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Follow the very latest on the health care vote and find out what it means for you, tonight on CNN. Watch the debate online, on TV and your iPhone.
Washington (CNN) -- The House on Sunday passed the Senate's health care reform bill and a package of measures meant to reconcile differences between the Senate bill and the one it passed last year.
Here's the latest on what's happening:
11:48 p.m.: President Obama says that the House's vote on health care "wasn't an easy vote but it was the right vote."
Speaking from the East Room of the White House, the president, who made health care reform a priority for his administration, said the vote wasn't a victory for a political party but for the American people.
Obama said the reform plan won't fix everything wrong with the nation's health care system, "but it moves us decisively in the right direction."
11:30 p.m.: The House has passed the package of fixes meant to reconcile differences between the bill the House passed last year and the Senate bill it passed earlier Sunday night.
Those vote was 220-211.
The reconciliation package now heads to the Senate.
11:20 p.m.: The House is voting on passage of the reconciliation bill. This is the final vote of the day on health care reform.
The reconciliation bill is the package of "fixes" to the Senate health care bill that made it more attractive to balking House Democrats.
11:18 p.m.: The House votes down the Republican motion to recommit the bill.
11:08 p.m.: CNN's Brianna Keilar reports: A Republican lawmaker shouted out "baby killer" as Rep. Bart Stupak explained why he would not support the motion to recommit.
Stupak sponsored an amendment in the House bill that included tougher language on restricting federal funding of abortions.
Stupak decided to support the Senate bill after President Obama said he would sign an executive order that would make sure the health care reform law would be consistent with current restrictions on federal funding for abortions.
10:55 p.m.: Republicans have offered a motion to recommit, which is their last chance to kill the bill.
The Republican motion is to amend the language on abortion in the just-passed Senate bill.
10:48 p.m.: The House passes the Senate health care bill, 219-212.
All 178 Republicans opposed it, along with 34 Democrats.
The House then moved on to consider the reconciliation package.
10:31 p.m.: Lawmakers are voting on the health care legislation. The vote will last for 15 minutes.
10:17 p.m.: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised the health care legislation for its ability to "unleash tremendous entrepreneurial power into our economy."
Pelosi said the fact that the bill is on the cusp of passing is due to the leadership of President Obama.
She also cited the legacy of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, who wrote in a letter to Obama that health care is the "great unfinished business of our society."
"That is -- until today," she said.
10:07 p.m.: House Minority Leader John Boehner delivers fiery remarks, slamming the contents of the health care bill and the process leading up to the vote.
Speaking about the way the bill was written, Boehner asked, "Can you say it was done openly, with transparency and accountability? Without backroom deals struck behind closed doors, hidden from the people?
"Hell no you can't!"
10:01 p.m.: CNN's Ed Henry reports: In his remarks after the health care vote, President Obama will be blunt about casting the House's expected passage of his health care legislation as an achievement of historic proportions that shows he's starting to deliver on the dramatic change he promised on the campaign trail, according to Democratic officials familiar with the planned remarks.
"He's going to say we delivered -- that we rose to the challenge," said one of the Democratic officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss Obama's speech before it is delivered. "It's about change, and what change looks like."
9:45 p.m.: Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, said that when it comes to health care reform, the only bipartisanship he's seen is in the opposition to it.
"We believe this government must stop spending money that it doesn't have," said Cantor, the House minority whip.
"The choice before us is very clear. The choice is whether we want to become a country that is unrecognizable or one that will fulfill the American dream."
9:40 p.m.: Democratic Rep. Allen Boyd, a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats, said that while the health care bill is not perfect, "the other side has brought us no viable alternatives."
"If not this, then what? If not now, then when?" the Florida lawmaker asked.
8:58 p.m.: Democratic Rep. Tim Bishop of New York said that "amidst angry and at times even hateful rhetoric, amidst the misinformation and scare tactics, there exists one simple truth, and that truth is that the current system is unsustainable."
Last summer, Bishop suspended his town hall meetings following a particularly unruly event.
8:38 p.m.: Republican Rep. Tom Price, a doctor from Georgia, said health care is a "moral endeavor and should be grounded in principle."
"This is a sad day, yes, because there are so many wonderful and positive and patient-centered solutions that could be enacted. You see, we trust patients and families. They trust government," he said.
7:57 p.m.: In an impassioned speech, Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, urges his colleagues to pass health care reform.
"This may be the most important vote that we cast as members of this body. We have a moral obligation today, tonight to make health care a right and not a privilege," Lewis said.
"On this day, at this moment, in this chamber, answer the call of history, answer the spirit of history and pass health care. Give the American people a victory. Give health care a chance," he said to applause.
Republican Rep. John Linder, also from Georgia, said he feels "rude trying to inject some fact into this Kabuki Theatre but I'm going to try."
"This has never been about health care. This is about government," he said, arguing that the proposed legislation would destroy health care for those who are happy with the coverage they have.
7:54 p.m.: If House Democrats pass the Senate bill Sunday night, as is expected, a senior administration official said "it won't be signed today," CNN's Dan Lothian reports.
Instead, the president will deliver remarks after the vote in the White House East Room.
7:38 p.m.: Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao will vote "no" on the health care bill, CNN's Dana Bash reports.
Cao was the one Republican who voted for the House bill in November.
The Louisiana representative said he will not support the Senate bill because of its abortion language.
Cao does not think the executive order goes far enough, his chief of staff said.
7:26 p.m.: Republican and House members are lined up for what might be their last opportunity for a voice in the debate over health care.
The arguments echo what has been heard in larger debate over health care reform over the last year.
Republicans are criticizing the landmark legislation as a "takeover" of the health care system that would expand federal funding of abortion and saddle future generations of Americans with debt.
Democrats are lauding the legislation as allowing all Americans health care coverage and preventing insurance companies from denying coverage from those who need it most.
6:52 p.m.: Debate will be followed by three votes: a vote on the Senate bill, a vote on the motion to recommit on the reconciliation package (a Republican motion), and a vote on the reconciliation package.
Republicans are expected to throw up parliamentary roadblocks throughout the debate.
6:43 p.m.: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer opens debate.
Republicans and Democrats have one hour each to make their case.
6:28 p.m.: The House votes to move into general debate over the health care legislation. The vote is 224-206.
Debate is slated for two hours.
The fact that the motion to debate passed is an indication that Democrats have enough votes to pass the legislation itself.
6:04 p.m.: House Republicans blast the executive order in a news conference.
Republican Rep. Jean Schmidt said an executive order "is not worth the paper it is printed on."
"It is not the law of the land and it can be rescinded in the blink of an eye," she said.
5:04 p.m.: President Obama will make a statement following the House vote.
4:50 p.m.: Asked whether Democrats have the 216 votes needed to pass health care legislation, House Majority Whip James Clyburn said, "We're feeling good, with room to spare," CNN's Dana Bash reports.
4:39 p.m.: Asked her reaction to the deal over abortion funding, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "We're very pleased that we have more votes for the bill," CNN's Kevin Bohn reports.
4:07 p.m.: Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Michigan, announces that he, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House have reached an agreement that protects "the sanctity of life in health care reform."
Stupak and other anti-abortion Democrats had said they would oppose the Senate bill because of concerns it would expand federal funding of abortion.
House vote on health reform expected to be extremely close
4:07 p.m.: One hour of debate has begun on the rules for debate and vote on the health care legislation.
3:59 p.m.: President Obama will issue an executive order after a health care bill is passed "that will reaffirm its consistency with longstanding restrictions on the use of federal funds for abortion," White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said.
The order does not change the law, but it will provide "additional safeguards to ensure that the status quo is upheld and enforced, and that the health care legislation's restrictions against the public funding of abortions cannot be circumvented."
3:35 p.m.: Republican Rep. David Dreier of California said lawmakers know with "absolute certainty" that the only thing they are guaranteed is what's in the Senate bill, which all House Republicans and a number of Democrats oppose.
Democratic Rep. Louise Slaughter interrupted, saying, "No you don't!"
"The best way that they can achieve their ends of removing the things that are objectionable from the Senate bill is to support reconciliation," she said as lawmakers cheered and jeered.
3:28 p.m.: Stupak, D-Michigan, will hold a news conference at 4 p.m., CNN's Deirdre Walsh reports.
Stupak is part of a coalition of Democrats who oppose the Senate bill because they say it would expand federal funding of abortion.
3:02 p.m.: The House defeats a Republican point of order from Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin.
Another Republican point of order from Darrell Issa of California is now being debated.
2:40 p.m.: Ryan called the health care bill a "fiscal Frankenstein."
"It is not too late to get it right. Let's start over. Let's defeat this bill," he said.
2:30 p.m.: Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-Rhode Island, son of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, said there are significant parallels between the struggle for civil rights and the fight to make quality, affordable health care accessible to all Americans.
Quoting the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Kennedy said, "Of all forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane."
1 p.m.: The House convenes.
Lawmakers spend about an hour giving one-minute speeches and taking votes on issues unrelated to health care.
Do Democrats have the votes?: Democratic leaders continue to try to round up the 216 necessary votes to pass the bill in the House.
Rep. John Larson, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said told CNN's "State of the Union" that "We've got the votes."
"This is a historic day and we are happy warriors," Larson said.
But the chief deputy whip in the House was cautious.
"We don't have a hard 216 right now," Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Florida, told "Fox News Sunday" just as Larson was speaking to CNN. But, she added, "I firmly believe we will have 216."
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Sunday morning, "We are going to get the votes this afternoon."
Latest vote count: According to CNN's latest count, 33 Democrats plan to vote against the legislation. Thirty-eight Democratic "no" votes are needed to kill the bill.
Six House Democrats have told CNN they haven't yet decided how they will vote, and two have not responded to CNN's repeated inquiries.
See how Democrats plan to vote
Can Republicans block the vote?: Democrats control Congress, so they should be able to bring the Senate bill, and a package of changes to it, to a vote. But Republicans plan to impede the process as much as they can.
Without spelling out specifics, House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence of Indiana promised to do just that.
"We are going to use every means at our disposal to oppose this government takeover of health care," Pence told "State of the Union." "Because quite frankly, as thousands gather at rallies all across this country and here in the nation's capital yesterday, you know, the American people are sick and tired of runaway federal spending by both parties, of borrowing and bailouts and takeovers. And I believe this is going to be a historic weekend."
Asked what measures Republicans might take, Pence replied, "Stay tuned, it's going to be an interesting day."
Working the phones: Former President Clinton made several phone calls Saturday to lobby wavering Democrats to sign on to the health care reform bill, Democratic sources told CNN.
11th hour appeal: President Obama on Saturday made his last appeal for the reform bill, telling House Democrats on the eve of the historic vote: "Let's get this done."
"If you agree that the system is not working for ordinary families, if you've heard the same stories that I've heard everywhere, all across the country, then help us fix the system," Obama said.
'Deeming' ditched: Democratic leaders on Saturday decided to abandon a controversial legislative mechanism that could have avoided a direct vote on the legislation. They will hold an up-or-down vote on the reform plan that the Senate has already passed.
If the Senate bill passes the House, Obama will sign it into law. If the package of changes is passed, it will be taken up by the Senate.
Protests get ugly: Three black Democratic lawmakers -- including civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis of Georgia -- said demonstrators against the health care bill yelled racist epithets at them Saturday as they walked past. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri said a protester spit at him. Capitol police said a demonstrator was arrested in that incident.
In addition, protesters yelled anti-gay comments at Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, an openly gay Democrat.
Leaders of both parties condemned the protesters' actions.
iReport: Make your case on health care reform
Obama targets insurers in final health care push
Obama's Sunday plans: A White House official said the president is "in the West Wing, getting updates, dropping in on staff, and like the rest of America, examining the rubble of his [NCAA basketball] bracket."
The official added that Obama "made a surprise appearance at an 11 a.m. meeting of senior staff," and is "preparing to make and take member phone calls as we move toward the vote."
Legislation revealed: Democratic leaders unveiled the text of the reconciliation act for health care on Thursday. Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 (pdf)
Section-by-section analysis (pdf)
The price tag: The compromise health care bill drafted by top Democrats will cost $940 billion over the next 10 years, according to a preliminary analysis released Thursday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Read the CBO preliminary estimate (pdf)
The bill cuts the deficit by $138 billion during that period, the CBO report said. It would further reduce the deficit by another $1.2 trillion in the following decade, two House Democratic sources said.
GOP leaders said the new CBO estimates had not changed their opinion of the bill, which they vehemently oppose.
What happens next?: Democrats hope to pass the Senate bill Sunday and the package of changes designed in part to make the overall legislation more acceptable to House Democrats. President Obama can sign the bill into law if it passes.
The Senate would vote to approve the changes to its bill this week by a simple majority vote.
See which parts of the health care plan would kick in quickly
CNN's Dana Bash, Kevin Bohn, Candy Crowley, Evan Glass, John Helton, Ed Henry, Kristi Keck, Brianna Keilar, Dan Lothian, Deirdre Walsh and Robert Yoon contributed to this report.


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Electronic Documents of Illinois
Document IdentificationUsers should pay particular attention to version identification or dates of publication of documents retrieved. Earlier, possibly superseded, versions of documents are also stored here. Title
Certificate of Commission Action
- Complaint as to billing/charges in Markham, Illinois.
Originally Deposited as: 568
Published By:
Phone Number: Language(s): EN-English Volume or Year:
Number or Issue: Date Created: 08 31 2006
Date Last Modified: 08 31 2006 Librarian Remarks:
Access This Publication1. Certificate of Commission Action (04-0335.doc).
Document Size:33792 Software: Microsoft Office Word Version: 2003 This is part of a series. It is part of Opinions and orders - August 2006: 690


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President Donald Trump is offering some unsolicited advice to Boeing, manufacturer of the troubled 737 Max jet.
Trump tweeted Monday that if he were in charge of Boeing, he would "FIX" the plane, "add some additional great features, & REBRAND the plane with a new name." He adds: "No product has suffered like this one."
Trump — who brands his hotels, golf courses and buildings with the Trump name — tweeted sarcastically, "what the hell do I know about branding, maybe nothing (but I did become President!)"
Airlines and countries around the world have grounded the Boeing 737 Max or banned it from airspace after an Ethiopian Airlines crash last month. A crash involving the same model happened off Indonesia in October.
Trump once owned a short-lived airline: Trump Shuttle.


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In central Brussels, hundreds of spectators witnessed, with approval or horror, a slick new tech startup, RefuGreenergy, that converts the power of bicycling refugees into electrical energy—giving the refugees 24-hour periods of amnesty and 1.60 euros per day, and Belgians "green electricity" and a "guilt-free way to help others." A website, promotional video, and Facebook and Twitter accounts helped with the illusion. The launch event was exposed when a member of the public, who happens to work with refugees, revolted loudly against the concept—almost the first time this has happened with a Yes Lab project. (See reveal video and selected Belgian media coverage.)
The hoax—carried out by WAAR (We Are All Refugees), a group of "artivists" from Belgium and abroad, in cahoots with several refugee groups—was designed to call attention to the moral responsibility of developed countries for the so-called "refugee crisis," which is partly due to climate change (caused by rich countries) and partly due to colonial and current-day exploitation.
WAAR asks that you:
- Support the collectives and organizations of the undocumented, their occupations, and their demand for equality.
- Support passengers who have opposed the deportation of refugees by air, who are now being prosecuted by the Belgian justice system.
- If you are in Belgium, welcome a refugee from Maximilian Park (Brussels) into your home to allow him/her to rest and protect him/her from police raids.
- Visit asylum seekers in the Belgian refugee centers.


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In a thrilling finish fraught with suspense, and in a backup car after a Friday crash in practice, Denny Hamlin held off a charging Kyle Larson to win the Overton's 301 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and hoisted up "the Lobsta".
Before the race, Hamlin and the entire Joe Gibbs Racing organization was in desperation mode, but when Hamlin took the checkered flag .509 seconds ahead of Larson, the picture changed dramatically.
Hamlin secured a spot in the 10-race postseason playoff, which is now seven races away. In winning for the third time at The Magic Mile and the 30th time in his career, the driver of the No. 11 Toyota broke a personal 20-race drought, dating to last year's playoff event at Texas Motor Speedway.
That was also the last time any of the four JGR cars had won a race.
"Yeah, it's just a great feeling," Hamlin said. "I know we've been getting better and better as the year goes on, but definitely needed a win for the organization and for myself and just kind of get some momentum going with the playoffs are coming up—so we've got to get going. Really this is awesome.
"We get in the playoffs, we get some playoff bonus points, and we're ready to go now, so we've got to … we've still got a lot of work to do. I feel like we need a little bit more speed out of our cars to be competitive week in, week out, but, honestly, this is a great place to start."
Taking the green flag for the final time from the fourth position in the outside lane at a track treated with traction compound before the race, Hamlin passed teammate Matt Kenseth for the lead on Lap 268 and pulled out to an advantage of more than 2.5 seconds before Larson began to run him down.
Kenseth had passed eventual third-place finisher Martin Truex Jr. for the top spot on Lap 261, one lap before Ryan Newman's spin in Turn 2 caused the seventh caution and set up the final restart. Kenseth took right-side tires only under the yellow and was no match for Hamlin and Larson, who had fresh rubber on all four corners.
Kenseth held fourth ahead of Kevin Harvick over the closing 35-lap green-flag run.
Having started the race from the rear of the field after his qualifying time was disallowed because of a non-conforming rear decklid fin, Larson had a clear advantage in speed over Hamlin in the final run but couldn't close to the bumper of the No. 11.
"I was catching him a couple tenths of a lap there, and then it seemed like when I got kind of close there, I don't know, within four or five car lengths at the end, my lap times kind of evened off a little bit with him," said Larson, who now has seven second-place finishes to go with his two victories this year.
"I started getting too tight on exit, and I couldn't carry the speed on exit like I needed to. I'd gain a lot on him on entry, but I couldn't keep the power down and keep the front turning on exit there that last run."
Martin Truex Jr. led the first 78 laps and picked up his 14th stage win of the season in the first 75-lap segment, but a caution on Lap 67 for Cole Whitt's blown engine divided the field on strategy. Truex stayed out under the yellow with 10 other drivers and collected the playoff point for the stage victory, while Kyle Busch led the rest of the field to pit road.
Busch inherited the lead when Truex and the rest of the cars that had stayed on the track came to pit road under caution at the end of the stage. The second stage belonged to Busch, who led 75 consecutive laps in picking up the playoff point.
But Busch lost three positions on pit road during the caution between the second and final stages, and two subsequent pit road speeding penalties derailed his winning chances. The driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota rallied from his second infraction to finish 12th.
Truex had a late-race issue, too, having to make an unscheduled pit stop for a flat right front tire on Lap 218 of 301. Though Truex later regained the lead, he was at a huge tire disadvantage and eventually lost the top spot to Matt Kenseth before Newman's spin brought out the yellow flag for the final time.
Sunoco rookie of the year contender Daniel Suarez ran sixth in the No. 19 JGR Toyota, matching a career best. Clint Bowyer was seventh, followed by Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson.
Notes: Truex widened his series lead over second-place Larson from 34 to 38 points. … Joey Logano suffered a rear suspension failure and lost 33 laps in the garage while his No. 22 Ford was repaired, finished 37th and fell 52 points behind Kenseth for the final berth in the playoff. … Paced by Truex's race-high 137 laps, Toyota drivers led 290 of 301 circuits. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished 18th led twice for 10 laps, once at the end of a cycle of green-flag pit stops, once by staying out on old tires for the final restart. Larson led one lap.
Check out the unofficial results of the Overton's 301.


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Knicks' Rasheed Wallace retires again
New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace retired again from the NBA on Wednesday after he was unable to recover from a left foot injury.
Wallace tried to make it back for the playoffs, but knew after a brief stint Monday against Charlotte that it was over.
''We all wish we can play forever but that's just not the case,'' Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. ''Some play longer than the others and in this case he had a long career, man, and he tried to come back and it just didn't work and he's going to move on with his life.''
The Knicks made the announcement in a release shortly after their morning shootaround. Woodson said after the workout only that Wallace was struggling with soreness and his status for the playoffs wasn't known.
It's a damaging blow for the Knicks, who loaded up on veteran big men this season but have now lost two of them for good in Kurt Thomas and Wallace, and have gotten almost nothing from Marcus Camby.
Also, Amare Stoudemire's status for the postseason is unclear as he recovers from right knee surgery.
The Knicks added another big man Wednesday by signing Earl Barron.
Wallace, 38, ended a two-year retirement this season to join the Knicks and play for Woodson, who was an assistant in Detroit when Wallace helped the Pistons win the 2004 NBA title.
The 6-foot-11 forward was a key player off the bench during the Knicks' strong start, but hadn't played since December before returning Monday against Charlotte.
Wallace, who had surgery to repair a broken left foot on Feb. 28, lasted only 4 minutes before exiting because of continued soreness.
Woodson said Wednesday morning that Wallace always had a high tolerance for pain but the foot was obviously bothering him. Still, he said he was ''a little shocked'' when Wallace decided he was done.
''But again, I think when you've played a number of years in this league, you know,'' Woodson said. ''There comes a time when you know that you just can't answer the bell anymore and that's the hard part about playing professional sports, because it's tough to walk away when you know you can't do it anymore.''
The Knicks expect Tyson Chandler (bulging disk) and Kenyon Martin (sprained left ankle) to be ready for the opener.
Thomas was waived recently to free up a roster spot after his season ended because of a stress fracture in his foot. The Knicks were hoping Wallace would be able to give them a few minutes a game in the postseason, but Woodson acknowledged earlier Wednesday that the soreness was a ''big problem.''
Wallace retired after helping the Celtics reach the 2010 NBA Finals. Woodson reached out to him in the offseason about a comeback, seeking Wallace's defensive toughness and veteran leadership.
But Wallace could only deliver it for 21 games in his 15th season, averaging 7.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in about 14 minutes per game.
''Early on this season, boy, he was a big part of what we did and was a big reason we got off to a great start, I think,'' Woodson said. ''And, you know, the players respect him, so it's going to be a loss not having him around but it was his decision and we've got to respect that.''
Woodson said Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith and Jason Kidd also won't play Wednesday in the regular-season finale against Atlanta. He added that Quentin Richardson, who was signed Tuesday, could play significant minutes with the Knicks so short-handed.
The Hawks, even with hope of moving up to the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, rested Josh Smith, Al Horford, Jeff Teague, Devin Harris and Kyle Korver.


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text:
Barack Obama may be one of the best communicators of this generation, but he is not living up to his own talents. In a year of disasters, communication failure doubles the disasters.
If, as he says, the monster spill was his highest priority from Day 1, he needed to communicate that from Day 1 – or at least Day 3 or 4. It took five weeks for him to tell the nation what he and his administration were doing. The result was visible in the press conference yesterday. He was on the defensive. He needed to be on the offensive – from early on. The choice is not doing or communicating. It is doing **and** communicating.
His narrative: This is a tough, unprecedented situation, but I'm in charge, and I've been very busy, in the Situation Room where I belong, not on TV. I'm fully competent. I'm a good policy wonk – ask me any question about details. I'm honest. I admit my few policy mistakes. I think about the details day and night. Don't think I'm oblivious.
It's defensive, trying to overcome criticism that should never have been allowed to accumulate. But worse, it's weak when it needs to be strong.
The president did do the required minimum. He placed a moratorium on offshore drilling and cancelled oil leases in the Gulf and off Virginia. He appointed a commission to make safety recommendations. And he is reorganizing the Mining Management Service. All to the good, but…
Crises are opportunities. He has consistently missed them. Today was a grand opportunity to pull together the threads – BP and the spill, Massey and the mine disaster, Wall Street and the economic disaster, Anthem BlueCross and health care, the Arizona Immigration Law, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, even Afghanistan. The press threw him fastballs straight down the middle, and he hit dribblers every time.
It's not that he said nothing to tie them together. But there was no home run, no unifying narrative, no patriotic call to the nation on the full gamut of issues. Instead, there were only hints, suggestions, possible implications, notes of concern – as if he had been intimidated by the right-wing message machine.
And yet Obama, of all political leaders, could have done it, because he did before in his campaign.
The central idea is Empathy. Democracy is based on empathy, on people caring about one another and acting to the very best of their ability on that care, for their families, their communities, their nation, and the world. Government must also care and act on that care. Government's job is to protect and empower its citizens.
That idea is what draws together all the threads. The bottom line for corporations (whether BP, Massey, Anthem or Goldman Sachs) is money, not empathy. The bottom line for those who hate (whether homophobes, the Arizona Legislature, or al Qaeda) is domination and oppression, not empathy.
Empathy, and acting on it effectively, is the main business of government. And Obama knows it in his heart.
Yet the right wing has intimidated Obama into dropping not just the word "empathy," but the idea. Empathy is a positive deep connection with other people in general and with all living things, the ability to see and feel as they do. The right wing, which shows little empathy, has confused empathy with a bleeding-heart sympathy for individuals, which they see as a weakness. And though Obama has repeatedly made the distinction clear, he has allowed the right wing to intimidate him into abandoning "the most important thing my mother taught me."
At the very end of the press' questions, there was a hint of the campaign Obama.
…I think everybody understands that when we are fouling the Earth like this, it has concrete implications not just for this generation, but for future generations.
I grew up in Hawaii where the ocean is sacred. And when you see birds flying around with oil all over their feathers and turtles dying, that doesn't just speak to the immediate economic consequences of this; this speaks to how are we caring for this incredible bounty that we have.
And so sometimes when I hear folks down in Louisiana expressing frustrations, I may not always think that they're comments are fair; on the other hand, I probably think to myself, these are folks who grew up fishing in these wetlands and seeing this as an integral part of who they are – and to see that messed up in this fashion would be infuriating.
So the thing that the American people need to understand is that not a day goes by where the federal government is not constantly thinking about how do we make sure that we minimize the damage on this, we close this thing down, we review what happened to make sure that it does not happen again. And in that sense, there are analogies to what's been happening in terms of in the financial markets and some of these other areas where big crises happen – it forces us to do some soul searching. And I think that's important for all of us to do.
Here, at the very end, he allows the empathy and the moral vision to come out. Future generations, the sacredness of nature over the immediate economic consequences, caring for this incredible bounty that we have, identifying with folks who see fishing as part of who they are, analogies to what's been happening in the financial markets, soul searching.
That should have – and could have – been the central narrative drawing all the threads together. The narrative about the daily competence and effort should have been in service of the central narrative of his administration. It should be, and can be, the central narrative of American democracy.
But to make it central and powerful would be confrontational. It would bring him head-to-head with right-wing ideology – empathy-free, self-interest maximizing, with disdain or even hatred for those seen as lesser beings. It is self-reinforcing: a value-system that above all promotes that value-system itself. That is why right-wing Republicans always vote no to his proposals. Because to vote yes would strengthen an empathy-based moral system and weaken their own.
Because right-wing ideology takes precedence over empathy, there will be little or any real bipartisanship with those on the hard-core right. The right is provoking confrontation. It cannot be avoided. The president should be confronting the right wing on all issues – not issue-by-issue as a policy wonk, but with the master moral narrative that makes sense of our country's values.
Here's what that would mean. The following "shoulds" are not mine. They follow naturally from President Obama's own values as he articulated them is his 2008 campaign, and as they leaked out, largely unnoticed, during his press conference.
The president recognizes that financial reform requires dealing with systemic risk, which means not mere regulation, but restructuring the financial system to minimize, and if possible eliminate, systemic risk. Applying the analogy to oil spills, it would mean no more deep-water drilling because major systemic risks ("worst case scenarios") cannot be eliminated when you drill starting a mile down where no human being can go and drill three miles deeper.
Like other large corporations, BP uses cost-benefit analysis to maximize profits. It is no surprise that, to save money, BP chose inferior materials in Deepwater Horizon, materials whose defects may well have caused the explosion. The use of cost-benefit analysis for a corporation's benefit (and not the public's) is a dangerous practice in many industries. Cost-benefit analysis itself, used this way, should be considered as an important component of systemic risk by the President's commission on safety.
The president should support the Cantwell-Collins CLEAR ACT, which will actually cut gasoline consumption radically by 2050 and carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, while stimulating the economy by providing significant financial dividends to all adult citizens, eliminating government imposition on business, and making those who profit from selling polluting fuel pay to clean it up and develop alternative energy. CLEAR is far superior to cap-and-trade alternatives.
The president should generalize from oil spills to coal mining, banning the blowing up of mountaintops and the fouling of streams, and imposing serious safety restrictions on all mining.
The president should review the covert operations imposed by the military and cancel those that are inconsistent with American values.
The president should order military leaders under his command to support the elimination of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
The president should ask the First Lady to sponsor a major government program to do research on and support empathetic parenting, along the lines of his 2008 Father's Day speech.
And much more. A great deal follows from a unified moral stance.
Empathy and the discipline to act effectively on it, when seen as the basis of democracy and American values, can be powerful. It can unify the major policies of the administration, and unify people of good will – and that is a majority of our citizens. But only if the president communicates empathy effectively, and acts on it consistently.
Empathy Now!
Briefly, we wanted to update you on where Truthout stands this month.
To be brutally honest, Truthout is behind on our fundraising goals for the year. There are a lot of reasons why. We're dealing with broad trends in our industry, trends that have led publications like Vice, BuzzFeed, and National Geographic to make painful cuts. Everyone is feeling the squeeze of inflation. And despite its lasting importance, news readership is declining.
To ensure we stay out of the red by the end of the year, we have a long way to go. Our future is threatened.
We've stayed online over two decades thanks to the support of our readers. Because you believe in the power of our work, share our transformative stories, and give to keep us going strong, we know we can make it through this tough moment.
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Discussion in 'E90/E92/E93 M3 (2008-2013)' started by drsunnyk, May 27, 2010.
Anyone having success at this?
Some dealers negotiate and others sell at the BMW Euro price only. Either way it IS worth the trip!
Your best source for ED information is the Euro Delivery Forum.
The dealer makes far less profit on an ED than on a normal delivery so they may be less willing to negotiate. We paid more over invoice for my ED 128i than we did for our normal delivery 328xi. We decided that it was worth paying a little more to keep our relationship with the local dealer.
There are a number of dealers that offer substantial discounts on ED cars. You could buy the car through one of them, have it delivered to the Performance Center, take the driving class, and drive your car home.
We cashed in hotel and airline points for most of the trip. The remaining total expenses were less than the ED discount, so the trip was free. The experience is really worth the effort.
ED pricing
It has always been my understanding that Euro Del. pricing is a set discount...is that not the case??
are you saying that you can negotiate a price on a vehicle and then say I want to take Euro Del.???
Some dealers will sell you a vehicle only at BMW's prescribed ED pricing while others will negotiate the ED price based off their actual cost of said vehicle for ED which has lower pricing than a std. U.S. sale vehicle. Many people buy from ED specialist dealers if the local dealer won't negotiate. Most local dealers with any knowledge of ED know it's worth discounting to save a customer and get a sale.
i recently bought my car for 400USD over invoice price. So there are dealers out there willing to work with you on the pricing. With ED delivery option invoice base price is lowered. Cant remember off top of my head but it was something in the range of 3-4K USD.
Euro Delivery base prices (invoice/MSRP) are approximately 7% below those for US delivery. Option prices are not discounted.
The negotiable part, as always, is the dealer's profit: The difference between total invoice price and total MSRP. ED is no different. If the dealer tells you otherwise, shop elsewhere (unless you're feeling generous).
I'm paying about $1K over the dealer's cost for my ED car. Dealer cost is ~7% less for an ED car. I've talked to many others who have negotiated similar prices.
The price you pay for an ED car is as negotiable as any other car. The dealer just has a different set of costs and incentives.
Can you recommend a dealer?
David Aviles - Eurocarsonline.com
I can personally recommend David Aviles for ED and the best price to boot.
You can find him at http://www.eurocarsonline.com.
He works out of Northwest BMW, a Baltimore, MD, dealership, but handles clients from all over the U.S.
Thanks for the link. You may want to edit it though since there is a comma in place of a period that makes the link fail.
Thanks! Done.
It's a fixed 7 percent off the Base Invoice price.
The way to buy a car for ED is to negotiate the best price on the car first (typically $500 to $1000 above dealer invoice) then announce you want to take ED and get the 7 percent discount on top of the best price you have agreed to. If the dealer refuses, go to another dealer. Eventually you will get the car for that price.
Separate names with a comma.
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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Bitcoin mining emissions in China will hit 130 million tonnes
The carbon emissions associated with mining bitcoin have accelerated rapidly in China, and they will soon outstrip the total annual emissions of mid-sized European countries. Analysis by Guan Dabo at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, and his colleagues suggests that … Continue reading
Deciding the Right Path to Success
There is no pre-set rules or text books available that can guide a young graduate to succeed in his corporate career. He merely needs to know what he truly desire and have a strong determination to reach his goal. Without … Continue reading
'Green' bitcoin alternative Chia is leading to hard disc shortages
Cryptocurrencies based on owning a large number of hard discs, rather than using computer processors, could offer a less energy-intensive alternative to bitcoin and might even make it cheaper to build data centres – although one is already causing soaring … Continue reading


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As the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination approaches, a massive online archive has gone live containing 99,525 documents related to the Civil War-era commander-in-chief.
The Papers of Abraham Lincoln, a joint digitization project sponsored by The University of Illinois and the Abraham Lincoln Association, is dedicated to identifying, imaging, transcribing, annotating, and publishing all documents written by or to Abraham Lincoln during his lifetime. Lincoln was assassinated in Ford' Theater in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865.
Data storage vendor Iron Mountain has provided 40TB of online cloud storage for the project, which is expected to grow by another 50% over the next five years. So far, the archive includes more than 67,000 written documents available in image form online where users can browse or search by title and date.
The Papers consist of three types:
- Series I: Legal Papers, which cover Lincoln's time practicing law from 1836 to 1861; The collection encompasses the surviving record of his quarter-century career in the federal, state and county court systems.
- Series II: Illinois Papers, which encompass Lincoln's non-legal life from his birth in February 1809 through March 3, 1861, the day before his inauguration. The papers include personal and political correspondence, political speeches, and all other non-legal materials
- Series III: Presidential Papers, which include a massive documentary record of an active president engaged in leading a nation during wartime.
For example, the day before his assassination, Lincoln sent an aide to deliver a message with a simple note attached to make sure it arrived promptly: The note stated: "Let this man enter with this note. A. Lincoln April 14, 1865."
The archive also contains images of some of the most historically significant documents penned by Lincoln, such as one of the five original copies of the Gettysburg Address.
The archives also contain documents illustrating a more personal side to the Civil War-era president and his constituency -- no matter how old they were.
For example, the archive contains a Letter to 11-year old Grace Bedell on Oct. 19, 1860 who had suggested Lincoln grow a beard because his face was so thin. And there's a note to U.S. Sen. Charles Sumner (R-Mass.), who lead anti-slavery forces in that Commonwealth, that simply asks him to swing by because Mrs. Lincoln needed his help.
Documents include a hand-written pass dated April 29, 1964 for someone named Mrs. William R. Smith to cross enemy lines so she could get to New Orleans.
There's also the report of Dr. Charles A. Leale on the assassination of the President.
More recently discovered letters and documents are also being added to the digital archive as time passes. For example, as an attorney, Lincoln penned a letter in 1847 to the 11th President of the United States, James K Polk.
"President Lincoln's legacy as a statesman has marked him as one of the most important and influential leaders our country and the world have ever known," Daniel Stowell, director and editor of The Papers of Abraham Lincoln, stated in a news release.. "He was also perhaps the most well-written, and written to, presidents in history, with thousands of personal and political documents, all of which tell the story of our country during one of the most pivotal times in history."


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Cheap flights Montevideo - Ibiza
Surrounded by Mediterranean waters, the island of Ibiza is famed for its explosive nightlife. Home to clubbing 'temples' such as Space, Pacha, Amnesia, Privilege Ibiza…
Surrounded by Mediterranean waters, the island of Ibiza is famed for its explosive nightlife. Home to clubbing 'temples' such as Space, Pacha, Amnesia, Privilege Ibiza and Café del Mar, the island is the top destination for those who love to dance the night away to the beats of the best house, techno and trance DJs. But Ibiza also shines by day, with its beaches and bays of turquoise water, such as the secluded Cala Codolar, Cala d'Aubarca, Cala d'en Sardina and Cala es Cubells. These are just a few of the paradisiacal places where those who seek refuge from the lively nightlife go to relax and unwind after a night out.
After spending the day at the beach, stroll around the numerous buildings immersed in history, such as the Ibiza Cathedral, a Gothic temple started in the 13th century and finished in the 18th century, built on top of an old Arab temple. Another must-see are the Dalt Vila Walls, once the walls of the city, built in the 16th century by Felipe II to protect the city from Ottoman and pirate attacks.
These walls surround the Dalt Vila neighbourhood, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, as was the Phoenician town of Sa Caleta, the only remaining example of Phoenician town planning in the Mediterranean. However, the island's most characteristic architecture is undoubtedly the typical Ibizan house. These cubed, whitewashed buildings are sober and resilient, and have served as inspiration to masters of architecture such as Le Corbusier. Take one of our cheap flights to Ibiza to find out how, just like its beautiful houses, the island caters to your every need.
Thinking about travelling to Ibiza? With Iberia it couldn't be easier. Naturally, the fastest and most convenient way to explore this beautiful island is to take a flight, and in less than one hour you'll find yourself on the island.
The airport is situated 7.5 km from Ibiza Town, which you can reach by bus, taxi or hire car.
Ibiza's climate is typically Mediterranean, with mild average temperatures and seasonal precipitation. The dry season coincides with the summer, which is also the hottest time of year. Precipitation is irregular, varying considerably from one year to another and sometimes it is so scarce that droughts occur. Most of the rainfall is concentrated in a few days, with heavy downpours in autumn and only sporadic precipitation during the rest of the year. The average annual temperatures range between 16/18º C, with maximum averages of 29/31º C occurring in the summer and minimum averages of 5/9º C on winter nights. However, some years there are peaks of 35º C or higher and temperatures as low as -2º C, and occasionally it can be as hot as 41º C in summer an as cold as -6º C in winter.
Be sure to try "sofrit pagés", made with meat, sausage and potatoes, "arroz de matanza", a pork stew served with rice, and the fish stew known as "guisat de peix".
Check the flight offer Uruguay and book your plane ticket online. Iberia guarantees the best last-minute prices for our cheap flight offer Uruguay.
Prices shown are for flights that customers have recently searched at Uruguay. They are subject to change depending on seat availability, possible fare variations, charges and other supplements at the time you make the check. Prices per journey are applicable for return-flight tickets
A destination for your senses
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from 25 of November to 18 of January
FINAL PRICE Taxes, service fees and carrier charges included. Prices displayed in USD.


text: Artist: Mystikal f/ Mac, Fiend, and Silkk the Shocker Album: Ghetto Fabulous Song: What's Your Alias? Typed by: firstname.lastname@example.com [Fiend] A tell me what's your name? [Mystikal] MC Mystikal [Fiend] What's your alias? [Mystikal] I'm the prince of the South [Fiend] What's your thing? [Mystikal] I ain't playing with your bitch ass [Fiend] So boy what'd you say? [Mystikal] Here I go here I go [Mystikal] Bitch I'll backslap or backstab after that kidnap a whack rap Bring it louder if you coming to rap Your arms to short your legs to small I'm the sure shot shit off of deputy dog Break it in two and TRU so do By myself I can take you and you and you and you Straight forward like Kerri Kittles Nigga's head bob very little Gooder than a whole hand full of skittles Evil with feedback when I turn on the mic I'm the spritz that has to "Chsssss" when you open your Sprite No fight no war no brawl y'all ain't ready When they see me their eyes get big arms get sweaty [Mystikal] Enough to go around you know exactly how it go down In house uptown big boys throw down Out of control ballers from Bagwood back to New Orleans If it'll make ya feel good that's what you can call it [Mystikal] What's your name!? [Mac] Mac the Don, motherfucker [Mystikal] What's your alias? [Mac] Shell Shocked nigga [Mystikal] What's your thing? [Mac] Murder murder murder murder [Mystikal] Nigga what'd you say? [Mac] Wooooaaaaah [Mac] Who rocks it? I play the plug you play the socket Y'all got your pieces nicked lets cock it Now how I get your open knock and lock it Y'all niggas fail so now y'all trying to jock it My formula's trill (watch it watch it) These fake ass niggas are blocking With niggas with them ill times are rocking He lifts and cocked it Suckers are toxic I'm all about what's falling in my pocket I'll be the one they wanna share that cock with Your just that nigga that they wanna shock with You never hit it told your niggaz you did it You probably ate it Laid back and masturbated Take them fake wood strips off the side of you ride Cause real niggas keep their war on the inside that's money with pride Shell shock niggas We on the block niggas Fiend cocked in 98 We bought more figures and triggers We be murder murder too So have my money or have my shit And oh tell your little sister to stay up off my dick! [Mystikal] What's your name!? [Fiend] Capitol F-I-E-N-D [Mystikal] What's your alias? [Fiend] I'm Mr. Get it on Jones [Mystikal] What's your thing? [Fiend] I'm the one that call the Shotti [Mystikal] What'd you say? [Fiend] Whomp Whomp! Whomp whomp whomp! [Fiend] I'm the decided private miscontorting to fire on me Bringing you extra clips and jeans favorite style's sareen Mr. Get it on Jones I noticed I didn't drop the phone If it's on then it's on Mister stay loaded up the zone I stay rolling on some chrome Mr. Bad ass nigga ?????????????????? My verbal class can kill ya I'm a mad man killer Warning no hommie can turn ya to thugs and drug dealers So what the fuck up nigga Expect me to be discrete Well you bitches beneath me like athletes feet Ya have ????? can't beat a handicapped as for me I mastered the art of MC It was all before BC Wanna see me? Close your eyes and hold your breath That whore pushing that store cutting on over to quicker death Bet you niggas are set for ghettos soon to be junk Got lyrical ???? up I'm Mr. War war [Mystikal] What's your name? [Silkk] Silkk the Shocker! [Mystikal] What's your alias? [Silkk] Mister! [Mystikal] What's your thing? [Silkk] I'm a made man nigga! [Mystikal] Nigga what'd you say? [Silkk] AAAAAAHHHHHH! [Silkk] (Mister!) Mister hang with real thugs Mister's real blood Mister don't shoot blanks Mister shoot real slugs I never feel shit except from the ghetto And I don't feel love Nigga I'm out there pissed without this nook I see a club Nigga what? Mister hit your block Mister hit your spot Mister you better duck the fuck down or Mister's getting shot Come on come with me Come and get me I'm gonna find you some hurting I drop flies that hurt the same time I hit the horn street man tries to hurt me Let me negotiate my contract on the beach he got me some ends Look turned 19 look nigga I got me a Benz You know me see that nigga gonna flock with the rocks in his hands He ain't worth a cop just to block his rocks and then ran I check my flow last year only got better So cold now if it's hot I can still rock leather Mister ain't NO L-I-M-I- to the T (That's Mac that's Fiend, Mystikal your Silkk the Shocker) Yeah that's me! [Silkk] What's your name? [Mystikal] MC Mystikal [Silkk] What's your alias? [Mystikal] I'm the prince of the South [Silkk] What's your thing? [Mystikal] I ain't playing with your bitch ass [Silkk] What'd you say? [Mystikal] The mans right here


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Guide for Safe Outdoor Operations during COVID-19
To ensure expanded outdoor business areas are created safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, SCE is offering cities and businesses safety guidelines to assist with their efforts in making outdoor expansion decisions.
What Pool Owners, Swimmers Should Know
Faulty pool lighting and bad wiring are the greatest threats this summer, but can easily be eliminated by inspections and maintenance.
Downed Power Line? Call 911
Electricity can be dangerous. For safety's sake, always consider power lines live or energized, and never touch or approach a downed power line.
Before You Dig, Call 811
Whether you're planting new trees and shrubs, or installing a new fence, give us a call before you dig. When you do, your underground utility lines will be marked for everyone's safety. This service is free and it's actually required by law.
Smarter Outlets Are Safer
Ground fault circuit interrupter outlets (GFCIs) are designed to protect against electric shock in kitchens, baths, and places where electricity can come into contact with water. They shut off electricity when needed—and can help save lives. Talk to your electrician to learn more.
Joining Forces for Safe Communities
We're working closely with local police, firefighters, and EMTs because public safety is our top priority. From electrical-safety training for first responders to a coordinated approach to information sharing, it's all about keeping our communities safe.
Emergency Preparedness
A disaster or emergency can happen at any time. Is your household ready?
Protect yourself from Bill Payment Scams and Caller ID Spoofing
Go to www.sce.com/scamalert
Wildfire Safety
To reduce wildfire threats and improve safety, we are working to bolster wildfire prevention, put in place new and enhanced safety measures and make the electric system more resilient.
Upgrading Utility Poles>
You may have seen crews in your neighborhood lately. We're inspecting poles, and repairing or replacing those that don't meet required standards. It's part of our ongoing investment in maintenance, safety and repair to ensure that we continue to deliver reliable electric service. Our pole-loading assessment takes about 30 minutes, and crews don't need to access your home or building. The following approved contractors will perform the inspections, assessments, and repairs:
- Davey Tree Company
- Intec Services
- Osmose
- Cyient
- eKyube
- Utility Data Contractors (UDC)
- Quanta Utility Engineering Services (QUES)
- Inland-Metro Services, Inc. (IMS)
Contact Us
Clear vegetation from power lines: 1-800-655-4555
Report an object caught in power lines: 1-800-611-1911
Report an outage: 1-800-611-1911
Before you dig: Call 811
Electrical Emergency: Call 911


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My great-grandmother Jane Purcell had a wonderfully full life. Part of her story is revealed in the 1940 U.S. Census, which the National Archives and Records Administration made available online to the public in 2012 at: 1940census.archives.gov: .
In 1940, Jane and some of her extended family resided at 1509 Orchlee in Brighton Heights. She was 71 then and listed as "head of house." Her place of birth was listed as "France."
She was born in Alsace-Lorraine, after all, and came to America with her family as a girl. Her parents ran a North Side tavern. That's where Jane met her husband, Thomas Purcell, an Irish immigrant who would become a mill foreman.
Jane and Tom married in 1886, when Jane was 18. They would have seven daughters and one son – and face their share of loss.
One daughter, Adele, died in 1891, at age 3. A second, Stella, died in 1916, at 19. A third, Mary, would give birth to sons Johnny in 1909 and Thomas in 1911, but Thomas would die in 1912 – and Mary would be taken the following year, at 25. Jane would take her grandson Johnny in and raise him.
In 1927, Jane would lose her husband to cancer. He was 65. They'd had a good life and he'd provided well for her.
She was 59 then and fortunate that her only son, Tom Purcell Jr. – my grandfather – would help support her. A charming fellow with a head for numbers, he would soon become a personal accountant working directly for the Mellon family. He'd marry my grandmother Beatrice and have two children, my Aunt Jane and my father, Tom.
The stock market would crash in 1929 and Jane's family would suffer its effects. With companies going under and jobs being lost, her children and their children would be forced to share homes – some moved back in with her.
Her son Tom was a savior during these years. He enjoyed a secure income, though he spent much of it providing shoes and other necessities for his mother, siblings, nieces and nephews.
But in 1937, Jane would lose her only son, too. My grandfather died of strep throat at the young age of 34, a tremendous blow to Jane and her family.
All of this took place before the 1940 census. The Depression lingered and many households were comprised of extended-family members living together to make ends meet. According to the 1940 census, Great-Grandma Jane's household included:
Her youngest daughter, Jean, 29, whose occupation was listed as "stenographer." She earned $900 that year.
Her grandson Johnny, 31, a carpenter by trade, who could find no work in his field. My grandfather had gotten him a job as a bank guard. He listed his income as $2,506.
Her daughter, Helen, 47, and Helen's husband, Cornelius, 48. Cornelius was a pattern maker, also unable to find work in his field. His occupation was listed as "substitute teacher," his income as $1,100.
Helen and Cornelius' sons, Jack, 12, and Tom, 10 – now 85 and 83.
Jack told me the house was always full of activity. There was always someone at home. Every other Saturday, all of Jane's remaining children and their children would gather. As the adults played cards upstairs, the children played in the fruit cellar in the basement.
When Jane and her family participated in the 1940 census, they had no idea that the country would soon enter the Second World War, that her grandson Johnny would be drafted early (he would make it home) or that her son-in-law Cornelius would soon be working so many hours as a pattern maker – in support of the war effort – that he and Helen would save enough money to buy their own house in 1943.
When they did, Great-Grandma Jane would sell her old home, which held a million wonderful memories. She'd share the proceeds with her children. She'd move in with Cornelius, Helen and their sons. Her grandson Johnny would move in with them when he returned from the war.
For the next four years, she'd enjoy the company of her children and grandchildren, most of whom lived within blocks and would visit her often. Her health suffered during her last few years, and in 1947, she died quietly at home at the age of 78.
So there you have it: a snapshot of the wonderfully full life experienced by my Great-Grandma Purcell – a snapshot made possible, in part, by the 1940 census.


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In the heart of China's Sichuan province lies the small city of Fuling. Surrounded by the terraced hills of the Yangtze River valley, Fuling has long been a place of continuity, far from the bustling political centers of Beijing and Shanghai. But now Fuling is heading down a new path, and gradually, along with scores of other towns in this vast and ever-evolving country, it is becoming a place of change and vitality, tension and reform, disruption and growth. As the people of Fuling hold on to the China they know, they are also opening up and struggling to adapt to a world in which their fate is uncertain.
Fuling's position at the crossroads came into remarkably sharp focus when Peter Hessler arrived as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1996, marking the first time in more than half a century that the city had an American resident. He found himself teaching English and American literature at the local college, discovering how Shakespeare and other classics look when seen through the eyes of students who have been raised in the Sichuan countryside and educated in Communist Party doctrine. His students, though, are the ones who taught him about the ways of Fuling — and about the complex process of understanding that takes place when one is immersed in a radically different society.
As he learns the language and comes to know the people, Hessler begins to see that it is indeed a unique moment for Fuling. In its past is Communist China's troubled history — the struggles of land reform, the decades of misguided economic policies, and the unthinkable damage of the Cultural Revolution — and in the future is the Three Gorges Dam, which upon completion will partly flood thecity and force the resettlement of more than a million people. Making his way in the city and traveling by boat and train throughout Sichuan province and beyond, Hessler offers vivid descriptions of the people he meets, from priests to prostitutes and peasants to professors, and gives voice to their views. This is both an intimate personal story of his life in Fuling and a colorful, beautifully written account of the surrounding landscape and its history. Imaginative, poignant, funny, and utterly compelling, River Town is an unforgettable portrait of a city that, much like China itself, is seeking to understand both what it was and what it someday will be.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001


text: Google and the Google-owned YouTube received more than 10,000 requests for user data from government agencies in the six months ending Dec. 31, 2009, according to newly released data."Like other technology and communications companies, we regularly receive requests from government agencies around the world to remove content from our services, or provide information about users of our services and products," Google says on a new site that sheds more light onto government demands for user information and requests to take offensive material off the Web.Google Buzz's Privacy Tweaks: Good Start, Not EnoughThe vast majority of requests for private user data "are valid and the information needed is for legitimate criminal investigations." Likewise, many requests to remove videos and other content are valid, for example requests to nix child pornography, Google notes."However, data about these activities historically has not been broadly available," Google said in its blog Tuesday. "We believe that greater transparency will lead to less censorship."Between July 1 and Dec. 31, Google received 3,580 requests for user data from U.S. government agencies, slightly less than the 3,663 originating from Brazil. The United Kingdom and India sent more than 1,000 requests each, and smaller numbers originated from various other countries.Brazil also sent the most requests to remove content, at 291. Germany was second with 188 such requests, followed by India with 142 and the United States with 123. Google fully or partially complied with 80% of content removal requests in the United States.The numbers are imperfect, because a single request could consist of multiple users' data or removal of multiple URLs. There could also be multiple requests for the same data or to remove the same content.So far, Google is not saying how often it complies with government requests for user data, but said it plans to in the future."We would like to be able to share more information, including how many times we disclosed data in response to these requests, but it's not an easy matter," Google says. "The requests we receive for user data come from a variety of government agencies with different legal authorities and different forms of requests. Given all this complexity, we haven't figured out yet how to categorize and quantify these requests in a way that adds meaningful transparency, but we plan to in the future."In related news on Tuesday, Google was sent an open letter by government regulators from several countries demanding that the company respect national laws on user privacy.Follow Jon Brodkin on Twitter: www.twitter.com\/jbrodkinRead more about lans and wans in Network World's LANs & WANs section.


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This winter's latest snowstorm ended Friday morning but the biting cold and stinging wind stayed behind, holding temperatures to the single digits around Portland with a wind chill that felt much colder.
The wind died down by Friday evening, but the temperature in Portland was down to minus 4 by 10 p.m. – and projected to drop to 10 below zero overnight. Inland, temperatures were expected to approach 20 below zero, according to the National Weather Service.
Warmer and sunnier weather is on its way for Saturday. Some rain or freezing rain could arrive Sunday, with temperatures expected to rise into the 30s and perhaps even the 40s by Monday. Beyond that, Tuesday is expected to be sharply colder, with a high in the teens, but temperatures are expected to be more seasonable Wednesday and Thursday, with highs in the 20s, said Margaret Curtis, a meteorologist with the weather service.
Even better, Curtis said, no big storms are on the horizon beyond Monday's rain.
The snowstorm that began Thursday dumped as much as 11 inches of light, fluffy snow on Portland and surrounding towns. Snowfall amounts were less farther up the coast and inland.
The storm didn't reach blizzard conditions as predicted, but driving Friday was treacherous. Speed limits on the Maine Turnpike and Interstate 295 were reduced to 45 mph. Police in York and Cumberland counties reported a few minor accidents and cars sliding off roads, but no major crashes.
Speed limits were returned to normal by the afternoon.
While the Portland International Jetport terminal and its runways remained open, many airlines were reporting delays and cancellations because of the weather. Friday morning, eight of 29 arrivals were canceled and 16 of 35 departures were grounded.
Alisha Holbrook, 28, a substitute carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, wasn't deterred by the harsh weather. She just made adjustments. On Friday, she opted to drive her own car, a 2000 Honda CRV, rather than her mail carrier truck. She said she felt more comfortable in her own vehicle.
Her job involves getting out of the vehicle often to deliver packages or get signatures. She was prepared for that, too, wearing a down jacket, a long-sleeved thermal shirt and fleece vest, jeans, waterproof Keen boots and her husband's military-issue wool socks, and a wool hat with fleece lining.
Central Maine Power Co. officials said they braced for power outages caused by high winds, but only a few outages occurred, and they were restored by 3:30 p.m. Bangor Hydro Electic Co. had fewer than 200 outages at its peak Friday.
Both utilities are still assessing the damage from last week's ice storm in much of coastal and central Maine that left more than 100,000 customers without power, some for several days.
CMP can request rate increases for extraordinary costs if certain criteria are met, according to the Public Utilities Commission.
First, the storm must be declared a significant weather event by the National Weather Service, which has already done so. At least 20 percent of the utility's customers must be affected. At the height of the storm, just over 20 percent of CMP's customers were without power.
And third, the cost of the damage must be at least $1.5 million, which is likely.
CMP spokesman John Carroll said the utility is still assessing the damage.
It will then prepare a filing for the PUC that explains all of its costs in detail.
Carroll said requests for rate adjustments associated with extreme weather events are common.
CMP already has a proposal before the PUC to raise rates beginning July 1. CMP officials said that request is not tied to a weather event but is needed to upgrade distribution and billing systems intended to improve reliability.
The request, submitted in May, would increase the average monthly bill by about $2.
Carroll said it's likely that any request for recovery of costs associated with the ice storm would be rolled into that rate increase request, which the PUC will hear this spring.
Any time a storm causes extensive damage to power lines, CMP is flooded with calls to bury lines underground, Carroll said.
That is an option, but not a realistic one, he said.
The cost to bury one mile of power line is about $1 million. CMP has 23,000 miles of power lines.
Staff Writers Gillian Graham and North Cairn contributed to this report.
Eric Russell can be contacted at 791-6344 or at:
Twitter: @PPHEricRussell
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Supreme Court acts on DOMA, marriage equality, and same-sex benefits petitions that were held pending yesterday's decisions
By Scottie Thomaston
Yesterday, after the Supreme Court issued its final decisions of the term, it held a conference to determine what the Court should do about the remaining petitions for review in cases related to marriage equality. Recall that although Windsor was the only DOMA case ultimately accepted for review, the Court was actually asked to hear several more challenges to the Act. And although the Prop 8 case was ultimately the vehicle chosen to discuss, possibly, marriage equality, the Court was faced with other cases.
Today's order list by the Court resolves these DOMA cases, and addresses the petitions in the marriage and benefits cases in their early stages, without commenting on a final outcome so early in the process.
First, in the case marriage equality advocates are watching closely, after yesterday's final decision in the Prop 8 case: the Court declined to review the petition in Nevada's marriage equality case, filed by the proponents of the constitutional marriage ban in the state. That case, initially filed by Lambda Legal, is known as Sevcik v. Sandoval in the lower courts, and Coalition for the Protection of Marriage v. Beverly Sevcik, et al at the Supreme Court. So far, only the district court has issued a decision: the judge ruled against the same-sex couples who filed the lawsuit, using a very deferential standard of review. The plaintiffs appealed the case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, where they were awaiting briefing and arguments; then, the Coalition, the ballot initiative proponents, asked the Supreme Court to rule on the merits of a broad constitutional right to same-sex marriage. The Coalition asked the Court to rule against such a right and to do so even as the plaintiffs continued to argue that the case is much narrower. A request to review a petition before judgment is rarely granted, so it's no surprise the Court would want to wait until there is full briefing and arguments at the Ninth Circuit.
The Sevcik case was placed on a parallel track with another marriage case, Jackson v. Abercrombie, out of Hawaii. They are both in the Ninth Circuit and both were appealed by same-sex couples who lost in the district court. The Jackson case is not at issue at the Supreme Court at this stage. Now that the petition was denied, both cases can continue. When the Ninth Circuit does hear arguments and issue a ruling, the losing party can ask the Court to review it, and that seems like a likely request in the future. It's not clear based on yesterday's decisions if the Court would take up another marriage case, but either way, they likely won't see another marriage equality petition for a year.
Second, they looked at the other DOMA petitions. The Court simply denied review in the other challenges. The section of the statute at issue in all of these cases was declared unconstitutional yesterday, so it can't be constitutional in any other situation. There are still some remaining issues, because in some DOMA challenges which have not yet reached the Court (or even an appeals court) other statutes are at stake. There are military and immigration statutes which use the same language as Section 3 of DOMA. However, yesterday's opinion was written in a way that suggested the definitions violated both equal protection and federalism principles, so there is language which could be used in these other challenges. In denying review of the other DOMA cases, the lower courts will determine if there are any outstanding issues aside from the ones decided in Windsor yesterday. If not, the gay plaintiffs in these cases win judgment in their favor.
Another case the Court declined to review was Brewer v. Diaz. Arizona's Governor Jan Brewer petitioned the Court to block a preliminary injunction that was preventing her from implementing a law to deny same-sex couples benefits in the state. It was in the early stages, and if they had taken it up and ruled in her favor, the state would have been able to block the benefits only while the case continued in the lower courts – there was not yet an ultimate judgment on whether the law in the state is permissible or not. Since they decided not to address the case in these early stages, same-sex couples in Arizona will receive benefits while the case works through the courts. The Court could still grant a petition if one is filed after the appeals court rules, but that won't happen for awhile.
In short, some Ninth Circuit cases will continue, on marriage and benefits, but the only challenges left in the DOMA cases will be those in which Section 3 of DOMA and another statute were challenged, since the other statutes weren't at issue in Windsor. And with Sevcik and Jackson at the Ninth Circuit, and DeBoer in Michigan continuing, more court action is coming soon.
June 27, 2013


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Very interesting letter found (pdf) by Hillbuzz. It's from the Hillary counsel dated Jan 23rd and I'm sure it was supposed to be scrubbed from the cyberworld but alas, they were remiss and now we can read about the voter suppression, intimidation, and harassment perpetrated by the Obama campaign. An ACORN doesn't fall to far from the tree eh?:
' Nonlawyer Partner
1133 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Suite 300 Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 293-1177 Facsimile (202) 293-3411
January 23, 2008
Jill Derby, Chair Nevada State Democratic Party 1210 South Valley View Road Suite 114 Las Vegas, NV 89102
Dear Chair Derby:
I write on behalf of Hillary Clinton for President ("the Committee") in regard to the January 19, 2008 Nevada Democ-ratic Caucus. The Committee is aware of a letter addressed to you today from the Obama for America campaign requesting an inquiry into the conduct of the caucuses. The Committee shares the Obama campaign's concern that full participation in the democratic process may have been compromised by the substantial number of irregularities occurring at the caucuses, and we fully support a complete inquiry by the Nevada State Democratic Party (the "Party") into all caucus improprieties.
This letter is not intended as a response to the Obama campaign's letter. However, in the interest of a complete record, and in contrast to the alleged minor procedural problems noted by the Obama campaign, the Committee wishes to bring to your attention information we have received evidencing a premeditated and predesigned plan by the Obama campaign to engage in systematic corruption of the Party's caucus procedures. Compounding this blatant distortion of the caucus rules was an egregious effort by the Obama campaign to manipulate the voter registration process in its own favor, thereby disenfranchising countless voters. Finally, the Committee has received a vast number of reliable reports of voter suppression and intimidation by the Obama campaign or its allies.
The Committee had 30 phone lines on Saturday to receive calls in its Las Vegas offices. These lines rang continuously from early morning until well after the caucuses concluded with reports from people who were victimized and who observed irregularities. The phone lines were so over-whelmed that many callers resorted to calling individual Committee staff cell phones to report that they could not get through. The Committee also received many similar calls at its national headquarters.
The Committee is confident that any investigation into the conduct of the caucuses will be thorough, fair and in the interest of insuring that future Party caucuses will be as open and democratic as possible.
Systematic Corruption of the Party's Caucus Procedures
The Committee received substantially similar reports of improprieties of such a number as to leave no conclusion but that the Obama campaign and its allies and supporters engaged in a planned effort to subvert the Party's caucus procedures to its advantage. For example:
þ Preference cards were premarked for Obama.
þ Clinton supporters were denied preference cards on the basis that none were left, while Obama supporters at the same caucus sites were given preference cards.
þ Caucus chairs obviously supporting Obama:
o Deliberately miscounted votes to favor Senator Obama.
o Deliberately counted unregistered persons as Obama votes.
o Deliberately counted young children as Obama votes.
o Refused to accept preference cards from Clinton supporters who were at the caucus site by noon on the ground that the cards were not filled out fast enough.
o Told Clinton supporters to leave prior to electing delegates.
þ Clinton supporters who arrived late were turned away from the caucus, while late Obama supporters were admitted to the caucus.
Manipulation of the Voter Registration Process
Numerous reports received by the Committee demonstrate a concerted effort on the part of the Obama campaign and its supporters to prevent eligible voters supporting a candidate other than Senator Obama from caucusing. The Obama supporters complained of were acting in positions of authority at the caucus sites. Some of these reports are as follows:
þ Obama supporters wrongly informed Clinton supporters that they were not allowed to participate in the caucus if their names were not on the voter rolls. However, Obama supporters whose names did not appear on the voter rolls were permitted to register at the caucus site.
þ Obama supporters falsely informed Clinton supporters that no registration forms were available for them to register to vote at the caucus site.
þ Obama supporters wrongly told Clinton supporters who were attempting to caucus at the wrong precinct that they could not caucus at that site, while simultaneously permitting Obama supporters at the wrong precinct to participate.
þ Obama supporters were allowed to move to the front of the registration and sign-in line.
Voter Suppression and Intimidation
The Committee received a substantial number of disturbing reports from voters that they had been subject to harassment, intimidation or efforts to prevent them from voting. Some of the most egregious of these complaints are described below:
þ Voters at at-large caucus sites were informed that those sites were for Obama supporters only.
þ Clinton supporters at at-large caucus sites were told that their managers would be watching them while they caucused.
þ Workers were informed that their supervisors kept lists of Clinton and Obama supporters, and were told that they could not caucus unless their name was on the list of Obama supporters.
þ Many Clinton supporters were threatened with employment termination or other discipline if they caucused for Senator Clinton.
þ Workers were required to sign a pledge card to support Obama if they wanted time off to participate in the caucus.
þ Workers at one casino were offered a lavish lunch and permitted to attend and register to vote only if they agree to support Obama.
The complaints summarized above represent only a small sample of the complaints received by the Committee. With respect to each of these complaints and many more, the Committee has the names and phone numbers of those reporting these incidents and the specific precinct numbers where the incidents occurred. Upon request the Committee will share these with the Party with appropriate safeguards to protect these individuals from reprisal. On the whole, these reports show a troubling effort by the Obama campaign and its allies and supporters to advance their own campaign at the expense of the right of all Nevada Democrats to participate in the democratic process in a free, fair and open manner.
Senator Clinton and the Committee are wholly committed to ensuring that every eligible voter has his or her vote cast and counted. There is no place in the American electoral process for the types of voter suppression, intimidation and harassment systematically engaged in by the Obama campaign, its allies and supporters.
Lyn Utrecht
Hillary Clinton for President


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Olivia Trinidad Arias, also known as Olivia Harrison, was born on May 18, 1948 in Mexico city to Mary Louise, a seamstress, and Esquiel Arias, a dry-cleaner. She has four siblings : two sisters, Chris and Linda, and two brothers, Ron and Gilbert. She graduated from Hawthorne High School in 1965. She met future husband George Harrison in 1974 while working as a secretary at A&M Records (distributor of his Dark Horse Record label). She married George on September 2nd 1978 (after having his child), officially becoming the second Mrs.Harrison. She gave birth to his only child, Dhani, on August 1st of the same year. They lived a low-key life out of the spotlight. In December of 1999, George and Olivia were attacked at their manor of Friar Park (the same home he first shared with Pattie Boyd, his first wife) by a maniac even though the security mesures were really high (after John's 1980 murder). George was stabbed by the intruder. Olivia managed to knock the intruder out with a lamp, which led to a friend of George (Tom Petty) saying afterwards : ''Aren't you glad you married a Mexican girl ?''. She was by his side when he sadly died of lung cancer in 2001. With help from the second Beatle wives (Yoko, Barbara and Linda) and Elton John, she launched the charity Romanian Angel Appeal after reading about the plight of children in Romania. Olivia produced the Concert For George in her husband's memory in 2002. This concert was sold out at London's Royal Albert Hall and featured many musicians, whom were friends with George, such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Billy Preston, Ravi Shankar, Ringo Starr, and many more, including the first worldwide exposure of her son Dhani. Today, The Sunday Times List estimates her net worth at $229 million. [2009]. She said she will miss George til her dying day. She still lives in Friar Park to this day.
Barbara Ann Goldbach, mostly know as Barbara Bach, was born on August 27 1947 in Rosedale, New York to Marjorie and Howard Goldbach, a policeman. Born in the USA, she is of Austrian Jewish descent from her father's side, of Irish descent from her mother's side and of Romanian ancestry from her grandma's side. She was the eldest of five children. Barbara left school at age 16 to pursue her buzzing modeling career (like Pattie, she was a sixties model). She even appeared on the cover of Vogue. Barbara had small roles in Italian films but it was really the 1977 James-Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, in which she played the role of Russian spy Anya Amasova, that gave her recognition as an actress and catapulted her to the status of sex symbol (she appeared in Playboy several times). Aged 18 years old, she first married Italian businessman Augusto Gregorini (who was 11 years her senior) in 1968, whom she met on a flight to Rome, and moved with him to Italy and pursued her career in Italian films. She had two children with Gregorini, a daughter named Francesca (who went on to date Portia de Rossi) and a son named Gianni. In 1975, she divorced Gregorini and moved back to her homeland. She met her now-husband, drummer Ringo Starr, on the set of their 1980 movie Caveman (which was a flop), but had first seen him at a Beatles concert in 1965. They married on April 27 1981 in a grand wedding and have been together ever since. In 1993, Barbara got her master's degree from UCLA in psychology and started the Self Help Addiction Recovery Program (both Ringo and her had had drinking problems in the past).
Linda Louise Eastman, also known as Lady Linda McCartney, was born on September 24 1941 to Jewish Americans parents, Lee and Louise Eastman. She had one older brother, John (July 10, 1939) and two younger sisters, Laura (born in 1947) and Louise Jr. (born in 1950). She grew up in the wealthy Scarsdale area of Westchester County, New York and graduated from Scarsdale High School in 1960. Contrary to popular rumors, Linda was not related to George Eastman of Eastman Kodak fame, but her mother (who died in an airplane crash in 1962, when Linda was 21) was indeed the heiress of the Lindner Department store. Both Paul and Linda lost their mothers at quite a young age, creating a bond between them. Linda studied Fine Art at the University of Arizona. She first married Joseph Melvin See Jr., whom she met in college. They married on June 18, 1962, and their daughter Heather Louise, who is now a pottery designer and was later adopted by Paul, was born on December 31, 1962. They divorced in June 1965, only 3 years later. See committed suicide with a self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 19, 2000, at his home in Tucson. On May 15, 1967, Linda Eastman met Paul McCartney at a Georgie Fame concert at the Bag O'Nails club in London. She was in the UK on an assignment to take photographs of "Swinging Sixties" musicians in London. Paul was still in a relationship with actress girlfriend Jane Asher. The two later went to the Speakeasy club on Margaret Street to see Procol Harum. They met again four days later at the launch party for Sergent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band at Brian Epstein's house in Belgravia. When her assignment was completed, she flew back to New York City. In May 1968, they met again in New York, as John Lennon and Paul McCartney were there to announce the formation of Apple Corps. In September of the same year, he phoned her and asked her to fly over to London. They were married six months later at a small civil ceremony (she was four months pregnant with their daughter Mary) at Marylebone Registry Office on 12 March 1969. They later had daughter Stella McCartney, a now very popular fashion designer, and finally, son James McCartney. Along with her husband and Denny Laine, they formed the band Wings. Throughout her life, Linda was a devoted animal activist and also a vegetarian, publishing books on the subject. Linda was diagnosed in 1995 with breast cancer and died of the disease on April 17, 1998 at the McCartney family Ranch in Tucson, with her loving husband and four children at her bedside.
Yoko Ono was born in 1933 to mother Isoko Ono, the great-granddaughter of Zenjiro Yasuda of the Yasuda banking family, and to father Yeisuke Ono, a banker and one-time classical pianist who was a descendant of an Emperor of Japan. Two weeks before she was born, her father was transferred to San Francisco by his employer, the Yokohama Specie Bank.The rest of the family followed soon after and Yoko met her father when she was two. Her younger brother Keisuke was born in December 1936. In 1937, her father was transferred back to Japan and Ono was enrolled at Tokyo's Gakushuin (also known as the Peers School), one of the most exclusive schools in Japan. In 1940, the family moved to New York City, where Ono's father was working. In 1941, her father was transferred to Hanoi and the family returned to Japan. Ono was then enrolled in Keimei Gakuen, an exclusive Christian primary school run by the Mitsui family. She graduated in 1951 and was accepted into the philosophy program of Gakushuin University, the first woman ever to be accepted into that department of the exclusive university. However, after two semesters, she left the school. In 1956, she married composer Toshi Ichiyanagi. They divorced in 1962 after living apart for several years. On November 28 that same year, Ono married an American named Anthony Cox. Cox was a jazz musician, film producer and art promoter. He had heard of Ono in New York and tracked her down to a mental institution in Japan, where her family had placed her following a suicide attempt. Ono had neglected to finalize her divorce from Ichiyanagi, so their marriage was annulled on March 1, 1963 and Cox and Ono married on June 6. Their daughter, Kyoko Chan Cox, was born two months later on August 3, 1963. The marriage quickly fell apart but the Coxes stayed together for the sake of their joint career. They performed at Tokyo's Sogetsu Hall with Ono lying atop a piano played by John Cage. Soon the Coxes returned to New York with Kyoko. In the early years of this marriage, Ono left most of Kyoko's parenting to Cox while she pursued her art full-time and Tony managed publicity. After she divorced Cox on February 2, 1969, Ono and Cox engaged in a bitter legal battle for custody of Kyoko, which resulted in Ono being awarded full custody. However, in 1971, Cox disappeared with eight-year-old Kyoko. Cox and Kyoko sent Ono a sympathy message after Lennon's 1980 murder. Afterwards, the bitterness between the parents lessened slightly and Ono publicly announced in People Magazine that she would no longer seek out the now-adult Kyoko, but still wished to make contact with her. In 1994, Kyoko made contact with Ono and established a relationship. Ono first met John Lennon when he visited a preview of an exhibition of Ono's at the Indica Gallery in London on November 9, 1966. Lennon's first personal encounter with Ono involved her passing him a card that read simply "Breathe". Another work displayed a real apple with a card reading "APPLE." When John was told that the price of the apple was £200 (approximately £2300 or $4600 in 2007 money), he later reported that he thought "This is a joke, this is pretty funny". Another display was a white board with nails in it with a sign inviting visitors to hammer a nail into its surface. Since the show was not beginning until the following day, Ono refused to allow Lennon to hammer in a nail. The gallery owner whisked her away, saying, "Don't you know who that is? He's a millionaire!" Upon returning to John, she said he could hammer in a nail for five shillings. Lennon replied, "I'll give you an imaginary five shillings if you let me hammer in an imaginary nail". Lennon referred to Ono in many of his songs. While still a Beatle he wrote "The Ballad of John and Yoko", and he alluded to her indirectly in "Julia", a song dedicated to his mother, with the lyrics: "Ocean child calls me, so I sing a song of love" (The kanji 洋子 ("Yoko") means "ocean child"). Ono and Lennon collaborated on many albums, beginning in 1968 when Lennon was still a Beatle, with Unfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins, an album of experimental and difficult electronic music. That same year, the couple contributed an experimental piece to The White Album called "Revolution 9". Ono also contributed backing vocals (on "Birthday"), and one line of lead vocals (on "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill") to The White Album. Many of the couple's later albums were released under the name the Plastic Ono Band. The couple also appeared together at concerts. Both the press and the public were critical of her. She was blamed for the breakup of The Beatles and repeatedly criticized for her influence over Lennon and his music. Her experimental art was not popularly understood. After the Beatles disbanded, Lennon and Ono cohabited in London and then in New York. Their relationship was very strained as Lennon faced near-certain deportation from the United States based on the British drug charges and Ono was separated from her daughter, who would have remained behind if Ono followed Lennon back to England. The couple separated in 1973 and the two began living separate lives, Ono pursuing her career in New York and Lennon living in Los Angeles with personal assistant May Pang in a period commonly referred to as his "lost weekend". In 1975, the couple reconciled. Their son, Sean, was born on Lennon's 35th birthday, October 9, 1975. After Sean's birth, the couple lived in relative seclusion at the Dakota in New York. John Lennon retired from music to become a househusband caring for their child, until shortly before his murder in December 1980, which Ono witnessed at close range. Ono has stated that the couple were thinking about going out to dinner (after spending several hours in a recording studio), but were returning to their apartment instead, because John wanted to see Sean before he was put to bed. Following the murder, she went into complete seclusion for an extended period.