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A way for me to voice my thoughts on all manner of topics from Politics to pizza.
Friday, December 31, 2010
May the Lord Bless Them and Keep Them...
Thursday, December 30, 2010
A Keepable New Year's Resolution!
Since I can't find the link for the article, here it is in print, as I copied and pasted it to read later:
Remember the "death panel" scare in last year's health care debate? Sarah Palin and others served up ominous warnings that a House health care overhaul bill would give federal bureaucrats life-and-death power over medical treatment for people approaching the end of their lives.
Those fears were overblown. But the political furor forced Democrats to scrap a provision that would have paid doctors to give Medicare patients end-of-life counseling once every five years.
Now comes word of new Medicare rules that some critics say resurrect the "death panels."
Relax. These new rules are more Marcus Welby than Jack Kevorkian.
Right now, Medicare will pay a doctor for one end-of-life planning session with a Medicare patient. That may include help on how to prepare an "advance directive," a patient's instructions to his doctors about what to do if the patient becomes too sick to make his own medical decisions.
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Starting Jan. 1, Medicare will pay for an annual session, if needed, as part of a broader "wellness" visit.
That's it. The counseling sessions are voluntary. The government won't tell doctors what to discuss with their patients. It won't pressure physicians to push patients into living wills or advance directives.
It's a smart move.
Research shows that end-of-life planning is valuable: A recent British Medical Journal study concluded it "improves end-of-life care and patient and family satisfaction and reduces stress, anxiety and depression in surviving relatives."
The study also noted that "patients welcome advance care planning and expect health professionals to initiate discussions."
That doesn't always happen, of course. Many patients don't have these conversations with their doctors, says Dr. Robert Berenson of the Urban Institute.
Reason One: Some doctors avoid starting end-of-life talks because it makes them uncomfortable.
Reason Two: Doctors are paid to deliver more aggressive treatment, even if it's futile. Berenson tells us that many patients are not fully informed about treatment options and the prognosis for success. Even if they choose a less aggressive treatment plan, some doctors ignore or overrule those preferences. "In other words, doctors are often more heroic than patients are," he says.
In a 2009 Urban Institute study, Berenson and his co-authors suggested a raft of ways to pay for health care reform. They estimated that the government could save $90 billion over 10 years, not by denying care but by better managing end-of-life care. That means helping terminally ill patients avoid futile treatment and manage their pain once they choose to stop treatment. It also means focusing on comfort and emotional support, not on exhausting every option technology offers.
Families, patients and doctors reach excruciating decisions every day about whether to extend treatment in the face of steep odds or to choose a less aggressive course. What families and patients decide is often guided not just by financial concerns, but by religious principles and deeply held moral beliefs.
The new rule changes none of that. But it does encourage doctors to open those tough conversations about death. To let patients know that they can largely control what is and is not done in the final days of their lives. That their families won't be forced to make agonizing decisions. That's a tremendous relief for many patients, and the families they leave behind.
Let me know what you think!
New York Unions: EPIC FAIL
Apparently the reason for the slowdown of the plowing was to protest the idea that New York's union gravy train was having to come to a stop due to lack of funds. Mayor Bloomberg, to his credit, was trying to make budget cuts that would save the city from insolvency. How horrible, I know.
a highlight passage from the article is this:
so nice to see that the unions put themselves first rather than the unwashed masses, isn't it? Bleh.
Oh, and as an added bit of dark humor, someone actually thinks it's a good idea that Alan Grayson run for president!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
She of the Fuzzy Slippers
May all her predictions come true quickly.
Continuing to fight the good fight.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Jesus Did not Speak English...Well DUH!!!
Even in faith based documents I find left wing lunacy, it seems. My fiancé just gave me a book with an article inside it entitled Jesus did not Speak English. My Loony senses went off almost immediately, and I delved inside, giving the article a read. From a purely faith based perspective, the article makes a good deal of sense. Until it actually starts talking about it's intended subject matter, that is. What is that subject matter, exactly? Well, it's illegal immigration. Yep. That's right. Illegal immigration. Somehow, some way, the person that wrote this article equates the teachings of Jesus Christ with an open borders philosophy. How, you ask? Well, like most misguided souls who try to use scripture to make their point, he cherry picks the scripture he needs while completely ignoring common sense, as well as other, equally valid scriptural arguments.
Item one: he puts the caption "Jesus did not speak English" on a marquee outside the church she goes to. Several comments that graced his mail after that included remarks about how obvious it was that the Savior of course didn't speak English, given that English was not yet a language. Apparently he didn't realize at the time that people might misconstrue his message's intent, which was that Jesus didn't speak English, and therefore he wouldn't have persecuted illegal immigrants because of their own inability to speak it. What?
Item 2: The people who complained apparently did so because they wanted to perpetuate some myth about Jesus speaking English and agreeing with their way the world worked. That in and of itself is somewhat ludicrous, since the world didn't work the same way in the first century that it now works in the 21st. Sure, the basics are the same, but all the complexities are different. Anyway, on with my point. He bases this assessment on absolutely nothing, implying, in my view, that people who believe in Jesus automatically believe that he was whatever ethnicity the individual complainer was, spoke English, and believed everything that that individual believed and nothing else. And of course, no evidence to support this crackpot theory, either. Oy.
Item 3: The cherry picked Scripture quotes. You knew they were coming. Second column of the first page of the article brings up the idea of persecuting the stranger, which is what appears to be the crux of the article. She makes reference to the Israelites, specifically:
Exodus 23:9: You shall not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
Leviticus 19:34: the alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 24:17: You shall not deprive a resident alien of justice.
Icing on the cake is Matthew 25:43: I was a stranger, and you did not welcome me.
For those who are unaware, Exodus and Leviticus both deal specifically with the Jews and their time in the desert after Moses led them out of Egypt. God is warning the Israelites in that verse that they were once strangers, and so had better not treat other strangers the way Pharaoh treated them. Good advice, but last time I checked it isn't the same thing as dissolving a nation's borders and allowing any Tomas, Ricardo and Enrique to come in without learning their motives.
The article goes on to state the obvious, telling readers that already believe in God that he is the God of Creation, and therefore everyone on the planet is a brother or sister in Christ. Of course they all are! In his assessment, though, the pastor neglects to mention yet another piece of Scripture, dealing specifically with the division of responsibilities and reverence concerning God and man. Namely, "Render unto Ceasar that which is Ceasar's. Render unto God that which is God's." Last time I checked, nations had a responsibility to police their borders and keep an eye on who comes in here. At least, every other country in the world seems to be able to police their borders without getting flak for being racist. Having an official language does not mean you have an inherent dislike towards outsiders. Having an official language, in fact, would make things easier to communicate because EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY WOULD SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE!!! Why is that so difficult for "open borders" types to understand?
The pastor even acknowledges in the article that "government runs more efficiently if our law, rules, and regulations are effectively communicated." Great. I agree. Unfortunately he ruins it by saying in the same breath: "Why would we hamstring our elected leaders by requiring that they act as if a language barrier did not exist?" What? When did wanting an official language for the country equate to ignoring the fact that a language barrier existed? If we were doing that, why would we have implemented the Ellis Island program a hundred years ago? If we were truly ignoring a language barrier, we wouldn't bother even letting these people in the country in the first place! We'd just seal off the borders and force people to cross illegally (which they already do anyway, btw).
Another question I have is this: Why, as the article implies in its attitude, is enforcing immigration law automatically lumped in with a lack of hospitality? People who are here illegally have shown us what they think of our country's laws by BREAKING THEM! Why are we not allowed to be more like Joe Arpaio in Arizona and enforce our immigration laws? Mexico has downright draconian laws. Laws so fiercely enforced that the flow of South American illegals is significantly less than that of Mexico itself, largely because the SAs are afraid of being caught by the Federales!
Basing an argument entirely on faith is doomed to failure, as this one was. Not that I have anything against the priest, mind you, but come on! We can't enforce our border laws because to do so would be un-Christian? What if a terrorist with a dirty bomb slipped in and blew up a school full of Catholic kids? Would that make the guy change his mind? I certainly hope so!
Motivation Monday
Well, this marks the first ever official Motivation Monday. And having the honor of gracing the first ever post for this is Gina Corano, in a photo from her Maxim spread from a while back. Enjoy.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Euthanasia by Any Other Name...
Under the new policy, outlined in a Medicare regulation, the government will pay doctors who advise patients on options for end-of-life care, which may include advance directives to forgo aggressive life-sustaining treatment.
Sounds great, doesn't it? Sounds like we're getting more choices with out healthcare, doesn't it? Well, keep on reading, true believers:
While the new law does not mention advance care planning, the Obama administration has been able to achieve its policy goal through the regulation-writing process, a strategy that could become more prevalent in the next two years as the president deals with a strengthened Republican opposition in Congress.
Regulation process, huh? Isn't that the same as legislation by fiat? Also, interesting little factoid for those who don't know: It's not just Republicans who are opposed to this bill, and this end of life provision. The whole bill had bipartisan opponents from all walks of life. Not to mention, the Republicans of the 111th Congress were about as able to stop Obama as a wall of paper was to stop bullets from a rail gun.
Things will change, hopefully, with the initiation of the 112th Congress, which they say will begin with a reading of a little document we like to call the Constitution of the United States of America. Hopefully they can kill this damned end of life provision while they're at it, since that was one of their principal election platforms in the midterms. If they don't, I'm sure there'll be hell to pay. From me at least if from no one else.
Oh, sure. The article starts out innocently enough, seemingly telling each of the readers that it will only incentivize doctors to council patients about what kind of treatment they want. Really? I don't buy it. Reason being because the article states that the government will specifically subsidize those doctors who recommend end of life care for their patients. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this provision already in the original bill and taken out because of a major hooplah that was caused by the bill's opponents? Mark Billing, who was subbing for Rush today on his show, confirms that yes, indeed, that was the case. Not only that, but according to him the language is even stronger now than it was in its original form. And its original form was specifically labeled "indefensible". Well, if this provision was indefensible then, what makes them think its defensible now?
The answer, dear readers, is that it is not. Obama has, using the rule making authority given to him by the passage of this 2000 page paperweight to recraft Obamacare into exactly what he wanted it to be before the town hall meetings of 2009 forced him to make promises that he had no intention of keeping.
God help us all in these trying times, and may the new Congress keep their heads and listen to those who gave them their consent just one short month ago.
Update: Left Coast Rebel beat me to posting this first, so here's some of his take on the issue:
Some Basics:
- Think of end-of-life counseling from the Obama White House as carrots dangled in front of doctors, financial "incentives" for doctors to discuss "options" for end-of-life care. As stated in the NYT, that may "include advance directives to forgo aggressive life-sustaining treatment," or a continuance of Obama's "take this pill and go home" solution to medical costs.
- Under this new regulatory regime, doctors could ostensibly be the pawns of cost-curve-bending bureaucrats. To put this into perspective, ponder a Greece-like meltdown of our financial system/government in the future and the way then that these rules would be implemented. Better yet, think of this amount of power held in the wrong hands. How would the elderly be "counseled" during a time of national crisis? Moral hazard? Who determines that doctors have pure motives, instead of purely financial motives as they counsel in end-of-life situations?
- Team Obama (has again) done a complete 180 degree turn on the American people, going behind the back of both the American public and the Democrat-controlled Congress that took the death panel language out the legislation due to public outcry.
- Obama has been able to insert the death panel regulations due to the ambiguous "the Secretary shall determine" language that appears five times in the final 2000 page Senate version of Obamacare giving the "Secretary" (in this case, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius) the ability to implement (at their discretion) such a rule. The end-of-life regulation was finalized in November, brought to light the day after Christmas, and takes effect January 1, 2011. How's that for transparency, hope and change?
- The regulation is yet another example that Obamacare is simply the skeleton template of socialized, government-run health care. As Professor Jacobson at Legal Insurrection states, "Obamacare simply is the infrastructure. The details and the demons will be worked out in regulations." The end-of-life regulation is such a detail and demon.
Continuing to Fight the Good Fight.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
One Last Christmas Treat
And the Angel Gabriel Said Unto Them "Fear not, for I Bring you Tidings of Great Joy"
Friday, December 24, 2010
Everything Matters, Except that Nothing Really Does
Enter two friends of mine who attend the United Methodist Church here in Roseville, California. They invited my fiance and me to their Christmas Eve service, which we've just returned from, and I'm still aglow with the injection of faith I received by being around others who believed as I did, that Jesus Christ was born to save the world from its own sins, and that those who accepted Christ into their hearts would join him and his Father in Paradise.
Obviously, this proved to be just the prescription I needed to shed a good deal of the poison I'd been ingesting in the form of "all politics all the time." unfortunately this meat also hearing about the constant attacks on people of faith by those who don't believe, and even some who do. Needless to say, a steady stream of negative stories concerning your core beliefs can wear away at your resolve.
And yet, like the cavalry arriving at the last reel of an old "cowboys and Indians" flick, I was rescued not by soldiers on horses, but by songs of praise for the Son of God. Hearing "Angels we have Heard on High", "Oh Come all Ye Faithful", and other spiritual tunes filled me with the holiday cheer that, despite my efforts to spread it here in various other posts, I wasn't feeling very much of. Fortunately, that's changed, just in time for Jesus's birthday. As far as I'm concerned, that's the best Christmas gift of all: learning and relearning the real reason we celebrate this day and being able to fully appreciate it as a result.
That said, I will once again be delving into the poisonous realm of politics once the holiday season is over, as the bad doesn't go away just because you've been exposed to the good. However, I think I'll be able to go through it now with a more open perspective. I've always been a big picture guy, but I think for a while now I've been missing the REAL big picture: This life only matters for as long as it lasts. Eternity is forever.
Sorry guys, no boobs today
Thursday, December 23, 2010
A Special Thanks...
So here's a special thinks to the following:
Left Coast Rebel
The Other McCain
Little Miss Atilla (traffic just started coming in from her site)
And all those on my tin-foil-hat-wearer list.
Merry Christmas to all of you, and may you all be safe this Christmas season!
As a bonus, here's some Ashlie Hartman Cheesecake, pursuant of McCain's Rule Number Five:
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
History Once Again Repeats itself.
So there I was, driving along to my weekly game of Pathfinder (I'm a tabletop role-player better known to normal folk as a "geek", and have been since high school) and I suddenly notice that the gauge on the dashboard that monitors radiator heat decided to tilt a little further to the right than I'm comfortable with. After a few minutes of praying that it would go back down, I realized soon that such a thing was not going to happen and had to pull over several times to let the stupid thing cool down. Having been through four other vehicles that had this problem, I realized that there was a big problem coming down the pike. So, after that little bit of drama, I decide to turn around and go home before something bad happens. Too little, too late it would seem.
I stalled on the road at the corner of Stanford Ranch and Sunset in Rocklin, fortunately right near a 7-11 where I could get to a phone right away. I called the better half and told her what happened, then the tow truck and at least managed to get home safely.
The major problem now is that I don't have a car that can reliably transport me to where I need to go. However, there are a few bright sides to this whole dust up.
1. I now am limited in how I can spend my money, thus allowing me to focus on paying down necessary credit card bills, since I no longer have to buy gas, oil, radiator coolant, or any such thing until such time as the car either gets fixed or is replaced. The latter option of those two is more likely, I think.
2. Work isn't a problem, since my co-workers have my back and are willing to transport me to and from.
3. Still don't have to miss the Pathfinder game, since those friends of mine are also willing to pick me up.
4. I made it home safe and sound and am fully capable of getting through this, as it's nothing I haven't been through before.
But just because I'm looking on the bright side doesn't mean I'm not going to need cheering up, so in an effort to cheer myself up, I'm posting this pic of Lucy Pinder.
Apparently though, fate conspires against me even as I attempt to make the most of a bad situation. Now I'm forced to use my fiance's laptop rather than my own, because now my ADAPTER has given up the ghost. Or rather, the connector attachment has. If I had a replacemet there would be no problem, but I don't. Alas.
This promises to be an excellent Holiday season...
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
A Reason to Take the Laptop to Work
Well, I just got hit with a nice surprise. My page views have doubled since I started posting pics of such babe-i-licious figures as Autumn Reeser, Gemma Atkinson, and the extremely blessed Lucy Pinder. Since several dozen more of you seem to be interested, here's another screen shot of Autumn, Gemma, and Lucy. More babes to come in future, loyal readers.
About that Previous Post
Yeah, okay, so I lied about not posting any more rule 5 pics until next week. When you see Lucy Pinder, though, can you blame me? The other chick's not bad, either.
Monday, December 20, 2010
A Little Information Regarding Your Humble Crusader
In fact, since I'm restricted as far as politics and don't really feel like cheapening this post with pictures of scantily clad women, maybe I should do something I don't normally do and get a little personal. After all, not many of you know a lot about me, since I haven't exactly been forthcoming, so here goes:
Being born in a small town in Nevada, I was one of those "small town" kids. Carson City, back then, was a "blink and you'll miss it" type of town, despite being the capitol of the Silver State. It still is, but it's fast becoming a "blink and you MIGHT miss it" type of town.
My childhood I won't get into too much, since it was pretty typical. I went to school, had friends, was made fun of for various stupid things, played outside, and such things. Nine years old saw me move to what I would later learn was the liberal bastion of idiocy known as California. Back at that age, however, I didn't care a whit for political parties, voting, or anything of the sort given that I couldn't vote. I've lived here ever since, now residing in Roseville and blogging about various subjects when outraged, incensed, or just plain bored.
And that's me in a nutshell. If you'd like to know more, the comment section is wide open for such questions.
Continuing to Fight the Good Fight
More Rule 5 Hotness...in a Santa Hat
The Reason for the Season
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Because I'm bored and it's a Slow Blog Day
Once again I make an attempt to abide by Stacy McCain's Rule #5. this time two photos for your viewing pleasure. One of the sizzling Gemma Atkinson (Above), and the other a wallpaper of the mouthwatering Autumn Reeser (Right).
Yeah, I know. Men are pigs, and I apparently am no exception. Then again, last I checked, looking at beautiful women isn't a crime.
My First Attempt at Rule Five
I'm not usually a practitioner of Robert Stacy McCain's Rule Number Five, but I figure what the hell? It can't hurt the traffic at the site, and who knows? Maybe it'll do for me what it's done for McCain, as well as USA Admiral and his Friday pin ups. So here goes. First on my list of Rule Five candidates, the smoldering hot bit of loveliness known as Gemma Atkinson.
In Memorium of Charles Schultz
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Be it Ever so Humble...
That being said, my grandmother was diagnosed with late onset breast cancer a few months ago. She's going through Chemotherapy and radiation to stave it off, and it appears to be working. It helps that she's been something of a health nut all her life and regularly exercised and took care of herself, so the prognosis looks good. However, it also reminds me that she won't be around forever. As much as that pains me, I can't bring myself to look toward that bleak future where I won't have my grandmother to visit in December.
I was looking for a vid to post in conjunction with my new holiday theme when I remembered one of my favorite Christmas tunes, sung by Perry Como. I'll let the music speak for itself.
More Christmas Cheer
"Pooh-pooh to the Whos!" he was grinch-ish-ly humming.
"They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming!
"They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do!
"Their mouths will hang open a minute or two
"Then all the Whos down in Who-ville will all cry BOO-HOO!"
"That's a noise," grinned the Grinch,
"That I simply must hear!"
So he paused. And the Grinch put a hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low. Then it started to grow...
But the sound wasn't sad!
Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn't be so!
But it WAS merry! VERY!
He stared down at Who-ville!
The Grinch popped his eyes!
Then he shook!
What he saw was a shocking surprise!
Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!
He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?
It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"
And what happened then...?
Well...in Who-ville they say
That the Grinch's small heart
Grew three sizes that day!
And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight,
He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light
And he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast!
And he...
The Grinch carved the roast beast!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Oh we Need a Little Christmas, Right This Very Minute...
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
He has the Right to an Attorney
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Finally, a return Volley!
Another shot fired in the War on Christmas...
For information on the "holiday" called Kwanzaa, click here.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
How in the Hell Would YOU Know?!
I don't even know why I bother wasting a blog post on these degenerates. Protesting the funerals of our brave servicemen is bad enough. Now they're going to be shouting and screaming at the top of their lungs at the funeral of a woman who as far as I know never hurt a fly. Someone on high should really teach these hate-mongering idiots a lesson in manners. Lightning bolt style. Know what I mean?
Also, how in the hell do they know that God hates soldiers and America? What kind of God do they worship? The God I believe in never hated anyone in all his infinite existence.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Another Dud From Dowd
To her credit, at least Dowd isn't trying to sound fair while she does this. No, rather than try to come off as a model of journalistic integrity, she lets her rage against Palin show with little more shame than a flasher in Central Park, with a few anti-Palin jabs thrown in just for good measure. Not only that, but she tries to make another central figure in her column, a caribou, seem smarter than the person whom she hates so openly.
her central beef with Palin in this instance is the fact that, on her reality show, Palin said that her father taught her that if someone wants real organic food, they'd have to go out and hunt actual animals. Dowd somehow takes this and twists it as only a liberal demagogue can, saying that Palin was actually expecting Jane Everyman of Suburbia, USA to "load up on ammo, board two different planes, camp out for two nights with a film crew and shoot a caribou so she can feed her family organic food." Now, I could be wrong, but according to the column, Palin was, A: bringing to light a certain way of life for the people of Alaska, and B: saying that the so-called "organic" food you get at the supermarket isn't really as organic as they make it sound. Nowhere in that sentence was there any mention of an ordinary mom from California having to fly to the Arctic to shoot polar bears.
After this "stunning" display of analysis by Dowd, she launches then into her usual rhetoric insulting Dick Cheney's hunting ability and Palin's intelligence in general. Apparently Dowd thought that the fish Palin caught in the last episode of the show should have been sufficient enough to where she wouldn't have to go out and shoot the caribou at all. Does she not realize that people tend to eat three meals a day, seven days a week? The freezer was most likely running low on fish so she went out and shot some caribou to fill the space. Either that or she was just looking for a little variety in her meals.
Metaphor is clearly not Dowd's strong point either, as she goes from ranting about Palin to some sort of comparison between Palin, who represents republicans, taking shots at Obama the Caribou. What?! Could it be that Dowd has become yet more incoherent than she used to be? I believe that is indeed the case.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
A Day That Still Lives in Infamy
This day was the day that America unified under the Stars and Stripes and swept forward like a cleansing tide and washed away the Nazi menace with nothing but American can-do optimism, a few rifles, tanks and planes, and a tenacity that is sorely lacking in today's wartime mentality. President Roosevelt, a man I disagree with on just about anything, was at least one thing that our current president is not: A leader. Franklin Delano Roosevelt may have been a big government Progressive, but at least he didn't shy away when a threat shoved itself directly into his face.
Our current president is nothing more than a thin-skinned wannabe by comparison. Listen to some of his own speeches as compared to FDR. FDR did everything he could to make certain that the people were involved in the war effort as much as the soldiers on the front lines were. If you weren't fighting, you were growing a victory garden. If you weren't growing a victory garden, you were working in a factory. And if you weren't doing that, you were probably at least buying war bonds so that the troops could get the material they needed to fight back the Fascists.
We've been in Afghanistan for eight years now. Eight years. We beat the Nazis in half that time, but we can't seem to handle a few camel riders in caves who saber rattle more than they actually fight. Is this current strategy really the best America can do to combat the new menace that is Islamic terrorism? If our FDR wannabe would just acknowledge the real threat, it would go a long way toward finally stomping them out and bringing our boys home. But fat chance of that. That's like getting Hank Williams to admit that he was an alcoholic. Not likely to happen in the near future.
On this day, I would like to extend my thanks to the brave servicemen and women who hold the line against the invisible enemy. I would also like to apologize for the actions of those who wouldn't know gratitude if it bit them in the ass.
Semper Fi.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
And now for our Daily Dose of Stupidity...
That's not to say that I believe these families are necessarily corrupt in their dealings, but one cannot deny that their bank accounts carry a good deal of influence in certain circles. However, this idea that Meghan McCain is a blue blood because she's accomplished something is utterly ludicrous. Sure, she's had books released, and she writes for the Daily Beast (an aptly named paper for someone who writes nothing but snark), but let's be honest here: when did Meghan McCain last hold a REAL job? When did she last come home smelling like hamburger or, in the case of myself, complain about how many spiral bound notebooks she had to personally put together in an inordinately limited amount of time? Probably not for a while.
Put simply, Ms. McCain is the classic example of someone who should have a brain/mouth filter apparatus installed so that she can program her responses more carefully. For one thing, being insulted by the term blue blood without knowing what it meant (a fact she readily admits to in said column) isn't exactly something she would have advertised had she thought about what she was really saying. To my knowledge, the reason McCain has had her education and has the money she has is because of Daddy Mac, not any of her own accomplishments, which to my knowledge consist of attacking Sarah Palin and flashing her rack all over the internet via Twitter.
In fact, if I were to compare Ms. McCain to a movie character, it would have to be the character Regina George, played by Rachel McAdams in the movie Mean Girls. My fiance and I just finished watching it last night before bed, and I couldn't help but notice that between her columns, snarky comments on late night TV, and other such "intelligent" musings from the daughter of our would-be president, that she was acting very much the part of the Plastics, most obviously their queen bee, Regina George. All she needs now is some sort of Burn Book wherein she keeps all the made up secrets and lies about people who have either wronged her or been wronged by her over the years, whether the wrongs done be real or falsified.
And with that, I think I've run out of things to rant about concerning the Blond Bimbette. I apologize to any readers who feel their time was wasted by my ramblings. Guess this is what happens when you come across a slow news week.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Revenge is a Dish Best Served by the Left
While I was cleaning up at work (that thing liberals hate so much) just before leaving, I was listening to Sean Hannity's radio show for background noise and possible fuel for a post, when sure enough, inspiration came along. His topic, as it has been across the radio spectrum for the last few weeks, ever since the historic win by Republicans in November, was the Bush tax cuts, and whether or not they'd be allowed to sunset at the end of the year, as is the hope of damn near every Democrat in congress, and even a few outside the beltway. During his latest monologue on why they should be allowed to continue and/or be made permanent, I hit on what I now believe to be the real, or at least A real, motivation for those on the left: Revenge.
I believe that revenge is a principle motivator for the left for a variety of reasons. First, listen to all their talk about the so-called "rich". Just today, on the same radio show I mentioned above, a sound bite was played of Nancy Pelosi's vehement dislike of the idea of keeping the tax cuts in place for those making over 250,000 a year. After hearing that, I asked myself "why on Earth are the left so insanely jealous of those people with money? Why are they playing the class warfare card almost as much as they play the race card?" I came upon the answer after a few seconds of thinking about the ideals of one Karl Marx.
Marx, all throughout the Communist Manifesto, does one thing consistently: He vilifies the rich. The left, these days, and ever since the early days of Progressivism in the early 20th century, has been looking for someone to blame. They've been looking for someone, in short, to take REVENGE on for their own inability to rise above the problems that face each and every one of us. If it's not the rich, it's the insurance companies. If it's not the insurance companies, it's the banks. If it's not the banks, it's the American taxpayer.
Hillary Clinton can even be quoted saying that then-President George Bush was too concerned with his "tax cuts for the rich" than he was about getting enough swine flu vaccine to the American people. When Pelosi addressed the tax cuts a year ago, she couldn't blame Bush, since he was out of office, so she blamed the private sector instead.
The point I'm trying to make here is that the left always believes that everything is someone else's fault. doesn't sound like much of a headline for an epiphany, but hear me out. The question now becomes "WHY do these people always seek to blame someone else for problems that, often, they are the ones that they caused?"
On some level, these nimrods think they've been personally wronged. Real or imagined, it's not exactly rocket science once the pieces start to fit together. Every argument the left has is based on the fact that the rich somehow "stole" money from the poor, and are thus greedy bastards who deserve to "pay their fair share"in order to help the poor get a leg up and succeed. It's all about taking revenge on the rich for the crime of being successful.
Of course, with my luck, someone's already thought of this and I'll get no credit for coming to this incredibly intellectual conclusion.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Constitution: Still Packing a Punch after Two Centuries
That's right, boys and girls, ladies and germs. The oh-so-touted food safety bill that would have given the FDA even more power over what we can and cannot eat has been sent back to chambers where it will, as most bills do when sent that way, most likely die a horrible, yet well-deserved death in the reconvened committee. I call this a definite win for the Limited Government team. Granted it is just one bill amidst a slew of others, but still, something about seeing such tyrannical measures defeated fills me with a bit of hope, and as we all know since the election of The Anointed One, that's been in a bit of short supply.
According to sources, the bill will likely be "blue slipped" by House Ways and Means Committee Dems, who seem to be now in the midst of a power struggle with their Senate counterparts. This is, I seriously doubt, the way that Senate Majority Leader Dingy Harry Reid imagined the reception of the bill going down. If Reid is smart, he'll let the matter drop. If he's not, and I'm more and more sure by the day that he isn't, he'll bitch and moan and cry until either the bill is ramrodded through, dies, or the lame duck session ends, whichever comes first.
See the actual entry at Patriots for more on this rather uplifting outcome.
Second Verse, Different From the First
Let's teach our kids that second verse, shall we? At the very least it'll make liberal heads explode!


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Road Trip!
Variety certainly is the spice of life. More than 6 months back, our fine neighbors over at Sportcrafters rollers consulted with us about their interest in doing a cyclocross race. Aside from making incredible rollers along with great customer service just a coupla yards over, they really turned up the notch on making what looks to be a fun day of racing. This next Sunday at TK Lawless park in Michigan (about 2-2.5 hours away) they will be hosting a race/party and we would be hard pressed to miss it.
On Sunday, October 24th the bus will be leaving rather early (7am?) to make sure we get plenty of time to drink some locally made pale ales, delicious food and take in some serious racing on the cheap! It would be great if you wanted to join us. Feel free to jump in a race, it's only $15 if you pre-register online! You could always come along to just chill on the couches, grill and drink. Road trip!
I highly recommend digging around for your favorite VHS and jumping on board the love bus to get your ass a little bit of the good stuff!
*thanks simon

subset: commoncrawl


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Coleman - Good going forward and did not disappear from the game when he changed sides. Looking more and more like his old pre-injury self which is great to see - 7
Keane - Solid and ruled everything in the air - 8
Mina - Developing a very good looking partnership with Keane and justifying his price tag. Solid and great in the air - 8
Digne - Good going forward, tracking back and non-stop work rate. His ability to provide runs down the left, crosses and assists is terrific. Needs to keep sharp when tracking back to avoid giving away silly fowls - MOM - 9
Gomes - Very good positional play and solid, good passing, faded second half and a bit surprised he was not subbed in after his knock last week - 7
Gbamin - Looking very promising, good touches and distribution, will only improve with game time. Faded second half which let Watford back into the game - 6
Bernard - Lively, good trickery and always looking for angles. Took his goal well, and worked hard to the end. - 8
Sigurdsson - Provided some great passes, but needs to get more in the game and contribute more in open play. Worked hard to the end - 7
Richarlison - Needs to sharpen up. Really should have scored two headers. Got kicked quite a lot and never really got into the right position to run at his former team - 6
DCL - Held the ball up and got into the play as best he could. Should have done better when set up in the 1st half. - 6
Holgate - Slotted in well and helped keep the defense strong when he came on. Room for improvement in his distribution, but did OK - 7
Kean - Put Watford on the back foot the moment he came on and stopped their momentum. Really unfortunate not to score with his second effort. Very promising - 8
Walcott - Did not contribute much, fast yes, but little end product, made a great run when Kean could have elected to square to him instead of shoot - 5
Silva - He is making Goodison a fortress, something I've been calling for for some time, With the players available, levels of fitness and progression I think he just about got this one right - 8


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New Arrival/
There's something I'd like to share with you all.
There's a new baby quilt available over at Sew Midwestern! Super exciting right???
I love messing with people about babies. Everyone keeps expecting me to be pregnant. Last week I really wanted a kid. This week, not so much. Anyone want to co-parent with Nate and I? One week we have the kid, the next week you have it. Genius, right? I'm sure the kid wouldn't be maladjusted at all. (Don't send me hate mail. I'm totally joking. Or am I?)
All joking aside, the above quilt is lovely. I kind of wanted to keep it for Ike. I will totally have about four when the time comes for me to give up sleep. I mean, cuddle a bundle of joy.
Kim and I worked on this lovely quilt together. These quilts are a labor of love. The quilt features carefully-chosen 100% cotton fabric. It is machine pieced and straight-line quilted. (Not easy tasks.) It is then pre-washed for a soft, broken-in feel. Many woman hours went into creating this handmade keepsake.
We hope you all love it as much as we do!
See more quilt options at Sew Midwestern!
Have a fabulous weekend! My family is in town which means junk shopping galore! Woo hoo!
Who loves chevron quilts? Anyone interested in co-parenting? (I kid. I kid.)


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"Price it right. Tax it smart. Do it now." This is the mantra of the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, who spoke last week at the Second Annual High Level Assembly meeting organized by the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC). Lagarde's words capture the sense of urgency in the international community for a carbon tax that sufficiently stabilizes global fossil fuel markets and gives the international community a tool to combat climate change.
Few policies hold the panacean promise of a carbon tax, which would unleash the creativity of the business sector, boost economic growth for the global economy, and catalyze the movement toward a more environmentally sustainable future. On April 20th, the international community, including government officials and business and civic organizations, convened at the World Bank to discuss a policy that holds this potential. A carbon tax aims to put a price on greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) — the emissions that are driving climate change — by taxing energy companies for each ton of GHGs that they emit.
The word tax can send businesses of all kinds running; the prospect of increased expenses naturally detracts business, but a carbon tax is a rare outlier. "We're here not because we like tree-hugging, but we think we can make money from this," stated HSBC's head of government affairs, Sherard Cowper-Coles. While the average tax is viewed merely as an added expense, a carbon tax corrects for a market failure: the underpricing of fossil fuels. Currently, the price of fossil fuel emissions is paid by the public as the public suffers the environmental damage of a heating planet, such as increased wildfires and drought. Internalizing the price paid by the public into operating costs through the implementation of a carbon tax on fossil fuel companies results in more accurate market signals. With market certainty in the price of dirty fuels comes growth.
"This is the growth story!" exclaimed Lord Nicholas Stern, Chair of the Grantham Research Institute, alluding to the fact that not taxing these emissions would create a hostile future that is anti-growth, for the socio-political ramifications of climate change threaten the stability of markets. Lord Stern continued, "This [underpricing of GHGs] is the greatest market failure the world has ever seen." Because the economic and social consequences of climate change are so severe, letting carbon go untaxed would not only be a moral failure, but it would also be an economic catastrophe. That is, the artificially low price of fossil fuels incentivizes an over-consumption of dirty, carbon-emitting fuels, and this overconsumption is the driver of climate change.
"The International Energy Agency has told us, along with the IPCC, that no more than 1/3 of already proven oil and gas reserves can be burned [if we wish to remain under dangerous warming thresholds]. So we have $22 trillion of sub-prime carbon assets and -- just like sub-prime mortgages -- their value is based on an illusion that is going to dissipate," said Vice President Al Gore, speaking about the economic consequences of failing to tax carbon. When the price of fossil fuels reflects its true cost to society, a carbon tax holds the promise of reorienting global markets away from an inflated economic bubble that, if popped, could result in a far-reaching economic crisis.
Echoing these same concerns, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde concluded the High Level Assembly with those three frank sentences: "Price it right. Tax it smart. Do it now." A carbon tax provides the rare opportunity to act boldly in the face of climate change in a way that enhances global economic growth. The CPLC's annual meeting, convening leaders from all sectors, provided the platform for progress as business and government collectively articulated a truth that is becoming more apparent by the day: Instituting a tax on carbon is a moral imperative in the face of climate change that aligns with one of the greatest economic opportunities in our history.


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Sign up today for the 2018 Season!
LEGO LEAGUES welcomes you to take part and play three of the best LEGO titles at a local movie theatre this year! Join us to experience the best live-action family-gaming events on the big screen!
Challenge friends in the Battle Arenas for a fun-filled weekend and the chance to win some great prizes!
Sign up and buy your tickets to our upcoming events at select theatres Nationwide listed below.
Step 1: Register
Please input your child's Name and Age.
Please read and agree to the Participants Waivers attached.
Step 2: Buy Tickets
Lego LEAGUES the 2018 Season
2018 League
March 24, April 28, May 26, July 28
How old do you have to be to register to play or participate in the tournament?
What is the structure of the event?
The players will rotate through in groups to allow everyone multiple chances to play and enjoy themselves. In addition to gameplay prizes will also be distributed through various raffle draws.
How do I Join?
What is the cost of participating?
What is the cost for watching in-theatre?
I have my own characters and vehicles for LEGO Dimensions at home, can I bring them?
How do I confirm that I have registered successfully?
How long is each event?
Can I drop my children off?
As this is on PS4 do I need to use my own PSN ID to participate?
My child wants to bring his friends. How many tickets can I purchase at one time?
How can I buy tickets for the next season?
How many people can play?
My city is not in the participating theatre list. How can I request that it be added?
How can I win a prize?
My question isn't above. Who can I contact?
Rules and Regulations of the tournament:


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In 2015, Congress passed the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act to advance the effectiveness of civil monetary penalties and to maintain their deterrent effect. The new law directs federal agencies to adjust their penalties for inflation each year, and requires agencies to publish "catch up" rules this summer to make up for lost time since the last adjustments.
The new method will adjust penalties for inflation, though the amount of the increase is capped at 150 percent of the existing penalty amount. The baseline is the last increase other than for inflation. The new civil penalty amounts are applicable only to civil penalties assessed after Aug. 1, whose associated violations occurred after Nov. 2, 2015.
"Civil penalties should be a credible deterrent that influences behavior far and wide," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. "Adjusting our penalties to keep pace with the cost of living can lead to significant benefits for workers and can level the playing field responsible employers who should not have to compete with those who don't follow the law."
Agencies must publish interim final rules by July 1. The department will accept public comments for 45 days.
OSHA's maximum penalties, which have not been raised since 1990, will increase by 78 percent. The top penalty for serious violations will rise from $7,000 to $12,471. The maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations will increase from $70,000 to $124,709.
MSHA's fines are increasing, but at a smaller amount than those issued by OSHA. Fines for flagrant violations of the Mine Safety and Health Act are increasing from $242,000 to $250,433. The fine for failure to correct is increasing to $7,500 from $6,500.
A list of each agency's individual penalty adjustments is available here.


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For the Wild - Thank you
Thank you
for joining this wilderness loving community.
photo by Alexa Mazarello
sharing knowledge makes me happy.
My creative practise is fuelled by stories of rad people doing great work in support of the environment. And of course, my ever evolving research into human relationships with wild places. That's why I'm here, balanced on tip toes, waving my hands in the air. Asking you to be part of this conversation.
I think we both know that that our collective knowledge of land and water today will shape the future integrity of our physical world in a very real way. That's why I'm elbowing my way into your inbox, with love notes for the environment and nuggets of wisdom from some of the brightest minds and biggest hearts in environmental advocacy, awareness and action.
I hope you enjoy my weekly roundup of intelligent, positive news + stories, through an artist's lens on the world. My intention is to spark deep, feel good conservations. And to cultivate informed optimism, in an easy light-hearted kinda way.
I truly believe that optimism is contagious.
It's not about ignoring the state of the world, or all the negative things that are happening all around us.
It's about being open to facts and success stories that illustrate where the greatest potential lies for positive change. It's about giving generously to people and causes we support, with our time, attention, energy and expertise.
It's about starting today, with one thing.
For the wild,


text: Are you creature crazy? Are you bonkers about birds? Well, now's your chance to show how much you know with Trivial Pursuit Bite Size World of Wildlife! 600 questions on animals, insects, reptiles and more with enough questions to baffle a boffin but plenty that all the family can answer!


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Barred Sand Bass is one of the most savory fish that I have served . To catch these bad boys your aiming past the the breakers behind the waves . There is a 5 fish bag limit and they have to be longer than 14" . So bring your measuring tape If your going to keep'em . See my post on how to catch more fish at Surf Fishing :: How To's :: From Rigging's to Finding Fish and Bait .
Last edited by VALLEYCENTERWAHOO; 08-10-2014 at 01:51 PM.


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Newest Additions
Here is my collection of nature photography mostly in the Pittsburgh and greater Western PA region. This gallery contains photos taken from such parks as McConnells Mill, Ohiopyle, North Park, and Fall Run. All photographs are for sale, ready to ship, and can be printed on canvas, museum quality archival paper, metal, and more.Read More


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Welcome to our blog! This is a platform where the rich diversity of women's voices can be heard and where we can come together to turn attention on the myriad of issues that affect a variety of women. We celebrate where things are good, and focus a spotlight on areas where they aren't. If you want to write something for this space please just get in touch!
Before sending us your blog, please note: We publish articles that are written by women, pro all women & not for profit in their intention. We welcome lighter pieces as well as articles on more serious issues. There is no specific word count, but most pieces are around the 700 word mark.
Our latest post is by Karla McLaren, Campaign Manager: Women's Rights in Afghanistan for Amnesty International UK who are campaigning for women in Afghanistan.
Domestic Violence Drama – Changing the perception of issue-based drama.
Claire Moore – Director of Certain Curtain Theatre Company established 1989 - A not-for-profit professional touring company specialising in new writing. Producing exciting, innovative theatre, challenging pre-conceived ideas with dynamic originality… from the page to the stage.
Domestic Violence Drama - Our Approach
We've been at the forefront of the use of theatre and drama within the field of domestic violence since 1995 and work to improve services for woman and children experiencing abuse using our work to raise awareness, educate and engage. Using original theatre we seek to reveal the dynamic of power and control in male violence against women and to do so frankly. We take the harsh, raw elements of life and language, mix them with a startling lyrical flavour and add a touch of attitude, to create something new, edgy, daring and dangerous - and give people what they don't expect!
LADY IN RED – the original stage play
I believe the main barrier to people truly understanding domestic violence comes hand in hand with the 'Why doesn't she just leave?' question. LADY IN RED seeks to answer that question and audiences across the Country have said time and again that the play has finally helped them understand why. LADY IN RED combines superb dialogue, a compelling plot, powerful performance and evocative colours to take the audience on a moving and mesmerising journey with 'Rose' - enabling them to explore one woman's attempts to leave an abusive relationship and the barriers she faces. It explores all elements of domestic abuse and is particularly concerned with highlighting the effects of emotional and psychological abuse. It has helped many women identify abusive behaviour and many support workers answer the age old question 'Why doesn't she just leave?'
Publishing the play via Kickstarter – Crowd-funding – Get involved – make it happen.
The Kickstarter crowd-funding site is a kind of grown-up Sponsorship site. Individuals pledge to back a creative project in return for 'rewards'
This Kickstarter project is to publish LADY IN RED in book form along with support information on domestic abuse. As a not-for-profit Company that receives no revenue funding we've turned to Kickstarter to help make it happen. To get the information out to as many people as possible.
The minimum pledge is only £1 with rewards starting at only £6!
Rewards include signed copies, mentions in the book, a performance in your area and so on - as well as the satisfaction of supporting a worthwhile cause and project!
We have until 13th April to get the support needed - if the goal isn't reached by then - no money is collected. Here's the link - hope you'll have a look and share – support!
Anyone can support the project - whether they are interested in new writing, domestic violence – violence against women, poetry, philanthropy - so any contacts you can share this with would be a great help.
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Rowing to Beat
- Esther Rich
Rowing has historically been one of the most male-dominated sports around. 5am starts, gruelling gym sessions, spending hours outside in the freezing cold or pouring rain… it would be absurd to think women could deal with that for more than a week, right? WRONG! In the London 2012 Olympics, the GB rowing squad won a record-breaking 9 medals – a third of these won by women's crews! More importantly all 3 of the women's medals were gold, placed against just 1 from the men. Rowers encounter palm blisters, numb bums and intense muscle ache on a daily basis – but do we women give up because it hurts? You bet we don't! We train just as much as the men, with the same focus on our goal!
Conversely, when it comes to eating disorders it is men who are under acknowledged – when in fact they represent anywhere from 10-25% of sufferers in the UK. Perhaps it is for this reason that eating disorders are stereotyped as the manifestation of manipulation and attention seeking in teenage girls, when in actual fact they are traumatic conditions which can affect anyone regardless of age or gender. In my own experience, even in the 21st century eating disorders retain the age-old stigma encountered by the majority of mental health conditions, and are widely misunderstood as a life choice rather than a legitimate illness.
It may seem counterintuitive to be able to progress from anorexic teen to member of the rowing team at university, but I found that rowing was the very thing which enabled me to maintain my recovery away from home. It has taught me the value of a sufficient diet for fuelling training sessions, provided a much needed sense of acceptance within the group, and given me a profound awareness of what my body can do if I build strength rather than avoiding muscle-gain. Poor body image in general is not uncommon among women, and is something which many of the crew I row with at Corpus Christi College have experienced in some form. Rowing has enabled us to view exercise not as a way to get the bodies we desire, but a way of celebrating the amazing things our bodies can do – and this is the message that we want to convey to others!
The women's squad of CCCBC have therefore decided to embrace our rowers' thighs and embark on an unprecedented challenge: rowing the 180km from Oxford to London over 4 days as an all-female crew to raise money for Beat – the UK's leading eating disorder charity, whom I volunteer as a Young Ambassador for. Our aim is to stamp out the stigma on eating disorders and show sufferers that recovery IS possible (as well as obviously raising a lot of money for Beat to help them do so!). We will push our bodies to the limits to stop eating disorder sufferers from doing the same!
It is going to hurt. A LOT. So we would absolutely love it if as many people as possible might be willing to help make that main worthwhile by sponsoring us at www.justgiving.com/londonrow
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Women's Leadership - Making it Happen
- By Caroline Watson, Director, Progressive Women
The furor over Sheryl Sandberg (of Facebook)'s new book raises lots of questions about women's role in society. In the same way that when Sex and the City is criticised for not being feminist enough (it's Hollywood why should it be all things to all women?). Is is fair that Sheryl's book is expected to be gospel to all working women. However, as women aren't close to being equal on tv, film or in the higher rungs of business, when they do appear we overly scrutinise their contribution. Sheryl Sandberg writes from her own perspective about how to get women to the top, every woman who gets to the top has her own story and I am sure we can learn from.
It's for this very reason that Progressive Women is organising our 'Making it Happen' Leadership conference. We're inviting inspiring women leaders including Dame Tessa Jowell MP, Katie Ghose Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society, and Rowena Ironside Chair of Women on Boards to speak to over 60 female future leaders. We're also delighted to have professional leadership trainers offering their time to help develop skills and expertise central to career success. Even now in the early twenty first century we know that women take on the bulk of the child care and other caring responsibilities which can make striving towards career success seem even trickier, as Sheryl Sandberg acknowledged in her TedX speech, women face harder choices between family and career success. Women are more likely to drop out of or limit their careers to take on caring roles. At our conference on 11 May, Mojo Mums will be offering a workshop on balancing work and family life.
Women are still seriously under represented in positions of power. Out of 109 heads of state only 9 are women. I don't need to tell you that in the UK we've only had one female Primte Minister. We want to enable more women to stand for parliament and other elected positions. Candy Piercy, has worked with many Liberal Democrat MPs to help them get selected and elected, she has also trained with the UN, EU and the Foreign Office. At 'Making it HAppen' Candy will be providing a session on 'Getting ahead in politics'.
We know that one of the obstacles to women's achievement, is a lack of female role models and male dominated work cultures, especially when it comes to reaching the Board. Rowena Ironside of Women on Boards will be offering a workshop, no matter where you are in your career, its not too early to start planning a path to the Board.
Sandberg claims the data shows that women systematically underestimate their own abilities, and attribute their success to external factors, rather than their own actions. She says we need to 'own our own success'. At our conference Ruth Culver will be offering a training session on 'Building Confidence for Success'.
The aim of the day is to really get to the heart of the women's power deficit in the UK, by inspiring, enabling and supporting women - our female future leaders. For more details and to book your ticket go to www.progressivewomen.org.uk
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News Index
1) The Unsung Heroes of Afghanistan
2) Overdue: a plan of action to tackle pregnancy discrimination now
3) Just how accessible are the UK's free, universal Health Service?
4) Why We Need Female Role Models
5) Discovering the First Female English Playwright; or, Why We Should Care About Cary
6) Black women, feminism and the view from the outside: #solidarityisforwhitewomen
7) Why hashtag #SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen went viral in 24h
8) From Sexist Exclusion to Feminist Inclusion: the Art of Pauline Boty
10) Starting a new business following redundancy
11) equals - Blank Media Collective
12) The Wench Front Interviews Churchill On This, His Fiver Hour
15) Check out our latest storify, by @bluecowmoo
18) Why it is Time for a Criminal Offence of Domestic Abuse
20) Storify - Women and Science Fiction
21) My Mother, Misogyny, Marriage and Me
24) National Stalking Awareness Day 2013
26) The Women's Room Event Finds a Sponsor!
27) Domestic Abuse, Grooming and Victim Blaming
28) Does Sexual assault in the Military Impede Women's Expertise?
29) Who Are the Experts on Sex Work?
30) Opportunities in Opposites
31) Encouragement and Self-Belief
32) Should news organisations reflect the status quo or try to influence the gender balance?
36) Women's Leadership - Making it Happen


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Meet The Team
A successful restaurant is one where customers love to return, time and time again, based on a great experience.
The experience is so much more than good food – it's also about the atmosphere, the overall ambience and feel of the place.
We believe creating this environment starts with the right people – and we'd like you to meet some of the team at Fratelli Belfast.
Our talents and experience are diverse, but we're united by one thing: an overarching passion for Italian food, wine and hospitality.


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Guest Editorial
Gun control: An opinion
I was appalled to read in the paper recently that the law-abiding residents of Tucson brought all their firearms to the police to be destroyed. Did the robbers, the rapists, the murderers, the drug addicts and other assorted criminals and vagrants currently walking the streets, also turn in their firearms? Do the residents of Tucson really think the police can protect all the citizens all the time? I think not!
You might have read of our experience at the local airport near Reserve, New Mexico about twenty years ago. We were camping out with our small plane at a county airport with a locked gate and fences, when at 2:30 a.m., three armed drunks crashed through the gate and one entered our plane to take it for a ride while we were sleeping in the back. Needless to say we went for our guns immediately and my husband talked them out of going for a ride. I am convinced that he would not have been able to do that if he had not been armed (as they were armed also). Call the police? Sure, if there was a phone. We used out aircraft radio to contact a passing airliner, which in turn did NOT send help. We were forced to spend the rest of the night in the tall grass, away from the airplane for fear they would come back (which they did, twice!) We called the police in the morning and they promptly arrested the men.
So what would have happened had we not had our guns? I don't even want to think about it!
You may remember the nice Tison family whose sons helped him escape from prison and their pal Greenawalt, who went on a three state rampage, wantonly killing a man, woman, their baby, and severely injuring their nursemaid, simply because they wanted the family's car. What a GOOD REASON to squander the lives of three people whose only mistake was to stop and offer to help them! Call the police? How? I'll bet they wished they had a gun!
Quick to follow, were the deaths of a young newlywed couple, camping out on their honeymoon in Colorado. The Tison/Greenawalt Merry Marauders needed another car. Again, senseless slaughter. Call the police? How? I'll bet they wished they had a gun!
Just recently you may remember reading about a young mother and her three children at home alone in the Buckeye area. The husband had gone away for the weekend on a hunting trip. Along comes a man who says he has car trouble and needs to use a phone. She helps this man; he leaves and returns a while later with his gun and murders her for her trouble. Call the police? Sure she had a phone, she could have. Would they have reached her in time to stop the murder? I doubt it. I'll bet she wished she had a gun!
The stories are endless; just pick up the newspaper or turn on the television and you will hear of some frightened individual who has absolutely nothing to lose, taking advantage of someone else for a paltry sum of money or a piece of jewelry. Once these people have killed, they are over the edge; they know the punishment will be the same whether they kill one person or forty. Look at Ted Bundy! They could kill him only once. And he knew that. All those young lives he snuffed out without the least bit of conscience. Call the police? How? I'll bet each and every young girl wished she had a gun!
Then there was the shop owner who just recently killed an armed robber during an attempted holdup. Good for him! HE didn't stand there pleading for his life. He recognized that it was a "you or me" situation and that there was NO TIME to call the police. I'll bet he was glad he had a gun!
How thankful I am that we were properly armed at the time of our distress. I am now able to write this letter to all people who do not have any kind of armed protection. In my opinion, you should go out, buy a large caliber gun and learn to use it properly. Take it to a firing range and become so proficient with it you will feel confident to use it if the need arises. I am not saying we all need to go around killing each other, but if it comes down to a "you or me" confrontation and there is no immediate help, you will be very glad you decided to protect yourself. The police cannot be everywhere at one time and even if there is a phone handy, it will take time for then to get to you. By that time it is usually too late. Murders, robbers, and the like do not stay around long enough to be arrested. The bad guys ay eventually be caught, but that will do you no good because you will have been shot while pleading for your life. These people have no regard or compassion for another human being or for the lives they so ruthlessly take. The remorse they feel is the same as you would feel for the fly you just killed. Until the law-enforcement agencies can rid the streets of ALL the criminals, you will have to help the police protect you. They cannot do it alone.
I hope you will read this letter in the spirit in which it has been offered, and please, consider going out and ARMING yourselves!
Otherwise, in the event of a confrontation, the very last words you will ever say will be "I wish I had a gun!"
Think about it – very hard!


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Under The Stars...Literally/
A year ago, Tony Sweet announced on air that I would be his permanent Co-Host for his internet entertainment radio talk show - "On Air With Tony Sweet". It was also around that time that we interviewed Jeff King, Rebecca Amis and Suzy Amis (wife of Oscar winning director - James Cameron) about The Muse School located in the mountains of Calabasas here in Southern California. For those of you not familiar, The Muse School educates children based on their interests and how to respect the earth through sustainability. I love the concept and I adore Jeff, Rebecca and Suzy. Clearly, it is a mutual love fest, as they requested I host their "Under The Stars" Fundraiser this year that literally was under the stars of the Calabasas mountains on The Muse School Campus. We had silent and live auctions and were treated to a special video from Jeff King, who was absent this year. However, he offered to eat a GIANT beet if a certain number of donations were reached!!! Can't wait to see that one! In the house with support were 20th Century Fox Chairman Jim Gianopulos, CAA, ICM, Cirque de Soleil and many, many more!
A few days later I received the most beautiful arrangement of roses from Muse to say "thank-you". I say..."it was my pleasure"...
For more info on The Muse School, fundraising events, open houses, etc..., please go to www.museschool.org.
Here are a few photos from that night!!!


text: Church Weekends We are able to accommodate small church groups for a whole weekend. If your church has a mid-week house group, these longer weekends are great for closer fellowship and times of prayer together. Not only will you leave feeling refreshed, but you will be re-energised in your fervour and commitment to the opportunities in your home church. Booking for this event has now closed.


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Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut
An international educational challenge, focusing on fitness and nutrition, that encourages students to train like an Astronaut.
Students practice scientific reasoning and teamwork whilst participating in hands-on training missions targeting strength, endurance, coordination, balance and spatial awareness. Many of the lessons and activities are linked to the science curriculum and have a clear focus on health and nutrition.
Paolo Nespoli, welcomes participants to Mission X 2018 from the International Space Station!


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Maternity and Newborn Art
NYC Maternity and Newborn Photography
New York Maternity Photographer
I specialize in artistic nude maternity, newborn and baby photography. For more NYC maternity photography and pregnancy portraits, please, visit my maternity gallery. For bookings and information on maternity, newborn and baby photography sessions contact me or call directly 347.982.7792


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Moving house (twice) in a short space of time is stressful, and as a result my blogging has suffered in the last few weeks. As I move to London in less than two weeks to pursue my dream of video game journalism I'm thinking of turning this blog, partly or wholly, into a diary of my adventures in the big smoke. For now though, it's business as usual.
Lily Allen – URL Badman
Lily hasn't been perfectly happy with the run of singles from her third studio album, Sheezus. Specifically, the label made her release songs designed to get radio airplay rather than the provocative, sharp-tongued musicals musings Allen is known for. Fans and Lily herself can now rejoice as one of the stand-outs from the album is getting the single treatment, and the popstar is at her satirical best.
'URL Badman' is a critique not of bloggers and wannabe journalists (even if it was, I couldn't help but love it – ironically, obviously) but the keyboard warriors who think their strong opinions and way with words entitle them to slam everyone else. You know the type. Hipsters with a webpage. The video has some cool effects but it's a bit of a non-event, not that I could think of something to do visually with the songs theme, the track itself is definitely deserving of a download for quotable lyrics like "I don't like girls much, they're kinda silly, unless of course they wanna play with ma willy". Oh, and there's a Space Ghost reference in the brilliant rap middle eight. You don't know who Space Ghost is?! pfft, *rolls eyes*
I think I just became a hipster.
Florrie – Little White Lies
Whilst I'm on this 'too cool for the mainstream' wavelength I might as well try and get more people into my favourite bubbling-under-the-radar popstar, Florrie. After releasing an EP earlier this year consisting of three excellent tracks (one I covered before) and two average remixes, the singer/songwriter/drummer/astronaut is turning one of the remix tracks into her first proper single, a single that will almost definitely maybe lead to an album that might (not) be out before the end of this year.
Unlike the three songs from the Sirens EP, 'Little White Lies' is more a 'proper' pop song, with a standard verse chorus verse chorus middle 8 chorus structure as opposed to an upside down and in reverse (reference!) collection of sound bites. That's a good and a bad thing for me: the song floats along dreamily nice enough, and hopefully it'll fit in well with what's currently on the radio but I prefer the excitement of the more left-field edge of 'Wanna Control Myself'. That being said, it's Florrie – and therefore Xenomania, my favourite producers ever, of Girls Aloud/Pet Shop Boys/Abs from 5ive fame – so for either to get a hit would be fantastic.
The Saturdays – What Are You Waiting For?'
If anyone is going to give Xenomania a hit this summer, it's the single from The Saturdays upcoming greatest hits. As well as the single, the group has uploaded a megamix of their hits, which I think is definitely worth a listen, because it sums up the good and the bad of The Saturdays.
If you've listened to the radio at all in the last 6 years you'll probably sing a fair few of these chorus, even if you didn't think you knew them. You might go 'oh, that one's quite good actually' here and there. But overall, (and I'm fully aware it's a megamix) the main feeling I get is that The Sats are just a girl group doing girl group songs. Now I do like a good girl group, they are an essential part of the pop landscape, and when they develop their own style, like the aforementioned Almighty Aloud, Destiny's Child, the Spice Girls, the second line-up of Sugababes and now, Little Mix, they becomes leaders of the pack (reference!). Then there's The Saturdays. There's no catfighting or bitchy dramas, diva tantrums or trashy lads mag shoots (well maybe the odd one). On the other hand, The Sats don't have any sort of unique identity to them musically. 'All Fired Up', 'Ego' 'Up' and 'Higher' are great, but nothing in their catalogue is a stone-cold classic.
As the lead single from their greatest hits, and produced by the masterminds at Xenomania, I was really hoping for that classic to finally be delivered. Instead (and clearly following on from the dreadful 'What About Us' being the group's first number one) we got every generic pop/EDM crossover cliche thrown into one neat package to remind us how unadventurous a lot of chart music has been these few years (My god, maybe I am a URL Badman). It's got a good beat to wave your arms to in the club, the lyrics are easy enough to sing/shout when drunk but you won't remember it down the line. The sad thing is, when Xenomania and The Saturdays teamed up before, they created 'All Fired Up' which was a club banger with loads of auto-tune and lyrics about partying. Where 'All Fired Up' works though is that song didn't bother with the tired build ups and drops of everything else, and was three minutes and fifteen seconds of a sonic assault, barely stopping for breath. 'What Are You Waiting For?' just… plods along. And the music video is Beach Video 101 too. The perfect opportunity to make a deceleration of why you should be a major British pop act, wasted.


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By Alanna Autler
In June of 2012, the postgrad winds scattered my beautiful, brilliant friends to the throbbing metropolises of America — places with public transit and restaurants that only sell salad, supposed paradises where yoga studios beckon from every other concrete corner.
I remember (with a pang of jealousy) hearing the early trials of many of my peers — lost in a grand prix of happy hours and dating apps and the idea that one must shine in an infinite sea of over-achievers.
But let the record show — that is not my story. Mine, rather, starts in a holler.
Maybe you don't know what a holler is. Don't worry; four years ago, I certainly did not either. A person once told me that a holler is an Appalachian derivation of "hollow" — land between two mountains where people generally live.
That, or the word could also mean the easiest way to communicate from one side of the hollow to another: to holler. That makes far more sense, in my opinion.
But this was just one of the many things I learned upon arriving in my new home.
A week after graduation, I moved to Dunbar, West Virginia — a dusty town eight miles west of the state capital — to work at a TV station. My apartment sat off a curvy road, etched in the mountains.
It became very clear very quickly that I was not in my college town anymore.
"At first, I was too engrossed in my new job, eating epic biscuits and/or taking in the natural beauty to dwell on anything beyond the next five minutes. But the loneliness eventually encroached."
The only word I can find to describe that apartment complex is haphazard. Peeling wallpaper covered some parts, but not all. The stairway reeked of cabbage. Someone broke into my unit within six months and stole my shit.
The apartment was adjacent to our very own holler, which became my retreat every day before dawn. At that time, the town had no real gyms. (Say it with me: "First. World. Problems.") So for exercise, I sprinted up and down that holler, passing the same houses three, four, five times as the world awoke, all the while blasting Top 40 hits that had played at sorority formals just weeks earlier. White noise in my otherwise silent life.
I answered to no one. Six months earlier, I had ended a very serious, long relationship. Without this attachment, I immersed myself in a place where I knew no one and no one knew me. It was liberating.
At first, I was too engrossed in my new job, eating epic biscuits and/or taking in the natural beauty to dwell on anything beyond the next five minutes. But the loneliness eventually encroached.
She seeped into my life ever so slowly. In that great, wide wilderness, she waded through every nameless tributary and zeroed in on the faraway fortress I had created to reinvent myself.
Loneliness will always find you. And when she does, you cannot hide.
When I say I had no friends for several months, that is not an exaggeration. It's not like my childhood friend's cousin happened to live off the next subway stop, and I just decided we didn't click. I literally had no friends in my town. So my early triumphs and failures were digested in the same fashion: I went home, sat on my couch and ate salad out of a bag.
A fog descended. I carried her constantly. Through the mountains — always through the mountains — as I steered a ratchet PT Cruiser that served as a news car and stunk of spoiled milk (someone had actually left milk in it). She joined me in the empty Kroger I frequented at 1 a.m. because I worked the night shift, and even in the mall, which seemed trapped in some strange time capsule (When was the last time you shopped at Deb?).
"That freedom I once held so dear became a captor."
I was alone, and the silence was searing. As a one-man-band reporter, I shot, edited and wrote all my stories, driving myself to faraway towns every day. There was no ironic juxtaposition of feeling singular among the teeming masses. In my case, I was feeling lonely because there was often no one around. Many stories brought me to vacuous coalfields, gutted by layoffs. On really, really bad days, I'd assume the fetal position at the foot of my bed and cry so loudly I sounded like a dying animal.
That freedom I once held so dear became a captor. I felt like if I flung myself off a mountain, no one would see nor notice. (Edit: My managers would have noticed upon missing deadline.)
"You chose this," I told my reflections in various gas station bathroom mirrors.
In this picture, I am shooting my first real enterprise story. It was my first time in Mingo County — a beautiful place riddled with corruption — which would become the bedrock of my time in West Virginia. I parked the car on the side of King Coal Highway and stepped out. It was October and the air was still humid. I set my camera on a self-timer and stood near the crevice between the pavement and the earth. This — I thought — this is what I'll look at when I'm older and wiser and saner.
Little did I know, I had already embarked on the greatest adventure of my life. And I needed to go it alone.
I'm not sure I was a good person when I arrived. Without distractions, I had a lot of room to think. To sit with my mistakes or my guilt, whatever seized me that day. To replay things I had uttered to friends or loved ones carelessly. To navigate the type of woman I was becoming.
And when I was done thinking — once again reassured of my place within this world — I had no choice but to think some more.
My only companion was Loneliness, and she saved me.
I guess what I'm trying to say is wherever we are — a coastal metropolis or an Appalachian valley — we get lonely. And when we do, it helps to understand why.
It was in loneliness that I forced myself to contemplate my character, to write furiously, to go on dates, to find friends. Eventually it worked. It's that simple. We are the only people who can fill our own voids.
Today I live elsewhere, adorned with a slew of adjectives: happy, fulfilled, challenged. I moved to another city — this one a little bigger. But every now and then, I still catch myself looking for those hollers.
I wonder if they're looking for me, too.
Alanna Autler works as a reporter in Nashville, Tennessee, where she continues to eat biscuits.


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Easter 2011
John 20: 1-18
We all do a dance with mortality. It's a Pas de Deux with our creator. Our dance with mortality goes something like this: first we turn our backs and then we come round right with a graceful bow towards the eternal. There we genuflect and hold grief and hope in harmony. Sometimes the movements look fearful and heavy laden, when really they are courageous and tender. We have all done the dance. We move in fear, weep at gravesides, and lift our our eyes towards the heavens for signs. There are signs all around us, drawing us to make resurrection part of our dance.
This past year Rita Burgner, a faithful friend, died. Her grandbaby Henry arrived 2 days before her funeral. Elizabeth, Henry's mom, literally came from the hospital to her funeral at this sanctuary. Elizabeth described the struggle to hold the sting of death and the wonder of birth at the same time as all the pews filled with people coming to celebrate and mourn Rita's life. As she sat there crying in the service, she realized the greatest honor for her was to have been able to be with Rita as she took her last breath and to have been with Henry as he took his first. Then she realized looking at Henry that Rita's spirit would always be with her. "Henry," she said, "unlike either of his brown-eyed parents, has striking, sea-blue eyes, just like his grandmother." Our mortality and the mortality of everyone we love is hard to fathom. There is a powerful fear that grief will be our undoing. Kissing someone we love goodbye and kissing a new life is almost too much for a heart to bear in real time. But, Henry's eyes call us to move in the wake of death, and believe that life continues on in ways we cannot even imagine. We feel it in our bones; death is not the end of our dance.
No one does the dance with more grace than Mary Magdalene. Our Easter story in John begins with her full of grief and setting out while it is still dark to anoint Jesus' body. We can hear the quiet as she enters the garden with spices and oils. She is filled with grief as the scene of the Crucifixion is still fresh in her memory and in close proximity. She feels she is alone and ready to face death. It is when she sees the stone rolled away that the resurrection dance begins. First she runs from the tomb for help, then Peter and John race towards the tomb and move in and out trying to understand what they are witnessing. Peter and John then turn back, and then Mary Magdalene, weeping, turns towards the empty tomb and bow gracefully to look closer into the tomb. She sees the angels and realizes she isn't alone, and asks for her Lord. Finally, turning again she hears the voice of her Lord who has who has lingered at the tomb for her, "Mary!" For a moment she dances with eternity We, like Mary, have been called by name and are God's own forever. We like Mary, can weep and call like timeless poets, "Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart" and move with our risen Lord in a dance that takes us by surprise.
Sometimes we dance close to mortality. This past Ash Wednesday in Ecuador during the drought, I preached about tasting the dust of the land in my mouth. It was as clear to me as it had ever been how we are truly close to dust, and that is why there is no difference—male or female, Ecuadorean or American, rich or poor; we are dust, and to dust we shall return. There was no bitterness in the taste for me. It was just laden with gratitude. Gratitude that we found this small place in God's vineyard, gratitude that is has helped form the faith of this community, and gratitude for all the love shared between our communities. We finished the service and walked outside the small church where eight-foot speakers had been set up while we were marking our heads with ashes. Those speakers started bellowing out dance music as the teachers and students of the school changed into an array of dancing costumes. Three hundred people gathered around the basketball court outside and were clapping and dancing. The kindergarten teacher dressed in a clown outfit of rags with fresh ashes still adorning her forehead came out with all the children to wild applause. Through teary eyes and laughter I witnessed one of the mist beautiful dances I have ever seen. She was like Mary herself, fearlessly bending into the empty tomb, and then turning round and round because life and hope are stronger. I want us to keep moving in hope while the ashes are fresh on our foreheads. Easter preaches, " dance; love is more powerful than fear, stronger than the grave, and older than grief."
I walked by a trout lily this spring. Trout lilies are beautiful wild lilies that begin the morning with their blossoms bowed and then reach towards the sun in late afternoon. They are easily missed as they are close to the ground and bloom just a couple of days a year. They are some of the most fragile blossoms our Tennessee hills hold. It seems impossible that after the devastating flood last spring that changed the landscape of our woods and brought down huge trees that the millimeter bulbs of any wildflower could survive. Yet this year, at the base of the largest birch tree in the park that fell, a trout lily was blooming. It was a sign of new life in mangled earth. Love always finds a way to bloom and make our hearts dance---In spinning circles on Ash Wednesday, in the eyes of a new baby, in the survival of an ephemeral flower. When I looked past that stunning trout lily, I saw a thousand blooming on the hillside like a chorus ready to sing by our gravesides "All of us go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia."


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Did Google Street View Capture a Ghost?
The figure above was snapped by the Google Street View camera near what was once dangerous dockland in Britain. Is the woman, who appears to be wearing Victorian garb, a ghost? (She does appear to be missing her legs.)
Read more here. And if you're interested, see an "alien" photographed by the Google Street View van in New Jersey.


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Tickets to your hometown music venue. The OFFICAL BLUESTONE TICKET BOX OFFICE for Columbus Ohio Concerts.
Get Tickets to The Bluestone and never miss your favorite artist again. Tickets From country and electronic to R&B and hip hop. THE Bluestone brings quality entertainment to the stage every time. We're working hard to bring you the best music and special events in Columbus, Ohio. Keep an eye on our tickets and events calendar and check back often for concert updates. Just click on an event to purchase tickets.
Buying tickets on the Eventbrite app is quick and simple. Register for event with just a few taps, and you'll receive a confirmation email when your order is completed successfully.
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Eventbrite takes the security and privacy of your billing information seriously. All online payments are processed over a secure connection using a PCI-compliant gateway. If you prefer an offline transaction, learn how to buy tickets without using a credit card.
Tickets to The Bluestone
Jameson Rodgers LIVE at The Bluestone on Friday, September 20th, 2019
Doors for the show will open at 7pm
Opening Artist: Ray Fulcher
Tickets are $10 each
Raised in Batesville, Mississippi, singer-songwriter Jameson Rodgers brings together electrified rock & roll and Country songwriting on his new self-titled EP, released in January of 2018, with songs featured on Spotify's New Boots and Wild Country playlists as well as Sirius XM's On The Horizon. In 2018, Rodgers also received the AIMP Nashville Rising Artist-Writer of the Year nomination for the third annual AIMP (Association of Independent Music Publishers) Nashville Awards. The former college baseball player, who landed a publishing deal with Combustion Music in 2014, scored his first songwriting cuts with Florida Georgia Lines "Wish You Were On It" and "Talk You Out Of It" in addition to co-writing Chris Lane's new single "I Don't Know About You." His debut EP, released in 2016, features the streaming hit "Midnight Daydream." In addition to opening shows for Sam Hunt and Old Dominion, Rodgers has been selling out clubs throughout the south and Midwest this year. He is currently on the Luke Combs Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour that kicked off in January.
"Following the recent news that multi-award-winning country star Lauren Alaina is a contender on this season's "Dancing with the Stars," the platinum-selling singer's That Girl Was Me Tour scheduled for this fall is shifting to a January start date. The That Girl Was Me Tour originally scheduled at The Bluestone on October 3rd 2019 is being rescheduled to February 1st 2020. " If you have already purchased tickets, those tickets will be valid for the new date.
Lauren Alaina LIVE at The Bluestone on February 1st, 2020
Opening Artist: Filmore
Doors for the show will open at 7pm
Tickets are $20
This is an All Ages Show
Tickets on-sale NOW
Georgia native Lauren Alaina captured America's hearts when she competed on Season 10 of American Idol. In 2017, Lauren followed up her No. 1 debuting first album, Wildflower, with the release of the critically-acclaimed Road Less Traveled. The album landed on multiple end-of-year "Best Of" lists including Billboard, Rolling Stone and Amazon, and it became the top-streamed female country album release of the year. Praised as "full of life lessons and uplift" (PEOPLE), the collection of 12 songs all written by the young star includes Lauren's first No. 1 hit, title track "Road Less Traveled."
The "sassy Southerner with killer pipes" (PARADE) has shared the stage with superstars including Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Martina McBride. Lauren recently joined Cole Swindell on the Reason to Drink Tour and is currently on tour with Jason Aldean for this summer's High Noon Neon Tour.


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How successful people start their day
Every successful man in this world understands the importance of time. This is the only reason they get up early. Once they are up early, they have a few extra hours to contemplate before the day begins. Drawing on real-life anecdotes and scientific research that shows why the early hours of the day are so important, Laura Vanderkam reveals how successful people use mornings to help them accomplish things that are often impossible to take care of later in the day.
Mornings hold the key to taking control of our schedules.
If we use mornings wisely, we can build habits that will allow us to lead happier, more productive lives.
While many of us are still in bed, some folks are scoring daily victories to improve their health, careers, and personal lives without sacrificing their sanity.
What the Most Successful People Do before Breakfast is a fun and practical guide that will inspire you to rethink your morning routine and jump-start your life before the day has even begun. Laura poled 20 executives, in which 90% said that "getting up before 6 am is good." They even told what their priorities are after they get up.
Let's look at how they start their morning and what most of the successful people of the world do first after they get up.
Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
Tim Cook is known for sending out company emails at 4.30 in the morning, according to Gawker's Ryan Tate. By 5 am, he can be found in the gym. And he works late too, priding himself on being the first in the office and the last out.
Narendra Modi, Indian Prime Minister
According to the website www.narendramodi.in, PM Narendra Modi's morning starts at 5:00 am. He performs pranayama, sun salutation, and yoga.
Bill Gates, Co-founder, Microsoft
Bill Gates takes out at least one hour for exercise. During which he works on treadmill and cardio. For this, he follows the instruction video of teaching company.
Mark Zuckerberg- Co-Founder and CEO, Facebook
Mark Zuckerberg usually makes his first move at 6:00 am in the morning, gets ready, and goes straight to the office. Earlier Mark was known for starting his day with very little sleep as his chatting with programmers used to go on till 6:00 am sometimes.
Warren Buffett- CEO, Berkshire Hathaway
Warren Buffett gets up in the morning by 6.45 am and reads six newspapers. But otherwise, he does not have any fixed schedule. He spends 80% of his time reading.
Ratan Tata- Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons
Routinely, Ratan Tata attends the meetings of various companies of TATA Sons starting from 6 am, and in the weekends, he either drives his cars or his own Falcon private jet early in the morning.
Virat Kohli- Cricketer
He gets up early in the morning at 6.00 am. His workout pattern includes a wide combination of weights as well as cardio exercises. This combination has helped him develop muscles in a most appropriate way to suit his batting(hitting).
Barack Obama President of the USA
US President Barack Obama gets up around 6:30 am and does weight training and cardio in the gym. Later, he has breakfast with his family.