text:
rather brilliantly cuts thru all the political doublespeak we get.
It puts it into a much better perspective.
Lesson # 1:
* U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000
* Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000
* New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000
* National debt: $14,271,000,000,000
* Recent budget cuts: $ 38,500,000,000
Let's now remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget:
* Annual family income: $21,700
* Money the family spent: $38,200
* New debt on the credit card: $16,500
* Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710
* Total budget cuts so far: $3.85
Got It ?????
OK, now Lesson # 2: Here's another way to look at the Debt Ceiling:
Let's say, You come home from work and find there has been a sewer backup in your neighborhood....and your home has sewage all the way up to your ceilings.
What do you think you should do ......
Raise the ceilings, or get rid of the shit?
Your choice is coming November 6, 2012.


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Regional Focus
Clearing the hurdles
India's efforts to improve its access to Afghan and Central Asian markets would appear to be bearing fruit – thanks to its support for Chabahar as a gateway. The latest negotiations were positive. more
Ongoing transformation
There are opportunities to develop new transport connections in Central Asia, located as it is in the triangle between China, Turkey and Iran. Nikolaus Kohler, Militzer & Münch's director for the Middle East / Central Asia, elaborated thereon in a conversation with Christian... more
Hello, private enterprise!
The recent nomination of a new executive railfreight team showed that there was something afoot in Transnet (see also ITJ Daily of 24 May 2016). Now the government in Pretoria wants to allow private investors to put money into the state-owned transport firm. more
Cool storage called for
Inadequate warehousing facilities for agricultural produce are said to cost food production in Africa 40% of its output. This state of affairs has prompted the Agra alliance and the Indian agrochemical manufacturer UPL to support the continent's farmers with a project. more
Private operators
The reality in many a port in India has not been able to keep pace with state promises for improvement. There are promising approaches propagated by private operators, such as Adani or Essar Ports, who are developing multimodal and international solutions. more
To Bangkok by road
A new overland connection was recently established between Singapore and the Thai capital Bangkok by the Bolloré corporation. The French logistics enterprise said that the objective of the exercise is to provide customers with a door-to-door options for consignments encompassing... more
Hub with a future
On 30 March Tanger Med and APM Terminals signed an important contract which awarded the concession to run a new terminal in Tanger Med II to APMT. The centre will be Africa's first automated terminal. more
Tunisia at a turning point
The countries of he Maghreb, and Tunisia in particular, plan to develop new routes to overcome the challenging economic situation. Habib Bouricha, managing director of Tunis-based Tandem Logistics, presented his views to the ITJ. more
«Rapidly achieve critical mass»
Royal Air Maroc Cargo is the Moroccan airfreight market leader. Freight director Amine El Farissi outlines how RAM Cargo – the abbreviated name of the fully-owned subsidiary of the state-owned national carrier, which operates a fleet of 53 aircraft – plans to continue to grow in... more
A year of jubilees
Militzer & Münch, based in St Gallen (Switzerland), has good reason to celebrate. In addition to its branch in Morocco, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, M & M France has been around for 40 years and M & M Tunisia for 20. The ITJ's Jutta Iten interviewed Olivier... more

subset: commoncrawl


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The nation's $300 billion private truck market is thriving. In fact, three out of every four Class 4 through Class 8 trucks on U.S. roads today are from private fleets, operated by such household names as Pepsico, Coca-Cola, Sysco, Wal-Mart, U.S. Foods, and Halliburton.
The private fleet market share of all outbound freight has jumped markedly in recent years. According to a new benchmarking survey by the National Private Truck Council (NPTC), private fleets captured a 78 percent share of all outbound movements in 2013, up 10 percent from 2012.
In addition to outbound, private fleets are gaining market share of inbound freight—40 percent in 2013, up from the 31 percent in 2011. In the meantime, the top 500 private fleets have grown their vehicle count by 50 percent over the past 10 year, according to the NPTC survey.
"The vehicle count alone would suggest that private fleets are the largest sector of the trucking industry and are growing and prospering as a group," says Gary Petty, NPTC president and CEO, who adds that two-thirds of private fleet managers say they plan to grow their fleets in the coming years.
For example, Orgill, the world's largest independent hardware distributor, has 300 drivers today, compared with 180 a decade ago. That private fleet helped support $1.6 billion in sales last year—a whopping increase from its $200 million in revenue in 1992. Orgill operates a private fleet of more than 200 Class 8 trucks.
According to Petty, there are three major reasons why companies like Orgill are able to see this level of growth with the help of a well managed private fleet operation. "It allows them to gain direct control of transportation capacity on demand, control costs, and provide consistently high levels of service," adds Petty.
In LM's annual analysis of the private trucking sector, we'll examine the mounting challenges facing private fleets, disclose some tips and strategies that the best fleets are using to overcome roadblocks, and unlock the cost/benefit equations realized from operating a tightly-managed, modern private fleet.
Mounting challenges
Capacity is at the top of most shippers' minds these days. The nation's for-hire fleets are operating roughly the same number of trucks as they were in 2008 before the recession wreaked havoc on the industry.
Since then, for-hire fleets have rebuilt capacity, albeit cautiously. However, fleets can only expand incrementally these days due to the fact that compliant drivers are scarce and cost more. Making matters even more challenging on the driver front, the Obama administration continues to crack down on unsafe drivers through tougher enforcement and by heaping more regulations on fleets—and it's expected to get worse.
Thomas Albrecht, trucking analyst for BB&T Capital Markets, estimates that the newest mandate of electronic logging devices (ELDs) required on all trucks by 2016 will cause company drivers to lose about 3 percent to 4 percent in miles, with owner-operators likely to suffer a 5 percent to 8 percent hit. "ELDs will make it nearly impossible to cheat on a driver's hours of service," says Albrecht.
Because private fleets already have ELDs, their productivity hit from the new rule will be minimal. "That goes hand in hand with a private fleet's ability to absorb and adapt to changes in regulations and enforcement," says Albrecht, "which have been coming at breakneck speeds toward all trucking operators in the past decade."
According to the NPTC, the No. 1 challenge for private fleets is change and the rapid pace of that change. There are emission changes, changes in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requirements, and changes in the driver landscape and pay.
Even though the best private fleets are adapting to these changes, they're hardly immune from their effects. But private fleets do appear to be a step ahead when it comes to embracing technology as well as in their ability to utilize drivers as a strategic part of their operations.
"Certainly a big part of what we do is deliver product," says Doug Sanford, vice president of distribution for The Britt Hunt Co., the largest distributor of Hunt Brothers Pizza. Its fleet of 77 professional drivers and 25 professional sellers operate 103 vehicles—mostly Class 6 trucks or smaller—in an area covering 14 states, delivering a line of products and services designed for convenience stores.
"It's important to note that our dedicated people are more than just delivery drivers," says Sanford, "they're company representatives striving to bring additional value to their customers beyond just the product."
Tips and strategies
Overall, the key to operating a successful private fleet is a professional and well-trained transportation team that can measure its performance against the best of their peers.
"The best private fleets are testing every route and every run to make sure that the application of a private fleet is the right choice," says NPTC's Petty. "If it isn't, it makes no sense to operate in that particular lane or region."
Most private fleets are "blended operations," made up of a mixture of private and for-hire capacity, while many fleets also have for-hire operating authority. In fact, nearly two of every three private fleets have for-hire authority, a percentage that has stayed roughly the same over the past four years.
Another strategy private fleets use to boost efficiency is the use of "slip-seating," or assigning more than one driver to a piece of equipment. This technique allows one driver to haul a load to a certain destination, and then allows another driver to take over, adding up to better equipment utilization and faster service. Sixty-nine percent of NPTC survey respondents say that they're using this technique for at least a portion of their fleet, while 23 percent say that they slip-seated their entire fleet.
Reducing empty miles, a goal of any trucking operation, is another technique that the best fleets use to mitigate their costs. Last year, private fleets reported a significant reduction in empty miles, down to 21.5 percent of overall miles traveled. That's a dramatic decrease from the 30 percent of overall miles reported just four years ago. Most large, for-hire TL fleets now report empty miles in the 11 percent to 13 percent range, depending on seasonality and other factors.
Private van fleets reported 17.5 percent empty miles, while reefer fleets reported 22 percent. Even private fleet flatbed and bulk operations, which traditionally have tough challenges on backhaul lanes, had empty miles of 27.5 and 21 percent, respectively. "That's a very dramatic and positive trend," Petty says.
According to the NPTC survey, the best-run private fleet operators say that they have three components in place that help them achieve long-term success: A cultural commitment and the support of upper management; a sound business model that allows command and control of capacity to make a company's product or services seamless for the customer; and a tactical execution of trucking's "blocking and tackling."
Benefits abound
The benefits of a successful private fleet are many, but most are associated with delivering higher levels of customer service and branding.
However, the best private fleets do more than provide top-notch service for their companies. Increasingly, they're being used as leverage against for-hire carrier service and pricing. Some 71 percent of respondents in the NPTC benchmarking survey said that they use their fleet as such a hedge, up from 51 percent five years ago.
And those private fleets appear to be operating much more safely than their for-hire brethren. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimates that private fleets are operating about three times more safely than the for-hire side. In an era when jury award in wrongful death trucking lawsuits can exceed $20 million, that is money in the bank. The primary reasons for such safe operations are newer equipment and better-trained and more experienced drivers.
The most recent report from the American Trucking Associations has for-hire truckload driver turnover in the 95 percent annual range; however, driver turnover among private fleets is around 10 percent. According to the NPTC survey, there's no secret to this.
Private fleet drivers are paid more, an average of $62,163 in 2013—up more than $2,000 from the previous year. Starting pay is around $50,000, but jumps up to an average of $61,545 in three years. Maximum pay for private fleet drivers was $71,733, up more than $4,000 from the previous year's maximum, and about $10,000 more than the non-union average in the for-hire sector.
When considering these better wages, it's important to keep in mind that a typical private fleet driver spends 35 percent to 40 percent of his time devoted to non-driving functions, such as being at stores, DCs, or delivering product face-to-face and interacting with external and internal customers. Those are skills that go well beyond operating a truck and would be hard to replicate in the open market when shippers are buying capacity.
So, even as the best private fleets operate as a balancing act between cost and service, the best private fleet managers say those costs can be mitigated. In an era of tightening supply and looming capacity shortages, private fleets appear to hold some key advantages.


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The New Art of Simpits
Simulated cockpits, or simpits, were once a very marginal interest. Train and plane buffs recreated cockpits and dashboards of their favorite vehicles. Now with the advent of excellent working flight simulation software mounted on PCs, a simpit would be more interactive and not just a sculpture. They became working simulations. One could make all that cool switchology and blinky actually do something.
The depth and finish on these simpits is astounding. They have a soul. They are works of art. Folk art, yes. But art.
Now there are entire galleries of these folk art.
Some folks build synthetic sims from the ground up.
Others take salvaged cockpits from vintage or scrap planes and wire them up with digital juice.
Some guys build them in their bedroom. There's a decent interview with the designer and creator of this 747 cockpit.
Yes, of course there is a home-built cockpit user/builder community and blog: Simpits International.


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January 25, 2002
Dear children! At this time while you are still looking back to the past year I call you, little children, to look deeply into your heart and to decide to be closer to God and to prayer. Little children, you are still attached to earthly things and little to spiritual life. May my call today also be an encouragement to you to decide for God and for daily conversion. You cannot be converted, little children, if you do not abandon sins and do not decide for love towards God and neighbor. Thank you for having responded to my call.
February 25, 2002
Dear children! In this time of grace, I call you to become friends of Jesus. Pray for peace in your hearts and work for your personal conversion. Little children, only in this way will you be able to become witnesses of peace and of the love of Jesus in the world. Open yourselves to prayer so that prayer becomes a need for you. Be converted, little children, and work so that as many souls as possible may come to know Jesus and His love. I am close to you and I bless you all. Thank you for having responded to my call.
March 18, 2002 Annual apparition to Mirjana
This year several thousand pilgrims gathered to pray the Rosary, which began at 8:45 a.m. at the Cenacolo Community in Medjugorje. The apparition lasted from 9:27 a.m. to 9:34 a.m. and Our Lady gave the following message.
"Dear children, as a mother I implore you, open your heart and offer it to me, and fear nothing. I will be with you and will teach you how to put Jesus in the first place. I will teach you to love Him and to belong to Him completely. Comprehend, dear children, that without my Son there is no salvation. You should become aware that He is your beginning and your end. Only with this awareness can you be happy and merit eternal life. As your mother I desire this for you. Thank you for having responded to my call." (Mirjana 03/18/2002)
March 25, 2002
Dear children! Today I call you to unite with Jesus in prayer. Open your heart to Him and give Him everything that is in it: joys, sorrows and illnesses. May this be a time of grace for you. Pray, little children, and may every moment belong to Jesus. I am with you and I intercede for you. Thank you for having responded to my call.
April 25, 2002
Dear children! Rejoice with me in this time of spring when all nature is awakening and your hearts long for change. Open yourselves, little children, and pray. Do not forget that I am with you and I desire to take you all to my Son that He may give you the gift of sincere love towards God and everything that is from Him. Open yourselves to prayer and seek a conversion of your hearts from God; everything else He sees and provides. Thank you for having responded to my call.
May 25, 2002
Dear children! Today I call you to put prayer in the first place in your life. Pray and may prayer, little children, be a joy for you. I am with you and intercede for all of you, and you, little children, be joyful carriers of my messages. May your life with me be joy. Thank you for having responded to my call.
June 25, 2002
Dear children! Today I pray for you and with you that the Holy Spirit may help you and increase your faith, so that you may accept even more the messages that I am giving you here in this holy place. Little children, comprehend that this is a time of grace for each of you; and with me, little children, you are secure. I desire to lead you all on the way of holiness. Live my messages and put into life every word that I am giving you. May they be precious to you because they come from heaven. Thank you for having responded to my call.
June 25, 2002 Annual apparition to Ivanka
The apparition lasted 6 minutes. Ivanka had the apparition at home in the presence of her family, her husband and her three children. Our Lady gave the following message:
"Dear Children, do not tire of prayer. Pray for peace, peace, peace." (Ivanka 06/25/2002)
Our Lady related to Ivanka some new details about her life. She gave us her motherly blessing. Our Lady was joyful.
July 25, 2002
Dear children! Today I rejoice with your patron saint and call you to be open to God's will, so that in you and through you, faith may grow in the people you meet in your everyday life. Little children, pray until prayer becomes joy for you. Ask your holy protectors to help you grow in love towards God. Thank you for having responded to my call.
August 25, 2002
Dear children! Also today I am with you in prayer so that God gives you an even stronger faith. Little children, your faith is small and you are not even aware how much, despite this, you are not ready to seek the gift of faith from God. That is why I am with you, little children, to help you comprehend my messages and put them into life. Pray, pray, pray and only in faith and through prayer your soul will find peace and the world will find joy to be with God. Thank you for having responded to my call.
September 25, 2002
Dear children! Also in this peaceless time, I call you to prayer. Little children, pray for peace so that in the world every person would feel love towards peace. Only when the soul finds peace in God, it feels content and love will begin to flow in the world. And in a special way, little children, you are called to live and witness peace – peace in your hearts and families – and, through you, peace will also begin to flow in the world. Thank you for having responded to my call.
October 25, 2002
Dear children! Also today I call you to prayer. Little children, believe that by simple prayer miracles can be worked. Through your prayer you open your heart to God and He works miracles in your life. By looking at the fruits, your heart fills with joy and gratitude to God for everything He does in your life and, through you, also to others. Pray and believe little children, God gives you graces and you do not see them. Pray and you will see them. May your day be filled with prayer and thanksgiving for everything that God gives you. Thank you for having responded to my call.
November 25, 2002
Dear children! I call you also today to conversion. Open your heart to God, little children, through Holy Confession and prepare your soul so that little Jesus can be born anew in your heart. Permit Him to transform you and lead you on the way of peace and joy. Little children, decide for prayer. Especially now, in this time of grace, may your heart yearn for prayer. I am close to you and intercede before God for all of you. Thank you for having responded to my call.
December 25, 2002
Dear children! This is a time of great graces, but also a time of great trials for all those who desire to follow the way of peace. Because of that, little children, again I call you to pray, pray, pray, not with words but with the heart. Live my messages and be converted. Be conscious of this gift that God has permitted me to be with you, especially today when in my arms I have little Jesus – the King of Peace. I desire to give you peace, and that you carry it in your hearts and give it to others until God's peace begins to rule the world. Thank you for having responded to my call.
December 25, 2002 Annual apparition to Jakov
The apparition began at 5:20 pm and lasted 7 minutes. Our Lady gave the following message:
"Dear children! Today, on the day of love and peace, with Jesus in my arms, I call you to prayer for peace. Little children, without God and prayer you cannot have peace. Therefore, little children, open your heart so that the King of Peace may be born in your heart. Only in this way you can witness and carry God's peace to this peaceless world. I am with you and bless you with my motherly blessing." (Jakov 12/25/2002)


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- You Are Here:
- Home
- Government
- City Departments
City Departments
Elgin residents and businesses are served by various City departments and divisions that provide a wide variety of programs and services related to public safety, health, quality of life and community vitality.
Access more information about various departments by clicking on the heading.
Elgin 311 is the centralized Contact Center for all things non-emergency. 311 Advocates are available by phone, email or through Elgin 311 mobile app to answer questions or process service requests. The 311 Contact Center is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Building Maintenance
The Building Maintenance Department strives to provide a level of maintenance that allows City-owned buildings to be used productively, safely, comfortably, and economically.
City Clerk
The City Clerk's Office manages and maintains all City records. This office coordinates FOIA responses from the City, processes liquor license applications and manages City boards and commissions. The City Clerk is an appointed position that serves as the clerk to the City Council and is the local election official.
Code Compliance
The Code Compliance team places an emphasis on achieving voluntary code compliance through education, communication, and cooperation. The code compliance division is part of the Department of Neighborhood Services.
Community Development
Community Development is responsible for land use administration, planning services and transportation planning.
The Engineering Division provides plan review, permitting, and inspection services for a variety of projects in order to ensure conformance with city standards and specifications. Engineering also oversees the City's major capital infrastructure projects. This division is part of the Department of Public Services.
The Finance Department manages the City's financial operations in an effective, courteous, and efficient manner. Staff ensures economical and quality governmental service through proper execution of debt issuance, accounting, investments, payments, business licensing, billing and collections.
The Elgin Fire Department is dedicated to providing a safe community through prevention and mitigation of emergencies in a professional and caring manner.
Human Resources
The Human Resources Department is charged with ensuring the City has a competent and diverse workforce dedicated to meeting the City's goals.
The mission of the Legal Department is to protect the assets, rights, health and welfare of the public by providing sound and effective legal counsel and services to Elgin's elected and appointed officers including the Mayor, members of the City Council, the City Manager and the City's operating departments and to ensure the legal integrity of the decisions and actions of the City.
Neighborhood Services
The Department of Neighborhood Services aims to strengthen and improve the quality of life in all of Elgin's neighborhoods by consolidating, centralizing and streamlining non-emergency services.
Parks and Recreation
The City of Elgin operates a full-service Parks and Recreation Department, and does not have a park district. The department strives to create community through people, parks, and programs.
The Elgin Police Department is dedicated to working in partnership with the community to promote safety and enhance the quality of life by serving with professionalism, encouraging open communication and embracing diversity.
Public Services
The Public Services Unit encompasses public works, engineering, land management, forestry and fleet services. PSU is responsible to maintain City property and buildings, as well as oversee major improvements for the City's water, sewer, streets and intersections.
Provides the City with efficient, effective and centralized acquisition of goods and services, working in partnership with vendors to serve the needs of the other City departments, and to effectively administer the Risk Management Program, seeking to minimize loss of dollars and productive employee time through loss control evaluation.
It is the mission of the Utilities Department to provide the community with safe, high quality drinking water at adequate pressure, reasonable cost, and in an effective manner 24 hours a day 365 days a year.


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Sent: 15 October 2012 19:58 Call for Papers Black Sexual Economies: Transforming Black Sexualities Research Black sexualities have been constructed as a site of sexual panic and pathology in U.S. culture. Viewed as a threat to normative ideas about sexuality, the family, and the nation, Black sexualities are intimately linked to and regulated by political and socioeconomic discourses and institutions. In fact, as legal scholar Adrienne Davis shows, slavery provided the foundation for modern "Black sexual economies," as it made explicit the links between markets, labor structure, and sexual exploitation, and the false dichotomy between notions of public and private relations. Slavery rendered Black sexuality irrevocably deviant, and at the same time produced economies of desire and flesh that made Black sexual deviance desirable, accessible, and even profitable. In light of the historical and continuing forces of commodification, exploitation, and appropriation of Black sexuality and Black bodies, Black people have struggled to represent, recuperate, and re-imagine their own sexualities. Despite the dynamic ways that Black people attempt to define and negotiate their own gender and sexual identities, practices, and communities, there has been a paucity of scholarship examining Black sexual economies. While research on Black sexuality has interrogated the powerful traumas, silences, and invisibilities that influence sexuality within the Black community, Black Sexualities scholarship still has work to do to untangle the complex mechanisms of dominance and subordination as they are attached to political and socioeconomic forces, cultural productions, and our own academic lenses. The Black Sexual Economies Project and The Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Work and Social Capital at Washington University invites papers that advance cutting edge scholarship in the field for its international conference Black Sexual Economies: Transforming Black Sexualities Research, September 27-28, 2013 at Washington University School of Law in Saint Louis, Missouri. Topics and Themes may include: Queer of Color critique Black Feminisms and Black Sexualities Critical Race studies and Black sexuality Critical Legal studies and Black sexuality Gender Theory and Sexuality Black Sexuality and Performance Black Sexual Historiography Black Sexual Genealogies Black Sexuality and Eroticism in film, art, literature, music, television, gaming, or digital/online technologies Black Sexuality in Popular Culture Black Sexual Icons Black Bodies and Aesthetics Black Sexual Revolution Black/White/Latino/Asian Inter(sex)zones Black Love and Intimacy Black Sexual Labors and Sex Work Black Sexual Undergrounds Pornography, Erotica, or Obscenity African Diasporic/Transnational frameworks Neoliberalism and Black Sexuality Black Sexual Cartographies and Space Black Sexuality and Class Black Sexual Social Movements Black Sexuality and the Environment Sexuality and the Black church or Religion Black Sexuality and the Prison Industrial Complex Submit individual paper abstracts (350 words max), bio (150 words max), and 1-2 page CV to firstname.lastname@example.com<mailto:email@example.com>. Deadline: December 15, 2012. Website: http://law.wustl.edu/centeris/pages.aspx?id=7848
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Star Wars: The Complete Saga deleted scenes trailer
Check this sweetness out - A trailer for the deleted scenes from the upcoming release of the Complete Saga this year. Another cool thing is, if you pre-order this baby, then you get a cool piece of 35mm film from the okayish Episode III: Revenge of The Sith. BEHOLD: The… Read more →


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The Proverbial Cat
Full description:A short story by Norman S Pugh of approximately 483 words.
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text:
After falling for five consecutive years, the number of violent crimes across the United States rose by 1.2% in 2012. Based on data published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the increase was even greater in some of America's largest cities. In 2012, for the third year in a row, Flint, Michigan had the highest violent crime rate in the country.
According to the FBI, violent crime includes murder, nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. In some cases, the cities with the highest violent crime rate, including Flint and Oakland, had high rates in all four categories. However, most of the most violent cities tend to do very poorly only in a few categories. Based on the FBI Uniform Crime Report, these are the 10 most dangerous cities in America.
Click here to see the 10 most dangerous cities
Crime in these cities is typically not limited to just violent crime. Three cities — Birmingham, St. Louis and Oakland — were among the 10 worst cities in the nation for both violent crime and property crime. In some of the most dangerous cities, specific types of property crime were especially common. Flint and Cleveland had among the highest burglary rates, while Oakland, Detroit and St. Louis had among the highest rates of vehicle theft.
The economies of many of the most dangerous cities have been in bad shape for years, in some cases long before the Great Recession. The populations of many of the most dangerous cities declined, leaving behind highly impoverished urban centers. The loss of economic diversity, explained John Roman, senior fellow at the Urban institute, only serves to exacerbate crime in cities like Detroit, Flint, Cleveland and St. Louis.
In fact, all the 10 most dangerous cities had poverty rates above the national rate of 15.9% in 2011. In half of these cities, more than 30% of the population lived in poverty. Detroit and Flint had poverty rates of more than 40%. "It is very clear that poverty in particular is associated with higher crime rates," explained Roman.
However, the relationship between the two is less certain. It is "very difficult to say whether crime makes places poorer, or poverty causes more crime," Roman noted.
In many of the nation's most dangerous cities, unemployment is also extremely high. Seven of the 10 cities with the highest levels of violent crime had unemployment rates above 10% in 2012, much higher than the national unemployment rate of 8.1% that year. In two cities, Detroit and Stockton, the unemployment rate was more than 18% last year.
Low educational attainment also goes hand-in-hand with high crime rates. In all of the 10 most dangerous cities, the percentage of adults with a high school diploma was below the 86% national average. In five of these metro areas, the percentage of adults with a diploma was below 80%.
On its website, the FBI instructs readers to avoid comparing city violence because rankings tend to be simplistic and ignore factors that influence crime, as well as the different ways crimes are measured and reported. For this reason, Roman cautioned against directly comparing cities based on their individual crime rates. However, because the cities with the highest and lowest violent crime rates have remained consistent for many years, he believes comparing city ranks was useful.
Based on the FBI's Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 10 U.S. cities with populations of 100,000 or more with the highest rates of violent crime per 100,000 residents. Using estimated populations and crime incidents from the FBI, which measures incidents of eight types of violent and nonviolent crime for 2012, 24/7 Wall St. calculated the incidence of the four types of violent crime per 100,000 persons for that year: murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. In addition to crime data, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed median income and poverty rates for these cities from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey for 2011, the most recent available year. We also included average 2012 unemployment rates for these cities from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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The one good thing that Obama has done for the American public over the past four years can be summarized by the title of a popular book that was published a number of years ago, "Who moved my Cheese?" which addressed appropriate responses to changing circumstances.
This book, in a nutshell, shares with its readers how to deal with change in our lives, choosing alternatives based on a truthful assessment and understanding of our ever-changing reality and environment.
Obama has done little to bring us all closer to a common understanding of how to deal with change in today's global environment. By investing all of his energy in attempting to bring us closer to his truth, Obama has inadvertently made us keenly aware that those who routinely wait for a hand-out in life are those that will never understand that fate is not one's destiny and where we start is not where we finish.
Obama knows how to connect to the worst instincts of the American public, gaining political support by inspiring blame and envy, dividing Americans and refuting the belief that America is the land of opportunity.
"Once, long ago in a land far away, there lived four little characters that ran through a maze looking for cheese to nourish them and make them happy. The mice used their good instincts to search for the type of cheese that they liked and the little people used their brains filled with beliefs and emotions to find a different type of cheese that would make them happy and successful. One day all four happened upon the same place in the maze that contained a large amount of cheese and they settled in to enjoy their find.
"Hem and Haw felt very successful and secure that they would never have to search for cheese again. After some time had elapsed, they became so arrogant about their success that they didn't realize what was happening. The cheese had been getting smaller each day until it was completely gone. Sniff and Scurry were prepared and knew instinctively to leave and find more cheese, but Hem and Haw thought that it would last forever and that they would never have to change anything.
"When Hem and Haw arrived the next morning and discovered there was no more cheese, He yelled, "Who moved my cheese?" Haw, on the other hand, didn't want to hear it, he didn't want to deal with it and shook his head in disbelief. While Sniff and Scurry had moved on to find new cheese, Hem and Haw continued to hem and haw. Discouraged they both went home that night hungry, hoping the next day when they returned that everything would be back the way it was before……."
Last month, as Obama officially began his re-election campaign, he made a speech at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida in which he defined what he called "the defining issue of our time".
The defining issue, as far as Obama is concerned, is that America has ceased to be a fair and just society. He continues and states that America suffers from "a shrinking number of people who are doing really, really well, but a growing number who are struggling to get by." Obama claimed unequivocally that "ours is not a nation in which everybody gets a fair shot and everybody does a fair share, and everybody plays by the same set of rules."
When you think about it, it seems somewhat ironic, and I am talking major league here, that Obama, the first ever elected black American President, claims that America is not the land of opportunity, where dreams can be achieved and realized, nor does he give meaning or value to a nation where the son of a Kenyan tribesman can reach the highest office of the land.
You know, when I was in high school, we learned that societies that decide how to distribute the wealth of it citizens or seize control of the wealth of others and redistribute according to governmental dictates, are societies that do not value economic freedom, nor individual initiative, and are basically societies that do not value human rights.
Obama, the first ever elected black American President, claims that America is not the land of opportunity, where dreams can be achieved and realized.
Focusing in on the redistribution of wealth issue is nothing more than a clever distraction from the real problems that are a result of Obama's ineffective decision making concerning economic and financial issues.
Back in 2009, Obama told the American public that the $900 billion in stimulus spending would revive the American economy and reduce unemployment to 6 percent. Three years later, the economy is still sputtering along, unable to lower unemployment below 8.2 percent, which in the real world, where many have stopped looking for work altogether, the real unemployment rate is 15 %.
This past week, the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows Mitt Romney earning 50% of the vote and President Obama attracting 43% support. Four percent (4%) would vote for a third party candidate, while another three percent (3%) are undecided.
This is the first time Romney has reached the 50% level of support and is his largest lead ever over the president. What we can expect in response to this emerging trend is not in line with "Who moved my Cheese", but in line with more and more distractions in the form of political expediency, such as same-sex marriages, or hitting on Romney's High School pranks.
The American public is genuinely concerned with the economy and the possibility that the situation will get still worse before it gets better. Raising social issues as a pretext and distraction so as to avoid taking responsibility will backfire and leave past supporters of Obama out in the cold.
Obama's lack of ability to do something effective is the real problem.


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Retreat Facilities,
Spa & Wellness Center, Bio-Dynamic Farm
North Georgia Mountains between Helen, Blue Ridge, Blairsville, Hiawassee and Young Harris Georgia
Enota is the perfect mountain escape to spend time with your friends and family. Enota is a non-profit conservation facility committed to preserving our beautiful land with a number of accommodations including vacation rental cabins, full hook-up RV camping sites, pop-up and tent camping sites and a Retreat Center for conferences, groups, events and seminars. Enota is rated to be in the top 100 camping destinations in the country.
Enota located at the highest private elevation in Georgia in a lush valley among the highest mountains in North Georgia, in the shadow of Brasstown Bald whose elevation is 4780'! Enota is centrally located between White, Union & Towns counties and the towns of Helen, Blairsville, Hiawassee & Young Harris.
ENOTA'S MOST RECENT MAGAZINE REVIEWS - Click Here
All the delicate beauty of nature has been preserved with four breathtaking waterfalls, five bubbling streams, and two trout ponds. We are surrounded on all sides by the mountains of the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Drop by the beautiful old restored Lodge and share the warmth from the huge stone fireplace and shop in Enota's fair-trade gift shop. Enjoy the quiet nature of Enota's sixty acres by relaxing in near the cool refreshing flow of gentle waters and soothing ponds. Get to know new friends or spend quiet moments with loved ones.
Enota's entire property is natural with a 10 acre bio-dynamic garden and farm. In our commitment to sustainability, we raise chickens from which we get our own eggs. We also have miniature horses, a couple of cows, goats, rabbits and ducks. Enota offers a number of fun kid's activities including animal feeding, farm tours, (3) in-ground trampolines, playing in the streams, fishing, hay rides, bonfires, and more - see our fun activities link.
Enota can accommodate up to 250 people for seminars, workshops, all types of retreats, camps, weddings, festivals, and most other gatherings.
On site
activities include:
Check Availability and Book On-Line!
Check the Weather in Hiawassee
Letters from Enota Guests:
My experience in Enota was unforgettable! There is magic in the air!! The well kept grounds made for easy access to excellent trails. The 200 foot waterfall is my favorite place to hangout. During the early hours of the day I was able to light a fire by the cabin and enjoy my meditation by the fire, an unforgettable experience. Spirit, the dog, adopted me and became my guide for the whole time I was there. What a sweetie!! The staff was very attentive to our comfort responding immediately to our request for more chairs.
I will definitely come back and take new friends and family to experience the beauty of the Georgian Hills at Enota.
I also want to thank Swan, the owner, for the attention and kindness towards our group.
This place is absolutely gorgeous!!! We had a blast hiking to the waterfalls, touring the farm and garden, and playing in the creek. Justin at the farm let my girls, pet the goats, and search the chicken coop for eggs. Everyone was really friendly and helpful. The kids loved the in-ground trampolines. Can't wait to return!
Brandi & Dan, Georgia
Sally & Timothy, Tennessee
Enota is beautiful and peaceful. The streams give a soothing sound and the waterfalls are beautiful. The staff is also warm, friendly and giving. Overall I was glad I went and would recommend Enota to anyone wanting a peaceful getaway.
Tania, Georgia
My wife and I were searching the internet for a
When we left Enota
yesterday, although it was our first time staying there, we felt like we
were leaving an old friend.
Enota Mountain Retreat is one of our favorite places to camp in Georgia. The sense of family and friendship were evident the moment I first walked into the registration office. There were no strangers, as we got to know the folks that worked there on a first name basis. My children thought the idea of planting the crops, chickens laying their eggs,and feeding the farm animals was very neat! We live in the larger city setting (between Tampa and St. Petersburg), so to see this done first hand was somewhat of an educational experience for them. To myself and my family... it was a great attraction because the land was kept natural and clean, and being able to camp among that setting was very peaceful.
My family and I (and our friends that we normally camp with) are all hoping to visit Enota again in the future. We haven't found many places that are as peaceful and unique as Enota is.
Shepherd Family, Florida
We first visited Enota in the Spring. It was such a great experience, we spent our honeymoon there a few
years later. We were so inspired by what your organization is
doing, we actually named our dog Enota. Enota is helping people
re-connect with nature, the land and our earth. This awareness is
so important to the survival of the human race. Your retreat
offers people a place to reflect upon and connect with what is truly
We live in a world where it is rare to see a place that embodies peace and selfless intention. Enota is one of places. It was apparent from my first visit that the purpose of Enota was to offer a safe and friendly place for people to experience nature, to help preserve that nature and to teach by example that we can live in harmony with the earth.
Unfortunately, we are not overrun with places like Enota. In the many years that I have been camping, I've not found any place in the country that comes even close. Enota is a place of hope, peace and harmony.
Cynthia Schaefer, Florida
The hikes to the waterfalls are breathtaking and the farm adventures for our children were very educational as they learned how to milk and feed the baby goat.
We have made everlasting memories at Enota and have encouraged our Atlanta friends to come and escape their busy lives. God has blessed this land and the garden looks great.
The Pylant Family, Georgia
Thanks everyone for your love and sharing and the peace here. I have renewed and even my psoriasis is better from the fresh mountain air and water.
Laurie Runnals, New Hampshire
Enota is beautiful! We had a great weekend. We enjoyed playing in your creeks, admiring the waterfalls, the breathtaking untouched nature trails and awesome staff. Feeding the fish in the pond was just as much FUN for me as it was the kids!
We rode out the storms in our tent...this is what memories are made of...and we took a lot of them (memories) back home with us.
The Sellers Family, Georgia
I just returned home from Enota and want you to know how much I enjoyed my stay. It took a couple of days to get in lower gear to just enjoy the peacefulness, but the solitude of my campsite this past week was something I certainly needed. The staff was helpful and the people I met were fun and enjoyable. I appreciated your facilities and also enjoyed riding the beautiful North Georgia mountains. I hope to return again this year.
Thanks again,
Tony, Tennessee
Growing up in Atlanta, I have always
been drawn to the North Georgia Mountains. I was thrilled to find Enota
Mountain Retreat right in the heart of the most beautiful part of
Georgia, just a stones throw from Brass Town Bald and Helen. The
campground is so inviting with streams and waterfalls right in the camp.
I think almost every tent site and most of the cabins are right next to
streams which makes for a wonderful night's sleep. Enota welcomes dogs,
and so my lab and I got to enjoy the streams and the trails, even hiking
up to the Appalachian Trail which skirts the campground to the south.
I will definitely be back!
Emu, Georgia
It was a "find" to discover you on the Internet. It was a blessing to enjoy the peaceful surroundings and the beauties of nature.
We wish you peace & joy every day.
Georgiana & Larry, Florida
What a beautiful place - such harmony with nature. This is our first trip here and we will be back.
The Corbin Family, Georgia
We just returned from a five-day stay at Enota and had the best time of our lives. The babbling creeks, autumn leaves and waterfalls were spectacular. The cabin was warm and cozy and the staff was loving and welcoming.
I'm so glad we found you!
The Burmeisters, Florida
This is my second trip to Enota and I have to say that this is by far the best place around. I grow tired of commercialized tourist areas. Enota has a great natural setting and the streams and waterfalls are very inspiring. Everyone makes us feel welcome and I will keep spreading the word and bringing more friends and family for years to come.
Many Thanks
The Waddell Family, Georgia
Wow!! No other words to express our thanks to you and your wonderful environment at Enota. It's almost addictive. The air, the streams, the animals, the country store, the friendly atmosphere........ I could go on and on.
This is the best family experience you could have. The serenity and the absolute beautiful surroundings are truly amazing. You really do feel loved here. I wholeheartedly recommend this nature wonderland to everyone. The only thing I could find to complain about was leaving. We did not want to leave.
The friendly staff are to be commended for their tireless efforts in running and maintaining such a wonderful facility.
Go to Enota. It's a lifetime experience you will never forget.
Phillip and Sherry, Alabama
From the Children.......
Enota is a fun place to be. We loved the trampolines. This is our fourth Labor Day weekend here. We will be back again next year. We love Enota........Kristin
This place is amazing. I had so much fun jumping on the trampolines. I thought this was the nicest place I had been on my trip. The dog Spirit was really nice to me. She lead me up to the waterfall. ......Kira
Camp Enota is an awesome place to camp. Camp Enota also has the kindest staff I've ever met. Overall I would love to come back to camp Enota any time......Stella
Camp Enota is a wonderful camp spot. The people are wonderful and wonderful people = great camp spot. I will tell all of my bunnyfriends about this place. Thank you.......Bernadette
Enota is a fun exciting place where there are many nice people. I hope to come back soon. Ever since I was five I have been coming here. A great environment for us and lot of things to do.......Keeko
We stayed four nights in the Bear's Den cabin last week and it was delightful. The mountain retreat is beautiful and we came away with a great sense of peace and tranquility. Thanks to everyone there and especially thanks to Spirit, the sweetest therapy dog on the planet, for being our loving companion and guide while there.
You are loved and blessed to be there.
The Lobos Family, Florida
We just returned from another great visit to Enota. We had our 4 year old granddaughter with us this time and she had a blast. She loved the animals, (especially Spirit the guide dog) the playground and the streams. She was never bored the whole time we were there. We took her on the waterfall hikes and she loved that. The weather was great. We will be returning next time with the other two grandkids. Thank you once again for a great place to visit.
The Jordan Family, Florida
We traveled across the United States last summer and we feel Enota is the most beautiful campground of all. The staff are all so nice, helpful and hardworking. We will definitely be back to this heavenly place.
The Shaw Family, Florida
Enota is a special place where the family can come and enjoy God's beauty together. We have fun as a family and also get time to reflect privately about all the wonder life has to offer. We leave with a sense of peace and a feeling of renewal.
The Bassett Family, Georgia
You have a wonderful retreat and the Georgia mountains are great. There are so many places to visit and waterfalls to see and hikes to be made. On our visits we usually spend several days just wondering around Enota and enjoying the ducks, the streams, the animal farm, and just the atmosphere. We have made reservations for June to bring our grandson, it will be his first visit and our third. I am looking forward to it and I know that my grandson will enjoy it.
Thank you for a great place to visit.
Vicki & Dave, Florida
I recently spent the weekend at Enota. I live in the city and was wanting to get away and get some fresh air without having to drive very far. I had a memorable time there. The constant sound of the streams everywhere on the property was relaxing. The care taken to conserve the land is admirable. The staff was very helpful, friendly and genuine. I also enjoyed the healing massage. Enota was the place of refuge and peace that I needed to get back to myself! I have recommended it to all my friends.
I will be back!
Jamila, Georgia
I wanted to take a few moments and thank everyone there for the awesome time my cousin Carol and I had at Enota. We came as distant travelers and left with hugs from everyone. My heart and soul warmed while I was there and so much of me healed in the awesome display of Nature and the loving comfort you supply. You all are caretakers for a most incredible chunk of Nature. How blessed you are and how blessed that "chunk of Nature"! I thank you all for the incredible work you are doing!
We both had an awesome time there and even our massages were so very healing and full of a special blend of love and touch. Life can be so incredible and I can always know when I'm on a good path when I meet up with awesome people and healers. You have both at Enota!
Many Blessings to All of You!,
Laurie and Carol, New Hampshire
Katie, Jim, Emma, Clancy & Buddy, Florida
My stay at Enota was like pure medicine to my spirit, soul and body. When I came here I was spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically drained from the challenges of a long and stormy year. I was searching for a place of peace and quiet, and behold I found such a place here. The setting is superb for getting back to nature, and experiencing the presence of God, getting in touch with your inner self and enjoying nature. The sound of rolling waterfalls just renewed my spirit and soul.
I am already making plans to return next year. I recommend this place highly.
Pastor Billy Baskin, Florida
We stayed at the Seminole during
Thanksgiving week and had a wonderful experience and peaceful week.
The cabin was cozy and warm and the waterfalls were beautiful. We will
definitely be back. The
Forrest family, Florida
We stayed at the Seminole during Thanksgiving week and had a wonderful experience and peaceful week. The cabin was cozy and warm and the waterfalls were beautiful. We will definitely be back.
The Forrest family, Florida
We came to Enota for the
Thanksgiving week and had the feast at the lodge. The meal was
fantastic and more than we expected. This is a holiday that we will
remember for a long time. Kronenberg
family, Florida
We came to Enota for the Thanksgiving week and had the feast at the lodge. The meal was fantastic and more than we expected. This is a holiday that we will remember for a long time.
Kronenberg family, Florida
you very very much to all of you!! You made our Thanksgiving
holiday a very memorable experience. We'll definitely come back.
You are taking wonderful care or this beautiful retreat and
facility. I'll recommend it to my friends and family. Thank
you and happy holidays! The Khoury family, Florida
Thank you very very much to all of you!! You made our Thanksgiving holiday a very memorable experience. We'll definitely come back. You are taking wonderful care or this beautiful retreat and facility. I'll recommend it to my friends and family.
Thank you and happy holidays! The Khoury family, Florida
My family and I just returned home from a wonderful five day stay with Enota. We can't say enough about how pleased and happy we were with our stay. Our cabin
was comfortable, warm and cozy. The staff were friendly, helpful, and made us feel very welcomed. I especially want to mention
Javier who went beyond his duty with his helpfulness, patience, and instruction showing us the Enota farm animals and allowing us to get up close and friendly with them.
The waterfalls are beautiful and we felt Nature herself, embraced us while we stayed there. The little dog,
Spirit (so appropriately named), was an added treat as she became our hiking guide and fireside companion.
We left Enota with renewed spirits, minds, bodies, and hearts and we do look forward to our next visit.
We stayed at Enota last week and just wanted you to know what a great place you have there. Everyone was so polite and helpful and the cabin and scenery was excellent. We can't wait to return in the future. My wife and nine year old daughter especially loved feeding the animals with Javier and feeding the ducks and fish.
Thank You for a great vacation experience,
The Reeling Family, Michigan
My family and I spent last week in the "Seminole" cabin. It was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable vacations I have had in recent years. We all enjoyed hiking the trails, climbing the streams and smaller waterfalls and simply taking it easy on the porch. Sleep came easily to the sound of water rippling in the creek outside the window. The rustic cabin was clean and comfortable and had everything we needed to make our stay a pleasure.
We're looking forward to visiting again some day.
The Sweeney family, Florida
We just wanted to tell you what a great time we had this past weekend. The campground is beautiful, peaceful & serene. Our children had so much fun enjoying many firsts. We will definitely come back to visit again.
Thank you again,
Greg & Carol, Georgia
Enota...A magical sanctuary where you spirits will dance. The experience has enriched my life. We had a wonderful time and hope to return many times.
Karen & Frazier, Florida
We don't have enough words to thank you for your help, understanding, generosity, and caring during our stay at Enota. You have helped make our wedding day a spectacular memory. God's abundance overflowed as each of you gave of yourselves to share our love and commitment to each other. We are filled with love and appreciation to each of you at Enota.
Click & Dale, Mississippi
I'm back. I love the waterfalls, the hiking trails, the rustic beauty of the facilities - it's wonderful! This is a sacred place. I am at ease here. I feel like I am one with nature. Enota is right in the middle of everything for the avid hiker and nature lover. The staff is so pleasing and accommodating. This is a worship-full experience.
Jack, Alabama
We want to let you know what a fabulous time we had at Enota. Our lives have been stressed to the max over the past several months and a vacation was much needed. The reconnection with our spiritual energies has been a wonderful experience. Our minds, bodies and souls have been healed well at Enota. The energies of the people and of god's creation have filled us with a new strength.
Thanks for everything and may you all be blessed, healthy and strong in your life's path.
Sharon, Jessie, and Deborah
While stationed in Qatar in support of the war in Iraq, I discovered Enota as I was investigating vacation sites on-line. Technology is really a great resource when you're far from home. After telephone and email correspondences, my surprise reservation was in place. Once we arrived, it was nature at its best. Enota is a get-a-way with quiet, peaceful sounds of nature. The wooded paths along the rocky creeks, sounds of the waterfalls, ducks in the trout pond and animals on the small farm, all encompass a time of relaxation and rejuvenation. Our lodging at Enota has been an enriching and memorable experience, and we just wanted to share this with you and your future guests .
With sincerest thanks and best wishes,
Michael & Kimberly Humphries, Georgia
Click here for more testimonials
Mountain Retreat
Fax 706-896-4737
|Your contributions help Enota protect over 60 acres held in Trust for conservation. Enota is a service-based, charitable, educational, non-profit 501(c)3, volunteer organization. It is Enota's mission to conserve this sacred land for generations to come.


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Ferry Ticket / Bodinnick to Fowey
Printed on high quality heavyweight matt 250 gsm paper.
All prints are rolled neatly and carefully within tissue paper into a cardboard tube and posted to you within 4 days. Outside the UK this may take a very short while longer.
Please note that these are not framed prints. You will be purchasing just the print alone.


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Wall shelf
Ref: PR1250
Material: lacquered metal
Period: 90s
Size: H: 68 cm - W: 70 cm - D: 22 cm
Weight: 8 kg
About the product
This product is an original vintage item so there are signs of wear from use.
Price does NOT include delivery.
In order to calculate the shipping price, contact us and tell us the city where you want to receive the delivery and we will send you the transport cost information. For deliveries in and around Barcelona Capital, delivery is free of charge.
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Tasting Report: 2009 Cameron Hughes Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Lot 271
Monday, November 28, 2011
Cameron Hughes is the original American re-labeler who pioneered the art of bringing outstanding wines to consumers at a fraction of their original cost by working with wineries looking to shed excess finished wine inventory without tarnishing their brand. Over the past ten years they've expanded their endeavors into other labels and have become more involved with the winemaking progress. But the flagship "Lot Series" is where the majority of the action is and it's the wine we see around stores most frequently.
California's Russian River Valley in Sonoma County is one of the most prestigious appellations for Pinot Noir in America, so it's worth taking note of this bottling from Cameron Hughes. It is not necessarily the most consistent however, so as you're considering bottlings across appellations from a given producer be sure to sample wines from other areas. There's fantastic Pinot Noir being made in the Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley, Carneros, Santa Lucia Highlands, and the Santa Rita Hills in southern California to name a few.
2009 Cameron Hughes Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Lot 271
14.4% Alcohol
7,205 Cases Produced
$15 Release Price ($11.99 at Costco)
Medium bodied visually, the wine seemed impaired aromatically when I first opened it. However, after about 4 hours of breathing in the bottle it came around nicely. Varietally correct aromas and flavors for the appellation (the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County in California) - strawberries, black cherry, florals and a touch of cola. I'd like it more if it had more depth and intensity. It kind of hints in the right direction but fails to make a confident statement. That said - I like it a lot at the price point.
86/100 WWP: Very Good
Buy it directly from the Cameron Hughes website
Get other opinions on CellarTracker
Find it for sale on Wine-Searcher
Lots of reviews coming up in the next couple weeks here - I'd love it if you subscribed to the site to get regular updates!
Question of the Day: Have you tried this wine? If so - what did you think? Read more...


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Most acute wheezing episodes in preschool children lead to airway dehydration. Together with other factors, airway dehydration causes the body to have trouble clearing mucus. These children do not respond well to available treatments. A new study published in the journal Pediatrics evaluated the effect of administering inhaled hypertonic saline to wheezing preschool children, which promotes airway hydration and thus mucus clearance [1].
photo credit: MinivanNinja


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BOSTON — Oracle Corp. may soon fully transition away from the much-maligned, Flash-based version of its support portal over to a new HTML edition next week, according to an official blog post on Thursday.
Next Friday, July 13, the vendor will upgrade the HTML version of My Oracle Support "with additional functionality that will allow those users remaining on the Flash-based user interface to switch over to the HTML version," the post states. "Our goal is to provide a single-online support portal so that all My Oracle Support users can benefit from the same features and functionality."
Until that time, Oracle on Demand, CRM on Demand, Taleo and Configuration Manager users should keep using the Flash site, according to the post.
The HTML version offers a number of advantages, including a "streamlined, three-step process" for logging trouble tickets, improved personalization capabilities, and a "single, consistent workflow for both software and hardware incidents," Oracle said in the post.
With the switch to HTML5, Oracle is dropping support for Internet Explorer 6, the post adds.
Oracle first rolled out a Flash version of the portal in 2009, replacing the long-time Metalink site. This quickly spawned a backlash from some users, who complained of bugginess, poor performance and also questioned why Oracle would use Flash, since the platform's use is restricted within many corporate IT departments.
The company soon made a partial concession, announcing that an HTML option would be restored.
In January, Oracle rolled out a new version of the HTML site built with its ADF (Application Development Framework) toolset. The update coming next week is also built with ADF, which underpins Oracle's next-generation Fusion Applications as well.
Oracle had previously said that the HTML version eventually will entirely replace the Flash edition of the support site, but it wasn't immediately clear on Thursday how soon that final move would be made.
Oracle has been placing greater emphasis on support services of late, particularly for its "engineered systems" such as Exadata and Exalogic. Last month, co-president Mark Hurd unveiled a new set of Platinum services for those products and a number of others.
The services, which are provided at no additional charge on top of a customer's existing support agreement, include features such as five-minute response times for Severity 1 issues and 24/7 fault monitoring.


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Diet 'linked' to low sperm counts
- Published
A diet high in saturated fat has been linked with a reduced sperm count.
A study of 99 men attending a US fertility clinic found those eating junk food diets had poorer sperm quality.
High intakes of omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and plant oils, were associated with higher sperm concentration.
More work is needed to confirm the findings, the researchers report in the journalHuman Reproduction.
The team, led by Prof Jill Attaman from Harvard Medical School in Boston, questioned men about their diet and analysed sperm samples over the course of four years.
Compared with those eating the least fat, men with the highest fat intake had a 43% lower sperm count and 38% lower sperm concentration (number of sperm per unit volume of semen).
Men consuming the most omega-3 fatty acids had sperm with a more normal structure than men with the lowest intake.
Prof Attaman said: "The magnitude of the association is quite dramatic and provides further support for the health efforts to limit consumption of saturated fat given their relation with other health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease."
However, 71% of participants were overweight or obese, which could have had an impact on sperm quality. Furthermore, none of the men had sperm counts or concentrations below the "normal" levels defined by the World Health Organization of at least 39 million and 15 million per millilitre.
Commenting on the research, British fertility expert Dr Allan Pacey, of the University of Sheffield, said: "This is a relatively small study showing an association between dietary intake of saturated fats and semen quality.
"Perhaps unsurprisingly there appeared to be a reasonable association between the two, with men who ate the highest levels of saturated fats having the lowest sperm counts and those eating the most omega-3 polyunsaturated fats having the highest.
"Importantly, the study does not show that one causes the other and further work needs to be carried out to clarify this. But it does add weight to the argument that having a good healthy diet may benefit male fertility as well as being good general health advice."


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Tigers Take Down GA Southern 7-0 Saturday
CLEMSON, S.C. (CU SID) — Freshman lefthander Matthew Crownover tossed 7.0 scoreless innings of three-hit ball to lead #15 Clemson to a 7-0 victory over Georgia Southern in front of 5,347 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Saturday night. The Tigers, who took a 2-0 lead in the series, improved to 36-15 on the season. The Eagles dropped to 25-25 in 2013. Clemson scored single runs in the first three innings to build a 3-0 lead, then the Tigers put the game away with four runs in the seventh inning. Crownover (7-1) set career highs for innings pitched and strikeouts (8) while allowing just three singles and three walks to earn the win. Patrick Andrews and Jackson Campana both pitched a scoreless inning to close out the contest. The three Tiger hurlers did not allow an Eagle baserunner to advance past second base in the game. Jason Richman (4-4), the first of three Eagle pitchers, suffered the loss. He yielded five hits, three runs (two earned), and two walks with one strikeout in 2.0 innings pitched. The Tigers wasted little time taking the game's first lead in the first inning. Maleeke Gibson led off with a single to center, then Steve Wilkerson and Steven Duggar reached on infield singles to load the bases with no outs. Garrett Boulware grounded into a double play as Gibson scored. In the second inning, leadoff batter Jon McGibbon reached on an error by Richman and Tyler Krieger laced a single to left field. After Thomas Brittle walked to load the bases with no outs and Mike Triller struck out, Gibson lofted a sacrifice fly to center to score McGibbon. Boulware led off the third inning with a single through the left side and Shane Kennedy reached on a bunt single. After McGibbon moved the runners up a base with a sacrifice bunt, Boulware scored on a wild pitch. In the seventh inning, Wilkerson drew a one-out walk and Duggar lined a single to left field. Boulware followed with a single to right field to score Wilkerson, then Kennedy singled through the right side on an 0-2 pitch to score Duggar. After McGibbon's groundout moved the runners up a base, Krieger reached on a two-out error that allowed Boulware to score, then Brittle laid down a bunt single to plate Kennedy. Duggar paced Clemson's 12-hit attack by going 3-for-4 with a run. Boulware went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs, while Kennedy and Krieger added two hits apiece. Four different Eagles had one hit apiece. Clemson and Georgia Southern will play game-three of the three-game series on Sunday at 1:00 PM. Clemson's five graduating senior players will be honored during a pregame ceremony.


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Declaring that "parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children," the Second District Court of Appeal for the state of California recently issued a ruling that effectively bans families from homeschooling their children and threatens parents with criminal penalties for daring to do so. According to the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), this court decision has made "almost all forms of homeschooling in California" a violation of state law. Once again our judicial system moves to restrict religious and personal liberties, severely limit parental rights, and significantly increase the power, scope, and control of the state over our lives.
There are approximately 166,000 homeschooled children in California. With the stroke of a pen the appellate court criminalized the lawful educational choices of tens of thousands of innocent families across the state, subjected them to possible fines, and labeled their children as potential truants. This activist court chose to bypass the will of the people and legislated from the bench based on anecdotal evidence and its own clearly biased and subjective opinions about the constitutionality of parental rights and the quality of a homeschooled education. This decision attacks the freedom of parents to decide on the best educational environment for their children, restricts their religious rights to practice their faith without governmental interference, and violates their freedom to raise their offspring as they see fit without the ideological pollution and atheistic/leftist indoctrination so prevalent in our public school system.
In a state that allows minors to have abortions without parental notification and consent, having the court complain about the welfare and safety of children who are homeschooled is laughable. The court also conveniently turned a blind eye to the increasing levels of violence and murder in many California public schools, as well as the abysmal quality of education in those very same schools. With California ranking near the bottom in the quality of its public education system, a statewide illiteracy rate of approximately 24 percent, and drop-out rates hovering around 30 percent, the California public education system is not the shining example and standard the courts should be applying and measuring against.Case history
The appellate court reviewed the decision reached by a juvenile court regarding the quality of education provided to homeschooled children of the Phillip and Mary Long family. The children were homeschooled by Mrs. Long with assistance from the Sunland Christian School (SCS), a private religious academy in the Los Angeles area. According to its website, SCS "is a private school in the State of California and is an accredited home school program offering independent home schooling study, correspondence home schooling and online home school." The Long children were enrolled in the independent study program at SCS. While the lower court had concerns about the quality of the education received by two of the eight children, the trial court did not order the parents to enroll their children into a private or public school, and stated in its opinion that "parents have a constitutional right to school their children in their own home."
Rather than confine its ruling to the specifics of the Long case, the court of appeals instead chose to considerably broaden the scope of its decision, further strengthen state power over individuals, and deny California parents the right to homeschool their children. In his written opinion, filed on February 28, 2008, Justice H. Walter Croskey, joined by the other two members of the appellate panel, categorically asserted that: "parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children." Furthermore, in the section ominously named "Consequences of Parental Denial of a Legal Education" the judge states:
"Breathtaking" judicial activism
Because parents have a legal duty to see to their children's schooling within the provisions of these laws, parents who fail to do so may be subject to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition of fines. ... Additionally, the parents are subject to being ordered to enroll their children in an appropriate school or education program and provide proof of enrollment to the court, and willful failure to comply with such an order may be punished by a fine for civil contempt.
The totalitarian impulses of the court were further evidenced by the arguments it used to justify its decision: "A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare." As someone who has lived and suffered under a communist regime (I grew up in Romania), the "good citizenship," "patriotism," and "loyalty to the state" justifications have struck a little too close to home. These were precisely the kinds of arguments the Communist Party used to broaden the power of the state, increase the leadership's iron grip on the people, and justify just about every conceivable violation of human rights, restrictions on individual liberties, and abuses perpetrated by government officials.
Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute , got it right when he said that the "scope of this decision by the appellate court is breathtaking. It not only attacks traditional homeschooling, but also calls into question homeschooling through charter schools and teaching children at home via independent study through public and private schools." The sentiment was echoed by Michael Smith, president of HSLDA: "California is now on the path to being the only state to deny the vast majority of homeschooling parents their fundamental right to teach their own children at home," he said. This is exactly what the judges have done and the precedent they have set for California and possibly for the rest of the country.Homeschooling effective
The appellate court also chose to ignore the many studies and solid research data showing that homeschooling is a well-established and exceptional method of education that overwhelmingly produces superior academic results and well-adjusted individuals. According to David Barfield's review of the available data on home education "dozens of studies have yielded the consistent result showing home educated students average 15-30 percentile points above the national average. Research demonstrates that, unlike their public school counterparts, the performance of home educated students bears little correlation to family income, the degree of state regulation of homeschooling, teacher certification, the educational level achieved by parents, sex, or race." In another study by Dr. Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) he shows that "home educated students excelled on nationally normed standardized achievement exams. On average, homeschoolers outperformed their public school peers by 30 to 37 percentile points across all subjects."
Similar studies documented by the HSLDA also confirm that the poor "socialization" objection by the court is a red herring. Numerous studies have shown that homeschooled youngsters have excellent social skills, are active in groups and community activities outside the home, engage in many extracurricular activities and sports, are exceptionally prepared to deal with the real world, interact better with adults and a variety of age-groups, and take their civic duties more seriously than their public school counterparts.Pushing back
Fortunately the people of California and homeschooling associations across the country, outraged by these latest developments, are taking steps to proactively deal with and redress the situation. Many homeschooling families are determined to fight for their parental rights and countermand the court's decision. The HSLDA has followed a two-prong approach to help. It has advised the Long family to appeal the decision to the California Supreme Court and it will file "an amicus brief on behalf of our 13,500 member families in California" arguing that the proper interpretation of California statutes allow parents to teach their own children under the private-school exemption. The HSLDA will also seek to have this decision "depublished," which can only be done by the California Supreme Court. According to them, depublishing the case "would mean that the case is not binding precedent in California and has no effect on any other family."
Even Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has issued a statement in full support of homeschooling families. "Parents should not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children's education. This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts and if the courts don't protect parents' rights then, as elected officials, we will," he said.
It remains to be seen if reason and common sense will prevail in this latest battle for the individual God-given liberties and freedoms of American families. The relentless march towards full government control of all areas of our lives must be halted. The people must push back. Our children's lives and their future are too precious to surrender to government bureaucrats and teacher's unions. For their sake and ours, freedom must prevail.


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Display Inspiration: Art In The Bathroom
Sure the bath isn't the most practical room in the house for art, but adding even a little can bring cheerfulness to the most functional — and often uninviting — space. And in a rental it can help set the style tone when the landlord's tile choice does not.
While the bathroom isn't usually the ideal place to hang heirloom art and pricey pieces, it is the ideal spot to experiment with things like thrift store pieces or wild styles that you like but might not want to devote to wallspace elsewhere. Like hallways, closets, and other small spaces where you're not likely to be spending the majority of your home time, bathrooms are great places to go bold.
1. A casual display or inspiration board style installation of art takes the focus off a lackluster bathroom, and adds a little whimsy. Annemarie Buckley's bathroom, featured on Poppytalk, is a happy extension of the colorful and laid back style permeating the rest of her Vermont home.
2. Vintage seascapes play up the nostalgic vibe in Alex's Granny Chic apartment.
3. & 4. Designer Steven Gambrel is a master of adding drama to any space, bathrooms included. In place of wallpaper, book pages pasted to the wall establish an unexpected and playful tone, while a salon style display of framed pictures gives a bathroom art gallery status. Via Elle Decor.
5. Old photographs lend a little old world glamor to the bath designed by Gary Spain.
Images: As credited above.


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Paper Rose- Seasons Greeting in a Winter Wonderland
Paper Rose- Seasons Greetings In a Winter Wonderland
Hello lovelies, I sure hope you are having a wonderful November so far. Today my post is for Paper Rose Studio, I am very grateful to be part of their design team, for this weeks post I am featuring products from one of their recent releases, which consists of the Snowflake stencil, Little house border die and little house on the Hill border die and of course one of my favorite mediums as of late the Distress oxide sprays.
I hope you find some inspiration and come over to our Paper Rose community page on Facebook to share some of your beautiful creations with us.
Paper Rose- Poinsetta Passion
Paper Rose Poinsettia Passion
Hello Crafty friends, well, its the end of the month and that means it's my day to share some creations for Paper Rose Studio and what an honor it is. The name of the blog is Poinsettia Passion and that is no understatement.
I am sharing 5 cards I created using the new Poinsettia Corner stamp along with some of their new Festive Basics pattern paper. I hope you enjoy and find some inspiration for your Christmas cards this year.
Please be sure to play along with us over on our Paper Rose Community page, we love to see what you create with the Paper Rose products.
Paper Rose Studio- Just a little Note
Just a little note to say… Hello
Hello, my crafty friends. I am finally back with a new post for Paper Rose Studio, with a set of masculine Hello cards featuring the Outback Tone paper, distressed Mesh stencil and the Raindeer in the Forest Die.
On a side note as to why it has been a while, I have had a rough week and a bit, with technical issues due to computer updates.
So trying to learn new ways around the glitches has set me back days and days. But enough of that, on to the fun stuff.
Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy.
Paper Rose Studio, Be your own kind of Beautiful Shaker Card
"Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful"
Hello crafty friend, I hope you all are having a wonderful week and the weather is cooperating where ever you may be located. It's my day to share for Paper Rose Studio. Today I have two shaker cards I created with the Ella'Garden rose and brick border die and distress oxides.
I also wanted to share something exciting, If you haven't seen yet Paper Rose studio has a collaboration with Simon Says Stamp for Stamptember. Yes, that's right SIMON SAYS STAMP. I am waiting on my package to be able to share some creations using the beautiful set.
As I get this up, their set has sold out but feel its too exciting not to share the image . I am very sorry about this, my blog has had many technical issues and I am sorry for the delay.
Paper Rose Studio: CityScape Hello
Hello Crafty friends,
I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend thus far. Mine has started off with two children screaming and fighting – Oh joy lol!
I am on the blog today for Paper Rose Studio with two sets of cards featuring the CityScape border die, the Arty Love paper pad and many other fun products.
I hope you enjoy and please come over to our Facebook community page to share your creations using Paper Rose products.
Paper Rose Studio- Magical Unicorn pt 2
Hello Crafty friends,
I am back for Paper Rose Studio with a new set of cards, I am using the Magical Unicorn Stamp and die once again, this time changing up the style and technique of the background for these cards.
I hope you enjoy, Please come join us over on our community page and play along using Paper Rose Products. We love to see what you create
Paper Rose- Distress Floral Cards
Hello Crafty friends,
I am sorry I have been quiet this week I have been a little tied up with things, any who I am back with a set of cards for Paper Rose Studio, featuring some of their new release products, which included the Black and white Paper pack, the distressed mesh stencil and some of the beautiful and intricate floral and leaf dies all are linked below.
I hope you enjoy and for more inspiration visit our new website as well as our Facebook community page where you can also show off your creations using Paper Rose products.
Paper Rose- Magical Day- Birthday Cards
Hello Crafty Friends,
Happy Monday / Tuesday for my Australian friends :) Hoping you all had a wonderful weekend.
Today I am sharing a very striking set of cards I created for my Paper Rose Studio design team project.
These were inspired by my daughter's love of all things rainbow and unicorns. Ah let's face it, I love them too.
I hope you enjoy and are inspired. Come on over to our Paper Rose Community Facebook page and play along with any Paper Rose Products you might have in your stash.


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Our National Monuments Endangered
©The Associated Press FILE - In this June 22, 2016 file photo, the "House on Fire" ruins in Mule Canyon, near Blanding, Utah in Bears Ears National Monument.
**We at Kinney & Associates received this article via the Scenic America Google Groups today. I attempted to find the original link on the Associated Press website, but was unsuccessful. I felt that we should go ahead and share it with our readers for, as architects, the preservation of our national monuments and artifacts is absolutely essential to our nation's identity...**
WASHINGTON — Western Democrats are pressuring President Donald Trump not to rescind land protections put in place by President Barack Obama, including Utah's Bears Ears National Monument.
Obama infuriated Utah Republicans when he created the monument in late December on 1.3 million acres of land that is sacred to Native Americans and home to tens of thousands of archaeological sites, including ancient cliff dwellings. Republicans have asked Trump to take the unusual step of reversing the designation, saying it will add another layer of unnecessary federal control and close the area to new energy development.
In a letter this week, nine Western Democratic senators wrote Trump to say that weakening protections for Bears Ears or any other national monument would be a direct affront to local communities and stakeholders.
"This is especially true in the case of Bears Ears National Monument, for the Native American tribes who call this living cultural landscape their ancestral home," the senators wrote.
The White House has said it is reviewing the decisions by the Obama administration to determine economic impacts, whether the law was followed and whether there was appropriate consultation with local officials.
In an ongoing back-and-forth with Republicans over the monument, Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee released documents Thursday to try to bolster their argument that there was adequate consultation. The documents from Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva, the senior Democrat on the panel, detail repeated phone calls and visits between the Obama administration and Utah's congressional delegation and governor.
The emails show that Utah officials hoped to work with the federal government on the issue before Obama designated the monument in the final days of his administration on Dec. 28. In an email on Dec. 21, as state officials grew increasingly concerned that the designation was coming, a member of Utah Gov. Gary Herbert's staff wrote an Interior Department official and thanked her for her time.
"I'm not kidding when I say you're an amazing example of a public servant," wrote Herbert's director of federal affairs, whose name was blacked out in the emails.
Democrats said the back-and-forth showed collaboration. "If anyone wants to paint Bears Ears National Monument as a surprise or the product of rushed or incomplete planning, they'll have to explain hundreds of emails and dozens of pages of shared work product," Grijalva said.
A spokeswoman for House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop, R-Utah, fired back. The spokeswoman, Molly Block, said that releasing the documents was a "desperate attempt to create a façade of local support."
When the designation was announced, Republicans in the state said it was an egregious abuse of executive power. It was opposed by the governor and the entire congressional delegation, in addition to many local residents.
Herbert said then that the designation "violated assurances made by (Obama's) interior secretary to take into account local concerns before making a monument designation."
In a statement Thursday, Paul Edwards, Herbert's deputy chief of staff, said the documents released by Democrats illustrate that the state, the congressional delegation and the Interior Department worked for three years to try and find a solution together.
"The state of Utah is ready and willing to pick up the baton and work to resolve these issues through a fair, negotiated, legislative process once again," Edwards said.
In his January confirmation hearing, incoming Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke sounded open to such a scenario. He told senators that the president would probably be challenged in court if he tried to nullify a monument, and he would prefer to work with the state.
#AssociatedPress #NationalMonuments #nationalparks #NativeAmerican #historic #ruins


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Of course, its extremely presumptuous of me — or anyone, rather — to speculate on the Obamas' sex life. Who knows what's happening privately between them? For all we know, they could have one of those arrangements like Claire and Frank Underwood where they both kinda do their own thing (and occasionally include secret service agents).
But come the hell on! Look at them! Look at our first lady! Look at that ass! Look! At! Dat! Ass! Look at that look on the President's face. It's the same look you have on Thanksgiving while you're praying before the feast; a look of "God is great and yadda, yadda, yadda, yadda, yadda is the praying done yet cause I can't wait to smash the fuck out of this dressing." They are totally, definitely, 100% fucking everywhere at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. From the windows to the walls. Till the sweat drips down Barack's balls. Skeet, skeet, skeet, skeet. The playlist proves it!
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room? They fucked there, right on top of discarded memos about Quantanamo Bay and a moleskin binder accidentally left behind by Josh Earnest. (They bought him a new one the next day.) The Grand Staircase? It was painful — that hardwood chafed the First Lady's shin — but they totally fucked there. The White House Situation Room? It's now the White House Squirtation Room. The Vermeil Room? I don't even know what the hell that is, but they definitely fucked in it.
As tickled as I am by the thought of our President and First Lady making the beast with two backs all through the White House, I'm gotdamn verklempt that they're doing in it a place built by slaves and with hallways adorned with the profiles of slaveowners who happened to be presidents. I'm beside myself at the thought of how disgusted some of the men on those walls would be if they knew what was happening beneath them right now. Seriously, imagine the look on Andrew Jackson's face if he knew the Black-ass president in 2016 would get so excited while boning his Black-ass wife that he accidentally shot jizz on his portrait.
I will miss these people, man.