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Craft breweries keep the beer, customers flowing in Connecticut
Last Wednesday at Two Roads Brewing Co. in Stratford, it was, like any other day, time to brew beer -- and bottle it, and keg it and, of course, drink it.
On this particular day, brewmaster Phil Markowski, co-owner Brad Hittle and one lucky reporter had the chance to taste teste a special brew that Markowski had recently concocted -- the Igor Sikorsky Dream Rye Russian Imperial Stout. Aged in rye oak barrels over five weeks, the beer packed a rich, earthy sweetness that wowed the palate.
"You can really taste the coffee," Hittle said, examining the black syrupy substance. "It's delicious."
Looking up from his glass, Hittle surveyed the sprawling, 100,000-square-foot facility and former U.S. Baird building that houses Two Roads Brewing Company. The place was bubbling with activity: the yeast for the company's `Ol Factor Pils was propagating; its Honey Spot Road white IPA was fermenting; its Road to Ruin IPA was being bottled.
Hittle launched Two Roads Brewery -- now the largest craft brewery in Connecticut -- in December. But with the amount of beer he and his partners plan on producing (a whopping 150,000 barrels a year), Hittle can already taste success.
"I've never had any doubts about this business," Hittle said. "We're making something people love."
Hittle's optimism is backed by recent trends -- like yeast in a vat of wort, Connecticut's craft brewery scene is burgeoning. Apart from Two Roads, four new craft breweries opened in the state last year. And those are just the latest additions to the list of existing brewhouses in Connecticut.
The state, like the rest of the country, is riding a wave of nationwide popularity for craft beer and microbreweries -- a phenomenon that flows from a more sophisticated consumer palate, a more favorable regulatory climate and a desire among entrepreneurs to ditch their old professions and follow their beer-soaked dreams.
In 2012, the Brewers Association, a trade group, reported that there were 2,751 craft breweries in the United States -- an increase of more than 400 percent since the early 1990s. Though Connecticut's craft beer culture reflects a drop in the keg nationally, it has expanded dramatically in recent years. Two decades ago, there were half a dozen breweries in the state; today, there are about three times as many, with eight more in the planning stages.
"Connecticut has been a little behind the curve in terms of national trends, but now, they're catching up," said Peter V.K. Reid, publisher of the Weston-based Modern Brewery Age Magazine.
The thirst for more flavorful brews -- from IPAs and stouts to brown and blonde ales -- is a large part of what's driving the market. The craft beer industry has continued to increase its share of beer sold in the state as consumers opt for artisanal alternatives to beer behemoths such as Coors, Budweiser and Miller.
Brewmasters have fed the craving for craft beers, experimenting with various types and quantities of hops, malts and yeast; adding unorthodox ingredients, such as fruit, spices and coffee beans; and aging beer in barrels previously used for whiskey and other distilled spirits.
Two Roads' Igor Sikorsky Dream Rye Russian Imperial Stout fits the bill. So is Half Full Brewery's cherry vanilla porter, Thomas Hooker's Old Marley Barleywine and Cavalry Brewing Company's X-Limited Edition series (the `X' stands for experimental). The beers all pack a much bigger punch -- both in terms of flavor and alcohol content -- then the big-name lagers.
"Beer drinkers are turned on by the complexity of the product -- and they are really good," said Hittle, a Greenwich native whose resume includes stints with Rolling Rock and Pabst Brewing Company. "There is a whole chemistry behind the these beers." He calls Markowski "the wizard."
In addition to the demand for flavorful beers, microbreweries have benefitted from a spillover from the local food movement.
"In the same way that people like going to their neighborhood butcher, bakery or cheese shop, they love drinking beer that's made right in their own backyard," said Matt Westfall, a brewer at New England Brewing Company in Woodbridge. "They like to experience that connection."
The state's beer boom is impressive, given the "shake out" of microbreweries and brew pubs in the 1990s, Reid said. But there's still a lot of catching up to do -- places like Portland, Ore., Chicago and Vermont have long been meccas for craft breweries.
Connecticut lawmakers hope to encourage the same growth spurt. A law passed last year laid the path for the Connecticut Beer Trail, a promotional campaign that brings beer lovers on a journey to the state's breweries and brew pubs. What's more, the bill that approved Sunday alcohol sales included a stipulation that permits craft breweries to sell beer by the glass and allow consumers to purchase bottled brew on site.
"Connecticut is a lot more craft brew friendly than it was 20 years ago," said Reid, adding that the new laws should bolster the number of craft breweries in the state and make existing ones more lucrative.
The new laws are a boon to Half Full Brewery in Stamford, which attracts a flood of beer drinkers to its Open House nights ($15 gets you a glass and unlimited pints of the company's Bright Ale, India Pale Ale and a seasonal beer).
But owner Conor Horrigan didn't just open Half Full Brewery for the profits. For the ex-Wall Street worker, brewing beer gives him a chance to "meet people, try new experiences" and, most importantly, "create something tangible."
"You can't touch a stock," he added.
Horrigan's peers in the craft brew industry echo those sentiments. Many cite the personal rewards of doing something with their hands, interacting with people and producing a product that everyone loves.
About a year or two ago, Hittle asked himself this question: "Do I want to work for another corporation and deal with bureaucracy and politics, or take a chance on doing something I really love and have a passion for?"
Luckily for local beer lovers, he chose the latter.
firstname.lastname@example.com; 203-964-2238; http://twitter.com/scottgarg
Half Full Brewery
Signature beer: Bright Ale, a hybrid blonde-pale ale, with citrus and grapefruit notes. 5.1 percent Alc. By Vol.
Hours: Growler fills and sampling: Tuesdays and Fridays, 4-7 p.m.; Open House: Every other Friday, 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Tour and Tasting: every other Saturday 1-4 p.m.
Address: 43 Homestead Ave., Stamford
Contact: 203-309-2821, halffullbrewery.com
Two Roads Brewing Company
Signature beer: Road to Ruin Double IPA, a big, hoppy IPA with a lean malt backdrop and brewed with four American hop varieties. 7.2 percent Alc. By Vol.
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 3-8 p.m.; Saturday, noon-8 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.
Address: 1700 Stratford Ave., Stratford
Contact: 203-335-2010, www.tworoadsbrewing.com
Southport Brewing Company
Best beer: English Pale Ale, an English-style copper-colored pale ale with medium body and a dry finish.
Hours: Contact individual location for hours of operation
Address/Contact: 2600 Post Rd., Southport. 203-256-BEER; 131 Summer St., Stamford. 203-327-BEER; 850 W. Main St. Branford. 203-481-BREW. 33 New Haven Ave., Milford. 203-874-BEER.
New England Brewing Company
Best beer: Sea Hag, an American IPA with a big citrusy grapefruit aroma. 6.2 percent Alc. By Vol.
Hours: Monday-Friday, noon-6 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (tasting and growler fills)
Address: 7 Selden St. Woodbridge
Contact: 203-387-2222, www.newenglandbrewing.com
Cavalry Brewing Company
Best beer: Hatch Plug Ale, a classic English bitter. 4.5 percent Alc. By Vol.
Hours: Friday, noon-6 p.m.; Satiurday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Address: 115 Hurley Road, Oxford
Contact: 203-262-6075, www.cavalrybrewing.com
Thomas Hooker
Best beer: Hooker Blonde Ale, a brilliant gold ale that is mellow but flavorful. 5.3 percent Alc. By Vol.
Hours: Gift shop hours and growler fills: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday Open House: first and third Friday of every month, 5-8 p.m.; Tours and tastings: Saturday, noon-5 p.m.
Address: 16 Tobey Road, Bloomfield
Contact: 860-242-3111, www.hookerbeer.com
City Steam Brewery Cafe
Best beer: Naughty Nurse, an English amber ale brewed for a slightly bitter sweet finish. 5.2 percent Alc. By Vol.
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-midnight; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m.; Sunday, 4-10 p.m.
Address: 942 Main St., Hartford
Contact: 860-525-1600, www.citysteambrewerycafe.com


text:
The loneliness of the leaker
International man of mystery, leaker of secrets and self-proclaimed spy Edward Snowden is now deep into his own martyrdom.
"All I can say right now is the U.S. government is not going to be able to cover this up by jailing or murdering me," Snowden said recently.
Story Continued Below
Asked what advice he had for future leakers, he said, "This country is worth dying for."
Snowden also believes it is worth fleeing from. And not just with a toothbrush and a change of undies but with four laptops and at least one thumb drive packed with U.S. intelligence secrets.
Snowden, who just turned 30, dropped out of high school, college and the military, but nonetheless became an American success story. He achieved a six-figure salary and a cushy job in Hawaii with the one industry that seems to require no real qualifications or serious background checks: the United States intelligence community.
About a third of U.S. intelligence workers are employed by private companies, whose guiding force appears to be maximizing profit rather than protecting the nation. Surprise.
Snowden was given a top secret security clearance, even though he had scant qualifications. He revealed a bunch of secrets and then flew the coop to Hong Kong.
Over the weekend, Snowden flew the coop again, this time to Russia.
According to The Wall Street Journal, "In part, Mr. Snowden's determination to leave Hong Kong was based on the fear of losing access to the Internet."
Giving up your country, your friends and family was one thing, but giving up the Internet? C'mon, let's not get crazy.
Snowden is now learning that the life of the supersnoop is not quite as cushy a life as he had in Hawaii. First of all, he has become a hot potato.
According to The New York Times: "Two Western intelligence experts, who worked for major government spy agencies, said they believed that the Chinese government had managed to drain the contents of the four laptops that Mr. Snowden said he brought to Hong Kong. … If that were the case, they said, China would no longer need or want to have Mr. Snowden remain in Hong Kong."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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And here we are! After the utterly dissapointment that was ACR and Ubisoft in 2011 (or not, depend if you liked ACR or not), here we are, 2012!
The wiki keeps growing, our users keep seeding love and we keep on being the greatest and most complete compendium of AC info on the internet! Yeah XD
So far, almost 20 days into the new year, we had no AC news whatsoever, but we have some Ubisoft Assassin's related bits of information. First of all, Alexandre Amancio, creative director of "ACR" and someone who I personally think was very critical to the ultimate lameness and mess up that was that game and storyline (along with McDevitt), has left Ubisoft company. I am speaking only by myself when I say this (and the readers can agree or disagree in the comments below), but you sure aren't going to be missed.
Next, this new year brings new changes on the wiki too, but good ones ^^
First, I'm proud to announce that the Staff Team is currently pursuing and executing the idea of our own Fan Section, a place where all your fan needs can be fullfilled. The fanon section will host images, pictures, videos and texts made by you fans, and it will be throughly monitored to keep its quality high while still allowing a fantastic degree of freedom -- the characteristics and soul of our wiki ^^ The fan authors and visitors will have access to all these wiki's resources and the fan content will be kept compeltely separated from canon content, but both will be easily accessible in a few clicks. Besides that, we are dedicating a team to take care of the fan section, ensuring no one is forgotten and anyone can easily find it's way throught, be it navegating or creating -- images, videos, galleries, texts, even pools and fan-favorites -- expect the full treatment for that section. =]
Second, is a change on our moderator team, the Istruttorium. We removed all ranks within the group, which now report directly to the admins and to me. And along with that change, the former carmelengo and second in command of the Istruttori, User:Vatsa1708, has become the AC Wiki's 4th administrator!
Along with Sima and War, our resident TechWizard Vatsa (aka Piri Reis) enters the team as full fledged admin, so watch out, kids, there's a new dog in the house =P We are sure he will keep on doing the awesome job as he has done for the past year and so and be a guiding presence to the new recruits in our brotherhood, so welcome him on the comments below ^^
Aaaand of course, expect him to make a formal speech =P (Speech! Speech! Speech! \o/)
Remember, Vats:
These are the words spoken by our ancestors - that lay at the heart of our creed.
Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember... nothing is true.
Where other men are limited, by morality or law, remember... everything is permitted.
We work in the dark, to serve the light. We are assassins.
Nothing is true, everything is permitted.
Take these words by heart, and never forget their meaning. Congrats on your promotion, brother. Welcome to the brotherhood.
Sooo that is all for today! Post your comments below – me and the staff want to hear your opinions! =] I hope you all had a good New Year's Eve, and I hope we all have a awesome year!
Safety and peace, folks.
Cello out.
"What's the use of a good quotation if you can't change it?"


text:
If you find yourself within striking distance of Holborn tube station this week, you should pop along and see Beauty in the making - reviewed here on the Eye blog. And there you'll find out exactly what Gill had to do with it.
But hurry, it's only on until Friday of this week - and note that you have to pre-book your place with eventbrite.
And while you're down Holborn way, play your cards right and Ben might even invite you to partake of a cup of coffee.


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Slightly less annoying colors, hope it pleases you.
BTW - do you think it's odd for a comic named after the main character for it not to have displayed this character since (and I'm searching the archives as I type) november 30th last year?
Does anyone miss him at all?


text:
For 20 years Katie Toulmin was unable to even say her name without stammering. Now she is training to be a special needs teacher. Catherine Scott meets her.
Katie Toulmin's life has been dominated by a stammer which meant she struggled to even say her name.
"My entire life has been dictated by my stammer. I even chose a university degree based on the fact it would involve more reading than speaking and gave up on the idea of ever following my dream of becoming a teacher," says the 25-year-old.
But now, thanks to the McGuire programme, Katie is now speaking without hesitation, has regained her confidence and has a job in a school for autistic children.
"If you said to me four years ago I would be doing this I would have laughed," says Katie who lives in Leeds.
Katie says she stammered from the moment she could talk.
"I think for a while my parents thought I would grow out of it, but as it approached the time for me to go to primary school, they realised that I needed some help."
Throughout her childhood, Katie received constant speech therapy and, while she enjoyed the sessions, she never felt it provided her with techniques to actually deal with her stammer.
She was badly bullied while at primary school, including one incident when a gang of boys cornered her on the way home from school and forced her to try to say words she just couldn't say and then started hitting her.
"It lasted for about two hours and was really frightening. I was so traumatised that it took more than six months for me to pluck up the courage to tell my mum. One of the boys was at our school and he was severely punished."
Secondary school wasn't a lot better, but this time it was mainly the lack of understanding from teachers,
"My stammer always got worse when I was anxious. When I was relaxed with my friends I sometimes could say two or three sentences before coming to a block. I also found ways of speaking without using the words that would cause me a problem. I think the teachers saw this and thought I wasn't as bad as I was and so made me stand up and try to speak in front the class, which I just couldn't. It really knocked my confidence further." Katie's mum tried to explain her daughter's stammer to staff. "She said if a pupil had a broken leg you wouldn't make them walk up a hill, and it was the same thing as making me speak in front of the class, it was virtually impossible. That did make them really think."
If anything, attending university was even worse for Katie.
"I skipped all tutorials at university to avoid speaking aloud to anybody and as result made no friends at university. I didn't use public transport alone so I didn't have to struggle and embarrass myself by asking for a ticket I asked friends or family to order my food at a restaurant.
"My sister lived in Manchester I ended up moving in with her for the last two years of my degree. "
It was graduating that made Katie realise she had to take action. "I just couldn't see how I was ever going to get a job because I just couldn't say what I wanted to say and there was no way I was ever going to be able to stand up in front of people."
It was then they contacted the McGuire programme.
"We'd heard about it when I was younger and then when Gareth Gates was helped by it, but I just don't think I was ready for it until I left university," explains Katie. "It is very hard work and takes a lot of commitment." McGuire is an intensive four-day programme which is run entirely by people who stammer, for people who stammer.
"I have never felt so safe in my entire life. Here were 18 people like me who knew what I was going through and wanted to help me. I had never even come across another stammerer before," says Katie. "At the start of the course I was filmed answering a few basic questions. I could barely speak, I blocked throughout the entire thing, I felt like I wanted the earth to swallow me whole, I almost walked out of the room."
McGuire works by teaching stammerers a number of techniques, including costal breathing, and self acceptance.
"Your voice sounds really mechanical and there was a point when I thought I wasn't going to be able to do it. But my coach convinced me to stick with it."
By day three Katie had spoken to 110 people in the streets of London, shoppers, passers-by, policemen.
"By day four, not only could I say my name with clarity and without hesitation but I could speak to my family without thinking about how to avoid a word I couldn't say – I could finally look them in the eyes. This programme is all about facing fears head on and learning not to be afraid." As soon as she finished the course Katie did something she never thought she'd be able to do.
"I went into a travel agents and booked a six-week trip to America on my own. It was the most amazing experience."
On her return she started voluntary work for a charity, eventually getting a job for the National Autistic Society. She recently moved to Leeds and started work as a teaching assistant at the Robert Ogden School near Barnsley. Next year she plans to become a qualified Special Educational Needs teacher. "I really wanted to work with children with autism, I know what it is like to have a hidden disability. I can hardly believe that I am now doing that."
Katie has to do her breathing exercises to ensure her stammer doesn't return. She is also now a McGuire coach, helping other people who stammer.
"Every single day I speak to pupils, support them to become as independent as they possibly can, and reach their full potential. I can finally do that now because I accept myself as a person who struggles with speaking, as a person with a stammer but who isn't going to let anything hold me back. I want people to see that anything is possible."


text:
de Buyer Mineral "B" Country Fry Pan
Easy, hassle-free returns online and in-store for eligible items.Learn More
Earn 5% Back in rewards4 plus free standard shipping3every day when you shop with your Williams Sonoma credit card at Williams Sonoma.Apply Now Learn More
- Summary
Featuring high, rounded sides, this traditional French country pan excels at sautéing, simmering, deep-frying and stir-frying. Constructed of 99% iron with no chemicals or coatings added, this pan has a beeswax finish for a naturally stick-resistant surface.
- Made of 99% iron, a natural mineral material.
- Organic beeswax finish—denoted by a "B" in the pan's center—protects pan against oxidation, helps in the seasoning process and improves nonstick quality.
- With use, the pan darkens and develops a naturally nonstick surface, and the "B" in the center will disappear.
- Allows high-heat searing to seal in food flavors, juices and nutrients.
- Safe for use on all heat sources, including induction.
- Triple-riveted steel handle.
- Made in France.
- Dimensions & More Info
- 10" Fry Pan: 11" diam., 3 1/2" high; 5 lb. 8 oz.
- 12" Fry Pan: 12 1/2" diam., 3 3/4" high; 6 lb. 8 oz.
- Made in France.
- 10" Fry Pan: 11" diam., 3 1/2" high; 5 lb. 8 oz.
- Use & Care
- Ideal for use on any type of cooktop, including induction.
- Oven and broiler safe.
- Hand wash only. Use hot water, and just a few drops of gentle soap if necessary. Do not soak pan.
- Remove any residue with a nonabrasive scouring pad.
- After washing, dry pan and lightly season: Add a few drops of cooking oil to pan and wipe with a paper towel, leaving a thin layer of oil on pan before storing.
- Season pan before first use: Place potato peelings in the pan with about 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes. Drain the mixture, then rinse the pan. Cover the pan bottom with a coating of frying oil and dry it for a few minutes. Discard oil and wipe the pan with a paper towel.
- Shipping
Shipping Information
UPS can deliver most in-stock items within 3–5 business days. UPS is unable to deliver to P.O. boxes.
Shipping Rates
The shipping rate varies depending on your order total and shipping destination. View Shipping Options and Charges.
Next Day Delivery
For an additional charge of $26 per address, we can expedite delivery to most destinations. This service is not available for some oversize items, items shipped directly from the supplier (including perishable and custom-manufactured items), out-of-stock items and items to be shipped outside the contiguous 48 states.
Orders received by 9:00 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday will arrive the next business day; orders placed Friday through Sunday will arrive on the following Tuesday.
Return Policy
At Williams Sonoma, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction are our priority. Upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage; we will arrange for a prompt replacement.
If within 30 days, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value. An original receipt or gift receipt is required for all returns and exchanges. Returns with a gift receipt will be refunded in the form of a Merchandise Credit for the amount indicated on the gift receipt. Returns with original receipt will be refunded in the original form of payment, cash and check refunds over $100 will be issued as a company check (may take 14 business days from time of request).
For all cutlery returns (knife sets, single knives, cutting boards, knife sharpeners and knife storage), please contact us at 888.922.4108 to initiate the return.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, custom upholstery, food, items shipped direct from the vendor or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. Final sale items ending in .97 or .99 cannot be returned.
Made to Order and Final Sale Furniture items are non-returnable and cannot be cancelled once the order is placed.
For returns of items purchased from your Williams Sonoma Gift Registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later. View Full Returns Policy.
- More about de Buyer
The de Buyer family has been making cookware in the French town of Val-d'Ajol since 1830. The family-owned company originally crafted pots and cauldrons for cooking over a live fire using iron ore extracted from the region. Pairing modern technology with a timeless attention to quality, De Buyer still creates cookware in the classic French shapes and materials traditionally used in professional kitchens. In addition to copper and iron collections, the company also offers stainless-steel and nonstick lines to meet the needs of today's home cooks.
- Price Match Guarantee
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Rated 5 out of 5 by angelrich from Healthier than my non-stick I got 10" country fry pan tow years ago as a gift and have used it almost every other day for sauteing vegetables. It is easy to clean and pretty much non-stick after seasoning it right. I want to buy 12" version for larger quantities but would prefer one with two small pot holder handles than the one with a small and a long handle. Hopefully, Williams-Sonoma could add that to their inventory soon.Date published: 2018-06-11Rated 5 out of 5 by Lizkitchen from My favorite fry pan for cooking I don't trust the non-stick coated pan. This one is 100% pure steel, no coating at all. I watched the video and learned how to season a steel pan to create a non stick surface. Now, this de Buyer fry pan become my favorite pan for cooking everything.Date published: 2015-05-04Rated 5 out of 5 by ChineseParasol from look forward to many years of cooking in this pan I was looking for something with non-stick quality and can do Chinese stir fry. This pan heats up quicker than my cast iron, gives the high temp needed for stir fry, its high sides allow toss and turn. It also gets more and more non stick after more cooking - the part that I like the best.Date published: 2014-10-18Rated 5 out of 5 by JillMad from A Pan for All Seasons Since eating Teflon does not appeal to me, I returned to the original non-stick - cast iron, and the old standby - stainless steel. This huge steel skillet with the extra handle and beeswax finish looked and sounded intriguing to me. In fact, it is a wonderful skillet and I use it several times a week to cook many different foods - following the same criteria as for cast iron: avoid acetic foods, such as tomatoes and do not leave saucy food in the pan to undo the seasoning. The de Buyer video on YouTube explains care and seasoning in the very visual, multi-lingual way required these days. Now I want the smaller one and I am seriously eying the other styles!Date published: 2013-01-28Rated 1 out of 5 by nanatoo from Imparts metal flavor to foods I ended up throwing this pan away after the first use... I made a large pot of chili and it tasted like metal... Threw away the chili and the pot...Date published: 2012-10-12Rated 5 out of 5 by Miffy from great pan for high-heat cooking I cooked Asian food most of times and need a non-stick pan for high-heat saute, pan frying or deep frying cooking method. All other non-stick cookwares do not recommend to use on high-heat. This pan is great for high-heat cooking and best of all it has nonstick quality. Follow the instruction on the booklet that come with the pan before first use and season. The instruction of season pan before first use on WS website is for de Buyer blue steel series. It would ruining the finish of the pan by boiling the potatoes peeling (I did that on my first pan and exchanged for another one).Date published: 2012-08-17


text:
Did you know that when you share photos online, you put your privacy at stake – more then you imagine?
Your photos can tell everyone who's watching them
- where you live
- where you spend your time
- when there is noone home
- where you park your car
- and other information that you wouldn't want to tell
How it happens?
When you make a photo with smartphone or camera, it's more then just an image. Most modern smartphones and some cameras can add geo tags – information about exact location where photo has been made. And anyone watching your photo can get it.
How you can protect yourself?
You can turn off GPS feature on your phone, but you might need it for navigation. And it won't help you if you get images with geotags from other sources – such as your friends.
The best way to make sure there are no geotags in your photos is to run a free scan with Geotag Security. How it works?
- Download Geotag Security
- Select a folder to check
- Geotag Security will scan a folder, find any image files with geotags and remove them
How you can protect your family?
If you don't want to compromise your family privacy with photos revealing location, you need to make sure that no member of your family is sharing photos with geotags. It is very easy to do with Geotag Security PRO. You just need to install it to all computers in your household and make it monitor folders where photos are kept. So now when a new photo with geotag gets into this folder, Geotag Security PRO will remove geotags.
Download your copy of Geotag Security and run a free scan.


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Most clients know that I like to do without too much "stuff"...evidenced by our gradual downsizing, leading to our ultimate purchase of a small loft in Vancouver. Our internal and external spaces are now filled with what we do, not what we have.
This shift wasn't just driven by our need to find a personal solution to the environmental challenge on our planet. It is the continuation of a parenting plan that was born on the tidal flats of Point Roberts in 1982 - before our first was born, and long before the words "environmental footprint" or "sustainability" were commonplace.
My husband and I walked in the howling wind, hoods pulled up around our faces, wearing our matching blue Goretex jackets. We faced each other, put our hoods together, and looked like a full-sized Rorschach test. There, we made a pact that the people in our immediate family had to come first - before things, before jobs. We'd make what we could, keep things simple, and remember that we were our children's first teachers. We would teach them by example. In the 1980's, an era full of big ideas, splashy consumerism, wide shoulder pads and the dawn of huge "toys" (both for kids and adults), this was a step away from the norm.
It was a challenge to go against the flow, to avoid the hoops that society expected us to jump through - but, we did it. I think (I hope) our kids are better off as a result. They are, most certainly, better recyclers than we ever were!
Today, I like to think that it's getting just a little bit easier to follow the path towards sustainability. Sure, there are people who will try to get you to fall for their product placement, to "buy, buy, buy". But, there are an increasing number of people convinced that more is not better, bigger is not better, and that the environment must be our overriding concern.
So, here's a list of some "stuff" that will help you on your path towards a more sustainable family life:
Your Body is Free
- Your Lap - Not only warm, it makes a great portable changing table, a non-slip holder for the baby in the family bath, and a bounce-machine for a fussy baby. No batteries needed.
- Your Chest - Provides a self-regulating temperature sleep space, complete with built-in tic-toc white noise for the baby who won't sleep easily.
- Your Arms - with a little help from all the "new age but old as time" baby wearing gear, your baby can view the world from an adult perspective. Buy local and check out Cheeky Monkey or Chimparoo for a wide range, from slings to woven wraps. Remember, in time, most parents discover that strollers are for the groceries and that the kids just want to be carried.
- Your Legs - Leave the car at home, then walk or ride bikes everywhere. With EVO Car Share and Modo Car Co-op in Vancouver, you can even manage without having a car of your own. You'll just need a car seat that travels well. Think of keeping your environmental footprint small - live, work and play in a small geographic area. Buy an e-bike, a cargo bike, a bike carrier or baby trailer. Vancouver's bike routes are fantastic.
- Your Brain - Fill up with your maximum weekly allowed books for all the family at the library (kids are unlimited). Challenge your mind, think outside the box by going to a new shelf each week. Share these ideas with your newborn. Remember that in the first 18 months, the baby's brain is still in a remarkable growth period. Feed the brain!
- Your Voice - Singing, talking, whispering, reading aloud from the newpaper... Whatever you do, just TALK! This is a priceless gift that you can give your children. Studies have shown that talking to infants enriches their brain development, their ability to learn, and their power in using language.
- Your Breasts - When the placenta goes, the breasts picks up the slack, and are fully capable of sustaining the wee one for years. The benefits are immeasurable!
Some Good Stuff (not all free, but at least worth it!)
- Cloth or environmentally friendly diapers - Baby Gear Lab has done some great reviews of cloth and disposable diapers.
- Hook-on Chair - Remember that kids don't know that they're kids - they see themselves as a full and equal member of the family. So, let them share the table with you (at home, at friends houses, at a campsite, or in a restaurant) and you'll never need a high chair. These can cost as little as $20. And while you're at it, consider baby-led weaning.
- The Corner Cupboard - Remember loving that corner cupboard with the lazy-Susan filled with Tupperware when you were a kid? I lived in the skinny cupboard between the oven and the fridge. Boy, was it cozy and warm! The kitchen, if made safe and kid-friendly, can be the best exploration zone, from Tupperware becoming shakers and building blocks, to cornstarch and water becoming fun ooze. I taught my son to write by moving his hand through flour on a tray. Being a tactile learner, he caught on faster than if we'd used a paper and pencil. Remember, the possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
- Handmade Puppets - what a way to explore role-playing at an early age! When a younger sibling arrives, the first born can safely share feelings with a monkey puppet. Buy B.C. if possible...check out places like Natural Pod.
- The Outdoors - Cheaper than anything in Vancouver - the ocean, the forest, the parks, the beach. There's nothing better on a Fall weekend than leaf-pile jumping at Jericho. And, don't forget my "let children run free for 4 hours a day" rule.
The Jars (or how to get through real life smoothly)
- The To-Do Jar - introducing The Jar Concept! Since you should only do "one thing" a day with wee ones, burn your lists and write down any tasks on slips of paper and place them in a jar. Stick your hand in the Job Jar each morning and see what you (or your partner) can do. You have the right to decide if you don't want to do this task! Just stick in your hand, and draw out another task! You can even make postpartum visitors draw out a task whenever they visit (mums don't need to do anything for, oh, say, 6 weeks after giving birth - let everyone else do the work.) Lists will become a thing of the past, and you'll be free to go through life more naturally - without time constraints or artificial deadlines. Your kids will thank you!
- The Fun Jar - This one is great - a jar filled with fun family ideas and activities. For example, when the Georgia Straight comes out each week, you can check the family section for fun and free activities, cut out each one, then draw them out at will! You can expand this to include a magical mystery tour to Iona Island to watch the planes landing, a hike or bike ride in Pacific Spirit Park, tobogganing at Cypress...unlimited fun! Make sure one activity per week is saved for the entire mum's group.
Back to the Beach
When my husband and I made our pact on the beach 33 years ago, it would have been seen as just a bit flakey. Now it's seen as just another part of the West Coast family-focused environmental revolution.
For almost thirty years, clients have called me long after their babies are in school, just to check in with me, another mum (now "Deecy" aka Gran) who's "gone before". We sometimes talk for over an hour. Just like I did during their labours, I try to teach by example. They, in turn, teach me more. They tell me that they've discovered that babies and children just want love, how the body is free, how almost-free "stuff" is somehow a greater gift to give our children than expensive "stuff". They tell me that once you get the hang of it, thinking outside the box becomes easier.
And I tell them that the challenge is to keep it up as your children's worlds grow - as they meet new people, as they enter school. By then, you might be thinking about fresh air learning, home schooling, unschooling, co-op child care, working from home, flexible work schedules, community gardening... Just do what you can. The path is challenging, but worth it.


text: Yoga For Your Abs\\nFive of the most effective yoga poses to de-stress, strengthen your core and sculpt a sexy stomach.\\n1. Sit with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Grasp your legs under your thighs, slightly above your knees. \\n \\n2. Lean back slightly. Lift your feet off the floor so that your shins are parallel to the floor. Press the sides of your feet together. \\n \\n3. Extend your arms straight out in front of your at shoulder height, with palms facing up. \\n \\n4. Straighten and raise your legs toward the ceiling until your body forms a V shape.\\n1. Begin in [plank.](https://www.self.com/gallery/yoga-sun-salutation-workout-slideshow) \\n \\n2. Draw your right knee up, bringing your kneecap toward your nose. \\n \\n3. Draw your right thigh up toward the midline of your body. \\n \\n4. Point the toes of your right foot, and squeeze your raised right leg into your body. \\n \\n5. Repeat on the opposite side.\\n1. Begin in seated staff. \\n \\n2. Press down into your hands. Lift your legs and hips off the floor. \\n \\n3. Bring the soles of your feet toward the floor so your ankles, hips, and shoulders make a straight, diagonal line. \\n \\n4. Allow your head to drop back slightly so your chin points toward the ceiling.\\n1. From [downward-facing dog](/gallery/yoga-sun-salutation-workout-slideshow), step your right foot forward between your hands, aligning your knee over your heel. \\n \\n2. Lower your left knee towards, but not touching, the floor. \\n \\n3. Raise your torso and lift your arms overhead, drawing your shoulder blades down your back. \\n \\n4. Repeat on opposite side.\\n1. Lie belly down, toes and forehead pressing gently into the floor. \\n \\n2. Place your palms next to your body along the sides of your chest, with your elbows bent and your fingers pointing straight ahead. \\n \\n3. Press down into your palms, curling your shoulders and chest off the floor.


text:
BEIJING – China announced Monday it had arrested more than 200 terrorist suspects over the past month in the restive Xinjiang region, highlighting its commitment to a security crackdown even as a bloody attack last week raised questions about its effectiveness.
Since the attack, which killed 43 people in a vegetable market in the regional capital of Urumqi, Beijing has responded with a show of force in the form of police and troops parading down city streets, an announcement of a one-year blitz on terrorism, and creation of ad hoc anti-terror work teams around the country. But some observers say the strategy — no matter how toughly it is implemented — is ineffective and could even backfire.
"These terror attacks show those launching them are capable of attacking any place with the methods and timing of their choice," Shanghai-based independent military commentator Zhao Chu said in an article that concluded that China's Xinjiang is quickly becoming like Russia's Chechnya. "The so-called counterterrorism is nothing more than tightening the social controls that are already extremely tight. It is undoubtedly a policy of adding fuel to the fire."
The leadership's hard-line approach was underscored in a document issued late Monday following a meeting of the ruling Communist Party's leading 25-member Politburo to discuss the situation in Xinjiang.
"Strike hard and maintain high pressure on the three forces (of separatism, extremism and terrorism) and effectively contain the expansion of terrorist activity into the heartland," the statement said.
Violence has long been linked to ethnic tensions in Xinjiang. Many of its native Muslim Turkic Uighur people say they are discriminated against by the ruling Han Chinese. Recent attacks blamed on radicals among the Uighurs have become bolder and have targeted civilians, although Xinjiang experts say it is unclear whether groups of people are linking up to make long-term plans.
Security has been tight for years in the region, which is flooded with armed military police, city police and community wardens as well as large numbers of surveillance cameras looking for the slightest signs of riots. Armored personnel carriers are a common sight on Urumqi streets.
Police routinely conduct special operations aimed at rooting out potential militants and deterring likely followers. State media said Monday that local authorities had broken up 23 terrorist and religious extremist groups and caught over 200 suspects so far this month.
The latest attack shook Urumqi just one day after Xinjiang courts jailed 39 people on terrorism-related charges stemming largely from sharing audio and video materials that authorities said promoted violence.
Three weeks earlier, just as President Xi Jinping had urged police to be "fists and daggers" in fighting terrorism during a tour of the northwest, two suspected suicide bombers detonated explosives at a train station there, killing themselves and one other person.
Both attacks took place amid a renewed crackdown after five assailants believed to be Uighurs killed 29 by slashing at crowds at a train station in southwestern China. Last year, three Uighurs rammed a jeep into crowds of tourists in the heart of Beijing and exploded the vehicle, killing themselves and two tourists.
Ahmed A.S. Hashim, a terrorism expert at Singapore's Nanyang Technical University, said Chinese authorities already have "enormous amounts of resources" to try to prevent attacks in Xinjiang, and that many of the units are "not exactly well versed in civility."
"The more they take a hard line — the 'strike hard' strategy — the more they tend to feed discontent and the desire for revenge and the more likely the Uighur separatists might get support from outside groups, particularly in Central Asia," Hashim said.
A Chinese terrorism expert, Li Wei, said the country had to step up counterterrorist measures across the country because attacks once confined to Xinjiang are now occurring outside the region. He defended China's efforts so far.
"It's not that our existing counterterrorist measures are ineffective, but the spreading of extremist thought has played a key role (in creating new terrorists)," said Li, director of the Institute of Security and Strategic Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
"We are not only targeting the terrorists that directly participate in terrorist activities, but also people that spread extremist ideas, manufacture explosives, plan and organize terrorist activities, because they are all different segments of the terrorists' activities," Li said. "Only by doing so can we reduce the risk of people becoming victims of terrorism."
But Zhao is far less optimistic. He said China's security apparatus has failed because it is built to suppress political and social dissent instead of terrorist threats. "Faced with the tides of terrorist attacks, China's security paraphernalia are nothing but a paper-pasted levee," he said.
Zhao also warned against suppression of open discussions about terrorism and ethnic issues in China.
"It must be said that it is a horror that China should ban public discussions and news investigations when it faces such serious terrorism threats," he said. "By suppressing public attention, exchanges of ideas, the society can never fully face this threat."


text:
Highlights of the February 2010 Edition of the Fab Databases
The February 2010 edition of the World Fab Forecast, FabFutures, World Fab Watch, and the 300mm Fab databases have been published and available to our subscribers.
Here are a few highlights from our World Fab Forecast:
- Of the 1097 facilities listed, 952 facilities are in operation.
Since our last publication (November '09 edition):
- We've made 215 changes on 169 facilities.
- We've added 18 facilities: added new fab; added existing fab
- We've noted that 14 facilities were closed or cancelled.
2010 spending on fab construction projects is expected to increase by about 85% to $3.7B (Nov '09 report was 70% growth to $2.7B). 2011 is expected to increase by about 25% to $4.6B
In 2010, six new facilities (including MEMS, LEDs and R&D) are expected to begin construction (same number as in Nov 09 report). Three are for LEDs & MEMS, two for Memory and one for Foundry.
Spending on equipping facilities is expected to increase to over 88% to over $27B in 2010 (was 65% growth and $23B identified in the Nov '09 report). 2011 is expected to increase by about 38%.
- Installed capacity is expected to increase by about 5.8% in 2010 to over 16 million wafers per month (after a decline of almost 4% in 2009).
Most installed capacity coming on-line in 2010 is for Foundries with about 13.2% capacity growth (up from 9.6% growth in Nov 09), followed by memories with about 6.8% growth (up from 4.6% in the Nov '09 report).
Not a subscriber?
Please take the opportunity to review our fab databases listed below. Our databases deliver the latest forecast and a complete analysis on frontend semiconductor fabs and foundries worldwide and are ideal resources to empower your market research.
We can also work with you to create a custom fab database tailor to your needs and budget. And we can also create a regional database for fabs in North America, Asia or Europe. Please feel free to contact Ed Hall at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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World Fab Forecast
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Coverage: 3 years of data; Quarterly forecast for the next 18 months
Coverage: 2 years of data; Quarterly forecast for the next 18 months.
Coverage: Includes previous quarter (no quarterly forecast).
Coverage: 300 mm frontend fabs (no quarterly forecast).
Detail of allfabs including ones that have or will have spending plans. Includes closed fabs for the period.
Detail of fabs that have committed to spending (construction and/or equipment spending).
Provides a summary of allfabs including fabs that will be closed.
Provides an overview of the 300 mm fabs.


text:
The Denver Broncos backed into the AFC West title last season while on a three-game losing streak. They didn't back in this time.
The intense race for the playoffs is in full gear. Check out the latest situation in the postseason chase. More ...
The Broncos won their seventh consecutive game Sunday, overcoming a slow start in a 31-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to again claim the AFC West. The Broncos have won the division in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1986 and '87.
The 2-3 start and that ugly Monday night in Atlanta now are distant memories. The 9-3 Broncos remain in contention for the top seed in the AFC playoffs, two games behind the 11-1 Houston Texans. The New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens (both 9-3) also are in the hunt.
This was a game the Bucs actually led 10-7 entering the second half. That's when the Broncos took over, turning a close contest into a blowout with 21 unanswered points in the third quarter. The Bucs added some points late, but this was decided when Von Miller -- a serious contender for NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors -- picked off a Josh Freeman pass and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown.
"The hype these guys get, it's well-deserved," Freeman said, via The Associated Press. "They get after it."
Relive every game this season online and on-demand with enhanced viewing features, including the "All-22" coaches film. Get NFL Game Rewind.
Peyton Manning threw three more touchdown passes, giving him 29 in 12 games. As he seems to do every week, Manning made history Sunday. His 28th TD pass set a new Broncos single-season record, breaking a mark previously shared by John Elway and Jake Plummer. Manning now has thrown for at least three touchdowns in seven games this season.
The Broncos just seem to be a cut above most teams right now. If they can secure a bye and have their January opponents come to Denver, look out.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.


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Why I Won't Be Watching the New Season of Lost
Imagine you're at this party and you start talking to this guy. He's a really cool guy, and he starts telling you a story that is one of the most interesting you have ever heard. It's a story you think can't be topped, but then he segues into another, even better story, and you think, wow, this is the coolest guy ever.
Forty minutes later he's still talking, and it's all still pretty interesting, but it looks like the alcohol's running out and there's this really hot girl talking to a friend of yours and you're thinking, is this guy ever going to run out of stories? And after another 10 minutes you decide no, he is never going to run out, or pause to take a breath, and you politely excuse yourself.
This is the best analogy I can come up with for why I'm not going to watch the new season of Lost.
If Lost had wrapped up its story at the end of season three it would have been a short but perfect series. But now, as season five is about to kick off, I just don't care anymore.
It was obvious by the middle of season three that Lost was losing focus. It was still really good, it still had a lot of "wow" moments, but it felt like there was a little more filler, that the show had to go a little too weird to keep up the momentum, and that it was really time to wrap things up. I even thought of blogging an open letter to the producers asking them to make that season the last one, but never got around to it. It is unlikely they would have listened anyway.
I didn't think the show had anywhere to go by season three's end until that last "wow" moment in which we get a glimpse of post-island life. Perhaps, I thought, this new twist would kick start the show back into high gear.
It didn't. Instead, Lost increasingly seemed like a show going in a thousand directions at once. Since season one I've been worried that the series could never wrap all its bizarre twists and turns into something that made sense. I thought it would end with nothing but loose ends. But as Lost kept explaining one thing in a convincing manner while introducing something else, I began to think maybe they would pull it off.
As season four progressed though, I came to the conclusion that such a thing was no longer possible. The show has increasingly relied on a sloppy mysticism and it is my belief that the producers have probably convinced themselves that the Island should remain in great part a mystery. I do not believe they plan to offer a satisfactory explanation to all these years of weirdness, and that because they're not planning to explain, they feel free to throw in more and more "out there" plot turns.
I could be wrong, but it's unlikely, because you could not at this point explain everything in a two-hour finale. They would have to start explaining things bit by bit from the first episode and do that all season, without introducing any new mysteries. And based on the last four years, I don't think that will happen.
Season four once again had me thinking about writing that open letter, but once again, I didn't. It would not have mattered; the producers had actually decided already that they were going to end the series ... in 2010.
I can't go through another two years of unanswered questions, weird pseudo-science, and characters who refuse to answer the simplest question in a straightforward manner (seriously, if I were on that island I would've tied Benjamin to a chair and beat him with a stick until he told me what that smoke monster was). If Lost were a book, I would be jumping ahead to the last page right now.
Will all our questions be answered in two years? I doubt it. I expect the show will end with many loose ends, the producers will decide to make a Lost movie they promise will explain everything, the movie will come out and simply add some more mysteries and everyone will feel like a sucker.
So I'm done. By the end of season four I had simply lost my enthusiasm for what was once my favorite dramatic series. I just don't care what happens from now one, except to the extent that when the series is finally ended I will go to Wikipedia and find out how it all turned out.
Lost isn't the only series at this party, and I've listened to enough of its stories. Now I'm going to go over and say hello to that hottie from Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles.


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The Founding Fathers understood that democracy — "government of the people, by the people, for the people" as Abraham Lincoln put it four score and seven years later — presupposes that people shoulder a set of responsibilities to govern themselves.
The Constitution limits the President's ability to conduct wars and support a standing army. It explicitly leaves citizens with the responsibility to defend their country, as the Second Amendment sets forth the need for a well-regulated militia. The notion of a plowman-soldier was central to the American Revolution. George Washington was called Cincinnatus of the West, after a Roman farmer who twice led the Republic on the battlefield, subsequently returning to his plowshares.
Taxation = Representation
Naturally, early Americans were also finely attuned to the connection between taxation and self-rule. They had to be: the new nation effectively grew out of the Boston Tea Party with its battle cry "No Taxation without Representation." Even earlier, British constitutional law was shaped by English monarchs' need for a steady tax flow to pay for the Royal Navy (rather than relying mainly on manpower as Europe's continental powers did). This required the crown to cooperate with wealthy barons and ultimately devolve power. That's why Britain had the Magna Carta back in the 13th century, whereas France stayed absolutist.
The payment of taxes is an important responsibility of free citizens and a way of bringing them into the political process. He who pays for the music ultimately calls the tune.
Governments that rely on citizens to pay the bills tend to be more democratic. Industrialization led to democratization among Pacific Rim Tigers, countries such as Taiwan, South Korea and, more recently, Malaysia and Indonesia. Wealthier societies provide a more secure safety net, with more education, health care and other public benefits, which requires more taxes. Since taxes have to be collected from citizens, citizens get greater leverage vis-à-vis their rulers.
Countries that do not have a substantial industrial base but rely instead on the export of natural resources tend to be far less democratic, even if they grow quite wealthy from such exports and coddle their citizens. The list of oil exporters, from A for Algeria to V for Venezuela, is filled with oppressive regimes. Venezuela is a glaring example. While other Latin American countries have gotten rid of military juntas and charismatic leaders, Venezuela is ruled by a buffoonish strongman. It's also the region's largest oil exporter.
The problem is that oil exporters don't have to ask their citizens for money. They tax their oil exports instead. Oil is a national resource, which ostensibly belongs to everyone but in reality allows governments to pay their bills without sharing power or accounting to their citizens. They don't need their citizens' cooperation, only obedience.
Russia is another case in point. During the 1990s oil prices were very low. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, industry was in shambles, citizens had no money, the government collected puny tax revenues and the country was poor. But it was moving toward democracy. Then, in 1999, oil prices began to climb, eventually reaching over $100 per barrel in recent years. In 2011, Russia is drowning in petrodollars and its Forbes list of dollar billionaires continues to expand. But Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who initially maintained a fairly democratic system bequeathed by predecessor Boris Yeltsin, gradually throttled Russia's nascent democracy and set up an oil-exporting kleptocracy in its place.
Freeloading Americans
Listening to our politicians in Washington railing against taxes, you might think that ordinary Americans are severely overtaxed. But we pay a considerably smaller portion of GDP in taxes than we did in the 1950s, when American industry ruled the world. Federal taxes as a percentage of GDP, after peaking at around 20 percent in the second half of the 1990s, have been declining steadily over the past decade and a half and are now below 15 percent. This is the lowest proportion of GDP since around 1950. Personal income taxes alone, subtracting corporate taxes, peaked at 10 percent of GDP in the 1990s and are now closer to 7 percent of GDP. Our overall tax revenues are the lowest in the OECD, the rich industrial nations' club, except for Chile and Mexico, hardly the richest of its 34 members.
That wouldn't have been such a big deal — and in fact would have probably been a positive — had government spending also declined at the same time. It did decline in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and measured around 18 percent of GDP for all levels of government. But in recent years it rose once more to over 20 percent of GDP, the same level as in the late 1980s.
Ronald Reagan, when he came to power, was a determined opponent of Big Government and profligate public spending. He had an idea of starving the government of money. He passed a number of steep tax cuts and at the same time embarked upon a substantial military buildup. Sooner or later something would have to give — and Reagan was sure that it is government entitlement programs that would be eventually cut, because Americans liked their tax cuts.
Indeed, Americans did love their tax cuts, so much so that tax cutting mantra became a national ideology. "Read my lips — no new taxes" was a campaign slogan that got George H.W. Bush elected in 1988. His son cut taxes twice and got reelected. But, it turned out that Americans also loved their free-spending government. They just didn't want to pay for it.
What Reagan didn't realize was that the government could continue to spend and avoid paying its bills. How? By borrowing. The country's gross debt, after staying stable at around $2 trillion throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s (and falling steadily as a share of GDP, from 120 percent immediately following World War II to under 40 percent in 1980), began to escalate in the 1980s. Congress is currently debating whether or not to raise the debt ceiling once again, since debt has now punched through the previous limit of $14.2 trillion.
Wrong Solution
The American government, then, is no longer spending our money. Rather, it is spending the money of those Americans who do not vote — our children and grandchildren, most of whom have not even been born yet. In the end, it is to them that we'll bequeath our debts.
Since the government has not been spending our money, it doesn't feel the need to be accountable to us. Nor do we really care about the way the government spends its money — since it is not ours, anyway. It's not our treasure that has been wasted over the past decade in Iraq and Afghanistan, nor is it our money that was given to the financial services industry to bail it out in the wake of the 2008 financial meltdown. Nor will our money be spent on a national health care system. Why should we even bother to go to the polls?
The Tea Party is correct when it states that doing business as usual will eventually put the U.S. into bankruptcy. The problem is that it doesn't have the right solution. Slashing government spending won't do: we all like our entitlements, our Social Security, our Medicare and other programs, especially since we don't have to pay for them. A far better way would be to pass a balanced budget amendment and to raise taxes across the board — on the rich, the poor and the corporations — enough to fund the current level of government spending.
You'd be surprised how taxpayers would swamp the polls in the next election to kick the bums out and elect a president and Congress that will institute genuine public finance reform.


text: Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, frontman Mike Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Wade Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike Morris was ousted, the group began calling themselves Faith No More. After going through a series of singers which included Courtney Love, the band was joined by Chuck Mosley in 1983. The same year, Jim Martin was recruited to replace guitarist Mark Bowen. The band is best known for combining elements of heavy metal, funk, progressive rock, hip hop, hardcore punk, thrash metal, and jazz, among many others, and have been hailed as an influential rock band.


text:
Government Contracting – Learn How the Federal
Government Buys from Small Businesses Are you thinking of breaking into the federal
government contracting marketplace in 2017? This lucrative market is worth nearly $100
billion in sales to small businesses each year, but selling to the government is quite
different than selling to the commercial sector. For example, the government applies standardized
procedures to buy products and services it needs from suppliers that meet certain qualifications. But how agencies across the government actually
make those purchases (or "contracts" them) can vary enormously. Purchases can sometimes be made quickly using
a simple credit card; other times, sealed bids, negotiations or consolidated purchasing
programs are used. To help small business owners navigate this
unfamiliar territory, SBA offers free online training – the Government Contracting Classroom
– a soup-to-nuts overview of the process. "How the Government Buys" is one of three
self-paced courses that can help you understand contracting methods the government uses to
buy goods and services. If you are new to this market, check out this
training. In the meantime, below are some key learning
points about how the government buys! Primary Buying Methods the Government Uses
In the private sector, business customers purchase products and services in a number
of ways – some use credit card purchasing authority while others issue formal requests
for proposals (RFPs). It's not too dissimilar in federal contracting;
however, contracting officials who oversee the procurement process must follow the procedures
outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulation, commonly known as the FAR, to guide government
purchases. Here's an overview of the different rules
and procedures that control how the federal government makes its purchasing decisions
and how these may favor small businesses: Micro-purchases with credit cards – Government
purchases of individual items under $3,000 are generally considered to be micro-purchases. They don't require competitive bids or quotes
and agencies can simply pay using a Government Purchase Card or credit card, without involving
a procurement officer. Seventy percent of all government purchases
are for micro-purchases under $3,000; in 2010, this represented more than $19 billion. Simplified acquisition procedures – Purchases
under $150,000 can use simplified purchasing procedures that involve less paperwork and
fewer approval levels. The good news for small business is that purchases
above $3,000, but under $350,000 are also reserved or "set aside" exclusively for
small businesses. Sealed bids – This method is used when the
government buys competitively and has very specific requirements. Agencies will issue an "Invitation for Bid"
(IFB), much like an RFP in the commercial sector. Businesses will then submit sealed bids that
are opened by a contracting officer in a public setting, read aloud and recorded. Contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder
who is determined to be fully responsive to the needs of the government. Contracting by negotiations – This is a
more complex and time-consuming process. In certain cases, when the value of a government
contract exceeds $150,000 and when it necessitates a highly technical product or service, the
government may issue an RFP. Typically, the government will request a product
or service it needs and solicit proposals from prospective contractors on how they intend
to carry out that request and at what price. Proposals in response to an RFP can be subject
to negotiation after they have been submitted. If the government is merely checking into
the possibility of buying, it may issue a Request for Quotation (RFQ). A response to an RFQ by a prospective contractor
is not considered an offer, and consequently, cannot be accepted by the government to form
a binding contract. Consolidated purchasing vehicles – Many
agencies have common purchasing needs such as software or offices supplies. To achieve economies of scale, purchases of
certain types of products or services are centralized. In this "consolidated purchasing," acquisition
vehicles are typically used, the most common being GSA Schedules or Government Wide Acquisition
Contracts, called G-WACs. These centralized buying vehicles are negotiated
by the government with awards to many vendors and used by multiple agencies. Contracting and contracts can seem like interchangeable
terms in this business. But now that you know the buying methods used
by the government, it's important to understand how the government navigates pricing and what
form the actual contracts or agreements take once you've won the business. From fixed-price contracts to blanket purchase
agreements, these contracts and agreements take multiple forms – too many to list here. Check out the links below the video for a detailed overview


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Aladdin's Eatery
12447 Cedar Rd. (Fairmont Blvd.) Send to Phone
216-932-4333 | Make Restaurant Reservations
OpenLunch & Dinner daily
- Parking lot
- Dress code: Casual
- Heart-healthy dishes
- Kid-friendly
* Click here for rating key
Aladdin's Eatery Restaurant Review: With a name all but synonymous with magic, Aladdin's Eatery has a few tricks up its sleeve. First, this casual restaurant welcomes diners with a dessert counter filled with cake slices as big as your head. Second, the service is attentive and informative without being overbearing. Then there's that buttery hummus and notable hot sauce --- both of which border on addictive. The menu is primarily Middle Eastern-leaning, with appetizers like falafel, pita pizzas and diwali, rolled pitas that include a chicken curry version. Vegetarians will delight in the many dishes made without meat or cheese. Meat-eater or otherwise, you'll find the vegetarian soup as tasty as the smoothies and fresh fruit juices. A small but adequate wine list is available as is a menu for children.
GAYOT's Annual Restaurant Awards honor America's best chefs, as well as promising newcomers and a top restaurateur.


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thattai necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 47 diseños de 17 diseñadores freelance.
Self Summary: CEO/Founder of a Solar Development Company. Working to change the energy dynamics in the US. Solar is finally an affordable and a reliable alternative to traditional power sources. My interest in starting this company is to be the agent of change, to create wide spread awareness about Solar making it an easily understood and affordable house hold & commercial technology.
The philosophy is to enable customers to OWN their personal power generating asset. In this effort the company strives to educate and clear the fear, confusion and doubt about Solar Energy.
Sunduce is a Solar Development company which is to say that its not a consumer product. The typical decision makers are CEO/CTO/high exec staff. The message to get across is the following
- Crisp, Clear, simple and powerful avatar & logo. No crowded logos or band logos that create confusion
- Trying to get across reliability and the ubiquitous availability of the Sun. Clear the confusion that its not affordable
- Its a bold renewable energy company marching to the future.
Emotions that i am planning to evoke:
- Comfort and confidence
- Hope, Optimism, a sense of place in history
Thinking of an avatar like Cingular, MSN, AOL etc. to make it human, trying to hit on emotions of familiarity and comfort but incorporating Sun some where , either the face glows like the sun with rays going through Sunduce.. or any other creative idea.
Demographics: Commercial companies from Coca-Cola to WalMart to even local sports store thinking/wondering about Solar Energy
Predominant Audience: Decision makers, CTO, Operations chief, Facilities.. Typically people who are traditionally smart and get influenced by simple and clear concepts
Age : Everywhere from 30-70
Education: Highly educated
Interests: Audience typically interested in returns from investments, with an average environmental conciousness
Opinion: Something simple but powerful. Hinting about Solar but without overdoing it. One example is (http://www.sunpowercorp.com). No rock band type logos.
- Firstly, Sunduce is a play on words to mean producing energy from the Sun. Sun and pro "duce"/ in"duce" making it Sunduce
- I want the logo to be cursive writing. I mean something on the lines of Coca-Cola, Kelloggs or Google. This is just a preference and if something more compelling comes out, more than willing to adopt it.
- Please create logo for just the name "SUNDUCE" and not for "SUNDUCE ENERGY"
- Please incorporate no more than three colors over all. Yellow/Green --> for obvious solar reason. Blue --> Dependable, trustworthy technology
White for color balance ..
- Simple design but powerful to show way of the future. Either an earth or a green concept. Please stay away from green leaves or saplings etc.
- Some way to convey clean and dependable energy...
- Sunduce is to produce energy from Sun. Conveying Solar Energy is critical
Some of the kind of logos i really really like
- http://www.sunpowercorp.com --> Love the flash based work on the "O" but yet elegant and powerful.
Here are some DO NOTs or things to stay away from
- Reversed letter graphics
- Band type logos that create lots of confusion and distraction
- No money bills, dollar signs or anything to convey affordable or cheap
- No flipped letters or upside down graphics
- No animals, dolphins or anything of that nature
- No pink or any feminine colors
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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On Wednesday, June 13, 2012, I had a thought: Is it possible to play Minecraft 24 hours straight and defeat the End dragon? I decided it was unlikely I could do that, but that it might be fun to try. This is the story of that attempt.
Uncle Troy's website: http://www.troycheek.org/
Stalk Uncle Troy: http://socialblade.com/youtube/user/troyhcheek
Email Uncle Troy: firstname.lastname@example.com
Minecraft is a sandbox construction game where you can build anything you can imagine. It also has scary monsters, like creepers who tend to want to destroy what you have built. The game is available at http://www.Minecraft.net
Title Music:
"Home Base Groove"
by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0"
Uncle Troy Presents > UTP News >


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One of the most important new features of the 892 Professional Rancimat is that determinations can now be started independently at the touch of a button directly at each of the instrument's 8 measuring positions. The user in the lab does no longer have to go to his lap- or benchtop to do so.
Moreover, the new Rancimat generation comes with a display at the front-top side of the instrument communicating key information (e.g., temperature, gas flow, conductivity) on the status of the determination on each of instrument's 8 measuring positions.
On the other hand, the new StabNet software contributes very much to the improved usability of the new Rancimat generation. Thus, the user interface is well structured enabling intuitive use; a client-server version with advanced user administration for improved data security is available, and the complete software complies with FDA title 21 CFR part 11.
While these new technical features improve ease of use of the instrument, application of methods on the new 892 Professional Rancimat stays the same, namely the most important international standard methods:
Manufacturer Metrohm AG
Be the first to review this product


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Project Row Houses is pleased to present Yoga with Letty, a series of free yoga classes led by artist and creative practitioner Leticia Contreras held two Saturdays each month. Leticia will host light-hearted beginner lessons to introduce the community to vinyasa flow in a public space. This style of yoga involves synchronizing breath with a continuous flow of poses. Through this flow, participants will learn how to quiet the mind and bring ease to the body during these tumultuous times while connecting with the community. These sessions are an opportunity to fall deeper in love with your body, ground yourself in the Third Ward and look forward to the more compassionate journey that awaits you.
Yoga with Letty will be hosted the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month in the green space next to Delia's Lounge at the intersection of Emancipation Avenue and Francis Street. The location is subject to change contingent on the weather.
Every 1st & 3rd Saturday of the month:
September 16
October 7
October 21
November 4
November 18
December 2
December 16
What to bring
Yoga mat
Water bottle
Small towel for sweat
Towel for mat (optional)
This program is supported by the Strategic Art Plan initiative.


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Ability to process information as a baby continues into adulthood
Infants who excel at processing new information at 6- and 12-months-old, typically excel in intelligence and academic achievements as young adults in their 20's, according to a study directed by Case Western Reserve University Psychologist Joseph Fagan.
Fagan's "The prediction, from infancy, of adult IQ and achievement," published in the journal Intelligence, is receiving accolades. Mensa International, Limited,-- the international organization of 100,000 people who score at the 98 percentile on IQ tests—and their Mensa Education & Research Foundation, recently recognized Fagan's work with the 2009 Award for Excellence in Research.
The research honored by the Mensa groups examined the question of whether the more intelligent infant becomes the more intelligent and more highly achieving adult.
"Yes" is the answer Fagan and his research team found.
Intelligence involves processing new information and then making associations with other information an individual encounters throughout life. These processes work together to allow an individual to grow in knowledge, says Fagan.
Over 20 years ago, Fagan developed the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence. The test measures the response infants have to pictures of novel objects.
The infant test works by pairing two pictures together for a set period of time. A researcher watches the length of time an infant looks at the pictures. Then one of these pictures is paired with a new image and again the time the infant focuses on the new and old images is recorded. Infants generally spend about 60 percent of the time looking at new images.
In the research project for the award-winning paper, Fagan and his co-investigators Cynthia Holland from Cuyahoga Community College and undergraduate student Karyn Wheeler revisited 61 young adults, who had taken the Fagan Test as babies in their first year of life. They also looked at their first IQ tests at the age of 3 and compared them with their scores at 21 years old.
They discovered an association with intelligence between this early ability to process information and IQ during their young adult years. These infants with ability to process new information at an early age showed higher levels of academic achievement later in life.
The researchers say that attention to novelty "tells us that intelligence is continuous from infancy to adulthood" and "underscore the importance of information processing as a means for studying intelligence."
They added that this knowledge may help researchers also understand how genetics and environment can influence intelligence.
Source: Case Western Reserve University (news : web)


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RENTON — By now, it has become the norm for the Seattle Seahawks to the point that it's taken for granted.
Over and over again the Seahawks add a cornerback to their roster with a late-round draft pick, and over and over again that player turns out to be a star or a starter or at the very least a dependable backup.
Of course, everyone knows All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman was a fifth-round pick (No. 154 overall, he loves to remind you). And this year's starter on the other side of the field is Byron Maxwell, a sixth-round pick in that same 2011 NFL draft who — it's easy now to forget — actually was ahead of Sherman on the depth chart as a rookie.
Nickel corner Jeremy Lane was a sixth-round pick, and top backup Tharold Simon, one of the bright spots in this year's camp after missing last season because of injuries, was a fifth-rounder. Just for good measure, let's throw in Pro Bowl safety Kam Chancellor, a fifth-round pick, and Seattle's backup safeties Jeron Johnson and DeShawn Shead, both undrafted, and the league's best secondary is made up of one first-round pick, Earl Thomas, and a bunch of guys other teams passed over.
So what's going on here? It's one thing to strike gold on a late round pick, but how do the Seahawks keep finding quality cornerbacks late in the draft year after year? Is it coaching, is it scouting, is it something else?
The short answer is, yes. It's all of that.
"I don't think it's one thing; I think it's a combination of a lot of things," Maxwell said. "I think it's the leaders we've got in the room, I think it's great coaching. Coach (Kris) Richard makes sure everyone's attention to detail is where it needs to be — his attention to detail is second to none, and he played the position so he understands what it takes. … And you've got to have the right attitude. That has to be right, you have to come ready to work every day."
Finding an overlooked cornerback who can become an NFL star begins with general manager John Schneider and his scouting department knowing what kind of player is the right fit in Seattle. Part of that is physical — candidates must have long arms, and for an outside cornerback, height helps, as does speed, though not all of Seattle's corners run a 4.4-second 40-yard dash. But a big part of scouting is also the process of, as Schneider likes to describe it, "knowing what's in a man's heart." There's an attitude that is a must for Seahawks corners. They don't all have to be as boisterous as Richard Sherman, but they all need to be comfortable playing aggressive, press coverage.
"I know we look for guys who kind of fit a profile," said Richard, Seattle's secondary coach. "Those guys certainly have fit the profile in regards to their mentality and how they want to challenge wide receivers at the line of scrimmage down after down. You start with that mentality, then coaches can take someone, teach them a few things, and you'll end up with a finished product. … Mentality more times than not is going to overcome ability. It's what's in your heart."
Even Thomas, the lone first-round pick and the most physically gifted player in Seattle's secondary, understands what makes the players on either side of him tick.
"I think the main reason is the understanding of how powerful your mind is," Thomas said. "When you get around greatness, you want to be great. When you're around greatness and you're around this positive talk, it's like, man, if you think you can be the best, you can be the best."
Coaching, too, plays a big role, and that starts at the very top. That's evident in the fact that Seattle's cornerbacks all have spent a decent amount of time in Seattle's system before breaking out. Even Sherman, a two-time first-team All-Pro, was a third-stringer as a rookie before injuries forced him into action. These aren't players who arrive in Seattle NFL-ready, but rather talented, motivated and moldable athletes who Pete Carroll and company shape into a finished product. While Richard and defensive passing game coordinator Rocky Seto are crucial in the development of Seattle's corners, it all starts with Carroll, a former defensive back who has long been considered a secondary guru.
"I think it starts with philosophy and commitment to what we're trying to get done," Carroll said. "We have a very deep, longstanding commitment — I've been coaching in this style since the mid-80s, the technique and all of that. Kris has done a fantastic job of making sense to these young guys and bringing them through the process where they become system guys for us. But it's not a cookie-cutter thing, because they all have different talents. Just look at the different style of athletes — (Richard Sherman) has got an absolutely unique style that he plays — but the foundation and the fundamentals of it go way back, and Kris and Rocky have done a fantastic job of always cultivating the talent. We just need guys to come in and give themselves to us, and we know we can coach 'em up. We've been doing it for a long time."
And for a long time it has been working. When the website FootballPerspective.com came up with a formula last year to rank pass defenses, the 2013 Seahawks ranked as the fourth best since 1950. No. 2 on that list was the 1988 Minnesota Vikings, who employed a young defensive backs coach by the name of Pete Carroll. And last year when Thomas, Chancellor and Sherman each earned All-Pro honors, it made the Seahawks one of just three teams in NFL history to have three defensive backs earn first- or second-team Associated Press All-Pro honors in the same season. One of the other two was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, whose defensive coordinator was, you guessed it, Carroll.
So coaching has a lot to do with Seattle's ability to consistently turn late-round picks into productive cornerbacks. But again, so does scouting the right athletes and the mental makeup of those athletes.
"Coaching, scouting, chemistry," Maxwell said. "It's a lot of things."
Herald Writer John Boyle: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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TeamLeader API - Followers
The TeamLeader API allows users to interact with the different aspects of the TeamLeader system including: the CRM, opportunities, invoices, subscriptions, products, tickets, time tracking & tasks, projects, and notes. An account and an API key are required with service. Users are restricted to 25 calls per 5 seconds.


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The Second Lives Of 'Stuff' In Chicago Public Schools
In 2013, the Chicago Public Schools decided to close some 50 schools to save money and consolidate resources. In recent months, the system has been emptying out those buildings, creating a giant collection of reusable materials, from textbooks to Bunsen burners, to desks and chairs. From member station WBEZ in Chicago, Linda Lutton takes a look at all the stuff that is getting reused.
The Second Lives Of 'Stuff' In Chicago Public Schools
Over the past six months, Chicago has been emptying out dozens of school buildings. The city voted to close 50 schools last spring. The district said it needed to concentrate students in fewer buildings so resources wouldn't be spread so thin.
Reporter Linda Lutton, from member station WBEZ, has been tracking what's happened to the things that used to fill those schools.
LINDA LUTTON, BYLINE: All through the fall and into the winter, Chicago Public Schools has been packing, sorting and moving literally tons of stuff from the closed schools.
LUTTON: What sort of stuff? Desks, chairs, books, yes. But also...
TOM TYRRELL: Puzzles, globes of the world.
LUTTON: Rubber dinosaurs.
TYRRELL: Yeah, dinosaurs.
LUTTON: That's Tom Tyrrell, a former Marine Corps colonel, who's overseeing the school closings for Chicago Public Schools. We're at one of the closed schools, Von Humboldt Elementary, a 130-year-old, four-story building that takes up half a city block. It is now filled with stuff from the rest of the closed schools. The gymnasium looks like a flea market, everything laid out on long tables, boxes stacked nearly to the basketball nets.
TYRRELL: There's scales, goggles, there are science kits - we have them somewhere.
LUTTON: When you move a house, you pack it up room-by-room. To move 50 schools, the logistics company the school district hired is packing by category. It's treating a handful of the closed schools like warehouses, sending furniture to one, library books to another, and all the instructional materials are here at Von Humboldt.
Wow, look at this hallway.
In the school's auditorium, boxes of reference books sit like obedient children on the theater chairs. On the stage, towers of encyclopedias form a little skyline. Tyrrell says the goal is to get all of this into an online catalog and let the schools place orders.
There's kind of a book smell to everything. A hundred and thirty-nine dollar price tag in this dictionary.
TYRRELL: And that's where we get to the number of millions and millions of dollars in value that we now don't have to spend with, you know, our normal booksellers 'cause we've got them and these will be distributed for free to the schools.
LUTTON: Tyrell estimates there are some 700,000 books here. I'm going to go look at the encyclopedias over here. The New Book of Knowledge Encyclopedias. I think I used these as a kid. Copyright 1988. Yep, Ronald Reagan is president. There's still a Soviet Union. Tyrrell admits this book may not be headed back to a Chicago school. He says what can't be used in the district will be sold or given away.
Teachers have had their own window into this process. Some, like Vince Manobianco, describe being allowed to go back into their closed schools at the end of summer to get supplies and furniture. Manobianco was the math and gym teacher at Lafayette Elementary before the 120-year-old school was shut down.
VINCE MANOBIANCO: They let us go in and kind of do this mad dash, grab what you can. There were people in there already with big moving vans and trucks.
LUTTON: Manobianco says it was difficult seeing his school torn apart. Teachers were walking on books, students' old desks and chairs were tossed into a giant heap.
MANOBIANCO: Teachers were crying 'cause it was - we were going back into this building. And the last time we had been in it, the rooms were set up. It was a very well-functioning school. And then the next time you walk in, you were evicted - is basically what it looked like.
LUTTON: Tyrrell, the district official, says nothing of value is being thrown away. Even a chair leg will be sold for scrap, he says.
The cost to move everything, $31 million, three times what an initial contract spelled out. Tyrrell says the district just underestimated how much stuff there was in the schools. Movers even found a pickup truck in one; assembled in a shop class, probably. It's still there. No one can figure out how to get it out.
Chicago has now cleaned out some 40 schools. I visited one. Teachers' last instructions were still written on blackboards but there wasn't a piece of chalk or an eraser left.
For NPR News, I'm Linda Lutton.
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Hey. Have we named a Secretary of Rustproofing yet? LOL. I couldn't stop chuckling about that during my running tour of the neighborhood this morning. Actually, credit for that goes to Dana Milbank, writing in The Washington Post:
Minutes before the president's arrival in the Grand Foyer of the White House, a technician in the back of the room tested the teleprompter for Obama's speech. "Fourscore and seven years ago," announced one of the screens in big letters, "our fathers brought on this continent a new nation . . ." In the actual event, Obama opted for a more modest text — less Lincoln at Gettysburg than Krystal Koons cutting an ad for the family car dealerships.
"If you buy a car from Chrysler or General Motors, you will be able to get your car serviced and repaired, just like always," the president promised yesterday morning from the executive mansion.
And that's not all, folks! "Your warranty will be safe," the salesman in chief went on. "In fact, it will be safer than it's ever been, because starting today, the United States government will stand behind your warranty."
Incentives? Obama's got 'em. "If you buy a car anytime this year, you may be able to deduct the cost of any sales and excise taxes," the president offered. And nobody beats Obama on trade-ins; he wants a "generous credit to consumers who turn in old, less-fuel-efficient cars."
OK. Back to reality — or at least the reality as I see it standing firmly in my own little echo chamber. Obama got it right yesterday. Good to save the auto companies — and the thousands of jobs that go with it. But at some point Mr. and Ms. Taxpayer have to stop tossing megabucks down a rat hole. (Note to self and Eugene Robinson: Check in a few months to see if that standard applies to the Wizards of Wall Street.)
So now it is up to GM and its new chief, Fritz Henderson, another company lifer, to come up with Plan B. By the way, I like the sound of "Fritz." That strikes me as a take-charge kind of name. I digress. And Chrysler is gone — at least as we know it. I'm starting to look at the Italian-at-a-glance books in anticipation of my next service call to the Jeep dealer.
And Obama was also correct yesterday when he talked about the crisis in Detroit being a failure of leadership — there and in Washington. The Prez said:
The pain being felt in places that rely on our auto industry is not the fault of our workers; they labor tirelessly and desperately want to see their companies succeed. It's not the fault of all the families and communities that supported manufacturing plants throughout the generations. Rather, it's a failure of leadership — from Washington to Detroit — that led our auto companies to this point.
Year after year, decade after decade, we've seen problems papered over and tough choices kicked down the road, even as foreign competitors outpaced us. Well, we've reached the end of that road. And we, as a nation, cannot afford to shirk responsibility any longer. Now is the time to confront our problems head-on and do what's necessary to solve them.
A failure of leadership — responsibility — and ethical conduct. Gee. Just like we used to talk about in those media ethics classes at Kent State. I guess there were some lessons there after all. Bush and team never seemed to understand any of that.
Remember a year ago when Bush could not even admit that we were in a recession — economic or moral?
And as I mentioned yesterday, Michael Moore flagged the decline of the auto industry as well as any historian or commentator in his 1989 film, Roger and Me. Take another look at that documentary. You'll see the devastation that had already been done to many communities in Michigan that relied on autos. And you'll see the arrogance — and lack of public concern — demonstrated by GM management and its PR staff.
Lack of leadership. That, to paraphrase Obama, is the can that kept getting kicked down the road.
And by the way, baseball season opens next week. And Citi Field in opening in NYC — at a time when we are closing GM and Chrysler in Detroit.
Play ball.


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A sad thing happened a couple of months ago when a local bookstore went out of business. Anytime a store goes under I find it a bit disheartening. However, looking on the bright side of things, most everything was marked 50% off ~ including these great wooden artist model hands (you can find them here).
Not only do I love the hands because they're artsy (literally) and fun but also for their practical potential.
I think that using them as an accessory on a tabletop or in a bookcase is the way I would typically use the hands. But why not use them as a quirky jewelry organizer? They're the perfect place to plop rings and bracelets on! I hope your week is going splendidly. XO ~ Dana