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Who Oversees Homeland Security? Um, Who Doesn't?
Who Oversees Homeland Security? Um, Who Doesn't?
A few weeks ago, at a forum in Aspen, Colo., the deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Jane Holl Lute, was asked about congressional oversight of her department. How many committees and subcommittees have oversight over DHS?
Her answer? 108.
And that number has grown significantly since 2004.
"When the 9/11 Commission made its report back in 2004, and they said there were too many committees and subcommittees, the number was 86," says Rep. Peter King of New York, the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Homeland Security.
The 108 committees, subcommittees and caucuses are all groups that get briefings or hear testimony from DHS officials on Capitol Hill.
'A Source Of Delay And Confusion'
King has put all this on a chart, with DHS at the center and the committees along the periphery. In addition to the subcommittees and full committees in the House, there are parallel subcommittees and full committees in the Senate.
Congressional Oversight Of Homeland Security
See the 108 committees and subcommittees keeping tabs on DHS.
The committee that King serves on has primary jurisdiction over the department, but not always, he tells NPR's Robert Siegel. He says that works to the department's detriment.
"It just becomes a minefield and also a tremendous source of delay, time and confusion for the Department of Homeland Security," King says.
How much time does it consume?
"We calculated that in 2007-2008, there were more than 5,000 briefings and 370 hearings," says Michael Chertoff, who was secretary of the department from 2005 to 2009. "That consumes an awful lot of time. But truthfully … most people miss the biggest problem. And that is that the direction you get from the committees tends to be inconsistent."
From The Beginning: A Compromise
The Department of Homeland Security was created in response to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It created a new agency, the Transportation Security Administration, and absorbed several existing agencies -- the Border Patrol, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Secret Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Coast Guard, among others.
"And that meant you had a number of components that historically were tied to other committees besides the Homeland Security Committee, and none of those committees wanted to relinquish their jurisdiction," Chertoff says. "So it wound up with a typical compromise where everybody gets a little slice of the pie."
The whole pie was overseen by the committees on Homeland Security. Chertoff says money was the one powerful force working against streamlining the congressional oversight.
"There's no question that the parts of DHS that have been the most attractive to multiple committees are those that are involved in giving money out," he says.
A Model That Works
Money may be one reason for there being 108 panels overseeing the Department of Homeland Security, but there are other "low-minded and high-minded" reasons, according to political scientist Tom Mann.
On the low side, he says, legislators can use a committee assignment as a campaign credential. On the high side, Mann says, many members have expertise in an agency -- like the Coast Guard or customs -- and they're reluctant to be cut out.
They don't want "to have their expertise, their knowledge, their policy interests shuttered aside and given -- to say -- a single overriding committee where such expertise does not exist," Mann says.
Advocates of streamlining, including Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) who chairs the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, say there is a perfectly good model for overseeing the sprawling Department of Homeland Security. It's the way the Congress oversees the Defense Department.
"We have one Senate Armed Services Committee," he says. "It oversees the entire Department of Defense, which has a budget, oh probably 15 times the size of the DHS budget. So this is doable."
Turf War
Lieberman says the only reason his committee didn't get full oversight was the opposition from other committees that wouldn't let go.
"For instance, the Coast Guard, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, is overseen by us. The Secret Service, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security -- well, the Judiciary Committee insisted that it didn't want to lose oversight of the Secret Service -- and so it went."
The number of committees overseeing DHS is not a partisan issue. It began when the Republicans controlled Congress and it continued under the Democrats.
When the Senate Judiciary Committee fought to keep oversight authority of the Secret Service, liberal Vermont Democrat Sen. Patrick Leahy and conservative Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch stood shoulder to shoulder against Lieberman and his Republican committee colleague Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.
"I suppose if you were looking for any sign of continuing bipartisanship or non-partisanship, it is that it does not matter what party you belong to, if you're on the same committee, you will fight to the death to protect the jurisdiction and authority of the committee," Lieberman says.
Not Likely To Change
Lieberman says unless the president and the Homeland Security secretary choose to make a big issue of it, it's likely to remain as is.
NPR asked the leaders of the two chambers of Congress about the 108 committees, subcommittees and caucuses. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's office had no comment.
In the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office sent NPR a written reply, saying: "The Committee on Homeland Security is the primary committee for oversight of the Department."
But on some important topics involving the DHS, for instance the Gulf oil spill, Pelosi's office says there have been special briefings: All the members -- of both parties in both houses -- have been invited.


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It's the most wonderful time of the year ... for people seeking seasonal work. Amazon is planning to hire 70,000 workers to help out for the holiday season.
The seasonal employees will work full-time at one of Amazon's more than 40 fulfillment centers across the country. Amazon's (AMZN) seasonal hiring this year represents a big increase from 2012, when the company hired 50,000 seasonal staffers.
Amazon didn't go into details about the specific positions, but workers at the fulfillment centers typically perform a range of tasks involved in online orders: Pulling items from shelves, packing up shipments and storing merchandise.
It's likely that some of the seasonal staffers will score full-time gigs. In 2012, Amazon said "thousands" of seasonal employees became regular staffers after the holidays, and it expects to do the same this year. So far in 2013, more than 7,000 temporary Amazon employees have become full-time.
Related story: Toys R Us holiday hiring same as last year
Amazon is just one of several large companies that ramps up hiring around the holidays. Unlike Amazon's news, however, many other recent holiday hiring announcements have proved disappointing.
Last week, Toys R Us said it will bring on 45,000 workers this year, roughly on par with last year's plans. Target (TGT) said this month that it plans to hire 70,000 temp workers, down from 88,000 in 2012.
Wal-Mart (WMT), the nation's largest retailer, said it would hire 10% more workers this year compared with 2012. But a spokesman attributed some of the increase to the company needing to staff the 110 new stores it has opened so far this year, and the "quite a few more" it plans to open in October.

subset: commoncrawl


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Actually most of the fireworks, if it can be called that and not a rant, came from Councilmember Jim Livingstone. If there were fireworks they appeared mostly in his face, which turned bright red as he grew angrier and angrier.
Jim often says his most important concern on the Council is public safety. The Police Department reported a slight increase in crime last year, and Jim was angry because the cost of holding elections in odd years could pay for another police officer. So I understand why Jim was so rankled by past attempts at going to even year elections.
But Jim made some claims in his tirade that I feel need to be answered. He basically called San Ramon voters stupid for not voting to go to even years when we had the chance, twice.
"If I recall, the people turned down even year elections. The people were wrong. They don't get it!" Jim believes Councilmembers should make the decision. "Everybody weigh in on this, that's garbage. . . . If we'd done this five or ten years ago, we'd be a million dollars richer today," he calculated.
Nope, not quite. The first time this was voted on was a little more than ten years ago. In 2002 the Gang of Three put Measure H on the ballot, which would go to even years by lengthening the terms of all Councilmembers.
The Gang of Three consisted of Nancy Tatarka, Donna Dickey, and Jerry Cambra. I was very happy to see Nancy Tatarka looking well, energetic, and happy recently. The City Council dais was not a happy place eleven years ago.
Dave Hudson should remember this. He was on the City Council at that time and meetings ran long into the night in part stoked by bickering between Councilmember Hudson and Councilmember Donna Dickey. Neither one was willing to give the other one the last word.
When Measure H was put on the ballot by Tatarka, Dickey, and Cambra, Vice-Mayor Wilson and Councilmember Hudson opposed it. A large group of past city leaders mobilized to fight Measure H to prevent the Gang of Three from extending their terms.
Jim Livingstone now believes the City could have saved up to $1M from past elections if we changed to even years ten years ago. So according to Jim we would be a million dollars richer if Measure H had passed. Not likely! If the Gang was still in office in 2004 they would have blown that million along with the $1.5M they already spent on plans for a Civic Center that would cost up to $200M to build and $1-2M a year to operate. So that phantom million dollars would probably not be in the City's coffers now.
The next measure to go to even year elections was Measure Q, which was put on the ballot by the City Council in 2008. Why didn't that pass? Heck I don't know. It might have been the circuitous wording that confused almost everyone.
"Shall the following be added to Article III of the City of San Ramon Charter: Notwithstanding any of the above, if the general municipal election date is changed to the date of the statewide general election, the unexpired term of an incumbent Mayor shall be extended by one year or reduced by one year? If the term is extended, that individual may serve a total of nine years as Mayor."
Now tell me what that means. Well I knew what it meant because Dave Hudson said he wouldn't even consider shortening terms. If Measure Q passed, Hudson, Wilson, Livingstone, Perkins, and Rowley intended to lengthen the Mayor's term and vote to extend their own terms to go to even years in 2010.
I wasn't so much against Measure Q as I was putting it on the ballot in 2008. I argued it should go on the ballot for the regular election in 2009 when it would not cost an additional $50K. So not only did Measure Q not save money, it cost money we didn't need to spend.
I opposed Measure Q in 2008 and wrote the opposition to it in the ballot pamphlet. Former Mayor Curt Kinney and his wife Jeanne also signed it, so my name may not have been the influencing factor. The measure lost by a mere 169 votes, but 12,431 voters voted No.
Measure P was also on the ballot in 2008. This would have changed the Charter to enable the City Council to set the Mayor's salary. That one lost too.
Maybe voters didn't like Measure P and voted No on both P and Q. Or maybe they didn't like the idea of term extensions. Or maybe they really wanted to keep City elections in odd years. Voters in San Ramon like being able to vote in a calm atmosphere, without all the hoopla of State and National elections. Voters who vote in odd years are motivated to know what's going on and who's who on the City Council. City elections are an afterthought in even year elections, competing for attention with the elections for Governor or President.
What about saving $250K every other year year by not holding odd year elections for ten years? Well 2003 was the year of the recall of Governor Gray Davis and election of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Even though that was held in October, a month before the City's election, some of the costs were offset by mailing literature at the same time.
In 2005 there were eight state-wide ballot measures that offset some of the cost of the City's odd year election. In 2007 we had no election because the Mayor and two Councilmembers, Scott Perkins and Carol Rowley, all ran unopposed.
We cannot always predict what will happen in an election year. We can have an odd year election with no opposition like 2007, and skate by with no cost at all. We can have an odd year election like 2005, with a host of initiatives to share the costs, or the really wild and wacky 2003 with the recall election in October and our odd year election a month later.
Even if the cost is only $40-$50K to put a measure on the ballot in even years, it's still a cost. And if there's no election because nobody runs in the odd years, it's still a savings.
So No, Jim, we wouldn't have saved a million dollars by now if Measure H passed in 2002. Maybe we would have saved $500K if Measure Q passed in 2008, but that's a big "MAYBE." Some of those savings might have gone to the increase in the Mayor's salary if Measure P had passed.
Let's give the voters one more try. If it is turned down again, it means voters want to keep elections in odd years even if it costs more. Jim's saying, "The people out there should be concerned about $250,000. To me it's a no brainer!" sounds a little arrogant to me.
Sometimes cost isn't the only factor. Our City's founders changed the elections from even years to odd years to avoid the "noise" of State and National elections. So maybe those 12,431 voters who rejected Measure Q do "get it." Maybe they like the way our elections stand out in odd years and want to keep them that way.
That was in 2008 before the brunt of the recession hit. We know there's a budget crunch now, and as I said at the Budget meeting, now is the time to change. There will always be a core of voters who prefer odd years, but I still believe giving voters the choice is the right thing to do.


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Reynolds subsidiary in Spain benefits from technology transfer
- Published: June 01, 1995, By Sacharow, Stanley
Grafiba SA, a subsidiary of Reynolds Metals Co., started as a manual converter of paper bags and has grown into one of the first firms in Spain to use four-color flexo printing.
Owned by US flex-pack giant, Reynolds Metals Co., the only European converting plant is located 15 miles from downtown Barcelona, Spain.
While Reynolds Metals is one of the top converters stateside, its wholly owned subsidiary, Grafiba SA, is a modest operation producing excellent quality materials aimed at an almost total domestic market. Yet, despite its size, well-worn equipment and isolation from the more mainstream and global markets, there is a sense of urgency and esprit de corps that is a lacking in other larger flex-pack converters.
While attending the Hispack '95 exhibition in Barcelona, I visited Grafiba SA and toured its production facilities. My contacts were Granaro Daroca, director general of Grafiba SA, and his assistant, Emer Clancey. Both provided me with a true insight into the flexible-packaging industry in Spain and its overall relation to the global consumer. As a Reynolds subsidiary, I was also interested in just how Grafiba's American parent transferred technology abroad.
Reynolds Metals Co.'s interest in the Spanish market began in 1955 with the advent of INASA, an aluminum rolling mill. At about the same time, INGOSA was also purchased. Originally called Industrias Gromaroz, the latter began operations in 1926 as the exclusive manufacturing franchise in Spain at Sidac Cellophane.
Its main activities were the letterpress printing of cellophane and the manual conversion of paper bags and it was among the first firms in Spain to use four-color flexo printing. Ingosa was sold by Reynolds Metals in 1993, leaving Grafiba SA, which was purchased in 1988 by INASA to convert flex-pack, as the only Reynolds Metals Co.'s converting operation in Europe.
Aluminum foil, supplied by INASA, is converted into a wide range of flexible laminates by Grafiba. A major element in its business is lidding stock for yogurt and laminate closures for beer, champagne and wine bottles. The company has a 21,500 sq. m factory in San Cugat and about 80% of its output is distributed in Spain with the remaining 20% to Germany and Finland.
At the time of my visit, a Reynolds Metals technical expert from Richmond, VA, was scheduled to visit Grafiba to introduce pharmaceutical foil specifications in the firm. The overall goal is to use Grafiba as a manufacturing plant for the marketing of foil specifications to the entire European market.
With limited research and development support, the emphasis on the pharmaceutical industry appears to be quite misplaced.
Specifications are rigid and there's tough competition from other better well-equipped flex-pack converters in Europe. It would seem that more emphasis should be spent on the upgrading of overall equipment and total European market coverage.
Grafiba has about 80 employees with 60 in the plant and 20 support personnel. Of the support personnel, four work in the lab and four work in sales.
The plant is ISO 9002 certified, and there is one person designated to writing and implementing ISO procedures. Total quality management is strictly followed with several Grafiba personnel attending the international TQM course offered by Phil Gordon Associates.
In the Grafiba plant, there is one Rotomec extruder with two Dolci heads. Two adhesive laminators by Pagendarm-Germany, and two 10-color rotogravure presses by Andreotti. Grafiba uses waterborne and solventborne inks.
Grafiba products are used in the dairy, confectionery, breakfast cereal, dehydrated soup, pasta, powdered dessert, beverage, tobacco and sugar markets. Its full range of paper/polyethylene/foil/polyethylene stock is widely used for dehydrated soups and magazine inserts.
The firm's attempts at producing polyethylene terephthalate/adhesive/foil/polyethylene terephthalate for house iusulation is being thwarted by the worldwide shortage of polyethylene-terephthalate film. This shortage is counterbalancing the European trend toward the substitution of plastic films for aluminum foil.
New customer trial runs are produced on full-scale manufacturing equipment.
This is an expensive way to introduce new specifications, and it's quite different from the large pilot plant present at the Richmond, VA, plant. It would seem that an integral part of Grafiba expansion should also include a well-equipped pilot plant staffed by trained personnel.
Present Grafiba customers include Dannon for yogurt lidding stock, cigarette foil for Spain's leading cigarettes, Fortunna, with 30 production plants, and Warner Lambert's Spanish production for Trident, Clorets and Dentyne.
The Eco Pack, a flexible paper/low-density polyethylene bag used throughout Europe is also produced by Grafiba. The material is supplied to Hackmann, Germany, for overall European distribution. It's widely used in Spain for all types of powdered detergents.


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This is Balls Deep with Drew Magary. Read him at KSK. Buy his book. Follow him at Twitter. NSFW Inga after the jump.
It's graduation time again. Last year, I penned a message to the outgoing class of 2008, a message you almost certainly forgot because there was a picture of Cassandra Lynn sitting at the top of the page. And seeing a photo of Cassandra Lynn is like getting a defibrillator to your penis. So we'd best make this a yearly ritual for you new seniors out there, just to keep things fresh in your little ADD-addled brains.
This is the time of year when every university out there spends a great deal of energy flying in celebrities to give grad speeches. And do you know WHY colleges do this? It isn't because these people they get are actually all that inspiring. No, the reason that Oprah Winfey, for example, was hired to speak at this year's Duke graduation was specifically so that the school's student body could brag to other non-Duke people that they had some famous asshole talk at their graduation. "Who spoke at your Brandeis graduation, Tiffany? Oh, congressman Edolphus Towns? That's nice. (stifles chuckle) BUT WE HAD A WOMAN SPEAK TO US BY THE NAME OF OPRAH. PERHAPS YOU'VE HEARD OF HER. SHE IS MY CLOSEST BLACK FRIEND."
That's the reason there are celebrity graduation speakers: to boost the already healthy egos of the graduating class. It's strictly for name-dropping value. Oooh, you guys are so special, Fed Chairman Ben Barnanke wanted to give you a pep talk! This is bullshit. College grads don't deserve to be feted by celebrities, or honored, or lifted up with inspiring words. They deserve to be BROUGHT THE FUCK DOWN BY THE CRUSHING WEIGHT OF REAL LIFE'S BITTER DISAPPOINTMENTS. They deserve a stern lecture from someone like me, who is NOT famous, NOT inspiring, and NOT attractive to look at.
I bet you grads had one hell of a spring, didn't you? Oh, I bet you spent your whole spring taking a miniscule courseload, lounging on blankets outside on the quad, fucking each other, drinking your gay little Twisted Teas... I bet you even smoked pot on Wednesday morning, just for the hell of it. I bet you just had the time of your fucking lives the past four years, didn't you?
Guess what, fuckos? Party's over. You're out of college now, and your parents are now too poor to nurse you through grad school. No more fantasy life for you. No more ice luges. No more intellectual discourse. No more ripe teenage pussy. That's all over now. YOU ARE FUCKED. Your days will now consist of searching for a job in a marketplace where no available job of any sort fucking exists. Your commencement speaker will probably tell you your class "faces enormous challenges," or some bullshit euphemism like that. This is a lie. A challenge is something you can overcome. You, on the other hand, are completely, unavoidably fucked. You're not going to cure cancer. You're not going to stop wars. You're not going to save the planet. If you're lucky, you may stumble upon a $2 coupon for Honey Nut Cheerios one day. That will be about it.
Otherwise, you are entering a world that is running out of money, a world that will slowly choke itself to death unless it somehow stumbles upon a miraculously clean, cheap energy source that has yet to be invented and almost certainly never will be. Ten years from now, your degree will be 1/100th as useful as a fucking life vest. So wipe that nauseating smile off your faces and heed now this glimpse into your very near future…
95% of your future happiness will come from finding a good parking spot. You know that annoying Joni Mitchell song where she bitches and moans, "They paved paradise, put up a parking lot. OOOOOH BOP BOP BOP!" Suck it, you hairy-bushed twat. If it were up to me, there would be a 17-level parking garage on every other block in this fucking country. I swear to fucking God, I spend the majority of my time every weekend stalking outgoing Trader Joe's customers in my Honda, watching them walk to their cars, then having them wave me off because they weren't actually getting out. HEY COCKTEASE, GIVE ME A FUCKING HEADS UP.
I promise you, when you reach my age, not only will you exult at finding a great parking spot, but you'll immediately tell the first person you see about having secured it. "Yeah, I got a GREAT spot! I didn't even have to wait! Usually, that lot is a NIGHTMARE. God, I feel fucking good!"
The greatest indicator of your future success in the business world will be your ability to lie. Your degree is worthless. The only thing that will determine your chances of getting ahead is a surefire way to convince your boss you weren't cc'ed on some email that told you to do something you never bothered to fucking do.
At some point, you will not be able to sleep in past 8 or 9AM, and this will piss you off. I used to be cool. I used to be able to sleep until noon no problem. I SPAT RIGHT IN MORNING'S FUCKING EYE. No waking up at dawn for me. Waking up early is crazy gay. Am I right?
Except then I got a job, so I had to wake up early every day. Then, my body got used to waking up early every day, so it just woke the fuck right up at the same time on weekends, too. "But Body," I said to my big fat body, "There's nothing to fucking do, and I wanna sleep more." But my body wouldn't have it. Then I got married. Then I had kids. And holy shit, do kids wake up early. Not only does my kid come storming into the room at 6AM, but she screams WAKE UP at the top of her lungs every damn time. Having a kid is just like having a really mean spinning instructor. They give no fucking quarter. They're like tiny little Hitlers.
Now, even if there are no kids around, I wake up at 7AM at the latest. This should be good for me, I suppose. I get to run out and experience the full day, or something. But I don't feel that way. I feel like a complete asshat for getting up that early. I feel lamer than shit. Which is completely irrational. Then again, most anything I think or do now is beyond explanation. So rest up, kids. Because soon you'll be chewing Ambien like they're fucking Bubbalicious.
The day you become old is the day you find yourself looking at a paint swatch book. Holy shit, that shade of blue is only .000001 degrees away from that shade of blue! You practically have to view them at the atomic level to know the fucking difference! How the fuck am I supposed to choose? Fun fact: any paint color you choose will end up looking like a radically different color once applied to your walls. Why? Because the people at Sherwin-Williams are pricks, that's why.
You will begin caring about stupid shit in the front section of the newspaper. I used to read USA Today in college. I would read only two sections: Red and Purple. The green section was for boring assholes, and the front section was about a bunch of stupid political bullshit. I never cared about politics or world affairs when I was younger. College kids who care about politics are fucking douches. But suddenly, annoyingly serious shit like health care actually started to matter to me. And I don't like it one bit. I read an article in The Atlantic a while back. Voluntarily. I can't begin to tell you how annoyed I was at myself for this.
Don't get married just because there's a run on weddings. Happens to every group of friends, particularly women friends. Someone gets married off in your little group, then a bunch of your friends do likewise. It's like a run on wide receivers in the late second round of your fantasy draft. Do not get swept up in this. I had the good fortune of marrying someone I like, and it's what keeps me sane every day. But Lord knows I've seen a fuckload of people out there get married just because it everyone else was doing it and they got all swept up in the idea of being married. There isn't a surer way to fuck yourself for life than by doing this.
The reason so many people get divorced now is because they don't take the time to figure out if they actually enjoy the company of the person they're fucking. Marriage can make life infinitely better, provided the person you choose to marry is as dedicated to your happiness as you are to theirs. But if it's anything less than that, NEVER GET MARRIED. EVER. Or else your life will be a giant fucking rut. Guaranteed.
Weekends will stop being fun. During weekdays, you get to sit at a desk and look at Keyboard Cat videos.
During the weekend, you get to pull weeds, install smoke detectors, and feed screaming children. Guess which part of the week is more enjoyable? HAPPY MONDAY, FUCKO.
Rent. If you rent, you can call someone to fix shit if it breaks. FOR FREE. Is that worth not ending your life owning some old house your kid is just going to sell for pot money anyway? Fuck and yes.
You will get dumber every day from now on. You're done learning. Time to start forgetting shit! The other weekend I was sitting in the parking lot shuttle bus at the Baltimore airport, on my way to get my car after a flight, only to realize I had left my car keys at my parents' house, which was now 300 miles away. I then bit down on my own finger until I had broken the skin. I am retarded, and I am only getting worse. IT'LL HAPPEN TO YOU.
Going out will stop being appealing to you. What? I have to put on pants? And pay $5 for a drink when I have 30 beers in the fridge? And talk to people? FUCK. THAT.
There is no point in raising your kids well, because other people's retard kids will end up ruining them anyway. You can teach your kid good manners. You can feed them nothing but organic dairy products milked from an angel's tit. You can read your kid 500 Sandra Boynton books every night. I promise you, none of it will matter. Because once your kid goes to school, some spoiled sack of shit kid with horrible parents will teach your kid the word "pussyfart," get them hooked on straight Whoppers, and immediately undo every good thing you did. Trust me. Other people can't parent for JACK SHIT.
If you have more than three kids, you are an asshole. What the fuck are you trying to prove with more than three kids? Kids siphon up precious food and water, produce oceans of shit-ridden waste, and give American parents large tax breaks most of them really don't deserve. If you have more than three kids, and really even two, you deserve to have your have your uterus filled with sand.
You will find yourself, at times, tired of drinking. But you will continue drinking anyway. Beats the alternative, which is NOT drinking.
You will begin mailing in EVERYTHING. At some point, you will become so inundated with shit to do, that you will do ALL of it half-assed, because that's really the only way it'll all get done. Look at this column. It's nothing but a bunch of fucking bullet points. Really, I'd like to put more effort into everything I do. But I've got my country's 500th anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder, and Gilder to frame for it. I'm swamped!
Never put sauce on top of pasta. You're a grownup now. Make (or heat) the sauce in a separate pan, add a bit of the pasta water to it, drain the pasta a minute early, and then finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. That's how they make it taste good in restaurants. Do it and your date will put out.
The key to a decent existence is owning a good bed. Most of your future life will be consumed with addressing reams and reams of tedious bullshit. You'll have to work. You'll have to run errands. You'll have to clean shit and pick shit up. Your only salvation is that fucking bed at the end of the day. So make sure it kicks ass in every conceivable way. Get it all: the pillowtop mattress, the egg crate, the featherbed underneath, the nice comforter on top… ALL THAT SHIT. No day is ever that horrible if you have a sultan's rest awaiting you. You'll still wake up at 6AM involuntarily. But at least you'll still be nice and cozy when you do.
Got all that, graduates? Feel ready to go out and change the world now? No? Good. Because the world changes on its own terms, without your fucking input, thank you very much. The only thing you can do is adjust. Remember: the world has been around a whole lot longer than you have, and it has a limitless arsenal of ways to DESTROY YOUR FUCKING SHIT. So don't go out there thinking your going to impact it in any kind of meaningful way. You'll be here a little longer, then you'll die, then shit'll move on without you. Don't like it, Pollyanna? Tough fucking shit.
Look on the bright side. At least when you die, you'll finally be able to sleep in again. Until then, here's the boob scene from "Porky's Revenge" to numb your soul.
Video not available.
The Balls Deep Valedictory Archive: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2008


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Sen. Brown Faults Likely Democratic Rival Markey
Ousted Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown hasn't said whether he'll run for John Kerry's Senate seat, but he's already taking a shot at a possible Democratic rival.
Brown, who lost his re-election battle last year to Elizabeth Warren, questioned how much time U.S. Rep. Edward Markey spends in Massachusetts.
Markey, whose congressional district includes his hometown of Malden, has said he'll run for Kerry's seat if Kerry is confirmed as U.S secretary of state, which is expected.
Brown said Wednesday that Democrats are making it tempting for him to run for office in Washington, D.C., again.
"You got Ed Markey: Does he even live here?" Brown said during an interview on WTKK-FM. "You've got to check the travel records. Now I've come back and forth every weekend, almost for three years, and I see, you know, most of the delegation. I have never seen Ed on the airplane, ever."
A Markey campaign aide said Markey has lived his entire life in Malden and is "proud to come from and represent the values of the people of Malden."
"Scott Brown has not yet announced that he is running for Senate, but he is already launching false, personal attacks from the sidelines," Markey spokeswoman Giselle Barry said in a statement Wednesday.
Markey's Malden home was owned by his parents and is where he grew up. He and his wife, Susan Blumenthal, bought it in 2001 following his father's death. The couple also owns a home in Chevy Chase, Md.
Barry noted that Markey was on hand last month as Malden celebrated a decision by developers to build a minor league baseball park on a former gas plant site blocks from his house.
Malden Mayor Gary Christenson, a Democrat, also vouched for Markey in a statement, saying "he's very much a presence in Malden" who can be found "at the YMCA shooting hoops, at our fabulous restaurants on Saturday nights, or at community events throughout the year."
Brown, who lives in Wrentham, also owns a home in Washington. His tax returns showed he owned five properties in 2011: homes in Massachusetts and Washington, a vacation home in New Hampshire and two rental condominiums in Boston. A third family-owned condo was placed in the name of his daughter Ayla Brown, a singer and former "American Idol" contestant, and wasn't listed on his returns.
According to Massachusetts law, a member of Congress representing the state must be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen for seven years and an "inhabitant of Massachusetts" when elected.
The question of Markey's residency isn't new. It was most recently raised during the 2010 election by Markey's Republican challenger, Woburn chiropractor Gerry Dembrowski, who failed to unseat him.
The early political sniping is one indication how fiercely both parties are eyeing the likely special election, which would be the third Senate contest in the Massachusetts since 2010 should Kerry win confirmation as secretary of state by his fellow senators. If Kerry is confirmed, he would have to resign the seat he's held for nearly three decades, and Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick would have to set a date for the special election within 145 to 160 days of the resignation.
When Markey announced his candidacy, Kerry all but endorsed him, praising him as "one of the most experienced and capable legislators in the entire Congress."
"It would be an almost unprecedented occasion for such an accomplished legislator to join the Senate able to hit the ground running on every issue of importance to Massachusetts," Kerry added.
Other top Democratic figures, including Victoria Kennedy, widow of U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, also praised Markey, while another possible Democratic contender, Rep. Niki Tsongas, of Lowell, pulled her name from contention.
U.S. Reps. Michael Capuano, of Somerville, and Stephen Lynch, of Boston, haven't said if they're planning to run.
Markey, who has served in Congress since 1976, is stressing his experience on Capitol Hill as a key asset.
Brown would enter the race with strong name recognition, a proven ability to raise millions of dollars in donations and a statewide campaign organization. That would make him a front-runner, despite his recent loss to Warren, who's set to be sworn in Thursday.
Political questions over residency aren't new in Massachusetts. In 2002, Democrats unsuccessfully tried to block Republican Mitt Romney's name from the ballot for governor, arguing that the time he spent in Utah running the Olympics made him ineligible.
This article was originally published on January 02, 2013.
This program aired on January 2, 2013. The audio for this program is not available.


text:
- Mallampally as new mandal
- The list of LS ticket prospects becomes longer in Kerala
- Sitharaman credits Narasimha Rao for bringing 33% reservation for women at Panchayat level
- High-speed train between Ahmedabad & Sanand to commence operations in 6 months
- Delhi Police file charge sheet before court in Pragati Maidan tunnel robbery case
- India 'oldest democracy', publish books presenting its journey to world: Om Birla to publishers
- Women's representation in policymaking now set to increase significantly, says Anurag Thakur
- Assam government waives off loans of 2.2 lakh women
- I don't think anyone in world cricket at the moment would have a seam position as good as Shami: Harbhajan Singh
- Two terrorists arrested in J&K's Baramulla
Just In
UK set to publish Brexit plan that sparked rebellion
British Prime Minister Theresa May will publish details of her longawaited Brexit plan today to restart talks with the EU, after facing down a revolt by eurosceptic ministers that could still unseat her
British Prime Minister Theresa May will publish details of her long-awaited Brexit plan today to restart talks with the EU, after facing down a revolt by eurosceptic ministers that could still unseat her.
In a policy paper, the government will outline proposals to allow Britain to maintain close economic and security ties with the European Union even after it leaves the bloc in March.
"It is a vision that respects the result of the referendum (vote to leave), and delivers a principled and practical Brexit," Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said in the foreword.
But the plan has caused outrage among eurosceptic members of May's Conservative party, and Raab's predecessor David Davis and foreign minister Boris Johnson dramatically quit this week in protest.
Their departures, followed by a clutch of junior aides, destabilised May's government and revived talk of a leadership challenge against her.
The prime minister is also likely to face some opposition in Brussels, where officials have repeatedly warned Britain to lower its expectations about how close ties can be.
May has briefed leaders including EU president Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on her plan and reported a positive response, although they are awaiting the detail.
Britain does not have long to argue its case -- both sides are aiming for a deal by October, to allow time for its ratification by the British and European parliaments.
Failure to agree would see Britain leave the EU without a deal, with the risk of huge economic disruption on both sides of the Channel.
Britain voted for Brexit in June 2016, but May has so far been unable to present a common position to Brussels on what she wants because of deep divisions in her government.
Amid warnings from businesses that continued uncertainty is risking investment and jobs, and fears time is running out, her cabinet finally agreed on a plan last week.
Britain would leave the EU's single market and customs union as planned, to end free movement of people and sign its own non-EU trade deals.
But it would keep EU rules on goods to protect complex manufacturing supply chains, using technology to levy its own duties on UK-bound products from outside the bloc, while diverging on services.
"We need to rise to the challenge and grasp the opportunities" of Brexit, said Raab, adding that the policy represented a "balance".
But Johnson, a leading Brexit campaigner, said following EU rules without being able to alter them risked consigning Britain to the "status of colony", and said it looked like a "semi-Brexit".
Other eurosceptics who want a clean break with the bloc are also livid, prompting speculation they may launch a confidence vote against May.
Brexit-backing MPs, including leading eurosceptic Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg, will also seek to force her hand by tabling amendments to a trade bill being debated in the House of Commons next week.
One would require a new law to join a new customs union, and another would demand the EU collect any tariffs set by Britain on UK-bound goods coming in from outside.
This last would likely be unacceptable to Brussels, thus killing May's plan, but Rees-Mogg told AFP his aim was only "to help the government stick to some of its earlier promises".


text:
The Unity fiber-optic cable, a new trans-Pacific undersea cable partly backed by Google, has landed in Japan, marking an important step toward the launch of service.
The US$300 million cable runs between Los Angeles and Chikura on the east coast of Japan and will be capable of transferring data at 4.8 terabits per second. It is scheduled to go into service sometime in the first three months of next year.
The landing in Japan marks the penultimate step in cable laying. For the past two months two ships have been laying out the cable from a midpoint in the Pacific to each of the two landing points. The cable was joined in the middle of the Pacific on Oct. 30 and a single splice remains, off the Japanese coast, before testing can begin. The final splice is scheduled for sometime in the next two weeks.
The Pacific Ocean is already crossed by several undersea cables, although the Unity cable will have one of the highest capacities. Its construction has attracted attention because of an investment by Google. Undersea cables are typically built by carriers and leased to service providers, but Google's increasing bandwidth requirements pushed the company to directly invest in Unity.
The other investors are India's Bharti Airtel, Malaysia's Global Transit, Japan's KDDI, Singapore's SingTel and Hong Kong's Pacnet.


text:
If you haven't read Wool, I'm jealous of you—I wish I could read it again for the first time. Hugh Howey's series of self-published scifi novelas is one of the best works of fiction I've ever read.
Meet Microsoft's New Surface Laptops
Even better (or worse?): Ridley and Tony Scott bought the rights to make it into a movie.
This, however, looks like a trailer for the upcoming book—a collection of the first five novelas—which Random House is publishing in 2013. Watch it. Get obsessed. And then read.


text:
Reuters – WASHINGTON — A 34-year-old man opened fire at the U.S. Navy Yard on Monday in a shooting that left 13 people dead, including the gunman, not far from the U.S. Capitol and the White House, officials said.
"We have no indication of motive at this time," Lanier said.
Valerie Parlave, assistant director in charge of the Washington field office of the FBI, asked the public for help with information about Alexis. Authorities said they were searching for another possible gunman wearing military-style clothing.
Earlier, officials said they were looking for two men, but then said police had established one of them was not a suspect in the shooting, which began at about 8.30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT).
Washington D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said 13 people were killed and a dozen or more injured at the Naval Sea Systems Command, one of five such commands where civilians, military personnel and contractors build and maintain Navy ships and submarines. About 3,000 people work there.
"Everybody was panicking and trying to decide which way to get out," Ward told reporters. Security guards told people to "run, run, run."
"You just want to know why," said David Reyes, a tech sergeant stationed at Andrews Air Force Base who rushed to the Navy Yard when he received a text message from his wife, who works there.
Reached by telephone, Aaron Alexis' father, Algernon Alexis, seemed stunned by the news his son may have been involved.
"This comes as a complete shock," he said and then asked a Reuters reporter how he could reach authorities leading the investigation. He said his son was former military and now studying while working in a computer-related job for a private company.
President Barack Obama was briefed on the shooting and then talked about it at the start of a speech on the U.S. economy.
"We are confronting yet another mass shooting, and today it happened at another military installation, in our nation's capital," said Obama, who vowed to enact "sensible" gun control measures after a gunman shot dead 20 school children and six adults at an elementary school in Connecticut last December.
"They know the dangers of serving abroad, but today they face the unimaginable violence that they wouldn't have expected here at home," Obama said.
The Washington shooting happened less than three weeks after U.S. Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan was sentenced to death for murdering 13 people in 2009 at Fort Hood, Texas, where he gunned down unarmed soldiers in what he later called retaliation for U.S. wars in Muslim countries.
Among the injured in Monday's shooting was a District of Columbia police officer and one other law enforcement officer, officials said. Washington Hospital Center said it treated three gunshot victims, who were in critical condition.
At George Washington University, a man in his 60s died of a single gunshot wound to his head, said Babak Sarani, head of trauma surgery.
The man was shot in his left temple and the injury "was not survivable by any stretch," Sarani told reporters, adding he was unsure what type of weapon was used or whether the bullet had exited the victim's body.
The shooting revealed a potentially serious security breach.
The command where the shooting takes place requires two separate identification badges, one to get on the base and another to access the building, according to a source who works at the Navy Yard and requested anonymity. Military personnel are generally banned from carrying weapons on military installations but most people with proper credentials are not routinely checked for firearms.
"It will be interesting to see as this develops who the shooter is, how he got in," said Navy Commander Tim Jirus, who was in charge of evacuating the Sea Command building. "Right now a lot of people are wondering just how safe the building is or just how safe the office environment is."
Dozens of police and emergency vehicles surrounded the complex in southeast Washington, which is about a mile (1.6 km) south of the U.S. Capitol and three miles (five km) from the White House. Helicopters circled the headquarters with some touching down on the building's roof.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it briefly suspended departures at Reagan National Airport. The District of Columbia Public Schools put six schools and an administration building on lockdown as a precaution. The Washington Nationals baseball team postponed their game against the Atlanta Braves scheduled for Monday night at nearby Nationals Park.


text:
I believe that Steampunk is more than just brass and watchparts. It's finding a way to combine the past and the future in an aesthetic pleasing yet still punkish way. It's living a life that looks old-fashioned, yet speaks to the future. It's taking the detritus of our modern technological society and remaking it into useful things. Join me as I search for items for my house that combine the scientific romanticism of the Victorians with our real present and imagined future.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The Morning Star Cafe
I just got an email from J.D. Ray with pictures of his cafe in Portland, which has recently reopened in a new space with a steampunk inspired decor. (My plans for world domination march forward, as J.D. says "the pictures, projects, and general ideas on things that you've posted on your blog were instrumental in us developing the decor for our cafe.")
The cafe features warm coloring, fabulous light fixtures, and a lovely gear laden mural.
Thanks for sharing, J.D. -- I know I'll be visiting next time I'm in Portland!
14 comments:
- Amy Skidmore said...
Very cool. I wonder if any of JD's patrons recognize the style.
- May 23, 2009 at 11:50 AM
- Marcheline said...
If it were mine, I would have tables with clockwork gears under the glass tops. You could DIY it, get clock gears in lots on ebay, wouldn't cost much and it would look amazing, as each one would be different.
- May 26, 2009 at 4:19 AM
- barefootsavage said...
Didn't know how else to "share" this. But thought everyone would appreciate it.
- May 27, 2009 at 12:21 AM
- Anonymous said...
Man now I want to move to Portland OR even more.
- June 3, 2009 at 6:53 AM
- Holly said...
Another reason for me to visit Oregon!
- June 4, 2009 at 12:38 PM
- Holly said...
Alice, that is wicked cool!
- June 4, 2009 at 12:39 PM
- femminismo said...
Lucky me, who lives in Oregon and can go there when I'm in the "big city." Found you through Don. It's not every day you "meet" someone who inspired a restaurant. If I inspired one, there would be soft, downy beds, big pillows and everyone could wear pajamas and no makeup. But someone would be busy changing the egg yolk and coffee stained sheets. - Jeanne in Oregon
- June 6, 2009 at 10:37 AM
- Anna said...
Such a fan of your blog! Never comment but always enjoy. I've added you to my links on my touchstone site. Thanks for your writings. Anna
- June 7, 2009 at 2:26 AM
- Phillip Valdez said...
I may have to jostle myself over the river and rustle up a cup of joe! (yes-I do live in PDX)
I wonder if they would show my Victorian SteamPunk Mech that I just completed?
- June 9, 2009 at 9:51 PM
- Phillip Valdez said...
Oops! My mech is at http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=271975 on flickr or at phillipvaldez.blogspot.com
Thanks for looking
- June 9, 2009 at 9:55 PM
- Unknown said...
What a fascinating, most perfect blog.
I'll be visiting JD's place when I visit Portland!
- June 18, 2009 at 12:10 PM
- Michelle @ OnceLostJewelry said...
Oh my gosh! I love the cog wall! I don't know if I will ever get to Portland, but if I do, I will definitely pop in :)
This is my latest fav: http://tinyurl.com/nzja3y
What do you think? I love hearing ppls opinions!
- June 18, 2009 at 10:35 PM
- yv said...
I am awarding you with the One Lovely Blog Award!! The "One Lovely Blog Award" was passed on to me by Chocolate Creative.
Now I'm passing it on to you because your blog is great!!
Rules to follow:
1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.
- June 21, 2009 at 7:02 AM
- SteampunkSupply said...
Wow, what a great shop! Now I need a cuppa! Thanks for sharing the photos.
- June 23, 2009 at 9:02 PM


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Kevin Garrad of the 3rd Infantry Division is an iPod user for life—which incidentally got extended thanks to Apple's little music player. He was on patrol in Iraq when he met an armed insurgent carrying an AK-47. Both opened fire, and the bullet heading toward Kevin hit his chest right where his iPod was, which was enough to slow down the bullet to not pierce entirely through the body armor.
Vizio's Latest TVs Go All Quantum
The fact that he had a 20GB (older and thicker) iPod probably helped slow down the bullet more than if he had one of the newer (and thinner) 30GB ones. In that sense, an Archos would probably be enough to stop a tank shell.
Ipod saves Soldier's Life [Flickr via Neatorama]


text:
3 Stunning Ways Fintech can Boost your Business – Nigel Quadros
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text:
Monday, October 12, 2009
Read my recent contribution to the Journal of Financial Planning for indications you may need to update your estate plan.
Previous Posts
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text:
Institutional Effectiveness
"The effectiveness of an institution rests upon the contribution that each of the institution's programs and services makes toward achieving the goals of the institution as a whole." (Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 2006)
HACC bases our institutional practices and planning on evidence-informed decision-making. We use assessments to determine whether or not we are meeting our goals. Learn about institutional effectiveness and assessments.
What is assessment?
Assessment is:
- A process we use to study and improve our effectiveness.
- An opportunity to review how well we are meeting our goals.
- Identifying what actions we can take to improve.
- Intentional, ongoing and evidence-based improvement.
What is HACC doing to incorporate assessments?
We are working to build a culture of assessment:
- HACC purchased an assessment management system (TK20). It serves as a repository, tracking and reporting tool. We will be implementing this state-of-the-art system in the coming year.
- We use HACC's Assessment Showcase. This highlights how we study institutional effectiveness college-wide. It spotlights the important work we do.
- We developed an Institutional Effectiveness Plan.
- We created an Institutional Effectiveness Task Force.
What is the purpose of the HACC's Institutional Effectiveness Plan?
HACC's Institutional Effectiveness Plan:
- Shows how establishing goals for institutional practices is important.
- Determines the systems and processes for meaningful assessments.
What does the Institutional Effectiveness Task Force do?
HACC's Institutional Effectiveness Task Force:
- Determines how to achieve healthy assessment practices.
- Prioritizes action items.


text:
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Hearty But Healthy
But I knew, as soon as the cleanse was over, I'd be looking for a monster meal in a big way. And boy have I?! I feel like Celine and Joni wrote this book just for me! It's packed with everything I love to eat — five-cheese baked vegan macaroni, a patty melt, fried mac & cheese balls, tator tot casserole, vegan "Haute Pockets,"and maple bacon-freakin'-donuts. I love all of Celine and Joni's work (500 Vegan Recipes, The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions, Joni's blog Just the Food, and Celine's Have Cake, Will Travel), but this book takes the banana cream pie cake (yep, that recipe is included in there too).
I plan to cook several dishes from this book over the next few days, but I started with this Waldorf Salad Wrap:
Granted, this isn't the most sinful recipe in the book, but it just sounded really tasty. Romaine, green apples, celery, red onion, pecans, and raisins are mixed with a creamy homemade poppyseed dressing. Not only was the wrap delicious, but I also learned the proper way to roll a super-stuffed, deli-style wrap without making a mess. It's all about the parchment paper, y'all!
On the side, I made my Almond-Miso Soup, a recipe I've been making for ages:
I'd post it here, but I'm saving it for an upcoming piece I'm writing for VegNews.com. So I'll be sure and link to the recipe as soon as it goes up their site.
As for Hearty Meals, expect to see several more posts about this book in the coming days. On my to-make-from-the-book wish list: PB & OM Muffins with Ricemallow Cream, Broccotato Soup with Bacon Chickpeas, BBQ Slaw Tacos, Crispy Pepperoni Bites, Garlic Truffle Fries, and Celine and Joni's best gift to the vegan world, the Double Take (a veganized version of KFC's "Double Down" sandwich featuring chicken as bread).
8 comments:
- Erin said...
This book sounds like a must-own, everything you listed sounds great.
- February 3, 2012 at 12:44 PM
- and_i_say said...
I LOVE the 5-cheese baked mac & cheese and it's been a huge success at potlucks with omnis. I made the Haute Pockets too, they were surprisingly easy and the leftover sausages were tasty by themselves. I love this book too. I pre-ordered it on Amazon without even knowing what would be in it because the title seemed like it was just for me!
- February 3, 2012 at 12:48 PM
- xvavaveganx said...
Wow, the recipes you mentioned sound so good, I can't wait to see how they turn out! The salad wrap looks so fresh and delicious and your soup looks really yummy as well! Definitely looking forward to hearing more about this cookbook!
- February 3, 2012 at 3:56 PM
- Allysia said...
Ooh, I was totally going to make some recipes from this book, too! Logan got it for me recently, probably as a "hint hint" to make more crazy comfort food. :) Oh, and I've made the broccotato soup before, and it's wonderful. It's one of the few recipes I've repeated. And yeah, Joni and Celine are great, I have several of their books, and the photos are gorgeous!
- February 3, 2012 at 9:44 PM
- Unknown said...
This book sounds great! I know my husband would definitely appreciate me making him things out of this..and would get him to eat more vegan food! (It gets kind of hard to put a salad in front of him all the time and say "dinners served!" lol) The wrap you made though sounds light and delicious! anything with apples is always a good choice...
- February 4, 2012 at 7:40 AM
- Get Skinny, Go Vegan. said...
Sounds like a good one to use for carnivores!
- February 4, 2012 at 5:40 PM
- Barb@ThatWasVegan? said...
This book is on my wishlist! I also can't wait to review YOUR book :)
- February 4, 2012 at 7:48 PM
- Carrie™ said...
Veganized 'Double Down'?! That is awesome. Can't wait for that one. That wrap looks and sounds positively delicious.
- February 5, 2012 at 8:22 AM


text:
Editor's Note: This is Redpoint VC's Tomasz Tunguz' second article in a series examining trends in the public and private technology markets.
Last week, we discussed four trends in the public technology markets. Today we compare the current state of the US venture capital to historical norms.
First, we will examine the inflows into the venture capital market: dollars raised by venture capitalists. Then we will explore the outflows, VCs' investment pace, contrasting the dollars deployed over time. Last, we will investigate market sentiment and consequent price fluctuations.
Venture Dollars Raised Fall 27% Below 15 Year Trailing Median
The venture capital industry is in the midst of a contraction. Since 2001, limited partners have invested a median of $22B each year in venture capital. Over the last 3 years, those figures have dropped by 50% to $16B annually.
Venture Funds are 14% Smaller
There are fewer firms investing less money from smaller funds in 2011 than on average over the past 12 years. In 2011, 182 venture firms raised funds, about 16% below the 12 year median. The average 2011 venture fund is 14% smaller than the 12 year median.
However, there is increasing concentration of capital in well-known firms – a flight to quality phenomenon. Historically, the top 25 firms have raised about 30% of all venture dollars. During the first half of 2012, the top 10 firms raised 69% of all dollars, a tremendous concentration. These large funds skew average fund size upward suggesting smaller firms are disproportionately affected by decreasing fund sizes governed by a declining LP capital base.
Venture Investing Pace is Precisely Average
Despite the trends in the fundraising market, 2011 was an average year for venture investing. Over the last 12 years, venture capitalists have invested in 3076 US startups annually on average. In 2011, 3206 startups raised venture capital representing an insignficant 4% decline. Over the past 10 years, VCs have invested on average $33.8B annually and 2011 again matched the average at $32.6B. Both investment pace and investment dollars are on the rise, a seemingly positive signal.
Investing pace cannot remain constant forever because venture capital inflows are declining. But this rate may be maintained for a few years. VCs raise funds for ten years and typically invest all the dollars raised within the first four years. The difference between dollars raised and invested is called the overhang. This overhang provides the extra capital to maintain the current investment pace.
Investment Sizes Are Growing in Later Stages
Although most pricing data is private, we can use median investment size as a proxy for pre-money valuations if we assume the ownership stake a VC takes in an investment has remained constant over time.
Seed investment sizes have remained relatively constant over the past ten years, although the data is most sparse for this asset class since many investments are unreported. Series A prices have been declining steadily over the past 10 years at a rate of -5%, while Series B and Growth investments fell dramatically during the financial crisis. As public market prices fell, so did Series B and Growth valuations. However, these negative trends have reversed in the past year: Bs and Growth rounds have increased in size and are now both about 10% greater than the 12 year mean.
These data contradict the market perception of ever-larger rounds at ever-better prices.
A Tale of Two Markets
Performing analyses on the median investment sizes masks the outliers who make headlines and consequently are the most visible indicators of the state of the fundraising market.
The average dollars invested across all stages has risen by 25% since 2008, implying outliers raise money at sufficiently high prices to dramatically skew the average higher than the median. Much like the venture capitalists who invest in these companies, a few very high profile startups are raising disproportionate amounts of capital. Over the past 12 years the difference between average and median investment sizes have never been as great as the past 2 years. In 2010 and 2011, the average investment is twice as large as the median investment.
These pricing trends describe a tale of two markets. A small number of brand name startups raise large, generously priced rounds from top investors with large funds skewing data upward. Meanwhile the rest of the venture capital market has contracted and investors are maintaining strong price discipline, investing in relatively smaller rounds at lower prices.
Reversion to the Mean
The venture capital market is evolving. It's reasonable to expect most of the metrics describing the venture capital industry to trend toward the mean: slight increases in dollars invested in venture capital, continuity for investment pace and capital deployed, steady valuations in early rounds but declining valuations in later rounds. Such a reversion make take time. After all, early 2012 data on the fundraising market indicates contracting trends are persisting. For now, at least, the market is in a Dickensian state.
NB: Data used in this analysis are publicly available through Dow Jones VentureSource and the NVCA
Featured image: Getty/Phil Ashley


text:
By Ben Feller and Nedra Pickler
Associated Press
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Republican Mitt Romney on Tuesday assailed President Barack Obama anew over his administration's handling of foreign attacks on U.S. diplomatic missions, saying the president's team sent "mixed signals to the world" in the face of violence.
Obama, who earlier condemned "the outrageous attack" that killed U.S. ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three American members of his staff, planned a statement in the Rose Garden shortly after Romney defended his response to the violence before knowing the diplomats were dead.
Romney jumped to criticize Obama Tuesday night as the attacks were being waged on U.S. diplomatic missions in Egypt and Libya, saying the administration's early response seemed to sympathize with the attackers who were protesting an obscure film by a California filmmaker that ridiculed Islam's Prophet Muhammad.
Romney was responding to a statement issued by the embassy in Cairo that condemned "efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims." Romney said in his appearance Wednesday that the statement "was akin to an apology" for American values while its grounds were under attack.
Romney originally planned to address supporters in his Jacksonville, Fla., campaign headquarters but his staff scrambled to change the set-up to a more somber appearance to reflect the grim news. The supporters were ushered from the room and four flags were set up behind the podium from which Romney read a brief statement mentioning Egypt in passing, using the statement from Cairo as evidence that Obama is a weak leader. He then invited questions from reporters, who asked if it was an appropriate tone to take given the deaths revealed later. Romney stood firm.
"The president takes responsibility not just for the words that come from his mouth, but also for the words that come from his ambassadors , from his administration, form his embassies, from his state department," Romney said. "They clearly sent mixed messages to the world. The statement that came from the administration — and the embassy is the administration — the statement that came from the administration was a statement which is akin to apology. And I think was a severe miscalculation."
Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt responded Tuesday night that the campaign was "shocked that, at a time when the United States of America is confronting the tragic death of one of our diplomatic officers in Libya, Gov. Romney would choose to launch a political attack." The president planned to make a statement Wednesday morning in a White House Rose Garden appearance with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The attacks pivoted the election to foreign policy, an area where Obama has a lead in polling even though Republicans traditionally have an edge.
The question has been whether a crisis in Iran or Syria could create a campaign issue for Obama, but instead the attacks sparked by the film has brought an unexpected crisis. Romney jumped on the development to argue Obama isn't leading on foreign policy. It's unclear whether the ambassador's death will catch the attention of voters rather than the war in Afghanistan or Obama's leadership in the death of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
Obama was more cautious in responding to the attacks as the situation evolved. The White House says Obama was informed of the Libya attacks Tuesday afternoon during his weekly meeting with Pentagon leaders and told later in the evening that Stevens was unaccounted for. Obama learned of the ambassador's death Wednesday morning, the White House said.
The situation threatened to get worse, with U.S. embassies in the Libyan border nations of Algeria and Tunisia warning Americans to avoid crowded places where even peaceful protests planned for Wednesday could turn violent.
On Capitol Hill, House and Senate Republicans mostly steered clear of the political criticism that Romney leveled at Obama over foreign policy, focusing on the lives lost in the Egyptian and Libyan attacks and imploring the two governments to condemn the incidents and protect American diplomatic missions.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said Americans "will stand united in our response." "Among the things we can all agree on in Washington is that attacks on the U.S. and its representatives will be met with resolve, and that America's presence and defense of our national interests across the globe will not be deterred by the acts of violent extremists," he said.


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It's a good thing my long-haired calico Hyacinth can't read the newspaper. Otherwise I'm sure she'd be deeply offended by all the recent headlines about "fat cats."
President Obama used the derogatory term in an interview on CBS's "60 Minutes." "I did not run for office to be helping out a bunch of fat cat bankers on Wall Street," he said.
Granted, Hyacinth may be on the pudgy side, but she has little in common with greedy financial executives.
First of all, her pleasures are simple ones. Fresh water, regular meals, and a ball of string are all it takes to keep her purring.
Wall Street executives are the ultimate in high maintenance. Ever since the government put the most modest of restrictions on compensation at bailout firms, they have been in panic mode. Desperate to free themselves of these constraints and protect their nine-figure-paycheck lifestyles, they are rushing to return the bailout funds.
Never mind that the top banks haven't found the resources to provide sufficient credit to people who need it for their homes, businesses, or school tuition. The number of zeroes on their executive paychecks seems to be what matters most.
Secondly, how much damage could Hyacinth do to the world? A few hairballs here and there on the carpet-nothing a damp sponge can't handle.
Wall Street executives, for their part, drove the global economy off a cliff. Their reckless behavior is largely responsible for tens of millions of people falling into poverty and joblessness. And now they are lobbying to block Congress from enacting new regulations to prevent future crises.
For thousands of years, cats have had one primary job: rodent control. They've done it well, with pride, required no training or exorbitant perks, and made only the most minimal demands on the rest of society.
In fact, recent research indicates that cats give back to us humans-big time. The University of Minnesota studied more than 4,000 Americans for 10 years and found that cat ownership reduced the risk of heart attack by nearly one third. Think having a banking CEO around the house would have the same healthy effect?
Contrary to popular belief, cats aren't even all that lazy. A recent study by animal behavior specialists for the Nestle Purina PetCare Company found that cats spend only about six percent of their daytime hours napping.
I think it's time to stop maligning our feline friends by comparing them to Wall Street executives.
Whether fat or not, cats deserve much more respect.


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Due to quite a lot of competing and traveling, it hasn't been often lately that I could sit and write. However, don't lose faith! I promise I'm still thinking, and I'm as hungry as ever to help the sport where I can. I'm planning to attend both the U.S. Eventing Association and U.S. Equestrian Federation conventions, but for the first time, I intend to speak up when the time comes. I encourage those who wish things to be different to do the same. Now is the time when your voice is needed!
After my last blog, I got several questions, the crux of which were: "Good point. Where do we start?" I think Gandhi said it best that we must "be the change we wish to see in the world." This is applicable to all of us, but it specifically leads to three pledges that I will make for the New Year:
1) I will exhaustively search North American horse breeders and producers before my clients or I buy another gelding from overseas.
2) I will involve myself in a major event so that I might be able to help create the type of event that spectators will want to watch
3) I will involve myself in a USEF or USEA committee. From this, I hope to better understand the process and build the contacts necessary to improve collegiate equestrianism in the way I have proposed.
You will soon see that these pledges proposed are not completely altruistic. As a true stakeholder in North American equestrian development, I see these pledges as necessary, and ultimately in my own self-interest. And guess what—I'm completely OK with that! And why not? As discovered by John Forbes Nash, Jr., and made popular in the book and movie A Beautiful Mind, the best result is achieved when working in the best interest of both yourself and the group.
Buy Home-Grown
As a competitor and breeder, I'm completely fed up with the cost of importation. It is a huge tax we levy on our owners or ourselves and lowers the chance of either of us being pleased with the result. Additionally, we're funding other countries' breeding programs that are all too happy to continue beating us. I'm not suggesting we stop importing bloodlines, but we must stop importing geldings.
There are plenty enough good horses here to not need to buy them from overseas. Yes, it might be faster or easier, but that really doesn't make it better, and to be honest, the horses I've bought here have been equally as good as those I've imported. For one thing, I actually know these horses. I've seen them compete, often for some time. I know the trainers, both the good and the bad.
Second, and more worrying, I don't know the European horses. Given that we no longer pay more than the Europeans can pay themselves, do you really think when you go to Europe you're seeing the best? Can you tell enough in an hour about a horse to feel ready to buy it? Would you do the same thing here when looking at American horses? If you answered no to any of these questions then join my revolution!
While it may be good for you, it will also be good for North American trainers and breeders. The more of a market we create here, the better the standard of breeding will be, so everybody wins.
Make It Pay
The second of my pledges is also self-serving on many levels. I must digress for a moment before I tell you why. Here is a news flash: Our sport can be a money pit that I often have a hard time justifying to my family and myself. Lots of money seems to be changing hands, but nobody seems to be holding onto any of it. While this neither makes me love it less, nor changes my love for the horse, nor dampens my desire to strive, it IS a cold hard truth for many. If this dynamic doesn't improve, the sport in this country will continue to struggle.
So what is the answer? Make it popular and make it pay. Though I know many people get gun-shy about prize money in the sport because of its effect on horsemanship, I say this: There are good and bad horsemen. There always have been and always will be. Over time, the good horsemen win more and understand that sometimes the best show is the one you don't start. As unfortunate as pot hunting at the expense of the horse is, I really don't think more money makes it that much more prevalent. If anything, preserving a good horse so that it has a long career is the most effective way of maximizing its earning potential.
Now we have tried (through the Professional Riders Organization and USEA) to provide prize money at shows, and while we appreciate those efforts, I don't think they have been wholly successful. Why? Because they miss the point. What makes an event successful (like any other business), is paying customers (in our case, spectators).
The Rolex Kentucky CCI****, for example, can offer large prize money because it garners a large spectator base and therefore has the ability to attract big sponsors. Unfortunately, this model won't work for other events around the country because the majority of Rolex's spectators are eventing enthusiasts, and they're likely to make only one big pilgrimage per year.
In order for other events to work, we have to build a new regional model based on attracting local people from outside the sport. In order to accomplish this, we'll need to fulfill the needs of people looking to either: a. Have a fun family outing, b. Have a nice event to attend as a corporate outing, or c. Entertain tailgaters. Events like Red Hills, Plantation Field and Galway Downs have begun this trend here in the United States. Boekelo, in the Netherlands, has taken it to the next level of spectator attendance by creating an atmosphere equally enjoyable for horse lovers and those new to the sport. Who's to say that by combining the best ideas from all the top events and by thinking to ourselves, "What would make the best spectator event possible?" we can't do more?
My feeling is that prize money should be grown out of the ability of an event to get paying spectators. When we find the formula that gets people through the gate consistently, big sponsorships and prize money will naturally follow. While the money does add interest and drama for the spectators, it certainly doesn't matter how much money is given out if no one but competitors are there to watch it being won.
Because I strongly believe in this, I will get involved. It will be my primary mission to get spectators, and I will beg anyone committed to the sport to help with that goal. Further, I hope to enlist fellow riders to join me in this pursuit. If we can make one event other than Rolex successful with paying spectators, then we can use it as a model for the other events. Right now we have a fantastic sport, but a subpar spectator product. We must change this soon to remain relevant.
Get Involved
My third pledge stems from having no good answers to those that have written to me about my last blog post in which I called for collegiate equestrianism to be the breeding grounds for future Olympians. When asked by those interested, "Where do we start?" my answer was "I don't know." I believe this will take some level of cooperation between the USEF, U.S. Olympic Committee and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Because I don't know for sure, the only thing I can do to find out is get involved. As such, I have recently accepted a few positions on USEF and USOC committees. Hopefully I will find a way to make a difference and contribute to the future of the sport.
As the sport grows and develops a more sustainable business model, we will all do better both collectively AND individually. These are the steps I'm going to take. Join me, or find your own solutions. Either way, "be the change you wish to see in the world."
Thank you for reading: Michael
Michael Pollard and his wife, Nathalie, run Chatsworth Stud, a breeding and training facility in Chatsworth, Ga. Michael, 31, is also the CEO of several carpet and equine-related businesses and a father of four. At 18, he jumped around the Rolex Kentucky CCI*** and won the Markham trophy as the highest-placed young rider. He was the U.S. Eventing Association's Young Rider of the Year in 2001. In 2009, he won the Jersey Fresh CCI*** (N.J.), and in 2011, he was a member of the gold-medal U.S. team at the Pan American Games (Mexico).


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Bovine Trichomoniasis Update Talk to Your Veterinarian, Test Your Herd
LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The Colorado Department of Agriculture reminds cattle owners to test their herd for Bovine Trichomoniasis.
"Testing and monitoring herds for trichomoniasis is the best method of controlling this infection, " said State Veterinarian, Dr. Keith Roehr. " Cattle owners should talk to their veterinarian to determine the best management practices for their herd. "
As of March 31, 2010, there are no positive "trich" locations in Colorado. So far this year, one Colorado County has had a positive trich case. (Prowers County)
An updated map highlighting Colorado counties with trichomoniasis locations can be found at www.colorado.gov/ag.
A map detailing trichomoniasis sample submissions by county and the prevalence for trichomoniasis-positive counties can also be found on our website.
"The Department has seen a decrease in the number of positive trich cases and is encouraged by these numbers; this shows that the livestock industry and the CDA mitigation efforts have been working, " continued Roehr, "but this doesn't mean ranchers should decrease their testing rates. It is important to remember that this infection does not respect county lines. "
Positive Trich Locations Number of Colorado Counties
2009 16 9
2008 43 17
2007 32 13
"Trich" is a costly, yet preventable, infection that can affect dairy and beef cattle. If bulls become infected, the percentage of open cows can increase from 5 to 30 percent.
Trich is a venereal disease of cattle caused by Trichomonas foetus (T. Foetus). The T. foetus infection causes fertility problems, such as early embryonic death or abortion of the calf, and is asymptomatic in bulls.
Colorado trich regulations require all non-virgin bulls changing ownership or being transported into Colorado be tested for T. foetus unless the animal is going to slaughter. Bulls on public land grazing permits or with grazing associations must also be tested prior to turn-out.
Several diagnostic laboratories across the state offer trich testing; samples must be taken by an accredited veterinarian. For testing questions, call CDA Animal Industry Division at (303) 239-4161.Print This Post


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Loss-of-function mutations in genes encoding TET DNA dioxygenase occur frequently in hematopoietic malignancy, but rarely in solid tumors, which instead commonly have reduced activity. The impact of decreased TET activity in solid tumors is not known. Here we show that TET2 mediates the IFN-γ/JAK/STAT signaling pathway to control chemokine and PD-L1 expression, lymphocyte infiltration, and cancer immunity. IFN-γ stimulated STAT1 to bind TET2 and recruit TET2 to hydroxymethylate chemokine and PD-L1 genes. Reduced TET activity was associated with decreased Th1-type chemokines and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and the progression of human colon cancer. Deletion of Tet2 in murine melanoma and colon tumor cells reduced chemokine expression and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, enabling tumors to evade antitumor immunity and to resist anti–PD-L1 therapy. Conversely, stimulating TET activity by systematic injection of its cofactor ascorbate/vitamin C increased chemokines and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, leading to enhanced antitumor immunity and anti–PD-L1 efficacy and extended lifespan of tumor-bearing mice. These results suggest an IFN-γ/JAK/STAT/TET signaling pathway that mediates tumor response to anti–PD-L1/PD-1 therapy and is frequently disrupted in solid tumors. Our findings also suggest TET activity as a biomarker for predicting the efficacy of and patient response to anti–PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, and stimulation of TET activity as an adjuvant immunotherapy of solid tumors.
Yan-ping Xu, Lei Lv, Ying Liu, Matthew D. Smith, Wen-Cai Li, Xian-ming Tan, Meng Cheng, Zhijun Li, Michael Bovino, Jeffrey Aubé, Yue Xiong


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This tutorial exists for these OS versions
On this page
The Perfect Desktop - Fedora 14 i686 (GNOME)
Version 1.0
Author: Falko Timme
Follow me on Twitter
This tutorial shows how you can set up a Fedora 14 desktop (GNOME) that is a full-fledged replacement for a Windows desktop, i.e. that has all the software that people need to do the things they do on their Windows desktops. The advantages are clear: you get a secure system without DRM restrictions that works even on old hardware, and the best thing is: all software comes free of charge.
I want to say first that this is not the only way of setting up such a system. There are many ways of achieving this goal but this is the way I take. I do not issue any guarantee that this will work for you!
1 Preliminary Note
To fully replace a Windows desktop, I want the Fedora 14 desktop to have the following software installed:
- The GIMP - free software replacement for Adobe Photoshop
- F-Spot - full-featured personal photo management application for the GNOME desktop
- Google Picasa - application for organizing and editing digital photos
- Firefox
- Opera
- Flash Player 10
- FileZilla - multithreaded FTP client
- Thunderbird - email and news client
- Evolution - combines e-mail, calendar, address book, and task list management functions
- aMule - P2P file sharing application
- Azureus/Vuze - Java Bittorrent client
- Transmission BitTorrent client
- Empathy IM Client - multi-platform instant messaging client (formerly known as Gaim)
- Skype
- Google Earth
- Xchat IRC - IRC client
- OpenOffice Writer - replacement for Microsoft Word
- OpenOffice Calc - replacement for Microsoft Excel
- Adobe Reader
- GnuCash - double-entry book-keeping personal finance system, similar to Quicken
- Scribus - open source desktop publishing (DTP) application
Sound & Video:
- Amarok - audio player
- Audacity - free, open source, cross platform digital audio editor
- Banshee - audio player, can encode/decode various formats and synchronize music with Apple iPods
- MPlayer - media player (video/audio), supports WMA
- Rhythmbox Music Player - audio player, similar to Apple's iTunes, with support for iPods
- gtkPod - software similar to Apple's iTunes, supports iPod, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, iPod photo, and iPod mini
- XMMS - audio player similar to Winamp
- dvd::rip - full featured DVD copy program
- Kino - free digital video editor
- Sound Juicer CD Extractor - CD ripping tool, supports various audio codecs
- VLC Media Player - media player (video/audio)
- Real Player
- Totem - media player (video/audio)
- Xine - media player, supports various formats; can play DVDs
- Brasero - CD/DVD burning program
- K3B - CD/DVD burning program
- Multimedia-Codecs
- Kompozer - WYSIWYG HTML editor, similar to Macromedia Dreamweaver, but not as feature-rich (yet)
- Bluefish - text editor, suitable for many programming and markup languages
- Quanta Plus - web development environment, including a WYSIWYG editor
- VirtualBox OSE - lets you run your old Windows desktop as a virtual machine under your Linux desktop, so you don't have to entirely abandon Windows
- TrueType fonts
- Java
- Read/Write support for NTFS partitions
You might notice that I'm installing lots of similar applications here (e.g. two browsers and two email clients, multiple audio players, etc.) - this is just a choice. Of course you are free to install just the apps that you really need - just leave out the other ones.
I will use the GNOME desktop in rhis article.
I will use the username falko in this tutorial, and I will download all necessary files to falko's download which is equivalent to the directory /home/falko/Downloads. If you use another username (which you most probably do ;-)), please replace falko with your own username. So when I use a command like
cd /home/falko/Downloads
you must replace falko.
2 Installing The Base System
Download the Fedora 14 Live GNOME iso image from http://fedoraproject.org/en/get-fedora (e.g. http://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/14/Live/i686/Fedora-14-i686-Live-Desktop.iso), burn it onto a CD, and boot your computer from it. It will boot into a live Fedora 14 desktop that you can use to test how Fedora 14 works on your system. At the login prompt, select Automatic Login:
This is how the live desktop looks. You can now play around with it if you like. If you are sure that you want to install Fedora 14 on your hard drive, click on Install to Hard Drive:
The Fedora Installer starts. Click on Next:
Select your keyboard layout:
I assume that you use a locally attached hard drive, so you should select Basic Storage Devices here:
If you see the following message (Error processing drive: [...] This device may need to be reinitialized. REINITIALIZING WILL CAUSE ALL DATA TO BE LOST!), please click on Re-initialize:
You can leave the hostname as is and click on Next:
Select your time zone:
Type in a root password (twice to verify it):
The default partitioning is ok, so you can hit Next:
Confirm by clicking on Write changes to disk:


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Dungeons & Dragons Waterdeep
Dungeon of the Mad Mage (Adventure Book, D&D Roleplaying Game)
Explore the mega-dungeon of Undermountain in this adventure for the world's greatest roleplaying game.
In the city of Waterdeep rests a tavern called the Yawning Portal, named after the gaping pit in its common room. At the bottom of this crumbling shaft is a labyrinthine dungeon shunned by all but the most daring adventurers. Known as Undermountain, this dungeon is the domain of the mad wizard Halaster Blackcloak. Long has the Mad Mage dwelt in these forlorn depths, seeding his lair with monsters, traps, and mysteries--to what end is a constant source of speculation and concern.
o The follow up to Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, Dungeon of the Mad Mage takes adventurers deep into one of D&D's biggest dungeons. Each of Undermountain's twenty-three levels is an adventure setting unto itself, and the book includes a map for each one.
o Waterdeep, known as the City of Splendors, is one of D&D's most iconic locations. Also the setting for the board game Lords of Waterdeeep, it's the jewel of the Sword Coast--a sprawling melting pot held together by firm laws and swift justice.
o Dungeon of the Mad Mage is the second of two Dungeons & Dragons books set in Waterdeep. It picks up where the first, Dragon Heist, leaves off, taking characters of 5th level or higher all the way to 20th level.
o In D&D, you and your friends coauthor you own legend. Guided by a Dungeon Master, you create characters and play their roles in a story, rolling dice and navigating maps as you unfold a tale as limitless as your imagination.
o Dungeons & Dragons is the world's greatest roleplaying game. Created in 1974, D&D transformed gaming culture by blending traditional fantasy with miniatures and wargaming.
If the product is in stock at the store nearest you, we suggest you call ahead to have it set aside for you, or you may place an order online and choose in-store pickup.


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The national park is holding a grand opening weekend, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25, to celebrate the completion of 10 years and over $5 million in restoration work at the Weir House, Weir Studio and Young Studio, buildings never before open to the public.
No on-site parking will be available during the grand opening weekend. Visitors should park at Branchville Elementary School, at 40 Florida Road, Ridgefield. A free shuttle service will travel between the school and park continuously between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Park volunteers and rangers will be giving tours of the house and two artists' studios, which belonged to Impressionist painter Julian Alden Weir and his son-in-law sculptor Mahonri Young as part of the grand opening event.
The buildings had been closed to the public since the site became a national park in 1990. At the time, artist Sperry Andrews lived in the house, where he stayed with his wife until his death in 2005.
Each building has been restored to different time period representing the artists who have lived there. The park's superintendent, curator, collections manager, and park rangers, all involved with the restoration process, will be on hand to answer questions in each of the new buildings during the grand opening event.
In addition to the newly open buildings, there will be a special access to the Artist-in-Residence Studio, a new exhibit of Sperry Andrews' paintings, and a display of works by local, contemporary artists for sale in the visitor center.
The park encourages visitors to bring smart phones and tablets to share photos from the weekend using the hashtag, #WeirOpen, to share the experience.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Wilton and receive free news updates.


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A new paper by a team of researchers led by Shahriar Mobashery, the Navari Family Professor of Life Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, provides important new insights into the process by which bacteria recycle their cell wall.
The cell wall is a critically important entity for bacteria and essential for their survival. It is a rigid entity encasing the bacterium, and antibiotics are designed to interfere with disease processes by affecting its maturation. The function of antibiotics is to impair the cell wall, leading to bacterial death.
Scientists have determined that during bacterial growth a substantial amount of the parental cell wall is recycled. Although the recycling process has been known, its intricacies have not been well understood to date.
Mobashery's team synthesized pieces of the cell wall of the bacterium Escherichia coli in his laboratory and was able to use the synthetic wall components to observe the chemical reactions that take place during the recycling process.
The researchers found that a member of the lytic transglycosylases family of enzymes known as M1tB performed the requisite cell wall fragmentation on the synthetic sample of the cell wall from their laboratory. They also were able to measure the rate of the transformation by M1tB, determining that 14,000 pieces of the cell wall are processed by each molecule of M1tB in one bacterial generation.
The product of the M1tB reaction on the cell wall is the entity that initiates the recycling event, but when it diffuses out of the bacterium, it causes the onset of the pro-inflammatory events associated with bacterial infections.
The Notre Dame researchers who coauthored the paper were Maxim Suvorov, Mijoon Lee, Dusan Hesek, and Bill Boggess. Their research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
The cell wall recycling study appears in the September issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.