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I fully believe, if JV and Ross progress into contributing pieces ( JV a 15pt, 8-9 reb., solid defender, Ross a consistent outside threat, that can defend), that we are one good player away from being a contender. I like what Masai did with the Nuggets through trades and using his assets. With the Bargnani trade we were able to gain assets (expiring contracts, and draft picks), but I think now is the time for this team. If we have the ability to keep our core (JV, ROSS, DeMar, GAY), and add a player like LaMarcus Aldridge, we would be a contender.
I really don't think we will be in the Wiggins sweepsteaks and we will probably be closer to 13-17. We are in that in between stage where we have to make a move, trading for a proven player is a sure thing. I hope Masai goes this direction.
I had a chance to watch a bit of Masai's media scrum. There is definitely the vibe that he doesn't like the karma of tanking but you also get a sense that he sees the logic in winding up there while following the more noble plan of "evaluating you team". I'm surprised nobody had jumped on the emphasis Masai has put on the next "4-5 days". In more than a couple of ways, he alluded to this period suggesting that trading would be active and we might have a better idea of where the raptors are going after that. I think he just wants to collect as many young assets as you can and move on. How can he possibly trade for someone that is better than one on our roster? We have no cap room to absorb anything. No one is going to give us a better player for any of ours straight up or even for a combination of ours. I think this means shipping out some talent for some future talent. Not tanking..just building. There is no way they think we are competing for a championship anytime soon so there is no reason to hang on to pieces that don't fit the "two year plan". Lowry and Gay will likely both be gone by then...why not ship them out now? Check out the feed if there is one. He was vague a lot as usual but he seemed to be talking concretely about the next 4-5 days. Then again...this is how we all got so excited for the blow up on draft night. I won't hold my breath.
then again, it looks like he may have just been talking about what to do with Kleiza when he said things should be clearer in 4-5 days
Ujiri: "i'd be comfortable beginning season with this roster"
I do too. And i've been saying this for a while now. The Raptors have some good young pieces to build around. They're a playoff team if they stay healthy.
What the Raptors need is they need to add another all-star caliber type of player to make them a contender. Have their own Big 3. Gay + JV + ?
Last addendum for the night...I think the "two year plan" speaks to a window where the city/fans will tolerate losing before they expect to see the upside again..... not playoffs in two years. That's diggin'
The Baltic Beast is unstoppable!
In the span of a little more than a month, Ujiri has shown how good a GM can be..... makes BC look like a fool really.
Picking up more bad contracts? I'm not sure if that is worse than the first thing you said.
Demar increasing his trade value usually means he's playing better. Why would we want to trade him then?
It's nice during the rosy part of a new relationship where the person says it's "Win-Win" and you don't immediately think "You mean Lose-Lose?"
Uriji is also getting a pass from me until the trade deadline. So far, I like what he's doing.
"They're going to have to rename the whole conference after us: Toronto Raptors 2014-2015 Northern Conference Champions" ~ ezzbee Dec. 2014
"I guess I got a little carried away there" ~ ezzbee Apr. 2015
"We only have one rule on this team. What is that rule? E.L.E. That's right's, E.L.E, and what does E.L.E. stand for? EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY. Right there up on the wall, because this isn't just a basketball team, this is a lifestyle. ~ Jackie Moon
There is truth to the theory that "time breeds chemistry". It's very possible that an extra summer and training camp together could yield some positive results that didn't materialize last year.
Now I'm not confusing this team with a top-4 seed, but the Raptors could be an entertaining bunch, which (in theory) raises the value of most of our roster, and maintains the option for Ujiri to make franchise-altering moves when the chance presents itself.
Could be an entertaining year for a number of reasons.
For me, I found the phrase "content to go into the season with this roster" to speak volumes. That doesn't strike me as a high endorsement for how Ujiri views the current makeup of the Raptors.
It doesn't imply that this is the roster/path that he wants for this season, it says that it is better that some options (Detroit's garbage offer for Gay).
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Great war has begun, says Ukraine
Moscow: Russian officials pressed Ukraine on Monday to declare a ceasefire with separatists, but Ukrainians say they are locked in a war not just against the rebels but also against Russia - on behalf of Europe.
"A great war has come, the likes of which Europe has not seen since the Second World War," Ukrainian Defence Minister Valeriy Heletey said on his Facebook page on Monday, adding that Ukraine must keep fighting and "show that Ukrainians are not going to give up".
Lost territory, trapped soldiers and increasing reports of Russian tanks and troops operating in eastern Ukraine have changed the course of events in the past few days. Newly emboldened rebel forces are bearing down on strategic targets, such as the port city of Mariupol - which the Ukrainian military maintains it can defend - and the airport in Luhansk, where troops retreated in the face of a rebel onslaught on Monday.
Ukraine and Western allies have surmised that the pro-Russian separatists are not acting alone and that Russian forces are providing significant assistance.
"Russia is intervening overtly in Ukraine," NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Monday, announcing that the alliance would draft a Readiness Action Plan at its upcoming summit in Wales to respond to "Russia's aggressive behaviour". Australian representatives will be present at the meeting in Wales.
NATO leaders were expected to endorse their most concrete response yet to increased Russian military intervention in Ukraine: establishing a rapid-reaction force capable of deploying quickly to Eastern Europe, officials of the alliance said.
The new force of 4000 troops, capable of moving on 48 hours' notice, will be supported with logistics and equipment pre-positioned in Eastern European countries closer to Russia, with an upgraded schedule of military exercises and deployments that are intended to make NATO's commitment of collective defence more credible and enhance its deterrence.
The agreement is planned as the substantive centrepiece of the NATO meeting, which will take place on Thursday and Friday and will be attended by US President Barack Obama, who will stop in Estonia before the summit meeting.
That summit will coincide with a self-imposed deadline from the European Union to announce further economic sanctions against Russia. European leaders agreed over the weekend to slap Russia with new measures within a week, unless Russia pulled back from Ukraine.
But Russia maintains that the threats from Europe are weak - and that it is not militarily involved in the Ukraine conflict.
"Let's sit down and talk, not threaten sanctions," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during an address to university students on the first day of the Russian school year, dismissing Europe's threats as "sanction inertia" and scoffing at the idea that pro-Russian militias would surrender their weapons to Kiev, a move tantamount to "destroying themselves".
Instead, he chided Europe and the United States for supporting a Ukrainian government that would fire on its own people, cities, schools and hospitals.
But Ukrainian officials say the heavy forces operating in eastern Ukraine are coming from across the border with Russia.
Ukraine charged that four battalions of the Russian armed forces were on Ukrainian territory, saying that each battalion included almost 400 soldiers, with artillery and
During a Monday visit to Kiev, US Senator Robert Menendez called for the international community to better arm Ukrainian troops.
"It's great to provide night-vision goggles," Mr Menendez said, referring to one form of assistance the United States had agreed to send to Ukrainian troops. "But what can you do if all you can do is see them but you can't defend yourself against their attacks?"
He dismissed concerns that arming Ukraine would provoke a negative response from Russia.
"There should be no concern that providing the Ukrainians with the wherewithal to fight for themselves would be provocation," Mr Menendez said, listing significant events of the conflict, from Russia's annexation of Crimea in March, to the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, to the recent battles in the east - all of which he blamed on Russia.
"Russia has done all of this without any provocation," he said. "From my perspective, this is a Russian fight against Europe being fought out on Ukrainian territory - everything Putin doesn't care for, he sees in the Ukrainian people's desire to turn to the West."
But pro-Russian rebels are stepping up their demands, too. Ahead of a meeting in Minsk, Belarus, between representatives of Kiev, the separatists and their interlocutors, Andrei Purgin - a leader among rebels in Donetsk - said the separatists intended to seek "recognition of our independence" during the talks.
The separatists declared independent republics in Luhansk and Donetsk months ago, but Russia has not formally recognised them.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a television interview that aired on Sunday that "statehood" for eastern Ukraine should be part of discussions to resolve the conflict, but he has repeatedly insisted that he wants greater autonomy for the region, not the break-up of Ukraine - despite Russia's seizure of Crimea.
In the interview, Mr Putin scoffed at Europe's support for the government in Kiev, arguing that it ran counter to purported European values.
"What are the so-called European values?" Mr Putin asked. "Maintaining the coup, the armed seizure of power and the suppression of dissent with the help of the armed forces? Are those modern European values?
"Our colleagues need to remember their own ideals," he said.
Mr Putin called for an end to the hostilities but stressed that a resolution "largely depends on the political will of today's Ukrainian leadership".
But he said he did not expect the fighting to stop as Ukraine heads into a parliamentary election season. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko recently called for the dissolution of parliament and new elections, scheduled for October 26.
Once elected, Ukraine's new parliament is expected to vote on a law to end the country's non-aligned status, paving the way for it to eventually apply for NATO membership.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Datil Pepper Plants
Datil Pepper Plants
Grow your own heat! These little plants produce a powerful spice similar to a habanero, but sweeter and fruitier. Datil Peppers have Minorcan roots and have been used for hundreds of years to spice up life around the Ancient City!
Other Local Veg ready right now include: Radishes, Romaine Lettuce, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, and Sweet Onions. Plus there's some really good Strawberries.


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Related quotes
"Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking."
"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."
"If you would not be forgotton as soon as you are dead and rotten, Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."


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Splash Returns to Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center
ATHENS—It's often said that fame is fleeting, but that does not apply to Splash, the former world record blue catfish caught from Lake Texoma January 16, 2004, by Cody Mullennix of Howe.
This week the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) unveiled a new Splash display featuring a full-size fiberglass replica of the fish and her complete skeleton, which was assembled and prepared for display by personnel at the University of Texas at Austin's Texas Natural History Collections at the J.J. Pickle Research Center.
Mullennix donated Splash to TFFC, where she remained on display and starred in the daily dive show until her untimely death in December 2005. Part of the display documents the cause of her death, an old injury, which was discovered during the reconstruction of her skeleton.
After her death, microscopic examination of the growth rings in her otoliths (ear bones) revealed that Splash was about 25 years old when she died.
At 121.5 pounds, she was the largest blue catfish ever caught to that time and held that record until a 124-pound fish was caught from the Mississippi River in 2005. Splash is still the Texas state record blue catfish.
Jessica Rosales, ichthyology collection manager at the Texas Natural History Collections, is proof of the old adage "Be careful what you wish for—you might get it."
"Having assisted in putting together a fish skeleton for another exhibit, I was itching to take on one of my own. And for some reason that I cannot now remember or fathom, I thought bigger would be better," Rosales said. "Enter Splash. Huge catfish = very excited ichthyology collection manager!"
Rosales and coworkers spent many hours preparing Splash for display. The first step was removing as much flesh as possible by use of scalpels and knives. Next the skeleton was placed in a closed container populated by 10,000 dermestid beetles, a kind of insect that is very good at removing all traces of flesh from bones.
Altogether, Rosales estimates, she spent 100 hours working on the project over a period of about a year as other duties permitted. "Once I got her skeleton back, some bones were still really greasy, and some still had flesh that the beetles didn't eat," she said. "I spent a few hours running the bones through ammonium hydroxide baths and attempting to remove the remaining flesh with forceps. After the bones were as clean as I could get them, it was time to put her back together."
After many painstaking hours with a hot glue gun and photos of Splash taken before the work began, Rosales had a skeleton ready for display. Only a few very small bones and fins are missing. The results of her remarkable skill and patience can now be seen in the new Splash exhibit at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.
During her brief residence at TFFC Splash increased visitation by 43 percent and attracted thousands of adoring fans who delighted in watching her delicately take chicken quarters or fish from the diver's hand during dive shows. More than 700 people attended a birthday party given in her honor on the anniversary of her arrival at TFFC. They enjoyed a life-size birthday cake decorated to resemble Splash, and 133 children brought hand-made birthday cards. "You are my idol," one said. Many others simply said, "I love you."
Splash is survived by thousands of descendants in Lake Texoma.
She is remembered by thousands more.
The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center is at 5550 F.M. 2495 in Athens, which is 75 miles southeast of Dallas. The center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5.50 for adults, $4.50 for seniors and $3.50 for children ages 4 through 12. For more information and directions call (903) 676-2277 or visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/tffc.


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Prices, promotions, styles, and availability may vary. Our local stores do not honor online pricing. Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Lowe's reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted.
BLACK & DECKER 12-Amp 385-CFM 240-MPH Sweeper Corded Electric Leaf Blower with Vacuum Kit
Item # 189547 Model # LH4500
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Left side of A's infield comes up big
Chavez, Scutaro contribute heavily in Game 3 victory
By Ryan Quinn / MLB.com
Chavez had entered the playoffs with a .224 postseason batting average and in his previous ALDS against the Red Sox in 2003 he went 1-for-22 (.045). In the first two games against the Twins, he seemed to be following the same pattern as he was swinging at fastballs over his shoulders, fanning four times.
While Chavez was struggling, Scutaro became the unsung hero during the first two contests, with two RBI doubles and eight infield assists in Game 2.
On Friday, Chavez wasn't flailing at anything over his head and instead gave the green and gold faithful at the Coliseum a glimpse of what he was missing for most of the 2006 campaign. And for Scutaro, the Bay Area media might have to think of a new name for him, because Mr. Clutch wasn't enough.
Chavez and Scutaro combined for four hits and five RBIs on Friday as the A's won, 8-3, and swept the Twins in the American League Division Series.
Chavez started things off in the second inning when he slammed a solo homer off Twins starter Brad Radke into the right-field bleachers. Entering the at-bat, Chavez had one hit in his previous 30 postseason at-bats. He also had battled forearm tendinitis and hit just .241 during the regular season. It was his worst average of his eight seasons.
"In Minnesota, I was just swinging at everything," Chavez said. "So I just went back and told myself, 'You got to get pitches to hit today.' And that was it. I've got all the confidence in the world in my ability."
Three batters after Chavez, Scutaro stepped to the plate with Jay Payton on first and started to hear his name throughout the crowd. It was the typical chant for the A's fans at the Coliseum where they chant his first name followed by his last name -- similar to the "Marco Polo" game you used to play in the pool. But this chant seemed to mean more on the big stage, with 35,694 fans standing and waving white rally flags.
"That was a special feeling," said Scutaro, who is playing because Bobby Crosby is unable to play due to back problems. "When I heard everyone screaming my name, I just said to myself, 'Do not strike out, please.' Just make contact."
"I was on the bench and I told [Kirk] Saarloos he's going to do something," pitcher Dan Haren said. "He's such a valuable part of our team."
After Chavez added an opposite-field double in the fifth, the A's combo contributed to the biggest inning in the seventh, when Scutaro put the game out of reach.
After Frank Thomas drew a walk, Chavez showed much more patience than in Minnesota by working an eight-pitch walk, his second of the day. Payton reached on an error, and after Nick Swisher walked in a run, the chants started again for Scutaro.
This time it was simply "Marco," and the 29-year-old Venezuelan delivered again with another opposite-field double. This time it cleared the bases and gave the A's an 8-3 lead.
"All of the fans were screaming and I didn't want to let them down," Scutaro said. "That was the best moment of my career."
After the game, Scutaro was asked how he is able to come up with the big hit in pressure-packed situations.
"I don't really know what to say," Scutaro said. "In this kind of situation, I just look for a pitch and just try to make contact and for the last three years it has just been working for me. I really don't know how to explain it."
A's general manager Billy Beane was very appreciative of his backup shortstop.
"He gets the big hit and he seems to be doing it all the time," Beane said. "I don't know where we would be without him."
Ryan Quinn is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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I can't believe The New York Times, with its hugely liberal perspective, actually published an article on the downside of shack-ups. I was stunned. The article, titled "The Downside of Cohabitating Before Marriage," gives some stats that are simply mind-boggling:
Cohabitation in the United States has increased by more than 1,500 percent in the past half century. In 1960, about 450,000 unmarried couples lived together. Now the number is more than 7.5 million. The majority of young adults in their 20s will live with a romantic partner at least once, and more than half of all marriages will be preceded by cohabitation. This shift has been attributed to the sexual revolution and the availability of birth control, and in our current economy, sharing the bills makes cohabiting appealing. But when you talk to people in their 20s, you also hear about something else: cohabitation as prophylaxis.
In a nationwide survey conducted in 2001 by the National Marriage Project, then at Rutgers and now at the University of Virginia, nearly half of 20-somethings agreed with the statement, "You would only marry someone if he or she agreed to live together with you first, so that you could find out whether you really get along." About two-thirds said they believed that moving in together before marriage was a good way to avoid divorce.
But that belief is contradicted by experience. Couples who cohabit before marriage (and especially before an engagement or an otherwise clear commitment) tend to be less satisfied with their marriages – and more likely to divorce – than couples who do not.
The issue lies in the shack-up itself. When people decide to get engaged, there's a lot of thought involved. They realize, "Oh my gosh, I'm making a commitment." They talk about babies and families, and where they're going to live. None of that occurs when people shack up. There's no decision-making, only sliding. Shack-up couples slide from dating, to having sex, to sleeping over, to bringing their things over, to being there most of the time, to shacking up. There are no concrete decisions with rings and ceremonies and families involved. The two people have not and do not talk about what they want, need, and expect from each other.
The article also discusses how cohabitors often have different, unspoken – even unconscious – agendas:
Women are more likely to view cohabitation as a step toward marriage, while men are more likely to see it as a way to test a relationship or postpone commitment, and this gender asymmetry is associated with negative interactions and lower levels of commitment even after the relationship progresses to marriage. One thing men and women do agree on, however, is that their standards for a live-in partner are lower than they are for a spouse.
You can see right there that shack-ups are just convenient and comfortable. There is no desire for a connection on a deeper level. A lot of people think, "Well, living together reduces costs. It's easy, and there's no real risk. If it doesn't work, we'll just break up." EXCEPT, they've already bought furniture and pets together. A couple that thinks, "Maybe we will, maybe we won't," is not as dedicated as a one that says, "We do, we'll commit, we'll make it happen."
It's important to discuss everybody's motivation: "I'm shacking up with you because…" or "My expectation is…" As I've always told people on the show, you cannot have any expectations when you shack up. It's not a commitment. Either one of you can do whatever you want at any given time, so expectations of marital behavior are silly, foolish, and self-destructive. This is why there's more mental illness, violence, and breaking up when people shack up. Women especially start having more anxiety and depression. They also experience more battering because their partners take their frustration and annoyance out on them.
Shacking up is not an intentional step — it's just convenient. There's absolutely nothing of depth that people can count on.


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Ubaldo moved to bullpen; Gonzalez will start Sunday
By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com
CHICAGO -- The Orioles have moved struggling starter Ubaldo Jimenez to the bullpen, manager Buck Showalter announced on Tuesday.
Signed this winter to a four-year, $50 million deal -- the largest contact in club history for a free-agent pitcher -- Jimenez has dealt with injury and ineffectiveness, and he gave up six earned runs over 4 1/3 innings in Cleveland last weekend.
After that game, Showalter wouldn't commit to whether Jimenez -- 4-9 with a 4.83 ERA -- would get a chance to redeem himself, though the move to the bullpen seemed likely, particularly with right-hander Miguel Gonzalez, who will return from the Minor Leagues to start on Sunday, waiting in the wings.
"You got your reasons, he doesn't have to agree with them," Showater said of Jimenez, with whom he spoke on Tuesday afternoon, along with pitching coach Dave Wallace and bullpen coach Dom Chiti. "He's been a great teammate, a professional. Has got a good heart. He wants to do well. It's not like he's pitched poorly all year, it's just with 39 games left, [we want to] see how Gonzo does."
Gonzalez has a 3.80 ERA in 20 games (19 starts), and he threw a simulated game on Monday to stay on track.
The move won't be immediate with Jimenez taking his work day on Tuesday, but Showalter plans to use him in relief after that.
"After today [Jimenez] will probably be available in the bullpen," Showalter said. "We will see where it takes us moving forward -- where the need might be, if somebody needs an extra day or something. The target is trying to get though to [roster expansion] on Sept. 1. So we've got about less than two weeks."
How Jimenez will be used out of the bullpen depends on how the Orioles clear a roster spot for Gonzalez on Sunday. If they play with a short bench, it would be tough to see Jimenez getting a lot of outs, although if the O's option a pitcher, he would presumably take his place.
Jimenez has made just one career relief appearance, throwing one scoreless inning on Sept. 26, 2006. How will he fare in this role?
"I don't think anybody can sit here and answer that," Showalter said. "I know he will embrace that as the need of the club it is. A lot of it depends on if we go with 13 pitchers or 12. How that all works out. He's healthy, feels good. One of the reasons why we looked at [him], he was one of the few guys that health wasn't going to be -- knock on wood -- a factor.
"Hopefully, we can get him back to where he was last year. It's going to be tough, because he's not going to sit there and take a lot of work days, because it's a very valuable job he's going to have to do now and then."
Brittany Ghiroli is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, Britt's Bird Watch, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter @britt_ghiroli. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Today, fellow Austrian chowhounder 'Nilescable' and I met up for a mini Dim Sum chowmeet at 'Above & Beyond'. This was the second time I visited this fine restaurant. The first time being the huge chowmeet we had there a couple of weeks ago.
We settled into our corner window table, started enjoying the lovely view, when a number of their wait staff, who looked after us during our previous chowmeet, started coming over to greet us by name!! What a nice, warm touch!
We chose one of many set business lunch with the addition of some 'Oolong Tea smoked Duck Eggs with Truffles'
The Business Lunch Menu consisted of the following dishes:
- Appetizer Platter of Duo 18 flavour marinated soya
Chicken and 'Ice Mountain 3 layer' crispy skin
roasted pork
- Trio dumplings of Shanghainese Xiao Lung Bao, Har Gow
and Asparagus and Cilantro seafood dumplings.
- Poached medley of Matsutake mushroom, Shitake
mushroom, fresh Yuba Skin and Spinach in Supreme Shang
Tong Chicken Broth.
- Stirred fry filet of Spotted Garoupa with Shrimp roes
and Garden Greens.
- Pumpkin, Sweet Corn and Pork Soup
- Sweet corn and Conpoy Rice Congee
- Dessert of sweet Longoon Berries, Red Dates and Aloe
Vera Soup.
Nilescable and myself both agreed this must be one of the best Dim Sum lunches we have had in Hong Kong. Refined and sophisticated in both presentation and taste, we cannot fault any single dish!
The chicken was flavourful and taste profile complex, reflecting the 18 different herbs and spices used in the preparation of the chicken. The Roasted pork was nicely seasoned and the skin as crispy as can be. As good if not better than the Lei Garden Wanchai version!
The Dim Sum dumplings were ALL superb. The Xiao Lung Bao, IMHO, is the best I have eaten here in Hong Kong, period! The broth was out of this world good!!Even trumped the best Shanghai Fraternity, Liu Yuan Pavillion or Din Tai Fung has to offer! Har Gow was near perfection with the classic 13 folds that reflects the skill of the Dim Sum chef! The skin was thin, malleable and intact when picked up. Filling was juicy and crunchy. However, I would like to see a less chopped up prawn filling. Hence 'near pefection'!
The Veggie medley was surprisingly aromatic and delicious. In addition to Ming Court, this is the second time I have encountered such delicious broth. Wonder if this is a trade secret amongst Hong Kong Chefs?
The Garoupa filet was perfectly cooked. Light, sweet and delicate in taste. What a refreshing change from the inferior Talapia or Basa filets used in Toronto's Chinese Restaurants!!!
The Smoked Duck Eggs was a revelation. The smokiness complimented the truffle ( pretty good quality too! ) so well! However, due to my cholesterol intake the past few days, I let Nilescable have half an egg more!
Although the food was delicious, however, the quantity was simply too overwhelming. We finished off our meal leaving the congees untouched!!
What a lovely and enjoyable meal with great food, service and view that puts a lot of Michelin Star establishments to shame!!
( Photos to follow )


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Children and hyperactivity
Toddlers and young children often are very active and have a short attention span. This type of behavior is normal for their age. Providing lots of healthy active play for your child can sometimes help.
Parents may question whether the child is just more active than most children, or whether their child has hyperactivity that is part ofattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or another mental health condition.
It is always important to make sure that your child can see and hear well, and to make sure there are no stressful events at home or school that may explain the behavior.
However, if the behaviors below have been present for a while or are becoming worse, the first step is to see your child's health care provider:
1000 Johnson Ferry Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30342
(404) 851-8000
450 Northside Cherokee Blvd.
Canton, GA 30115
(770) 224-1000
1200 Northside Forsyth Drive
Cumming, GA 30041
(770) 844-3200


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Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, June 19, 2013, 9:25 AM
Town Square
City floats parking-permit plans to residents
Original post made on Jun 19, 2013
Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, June 19, 2013, 9:25 AM
Comments (39)
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jun 19, 2013 at 10:14 am
This does not address the full day casual parking problem.
The root cause is that people want to park all day and unless they purchased a permit, they can't park.
I have needed to park over 3 hours on occasions and I have found it difficult to find out what to do and I live in Palo Alto. How on earth can a visitor to Palo Alto find out where to park all day?
The parking signs around town tell visitors where the lots are, but there is no indication that they can't park at these lots for more than 3 hours without a permit until they get there.
How on earth do people attending business meetings, conferences, social events, find out when they arrive here where to park? The answer is they don't, so they look for street parking.
If the powers that be don't realize that we need casual all day parking on a pay per hour basis, then they are wearing blinkers.
Get some decent pay per hour machines at all lots and give our visitors a chance to park.
As for workers, let them pay per hour also because I do believe that many of them are not parking all day every day, but parking a couple of days a week or a few times a month and permits would not suit them either.
Make parking make sense. Make parking cheaper and easier. See what happens.
a resident of Fairmeadow
on Jun 19, 2013 at 10:23 am
Why should residents have to pay for parking permits to park in front of their own homes? Where would the money go? Would this money go into the General Fund to pay for higher salaries/benefits? What kind of enforcement would their be to make such a program work?
Rodriguez does not seem to have given this matter much thought. Has he modelled downtown parking using computer-based simulations yet? This article does provide any detail about the number of spots that might be available for resident parking. Did Rodriguez mention such a number?
The claim that overdevelopment, coupled with City-allowed underparking certainly seems to be the key issue here. How can residential parking be addressed before the key problem is scoped, and reasonable solutions to that problem be proposed?
a resident of Downtown North
on Jun 19, 2013 at 11:07 am
Unfortunately if Palo Alto is going to continue to urbanize, I believe it makes the most sense downtown. The idea of parking in front of your home in a city is the disconnect. Either we keep Palo Alto small and suburban and halt all this uncontrolled growth, or we accept that we are urbanizing as a city. Residents will need to purchase parking spots if they don't have a driveway (one spot just sold in San Francisco for $82K). This is where we're headed. Continuing to develop downtown into an urban center makes more sense then pushing random dense developments all over south Palo Alto.
a resident of Downtown North
on Jun 19, 2013 at 11:17 am
In all the ballyhoo over permit parking, parking meters, etc., we've lost sight of the elephant in the room:
Where are those people going to park?
Downtown needs workers, and they obviously need to drive to work. In the past, the city obligingly (eagerly, even) blew off this fact and let developers build beyond the max and without adequate parking spaces. Now it's time to face reality.
Here it is: Either our downtown employees get places to store their cars, now and in the near future, or downtown closes down. It's that simple.
So where are those places, if not in the adjacent neighborhoods? Anybody?
a resident of Midtown
on Jun 19, 2013 at 11:30 am
Residents and friends,don't plan to go downtown for an appointment or conference and patronize a restaurant after. If you do find parking be very sure it's three hours permit, and don't overstay. Could be more expensive than planned.
The city where Silicon Valley began can't solve its parking problem!!!
Surely some of these great minds could have prevented this problem-looking ahead-foresight. Or maybe our elected officials couldn't resist the persons who wanted to build profitable buildings and not have the expense of providing adequate parking in their buildings. Now the residents who were given the problem get to choose the least difficult of several solutions, some of which will cost them money!!!
a resident of Crescent Park
on Jun 19, 2013 at 11:53 am
I agree that the underlying issue is the all-day parking.
The problem not discussed is that the lowest paid downtown employees (restaurant workers, clerks, etc.) are not going to pay to park anywhere. Unless their employer provides the permit or the expense credit, those individuals are going to park wherever it is free and unrestricted.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jun 19, 2013 at 12:17 pm
CP Dad
I agree with you and that is why downtown parking has to be affordable and there is no reason why businesses can't buy permits for their employees for peanuts.
We have to look at the overall parking problem. We have the garages, we have the lots, we know that there is space in many of these lots so the problem is getting them used. Parking should not be a money maker. Parking should be available in a sensible manner to those who need it. If the lots are not filled it is because (a) the system is too complicated and (b)the permits are too expensive.
a resident of University South
on Jun 19, 2013 at 12:34 pm
A typical office worker needs about 200 sf of space for their office, and their allocated share of hallways, bathrooms, break rooms, elevators, etc. Add in a parking space for a car, and it's another 300 sf. I think I saw an estimate that a parking space in a building garage costs aroun $50,000.
So you can see where the property develpers make more money - by not building the parking needed, they can instead build more office space, and collect more in rent. Instead, they are using the neighborhoods to subsidize their buildings. It's been estimated that downtown is underparked by 1500 spaces. Multiply that by the cost per parking space, and you see the neighborhoods are subsidizing the downtown developer by $75 million, push they collect more in rents.
The developers donate heavily to City Council campaigns. They get friends and employees to donate, so it doesn't all appear under one name. With a city council race costing $30,000 to run, you can see that getting their circle of council members elected is pretty cost effective - for $100,000 - $200,000 every two years, they save $75 million, and collect a ton more in rents.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Jun 19, 2013 at 1:02 pm
"In all the ballyhoo over permit parking, parking meters, etc., we've lost sight of the elephant in the room:
Where are those people going to park?"
This is really the point. Allowing an RPP in DTN without allowing it in the next neighborhoods simply pushes the cars further out. This needs to apply to DTN, Crescent Park, University South, Professorville and Community Center. In the summer months, trying to get a park near your house near Rinconada Park can be worse than anything DTN experiences.
a resident of Downtown North
on Jun 19, 2013 at 2:20 pm
SF garages typically have a machine to charge for the hours parked in the garage. They also have a 24 hour rate. Do the same for downtown Palo Alto parking garages. Keep the 2 and 3 hour limits for curbside parking or install parking meters. Shoppers, visitors, etc need to be able to find a place to park.
Commuter parking in adjoining neighborhoods is unfortunately here to stay. All that can be done is require new construction to provide adequate parking for the cars they attract. If new construction doesn't provide adequate parking other businesses and residents are effectively subsidizing the construction through lost business etc.
Requiring new downtown homes to have the garage in back of the house may make the house match the character of the neighborhood but pretty much guarantees that the homeowners will be parking one or more cars on the street. Few lots have room for a double wide driveway to go behind the house.
Palo Alto planning needs to realize the parking is only going to get worse. Giving parking requirement concessions for "pretty" buildings is incredibly costly to the city, its current businesses, and residents. Giving parking concessions for new businesses located near the train only makes it harder for people who can't walk to the train to use it. The new businesses won't have an appreciably higher percentage of commuters using the train than other businesses.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Jun 19, 2013 at 2:52 pm
No to parking permits; let people to park on the streets for fre; residents, park in your driveways
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Jun 19, 2013 at 3:45 pm
Madam, what are you President of?
a resident of University South
on Jun 19, 2013 at 4:39 pm
The garages are half empty all day. There are several obvious problems with the current downtown permit program. But instead of fixing those problems and utilizing all those empty spaces they want to add a NEW permit program for residences? I bet that one will workout WAY better!
Fix the downtown permits. Make them more flexible. At least start there before you make me pay to park at my house.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jun 19, 2013 at 4:43 pm
The problem with permit parking is it has to be policed. Meter maids or Police Officers have to check that those parked in designated areas have the correct permits; that is why it costs so much for permit parking, meter maids and parking Officers cost money to employ.
I think it's time Downtown re-install those parking meters they took away some 20 or so years ago. Downtown is urban living now and needs urban solutions to their parking problems.
Whatever the solution, parking permits, parking meters or more garages it will cost big bucks, and those that want to park on Downtown Streets should pay.
a resident of Downtown North
on Jun 19, 2013 at 4:43 pm
I agree with Madam, no parking permits. You don't own the land in front of your house.
Park in your driveway, or search for a place like the rest of us mortals. What the heck is
the problem. People park along my street all day, go to work, go home. Who the heck cares?
The developers are never going to be held accountable, money is the only thing that maters
here. It is really simple.
a resident of Midtown
on Jun 19, 2013 at 7:39 pm
To all those who say the residents don't "own" the streets in front of their house, I would submit that neither do the Business owners own the streets in front of their businesses, and if people can park all day in front of my house, they should also be free to park all day in front of a business. But the city specifically put in timed parking limits in front of businesses so that their customers will have a place to park, thereby allocating those parking spaces to the downtown business community.
Fair is fair - remove the color zoning timed parking downtown, and lets see how that works for everyone.
a resident of Downtown North
on Jun 19, 2013 at 9:55 pm
common sense,
I don't just "say" that I do not own the street in front of my house. I, in fact do not
own the street in front of my house, none of us do. Sorry, somethings are actual facts.
a resident of Midtown
on Jun 19, 2013 at 11:03 pm
PA@Downtown North,
The businesses don't own the streets in front of their businesses or the city parking lots either. Remove the time limits on parking on University, Hamilton, Lytton, etc, and parking lots. Let the employees park all day in those lots, just like they can park in front of our houses today.
That's the point - what's good enough for us the residents, should be applicable to the businesses as well.
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Jun 19, 2013 at 11:38 pm
Make the parking garages free with no time limits and the day workers will stop parking on the streets.
a resident of Downtown North
on Jun 20, 2013 at 6:57 am
Common Sense,
Yes, people park all over the place in a downtown setting. In front of businesses, houses,
apartments. My question is why do people care if others park in front of their house?
Again, people park in front of my house all day long. I don't get what makes that so
aggravating. I either park in my driveway, or find a place on the street like everyone else.
If you don't like living in a downtown setting (which I completely understand) there are
plenty of places that you can live with a low likelihood of having this issue.
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on Jun 20, 2013 at 8:25 am
Parking in front of someone's house all day becomes an issue particularly you don't have a driveway and are older, have small children or are disabled. Simple errands become very complicated. Getting repairs done on your home becomes very complicated if a contractor has to park blocks away. In addition, with people parked so close to many corners, it is difficult for bikes, pedestrians and even cars to cross intersection safely (try biking down Bryant from University to Embarcadero).
Permit parking, one side of the street only, with signs and large fines for parking there without a permit would help the problem immensely.
a resident of Downtown North
on Jun 20, 2013 at 8:30 am
The issue of "who owns the space in front of my house" is not the major one. It's the sheer number of cars, and the arguable de facto rezoning of residential neighborhoods as parking lots.
More important is what happens to a neighborhood street when it is used as a parking lot. There are cars parked up and down both sides, making the street essentially 20 feet narrower. Many of the street is Palo Alto's neighborhood were not wide to begin with, and visibility is poor even with no cars parked. Furthermore there are big waves of traffic in the morning and afternoon rush hours, and at other times as cars circle the neighborhood looking for parking spaces.
It's tricky enough for, but in a residential neighborhood, the streets and crosswalks are also used by bicycles, joggers, seniors, pets (!) and others.
If you want to see what a 100% parked-out neighborhood street looks like, take a look at the picture at the bottom of
Yes, that's really what it looks like. My kids ride their bikes through that stretch twice every weekday, to and from school. I have personally seen car-bicycle accidents there resulting in serious injuries. And how would you get a fire truck through there?
It wasn't this way 20 years ago when I moved in, but it is now. This is the price of the city's unconscionably poor choices in allowing dense office development without parking -- basically a massive subsidy to wealthy developers, paid for by residents in terms of safety and liveability. Those choices continue today. If your neighborhood streets don't look like this, they will. Every neighborhood in the city is going to need an RPP.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jun 20, 2013 at 8:47 am
Part of the problem is people being allowed to convert their garages into living space. We recently had a neighbor eliminate their garage and their driveway, so now their cars have to be placed on the street. We have neighbors that never use their garage or driveway. Its their right to part on the street, but part of the problem is for some reason people don't want to use their private infrastructure for their cars. I know I'm guilty. I park only one car in the driveway and 1 car in the street even though 2 cars fit in the driveway and the garage hasn't had a car in it since we bought the house. I have a neighbor that has 4 cars for 2 drivers. Their right, but the point is some of this parking problem is of our own making. In my area all the street parking is from the homeowners themselves. On an upside it does slow traffic down on the street, because the streets are too narrow to allow parking on both sides and 2 way traffic. Nice to finally have cars drive the speed limit for a change.
a resident of Midtown
on Jun 20, 2013 at 9:10 am
Part of the problem is the sense of entitlement by the homeowners. In yesterday's Daily Post there was a quote in an article about this matter from a resident who said:
"It would take away our right to park in front of our house"
Well, there you have it--if you see the public street sin front of your house as your property and feel that you have some special right to that space, then nothing will appease you.
Public streets are for public parking.
a resident of another community
on Jun 20, 2013 at 9:34 am
How on earth can a visitor to Palo Alto find out where to park all day?
Park at the Caltrain station nearest to their house.
a resident of Charleston Gardens
on Jun 20, 2013 at 9:38 am
I live in the furthest south-east corner of Palo Alto in Charleston Gardens and people are parked in front of my house all the time, According to the zoning code they can stay there for 72 hours, then they must move their vehicle. We get much of the overflow from the Cubberley Community Center.
If vehicles block your driveway, then you have an issue. I suggest that Downtown residents clean out their garages and park there or on their driveways I do.
a resident of another community
on Jun 20, 2013 at 9:46 am
"Parking in front of someone's house all day becomes an issue particularly you don't have a driveway and are older, have small children or are disabled."
I am all for the government doing things to assist people who have run into problems, but in this instance we are talking about an issue impacting someone who owns or can afford to rent a home in downtown Palo Alto, one of the priciest zip codes on the planet.
The situation you describe involves someone who made a choice at some point in their life to situate themselves in a home without a driveway. Doing so has benefits - a place without off street parking is less expensive! Then you can park on the street - land you do not own, for free!
Then the game changes because more people move in or need to work. The statement that PA made poor choices in allowing development? Where exactly should we be putting those additional businesses and residences? Stockton? The population is growing - because of those small children the original poster mentions...
a resident of Downtown North
on Jun 20, 2013 at 10:17 am
The problem is that the city has waived the code requirements for downtown office construction so many times that there are now about 1000 more cars downtown every day than there are available parking spaces. By comparison there are a little less than 1500 total spaces on the streets in the Downtown North neighborhood, from University Avenue to Menlo Park. Over 80% of those spaces are occupied each day.
In addition, new parking-waived downtown construction already in the city's pipeline will add another 500-1000 excess parking-space demand over the next three years or so. An accurate projection is forthcoming.
Even if you were to accept that it's ok for your neighborhood to look like that picture above, and even if no resident ever parked on a street, the numbers still simply do not work.
This is not a North Palo Alto - South Palo Alto issue. From this issue to the Maybell fiasco, to the Alma Plaza mess, to the shadowy 27 University process, to the frenzy to put up ugly "New Urbanism" construction, to many others, there is a systemic, all-Palo Alto problem around commercial construction wherein the city ignores the interests of Residents; and in some cases works directly against them. Zoning and the Comprehensive Plan in this city basically no longer exist -- for commercial interests, anyway.
This is not one district or another, it's Palo Alto wide. Whether by intent or just by inattention, on construction there is a fundamental disconnect between Palo Alto City Hall and Palo Alto residents.
a resident of Downtown North
on Jun 20, 2013 at 10:22 am
John Murphy -
City code requires that if you put up an office building, then the building has to include parking for the people who work there.
What the city should do is stop granting exemptions to developers, so the developer can save money by not building those parking spaces; and instead dumping the problem on the City.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jun 20, 2013 at 10:35 am
Not sure how this may help, but has anyone thought about putting parking over in the Baylands, near the utilities place for example, and using shuttles to downtown. Some of the companies (Samsung???) might be approachable to help run this and it could also be used by restaurant workers, etc.
Perhaps a downtown business association could be started that would address different ideas. We need to start thinking out of the box as there is only so much space and obviously a lot of cars needing affordable parking on a casual as well as regular and semi regular basis.
a resident of College Terrace
on Jun 20, 2013 at 10:35 am
A bit off topic, but IMO the city should ban overnight parking of oversized vehicles (i.e. RVs, campers) as SF recently did. I'm tired of huge RVs continuously occupying prime parking spots on El Camino Real and the associated side streets.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Jun 20, 2013 at 2:47 pm
Too funny! Isn't it quaint that city officials have chosen to make their incompetence and selling out to developers into a parking issue for residents. The city leaders seem to enjoy making their inability to govern or make educated decisions into someone else's (our) problem. We have a City Manager whose management skills are minimal, if not questionable, and a dysfunctional city council who offer no leadership in city matters. What a pity!
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jun 20, 2013 at 6:19 pm
How much of what has happened here is due to incompetence and how much of it is due to influence/favoritism? I often wrestle with
this question. My conclusion is that it is not just catering to
special interests. I believe incompetence is also a factor. That is
why the destruction of the City is so complete and so hard to try
to stop.
a resident of Woodside
on Jun 21, 2013 at 8:10 am
The real root of the problem is our car culture. PA should be investing in bike lanes and public transit so that people have an alternative to driving. Residential parking permits work well in SF. Limiting parking time is a disaster, as people will just move there cars when the time is up causing more congestion and pollution.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jun 21, 2013 at 8:56 am
Stop looking at bikes as the solution to downtown parking problems.
It is not always convenient for everyone to bike.
They may not have shower facilities and nobody wants to be served by a sweaty server or sit beside them at work.
They may have to drop kids off at school or daycare on the way.
They may have to dress professionally which makes riding a bike much more risky.
They may have distance or age concerns.
They may have balance problems or other disabilities which make bike riding difficult.
They may have time constraints.
They may need to transport work related materials which are too big to transport on a bike.
They may just not like bike riding although they like getting their exercise another way.
They may not be going straight from home to work to home.
They may not feel safe riding a bike at night or in the dark (it gets dark early in winter).
Bikes are great for lots of trips for lots of people. But, they are not the solution for everyone all the time.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jun 21, 2013 at 9:03 am
Saying that about bikes, but I am all for improving public transit, particularly the PA shuttle. Improve it for getting all schoolkids to schools and introduce a modest fare. Nobody should be getting a free ride to school while others get nothing.
a resident of Ventura
on Jun 21, 2013 at 11:57 am
I used to live in the Boston area (both Boston and Cambridge at different times). Residents could get parking permits for their neighborhoods practically for free. I think I recall an $8 fee to buy a residential parking permit in my neighborhood in Cambridge. Assuming Palo Alto is sensible, the cost associated with buying a residential parking permit near downtown should be nominal, and therefore not a concern. Eventually, Boston got smart enough to start towing people who parked illegally. Once that started happening, it became easy to find a spot to park.
a resident of Downtown North
on Jun 21, 2013 at 5:49 pm
Welcome to my neighborhood, Downtown North.
The streets have changed a lot on Mondays through Fridays over the past few years. For example:
1. cars parked close to street corners, blocking the driver's view of oncoming cars/bikes
2. cars parked close to our driveways, blocking the driver's view of cars/bikers/children
3. cars turning around in our driveways trying to get a parking spot on the opposite side of the street
4. cars making U turns in all intersections, trying to get a parking spot
5. people sleeping in their cars during the day – taking a nap at lunchtime or after work
6. people with radios blasting as they get dressed near the trunk of their car
7. stop signs ignored
In addition to parking problems, could the council please review safety issues that should be addressed immediately.
Thank you,
a resident of another community
on May 30, 2017 at 1:35 am
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One-on-one time
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text:
A couple of days ago, one of my favorite bloggers actually wrote me and alerted me to her post here, a fun bit of wordplay and parody toying with that old classic "Gimme that old time religion". Go ahead, follow the link and read her post–great fun, that. I'll wait.
Back so soon? Anyway, I wanted to collect my responses there and put them here before I forget them, and to alert any regulars here (are there any left? Sorry I was gone for so long–summers are weird.) to try their own hands at the game. And to point out that Greta Christina's own verses are superbly crafted and worth reading.
But read hers on her blog. I'm just gonna put my own here.
My first set:
To me, there are no gods like the Greek gods. They are just so… so human. So delightfully carnal, a celebration of the whole human experience, warts and all.
At the Temple of Apollo
Some will lead and some will follow
Some will spit and some will swallow
And that's good enough for me
When we follow Dionysus
Then no matter what the price is
We'll engage in all our vices
And that's good enough for me
With Athena in her armor
So that mortal man can't harm'er
She is such a gorgeous charmer*
And that's good enough for me
And the thunderbolts of Zeus's
Are the least of his abuses
Leda talks about his gooses
And that's good enough for me
Let us all revere Poseidon
Cos he'll find you where you're hidin'
And your ass he'll soon be ridin'
And that's good enough for me
When we speak of beaux and Eros
Our perspective rather narrows
Though it pierce us to our marrows
It's good enough for me
Let us follow Terpsichore
As she leads us all to glory
Every dance will tell a story
And that's good enough for me
We need never wonder why, men,
We will strive to do and die**, men,
At the service of dear Hymen,
And that's good enough for me
*alternate line—"I would plow her like a farmer"
**well, a little death, anyway.
Then a few, as per Greta Christina's recommendation, regarding the modern skeptical deity-equivalents:
Let us follow the immortals
Till we pass through Heaven's portals
And deliver them our chortles–
That's good enough for me!
If we laugh ourselves unsteady
And keep criticism ready,
Flying monsters of spaghetti
Are good enough for me!
Though invisible, it's pinking–
It's a unicorn, I'm thinking–
And the atheists are winking
And that's good enough for me!
Though I have no God vendetta,
I would sooner worship Greta,
Though in truth, I've never met-a
She's good enough for me!
I am now in such fine fettle
That I think I have the mettle
To bow down to Russell's kettle
Cos it's good enough for me…
If I bow before some entity
And call it heaven-sentity
Please check on my dementity
That's good enough for me
And lastly, just for fun:
Let us toast to Quetzalcoatl
With the contents of this bottle
Not a little, but a lot'll
Be good enough for me
We will toast the feathered snakey
Till the world is blurred and shakey
Then pass out 'til wakey-wakey,
That's good enough for me
If your deity is serpentine
Please check what you are slurpin'- find
A label that says "turpentine"?
That's good enough for me
So have at it–add more, and visit Greta Christina's site and add them there as well!


text:
It's no secret that Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City launched to a mixed reaction. From what I've heard, people either really hated the game, or they liked it. So far, though, I have yet to hear from any group of gamers who claim that they love the game.
Despite this mixed reception Operation Raccoon City has received since its release, it has actually managed to deliver impressive results for Capcom. As revealed in a recent financial report, the game had hit 1.7 million sales in North America and Europe. That number has already increased, and sales figures for the third-person shooter have officially reached the 2 million mark.
While we can't expect a massive rise now that the launch buzz is over, it's obvious that Operation Raccoon City will continue to provide a handful of coins for Capcom in the near future. I guess that goes to show that the company doesn't need to make a great Resident Evil game to get people to buy it.
For a bunch of nonsensical gibberish, follow @thesanchezdavid on Twitter.


text:
Summaries of EU Legislation
Summaries of EU legislation: direct access to the main summaries page.
- Archived: true
Generalised System of Preferences 2006 - 2008
This Regulation sets out the Generalised System of Preferences for the period from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2008. It simplifies the preferential import arrangements for products originating in developing countries, thereby streamlining the preferential scheme and reconciling trade and development objectives.
Council Regulation (EC) No 980/2005 of 27 June 2005 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences [See amending acts].
This Regulation implements the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) for the period 2006 - 2008. The GSP sets out preferential arrangements for duties on Community imports of goods originating in the beneficiary countries.
The GSP therefore applies to the countries and territories listed in Annex I to the Regulation.
The products affected by the GSP are set out in Annex II. The arrangements for originating products conform to the rules set out in Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93. Regional cumulation is also possible, provided the regional groups are respected.
Products are divided into two categories: sensitive products, and non-sensitive products. Sensitivity is determined in relation to the effect that imports into the Community could have on Community products. Common Customs Tariff specific and ad valorem duties are fixed for such products. They are, however, suspended where the rate of an ad valorem duty reduced in accordance with the provisions of the GSP is 1 % or less and the rate of a specific duty is EUR 2 or less.
The GSP sets out three arrangements. Tariff preferences therefore differ according to the arrangement applicable to the beneficiary countries, namely:
- the general arrangement;
- the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance, which targets vulnerable countries;
- the special arrangement for least developed countries.
General arrangement
The general arrangement sets out the general rules for the GSP. The principle for non-sensitive products is the complete suspension of the Common Customs Tariff duties applicable to such products, except for agricultural components.
For sensitive products, however, the Common Customs Tariff ad valorem duties applicable to the products are reduced by 3.5 %. This reduction is limited to 20 % for textiles and clothing. However, a tariff reduction of more than 3.5 % laid down by the GSP in the preceding 2002 to 2005 period (Regulation (EC) No 2501/2001) still applies. Common Customs Tariff specific duties are reduced by 30 %.
Where Common Customs Tariff duties on products listed in Annex II as sensitive products include ad valorem duties and specific duties, the specific duties are not reduced.
Agricultural products are subject to a special monitoring mechanism to avoid disturbances in the Community market. Agricultural products continue to be subject to safeguard clauses applied under the Common Agricultural Policy.
Special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance
Under the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance, Common Customs Tariff ad valorem duties on products listed in Annex II are in principle suspended. Specific duties are also suspended, unless there is also an ad valorem duty. By contrast, specific duties on certain types of chewing gum are limited to 16 % of the customs value.
This arrangement replaces the special arrangements to combat drug production and trafficking in force under the previous GSP (Regulation (EC) No 2501/2001) and therefore enters into force, exceptionally, on 1 July 2005.
The countries that will benefit from this arrangement are those that are considered to be vulnerable due to their lack of diversification and insufficient integration into the international trading system. This applies to countries not classified by the World Bank as high income countries for three consecutive years. These are also countries where the five largest sections of GSP-covered imports to the Community represent more than 75 % in value of their total GSP-covered imports, and where GSP-covered imports to the Community represent less than 1 % in value of total GSP-covered imports to the Community.
These countries are listed in Annex I to the Regulation (column E). Such countries must have made a valid request to the Commission by 31 October 2005 in order to benefit from the arrangement as of 1 January 2006. The definitive list of beneficiary countries is published in the Official Journal after requests have been examined.
For the 2006-2008 period, the countries benefiting from the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance are Bolivia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Sri Lanka, the Republic of Moldova, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, El Salvador and Venezuela.
To become beneficiaries, countries are also subject to a general obligation to ratify and effectively implement the international conventions listed in Annex III to the Regulation. Annex III distinguishes between two types of international convention:
- Core human and labour rights UN/ILO Conventions (Part A of Annex III). Ratification and effective implementation of these is in principle obligatory. If, however, a country is faced with specific constitutional constraints, and has neither ratified nor effectively implemented two of the sixteen conventions on the list, it must make a formal commitment to do so by 31 October 2005 at the latest, or 31 December 2006 if there is an incompatibility with its Constitution;
- Conventions related to the environment and governance principles (Part B of Annex III). Ratification and effective implementation of at least seven of the international conventions listed in Part B is required. The remaining international conventions must be ratified and effectively implemented by 31 December 2008 at the latest.
The Commission monitors this obligation closely, to ensure that it has been respected and applied.
Special arrangement for least developed countries
These countries are listed in Annex I to the Regulation (column D). In line with the "Everything But Arms" initiative, Common Customs Tariff duties are entirely suspended for all products except arms and ammunition.
By contrast, a gradual reduction in Common Customs Tariff duties, culminating in their total suspension, is planned for certain products, namely husked rice, some banana varieties, and white sugar. During the lead-up to total suspension, husked rice and white sugar are to benefit from a global tariff quota at zero duty. The Commission will be assisted by the management committees for the relevant common market organisations in administering these quotas.
The list of least developed countries is drawn up by the United Nations, which may also decide to remove countries from the list. In such cases the Commission removes the country in question from the list of countries benefiting from the arrangement. Removal is progressive, and involves a transitional period of at least three years.
Temporary withdrawal
Temporary withdrawal from the preferential arrangements may affect some or all of the products from the country in question. It is mainly a consequence of the behaviour of the country concerned, and may result from:
- serious and systematic violations of the international conventions listed in part A of Annex III;
- serious and systematic unfair trading practices;
- trade in drugs, or failure to comply with international conventions on money-laundering;
- serious and systematic infringements of the rules governing fisheries and fishery resources;
- export of goods made by prison labour.
A temporary withdrawal decision may be made if there are sufficient grounds for an investigation to be opened. The investigation is carried out by the Commission in liaison with the Generalised Preferences Committee, which assists the Commission in implementing the Regulation, the beneficiary country, and international organisations and agencies. Withdrawal therefore follows an enquiry and investigation procedure, and measures, and is decided by the Council. A withdrawal decision, in principle, enters into force six months after its adoption.
Failure to comply with rules of origin or provide administrative cooperation are also grounds for a Commission decision to suspend preferences. Administrative cooperation mainly concerns the information that beneficiary countries are obliged to supply regarding rules of origin and the respect thereof. As well as information supplied to the Commission, it may also involve missions or enquiries carried out by the Commission itself.
Beneficiary countries may be removed from the scheme (graduation) if the World Bank classifies them as high-income countries, or if they are bound to the Community by a preferential commercial agreement.
Tariff preferences for all products from countries benefiting from the general arrangement and the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance may also be removed. Removal may be justified by the volume of Community imports of the product concerned from the beneficiary country, i.e. if it reaches 15 % of the total volume of Community imports of the same product from countries that are beneficiaries of one of these two arrangements.
Safeguard clause
The safeguard clause entails restoring the Common Customs Tariff duties. It is generally implemented when imports of a product cause serious difficulties or create direct competition with similar products from a Community producer. Serious difficulties are assessed using criteria measuring Community producers' market share, production, stocks, production capacity, bankruptcies, profitability, capacity utilisation, employment, imports and prices.
Investigations are opened at the request of a Member State or on the Community's own initiative, and must in principle be completed within six months, unless an extension decision is granted. As with the withdrawal procedure, the Commission decision is made on the basis of an information meeting establishing the facts, and on exchanges between the parties. Preventive measures may be taken if they are justified by exceptional circumstances.
Trade preferences are intended to ensure that the Common Commercial Policy is consistent with development policy. The Community aims to help eradicate poverty and promote sustainable development and good governance in developing countries, while still abiding by the rules laid down by the World Trade Organisation.
The GSP was first introduced in the 1970s. The system covered by this Regulation is part of a more generalised plan for GSP for the ten years from 2006 to 2015, the foundations of which were laid by the Commission communication of 7 July 2004 entitled "Developing countries, international trade and sustainable development: the function of the Community's generalised system of preferences (GSP) for the ten-year period from 2006 to 2015." It therefore covers the first stage, for the period 2006-2008.
Entry into force
Deadline for transposition in the Member States
Official Journal
Regulation (EC) No 980/2005
1.1.2006(excluding the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance: 01.07.2005)
OJ L 169 of 30.6.2005
Amending act(s)
Entry into force
Deadline for transposition in the Member States
Official Journal
Regulation (EC) No 566/2007
OJ L 133 of 25.5.2007
Regulation (EC) No 606/2007
OJ L 141 of 2.6.2007
Commission Regulation (EC) No 566/2007 of 24 May 2007 removing the Republic of Chile from the list of beneficiary countries in Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No 980/2005 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences [Official Journal L 133 of 25.5.2007].
Council Regulation (EC) No 1933/2006 of 21 December 2006 temporarily withdrawing access to the generalised tariff preferences from the Republic of Belarus [Official Journal L 405 of 30.12.2006].
Council Decision of 19 December 2006 on the granting of the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance beyond 1 January 2007 to the Republic of El Salvador [Official Journal L 365 of 21.12.2006].
Commission Decision 2005/924/EC of 21 December 2005 on the list of the beneficiary countries which qualify for the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance, provided for by Article 26(e) of Council Regulation (EC) No 980/2005 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences [Official Journal L 337 of 22.12.2005]
Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee of 7 July 2004: "Developing countries, international trade and sustainable development: the function of the Community's generalised system of preferences (GSP) for the ten-year period from 2006 to 2015." [COM(2004) 461 final - Official Journal C 242 of 29.09.2004]
Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee - The rules of origin in preferential trade arrangements - Orientations for the future [COM(2005) 100 final - Not published in the Official Journal]
This communication follows the consultations launched by the Commission's Green Paper on the future of rules of origin in preferential trade arrangements. The paper shows that the preferential rules of origin need to be reviewed. This review is also important on account of the priority accorded to integrating developing countries into the world economy. This revision should be accompanied by an adaptation of the management and monitoring procedures. The Commission proposals cover:
- a review of the conditions for a product to be considered as originating in a country;
- a change in the customs procedures necessary for the proper implementation and supervision of the use of the preferences by economic operators;
- the development of instruments ensuring that the beneficiary countries comply with their obligations.
Last updated: 22.06.2007


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You are here
BMW reveals 3-Series Gran Turismo
This is the new BMW 3-Series Gran Turismo, a longer, taller, hatchbacked version of BMW's compact hero that's perfect for… erm, actually we're not quite sure what the 3 GT is perfect for. Truth is, we're struggling to figure out quite what it brings to a world already containing the most excellent 3-Series saloon and Touring.
So help us, please. We shall furnish you with the 3 GT's vital stats, and then you shall explain its grand purpose in life. No pressure.
You'll remember BMW has previous in this department: in 2009 it released the rather unloved BMW 5-Series GT. That car was important for us because it previewed the excellent chassis of the (then) new 5-Series. So what's this one all about?Well, BMW wants you to think of it as an "elegant business carriage and a dynamic, comfortable tourer". The proportions certainly look better resolved than they did in the 5 GT. A low benchmark, admittedly. It's 200mm longer and 81mm taller than the BMW 3-Series Touring, with an automatically opening and closing hatchback that offers up 25-litres of extra storage space than that estate.
It also gets an active rear spoiler, which we're told is the first of its kind on a Beemer, reducing lift at 'touring speeds' (this is BMW-speak for 'hellish-fast'). An active spoiler on a hatchback BMW? There's a sentence we never thought we'd say. The extra length in the wheelbase (110mm) of this GT over the 3-Series Touring means rear passengers benefit from increased legroom, while it's even easier to get into thanks to seats that are higher than the standard car. The Pensioner's BMW?
Perhaps. Assuming The Pensioner enjoys a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine with 306bhp and 295lb ft of torque, because that's what you get in the range-topping 335i Gran Turismo. As such, it'll go from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds and hit a limited top speed of 155mph. Other, more wallet-friendly variants are available of course: there's a 328i and 320i petrol, along with 320d and 318d diesel engines, the latter of which returns 62.8mpg and emits 119g/km of CO2.
You get a six-speed manual as standard, though an eight-speed auto is available as an option, and underneath, it's the same as a regular 3-Series, but with a bias towards "directional stability and long-distance comfort". Motorway schlepping, then. You can of course, spec the M-Sport pack, which lowers the car by 10mm and offers up stiffer springs and dampers and anti-roll bars, along with 18/19in wheels.
There's lot of other eco gubbins too, such as brake energy regeneration, start/stop and an 'eco pro' mode that works with the sat nav, monitors your driving style and suggests the most fuel efficient route. Top Gear does not understand this setting.
Prices will be announced in due course, but for now, TopGear.com, pray tell us: what the bloody hell is the 3 GT for?
What do you think?
This service is provided by Disqus and is subject to their privacy policy and terms of use. Please read Top Gear's code of conduct (link below) before posting.


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Rangers' Jon Daniels had 'good conversation' with Nolan Ryan over the weekend, says there's 'no issue' between the two
Texas Rangers GM Jon Daniels joined RAGE on KRLD-FM this week to talk about his promotion and relationship with CEO Nolan Ryan. Here are some highlights:
On if reports that he's gained power and Nolan Ryan has lost power are wrong:
I don't really look at it that way. And the other thing is that I haven't really been listening to any of this radio – no offense, guys – so I don't really know everything that's been speculated and said... There was that first column that came out late Friday night, so Saturday morning I wanted to address the elephant in the room. So I went in and talked with Nolan and say, 'Hey, I just want to address this. I don't want it to linger between the two of us.' And we talked through it and Nolan indicated that he had no issue with myself or anything else. I've got to take it at face value and move forward. We've got a big job here to get the team ready.
On what has and hasn't changed in his responsibilities:
I think the biggest thing is that it's a recognition of the work that not myself, not Nolan, but the whole organization and the baseball group have done. And again, I think it sets us up to maintain that group over a period of time. But as far as reporting structure or how things are going to be handled, I don't see anything changing dramatically.
On his conversation with Ryan:
It was a good conversation. It was part about the current setup and situation – and it wasn't the first time we'd talked about it, but it was the first time after the announcement. And we didn't see each other today, but the previous few days we met and kind of talked through all the things we're faced with as far as baseball decisions. I don't really feel comfortable speaking for him, but at some point I'm sure he'll address it when he's comfortable doing so.
On if he feels there's tension between him and Ryan:
I don't personally. I went in to address that with him on Saturday morning. There was no tension, there was no issue. Nolan's a straightforward guy and I take him at his word.
On if it's business as usual in the front office:
That's how I feel. I think with ownership recognizing the good things that have gone on here and the effort to keep everybody in place, I think it was further spelling out some things as far as how things will work. But again, I still report to Nolan and he still reports to ownership.
No doubt. I feel like we've got a good decision-making group. Not just me and Nolan, but dozens of people all around us in every area of the company and I want to keep that together, no doubt.
On if he thinks Ryan will be with the team come season's end:
I do. I think it would be irresponsible for me to speculate otherwise. He hasn't indicated anything else to me.


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Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 4:47 PM
Town Square
Agents seize $7 million in heroin in East Palo Alto
Original post made on Jul 21, 2009
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 4:47 PM
a resident of Barron Park
on Jul 21, 2009 at 5:30 pm
what about the kid that will take his place?
this will never end until drugs become less expensive. any ideas?
or are we going to just do what we do best and breed more of these
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Jul 21, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Sure, someone will end up taking his place, but that doesn't mean these scum should be given a free pass until we come up with some all encompassing solution.
These people are violent criminals.
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Jul 21, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Glad to hear he was caught w/his contraband. The last thing we need is someone like him running around. But how quickly will he be replaced? Will he be deported or do we have to foot the bill for his incarceration? I was just thinking today that Sac Street seems to have improved a bit - wow, I was wrong.
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Jul 21, 2009 at 7:29 pm
someone once told me, and i now totally agree; east palo alto will always be east palo alto. you can build companies there, grocery stores, banks, rebuild a block, try to mix the population, etc. but at the end of the day, it remains a struggling city. yes, there are many good people in this city, but just as equally many people with hopeless minds. at some point, those trying to make a fast dollar lost hope in themselves, were never taught what happens when you live this life, or they do know what happens and quite frankly just don't care. for sure there will be another dealer around the corner and the cycle continues. it's like a house with roaches; when the lights are on it looks clean and spiffy, but then, turn off the lights. hmmmm. not putting epa down, but know very well how things go down.
a resident of another community
on Jul 21, 2009 at 8:52 pm
this has been going on forever...question is: WHY? Moved my family away from all of this violence two years ago. Sad, sad, sad.
a resident of Menlo Park
on Jul 22, 2009 at 6:18 am
I know him very well, he works in a catering company for a dot com company, and I have never known him to be a hardened criminal, he wouldn't hurt a fly really down to earth person. And Im really sad he got caught up in this and I am confident justice will prevail and they got it all wrong that ain't his car. It's all a big misunderstanding.
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Jul 22, 2009 at 10:09 am
Don't be naive, having a job is part of the game, even scarface had a legitimate job. Once you start rollin' you want to spend but have constrain your lifestyle to your legal earning ability which is something most dopers eventually succumb to. A catering assistant owning a house anywhere in san mateo county and a lincoln sounds like he is over his head already. why do you think rappiong was so hot-start you own label and claim crazy sales out of the trunk of your car---can you say money laundering? it is a game.i was a cop in epa in the late80's/90's and like east oakland change there will be slow and will only tax some other area as it is about a small percentage of people who cause the problems. i say build a fence- menlo park did- between willow and obrien and down the middle willow smart but noone caught on. east menlo is noy much better but it tends to keep the problems from moving north on foot....
a resident of Menlo Park
on Jul 22, 2009 at 11:49 am
Innocent until proven guilty...no doubt. You say that wasn't his car, and it's all just a big misunderstanding? That's one of the oldest lines in history, and the district attorney ain't buying it.
If he isn't a hardened criminal, then he is a flunky for the drug cartel. I guess working for the catering company wasn't enough for him so he had to peddle drugs on the side. [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Jul 22, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Actually, nothing was said about him owning a home or the Lincoln. However, I know that street well and it's been beyond nefarious for many years. If he grew up on that street, he probably has been in the game for many years, despite his youth.
It'll be interesting to see who gets him - the feds or the state, if he gets killed, if he posts bail, if he flees a la Chacon or if he gets sentenced here and then deported.
Why would he be granted bail, since he sounds like a flight risk? As a lure? Wouldn't they try to flip him?
a resident of another community
on Jul 22, 2009 at 1:55 pm
They don't need to flip him. They are doing just fine, and know how the drugs are coming in and moving all around. There have been so many drug bust in the past few months I have lost count. All up and down, from the north bay to the south bay. Major bust!
How stupid of these nationals to think that just because police in Mexico are afraid of the cartels, that law enforcement in the states are afraid of them. I think NOT.
a resident of Midtown
on Jul 22, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Daaaaaaaaaaayum 70 pounds? I know somebody is pissed waiting for a supply that will never arrive.
a resident of Midtown
on Jul 22, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Since no one else has said it, let me be first: Congratulations to the state Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement!!
This sounds like a good piece of police work. I hope they are similarly successful in the future! In the long run, this kind of a big bust helps make the business much less profitable, which will help reduce the supply.
a resident of Barron Park
on Jul 22, 2009 at 6:17 pm
He should be deported immediately. This is a great deterrant and a cost-efficient solution. I'm against illegal immigration. It has ruined public schools and emergency rooms.
a resident of Midtown
on Jul 22, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Where was the heroin produced?
More than 70% of the worlds illegal heroin is produced in Afghanistan and is controlled and funds the Taliban.
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Jul 22, 2009 at 8:19 pm
The problem, Smart Mom, w/immediate deportation is that he can sneak back in. It may not be likely that he'd be deported, *then* imprisoned, so the deportation thing may not keep him from his job.
The bummer is that busts like this are always used to justify more $$$$ for LE, & the results are always so stellar. Meanwhile, unemp in the valley is up, budgets are beyond down & this state is scaaaaaaarooooo@@@@)))ddddd.
a resident of Menlo Park
on Jul 22, 2009 at 8:22 pm
The FbI are the ones who started the big appetite on drugs the US currently holds, and now they don't know what to do cause it got outta contro,l my advice make marihuana legal in all 50 states tax it appropiately and you will get rid of a big chunk of the criminal enterprise. Just cause you say you're a cop doesn't mean I will agree with you. Truth is that Cops work as correctional officers and they're the ones sneaking in all the drugs into the prisons, maybe we should check they're cars for hidden compartments and violate they're civil rights.
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Jul 22, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Cops and correctional officers aren't the same; they have different statuses, but deputies who often work the jails get mistaken for correctional officers and vice versa. Cops are sworn to serve and protect; corrections officers keep the jails, prisons, detention centers in order. Cops carry guns, corrections officers don't.
But you're right, the corrections officers help get the drugs into prisons. Organized crime is carried out by prisoners as well as those unincarcerated.
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Jul 22, 2009 at 9:35 pm
I've live here all my 45 years and raised my kids here (none of us have records) I noticed back in the 80's before we were incorporated, the police had a lot to do with the drugs and crime (they were overworked and underpaid police from Redwood City) and nobody paid attention to the majority of drugs being sold on East O'Keefe St! That's where it got out of hand, I was there so I know, I was and am still shocked at how this area has been ignored and flooded with as many drug dealers as wanted! Because they are quiet over there and not too flashy, they are ignored. That was the street full of inexpesive apartment buildings and only cared about rent, not credit checks or how many occupants. I'm almost sure this new breed are the spawn or at least relatives of the O.G. vato's from E. O'Keefe. These new police need to take a look over there too!
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Jul 22, 2009 at 10:52 pm
So, Cynthia, do you think this guy is related to the OGs from the O'Keefe of the 80s? What about Sac St. having drug problems since the 80s? It's the street where crack was first intro'd to EPA. A lot of the little kids of the late 80s & early 90s who were exposed to that lifestyle may now be dealers & gang members there, & this guy could be one of them, so they may not have a connection to O'Keefe, which of course was terrible back then.
a resident of Mountain View
on Jul 23, 2009 at 7:10 am
I could put some money on my friend Adam not knowing what was in that Lincoln town car. And please news media outlets don't crucify my dear friend he's not a gang member just cause you live in Sacramento Street doesnt make you part of Sac street boys.
For anyone who's hearing this story don't make up your mind yet let the facts come out.
My friend Adam is an honest working legal resident who pays his taxes and lives paycheck to paycheck, he is a wonderful father and is not this tough hardened criminal that the media is reporting him to be. His mother and his family are very sad about what's happening and know his true character a peaceful soul a wonderful addition to our society. Go look for the true owner of that car. If you want some answers and DA of Santa Clara county or San Mateo drop all charges please. Remember that scum bag who killed the officer in east palo alto well that guy deserves to be in prison and he was a gang member from sac street that guy was real thrash and nutcase please don't confuse him with my friend Adam and don't call him a sac street gang member.
Thank you.
a resident of another community
on Jul 23, 2009 at 9:46 am
i agree with a guy for justice. adam is a sweet soul and has never been a gang member. however, he got caught up with the wrong people and/or surroundings. hope things are justified correctly.
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Jul 23, 2009 at 1:46 pm
So how can Adam's defenders defend his previous actions - kidnapping, domestic violence? Why would he be driving a car w/a secret compartment? If he was living paycheck to paycheck, who paid for that expensive car?
a resident of Adobe-Meadow
on Jul 23, 2009 at 2:22 pm
It doesnt matter if Adam is convicted or let go. The cartels will kill him because he just lost 7 million bucks.
a resident of another community
on Jul 23, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Mexican National? Can they just turn him over to ICE, deport him and pay for incarceration in Mexico? Who cares who made the drugs - the important thing is to keep it from coming into the USA, and - face it - most of it is coming from Mexico, including heroin, meth and cocaine. Stop the flow!
a resident of another community
on Jul 23, 2009 at 6:28 pm
HIS INOOOOCCCEEEENNTTT I KNOW HIM HIS SO DOWN TO EARTH I KNOW FOR A FACT HES NOT A DRUG DEALER N THAT WASNT HIS CAR STOP MAKN LIES ABOUT HIM FIND THE REAL OWNER AND realese him he dnt deserve to be in jail for sumthn he didnt kno was there
a resident of Midtown
on Jul 23, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Marijuana plants valued at more than $1.26 billion have been confiscated and 82 people arrested over the past 10 days in Fresno County. The operation started last week and is continuing.Marijuana plants valued at more than $1.26 billion have been confiscated and 82 people arrested over the past 10 days in Fresno County. The operation started last week and is continuing.
All but one person arrested was from Mexico, officials said
$1.26 billion in 10 days, that could help our budget if we taxed it and regulated it like liquor
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jul 24, 2009 at 7:05 pm
So who's going to pay these pot taxes? The criminals that are selling it now? Give me a break - legalizing pot and then trying to tax is will just create another black market and law enforcement nightmare.
a resident of Green Acres
on Jul 25, 2009 at 4:48 pm
remember,the national security agency monitors people.time to educate ypuself there may be spies watching people.dont under any circumstances ,trust any police or te federal governmemt.lives are in danger!
a resident of Palo Alto Hills
on Jun 11, 2013 at 9:46 pm
Sharon, the heroin was probably produced in Mexico, not Afghanistan.


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Join me for a fun chat with prizes at Artisan Notebook!
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December 31, 2013 was our 12th anniversary and Kalonji and I had a nice, leisurely day. We hung out with Kaleya running various errands around town and finished the day with a fulfilling dinner at the Aquarium Restaurant.
Earlier in the day, I took this picture of Kalonji and Kaleya wrapped up in his Dr. Who scarf 🙂
And here is photo montage of our dinner. Yummy!