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Health, Safety & Environment
Our HSE policy can be summed up in one sentence. We expects nothing less than 100% Health, Safety and Environmental performance from all divisions and individuals across the organization.
Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) management is a core value of our company, guiding everything we do. A strong statement, but when managing the safety of workers, plant and community, commitment can only be 100%. All employees are actively engaged in HSE training programs year-round, with our executive members leading by example by actively chairing committees, events and the creation of policy and expectations.
We have developed a close working relationship with regulatory agencies by promoting our internal HSE standards and practices and through strict safety enforcement and performance on all job sites. Our active membership in numerous construction and industrial safety associations provides us the opportunity to share our message and promote rigorous HSE policies throughout the industry. As an organization, we are passionate about safety and the wellbeing of our clients, our employees, their families and our communities.


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Friday, January 25, 2013
Bare Cupboard Soup
(2 servings)
1 tablespoon oil
1 small carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
A pinch each of salt, pepper, onion powder, dried oregano, dried parsley, crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 large (6 grams) beef, chick or vegetable bouillon cube
1 cup water
1-ounce tomato paste
6-ounces water
15.5-ounce can great northern beans
1. In a 2-quart saucepan, sauté carrots and celery in oil for approximately 5 minutes.
2. Measure salt, pepper, onion powder, oregano, parsley and crushed red pepper into a small dish. Add 1/2 bouillon cube, crushed. Add to saucepan all at once.
3. Stir in 1 cup water, tomato paste and 6-ounces water (measured in tomato paste can).
4. Raise heat slightly and cook 8-10 minutes.
5. Stir in great northern beans and heat about 5 minutes more until beans are hot.
What happened to the remaining 5 ounces of tomato paste, you ask? I laid out a small square of wax paper on a small plate. Divided the remaining paste into 5 "plops" and set it in the freezer. Once frozen, I placed it in a small freezer bag, ready to pull out whenever I need more.
While in the freezer, a quick look reminded me that the cupboards are not quite so bare as I thought. There's a couple of turkey-olive burgers left, a half pound of bacon, and vegetable soup I made last week.
8 comments:
This does sound great for a cold, winter day!ReplyDeleteReplies
Aha, the fig muffin lady--love those fig muffins and am now experimenting with adding the cheese mix after cooking (thinking marscapone, too!). Thanks so much, Lisa, for stopping by and commenting. I've subscribed to your email notification 'cause I see so many recipes that I can appreciate!Delete
- AnonymousJanuary 26, 2013 at 10:30 AM
The soup sounds perfect, especially for a cold day!ReplyDeleteReplies
Soupysimplestuff, eh, Brenda!Delete
I love this beautiful soup and it sounds perfect for a rainy day :DReplyDelete
Glad you like it, CCU. Might even work on hot days there. Just barely heat.Delete
Same as Guru Uru. Looks so tasty. Now is rainy season at my place. I will change the northern beans with kidney beans since I don't have any idea what northern beans are, Thanks a lot for this recipe, Kathleen.ReplyDeleteReplies
Kidney beans should work fine in place of northern beans. Or use any other white, kidney-shaped bean. Glad you like the recipe, Muhammad.Delete

subset: commoncrawl


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|Hong Kong
Finding a job or hiring a new team member is a painstakingly long, tough, and inefficient process. In an era where with our fingertips we can order hot meals from the comfort of our couches, an uber at our doorstep, and even a new apartment for a holiday halfway around the world, why can't we do the same for finding jobs and hiring people. This is why we created employ.
Employ is a video-based recruiting platform that brings employers and job-seekers closer to each other. Video, as a medium, is not the future, it is the present. As people, we are consuming more and more video content on a daily basis, and as businesses, we are creating thousands of videos daily to attract as more customers. This medium is what has been missing from the recruiting world and we think this will change the way we all think about recruiting.
We've designed employ to be simple, efficient, and effective. Anyone can download employ and start using it within seconds. As a job-seeker, employ will allow you to ditch your traditional resume and apply directly to jobs using short video answers. As an employer, the platform enables you to showcase your brand using video to potential job seekers and be able to quickly review and identify the top applicants that fit your team. Furthermore, once employers and job seekers have connected, they can instantly chat with each other and schedule and conduct video or audio interviews right from the platform.
We've just started this journey and we won't be able to do it alone. We need your help in making the world of recruiting a better place. Come join us as we launch our latest platform and say goodbye to boring text websites and resumes forever.
Say hello to the future of jobs and recruiting and download employ on iOS and Android today!
Employ Team


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Papyrus: You're invited!
A beautiful wedding dress made with wedding invitation cards.
Anthropologie: Don't Forget to Tag Off!
Another fantastic Anthropologie dress made of colorful tags for Chelsea Market Windows, NYC.
Anthropologie: Magnificent Zipper Dress
This magnificent dress made of zippers, recycled paper and fabric. Stands in display very quiet and beautiful.


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Eucerin, Skin Calming, External Analgesic Lotion, Fragrance Free, 6.8 fl oz (200 ml)
Flash Deals are limited time, limited quantity promotions, so act fast! Limited to: 1 unit of 1 flash deal product per order. If you order more than one unit or re-order or order other flash deals, you will pay our regular low price. Flash Deals are ineligible from all other promotions.
Eucerin, Skin Calming, External Analgesic Lotion, Fragrance Free, 6.8 fl oz (200 ml)
- Expiration Date: March 2022
Shipping Weight:?0.27 kgSwitch to Imperial unitsShipping WeightThe Shipping Weight includes the product, protective packaging material and the actual shipping box. In addition, the Shipping Weight may be adjusted for the Dimensional Weight (e.g. length, width & height) of a package. It is important to note that certain types of products (e.g. glass containers, liquids, fragile, refrigerated or ice packed) will often require protective packaging material. As such, these products will reflect a higher Shipping Weight compared to the unprotected product.
- Product Code: EUC-63647
- UPC Code: 072140636470
- Package Quantity: 6.8 fl oz
3 x 6.9 x 16.3 cm , 0.23 kgSwitch to Imperial units
Product Rank:
- Eucerin - Since 1900
- Dermatologist Recommended Brand
- Cooling Menthol Enriched
- Calms & Soothes Dry, Itchy Skin
- External Analgesic Lotion
- Fragrance Free
- Dry, Itchy Skin
- Dermatological Skincare
- Instantly Calms and Soothes
- Fragrance, Dye and Paraben-Free
Skin Calming External Analgesic Lotion offers a soothing formula that calms, moisturizes and provides immediate relief to dry, itchy skin.
- Cooling Menthol enriched to provide relief for itchy, dry skin that lasts up to 8 hours.
- Appropriate for skin affected by atopic dermatitis.
- Appropriate for adults and children 8 years and older; gentle enough for everyday use.
Eucerin Skin Science That Shows
For over 100 years, Eucerin has led skin science innovation with an uncompromising commitment to quality. Today, our products are respected and recommended by dermatologists. Trust Eucerin to give you and your family the feeling of confidence that comes from radiant, healthy-looking skin.
Use: For the temporary relief of itching associated with minor skin irritations.
Suggested Use
Adults and children 8 years of age and older:
- Apply to affected area not more than 3 to 4 times daily.
Children under 8 years of age:
- Consult a doctor.
Other Ingredients
|Drug Facts
|Active Ingredient
|Menthol 0.1%
|External analgesic lotion
|Inactive Ingredients
|Water, glycerin, octyldodecanol, caprylic/capric triglyceride, isopropyl stearate, myristyl myristate, cetyl alcohol, colloidal oatmeal, cetearyl alcohol, dimethicone, glyceryl stearate SE, oenothera biennis (evening primrose) oil, peg-40 castor oil, caprylyl glycol, acrylates/c10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, sodium cetearyl sulfate, sodium citrate, citric acid, polyglyceryl-3 methylglucose distearate, phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol, 1,2-hexanediol, piroctone olamine, potassium sorbate.
For external use only.
When using this product avoid contact with eyes.
Stop use and ask a doctor if:
- Condition worsens.
- Symptoms last more than 7 days or clear up and occur again within a few days.
- Irritation occurs.
Keep out of reach of children. If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.
While iHerb strives to ensure the accuracy of its product images and information, some manufacturing changes to packaging and/or ingredients may be pending update on our site. Although items may occasionally ship with alternate packaging, freshness is always guaranteed. We recommend that you read labels, warnings and directions of all products before use and not rely solely on the information provided by iHerb.


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Inspired by the exchange of ideas and traditions along the historical Silk Road, cellist Yo-Yo Ma established the Silk Road Project (Silkroad) in 1998 to explore how the arts can advance global understanding. Since 2000, the musicians of the Silk Road Ensemble have led Silkroad's work to connect the world through the arts, focusing in three areas: musical performances, learning programs, and cultural entrepreneurship. Representing dozens of nationalities and musical traditions, the musicians of the Ensemble model new forms of cultural exchange through performances, workshops, and residencies.
Silkroad is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization supported by individuals, foundations, and corporations. Support Silkroad today; help connect the world through music.
YO-YO MA is a cellist whose many-faceted career is a testament to his continual search for new ways to communicate with audiences, and to his personal desire for artistic growth and renewal. Ma maintains a balance between his engagements as soloist with orchestras worldwide and his recital and chamber-music activities.
Ma's discography of more than 90 albums (including 18 Grammy Award winners) reflects his wide-ranging interests. He has made several successful recordings that defy categorization, among them "Hush," with Bobby McFerrin; "Appalachia Waltz" and "Appalachian Journey," with Mark O'Connor and Edgar Meyer; and two Grammy-winning tributes to the music of Brazil, "Obrigado Brazil" and "Obrigado Brazil – Live in Concert." His recent recordings include "Mendelssohn Trios," with Emanuel Ax and Itzhak Perlman; "The Goat Rodeo Sessions," with Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile and Stuart Duncan (which received the 2013 Grammy for Best Folk Album); "A Playlist Without Borders," recorded with the Silk Road Ensemble, which was released in 2013; and "Songs From the Arc of Life" with Kathryn Stott. Across this full range of releases, Ma remains one of the best-selling recording artists in the classical field. All of his recent albums quickly entered the Billboard chart of classical best sellers and remained in the Top 15 for extended periods, often with as many as four titles on the list simultaneously.
In 2009 Sony Classical released a box set of more than 90 albums to commemorate Ma's 30 years as a Sony recording artist. He has received numerous awards, among them the Avery Fisher Prize (1978), the National Medal of Arts (2001) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2011). Also in 2011 Ma was recognized as a Kennedy Center Honoree. He has performed for eight American presidents, most recently at the invitation of President Obama on the occasion of the 56th Inaugural Ceremony.
Ma is the artistic director of Silkroad, an organization he founded to promote cross-cultural performance and collaborations at the edge where education, business and the arts come together to transform the world. More than 80 works have been commissioned specifically for the Silk Road Ensemble, which tours annually. Ma also serves as the Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. His work focuses on the transformative power that music can have in individuals' lives, and attempts to increase the number and variety of opportunities that audiences have to experience music in their communities.
Ma is also widely recognized for his strong commitment to educational programs that bring the world into the classroom and the classroom into the world. While touring, he takes time whenever possible to conduct master classes as well as more informal programs for students (musicians and non-musicians alike). He has also reached young audiences through appearances on "Arthur," "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" and "Sesame Street."
Ma was born in Paris to Chinese parents who later moved the family to New York. He began to study cello at the age of 4, attended the Juilliard School and in 1976 graduated from Harvard University. Ma recently joined the Aspen Institute Board of Trustees.
Ma and his wife have two children. He plays two instruments: a 1733 Montagnana cello from Venice and the 1712 Davidoff Stradivarius.
WU MAN is a Grammy-nominated musician widely recognized as the world's premier pipa virtuoso and a leading ambassador of Chinese music. Wu Man has carved out a career as a soloist, educator and composer, giving her lute-like instrument – which has a history of over 2000 years in China – a new role in both traditional and contemporary music. Through numerous concert tours, she has premiered hundreds of new works for the pipa, while spearheading multimedia projects to further the awareness of China's ancient musical traditions.
Wu Man's adventurous spirit and virtuosity have led to collaborations across artistic disciplines, allowing her to reach wider audiences as she works to break through cultural and musical borders. Wu Man's efforts were recognized when she was named Musical America's 2013 Instrumentalist of the Year, the first time this prestigious award has been bestowed on the player of a non-Western instrument.
Having been brought up in the Pudong School of pipa playing, one of the most prestigious classical styles of Imperial China, Wu Man is now recognized as an outstanding exponent of the traditional repertoire as well as a leading interpreter of contemporary pipa music written by today's most prominent composers. She was awarded The Bunting Fellowship at Harvard University in 1998 and became the first Chinese traditional musician to receive the United States Artist Fellowship in 2008. She also has the distinction of being the first artist from China to perform at the White House.
Wu Man's discography spans more than 40 albums, including the Grammy-nominated recordings "Our World in Song," "Traditions and Transformations: Sounds of the Silk Road Chicago," her recording of Tan Dun's Pipa Concerto with Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists, and "You've Stolen My Heart," featuring the Kronos Quartet.
During the 2015-16 season Wu Man has embarked on an extensive North American tour with her longtime friends and colleagues the Shanghai Quartet. The tour takes them to 12 cities across the U.S., with a final concert at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Wu Man also travels to Brussels and Geneva to collaborate with Uyghur singer Sanubar Tursun for performances presented by the Aga Khan Music Initiative, an interregional music and arts education program. Orchestral highlights of the season include a performance with the West Michigan Symphony of Zhao Jiping's Pipa Concerto No. 2, which was written for her, as well as performances with the New York Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony (for their Chinese New Year celebrations).
Born in Hangzhou, China, Wu Man studied with Lin Shicheng, Kuang Yuzhong, Chen Zemin and Liu Dehai at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where she was accepted into the conservatory at age 13 and became the first recipient of a master's degree in pipa. Wu Man's audition was covered by national newspapers and she was hailed as a child prodigy, becoming a nationally recognized role model for young pipa players. She subsequently received first prize in the First National Music Performance Competition, among many other awards, and she participated in many premieres of works by a new generation of Chinese composers.
Wu Man's first exposure to western classical music came in 1979 when she saw Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra performing in Beijing. In 1980 she participated in an open master class with violinist Isaac Stern and in 1985 she made her first visit to the U.S. as a member of the China Youth Arts Troupe.
Wu Man moved to the U.S. in 1990 and currently resides with her husband and son in California.
KINAN AZMEH is quickly gaining international recognition for creating an utterly distinctive sound across different musical genres. He has appeared worldwide as a soloist, composer and improviser. Notable appearances include Opéra Bastille, Paris; Tchaikovsky Grand Hall, Moscow; Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall and the U.N.'s general assembly, New York; Royal Albert Hall, London; Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires; Philharmonie, Berlin; the Library of Congress and the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.; Mozarteum University, Salzburg; and Damascus Opera House (for its opening concert), in his native Syria.
Azmeh has appeared as a soloist with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the NDR Bigband, the Kyiv Camerata, The Knights orchestra, the Izmir State Opera Orchestra, the Corasara Orchestra, the Osnabrück Symphony, the Morgenland Festival Orchestra, the Qatar Philharmonic, the New Juilliard Ensemble and the Syrian Symphony Orchestra. He has shared the stage with Yo-Yo Ma, Marcel Khalife, Aynur Doğan, Daniel Barenboim, Djivan Gasparyan, Zakir Hussein, François Rabbath, Simon Shaheen, Solhi al-Wadi, the Calefax Reed Quintet and members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
His compositions include several works for solo, orchestra and chamber music as well as film, live illustration and electronics. His discography includes three albums with his ensemble Hewar, several soundtracks for film and dance productions, a duo album with pianist Dinuk Wijeratne and a recent album with his New York Arabic/jazz quartet.
Azmeh serves as artistic director of the Damascus Festival Chamber Music Ensemble, with whom he released an album of new contemporary Syrian chamber music written for the ensemble by various composers. Azmeh is also a frequent guest faculty at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music and is on the advisory board of the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra.
Born in Damascus, Azmeh was the first Arab to win the top prize at the 1997 Nikolai Rubinstein International Competition in Moscow. He is a graduate of New York's Juilliard School (as a student of Charles Neidich) as well as the Damascus High Institute of Music (where he studied with Shukry Sahwki, Nicolay Viovanof and Anatoly Moratof) and Damascus University's School of Electrical Engineering. Azmeh earned his doctorate in music from the City University of New York in 2013.
KAYHAN KALHOR is a three-time Grammy nominee and an internationally acclaimed virtuoso on the kamancheh. Through his many musical collaborations he has been instrumental in popularizing Persian music in the West and remains a creative force in today's music scene. Kalhor's performances of traditional Persian music and multiple collaborations have attracted audiences around the globe. He has studied the music of Iran's many regions, in particular those of Khorason and Kordestan, and has toured the world as a soloist with various ensembles and orchestras including the New York Philharmonic and the Orchestre National de Lyon.
Kalhor is the co-founder of the renowned ensembles Dastan, Ghazal: Persian & Indian Improvisations, and Masters of Persian Music. He has composed works for Iran's renowned vocalists Mohammad Reza Shajarian and Shahram Nazeri, performing and recording with Iran's greatest instrumentalists. Composing music for both television and film, his work was recently featured on the soundtrack of Francis Ford Coppola's Youth Without Youth, in a score on which he collaborated with Osvaldo Golijov.
In 2004 Kalhor was invited by American composer John Adams to give a solo recital at Carnegie Hall, as part of Adams' Perspectives Series. That same year, he appeared on a double bill at Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, sharing the program with the Festival Orchestra and performing the Mozart Requiem.
CRISTINA PATO is a Galician bagpiper, pianist and educator who enjoys an active professional career devoted to jazz and Galician popular and classical music. Her dual careers have led to performances on major stages throughout the U.S., Europe, India, Africa and China. Pato is a founding member of the Leadership Council for Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, collaborating closely in tours and planning residencies such as a multi-year partnership with Harvard University.
In 1999 Pato became the first female gaita (Galician bagpipe) player to release a solo album and has since collaborated on world stages with Yo-Yo Ma, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Osvaldo Golijov, the New York Philharmonic, Paquito D'Rivera and Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.
A pop star of the gaita in her native Spain, Pato moved to New York to earn her doctorate and push her career in an entirely different direction. Pato has combined her love of the gaita with an extraordinary blend of jazz and Latin sounds. Her touring life includes a passionate commitment to education and cultural exchange.
An active recording artist and performer since age 12, Pato has released six solo gaita recordings and two as a pianist. She has also collaborated on more than 30 recordings as a guest artist, including the Grammy Award-winner "Yo-Yo Ma and Friends: Songs of Joy and Peace" (SONY BMG 2008); "Miles Español: New Sketches of Spain" (Entertainment One Music, 2011); and the Grammy-nominated Silk Road Ensemble album, "Off the Map" (World Village, 2010). Pato has performed more than 600 concerts with her own band, many of them recorded and broadcast by television stations such as RAI, BBC, TVG, CNN and RTVE.
Pato holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in collaborative piano from Rutgers University, where she was awarded the Irene Alm Memorial Prize for excellence in scholarly research and performance. A passionate lecturer and educator, she was named Mellon Visiting Artist in Residence for the 2014-2015 season at the College of the Holy Cross. She has served as panelist and lecturer at Harvard University, UCSB, SphinxCon, Princeton University and other institutions.
Pato is also a regular collaborator with the Vail International Dance Festival, the Arts Program of the Aspen Institute and the Turnaround Arts educational program initiated by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. In 2014 her groundbreaking Gaita and Orchestra Commissioning Project was awarded a grant from New Music USA to build a repertoire for the gaita and symphony orchestra. She encouraged a round of commissions to create music that would combine her two passions: world music and classical music. Two of the concertos, Emilio Solla's and Octavio Vázquez's, have already premiered in 2015 with Sphinx Orchestra in Detroit, Chicago Sinfonietta in Chicago, and Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès in Barcelona.
Pato is also the founder and artistic director of Galician Connection, a multidisciplinary festival celebrated annually in Galicia. She currently resides in New York City.


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Best of the Blogs
Blogs of the Week
Sportsmanship Wins at State Track Meet
At Ohio's Division III state track meet, junior Meghan Vogel of West Liberty-Salem High School won big with a state title in the 1,600-meter race. Then she did something really impressive.
In Vogel's second race of the day—with less than an hour to prepare after her 1,600-meter win—she competed in the 3,200-meter race. While she didn't finish first, she did win a standing ovation from the crowd, reports the Springfield News-Sun.
Within 20 feet of the finish line, fellow competitor Arden McMath of Arlington High School collapsed. Rather than run past her, Vogel helped McMath reach the finish line, making sure McMath crossed before her.
The YouTube video of Vogel and McMath's crossing the finish line for the June 2 race has received more than 2 million views. ESPN's coverage earned more than 25,000 recommendations on Facebook.
Vogel doesn't understand why everyone is so interested, telling ESPN, "When I hear words like that, I think of Harriet Tubman and saving people's lives. I don't consider myself a hero. I just did what I knew was right and what I was supposed to do."
While she may not understand others' responses, she admits it was meaningful for her, telling the News-Sun that helping McMath finish meant more to her than winning the state championship.
Although the rules state a runner is to be disqualified for aiding another competitor, the management did not disqualify McMath or Vogel, awarding them 14th and 15th place, reports the newspaper.
—Hannah Rose Sacks
A Student's Presidential Pardon
Eleven-year-old Tyler Sullivan brought his teacher arguably one of the best excuse notes for missing class ever written:
Mr. Ackerman—
Please excuse Tyler ... he was with me!
Barack Obama
Rather than attend school June 1, Tyler had gone with his father to see the president give a speech at Honeywell in Minneapolis, according to The Huffington Post. The 5th grader was standing in the front row when the president shook his hand and chatted with him about school. Obama then pulled out his presidential stationery and penned the note to Tyler's teacher.
The Post has yet to report whether Tyler's excuse was accepted.
—Liana Heitin
Experts Call for Uniform Standards for Pre-K
To maximize the return on its investments in early-childhood education for disadvantaged kids, the federal government ought to encourage states to adopt a "common approach" to learning in publicly funded programs that serve children up to age 5.
That is one of 10 policy recommendations in a new report by the Center for American Progress that draws on ideas from experts who make up the center's advisory panel on early childhood.
The report invokes the Common Core State Standards for mathematics and English/language arts adopted by nearly every state as "momentum" in getting states to move toward uniformity for preschool programs and to align them with the common core.
Other key areas to focus on, the report says, are developing better assessments of how programs are working, including using more observation tools, and better assessments of how children are doing in those programs. The federal government should use its leverage to insist on a more professional workforce in early childhood, both in teacher- preparation programs and certification, as is required in K-12. The report also says more attention needs to be paid to training a workforce with second-language skills, as the number of English-learners entering such programs increases.
Many of the recommendations in the report echo the priorities in the Obama administration's Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge, in which nine states are splitting $500 million to improve the quality of early-childhood education for tens of thousands of low-income children who rely on a patchwork of publicly financed child-care and preschool programs.
—Lesli A. Maxwell
Vol. 31, Issue 35, Page 14Published in Print: June 13, 2012, as Blogs of the Week
We encourage lively debate, but please be respectful of others. Profanity and personal attacks are prohibited. By commenting, you are agreeing to abide by our user agreement.
All comments are public.


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Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents (CHRC) is holding its landmark 'Launch Day' event at Brunel University London on the 8th February 2018.
The CHRC at Brunel University London is a new initiative exploring the health impact of radiological and chemical agents on military personnel and their families. Supported by funding from the Nuclear Community Charity Fund obtained from the Aged Veterans Fund (AVF), The Centre will be hosting a half-day launch event commencing 12:30 hours in the Newton Room, Hamilton Centre at Brunel University London on the 8th of February.
This event will be of particular interest to veterans and researchers interested in the effects of radiation and chemicals on the genetics, psychosocial and wellbeing of nuclear test veterans and their families. To come along please register with 'eventbrite' at the link below.
This is a free to register event.
You can share this shortened link with colleagues https://goo.gl/f3QpPF
The launch of the CHRC marks the accomplishment of a long-held goal of the British Nuclear Veteran Community and for the next three years, the NCCF will be using funds from Libor fines allocated by the Chancellor through the AVF initiative to support the Centre.
You can visit the CHRC's very own web pages at the CHRC website
If you are a member of the British Nuclear Test Veteran Community living close to Uxbridge, West London and would like to attend please advise email@example.com once you have registered.
Press and Publicity enquiries to hayley.jarvis


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This year a team of lawyers from Gibson Dunn conducted LWOB's UNCSW workshop. The lawyers, who represented the firm's offices in New York and California, have worked for the last two years with LWOB exploring and creating innovative and interactive ways to advance rule of law. The standing room only event took place at the United Nations on 18 March 2015.
It represented the second consecutive collaboration between LWOB and Gibson Dunn at the UN. In Spring 2014, LWOB hosted a UN approved workshop that launched LWOB's newest educational activity, an educational human trafficking board "game" entitled: FIND ME! at the 58th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 57) in March 2014. Since that time, LWOB has professionally produced the educational activity and a recent grant will fund its mass production and distribution in 2015.
Parties interested in purchasing one or more sets of the Human Trafficking educational board game are encouraged to email email@example.com with "TIP Board Game" in the subject line.
This year's program will again featured a team of pro bono lawyers focused on the work of lawyers serving pro bono in rule of law programs that advance the Beijing Agenda, as well as what initiatives will take that agenda forward for the next twenty years.
Look for LWOB on the UN Calendar of Events for CSW in 2016 and UNDPI.


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Passionate Customer Care
Our customers are so demanding. . . just the way we like it!
Not all customers are created equal, especially in the zinc plating business. Many customers assume that plating is a simple, unsophisticated process, and that all platers are pretty much the same. Fortunately, our customers know better… which is why they're our customers.
The best customer is a demanding customer, and our customers are exactly that. They make us better at everything we do, including the service we provide them. And for that we are eternally grateful.
Here are a few of the ways we try to show that gratitude.
On spec. On time. Or it's on us.
24 Hour Turnaround on Quotes
When you ask us to give you a quote on plating a part, we'll get back to you within 24 hours.*
And because of our rigorous planning skills, you can be sure we won't be coming back to you a few weeks later to say we have to take the price up because we miscalculated.
4 Day Turnaround on Production
Your parts will be ready to ship or be picked up four business days after they arrive at our loading dock.*
Your current plater may have told you the same thing, but we're pretty sure they don't always keep their promise. After all, if they did, you probably wouldn't be reading this, would you?
Oh, by the way
In the highly unlikely event that we fail to deliver on time, we'll reduce your invoice by 5% for every day we're late.
Furthermore, if any parts we deliver to you fail to meet your specifications and it's our fault, there's no charge. That means you won't pay for the parts. You won't pay for the shipping to and from our factory. You won't pay for a thing. The way we see it, it's just not right to ask you to pay when we've failed to deliver the quality and timing we promised you.
In other words:
On spec. On time. Or it's on us.
How's that for customer care?
*For the exact terms of our service level guarantees, please click HERE.
Plateco Transfer Services
Our shipping partner is independently-owned Plateco Transfer, whose fleet of trucks provides timely and effective pickup and delivery service for customers within a 250 radius of the heart of God's Country (i.e., Reedsburg, WI).
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Sunday, December 14, 2014 – 3rd Sunday of Advent
"May our Homes be filled with Dancing. May our streets be filled with joy." Jesus has come, salvation is offered to all who repent and turn to him. He promises to return and invite all who are his to inhabit the Eternal Kingdom of Heaven as children of God. Yes, dancing and joy; yes, that sounds right.
We heard it when Tim and Laura lit the candle and read Isaiah 61: I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my whole being shall exult in my God.
Mary, the mother of Jesus: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
The Apostle Paul writing to the Thessalonians: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Our songs, our scriptures, our reading, our ears – we are full of joy and we should be. It is Jesus' birthday. We are reminded that we have been born again in Christ. At Christmas we celebrate our birthday, our awakening to God, our receiving forgiveness, cleansing, and eternal life.
Psalm 126 offers a beautiful expression of what we have in Christ. We are who we are because he is who he is. "Our mouth was filled with laughter, our tongue with shouts of joy. May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. We were like those who dream." That last line calls to mind the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28). You and I will dream. We will see the Kingdom of God.
The tension comes when we take our eyes off Christmas and the magic and wonder, the holiness and love, and we look around us. Reading Psalm 126 rubs against the hard edge when we step out of the warm soft light of worship into the biting winds of the world around us.
We won't let go joy. We won't. We hold it, proclaim, live in it, and spread it because of Jesus. However, we do this with eyes wide open. We do this full of compassion which demands that we have empathy for people whose experience of life is different than our own. That means we have to be joy carriers. We have to carry joy to people who are having trouble seeing it right now.
America has blown up in a 21st century version of racial strife. Much of the vitriol is spilled all over Twitter and Facebook. These media can be pathways where we share the Gospel. I have participated in redemptive conversations on Facebook.
However, there is no filter. So, people can tweet, post, or email extremely insensitive thoughts. Readers see a message and respond with aggressive words. Insults are thrown back and forth and what started as a thoughtful even hopeful discourse is, in the end, a hate-stained verbal battle ground.
Remember the Psalm – our mouth was filled with laughter, our tongue with shouts of joy. We won't let go of joy. We will spread it. This is the feel-good seasonal joy that can be reduced to a greeting card (not that I oppose Hallmark, I don't). No, we are here talking about the deep joy of Heaven. That is what we in Christ are called to share.
Michael Brown's family is having trouble with laughter. Their son is dead.
Eric Garner's wife is not raising shouts of joy. Her husband, a black man, died when a white officer used an illegal choke hold to subdue him. Conservative commentator Bill O'Reily condemned the actions that led to Garner's death.
The one that gets me is Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old child in Cleveland, Ohio who was shot by police men because he had a BB gun. My 12-year-old son runs through our neighborhood all the time playing with his friends playing with pretend guns and swords and having fake battles. Boys love BB guns. I don't have to worry about my son being confronted by police – he's white.
But my younger son is black. All my kids are adopted and the younger two are black. My neighborhood is mostly white we a few Chinese and Koreans also there. It is educated, middle class America. Is my neighbor going to call the police because my black son is playing too aggressively? When my white son plays that way, it is "boys will be boys." Why doesn't my black son get the same space and grace? If my neighbors call the police and they come and confront my black son for doing what all his white playmates have done all around him all his life, then what happens?
He's seven. He was listening as we had NPR on recently. He asked my wife "Is it going to be hard for me because I am black?" She had to be honest and say, "Yes. It might be."
This is real. A few years ago, someone in our neighborhood saw two black boys going door-to-door through neighborhood. She emailed the neighborhood list serve asking if she should call the police. They were football players from Chapel Hill high school selling calendars to raise money for the team. Why didn't she ask the same question a year before? She didn't ask because a year before, the players who went door-to-door were white.
So just to be clear, parents of black boys have to teach their kids not to play with BB guns – you might get shot. Parents of black boys have to teach their sons to be careful if you go through a neighborhood because your football team needs money – someone might call the police.
Our mouth was filled with laughter, our tongue with shouts of joy. We cannot let it. We are of Christ. We are in Christ. We know what this season, why joy is the word for it. Nor can we blithely proclaim joy as if everything is alright. Everything is not alright.
Much of what I have said is toxic and divisive. Some white people stand with their black brothers and sisters; other white people decry aspects of black culture they find unappealing. Some people damn the police – all police. Others rush to the defense of the police.
I read an impassioned appreciation shared by the daughter of a law enforcement officer. I really could feel her heart as she thanked her dad and all officers for his service in protecting the public. The work the police do is essential in keeping our society safe and ordered. When you are listening to K-Love or another radio station and the public service announcement comes on calling for thanks and prayer for those in the armed forces, also say a prayer of thanks for police officers and fire fighters. We need the people who do these tough jobs.
My only question is this. Could a black woman offer the same word of appreciation to the police? Or would her experiences of police pulling her son over to ask why someone like him was driving such a nice car lead her to a different statement? Does she feel forced to plead with the officials to give her son the same grace and guidance and protection they white boys? That such a question even warrants asking shows the complexity and difficulty in our culture.
We have to name it. We have to insert ourselves into tension and carry the joy of Jesus into it. As I said, I understand the appreciation for policemen and women I read this week. That makes sense. I think I understand that groups of people are fearful of the police. That also makes sense.
Many times in recent weeks, reading about Ferguson and Staten Island and grand juries, I have been at a loss for what to say. This morning, with the light of Christmas filling my heart and the even brighter light of Christ illuminating all of life, I know what we have to do. We have to carry joy to people whose hearts are soaked with tears so that the Holy Spirit can give laughter to those who need it most. How do we do this? I have a few thoughts.
First, we listen. I urge Christ followers to find people whose perspective is different than our own and hear what they have to say. We listen without judgment and without condition. Just see the whole picture from their perspective. Feel their pain. We listen to them and with them and we do so with compassion and understanding. You don't have to agree with everything they say. Just stand with them and offer compassionate embrace. It will be uncomfortable, and awkward. Accept that and go there.
Second, we pray. We pray before we listen. We pray as we listen. And we pray as we watch. You turn on the news, find out the grand jury is not going to indict and the rioting and looting starts. Before we post on Facebook how evil rioting is, we turn our hearts to Heaven and think about with Jesus. Imagine simply sitting – you and Jesus together – thinking together. Why does someone see the death of a teenager as an occasion to rob stores? Because that person, that looter, does not know the joy of Jesus. He is so lost, his great joy this Christmas will be the TV he stole from a Ferguson store. You and I want to rant and rave about how stupid looting (and it is). Is Jesus joining us in our indignation?
Or do we see this from Jesus' view? Yes, Jesus hates sin. Jesus also weeps when a child dies. Are we weeping with Him? Yes, looting is a sign of how broken the world is. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, another broken place, he wept (Luke 19:41). Into Jerusalem, into Ferguson, into Cleveland, are we flicking our tongues in disgust or weeping alongside Jesus? When our hearts are where Jesus is then we are poised to have our tears turned into laughter. Only when Jesus has done this in us are we ready to carry his joy to another.
Third, seek. Seek out good stories amidst the not so good. In Richmond California, the chief of police led the protest march against police abuses of power. His message to the community was I see with you that something is broken and my intent is to be part of the solution. It can be wearing to constantly hear stories of more deaths, angry rants, and divisive rhetoric. It is tempting to turn it all off and stick to schmaltzy Christmas movies. We are in Christ. We cannot just stick to safe, nice things. Jesus does not do that. We have to go where Jesus is. The media magnifies tragedy because bad news sells. The media buries positive stories. But those positives are out there. We seek the good as we pray for all and listen to those whose perspectives differ from ours..
A fourth thought I have is to hold on. Hold on to joy. We cannot carry it and share it if we drop it because our hearts are full of other things – anger, irritation, judgment. Let's drop those things and hold onto joy.
If we listen, we see the other, whoever the other is – black, Asian, police gay, immigrant – we see the other as human. Joy comes when human hearts join with each other. Our differences become beautiful variety and likenesses are signs that we are all made in the image of God and in Christ adopted as children of God.
If we pray, we submit ourselves to Jesus. We let go of everything. He sets the agenda. We have already seen in the scriptures that God fills us with laughter and joy.
If we seek the good, we are inclined toward the light and without realizing it the light of God shines through us. We gravitate toward stories of hope and people are pulled along with us.
If we hold onto joy, we release other thing, negative emotions, hateful words. We are all of limited capacity. We can only carry so much. Let joy be what we carry.
I have not mentioned protest – Christians participating in peaceful demonstrations like 'die-ins' and other things like that. I don't feel I understand protest movements enough to give thoughtful comment. But I think if we commit to listening, praying, seeking the good, and holding tightly to joy, we will be equipped to be people of the light of Jesus if participate in protests. If we choose not to participate, we are at least ready to love those who do. Jesus calls us to love.
When the Lord restores [our] fortunes, we will be those who dream.
2 Then our mouth will be filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said of us, "The Lord has done great things for them."
Healing the world is God's work, which began with the coming of Jesus. In the age of the church, we bear witness to Him. In His perfect time, he will return to complete the work of the cross and resurrection. This is God's work. We carry the message of God's work to those who need it most and we do so with compassion. Christmas highlights what God's people are all year – joy carriers.


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SANAA, Yemen--President Saleh, who's been dealing with Occupy Wall Street protesters since before they were called that, decided two days ago to have his troops open fire on protesters in hopes of putting an end to the silliness.
Calling for the president's resignation, protesters have been getting rowdier and rowdier in the capital. In particular, security forces targeted protesters who were marching toward the presidential palace. According to reports, between 14 and 16 people have been killed and some 80 have been wounded.
Evidently, Yemeni citizens don't hold liars in high regard. As long ago as April 23, Mr. Saleh stated that he would stand down within the coming weeks. Six months later, it appears that he has reneged on that promise.
Said one Yemeni government official in defense of the shooting: "Let's see the U.S. put up with street protests for eight months as we have. They'll start shooting citizens, too."


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Introduction: Steak on a Hamburger Income
It's been said that "Broke is a temporary condition, poor is a state of mind." There is a lot of truth to that. I would add that wealthy is also a state of mind. If you have what you need, and some or most of what you want, you are wealthy. Financial councilor Dave Ramsey likes to say that the paid-off home mortgage has replaced the BMW as the status symbol of choice... To which I say, "What if I have a paid-for house and a paid-for BMW??" Because I and my husband have both of these things, plus another (reasonably) new car, plus no debt and money in the bank, on an annual income in the $35,000 range, so I know this stuff works.
Many of the people we meet think we're independently wealthy because of our lifestyle, which is not extravagant but comfortable, and (mainly) because we don't have money woes to whine about and lose sleep over.
- I am not trying to sell any "Proven Wealth-Generating Program," or any such rot. I'm simply sharing what has worked for me, so don't worry about being blind-sided by a sales pitch.
- Your mileage will vary depending on your personality and your circumstances. We've been fortunate not to have had any major heath crises, for instance.
- I am not a disciple of Dave Ramsey. I mention him only because I do agree with most of his principles, but I arrived at them independently. If you need a financial councilor, though, his website might be a good place to start.
- The book of Proverbs (Old Testament) is also a good place to look for all sorts of financial and life advice.
Step 1: Get Out of Debt!
The Bible says, "The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes thelender's slave." (Proverbs 22:7, NASB) This is so true. When you borrow money, part of your income is spoken for before you even see it! You are, quite literally, a "Wage Slave."
You say, "How can I get out of debt when I'm barely making ends meet?" In order to live the abundant financial life down the road, some sacrifices in the short term may be necessary. You may need to eat rice and beans for a while before you can afford steak. The rewards will be worth it! You won't lose sleep worrying about your money, your odds of a happy marriage are considerably higher (Money problems are one of the top 3 reasons for divorce), and you will have control of your financial future. Understand here, I am not advocating never having debt; it is sometimes necessary when buying a house or car. What I am saying is, don't enter into debt lightly and don't stay in debt any longer than absolutely necessary.
The first thing to do is also probably the most obvious: Don't borrow any more money! The first rule for getting out of a hole is stop digging! Cut up your credit cards if you can't pay them off every month. You can always get more when (IF) you've learned how to use them wisely.
Getting out of debt takes time; it's not going to happen overnight. If you have more than one debt you owe on, pay off the smallest one first, while making minimum payments on the others. Why? Because you will then have visible progress that will encourage you. Then attack the next largest debt, and so on.
So, eat at home instead of eating out, watch TV instead of going to the theater, don't buy that $4 cup of fancy coffee every morning, and use that surplus to assault the debt in your life.
Step 2: Spend Less Than You Make
To paraphrase and modernize Charles Dickens' quote in David Copperfield, "Annual income $20,000, annual expenditures $19,500, result happiness. Annual income $20,000, annual expenditures $20,500, result misery." Despite Government attempts to disprove this, when outgo exceeds income, sooner or later the well runs dry.
In order to know how much your monthly expenditures are, you need to write them down and add them up. Save all your receipts from purchases, and compare what you're spending with what you're making. Then you'll be equipped to make a plan for the use of your money. This plan is called a Budget. And don't tell me, "I don't have any money to budget with!" What did you buy your last hamburger with, if you don't have any money? Everyone needs a budget. A low income means you need to know where every dollar is going.
The easiest way to get started with a budget if you've never had one before is to get a budget book like this one. You can find these at almost any big-box or office supply store. You can also try the envelope budgeting system. Put the money you can afford to spend in labeled envelopes for each category. Decide what you need to spend on the essentials first, then allocate the rest for savings, paying off debts, giving, and finally, everything else.
If you find out you're spending more than you can afford, start looking at cutting out non-essential spending. Some of the stuff today's society deems essential really isn't. The absolute essentials are:
- Food. Eating out is a luxury, though. Buy large sizes of stuff you actually eat, but don't buy sizes so big the food goes bad before you can eat it. Non-perishables like the aforementioned beans and rice can be bought in the largest sizes you can store.
- Clothing, but nobody needs designer clothing.
- Shelter, including basic utilities such as electricity, gas, water, and phone. Your house might be too big for your income.
- Transportation; You might not need a car as much as you think you do. Look into alternatives like public transportation, carpools, and bicycling.
- Savings. We'll look at that in a minute.
- Giving. We'll look at that in a minute, too.
Just about everything else is not essential:
- Cable or satellite TV. You won't die without entertainment. Read a library book, or look into cheap alternatives like Broadcast TV, Netflix and Hulu.
- Internet service. While this can save you a pile of money and hassle properly used, you don't need the fastest speed offered. Drop to the slowest speed and, while you won't be watching Netflix in HD, you'll still be able to do stuff.
- Cellphone service. While this might be necessary, almost no one needs to spend $100 per month on a cellphone. There are plenty of prepaid plans out there that can save you hundreds per year.
Step 3: Save for Emergencies
What would you do if a storm blew your roof off, or an injury prevented you from working for 3 months? This is why you spend less than you make. The rest goes into savings. Save a little bit every month. Put away your savings before you spend money on nonessential things. A whole lot of budgeting is about setting priorities. After food, clothing, shelter, and transportation are covered, and before you start spending money on non-essentials, put aside some small amount for those unexpected expenses that always arise. Make it a percentage, say 5-10% of your income. Put it in a separate bank account, stash it in your mattress, put it somewhere separate from the rest of your funds. I don't care where you put it, just do it. Using savings for emergencies is far wiser than putting that roof repair on a credit card.
A good rule of thumb is savings equivalent to three to six month's income. Once you have that, and are out of debt, you can start thinking about investments. I'm not going to cover investments here, that is an advanced subject for another day.
Step 4: Balance Your Checkbook-Every Month!
Here's some more financial wisdom from the Bible that really works: "Know well the condition of your flocks, And pay attention to your herds." (Proverbs 27:23, NASB) In Biblical times, flocks and herds were a major source of wealth. Paraphrased for modern times, it might read, "Know well the condition of your bank account, and pay attention to your investments." If you don't know how much money you have, how will you know how much you can spend? And those overdraft fees can be murder!
Who knew the Bible could be so relevant to modern life??
Write every transaction down in your checkbook as soon as possible, and calculate the current balance. If you buy things with a debit card, keep the receipts (You're keeping all your receipts anyway, so you can write the amounts down on your budget, right?), and, if you don't carry your checkbook when you shop, enter the purchases as soon as you get home.
If you don't know how to balance a checkbook, ask someone at your bank or try this link. Basically, you check off in your checkbook all cleared items on your statement, take the bank's figure of your balance from your statement, subtract any debits and checks that haven't cleared, add any deposits that haven't cleared, and your new total should match your checkbook balance.
You say you don't have any investments? Do you own a house? A car? A computer? A bicycle? A microwave oven? The point here is everything you own is an investment of some sort. Take care of that stuff, and know what your assets are.
Step 5: Give Generously and Cheerfully
God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Whether you believe in God or not, many people in both the sacred and secular worlds are convinced that giving to help others is one of the great secrets of happiness and prosperity. Prosperity, you say? Yes, prosperity. We have found that giving 10% of our income somehow makes the other 90% go farther. Of course this is counter-intuitive, but many things in life are, and they are true nonetheless.
If you do believe in God, look at the only place in the entire Bible where God tells his people to test Him:
"Bring one-tenth of your income into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house." "Test Me in this way," says the LORD of Armies. "See if I won't open the windows of Heaven for you and flood you with blessings." (Malachi 3:10, GWT)
In ancient times, the tithe, or tenth, was the benchmark for giving. We have given one-tenth or more of our income for decades now, and I can testify to the truth of this passage. You don't have to give one-tenth. If you can, great, but if you can't, give something on a regular basis. I'm not going to tell you who to give to; that's up to you, but if you're a churchgoer, your local church is a good place to start.
The Bible has more to say about money than it says about Heaven and Hell combined.
Step 6: Take Care of Your Stuff
Even if you are "Poor," you have stuff. Some of it is expensive stuff, such as a car. None of your stuff is "Maintenance free," although some things come close. I know you're busy, but taking just a few minutes here and there to care for your stuff could save you a ton of money later!
My Daddy always told me, "PM does not just mean After Dark." PM in this case stands for Preventive Maintenance.
On a road trip once, I came across a lady in a broken-down car. She told me, "It just quit, and I have gas in it!" I checked the oil, and there wasn't a drop of oil in the engine. She had just bought herself several thousand dollars in engine repairs, simply because she had never taken 30 seconds to check her oil... Don't be that person! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to do some simple things that will often prevent a minor repair from becoming a major repair.
Form Good Habits:
"A place for everything and everything in it's place" is a good (Although unattainable in practice) idea. What you can do, however, is designate a particular place for the important things in your life: Your keys, your cellphone, your wallet, etc. This won't directly save you money... Unless you're late for work because you can't find your keys! It will help de-stress you, though. Keep your cabinets, pantry, and refrigerator organized. This will help you keep from buying duplicate items when you can't find something.
If you own your home:
- Paint your house every few years. Like washing your car, you'll see things that you might otherwise have missed.
- Check your plumbing insulation before winter sets in. Frozen pipes will do a lot of damage.
- Do not neglect any minor plumbing leaks; they will only get worse.
- If you blow fuses or circuit breakers often, find out why, before your house burns down.
- Clean and inspect your cooling and heating plant before the start of each season; change or clean your air filters.
- If you smell gas and you can't find the cause, vacate and call the gas company pronto!
Your car:
- Every couple of weeks, and before any long trips, check tire pressure in all 5 (including the spare, if you have one) tires. Read your owner's manual for the correct pressure. Look at the treads; make sure they have sufficient tread and are not wearing unevenly. Uneven tire wear is a symptom of something else worn or out of adjustment.
- If you have a spare tire, know how to change it. Again, read the manual. If you don't have a manual for your car, ask your dealer, or you can probably download one for free from the manufacturer's website.
- While you're checking your tires, also check all the vital fluids in your car: Engine oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and engine coolant. All these things are under the hood. The complete tires and fluids check takes about 3-5 minutes. The manual tells you how.
- And check your battery: If it has removable caps, open each one and see if there is liquid visible. Top off batteries with distilled water Only. "Maintenance-free" batteries have a colored "eye" that should be green if the battery is in good shape.
- Check your gas mileage once a month or so. Record your odometer reading when you fill up. The next time you fill up, subtract the previous reading from the current one, and divide by the number of gallons. Don't expect to get the advertised mileage, but monitoring this over time will give you early warning of parts wearing out.
- Carry a few basic tools: Portable air compressor (This sets you free from having to buy air at a gas station), the tire changing tools that came with the car (Jack and lug wrench), jumper cables (You may be able to give someone else a jump and save their day), flashlight (My last flat tire was in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night!), some means of warning traffic if you're broke down (Reflector, flares, or a flashing light), and a small first aid kit.
- Wash and wax your car every couple of months at a minimum. If you wash it yourself, you'll see things that you might not have noticed, before they become problems.
- You can join AAA if you can afford it and it makes you feel better, but if you follow the preceding tips, you may not need it often enough to pay for itself. I've never needed it.
Your computer:
- Make sure you have antivirus.
- Don't mindlessly click on stuff that tells you your computer needs a tune-up.
- Don't click on links in emails.
- I've written extensively on computer security; For more info, click these links:
Step 7: Repair, Don't Replace!
Today's society is a disposable society, and that's a tragedy. So many things wind up in the landfill because people just assume they can't be fixed, or that it will cost too much, or it's too much hassle.
Lots of things can actually be repaired cheaply and easily, especially if you do it yourself. You will have fewer repairs to do if you practice the good maintenance in the previous step.
Computers can often be repaired inexpensively. Most computer problems are software-related. Software problems, no matter how bad, can be fixed with a Factory Recovery disk. All new computers will nag you to make one of these; Do It Now, because when you need it, it'll be too late.
Home repairs are often not too hard to do yourself. Plumbing and electrical repairs require some degree of knowledge, but are still not that hard. You can replace light switches and faucets without calling a professional! Here's where the internet can save you a pile of money. If you don't know how to do something, Google is your friend. There are all kinds of how-to articles online, for anything you can imagine. Just make sure you look at several and compare them, because not all internet advice is good advice.
If you don't know how to fix something, you can't find any trustworthy advice, and you're about to throw it away anyway, open it up and take a crack at it. You have nothing to lose except some time (Which you'll be spending shopping for a replacement anyway), and, at the very least, you'll gain some valuable experience.
Step 8: Get Rid of Stuff You No Longer Use
The downside of taking care of your stuff is that it takes time, effort, and (usually) money. If you have more stuff than you can fit in your house, you need a place to store it, and that costs money. A car you're not driving still needs licensing, and so on. If every corner of your house is cluttered up with stuff, you'll be stressed because you can't find things, and you won't have any room for new stuff.
All these problems can be fixed by selling or donating things you have but don't use. Now, I understand that you'll be attached to some stuff for sentimental reasons, but if your closet is bulging or you're paying rent on a storage unit, maybe it's time to streamline a bit. Have a yard sale, donate that Nehru jacket you haven't worn since college, sell that jet-ski on Craigslist, and file the remaining stuff neatly.
Step 9: Be Patient
If you're one of those people for whom Instant Gratification takes too long, you need to slow down some. A bit of pre-planning and patience can help your budget a lot.
Don't wait until you're out of something you use before buying more. Put it on your shopping list before you run out. This saves those emergency trips to the convenience store that not only cost you gas, but more money than the grocery store.
Lots of things can be bought online for a fraction of what they'd cost in a brick-and-mortar store; Even small stuff like watch batteries are dirt cheap on eBay. How cheap? You can buy 10 watch batteries on eBay for what you'd pay for one in a store. You will also find a much greater selection at online merchants like Amazon, because warehouse space is so much cheaper than retail space. You'll save gas and time, too. I buy so much of my stuff online I'm on a first name basis with the UPS guy... Sure, you have to wait for it to show up in the mail, but that's where the patience and planning comes in. Plus, getting that box and opening it up is almost like Christmas Morning!
Another part of being patient is knowing what you want and waiting for the right deal to appear. Chance favors the prepared mind!
Step 10: Put Big Purchases on a "Wish List"
This is related to the previous step. We all make big purchases from time to time, but making big purchases (or even small ones) on impulse will kill any budget. Here I'm talking about things you want, not things you need. Don't be like the woman who went to the dealer for new tires and came back with four new tires and a new car attached to them.
Whenever you get the urge to buy something big, write it down on a list somewhere you'll see it every day. When you look at it, ask yourself some questions:
- Why do I want this? Is it just because it's the latest thing? To keep up with the Joneses? To show off? None of these are good reasons.
- Do I actually have a use for it? Will I use it enough to justify the expense? Or will it be put on the shelf as soon as the "new" wears off?
- Will it make my life better? Or just more cluttered?
- Will it benefit my personal growth, or will I just use that fancy new phone (for instance) to waste more time watching stupid cat videos?
- Can I afford to Own it (not just buy it)? This is a biggie. Cost of ownership often doesn't end with, and may exceed, the purchase price. If you Did buy an airplane, you'd need to pay to park it, pay more to learn to fly it, pay even more to fly it, and pay still MORE to insure it, license it, and maintain it. New boat? Boats are defined as "A hole in the water you pour money into." That new cellphone comes with a monthly service charge you'll have to pay. Once you've bought that new TV, you'll be tempted to buy new furniture to put it on, and you'll still have to watch the same C**p you watched on the old TV.
- Can I wait for it? If, after a few weeks, you still want the item, you can wait until you're financially able to buy it comfortably, with cash instead of credit.
Lots of times, the urge to buy something will fade away in a few days... And you've just saved a ton of money by doing nothing! If you still want it, and you missed the sale, just wait. It'll be on sale again.
Step 11: Buy Used, Borrow, Rent, or ReUse
Many things, such as cars and computers, depreciate so fast that they may be worth only half what you paid for them within a few months.
So, why pay the new price when you can get the same thing used for a fraction of the price? This is also related to patience. Sure, it takes a little more effort to buy used (Pre-Owned, in advertising parlance), because you need to take condition into account, but the savings can be tremendous! Most things are okay to buy used; a used car should be checked out by a trusted mechanic, and when buying a used computer, make sure everything works and there is no physical damage whatsoever. Used cellphones are a little trickier; You also need to make sure it's not stolen. You can do this by calling the carrier the phone works with and reading them the 11-digit number (ESN or IMEI) that is under the battery (or on the back if the battery is non-removable).
Don't sneer at thrift stores and yard sales; You can get all sorts of stuff for pennies on the dollar. Just use some restraint; Buy stuff you'll use.
You say you're a Dean Koontz fan and he's got a new book out? The next Star Trek movie was just released on DVD? Do you really need to own all that? Unless it's a reference book or the Bible (Which is actually a great reference book!), you will probably only read it once, because there will always be something new to read. Same goes for movies. I do own some DVDs, but only the ones I've rented first and decided I would want to watch again. I read lots of books, but I very rarely buy them from the store. Your local Public Library has vast untapped resources, not only of books but videos and other services, and you're already paying for it with your taxes, so use it! You'll save not only money, but lots of clutter.
Renting not only works for videos, but a lot of other things. Anything that you need for a particular project might be better rented than bought; Tools, trailers, RVs, even parachutes can be rented when/if you need them, and again, you don't have to deal with it when you're done using it.
I think a lot of the things pushed by the "green" movement are stupid and inane, but reusing things such as the jars and boxes that products come in works great. Large jars that had nuts, pickles, or raisins in them work great for storing everything from flour and sugar to nuts and bolts, plus storing your flour and macaroni in jars keeps bugs and mice out. Don't reuse containers to store food, unless they had food in them originally. Copy paper boxes are just as good as "banker's boxes", and they're free. Look around at stuff you throw away and you'll probably get other ideas. I go so far as to buy groceries partially based on the packaging they come in!
Step 12: Don't Sign Service Contracts or Buy Extended Warranties
Signing a service contract is almost as bad as going into debt. Again, you're making a promise to pay money you don't currently have. Now, as I said about debt, there are times when you might have to break this rule, but contracts are not usually a good idea, unless you're getting real value.
The last time I signed a service contract, it was for DSL service, and the only reason I did it was the monthly fee was a lot lower that way, the monthly price was guaranteed for life, and I wasn't planning on moving anytime soon. That worked out well.
Service contracts for cellphones are rarely a good deal. If you do the math, you'll find that that $600 phone will actually cost you much more than if you'd paid cash for it and went with a no-contract carrier. Here's an example:
You pay $100 for the $600 phone, then pay $110/month for the next 2 years: $100 + ($110 X 24) = $2740 or,
Pay $600 for the phone, plus $45/month on many of the no-contract plans: $600 + ($45 X 24) = $1680.
So, your $600 phone actually costs you $1160, counting the $100 you paid out the door. Plus, the longer you keep the phone past the 2 years, the worse the deal becomes, because the monthly cost doesn't go down, even after the phone's paid for!
The math doesn't lie. Again, you'd need to save for the phone, but you're not locked into a contract, and you actually own the phone!
Extended warranties are rarely a good deal, either. You'll either forget you have it, it won't cover accidental damage, or the product will fail within the factory warranty period. This is especially true of electronics. They usually fail within the first 90 days; If they don't fail then, they'll generally last for years. You're much better off just having the money in the bank, so you can repair or replace the item in the rare event it does fail out of warranty.
Extended warranties on cars and laptops are a gray area. Sometimes they pay off, but most times they still aren't worth the money.
Step 13: Don't Pay Interest
Paying with a debit card is safer for your budget than a credit card, but not as safe from fraud, since the money is directly withdrawn from your bank. You'll have to find a balance that works for you.
If, after getting out of debt, you decide you can use credit wisely, pay off your credit card every month by the due date to avoid interest and penalties. This is the way I handle credit cards. They can be really handy for record-keeping, for instance. I use one card strictly for buying gasoline, and that makes keeping track of that budget category easier. They are also useful for online purchases, and for things such as renting cars. Keep all receipts from credit card purchases until your statement comes in. Read your statement carefully to be sure there are no unauthorized charges. Credit card companies have strong protections against fraudulent charges, but you have to pay attention and notify them if you see one.
If your credit is reasonably good, you may get offers that give you no interest for 3 months or 6 months on a new card. These are great if, and only if, you already have a large purchase planned. You can always cancel the card after paying off that large purchase. Don't feel guilty that you're cheating the card company by not paying any interest; They make money anyway by charging the merchant around 2-3% of every card purchase, so you're actually paying to use a credit card whether you use one or not, unless you're fortunate enough to find a merchant that gives cash discounts.
Again, only buy stuff on credit that you could pay cash for, and the first time you can't pay off your card, cut it up, unless you planned for the purchase ahead of time and you're not paying interest.
Step 14: Use Free Software
You don't have to pay through the nose for most software. Need antivirus? Instead of N$$$ton or Mc$$ee, try AVG free antivirus. Instead of M$$$soft Off$ce, use OpenOffice or Libre Office, both of which can work with Microsoft file formats. CD/DVD burner? CDBurner XP (Which, contrary to it's name, works on all versions of Windows).
Photo$hop? Use Gimp or Paint.net if Gimp is too intimidating. Photo management (with light editing capabilities)? Picasa.
Vector drawing? Instead of Illu$trator, try Inkscape.
All of these programs are free. That's right, Gratis, without cost. Why? sometimes, because the writers are big-hearted people. Sometimes, like the antivirus, there is a deluxe paid version available, and they're hoping you'll buy that, but you don't have to. Usually, with the paid version, you get more "bells and whistles" and better support, but the core functionality is the same.
There is even an automated way to install this software. Ninite.com is a site that has all the best, most trustworthy freeware, including everything listed above, and an automated installer that is a fantastic time and frustration saver. It's never a good idea to Google search for software, especially antivirus software. Use ninite.com instead and keep yourself out of trouble.
For more computer and technology tips, visit my website, or read my blog.
Step 15: Be Grateful and Content
The last secret to financial freedom is one that's far less common than it used to be, and that's gratitude. Dave Ramsey, when asked how he is doing, will answer, "Better than I deserve." Some people find this attitude perplexing, but think about it for a minute:
- You did nothing to deserve being born.
- You didn't earn the air you're breathing.
- Sunshine and rain are both free.
- You didn't work for the gravity that keeps you from being flung off the Earth and into interstellar space.
Life is a gift, not an entitlement. If you treat it as such, you will be much happier, and probably even healthier. You will want to be a productive member of society instead of thinking only of yourself. You will enjoy your work more. A successful life is not measured by how much stuff you have. Set aside the envy of others and work to be the best "you" you can be. God has given you your life. Live it well.
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Hey Gizmologist,
I was just scanning through your Instructable it looks like we have quite a bit in common. I like that you save receipts and use open source software. I do the same. I have recently begun to use Gnucash. This is an open source accounting software that I use. I like it because it is a double entry system and it is just a powerful as other pricey software and you can use it to run a small business if needed. I though you would be interested in checking it out.
baudeagle, Thank you for your comment!
May look into that. I'm currently using AceMoney lite, which for my simple purposes works very well, and is also free.
If this guide is relevant to you, you're not badly off, you're just not so rich you don't have to consider price, which few people are. Choices, like the oh so obvious ones above, are a luxury not everyone has. Most people live hand to mouth, week to week, for lack of money, not lack of common sense, it is actually possible to be that broke.
Of course it's possible to be dirt poor, but not very likely in the USA. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is many people can live better lives on the income they already have if they make wiser decisions. I know a man who raised 14 kids on a lower middle class income and his wife never needed to work. Some other people are "never making enough money" no matter ho large their income.
I think there's definitely some good practices in here that middle class people would do well to stick to in order to afford fun extras. It is mostly common sense stuff, but common sense stuff many people could use a reminder to do.
However, saying that simply living in the USA makes it unlikely that someone could be dirt poor is pretty ignorant. Those people do exist, right here in a first world country. I have a friend who grew up that way. I'm not sure where you live, but I suppose you should feel lucky that you are in such a nice area that you're so rarely confronted with the "dirt poor" that they seem mythical. Try visiting Detroit or south central LA sometime.
Not every Ible will apply to every person, and that's ok. This is a very thorough write up and I'm chiming in only because I'd hate to see all that work tainted by one pretty misguided statement.
Americans don't know what real poverty is, with all the Government programs that exist to "help" them. Real poverty is not having any food, or food stamps, or free school lunches, or welfare, or TV, or cars, or computers, or any of the myriad of other things Americans seem to think they're entitled to.
I have to agree. I did an exchange program in high school to a developing country and now I can't say that I believe having to go to a soup kitchen or food bank is poverty.
Amen, Brother! We don't know how good we have it in America. Let's hope our prosperity continues and we can still be the "Shining City on a hill."
We can and should use some of our prosperity to truly help others, rather than relying on Government "Handouts."
Thank you for your comments.
While it is true that that steak always costs more than hamburger, the point is that managing the money you have well, and not squandering it, will allow you to have a standard of living higher than your income would suggest.
Darn.. I thought this was about food haha
thanks for not only the tips but for reminding us that we are better off than we think. God bless!
Lots of great advice!
Lots if very good common sense advice.
Live like no one else
Great wisdom! Thank you for sharing :)
Thanks for this Instructable. I have a goal to pay off one (the one w/the higher interest rate) of my student loans in the next 18 months, but it's going to be hard when I want to go on so many vacations! I've also been meaning to start tracking every single little expense that I have, but that has also been tricky. Thanks again for sharing!


text: Craft Europe was founded by Rachel Ling. Setting off on a 6 month trip around Europe, Rachel decided to write a travel blog…but not just any old travel blog. From traditional to contemporary, Rachel is on a mission to find crafts and their makers from all over the continent. Craft Europe documents Rachel's journey and her own crafty endeavors.


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Sorry, this entry is only available in French.
Category Archives: Voiron
(Français) 10e Festival du Cinéma Allemand de Voiron
Meeting of the twinned towns at the Foire de la Saint Martin
Farmers from Voiron at the Fiera Franca of Bassano
Practice of horse care in Herford's riding centers
(Français) Visite des partenaires du Kreis Herford à Voiron, du 16 au 21 juillet 2017
International youthweek at Herford
7 young people from Voiron, 17-18 years old, participated in an international youth meeting at Vlotho (Kreis Herford) from 19th to 26th February 2017, accompanied by the Comité de Jumelage de Voiron. The general issue discussed by young people from France, Germany, Italy and Poland was the integration into a democratic Europe, aiming at an horizon 2030. The working languages during the small discussion groups were English and German, also during the various leisure activities and the evening parties organized alternatively by each country. During the final synthesis on the future of Europe, the member of the Bundestag (the German parliament) elected by the Kreis Herford, Stefan Schwartze, was present.
Our 7 youths from Voiron came back very happy, with new european friends and new knowledge. They realized very well how important it is to master foreign languages to be able to communicate with our neighbours.
(Français) Concours et exposition photos à Bassano juin 2017
(Français) Assemblée Générale du 30 janvier 2017
50 years partnership Voiron – Kreis Herford
The charters for the twinning between Voiron and the Kreis Herford were signed on 25th August 1966 at Voiron and on 12th November 1966 at Herford.
The fiftieth anniversary was celebrated on 10th November 2016 during the evening party of the twinned cities, attended by Jürgen Müller, Landrat of the Kreis Herford, Ralf Heemeier, director of the Kreis, Julien Polat, mayor of Voiron, Dolorès Zambon, town-councillor in charge of twinnings, delegations with town-councillors of the Kreis Herford and Bassano del Grappa as well as many members of various associations concerned by the twinnings. At this occasion, a flyer was edited, with an overview of the twinning's history : Plaquette50ansJumelageP2-3V4
The musical band "Brecht's Hausband" and the orchestra "Galaxy" from Voiron's conservatoire played at the evening party and on 11th November.
The date indicated on the archived charter from Voiron does not correspond to the real date of signature (see Dauphiné Libéré 24th August 1966).


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The Black Panther Problem
I'll be honest here.
I didn't want to go and see Captain America: Civil War. I don't why I didn't, I just didn't.
And also, I was concerned about Black Panther.
I was concerned that they were going to do him wrong. Because sometimes Hollywood can really fuck up representing other cultures, especially ones that are often considered to be a subject of controversy in American culture: e.g a black man.
Because sometimes in movies, a black man is just there to be a black man just a skin color added into the background so that brownie points (no pun intended) can be appointed to the movie. And these characters, they have no struggles, no thoughts, no evolution of self. Sometimes they will come with a singular character attribute, but rarely are they more than just some skin pigmentation that might say a few lines every now and then.
I walked into that cinema thinking that I was going to leave with the same political rage that I usually do. But I didn't.
Because he was amazing. The Black Panther was amazing, and more than that, he was a character. And I was so ready for him to just be a cardboard cut out with a tape-recorder strapped to his cardboard lips. And he wasn't and it was great; realizing that he was being treated as a legitimate, recognizable character with hopes and dreams and flaws and struggles.
And racism isn't gone just because Black Panther wasn't fucked up, and he's going to get his own movie, of course it's not. But at least there is progress being made. At least there is something to show that even though it's slow going and takes time, there something is happening.
And it just might be something good.
And, because I loved him so much in the movie, I looked him up on Tumblr. A rookie mistake. Because most of the posts were dominated by things like this:
And I worry about things like this; I worry about it a lot. More than I worried about Civil War, I worry about this. Because on one hand it's a classic case of 'we saw him first', but unfortunately it's a lot more serious than that because it involves centuries of abuse and discrimination. And posts like this were everywhere, an attempted defense. And on one level, I can understand it. Here is this one black character that it's anyone's goddamn sidekick, or love interest, or a villain. Here is a character that looks like me, and he is kicking goddamn butt. And I think if I had been deprived of that all my life I would be protective of it also.
But I'm white.
And I really, really wanna talk about T'challa because he's a great character and I want to talk about him. But I don't want to talk about him because he's black. And in some ways, these posts make that the most important thing about him. And that's just degrading.
And I wanna know whether it's okay to call them on it, because it happens. People who have been treated so badly that they believe it is their right to treat others badly. Because I don't know whether it is.
Because I don't think that vengeance should be a thing and I don't think that generalizations should be a thing, and I don't think that attacking people or telling them they can't talk about something because of their skin color should be a thing.
But I'm white.
So I'm not sure whether I'm allowed to tell anyone.
I've thought a lot about those men who go onto twitter and attack feminists and say 'Not all men' and I hate that because that's not the freaking point… but they are technically right. Not all men. Not all white people.
Not all of anything really.
Because when referring to any large group of humans, there's always going to be people who you are insulting, even when they are on your side.
And I feel like we should work on that.


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The time of year, dictates that there are few visitors to Hydra, which means that the Patron Saint's Day of Aghios Konstandinos (Άγιος Κωνσταντίνος) is much more of a local community observence. But of course, out of season visitors and non-Greek Orthodox residents of the island, are warmly welcomed to take part in or watch the 'Litaneftiki' procession of this happy and colourful Greek Orthodox Church service.
Text and Photos by Kelsey Edwards 14th November
Copyright HydraDirect 2019
The Neo-martyr, Saint Konstandinos, was born in Hydra, circa 1770. He lived with his father, Michael and his Mother, Marina, at their home in the area called Kiaffa, which is one of the oldest residential areas of the island, high above Hydra town.
Today, the modern Church of Aghios (Saint, masculine) Konstandinos is built on the site of his birthplace and is the focal point for the celebrations and services on the 14th November each year.
Konstandinos and his family lived during the period when Greece was occupied by the Ottoman Empire (now modern day Turkey).
As an eighteen-year-old, Konstandinos left Hydra and went to Rhodes to find work. He found employment with a local Turkish rular. During this employment he converted to Islam, taking the name Hasan and abandoned his Orthodox faith.
Three years later he regretted his decision, repented and to atone for loosing his original faith he decided to testify and declare himself Christian and no longer of Islam. Unsure as to whether Konstandinos truly knew his own mind, the Orthodox Church sent him from Rhodes to Constantinople and from there to Mount Athos.
In Iviron Monastery at Mount Athos, he proved his belief as a Christian and prepared himself to renounce the faith of Islam. With the blessing of the Orthodox Fathers, he returned to Rhodes.
Konstandinos was presented to the ruler he had previously worked for and to whom he confessed his renewed belief in Christ. He died for his Orthodox Faith on November 14th 1800 AD.
Three years later, his mother journeyed to Rhodes to collect his body, leaving part of his arm for the Orthodox Church in Rhodes, returning the relic to its final resting place back where he was born.
Aghios Konstandinos is the Patron Saint of both Hydra and Rhodes.
The Church Fathers of Hydra, led by Archpriest Fr. Akindynos Dardanos, Vicar General of Hydra, are hosts to a number of guests over the three days of celebration and responsible for its organization.
The program of services is much the same each year with set times for everything to happen correctly.
The evening before: 13th November
At 17:00 - Small Vespers are held at the Church of Aghios Konstandinos in Kiaffa.
Followed at 18:30 by Great Vespers at the Cathedral Church of the Assumptin of the Virgin Mary in Hydra Town. (Shown above.)
His Eminence, Metropolitan of Hydra, Spetses and Aegina, Mr. Ephraim officiating.
Ag. Konstandinos Patron St Day - Crusession to Hydra Town
Celebration of the Patron Saint of Hydra, Agios Konstandinos, includes a service at the church dedicated to the Saint high above Hydra Town, which is attended by a large number of the community. Then the entire congregation walk down the winding road from Kiaffa, down Miaoulis Street to the Cathedral in town.Posted by Kelsey J Edwards on Saturday, 14 November 2015
The main day: 14th November
At 06:30 the Orthros Service is held at the Church of Aghios Konstandinos in Kiaffa.
Followed at 07:15 by the start of the Divine Liturgy.
During the service the congregation swells with more and more locals who have climbed the stairs from Kala Pigadi to join the throng.
At 10:30 (14th) the Doxology is sung in the subsequently formed 'Litaneftiki' procession leaves the Church of Aghios Konstandinos and makes its way down the winding road from Kiaffa through the pine trees to Kala Pigadi and then down to the harbour following Andreas Miaoulia Street. Eventually the procession finishes with a blessing outside the port entrance to the Cathedral.
The procession order:
Along the way, the procession stops at every church and chapel. Blessings are given and the choir sings the Doxology at each stop.
Just after the Angelika Hotel, the streets are adorned with bunting and the harbour is strewn with leaves.
Eventually at around 11:30 the procession reaches the port. Everyone is marshaled into place and the Bishop and priests stand on a decorated, raised platform, just outside the main entrance to the Cathedral courtyard, to give the final blessing.
At 17:00 (14th) Evensong is held back up the hill at the Church of Aghios Konstandinos in Kiaffa.
Last Day: 15th November
At 07:00 Matins and Divine Liturgy.
Last updated 16 November 2019


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Just when I'm sure most of America has the illusion that the mortgage crisis was pretty much over (after all, they stopped talking about it all the time on tv didn't they?), it turns out to be very much alive and kicking because the news now is talking about… you guessed it… another government bailout.
The feds are now making noises that they're going to takeover both the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae lenders. A takeover that the news is saying could cost taxpayers some $25 Billion dollars (yeah, right. I am not a hamster, no government run anything ever comes in ON budget, if they predict $25 Billion, they'll probably end up spending $50 Billion.
Obama managed to make understatement an art form when he said:
"These entities are so big and they're so tied into the housing market that it is probably true that we have to take steps to make sure they don't just collapse, because the housing market, which is already weakened, would be in even worse shape if we didn't take some steps."
Well DUH! Between the two outfits is nearly HALF of the mortgages held in the US. Excuse me for being simplistic but isn't there an old saying about keeping all of your eggs in one basket? NO company should hold anywhere near the 25% or so of the mortgages that either one of these do! That needs to be spread around to keep the market from suffering if somebody goes under.
On the other hand, Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin said:
"They've gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers. The McCain-Palin administration will make them smaller and smarter and more effective for homeowners who need help."
I only hope that they can pull it off. Some kind of change needs to be made to prevent any one company from holding more than five or ten percent of the total mortgages in the US… Preferably on the lower end of that scale. We need those eggs spread around in more baskets so that if one gets dropped, it doesn't break half of the eggs at once.
[Tags]mortgage, fannie mae, freddie mac, mortgage crisis, mccain, palin, obama[/tags]