text:
Crosses mark memorial to illegal immigrants killed
By BY DIANNA WRAY - firstname.lastname@example.com
July 25, 2012 at 2:25 a.m.
Updated July 26, 2012 at 2:26 a.m.
BERCLAIR - Natalie Castillo, her mother, sister and cousins stood in front of the live oak trees, struggling against the wind to tie crosses of fake flowers to the barbed-wire fence. They talked softly to each other in Spanish, securing the crosses with lengths of carnation pink ribbon, one for each victim of the crash.
The flowers are vibrant colors, cherry red, bubble gum pink and tangerine, and sprinkled with gold glitter, the kind of thing sure to catch the eye from the road.
That's what Castillo and her family want. When people pass by this place, she's hoping they'll see 15 crosses and remember that 15 people were killed and eight were injured at this spot.
"It's something little that honors each of the people who died. We just wanted to pay our respects," Castillo said.
A pair of live oak trees stand close together just beyond the fence, bearing matching scars, raw and red, that single them out from all the other trees that line this stretch of highway leading to Goliad. Last Sunday, a white truck packed with illegal immigrants zoomed off the road and struck the trees, flinging many of the 23 people through open space and onto the ground, killing 15 men, women and children as young as 8 years old.
The trees were hit when the truck, going at least 75 mph, slammed into them on the side of U.S. Highway 59. A clutter of debris stretches through the ditch, tracing the vehicle's path.
Bits of broken glass, charred tire tread and rubber hose, a broken shard of a CD by Beto Quintanilla. Someone had picked up three socks - a black one crusted with dirt, a grimy white one and small pink and white one - and hung them on the line alongside the crosses and some bundles of fake flowers. A silver St. Christopher medal, the patron saint of travelers, dangled from one of the trees.
After hearing of the wreck, Castillo decided to do something to honor those who died. Her mother bought the crosses from a discount store and they drove out to this stretch of highway on Wednesday afternoon to put them up as a marker for each person killed.
"They wanted a better life. It's not easy to be legalized. People say that's what they should have done, but it's not an easy thing to do," she said, noting that it took her parents years to become American citizens.
Castillo and her family stood near the edge of the road, taking in their handiwork. The boys stopped playing and stood next to the fence, bowing their heads and whispering prayers they had learned in church while their mothers took cell phone pictures and smiled. The crosses made the spot impossible to miss from the road.
"These people don't have family here, no one to remember them. We're their family here, people like us, so we'll have to do it," Castillo's sister, Yessica Castillo, said.
A man with chin-length black hair stopped his truck and ran across the road, his brown work-boots clomping.
"They have any identification on them?" he called over the roar of traffic.
The women shook their heads.
He nodded, made a quick sign of the cross, and ran back across the road.
In the span of 30 minutes, cars continued to stop. A woman with a halo of black curls said they should have stayed where they were instead of trying to make a better life. A man who perched on the edge of the road, hands clasped. A couple who stared at the crosses from across the road, bowed their heads for a moment and then roared away.
Castillo watched people stopping before the crosses.
"They're humans just like anybody else, and they should be remembered," she said.
You may read related coverage by clicking the links below:
Officials struggle to identify victims of Goliad wreck
Community pray for Goliad County crash victims
Death of 14 illegal immigrants a bipartisan tragedy
DPS trooper ranks Goliad wreck as deadliest in his 38-year career
12 people killed, 11 injured in 1-vehicle crash in Goliad County
Goliad fatalities stir immigration reform conversation
Communities work together to aid, clean up Goliad fatal crash


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As anybody who's been through them can attest, the teen years are among the most stressful of our lives.
As anybody who's been through them can attest, the teen years are among the most stressful of our lives.
Teenagers' bodies are changing as they define their self-images. They worry about fitting in, passing tests and setting life goals.
And that's a best-case scenario.
For some teens, pressures from dysfunctional homes, scary neighborhoods and economic challenges can seem overwhelming.
"It's like PTSD," said James McAdams, principal of New Hanover High School, comparing problems he sees in some teenagers to post-traumatic stress disorders that plague war veterans and crime victims.
Educators don't always know what students are dealing with at home and in their neighborhoods, he said.
"A lot of times our kids develop a shell that they try to protect themselves with," he said. "I think that's what the WHAT clinic does, break down that shell and try to find a solution," he said.
WHAT is Wilmington Health Access for Teens, which provides access to physical and mental health services for people ages 11 to 24 years old.
School-based health centers aim to give all of a school's students access to affordable health care, regardless of their circumstances or whether they have insurance.
The nonprofit opened at 4005 Oleander Drive in 1997. It also has clinics at New Hanover, Laney and Ashley high schools.
Of the 12,000 visits by young people to WHAT facilities in the year ending June 30, some 3,000 – or one-quarter of the visits – involved mental health issues.
I sat down with some WHAT officials to talk about the organization's mental health operations.
"It's integrated care," said Karen Isaacs, the medical director. WHAT medical providers may refer a client for mental health services, just as mental health counselors may recommend physical health services for a client. Or they may be sent to Michelle Cooper, WHAT's registered dietician, for nutrition advice.
Broad health screens may raise red flags about a young person's stability. Does the client feel safe at home? Are they in situations of abuse or neglect, are they having academic problems?
Have they ever carried a weapon?
Have they ever ridden in a car where people are under the influence?
Even if they're not abusing substances themselves, young people may need to understand how a bad choice and a random traffic stop could bring about lasting consequences.
In that case, WHAT may steer a client toward learning "good refusal skills," how to say no. Role-playing may help a client develop such skills.
Sometimes WHAT's counselors deal with a young person in crisis.
Amy Valimont, the integrated care director, described an incident where a student was having some sort of seizure.
The client came to the main office on Oleander Drive, where they realized it was a severe panic attack.
They taught the client coping skills including deep-breathing relaxation techniques. The follow-up included exploring the triggers that might have brought on the anxiety.
Those triggers can include having recently relocated and being new to a school, grief over a loss, stress brought on by academic pressures, relationship issues, or having a parent who has lost a job.
"If more students and parents understood what we do, they would be surprised," Valimont said. "We like to say our services run from A to Z – asthma to zits."
For more information, visit whatswhat.org or call 910-790-9949.
Column idea? Contact Si Cantwell at 343-2364 or email@example.com, or follow him on Twitter.com: @SiCantwell.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Topic: First time user of iRedMail - with partition question :)
==== Required information ====
- iRedMail version: 0.8.3 (or which versions is newest when i install this weekend)
- Store mail accounts in which backend (LDAP/MySQL/PGSQL): MySQL
- Linux/BSD distribution name and version: CentOS 6.3
Im about to install iRedMail-Pro this weekend, and want to make the correct partitions from the start.
I was planning to make a seperate partition for /var/vmail, /var/log, /swap and /boot (which makes it so muche easier to increase space later on in my VM ware setup.)
Question is:
1) how much space should i take into consideration is needed for the / partition?
2) Are there any other partitions i should consider?
3) How much ram is it recommended i allocate to the machine?
4) As i understand quarantined mails are stored in MySQL - so i guess a /var/lib/mysql partition might also be an option, so it can be resized if needed? (according to our current quarantine stats around 65% of mails recieved are clean)
Bonus info: The server will be handeling around 400k mails / month, spread over 400 domains, and around 650 mailboxes.
i hope someone can give me a quick point in the right direction....
Thanks in advance from a newbiee when it comes to iRedMail


text:
Junior outside hitter Nicole Curley of John A. Coleman Catholic High was the only local player named to this past season's New York All-State volleyball team.
Curley was picked for the Class D third team and was one of just six Section 9 players honored with the accolade.
Curley and her Stateswomen teammates finished with a record of 9-9, the most wins in program history, and a Section 9 championship.


text:
England Rugby
O'Shea: Brown want England shirt back
ESPN Staff
December 22, 2012
Mike Brown was in superb form for Harlequins against Northampton © Getty Images
Harlequins director of rugby Conor O'Shea says Mike Brown is determined to regain the England full-back jersey after putting in a man-of-the-match display in front of Stuart Lancaster at Franklin's Gardens.
Brown started the last two autumn internationals on the wing for England but was back in his familiar position for Harlequins and in soaking wet conditions was superb under the high ball.
He helped Harlequins win 19-8 and inflict on Northampton a fourth defeat in their last five home games as the Saints tumbled out of the Aviva Premiership's top four.
O'Shea said: "He liked being back at full-back. He wants to play full-back for England, but he will play anywhere for England, he would play at prop for England. He was outstanding for us today."
The Harlequins boss revealed Lancaster spoke with Brown and O'Shea ahead of their home Heineken Cup game against Zebre.
"He came over to watch the team run and we sat down and had a chat," said O'Shea.
"Browny wants to play full-back for England, and I always tell him my selection would be different, but as long as he is playing for England he doesn't give a damn.
"It is a fabulous position for England to be in with Browny, Alex Goode and Ben Foden, they are pretty rich in that position. Lancaster wants to see players putting their hand up for selection."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Communication error please reload the page.


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Law Firms and NGOs in London Launch Partnership to Eliminate Poverty
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
- Source: New York
Today sees the launch of a new not-for-profit organisation, Advocates for International Development (A4ID), through which City lawyers have combined forces to help make poverty history. They have already committed over 7000 hours to this initiative, working on more than 20 international projects. This would equate to over £2m worth of work according to current city rates.
This is the first time that lawyers from across 15 of the top city law firms, including Clifford Chance, Linklaters, Weil Gotshal Manges, and Richards Butler have teamed up with senior barristers and academics to work together, pro bono, on international development issues in collaboration with NGOs. A4ID will offer legal expertise on issues such as trade, debt, corruption and the right to education for the benefit of those in communities worldwide.
A4ID embodies the values of the 1000 City Lawyers - a network of individual lawyers across the city who signed up to help Make Poverty History following the Tsunami. In addition to representing these individual members, A4ID draws on the support of law firms and chambers, through which partners, solicitors and barristers can commit their time to development issues.
Up to 500 people are expected to attend the launch, including senior members of the judiciary and bar, who will gather this evening in the Grand Hall at Middle Temple for the address by the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, who has recently called for firms to commit a minimum of ten per cent of their pro bono time to international development.
Robin Knowles CBE QC , Chairman of the Bar Pro Bono Unit, Trustee of LawWorks, and Member of A4ID's Advisory Council, commented: "A4ID seeks to harness the strengths of both the Law Firms and the Bar. The result is a world class combination of skills, and a shared effort across the profession to assist the developing world. Here as elsewhere "pro bono work is part of being a lawyer"."
A4ID is already partnering with leading charities and NGOs in the development sphere, including Oxfam, Action Aid, Tearfund, and Debt Relief International.
"We are continuing to build partnerships with many charities and development organisations," comments Roger Leese, partner at Clifford Chance and one of the founding directors of A4ID. "The legal advice provided through A4ID comes at no cost to the charities and the standard of legal expertise we have to offer is of the highest quality. We're delighted to have some of the best law firms, barristers and academics in the country on board already."
To speak to an A4ID director, or one of the charities or law firms partnering A4ID, please contact Lucy Pogson on 07782 208943 or 0207 619 7201, or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
- Find an Item
- About Us
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Mystery Monday
Agatha Christie would have turned 120 years old last week. Born September 15, 1890,the daughter of an American father and a British mother, Agatha Christie is the best known mystery writer of all time. Few would argue that the books were literary masterpieces with their pedestrian writing and stock characters, yet people continue to read and enjoy them. Only Shakespeare and the Bible have bested her more than 2 billion copies sold. But what explains the popularity of Christie's work and the diversity of her readers? Why do her books still sell about 25 million copies a year? Not only are several of her titles on the Clarkstown schools summer reading list year after year, but kids seem to like them. Her books are enjoyed by those who like the strict conventions of her mysteries and the intellectual puzzles they provide. Her world is an orderly place and once the murderer is revealed, everything can continue as before. They are comforting books that reassure us that no matter what ugliness intrudes, life will go on. The evil will be punished and the good will triumph and all will be right in the world.
Upon Agatha Christie's death in 1976, Max Lowenthal of the New York Times offered this summary of her work: "Dame Agatha's forté was supremely adroit plotting and sharp, believable characterization (even the names she used usually rang true). Her style and rhetoric were not remarkable; her writing was almost invariably sound and workmanlike, without pretense or flourish. Her characters were likely to be of the middle-middle class or upper-middle class, and there were certain archetypes, such as the crass American or the stuffy retired army officer now in his anecdotage. However familiar all this might be, the reader would turn the pages mesmerized as unexpected twist piled on unexpected twist until, in the end, he was taken by surprise. There was simply no outguessing Poirot or Miss Marple--or Agatha Christie." What else is there to say?


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Armenian Federation
From Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia
Federation of united armenians
|Motto: "No Azeris - Homos must die"
|Anthem: Andre - Without your love image_map= ARMF2.png
|Yerevan City
|Largest city
|Yerevan City
|Official language(s)
|Armenian -
|Nobody cares
|National hero(es)
|Monte Melkonian, Vartan Mamikonyan, Qachal Metz,System of a Down
|Established due to homsexuals almost taking over.
Armenia (Armenian: Հայաստան, I think) is a beautiful country in the far east of Europe. Or in the far west of Asia, it depends on your personal point of view. It is bordered by some peaceful states: Turkey to the west, Iran to the south, Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to the east.
Armenia is known for being cruelly sodomized by Turkey,[1] as well as
unsuccessfully fighting to stop it. Another major feature of Armenia is their bizarre alphabet, actually scrawling handwriting, which was invented by a monk, named Mesrop Mashtots (see below). Armenia has a looooooong history, spanding many centuries, even though nobody knows anything about it.
edit History
edit Antiquity
Armenia has a looooooong hi... wait... I just said that, right?
Signs of human life in Armenia can be traced back long since the Bronze Age. The first settlers were a group of Flying Gypsies. They probably lived on Mountain Ararat, and they made world's first leather shoe.[2] Despite the allegation of the Bible that all people on earth drowned during God's Great Flood, we can assure you that the Gypsies survived thanks to their planes. However, they left Ararat and when Noah arrived he found none. Angry by that rudeness, he asked God to send them a lightning.
The area flourished during the Hittite era. At the dawn of Iron Age, unknown species came, known as the Nairi people. Historians still don't agree about the origins of this tribe. According to a widespread opinion, the Nairi were proto-Carnies, while L. Ron Hubbard believed they were extraterrestial creatures from a galaxy far, far away. After the Nairi, the Kingdom of Urartu established their sovereignty over the Armenian Highland. The Urartu people were in fact a big tribe of former circus employees, who had run away from their cruel ringmaster. The Urartu established Armenia's modern capital, as a huge circus tent. Each of the aforementioned nations and tribes participated in the ethnogenesis of the Armenian people.
Around 600 BC, the Kingdom of Armenia was established under the Orontid Dynasty. The kingdom became one of the most powerful realms of its time within the region, even though it was conquered by Assyrians, Greeks, Persians and Romans. Christianity spread into the country as early as 40 AD and it was made the state religion after a while. Thus, Armenia became the first officially Christian state, making our Lord very happy.
edit Middle Ages
At the beginning of medieval times, west Armenia was ruled by the Byzantine Empire and the easter part was ruled by the Sassanids.[3] During that period, a major historical figure popped out. It was Mesrop Mashtots, a wise monk, theologian and linguist. Known for his weird sexual appetites, Mesrop studied in Antiocheia and invented the Armenian alphabet, after a wild wild hangover. The invention of the alphabet in 406 was the beginning of Armenian literature and proved a powerful factor in the upbuilding of the national spirit.
Sooner or later, the Arabs took over and Armenia became an autonomous emirate. The indigenous people weren't mistreated, but they got bored and wanted to get free so they could be enslaved by another nation. As a result, the rebelled and they hung the occupiers on Ararat. Armenia lived happily for a while, before being annexed by the Byzantines and later the Seljuk Turks. The Armenians remained almost autonomous and they became a strong ally of the rightful supporters of Jesus, known as the Crusaders.
When the Seljuk Empire started to collapse a new despot arrived; Genghis Khan. His hordes conquered Armenia too easily, causing him to say a historic phrase: "Like taking candy from a baby". Many inhabitants were killed, hence some historians believe this was the first genocide of Armenians.
edit Early modern era
In the early modern age, Armenia was very weak to oppose any army. As a result, the country was the apple of contention between the Ottomans, the Russians and the Persians of the Savafid Dynasty. After a legendary Monopoly game, the Persians took over. However, the Ottomans were dissatisfied and they conquered Armenia for themselves. At the same time, a drunk army of Russians plundered Yerevan.
Under Ottoman rule, the Armenians faced pervasive discrimination. For example, they were forced to eat disgusting kebab sticks, rather than their traditional meals. When the Armenians began pushing for a better diet, Sultan Abdu'l-Hamid II, in response, organised state-sponsored massacres against them between 1894 and 1896, resulting in the death of thousands of people.[4] The Hamidian massacres, as they came to be known, gave Hamid international infamy as the "Red Sultan" or "Sultan Bloody Sultan".
The Ottoman Empire started to callapse in the in the 1900's. The Young Turks Movement overthrew the Sultan, declaring free doughnuts for every ethnic group in Turkey. The Armenians hoped that Kemal Ataturk and his friends would change their second-class status. Yeah, sure he did...
edit The Armenian Genocide and afterwards
When World War I broke out, Turkey was an enemy of Russia. Armenia, didn't do anything wrong, but unfortunately they were caught in the middle. And then, the Turkish conducted the biggest genocide in Armenian history. As they had great imagination, they killed the Armenians in various ways, including Death March (walking till you don't feel your own feet) and burning them alive, while the Turkish officers roasted marshmallows. To cut a long story sort, thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of Armenians perished, while many of them fled. Until today, Turkey doesn't recognise this crime, claiming that Armenia invaded their land and they just defended themselves.
During the war, Russia annexed most parts of Armenia, but they were driven out after the Bolshevik Revolution. Confusion prevailed. The Allies wanted to help the people, Armenia declared itself a free country, the United States intervened wishing to make it a protectorate, Ataturk started complaining like a whore for his lost gains and nobody saw the the glorious Soviet Union army approaching.
edit Soviet Armenia
"In Soviet Russia, Armenian Reversal doesn't exist YOU."
Armenia was easily conquered by Soviet Russia in 1920, thus a new chapter began in the Armenian history. All in all, communist rule proved to be a soothing balm in contrast to the Ottoman-era nightmare.
The people enjoyed a period of relative stability under Soviet rule, as they were aloud to eat whatever they wanted. What is more, they received medicine and other provisions from Moscow. Therefore, Lenin was a beloved leader and the Armenians organized many fancy parades, honouring his shiny bald.
Unfortunately for the Armenians, Stalin didn't like them very much and he began an era of renewed fear and terror. As with various other ethnic groups (e.g. Goths and Hillbillies) who lived in the Soviet Union, tens of thousands of Armenians were either executed or sent to gulags.[5] However, this is of minor importance: during World War 2, the Nazis didn't reach Caucasus, hence the Armenians were saved from another destructive genocide. Imagine what would have happened, if Hitler conquered Armenia...
During Khrushchev's reign, life in Soviet Armenia began to see rapid improvement. Especially the Armenian athletes were quite successful in sports, like wrestling and weightlifting. They participated in all the Olympic Games, bringing much joy to Nikita. In 1967, a memorial to the victims of the Armenian Genocide was built at the Tsitsernakaberd hill in Yerevan.
After the death of Khrutschev, Mikhail Gorbachev took over. In fact, he was totally unable to solve some significant problems. Skirmishes with Azerbaijan occured, besides a few anti-Armenian pogroms.[6] And to top it all, a devastating earthquake made things worse. Even the genocide memorial fell amd rolled down the hill.
edit Indepedence until today
In 1990, Armenia declared independence, becoming one of the first republics to secede from Mother Russia's arms.[7] When, in 1991, the Soviet Union was dissolved and was chopped like meat, Armenia's independence was officially recognized.
The initial post-Soviet years were marred by economic difficulties as well as the break-out of a full-scale armed confrontation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The latter instigated a railway and air blockade against Armenia, effectively weaking their already crippled economy. Turkey, like a good neighbour, joined the blockade against Armenia in support of Azerbaijan. The war was ended after a Russian-brokered cease-fire was put in place in 1994. Perhaps for the first time in their history, Armenians managed to
almost win a war; however the gained territories are autonomous, or something, known as Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
edit Economy
According to Forbes magazine, Armenia had the second worst economy in the world in 2011. The country relies heavily on investment and support from Armenians abroad. Nobody gives a shit, though. I mean, why would a rich Armenian-American or French-Armenian invest his money in that mountainous land, that exports nothing but tears for their past? Alright, they do have some agriculture and they produce some lead and gold, but that's not enough...
On the other hand, the Armenian government is considering making profit from their bloody history. As a result they are planning to sue every country that had conquered them since ancient timesoday, for another great crime against our unlucky people. It might sound ridiculous, but if they charge 5$ per dead, they will be rich!
edit Tourism
edit Armenian diaspora
People of Armenian origins live all over the world. The largest Armenian communities outside of Armenia can be found in Russia, France, Iran, the United States, Georgia, Syria, Lebanon, Argentina, Australia (breath), Canada, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Poland and Ukraine. Many famous people worldwide are of Armenian descent:[8]
- Andre Agassi: who cares?
- Charles Aznavourian: he never admits to be Armenian - probably ashamed of it.
- Cher: yes sir! She is of Armenian descent and totally unproud of it.
- Ken Davitian: well, everyone thought he is from Kazakhstan.
- Kim Kardashian: she doesn't even know that.
- System of a Down: perhaps the only Armenian expatriates who care about Armenia.
- Serj Tankian
- Daron Malakian
- Shavo Odadjian
- John Dolmayan
edit See also
... ... ...
edit Footnotes
- ↑ Yes, the bird!
- ↑ On which all the Nike models were based
- ↑ Does it remind you of West and East Germany? Me too!
- ↑ But not so many thousands as later
- ↑ Under the lie that these were holiday resorts
- ↑ D'oh! It never ends, does it?
- ↑ Well, a BIG mistake
- ↑ You can distinguish them by that frustrating -ian suffix
|Northern Europe
|Channel Islands · Denmark · England · Faroe Islands · Finland · Guernsey · Iceland · Ireland · Isle of Man · Northern Ireland · Norway · Jersey · Scotland · Sealand · Svalbard · Sweden · Wales · United Kingdom
|Western Europe
|Austria · Belgium · France · Flanders · Germany · Liechtenstein · Luxembourg · Monaco · Netherlands · Switzerland
|Eastern Europe
|Armenia · Belarus · Bulgaria · Bulgovia · Czech Republic · Estonia · Hungary · Latvia · Lithuania · Moldova · Poland · Romania · Russia · Slovakia · Ukraine
|Southern Europe
|Albania · Balearic Islands · Bosnia · Catalonia · Croatia · Cyprus · Gibraltar · Greece · Italy · Kosovo · Macedonia · Madeira · Malta · Portugal · San Marino · Serbia · Sicily · Slovenia · Spain · Turkey · Vatican City
|Countries and territories of Asia
|Armenia - Azerbaijan - Cyprus - Georgia - Japan-France - Russia - Turkey (the country, not the bird) - Lebanon
|East Asia
|People's Republic of China - Hong Kong - Japan - Kansai Republic - Korea (north) (south) (pick 'em) - Macau - Mongolia - Taiwan (Republic of Taiwan) - Tibet
|Western Asia
|Arabia - Bahrain - Iran - Iraq - Israel - Jordan - Kuwait - Oman - Palestine - Qatar - Saudi Arabia - Syria - United Arab Emirates - Wherethefuckistan - Yemen
|Central Asia
|Kazakhstan - Kyrgyzstan - Turkmenistan - Uzbekistan - other-stan
|South Asia
|Afghanistan - Bangladesh - Bhutan - India - Maldives - Nepal - Pakistan - Sri Lanka
|Southeast Asia
|Cambodia - East Timor - Indonesia - Laos - Burma - Malaysia - Philippines - Singapore - Thailand - West Timor - Vietnam


text:
Recipe: Easy salmon poke
It's August, and that means it's the dead middle of the dog days of summer. So what do you do with these dog days? You eat cold fish, that's what. And not just cold fish but raw fish.
In a recent "MasterChef" episode, Felix lovingly assigned me a beautiful whole salmon. Salmon is one of those fish that I love to eat raw but can't stand cooked. In the form of sushi or sashimi, I gobble it up. Even smoked, I'll throw it on some bread with cheese and herbs. But cooked? I can't stand the stuff. I think it's dry and foul-tasting. I have yet to taste a cooked salmon that I could call delicious. (This is a challenge for you folks now; give me a cooked salmon that can stand on its own next to some beautiful sashimi.) I groaned when I realized which fish Felix had given me because my mind was immediately sent reeling into oblivion: while I would love to serve the salmon raw, Kaimana from the top 100 had not been given an apron for his out-of-this-world tuna tartare because the judges said serving it raw showed no cooking technique. And so I was torn. I decided to bake a salmon filet but not before slicing off the fatty belly to set aside in case I got the guts to follow my instincts and make a tartare or a roll.
Alas, a big FISH FAIL for me in that challenge. I went against my intuition and served the judges something I myself would hate to eat—breaded baked salmon and rice—while leaving the beautiful salmon belly to rot on the side of the Boos block.
After that day, I learned to never again doubt my instincts, always cook what I love, and not worry so much about what the judges wanted. I figured that if I followed my palate, I would fare better because I'd actually believe in my dishes and have pride in what I put on the plate.
As an "in your face" to salmon, I recently made salmon poke to not only redeem my crappy salmon dish but also to avenge for Kaimana's raw audition dish. My poke was only a fraction of his tuna's goodness, but I enjoyed eating it all the same. Obviously you can use ahi tuna in lieu of the sashimi grade salmon—ahi tuna is more common to this dish anyway—but I wanted to put a twist on the tradition.
Poke (pronounced poh-keh) is a common raw fish salad eaten in Hawaii where the fish are super fresh and therefore celebrated. I like to eat my poke on sheets of nori (seaweed), won ton crisps, or sesame crackers. It's super easy to make and delicious and healthy. The only downside is you'll have to splurge a little bit to buy the fish but you'll still be saving lots of dollars making it at home rather than ordering it in a restaurant. Just remember to use a very sharp knife to cut the fish, and employ a clean single slice as to not butcher the beautiful piece of fish you'd just spent $$ on. And remember if the Blind can [not] Cook it, so can you.


text:
WHACK the Flu!
Pre-K – 5 School Health Flu Prevention Program
Online Order Form for Stop the Spread of Flu/Wash Your Hands Materials NEW
Print Order Form for Free Handwashing and Infection Prevention Materials
Print Order Form for Free WHACK the Flu Materials
WHACK the Flu is a community education program being adapted for Missouri schools.
The WHACK the Flu program is available with free educational print materials such as a skit, activity booklet, song, and posters for pre-K – 5 classrooms. Older students, school staff, or community volunteers can be recruited and trained to perform the entertaining, yet educational, 5-minute classroom skit.
Although "WHACK" may just sound like a silly action word, it contains essential prevention messages. The acronym is used for its appeal to children and stands for:
St. Joseph Catholic School
Westphalia, MO
W: Wash your hands often;
H: Home is where you stay when you are sick;
A: Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth;
C: Cover your coughs and sneezes;
K: Keep your distance from people who are coughing or sneezing.
- WHACK Sticker
- Classroom Skit
English 8.5 x 11 Spanish 8.5 x 11
- Classroom Poster
English 11 x 17 Spanish 11 x 17 Bosnian 11 x 17
English 8.5 x 11 Spanish 8.5 x 11 Bosnian 8.5 x 11
- Activity Booklet
English Spanish Bosnian
- Bookmark
English Spanish Bosnian
- Program Description (Flu Facts)
- Teacher Evaluation Form
- Order Form
- Activity Worksheet for Kids
- The Handwashing Song
English Spanish
- WHACK the Flu Program Flyer
- Handwashing and Infection Prevention Campaign Materials
- Handwashing and Infection Prevention Campaign Materials Order Form
- Napa County Public Health Division's WHACK the Flu website (includes Spanish materials)
More Classroom Activities:
CDC's School Network for Absenteeism Prevention - Middle school curriculum on handwashing
Sink Those Germs Wash Your Hands! Youth Handwashing Education Program
For additional information about the WHACK the Flu program, contact Alyce Turner, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, 573-751-6113.


text:
Top folk artist in Northleigh
PUBLISHED: 18:30 24 January 2013
One of the best folk singers and song writers around, Steve Tilston, will be perfroming at Northleigh Village Hall next month.
He was the winner at the BBC Radio Two Folk Awards 2012 for the best original song, which was awarded for the title track of his album The Reckoning.
He has been described as "an artist of stylistic versatility and consummate musicality, a complete guitarist, a singer/song writer of rare talent and absurdly accomplished".
He is one of the most celebrated song-smiths, with many of his songs adopted into the tradition.
He will be playing at Northleigh Village Hall on Saturday, February 9, at 8pm, in a gig organised by Villages in Action.
Adult tickets cost £8.50, children £4 and family tickets cost £20, call 01404 831476.


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Update: Tasers and baton rounds used by police during armed stand-off with man in Dugard Road, Colchester
PUBLISHED: 09:32 31 July 2014
Police officers fired Tasers and baton rounds during an armed siege in Colchester after a man allegedly shot at them and their vehicles.
Officers and mental health professionals went to an address in Dugard Avenue because of concerns about the welfare of a man there.
Chief Superintendent Luke Collison said after entering the property a "possible firearm" was seen and they withdrew.
They called for back-up, which included specialist firearms officers, and cordoned off and area of the road.
Ch Supt Collison added: "A suspected air weapon has been recovered and it is believed to have been discharged several times at police officers and police vehicles.
"Attempts were made to negotiate before firearms officers used taser and baton rounds to respond and bring the incident to a safe conclusion for all concerned.
"Considering the significant risk that officers faced I can only admire the considerable restraint used to resolve a situation that was in danger of escalating – with the potential for serious injury and harm."
The incident reached a conclusion at around 6.30pm when the man, 43, was arrested and taken away by officers.


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Zac Efron Caught With a Whole Bunch of Sex Toys
Zac Efron has a pretty public sex life, almost entirely by accident.
After dropping a condom on the red carpet at the premiere of 'The Lorax,' the former 'High School Musical' star is in another photographic gaffe, this time with a bunch of dildos. But it's not what you think. No, really.
Page Six reports that Efron was photographed surrounded by plastic phalli in the New York City Fantasy World sex toy shop.
They weren't just any dildos, though. They were glowing.
As exciting as that is, Efron didn't want anyone to know where he was or what he was doing. He reportedly chased down a paparazzi and begged him to delete the photos because he has a young fanbase.
When the photographer refused to erase the shots, Efron's team took the proactive step to publicize the fact that he was merely filming a scene from his upcoming movie, 'Are We Officially Dating.'
Fair enough, but we wouldn't judge him if some goodies went missing from props. You do you, boo!


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Hello. Im trying to write a story about the Founders, but there are a few things Id like to get other opinions on.
My first question has to do with the actual founding of Hogwarts. How long would it have taken? Did the four friends just get together one day and decide they were going to start a school and then go right out and do it? Did they plan for it? Or was it more of a gradual idea that came on over time? This concerns me quite a bit because it plays into their ages how old they would have been when the idea was formed, how long they worked on it, and how old theyd be by the time of my fanfiction.
I kind of feel like it would have taken a while to found the school, because a castle the size of Hogwarts doesnt just spring up overnight. Unless they used an already existing castle that had been abandoned, and just fixed it up a bit?
My other question is about the Sorting Hat. When was it created? Any ideas? Its song in Goblet of Fire says: While still alive they did divide/Their favorites from the throng/Yet how to pick the worthy ones/When they were dead and gone?/Twas Gryffindor who found the way/He whipped me off his head/The founders put some brains in me/So I could choose instead!
Do you think they did that before any of them died, or after? And would it have been before or after Slytherin left the school?
And, speaking of Slytherin, how much time do you think passed between the founding/opening of Hogwarts, and the time he left the school? According to the song in Order of the Phoenix:
So Hogwarts worked in harmony/For several happy years/But then discord crept among us/Feeding on our faults and fears/The houses that, like pillars four/Had once held up our school/Now turned upon each other, and/Divided, sought to rule/And for a while it seemed the school/Must meet an early end/What with dueling and with fighting/And the clash of friend on friend/Then at last there came a morning/When old Slytherin departed/And though the fighting then died out/He left us quite downhearted.
The only references to time here are for several happy years and then for a while before Slytherin left at last. We also know that Slytherin had something to do with the Chamber of Secrets, whether he built it himself or simply used a tunnel the others didnt know about. What do you think? How long did it take Slytherin to become discontented enough with the other founders to leave the school?


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Lena Dunham, Neil Patrick Harris, Olivia Wilde + More in Celebrity Tweets of the Day
'Tis the first Monday in September (Sept. 2), which according to our calendar makes it Labor Day — which means that kids have to go back to school and everyone else is banned from wearing white for an undetermined amount of time starting tomorrow.
Lena Dunham will not be naked on the big screen anytime soon.
I lost the role in 50 Shades of Grey so you won't be hearing from me for awhile
— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) September 2, 2013
Ditto Max Greenfield.
My participation in the 50 Shades film was contingent on Roz from Frasier being cast as Anastasia. Sad this didn't work out. #Showbiz
— max greenfield (@iamgreenfield) September 2, 2013
British people will be judging Olivia Wilde's British accent.
Premiere tonight in London for @rushthemovie. Watching my British accent with a bunch of British people shouldn't be stressful at all.
— olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) September 2, 2013
James Deen basically had a wet dream about Cher.
had a dream that i made out with cher… i think that is cool… ?
— James Deen (@JamesDeen) September 2, 2013
These are the things that Juliette Lewis makes us think about.
Vin Deisel is a real person's name…
— Juliette Lewis (@JulietteLewis) September 2, 2013
Josh Groban is busy fake-spoiling 'Breaking Bad.'
I can't believe Walt Jr. killed Gomez. *spoiler alert*
— josh groban (@joshgroban) September 2, 2013
And everyone else wished the world a happy Labor Day.
Happy Labor Day. It's nice to have a paid day to get off. Just don't burn your wiener or overheat your buns. #subtle #innuendo
— bob saget (@bobsaget) September 2, 2013
Hope everyone had a wonderful summer and that you're all having a safe, fantastic Labor Day weekend!
— Joan Rivers (@Joan_Rivers) September 2, 2013
Happy Labour Day to my Canadian Friends! #spellingcounts
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) September 2, 2013
Happy Labor Day; please do not operate heavy machinery.
— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) September 2, 2013
Happy Labor Day! Here's to all the hard workers. And to anybody who helps you move. And to anybody in labor.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) September 2, 2013
Here's to all the hard working people in our country – Happy Labor Day- You deserve a day off. (and i'm sick)
— John Stamos (@JohnStamos) September 2, 2013
Happy Labor Day, everyone! Hope you get to honor and celebrate working by… not.
— Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) September 2, 2013
My next movie takes place over #LaborDay. @JasonReitman directed & it's called "Labor Day". It'll be in theaters on Christmas #ofcourse
— James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) September 2, 2013


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Indians reportedly agree to deal with Damon
Cleveland seeking help for sagging early-season offense
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com
Multiple reports Thursday evening indicated that Cleveland had reached an agreement on a one-year contract with free-agent outfielder Johnny Damon, adding a veteran hitter to the mix. Indians general manager Chris Antonetti declined to comment and an official announcement is not expected to come until Friday at the earliest.
"While we continue to explore opportunities to improve the team," Antonetti wrote in an email, "we haven't agreed to sign or trade for anyone."
The contract is reportedly worth a base salary of $1.25 million and will include another $1.4 million in performance bonuses.
MLB Network and FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, who first reported that the sides were nearing a deal, reported that Damon's contract would include a full no-trade clause, as well as an out clause that will allow the outfielder to seek free agency on a specified date following center fielder Grady Sizemore's return from the disabled list.
Damon -- a Scott Boras client -- acknowledged the deal in an interview with Jim Bowden and Casey Stern on the MLB Network Radio channel on SiriusXM.
"I had a conversation with them today," Damon said on Thursday. "I told them I've been staying in great shape, been running, been throwing, been hitting, been playing soccer. So I told them I feel like I could be ready in a couple of days. But I understand the grind of standing between innings and all that stuff, so I think I'm going to go out and work out for a week, and hopefully that's enough.
"Like I said, I've kept myself in pretty good shape, and I'm just excited that Cleveland is giving me this opportunity to see what I can do and also go help out a young team and provide some leadership to them."
Sizemore underwent surgery on his lower back on March 1 and is on the 60-day disabled list while he works through a rehab program in Cleveland. Sizemore is not eligible to be activated from the disabled list until June 3, and the Indians remain hopeful that the center fielder will be able to rejoin the team by then, or shortly after.
With Sizemore on the sidelines, the Indians have been using an outfield alignment of Shelley Duncan in left field, Michael Brantley in center and Shin-Soo Choo in right. Brantley moved from left to center following Sizemore's latest injury -- Sizemore has undergone six surgeries in the past four years for various issues -- and could move back to left upon Sizemore's return.
"Obviously, when Sizemore does come back, there's roster moves that have to happen," Damon said in the radio interview. "I'm going to do everything I can to play great, and hopefully when Sizemore comes back, there's still a spot for me, still some playing time for me. I know what Cleveland really wanted. They wanted somebody with a winning mentality and someone who has been there and done that, and obviously I've been around for a long time."
For the past two years, Cleveland used Duncan primarily as a right-handed option off the bench, adding depth to first base, designated hitter and left field. The Indians like Duncan in that reserve role, but gave him a chance to be the starting left fielder on Opening Day. With Damon in the fold, Duncan could move back to his bench role or platoon with the left-handed-hitting veteran.
Damon noted that the Indians have indeed offered him a role in left field.
"That's what Cleveland has offered me," he said. "I need to go out there and show people I can still play there. Right now, Shelley Duncan is the starting left fielder. I know they are going to rotate me in and give him a breather but, you know, I also understand this game, too. If Shelley Duncan is on fire at the plate, he's going to play. And if I am, they are going to find a place for me.
"So I'm going to go there and rejoin a few former teammates -- Shelley Duncan, Derek Lowe, Casey Kotchman -- and go and try to have as much fun as we can and try to win some ballgames."
One thing that is clear right now is that Cleveland needs to improve offensively.
Entering Thursday, when the Indians had a scheduled off-day, they were hitting .176, which ranked last among baseball's 30 teams. Cleveland managed 20 runs in five games, leading to a 1-4 record in season-opening series against the Blue Jays and White Sox. Considering the first two games included 28 innings, it is fair to note that Cleveland is averaging just 3.3 runs per nine innings.
Damon, 38, is a veteran of 17 seasons in the big leagues spent with the Royals, A's, Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers and Rays. He has 2,723 career hits, 277 from 3,000.
Last year, Damon hit .261 with a .326 on-base percentage, 16 home runs, 29 doubles, 73 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in 150 games for Tampa Bay. He was a designated hitter in 133 of those games.
Damon hit .285 with a .363 on-base percentage and an average of 19 homers and 74 RBIs from 2006-09, when he benefited from the short right-field porch at the old and new Yankee Stadiums. Since leaving New York, Damon has hit .266 with a .340 OBP and an average of 12 homers and 62 RBIs over the past two years with Detroit and Tampa Bay.
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Hi All!
My name is Jo Ellen and I currently reside in Arizona!! Where it is always warm and sunny. I have been making quilts for a while, and am currently working on busting my scraps, (which I have 3 bins of!!!). I can not wait to meet you all, and look at others amazing work and post some of mine!
Happy sewing!!!
Jo Ellen


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|Stott, Diane
|Kennedy, Ann
|Cambardella, Cynthia - Cindy
Submitted to: Soil Quality and Soil Erosion Interactions
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/30/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary:
Technical Abstract: Soil quality has moved beyond being equated solely with productivity, to inclusion of the soil's capacity to partition water and maintain environmental quality. A final determination of the soil's relative quality is dependent upon it's use. Concentrating on agricultural uses, we'll discuss the impact of the soil microbial communities on the soil quality aspect of water partitioning, to include soil crusting, infiltration rates, aggregation and compaction. Soil organic matter (SOM) influences these soil physical characteristics. A major activity is the decomposition and transformation of organic residues (plant and animal) into SOM. There is evidence that management strategies influence not only the amount of SOM in soil, but how it is distributed in various fractions: humic, fulvic or humin, light vs. heavy; or particulate vs. soluble. New research indicates that the relative distribution of SOM amongst the fractions impacts soil structure, crusting and erodibility. The nature of soil biological communities, microbial and macrofaunal, make them a sensitive indicator for assessing alterations in soil quality due to changing management practices. Soil populations may provide advanced evidence of changes in the soil before changes in soil physical and chemical properties become apparent. Methods to assess the status of the soil microbial communities are available, but interpretation is challenging. The research community is continuing to increase the understanding of the relation between assay results and status of the soil system. This leads to knowledge of how management, soil biological communities, and soil quality interact with change, thus allowing for more informed management decisions.


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The state of North Carolina is once again looking to court a
tech giant to provide as many as 210 new jobs and $600 million USD in
investment to Caldwell County. N.C. was successful in bringing Dell Computer to
Guilford County and it is now looking to make a deal with search giant Google.
In an effort to secure a deal with Google, the state's Economic Investment
Committee is offering the company a $4.7 million
USD grant to build a new operational center near Lenoir.
A spokesman for Google was reluctant to confirm if the NC
site was near the top of its list of candidates for the new operational center.
Google is "evaluating a number of sites, including one in Lenoir, N.C., as
possible locations for new technology infrastructure to support the growing
demand for our online services," said Google spokesman Barry Schnitt.
"We appreciate the efforts of the state and local governments and hope to
have additional details to announce in the coming months."
Caldwell County has fallen on hard times in recent years due
to the closing of many textile and furniture operations. Caldwell County just
recently saw the closing
of two Broyhill Furniture plants which resulted in the loss of 1,000 jobs.
The county also has an unemployment rate of 7.5% compared to 4.9% for the
entire state. A successful Google deal with hopefully reinvigorate the county
which is currently classified as Tier 1 -- the state's lowest rung in measuring
economic activity.
"The state has made a good offer, and we hope Google will
accept it and decide to locate their facility in North Carolina," said NC
governor Mike Easley. "This company would provide the kind of good-paying,
knowledge-based jobs that North Carolina citizens want. In addition, this kind
of investment in Caldwell County would help reinvigorate an area hard hit in
the past by the loss of textile jobs."
Should Google accept the offer, the new facility would be
located in a new 215-acre industrial park near Lenoir and would serve as a home
to a server farm.
As a part of the $4.7 million USD grant, Google will be
required to provide as much as $480 million USD in investments and 168 jobs
paying $48,000 a year by 2011.


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THOMPSON/CENTER ARMS Encore Single Shot Rifles
Thompson Center Arms Blue Synthetic 25-06/Adjustable Sights/24" Barrel
The Encore rifle is a full size single shot rifle with a break open design for fast and easy loading and it boasts easily interchangeable barrels as well. With its classic Monte Carlo buttstock, this rifle mounts instantly with the scope aligned at eye level.
SPECIFICATIONS:Mfg Item Num: 3489 Category: FIREARMS - RIFLES Action :Break Open Action (Single Shot)Caliber :25-06 RemingtonBarrel Length :24"Capacity :1Trigger :AdjustableSafety :Hammer SafetyLength :38 1/2"Weight :6 3/4 lbsStock :Black SyntheticFinish :Blue


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FITNESS STUDIO EYES EDGEWOOD PLAZA ... A new fitness studio that combines group exercise with high-intensity interval training is scheduled to open in Palo Alto's renovated Edgewood Plaza near Embarcadero Road and U.S. Highway 101. Orangetheory Fitness , a franchise based in Florida, was started in 2009 and now has 200 locations. "There's nothing else like it in this area," said Kendall Riding, a Bay Area native who, along with her two partners, plans to open an Orangetheory in Palo Alto this fall. "We chose Edgewood Plaza because this particular shopping center is a neighborhood-serving center. Plus, it's a great location because of its proximity to the highway, and it has a big parking lot," Riding said. A former real estate developer, Riding, who lives in San Francisco, says that Palo Alto was her first choice for the new business. "Assuming we make it through a few more hurdles, it looks like it will be an October or November opening," Riding said. Following the city-permit process, Orangetheory will join Fresh Market and Chase Bank at Edgewood Plaza, with other new tenants expected to sign on soon.
ANATOLIAN KITCHEN DOUBLES ITS SPACE ... It took a little longer than expected, but the Mediterranean restaurant, Anatolian Kitchen , 2323 Birch St., Palo Alto, is nearly finished with its expansion. Once the adjacent building is completed, it will add about 1,000 square feet to the existing restaurant, which will just about double its current size. The additional space is in the former site of Ramona's Pizza , which closed unexpectedly in May 2013. Owner Dino Tekdemir, who opened Anatolian Kitchen in 2010, will be adding a banquet room to the new structure. "We're also going to have live music on the weekends and belly dancers," he said, adding there will be a new bar menu and happy hour. The grand opening of the newly renovated space will likely be in July, according to Tekdemir.
PHILZ TO MAKE A SPLASH IN SANTA MONICA ... Philz Coffee, which started in San Francisco in 2003 and has two popular locations in Palo Alto, continues its explosive growth with the announcement that it is opening its first store in Southern California. "We've gotten so many requests on social media to open a shop in that area. We decided on Santa Monica because its culture of innovation and technology is similar to what we have here in the Bay Area. It's going to be a great fit," said Philz CEO Jacob Jaber. Scheduled to open next month, Philz Santa Monica will bring the total number of Philz cafes to 15. Additionally, Philz has been serving its coffee on all Virgin America flights since 2011.
This story contains 547 words.
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I am a massive hp fan. im in the middle of writing my first story, i have 3 chapters done already!!
I have started 2 other stories now. One of them is a One-shot which is done but not posted on this site (its on fanfiction.net). It is set a few years after hogwarts and what happend in that time and then what happens now. Its hard to explain. I will post the link later. I have another sotry about Dudley and how he finds out that he is a wizard and he turns evil and goes to lord voldy pants. The One shot is called " All that is left" and the dudley one is called " From the unknown" its a crappy title i know but eh. My main sotry "Times Change" has also been posted on fanfiction.net its only 3 chapters right now but im aimign for about thirty odd chapters. I want it completed by mid next year. I have the whole holidays to write it. so yeah. thats my stories which can all be found at http://www.fanfiction.net/u/934544/ go check it out. yay! mroe about me to come in later days. laters everyone!
The HP Family Quiz made by Sapphire.
You scored as Albus Dumbledore. Strong and powerful you admirably defend your world and your charges against those who would seek to harm them. However sometimes you can fail to do what you must because you care too much to cause suffering.
Albus Dumbledore
Hermione Granger
Remus Lupin
Harry Potter
Draco Malfoy
Ginny Weasley
Ron Weasley
Severus Snape
Sirius Black
Lord Voldemort
Your Harry Potter Alter Ego Is...?
created with QuizFarm.com


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Join the 'Clinitar' group to help and get support from people like you.
Clinitar News
Study Highlights the Beauty Industry's Ugly Side
Posted 26 Jun 2017 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, June 26, 2017 – When you purchase a new eye shadow or shampoo, you expect those products will be safe and that they won't cause skin breakouts – or worse. But new research found that's not always the case. And, because cosmetics are woefully underregulated in the United States, and there's no solid system in place to catch when personal care products are harmful, it's possible you'll never hear about a problem with a product, the study suggested. A U.S. Food and Drug Administration complaints database contains only 5,144 adverse events between 2004 and 2016 reported in connection with cosmetics, noted the study's senior author Dr. Steve Xu. He's a dermatologist with Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. "Here is a $400 billion industry with millions of products and multiple controversies, but we only had about 5,000 adverse events over the course of ... Read more
Related support groups: Acne, Rosacea, Epiduo, Sulfur, Therapeutic, Drysol, Retin-A, Rogaine, Hypercare, Psoriasin, Benzoyl Peroxide, Acne Treatment, Adapalene, Differin, Salicylic Acid, Compound W, Fleet, Finacea, Capsaicin, Calamine
Health Tip: Use Dandruff Shampoo Correctly
Posted 7 Jun 2016 by Drugs.com
-- If you have a dry, flaky scalp, a dandruff shampoo used correctly can help stem those flakes. The American Academy of Dermatology advises: There are different types of dandruff shampoos with different active ingredients. Make sure you carefully read and follow the label's instructions. People of Asian or Caucasian heritage should limit use of dandruff shampoo to twice weekly. People of African-American ethnicity should limit use of dandruff shampoo to once weekly. People with white, blond or gray hair should be careful when using dandruff shampoo that contains coal tar, which can affect hair's color. Protect your scalp from the sun if you use tar shampoo, which may make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Read more
Related support groups: Therapeutic, Ketoconazole, Psoriasin, Dandruff, Nizoral, Coal Tar, Eczema Cream, Nizoral A-D, Ionil T, Coal Tar Strong, Ketoconazole/Pyrithione Zinc, Extina, Nizoral Topical, Neutrogena T/Gel, Anti-Dandruff, MG 217 Psoriasis, Nizoral Shampoo, Xolegel, Kuric, Pinetarsol Tar
Hawaii Facing Rise in Dengue Fever Cases
Posted 3 Dec 2015 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Dec. 3, 2015 – Do your winter travel plans include Hawaii? You may want to pack bug repellent, experts say. That's because the Big Island of Hawaii is facing an outbreak of dengue fever – a mosquito-borne virus that can cause terrible headache and crushing pain in the muscles and joints. State health officials have confirmed 117 cases of dengue fever on the Big Island since mid-September, including 103 local residents and 14 visitors to the island. One other case has been reported on the island of Oahu, but health officials say it was not locally transmitted and is not tied to the new outbreak. The jump in cases has prompted top experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to visit the island this week to try and help, CNN reported Wednesday. "I don't think travelers should be overly worried, but they should take care to avoid mosquitoes as much as ... Read more
Related support groups: Sulfur, Therapeutic, Drysol, Rogaine, Hypercare, Psoriasin, Capsaicin, Calamine, Vaniqa, Zinc Oxide, Arnica, Viral Infection, Protopic, Elidel, Calmoseptine, Collagen, Selenium Sulfide, Aluminum Chloride Hexahydrate, Capzasin, Insect Bites
Retail Prices of Dermatology Drugs Skyrocket
Posted 25 Nov 2015 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 25, 2015 – Patients using prescription creams, gels, sprays and pills for skin conditions may shell out substantially more at the pharmacy than they did just six years ago, a new study suggests. Between 2009 and 2015, retail prices of brand-name dermatologic drugs rose 401 percent, on average, study authors reported Nov. 25 in JAMA Dermatology. Even generics have succumbed to price inflation, up 279 percent between 2011 and 2014, based on the drugs surveyed. Price increases for skin treatments far outpaced the general inflation rate of 11 percent during the six-year study period, the researchers said. "Cancer drugs were the worst in terms of the numbers" – up 1,240 percent or nearly $11,000 over the six-year study period – primarily because of two medicines, said Dr. Steven Rosenberg, voluntary professor of dermatology at the University of Miami Miller School of ... Read more
Related support groups: Monistat, RID, Monistat 3, Eczema, Monistat 7, Voltaren Gel, Dermatitis, Clobetasol, Contact Dermatitis, Mupirocin, Efudex, Epiduo, Sulfur, Therapeutic, Drysol, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Maintain, Bactroban, Retin-A, Silver
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Seborrheic Dermatitis, Psoriasis, Dermatitis


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Cadence Keen Innovations Sleep Solutions Bed Made EZ
Bed Made EZ eliminates the need to ever lift another mattress to make a bed. Inserts effortlessly between mattress and box spring and mattress lifts as it slides in. allows mattress to rest in a raised position eliminating repeated lifting. Alleviates fatigue and strain to the back, shoulders, and neck with ergonomic design. Great for applying and tucking linens, maneuvering around night stands and footboards, and putting on bed skirts.
- Wide base keeps BedMadeEZ from tipping
- Length assures ascension with minimum physical effort
- Ledge allows mattress to rest in raised position
- Ergonomic rubber handle allows multiple gripping positions
- Durable
- smooth
- polypropylene material for easy glide
- Height permits tucking of multiple sheets
- blankets and duvets
- I-Beam design withstands weights of 250 lbs plus
- Narrow nose can be used for tucking
- Lightweight - only 14 ounces
- Lifetime replacement warranty


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Our jaws hit the floor when we saw these bridals of Morgan by Jeremy Gilliam Photography. His site says, "Specializing in Awesome" and judging by these bridals, we say so!
Venue :: Off the Grid
Gown :: Watters
Make Up :: Ashlee at Vision Art Studio
Photography :: Jeremy Gilliam


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Mr. Chairman, Senator Kerry and Members of the Committee. I am Charlie Stenholm, former Member of Congress from the 17th District of Texas and currently a Senior Policy Affairs Affairs Advisor at Olsson, Frank and Weeda. I am also a member of the Board of Directors of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and the Concord Coalition. This testimony is my own and does not represent any position or conclusion of any of these organizations.
In my twenty six years in Congress, I worked with many members on both sides of the aisle, including several members of this committee, fighting to leave a better future for our children and grandchildren. We spent many years working extremely hard and casting many tough votes to eliminate the deficit and put us in a position to begin paying down the debt. It has been extremely frustrating to see the fruits of that labor squandered by the "deficits don't matter" mentality that took hold in recent years. I am hopeful that this hearing and similar discussions about the dangers of continued deficits and the need to take action are a sign that the tide is shifting back to the bipartisan balanced budget consensus we had in the 1990s.
I have been asked to share my thoughts about how to deal with our nation's rising public debt. My testimony can be summarized in three recommendations based on West Texas Tractor Seat Common Sense:
- First, acknowledge that we face a problem. Policymakers need to take to heart the message of The Concord Coalition's Fiscal Wake Up Tour that Bob Bixby described – our nation is on a fiscally unsustainable course and difficult choices must be confronted.
- Second, stop digging the hole deeper through debt financed tax cuts or spending programs.
- Third, begin a bipartisan process in which both parties put everything on the table and honestly negotiate the tradeoffs.
From Deficits to Surpluses and Back
In the 1990s, a bipartisan consensus in Congress recognized that we could not continue to allow deficits and debt to spiral out of control. We balanced the budget, and the benefits were enormous: the longest peacetime expansion of the American economy in 50 years, four straight years of budget surpluses, record low unemployment and poverty rates, and record high homeownership. In January of 2001, the Congressional Budget Office projected a budget surplus of $5.6 trillion over ten years. We were on path to paying off the publicly held debt. There were even warnings that we were in danger of paying off debt too quickly.
Today, our nation has returned to the era of deficits as far as the eye can see. The national debt broke through the $8 trillion barrier, a number that seemed incomprehensible just a few short years ago. The national debt is on track to exceed $10 trillion in debt by 2008 or early 2009.
The recent news that the deficit for 2006 will be nearly $60 billion below the $318 billion deficit recorded last year is good news, but the fact that a deficit of $260 billion is a cause for celebration is in itself an indication of how deep of a hole we have dug for ourselves. Even more troubling is the fact that most analysts have warned that the modest decline in the defict is temporary and will be followed by deficits climbing back over $300 billion. An update on the budget outlook issued by Goldman Sachs earlier this week estimated that the 2007 deficit will be $300 billion and will continue to grow in nominal terms and as a percentage of GDP through the rest of the decade. Goldman Sachs estimates that the cumulative deficit over the next decade will total $4.4 trillion. These estimates are in line with the estimates of other independent analysts. These sobering assessments should temper any celebrations about the temporary decline in the deficit this year.
As my former colleague in the House Blue Dog Coalition Jim Cooper and others have pointed out, those numbers actually understate the true size of our fiscal shortfall. The Financial Report of United States Government issued by the Treasury Department calculated that the government ran a deficit of $760 billion 2005 on a net operating basis, and that number does not even include the accrued obligations of Social Security and Medicare. The Government Accountability Office estimated that our total fiscal exposure of the federal government are in excess of $46 trillion.
It is true that our nation has faced unexpected emergencies that have contributed to the deficit, but that should not be an excuse for fiscal irresponsibility. Many of us warned that the anticipated budget surpluses were only projections and that it was dangerous to make commitments using all of the projected surpluses without leaving any room for error. We warned that if the projections didn't turn out exactly as hoped, we would return to deficits. We should have set aside some of the projected surplus as a cushion to prepare for unanticipated costs. And when we were faced with those unanticipated costs, we should have gone back and made changes in our budget plans.
Deficits Do Matter
Some defenders of our current economic and fiscal policies have argued that deficits don't matter. The reality is that deficits do matter, both for our economic security today as well as the future we leave for our children and grandchildren.
The United States has been able to sustain large budget deficits without an increase in domestic interest rates because the increased demand for borrowing has been offset by an increased inflow of capital from global markets. Our increased reliance on foreign capital to finance our deficits places our economic security at the mercy of global bankers and foreign governments. If foreign investors stop buying US bonds we would face higher inflation and higher interest rates, putting our economy at risk of a large scale recession.
Large deficits financed by borrowing from foreign investors are also a major factor contributing to the trade deficits which are exporting jobs overseas. We need to keep the value of the dollar high in order to attract the foreign capital we need to finance our debt. If the value of the dollar declines, US bonds will be less valuable to foreign investors. But the strong dollar we need to help Treasury finance our budget deficits hurts our businesses by making US exports more expensive.
Our current borrow and spend policies are worse than the tax and spend policies of the past, because they will leave a crushing debt tax burden for future generations who don't have any say in what we are doing and don't benefit from the tax cuts and spending programs for current generations. Our grandchildren will face ever higher tax burdens simply to cover increasing interest payments instead of addressing other needs such as keeping our military the strongest in the world, protecting our domestic security, providing health care, strengthening Social Security and Medicare, and investing in our education system.
A German philosopher named Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said that the ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children. We cannot leave it to our grandchildren to shoulder the enormous burden of our debt. Our grandchildren do not have a vote. That is why it is so easy for us to say here today we can fight two wars, we can fund homeland security, we can fight the war on terrorism, we can rebuild the Gulf Coast and we can keep cutting taxes, because we are going to send the bill to our grandchildren.
One of my proudest moments in Congress was when the House passed the Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, and one of my greatest disappointments was when the Senate fell one vote short of approving it. A Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment and strong budget enforcement rules would protect the rights of future generations who are not represented in our political system but will bear the burden of our decisions today. If a Balanced Budget Amendment were already in the Constitution, we would not have been able to enact the budget policies advocated by the majority that have resulted in a rapid increase in our national debt.
The First Step Toward Getting Out Of The Deficit Hole: Quit Digging
My philosophy on budget issues has always begun with some simple West Texas Tractor Seat Common Sense – When you find yourself in a hole, the first rule is to quit digging. Unfortunately, the legislative agenda is filled with items that would dig the hole deeper through tax cuts and increased spending. The most notable example was the so-called trifecta bill which combined a temporary extension of business tax breaks, a permanent reduction in the estate tax and a new mandatory spending program for mine reclamation along with an increase in the minimum wage.
The Trifecta Bill is an example of the worst kind of legislative log-rolling: a debt-financed extension of politically popular tax breaks is used as the vehicle to advance a much larger tax cut which would result in a substantial reduction in long-term revenues and when the package ran into opposition a new spending program was added to the bill to gain enough support to overcome the opposition. While the individual items in the package may be worthwhile on policy grounds, the combination of cutting taxes and increasing spending in one bill without regard for how those costs would fit into the overall budget is a perfect example of how the legislative process has produced a large and growing debt.
Earlier this year Congress took a modest step toward controlling the growth of entitlement spending last year by utilizing the reconciliation process to address entitlements for the first time in eight years. Reconciliation bills making changes in entitlement programs as well as tax policy in order to reduce the deficit were a regular part of the legislative process prior to the surplus era. Unfortunately, the modest savings achieved in the spending reconciliation bill were more than wiped out by tax cuts enacted under reconciliation protections.
In recent years Congress has routinely used the special procedural protections under reconciliation to facilitate the passage of legislation that would increase the deficit. This is exactly the opposite way reconciliation was intended to be used. It was a bad precedent to set in a period of surpluses, and is even worse now that the budget is back into deficit. Reconciliation protections are intended to help Congress take actions that are responsible but politically difficult, not irresponsible but politically popular. Congress should prohibit the use of reconciliation protections for legislation that would increase the deficit and make reconciliation bills that achieve savings for deficit reduction a regular part of the annual budget process.
Dealing with our budget deficit must begin with reinstatement of budget enforcement rules to take away the shovels from Congress and the administration by restricting the ability of Congress and the President to enact legislation that would increase the deficit.
The pay as you go budget enforcement rules and discretionary spending limits, which Congress and the President enacted in 1990 and extended in 1997 with bipartisan support, were an important part of getting a handle on the deficits in the early 1990s and getting the budget back into balance.
Reinstating paygo rules and discretionary spending limits would not balance the budget by themselves, but would represent an important first step in bringing discipline to the budget process by prohibiting policy changes that would further enlarge the deficit. They have been tested, and they worked. They didn't always work perfectly, but there is no question that they significantly improved the responsibility and accountability of the budget process.
The principle of paygo -- if we want to reduce our revenues or increase our spending, we need to say how we would pay for it within our budget – is something all families understand. If we want to reduce our revenues, we need to say what spending we will do without. If we want to increase spending, we need to say where we will come up with the revenues for the new spending or what other spending we will do without.
The concept of applying PAYGO rules to all legislation -- spending and revenues -- has received support from both sides of the aisle since it was originally enacted. "Two-sided" PAYGO was originally enacted in the bipartisan budget agreement of 1990 and extended in the bipartisan balanced budget agreement of 1997. Furthermore, it was included in the budget passed by the Republican Congress in 1995. Applying pay-as-you-go rules to tax cuts does not prevent Congress from passing more tax cuts. All it requires is that Congress must identify another source of revenue or spending reduction if it wants to enact or extend a tax cut.
Those who want to extend expiring tax cuts or make the tax cuts permanent should be willing to put forward the spending cuts or other offsets necessary to pay for them. Similarly, those who want to spend more in certain areas need to be willing to say where they would cut or how they would raise revenues to pay for their proposals.
I would say with all due respect to my Republican friends that if you are sincere in what say about controlling spending, you should not have a problem with reinstating pay as you go for taxes as well as spending because it would force Congress to actually cut spending to accompany tax cuts instead of just promising to cut spending in the future. The problem is that the actions of the majority in Congress haven't matched the rhetoric. Congress and the administration have cut taxes without cutting spending, and have charged the difference to our children and grandchildren by increasing the deficit.
The pay-as-you-go principle is not simply a matter of bookkeeping, but a key element of sound economic policymaking. A recent report issued by the Treasury Department providing a dynamic analysis of proposals to permanently extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts illustrate the importance of offsetting the revenue loss from tax cuts. Although the report cited economic models which found that certain tax cuts can result in higher savings and increasing capital stock the report noted that "when lower taxes on capital income are financed initially by issuing government debt, private investment is crowded out by an increase in government borrowing," limiting the economic benefit from the tax cuts. The report went on to say that in some instances the benefits from tax relief that increases the deficit are more than offset by the financing of government debt.
No reputable analyst believes that cutting taxes will result in higher revenues than would have occurred without the tax cut. While some tax cuts may result in economic growth that produces some revenue feedback, there is no credible analysis that claims those potential benefits would offset the revenue loss. Analyses from the Congressional Budget Office, the Joint Committee on Taxation, the Federal Reserve Board, and the President's own Council of Economic Advisors have all concluded that the tax cuts enacted over the last four years will have little or no impact on long term economic growth and cause deficits to be larger than they otherwise would have been.
Put everything on the table
A serious discussion about balancing the budget will require both parties to make sacrifices. All areas of the budget must be on the table and the burden of deficit reduction should be distributed fairly across the budget. I have always said that those of us in agriculture are willing to accept our fair share of reductions if all other areas of the budget are asked to sacrifice as well, but we aren't willing to shoulder an undue burden of cuts so that other areas of the budget can avoid budget discipline. I believe that this view is shared by advocates of other areas of the budget as well.
The Promise to Our Children and Grandchildren being circulated by For Our Grandchildren, a bipartisan Social Security education organization which has retained me as a spokesman, embodies this approach. The promise asks candidates to seek an honest, bipartisan debate about Social Security and find responsible solutions to meet these challenges that the system will face in the years ahead. It doesn't commit candidates to any specific policy proposals. Rather, it calls on policymakers to put all options on the table to develop a solution which honestly addresses the pressure that the unfunded obligations that the current system will place on taxpayers and other budgetary priorities in a way that is fair to all generations, protects current retirees and strengthens the safety net for the most vulnerable. If all candidates from both parties conduct themselves in this spirit in the debate over Social Security and our other fiscal challenges it will be much easier to reach bipartisan agreement on responsible solutions.
The renewed public focus on the need to address the long-term problems facing entitlement programs has been encouraging. However, rhetoric about the need to make tough choices with regard to entitlement programs is undercut when it is not matched by a willingness to make similarly tough choices on the revenue side of the ledger. It is fiscally irresponsible and politically unrealistic to call for reforms of entitlement programs in the name of fiscal discipline while simultaneously advocating tax cuts that will make the short term deficit and long term fiscal imbalance worse. It is neither fiscally responsible nor politically viable to make cutbacks in some areas of the budget in the name of deficit reduction while exempting other areas of the budget from budget discipline. That is particularly true when deficit reduction efforts focus on the most vulnerable in society, while benefits for those in a better position to accept sacrifices are left untouched. It will take everyone pulling to get the wagon out of the ditch; we won't be able to get it out if some people are riding.
One specific proposal that would provide a substantial source of savings in a way that spreads the burden of deficit reduction broadly is utilizing a more accurate measure for indexing government programs as well as tax brackets and other provisions in the tax code. There is broad agreement among economists that the Consumer Price Index currently used for indexation of government programs overstates inflation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has begun to publish a new "Chained Consumer Price Index" to provide a more accurate measure of inflation. Using the Chained CPI for indexation of government programs represents sound policy that reflects years of work by economists and other technical experts. Just as importantly, this proposal would achieve substantial budgetary savings – approximately $50 billion over the next five years -- in a way which would spread the burden of deficit reduction fairly across the entire span of government.
Increasing the Debt Limit
This Committee has been called on to raise the debt limit four times in the last five years to finance our deficit problem, and probably will need to be asked to do so again next year. While raising the debt limit is something that Congress must do, increasing the debt limit should be accompanied by a full and open debate about the fiscal policies that have made the increase necessary and a discussion about what should be done to stem the tide of red ink. In addition, I believe that any long-term increase in the debt limit should be accompanied by a plan to restore fiscal discipline. I would propose that when Treasury indicates that it is nearing the debt limit Congress approve a short term increase in the debt limit to avert the imminent crisis and provide for a longer increase in the debt limit contingent upon Congress taking action to reinstate paygo rules and other budget enforcement mechanisms.
Addressing Long-Term Fiscal Problems
Although our near term budget deficits are cause for concern in their own right, what makes them particularly worrisome is the looming financial pressures we will face when the baby boom generation begins to retire in 2008. We need to bring more attention to the long-term liabilities facing our nation as part of the budget process.
I had hoped that last year would be the year that Congress and the President would take action to address the financial challenges facing Social Security, but neither party seemed interested in a serious discussion about the tough choices that will be necessary. These challenges will continue to get worse and become harder to address the longer we wait.
According to projections by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the combination of allowing the growth of entitlement programs to continue unchecked and making tax cuts permanent while keeping discretionary spending constant as a percentage of GDP will result in a deficit of 10 percent of GDP by 2024. By 2030, the costs of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and interest on the debt would consume nearly 22 percent of GDP and the debt to GDP ratio would be 150%.
While the higher revenues from allowing the tax cuts to expire would fall far short of closing this long-term fiscal imbalance, it makes no sense to make the gap worse by locking in permanently lower revenues before restraining the growth of entitlement spending. Unless Congress enacts major reforms slowing the growth of entitlement spending, revenues will need to increase well above current levels to meet these obligations and keep up with the growth in spending associated with the baby boomers' retirement and health care costs. Congress should defer action on any tax cuts or entitlement spending increases with long term costs – including extension of the tax cuts which expire in 2010 or expansion of Medicare prescription drug benefit -- until Congress has addressed the existing long-term fiscal challenges.
There is no magic bullet that will solve our long term fiscal challenges by itself. While stronger economic growth will help meet the burden of an aging population, higher economic growth alone will not be enough. GAO has estimated that we would need double-digit real economic growth for many decades to grow our way out of the fiscal problems. Slowing the rapid growth of health care spending will need to be part of the solution, but a substantial gap would remain even if we were somehow able to eliminate all excess health care cost growth. Proposals that have been put forward to raise revenues to finance the growing costs of entitlement programs should be considered, but it is unrealistic to expect that it is politically feasible or economically desirable to raise taxes enough to close the gap. Although I personally believe that individual accounts can be an important component of a comprehensive reform plan by providing a higher returns on worker contributions and a more reliable method of pre-funding benefit promises than government trust funds, they do not provide a painless solution to the financial challenges facing Social Security as some have claimed.
A serious solution to our long term fiscal challenges will likely require some combination of stronger economic growth, restraining the growth of health care costs, scaling back benefit promises of entitlement programs, increasing the eligibility age for Social Security and Medicare, increasing revenues, and other tough choices. There is plenty of room for debate over the exact mix of options that should be included in a plan, but policymakers need to begin by acknowledging that the solution will require tough choices and difficult tradeoffs.
Fiscal Commission
The experience of last year in which neither party in Congress was willing to take action on the financial challenges facing Social Security convinced me that we need to establish a bipartisan commission to objectively review the fiscal challenges facing our nation and make recommendations to Congress and the President about how to put the nation back on a fiscally sustainable course.
Senator George Voinovich and Congressman Frank Wolf have introduced legislation, the Securing America's Future Economy (SAFE) Act which would establish such a commission. The commission would solicit input from the public and develop proposals to address four key concerns:
The unsustainable gap between projected spending and revenue,
The need to increase national savings,
The implications of foreign ownership of U.S. government debt, and
The lack of emphasis on long-term planning in the budget process.
Congress and the president would be required to act on the proposal developed by the Commission under a fast track procedure.
Senator Chuck Hagel, a Republican from Nebraska and Congressman John Tanner have introduced similar legislation establishing a commission to address the challenges facing entitlement programs, which are the primary source of our long-term fiscal challenges. The Stop Over Spending Act introduced by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg included a similar entitlement reform commission based on a proposal put forward by Senators Pete Domenici and Diane Feinstein.
As a former Member of Congress, I would like to believe that Congress could address these issues without the need for a commission. Unfortunately, the experience of recent years suggests that is extremely unlikely under the current political environment. Neither party wants to be the first to step out with tough choices out of fear that they will be attacked politically. Neither side is willing suggest that they are open to compromises out of fear that the other side won't reciprocate
A commission could help advance the debate, break the political stalemate and give all parties -- Republicans and Democrats in Congress, the current administration or whoever is elected President in 2008 -- the cover to to tackle the tough choices that they know needs to be made. Right now the perception is that a commission would give political cover to the current administration and leadership in Congress, but after the next election my fellow Democrats may have a greater obligation to say how they would address these issues and could use the political cover a commission would provide.
Earlier this year, the Concord Coalition sponsored a forum about the possibility of a commission to address long term fiscal issues. There were a few elements that everyone agreed were necessary for a commission to succeed:
The Commission must be truly bipartisan and represent a broad range of views
The Commission must be given a broad mandate to examine all aspects of fiscal policy, including entitlements and tax policy
The Commission should educate the public about the long-term fiscal challenges and engage the public in discussion potential solutions.
All policy options must be on the table. There should be no preconditions about what policy options can consider.
The commission proposal should be given an up-or-down vote in Congress with an opportunity for alternatives and amendments that would not reduce the total savings.
It is critical that members of the Commission not be asked to pass a litmus test about what options they would or would not support in a final solution. Everyone must resist the temptation to immediately shoot down ideas they don't like. Let an idea fly in the public debate long enough to consider its merits.
I agree with former Treasury Secretary Rubin that the commission should be allowed to examine rolling back tax cuts and other options to increase revenues. Increasing taxes to meet the growing costs of meeting our obligations to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid as the baby boom generations retires is a legitimate option that the commission should be allowed to consider. Likewise, keeping taxes at current levels will require substantial changes to scale back the costs of these entitlement programs. In all likelihood the solution will require a combination of changes to restain spending and increases in revenues. The Commission should be allowed to consider and discuss the full range of options and debate the tradeoffs.
There is justifiably cynicism in Washington about proposals to establish a commission to study an issue. There are bookshelves filled with dust-covered reports from commissions that went nowhere. A commission isn't a silver bullet that will solve our problems. It will still take action by Members of Congress and the administration to make the tough choices. But a commission that reflects the principles I have outlined could provide the leadership necessary to get the process started in a constructive fashion, especially if the President follows through on his pledge to address the issue in a bipartisan manner and continues to make addressing the long-term challenges facing entitlement programs a priority.
Reaching consensus on a balanced package that will prevent the publicly held debt from growing to unsustainable levels will require all of us to accept sacrifices. As long as everyone advocates balancing the budget by cutting someone else's priorities, talk about deficit reduction will remain just that. As a farmer, I choose to be an optimist and believe that all sides will be willing to put aside their individual political interests to find a solution that is in the best interests of our nation and our children's future.


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It was a rock and roll scam with a happy ending. Amazon exec Brian Valentine booked Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers to play his wedding, or so he thought. After giving a "talent agent" a $165,000 down payment to get the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers to play the reception, he learned that he had been defrauded.
According to The Smoking Gun, Valentine first approached a man named Chris Lund through his "LundLive" website (which has since been taken dow); the site said that Lund represented Petty and several other big-name performers.
After receiving the down placement, Lund gave Valentine contact info for someone who he said was Petty's production manager, but provided a bogus email address. So, Valentine contacted Petty's manager Tony Dimitriades to discuss the planned performance. That's when he realized he'd been a victim of fraud, as Dimitriades told him he had no connections to Lund and no contracts had ever been signed.
The FBI arrested Lund on three counts of wire fraud on August 2, but that wasn't the end of the story. Valentine, a deep-pocketed exec, was determined to have Petty perform at the wedding (he proposed to his wife at a Tom Petty concert). So he paid the proper people and the band did perform a full concert at the reception for the new couple.
– Matt Dolloff, 100.7 WZLX


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Solvay Hut winter window view
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Community Health Systems moved today to reassure executives at Munroe Regional Medical Center that they are as committed to the hospital as Health Management Associates.
Community Health Systems moved Friday to reassure executives at Munroe Regional Medical Center that they are as committed to the hospital as Health Management Associates, the company that is negotiating to assume operations of Munroe by the end of the year.
In a letter to the chairman of the Munroe trustees Friday morning, a CHS executive noted that his company is poised to purchase HMA and said that as part of the deal, CHS plans to honor any agreements reached between Munroe and HMA in the coming months.
Trustees for the publicly owned Munroe have been negotiating for the past month to lease the hospital to Naples-based HMA in hopes of reversing Munroe's financial slide.
The effort took a twist this week when CHS, out of Franklin, Tenn., announced plans to buy HMA for $7.6 billion. If that occurs in early 2014 as planned, the lease would transfer to CHS.
Kenneth D. Hawkins, senior vice president for Community Health Systems, said in Friday's letter that his company was aware of HMA's negotiations with Munroe when it set out to buy HMA last year.
Executives have reviewed the terms of the lease outlined in a "letter of intent" between Munroe and HMA, and "are committed to honoring all contracts entered into by HMA before we close our transaction with HMA, which we anticipate to be the first quarter of 2014," he said.
"We believe that Munroe Regional Medical Center would strengthen our combined network of hospitals in Florida," Hawkins continued. "We also believe we could strengthen Munroe Regional Medical Center."
CHS and HMA executives held a conference call with Munroe trustees Friday afternoon and reiterated their commitment to the lease.
They said that when the merger of CHS and HMA is finalized, CHS will be the largest hospital company in the world, with 206 facilities, 31,000 beds and more than 100,000 employees in 29 states.
Twenty-six of those hospitals would be in Florida, so Munroe would become part of a sizable network of health care providers.
And, said Hawkins, CHS "is very focused on quality, physician relationships and employee relationships and doing the right things in the community."
Despite the company's assurances, some Munroe trustees noted that they are not as familiar with CHS as they are with HMA, which impressed them with its commitment to patient care.
"I've been to Publix grocery stores and I have a feel for what Publix is like," said trustee David Cope. "And now (HMA) are being bought out by someone who's bigger than them and I don't know whether they're a Walmart, a Target or a Whole Foods."
Trustee Chairman Jon Kurtz said he planned to organize trips to some of CHS' hospitals to investigate how the company runs its facilities and get a feel for its "culture."
In the meantime, Kurtz, hospital attorneys and consultants will continue hammering out a lease with HMA.
These negotiations are considered crucial because the lease will spell out not just HMA's — ultimately CHS' — monetary commitment to Munroe but also its obligations to provide certain kinds of services and live up to specific quality standards.
Trustees and HMA had hoped to have the lease finished by the end of August, spend 60 days reviewing the completed product and then sign off on it at the end of October.
That time frame could be pushed back a bit as trustees work to familiarize themselves with CHS.
Munroe CEO Steve Purves, who is leaving in a matter of weeks to take over a not-for-profit hospital system near Phoenix, said the deal could bolster Munroe significantly.
"At the end of the day, if we do this right, Munroe is going to be positioned stronger than it ever has been," Purves said.


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2010 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists Head to Los Angeles for a Fashion Show
>> The Chateau Marmont hosted the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund West Coast runway show and tea yesterday afternoon — part of the competition for fund finalists (Joseph Altuzarra, Pamela Love, Prabal Gurung, Christian Cota, Moss Lipow, Gregory Parkinson, and Eddie Borgo among them); each finalist showed five Spring 2011 looks to an audience that included Rachel Zoe, Erin Wasson, Noot Seear, and Jenna Lyons.
Nerves were high for the designers, with a winner to be announced next month. "I have to tell myself to stop and enjoy the moment," said Gurung. "But it was hard for us all not to tear up." And Laura Love, Vogue West Coast editor Lisa Love's daughter, who was reportedly convinced to check out modeling by Anna Wintour and has since signed with Ford Models, walked the runway for Altuzarra.