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There are some good deals at Target right now but my two favorite (and easy replicated) are these:
Use the Target coupon here to print out as many coupons as you want for $1 off the new Target brand (Up and Up) wipes. The boxes of wipes were $1.57, so they cost me 57 cents after coupon, and the toddler flushable wipes were $.97 so they were free after the coupon. You can bet I'm going back for more.
I wanted to get Nate the Leapster Tag system for his "big" Chanukah present, so I bided my time until I found this great deal:
Target just reduced the price from $49.99 to $39.99. I paired it up with a Target coupon for $10 off (in the Target holiday coupon book in the stores an in the newspaper last weekend), and a manufacturer coupon for $10 off found here. Voila: $19.99!
I love coupons so so much.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
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Monday, April 16, 2012
9 comments:
- AnonymousApril 16, 2012 at 3:37 PM
I was so excited when you showed up in this video!ReplyDelete
the bear sighting video? that's not me ;)ReplyDelete
Love it! So cheeky and such a fun indictment of our society! Plus I love the whole BEP send up!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 16, 2012 at 7:32 PM
Colby, you have friends in high places obviously.ReplyDelete
Kinda sad that we have to share you with popular culture ;(
Was nice to have our little clubhouse here together, but all good things must come to an end.
- AnonymousApril 16, 2012 at 8:07 PM
Rats! Was supposed to be at that party, but got waylaid in Ibi-TH-a... Lost the keys to the G6 and forgot the sexdrive was "push to start". A comedy of errors all the way 'round!ReplyDelete
Glad to see ya's all had a bimpin' good time w/o, though. That JMcG, he so silly!
- AnonymousApril 17, 2012 at 10:34 AM
My favorite podcast and my favorite blogger. My head just exploded.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 17, 2012 at 5:54 PM
It's not really you, is it?ReplyDelete
- NYC JimApril 17, 2012 at 9:35 PM
You look great Colby, as always!! Hate texting, love the video!ReplyDelete
Ummm... did you get to meet Marco Dapper? Seems like he was in the video right before and right after you showed up.ReplyDelete

subset: commoncrawl


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Wake up call, this is a wake up call for the Sudanese government! The message was clear and simple:- solve the crises inDarfur or you will be overthrown.
Yesterday, rebels from Darfur entered the capital of Sudan to "seize power". Although, the capital wasn't damaged as much as its twin sister, Omdurman, the situation remains extremely fragile.Previously, the Sudanese army has stepped up security in an attempt to secure the capital from what they believe to be an "invasion" by darfur rebels supported by their ally, Chad.
After 5 years of endless conflict, there is no peace in sight. Peace talks are scheduled to take place in London this month, but the rebels outsmarted the government known to be one of Africa's strongest governments.
The government is looking for a quick fix-up right now, they are taking security measures and the streets are mostly covered with soldiers. However, if they are keen on "saving Sudan" and "stopping the senseless bloodshed", they should step down with the little dignity they have left and hand over power to a transitional government. Next year, we can have elections and elect a new president for the first time in 23 years.
If the government keeps looking for quick fixes and doesn't take this situation seriously, the country is going to collapse into civil war. The whole country, including the "peacful" north and east.
Is there a way out of this chaos?Yes, a transitional government to faciliate an easy transition to democracy.
Currently, the situation is extremtly fragile in the whole country, but there is a way out. There is a solution.


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Long before Bubba, Warren G. Harding famously had a mistress--or two--in or around the White House. And unlike Bill, he wrote her dirty mash notes. We noted last week NYT printing some of them. Last night John Oliver read highlights....
Greg Mitchell on media, politics, film, music, TV, comedy and more. "Not here, not here the darkness, in this twittering world." -- T.S. Eliot
Monday, July 14, 2014
Harding Topped Clinton in One Thing
Posted by Greg Mitchell at 9:18:00 AM
is author of a dozen books (click on covers at right), including the new "THE TUNNELS: Escapes Under the Berlin Wall and the Historic Films the JFK White House Tried to Kill." He was the longtime editor of Editor & Publisher. Email: email@example.com. Twitter: @GregMitch
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From the Director:
From a child's perspective, our Begindergarten classroom is all about discovery, play, and friendships. From a teacher's perspective, it's all about helping the children develop those skills and attributes necessary to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. Children learn best by doing, and they do best those things that they initiate. Thus, children are given broad choices of activities within a developmentally appropriate structure. Each of these activities is designed to develop the whole child: fine and gross motor skills, socialization, personal responsibility, spatial awareness, auditory and visual processing, and reading and math readiness, to name a few.


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i was thinking, "oh that he had been born in another country, a country who believes that ALL children are worth bringing home from the hospital." of course, that statement isn't really true, is it? because here in america, we let parents choose to kill their babies before they are even born, if those babies are inconvenient, less than "perfect," or for any reason that they want to. a shocking 92% of parents who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Ds choose to abort those babies. oh the blessing those families have missed, and oh the heartache that abortion brings, the longterm regrets and pain, the guilt and doubts.
so i went over to reece's rainbow to find christian, and share his information on facebook. he wasn't there.....
HE WASN'T THERE.i tried the link over and over again, with the same response, "oops, this link is invalid." i was scared....petrified and in tears, actually, as i looked through all those sweet faces, just trying to find this one precious boy:
dob: 7/5/09
i looked in the "my family found me" section....no CHRISTIAN. i looked through all the "Ds boy babies"....no CHRISTIAN. with much dread, i clicked on the link to the "in loving memory" section....those babies and children who are now with their Heavenly Father, who finally know the perfect love of "ABBA".....CHRISTIAN WAS NOT THERE. of course there were so many other little ones there who we have lost .... including dante, who was born the same day as wyatt. he and christian had both stolen my heart. i was devastated when i learned of his passing.
so i emailed my contact at reece's rainbow with my fears and concerns. and i prayed. and i went to bed. this morning, as soon as i could, i checked my email, and was so relieved to get this message: "Christian is fine!! Please don't worry about him. The trouble is bureaucratic -- and unfortunately we've had to put all the children in region 6 on hold for a while :( So, please keep praying for Christian -- that not only can we find him a family, but we can reopen that region for all the children." i was so very relieved that he is OKAY. at least for now.....yet saddened that all those children in region 6 are not available for adoption right now. so i ask you, please pray for CHRISTIAN, and all the children in region 6....that they will be safe, healthy, and loved by their caregivers, and that soon they will be able to be found by their "forever families."


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I make no apologies for my defence of the use of "simple catechisms from the early half of the 20th century" to pass on the faith to our children.
Perhaps, instead, I should have quoted the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, who said in an interview published in the book, The Ratzinger Report, under a headline, "A shattered catechesis", that "the first grave error in this direction was to suppress the catechism and to declare quite universally that the category 'catechism' was obsolete" (page 73).
Most telling were his statements: "Every Catholic must have the courage to believe that his faith (in communion with that of the Church) surpasses every 'new magisterium' of the experts, of the intellectuals"; and "The rule of faith, yesterday as today, is not based on the discoveries (be they true or hypothetical) of biblical sources and layers but on the Bible just as it is, as it has been read in the Church since the time of the Fathers until now" (page 76).
L'Osservatore Romano recently reported (6 July) the presentation of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church by the Holy Father.
It saw the light following publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 1992. Since then, there has been an ever more widespread and pressing need for a concise catechism that would contain all and only the essential, fundamental elements of Catholic faith and morals, simply expressed in a way that is clear, concise and accessible to all.
It seems we have come full circle.
New Zealand


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Important read with a good number of cited resources and evidence below that you can take to your school board. The concerns surrounding standardized, especially, high-stakes testing are manifold, but I draw attention herein to the hijacking of public education by so-called reformers that seek to profit on the public's hard-earned taxpayer dollars in a way that is bringing public education in lots of places to its knees. Instead of getting behind the crucial fight for more investment in public education (K12 and higher education), these groups are takers, in search of profits.
Hence the expressed concern about corporatization and marketization includes the crippling—if not the entire dismantling—of public education. Their goal is to make public education weak to pave the way for their profit-making alternatives. And then they draw on civil rights rhetoric to claim that they act on behalf of and in the best interest of our underprivileged communities of color.
Critics like myself and others have been exposing this not-so-hidden agenda for years. In fact, this blog came into existence precisely out of our need to educate the public so that they could act intelligently on the basis of credible information on this and other related matters.
What should not get lost here in this narrative on these interconnected concerns of standardized testing and corporatization involve enormous collusion with the political elite that sustains this. It's not just business people behind this, but our actual leadership in our Departments of Education and state government—indeed, our "corporate state."
As advocates for our minority communities particularly impacted not only by our current system of testing, but also by a long history of testing, tracking, ability grouping, and rote learning, we always knew that once Anglos stopped seeing themselves as beneficiaries and in fact experienced personally what our minority communities have been experiencing since day one, change would finally occur.
We should feel encouraged, but also vigilant so that we do not even in this important moment reinscribe relations of dominance and subordination—and in so doing, reinscribe white, middle class privilege.
Yes, opt out of this nonsense, but also join our great and noble continuing struggle for equitable school finance, bilingual education, de-tracking, and ethnic studies!
Angela Valenzuela
What's Driving the Opt-Out Movement? The belief that high-stakes testing promotes rote learning and is unfair to teachers, a TC survey finds
Who Opts Out and Why? also reveals that opt-out proponents oppose high-stakes, standardized testing because they believe it takes away too much instructional time.
The survey follows recent reports that the opt-out movement in New York has neither grown nor faded. In its July 29 report on 2016 standardized test scores, New York State disclosed that about 21 percent, or an estimated 250,000 of the approximately 1.1 million eligible public school students across the state, declined to take the tests. These figures do not significantly differ from the previous year, when New York State led the nation in combined math and English Language Arts test refusals.
Among the national survey's 65 questions, respondents were asked to pick the two top reasons why they participated in opt-out activities. The answers revealed that:
- 36.9 percent said they oppose using students' performance on standardized tests to evaluate teachers;
- 33.8 percent said they believe standardized tests force teachers to "teach to the test" by using drilling and worksheets to promote memorization of test answers rather than more complex, inquiry-based learning strategies;
- 30.4 percent said they oppose the growing role of corporations in schools;
- 26.5 percent said they believe standardized tests take away too much instructional time;
- 25.8 percent said they oppose the Common Core State Standards (CCSS); and
- 16 percent said they oppose the privatization of schools, a concern that is closely tied to fears about the growing role of corporations in public schools.
It shows that opt-out proponents reject not only the popular narrative that public education in America is failing, but also the notion that, even if it were, more standardized testing would fix it. "People in the opt-out movement are not saying the whole system is broken," said Green Saraisky. "They're not anti-testing; they're anti-standardized testing."
Respondents believe that opting out "is about political challenge to current educational reform," Pizmony-Levy said. "Policy makers need to take opt-out supporters seriously and pay attention to what motivates them and what ideas they bring to the table."
The complete Who Opts Out and Why? survey and results can be downloaded here.
Related Links
TC Survey of Opt-Out Movement Shows Opposition to Test-Based Teacher Evaluations (Education Week)
Who is driving the opt-out movement? The answer might surprise you (Chalkbeat)
Opt-out activists also oppose test-based evals, privatization (Education Dive)
Teachers College Survey: Who Opts Out and Why? (Diane Ravitch's Blog)


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I came across the Daily Post challenge by sheer chance, I logged on to organize my posts, and continue to add on my (relatively) short stories.. As an eternal procrastinator (I have so many things to say, and so many ideas to transcribe from the random electrical impulses that burst from neuron to neuron, into legible words) most of my "posts" are still "baby-drafts". I found the challenge to be a great idea, however(and quite honestly), at first I did not find it interesting enough to dedicate some time to it… But then I thought, why not, since it would have a dead line, perhaps I could push and "challenge" myself, into actually finishing it tonight…
I struggled to choose a song, as the post it self says, "music is powerful", it adapts to your mood and enhances it, it can help you travel through time, and (as a Spanish saying says) "it calms beasts down". I like so many different songs and genres. How to decide?? Music is unbiased, it does not favor any sort of emotion, it just "goes with it" and carries you through a carousel of feelings and memories, its one of the best companions for a road trip, and let's face it, movies would be nothing with out their soundtracks (particularly the horror genre). It fills your soul of endless possibilities through its auditive journey… And as a Hispanic girl, personally, I feel that dancing to music with great rhythm is one of the best cures (next to making love, and shopping) for the body, mind, and soul..
After going through a mental list of songs, I came up with three main ones (which I will list at the end to make them justice). However, I decided to expand on the one that made it to the title: Let her go by Passenger. How, exactly, did this particular song pushed me to join the challenge??? Well, first as I browsed the internet while I allowed my mind to elaborate on what I wanted to say (and whether or not I would write), I came across a post on Facebook that quoted one of the lines from the song. Immediately I knew this was one of the songs that would have to make it into the challenge. Or perhaps it was its dual effect. With its entrancing instrumental opening, it tickles the senses into a bubbly state of mind; the first time you listen to it, however, it can be perceived in a negative or somewhat depressive way. But it's the rhythm(as it is with many songs) that hooks your attention and keeps you listening to the end, and it grows on you.. Once you accept the cliche saying "You don't know what you have until it's gone" as verity , you can fully understand and appreciate the lyrics; and hopefully make a conscious effort to be better, in both life and love… Or at the very least, just enjoy the song… Which ever approach you take, it's a sublimely succinct song.
To me, this song, is a subliminal description of the facets of the icosahedron that human nature is, the different moods we experience, and the moments that fill our lives. We can be so cryptically capricious. We focus on the one shiny thing we think we really want (sometimes going through extreme situations to attain it), once we have it, it some how loses value, and we are no longer interested… Most of the time we don't know where we are going, or what we want, we make it up, and we re discover ourselves day by day. We go through life, expecting it to be extraordinary, and we forget (through routines and social pressure) that it is up to us to make it so… We, quite often, forget to enjoy the little things (for however long they may last) and to make the best of each breath we take, since we never know when it will be the last. As we grow up we leave behind the magic the world held for us when we were children, the little things no longer shine the way they use to, and we no longer make the effort to see wonder behind a beautiful sunset, our significant other, a song with great lyrics, a good book, or even bubble wrap. They fall into a secondary category, where taking the time to be happy and share it with loved ones, is an expensive mythical gift. We get consumed by what we think something should be or feel like, and we forget to accept things the way they are and truly enjoy them. As I have discovered through my "growing up experiences", balance is key 🙂
1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBumgq5yVrA
2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lLvtydTM78
3) http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8LOJK7HF0kSZgLFSy5R-Y-7-VCVicbmZ
As a short note: The last song is in Spanish, it's from a Mexican rock band called Mana. It's my motto, it speaks about how we should not care what people think about us, regardless of who they may be, authorities, parents, peers, in-laws, etc… Know yourself, and accept the fact that no body is perfect, therefore, they don't have the right to judge you, and in turn, you should not judge others..


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While out painting with Julie Trail on Monday we headed down Stringbean Alley just outside of Amador City, California. We decided to paint by the entrance to the Sutter Creek Gold Mine. It was a cold morning with a heavy frost on the ground and 25-degrees. Luckily the sun warmed the ground but since I was standing in a shady spot my toes and hands were cold. I am wearing my Muck boots on the next outing. The view was beautiful in every direction. This little painting, "Cascading Oaks" was painted near the end of the session with me standing on one foot and then the other, trying my best to stay warm. Seeing the muted colors of fall made for, "A Painting Day".
"Cascading Oaks" 4x4 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre


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guna krta sanyapåta nahi kehi, kou na måna mada tajeu nibehi |
jobana jvara kehi nahi balakåvå, mamatå kehi kara jasa na nasåvå ||1||
macchara kåhi kalamka na låvå, kåhi na soka samira dolåvå |
cimtå så°pini ko nahi khåyå, ko jaga jåhi na byåpi måyå ||2||
kita manoratha dåru sarirå, jehi na låga ghuna ko asa dhirå |
suta bita loka isanå tini, kehi kai mati inha krta na malini ||3||
yaha saba måyå kara parivårå, prabala amiti ko baranai pårå |
siva caturånana jåhi deråhi, apara jiva kehi lekhe måhi° ||4||
Maya, the Illusive Power of Lord Vishnu
Who has not lost his mental equilibrium by the combined action of the three gunas? (sattva, rajas and tamas,the three constituents of nature)There is no one who has been spared by pride and intoxication. Who has not been wildly distracted on being attacked by the fever of youth. Whose good fame has not been marred by worldly attachment? Who has not been disgraced by envy and who has not been shaken by the blast of grief? Who has not been bitten by the serpent of anxiety? And who in this world has not been pervaded by maya (the illusive power of God)? Our heart-felt desire is a worm and the body is wood. Who is so resolute of mind, that his body has not being infested by this worm? Whose mind has not been corrupted by the three strong desires of having a son, wealth and fame? All of them make up the very powerful family of Maya. They are infinite in number and who can possibly give an account of them.
Lord Shiva & Brahma Are Scared of Maya
Even Lord Shiva and Brahmå (the Creator) are scared of them; then of what reckoning are other living beings?
byåpi raheu samsåra mahu° måyå kataka pracamda |
senåpati kåmådi bhata dambha kapata påsamda ||71(A)||
so dåsi raghubira kai samujhe° mithyå sopi |
chuta na råma krpå binu nåtha kahau° pada ropi ||71(B )||
The Illusive Power of Vishnu Pervades the Universe
Maya's fearsome army is spread over the entire universe. Lust, anger and greed) are its generals and hypocrisy, deceit and heresy are its heroic warriors. However that Maya is the maid servant of Lord Raghuvir. Though deceptive when understood, it is not possible to be released from her grip unless one has the grace of Lord Rama. O Lord! I say this with absolute confidence.
jo måyå saba jagahi nacåvå, jåsu carita lakhi kåhu° na påvå |
soi praphu bhru bilåsa khagaråjå, nåca nati iva sahita samåjå ||1||
soi saccidånamda ghana råmå, aja bigyåna rupa bala dhåmå |
byåpaka byåpya akhamda anamtå, akhila amoghasakti bhagavamtå ||2||
aguna adabhra girå gotitå, sabadarasi anavadya ajitå |
nirmama niråkåra niramohå, nitya niramjana sukha samdohå ||3||
prakrti påra prabhu saba ura båsi, brahma niriha biraja abinåsi |
ihå° moha kara kårana nåhi, rabi sanmukha tama kabahu° ki jåhi° ||4||
Maya Dances to the Tune of Lord Rama
O Pakshiraj Garuda! The same Maya that makes the entire world dance to her tune and whose ways have not been understood by anyone, dances with her family like an actress on stage to the tune of the Lord's eyebrows.
Lord Rama is the Abode of Beauty & Strength
Lord Rama is the same Sacchidanand (the totality of existence, knowledge and bliss) who is unborn, is the personification of wisdom and the abode of beauty and strength. He is both pervading and pervaded, continuous, infinite and integral, has unfailing power, and is endowed with the six superhuman qualities. He is nirguna (devoid of the attributes of Maya), greatly vast, beyond speech and the senses, all-seeing, free from fault, invincible, unattached, formless, free from delusion, eternal, untainted by Maya and the repository of joy.
Lord Rama is Beyond Prakriti
The all-capable Lord who is beyond Prakriti (a force evolving the material world),forever dwells in the hearts of everyone, is the imperishable Brahma, free from desire and deterioration. In Lord Rama delusion has no standing. Can the shades of darkness dare to approach the sun?
bhagata hetu bhagavåna prabhu råma dhareu tanu bhupa |
kie carita påvana parama pråkrta nara anurupa ||72(A)||
jathå aneka besa dhari nrtya karai nata koi |
soi soi bhåva dekhåvai åpuna hoi na soi ||72(B)||
Lord Rama Took on the Form of a King
The divine Lord Rama incarnated in the form of a king, for the sake of His devotees and performed extremely sacred deeds like an ordinary mortal. Just as an actor dons various guises to act on the stage, and exhibits different characters (according to the guises he puts on) but does not become any of them himself.


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I've been posting lots of cute pics on Facebook (I finally broke down and bought a smart phone -- it's sad to own a phone smarter than I am....). I have no idea how to link you guys over there, but if you're on facebook and you want to check it out, I post over there under Harvest Moon.
In fact, my phone camera is way better than my regular camera, so until I figure out how to get my photos from the phone to the computer (yes, I know it's simple, but again, the phone is smarter than I am....), most of the really good pictures can probably be found there instead of here. (Especially since I'm HATING the new blogger format -- have I mentioned that already?! It's totally not compatible with my ancient computer monitor, so I can't see my entire post while I'm writing it -- it's making me NUTS! Unless I drop it to 75% size, and then I can't see ANYTHING....)
5-7 year mission preview, realized
6 years ago


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But a lot of time to sew and watch terrible adaptations of sub-par Lincoln novels (I'm looking at you, Gore Vidal) is also very appreciated.
So when I was visiting St. L (my hometown, yo) we stopped by a quilt store and I got some lovely ochre CW repro fabric. However, there were only 4 yards available, so I decided to make a regency dress instead because my usual 1812 one is awfully farby and in need of a revamp. The fabric monster in me told me to buy it, and it sort of leapt into my hands!
|Not going to lie, I have some pretty A+ selfies
Pattern: Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion (but fudged a lot)
Fabric: Cotton print, linen
Time: About 2 weeks, on and off, but it's all handsewn and I had some major fitting issues.
What I would change?: The sleeves came out wonky and the back gapes a bit, so I'll have to fix that before I wear it in public.
|also note my creepy new/old vintage mannequin from my dear neighbor...
Also, we had a regency ball last week, so I thought that I'd post some pictures of my sad old regency ballgown... Ohhh, the memories I have of this thing. I need to seriously re-do the back before I wear it again, as it is literally ripping apart at the moment. But it's such a lovely silk taffeta!
Merry Christmas!


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NEW YORK — The stock market lapsed into a broad decline Monday in selling attributed partly to rising interest rates.
The Dow Jones average of 30 industrials, which had risen almost 117 points over the past two weeks, dropped back 14.76 to 1,861.95.
Volume on the New York Stock Exchange slowed to 120.59 million shares from 151.20 million on Friday.
Analysts at several brokerage firms lately have begun to question whether the long decline of interest rates is at or near its end.
After rising last week, open-market money rates climbed again Monday, pushing prices of long-term government bonds down about $20 for every $1,000 in face value.


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2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Top Comparisons
Users ranked 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class against other cars which they drove/owned. Each ranking was based on 9 categories. Here is the summary of top rankings.
User Reviews
View reviews where users commented on categories.Clear selections
Displaying 1 - 10 of 21 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class reviews.
2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class ReviewCarGurus https://www.cargurus.com
vs2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class winning categories:
Front Seats Ranked 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class worse.
Back Seats Ranked 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class better.
"More room and space"
Looking for a Used S-Class in your area?
CarGurus has 6,131 nationwide S-Class listings starting at $1,000.
CarGurus https://www.cargurus.com
2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S 430Review
Impressive Ride. — Comfortable and quiet. This car is the flagship of Mercedes. Styling meets elegance with a flair of performance really set this car a part. One if the best points that does not get mentioned much is the safety. It gets the highest ranked safety standards out there. If your looking for comfort say no more. It is a Mercedes s-class.
Pros: Comfort
Cons: Towing
CarGurus https://www.cargurus.com
2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S 430Review
A True Head Turner. — The S-Class is a the flagship of Mercedes. It has timeless beauty and the performance is outstanding. This car has it all. Elegance and sophistication combined to make it the most comfortable ride in the world. Air ride with the most variations in seat adjustment make this an all day driver.
Primary Use: Commuting to work
Pros: True sedan with sports car handling and power.
Cons: Not set up to tow with this car.
CarGurus https://www.cargurus.com
2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S 430Review
Great Pkg — The look is Great. I also believe that the breaks installed are not strong enough. It could be better and safer if Mercedes had installed -at least- the 4 pot Brembo-made calipers. Handling is AMAZING-nothing can make it look like a mistake
Pros: Excellent
Cons: None
CarGurus https://www.cargurus.com
2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S 430Review
Top Dog — Liked it very much, no cons, Great handling, mileage is phenominal for being à solid car, dont feel bumps, excellent design and size, the sound system is excellent, car deels line iT camera out of 'a showroom , its à head turner, Nice features
Primary Use: Commuting to work
Pros: Great ride, all Luxury, Great mileahe, high reliability, and safety
Cons: None
CarGurus https://www.cargurus.com
2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S 350Review
Love It! — its one of mercedes benz great cars. one of the best cars mercedes ever built. its perfomance is spectacular it never lets you down never ever ever ever. hell yeah its fun to drive its like you are on a space ship.
Primary Use: Family transportation
Pros: best car i have ever driven
Cons: nothing
CarGurus https://www.cargurus.com
2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S 350Review
My Dear S-class — I love my S-class.It's so big and very stable car.The performance is so impressing me.The cost is not expensive,the gas milleage it's about 7kms/litre.I always maintain my car in Mercedes-Benz Authorized Dealer.The car is very fun to drive and its technologies are very good
Primary Use: Commuting to work
Pros: The performance,it's so fast
Cons: NOthing
CarGurus https://www.cargurus.com
2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S 600Review
Hot S600 — okay so i love it but you try driving a car that gets 8 in the city and 10 on the highway, I get worse gas milage then a Tank used in the middle east! So I am going more practical, you know for better gas miles, maybe a hummer? lol
Primary Use: Sport/fun (spirited driving, track racing, off-roading, etc.)
Pros: everything about pulling next to a 911 and beating him
Cons: GAS
CarGurus https://www.cargurus.com
2006 Mercedes-Benz S-ClassReview
I Would Buy It Again. — I love my 2006 S-430. It has the power I want and I am not disturbed about the sometimes not so smooth shifting. It rides smoothly and quitely. My S-430 came with the AMG Package, which is a plus to me. I had dash board electrical failure. It was replaced under extended warrenty. The CD Player went out. It couldn't be fixed. So the radio had to be replaced. Out of warrenty MB chipped in the replacement($4,500.00)radio.I paid ($900.00). Otherwise,it has been a great car.
Primary Use: Family transportation
Pros: Good styling, Great Ride
Cons: A little hard on gas. Maintenance is a little pricy.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 21 2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class reviews.
Reviews From Other Years
2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Reviews
Wonderful Car.
I finally broke down and got a Mercedes and I really like the car. If you go over it closely you will see the detail put into the construction that sets this car apart from the competition. There ar... Read More
2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Reviews
My New S550
This vehicle is the ultimate package. The most comfortable and smooth riding sedan out there in my opinion. It has every bell and whistle I could ask for. Night vision, park assist, pano roof, adapti... Read More
Drive Like An Angel
Prestige and value. Look good in your circle of friends and family. Never pay a good price for anything when someone sees the car you drive. Live well and show that you worked hard and are successful ... Read More
2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Reviews
Really Liked It But Wanted To Stay Ungraded.
Bought a 2015 and like it less that the 2012. For example the 2015 doors don't close easily--You have to really push them open or closed. The 2015 glove box won't fully open fully because it is low... Read More
Decent Overall.
Decent Overall. Looks & Accelerates GREAT!! Impeccable Comfort. I Replaced The AMG Wheels With COR 20" Staggered Fitment With Michelin Pilots, It Drastically Improved The Ride & Handling. However, If ... Read More
2011 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Reviews
A monster hidden under the bonnet. Thirsty V12, but gives 600hp and 0-100 in jus ~4 seconds. Handling can be improved. Exterior can be more different than S63 AMG. Interior quality is superb, best i... Read More
2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Reviews
Love It
Second S Class for me. Buy them off lease well maintained. I save a ton of money. Oil change every ten thousand miles and that's it. I highly recommend the cars. Very comfortable and all the goodies... Read More
Simply The Best
Really like How it handles and when you turn or excellerate the seat holds you in place . The car adjust to the road and all conditions . When it's raining you feel Completely safe and comfortable . A... Read More
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Fender Custom Shop 1960 Relic Jazz Bass Guitar, Sunburst (Pre-Owned)
The Fender Jazz Bass is the most popular bass in the world & it's easy to see why, they got it spot-on on the 1st attempt! The 1960 Jazz comes with a slightly thicker neck profile & custom shop pickups for a deep & well defined tone. Looks amazing with a Relic'd Sunburst finish & plays like a well worn in favourite! Excellent condition.
Main Features
- Model - Fender Custom Shop Relic Jazz Bass
- Colour - Sunburst
- Serial - R1113
- Year - 1997
- Weight - 8lb 12.91oz
- Case - Original Fender Hardcase
- Condition - Excellent+ Very minor fretware
- Read More
Fender Custom Shop 1960 Relic Jazz Bass Features
• Body: Alder
• Neck Material: Maple
• Neck Profile: 'C' Shape
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Frets: 20, Vintage Style
• Scale Length: 34 Inch
• Pickups: Fender Custom Shop Jazz Single Coil
• Bridge Type: 4 Saddle Vintage Style
• Tuners: Vintage Style
• Finish Type: Relic Nitrocellulose
**** Do you have a Guitar or a Bass you would like to part exchange? If so, please call us on 01202 597180 (option 1) or e-mail the details to [email protected] and we will get right back to you! ****
All our pre-owned guitars and basses are sold freshly set-up & fully serviced in our state-of-the-art guitar workshop. The pre-sale service includes a 21 point check, including:
• Brand new strings
• Action
• Electronic components
• Neck angle and Truss Rod adjustment
• Hardware
• Fretwork
• Clean and condition inc. Fretboard
• Saddle/Bridge height, radius, intonation
• Nut
The Absolute multi point pre sales service & set-up is free with every pre-owned guitar. Also included is a 12 month warranty*. We provide a 7 day no-quibble money back guarantee on all our used instruments, so you can buy with confidence.
More images are available on request. For more information*, call the guitar department on 01202 597 180 or e-mail at [email protected]
- Sorry - this product is not available to purchase
1 Recommended Accessory
Additional Information
Brand Fender Condition Pre-owned


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Untangling a Memory Knot
This question arose just just now as I wrote about my high school graduation in my journal. I graduated from high school on May 28, and the next day I went home with my grandparents to spend the several days between graduation and the first day of my summer job. My parents came to pick me up ... when? Memorial Day weekend? That didn't seem possible. There isn't time for Memorial Day weekend if I graduated on May 28.
My compulsive need for accurate details kicked in. I set my journal aside, reached for my nearby laptop, and googled over to a perpetual calendar to refresh my memory regarding the day of the week that May 28 fell on that year. Although perpetual calendars are enormously valuable for unraveling many mysteries, it didn't help with this one. A few more clicks turned up the explanation that Memorial Day was always celebrated as a stand-alone holiday on May 30 until the passage of the Uniform Holiday Act in 1971 that created all the lovely three day weekend holidays we enjoy now.
Thus Memorial Day was not a long weekend back then as I'd been thinking. It was the First Day of Summer Vacation — unless it fell on a Sunday, in which case it was the Second Day of Summer Vacation.
What difference does all this make? It's a prime example of how memories morph and blur. I forgot that we didn't always have that three day weekend. It probably blurred together with Labor Day, which marked the official end of summer vacation — it was carved in stone that we return to the classroom the Tuesday after Labor Day, which has always has always been celebrated on the first Monday of September, ensuring a three day weekend.
If I had written in the Los Alamos Years memoir I'm tapping away on that my parents came up to pick me up over Memorial Day weekend, nobody would ever have thought twice about it, and it would have been true enough. That claim expresses personal truth, supported by the reality of memory. If anyone checked a few decades from now, at worst they'd figure I'd gotten a little wifty and let it go.
Since tools for determining factual truth are easily available, with about four minutes of searching, I was able to set the record straight. I can keep my account accurate, and perhaps insert a little historical insight by including half a dozen words about the history of the holiday date change.
Although this is a personal decision, when accurate facts are readily available, I feel better when I make the effort to find and use them. When the facts are not available, memory and considered speculation will suffice, though if I have serious doubts, I may qualify such statements with a phrase like as I recall... .
Write now: click over to a perpetual calendar and use it to determine the day of the week for significant events in your life. For example, do you remember what day of the week you were born? How about your children? What day of the week was JFK assassinated? Conversely, if you remember the time of month something took place, for example, the third week of August, you can probably find the date using the perpetual calendar. You can file these dates away for future reference, or just know that this tool is always there.
Alternatively or additionally, write about your feelings about technical accuracy in matters like this. How important is it to you?
6 comments :
- Pat's Place said...
I agree with you that our stories about the past need to have as much of the factual truth as we can obtain. I love the fact that my mother took, labeled and kept so many photographs for our family. That helps me date some of our activities rather well. I remember the poppies we used to wear for Memorial Day. They were red poppies with a wire stem and a tag on them that said something but I forget what. Could not find anything about that on the web.
- Roadrunner said...
Perhaps it is being a "stickler for details", but I too would have done the same thing- verified the accuracy of a memory if I could.
I did the same thing when writing about an earthquake I felt when traveling in Mexico. It left tremendous amount of damage in Guatemala...so it was documented well. It was a memory I had, albeit a faded one from the 70's!
- Roadrunner said...
I found the writing on the paper poppies.
It is a fundraising event for the American Legion.
You will see a photo on the page of the tag and writing.
- Ritergal said...
Pat, photos are terrific for jump starting memories, and you are fortunate to have enough to also use them as documentation.
- Ritergal said...
Are you from New Mexico? I like your name! Bravo for checking on that earthquake. We are so fortunate these days to have the Internet at our fingertips to check on things we may not have been able to find even fifteen or twenty years ago.
Thanks for the info on the poppies. My hubby told me he saw them for sale here before Memorial Day. Shucks, if I'd seen them, I would have bought one for old times sake as well as the cause.
- Terri Tiffany said...
It bothers me when I think I remember something a certain way, and write about it and then dig through my diary and find it with some facts a little off! I try now to dig first!


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They look innocent don't they?
Yesterday our son was accidentally given one of the birthday treats brought in to his Kinder. He has substitute treats in the pantry at Kinder for him to have on days like today, but he was accidentally served up a cupcake.
I suppose it had to happen one day but it is still disappointing. We put in all this hard work only to have the rug pulled from underneath us by someone else's mistake. Our son is usually very good and will ask if something is safe for him, but today he didn't and ate it all by the time they realised their mistake.
He hasn't reacted too badly fortunately. He is puffy around his eyes, sing song-y in his self entertainment when bored at the doctors and less responsive when we speak to him. He was still able to take me through the whole "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" story that he laid out around our house. It was lovely to see things that he is doing at Kinder sinking in and him being able to process it and retell it in his own way complete with 3 different sized bowls on the table and 3 different sized chairs.
We had a doctors appointment today which as always was very enlightening. Hopefully I'll be back with a pre appointment and post appointment updates before we go on holidays on Friday.


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"They fell, but o'er their glorious grave
Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save."
Francis Marion Crawford (American writer, 1854-1909)
PLACE: Walnut Hill Cemetery
SUBJECT: Flags on veteran's graves
Today is Memorial Day. MonkeyBoy's Boy Scout troop helped the Catholic War Veterans and Veteran's of Foreign Wars raise flags at Walnut Hill cemetery beginning at 5am this morning. HandsomeHusband accompanied him. Then, HH, MB and StellaDella participated in our town's annual Memorial Day parade at 10am; MB and SD sat in the Miata and threw candy while HH drove. The parade ended at Walnut Hill Cemetery with a ceremony that honored the men and women of the United States forces who have died, been wounded, disabled or fortunate enough to return without physical injury. Afterwards, we traveled to my sister's house for a family get together and BBQ. HH and MB left early so they could help lower the flags at the cemetery.


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Many critics say there is no need to give money to Japan because they are rich and becuase they are not asking for help. Yet, what we find funny about the whole debate, is that we don't recall similar things being said after Hurricane Katrina hit the US Gulf Coast. Fund-raising for that disaster went through the roof, despite the US being the richest nation in the world. We certainly know that the need was great in the Gulf Coast, in fact it still is.
The best advice we have seen on this topic is what we pointed out in an earlier post. If you are moved to give, go ahead and do so. Just make sure your money isn't earmarked for Japan. This is just in case that Japan refuses the help and the organization deems the money can be better spent elsewhere.
The Anonymous blogger from Tales From The Hood gives his take on the whole debate.
I don't know a single actual aid worker who is in favor of mounting an international disaster response effort in Japan. And I'm not just saying that – we do talk to each other, across agency lines, about this kind of thing. But I know scores of marketers and fundraisers and donor reps who have spent the past week + with humanitarian blue-ball syndrome over the revenue potential of this spectacularly dramatic high-visibility disaster.
Not that aid workers know everything. But just so that we're all clear:
Those who actually make their livings designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating humanitarian aid interventions say that a relief effort in Japan is somewhere between unnecessary and a bad idea. But…
We're all still fundraising. "Our donors expect us to respond…" says the marketing department. Right – so this is all about the donors, then, is it?
Japan itself has said – repeatedly – that it wants only very specific kinds of support (search and rescue dog teams, for example, in the initial days), and in very limited quantities. This is one of the wealthiest, most technologically savvy, and generally most well-organized countries on the planet. Japan is a major contributor to disaster response in other countries through institutional donors like JICA and a full array of locally based HRI-affiliates. Japanese NGOs have valiantly tried to resist to onslaught of Western good will, but against all rational logic, we've insisted on "helping."


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Few can argue that clipping coupons can lead to significant savings at the grocery store. Devoted coupon users scour their local newspapers and grocery store ads to find coupons for their favorite grocery items. Coupled with discounts offered during in-store sales, coupon clipping can really make a dent in a family's grocery expenses. Coupon clipping, although a worthwhile investment of your time, can take up more of your day than you'd like. Use ideas like these to turn this thankless task into one more opportunity to spend time with your family. You'll get a chance to teach your children the importance of budgeting and have fun with them, too.
1. Make coupon clipping a contest.
Many Sunday papers have two or three coupon circulars within its pages. Give a circular to each of your kids and let them peruse its pages. Set a goal, maybe the goal will be to find three coupons for products you regularly use, and reward the first of your helpers to reach it. A frugal reward might be an extra hour of television or video game time for each week's winner.
2. Reward special coupon finds.
If one of your kids finds a particularly valuable coupon like a free item, allow your helper to get that item on your next shopping trip. It won't cost you anything (except the sales tax) and you'll keep your little coupon hunters enthusiastic.
3. Plan meals around coupons.
Maybe your little one loves those little frozen pizzas. If he finds a coupon for it one week, consider allowing him to plan one evening's dinner around that coupon. Not only will you get help with your coupon clipping, but you'll also get helping with your meal planning. For one night you won't have to wonder what's for dinner.
4. When grocery shopping, put one of your children in charge of the coupon book.
Make him your partner in grocery savings as you make your way through the grocery store aisles. He'll love being your special helper and you'll have less to juggle.


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One campus. One Community. One world. That continues to be the theme of the ever popular Celebration of Nations event scheduled for this Saturday, Sept. 29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Rolla.
Now in its third year, the Celebration of Nations was created to promote awareness, understanding and the celebration of the vibrant cultural diversity that makes Rolla unique to the Ozarks.
The event is primarily coordinated by the Office of International Affairs at Missouri University of Science and Technology, but receives critical input from international students at Missouri S&T, and other departments at the University, the campus, and the City of Rolla (including the Public Works Dept., Rolla PD, Rolla Fire & Rescue, Environmental Services Dept. and Administration).
The festivities for this unique event start at 11 a.m. with a colorful and festive parade that kicks off at the Havener Center on the Missouri University of Science and Technology campus. The parade winds through the Missouri S&T campus and downtown Rolla, and concludes on 9th Street at the downtown festival lot and bandshell where every country participating will be recognized much like the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Downtown Rolla will be filled with floats, bands, camels, horses, donkeys and more colorful flags from more countries you may ever see in one place in the Missouri Ozarks. So if you like international festivals, culture, diversity, travel, great food, entertainment, education, and fun, you are sure to enjoy Celebration of Nations.
After the parade, a festival will be held in the downtown festival park that will include a variety of authentic crafts and international foods from around the world, calligraphy, face painting, sand art, children's activities, inflatable bounce houses, a dunk tank, paper/wood fans for decorating, Origami, Calligraphy, Henna tattoos and an authentic tent from Saudi Arabia, complete with sand, camels, dates, and tea served by Missouri S&T students.
Another popular, educational and international aspect of the event are the passports that are given to all the children who attend, and stamped by international students who host booths that reflect the cultures and customs of their native countries. International Idol, which includes a wide spectrum of performances representing an international flair much like the American Idol competition seen on TV, is also a highlight of the festival.
The food offerings are reasonably priced (between $1 and $5) and this year you can once again experience an international and diverse menu that includes French crepes, spicy Indian food, Chinese food, Thai food, Taiwanese, Pakistani, Mexican, Columbian, African, American and so much more. There will also be American BBQ served up by Chartwells and Key Sports.
Also new to Celebration of Nations this year are camel rides ($5 each) and a ping pong tournament that is open to the public. So if you like international festivals, culture, diversity, travel, great food, entertainment, education, and fun, you are sure to enjoy Celebration of Nations.


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In attempting to achieve a goal of lowering these rates, the yield on long-term Treasury securities would initially dip below its previous level and then rise to a point where it was above the previous level. The moral of this market behavior was that attempts to keep long term interest rates lower than the market desired only ended up causing the rates to go up as the market adjusted to the efforts of the central bank.
In my professional career I have not observed anything that would lead me to change this viewpoint.
Yet, supposedly, the QE2 efforts of the Federal Reserve are aimed at reducing the yield on long-term Treasury securities so as to encourage a more robust recovery of the economy. The argument given is that there is little or no indication that inflation will pick up because, if anything, the probability that we might enter into a period of deflation is high enough to be of concern.
As recorded in my post yesterday, I believe that on the subject of inflation/deflation, Ben Bernanke is a lagging indicator. He always seems to be behind what is happening. (See "The Fed: Bubble, Bubble Everywhere," http://seekingalpha.com/article/240732-the-fed-bubble-bubble-everywhere.)
Let me start from where I am. First, the United States economy IS recovering. However, this recovery is going to be a very slow one because of all the re-structuring that needs to be done within the economy of the United States. We have considerable under-employment with one out of every four individuals of working age being under-employed. We have a capital structure in which a lot of capital is not being used: current capacity utilization is around 75% and the previous peak "high" was only about 81%. We have built too many houses and there seems to have been too much development of commercial properties. There is still too much debt outstanding: more deleveraging needs to take place. And, this doesn't even come close to touching the needs of our educational system. (See "Top Test Scores from Shangshai Stun Educators," http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/education/07education.html?ref=education.) And, so on.
I just do not believe that monetary stimulus, or, for that matter, further fiscal stimulus is going to achieve much faster economic growth.
The financial system is still fragile and this, I have argued is the real reason for the Fed's attempt to flood the world with liquidity. Banks, other than the largest 25 banks, are still extremely distressed. State and local governments face huge fiscal problems. And, the federal government is going to post $15-$18 trillion in new debt over the next ten years given the current budgetary posture. Financial markets must be kept calm so that the FDIC and others can work off insolvent banks; where pension accounting in government can be brought into line; and assets values can be written down throughout the economy.
Let me reiterate: the economic recovery is progressing.
And, what about inflation?
According to the implicit price deflator of Gross Domestic Product, inflation was running at about a one percent year-over-year annual rate in the third quarter of this year. I prefer this measure of inflation as opposed to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) because of all the expert "fussing" with this latter measure over the past 15 years. Also, I do not really trust an indicator that has a large component relating to the rental price of owner-occupied housing that is estimated and has been shown to have substantial biases.
As can be seen from this chart, the year-over-year rate of change in prices did not turn negative during the Great Recession and seems to be on a relatively steady upward movement. It is my belief that the inflation shown in the GDP Implicit Price Deflator will continue to rise, but not explosively.
That is, the economy will continue to grow, but only modestly over the near term. And, I believe that the longer-term trend in prices in the United States economy is up. Furthermore, I believe that the longer-term trend in the value of the dollar is down.
In terms of the last forecast I believe that the value of the dollar will continue to decline in world markets over time in spite of the best efforts of Europe to "prop up" the dollar through the absence of leadership and guts that seems to prevail in the halls of the European Union.
Now, back to bond yields. Within the scenario I have described above, I really cannot see how the Federal Reserve, through its QE2 efforts, can keep long-term Treasury yields down. I guess my major question becomes, is this really the goal of the Federal Reserve? Or, are the statements coming out of the Federal Reserve a diversion to keep people from looking too deeply into the continuing problems of the banking system, and of the state and local governments, and asset values? Are the efforts of the Federal Reserve just a holding action while the value of assets, those of banks, those of state and local governments, those of home owners, and those of businesses, are written down?
To me, long-term bond yields should rise over time. I just can't see how the Fed can keep them down.
What is most disturbing in all of this to me is the fact that the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System has become the primary spokesperson of the Obama administration. Tim Gaithner has failed in that role; Christina Romer has failed in that role: and Larry Summers has failed in that role. Now, Ben Bernanke has become the voice of Obama on economic affairs. How sad!!!


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What do you know?
Now, as President Obama prepares to hand off combat operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and elsewhere, to his successor, he's also bequeathing a way of war that relies on large numbers of guns-for-hire while, at least formally, restricting the number of American "troops" sent overseas. Since 2009, the ratio of contractors to troops in war zones has increased from 1 to 1 to about 3 to 1.
In Vietnam, the ratio was 1 to 8.
But we had conscription for the Vietnam War. It was cheaper and a matter of habit to use poorly paid troops for these tasks.
Now we have a smaller volunteer military and we like to focus our training for these high quality people on fighting rather than potato peeling.
So we use contractors more in the volunteer military era. Few in Iraq or Afghanistan during the Bush administration were there for combat duties. Of those who were expected to fight, few were more than base perimeter guards.
Rather than recruit more expensive soldiers for jobs that don't really require soldiers to do, we saved money by hiring contractors; and kept our troops trained enough to suffer fewer casualties than they would have if they were saddled with other duties that took away training time and subtracted rest time.
The Left hated that.
And given how our Army is smaller than before 9/11, how much worse would the disruption of reduction be if we'd expanded the Army even more than we did by getting even more volunteers?
Remember, part of how we added brigades during the Bush 43 administration was by shifting military slots to civilians in order to add combat soldiers under the allowable military end strength.
Nor did it make sense to institute a draft to get needed troops. We have so many new 18-year-olds and needed so few of them that the exemptions would have made a mockery of the concept of a draft.
And the draftees wouldn't be as good as volunteers, and so would have died in larger numbers.
But now we have a 3 to 1 ratio of contractors to troops in Afghanistan. In Iraq it is a little more than 1 to 1. In the era or hope and change. Even though troop deployments are way down from peaks nearly a decade ago.
Was this done for a military reason as it wasn't done in Vietnam and as it was done during the Bush era (and it started before that in the Clinton era, for the Balkans deployments, to be fair)?
No, it is being done to observe artificial administration-defined ceilings on US troop deployments. When you responsibly end our wars, more than token numbers of troops in the "war" zone is inconvenient, to say the least.
The missions now require more US troops, but the Obama administration wants to avoid admitting that we need more troops even to just lead from behind. So contractors proliferate even though uniformed troops could be found to send overseas.
Rather than complain about the Obama administration, I'll just be happy they are trying to meet the need for troops somehow.
Although I'm happy to note the hypocrisy of the left for complaining about the trend under Bush 43 while ignoring it under Clinton and Obama.
As for the "dramatic" increase in contractor casualties?
Today, more contractors are killed in combat than soldiers—a stunning turnaround from the start of the wars Iraq and Afghanistan, when fewer than 10 percent of casualties were contractors. By 2010, more contractors were dying than troops.
That's a meaningless comparison. Before, our troops were in combat on a daily basis and were the main fighting force out killing enemies. Contractors were mostly in the rear (although exposed to some violence, just not nearly as much).
Now our troops for the most part aren't committed to routine daily combat, but are engaged in support functions. If there are more contractors than troops and all are mostly doing the same thing, of course contractors will suffer more casualties.
Still, the use of contractors is something common throughout history, only receding with the rise of drafted mass armies. As we return to volunteer militaries around the world, the use of contractors is naturally making a comeback. And the scope isn't nearly as great as it was before when combat maneuver units were available for hire.
But until the contractor industry starts creating and hiring out formed combat maneuver units and higher command elements rather than kitchen help and gate guards, the hyper-ventilating this author does about oil companies and oligarchs potentially having private armies is just silly.
The article would have been really good if the author had stuck to describing what was going on rather than trying to condemn the practice.
I have a collection of posts on this trend available here (for just 99 cents!).
So we have more contractors now. At least the Left isn't saying "screw them" when they die.
Maybe next year.


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The CQUIN payments have been reported in these pages for a long time -
The Department of Health (DOH) uses a Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) payment framework which enables commissioners to reward excellence by linking a proportion of providers' income to the achievement of local quality improvement goals:
"It makes a small proportion of provider income (0.5% of contract value in 2009/10) conditional on achievement of locally agreed goals around quality improvement and innovation. It is intended that goals should be stretching but realistic."
CQUIN has set targets for 2011/2012 with regard to the End of Life program.
The forward plan is to increase the number of patients identified to be on the end of life care pathway and from a baseline of 0% to 20%; it is further planned to have 30% of all patients who die in hospital dying on the Liverpool Care Pathway.
To ensure they receive their provider income in fulll, Trusts have to comply with or exceed these goals. Some, like Royal Brompton, have upped the plan expectations:
1) 95% of patients identified as end of life (last 48 hours of life for expected deaths) are offered an EOL care planning discussion
2) 80% of patients offered a discussion should have an advanced care plan
3) 98% of patients who have an advanced care plan should have a record of the decision to resuscitate stated clearly in the notes
4) 50% of patients who die in hospital (expected deaths) should die on a Liverpool care pathway
It is the DOH which is the driving force behind rolling out LCP across the NHS!
The MailOnline reports here on one of the quality schemes highlighted in the CQUIN guidance - the Advancing Quality programme in the
region. - North
The hospitals given a cash bonus if FEWER patients die
- UK trial led to 900 lives being saved over 18 months
- Fewer deaths from hip replacements and conditions such as pneumonia
A controversial scheme to give hospitals a bonus if fewer patients die has led to nearly 900 lives being saved over 18 months.
Twenty four NHS hospitals in the north west took part in the Advancing Quality programme where they are given cash incentives to cut mortality rates for conditions like heart attacks.
A total of £4.8 million over 18 months was available to share between those hospitals who showed the most improvement in their death rates.
Is there a conflict between one 'controversial scheme' to prevent death and another 'controversial scheme' to promote death, via the
care pathway? Liverpool
May both be cleverly managed and manipulated to gain funding?
Here is NHS local -
High mortality rates can be "re-coded" by describing patients' conditions as terminal, Inquiry told
Published Wed, 2011-06-15 11:34; updated 8 weeks ago.
High numbers of hospital deaths can be "re-coded" to make the figure appear less worrying by describing patients as "being expected to die", the Mid Staffordshire Inquiry was told.
Roger Taylor, co-founder and director of research and public affairs of Dr Foster Intelligence, a provider of health and social care information, said an NHS trust's common response on being shown to have a high "hospital standardised mortality ratio" (HSMR) is, "I think this is probably to do with the way we're coding the data".
This is "a relatively comforting explanation for why you have a high HSMR. And it is the most commonly cited reason," said Mr Taylor, is also responsible for Dr Foster publications, including the annual Hospital Guide.
He was giving evidence to the Public Inquiry into "appalling" patient care and high death rates at Stafford Hospital between 2005 and early 2009.
"We've seen some examples where people have re-coded data and reduced an HSMR," said Mr Taylor. "The only caution I would give about that is some of those re-codings are fairly extreme and involve, for example, coding very large numbers of deaths as being palliative care. And so my concern there would be, well, I'm not 100 per cent certain that the newly coded data is more accurate thanthe original coded data.
"And what I haven't seen is somebody produce an account of a high HSMR that says, 'This was a coding issue, this is was why it was wrong and this is why the HSMR should be lower than it is'."
Mr Taylor continued: "You can get very high rates of palliative care coding where essentially very large numbers of patients who die are coded as being palliative care, i.e. the hospital says, 'We were expecting them to die, so they have a very high risk and their death makes less difference to the HSMR'. Because of that, we now publish the coding rates, and on our tools you can see the graph showing you the rate of palliative care coding at your hospital. So you can see the degree to which your HSMR has been reduced, simply because you have chosen to define most of your patients as being expected to die.
"And there comes a point where the responsibility for the stuff, you know, is with the hospital, but we think again it is important to be transparent. I mean, we can't say it's not true because we're not running the hospital, but it does strike us as at times implausible."


text: I realize it's been a while since we last saw each other. Some of you may be thinking, "Look D- you ditch us and then come back and start blogging up a storm, like nothing ever happened. Whatev!" (or however you would say it.) Well, here's a sample of things I've been doing since I last saw you.


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The Army recently released a study reporting that 80 percent of the officers and NCOs polled had observed toxic leaders in action and that 20 percent had worked for a toxic leader. This problem is not new. Within the past few years, the Army has relieved two brigade commanders and a general for alleged toxic—and arguably narcissistic and abusive—behavior. A division commander who served in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom was "asked" to retire following an investigation of his leadership style and toxic command climate.I would be surprised if a similar study in any representative public or private organisation wouldn't throw up similar results, in fact I would imagine it'd be higher in the public sector, where there are fewer structured processes for leadership development and promotion can be earned due to "time served" rather than development of skills. That is based on limited knowledge of military promotions however, so I'm happy to be corrected on it.
The article posits a number of key characteristics of narcissistic leaders:
- Being a poor listener
- Being overly sensitive to criticism.
Taking advantage of others to achieve one's own goals
- Lacking empathy or disregarding the feelings of others
- Having excessive feelings of self-importance (arrogance)
- Exaggerating achievements or talents
Needing constant attention and admiration
Reacting to criticism with rage, shame, or humiliation
- Being preoccupied with success or power
Narcissistic individuals also tend to be egotistical, manipulative, self-seeking and exploitative. Narcissists do not accept suggestions from others. Doing so might make them appear weak, which conflicts with their need for self-enhancement. Some narcissists have such an inflated self-confidence that they do not believe that others have anything useful to say to them. They also take more credit than they deserve, often at the expense of taking credit for the contributions of co-workers and subordinates.
Conversely, they avoid taking responsibility for shortcomings and failures. Narcissistic individuals often are influential in group settings because they have such conviction in the worth of their ideas that others tend to believe them and follow.
Many of these are of course classic indicators of sociopaths, which is hardly surprising. Sociopaths can and often are extremely charming and pleasant in the right circumstances, which can enable them to achieve promotion and a rise in power, warning signs are often missed because there is a lack of consistency and they are able to cover the negative behaviours effectively.
Narcissism and toxic leadership spread in the private sector for the same reason that it has in the military, to some extent at least. The hard charging, demanding attitude can be perceived as passion and a desire for perfection. This is in part because there are genuinely passionate leaders who behave in very similar ways. The difference between a passionate and a narcissistic leader is that one brings his team with them and the other works for their own success at the expense of their subordinates. Consequently the narcissistic leader will achieve success for an indeterminate period of time and train those below them that such behaviours are acceptable, perpetuating a cycle of toxic leadership.
The difference between these individuals is often relatively small. In my experience it can usually be judged by the degree to which the individual micromanages the processes they oversee. A narcissistic leader will want to be involved in everything, since failure will reflect poorly on them and their prospects, it is also an opportunity to exercise power over subordinate individuals. A passionate leader will involve themselves little beyond a briefing, problem solving (at the request of a subordinate) and the wrapping up phase of a project when seniority is required to deliver to the client. Interestingly both individuals will react in an extremely similar fashion in the event of a failure, although the passionate leader is more likely to seek opportunities to grow off the back of failure, whereas the narcissist will seek to punish.
The solution proposed is to shift the emphasis of how leaders are selected and promoted towards emotional intelligence, a sage idea and one which again is as relevant to a civilian organisation as a military one:
Narcissistic leaders lack emotional intelligence because narcissists primarily focus on themselves.A fascinating piece, and a necessary read for anyone interested in how organisations are led and how to make that leadership successful.
Emotional intelligence means being focused on "the other" (a peer, subordinate, colleague, etc.). Leadership is fundamentally about leading and interacting with humans, not machines and processes. It is a series of arbitrary choices and decisions. As such, to exercise leadership on the human terrain, emotional intelligence is paramount. Certainly when leaders become more senior (at the operational and strategic levels), they need to manage and lead larger organizations and deal with higher levels of complexity and uncertainty. However, these different complexities and contextual variables do not negate or minimize the human dimension of leadership. In fact, they only highlight its critical nature.
Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves succinctly and practically describe what emotional intelligence looks like in the work place:
- A rare talent to read the emotions of others.
- The ability to adjust to different situations and build relationships with almost anyone.
- The uncanny ability to spot and address the elephant in the room.
- Does a good job of acknowledging other people's feelings when communicating difficult news.
- Personal knowledge of people to better understand their perspectives and work well with them.
- The ability to absorb the nontechnical, human side of meetings and become a student of people and their feelings.


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Earlier, I did a post on two tine Strawberry Forks. Here is the three tine variety. The three tine tend to be longer, from 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 inches. The tines are still long and slender but don't have the same elegant illusion as the two tine variety but are still a beautiful piece. Note the pattern Versailles offers a fork with both two and three tines.
Carnation by Wallace (4 5/8 inches)
Irian by Wallace (4 3/4 inches)
Clune by Gorham (4 5/8 inches)
Old King by Whiting ( 5 1/4 inches)
Crystal by Frank Smith (4 3/4 inches)
Princess by Towle (4 3/4 inches)


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I have no idea where these pics of Tila Tequila Nguyen came from but please enjoy. Please support our site by signing up to a one of the poker rooms or casinos linked from this site. If anyone is interested in Tila's bio and non nude pics please click here Tila Pics page. Oh yeah, and enjoy the nude shots :)
We hope you enjoy our collection of Tila Tequila Nguyen nude pics and videos. Please check back soon for more pictures. These have been found at random sources over the internet. We have no idea who owns the rights to these photographs.


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Nags Head Affair is available through the following online e book sellers:
Barnes & Noble
A successful young lawyer hoping to live a simple and care free life flees the corporate rat race and moves into a small house along the Outer Banks of North Carolina. But his quiet world is turned completely around when he meets a charming young French girl with lethal intentions. Check out this fun-filled, fast-paced thriller for a quick and entertaining summer read. And while you're at it, take a look at Peters' other fast-paced thrillers set along the beautiful coastal region of North Carolina, An Ocracoke Affair and An Outer Banks Vacation.


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Picking Appel(s)
June 4, 2012 1 Comment
Consider for a second if Andrew Luck fell in the draft to the Miami Dolphins at the 8th pick. A player with pro caliber skills and huge upside dropping from the projected 1st pick in the draft, plummeting out of the top 5, and falling into the lap of the Dolphins. Well that obviously did not happen. Andrew Luck went 1st overall to the Colts and all was right in the sporting world. However, the same cannot be said for fellow Stanford Junior, Mark Appel. Although not a once in a generation prospect, like Luck was dubbed, the Cardinal ace was projected to be the number 1 pick throughout the season and go to his hometown Astros.
In his junior year, Appel went 10-1 with a 2.27 ERA and fanned 127 in 119 innings. He only allowed 26 walks and opposing hitters posted an abysmal .210 against him this season. Stanford is headed to the Super Regional's in this year's College World Series spearheaded by Appel's strong right arm.
The stars were aligning for the stud RHP heading into tonight's MLB draft; he was going 1st overall and heading to his hometown of Houston to play for the Astros. However, all this changed when commissioner Bud Selig announced that the Astros had selected SS Carlos Correa with the first pick of the draft. From there on pick after pick rolled by yet Appel's name remained at the top of the board for undrafted prospects. Finally, with the 8th pick in the draft the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Mark Appel and added depth to a team already loaded with pitching prospects. Both Jameson Taillon and Gerrit Cole already rank in the Top 10 of the Top 100 prospects and each are having an All-Star season in High-A ball in the Florida State League. The addition of Mark Appel just bolsters this future pitching staff and gives the Pirates a very real chance at the best rotation in baseball in the near future.


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Here's what I have with me today:
- hummus, store bought
- Mary's Gone crackers
- dried silky sea palm
- dried fruit
- an apple
- cooked quinoa
- cooked broccoli
- toasted Judy's breadstick with avocado and my homegrown sprouts
Now, I have no fear of not having enough to eat. Since I left at 6 a.m. and had to skip breakfast, which for me is a big deal, I wanted to be sure that I had both my breakfast and lunch. I will also use some of this food to keep me feeling good during the conference.
I don't know about you and traveling but generally I don't get enough fluid or fiber. The dried fruit will take care of that. It's up to me to stay hydrated.
Do I consider the food that I packed to be elitist? NO. I consider my food, good choices, especially compared to most airport fare.
So, go for real food. Do a little planning and don't give up your regular eating routine unless you must or choose to do so. Healthier eating is not elitist, it's wise.
My plane just arrived at the gate, which means I'm going to eat something before boarding.


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Eastern Mountain Sports sold to private equity firm
Philadelphia-based private equity firm Versa Capital Management recently acquired Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS), according to First Tracks Online Media. EMS has 69 stores and does outdoor retailing in 12 eastern states, with a growing online presence. Mark Walsh, a Versa principal and chairman of Bob's Stores, a northeastern apparel retailer and part of the Versa portfolio, will serve as chairman of the EMS board. Purchase terms were not disclosed.
Eastern Mountain Sports began in 1967 when two Massachusetts rock climbers opened a store to address the needs of quality climbers. That first store in Wellesley, Mass., was followed by growth opportunities in the 1980s and 1990s. Today, the Peterborough, N.H.-based retailer employs approximately 1,500 people.
According to Walsh, all the current EMS stores will be maintained, although Versa is exploring opportunities for Bob's Stores and EMS to collaborate. No major initiatives will be considered until the company finishes the important holiday season.
Versa is a private equity investment firm with $1.2 billion of assets under management focused on investments in middle market companies where value and performance growth can be achieved through enhanced operational and financial management. Versa's portfolio includes Bob's Stores, Avenue Stores and Black Angus Steakhouses.


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For teams hoping to contend, pitching is generally the key, and of the 10 teams in Greater New Bedford, eight appear to be serious players in this year's arms race.
Formulas for baseball teams hoping to contend in their respective leagues or conferences may vary. While some choose to rely on offense for success, others may put their trust in defense.
But for teams projected to contend for a championship, pitching is generally the key and, of the 10 high school baseball teams in the Greater New Bedford area, eight appear to be serious players in this year's arms race.
Half of the 10 are members of the nine-team South Coast Conference, where there rarely seems to be a shortage of strong pitching. True to form, this season is no exception.
Last year Apponequet, Fairhaven, GNB Voc-Tech and Old Rochester rode strong pitching to remain in contention though much of the regular season. This year, all four are banking on a repeat performance from their mound brigades to again keep them in the hunt for a title.
Apponequet's pitching revolves around senior Josh Fickert, a three-year, battle-tested veteran who has helped pitch the Lakers deep into the postseason tournament a couple of times during his impressive career. The hard-throwing righthander, who can also throw the breaking ball for strikes, is one of a handful of area pitchers expected to draw interest from baseball scouts at various levels this spring.
Old Rochester has a flame-thrower in Andrew Ryan, who pitched brilliantly last season, several times in close one-run losses. He'll be the ace and top half of a one-two pitching punch that includes veteran Tyler Zell, another hard-throwing, curveballing righthanded senior. And don't look past James Leidhold, a 6-6 junior lefthander who can also bring it. Both Apponequet and Old Rochester are expected to be serious contenders in what should be another hotly-contested race in the South Coast Conference.
Fairhaven could also find itself in contention for a title if the hitting and defense provide enough support for a strong pitching staff headlined by ace righthander Justin Jacobsen, who pitched brilliantly in a supporting role to former ace Ryan Baldwin. Jacobsen throws a variety of pitches for strikes and is coming back bigger and stronger, as is fellow junior righthander Mike Lygren who also has the makings of an ace.
Voc-Tech lost 11 players from last year's tournament-qualifying team, including most of its pitching staff. But Peter Perry's back and the little lefthander is hoping to again keep opposing hitters off balance with his sometimes dazzling array of offspeed and breaking pitchers. The Bears are also expected to have Ben Comeau for a full season after the 6-foot-4 lefthander looked so impressive following his late-season call-up from the jayvee team last year, when he pitched extremely well.
Like the Bears, Wareham isn't likely to contend for an SCC championship, but with the return of Tim Reilly, the Vikings should get enough mileage from their ace righthander to improve dramatically after finishing 1-17 a year ago.
New Bedford has a solid returning starter in J.T. Sylvia and could unveil a gem in freshman Jared Shuster to help in its run for a Big 3 championship. Shuster is a 6-1 lefty who reportedly throws in the mid-80s, but he's still a freshman and how much coach John Seed is willing to use him remains to be seen.
Jake Pringle could be the best pitcher in the Mayflower League and, with a little support from his offense, should keep his Cougars in contention for a conference championship. The 6-3 righthander has all the pitches and is poised enough to keep his team in every game he works.
Of course, when the conversation turns to pitching, all eyes immediately focus on Dartmouth where the Indians return two top starters from last season's tournament team. Ryan Gaydou and Dan Southerland are as good as it gets at the front of a starting rotation and two big reasons why the Tribe enter the season as the clear-cut favorite to win the Old Colony League.


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Day #1
My interpretation of the prompt Zebra, using acrylics and then adding a Zebra silhouette on top
Today was faux Stitching, I decided that I wanted to get the look of a quilt co I watercoloured using Derwent Inktense pencils, these are fantastic pencils, the colours are so vibrant.. I then added the Stitching using a Sakura Micron Pen. I had thought that I would stop here, but it just looked so bare and a bit dull and needed something extra. Hence the bad pun!
Day #3
The Inspiration for today was Paisley. I went back to Zentangle for this one and kept it fairly simple.
Day #4
This started as my card for yesterday (Paisley Bird). But after I drew the bird I hated it so put it aside. I came back to it today added colour and a border, but there was still something missing. So on went the "crown". Done in coloured pencils except for the gold crown which was painted with metallic paint. I am still not sure about the finished card but this is all about experimenting isn't it, so here it is!
Day #5.
I am from the UK so had to Google Candyland to find out what it was, it seems a lot like that annoying addictive Facebook game I play!! Here is my take on it using Conte a Paris soft Pastels, a permanent marker to zentangle and a bit of hairspray to fix it.
Day #6
I have tried something completely different today, something abstract. My prompts were recycle and Wallpaper. The black tree background is a piece of wallpaper stuck to the index card. I then recycled a Dulux paint colour palette strip which I punched circles out of, cut into 6 pie pieces each and rearranged at random over the page.
Day #7
I am again using the recycle as my prompt for today. I take part in a weekly Zentangle challenge which you can find here. So I am recycling my entry for that challenge and using it as my piece of art for today.
Wow, I can not belive that we are already at the end of week 1, it has been so much fun and fantastic to see the variety of art that people have been posting.


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Selections: The Big Alienation, By Peggy Noonan
We are at a remarkable moment.
We have an open, 2,000-mile border to our south, and the entity with the power to enforce the law and impose safety and order will not do it. Wall Street collapsed, taking Main Street's money with it, and the government can't really figure out what to do about it because the government itself was deeply implicated in the crash, and both political parties are full of people whose political careers have been made possible by Wall Street contributions. Meanwhile we pass huge laws, bills so comprehensive, omnibus and transformative that no one knows what's in them and no one—literally, no one—knows how exactly they will be executed or interpreted. . .
It is not that no one's in control. Washington is full of people who insist they're in control and who go to great lengths to display their power. It's that no one takes responsibility and authority. Washington daily delivers to the people two stark and utterly conflicting messages: "We control everything" and "You're on your own." All this contributes to a deep and growing alienation between the people of America and the government of America in Washington. . .
None of this happened overnight. . . It is, the phenomenon of a federal government that seemed less and less competent attempting to do more and more by passing bigger and bigger laws. Add to this states on the verge of bankruptcy, the looming debt crisis of the federal government, the likelihood of ever-rising taxes. Shake it all together, and you have the makings of the big alienation.
Alienation is often followed by full-blown antagonism, and antagonism by breakage.
Which brings us to Arizona and its much-criticized attempt to institute a law aimed at controlling its own border with Mexico. It is doing this because the federal government won't, and because Arizonans have a crisis on their hands, areas on the border where criminal behavior flourishes, where there have been kidnappings, murders and gang violence. If the law is abusive, it will be determined quickly enough, in the courts. . .
Arizona is moving forward because the government in Washington has completely abdicated its responsibility. For 10 years—at least—through two administrations, Washington deliberately did nothing to ease the crisis on the borders because politicians calculated that an air of mounting crisis would spur mounting support for what Washington thought was appropriate reform—i.e., reform that would help the Democratic and Republican parties.
Both parties resemble Gordon Brown, who is about to lose the prime ministership of Britain. On the campaign trail this week, he was famously questioned by a party voter about his stand on immigration. He gave her the verbal runaround, all boilerplate and shrugs, and later complained to an aide, on an open mic, that he'd been forced into conversation with that "bigoted woman." He really thought she was a bigot. Because she asked about immigration. Which is, to him, a sign of at least latent racism.
The establishments of the American political parties, and the media, are full of people who think concern about illegal immigration is a mark of racism. If you were Freud you might say, "How odd that's where their minds so quickly go, how strange they're so eager to point an accusing finger. Could they be projecting onto others their own, heavily defended-against inner emotions?" But let's not do Freud, he's too interesting. Maybe they're just smug and sanctimonious.
The American president has the power to control America's borders if he wants to, but George W. Bush and Barack Obama did not and do not want to, and for the same reason, and we all know what it is. The fastest-growing demographic in America is the Hispanic vote, and if either party cracks down on illegal immigration, it risks losing that vote for generations.
But while the Democrats worry about the prospects of the Democrats and the Republicans about the well-being of the Republicans, who worries about America? No one. Which the American people have noticed, and which adds to the dangerous alienation—actually it's at the heart of the alienation—of the age. . .
Instead, our national establishments deliberately allow the crisis to grow and fester, ignoring public unrest and amusing themselves by damning anyone's attempt to deal with the problem they fear to address. Why does the federal government do this? Because so many within it are stupid and unimaginative and don't trust the American people. Which of course the American people have noticed. . .
The American people fear they are losing their place and authority in the daily, unwinding drama of American history. They feel increasingly alienated from their government. And alienation, again, is often followed by deep animosity, and animosity by the breaking up of things.


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