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Sunset Islands is one of Miami Beach's most prestigious neighborhoods with some ofMiami Beach's most prized waterfront estate homes. Sunset Islands consists of four long oval islands which extend from east to west. Sunset Island homes with water frontage enjoy sweeping views of Downtown Miami, the Venetian Islands and Miami's classic sunsets. This community is highly desirable because of its proximity to the excitement of South Beach and to Miami Beach's golf course. It's also a short, beautiful walk from Sunset Islands over a small bridge into Sunset Harbour, one of Miami Beach's hottest neighborhoods
Boating Community: Sunset Islands is a boater's paradise. Many of the waterfront homes have boats and yachts in their backyards. Within minutes boaters can be out in the aqua waters of Biscayne Bay or the Atlantic Ocean. Many Sunset Island homes are located on the finger canals which lead out to the bay. Living on the canals gives boats protection from the elements. Some of the homes directly on the bay have boats on hydraulic lifts. Lots sizes range from a single lot with 60' of waterfront, which can accommodate small boats and personal watercraft, to larger lots with 450' of waterfront, which can accommodate larger yachts. Another option for boat owners is to dock their boats at Sunset Harbour Marina, which is only a short walk away. Boat slips are currently available for sale at Sunset Harbour Marina, and the prices tend to be much less than at South Pointe Marina.
Access. Islands l & ll are connected, and they share one entrance and exit through a 24/7 guard gate. This entrance is at 20th Street adjacent to Sunset Harbour. Sunset Islands Ill & lV are connected by a small bridge, and they also share a single entrance located at 29th Street and North Bay Road.
Sunset Island real estate prices range from $4,000,000 to $25,000,000 for waterfront homes and from to $1,500,000 to $4,000,000 for non-waterfront homes.
If you're looking for a Sunset Islands property for sale or for rent, use the search box below to receive current real estate listings. Contact me directly at (001) 954 520 2731 or at firstname.lastname@example.com for additional information.
Sunset Islands offers some of the finest waterfront and non-waterfront homes. Sunset Islands real estate is always in high demand because of its great location and its high security, which is why a few celebrities call Sunset Island home. The neighborhood is landscaped with mature tropical foliage, which lends to its calm, secluded and island-like feel. Contact our team for the latest real estate listings for sale and rent in the Sunset Island neighborhood.


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2 new dinosaurs named after Canadians
Two new dinosaur species from Alberta, including one of the smallest adult plant-eating dinosaurs ever discovered, have been named after Canadians.
The first, which was about the size of a medium-sized dog, was named Gryphoceratops morrisoni, after Ian Morrison, a technician at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, who figured out how fossil fragments from the dinosaur's jaw fit together.
That was a task that had frustrated ROM assistant curator David Evans and his colleague Michael Ryan at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for eight years.
"It took him about an hour," Evans said in an interview Tuesday. "He is a genius at putting three-dimensional puzzles together."
The dinosaur, which lived about 83 million years ago, grew to be no more than half a metre long, or about the size of a springer spaniel, not including its tail. It belongs to a group of "horned" dinosaurs called Leptoceratopsids. They're related to Triceratops — famous for its impressive size, horns and frill — but are smaller, with only a subtle frill and ridges over their noses and eyes in place of long, pointed horns.
The other new species from the same family, Unescopceratops koppelhusae, has been named after Eva Koppelhus, a University of Alberta biologist who studies ancient plant spores and pollen that have been used to help figure out the age of other dinosaur fossils.
She is the wife of Philip Currie, the University of Alberta paleontologist who discovered the fossil at Alberta's Dinosaur Provincial Park. While she didn't have a direct role in the discovery, Evans said she has been an important mentor to many young paleontologists including himself.
The first part of the dinosaur's name is the reference to the fact that the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unescopceratops koppelhusa lived about 75 million years ago, grew to be about two metres long and weighed about 91 kilograms, making it about the size of a deer.
Both new species were identified and described from fragments of jawbones found some time ago. Fragments from the jaw of Gryphoceratops morrisoni were discovered in the Milk River rock formation in southern Alberta by Royal Ontario Museum paleontologist Levi Sternberg in 1950.
Evans rediscovered the fragments in a drawer in the museum about a decade ago and recognized them as belonging to a Leptoceratopsid dinosaur, but couldn't get much more information until Morisson pieced them together.
The fossil of Unescopceratops koppelhusa was discovered by Currie in 1995, and was known to be a Leptoceratopsid. It was later identified as being part of a completely new genus and species by Evans and Ryan, based on a comparison with other recently discovered species.
Evans, who co-authored the paper describing the new dinosaurs, said such small dinosaurs are usually poorly represented in the fossil record because their bones are more easily chewed apart or swallowed by predators, compared to those of larger dinosaurs. They become scattered and harder to find.
That means any discoveries of their fossil remains provide important information about dinosaur evolution. In this case, both new species are the only members of their family ever found from their time period and Gryphoceratops morrisoni is the oldest member of its family ever found.
Both new dinosaurs were described in the upcoming June issue of the journal Cretaceous Research, which was published online earlier this year.

subset: commoncrawl


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There's been a plunge in the number of collections accounts after changes imposed on credit-reporting agencies by state regulators, according to a new study released Tuesday.
The 2015 settlement between 31 state attorneys general and Experian
In a new report, the New York Fed found immediate results, as most analysts anticipated ahead of the change. Between June 2017 and June 2018, the number of individuals with a collections account on their credit report fell from 33 million down to 25 million. The number of collections accounts reported also dropped substantially, from more than 66 million collections accounts to about 47 million. The aggregate balances reported on collections accounts also declined, by about $11 billion.
That said, credit scores weren't noticeably better afterwards. For one, the population that was impacted by these changes had lower credit scores to begin with. A third had some kind of delinquency in their credit accounts, compared to only 8% of everyone else.
Most didn't see a big boost — the average gain was 11 points — but for 18%, there were gains of at least 30 points. Those big gainers typically still had bad credit afterwards. The New York Fed said those who saw an increase of 40 or more points in their score began with a 529 on average, and ended with an average of 588.
"These borrowers will certainly benefit in the long run from the cleanup of their credit reports, since higher scores are associated with better access to credit, to the job market, and even to the rental housing market. But the immediate impact of the removal of collections will be muted if the beneficiary's credit record continues to be tarnished with other negative information," the New York Fed found.


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Texas' 2016 signing class continues to grow.
The program announced Monday that it has added two more late signees in tackle J.P. Urquidez and defensive back Donovan Duvernay. They are expected to join the team this summer, according to Texas athletics.
Both players signed financial aid agreements with Texas after being released from their scholarships at Baylor University. The school has released seven commits from its 2016 class after firing head coach Art Briles in May in the wake of several sexual assault allegations against players.
Urquidez ranks as the No. 22 tackle class of 2016, according to 247sports. He was an All-State selection in both Maryland and Texas playing for Copperas Cove High School for three seasons and DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland for one season.
Duvernay — fellow Texas signee Devin Duvernay's brother — ranks as the No. 61 athlete, according to 247sports. He earned All-District honors as a junior playing at Sachse High School.
The Longhorns' 2016 class now ranks No. 8, according to 247sports. The class finished at No. 11 on National Signing Day in February.


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Yes, folks. It is true. Len Tillem, the loyah, no longer has a show on the AM radio dial.
If you want to hear what he says about it, listen to his podcast dated 3/29/13 (explicit language) where Len discusses it with Jon Favreau:
Len Tillem Show 3/29/13
In it, Len talks about how he first started his 20+ year career in radio. Did you know Len was a theater major in college? Somehow, that does not surprise me. He even admits he does radio better than sex, but he's not naked on the podcast. He's not going to take his top off like Julie Andrews did in a movie. He also addresses his recent firing from AM radio.
If you want to comment, you can sign up for access to the Spreaker site and you don't even need to be a member of Facebook. It's easy. Create a Name, provide your email address and create a Password. That's it. You're on. Just type Len Tillem in the search bar and you can follow Len's show there.
Plus, Len is promoting his podcast on iTunes. The more you rate his podcasts, the more recognition his show will get.
And, of course, you can follow Len on Facebook and comment there. Go to formerkgolisteners Facebook page and there you can find the link to Len's Facebook page as well as information about all of the former KGO favorites. Remember to 'like' their page. They do a good job keeping up with all of this changing information.
The good news is Len says he will create a podcast for Monday. Be there! Support him.
Have a question for the Lawyer? Give Len a call! (866) 536-1000 (or, 1-866-LEN-1000)
Here's what others are saying about it on radiodiscussions.com. Join in the discussion about the recent change on KKSF.
Another thread of interest, The death of KGO one year later:
There is an old discussion in there as well, under the Len Tillem topic from December 2011 and it includes an old response by the loyah himself when he was let go from KGO:
rimember OfflinePosts: 1
I am not gone.
I'm going to begin pod casting soon.
I was shocked by the KGO decision to fire almost all of its talk show hosts. My program was the highest rated show on all of KGO. It also had the best demographics advertisers are looking for. What were they thinking?I love doing radio. Doing the show is usually the highlight of my day. I am going to begin pod casting my show this week or next. I am just working out the technical details.People all over the country will be able to call in with their legal problems and stories and I will deal with them from 12:00 to 1:00 every weekday.In the beginning, as listeners learn to find me on the web, we'll screen calls all day long and make appointments to call back my radio show clients between noon and 1:00. This way, the show will have the live radio feel without commercials (think commercial free radio) and FCC restrictions on my flowery language.Let me know what you think!
Len Tillem
Back in December, these were some of the comments:
"As for podcasting, I dunno, I'd be more inclined to put effort into approaching other stations. You've got the books, you've got the demos. Surely there is a fit somewhere. Podcasting works really well for episodic programming such as "This American Life" and "Radiolab", but I'm not so sure it's workable for a daily show."
"Len, are you kidding me? I listen to you on podcast all of the time!"
These comments are relevant now. It's time, Len. Time to control your own output.
I've been thinking about a site like radiodiscussions.com. There needs to be a place where listeners all over the U.S. can convene and figure out how to take back the quality of discussion we've taken for granted all of these years. Do we want to sit back and let Cumulus and, now, Clear Channel dictate whatever information they want us to hear? Do you want these mega-corporations to pocket bonuses and millions in pay on the backs of the everyday citizen? Have we become so complacent to let that happen again and again? Can't we do something about it?
This is what I found in a recent Google search:
Monday, March 25, 2013 … Cox Radio is starting to operate from the Cumulus and Clear Channel playbooks. … top execs take bonuses even in bad times – like now – and simultaneously with massive layoffs that they impose on key staffers.
It was a subscription article, but it says it all right there.
In that same Google search, I found another subscription site that lays it all out there. The focus is music, but talks about all of the big players. I don't subscribe, but it seems this guy has a media blog with real content. He's not ogling local weather personalities and sizing up anchors based on sex-appeal. This guy builds his content in a professional format. Even if I subscribed to it, I wouldn't be able to share since it's his property and he requires a subscription fee to access it. He does have some good opening teasers, though, like this one:
This is his Home Page:
Speaking of media bloggers, I was correct in waiting to find out if Ed Baxter and John Rothmann were released from that AM station as well. Ed Baxter will continue to post his 'Making Sense' podcasts at his own site:
I'm sure I'll have more to say about this in later weeks. Now, I'm exhausted thinking about it.
Our listening habits have to change. In the office, many no longer listen to the radio. They all have their players and listen to them. They listen to NPR and music and podcasts.
We need an app to bring all of these independent podcasts together to create a real show. We wouldn't have the local news or weather or traffic though. And we wouldn't have the shared audience experience of listening to live radio. I wish there was a way to bring this all together. Companies like hated Cumulus Media, and now we are seeing the effect of Clear Channel as well, bring only profit margins and shareholders and unlistenable commercials to take it all apart. It's coming apart at the seams and we need to come together as hundreds and thousands of listeners with purchasing power and shareholder influence and do what's right.
What's happening now is all wrong.
Note: I just read this interesting blog post about earning a living. What do you think?


text: There are times when simple things that you could do with ease become a strain due to illness or a change in physical condition. This can be a very difficult time but we believe that our discreet Personal Care Service will fully support you in your day-to-day living ensuring your independence, dignity, respect and freedom of choice are upheld throughout our service to you. Our Carers will offer you the support that you need so that your life in your own home may continue as normal. It is very important to us that our clients decide the level of assistance to receive with every individual task as we believe in maintaining your independence whilst offering a helping hand. Our Carers will be there to help you with the following, to mention but a few:- Bathing Dressing Meals preparation and/or house food management Bed Routine Continence Household tasks e.g. laundry, cleaning, washing, vacuuming etc. Medication Assistance However, this particular Care Service knows no bounds. It is very much a bespoke service in which at Leymar, we aim to meet your every need. We therefore encourage all our clients to ask for what is important to them and in return we promise to adapt to your need through our dedicated Carers. In order to achieve this a member of our dedicated team will visit you in order to carry out a full assessment of your needs and circumstances.


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Teledyne Oceanscience has introduced a new remotely operated hydrographic survey boat suited for inland waters such as streams, rivers and lakes.
The new trimaran style Z-Boat 1250 is "sturdy enough for tough terrain but light enough to be one person portable," according to Teledyne. The vehicle has a lightweight hull manufactured from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic, and is IP67 rated, which makes it well suited to survey in most water conditions. The vehicle weighs in at less than 50 pounds, including all instrumentation. A collapsible sliding crossbar makes the Z-Boat 1250 easily transported by a single operator.
The vehicle's integrated single beam echosounder has an embedded transceiver with digital signal processing and outputs depth & temperature using NMEA 0183 data output.
The "exceptionally rugged" Z-Boat 1250 design features a propulsion system that uses two thrusters (one in each outrigger) and an advanced 2.4 GHz remote control transmitter that differentially adjusts the two thrusters to steer the boat – no rudder or steering linkages. The Z-Boat 1250 can attain a 2.3 m/s (7.5 fps) top speed using the standard battery pack, and the remote control transmitter can be adjusted to allow effective profiling at speeds as low as 30 cm/s (1.0 fps).
According to Teledyne Oceanscience Sales Manager, Shannon Searing, "The new Z-Boat 1250's lightweight design, IP67 rating and modest price point make the boat ideal for a multitude of work environments and budgets."
Applications include mining pits and tailing ponds, environmentally sensitive areas, construction and inspection zones, dams and reservoirs, harbors, rivers and more, Teledyne said.
Z-Boat 1250
Typical Cruising Speed*: 1-1.5 m/s (3.3-5.0 fps)
Top Speed*: 2.3 m/sec (7.5 ft/sec)
Hull Length: 127 cm (50")
Width (extended): 94 cm (37")
Width (transport): 64 cm (25")
Height (no instrument): 32 cm (12.5")
Weight (no instrument): 18 kg (40 lbs)
Weight (typical instrument): 22 kg (48 lbs)
Battery Endurance*: 1.0 m/s: ~4 hours; 1.5 m/s: >1 hour
Payload (typical): 4.5 kg (10 lbs)
Power: 3 @ 24 V, 4.5 AH NiMH Battery Packs
Motor: 2 x Brushless DC Thrusters
Hull Material: ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
Hardware: Anodized Aluminum, Stainless Steel
R/C Control: Hitec
R/C Control: Modes 3: Left Throttle/Right Steer; Right Throttle/Left Steer; Dual Throttle
R/C Antenna: Omni Directional
R/C Range: 750 m
R/C RF Scheme: FHSS
R/C Frequency: 2.4 GHz
Warranty: One year on all Z-Boat 1250 components.
(*Speeds measured over water; speed over ground will depend on water velocity)
Single Beam Echosounder
Depth Reading Range: 0.4m to 200m
Depth Resolution: 0.01m Depth Precision: 0.25% at full range
Frequency: 200 kHz
Beam Angle: 9°
Temperature Sensor Accuracy: +/-0.05° C Temperature Resolution: 0.09° C
Supply Voltage: 9 VDC to 40 VDC
Average Current Draw: 150mA @ 13.6V
NMEA0183 Baud Rate: Configurable, default 115,200
Power Management Module
Inputs: 2 - GPS & Echosounder, or ADCP
Communications: Bluetooth ~300m range
Battery: 14.4V, 4.5Ah
Endurance: 10-12 hours


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My latest book is You Haven't Taught Until They Have Learned: John Wooden's Teaching Principles and Practices (by Swen Nater, one of his former UCLA players). This book really takes all of John Wooden's ideas on coaching and life a step further and applies them to the teaching profession.
While I could probably have an entire blog (not just a blog post, but an entire blog - maybe that will be next summer's project :) ) dedicated to the things John Wooden teaches that stick out to me and have made an impact on me, there was something I read tonight that made me stop, come down to my computer, and write this post tonight.
Read this quote from You Haven't Taught Until They Have Learned: John Wooden's Teaching Principles and Practices . Isn't this what we want teachers to think about when we share about our "Flipped Classroom"? It's not about being a fad, it's not about being the newest hip thing. It's about student learning. It's about our students making more meaning of the content we are teaching. It looks different in every class. It's not one size fits all. It's not perfect for every teacher or in every situation. If your students aren't learning more or better or deeper in your flipped class, then why are you doing it?
Improving students' learning is the point, not simply changing teaching so it "looks" innovative or matches some instructional ideal. Whenever some "new" kind of teaching is tried, the point is that students learn more. The moment the focus shifts form what students are learning is the moment teachers risk getting off track. The end is student learning; the means is teaching. One does not become a better teacher just by adopting an approach that is in fashion or recommended. Teachers are more effective when their students learn more. (page 105)


text: Here's the Initial Lineup for the 2018 Soul'd Out Music Festival Somewhat out of nowhere, the eight-year-old Soul'd Out Music Festival has become one of Portland's best annual music traditions. Last year's edition was highlighted by Solange debuting her A Seat at the Table set at the Schnitz, and also saw Drake jump onstage with Travis Scott at Memorial Coliseum to perform their collab "Portland" for the first time. That's to say nothing of less headline-grabbing performances from the likes of Bilal, the Ohio Players and Giorgio Moroder.


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Its Halloween weekend and lots of little monsters will be coming out to play. We've picked the best spells from our book to help keep you and your goblins and ghouls safe on all hallows eve.
- Prep your car: Even the Ghostbuster's Ecto-1 gets a tune up for Halloween – so make sure yours does too! Check brakes, headlights and tail lights to make sure you're in tip top ghost busting shape.
- Forget your phone: We know, you might be tempted to take pictures of all the spooky sights and sounds – but don't text, surf, or call until you've pulled over and the car is off.
- Slow Down & take your time: Most witching hours are between 4:00 pm and 9:30 pm, so plan accordingly and give yourself some extra time to get to your destination.
P.S we recommend riding your broom at least 5 miles under the speed limited – just in case you encounter some unannounced black cats.
- Use your headlights: Even in the daytime, make sure you warn the witches and warlocks of your arrival.
- Don't pass other drivers: Tempted to pass? Don't. You never know if the hearse in front of you is dropping off (or picking up) their zombies.
- Scan the area thoroughly: Sometimes monsters are hard to spot in the dark, which means you should do your diligence to not only check crosswalks and medians, but yards, porches, and curbs too.
- Yield to pedestrians: Werewolves and Vampires get extra excited on Halloween, so they might not follow the rules of the road, stay alert and always give them the right away. Don't forget when gremlins eat sugar they can get crazy and unpredictable.
So while demons may be a ghoul's best friend, we hope these fangtastic tips will be yours on the night of frights. We hope you and yours have a safe and enjoyable Halloween. Creep it real!
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text:
6.30pm Amber Rudd MP on Comment: Yes, the GDP figures are disappointing, but it's not all bad news
4.15pm Mohammed Amin on Comment: Paying tax is not a moral issue
3.15pm ToryDiary: My mum should be George Osborne's economic adviser, says Tim Montgomerie
2pm Local Government: Polly Toynbee is wrong to oppose localising Council Tax Benefit
2pm LeftWatch: Surprise, surprise — Lord Oakeshott says that Cable should replace Osborne
1.45pm With the news that Peter Cruddas is suing The Sunday Times for libel over donations-for-access allegations, Lord Ashcroft writes: Should the Conservative Party learn lessons from the treament of Peter Cruddas?
12.30pm WATCH: George Osborne responds to today's GDP figures
12.30pm ThinkTankCentral: The Institute of Directors attacks "glacial speed" of Coalition's supply-side reforms
Noon ToryDiary: Chris Grayling hits back at Left's claims on UK's good job news
9.45am ToryDiary: Terrible news for George Osborne: the economy shrank by 0.7 per cent in Q2
ToryDiary: The PCS union may have given the government the excuse it needs to reform strike laws
Columnist Jill Kirby: We need optimism, not mean-spirited tax grabs
Edward Davey MP on Comment: The greenest government ever — at an affordable price
Local government:
- Approval for first new town since Milton Keynes
- Cllr Richard Davies chosen as Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner candidate for Lincolnshire
The Deep End: Hugging the hoodies, hating the state
David Cameron's decision to hire Andy Coulson under question (again)
"John Whittingdale, the Conservative chairman of the Commons culture select committee, has described the decision to charge the former Downing Street head of communications Andy Coulson in connection with phone hacking as embarrassing for the government." – Guardian
"A senior Conservative MP said: 'This will remind the public that there are issues about David Cameron's judgement in appointing Andy Coulson twice.'" – Independent
- Andy Coulson charges mark low point for David Cameron – Nicholas Watt, Guardian
> Yesterday
- Tory Diary: Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks charged in connection with phone hacking
- WATCH: Andy Coulson: "I will fight these allegations"
More economic woe expected
"David Cameron is now receiving daily written updates on the deteriorating situation [in Europe] and was warned earlier this week that a Greek bankruptcy in the next month is now a serious possibility. … Official economic figures to be published today are expected to show that Britain suffered from a third successive quarter of negative economic growth — suggesting that the country is still in recession. If the figures are negative, it will be the longest double-dip recession for more than 50 years." – Daily Telegraph
- "The bluster and self-deception so characteristic of eurozone politicians is evident once again." – Hamish McRae, Independent
- First signs that foreign investors are losing trust in Britain – Allister Heath, City AM
- Hard work and happiness go hand–in-hand – Alice Thomson, The Times (£)
- "Here's a question for Cameron from The Sun. … What's the point of the Coalition these days?" – Sun editorial, via its redesigned website
> Yesterday on Tory Diary: Happiness measures may seem trivial, but…
2 days until the Olympics: Ministers and Conservative MPs target the strikes
"Ministers are now considering taking court action over Public and Commercial Services Union leader Mark Serwotka's decision to call a 24-hour strike by Heathrow staff. … The possibility of an injunction to block the strike came following a letter to the union from Home Secretary Theresa May, describing the planned walkout as 'opportunist and wholly unjustified'. … And Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has told colleagues other senior figures in the union movement had privately expressed dismay that the PCS was targeting the Olympic transport rush. … [Dominic Raab] said: 'Mark Serwotka's vindictive action is the latest in a wave of reckless strikes, led by a few militants who want to sabotage the economy and humiliate the nation. … 'Too often it is those union bosses shouting the loudest who have the least support from their own members. It is welcome that ministers are looking at reform. But, if the government is going to pick this fight, it must win it decisively.'" – Daily Mail
- The trade union fat cats who are strangling our country – Matthew Sinclair, Daily Telegraph
- "…the Mail finds it hard to recall a strike that ran more directly counter to the mood and aspirations of the British people than tomorrow's planned walkout by Heathrow immigration and passport staff, on the eve of the opening ceremony." – Daily Mail editorial
And in other Olympics news:
- Ministers (including the Prime Minister) might use the Olympic VIP lanes, although the PM is encouraging them to take public transport – Daily Mail
- 1,200 extra troops have been drafted in to help with security, and they're being asked to wear tracksuits to appear less "aggressive" – The Sun
> Yesterday:
- Columnist Peter Hoskin: The Olympics challenge begins after all the medals have been won
- WATCH: The Queen welcomes the International Olympic Committee to London — and receives a set of medals in return
Various ministers admit to cash in hand payments
"David Cameron and other senior cabinet ministers including Nick Clegg and George Osborne admitted that they had paid traders cash in hand in the past. And an analysis of expenses claims by The Daily Telegraph showed that two other members of the government — Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary and Sir George Young, Leader of the House of Commons — paid suppliers hundreds of pounds in cash, and claimed back the money from the taxpayer." – Daily Telegraph
- Tradesmen's anger over David Gauke's cash in hand attack – Daily Telegraph
- Yes, I pay builders in cash. But what's really immoral is billionaires and firms like Google who avoid tax – Stephen Glover, Daily Mail
> Yesterday: LISTEN: David Gauke describes cash in hand payments as "morally wrong" in interview with the Telegraph
Lord Green's "regret" over HSBC money-laundering scandal
"'With regards to the bank's efforts to address its AML [anti-money laundering] and OFAC [Office of Foreign Assets Control] compliance issues, HSBC has expressed its regret that there were failures of implementation in these areas, and I share that regret,' he wrote. … He said he was 'proud' to have had a 28-year career at the bank, but that it would not be 'appropriate' for him to 'comment further on the specifics' as talks between the bank and the US authorities are ongoing." – Daily Telegraph
Reaction to yesterday's select committee report on gambling
"The select committee's chairman John Whittingdale defended its proposals, which include raising limits on fixed-odds gaming machines. … He described gambling as a normal 'leisure activity' that most people enjoyed without developing problems. … 'There are a very small number who do suffer from gambling and addiction – problem gambling – and they need protection. … But for most people gambling is a leisure activity which brings them entertainment and actually generates quite a lot of income and employment for the economy.'" – Daily Mail
"Mr Miliband said yesterday: 'I'm a casinos sceptic. I'm sceptical about lots more casinos. I was sceptical about supercasinos originally. … Of course there are casinos and nobody is talking about getting rid of those but I always thought there must be other routes to economic development and economic growth than through loads more casinos.'" – The Times (£)
- "Given the woe gambling addiction causes, one would expect our regulators to do their best to curb rather than encourage it." – Zoe Brennan, Daily Mail
> Yesterday on Local Government: Call from MPs for localism on gambling
Select committee proposes new rules to prevent former ministers from immediately cashing in on their experience – Daily Mail
Liz Truss: Business shouldn't apologise for making a profit
"Of course, there are businesses that need to put their houses in order and be more transparent and accountable to shareholders. But that should not stop the vast majority being unapologetic about their central purpose – generating profit, value and wealth. Too often when business leaders appear in public they talk only about their social contribution or peripheral activities. Business's key social responsibility is making money, creating jobs and making Britain successful. All of us need to be reminded of that." – Liz Truss, Daily Telegraph
Also in the Daily Telegraph's 'Britain Unleashed' series:
- The public sector does not serve a higher moral purpose – Andrew Haldenby, Daily Telegraph
- Interactive charts showing how various indicators moved under the last seven Prime Ministers – Daily Telegraph
Anglo-French defence pact widened to include other allies, which may increase costs – Financial Times (£)
The House of Lords spent nearly £175,000 on art and statues in 2011/12, a ten-fold increase on the year before – Daily Telegraph
Ed Miliband's entente cordiale with François Hollande
"Labour leader Ed Miliband will join EU centre-left leaders at an autumn summit hosted by French Socialist president François Hollande to discuss measures to create jobs and growth in Europe. … Miliband said Hollande had agreed 'in principle' to the meeting during face-to-face talks on Tuesday morning after the Labour leader became the first senior British politician to be invited for talks at the Elysée Palace since Hollande became France's first leftwing president in 17 years in May." – Guardian
- Miliband and Hollande have no alternative to offer – Daily Telegraph editorial
Jack Straw: Don't let retail parks kill the high street by stealth – The Times (£)
Romney advisers: Our man would reach out to Britain
"The two advisers said Mr Romney would seek to reinstate the Churchill bust displayed in the Oval Office by George W. Bush but returned to British diplomats by Mr Obama when he took office in 2009. One said Mr Romney viewed the move as 'symbolically important' while the other said it was 'just for starters', adding: 'He is naturally more Atlanticist'." – Daily Telegraph
- The United States rightly values age and experience in high political office – Philip Johnston, Daily Telegraph
- The GOP should reform — not repeal — Obamacare – David Frum, Financial Times (£)
Nearly one-in-eight service personnel admit being violent soon after returning from a war zone – Daily Mail
Ambulance staff, on average, each took four weeks sick leave last year – The Sun
Attitudes shifting in favour of genetically-modified crops – Independent
And finally… "the seating plan from hell"
"Political rivalries and intrigues may have been put aside for the day but officials still muttered darkly of a 'seating plan from hell'. … Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood and Deputy PM Nick Clegg were expediently placed to provide 'buffer zones' to limit any tensions across the table. … Gordon Brown, who was making his first visit to Downing Street since leaving office, has had awkward relations with both Mr Blair and Mr Clegg, and was seated between Dame Norma Major and Sir Jeremy." – Daily Mail
> Please use the thread below to provide links to news topics likely to be of interest to ConservativeHome readers and to comment on political topics that haven't been given their own blog. Read our comments policy here.


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January is a fun time for fishing a kayak. It's the time where gold is truly laying beneath the rainbow. It's just that the rainbow ends in deep water, and not the mid to shallow waters you have been paddling around in over the last month or two. Right now the trout have made their transition into their winter patterns and will be deep. Don't get me wrong, there are days where you can find some redfish and a few trout in the shallows, but if you're looking for the mother load, you have to go deep.
As the water temps have falling into the low 50s to mid 40s in a lot of areas, the fish have moved deeper and their metabolisms have slowed. Most congregations of fish can be found in deep dead end canals and when you find one, it is likely that you will find a limit. I have seen this transition slowly taking place over the last few weeks of December and the first week of January. Shallow water ponds where I have been site fishing and limiting out on reds within minutes, have now become baron, and tough to find a limit of reds within a couple hours. If you have noticed this same scenario, it's now map time. Start looking over your Standard mapping, google earth, or whatever mapping software you prefer, and begin looking for deeper water. Look for darker areas on the maps, areas that create marsh highways into a deep channel, or clean and deep dead end canals, not to mention deep water in general, like the causeway or trestles.
Most fish move deep in the winter because the deeper the water, the less drastic the temperature changes they will endure. Three feet of water that is 52 degrees as sunrise, may end up in the 60s around lunch time, whereas a bay that is 15 feet deep and 52 degrees at sunrise, will likely still be 52 degrees at 15 feet around lunch time. Now, as the temperatures stabilize during the winter months, your deeper holes, canals, and dead ends will continue to produce time and time again, but if the temperature stabilizes in the 70s over several days to a week, you can expect the fish to scatter, and while you can likely still catch them in deeper water, it may be time to start searching other areas for the time being.My winter lure of choice is hands down a jig head and a Matrix Shad, the tail vibration along with the look of a dying baitfish, is one that most winter trout and reds can't resist. I also believe in the philosophy that the lighter the jig head the better the bite, at least during the winter months. Keep in mind, most fish in cold water are lethargic, and they aren't looking to expel much energy to catch a meal, so a lighter jig head will result in a slower fall rate, sometimes giving the fish exactly what they want, and easy meal.
I am a big fan of jigging in the winter months not only because it works, but also because it helps hone my ability to feel the fish hit the lure. When jigging this time of month, the fish are not attacking it. Usually they hit the lure and just sit on it, and if you don't feel that initial entry of the lure into the fish's mouth, they will spit it out immediately. It's a time where a good rod comes into play, light line, and a combined focus, feel, and line watching is a must. Many times you will see your line jump just a little and never feel a thing, but with a quality rod, like the rods built by 13 Fishing, you will feel that subtle attack on your lure. Imagine the feel of a single rain drop crashing into your line, that is what a deep water trout attack feels like. And right now, if you were to venture out onto the shell beds in the shallow water of Hopedale Lagoon or the depths of Lake Pontchartrain near the trestles or the Causeway, you can get a live lesson of what a winter time jig bite feels like. You may miss 30 trout before you ever realize the actual feel of the strike, but once you get it, it will change the way you fish forever. Last month I took a buddy fishing that wasn't new to jig fishing, but he was new to winter time jig fishing, and after I landed nearly a limit of trout to his one, he finally was able to understand the feel, and he began catching. He has called me weekly since that trip and can't wait to go again. He made the comment that in all his years of fishing, he has never felt a trout hit a lure with that much subtlety and all he wants to do now, is learn the technique and feel.
So take some time this month and the next to explore you adventurous side and learn something that so many people overlook. It's usually not that the fish aren't there; it's just likely that you may not be feeling them on the end of your line.Until Next Time,
Stay Safe & Catch1


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2020 Calendar
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For 2020 we continue with the classic calendar design that provides white space to insert your important reminders, and more images of our dogs to enjoy. We are also keeping the price the same as last year. One calendar is $15.00, and if you order two or more, the price is $12.50 per calendar, and yes, this price still includes shipping! Enjoy 12 months of Pure Gold and show your support for the Rescue all year long!
To order online, select your option below and our volunteers will mail your calendars within a few days following order receipt.
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Thank you for your order.
To order via personal check, send your check payable to GoldHeart with a note that includes your shipping address, contact email or phone number, and the number of calendars you are ordering. Mail to GoldHeart at PO Box 394, Chester, MD 21619. After receipt, the calendars will be mailed to you.


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This is a discussion on Chrome keeps locking up lappie within the Chrome Troubleshooting section, part of the Google Chrome category: Hi It started a few days ago - I'd go into GMail whilst in Chrome and within about 30 seconds ...
It started a few days ago - I'd go into GMail whilst in Chrome and within about 30 seconds everything locks up totally. CTRL>ALT>DEL to get to Task Manager doesn't work, so hold down power button. I tried a few things but eventually uninstalled it using Revo Uninstaller and reinstalled it from the stand alone installer. (Just prior to that I had tried using Chrome and Gmail after booting into safe mode with networking and it seemed to behave itself)
The new install seemed to work for a while and then went screwey again. I clicked on the spanner and "About Google Chrome" and it more or less straight away told me it was installing an update (didn't ask if I wanted to). I finally ended up with Ver 9.0.597.94. This is even worse since it's locking in Internet Banking and F1, and also in safe mode.
I'm now back in FF (and noticing the drop in speed). What do I try next? I'm using Vista Home Premium SP 2.


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The Very best And Worst Points Of Acquiring An RV Lot
This page will teach you how to write a newspaper report (and make it great). Discover how to format a newspaper write-up properly, by way of examples, and learn how to cite or reference a newspaper write-up for a school assignment.
Underlying this is a realisation that the energy dynamics of Huge Finance are shifting. In the US, it is not just the banks and funds of Wall Street in the finance game. There are also the West Coast digital tech gods, waging a new cold war on the classic monetary markets, armed with apps, payment gadgets and world wide web monopolies. If the waves of power are altering, a subversive surfer may well reposition themselves, and that is what Robin Hood is undertaking.
There are various tax implications on the theft loss and victims will not probably acquire 1099 or other forms from Spending budget Finance for tax year 2015. The Taxpayer Advocate from the IRS is obtainable to victims and their tax accountants to answer questions about filing taxes for this year and amendments for previous years connected to the theft.
Bodner, a parent of three, has been writing about youngsters and cash for far more than 15 years. She's been on a number of Tv shows, writes columns for Kiplinger and AOL, and… Her book, Raising Funds-Sensible Children , elaborates on the themes in the videos. Each the videos and the book provide lots of widespread sense advise that aids you demystify cash and finances for your kids. Many public libraries carry the book.
The paper definitely does not argue that credit ratings should be scrapped these charges should be weighed against their several rewards. Many monetary targets (e.g. analyst earnings expectations) also have the possible to lead to quick-termism. Rather, the paper highlights a potential expense to credit ratings that boards might be capable to mitigate. One particular potential remedy that discussed in a previous post is to increase the vesting period of executives' stock and possibilities, to tie them to the extended-run functionality of the firm.


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We live in a digital age and if you are like me, paper is only used when it is absolutely unavoidable. If you have a tablet PC, signing your name to attach it to a document may be one less thing you will need a physical sheet of paper for.
The WPF ink control can be put into your XAML to collect stylus strokes as a collection of geometry points. Of course, as the stylus moves, the movements are also shown on screen.
As I mentioned, the strokes shown in the control are actually stored as a collection of geometric lines. If you want to reproduce those ink strokes, you can save the collection found in a property on the control called "Strokes", but what you can't do with the control's data is store a rendered image of it. Or, at least you can't do this without a little extra work.
One of the nice things about WPF is that its controls can actually be rendered into an image with relative ease. I submit the following code snipit as my solution for rendering the contents of an InkCanvas to a bitmap image:
<StackPanel Name="spHorizontal" Orientation="Horizontal"> <InkCanvas Name="icSignature" MinWidth="575" MinHeight="100" /> </StackPanel>
private byte[] SignatureToBitmapBytes() { //get the dimensions of the ink control int margin = (int)this.icSignature.Margin.Left; int width = (int)this.icSignature.ActualWidth - margin; int height = (int)this.icSignature.ActualHeight - margin; //render ink to bitmap RenderTargetBitmap rtb = new RenderTargetBitmap(width, height, 96d, 96d, PixelFormats.Default); rtb.Render(icSignature); //save the ink to a memory stream BmpBitmapEncoder encoder = new BmpBitmapEncoder(); encoder.Frames.Add(BitmapFrame.Create(rtb)); byte[] bitmapBytes; using (MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream()) { encoder.Save(ms); //get the bitmap bytes from the memory stream ms.Position = 0; bitmapBytes = ms.ToArray(); } return bitmapBytes; }
As you can see, the bytes of the bitmap are read back out of a memory stream (line 23), but it would also be just as easy to save directly to a file stream; bypassing the memory stream.
The WPF InkCanvas can be used for many, many things (annotating video and images is one cool example I've seen), but another use for it can be a do-it-yourself signature pad.


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Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne observes that the candidates for mayor have been short on future vision for the city. That's too bad, he writes in a front-page critic's notebook, since there are "some major holes in the civic fabric."
Los Angeles has become as well known for its high-profile architectural and urban-planning failures — for the buildings, institutions and public spaces we can't seem to get right — as for its innovations or breakthroughs.
This is particularly true for our civic architecture, which has never matched the ambition and allure of the region's private houses and high-end commercial enclaves....
But the city needs far more than small improvements around the margins. It is broken in some fundamental ways.
Here's a look at the most glaring embarrassments of all — and some straightforward ideas about how the next mayor can start fixing them.
It starts, Hawthorne says, with LAX and the failure to connect the airport to mass transit: "As a gateway to the city, Los Angeles International Airport could hardly be more dispiriting. A jumble of mismatched, outdated terminals, LAX gives visitors a resounding first impression of civic dysfunction."
He also calls for embracing the Los Angeles River, fixing Pershing Square — he would keep AEG far away from the designs and do away with the underground parking garage — finishing the Subway to the Sea and dropping "the pretense that Grand Avenue deserves lavish subsidy and extra political attention."
LA Observed photo


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Not much more to say about that.
Posts Tagged 'election'
He will not divide us.Posted: January 20, 2017 in News, Politics, Stupidity, Uncategorized
Tags: Donald Trump, election, extreme mental retardation, idiots, morons, news, politics, President, protests, USA
Celebrity douchebags Shia LeBeouf, Ronkko & Turner have put up a website and art installation at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, which is basically a rolling feed of other douchebags repeating "He will not divide us" as a protest to the election of President Donald Trump, who took the oath and was sworn in earlier today. They plan to run it for 4 years, or until their wishes come true and democracy is thrown out in favor of some fucked up pre-school logic system where the guy you cheer for always wins and everyone gets a trophy just for showing up.
No, he will not divide us. You fuckwits are dividing us just fine without his help by protesting the democratic process.
Get over it.
Get a haircut.
Get a job.
ExpatBob for President 2016Posted: September 23, 2014 in Humor, Politics
Tags: election, ExpatBob for President, politics, President, USA, vote
Since the taboo has been broken and it's no longer considered gauche to start running for President 2 years before the actual election, I have decided to announce my candidacy for the President of the United States of America.
My platform: Let's fix our shit.
Yes, I am a pretty staunch anarchocapitalist but I am also pragmatic in my knowledge that most people are just food tubes looking for people to tell them what to do. What is plaguing the place is that you food tubes have been given delusions of grandeur and the resulting class warfare is making those of us who support your sorry asses a tad irritable, to say the least. So instead of nuking the entire site from orbit and starting over, I will do the following to get things sorted back out:
My first act upon taking office will be to throw all caution to the wind, and, unlike all previous presidents, I will not be a whimpering pussy and wait until the last moment of the last minute of the last day of my tenure to issue pardons; the Presidential pardon is the ultimate check and balance in the system and it has never been used. Yet.
I will immediately create an office to issue pardons to all people convicted of the following "crimes:"
- Tax evasion. This will pretty much gut the IRS and force reforms to the tax code which not even the IRS, admittedly, can make sense of.
- Drugs. What you put in your body is none of the government's business. You'd think they would have learned from Prohibition. No more people need to die over plants you can grow in your backyard.
- Prostitution. There are no victims, except the people in jail.
- Money laundering. If it's OK for the feds to do it, it's OK for Joe the Plumber.
My second act in office will be to immediately cease all external military actions, close all foreign military bases, and bring every soldier home where he belongs. Let other countries sort their own shit out. The world will need to become a very civil place very quickly. If they don't want to be, that's fine; we'll be OK right here on our own dirt, with the entirety of the world's angriest jarhead army defending the home court.
I will then assign the most pacifist, uncooperative assholes I can find to positions like the Secretary of State, and intentionally make it hard for people to reach them. I will scramble the phone number directories on a regular basis.
Every member of Congress will then be rounded up by my own private army (what to do with all those soldiers?) and be implanted with tracking devices that the American people can watch on a public website. Their houses will be wired for Reality Television, the shows aired on cable, and the proceeds rolled back into the paying off the public debt.
The White House will also be wired up for Reality Television. I will fill it with rock stars and porn stars, and the Playboy Mansion will have to be condemned as "being too square" in comparison. As I am unmarried, there can be no ridiculous scandals about who I screw, and it will be televised anyway. The profits from this cable channel will also be rolled back into paying off the public debt. Instead of picket signs, the White House fence will be festooned with a garland of bras and panties.
All of my Secret Service will be replaced by women, and they will then be renamed my Victoria's Secret Service. I will parade around the world collecting massive speaking fees simply to show up as an international sex symbol with babes hanging on my arms. These fees will also be rolled back into paying off the public debt. I believe that over 4 years' time, the Sexy President (TM) franchise will be a significant monetary machine and a tremendous public asset.
I will then spend the rest of my Presidency actively vetoing every last piece of paper that comes across my desk, firing all the losers I can fire, trimming fat where I find it, and doing absolutely nothing else to endanger the health and wellbeing of the American people.
Maybe I'll take up golf.
And, if that works for you, I'll run again 2 years before my term is over.
Remember, vote for ExpatBob in 2016!
Bachelet wins Chilean presidencyPosted: November 18, 2013 in News
Tags: Bachelet, Chile, election, Mattei
Michelle Bachelet has won the election with 46.6% of the votes, followed by Evelyn "7-11" Mattei with 25% of the votes.
Not that it matters much; every single one of the candidates was left-center. Republicrats. Vote for anyone get the same. Sound familiar?
So now we get to see what magic hat they will pull "free" education from. Oh, it's not a hat. It's your own pockets! What a surprise. Sound familiar?
The trash piles up in ChilePosted: November 15, 2013 in Ancient wisdom, Life, Stupidity
Tags: Chile, election, garbage, Santiago, strike
And not just the election rhetoric!
Trash collectors in Chile have been on strike. It started in Valparaiso and spread to Santiago. Over the past week the trash has been piling up and getting out of hand. Ever street corner has a mini mountain like this one.
The same crap happens in Uruguay every year around Christmastime and the opening of high season, as the trash men there try to make it as inconvenient as they possibly can in the hopes they get a pay raise. Here, the strike comes right before the presidential elections, either in the hope that the current president gives them a generous parting gift of higher wages (not likely) or, more likely, it is all an orchestrated event banking that Michelle Bachelet, the new more left-leaning president they hope to elect, uses it as an opportunity to give lip service not only to the socialist cause but also uses it to look magnanimous and problem-solver-esque. Because she dropped the ball on all the other initiatives she did in her last term, like FUBAR'ing public transportation and FUBAR'ing the post-quake reconstruction.
ExpatBob's infinite wisdom is as follows (and this worked in Curitiba, Brazil, by the way): Fire all the garbage collectors and post a reward per bag of trash brought to the dump. Every square inch of Santiago will be spotless within a few days, will remain so for the forseeable future, and there will never be garbage strikes ever again.
Sunday movie reviewPosted: October 28, 2012 in Life
Tags: Chile, election, movies
Since there's nothing to do today (literally, the whole city is shut down, save for supermarkets, for the municipal election) I'll write about a few of the movies we've seen lately.
"Wasting Away," also known as "AAAh! Zombies!" is a cheesy but funny low-budget zombie film with a unique twist on the genre which is used for much comic relief. Worth seeing for zombie fans. I rate it 3.5/5 on the Bob-O-Meter.
"Fase 7" is an Argentine suspense/horror movie about a disease outbreak and the perils that ensue in an apartment building during quarantine. Excellent dialogue, good humor, good characters. I rate it 4/5.
"Fahrenheit 451," the original 1966 film adaptation. I give it a stinker 1/5. Maybe it was shagadelic for its day but sitting through it was like getting a root canal. Read the book instead.
"Being Elmo" is an excellent documentary. It just goes to show that if you stick to your goal of excellence and strive to get off your ass, you can get anywhere you want to go. Also nice to see another artistic person who was tormented by his peers who "just didn't get it" succeed, and now he sleeps comfortably in his bed made of money. Bob-O-Meter: 5/5.
"Cocaine Cowboys," "Cocaine Cowboys 2," and "Square Grouper" all by Raconteur productions, tell stories about the Florida drug trade in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Simply amazing the stuff that people used to get away with. Bob-O-Meter: 4.5/5 average for all 3.
"Mr Nice": the story of Howard Marks. While we're on the drug-smuggler kick, this also proved to be an interesting movie. Based on his biography, which I have not yet read but am told is much better and more colorful. I look forward to reading it. Bob-O-Meter: 4/5
NetFlix is dangerous. Kind of like Tivo…
Voting in the USA?Posted: October 1, 2012 in Humor, Stupidity
Tags: election, Obama, Obama phone, Romney, USA, voting
Just a reminder. Even though nothing will really change no matter which clown is elected, do you really want to vote to support this?


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Oh Yea!! More IPA's
Greetings beer lovers! So, what is going on with the love of hops? Are you all kind, danky herbalist in a former life looking for the sensi? Long long time ago in another world...... IPA's ruled and so what goes around comes around, I guess! We'll try to keep the till filled with the IPA's. Cheers! Todm
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
5 C's is on.... WTF is with the IPA's
2 comments:
Brew an IPA with galaxy hops and I'd never leave the bar!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 6, 2012 at 12:54 PM
More IPA the better. Not sure what could possibly be better than bottle rocket though...ReplyDelete
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August 13th
Dream word – MARKING
"Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes." NKJV.
Letting God mark your territory
In the early hours of this morning, in the thick darkness before the coming day, the fox who lives in our back garden and thinks he owns the place, decided to very noisily beat the boundaries of his territory, to both proclaim his presence and to protect his claim. A fox's territorial yell is one of the most disturbing sounds in the night that you will ever hear. It is loud, aggressive, disconcerting and troubling. I tell you, it would certainly make me think twice about encroaching upon his territory!
Now, whatever you think about territorial spirits, I do both from the Scriptures and from my own experience believe they exist. Like the fox you will hardly ever see them and be only aware of their presence by secondary signs of their presence, such as ripped open garbage bags, smelly faeces or leftover bones and feathers on the lawn. If however, you begin to encroach or move upon their territory in any manner that relates to conquering, subduing or removing, then I tell you, like wild banshees, the secret foxes will begin to march the bounds of their territory and noisily proclaim their possession. Oh, and they will bite you!
Most of us Christians are often unknowingly plagued by such foxes. From the mysterious murdering of small dreams, whose remains are laid unceremoniously upon the sparkling dew of our wet morning greens, to the genocidal devastation of all of our chickens of providence, the secondary evidence of spiritual foxes nevertheless abound. When this happens, we need to go fox hunting and when we find them, we need to unmercifully get rid of the infestation of such predator vermin. I am of course now not talking about real foxes!
Spiritually speaking then, getting rid of these little foxes is both messy and time consuming and even when we succeed, even then there is no guarantee that they will not return. There are however, two immensely practical things we can do to help get rid of the foxes and then keep them out. Those two practical things are all about the making of music and the marking of our territory.
First then, we need to mark our own boundaries, our possessions with the fierce proclamation of the victorious possessor. We need to march around our being, around our families, around our ministries, around our churches, around our jobs, around our vocations, around our gifting and our callings, singing Psalms and spiritual songs of declarative and confrontational possession! In the name of our God we need to march and pray with warlike intent, powerfully proclaiming that this land is ours and we shall possess it with every ounce of energy within us. We need to be very definite and fierce in this.
Secondly we need to get some lion poop! Yes indeed, one of the best ways to deal with real foxes, to get them out and keep them out, is to go down to the local zoo and get a bag of lion poop! Get the poop and spread it on your land. Once the foxes realise, even just through the secondary indicators of a possible larger and fiercer predator on their patch, then they shall up sticks, take the kits and go! Let us then invite our great King, The Lion of The Tribe of Judah, to mark our territory with His very presence. Don't you know that even the secondary indicators of the presence of the King, will cause the foxes to depart? Invite God this night then, to come and most thoroughly make you His possession and so mark all the boundaries of your territory with the steaming proclamation of all His mighty claims. Now if you dare, that will make a very interesting prayer for you tonight!
Listen: "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation." (Matthew 12:43-45 NKJV)
Pray: Lord, when You have cleansed us, help us always with light and power, hope and victory, grace and truth, mercy and tenacity, to fill our houses with light and love. Meanwhile Lord, great Lion, we invite You to come and mark us with signs of your great possession. In Jesus name we pray, amen.
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Obamacare is the moniker for the Affordable Care Act. Unfortunately, a lot of people thought the last thing Obamacare would do was make health care more affordable. Yet, early signs are pointing in the direction of a long-term change in America's cost of providing health services.
The November, 2013 White House report on "Trends in Health Care Cost Growth" provides a plethora of data supporting declining health care costs. Growth in health care cost per capita at 1% in 2011 was the lowest since record keeping began in the 1960s. Health care inflation now seems to be about the same as general inflation, after 5 decades of consistently outpacing other price increases. And Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projections of Medicare/Medicaid cost as a percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) have declined substantially since 2010.
Of course, one could easily accuse the White House of being self-serving with this report. But at a February National Association of Corporate Directors Chicago Conference on health care,
- one of the nation's top independent health care data analysts,
- the CEO of the nation's 4th largest health insurer,
- the CEO of one of the country's largest providers of Human Resource Services and healthcare exchange services,
- the Chief Medical Officer of one of the country's largest integrated health care providers,
- and the CEO of one of the largest retail drugstore chains.
all agreed that, indeed, the world has changed as a result of Obamacare. And one short-term outcome is American health care trending toward greater affordability.
How Obamacare accomplished this, however, is not at all obvious.
Abdication: that is the word which best desribed patient health care choices for the last several decades. Patients simply did whatever they were told to do. If a test was administered, or a procedure recommended, or a referral to a specialist given, or a drug prescribed patients simply did what they were told – "as long as the insurance paid."
The process of health care implementation, how patients were treated, was specified by medical professionals in conjunction with insurance companies and Medicare. Patients had little – or nothing – to do with the decision making process. The service was either offered, and largely free, or it wasn't offered.
In effect, Americans abdicated health care decision-making to others. The decisions about what would be treated, when and how was almost wholly made without patient involvement. And what would be charged, as well as who would pay, was also made by someone other than the patient. The patient had no involvement in determining if there was any sort of cost/benefit analysis, or the comparing of different care options.
Insurance companies dickered with providers over pricing. Then employers dickered with insurance companies over what would be covered in a plan, what the price would be and what percentage was paid by the insurance company and what would be paid by patients. When a patient needed treatment either the employer's insurance company paid, after a negotiation on price with the provider, or the insurance company did not. And patients largely consumed whatever care was offered under their plan.
Or, if it was Medicare the same process applied, just substitute for "employer" the words "a government agency."
Americans had abdicated the decision-making process for health care to a cumbersome process that involved medical professionals, insurance companies and employers. While patients may have acted like health care was free, everyone knew it was not free. But the process of deciding what would be done, pricing and measuring benefits had been abdicated by patients to this process years ago.
Obamacare moves Americans from a world of abdication to a world of accountability. Everyone now has to be insured, so the decision about what coverage each person has, at what level and cost, is now in the hands of the patient. Rather than a single employer option, patients have a veritable smorgasboard of coverage options from which they can select. And this begins the process of making each person accountable for their health care cost.
When people receive treatment, by and large more is now being paid by the patient. And once people had to start paying, they had to be accountable for the cost (higher deductibles and co-pays had already started this process before Obamacare.) When people became accountable for the cost, a lot more questions started to be asked about the price and the benefit. Instead of consuming everything that was available, because there was no cost implication, patient accountability for some of the cost has now forced people to ask questions before committing to treatments.
Higher accountability now has consumers (patients) asking for more choices. And more choices pushes providers to realize that price and delivery make a difference to the patient – who is now a decision-making buyer.
In economic lingo, accountability is changing the health care demand and supply curves. Previously there was no elasticity of demand. Patients had no incentives to reduce demand, as health care was perceived as free. Providers had no incentive to alter supply, because the more they supplied the more they were paid. Both supply and demand went straight up, because there was no pricing element to stand in the way of both increasing geometrically.
But now patients are making decisions which alter demand. Increasingly they determine what procedures to have, based on price and expected outcomes. And supply is now altered based upon provider and price. Patients can shop amongst hospitals and outpatient facilities to determine the cost of minor surgery, for example, and decide which solution they prefer. More services, at different locations and different price points alter the supply curve, and make an impact on the demand curve. We now have elasticity in both demand and supply.
A patient with a mild heart arythmia can decide if they really need an in-house EKG with a cardiologist review, or substitute an EKG detected from a smartphone diagnosed by an EKG tech remotely. With both services offered at very different price points (and a host of options in the middle,) it is possible for the patient to change their demand for something like an EKG – and on to total cost of cardiac care. They may buy more of some care, such as services they find less costly, or providers that are less pricey, and less of another service which is more costly due to the service, the provider or a combination of the two.
And thus accountability starts us down the road to greater affordability.
In distribution terms, the old system was a "wholesale system" which had very expensive suppliers with pricing which was opaque – and often very bizarre. Pricing was impossible to understand. Middlemen in insurance companies hired by employers tried to determine what services should be given to patients, and at what prices for the employers (not the patient) to pay. This wholesale distribution method of health care drove prices up. Neither those creating demand (patients) or those offering the supply (medical providers) had any incentive to use less health care or lower the price. And often it left both the patient and the supplier extremely unhappy with how they were treated by arbitrary middle men more interested in groups than individuals.
But the new system is a retail system. Because the patient no longer abdicates decision making to middle-men, and instead is accountable for the health care they receive and the price they pay. It is creating a far more rational pricing system, and generating new curves that are starting to balance both supply and demand; while simultaneously encouraging the implementation of new options that provide the ability to enhance the service and/or outcome at lower price points.
Obamacare is just beginning its implementation. "The devil is in the details," and as we saw with the government web site for exchanges there have been many, many glitches. As with anything so encompassing and complex, there are lots of SNAFUs. The market is still far from transparent, and patients are far from educated, much less fully informed, decision makers. There is a lot of confusion amongst providers, suppliers and patients. Regulations are unclear, and not always handled consistently or judiciously.
But, America has made one heck of a start toward containing something which has overhung economic growth since the 1970s. The health care cost trend is toward greater price visibility, smarter consumers, more options and lower health care costs both short- and long-term.
In the 1960s Congress, and the nation, was deeply divided over passing the Civil Rights Act. Its impact would be significant on both the way of life for many people, and the economy. How it would shape America was unclear, and many opposed its passage. Called for by President Kennedy, President Johnson worked hard – and with lots of strong-arming – to obtain its passage after Kennedy's death.
After a lot of haggling, some Congressional trickery, filibustering and a lot of legal challenges, the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 and it ushered in a new wave of economic growth as it freed resources to add to the American economy instead of being held back. It was a game changer for the nation, and 40 years later, it's hard to imagine an America without the gains made by the Civil Rights Act.
Looking 40 years forward, Obamacare – the ACA – may well be legislation that is seen as an economic game changer. Although its passage was bruising to many in the nation, it changed health care from a system of patient abdication to one of patient accountability, and thereby directed health care toward greater affordability for the country and its citizens.


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A few weeks ago I found myself on an overcrowded, early-morning flight from JFK to Heathrow. I was sleep deprived, suffering with really bad PMT, and super-hangry (seriously, why are the food options so bad at JFK airport?!). So I needed something to calm my bubbling rage, and thankfully Home Again was available on the in-flight entertainment.
I first watched Home Again last fall, when it was released in cinemas. It stars Reese Witherspoon, was produced by Nancy Meyers, and written and directed by Nancy's daughter, Hallie Meyers-Shyer. (And it's now available on DVD, if you missed it the first time around).
It's a really cute, fun rom-com. And it's made even better by the insanely gorgeous house that Reese Witherspoon's character lives in!
Now, anyone who is at all familiar with Nancy Meyers' work (It's Complicated, The Holiday, Something's Gotta Give, The Intern…) will know that she's famed for her beautiful movie interiors. I regularly dream about the kitchen in It's Complicated, and have even considered printing "When I grow up I want to live in a Nancy Meyers movie" on a poster for my home office.
But I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the house in Home Again is more beautiful than all of the movie interiors that came before it. And, if you need convincing, here's the full home tour…
Living Room
Alice Kinney's (Reese Witherspoon) stunning California home was created by production designer Ellen J. Brill, who has been working as a Hollywood set decorator since the early '90s. The Spanish-style house was decorated to reflect Alice's personality.
"Alice is a very relatable woman. She's funny, she's warm, she's a mother," explains Meyers-Shyer.
Get the look by layering scatter cushions in a mix of patterns and textures (try Anthropologie and Amara for similar styles). And bring depth into the room with wicker furniture and layered artwork (King & McGaw has a wide selection of contemporary, abstract art).
Dining Room
The main dining space in the Home Again house is warm and welcoming, with a classic dining set. However, the dining area in the kitchen is my preferred space, because I love how the room blends together seamlessly with the patio outside.
Get the look with this affordable and almost-identical Ikea table, and accessorise with wicker chairs and matching cushions.
One of the things I love the most about the bedroom in Home Again is that the bedside tables don't match. I'm currently decorating my first home, and have been wondering if it's a major faux-pas to get mismatching bedside tables. There's something about a matching set that feels a bit too formal, for me.
Get the look at Zara Home, which has a selection of lamps in a similar style. And search around your local charity shops for blue and white china – you'll be surprised by what you can pick up for £5!
Home Office and Entryway
I don't actually remember the entryway or home office being featuring in the movie at all, but I love both spaces anyway. The entryway, in particular, shows that it's easy to add warmth to white walls by accessorising with natural tones and textures.
Get the look with straw and canvas storage baskets. H&M Home has a great selection at affordable prices. And you can usually pick up similar pieces in TK Maxx too.
Garden and Guest House
And, last but not least, comes the garden and guest house. Both of which have a really tranquil feel. The majority of the outdoor furniture seen in Home Again came from Pottery Barn, and compliments the colour palette that runs throughout the home interior.
Get the look at Petersham Nurseries in Covent Garden, if you're based in London. They sell adorable potted orange trees that will give you a taste of this stunning garden – without needing acres of outside space!
Have you seen Home Again yet? Were you inspired by the beautiful California home at the centre of the movie? And which others homes from film or TV are you obsessed with? For me the It's Complicated, Grace & Frankie and Brothers and Sisters homes are all high on the list!
P.S. My 2015 interview with Nancy Meyers. (Spoiler alert: she was super cool!)
Photos by Amy Neunsinger


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I know Easter was so four days ago, but I'm finally ready to write about it. I've been in major screenplay mode all week, and I just didn't have the time or energy to put together a post about my weekend until today.
Here are a few shots.
I started my Easter celebration by attending the intimate, outdoor sunrise service at Bel Air Presbyterian.
And actually, it's still cold after the sun comes up….
ANYWAY, After freezing my tukhus off at church, I came home and made an Easter basket for my cousin Maddie.
I even put a bow on it because everything is better with a bow on it.
Then I picked Maddie up, and we went to the beach for Easterelle Day. (Easterelle Day = Easter + Elle's Actual Birthday. Just in case you were wondering.)
And the food was epic.
Actually, everyone thought so. (I'm going to take their word for it; I was still sick so I couldn't really taste any of it.) We didn't even get that much sand in any of it either, so that was awesome.
I'll get to the cupcakes and the leek and pea puree in parm cups later. I need to get back to my script now.
But before I go… here's one of my favorite songs at the moment. It's the Mr. Fiji Wiji remix of Tiesto and Kyler England.
Just 'cuz.


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CC Liu, Pat Macpherson, Mr. Nguyen, Wisdom Quarterly; Arn Chorn Pond BBC.co.uk (BBC World Service, Monday, Sept. 15, 2014) CAMBODIA COVERAGE
|Escaping the Khmer Rouge to a Thai Buddhist refugee camp (THAI-ON/flickr.com)
|The jungle has no mercy, not for monkeys, snakes, leeches, tigers, or humans...
Music Saved me From the Killing Fields
|Woodlands and jungle (bhumi deva land)
Also: Turkish film director Kutlug Ataman is recognized around the world for his documentaries. And ghoulish Italian Cesare Bergamini has been catching and killing eels for decades. His boathouse on the River Tiber is under the Rome ringroad. More episodes


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Protecting our history with harakeke - the National New Zealand Flax Collection
Harakeke (Phormium tenax; NZ flax) and wharariki (Phormium cookianum; mountain flax) are endemic to Aotearoa.
Flaxes have been used by Māori for centuries as an essential resource for clothing, kete (containers), whāriki (mats), hunting and fishing equipment, and even rongoā (medicine).
Manaaki Whenua is kaitiaki (guardian) of the National New Zealand Flax Collection. The collection is made up of over 300 plants. The five main collections include weaving varieties, ornamental garden plants, historical plants from the early flax industry, plants taken to offshore islands by both Māori and Pākehā, and a collection of plants representing what grows in the wild.
The most-prized part of the collection is the 50 traditional weaving varieties donated by Rene Orchiston of Gisborne and planted at the Manaaki Whenua Lincoln site in 1987. For generations, these plants were selected from the wild by Māori, and carefully named and cultivated in their pā harakeke (flax gardens).
Each of the 50 varieties at the Lincoln, were selected from natural stands and cultivated by Māori weavers for their unique leaf and fibre properties. Many varieties have been in cultivation for generations and include plants especially suited to weaving kete, whāriki, piupiu, and kākahu.
The National New Zealand Flax Collection and its associated databases (Ngā Tipu Whakaoranga and National NZ Flax Collection) are treasured by Manaaki Whenua and used for education and as a resource by weavers and scientists alike.
The National NZ Flax Collection is a Nationally Significant Database and Collection funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment's Strategic Science Investment Fund (SSIF).


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LOS ANGELES — State and county health officials are warning recreational shellfish gatherers that it is unsafe to harvest shellfish from the California coast.
The California Department of Public Health says elevated levels of two toxins have been detected in mussels along the coast — and severe poisonings could result in death.
The department's annual quarantine usually takes effect from May through October, but testing found the toxins in mussels. There is no known antidote to the toxins.
The quarantine includes all bays, harbors and estuaries. Commercially-harvested shellfish are not included in the quarantine.
Consumers of sport-harvested clams or scallops are advised to eat only the white meat and discard dark-colored organs and viscera before cooking.


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Old Saybrook-based Casual Curtain goes out of business
OLD SAYBROOK >> Home furnishings retailer Casual Curtain, in business for more than three decades, has closed.
The chain, which was founded in 1981, had about half-dozen locations, including stores in Cheshire, Guilford and Old Saybrook, where Casual Curtain was headquartered. Shoppers in Cheshire said the store closed its doors within the past two weeks and, over the weekend, a hand-lettered sign reading "Business Closed" was hanging in the doorway of the 957 South Main St. store.
The chain's website also says Casual Curtains has closed.
A woman standing outside the Cheshire store Sunday said Casual Curtain had been running sales with deep discounts for months.
"I kept asking the people who worked in the store if they were going out of business," said the woman, who declined to give her name. "Maybe the employees didn't know."
The chain's top executives, as listed on the Connecticut secretary of the state's website, were Cromwell resident Denis Lemire, who was the company's president, and Joseph Ettore of Deep River, executive vice president of the retailer. Prior to taking over the leadership of Casual Curtain, both were top-level executives at Ames, a discount retail chain that went out of business in 2002 and was headquartered in Rocky Hill at the time of its demise.
Neither man was immediately available for comment Monday.
Jaclyn Falkowski, a spokeswoman for state Attorney General George Jepsen, said the state agency has received one consumer inquiry regarding the closing.
"We have been in touch with the company, which has represented to our office that it intends to ship all outstanding orders for those customers it can locate," Falkowski said. "We continue to encourage customers who do not receive their merchandise within a reasonable period of time to seek a charge-back from their credit card company and to contact our office if they wish to file a complaint."
Complaints, she said, can be filed by completing a form at the AG's website, or by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com. Consumers with questions can call the agency's Consumer Assistance Unit at 860-808-5420.
Call Luther Turmelle at 203-789-5706. Have questions, feedback or ideas about our news coverage? Connect directly with the editors of the New Haven Register at AskTheRegister.com.


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Patrons vote with their time and dollars. Though much can be learned by surveying arts audiences, a patron's purchase and donation history cuts through assumptions about what they value.
The arts industry can learn by studying how people attend and give to the arts organizations in their community. Through primary research of our client organizations and community networks, as well as a formal partnership with the National Center for Arts Research, TRG regularly releases findings to the field based on arts transactional research.
What do you want to learn? Whether you are a group of arts organizations, a service organization or a foundation, TRG wants to listen to your burning questions and explore the answers that data can provide. Email
to start a conversation.
Schedule a call with TRG
TRG's team of analysts are infinitely curious. Whether you are part of a consortium of arts organizations, a foundation or an arts service organization, we welcome an exploration of how to leverage the data in your combined ticketing and fundraising systems into actionable analysis for the community. This best practice approach will allow you to take steps to maximize your organization's revenue potential, while building loyalty with your patrons.
Below are some projects we have done or would like to do in arts communities.
How stable is the base of arts supporters in your community? This study looks at the relative loyalty of arts patrons in a given community, using their purchase and donation histories. Utilizing TRG's Patron Loyalty Index scoring tool, this research project answers practical questions about the health of your community.
17 arts organizations. Seven years of data. Nearly 1 million arts patrons. One community. Learn what we found about community engagement in Philadelphia by profiling audience loyalty within each individual organization, and tracking loyal behavior across the community.
Read more>>
This study seeks to understand what is happening to arts patronage in a community over time. It looks at both the type of purchase (single ticket, subscriber, member, donor, etc.) and the type of patron (new-to-file, multi-buyer, etc.) in an effort to learn more about their behavior.
This study provides a solid overview of the current arts consumers in your community, spanning geographic, demographic and multi-buying behaviors.
Where do new arts patrons come from in your community? On any given day/night, thousands of patrons attend an arts organization for the first time. This study looks at what percentage of your community's arts consumers fall into these four distinct categories:
We ran a nation-wide analysis in 2011 about who in attendance at an arts event has been there before. The answer? Only about half. We say "only" because the prevailing conventional wisdom was that most patrons—75% or more—are repeat ticket buyers, subscribers, or members. In fact there are so many new patrons in America's audiences that we dubbed it, Every Night is Opening Night. See a 6-minute video presentation on the study here:


text: This team will be spending two full days in the Prison in La Paz where the team will be offering a Health Fair which will include: blood pressure and blood glucose readings, medical consultations, dentistry and giving out eyeglasses. This team will be comprised of both medical and non-medical volunteers. Orientation and training will be provided.


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Rick Merrill wrote: > > http://www.adaptiveaccess.com/grab_bars_shower_tub.php No - and it's a crap piece of html design too. But like any piece of advertising - take it with a *HUGE* amount of salt: I've never known an advertiser to "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth". -- Ian Stuart. Bibliographics and Multimedia Service Delivery team, EDINA, The University of Edinburgh. http://edina.ac.uk/ The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.Received on Thursday, 18 September 2008 08:13:43 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Friday, 17 January 2020 22:59:09 UTC


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Tool helps farmers anticipate their future climate
[DURBAN] Marginalised farmers in the developing world may soon be able to 'see' into the future through a tool that will help them adapt to climate change by simulating how their crop production will be affected 20 years from now.
The open access tool, called 'climate analogues', was presented on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 17) in Durban, South Africa, on Saturday (3 December).
The analogues are sites with similar climates or other factors, such as crops, soils or socio-economic characteristics. The tool locates sites where the climate today is similar to that predicted for another location in the future, enabling farmers and policymakers to determine how to adapt to such climates in the future.
Examples include maize farmers in Mexico, who could look at farming practices in Argentina, China and South Africa, where climatic conditions are very close to those predicted for Mexico in 20 years or so.
"It is very abstract when people talk about a world in 2050 without actually being able see what it is," Andy Jarvis, scientist and programme leader at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture
(CIAT) told SciDev.Net. "So the idea behind this kind of tool is to use all of the variability and diversity of climate we have today as a means of finding people's futures.
"We will take farmers to a site that is similar to their future and [help them] understand what they need to do to ensure that their production stays the same."
Jarvis added the tools would mainly be used by development agencies to identify such sites, and help them guide their actions in the future, but also provide farmers with practical experience of different climates.
"We want this to be used in Latin America, Asia and Africa, in developing countries and if it is used in others then fine but our target is developing countries," said Jarvis.
"Farmers are excellent at sharing knowledge with neighbours and within their communities. That is responsible for huge development gains and agriculture is founded on farmer knowledge but the problem is this stops at the community level. This tool is about bridging that knowledge gap [between researchers and farmers]."
Tekalign Mamo, Ethiopian agriculture minister said the tool could help his government tailor its extension services to the needs of farmers.
"We are already facing challenges of climate change with rains not falling at the appropriate time and affecting some of the technologies we are implementing," said Mamo.
The tool was developed by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research's (CGIAR) research programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).
It was designed by a team of five scientists funded with US$100,000 from the Colombian government and will be field tested with farmers in Ghana, Nepal, and Tanzania, in 2012.
A report, 'Climate Analogues: Finding Tomorrow's Agriculture Today', will be released today.


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Everyone in a leadership position will have to deal with employee issues. Whenever people work together friction occurs. How you deal with these issues will have a major impact on your success as a leader. "Problem Solving – Dealing With Employee Issues" lays out a systematic approach to dealing with employee issues and the associated problems.
"Problem Solving – Dealing With Employee Issues" can be downloaded at Smashwords at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/148680
About Larry B. Gray
Larry B Gray grew up in Eastern North Carolina in the small rural town of Aurora. His early years were spent working on his grandparents' tobacco farm and exploring his world of family, friends and school.
After marrying his high school sweetheart in 1972, he moved to Lakeland, Florida where he spent his adult years raising a beautiful family and working in the citrus industry with over 39 years of manufacturing management experience, selling real estate and being a writer wannabe, all at the same time. In his spare time he attended and graduated from Florida Southern College while working full time and starting a family.
He is still married to his high school sweetheart and has 3 beautiful children and two wonderful grandchildren. Life is not always easy but in the scheme of things it is fun and gets better every day.
Come join him on this great adventure, remembering the past and building the future.
Larry B. Gray