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And no, this is not some sarcastic screed on the "Wall Street Casino". I finally found somebody who could explain the mysterious vagaries of the waxing and waning of the market terms that even an artist can understand. Probably because there are lots of pictures. And because the meat of the "book" is only about 50 pages long… in large type.
It's more of a detailed pamphlet really.
The author, Daniel Arnold, is just a smart guy who wanted to know how to make his money work for him after he retired. He was an electrical and bio-mechanical engineer who had worked for GE for a number of years. He was good at understanding process and the importance of how the pieces fit together. So, with some time on his hands, he started looking at basic, publicly available economic information and began utilizing the data in a way that developed into a very interesting theory.
He started from the assumption that you always hear brokers and stock houses hammering home to investors. One shouldn't look at how a stock does over a short period of time. Instead, they should look at the long range performance. But the people he listened to or read weren't talking about long range trends. They were all focused on short term trends and short term results.
When one looks at long term economic flux, there are a lot of theories to choose from. One of my favorites is a long-range theory from a Russian economist named Nikolai Kondratiev. He was tasked with "proving" capitalism could not last because it was a flawed system. What he found instead was that the economies of capitalist countries waxed and waned; although he did not or could not offer a suitable explanation as to why this occurred.
These findings were seen as having the potential to undermine Stalin's plans for the Soviet Union, so he was sent to the Gulag and sentenced to death. But, his findings align with Arnold's findings quite nicely. But, Arnold's prime cause for the fluctuations are a far simpler, more elegant and intuitive explanation than the ones offered by economists trying to find an explanation for the Kondratiev "Wave".
Any artist or scientist or mathematician will tell you that there in a beauty, a "rightness" to certain solutions. The pieces all fit; like a puzzle. As I read this pamphlet, I kept having those "Ah, that makes sense." moments that never came while I was studying other economic theories.
So I'll give you the most basic and important part of his theory here and if you want to read more you can go to his website: The Great Bust Ahead
Let me say first though, as an artist, I will tell you now, the site screams "SCAM", and if I had seen the site first it would have been easy for me to dismiss the pamphlet as sleazy profiteering. But I'll give him a pass. He's an engineer and may not realize how visual cues lead people to certain unconscious conclusions.
The data he presents is easily accessed through public files at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the CIA fact files and the INS. So if you have doubt, get the information and crunch the numbers yourself.
Finally down to the nub of it.
In a nutshell:
- The GDP (gross domestic product) is, in the simplest definition, You and I spending money.
Here he uses Fully Industrialized Democratic Nations (FIDN) as the basis of this data point. The more people, the more they spend, the higher the GDP. And it holds true.
- If there is a group within the given population of a country that spends more money, they are the main driver of a "good" economy.
- The age group comprising the biggest spenders in these FIDN is the 45 to 54 year olds.
Why? We are at our peak earning power at this age. We buy cars, we buy houses, we have kids with the attendant school, medical, college expenses. So we are also at the years of our peak expenditures.
- The strength of the economy rises and falls as generational cohorts come into or move out of this peak earning/expenditure age.
He takes birth data and census data back to the 1920's and follows the 45-54 year old cohort, correlating it with the rise and fall of the stock market. He has to make adjustments for inflation, but there is an incredibly tight correlation between the peak earning 45-54 demographic and stock market performance.
Until the 1960's. It took him a while to suss out why the shift occurred. It was the Pill. It allowed women to forestall childbearing. And keeping it basic here, we won't go into the economic ramifications. Suffice it to say that he adjusted for the data and the correlation resumed its lockstep behavior.
He found he also had to adjust for immigration. He notes that the average age of immigrants to this country is 30 years of age. And once they are assimilated, earning money, making families, they contribute to the upward trend of the stock market in the same way as a birth cohort.
This chart shows the correlations, but there seems to be some divergence in the data. My guess is that if he could find a way to account for illegal immigrants, who contribute to the economy as much as any other worker, it would, once again fall back into alignment.
I'd like you to notice that after 2010 there is a precipitous drop in the number of people in the 45-54 year old cohort. The Baby Boomers are busting. They are no longer at peak earning power, the kids have gone to college (and come home) and there is a gap of quite a few years until another peak earning demographic comes into prominence.
So, what does that mean? Well, if the trend holds, it means a precipitous drop in the market. It means a long depression. It means a very long, very tough road for people over 50.
So, now that you understand how the stock market works, you can see that we have been trying to put the cart before the horse. Jobs and wages create disposable income. Disposable income creates a thriving economy. And that is simply all there is to it.
No magic. No fractal Elliot Waves. No Wall Street Wizards or brokers who can earn you lots of cash. If you want to get rich in the stock market, make sure people have jobs and money to spend. Then when a generational cohort hits age 40, get in the market. When they hit 50+, get out.


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Royal Naval Dockyard
Hailed as the top tourist attraction in all of Bermuda, the Royal Naval Dockyard has plenty to offer visitors, including a maritime museum, a tourist village, and a full-service marina. It has come a long way since it first served as an outpost for the British Royal Navy, now serving tourist needs instead of military ones. The Royal Navy Bermuda Dockyard is located on Ireland Island in the tranquil parish of Sandys, which is the most western of the Bermuda parishes. It might be a bit of a ride out here if you are not staying in western Bermuda, but it is certainly worth it. Visitors can get here by cab, bus, and ferry, and since the multi-million dollar cruise port was built, many folks come by way of modern-day cruise ships, which are basically small, floating cities. In addition to having a cruise ship port, the Royal Naval Dockyard also offers a tourist village and a museum, among other attractions.
After the British lost the American War of Independence, they also lost their ports on America's Atlantic Coast. As a result, construction began on the Royal Naval Dockyard in 1809. It was to be dubbed, the "Gibralter of the West," signifying the same kind of strategic outpost as the one found just off the coast of southern Spain. To build the Royal Navy Bermuda Dockyard, the British Crown enlisted convicts from the UK, as well as slave laborers. Thousands of workers died while helping to build the Royal Naval Dockyard Bermuda base, which gives testament to how difficult the work often was. Hence was the need to supplement the work force with convicts, as they had no choice but to endure the task at hand.
The Royal Naval Dockyard would prove significant for hundreds of years, serving the English forces in such affairs as the American War of 1812. The naval base would remain in operation through the Second World War, when it was then deemed less necessary. After all, the Americans had been allies of the British in both the World Wars, so inherently, the need to maintain the Dockyard became of little importance. Most of the facilities here were closed by 1951, though, interestingly enough, British and NATO ships continued to use it for general purposes up until 1995. Ever since then, it's been on the road to becoming the top rated Bermuda tourist attraction that it is today.
Today, the largest fort at the Dockyard has become the Bermuda Maritime Museum, where you can learn all about the territory's naval history. For a glimpse of the first cast-iron structure to ever grace the earth, you can pass by the Commissioner's House when visiting the Maritime Museum, which has been recognized for its champion restoration. While you're at the Royal Navy Bermuda Dockyard, you can also swim with dolphins at Dolphin Quest. There are excellent dolphin trainers at Dolphin Quest to help you get over your trepidations if you are a bit nervous about entering the water with these intriguing creatures. In addition to Dolphin Quest and the Bermuda Maritime Museum, visitors can also stop by the Dockyard Glassworks to see craftsmen display their skills, or head over to Bermuda Clayworks to see artists crafting pottery items. Shopping at both is possible, and it's nice to take back something so authentic to display back home. It will make for a nice keepsake, always reminding you of your great Bermuda vacation.
When hunger hits at the Royal Navy Dockyard Bermuda, you can see what the vendors have to offer, and there are also some casual restaurants where you can get more of a meal, not to mention a pint. After enjoying the attractions here, you can even see a movie, as there is a 118-seat theater here that shows a nightly movie twice over. On Fridays and Sundays, you can catch a matinee too. Those who arrange a Royal Navy Dockyard Bermuda excursion can rent a scooter here to further explore Sandys Parish, and there is also watersports concessionaire where you can plan out a fun-filled snorkeling adventure. The Royal Navy Dockyard Bermuda experience can easily be paired with a visit to the Bermuda capital city of Hamilton, as you can hop on a ferry from the city and be here in an hour. If for nothing else, the ferry ride over offers some excellent sightseeing along the way. Inner harbor ferry rides in Bermuda are always worth adding to the travel itinerary when possible. The Royal Naval Dockyard is free to all, which only helps to make it the tourist attraction that it is. By the way, while you're at the Royal Naval Dockyard, you can also stop by Snorkel Park to see what you can get into there.
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subset: commoncrawl


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NEW YORK, N.Y. (January 6, 2014) Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, today announced the award of nearly $2.7 million for the funding of 13 new research projects over the next three years. These grants will address Autism Speaks' Early Access to Care initiative to reduce the average age of diagnosis and increase access to high-quality early intervention for all children affected by autism spectrum disorders (ASD). They will also advance the understanding of autism's environmental risk factors, and continue the development of effective and accessible treatments for ASD and its related medical conditions.
"Our Scientific Review Panel has recommended each application after thoughtfully considering critical reviews by expert panels of external reviewers, including community advocates," says Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer Rob Ring. "The funded work in this group of projects touches upon some of the most important areas of unmet need facing the autism community today, including the issue of wandering, the safety of new treatments and the effective delivery of services to low-resource communities," Dr. Ring adds.
The new grants include:
Early Access to Care
Environmental Research
Developing new treatments
Full descriptions of all 13 abstracts can be found on the Autism Speaks Science Grant Search page at http://www.autismspeaks.org/about-us/grant-search.
|Contact: Steffanie Marchese
Autism Speaks


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How to look for records of... Houses
Records relating to the history of houses, whether of the ownership and occupation of a property or its construction and architectural history, are kept in a variety of archives. This guide provides some suggestions for the kinds of records you can consult and where you should go to find them.
What do I need to know before I start?
Knowing the following information will usually make a search for records easier:
- the approximate age of the house
- the relevant county and registration district
Where do I start?
The best place to start researching the history of a house, its occupants and the surrounding area is in a local archive. This might be a local studies centre or a local county archive, where you may find local maps, title deeds, electoral registers and family and estate papers, all of which can be useful when tracing the history of a house.
Search by place on our Find an archive page to find contact details for local archives.
Online records
Valuation Office Survey index maps (1910–1915)
The 1910 Valuation Office Survey was a review of the value of land and property across the country. Documents known as Valuation Office field books (see below for more on these) contain descriptions of more than nine million individual houses, farms and other properties in England and Wales, detailing the use and value of land and buildings, and naming their owners and occupiers. The way to find a specific field book is to first find the respective survey plan, an annotated Ordnance Survey map sheet.
To find a Valuation Office Survey plan for a particular area use our Valuation Office Survey map finder and search for a plan by county, town, village or London borough. The online index maps provide references to the original survey plans (maps) which in turn serve as an index to the Valuation Office field books. Consult our guide to records of the Valuation Office survey for more details and advice.
Census records (1841–1911)
Search by address on the census to find out who was living there. Where an address search is not available, browse the census street indexes on Your Archives (now only available in our web archive) to find the relevant document reference and search the relevant census website with that reference.
Census maps (1871)
Search and download (£) digital versions of the original Registration District maps from the 1871 census on the Cassini Maps website.
Records available only at The National Archives in Kew
To access these records you will either need to visit us, pay for research (£) or, where you can identify a specific record reference, order a copy (£).
Valuation Office survey maps and field books (1910–1915)
Between 1910 and 1915 the Valuation Office carried out a survey to determine the value of land for tax purposes. The 'field books' from the survey contain the names of property owners and occupiers, details of tenancy and the value and area covered by the property. For many properties they also show the number of rooms and how the rooms were used.
Use the Valuation Office Survey index maps (see above) to get to the field books. Consult our guide to records of the Valuation Office survey for advice on how to do this.
Working copies of the Valuation Office survey are often kept in local archives.
Tithe maps and apportionments from 1836
Tithe maps and apportionments establish whether a property existed at the time and provide clues about property ownership and occupancy but do not contain details about the property itself.
Search Discovery, our catalogue, for tithe maps (IR30) and apportionments (IR 29) by place name below
Records in other archives and organisations
Building plans (mid-19th century onwards)
Many local record offices have collections of building plans from the mid-19 century providing evidence of how buildings might have looked when new. Find contact details for archives elsewhere using Find an archive.
Title deeds
Title deeds can help you trace the owners and occupiers of your house. If the title deeds to your house are not in your possession, they may be with your solicitor or mortgage company.
Older deeds may not have survived. The Law of Property Act 1925 limited the need for evidence of title to 30 years. Older deeds may however have survived in a repository as part of a deposited solicitor's collection or collection of family and estate papers.
Records held locally
The National Archives' catalogue contains collections and contact details of local archives around the UK and beyond. To locate these records, search our catalogue with keywords and refine your results to 'Other archives' using the filters.
Other resources
Most of the recommended publications below are available at The National Archives' Library. You can also visit the National Archives' bookshop for a range of publications on the history of your house.
Tracing History Through Title Deeds by Nat Alcock (Pen and Sword, 2017)
Tracing the History of Your House by Nick Barratt (The National Archives, 2006)
Maps for Family and Local History: the Records of the Tithe, Valuation Office Survey and National Farm Surveys of England and Wales, 1836–1943 by Geraldine Beech and Rose Mitchell (The National Archives, 2003)
Sources for the History of Houses by John H Harvey (British Records Association, 1974)
Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records.


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There are many things that give us instant gratification: petting a cute puppy, eating some tasty ice cream, or seeing a rainbow after a storm. But few things make us happier than the joy we instill in others.
By taking a couple hours out of your day to help other people through a charity, you'll instantly feel a surge of joy that you won't want to go away. Check out these non-profit organizations near Lewistown, PA, and see how you can change someone's life for the better by volunteering.
Volunteer to Save Lives with the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is on a mission to rid of the world of cancer. Until that happens, they'll continue funding and conducting research, supporting patients, and spreading the word on prevention.
How Can I Help?
Are you a beauty professional? Then you can be a part of the Look Good Feel Better program. Through in-person workshops, you can teach simple techniques for skin care and makeup, and give practical tips on hair loss, wigs, and hair coverings.
If you love to work out and want to help a great cause, then join the American Cancer Society DetermiNation team. When you sign up for a marathon, triathlon, or other endurance event, you'll get access to professional training, a community of support, and free tools and tips to help reach your fundraising goals.
For other ways you can volunteer in your area, be sure to check out American Cancer Society on Facebook.
Aides Needed at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish
At the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, community members come together to help those in need. They do this through prayer and action, a commitment of time and talent, and respecting all human life.
How Can I Help?
The parish is always looking for volunteers in all aspects of the church. Become a catechist tutor and help prepare students to receive any of the sacraments, or to become a member of the Catholic Church.
You can be on-call for special projects to make the buildings and grounds more beautiful. These projects include mopping, dusting, and painting the church or parochial school. You can also volunteer during Mass, by being a greeter, lector, cantor, or usher.
See how you can help the area's church and school by visiting the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish Facebook page.
Help People Live a Life Without Limits at UCP Central PA
Those who are part of United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Central Pennsylvania help people with disabilities live the best life possible. They do this in different ways, including offering a safe and welcoming environment to children with special needs and giving support to adults trying to find meaningful employment.
How Can I Help?
You can get involved in different ways, by either a simple donation or checking out of the various volunteer opportunities in the area. They're always changing, but include needing special event committee members, handymen and women, and help with operations and finance.
See how you can get involved today on UCP Central PA's Facebook.
Take the Time to Show Someone You Care
There are endless ways you can show your love and support to someone in need. Get started today by checking out any of the charities above as top places to volunteer near Lewistown, PA. A few minutes of your day with a non-profit organization could positively affect someone else for a lifetime.


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Elite 5950.88.001 BLACK
Size: 13 x 13 x 3 cm
Size of the frame: 10 x 10 cm
A series of elegant product display frames that allow you to present the product in an unusual way. Place an item between two sheets of silicone transparent film and make it look like floating in the air.
You can change the item inside the frame whenever you want - it makes it even more useful. You can change the display at any time.
Elite 5950.88.001 model is suitable for medium objects, for example keychains, bracelets, construction elements, etc.
Size: 13 x 13 x 3 cm
Size of the frame: 10 x 10 cm
This product was added to our catalog on Wednesday 22 April, 2015.


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Over the weekend we released a new version of C-Reduce, a tool for turning a large C/C++ program into a small one that still meets some criterion such as triggering a compiler bug. There are two major improvements since the last release about a year ago:
- We are now able to run "interestingness tests" in parallel. The typical result is that C-Reduce speeds up quite a bit if you give it 4 or 8 cores. The parallelization strategy is explained here, but the speedups are now better than those reported in that article.
- We've added more than 20 new passes for reducing specific features found in C/C++ (mainly C++) programs. For example, C-Reduce now tries to instantiate a template, collapse a level of the class hierarchy, etc. The result is that C-Reduce's endgame is significantly stronger for nasty C++ programs.
There are also plenty of minor improvements; for example, we now compile against LLVM/Clang 3.3 instead of requiring a random development version. We've made sure that C-Reduce works on Cygwin (for sort of a crappy value of "works" — it's really slow, we believe due to Cygwin overheads). C-Reduce now supports --slow and --sllooww command line options that typically make test cases a little bit smaller, but at a high cost in reduction time.
Originally, C-Reduce was aimed at reducing programs emitted by Csmith. This wasn't that hard because these programs contain only a limited set of language features. Over the last year or two the focus has been more on reducing C/C++ code found in the wild. This graph summarizes our current results for 15 compilation units from open source C/C++ programs, each of which causes some compiler to crash:
Whereas programs 8 and 12 stumped C-Reduce 2.0, the new version is able to produce fully reduced test cases. Program 3 could probably be improved a bit more (not all compiler bugs can be triggered by a very small test case, but most can). Programs 6 and 7 show a minor regression where the older C-Reduce was able to take some code out of an enclosing for loop and the new one is for some reason not able to do the same thing. Here Delta is being run twice at level 0, twice at level 1, twice at level 2, and then finally twice at level 10. My sense is that running it more times or at other levels would not improve the results much.
If you ever report bugs in C/C++ compilers, please give this tool a try.


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Come along for the ride and experience what most critics are already calling the feel good hit of the season. You'll cry, you'll laugh, you'll fall in love, you'll be left heartbroken, you'll faint and hopefully you'll vomit on your DVD player as you join the Donkey Punch Crew on their misadventures throughout the world of skateboarding. This is raw and uncut skateboarding from all your favorite skateboard superstars like Hans Stacy, Jeff Morris, Mike Brown, Gautam Sahi, Travis Carlson, Justin Holmes, Philly Phil, Purtle and others. Plus some break out parts by UNKNOWN rippers like Gareth Stehr, Corey Duffel, Tony Silva, Matt Allen, Daniel Shimizu, Pat Rakestraw, The Nuge, Justin Roy, Dorian Tucker, James Atkins, Ben Gilley and many more.
"Sure to become an instant classic..." from the dead guy of Siskel & Ebert.
Available for sale exclusively at www.skateboard.com and 21TEN Skateboard Super shop in San Diego, CA USA.


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STRASBOURG (Reuters) - The European Parliament proposed on Wednesday to reduce EU funds to Turkey that are linked to its stalled bid to join the bloc, a call EU leaders are expected to back given a deteriorating relations with Ankara.
Of the 217 million euros set to go to Turkey for reforms, infrastructure and agriculture in 2018, EU lawmakers agreed to cut up to 80 million euros. Of that, 50 million euros should be cut at first, with a further 30-million-euro reduction if Turkey does not improve its human rights record.
"Turkey is not respecting freedom of speech, freedom of expression, human rights and is drifting further away from European democratic standards," said centre-right lawmaker Siegfried Muresan, who led the budget discussions.
"We cannot pretend we don't see that," he told Reuters, emphasizing that the cuts would affect only the money earmarked for political reforms, not for infrastructure and farming.
EU leaders must still sign off on the cuts but are expected to do so after an agreement at a summit last week to reduce the so-called pre-accession aid that is meant to help EU candidate countries prepare for membership.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who pressed for action on Turkey during her re-election campaign, described Turkish behavior on human rights as "unacceptable" in Brussels last Thursday.
The European Parliament's decision came on the first day of the trial in Istanbul of 11 human rights activists in Turkey, including a German and a Swedish national.
At the EU summit, Merkel said that the rule of law in Turkey was "moving in the wrong direction", in a reference to the large-scale purge that President Tayyip Erdogan has carried out following a failed coup attempt in July 2016.
While the EU condemned the coup attempt, the scope of Erdogan's response, his detention of U.S. and European citizens including dual nationals, and his jibes at Germany for what he has called "Nazi-like" behavior have soured EU-Turkey ties.
Erdogan says the purges across society are necessary to maintain stability in a NATO country bordering Iraq and Syria.
Launched in 2005 after decades of seeking the formal start of an EU membership bid, Ankara's membership negotiations were always sensitive for France and Germany because of Turkey's status as a large, mainly Muslim country.
They are not officially frozen, despite calls from Austria to formally scrap Turkey's EU membership program. That is in part because the EU relies on Ankara to take in Syrian refugees in return for billions of euros of aid.
But a majority of EU countries, led by Germany and the Netherlands, say it no longer makes sense to fund political reforms in Turkey when formal EU membership talks have not taken place since last year.
Aside from money that the EU gives Turkey as part of its 2016 migration deal, Ankara was set to receive 4.4 billion euros from the EU between 2014 and 2020. Some EU governments want that money to go to non-governmental groups in Turkey, not to Ankara.
Reporting by Gilbert Reilhac; writing by Robin Emmott; Editing by Richard Balmforth


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For children, play constitutes a large portion of their learning. Children are continuously investigating their environment by observing, touching, listening, smelling, and tasting. Activities such as painting, dancing, building, story time and "make-believe," help develop skills that last a lifetime.
Art is a big deal in the Enrichment class, not only is it fun and calming, it also opens the dialogue for lots of curiosity and questions. Guided play is also used to expand language and make connections with real-life experiences. Children will also learn valuable problem-solving skills.
We provide challenging, but appropriate hands-on activities that are individualized according to each child's needs. Children are taught appropriate ways to communicate with their peers and adults through social stories, role-play, puppets, and so much more! Opportunities are provided for each child to learn and grow in an environment that provides just the right amount of love, guidance, and nurturing.
Enrichment PROGRAM
Our Enrichment consists of older two and younger three year old children. This classroom is used to provide a gradual transition between our two year old room, and our more independent three year old room.
This age group is less self-involved and more interested in sharing what they have with others. They are no longer playing by themselves as much, but rather engaging in play with other children.
Consistency and routines go a long way in helping the children find the emotional support and security they need. We redirect children and use repetition to help them find discipline. We also believe that love and a kind hug may be all the help some children need in order to feel calm and secure.
Copyright 2013. Happy Acres Preschool. All rights reserved.


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COMMENTARY || Alberta's climate change claims ring hollow
Government ads in B.C. newspapers promote "decisive action" that doesn't stand up to scrutiny, argues UAlberta political scientist.
By IAN URQUHART
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Longer bereavement leave needed for employees: study
Alberta recently took its battle with British Columbia over Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline project to B.C.'s major daily newspapers.
The provincial government's full-page advertisement lamented the dispute between the Alberta and B.C. governments over the need and wisdom of the pipeline project.
Alberta's advertisement urged British Columbians to see their error in judgment, to appreciate that Alberta really was taking "decisive action" on climate change. The Notley government had voluntarily capped greenhouse gas emissions since Albertans, like British Columbians, viewed climate change as a grave threat.
Alberta's New Democrats had turned a climate change laggard into a climate change leader. As Environment Minister Shannon Phillips tweeted, the Notley government has crafted "a climate plan that sets the bar for the whole country."
Little, if any, of these claims stands up to serious scrutiny. The reference to "decisive action" is to Alberta's so-called Climate Leadership Plan.
The greenhouse gas emissions reduction bar this plan sets for Alberta is very low. In 2014, Environment and Climate Change Canada reported that Alberta emitted 276 million tonnes of greenhouse gases. Alberta's climate change leadership initiative intends to reduce that total to 270 million tonnes by 2030—a minuscule reduction of two per cent.
Canadian emissions in 2014 were 727 million tonnes. Canada, under both the Harper and Trudeau governments, committed to reduce those emissions to 523 million tonnes by 2030. So Alberta's planned contribution to this 204-million-tonne target is a mere six million tonnes.
British Columbians should not be impressed with this expression of decisive action—not least because B.C.'s previous Liberal government's 2030 emissions target was 40 million tonnes, 37 per cent below the province's 2014 emissions level.
Then there's Premier Rachel Notley's messaging about a voluntary cap on emissions. This was a reference to the oilsands. Alberta declared that oilsands greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 would not be allowed to rise above 100 million tonnes.
But, since Alberta's oilsands sector emitted 67.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2014, this "cap" will allow oilsands emissions to rise by nearly 50 per cent. Add another 10 million tonnes for new oilsands upgrading plants and the potential increase to Alberta's oilsands emissions through this cap becomes 63 per cent.
Again, there's little reason for British Columbians, Albertans too, to see this as meaningful action to mitigate climate change.
Imagine if other major petroleum producers took their cue from how Alberta's version of climate leadership treats the oilsands. Surely, Notley and Phillips wouldn't applaud President Donald Trump if he set a voluntary cap of 612 million tonnes on the U.S. petroleum producing/refining sectors in 2030. That would be a 50 per cent increase over the 2015 emissions from those sectors.
Voluntary caps mean little if they condone the very behaviour responsible for climate change. This is exactly what Alberta's voluntary cap does.
I wish this effort to sell the public on how seriously Alberta now takes climate change was funny. It's not, because it's selling readers a dangerous illusion. The illusion is that Alberta is taking important strides to address climate change—"one of the greatest threats facing our generation."
The danger is that such claims encourage complacency.
The American writer Lewis Lapham wrote recently that advertising is "the mounting of predatory spiels prioritized to sanction ignorance and preserve privilege." I worry that Alberta's advertisement might have exactly this effect.
Ian Urquhart is a political science professor at the University of Alberta and the author of Costly Fix: Power, Politics, and Nature in the Tar Sands (2018).
This article originally appeared March 5 in the Calgary Herald.


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Bloomberg New Energy Finance reports in its 2014 Factbook these startling facts:
"Prices of solar modules have declined by 99% since 1976 and by about 80% since 2008. Total system costs for global, best-in-class utility-scale solar installations are now $1.55/W and expected to continue falling. As a result, power-purchase agreements (PPAs) for projects that are expected to be completed around 2016 have featured prices below $70/MWh."
Total installed solar costs are now $1.55 per watt. Incredible! Solar power purchase agreements are being signed for the equivalent of 7 cents per kilowatt-hour, at a time when new natural gas plants cost 6 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Utility scale solar is already competitive and attractive, especially given that its fuel costs are fixed for 30 years. But even lower solar costs are ahead. Indeed, the $1 per watt Holy Grail for solar pricing will now be achieved.
Both utility scale and distributed solar are a combined tsunami of low-cost, zero-fuel cost, easily-built qualities that will smash business-as-usual in power generation markets.
Discussion about key facts in energy, environment, the economy, and politics. Tired of ideological junk? This is your place.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Stunning Fact: Bloomberg Finance Finds Utility Scale Solar Now Costs $1.55/Watt
1 comment:
Solar panels are now a global product.what you probably really need to know is how much it will cost you to actually go solar. And a related question would be how much you will save in the long run.ReplyDelete
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Because He Was Faithful by Kirk Hunt
So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him.
Daniel 6:4 NKJV
Please also read Daniel 6:1–24
The conspirators spent time, money and effort, but came up empty. Daniel continued to conduct his affairs in a carefree manner, with a joyous spirit. The shadowy and sinister men who sought his downfall were defeated by his clean record. When you are righteous and faithful, you are protected beyond reasonable measure.
Scripture says Daniel (and his friends) were smart, wise and clever. Clearly, Daniel knew the honest play is always the smartest play. A long record of clean and honest work is its own protection.
Do not confuse Daniel's clean record with a lack of hard work. It takes longer and costs more to do it right the first time. But when you are done, there is nothing to do but the next task. It is difficult to threaten an honest man or woman with the honest facts and figures.
Daniel's record, transcripts and witnesses told a consistent story of fair dealing and honest work. The men who wanted to bring him down had to look for a different path. How you do the work is just as important as the outcome.
How do you do what you do? Are you faithful to God through your work? Do you play fair and straight, or will there be a problem when we read your transcripts or call the witnesses?
Think: A righteous, faithful lifestyle is its own protection.
Pray: "Lord, help me to be Your righteous and faithful servant before all men and women."
Copyright © April 2019, Kirk Hunt
This devotional is brought to you courtesy of CadreMen Press. You can purchase a copy of Blessed and Blessing: Devotionals For Gospel Champions from your favorite bookseller or directly from CadreMen Press.


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Touring in support of their newest album, Silence in the Snow, Trivium made a stop in my neck of the woods in southeast Wisconsin and I got myself a ticket, in spite of it being on a week night. It has been far too long since I've managed to see Trivium live, plus this would be my first chance to see them as a headliner! They've put out 3 albums since I last saw them on Mayhem Fest in '09, so there would be plenty of new songs in their set, plus I also got a chance to see two other up and coming bands: Conniption and The Bloodline.
I had been following The Bloodline in recent months, since Mike Sylvester of Fist to the Sky joined their touring line-up, but Conniption were completely new to me. I had no idea what to expect. As soon as Conniption started playing I knew I was in for an awesome night of thrash and power metal. Conniption are from Milwaukee, WI, and they perform an intense brand of traditional metal or power metal- fast-tempo, power-riffs, numerous extended guitar solos, and a vocal style akin to Iron Maiden. One of the songs in their set was an instrumental, featuring multiple guitar solos- traded off between lead guitarist Bill House and vocalist/guitarist Michael Brigham. The two played competitively, razzing each other while the other was playing their lead... sort of the way that Sam Totman and Herman Li of DragonForce do. After their opening set, it was time for The Bloodline.
The Bloodline are a Chicago-based melodic metalcore band, and a perfect warm-up for the likes of Trivium. Their style fluctuates between melodic vocals, and hardcore screams in a well-balanced ratio. Vocalist Travis Neal had a commanding stage presence while singing either style. I was reminded of Five Finger Death Punch's Ivan Moody, and it wasn't just their coincidental image of shaved heads, this dude can really sing... and scream. At every point where the song called for it, bassist Mike Sylvester was right there providing the backing vocals, also with both the melodic or hardcore style. Their brutal heaviness and intensity got the crowd energized and moshing ensued...
Next up was the band the whole venue had been waiting for with eager anticipation. Trivium- a band who in my opinion are the best to come along in thrash metal since the genre's beginnings in the mid-1980's. Trivium- whose music I regard as highly as I do Metallica's or Megadeth's. Trivium- a band who almost single-handedly restored my faith in metal's future when I first heard their song 'Entrance of the Conflagration' nearly 10 years ago...
Trivium took the stage as the classical music of 'Sn0fall' played as their intro. The crowd gave them an enthusiastic welcome, the release of their anticipation almost palpable... The band launched immediately into the title track of their new album, 'Silence in the Snow'. Power chords, thundering drums, and headbanging ensued almost immediately. After that they quickly mixed things up, playing a song from nearly every one of their albums in quick succession. They gave the crowd some of their older and well known hardcore classics like 'Rain' and 'Like Light to the Flies' from their landmark Ascendancy album, while ensuring each song was packed with potent energy, and they gave a kick-ass performance!
Matt Heafy was a perfect front-man: Keeping the crowd engaged, and entertained. He mixed some goofing off stage antics in with the expected venting-of-rage that Trivium's lyrical style lends itself to. For the first few minutes of their performance he stuck his tongue out for the crowd in a variety of manners, playing to the smartphones that were snapping pics every couple seconds. He struck several poses while his hands kept jamming out riff after riff. But he would let the crowd get too complacent either, asking us to keep the emotions high and loud even between songs. We in the audience were more than happy to oblige. We gave our all to show our support with screams, headbanging, moshing, and fist-pumping as often as possible.
The band as a whole was in top form on this wintry night. Bassist Paolo Gregoletto provides the melodic backing vocals, and Corey Beaulieu the hardcore backing vocals, while Matt switched back and forth with expert vocal control. Not to be overlooked is their brand new drummer, Paul Wandtke. Hired on by the band right at the start of this tour, replacing previous drummer Mat Madiro on short notice, he nailed all the drum parts like a pro. Heafy gave him a special nod right before he launched into 'Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr', the band's trademark song, and one with the most intense drum-intro I've ever heard.
Trivium left the stage but it was mere seconds later that chants of "TRI-VI-UM! TRI-VI-UM! TRI-VI-UM!" started up... And we kept it going for several minutes until another taped intro began to play. The crowd erupted in cheers with recognition of the track 'Capsizing the Sea', the intro to their 2011 album, In Waves. Matt Heafy again thanked us for being a great crowd, but also instructed us to sing the two-word chorus "In Waves" as loud as we could, and when the song kicked in, we did! I know I was screaming myself hoarse as the mosh-pit grew to encompass at least half the square footage of the entire venue. A fitting conclusion to a killer set-list by one of my favorite bands.
Here are the songs performed on this night. You should find they make an excellent playlist! You cna find the songs of each band downloadable through their websites, also listed below.
Setlist: CONNIPTION
-The Torrent
-Sonata #1 in b minor
-(Come On) King of the Road
-Let the Wolf Out
Setlist: THE BLOODLINE
-We Are One
-Dead and Buried
-With Fire (Comes Absolution)
-The Blackout
Setlist TRIVIUM
-Sn0fall (intro)
-Silence in the Snow
-Into the Mouth of Hell We March
-Tread the Floods
-Built to Fall
-Like Light to the Flies
-Throes of Perdition
-Becoming the Dragon
-Down From the Sky
-Until the World Goes Cold
-Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr
-Capsizing the Sea (intro)
After the show I also took advantage of a meet - n - greet they offered for Trivium. Getting to hang with these guys after the show was a truly special honor. I headed to the balcony of the venue and waited a while until the band came out and made the rounds, taking a couple minutes to chat with each fan in the room, and sign their CD's or LP's too. They were very humble, very personable, and professional guys! I wish I had thought of some more meaningful stuff to talk with them about, but I was starstruck, and simply grateful for the opportunity to meet them and say a few words. You may recall that I missed a chance for a meet and greet when I attended Mayhem Fest, but this night made up for it.
Don't forget to follow each of these bands on facebook:
The Bloodline


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Does this keep you up at night? Lying in bed, waiting to hear the front door open, so you know he or she is safe?
That feeling of fear gnawing at your gut?
Do you jump every time the phone rings, thinking it might be the police? Or the hospital? Or the morgue?
Do you wonder what your children and young people are getting up to?
Or if you think you know - can you really be sure?
Do you worry about what their friends are doing them, and encouraging them to get involved with?
Everyone needs somewhere to belong.
Many young people are joining gangs because they are not getting the support they need at home.
They need to know someone has their back.
We all need that.
If they don't get it from the family, they will find it elsewhere.
Of course, gang membership leads to criminal and violent behaviour.
Girls are sexually exploited and abused.
Knives and guns may be involved.
A young person carrying a weapon, even for self-defence, is most likely to be harmed – by that same weapon.
Many times, the youngster ends up in prison and gains a criminal record. A promising future is over. A young person's potential is wasted. Plus the gang activity continues behind bars.
What can we do to stop the cycle of violence?
Click here for info about the Week for Nonviolence. We MUST educate young people to use nonviolent methods. Help us to spread the word and celebrate nonviolence!
See also:


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Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel once again waded into the healthcare debate on Tuesday, blasting the newest Republican attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act and saying one of its authors lied directly to his face.
Kimmel drew attention in June when he gave an emotional monologue about his newborn son's emergency open-heart surgery and how it gave him clarity on Congress' healthcare debate.
Following the first plea, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana told Kimmel he would write a bill that would protect children with preexisting conditions, like Kimmel's son, from lifetime limits. The limits, before the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the healthcare law better known as Obamacare, allowed insurance companies to cap the total dollar amount of care they covered in a person's life.
Under such rules, being in intensive care during infancy could leave children like Kimmel's unable to get insurance for the rest of their life. At times, the phenomenon has bankrupted families.
"These insurance companies, they want caps, to limit how much they can pay out," Kimmel said. "So for instance, if your son has to have three open-heart surgeries, it can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars apiece. If he hits his lifetime cap of — let's say, a million dollars — the rest of his life, he's on his own."
Cassidy pledged to make sure that this would not come back under his system and that preexisting conditions would not cause people to be charged more. The senator dubbed this qualification the "Jimmy Kimmel test."
But Kimmel said Cassidy's new bill, the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson legislation, failed the test.
"Not only did this bill fail the Jimmy Kimmel test, it failed the Bill Cassidy test," the host said. "It failed its own test, which you don't see very much. In fact, this bill is even worse than the one that thank god Republicans like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski and John McCain torpedoed over the summer."
In the new bill, most federal healthcare funding is handed to states in a large, up-front chunk called a block grant. States can then apply for what are known as 1332 waivers that allow states to relax some of Obamacare's regulations to bring down costs.
While the new bill does not allow states to waive the requirement that keeps insurers from rejecting people with preexisting conditions altogether, the waivers could end up allowing insurers to charge sick people drastically more money for coverage, essentially pricing them out of the market.
For that reason, Kimmel said the bill not only failed Cassidy's original Kimmel test but also created a new one.
"This new bill actually does pass the Jimmy Kimmel test — but a different Jimmy Kimmel test," the late-night host said. "With this one, your child with a preexisting condition will get the care he needs if, and only if, his father is Jimmy Kimmel. Otherwise, you might be screwed."
Kimmel said Republicans were trying to slip the bill through before the September 30 deadline (after which a bill would be subject to a Democratic filibuster) to placate insurance companies they take donations from.
In addition to taking issue with the content of the new bill, Kimmel called out Cassidy specifically.
"A senator named Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, was on my show and he wasn't very honest," Kimmel said, adding that he "just lied right to my face."


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Perrys killer playlist p.., p.1
Perry's killer playlist ps-2, page 1part #2 of Perry Stormaire Series
Perry's killer playlist
( Perry Stormaire - 2 )
Joe Schreiber
Joe Schreiber
Perry's Killer Playlist
Prologue: "American Idiot" — Green Day
"Don't kill me."
Nine hundred feet up in the November wind, it's hard to enunciate properly, especially with the barrel of a Glock nine-millimeter jammed in your mouth. They don't tell you these things on the Travel Channel.
Gobi takes the automatic out from between my lips. Her eyes sparkle and shine. I think about what she told me back in Venice, what she said at the hotel that night. That all seems like a long time ago now.
She smiles, blood and lipstick smeared over her face. Down below, blue lights on the Champ de Mars flash off the steel framework of the Eiffel Tower, warping in the rain. Over her shoulder I can see the gendarmes on the other side of the observation platform with automatic weapons, yelling at us in the language of love. I remember just enough from two years in Mrs. Garvey's French class to decipher "police" and "surrender."
"As tave myliu," Gobi says. With her free hand, she reaches out and brushes the wet hair out of my eyes. Her fingers are ice cold. "Your hair is getting shaggy, mielasis." Then she points the pistol back at my head.
"Just tell me what you've done with my family." I'm begging now, and I don't care how it sounds. "Just tell me where they are."
"I am so sorry, Perry." An almost inaudible click as she switches off the safety. "Au revoir."
1. "All These Things That I've Done" — The Killers
"Miss me?" she asked.
I leaned forward to kiss the ice cream from her upper lip-maple fudge ripple, arguably the best flavor in the known universe. We were standing barefoot next to the picnic tables by the Twin Star on Route 26, watching the gray waves of October rolling up and crashing on the shore.
Me and Paula.
It was fall, the best time of the year for this battered stretch of shoreline that Connecticut shares with the sea. All around us, the rest of the beach was deserted, a long, unhurried curve of sand, eel grass and wooden fence slats bullied and pushed over sideways by decades of rough Atlantic weather. During the summer this place was mobbed with families and kids, teenagers, bikers, couples-my parents had even come up here on a date once, according to family lore. Now it all felt pleasantly haunted, the parking lot almost empty, the restrooms already locked up for the season, leaving the two of us and the guy behind the ice cream counter just itching to put up his handwritten SEE YOU NEXT SUMMER! sign in the window.
High above us, seagulls squeaked and wheeled in the gunmetal sky, sounding lost and far away.
Paula hugged herself and shivered. "It's chilly."
"Here." I took off my Columbia sweatshirt and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Better?"
"Always the gentleman." She smiled and looked down at the beach, her cell phone still clutched in her hand from the call that she'd just finished. "So, do you want to hear the big news?"
"I thought you'd never tell me."
"I thought you'd never ask."
"Officially asking."
"I just got off the phone with Armitage… and he wants to book Inchworm…"-she paused, making me wait an extra split-second-". . for the whole tour."
"Twelve cities in eighteen days."
"No way." I laughed, and she grabbed me, and I hugged her, lifting her up off her feet and spinning her around. "Paula, that's unbelievable."
"I know!" Her smile had blossomed into a full-out grin, and I looked at all eleven of the sun freckles across the bridge of her nose. I'd counted them when we were waiting in line for one of the rides at Six Flags last month.
"How did that happen?"
"I told you the new songs were great, Perry. Armitage heard your demo and flipped." Now she was clutching my hands, bouncing up and down on her tiptoes with excitement. Her toenails were painted a very dark shade of plum, almost black, and they looked great against the sand, ten little black keys, like the kind you use to play ragtime. "He's booking you guys on a twelve-city tour, starting in London on the twenty-ninth, then Venice, Paris, Madrid…" Paula got out her phone, clicking up the screen. "I've got all the dates here."
"This is amazing," I said. "I can't wait to see Europe with you."
She sighed softly, and her shoulders sagged a little. "I wish."
"Wait-you're not coming?"
"Armitage needs me here in New York. And I've got to be back in the studio at the beginning of December. Moby's recording a new album in L.A., and…" She saw my expression. "Hey, maybe I can sneak out to Paris for a weekend."
"I'd like that."
"Perry, this is a huge step for you guys. If this works out…"
I smiled. "I couldn't have done it without you."
"Oh, shut up."
"I'm serious," I said. "You made this happen."
"Well, that's sweet of you to say." Her blue eyes sparkled, appearing and disappearing as her hair blew in front of her face. She'd spent most of the summer in L.A. and somehow held on to her tan into the fall, so that her blond hair looked even blonder by comparison. "But we all know who really deserves the credit."
"Stop it."
"You wrote all of those new songs, Perry."
"Norrie and I wrote them together."
"Then you and Norrie are the next Lennon and McCartney," she said. "And now the entire European Union is going to find that out for themselves."
"This is amazing."
"I know." She frowned a little, seeing the hint of apprehension in my eyes. "What?"
"Nothing-it's just great news."
I smiled. "I just wish you could go with me, that's all."
"You're adorable." She kissed me again, and the kiss lingered this time, her mouth warm and soft against mine, her hair tickling my ears.
"I know."
She stood there looking at me. We'd been dating for less than three months, but I'd told her everything, and she could read me like a book.
"Europe's a big continent, Perry."
"I know."
"You don't even know if she's there."
"It's not like you're going to run into her."
"I never said-"
"You didn't have to."
"I wasn't even thinking it."
"There's a reason why I'm not sending you guys to Lithuania," Paula said, and squeezed my hand. "Come on. I'm cold. Let's walk."
2. "Ever Fallen in Love" — Buzzcocks
Paula and I had met back in the beginning of August, at a party in Park Slope, not long after I'd seen Gobi for the last time on the steps at Columbia. It turned out that I didn't really know a lot of people at the party, one of those friend-of-a-friend-who-wasn't-really-a-friend type of things. Someone kept playing old Elton John tracks on the iPod docking station, and I was in the process of saying my goodbyes when a voice I'd never heard before said, "Hey."
That was how she'd started out, as a voice over my shoulder, sounding raspy and unfamiliar and amused. "You're that guy," the voice said.
I turned around to look at her, my brain immediately struggling to crunch the numbers. Laid out on the chalkboard, it would've gone something like this:
(blond hair) + (blue eyes)? (killer body) = don't even try
Yet here was this
"I'm sorry?"
"I saw your picture in the Post," she said. "You're Perry Stormaire, right?"
"You're the guy whose house got blown up."
"That was insane."
"Yes," I said, because I never know what to say in these situations. She was referring to what happened on the night of my senior prom, three months before, when the Lithuanian foreign exchange that had been living in our house-a girl named Gobija Zaksauskas-turned out to be an assassin with a hit list of names. With Gobi's gun to my head, we'd spent the night careening around New York City in my father's Jaguar while she killed her targets one by one, ending with my house getting blown up. Describing the night as "insane" could arguably be considered an insult to the mentally ill.
"Your family was all right?"
"And they never found that woman's body?"
"Destroyed in the fire," I said. "That's what they think, anyway."
"Wow." We stood there for a moment, and she seemed to realize that she hadn't introduced herself. "I'm Paula Daniels."
She held out her hand, and I shook it in that smiling, somewhat awkward way that people shake hands when they're flirting, and it occurred to me that that's what we were doing. When a couple of people stepped past us on their way through the door, Paula edged a little closer, her bare shoulder brushing against my arm, and the party noise seemed to fade way down in the mix so it was as if just the two of us were standing there talking to each other. Something happened right then. It was that weightless moment when you stop worrying about riding the bike and just starting riding it.
"Can I ask you a personal question?" she said.
"Was it all true?"
"Are you kidding?" I said. "I couldn't have made that stuff up."
"I had a feeling." A tiny smile touched the corner of her lips and echoed in her eyes with a shimmer that I could almost hear, like the soft chime of an incoming text message. "I pride myself on my ability to separate truth and bullshit."
"That's a rare talent," I said.
"Not as marketable as it used to be."
"Maybe you should be a detective."
She laughed an easy, natural laugh. "I bet you get asked that a lot."
"You know-fact or fiction."
"Actually, no," I said. "It's weird, but most people don't really seem to care."
And it was true. They had read about what happened with me and Gobi on prom night in New York in the newspapers and seen it on TV, posted about it on their blogs, forwarded it and "liked" it on Facebook and tweeted about it to their friends. As far as the American public was concerned, what happened to us that night was the truth, yet another improbable chunk of "reality" gone viral in a post-MTV world, and everybody had just kind of accepted it and moved on.
"So you're not a detective," I said.
"What do you do besides read the Post and go to parties in Brooklyn?"
She smiled, cocked an eyebrow. "There's more to life?"
"Depends who you ask, I guess."
"Fair enough. The truth is, I work in the music industry."
I felt my heart do a little stumble-step in my chest, because this conversation really did seem to be entering the department of Too Good to Be True. "Really."
"You know," I said, "that's funny, because I sort of play in a band."
"Inchworm." Paula nodded. "I remember from the story."
"Yeah." I was starting to think I could really fall in love with this girl. "Well, ah, anyway… we all decided to take a year off before college, just to see if we can make something happen. If not…" I shrugged.
"If you don't try, you'll always wonder."
I nodded. "Exactly."
"You should slip me your demo."
"Absolutely. I work for this European promoter, George Armitage-"
"Wait a second," I said. "The George Armitage?"
"That's him."
"Are you kidding? Armitage is, like, the hottest promoter in the world right now. Ever since the Enigma festival in the U.K. last summer, plus he owns his own airline… You actually work for that guy?"
Paula smiled. "Well, I'm sort of the liaison between him and the labels. Technically I'm on Armitage's payroll, but I spend about half my time in L.A., working with new bands in the studio. It's kind of a position that I created for myself."
"That sounds amazing."
"I grew up in Laurel Canyon." Paula reached up, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "My father was an A amp;R guy back in the day, worked with all the legends-Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, the Eagles. Madonna and Sean Penn practically got a divorce in our pool. It's in my blood."
And that was how it started. People talk about fate and luck and blind chance, and even now I'm not sure where I stand on those issues, but I will say this: In the weeks and months that Paula and I got more serious, I found her to be exactly as confident, ambitious, imaginative, and funny as she was that first night, and as I got to know her better, I sort of ran out of adjectives. She was that mixed mouthful of flavors, the kind of person that would walk through a farmer's market and in the middle of a conversation about Soviet cinema in the 1940s, pick up two bananas and pretend they were her eyebrows.
And she was unfathomably beautiful, totally out of my league. The kind of girl you write songs about. She was twenty-two years old, and I was eighteen.
Then again, historically, I tend to prefer older women.
3. "Is There Something I Should Know?" — Duran Duran But hows the sex????
I looked at my iPhone, knowing the message was from Norrie before I even got a look at the screen. He was the only one that texted me on a regular basis, even though we saw each other practically every day at practice. Everybody else-including Sasha, our lead singer, and Caleb, our guitarist-just called.
It's awesome, I typed.
how awesme?
A long pause, and then:
yr still not getting any, ru?
"Who are you texting?" Paula asked from the driver's seat.
I switched off the phone and stuffed it in my pocket. "Norrie."
"Did you tell him yet?"
"I told him there's a band meeting at my house in an hour. I want it to be a surprise. Unless Linus already talked to them." Linus Feldman was our manager, a five-foot-two, hundred-and-eight-pound Jewish tsunami who'd blown in sometime last summer from the wilds of Staten Island. He was old-school management, a scarred veteran of a dozen legendary management teams from back in the go-go eighties, when rock-and-roll was minting millionaires on what seemed like a weekly basis. From the moment he'd come out of semi-retirement to represent Inchworm, he'd been waiting for someone to try to take advantage of us so he could rip their head off. So far, to his great disappointment, we'd been treated with an unprecedented level of fairness and respect.
"I'm not sure how crazy Linus is about the idea."
"A European tour? How could he not be thrilled?"
"He's got his own ideas about the band," Paula said. "We'll see how it goes."
She signaled left and turned from the beach road onto the two-lane highway and I watched the ocean receding in my side-view mirror, each of us lost in our own thoughts.
I checked my phone to see if I might have missed any more texts, but the last one was from Norrie, accusing me of not yet having sex with Paula. Unfortunately, he was right. Paula and I had spent hours on the couch, k
It definitely wasn't Paula's fault. She'd made it pretty clear that she was ready whenever I was, which I guess made me one of the worst deal-closers of all time. Throughout junior high and high school, all I'd thought about was the day I'd finally get rid of the virginity problem. Now here was Paula with her knockout face and smoking body-an experienced woman, no less-patiently waiting to teach me so that I wouldn't knee-and-elbow my way through the chicken dance of sexual initiation the way my parents' generation had, decoding the lyrics of bad eighties hair-metal power ballads as our Kama Sutra. Exactly what did you say to a girl after she shook you all night long? And was pouring some sugar on someone as sticky as it sounded?
We were an enlightened generation. Chow had lost his cherry to his girlfriend back in his sophomore year of high school, Sasha and Caleb had never had any problems scoring ("Dude," Sasha once said, with absolute sincerity, "why do you think we even play in a band?"), and even Norrie sounded like he was at it pretty routinely with his current girlfriend. Here I was, paralyzed at the starting line, waiting. For what? True love? A sign from God? A long weekend in Paris?
Therapy was what I needed, and a lot of it. Meanwhile, I wondered if there was a Virgins Anonymous program in some church basement somewhere, or at least a cult in southern Connecticut in need of one to sacrifice.
Throughout it all, Paula remained super cool about the whole thing. She always said she'd wait until I was ready. But how long before her anticipation turned to exasperation?
Meanwhile, I tried not to think about it.
It was a great plan, and sometimes it almost worked.
4. "The Loved Ones" — Elvis Costello and the Attractions
When we got back to the house, Mom was in the kitchen with her laptop and a glass of wine. We'd just moved in at the end of the summer-the workmen were still finishing the addition over the garage, and there were color tiles spread out on every surface, two thousand shades of white. It looked like a Michael Bolton concert on our kitchen table.
by Joe Schreiber have rating 4 out of 5 / Based on32 votes


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Wed January 22 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 10:00 am on Wednesday, repeating until December 31, 2020
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Come to the class at disABILITY LINK offices which are at 1901 Montreal Road, Suite 102 in Tucker. Learn basic computer and internet skills that will help you navigate the digital world. The class will be based on the skill level of the students; topics are to be decided on by the students in true IL style.
For more information contact Travis Evans at email@example.com


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`Ultimate Fighter' Punches Up Record Ratings For Spike
The Sept. 16 season premiere of Spike TV's mixed martial arts reality show The Ultimate Fighter pinned down 4.1 million viewers, a network record audience for an original series.
The 10th season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship-produced show bested the 3.4 million viewers for Spike's The Joe Schmo Show season finale in 2003, according to Spike officials. The series premiere body slammed the previous Ultimate Fighter top audience of 2.8 million genrated by the season three finale in 2006.
The Spike telecast also bested all competition on television for the night - including NBC's The Jay Leno Show, and America's Got Talent; and Fox's Glee and So You Think You Can Dance - in several demos including Men 18-34 (1.5 million viewers) and men 18-49 (2.4 million viewers), said the network.
This season's Ultimate Fighter focuses on the heavyweight division and features former UFC light heavyweight champions "Suga" Rashad Evans and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson as coaches. The cast includes a four former NFL players and former EliteXC fighter Kimbo Slice.
"The intriguing cast of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights has true mass appeal, and the numbers show that this sport is not just for a niche audience anymore," said Spike TV president Kevin Kay in a statement.


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PHHP Alijaga Coffee Plus
PHHP Alijaga Coffee Plus is made out of Arabica coffee bean, mix with traditional herbs like Lingzhi, Ginseng and Dong Quai, it is a healthy beverage suitable for all level of people. It also helps to revitalize the mind and enhances focus with a smooth taste.
23gm × 15 sachet
Main Ingredients
Arabica coffee bean, Lingzhi, Ginseng and Dong Quai
Unique Selling Point
- Combination of traditional herbs
- Healthy beverage
- PHHP Alijaga Coffee Plus helps to revitalize the mind, enhances focus and boosts reflexes.
- PHHP Alijaga Coffee Plus is the combination of traditional herbs, it helps to eliminate fatigue improve both mental and physical condition, it also enhances blood circulation, improve metabolism.


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SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Bike bandits are striking at an alarming rate in midtown Sacramento, causing residents to walk or drive instead. One city leader has an idea he hopes will stop the cycle of crime and help cyclists get their rides back.
"I don't ride it to certain places or certain areas, or certain spots because I know it is going to get stolen there," said Mariah Ramana, a midtown cyclist.
Ramana has changed the way she rides after having three bikes stolen in just two years. Her favorite one she called "Johnny Cash."
"The rims, the handle bars, the accessories; it was me; it was my own, like, project," said Ramana.
She, like so many others, is tired of cycling the same circle of crime and Sacramento city council member Steve Hansen wants to do something about it.
"Right now we just don't have a good way to track bicycles," said Hansen.
Hansen, a bike rider himself, says many owners don't even file police reports, knowing its unlikely they'll get their bikes back. Hansen wants to start a bike registry and says it would be as simple as taking a picture of your bike and signing up with a serial number — possibly even using the city's 311 system.
"That would create a database and people who then steal bikes try to, like, sell them in cities in thrift stores or other places — somebody could go check to see if that bike is stolen," said Hansen.
"I think it's a good idea for a lot of people," said Ramana.
Ramana hopes it changes her midtown biking reality.
"In general, you know that you have to be careful with how you lock it up, where you lock it up," she said.
Hansen says he's trying to figure out if it needs to be voted on by city council to become an ordinance or if it should be handled by the police department.


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MPs yesterday imposed an annual cap of £2,400 on household goods they can claim for their second homes, as they voted to abandon the controversial "John Lewis list" system of expenses.
The Tories, who previously had called for an end to any furniture claims by MPs under the additional costs allowance (ACA), accused the government of treating voters like fools by replacing "the John Lewis list with the Ikea list".
The row erupted during an ill-tempered debate, called by the Tories, who tried to outflank Labour yesterday by publishing the details of the expenses of all but seven Tory MPs for the past three months.
A Conservative move to ban the furniture claims under the annual £24,000 ACA was rejected by MPs, and a series of less radical proposals by the government were accepted. These included an end to the "John Lewis list", the system whereby the parliamentary authorities approve the purchase of household goods, including beds, freezers and televisions, for MPs' second homes if bought in one of the group's stores. The plans also entail the 10% annual cap (£2,400) on claims for household goods, and an external audit by the National Audit Office of not only the ACA but of travel, staffing costs and the communications allowance that helps MPs send leaflets to constituents.
Harriet Harman, the leader of the commons, defended the decision to maintain the household goods allowance by taking a swipe at the Tories. "I believe in equality. We believe that to be MPs we should not have to depend on private wealth to do our job and carry out the responsibilities placed upon us by our constituents."
Theresa May, shadow leader of the Commons, said: "The government is treating people like fools; they are just replacing the John Lewis list with the Ikea list. MPs should not be able to buy their TVs and furniture at taxpayers' expense."
David Cameron called yesterday's debate to try to embarrass Gordon Brown a fortnight after 33 ministers joined forces with a cross-party group of backbenchers to maintain the "John Lewis list". At the time the Tories accused the government whips of striking a deal with Labour backbenchers in which they were given free rein to preserve their £24,000 ACA in exchange for rejecting an above-inflation pay increase.
May told MPs: "Our failure to recognise the concern outside the House about our processes, and that people expect us to adopt the best practice shown in the private and public sectors, has led to cynicism and, I believe, damage to the reputation of the House."
Ann Widdecombe, the former Tory minister, attacked the Tory leadership for trying to ban MPs from claiming for household furniture for their second homes.
Widdecombe said: "The rules say that one cannot whistle up a £10,000 kitchen from John Lewis, or a £5,000 bathroom. If a kitchen or bathroom is replaced, the rules say very clearly that those costs must be divided between genuine replacement and betterment, and the betterment element must be paid for by the [MP].
"But out there, egged on by the press and by the silly, crawling, gutless response of the House, everybody believes these things can be whistled up with no rules, restraints or accountability.
"We should have had the guts to defend ourselves, just as we should have the guts to do so when the press talk about our lavish perks and include our secretaries. There have been some [MPs] for whom their secretary has been a perk, but precious few of them."
The Tories timed the debate to coincide with the publication of their "right to know" form which lists the office and second-home expenses of all but seven of the party's 193 MPs. Cameron, the Tory leader, told the Guardian this week that the move showed the Tories were setting an example. "It's basically providing the transparency which I hope will help bring to an end, steadily, the sense that MPs are on the take and on the make. We've led the way on this. We've gone further than the House of Commons has gone. We've gone further than the government has gone. And we've got out in front by getting out there and publishing the stuff."
A separate resolution is set to be passed today banning the release, under the Freedom of Information Act, of personal details about MPs, peers and Welsh assembly members; this includes their addresses, travel arrangements and suppliers of furniture and equipment.
The restrictions appear more extensive than those promised by Harman, whose plan was to protect MPs' addresses from publication for fear of terrorist attacks or abuse from constituents. Originally the high court ordered MPs' addresses to be published because of suspicion that some politicians could be fiddling the system by claiming for properties they did not occupy. Harman decided to extend the ban to names of personnel and companies supplying services to MPs.
The Labour MP Michael Gapes asked Harman to ban "the address of a locksmith or glazier whose receipts would be published as part of our general submissions and could give people information [they needed] to get access to the property or constituency office of an MP for bad purposes".
Balance of accounts
Seven Conservative MPs did not make a declaration:
Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley) no need to fill out form because he made no expenses claim
Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield) and Lady (Ann) Winterton (Congleton) Wintertons recently criticised for claiming just under £130,000 in expenses over the past six years to cover rent for London flat which was paid to a trust for which they were trustees and their children the beneficiaries
Anthony Steen (Totnes)
Bill Cash (Stone) has agreed to make declaration
Chris Chope (Christchurch)
Sir John Stanley (Tonbridge and Malling)
· 186 Conservative MPs filled out the "right to know" forms on their expenses over the past three months. These are a selection:
James Arbuthnot (North East Hampshire) £22.40 bike mileage
Peter Bone (Wellingborough) £564 for repairs to window
David Cameron (Witney) mobile phone: £98 in April, £89 in May and £90 in June
Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire) £9,000 rent for six months
Michael Howard (Folkestone and Hythe) heating oil £1,129.85
Bernard Jenkin (North Essex) £410 garden maintenance, £450 on security
Daniel Kawczynksi (Shrewsbury and Atcham) £516.62 on food
Greg Knight (East Yorkshire) £10 phone charger
Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire) £350 mattress
Anne McIntosh (Vale of York) £1,300 furniture
Patrick McLoughlin (West Derbyshire) £487.62 shower and decoration £544.34
Patrick Mercer (Newark) student intern travel, £1,076
George Osborne (Tatton) £553 newspapers
Richard Ottoway (Croydon South) £150 petty cash; subsistence £720; cleaning £363
Caroline Spelman (Meriden) £2937.50 "agency staff for publication of pamphlet"
· This article was amended on Saturday July 19 2008. We said, in error, that Daniel Kawczynski, Conservative MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, claimed £945 for food when in fact he spent £516.62. This has been corrected.


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Review: An Area of Darkness
V.S. Naipaul. An Area of Darkness: A Discovery of India. New York: Vintage, 2002. 290pp.
V.S. Naipaul is at same a good writer and a bad one. His book, An Area of Darkness: A Discovery of India, Naipaul's travelogue about his first trip to India during the early 1960's. His travel writing is superb, but as often the case, he has the tendency to ramble, especially when he decides to take the reader into his brilliant brain and observe his thought process at close quarters. It makes for difficult reading, at times, but it is well worth it by the end.
Like many members of the Indian Diaspora, his image of India was shaped by the perception he had while a child growing up in Trinidad. Naipaul's grandfather immigrated to Trinidad as an indentured laborer. Naipaul's memories of India were shaped by his grandfather's memories. So when he finally arrived in India to see what the fuss was about. And like many Indians who return "home," he was thoroughly disappointed by what he saw: the poverty, the corruption, the decays, a civilization that was listless and fading into irrelevance. He tries to make sense of it all, often asking the question why?
Though Naipaul makes many points, two in particular stand out.
In one of the chapters, Naipaul recounts his experience with a Sikh gentleman while on a train journey to South India. To Naipaul this Sikh gentleman (like many people Naipaul talks about in his book, they often go nameless) is striking, both for his features and his temperament. This Sikh gentleman, though educated and worldly (and, not to mention, a bit of an English twit), is also a racist and a bigot, and doesn't mind telling Naipaul, whom he mistakes for a kindred spirit. This Sikh gentleman hates South Indians. He thinks they are the reason why India has wretchedly failed after achieving its independence. He calls them "blackies" and other assorted names too offensive to name here. The Sikh, you see, is of Aryan stock, hence a martial race, a people born to thrive if it weren't for the weak Dravidian race of South India. Naipaul is not really shocked by what he hears because he knows India is ribboned with race, ethnic, caste, religious, economic animosities that permeates every strata of society. The Sikh gentleman was a mere example of it.
Secondly, Naipaul asks why Indians are so passive. He comes to this conclusion when China and India are fighting a border skirmish. Naipaul is in Kolkata (then Calcutta and according to Naipaul, the most English of Indian cities), keenly observing the city's mood. Already there is talk among resident s of a likely occupation of the city by the Chinese, and how to deal with their new leaders; never mind the fact that the Chinese were nowhere close to the city – in fact, they were hundreds of miles away. And this attitude persists even while trainloads of Indian soldiers make their way to the border.. Preparations for defense were half-hearted, at best, the army too ill-equipped and ill-trained to mount a credible defense, the lack of seriousness from the people to the government. The ethos of peace and nonviolence was too deep to overcome. To Naipaul it is no wonder why India is such a conquered nation.
Reading Naipaul one wonders if the man simply hates India? Many Indian critics have made this charge. At first reading, Naipaul does seem to display some sort of a mean streak. At closer reading, however, this mean streak emerges more as disappointment than visceral hatred. After all, Naipaul, a Trinidadian and a British citizen, is still an Indian, albeit an unwilling on.
I can relate to Naipaul's experience to some extent. I immigrated to the United States in 1976 when I was three; I returned for my first visit to India (and Bangladesh) in 1982 at the age of nine. Though Naipaul had the luxury of returning as an adult and make sense of it all; I, even as a child, could tell what a huge disappointment India was to me.
I returned to the city of my birth, Kolkata. The first thing I noticed was the stench. The ride into the city was not equally reassuring. The heat, the impenetrable crowds, the ramshackle buildings, walls desecrated with political slogans, but it was all the widespread poverty on display that really shocked me. I've seen pan handlers in the United States, but in India I was accosted by beggars at every turn. They somehow sensed that I was from overseas and ripe for the picking. Experiencing load shedding, where there is no electricity for hours on end, was a revelation. How can you run out electricity? I was perplexed beyond comprehension And only able to watch one government-owned channel for three hours a night was a visible reminder of what communism must have been like for those poor souls trapped behind the Iron Curtain (yes, I was quite politically aware for a nine-year-old).
Though my opinion of India has improved over the years I still find India to be a disappointment. And like Naipaul, I believe that India has yet to achieve its potential.


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A Sarasota, Florida Engagement Shoot
- Eric + Kayla | Engaged
Michael and I have known each other our whole lives! So that means that even before we dated in high school, our families knew each other. I remember seeing his cousins, grandparents, aunt and uncles around during the holidays LONG before we were a couple. After we started dating, I started going to Thanksgivings and family trips to Charleston, WV. I feel like I've known his cousins my whole life!! So when Eric brought Kayla to Thanksgiving one year, we were all really excited to meet her. Not only is she gorgeous, but she has a heart of gold!!


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Festive Holiday Special Tea is a latte made with gingerbread tea and eggnog. Taste the flavours of the holidays in one drink!!
I don't know about you, but I LOVE the holidays and all the wonderful unique flavours they bring. Sometimes I just can't get enough…and this is true with the flavours of this tea latte.
Gingerbread is one of those flavours that I can eat all year round, but when it comes to the holidays, gingerbread brings on a whole new meaning. Cookies, cakes, waffles and lattes are all such wonderful foods that can incorporate the spicy holiday tradition. This Festive Holiday Special Tea incorporates gingerbread tea and eggnog…making a truly divine seasonal classic…and so easy to make at home.
Anyway since I LOVE it SO much I have been busy experimenting all kinds of ways to keep drinking it while I can…it's a long time before next Christmas! Really seriously if you have never tried it…hurry you won't want to miss out!!
Festive Holiday Special Tea is my tea latte creation using gingerbread tea and eggnog. Simple, seasonal and oh so yummy. It's like having a Starbucks in your own home….but better.
Such an easy drink to make. Pick your favourite brand of gingerbread tea. I used Four O'Clock…and make it strong using 2 bags per cup of water (in my case 1 1/4 cups of water). While that is steeping away, bring some eggnog to just under boiling and then froth. I use an aerolatte. Add the hot eggnog to your cup of gingerbread tea, stir and top with the foam. Tada…Festive Holiday Special Tea is ready to enjoy.
Be sure to enjoy some festive flavours this holiday season….and buy LOTS of this incredible eggnog….you will become addicted too!!
For another wonderful festive drink using eggnog try my Rum & Eggnog Latte!!
Festive Holiday Special Tea
- 2 bags of Gingerbread tea per of water
- 3/4 cup hot eggnog
- Steep the tea in a cup.
- While tea is steeping, heat the eggnog to just under boiling.
- Froth.
- Pour into tea, mix and top with foam.
- Enjoy!!
**Affiliate Links**


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This is reblogged from the original post at Edudemic and is the premise of presentation I will be leading in November at Miami Device.
When adopting technology in the classroom, one of the key concerns for teachers and administrators is classroom management. I am often asked if there is a way to "lock down an iPad screen" or "ensure students cannot go to inappropriate websites" (e.g. Social Media). In other words, how do we keep students on task and ensure that they are not distracted by the novelty of gadgets or communicating with friends via texting or social media? Often, teachers will take up devices (such as mobile phones) to avoid the issue of students texting or checking Facebook on their phones (eliminating access to a powerful, pocket computer in the process).
Classroom management is a challenging skill which I consistently strive to improve on a regular basis…
View original post 933 more words


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Industrial Chains
Industrial Chains
Answer: Most of the products are from China, Korea, Germany, Ukraine, and all of them are one of the most reputable factories with a quality control certificate.
Answer: If the customer determines how to send the products and the relevant cargo, all responsibility for the product is for the customer, and if agreed with the bulk to determine how to send and receive the business management agent, all liability and damages Take up
Answer: Due to the fact that the major import of this merchandise is the wire tower, so almost all wire ropes are always in stock of this merchandise so the delivery of goods is made instantly. For all products in all categories is urgent. If some items in the stock of this merchandise are zero, the delivery time is a maximum of one week.
Answer: The after-sales service of this merchandise varies by product type. For example, in the case of electric and manual cranes, this business offers a one-year warranty and a period of 5 years after-sales service.
Industrial Chains


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sNido is an Italian word meaning "nest." The Nido is an environment that nurtures and protects the developing child. It is a place where children can calmly explore the Montessori environment, supported by the presence of the secure bond of the family. A parent/grandparent attends classes with their child, one or two mornings per week, becoming familiar with the routines and elements of the Montessori environment.
Nido is a prepared environment characterized by order, simplicity and beauty to meet the developmental needs of the child. Dr. Maria Montessori observed that children learn through movement and exploration of their surroundings. Through movement the child builds an internal map through which they orient themselves and connect with the world, as they develop in their independence through mastery of skills.
Learning about Montessori education with other like minded families is a wonderful experience. This experience also prepares children for an optimal transition to our Toddler Room at 2 1⁄2 years old, where children attend Montessori classes independently.
Montessori Method >


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Marijuana Update: Legalization Support and Teen Use Trending Up
March 9, 2016
From board rooms to family rooms, marijuana legalization continues to be a hot topic due largely to rapidly changing attitudes toward marijuana in the United States. According to a new 2015 Gallup Poll, the majority of Americans (58%) say marijuana use should be legal.
Young Americans have always shown the most support of any age group for making marijuana legal, but this number has grown form 20% in 1969 to 71% currently.
According to a new 2015 Gallup Poll, the majority of Americans (58%) say marijuana use should be legal.
To counter the hype, Gateway Alcohol & Drug Treatment Centers continue to carry out a marijuana awareness effort to educate affiliated professionals, as well as consumers, on why it's important not to minimize the effects of marijuana use. With marijuana in the headlines nearly every day, it is important to separate the fact from the myths of this extremely popular drug.
Interested in learning how marijuana use impacts brain function and can lead to addiction? Gateway Alcohol & Drug Treatment Centers recently published a free guide available for download at RecoverGateway.org/MarijuanaFacts.
Teen Use Trending Up
Marijuana use continues to exceed cigarette use among high school seniors. In 2015, 21.3% of high schools seniors used marijuana in the past 30 days compared with 11.4% who smoked cigarettes. In 2015, for the first time, daily cigarette use was lower than daily marijuana use. Moreover, 79.5% of high school seniors say it is easy to get marijuana.
Treatment for Marijuana Use
At Gateway Treatment Centers, we offer customized treatment plans for people who abuse marijuana as well as alcohol and other drugs. Our highly qualified substance abuse specialists provide the counseling and skills people need to help rebuild positive connections, improve relationships and identify the triggers that lead to excessive, extended use of a drug like marijuana.
If you know someone that you think may be struggling with marijuana use, visit RecoverGateway.org to access free information on prevention and treatment options in Swansea, Illinois. For a free, confidential consultation call our 24/7 helpline at 877-505-HOPE (4673). With more than 45 years of experience treating teens and adults, Gateway is here to help.


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This case could be the camel's nose under the tent.
via Newsweek:
A gun-violence victim's family is hoping the mother of the man who fatally shot their relative will strengthen their case against two firearms dealers in an Oregon court.
Kirsten Englund, a 57-year-old California woman, was fatally shot in April 2013 at a scenic overlook in Oregon while on her way to visit relatives. After 30-year-old Jeffrey Boyce killed Englund, he drove to northern California and carjacked two different drivers before police arrested him. Two months later, while awaiting his arraignment, Boyce killed himself in jail.
On Thursday, the gunman's mother, Diane Boyce, agreed to help the family with its wrongful death lawsuit against two retailers that sold her guns, despite originally being named in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that the retailers had reason to know the guns were being purchased by a straw buyer—but still allowed the sales to proceed—and that J&G and WPE's negligence caused Englund's death. The suit describes an invoice that allegedly identifies Jeffrey Boyce as the buyer.
Read more here.


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If '90s chic is your thing, this may be the perfect '32 three-window deuce for you. If the white paint with teal, pink, and purple accents don't grab your attention, the vintage Progressive aluminum rims will! Frankly this appears to be a really nice car, loaded with power accessories and a kickin' stereo so you can jam out to Ace of Base. Better yet, its daily-driven, or so the seller claims. So if you're still getting over Boyd's Cadzilla, then you love this paragon of post-Cold War elegance.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: 90s, ace of base, cadzilla, deuce, Supercar | Leave a comment »


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It didn't take a trip to Buenos Aires to become interested in the Torrontés variety, there are reasonable offerings domestically and even a few noteworthy tries from Texas vineyards. However, I definitely leveraged being in Argentina to ask questions and find little-exported renditions of the native white grape known for its aromatic qualities and 'mouthful of floral' flavours.
Now that summer is upon Houston, my bent toward red wines is balancing out with an occasional white. This Torrontés caught my eye after a long walk in the steamy afternoon which by coincidence (or not) landed me directly in front of our Home Depot sized wine store.
On the pour the Crios is very pale yellow, almost beige, which is typical across Torrontés I've tried. Initial scents of honeysuckle and freshly squeezed lemonade, however after the wine came closer to room temperature I picked up a little fleshy apricot and nectarine. On the first taste I was surprised by a slightly effervescence however there were no tell-tale visual signals. Moving on, I noticed distinct honey and pineapple dominance which did not subside over time. However as the wine warmed up a bit, the honey and pineapple loosen up their death grip to let in mango with plus one Meyer lemon. When the wine makes its way down you are left with an echo of tropical fruit and an fading shale quality, which only prepares you for the next sip.
Torrontés always presents as sweet to me initially, however I think this is a mind over tongue trick since there are so many tropical fruit flavours that register initially. The residual sugar is not very high, nor is the acidity, which makes for a pleasant solo-sip, particularly when the temps start to rise.
I might focus a bit more on Torrontés this summer, it noticed more and more imports available, almost rivaling the whites from Australia and New Zealand. I'm starting to wonder if Torrontés is the new Sauvignon Blanc.
Crios Torrontés 2011 | Specs, Downtown HTX | $11.95