniele Patumi - Arkady Shilkloper: Pago Libre
by Glenn Astarita
Pago Libre is one of the finest bands in the biz. This is a reissue of their original 1995 recording for the Germany-based "Bellaphon" label. Essentially, little or nothing is out of this band's overall scope of capabilities. They commence the festivities with a toe-tapping groove, via bassist Daniele Patumi's expressive walking bass lines during the opener "Rochade." Moreover, the quartet systematically integrates subtle variations of the primary theme in concert with unassuming accents and contrasting tonal characteristics.read more
Pago Libre: Wake Up Call - Live in Italy
by Glenn Astarita
With their 3rd and first "live" recording, the European band, "Pago Libre" shine once again, as they seemingly thrill the Italian audience on Wake Up Call - Live In Italy. Here, the Quartet serve up a freewheeling, enthusiastic and altogether multifarious set featuring memorably melodic compositions along with generous doses of furious improvisation.
This band swings remarkably hard as a drummer-less Quartet, which is evident from the opening moments of Tscho Theissing's composition titled, "Wake Up Call". On this piece, ...read more
Pago Libre: Wake Up Call: Live in Italy
by Robert Spencer
Pago Libre is a highly accomplished quartet consisting of the master pianist John Wolf Brennan with Arkady Shilkloper (french horn, flugelhorn), Tscho Theissing (violin, voice), and Daniele Patumi (double bass). As may be expected from the instrumentation, there is a good bit of classicism in the sound of this group. Take Toccattacca," for example. Although Brennan thanks Olivier Messiaen for the derivation of one chord (perhaps with a nod toward reviewers who see influences behind every green tree), this sprawling ...read more