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Priced Out: Understanding the factors affecting home prices in the GTA. RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series
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1 Priced Out: Understanding the factors affecting home prices in the GTA RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series
2 Priced Out: Understanding the factors affecting home prices in the GTA Cherise Burda November Royal Bank of Canada and the Pembina Institute. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce all or part of this publication for non-commercial purposes, as long as you cite the source. Additional copies of this publication may be downloaded from the Pembina Institute website: About RBC RBC is the largest residential mortgage lender in Canada, helping thousands of Canadians reach their homeownership goals whether they are buying their first home, planning their next move, renovating or managing their current home financing. In addition, RBC offers environmentally responsible products and services for clients, and promotes responsible lending as part of its commitment to environmental sustainability, detailed in the RBC Environmental Blueprint; visit environment/index.html About the Pembina Institute The Pembina Institute is a national non-partisan think tank that advances clean energy solutions through research, education, consulting and advocacy. We have spent close to three decades working to reduce the environmental impacts of Canada s energy production and use in several key areas: driving down energy demand by encouraging energy efficiency and transportation powered with cleaner energy sources; promoting pragmatic policy approaches for governments to avoid dangerous climate change, such as increasing the amount of renewable energy plugged into our electricity grids; and recognizing that the transition to clean energy will include fossil fuels for some time advocating for responsible development of Canada s oilsands and shale gas resources. For more information about the Pembina Institute, visit Donate to the Pembina Institute The Pembina Institute is leading Canada s transition to a clean energy future through technical research, education, consulting and advocacy. We need your support to continue providing independent analyses of the major environment and energy policy issues of the day. Please become a donor today. / Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC and Royal Bank are registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner(s).
3 Priced Out: Understanding the factors affecting home prices in the GTA Table of Contents Executive summary...3 Glossary...4 Introduction...5 Factor 1: Real income and demographics...9 Factor 2: The cost and accessibility of mortgages...12 Factor 3: Construction and development costs...15 Factor 4: Land availability and regulations...18 Factor 5: Location and housing stock supply and demand...22 Discussion...28 Conclusions...30
4 List of Figures Figure 1. Map of the Greater Toronto Area, including the Regions of Halton, Peel, York and Durham and the City of Toronto...6 Figure 2. Average housing prices in Canada and in select cities...7 Figure 3. Average housing prices in GTA regions...8 Figure 4. Average housing prices in GTA municipalities in Figure 5. Average housing prices and average after-tax family income in Canada...10 Figure 6. Average housing prices and real income in three Canadian cities...10 Figure 7. Mortgage rates and historical real average housing prices in Canada...13 Figure 8. Mortgage rates and average housing prices in select Canadian cities...14 Figure 9. New housing price index in the Toronto CMA and Oshawa...16 Figure 10. Construction union wage index...16 Figure 11. GTA housing prices and development charges Figure 12. Ontario s Greenbelt...18 Figure 13. Percentage of projected population growth to 2031 accommodated in ground-related units...20 Figure 14. Housing prices in select cities with (solid lines) and without (dotted lines) urban growth boundaries...21 Figure 15. Municipalities or municipal centres with the highest average housing prices (2012 dollars)...23 Figure 16. Municipalities or municipal centres with the lowest average housing prices (2012 dollars)...23 Figure 17. Housing prices in the City of Toronto and the GTA by house type...24 Figure 18. Average price of detached house in the GTA, June Figure 19. Breakdown of dwelling types in the GTA (2011)...26 Figure 20. Housing completions in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area...27
5 Executive Summary Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and the Pembina Institute s Home Location Study released last year found that over 80% of Greater Toronto Area (GTA) residents would give up a large home and yard to live in a locationefficient neighbourhood that is transit-friendly, walkable and offers shorter commute times. 1 However, more than 70% of residents in the GTA live where they do because of affordability rather than preference. 2 Households are choosing car-dependent neighbourhoods mostly because of prices rather than a preference for the location. Priced Out is a follow-up study researched and written by the Pembina Institute, co-published by RBC, that explores the factors contributing to rising home prices in the GTA, and how homebuyers are being priced out of location-efficient options. Findings Factors that have impacted home prices in Canada over the past decade include a strong economy, low interest rates and favourable mortgage insurance rules. These factors have increased the demand for homes and driven up prices across Canada, including in the GTA. Prices in the GTA have risen steadily and consistently, paralleling the national trend, but without the sharp spikes witnessed in cities such as Calgary and Vancouver. Regionally, the greatest influence on GTA home prices is the limited supply of housing stock, such as single-family homes, in established and locationefficient neighbourhoods in the City of Toronto and in other urban/suburban locations in the GTA. Demand for single-family homes in the City of Toronto and the municipalities that border Toronto has outstripped supply, driving up prices for these homes. Due to the relative scarcity of affordable and location-efficient single-family houses, demand has shifted to more affordable multi-unit homes for homebuyers and renters wanting to live in established neighbourhoods. Key insights are as follows: 1. There is no shortage of land throughout the GTA to build single-family homes for decades to come, but this land is predominantly located far from the City of Toronto and other established centres of employment. 2. There is limited supply of land to build single-family homes in established, location-efficient neighbourhoods where people want to live; therefore home prices have increased and will continue to rise in these locations. 3. Due to scarcity of affordable single-family housing stock in established location-efficient neighbourhoods, demand has shifted to comparatively more affordable multi-unit homes, and prices have risen accordingly. Many homebuyers are being priced out of established neighbourhoods and are faced with a trade-off: condominium style living in transit-accessible neighbourhoods or owning a single-family home located in car-dependent neighbourhoods. 4. There is no evidence that Provincial land use policies, including the Greenbelt Plan and the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, restrict housing development and contribute to rising home prices. RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 3
6 Glossary of common terms Home or single family home: A house that is usually occupied by just one household or family and consists of just one dwelling unit or suite. Single family home is often used synonymously with single-detached house. In this report home refers to both fully detached and semi-detached houses, which are common in the GTA. Detached house: A fully detached, free-standing residential dwelling. Single-detached houses do not share an inside wall with any other house or dwelling. Semi-detached house: A free standing residential building with a pair of houses built side by side as units sharing a party wall and usually in such a way that each house s layout is a mirror image of its twin. Semi-detached houses differ from detached houses in that they have a front, rear and/or any one side detached from their attached unit. Townhouses: Units mimicking a detached home that are attached in a multi-unit complex with their own outside door as opposed to an interior hallway access. They can also be stacked as vertical units, normally each with its own private entrance. Row-housing: A row of identical or mirror-image ground related houses that share side-walls. Multi-unit dwelling: A building comprised of multiple separate housing units for residential inhabitants. Multiunit dwellings can be apartment buildings or condominiums. They can be low-rise or mid-rise buildings with a few storeys or multi-storied high-rises. Ground-related dwellings or units: Single-detached, semi-detached, row and townhouses with at least three bedrooms and ground-based access. Condominium building: Housing property where a specified part of a piece of real estate (usually of townhouses or multi-unit buildings) is individually owned, while common facilities are executed under legal rights associated with the individual ownership and controlled by the association of owners that jointly represent ownership of the whole piece. Condo: Usually refers to the owned unit within a condominium building Apartment building: Commonly connotes a building with multi-units for rental and owned by the building owner, and is not typically used for a condominium. Apartment buildings, like condos, can be low-, mid- or high-rise. High-rise building: In the City of Toronto, a high-rise is 12 storeys and higher; however the definition of a high-rise building may vary by municipality. Mid-rise building: The City of Toronto defines a mid-rise as a building between 4 and 11 storeys; however the definition of a mid-rise building may vary by municipality. Low-rise building: In the City of Toronto a low-rise is under 4 storeys; however the definition of a low-rise building may vary by municipality. Greater Toronto Area (GTA): The Greater Toronto Area is defined as the central city of Toronto and the four regional municipalities that surround it: Durham, Halton, Peel and York. City of Toronto: An amalgamation of what used to be six distinct municipal entities the borough of East York and the cities of Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, York and North York. Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH): An urban region centred on the City of Toronto and stretching around the western end of Lake Ontario. The region covers approximately 3.2 million hectares or 12,355 square miles, and has a population (2011) of 8.76 million people or 68% of Ontario s population. Greenfield land: Previously undeveloped land/land planned to be developed in rural, agriculture, natural or unused areas located outside of developed urban/suburban areas. RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 4
7 Introduction The RBC-Pembina Home Location Study released in 2012 found that over 80% of GTA residents would give up a large house and yard to live in a location-efficient neighbourhood that is transit-friendly, walkable and offers shorter commute times. 3 Location-efficient neighbourhoods can be either urban or suburban. They provide walkability to stores, restaurants and other amenities, convenient access to frequent rapid transit, reasonable commutes to work and opportunities to walk or cycle to various destinations. The trade-off is often living in a smaller house with a smaller lot or in a multi-unit dwelling rather than a single-family home. In a neighbourhood or home that is not location-efficient, residents generally require a vehicle to get to most places, as there are no efficient options to travel to work or other destinations by any other means. If transit is available, it consists of infrequent buses in mixed traffic. The RBC-Pembina Home Location Study found that 70% of residents in the GTA live where they do because of affordability, and that households are being driven to car-dependent locations mostly because of price rather than neighbourhood preference. Examining the factors that price out homebuyers The growing number of homebuyers who live far from where they work, in car-dependent neighbourhoods, results in longer commutes and contributes to traffic congestion and poor air quality. This hampers the region s economic success 4 and reduces its quality of life. More location-efficient living would contribute positively to the environment and the economy, while further supporting the province s land use and transit-planning objectives. But in recent years, home prices in these locations in the GTA 5 have put these choices out of reach for many homebuyers. Priced Out is a follow-up study by RBC and Pembina designed to explore the factors that have been contributing to rising home prices in the GTA. Many factors enter the home-pricing equation, and no single factor can explain fluctuations in home prices. A careful review of academic and financial literature identified five key factors that are cited most often as affecting home prices in the GTA: a. Demographics b. The cost and accessibility of mortgages c. Construction and development costs d. Land availability and regulations e. Home location and housing stock Location-efficient development Close to workplaces, amenities and urban hubs Access to rapid transit Shorter commute times Option to walk, cycle or take transit to destinations Priced Out examines each of these factors to understand their relative impact on home prices over time, comparing each factor geographically within the GTA with the same factors in other cities and against the broader national average. In particular, we seek to identify which factors may be pricing out homebuyers from location-efficient neighbourhoods. RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 5
8 The first chapter of the report provides an overview of how prices have changed over time in Canada as a whole and within the GTA. In the chapters that follow, we examine key factors that influence supply and demand, as well as the corresponding price changes, to gauge what is having greatest influence on rising home prices in the GTA. We are interested in how these factors interact, how development patterns impact home prices and also how home prices drive development. City of Toronto versus the GTA Throughout this report, there will be references to the City of Toronto and the GTA. The map below provides the geographic boundaries for both. Figure 1. Map of the Greater Toronto Area, including the Regions of Halton, Peel, York and Durham and the City of Toronto 6 The rising price of homes in the GTA Housing prices in Canada have risen steadily over the last 30 years, with a dramatic rise in the last 10 years. The national trend is upward, but the largest price spikes are seen for individual cities rather than in the national average. This suggests that factors specific to each city or region cause discrete fluctuations. For example, following the relaxation of mortgage insurance rules in 2006, both Vancouver and Calgary experienced a sharp upward spike, followed by a downward spike after the recession. Meanwhile, prices in Toronto climbed more steadily and gradually. The price trends for each city are shown in Figure 2. RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 6
9 $1,000,000 Average housing price (2012 dollars) $900,000 $800,000 $700,000 $600,000 $500,000 $400,000 $300,000 $200,000 $100,000 $ Vancouver Toronto CANADA Calgary Regina Edmonton Montreal Figure 2: Average housing prices in Canada and in select cities Calculated using data from the UBC Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate and Statistics Canada 7 In Calgary, other factors such as the energy boom were at play, and Calgary s price surge took place from 2006 to Prices in that market are just beginning to pick up following a slump between 2008 and In Vancouver, the confluence of a strong economy, a surge in offshore investment 8 and the desirability of the city itself 9 created a positive hot market that has inflated prices. Despite the recent recession, housing prices in Canada continued to rise in all major cities. While the MLS housing price index, which measures price trends and price inflation/deflation in residential housing, rose faster in Toronto than in Calgary or Vancouver after 2008, prices in Toronto did not rise as much during the previous six years. Figure 3 looks more closely at price trends within the GTA since York Region, Halton Region and the City of Toronto are the most expensive regions, all with steadily rising prices. The City of Toronto experienced the most noticeable decline in 2008, after which prices rose steadily. RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 7
10 $700,000 Average housing price (2012 dollars) $600,000 $500,000 $400,000 $300,000 $200,000 $100,000 York Region Halton Region City of Toronto Peel Region Durham Region Figure 3. Average housing prices in GTA regions Calculated using data from the Toronto Real Estate Board and Statistics Canada 10 Figure 4 shows prices in 2012 for key municipalities in the GTA and for municipal districts within the City of Toronto. The highest-priced region for many years was central Toronto. It is made up of well-established neighbourhoods, served by higher-order transit. 11 However, housing prices in central Toronto dipped following the recession in 2008, and two nearby municipalities became the highest-priced: Oakville, a higher-income municipality connected to Toronto by highway and GO train, and Richmond Hill, an established suburb close to Toronto and connected by commuter train. Whitby Pickering Brampton Toronto East Mississauga Milton Toronto West Burlington Ciy of Toronto Markham Vaughan Toronto Central Richmond Hill Oakville $- $100,000 $200,000 $300,000 $400,000 $500,000 $600,000 $700,000 $800,000 Average house price, 2012 Figure 4. Average housing prices in GTA municipalities in 2012 Calculated using data from the Toronto Real Estate Board and Statistics Canada 12 RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 8
11 Factor 1: Real income and demographics Demographic shifts and increases in income are well-recognized demand-side factors that influence long-term price trends in Canada and the GTA, but are not as strongly linked to medium-term and recent price fluctuations. 13 Key findings Average real income in the GTA rose over the past three decades by 18% (in 2012 dollars), which tends to increase demand, but real home prices increased by 80% during the same time period. The price-to-income ratios in Canada and the GTA have increased most significantly over the past five years, suggesting that other medium- and short-term factors such as mortgage financing and population growth are impacting supply and demand and subsequently home prices. The composition of families and households in Toronto is shifting toward smaller households, families with fewer children and more people living alone. This is leading to demand for smaller houses and multi-unit dwellings. Population The GTA is one of the fastest-growing regions in North America. In 2011, the population of the GTA was 5,583,064, representing a percentage change of 9.2% from This compares to the national growth of 5.9% and to the average growth among all census metropolitan areas of 7.4%. 14 Over the next 25 years, the population of the GTA is projected to increase by more than 44%. 15 In the City of Toronto, projected demand for rental homes is expected to outpace supply, due to a growing proportion of young people, seniors and in-migration influencing where people choose to live and work. Real income After-tax income in Canada increased by 18% from 1980 to 2010 (in real 2012 dollars). However, housing prices increased 80% over the same period of time, with most of this increase occurring after This trend can be seen in Figure 5. The ratio of the average house price to income in the GTA has increased from 4:1 to 6:1 over the last 10 years, suggesting that the upward pressure on housing prices is not caused by income alone. 16 This ratio is also rising in other major Canadian cities and has varied between 3:1 and 6:1 over the past 30 years. The exception is Vancouver, where the ratio rose to 12:1 the greatest gap between average income and housing prices in any Canadian city. 17 RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 9
12 Average housing price (2012 dollars) 450, , , , , , , ,000 50,000 Average housing price Average after-tax income 140, , ,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 Average after tax income (2012 dollars) Figure 5: Average housing prices and average after-tax family income in Canada Calculated using data from the UBC Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate and Statistics Canada 18 Figure 6 shows average after-tax income for Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. From 1980 to 2010, income and housing prices have increased in all three cities, yet the relationship is not similar. Vancouver had the highest increase in housing prices and the lowest increase in income, whereas housing prices and income in Toronto and Calgary seem to be correlated, showing the same spikes and long-term trends. 800,000 Average housing price (2012 dollars) 700, , ,000 Average housing price Vancouver 225, , , , ,000 Toronto 125, ,000 Calgary 75, ,000 Average after-tax income 0 25, Average after-tax income (2012 dollars) Figure 6. Average housing prices and real income in three Canadian cities Calculated using data from the UBC Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate and Statistics Canada 19 RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 10
13 Trends Demographic trends in a region can also impact housing prices. As population increases, demand and competition for desirable housing increase, which can lead to increased prices for certain housing types (and reductions for those types in less demand). 20 In some cases, such as Calgary and Edmonton between 2005 and 2007, housing supply could not keep up with growing demand, and this caused a significant increase in home prices. 21 Demographics and housing occupancy trends The links between housing demand, prices and demographic changes are both complex and dynamic. People tend to demand one type of housing over another at different ages and stages in their lives. Thus, shifts in the age structure of Toronto s population influence the types of housing in demand over time. 22 The composition of families and households in the City of Toronto is shifting toward smaller households, families with fewer children and more people living alone. As of 2011, Toronto breaks down into 37.3% nonfamily households, 59.7 % one-family households and 3.0% multiple-family households. 23 From 2006 to 2011, the number of one-person households in Toronto increased by 12.1%, while larger households of four to five increased by 0.5%. 24 The number of single-family households decreased from 2006 to 2011, while the number of multiple-family households almost tripled during that time period. 25 The number of families with children in the City of Toronto has declined slightly; from 2006 to 2011, the proportion of couples with children fell from 58.9% to 57.4%. For the rest of the GTA, a similar decline, from 67.1% to 66.0%, took place over the same period. 26 There is also a trend toward more families living in multi-unit buildings. High-rise apartments and condos suitable for families are being constructed at a low rate, which has implications for home prices. 27 The number of family households living in high-rise buildings in the City of Toronto increased by 6.7% or 23,905 households between 1996 and Family households tend to demand housing units with three or more bedrooms. 29 Recent construction and the expected near-term supply may not be meeting this shift in demand: although six of every 10 new units built between 1996 and 2006 were in buildings with five or more storeys, only 4% of these high-rise units had three or more bedrooms. 30 Projected trends in the GTA The GTA is one of the fastest-growing regions in North America; over the next 25 years, the population of the GTA is projected to increase by more than 44% to 9.2 million people accounting for more than 50% of Ontario s population. 31 The GTA is expected to remain the region with the youngest age structure in the province, due to both immigration and positive natural increase. The City of Toronto is forecasted to grow by over 500,000 people between 1996 and Between that time period, the number of households is projected to grow by 25%, and the demand for rental accommodation is expected to grow by almost 20%. Toronto s official plan therefore projects demand for rental households to increase while the share of rental tenure from all households will decline. This is due to an increase in certain age groups (young and senior) and higher rates of in-migrations with preference for rental properties. 32 RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 11
14 Factor 2: The cost and accessibility of mortgages According to many analysts, the increase in home prices in Canada particularly in the 2000s was significantly driven by lower mortgage interest rates and the increased accessibility of mortgages. 29 Mortgage rates and lending rules have a clear influence on price fluctuations in the short and medium terms, and both factors have varied substantially in recent years. Key findings Mortgage rates have declined significantly in Canada, from a peak of 18.5% in 1981 to 4.25% (posted) in 2012, with all-time lows occurring in 2005 and again in This has allowed more homebuyers to enter the market, driving up demand and prices. Lending rules became less restrictive from , which brought more homebuyers into the market and drove up demand and prices further. In 2006, maximum insurable mortgage amortization terms were briefly extended to 40 years, and the minimum down payment eligible for federal mortgage insurance was reduced from 5% to 0%. Interest-only mortgages also became eligible for insurance. Mortgage insurance rules were tightened after the global financial crisis in In particular, the government ended interest-only loans, raised down payments to 5% and reduced maximum amortization periods to 25 years. When the government began tightening rules after the global financial crisis, lenders responded with other initiatives to boost home sales. Sales of high-rise units and detached homes in the GTA were down in the first five months of 2013, reflecting lower demand, due in part to the tightened mortgage rules. Although the influence of mortgage accessibility on home prices is significant, it is by no means unique to the GTA. Credit accessibility Low mortgage interest rates and relaxed mortgage insurance rules allow for more homebuyers to enter the market. This drives up demand, and if supply does not rise to the same degree, home prices increase. A 2010 study demonstrated that more accessible credit drives up home prices also by providing an incentive for individuals and families to transition from renting to owning to take advantage of the more affordable and flexible borrowing terms. 33 Mortgage rates Lower mortgage rates increase buying power because homebuyers can borrow a larger amount of money while making the same monthly payment. This puts upward pressure on home prices. Figure 7 illustrates the strong inverse relationship between interest rates and home prices. 34 The five-year posted mortgage rate reached a peak of 18.5% in It quickly dropped to 13.2% two years later, and to 11.2% in As posted mortgage rates declined to 4.25% in 2012, average national home prices rose in tandem, reaching an all-time high in RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 12
15 Average housing price (2012 dollars) $500,000 $450,000 $400,000 $350,000 $300,000 $250,000 $200,000 $150,000 $100,000 $50,000 5-year mortgage rate Average housing price Canada CMB program Mortgage rules relaxed RECESSION Mortgage rules tightened year mortgage rate (%) Figure 7. Mortgage rates and historical real average housing prices in Canada Calculated using data from the UBC Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate and Statistics Canada 35 Mortgage lending rules Figure 7 also illustrates key changes to mortgage lending rules over time. The Canada Mortgage Bond (CMB) program was introduced in 2001 as a new funding channel for mortgage lenders. It ushered in a period of rapid growth in mortgage lending at the retail level. This played a role in putting upward pressure on real estate prices during the 2000s by substantially increasing access to mortgage credit. Increased credit means increased demand for housing, which often puts upward pressure on prices. In 2006, mortgage insurance rules in Canada were relaxed further. For example, the allowable amortization term for mortgage insurance was extended to 40 years, and the minimum down payment eligible for federal mortgage insurance was reduced from 5% to 0%. 37 Interest-only mortgages also became eligible for insurance, and the additional fees associated with high loan-to-value ratio mortgages were eliminated. The federal government also allowed new private companies to enter Canada s mortgage insurance market starting in To gain market share, these private insurers offered subprime 38 mortgages to potential homebuyers. To remain competitive, the CMHC, which insures mortgages in Canada, relaxed its insurance terms as well. 39 Mortgage credit and real estate prices increased in tandem. Recession-induced, double-digit declines in residential property values in 2008 and 2009 were followed in late 2009 by a strong rebound. Home prices increased by 19% in the GTA over a single year, and by 17% nationally. In 2008, when the global financial crisis began, the Canadian federal government announced measures intended to restrict mortgage lending. 40 In particular, interest-only mortgages would no longer be insured under the National Housing Act, the maximum insurable amortization term would be reduced from 40 to 35 years and the minimum down payment would be raised to 5%. 41 RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 13
16 Lenders responded by introducing initiatives to maintain home sales, such as options for cash-back mortgages and free down payments. 42 In early 2011, when the federal government limited CMHC guarantees for some home-equity lines of credit, private mortgage insurance companies stepped in to offer insurance for such loans. The result has been continued home sales and continuing price increases, following the substantial slowing in In 2012, the amortization period for a CMHC-insured mortgage was further shortened to 25 years. 43 The GTA housing market cooled in 2012 and 2013, especially in the high-rise sector. Slower sales of highrise units in the second half of 2012 reduced the number of new high-rise starts in the first quarter of 2013, and the average price of a condominium in the first quarter of 2013 was 0.7% lower than one year before. 44 Sales of new, detached houses dropped slightly from previous years due to high prices. However, the average price of a detached house increased by 7% from 2012 to 2013, led by the sale of high-end houses. 45 Accessibility of mortgages in Canadian cities Low interest rates and relaxed mortgage-lending rules result in higher demand and housing prices. This is particularly the case in less-affordable real estate markets with inelastic or fixed supply, such as singlefamily homes in the City of Toronto. 46 However, it is clear from looking at housing prices nationally and in other major cities (see Figure 8) that while mortgage accessibility significantly influences home prices, this effect is not unique to Toronto. Average housing price (2012 dollars) $1,000,000 $900,000 $800,000 $700,000 $600,000 $500,000 $400,000 $300,000 $200,000 $100,000 Vancouver Toronto CANADA Calgary 5-year mortgage rate year mortgage rate (%) Figure 8. Mortgage rate and average housing prices in select Canadian cities Calculated using data from the UBC Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate and Statistics Canada 47 The negative correlation of interest rates with housing prices means that, for many homebuyers in the GTA, the actual costs of homeownership have not changed significantly. Despite housing being far more expensive today than in 1990, monthly carrying costs of an average GTA home are similar today to costs in 1990 (in real $). 48 RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 14
17 Factor 3: Construction and development costs The costs of building a home including materials, labour and development charges have increased in the GTA, but are not a primary influence on relative home prices. Key findings Material costs in Canada increased by an average of 11% each year from , and labour costs in the construction industry also increased. The cost of building a new house has not increased more rapidly in Toronto than in other major Canadian cities. Development charges in the GTA increased by anywhere from % from However, the increase in these charges accounts for only a small fraction of the increase in home prices. Cost of construction Construction costs include materials and labour, the prices of which can vary as economies expand or contract. The costs of the labour and materials needed to build a new home play an obvious role in determining prices; international research shows that construction costs account for 50 60% of the final price of a new home. 49 As labour and material costs increase, they put upward pressure on new home prices. A number of studies confirm that increases in real housing prices are related to increases in construction costs, but more significantly related to other factors such as changes in population, real income and interest rates. 50 The price of a home also reflects its physical characteristics. The number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the total area of living space, the quality of the home and the size of the garage all have implications for the cost of construction. 51 Recent trends in construction costs in Canada help explain some of the upward pressure on home prices. Material costs, which account for about 60% of the total cost of construction, increased by an average of 11% annually from 1999 to This increase was driven by a rise in demand for materials due to a residential construction boom that took place in Canada and the United States before the recession. Figure 9 shows how the price indices for housing construction and land have changed over time. Land prices outpaced home prices in 1989, but have shown little growth overall since then. Since 1996, however, the price component attributed to the homes themselves has increased at a much higher rate than land prices. RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 15
18 New house price index =100 House Land Figure 9. New housing price index in the Toronto CMA and Oshawa Calculated using data from Statistics Canada 53 Increases in the cost of labour have also put upward pressure on home prices in Toronto and elsewhere, especially in recent years. From 2006 to 2012, the labour cost index was highest in Calgary and Vancouver, while Toronto was below the national average (see Figure 10). 160 Construction union wage index =100 Calgary Vancouver CANADA Toronto Figure 10. Construction union wage index Calculated using data from Statistics Canada 54 RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 16
19 Development charges Municipalities are permitted to levy development charges on land development and redevelopment projects to help pay for the increased capital costs required to service growth. 55 On average, development charges in the GTA comprise about 7 8% of the average home price. 56 Although there has been considerable debate among economists over whether development charges are paid by landowners, developers or homebuyers (or some combination of the three), some studies have found that development charges are passed on to homebuyers in full, or nearly so. 57 Development charges in the GTA increased by anywhere from 63% to 236% between 1999 and 2010 (after correction for inflation). The greatest increase during that 11-year period was in Halton Hills, and the lowest was in Oshawa. Figure 11 shows the increase in development charges from 2004 to 2010 for key municipalities in the GTA in relation to rising housing prices for those municipalities. The actual dollar increase in development charges accounts for a small portion of the increase in average housing prices. City of Toronto Oshawa Pickering Whitby Ajax Mississauga Caledon Brampton Richmond Hill Vaughan Markham Burlington Milton Halton Hills Oakville $100,000 $200,000 $300,000 $400,000 $500,000 $600,000 $700,000 Price (2012 dollars) 2010 Average House Price 2010 Development Charge 2004 Average House Price 2004 Development Charge Figure 11. GTA housing prices and development charges Calculated using data from the Toronto Real Estate Board, Statistics Canada and Amborski 58 RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 17
20 Land supply in the GGH and the GTA The GGH has a substantial amount of land designated for development (called greenfields ). Table 1 contains an overview of land required and designated for future growth in the GTA, based on data submitted by municipalities. The required values are based on requests from municipalities for additional residential and employment lands to meet the 2031 population growth forecasts. 63 These lands total just under 10,000 hectares (ha). Meeting these requests requires designation of only 18.4% of the whitebelt the rural and agricultural lands between the settlement areas adjacent to Lake Ontario and the Greenbelt located in the GTA municipalities. Roughly 52,000 ha of land are still available to accommodate growth beyond 2031 without any incursion into the protected Greenbelt. Table 1. Land needed to meet 2031 population projections for the GTA Municipality Required new land (ha) Land available in whitebelt (ha) Residential Employment Total Total Available % required Halton 1,680 1,100 2,780 14,300 19% Peel 0 1,539 1,539 13,926 11% York 1, ,372 10,400 23% Durham 1, ,868 13,332 22% Toronto Data is not available Data is not available Total 5,169 4,390 9,559 51, % Source: Adapted from Tomalty and Komorowski 64 In addition to the undeveloped land shown in Table 1 there are also significant opportunities for infill development in the already built-up areas to meet the increased demand for housing and employment lands in the future. For example, Toronto will accommodate the expected population growth of 320,000 from 2011 to 2031 on just over 60,000 ha of land. 65 Land availability for low-rise versus multi-story development Outside of Toronto, most growth can be accommodated with ground-related units that is, single-detached, semi-detached, row and townhouses with at least three bedrooms and ground-based access. This suggests that land supply is not a constraint. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has concluded that municipalities in the GGH are able to accommodate over 800,000 ground-related units and 318,000 multi-storey apartment units up to Based on these projections, ground-related units will accommodate about 78% of the forecasted new population in the GGH. RBC-Pembina Location Matters Series Page 19
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Convert your US needles to metric sizes or vice versa. This knitting needle size chart covers the size equivalents for US, UK, European and an Older US system of needle sizing. The "Old" US needles are referenced from a Boye Needle Gauge chart noted in a 1942 publication. Because the metric measurements of UK sizes are different, it may help to know where you pattern originated. Blank entries indicate that there is no data available for that particular size and measurement.
Remember to take a look at the CyberSeams Patterns and put those needles to good use!
All images and content on this web site and its pages are
Copyright © 1997 -

subset: commoncrawl


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Chalk up the first bone-headed move of the 1990-91 television season to NBC, which has canceled the best of its crop of new shows, "Working It Out."
This gentle, insightful and very funny sitcom, which chronicled the weekly developments of an accidentally-serious relationship between two once-divorced parents, languished in a too-early, wrong-night time period -- Saturdays at 8:30 -- then got one chance last week on Wednesdays at 9:30 before getting the ax.
When NBC was on its way up in the world, this is exactly the type of show it would have stuck by for several seasons while the writing of executive producer Bill Persky and the work of the cast, headed by Jane Curtin and Stephen Collins, found an audience.


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The Election Won't Be Rigged. But It Could Be Hacked.
The following is an excerpt from Zeynep Tufekci | August 12, 2016 | Nytimes.com |
In my old workplace, right next to the comfortable couches where we would take breaks, we kept a voting machine. Instead of using the screen to pick our preferred candidate, we played Pac-Man. We sent Pac-Man's familiar yellow chomping face after digital ghosts with the same kind of machine that had been used in 2008 in more than 160 jurisdictions with about nine million registered voters.
This was at the Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton University, where researchers had been able to reprogram the voting machine without even breaking the "tamper evident" seals.
Voting isn't a game, of course, and we need to trust the machines that count our votes. Especially this year. Donald J. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, raised the possibility of "rigged" elections, and his former adviser Roger J. Stone Jr. has warned of a "blood bath" in such a case. A recent poll found that 34 percent of likely voters believed the general election would be rigged.
It's unclear what mechanism the Trump campaign envisions for this rigging. Voter fraud through impersonation or illegal voting is vanishingly rare in the United States, and rigging the election by tampering with voting machines would be nearly impossible. As President Obama pointed out in a news conference last week, where he called charges of electoral rigging "ridiculous," states and cities set up voting systems, not the federal government. That's true, and it means the voting machine landscape is a patchwork of different systems, which makes the election hard to manipulate in a coordinated way.
For more visit: nytimes.com


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WASHINGTON — Three days before the rockets fell in Damascus, a team of Syrian specialists gathered in the northern suburb of Adra for a task that U.S. officials say had become routine in the third year of the country's civil conflict: filling warheads with deadly chemicals to kill rebels.
The preparations, as described by U.S. intelligence analysts, continued from Aug. 18 until just after midnight Aug. 21, when the projectiles were loaded into launchers. At 2:30 a.m., a half-dozen densely populated neighborhoods were jolted awake by explosions, followed by an oozing blanket of suffocating gas.
Unknown to Syrian officials, U.S. spy agencies recorded each step in the alleged attack, from the extensive preparations to the launching of rockets to the after-action assessments by Syrian officials.
Those records and intercepts are the core of the Obama administration's evidentiary case linking the Syrian government to what one official called an "indiscriminate, unspeakable horror" — the use of outlawed toxins to kill 1,429 civilians, including at least 426 children.
The administration released on Friday its long-awaited intelligence assessment of the Aug. 21 event, explaining in detail the basis for its claim that Syria was behind the release of the gas, the grisly effects of which have been documented in more than 100 amateur videos.
In addition to the dead, the assessment reported that about 3,600 patients "displaying symptoms consistent with nerve agent exposure" were seen at Damascus-area hospitals after the attack.
The four-page assessment and accompanying map revealed for the first time how communications intercepts and satellite imagery picked up key decisions and actions on the ground.
White House officials anticipated the likely comparisons to the famously inaccurate intelligence reports from a decade ago that claimed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was actively pursuing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
Secretary of State John Kerry, in his remarks on the release of the assessment, said White House officials were "more than mindful of the Iraq experience."
"We will not repeat that moment," Kerry said. "Accordingly, we have taken unprecedented steps to declassify and make facts available to people who can judge for themselves."
The document proposes a possible motive for the attack — a desperate effort to push back rebels from several areas in the capital's densely packed eastern suburbs — and also suggests that the high civilian death toll surprised and panicked senior Syrian officials, who called off the attack and then tried to cover it up.
"We intercepted communications involving a senior official intimately familiar with the offensive," it says, "who confirmed that chemical weapons were used by the regime on Aug. 21 and was concerned with the U.N. inspectors obtaining evidence."
While unusually detailed, the assessment did not include photographs, recordings or other hard evidence to support its claims. Nor did it offer proof to back up the administration's assertion that top-ranking Syrian officials, possibly including President Bashar Assad, were complicit in the attack.
President Barack Obama, who met Friday with his national security aides, said he is weighing "limited and narrow" action in Syria.
With France as his only major public ally, Obama said he has a preference for multilateral action. He added, "Frankly, part of the challenge we end up with here is a lot of people think something should be done but nobody wants to do it."
U.N. personnel dispatched to Syria carried out a fourth and final day of inspection Friday as they sought to determine precisely what happened in the attack. The international contingent arranged to depart Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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Although the Town of Wilton heavily subsidizes the Library, it is not enough to cover all our operating expenses. We still need to raise about $20,000 a year to make ends meet. We raise this money in a variety of ways: fundraisers, book sales, fees, legacies and bequests, grants and requested donations, and from the generous unsolicited donations we receive throughout the year. A Fall newsletter is in the works, which includes an appeal letter for the annual Fall Fundraiser.
This year, the Board has established a committee charged with developing, evaluating and reviewing fundraising policies, practices and goals. The committee is also working on developing a planned giving program to encourage deferred gifts, bequests, gifts of stock, and other opportunities for people to maximize their assets through a gift to the Library.
"Friends of the Library" : It is a lot of work to operate this public facility and the staff has its hands full with all the technical details of daily operations. But there are a support tasks, large and small, that need doing and this is where the Friends of the Library come in. This brochure outlines many of the opportunities to help spread literacy, enjoyment, and empowerment in Wilton.


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Minnesota House members of both parties spoke fondly of former Representative Larry Haws (DFL- St. Cloud) who died Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 72.
Haws served five years in the Minnesota House and was a Stearns County commissioner.
Speaking in the video are Representatives Larry Hosch (DFL – St. Joseph), King Banaian (R-St. Cloud) and Steve Gottwalt (R-St. Cloud)


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Discussion in 'Black Hat SEO' started by ramesh12345, Oct 21, 2008.
I have bookmarking deamon. Anyway to get socail bookmarking accounts? i mean just like a proxy list
buy from us
10 cents per account
I'm gonna hit you up gabs but I'm waiting for the list of sites in the program to come out and see what "main" sites are going to be in the final, non-beta, release. I pinged him a couple days ago and he said more were coming but didn't say which ones.
Separate names with a comma.


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Professional Development that STICKS, funded by the Institute for Education Science, is charged with developing an evidence-based online professional development program for elementary and middle school teachers. The focus of STICKS is to provide teachers opportunities to enhance their skills in the effective management of students' behavior and learning. Improved student behavior will allow teachers increased time for instruction and will result in improved outcomes for students with and without disabilities.
Please enter your Personal ID and click "Continue"


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|Copyright USD 426 Pike Valley
Homelessness- Pike Valley Schools are committed to helping students who are in homeless situations. Sue King, Superintendent of Schools for Pike Valley, is the designated homeless liaison for homeless students in USD 426. If you are in need of information regarding students who may be in a homeless situation please contact Mrs. King or the school counselor. Mrs. King can be contacted at 785 335-2206 or email@example.com
Youth Suicide- Suicide is a frightening and serious problem. It is the third leading cause of death in young people ages 10-24. Completed suicides are a traumatic event that affects the entire community. The Pike Valley school district is committed to suicide awareness, education, and prevention. The following link provides helpful information for parents: http://jasonfoundation.com/prp/


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Indiana Traffic Safety Facts: Children 2007
Publication Date: January 2008
Publisher(s): Indiana University. Center for Criminal Justice Research
Author(s): Dona Sapp
Funder(s): Indiana Criminal Justice Institute
Funder(s): Indiana Criminal Justice Institute
Topic: Transportation (Traffic and traffic regulation)
Keywords: children; traffic safety
Type: Report
Coverage: Indiana
In 2007, over 5,000 children were injured or killed in Indiana motor vehicle collisions. Approximately seven percent of these injuries were serious or life threatening. This fact sheet summarizes data trends, safety legislation, and other research at the national, state, and local levels on traffic collisions involving children between 2003 and 2007.


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If you have never played The Legend of Zelda, you won't get this. In the game, Link (dude in green elf getup) is only allowed to cause harm to one non-aggressive beast: chickens. He's allowed to swipe at them with his sword a few times, but after that all the chickens swarm in like a tornado and attack Link until he dies. This cosplayer is dedicated to the fact that he had to have his face planted on the cement for a good chunk of the day.
Jenkins, a.k.a The Griefer, is a character on South Park that first appeared in the season 10 episode, "Make Love, Not Warcraft" as a fat, lazy Warcraft-addicted guy who never got up from his computer. Since then he's made appearances in a few other episodes. He even returned as a troll in this past season (20).
The guy who is cosplaying Jenkins in the above photo is Jarod, and he openly admits that his life is not that far off from Jenkins's.
This guy wins cosplay. His name is Ben Carpenter, and he is a disabled engineering student from Florida who is really into cosplay. He turned his wheelchair into one of the scenes from Mad Max where Mad Max is chained to Nux's buggy. He's super good at welding and took a lot of time and dedication to complete this costume. There's an alternative version of this cosplay for conventions that have more room.
His friend Amy usually cosplays with him.
This person certainly knows how to make light of a difficult situation. This cosplayer had cancer in their senior year of high school, so they took advantage of their hair loss and decided to cosplay as Professor Quirrell/Voldemort from Harry Potter.
Since Peter Pan's shadow tends to do its own thing, these two ladies didn't have to be side by side during the whole convention. What are the odds that you have a friend the same height, weight and feminist haircut as you? Pretty good, I'd guess.
Yeah, sorry buddy. It took me a very long time to figure out that this guy was trying to be Arthur the aardvark. In reality, he isn't very convincing. At least he doesn't mind being compared to Arthur, unlike this overly sensitive musician.
This is one of the best Game of Throne cosplays I've seen. It's hard to convince people that you're trying to be Tyrion Lannister if you're over five-feet tall. It would have been even better if he could have covered up his actual shoes. I would have extended the cardboard box over them.
This is an absolutely amazing cosplay of Reinhardt from Overwatch. It actually won the $15,000 grand prize at TwitchCon. The man behind the costume is Chad Ban Wye. He makes props and set designs for a living, so he's got the skill to put all of this together. What's really an interesting touch is the LED light in Wye's eye. In real life Wye is missing an eye so he was able to replace it with the small LED bulb.
I always thought that Beavis and Butthead was a "sticky-kid" cartoon. You know what I mean; like the kids who always had sticky hands in grade school would watch that show — that and Ren and Stimpy. But I eventually changed my mind and grew to appreciate the butthole humor. This guy must be wearing some prosthetics on his nose and chin though, cause that is just unnatural…unless you're this guy.
Carrie Fisher looked much better in her sexy slave costume than this guy, but at least he feels confident. He should have gotten an even portlier friend of his to play Jabba the Hut.
I am dying to know what the nametag on his crotch says.
Why does this look so familiar to you? Well, a few years back, a Spanish woman came under fire for her botched restoration of a fresco of Christ. It was truly, truly awful. But what a brilliant cosplay idea.
Ha! Finally a Family Guy cosplay! Consuela is so atrociously stereotypical but I can't help but love it. If I were her, I'd be polishing everything at that convention.
Ok, THIS is my favorite Game of Thrones cosplay. Well, it's only half GOT, the other half is Disney. Do you get it? Jon Snow White. You know, Snow White and Jon Snow did have a lot of things in common. A stepmother who hated them and they also both died and came back to life.
And if you are about to scream "NO SPOILERS!" on either one of those character arcs...you've got bigger problems in life.


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Verga, Giovanni
Verga, Giovanni jōvän´nē vĕr´gä [key], 1840–1922, Italian novelist, b. Sicily. He abandoned the study of law for literature and wrote several novels of passion in the style of the French realists. His later works, written in a different style, are marked by simplicity and strict accuracy. They deal with the Sicilian middle class and sympathetically treat the poverty and struggles of the peasantry. Verga's technique gave rise to the term verismo, denoting the realistic school. He is considered one of the outstanding writers of modern Europe and has been compared with Flaubert and Zola. His works include Cavalleria rusticana (1880, tr. with other stories in the same volume by D. H. Lawrence, 1928), I Malavoglia (1881, tr. The House by the Medlar Tree, 1890), Novelle rusticane (1883, tr. by D. H. Lawrence, Little Novels of Sicily, 1925), and Mastro - Don Gesualdo (1889, tr. by D. H. Lawrence, 1923). The dramatization of Cavalleria rusticana was produced in 1884, and Mascagni's opera, based on it, in 1890. A stage version of La lupa, one of his best stories, was produced in 1896 (tr. The Wolf Hunt, 1921).
See study by G. L. Lucente (1981).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Italian Literature: Biographies
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1909 VDB 1C RB Lincoln Cent Huge Luster Mint Luster
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1909 VDB 1C RB Lincoln Cent Huge Luster Mint Luster
1. Unless stated otherwise in the description above, the item you see pictured here is exactly the coin you will receive.2. 14-day return privilege Unless Otherwise Noted. No Returns Accepted on Graded Coins. If item is marked no returns then it means no returns. I will fight for my right to refuse a return I list the item properly with pictures and description that match perfectly please do not attempt a fraudulent return. I will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. Statue specified per state are different and will be itemized per transaction. 3. FREE standard shipping in the USA unless specified in the listing above. That means if you are being charged shipping than it is not free shipping. 4. $40 shipping overseas no exceptions... 5. We can assure you that the items are shipped in a timely fashion (usually the next day afte , no exceptions). 6. We will respond to questions as quickly as possible. 7. Don't ask us for our best price. Just make an offer via the eBay make-offer button. If an item does not have this feature, then this is our best price. We do realize that market values fluctuate, but if you would like an explanation of the value of any piece, we would be happy to provide one. If you like what you see ... read more


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« Notice | Main | programming note »
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference live from new york:
» It's New York, you twit. from Babalu Blog
Michele was interviewed by the BBC last night and has posted the exchange in mp3 format. I dont recall the intervier's name, but he does sound kind of pissy and Michele - bless her - basically tells the guy he... [Read More]
» http://www.diversionz.net/archives/004461.html from DiVERSiONZ
"Security Moms" tilting the election? [Read More]
» http://www.diversionz.net/archives/004461.html from DiVERSiONZ
You've heard about "Soccer Moms", but have you heard about "Security Moms"? [Read More]
» Blogger on BBC: Security Moms from Slant Point
Michele Catalano of A Small Victory and Command Post was interviewed on the BBC last night - not about blogs*, but about Security Moms in this year's election. You can hear the interview here. *You forgot to plug your blog.... [Read More]
Congrats "Meechele"
I think you acquited yourself quite well. I raised my eyebrows when the interviewer started down the "So when did you become a Republican?"
At least he let you finish your sentences. Chris Matthews could take lessons.
Gotta love "security mums."
I shoulda put it on eBay, dammit.
Congrats, lots of bloggers have been showing up on the Beeb of late.
...bloggers who combine a tastefor heavy metal music with a taste for heavy metal politics...
[Dennis Sewell - BBC-R4]
I happen to know the senior producer at the Beeb (politics) above that knows quite a bit about blogs via me. I have even pointed him your way on occasion and he does read my blog.
Coming up on Attack of the Killer Accents... it's Long Island vs. Scot.
Don't berate yourself! You did great!
ahhh! I always prefer to pronounce the name of a place like the natives, i.e., lou-a-vul not louie-ville. Now I know it's long-gilen not Long Island!
thanks mum meechelle!
Good job.
That was the most interesting blend of accents I've ever heard. Of course we don't have accents in the midwest. ha!
We don't agree much on politics but I think you did a fine job given the questions you were asked.
Wow. I didn't know you voted for Nader in 2000.
So did I. And, like you, it'll be Bush this time around for me.
It's been quite an amazing four years for me, politically. I remember during the 2000 campaign thinking Bush was a dolt. How could he possibly run the country?
And Gore was an arrogant jerk. I didn't want him representing my country, either.
I'm glad we've got the leadership we have. I still don't agree with them on everything - I disagree with them pretty strongly on some things. But the things where we differ are completely unimportant in a world where people fly passenger planes into buildings, blow themselves up in shopping centers and kidnap, torture and kill schoolchildren and their families.
Cool, I wish they had a question and answer segment.
You could have really stirred the pot.
As long as you had fun.
"...just because you felt suddenly threatened"(emphisis mine).
How frickin' condesending! You (and all the rest of us) ARE being threatened. This guy probably is living in or near London. He better wake up and smell the roses 'cus where he lives is probably real high on the terrorists list of targets.
Thought you came off very well, BTW
That was so cool. I give the Long Island accent an 8.
Heya Meechele
Very cool! FAHGET ABOUT IT...you did fine, you made your points very well if you ask me. And a lot less uh's and um's than most "professional" media types.
Course it is always nice when the interviewers let you finish a thought, but you did great summing things up quickly. I'd pay money to see you on Chris Matthews.
In fact, you have a very nice voice. Have you considered a career in the 1-900 industry? (heh heh).
Thanks for the sound byte and good work Solly!
You made this Long Island boy proud. What's with everyone else and this "accent" shit? We don't have accents...
Not bad. You did a good job of handling his liberal bias (yes, even I admit that in this interview).
I think you're right - he probably thought you were nuts after you mentioned Nader.
"So when did you become a republican"
Why does that question crack me up? Maybe because it reminds me of this question... "So when did you accept Christ as your personal savior?"
You sound HOT.
You articulated yourself very well, like we have come to expect from your blog.
Oh, pish posh, deary. You were lovely.
All he was asking were fluff questions, really, though. The fact he called you a "mum" is very telling. Wouldn't want to really engage in political discusion with a GIRL!!! Ick, Crikey!
You would have done even better if he had asked any good questions.
Good for you, Meechele. As another Long Giland security Mum, you made me proud!
I second everyone's comments about the accent. The accent's cool.
Laurence Simon is right--all the interview needed to be complete was a devastated model train layout (preferably with spitting high-tension wires), and one of those annoying Toho Studios kaiju-movie kids to scream in dubbed English, "Get up, Longislandma, get up! I know you can beat Beeboscot!"
As the Guinness guys say, "Brilliant!"
I thought his tone was rather condescending, but you rose above it. Maybe condescending isn't quite it. He was trying, I think, to project a dry, world-weary poise, to which your no-nonsense approach was a good contrast.
Overall, quite intriguing. I wanted to hear more.
You did great!! Good answers, no fluster, straight talk.
Well spoken, clear and to the point. If that's the kind of interview you give while hallucinating, you must really knock-em-dead when your head is clear.
Well done.
add a little bit of smoker's rasp to that accent and you've got some serious aural pleasure that makes this guy weak in the knees.
I heard fear and an uncertain faith in Bush.
Earl, Earl lad...
If ye ken nae flourish a stiffy after hearin' the lady's accent, ye have nae blood in yoor veins, laddie...
Nicely done.
Having interviewed Michelle myself, I'm here to testify - she should do more of it!
You did great. As I expected.
You sounded pretty good. Your interviewer sounded a bit... confused at times. :)
Very impressive. From your post, I expected stammering- you sounded extremely self-assured and made your points very clearly and cogently. Nice job.
Michele, good job.
earl: maybe you heard what you wanted to hear.
Great Job Michelle,
As a New Yawka living in Asia I can claim many "mates" from the UK (as well as knowing a lot of "wankers"). A majority of the "POMS" that are fortunate enough to live outside the soggy climes of the UK still look at us Yanks like we were martians.
Despite decades of IRA bombings and more radical sheiks in London than a taliban jamboree, the limeys still don't get that the terrorist scum want to KILL US ALL no matter who is elected. Us Yanks are all just cowboys that have to pay for our health care. I could picture the guy's brows'a furrin' during the whole interview. He know's who his audience is.
It's good to see that the occasional glimmer of light gets through even on the BBC.
Very well done, Michelle!
An interesting piece on Security Moms slightly tongue in cheek.. I mean the MRE thing HAS to be a joke.. monday is football night that means pizza and wings.
1. Your attack dog has a bin Laden chew toy.
2. You base your SUV purchase on how many places there are to conceal a weapon.
3. Your neighborhood watch complains you don't leave any perps for them.
4. You'll vote for Bush because the other guy is a wussy.
5. You traded in your Gucci for the M-30 Leather Gun Purse.
6. The guys at the range call you 'Sarge'.
7. You send your kids to Judo Camp.
8. Your son quit the Boy Scouts because they were �amateurs�.
9. Monday is �MRE Night�.
10. You DO wear combat boots.
That top ten is Stacy's.
Very funny top 10.
I thought your voice sounded great. I don't suppose you'd ever in a million years consider joining up with us at NPR?
Yeah, I know, stupid question.


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More Republicans watch Fox News regularly
Study: Americans spend more time with news thanks to digitalNEW YORK -- While cable news networks remain a key source of information for consumers, only Fox News has maintained its share of people who watch it regularly, and the reason is that more Republicans regularly get their news there. So says a new study.
It also found that thanks to digital media, Americans are spending more time with the news today than over much of the past decade, but they enjoy keeping up with the news less.
The findings are part of the biennial news consumption survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted June 8-28 among about 3,000 adults and released on Sunday.
"Digital platforms are playing a larger role in news consumption, and they seem to be more than making up for modest declines in the audience for traditional platforms," Pew said. "As a result, the average time Americans spend with the news on a given day is as high as it was in the mid-1990s, when audiences for traditional news sources were much larger."
Roughly 34% of the people surveyed went online for news yesterday – slightly higher than daily newspapers. When including cell phones, email, social networks and podcasts, the figure rises to 44%.
TV has maintained its news appeal, and most consumers have not blocked out traditional media. Only 9% of Americans got news via Internet and mobile sources without also using traditional media.
As was the case in 2000, people said they spend 57 minutes on average getting the news from TV, radio or newspapers on a given day. Adding in the 13 minutes spent with news online, the 70 minutes total is "one of the highest totals on this measure since the mid-1990s," according to Pew.
Meanwhile, the proportion of people saying that they regularly watch CNN, MSNBC and CNBC has slipped "substantially" from two years ago during the last presidential election, it said. "Only Fox News has maintained its audience size, and this is because of the increasing number of Republicans who regularly get news there." After all, 40% of Republicans now say they regularly watch Fox News, up from 36% two years ago and just 18% a decade ago. As recently as 2002, Republicans were about as likely to watch CNN (28%) as Fox News (25%). Meanwhile, the share of Democrats who regularly watch CNN or Fox News fell from 2008.
Overall, the percentage of Americans who say keeping up with the news is something they enjoy a lot has dropped though. This year, only 45% said so, compared with a consistent 52% in recent biennial surveys. Pew cited political underpinnings of this trend as well. In 2008, about 67% of liberal Democrats enjoyed the news a lot, compared with only 45% now, it said.
Among conservative Republicans, the share was nearly steady at 57% now versus 56% then.


text: Ok, so I need to vent, and I need some advice if I should proceed differently. Back in July, Around July 7 I noticed that my MacBook was getting the stains, I purchased mine the last week of May. I called AppleCare and was told it wasn't an issue. I called again on Monday, and this time I was given a dispatch, all that, got my mac serviced. I went on vacation though, so when I got back on July 23, I picked up my MacBook from work were I had it shipped. So, I start it up, I use it for one day, next day, I have no power/no light. I call up Apple have them send me another box, send it in, I get it back today. The repair took about a week. Today I start up my laptop, it works, but it started with a whine that I had never heard before, and I was nervous because they had replaced the logic board. I deciced to simply do a restart. Went to the apple menu, selected restart and when it came back up, I had the chime, but nothing else, then little verticle lines started to appear. Nothing else happens, so I've called again. They are now sending me a 3rd box in as many as 30 days, basically I've been without my computer for almost a month now. I am wondering if someone has a better tactic or idea to getting this resolved. At some point you'd think they'd offer me a replacement.


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Transcript as follows:
President Obama's outrageously unconstitutional behavior just keeps accumulating. The latest example is a rumored intention to use his "pen and phone" to circumvent bipartisan congressional opposition to his radical "climate change" agenda.
Reportedly, the President will assert that he can enter into what is, for all intents and purposes, a new treaty on the subject by claiming to be simply amending a very different, old one. This gambit would make a mockery of the U.S. Senate's co-equal role in treaty-making.
The President evidently believes that he can get away with such an affront to the Constitution, as he has so many others to date, and oblige the United States to reduce its use of carbon emitting coal. Will endangered coal-state Democrats, let alone energy security-minded Republicans, let him perpetrate such a travesty?
Follow Frank Gaffney on Twitter @frankgaffney