New York: This week provided a preview of how the Democratic Party could blow its chance to make Donald Trump a one-term president.
When Democrats took control of the US House of Representatives last November, they had a plan: hold Trump accountable through investigations while passing legislation that helps working and middle class Americans.
This would help set them up, they reckoned, for victory in the 2020 election.
Not on the to-do list: being consumed for weeks by an internecine debate about anti-Semitism that allows Republicans to paint them as radical and divided.
It started in February when Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American elected to Congress, sent a tweet suggesting that spending by pro-Israel lobby groups explain why there is such strong support for Israel among US politicians.
Omar apologised when senior Democrats - some of whom are Jewish - said she was playing into an old anti-Semitic trope of Jews using money to manipulate political outcomes.
Then at a bookstore event, Omar said she wanted "to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country".
Several Democratic colleagues again hit out, saying Omar had perpetuated the stereotype that Jewish people have "dual loyalty".
It could have ended there. But instead Democrats, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, proposed a congressional resolution rejecting anti-Semitism.
It didn't name Omar but it was clear who was being rebuked.
The backlash to Omar's comments then created its own backlash. Members of the black and progressive caucuses asked why a Muslim woman was being singled out for criticism.
Leading contenders for the 2020 presidential election spoke out. Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish, said that Democrats must not "equate anti-Semitism with legitimate criticism of the right-wing, Netanyahu government in Israel".
Kamala Harris warned that the "spotlight being put on Congresswoman Omar may put her at risk".
This lead the Democratic leadership to draft a new anti-hate resolution so broad that it was meaningless. Among those named: African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and the LGBTQ community.
The resolution passed on Thursday, local time, with unified Democratic support, but the damage was done.
The episode revealed how the Democratic Party is increasingly split between older, pro-Israel members and a younger, pro-Palestine faction.
It also overshadowed their work passing gun control and electoral reforms, and took the heat off Trump for the soaring US trade deficit.
A similar divide could play out in the Senate in coming weeks when Republican leader Mitch McConnell brings on a vote on the Green New Deal, the sweeping vision of a post-carbon America championed by young firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Progressive Democrats love it; their more moderate colleagues think it is political poison.
With almost two years to go until the next election, Democrats can survive the occasional early burst of ill discipline.
But if they keep committing unforced errors that showcase their internal divisions rather than Trump's weaknesses, then they have a death wish.


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Undercover cops show up to serve a warrant on someone else, encounter a man who we now know had a TBI recently, don’t do one damned thing to de-escalate the situation, and then shoot him dead for no reason in front of his family. And shit is about to blow up if this becomes widely seen:
https://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpg00John Colehttps://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpgJohn Cole2016-09-23 14:15:152016-09-23 14:15:15The Execution of Keith Lamont Scott
If you are a woman, or love a woman, or want a textbook case of the corruption of our medical system by Big Pharma, you need to watch, and share, this video.
(Edit – sorry, I can’t the embed to work, so please follow the link.)
(Edit2: Adam here – I went in and fixed it for you.)
Reminds me of the recently revealed news about how the sugar industry, with the help of a couple of bought-off Harvard researchers, successfully derailed studies on the negative health impacts of sugar, almost certainly contributing to the illness and premature death of…thousands?…millions?
Y’all may have already heard this, but it has been confirmed that President Obama’s humiliation of Trump at the White House Correspondents Dinner five years ago is indeed what set Trump off on his quest for the presidency:
After the humiliation of President Barack Obama raking him over the coals for pushing birther conspiracy theories, a top surrogate for Donald Trump said he will have his “ultimate revenge” when all of his critics have to “bow down” to him in the White House.
In a clip previewing an upcoming special from PBS Frontline, published online Thursday, Omarosa Manigault spoke about the abject humiliation Trump felt after Obama did an extended bit about the real estate mogul at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner.
“Every critic, every detractor, will have to bow down to President Trump,” Manigault said. “It’s everyone who’s ever doubted Donald, who ever disagreed, who ever challenged him. It is the ultimate revenge to become the most powerful man in the universe.”
Roger Stone, a longtime Trump confidant [and crackpot scumbag! — ed.] with loose ties to the campaign, called the 2011 event “the night that [Trump] resolved to run for president.”
Yeah, nothing deranged and egomaniacal as fuck about that! Since this confirmation is coming from a top campaign surrogate, maybe Lester Holt could ask Trump to explain how the public pantsing he got from PBO figured into his decision to run and whether it’s appropriate to make the American people and indeed the world’s entire population bit-players in Trump’s ego-driven psycho-drama.
While he’s at it, Holt might also ask both candidates to weigh in on the question of whether or not the U.S. president is really the “most powerful man in the universe.” Have leaders throughout the entire universe been considered, not just the Magellanic Clouds (large and small) and Andromeda?
Not every 2010 redistricting was a win for Republicans. One of our winnable districts, CO-6, is a great example.
The sixth is Tom Tancredo’s old seat, and that racist windbag was able to rack up 60/40 wins until he retired in 2008 so he could fail, badly, at running for President. But the 2010 redistricting changed that. It moved the mostly Republican southern suburbs out of the district, and added in urban, Democratic Aurora. In 2012, a Democrat came within 2 points of beating Mike Coffman, who won the seat after Tancredo retired.
Back in the old CO-6, Coffman could say anything he wanted about abortion or the gays and get away with it. Now, Coffman’s near loss had him running scared, backtracking on personhood laws, and voting for ENDA. Still, as he tries to navigate the gulf between what he really believes and what his new constituents will tolerate, his opponent, Morgan Carroll, is holding his feet to the fire by pointing out that he co-sponsored an abortion bill containing “forcible rape” language.
Morgan was the President of the Colorado Senate. She’s a smart, personable lawyer. 2016 is the year she can forcibly retire Mike Coffman by sending him to the Tom Tancredo home for old bigots. That’s why she’s on our list of winnables this year. If you want Morgan and others like her to have some money to throw out assholes like Coffey, you know what to do:
https://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpg00mistermixhttps://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpgmistermix2016-09-23 08:42:162016-09-23 08:44:00Portrait of a Winnable
https://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpg00Anne Lauriehttps://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpgAnne Laurie2016-09-23 05:36:202016-09-23 05:46:25Friday Morning Open Thread: Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor...
I’d have assumed such behavior would fall under an extremely intense version of the old rule “Never be rude to people who could spit in your food.” But then, I’m not a commanding visionary business leader like Donald ‘The Grifter’ Trump. From the Politico article:
… It’s standard practice for the agency — which is tasked with protecting presidential candidates as well as presidents and other federal officials — to reimburse presidential campaigns for the cost of traveling with the candidates.
In fact, the Secret Service has reimbursed the Clinton campaign, too: $2.6 million so far this cycle.
The difference with Trump is that one of his companies, TAG Air, Inc., owns the plane, so the government is effectively paying him.
The Clinton campaign, by contrast, mostly has been chartering planes from a private company called Executive Fliteways in which the Clintons do not have any ownership interest.
“The taxpayers are actually reimbursing Trump for the travel of the Secret Service agents,” said Brett Kappel, a campaign finance lawyer at the law firm Akerman LLP. “It’s just another example of how the Trump campaign has taken an unprecedentedly large amount of its money and spent it at Trump-owned facilities.”…
A POLITICO analysis of FEC records found that, through the end of August, Trump’s campaign has spent at least $8.2 million at Trump’s own businesses, including to hold events at his hotels, buy food from his restaurants and rent office space for its headquarters in his Manhattan office tower…
If Trump was a character on a TV comedy, he’d be rejected as “too exaggerated”.
https://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpg00Anne Lauriehttps://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpgAnne Laurie2016-09-23 04:15:162016-09-23 04:15:16Early Morning Open Thread: Trump's Grifting the Secret Service
“They know who has has a gun, who shouldn’t be having a gun.” If they can’t pass the time-honored paper bag test, for instance. Or just if it’s obvious they’re “not from around here.” THOSE people. Does he need to spell it out any more clearly?
If you support "Stop And Frisk" you're basically saying the 2nd Amendment is a whites only lunch counter
https://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpg00Anne Lauriehttps://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpgAnne Laurie2016-09-23 01:28:042016-09-23 01:28:04Late-Night 'Exactly What You Expected' Open Thread: Don Trump, Yer LAWN ORDURE Candidate!
Tremaine Lee of MSNBC is reporting live that police in Charlotte have just fired rubber bullets and what he’s describing as pepper spray (most likely pepper ball less than lethal rounds) into fleeing protestors that were marching peacefully towards I277 over an hour before the midnight curfew. Lee is reporting that the police are moving into the area, they then set up a phalanx, move towards the protestors, and as the protestors begin to move out, the police then fire the rubber bullets and pepper rounds towards them.
The next major conflict point will be at 12:00 AM EDT when the Mayor of Charlotte has called a curfew to clear the streets from midnight to 6:00 AM EDT. It is unclear how law enforcement in Charlotte plan to enforce that curfew given the several hundred peaceful protestors and demonstrators in the streets of Charlotte. Earlier this evening Reverend Barber in an interview on MSNBC indicated that the Mayor of Charlotte had agreed during a meeting with faith leaders earlier today not to impose and enforce a curfew.
For everyone in the Charlotte area please stay safe.
I’ll update as new information becomes available.
Update at 11:15 PM EDT
Mayor Jennifer Roberts just told Brian Williams on MSNBC that:
Mayor Roberts to MSNBC: "We want to be flexible… We're saying midnight. We want to have them cleared as soon after as possible."
https://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpg00Adam L Silvermanhttps://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpgAdam L Silverman2016-09-22 23:02:332016-09-23 00:53:08Breaking News: Police in Charlotte are Moving Protestors Ahead of the 12:00 AM EDT Curfew
As Tip O’Neill famously said, Everybody likes being asked! And a cynic might say HRC knows what it’s like to live with a disability, because her lack of a penis has been treated as such by every misogynist & pundit for the last 40 years. Should we be happy that more people are finally getting the voice they deserve, or ashamed that it took this long?
ORLANDO — Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is pushing intensively to win over a group of voters who don’t typically get much attention during elections but who have become an increasingly potent political force: disabled people and their families…
Clinton is also targeting Hispanics, women, caretakers of the elderly and sick, and families of gun-violence victims, among other constituencies focused on specific issues. In the case of the disability community, which cuts across all partisan and demographic divides, Clinton may be trying to attract not only Democratic-leaning voters who are not excited by her candidacy, but also voters who may be leaning toward Trump — notably disabled veterans.
One very visible piece of the effort came Wednesday in a policy speech here devoted to initiatives to more fully integrate those with disabilities into the nation’s economy. It is an issue, Clinton said, that “really goes to the heart of who we are as Americans.”
Speaking in a packed community-center gym in this presidential battleground state, Clinton pledged to fully support “a group of Americans who are, too often, invisible, overlooked and undervalued, who have so much to offer but are given too few chances to prove it.”…
“A lot of families and people with disabilities are single-issue voters, where this is the primary issue in deciding who to vote for,” said Allison Wohl, executive director of the Association of People Supporting EmploymentFirst, a group that seeks employment and self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. “So the campaign sees an opportunity.”
Before Wednesday’s speech, Wohl participated in a conference call between campaign aides and disability advocates to preview what the candidate would say.
And behind the scenes, the campaign had already enlisted more than 200 advocates for disabled people, who have been vouching for Clinton on social media, developing policy positions and raising some $1.3 million for her campaign, according to a Clinton adviser…
https://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpg00Anne Lauriehttps://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpgAnne Laurie2016-09-22 22:18:322016-09-22 22:18:32On Hillary Clinton Asking People with Disabilities for Their Votes
Immigration has an overall positive impact on economic growth in the United States and has small-to-no effects on wages and employment for native-born workers, according to a new report.
Prepared by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the report looked at immigration trends over the past 20 years to assess the economic impact of the now more than 40 million people living in the United States who were born in other countries. It found that immigration has an overall positive long-term impact on the economy.
It’s true that first generation immigrants can take more money from state, local and federal governments than native-born citizens, and that especially on a state and local level, it can be costly to educate the children of immigrants. But the report found that as adults, children of immigrants in the next generation are huge boosters of the economy, contributing more to the government in taxes than either their first-generation parents or native-born citizens.
So another hole in the vote Trump bullshit “argument.”
Anybody from the area want to comment? From what I can see, the assumptions seem to be that this is (a) putting down a marker for future elections; (b) a way to encourage voters to show up for down-ballot races; and/or (c) a relatively low-cost way of messing with Trump/Cruz/the Texan GOP…
The El Paso office won't be Clinton's first in Texas. Her campaign and the DNC already have offices in Houston, San Antonio and Austin.
https://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpg00Anne Lauriehttps://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpgAnne Laurie2016-09-22 18:10:582016-09-22 18:10:58Open Thread: The Not-Yellow Rose of Texas
Dana Houle is a Democratic campaign professional, sitting this cycle out while he’s primary caregiver for his two-year-old twins. His twitter feed has been a great resource and a comfort to me, because he’s got the professional’s eye for the seams in Trump’s Potemkin village campaign.
Apart from always keeping in mind that Trump’s a con artist, what’s on the agenda for the evening?
Even if Trump's brand value is declining, his political kickback operation is going like gangbusters. https://t.co/2XRNqgvTr2
Kevin Drum made an interesting observation this morning – a lot of major central banks would like to see more inflation right now, but so far no one has pulled it off. A bunch of people replied that maybe one of the central banks should try printing a lot of money, so Drum pointed out that Japan already did that.
So the conclusion is…free money is really free? Can we print out the entire federal deficit? Alexander Hamilton would roll over in his grave, but think of the positive side. America would finally qualify for a decent mortgage rate. The Fed could mail fat envelopes of cash to everyone with a social security number. I bet that would poll pretty well.
I would guess* the answer has more to do with the psychological side of finance. Maybe printing money has no effect as long as everyone thinks that the bank is still being responsible. If international investors get nervous that the bank is really shooting the moon, maybe they will all get worried at the same time and all the bad stuff we associate with an inflation spike will kick in irreversibly all at once. Or maybe it’s not enough for the Fed to print money. Rich folks mostly just squirrel excess cash away in in some foreign account where it gathers fees and puffs up investment bubbles and generally doesn’t do anyone much good.
Perhaps you also need to get that scratchola into the hands of people who will reliably stimulate the economy with it. That is to say, poor people. If you give a poor person ten dollars they will spend most of it right away, in America, on stuff that supports jobs in America. Poor people all having enough money to buy eggs (and a refrigerator) will pretty much a priori make eggs (and refrigerators) more expensive. In my happy fantasy world where Republicans return the value of the air they consume, I can imagine coupling a major QE push with a comparable surge in infrastructure/jobs and safety net spending. Betcha ten bucks we would hit two percent inflation pretty quickly, and without the likely very bad consequences of the Fed just leaving the presses running until China and Europe hit the panic button.
(*) Professor Krugman is trying to knock a stuck bag of Welch’s fruit snacks free from a vending machine, so I’m just going to sit in his chair here for a minute and write this. Don’t tell him, ok?
https://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpg00Tim F.https://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpgTim F.2016-09-22 14:20:402016-09-22 14:23:01Gimme money, that's what I want
https://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpg00Doug!https://www.balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/balloon_juice_header_logo_grey.jpgDoug!2016-09-22 12:20:302016-09-22 12:20:30The best things in life are free
Twitter agreed to unblock the account of a University of Tennessee law professor Thursday morning after the faculty member and contributing columnist for USA TODAY and the News Sentinel agreed to delete a post that urged motorists to run over demonstrators blocking traffic in Charlotte, N.C.
In response to a tweet from a TV news station in Charlotte that showed protesters on Interstate 277, the @Instapundit account wrote, “Run them down.”
Glenn Reynolds, the creator of the Instapundit blog, tweets from the handle @Instapundit.
He posted to Twitter shortly after 10 a.m. that his account had been unblocked.
UT College of Law Dean Melanie D. Wilson said in a statement Thursday morning that she and university administrators are investigating the matter.
Wilson called the tweet an “irresponsible use of his platform.”
“The university is committed to academic freedom, freedom of speech, and diverse viewpoints, all of which are important for an institution of higher education and the free exchange of ideas,” she wrote. “My colleagues and I in the university’s leadership support peaceful disobedience and all forms of free speech, but we do not support violence or language that encourages violence.”
She called the concerns about the tweet from students and staff, along with those from citizens across the country, “serious and legitimate.”
Reynolds defended his tweet earlier Thursday.
“Yes, that was my post,” he wrote in an email to the News Sentinel. “ It was brief, since it was Twitter, but blocking highways is dangerous and I don’t think people should stop for a mob, especially when it’s been violent.”
I don’t think he should be banned from twitter, because he wasn’t specifically harassing individuals. I also don’t think he should be fired for this, because I think getting people fired for saying stupid things is wrong. I can’t control when companies drop people for saying and doing stupid things because they want to protect their brand, but I don’t support campaigns to get people canned. I’m pretty sure Glenn hasn’t been as charitable to people on the other side of the aisle in similar circumstances, but I’m too lazy to google it because it would require reading more Glenn Reynolds.
Having said that, his defenses are complete bullshit. He wasn’t making a nuanced argument about self defense (and the latest arguments about Reginald Denny are nonsense, too). He was just being his usual dickish self. He’s spent the last two decades as an internet tough guy, spouting off wingnut bullshit and masquerading as a libertarian. This is just a case of a well known asshole tweeting something shitty.
Having said all that, he’ll be fine. He’s says he’s quitting twitter after making a few more “points” and behind the scenes is probably scrambling to negotiate with UT that his quitting twitter will end the issue, he’ll still be on the wingnut welfare gravy train at PJ Media and other outlets, and he’ll probably manage to parlay this into more martyr money somehow.
In essence, it is the story of modern America in a nutshell- “Asshole says something awful, profits.” See Trump, Donald.

domain: politics


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FIRMNESS AND RESTRAINT
After Larry O'Brien surprised everybody last week by announcing his resignation as NBA commissioner, effective Feb. 1, the encomiums to him poured in from practically every league city. But among more casual NBA observers there was also some foot shuffling and throat clearing. Oh, yeah, sure. Larry O'Brien. The reaction was almost as understated as O'Brien's eight-season stewardship had at times appeared to be. It seemed so long ago that O'Brien presided over the ABA-NBA merger and the Oscar Robertson antitrust settlement. And what about the NBA's recent successes, such as the collective-bargaining agreement that averted a strike last season and its get-tough drug policy? Weren't those widely perceived as being coups by the players' union, not by management?
But give O'Brien credit. Public perceptions aside, the landmark collective-bargaining agreement, which was sensibly designed to check spiraling salaries, and the new drug-control policy were, in fact, worked out in a unique spirit of cooperation between NBA Players Association General Counsel Larry Fleisher and O'Brien. O'Brien preferred a non-confrontational approach to league problems, but he wasn't afraid to act swiftly and forcefully when necessary. He served notice of this when, in 1975, just days after assuming the job, he cracked down on the Knicks, who had signed ABA refugee George McGinnis, even though the 76ers held his draft rights. O'Brien immediately voided the New York contract, restored McGinnis' rights to Philly and docked the Knicks a future No. 1 pick for poaching. When the Lakers' Kermit Washington slugged Houston's Rudy Tomjanovich during a game in 1977, inflicting serious injuries. O'Brien imposed a fine and suspension on Washington that cost him $60,000. By such means O'Brien adroitly forestalled and defused controversy in a sport that, contested by the biggest of men in the closest of quarters, was ripe for it.
O'Brien's critics point to the league's lingering competitive imbalance and financial woes. But there's little a commissioner alone can do other than try to hold expansion in check and void ludicrous trades, both areas in which O'Brien was vigilant. As one NBA watcher put it, "The commissioner has no real power over which yo-yos will own an NBA team. It's up to the other yo-yos." But thanks largely to O'Brien's firm yet restrained leadership (all signs indicate that the "yo-yos" will name David J. Stern, the league's executive vice-president to succeed him), the NBA stands as an island of semisanity in the sea of pro sports. Now, when people think of drugs, they are just as likely to think of pro football as basketball; when they think of player violence—the rough play that has occurred during the current NBA referee strike notwithstanding—they think of hockey. And when they think of spendthrift free agency, they increasingly think of baseball.
SIGN OF RESPECT
Each week during the football season, the Student Supply Store, which is located near the Iowa State campus in Ames, puts a big sign in its front window saying SPLATTER OKLAHOMA or BEAT KANSAS and so on, depending on the name of the Cyclones' upcoming foe. Before Iowa State was shelled 72-29 two weeks ago by the nation's top-ranked team, the sign in the window was worded a bit differently. It said: MAINTAIN DIGNITY AGAINST NEBRASKA.
One day last spring, NBC-TV college basketball commentator Al McGuire called up Rich Hussey, the network's director of sports programming, and said, "My God, we have to have Ray's last game! How can we not have Ray's last game?" McGuire, the former Marquette coach, was referring to Ray Meyer, who plans to retire at the end of the 1983-84 season after 42 years as the DePaul Blue Demons' coach. Hussey quickly agreed that Meyer's regular-season finale should be telecast, but it was decided that the team's scheduled season-ender at home against Dayton on March 10 wouldn't have quite the same pizzazz as, say, a De-Paul vs. Marquette windup. So Hussey tried to get the DePaul-Marquette game that had been scheduled for Feb. 18 in Milwaukee moved to Chicago and into the March 10 slot originally set aside for DePaul-Dayton.
The switch wasn't quite as simple as it seemed. Marquette said it would cooperate as long as it wound up with the same number of home games on its schedule. That meant the Warriors needed a replacement game in Milwaukee if the game with DePaul was going to move to DePaul's home arena. The only team on Marquette's schedule that would consider giving up a home game was Northwestern, but that school needed to give its fans something in return. The Wildcats' athletic director, Doug Single, wanted to start a series with DePaul, so after getting a guarantee for a game with the Blue Demons for the 1984-85 season. Northwestern agreed to play Marquette in Milwaukee. The only date open in Milwaukee was Dec. 10. Northwestern, however, already had a game with George Mason for Dec. 10. Northwestern had an open date on Jan. 14, but George Mason had a game against Monmouth scheduled for that day. George Mason had an open date on Jan. 7, but Monmouth had a game with Rider. Monmouth had an open date on Jan. 11, but Rider had a game against American University. Fortunately, Rider and American both had openings on Jan. 12. They arranged to play on the 12th, Rider and Monmouth agreed to meet on Jan. 11, Monmouth and George Mason on Jan. 7, Northwestern and George Mason on Jan. 14 and Northwestern and Marquette on Dec. 10, Stetson had been scheduled to play Marquette on March 10, but that game was moved to Feb. 18, the day originally set for Marquette-DePaul. And what about Dayton? The Flyers consented to move their game against DePaul to Feb. 18 on condition that the game be regionally televised and that Dayton find an opponent for the open date it now had on March 10. Old Dominion agreed to fill that bill.
"It got to where I was offering Al McGuire for end-of-the-season banquets," Hussey said of the machinations and inducements it took to make all the switches. The network also agreed to pick up some air-travel expenses for George Mason and hotel bills for Monmouth and Rider. Was all this worth the effort? "Everyone was willing to go the extra mile for Ray," Hussey said.
LETTING GEORGE DO IT

domain: news


San Francisco could soon require cellphone retailers to warn customers about the potential health risks associated with the devices, reports CNN.com.
The city’s Board of Supervisors has approved an ordinance that would tell consumers about potentially dangerous energy emissions that some research suggests can be damaging to the body.
San Francisco’s revised Cell Phone Right-to-Know Ordinance, which still needs to clear a legislative hurtle, would require stores to prominently display a poster created by the city’s Department of the Environment "explaining that cellphones emit radio-frequency energy that is absorbed by the head and body, and discussing ways that cellphone users can reduce their exposure."
Retailers also would be required to give buyers a fact sheet.
Although no consensus has been reached in the scientific community on the issue, a few respected organizations have suggested cellphones can be dangerous.
A recent report from the World Health Organization classified their emissions as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” while the National Institutes of Health reported: "Although there remains some uncertainty, the trend in the accumulating evidence is increasingly against the hypothesis that mobile phone use can cause brain tumors in adults."
© 2016 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


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After the final buzzer sounded at Luzhniki Stadium, the results were a foregone conclusion. France has won the World Cup for the second time in as many decades. This past year’s World Cup was hosted by France. They were the most dominant team during the entire tournament. Will France be able to replicate and repeat their 2018 success?
World Cup Recap: France’s Victory
After going unbeaten in the group stage and allowing only one goal, Les Bleus dominated the elimination rounds by crushing Argentina 4-1 in the round of 16, beating Uruguay 2-0 in the quarterfinals, and defeating Belgium 1-0 in the semifinals.
Currently, France is sitting as the second favorite to win the World Cup 2022 with betting odds at 7.00, followed by England and Argentina both with 7.50. Please note that the World Cup betting odds 2022 differ depending on the betting site and it even fluctuates regularly.
During the first period of play, France did not attempt a single shot during open play. A rebound off Mario Mandzukic’s head on an early French free kick gave Les Bleus a 1-0 lead before either side had attempted a shot in the opening third.
The tournament’s Best Young Player, Kylian Mbappe, extended the lead six minutes later when he neatly tucked the ball past the diving keeper after receiving a pass from 25 yards out.
Throughout the summer, Mbappe was widely regarded as the world’s most exciting player. He scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win against Peru in the group stage, added two more in the round of 16 triumph over Argentina, and drew a penalty for his team. People are excited to witness Mbappe once more at the World Cup 2022 livestream in the coming weeks.
Mbappe’s impact on the 2018 World Cup
Mbappe had a fantastic tournament from an individual standpoint, as he notched four goals and an assist—a fantastic performance at any major event. But it’s important to remember that Deschamps only put him in the starting lineup for five of France’s seven games.
In spite of this, Mbappe made a significant contribution to his team whenever he was on the field, creating havoc with his searing speed and technical skill. Beyond this, he has shown wisdom beyond his years by not losing his temper in the penalty area and he’s expected to deliver the same attitude at the WorldCup22 season.
The fundamentals of keeping motivated
Talent development relies heavily on environmental influences. Under-19 matches in French soccer sometimes take place on rudimentary fields at public sites on the outskirts of towns with scant dressing rooms, despite the fact that they feature top academy players. The team is better able to connect with its objective in such a stark setting.
Benjamin Pavard, then an adolescent, would come from the brick changing facilities under the concrete stands outside of Lille after games to shake hands and politely converse with spectators. Normal life and accepted procedures in France.
Pavard, now 22 years old, started at back eventually for the World Cup champion French team and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player for his spectacular goal against Argentina. He’s definitely among the many French footballers that fans can wait to catch all throughout the World Cup 2022 fixtures Singapore time.
France’s bare-bones approach to education and training fosters intrinsic motivation, which itself is driven by factors such as personal gain, challenge, and passion.
Molding the team strategically requires a great coach
France triumphed by simply continuing its strategy from the previous six games. It resisted its foe when necessary and penalized it when possible. Once the final buzzer sounded, its players sprinted off the bench in celebration, forming jumping rings and flinging Coach Didier Deschamps into the air.
In 1998, when Deschamps was a midfielder for France, he acted as a father figure to his young team, steering them steadily toward victory. Fans could agree that he has made remarkable decisions as a coach for the team that pushed the value of all the World Cup bet offers at the time.
His 2018 squad will hardly go down in history as the most stylish or innovative winner. Instead, it will be regarded as a bunch of players who knew their roles and carried them out flawlessly as a unit, a team of tremendous talent and brutal efficiency.
Nurturing a strong roster
Some of the best players in the world are on the French national football squad. Kylian Mbappe, who emerged in Russia and produced the goals that enabled them to win the title four years ago, is currently the most talked about athlete in the world.
France, thanks to the likes of superstars like Paul Pogba, Karim Benzema, and N’golo Kante, has more than enough quality to win the tournament once again. Fans from France are hoping their team isn’t as blasé as they were at Euro 2020. In the penalty shootout for a spot in the round of 16, Mbappe missed the game-winning kick against Switzerland.
With 15 minutes left in regulation, France held a 3-1 lead; however, 2 quick goals from the Swiss necessitated a shootout, and the French were eliminated. Mbappe will be out for revenge this year after missing a penalty kick that ultimately proved fatal.
Les Bleus, along with Mbappe, Pavard, Pogba, Benzema, and Kante, will be among the favorites to defend their title at the next World Cup because of France’s streamlined talent development pathway and its young championship crop.
Catching the World Cup 2022 free livestream at your favorite sportsbook will truly elevate your World Cup experience! If you’re lucky, you’re maybe in for a great surprise earning free World Cup bets!


Our first and hence very close to our hearts,
this collection consists of nine pieces.
After being the first Denim brand to make a complete digital collection
at the Helsinki Fashion Week 2020, we’re ready with our first ‘physical’ pieces.
Bright blue bases of denim waste (we would never want to call it waste)
have been carefully chosen to make the perfect collection ‘one’
This blue can easily be achieved in the washing process too,
but we kept the washing to bare minimum,
making sure our EIM score or the impact on environment is at the least.
Our collections are going to be season-less,
but every few months some pieces will be added based on
the discards we get.
Also, a lot of lifestyle products – all made from Denim scrap
will be added soon.
Taking you through our design journey,
we collaborated with the Denim pioneer Arvind Mills and
chose there leftover small and some big denim scraps.
After careful color sorting, a series of denim furs with
various unusual techniques was designed.
Idea is to make couture come alive from
something that’s dead or of no use.
And, to make sustainability, fashion!
On to this journey with all my love,


text:
TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp. mentioned Wednesday its subsidiary Daihatsu will droop shipments of all its automobiles in and outdoors Japan in a harmful security scandal after an investigation discovered improper testing involving 64 fashions.
The security check irregularities earlier this 12 months prompted an unbiased panel investigation, which discovered widespread and systematic issues.
Toyota, citing outcomes of the panel, mentioned its probe discovered 174 new circumstances of irregularities in security check and different procedures in 25 check classes, along with the issues reported earlier.
“We’re sorry to have betrayed the belief of our prospects,” Daihatsu President Soichiro Okudaira instructed a information convention Wednesday. He acknowledged the dishonest on security testing and procedures is tantamount to neglect of security certificates.
“We take it very critically as the issue that has shaken the muse of an automaker,” he mentioned.
A lawyer and a member of the probe workforce, Makoto Kaiami, who additionally attended the information convention, mentioned employees underneath strain to satisfy administration calls for for tight growth deadline resorted to dishonest, and that the administration ought to take the blame.
The problem first emerged in April when Daihatsu reported improper testing on the door lining. Issues within the aspect collision testing additionally surfaced in Could, officers mentioned.
The issues have been present in 64 fashions and three engines of automobiles, together with 22 fashions and an engine bought by Toyota, the corporate mentioned in an announcement. The investigation additionally discovered that the issues concerned some fashions for Mazda Motor Corp. and Subaru Corp. bought at dwelling, as nicely Toyota and Daihatsu fashions bought overseas.
Daihatsu is Toyota’s unit specializing in small automobiles and vehicles which might be widespread in Japan.
Toyota expressed “honest apologies.”
“We consider to be able to stop recurrence, along with a overview of certification operations, a elementary reform is required to revitalize Daihatsu as an organization,” Toyota mentioned.
Toyota mentioned it can take a big effort, together with a overview of administration and enterprise operations in addition to the group and its construction, in addition to mindset of staff and that the corporate will present full assist to revitalize Daihatsu.


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text:
You’ll love making these tasty pumpkin cookies with the kids! Perfect for trick or treating...
For the cookies:
- 275 g plain flour
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100 g light brown soft sugar
- 50 g butter
- 50 g cooked and puréed pumpkin
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
For the icing:
- Orange fondant icing (ready rolled)
- Black fondant icing (ready rolled)
To prepare the pumpkin, cut open and scoop out the seeds and stringy bits. Cut it into large slices and dot with a little butter and sprinkle with a little brown sugar. Roast until soft, approx 45 mins at 200˚C/ 180˚C fan/gas mark 6. Allow to cool, then scoop out the flesh and mash well. By roasting the pumpkin the end purée won’t be too wet which could affect the bake. You could of course boil or steam it, just strain it if there is a lot of excess moisture. Make this ahead as it is best used cool in the dough.
To make the cookies, sift the flour, cinnamon and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the butter in small chunks and mix in with your finger tips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
In a small bowl, break the egg and beat with a fork, add the syrup and puréed pumpkin. Beat together until fully combined.
Add the wet mix to the dry and bring everything together with your hands. Place the ball of dough in a bag and put in the fridge for at least an hour. You can make the dough the night before it is needed which works really well.
Preheat the oven (before cutting out the shapes) to 170˚C/150˚C fan/gas mark 3 and line your baking trays ready.
Place the dough on a floured surface and knead briefly. Roll out to approx ½ cm thickness and use cutters to make your biscuit shapes. Place on the baking trays and bake for 15 mins or until they start to darken slightly at the edges.
Once baked, leave the biscuits for 5 mins before transferring to a cooling rack to allow to cool completely before decorating.
To ice the cookies, first roll out the orange icing. Use a little corn flour or icing sugar if it is sticking. A 2-3mm thickness is usually enough. Using the same cookie cutter as before, cut out shapes. With a clean brush, dampen the cookie with a little water then stick on the icing.
Roll out the black icing to the same thickness and either cut out shapes for a face or use cutters for words like “BOO”!
TIP:* Give the kids icing and sprinkles and let them decorate to their hearts content!* These cookies can keep in an airtight tin for up to a week.

domain: food


text:
To tie in with the release of the animated feature film, Warner Brothers has released the 1970 TV cartoon Horton Hears a Who! on DVD. The project was the second television special that combined the talents of author Dr. Seuss and animator Chuck Jones, the first being the Christmas classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
In the jungle of Nool, Horton the Elephant, with the help of his big ears, hears a small cry for help coming from a dust speck. He soon discovers the voice belongs to Dr. H. Hoovey, one member of a large community, known as Whoville, that lives on a speck of dust. Horton puts the speck on a piece of clover to carry it around. None of the animals can see or hear whom Horton is talking to so they don’t believe him. Jane Kangaroo leads the charge to cage Horton and boil the dust speck. The impending doom forces everyone in Whoville to work together to be heard.
The story is an enjoyable tale. It’s fun on the surface while containing a number of themes. Everyone must work together to succeed speaks to society. There are things to believe in that we can’t necessarily see, which has both scientific and religious connotations. Pro-life groups have even taken Horton’s line, “A person is a person, no matter how small,” to support their position regarding abortion. Like all good works of art, there are many things a viewer can take away from Horton.
The animation is Jones’ classic style and is familiar from his work on The Grinch and Looney Tunes. He even makes an appearance as Dr. H. Hoovey who resembles Jones. Cartoon fans will recognize the voices of Hans Conried and June Foray.
There are three other Seuss-inspired cartoons included on the disc. The oldest is the 1942 version of Horton Hatches the Egg! directed by Bob Clampett. Horton’s first appearance in a Seuss story finds him filling in for Maize, a bird who is bored from sitting on her egg and would rather play. She talks Horton into taking over and ends up taking off for 51 weeks. Horton’s mantra is “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant: An elephant's faithful one hundred percent,” so he refuses to budge off the nest, regardless of the animals who mock him or the presence of big-game hunters. The cartoon has a message about responsibility and the rewards that come with it.
The Butter Battle Book was animated and directed by Ralph Bakshi in 1989. The story is about the Yooks and the Zooks, who are separated by a wall and only have one difference: what side of their toast do they butter — the top or the bottom? A similar idea was used in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, as the people from Lilliput and Blefuscu waged perpetual war over the right way to eat an egg. The mutual dislike between the Yooks and Zooks leads to an escalating arms race. Charles Durning plays the grandfather.
The final story is Daisy-Head Mayzie, which was first turned into a cartoon and then published in 1995 after Seuss’ death. The Cat in the Hat narrates the story about this young girl who sprouts a daisy out of her head. She becomes a celebrity around town and eventually leaves home under the wing of an agent, which she finds unsatisfying. Unlike the other cartoons the moral is directly stated for the viewer. This one doesn’t have the same magic as the others, which is likely why nothing ever came of it while Seuss was alive.
The Horton Deluxe Edition includes two features. There’s a star-studded 90-minute documentary from 1994 called In Search of Dr Suess that examines the man and his work. It is extremely silly, probably to engage children, and is likely along the lines of something Seuss would have enjoyed. Kathy Najimy plays a reporter trying to tell the story of his life and runs across a number of his characters and reads excerpts from his book. In a separate feature, the songs from Horton Hears A Who! are used in a sing-along but instead of the bouncing ball you follow the bouncing dust speck.
Horton Hears a Who! will have a special appeal to Gen-X kids who grew up with it and should still engage children of the 21st century “no matter how small.”

domain: entertainment


Caution! Traffic’s Not The Same In Gilbertsville
GILBERTSVILLE PA – Traffic patterns changed significantly Monday (Oct. 22, 2018) at the intersection of County Line Road, Holly Road, and Route 100 – in front of the shopping center anchored by Giant Foods, 173 Holly Rd. – the Douglass (Montgomery) Township Police Department said, and it wants to ensure drivers get its message.
It placed a digital sign trailer at the location to increase driver awareness, and on its Facebook page is asking travelers to “please be patient while other motorists adjust to the new pattern.”
- Drivers headed south on County Line Road, approaching 100, must now make a full stop at the intersection, no matter what direction they intend from there. That’s new, police noted; previous signage demanded a “stop unless right turn.”
- Drivers traveling from Holly Road on the side of the Hollenbach Home Center have always been required to make a full stop there. That continues, police added.
- And drivers must recognize traffic from Route 100 does not stop. Yellow caution signs have been erected at both locations, repeating that fact.
Photo from Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license


text:
Time to Sow Tomato Seed
Time to sow tomato seed Half a century ago I knew this old Melbourne gardener who prided himself on his ability to grow and pick a decent crop of ripe tomatoes by Christmas. No mean feat in Melbourne. He didn’t have any fancy pants propagating systems. During late winter he sowed 2 or 3 tomato seeds 5mm deep in each of half a dozen 7.5cm well watered pots. He placed the pots in a metal tray and sat the tray on his indoor hot water tank. The seeds germinated within a couple of weeks.
After germination he thinned the pots to one seedling per pot and during mild days would sit the tray on some steps on the north side of his house. The plants would be brought inside overnight. During periods of heavy rain the tomatoes would be kept indoors. In early September he potted the tomato plants into 15cm pots. These were then kept outside as long as there was no danger of frosts.
The by now 60cm tall tomatoes would be planted out into their permanent position in the garden by the end of October. He was lucky enough to live in an area where there were no spring frosts.
And voila by Christmas some nice ripe tomatoes.

domain: hobby


text:
Even with signs of a recovering economy, driving by Minnesotans continues to drop off, a trend that began as early as 2004.
The latest estimate from the Federal Highway Administration shows a decline of 30 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in Minnesota from February 2009 to 2010. That followed a drop of 52 million miles in January. Americans as a whole drove 10.3 billion fewer miles in January and February than the year-earlier period, the FWHA reports.
This is good news for the environment and our deteriorating roads and bridges, but not necessarily for our economy. Increases in driving generally track with growth in population and employment; those measures of Minnesota’s economic vitality have been in the doldrums for several years now.
Our state averaged annual gains in vehicle miles traveled of 2.7 percent from 1992 to 2004, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. That was about 15 percent ahead of the national average. Since 2004, however, driving in Minnesota has been flat or declining, and MnDOT has documented an actual dropoff in per capita VMT.
“The increasing cost of gasoline could be one factor causing this decline,” MnDOT reported in September 2008, at the outset of the U.S. financial crisis. Another might be slowing or stalled population growth in the suburbs and exurbs around the Twin Cities, areas that previously racked up the state’s biggest VMT gains.
Transit ridership in Minnesota, especially the Twin Cities area, also backed off last year following huge gains in 2008. So our people just aren’t traveling as much or as far as before, at least by motorized transport. I know of no measures of mileage by foot or bicycle, but I wonder if Minnesotans are moving around more under their own power, which would be good for their health, the environment, our infrastructure — and maybe even the economy.


Expanding choices & delivering what consumers want and value, Ford India today introduced a brand-new variant to the EcoSport lineup, priced at INR 10.49 Lakh for petrol and INR 10.99 lakh diesel variants.
Christened Ford EcoSport SE, the new variant features design cues borrowed from its American & European peers, where it is sold without a rear-mounted spare wheel.
“Customers increasingly follow global benchmarks in design and look for things that are unique and distinctive, just like the new EcoSport SE,” said Vinay Raina, executive director, Marketing, Sales & Service at Ford India. “The SE carries forward EcoSport’s fun to drive credentials as well as its rich legacy of outstanding safety and best-in-segment technologies like SYNC 3.”
Apart from an elegantly designed tailgate and a new, dual-tone rear bumper sporting a silver applique, the SE variant retains EcoSport’s butch, robust appeal with a bold grille, 16-inch alloys and high ground clearance that enhance its SUV credentials.
The EcoSport SE carries forward the legacy of superior technology and connectivity with Ford’s renowned SYNC 3 infotainment system that is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible, as well as Ford PassTM integration.
Ford EcoSport is the only compact SUV to offer globally renowned mobility and connectivity solution FordPassTM across its entire lineup.
The new EcoSport SE is being offered with Ford’s trusted 1.5L three-cylinder TiVCT petrol engine that delivers segment-best 122 PS of power & 149 Nm of torque and performance-leading 1.5L TDCi diesel engine, delivering a peak power of 100 PS and peak torque of 215 Nm. Both the engines will be paired to Ford’s responsive and agile five-speed manual gearbox..
Adding to its list of accomplishments, Ford EcoSport was rated among the least expensive to maintain in its compact UV segment by Autocar India in its 2020 Maintenance Report. In the report, Ford EcoSport maintenance cost remained among the lowest in the segment with just Rs. 21,754 (or 36 paise per kilometre) to maintain EcoSport petrol over a 60,000-KM or five-year ownership cycle.
Ford’s recently introduced model year 2021 EcoSport lineup continues to offer unmatched safety, connectivity & convenience with:
- Up to six airbags for enhanced protection
- Best-in-segment SYNC 3 infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility on EcoSport SE and top-of-the-line S variant
- A 9-inch touchscreen-based, infotainment system & embedded navigation on most variants
- A sun-roof on half of the variant lineup, including EcoSport SE
- Unmatched convenience with driver assistance features like automatic HID headlamps, daytime running lights, electrochromic mirror, rain-sensing wipers, push-button start and scores of other intuitive features


Haha. I saw that with Brando and Goodie and we laughed hysterically. We couldnt decide who instigated this loving embrace..
I first saw GW there when he was sittin next to Emmitt Smith..thought that was a pretty weird duo myself…
'Poor little snowflake' – the defining insult of 2016The GuardianBetween the immediate aftermath of Brexit and the US presidential election, one insult began to seem inescapable, mostly lobbed from the right to the left: “snowflake.” Independent MEP Janice Atkinson, who was ... Depending on what you read, being part ...
New York Times (blog)Who Will Be President?New York Times (blog)The New York Times is one of many news organizations to publish election ratings or forecasts. Some, like FiveThirtyEight or the Princeton Election Consortium, use statistical models, as The Times does; others, like the Cook Political Report, rely on ...and more »
CNNAfter dramatic day, GOP fails to reach health care dealCNNWhile this gathering was wrapping up, House leaders had gotten more bad news: GOP Rep. Charlie Dent, the leader of the moderate Tuesday Group, released a statement opposing the current bill spearheaded by Ryan and President Trump. Read More.Trump fights for healthcare bill, makes headway with conse […]
US politics - times to watch on Thursday ahead of the health voteForexLiveFounded in 2008, ForexLive.com is the premier forex trading news site offering interesting commentary, opinion and analysis for true FX trading professionals. Get the latest breaking foreign exchange trade news and current updates from active traders ...and more »
NBCNews.comMore US politics to keep an eye on - latest breaking on Trump/Russia electionForexLiveFounded in 2008, ForexLive.com is the premier forex trading news site offering interesting commentary, opinion and analysis for true FX trading professionals. Get the latest breaking foreign exchange trade news and current updates from active traders ...FBI: Trum […]


text:
Return Policy: This item is final sale and is not eligible for return. Stadler Form Category: Home and Garden Product #: IDD-SF-D-001 Sale price: 599.99 Sale ends In stock! Order now!
Stadler Form Albert Dehumidifier
On the ground or in the basement, in the house by the water or even in the laundry. Albert is an efficient dehumidifier, the swing function of the air diffuser ensures optimal air distribution, particularly helpful for dehumidifying a large room.
Abert also features a unique 24 hour timer that lets you select the desired on- and off-time to the minute, and there fore benefit from different electricity rates.
Shipping: Ships within 5 to 7 business days
13.6" W x 25.9" H x 9.9" D
Weight: 35 lbs.
Making life colorful and enjoy is the goal and endeavour of us all. This also includes designer items of practical use: This is their guiding principle! A lot of household appliances are important and useful occupants of our homes.
However, they are often the ugly ducklings of the family. That’s why they came up with the idea to develop attractive and appealing household products. All their products are engineered and designed in Switzerland.

domain: design


text:
Reviews: Jaguar XF
Features/challenges: German Performance Saloon cars: (BMW M3 • Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG • Audi RS4) • Top Gear Awards 2007
Guest: David Tennant
Original air date: December 23, 2007
Clarkson, May and Hammond are at the Stig’s favourite holiday resort – the Ascari Race Resort in Ronda, Spain – with three cars to see which is the best of them. Hammond believes it’s the new BMW M3, Clarkson thinks it’s the powerful Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, and May attempts to prove it’s the very good Audi RS4. It’s not long before they test their choices in different aspects before having a go in each other’s car. Elsewhere, May tries out the new Jaguar XF designed by Ian Callum, Hammond sees if a G-Wiz would be better as a remote controlled car, the 2007 Top Gear Awards are announced, and the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant, complains about Billie Piper’s lap before seeing if he is faster than her in the Lacetti.
Note: A parody of the ‘Star in a Reasonably Priced Car’ segment from this episode was made, in which Clarkson was commenting about Tennant’s driving of the TARDIS. The parody used Clarkson’s commentary of Tennant’s lap, alongside footage from Tennant’s episodes in Doctor Who when his Doctor was using the TARDIS.


text:
Equipment supplier JSC Power Machines of Russia has launched a giant hydropower turbine on a month-long voyage by river and sea to the 3,000-MW Boguchanskaya hydroelectric project being built on Russia’s Angara River.
Under separate contracts, Power Machines is supplying nine 333-MW turbines and nine generators to Boguchanskaya, the largest power facility currently under construction in Russia, by OJS RusHydro, the former HydroOGK. (HNN 9/10/07)
Power Machines said turbine No. 1, the largest turbine manufactured in Russia in recent decades, is 7.86 meters in diameter with a weight of 155.6 tons. It said the only possible delivery method was by water, through Ladoga and Onega lakes, the White Sea-Baltic channel to the White Sea, and the Northern Sea Route of Yenisei to Krasnoyarsk. From there, the unit is being reloaded onto a river vessel for shipment to the plant site on the Angara in Siberia.
Power Machines is to deliver and install equipment for the plant through 2012. Currently it is preparing the second turbine for shipment and is building the first generator. The turbine and generator contracts are valued at 3 billion rubles (US$117.3 million) each.
RusHydro is developing Boguchanskaya as part of a joint venture with Russian metals producer United Company RUSAL that includes construction of the Boguchany Energy and Metals Complex, a 600,000-ton-per-year smelter, and a 732,000-ton-per-year timber processing complex. (HNN 9/13/07)


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Running a business is a big undertaking and it’s essential that you have the right team of professionals to help you navigate the ins and outs of not only being successful in your industry but also ensuring that your business is compliant with all of the relevant legislation and regulations. One of the people you will want to have on your team to help you do that is a good corporate lawyer.
Here is how a corporate lawyer can help ensure that your business is complying with the laws that are essential to the functioning of your business.
A corporate lawyer will review your documents and contracts to make sure that everything is in order, that you are not exposing your business to unnecessary risk, and to ensure that there are no provisions in your contracts that would impact the legality of the contract.
Ensuring that your contracts comply with all relevant legislation will help to protect your company against lawsuits and to help ensure that your contracts are enforceable. Employment contracts, for example, will be reviewed to ensure that there are no violations of any company policy or labour laws.
Another way that a corporate lawyer can help ensure that your company is complying with legislation is to act in an advisory role. As a business owner, you may not have time to monitor changes to legislation but that is part of your lawyer’s job. When new policies are introduced, your lawyer can explain how they will impact your company and what your company needs to do to be in compliance.
Your corporate lawyer can also advise you on your own policies and whether they comply with current laws. For example, if your Board of Directors is proposing a new policy, your lawyer will advise you on any legal ramifications before you decide whether or not to adopt the policy
Interpretation of Court Rulings
Unfortunately, not all laws that affect your business may be totally clear, and some may be open to interpretation as to how to follow them. Clarification on such matters may not appear until something is tested in court.
Your lawyer may provide an interpretation of a court ruling when there is a case that doesn’t involve your business but it involves other businesses in your industry. Your lawyer will advise you on how the ruling could affect your business in the future and what your next steps should be.
Contact Minhas Lawyers today
Corporate lawyers are essential in helping businesses with many of their day-to-day functions, but they can also be an invaluable resource to help businesses ensure that they are complying with all the relevant legislation to their industry. If you operate a business and are looking for a good corporate lawyer, contact Minhas Lawyers today.
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domain: law


text:
Snapchat influencer Christiana Kayode reveals how she met her boyfriend online as she advises ladies to be replying to their DMs because they wouldn’t know if Mr. Right is among the men.
Christiana is the Snapchat influencer Berbie who had issues with her former assistant who stole her money leaving her with nothing but that particular situation turned out to be a blessing because that’s when she found her rich boyfriend today.
According to her, after her former assistant ripped her off millions from her business in 2020, she was disappointed because this was someone she took as a sister and she posted she posted it on Snapchat, before she knew it, a lot of blogs had posted it.
READ ALSO: Do You Mean I Am A Skeleton And Dead? – Peter Okoye Of Psquare Quizzes Female Preacher Who Said This (Video)
So her new boyfriend saw her story on one of the blogs and sent her a DM on Instagram which she never replied because she hardly uses that but he went ahead to send her another DM on Snapchat and paid off the money her former assistant left with.
The rest she said was a history advising girls to be replying to their DMs because they have no idea who they might be rejected in their DM. She said all this while replying to a curious follower who wanted to know how she met her rich boyfriend.

domain: sociology


Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi will not play in the team's final two games of the regular season after surgery on his injured ankled, Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz said on Tuesday.
Stanzi injured his right ankle in the second quarter of Northwestern last weekend, leading to Iowa's first loss of the season. Ferentz says that he believes Stanzi has a good chance to play in a bowl game.
"I think (there's) a good chance," Ferentz told reporters this morning when asked whether or not Stanzi will be available for the postseason. "But I'm an optimist."
A severe ankle sprain that requires surgery typically requires a patient to remain in a cast for four to eight weeks.
Redshirt freshman James Vandenberg, who replaced Stanzi against the Wildcats, was 9 of 27 passing for 82 yards and an interception in the loss. He will make his first career start at No. 8 Ohio State with the winner likely going to the Rose Bowl.
Stanzi started all 10 games this season, throwing for 2,186 yards with 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
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Community Board 1 Licensing & Permits Committee
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The business of this meeting is to process the applications for renewal, upgrade, corporate change, minor alteration or transfer of wine and beer or liquor licenses and also sidewalk café permits and recurring street closure permits.
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“Can You See What I See? Night before Christmas”
Picture Puzzles to search and solve
Written and Illustrated by Walter Wick.
Published by Scholastic Inc.
Age: All ages..…..It’s True!
Theme/Topic: Christmas Time, the best time of the year.
Synopsis: The world of children’s literature presents unique challenges to the photographic illustrator. Wondrous events like those depicted in Clement Clarke Moore’s 1823 poem originally titled ‘A Visit from Saint Nicholas” are not readily available to even the most resourceful photographer, and re-enacting such events is not without its difficulties, since reindeer are generally unaccustomed to taking direction from anyone, with the exception, perhaps, of Saint Nicholas himself. And as to the availability of the “jolly old elf,” well, let’s just say he’s a very busy man.
Given the inherent limitations of this reality-based medium, the author decided to adapt the time-honoured classic, now known as “The Night Before Christmas,” as a search-and-find game using photographs of Christmas decorations both old and new; Christmas cookies, candies, and other treats; handmade props and sets; and of course, a mountain of toys. All real objects, but alas, no real reindeer…..
Activities: The beautifully pictured book is itself a delightful activity, when one is left trying to find all the images hidden in these luxurious photos. For each page there is a list (with reference line to the poem), of what there is to find in that particular picture. Combine with the fun of finding such delightful treasures is the learning to count. A wonderful way to help children learn, at such a festive time. In both the front and back of the book is the quaint poem.
Walter Wicks website is also an adventurous place for both young and old alike, to find answers and questions to how he constructed the scenes for many of his photos as well as helping you find the hidden gems you could not find yourself. On his website are links to resources and teacher aids, puzzles, games, videos and more information, through Scholastic Inc, Writer’s Digest, Public Libraries and the SCBWI. He is even having an exhibition of his art and models used from January 28th 2012 – April 22nd 2012 at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich CT06830.
Why I liked this book: The beautiful rich colours of the photos are amazing, almost pop out at you, no wonder I have not given it to anyone.
Walter Wick is also the creator of the “I Spy” books and as I wandered through his website I found it full of amazing information, even a series for the very young called “Seymour series” and how creative one can be to make these pictures look so real, it would have any kid hooked for hours. Yes and I mean, even the BIG kids. How I would love to dabble in his workshop. Actually he’s kind of a “Saint Nick” himself.
For more books with resources please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog and find the tab for Picture Perfect Book
It is certainly fun to find a book that will entertain truly every age group. This looks like the sort of book that would happily come out of storage every year, along with the Christmas tree lights and decorations, Diane!
You are right Joanna, I didn’t realise I had this book until I pulled out the lights for our Christmas tree and there it was. I thought instantly of doing a review on it. You will love Wicks website and the one he is connected to at Scholastic, has even a magnifying glass to use.
Enjoyed your picture book entry. This looks like a winner and one that will keep kids busy. Lovethe beautiful cover. It has that traditional Christmas look — warm and cozy inside. Nice review Diane.
Thankyou Pat. All the pictures inside are glorious, I was tempted to take photos and post more. I love this look, main reason I haven’t given it to anyone, instead kept it.
oh, I know I would have fun with this book! If I had kids around, they’d be saying, “But when do *I* get a turn?”
LOL… Yep even the BIG kids It certainly is a beautiful book and I know you would love it. Visit Wicks Website, you will enjoy it. Thanks for your comment Beth.
Ooh! My kids and I all love these kind of books where there are tons of things to look for! We used to read all the I Spy books. It’s funny, Pat also posted a Christmas search-and-find type of book this week 🙂 What a great choice!
You and your kids certainly would love this book and also Wicks Website. It was funny, after reading about his I Spy books and how he made them, and then seeing Pats post and your comment. Great minds think alike!
What a fun book. Yes. It sounds like it can work for all ages. We aren’t into the I Spy books yet at our house, but this Christmas book could be an introduction.
Hi Stacy, yes it’s the kind of book you could pull out every year and the kids would be so busy pouring over it while you prepare for that Christmas feast. It’s warm and magical for the very young to the err….. yes!
Nevermind the kids, that sounds like a book I’d love to read 🙂
LOL… you would love it Catherine, it’s beautiful. Have a look at Wicks Website you will find yourself spending some time there, especially the Scholastic site. Glad you liked this.

domain: artistic


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Three phases were discernible in the process of policy making that occurred as part of the NSW Childhood Obesity Summit: 1) building and maintaining the momentum 2) summit debate and 3) outcomes and policy formulation.
1) Building and maintaining the momentum
Obesity had been recognised as a longstanding and increasingly important public health problem. Ebbeling et al (2002) pointed to publications decades earlier highlighting the issue and the need for a policy response[24
]. Media interest in the issue of obesity in Australia was stimulated by available data highlighting "the doubling and tripling"
of rates of obesity and concerns around the "second fattest kids in the world" (FGD)
. Obesity was seen as "the new tobacco"
– the public health issue which was being recognised as demanding attention. Articles published in the peer review literature around this time [24
] were triggers for media coverage and interviews with key informants and the focus group with NSW Health staff all emphasised the importance of media coverage in bringing the issue to public and policy attention:
"It [media coverage] was partly driven by data...the MJA [Medical Journal of Australia] also carried some data on childhood obesity and ... reinterpreting existing data sets. ...so that put it on the radar, that doesn't mean you've got [a] Summit happening yet... the data is essential – it is necessary, but not sufficient." (FGD)
"The doubling and tripling was the most used [news] grab everywhere, in every article, and it is still used." (FGD)
Why was NSW Health interested? The issue was shown to be important to the public. It provided the opportunity to divert attention away from other health issues which are considered solely the responsibility of government, for example, health care service provision. NSW Health also wanted to show leadership in an area where there was arguably Federal Government inaction. In New South Wales there was a clear perception that "prior to the Summit there was a national leadership vacuum"
around childhood obesity (FGD)
. An earlier government summit on illicit drugs [26
], had mobilised massive public attention and resources and it was hoped by NSW Health that a childhood obesity summit would draw in funds and resources to address this public health problem. A summit was seen as providing scope to debate interventions in an area where there was no scientific or political clarity at the time:
"there was interest, we were asked to do things, write things, pull things together... there were lots of false starts...we had things in train that were going to take another 5 or 10 years and they said they wanted a solution today... a summit was suggested as a way forward."(FGD)
Table shows the number of media articles by month between April 2002 and December 2002. Within each month the percentage of articles that used Type 1, Type 2 or Type 3 evidence are identified. All the articles drew on more than one type of evidence. Peak months of coverage were July when the Summit was announced (n = 15), September when the Summit was held (n = 40), and December when the Health Minister announced the preliminary government response (n = 19). In the months prior to the announcement of the Summit, childhood obesity was covered 1–2 times per week in the newspapers studied.
Number of media articles and evidence type used
In the lead up to the Summit, most of the articles cited evidence of at least one type concentrating on Type 1 evidence focussed on the magnitude of the problem, backed up by expert opinion (Type 2). In the month before the first announcement by government in December economic data (Type 3), always referring to the cost of obesity to the health care system, were also reported.
Prior to the Summit and throughout the study period, Type 1 evidence was widely reported and largely uncontested, quoting authoritative sources such as the Lancet [24
] and the Medical Journal of Australia [25
] concerning the magnitude of the problem. Media representations drew on such data to present 'sound bites' to stimulate debate. The most commonly reported statistics were that either one in four, or one in 5 children in Australia was overweight or obese and that overweight and obesity had doubled between 1985 and 1995. These data from Magarey et al (2001) [9
] were also contained in the background document prepared for the Summit [27
] and included in the factual preamble to the Summit resolutions [16
]. Once the Summit was underway, Type 2 data were more widely reported and ideas from experts, community members and key stakeholders concerning the way forward, were presented in the media. In putting forward their views, these stakeholders called on common sense understandings, research studies or pointed to a lack of conclusive evidence to support inaction.
Food advertising to children was a case in point. Prior to the Summit, debates about evidence in the media focused on taxing 'high fat foods' and banning food advertising to children. The soft drink industry spoke about the lack of good evidence for the effectiveness of such initiatives and the negative economic impact of a "fat tax". Physical activity and the role of parents as an influence on obesity were highlighted by the advertising and food industries as being the major influences on childhood obesity. Results from Sweden which were stated by the food and advertising industry as showing obesity rising despite an advertising ban were used to demonstrate that "there is no evidence that advertising makes children eat more fatty foods" (The Australian Newspaper, 1 July 2002
]. It became clear from the media coverage during the Summit that a ban on food advertising was the critical concern for industry who were calling a 'clear link' between harmful childhood behaviour and commercials, with editorials suggesting that instead "parents are the dominant influence on food choices" (Daily Telegraph, 12 September 2002)
2) Summit debate
The Summit was held in September 2002 at Parliament House in NSW. An across-government organising committee oversaw delegate selection and sought to ensure balanced representation including: i) children and young people; ii) families, parents and community perspectives; iii) experts; iv) relevant peak bodies; v) special population perspectives, such as the socially disadvantaged, people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, rural and remote communities, and people with disabilities.
The Summit provided an opportunity for delegates to present their case for action during plenary sessions. During the Summit, nine working groups (WGs) were convened: i) Early Childhood, ii) Family and Community, iii) School Education, iv) Health, v) Sport, Recreation & Fitness, vi) Local Government, vii) Commercial Food Industry, viii) Media, and ix) Transport and Planning.
The WGs were requested to put forward 10–15 resolutions for the Communiqué to be presented to government. The importance of evidence for the resolutions was made clear by the NSW Premier on the first day of the summit when he referred to the NSW Drug Summit [26
], which had been held in May 1999.
"The Drug Summit emphasised looking at evidence, basing policies on evidence ... I would like that to be your guide too." (NSW Premier, Day 1 pg 33)
The case for action to tackle childhood obesity was uncontested from the outset. In opening the Summit the NSW Minister for Health referred to strong empirical evidence of the magnitude of childhood obesity:
"In Australia the level of combined overweight and obesity between 1985 and 1995 has more than doubled... Today in New South Wales one in five children aged between seven and 15 are classified as being either overweight or obese." (NSW Minister for Health, Day 1, pg 5)
Experts from government departments, academic institutions and the health service put forward similar statistics that highlighted the magnitude of obesity. Many outlined the consequences of overweight and obesity for type 2 diabetes in particular. The use of simple statistical concepts such as "doubling in rates" and "one in five of our children" were commonplace. Economic evidence highlighted the cost of the "obesity epidemic" to society – "it costs us a community $830 million a year" (Minister for Health, Day 1, pg 7) and individuals – "in one year the personal cost to individuals who are obese is $19 billion" (expert, Day 1 pg 16). Such data were uncritically and widely accepted during the Summit.
On the opening day, experts, parents, community groups and industry talked anecdotally about societal changes over decades and their impact on physical activity and food consumption. Statistics and studies were referred to in support of these observations, such as an increased reliance on carbonated sugared drinks, although no actual data were provided. Data from the US concerning changes in levels of physical activity were presented: "most people in my generation walked to school, today less than a third of children in the United States walk to school" (US expert, Day 1, pg 12) and Australian data on sedentary activity: "97% of our adolescents watch television ... between 60 and 80% play computer or video games." (Australian expert, Day 1, pg 16). Anecdotal observations about changing societal behaviours and environments were widely cited and seen as important factors to address despite the lack of reliable trend data and research evidence:
"we do not yet have evidence that any single one of these factors is driving the epidemic" (US expert, Day 1, pg 13)
"we know very little in any, firm solid way about the factors that influence young people to be active or sedentary – all we have to work with over the next three days are some recently informed guesses and some far less well-informed speculations" (Australian expert, Day 1, pg 12)
The views of young people, were an integral part of the Summit process and provided an emotive appeal to take action. Young people's stories were shown on video and they addressed the Summit. However, there appeared to be little attempt to draw these views together, articulate common threads or examine whether and how such views related to other empirical data and expert opinion. A young person opening the Summit stated that "It is genuinely important that our voice be heard"(young person, Day 1, pg 2). The FGD participants saw young people's stories as being powerful in stimulating action:
" we had to have lots of consultation processes that included the voice of the child... engaging the children... it was the most powerful thing." (FGD)
A young person at the Summit, however, expressed frustration about the focus on evidence:
"Unfortunately we have been bombarded with statistics. They have been repeated over and over again ... we are almost scared to put up a decent suggestion." (young person, Day 2, pg 30)
In contrast to the research evidence supporting the magnitude of the problem and the influencing factors, evidence supporting calls for action were mostly opinion and ideas with some reference to overseas efforts. Nonetheless, much was made of the need for evidence-based strategies, with a US expert claiming three strategies that were "defensible, but not conclusive" (US expert, Day 1, pg 13)
: breastfeeding, limiting television viewing and the promotion of physical activity. A Cochrane systematic review [30
] covering 1985–2001 and encompassing 14,000 studies was reported (researcher, Day 1, pg 37). It found 11 studies of a high enough quality to examine the effectiveness of the intervention and it found only small or no effects with those interventions that were most effective focussed on reducing sedentary behaviour. A few delegates questioned the need for evidence from primary prevention trials, pointing to broader experiences that tell us "what works". They highlighted other successful public health campaigns such as in tobacco control as evidence for the success of a range of strategies, including advertising controls and taxes:
"we do need evidence, we do need to work at what has been shown to be the most effective, but that should not inhibit us from acting now. There have been a number of successful public health programs that have been introduced without definitive evidence." (expert, Day 1, pg 39)
The FGD and comments by Summit delegates highlighted the need for action coupled with thorough evaluation:
"There needs to be a recognition of the sense of urgency...that policy won't wait for the data." (FGD)
"This is about promising interventions, we have to just go with promising interventions, make sure they do no harm and just evaluate the heck out of them, and then maybe in ten years time, if they weren't the best things to do, well at least we did something" (FGD)
"we need periodic surveys to tell us how we are doing with respect to implementation of strategies ... we need causal models, that is, longitudinal studies which allow us to link risk factors like change in the food supply with changes in the prevalence of obesity." (US expert, Day 1, pg 13)
"we would like to see a regular – maybe five yearly – national nutrition, physical activity and health survey." (industry, Day 2, pg 2)
"Certainly, we need to take action, but at the same time we need to be doing research. We cannot continue to act in an evidence vacuum." (expert, Day 2, pg 20)
The most contentious issue centred on the role of food advertising to children (see Figure ). The intensity of the debate between food industry representatives and the advocates of a ban on food advertising to children clearly illustrates the way different types of evidence are drawn upon to articulate a particular position or undermine that of opposing perspectives.
Contesting the evidence: food advertising and obesity.
3) Outcomes and policy formulation
The final Communiqué to government was to include a "factual foundation" and recommendations and resolutions for future action. The purpose of this component of the Summit was to: "Frame evidence-based solutions within a community-based 'reality check' perspective."(Day 3, pg1)
Evidence of the magnitude of overweight and obesity was included with little debate. Statements about the influencing factors were carefully worded to reflect agreement on importance and available evidence:
"Although physical activity trend data is lacking, it is apparent that children and adolescents are less physically active" (Day 2, pg 72)
"An increase in television viewing is associated with an increase in obesity in children. An increase in sedentary behaviour is associated with an increase in obesity in children. Experts have advised that television viewing needs to be one of the targets for obesity control efforts" (Day 2, pg 78)
Exposure to advertising messages was included in the factual preamble referring to the range of potential influences on food selection behaviours. The resolutions about food advertising to children generated the most debate concerning the evidence-base for such interventions (see Figure ) and the relationship between food choice and television viewing. This debate illustrates the use of different types of evidence by industry representatives as one means of opposing calls for a ban on food advertising to children.
A resolution to ban food advertising to children was not agreed. In its place agreement was reached to have an independent review by the Federal government of the regulatory arrangements for food advertising "in recognition that food advertising is one of the contributing factors to the prevalence of eating habits that may promote obesity"(Day 3, pg 9) in addition to a review of a voluntary code to be undertaken by industry. Attempts by the Food Industry to have this statement deleted from the Communiqué were not successful. A systematic review of the impact of food advertising on diet, physical activity and childhood obesity was also recommended.
All other resolutions passed with minimal debate, including those addressing physical activity, school education, transport and planning. Most of the resolutions agreed at the Summit and taken up in the subsequent Government Action Plan
] were focused on physical activity and nutrition education. Mandatory guidelines for school canteens also passed as a resolution despite some opposition from industry. Numerous resolutions in the Communiqué [17
] referred to research and a detailed section on surveillance and monitoring proposed a funded collaborative centre of excellence in research, prevention and management.
Limited attention was devoted to the financial and logistical feasibility of the resolutions – this was apparent by the number of resolutions that required intervention at a federal rather than state level. However, the preliminary response from the government in December considered what was feasible in the current financial and political context:
"it wasn't really evidence-based, it was the feasibility of whatever strategy they had suggested..." (FGD)
In the final Summit address by the NSW Health Minister [16
] the two resolutions specifically mentioned and strongly supported were the recommendations on school canteens and a collaborative centre for excellence for overweight and obesity research. These two initiatives were subsequently publicly announced in December as the key response to the Summit by the government [19
]. The advisers to the Minister and NSW Health were concerned to ensure that the Summit resulted in some "announceable"
interventions – and the two chosen seemed "doable"
, of value, and in some respects least contentious (FGD)