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Archive for January, 2012
When the Senate voted to not confirm Ellen Anderson as chair of the Public Utilities Commission, aka PUC, there was a good reason for it. Sen. Gimse explains it perfectly here:
Gimse said Anderson was an "activist for clean energy" and he was concerned her views on restricting nuclear energy and electricity generated from fossil fuels wouldn't provide the "strong base load capacity for electricity" to keep utility rates competitive for consumers and create jobs.
Put differently, Anderson was a big green energy activist who consistently put ideology ahead of reality. Here's what Mike Nobles, the executive director of Fresh Energy said in his official statement after the Senate rejected Sen. Anderson:
Fresh Energy deplores the decision by the Minnesota Senate majority to deny confirmation to former state senator Ellen Anderson as chair of the Public Utilities Commission. Chair Anderson has managed the commission's business with professionalism and efficiency, and her long tenure on key legislative committees offers the state an unusually deep understanding of energy and consumer issues.
As a key legislative architect of the laws at the foundation of Minnesota's forward-looking energy policy platform, Chair Anderson was well-suited to administer those laws in an impartial and statesmanlike way, keeping Minnesota's business climate competitive and consumer energy bills affordable, while moving our state systematically forward to an energy-efficient, low carbon, clean energy future, as our state laws require.
Then-Sen. Anderson was a major advocate for the Next Generation Energy Act, a bill that won bipartisan support in the legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Pawlenty. Utility rates have climbed as a direct result of that legislation.
As a sidenote, Mike Noble should be remembered for his radicalism, which I wrote about in a post titled Attrition, not Litigation. The op-ed he co-authored with Paul Aasen highlighted the environmental community's anti-fossil fuel rigidity:
Along with our allies at the Izaak Walton League of America, the Union of Concerned Scientists and Wind on the Wires, the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy and Fresh Energy argued, first in South Dakota, then before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC), that the new plant was a bad idea. Our message was simple: The utilities had not proven the need for the energy, and what energy they did need could be acquired less expensively through energy efficiency and wind.
We kept losing, but a funny thing happened. With each passing year, it became clearer that we were right. In 2007, two of the Minnesota utilities dropped out, citing some of the same points we had been making. The remaining utilities had to go through the process again with a scaled-down 580-megawatt plant.
This time around, the administrative law judge ruled in our favor, saying the utilities had proven the need for, at most, 160 megawatts and had failed to prove that coal would be the least expensive way of providing the electricity. The Minnesota PUC approved the transmission lines into Minnesota, and we filed an appeal that is pending with the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
In short, Fresh Energy and the MCEA sued Big Stone II investors into the ground. Ellen Anderson steadfastly supported that attrition litigation, starting with this op-ed:
Many of us at the state and federal levels of government are trying to do just that. Working with a broad coalition of environmental groups, we introduced legislation in 2007 to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming. The bill that finally passed will go a long way toward accomplishing those reductions.
My main focus has been on the way we generate electricity. In Minnesota, we are very heavily reliant on burning coal, which means we contribute more than an average share to the climate change crisis. Others are working on the transportation side, and of course I support those efforts as well.
Based on Sen. Anderson's own words, does it sound like she'd be impartial? Let's remember that Sen. Anderson was one of the green energy's staunchest allies for over a decade. This isn't just something she believes in; it's part of who she is.
Was the Senate supposed to look past Sen. Anderson's history of radical ideology and confirm her? I don't think so. As for Gov. Dayton's reaction, it's a testimony to his childish temperament:
Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton on Monday in blistering language blasted Senate Republicans after the Senate voted to reject the confirmation of his appointee, Ellen Anderson, as chair of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
"A very good person, a very dedicated public servant, and an excellent chair of the Public Utilities Commission was wrongly maligned and cruelly rejected today by Republican Senators, who showed once again that they are unfit to govern this state," Dayton read from a statement.
"You would think after their leadership scandals, which caused them to replace all of their leaders last month, they would behave themselves for at least a little while. However, they seem incapable of doing so," he said.
That's the type of childish rant that Minnesotans have come to expect of Gov. Dayton. He's ill-equipped, temperament-wise, to lead the state.
Finally, this is another troubling statement from then-Sen. Anderson:
Minnesota law says that if we can meet our need for power more cost effectively through the use of renewable energy, or through energy conservation, or through a combination of both, then a new coal plant cannot be built. In January 2007, the administration filed a brief, clearly stating that the proponents failed to show the plant was needed, and failed to show it was the most cost effective solution.
She's talking about the Next Generation Energy Act. Clearly, NGEA was a mistake because it's imposing a plethora of unreasonable regulations on power generators. That then-Sen. Anderson was a steadfast supporter of such counterproductive regulations is an indictment against her judgment.
Tags: Ellen Anderson, PUC, Environmental Extremist, Confirmation, Mark Dayton, Paul Aasen, MCEA, Mike Noble, Fresh Energy, DFL
Something that doesn't make sense is the support Mitt Romney is getting from Hugh Hewitt and Jennifer Rubin. What's worse is that their support has intensified since Mitt's Alinskyite nastiness has been revealed.
Is this Hewitt's and Rubin's way of signalling that they're ok with Alinsky's politics of personal destruction as long as they aren't used against St. Mitt? Would they tolerate Mitt's thug tactics if it came from another GOP candidate?
God help us if they would.
Something tragically wrong is going on here. When a syndicated talk show host who allegedly votes for the conservative who's most electable goes into the tank for a nasty, perhaps evil, progressive, something's wrong. It raises the question of whether Hewitt gives a damn about the TEA Party activists. It raises the question of whether Hweitt is a principled man or if he's just another 'let's sacrifice our principles in the name of winning.'
Don't even get me started with Jennifer Rubin or Ann Coulter. As disgusting as Hewitt is, and that's plenty disgusting, Jennifer Rubin and Ann Coulter are intellectually vacant and without principles. Ann Coulter went from saying at CPAC that if nominated Romney, we'd lose decisively. Now she's singing his praises.
Did Ms. Coulter suddenly see the light that Mitt's a conservative like he says? Or is it that she's willing to lie about Mitt to maintain a high media profile? I suspect it's the latter.
The TEA Party doesn't take kindly to people that don't put principles ahead of popularity. She's a gutless weasel who won't fight the fight for conservatism when it matters.
Isn't that the complaint about most RINOs? That they sound good delivering speeches but they're MIA when the battles come?
Ms. Rubin is worse than Ms. Coulter in the sense that she's never pretended to care about conservatism's principles. She couldn't care less about conservatism's principles if it's a battle between Mitt and conservatism's principles.
Demagogues like Hewitt, Rubin and Coulter are a plague against conservatism because they aren't conservatives. They just play conservatives when they need ratings or readership.
TEA Party patriots, it's time to hit traitors to conservatism where it hurts. It's time TEA Party patriots to punish traitors like Hewitt, Coulter and Rubin in the wallet.
In fact, a significant amount of people have already tuned out Hewitt's radio program because, in their words, they can't stand his Mitt-can-walk-on-water schtick. Hewitt hasn't been in touch with the American people on Mitt in 5 years.
Mitt's Alinskyite tactics and lies have fractured the GOP. If Mitt wins the nomination, he'll lose because too many people hate his guts for how he won the nomination.
It's time for principled men and women to stand up to Mitt, Hewitt, Rubin, Coulter and the corrupt DC GOP Establishment. There's too much riding on this election to entrust our future to an Alinsky progressive and his merry band of parasites.
Tags: RINOs, Hugh Hewitt, Jennifer Rubin, Ann Coulter, CPAC, Mitt Romney, Alinsky, TEA Party, Patriots, Activists, GOP, Election 2012
If anything has become clear this week, it's that Mitt's surrogates don't have the intellectual heft or integrity that Newt's supporter have. This article offers a few examples of those weaknesses. This is a prime example:
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi called Romney a "champion for pro-life values" as she introduced him at the rally. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen offered a similar defense during an earlier rally with the Cuban American community in Hialeah.
Bondi and Ros-Lehtinen can say whatever they want but their words ring hollow. The reality is that O'Romneycare allows for taxpayer funding of abortions. Mitt signed that into law 2 years after he allegedly had his pro-life epiphany.
Romney's team has tried explaining that away by saying that that's the court's decision, that Mitt's hands were tied. That's BS. The reality is that Mitt could've vetoed the bill and forced the legislature to override his veto. Mitt didn't do that.
Mitt didn't put up a fight when Planned Parenthood was given a permanent position on the MassHealth payment policy advisory board. Here's the truth about Mitt's life after 'the epiphany':
Romney claims, "The Commonwealth Care benefit services package was developed by the Connector Authority, an independent authority separate from the Governor's Office. Their decisions were made separate of the Romney administration." The truth is that the "Connector" was created by Romney's authority with the Act of 2006 that he signed, it was placed under Romney's executive branch administration, and was run by a ten-member board with four members directly seated by Romney's authority: the Planned Parenthood seat which he created, and three others appointed by Romney himself, and three appointed by Romney's attorney general who was also part of the executive branch and Romney administration."
Here's the section of the legislation that created the MassHealth payment policy advisory board:
Section 16M. (a) There shall be a MassHealth payment policy advisory board. The board shall consist of the secretary of health and human services or his designee, who shall serve as chair, the commissioner of health care financing and policy, and 12 other members: 1 member appointed by the speaker of the house; 1 member appointed by the president of the senate; 1 member appointed by the Massachusetts Hospital Association;? 1 member appointed by the Massachusetts Medical Society; 1 member appointed by the Massachusetts Extended Care Federation; 1 member appointed by Mass Aging Services Association, 1 member appointed by the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts; 1 member appointed by the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers; 1 member appointed by Mental Health and Substance Abuse Corporations of Massachusetts; 1 member appointed by the Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute; 1 member appointed by the Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems; 1 member appointed by Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts; and 2 members appointed by the governor, 1 member representing managed care organizations contracting with MassHealth and 1 member being an expert in medical payment methodologies from a foundation or academic institution.
If Mitt's this great pro-life guy who was deeply moved to changing his mind in 2004, why didn't Mitt veto this bill and fight to keep Planned Parenthood off this panel? Might it be that he isn't the great pro-life candidate he claims to be? Considering all the lies he's told the last 2 weeks, why should I trust Mitt on anything?
It's time the conservative media started pointing out that Mitt's severely deficient in terms of intellectual heft and personal integrity. The reality is that Mitt's every bit the Alinskyite as Obama. The problem is that he isn't the charismatic figure that President Obama is.
Tags: Planned Parenthood, Romneycare, Mitt Romney, Pro-choice, Alinsky, MassHealth Payment Policy Board, Taxpayer Funded Abortions, Newt Gingrich, Gravitas, Integrity, GOP, Election 2012
Bruce Hentges is in hot water. In Hentges' St. Cloud Times op-ed, he made this statement:
According to Sahlberg, education in Finland, a country with virtually no private schools and a very low poverty rate, has been seen first and foremost; not as a way to produce star performers, but as an instrument to even out social inequality.
Finland offers all pupils free school meals, easy access to health care, psychological counseling and individualized student guidance. In other words, by focusing on equity of opportunity for all students, Finland has produced academic excellence.
Hentges references Pasi Sahlberg, director of the Finnish Ministry of Education's Center for International Mobility in the first paragraph. In that first paragraph, Hentges attributes to Sahlberg that education in Finland…has been seen…as an instrument to even out social inequality.
Hentges' second paragraph looks like a personal observation but it isn't. Here's what was written in the Atlantic:
In the Finnish view, as Sahlberg describes it, this means that schools should be healthy, safe environments for children. This starts with the basics. Finland offers all pupils free school meals, easy access to health care, psychological counseling, and individualized student guidance.
Here's the last sentence in the Atlantic's paragraph:
Finland offers all pupils free school meals, easy access to health care, psychological counseling, and individualized student guidance.
Here's the first sentence in Hentges' second paragraph:
Finland offers all pupils free school meals, easy access to health care, psychological counseling and individualized student guidance.
After that, Hentges says this:
In other words, by focusing on equity of opportunity for all students, Finland has produced academic excellence.
Here's the next paragraph from the article in the Atlantic:
In fact, since academic excellence wasn't a particular priority on the Finnish to-do list, when Finland's students scored so high on the first PISA survey in 2001, many Finns thought the results must be a mistake. But subsequent PISA tests confirmed that Finland, unlike, say, very similar countries such as Norway, was producing academic excellence through its particular policy focus on equity.
It's clear that Hentges' op-ed didn't give attribution to the Atlantic's article. It's clear that Hentges 'borrowed' one sentenced from the Atlantic's article, then mixing it with his own personal opinion.
In the dictionary, that's known as plagiarism:
the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work, as by not crediting the author
This isn't a criticism of the St. Cloud Times. It's difficult for them to know the wording of every article on every subject. Instead, it's an indictment against Mr. Hentges, especially considering the fact that AJ Kern used that same sentence, with attribution, during her presentation on improving teacher quality during the Restoring Excellence in Education Forum.
Considering the fact that Mr. Hentges is an academic who sits on the St. Cloud School Board, he knows better than to claim personal credit for things written in an article. It's plagiarism, pure and simple. It's proof that Mr. Hentges' professionalism and ability to serve should be questioned.
Tags: Finland, Education, Bruce Hentges, Plagiarism, Corruption
Thanks to Mitt's speech in Panama City, we now know that Mitt isn't interested in repealing Obamacare:
H/T Lady Logician
A little over a minute into this video, Mitt said something extra revealing. Here's what he said:
MITT: There's alot of waste in our Department of Defense like there is in the rest of government. I'm gonna go after that waste. And I'm gonna take that waste and go pay for Obamacare.
So much for Mitt repealing Obamacare. I've always thought that Mitt wasn't committed to it. Now we have him in his own words making a specific proposal that he'll eliminate wasteful spending in the Department of Defense and use it to pay for Obamacare.
That's a very specific proposal, one that can't be taken as an accident or a slip of the tongue.
Let's remember that Mitt's surrogates have said as much this past week. Norm Coleman said that we couldn't expect to repeal Obamacare in total. Within minutes of his statement, Romney's campaign distanced themselves from Sen. Coleman's statement.
Later, Pam Bondi said that she'd be on Mitt's Health Care Advisory Team when he's president:
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi who's fighting to repeal ObamaCare appeared on Greta, tonight, defending RomneyCare. She says Romney's health care plan is not the same as ObamaCare and, in fact, Romney's plan reduces costs. She goes on to say that Romney wants all states to impose similar laws (including mandates) and that she is all for it.
Mitt's senior advisor admitted that O'Care couldn't be repealed outright. Mitt's top health care surrogate told Greta van Susteren that Mitt wants the states to follow the federal government's lead in creating health insurance laws that include individual mandates.
Mitt could've explained those away by saying that they don't speak for him. He can't explain away his statements that he'll cut defense spending to pay for Obamacare. That's his words. That's his specific proposal.
Considering the fact that Mitt's consistently defended Romneycare in debates and interviews, considering the fact that his top health care surrogate said Mitt wants to impose Romneycare on the states, isn't it painfully obvious that Mitt's committed to keeping O'Romneycare in place forever?
The ironic part of this is delicious. Mitt exposed himself obliquely during the debates. Sunday in Florida, Mitt outed himself directly. It's time Mitt was annihilated at the ballot box. We can't have an Alinsky-loving progressive who wants to cut defense spending to pay for Obamacare as the GOP presidential nominee.
Tags: Spending, Military, Obamacare, Romneycare, Mitt Romney, Saul Alinsky, President Obama, Norm Coleman, Pam Bondi, Progressives, GOP, Election 2012
Florida State Rep. and Romney hack Will Weatherford has admitted that he's helping insure TEA Party favorite Alan West out of Congress:
Over the past several weeks, many Republicans have voiced their disappointment towards the Republican legislature after the release of the preliminary redistricting maps. Much of the ire concerns the proposed boundaries of Congressman Allen West's 22nd Congressional District that would be redrawn to include far more registered Democrats.
West's congressional district inexplicably sheds the most out support as compared to all other incumbent Republican and Democrat Congressman. A few weeks back we quoted an unnamed legislator saying that, "Allen West was screwed", a statement which was originally made about made five months before the purposed maps were made public, leading insiders to believe that the fix was in against Allen West. But in light of Weatherford's comment, it is increasingly clear that this is a fait accompli.
According to Weatherford, those preliminary maps will not change- at the most, any additional changes would be minimal, and those changes would not make any appreciable difference from the preliminary maps. In addition, Weatherford stated that a deal was struck between him, Senate President Mike Haridopolos, and Senator Don Gaetz to finalize these maps and push them through as soon as possible. Weatherford also said that the proposed maps are in legal compliance with both the Voting Rights Act and Amendment 6.
Romney's disdain for the TEA Party is evident. He hasn't lifted a finger to court TEA Party voters, which is one of the dumbest decisions a political strategist could possibly make.
It's almost to the point that a third party needs to be created. It's painfully obvious that the GOP Establishment opposes the fundamental changes that need to be made as much as the corrupt Left. If there isn't a dime's worth of difference between them, then it's time to extricate ourselves from their halfhearted semi-conservatism and build a new party based on what's best for America, not what's best for Mitt Romney, President Obama and their Wall Street fat cat financiers.
During his time as corporate raider at Bain, the first question Mitt asked was "what's best for my shareholders"? It wasn't "what's best for America"? Bain had a history of leveraging the companies they bought. Legal Insurrection has a prime example of Bain's capitalism:
Domino's was not in need of rescue, nor was it a classic turnaround case ey by buying and selling businesses. Bain reaped a 500 percent return on its investment in the nation's largest pizza delivery chain over 12 years.
Domino's grew its revenues and earnings under Bain, but its debt also surged to $1.5 billion, leaving the chain with a higher debt ratio than most of its rivals, and interest payments that eat up half its profit each year….
To buy Domino's, Bain put up a third of the money in cash and borrowed the rest. It took money out in several chunks including: a 2003 refinancing of the company's debt, a 2004 initial public stock offering, and an $897 million "monster dividend" paid to Bain and other investors in 2007. In each instance, the company borrowed money or refinanced old debt to make the payouts.
That's what 'me-first capitalism' looks like. It's a disgusting sight. If being disgusted with that type of corporate raidership earns me the moniker of being anti-capitalist, I'm fine with that moniker. Intentionally ruining companies isn't my idea of capitalism. I'd best I'm far from alone in thinking that.
To those that'll accuse me of being anti-capitalist, isn't the goal of capitalism to strengthen companies for the longterm while making profits for the shareholders? If that's a key criteria for capitalism, then how does Bain's activities fit within the definition of capitalism?
Loading a company up with debt just to make sure Bain made a huge profit when it sold the company seems to be a habit. In fact, that's the common thread through the "When Mitt Romney came to town" was precisely that. Isn't it time we started criticizing corporate banditry when it's touted as capitalism?
Without question, it's time for Floridians to jettison Rep. Weatherford and his pro-Romney hacks. It's time to ensure that Alan West will return to Congress. Since Rep. West is a black man, the Voting Rights Act applies. Perhaps it's time to file a lawsuit.
Most importantly, if Mitt's the nominee, it's time for the TEA Party to torpedo Mitt's general election campaign. If Mitt Romney's machine won't hesitate in torpedoing a talented legislator who is the embodiment of integrity, then turnaround is fair play.
Tags: Will Weatherford, Mitt Romney, Redistricting, Corruption, Cronyism, Establishment, Alan West, Integrity, Reformer, TEA Party, GOP, Election 2012
Does anyone think that Jennifer Rubin is a serious journalist? Do you think she's as big a Romney shill this cycle as Hugh Hewitt was in 2008? Do people think that she isn't Mitt Romney's shill at the Washington Post? If you answered yes to either question, you'd better read Jennifer Rubin's latest propaganda:
Romney has raised several substantial objections to Obamacare. In Michigan last May (page 11 of his presentation) and since then, he has vigorously argued against the tax burden that would be imposed on businesses and individuals to pay for a plan most Americans don't want. In op-eds and debates, he has made clear he wants to get rid of the Obamacare taxes and instead work on equalizing the tax treatment of employer-provided and individually purchased health care insurance.
Romneycare is fatally flawed. Mitt's admitted that it doesn't control costs. Mitt brags that he didn't raise taxes with Romneycare. What he actually means is that he didn't immediately raise taxes. They weren't included in the initial legislation.
It wasn't until costs skyrocketed, and huge deficits appeared as a direct result, that Gov. Patrick and the Massachusetts legislature were forced to raise taxes. Those tax increases belong to Gov. Patrick, the Massachusetts legislature and Mitt Romney. Don't think that President Obama isn't planning on using that in next fall's debates.
Romney has also argued that Obamacare adds to the deficit and doesn't "bend the cost curve." Unlike the worshipers at the altar of the CBO, he has argued that it will increase health care costs. His other arguments against Obamacare include the anti-jobs impact on business, the excessive federal bureaucracy and regulations needed to run the scheme and the cuts on Medicare. As to the latter, he has accused Obama of cutting $500 billion from Medicare. He, by contrast, has offered his endorsement of the market-based Medicare reform plan proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
First, if Mitt wants to argue that Obamacare has an anti-jobs impact, he'll have to argue that the tax increases in Massachusetts that area direct result of the spiraling costs of Romneycare aren't killing jobs in Massachusetts. Good luck fighting that argument.
Secondly, all the other verbiage is meaningless because Mitt's goal, like the legislature's goal, was to provide coverage, not to lower costs. He made the same fairness argument then that President Obama made in 2009-10. It isn't likely that voters will be able to tell the difference between Mitt's tax increases and President Obama's tax increases.
Could and will Romney expand on each of these points if he becomes the nominee? Certainly. (Understandably it's not a topic he wants to emphasize in the primary.) But the notion that he hasn't already outlined differences with Obama on health care or that he will lack arguments against it is a product of wishful thinking of Romney-haters.
Jennifer Rubin just admitted that people hate Mitt's plan. That's why he won't bring it up. He'll only defend it. Last Thursday, his defense was shot to smithereens by Rick Santorum. Mitt left that skirmish as the emporor with 'new clothes'.
Mitt won't bring up Romneycare just like President Obama wouldn't say more than a few words on Obamacare in his SOTU Address. Sound familiar? If their plans are so good, shouldn't Mitt and President Obama be touting their plans' virtues every possible minute?
Perhaps they aren't because 'the peasants' aren't smart enough to appreciate their brilliance. Most likely, it's because they're aware that their plans stink and they want to avoid talking about it at all costs.
Finally, there's this question about whether Mitt is committed to repealing Obamacare. Norm Coleman said that it's unlikely to totally repeal it. Friday night, Pam Bondi essentially said that Mitt wants Romneycare to be implemented in all 50 states.
We can't take the chance that Mitt isn't committed to repealing Obamacare. It's time to reject Mitt. It's time to reject Jennifer Rubin's propaganda.
Tags: Media Bias, Jennifer Rubin, Hugh Hewitt, Propaganda, Mitt Romney, Romneycare, Debates, Tax Increases, GOP, President Obama, Deval Patrick, Bureaucracy, Democrats, Election 2012
Tonight, Herman Cain, a TEA Party favorite, endorsed Newt Gingrich:
During his brief speech, Cain said that "Newt is going through the sausage grinder", something he knew a thing or two about. Cain then said that Newt's subjecting himself to these attacks "because he cares about the future of the United States."
While Mitt's in the process of tearing down each of his opponents with the fiercest, most dishonest attacks in GOP primary history, Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, Sarah Palin and Rick Perry are standing up and fighting against Mitt's corrupt Establishmentarians.
Legal Insurrection calls Mitt's dishonest, vile attacks Scorched Earth II. The Lady Logician wrote about a NY Times article outlining Mitt's intentional attempt to destroy Newt Gingrich:
A team of some of the most fearsome researchers in the business, led by Mr. Romney's campaign manager, Matt Rhoades, spent days dispensing negative information about Mr. Gingrich, much of it finding its way to the influential Drudge Report, which often serves as a guide for conservative talk radio and television assignment editors and to which Mr. Rhoades has close ties.
The size and enthusiasm of Mr. Gingrich's events scared supporters of Mr. Romney, who had struggled to build similar audiences. Local activists backing Mr. Romney complained that his Boston team was too regimented and slow to meet the challenge.
Here's the Lady Logician's timely observations on Mitt:
Mitt Romney saw Florida slipping away from him so he lashed out. These are not the actions of a confident candidate; these are the actions of a desperate, despicable campaign. The GOP deserves better than this.
Notice that Mitt's first instinct was to outclass Newt or present a more inspiring vision for America. Mitt's first instinct was to tear his opponent down to Mitt's size.
That's despicable and it's telling. Mitt's implicitly admitted that he's an inferior candidate, that he can't defeat Newt on the battlefield of ideas. Do the GOP's party faithful think we should attempt to defeat President Obama with a man who thinks he isn't the superior candidate?
I'm asking that question of the TEA Party activists, the get-things-done people, not the GOP Establishment. The GOP Establishment, aka the corrupt, DC-bound wing of the GOP, has already made their opinion known. They've endorsed Mitt's go-along-to-get-along agenda.
When the TEA Party was started, it was an act of defiance against the corrupt Obama administration. This year, the TEA Parties across the country need to rally against Mitt's corrupt practices. It'd be nice if they're for Newt but it's important that they're steadfastly against Mitt's hateful Alinskyite tactics.
Intellectually, America deserves better than Mitt's small ball agenda. Integritywise, America deserves far better than Mitt's despicable actions. TEA Party conservatives won't support a lying, Alinsky-following Massachusetts liberal as their nominee.
Mitt's burned his bridges in his I'll-say-anything-to-be-the-nominee quest. Independents won't vote for a backstabber like Mitt. That's because he's got sore loser written all over him.
Tags: Endorsements, Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, Florida, TEA Party, Mitt Romney, Establishment, Matt Drudge, Alinsky, Politics of Personal Destruction, GOP, Election 2012


text:
177 Lalor Drive, Red Deer
This bungalow is absolutely stunning from the minute you pull up ! Located in quiet Vanier Woods close to walking trails and a large pond. This home impresses from the spacious open floor plan to the dream kitchen , gas fireplace in living room ,large master bedroom with Spa - like ensuite , large windows, sound system wired throughout the home, washer , dryer with laundry sink and that is just some of what you will find on the main level !! The basement is fully developed with room for full - size pool table ( 4X8 ) ,wet bar, 2 bedrooms, bathroom and has under floor heating and a second set of washers and dryers . The back yard is truly park like and must be seen to be appreciated and including gas line on deck for BBQ. Time to take that next step up or just looking for that perfect family home . You have arrived !!
Cable, Fiber Optics, Municipal Water, Natural Gas, Sidewalks, Street Lighting
Dishwasher - Built-In, Microwave - Built-in, Refrigerator - 1, Stove
Furnace - Forced Air - 1, In-Floor
Maxwell Real Estate Solutions Ltd.
The data included in this display is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate by the Central Alberta REALTORS® Association.
The real estate listing information and related content displayed on this site is provided exclusively for consumers. personal, non-commercial use and, may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. This information and related content is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate.

subset: commoncrawl


text: As part of their research for the food and drinks industry, Campden BRI offer package testing for clients who are looking at reducing packaging costs whilst maintaining packaging performance. They were recently asked to assess whether the additional ethylene vinyl alcohol layer was benefitting the moisture barrier properties of board pots. In order to determine the moisture barrier levels of the pots, the water transmission rate was measured using a water vapour permeation analyser.


text:
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Essencia Floribunda - Flower Essence...part original illustration, part old masters flower painting, combined in a contemporary reworking of a classic theme.
Size : Din A4 (21 X 29.7 cm)
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Margaret Whiting, who died Monday at the age of 86, was one of the great song stylists of her generation. The clip above is of her rendition, in a duet with Johnny Mercer, of the now timely classic "Baby it's Cold Outside" (thanks to moonbeam0013).
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Margaret Whiting: 1924-2011
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Why do women like horror movies? At first, I found the question in general to be offensive, especially when posed by the usually respectable New York Times.
"Why wouldn't women like horror movies?" I thought, ready to take on whoever had a problem with ladies who dig slasher flicks.
Then I read further — and wondered why I only seem to like horror movies of the '60s and '70s variety, and why when forced to sit through trailers for movies like Saw be it 1, 2,3 or 4 — I cringe. It isn't that women can't handle the blood, violence and suspense — it's that modern horror films are exploitative, pornographic and void of character, and filmmakers having seemingly no interest in attracting female viewers.
Cue Diablo Cody's new film Jennifer's Body, lauded by some and dismissed by others as an attempt for a woman to take back the knife during a particularly rough era for horror films.
"When I watched movies like The Goonies and E.T., it was boys having adventures," Cody told the Times. "When I watched Nightmare on Elm Street, it was Nancy beating up Freddy. It was that simple."
Like many horror films of the '70s, the killer may leave corpses of both men and women in his wake, but there always seems to be a female heroine who escapes and, in some cases, kills the bad guy. In many cases, the young, attractive women being picked off one by one was a way to attract male audiences.
Jennifer's Body, which Cody says was made with both women and 15-year-old boys in mind, is not necessarily a feminist horror classic. I thought the movie was entertaining, at times a bit misguided, but when I thought about it further I understood more of what Cody was going for when it came to her man eating, demonic killer.
The film (spoiler alert) has a possessed Megan Fox eating her young, male victims who are not the sort of guys you necessarily want her to eat in the film. They are actually likeable. I found myself wanting Jennifer to devour the film's true villains, one of which was played pretty hilariously by Adam Brody, but that doesn't happen. Well, not exactly.
As I complained about this while leaving the theater, I thought about every horror movie I had seen in recent years. Why do I feel guilty about Megan Fox eating innocent victims when, for years, all I have seen is some psychotic killer gutting innocent female victims?
In the Times article, both horror director Rob Zombie and former president for production at Fox Atomic Debbie Liebling state that they are baffled by the female attraction to horror films, not because of gender so much as the destruction of the genre in the last 30 years. I couldn't agree with Mr. Zombie more in this case.
"The '80s are the decade that ruined everything for everybody," he said. "The soul went away, and it became gore for the sake of gore, and kids were cheering at killings and yelling and screaming. It became a roller coaster ride. And of course once something becomes a roller coaster, all you can do is build a bigger, more extreme roller coaster. That's where I think horror movies really got perverted."
The article also mentions lesbian novelist Rita Mae Brown, who, much to my surprise, wrote the pervy and campy Slumber Party Massacre in1982. Unfortunately, she said producers stripped the film of its satire.
"Horror films are one of the last places where women will make progress," Brown said, "because they go to the root of adolescence. They attract adolescence, on some level, even if you're 50."
Hopefully, the recent boost in women heading to see horror films in large numbers will change the way many of these films are made, and have directors and writers thinking more about characters than dismembering hot 18-year-olds just for the hell of it.
What are your thoughts about women and horror movies?


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Let us help you get your lawn looking great for the lovely sunny autumn months
The Autumn treatments will help the lawn get prepared for Winter
September - November
The Autumn treatments will help the lawn get prepared for Winter
Aeration aids root development, air percolation, root pruning and drainage. Aeration is the process of making holes in the lawns surface. The action of aerating will let the stale Carbon Dioxide air out of the soil and the fresh Oxygen rich air into the soil. The action of aerating will also stimulate and encourage root growth. There are many different types of aerator tines yet the majority of lawn treatment and care companies always use a hollow core tine, thus removing a core from the surface of the lawn. They tend to leave the cores on the lawn's surface too, making it bumpy. They should be cleared away to a compost facility. What the majority of UK lawns require is deep solid tine aeration, like down to 125mm to break up aged compaction and this alone will help break down a thatch layer. A lawn should be solid tined twice a year and hollow tines every two to three years through fear of upsetting the lawn levels.Read more
There are many Lawn Diseases that can have a detrimental visual and damaging effect on the turf grasses in your lawn. Weed grasses, are also prone to Disease more frequently. The majority of Lawn Diseases rely on a Disease triangle consisting of Pathogen / Host / Environment. It is mostly the environment of which we have little control over that changes; resulting in Disease appearing to include: temperature, soil moisture, air moisture, shade, drought. Such lawn / turf diseases may include the very common Red Thread in the growing months, Fusarium in the lesser growing months, Fairy Rings in early Autumn and also Rusts and Smuts. There are numerous diseases of new seedling grasses. Some lawn diseases are genetic withing the grass seed and higher rated cultivars of a species will be listed in a free from a certain disease league table to help you purchase the best. If you maintain healthy turf grasses and maintain a regular mowing, feeding and maintenance regime, then you will be doing the best to keep your lawn disease free.Read more
An application of a slow phased release granular fertiliser with a nutrient analysis appropriate to the time of the year. The nutrients in the Lawn Shop fertiliser will be released over a period of 8 – 12 weeks, thus providing a steady supply of food to the turf grasses. You can fertilise your lawn as soon as you commence mowing it in the spring and also straight after you have mowed but do not mow three – five days after applying fertiliser otherwise it may end up in the mower. You can use a Spring and Summer fertiliser product at half rate as an Autumn and Winter fertiliser, as the technology of such products is so good, the nutrients will stop releasing when the weather turns colder and start again when it warms up. Always feed before you weed, thus fertilise the turf grasses before you apply a selective weed killer just in case you check the grasses. Fertilise every three months in the growing season to keep the grass health and free from disease like Red Thread.Read more
Moss should be controlled in the early spring and once the lawn has received it's first mowing with the view of eradicating what we refer to as winter moss.
Moss can be controlled just ahead of a lawn renovation programme when the lawn is completely over-sown with grass seed. If your lawn has more moss than grass in it, plan to renovate it.
Moss is an indicator to tell you that there is a problem with your grass denisty and vigour. You should not have moss in your lawn. Mosses are plants, comparatively simple in structure and function and, with the Liverworts, comprise the Bryophyta family – one of the least complicated groups of the plant kingdom. Controlling moss invasion with Sulphate of Iron will result in stronger grass growth and the moss then tends to disappear naturally because of the increased competition presented by healthy grasses.
Any Lawn Renovation Programme will involve a client or gardening team performing a few tasks (if work is being outsourced) before, during and after the process. The lawn should be initially treated for weeds or killed off totally. After two weeks mow the lawn really short, multi directions, then scarify in two directions, debris cleared and disposed of, mown again in multi directions on the same low setting, until nothing comes off the lawn, aerated, fertilised, over seeded with grass seed and then top dressed with a suitable top dressing material. Then water if required, mow again after ten days if there are exsiting grasses to mow, and then leave for another 7- 10 days whilst seed germinates. Mow again on same hieght setting, multi directions, collect clippings and then weekly thereafter. Expect to do some locolalised over seeding of any failed areas.Read more
Squashed worm casts make an ideal growing medium for moss and weed spores/seeds. The casts will add a lot of sticky soil to the lawn's surface making it bumpy and uneven and quickly smother the turf grasses.
The CastClear treatment product prevents the worms casting for a 20 days and reduces the muddy surface. Repeat every 20 days at 1/3rd of the initial dose rate to keep the active bank account in the soil topped up to train the worms to stay deeper in the soil profile and not in the immediate root zone. The Earthworms are not harmed by the CastClear active, simply encouraged to go about their business a little deeper down the soil. Dry worm soil casts can be brushed up and used as compost or top dressing ahead of mowing. The worms will be active during the months of August to April when the soil water table naturally rises. Thew worms will eat fallen leaves and debris, including lawn thatch.
How we can help bring your Autumn lawn to life
If your lawn is way past its best, the existing lawns' surface may need stripping off and starting over again. More often than not, the lawn can be renovated without major levelling and soil input by following a Lawn Renovation Process.
You may not currently have a lawn and wish to construct a new one, utilising either turf or grass seed. Whether you are opting for a new lawn via turf or seed, the process of construction is pretty much the same but turf will provide more instant results.
Do not be fooled into thinking that once you have a nice new lawn that you can forget about it! The minimum requirement is always fertilising the lawn every three months and reacting to control and weeds, moss and disease and to encourage healthy and dense grasses throughout the year. You should allow a project budget of at least 25% for growing in and after-care for the next 12 months. New lawns can often get an attack of Fusarium Disease and an outbreak is not the fault of the turf grower nor landscaper or installer – welcome to real grass and real grass problems! Newly laid lawns, whether turf or seed, can quickly become thin with constant use and it is easier to over seed an existing but thinning lawn than to construct it again. London or City lawns will always struggle for an ideal balance of light, shade, water and wear which when in equilibrium, provide ideal lawn growing conditions.
We have project managed really small lawn construction jobs up to and including country estates so whatever the size of your lawn, we should be able to assist you so long as we are realistically able to service your geographical location. It may be that you start the process of a booking a Lawn Consultancy visit as this can save you budget, time and growing a lawn pains on the project.
Please email firstname.lastname@example.com with as much detail as possible including size in square metres and some bullet points as to the problem/request and we can provide some sample costings for your consideration based upon past experiences.
Scarification assists in the removal of the dead grass leaves that will turn into thatch. The older turf grass leaves will naturally fall off the turf grass plant with new ones emerging and these old leaves will drop down into the turf sward and build up as leaf litter debris if not collected by the suction action of the mowing process.
The scarifying process should be performed in the Autumn and Spring periods and as part of a complete renovation programme and in the normal lawn growing season, not outside it. For routine scarifying, little and often in different directions is the best method to adopt for a domestic lawn.
Most Scarifying machines have solid / rigid metal blades and these can be quite rough on the lawn's surface if not used correctly and at the incorrect time of the year. There are also wire comb reels that are great for a light clean up following the winter on better quality lawns and croquet lawns and tennis courts for example.
It's always best to mow the lawn in multi directions ahead of scarifying as this will reduce the vegetative volume of grass and make it much easier for the Scarifier to do it's best on the day.
Clear the Scarifier debris with a rake or blower, working in the direction the machine last travelled and then mow the lawn afterwards to tidy it up and collect any debris that was missed during the clear up operation.
Aerate after Scarifying. The lawn should be fertilised and then over-sown with grass seed following ahead of any top dressing to restore the micro levels.
Renovation is a bit different to Construction. If you have more weeds and moss than grass in your lawn, then you will need to be cruel to be kind and go for a complete Lawn Renovation.
A good lawn should only have healthy desirable turf grasses in it and nothing else! This can be performed at any time throughout the growing season and if you decide to renovate the lawn in the Spring and Early Summer period, consideration should be given to watering and the use of wetting agents so as to allow the new lawn to develop as nothing will grow without adequate water.
You renovate an existing lawn surface by modifying the existing lawn by making Treatments, perform some mechanical operation like Scarification and Aeration and then apply Fertiliser and new Grass Seed (and sometimes new turf too) and Top Dressing.
You twiddle your thumbs, Water when required and wait for the newly renovated lawn to establish. Hey presto! A new lawn.
Aeration aids root development, air percolation, drainage and allows the roots to breathe. It should be performed in the Spring and Autumn periods and also as part of a complete renovation programme.
Whether you use a pair of aerating shoes, a garden fork or a mechanical aerator, the important aspect is to aerate with what you have available or can hire in as doing nothing will not help the lawn one bit.
The majority of lawns require deep solid tine aeration, and then hollow tining every 3 to 4 years to assist in thatch reduction. You can also use over seeding tines and chisel tines.
All lawn owners with dogs have been there. Their green lawns polka dotted with brown pee marks from their beloved pooch. There are the many old wives's tales of adding tomato juice into their dogs' food or water bowl to reduce the impact of their dog urine burn mark on the lawn.
What causes lawn burns and how may they be treated? Ammonia is released in urine as a part of normal digestion. In strong concentrations ammonia can burn the grass leaving brown patches. There are effectively two problems to address: 1) How to safely lower the ammonia concentrations in the urine to stop further damage to the lawn. 2) Repairing the existing damage.
Bitches and pups usually squat to urinate, so the ammonia is concentrated in a small area that can cause quite a brown discolouration. In the winter, dog lawn burns are less of a problem, because rainwater dilutes the ammonia. It is in the summer months that brown lawn patches are seen more frequently, because the ammonia finds it easier to penetrate the dryer soil and get drawn into the grass.Get yourself some of your chosen lawn top dressing material in a large garden trug, mix in a few big handfuls of grass seed and mix throughly. Use a big handful of seed/soil mixture on each urine patch and use the back of a soil rake to work the mix into the hole, finishing off with a level patch. Repeat weekly or monthly as new uring burn patches appear. You may fill up to 100 patches in this way on a regular basis.
You could also restrict the free movement of the dog in the garden so that some of your lawn area is protected from the late evening or morning doggy pee session.
Fairy Rings are not easy to control, especially as there are three main types, which vary in their visual appearance and effect on the turf.
Do not consider digging them out!! The fruiting bodies are not bad for your lawn as the Fungi are naturally occurring in health soils. Apply a Wetting Agent to the area at frequent intervals and make the soil conditions unfavorable for the Fungi to survive. Improving your turf culture practices may prevent an outbreak, to include: light surface aeration, applying a Wetting Agent, remove the fruiting bodies (mushrooms) rather than squashing them before you mow and applying fertiliser if you only have Type 2 which is a dark ring only to colour the lawn to match the darkness of the ring.
See the Technical Leaflet in the Download section of this site to discover more about Fairy Rings
Fusarium Disease is commonly found on new and old lawns and generally appears during the Late Summer to Spring periods. It can commonly be seen on newly laid lawns and is not the fault of the turf grower or landscaper. Welcome to new lawn problems!
Left uncontrolled, it will totally kill a lawn and although a change in cultural practices can prevent an outbreak, it can only be effectively controlled using a Turf Fungicide.
Improving your turf culture practices may prevent an outbreak, to include: Aeration, reducing thatch, dew removal, correct fertiliser applications and frequency of fertiliser to name a few.
See the Technical Leaflet in the Download section of this site to discover more about Fusarium Disease
Rust Disease looks exactly as it sounds. Initial symptoms show as yellow flecks on the leaves and plant stems. These flecks enlarge and the fungal spores develop on the leaf surface.
During cool weather in summer and autumn. Initial symptoms show as yellow flecks on the leaves and plant stems. Mostly seen when the night time temperatures reduce late September when you feel that you need to wear another layer when outside in the early evening.
It can spread to affect a large area, especially un-mown lawns. Adopting a regular fertiliser programme will assist in the prevention of an outbreak of this disease as will a regular mowing regime. Pass an infected leaf through your fingers – you will get a rusty deposit and it may stain light coloured shoes. Mowing the lawns and applying a late summer lawn fertiliser will help eradicate the disease.
See the Technical Leaflet in the Download section of this site to discover more about Rust Disease
Red Thread Disease is seen on lawns during the Late Summer to Autumn during still, warm and moist conditions making a poor visual.
You will notice pink needles that protrude from the leaf of the grass plants and also a pinkish mycelium on the surface of affected areas. It indicates low Nitrogen levels in the soil, thus an application of a lawn fertiliser will initially control it.
Improving your turf culture practices may prevent an outbreak, to include: Reduce Thatch, Apply Fertiliser at regular intervals, Grass Seed Cultivar selection and Dew removal.
See the Technical Leaflet in the Download section of this site to discover more about Red Thread Disease
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Lawn Advice Blog – I'm looking for a bit of advice and you folks seem like experts! Your blog is great and I'll share it with friends and family.Mr Chris A. England, UK
Daughter's Wedding Day – Lawn Renovation – I was unsure whether you could transform our lawn in time for our Daughter's wedding and reception in the garden. How wrong I was, we had an excellent day and the lawn looked fabulous. Thanks Mike and your Team for such a great job so very well done!
Lawn Renovation – thank you Mike for all your helpful advice and hard work from you and your Team transforming my lawn from the mess it was! After the party in December last year, I thought that it would need to be dug up and returved. How wrong I was….
Thanks Mike and your Team for such an excellent Lawn Survey Report. It was well worth the money spent in planning a way forward which I know will cost me less in the long term. Thanks once again.Mr P. Henley upon Thames, Oxfordshire
Lawn Weed Killer – the weeds went into super growth and I thought that the weed killer was meant to kill them not feed them. Then two weeks later they were gone! Fabulous, thanks for your helpful advice and service.
Lawn Shop Customer – Hi Mike, Can I just say what a breath of fresh air it is to find a retailer that will go the extra mile. Rest assured when I need any kit you will be the guy I contact first. Thanks again.Mrs Thomas Climping, West Sussex
Lawn Care – Not all lawn care companies are the same. It's obvious to see the results of your lawn renovation. Thank you for saving my lawn!
Lawn Advice – Mike, You speak brilliantly on the subject and for us, this is about showcasing the stories of people up and down the country doing remarkable things to preserve, restore or innovate within horticultural tradition.


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The next few weeks will be full of free education from ASA. These upcoming ASAPro webinars can help you navigate direct-hire contracts, the challenges of family-owned staffing firms, and more.
Thursday, April 25—"All in the Family—Best Practices for Family-Owned Staffing Firms"
Managers at a family-owned staffing firm may face some unique challenges. Learn about the special circumstances of family-owned business, and how to overcome some common obstacles, during this ASAPro webinar.
Thursday, May 23—"Protecting and Collecting Your Direct Placement Fees"
Attorney Mike Rode will provide guidance and steps to help you create enforceable recruiting agreements with your clients. This ASAPro webinar will expand on the key issues discussed in the 2013 Staffing Law Conference session "Direct-Hire Contracts—Collecting the Fee" and is an excellent primer for recruiting and search consultants who plan to earn the new Certified Search ConsultantSM credential.
Thursday, May 30—"Gain a Competitive Advantage With ASA Certification"
Discover the benefits of joining the more than 6,000 individuals who have earned the Certified Staffing Professional® and Technical Services Certified™ credentials—and get the details about the new Certified Search Consultant certification program.
ASAPro webinars are $295 for nonmembers and qualify for continuing education hours toward ASA certification renewal. Join ASA and enjoy ASAPro webinars for FREE.


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Jun 21, 2011
Poolside Dreaming
9 comments:
- AnonymousJune 21, 2011 at 11:26 AM
wellll hello, fabulous! i think i need a watermelon mojito popsicle riiiight about now!ReplyDelete
so gorgeous!! love all of these pool shots!!ReplyDelete
That very first picture made my jaw drop.ReplyDelete
I am definitely poolside dreaming too!!! Nothing sounds better than laying out in the sun, reading a good book, and starting to unwind. These pictures are gorgeous!ReplyDelete
Star Hughes Living
SUMMERR!! i love the pic w/ the lady in the swim cap. its so cute and classy at the same time ♡, Rosa T.ReplyDelete
Feeling EXACTLY the same way! I just came back from vacation and really missing being oceanside.ReplyDelete
oh my gosh all of these places look like heaven. i would love to be lounging poolside right now with one of those popsicles!ReplyDelete
I LOVE THIS! A slice of paradise--i need a vacation from NYC!!ReplyDelete
tips & tales of an NYC bride
This is what I call heaven :)ReplyDelete
Tumby Bay


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Spiritual Direction is a centuries old tradition, wherein one person receives guidance and accompaniment from another on their spiritual walk. This person is there to listen, support, and challenge if need be. My approach is a very Quaker one, which is based around asking questions more than providing answers. While I come from a Christian context, I easily work with people who do not come from a religious background and meet people where they are at.
Price $50 per session.*
*I provide discounts for students and am also willing to negotiate a fair price for those who feel the need for this service but can't pay the full price at this time.


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The News Of The World scandal brought to light some of the more salacious dealings of Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Empire. But as attention-grabbing as reports of phone hacking were, citizens of the UK were perhaps more shocked and ashamed by revelations that a cozy relationship had developed over the years between high-level government officials—as far-reaching as Scotland Yard and Prime Minister David Cameron—and executives from News Of The World, Murdoch's now-shuttered tabloid.
A flurry of inquiries into the matter illustrated an almost symbiotic bond between Murdoch the man and government officials desperately seeking his approval. As much as an anathema as this is to purists in either journalism or the public sector, the fact is that media magnates have always curried favor with political leaders and well-funded private interests have unfortunately always had a penthouse suite in the fourth estate.
Less notably, to the outside world, Long Island itself has been besieged by our own local conglomerate in Newsday/Cablevision; one that quizzically evaded the scrutiny of the Department of Justice when it formed and is serving us its own unique brand of partisan influence, though political ideology appears to have little to do with it.
Long Islanders have come increasingly and unwittingly under the influence of Cablevision's invisible hand as both News12 and Newsday play critical, daily roles in our community. To be sure, outlets such as the Press, local community weeklies and newer entrants such as Patch.com, have leveled the playing field to an extent; but never has this responsibility been so visibly abrogated since these organizations merged, than during the Coliseum Referendum campaign.
It was a story we planned to report, though it was not originally slated for our cover position. As the debate intensified and details of the project were being hastily, yet relentlessly thrown out from all sides, Michael Nelson, the Press' Editor In Chief, decided upon a group assignment for the story. There were simply too many questions, too much posturing and too little time for one writer to pen a comprehensive piece. (CLICK TO VIEW COVER STORY)
This was a billion-dollar proposition. Those don't come along every day.
All sides of the issue were pitted against one another and trading vituperative remarks, the most colorful ones coming off the record I can assure you. Former allies turned enemies. Civil discourse was abandoned almost from the start. Moreover, ideology was completely discarded as the Nassau Republican Party and the Nassau Democratic Party appeared to have switched sides somewhere along the way like a bad Hollywood "Mom-wakes-up-in-daughter's-body" movie. Jay Jacobs, the Democratic leader, was vilifying taxes and union labor supported infrastructure spending while Republican County Executive Edward Mangano was proposing to increase taxes almost the same amount as the home energy tax he repealed; a campaign promise that, quite frankly, got him elected.
Charles Wang and Ed Mangano's relentless public relations and advertising blitz to encourage the passage of the Coliseum Referendum had the very opposite effect on the pubic. The very thought that Nassau would undertake such an enormous taxpayer-financed project against the backdrop of a country raging against government and high taxes—and at the height of the debt ceiling debate in Washington—inspired an over-taxed population to draw its own line in the sand. But that's not the most interesting, and tragic part of what transpired during this campaign.
Our cover story, "On Thin Ice," scrupulously detailed every aspect of the proposed development absent any hyperbole; we also took care to represent every side of the issue equally, concluding that while the details of the plan as presented were shaky at best the decision was an emotional one because the Coliseum played an important role in Long Island's history.
Newsday's coverage couldn't have differed more.
With one week to go until voters would be asked to decide whether or not to allow the county to issue a $400 million bond for the Coliseum, Newsday ran a photo of Charles Wang on the cover of its Sunday edition, the most widely circulated paper of the week. The headline read, "Wang and the Arena." It was billed as "an interview" though it ran in the lead news position and spread over three pages. The interview, conducted by veteran reporter Ted Phillips, was formatted as a news story rather than an interview as it quoted both Wang and Michael Picker, Senior VP of the Islanders, and carried several paragraphs of analysis. This is an important distinction, because a proper news format should have carried opposing viewpoints to the Coliseum plan, particularly since the piece relied on more than just Wang's interview. Only there were none.
Perhaps these were observations that only other members of the media or opponents of the plan would recognize, but after speaking with a Newsday staffer on the condition of anonymity, this murky piece came into focus. It was full of "unchallenged statements and assumptions," claimed the staffer, who followed bluntly with, "quotes from the other side were cut."
Newsday, it seemed, was in the tank for the referendum. Any questions regarding this assertion were, in my mind at least, answered one week later.
On Sunday, July 31, the day before the referendum, proponents of the Coliseum redevelopment plan issued a torrent of positive information regarding the plan in Newsday. Both the Islanders and the Steamfitting Industry Promotion Fund took full-page advertisements encouraging Nassau residents to "Vote Yes." The news section carried a two-page "Q&A" on the Coliseum with a picture of the proposed rendering with a caption that read "Courtesy of New York Islanders." The rendering had appeared seemingly out of the blue, with no attribution other than who supplied it. No architect, no engineering firm. Nothing. For Newsday to accept this rendering without questioning the source or viability of it was incredible.
Once again, the so-called answers in this piece were barely vetted or questioned, instead offering a snapshot of the opposing sides. As they had done the week before, Newsday accepted what was given to them at face value, even though just a few days prior the Press' cover story highlighted critical errors and inconsistencies in the same reports. Conspicuously absent from the July 31 issue was an Op-Ed piece from the Association For A Better Long Island (ABLI) submitted a full two weeks prior, which Newsday held and decided not to run. But the most stunning part of the newspaper came on the Editorial Page.
To fully appreciate the July 31 editorial, it is helpful to understand that Newsday's honeymoon with the Mangano administration was short-lived. Consistently the Newsday Editorial Board and its columnists have chastened Mangano on several issues ranging from his ongoing feud with the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) to his choice of key staffers and deputies. They have relentlessly hammered his fiscal agenda and the County Executive has responded defiantly along the way. This is why the Editorial titled "Vote yes for a new arena" was entirely anachronistic.
The editorial settles the financial argument by claiming that the worst-case scenario of the bond would be a $58 increase on homeowners' tax bills and the best case is a profitable scenario that would "mitigate future property tax increases." Nowhere in their calculations did they factor in the potential cost to commercial taxpayers, who pick up a greater share of the tax burden, thereby concluding: "So, $58 per year. That's less than it would cost a family of four to travel to New York City to see an ice show, a boat show or a circus that they won't see near home if the deal fails." To paint the picture that $58 per year, per household was the worst-case scenario would be laughable if it wasn't so troubling.
The remainder of the Editorial is a virtual press release for the Islanders. It offers a few minor hurdles, essentially admits that residents won't have a full picture of the project and closes with "voters ought to get the process started by saying YES on Monday to sow the seeds for a vibrant and growing Nassau County." Ignoring for a moment that the language and logic of the Editorial indicate that it was authored by a third-grader, the Editorial Board offered its full support for a non-binding referendum on a $400 billion bond by a county Newsday has positively excoriated for not paying its bills, laying off workers and ignoring a growing structural budget deficit.
Newsday was once a very good paper, and at times it still is. But its tacit endorsement of the Coliseum plan in news coverage such as the Phillips piece coupled with the outright support of the Editorial Board, suggests something is rotten in Denmark. Despite the fact that the Islanders appear to have spent a sizeable chunk of advertising dollars and that the Nassau Coliseum is entirely wrapped in an Optimum Online banner, this is more than the obvious advertising pay-to-play scenario.
What no one addressed at Newsday or News12 is that both the Islanders and Cablevision are controlled by two of the wealthiest individuals on Long Island. And their affiliation goes far beyond advertising.
Perhaps the disclaimer that should have appeared in Newsday's coverage of the referendum is the best way to characterize their relationship:
Newsday's parent company, Cablevision, owns Madison Square Garden and the New York Rangers, a competing venue to the Coliseum and archrival of the New York Islanders, respectively. It is considered one of the greatest and fiercest rivalries in sports, resulting in increased ticket revenue for both organizations. According to Forbes, Cablevision reportedly pays the Islanders $15 million annually (nearly 25% of the team's annual revenue) for broadcast television rights on a contract written through 2030 provided the Islanders remain in the New York marketplace. According to the NYS Board of Elections, Cablevision was one of County Executive Edward Mangano's largest financial donors in the first half of 2011.
I am in no way insinuating that Cablevision/Newsday and the Islanders were conspiring to maintain a financially beneficial arrangement between the two organizations by issuing propaganda, omitting certain key details in news stories, relaxing reporting standards and pumping campaign dollars into the account of the local political leader. I'm merely suggesting that such a disclaimer would have been useful information for the reader.
Nevertheless, a crazy thing happened in spite of the efforts put forth by the above parties. The referendum failed. Badly. In the end, the outcome may have been less about the opposition from the development community spearheaded by the ABLI or the sniper attacks from the Democrats, and more as a result of simple voter awareness inspired by Mangano and the Islanders. Ironically, had Islanders owner Charles Wang and the Republicans left well enough alone and favored a quieter, more traditional Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaign, their chances might have increased dramatically. Instead their aggressive campaign served only to wake the anti-tax giant in many Nassau residents and the proposition failed.
Though not on the scale of the News of the World ignominy, the failure to influence the outcome of the Coliseum referendum should be a lesson to the Cablevision and Newsday executives. The pen may indeed be mightier than the sword, but not if it is filled with invisible ink; both your adversaries and your followers will see right through you.


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Minaret Academy is looking for a full time Certified Montessori Teacher.
As a Montessori Teacher, you will understand the importance of a caring, attentive, and qualified Montessori educator who will teach and guide in a nurturing environment, consistent with Minaret Academy's high standards and expectations.
• Our Montessori Certified Teachers...
• Are caring, compassionate and love what they do!
• Are accountable for the delivery of an authentic Montessori program.
• Supervise the classroom, helping our students to think creatively, to solve problems independently & respect themselves and others.
• Spark imagination, build self-esteem and help children discover new things each day.
• Guide children in self-motivated learning, helping stimulate their natural desire to learn.
• Ensure the daily care of every child by following all licensing guidelines and implementing Minaret Academy's standards.
We are looking for candidates who are as passionate about the growth and development of the precious children in our care as we are. You should possess:
• Montessori Certification
• Experience working in a licensed childcare facility
• Bachelor's degree, AMS/AMI accredited training certificate
• Impeccable references and a proven track record of caring for and nurturing children
• The ability to meet state and/or accreditation requirements for education and experience
• Flexibility as to the hours and schedule of work
If you would like to be considered for this position, please email your resume & cover letter to: firstname.lastname@example.com
Minaret Academy, an Islamic school in Anaheim, is seeking full-time Elementary and Middle School Teachers.
• Design and implement curriculum and activities to meet the school's academic standards
• Design, implement, and use informal and formal assessments to measure progress of students.
• Collaborate with fellow teachers to create a data-driven, learner-centered, friendly and safe environment demonstrating shared responsibility and high expectations for team achievement.
• Adhere to and support all school policies to enforce school core values, high expectations, and strict code of conduct.
• Set and attain ambitious student achievement and social-emotional benchmarks.
• Model and encourage appropriate student behavior (i.e. grit, self-control, social intelligence, optimism and curiosity).
• Work with school team to constantly evaluate and improve mastery of instructional, culture building, and leadership skills.
• Maintain a classroom that demonstrates discipline, order and rigor.
• Participate in curriculum development, grade-level activities, and school-wide functions.
• Proven ability to organize and prioritize in a high-stress, fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise a high level of tact and discretion in both internal and external interactions.
• Communicate with students, families and other audiences about student progress
• Participate in curricular and extra-curricular programs, student supervision, meetings and on-going professional development
• Perform related duties as assigned by the Principal.
• Possess a valid California Teaching Credential
• 1-3 years of teaching experience in an urban setting
• Bachelor Degree from an accredited institution required. Master's Degree preferred.
• Flexible to changing priorities and conditions.
• Communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing.
If you would like to be considered for this position, please email your resume & cover letter to: email@example.com


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We received some bad news recently when our youngest son Fulton was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. The last couple months have been filled with doctor visits, home visits, etc. Plus, I've been trying to keep up with all the normal summer activities for the rest of the kids so 'being busy' is an understatement. If you can, please say a prayer (especially for the intercession of Arch. Fulton Sheen) for our son. While there is much research going on with SMA, I have more faith in a miracle than in medicine in curing him at this point.Wouldn't it be swell to see Fulton the little boy cured and Fulton the archbishop attain sainthood? So, let's all pray together!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Prayer Request
Please pray for Kelly's son Fulton:
Labels: Prayer Requests
3 comments:
We will be praying for your son and I can completely understand your emotions because my son too has sma. Kyle was diagnosed with sma type 1 in 2004 and will be 5 this novemeber! God is SO good and He will hold you during these difficult times. Feel free to contact me should you need to chat or any help or direction. I also home school my oldest!
- Aug 22, 2009, 12:41:00 PM
- American History said...
Keeping Fulton and family in our prayers. We sent a prayer request to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Holy Land thanks to http://HolyLandPrayer.com
God bless.
- Sep 8, 2009, 12:21:00 AM
- Laura said...
My cousin's son (Nathan) also has SMA, so I have a little understanding of the disease. Will keep Fulton and the whole family in our prayers.
- Nov 25, 2009, 5:52:00 PM
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IR PTZ dome cameras…..do they work?
One of the big problems with IR PTZ dome cameras is they promise the world but do they actually deliver?
Following a recent installation a client of ours was getting ongoing complaints from the customer that his night time images really were not what he was… Continue reading


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Latest: French Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe has announced a suspension on fuel tax hikes, after protesters took to rioting in the French capital and surrounding areas.
Following crisis talks in Paris today, the PM renounced the policy put forward by President Emmanuel Macron. He stated that the fuel increase will be suspended for six months.
"No tax is worth putting the nation's unity in danger."
French motorists began protesting the tax spike in mid-November, when leader Macron announced the price rise was a necessity to combat climate change. However, the protests took a violent turn when political protesters known as "Yellow Vests" began violent clashes with authorities.
France during the fuel protests. It really looks like post zombie apocalypse world#FranceProtest #parisprotests #ParisRiots pic.twitter.com/JnHX89r2F8
— Murat Mohammad 🇬🇧 (@murat_mohammad) December 3, 2018
The riots, which saw over 130,000 people take to the streets in protest saw major damage to multiple homes, cafes and stores throughout Paris has seen more than 400 arrests since the clashes began. Over 133 were injured, including 23 members of the French security forces.
The action took a sinister turn Saturday afternoon when an 80 year old woman was killed after being struck with a gas canister thrown during the troubles. The unnamed woman, who was at home at the time of the incident, was struck in the head whilst closing her shutters. The woman was taken to hospital but died in the operating theatre. Two more people have also been killed.
Macron and Philippe's approval rating have hit a new low as the violence spread across Paris and the hope is the suspension of the tax increase eases tensions between protesters and the government.


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Some days ago I talked to a friend on IRC and he started talking about cool ideas for spin offs. He later even started a whole topic on a popular gaming-board about it, which got lots of replies from people with more or less great ideas. Of course, you cannot start such a theme without getting my left side of the brain running wild, so here are the Flying Fisch´ Top 3 Most Wanted-Spin Offs.
3.) Mass Effect: Quarian Mission
The Quarians, an alien race in the world of Mass Effect, are the most interesting inhabitants of that universe to me. Wearing neat-looking suits, never showing their face, and being masterful technicians as well as capable tacticians in battle. What I´d imagine for this spin off would be a game that focuses on action-missions, leaving out all the non-linear exploration of the main series, but still keeping several crucial decisions that result in different following missions and different game endings. Even though the game-controls wouldn´t be too different from what we know, there´d be more focus on stealth and long-range combat, since typical Quarians aren´t strong close combat fighters. A sniper rifle would be your main weapon. Missions would vary from big groups, to smaller groups, to missions that you´d have to do all on your own. The story for this spin off could be anything from dealing a blow to enemy Geths to even doing a stealth-attack against Cerberus and finding out what they´re doing with the acquired human reaper (assuming that´s the canon ending of ME2). The game would give a lot of insight into Quarian behavior and be more straight forward, while still keeping an element of choice that is integral to the Mass Effect-franchise.
2.) Metroid: Galactic Federation vs Space Pirates
This is a dream of mine ever since that cutscene in the beginning of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. The game would let you play as either a Federation Trooper or Space Pirate, meaning the game would feature two campaigns. On the Federation-side, you´d experience a more typical shooter-experience than when playing as Samus Aran. Your armor would be weaker, no charge beam shot and no space boots. But you´d have machine rifles shooting rapid energy blasts and be fighting alongside comrades. You could give commands to your team members, which could consist of different kinds of troopers, such as PED troopers or demolition troopers. You yourself would be carrying a PED, a Phazon Enhancement Device that would grant more power for a limited amount of time. Without all of Samus´ super powers, it´d be a much more down-to-earth experience, featuring more of the horror that are the space pirates and unknown planets. Missions would vary from exploration, to rescuing someone to blow up pirate bases, or defend a colony against a pirate attack. All that while environmental dangers would pose a threat, too. And then there´d be the Space Pirate-campaign that´d be completely different. Here, you´d be controlling a single Space Pirate, equipped with some energy blaster, missiles and, most importantly, a jet pak and invisibility device. Gameplay would be totally different in that you could now reach whole new places and do missions stealthy or not so stealthy. Mission goals could range from stealing important items/information to killing higher up persons and readying the approach of a larger pirate-attack. To make this a really fun, long-lasting game, there´d be coop- and multiplayer-modes, off- and online. I can´t imagine a more fun multiplayer-shooter than Federation troopers against Space pirates, each with their own tactics and combat options. And meanwhile, you´d learn more about the world of Metroid without everything relating to Samus Aran.
1.) The Legend of Zelda: Shad´s Journey
My favorite NPC in Twilight Princess by far. Shad is one of the guys of the resistance group that you meet in Telma´s pub. He´s that guy that later helps Link to get to the sky temple by deciphering ancient texts and even using a spell to active Link´s Dominion Rod. When playing Twilight Princess, I always felt that the resistance group could have been given more show time, better fleshing out – especially Shad. His design is too awesome for such a hardly seen side-character. When I wish for a spin off featuring him, I imagine an action-adventure that is less about killing enemies and more about exploration. That´s not to say that Shad shouldn´t be able to fight monsters when needed, but the game should never force the player to go into battle without other options. After all, Shad is more of a bookworm than a heroic fighter. Controlling Shad would feature in-depth climbing options, necessary for the emphasis on exploring environments, be it steep stone walls to get to an ancient temple or the inner walls of a temple itself. Or just a high bookshelf. The story would be about Shad trying to find a way to reach the Ooccas´ sky temple himself, since he couldn´t follow Link at the time of Twilight Princess. Afterall, he continued his deceased father´s studies and still has to fulfill them, at any costs. It´s what he dedicated his life to. Shad´s adventure would give more insight into the world of The Legend of Zelda and offer a different gameplay experience that is based more on exploration and magic than combat and saving the world. And maybe Shad could become a more fleshed-out character himself – his great design cannot go to waste, after all.


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Former Quannum collaborator Hervé Salters, a.k.a. General Elektriks, returns after a four year hiatus with a paranoid video clip for his new single "Whisper to Me".
"Whisper to Me" is from the French keyboardist's forthcoming fourth LP 'To Be a Stranger' which is due out January 29th via Audio Kitchen.


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Why was Ozzy Osbourne rushed to hospital last night and how is he doing now?
The iconic superstar has been unwell for a while and has kept his fans in the loop through statements
OZZY Osbourne was rushed to the hospital last night following some health complications.
Here's everything you need to know about what happened and how the TV star is feeling now.
Why was Ozzy Osbourne rushed to hospital last night?
On February 6, his wife Sharon Osbourne revealed that the heavy metal star suffered from some flu complications.
Upon discussing the illness with his doctors, he was advised to make his way to the hospital.
Sharon explained the situation via a tweet that said: "As some of you may have heard, Ozzy was admitted to hospital following some complications from the flu.
"His doctors feel this is the best way to get him on a quicker road to recovery. Thanks to everyone for their concern and love."
His illness has forced Ozzy to postpone his tour No More Tours2's UK and European legs.
A January 29 statement on the famous star's website had confessed that he was diagnosed with a severe upper-respiratory infection.
The doctors were fearful that the infection could develop into pneumonia if he continued touring.
More on Ozzy
How is Ozzy doing now?
There hasn't been another statement since Sharon's tweet.
However, with his doctors care and attention, Ozzy should be feeling better soon enough.
His fans have been sharing countless words of encouragement and support on Twitter in response to the news.
One tweeter said: "Sending all our love to you and Ozzy! We know he'll be back up and performing very soon."
Another shared: "Praying hard with all my heart and soul for Ozzy to have a quick recovery."


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Bated breath
Residents wait to see if flood predictions hold
"We don't worry until it gets to 40 feet," a clerk at American Flags & Poles on Front Street said.
The National Weather Service classified this week's flooding as minor, with some low-lying roads around Washington County closed because of high water. Closures as of early Tuesday included Ohio 7 near New Matamoras, Ohio 60 at milemarker 21 near Beverly, County Road Nine at milemarker 1.5, Caywood Road at milemarker 1.5, Millgate Road and Ohio 550 from the junction at Ohio 7 to Barlow.
Later in the day, Mud Lane, Newells Run Road, Leith Run, Archer's Fork Road and Parr Hill all were closed at Ohio 7. Sections of Gilman and Virginia streets also were shut down.
On Tuesday morning the current at the levee in Marietta was brisk, with driftwood and other debris sailing past the point at a good clip, and water level on the gauge by the Army Corps of Engineers depot reading 32 feet and rising.
The rain over the weekend was attributed to the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon, which moved ashore on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi Sept. 4, and as it headed inland was absorbed by a frontal system around Arkansas, drifting northeastward and dropping heavy rains as far north as New England.
Hurricane Florence is the next storm in the Atlantic hurricane season, predicted to move ashore around North Carolina by Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane. Myranda Fullerton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, Pa., said it's too early to tell what and where the impact might be as the storm moves inland.
"We're basically keeping an eye on it," she said. "The models right now show a lot of disparity about how far inland it might come. We don't have a great answer for that because it's just too early right now. If anything, Ohio would be on the western fringe of the heavier precipitation, but it's hard to predict with these tropical systems."
In the low-lying areas of Marietta, businesses kept a watchful eye as the river came up, the latest flood of February on everyone's mind. The Boat House of Marietta barbecue restaurant, low on the banks of the Ohio, was considering closing mid-afternoon Tuesday as water lapped onto its patio.
"We're just kind of winging it," employee Jody Mullen said. "We're guessing it's not going to be too bad, or hoping that, anyway."
Sarah Arnold, president of Marietta Main Street, the trade association for downtown businesses, said the rising river was being eyed warily by most but without much alarm.
"They're just watching predictions, and right now it's predicted to crest at 35.7 feet," she said. "February, it crested at just under 38 feet, and that's the frame of reference everyone's using."
Flood stage is 35 feet.
In February the basements of many businesses downtown flooded, and trickles of water came into the main floors of some.
"We're all paying attention just to stay on top of it, and Marietta Main Street is watching in case we need to coordinate volunteers," Arnold said.
City of Marietta assistant streets foreman Chris Hess said early Tuesday afternoon that Virginia and parts of Gilman Street in Harmar were closed, as were South Eighth Street from Hart to Charles and streets and the entrance to Buckeye Park, which was under water.
The damage done to county and township roads by rains in February is still under repair, and Washington County Engineer Roger Wright said the latest rainfall didn't do a lot of damage, but because the ground has become saturated any further heavy rain could do significant harm to local roads that are already stressed.
"Folks have reported some areas with five to seven inches of rain, and that means existing landslips will begin to move again," he said. "Fortunately, the ground was pretty dry when this rain started, but now that it's saturated, obviously if we get anything from the hurricane, we will start to see some more movement."
Palmer Township, he said, reported a major landslip on Derby Road.
The roads damaged by rain in February are especially vulnerable, he said.
"Basically, there are cracks in the road and the water funnels straight through to the bedrock, and that lubricates the slip plain," he said. "It takes that water-laden dirt, and it starts to move."
Hurricane and tropical storm remnants that have caused flooding in the Mid-Ohio Valley:
•Ivan, September 2004.
•Frances, September 2004.
•Hurricane No. 3, August 1888.
•Hazel, October 1954.
Source: National Weather Service.
Road closures as of Tuesday afternoon:
•Ohio 60, milemarker 21
•County Road 9, milemarker 1.5
•Caywood Road, milemarker 1.5
•Browns Road, 500-B
•Millgate Road
•Ohio 7, just south of New Matamoras
•Virginia Street, under the rail bridge
•Archer's Fork Road at Ohio 7
•Gilman Avenue
•South Eighth Street, South Sixth Street, South Hart Street,Marietta
•Mud Lane, Newells Run Road, Leith Run at Ohio 7
• Ohio 7 at Parr Hill
Source: Washington County Sheriff's Office.


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Of course the main event was the Bridal Shower but we spent this past entire weekend in Sparta
New Jersey Bound early Saturday morning
We had a major concert during the car ride there - the 90's on 9 countdown on Saturdays is great
We met up with Sam for lunch at my very favorite NJ deli, Sergios
Great flower marketing - we got these during lunch
We took Mom & Steve for a tour of Sparta including Derek's schools
Both families got together for dinner and Miss Kallyn was in between Derek and I
So sweet
After dinner we celebrated Grandma's birthday!
We had a great time with Derek's friends after the bridal shower
Uh Oh Miss Ainsley is into shoes already!
Play Time Post Bridal Shower
Xo C


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Be Delicious Eau de Parfum Spray for Women by Donna Karan
Developed by Maurice Roucel, Be Delicious by Donna Karan New York is a fresh, exotic fragrance that has plenty of green notes. Perfect for the summer and the spring, Be Delicious transitions well from day to evening wear, and is perfect for the woman on the move. The warmth present in the fragrance emerges from base notes of amber and sandalwood, while bergamot and cucumber make it light and pretty.
- The top notes are grapefruit, cucumber, and magnolia.
- The middle notes are tuberose, rose, violet, lily-of-the-valley, and green apple.
- The base notes are woods, amber, and sandalwood.


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.Appoints new Special Advisers as NTA, FRCN Get new DGs
President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday aproved the
appointments of Gen. Martin Luther Agwai as Chairman of
SURE-P. Agwai was appointed as Deputy Chairman of SURE-P last year following the demise of General Maman Kotangora.
While Mrs. Tanwa Olusi will serve as Deputy Chairman of
SURE-P, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze was also appointed Special
Adviser (NEPAD).
Senator Suleiman M. Ajadi was appointed Special Adviser
on National Assembly, while Mr. Sola Omole was appointed
Director General of Nigeria Television Authority.
Alhaji Ladan Salihu, was equally appointed Director
General of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria ( FRCN).
Mr. Ima Niboro, the former spokesman of the Presidency,
was appointed the Managing Director of News Agency of


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Contact the Library
The Library Help service offers a fully searchable knowledgebase to answer any queries you may have. If you do not find the answer you are looking for, you can use Library Help to send us a question or request for help. We try to answer all queries as soon as possible and a response will be sent to you before the end of the next working day at the latest.
Library Help also offers a chat service. For a real-time response, use the chat button when available:
Need to phone us? If you'd like to contact us by phone, please Contact Campus Libraries for details of your campus information desk and Campus Library Manager. Contact Library Subject Teams for details of your subject librarians.
Follow the Ulster University Library on Twitter - all the latest news and information from our four campus Libraries. You can also get in touch with us directly using your Twitter account.
If you want to let us know what we are doing well, or not so well, use the Comment On Our Services form.


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Rapeseed production prospects are looking up
World rapeseed-canola production prospects are in the midst of a bit of an upswing.
Overnight, Abares raised its estimate for Australia's 2017-18 canola crop by 100,000 tonnes to 2.85m tonnes, citing an improvement to prospects in Western Australia, which more than offset the setbacks in New South Wales from extremes of excessive wetness, following on from drought.
"There was a cool mild finish to the winter crop season in Western Australia following widespread above-average rainfall in August," Abares said, adding that "these conditions were favourable" for development of winter crops.
UK recovery
Meanwhile for 2018-19, Strategie Grains released its first estimate for output in the European Union, the top producer, pegged at 22.6m tonnes, which would be rise of 900,000 tonnes year on year (and, indeed, a four-year high).
This despite sowings seen little changed on last season, at 6.7m hectares.
While seedings have fallen in Germany and Poland, thanks to heavy autumn rains which hampered plantings, they have risen in France as well as in the UK, which is an even producer in yield terms when it is on song.
And the chances of that have risen thanks to an autumn, apparently, relatively free of the cabbage stem flea beetle pest which has represented a particularly big threat in the UK when conditions are right, and which is a problem especially for early-developed crops.
Data ahead
Still, at least two big tests lie ahead for market watchers.
The first is on Wednesday, when Statistics Canada unveils revised estimates for this year's Canadian canola crop, and which traders expect to show an upgrade again, to an elevated 20.2m tonnes – getting pretty close, indeed, to usurping the EU as top grower.
StatsCan in September pegged the harvest at 19.71m tonnes, based on model-based criteria, after a growers' survey came up with an 18.2m-tonne figure in August.
Ukraine factor
A second is how Ukraine's 2018-19 crop fares during the winter.
Ukraine is re-emerging as a grower of the oilseed, sowings of which have been in retreat for much of the decade, in part to risks of winterkill rates far higher than those seen in the EU.
After rising by more than 60% this year to 2.1m tonnes, on International Grains Council estimates, output could jump again in 2018, with sowings (including the relatively small amount planted in the spring) pegged up 14.4% at 890,000 hectares.
This could mean a splurge in exports, given that Ukraine uses hardly of its rapeseed itself – maybe 300,000 tonnes, with its oilseed processing industry focused on sunflowers.
If Ukraine production indeed rises again, while EU import needs are stemmed by its own production growth, rapeseed prices could find it a struggle to continue their outperformance compared with values of wheat, without help from the likes of a setback in output of rival soyoil in the likes of Argentina.
Related Items
- UkrAgroConsult: New Website Launched
- China absorbs more than 90% of Russian soybean exports
- The EU moves to reduce palm oil use. Malaysia hits back at 'politics of protectionism'
- Ukraine. Korolivsky Smak to begin nitriding sunflower oil
- INTL FCStone and CME Group invite you for a Risk Management Workshop within 'Black Sea Grain'


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Week 5.
Rule of thirds.
Week 4.
In a week of meh this is my happy. One teeny second of silly and getting along and being together. And I snuck a picture of it. Almost makes up for all the other moments 😉
Week 3.
This week's prompt is just 'My Favorite.' I was driving back to work from lunch and passed by a field of snow and geese. So, of course I had to stop and take a picture.


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Hybrid Drivers
Hybrid Drivers are the discs that are faster than control (fairway) drivers but slower than Distance Drivers. They didn't exist before discs got really fast. In fact, at the beginning, the fastest discs were pretty slow, and the three categories of Driver, Midrange and Putter served us well.
The fastest discs would increasingly be the newest discs with the widest rims, starting with the Inferno and Quarter K and then, seriously, the Wraith, Destroyer and, finally, at the max wing width allowed, the Boss at 2.5 cm. Meanwhile Discraft had already jumped the gun with its various 2.5 cm Nuke molds.
The Marshall Street Flight Guide — you should check it out — has its own section of Hybrid Drivers, everything from the Innova Max on the top left, to the DGA Sail on the lower right. Every driver on the Marshall Street Flight Guide between Speed 10 and 11 is in the dark yellow Hybrid section, between the bright yellow Control Drivers and red Distance Drivers. And if you click on any disc on the whole chart, it'll call up every single version of that disc that we have in stock. Pretty cool.
Prodigy recognizes the Hyrbid Driver distinction explicitly with its H1, H2, H3 and H4. The higher the number the more understable.
Another thing about Marshall Street, is that we write our own descriptions. And every time we shoot for vanilla it slides ever so effortlessly into chocolate crunchberry.
Just saying.
Showing 1–12 of 269 results
Apex Alpha$15.99 Select options
Who is the Alpha in your disc golf pack?
Base Grip F Model S$8.99 Select options
Prodigy's Ace Line fast flying middle stability fairway driver Designed by Prodigy, produced in China.
BioFuzion Criminal$11.99 Select options
The perfect mix of overstability and glide.
BioFuzion Renegade$11.99 Select options
Slow arm speed looking for some extra distance?
Blizzard Beast$13.99 Select options
More understable than the Beast-X.
Blizzard Krait$13.99 Select options
I've had two Blizzard Kraits in my life, and they were like twins named Jekyll and Hyde.
Blizzard Wraith$13.99 Select options
Putting the champion back in Blizzard Champion.
C-Line CD3$13.99 Select options
The CD3 has become one of my favorite discs for smooth distance.
C-Line PD$13.99 Select options
More power!
C-Line PDX$13.99 Select options
Speed 11 stable work horse.
C-Line TD$13.99 Select options
Champion line Turning Driver.
Champion Archon$13.99 Select options
A Valkyrie… But longer!
Showing 1–12 of 269 results