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Blue Graphite
Trig by Vans
The Cancun Trig is a low top, lace-up silhouette engineered using innovative construction methods to improve comfort, increase flexibility, and reduce overall weight. Featuring soft suede and textile uppers with the iconic Vans sidestripe, the Trig also utilizes an ActionFit last shape for more heel cushioning and UltraCush Lite sockliners inside the new single-wrapped Vulc Lite outsoles.
- - Blue graphite colourway
Style number 1774333711
- UK Standard Delivery: £3.50 or FREE on full price items. Delivery within 3-5 working days.
- Next Day UK Delivery: £5.00. Order up to 9pm* Mon - Thurs
- Same Day: £7.00. Order by 1pm Mon - Fri*
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- Sunday Delivery: £7.00. Order by 5pm Friday*
- Click & Collect: FREE and available within 3 working days to any of our UK and Irish OFFICE / OFFSPRING stores
- CollectPlus£3.50 or FREE on full price items delivery in 2-3 working days to any CollectPlus location
- International Delivery: Cost dependant on country. International Standard Delivery within 2-10 working days. International Express Delivery within 2-5 working days.
* Click here for full delivery details
Not happy with a purchase? No problem. You can return to our warehouse, via Collect+ or to one of our UK stores within 28 days of purchase.
Footwear should be unworn and in its original packaging. Your refund will then be processed back to your original method of payment.Click here for more information on returns.
Click here for full delivery times and cost
|Delivery Options
|Cut off time
|Delivery Times
|Delivery Options, Cost, Cut Off Time & Delivery Times
|Standard Delivery UK & NI YODEL
|£3.50 or FREE on full price products**
|Delivery between 8am-8pm, Mon-Fri
|Standard Delivery UK & NI
Delivery between 8am-8pm, Mon-Fri £3.50
|Next Working Day UK & NI PARCELFORCE
|Order up to 9PM*
|Delivery between 8am-8pm, Mon-Fri
|Next Working Day UK & NI
Order up to 5pm*
Delivery between 8am-8pm, Mon-Fri £5.00
|Same Day (E-Courier)
|Order by 1pm Monday to Friday
|Delivery between 6pm - 10pm, Mon-Fri
|Same Day (E-Courier)
Order by 1pm Monday to Friday
Delivery between 6pm-10pm, Mon-Fri £7.00
|Saturday & Sunday UK & NI PARCELFORCE
|Order by 5PM Friday*
|Delivery between 8am-8pm, Sat & Sun
|Saturday & Sunday UK & NI
Order up to 5pm*
Delivery between 8am-8pm, Sat & Sun £6.00, £7.00
|Click & Collect Delivery to store
|Available within 3 Working Days*
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Delivery to store
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International Standard & International Express DPD
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Delivery between 2-10 Working Days*
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**FREE delivery not applicable on sale items and excludes selected shoe laces & shoe care


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Across the globe our people give their time to hold fundraisers and support specific CSR activities for great causes. All the charities and organisations we support are chosen by our people and the wonderful activities coordinated and encouraged locally by our community teams.
As well as local events and initiatives, we hold global days and activities to make the most of our global strength and diversity. Thanks to our team's energy, enthusiasm and generosity, there's always something good happening.
We've donned our trainers and t-shirts for Run for the Kids, organised a Red Cross blood donation drive, relaxed our casual dress code even further on the Reach for a Dream Slipper Day, and donated 11 libraries through the Seeds of Africa Foundation - just some of the initiatives we've undertaken as part of our CSR community programme.
Our community team in South Africa have adopted the Healing Word creche in the Zandspruit Informal Settlement and have been working hard to brighten it up (with a little help from the locals!)
To hear more about our CSR and community work, please get in touch.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Pleasant Memories From Robbers' RoostPosted in Events on June 5, 2014
Winters are hard on the Lone Writer, and the 2013 season came in like a buffalo stampede, dropping temperatures to below zero before the turkey dinner was thawed in November. There were nice days now and then, but every place Lone Writer loves to go was buried in snow and ice long before it should have been. There was nothing to do but turn up the fire and wait for spring thaw.
To pass the time, he began scanning through photos from his October trip to Utah. It was one of those spur-of-the-moment trips that required no planning and had no particular destination. Nissan had just delivered an Xterra Pro-4X that seemed to be begging to go somewhere like a puppy sitting at your feet with a leash in its mouth. Lone Writer pointed the Pro-4X west on I-70 with the idea of going somewhere warmer than Denver. The laptop was plugged into the radio playing an eBook titled Atlas Shrugged through the stereo speakers. (Note: The eBook is better than the movie.)
By the end of the day, the Pro-4X was parked in warmer temperatures near Hanksville, Utah. After moving a few things around inside, the Lone Writer created a sleeping area in the back using exercise mats and a lawn chair cushion. The next morning, he reached out of the sleeping bag and started the engine to warm up the car.
One great place to burn off a little cabin fever is driving around on Robbers' Roost. Getting there from Hanksville can be done in a lot of different ways. Lone Writer chose the one off Highway 24, a short distance north of the Dirty Devil River Bridge. It avoids the main access, meandering in and out of one wash after another and across the desert on seldom-used roads. The Henry Mountains provide a beautiful backdrop for photos taken along the way.
When outlaws ruled the Roost, lawmen feared to enter that area from any direction. Rumors and stories described bands of desperados roaming freely and having no tolerance for anyone who had not been invited. One story tells of a lawman who got too close and found himself surrounded by members of the Wild Bunch. They started by taunting him to see if he would foolishly go for his gun. When he refused to fall into that trap, the bandits took his water, gun, horse, and boots and fired at his feet until he took off running back in the direction he came from.
By the end of the day, the lawman was in real trouble. The desert sun had sapped all his strength. He was dehydrated and his feet were torn and bloody. He felt dizzy, and his vision was blurred, but in the distance, he saw a shadow riding his way. At that point, he would welcome a bullet to end it all. The rider stopped a few yards away and looked at him. "Lawmen ain't welcome here. You learned your lesson yet?"
The lawman didn't answer. The rider tossed him a canteen of water and his boots, then turned and rode off at a leisurely pace. His gun and horse were not returned. Class was dismissed and the lesson was learned.
A rancher named Jack Cottrell built the first known cabin on Robbers' Roost. He was not wanted by the law, but that may have been because he was cagey enough to not be identified anywhere. He raised a family at the cabin and was on a first-name basis with everyone who rode with the Wild Bunch. The only thing left of his cabin today is a lone chimney surrounded by sage.
A short distance from the cabin is a small cave with a natural spring coming from its walls. The place is called Silver Spring, and is probably named after an outlaw named Silver Tip. The story frequently associated with Silver Spring: Silver Tip, Indian Ed Newcomb, and Blue John were on the run from a posse. Lawmen stayed away from the Robbers' Roost, so they felt safe when they bedded down in the cave. However, when morning came; the first bandit to step out felt bullets buzzing past his head. He ducked back into the cave. One of the three outlaws was small enough to squeeze through the crack in the roof of the cave and got above the lawmen. When the lawmen found themselves under fire, they raced back to Green River with stories of a hundred outlaws hot on their trail.
The water at Robbers' Roost Spring always had a bitter taste, but the flow was steady and plentiful. In desert county, anyone not familiar with the location of springs like Silver Spring and Robbers' Roost Spring were in danger of becoming coyote food.
The livestock was watered at Robbers' Roost Spring and the outlaws saved the better-tasting Silver Spring water for themselves. In the early 1900s, the Biddlecomb family moved onto the Roost. They installed a pipe at the spring and set it up for easier livestock access. One family member named Pearl Biddlecomb has written books about her life on the Roost with stories about the outlaws told to her by some of those who knew them.
The outlaws are gone from Robbers' Roost, but ranchers are still there. They can frequently be seen chasing some lonely cow into the sunset. By the time this story is published, springtime will be raising the temperatures on the Roost, and those of you with cabin fever will be looking in that direction. Maybe we'll see you there.
|Latitude North
|Longitude West
|The Robbers' Roost access road branches off Highway 24 at this point.
|Jack Cottrell cabin.
|Silver Tip Spring
|Robbers' Roost Spring
Larry E. Heck has been writing stories about fun, scenic, and historic places to go in a 4x4 since 1985. Check www.Outlaw-Trail.com for the latest information about the Outlaw Trail Project 2014. Create a login account and receive a gift certificate for a free eBook.


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Higher Education Courses
All Higher Education students who wish to join BIMM will need to submit an application through UCAS using the appropriate UCAS Code which can be found on the course or Fees and Scholarship pages of this website or in a copy of the BIMM Birmingham Prospectus.
Once your application has been received we'll either invite you in for an audition and assessment or, if you clearly meet the entry criteria for the course you have selected, we'll offer you a place.
When applying for a BIMM Birmingham course through UCAS you'll need to enter our Institution Code – B39, and the Birmingham Campus Code – J.
Performance-Based Courses: Guitar, Bass, Drums, Vocals and Songwriting
If you're applying to one of our performance-based courses and are a UK-based student, we'll expect you to attend BIMM for an audition and assessment. If you wish to visit us and be assessed before you submit your UCAS application, this can be arranged by either contacting our Admissions Team directly on 01273 626 666, emailing email@example.com or filling in the 'Apply Today' form.
Music Business Courses
For courses which don't involve a practical performance element we'll generally be able to make you an offer based on your UCAS application. We'll take into consideration your existing or expected qualifications and the strength of your personal statement and reference.
Music Production Courses
For all Music Production courses you should also apply through UCAS. You'll be required to submit a digital portfolio, and information on how to upload this is can be found here.
Personal Statement
A personal statement must be included with your UCAS application. There's a video guide to writing a personal statement on the UCAS website. Using a maximum of 4,000 characters, please write your statement as a Word document so that you can check your spelling and grammar and then simply copy and paste it into the Personal Statement section on your UCAS application. Please use paragraphs in your statement as this makes it clearer to read, and we advise that you keep a copy for future reference.
Our Admissions Team is available to help with any queries you may have about applying to BIMM.
Please don't hesitate to contact us by calling 01273 626 666, emailing email@example.com or filling in the 'Apply Today' website form.
We've put together some handy guides to help you with your application, view BIMM's UCAS Application Guides here.


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Old West meets Old Faithful in the land of luxurious mud baths, splurge-worthy resorts, and eclectic restaurants.
At the top of the Valley, the spa town of Calistoga is part Old West, part Old Faithful, with wooden storefronts and hitching posts once used for horses flanking cottage bed-and-breakfasts, restaurants, and saloons. The main attraction, of course: some 13 spas that harness the area's geothermal hot springs and volcanic ash to create the town's famous mud baths. (707) 942-6333, calistogavisitors.com. Area code is 707 except as noted.
to do
Sam Brannan was California's first millionaire, and his 1860s resort cottage is part of the fascinating ephemera at the Sharpsteen Museum of Calistoga History, built by Disney animator Ben Sharpsteen, who retired here. Other highlights include a 30-foot-long diorama of Brannan's original 1868 Hot Springs (which he famously mispronounced as the "Calistoga of Sarafornia") and a display of Wappo Indian artifacts. 131 Washington St., 942-5911, sharpsteen-museum.org. With Calistoga finally claiming its own AVA (American Viticultural Area) in 2009, there's no better time to visit Chateau Montelena Winery, whose master winemaker, Bo Barrett, was one of the forces behind the new designation, and whose storied winery put California on the map at the notorious Judgment of Paris in 1976. Barrett still holds court at the 1886 stone castle, where you can taste the famed chardonnay and wander through a Chinese garden. 1429 Tubbs Ln., 942-5105, montelena.com. Every 30 minutes, superheated steam and scalding water shoots 60 feet into the air from the Old Faithful Geyser of California, one of only three geysers in the world that lays claim to an "old faithful" title. Between eruptions, visit the resident fainting goats, four-horn sheep, and guard llamas. 1299 Tubbs Ln., 942-6463, oldfaithfulgeyser.com.
Stop in at Yo el Rey Roasting microroastery for impeccably brewed Ethiopian Yrgacheffe fair-trade organic coffee, along with morning pastries, underground art, and free Wi-Fi. 1217 Washington St., 942-1180, yoelrey.com. JoLe's creative farm-to-table cuisine runs from lamb poutine with chickpea fries to duck confit cassoulet with huckleberry coulis. For a treat to die for, buy the (whole) farm with well-priced four-, five-, and six-course tasting menus. 1457 Lincoln Ave., 942-5938, jolerestaurant.com. A chummy daytime family atmosphere gives way to live music and late-night cocktails at the boisterous, brick-walled Hydro Grill, voted Calistoga's best burger in a recent blind tasting. 1403 Lincoln Ave., 942-9777.
It's a big splurge in one of the splurgiest regions in California, but the 48 woody-chic two-room lodges at Calistoga Ranch are worth considering, especially in the off-season when creek-side lodging with private deck, hot tub, fireplace, and outdoor rainfall shower cost only an arm and a foot. Must-dos include breakfast at the canyon-top Lakehouse restaurant, margaritas poolside, and a hike on the Valley View Trail for a spectacular scenic overlook. 580 Lommel Rd., 254-2800, calistogaranch.com. Spread across 16 acres of Sam Brannan's original resort, Indian Springs Resort and Spa is a true Calistoga experience, featuring tidy 1940s duplex cottages with front porches, and wicker chairs. Guests spend most days luxuriating in the mud baths or the geothermal mineral pool (open until midnight), fueled by the resort's four steaming 230-degree geysers. 1712 Lincoln Ave., 942-4913, indianspringscalistoga.com. Cozy and affordable, EuroSpa & Inn features cute cottage-style rooms with front porches, gas fireplaces, and whirlpool tubs, just off Lincoln Ave. 1202 Pine St., 942-6829, eurospa.com.
Photography courtesy Calistoga Ranch
Check out the rest of our Napa Valley package: Napa: budget restaurants and a bustling new riverside
Oakville: take a deep dive into wine culture
Rutherford: acclaimed wineries and exceptional natural attractions
St. Helena: upscale yet folksy Main Street
Yountville: the Valley's fine-dining capital
This article was first published in April 2011. Some facts may have aged gracelessly. Please call ahead to verify information.


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A city break packed with culture? Book flights to Aalborg and visit the Jens Bangs Stenhus or the Vor Frue Kirke in the historic city centre. Take the lift down to the underground Franciscan Monastery Museum where admission is determined by the visitor's weight. Or visit Lindholm Høje, located on the other side of the Limfjord, the channel along which Aalborg is situated. The unique graves date back to the Iron Age and the days of the Vikings.
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A few months ago, there was a good-looking recipe for Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Pomegranate Syrup in Bon Appetit magazine.
But I was pretty sure I could make it better.
My first change was to ditch the graham cracker crust, and instead use mashed-up chocolate shortbread cookies. Then, I figured, why not go whole hog and add a layer of melted chocolate between the crust and cheesecake? So basically, the crust is a layer of these Million Dollar Shortbread Bars. Like for the bars, I used Walkers shortbread since I had a bunch of samples.
As for the pomegranate? Well, I'll tell you the truth. I didn't feel like going to the store for a pomegranate, plus, they're kind of expensive and messy. And would it really taste good with the chocolate?
Basically, pomegranate amounted to "too hard". So I opted for toasted almonds on top, instead. And you know what? It tasted fantastic. Zingy and tangy thanks to the yogurt-cream cheese topping, it was mellowed by the dark, rich chocolatey crust, making for an unusual but quite nice flavor complement. Aforementioned crust, along with the toasty nuts on top, gave it a nice crunch. The only tough part was that the chocolate layer on top of the crust made cutting difficult, since the dessert must be chilled. So there may be a little hacking involved to ensure a prompt delivery of this dessert to your mouth.
I'm going to call this one a success. A little goes a long way with the powerful flavors of the dessert--a small slice will do. I think this makes it a perfect post dinner party dessert, for when people are fairly full but still want a decadent bite or four.
So while I really took some liberties with the recipe, I still thank Bon Appetit for planting the idea seedling in my mind for this delicious treat.
Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Chocolate Shortbread Crust
- 1 batch Million Dollar Shortbread Bars, prepared in a 9-inch springform pan and cooled
- 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
- 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Special Equipment
- A 9-inch-diameter springform pan
- Prepare crust. Let set until cool.
- Once you're ready to make the filling, place gelatin and 1 1/2 tablespoon cold water in a heatproof bowl. Let stand until softened, 5-10 minutes.
- Pulse cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt in a food processor, scraping down sides as needed, until completely smooth.
- Pour water to a depth of 1/2-inch into a small skillet over medium heat. Place bowl with gelatin in skillet; stir until gelatin dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from skillet.
- With processor running, drizzle gelatin into cream cheese mixture; mix until well blended. Pour into prepared crust. Tap pan firmly on the counter to break up any big air bubbles. Smooth top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 6 hours before serving.
- When ready to serve, toast almonds in 350 degree oven until fragrant. Let cool, and sprinkle on top of the cheesecake before serving.


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29 U.S. Code § 2939 - Administrative provisions
prev | next
(a) In general
The Secretary may, in accordance with chapter 5 of title 5, prescribe rules and regulations to carry out this chapter only to the extent necessary to administer and ensure compliance with the requirements of this chapter. Such rules and regulations may include provisions making adjustments authorized by section 6504 of title 31. All such rules and regulations shall be published in the Federal Register at least 30 days prior to their effective dates. Copies of each such rule or regulation shall be transmitted to the appropriate committees of Congress on the date of such publication and shall contain, with respect to each material provision of such rule or regulation, a citation to the particular substantive section of law that is the basis for the provision.
(b) Acquisition of certain property and services
The Secretary is authorized, in carrying out this chapter, to accept, purchase, or lease in the name of the Department of Labor, and employ or dispose of in furtherance of the purposes of this chapter, any money or property, real, personal, or mixed, tangible or intangible, received by gift, devise, bequest, or otherwise, and to accept voluntary and uncompensated services notwithstanding the provisions of section 1342 of title 31.
(c) Authority to enter into certain agreements and to make certain expenditures
The Secretary may make such grants, enter into such contracts or agreements, establish such procedures, and make such payments, in installments and in advance or by way of reimbursement, or otherwise allocate or expend such funds under this chapter, as may be necessary to carry out this chapter, including making expenditures for construction, repairs, and capital improvements, and including making necessary adjustments in payments on account of over-payments or underpayments.
(d) Annual report
The Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress an annual report regarding the programs and activities carried out under this chapter. The Secretary shall include in such report—
(1) a summary of the achievements, failures, and problems of the programs and activities in meeting the objectives of this chapter;
(2) a summary of major findings from research, evaluations, pilot projects, and experiments conducted under this chapter in the fiscal year prior to the submission of the report;
(3) recommendations for modifications in the programs and activities based on analysis of such findings; and
(e) Utilization of services and facilities
The Secretary is authorized, in carrying out this chapter, under the same procedures as are applicable under subsection (c) of this section or to the extent permitted by law other than this chapter, to accept and use the services and facilities of departments, agencies, and establishments of the United States. The Secretary is also authorized, in carrying out this chapter, to accept and use the services and facilities of the agencies of any State or political subdivision of a State, with the consent of the State or political subdivision.
(f) Obligational authority
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the Secretary shall have no authority to enter into contracts, grant agreements, or other financial assistance agreements under this chapter except to such extent and in such amounts as are provided in advance in appropriations Acts.
(g) Program year
(1) In general
(A) Program year
Except as provided in subparagraph (B) and section 2918a of this title, appropriations for any fiscal year for programs and activities carried out under this chapter shall be available for obligation only on the basis of a program year. The program year shall begin on July 1 in the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made.
(2) Availability
Funds obligated for any program year for a program or activity carried out under this chapter may be expended by each State receiving such funds during that program year and the 2 succeeding program years. Funds obligated for any program year for a program or activity carried out under section 2916 or 2917 of this title shall remain available until expended. Funds received by local areas from States under this chapter during a program year may be expended during that program year and the succeeding program year. No amount of the funds described in this paragraph shall be deobligated on account of a rate of expenditure that is consistent with a State plan, an operating plan described in section 2891 of this title, or a plan, grant agreement, contract, application, or other agreement described in subchapter IV, as appropriate.
(h) Enforcement of Military Selective Service Act
The Secretary shall ensure that each individual participating in any program or activity established under this chapter, or receiving any assistance or benefit under this chapter, has not violated section 3 of the Military Selective Service Act (50 App. U.S.C. 453) by not presenting and submitting to registration as required pursuant to such section. The Director of the Selective Service System shall cooperate with the Secretary to enable the Secretary to carry out this subsection.
(i) Waivers and special rules
(1) Existing waivers
With respect to a State that has been granted a waiver under the provisions relating to training and employment services of the Department of Labor in title I of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998 (Public Law 105–78; 111 Stat. 1467), the authority provided under such waiver shall continue in effect and apply, and include a waiver of the related provisions of subchapter II of this chapter and this subchapter, for the duration of the initial waiver.
(2) Special rule regarding designated areas
A State that has enacted, not later than December 31, 1997, a State law providing for the designation of service delivery areas for the delivery of workforce investment activities, may use such areas as local areas under this chapter, notwithstanding section 2831 of this title.
(3) Special rule regarding sanctions
A State that enacts, not later than December 31, 1997, a State law providing for the sanctioning of such service delivery areas for failure to meet performance measures for workforce investment activities, may use the State law to sanction local areas for failure to meet State performance measures under this chapter.
(4) General waivers of statutory or regulatory requirements
(A) General authority
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may waive for a State, or a local area in a State, pursuant to a request submitted by the Governor of the State (in consultation with appropriate local elected officials) that meets the requirements of subparagraph (B)—
(i) any of the statutory or regulatory requirements of subchapter II of this chapter or this subchapter (except for requirements relating to wage and labor standards, including nondisplacement protections, worker rights, participation and protection of workers and participants, grievance procedures and judicial review, nondiscrimination, allocation of funds to local areas, eligibility of providers or participants, the establishment and functions of local areas and local boards, and procedures for review and approval of plans); and
(ii) any of the statutory or regulatory requirements of sections 49g through 49i of this title (excluding requirements relating to the provision of services to unemployment insurance claimants and veterans, and requirements relating to universal access to basic labor exchange services without cost to jobseekers).
(B) Requests
A Governor requesting a waiver under subparagraph (A) shall submit a plan to the Secretary to improve the statewide workforce investment system that—
(i) identifies the statutory or regulatory requirements that are requested to be waived and the goals that the State or local area in the State, as appropriate, intends to achieve as a result of the waiver;
(ii) describes the actions that the State or local area, as appropriate, has undertaken to remove State or local statutory or regulatory barriers;
(iii) describes the goals of the waiver and the expected programmatic outcomes if the request is granted;
(C) Conditions
Not later than 90 days after the date of the original submission of a request for a waiver under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall provide a waiver under this paragraph if and only to the extent that—
(i) the Secretary determines that the requirements requested to be waived impede the ability of the State or local area, as appropriate, to implement the plan described in subparagraph (B); and
Source(Pub. L. 105–220, title I, § 189,Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1051; Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 101(f) [title VIII, § 401(13)], Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–337, 2681–411; Pub. L. 109–281, § 2(c),Sept. 22, 2006, 120 Stat. 1181.)
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a) to (c), (d)(1), (2), (e), (f), (g)(1)(A), (2), (h), and (i)(2), (3), was in the original "this title" meaning title I of Pub. L. 105–220, Aug. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 939, which enacted this chapter, repealed sections 1501 to 1505, 1511 to 1583, 1592 to 1735, 1737 to 1791h, 1792 to 1792b, 2301 to 2314 of this title, section 211 of former Title 40, Appendix, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, sections 11421, 11441 to 11447, 11449, 11450, 11461 to 11466, 11471, and 11472 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, and sections 42101 to 42106 of Title 49, Transportation, enacted provisions set out as notes under sections 1501, 2301, and 2940 of this title and section 11421 of Title 42, and repealed provisions set out as notes under sections 801 and 2301 of this title and section 1255a of Title 8, Aliens and Nationality. For complete classification of title I to the Code, see Tables.
Title I of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998, referred to in subsec. (i)(1), is title I of Pub. L. 105–78, Nov. 13, 1997, 111 Stat. 1467.
In subsec. (a), "section 6504 of title 31" substituted for "section 204 of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968" on authority of Pub. L. 97–258, § 4(b),Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1067, the first section of which enacted Title 31, Money and Finance.
Prior Provisions
Provisions similar to this section were contained in sections 1504, 1571, and 1579 to 1581 of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 105–220.
2006—Subsec. (g)(1)(A). Pub. L. 109–281inserted "and section 2918a of this title" after "Except as provided in subparagraph (B)".
1998—Subsec. (i)(1). Pub. L. 105–277substituted "1998 (Public Law 105–78; 111 Stat. 1467)" for "1997 (Public Law 104–208; 110 Stat. 3009–234)". The substitution was made to reflect the probable intent of Congress, in the absence of closing quotation marks designating the provisions to be inserted.
Effective Date of 2006 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 109–281effective Sept. 22, 2006, see section 2(f) ofPub. L. 109–281, set out as a note under section 1701u of Title 12, Banks and Banking.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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I just watched Blood Brothers for the 5th time, a local Hebrew production by the Beit Zvi Academy of Performing Arts and the Library Theatre, performing at the Tel-Aviv's Beit-Hachayal Theatre.
The actors were recent graduates of the academy and the performance was superb.
High point: Hila Maaravi as the mother
Low point: Ido Rosenberg's over the top choreography, Michal Muchtar's childish voice
Playwright: Willy Russell
Translator: Ehud Manor
Director: Arthur Kogan
Mrs Johnstone: Hila Maaravi
Mickey: Gilad Shmueli
Eddie: Ido Rosenberg
Linda: Michal Muchtar
Narrator: Ofir Zemach


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Renewable Energy on Vermont Dairy Farms — Challenges and Opportunities
A version of this article first appeared in the Sunday July 21 edition of the Rutland Herald /Times Argus.
Helping farms and Vermont businesses thrive while cleaning up the environment is a win all around.
Conservation Law Foundation is pleased to serve on the Executive Committee to help Vermont's homegrown Green Mountain Power Cow Power program to pave the way for cleaner air, happier farm neighbors and more successful Vermont businesses.
The program works by turning farm manure into electricity. The average cow produces more than 30 gallons of manure a day. Multiply that amount by 1,000 — the numbers of cows on a typical Cow Power farm — and you have a lot of cow manure. That means there is also a lot of methane, which can be used to create electricity.
Here is how it works. The manure is placed in a digester at the farm that converts the waste into methane gas. The gas fuels an engine that runs an electric generator.
Gases that would otherwise create a nuisance and release harmful and very potent greenhouse gases are instead captured to produce electricity.
Farms have an additional revenue source, and the rest of us have cleaner air and renewable power.
Currently GMP Cow Power farms are producing electricity for nearly 3,000 Vermont homes and businesses. With the expansion of GMP Cow Power so that it is now available to any GMP customer, there are opportunities to grow the program even further. Customers can sign up and make a voluntary 4-cent-per-kilowatt-hour payment on all or a portion of their electric bill. The contribution goes directly to support Cow Power projects to reduce pollution and produce 100 percent renewable power that gets used in Vermont.
Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases. Its global warming impact over a 20-year horizon is nearly 75 times more potent than carbon dioxide because methane traps radiation much more effectively. But instead of simply being released into the air, farm methane can be used to produce electricity. This reduces pollution and makes the farm methane projects some of the best fighters of climate change.
These projects don't just create renewable energy; they effectively capture some of the most potent global warming gasses.
Twelve GMP Cow Power farms remove the equivalent of over 40,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year, in addition to replacing 6,800 tons of carbon from other electric sources. This is equivalent to removing more than 9,000 cars from the highway each year that would have burned 5.3 million gallons of gasoline. These are big numbers — and the biggest benefit comes from removing methane.
Removing farm-generated methane is great but it comes with some real challenges. The first is financial. The equipment is expensive and requires steadfast maintenance to operate smoothly. It is not like a refrigerator you plug in and forget about, and is mostly economically viable only for our larger farms at this stage of technological development.
To be a real success, we need to make this work for smaller farms as well. A few smaller-scale applications are underway that look promising. For instance, some simpler digesters are used in other parts of the world. The ingenuity of Vermont's farmers and engineers will undoubtedly yield a product that works well on smaller farms within the next decade, but we don't have it yet.
One way to improve the economics is to find a way to value and pay for the many real benefits of farm methane projects. They are counted now as renewable power, but offer additional advantages as well. One approach would involve credits or payments that recognize their value in reducing methane pollution. That could make it economically feasible to operate smaller-scale projects, or even applications that use digesters alone, without producing electricity.
Another opportunity – and challenge – is expanding the materials used in the digester. Some farms now use additional organic waste in their digesters, such as waste from ice cream manufacturing or fish production. Currently only pre-consumer waste can be used on farms, and off-farm substances cannot make up more than 49 percent of the total digested waste.
New opportunities arise as Vermont moves to expand digesting for managing solid waste. Some organic wastes are very good fuel for digesters and can produce more methane per pound than manure, but the challenge is to make sure the waste is handled well from beginning to end. After digestion is complete and electricity is made, waste and nutrients still remain. We must be careful not to import or spread more nutrients than our land is capable of absorbing on our farm fields. Lake Champlain is already suffering from excess nutrients, and digesting our waste should not be allowed to make this problem worse.
Another new possibility includes expanding how the "products" made with farm digesters are used. Currently farms use the heat produced from the digesters to keep the digester warm. But this heat could also be used to support greenhouses or a new district heating project, among other possibilities. The challenge is to be as resourceful as possible and, like our farms, use as much of the output as possible. This will expand the reduce, reuse and recycle practice even further by adding "upcycling" — converting waste materials into products of better quality or with greater environmental value — while providing an additional revenue source.
Cow Power presents real, exciting opportunities and challenges. The leadership and innovation Vermont's farms, businesses, utilities and customers have already shown are poised to take these efforts even further. If you are a GMP customer, your participation in GMP Cow Power and your 4 cents per kilowatt-hour makes a huge difference. Sign up now at: http://www.greenmountainpower.com/renewable/cow/enroll/


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Business Continuity
Don't be caught with your IT down
Now more than ever before, uptime is everything for companies. When mission-critical systems go down, so does the business and the potential associated risks of reputational damage, legal liabilities, productivity loss and even lost clients. No matter the size of your business, your intellectual property is more valuable than you think. Be prepared and ensure your business survival. We provide business continuity solutions, planning and consulting services in Portland, OR. Our expert business continuity consultants can help you assess the best solution for your company size and data needs.
Have you been putting off protecting your data because you consider yourself in a safe zone from natural disasters?
The reality is that network outages, equipment failure, file corruption and human error are the leading culprits to data loss events. Server malfunction or someone hitting the delete key on an important document are far more likely than natural disasters. A real business continuity solution requires AssureIT Services, a secure hybrid business continuity solution.
ATS AssureIT Services Include:
- Hybrid Onsite and Cloud Storage Backup – Local backup is just not enough
- Redundant backup of data to 3 secure locations across the country
- Files can be restored within minutes
- Data encrypted at transmission and at rest
- HIPAA, SOX, PCI compliant
- Archiving hourly, daily, weekly or monthly
Business continuity is no longer merely a "nice-to-have" option but instead a "must-have" necessity to ensure your business survival. For complete Business Continuity, we recommend T.O.P.S. (Total Operation Protection Services), our premium all-inclusive managed services solution as well as Microsoft's Office 365 to simplify your email challenges.


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Without doubt, one of the longest established and highly rated shows in the online marketing space, SES Conference & Expo returns to New York in just a couple of weeks. And with it comes the usual, massive gathering of marketing and advertising professionals.
Avinash Kaushik Keynote
Best-selling author, hugely popular blogger, and notably Google's Digital Marketing Evangelist, Avinash Kaushik fires things up and gets things started on Tuesday March 20.
After rave reviews in London, Kaushik presents the SES New York opening keynote: Business Optimization In A Digital Age.
Kaushik will share his unique perspective on balancing multiple media channels, leveraging super awesome metrics, grounding your digital existence in driving economic value, and leveraging the Clear Line of Sight model to ensure you are optimizing across all four of the most important business drivers. Find out what they are (and what the word "hits" really means) in his dynamically upbeat style.
Meet the Experts
For three whole days experts from the various digital marketing disciplines will present proven systems, processes, methods and techniques to improve marketing initiatives and increase ROI. Plus we'll introduce our newest and most popular format to date called "Meet The Experts."
The two most important aspects of SES are the education and networking elements. And in this new roundtable session, we provide an opportunity to meet with speakers (and each other) to problem solve.
The format is simple. Each table has a theme or a topic (link building or display advertising, for instance) and two experts from the SES agenda are ready and waiting to share their expert knowledge.
Join a table, chat, learn and then move on to the next table (or stick around in the same place). You'll love it because, the best part is, you get to set your own agenda!
Great Speakers & Must-Attend Sessions
SES brings together some of the leading lights in the industry. Just take a look at the list of speakers and check out the packed agenda. But you need to hurry or you'll miss the massively discounted early-bird rate.
Some of the newer sessions to SES New York are not to be missed. Viewable Impressions: The Key to Online Media Performance Through Smarter Buying has a panel of experts discussing one of the largest paradigm shifts in the industry just now. Knowing which audiences view your ad, in which environment, and to what impact, is enabling marketers to make better decisions, validate metrics and increase ROI. This new world order moves beyond the "opportunity" to see an ad into the actualized effect.
If you're an agency, publisher or decision maker within display, video, mobile, social, and other CPM purchased media, this is a not-to-be-missed session for you.
At SES you'll see people carrying myriad tablet and other hand-held devices, including the ubiquitous iPad. Tablet display offers marketers a unique and totally new medium of mobile engagement with consumers. So, new to SES is this session: Tablet Display Advertising: Challenges and Opportunities.
Ever heard the phrase "integrated marketing?" Yep, it gets used a lot. But what does it really mean? The keynote panel on Thursday morning, March 22 will explain all.
If you've ever been confused about remarketing/retargeting, then this session is perfect for you.
SES built its reputation on bringing the most cutting edge techniques in search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search (PPC) to an audience chomping at the bit for new information. And nothing has changed there. If you're new to search or an advanced practitioner you'll find sessions to suit every level.
If link building is your passion or your challenge then there's a whole track dedicated to it on the final day concluding with the final spotlight session: Lord Of The Links.
Networking, Parties & Black Hat/White Hat
There are plenty of networking opportunities beyond just the meet the expert sessions. The now infamous "Black Hat/White Hat" session provides an opportunity to get together and talk techniques while imbibing a drop or two with your colleagues. Plus, we actually close the show with a final networking session.
Plus, there are dozens of parties and other get-togethers arranged by sponsors and attendees alike. Hey, this is New York – what are you gonna do?
New SES App
On the subject of networking, SES also has a brand new social networking conference app. Head directly to www.vivastream.com to sign up and join the SES community.
The app is multi-functional, has all the information you'll need (agenda, speakers, exhibitors) for the entire conference and expo, plus keeps you connected with everyone you meet before, during, and after the show. Sign up online, or simply download Vivastream from your app store right now and get started.
Early Bird Rate Expires Today
Be sure to take advantage of the huge early-bird discount as today is the last day before it expires. You register here, and I'll see you there. Deal?
Related reading
The state (or statelessness) of technical SEO in 2019
What do we need to know about technical SEO in 2019? Here's an overview to keep in mind, based on a presentation by Mike King of iPullRank at TechSEOBoost.
Google's Pichai answers to Congress: The good, the bad and the frustrating
Google CEO Sundar Pichai testified in front of Congress this week on transparency and accountability, specifically around data. Here's an overview.
TechSEO Boost: Machine Learning for SEOs
Machine learning and how to use it for SEO: automated image optimization, transcribing podcasts into json strings, mass meta description writing, and more.
Pinterest on visual search: key takeaways
Notes from Michael Akkerman, Global Head of Pinterest Partners Program: discovery over search, audience engagement over size, time well-spent, communities.


text: The impending withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union is called Brexit. With Brexit, British citizens will lose their residence within European territory, a necessary requirement for the allocation of .eu domains. In this regard, EURid, the .eu domain registry, has published a Brexit action plan, following the European Commission's communication ... Read more


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Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun should be ready to return from a strain on his right side in time for next week's series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The outfielder hasn't played since April 26. Braun was hitting .318 with six home runs and 18 runs batted in when he was put on the 15-day disabled list on May 3.
Braun took batting practice before the team's game Wednesday afternoon against Arizona. Manager Ron Roenicke said Braun should be ready when eligible to play his next game, Tuesday against NL Central rival Pittsburgh.
The Chicago White Sox activated third baseman Conor Gillaspie from the 15-day disabled list and sent outfielder Jordan Danks to triple-A Charlotte (N.C.).
First baseman and outfielder Tyler Moore was optioned to triple-A Syracuse (N.Y.) by the Washington Nationals, making room on the roster for right-handed pitcher Doug Fister to make his season debut Friday.
The Chicago Cubs put reliever Pedro Strop on the 15-day DL because of a moderate left groin strain.


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Homemade Baileys Irish Cream
I love Baileys Irish Cream and every year around St. Paddy's Day I see recipe after recipe incorporating it.
This year I decided to skip the cakes with Baileys frosting and focus on the actual Baileys. So I made some.
Homemade Baileys comes together in under one minute in the blender. It's so easy that if you're a Baileys Irish Cream fan, you'll wonder why you didn't do this sooner.
Simply combine cream or half-and-half, sweetened condensed milk, Irish whiskey, a pinch of instant coffee, dash of chocolate syrup, vanilla, and blend.
The flavor is spot on and so very creamy. I used half-and-half rather than cream, and can only imagine how rich it would be with cream. Between the sweetened condensed milk, half-and-half, and vanilla it's no wonder I've always loved the stuff. Dessert in a shot glass.
I don't think it's any cheaper to make your own, but it's not more expensive than storebought; a wash. With the exception of the Irish whiskey, I always have the rest of the ingredients on hand so it didn't feel like I bought things just to make it from scratch.
Sometimes with DIY and copycat recipes, I have to buy 10 things and slave away for hours just to recreate the one storebought thing, making me question if it was worth it. That surely wasn't the case here.
34 seconds after I started, I was sipping the rewards.
The real satisfaction comes from being able to say, oh yes, I can make Baileys. At parties, there's always that one person who can mix a great drink, juggle shot glasses, catch peanuts in their mouth, or tie cherry stems into knots with their tongue.
Now you'll be the star of the party with this little recipe up your sleeve.
Serve it chilled, over ice, in mixed drinks or in coffee. Make cake, donuts, cupcakes, brownies, or frosting with it. There's no wrong way to use it.
And if you need inspiration, just read food blogs the week before St. Paddy's Day. Or Google Baileys + desserts for 2.8 million ideas.
My idea is to pour a little jigger and sip happily.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Homemade Baileys Irish Cream
Homemade Baileys Irish Cream comes together in less than 1 minute, with ingredients you likely already have on hand. Rich, smooth, creamy, and the flavor is a deadringer for storebought. You'll be the hit of the party when you make Baileys from scratch in under a minute!
1 2/3 cups Irish whiskey (I used Jameson)
one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream (I used half-and-half)
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup (I used Hershey's)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules or instant espresso (make sure it's instant so it dissolves)
Combine all ingredients in the canister of a blender and blend on high speed until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer mixture to a glass bottle or airtight container with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months (I have read anywhere between 1 to 2 months; the alcohol helps preserve it, but always use the sniff test and common sense). Shake well before using. Recipe intended for those whom alcohol consumption is appropriate. Always drink responsibly.
Recipe Notes and Tips:
Very slightly adapted from Allrecipes
All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.
Related Recipes
These bloggers also have Baileys recipes: Cupcake Project, Michelle, Jessica, Angela, Alisa, Kristina
I like using the non-alcoholic Baileys Coffee Creamer for those want-the-taste-of-Baileys-without-the-alcohol moments
Chocolate Molasses Chocolate Chip Cake with Baileys Irish Cream Glaze – The cake is rich, dark, intense, and the glaze is the perfect sweet and creamy compliment to the bold and robust flavors
Vanilla Baileys Slushies – Two ingredients, add ice, blend. Except now I'll be using my homemade Baileys
Homemade Peanut Butter with Baileys – In the final moments of processing, add a splash of Baileys
It's every bit as good as it sounds
For drinks and dessert all in one, easy, spreadable form, add a splash of homemade Baileys to Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter or to Homemade Cookie Butter Peanut Butter
Do you like Baileys? Have a favorite recipe that uses it?
St. Paddy's Day plans?


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HIV/AIDS News
AIDS Virus Reformatted to Shuttle Repair Genes to Diseased Brains
Scientists supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have developed a benign, reconstituted form of HIV, the virus known to cause AIDS, and used it to shuttle repair genes to diseased neurons in rat brains. By removing any trace of the part of HIV that would allow it to replicate itself and become infectious (and thus lethal) and using only the part that can integrate itself into a host's gene sequence, the researchers were able to insert the reformatted HIV into non-dividing cells, specifically neurons, in the brains of rats.
Dr. Fred Gage, one of the three laboratory chiefs at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, Calif., where the discovery was made says, "The basic knowledge we have gleaned of how HIV infects cells has enabled us to develop a reconstituted HIV "delivery system" for diseased neurons -- it is truly a case of turning swords into plowshares. Using a virus delivery system offers hope for successful gene therapy in many life-threatening diseases such as cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and perhaps even Alzheimer's disease." The finding is reported in the April 12, 1996 issue of Science.
The ability to insert genetic material that may carry helpful information into genetic locations associated with diseases such as Parkinson's is a hallmark of gene therapy. This study is one of the first to show a workable model in animals that targets nerve cells. Gage's work was funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA). His co-workers at the Salk Institute are Drs. Inder M. Verma and Didier Trono. Dr. Trono was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
The initial breakthrough in this research came when Drs. Verma and Trono's labs extensively "debilitated" HIV and, using a protein piece from another virus, created very efficient viral vectors. Viral vectors are essentially microscopic shuttles which, by virtue of their stealth capabilities, carry genes to targeted cells. According to Dr. Trono, "The beauty of this vector is that healing genes can be delivered directly into the body, without cumbersome manipulations of the patients' cells in vitro. Genes can be introduced into targets such as neurons, which have previously been beyond the reach of many vectors. An additional benefit of this vector is that it does not trigger toxic immune reactions as other vectors have been known to do."
As proof of the effectiveness of Drs. Verma and Trono's vectors, Dr. Gage's lab introduced the recombinant HIV vectors into five female adult rat brains and showed that foreign genes carried by the shuttle vectors could be efficiently inserted into genes in a brain's neurons. The transferred product was detectable in the rat brains for at least a month.
Gage and his co-worker, Dr. Ulrike Blomer, who performed their work in live rats, suggest that if human testing is done, cow or monkey variants of HIV should be used to avoid any possibility of human infection with HIV. Gage says, "This science is a great example of melding two areas of basic research -- neurology and virology -- and using a substance like HIV to actually work to the good and not the ill."
The National Institute on Aging leads the federal effort supporting basic, clinical, epidemiological and behavioral research on aging and the special needs of older people. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases conducts and supports research to prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, asthma and allergies. NIA and NIAID are both components of the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the U.S. Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.


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Learn more about Niqāb
Several Western countries including France, Spain and Canada have proposed laws which would ban Muslim women from wearing a Niqab in public spaces. A niqab is a cloth that covers the face and is worn by some Muslim women in public areas. In 2014 the Austrlian Parliament briefly debated banning women from wearing niqabs in public places. The proposal was defeated. The controversial plan to make Muslim women wearing burqas and the niqab sit in glassed enclosures at Parliament House, which has now been dumped, was put in place without any prior advice from security agencies. Proponents argue that the ban infringes on individual rights and prevents people from expressing their religious beliefs. Opponents argue that face-coverings prevent the clear identification of a person, which is both a security risk, and a social hindrance within a society which relies on facial recognition and expression in communication. See recent Niqāb news


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Man-to-man combat still key to military strength
One Marine's savage battle with the enemy illustrates that victory in war often depends on the best warriors.
A few years back, Cliff Wooldridge was on a typical path for a young man growing up in a logging town in the Pacific Northwest.
He graduated from high school, went to a diesel-mechanic school and got a job fixing heavy machinery used to harvest timber. Except it didn't feel right.
"On TV, all you heard about was Marines in Iraq, and I wanted to be part of it," Wooldridge says.
In 2007, he walked into the Marine recruiter's office in Port Angeles, Wash. His request to the recruiter was simple: "I want to be the guy you see on TV kicking in doors."
Days later, he was on his way to boot camp and into the annals of Marine Corps history.
Wooldridge, now 24 and a sergeant, distinguished himself in Afghanistan for actions that earned him the Navy Cross, an award second only to the Medal of Honor for valor. In brutal hand-to-hand combat, Wooldridge grabbed the machine gun of an enemy insurgent and beat him to death with it.
Wooldridge's exploits are not well known outside the Marine Corps, but officers say close encounters with the enemy are not uncommon, despite the increasing use of drone-fired missiles and smart bombs.
On the 237th birthday of the Corps, Marines today are battling enemies in a fight recognizable to their predecessors in Guadalcanal in World War II or Belleau Wood in World War I.
Far from being an anachronism, Marines say the warrior ethos and the desire to test one's abilities in battle is just as critical to defeating an enemy today as it was when a few hundred Greeks held off thousands of Persians during the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C.
"About 90% of these Marines joined when we were at war, expecting to go to war, hoping to go to war," says Marine Capt. Patrick Madden, who was Wooldridge's platoon commander in Afghanistan.
"The Marine Corps is going to attract a different mind-set and different personality," says Marine Maj. Carin Calvin, Wooldridge's company commander in Afghanistan.
That mind-set is the specialty of the U.S. Marines, and the Corps' consistent success in molding men into storied fighters known the world over is exemplified in the story of Wooldridge.
Despite his enthusiasm, Marine boot camp was a shock for Wooldridge. He was an athlete, so the physical part of it wasn't so bad. It was the demands of discipline from shouting drill instructors that took getting used to.
But Marines such as Wooldridge thrive on the challenge and the competition.
"I started to enjoy it," he says. "I was very driven."
In 2010, his unit headed to Afghanistan, the vanguard of a new strategy ordered by President Obama that bolstered forces in Taliban-controlled parts of the country. By then a corporal, Wooldridge was assigned to Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines.
The Marines were sent to Helmand province, an insurgent stronghold and poppy-growing region in southern Afghanistan where coalition forces controlled only a few key towns. At the time, the Taliban moved freely through large swaths of the region.
Soon after arriving the unit was sent to Musa Qala, where the Marines were arrayed against Taliban fighters that wanted to hold the region at any cost. In June, Weapons Company was given the mission to clear a valley that held a large settlement in the Helmand River Valley.
They expected to confront the enemy but were taken aback by what they encountered.
"We ran into a hornet's nest," Calvin says.
The initial plan was to meet with villagers who lived in settlements strung along the valley, or wadi, to get a sense of the enemy situation.
"That all went out the window the moment we got into the wadi," Calvin says.
The Taliban tried to ambush the Marines at every turn. The roughly 125 Marines were facing between 150 and 250 hardened Taliban fighters who had established a sophisticated network of bunkers and trenches laced into hills in the high ground overlooking the wadi. The area had been seeded with roadside bombs.
Anticipating a clash, villagers fled the town. Families with all of their belongings, including sheep, cows and goats, streamed past the Marines. Insurgents from nearby towns flooded the area, determined to blunt the Marine offensive and hold on to the poppy-growing region that was critical to the Taliban.
It soon became clear why the Taliban had established such a strong defense. The wadi was the main route used by well-trained foreign fighters coming from Pakistan into the river valley, Madden says.
Every day was a firefight as Marines pushed through the valley. Dozens of Marines were getting injured, but unless the wounds were serious they remained in the fight, Calvin says. Calvin's company headquarters was down to four Marines. Everyone else was engaged in the battle.
Even Marines who were seriously injured left the battlefield only reluctantly, preferring to stay with their buddies.
Fighting their way through the valley took days. On June 18, about a week into the operation, Wooldridge climbed into an armored vehicle that was part of a small convoy assigned to take a hill called "the football" because of its shape.
Within five minutes of leaving the secure perimeter, Wooldridge's vehicle struck a roadside bomb. No one was seriously injured, but the vehicle was wrecked. Wooldridge and his team got into another vehicle. They had barely moved before they hit another bomb and had to get into a third vehicle.
By this time in the offensive, the Marines had decided to alter tactics to get closer to an enemy that would typically fire at them from a distance and then melt away.
"Nobody had seen them," Madden says of the Taliban.
They would probe farther into the valley than ever before, drawing insurgents out and then sending teams on foot to cut off the Taliban fighters before they could melt away.
It wasn't long before the four-vehicle patrol was getting fired at from trees on the western side of the valley. (The account of his actions is based on interviews with Wooldridge and other Marines and the official citation.)
The turret gunners in the vehicles wheeled around and began firing in the direction of the gunshots. The Marines split up in an effort to cut off the Taliban militants. One team went south and another north.
Wooldridge bounded across a freshly harvested field toward the firing as a couple of his fellow Marines got down and fired at targets ahead of him. Wooldridge burst into the treeline and saw a militant emerge from a ditch and start to run.
"I shot and saw him fall," Wooldridge says.
Wooldridge's two teammates caught up with him. They moved quickly through the trees and stopped short when they came to the edge of a farming village with mud homes and walls. Looking down from a small hill, they saw 15 armed insurgents at the center of the village.
The startled insurgents saw the Marines and turned and raised their weapons. It was too late. The Americans opened fire. Most fell, but a handful escaped.
Marines watched as an insurgent carrying a rocket-propelled grenade emerged from a narrow alleyway in the village and stepped over the bodies of his fallen comrades. The Marines shot him.
This is what the Marines had been hoping for. They had flushed out the enemy and forced the Taliban into a close-quarters fight.
Wooldridge moved his team to another spot for a different view on the Taliban compound.
Just then he heard voices that sounded like men arguing behind a nearby wall. He peeked around the corner and was face to face with four insurgents armed with machine guns, assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.
Wooldridge shot two of them before they could react. He killed a third as the man was trying to escape. Out of ammunition, he tried to bluff the last insurgent by gesturing at him to drop his weapon.
The insurgent raised his gun and pointing it at Wooldridge, who was 10 feet away. Wooldridge ducked behind the mud wall to reload. Before he could put a fresh drum in his light machine gun, a barrel poked around the corner of the wall.
Wooldridge dropped his own weapon and grabbed the barrel of the machine gun. He slammed the insurgent against a wall and both men fell to the ground. Wooldridge rolled on top of the insurgent and began pummeling him.
The insurgent reached for a grenade attached to the Marine's protective vest. If he pulled the pin, both men would die.
Wooldridge broke away and got to his feet, grabbing the insurgent's machine gun at the same time. He aimed it at the insurgent and squeezed the trigger. It didn't work.
With the stock of the weapon, he beat the Taliban fighter to death.
Marines arrived to find Wooldridge covered in blood, leaning over the dead insurgent.
Not done, the Marines radioed back to Madden and requested permission to pursue the enemy. Madden's vehicles were coming under heavy and accurate fire and the Marines in the valley were stretched thin. Madden told them no, they had to return.
"I think I just killed a guy with my hands," Wooldridge told his platoon commander when he climbed into the vehicle.
Calvin was at the company command post, a vehicle with some camouflage netting stretched over the back, when Wooldridge and his team returned, dropping the enemy's machine gun at his feet.
Calvin looked at Wooldridge's blood-spattered uniform and at the weapon.
"The butt stock was shattered and broken," Calvin recalled.
The Marines captured other weapons and radios, from which their interpreters began monitoring the Taliban's radio traffic. Madden says the Taliban appeared "terrified" by what happened.
"It absolutely crushed their morale," Madden says. "They had no idea what happened to them."
Used to sniping at troops from distant and protected spots, the Taliban appeared to have encountered an enemy that rushed toward their gunfire for a duel to the death.
The close-in fight boosted the morale of the Marines.
"We had finally gotten in their backyard," Madden said. "We felt like that was the point we kind of got inside their head and broke their spirit."
Having been in sustained combat for 17 days, they were ordered back to the forward operating base at Delaram to rest. On the second day there, Calvin got an order from the battalion telling him to be ready to move in a week to Sangin, another Taliban stronghold where Marines would encounter months of hard fighting.
While in Sangin, Wooldridge took the oath to re-enlist for another four years. The decision was easy, he said.
"I love being a Marine," Wooldridge says. "I can't see myself doing anything else."


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Rob Stokes
Former Bungie staff announce Moonshot Studios
Three former Bungie members announced today the formation of Moonshot Games development studio. Based in Boston and Seattle, it was formed by Michel Bastien, production lead for Halo 2 and Halo 3, Damián Isla, and creative director Rob Stokes, mission designer on the Halo series. The official announcement from the company website is past the […]
Rob Stokes headlines
Rob Stokes latest


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Egen import - Levering 2-3 dage - Gratis levering over 1500,- til DK - 14 dages fuld returret - Egen butik
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Transfercar is a website providing free rental cars and campervan hire in New Zealand! Yes, FREE!! It's made possible by the fact that you will be helping car rental companies transfer their fleet between branches. Check it out now!
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Transfercar is an online relocation service providing really cheap (usually free) rental cars and campervan hire. With "free" we really mean the cars are free to drive, not even $1 a day! We don't charge anything for this. How can it be free? Rental car or camper van companies need to move cars between their branches all the time. They can either use expensive trucks or trains or they can let you drive it for free. The rental operators win, you win.
Physical address
Transfercar, 5H/47 High Street, Auckland Central, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand.


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Hello everyone and welcome to challenge 24. I'm a bit late today getting this posted. I'm overseas visiting my mum and I'm having a few internet issues at the moment. I will be back asap with the winners for challenge 23.
This fortnight our challenge is Valentine's.
Here are some samples from the DT.
To play along with our challenge just add the direct link to your project below.


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(excluding tax and shipping)
Ships in 3-4 working days | Delivery as per the selection of shipping mode
Item # :DANI_NA02_RNU0453.JPG
Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Selasphorus platycercus, male in flight feeding on Musk Thistle Carduus nutans, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA, June
Posters and art prints are rolled with thick paper to protect against dust before being packaged in corrugated triangular shipping containers. Framed items are covered securely and placed in adjustable corrugated inserts that lock the frame in position.
You can estimate your art arrival within 7-10 business days.
A confirmation email that includes a tracking number will be provided to you to check .
Each frame is handcrafted by a master framer with over 30 years of experience, and ships right to your door guaranteed to fit and preserve your artwork. All the necessary instructions and hardware for hanging will be included; you'll just need a hammer and the right spot on your wall. Contact us if you prefer to send in your artwork for framing, or have an oversize or unusual item to frame.
Expertly stretched around 1.5 wooden bars with hand-painted edges for a beautiful finish. All pieces are made of artist-grade 100 cotton canvas.
Average Customer Rating
89% of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Displaying reviews 1-5 Back to top
Posted on: 5/9/2017
By Steeler Chick
from Des Moines, IA
About Me Midrange Shopper
Verified Buyer
Great piece!
Great piece. When it was delivered with a whole in the box and a dent in the frame, Art.com responded immediately for a refund. Great customer service! Will use them for more artwork in the future!
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Have you suffered an injury as a result of chin and cheek implant surgery?
Chin and cheek implants are undertaken with the intention to restore or augment fullness to the cheeks or chin, ultimately giving the appearance of strong, defined bone structure. They are carried out by inserting an implant over the top of the patient's current bone through an incision in the mouth where the cheek meets the upper gum, or where the chin meets the lower gum.
Although all cosmetic surgery procedures carry with them a risk, sometimes these risks could have been prevented.
Examples of injuries caused as a result of surgery:
- Excessive scarring or skin contour irregularities
- Incorrect choice of implant
- Movement of the implant after the procedure
- Loss of muscle control and/or asymmetry
- Untreated or preventable infection
- Nerve damage, often involving a loss of sensation
We understand that this can be a difficult and distressing time. If you have been injured in a road traffic accident, making a claim for compensation may be the last thing you want to think about, but we would urge you to get the ball rolling and establish if you are eligible for compensation as soon as possible.
Claims can take considerable time to conclude, and in the meantime, your finances could be severely stretched. We deal with most cases on a 'No win, No fee'basis, leaving you to focus on your recovery, rather than worrying about legal costs.
Attwood Solicitors will work hard to ensure a fast resolution for your case, without adding further hassle or stress to your life. Contact us today for a free consultation, expert advice, and support with your claim.
Determining liability is the first step in a Personal Injury case, and evidence will be required to prove that a third party was responsible for any injury or illness for which you are seeking compensation.
If you are unsure who is liable, or you are struggling to collect evidence, but still believe that you deserve compensation for your injuries, get in touch with our team immediately. We may be able to help build your case by talking with witnesses, experts, or other stakeholders to establish the facts.
After you've been involved in a Road Traffic Accident, it's understandable that your main objective will be to recover from your experience and put it behind you. Claiming compensation for your accident is often a good way of doing this, as it not only provides financial support at a time when you need it the most, but should also help you feel that justice has been served.
We work tirelessly to ensure that each client is awarded the maximum compensation possible for their case. If you are successful in your claim, you may be awarded compensation for one or more of the following:
- The injury sustained, including physical and mental damage. Compensation is awarded based on pain, suffering, and inability to resume 'normal' life.
- Financial losses, including loss of earnings since the accident. Loss of potential future earnings may also be considered.
- Out-of-pocket expenses including care costs, medical costs, travel to medical appointments and home help. (Please note: It's important to keep any receipts for out-of-pocket expenses so that they can be included in any claim).
- Future needs – It may be necessary to make adjustments in the future, such as adaptations at home, which may also be claimed for.
Our experience and expertise in Personal Injury cases will help you to secure the compensation you deserve.
If you have sustained a personal injury, seeking compensation may be the last thing on your mind, but it's important to be aware that there are time limits for taking legal action. Don't worry, we understand that it may be difficult for you to talk about what has happened, but please rest-assured that our sympathetic team is here to support you, and will make the process as simple and straightforward as possible.
The first step is simply to get in touch with us. You can give us a call, email us, or complete our online enquiry form – whatever feels most comfortable for you.
We will take some basic details and information about what has happened, before introducing you to a carefully selected solicitor who specialises in your type of claim. They will then guide you through the rest of the process. (You can find out more about what that involves in the Attwood Solicitor'sGuide to Personal Injury Claims).
We deal with most cases under a Conditional Fee Agreement, also known as 'No win, No fee'. This means:
- No upfront payments
- Nothing to pay if your claim does not succeed
- No risk
- Lack of funds will not prohibit you from making a claim
If you don't receive any compensation, there is nothing to pay, so why not get in touch with our expert team and discover if you are eligible to make a claim?
There are many companies offering support for Personal Injury claims, but before you decide which one you trust to secure the best outcome for your case, here are some things you that you should know about Attwood Solicitors:
- We are Personal Injury Specialists – that means we focus solely on ONE area of specialism, rather than trying to be a Jack of All Trades. As such, our expertise is unrivalled.
- We are committed to processing your claim to the best of our ability, ensuring the best outcome for you, in the least stressful way possible.
- We have a huge depth of experience and wide-ranging case history, which means that we can offer the best legal knowledge to support your claim.
- We have a proven track record of successful claims and are proud of our reputation as leaders in our field.
- We believe you have suffered enough already, and therefore undertake all Personal Injury Claims on a No Win, No Fee basis.
- We believe you should have your own appointed Legal Expert to ensure continuity of care and tailored support.
- We offer a sympathetic and supportive approach, understanding that you have been through, and are still going through, a difficult time.
- We believe that open and honest communication is the key to a successful client relationship, and will keep you informed throughout, with clear and precise information.
- We offer a free initial consultation where we will be honest with you about the likely success of your claim.
- Our integrity is paramount, and we therefore offer our expertise in a caring and considerate way, where all decisions are made in the best interests of the client.
- We will guide you and fight your corner for you, making the process as stress-free as possible.


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Enjoy Free Shipping within Canada
Sku: 482
Only fits Hatchback models.
Order ships the next business day. (Except for pre-orders)
100% Happiness Guarantee: 30-day Money Back Guarantee and 1-Year Standard Warranty.
Images may be representative. Quality and material are accurately presented. Actual shape of TuxMat may vary according to your vehicle's specifications.


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Mario & Co. in Wonderland, which is a bit darker than the Mushroom Kingdom. And the best part of DeviantART user SkribbliX's fan art? No, not the edgy princess or the evil Goombas, but the Donatello Koopa!
Dayshot is an image-based feature that runs every morning, showcasing some of the prettiest, funniest game-related screenshots and art that we can find. Send us suggestions if you've got them.
Mario Bros. by skribbliX [DeviantART]
To contact the author of this post, write to: email@example.com


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Hugin Trackers
The Bug Tracker (BT), the Features Request Tracker (FT), and the Patch Tracker (PT) are the official tools to communicate bugs, feature requests, and proposed changes to the developers. While bug reports, feature requests, and patches are always welcome over any channel, these are the only tools that make sure they will not be forgotten / hidden in the past archives. All users are encourage to make use of these tools. In the following text I explain the basic usage and set some policies with regard to Hugin.
Moreover, discussion of tracker tickets is welcome on the Mailing List (ML). This includes (non-exhaustive list):
- requests to test bugs and patches
- requests for opinions on ways to fix bugs and implement new features
- enlarging the base of interested user / tester to encompass a variety of platforms
- insuring follow up on anonymous tickets
Structure of a Ticket
Whether it is to report a bug or to work on it, familiarizing with the structure of a ticket in the tracker is the first step. Look at existing tickets for examples.
- On top is the summary, the ID, and the last update information. With "Tech & Admin" permission the summary is editable.
- Under the details header is the initial comment, followed by some information about the status of the ticket. The status information is editable with "Tech & Admin" permission.
- Most important, at least initially, is who submitted the ticket. A ticket can be submitted anonymously but it is strongly recommended that users register with SourceForge (it's free and SF has a consistent track record of respectful committment to user's privacy) and log in before creating a ticket or commenting on one. If you have OpenID there is no need to remember another password.
- Next is the comments thread. It may be condensed - click on the + icon on the right to expand it. When working on a ticket it is important to be aware that the "Details" section may not be everything there is to read. The follow ups often contain relevant / critical information. All users can add to the discussion.
- The attached files section lists all files that have been uploaded. This is usually meant for logs and patches. Project files (.pto) and screenshots still fit the weight limits. For full test cases with images this is not practicable - better store them somewhere on the web and publish a link in a comment. If you need such web space, ask on the ML.
- Users with "Tech & Admin" permission can associate a ticket to another one, marking it as a duplicate.
- Last but not least, all changes are listed.
Initial Bug Report
All users are encouraged to report bugs. Please help us improve the quality of the bug reports and the information available to the developers by following these guidelines:
Your System
We need to know as much as possible about your system. Which version? What processor? How much memory? How much disk space is available, particularly temporary space? Are all updates recommended by the system's distributor applied? Have you customized the system? added/replaced libraries?
If you have access to a second system, please validate the bug before reporting it.
The Sofware
We also need to know as much as possible about the software used. Which version of Hugin? Where did you install it from? Did you compile Hugin yourself? An easy way to identify your version of Hugin is to look up the About Hugin dialog (Menu Help -> About Hugin) and report the whole version string.
Hugin depends on third party libraries and tools such as libpano and enblend/enfuse. Unless you have downloaded a Windows installer or a Mac bundle (that are self-contained), we'd need to know the same information for the dependencies. Where and when did you install them from?
The Application
Often times the nature of your project, particularly the images, will help understand the bug. How many images? What format? Do they have EXIF data? What camera make/model? Is it HDR? Often time, providing the .pto file (can be attached in the BT) is a valuable input to the analysis process. If you have access to web-space, providing the full test case including images (in JPG format and/or resized to reduce storage/bandwidth need) can also help.
The Bug
What are the steps that need to be undertaken to reproduce the bug? Does it happen consistently all the times, or only sporadically? what is the expected application behavior and how does it differ from the observed application behavior?
Bug Triage
To triage bugs a user need a SourceForge login and "Tech & Admin" permission to the BT. Permission will be liberally given to users who have shown continued, relevant contributions to the debugging process.
- Log on to the [https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?limit=20&sort=open_date&sortdir=desc&offset=0&group_id=77506&atid=550441&status=1
BT] (the link is already filtered for opened ticket sorted from the most recent one on top).
- Start with the oldest bug that has not been triaged yet. Ideally the new reports are identified by Priority 5, although at the time of writing many old reports still have Priority 5. It is also possible to be alerted to new reports by subscribing the tracker mailing list.
- Read the ticket and make sure you fully understand it. When in doubt, leave it for more experienced users to triage or ask on the ML.
- If you determine that the ticket is a duplicate, mark it as such and close it.
- Assign Category, Group, Priority according to the policies in the next sections.
- Add clarifying questions to the bug ticket if applicable. In doing so, compare the currently available information against the requested information listed above in "Reporting a Bug" and the specifics of the report.
- If the ticket was entered anonymously, determine the likelyhood that the developers may need additional feedback. Ask for that feedback on the ML. Eventually set the report to pending status so that if nobody acts on the request it will be closed in two weeks for lack of information.
- When in doubt, ask on the ML.
Bug Validation
Every user can validate a bug against their system / software and add a comment to validate the bug. We encourage all users to do so. The more validation information we have, the better. We need to narrow down whether a bug applies to a specific operating system or across the board. And it is also very useful to know if a bug applies to a specific context or if it applies also in different contexts.
- To validate a specific bug, simply try to reproduce it by following the instructions described in the ticket.
- Add a comment to the ticket reporting your observation.
- Were you able to reproduce the bug?
- It is important to add context to your validation: what operating system? what version of Hugin?
Bug Fixing and Testing
Everybody is encouraged to provide fixes and patches to correct bugs. Only developers can add them to the repository. Write access to the repository will be liverally given to users who need it.
- when a developer fixed a bug, he can ask the ML for testing.
- a fix tested on the developers system only can be set to Pending status.
- when at least one user validates a fix on a different system and there are no reports that the fix does not work, the bug report can be closed.
Triaging Policy
- The more complete a bug report, the more attention it is likely to get.
- Anonymous bug reports are set on Pending status by default, unless the report is complete enough not to need further feedback and/or there is interest from contributors to work on the report.
- When triaging a bug, set it's priority to something different than 5 so that priority 5 reports are known to be untriaged.
We use categories to indicate if the bug is platform specific, although some tickets still carry "legacy categories" that are unrelated to the platforms.
We use groups to indicate which tool is affected by the bug.
We use priorities to sort out the the tickets.
- 9: show stopper for the current release
- more than 5: bug affects a large number of use cases.
- 5: new bug that needs to be triaged
- less than 5: bug affects a small number of use cases - rare / specific situation
Bug Assignement
The tracker enables the assignement of a bug to a person. It is considered rude to assign a bug to somebody else without their prior consent. Developers sometimes assign a bug to themselves to signal they are working on it, but we do not use this feature too often.


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- Home
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Police are warning Oldham residents of a possible scam this week involving home security systems.
A resident reported to Oldham County Police on Wednesday that he received a phone call from a solicitor offering a free home security system valued at $1,300.
The homeowner declined the offer.
The caller probed about the homeowner's schedule, even as the homeowner continued to say he was not interested in the security system.
The caller insisted that he would have a technician call back to discuss installation.
After the homeowner ended the call, he tried to call the number back and found it isn't a working number.
The homeowner later received a second call from the same male solicitor.
He questioned the solicitor about the out-of-service phone number, and the caller stated he was making calls from a national chain's call center in Rhode Island.
The homeowner asked for a customer care number, and was only given a partial number before the caller became belligerent.
OCPD spokesperson Mike Head recommends that residents advise solicitors that they are listed on a No-Call List and inform the caller to stop calling.
Anyone with information or questions should call OCPD at 222-1300.
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GameHitZone.com - Games For Free!
English | Русский | Español | Français | العربية | Português | Deutsch
Download Free Game World Wide Soccer
3D soccer/football game. Inspired by old-school soccer games like Sensible Soccer and Kick Off, trying to keep their ideals intact: Easy to pick up and play, hard to master.


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"My dear Cassandra, have you remembered to collect pieces for the Patchwork? -- We are now at a standstill." In 1811 Jane Austen reminded her sister they were working on a bedcover at Chawton Cottage.
Patchwork (presumed to be made by the family) is on display at this shrine for Austen fans. A look at the quilt can tell us a lot about fabric in the teens. It's actually called a bedcover as it is not quilted. Much English patchwork of the time was a single layer like this piece.
See a video---a few seconds of a tour of the bedroom here
- Polka Dots are old---they go back to the 18th century at least, before anybody called them polka dots.
- Dots are a good option for a neutral print in an early reproduction.
- Is the use of dots in this era more English taste than American? (Notice the George III quilt in a recent post.)
The center features a larger diamond with a wicker basket full of flowers.
- What fabric did the Austens use to cut the center diamond?
The center patchwork field in the Austen quilt is bordered by a field of patchwork of smaller diamonds without the white grid. It looks like the border is on three sides here but I am guessing the top border is folded over in this photo...
...As it's displayed with a border over the pillow and at the foot of the bed. In some photos the border echoes the rather soft colors of the central diamond patchwork.
- The outer border is pieced of brighter fabrics
- The outer border is pieced of smaller-scale fabrics.
- The outer border seems to be pieced of roller printed calicoes rather than block printed furnishing prints.
- Is the border later than the inner field?
- Is this a classic case of dawdling over a project so long that taste and technology completely changed?


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It's Not Creepy If You're Married
John, sweetie, I just want you to know that I think you are all the way beautiful. Not just handsome, but smart, and kind-hearted. And if I were a lot younger, I would marry you...
And maybe we'd have a couple of chubby, freckle-faced kids:
And we'd laugh ALL DAY LONG.
...and go camping, play Yahtzee, and tell ghost stories by the fire.
And every day, for the rest of your life, you would thank God... that I was the appropriate maturity level for you.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know how I felt.
I think you're very special.
And most of all, I wish you love, and I wish you contentment, and I wish you would put some pants on while I'm talking to you.
That's all.
Thanks to Kate B., Judi G., Camille B., Aria P., Reba S., Jennifer L., Adrienne, and Jamie B. for helping me get that out there. And to Jim Carrey for leading the way.


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Here is another small painting that I started recently of Snow White (my own version). It's still a work-in-progress and needs quite a bit more work but overall I'm pleased with the way it's coming along.
I'm really looking forward to seeing the movie "Snow White and the Huntsman." Charlize Theron is absolutely gorgeous in this film and I'm really looking forward to seeing her performance as the queen.
I hope to finish this image soon but I have so many works-in-progress waiting to be finished. I plan on uploading some new work to my website soon and I'm also still working on content for my art book project.
Thanks for your visit! :)


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With the holidays around the corner… 🙂
Each year, our attention turns to the holidays… and to holiday consumer spending! We're told repeatedly that, because consumer spending is 60 – 70 percent of measured GDP, such spending is vital to economic growth and job creation. This must mean that savings, the opposite of consumption, is bad for growth.
This view of macroeconomics was first popularly asserted by Thomas Malthus in 1820, nearly 200 years ago. Malthus believed recessions where caused by "underconsumption" because there was a "general glut" of goods unsold. To recover from a recession and grow, we needed to stop all the saving and spend more to buy up all the goods on store shelves. Savers are like the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge. If you want a happy holiday, you've got to clear those shelves and give people a reason to produce more and create jobs. Or so Malthus thought…
John Maynard Keynes resurrected this approach and built on it with his influential "General Theory", which now underpins much of our government policy and public discussion of spending and economic growth. Keynesians believe aggregate spending drives the economy and savings is a "leak" out of the flow of spending. Indeed, this economic philosophy underpins many people's widespread obsession with retail sales each holiday season. Keynesian Macro Santa's sack is filled with spending.
But there is another view on recessions, recoveries and growth.
Classical and Austrian economists such as Adam Smith, Jean-Baptiste Say and Friedrich Hayek viewed savings as the vital lifeblood of economic growth and production as the means by which we live better and consume more in the long term. Our savings aren't simply taken out of the economic system, but become the source of capital that entrepreneurs use to create new goods and increase productivity. These economists believe this increased productivity is the key to a wealthier world. Before we consume, we must effectively produce what others value — at prices that cover the costs. This fundamental idea, that our demand for goods is enabled and constituted by our supply of other goods came to be known as the "Law of Markets" and later "Say's Law". For classical and Austrian economics, recessions happen when producers make mistakes. They create goods that can't be sold at a profit. These malinvestments tend to cluster in a recession as a result of systematic problems, such as disruptions in the financial system that cause monetary "disequilibrium", often as the result of government interventions in the economy since they can be system-wide.
Recovery and growth in the classical and Austrian view is driven by restructuring production so that entrepreneurs discover again the best — i.e. the most valuable and sustainable — ways to serve customers. That process is lead by new entrepreneurs and driven by savers who make capital available to fund new investments and new ventures. Sustainable saving and investment means creating more value for others while using fewer resources. This process lies at the core of healthy economic growth, including better job opportunities and a rising standard of living. If there are problems in the financial system such that our savings aren't effectively being invested but sitting idle in bank vaults, or people are hoarding cash under their mattress in distress, a classical approach seeks to get the root of that problem and resolve the monetary problems with monetary solutions such as increasing the money supply to meet demand and other approaches. Using up more real resources through additional consumption in such a case is a applying the wrong medicine to the disease.
Consuming is our end goal, but producing value must be the means to that end. That is to say, Macro Santa's sack is filled with saving…