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Bayer CropScience, the second largest cotton planting seed company in the United States, has agreed to purchase the assets of grower-owned California Planting Cotton Seed Distributors (CPCSD), Shafter, Calif., for $14 million.
The sale merges the newest cottonseed company in the United States with one of the oldest.
Bayer CropScience is one of the world's largest chemical companies, but is a relative newcomer with its FiberMax cotton varieties. However, the high quality cottons originally from Australia have gained popularity rapidly in many parts of the United States for their fiber quality.
It has been so good that FiberMax and Acala cottons, the cottons that have been the foundation of CPCSD since its conception, compete for the same mill customer in many parts of the world.
Founded in 1936, CPCSD dominated the San Joaquin Valley Acala market for decades, which at one time totaled 1.5 million acres.
However, since the old one-variety was changed opening up the valley to commercial seed companies, CPCSD's share of the market has eroded away along with the valley's cotton acreage. Today SJV cotton acreage is a third of what it once was, replaced largely by high value trees and vines. Urbanization also has taken some of the former cotton ground.
This year CPCSD sold less than 25,000 bags of seed repesenting less than 14 percent of the 529,000-acre cotton market.
CPCSD's chief competitors Phytogen/DowAgro Sciences and Delta and Pine Land Co. simply had deeper pockets. CPCSD, which has never sold cotton in the United States outside of California, could not compete, especially with a much smaller pie to divvy up.
CPCSD, which has had grown and delinted Bayer FiberMax seed since 2000, produced FiberMax planting seed for 20 percent of the U.S. Cotton Belt last season in the San Joaquin Valley.
The Bayer buyout of CPCSD is not surprising because of that relationship.
Mike Gilbert, global cotton seed manager of Bayer CropScience said: "Acquiring the assets of CPCSD will be an excellent strategic fit for our cotton strategy.
We will now be able to offer to the cotton producer a more comprehensive cotton product portfolio including varieties with high yields and high quality fiber, important agronomic traits and complementary crop protection products. We are proud that we can build on the strong historic roots of CPCSD with their invaluable experience in cotton research and development."
Bill Van Skike, president of CPCSD adds: "We are convinced that under Bayer CropScience our research and business activities can continue toward a successful future in a profitable and growing cotton business. Our activities will be an important prerequisite for the development of new cotton varieties with outstanding yield and fiber."
As part of the sale, Bayer has agreed to create an advisory committee of SJV growers. It is expected to be the current CPCSD board of directors.
Van Skike said the 20 months of negotiations also resulted in a commitment from Bayer to keep the CPCSD breeding program in place.
Van Skike expects most of the CPCSD staff to remain after the sale is completed before the end of the year. However, Van Skike will be leaving. He has been CPCSD president for eight years and with the seed distributors for 13 years. He has been in the cotton business in the valley 22 years. He has not finalized his plans for the future.
"FiberMax varieties have the best reputation for quality in the U.S. Cotton Belt outside of SJV Acala, but Bayer wants to raise the bar even higher and they are willing to invest the time and money with the expertise and breeding program of CPCSD to raise that bar even higher," said Van Skike.
Planting seed for the valley will continue to be sold under the CPCSD banner.
Van Skike said the sale will provide financial muscle for CPCSD to continue to compete with the other major seed companies in the San Joaquin. Seed will still be sold under CPCSD's banner, but the seed company will no longer be grower-owned, thus ending a 70-year-old chapter in history of California cotton.
"Bayer CropScience is one of the largest chemical companies in the world. It has the technology to go forward in the cotton business. Unlike other companies, Bayer is in the seed business only with cotton," Van Skike said.
SJV cotton has for decades been known for its Acala quality and reputation, but the future of the valley is now Pima cotton, which for the first time surpassed upland in acreage. Deltapine and Phytogen have developed outstanding Pima cottons while CPCSD just this year won approved variety status from the San Joaquin Valley Cotton Board for its first Pima.
For the first time, Pima acreage has exceeded upland in the valley. However, Van Skike said it has not been so much Pima's acreage growth as it has been the sharp decline of Acala acreage in the past decade, said Van Skike.
"There is no Acala leverage left in the upland market," said Van Skike. Other areas of the U.S. now produce high quality upland. FiberMax has been a big part of that. FiberMax is so close to Acala in quality that growers in South Texas invited the Calcot, a world leader in marketing SJV Acala, to market FiberMax cotton for Texas growers.
"We do produce better quality cotton in the San Joaquin Valley, but it is no longer enough better to justify any significant price difference," he said. "What was once a Grand Canyon between the valley and the rest of the Belt is now a small stream."
Many predict the valley's acreage will settle out at about 500,000 per season.
"I think the switch from Acala to Pima was a no brainier. I think what surprised most of us was the rate of decline of overall acreage," he said.
"Pima could be the cotton industry's almonds. I think there is room for growth for Pima with new high yielding varieties developed for Madera, Merced and Tulare counties like the ones now grown in the Tulare Lake Bottom and the west side of Fresno County," said Van Skike.
This growth will come from the growing world markets for Pima through the efforts of Supima, the voluntary grower-funded promotion arm of Pima cotton. Continued support of Supima will be important to the future of the SJV cotton industry, added Van Skike.
The buyout of grower-owned CPCSD will take longer than the sale of two privately held companies. Van Skike said it would require a vote of the 1,553 CPCSD members. He said an informational program would precede any referendum.
Van Skike will remain with CPCSD through this process.
e-mail: [email protected]


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Our look at who makes the Eagles' 53-man roster continues today with a review of the linebackers. (Earlier, we took a look at defensive end, offensive line, running backs and cornerbacks).
On offense the big concern is right tackle. On defense, it's linebacker. We think the Eagles have the linemen to rush the quarterback and we know their corners have cover skills. But as the d-line races at the quarterback, do they have a group of three linebackers who can stop the run and occasionally cover a tight end?
Ever since the summer spending spree many fans have been hoping for a veteran addition to a very inexperienced linebacker group. It seems that if the Eagles were eager to bring in one of the players already on the market, they would have done so already. But that doesn't mean they won't be watching the waiver wire when cuts arrive. If that happens, it probably means bringing in an outside linebacker, since it would be hard to slap even a veteran right into the middle this close to the start of the season.
First cuts come Tuesday when the 90-man roster is pared down to 80. Final cuts are on Sept. 3.
Likely to keep: 5-6.
Locks: Whether or not he starts on opening day, Casey Matthews will be on the team. The Eagles invested a fourth-round pick in him and like his potential. Jamar Chaney will be starting somewhere – either the SAM position he has played since training camp or back in the middle if Matthews falters. Moise Fokou, with 15 career starts, is actually the elder statesman among the starters. Keenan Clayton, a former safety, is great in coverage. The team wants him to get more physical; he should get more chances this year to show if he can do it.
Near lock: Brain Rolle is listed at five-foot-10 and that might be the biggest exaggeration on the Eagles official roster. Still, the team thought enough of him to give him a shot with the first team nickel. It's a sign that they like his ability. Rolle should get a chance to contribute on special teams to start the year.
Bubble: Akeem Jordan can play all three linebacker positions and has 20 career starts, but he hasn't had many opportunities this preseason. In the snaps he has played, he hasn't shined. If the Eagles bring in a veteran he's probably the odd man out. Greg Lloyd had knee surgery as a junior, was hampered by the injury as a senior and suffered a high ankle sprain in training camp. Sounds like the seventh rounder is an IR candidate.
Gone: Brandon Peguese, Rashad Jeanty.

subset: commoncrawl


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Technology: Too much of good thing?
The debate on whether to embrace or reject modern communication technology has spread to Lenten devotions. Italian diocese have suggested giving up texting as well as other technologies—from TV to social networking—for Lent this year.
USA Today religion reporter Cathy Lynn Grossman just doesn't get it. Some say it contradicting the pope's praise and use of social networking, texting, and other technologies (see blog post on the Vatican YouTube site), though the man who just made a week-long Lenten retreat hardly advocates being connected 24-7.
In the U.K. Times article, a theologian and the editor of the Vatican newspaper both criticized the move. "You might as well launch a campaign to turn off the electric light and stay in the dark. This wave of bizarre proposals risks making the whole idea of Lent banal," theologian Gianni Gennari said.
Instead he suggests the traditional idea of giving up coffee and giving the money to the poor. No offense if you gave up coffee, but talk about banal! It's the same thing year after year--rotating coffee, chocolate, alcohol, or what have you. Does it make a difference in your life? If not, the practice loses meaning, and you just stop following it. What's the point?
"I gave up Lent for Lent." I've probably said it before and I've heard it from a lot of people, too. Oh well for trying to update the ancient practice of Lenten fasting.
Critics also seem to be ignoring the social justice connection made by the bishops: The material in cell phones fuels the deadly resource conflict in the Congo, where it is mined.
As a young adult Catholic, it seems like these are the messages we need from bishops—making a Catholic practice relevant in today's culture, connecting it to social justice, and challenging us to pay attention our spirits rather than our cell phones.


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December 25. 2012 9:56PM
Fraud happens: At the polling place, that is
During the debate over New Hampshire's voter ID law, we were told time and time again that there is no such thing as voter fraud. Surely it is total coincidence that two recent cases of voter fraud involve people who belong to the same political party as those who tried to prevent New Hampshire from requiring a photo ID at the polling place.
Last Thursday, the FBI announced that Massachusetts Democratic state Rep. Stephen Smith, 57, of Everett, Mass., had agreed to plead guilty to "submitting fraudulent absentee ballot applications and casting invalid ballots in multiple elections in 2009 and 2010."
Smith fraudulently obtained absentee ballots and gave them to ineligible voters, who cast votes for him, according to the FBI.
In Maryland, Wendy Rosen, the initial Democratic nominee for the state's 1st Congressional District, has been charged with voting illegally in 2006 and 2010, The Washington Post reported on Thursday. Rosen allegedly voted in both Florida and Maryland in those years.
Also last week, Iowa's secretary of state announced that since August his office has filed charges in eight cases of alleged voter misconduct.
Voter fraud does not happen? That is a talking point used by people who have an interest in keeping voter fraud easier to commit. It does not happen with great frequency, but it happens.


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SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chilean mobile telephone operator Entel said on Thursday it plans to invest $2.2 billion through 2015, with a focus on operations in Chile and Peru.
The company will invest $700 million this year, up from $521 million last year.
(Reporting by Felipe Iturrieta; Writing by Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)


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NEW DELHI (AP) — Legendary Indian singer Shamshad Begum has died. She was 94.
The singer had been unwell for some time, her daughter Usha Ratra told the Press Trust of India news agency Wednesday. She died late Tuesday in Mumbai. No independent confirmation was immediately possible.
Begum's funeral, held early Wednesday, was attended by close family members and a few friends, Ratra told PTI. The singer had lived with her daughter and son-in-law since her husband's death in the 1950s.
Begum began her singing career on radio in 1947, and her clear and pure voice touched the hearts of many listeners. She became one of the Indian movie industry's first playback singers, with several well-known actresses of her time lip-syncing to her songs. The industry's best-known music directors vied to get her to sing for them.
Begum was reclusive and self-conscious about her looks and refused to pose for photographs. Many of her fans saw only what she looked like in the 1970s.
Her songs from the 1950s to the early 1970s are still popular and continue to be remixed by music directors today.


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Jim Carrey is a grandpa!
His 22-year-old daughter, Jane, welcomed a baby boy in Los Angeles Friday, a rep for the actor confirms to UsMagazine.com.
Jackson Riley Santana was born at 12:28 Friday morning and weighed in at 7 lbs., 11 oz. and is 20 inches long, the rep added.
Something beautiful is right around the corner! ;^)" Carrey posted on Twitter on Tuesday. Friday morning, he added, "right around the corner! ;^)"
Jane (Carrey's daughter with ex wife Melissa Wormer) wed the baby's father, Alex Santana, who is in the band "Blood Money" and goes by the stage name "Nitro," in November. She fronts her own alternative rock band, The Jane Carrey Band.
CONGRATULATIONS TO JANE AND ALEX AND WE'RE SURE THAT BABY HAS A WONDERFUL LIFE OF FUN AHEAD WITH Jim AND JENNY AS GRANDPARENTS.


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Forecasters have issued the warning for all of northeastern Illinois and northwest Indiana.
In Cook County the advisory will be in effect from 11:00 a.m. Sunday until 4:00 p.m. The advisory will last until 7:00 p.m. in Lake and McHenry counties.
They say that the Chicago area could be left with more than a quarter inch of ice glazed onto trees, power lines and sidewalks.
The ice may weigh down tree limbs and power lines, and the increasing winds could result in power outages, the alert said. Any liquid precipitation will likely freeze on contact, which may create dangerous travel conditions.
There will be plenty of ice but not enough to qualify as an ice storm.
The Illinois Department of Transportation is warning drivers to stay off the roads Sunday afternoon, if possible.
IDOT's Mike Claffey says snow plows are in place to prevent slippery roadways in case there is freezing rain.
"Sunday afternoon could be very messy conditions on the roadway," IDOT spokesperson Mike Claffey said. "We'll be salting. We'll have a full complement of trucks, more than 360 trucks out there with salt."
Chicago Streets and Sanitation workers are on standby, with 284 trucks and 270,000 tons of salt.
A city spokesperson says many trucks are preloaded. However, both agencies say they will not pre-salt the roads.
ComEd has also increased staff for Sunday. Employees have been notified that they could get called in depending on the severity of the storm.
The weather watch will be lifted if the temperature rises above freezing Sunday night.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.


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During the October ceremony saluting Carol Burnett as the latest winner of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, former "Saturday Night Live" player Maya Rudolph serenaded the guest of honor with "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together." But instead of delivering a faithful rendering of Burnett's closing theme song, Rudolph filled the tune with nonsense lyrics ("turkey bacon, lederhosen, Captain Stubing").
The gag earned a big laugh from Burnett, whom Rudolph clearly adores. The performance also offered a reminder of the musical-comedy talent the versatile Rudolph displayed during her eight-year "SNL" run (remember "Santa's My Boyfriend?").
Now Rudolph will be put to a new test beginning Monday as she returns to NBC to launch an old-school variety show special – a genre virtually dead since Burnett's final show-ending ear-tug 36 years ago.
Before "SNL" came along in 1975, CBS' long-running "The Carol Burnett Show" stood as the standard in TV sketch comedy. Lorne Michaels' "SNL" quickly established itself as the network spot for counterculture humor and top musical guests, which included Paul Simon, Patti Smith and Jimmy Cliff in the first season alone. "SNL" offered a clear-cut alternative to Burnett's gentler, family friendly prime time humor and music mix, which harkened more to a Broadway sensibility than a rock and roll ethos.
Rudolph, at 41, is just about old enough to remember the end of "The Carol Burnett Show" and the early years of "SNL." She clearly absorbed the influence of both shows, as did her "SNL" contemporaries Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who also honored Burnett last year. "I love you in a way that's just shy of creepy," Fey told Burnett.
Rudolph hasn't yet enjoyed the post-"SNL" success of Fey or Poehler, and she wasn't a breakout player during her stint on the show. Still, she proved a strong all-around performer, and comic chameleon whose imitations ranged from Beyonce to Oprah Winfrey to Maya Angelou. Those strengths will serve her well on "The Maya Rudolph Show" – as will her apparent variety show reverence, even (or especially) when it's cloaked in comedy as with her funny song-mangling at the Burnett event.
Like Burnett, Rudolph also is a generous performer who thrives in ensemble comedy. Her guests for Monday's special, produced by Michaels, include fellow former "SNL" cast members Fred Armisen, Chris Parnell and Andy Samberg.
As Rudolph taps the Burnett legacy for a new phase of her post-"SNL" career, check out a promo clip below:
Jere Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multi-media NYCity News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is also the author of "Raising a Beatle Baby: How John, Paul, George and Ringo Helped us Come Together as a Family." Follow him on Twitter.


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Art @ Adams State
Spacious, well-equipped studios and individual attention by a quality faculty mean ample opportunities for you to be creative.
Exhibitions by national and international artists, as well as work study opportunities in the field, mean opportunities to learn.
We challenge our students to think critically as well as creatively as they work to communicate through their art.
Why choose Art at Adams State?
- Two professional quality galleries
- Small classes
- Accessible faculty who are mentors and advisers
- Innovative Foundations classes
- Studio space to work outside of class
- Annual trips to regional museums and galleries
- Regular trips abroad for credit
What will I study?
What can I do with a degree in Art?
- Teach
- Graphic design
- Marketing or advertising
- Foundry work
- Own a gallery
- Be a studio artist
Professional Art Resources
What sets us apart?
- Diverse, international Faculty
- After hours studio access
- Student exhibition opportunities
- Evening and summer classes


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26 Critics
At an exclusive girls' boarding school, a sixteen-year-old girl records her most intimate thoughts in a diary. The object of her growing obsession is her roommate, Lucy Blake, and Lucy's friendship with their new and disturbing classmate. Ernessa is a mysterious, moody presence with pale skin and hypnotic eyes. Around her swirl dark rumors, suspicions, and secrets as well as a series of ominous disasters. As fear spreads through the school, fantasy and reality mingle. What is true and what is dreamed bleed together into a waking nightmare of gothic menace, fueled by the anxieties, lusts, and fears of adolescence. [Synopsis courtesy of Bloody Disgusting]
Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.


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It's an intrepid move, but it's one that Flyers coach Peter Laviolette hopes will give his team a spark they desperately need tomorrow in Pittsburgh.
Johan Backlund, the Phantoms' starter for most of the season, will make his NHL debut in net for the Flyers tomorrow afternoon in their final appearance at Mellon Arena. It is the Flyers' first of back-to-back games this weekend, with the Devils visiting the Wachovia Center on Sunday night.
"I hope they trust me," Backlund told reporters after today's practice. "It would be a great chance to play my first game and try to help the team. We have to win games here to [stay] in the playoffs."
Backlund's name was at the top of the Flyers' depth chart for practice today, even though Laviolette wouldn't give any hints as to his lineup.
Backlund, 28, is far from a rookie – even though this is his first professional season in North America. He started more than 50 games each of the past four seasons in the Swedish Elite League.
He posted a 2.79 goals against average and a .906 save percentage in 41 starts with the Phantoms this season.
Backlund will replace Brian Boucher, who hasn't been able to hold down the Flyers' starting job when it has been handed to him this season. Boucher allowed three unanswered goals – including the game-winner, which he kicked into his own net – in the Flyers' 4-3 overtime loss to Minnesota on Thursday. It was the Flyers' fourth consecutive loss.
Speaking before Laviolette had made his decision, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren had high praise for Backlund. Holmgren said before Thursday night's loss that he would be comfortable with Backlund in net.
"I'd actually relish the opportunity to watch him," Holmgren said. "He's done everything we've asked in the American League and he's won games singlehandedly down there."
More coming…


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how do i find ip address and ports?
either through icq im using 0s 9 or manually im willing to sit here for a while to do it thanks
Click on Start button...Then on Run...Then in that little box type command.
A dos window will appear and then you can type.."netstat" or "netstat-a".
If your running a firewall you have to let this connect!!!
ICQ and Yahoo mostly will only give you their server not user your aiming for...But you can transfer a file and find it that way!!!
hope that helps???
Isn't os9 a mac operating sytem? no comand line there afaik.
you con't run dos with os 9, you sould know that os 9 is not a microsoft product.
Knowledge is Power.
-Francis Bacon
Originally posted by Komodo
you con't run dos with os 9, you sould know that os 9 is not a microsoft product.
Ahh so the newbie section taught me something!!Whoo Hoo
can anyone help me im using OS 9 is their anyway other than using netstat on a windoze machine?
I'm not too au fait with the mac os but you can get your ip from somewhere like here
Forum Rules


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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Novelist and comics writer Brad Meltzer is no stranger to heroes, having written about the likes of the Justice League, Batman and Buffy the Vampire slayer.
Now, his latest work, "Ordinary People Change the World," focuses on real-world role models like Amelia Earhart and Abraham Lincoln to help younger readers learn about and from authentic trailblazers.
The books, along with others in his planned series for Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), are about famous Americans and the challenges they faced and overcame, he says.
"If I told my daughter that Amelia Earhart flew across the Atlantic Ocean, she's not impressed. Everyone does that these days," Meltzer said.
But tell the story of how Earhart built a homemade roller coaster at the age of seven, took a wooden box with roller skating wheels on it and came flying down the rails?
"Now, Amelia Earhart is just like my daughter. She reads that and says 'Oh my gosh! Amelia Earhart is just like me!'" Meltzer said.
The first two of a planned six books, "I Am Amelia Earhart" and "I Am Abraham Lincoln," are out Tuesday and illustrated by artist Chris Eliopoulos
In the story about Lincoln, Meltzer recounts how the future president, just 10 years old stood up to a crowd of older kids putting hot coals atop live turtles.
"He could have easily backed down, but he stands up to that injustice," said Meltzer. "There is a moment of the greatness that will one day come."
Meltzer said four more titles are planned with Rosa Parks, Lucille Ball and Albert Einstein as subjects.
"When you look around, we're starving for heroes," he said of his decision to write the stories. "These aren't just the stories of famous people, this is what we're all capable of on our best days."
Meltzer's novels include "The Book of Fate" and "The Fifth Assassin."
Follow Moore at http://www.twitter.com/mattmooreap


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On the same night that the Dunnellon City Council learned its finances are in disastrous shape, the council resolved a long-simmering controversy in a way that should make residents and visitors in this scenic little town smile.
DUNNELLON — On the same night that the Dunnellon City Council learned its finances are in disastrous shape, the council resolved a long-simmering controversy in a way that should make residents and visitors in this scenic little town smile.
Council members voted Monday evening to do away with the controversial red-light cameras that have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue for the city but have also angered townspeople and tourists alike.
"That was a monster (achievement), as far as I'm concerned," Mayor Nathan Whitt said Tuesday, less than 24 hours after his fellow council members surprised him by joining his opposition to the cameras.
The three cameras — at the intersections of U.S. 41 and Powell Road, Brooks Street and the north entrance of Walmart — were installed in late October 2011. And while they started paying immediate dividends, generating more than $500,000 in fines in their first six months alone, they sparked a major outcry from residents and tourists who claimed they were little more than a ploy by City Hall to pad the city's treasury.
Whitt made killing the red-light cameras a major plank in his platform while running for mayor last year because he believed they were more trouble than they were worth.
"It's just not a very tourist-friendly thing to do," he said.
As the complaints mounted, some from out-of-town visitors who vowed not to return after getting tickets in the mail, he decided to press his case to abandon the system.
But until last night, Whitt sensed that he was alone in his desire to do away with it.
"I genuinely didn't think I had the votes," Whitt said. "I thought, well, it's a lost cause and I'll take another run at it later."
But the council did vote with Whitt, 4-1, despite the knowledge that the decision would erase a lucrative revenue stream at a time that the city's finances are especially fragile because of its struggling telecommunications system, dubbed Greenlight.
"It's a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't thing," interim City Manager Eddie Esch said. "Red-light cameras are a legitimate revenue source, but they are disheartening to people."
Whitt said the cameras have been dark since July 1 as the City Council mulled whether to renew its contract with the vendor that operates the system and collects the fines.


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Next Play
SETTING: A restaurant
(Nancy and Fannee Doolee are seated at the table. Their dog sits on the floor between their chairs.)
Nancy :It's great to be here with you Fannee.
Fannee :You too, Nancy.
Nancy:We'll do some real sister bonding.
Fannee:It will be really good.
Nancy:No, great.
Fannee:Really good.
Fannee:Really good!
(During this exchange the dog's head volleys back and forth. Dog whimpers a bit.)
Fannee:You know, I've never liked your name, Nancy.
Nancy:I don't like yours either, Fannee!
(Waiter enters and interrupts their skirmish.)
Waiter:Ahem. May I help you?
Nancy:Yes you may!
(giving a mean look to Fannee.)
Fannee:I don't want a waiter! I want a waitress.
Nancy:I like waiters!
Fannee:Waitresses are better!
(Waiter gives a look to the audience.)
(Waiter shakes head and gives another look to the audience.)
Fannee:Let's order food-appetizers!
Nancy:I want drinks!
Waiter:Alright! I'll get you some food, and you something to drink.
(Waiter shakes his head, exasperated, and goes to the back to see the Manager.)
Waiter:We got a couple of doosies over there! They can't agree on anything!
(Manager looks over at the table.)
Manager:Oh no! It's the Doolee sisters! Didn't you read the sign?
(Manager points to the "Beware of the Doolee sisters" sign.)
Waiter:Aaugh! I forgot!
Manager:Is that a dog with them?
(The dog scratches behind her ear.)
Waiter :Yeah.
Manager:We'll just see about that!
(The manager goes out to the table.)
Is that a dog with you?
Manager:Excuse me?
Fannee:He's a puppy!
Nancy:No, he's a dog!
(Manager gives a look to the audience.)
Fannee:(To manager)
Where's our food?!
Nancy:Where are the drinks?!
Manager:Argh! I'll come out with the drinks and some bread and butter.
Fannee:Forget the bread!
Nancy:No, forget the butter!
Manager:Would it be okay if I gave you margarine instead?
Fannee:No it would not!
Nancy:Margarine is delicious!
(Manager goes to the back and sends out the waitress with a tray, some bread, some butter, and some water.)
Waitress:Here you go.
Fannee:Finally, a waitress!
Nancy - shing ying:I don't like waitresses! What happened to the waiter?
Fannee:I don't like this water! I do like the glass, though.
Nancy:I don't like these rolls!
Waitress:That's bread.
Oh. Then I love it.
Fannee:I don't want bread! I want to see the cook! And I want the bill!
Nancy:Well, I want to see the chef! And tell him to bring the check!
(Waitress goes to the back and sends out the cook.)
Cook:Can I help you ladies?
Fannee/Nancy:Are you the cook?/Are you the chef?
Cook:Is there a problem?
Nancy:No. Your restaurant is wonderful.
Fannee:No, it's terrific!
Nancy:No, it's magnificient!
Fannee:No, it's swell! We're coming back tomorrow for dinner!
Nancy:No, for lunch!
Fannee:Excellent, at noon- for the buffet.
Nancy:Well, not for me then, I'll be in for breakfast.
Fannee:Then, I'll beat you here in the wee hours for some eggs.
Nancy:What time are you opening?
Fannee:What time are you beginning?
Cook:We open at...
Manager:(Stepping in and cutting off cook.)
Actually, tomorrow, we're closed!
(Manager and chef look at each other as if to say, 'that was a close one.')
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Wind Blown Heart #4
Wind Blown Heart #4
25.00 50.00
Add To Cart
I live seeking understanding of identity, wild, and calm. My current work uses nature, in and around me as my muse. In my outdoor studio on the road or at my studio in Heidelberg, Germany, I investigate the relationship between control and wild.
While pregnant I realized how little control I had over my body and whether the little babe in me would survive full term or develop healthily. Since then, I have been conscious about situations in which I have control and don't. Living in this juxtaposition is exciting and nerve-racking. We all can make intentional marks in our lives but a the same time, there are natural elements which are out of our sphere of influence. I find calm and quiet in my work and in this life, even when control and wild are so near one another.
In my current practice, I find this calm when pushing and pulling paint on the canvas, dripping, and making marks and layers. I am using materials that are at times out of my control, such as swirling fluid paints and inks. I can influence them, but they move and collide when I turn my back on them for a moment. Walking this fine line of intention and chance is what interests me most about life and painting.
As humans we have a certain amount of influence over our lives, but so much is out of our control. I am visually cataloguing and rewriting my personal history.


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January 2013 RPM - EditorialPosted in News on January 1, 2013
That's Interesting
The Lincoln brand is going to China. Only took 100 years. Literally.
New taglines: Toyota's: "Let's Go Places." Chrysler Town & Country: "Test of Ownership." We think the minivan's is probably most accurate.
Cappa is a fan of the SRT Viper. Can anyone loan him $97,395 for the regular '13 or $120,395 for the Viper GTS? Bueller?
Union Pacific Railroad is trying out an experimental train that will test three emissions-reducing technologies: exhaust gas recirculation, diesel oxidation catalysts, and diesel particulate filters. It's a $20 mil experiment.
23 percent of U.S. car owners surveyed via a Harris Poll said they're more interested in a hybrid now versus how they felt a year ago.
Gee, that Press Release Sounds Naughty:
"Small is good for auto rental, says California Rent-A-Car"
2013 Range Rover
Generation four. All-aluminum body. New suspension. 5.0L V-8. Eight-speed auto. Terrain Response version 2.0. Starting price: $83,500. Sorry, were you actually interested in more than that?
Is It True?
AM General is going to sell a HUMVEE called C-Series, which is a kit true to government specs, sans an engine?
Will the '15 Ford F-150 be heavy aluminum? And by that do we mean lightweight because of heavy usage of aluminum?
In which state can you now go faster than anywhere else? If you didn't say Texas with its new 85 mph law, do you think maybe you better slow down right now?
Despite what you just read, is it actually South Carolina that has the deadliest highways in the nation? Carinsurancecomparison.com says so?
There will be no more discounts for auto insurance depending on what gender you are? And which gender was getting the discount—and why?
Is Mercedes-Benz adding more diesel power to its SUV lineup?
Also M-B related: Is its new inflatable seatbelt strap airbag thingy going to be called Beltbag? What, "fanny pack" was trademarked?
The famous Nürburgring track in Germany won't end up on eBay after all, thanks to a sort of government bailout?
Your Government At Work
The U.S. Forest Service and the United Four Wheel Drive Associations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which "indicates strongly the desire of both the Forest Service and UFWDA to express our common support for four-wheel-drive motor vehicle use recreationally on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service."
Technically, this is another government at work: a judge and police were among those behind a project in Brazil that has inmates pedaling stationary bikes to generate electricity to power the lights in the local community, according to Euronews.
Want a Jeep for $3?
Buy a raffle ticket for $3 and you could win this very Jeep. Every year the California Association of 4WD Clubs (Cal4Wheel) builds a new Jeep, and this year they started with a four-door JK Unlimited Sport and added parts from companies such as MetalCloak (suspension) and 6Pak (shocks), Advance Adapters (Atlas II transfer case), Currie Enterprises (steering), and Poison Spyder Customs (fenders and sliders). Other longtime supporters of Cal4Wheel that contributed to the Jeep include BFGoodrich, Warn, Yukon Gear, Tuffy, and Tom Woods. It will be raffled off at the annual Cal4Wheel convention in Rancho Cordova on February 16. You don't need to be present to win, and tickets can be purchased online at www.cal4wheel.com/win-a-jeep-tickets. —Harry Wagner
Random Quote:
"Despite the efforts of a small few who are apparently opposed to steps that will protect Americans at the pump and reduce our reliance on foreign oil, the administration will continue to take steps to support this unprecedented agreement and ensure these savings for consumers are realized and the cars and trucks of the future are built here in America."
—White House spokesman Clark Stevens regarding the 54.5-mpg requirement by 2025, according to Detroit News
What's Happening In The Industry
Hobart Welding Products has added an EZ Selector to www.hobartwelders.com, which tailors the best Hobart product to your needs based upon a few things you easy-select.
Goodyear is fooling around with soybean oil to replace some of the petroleum-based oil in its tires; the oil could increase tread life. Is that kind of like how vegetarians manage to live extra years?
Speaking of tires, Toyo's got the new Open Country A/T II available; longer tread life is being touted. Probably the tofu.
Follow ARB on Twitter (@arb_usa) and Facebook. The company's been giving away things like Fridge Freezers and a camera system.
GM is investing in the NanoSteel Company—the automaker wanted to jump on board the company's new steel alloy technology.
Random Quote:
"That's why God invented four-wheelers— so I don't ever have to ride a motorcycle."
— Blake Shelton, that country dude on "The Voice"
How'd You Learn To Wheel?
How did you learn to four-wheel? This month's "Are You a Real Man?" story puts a newbie through a beginner's off-road driving class and a driving lesson from Ivan Stewart. What about you? Take a class? Dad teach you? Go out with buddies and get stupid? Try it on your own? Come on over to Four Wheeler's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/fourwheelermag) and tell us! These are ours:
Brubaker: Some of my colleagues may point out that I obviously never really learned how to four-wheel because I run into rocks and trees all the time. But anyway, my first wheeling experience was also where I learned the basics of wheeling. It was the early '70s and I was about 10 years old. I was with my uncle in his K5 Blazer on trails near Oscoda, Michigan. He was stationed there in the Air Force. The wheeling basics I learned during that trip stuck and were bolstered a few years later with hands-on experience winter wheeling, snow plowing, and aimlessly driving around in my in-laws' farm pastures here in the Midwest.
Cappa: I actually learned how to drive off-road in a VW camper in the early '80s. I'd sit on my dad's lap and man the steering wheel while he worked the pedals. I was way too short at the time to reach. Later that decade, my buddies introduced me to how much fun jumping, bogging, and generally just destroying our 4x4s off-road was. I also remember thinking I didn't need to air down, since my tires and wheels already provided a huge footprint (33/14.50-15 tires on 15x12 wheels). Boy, was I an idiot. A single side-hilling sand dune incident cured me of that stupidity pretty quick.
Mansour: I grew up riding dirt bikes and ATVs, but I didn't make the transition to driving a vehicle off-road until I was around 12 years old. I wasn't very tall (still am not), but I somehow managed to reach the pedals on my dad's old K5 Blazer. It was a 6.2L diesel with an automatic transmission. My dad had taken me to the beach to teach me how to drive in the sand. At the time I thought I was really wheeling and doing something cool. I still drive on that same stretch of beach today. It wasn't until years later when I made the transition into real off-roading (mudding!) and those key principles of momentum and line choice really came in handy.


text: Sijun Forums :: View topic - Environment, "Forced Entry" Log in to check your private messages Sijun Forums Forum Index >> Gallery/Finished Work View previous topic :: View next topic Author Topic : "Environment, "Forced Entry"" aka.arvidjunior memberMember #Joined: 12 Apr 2009Posts: 18Location: Sweden Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 5:15 pm I did a concept of a room with a door kicked in with bullet holes and blood and such. The broken doorframe sort of disapeared behind the shelf here, and the blood I left out... so instead it became a wierd old apartment with apparently criminals living in it. Coolers, hehe. Back to top SumalethAdministratorMember #Joined: 30 Oct 1999Posts: 2896Location: Australia Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:04 pm I like it. Concept art? Portfolio piece? Background for something?_________________Art Links Archive -- Artists and Tutorials Back to top SukhoimemberMember #Joined: 15 Jul 2001Posts: 1074Location: CPH / Denmark Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:45 pm Beautiful. Impressive. Interesting. Good job. Back to top PaoomemberMember #Joined: 20 Sep 2007Posts: 340 Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:27 am awesome !!! Back to top raybendermemberMember #Joined: 14 Sep 2007Posts: 98Location: germany Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 5:58 am really cool! i love the details in the kitchen! great how long didi it take you to do that ? Back to top alyssa milanomemberMember #Joined: 02 Aug 2008Posts: 94Location: uk Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:25 am very nice again aka dont you got a website? what do you do in your life? Back to top choboroymemberMember #Joined: 11 Jun 2005Posts: 139Location: Sydney Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:48 am That is really super! Detailing this must have taken forever? Back to top aka.arvidjunior memberMember #Joined: 12 Apr 2009Posts: 18Location: Sweden Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:55 pm Hi! I´m so sorry! I forgot to check "Notify me when a reply is posted" and then I´ve been busy and missed your replies! must have been viewing a cached post too, because your replies did not show up :S Sumaleth: it´s a portfolio piece, I don´t know which else category it falls into. Sukhoi: thanks a lot Paoo, raybender: it means a lot coming from you! thanks raybender, choboroy: it took a few days, from scratch, working on and off. I seemed to get the most done when i flattend the image to a background, foreground and fog layer, and just painted on them. milano: thanks hmm, yes I do, okay I will share it with you all: http://www.viktorart.com/ (I´m reluctant because I´m not so happy about my portfolio) I actually work doing backgrounds for: http://www.stardoll.com/ haha! but I´m 20 years old, so I guess it´s OK. I try to turn my life upside down... I want to get a job that challenges me.. Next week I´ll know if I can get a part time internship at a swedish game studio why wouldn´t they want a kid working for free? there you go, now you know all about me Back to top octavianmemberMember #Joined: 28 Feb 2004Posts: 401Location: Kalifornia Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:19 pm very fun. It's pleasing on the eyes and I enjoy scanning around the room looking at your little details. Back to top aka.arvidjunior memberMember #Joined: 12 Apr 2009Posts: 18Location: Sweden Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:31 pm aah, niice crit Back to top acapulcomemberMember #Joined: 07 Feb 2008Posts: 51 Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:12 am I really like your piece of art up there but your page is bugged. clicking on the arrow opens your page again in the page and so on and on. Don't know how to fix, but wanted to mention... Back to top aka.arvidjunior memberMember #Joined: 12 Apr 2009Posts: 18Location: Sweden Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 2:02 am Thanks! um, well it´s a kind of bug yes... but it works fine if you type a valid keyvord in there, like "exp" lots of people have fun pressing that arrow Back to top a_shmemberMember #Joined: 04 Oct 2001Posts: 149Location: Uppsala, Sweden Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 2:29 am hehe, that arrow was funny. i spent a few minutes trying to find keywords, but no success. are there many to find? lovely artwork btw._________________The horror... Back to top aka.arvidjunior memberMember #Joined: 12 Apr 2009Posts: 18Location: Sweden Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 2:39 am thanks well not really, untill now I´ve mostly used the feature myself to give certain hidden content to certain people or clients I may post a riddle where the answer is a keyword Back to top octavianmemberMember #Joined: 28 Feb 2004Posts: 401Location: Kalifornia Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 10:07 pm I just stopped by to look again at this awesome painting. Back to top AndreeWallinmemberMember #Joined: 05 Jul 2007Posts: 178Location: sweden Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 2:32 am I'm really impressed!_________________www.andreewallin.com Back to top HideyoshimemberMember #Joined: 08 Jun 2005Posts: 303Location: Germany Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 4:06 am yeah this is truly sweet work! Back to top Simon GustafssonmemberMember #Joined: 04 Jun 2000Posts: 249Location: London, UK Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 8:46 am Nice! Alot of detail but still nice composition. Well done!_________________www.karlsimon.com http://karlsimon.blogspot.com/ Back to top aka.arvidjunior memberMember #Joined: 12 Apr 2009Posts: 18Location: Sweden Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 5:05 am thank you all! AndreeWallin, Hideyoshi: can I impress you too? Simon Gustafsson: your homepage, I have a new fav painter! Back to top Theojunior memberMember #Joined: 20 Jan 2003Posts: 9Location: sweden Posted: Fri May 08, 2009 11:52 pm holy crap great job on the lightcasting. I love the reflections in the planks too. the shininess of the wallpaper works magic also. Back to top mickememberMember #Joined: 19 Jan 2000Posts: 1666Location: Oslo/Norway Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 11:01 pm Wow! That is really amazing! 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We have another gorgeous photo shoot for you today. This time we worked with Austin Warnock Photography and a group of amazing vendors they selected. You can see the original post on Style Me Pretty and many more of the stunning images on the Austin Warnock Photography blog.
For this shoot, our contribution was a perfectly delicate suite incorporating a beautiful lace pattern in a blind hit, a timeless script and a soft color palette. Here are even more shots of the stationery:
This suite is the perfect fit for this southern wedding, but don't forget that it can be customized for any event. Would you love to see it in a square shape? With stunning turquoise ribbon corners and backer card? Or maybe a botanical print in the corners in place of the lace? All of that is possible, just visit one our exclusive retailers to customize your own Dauphine Press suite.
CREDITS: Dress: Vera Wang Bleu Belle Bridal | Florist: A to Zinnias | Cake: Minnette Rushing Custom Cakes | Makeup: Liz Brownlee of Colorboxx Salon | Hair: Tiffony Simpson of Ony Salon | Film Processing: Richard Photo Lab | Chair Rentals: Violet Vintage


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Access to Health Care
A record number of adults 18–64 years old are uninsured
November 2010
1 in 4
About 25 percent of adults 18–64 years old report being uninsured for at least part of the past 12 months (January-March 2010 survey).
1 in 3
About 32 percent of adults 18–64 years old living in middle-income households report being uninsured for at least part of the past 12 months (2009 survey)*.
Adults 18-64 years old with no health insurance at all in the past 12 months were 7 times more likely to skip medical care for cost reasons, compared with those continuously insured (2009 survey).
New 2010 estimates show that the number of Americans without health insurance is growing, affecting middle-income Americans as well as those living in poverty. About 50 million adults 18–64 years old had no health insurance for at least some of the past 12 months. People in all income brackets have been affected, not just adults living in poverty, according to a 2009 survey. In the past few years, the number of adults aged 18–64 who went without health insurance for at least part of the past 12 months increased by an average of 1.1 million per year. About half of those additional adults were middle-income.* Adults without consistent health insurance are more likely to skip medical care because of cost concerns, which can lead to poorer health, higher long-term health care costs, and early death.
*About $43,000–$65,000 household income for a household of four
The number of adults 18–64 years old without health insurance is high and continues to rise.
More adults 18–64 years old went without health insurance than ever before.
- About 1 in 4 adults this age (about 50 million) reported not having health insurance for at least part of the past 12 months.
- About 1 in 6 adults this age (about 30 million) went without health insurance for the past 12 months or longer.
- During each of the past few years, the number of adults this age who went without health insurance for at least part of the past 12 months increased by an average of 1.1 million.
- More than half of adults this age without health insurance for more than the past 12 months had no usual source of medical care.
Adults 18–64 years old without health insurance, 2008–2010 (Jan-Mar)
SOURCE: National Health Interview Survey, Jan-Mar 2010.
Adults 18–64 years old who have a chronic illness and who do not have health insurance are more likely to skip or delay medical care because of cost.
- 40% of the entire US population has one or more chronic illnesses.
- Currently insured adults this age with a chronic illness who recently had even a short gap in health insurance coverage were 3 times as likely to skip medical care because of cost compared to those continuously insured.
- More than 40% of adults this age without health insurance in the past 12 months who had high blood pressure, asthma, or diabetes reported in 2009 that they had skipped care because of cost.
- Delays in health care can lead to poorer health and higher medical costs over time.
Adults 18–64 years old with a disability skipped or delayed some medical care in the past 12 months because of cost.
- Almost 1 in 4 (46 million) adults this age in the US have a disability.
- About 30% of adults this age with a disability reported in 2009 that they had no health insurance in the past 12 months.
- Overall, disabled persons were about twice as likely as those with no disability to skip or delay medical care. About 60% of adults this age with a disability who had recent gaps in the past 12 months in their insurance skipped or delayed medical care, compared with only 16% for those with continuous insurance coverage.
Percentage of adults 18–64 years old who skipped or delayed medical care because of cost, by disability* and insurance coverage status
*Disability status is based on Basic Actions Difficulty, which involves movement, vision, hearing, emotional upset, and difficulty remembering or being confused, as defined by Altman and Bernstein 2008. See http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/misc/disability2001-2005.pdf [PDF – 859 KB], pp.75-77.
SOURCE: National Health Interview Survey, 2009. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm. Reprinted from MMWR 2010;59(44).
U.S. State Info
The percentage of currently uninsured adults, 18–64 years old, varies by state, ranging from 6% in Massachusetts, where there are strong state policies on coverage, to 29% in Texas.
Percentage of adults 18–64 years old without health insurance at the time of interview — 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, US
What Can Be Done
The Affordable Care Act
- Is projected to extend health insurance for up to 94% of people below 65 years old (an additional 32 million people) by 2019.
- Can reduce skipped or delayed care because people are less likely to have gaps in insurance.
- Requires insurance plans to cover and not charge co-payments for effective preventive services. Greater use of these services could save 100,000 lives each year.
Everyone can
- Get healthy. Eat less sugar, salt and saturated fats and more fruits and vegetables. Walk 30 minutes a day. Quit smoking, or don't start.
- Stay healthy. Take any medicines your doctor has prescribed. Talk to your doctor about medication programs that help people with low incomes if you can't afford your medicine.
- Sign up for health insurance. Even if you have a pre-existing condition, health insurance is now available in some states.
- Go see your main health care provider. Your primary care doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant can make sure that you are up-to-date with preventive services such as immunizations, as well as cholesterol, mental health, and cancer screenings. Also, they can help prevent costly and disabling complications such as strokes and heart attacks.
- Find your options for health care you can receive right now. See http://www.hrsa.gov/gethealthcare/index.html and http://www.healthcare.gov.
Employers can
- Provide comprehensive wellness programs for employees that include physical activity and other wellness measures.
- Provide options that make health insurance and health care easier to afford for employees. These options should include basic primary care and prevention.
Health care providers can
- Include at least some preventive care at each patient visit.
- Support the use of retail sites, schools, churches, and community centers to make it more convenient for people to get basic primary care and prevention, including vaccinations.
Health insurance plans can
- Promote healthy diet and physical activity for their enrollees. Adults who are overweight or have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes are more likely to have higher health care costs.
- Provide basic primary care and prevention services in more convenient locations such as retail sites, schools, churches, and community centers.
Related Pages
- Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR): Access to Health Care
- Vital Minute Podcast: Access to Health Care
- Health Care: See Why Being Insured Matters
On Other Web Sites
- Page last reviewed: November 9, 2010
- Page last updated: November 9, 2010
- Content source:
- Office of Prevention through Health Care
- Page maintained by: Office of the Associate Director for Communications (OADC)


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- Discrimination is the Pits (12/31/11)4
- Subway's Sportsman of the Year and the New Face of Nike (7/3/11)8
- Birthers and Balderdash (4/30/11)13
- The Hazardous Life of a Pedestrian (2/12/11)1
- Courteous Winter Driving (2/2/11)3
- Read to a Dog! (12/17/10)3
- Continue to get your texts while driving, even with the new law! (7/1/10)23
SCOTUS and the Campaign Finance Ruling
I can't help but think that the Supreme Court's ruling yesterday is a REALLY bad thing for the United States. Or will we now be the United Corporations of America?
I think that we can all agree that the winner isn't always the best person for the job, but rather the one with the deepest pockets. Now Corporations, Wall Street, and other special interest groups can spend as much money as they want to manipulate policies and elections in their own self interests. Will this just lead to further corporate control of our government?
What are your thoughts?
Money is the root of all evil.-- Posted by jusamom on Sat, Jan 23, 2010, at 10:14 AM
Corporation = person. This is where the first Common Sense Alarm ought to be going off! As I see it this debate started in 1886 with a ruling by the supreme court in the Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Company, 118 U.S. 394 (1886). That case was fairly unremarkable. The railroad didn't want to pay taxes. What was remarkable was what the court didn't write. In these procedings a court reporter, in this case, J.C.Bancroft Davis, is charged with writing a header to the courts descision. It just summarizes what was decided. In it he wrote ""The court does not wish to hear argument on the question whether the provision in the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which forbids a State to deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws, applies to these corporations. We are all of the opinion that it does."
Chief Justice Morrison Waite looked it over and said it was substantially correct and let it go at that. What just happened? Corporations were given the status of 'legal persons', as opposed to 'natural persons'(that's you and me) and were afforded the rights (mostly) of a natural person under the 14th ammendment to the constitution. This is called an obiter dictum, or a passing remark.
Common sense alarm?
I do not think this was the intent of our founding fathers when they framed the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. As a matter of fact some of them warned against this very thing.
Al Gore argues that, because of the 1886 decision, "the monopolies in commerce' that Jefferson had wanted to prohibit in the Bill of Rights were full-blown monsters crushing competition from small businesses, bleeding farmers with extortionate shipping costs, and buying politicians at every level of government".
Note: Three of the judges, Kennedy, Scalia, and Thomas were on the majority side that stopped the recount in Florida in 2000.
Want to see Obama chipped off. Watch this flic.
Why isn't the GOP? We're all in the same pool and big business just peed in it. Nobody wants fascism, right? When big business controls the government, that is a pretty good definition.
Well if I'm going to talk about Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, I should at least listen to what they have to say. So, I went to their site.
The big letters said, "Citizens United-Dedicated to restoring our government to citizen control".
The small letters said, "Citizens United is an organization dedicated to restoring our government to citizens' control. Through a combination of education, advocacy, and grass roots organization, Citizens United seeks to reassert the traditional American values of limited government, freedom of enterprise,strong families, and national sovereignty and security. Citizens United's goal is to restore the founding fathers' vision of a free nation, guided by the honesty, common sense, and good will of its citizens".
American Sovereignty Project
American Sovereignty Project ("ASP") is the grassroots lobbying arm of Citizens United that
works to protect American sovereignty and security. ASP's major objectives include complete U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations, defeat of the treaty to establish a permanent U.N.-
controlled International Criminal Court, and rejection of one-world government."
That little voice of mine that has saved my bacon soooo many times was saying "It's time to go now."
So I watched the movie that started the most recent round of fighting. It's called "Hillary, the movie" Got a couple of hours?
This movie really does a number on the Clintons, especially Hillary. I mean this sucker drew blood. It's a little dated. It has John Edwards asking why Hillary doesn't just go into 'tell the truth mode'. And it has that delicate little rose pedal Ann Colter in it. It doesn't really matter what they say about them. I didn't like them anyway. How can I look up to an impeached president? Many people don't even know that he was impeached and what he did to the office of President was no big deal. Those people are kind of disappointing too.
I would just like to say that the decision of the Supreme Court the other day was really scary. This is not a partisan issue. Everybody should be alarmed.-- Posted by Lee51 on Sun, Jan 24, 2010, at 5:35 AM
First of all, I must say that it's the love of money that is the root of all evil. A conservative acquaintance of mine accused Branstad of being only about money. Yes, he talks about the budget, but that's because it's in a mess. And yes he will receive millions of dollars in support and that's because he has a face and a name people recognize. I disagree that he now can receive those millions from corporations. No one should be able to do that. The only way I would agree with that is if corporations ran their own commercials showing their corporate support for candidates. I don't agree with writing anonymous (or at least not publicized) checks to politicians. I want a politician that is willing to stand up to certain corporations (i.e. drug companies) not take handouts from them. It's a very dangerous game that will now commence, and at a very critical time. By the way, thanks Lee for doing your research. Many people are willing to ramble away in a message board or blog but very few actually look things up and go into meticulous detail as you did. I wish more people would do more research and think more before they speak. Those are my thoughts.
Thanks.-- Posted by Gabe Licht on Tue, Jan 26, 2010, at 11:34 AM
Money is far from the root of all evil. If I put a $100 bill on the table, it will just lie there. It is the person who possesses the $100 bill that decides if it will be used for good or evil. Everything is personal choice - money has no will or decision making ability.
As for campaign finance reform. A person can spend his or her money however they choose, but I have a problem with corporate sponsored candidates, especially when those corps are using profits to buy politicians rather than create jobs or increase pay and benefits to hard working employees.-- Posted by randy cauthron on Tue, Jan 26, 2010, at 4:26 PM
Money is the root of evil. If it wasn't we would not have children dying over the sneakers they wear, or 'good neighborhoods' or homeless. Money feeds greed and the need for more money. Anytime that money can influence anything it will not have a good outcome.
If you leave that $100 said dollars on your table it might sit there for you, but others may see it and do anything in their power to obtain it. It might not be your idea of evil but to others it is. You take away all money and have to trade or barter for things and you will see a whole new USA.-- Posted by jusamom on Wed, Jan 27, 2010, at 11:07 AM
You can not blame money, guns, or any other object for the actions taken by people. We better do away with rocks because someone might pick one up and hit somebody with it. You better outlaw cars because a drunk driver might get behind the wheel of one and hurt somebody. No humans and their actions determine good and evil - not objects.-- Posted by randy cauthron on Wed, Jan 27, 2010, at 2:06 PM
You can not honestly sit there and deny that if money were taken out of our lives that there would be a lot less hate in the world. A lot less crime, and a lot more love and respect and getting along. I think you missed the word GREED in there. Humans are just that-human and are succumbed by temptation. Without the money they would not have the temptation. Plain as that.
When you start letting corporations give whatever they want to one politician over another it is a big money game. And how can this be favorable for our people? The more money you have the better the chances of your guy winning. And once again, money is the key factor. Not always the solution nor the best for the USA in my eyes.-- Posted by jusamom on Wed, Jan 27, 2010, at 7:38 PM
Actually "The love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Timothy 6:10, KJV)is the real quote. I believe it refers to greed. Profit is not a dirty word. If a business goes out of business for lack of profit, how does that help anybody. But greedy corporations or people frequently put money over their morals. That can get pretty ugly.-- Posted by Lee51 on Wed, Jan 27, 2010, at 11:09 PM
jusamom, if money were taken out of our lives, people would be greedy and fight over possessions, land, politics, etc. Money is just a piece of paper. The meaning behind it- the ability to gain power, necessities, etc- and the things greedy people will do to acquire those things is the root of all evil. Tribal societies who exchange goods and services for other goods do not use money and they still experience problems. Humans were human long before someone invented the printing press.-- Posted by notinia on Thu, Jan 28, 2010, at 10:49 AM
USA, Inc.
The only thing stopping a corp run country is a strong, effective gov't. Nobody or nothing else can stand up to big business on behalf of the individual. That's why big business is always trying to get us to vote to weaken and shrink the gov't. Think about it, and always, always, follow the $.-- Posted by helped_myself on Mon, Feb 1, 2010, at 5:33 PM
You get rid of money and someone will still have more "goats and chickens" then everyone else. There's always going to be a person "wealthier." That's just part of us as humans. Maybe it's the desire to be wealthy is the root of the evil here. Doesn't really matter what it is.
When the rich wage war it's the poor who die.
-Jean-Paul Sartre-- Posted by _Samantha_ on Tue, Feb 2, 2010, at 3:27 PM
If we allow these Unions, George Soros, and all these stupid groups to contribute, why can't corporations? Which by the way is the only reason this crook we have in office made it. Corporations have more at stake than the individuals, you should want your company to get people in office who are going to look after them. That means they will look after you.
We have groups that are able to spend like crazy to get crazies in office. These crazies(Obama, Pelosi, Reed, So on) put corporations last. No wonder our economy is in a shamble. We spend all this money on junk(can't even call it science anymore) thought like global warming. Now that we have the facts, the facts were made up(which doesn't even cut it in a 5th grade science project), we should end all funding.
When the rich get richer, so does everyone else. I can't believe the vote was even that close. It has been awhile since the Supreme Court actually upheld the constitution instead of making a gut judgment. We have tried to take away the advantage that money gives one, that is stupid. People work hard to make more money. The incentive is that money can buy them things, aka advantages. If we do not allow that why work hard. Everyone has the choice to take a shower, shave, and work hard. Everyone also has the choice to be average. Why do we reward average. The rich should be glorified to inspire people. They should not be demonized by people who were to lazy to try to achieve.-- Posted by DOWNWITHDEMS on Sat, Feb 6, 2010, at 2:06 PM
Down, Please educate yourself with facts before posting. Corporations have always been able to give to campaigns in the form of PACs. They regularly ask all employees to join their PAC, I know I get the requests and have for years. Now, the corporations don't need to even do that. They can just take from their general fund accounts. Also, they don't even have to be American owned companies, just incorporated in America.
How has that "letting corporations look after you" and "we all get richer if the rich get richer" working out? Health care costs out of control, economic meltdowns, unsafe consumer products of all kinds, etc. Believe me, corporations are not about blue or red but green. Give me any example and I'll show you how the corporate decision is tied back to increasing the bottom line. In terms of real dollars, the average workers income has been stagnant at best for the last 30 years, while expenses increased. Since it takes American consumer spending to run the world economy, the shortfall had to come from somewhere and corporations gladly offered it in credit.
As far as SCOTUS goes, the 5 that voted to overturn 100 years of precident all stated in their congressional questioning that they believed in Stare Decisis. So, they must have lied and now qualify to be accused of writing the law from the bench and being an activist court.-- Posted by helped_myself on Mon, Feb 8, 2010, at 9:31 AM
Profit is a good thing. It is why people go into business and take the risk. Health care costs are on the rise for numerous reasons. No caps on lawsuits, forced to provide care to illegals, not allowing people to buy across state lines, and insurance companies have to provide certain benefits across the board. Those problems are easy to fix and costs would go down dramatically. When the government gets involved it will drive costs up and care down.
Helped_Myself the only thing you ever helped yourself to is other peoples money. You liberals are always demonizing corporations, why? I think it is jealousy. You wish you had the power and resources they do. These companies provide jobs for everyone. If you liberals wouldn't mandate they have to hire certain people, provide certain benefits(to all), can't fire who they want, maybe we could keep some of them in this country. Unfortunately like everything else liberals have destroyed American Industry. I suppose that murdering, sexual harassing, drunk Teddy was a hero of yours.
Thank you Supreme Court for getting one right. We can finally silence the loud voice of lunacy that has been coming from the other side.-- Posted by DOWNWITHDEMS on Mon, Feb 8, 2010, at 12:48 PM
Profit is good. How it's made is the issue. Some of the recent record profits made by the banks came from taking the TARP $ that was supposed to be loaned to small businesses (which provide more jobs than big business) and instead was used to buy TBills, which the Federal Gov't then pays interest on. Free Federal $ to the banks with no risk of the banks own capital.
Non partisan accounting organizations have stated that Tort Reform will only lower health care costs by 2%. There are states that have already done that and costs have not decreased. And the insurance companies have stated that they still would not lower their malpractice premiums to doctors.
Why are insurance companies the only industry exempt from anti trust laws?
I probably pay more in taxes than you earn in a year. And gladly do so. I want to live in a healthy educated caring productive society. Those that strive to be the sickest, poorest, stupidest can do so on their own.
People that can help themselves but don't shouldn't expect support. But what are your answers to what to do for those that can't help themselves, like kids, elderly, disabled, war victims, disaster victims? Ignore them? What about those that worked for 30 years and are now btwn jobs and have no health insurance? Why are there so many fund raisers to pay for medical bills for people that have health insurance.
As far as name calling, it speaks for itself about you.-- Posted by helped_myself on Tue, Feb 9, 2010, at 10:48 AM
I would be happy to trade tax returns with you. I would love to live in a healthy productive society. Unfortunately those that choose to remain uneducated, unhealthy, and unproductive are the people you want to take care of. Not me let them fend for themselves. It is ludicrous that more than 55% of my income goes to the government. They didn't sweat for that money, I did. I took the risk, not them. Why are they more heavily rewarded than I. I know that Exxon has had record profits because oil prices went through the rough. Farmers also had record profits too(even the little farmer), were you demonizing them. Insurance companies are not the only companies that do not fall under antitrust laws. Ever heard of pro sports?
There are reform measures that will work and tort reform is one of them. Look at Texas, they were losing health providers. They reformed there health system, malpractice insurance was cut in half. They are gaining doctors at record rates. Meanwhile Hawaii and Mass who have either tried or have socialized medical systems have gone bankrupt for it. Health insurance should be portable which is what the RIGHT side is saying. To have it tied to an employer is idiotic.
Lets take the small percentage of people that actually need government assistance and provide it to them. Then lets take the large majority of those receiving government assistance and make them fend for themselves(like I do). Making insurance companies compete is a big factor in driving down costs. In Iowa I bought a policy with a $10K deductible per person and paid $500/month. Across state lines I was able to buy a policy with $5k deductible for $265/month. Same benefits. Also why not make it so you can customize your policy and make it so individuals can form groups. These are great ideas. I do not want to pay for mental illness benefits, or sex change, or fertility treatment. Let people that want to pay for those things be in a group and pay a higher premium. Right now it is not allowed to do that. I think fertility treatment should not be covered by insurance, nor should sex change, or adoption, or a lot of this garbage. All these things are not medical necessities and drive up the cost of your and my insurance.
We should not have given out TARP. We should not have bailed out the Unions. GM and Chrysler should have broke the unions, they could actually become profitable again. I would rather have the banks and exxon being profitable, than GM and Chrysler giving all their money to the Union thugs and losing money every year.
Our Social Security
Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social
Security (FICA) Program. He promised:
1.) That participation in the Program would be
Completely voluntary,
No longer Voluntary
2.) That the participants would only have to pay
1% of the first $1,400 of their annual
Incomes into the Program,
Now 7.65% (plus Employer pays 7.65%)
3.) That the money the participants elected to put
into the Program would be deductible from
their income for tax purposes each year,
No longer tax deductible
4..) That the money the participants put into the
independent 'Trust Fund' rather than into the
general operating fund, and therefore, would
only be used to fund the Social Security
Retirement Program, and no other
Government program, and,
Under Johnson the money was moved to
The General Fund and Spent
5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees
would never be taxed as income.
Under Clinton & Gore
Up to 85% of your Social Security can be Taxed
Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are
now receiving a Social Security check every month --
and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of
the money we paid to the Federal government to 'put
away' -- you may be interested in the following:
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ----
Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the
independent 'Trust Fund' and put it into the
general fund so that Congress could spend it?
A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the democratically
controlled House and Senate.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --
Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax
deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?
A: The Democratic Party.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -----
Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social
Security annuities?
A: The Democratic Party, wit h Al Gore casting the
'tie-breaking' deciding vote as President of the
Senate, while he was Vice President of the US
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
Q: Which Political Party decided to start
annuity payments to immigrants?
A: That's right!
Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party.
immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65,
began to receive Social Security payments! The
Democratic Party gave these payments to them,
even though they never paid a dime into it!
------------ -- ------------ --------- ----- ------------ --------- ---------
Then, after violating the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turn around and tell you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away!
And the worst part about it is uninformed citizens believe it!-- Posted by DOWNWITHDEMS on Tue, Feb 9, 2010, at 11:54 AM
Glad to see you can cut and paste. So you honestly believe that the majority of people receiving aid don't need it....hmmmm. Is that based on empirical evidence or real data? I can go dig up hundreds of critical facts about Republicans and complimentary facts about Democrats but that doesn't solve anything. Why are you so angry? Don't you get tired of being outraged and pessimistic all of the time?
America is the best. We've dealt with much worse than what you're complaining about. Sure there are problems in every type of organization like religion, the military, businesses, etc. So, identify and fix the problems. Don't just adovate walking away from all the good that is done for people that deserve to be helped.
If you pay 55% in taxes you need a new tax guy.-- Posted by helped_myself on Wed, Feb 10, 2010, at 9:02 AM
I don't need a new tax guy, I guess I need to make less money. Lets look at welfare. For every dollar allocated to welfare over $.25 of that dollar is for bookkeeping. I don't know about you but bookkeeping runs me about $.5 of every dollar and is a lot more efficient than the government. Welfare recipients can have cell phones, What? Does that make sense? In some states like Ohio, you can inherit money and stay on welfare. Illegal immigrants get welfare. In Iowa we will pay for you to have multiple kids on our dime, but will not pay to fix the problem until you are 25(maybe 27) or had 3 kids. Why don't we correct the problem after the first one.
Leftists say that doing such things infringes on their rights. Well I think when you expect others to pay for your living you are infringing on our rights. We should be the ones that have some say in your life if you take money from us. Obviously these welfare lifers can't support themselves, what are they doing having kids. You should have to pass a drug test to get money as well. If you are "looking" for a job, you will need to be able to pass a drug test to get it. Well you better be able to pass one to get state funds.
There are people that really do need help, but I ask you to honestly look at the abusers. It is a huge percentage, well over half, that are capable of making a living but don't. We provide them with to much which gives them no incentive to work hard. It is like raising the taxes on the rich. You create no incentive for people to work harder.
Your justification of wasting billions of dollars every year is the ones that truly need the help. I am with you. Let's take some of this stimulus money we have laying around and investigate everyone receiving a check. People physically and mentally capable of work, lets cut them off. I am tired of buying votes for the democrats. We can cut them off and save billions a year. Let us also investigate illegal aliens with some of this stimulus and send them packing. Then we will have work available for the people we just fired from the government tit.
It is simple to find illegals and abusers, I see them every day. In every city show up to Home Depot and you can deport 50 a day. Drive into the low income districts look at the cars, tvs, phones, and everything else. It is easy to see who really doesn't need the money.
America was a great nation and can be again. We have to get back to our roots. We have to be self reliant, not government reliant. We have to be proud of our nation, not apologetic. We need to have the attitude and the will power to defeat our enemies. We need to stop being a bunch of oversensitive cry babies. We have to get rid of politically correct lifestyle.-- Posted by DOWNWITHDEMS on Wed, Feb 10, 2010, at 10:58 AM
You don't think that people on Welfare should have the ability to call 911? Why the problem with them having phones?-- Posted by stafinois on Wed, Feb 10, 2010, at 2:48 PM
You think that is all they have cell phones for. And no I don't think it is my responsibility to provide you communication of any form. Welfare should provide no more than the minimum amount to sustain existence. It is not there to provide a quality life. If you want a quality life and a quality of life earn it like the rest of us have to.
People who want a hand out need only the necessities at most. Food, Water, and Shelter. Not tv, internet, cell phone, home phone, cigarettes, alcohol, or any other of the crap they run around with. It you want to dig in your pocket book to provide more to people, do it, don't make me.
It is no wonder Spencer is failing. To many people focused on art, parks, beauty, and other leftist priorities. If you want to help people do it on your dime, don't steal my money and give it to people who are undeserving.-- Posted by DOWNWITHDEMS on Wed, Feb 10, 2010, at 4:12 PM
If only this were a place of leftish priorities! I often feel that I'm a Smurf drowning in the Red Sea.-- Posted by stafinois on Wed, Feb 10, 2010, at 4:26 PM
If only the Liberals were able to fend for themselves, maybe they could start their own land. That way the wouldn't ruin ours. Unfortunately they are not capable of doing anything on their own, they need other people to provide everything for them. It is pretty sad and pathetic. I don't know how anyone who lives like that can sleep at night. Pretty easy I guess since I probably bought them a new bed.
It is funny how we tell our children taking things from others is wrong. I guess you teach your kids taking things from others is wrong unless they have more than you do. Great parenting.-- Posted by DOWNWITHDEMS on Wed, Feb 10, 2010, at 11:32 PM
Nah, my parents taught me, and I am teaching my child, to share. You know, "Sharing is Caring?" Barney is such a commie.-- Posted by stafinois on Thu, Feb 11, 2010, at 9:51 AM
Your comment about liberals fending for themselves made me think of this funny that was passed around extensively a few years ago: http://bit.ly/bIImbM-- Posted by stafinois on Thu, Feb 11, 2010, at 10:49 AM
Well I guess I will come over and take your car. I need some groceries, so I will help myself to what is in your pantry. Sharing is a great thing, but forcing people to share what they have with someone they do not want to is wrong. What gives you or anyone the right to determine how to distribute my money. Especially when most of it goes to people undeserving. Why don't liberals pony up for all these worthy causes. The average conservative donates more than %10 of their gross income to charity. The average liberal less than 3%. You liberals have all the causes, but they aren't worthy enough for you to donate any of your own money.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden and his wife gave an average of $369 a year to charity during the past decade, his tax records show.
Over the decade, the Bidens reported a total of $3,690 in charitable donations, or 0.2% of their income.
If everyone would pony up for what they believe in the world would be a better place. I don't use the library, the parks, or care about art, why should I contribute. I am more than happy to fund medical research and golf course development. I do not want to give my to teach children to have safe sex and abortions. I want to teach our children not to have sex, that is a better choice. I don't want to fund starving people in third world countries, maybe you haven't notice it does no good. If you want to donate, that is your choice. I would rather give my money to homeless vets.
The point is you liberals want to take my money and tell me how I should spend it. Why do you think that is right? Your causes are justified to you, but complete foolishness to me. Fund them with your own money, the problem is you don't have any.
Easy to fix. Step 1-Take a shower. Step 2- stop using drugs. Step 3-Get a job. Step 4-work harder then everyone else at your job. Step 5-you are successful. Simple.-- Posted by DOWNWITHDEMS on Fri, Feb 12, 2010, at 12:08 AM
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text:
Harley-Davidson is recalling a handful of 2010 Dyna Fat Bob (FXDF) motorcycles because the wrong fork springs were installed in the fork tubes. Affecting only bikes made in February of this year, Harley-Davidson will be recalling only 70 motorcycles in total.
The incorrectly assembled forks could cause reduced suspension effectiveness on the road, and improper lean angles when parking the hog. Reading in-between the lines on this notice, you can only help but feel there's a new guy working in the mail room.


text:
Femi Kuti and the Positive Force will hit the road to preview material from their latest album No Place for My Dream in January. The record, which is the follow up to Kuti's Grammy-nominated Africa for Africa will be released some time in 2013. With No Place for My Dream, Kuti hopes to get back to the essence of Afrobeat, a sound pioneered by his father Fela Kuti in the 1960s. The album was produced in Paris by Sodi, who worked on a number of the elder Kuti's albums as well. Femi Kuti and the Positive Force will kick off their tour on Jam Cruise on January 7. The group will then hit Florida and the West Coast before making their way to the East Coast with shows in Philadelphia, Washington, DC and New York City. A full list of Femi Kuti and the Positive Force's tour dates can be viewed below. You can read a review of their last album, Africa for Africa, here.
Femi Kuti and the Positive Force Upcoming Tour Dates
January 7 Ft. Lauderdale, FL—Jam Cruise 11
January 13 Miami, FL—Grand Central
January 15 Boulder, CO—Boulder Theatre
January 17 Solana Beach, CA—Belly Up Tavern
January 18 Los Angeles, CA—El Rey Theatre
January 19 San Francisco, CA—The Fillmore
January 21 Chicago, IL—Metro
January 23 Boston, MA—Paradise Rock Club
January 24 Philadelphia, PA—World Café Live
January 25 Washington, DC—9:30 Club
January 26 New York, NY—Webster Hall


text:
Dave White Profile
Dave White
Your Movies.com Man at the Multiplex
Dave White's first movie review was of the animated feature Snoopy Come Home. He was seven years old...Read full profile
Your Movies.com Man at the Multiplex
Dave White's first movie review was of the animated feature Snoopy Come Home. He was seven years old...Read full profile
Enhanced docudrama techniques. Read full review
Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.
out of 100
Metascore®Universal acclaimbased on a weighted average of allcritic review scores.
Once in a long while, a fresh-from-the-headlines movie - like "All the President's Men" or "United 93" - fuses journalism, procedural high drama, and the oxygenated atmosphere of a thriller into a new version of history written with lightning. Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow's meticulous and electrifying re-creation of the hunt for Osama bin Laden, is that kind of movie.
Read Full Review
Judged solely as a film, a partially fictionalized account of the decade-long search for bin Laden, it's superbly crafted and relentlessly dramatic. More than that, though, Zero Dark Thirty is a shock to the system, one that's bound to incite discussion of profoundly troubling issues.
The film's power steadily and relentlessly builds over its long course, to a point that is terrifically imposing and unshakable.
While this decade-long look at the inner workings of the CIA is intriguing, the movie would have benefited by more character development and additional editing.
See all Zero Dark Thirty reviews at Metacritic.com
Pause for kids 16 & under
Intelligent, uncompromising drama is violent and complex.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Zero Dark Thirty is a combination war movie, thriller, and docudrama about the intense, years-long hunt for Osama bin Laden following the 9/11 attacks, from the filmmakers behind The Hurt Locker. Perhaps the movie's most controversial element is its depiction of "waterboarding" and torturing prisoners for information. The movie shows this process as simultaneously effective and repellent. Overall, violence is strong -- not just in the torture sequences, but also in various other gun/shooting sequences, with dead bodies and lots of blood. But because the violence encourages interpretation and isn't just gratuitous, older teens should be able to handle it within the movie's context as an intelligent, complex story that's sure to inspire passionate discussion. Language is strong, with uses of "f--k" and "s--t," as well as sexual innuendo and some partial, nonsexual nudity. Characters are often seen smoking cigarettes or drinking in a background way.
Messages: The movie's messages are complicated (all the better to inspire in-depth discussions among grown-ups and older teens). At particular issue is some of the violence -- i.e. the use of torture. The movie approaches these difficult topics thoughtfully, allowing viewers to interpret them for themselves.
Role models: The main character is a tough, smart, persistent woman who spends years trying to achieve a nearly impossible goal and eventually accomplishes it. Yet that goal, and the methods she employs to achieve it, definitely dilute her heroism. But she's an enormously strong character with many shades of gray and well worth thinking about.
Violence: Several scenes of torture and severe interrogation techniques, including "waterboarding" and humiliation (a man's pants are stripped off). Also one or two intense battle sequences with guns, shooting, dead bodies, and blood. Bombs are set off, with injuries and casualties. Frequent tension/peril. The main female character is involved in -- and sometimes the victim of -- several violent situations.
Sex: Some male prisoners are stripped of their clothes, but nothing more than naked behinds are shown. One brief scene takes place in a nightclub with sexy dancing girls (not naked). A good deal of spoken sexual innuendo throughout.
Language: Very strong and quite frequent. Words include "f--k" and "motherf---er," "s--t," "a--hole," "ass," "bitch," "damn," "hell," and "d--k," plus "goddamn" and "oh my God."
Consumerism: Coke and Budweiser brands are shown and/or mentioned.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Characters both major and minor are often shown smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol (beer, wine, etc.) in a background way.
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© Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.
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text:
No one expected Kim Kardashian and Kanye West would take their daughter, North, to a department store portrait studio, but this takes baby photos to a whole new level.
The curls. The cardigan. The Chanel purse — everything about the 14-month-old's modeling debut is absolutely adorable.
"It's never too early to care about fashion," designer Karl Lagerfeld says of North, who rocked a Chanel brooch and bag for her first professional photo shoot.
The black-and-white portrait can be seen in the fifth issue of CR Fashion Book, a style guide North's mother graced the cover of last year — while pregnant.
Courtesy Chanel
North will be featured in a story entitled Legends, which "celebrates the unconventional side of fashion icon status," according to the magazine's website.
With her first solo magazine spread behind her — she posed with Kardashian and West for Vogue in March — North now knows her way around both Mom and Dad's worlds. Earlier this month, she cuddled up to West while in the studio.
— Patrick Gomez


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Posted on March 5, 2010
One of the most Frequently Asked Questions I get is "What do YOU like to curl up with on a rainy afternoon?" My response is generally, "I thought we were here to talk about books."
Be that as it might, I was certainly drawn into mysteries very early. Someday I may sit down and chart exactly what the influence on my life has been of Raymond Chandler and Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes and Judge Dee, Dilys Winn and Will Cuppy. But that takes up a lot of space, so I'll save it for my autobiography (along with that business about curling up on rainy afternoons.)
Mysteries are often a big part of a kid's early fiction experience, be it in the form of Nancy Drew on the page or Scooby-Doo on the screen. It's reassuring, when you start to realize how big and bizarre the world around you can be, to read about someone who makes sense of everything and fixes what has gone wrong. And it's nice, too, to have that be someone you can depend on, someone who is going to make sense of the world in book after book after book after book.
The Children's section at the Book Fair can be counted on for series heroes, whether you seek the Honey Bunch books (for those readers not up to the pulse-pounding excitements of the Bobbsey Twins) or something as bloodthirsty as the Twilight tales. I, personally, was enthralled by the adventures of Pete, Pam, Ricky, Holly, and Sue: the Happy Hollisters. I yearned for the calm maturity of a twelve year-old as Pete and Pam coped not only with younger siblings but also thieves and spies. (Still waiting for that.) But if your tastes ran more to the Hardy Boys or the Secret Seven, we can generally supply you. Encyclopedia Brown, Judy Bolton, the Dana Girls…the list goes on.
For a long time, it has been proper to dismiss these books for the very things which made them popular, as it says here in Wikipedia, "formulaic plot, continuing characters, and positive conclusions". Adults quickly grow out of such clichés: that's why they watch CSI instead. Keep in mind that if it weren't for the likes of the Boxcar Children and Trixie Belden, there might not be people lining up to read about V.I.Warshawski, or Stephanie Plum, or Alex Cross, or the Book Fair Blog.
(Okay, so maybe people aren't lining up to read about the Book Fair Blog. I put it down to the shortage of Happy Hollisters books for today's youth. Maybe if Pam had been a werecheetah….)


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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Pac-12 Networks opened it football coverage Thursday night with the Utah-Northern Colorado game, with DirecTV subscribers unable to watch because of a distribution stalemate.
The network also televised the Arizona State-Northern Arizona game Thursday night, and has exclusive rights to 15 nonconference games and 20 Pac-12 games this season.
On Wednesday, the Pac-12 Networks issued an open letter to fans recommending they switch to another television provider. "If you're one of the fans who won't be satisfied without Pac-12 football, or our more than 135 men's basketball games and hundreds of other live events, we recommend finding Pac-12 Networks with another television provider," the letter said.
Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott addressed the situation Thursday night.
"The reason the Pac-12 Networks put out that note to fans is there's no signal from DirecTV it's going to happen any time soon," Scott said. "We want to fans to know if they have options, they ought to seriously consider them if they want to get football, basketball and all of the Olympic sports.
"Fans will vote with their pocketbook. If people want it, which I believe they will, and if they're not satisfied with their current service provider, they'll find one that does satisfy them."
The network has reached agreements with major cable companies such as Time Warner, Bright House and Comcast.
"We've got 30 different cable companies that have already signed up — an astounding amount in a short period of time," Scott said. "We've gotten great reactions from people. We know we're offering a fair market-based deal consistent with what the other cable companies have already agreed to and what the satellites do for the Big Ten. At the end of the day, they just got to decide what customers want."


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Powerline Smith Machine
A combination of free weight power and resistance coupled with the safety and control of a machine. Uses four 2" x 2" 12 gauge steel pillars to support and guide the patented Super-Glide carriage during your most vigorous sets. 14 lockout positions and adjustable safeties assure the lifter ultimate safety while striving for greater muscle gains. The bar is standard size 1" dia.
Extra long twin carriages have long-life patented Super-Glide nylon bushings for frictionless movement and performance over 2"square, high polished chrome guide bars.
The ladder-type mainframe features full length, heavy-duty 12 gauge square pillars with 14 crossmember Lock-Out Points providing a solid foundation for the Safety Spotter Catches during the heaviest routines.
Another high-tech feature standard on the PowerLine Smith Machine is the dual-lock Safety Spotter Catch System. It prevents the bar from pinning the user in a max-out situation by simply turning the pivot sleeve only 15°.
Deeply knurled single pivot sleeve with positive glide roll radius was created to transfer lifting movements smoothly to the Safety Spotter Catches. Deemed a sophisticated dual-safety anti-slip lockout system, it operates independently from the main cross bar and simply locks in place with a quick turn of the wrists.
Heavy-duty Adjustable Safeties equip you for the unexpected. Jumbo pop pins are quickly and easily adjusted to help you come to a safer, predetermined stop with greater straight-line stability.
Assembled Dimensions: 80"H x 45"L x 76"W
This item is usually delivered via Common Freight Carrier. Estimated time to ship is 3-5 days.
Please review the Freight shipping terms below.