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Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium & Jane Justin Field House
Facility Facts
Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium
Year Opened: 2000
Field Surface: Natural Grass
Jane Justin Field House
Prior to the beginning of the 2000 season, the Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium was completed on the ever-expanding campus of TCU. The home field of the TCU women's soccer team is more than a state-of-the-art venue; it is a tangible indicator of the support and dedication that TCU shows a sport that grows more popular in the United States every year as well as ranks as the world's number-one sport.
The Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium boasts 1,500 seats and features both playing and workout spaces, a press box, ample parking and storage. A covered porch overlooking the field allows fans of the Purple and White to host parties as well as youth teams. In the Spring of 2006, the Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium received another lift with the addition of lights to the stadium allowing the Frogs to play night games at home for the first time in school history. The four poles providing 50-foot candles of power that cover the field of play as well as the practice field. In addition, the Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium recently added a new LED scoreboard.
The construction of the home field for the TCU women's soccer team would not have been possibly had it not been for the dedication of Manny and Rosalyn Rosenthal - who donated $300,000 to the project - and James, Shirley and Richard Garvey and the Garvey Texas Foundation - who donated $250,000 for the program.
August 2010 marked the debut of the newest addition to the Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium when the Jane Justin Fieldhouse was completed. The newest TCU athletics complex is approximately 5,000-square-feet and includes home and visitor locker rooms in addition to a training room, offices, lounge area and a wrap-around raised viewing terrace.
The $1.5-million donation from the Jane and John Justin Foundation marked the largest gift ever at TCU for a project geared solely for women's athletics.
The Jane Justin Field House made its debut in August 2010 at the cost of $1.5-million, which was the largest gift ever at TCU for a project geared solely for women's athletics.
The Jane Justin Field House features 5,000-square-feet and includes a home and visitor locker rooms, an officials' locker room, a training room, offices, lounge area and wrap-around raised viewing terrace.
In their first game since the opening of the Jane Justin Field House, the Frogs posted a 7-0 victory over Texas Southern on August 22, 2010.
Academics @TCUAASO
Baseball @TCU_Baseball
M Basketball @TCUBasketball
W Basketball @TCUWbasketball
Equestrian @TCUWEquestrian
Football @TCUFootball
M Golf @TCUMensGolf
W Golf @TCUWomensGolf
Rifle @TCURifle
Swimming & Diving @TCUswimdive
Soccer @TCUSoccer
M Tennis @TCUMensTennis
W Tennis @TCUWomensTennis
Track & Field @TCUTrackField
Beach Volleyball @TCUBeachVB
Volleyball @TCUvolleyball


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I know it's late getting this posted, but I've been meaning to share a clever fast food promotion at McDonald's for the movie tie-in with Minions. Look at the menu board above. Note, the minion characters all over. What is the guy under the menu holding? A Big Mac. Now, what is missing from the pictures on the menu above? The Big Mac! Clever! Here it is close-up:
Read on to see up close: Clever Minions Tie-in At McDonald's
According to the Associated Press, longtime Subway spokesman Jared Fogle will formally plead guilty to charges of paying for sex with minors and receipt of child pornography. Fogle, ask you know, became well known as the guy who lost weight while eating a diet based upon Subway sandwiches.
Subway suspended their relationship with Fogle after his house was raided in July. This week the fast food chain announced they have completely severed ties with Fogle, posting on Twitter this statement: "We no longer have a relationship with Jared and have no further comment."
More from Google News here.
The Schlotzsky's Turkey Bacon Club sandwich is supposed to come with sliced turkey, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on sourdough bread. As you will see below, mine didn't quite turn out that way.
Read on and see more pics: Schlotzsky's Turkey Bacon Club Review
Jon Stewart often poked fun at Arby's on The Daily Show. The fast food chain made this happy tribute that shows there is no such thing as bad publicity.
The new Bacon Club Chalupa Big Box at Taco Bell is quite possibly the single best value bang-for-your-buck meal you can order at a fast food restaurant this year. The box comes packed with three menu items and is accompanied by a medium soft drink, all for a promotional price of just $5. Check out what you get in the pictures below.
Read on and see what's inside: Taco Bell Bacon Club Chalupa Big Box Review
"More bread than chicken salad" is how a Fast Food Source staffer described the Arby's Pecan Chicken Salad sandwich after unwrapping. As you can see above, she wasn't kidding.
Arriving on the same bread as the delicious Market Fresh line-up, I think we were all expecting to see something a bit more substantial than what was delivered.
Read on and see what's inside: Arby's Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwich Review
Since 2000, Fast Food Source has been the premier independent site dedicated to fast food lovers, offering fast food restaurant menus, and nutrition information, as well as fast food blogs, articles, forums, and fast food industry news. We offer fast food location information for over 50 cities and more than 80 fast food chains.
Culver's menu (09/27/17)
The Habit menu (7/31/17)
McDonald's menu (7/31/17)
Dickey's Barbecue Pit menu (7/11/17)
Rubio's Menu (7/7/17)
Capriotti's Menu (6/1/17)
Jack in the Box menu (8/22/16)
Original Tommy's menu (8/12/16)
Portillo's menu (6/29/16)
Zaxby's menu (3/8/16)
Arby's menu (2/16/16)
Burger King menu (2/16/16)
El Pollo Loco menu (2/16/16)
Taco Bell menu (2/16/16)
Wendy's menu (2/16/16)
Schlotzsky's menu (8/4/15)
Pollo Tropical (5/28/15)
Cosi (5/5/15)
Someburros (4/3/15)
Chik-fil-a menu (2/19/15)
Filibertos menu (2/19/15)
Popeye's menu (2/19/15)
Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers menu (11/21/14)
Sonic menu (10/2/14)
KFC menu (8/19/14)
Steak-n-Shake menu (8/19/14)
Chipotle menu (4/4/14)
Burgerfi menu (4/4/14)
Subway menu (2/18/14)
Ted's Hot Dogs menu (2/18/14)
Which Wich menu (2/1/14)
Krystal menu (1/9/14)
Carl's Jr. menu (1/1/14)

subset: commoncrawl


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Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Tolk-a-mentalists vs Fundamentalists.
"The thing about Tolkien die-hards not liking the films is an interesting one. You're right; inevitably, Jackson had to take certain liberties to make it work cinematically. Also, the characterisation and sub-plots are subject to interpretation. But people get stuck on their own interpretations of Tolkien, and hey presto: Tolkien fundamentalism. There are those who seem to forget that he only wrote it as a story, and Middle Earth is only pretend! I think Jackson did a decent job, personally. Essentially, he told us: this is what I think Tolkien's Middle Earth would be like to live in. There are differences, but he certainly produced an amazing spectacle.
All of which kind of brings us back on topic. Tolkien is dead, and Tolk-a-mentalists are free to argue ad nauseum about who has the correct interpretation of his work. But the Holy Spirit is not dead."
Again, thanks Nick for tools and insights for helping us understand the things we deal with.
9 comments:
- rach.h.davis said...
*puts on nerd glasses and gives more of a response than you were probably looking for*
For the most part I agree with you and Nick. I would say that most of the changes made within the movie were necessary to fit the movie format, and didn't necessarily destroy anything important. We don't have some obligation to Tolkien to keep everything just as it was in every second of the movie!
I do have to add one qualifier though :) As a writer myself, I have thought long and hard about the transition from book to movie (this long process of thinking has led me to be much more accepting of movie changes than I used to be). I feel that, while directors are certainly free to make changes that are necessary to make the jump from book to movie genre, they still have a responsibility to stick to basic plot, basic theme, and basic characterization of the major points/characters. Otherwise, why are they writing the story, right? :)
Most of the complaints about Lord of the Rings were rather frivolous under this definition, but a couple were valid--such as the fact that much of the tension in the third movie revolved around Sam fighting to save his friend from the new ally (Gollum) who is really hoodwinking/using Frodo. I don't know about you, but I've seen the "Character A sees that Character C is bad, but Character B is fooled" type of conflict so much in movies that it's a cliche, and it really has very little to do with how things actually played out in the book--the conflict in the book (Frodo and Sam both know that Gollum is probably treacherous, but have no choice but to follow him, and have to live within that tension) is way more interesting to me because it's less black-and-white and is more indicative of the basic characterization that was present in the book.
All that is to say that I'm no Tolkien purist, but I still feel free to critique the movie where I think it made slips.
Despite any slips, though, Return of the King is still my favorite movie, followed closely by Fellowship :)
And really, if a Tolkien purist is upset about the movie....don't watch it, LOL!
- September 6, 2012 at 8:38 PM
- Mara Reid said...
Good points rach.h.davis and thanks for stopping by. I loved the Two Towers the most, but then I loved the Riders of Rohan (and their music theme). I also loved Gandolf battling that evil thing in the beginning and Treebeard and the Last March of the Ents at the end.
I didn't like the ending of the Fellowship. My actual response was something along the lines of, "That's it? You leave me here? I need far more closure than this!"
And Return had too many closure/endings.
I guess I suffer from, "needs to be tied up in a (one) big bow a the end" syndrome so there may be a problem with me.
- September 6, 2012 at 9:14 PM
- rach.h.davis said...
I escaped the frustration you speak of....I was reading the books for the first time when I saw the movies. I was JUST barely ahead of that part in the plot when I saw Fellowship, and so to me, it was like I went home and "continued" the movie when I picked up the book.
I was a little concerned that Fellowship was confusing to audiences who hadn't read the books, though. My parents heard some uninformed person in front of them say "That's it? Huh. Maybe they're making a sequel or something."
- September 7, 2012 at 10:15 AM
- Mara Reid said...
Well, at least I knew there was more. I wasn't that LOTR ignorant.
It just felt like a terrible stopping point at the time.
However, looking at the three together, I'm not sure where else they could have stopped it.
Are you looking forward to the Hobbit coming out?
- September 7, 2012 at 2:11 PM
- Nick Bulbeck said...
Hi, people - ever had one of those moments where, after typing a load of stuff over an extended part of the morning, the system times out on you and your work disappears? Sigh... probably my fault for taking too long. Anyway, here's my second attempt to join this one!
I agree, Rach, that Frodo "firing" Sam both lacks credibility and plays to a very tired movie trope. And speaking of bits that lack credibility, I did like the last line of Part 1: "Let's hunt some orc". They should have gone the whole way with that one: "Let's, like, totally kick some Isengard butt, dudes". I don't think Elrond's bitterness towards Aragorn, nor Aragorn's self-doubt and reluctance to assume the mantle of kingship, really fitted the book either - I think they were more of a nod to present-day storytelling tradition.
But some changes do work. Gimli's long-delayed acknowledgement that he and Legolas have forged a very strong friendship is different from the book, but if anything, is better. The thing I most like about the films, though, is rather harder to put my finger on. It's the whole atmosphere that the music and cinematography create, especially on a big screen. You really get the idea that you're drawn into a magical war zone, where both wonderful and terrible things are possible.
I am definitely looking forward to The Hobbit - it might even be the first film we go to see as a family.
- September 8, 2012 at 5:26 AM
- Mara Reid said...
You know what I do when I know a comment is going to be long? I go ahead and type it into a document on my computer. Then when I'm done, I copy and paste it into the comment section.
Now, Nick, I'm going to attempt to do a link in the comment section using your previous instructions. It is to my other post that talks about Lord of the Rings and something I like about it that applies brothers and sisters in the church.
<a href=">http://frombitterwaterstosweet.blogspot.com/2011/05/houses-of-healing.html> houses of healing </a>
If my link doesn't work, just copy and paste this link in to browser:
Oh, and once I saw the towers and return, "Let's hunt some orc" stood out a bit more so that I could appreciate it better.
- September 8, 2012 at 7:49 AM
- Mara Reid said...
Shucks. It didn't work, Nick. I guess I need further instructions on how to make links work in my comments.
- September 8, 2012 at 7:59 AM
- Nick Bulbeck said...
I do know the "write it up in textedit" beforehand dodge, but I wasn't expecting that post to be very long!
You were very close with the embedded link; there are just two mistakes. The first is the second angular bracket - i.e., the one just before "http" - which shouldn't be there. Secondly, you just needed to close the quote by adding a quotation mark after ...houses-of-healing.html . If you do that, it works:
houses of healing
- September 8, 2012 at 8:26 AM
- Mara Reid said...
I tried again and failed again so removed that comment but have run out of time so I'm going to have to try again later
- September 8, 2012 at 10:57 AM


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|Staff photo by Tom Kelly IV/Coatesville's Andre Boggs drives down the lane on Saturday.
By ANDY EDWARDS
CALN -- Leading by just two points late in the third quarter of Saturday's Ches-Mont Final Four game, and Ethan Ridgeway continually torching his team, Coatesville head coach Rick Nelms received some advice from the home crowd.
"Ever heard of a box-and-one?" a fan shouted in the direction of the Red Raiders' bench.
Nelms didn't exactly take the fan's words to heart, but he did make some adjustments. No matter the method, both went home happy.
Jaquan Hollingshed coupled a team-high 17 points with 12 rebounds and Coatesville uncorked a 21-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to turn a two-point nail-biter into a laugher and cruise to a 68-48 victory over West Chester Rustin on its home court. Leroy Hoggard and Andrew Boggs chipped in 13 points apiece for the Red Raiders (17-6), who held the game Golden Knights (11-12) scoreless for more than seven minutes during a back-breaking spurt that propelled Coatesville into Tuesday's Ches-Mont championship game against undefeated Great Valley, set for 7:15 p.m. at Unionville High School.
"Don't let him get a shot," Nelms said of his team's defensive focus on Ridgeway, who had a game-high 20 points but went scoreless over the final 10 minutes as Coatesville cranked up the pressure and kept the ball out of his hands. "He was filling it up."
Was he ever. The Knights' star point guard had 15 points in the first half, keeping Rustin in striking distance at halftime, trailing just 34-28 despite immense foul trouble and a pronounced size disadvantage that helped the Red Raiders to a 41-8 advantage in free-throw attempts. Ridgeway's baseline drive gave Rustin the lead at 37-36 midway through the third quarter, and the last of his three three-pointers cut the deficit to 42-40 at the three-minute mark. After that, it was all Coatesville and then some.
The Red Raiders reeled off the game's next 21 points, Boggs starting the run with a three-point play and Emmett Hunt (nine points, six rebounds) capping it with one of his own to put Coatesville ahead 63-40. Hollingshed put back three of his own misses and finished a strong move inside during the dominant stretch, during which two Golden Knights fouled out. By the time Omar Stewart put back his own miss with just over four minutes to play, the Golden Knights hadn't scored in almost eight minutes, and Coatesville was well on its way to the league title game.
"We were playing good defense, making good passes and finishing every shot," said Boggs, who made went 6-for-7 from the line and added a pair of bullet assists to Tyler Burke for easy layups during the run.
The Red Raiders looked ready to implode as Rustin scored the first seven points after halftime, Stewart giving Rustin its first lead since the opening minute with a pair of free throws that made it 35-34 with 6:48 to play in the third. That's as good as it got for the Golden Knights, as the American Division runner-ups simply couldn't find enough help for Ridgeway, nor enough answers for the Red Raiders' length and athleticism. Eventually, Coatesville's array of swarming traps and active hands made it difficult for Rustin to pass halfcourt.
"My kids gave me everything they had," Rustin coach Keith Cochran said. "Coatesville is a tough team from top to bottom...It was a test of wills, but we did the best we could."
Against the relentless Red Raiders, it wasn't nearly enough. Coatesville pounded the offensive glass all night, doubling up the Golden Knights on the boards and grabbing most of their own misses. Five different Red Raiders collected at least five rebounds, with the bullish Hollingshed doing most of the damage. The 6-5 junior was an immovable force in the paint, nearly fouling out two Rustin players in the first half alone. Despite a 5-for-13 effort at the line, Nelms couldn't help but gush about Hoggard and Hollingshed, who combined for 30 points and 20 rebounds on the night.
"Leroy's been playing really, really well for us, and Jaquan is getting better and better," Nelms said. "He's got to make his foul shots, though."
Even with big men Tyler Blake and Blake McGlong picking up four fouls apiece in the first half, Cochran had no choice but to keep them in as the Red Raiders abused their replacements on the glass. Chris Richardson fouled out with seven minutes to play, and Blake joined him on the bench shortly thereafter.
"I had to roll the dice and keep them in, just to try and keep them off the boards," Cochran said. "Their best shot was a missed shot."
Another impressive victory in their rearview mirror, the National Division champion Red Raiders now look ahead to Tuesday's clash with Great Valley, a 54-46 winner over West Chester Henderson on Saturday. Against Mikal Bridges and company, a contrast of styles seems in order, as the more deliberate Patriots attempt to combat Coatesville's fast-paced, pressing tendencies in the first meeting between the league's top teams.
"I hope it's a good one," Nelms said. "They're very talented. They're not going to turn the ball over, they're not going to make mistakes. They're bigger than us. We're going to have to try and out-quick them if we have a chance."
Minutes after Saturday's victory, Hoggard glanced up at the Ches-Mont championship banners fastened to the walls of Coatesville's home gym.
"We haven't won it since...2010," Hoggard said, pausing to check the last number on the list. At Coatesville, two years qualifies as a drought. One more victory, however, and the Red Raiders can slake their thirst for a title.
"It would be great," Hoggard said. "We haven't won it in a long time, so we just want to get that back here and keep it going."
Coatesville 68, W.C. Rustin 48
W.C. RUSTIN: Andersson 1 1-2 3, Stewart 2 2-2 6, Ridgeway 8 1-1 20, McCarrick 1 2-2 4, Nelson 1 0-0 2, Chobany 1 0-0 3, McGlond 2 1-1 5, Richardson 0 0-0 0, Blake 1 0-0 2, Ammerman 1 0-0 3. Totals 17 7-8 48.
COATESVILLE: Hoggard 6 1-1 13, Boggs 2 9-10 13, Hollingshed 6 5-13 17, Jones 0 6-8 6, Hunt 3 2-2 9, Burke 3 1-2 7, Lewis 1 0-1 2, Parker 0 0-0 0, Crutchfield 0 0-2 0, Davis 0 1-2 1, Rubincam 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 25-41 68.
W.C. Rustin 12 16 12 8 -- 48
Coatesville 19 15 17 17 -- 68
3-point goals: Ridgeway 3, Chobany, Hunt.


text:
da Vinci® Single-Site® Instruments and Accessories
da Vinci® Single-Site® Surgery enables surgeons to operate through a small incision in the patient's umbilicus during a cholecystectomy, benign, hysterectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy. The end result: virtually scarless surgery.
Single-Site Configuration
- Compatible with the da Vinci Si Surgical System.
- Instruments and camera cross within the Single-Site port and use remote center technology to minimize cannula collisions, arm interferences and port-site movement.
- da Vinci System software automatically detects and re-associates the user's hands with the instrument tips to create Intuitive® movement through crossed cannulae.
Single-Site Port
- The five-lumen port provides access for two Single-Site Instruments: the 8.5 mm 3DHD endoscope, a 5/10 mm accessory port and insufflation adaptor.
- Port enables simple and safe entry through a 1.5 cm incision.
Curved 5 mm Instrument Cannulae
- Designed to optimize triangulation toward the target anatomy while minimizing external collision of the instruments and camera arms.
- Curved architecture separates the instrument arms outside the body wall, maximizing range of motion and minimizing instrument crowding.
5 mm Semi-Rigid Instruments
- Designed to be used through curved cannulae
Bipolar Cautery
Maryland Bipolar Forceps
Fenestrated Bipolar Forceps
Monopolar Cautery
Permanent Cautery Hook
Needle Drivers
Wristed Needle Driver
The Single-Site Wristed Needle Driver was developed in part to facilitate suturing after removal of the uterus. It can move the instrument tip up to 45 degrees in all directions for precise needle positioning. This 5 mm instrument also features serrated jaws to facilitate needle handling.
Curved Needle Driver
Clip Applier
Hem-o-Lok Clip Applier
Cadiere Forceps
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Maryland Dissector
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- da Vinci Gallbladder Surgery
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To have an Intuitive Surgical representative contact you about starting a da Vinci Surgery program at your hospital, call +1 888 409 4774 or email us for more information.
Serious complications may occur in any surgery, including da Vinci® Surgery, up to and including death. Individual surgical results may vary. Patients should talk to their doctor to decide if da Vinci Surgery is right for them. Patients and doctors should review all available information on non-surgical and surgical options in order to make an informed decision. Please also refer to http://www.davincisurgery.com/safety for Important Safety Information.
Unless otherwise noted, all people depicted are models. Product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.


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AJC Top 100: Staff Retreat
At the conclusion of the busy
summer tournament season, AJGA headquarters closes for three days in October.
During these three days, all staff members, from the newest of new to the
Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer travel to the Georgia mountains
for a staff retreat.
Staff retreat is a time to
get away from the office, to talk about the year behind and plan for the year
ahead. While there is a lot of work that gets done, the retreat is also a time for
AJGA staff to have fun together and enjoy each other's company. Whether it's a
friendly, yet certainly competitive, softball game, or preparing s'mores around
a campfire, there's plenty of fun time for the staff to get to know one another
and have time together outside of the normal work atmosphere.
Director of Player Services
Chandler Sweat, an AJGA staff member since 2004, has attended nine staff
"The benefits of having a
staff retreat are team building, future productivity and feeling valued," Sweat
said. "It gives us a chance to say what we really think."
In my personal opinion, one
of the coolest things about staff retreat is the invitation that is extended to
attend to "new hires," future employees who do not start work at headquarters
until January.
Kellen Clawson, who worked as
an intern in 2011 and 2012, attended his first staff retreat in October and shared
his experience.
Q: As a new hire, what was your first
thought about the AJGA flying down all of the new hires to participate in staff
I thought it
was a great gesture to make me instantly feel included in the
organization. It was another gesture that showed me I was making the right
move, moving states away from my family to start a new adventure. I had an organization
that supported me and wanted me involved as soon as possible.
Q: What were your first impressions?
I liked how easy it was to
jump in and have fun with both the staff that I knew previously from my
internships, as well as the staff that I had never met before. The people
I met for the first time all welcomed me and mentioned how they were excited to
work with me. I could tell the staff gets excited each year to meet the
new hires and welcome them.
Q: What does it mean to work for an organization
that offers this kind of event for its employees?
I am very proud to be part
of an organization that does this. I know that no matter what struggles I face
at work, I will always have the support of my coworkers. I am proud to be part
of an organization that empowers me even when I am fresh out of school and
prone to mistakes. They encourage me to grow and learn which makes me want to
perform better.
In case you've missed something, be sure to check out our full AJC Top 100 interview series.
This is the last installment
of our AJC Top 100 series on the blog. It's been such a pleasure sharing with
you stories of our past employees, as well as giving you a small glimpse into
what makes the AJGA such a great place to work. If you're interested in a
career at the AJGA, be sure to check out our careers page online and follow @AJGACareers on Twitter.
Did you have a favorite part
of the AJC Top 100 blog series? Do you have ideas of something you'd like to
hear more about on the blog in the future? Give me a shout on Twitter, I'd love
to talk to you about it.
Until next time,
Alexis (@AJGAWitman)


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In modern times, the average consumer wants to have several options for each item that they buy or each service that is rendered to them. The telecommunications market is no exception to this rule, as cell phone users have been choosing MVNOs over standard service providers at an increasing rate. Currently, a little over 10% of mobile users use an MVNO carrier. In just over a decade, this new type of service has begun to give major wireless carriers a run for their money. In fact, some experts are saying that new MVNO innovations are in a position to disrupt the market once again.
Understanding the Popularity of MVNO Carriers
There are numerous MVNOs available to the average consumer, but some are becoming more popular than others. Carriers such as Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and TracPhone are making it easier for users to join the Information Age. The advantage seen by many consumers is the fact that there is no contract needed for these cellular devices. People can choose between a prepaid agreement and a pay-as-you-go plan, never worrying about steep fees that come with a standard mobile contract. Perhaps because of this, these three MVNOs make up nearly half of the prepaid market in the United States.
Low Cost, High-Tech Models
The competition is being drastically reduced in some areas due to the fact that popular MVNOs are offering low cost devices that have some pretty amazing capabilities. On top of that, there are even some MVNOs that have implemented a Bring-Your-Own-Device program which allows mobile users to essentially recycle their devices when they change carriers. This option allows users to activate new service on an old handset via serial number, often saving people hundreds of dollars. Because of these two factors, many conventional carriers are losing vast amounts of profits that were otherwise generated by the consumer purchasing handsets.
Cutting out the Middle Man
One of the most popular trends among reputable MVNOs is the practice of bypassing the retailer in exchange for direct marketing methods. Consumers save even more money this way because they are able to bundle products and services together, creating a no-contract plan that works well for their personal or professional needs. In addition, MVNOs can offer lower costing devices and plans to consumers because of their innovative marketing practices. By using things like online distribution, multi-level marketing, social media platforms, and other Web marketing techniques, MVNOs are able to offer a superlative alternative to conventional mobile device carriers.
Splendid Service
When MVNOs first came onto the market, the services rendered were less than perfect. However, many MVNOs are now offering dual-mode devices which have cellular and Wi-Fi capabilities. This cuts down on the amount of money that the average consumer has to spend on a handset, especially those who wish to purchase technologically advanced devices. Because of the benefits that the average consumer seems to become privy to after using an MVNO, it seems that these carriers are gaining rightful momentum in the market.


text:
Old World Swallowtail Butterfly - Beadwoven Neckalce *Made to Order*
Old World Swallowtail Butterfly - Beadwoven Neckalce *Made to Order*
An artistically rendered specimen.
The Old World Swallowtail Butterfly looks stunning perched about your collarbones.
*Made to Order* the original necklace pictured has sold, I would be happy to make a new one just for you! Please contact me to discuss details:
This natural beauty was meticulously hand-beaded using hundreds of tiny glass Delica beads for the wings with Iolite drops at the bottom of the tails & blue Kyanite for the body.
The necklace is comprised of a luxe strand of faceted Blue Apatite, Garnet & Bronze. The clasp is divinely Swarovski Austrian Crystal encrusted.
wingspan: 4.5 inches
height: 2.75 inches
necklace: 17.5 inches
She arrives beautifully presented in her own "Riker Mount" (scientific display case) with her Latin name and origin handwritten inside. The "common" name is written on the back of the case along with a listing of stones and other elements used in her creation. These pieces are signed by the artist.
You can attach a picture hook to the back of the case and display the Old World Swallowtail Butterfly as an art/ scientific specimen as a lovely alternative to hiding her away in your jewelry box!
ps Butterflies and Moths bring us so much beauty and they are wonderful pollinators during their short and fragile life-spans. With this hand-crafted artistic specimen, you can enjoy that beauty and rejoice in the knowledge that not a single wing was harmed in its creation xo


text:
RBC.com | Français | | Contact Us
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About RBC > Media Newsroom > Executive Biographies > Doug Guzman
As Group Head, RBC Wealth Management & RBC Insurance, Doug Guzman leads the RBC businesses that serve the wealth management needs of affluent and high net worth clients globally, and teams that provide asset management and trust products. He also oversees RBC Insurance, which provides a wide range of travel, life, health, home, auto, wealth and reinsurance products and solutions, as well as creditor and business insurance services, to individual, business and group clients. In addition, along with other members of Group Executive, Mr. Guzman is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction of RBC.
Mr. Guzman has also assumed the role of Deputy Chair, RBC Capital Markets, where he continues to act as the lead relationship manager with a select number of key clients.
Prior to this appointment, Mr. Guzman was Managing Director and Head of Global Investment Banking, Capital Markets, responsible for the firm's Investment Banking teams globally, as well as U.S. Municipal Finance. He had senior client coverage responsibility for a number of RBC Capital Markets' most important clients and was a member of the firm's Operating Committee and Loan Commitments Committee.
In his 14 years with RBC, Mr. Guzman has become known for his focus on clients and relationships, while delivering strong business results. Before joining RBC in 2005, he was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs in New York and Toronto, where he had co-head responsibility for each of the Global Metals and Mining and the Canadian Investment Banking businesses.
In 2014, Mr. Guzman co-led the RBC Employee Giving Campaign, inspiring employees to go above and beyond in their personal donations and driving record results. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Directors of St. Michael's Hospital, the Advisory Board of the Richard Ivey School of Business Administration at The University of Western Ontario and the Board of Trustees of the Upper Canada College Foundation.
Mr. Guzman has an Honours BA (Business Administration) from Ivey at the University of Western Ontario and an MBA with high distinction (Baker Scholar) from Harvard Business School. He is married with two children and lives in Toronto, Canada.


text: China's diminished growth prospects have figured prominently in recent commentaries about global economic conditions and world stock markets (e.g. Frankel 2016). The general view, with which I concur, is that China will grow in the future at a much slower rate than it has in recent decades. This growth slowdown will reduce international trade and has probably contributed already to the depression in oil prices (Blanchard 2016).


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Being based in NYC, we receive calls every day for our guidance on how to reduce sound. No window we use is completely sound proof, but there are a number of options to reduce noise significantly, even on the loudest streets and avenues in our city. One option is an interior application, or perhaps something as simple as adding a storm window. We can also configure multiple panes of glass, or varying thicknesses, to naturally and scientifically disrupt sound waves. Call us to discuss what would be the most appropriate solution for you. Various STC/OITC ratings are achievable.
Over the past ten years, curtain walls have become a standard for modern buildings all over the world. Often encompassing a floor-to-ceiling installation of glass, they create a striking environment not just in commercial buildings but in an increasing number of private homes. Curtain walls can be as low as one story or as tall as the Freedom Tower, and we at WindowFix can source, install and maintain curtain walls from manufacturers across the globe as well as here in U.S.A
Self-closing, steel fire rated windows and doors, ranging from 45 to 90 minutes. Optimum's Fire Rated Windows are put through rigorous testing. Initially a "heat test" is performed, where the window is exposed to temperatures up to 1600 degrees Fahrenheit. Fire Rated Windows also endure the "Hose Stream Test", in which the glass holds fast even during this extreme change in temperature. When other windows made from materials such as aluminum, vinyl and wood are placed under these extreme conditions; they will poorly react in a Thermal Shock. Optimum Fire Rated windows will hold their integrity.
Fire rated products address NYC Fire Code Regulations, often required in Lot Line situations to prevent the spread of fire: See NYC Fire Code Regulations
Window-Fix Low E Glass solutions meet all ENERGY STAR® programs, low-e products have established new standards for energy efficiency and year round value. For homes, businesses and architectural projects, Low E Glass offers day-to-day comfort and year-round energy performance. Whether you are focused on annual energy usage, views, day lighting or glass appearance, Window Fix Low-E products deliver highly customized value.
What is Low-E Glass for Windows?
Low-emissive or "Low-E" glass is window glass that has been treated with an invisible metal or metallic oxide coating, creating a surface that reflects heat, while allowing light to pass through. Windows treated with Low-E coatings are proven to reduce energy consumption, decrease fading of fabrics, such as on furniture or window drapes, and increase overall comfort in your home.
How does Low-E Glass Work?
Low-E glass reduces the amount of ultraviolet light that enters your home, without blocking visible light. Depending on your home's heating and cooling needs, Window-Fix offers various types of Low-E glass o allow for high, medium or low solar gain.
Super Energy Efficient Glass is the Way to be Sustainable
Serious Materials upgraded the 6,514 dual pane windows in the Empire State Building by reusing all existing glass and creating super-insulating glass units in a dedicated processing space located onsite in the building.
Triple-Pane vs. Suspended Film
The transition from single-pane glass to dual-pane (with a single-insulated unit) provided an improvement in thermal performance. The introduction of multi-chamber glass packages – created by two or three suspended, wavelength-selective thin film technology – allow for significantly improved energy savings performance, superior durability and longevity, and installation advantages over triple-pane glazing solutions, depending on location, building type, and other factors.
Extra Weight of Triple-Pane Glass Compromises Functionality, Durability and Ease-of-Installation
Triple-pane glass units can be significantly heavier than standard insulating glass. The heavier glass requires stronger framing systems which can increase the overall cost of any building project. The extra weight can also impose strict size constraints, and may affect how much glass is used in the design of a building – impacting the overall aesthetics of a structure. General functionality of triple-pane windows is also affected by their weight. Additional stress is placed on all operable mechanisms in the window and the window hardware, wearing them out quicker.
Also called double-pane glass, it consists of two pieces of glass, with a moisture-absorbing sealant between them. Insulated glass can only be installed into windows or openings that are prepared for this purpose.
What Causes Fog or Condensation in Between the Glass in Your Windows?When the seal between two pieces of glass breaks, it begins to let air in. The difference between the temperature indoors and outdoors causes condensation — moisture collecting in the space between the two panes. We guarantee our insulated glass against condensation. All of our insulated glass is factory-sealed and prepared in minutes.
Often requested to meet NYC Code or design specification, Window-Fix carries a full line of safety glass products that offer a greater resistance against breakage and protection on impact.


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That little beauty weighed-in at 512g. It was part of this batch, which was jointly 1.06 Kgs
This next photo demonstrates the fact that they all developed long straight roots.
Here they are, cleaned-up ready for cooking. They show very little sign of canker, which is very satisfying since Parsnips are very prone to this disease.
The rate of maturing of the Brussels Sprouts has suited us just fine - a small helping about once or twice a week. I've lost track of the yield produced by each variety. I just pick a few from each plant whenever they look big enough. The only thing I can say for sure is that the "Brilliant" ones which were first to mature have just about finished now.


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Panel put activists above Ky. students
A state legislative panel's Wednesday rejection of new science standards for Kentucky public school systems presents an "either-or" situation that is thoroughly depressing both ways.
From Marc Murphy @ C-J
If the five members of the General Assembly's Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee who voted against the standards truly reject the overwhelming scientific evidence supporting climate change and the theory of evolution, it's a depressing commentary about the quality of the people we send to the General Assembly.
If some or all of those lawmakers don't reject the scientific evidence but cynically voted to keep future generations of Kentucky children from getting the best education possible just to placate the coal industry and religious conservatives and help them win re-election, it's a depressing commentary about the quality of the people we send to the General Assembly.
(The five were Sen. Joe Bowen, R-Owensboro; Sen. Mary Beth Gregory, R-Monticello; Sen. Ernie Harris, R-Crestwood; Rep. Johnny Bell, D-Glasgow; and Rep. Tommy Turner, R-Somerset.)
The Next Generation Science Standards represent the work of a 26-state consortium that includes Kentucky.
While the guidelines do emphasize evolution and climate change, they cover other aspects of teaching science in middle schools and high schools.
The goal is to give students a broader hands-on understanding of how science works and better prepare them for college and beyond. And no student's science education would be complete if evolution and climate change are removed from the discussion.
Fortunately, Gov. Steve Beshear understands how important these new standards are for ensuring future Kentucky students the science education they will need as they move on through the 21st century.
His office issued a statement after Wednesday's subcommittee meeting saying he would use his executive authority to implement them. We applaud him for doing what those five naysayers on the subcommittee didn't have the wisdom or gumption to do.


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Stick It Where The Sun DOES Shine! - Oct 22
I cannot help but think the next major crisis surrounding Israel will involve some kind of energy breakthrough. Will space-based solar energy be that breakthrough? The idea is simple enough: Have a bunch of photovoltaic mirrors reflect to a collecting satellite which sends it to a ground-based receiver who then feed such energy into the grid. Such a capital-intensive investment would need major government (meaning American) backing before it even gets off the ground. Not only is such an endeavor expensive, the technology and ingenuity involved will be daunting. I envision some bright bulb from Israel stepping onto the world stage to solve these technical dilemmas inadvertently setting the stage for the Gog-Magog battle foretold in Ezekiel 38-39. You can read the full Wall Street Journal article here. Here's a pasting of the relevant paragraphs.
Johnny Cash
For more than three decades, visionaries have imagined tapping solar power where the sun always shines—in space. If we could place giant solar panels in orbit around the Earth, and beam even a fraction of the available energy back to Earth, they could deliver nonstop electricity to any place on the planet.
(Text for picture shown)
Sunlight is reflected off giant orbiting mirrors to an array of photovoltaic cells; the light is converted to electricity and then changed into microwaves, which are beamed to earth. Ground-based antennas capture the microwave energy and convert it back to electricity, which is sent to the grid.
The technology may sound like science fiction, but it's simple: Solar panels in orbit about 22,000 miles up beam energy in the form of microwaves to earth, where it's turned into electricity and plugged into the grid. (The low-powered beams are considered safe.) A ground receiving station a mile in diameter could deliver about 1,000 megawatts—enough to power on average about a million U.S. homes.
The cost of sending solar collectors into space is the biggest obstacle, so it's necessary to design a system lightweight enough to require only a few launches. A handful of countries and companies aim to deliver space-based power as early as a decade from now.


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The 2010 FiFi Awards finalists are narrowed down to five for each category. Consumer voting shall commence on April 28. As we await the winners, let's explore once again the candidates for this year's Oscars of the perfumery.
Starting with the men's luxe fragrances, the finalists are: Calvin Klein CK Free, D&G Fragrance Anthology, Givenchy Play, Diesel Only The Brave, Shiseido Zen for Men and Tom Ford Grey Vetiver. Certainly, these fragrances deserve recognition as they have captured the attention of many: the creativity that produced the fragrance and likewise, the marketing virtuoso behind each campaign.
D&G Fragrance Anthology
How can you not forget the gorgeous men and women in their nakedness wearing nothing but D&G? The D&G Fragrance Anthology ranges from sheer lightness to juicy gourmand, from feminine to masculine to shared – take your pick!
Tom Ford Grey Vetiver
A masterful take on vetiver married with salty notes, citrus essence, sunny and woody accords. Tom Ford Grey Vetiver is unabashedly masculine. The combination of amber-y woods and the cigar smoke-like aroma is addictive. Comparable to Guerlain's Vetiver but Tom Ford is sharper and less herbal.
Airy, light, young and free: these are Calvin Klein's inimitable trademark. CK Free opens up with crisp notes of berries, jackfruit and star anise followed by a concoction of tobacco, suede, coffee and buchu in the middle. The base caps it off with a union of oak, patchouli, cedar and ironwood. This fragrance is pleasant with a comfortable, powdery trail.
The fist-shaped, smokey-grey colored flacon represents rugged masculinity. The playful blend of oriental and woody accords embellished with lemony aromas and sensual amber permeate a warm and versatile scent. It's light, semi-tarty and a fabulous summer scent.
Shiseido Zen for Men
Spice, woods plus a concoction of exotic fruits represent energy and the colors of life. The plush essences of sparkling fruits and spicy accords explode into a delightful mix of minimalistic aroma that soothes. Velvety in the beginning then tapers off into a nice blend of floral and leathery notes.
Check out the 2010 FiFi blog for more details.


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Here, "Roundup of the Roundups."
And, "Busty Emily Ratajkowski from the Archives."
More, "Smokin' Hot Dana Loesch: Gun Control Didn't Stop Orlando Terrorist Attack."
Also, "Ramadan Terror: Paris Knife Jihadist Broadcast Cop-Murder Live on Facebook (VIDEO)."
"Counter-Jihad Divide: Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump Diverge on Security After Orlando (VIDEO)."
BONUS: "Department of Homeland Security Prohibited from Using Words That 'Disrespect' Muslims."


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Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Max @ 15 Months!
Our incredibly active boy just turned 15 months on our 5th anniversary. With that came a doctors appointment and an MMR shot. As soon as Max sees the doctor these days, he looses it. In fact he was so hysterical for the routine part of the exam (heartbeat, weight checking, etc.) that he passed out on Perry's lap before his shot. I think the doctor was even more relieved than we were.
Here are some stats:
Weight: 25 pounds (60th % - he's slimming down)
Height: 31 1/2 inches (65th % - he's getting tall!)
Head circumference: 75th %
He is still a super picky eater and sleep is still an issue for us but we wouldn't trade him for anything in the world! He now says momma, dada, ball, bus, bird (although the last three sound the same), and dog. He loves being outside and running around and gets cranky if we coop him up for too long. He LOVES attention, gets a ton of it and seems to get upset when people don't pay attention to him. He's very social and loving. He likes to dance and spin and do somersaults with daddy. And he is clearly the cutest boy in the world :)
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LOWELL -- Ferguson. Dallas. Charlotte.
It's been a tenuous two years between police and certain communities. As a result, police departments have begun holding open meetings where residents can have one-on-one conversations with officers and get to know them better.
Lowell is one of those departments, holding its first-ever Community Relations Council: Dinner & Dialogue, on Monday as part of National Community Policing Week.
"I love these kinds of events," Officer Jackie Mercado said. "It brings everyone together, so they can interact with us and then remember us on the street.
"I've already hugged five people who I've known from before," she added.
A mix of young and old residents, from various ethnic and racial backgrounds, attended Monday's dinner at the Lowell Senior Center.
Esmeralda Nova, 15, said it was great to talk with the police and others from the community.
"It's good for everyone to get together like this," said Nova, a sophomore at Lowell High School. "It's good to be part of it."
Relationship-building is key for the city, according to Police Superintendent William Taylor.
Since the shooting, in Ferguson, Missouri, of Michael Brown in the summer of 2014 -- when a black man was killed by a white officer -- Lowell police have held several meetings with the public, like the one Monday.
"We've had very difficult discussions," Taylor said.
"It's about building a tighter community and breaking down the barriers that divide us," he said.
These are difficult times, but difficult times also provide tremendous opportunities, said U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, who attended the dinner.
It's critical to work together, she emphasized.
"We need to do our part, whether you're white, black, Latino, Muslim," Ortiz said. "We all need to figure out the best way to accept one another."
City Councilor Rita Mercier stressed unity at the dinner.
"The city is only as good as its partnerships," she said.
Mercier talked about the diversity of the city, pointing out the Portuguese and Iraqi food at the dinner.
The Citywide Neighborhood Council and the FBI Citizen Academy Alumni Association provided funding for the food.
On Wednesday, also as part of National Community Policing Week, Lowell police held Coffee With a Cop at Gallagher Terminal, from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. And on Friday, they'll hold another at Top Donut, 700 Aiken St., from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Police will buy coffee for attendees.
"No agenda or speeches, just a chance to ask questions, voice concerns, and get to know the officers in your neighborhood!" Lowell police wrote on a flier about Coffee With a Cop.
Other local police departments are also holding Coffee With a Cop this week, including Billerica on Friday at Java's Brewin' from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
"It's an opportunity to engage with the public in a positive atmosphere and buy coffee for residents," said Deputy Police Chief Roy Frost.
Follow Rick Sobey on Twitter and Tout @rsobeyLSun.


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A shocking royal pregnancy!
Personal assistant Natalie Monette's life transforms when she meets her secret identical twin. Except Valentina is a sophisticated princess, unhappily engaged to the supremely arrogant Crown Prince Rodolfo. Impulsively, Natalie agrees to swap identities for six weeks. Her plan is to put Rodolfo in his place…until she's enticed by the heat between them!
Prince Rodolfo can't understand why, having never felt any desire for his betrothed, he now can't keep his hands off this captivating woman. But scandal abounds when he discovers who he's taken to his bed…and that she's carrying his heir!
The Prince's Nine-Month Scandal by Caitlin Crews hooked me the instant I read the blurb. Ms. Crews is one crafty painter of words.
Princess Valentina has a secret—she isn't really the real princess of Murin. In fact she is Natalie Monette, the personal assistant of broody billionaire Achilles Casilieris (who I'm dying to meet!). Natalie doesn't know what she's in for when she swaps places with her identical twin whom she accidentally meets and doesn't know exits until now. But switching places with Princess Valentina and living the princess's life for six weeks has its pros and cons. Natalie has to carry out Valentina's duties and at the same time she must act appropriately. Except— one heady and off-limits distraction is Prince Rodolfo. Being in close proximity to Rodolfo ever so often awakens a need in Natalie, one she wishes to curb. However, things happen – which you will have to find out for yourselves.
Final Verdict:
The attraction between Rodolfo and Natalie is a slow, burning fire. At times it was tense and involves plenty of heated, argumentative conversations. Nevertheless, I was swept away by the taut writing, the distinct dialogue and the achingly petulant main characters who deserve each other. Overall, a thoroughly satisfying read and one I highly recommend!
4.5 Stars


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Here are some of the beads I got from Juls a few weeks ago. I love the cream & teel combination under the clear. Okay I love them ALL to be honest! She sent earring pairs,2 sets w/ a focal & 3 more sets. These are all so beautiful, I just hope I can come up w/ jewelry worthy of the beads. I have stocked up on some sterling wire, so I may be leaning in the direction of wire links. I will keep you updated.
About Me
Jayne Capps
- I am an artist, I twist wire,string beads, glue stuff & am generally 'artsy'. I have recently started an artist's blog where I will show works as they progress.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Juls Beads part 1
Posted by Jayne Capps at 12:08 PM
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Earliest complete manuscript of Koran is 200 AH or 800AD! There are no ancient copies of the Koran dating before 750 AD in museums.
The words in the Quran have evolved from the time it was first written to the present-day Quran. Those who disagree with it, must see the video and judge it with an open mind.
al-Qur'an was corrupted by Mohammedans distorters for 1400 years!!!
The horrendous dimensions of this crime can be realized once we look at the consequences:
(1) `Uthman was assassinated, and `Ali was installed as the fourth Khalifa.
(2) A 50-year war erupted between the new Khalifa and his supporters on one side, and the Mohammedan distorters of the Quran on the other side.
(3) `Ali was martyred, and eventually his family, the prophet Muhammad's family, except for some women and children, were killed.
(4) The disaster culminated in the infamous Battle of Karbala, where `Ali's son, Hussein, and his family were massacred.
(5) The Muslims were deprived of the pure, unaltered, Quran for 1400 years.
Now who is right is not our interest. The fact is the Quran has been corrupted and it remains corrupted and not a perfect one at all. Those who claimed its perfection are true liars.


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What will be the result of this whole housing bubble blow up? I will try to describe the whole thing is very broad terms.
Around 2000, the demand for real estate started to increase rapidly. Demand for real estate comes from three different sources. First of all, a population increase can cause this. There can also be demand from people who want to own more than one house. There can also be a change in preference between renting and buying. The first reason, population increase, has been fairly steady over US history and are not the main driver of the recent housing bubble.
The demand for second homes certainly increased. People, in recent times, think of second homes as an investment. After the stock market crash of 2000, the dot-com blowup, people looked for alternatives to stocks. They noted the wonderful returns that they or their parents may have received by buying during or before the inflationary 1970s. This current demand was aided by the very low interest rates following the stock market crash. The two sources of this were Greenspan's Federal Reserve as well as the "vendor financing" resulting from the rise of the US trade deficit. In short, China sends us products, we send them dollars and they buy US financial assets such as US mortgages and US Treasuries. This helped keep interest rates down leading to a refinancing boom and a boom in first home purchases.
This was the first stage of the housing bubble. The number of homes of course didn't change as rapidly. This change in the supply-demand balance lead to the beginning of the price appreciation bubble. This of course feeds back and enticed more people to think of housing as a good investment which led to more buying.
The next stage of the bubble came from converting more renters into buyers. Traditionally people would rent while they were young and save money for a down payment on a home. This is what I learned when I was young. Typically this would be 20% of a house price. This was demanded from banks to create an equity cushion. Mortgages are non-recourse loans that allow the buyer to simply stop paying the mortgage and giving the bank the right, in turn, to foreclose or take back the collateral. The equity cushion provides the incentive for the buyer to do whatever it takes to avoid default. It also allows the bank to suffer as much as a 20% loss on resale without suffering a net loss.
Due to this dramatic run-up in house prices, the banks relaxed their lending standards to allow for lower down-payments. In addition, since house prices were rising rapidly, they were not too concerned about suffering any loss on the value of the collateral. There was no need for a 20% down payment if the house would be worth 20% more next year. Many of these loans were resold to investors anyway. So it would not be the problem of the originating bank or mortgage originator once it was sold off, if the payments were not made.
The worst of this was the subprime lending industry. Fueled by short-term loans from Wall Street banks, these lenders would give loans to just about anybody capable of fogging a mirror. The lenders were extremely profitable because they could sell off the loans very quickly. A 1% gain on a home loan isn't that great if it takes you a year to do it but if you can turn-over 10 such transactions in a year, that is a 10% annual gain on your capital. Better yet, if you can leverage up your assets to 10 times capital, that is a 100% return on capital. What a business model? So faster turnover from the buying mania and leverage created this wonderful business opportunity. However it depended on insatiable demand for houses as well as a plentiful supply of borrowed money from Wall Street and finally demand for these securitized mortgage products in the secondary market.
All this time, the homebuilders were ramping up their building. There was more demand for homes and so this resulted in higher profit margins. These profits created more capital that could be used to buy more land and build more homes. The end result would of course be a much larger supply of houses.
Home prices rose. Economic activity was vibrant with all this building and buying and selling. There were profits all around. Builders made a killing. Banks made a killing. Even the buyers made a killing if you counted the capital gains on the houses. All of these were extremely leveraged. The buyer bough with little or no money down. Putting down 5% (1/20th of the house) and getting a one-year appreciation of 20% meant a 400% return on invested capital. Who needs to work when you can get returns like that just by signing on the dotted line? Bank loans are always leveraged transactions. They are allowed to leverage their capital by about a factor of 10%. Builders were leveraged as well by borrowing from the banks.
Of course this all had to come to an end. Eventually prices got so high that most people simply could not pay the mortgage payment. They could not even pretend anymore. Monthly payments were as much as twice what it would cost to rent the same house. This was almost 50% of the average persons take home wages. The supply of people that could be converted from renters to buyers or single home owners to second home owners began to dwindle. The excess supply of new homes relieved some of the pressure on home prices.
So eventually home price appreciation stopped. Then the whole process which depended on rising home prices would come apart in dramatic fashion. Now we are in a period of falling prices. Now the total supply of houses is much larger than before. The supply of people willing to speculate on house prices has evaporated. The supply of banks willing to make low down payment loans has contracted. The fact that prices are clearly dropping removes any incentive to buy now. The deflationary mindset sets in. Why buy now when you can buy cheaper next year? The supply of houses for sale is even larger due to a massive wave of foreclosures.
What is the endgame for all of this? House prices will eventually bottom. They will do so when it becomes cheaper to buy then to rent. It will do so when a person can buy a home and rent it out for a profit. The trouble is that this break even point between buying and renting seems quite a ways off.
So who is the winner and loser from all of this? Like all bubbles, this has resulted in a miss-allocation of resources. This results in a inefficiency and so a decrease in GDP. Basically, houses will end up on the balance sheet of banks who will have to auction them off at a loss. So banks will have lost money which will easily erase all of the profits from the proceeding years. People who owned before the bubble will have seen their house value go up and down. Many of these will not be impacted. However, some of these may have borrowed against their home and now find themselves with a much higher debt/equity ratio. They may now have to work longer than they had planned in order to retire and so may spend less in the coming years. Again , this will reduce GDP.
Some people with good credit and secure jobs who bought near the peak will have to pay higher than normal mortgage payments for the rest of the life of the mortgage. Some people may have lost all of their net worth by having bought at the wrong time and now have to sell for whatever reason.
Who are the winners? For every losing speculator there is a winning speculator. Some people who bought and sold at the right time made a small fortune.
Young people and renters are winners. They will in the future be able to buy houses much cheaper. There are a lot more houses now and not that many more people.


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Why not do something crazy this Christmas and try one of these fun hairstyles with festive decorated ornaments. Take a look and see which one is your favorite.
O Christmas Tree How Lovely Are Thy Branches
Just make sure you secure the baubles properly or there maybe a few breakages.
[SEE ALSO – Christmas Decorations From Cities Around the World]
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Had A Very Shiny Nose
If somebody calls you two faced with this hair-do they aren`t exactly lying.
Watch Out For Low Doorways With This Christmas Cut
How is she supposed to change her jumper without breaking a few decorated ornaments.
Deck Your Hair With Boughs Of Holly
Did you know the first Christmas tree decorated ornaments were first sold by Woolworths in 1880. Sadly all Woolworths stores closed down in 2009 due to the crises.
Christmas Ribbon Tree
Most of Santa's reindeer have male names but male reindeer loose their antlers at winter so santa`s reindeer must all be female.
Rockin Around The Christmas Tree
Did you know that in Poland they decorate their trees with spiders and spider webs? According to Polish legend a spider wove a blanket for Baby Jesus and so spiders are a symbol of Christmas.
Just Missing The Tinsel
Around 35 million real Christmas trees are sold every year in America.
Even Guys Can Join In The Fun
Why should just the girls look silly at Christmas.
Santa Hat Hairstyle from BabesInHairland.com
Some people like to wear Santa hats at Christmas time, others like to blend them into their hair.
Simple But Effective
It is estimated that there are around 2,106 million children in the world. So if santa were to deliver presents to all children he would have to make 842 million stops and travel 221 million miles.
Bonus Christmas Picture
Beards are perfect for Christmas decorated ornaments too.
Please Like And Share – 10 Crazy Christmas Hair styles With Decorated Ornaments You Should Try
Article Source – Oddee


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I never expected to be interested in the field I am in currently, due to life's circumstances or destiny as some may say I find myself in the Employment Services field. For the most part of my life I have been working in the administration field but during the time I've been with the Region of Halton, Employment services I have had the opportunity to be part of different projects.
In 2011, I was part of the team that developed the Halton Newcomer Portal http://www.welcometohalton.ca, a website that provides information to potential and current newcomers about all the services available in Halton Region. This portal was part of another project, the Halton Newcomer Strategy http://www.haltonnewcomerstrategy.com this was formed by group of community members, service providers and people from government and funders that got together and formed a steering committee with the following vision: Halton will be a welcoming, inclusive and supportive community that values diversity.
In 2012, I was the Program Assistant for the HNS, being a newcomer myself I was able to relate to the topics and share my personal experience and contribute to ideas of improving the services available.
Within a couple of years of having the privilege to work with a great team of Employment Specialist and Job Developers, I have learned to admire the work they do
helping people reach their employment and/or career goals. They inspired me to want to do the same and pursue this career.
I always planned to return to school and furthering my education and career but by unplanned life events, my plan was always delayed. One of these events happening in 2010, the birth of my third child, and another one was our immigration process here in Canada taking longer than expected.
Finally, in 2013, after being employed with the Region of Halton for almost five years and becoming a permanent resident of Canada, I decided to start acting on my career goal. I researched different counselling programs, discussed them with my manager and supervisor and the best that suited my career goal was the Career Consultant Certificate program.
In my current role as Program Assistant, besides supporting the team I have the opportunity to meet and screen clients (Ontario Works referrals and Halton residents) that come to our resource centre for job search and career counselling assistance. I'm able to discuss with them their goals and depending on our
discussion, their field, experience or interest, I then assigned them to the corresponding sector's Employment Specialist.
I see myself in a few years, or maybe sooner, successfully in the role of an Employment Specialist. My hope is that this new step towards my career goal will enhance my counselling skills and knowledge and help me guide others in accomplishing their own career goal.
Maribel Sanchez Rojas is a student in the Career Consultant Certificate Program at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario. MCACESBlogs aims to assist job seekers and their peers with their work search journeys. Thanks for reading!


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Monster Auction
We are holding a monster auction on Sunday 4th October in the clubhouse. The club seeks your support in funding our teams coaching and development to the highest standard. The donation of one saleable item for inclusion in the auction will contribute to the success of the fundraiser. We will accept unwanted gifts, vouchers, farm produce and services, furniture (in good condition), bicycles, general services, bric-a-brac and crystal. Should you wish to donate items please contact: Dermot 0867725128, Tomas 0860876933, Barry 0868504676, Gerry 0868103665, Ger 0871787397.
All auction items will be sold on the day so come along and get the best bargains of 2015!
Senior Championship
St. Brigid's 5-11, St. Faithleach's 1-8.
Our Hodson Bay Hotel sponsored senior team took on St. Faithleach's in the last game of the group stages of championship on Sunday last in Kiltoom. We finished top of our group which means we are straight through to the semi-final stage where we will face the winner of the quarter final clash between Clan na nGael and Castlerea St. Kevin's at the end of September.
Team: C. Sheehy 0-1, R. Kelly, N. Grehan, P. Fuery 1-0, N. McInerney, D. Sheehy 0-1, C. McNiece, I. Kilbride 1-0, K. Mannion 0-4, D. Cunniffe, G. Cunniffe 1-0, B. Stack 0-1, C. Gleeson 1-1, D. Dolan 1-1, C. McHugh 0-2.
Subs: G. Aherne, J. Cunningham, M. Moran, A. Gleeson, R. Gilligan.
This week's lotto Jackpot €6,200. Numbers Drawn 1/18/19/29. No Jackpot Winner. 1 Match Three Winner, receives €200.
John Naughton C/O O'Connells, Brideswell
Draw takes place on Sunday night 06/09/2015 in St. Brigid's Sports & Social Centre at 11pm.
Minor Boys Notes
U-8 boys
Our u-8 side travelled to the Connacht Centre of excellence in Ballyhaunis on Saturday last to take part in the Go Games blitz. Everyone enjoyed the day out and some great football was played.
U-10 boys
The U-10's had a busy week which started with two games
against Padraig Pearses in the Tormey's Tournament. Both teams won their
respective encounters which were very close right to the end. On Saturday we travelled to The Downs Tournament in Mullingar
where we played four games in total with the opposition made up of teams from
Navan O'Mahony's, Killoe and Kilcock(2). The lads were hugely competitive in
what was a really well run event. All the players can be very proud of their
performances on the day.
U-12s Boys
St Brigid's played out an absorbing Division 1 contest with Clann na nGael on Sunday last in Johnstown to win by two points. It was a highly entertaining game and well done to both sides for serving up an excellent display of football at this grade. Clann raced out of the blocks and got three unanswered scores on the board and went on to enjoy the better of the first half exchanges. A goal towards the end of half propelled the home side into a 1-5 to 0-5 lead at the break. The intensity of the game went up several notches after the break where both teams contributed to a mighty battle until the end. Early in the second period, Clann continued to increase the lead, which was helped by another goal. Staring into a five point deficit, St Brigid's to a player stood up to the challenge and went on to deliver their best performance of the season. After that second Clann goal, the lads went on to outscore Clann 2-2 to 0-1 to seal a hard earned victory. Well done again to the lads who showed tremendous character in the face of their strongest challenge to date. Final scoreline, St Brigid's 2-9, Clann na nGael 2-7. Panel v Clann na nGael: Matthew Samuels, Shane Daly, Adam Donovan, David Dolan, Daniel Meeley (0-1), Micheal Sugrue, Thomas O'Brien, Daniel Keenan (0-1), Bobby Nugent (0-3, two frees) Conor Hand, Brian Nestor (0-2, one free)), Oisin Canny (1-1), Ronan Doyle (1-1). Harry Griselain, James Goose, Jamie Curley, Martin O'Grady, Bryan Armstrong. In the other Division 1 game earlier in the week, the lads responded well to another stiff challenge, this time at home to Roscommon Gaels. Six points down at the break, St Brigid's delivered an impressive second-half performance to win out on a scoreline of 3-11 to 2-6. On Saturday morning last, the Division 3 team put in a good performance at home to Western Gaels but were narrowly beaten by two points. In a game which had 13 goals, St Brigid's led at the break, 3-3 to 1-2 but eventually had to give way on a scoreline of 6-8 to 7-3.
U-14 boys
This team continued their winning streak on Saturday last in Dublin, where they won the Jimmy O'Connor Memorial Cup hosted by Dublin club St. Margaret's. St. Margaret's host an annual tournament where two teams from each province are invited to participate. We played the Dublin team and host club St. Margaret's then a team from Down and a team from Tipperary. In the semi-final we played a team from Derry and in the final we played St. Margaret's again. Congratulations to the u14 team and management.
U-16 boys
U-16s played Clann na nGael in a playoff for 1st place in Ballyforan last Monday evening, 24th Aug. The winner would be through to the County Final and the losing team would have to play Strokestown in the Semi-Final. The first half was a tight affair with both teams defending extremely well. Both sides had their opportunities and going in at half time it was 0-03 to 0-06 to Brigids. In the second half Brigids stepped it up a gear and dominated midfield, while their back kept up their high standards, the forwards started to click and notch up some vital scores with some well worked moves. If it was not for Clann's goalie, who made a number of brilliant saves, the scoreline would have been greater. It was a very accomplished performance by Brigids in the second half. The final is due to be played on the 18/19 Sept.
Team: Seamus Smith, Pearse Frost, Eoin Minagh, Keelan Connor, John Leonard, Cian McBrearty, Tommie Glynn, Niall Murray, Shane Cunnane, Donnchadh Gately, Brian Derwin, Ian O'Rourke, Ciaran Sugrue, Eoin Egan, Paul McGrath
Subs: Tom O'Carroll for Ciaran Sugrue, Oisin Reilly for Ian O'Rourke, Mark Haran for John Leonard, Eoin Derwin for Brian Derwin, Cian Daly for Shane Cunnane. Danny Sugrue, Billy McDonnell, Gary Daly, Ronan Campbell, Jack Gartland, Liam Martin, Ruairi Smith, Darragh Murray, Ciaran Quinn
Minor boys
Our minor boys were due to play St. Ciaran's on Thursday last but were awarded the points by St. Ciaran's.
Ladies Notes
U-14 Girls
Our u-14 girls have had a busy week playing three championship group games in seven days. On Monday last we played Tulsk St. Mary's in Kiltoom and won 7-15 to 4-4. On Wednesday we played Padraig Pearses also in Kiltoom and won 7-7 to 5-4. And on Sunday last we played Clan na nGael and lost 4-15 to 3-5. However because we had won 3 out of 5 games we had already qualified for the quarter finals. One game remains in the group away to St. Croan's on Wednesday evening, with quarter finals set for Sunday 6th.
Team: A. Nestor, A. Lennon, R. Dolan, M. Gonley, R. Collins, S. Dolan, A. O'Donovan, E. Gleeson, K. Nolan, A. Curran, E. Curran, M. Nolan, J. McGrane, G. Loftus, A. White, K. Harmon, N. Donnelly, A. Fallon, I. Finnerty, K. Daly, A. McGrath, C. Lennon, S. Butler, H. Martin, A. Downey.
Club Notes >


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political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Your Nominations Please
We'd be happy to consider any nominations you might have for inclusion. Don't bother suggesting obvious candidates as we'll have hopefully thought of them already, but please do suggest anyone for the three categories who you think we might have inadvertently ignored.
56 comments:
50 most influential Lib Dems?!? Nick Clegg's mum, dad, teacher, mechanic, local newsagent, guy he bought a kettle off in 1986...err...
- September 01, 2009 2:56 pm
No nationalists? They do form a Government.
- September 01, 2009 2:56 pm
Iain, I'd be more exercised if it was a list of the top 100 socialists who deserve to be strung up from the nearest lamp-post.
john in cheshire
- September 01, 2009 2:59 pm
- Libertarian said...
Most influential
Left Wing = BBC
Liberal = You can't influence sitting on a fence
Right Wing = Ron Paul
Libertarian = Guido
- September 01, 2009 3:02 pm
- Working Class Tory said...
your use of "We'll be at it until 9pm tonight and also tomorrow evening." was a bit mischieveous.
- September 01, 2009 3:11 pm
- Sweet and Tender Hooligan said...
Neal Lawson, if I dont agree with him all the time (i am a compass member BTW), he is a strong voice within the left.
Adam Price MP - Adam is the next generation of Welsh politician and voice of the left.
- September 01, 2009 3:15 pm
Dr Helen Szamuely
Daniel Hannan
David Davis
Douglas Carswell
Ann Widdicomb
Tim Mongomerie
George Galloway
Jenny Willott
Tony Benn
Jeannie Armstrong (s'ok just seeing how it would look)
- September 01, 2009 3:17 pm
- Moderniser said...
Stuart Wheeler had quite an impact behind-the-scenes when he swithed to UKIP/was expelled by the Conservatives during the European Election.
- September 01, 2009 3:27 pm
Top influential person on the Right - Fraser Nelson.
He has actually told Brown he is a liar at one of his press conferences and in so doing exposed the complicity of the Lobby.
He single handedly shot down Browns '10% Tory cuts' lie in flames.
There are no influential people on the Left and no one knows what the LibDems stand for.
- September 01, 2009 3:33 pm
- Newmania said...
Are you including Nick Griffin on the left ( or right ?) He has surely been exceedingly influential
- September 01, 2009 3:42 pm
Why no report on your visit to the great city of Glasgow?
- September 01, 2009 3:43 pm
Fifty prominent Lib Dems ?? Now that's a challenge.
- September 01, 2009 3:56 pm
- Alan Douglas said...
Iain, the most obviously influential candidate who may not be in your "obvious" category is a conservative blogger, pundit and broadcaster called Iain Dale. I do hope you are already on the list, as you represent a reasoned view of politics, including a bending-over-backwards approach to be fair to your opponents.
'Scuse the sychophancy !
Alan Douglas
- September 01, 2009 3:57 pm
One key nomination should be Peter Davies, elected Mayor of Doncaster. Although labelled an "English Democrat" he clearly espouses views which should place him at the head of any list of popular (and hopefully influential too) members of the "Right".
- September 01, 2009 4:01 pm
- Newmania said...
What about Jeremy Clarkson , I `d say he was influential form a Libertarian point of view and Ian Hislop or what about Frankie Boyle and the new comediens who seem to have left that old default leftiness behind .
I `m thinking laterally here folks.
- September 01, 2009 4:03 pm
Fraser Nelson on the right. I know you'll have thought of Nick Griffin, but pretty please put him down as influential on the left. The BNP is Labour-1945 with even more racism than the average Trade Unionist and LAbour minister had in those days.
- September 01, 2009 4:04 pm
- Maverick Muezzin said...
You beat me to it. I do hope Nick Griffin's counted on the Left where he belongs.
- September 01, 2009 4:07 pm
On the right: Michael Portillo
On the left: James Purnell
- September 01, 2009 4:12 pm
I wasnt aware their was even 50 liberal democrats they kept that quiet.
I would start off with Vince Cable at the top and Nick Clegg at the bottom
- September 01, 2009 4:16 pm
Steve Uncles of the English Democrats Party - the political mastermind behind the Donny Mayor triumph.
- September 01, 2009 4:25 pm
Nick Griffin for the left. Even thou he a evel b*gger this year he has been infuential.
- September 01, 2009 4:25 pm
- John East said...
On the right: Daniel Hannan
On the left: the Conservative party
- September 01, 2009 4:51 pm
Gordon Brown and Peter Mandelson have done more to boost the Tory vote than David Cameron and his team.
- September 01, 2009 5:21 pm
On the right - Donal Blaney. Nobody has yet (or will in future) train so many young activists to such a high level of ability in campaigning, media skills and philosophy than the Young Britons' Foundation.
- September 01, 2009 5:24 pm
I know he's not British but I think it's impossible to leave off Barack Obama from both Left and Right lists.
Both major political parties are desperate to be associated with him, his charisma trencends the atlantic.
He can fit left/right lists because the Democrats are on the left in the USA but in the UK their centre of gravity would be with the Conservatives.
- September 01, 2009 5:28 pm
Tim Farron is an up and coming Lib Dem star....He is a hard worker and has a great reputation in the party.
I'd see him as the next LD leader. He is loved in a conservative seat. He really is one to watch
- September 01, 2009 5:46 pm
- Uncle Bob said...
Alan, you are such a kiss-arse! And I agree with Anonymous at 4:12's choices, Fraser Nelson is also a good shout Trevor. Hopefully his move upstairs in the Speccy won't stop his excellent analysis, especially on economic matters.
- September 01, 2009 5:49 pm
Right - Matthew Parris
Left - Johann Hari
- September 01, 2009 5:56 pm
My list of influential Liberal Democrats:
- September 01, 2009 6:50 pm
I think General Dannatt has been very influential in the last year, pushing a non-political agenda that's been broadly adopted by the Right who have now largely made it "theirs" and are gaining traction with it within the political domain. (I expect he'd prefer not to be labelled "Right" though - from my knowledge of him only a few years ago as my Brigade Commander he very firmly rejected any political flavour to military decision making, while transparently seeming to be a natural one-nation Tory).
- September 01, 2009 6:50 pm
Ieuan Wyn Jones. Deputy first leader of wales and minister for the economy and transport and leader of plaid cymru having entered government for the first time ever
- September 01, 2009 6:53 pm
On LibDems,consider outriders and the awkward squad rather than just boring appartchiks and committee people. Charlotte Gore and Mark Littlewood are libbo righties. James Graham is a liberal lefty.
- September 01, 2009 7:22 pm
Have you thought of outgoing Bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali for his views on Islam/ integration/ marriage/ gay rights etc?
I don't know if he'd class himself as being 'on the right' but don't think he'd fit any other category.
Look forward to reading the lists.
- September 01, 2009 7:36 pm
Stephen Greenhalgh, leader of Hammersmith Council. The "new Eddie Lister"!
- September 01, 2009 7:56 pm
On the port side - President Mandelson
- September 01, 2009 8:08 pm
- londonmuslim said...
on the right, The Labour party
- September 01, 2009 8:42 pm
- Dick the Prick said...
Lynne Featherstone was pretty shit hot over Baby P.
- September 01, 2009 8:48 pm
On the Lib Dem side I definitely agree with the comment earlier about Tim Farron. He's a great Northern Liberal who will surely hold his seat in the Lake District with an increased majority.
Ed Fordham is one to make the list if he isn't already in your sights. Not yet an MP but surely favourite to win Hampstead and Kilburn at the General Election and one of the most effective and organised campaigners in the LDs.
Pete Pattison in Lewisham East one to watch too.
- September 01, 2009 8:51 pm
Ok if we are going really oddball on this I've one or two more..Archbishops of Canterbury and York who have influenced the whole Church of England politically by stopping Holy Communion solely on Christian hating liarbliar Governments advice to.
You don't get more politically influencial than these two with this decision...they really are playing into Liarbliars hands and helping progress Orwells nightmare.
- September 01, 2009 8:59 pm
As a lib dem its got to be tim farron and willie rennie.
- September 01, 2009 8:59 pm
Remember Scotland.
There are some influential leaders in the Scottish Parliament: notably the Maximum Eck himself (leftish), Annabel Goldie for the Tories (right) and Patrick Harvie for the Greens (left).
The two opposition names there are the two who "get" minority government, and both have influenced the Government agenda, albeit not as much as either would like.
Labour and the Liberal Democrats not so much - I can't think of a thing they've achieved since 2007.
- September 01, 2009 9:35 pm
Eric Pickles, Michael Gove, Steve Hilton, Andy Coulson... Jon Huntsman, Bobby Jindal, Sarah Palin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John McCain, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove... Nicolas Sarkozy, Francois Fillon...
Peter Mandelson, Harriet Harman, Frank Field, John Prescott, Alastair Campbell... Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Michael Bloomberg, Jon Stewart, Brian Schweitzer, Bill Richardson...
Vince Cable, Charles Kennedy, Lord Rennard...
- September 01, 2009 10:28 pm
- Andy said...
for the right
danny finkelstein
jonathan sacks
- September 01, 2009 10:50 pm
- Thatsnews said...
Mark Pritchard, Conservative MP for The Wrekin.
Though I am not a Conservative, I have to say that Mark Pritchard is a hard-working constituency MP and, I believe, a man of influence on the right. Well, on the soft right, if you see what I mean.
- September 01, 2009 10:52 pm
- An Activist President said...
On the left: Charlie Brooker. He has inspired a young generation of non-political 'liberals' to critically assess orthodox establishment ideas through his cynical, yet witty, demeanor.
On the right: The Cabinet. They have gone out of their way to save capitalism and the free market and to prevent the left from forming any genuine popular movement to call for "people before profit."
- September 01, 2009 11:31 pm
Newmania: What about Frankie Boyle and the new comediens who seem to have left that old default leftiness behind.
Not really; they're just cravenly, and unimaginatively, going where majority opinion goes. Majority opinion happens to be right, but let's not give credit where it's not due. Sarah Palin is still the woman it's ok to slag off, and Obama's still Little Tin Jesus. This evening, I've been watching Boyle's live DVD - largely wonderfully, hilariously tasteless, but then out of nowhere: "I've got an analogy. Palestine [sic] is a cake, and it's being punched by an angry Jew.' That's historically ignorant and antisemitic. (I know, tautology.)
- September 02, 2009 12:16 am
Baron Martin of Springburn?
- September 02, 2009 12:28 am
For the left, how about Jill Evans, three-term Plaid Cymru MEP and now First Vice President of the Green / European Free Alliance group (bigger than the Tories') in the European parliament working closely with Danny Cohn-Bendit. The 'Left' ain't just Labour, if they are at all.
Very influential in environmental legislation and not part of the London-centric set in this devolved UK. Got the 4 Welsh MEPs to work together after Lady Glenys' veto was removed.
- September 02, 2009 1:45 am
For Lib Dems, how about Hilary Stephenson, who is now Head of Campaigns - Chris Rennard's old power base.
Ros Scott, Party President, and the person who sacked Rennard.
- September 02, 2009 8:40 am
I can't understand why you and others would spend your time compiling such lists, or why anyone would want to read them. Isn't it incredibly self absorbed behaviour among the 'political classes' or whatever the portmanteau term is? It remionds me of when groups of student pols sat in bars discussing who was the most 'sound'.
- September 02, 2009 9:17 am
- Quietzapple said...
Perhaps Lord Toby Harris has and is gaining more influence because of his pressure over IT and Interwebby stuff:
eg http://www.lordtobyharris.org.uk/category/information-security/
- September 02, 2009 10:55 am
- Dr John Crippen said...
From the right:
Wat Tyler of Burning our Money (aka Mike Denham of the Taxpayers' Alliance)
The most widely read and influential economics blog in the UK. Influential at the highest level in politics
- September 02, 2009 12:32 pm
- weelaylee said...
No Plaid or SNP? Both are in Government unlike the Tories and LibDems.
- September 02, 2009 1:15 pm
- Quietzapple said...
I suppose Lord Ashcroft has been by far the most influencial right wing figure.
Pretty single minded and seized the last moment to resurrect the Tory party's chances of survival.
Without his concentration on marginal seats Labour would be favourites for the next election.
The question is whether, should Cameron win, he will seek influence over the choice of his successor when the first "crisis" - real or imagined - wooflies the Tory backbenches?
Still, there are still up to 8/9 months to next June, and those events may not arise.
- September 03, 2009 8:18 am
Peter Davies - Mayor of Doncaster
- September 03, 2009 3:48 pm
Hmmm. Tim Farron. Spouts populist drivel. Nice guy unless you happen to be gay.
- September 28, 2009 2:07 pm


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I am an independent artist and writer working across performance, art and poetry. My work examines the human condition, interrogating shifting identities and personal politic; the starting point of a work often arising from lived experience. My work is created through devising and improvisational processes, often employing somatic research, text, image, light and sound. I value intuitive processes and working within the unknown; often not knowing what the work is until I've created it. I value shared dialogue around work, practice, process and outcome with audience and artists.
My current enquiry investigates themes of motherhood, death and grief, engaging in poetic form and a range of mixed media, within solo and collaborative contexts. More recently my work has led me to exploring new forms and processes, while my lineage in performance making continues to inform the work I make, creating moving and challenging relationships in which audience can be active and present.
I live and work in a small coastal town on the Bellarine Peninsula, while raising my two sons.


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This guy was the result of a special request from one of my nieces. Today is her end of year school party and she wanted something special to share with the other kids. The only requirement she gave me was chocolate flavored cupcakes.
Louisa is 10 and super girly girly but I wanted to make a treat that would be fun for both boys and girls.
Digging into my Hello Cupcake book for inspiration was a no brainer. Replicating this alligator made of cupcakes was the perfect surprise.
Please excuse the pictures. After a year of trying to take photos of the most intimate and up close parts of food, it's challenging to snap a proper picture of a real live person let alone an entire alligator. My brain is in permanent macro-mode. Here is a not so pretty aerial shot:
But you get the idea.
Originally the board was covered with gummy strips and strings in brown and green as edible vegetation. I also sprinkled some candy rocks around. But after placing everything, I removed them because they pulled focus from the alligator. The gummies will be stashed in the pantry until the next visit from the
Instead I ground up plain vanilla cookies to make some "sand" to sprinkle around and gave it to my sister in law in a ziplock to style around the alligator when they get to the school. It's real windy here so not a good idea to do it beforehand. Old Swampy wouldn't survive the car transfer intact.
The decorating ideas in Hello Cupcake rely heavily on candy ingredients found in the States so I improvised the claws, eyes and nostrils with fondant.
Even with taking all the extra fondant steps, this project took me way less time than I thought it would. It's surprisingly easy to put together. The instructions in the book are excellent.
However, what I really want to talk about are the cupcakes.
Most kids are not so fond of bittersweet chocolate so I used milk chocolate instead. The cupcakes came out moist and full of flavor but not overpowering. The cake itself is extremely light, a good thing in case the kids decide to start lobbing them at each other. No one will get hurt.
This improvised recipe was a real winner.
- 14 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
- 4 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons baking powder
- 6 tablespoons cocoa
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 7 ounces of crème fraiche
- 2 eggs
- 1+3/4 cups milk
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place liners into cupcake pans.
- In a double boiler, melt the chocolate.
- While the chocolate is melting, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and cocoa. Set aside.
- Beat the butter until creamy.
- Add sugar and combine thoroughly.
- With the mixer on medium speed, slowly pour in the chocolate until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the crème fraiche, eggs and milk.
- With the mixer on medium, alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the chocolate batter until everything is mixed in.
- Load the batter into a disposable pastry bag and fill the liners.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the center of the cupcake.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
The frosting on the alligator is Magnolia Bakery's Vanilla Buttercream found HERE. The recipe says it's for 24 cupcakes but it covered all 30 I made. Granted, there was no high swirling action involved.


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The wind howls at the windowpanes. The sun makes a brief appearance but departs before the workday is over. In the woods, the white-tailed deer huddle together for warmth.
In January, it's easy to believe that spring will never arrive. But some folks, like Master Gardener Rick Judd, disregard the signs of winter around them and already are gearing up for spring.
"I'm making my seed selections now," says Judd, who gardens on a small but prolific plot at his suburban Newark home. "You'd be surprised how early you can plant. By mid-March, I'll be direct seeding onions, scallions, radishes, spinach, beets, peas, kohlrabi, several types of lettuce and more."
Judd will be out in the garden even earlier – usually by the first of March – pulling weeds, raking the soil, and amending with fertilizer so he's ready for planting day.
An avid gardener for more than 20 years, Judd knows that vegetables are divided into two major groups – cool-season and warm-season crops. Cool-season veggies can handle chilly conditions and even frost. In fact, the biggest threat to cool-season crops is warmth. Gardeners must plant these veggies early enough that they reach maturity before temperatures heat up too much. In contrast, warm-season crops, like tomatoes, corn and watermelon, can't be planted until after the last frost. Since the warm-weather growing season is fairly short in Delaware, these veggies are usually transplanted into the garden rather than directly seeded.
Judd realizes that many new gardeners are clueless about these distinctions. They mistakenly think that nothing can be planted until after the risk of frost has passed. More experienced gardeners may understand the difference between cool- and warm-season crops but are tomato or sweet corn snobs. They couldn't be bothered getting out in the garden early to grow watercress, chive, endive and other "little, green things."
Judd hopes to get more gardeners juiced about cool-season crops at a "Grow Your Own Spring Salad" Master Gardener workshop on Jan. 29. He'll reveal his secrets to success, from choosing the right cultivars for local growing conditions to scouting for pests.
He'll also share the surprisingly long list of cool-season vegetables that can be grown. In addition to his staple crops of lettuces, radish, spinach, beets, scallions and onion, Judd says he often plants "several more exotic choices, like arugula or kohlrabi."
Other cool-season vegetables that can be grown in Delaware include beet, bok choi, broccoli, Brussels sprout, cabbage, cardoon, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chard, chicory, fava bean, fennel, kale, pak choi, kai-lan, parsley, peas, Swiss chard, turnip and watercress. Plus, there are a number of perennial cool-season selections, including asparagus, rhubarb and horseradish.
Overwhelmed? No need to be. First, while it may sound obvious, grow the stuff you like, says Judd. If you don't like chard from the supermarket you probably won't like it even when it's grown in your own backyard.
Secondly, "plant stuff that's reasonably easy to grow," says Judd. Leafy greens are probably the easiest cool-season veggies to grow. This includes all types of lettuce, especially leaf lettuces.
The good news is that, in general, cool-season vegetables are some of the easiest plants to grow. "This isn't like growing orchids," notes Judd. "God was good to us in that he made a lot of our foods fairly easy to grow."
Learn More
"Grow Your Own Spring Salad" will be held Jan. 29, 7- 9 p.m., at the New Castle County Cooperative Extension office in Newark. The workshop costs $20. To register, call 831-COOP.
Want to be a Master Gardener?
If you'd like to share your gardening knowledge with others, like Rick Judd does, train to be a Master Gardener. The 2013 training program in New Castle County will be held from March to May on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Applications are available at: http://extension.udel.edu/lawngarden/master-gardener-volunteer-educators/become-a-master-gardener/ or contact Carrie Murphy at 831-2506.
Article by Margo McDonough


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Wallmark's Road to Raleighby Michael Smith / Carolina Hurricanes
|Michael Smith
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Lucas Wallmark, who was one of the youngest-eligible draft prospects in 2013, was the one exception. He was with his parents at their summer home in Sweden.
"I had bad Internet there, so I couldn't follow along," he recalled.
It would have been early evening in Sweden at the time when the Hurricanes made back-to-back picks in the fourth round, calling Wallmark's name 97th overall.
Wallmark's phone buzzed. It was a friend.
"He was following the Draft, and he texted me [when I was picked]," Wallmark, 18, said. "That was really fun."
And that's how he found out he was drafted, away from the pomp and circumstance present in Philadelphia.
"Being with my parents, it was pretty exciting," he said.
Shortly after, he spoke with fellow Swedes Elias Lindholm and Erik Karlsson.
"Elias called me after I was drafted, so I talked with him," he said. "We are good friends, so he just welcomed me."
Just over three weeks later, Wallmark joined the rest of the Canes' 2014 draft class and other 20-some prospects in Raleigh for the team's development camp. While it's not his first time in North America, it is his first time coming to North Carolina.
"It's pretty fun to be here and see how it works," Wallmark, a 6-foot, 176-pound forward, said. "I'm training with a lot of good guys here, so it's fun."
Though he's the lone European in a room full of North American-born players, Wallmark said it hasn't been a challenge to become acclimated.
"I'm really bad at English," he sheepishly said in English that was actually not bad at all. "It's fun to be here."
And, once on the ice, every player speaks the universal language of hockey.
"Exactly. It's cool to be here," he said.
Born on Sept. 5, 1995, 10 days before the cutoff for 2013 NHL Draft eligibility, Wallmark was passed over in New Jersey, despite being ranked 16th among all European skaters by the NHL's Central Scouting Service. He entered this year's draft as the 20th-ranked European skater by the CSS.
"Lucas is a player we liked a lot last year, and he went through the Draft last year as a '95," Director of Amateur Scouting Tony MacDonald said in Philadelphia. "He's got good hockey sense, he's a good skater and he's got good skill. We feel he can continue to grow and develop in Sweden, probably."
Following development camp, Wallmark will join the Swedish national team in Montreal. Last year, he was teammates with Lindholm on the Swede's world junior team, as they captured the silver medal in their home country. Wallmark ranked third on the team in scoring, as he posted eight points (3g, 5a) in seven tournament games.
In 2013-14, Wallmark skated in 41 games for Lulea of the Swedish Hockey League, recording three goals and seven assists, and he will return to the SHL for the 2014-15 season.