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The storm howling out from the Summer Sea, hammering at the walls of Sunspear, had broken without much harm, save the collapse of a hovel or six, and water-loged alleyways. Sunrise showed a clear, crisp sky, wrack upon the stony shore, and a handful of scattered merchant ships from Dorne and the Free Cities—some listing quite badly—that managed to survive the onslaught, avoiding being driven onto the rocks. And day brought something else: a tired raven from King's Landing, a note about its leg.
It should have been glad tidings that came from distant King's Landing, the sort of tidings that would lead to the septons ringing the bells of their septs in the shadow city, to the courtiers celebrating in the shaded courts, to the throwing of a feast. Had not everyone Prince Marence desired of King Baelor come to pass? Did Baelor not finalize the betrothal of his young cousin Prince Daeron to Marence's daughter, Princess Mariah? Did Baelor not undo the lamentable, forced marriage of Joleta Gargalen from a knight of his brother's court? Did Baelor not confirm, again and again, his great desire for peace?
But there were no bells, nor celebrations, nor feasts. The prince's determination for peace was something that many in the court were ambivalent about, and even among the smallfolk the enthusiasim for it was lacking. But Prince Marence rules Dorne, and peace was his desire, and it seemed he had it. The Martells and Targaryens would seal the peace with a marriage when the two royal offspring were of age, and perhaps bring an end to decades of hostility. Most of the lords and ladies of Dorne could accept that, however grudgingly.
Except, of course, for those who couldn't—and that, more than anything, was why the reception of King Baelor's letter lacked any joy. Because, only a little earlier, at the crack of dawn, another raven had arrived before it. And that one told a very different tale indeed: blood and slaughter in the Boneway, after Dornish forces fell upon a large caravan carrying trade goods, and routed it, and went on to chase it into the Marches. Scores of men were killed, and it's said a marcher village was looted and razed before the Dornish fell back with Dondarrion men-at-arms at their heels… only to be led, quite directly, into an ambush. More men died, nearly all of them marchers. This bloody action has been the worst in the Marches since old Lord Manwoody carried out his war from the mountains while much of the rest of Dorne knelt.
Who to blame? The rumor at court is that this was all the doing of Red Rhys of the Scourge, after many weeks of silence from the notorious outlaw and his band. But others think something worse: that it was Lady Yronwood, perhaps providing aid and men to the robber knight, perhaps simply sending her own vassals to do the dark deeds. Her hatred for the northerners and her disdain for Prince Marence have been well known—the problem of the Yronwoods has been the second greatest concern for the Prince, after peace, and it is why the heir to Wyl has been a guest for so long at court as the prince attempts to peel the Wyls away from the Yronwoods to isolate them. If Lord Wyl played apart in this latest atrocity, no one knows… but the silence on the matter may in itself be telling.
And so, the peace is threatend even as King Baelor fulfills the terms of the agreement, and the question on every lip at court is, "What shall Prince Marence do?"


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On March 1, sequestration will go into effect. While the across-the-board budget cuts will target each and every non-exempt program equally, some states in particular will suffer the brunt of the pain because of an economic reliance on defense infrastructure.
Because military personnel are largely exempt for the cuts, most of the military cuts have been shifted to the things that economically stimulate states with defense sites — bases, manufacturing, construction and research and development.
Pew Research's Stateline has done an analysis and figured out the states with the worst economic hits.
These are the top five states hit the hardest by the defense side of the sequestration:
- Virginia — 122,800 jobs lost
- California — 125,800 jobs lost
- Texas — 91,600 jobs lost
- Maryland — 36,200 jobs lost
- Florida — 38,200 jobs lost
Here's a full infographic from Stateline on the economic impacts in the worst-hit five:

subset: commoncrawl


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Community Developments Investments (August 2013)
Lending in Indian Country: Opportunities in Partnerships
Larry Briggs, President and CEO, First National Bank & Trust
There is a misperception among U.S. bankers that doing business in Indian Country is difficult, risky, and unprofitable. We at First National Bank & Trust (FNB) have been doing business in Indian Country for years—profitably and in a safe and sound manner. In this article we would like to share our experiences with fellow bankers in the hope it will encourage them to consider Indian Country as a sound business opportunity.
Founded as the First Oklahoma Bank NA in 1984 and later purchased by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation (CPN), which changed the bank's name, FNB is a 100 percent tribally owned financial institution based in Shawnee, Okla. FNB has approximately $230 million in assets and seven branches: in Shawnee, Holdenville, Lawton, Mangum, and Granite in central and southwestern Oklahoma (see figure 1).
The communities FNB serves are diverse. Mangum, Granite, and Holdenville are primarily rural agricultural communities. Lawton is a U.S. Census Bureau metropolitan statistical area (MSA) that is home to the Army's Fort Sill, known as the artillery capital of the world. It is a diversified city, but the military is the largest employer by far.
Figure 1: FNB Branch Locations in Oklahoma
Source: First National Bank & Trust
Although Shawnee is not part of the Oklahoma City MSA, the two cities are connected by a heavily traveled interstate highway and the commute is about 30 minutes. Shawnee has a large manufacturing base and is the medical and retail hub for thousands of people in the surrounding small communities and rural areas. It also boasts the only Catholic and Southern Baptist universities in the state of Oklahoma.
FNB's customer base varies as widely as the communities it serves. The primary customers of FNB are consumer/retail, small business, agricultural, and professionals and executives.
Oklahoma's Economic Landscape
Oklahoma has been fortunate not to have experienced many of the recent economic and financial challenges faced by a large part of the country. Some of the reasons are as follows:
- The energy business has been stable.
- The state's manufacturing industry has not experienced a major decline.
- Oklahoma did not experience the housing bubble and bust to the degree other parts of the country did.
- A large number of the bankers and regulators in Oklahoma experienced the recession of the 1980s and early 1990s and learned valuable lessons. We made a conscious effort not to repeat the problems experienced during those years.
As stated in the 2012 Greater Oklahoma City Economic Forecast, "although Oklahoma was late going into recession, it emerged from the recession at the same time as the nation." Over the 2007–2010 period, Oklahoma had the eighth-fastest growth in employment as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. After the recession started, Oklahoma's unemployment rate reached a high of 7.2 percent in January of 2010 but has declined steadily since, reporting 5 percent in May 2013.1
Recent employment growth in Oklahoma has greatly exceeded that of the nation, and the Oklahoma City MSA is one of 22 metropolitan areas to gain back more than half the jobs lost between the areas' employment peaks and post-recession low points.
Banking in Oklahoma
For the most part, banks in Oklahoma, including FNB, recorded profits through the recession and recovery. Losses in the loan portfolio were higher than normal but manageable, and banks continued to do reasonably well. There were very few bank failures during and after the recession in Oklahoma, and that trend continues.
The uncertainty surrounding new banking regulations, the state of the economy, the tax system, health care reform, etc., has affected the banking system in general, and Oklahoma banks are no exceptions. In most cases, our loan-to-deposit ratios have decreased, our interest margins continue to fall, and uncertainty is still prevalent among our borrowers and business people.
Our assessment is that until the uncertainty is diminished, our customers and potential customers will be reluctant to expand, borrow, or change business models. Many of our business people are flush with cash and their borrowing needs have diminished because of their liquidity. This is especially the case in the oil and gas industry.
Most of the banks in the state, including FNB, are actively soliciting quality loans. For every quality opportunity, there appear to be 10 to 15 banks chasing that business. Even though the Oklahoma economy is doing well, Oklahoma banks, in line with industry trends, have raised their lending and investment standards, hence eschewing lower-quality loans and investments.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation
Federally recognized since 1938, the CPN is the largest of eight tribes of the Potawatomi language-speaking people. As of September 2011, the nation had 29,788 tribal members, of whom 10,312 resided in Oklahoma.
The CPN has been the largest employer in the city of Shawnee and Pottawatomie County for the last eight years. The 2011 CPN Annual Report indicates that tribal employment totaled 1,922 as of September 2011. During fiscal year 2011, the CPN provided an annual payroll of more than $59.6 million. Additionally, the CPN spent approximately $175.1 million on goods and services. The tribe's impact on the local community and the state continues to increase.
The activities of the CPN vary from medical assistance for senior tribal members, scholarships for financially challenged students, and genealogical and enrollment assistance to tribal families and their members, to sponsorship of recreational, sports, and economic development activities. Major CPN initiatives include housing, health care, child care, employment and training, wellness, and community and family services.
Given that FNB is owned by the CPN, the bank moved cautiously into a lending relationship with the nation. FNB's first foray into business with the CPN was on a grocery store. The majority of the funds to build the grocery store were provided from the CPN's operating income.
FNB was going to take a mortgage on the grocery store real estate as collateral on the loan. Because the property was located on trust land, however, the obstacles the bank faced in securing this collateral were nearly insurmountable. FNB elected instead to make a loan on the equipment in the store.
The bank applied for a guarantee from the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), because the loan amount would be above the bank's lending limit. FNB worked closely with the BIA to obtain that guarantee.
The BIA guarantee reassured FNB's regulators, who were able to observe how the bank and the CPN handled that transaction. We believe that the regulators' comfort level increased dramatically after this experience. They witnessed the bank's knowledge and expertise in this area, and saw that the CPN's financial condition and history of taking care of its finances were excellent.
The loan was a resounding success for FNB and the CPN. In 2011, FireLake Discount Foods produced sales of $53.8 million. The grocery store employs more than 250 people, providing economic benefits to Shawnee and its surrounding communities.
The CPN has been willing to waive sovereign immunity when borrowing money in order to assure the bank that its loan's collateral is adequately secured. Since the first note was made on the supermarket, the bank and the CPN have partnered on several more successful loan opportunities.
Over the years, FNB has developed relationships with other tribes, and today the bank actively seeks business from them as well as their tribal members. There are 39 federally recognized tribes domiciled in Oklahoma, and a large portion of the state population belongs to one of these tribes. Therefore, a large number of our customers are tribal members.
Successful Business Partnerships
FNB business in Indian Country is enhanced by forging partnerships with other financial institutions and community development organizations. One example of such a partnership is FNB's relationship with the Citizen Potawatomi Community Development Corporation (CPCDC).
The CPCDC was created by tribal ordinance in 2003 to provide nontraditional financing and commercial lending resources to Native-owned small businesses and other small commercial entities, as well as to small businesses in rural areas. The mission of the CPCDC is to promote, educate, and inspire the entrepreneurial growth and financial well-being of the CPN tribal community through financial education, access to capital, business development services, and innovative capacity-building practices. The CPCDC is a certified community development financial institution. It is not an affiliate of the bank; however, we work hand in hand with the organization.
When making a loan, the CPCDC usually requires less upfront capital from business owners, allows longer amortization periods and more flexible repayment terms, and employs a more lenient credit analysis. The CPCDC provides technical assistance for the borrower to develop the skills needed to keep a business stable and profitable. The CPCDC also provides loans for startup businesses, which FNB rarely does, and actively partners with the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Central Oklahoma to provide credit consultation and debt management planning.
The CPCDC and FNB have developed a working relationship that has proved beneficial to both. The CPCDC offices are located on the second floor of the bank building. Some of the board members of FNB also serve on the CPCDC board. This has allowed the organizations to familiarize themselves with the products and services offered by each institution to its respective clientele.
This close working relationship has produced successful business ventures. For example, FNB has had the opportunity to sell loan participations to the CPCDC when the bank was faced with lending-limit restrictions or loan concentration issues. FNB was able to refer Native American clients with loan requests that were not considered bankable to the CPCDC. The CPCDC was established to accommodate a different set of criteria for borrowers than the bank's.
By the same token, when the CPCDC is approached with a loan request that appears to be bankable, the agency refers that borrower to the bank. The CPCDC also recommends that clients develop financial services relationships with FNB.
FNB recently sold a loan participation on a medical facility to the CPCDC. This loan was from our Lawton location. The medical facility provides services to Native Americans, members of the military, and the general population. This participation loan transaction allowed the bank to extend its portion of the loan without exceeding its lending limits.
One example of a loan referral from the CPCDC to FNB was a loan request to build a storage facility in Oklahoma City. The bank provided the construction loan as well as the permanent financing. The facility has been a success and is looking to expand in the near future.
From time to time, the bank has sold participations on tribal loans to other banks. It has been necessary for FNB to educate and explain the process and differences of loans made to Native Americans. We believe that the reputation of our ownership, our bank, and our management team has made this an easier process.
Despite the perception that lending to Native American tribes, businesses, or individuals is difficult, we have found that, for the most part, loan requests from Native Americans are not much different from those coming from the population at large. In addition to the five Cs of credit, some of the items that we review when making a decision on whether to make a loan to a tribal entity or individual are as follows:
- Willingness to waive tribal immunity.
- Tribal government stability.
- Thorough review of documents that could affect the loan, such as the tribe's constitution, resolutions, laws, etc.
- Determination of which court system would handle any disagreement.
Good legal counsel can be of help in this endeavor.
We have been extremely pleased with the opportunity to offer banking services to Native American tribes, businesses, and individuals. This type of business is an integral part of our current and future business plan.
It is true that lending in Indian Country can present a few more challenges, but these challenges are manageable. We have found this line of business to be rewarding on several levels. We believe that community banks are missing out on great business prospects if they are not willing to act on these opportunities.
Larry Briggs, President and CEO of First National Bank & Trust, can be contacted at email@example.com.
Community Developments Investments is produced by the OCC's Community Affairs Department. Articles by non-OCC authors represent their own views and not necessarily the OCC's.


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Take this for example: did you know you should be eating within the first hour of waking up? This simple action trains your body to burn fat.
If you are eating later than that, you're doing just the opposite by training your body to store fat.
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text: April 19, 2013 at 6:09 AM Poll: Would you pay higher gas taxes to fund Washington's transportation needs? Posted by Thanh Tan The Washington House Transportation Committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing Friday morning on ways to raise revenue for roads. Lawmakers will consider a gradual 10-cent gas tax increase over the next four years, as well as several local options to help counties pay for regional transportation needs. The proposed ideas deserve thoughtful — and cautious — consideration. Rep. Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island, serves as chairwoman of the House Transportation Committee Weeks after Chairwoman Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island, released a much larger package of ideas that raised plenty of eyebrows, she's scaled down those plans to a few key points outlined in this news report by The Seattle Times' Mike Lindblom. (He uploaded a summary of Clibborn's revised proposal to DocumentCloud.) There's no doubt we need the money to preserve the infrastructure we have and to invest in projects that are critical to our state's economic vitality. Increasing the fuel tax is a viable option, but lawmakers should weigh their decision against the likelihood that any increase will have consequences for someone, whether they be business owners or drivers trying to get to and from work. Extra money at the pump means less money spent elsewhere. At some point, we'll probably have to have a substantive public debate about other revenue options that include the T-word. (Yes — tolling.) More Comments | More in Polls | Topics: gas tax, judy clibborn, roads


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Four Fatal Flaws of a Romantic Hero
on December 3, 2014
by Jassy De Jong My first introduction to romance novels were the piles of old Mills & Boons which could be found in every bookshelf in our house (I have three older sisters). This was in the early 1980s, when romantic heroes were very different from what they are today. As an impressionable pre-teen, my… Read More


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Zero Motorcycles sells exclusively through authorized dealers. For purchase information, please select "ADD TO QUOTE" above or contact a Zero Motorcycles dealer.
Charge a GPS, smart phone or mp3 player using the Zero Motorcycles 12V Accessory Socket Kit. Designed to connect directly to your motorcycle's power port harness, the accessory socket enables you to charge small devices that have a cigarette lighter plug. The accessory outlet is rated up to 10 amps/120 watts. This kit includes the necessary bracket and mounting hardware for installation.
Part Numbers


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Staff writer
Danae Bina, Addie Lackey, Maddi Duerksen, and Taylor Vogt helped Hillsboro score another state volleyball championship last season, and now they're gone, seniors who made their marks and graduated.
The loss of four seniors for many schools would mean a rebuilding year. Hillsboro head coach Sandy Arnold doesn't see it that way for the Trojans.
"I wouldn't call it rebuilding," Arnold said. "We'll have to get people into their roles, but we have talented players returning."
Chief among them are two juniors, outside hitter Alex Ratzlaff and middle blocker Shannon Heiser. They kept their skills sharp during the offseason by playing club volleyball, and Arnold said they wouldn't have any difficulties readjusting to the Trojans' sets.
Senior leadership won't be lacking for the Trojans, with Lakyn Johnson, Emily Jost, Brandi Nowak, Julie Sinclair, Shelley Arnold, and Tara Proffitt all expecting to figure in Arnold's rotation.
The key to a successful season is simple, Arnold said.
"Offense. You hear coaches talk about how defense wins championships, but you've got to be good offensively," she said.
Serving is more than just getting the ball over the net, Arnold said. She drills players on how to serve to different positions on the court. Doing so effectively gives a team offensive control by exploiting weaknesses in an opponent's personnel and alignments.
One other element in Arnold's strategy is passing. The Trojans will work out of both 5-1 and 6-2 offensive sets, and accurate passing ensures hitters will get the ball where they need it in order to score.
Arnold acknowledged this year's team will have to face the pressure that comes from winning three consecutive state championships, two in Class 3A and one in 2A.
"It's going to take a lot of mental toughness," Arnold said. "There's always a target on your back."
Hillsboro will open the season with the Central Kansas League tournament Aug. 30 at Hesston.


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Landscaping in Charlotte, NC
When you think your home's curb appeal needs improvement from Charlotte, NC, landscaping professionals, rest assured that our skilled crew at Buck Landscaping won't let you down. We're eager to begin working on your yard without delay.
Trusted Local Landscaper
Our reliable and honest landscaping company is known throughout the local community for providing our valued clients with quality service with beautiful results. We'll take a detail-oriented approach to the care of your yard each time we visit your home. You can speak with our friendly staff members about our services during our extended business hours six days a week, and some of our services include:
- Landscaping
- Hardscaping
- Mulching
We are thrilled with the level of knowledge and professionalism Nolan showed from the start of our retaining wall project until the very end. We went into this project purely expecting it to be transactional…but ended up with a new friend in Nolan. He is down-to-earth and genuinely worries about how happy you're going to be. That personality and conviction to the size of our project really resonated with us. I would highly recommend Nolan and Buck Landscaping to anyone who is looking for their landscaping needs done right. We can't thank him enough!
Nolan was friendly, helpful, and professional throughout his time working on our project of building a retaining wall and front porch. His sketches were detailed so we knew exactly what to expect and the final product exceeded our expectations. We were very pleased and would highly recommend Buck Landscaping. Nolan treated our project with care and precision and it didn't feel like just another job he had to complete.
We really enjoyed working with Nolan and his team. They were able to begin ahead of schedule which was nice. We appreciate that they kept the work site tidy and we are very pleased with the final product and the quality of their work. We highly recommend choosing Buck Landscaping for your projects!
I recently had a patio installed by Buck Landscaping; and I had an exceptional experience working with Nolan. They were on site and provided an estimate within 1 hour of me contacting them about he project. After the initial estimate, I decided I wanted some changes to the project. Each time I had a question or requested a change Nolan always responded with an updated estimate within 24 hours. After deciding to start, he and his team were very prompt beginning the following week; and, the project was complete within 2 weeks (which included a rain event and a holiday during the work.) Nolan and team were very friendly and professional throughout the entire process. I will hire Buck Landscaping for any future projects, and would recommend that anyone considering a project consider this team.
My wife and I retained Buck Landscaping for a retaining wall project, largely due to the great reviews that he has received. His vision to transform our backyard's eyesore of a hill to a beautifully landscaped oasis turned out way better than we could have imagined. His work ethic, flexibility, and creativity was phenomenal. We were especially appreciative of the team's hard work and efforts to do what they could to ensure that we were happy. My family and I are so thrilled to finally have a beautiful and functional backyard for cookouts and family gatherings, and for the kids to enjoy for years to come. Thank you so much Nolan!
Nolan Buck, owner of Buck Landscaping, was very responsive to our needs. We went over our desires, made a plan, and revised along the way. He also was willing to add some jobs not on his initial list. He picked quality flowers, knowledgeably placing them for impact and growth. He would be my first choice to call for landscape work. The only negative was his work force. He was having problems getting good people, so he was ending up doing a lot of work himself. Hopefully this problem will be rectified soon.
Mr. Buck did an amazing job on my yard and retaining wall. I'd definitely would recommend his work!
Our experience with Buck Landscaping was flawless, creative and professional. Nolan Buck added his creativity, flexibility and can-do attitude to our backyard project. We spent a good amount of time in the planning phase and this really paid off. We love our outdoor space he created for us. We value the investment of time, energy and materials, so we have retained Buck Landscaping to maintain our yard with the customized monthly service. We feel that we got very special attention from Nolan and his team. I recommend this company without hesitation.
I highly recommend Nolan - he has done several projects for us and all were completed very professionally with excellent workmanship. He is dependable, responsive, and goes the extra mile. He also takes care of our weekly maintenance - never misses a week and leaves our property looking great!
Buck Landscaping is consistently bringing tremendous value to the Charlotte market place. Their customer service and attention to detail is impeccable. I am the owner of a lawn care business in the Charlotte area and Mr. Buck w/ Buck Landscaping has been a tremendous help to my business and my clients on larger jobs that we have teamed up on collectively. I am constantly amazed at Mr. Buck's work ethic and drive to please his customers. You couldn't ask for a better Landscaping company or a nicer, more down to earth guy to do business with.
Buck gave me more than I could dream of in regards to my front yard raised garden bed and water feature. He is always on time, fairly priced, and his quality is outstanding.
Nolan is great, got everything completed quickly and it looks great. Highly recommend!
I was very pleased with my retaining wall; it made a huge difference making our yard look natural and organized, all at the same time. Buck was creative, reliable, hardworking and timely throughout the whole project. My wife and I were incredibly happy with the results and would recommend Buck Landscaping to anyone!
Buck Landscaping has completed two projects for me and both turned out excellent! Nolan and his crew are on time, take pride in their work, have reasonable rates and listens to your visions to enhance it beyond expectations. If you are searching for a landscraping company, this is the company to go with!
High quality service
Nolan was wonderful to work with and the finished product is just what we were hoping for. He was able to come to our house and provide an estimate within two days of my inquiry, scheduled the job within two weeks, was knowledgeable, reasonably priced, responsive and great to communicate with, and did terrific work. I highly recommend Nolan and his team!
High quality, professional, timely, affordable.
Mr. Buck and his company came to the rescue after a previous landscaper left my yard in terrible condition. I have spent my entire Saturday staring at and in awe of the work done. If you need a landscaper, call Nolan Buck!
Great Staff, Professional Installation and Service
We hired Buck Landscaping to install a patio. The staff was very friendly and professional. I was provided a quote on site and needed to ask a few questions and make some revisions in the weeks leading up to the project. I was always contacted and provided with a revised quote within 24 hours. Work began within 4 business days of deciding to hire Buck Landscaping and was completed within 2 weeks of the start; and, there was a holiday and a weather event during the project. The staff was great to work with; very friendly and professional. I was kept informed of the progress at all times and we received a beautiful product. We have received many compliments on the patio that Buck Landscaping installed; and, I have already requested that two of my neighbors consider them for a project. Before making a decision, please consider Buck Landscaping on your next project.
Great company....great job .Thanks
A great company from start to finish. Nolan and his wife took ideas down on paper and finish my project great. Nolan and his work crew were diligent and very hard workers. The project was completed on time and beautifully done. I have already asked Buck landscape company to come next spring for another project I have planed. Great job and Thanks You. Tony
Excellent Plans, Excellent Work
We had an excellent experience with Buck Landscaping - Nolan. First of all, after notifying him of our interest via email, Nolan got back to us the next day. He said he would meet with us the day after that and he was there and at the time he said. I don't know about you, but meeting dates and times is not what I have experience with others. We told him a little of what we had in mind and the type of "look" we wanted. He walked the prospective landscaping project with us and told us he would have a plan for us to review and go over with him the following week. Again, right on time. The Plan was very specific. All the different types of plants were noted, as well as, the number of plants which would be required at each section. He also had the dollar amount for each specific item which was requested; landscaping, lighting, irrigation, mulch, etc., broken out and easy to follow. When we were satisfied with the costs and the plan, he was ready to schedule us - 3 to 4 days of work. Nolan was able to move us up on the schedule based on the type of weather we were having. Basically, 2 weeks earlier than planned. Nolan and Team came out on the date planned and worked very conscientiously and very professionally - they worked the landscape as if it was theirs. Nolan kept us informed of the progress and provided us updates on any changes. Nolan also let us know if trade-offs had to be made and why. Also, Nolan was very flexible as we would add or delete to what he was doing or was planned. Nolan was easy to reach and very open to questions and providing recommendations. Overall, an excellent experience and we are extremely pleased with the work - the yard and landscaping look great! It is a pleasure writing this review - we highly recommend Nolan and his company! Thank you.
Fire Pit and Lawn Maintenance
My wife and I met with Nolan Buck, owner of Buck Landscaping. We just wanted a simple fire pit and walk path in our back yard. He listened to what we wanted and a week later he came back with a beautifully designed landscape and sitting area. His vision transformed our difficult backyard into a peaceful retreat. He and his crew are so friendly and they left the yard clean each evening. He also installed an irrigation system in our yard and took care of all permits. And he takes care of our lawn weekly maintenance. When I call or text him, he always calls back in within 24 hrs. I highly recommend Buck Landscaping!
Great work
Great work and fair prices. Nolan seemed to always go the extra mile to ensure you received what you expected. Over 2 years of great work.
Excellent service!
Always a great job...and on time. My lawn was a mess, and being a single mom...it's tough to maintain myself. Buck Landscaping has been such a HUGE stress relief. I just can't handle my huge yard all on my own. I actually tried 3 other companies before finding Buck, and I will never switch again. I'm crossing my fingers they never leave my area...or go out of business!! My lawn is looking so good! And they are reasonable in their pricing. I also appreciate their quick responses, and that they use PayPal. It's so much more convenient.
Quality work and plants
Nolan Buck, owner of Buck Landscaping, was very responsive to our needs. We went over our desires, made a plan, and revised along the way. He also was willing to add some jobs not on his initial list. He picked quality flowers, knowledgeably placing them for impact and growth. He would be my first choice to call for landscape work. The only negative was his work force. He was having problems getting good people, so he was ending up doing a lot of work himself. Hopefully this problem will be rectified soon.
Small Retaining Wall
Buck Landscaping is an excellent company to do business with! Nolan and his crew were on time, did great work and took my vision and really enhanced it beyond my expections! I plan on having him back to do some more work for me in the future!
Love my new backyard!
I have to say that Nolan and his crew at Buck Landscaping are very professional and hard working. Nolan is a talented landscaper with great ideas that look good on paper but great when completed. He listened to what I was wanting for our yard, and put his professional touch to make it perfect! We are having him back in the fall to do some more work on our patio area. Thank you so much for making our backyard beautiful and worth sitting out and admiring!
Looks great after one year
I'm never expecting a "yard of the year" just a pretty..organized yard with little to no work to be done other than what I choose to do...Nolan has helped me get there..I'm sure the 2nd year will be even better than the first.
Excellent care and service of our yard-
Nolan Buck does a great job on our properties - he is attentive and responsive. He recently upgraded the landscaping in a section of our yard and he did an excellent job!
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Arcing Across the Big Sioux
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Cameron Meyer Solos to Australian Criterium National TitleThu 10 Jan 2013
Cameron Meyer put his well-honed time trial skills on display in the elite men's criterium at the Mars Cycling Australia Road National Championships. The Western Australian established an early solo lead after countering a move made by his brother Travis Meyer and managed to hold off the field for 26 laps en route to his third elite national title – his first in the criterium.
"It's another special win," said Cameron. "Obviously to win any Australian championship is special. I'm a little surprised as the criterium is not my forte. I'm definitely thought of more as a time trialist or road racer, but I went out there today and showed I have good form. We had some good tactics from the start, but we didn't have to use them today."
Those tactics included using the Meyer brothers to soften up the field ahead of a potential sprint finish.
"We wanted to make the race as hard as possible," said Sport Director Matt Wilson. "The Meyers are going really well, and the plan was to have them animate the race to make things as difficult as possible. Their attacks would impact the lead-outs for other teams and leave Leigh [Howard] fresh for the sprint. As it turned out, they made it so hard that they destroyed the field and Cam was able to ride away."
Travis launched the first move and gained a ten second advantage. He was brought back before the first intermediate sprint, and his catch prompted Cameron's attack several laps later.
"Travis went in the first couple laps," explained Cameron. "Four or five laps after he went, I took my turn. I never thought it was the race winning move. I went out to the front and hoped some other riders might come across. It's hard to stay away for that long. No one came, so I just kept going. Still no one came, and I kept going some more. Eventually, I had to commit myself."
Cameron admits that he didn't allow himself to consider the win within reach until the final five laps.
"I've been in the situation before," he noted. "Many times, it comes back and you get caught. It looks good but you get nowhere. I thought that's what would happen today as the gap held around 20 seconds. Further into the race, Matt Wilson was standing on the side and yelling at me to keep going. With ten laps left, he told me the field was cracking. That's when I started to think I had a chance. Not until four or five laps to go did I think I could win."
With Cameron up the road, the rest of the ORICA-GreenEDGE team began to think about the lesser places.
"Travis attacked with one lap to go, and it looked like he had a pretty good gap to hold on for second," said Wilson. "The bunch swallowed him up just before the line. Leigh went for it in the sprint, but [Steele] Von Hoff managed to pip him on the line. Leigh managed third in the end."
With two hugely successful days behind them, the team looks forward to Sunday's road race.
"We've won two titles now," said Cameron. "We're looking to add the big one on Sunday and make it three for three."


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The entire list
Miracles of the Quran
Adnan Oktar: The greatest thing to do is to establish the Turkish-European Union. I mean, to take the leadership of all the Islamic countries, and to take the leadership of all the Turkish cities since all the Turkish cities are mostly consisting of Muslims. But, For Turkey to become the elderly brother at the same time, in order to protect the interests of Armania, and to strive for them to become richer, in addition to that to protect the interests of Israel, to bring tranquility into Palastine, to bring peace to the whole region, and to fulfill the role of an elderly brother in every aspects. This is the most urgent task which is also very crucial for the European Union. It is a great blessing and luxury for the European Union to be saved from teror itself, and the fear of it. First of all, the Turkish-Islamic Union can provide this perfectly, no doupt about it. All the pains and clutters can come to an end. Turkish States can start a great civilization movement as good as Europe, even better. Because the Turkish countries are potentially very rich. Very prosperous geographical region. However, they can not be orginezed very well. For example, in Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan there are some places with great potantial. The meaning of the Union of these is the greatest civilization of the world.
We send our hands to Gaza which was left alone


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March 17, 2011
LOS ANGELES -- UCLA Anderson School of Management Professor David Lewin and MIT Sloan School of Management Professor Thomas Kochan have released a paper this week that compares the compensation of public-sector employees with that of private sector workers. The paper, entitled "Getting It Right: Empirical Evidence and Policy Implications from Research on Public-Sector Unionism and Collective Bargaining," proposes "grand bargains" to address state budget problems, provide better services to the general public and treat employees fairly. The paper includes research contributions from various Employment Policy Researcher Network professors.
"Our research says unequivocally that public-sector workers accept a lower total wage and benefit package than their private-sector counterparts," said lead author David Lewin, who has deep research experience with public-sector collective bargaining, including a classic paper on New York City municipal labor negotiations. The tradeoff is that public-sector jobs are more secure, and health and pension benefits are generally greater than in the private sector.
Rutgers University Professor Jeffrey Keefe's research showed that nationally public-sector employees had 11.5 percent lower pay than their comparably educated private-sector counterparts. When health and pension benefits are included, public-sector employees still earned 3.7 percent less than those in the private sector. (See: http://www.employmentpolicy.org/topic/402/research/are-wisconsin-public-employees-over-compensated.)
University of Illinois Professor Craig Olson found that between 1995 and 2009, private-sector employees in Wisconsin saw their pay rise by an average of 10 percent (not including fringe benefits but accounting for inflation). During the same time period, the Wisconsin public school teacher pay declined by an average of 10 percent. (See: http://www.employmentpolicy.org/topic/402/op-ed/battle-over-public-sector-collective-bargaining-wisconsin-and-elsewhere.)
Public-sector union-management relations have changed notably, according to Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, dean of the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. "Dispute-resolution procedures, such as fact-finding, mediation and arbitration have proven themselves as alternatives to strikes and served as a foundation for the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) movement in society," said Cutcher-Gershenfeld. He goes on to say that given states' budget problems, negotiations present opportunities for public employers and employees to work together in ways that provide better, more efficient service to the public while also recognizing and respecting employee rights.
Two major issues facing state and local governments are rising health care and pension costs. These issues need to be addressed state-by-state on a coalition bargaining, problem-solving basis. New-style collective bargaining provides an ideal venue for tackling these issues, when approached by management and labor as a mutually beneficial process, Cutcher-Gershenfeld said.
Professor Kochan said he and the other researchers envision a three-step state-by-state process to come to terms with budget deficits while still respecting public-employee rights:
- Do an evidence-based analysis of wages, benefit costs and funding arrangements for state employees.
- Use the findings for state public-sector summit meetings to clarify and define the issues and problems that need immediate attention. Use problem-solving tools such as interest-based negotiations and mediation/arbitration to agree on statewide "Grand Bargains" that addresses the most critical budget problems and is fair to both taxpayers and employees.
- Charge a broadly representative group to carry out evidence-based analysis to modernize public-sector collective-bargaining practices.
"We need nothing less than a transformation of labor-management relationships in the public sector," Kochan says. "Public employees want to do a good job and provide service at a high level, and they deserve to have good jobs and effective work systems."
According to Professor Lewin, "citizens have a right to expect accountability and high performance from public employees and those who manage them."
The EPRN was formed in 2010 under the auspices of the Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA) with grants from the Rockefeller and Russell Sage Foundations. EPRN presently has 120 affiliated researchers in economics, law, sociology, psychology, and labor-management relations. Founded in 1947, the LERA is a national not-for-profit, non-partisan organization whose members are drawn from the ranks of academia, management, labor and "neutrals."
About UCLA Anderson School of Management
Celebrating 75 years of Business Beyond Usual, UCLA Anderson School of Management is regarded among the leading business schools in the world. UCLA Anderson faculty members are globally renowned for their teaching excellence and research in advancing management thinking. Each year, UCLA Anderson provides a distinctive approach to management education to more than 1,800 students enrolled in its MBA, Fully-Employed MBA, Executive MBA, UCLA-NUS Global Executive MBA, Master of Financial Engineering, doctoral and executive education programs. Combining highly selective admissions, varied and innovative learning programs, and a world-wide network of 37,000 alumni, UCLA Anderson develops and prepares global leaders.


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Distraught Oscar Pistorius could face charge of 'premeditated murder'
Oscar Pistorius "sobbed uncontrollably" at a South African court hearing on Friday morning as prosecutors made clear their intention to claim the track superstar killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in a premeditated murder.
According to numerous news outlets, Pistorius, who could spend the rest of his life in prison, wept and shook visibly for much of his appearance in a Pretoria magistrates court, where chief magistrate Desmond Nair postponed until Tuesday the process that will decide what charges the 26-year-old will face.
That means Pistorius will spend the weekend behind bars, although he will be kept – at his own request – at a Brooklyn police station in Pretoria rather than a local prison as would be the norm in murder cases.
On Tuesday, arguments will be heard as to the severity of the murder charge he will face, as well as submissions regarding his application for bail.
The Associated Press reported that Pistorius' family and management released a statement Friday from London that said, "The alleged murder is disputed in the strongest terms." The statement went on to say that Pistorius "would like to send his deepest sympathies to the family of Reeva."
Numerous eyewitnesses at the court told how Pistorius was unable to control his emotions even before the proceedings began and he had to be consoled by his father Henke and brother Carl while deliberations took place.
"He broke down several times," South African journalist Barry Bateman said in a report to a Cape Town radio station. "He couldn't control his emotions. Most of the time had his head down. You could see him clench his jaw. He would collapse into his hands sobbing and it was audible, he was gasping. When he fell down his father would lean forward and put his hand on his back."
The shooting of Steenkamp in the early hours of Thursday morning has caused a media frenzy in South Africa, with Friday morning's Beeld newspaper claiming that the aspiring television personality and model had been shot through the bathroom door of Pistorius' luxury home in the Silver Lakes gated complex, and that police and security had been called to the property earlier in the evening following a disturbance.
[Related: Nike pulls chilling Pistorius ad]
In the hours immediately following the shooting it was originally reported that a police captain had insisted the shooting was an accident and that Pistorius had mistakenly believed Steenkamp, 29, was an intruder. According to the Associated Press, police initially stated Steenkamp is 30 and have not yet explained the discrepancy.
The Associated Press also reported that police said an autopsy on Steenkamp's body had been conducted but that no results or details would be published.
The runner kept a 9mm pistol, a machine gun, a baseball bat and a cricket bat in his bedroom as a means of personal protection due to South Africa's high crime and violence rates, according to an eyewitness account from British writer Jonathan McEvoy.
Pistorius, known as the Blade Runner and the first double amputee to compete in both the Olympic and Paralympics, enjoyed a popularity in his homeland that bordered on cult status and the story of his career – winning a legal battle against international athletics authorities to be allowed to run against able-bodied opponents – ensured Courtroom C was packed with spectators and media representatives.
Pistorius left Boschkop police station Friday morning in a 10-strong police convoy accompanied by his sister Aimee and his lawyer. Wearing a gray suit, he used a dark charcoal jacket to cover his head as he arrived at the court at 9 a.m. local time but had to wait nearly two hours for his case to be called.
[Also: Oscar Pistorius' girlfriend known for brains and beauty]
Several companies pulled commercials and advertisements featuring Pistorius. Billboards with his likeness were taken down as this case totally overshadowed coverage of the previous evening's state of the union address by President Jacob Zuma.
Before the case was heard Friday morning, a court official asked members of Pistorius' family to provide money so that the runner could purchase a toasted sandwich.
Once inside the court, though, Pistorius was "clearly traumatized," according to his legal counsel and almost collapsed to his knees when prosecutor Gerrie Nel uttered the phrase "premeditated murder."
Pistorius appeared to take some comfort from the presence of his family, but when they rushed toward him at the conclusion of the hearing he was led away by an official, off to an immediate future that involves a cell and his own thoughts, while speculation on a tragedy that has become a national media circus rages on.
More news from the Yahoo Sports Minute:
Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
• How much stock should you put in reports of RG3's return?
• Curt Schilling talks Red Sox pain-killer scandal
• LeBron's shadow eclipsing Michael Jordan?


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Sure, everyone knew who Tua Tagovailoa was coming into the year, but he has already exceeded expectations in his first two collegiate starts. Who else has been a pleasant surprise for the nation's top teams? From top-ranked recruits to under-the-radar gems, these 25 players have broken out in a big way so far in 2018.
No. 1 Alabama: QB Tua Tagovailoa
Welcome to the Heisman Trophy race, Tua Tagovailoa. Oh, and welcome to life as a starting quarterback. Those two things seemed to happen simultaneously for the lefty from Hawai'i as he began the season as the starter against Louisville and then won the job outright last week. The former championship game hero has thrown six touchdowns and no interceptions and completed 71.4 percent of his passes this season. -- Alex Scarborough
No. 2 Clemson: QB Trevor Lawrence
He's still not the starter, but it's hard to argue that anyone has created more buzz at Clemson through two games than Lawrence. He threw three touchdowns in his debut against Furman, then tossed a bomb to Tee Higgins on his first pass against Texas A&M. Higgins corralled the throw and ran for a 64-yard TD. Lawrence will continue to see action and continue to excite fans, even if Kelly Bryant has the starting gig locked down for the time being. -- David M. Hale
No. 3 Georgia: WR Mecole Hardman
Hardman -- not Cal transfer Demetris Robertson -- has become the breakout receiver the Bulldogs have been looking for. The 5-foot-11 junior's production actually extends to the end of last season, though, when he caught an 80-yard touchdown in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. This season, he started off strong with a 59-yard touchdown in the opener against Austin Peay, and then against division rival South Carolina, he pulled in a team-high six receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown. -- Scarborough
No. 4 Ohio State: QB Dwayne Haskins
Haskins has stepped in as the starter for the Buckeyes and has not looked back since taking over. Haskins has thrown for 546 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception in two games so far this season. He is the first Ohio State quarterback to throw for at least four touchdowns in the first two games of the season and looks to be getting more and more comfortable within this offense. -- Tom VanHaaren
No. 5 Oklahoma: LB Curtis Bolton
Going into the season, the Sooners had penciled in former blue-chip recruit Caleb Kelly in at Will linebacker. Bolton had other ideas. A fifth-year senior who had spent the majority of his career on special teams, Bolton stunningly unseated Kelly for the starting job during the preseason. Then in his first career start, he recorded six tackles and scored a touchdown off a blocked punt to earn Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. He followed that up last weekend against UCLA with eight tackles and 1.5 sacks. The Sooners have been much sharper defensively so far this season. Bolton has been a big reason why. -- Jake Trotter
No. 6 Wisconsin: WR A.J. Taylor
The Badgers have a few new faces on this team, and safety Scott Nelson very likely could be the pick as breakout player, but Taylor has made the most out of his first two games so far. Taylor had a career day against New Mexico, hauling in five passes for 134 yards and one touchdown in the 45-14 win. In two games this season, Taylor almost has half the amount of receiving yards he had in 2017. -- VanHaaren
No. 7 Auburn: DL Big Kat Bryant
He already has one of the best nicknames in college football. But now Bryant -- you might remember him as Markaviest, but he's now Big Kat on the official Auburn roster -- is looking like a playmaker in his second year on the Plains. The former four-star prospect already has a pair of sacks, adding yet another pass-rusher to an already loaded front seven. -- Scarborough
No. 8 Notre Dame: WR Jafar Armstrong
The converted wide receiver is off to a good start in his new hybrid role as a starting running back and pass-catcher. Armstrong scored twice in Notre Dame's opening win against Michigan and started off last week's game against Ball State with another touchdown. Head coach Brian Kelly said Armstrong remains a work in progress while learning a new spot for an Irish team that is short on depth in the backfield, but a physical running style and lots of versatility give the redshirt freshman a high ceiling. -- Dan Murphy
No. 9 Stanford: TE Colby Parkinson
After making 10 catches as a freshman, Parkinson appears in line for a bigger role this season. Through two games, he has made five catches -- including two of Stanford's five receiving touchdowns -- and should be one of the beneficiaries as opposing defenses key in even more heavily on running back Bryce Love. At 6-foot-7, he's the type of big body that coach David Shaw loves to target in the red zone. -- Kyle Bonagura
No. 10 Washington: WR Aaron Fuller
Fuller saw regular playing time during each of the past two seasons, but didn't have a real breakout performance until this year's season opener against Auburn when he caught seven passes for 135 yards. Through two games, his 13 catches are half as many as he caught all of last season, and he's already within 82 yards of his season yardage total from a year ago (291). Coming into the season, it was clear QB Jake Browning needed a receiver to step up, and Fuller appears to be that guy. -- Bonagura
No. 11 Penn State: WR K.J. Hamler
Hamler, who spent his first year in Happy Valley recovering from a knee injury, described himself and roommate Miles Sanders as "the new faces" of Penn State's offense. Those faces were smiling this week after they helped post 51 points in a blowout at Pittsburgh. Hamler gives the Nittany Lions the explosive play potential that has been a central part of their offensive resurgence in the past couple of years. He's averaging 31.25 yards per return and a highlight per game on kickoff returns to go along with his three offensive touchdowns fueled by speed. -- Murphy
No. 12 LSU: RB Nick Brossette
The Tigers needed someone to step up and fill the void left by Derrius Guice, and Brossette has answered the challenge. Brossette, who didn't even have a collegiate touchdown to his name before this season, was a big part of the Tigers' season-opening win over Miami, rushing for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Currently, he's fourth in the SEC, averaging 131 rushing yards per game. -- Sam Khan Jr.
No. 13 Virginia Tech: DB Caleb Farley
The biggest concern entering the year for the Hokies was the secondary, but the redshirt freshman has provided an emphatic answer thus far. Virginia Tech lost three corners to the NFL during the offseason, and transfer Jeremy Webb suffered a season-ending injury over the summer. That left the Hokies scrambling, but Farley -- who was recruited at corner, switched to receiver, then switched back -- offered a solution. In the opener against FSU, he picked off two passes and recorded a sack and a QB hurry, giving the Hokies a new playmaker on the back end of the defense. -- Hale
No. 14 West Virginia: NT Kenny Bigelow
Bigelow is making the most of his second chance with football while solidifying West Virginia's defensive line. Once a blue-chip recruit who originally signed with USC, Bigelow temporarily retired last November after a series of knee injuries. But instead of giving up football, he transferred to West Virginia, where he's re-emerged as a force up the middle. Bigelow set the tone for this season, blowing up a Tennessee passing attempt on the first play of the year. Run defense has been an Achilles' heel for West Virginia since joining the Big 12. If Bigelow can help shore that up, West Virginia could be a legitimate threat for the league crown. -- Trotter
No. 15 TCU: DT Corey Bethley
Stepping in for preseason All-Big 12 defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury during the preseason, Bethley has been a disrupter for the Horned Frogs. Through two games, Bethley has four tackles for loss and three sacks. Even without Blacklock, TCU's defensive line has remained imposing. Bethley has been a big part of that. He'll be a huge key for the Horned Frogs this weekend against Ohio State. -- Trotter
No. 16 Mississippi State: RB Kylin Hill
There might be a new feature back in Starkville. Hill had a career day in a Week 2 win at Kansas State, rushing for 211 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 carries. Hill, a sophomore, leads the SEC in yards per carry (a whopping 10.04) and has a team-high 26 carries thus far while Aeris Williams, the Bulldogs' leading rusher in 2017, has just two. -- Khan
No. 17 Boise State: WR Sean Modster
Modster emerged as a key playmaker in the first two weeks. Coming into the season, Modster had never recorded a 100-yard receiving game in his career, but that changed in Week 1 when he put together a seven-catch, 167-yard, two-touchdown performance in a win over Troy. His 241 receiving yards for the season puts him in the top 15 nationally thus far, and he's less than 100 yards from exceeding his previous career high for receiving yards in a season (335 in 2017). -- Khan
No. 18 UCF: WR Tre Nixon
McKenzie Milton has a new target downfield in Ole Miss transfer Nixon, who opened his UCF career with five catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns in a win over UConn. He followed that with a solid day against South Carolina State and is one of three UCF receivers with over 100 yards on the season already. -- Hale
No. 19 Michigan: DB Ambry Thomas
Thomas was the lone bright spot in Michigan's game against Notre Dame, returning a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Thomas is one of the fastest players on the team, and while he had been designated for special teams and defense initially, he also was worked in to the offense against Western Michigan in the second game. Thomas was named the Big Ten co-special teams player of the week after the Notre Dame game and could find himself seeing more snaps on offense. -- VanHaaren
No. 20 Oregon: OT Penei Sewell
Before Sewell started in the season opener at left tackle for the Ducks, the program had not started a true freshman on the offensive line in nearly two decades. The top-ranked player in Utah coming out of the Class of 2018, Sewell has so far surpassed the high expectations he arrived with. -- Bonagura
No. 21 Miami: DT Gerald Willis III
There weren't a ton of positives from an opening-week loss to LSU, but Miami did find an emerging star in defensive tackle Gerald Willis. The former Florida Gator recorded four tackles for loss, a QB hurry and a pass breakup. Before the season, Mark Richt pointed to the defensive tackle spot as his biggest concern. Willis has ensured there's at least one strong solution there. -- Hale
No. 22 USC: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
If he's not already USC's best receiver, the true freshman isn't far off. He caught seven passes for 98 yards and a touchdown in his debut, during which the chemistry he has built with quarterback JT Daniels since middle school was on display. He didn't see the field as much as he should have in the Trojans' humbling loss to Stanford on Saturday, but that doesn't change how bright St. Brown's future is at USC. -- Bonagura
No. 23 Arizona State: LB Merlin Robertson
In just his second college game, Robertson finished with nine tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a pass breakup as Arizona State upset Michigan State at home. The game earned Robertson the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week award. He had a much quieter game in the opener, but did register one tackle for loss against UTSA. -- Bonagura
No. 24 Oklahoma State: WR Tylan Wallace
The Cowboys were in need of a new go-to receiver with Biletnikoff Award winner James Washington now in the NFL. So far, sophomore Tylan Wallace has answered that call in Washington's spot. Saturday, Wallace finished with 10 receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown, his second of the season. The Cowboys quietly lead the country in total offense, although they've played against two overmatched opponents. Wallace and the Oklahoma State offense will face its first real test this weekend against Boise State and its battled-tested defense. -- Trotter
No. 25 Michigan State: WR Cody White
Perhaps it's not a huge surprise, given the way he finished his rookie season, that White has established himself as a reliable and dangerous option for quarterback Brian Lewerke. His 14 catches, two touchdowns and 183 receiving yards are all team highs after two games. White brings something different to the table than veteran receivers Felton Davis (size) and Darrell Stewart (speed). For an offense that has traditionally relied on one standout receiver under coach Mark Dantonio, this trio will give the Spartans a lot of options on offense. -- Murphy


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The ICD-10 workgroup Identifies activities, risks, solutions and education associated with the assessment, planning and implementation of the ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS medical code sets (ICD-10) for business operations, infrastructure and applications which would include both clinical and administrative areas as applicable.
The workgroup's goal is to become a key source for ideas, education, and implementation information for stakeholders and develop work products and programs to assist stakeholders in assessment, planning and implementation of the ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS medical code sets.
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text: It may be time for conventional phone service to start hanging up their hats because VoIP is fast becoming a revolution. And to make that point in bold letters, IBM and Siemens have joined forces to offer Internet phone service right from Lotus Notes and Domino business software. So you'll soon be able to launch VoIP phone calls and conferences with one click from your email, Web conferencing or instant messaging sessions. Look for this easy and classic telephony crippling technology around summertime.


text:
2012 Edition of Look What My Secret Santa sent me...
- Gary C(ghcstr)United States
I run this list as a central location to let your Secret Santa know when your (hopefully much appreciated) gift has arrived.
Use this list to record what your Secret Santa sent you and remember to include any comments such as thanks that you want to give your Secret Santa. When you post on this list, you may want to make a note on your profile with a link to your entry so your Secret Santa can easily locate your confirmation of delivery and your reaction. That way your Secret Santa can look to see if you received your gift and you can post any comments you may have about the gift here and you can reply without the identity of your Secret Santa ever having to be released!
Please only make an entry when you actually receive the present! This assists those of us who read the list regularly as recipients are adding their gifts in a chronological order. No placeholder entries, please.
I find it very handy to put a link on your profile page so your Secret Santa knows where you have posted the feedback so s/he doesn't have to sort through 2000 entries to find yours quickly.
To see all previous years' editions of this list and to give the new Secret Santa participants an idea of how this works, look at these links:
"2011 List"
"2010 List"
"2009 List"
"2008 List"
"2007 List"
"2006 List"
Further helpful hints:
IMPORTANT - When you get your gift(s), take the time to "Add Item" to this GeekList rather than place a comment at the bottom of the list. This helps the statisticians out there.
A good example of how to make an entry containing multiple gifts is located at: this entry.
Making an actual entry will also make it easier for your Secret Santa to locate your Item.
If you would like to taunt your "target" while maintaining your secret identity, you can do so using the Santa logon. Just log yourself off and close any BGG windows (if you don't you take the chance of being discovered if the new username doesn't take) and log on using this info:
Username: santa
Password: password
I hope you have a terrific holiday season and enjoy the list!
- Posted Sun Nov 11, 2012 9:34 pm
- [+] Dice rolls


text:
A new doctor and a new knee
When Karen Coughlin of South Boston began having trouble walking and enjoying her garden, she knew it was time to pursue a knee replacement.
"The pain just got so bad. It got to the point where I was tired of hurting, tired of taking medication to control the pain, and just tired of dealing with it," says Karen. "There had to be a better way."
She knew she wanted to have her knee replaced by Mesfin Shibeshi, D.O., because of his care and concern, even when she wasn't the patient.
"I recently had a shoulder replacement, and I came along with my husband who had an appointment with Dr. Shibeshi shortly after. He asked me how my shoulder was doing," says Karen. "That kind of consideration for someone who wasn't his patient is what made me want to come to him for my knee replacement."
The right decision
Karen had a successful total knee replacement with Dr. Shibeshi and completed the Sentara OrthoJoint Center program.
"I am able to get out and walk and work in my yard. My stamina is through the roof," says Karen. "I have even come out of retirement and am now working again. There is just a huge difference in the way that I feel each day.


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I never thought it would come to this, but I think listening to too much soft rock music in my lifetime has begun to hurt my writing career.
First, I innocently mentioned a song by Dan Fogelberg in my Dec. 20 column. A couple of days after I wrote it, but before the paper came out, I learned Fogelberg, singer-songwriter of "Same Old Lang Syne" and "Leader of the Band" from the 1970s and early 1980s, had died of prostate cancer. My timing has never been worse.
Sorry, Dan. Rest in peace.
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Syllabus needed for Chess merit badge class (summer camp)
Tom, I moved Main:Tom B (which no longer exists) to Talk:Chess#Syllabus needed for Chess merit badge class (summer_camp). —RWSmith (Bureaucrat), 13:04, March 12, 2012 (EDT)


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A man goes to the police station wanting to speak to the burglar who broke into his house the night before.
"You'll get your chance in court" says the desk sergeant.
"No, no, no!" Says the man. "I want to know how he got into the house without waking my wife. I've been trying to do that for years!"


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Sardina 23
Via della Repubblica, Pietra Ligure (sv), Liguria, Italy
Property Ref:
Yes (max 1)
Description of Sardina 23These comfortable apartments in a holiday resort with 28 dwelling units are located in Pietra Ligure, about 200 metres from the wide sandy beaches between Riviera del Palme and Riviera del Fiori. The apartments are in a cosy location, close to shops and restaurants. Lifts, swimming pool, bike room and a play room for children are available. All the apartments have a living room with sofa bed, bedrooms with double bed (with additional single bed or bunk bed) and a bathroom. From the living room, you can access the terrace overlooking the sea, the pool or the beautiful Borgo Verezzi. This residence is ideal for families and offers an Olympic swimming pool (with lifeguard), play equipment for children, bike room (you can also take the bicycles on the terrace) and bike rentals. This location is not just ideal for visiting the beautiful beaches of Riviera Del Fiori, but also to try the longest cycling trail of Europe (25 km) that connects Sanremo with San Lorenzo al Mare (50 km). Do visit the monument of whales in Bergeggi (26 km) as well as Borgio Verezzi with its caves and one of the most beautiful old towns of Italy (2.9 km). Other tourist destinations are Triora, the village of witches (96 km away), the sophisticated city of Alassio with its typical Budelli (26 km), the ancient maritime town of Noli (17 km), Varigotti with its beautiful old town of Saracen (15 km) and Capo Noli, a historical battle site, where the battle of Admiral Nelson was fought. Additionally, Savona with its wonderful tourist harbour is located 38.4 km away from here. Trips to enjoy climbing in Toirano on Placca dell'artista (variable length between 25 and 30 metres) are available for the guests. To reach the cliffs, you need to pass through the forlorn caves with artworks of the famous mountaineer Mahler Nebiolo. Enjoy scenic climbing in Capo Noli, where the trails start a few metres above sea level. Wonderful mountain biking tours are organised for residents, for instance, to the old Via del Ferro (Iron Road), from where you can enjoy a breath-taking, beautiful panoramic view downhill. Another highlight is the mountain biking competition called 24 ore di Finale (about 40 km). Visit the caves Fate (fairy caves), which is a very important spot because of its archaeological finds. For sailors, there is an option to take a tour to the island of Gallinara, where you can snorkel in the clearest waters. For people who love canyoneering, trekking and fit walking, a visit to the park of Beigua is recommended. This park is a part of UNESCO's world heritage along with Rio Lerca and Prialunga in the group of Beigua or Rio di Santa Lucia in Valley of Arroscia. Art lovers must visit Genoa (79 km) and its famous old town with palaces. Cooking classes (Ligurian specialities such as pesto) or cake designing classes can be arranged on the spot on request. Parking is available on request at a cost of 7 Euros per day in summer. Air conditioning is optional and chargeable and must be paid on site. The pictures provide a good example. Also take a look at the holiday homes, ILL524-ILL551.
Features of Sardina 23
Updating Calendar
For information about rates or to make a booking.
Location details for Sardina 23
(Map marker is an approximate location, precise location provided upon booking)
(All distances and times are approximations)
Liguria home.Other locations within the Liguria area:


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Health Safety & Environmental (HSE)
Matrix Service Company's ultimate success is measured on our ability to continuously improve our broad range of services while protecting our people, facilities and the environment. It is our responsibility, as a company, leadership team, and employees, to not only ensure the health and safety of our employees but to safeguard the communities and environments in which we live and operate. For us, it's more than policies and procedures; it's a way of life. This commitment extends from the top of our organization to every employee. We are all accountable in everything we do. Its personal.
Our HSE commitment is a winning proposition for all of our stakeholders – our employees, our customers and our investors.
Excellence at Matrix Service Company is measured by our success in:
- Sustaining a culture that encourages personal responsibility for HSE and a belief that all accidents are preventable
- Caring about the health and wellbeing of our employees and co-workers
- Setting positive examples as a responsible corporate citizen in the communities in which we live and work
- Promoting sustainability by adopting "reduce, reuse and recycle" principles while minimizing our environmental footprint


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In her nearly three years as chief executive of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Dawn Hudson has earned her share of praise and criticism. On Tuesday night, the board of governors is expected to consider renewing her deal, which expires in June.
Since she joined the academy in 2011, Hudson has attempted a difficult high-wire act, opening the group to change without losing the support of a 51-member board devoted to preserving its historically prestigious image.
Hudson has played a key role in the development of the academy's new museum and pressed for more diversity among its membership and staff. But she has also faced disapproval over her spending and her willingness to dip into areas that previous administrators hadn't attempted to influence, such as the invitation of new members.
In her position, Hudson oversees the day-to-day operations of the academy, an organization that had $180.1 million in revenue in 2013, more than 50% of which (or $93.7 million) came from its Oscar telecast.
Hudson declined to speak to The Times on the eve of the vote, and a spokeswoman for the academy said, "We don't comment on our board meetings, which are closed, confidential sessions."
In a February interview with The Times alongside academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Hudson was upbeat about her tenure, saying the group was quicker to evolve than she had anticipated.
"What has surprised me is how nimble this academy has been," Hudson said earlier this year. "We have two new branches, a new museum. This board in three years committed to this museum after 20 years of talking around it. So they committed to this $300-million capital campaign. Committed to a member engagement beginning with online voting. It is a big organization and we guard those traditions very closely but, at the same time, it's been willing to take risks to keep the academy relevant, contemporary and moving forward in a very considered and very responsible way."
Under the leadership of Boone Isaacs, the board could opt to renew Hudson's contract while also making changes to it. They could splinter off some of her responsibilities, such as oversight of the new museum, for instance.
Construction on the 290,000-square-foot museum, designed by architects Renzo Piano and Zoltan Pali, is scheduled to start later this year on the Los Angeles County Museum of Art campus. The academy has named Kerry Brougher, a veteran art museum curator who has worked at L.A.'s Museum of Contemporary Art, as its director and is aiming to open in 2017.
There are some cues that the board is aiming for consistency in its governance — after this year's Oscar telecast had the highest ratings in 10 years, the academy rehired producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan to helm the show for a third time.
The board of governors includes representatives from all 17 branches, including such high-profile members as Tom Hanks and Annette Bening, director Kathryn Bigelow and Sony Pictures Entertainment chief Amy Pascal, as well as lesser known veterans of the film trade, including costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis, sound mixer Scott Millan and film editor Michael Tronick.
Hudson has supporters and detractors among the group, some of whom credit her with pushing the academy to make necessary shifts, while others have bristled at her forward style.
Hudson, 57, a native of Hot Springs, Ark., received her bachelor's degree from Harvard and did graduate work in political science at the Institut des Etudes Politiques in Grenoble, France, and at Washington University in St. Louis. Before joining the academy, Hudson ran Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival.
When she stepped into the newly created chief executive role at the academy, Hudson replaced retiring Executive Director Bruce Davis, who had worked there for 30 years, more than 20 of them in that position.


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Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries News
US Forest Service Decision to Prohibit Deer Hunting with Dogs on Kisatchie National Forest Upheld by Federal District Court Ruling
Dec. 4, 2013 — The US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana has ruled that the US Forest Service acted properly in their ban of hunting deer with dogs in the Kisatchie National Forest (KNF).
The Nov. 27 decision upholds a ban proposed by the Forest Service in 2009 that was delayed for further study and legal action by the Louisiana Sportsmen Alliance, LLC.
Earlier this year, the 2013-2014 hunting season dates and regulations on KNF were approved by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. A deer hunting with dogs season was not included for KNF. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will revisit the issue in the event the decision is appealed and the ruling is reversed or revised.
The court's decision included the plaintiff's arguments and the court's findings on behalf of the Forest Service on multiple points, stating among other considerations:
- The agency sufficiently analyzed the historical and social needs of and impact on the local community.
- The agency properly considered the economic consequences of the decision on the community and did not capriciously disregard the financial impact.
- The court finds there was a proper deliberation of competing recreational activities.
- The decision to ban dog-deer hunting is narrowly tailored to balance the need to mitigate conflicts in KNF with other recreational users as well as the need to allow participation in a diverse range of recreational activities.
To view the full court ruling, visit http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/deer/seasons and open the PDF file under Documents.
For 2013-2014 hunting season details, visit the Forest Service's website at www.fs.usda.gov/kisatchie or the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries website at http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov.
For additional information contact Bo Boehringer at 225-765-5115 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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LOS ANGELES – California beachgoers enjoyed another summer of clean water, according to an annual study released Tuesday.
An estimated 92 percent of the 447 beaches along the state's coast that were tested for bacterial pollution from Memorial Day through Labor Day appeared clean, according to Heal the Bay.
The Santa Monica-based environmental organization, which oversees the "Beach Report Card," studied levels of bacteria found in water samples taken by local agencies from Humboldt County on the north coast to the Mexico border.
The situation is also looking up for some of the state's most polluted beaches. All the sites tested in the port city of Long Beach appeared clean, and the city of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island is expected to spend $5 million to repair a deteriorating sewer system that has been contributing to high pollution levels.
Meanwhile, legislators approved a bill that would replace funding for water testing that was cut in 2008 due to the budget crisis. Since that time, many coastal communities relied on local general funds or volunteers for reduced testing. The state water board had provided funding through 2011, but there was no secured state funding for next year.
The bill, which is awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown's signature, would funnel permit fees collected by the state water board to fund beach water quality monitoring.
Mark Gold, president of Heal the Bay, called the funding critical to safeguard the public health of millions of ocean users statewide.
Most bacterial contamination occurs during winter, when heavy rains overload storm drains and sewage systems, washing waste into the sea. Swimming in such pollution can cause gastrointestinal, respiratory and other illnesses.


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Rozel, Kansas EF-4 Tornado
Canadian, Texas Tornado, May 27, 2015
Canadian, Texas tornado-producing storm, May 27, 2015
Canadian, Texas Tornadoes, May 27, 2015
Canadian, Texas tornado, May 27, 2015
Tornado east of Forest City, Iowa, June 9, 2018
Tornado producing storm north of Clear Lake, Iowa, June 9, 2018
The back side of a tornado-warned storm looking east from north of Mead, Nebraska, June 11, 2018
A severe-warned thunderstorm near Perella, North Dakota, June 14, 2018
A severe-warned thunderstorm near Hesnault, North Dakota, June 14, 2018
A truck drives towards an ominous severe thunderstorm in Minnesota.
A severe thunderstorm nearMilo, Oklahoma, April 29, 2016
Iowa Tornado Warned Storm
In May, 2012 I was in Sioux City, Iowa, trying to get north and east as a severe storm fired up. Unfortunately, I was stuck in a Friday afternoon traffic jam so I missed the tornado, but I did eventually get on the storm and shot this picture. More of the story here: http://controlgeek.net/2012/5/5/more-chasing-in-nebraska-and-iowa.html
A severe thunderstorm in Texas


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Andrew Walsh
As CEO Andrew Walsh is the driving force behind IRESS. He is also the original founder of XPLAN Technology after having worked as an actuarial consultant. Andrew's been at the helm since 2009, previously spending seven years as Head of IRESS Wealth Management. Outside work Andrew is an avid cyclist and enjoys spending time with his family. He is also a keen photographer and one of his exciting experiences was photographing pro surfers in Hawaii at Pipeline. Andrew has recently been named as a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards.


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Great Partner, Poor Fund
Fund: Teuza Management & Development
Posted by Anonymous on 2014-06-11
My company was scouted by one of the junior partners, Yakir, who was very interested and showed great involvement and zeal for our particular field of work. He setup a meeting between us and more senior members of the board who pulled a last minute no-show.
A few days later came the message that our industry is out side the fund's field of interest.
All in all, Yakir, whom we actually meet, was great. Insightful and to the point. Teuza the company however, were far less impressive.PRIVATE: Members Only


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- Home
- Our Company
- Support
- Marine
- Heavy Duty
LCD TVs require special care when it's time to clean the screen. With these simple to follow tips, your TV will always look brand new
No matter where you have your JENSEN stereo, cleaing it is easy. Without the need for harsh chemicals and cleaning agents, you can always keep your stereo in great condition whether on your boat, RV, or tractor.


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Commercial, Military, Products, Public Service, Regulatory, Training
By By Lt. Col. Steve Colby | December 1, 2006
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SEARCH AND RESCUE IS A DIFFICULT mission that is complicated by the fact that we generally operate in reactive mode to emergencies and disasters. You're probably wondering what an unmanned aerial system has to do with SAR. Unmanned systems are a force multiplier for SAR, period, and here's how.
Historically a survivor's probability of survival (Ps) diminishes over time, and quickly. Recovery within the first hour of injury or isolation provides the greatest survivor viability. An unmanned system helps by giving rescue-mission managers and rescue crews unprecedented capabilities that improve recovery times by providing persistent situational awareness, remarkable sensor arrays, radio relay, real-time video feeds of the pick-up area, laser designation for survivor location or communications.
Many types of unmanned systems provide this persistent coverage, but for this article we'll focus on the MQ-1 Predator.
The Predator's ability to loiter for long periods of time provides rescue forces with persistent and sometimes overlapping surveillance coverage. During Hurricane Katrina, for example, Predators were used to help locate survivors on rooftops using forward-looking infrared (flir) and electro-optical (EO) sensors and pass those coordinates back to the operations center. When confronted with a mass disaster, planners must remember to request this support because it's still not a fluent term in rescue-planning vernacular. The MQ-1's relatively slow cruise speeds (80 kt ground speed) mean that moving it to more distant isolated-personnel locations from its planned orbit can consume significant time.
The MQ-1 has demonstrated that it can provide remarkable on-orbit radio-relay capability, enabling communications that otherwise are restricted to line of sight. The ability of an unmanned system to find, fix and forward survivor locations and disseminate that data quickly to rescue forces speeds recovery operations by tying the sensor to the recovery platform. Accurate and timely location and condition reporting, allows rescue crews to rapidly evaluate terrain and weather in mission planning for the recovery.
Once the Predator locates the survivor, it can be maneuvered to an orbit to survey the area for the survivor. During Katrina, FEMA developed rooftop signals to minimize duplicated search efforts. Those signals can rapidly be scanned by unmanned-system operators. Survivor coordinates can be confirmed, refined, and passed to the operations center or directly to rescue helicopters through data links or voice transmission. These are duties customarily associated with initial on-scene command. I say that if the platform has the comm, fuel, and location/ID capability, it should be the initial on-scene command. The MQ-1 has the unique connectivity to allow parallel processing of data via line-of-sight radio comm from the aircraft to other support aircraft in the immediate vicinity, allowing hand off of on-scene command as those support aircraft arrive. It also has the ability to push data from the ground station to key decision-makers in the operations center through Internet chat connectivity and other links.
The communication suite in the Predator allows comm on UHF, VHF-AM and VHF-FM. While direct comm with personnel below it is accomplished via the UHF, VHF or FM radios, the video and communication link back to the Predator ground station is via Ku-band satellite link. When working with military missions, the Predator can forward Quickdraw (audible data burst over voice radios) survivor location and condition data to arriving recovery helicopters, speeding into action those forces by minimizing coordinate transposition errors induced with voice comm.
The sensor array in the MQ-1 provides remarkably clear, magnified, digitally-scanned flir images that are available in eight different fields of view (magnification) and seven views in EO low-light TV. In certain configurations, synthetic aperture radar is installed. These high-tech imaging packages provide MQ-1 crews and others with direct video-feed capability. As rescue/recovery aircraft approach, the Predator can survey potentially suitable landing areas and inform rescue crews of the landing zone nearest the survivor. Recovery vehicles equipped to receive streaming video can display this stream directly, further building their situational awareness.
First-responder planners must add this military capability to their bag of tricks when requesting military support for civilian rescue operations. All services employ unmanned systems in one form or another. Development of the rescue-operations plan should include contacting the services directly for information about unmanned system bases, locations, capabilities and support-request processes. That information should be kept updated with periodic reviews.
I hope this quick tutorial gives readers a picture of unmanned systems' capabilities in loiter, connectivity, sensors, and video feeds and how they can aid survivor recovery by speeding into action recovery forces and increase survivor viability.


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Eliot Spitzer argues that originalist opposition to the individual mandate in President Obama's Affordable Care Act is wrong because the founders passed individual mandates just like ACA's. But Spitzer's argument is wrong because the mandates he points to are fundamentally different from ACA's.
First, let's look at the argument that Spitzer thinks that he refutes. Everyone agrees that the Constitution gives Congress certain and limited powers. ("Everyone" includes the Solicitor General, who argued the case in the Supreme Court for Obama.) Among Congress's powers is the power to "regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes." ACA's opponents say this grant of power does not let Congress force us to engage in commerce. Instead, this grant only lets Congress regulate us after we choose to engage in commerce. By forcing us to enter commerce—that is, to pay for health care before we seek it—Congress exceeded its powers.
Spitzer says that early historical evidence shows that the Constitution couldn't have meant that. Let's look at his evidence. Spitzer points to three mandates passed by early Congresses and says that they prove that members of the founding generation didn't think that mandates exceeded Congress's power. He writes
• In 1790, a Congress including 20 Founders passed a law requiring that ship owners buy medical insurance for their seamen. Washington signed it into law.
• In 1792, another law signed by Washington required that all able-bodied men buy a firearm. (So much for the argument that Congress can't force us to participate in commerce.)
• And in 1798, a Congress with five framers passed a law requiring that all seamen buy hospital insurance for themselves. Adams signed this legislation.
He thinks that the passage of these laws means that "the Founders and the Congress of the time were willing to force all of us to participate in a particular act of commence and were comfortable requiring both the owner of a business and the individual employee to buy insurance in order to assure that health costs would be covered at a societal level" (emphases added). He takes it too far, though.
His examples show that Congress understood that it had the authority to address the health of individuals engaged in international or interstate commerce, and to regulate the military and the militia. But it's too strong to argue that laws forcing seamen, ship owners, or even able-bodied men to purchase things in commerce activity mean Congress could force everyone to purchase things in commerce.
Let's deal with each of his examples. First, the seamen (shh—stop tittering, silly immature folk). A seaman, by definition, has already chosen to engage in international or inter-state commerce: he's working on a ship, the very instrument of international or interstate commerce. Congress can regulate his activities so long as its laws are "necessary and proper" to execute the commerce power. But the second the seaman quit the crew, he was free to purchase or refuse insurance however he liked.
Second, the ship owner. That's the same as the seaman. The ship is an instrument of international or interstate commerce: Congress can regulate it if its laws are "necessary and proper" to executing the commerce power. (It's another question whether the ship owner would have to purchase insurance if he were only operating in intrastate commerce. I think he wouldn't have to, but some might disagree, citing a 1942 Supreme Court case called Wickard v. Fillburn.)
Third, the able-bodied men. That looks different from the ship and crew examples. But that's because that law relies on other congressional powers: the power to "raise and support armies" and the navy, and to "provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia." So Congress can require all able-bodied men to buy firearms to be ready to serve in militias or in the military, and it can even force people to join the military in a draft. But that's for war purposes. Not commercial purposes.
So Spitzer's examples fall through. He should know better. At least Einer Elhauge, who Spitzer relies on, acknowledges that these examples are open to debate. But Elhauge's argument is more refined: he acknowledges that the ship and crew laws applied to people who already chose to engage in commerce. He thinks that the health care market was so far removed from shipping that the insurance mandates effectively forced ship owners and seamen to participate in new markets. Elhauge also argues that the fact that the gun-purchase law arose under the militia power is immaterial: his point is that purchase mandates were approved by early Congresses.
And you know what, I'll give him that last point. But these laws either applied to people who were already in commerce, or under an entirely different authority. There are no examples of Congress forcing everyone to purchase something under the commerce power. And the gun purchase requirement is simply too far removed from ACA because it's under the militia power. I'd like to see the Congress that forced everyone to buy health insurance as part of the war effort.
In another post, I'll take issue with Spitzer another issue: he argues that the five conservative justices on the Supreme Court are wrong to interpret the Constitution according to some supposed "original intent." His arguments against original intent are right, but they miss the mark, because today serious originalists swear fidelity to the Constitution's original meaning, not the founder's intent. And that, friends, is a distinction with a a lot of difference.