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These are all the News & Announcements posted in October, 2008.
Monday, 27
Updates to e-Library
Today we introduced updates to e-Library, our online catalog. Some of the changes you'll notice include:
Posted By Logan Library at 2:18 PM / Category:Website
Thursday, 23
Drawings and Floor Plans for New Library Building
Artists renderings and floor plans for a potential new Logan Library were released at the City Council meeting on October 21. You can a look at these drawings on our New Library webpage. The floor plans show a two story building with a mezzanine. The redesigned city block includes retail space and a parking structure in addition to a new library. Take a look and see what you think.
Posted By Logan Library at 5:31 PM / Category:New Logan Library
Tuesday, 21
American Decades Online
The Logan Library is now offering online access to American Decades. American Decades contains information about the culture, prominent people, and events from four decades of the twentieth century. The information in American Decades comes from four sets of reference books.
Posted By Logan Library at 12:04 PM / Category:Online Research
The Latest News!
Oct 16, 2018
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Dan Balz's Take
Shaky Economy May Dislodge Obama's Footing
By Dan Balz
Nothing may be more important to public assessments of President Obama's leadership than the state of the economy and at this point there are political warning lights flashing.
In light of the latest unemployment figures, there are more persistent questions coming at the administration. Did Obama and his team get it right last winter when they put together their $787 billion stimulus package or did they undershoot? If they did make a mistake, what should they do now?
The administration is trying to dampen down talk that they didn't get it quite right. Vice President Biden opened the door to questions on Sunday, telling ABC's George Stephanopoulos, "We and everyone else misread the economy." But he insisted that the stimulus applied "is the right package given the circumstances we're in."
Obama, in Moscow, tried to modulate the impact of the vice president's words that the administration had somehow miscalculated. "No, no, no, no, no," he told NBC's Chuck Todd. "Rather than say misread, we had incomplete information." To ABC's Jake Tapper, he said, "There's nothing that we would have done differently. We needed a stimulus and we needed a substantial stimulus."
What both Obama and Biden were trying to explain away was the dissonance between their early assurances that the big stimulus package would hold the unemployment rate to around 8 percent with Thursday's report showing it at 9.5 percent. The jobless rate is expected to rise further in the months to come, with some economists projecting that it will go above 10 percent for the first time since 1982.
It is hard to square an assessment that the administration underestimated the severity of the recession and the assertion that the White House wouldn't have done anything different had it known how bad things really were. At the time, there were some economists who warned that even a package as big as $800 billion was not enough to deal with the severity of the economy's collapse.
One reason the president and others may have confidence in their stimulus package is that so little of the money has actually been spent. That is not necessarily by design--administration officials said at the time of passage that money would flow quickly. Now, the fact that it hasn't provides some hope to these officials that when it does arrive its impact will be felt. "The second hundred days you're going to see a lot more jobs created," Biden insisted on Sunday.
Biden said it was premature to decide whether a second stimulus package is needed, as some economists have suggested. Earlier this spring, administration officials were convinced they couldn't get another package through Congress even if needed.
Obama was equivocal on the question of whether there is something more to do, saying that is something "that we wrestle with constantly." But he added that there were legitimate concerns about the size of the deficit all the current spending will create. "In the midterm and long term we're going to have to get control of that," he said on ABC.
Concerns about whether the stimulus package is or will work are the last thing Obama needed at this moment. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has set the administration's calendar to focus all energies this month on the legislative battle over health care. Questions about the economy, about the need for more stimulus, would only complicate hopes for passing what other presidents have failed to get done.
Obama continues to argue that health care reform is a critical piece of his plan to fix the economy, long term. But there are even some Democrats outside the administration who worry that Obama and his team may have taken their eye off the economy, that they are not sufficiently vigilant in making sure that they produce the job growth they have promised since January.
So far, Obama hasn't been blamed for the overall state of the economy, which he repeatedly reminds people is something he inherited from his predecessor. But there continue to be indications of slackening confidence in his remedies.
A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll recorded a noticeable decline in the percentage of people who said they believed the stimulus package had or would work--and that was before the unemployment rate rose again. That poll also found that rising optimism about the direction of the country had hit a plateau--or even begun to slip.
On Tuesday came another, perhaps more troublesome, signal of disenchantment with the president's policies, in a survey of attitudes in the state of Ohio by Quinnipiac University. In the past two months, Obama's overall approval rating dropped from 62 percent to 49 percent. His economic approval rating also fell, from 57 percent to 46 percent (to 48 percent who said they now disapprove).
Earlier this year, when the president's approval ratings dropped, it was largely because of a falloff among Republicans. In the poll of Ohioans, Republican approval of Obama dropped only a bit. More significant was the sharp decline among independents and even a modest drop among Democrats.
Obama's economic approval rating among independents plummeted between May and July, falling from 51 percent to 33 percent. His overall approval among these critically important voters dropped from 59 percent to 38 percent.
The poll of Ohioans also found that men in particular have soured dramatically on the president's leadership, with majorities saying they disapprove of his overall leadership and his handling of the economy.
Ohio is just one state--admittedly a politically sensitive state--and the Quinnipiac poll is just one survey. Much more will be needed to fill out the picture of Obama's presidency. But the shifts are big enough to warrant attention from the president's political and economic advisers.
Administration officials may be right in believing that the stimulus package will kick into higher gear during the remainder of this year and that no further action may be needed. But getting the economy right remains the most important challenge facing the Obama administration.
Posted at 1:09 PM ET on Jul 7, 2009
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If Obama underestimated the economic downturn that hardly makes him responsible for its severity. That responsibility is on the Bush clan. Following the logic of blame posted here, I suppose the Repubs would have accepted a larger stimulus had the estimates indicated? I think not. This blame game is a pathetic projection onto Obama for the sins of the 8 year reign of the Bushster. I would rather see Obama struggle to correct the economic disaster than endure the fabricated war in IRAQ that got us here in the first place!
Posted by: gregp1 | July 7, 2009 11:54 PM
I'd put the fire out.
Posted by: JohnQuimby | July 7, 2009 9:58 PM
Unemployment will continue to escalate
Obama is about to surrender the US Dollar as the World reserve Currency at the G8 in Rome, Geithner already publicly announced the surrender at the CFR
Stimulus Obama is just earmarks on steroids
Obama attacks business--who hire most Americans with inane taxes and regulations
and Socialism FAILS every time it has been tried.
OBAMA--Socialism, Sloth, Surrender
Posted by: JaxMax | July 7, 2009 9:05 PM
Administration officials may be right in believing that the stimulus package will kick into higher gear during the remainder of this year and that no further action may be needed. But getting the economy right remains the most important challenge facing the Obama administration.
Anyone with an ounce of intelligence will tell you that stimulus bill was nothing but hogwash - it had ZERO to do with jobs - 100% to do with bigger gov't which will just feed the corruption.
If it was about jobs, why does most of the money get spent in 2011? Because that's right before the next election - people's memories are short they are counting on keeping everyone in misery for 2 years to SAVE THE DAY RIGHT BEFORE THE NEXT ELECTION - WHICH WILL BE FRESH IN EVERYONE MINDS HOW OBAMA SAVED THEM.
Posted by: debmries | July 7, 2009 9:01 PM
After the '92 election Bill Clinton stated that he would not raise taxes on the middle tax. Lo and Behold, after he was sworn in he and his minions stated: "We did not realize how bad an economy we have inherited." Sound familiar? Clinton implemented the largest tax increase, so far, in history. Watch Obamarama do the same. Trouble with Clinton's "exageration" was that the country was coming out of the short recession and rebounded. He (Clinton) did have the grace to admit, some time later, that he made a mistake. Obama never makes mistakes - after all, he is "The Messiah" leading us upward while he deliberately wrecks our economy so that he can make us all drone of his "Utopia." Shades of Saul Alinsky.
Posted by: marine2211 | July 7, 2009 8:55 PM
Individualism is fine. It's the collective strength and direction of the country that worries me. I agree with the President when he says that we simply can't stand pat.
Posted by: JohnQuimby | July 7, 2009 7:17 PM
So in the words of my father - if he jumped into a fire would you follow him?
Posted by: debmries | July 7, 2009 8:53 PM
Of course he got it wrong. Everything about his plan is bad for jobs and the economy. Doesn't anyone remember the 400 point drop in DJIA the day he was elected?
Business owners, Corporations and most Americans know socialism has never worked, overspending doesn't work, big gov't doesn't work.
All his plans have been tried before and everytime failed.
What works? Our original constitution - the best document ever written. We need to get rid of this congress and get the wish of WE THE PEOPLE back in power.
They work for us. We don't work to pay for Congress and this administrations overspending and inflated egos.
Posted by: debmries | July 7, 2009 8:51 PM
Okay here's where the stinky Rethugklans are...
Three months ago a poll was taking, asking the American People "How long did they think the economy will stay in a reccession?
Having said that, you can try all those old projective pseudo "psych"....
But the American People are nobody's fool (not anymore Thanks to George Bush, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney).
Obama Administration - has been saying since we started on this down spiral..."It will get worse before it gets better"
Bush and Co. with their ditatorship administration broke so many damn rules and I hope soon the Obama Administration or the DOJ start making these creeps accountable for taking all our taxpayers money and poured it into a mis-leading war, Hallibuton and Blackwater...
Posted by: danson1 | July 7, 2009 8:13 PM
The first Stimulus bill was nothing other than a huge bill of pork. Oh sure, the Pelosi mouse probably has a new "sustainable eco-environment, low carbon" habitat. You remember crap like that in there (if your a democrat of course you don't-no one in your party read the thing) What about all the jobs saved? Oh, wait there is no agency in our government that tracks any metric on jobs saved. BECAUSE there is no metic on jobs saved! Cheesh, Dear Leader. Another silly Obamination lie. But, as mentioned earlier all the political hacks and the far left minions are slopping at the trough. Their payout has been or is being delivered....check out all the new desks and computers at your local ACORN hole!
Posted by: 65apr | July 7, 2009 8:03 PM
Maybe MZ has a point. Even if the numbers are sketchy. My problem with this take though, is that it still aims to restore a system that's broke without addressing anything that might move the whole country forward toward anything higher.
Individualism is fine. It's the collective strength and direction of the country that worries me. I agree with the President when he says that we simply can't stand pat.
Posted by: JohnQuimby | July 7, 2009 7:17 PM
Another, really - really bad day for the DEMOCRUDS.
Posted by: hclark1 | July 7, 2009 7:10 PM
You're not really trying, are you? I read that same post verbatim in the comment section of an article about Sarah Palin. I'm so disappointed in you; I expected a much better rant.
Posted by: Ken_Davis1 | July 7, 2009 6:39 PM
The Great One will realize soon that the so-called middle class is going to be hit with a so-called middle class tax boost....even without messing around with the health care thingy, whatever that eventually turns out to be.
Uncle Sam will be fighting with the States over who wields the hammer first on the taxpaying public. Second in line won't be a pretty picture.
Posted by: bandcyuk | July 7, 2009 6:15 PM
mzbond, your calculation is way off as far as the amount of money that could go to an individual or family if you divided the stimulus up.
The US population is over 300 million. So how much of the stimulus could you give to one person?
And why tax-free? Other entities receiving the stimulus might be paying taxes.
Posted by: dnfree | July 7, 2009 5:58 PM
Don't look to China for a recue from this deepening recession. It's not up to the challenge.
The world still waits on the American consumer.
Posted by: JamesRaider | July 7, 2009 5:46 PM
This is wonderful. President Obama and the Democrats in Congress used the original "Stimulus Bill" to buy all kinds of things (most of which were unknown as no-one in Congress read the bill); none of which was apparently for infrastructure. I believe the original lie by the President that investment in infrastructure was the purpose of the Stimulus. It is now obvious he lied. The administration is now claiming it was not enough and that we need to invest in infrastructure. Lie to me twice and shame on me.
It is obvious this President has not a clue other than paying off political debts to his corrupt supporters. This will go down as the great theft in history and this administration will ruin this country's economic place in the world.
Congratulations, President Obama.
Posted by: hkimcraig | July 7, 2009 5:44 PM
The Obama Economics Plan bailed out the wrong enities. Obama, as weird as it may seem and not keeping with normal accounting practices, but this would have worked - give each American family, regardless of how many people in the family - one to ???) $200,000 to $300,000 (tax free) to pay off their debts. The banks would have been in less financial difficulty if their borrowers paid them off. It would have save thousands from foreclosure proceedings. The list goes on and on.
Posted by: mzbond | July 7, 2009 5:40 PM
citi_street lives with Micheal Jackson in Neverland if citi believes that the economy, stock market, and jobs have stabilized.
I know a huge local employer that will soon file Chap 11.
Posted by: jdcw | July 7, 2009 5:32 PM
The Obama administration has been in office for less than six months! The economic issues had years in the making therefore it's highly unlikely that it will turn around in six months. The financial markets have stabilized with the stocks bottoming out at an average of 8,300 points.
Jobs are a lagging indicator and should start showing signs of recovery in the first quarter of 2010 before the November elections.
Posted by: Citi_Street | July 7, 2009 5:22 PM
It's pretty clear that unemployed Republicans have nothing better to do than write nasty comments about Obama. Let's see, if only THEY had stayed in office everything could have been solved by another tax cut for the rich.......
Posted by: bill21 | July 7, 2009 4:50 PM
Very true bill21 other than the unemployed republican part. We are all still working supporting the democrat socialist party members like you. The tax cut for the wealthy is exactly what is needed. Low and middle class people like you just don't have the money to get the economy going. Glad you brought it up.
Posted by: charlietuna6661 | July 7, 2009 5:20 PM
If you have "incomplete information" you would be a complete buffoon to start spouting off to the nation.
Obama, in Moscow, tried to modulate the impact of the vice president's words that the administration had somehow miscalculated. "No, no, no, no, no," he told NBC's Chuck Todd. "Rather than say misread, we had incomplete information."
Posted by: Tupac_Goldstein | July 7, 2009 5:17 PM
Written by Obama] .. "As a beneficiary of the excellence of Kapi'olani Medical Center – the place of my birth – I am pleased to add my voice to your chorus of supporters." ==================== HOWEVER, the hospital spokeswoman, Kristy Watanabe says she is not confirming or denying ANYTHING about whether obama was or was ont born at that hospital!!! THAT'S REALLY FUNNY. can you imagine ANY hospital that wont BRAG about being the birthplace of a PRESIDENT???????????????????? this gets more hilarious by the week!
Posted by: charlietuna6661 | July 7, 2009 5:16 PM
Uh Oh, Barry better get back home and schedule a love fest tour of the White House with NBC or a staged "Town Hall" meeting with his naive cult members....
Tuesday, July 07, 2009:
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 33% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-six percent (36%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of –3. Those figures reflect the highest level of strong disapproval measured to date and the lowest level recorded for the overall Approval Index.
Posted by: ChangeWhat | July 7, 2009 5:07 PM
Pelosi needs to be replaced, NOW. I think she is screwing up the whole dammm country with her outrageous non-sense.
Posted by: mzbond | July 7, 2009 5:04 PM
And, what this moron doesn't understand is that, even though Americans don't want to borrow more money, they are proposing to borrow MORE money.
What a massive disappointment.
Posted by: SwellLevel5 | July 7, 2009 5:02 PM
It's pretty clear that unemployed Republicans have nothing better to do than write nasty comments about Obama. Let's see, if only THEY had stayed in office everything could have been solved by another tax cut for the rich.......
Posted by: bill21 | July 7, 2009 4:50 PM
One question...With the MASSIVE spending on everything, and the MASSIVE taxes that have been either levied or proposed, just when does the economy become Obama's problem and not just a Bush inheritance?
Posted by: bcullum | July 7, 2009 4:47 PM
It's not the "shaky economy" that's going to dislodge Obozzo's footing.
It's the FACT that he has not made a single correct assessment or resulting decision since he became POTUS combined with the FACT he has revwersed his position on virtually every major thrust of his campaign.
Gitmo - we're still there.
FISA - it's still in place
G&L community - under the bus
Iraq - We're still there
Auto industry=toilet
Housing = toilet
Financial services sector=toilet
GPD, Housing, auto industry, financial services sector, health care, unemployment; all economic leading indicators are going in the wrong direction and fast.
This moron's solution - more (stimulus) of the same.
Posted by: Bcamp55 | July 7, 2009 4:24 PM
"Shaky economy? What a cheap shot at our president...
Posted by: parkerfl1 | July 7, 2009 4:06 PM
"Did Obama and his team get it right last winter....?"
If I am not mistaken OBAMA and his team were not in power before January 20th, 2009.
Am I wrong?
Posted by: Tomcat3 | July 7, 2009 3:50 PM
Who is in charge of foreign policy? The president says one thing concerning Israel--the vice president says another! Just this day -- July 7 -- the president says that the days of a nation ruling with an Army and bullets is over; yet within six hours, missiles are employed on 'insurgents' in Afghanistan! WHERE IS THE SECRETARY OF STATE, AND WHO IS IN CHARGE OF FOREGIN POLICY??
Who is in charge of the economy? Team Obama stated in January that the stimulus was needed to keep unemployment from going higher than 8%! As of end June, unemployment was at 9.5% -- and when you add 'underemployment', the rate rises to over 17%! The Vice President now says that Team Obama 'misread' the economy in January! (NO JOKE!!) The President says that only 10% of the stimulus has been spent. ARE YOU NOW GOING TO BLAME BUSH FOR NOT SPENDING MORE QUICKER?? But just today, another member from Team Obama is calling for .... MORE STIMULUS!!
Does Team Obama take the American populace a bunch of total idiots?
The question is: WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE ECONOMY? It appears .....NO ONE!!
Posted by: wheeljc | July 7, 2009 3:45 PM
Hey obama; you, obiden, reid and peloski have killed 2,000,000 jobs so far and with your foney programs you will kill another 3,000,000 taxpaying jobs by the end of the Year.
Where in the L is the party of NO-NO-ACCOUNTIBILITY GOING TO GET THE MONEY TO PAY FOR HEALTHCARE FOR THE ILLEGALS.
Posted by: bobojake | July 7, 2009 2:31 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.

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Sinful Soul EP
Label: Sounds R Us Recordings
Release date: 2013-10-07
Catalog number: SRUR034
Back from his recent stint on SRUR with "Quito" is Italian producer Giorgio Quaranta aka Gforty. Giorgio has enjoyed a raft of releases across many labels including Teggno Records, Bush Records and Repressure Recordings to name a few. His tracks are heavily supported by top jocks all over the world such as Carl Cox, Laurent Garnier, Eddie Halliwell and Tom Hades. Here he delivers top quality techno grooves with the two track EP "Sinful Soul" which is backed up with two superb remixes.
First up we have the title track, the intro boasts a full on four to the floor chunky kick and classic hat combo with a deep resonating baseline following through. Sublime housey chords fade in and become the mainstay on the track as a funky little vocal makes an appearance. A very energetic track that will be a feature on many playlists for sure.
Los Angeles based DJ and producer Andy Slate delves into a deeper side of techno with his remix of "Sinful Soul". The remix incorporates much of the original vibe with the heavy kicks and stunning baseline. A rhythmic percussion section keeps the groove on point while the synths bring out the house element, top notch stuff here and a track for the deeper sets.
Giorgio's next track on this EP is "I Want Everything". A massive thumping kick intros the track and the percussions build us up to a funkier rhythm. A fantastic classic styled vocal gets the track moving early on before a superb retro themed riff takes full control of the sound. One to watch here and one that will appeal to many!
Next up we have a quartet of DJ's and producers Affani, Gunther Robles, Diego Hernandez and Mannilab with their remix. The guys turn out a much more housey affair with a blast of funky rhythms and a brilliant deep throbbing bass. Wonderful synth melodies etch out a classy groove with the vocal adding cool textures. The techno still resides in the this track making this a dynamic offering and a firm favourite in any set.


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CALGARY - A Wildrose candidate in the Alberta election is apologizing for suggesting he has an advantage in his ethnically diverse riding because he is white.
"I think as a Caucasian I have an advantage. When different community leaders such as a Sikh leader or a Muslim leader speaks, they really speak to their own people in many ways. As a Caucasian, I believe that I can speak to all the community," Ron Leech said on the "South Asian" program which aired on CHKF-FM, a multicultural radio station in Calgary.
Leech offered an apology for his remarks Tuesday. He said he had made them on the spur of the moment and hadn't put his point across very well.
"I apologize if something was said at the moment ... that misrepresented the community or myself," Leech said at a campaign stop in Calgary.
"What I was trying to say, which didn't come out that way and I apologize ... is that it's not a disadvantage for me to be Caucasian to represent the diverse cultures of my riding."
Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith was not aware of the comments when asked by reporters about them Tuesday, but said she wasn't concerned after they were read to her.
"No, I'm not concerned about them. I think every candidate puts forward their best argument for why they should be the person who can best represent the community," she said.
Smith said Leech runs a private school which has a large number of people from different cultural communities and has made inroads with their leaders.
"I think he was perhaps probably commenting on his own ability, having been involved at the school and involved with the communities for as long as he has."
Smith, who said on the weekend that there hadn't been any "bozo eruptions" from any of her candidates, has now had two glitches in the last week.
Edmonton candidate Allan Hunsperger, a pastor, came under fire for a blog he wrote last year in which he said gays and lesbians would end up in an eternal "lake of fire" if they didn't change their ways.
Smith stood by the candidate, saying a Wildrose government would not legislate any "contentious social issues" and her candidates can worship how they please.
"How they serve to worship or how they serve to conduct themselves in their private religious practice is quite frankly none of my business as a political leader."
Premier Alison Redford said she was surprised at Leech's remarks and said it wasn't something that would be tolerated in her Progressive Conservative party.
"I think those are inappropriate comments and I know they don't reflect my views. I don't think they reflect the views of our party and I don't believe that they're current with what Albertans are thinking these days either," Redford said in Calgary.
"We've always said, at the end of the day, Albertans are going to have to take a look at leadership, at platforms and at individual candidates. I won't speak to what other parties' values or interests might be, but I know what Progressive Conservative values are."
Leech is seeking a seat in Calgary-Greenway, a new constituency formed from the redistribution of the former ridings of Calgary-Montrose, Calgary-Cross and Calgary-McCall. Calgary-Montrose was represented by Tory cabinet minister Manmeet Bhullar, who is seeking election in the new riding.
Also on HuffPost


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With health care reform here to stay, it's important to understand what model of health care delivery system will likely emerge-and how we will get there.
Today, we have a health care system that is reimbursed based on activity rather than positive results. It is set up to care for patients reactively when they are sick or injured, with little financial incentive or accountability to promote a patient's or community's health or to manage care efficiently.
Consider this example: If a patient is admitted to a hospital for congestive heart failure, is treated and sent home, but then is readmitted because his post-hospital condition was not closely monitored or recovery instructions were not followed, the hospital gets paid for both inpatient visits, even though the second visit could have been prevented. Ironically, what the hospital is not compensated for today is the vital in-home care management that could have prevented the readmission-and would have been far less expensive.
Given this reality, it's not hard to understand why a recent Institute of Medicine study found that $750 billion or 30 percent of our nation's health care spending is wasted each year on unnecessary care. And why we have a population that is plagued by costly, yet preventable, health conditions.
As we look to the future, the U.S. health care system must shift from a reactive, disease- and illness-centered model to one that rewards patient-centered care focused on health, wellness and prevention. Providers can no longer be paid solely for services rendered. Instead, they must ensure that services provided are medically necessary, that care delivered is the safest and most effective possible, that patient care is managed to encourage prevention and adherence to treatment plans, and that the cost of care (including prescriptions) represents the most economical options.
Providers will also need to make their costs, quality ratings and patient satisfaction scores easily accessible to the public. This will enable consumers to compare options effectively and make informed health care decisions, just as they do for other significant purchases.
With consumers increasingly being covered by high-deductible health insurance plans, this type of informed decision-making will become the norm-radically changing the health care marketplace and putting the purchasing power in the hands of consumers, where it belongs. According to the Rochester Business Alliance's 2011 Health Benefits Survey, 46 percent of employers offered high-deductible insurance options in 2011-up from just 15 percent in 2009-and the percentage is expected to continue to climb dramatically.
Through health care reform legislation, Medicaid and Medicare have begun this paradigm shift. Compliance measures at the state and federal level will increasingly reward or penalize providers based on their performance tied to safety, clinical results, health and wellness, patient satisfaction and cost. However, Medicaid and Medicare alone cannot drive the kind of systemic change required to reshape and sustain a patient-centered health care model that fosters improved health, efficiency and the highest standards of clinical care. This requires innovation and leadership from local health care systems around the country in partnership with private insurers, employers, physicians and, yes, patients too.
An example in our community is the Accountable Care Partnership, newly formed between Rochester General Health System and the Greater Rochester Independent Practice Association. Consisting of 900 employed and private practice physicians, it is the only partnership of its kind in our area.
As the Rochester Business Journal reported several weeks ago, RGHS and GRIPA have entered into an innovative agreement with Excellus BlueCross BlueShield that begins on Jan. 1. This partnership will improve the health of our community and help control the spiraling cost of health care by creating a continuum of care accountable for delivering high-quality, cost-effective results to both the patient and the partnership. Expect similar accountable care programs to be established throughout our community in the future.
For nearly two decades, Rochester has pioneered payment reform and cost control by taking a community-based approach to managing population health. In the 1990s, this innovative and collaborative leadership model resulted in health care rates that were more than 30 percent below the national average and 45 percent lower than the rest of New York. Today's imperative for transformative change provides yet another watershed opportunity for Rochester to boldly shape the health care system of the future.
Mark C. Clement is Rochester General Health System president and CEO. This is the second of four articles examining health care reform that will appear over the next several months.
12/21/12 (c) 2012 Rochester Business Journal. To obtain permission to reprint this article, call 585-546-8303 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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(AP) — Efforts taken to keep a crucial stretch of the drought-starved Mississippi River open to barge traffic should be sufficient to avert a shipping shutdown that the industry fears is imminent, Army Corps of Engineers and Coast Guard officials said Friday.
The corps said crews in recent weeks have made "fantastic" progress clearing treacherous bedrock from a channel about 150 miles south of St. Louis near Thebes, Ill. - the portion of the river that has grown especially worrisome to barge operators moving an array of cargo to northern states and south to the Gulf of Mexico.
Shipping groups warned this week that the waterway there could drop to a point - 3 feet on the river gauge - in which barge weight restrictions would have to be further tightented, effectively halting shipping.
Drafts, or the portion of each barge that is submerged, already are limited to 9 feet in the middle Mississippi. If the river gauge gets to 3 feet at Thebes, the Coast Guard may be forced to limit drafts even further. Officials with the trade group say that if drafts are restricted to 8 feet or lower, many operators will stop shipping.
National Weather Service hydrologists, as of Friday, forecast that the river at Thebes could drop to the 3-feet mark by next Thursday and continue falling to 1 foot by the end of this month.
"The uncertainty of this deteriorating situation for the nation's shippers is having as much of an impact as the lack of water itself," said Michael Toohey, president and chief executive of the Waterways Council Inc., which along with the American Waterways Operators group considers the situation dire.
Coast Guard Lt. Colin Fogarty said Friday it's possible that new draft restrictions may be considered by the middle of the month, but he believes the Army Corps' progress near Thebes and its overall stewardship of the river should make that unlikely.
As the barge industry submits, "we are absolutely facing very historic drought conditions," Fogarty said. "But this is a long-term campaign, and we've won many of the battles. We all want to have the deepest, safest channel, and right now we're accomplishing that."
The corps echoed that sentiment.
"We believe we will deepen the channel ahead of the worst-case river stage scenario, and I remain confident that navigation will continue," Maj. Gen. John Peabody, commander of the Army Corps' Mississippi Valley division, said in a statement this week.
"Rumors of a river closure have been greatly exaggerated," Mike Petersen, an Army Corps spokesman in St. Louis, told The Associated Press. "We're all working for the same thing - keeping the river open."
Addressing the river - specifically at Thebes - has been a headache for the corps for months as the nation's worst drought in decades stubbornly persists.
The depth of the Mississippi is regulated by dams north of St. Louis, and the depth increases south of Cairo, Ill., where the Ohio River converges. But the roughly 180-mile stretch from St. Louis to Cairo is approaching record lows. Experts say that if barges stop moving, billions of dollars of shipments of essentials such as corn, grain, coal and petroleum could be affected.
The trade groups renewed their call for presidential action requiring the Army Corps to increase the flow of water from an upper Missouri River dam in South Dakota. The corps cut the flow by two-thirds in November because of drought conditions in that region, reducing the amount of Missouri River water flowing into the Mississippi.
To compensate, the corps rushed in contractors last month to clear an estimated 890 cubic yards of limestone from the river bottom near Thebes - work that Petersen said has been "working fantastically" and should be completed by the end of January, perhaps sooner.
During that work, barge traffic at that stretch has been limited to an eight-hour window each day, causing bottlenecks of up to 20 vessels and 400 barges. The Coast Guard says more than 490 vessels still have made their way through, as of Thursday carrying 22,500 tons of cargo that's enough to fill the equivalent of 425,000 tractor-trailers.
The corps also strategically has released water from at least two Midwest lakes - Iowa's Red Rock Lake and southern Illinois' Carlyle Lake, the latter recently accounting for two 6-inch rises in the Mississippi.
Such releases won't impact the lakes environmentally or recreationally, Petersen said, noting that the corps routinely releases water from Carlyle into the Kaskaskia River that ultimately flows into the Mississippi.
"We judiciously use it," he said. "It's just one of our tools."
While crediting the Army Corps for having done everything it can, American Waterways Operators' Lynn Muench said Friday that such efforts don't "get us out of the woods" - something she said could happen if President Barack Obama's administration intervenes to release more water from the Missouri River. Now given the uncertainty, she said, some shippers already have lessened their barge loads in anticipation that more draft restrictions loom.
"It's still a mess," she said.


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In California, almost every effort to redesign the state's governance system begins the same way: with the release of a poll or other public opinion data showing that the particular idea is popular with the public.
Which is exactly why they don't work.
Developing political reforms that work is an action of design.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Effective reforms can't be the product of polling -- because reforms involve change--designing something new--and people can't have any idea if they're going to like a design until they see a change in practice.
But in California politics, that sort of logic is considered lunacy. The people in charge, convinced they are "practical" and "realistic," see the value of an idea in how it polls.
The madness, and circular reasoning, of California politics was recently exposed by, of all things, the orgy of coverage and analysis that followed the death of Steve Jobs.
The stories noted that Jobs, unlike California's political elite, focused on creating the best designs he could for products.
He didn't start with polling or public opinion. He focused on doing something good.
One oft-repeated Jobs quote on this point: "It's really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them."
To get political and governance reform right in California, we need to adopt Jobs' practice. Design the best thing you can. And don't worry about polling.
Let us know what you think. Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @PropZero or add your comment to our Facebook page.


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Berry's Blonde Ambition at the Globes
This is Halle Berry in Nina Ricci. The way she styled it was for ass. It's really not the night for a revival of Madonna's Blonde Ambition. And with those shoes… awful, I know it's awful.
But, but, but, but…
She is SO f-cking beautiful.
I mean the whole night…
Drool, right?
I can't hate it. Like, I didn't mind looking. At the face, at the legs, at the arms, at the fact that this woman is simply immune. To the things that happen when time happens. Halle Berry can wear something horrifying…and somehow it's not that horrifying. Which, for real, is an advantage she has over the Jolie.
The Jolie, as exquisite as her face may be, when she's in a horrifying outfit, it's almost more horrifying because she's wearing it. Halle seems to be able to skip right over that. How?
Photos from Jason Merritt/ROBYN BECK/Frazer Harrison /Gettyimages.com


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Documenting the World Wide Web, one webpage at a time.
posted by Connie Crosby at 8:10 p.m.
<< Home
I am the principal consultant at Crosby Group Consulting specializing in knowledge management, information management and social media primarily for the legal and information industries. I teach continuing education courses on social media at the iSchool Institute, University of Toronto. I also write, blog and speak. My 2010 book Effective Blogging for Libraries is part of the award-winning Tech Set series from Neal-Schuman Publishing.
View my complete profile


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The discovery of a Mercedes driven by a missing Fox executive when he disappeared 10 months ago has led police to reclassify the case as a homicide and link it to a drug dealer previously identified as a person of interest.
A black Mercedes Benz 420E registered to Gavin Smith was recovered at a storage facility in Simi Valley on Feb. 21, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced Thursday.
Smith, 57, was last seen driving the car from a friend's home in the Oak Park area at the western end of Los Angeles on May 1 between 9 and 10 p.m.
U.S. & World
Investigators believe Smith was murdered within a week of his disappearance. His body has not been recovered.
"The family of Gavin Smith is grateful to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for its unending work on his disappearance," said Smith's widow Lisa in a statement. "We are both saddened and heartened by the discovery of this crucial evidence, and know that the sheriff's department will help us acquire a measure of justice."
The storage facility has been linked to John Creech, who is currently in custody at Men's Central Jail on an unrelated narcotics conviction, detectives said.
Creech was previously named a person of interest in the case, and his home was searched on June 8, 2012. Creech has not been charged in Smith's disappearance.
A member of a championship UCLA basketball team in 1975, Smith worked in media distribution for Fox. He also struggled with substance abuse.
Smith met Creech's wife, Chandrika, in rehab, authorities said.
Anyone with information about the case was asked to call homicide detectives.
"They specifically want to know if anybody saw this Mercedes Benz go from Porter Ranch to Simi Valley around May 8, May 9," department spokesman Steve Whitmore said.


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When Amber Portwood debuted on MTV's hit reality series 16 & Pregnant, no one could have predicted that the teenager from Anderson, Indiana with the dry sense of humor would go on to become one of the most controversial young celebrities in reality TV history. But soon after Amber stepped into the public eye, her life spiraled into chaos.
From her struggles with anxiety, depression and addiction to her brutal onscreen fights with her boyfriend, Amber seemed a troubled young woman destined to destroy herself. And that was all before she shocked everyone by sending herself to prison for seventeen months!


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To vote for any Republican candidate other than Ron Paul you'd have to either think economics is infinitely more important than every other issue, or be a total dick.
To vote for any Republican candidate other than Ron Paul you'd have to either think economics is infinitely more important than every other issue, or be a total dick.
How Santorum is even in this race ...I don't know. The guy pulls crowds of less than 75 people and couldn't raise more than 250k in his copycat money bomb around the Iowa vote. He went from single digits to winner within a week. It's stuff like this that makes you think the whole thing is rigged.
Again, so why the lack of support - rallies and finance? Are we to believe that everyone who doesn't like Romney suddenly orchestrated a campaign to vote for Santorum in 1 week? How has Gingrich gone from no hope to favourite to no hope to favourite to no hope so violently in a matter of weeks? It takes time for one candidate, for whatever reason, to become popular and there has to be a trend. As aforesaid, Santorum went from single digits to winning Iowa in a week. This is someone whose best campaigning efforts was to go county by county speaking to handfuls of people at a time because he couldn't get the funding to advertise or do anything audacious. It just seems so concocted and unreal.
Its all about timing. Santorums current surge is based on a variety of things breaking in his favor. First, there are now only 3 candidates remaining with a realistic shot at winning the nomination: Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich. Two of those candidates, Gingrich and Romney, have been beating the living hell out of each other via campaign ads/speeches. That allows Santorum to appear above the fray in comparison and since hes not the target of negative ads, hes more likely to come out with a favorable impression. In addition, most of the contests in late January and early February were in smaller and more conservative states, where Santorum could compete without having the vast resources of Romney. I also think the anti-Romney voters finally decided they needed to organize behind one candidate and they picked Santorum. Based on these factors, its not shocking at all that Santorum has experienced this surge.
What remains to be seen is can he sustain this success as the primary season moves along to the bigger states? I think he can. He now has momentum from winning Missouri, Minnesota, and Colorado. Those states count for diddly squat in terms of delegates, but they give him a perception of being a viable candidate. There are fewer alternatives that can steal his thunder (he only needs to worry about Gingrich now as the conservative alternative, whereas the prior hot candidates were competing with the entire field to maintain momentum). This translates into money being poured into his campaign; money that he will badly need to compete with Romney on Super Tuesday and beyond. This is not about election rigging, this is about taking advantage of the political map.
Meanwhile in government:
Obama riled up Republicans on contraception, and then delivers a knock-out punch.
"I am very happy and it will allow me to have lot more rice."
Eoin Morgan on being given a rice cooker for being Man of the Match in a Dhaka Premier Division game.
Brad McNamara @bbuzzmc
Will say this once and then nothing else. Defamation laws quite clear in Aus.be careful.
The MN and CO Republican organizations are to the right of the national party, so Santorum's wins, while surprising, are not completely outrageous. Plus , let's face it, they're really irrelevant compared the "swing" states of PA, OH and MI in a general election. What muddies the waters is that Santorum is from PA and may also hold sway in OH, as a result.
Clearly, though, Republican primary voters are self destructing here, a bit like the Dems a few years back. Part of it may be a backlash from "look what McCain got us last time round."
Santorum lost by 17 points in PA the last time he ran. I rarely find anyone that likes him here, even amog the republicans. 17 points....
He isn't going to win PA. We aren't really much of a swing state anymore anyway (went democrat for the past three Presidential elections, and I don't see that stopping). Ohio, FL much more important.
-My beliefs summarized in words much more eloquent than I could come up with
How the Universe came from nothing
@ Fusion, while that is a viable theory, it is stretching credulity IMO. The swift change Santorum benefited from could not have been coordinated on purpose, in a legitimate campaign, let alone one where several factors were playing a part. In Iowa, there were also more candidates and he was a long shot (a very long shot) until the final week. What you describe is not impossible, just very very improbable considering the whole context of the nominations IMO.
Anyway, did anyone follow Nevada? Paul came second under very fishy circumstances. The winner was released far too early and the results were fairly shocking if you knew the history of Paul votes. In every county that was filmed by TV, Paul won easily, the others he lost. What more, however, is that Paul has been getting 2-3 times the votes he has been getting in each state compared to 08. That is just standard, he is much more popular now. His best showing in 08 was in Nevada. Yet the votes show that despite the fact that he has broadened his base, he only got the same amount of supporters this time round as he did in 08 in Nevada. Which asks you to believe that despite the fact that he has gotten 2-3 times more voters in every state so far, the one state he didn't was his most successful in last time round.
This is a wonderful article which shows just what went on in Nevada...very insteresting:
Paul camp cries fraud over Nevada Caucus results - National Independent | Examiner.com
Now, there is Maine:February 5, 2012. Las Vegas. For the second time in just five primary states, the Republican Party, with the assistance of the national corporate news media, is raising questions about the legitimacy of this season's primary election system. First, the Iowa Republican Party and the entire American media knowingly reported the wrong Iowa Caucus results with the wrong person being declared the winner. Last night, it appears the same thing may be happening in Nevada. And again like Iowa, critics are accusing the GOP of suspicious activity.
Perhaps it's indicative that the beneficiary of these recurring vote counting "mistakes" always seems to be former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. He's just happens to be the same man that both the Republican Party establishment and the four corporations that own all of America's news media outlets are actively supporting.
Iowa Caucus
In Iowa a few weeks ago, local Republican precinct captains – the individuals responsible for providing the official vote count to the state Republican Party – were up in arms and all over the national media claiming their vote counts had somehow been changed once they arrived at the state GOP headquarters. Two weeks later, the party announced that Mitt Romney didn't win, but instead, Rick Santorum had actually won. This author was one of the only national journalists that predicted the results would be reversed. Two weeks later, they were. Read the article, 'Santorum won Iowa and didn't say Black' for specific details, published two weeks before the Iowa GOP reversed their vote count.
[Nevada Caucus
As early as 2:00am this morning, supporters of Ron Paul had taken to social media with cries of "fraud" over the Nevada Caucus election results, or lack there of.
Here are just some of the comments taken from the Ron Paul 2012 Facebook page:
Dorian RM posted, "I am seriously smelling voter fraud again. This is seriously depressing." Toni P wrote, "I am not a big pusher of conspiracy theories, but this election is swaying me to how corrupt this all is." Patrick M added, "It's not a conspiracy. It's been proven." Matt K confirmed the same feeling, posting, "I'm smelling voter fraud." Ryan added, "Is this true about the fraud in Nevada or is everyone just panicking?"
That's the big question as self-imposed deadline after self-imposed deadline passes without any word from the missing precincts of Clark County. According to the Nevada Republican Party last night, they were going to recount every single vote from Clark County, right there in the smoky, back room of the GOP headquarters. The only good part of the announcement is that a representative from each candidate would be allowed to oversee the recount.
Expected to be over by "midnight", that deadline turned into "dawn". When dawn came and went with no vote results in sight, questions over vote fraud really picked up steam. See the below chain of events from last night and decide for yourself if something fishy is going on.
Events of the Las Vegas Caucus, February 4, 2012. All times and percentages are rough estimates from memory. All are from first-hand witness accounts.
Counting the votes
8:00pm EST – Some polls close, roughly 3 percent of the total vote is in. Mitt Romney leads with over 50 percent of the votes counted. Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich are tied with approximately 20 percent of the vote each.
9:00pm EST – Media outlets nationwide declare Mitt Romney the winner of the Nevada Caucus "in a landslide."
9:01pm EST – All polls but one are closed. Some results have been released, less than 4 percent of the total vote is in. Mitt Romney leads with 46 percent, Gingrich second with 24 percent, Paul third with 19 percent and Santorum fourth with 11 percent.
10:00pm EST – All media outlets spend two hours declaring Mitt Romney the overwhelming winner of the Nevada Republican Caucus in a landslide victory. Only 4 percent of the vote is in.
11:00pm EST – CNN sends their election coverage live to the last remaining open precinct in Nevada, located in Clark County. The polling place remained open extra long to accommodate strict religious observers. The voter demographic of the precinct is devout Christians and Jews who refused to violate their Sabbath day by voting during daylight hours. 15 percent of the state's precincts have reported, Romney still leads with approximately 46 percent to Gingrich's 22 percent, Paul's 20 percent and Santorum's 12.
11:15pm EST – With apparently nothing better to broadcast, media outlets like CNN announce to viewers that they're in for a treat. They will see the Caucus process, live in action. The outlets would broadcast live from the last open Nevada precinct.
11:45pm EST – For 45 minutes, actual voters at the Adelson precinct being broadcast live on CNN and other stations, gave some of the most heartfelt one-minute speeches in support of their candidate – every single one of them was caucusing for Ron Paul. This was no Ron Paul rally either. This was a closed-door caucus. These were actual voters who were about to vote at this particular precinct. According to 40 minutes or so of speeches, it appeared Ron Paul should capture 100 percent of the vote in this Clark County precinct.
**Thanks to a much valued reader, it's explained that the Adelson precinct had let each candidate's supporters speak one candidate at a time. This was the segment CNN chose to air live and simply the Ron Paul campaign's turn to speak. In fairness, Ron Paul's speakers at this location did in fact out number all speakers from all other candidates combined.
12:00pm EST – CNN and the other outlets finally broke away from the speeches when no other candidates besides Ron Paul appeared to have any voters present. Only moments later, the network broke into its all-night election coverage to announce that the precinct viewers were just watching had begun to count the votes and had decided to do it publicly, letting the national media outlets continue filming.
12:15am EST – In riveting coverage, an entire auditorium full of hundreds of voters fell silent. One by one at a table assembled on a stage and with campaign representatives watching over their shoulders and the entire nation watching, the GOP precinct captain shouted out each vote as he unfolded each paper ballot.
12:30am EST: For five minutes, CNN sat in silence as the Republican precinct captain shouted out each vote while dozens of tabulators sat nearby keeping track. Unfolding one sheet at a time, the man yelled, "Ron Paul, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Ron Paul, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Ron Paul, Ron Paul, Ron Paul.
12:45am EST: Based on your author's quick mental addition, it appeared Ron Paul would capture roughly 70 percent of the vote in this precinct, with Mitt Romney coming in around 20 and Newt Gingrich around 10. The entire time, every news outlet repeatedly congratulated Mitt Romney for his avalanche victory in Nevada.
12:55am EST: The official Nevada Caucus vote count was still stuck where it had been for the last 4 hours. 47 percent of the vote counted and included every county but one. 53 percent of the vote still outstanding, all from Clark County – the largest county in Nevada representing more than 60 percent of the state's voters. It's also the scene of the Caucus site just broadcast showing Ron Paul winning overwhelming.
1:00am EST: The same precinct captain in Clark County calling out votes 30 minutes earlier was now about to announce the final vote totals from the nationally televised caucus site. With CNN showing it live, the rough final vote count (going from memory) was 150 for Ron Paul, 50 for Mitt Romney, 20 for Newt Gingrich and 8 for Rick Santorum.
1:05am EST: The same above precinct then announced they were going to recount each and every vote to insure an accurate vote count.
1:30am EST: CNN and the precinct captain revealed the results of the second count. This time Ron Paul's count was roughly 183 (58 percent of the precinct's overall vote) to Mitt Romney's 45, Newt Gingrich's 20 and Rick Santorum's 8. (Again, all numbers from your author's tired, late-night memory. If the media wasn't blacking out the coverage now, we could share the actual numbers with our readers). Paul supporters are extatic knowing that they won overwhelmingly in a precinct full of Jewish and extremely Christian voters, two of Ron Paul's worst demographics. In fact, CNN entrance polls showed that Ron Paul won overwhelmingly among voters who said they weren't religious.
1:35am EST: Your author, and thousands of Ron Paul supporters still waiting up and able to do simple math, deduced that if Ron Paul won 58 percent of the vote in a large Clark County precinct and that was representative of his performance county-wide, the Texas Congressman should win the Nevada Caucus. Clark County alone represents more than half the vote in the entire state of Nevada. If Ron Paul won 58 percent of the 53 percent outstanding, compared to Mitt Romney's 47 percent of the 47 percent counted, it's a Ron Paul win.
1:45am EST: CNN blacks-out election coverage, shutting down the studio without so much as one word of explanation or warning. Switching to human interest stories with an afternoon anchor for ten minutes, the network the shut all live coverage completely, opting instead to rebroadcast the entire night's early evening election coverage. Every minute of the broadcast for the next few hours replayed Mitt Romney's victory speech repeatedly, along with all the CNN pundits declaring Mitt Romney the landslide victor with 3 percent of the vote counted.
1:50am EST: A quick check of Fox News revealed the exact same tactic. The network had switched to replaying its entire early evening election coverage. Viewing like a Mitt Romney campaign commercial, the network was repeatedly rebroadcasting the Mitt Romney victory speech from hours earlier. Their pundits also spent the entire time congratulating Romney on his overwhelming victory, with just 3 percent of the vote reported.
1:55am EST: Feeling like he had just stumbled back in time or tripped into the Twilight Zone, your author went to the internet in search of vote totals. Stuck all night at 47 percent of precincts reported, Mitt Romney was leading with 42 percent of the vote to Newt Gingrich's 26, Ron Paul's 18 and Rick Santorum's 13.
2:00am EST: Getting the sneaky suspicion that the Republican Party's vote totals weren't adding up again, a quick stop at the Ron Paul 2012 Facebook page revealed your author wasn't alone. The campaign had posted a message saying that the Nevada GOP had announced that even though the first 47 percent of the votes were counted and reported in an hour, the remaining 53 percent, all coming from Clark County, would take all night. Random posts followed leveling accusations of suspicion and even outright vote fraud. Many had watched the results being tabulated live on national TV just as this author had. We all saw Ron Paul's overwhelming victory in that part of Clark County. It's unimaginable to believe that in the same county, a candidate could win overwhelmingly when the votes were counted live on TV, but lose so badly when the votes were counted by the Party establishment behind closed doors.
2:00am EST: CNN and Fox News had blacked-out their coverage, opting instead to run reruns for the first time of any election so far this primary season. Online news outlets also froze their coverage, stopping all blog entries at midnight. With that, your author went to bed.
9:00am EST: Your author wakes up to a Nevada Caucus vote count with 71 percent of precincts reporting. The totals and percentages, even though the added 24 percent appeared to overwhelmingly favor Ron Paul by a staggering margin of more than 3 to 1 over Mitt Romney, had somehow managed to match the first 47 percent of the vote reported earlier in the evening that overwhelmingly favored Mitt Romney. The new state-wide totals now read Mitt Romney 47, Newt Gingrich 22, Ron Paul 18 and Rick Santorum 11.
10:00am EST: The Nevada Republican Party announces they are not going to release any of the missing Clark County vote totals until all the precincts in Clark County are turned in.
11:00am EST: The Nevada Republican Party announces they are not going to release the final and complete vote results. Instead, they are going to hold an internal recount.
11:05am EST: Outrage, frustration and condemnation erupt from Ron Paul supporters everywhere. Social media explodes with charges of blatant vote fraud by Nevada Republican Party officials. The entire corporate national news media, including all the Sunday morning political talk shows, blacks-out the events of the previous evening, the missing vote totals and the outrage by the Ron Paul campaign. Instead, they continue to inform their readers and viewers that the Nevada Caucus is over and it was another landslide victory for media and GOP favorite Mitt Romney.
Even the Ron Paul supporters will concede they have no concrete proof of actual election fraud regarding the tabulation of the Nevada Caucus ballots. What they do have is a very legitimate complaint and very real circumstantial evidence. And it's not so crazy considering the Iowa GOP just reversed their caucus winner. As Republican Party officials repeatedly remind us, primaries and caucuses are "private party events". They are not general elections. They are party functions and the party makes, and changes, the rules whenever they want for whatever reason they want. If you don't like it, don't be a Republican.
The bigger tragedy is that the nation's corporate owned media is obviously playing along, just as they did in Iowa. We'll see if the Nevada GOP has to publicly and officially reverse the results of its election just as the Iowa Republican Party was forced to do two weeks after its caucus a few weeks ago. If that turns out to be the case, the national GOP and the nation's news outlets will have more explaining to do than just the theft of one election.
Reality Check: GOP scrambles under allegations of rampant voter - FOX19.com-Cincinnati News, Weather & Sports
Last edited by Ikki; 15-02-2012 at 06:44 AM.
oh goddamn it
Pressure mounting for GOP caucus reconsideration — Politics — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine
Even though it is good to see this pressure to get the recount; the Paul camp is happy as they believe they've got the majority of the delegates anyway. It does, however, count for political capital to have a victory.
Last edited by Ikki; 15-02-2012 at 10:08 AM.
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- Page 1 Canon PowerShot S110 Review
- Page 2 Design and Performance Review
- Page 3 Image Quality: ISO Tests Review
- Page 4 Image Quality: Real World Tests Review
- Page 5 Image Quality Summary and Verdict Review
- Excellent image quality
- Solid construction and improved design
- Good handling and performance
- Worthwhile additions to specification
- Not the cheapest model on the market
- Wi-Fi functionality lags behind some of its rivals
Key Specifications
- Review Price: £430.00
- 1/1.7in 12.1MP CMOS HS sensor
- Canon DIGIC 5 image processor
- 5x optical zoom (24-120mm equiv.)
- 1080p Full HD movie recording at 24fps
- 3in, 461k-dot touch-screen LCD
Canon PowerShot S110: Introduction
Advanced compacts have become an increasingly popular choice for those photographers looking for a camera that's small enough to be carried around all day without weighing you down, but which also offers the added functionality and greater degree of user control offered by DSLRs.
With the launch of the S90 in 2009 Canon had this segment of the compact market pretty much to itself, with only the Panasonic Lumix LX3 really offering it any serious competition. Fast-forward three years and the advanced compact market is much more crowded, with all of the major manufacturers now offering at least one model of their own. Indeed, in the past 12 months we've seen the likes of the Fuji X10, the Nikon P310, the Nikon P7700, the Samsung EX2F, the Lumix LX7 and the Sony RX100 all burst on to the scene, each bringing with it an added competitive edge. Has the PowerShot S110 got what it takes to compete? Let's take a closer look and find out.
Canon PowerShot S110: Features
The Canon PowerShot S110 succeeds the S100 that was released about this time last year. The S110 retains all of the advanced operational and shooting features of its predecessor; the customisable control ring remains in place around the base of the lens, as does the ability to take full manual control over the camera and shoot in Raw should you wish. This being a new model, there are of course a host of new features too, the most notable of which are the additions of touchscreen functionality along with a Wi-Fi connectivity. More on those in a moment, but first let's have a look at the other headline specs to see what's changed from the S100.
Put simply, internally the S110 doesn't represent a huge upgrade over the S100. Indeed it's really more of a gentle refresh with the newer model employing the same 1/1.7in 12.1MP High Sensitivity (HS) CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5 image processor found inside the S100. That's not to do the combination down in any way, as the S100 was (and remains) more than capable of excellent image quality.
Sensitivity ranges from a baseline ISO 80 up to 12,800 – making the S110 a stop faster than the maximum ISO 6400 setting of its predecessor. Canon's proprietary High Sensitivity system (which is essentially just the name given to the pairing of the S110's advanced CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5 image processor) also promises to reduce the effects of obtrusive image noise at higher ISO settings. The DIGIC 5 processor also facilitates the S110's High-speed Burst mode of up to 10fps, although only to a maximum of 10 consecutive frames.
On the front of the new model the S110 gets the same 5x fixed zoom that's found on the S100. This offers the 35mm focal range equivalent of 24-120mm, which should be flexible enough to cover most day-to-day situations – just so long as your subject isn't too far away in the distance. Maximum aperture is a usefully quick f/2 at 24mm, but disappointingly this drops to a not particularly quick f/5.9 by the time you reach 120mm. Indeed compared to rivals such as the Lumix LX7 (f/1.4-2.3), Samsung EX2F (f/1.4-2.7), Olympus XZ-2 (f/1.8-2.5), Fuji X10 (f2-2.8), Sony RX100 (f/1.8-4.9) and Nikon P310 (f/1.8-4.9) the Canon S110's lens actually comes up a bit short – at least in terms of speed. The lens does however benefit from what Canon claims to be a 4-stop intelligent IS system, which is designed to minimise the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speed and longer focal lengths.
In addition to Program, Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority and Manual (PASM) exposure modes, the S110 also offers a Smart Auto automatic scene recognition mode alongside a host of individually selectable Scene modes for simplified point-and-shoot operation. In addition, the camera also benefits from a range of Creative Filter digital effects modes that include all the regular favourites such as Fish-eye, Miniaturisation, Toy Camera and Colour Swap among others.
In addition to its still imaging capabilities, the S110 also offers 1080p Full HD video capture at 24fps with sound recorded in stereo via two microphones positioned on the front of the camera. In addition to Full HD capture, the S110 also allows you to capture 720p HD and 640 x 480 VGA quality movies. Last but not least are a couple of high-speed movie capture modes – 640 x 480 at 120fps, and 320 x 240 at 240fps – both of which will play back in slow motion.
Two areas where Canon has upgraded the S110 in order to keep it more competitive are with the additions of touch-screen functionality and Wi-Fi connectivity. The former employs the S100's otherwise unchanged 3in, 461k-dot screen and uses capacitive touchscreen technology to add a new layer of control over the camera. The touch-screen is able to recognise a range of gestures – such as pinch-to-zoom – as well as the regular Touch AF and Touch Shutter features found in other touch-screen compacts.
Wi-Fi connectivity is quickly becoming the must-have feature for digital cameras, so it's good to see that Canon have seen fit to include it here. That said, its actual implementation isn't quite as complete as what's found on some other Wi-Fi enabled compacts, however it still offers a range of functions that many photographers will no doubt find useful. With Wi-Fi enabled S110 users can share images online directly from the camera, as well as print directly from a Canon Wi-Fi enabled printer. In addition, the S110 can also utilise a smartphone's GPS to keep track of shooting locations and later synchronise this information to image metadata.
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Is it me, or is Aerex formatted for 3.5 Ed?
Perhaps Aerex's supper knife is a +5 Vorpal Cleaver of Slaying?
QuotePerhaps Aerex's supper knife is a +5 Vorpal Cleaver of Slaying? That would be pretty cool Alas, more news...Aerex gains a point of wisdom i have decided. He has learned much in his travels. Much about life and love and change and---stuff. Also, your con and str seem low for qualifying into rangerhood. I just now realized that! Maybe val can look it up in the ol' phb. Fear not though! You remain a ranger. I'm just sayin'... You need beefing up and a level up soon
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TalkingEconomics: Emerging markets summary July 2015
Direct links between a Greek exit (Grexit) and emerging markets (EM) are limited, but there is always the risk of contagion.
Will a GREXIT hit emerging markets?
An oft-cited ancient Greek story tells of the prophetic powers of the oracle at Delphi, which King Croesus consulted when deciding whether to attack Persia.
The oracle's advice was supposedly: "If you cross the river, a great empire will be destroyed". Croesus duly attacked, full of optimism, and saw his own empire destroyed as a result.
The discussion around a possible Grexit tends to focus on the damage to Greece and the eurozone. What if, though, like Croesus, the focus is on the wrong kingdom? Could Grexit trigger a broader based EM problem?
Trade links are limited
Greece itself does not rank as a major export partner for any large EM economy.
Although about 10% of its 2014 imports came from Russia, this amounts to just 1% of that country's total exports.
Elsewhere, EM exports to Greece rarely exceed 0.5% of GDP, and are usually lower.
It should be noted that we believe the economic impact of a Greek exit on the eurozone would be limited, however, so any disruption on eurozone trade would be temporary at most.
Financial links are more concerning
Data from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) shows minimal EM claims on Greece: out of a total $67 billion in foreign bank claims on the country, only $47 million are from EM banks (and these are almost entirely Turkish).
However, going the other way, Greek banks retain significant claims on some EM countries, concentrated in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region.
Typically, these are small economies however, and claims on the larger CEE nations like Poland and Hungary are minimal. One possible area of concern is Turkey, for whom Greek banks account for around 12% of all foreign bank claims ($31 billion).
From a eurozone perspective, bank claims on Greece are, according to our banks analyst, typically collateralised, and generally represent only a small share of bank assets, such that Grexit is not a threat to eurozone banks. Only contagion risk poses a concern.
A poisoned well
If a Grexit were to occur, it may be that as with the "Taper Tantrum" of 2013, a wide range of EM economies sell off at first, but stronger economies (as measured by fundamentals) recover these losses quickly.
If we were to raise any concerns at all, they would centre on Turkey, which is connected to Greece through trade, finance, and geography, as well as reliant on international finance generally.
If Turkey were to fall, the risk of contagion to the rest of EM rises considerably, particularly for those economies also heavily reliant on foreign capital flows: the rest of the Fragile Five (bar India) and some other Latin American countries.
It is a tail risk, but we cannot completely rule out the fall of an empire should Greece cross the river out of the eurozone.


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Nested Portlets
Nested Portlets
Fiona Ackroyd (Junior School)
Email Fiona
Sherren Findley (Middle and Senior School)
Email Sherren
09 415 9566 Ext 2385
Registrations are completed online via our sport registration forms.
View our list of current registration forms >>
Premier and Senior A Trials: Thursday 7 February, 3.30pm-5:30pm
Tennis Beginner's Programme - Term 1
The Tennis Beginner's Programme for Year 7-13 students will run at Kristin on Tuesday afternoons during Term 1 and Term 4. The Beginner's Programme is for players new to Tennis and for those students wanting to learn the fundamental strokes, tactics and rules of the game.
The programme will run for six weeks during Term 1 and five weeks during Term 4. Sessions will run on Tuesdays, 3.30pm-5pm on the Kristin Tennis Courts.
Other relevant information:
- A professional Coach from Tennis Northern will run the sessions each week.
- Students will need to wear tee shirt and shorts, or P.E. uniform is fine. Also you will need to wear some sports shoes and bring your own racket if you have one.
- The cost for participating in this programme is $50 and will be billed to your school account.
Season/Competition (Year 7-13)
The Secondary Schools' competition runs in Term 1 and Term 4. Parents may be required to manage teams and attend games over the course of the season.
Auckland Secondary Schools Competition
This competition is run on a Saturday morning and is for experienced tennis players only. You must have a grading to take part in this competition.
North Harbour Secondary Schools Competition
This competition is run on a Monday after school and is for beginner to intermediate players. Basic requirements to play in this competition is being able to serve, score and have an understanding of the rules.
Professional coaching will be provided at a weekly training session before school, during the school season in Term 1 and 4. Students are expected to commit for the entire season when they register.
Boys are required to wear the Kristin PE shirt and Kristin PE shorts. Girls are required to wear the Kristin tennis dress. The School tracksuit is compulsory for all students in school sports teams. Students are expected to attend all sporting events in their tracksuit.
Season Fee: Approximately $30 per term. This goes towards covering coaching costs, competition entry and tennis balls. Beginner's programme fee: $50 per term.
Kristin PE Shirt $45-$55
Kristin PE Shorts $45-$55
Kristin Tennis Dress $TBC
Junior School Tennis (Year 1-6)
Tennis Northern deliver our Junior programme. The Hotshots Tennis Coaching Programme offers a holistic experience for children wanting to get involved in Tennis. The programme focuses on 'playing the game' through the use of specific and modified equipment. In Terms 1 and 4, the programme will operate from Kristin School Astro Courts and in Terms 3 and 4 will move indoors and integrate into the programmes at Tennis Northern Arena.
Players wear their PE uniform. The cost for each Junior School player is approximately $120 per term.
Expression of interest: Any students Years 4-6 interested in trying out for the team to play in a tennis sports exchange in Term 1, a one-day exchange, some tennis experience necessary. Register on the Kristin website.
Important Dates 2019
|NZSS Qualifying Tournament
|NZSS Teams Championship
|25-28 March
|North Harbour Zone Day Year 7-8 Girls'
|27 March
|North Harbour Zone Day Year 7-8 Boys'
|28 March
|Auckland Secondary Schools' Champions of Champions
|2, 4 April