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Truth for Life - July 15, 2013
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- 2013 Jul 15
July 15
Private Worship
Keep the altar of private prayer burning. This is the very life of all piety. The sanctuary and family altars borrow their fires here; therefore let this burn well. Secret devotion is the very essence, evidence, and barometer of vital and experimental [experiential] religion.
Burn here the fat of your sacrifices. Let your closet seasons be, if possible, regular, frequent, and undisturbed. Effectual prayer avails much. Have you nothing to pray for? Let us suggest the church, the ministry, your own soul, your children, your relations, your neighbors, your country, and the cause of God and truth throughout the world.
Let us examine ourselves on this important matter. Do we engage with lukewarmness in private devotion? Is the fire of devotion burning dimly in our hearts? Do the chariot wheels drag heavily? If so, let us be alarmed at this sign of decay. Let us go with weeping, and ask for the Spirit of grace and of supplications. Let us set apart special seasons for extraordinary prayer. For if this fire should be smothered beneath the ashes of a worldly conformity, it will dim the fire on the family altar and lessen our influence both in the church and in the world.
The text will also apply to the altar of the heart. This is a golden altar indeed. God loves to see the hearts of His people glowing toward Himself. Let us give to God our hearts, all blazing with love, and seek His grace, that the fire may never be quenched, for it will not burn if the Lord does not keep it burning. Many foes will attempt to extinguish it; but if the unseen hand behind the wall pours on the sacred oil, it will blaze higher and higher. Let us use texts of Scripture as fuel for our heart's fire; they are live coals. Let us attend to sermons, but above all, let us be much alone with Jesus.
Family Bible reading plan
verse 1 Joshua 22
verse 2 Acts 2
Click here to learn more about Truth For Life
From Morning & Evening revised and edited by Alistair Begg copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org.


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This print is reproduced from a vintage postcard, the original dot pattern may be visibly enlarged in the print, giving it a unique, vintage appearance.
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subset: commoncrawl


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The Sibarita backdrop is a very original green marble texture with orange and white veins. It is therefore cold and warm at the same time. It is a backdrop designed to show something refined and elegant. Sibarita is the fan of luxury and expensive pleasures.
Our backdrops are designed to give life and colour to your still life. They are ideal for food photography, product photography and flat lays, as they are very resistant and easy to clean. However, you can use them for any other use... There are no limits to your imagination!
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These backdrops are very easy to use and give amazing results for professional photographers, amateurs and hobbyists alike. They are easy to transport and are the perfect accessory to have at home or in the studio.
Once you've finished your shoot you can roll them up and store them back in the shipping tube. We've invested in a material that won't warp, so even if you store it in its tube, when you roll it out, it will lay completely flat.
In the gallery you will see:
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Jeans. We have all worn a pair at some point in our lives, just as we have all loved, outgrown, torn, regretted, scuffed, and on the rare occasion even possibly fallen out with a non co-operating pair, so there need be no long introductions today. There isn't a modern male alive – that I know of anyway – who hasn't owned a pair of jeans at some point in their lives, and further more, there isn't a human being alive that I know of who hasn't had some form of dilemma when trying to find a pair to fit exactly as they should.
Working as a Kadele Personal Stylist I am repeatedly confronted by men who hold a variety of on-going wardrobe issues, from never being able to find shirts with the correct sleeve length, to simply having an inability to refrain from buying ALL clothes in some form of navy blue. But hands down, the dreaded Jeans Shopping tops the list.
What Jeans Are Right For Me?
As much as we love to think that it is only women who need to worry about body shapes, age and suitability, unfortunately they are just as relevant to us. Here are a few key factors for you to keep in mind…
Age + Cut = ?
A sensitive subject for some, but a realistic one for all. Up until our late teens/early twenties, we can get away with most. However – as a general rule – the extent of the rips, studs, logos, bleach, paint, stitching and those god-awful elasticated bottoms gracing your denim should gradually decrease as the years to your age increase. Nor can we get away with the saggy bottom or poorly-fitting waists. When you first try your jeans on in the store you want them to feel slightly too tight – obviously not so tight that you have to severely reduce the amount of breaths you take.
However, too many men mistake the jeans fitting correctly for the jeans being too small and are often all too quick to jump up a size… 3 months down the line they are 'that guy'wearing their jeans tackily bunched up around the waist by an overworked and underpaid belt. Which reminds me; you should NEVER need a belt to hold up your trousers; they should be there purely for decoration.
As far as the rise of the jean is concerned, mid/regular rise seems to work best for all. The waistband should never need to be sitting any higher than the top of your pelvis bone – regardless of stereotypes around age – so unless you have an exceptionally long crotch-to-belly button ration, high waisted is a definite no go. Low rise are the choice for many and work for many, however, there will come an age where it will no longer suit you. How long you prefer the leg length is completely up to you, however, scuffed, torn jeans on the hem? Not acceptable pal.
When thinking about what sort of colour or wash to opt for, there are two major areas that you need to identify:
- Where will you be predominantly wearing the jeans?
- What colors/washes do you already own?
Today is the day to break that rut of buying your jeans in the same washed out shade of blue my good man and add these simple staple colors to the forefront of your wardrobe: black, indigo (a dark blue) and a mid blue. If you want to add a lighter or a different colored jean to your wardrobe then great, but these are the key shades you have to have covered. The reason why all of these styles are great staple pieces for your wardrobe is the fact that they will all double up as both a casual and a smart/casual jean (particularly the black and indigo), they will work with almost any style/color of footwear, and with being such a classic wash they are highly unlikely to ever date. Shop smart.
Honour Thy Tailor
I feel that this part is so important that I just had to credit it with its own sub-title. A huge amount of men appear extremely uncertain whenever I suggest getting their jeans tailored in any way. However, when it comes to suiting they are reeling off a list of things that will need to be altered quicker than they have even tried the suit on. There is absolutely no difference between the two. Well yes, of course there are the obvious differences but any item of clothing that needs to be tailored to YOUR body shape, a simple visit to the tailor will very often be the answer. Just think of it like this, any particular clothing that you struggle to find to fit you properly, tailoring/alterations will 90% of the time be able to help you out.
Another issue a lot of men raise – and one that I think is completely understandable – is that the finish of the denim never looks quite the same. Now, this will be down to the quality of the tailor that you use. Denim is a completely different ball game to suit tailoring. A thicker thread needs to be used, the tailor will need to hold a vast range of colours in order to match particular threads, more heavy duty needles will need to be used, the tailor should have a range of specialist sanding instruments in order to imitate any distressing on the denim, and of course, a great amount of experience never goes amiss. So do your research, ask around and find a reputable tailor – quality matters.
So, what cut do I need?
The Skinny Boy
For those guys with the more slender of frames, you are much more suited to the ever so controversial skinny/slim legged jean. A straight leg jean will also work for you but approach with caution, too wide of a leg and you run the risk of throwing your body proportions off, especially if the apparel gracing your torso is slim fitting. A tapered leg/carrot fit can also work extremely well for you, especially if you want to add a bit more bulk to your upper leg.
Mr Average
If you boast a 32 – 34 inch waist and narrowly escape any of the other categories mentioned, you are one of those lucky few that can get away with most – if not all – style of jeans. Of course, if you have a slightly broader torso don't go too slim with your jeans, just as if you have a more slender torso don't opt for too wide of a leg as you will then appear out of proportion. The classic straight leg/regular fit tends to be the perfect cut for the every day 34/32 gentleman and the fact that it is the most vastly produced cut of jean, you should be left with no troubles at all finding your perfect partner.
Short Legs
Avoid any form drop crotch like the plague; all they will do is swallow up valuable inches from your legs. As a general rule, the slimmer the leg of the jeans you opt for, the longer your legs will appear. Wearing black on black is also very good for leg lengthening, i.e. black jeans and black shoes.
Mr Rugby Thighs
A lot of men that come to me for help have the exact same re-occurring issue. They love the image of a slim/skinny leg jean, but very often their thighs are just too big for how narrow some of them are cut. So without further a-due, I present to you – the tapered leg jean. Now by tapered, I don't mean a carrot fit with a full on drop crotch (although that style will also suit your build providing you have the height), I am talking about a classic, straight leg style jean that will fit comfortably on your thighs – just as a straight leg/loose fit would – and end up as somewhat of a slim leg by the time it reaches your ankles.
Having said this, I am fully aware that it is sometimes extremely hard to get a good quality pair of jeans in this style of tapered fit – and so cue – the tailor! Find yourself a pair of jeans that fit perfectly on the waist and thighs, depending on the actual size of your legs this could be anything from an already slim pair to a loose fit. Take a trip to your nearest reputable tailor and decide together where you would like them to taper in from – it will usually be from the knee/mid-thigh area – and also decide how wide you would like them to finish up at the bottom.
Little tip: Always try clothes on and physically show the tailor what you want done, we can't always rely on pins and a brief explanation.
The Apple
For the man with slightly wider hips, skinny jeans are unfortunately a no go. That doesn't however mean to say that you can't get away with jeans that are slimmer fitting to your leg. Again, a classic straight leg jean in dark denim will do your silhouette wonders and if there is any man who can pull off a nice relaxed/loose fit jean, it is you. Make sure the rise is no lower than a mid and steer clear of tapered and carrot fit styles as these will only accentuate the width of the waist.


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The following module functions all construct and return iterators. Some provide streams of infinite length, so they should only be accessed by functions or loops that truncate the stream.
def chain(*iterables): for it in iterables: for element in it: yield element
def count(n=0): while True: yield n n += 1
Note, count() does not check for overflow and will return
negative numbers after exceeding
sys.maxint. This behavior
may change in the future.
def cycle(iterable): saved = [] for element in iterable: yield element saved.append(element) while saved: for element in saved: yield element
Note, this member of the toolkit may require significant auxiliary storage (depending on the length of the iterable).
|predicate, iterable)
def dropwhile(predicate, iterable): iterable = iter(iterable) for x in iterable: if not predicate(x): yield x break for x in iterable: yield x
|iterable[, key])
None, key defaults to an
identity function and returns the element unchanged. Generally, the
iterable needs to already be sorted on the same key function.
The returned group is itself an iterator that shares the underlying iterable with groupby(). Because the source is shared, when the groupby object is advanced, the previous group is no longer visible. So, if that data is needed later, it should be stored as a list:
groups = [] uniquekeys = [] for k, g in groupby(data, keyfunc): groups.append(list(g)) # Store group iterator as a list uniquekeys.append(k)
groupby() is equivalent to:
class groupby(object): def __init__(self, iterable, key=None): if key is None: key = lambda x: x self.keyfunc = key self.it = iter(iterable) self.tgtkey = self.currkey = self.currvalue = xrange(0) def __iter__(self): return self def next(self): while self.currkey == self.tgtkey: self.currvalue = self.it.next() # Exit on StopIteration self.currkey = self.keyfunc(self.currvalue) self.tgtkey = self.currkey return (self.currkey, self._grouper(self.tgtkey)) def _grouper(self, tgtkey): while self.currkey == tgtkey: yield self.currvalue self.currvalue = self.it.next() # Exit on StopIteration self.currkey = self.keyfunc(self.currvalue)
|predicate, iterable)
If predicate is
None, return the items that are true.
Equivalent to:
def ifilter(predicate, iterable): if predicate is None: predicate = bool for x in iterable: if predicate(x): yield x
|predicate, iterable)
If predicate is
None, return the items that are false.
Equivalent to:
def ifilterfalse(predicate, iterable): if predicate is None: predicate = bool for x in iterable: if not predicate(x): yield x
|function, *iterables)
None, then
imap() returns the arguments as a tuple. Like
map() but stops when the shortest iterable is exhausted
instead of filling in
None for shorter iterables. The reason
for the difference is that infinite iterator arguments are typically
an error for map() (because the output is fully evaluated)
but represent a common and useful way of supplying arguments to
Equivalent to:
def imap(function, *iterables): iterables = map(iter, iterables) while True: args = [i.next() for i in iterables] if function is None: yield tuple(args) else: yield function(*args)
|iterable, [start,] stop [, step])
None, then iteration continues until
the iterator is exhausted, if at all; otherwise, it stops at the specified
position. Unlike regular slicing,
islice() does not support negative values for start,
stop, or step. Can be used to extract related fields
from data where the internal structure has been flattened (for
example, a multi-line report may list a name field on every
third line). Equivalent to:
def islice(iterable, *args): s = slice(*args) it = iter(xrange(s.start or 0, s.stop or sys.maxint, s.step or 1)) nexti = it.next() for i, element in enumerate(iterable): if i == nexti: yield element nexti = it.next()
def izip(*iterables): iterables = map(iter, iterables) while iterables: result = [it.next() for it in iterables] yield tuple(result)
Changed in version 2.4: When no iterables are specified, returns a zero length iterator instead of raising a TypeError exception.
Note, the left-to-right evaluation order of the iterables is guaranteed. This makes possible an idiom for clustering a data series into n-length groups using "izip(*[iter(s)]*n)". For data that doesn't fit n-length groups exactly, the last tuple can be pre-padded with fill values using "izip(*[chain(s, [None]*(n-1))]*n)".
Note, when izip() is used with unequal length inputs, subsequent
iteration over the longer iterables cannot reliably be continued after
izip() terminates. Potentially, up to one entry will be missing
from each of the left-over iterables. This occurs because a value is fetched
from each iterator in-turn, but the process ends when one of the iterators
terminates. This leaves the last fetched values in limbo (they cannot be
returned in a final, incomplete tuple and they are cannot be pushed back
into the iterator for retrieval with
it.next()). In general,
izip() should only be used with unequal length inputs when you
don't care about trailing, unmatched values from the longer iterables.
|object[, times])
def repeat(object, times=None): if times is None: while True: yield object else: for i in xrange(times): yield object
|function, iterable)
function(a,b) and
Equivalent to:
def starmap(function, iterable): iterable = iter(iterable) while True: yield function(*iterable.next())
|predicate, iterable)
def takewhile(predicate, iterable): for x in iterable: if predicate(x): yield x else: break
|iterable[, n=2])
n==2 is equivalent to:
def tee(iterable): def gen(next, data={}, cnt=[0]): for i in count(): if i == cnt[0]: item = data[i] = next() cnt[0] += 1 else: item = data.pop(i) yield item it = iter(iterable) return (gen(it.next), gen(it.next))
Note, once tee() has made a split, the original iterable should not be used anywhere else; otherwise, the iterable could get advanced without the tee objects being informed.
Note, this member of the toolkit may require significant auxiliary storage (depending on how much temporary data needs to be stored). In general, if one iterator is going to use most or all of the data before the other iterator, it is faster to use list() instead of tee(). New in version 2.4.
See About this document... for information on suggesting changes.


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Community News (V11-I29)
Researcher cited for excellence
Zainulabeuddin "Zain†Syed, who helped discover the mode of action for the insect repellent DEET in the Walter Leal laboratory at the University of California, Davis, has been cited for excellence in postdoctoral research.
The award, sponsored by the UC Davis Postdoctoral Scholars' Association and the Office of Graduate Studies, is given annually to "up to two postdocs†for outstanding research accomplishments.
Mr. Syed received a certificate and $500 at a recent ceremony in the University Club. He was among the 12 finalists from a pool of 800 postdocs at UC Davis.
Syed, a native of Hyderabad, India, was educated and trained in India, Germany and the United States. He is active in departmental events and in the Entomological Society of America (ESA). He delivered a scientific research lecture on "Maxillary Palps Are Broad Spectrum Odorant Detectors in Culex quinquefasciatus†on Dec. 10, 2007 at ESA's international meeting in San Diego.
County sued for approving mosque plans
LODI, CA– The Lodi county has been sued by a resident's association for approving the plans of a proposed mosque. The group known as the Morada Area Association is upset over the Board of Supervisor;s approval of the mosque, the Lodi News reported.
The Morada group claims that the Board of Supervisors violated the California Environmental Quality Act by not studying the effects the mosque would have on water supply, traffic and parking surrounding the mosque, which has yet to be built, according to Bill Fields, an active member of the Morada Area Association.
The mosque plan calls for a call for a 13,820-square-foot mosque to be built on two acres on the eastern Highway 99 frontage road, 150 feet north of Shippee Lane. It would be used as a prayer hall, classroom, multipurpose hall and offices.
Miss. mosque hearing rescheduled
MADISON, MS– A meeting to discuss the plans for a mosque in Madison this week has been rescheduled for August 3.
The Mississippi Muslim Association's attorney, Roger Williams, said the group is trying to obtain a private sewer system and asked for a continuance of a public hearing that was scheduled to take place on Tuesday.
The city of Madison said it is not required to provide sewer services to the area where the mosque wants to locate.
The mosque would need a proper sewer system in place before going forward.
Kashmir Conference to be held on Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON D.C.–Kashmiri American Council and Association of Humanitarian Lawyers has released the list of speakers for the the 10th International Kashmir conference at Capitol Hill, Washington on 23rd of July. The conference will be held for two days.
The speakers include Ms. Siddharth Varadarajan, The Hindu, New Delhi; Senator Mushahid Hussain, Secretary General, PML-Q, Islamabad; Mr. Gautam Navlakha, Editor, Economic & Political Review, New Delhi; Mr. Tapan Bose, Film Maker & Peace Activist, New Delhi; Dr. Angana Chatterji, Indian-American, San Francisco; Mr. Ved Bhasin, Editor, Kashmir Times, Jammu; Mr. Jatinder Bakhshi, Chairman, Committee for the Return of Kashmiri Migrants (Pandits), Jammu; Ms. Harinder Baweja, Founding Editor, Tehelka, New Delhi; Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, Former Pakistani Ambassador to the United States; Ambassador Munir Akram, Former Pakistani Ambassador to the United Nations; Dr. Richard Shapiro, Institute of Integral Studies, California; Amb, Husain Haqqani, Pakistani Ambassador to the United States,among others.


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There's nothing as nice. As a new Teddy Bear.
To tickle and cuddle, And take everywhere
To share all your secrets,Your laughter and tears
To keep by your side Through seasons and years.
There's nothing as nice As a new Teddy Bear…
Except for an old one With memories to share.
~Jeannie Hand-Stuart~
Did any of you get a teddy today? Today is Teddy Day and as promised we are here with the third Valentine's Week special recipe. There's Matar paneer on Propose Day and Microwave Chocolate cake on Chocolate Day.
After these two it's a simple and non-greasy preparation for the menu. You can have it with the spicy Mutton kasha, or the healthy Cauliflower curry.
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 10min
Cooking time: 30min
- Long grain or Basmati rice (Chal): 2 cups
- Farmer cheese (Paneer): 200gms
- Peas (Matar shuti): ½ cup
- Cumin (Jeera): 2 tablespoon
- Onion (Peyaj): ½ cup, finely chopped
- Water (Jal): 4 cups
- Sunflower Oil (Sada tel): 5 tablespoon
- Coriander leaves (Dhane pata) for garnishing
- Salt to taste
- Wash the rice and spread them over a clean newspaper so that the water gets drained off
- Cut the paneer in small square pieces
- Heat 3 tablespoon of oil in a wok, and fry the paneer pieces till golden brown
- Plunge them into warm water with little salt, keep aside
- In the rice cooker pour the extra oil, onions, cumin and salt, mix well, turn on and cook for 2-3min
- Add the rice and mix well with the sautéed onions, pour in 4 cups of water
- Cook for about 15 min
- Add the peas and cook for some more time, check in between whether the rice has been cooked well
- Add the paneer, and cook for 4-5mins more
- Serve with chopped coriander garnished
Hot Tips – You can also prepare it over flame. Just follow the steps, but use a little less water and cook over low flame.
Further Reading – Paneer pulao, Zafrani Paneer Pilaf
What's your Teddy Bear Memory?
If you like this post, please consider linking to it or sharing it with others. I'll love to hear your comments too.You can also Subscribe to BengaliCuisine by Email, or Subscribe in a reader


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Sanction of 6% dearness Relief on the pension of the pensioners of the state of Madhya Pradesh
No.F 9-2/2015/Rule/IV
Bhopal, dated 6th November, 2015
All Department of Government
The president of Board of Revenue, Gwalior
All Commissioners of Divisions
All Heads of Department
All collectors
Madhya Pradesh
Sub: Sanction of 6% dearness Relief on the pension of the pensioners of the state of Madhya pradesh.
The state Government had sanctioned 113% dearness relief w.e.f 01.01.2015 on pension/family pension to their pensioners/family pensioners vide Finance Department Memo No.F 9-1/2015/Rule/IV dated, 28 May, 2015. The state Government has now decided that the dearness relief admissible to pensioners should be sanctioned as given below. The additional pension payable to the pensioner's aged 80 years or above shall also qualify for dearness Relief.\
|Rate of Dearness Relief per Month
|w.e.f. 01-07-2015 (Pension/family pension for the month of July, 2015 paid in August, 2015
|119% of Pension/Family Pension
2. The above dearness Relief shall be payable on the Superannuation, Retiring, Invalid and Compensation Pension. This dearness relief shall also be payable on the Compassionate Allowance sanctioned to the employees discharged or removed from service and the said dearness relief shall also be payable to persons receiving family pension and extra ordinary pension under the restrictions contained in the Finance Department's Memo No.F.B.6/43/76/R-II/IV dated 5.10.76. The dearness Relief on the pension/family pension shall not be payable in the cases where the pensioners/family pensioners are appointed/re-appointed under the State Government or autonomous institutions. This relief on family pension shall be payable in cases where a person at the time of the death of the spouse was in service and was not appointed on compassionate grounds. This relief on family pension shall not be payable in cases where a person on account of the death of the spouse has been appointed on compassionate grounds. In this connection attention is invited to the provisions contained in Finance Department's Memo No.F.B.6/10/76/R-II/IV, dated 27.7.76 read with Memo No.F.B.6/10/77/R-II/IV, dated 2.5.77 and Memo No.F-12-5/2007/Rule/IV dated 19.4.2007.
3. Pensioners, who have commuted a part of their pension, shall be paid the dearness relief on their original pension (Pension before commutation.)
4. This Order shall be applicable in respect of State Government employees who had drawn lump sum amount on absorption in PSU/Autonomous body/Board/Corporation etc and have become eligible to restoration of 1/3rd commuted portion of pension in terms of this Department's memo No.F.9/9/2006/Rule/IV dated 5.1.2007.
5. Fraction of rupee of the amount to be paid as dearness relief shall be rounded off to the next rupee.
6. All Treasury Officers/Sub Treasury Officers/Pension Disbursing Officers are directed to make payment of the above sanctioned dearness relief to state Government pensioners early, keepin in view the amended provisions of S.R.347 of the M.P.T.C. Volume-1, issued vide Finance Department's endorsement No.E.-4/1/83/R-V/IV, dated 29th January, 1983. After payment of dearness relief the same may be got checked from the usual payment authority received from the Accountant General, Madhya pradesh. If some inaccuracy/discrepancy comes to the notice. the same may be adjusted in the payment on next month.
By order and in the name of the
Governor of Madhya Pradesh
(Milind Waikar)
Additional Secretary,
Government of Madhya Pradesh
Finance Department


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I'm extremely thrilled... my "dot your i's" quilt is complete! I have a bunch of photos to share, then I'll recap the details of the quilt at the end of the post.
Since this quilt is finished, I'm about to jump into my next long term quilt project. I can hardly wait to get started! Woohoo!
Now it's your turn! Please link up your finishes for the week. Thank you, as always, for joining me for finish it up Friday!


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An ideal option for a more relaxed occasion – Johnnie Walker and soda is a classic combination for when you want something as easy-drinking as it is smoky and flavourful.
Beloved by both Johnnie Walker veterans and those brand new to the world of whisky, the Soda Highball doesn't compromise any of the unique flavour profiles present in all Johnnie Walker blends.
• 45 ml Johnnie Walker Black Label
• 180 ml club soda
1. Fill a glass with ice
Choose either a highball or collins glass and fill with cubed ice.
2. Add the ingredients
Add the whisky to your preferred glass and top up with club soda.
3. Stir
Stir lightly to combine.
4. Garnish
Add a sprig of toasted rosemary to garnish.
*This cocktail contains 14.4 grams of alcohol
For a Johnnie Walker Soda Highball that's as fiery as it is fresh, try Johnnie Walker Red Label. The spicy flavours of the whisky really shine.
Fans of Johnnie Walker's trademark smokiness should use Johnnie Walker Black Label for an intensely-flavoured Soda Highball.
The subtle, creamy notes of Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve make for a delectably smooth Soda Highball.
Add to Johnnie Walker's intense smokiness with a savoury sprig of fresh rosemary.
Highlight the powerful spice of Johnnie Walker whisky with a zesty kick of fresh ginger.
Enjoy an extra level of rich sweetness in Johnnie Walker whisky by adding delicious red berries.


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Trump Administration Seeks New Nuclear Arms to Counter RussiaThe proposal, not yet approved by the president, would put the U.S. in a more aggressive stance. Critics argue it would make nuclear conflict more likely.
WASHINGTON — With Russia in mind, the Trump administration is aiming to develop new nuclear firepower that it says will make it easier to deter threats to European allies.
The plan, not yet approved by President Donald Trump, is intended to make nuclear conflict less likely. Critics argue it would do the opposite.
The proposal is spelled out in a policy document, known officially as a "nuclear posture review," that puts the U.S. in a generally more aggressive nuclear stance. It is the first review of its kind since 2010 and is among several studies of security strategy undertaken since Trump took office.
In many ways it reaffirms the nuclear policy of President Barack Obama, including his commitment to replace all key elements of the nuclear arsenal with new, more modern weapons over the coming two decades.
It says the U.S. will adhere to existing arms control agreements, while expressing doubt about prospects for any new such pacts. The Trump nuclear doctrine is expected to be published in early February, followed by a related policy on the role and development of U.S. defenses against ballistic missiles.
Where the Trump doctrine splits from Obama's approach is in ending his push to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. defense policy. Like Obama, Trump would consider using nuclear weapons only in "extreme circumstances," while maintaining a degree of ambiguity about what that means. But Trump sees a fuller deterrent role for these weapons, as reflected in the plan to develop new capabilities to counter Russia in Europe.
The Huffington Post published online a draft of the nuclear policy report Thursday, and The Associated Press independently obtained a copy Friday. Asked for comment, the Pentagon called it a "pre-decisional," unfinished document yet to be reviewed and approved by Trump, who ordered it a year ago.
Russia, and to a degree China, are outlined as nuclear policy problems that demand a tougher approach.
The administration's view is that Russian policies and actions are fraught with potential for miscalculation leading to an uncontrolled escalation of conflict in Europe. It specifically points to a Russian doctrine known as "escalate to de-escalate," in which Moscow would use or threaten to use smaller-yield nuclear weapons in a limited, conventional conflict in Europe in the belief that doing so would compel the U.S. and NATO to back down.
The administration proposes a two-step solution.
First, it would modify "a small number" of existing long-range ballistic missiles carried by Trident strategic submarines to fit them with smaller-yield nuclear warheads.
Secondly, "in the longer term," it would develop a nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile — re-establishing a weapon that existed during the Cold War but was retired in 2011 by the Obama administration.
Together, these steps are meant to further dissuade "regional aggression," which means giving Russia greater pause in using limited nuclear strikes.
Interest in the condition and role of U.S. nuclear weapons has grown as North Korea develops its own nuclear arsenal it says is aimed at the U.S.
The Trump administration views the North Korean threats, along with what it sees as provocative nuclear rhetoric from Russia, as evidence that security conditions no longer support the idea that the U.S. can rely less on nuclear weapons or further limit their role in national defense.
The nuclear report also makes rare mention of a newer Russian weapon: a nuclear-armed drone torpedo that could travel undersea to far-off targets.
Hans Kristensen, a nuclear weapons specialist at the Federation of American Scientists, questions whether the administration is overstating the Russian threat and responding with the right solution. But he said it is clear that Moscow has raised fears in the West by its aggression in Ukraine.
"Clearly, the Russia situation is much more of a direct confrontational situation," he said. "The gloves are off."
Bruce Blair, a former nuclear missile launch officer who co-founded Global Zero, which advocates the elimination of nuclear weapons, called the report "basically a status quo document" except for the plan to develop new nuclear options for countering Russia. He worries these could lead the U.S. into "blundering into a nuclear war with Russia." Blair based his comments partly on knowledge of the report's content before it appeared online.
"The Pentagon's underlying motivation," Blair said, "is fear of Russia's new option for striking U.S. and Western European civilian infrastructure — financial, energy, transportation and communications — with cyber and conventional forces."
Moscow developed this doctrine in recent years to exploit vulnerabilities in vital Western infrastructure, such as communications networks, he said. This falls into a category of threat the Trump administration calls "non-nuclear strategic," meaning it could inflict unacceptably high numbers of casualties or costs.
Authors of the Trump nuclear doctrine argue that adding new U.S. nuclear capabilities to deter Russia in Europe will lessen, not increase, the risk of war. They worry the nuclear-capable aircraft that are currently the only Europe-based nuclear force to counter Russia have become less credible, in part because they may be vulnerable to Russian air defenses. Thus, the focus on adding sea-launched U.S. nuclear weapons to the mix.
"This is not intended to, nor does it, enable 'nuclear war-fighting,'" the draft report said. Instead, the goal is to make nuclear conflict less likely by ensuring that "potential adversaries" see no possible advantage in escalating a conventional conflict to the nuclear level.Wait, before you go…
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text: BDSM Dominatrix is a free alternative dating site that explores submissive and dominatrix Nova Scotia relationships, create a profile to view nearby members. BDSM Dominatrix is a completely free adult community site, registration is optional and takes less than a minute. Click a city within Nova Scotia from the list below or scroll to the left to view profiles directly.


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Flicker and Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
It's always a special day when the sapsucker or flicker make an apperance.
Labels: Northern Flickers, Winter Birds, Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
Info & pictures of common New Jersey birds: the woodpecker, cardinal, king fisher, warbler, robin, tufted titmouse, finch, mallard, cormorant, baby ducks, grebe, goose, cat bird, sapsucker, northern flicker, chickadee, merganser, hawk, heron, hairy woodpecker & goldfinch plus muskrat, groundhog & beaver. Many photos were taken at Lake Nelson in Piscataway, NJ and others in NJ bird spots: Cape May, the Meadowlands, and Sandy Hook or vacations in Florida, California and the Caribbean.
Labels: Northern Flickers, Winter Birds, Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
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text:
HOUSTON -- Former President George H.W. Bush has been hospitalized in Houston with an infection, just after attending the funeral of his wife, Barbara, a spokesman said Monday.
Jim McGrath said on Twitter that the 93-year-old Bush is "responding to treatments and appears to be recovering." He was admitted Sunday morning to Houston Methodist Hospital after an infection spread to his blood, McGrath said.
Barbara Bush was laid to rest Saturday in a ceremony attended by her husband and former presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and their wives, along with current first lady Melania Trump.
The elder Bush uses a wheelchair and an electric scooter for mobility after developing a form of Parkinson's disease, and he has needed hospital treatment several times in recent years for respiratory problems.
A year ago this month, Bush spent two weeks in the hospital for treatment of pneumonia and chronic bronchitis, a constant irritation of the lining of tubes that carry air to one's lungs. Bush's doctors said chronic bronchitis is a condition more prevalent with age and can aggravate the symptoms of pneumonia.
Bush was hospitalized for 16 days in January 2017 for pneumonia. During that hospital stay, which included time in intensive care, doctors inserted a breathing tube and connected him to a ventilator.
He also was hospitalized in 2015 in Maine after falling at home and breaking a bone in his neck, and in December 2014 for about a week for shortness of breath. He spent Christmas 2012 in intensive care for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues.
George Herbert Walker Bush served as president from 1989 to 1993. Born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts, Bush also served as a congressman, CIA director and Ronald Reagan's vice president.
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The first, and one of my favorite recent pictures, is a Western Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica) making a meal out of a pecan. The scrub jays are obnoxious and raucous, and at constant war with our cat in the backyard, but they are also a bright splash of color, and are one of my favorites.
The Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) is a fairly common wetlands inhabitant in our area. They are one of the most graceful birds I see on a regular basis, standing very still will getting ready to stab at fish or amphibians in shallow water (like they did when they got the goldfish in my pond...).
I've enjoyed paying more attention to our local bird life, and look forward to adding more of them during my travels. Once again, have a wonderful Christmas and restful holiday!


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She chased them east on Fosteria Way toward the the Iron Horse Trail and lost them in the nearby apartment complex.
Read the full story here Web Link posted Friday, December 11, 2009, 5:28 PM
Original post made on Dec 11, 2009
Comments (18)
No description of the robbers?? Why?
No description, you know the reason!
Is that Bill froM A&M Realty
Funny how we know the name, sex, and even the age of the person who was robbed, but there is no description of the two people who snached her purse. Let's build a few more apartment complexes in Danville.
Don't leave your purse in your cart. Period.
I agree with Betty. Clearly the reason for this and other heinous crimes against good valued people and private property is low-income infiltrators jealous of our station in life so they try to take it by FORCE. We should demolish all apartments and cheap houses that were bought by people who got them before prices got high in the 90s. This is what Danville needs right now.
Lucy, thank you! What a simple solution.
Considering the comments of Dick (who might as well be Rick/Gunslinger .45) and Betty B. I can see why we in this area have the reputation for being arrogant and self entitled. What a shame.
Listen, I'm still not entirely convinced Dick P isn't making parody. I had a guy attacking me before who called himself Dick (cuz I'm Rick). His attacks were in the form of parody which hyperbolized things I would generally say. Dick P comments have an air of sarcasm to them.
But we all know why this area is seeing crime. We know who's doing it on average. We know where the media stands... and it's not with us
My, My, My...Dolores, I can't believe your comment. She turned back around and there were two gentleman...WOW really two gentlaman. A gentleman is a man who is honorable and well-bred and of fine feelings or instincts, shown by behavior and consideration for others...is that what you think these low life's are...Dolores? Don't be afraid to steak the truth...I'm really sorry to see the way the media is so tough tied.
The Danville Weekly lost a little respect today...
Thanks, Julia...By the way, If they try that shxx with me, the San Ramon PD would calling the mortuary.
Um, Julia?
The offending phrase was contained within quotation marks, meaning they were a verbatim transcription of what the officer said. If you have a beef, it's with him.
But was she loading or unloading the groceries? And do you have a huge gun?
Lisa, you're brilliant solution, while not being as extreme, is akin to someone saying "if you don't wanna get raped don't wear a short skirt." maybe we in Danville don't want our town turning into a bastion of distrust. And, it's funny what you said about entitlement, because that's what we here in Danville think about liberals, arrogant elitists who think they're entitled to money and other resources we earned and created
Rick, I think you are talking about Lucy's "brilliant solution." Maybe when throwing accusations around you should first check the name.
I agree completely that we should take responsibility for keeping valuables close - I don't think anyone in their right mind would disagree with that and I didn't see Lucy (or Lisa for that matter) blaming the victim. It's a simple way to reduce your risk of becoming a victim of crime.
Rick is undoubtedly annoyed, thinking that he was the Rick I was referring to in my previous post (I was referring to the Rick that now goes as gunslinger, who I am pretty sure is a different person). I'm not personally offended in the least by his response, though I do find his analogy offensive.
Nope, I'm not going to blame this woman for her purse being stolen - I lost mine in a similar fashion several years ago, though I did not elect to chase the guy who ran off with it. I was more concerned about my own safety than the items in my purse. Had I kept it on my shoulder rather than in the shopping cart I highly doubt the opportunity would have been there for him to grab it.
I tend to be more careful around the holidays as there are many more distractions making it easier to lose track of your money/things. Besides, all those darn liberals and arrogant elitists are out in force, preying on our hard earned cash that we are entitled to...gotta keep your eyes on them every minute!
All I want to know is what COLOR were they?
Oh........I think I know!!!!!!
I am gunslinger. I figured everyone knew that. I'll just go by that from now on. And I didn't say anyone was necessarily blaming the victim. I said that yours and Lucys solution was focusing more on the victims responsibility to protect themselves from criminals (which I agree with in many ways) but not on the fact that maybe we don't want to live in a town of criminality. Maybe we wanna be like the Canada Michael Moore holds so near and dear to his heart, where no one locks there door because they dare TRUST their neighbors, their community.
And stop saying we feel entitled you condescending snob. We actually earn our money out here, as opposed to the chronic welfare abusers of the urban bay area.
What the heck is the gunslinger smokin??????????????
Well, there you go = you ARE the same Rick. Always such a charmer. Though Citizen Paine was kind enough to point that out when you first developed your new "personality, I thought I noted a bit less paranoia and fewer grammatical errors in "Rick" lately so I wasn't so sure.
Glad to see you commit yourself to just the one personality - those multiples can be hard to keep up with.
Signed: Lisa, the condescending snob.
I'm guessing that "DICK P" is "Rick Pshaw," as well. But he may really be a parody -- one can hope.
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text: Microsoft Thursday said that the second Patch Tuesday of 2012 will see nine security bulletins, four of which were deemed critical.Three of the four critical bulletins address vulnerabilities in Windows, one of which also targets an Internet Explorer flaw that Wolfgang Kandek, CTO of Qualys, says should be treated with the "highest priority." This is because browser-based vulnerabilities have been exposed more quickly of late than those for legacy software, Kandek says.The fourth critical bulletin targets the .NET framework and Silverlight. As for the remaining bulletins, all five are rated "important." Four address vulnerabilities in Windows while another resolves an issue with Office and Server Software.With the release, Microsoft will exceed the seven bulletins issued last month, as well as nearly tripling the number of vulnerabilities addressed, from eight in January to 21 this month.RELATED: Microsoft patch blows 'perfect game' but sends important messageHowever, when the trends of the past few years are taken into account, the second Patch Tuesday of 2012 is a sign of continued progress for Microsoft security. Paul Henry, security and forensic analyst at Lumension, called this Patch Tuesday a "pretty sweet Valentine's day" for the IT professionals responsible for implementing the bulletins, especially when compared to the last two years. Microsoft sent 12 patches and addressed 22 vulnerabilities in February 2011, a year after issuing 13 bulletins that addressed 26 vulnerabilities.Especially coming off a similarly light January Patch Tuesday, in which seven bulletins were issued but just eight vulnerabilities were addressed, Henry says there are signs of optimism for Microsoft security."We've had two fairly light patching periods in a row, with just seven from Microsoft last month," Henry says. "Clearly, the company's renewed focus is paying off."Tuesday's upcoming patch will bring the total number of security bulletins in 2012 to 16. In comparison, Microsoft had issued 14 combined patches in the first two months of 2011, following a light, two-patch month in January 2011.Despite the slightly higher total in overall bulletins compared to the same time last year, Henry has said security improvements in updated versions of Microsoft products have been evident in the continued decline in security patches. In 2011, Microsoft issued 100 patches, down from 106 the year prior. The company also saw its lowest level of bulletins rated critical in 2011, at 32, since it began issuing them monthly in 2004.Colin Neagle covers Microsoft security and network management for Network World. Keep up with his blog: Rated Critical, follow him on Twitter: @ntwrkwrldneagle.Read more about software in Network World's Software section.


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Thai Triangle Pillow
24 Items
24 Items
Thai Triangle Pillows represent a design perfected through centuries. Their meticulous evolution in style and structure exemplify a timeless, classic creation.
Asian culture is based around small living spaces without chairs. As such, Thai Pillows act as a cushion, a mat, a chair, a pillow or a mattress. Living space in Asia is at a premium, with large families living in small spaces, Triangle Pillows are designed to be portable, compact and easy to tidy away.
The resolute structure of the triangle pillow prevents deformation, even under intense weight. Triangle Pillows are durable as they distribute weight evenly out to the base. The triangle pillow will only collapse when the Kapok stuffing loses its strength and needs replaced.
The stacked triangular prism design not only provides strength but, allows air to flow through the pillow, keeping the Thai Triangle Pillow cool. The prisms also act as a divide, filing the organic Kapok into compartments, preventing bunching.
The all natural Kapok stuffing is used due to its weightlessness, making the Thai Triangle Pillows easy to transport or tidy away. Kapok is also exceptionally quick drying and buoyant, enabling the Triangle Pillows to be used outdoors, even in rainy season.
The Folding Pillow variety has a furrowed design that is proven to provide greater back support, allowing it to be used not only as a recline chair, but as a small mattress for sleeping.
This Thai Triangle Pillow range comes in five different patterns and two size variations. We have a standard size Triangle Pillow (four rows) and the King size, which has five rows. Our patterns are designed to fit into both traditional and contemporary households providing a fashionable accent to your living room.
Thai Triangle Pillows embody so much of what Asian décor represents; durability, flexibility, portability and Eco-friendliness. These truly traditional Thai Triangle and Thai Folding Pillows are sourced in Thailand but shipped promptly from our Santa Fe Warehouse.


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- IT Management
- PC Power Management
- Internet of Things
- Company
- Support
- IT Management
- PC Power Management
- Internet of Things
- Partners
New Boundary Technologies, Digi International Offer Remote Monitoring Solution
New Boundary Technologies announced it has expanded the technology partnership with Digi International, a provider of device networking solutions for businesses.
Oct 22, 2010 | TMCnet
New Boundary Technologies Announces FleetVista's Support for the Digi International ConnectPort X5
New Boundary Technologies today expanded its technology partnership with Digi International the leader in device networking for business, to integrate their respective fleet management technologies, FleetVista(TM) and Digi ConnectPort X5.
Oct 19, 2010 | Fleet Daily
IT Can Turn to the Cloud to Make Their Companies Greener
New Boundary Technologies announces its PwrSmart Service, a centralized PC power management solution that's designed specifically as a web-based service.
Sep 20, 2010 | Windows IT Pro
HIMSS Winners Have Arrows in Their Backs
Senatara Health credits New Boundary Technologies with helping it turn around a situation that threatened to spin out of control.
Sep 17, 2010 | ZDNET
New Boundary Offers PwrSmart PC Power Saving Service
The PwrSmart Service from New Boundary Technologies allows cost-conscious businesses to more efficiently run their office computers and offers a variety of energy-saving features.
Aug 12, 2010 | eWeek
PC Power Management Solution Delivers Energy Savings, CO2 Emission Cuts
New Boundary Technologies is offering businesses a free 30-day trial of its Web-based PwrSmart Service, a PC power management solution that is said to deliver energy savings and reduce carbon emissions
Aug 11, 2010 | Environmental Leader


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Monday, January 17, 2011
Two kinds of milestones, all kinds of amazing
Sabrina walked into my bedroom this morning with an armful of Pull-Ups and announced that she was done wearing them at night.
"Are you sure?" I asked. When we were at the doctor a few weeks ago for her annual checkup, I'd asked if it was OK that she was still wearing them, given that she's almost 6, and he basically said whatever worked was cool.
"Yes!" Sabrina said, emphatically. "I'm not wearing them anymore." She's like me in that way: Once she sets her mind to something, she does it.
I'm happy, and excited to stop shelling out money for her diapers, but I'm kind of melancholy about this, too; it's the end of a phase in her life. Max, meanwhile, is still in Pull-Ups for the unforeseeable future. When he gets out of them, we will be having a major celebration—I am talking diaper-burning party. OK, just one diaper will be burned, and then we will donate the rest to a local shelter, like I'm planning to do with Sabrina's extras.
Sabrina's milestones have come upon us fast and unexpectedly; one day she was pulling to stand and the next week, she took her next steps. One day she was babbling away in that baby language that sounds like she's speaking perfect Swahili and the next, words came. One day she decided to dress herself. One day she brushed her teeth by herself. One day, she made her bed (although, sadly, that's not a habit). These milestones delight with their unannounced arrival and the speed at which they descend upon us. We're thrilled, yet we take them for granted.
Max's milestones have been wholly different. Most of them have happened after serious effort on his part, his therapists' and ours. They're victories, each and every one, doubly wondrous because there was no guarantee he'd achieve them. And the milestones that spring up without any doing, like when he recently started rhyming? Those seem downright miraculous.
That's the mix of milestones we experience in our family. And they're all pretty amazing.
What sort of milestones (or mini-stones) have you been seeing lately?
19 comments:
A few weeks ago at 14 months old my boy sat up! I didn't believe it would happen (I'm such a pessimist). Happy days.ReplyDelete
My almost 4yr old finally learned how to use a straw! We are no longer chained to our sippie cups! Yeah!ReplyDelete
My 2 year old has been mimicking sounds! It's awesome!ReplyDelete
Lots of new words. And sounds.ReplyDelete
Each one of our milestones FEELS like it takes a million tiny steps to get there. . . its funny, friends with typical kiddos see pictures of Sam starting to stand supported and are like, "she's so close to walking," and I think, "you don't GET this." They don't.
Even though she's standing, walking feels so far away. Thank you for the reminder that mini-stones count too. Sometimes, I lose sight of that in the willing and wanting the next big thing to happen.
On Saturday Marley learned to go from laying on the floor to sitting! She is so proud of herself and we are too! We are learning to simply take joy in the progression and not just the milestones. She's an excellent teacher!ReplyDelete
We haven't reached the pull-up burning milestone, yet, but there have been so many others. I really do appreciate every one.ReplyDelete
- FeliciaJanuary 18, 2011 at 12:20 AM
Congratulations to Sabrina! You might want to get hold of a few of these saddle style mattress covers-- http://www.drugstore.com/my-kids-first-cotton-top-mattress-protector-saddle-style-34x36/qxp269748protectors --just in case there's a bit of backsliding--they are so easy to whip on and off if you have an accident because they go on top of the sheet. I swear by them (I never paid this much for them but the link is what they look like, basically-and they have waterproofing on one side). We don't need these so much anymore, but they're great when you need 'em. We're also seeing calm days, fewer tantrums, less chaos and very little whining or crying for little or no reason. Routines help, trauma fades, and time heals all wounds, I guess. Life is maybe a bit slow and boring lately, but boring is good!ReplyDelete
These are the most awesome comments to read before I crash, I am going to sleep very happy!ReplyDelete
Momttorney, I've also had friends who haven't understood how BIG the little things can be, like why Max isolating one finger to use his iPad was huge. I've learned to explain things to them, I no longer get upset about it.
Felicia, I am with you on the boring!!! And the routines. I'm going to live dangerously and see how things go sans the safety sheet. Famous last words.
we use the sheets even with the pull-ups, they're not 100%.ReplyDelete
Agree with the mini-stones thing, that's why blogs about Special kids are so good to read and comment on, the community thing.
Ashley's busting mini-stones like mad at the moment. He's using words deliberately, becoming clearer in his diction, standing taller, using his spoon to clear the plate, walking further and saying thank you (well Gagoo) at just the right times.
Well done Sabrina! and well done the Mini-Stone Kids too. :)
Owen pulled himself up to standing this week for the first time! As his first birthday approaches in a few weeks, I can't help but marvel at my wondrous boy, and how much they told us he might never be able to accomplish because of the stroke! He has a long way to go, but his determination and spirit keep ME going every day...ReplyDelete
- Sarah O.January 18, 2011 at 6:25 AM
My A had major ortho surgery this fall on her femurs and so our mini-stones are seeing her get back to pre-op state with her walking/mobility. She can now stand long enough for me to help her with pulling her pants up/down for toileting which has been huge in our house. Every little bit is a miracle and definately celebrated.ReplyDelete
Congrats to Sabrina!
Momttorney I have dealt with that as well. A pic of my son standing on his own gets a "He'll be walking soon". I can only hope is how I respond but no they don't get it!ReplyDelete
My son can now stand for up to a minute unassisted! We've had him on Methyl B12 and he seems to be babbling more. He also walked without much complaint (he usually hates walking and always complains) the other day at a park and is doing it more and more even indoors! He's also trying to stand up on his own.
It's true -- we miss out on the joy of the small steps when we're so overfocused on the big ones. A couple of mini stones for Ben:ReplyDelete
He signed "good night" to all the people leaving the swimming pool last night.
He is doing some simple language homework his school is sending home to appease me. That includes some writing (he has never been able to write functionally because of his fine motor problems)
When I asked him to write something on the computer that he likes, he immediately wrote "zoo."
Love reading everyone's mile and mini stones! I'm still waiting for my kids to sleep past 6am - hope it happens b4 their teenagers.ReplyDelete
Moe just started pretending to talk on the phone. Not sure if it is pretend play or just imitating his sister, but either way, it's awesome!ReplyDelete
Congrats to everyone else on their achievements. We do tend to appreciate them so much more when they are hard-won.
- AnonymousJanuary 18, 2011 at 2:59 PM
You might like these "inchstones" by JoyMama.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 18, 2011 at 4:28 PM
Okay, I forgot the link:ReplyDelete
(It's because I am old.)
We do understand these milestones. And love them. YAY!ReplyDelete
My almost 2 year old son who has left hemiplegic CP has recently started trying to hold his straw cup with both hands instead of just his right! And he also started turning pages with his left hand - hooray!ReplyDelete


text:
Privatizing Federal Government Assets
By Robert P. Murphy
"The federal government has at least $1.6 trillion in liquid assets."
Most of the debate over the federal government's debt ceiling has taken it for granted that raising the statutory limit is unavoidable, unless the government is willing to engage in savage budget cuts and/or draconian tax hikes. Yet, if the owners of a private-sector operation wanted to stop a downward spiral into debt, one obvious solution would be to sell off assets to ease the transition to profitability.
Although the issue is seldom discussed, the federal government currently owns more than $1.6 trillion of liquid assets. At any time, free-market economists have a general presumption that private owners, relying on the profit-and-loss test, allocate resources to their most valuable uses. Especially given the current budget crisis, now is an excellent time to begin privatizing Uncle Sam's colossal holdings.
In his slender book Bureaucracy,1Ludwig von Mises explained the fundamental difference between private-sector profit management and government-sector bureaucratic management. On the market, a business must operate through exchanges with suppliers and customers. The business must pay for every input and must convince its customers to voluntarily hand over their money for its product or service.
In this arrangement, those businesses thrive that transform inputs into finished goods (and services) that their customers value more than the original inputs. In contrast, those that squander resources—meaning that they transform them into goods and services of lower market value—suffer losses and, if they don't fix the problem, eventually shut down. According to Mises, the profit-and-loss system serves to preserve society's scarce resources and channel them into the most efficient lines of production.
Although political candidates often promise to "run government like a business," doing so is impossible. Governments derive their "revenues" from taxation, which is not individually voluntary. Thus, there is no automatic feedback mechanism by which inefficient government services will be reformed or shut down.
At the same time, in order to protect against gross corruption, political authorities must institute bureaucratic rules for their subordinates. For example, the mayor can't delegate the operation of the fire department to the Fire Chief to nearly the same extent as, say, a CEO can delegate his firm's Malaysian operations to a vice president. This is because the Fire Chief could decide to "save money" by, say, putting out fires only on Tuesdays or by trading in the pumper trucks for motorcycles. If he then gave himself and his buddies pay raises—since the city allocates a certain budget to the fire department out of tax revenues—the public would obviously be outraged. Since the fire department's "revenues" aren't directly tied to the performance of services for paying customers, the mayor and other politicians must establish detailed criteria for a "successful" fire department.
In contrast, the private-sector vice president can be given much more freedom of initiative, with the only goal being, "Make profit for the shareholders." If the vice president of Malaysian operations decides to (say) close retail outlets an hour earlier on weekends, and to give pay raises to increase retention rates of upper management personnel, these decisions aren't necessarily corrupt. If the division is consistently profitable, the shareholders will be satisfied that the vice president made the right decision. In any event, the customers are always free to take their business to a competitor, so they would never become as outraged as they might under the hypothetical fire department scenario.
For additional background information, see Privatization, by Robert W. Poole Jr., Federal Debt, by Robert Eisner, Government Debt and Deficits, by John J. Seater, and Fiscal Sustainability, by Laurence J. Kotlikoff, in the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics.
Economists have offered numerous theories to justify government subsidies or outright enterprises in fields such as vaccinations, retirement funding, schooling, law enforcement, and military defense. These justifications are weaker or stronger depending on the particular area. However, in general, there should be a presumption against government intervention and in favor of a market-determined outcome because of the superior efficiency of management by profit versus bureaucracy.
The preceding analysis shows that the government is currently holding assets that clearly belong in the private sector, regardless of the fiscal situation. The following is a list of some of the major liquid assets held by the government, along with an estimate of their market value.
International reserve assets. As of June 3, 2011, the Treasury reported international reserve assets of $144.2 billion.2 They include gold, securities and deposits denominated in euros and yen, as well as "IMF reserve position" and "Special Drawing Rights" (SDRs). However, this figure is substantially understated, as the Treasury officially values its 261.5 million troy ounces of gold at a price of $42.2222 dollars each. If we priced the Treasury's gold holdings at the current market price of about $1,500 an ounce, then the currency reserve assets have a market value closer to $525 billion.
Other financial assets. According to the Federal Reserve, as of the end of the first quarter in 2011, the federal government held $786 billion in "credit-market instruments" (including $138 billion in agency- and GSE-backed securities, as well as $355 billion in student loans). The government also still held $55.4 billion in corporate equities acquired under the TARP.3
Crude oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). As of late November 2010, the SPR held 726.5 million barrels of crude.4 At this writing, the price is about $95 per barrel; thus, this reserve is worth about $69 billion. However, the oil in the SPR is not equivalent to barrels ready for shipment at the benchmark hub in Cushing, Oklahoma5, but, rather, is buried deep in salt caverns.6 Consequently, the figure should be discounted by (say) 25 percent, so that the government's crude oil stocks can be conservatively appraised at $52 billion.
Offshore oil deposits. According to the government's estimates, the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) contains 59 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable crude oil.7 Much of this huge cache of natural resources is currently off-limits to development, either formally or in practice, because of regulatory barriers to permitting. Although it is difficult to estimate the market value of oil that has not yet been discovered, a study of the impact of expedited offshore oil leasing estimated that the federal government could generate $14.3 billion in average annual royalty revenue from the eighth through thirty-eighth years after approving the projects.8 At a discount rate of five percent, this royalty stream has a present discounted value of $164 billion. Rather than the traditional approach of leasing the oil rights, the government could, instead, sell the bundle of rights upfront for a lump-sum payment, getting much quicker access to the money.
The assets listed thus far have a total estimated value of nearly $1.6 trillion, which is roughly this fiscal year's budget deficit. In other words, if the government could sell the above assets over the course of a year without impairing their (estimated) market value, then it could operate with no spending cuts, no tax hikes, and no additional borrowing by the Treasury. Clearly, there is scope here for asset sales to ease the transition to a permanent budget solution.
The major items listed above are very liquid, and we have fairly precise estimates of the market value of most of them. However, the government also owns hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of real estate and other items. For example, a Reason report quoted Peter Orszag, then the director of the Office of Management and Budget, estimating in 2010 that the federal government owned 14,000 buildings and structures that were "excess" and 55,000 that were "under- or not-utilized."9 The problem with appraising these properties is that the government doesn't even have good documentation on what they are.
A recent Heritage Foundation report details some other areas ripe for privatization:
The federal government currently owns and controls vast assets, including huge swaths of commercial land, especially in the West; power generation facilities; valuable portions of the electromagnetic spectrum; underutilized buildings; and financial assets. Given the federal government's huge debt, it makes sense to sell at least a portion of these assets, especially those that are currently generating revenue below market levels (in which case the sale value would be above the present value of the current income on the assets). Sales of assets would immediately reduce the government's operating deficit and debt, reducing future interest costs.
The Heritage plan includes a program of asset sales totaling approximately $260 billion over 15 years. This includes partial sales of federal properties, real estate, mineral rights, the electromagnetic spectrum, and energy-generation facilities.10
Unfortunately, the plan does not itemize the assets, making it impossible to extract the estimates for the items that are not already included in the compilation above.
In a letter to Congressional leaders in which he urged a quick increase in the debt ceiling, Treasury Secretary Geithner rejected asset sales as a way to ease the budget crunch:
Treasury has been asked whether it would be possible for the Treasury to sell financial assets as a way to avoid or delay congressional action to raise the debt limit. This is not a viable option. To attempt a "fire sale" of financial assets in an effort to buy time for Congress to act would be damaging to financial markets and the economy and would undermine confidence in the United States.
Selling the Nation's gold, for example, would undercut confidence in the United States both here and abroad. A rush to sell other financial assets, such as the remaining financial investments from the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act programs, would impose losses on American taxpayers and risk damaging the value of similar assets held by private investors without generating sufficient revenue to make an appreciable difference in when the debt limit must be raised. Likewise, for both legal and practical reasons, it is not feasible to sell the government's portfolio of student loans.11
Regarding gold, it is not clear how its sale would "undercut confidence in the United States both here and abroad." The dollar has not been linked to gold since 1971, and (at least before the crisis) very few people entertained the idea that the peg would be re-established anytime soon. If it were part of a plan to avoid increasing the debt limit (while maintaining interest payments on existing debt), a sell-off of its gold holdings might actually reassure investors that the U.S. government was finally getting serious about its finances.
Geithner's other main objection—that a "fire sale" would be costly for the taxpayer—is more plausible. Basic economics suggests that when an item is dumped on the market, its price drops. Wouldn't a large-scale liquidation of the government's assets, therefore, be self-defeating?
There is undoubtedly some truth in this view, but in the present circumstances, there are offsetting factors. For example, if the government began selling large quantities of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, those barrels would not necessarily be channeled into refineries. Instead, the government could simply transfer ownership of the inventory, so that the "supply" of oil on the spot market wouldn't change.
For more on the interaction between spot and futures pricing in the decision to sell oil, see "Oil Prices," by Robert P. Murphy, April 7, 2008, Library of Economics and Liberty.
More interesting, Steven Landsburg pointed out that even if sales from the SPR did enter the spot market, they wouldn't have the full effect one might have originally supposed.12 This is because other producers, such as Saudi Arabia, could reduce current output to transfer more of their sales into the future (after the spurt from the SPR had subsided), where the spot price would likely be higher. In this scenario, regardless of the specific individuals buying the oil released from the SPR, the government would have effectively transferred its stockpile in salt caverns over to Saudi Arabian inventory buried in the ground, which the Saudis would have "paid for" by lower current revenues.13
More generally, the U.S. government is going to raise cash from the private sector one way or another. That is, the government is planning to spend much more over the next few years than it will collect in tax receipts and other revenues. Secretary Geithner's solution is to issue more bonds from the Treasury in order to raise the cash to finance the deficit. Yet, rather than hand private capitalists IOUs in order to induce them to lend their cash, another approach is to hand private capitalists equity in crude oil, gold, real estate, and other assets currently owned by the government.
If we assume for the moment that the government's future spending decisions are set in stone, then its decision to sell, say, $500 billion in assets this year would translate exactly into a $500 billion smaller public debt. This, in turn, would mean that investors effectively received a $500 billion tax cut, as their future tax burdens would be that much lower (because they would be financing a smaller government debt). This reasoning doesn't guarantee that prices for the particular assets would stay constant—after all, investors might not want to spend their windfall $500 billion by purchasing electromagnetic spectrum or D.C. office space—but it reinforces the earlier idea that the government has different methods of financing its cashflow deficits: It can either issue more liabilities or reduce its existing assets.
Finally, even if it were true that dumping the mortgage-backed securities and other financial assets would crash prices and thereby cause harm in the private sector, then Geithner is admitting that the government is currently keeping the prices for these items at artificial, above-market levels. Prices mean something in a market economy. The government doesn't raise living standards per capita by using tax dollars to prop up particular asset prices.
For an alternative scenario, see "Why Default on U.S. Treasuries is Likely," by Jeffrey Rogers Hummel, August 3, 2009, Library of Economics and Liberty.
The federal government has at least $1.6 trillion in liquid assets. An aggressive program to sell a large portion of these holdings over the next few years, coupled with equally aggressive spending cuts, would allow the government to honor its existing interest payments without raising taxes or going deeper into debt. Even putting aside the current budget crisis, many economists would argue that the federal government really has no business owning hundreds of billions of dollars of corporate securities, crude oil, and real estate. These assets should be transferred back into the private sector, where they will be more efficiently channeled into productive uses.
Ludwig von Mises, Bureaucracy (1944).
See the Treasury's entry on "U.S. International Reserve Position," June 3, 2011.
See the Federal Reserve's Z.1 release, June 9, 2011, section L.106 Federal Government. PDF file.
See the Department of Energy's inventory report of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
See the Energy Information Administration's entry on "Strategic Petroleum Reserve: Sites."
EIA, "Impacts of Increased Access to Oil and Natural Gas Resources in the Lower 48 Federal Outer Continental Shelf," Annual Energy Outlook, 2009.
Joseph R. Mason, "The Economic Contribution of Increased Offshore Oil Exploration and Production to Regional and National Economics," February 2009, American Energy Alliance.
Anthony Randazzo and John Palatiello, "Knowing What You Own: An Efficient Government How-To Guide for Managing
Federal Property Inventories,"Reason, June 29, 2010. PDF file.
Stuart M. Butler, Alison Acosta Fraser, and William W. Beach (eds.). "Saving the American Dream," The Heritage Foundation, page 33. PDF file.
See the Treasury's archive of "Secretary Geithner Sends Debt Limit Letter to Congress," April 4, 2011.
Steve Landsburg, "Strategic Reasoning," March 21, 2011.
As the original draft of this article was being prepared for publication, on June 23 President Obama and other world leaders agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their strategic petroleum reserves, with 30 million barrels coming from the U.S, at the rate of 2 million barrels per day. See Obama's desperate SPR oil play, CNN Money. The market price of oil dropped more than four percent on the day of the announcement. If the price of oil were based solely on its production rate rather than the stock of oil, the United States could sell its entire holding in the SPR over the course of a year—726.5 million barrels divided by an extra 2 million bbs/day on the market—while depressing the price of oil by only four percent. To the extent that prices are based less on the production rate of oil and more on the total stock of oil, then the considerations in the text above become relevant: in that case, which is the likely case, we would expect changes in the SPR inventory made for fiscal reasons to be largely offset by private speculators accumulating inventory, and by other producers reducing current output.


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PEOPLE reports today that Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden are super serious and there might be a wedding. A source tells the magazine:
"It's early, but they have talked about marriage."
Also, he's practically living at her place. And, as we've seen, they've looked really happy, happier than she's been in years, so says the "insider".
You know, it's not the best couple from a gossip intrigue perspective but…maybe that's why it might work? This is not a relationship that's the main cover of a tabloid. Cam and Benji might get a corner, but probably not even the top corner. I'd say a middle inset is where they live. And that's OK. That's not negative. For them, it's actually quite a benefit.
Cam was in Mexico City yesterday to promote Sex Tape. And Benji was back in LA.


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NPS Announces Safety Improvements To Capital Crescent Entrance
Read below for a press release from the National Park Service concerning safety improvements on the Water Street entrance to the Capital Crescent Trail. — C&O Canal National Historical Park News Release Release Date: June 18, 2013 For Immediate Release John Noel, Public Information Officer, (301) 491-6422 Visitor Safety Improvements along Capital Crescent Trail DC – Capital Crescent Trail (CCT) hikers and bicyclists should anticipate construction on June 20th, 2013, as the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park makes improvements to the Water Street entrance following increasing concerns for public and visitor safety. An increasing number of cars are parking along the trail and landscaped area upstream of the Alexandria Aqueduct, leading to an increasing number of vehicles reported driving on the CCT in search of I-495 Beltway or Dulles Airport. "In recent months we have become concerned for the safety of Capital Crescent Trail visitors at the end of the trail on Water Street in Georgetown as one serious injury and an increasing number of near-miss accidents between bicyclists and cars have been reported," confirmed Park Superintendent Kevin Brandt, "Before another serious injury occurs we will take actions to minimize the risk posed to park visitors using the trail for recreation." Plans to enhance visitor safety and improve the aesthetics of this historic area include filling in all ruts and depressions in the drive-through arch of the Alexandria Aqueduct to create a smooth and level surface. Installation of a bicycle-friendly gate at the Georgetown side of the aqueduct will prevent vehicles from driving upstream and replace the single bollard located 200 feet upstream that had previously served this purpose but that was knocked over frequently by errant cars. Signage and striping to warn visitors as they approach the gate and direct them towards the 5 ½ feet-wide opening will be installed. Additional signs will be posted that alert visitors to the fact that they are leaving a non-motorized trail and entering a public road. The grassy landscape that used to exist in this area will be restored upon project completion. Two weeks ago DC Water turned on the odor control scrubbers which will remove the smell emanating from the eight-foot-diameter Dulles Interceptor sewer line that is buried a few feet below the area where cars park upstream of the Alexandria Aqueduct, making this area much more conducive to visitor enjoyment of the Potomac River waterfront. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is interested in your ideas and suggestions for improvements to the Capital Crescent Trail and in particular the Water Street entrance. To submit suggestions or report problems or other maintenance requirements please email John Adams, Safety Officer & Acting Chief of Maintenance, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park at email@example.com. Photo by Flickr user Daquella manera