text:
Man Who Killed 2 Firemen Left Note On Killing Plan
WEBSTER, N.Y. - The ex-con who lured firefighters to their deaths in a blaze of gunfire left a rambling typewritten note saying he wanted to burn down the neighborhood and "do what I like doing best, killing people," police said Tuesday.
Police Chief Gerald Pickering said 62-year-old William Spengler, who served 17 years in prison for the 1980 hammer slaying of his grandmother, armed himself with a revolver, a shotgun and a military-style rifle before he set his house afire to lure first responders into a death trap before dawn on Christmas Eve.
Two firefighters were shot dead and two others are hospitalized in stable condition. Spengler killed himself as seven houses burned around him Monday on a narrow spit of land along Lake Ontario.
One of the guns recovered was a military-style .223-caliber semiautomatic Bushmaster rifle with flash suppression, the same make and caliber weapon used in the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn., Pickering said.
The chief said police believe the firefighters were hit with shots from the rifle given the distance but the investigation was incomplete.
The two- to three-page typewritten note left by Spengler didn't give a motive for the shootings, Pickering said. He declined to divulge the note's full content or say where it was found, but read one line from it: "I still have to get ready to see how much of the neighborhood I can burn down, and do what I like doing best, killing people."
Pickering said authorities were still looking for Spengler's 67-year-old sister, Cheryl Spengler, who lived in the house with him. Their mother, Arline, also lived there until she died in October.
About 100 people attended an impromptu memorial vigil Monday evening in Webster, a suburb of Rochester. Dozens of bouquets were left at the fire station, along with a handwritten sign that said, "Thanks for protecting us. RIP."
Spengler fired at the four firefighters when they arrived shortly after 5:30 a.m. Monday to put out the fire, Pickering said. The first police officer who arrived chased the gunman and exchanged shots.
Authorities said Spengler hadn't done anything to bring himself to their attention since his parole. As a convicted felon, he wasn't allowed to possess weapons. Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley said Spengler led a very quiet life after he got out of prison.
A friend said Spengler hated his sister. Roger Vercruysse lived next door to Spengler and recalled a man who doted on his mother, whose obituary suggested contributions to the West Webster Fire Department.
"He loved his mama to death," said Vercruysse, who last saw his friend about six months ago.
Vercruysse also said Spengler "couldn't stand his sister" and "stayed on one side of the house and she stayed on the other."
The West Webster Fire District learned of the fire after a report of a car and house on fire on Lake Road, on a narrow peninsula where Irondequoit Bay meets Lake Ontario, Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O'Flynn said.
Emergency radio communications capture someone saying he "could see the muzzle flash coming at me" as Spengler carried out his ambush. The audio posted on the website RadioReference.com has someone reporting "firefighters are down" and saying "got to be rifle or shotgun - high powered ... semi or fully auto."
Two of the firefighters arrived on a fire engine and two in their own vehicles, Pickering said. After Spengler fired, one of the wounded men fled, but the other three couldn't because of flying gunfire.
The police officer who exchanged gunfire with Spengler "in all likelihood saved many lives," Pickering said.
A police armored vehicle was used to recover two men, and eventually it removed 33 people from nearby homes, the police chief said. The gunfire initially kept firefighters from battling the blazes.
The dead men were identified as police Lt. Michael Chiapperini, 43, the Webster Police Department's public information officer; and 19-year-old Tomasz Kaczowka, also a 911 dispatcher.
Pickering described Chiapperini as a "lifetime firefighter" with nearly 20 years in the department, and he called Kaczowka a "tremendous young man."
Kaczowka's brother, reached at the family home Monday night, said he didn't want to talk.
The two wounded firefighters, Joseph Hofstetter and Theodore Scardino, were in stable condition Tuesday at Strong Memorial Hospital, the chief said. Both were awake and alert and are expected to recover.
Hofstetter, also a full-timer with the Rochester Fire Department, was hit once in the pelvis, and the bullet lodged in his spine, authorities said. Scardino was hit in the chest and knee.
Cathy Bartlett was at a vigil Monday night with her teenage son, who was good friends with Kaczowka. Bartlett's husband, Mark Bartlett, has been a firefighter there for 25 years but missed the call this morning.
"Thank God my husband slept through the first alarm and didn't get up until the second one went off," she said.
The shooting and fires were in a neighborhood of seasonal and year-round homes set close together across the road from the lakeshore. The area is popular with recreational boaters but is normally quiet this time of year.
"We have very few calls for service in that location," Pickering said. "Webster is a tremendous community. We are a safe community, and to have a tragedy befall us like this is just horrendous."
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the State Police and Office of Emergency Management were working with local authorities.
"Volunteer firefighters and police officers were injured and two were taken from us as they once again answered the call of duty," Cuomo said in a statement. "We as the community of New York mourn their loss as now two more families must spend the holidays without their loved ones."
Webster, a middle-class suburb, now is the scene of violence linked to house fires for two Decembers in a row.
Last Dec. 7, authorities say, a 15-year-old boy doused his home with gasoline and set it ablaze, killing his father and two brothers, 16 and 12. His mother and 13-year-old sister escaped with injuries. He is being prosecuted as an adult.
This program aired on December 25, 2012. The audio for this program is not available.


text:
If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced features available, you will need to register first. Registration is absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!
Francis Takahashi was born in 1943, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Francis began his Aikido journey in 1953, simultaneously with the introduction of Aikido to Hawaii by Koichi Tohei, a representative sent from Aikikai Foundation in Tokyo, Japan. This event was sponsored by the Hawaii Nishi System of Health Engineering, with Noriyasu Kagesa as president. Mr. Kagesa was Francis's grandfather, and was a life long supporter of Mr. Tohei, and of Aikido. In 1961, the Founder visited Hawaii to help commemorate the opening of the new dojo in Honolulu. This was the first, and only time Francis had the opportunity to train with the Founder. In 1963, Francis was inducted into the U.S. Army, and was stationed for two years in Chicago, Illinois. He was the second instructor for the fledgling Chicago Aikido Club, succeeding his childhood friend, Chester Sasaki, who had graduated from the University of Illinois, and was entering the Air Force. Francis is currently ranked 7th dan Aikikai, and enjoys a direct affiliation with Aikikai Foundation for the recommending and granting of dan ranks via his organization, Aikikai Associates West Coast. Francis is the current dojo-cho of Aikido Academy in Alhambra, California.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Old Fashioned Double Chocolate Pudding
I had the good fortune to be raised in the company of wonderful cooks. My mother, bright and beautiful, was a woman of many talents, but cooking wasn't one of them. She had ten recipes in her rotation and never met a dessert, save for her lemon pie, that didn't come from a box. Fortunately, Jello puddings became available in 1936 so we did have dessert at our table, but imagination, taste and skill were learned in other kitchens. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for the visits of my paternal grandmother, Maude, I'd probably still think pudding came from a box. Maude had raised a large, boisterous family, and while she lived with her only daughter she spent most of the year visiting the homes of her "boys." She called it taking turns. When she stayed with us, dessert was her responsibility and this pudding is based on one she taught my sister and I how to make. It really is quite lovely and vastly improved by the wonderful chocolates that are available to us now. I make the pudding with whole milk and really good chocolate. While not as smooth as a mousse, or as intensely chocolate as a pot de creme, this is, nonetheless, delicious. It's easy to do and a perfect family dessert. Here is Grandma Maude's recipe for old-fashioned double chocolate pudding.
Old Fashioned Double Chocolate Pudding...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
2 (1-oz.) squares, unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk, divided
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoon Dutch process cocoa powder
2 tablespoons unsalted cold butter, cut in small pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1) Grate chocolate squares into top of double boiler that's been placed over simmering water. Add sugar, salt and 1-2/3 cups milk. Heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts and mixture is well-blended.
2) Sift cornstarch and cocoa powder together onto a sheet of waxed paper. Add to reserved 1/3 cup milk; stir until well combined.
3) Add cocoa mixture to chocolate in double boiler. Continue to cook, stirring gently, until pudding thickens and almost mounds, about 8 minutes. Cover pan; cook without stirring for 10 minutes. Remove top of double boiler from water. Gently stir in butter. Cool for about 10 minutes before adding vanilla; stir well. Pour into dessert dishes. Cover tops with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely before refrigerating. Chill for several hours before serving. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
27 comments :
- My Little Space said...
Another fantastic dessert! The texture looks more like a mousse pudding to me though. I bet it taste wonderful. I would love to have some of these. Thank you.
- October 18, 2009 at 1:03 AM
- Coleens Recipes said...
Simple chocolate pudding has to be one of my all time favorite sweets. Your photo is beautiful!!
- October 18, 2009 at 2:26 AM
- AK said...
Hi! Your blog is wonderful, you have given me so many great ideas for Halloween!! Love from AK;)
- October 18, 2009 at 2:46 AM
When I read the title I kept thinking I hope I have all the ingredients today -yes I do! Such a good Sunday dessert for us today. Thanks.
vickie - October 18, 2009 at 5:31 AM
- Katy ~ said...
For a looong time I have been looking for a good chocolate pudding. I think this is it! Thank you so very much!
- October 18, 2009 at 7:20 AM
- Candy said...
Love that copy and paste button. This ones going in the book.
Thanks Grandma Maude!
Sunday Blessings from Texas ;-) - October 18, 2009 at 8:06 AM
- Martha said...
Our puddings always came out of a box, too. Thanks for both story and recipe -- I will have to try this sometime!
- October 18, 2009 at 9:05 AM
- Marti said...
The story was great. The recipe reminds me of a dessert that I ate in a very chi-chi Washington DC restaurant with a friend: Pudding in a cloud. It was a spot of double-chocolate pudding surrounded by a mascarpone whipped cream "cloud."
I really like the idea of "one perfect bite" (as opposed to hugely over-eating) and you seem to be full of ideas for that bite.
Thanks much! Be back soon! - October 18, 2009 at 9:38 AM
- bj said...
O, my...this does sound delicious.
I love it when people have a grandmother recipe. I didn't have a grandmother and ...I still miss one...even tho I am a great-grandmother myself. Silly, hu?
I am going to give this delightful pudding a try!!
Have a beautiful Sunday, Mary girl.
xo bj - October 18, 2009 at 9:40 AM
- Nancy said...
I've been reading through recipes, catching up since I only have time to stop by once a week. Once again, was looking for this one. Will give it a try. But, first I have to make the apple streusel pie.
Still visiting around Pink Saturday posts and wishing you a wonderful week. - October 18, 2009 at 10:02 AM
- SnoWhite said...
Looks delicious. Thanks!
- October 18, 2009 at 10:36 AM
- nooschi said...
I love a simple chocolate pudding. This one looks great.
- October 18, 2009 at 11:28 AM
- Mary Bergfeld said...
Nooschi, welcome to One Perfect Bite. I hope you'll join us on a regular basis. We'll save a chair for you.
- October 18, 2009 at 11:39 AM
- Inspired by eRecipeCards said...
Excellent post. I love the idea of shared family recipes. And of course, this sounds extra rich and beautiful to have
- October 18, 2009 at 12:23 PM
- George Gaston said...
Mary, this looks like the perfect dessert ~ made with quality ingredients and the handed down love of a great cook. What could be better! Thanks...
- October 18, 2009 at 12:41 PM
- Dogmom Diva said...
Mary, that desert looks divine and very chocoltely!
thank you for visiting my blog yesterday, I am meeting the BEST ladies this way..have a great day! - October 18, 2009 at 12:44 PM
- Farmer Jo said...
YUM, YUM, YUM! I know what I am making for dessert tonight!
- October 18, 2009 at 12:48 PM
- Heather S-G said...
This is one of those simple, yet stunning desserts!! Looks decadent :D
- October 18, 2009 at 12:52 PM
that looks just too good:) have a fab week
- October 18, 2009 at 5:22 PM
- Lori said...
I have to laugh because tonite I made the kids mousse from a box (bow head in shame). UGH! It was horrible. They did not even eat it. Then I see your amazing pudding. What the "hay" was I thinking? This pudding should have been in there bowls.
- October 18, 2009 at 8:13 PM
- theUngourmet said...
Oh I just love homemade chocolate pudding! The pudding from the store is so full of junk and doesn't taste nearly as good. Very nice looking recipe!
- October 18, 2009 at 9:59 PM
- Sue said...
Hi Mary,
You have just given one of my favorite desserts, I just love homemade chocolate pudding, and am always looking for new recipes. I also enjoyed reading your story. Thank you for sharing.
Sue - October 18, 2009 at 11:16 PM
- free online adventure games said...
I love the way you make such recipes short and sweet! It's hard for me to get ingredients that most other recipes of this dessert call for, out in the neighbourhood where I live, so it's nice to see a simple recipe like this.
- October 19, 2009 at 4:30 AM
It's funny. I tried to make this today, and it never came together, even after like..an hour. Was a delicious chocolate sauce though!
- October 20, 2009 at 10:59 PM
- Mary Bergfeld said...
Heather, while I haven't had a problem with this recipe, cornstarch will sometimes break down if it is stirred too vigorously.
- October 20, 2009 at 11:48 PM
Wow Mary! One of my favorite foods! Love the rich chocolate colour here :)
- April 23, 2011 at 5:57 PM
- Unknown said...
I can't wait to try this!
Enjoyed reading your blog; attempting a blog of my own and still in the works but hope to do as good a job as yours!
- January 11, 2014 at 8:46 PM


text:
Jean Shin: MAiZE
A Collaboration with the Figge Art Museum and the Quad City Community
It is easy to see why cornfields represent the Iowa landscape. During summer commutes on Interstate 80, one can see rows of the plant stretch to the horizon and fill the scenery. The landscape, as well as the community's ties to agriculture, inspired Jean Shin to create MAiZE. On June 24, thousands of repurposed green plastic bottles crafted into "cornstalk" sculptures by volunteers will form an elaborate maze on the Figge Art Museum's third floor. In addition to demonstrating the power of artmaking and community collaboration, the installation will engage visitors in a dialogue about plastic waste, food choices and environmental stewardship.
The majority of plastic in this country is not recycled but instead ends up in landfills, the Mississippi River, the oceans and other natural areas. The sheer mass of plastic in the installation will encourage visitors to consider plastic waste and its detrimental effects on the environment. The empty bottles, once filled with soda, will illustrate the issues of overconsumption and the harmful effects of processed foods like corn syrup. Expanding on these concepts, MAiZE will reflect broadly on social and environmental issues that arise from mass consumption and the convenience culture.
Jean Shin is nationally recognized for her installations that transform everyday objects into elegant expressions of identity and community. Her work has been widely exhibited in major national and international museums, including solo exhibitions at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art in Arizona (2010), Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. (2009), the Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia (2006) and the Museum of Modern Art in New York (2004). Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in the United States, Shin attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 1999 and received a BFA and MS from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. She lives and works in New York City.
To take part in MAiZE, contact Vanessa Brown, curatorial assistant, at firstname.lastname@example.com or 563.345.6636.
MAiZE will be on view June 24-September 24, 2017
Sponsored by
Companion Events
THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 16, 30, April 13, 20
4-6 pm Drop-in Community Workshops
Earth Day
5:30 pm Opening Reception
7 pm Artist Talk: Jean Shin
5:30 p.m. Social Hour
7 pm Scholar Talk: Dr. Pamela White


text:
Is the tea party getting its groove back? Shouts of vindication from around the country suggest the movement's leaders certainly think so.
They say the IRS acknowledgement that it had targeted their groups for extra scrutiny — a claim that tea party activists had made for years — is helping pump new energy into the coalition. And they are trying to use that development, along with the ongoing controversy over the Benghazi, Libya, terrorist attacks and the Justice Department's secret seizure of journalists' phone records, to recruit new activists incensed about government overreach.
"This is the defining moment to say 'I told you so,' " said Katrina Pierson, a Dallas-based tea party leader, who traveled to Washington last week as the three political headaches for President Barack Obama unfolded.
Luke Rogonjich, a tea party leader in Phoenix, called the trio of controversies a powerful confluence that bolsters the GOP's case against big government. "Suddenly, there are a lot of things pressing on the dam," said Rogonjich.
It's unclear whether a movement made up of disparate grassroots groups with no central body can take advantage of the moment and leverage it to grow stronger after a sub-par showing in last fall's election had called into question the movement's lasting impact. Republicans and Democrats alike say the tea party runs the risk of going too far in its criticism, which could once again open the door to Democratic efforts to paint it as an extreme arm of the GOP.
"Never underestimate the tea party's ability to overplay its hand," said Democratic strategist Mo Elleithee. "Just because there is universal agreement that the IRS went too far, that should not be misread as acceptance of the tea party's ideology of anger."
At the very least, furor over the IRS devoting special attention to tea party groups claiming tax-exempt status is giving the tea party more visibility than it has had in months, and it's providing a new rallying cry for tea party organizers starting to plot how to influence the 2014 congressional elections. The law allows tax-exempt organizations to lobby and dabble in politics as long as their primary purpose is social welfare.
The tax-agency scandal — it has led to the acting IRS commissioner's ouster, a criminal investigation and Capitol Hill hearings — seems to validate the tea party's long-held belief among supporters that government was trampling on them specifically, a claim dismissed by ousted commissioner Steven T. Miller. He has called the targeting "a mistake and not an act of partisanship."
Nevertheless, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., elected in 2010 with tea party backing, said the IRS scandal "confirms many of the feelings that led to the tea party movement in the first place."
"What's happened here is a reminder of, this is what happens when you expand government," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. "That and the disaster that is Obamacare is going to be a real catalyst in 2014 and beyond."
Tea party activists hope they also can drive support ahead of the elections by stoking widespread suspicions that the Obama administration and State Department are hiding key details about the September 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. The seizure of Associated Press phone records also plays into their argument that government is too intrusive.
Tea party activists have tried to take advantage of the issues that have put some of their central tenets — limited government and civil liberties — in the spotlight.
From around the country last week, they headed Washington to hold a news conference on the Capitol steps and meet with members of Congress. Those who stayed home jammed House and Senate phone lines with calls urging congressional action as the IRS saga unfolded. An email from Teaparty.org that was sent to activists proclaimed: "We've worked so hard these past few years and it's paying off! We're witnessing the unraveling of a presidency at an unprecedented rate."
Freedomworks, a national tea party group, spent the week circulating petitions for congressional hearings and encouraging leaders of local groups who believe they have been targeted by the IRS to include their story on a national database to build the case against the agency.
"Perhaps all this attention will break something loose," said Jim Chiodo, an activist from Holland, Mich.
It wasn't long ago that the tea party was the hot new political kid on the block, bursting onto the national scene during the contentious summer debate over health care in 2009. Over the next few years, the loosely affiliated conservatives and civil libertarians would leave their mark on the 2010 elections by helping Republican candidates win Senate races in Florida, Kentucky, Utah and Wisconsin and scores of House races.
Those victories resulted in House and Senate Republican caucuses getting pushed to the right in legislative battles, making life difficult for Obama and his Democrats in an era of divided government.
But the movement's success was muted in 2012 when Republicans nominated the establishment-backed Mitt Romney for president, though he did little to inspire the tea party. He lost, and so did many tea party-backed House and Senate candidates.
Now, tea party activists say they are emboldened and won't be afraid to recruit candidates to run in Republican primaries against incumbents who appear to go easy on the Obama administration, particularly in light of the IRS scandal.
"It's one of those issues we should just raise hell about," said Nashville Tea Party leader Ben Cunningham.
Some say they're now even more suspicious of government than before.
"I personally feel so vindicated," said Mark Falzon, a New Jersey tea party leader. But he added: "What's scaring me now is what's going on below the water line that we're not seeing."
Republicans say that the tea party will have an opportunity come 2014 to make its mark again, particularly with Obama not at the top of the ticket. Also, they say that with Obama's health care law going into effect and with the slew of latest controversies, they now have concrete issues to point to when arguing against government overreach.
"Suddenly, this is a very real demonstration of too much power ceded to government bureaucrats," said Matt Kibbe, president of Freedomworks. "This is no longer theoretical."
Associated Press writers Steve Peoples in Boston and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.
Follow Thomas Beaumont on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Tom_Beaumont
Copyright © 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2013 Capitol Hill Blue


text:
This Is the Manicure You Should Get, Based on Your Astrological Sign
6 Foods That Ease Chronic PainHave a sore back, stiff neck, or deal with chronic pain issues? Make sure your diet includes these foods |
Older comments
yumm i love pineapple and cherries!
by 92jess11 Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 11:16PM Report as inappropriate
Coconut water is very overrated. It is loaded with sugar (in packaged form), and is no cure-all for dehydration. This is because your hydration levels are a balance of water, salt, and sugar levels that all need to be equal levels. Long science short, stick to regular water and eat some fruit.
by hiddenexpose Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 01:26PM Report as inappropriate
Thanks. My mother has arthritis pain and actually loves a lot of these foods. I'll be happy to share this article.
by Helmi Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at 07:05PM Report as inappropriate
I knew about cherries (and dark berries), but pineapple and coconut water? These are amazing!
by GigiSD Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at 10:25AM Report as inappropriate
I'm grateful for these tips I've got to try them to see if they work. If so it'd sure help me a lot.
by Chica181 Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 12:23PM Report as inappropriate
Pineapple is great, bromelain in pineapple is a natural anti-inlammatory!
by April_the_Esti Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 02:29PM Report as inappropriate
Definitely going to try coconut water now!
by Chris213 Saturday, October 13, 2012 at 08:18PM Report as inappropriate
I have Fibromyalgia and I can tell you that the only thing that does work is Zico Coconut Water (the dark chocolate one is AMAZING and makes you feel better quickly if you're suffering from heat exhaustion, among other things.). If you have migraines, grab one within an hour or so of the pain hitting you. Ginger only ever helps me with nausea, there are times I live on ginger ale, gingersnaps, and ginger tea. I've been eating cherries even when they're not in season locally for years and they don't work. It would be great to find a cherry supplement to see if maybe that helps. I eat a ton of fruit, none of it seems to make a difference.
by MissPoison Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at 07:09AM Report as inappropriate


text:
Boy Scouts To Decide Whether To Admit Gay Youth
The Boy Scouts of America votes in Texas this week on whether to change its century old membership policy. The proposal is to open up the scouts to allow gay youth to join and continue to ban on adults who are gay. About 1,400 voting members will decide.
This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning. I'm David Greene.
And I'm Linda Wertheimer.
This week, Boy Scouts of America officials will meet in Texas to consider changing the group's longstanding ban on gay members. The first round of voting starts tomorrow. A new membership policy would allow gay youth, but continue to ban adult leaders who are gay.
NPR's Kathy Lohr reports.
KATHY LOHR, BYLINE: The century-old organization is at a crossroads as 1,400 voting members decide its future.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: On my honor, I will do my best. to do my duty to God and my country...
LOHR: In Alpharetta, Ga., a meeting starts with scouts reciting the oath as they stand at attention. Troop 629 in the Atlanta Area Council is holding patrol leader elections. The boys run the meetings themselves, with assistance from Scoutmaster Fran Gillis.
FRAN GILLIS: Ask yourself a few questions before you vote. Is this person the one I want leading me on my activities, to make sure we have a good time? Is he not only going to give me a fun time, but is it going to be in the scouting way?
LOHR: This vote was quick and easy. but debate over the upcoming Texas vote is intense. The resolution being considered says no youth may be denied membership on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone. The new policy would allow gay members but would ban anyone who is gay from becoming a leader after age 18.
KATHLEEN NARAYANAN: Quite frankly, I think the Boy scouts are a little bit behind the times.
LOHR: Kathleen Narayanan is the advancement chair for Troop 629. One of her sons is an eagle scout and the other is senior patrol leader.
NARAYANAN: Well, most people don't really care if someone is a gay man or a lesbian female. You know, you judge somebody based on the person, not on their sexuality.
LOHR: The most recent debate over the policy began in January. One idea was to allow local troops to decide whether to allow gay members. Some conservative organizations objected. So the Boy Scouts conducted a survey and came up with the latest proposal, which would allow openly gay youth to participate. For the past couple of months, groups have been lobbying, protesting and threatening to leave the group if the proposal passes.
But Paul Guequierre with the Human Rights Campaign says it doesn't go far enough.
PAUL GUEQUIERRE: There is no reason for discrimination to be a part of Boy Scouts of America. And I think more and more people are seeing that now and are ready for the Boy Scouts to change their policy, not just for scouts but also for adults.
LOHR: But some religious and conservative groups, including the Family Research Council, say lifting the ban would, quote, "dramatically alter the culture and moral landscape of America." Texas Governor Rick Perry spoke at a Web event sponsored by the Council earlier this month, saying the group should not cave into pressure from gay rights activists.
GOV. RICK PERRY: And for pop culture to come in and try to tear that up because it just happens to be the, you know, the flavor of the month so to speak, and to tear apart one of the great organizations that have served millions of young men, that is just not appropriate.
LOHR: About 70 percent of troops are chartered by faith-based groups. The Mormon Church says it's OK with allowing gay scouts and is satisfied the group has made a good faith effort to address the issue.
On the other hand a spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention, Roger Oldham, says the change contradicts the churches' values.
ROGER OLDHAM: Why would Mom and Dad voluntarily choose to expose their children to an organization that no longer shares their values?
LOHR: Last week, a group known as OnMyHonor.net organized rallies across the country. About 40 people showed up outside the Boy Scout headquarters in Atlanta to urge members not to vote for the change. Lauri Weatherly has two sons in scouting and she says allowing gay members would be a mistake.
LAURI WEATHERLY: That doesn't go along with the mission statement that Boy Scouts of America has in place. It goes against the scout oath and it goes against the scout law.
LOHR: But assistant scoutmaster for Troop 629, Jason Sutton, says that's not true. Military and workplace policies have changed he says and scouting should too.
JASON SUTTON: And so, I think this is as a first step of getting to where society is, and society's tolerance.
LOHR: The divide over the proposal continues. Area councils across the country have come down on both sides. As the vote nears, neither side is backing down.
Kathy Lohr, NPR News.
Copyright © 2013 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.


text:
Dillon Tracy
Mathematica is an efficient tool for analyzing and presenting data. This Wolfram Virtual Conference Spring 2013 talk covers aspects of Mathematica relevant to analytics, including statistical computation, interactive visualization, data import and export, automatic report generation, and much more.
Was this video helpful?
Thanks! Any comments?
Thanks for your feedback.


text:
My research this week has been confined to industry folks, so excuse me if I offend anyone with a little of my "inside baseball" analysis. The wind-up is many folks just aren't finding relevant information on wine blogs these days.
Common complaints are:
- Lousy tasting notes that tell one nothing about the wine or where to get it.
- Endless laments over what natural wine is with ensuing arguments, often resulting in acrimonious displays of anger and bias. Like one friend said, "It's just wine. folks." But for that soul, it was a turn-off, and they turned it off.
- One person I spent a little time with me gave me a list of words they noted are suffering from Heavily Overused Syndrome - heavily charged words to get hits or to just spark controversy – "words like awesome, the best, psyched,over-the-top, unbelievable and super. And seeing way too many people use the word curate."
- Information that really doesn't have anything to do with wine. Over and over, people told me blogs they used to read for wine information/inspiration have transitioned into diaries about what they ate, who they ate it with, who they ran into at the Oyster Bar @ Grand Central Station, what an awesome life they are living. And the list goes on.
I am recently (and often) guilty of straying off the wine trail, so it was a wake-up call to me.
The one thread that many folks told me that kept them looking at one or two wine blogs is their search for the story. People of all ages still love a good story. Don't we all?
Has wine blogging become the Pilates of the world of words? Are we navel gazing so far into our little world that we can barely see the sun setting in the near distance?
New York is often at the spearhead of a trend. We shall see, shan't we?
Good reference as I head back into wine country tomorrow, with stops in Piemonte, Friuli and the Veneto. I hope to send back some interesting stories from the front lines on the wine trail in Italy.
What are your thoughts? Are you feeling the same Wine Blog Fatigue as my New York friends? Are you over it? Is it time to transition to the next phase, whatever that is? Or has the train already left the station?
written by Alfonso Cevola limited rights reserved On the Wine Trail in Italy
wine blog + Italian wine blog + Italy W


text:
Experience fashion at its finest with Nykaa Fashion's women's tube bra collection. Elevate your style game with our stunning range of elegant and trendy pieces. Discover fashion-forward designs and impeccable craftsmanship that will make you stand out. We offer a diverse selection to suit your unique taste. Explore our curated collection of outfits that effortlessly transition daily to night, ensuring you always look chic and on-trend. Embrace the allure of our exclusive women's tube bra collection and make a lasting impression wherever you go. Nykaa Fashion brings you comfort, style, and sophistication in every piece.
Discover a world of fashion possibilities with Nykaa Fashion's collection of women's tube bras. We offer a wide range of options to suit your style:
Explore our curated selection of outfits that cater to every occasion and embrace your unique fashion sense. Step into a world of fashion and find the perfect pieces to express your individuality. Nykaa Fashion is your destination for the latest trends and timeless classics in women's tube bra.
Elevate your style with Nykaa Fashion's women's tube bra collection, where every piece embodies key features that set it apart. Experience impeccable craftsmanship, attention to detail, and quality materials that ensure durability and comfort. From intricate embellishments to flattering silhouettes, our collection is designed to enhance your natural beauty. Whether it's the perfect fit, versatile designs, or on-trend patterns, each garment is carefully curated to cater to your fashion needs. Discover the key features that make our women's tube bra collection exceptional and embrace a wardrobe that reflects your personal style and confidence. Nykaa Fashion brings you the essence of style and sophistication in every piece.
At Nykaa Fashion, we understand the importance of finding the perfect fit. Our size guide for women's tube bras is here to help you make the right choice. Whether you're a woman, we provide detailed measurements and fit recommendations to ensure you find the ideal size. From bust and waist measurements to hip and length guidelines, our size guide offers comprehensive information to help you make an informed decision. We believe that confidence comes from wearing clothes that fit you perfectly, so dive into our size guide and find the ideal fit for your women's tube bra. Nykaa Fashion is your go-to destination for fashionable women's apparel that celebrates your unique style and body shape.
Your bra deserves the utmost care, and at Nykaa Fashion, we provide detailed care instructions to help you preserve its beauty. Our comprehensive guidelines cover everything from washing and drying techniques to ironing and storage tips. We understand that each garment is unique, and our care instructions are tailored to the specific needs of different fabrics and styles. By following our expert advice, you can ensure that your tube bra stays vibrant, retains its shape, and lasts longer. Embrace the art of garment care and extend the lifespan of your cherished women's apparel with Nykaa Fashion's care instructions. Let your style shine through with well-maintained and effortlessly stylish clothing.
Unlock your fashion potential with Nykaa Fashion's styling tips for women's tube bras based on various occasions. Our curated section offers valuable insights and creative ideas to help you create the perfect ensemble. From pairing accessories to experimenting with different silhouettes, our styling tips will elevate your look and make a statement. Explore the endless possibilities and dive deeper into each occasion for expert guidance on how to rock your bikini. Nykaa Fashion empowers you to express your unique style and unleash your fashion creativity.
Nykaa Fashion is the one-stop shop for all your fashion needs. Here, you will find a wide range of stylish and trendy women's tube bras.
Clovia, Triumph, & Zivame are some of the best brands for women's tube bras.
Polymide, nylon, and lace are some of the most preferred fabric types.
Pair your tube bra with leggings and minimal accessories to elevate your look.


text:
Last year during the holiday season I came across the sweet potato casserole which I really enjoyed. A sweet potato casserole is essentially mashed sweet potatoes baked with a pecan and brown sugar streusel topping. I find that pumpkin and sweet potatoes can often be interchanged in recipes and since I enjoy both I was thinking that a pumpkin casserole would also be great. Normally the sweet potato is sweetened with sugar but I decided to use maple syrup to add a bit of extra flavour. This casserole is pretty easy to make, you pretty much just mix the wet ingredients and place them in your casserole dish and sprinkle on the streusel topping and bake. The pumpkin casserole turned out to be just as good as the sweet potato casserole, which is to say that it was great! It was nice and warm and creamy and sweet and the pumpkin flavour worked perfectly. I am certainly looking forward to making this again.
Pumpkin Casserole
- 4 cups pumpkin puree
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pecans (chopped)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons butter (softened)
- Mix the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, milk, egg, vanilla and salt and mash.
- Mix the brown sugar, pecans, flour and butter.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into an 8×8 inch baking dish (or dishes) and top with the pecan mixture.
- Bake in a preheated 350F/180C until golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.


text:
Each set has:
- Set paints belonging to the individual picture
- Paintbrushes of different sizes
- Control sheet (checklist).
How does Omaart paintings by numbers works:
1. What is control sheet? The image on the checklist is the same as on the Canvas it is made to make it easy to check already painted areas and modify them if it would be necessary, so do not throw it out until the picture is done.
2. Our advice of is to use as less water as it possible. We recommend rising the paintbrush and wipe it, then you can dip the brush into paint you need it. Do not hesitate, there is more than enough paints to finish the picture.
3. It will takes approximately one month to see the result. Though its depend how much time you are going to spend on drawing the picture.
4. Main point! Paints are getting dry while you are drawing; therefore close each paint in the set after use. Please cover the pigment´s cup when the pigment are not being used, to avoid it become dry.
5. Our advice is to start the job from brighter and darker shades, finishing with light tones. Do not be lazy to paint light shades several times to completely cover the numbers.
6. Usually dark areas without number are painted with a paint, which in the complete set is designated by a white circle.
7. The picture after completion can be varnished and framed after two weeks.


text:
If it just sounded like this, might not be all that bad.
SIMON: That's a grasshopper, and this is the sound of what happens when grasshoppers go biblical, and become a swarm of locusts.
SIMON: Just such a swarm of locusts have entered Israel's Negeve desert on Friday and that's bad news for farmers because the insects eat everything that's green.
Farmers in Israel have been on the watch all week for swarms that are migrating over from Africa. Of course, this threat comes just a couple of weeks before Passover, which celebrates the liberation of the Jews from bondage, thanks in part to swarms of locusts. We're joined now from Jerusalem by NPR's Larry Abramson. Larry, thanks so much for being with us.
LARRY ABRAMSON, BYLINE: Hi there, Scott.
SIMON: I've never asked this question before. What's the locust forecast, my friend?
ABRAMSON: Well, to be honest, officials were very worried earlier this week. There were swarms coming from Africa, over the Sinai Peninsula toward Israel and the Gaza Strip. And it's a little bit like the snowstorm that didn't hit Washington, D.C. this week. You try to warn people so they'll prepare for the worst and maybe the damage won't be as bad as if you hadn't raised the alarm.
The interesting thing, Scott, is that these insects actually become more aggressive when they swarm. They go through a kind of metamorphosis when they bang into each other, and so if you can spray them before they get into giant swarms, you can make them a little bit less awful.
SIMON: Larry, I mean, that's classic mob psychology, isn't it? They have the audacity and aggressiveness in a mob that they lack individually.
ABRAMSON: Yeah, I guess nature here has taken a lesson from the mob, Scott.
SIMON: Is there anything conceivably good about a swarm of locusts?
ABRAMSON: Well, Scott, they are delicious, or so I'm told.
SIMON: Oh.
ABRAMSON: One local chef in particular who serves food that's believe to have been eaten in biblical times has been cooking these little guys up and touting them as a delicacy. And that has prompted here in Jerusalem the musical question: is a locust kosher. And the answer - do you know the answer?
SIMON: Let me think about - well, it's not shellfish. I don't believe they have cloven hooves, so I'm going to guess that a locust is kosher.
ABRAMSON: It is kosher, apparently is. Now, there's some dispute because Ashkenazi Jews from Europe don't have a big history of eating locusts, but one locust expert told me that they must have been kosher because kosher laws made sense. They had some logic to them. And the ancients must have known that when locusts come to town, there's nothing left to eat but locusts.
SIMON: Oh. And here's Larry Abramson in Jerusalem. Thanks so much.
ABRAMSON: Thank you, Scott.
SIMON: This is NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text:
Commercial Annuities
A Smart Gift to Leave to Murray State University
Like retirement plan assets, commercial annuities provide for tax-deferred growth while the owner is living. Because distributions from commercial annuities are subject to income taxes, they are often considered among the best assets to leave to charity. Due to our tax-exempt status, Murray State University can receive your commercial annuity completely tax-free. The best way to give a commercial annuity in support of our work after your lifetime is to name us as beneficiary.
Making this gift is as simple as updating your beneficiary form with your bank or insurance company. You can designate us as the primary beneficiary for a percentage or specific amount. You can also make us the contingent beneficiary so that we will receive the balance of your policy only if your primary beneficiary doesn't survive you.
Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.


text:
No. 15 seed reaches Sweet 16
The Associated Press
| Monday, March 25, 2013, 10:05 a.m.
PHILADELPHIA — Florida Gulf Coast went from shocking the college basketball world to downright impressing it. And the Eagles were smiling the whole time.
Playing loose and easy, FCGU beat San Diego State 81-71 on Sunday to become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.
The next opponent for the upstart school will be the state's flagship university, third-seeded Florida, on Friday night in the regional semifinal in Dallas.
Bernard Thompson had 23 points and Sherwood Brown added 17 for FGCU, the 16-year-old school in just its second season being eligible for postseason play.
In its first-ever NCAA tournament game on Friday, the Atlantic Sun champion busted brackets everywhere with an upset win over No. 2 Georgetown, a game the Eagles took control of with a 21-2 run in the second half.
It went much the same way against San Diego State (23-11).
Jamal Franklin had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the seventh-seeded Aztecs.
AUSTIN, Texas — Mike Rosario scored 25 points, and Florida used an overpowering first half to roll past Minnesota and into the NCAA tournament round of 16 for the third consecutive year.
The No. 3 seed Gators (28-7) shot a blistering 65 percent in the first half and led by 21 by halftime. The win earns Florida a return trip to the Lone Star State to play their next game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.
Andre Hollins scored 25 points to lead the No. 11-seed Gophers (21-13). Hollins' 3-point shooting sparked a second-half rally that pulled Minnesota within seven points, but Rosario's sixth 3-pointer with 3 minutes left pushed the Gators' lead back to 16 and effectively locked up the win.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas got the best of 'ol Roy and his Tar Heels once again.
Behind the impassioned play of Travis Releford and Jeff Withey, the top-seeded Jayhawks shook themselves out of a first-half slumber and blitzed No. 8 seed North Carolina down the stretch.
Withey had 16 points and 16 rebounds, and Releford finished with 22 points for the Jayhawks (31-5), who also knocked former coach Roy Williams' team out of the NCAA tournament during their 2008 title run and again last season, when Kansas marched all the way to the Final Four.
It'll keep marching this year — at least to the Sweet 16 — thanks to a superb second half. The Jayhawks play Michigan in Arlington on Friday.
P.J. Hairston scored 15 points and James Michael McAdoo finished with 11 for the Tar Heels (25-11
DAYTON, Ohio — Aaron Craft made a last-second, tie-breaking 3, and Ohio State remained the lone high seed left in the NCAA tournament's most-busted bracket.
Ohio State (28-7) needed Craft's only 3-pointer of the game — an arching shot over 6-foot-7 defender Georges Niang from the top of the key — to avoid yet another upset in the oh-so-wild West Regional. Four of the top five seeds fell fast and hard in the first weekend.
Craft left the Buckeyes in position to fritter away a late lead with some missed free throws, then saved them in the final second.
Craft also drew a charge on Iowa State's Will Clyburn near the basket with 1:41 on a play that could have put the Cyclones up by three. It was a close call. Replays showed Craft's right heel was at the semicircle restricting the area where players can take a charge.
Ohio State's 10th straight win sent the Buckeyes into the round of 16 for the fourth straight year, a school record. They'll play sixth-seeded Arizona on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Tenth-seeded Iowa State (23-12) overcame a late 13-point deficit by hitting 3s — the Cyclones' specialty.
Deshaun Thomas led Ohio State with 22 points, and Craft had 18. LaQuinton Ross scored 10 straight for the Buckeyes as they built that second-half lead.
Korie Lucious led Iowa State with 19 points.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tyrone Garland banked home a scooping layup with 2 seconds left, and 13th-seeded La Salle is at it deepest spot in the NCAA tournament since it played for the championship in 1955.
Ramon Galloway had 24 points for the upstarts from the Atlantic 10. The Explorers (24-9) played their third game in five days but showed no sign of fatigue.
In the round of 16 in Los Angeles on Friday, the Explorers will meet ninth-seeded Wichita State.
No. 12 Ole Miss (27-9) led 74-72 with 1:58 left but failed to reach the regional semifinals for the first time since 2001.
After Tyreek Duren's two foul shots tied it 74-all at the 1:07 mark, Mississippi star and team lightning rod Marshall Henderson missed an off-balance bank shot that would have given the Rebels the lead.
Henderson had 21 points in a game with 11 lead changes.
DAYTON, Ohio — On the verge of being the second No. 1 knocked from the NCAA tournament, Indiana finally stopped Temple's No. 1.
Victor Oladipo hit a key 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining, and the top-seeded Hoosiers, their season moments from ending in disappointment, shut down Owls star Khalif Wyatt in the final three minutes to hold off the Owls.
The Hoosiers (29-6) trailed by four with 2:56 left but closed with a 10-0 run and advanced to the round of 16 for the second straight year.
Wyatt scored 31 points to lead the Owls (24-10), who gave one of the Big Ten's big boys all they could handle before collapsing when it mattered most.
AUSTIN, Texas — Shane Larkin hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with a minute left, and Miami gained possession on a ball knocked out of bounds that probably should have gone to Illinois, helping the Hurricanes advance to the round of 16 for the second time in school history.
After Larkin's first field goal in about 9 1/2 minutes, D.J. Richardson missed a 3-pointer.
In the fight for the rebound, the ball appeared to ricochet off the hands of Miami's Kenny Kadji out of bounds. But the Hurricanes kept the ball, and Durand Scott made two free throws after that.
Larkin, the only non-senior starter for Miami and the ACC player of the year, finished with 17 points. Rion Brown had 21 with five 3s.
Brandon Paul had 18 points for Illinois (23-13).
PHILADELPHIA — Rasheed Sulaimon scored 21 points, Seth Curry scored had 17, and No. 2 seed Duke held off seventh-seeded Creighton to advance to the round of 16 for the fourth time in five years.
A year after they lost their NCAA tournament opener, the Blue Devils (29-5) are back in the regional semifinal for the 23rd time.
They'll play No. 3 seed Michigan State (27-8) in the regional semifinal Friday in Indianapolis.
Mason Plumlee, Josh Hairston and Ryan Kelly battled foul trouble all game long that could have doomeed the Blue Devils. Creighton (28-8) went cold and never made a serious run in the second half. Doug McDermott scored 21 points but made only four baskets.
With McDermott slumping, the Bluejays were knocked out in the third round by an ACC team for the second straight season.


text:
Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs 2012
An OECD Scoreboard
Access to finance represents one of the most significant challenges for entrepreneurs and for the creation, survival and growth of small businesses. As governments address this challenge, they are running up against a major and longstanding obstacle to policy making: insufficient evidence and data. Better data is needed to understand the financing needs of SMEs and entrepreneurs and to provide the basis for informed institutional and public policy decisions.
This first edition of "Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs: An OECD Scoreboard" represents a major step in addressing this obstacle by establishing a comprehensive international framework for monitoring SMEs' and entrepreneurs' access to finance over time. Comprising 18 countries, including Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States, the Scoreboard presents data for a number of debt, equity and financing framework condition indicators. Taken together, they provide governments and other stakeholders with a tool to understand SMEs' financing needs, to support the design and evaluation of policy measures and to monitor the implications of financial reforms on SMEs' access to finance.
Also available in: French
- Click to access:
Click to download PDF - 1.78MBPDF
Click to Read online and shareREAD
Distribution of enterprises in Hungary, 2007
By size of enterprise
Also available in: French
- Click to access:
Click to download XLSXLS


text:
A Closer Look at Obesity, Health Risks, and Mortality
Writing in the November 7, 2007, Journal of the American Medical Association, federal researchers concluded that being overweight isn't associated with the chances of dying from heart disease or cancer. (1) Even more surprisingly, they found that overweight may be associated with lower risks of dying from emphysema, infections, injuries, Alzheimer's disease, and a potpourri of other diseases not related to cardiovascular disease or cancer. Obesity was associated with excess deaths from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and kidney disease, but not cancer. With nearly two-thirds of Americans considered as being overweight, studies like this one seem to offer reassurance that carrying extra pounds isn't so bad.
There's just one small problem with this study: Its conclusions are almost certain to be wrong. Serious flaws with the study led to an underestimation of the impact of obesity; furthermore, its findings are inconsistent with many other larger studies conducted over the past 20 years.
The researchers, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), derived estimates for the risk of dying from various diseases using three National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) of about 37,000 Americans conducted between 1971 and 1975, 1976 and 1980, and 1988 and 1994. They then applied these estimates to deaths recorded in the United States in 2004, the last year for which full data are available, to come up with a determination of the number of deaths associated with being underweight, overweight, or obese, all compared with normal weight. (1) These categories refer to various ranges of body mass index (BMI), a measure that combines weight and height. Normal weight corresponds to a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9. Underweight is a BMI below 18.5, overweight is between 25.0 and 29.9, obesity is 30 to 34.9, and severe obesity is over 35.
In these analyses, being underweight wasn't associated with the chances of dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer, but was associated with an increased risk of dying from other causes. Being overweight was not associated with the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer, but was associated with an increased risk of dying from diabetes or kidney disease and a reduced risk of dying from other causes. Obesity was associated with an increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, but not cancer or other causes.
The biggest flaw in this report is that the NHANES studies are simply too small to account for biases that often pose problems in studies of deaths and causes of death. One is reverse causation—low body weight often results from chronic disease, rather than being a cause of chronic disease. People with BMIs below 25 are a mix of healthy individuals and those who have lost weight due to a disease that may or may not have been diagnosed. The other is smoking—leaner people are more likely to smoke than their heavier counterparts. When reverse causation and the adverse effects of smoking aren't fully accounted for, death rates among lean individuals will be inflated and those among overweight and obese individuals will be diminished. A careful critique of using the NHANES data to estimate mortality demonstrated that adequately "correcting for statistical biases and using higher ideal-weight categories increased the estimate of excess deaths attributable to obesity by approximately 400 percent and changed the negative estimate for overweight to a large positive estimate." (2)
The CDC study isn't even news. Findings from larger studies that have better accounted for reverse causation and smoking clearly show that increasing weight increases the risks of dying from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other causes. More than 20 years ago, a study published by the American Cancer Society that included a million men and women documented the impact of excess weight on dying from cancer after accounting for smoking. (3) In 1999, researchers following a different million-person cohort for 14 years restricted their analyses to initially healthy nonsmokers. The risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, or other diseases increased as BMI increased above the healthiest range of 23.5 to 24.9 in men and 22.0 to 23.4 in women. (4) A similar association between weight and mortality was observed in the Nurses' Health Study (5) and a prospective study of more than 500,000 older men and women in a National Institutes of Health/AARP study. (6)
Interestingly, another report in the same issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association demonstrated that obesity is increasing the disabilities among older people, interfering with the ability to do simple, everyday activities such as climb the stairs, bend over, lift a bag of groceries, or walk around the block. (7)
The CDC study notwithstanding, the overwhelming weight of the evidence suggests that one way to stay healthy and live longer is to do what you can to keep your weight in the healthy range, and especially to minimize any upward creep in your weight or waistline during adulthood.
1. Flegal KM, Graubard BI, Williamson DF, Gail MH. Cause-specific excess deaths associated with underweight, overweight, and obesity. JAMA. 2007; 298:2028–37.
2. Greenberg JA. Correcting biases in estimates of mortality attributable to obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2006; 14:2071–79.
3. Garfinkel L. Overweight and mortality. Cancer. 1986; 58:1826–29.
4. Calle EE, Thun MJ, Petrelli JM, Rodriguez C, Heath CW, Jr. Body mass index and mortality in a prospective cohort of U.S. adults. N Engl J Med. 1999; 341:1097–105.
5. Manson JE, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, et al. Body weight and mortality among women. N Engl J Med. 1995; 333:677–85.
6. Adams KF, Schatzkin A, Harris TB, et al. Overweight, obesity, and mortality in a large prospective cohort of persons 50 to 71 years old. N Engl J Med. 2006; 355:763–78.
7. Alley DE, Chang VW. The changing relationship of obesity and disability, 1988–2004. JAMA. 2007; 298:2020–27.


text:
Your shopping cart is empty!
Tribal Ingot Silver Pendant
Height 3cm
Zaz welcomes you to Something Gothic. Originally set up within Cyber Alternative Clothing, Glasgow and now recently moved to Art By Zaz Tattoo Studio, Glasgow. Something Gothic offers an extensive collection of jewellery, concentrating on the slightly more alternative style. Carefully hand-picked pieces from across the globe, specialising in Fairie, Fantasy, Dragon, Gothic, Mythical, Spiritual, Wildlife, Angel and Astrological.
Copyright 2024 Something Gothic


text:
The MLS listings from Metrotex IDX provides you with access to all active MLS local property listings so that you may display those listings on your Agent or Broker website.
With a Broker IDX Sites Integrated MLS website, you can turn your MLS member benefit, the IDX feed from the Metrotex, into an integrated MLS website that offers email capture,lead routing for Brokerages, a hosted Virtual Tour creation device, and more.
To learn more about the benefits of integrated IDX visit this page: [link].
The Broker IDX Sites system integrates the local MLS IDX feed from the Metrotex directly onto your domain, creating hundreds or thousands of unique pages, one for every listing in the MLS.
This creates a real competitive edge in the local online real estate market by creating single page websites for every listing in your MLS. These pages are indexable. Each has it's own unique short URL that does not change as long as the MLS number does not change in the MLS.
The system updates daily directly from the MLS.


text:
Notice: This Wiki is now read only and edits are no longer possible. Please see: https://gitlab.eclipse.org/eclipsefdn/helpdesk/-/wikis/Wiki-shutdown-plan for the plan.
Important Notice
All PolarSys information are now hosted at http://polarsys.org and these wiki pages are migrated to http://polarsys.org/wiki.
Polarsys Industry Working Group
To be moved to PolarSys web site
The announcement of Polarsys in November 2011 is an achievement of a story that started in 2005. The goal is to organize the open source and business ecosystem around tools for the development of dependable embedded systems in order to create better tooling and to enable long term support for these tools.
As described in the Polarsys proposal, the group address four main aspects:
- Open Innovation to create better methods and tools
- Computer Assistance and Automation with a focus on Model Based System Engineering
- Certification to ease the tools qualification in complex certification processes
- Very Long Term Support because Embedded Systems and tools may be maintained for 40 years or more
The Polarsys Charter describes the governance and the different services of Polarsys.
Mailing lists
Already moved to http://polarsys.org/community
Polarsys discussions occur on two mailing lists:
- Main Polarsys mailing list for general discussions and discussions about Polarsys processes.
- Polarsys infra mailing list for discussions about the Polarsys collaboration infrastructure.
- Polarsys proposal / Decide with Mike where to put it
- Polarsys Charter / Already linked from [http://polarsys.org/governance]
- Polarsys participation agreement (June 2012) / Migrate to a new page in the web site abouy membership
- Polarsys Pitch / Migrated to Steering Committee wiki
Past Events
Polarsys Telcos Minutes / Migrated to PolarSys wiki
Polarsys Past events / Migrated to PolarSys wiki
- Presentation done by Ralph Mueller and Gaël Blondelle at ERTS2 2012 in Toulouse on Thursday February 2nd / Migrated to Steering Committee wiki
Important topics
Release Engineering / Migrated to Architecture Committee wiki
Interoperability / Migrated to Architecture Committee wiki
Infrastructure / Migrated to bugzilla
Business Scenarii // Migrated to Steering Committee wiki
Polarsys top level project proposal / Linked from Architecture Committee wiki
Ideas for the ESA Summer of Code in Space / Delete
Targetted conferences // Migrated to Steering Committee wiki
Projects and Components
List of Polarsys projects and components / Migrated to PolarSys wiki


text:
LiftMaster 971LM 1 Button Visor Remote Control
LiftMaster 971LM One Button Visor Security+ 390MHz Garage Door Or Gate Opener Remote Control Directly compatible with Chamberlain 950CB or Sears Craftsman 139.53680 or 139.53681 (00953680000 or 00953681000)
Works with LiftMaster, Chamberlain, Sears Craftsman Security+ versions of garage door openers on the 390MHz frequency manufactured between 1997 and 2005 that have the RED or ORANGE learn button.
LiftMaster model 971LM is a standard one button visor garage door opener remote control for the security+ versions of garage door openers on the 390MHz frequency. This LiftMaster 971LM remote works with LiftMaster, Chamberlain, Sears Craftsman and other private labeled Security+ 390MHz brands of garage door openers by Chamberlain that have the Red or Orange learn button on the back of the garage door opener manufactured between 1997 and 2005.
The LiftMaster 971LM 1-button visor remote is directly compatible with the following models to control one security+ devices on 390Mhz:
LiftMaster: 91LM, 92LM, 94LM, 96LM, 971LM, 972LM, 973LM, 973W, 974LM.
Chamberlain: 950CB, 953CB, 956CB.
Sears Craftsman: 139.53680, 139.53681 new part numbers 00953680000 or 00953681000.
Note: Will not work on openers or remotes operating on 315Mhz or openers that have a PURPLE learn button. Use the LiftMaster 371LM that operates these openers.
- Brand: LiftMaster
- Product Code: 971LM
- Availability: In Stock
US Shipping - FREE
Canada Shipping - US $11.50
(Quantity shipping discount applied at checkout)


text:
Noaben.net is using 4 services which we detected on its website. The major ones are Host Collective, Inc. for hosting the website, winhost.com for DNS management, tucows domains inc. as Registrar and internetmailserver.net for email services The site was offline when this report was compiled on 04 December 2019 02:50. noaben.net is hosted in United States of America .
After checking the site records, we found that it is 8 years 2 months old and will expire on 02 April 2017. For more registration details, refer to this section. We didn't find any SSL certificate present on the website which is bad for users privacy. The site has both title and meta description present, which is a good for SEO reasons. Homepage is in English and contain 4 external links.
Services used by noaben.net
Find what are the main services utilised by noaben.net.Registration Metadata
Registration details tell about a website past and future. The information is critical for websites assessment.Complete registration information text
Domain Name: NOABEN.NET Registrar: TUCOWS DOMAINS INC. Sponsoring Registrar IANA ID: 69 Whois Server: whois.tucows.com Referral URL: Name Server: NS1.WINHOST.COM Name Server: NS2.WINHOST.COM Name Server: NS3.WINHOST.COM Status: clientTransferProhibited Status: clientUpdateProhibited Updated Date: 02-apr-2016 Creation Date: 02-apr-2016 Expiration Date: 02-apr-2017


text:
What's Your Plan B?
If you found value in this content, please join me in seeking solutions by becoming a $1/month patron of my work via patreon.com.
Thank you, Mickey B. ($50), for your fabulously generous contribution to this site -- I am greatly honored by your steadfast support and readership.
Thank you, Margaret L. ($5/month), for your splendidly generous pledge to this site -- I am greatly honored by your support and readership.


text:
No products
Check out
Viewed products
Condition New
14,99 zł
This product is not sold individually. You must select at least 1 quantity for this product.
Add to cart
Add to my wishlist
Availability date:
Tweet Share Google+ Pinterest
No customer comments for the moment.
Forest Treasures - Boletus Badius marinated in Kashubian style


text:
What's the Right Weight for Me?
Article Translations: (Spanish)
TV shows, movies, and magazines show pictures of people who are thin. Does that mean being thin is best? Not necessarily.
People come in all different shapes and sizes, and the best weight for you is one that is right for your individual body type and size. It can be unhealthy to be too thin if you are eating less food than your body needs. Eating enough food is like putting gas in your car — if you run out of gas, it stops working!
Being overweight is not good either. Kids who are overweight may not be getting the right nutrition if the food they eat has a lot of fat and calories without the other nutrients needed to stay healthy and strong.
Everyone needs to eat a healthy, balanced diet to grow, to fight off infections, to do well in school and at play, and to just feel good. Eating a variety of healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables, is the best way to go. It puts high-quality fuel in your tank so you are ready to go.
So read on to find out how you'll know what the right weight is for you.
What Makes Me the Weight I Am?
There's no easy answer to this question. Your genetic makeup (the physical traits that get passed down to you from your parents) plays a big part in determining your size and weight.
The same goes for your body type. Have you ever heard someone say a person is "big boned"? It's a way of saying the person has a large frame, or skeleton. Big bones usually weigh more than small bones. That's why it's possible for two kids with the same height, but different weights, to both be the right weight.
Genes Matter
Like your height or body type, your genes have a lot to say about what your weight will be. But that's only part of the story. Being overweight can run in someone's family, but it may not be because of their genes. Poor eating and exercise habits also run in families and this may be the reason the members of a family are overweight.
And even though some kids gain weight more easily than others, when they eat right and exercise, most kids can be a healthy and happy weight that's right for them. It's true — the way you live can change the way you look.
How much you weigh is a balance between the calories you eat and the calories you use. If you eat more calories than your body needs to use, you will gain too much weight. If you spend your free time watching TV, your body won't use as many calories as it would if you played basketball, skated, or went for a walk.
If you are in balance, your weight will stay right for you as you grow. But if you eat more and exercise less, you may become overweight. On the other hand, if you eat less and exercise more, you may lose weight.
What if I Don't Think My Weight Is the Right Weight?
First, talk to your mom or dad, who might be able to talk to you about healthy eating and exercise. Next, look at ways that can help you get to the right weight for you. Even small changes can get you moving in the right direction. For example, if you are overweight, just 10 minutes of exercise three times a day can make a difference.
There are many ways to stay active: team sports (like basketball or volleyball), self-defense classes, dancing, yard work, running, swimming — even walking around the mall or playing outside. Make exercise fun by choosing activities you like. Walk your dog in the morning, play hopscotch at noon, and help your mom garden in the evening.
You also can talk with your doctor about your body mass index (BMI). That's a way of using your height and weight to estimate how much body fat you have, but remember that BMI isn't the whole story. You should talk with a doctor before deciding that you are overweight or underweight.
Most Lightweight Kids Are Fine
Most kids who weigh less than other kids their age usually are just fine — they don't need to force themselves to eat extra food if they aren't hungry for it. Remember, a lower weight may be the right weight for someone who is shorter than average.
The bodies of many underweight kids are just growing and changing on a slower time schedule and they often catch up later on as teens.
A few kids may be underweight because of health problems. If you or your parents are concerned about this, have your parents talk to your doctor.
If you're underweight, it's still important to make healthy food choices. And exercise is still a great idea, especially exercise that builds strong muscles!
When Should I Visit a Doctor or Dietitian?
With your parent's advice, there are a lot of ways you can make changes on your own. But if you need extra help, ask your mom or dad about talking with a doctor or registered dietitian (RD). They have charts that show the healthy weight ranges for kids of every age and height, so you they can help you find out if you are the right weight.
You also can learn about healthy foods. MyPlate shows the variety of foods your body needs. For your muscles, bones, and brain cells to grow and work properly, eat healthy foods from the major food groups:
- fruit
- vegetables
- grains (make half your grains whole grains)
- protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dry beans, nuts, and seeds)
- dairy products (low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese, and yogurt)
When you and your parent visit a doctor or dietitian, you can learn how to make healthier food choices and improve habits like how much exercise you get. The entire family can work together on developing a healthier lifestyle.
Tips for Kids About Weight
Staying at a healthy weight means:
- Knowing what the right weight is for your age, height, and body type (that's where checking with an adult and seeing a doctor or dietitian can help).
- Fueling your body with the right amount of foods that are good for you. With proper nutrition, you can grow, play, do well in school, and feel good about yourself.
- Exercising daily for strong muscles, strong bones, and a healthy heart.
Don't worry about what your friends weigh. Instead, work on being the right weight for you. It's not necessarily "good" to be thin or "bad" to weigh more, just like it's not "good" to be taller or "bad" to be shorter.
If you are not at a healthy weight, start making small changes to achieve your goal. Healthy eating habits and regular exercise will help get you where you want to be.
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
© 1995-2024 KidsHealth ® All rights reserved. Images provided by iStock, Getty Images, Corbis, Veer, Science Photo Library, Science Source Images, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com


text:
Monday 16 January 2012
Sepia Saturday 109 : 21st January 2012
35 comments:
- Steph said...
I have some interesting ideas for Saturday, although they won't be 'dolls', but maybe childhood in general...
As for future suggestions, looking at my stash of photos, I was thinking:
I hope those help... being a blog about 'ladies', I have to be a bit creative!
I loved the hats theme though- so many interesting takes on it! - 16 January 2012 at 18:06
- Postcardy said...
You must have read my mind--I was thinking a doll theme would be fun.
- 16 January 2012 at 18:13
- Wendy said...
I'm ready. I'll be posting on Friday.
- 16 January 2012 at 22:01
- Tattered and Lost said...
Alan, such a stunning photo! And a Lenci doll with Mickey Mouse ears! Boy would I like to own that one.
Having a fondness for dolls, I am easily able to stay on theme at both of my blogs, photography and ephemera. - 17 January 2012 at 06:14
- Unknown said...
Thank you for updating the blog list. I have to say that I've got nothing to report about dolls. I do have a photo involving dogs I would like to share sometime. Although it's not a happy picture, it tells a grim story.
- 17 January 2012 at 22:10
- Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...
Now that make me go Awwwwwwww! What a sweet pic. 'Could be one of my granddaughters. :o)
Thanks for sharin' Man!
Have a fantastically blessed day! - 18 January 2012 at 19:59
- Alan Burnett said...
Come on people : give me some theme suggestions (thank you Steph for yours)
- 19 January 2012 at 00:38
- Linda said...
I was wondering if that was a Lenci! Great theme for us doll collectors. I like the idea of a theatre theme, also the beach, books, snow, factories, memorials, parades, the tropics, carnivals, shoes (I'm fairly new, you may have touched on those themes already).
- 19 January 2012 at 04:54
- Rosie said...
My old pictures/postcards are still packed away in boxes, so I thought I would show you the dollhouse I built awhile ago. Happy SepiaSaturday everyone!! Rosie.
- 19 January 2012 at 12:12
- Bob Scotney said...
I taken the liberty of extending the doll them to include teddy bears as well.
I'd got for Rob's suggestion of dogs. You might try wildlife too. - 19 January 2012 at 14:23
- Kristin said...
Post that has a doll and foretells the future.
- 19 January 2012 at 16:00
- Little Nell said...
As this week's theme was my suggestion I've done my best to make you proud Alan. I like the idea of theatre/plays/drama a lot too, and I have a couple of dog pictures so I'd endorse that one as well.
- 19 January 2012 at 19:35
- Savethephotos said...
Checking in, how about some movie/screen/actors/film stars or film production photos
- 20 January 2012 at 05:19
- Bob Scotney said...
I've put up the correct link this time.
- 20 January 2012 at 07:16
- Teresa Wilson Rogers said...
Don't let my post title scare you off, you have to read the whole thing to understand. I enjoyed this week's theme.
As far as suggestions for themes, being a newbie I haven't time to look back through all your weeks so sure you have done some of these already, but it wouldn't hurt to repeat some anyway, I'm sure people always have new takes and ideas:
animals, any kind, dogs, more dogs, cats, horses, birds, especially birds, love them!
relationships, any kind
transportation any kind
old buildings
loved the shoe idea
I could probably think of more, but I'll stop now. - 20 January 2012 at 14:57
- Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy said...
Hi Everybody, I am finally back on board. I sure did miss you all. I decided on a three in one post, recycling some of my slideshows, since they will be going extinct very soon. I went off theme on Nell's doll suggestion because I didn't find the picture that I was looking for and changed it to "Little Blonde Girls", lol.
I'll have to think about some themes, it looks like you have a great start to keep us busy for awhile.
Can't wait to visit around and see you all this week.
Kathy M. - 20 January 2012 at 16:20
- Christine H. said...
What a beautiful photo! I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with.
- 20 January 2012 at 17:44
- Unknown said...
Such a gorgeous prompt. It suited me for writing on a snowy day here, this engaged my memories....I hope all is well with blog posts and comments this week...
- 20 January 2012 at 18:49
- Alan Burnett said...
My post is up : it's a kind of doll, of sorts. As far as theme suggestions are concerned how about:
- midget submarines;
- three-wheeled oil tankers;
- performing monkeys;
- brown bootlaces. - 20 January 2012 at 19:14
- Colleen G. Brown Pasquale said...
Anxious to share again this week. I have a photo of my grand aunt & her doll all set for Saturday.
http://leavesnbranches.blogspot.com/ - 20 January 2012 at 22:11
- Coloring Outside the Lines said...
Themes- how about games (board or physical), gardens-flower or vegetable, studio shots using props, picnics, at the kitchen table,national parks??
- 21 January 2012 at 02:42
- Who Were They? said...
Alan thanks for including me on your right hand links. I am honored! :-) I have a doll of sorts, a doll of a girl.
-Theme ideas-
Men with facial hair
Women with facial hair?
Children in interesting poses
Circus acts - or the family circus
Ethnic photos
Birthday parties
First communions - I have plenty of these to share!
Famous landmarks
Infamous landmarks?
General silliness
Flags - 21 January 2012 at 02:45
- Bruno Laliberté said...
I'm on theme!!
I'm on theme!!
And it is a regular sized post!!
and in response to WHOWERETHEY,
"men with facial hair"...
My hair goes from my chin right down to my toes.
Does it count?
HUGZ - 21 January 2012 at 05:59
- Liz Stratton said...
Surprisingly managed to stay on theme this week!
Future theme ideas:
ladies night out
guys hanging out
picture in a picture
seasonal - winter wonderland, etc.
photography theme - composition, etc.
I missed reading last week's posts so I'm looking forward to a double dose this week. For once I am looking forward to being 'iced' in! - 21 January 2012 at 07:16
- Wibbo said...
Double dollies - two for the price of one this week!
- 21 January 2012 at 10:05
- Mike Brubaker said...
I loved this week's photo as it neatly fit with my submission for this weekend.
All of the suggested themes sound fun, though I will be hard pressed to come up with something for midget submarines. I'm fond of the photos that depict some trivia of fashion, or events. I also like uniforms and group photos, since I have a lot of those.
But whatever the choice, Alan, I continue to remain inspired by all your themes. Thank you. - 21 January 2012 at 15:48
- Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...
Rather than suggest themes, I will await inspiration from you.
- 21 January 2012 at 15:59
- DougVernX said...
My connection to the theme is a long stretch so I won't even try it. lol Great Sepia Saturday posts!
- 21 January 2012 at 16:08
- Jo said...
Hi everyone - just a quick message to say that I am unable to comment on some folks' posts using my Wordpress ID but can sometimes use my Google ID. Not sure what the problem is, but hope it resolves itself. Jo
- 21 January 2012 at 16:31
- Joy said...
One of those dolls looks wide awake and raring to go. My first Sepia Saturday so looking forward to going with the flow of the many suggestions.
- 21 January 2012 at 16:34
- dakotaboo said...
Another popular theme this week by the look of it. My submission is now posted.
- 21 January 2012 at 18:54
- tony said...
I.m Late!!!!!!!
- 21 January 2012 at 22:49
- Little Nell said...
I like the boardgames idea - jigsaws, solitaire, etc. We had cards once before but it could be part of this table game theme. As for your suggestions - be careful what you suggest; you may be surprised how many performing monkeys there are out there (I have one!). And brown bootlaces? Well aren't they all - well sepia anyway?
- 22 January 2012 at 18:22
- Wendy said...
I have not been part of Sepia Saturday for long, so I don't know what themes have been done, but Patricia's post offers some good ideas including Fences and Shadows.
- 23 January 2012 at 12:28
- North County Film Club said...
I loved the doll theme, but got my links mixed up and and some of you were linked to my weird art obsession- zentangles. You must have wondered what it had to do with dolls. Thanks for coming, anyway, and even commenting! The right link is there now. How about zentangles as a theme- that would be on a par with miniature submarines. But seriously maybe art from our ancestors would be interesting.
Barbara - 23 January 2012 at 17:50


text:
The most important measure of power on Capitol Hill can be summed up with a question: "Do you have the votes?"
For House Speaker John Boehner, the answer once again appears to be "no." In a move that's hard to view as anything short of humiliating for the speaker, Boehner had to shelve his own "Plan B" fiscal-cliff-avoidance proposal Thursday evening after it became clear he couldn't get enough fellow Republicans to support it.
The embarrassing failure is being widely interpreted as a critical blow to Boehner's leadership. When a speaker can't get the votes, after assuring everyone he can, it's hard to spin that as anything but a Washington power outage of sorts.
And, perhaps, an existential threat to his speakership.
Failing to get the votes on his Plan B, maybe he also won't be able to garner enough support when House members meet on Jan 3. at the start of the new Congress to pick their leaders? There is certainly a movement among some conservatives to remove him.
Boehner's inability to get his own Republican conference to line up behind him not only increases doubts about him remaining speaker in the new Congress; it also raises a more immediate question for President Obama: Who in the House can he negotiate with in the effort to avoid the large automatic tax increases and spending cuts that will occur in less than two weeks without an agreement?
On the question about his seemingly threatened leadership, Boehner put on a brave face at a Friday news conference. Asked by a reporter if he was concerned about being ousted as speaker, Boehner said:
"No, I'm not. ... While we may not have been able to get the votes last night to avert 99.81 percent of the tax increases, they weren't taking that out on me. They were dealing with the perception that someone might accuse them of raising taxes."
It's fair to ask, however, if the speaker was accurately taking the temperature of his conference on Friday, since he was so wrong as recently as Thursday when he and his leadership team said they had the votes to get Plan B passed.
Plan B would have made permanent the Bush-era tax rates on taxpayers reporting incomes less than $1 million. Boehner apparently planned it as a way to pressure Obama into moving closer to the Republican position during cliff negotiations.
It theoretically also would have provided some political cover if Obama and Congress failed to reach an agreement to derail the automatic tax increases that kick in Jan. 1 and the spending cuts that follow on Jan. 2. But it obviously was a miscalculation, since Boehner emerged with nothing except the appearance of further weakness.
Thursday's debacle was reminiscent of Boehner's past failures as the GOP House leader to get conservatives onboard on a matter of urgent importance to the economy.
In 2008, as House minority leader, he initially failed to get enough Republicans to support the TARP bank bailout. (In fairness, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi had trouble getting all her Democrats behind TARP, as well.)
In 2011, House conservative hard-liners, many aligned with the Tea Party, rejected Boehner's attempts to get them to agree to a debt-ceiling compromise, forcing him to rely on Democrats for the votes needed to pass the legislation that created the fiscal cliff enforcement mechanism.
As Congress expert Sarah Binder, a political scientist at George Washington University, writes on The Monkey Cage blog:
"Thursday's turn of events raises uncertainty about Boehner's future as Speaker. ... I think it's too early to know whether the conservatives who derailed the final vote on Plan B will be satisfied with the message that they've sent to Boehner. It's also too early to know whether rank and file Republicans will heap blame on their most conservative colleagues or on their leader (or both) for Thursday night's debacle."
Earlier in December, Boehner appeared to have strengthened his hand inside his conference. He approved committee reassignments for some of the most conservative House Republicans who constantly annoyed GOP leadership by not voting the way their leaders wanted them to. And there appeared to be some rallying around him by the House Republican conference.
But that was short lived. So now the question is, "What's next?"
Boehner could turn to House Democratic leader Pelosi and agree on a proposal that could pass the House with Democratic votes and get through the Senate. But that obviously wouldn't help him with his hard-liners in his effort to remain speaker.
As Jared Bernstein, an economist who worked in the Obama White House for Vice President Biden, writes on his blog: "John Boehner teaming up with Nancy Pelosi to pass a tax increase — even on just the top few percent — is not...um...a likely outcome."
It might seem to make little sense for the president to reopen negotiations with Boehner at this point, since the speaker couldn't even wangle enough Republican votes for his own proposal. If Obama and Boehner do resume talks, it might be with the understanding that whatever Boehner takes back to Congress may ultimately have more Democratic than Republican support. And that opens a range of issues for Boehner.
It would be an understatement to say that the possibility of a deal seems to be wilting fast, like an unwatered Christmas tree. In fact, it's beginning to look a lot like Cliffmas, everywhere you go.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
Ben Pickering can't believe his luck.
"Holy cow," he keeps saying. "Man, that's just incredible. That's just amazing."
Pickering won a drawing for an Ambush rifle, an $1,800 AR-15-style model. Pickering already has a lot of weapons — "I honestly could not count," he says — but he's still excited to be given this new one.
Pickering loves guns, but he's also happy that the National Rifle Association's annual meeting, being held this weekend in Indianapolis, has given him the chance to meet up with family members who live in other states.
The same sort of thing is true for a lot of people. There's plenty of talk about politics and gun laws, with Republican politicians such as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal addressing the crowd on Friday.
But for many among the 70,000 in attendance, meeting up with family, friends and like-minded people is more important than talking about this year's elections. It's also a chance for enthusiasts to check out all the latest in guns, custom barrels and binoculars.
"It's kind of like a big window-shopping thing," says Bill Slike, an engineer from neighboring Noblesville, Ind.
Most people — including Pickering — aren't actually going to walk away from the show with new weapons in hand, due to federal licensing requirements.
But, with the exhibit hall being billed as "nine acres of guns and gear," they can certainly do plenty of comparison shopping. The event is a showcase not only for major manufacturers such as Remington and Smith & Wesson, but smaller companies taking advantage of the chance to show off their wares to thousands of potential customers.
"You can handle the guns and make an informed purchase decision," says safety instructor Sig Swanstrom. "I'm from San Antonio and there are 1.4 million people, but there's no way to make this kind of comparison."
It's A Family Affair
The meeting is free for NRA members, who pay anywhere from $10 to join for a year to $500 for a lifetime membership. The crowd is overwhelmingly but not exclusively white, well into middle age or older, with more men than women.
A few men wear suits and ties, but most people are casually dressed in polos or plaids, some wearing t-shirts with slogans such as "Choose wisely: Glock, paper, scissors."
The aisles are so crowded that it can be difficult to move around, but a few parents patiently push their kids around in strollers. One little boy sits cross-legged against a wall, wearing an orange ball cap that says "Gun Auction" and sucking on a lollipop.
Todd Homan, a gun dealer from St. Henry, Ohio, has brought each of his eight children to an NRA meeting at least once. His son, Charlton, is making a return visit this year.
Back in 2001, when he was 5 weeks old, Charlton was held up on stage at the NRA meeting by his namesake, the actor and NRA President Charlton Heston, who died in 2008.
His parents carry around a small photo album, showing off pictures of that moment. Charlton Homan admits he's "kind of" sick of hearing the story.
Todd Homan says all his kids receive hunting safety instruction. Other parents stress the importance of safety, clearly enjoying sharing their interest in shooting sports with their kids.
"It's been something we've been doing for a fairly long time," says Jimmy Trout, a 16-year-old from Carlisle, Ohio, who's such a fan of the Browning Buck Mark line of weapons that he has its logo shaved into the back of his head.
Step Right Up
Trout's design excited the people at the Browning booth and helped get him a picture with Matt Hughes, a mixed martial arts champion who endorses the product. Trout also picked up an autographed poster from race car driver Jessica Barton at the EAA Corporation booth.
With hundreds of booths at the show, exhibitors try all sorts of things to attract attention. One sword company has its staff dressed up like pirates, while an ammunition manufacturer is holding a drawing for a helicopter pig hunt.
MGI Industries is based in Maine, so it's offering to ship two live lobsters with any rifle purchase.
"You try to entice people to see it, touch it," says Steve Henigan, MGI's vice president of sales and marketing. "We do get a lot of interest, and hopefully that interest turns into sales down the road."
In addition to rifles, slings and cleaning equipment, various companies are trying to interest attendees in other products and services. The NRA Wine Club advertises that "every sip supports the NRA" at its booth; the club pays the association 10 percent of its revenues in exchange for access to the group's massive email list.
At Booth 3603, Lucinda Bailey is trying to get passersby interested in her gardening books and heirloom seeds. "After guns and bullets, you gotta eat, right?" she says.
Maybe Next Time
Unlike many people in attendance, Bailey is not interested in what she calls "the boy toys" — the high-caliber weapons on offer, or the vehicles on display with machine guns mounted on top.
Bailey wanted to find a modest weapon that would help rid her garden of pests. "I found a gun I wouldn't be able to get back home," she says. "I'll be able to get anything from squirrels to feral hogs."
She said she appreciated the chance to quiz numerous makers about their guns. Other people said they were excited simply to be introduced to the latest products. Many expressed the desire to "feel" weapons in their own hands.
For Arthur May, a school security guard from Des Moines, the NRA meeting not only offered an excuse to hang out with an old friend from Wisconsin, but gave him the chance to hold a Thompson submachine gun, a vintage weapon from World War II he'd long admired.
Picking it up convinced him that, although he's a history buff and likes how the Thompson looks, it would never be right for him.
"It's an iconic weapon, but it's too bulky for me," May said. "It saved me $1,800, so I can have other dreams now."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.