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King's Lynn Guide
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Kings Lynn Facts: Kings Lynn Location: Norfolk, East of England, Eastern England, United Kingdom. Post Code for Kings Lynn: PE30 Dialling Code for Kings Lynn: 01553 Population of Kings Lynn: 42,800 (2011 Census) Ordnance Survey Map Reference for Kings Lynn: TF62390 Firstly identified as Lynn or Lin (and later as Bishop's Lynn), the bustling port and town of King's Lynn, Norfolk was in past times one of the most important maritime ports in Britain. It now has a populace of about forty two thousand and attracts a fairly high number of tourists, who go to absorb the background of this delightful town and also to delight in its many fine sights and events. The name of the town (Lynn) derives from the Celtic term for "pool or lake" and refers to the truth that the area was in the past covered by a sizable tidal lake. The town lays at the southern end of the Wash in Norfolk, East Anglia, that distinct chunk out of the east coast of England where King John is believed to have lost all his Crown Jewels in twelve fifteen. He had been entertained by the elite of Lynn (which it was then known as), back then a significant port, but was scuppered by a nasty October high tide as he headed to the west over treacherous mud flats toward Newark and the jewels were lost on the mud flats. Shortly afterwards, John passed away of a surfeit of lampreys (or peaches), dependent on which narrative you read. These days the town is a natural hub, the centre for commerce betwixt the eastern counties and the Midlands, the railway terminus of the London, Cambridge, Ely main line, and also the bridge which connects 'high' Norfolk stretching towards the city of Norwich to the east, and 'low' Norfolk, the flat marshes and fenlands to the south of the Wash. The royal connections with King's Lynn happen to be more potent currently when compared with the times of King John. Just a few miles in the direction of the north-east you will come across Sandringham Park, an important tourist attraction and one of the Queen's private estates. King's Lynn itself sits predominantly on the east bank of the River Great Ouse estuary. Some of the streets around the river banks, especially the ones near the the attractive St Margaret's Church, remain much the same as they were several centuries ago. If you are searching for a focal point in the town then it would likely be the famous Tuesday Market Place into which King Street leads, specially in recent years since old Corn Exchange has been developed into a popular centre of entertainment. The vast majority of buildings here are Victorian or even earlier than this. These include the magnificent Duke's Head Hotel, erected in 1683, and a grade II listed building ever since 1951, the Corn Exchange (1854) and the Globe Hotel (first constructed in 1650). A Brief History of King's Lynn - In all probability in the beginning a Celtic settlement, and without a doubt settled in Anglo Saxon times it was indexed simply as Lun in the Domesday Book (1086), and controlled by Bishop Almer of Elmham. The town only became known as King's Lynn in and after the 16th C, and had previously been named Bishop's Lynn (and only Lynn prior to that), the Bishop's portion of the name was allocated simply because it was at that time the property of a Bishop, who set up a Benedictine priory there in the late 11th C, and it was this Bishop who originally granted the town the right to hold a weekly street market in 1101. It was additionally at roughly this time period that the first St Margaret's Church was built. The town slowly developed into a significant commerce hub and port, with products like salt, wool and grain being shipped out via the port. By the 14th C, it was among the key ports in Britain and a great deal of commerce was done with the Hanseatic League (Germanic and Baltic merchants), and the Hanseatic Warehouse in St Margaret's Lane being erected for them in the late 15th century. The town lived through a pair of huge misfortunes during the fourteenth century, firstly was a horrible fire which destroyed a lot of the town, and the second by way of the Black Death, a plague which claimed the lives of about fifty percent of the town's people in the period 1348 and 1349. In 1537, in the reign of Henry VIII, Bishop's Lynn came under the control of the king as opposed to a bishop and was as a result identified as King's Lynn, one year later the King also shut down the Benedictine Priory during his Dissolution of the Monasteries (1536-1541). At the time of English Civil War (1642-1651), the town of King's Lynn essentially joined both sides, early on it supported parliament, but later swapped allegiance and was eventually seized by Parliamentarians when it was under seige for 3 weeks. During the following 2 centuries King's Lynn's value as a port waned in alignment with slump in the export of wool, although it did still continue exporting grain and importing pitch, timber and iron to a lesser extent. The port of King's Lynn simultaneously impacted by the growth of westerly ports like Bristol, which flourished after the discovery of the Americas. There was nonetheless a good amount of coastal and local commerce to keep the port working over these times and soon King's Lynn flourished yet again with wine imports arriving from Portugal, France and Spain. Moreover the shipment of agricultural produce escalated following the fens were drained during the 17th C, additionally, it started a major shipbuilding industry. The railway reached King's Lynn in the 1840s, delivering more trade, visitors and prosperity to the area. The resident population of Kings Lynn increased enormously in the 60's mainly because it became a London overflow town. King's Lynn can be reached by means of the A10, the A149 or the A17, it is about 38 miles from the city of Norwich and ninety four miles from The city of london. King's Lynn can be accessed by rail, the nearest airport terminal to King's Lynn is Norwich (roughly 46 miles) a drive of approximately 1 hour.
A selection of Kings Lynn streets and roads: Pell Place, Grey Sedge, Park Lane, Narborough Road, Town Close, West Harbour Way, Stanton Road, Choseley, Pentney Lane, Whitehall Drive, Cogra Court, Banyards Place, Weedon Way, Windsor Drive, Garden Road, Three Oaks, Wilton Crescent, Ringstead Road, Burnthouse Drove, Torrey Close, The Beach, Yoxford Court, Reeves Avenue, Castle Close, Earl Close, Somerville Road, Post Office Yard, Dodmans Close, Hardwick Road, Churchill Crescent, Hall Road, Greenacre Close, Burghwood Close, Hall View Road, Ongar Hill, Hospital Lane, Redbricks Drive, Merchants Close, Blackfriars Road, Archdale Street, Kestrel Close, Norfolk Road, Ayre Way, Marea Meadows, Thurlin Road, Elm Close, Corbyn Shaw Road, Smithy Road, All Saints Place, Reg Houchen Road, Kingcup.
Attractions, places of interest, things to do and places to visit in and around Kings Lynn: Ice Skating at Oasis Leisure, Captain Willies Activity Centre, Tales of the Old Gaol House, Narborough Railway Line, Play 2 Day, Stubborn Sands, Doodles Pottery Painting, Castle Rising Castle, Grimes Graves, Hunstanton Sea Life Sanctuary, Shrubberies, The Play Barn, Old County Court House, Greyfriars Tower, Bircham Windmill, St James Swimming Centre, Fossils Galore, Trues Yard Fishing Museum, Alleycatz, Hunstanton Beach, Laser Storm, Planet Zoom, Fakenham Superbowl, Theatre Royal, Ringstead Downs, All Saints Church, Peckover House, Octavia Hills Birthplace Museum, Walsingham Treasure Trail, East Winch Common, Green Britain Centre.
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Must Watch Video - Step Back in Time and See King's Lynn 1940's to 1970's
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King's Lynn Cottages/Accommodation Near Kings Lynn Norfolk (East Anglia)
Coach House Cottage Bawsey - One Bedrooms One Bathroom - Sleeps 2

domain: geography


As Congress continues to debate and negotiate the debt limit deal, the June 1 deadline looms with an attempt to avert an unprecedented national default still hanging in the balance.
New negotiators were named on Tuesday to narrow the discussion and arrive at a compromise, with Speaker Kevin McCarthy hopeful that a deal was “possible by the weekend. But no deal has appeared yet.
Dems are furious that Congress has not raised the debt limit yet again, while Republicans fight to limit the debt ceiling and the spending. Biden National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby stated, “We wouldn’t even be having this discussion about the effect of the debt ceiling debate on the trip [Biden’s trip to Australia] if Congress would do its job, raise the debt ceiling the way they’ve always done.”
But Joe Biden wants to use the Constitution to delay or ignore completely the rising debt ceiling.
Red State reports:
It’s not very often that the President of the United States, the leader of a major American political party, tells its members to “talk to the hand.” But that’s what just happened.
As RedState reported earlier on Friday, the debt ceiling talks between Joe Biden and congressional Democrats and Republicans, which appeared to be moving along at a clip on Thursday, hit what amounts to a gigantic brick wall. Bonchie nailed it, starting with the headline: “Biden Drives the Country Closer to the Cliff After Debt Ceiling Talks Abruptly Shut Down.”
He wrote, before quoting the AP’s breaking story about the talks breaking down because of fundamental differences between the participants, that “unfortunately, the president suffers from a bad case of sheer, unadulterated hubris, and that’s pushing the nation closer and closer to the fiscal cliff.”
“McCarthy is not demanding massive spending despite Democrat fear-mongering over the issue. Rather, the big ask is to simply return to 2022 spending levels with a one percent annual growth cap. That would avoid having to slash major programs while putting the country on a path to possibly outgrow the current deficit. Would that be effective anytime soon in solving the problem?”
Bonchie surmised that, no, it might not, given how much destruction the Biden Administration and its buddies in the Federal Reserve have caused to the U.S. economy, but it might “[stop] the bleeding.”
Dems, as expected, the Squad, but also including leader Hakeem Jeffries, want the President to bypass Congress to avert a default. The 14th Amendment states that the “validity of public debt” cannot be questioned and Dems would like to use that to halt the talks.
So, they want the White House to simply roll over the Constitution and invoke the 14th Amendment—that is, say that debt ceiling must be raised without cutting any spending, damn the consequences to the country.
Now, Politico reports that Joe Biden has essential told the Democrats to forget about it, when it comes to triggering the 14th Amendment:
“But the White House remains resistant. It issued a subdued statement indicating it sees no reason to pull the plug on talks. And privately, its message has been even blunter.”
“They have not ruled it out,” said one advisor to the White House, granted anonymity to speak candidly about discussions to Politico. “But it is not currently part of the plan.”
Biden advisor, David Kamin said that invoking the 14th Amendment might technically avert a default, but would do little to protect the U.S. from the subsequent fallout, Politico continued. “I don’t think we should kid ourselves about the damage that would be imposed on the economy and the credibility of the United States,” he said. “That is not a position the government should be put in.”
Red State continued:
Senior Biden officials have told progressive activists and lawmakers in recent days that they do not see the 14th Amendment — which says the “validity of the public debt” cannot be questioned — as a viable means of circumventing debt ceiling negotiations. They have argued that doing so would be risky and destabilizing, according to three people familiar with the discussions.
And while the officials said “Biden would likely have the authority to declare the debt limit unconstitutional as a last-ditch way to sidestep default,” something this drastic would lead to “a pitched legal battle, undermine global faith in U.S. creditworthiness and damage the economy.”
To try to save face with the progressives, they used some weasel wording, saying “[t]hey have not ruled it out….But it is not currently part of the plan.” Oh, gosh, to be a mosquito on the wall right now in the halls of Congress. The Dems have to be enraged by this move by the White House. The problem, though, is that Biden might actually want to win an election in 2024. It’s gotta be tough to hear it from their Party leader.


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Ted Brennan's new restaurant, Ted Brennan's Decatur, will be located just two bocks from Brennan's, with previous Brennan's chef Lazone Randolph in the kitchen. Ted Brennan's Decatur will be a 12,000-square-foot, two-story facility in a location that has seen many restaurants and bars come and go over the past several years. Ted Brennan's Decatur, 309 Decatur St., New Orleans, LA 70116, no phone.
Guy's Po-Boys, one of New Orleans' most treasured spots for huge, overstuffed po-boy sandwiches, has re-opened. The building had been closed for repairs for several months since a drunk driver crashed into the front of the building, causing extensive structural and cosmetic damage. Owner Marvin Matherne has proven himself to be one of the most determined restaurant owners in town, since the building has been forced to close twice in the past following fires. With a fresh new look, Guy's serves the same menu, and expect to wait in the same line to order, but it moves quickly. Guy's Po-Boys, 5259 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115, 504-891-5025.
The "bakery with a bar" concept seems to be catching on in New Orleans. After the splashy opening of Willa Jean earlier this year, the next entrant into this distinctive field is Bakery Bar, occupying the space that once housed Eleven 79 Restaurant. Owned by Charlotte McGehee and Charles Mary IV, Bakery Bar serves the locally beloved doberge cake and a full range of cocktails. Doberge cake, a local favorite, is a six-layer butter cake that is usually done in lemon or chocolate. At Bakery Bar, the doberge cake is offered in a variety of flavors, as well as in smaller bite-size portions. McGehee, aleady known locally for her pop-up, Debbie Does Doberge, has partnered with Mary to offer not just cake and cocktails, but a limited menu of savory items, as well. Chefs Mason Hereford and Jordan Brown plan to expand the menu as the business grows. Bakery Bar, 1179 Annunciation St., New Orleans, LA 70130, 504-265-8884.
A plan is in place to bring Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville back to New Orleans. Although the last incarnation closed in 2015, a newer, much bigger Margaritaville may be opening not far from House of Blues in the French Quarter. Plans have been drawn up and submitted to the City of New Orleans for approval, but the company has hit a few snags that must be resolved. Since the $8 million, three-story structure will have a large rooftop bar, neighbors have expressed concern about the potential noise level. The City had expressed concern about the design of the building, specifically the size of the windows and doors, but that hurdle has been overcome and the design is now approved. The company hopes to begin construction later this year. Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, 336 Decatur St., New Orleans, LA 70116, no phone.
Kenton's is a bourbon-focused restaurant, featuring what the owner describes as an "encyclopedic collection of American whiskey." The restaurant is the creation of a husband-and-wife team, Mani Dawes and Sean Josephs, who each own restaurants in New York City. Kenton's menu highlights smoked and grilled selections. Kenton's, Magazine St. at Nashville St., New Orleans, LA 70118, 504-891-1177.
The construction took a very long time, but Brick & Spoon is finally open on Magazine Street. With locations in Lafayette, LA; Houston, TX; and Orange Beach, AL, Brick and Spoon touts Southern- and Cajun-inspired cuisine. For breakfast, that plays out in a standout scrambled egg dish created with lump crabmeat and sweet peppers. Lunch offerings include an unusual soft-shell crab BLT, and a side of mac and cheese fries. The cocktail list includes a build-your-own Bloody Mary with a choice of three dozen ingredients, and an "Espresso Martini." Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner daily. Brick & Spoon, 2802 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70130, 504-662-1789.
Lauren Fink has made a name for herself in the local coffee lovers' world, even though she has been operating out of a tiny corner of Stein's Market & Deli, New Orleans' only Jewish and Italian deli. Now she has her own location in an old firehouse in Uptown New Orleans. Fink is so precise and exacting in her coffee preparations that she even measures each shot of espresso on a scale and uses digital timers during her brewing. Cherry Espresso Bar also features pastries created by Lilette's pastry chef, Carrie Laird. Open daily. Cherry Espresso Bar, 4877 Laurel St., New Orleans, LA 70115, 504-875-3699.
Geoffrey Meeker knows how much New Orleans loves a good breakfast spot, so he recently opened French Truck Café, a coffee roasting business in the Garden District, where Meeker owns a small walk-up coffee bar. The new cafe builds on the success Meeker has realized by selling his locally roasted java to New Orelans restaurants. French Truck Cafe wil serve waffles, croissants and other assorted breakfast goods in the morning, and a limited assortment of sandwiches and salads for lunch. True to his passion for coffee, Meeker's beverage list is longer than his menu. Future plans call for the cafe to be open in the evenings, as well. Breakfast and Lunch Wed.-Sun. French Truck Cafe, 4536 Dryades St., New Orleans, LA 70115, 504-298-1115.
One of New Orleans’ favorite after-work gathering spots, The Delachaise, announced plans to open a second location in Uptown. Known for its carefully constructed wine list, The Delachaise will debut Chais Delachaise on the emerging restaurant row on Maple Street. Owner Evan Hayes plans to offer the same menu of rotating small plates at the new venture, and a new chef will be announced in the near future. A late spring launch is anticipated. Chais Delachaise, 7708 Maple St., New Orleans, LA 70118, no phone.
In a town that is somewhat short on great barbecue restaurants, it comes as welcome news that Moe’s Original Bar B Que is now open in Uptown New Orleans. Located at the corner of Calhoun and South Tonti streets, Moe’s is a chain restaurant with more than 40 locations nationwide. Diners can expect smoked pork, ribs, turkey,chicken and chicken wings, plus fried catfish, with a selection of traditional Southern sides and daily specials. The place is casual, and customers order at the counter, rather than from servers at their tables. Moe’s is located in a space that has been vacant since Hurricane Katrina. It used to be the home of a popular Tulane student hangout called Kokopelli’s. Lunch & Dinner daily. Moe's Original Bar B Que, 3150 Calhoun St., New Orleans, LA 70118, 504-301-3790.
Chef John Besh, who continually adds new restaurants to his collection, is set to reopen the Caribbean Room at the historic Pontchartrain Hotel, scheduled to reopen in June 2016. Originally opened in 1927, the Garden District hotel was a dining destination for decades before the restaurant closed in 1994. Known for its “Mile High Pie,” the room was often a special occasion choice for locals. In addition to the restaurant, Besh will also open other outlets in the hotel, including the Bayou Bar, the Silver Whistle Café and a rooftop lounge. While there have been rumblings about this for some time, it came as a surprise that Chris Lusk has been hired as executive chef. Lusk will leave his current post at Restaurant R’evolution, where he has worked since before it opened. At press time, R’evolution had not announced a replacement. Caribbean Room, 2031 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70140, no phone.
Tujague's Celebrates a Milestone
Tujague's, one of the most iconic dining spots in New Orleans, is turning 160 years old. To celebrate, the owners have decided to offer a special three-course weekday lunch for $18.56, in honor of the restaurant's founding year. The offer will extend indefinitely. Additionally, throughout the year the restaurant will host guest chefs and special events commememorating the restaurant's long run on Decatur Street. The Southern Food and Beverage Museum, also located in New Orleans, will soon debut a special exhibit dedicated to the restaurant's history. Tujague's, 823 Decatur St., New Orleans, LA 70116, 504-525-8676.
Grand Isle Adds New Happy Hour Offers
Grand Isle Restaurant, the popular Central Business District eatery, has added some new attractions to its weekday happy hour, which runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The restaurant now offers oysters at just 50 cents each, half priced draft beer, wines by the glass and cocktails. Also available are half pounds of boiled shrimp for seven dollars. Grand Isle, 575 Convention Center Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70130, 504-520-8530.
District Donuts Set to Expand
District Donuts Sliders Brew has met with such success on Magazine Street, that the owners announced plans to open a new location on Harrison Avenue in the Lakeview neighborhood. The owners plan for the new location to be much like the original, with a similar menu and layout. The company also owns District Hand Pie & Coffee Bar uptown. Since shortly after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Harrison Avenue has become a restaurant hub in Lakeview. The new restaurant will be the only one of its type in the neighborhood. District Donuts Sliders Brew, 2209 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70130, 504-570-6945.
Kristin Essig, executive chef at Meauxbar, and the recently opened Cavan, announced she will resign. John Bel, who has been with Meauxbar since 2014, will be the new executive chef at Meuxbar. At Cavan, which opened in March, Ben Thibodeaux will assume the executive chef position. Thibodeaux comes from Tableau. Essig says she is weighing her options for her next project, but that she will continue to be a chef. Essig became executive chef at Meauxbar after her stint at the now-shuttered Ste. Marie restaurant. Meauxbar, 942 N. Rampart St., New Orleans, LA 70116, 504-569-9979.
Just blocks from chef Emeril Lagasse's flagship restaurant, Emeril's, the chef's newest restaurant is getting ready to debut. Meril (named for the chef's daughter), slated to open later this year, will have chef Will Avelar in charge of the cuisine. Avelar has worked for the Emeril's organization for just over 10 years. Lagasse is known for promoting his chefs from within the company. Meril, 424 Girod St., New Orleans, LA 70130, no phone.
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domain: food


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Guest Post by Alice Verlezza
In her heartfelt memoir of four chapbook essays, Animal, Roadkill, Ashes, Gone, Emily Pittinos animates familial memories and the personal process of grief. This collection pays tribute, not only to the memory of our passed loved ones, but to the exponential growth of their children in their absence. As we learn the details of her ancestral losses, the narrator weaves in and out of time and space. Through the iterative process of processing her father’s unexpected death we “[become] squires of each other’s grief.” Pittinos’s familiar trauma is rendered stark and bare in this “summary of his body.”
Our relatable Gen-X protagonist, a wry wit demonstrating vulnerable frankness, reminds us that, “We’ll live in cardboard boxes until we die poor and alone” in the inevitably “promise-less future.” Pittinos’s voice powerfully echoes generational attitudes of frustration and hopelessness without getting bogged down. “Nothing will ever be the same,” and we are “always preparing for the worst,” but these essays gracefully illuminate that “the mind abuses its license to change.” In the face of trauma and loss, the mind finds a way to connect back to its natural state, one of peace, gratitude, and remembrance.
Animal, Roadkill, Ashes, Gone by Emily Pittinos. Bull City Press, November 2022.
Reviewer bio: Alice Verlezza, educator, writer, and mother of two was raised in Rhode Island. An MS graduate of Queens University in Sociology, Alice continues her scholarly work earning an English Masters at Bridgewater State University where she researches gender identity and mental health in narrative.

domain: psychology


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In case you don't know, some twat decided to drive drunk, then tried to evade police by driving the wrong way on a one way street, barreled through a barricade, killed two people and injured 23 others. He is 21-years-old.
There's a lot of disturbing events happening in the world right now — the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner for one — but this one could have been prevented, which makes it all the more infuriating.
Here's a quick thought: STOP DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE. I don't care of it's drugs, alcohol, sleeping pills — get a driver. Take a taxi. Uber is becoming more and more popular around the country. If you know you're going out and will be drinking, it's not a matter of if you should seek transportation, but a matter of who you can find to take you and pick you up.
Being from Georgetown, a suburb of Austin, this type of incident has weighed heavily on my mind for the past day. Two lives are lost. Many lives are drastically changed because someone decided he wanted to drive home drunk. Oh yeah, AND RUN AWAY FROM THE COPS. This isn't Terminator, people. Life isn't a game of Grand Theft Auto. If you evade the police, you will get found. You will not flee them. Who in their right mind tries to outrun a police officer? That's the point — nobody in their right mind.
This man ruined his life, ended the lives of two people, and shattered the hearts of many family members and friends. I can't help but to think of the driver's own mother and father. My parents would be devastated that their child did this so recklessly to other people, but also to their self. His life is over. Both of those victims could have easily been my coworkers, had they been at SXSW last night, or my cousin, who goes to UT. I cannot imagine the pain of losing those people in my life.
He might be good guy, you know? But this incident will forever mark him as a murderer, a deviant — he ended people's lives. And some could argue intentionally, given he made the choice to plow through a barricade and run from the cops.
The fact is that, now, he has to live with the guilt. And these families have to live with this tragedy forever.
Next time you decide to set foot in your car after even just two glasses, consider people other than yourself that you could affect: the families.

domain: sociology


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Congress is back in town to stare at the same tax, debt and jobs issues as before the election — with the same fiscal cliff looming in a mere 48 days.
In addition to the impact of the 2012 election results, the lame duck congressional session has experienced the financial reverberations of cleaning up after Hurricane Sandy and the surprising sexual revelations that forced the resignation of popular CIA Director David Petraeus.
Pending fiscal mayhem mixed with a DC political drama combining sex, power, cover-ups, imprudent emails and possible national security lapses provides the perfect punctuation mark for what has been a tortuous and seemingly endless political season.
So while Republicans pondered how to reinvent themselves and Democrats openly negotiated on how to negotiate, the Congressional Budget Office renewed its warning of a potential recession unless Congress reaches a bipartisan agreement to avert sharp tax increases and automatic, across-the-board spending cuts. CBO says the U.S gross domestic product in 2013 could drop by 0.5 percent and unemployment rise to more than 9 percent.
Members from both major political parties appear eager to resolve the problem, but at the moment are jockeying for position. House Speaker John Boehner told his chastened GOP caucus some compromise on revenue will be necessary. Democratic Budget Committee leaders signaled an interest in the income tax deduction cap proposed by GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, which echoed an idea earlier surfaced by President Obama.
There are two possible outcomes we see as most likely at this point:
Scenario 1: With 48 days, there isn't much time to work out a comprehensive agreement. However, there is enough time to work out a framework with binding caps and timelines, similar to the process outlined in the August 2011 budget agreement. This would involve passing a 6-month extension of all the tax and sequestration cuts set for January 1. The extension would be tied to a rigid congressional process requiring buy-in from both sides. This process again will have consequences for failure similar to the sequestration. Basically, this is a "kick the can down the road" scenario, but the end of the road is in sight.
Scenario 2: We go over the fiscal cliff. There is about a 30 percent chance the two parties just can't come to an agreement and we dive head first off the budgetary cliff hand in hand with both parties holding their noses. The consequences of such action are not entirely clear, but some Democrats and Republicans feel this may be the best way to force a bipartisan agreement in the early months of 2013. It's risky, but there is some merit to this option.
Here is what the Congress and the President must solve to avoid a year-end economic calamity:
The Expiration of the 2001/2003/2010 Tax Cuts
On December 31, the set of tax cuts enacted in 2001 and built upon in 2003 and 2010 will expire. As a result, the top rate will rise from 35 percent to 39.6 percent and other rates will rise in kind. The 10 percent bracket will disappear. The child tax credit will be cut in half and no longer be refundable. The estate tax will return to the 2001 parameters of a $1 million exemption and a 55 percent top rate. Capital gains will be taxed at a top rate of 20 percent and dividends will be taxed as ordinary income. Marriage penalties will increase and various tax benefits for education, retirement savings, and low-income individuals will disappear.
The End of AMT Patches
Congress generally "patches" the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) every year to keep pace with inflation. As a result, more than 4 million tax returns currently pay the AMT. If a new patch is not enacted retroactively for 2012, that number will increase to more than 30 million and could exceed 40 million by the end of the decade.
The End of Jobs Measures
In February, the President signed an extension of a 2 percent payroll tax holiday and extended unemployment benefits through year's end. Under current law, both will disappear at the end of the year, causing employee payroll taxes to increase from 4.2 percent to 6.2 percent and reducing the number of weeks individuals can collect unemployment insurance.
The End of Doc Fixes
The Sustainable Growth Rate formula calls for a substantial reduction in Medicare payments to physicians — a reduction lawmakers have deferred through continued "doc fixes" since the early 2000s. At the end of the year, the current doc fix will end, leading to a nearly 30 percent immediate reduction in Medicare physician payments.
The Activation of the Sequester
Beginning on January 1, an across-the-board $1.2 trillion spending sequester over 10 years will go into effect. The sequester will immediately cut defense spending across the board by about 10 percent and non-defense discretionary spending by about 8 percent. It will reduce Medicare provider payments by 2 percent. In total, this will result in an immediate $110 billion single-year reduction in budget authority.
The Expiration of Various "Tax Extenders"
Various normal "extenders," such as the research and experimentation tax credit and the state and local sales tax deduction, expired at the end of 2011. Some of these extenders are likely to be reinstated retroactively at the end of this year, but will disappear under current law.
Reaching the Debt Ceiling
The debt ceiling agreement reached last summer is likely to allow continued borrowing through early 2013. The debt ceiling will need to be increased again in order to avoid a potential default. It's possible the debt ceiling increase could be included in a broader deficit reduction package.

domain: finance


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In this week’s Restaurant Report Card, we’re talking Pizza, Burgers and Bugs!
We take you on the trip to a few Metro Detroit hot spots. Which ones are a cut above the rest and which ones are not cutting it at all?
So, it’s that time! Would you chow down or put that fork down?


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The troops are having a hard fight in Afghanistan. They will win, if we just back them up properly. Remember them in your prayers.
The Facebook group “I bet we can find 1,000,000+ people who disapprove of the Health Care Bill“, have found its million+ people.
We’ve got Searchlight video.
Reno’s “Obamaville” given permission to stay.
Paul Ryan for President boomlet.
Iran thumbs its nose at President Obama. Again.
Is it just me, or has the clear failure of ObamaCare to gain post-approval traction making our liberals even more shrill and stupid than usual?

domain: news


Rave On with Ray Vaughan, is the new solo venture featuring the lead singer of one of the finest Buddy Holly Tribute acts currently performing in the UK, the highly acclaimed Rave On - A Tribute To Buddy Holly And The Crickets.< Return to previous page
Rave On have taken their two hour theatre show all over the country, but now Ray has decided to take his love of fifties music and create an act for more intimate venues that features songs from all the major artists of that amazing decade, a time that saw the explosion of "Rock and Roll" that changed music forever.
The act features songs from Buddy Holly of course, but also many of Buddy's contemporaries including Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, The Everley Brothers, Bill Haley, Bobby Darin, Sam Cooke, Roy Orbison, Eddie Cochran, Neil Sedaka, and many many more.
Ray performs with his guitar to professionally recorded backing tracks so that the sound of a big band can now be recreated in much smaller venues.
Ray has been performing with various musical acts for over thirty years, runs his own recording studio and has also appeared in many theatre productions. Ray played Buddy Holly in the summer of 2008 in Spotlight Theatre Groups production of Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, (Winner of NODA Best Musical and Best Production 2008). The show was an amazing success with packed houses dancing in the aisles every night.
Sorry, no gigs added by this band, please call back later!


WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans, whose elections in swing districts next year will determine which party gains control of the House, are overwhelmingly voicing their support for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. It’s a position, Democrats say, that could backfire on them.
McCarthy saved Republican lawmakers from having to vote to launch the impeachment inquiry, a likely sign that he didn’t have the votes to succeed. Yet many of the 18 Republicans representing districts Biden won in 2020 were quick to say they supported McCarthy’s launch despite the potential political risk at home.
“I think the American people deserve to know the facts and I look forward to seeing what the outcome of the investigation is,” said Rep. Jen Kiggans, who represents a Virginia district that Biden won in 2022. he achieved almost a 2% lead. points in 2020.
If the investigation leads to an impeachment vote, history suggests it won’t necessarily be helpful to impeachments. House Republicans lost five seats in the 1998 elections just weeks before impeaching President Bill Clinton. Democrats achieved these surprising results even though the party that controls the White House usually struggles in midterm elections.
Democrats need only a handful of seats to regain control of the House next year, as Republicans control the chamber by a narrow margin with a 222-212 majority. Rep. Suzan DelBene, campaign chair for House Democrats, provided a preview of the political arguments to come, saying vulnerable House Republicans are not focusing on meeting voters’ needs as they pursue a “fake impeachment” .
“They are not fit to govern,” he said. “House Democrats will make sure people know this as we continue to focus on growing the middle class, reducing costs and creating jobs.”
Rep. Richard Hudson, chairman of the House Republicans’ voting campaign, dismissed the threat the impeachment inquiry could pose to Republicans in swing districts. He said voters want transparency and accountability in government.
“As long as we follow the facts, I don’t think it hurts us,” Hudson said.
An AP-NORC poll finds that two-thirds of Republicans, but only 7% of Democrats, are very concerned that President Biden has committed wrongdoing related to his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings. About a third of those claiming to be independent said they were extremely or very worried.
The Congressional Integrity Project, a Democratic-aligned group, has already launched digital ads hammering the investigation in the 18 Republican-led districts won by Biden. The ads frame the impeachment inquiry masterminded by McCarthy and conservative brand Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., in an effort to help former President Donald Trump, who is seeking a rematch with Biden in 2024. The ads call on lawmakers to “focus on real priorities and not fake impeachment stunts.”
Many of the Republicans in the districts Biden won are from California and New York. They will need to win over independents and moderates to win, and ads aligning them with Greene and Trump are designed to make that job harder for them.
Brad Woodhouse, a longtime Democratic strategist and senior adviser to the group, said Republicans have failed to get their priorities across the finish line as they fight among themselves to raise the debt ceiling and fund the government. That’s a vulnerability that will be magnified during an impeachment fight, he said.
“Aside from impeachment, it wouldn’t be difficult to say that this Republican-led Congress has failed miserably to address the issues you care about,” Woodhouse said of the message to voters. “But if you add that to having wasted six months or whatever it is on impeachment, it’s going to be a really powerful message to the challengers of these Republican members.”
Even as they say they support McCarthy’s efforts, some swing district Republicans stress they will focus on other issues, clearly aware of the criticism coming their way.
Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-Y., told reporters that the impeachment inquiry “is going to consume a lot of your attention. It’s not going to consume a lot of my attention.”
Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., said the decision to launch the Biden investigation “was the speaker’s call” and all they were embarking on was a fact-finding mission. He said he wasn’t worried about how the investigation would play out politically for him at home.
“That’s not on my plate right now. However, I think my constituents deserve some answers,” LaLota said.
The freshman congressman, along with other likely opponents such as Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., were offered private briefings from leadership this week in order to ease any concerns they had about moving forward with an investigation.
McCarthy was asked Wednesday how he managed to convince impeachment skeptics in his caucus.
“There are a lot of allegations out there that you just want to have an answer to. The impeachment inquiry simply allows Congress – Republicans and Democrats – to get questions answered,” McCarthy said.
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., who will lead the investigation, said some concerned lawmakers contacted him in the days before McCarthy’s announcement.
“I tried to explain to them that my goal has always been just to get the facts,” Comer said. “And, ultimately, if the facts lead to impeachment, then I’m sorry, we’re going to have to vote on impeachment. But the facts clearly point to an impeachment inquiry.”
Just two weeks ago, McCarthy told Breitbart News that if House Republicans moved forward with the impeachment inquiry, it would happen with a formal vote on the House floor. He said “the American people deserve to be heard on this issue through its elected representatives”.
But this week he took a different tack and launched the investigation unilaterally, although it is possible he could ask for a vote later. The maneuver protected Republicans in swing districts from having to cast that vote to launch an impeachment inquiry, even though many said they would vote yes.
Rep. Mike Garcia, R-California, was one of them. He won a district that Biden carried by a whopping 13 percentage points.
“There seems to be this national narrative that people in swing districts don’t want accountability and the truth. Right? That’s not the case,” Garcia said. “There is smoke there, so we have an obligation to investigate and see if there is fire there.”
Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Farnoush Amiri and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.


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Quote of the Day
There are certainly no rules about the printing of a picture. Before 1951, I liked my prints dark and muddy. Now I prefer the very contrasting black-and-white effect. It looks crisper, more dramatic, and very different from color photographs.
Click to copy link

domain: artistic


Carrier capital spending (capex) may be down during the current economic downturn but Carrier Ethernet is bucking that trend. Service provider investment in Carrier Ethernet gear is growing faster than telecom capital expenditures, according to Infonetics Research. That is probably not too difficult as telecom capex was down about 20% in the first quarter, according to UBS.
Service providers spent US$17 billion on carrier Ethernet equipment in 2008, according to Infonetics. The firm expects spending to top $32 billion in 2013, a compound annual growth rate of 13.5%, as service providers migrate to next-generation IP networks, and Ethernet transport from SONET/SDH.
The largest investments will be in IP core and edge routers, Carrier Ethernet switches and optical gear, Infonetics says. Ethernet microwave is expected to grow at a fast clip due to its use for backhauling mobile traffic, the firm says. And Ethernet services will be marketed as a lower cost-per-bit service than traditional WAN services with the ability to increase speeds without changing out equipment at the central office or customers premises, Infonetics says.
Carrier Ethernet takes center stage. For the first time in years, there's a real challenge to the dominance of Layer 3 MPLS in the WAN. Enterprises are turning in unprecedented numbers to carrier Ethernet services, driven primarily by ease of use and lower cost-per-Mbit/s. About 87% of enterprises that have tried it say they expect to purchase more in 2009.
Carrier Ethernet is a ubiquitous, standardized, carrier-class service defined by five attributes that distinguish it from familiar LAN-based ethernet. It brings the compelling business benefit of the ethernet cost model to achieve significant savings. Service providers worldwide are migrating their existing networks to deliver Carrier Ethernet services to enterprises, businesses and residential end-users. “Carrier Ethernet remains one of the hot topics in the industry and we expect telcos to continue investing in this area. Quite simply the main driver is lower cost. Ethernet totally dominates the LAN, it's estimated that 97% of data on the internet starts or terminates on an Ethernet port. This success has made Ethernet the lowest cost and most efficient network protocol we know today and the emergence of Carrier Ethernet brings this cost model to the wide area network for service providers to reap its benefits also,” says Eric Roelofs, Carrier Sales Director – Middle East, Nortel.
An opinion echoed by Terral Shelby, IP Business Manager, Alcatel-Lucent: “Telcos are concentrating efforts and budgets on technologies which bring them closer to a Core Packet Network (CPN). They are investing in the ability to deliver lower priced, higher speed Ethernet based services, because this allows for the delivery of High and Low end “Payable services”, or “Internet Consumables”.
Besides, Carrier Ethernet requires no changes to customer LAN equipment or networks and accommodates existing network connectivity in addition to the ability for millions to use a network service that is ideal for the widest variety of business, information, communications and entertainment applications.
Also, Carrier Ethernet offers more cost-effective connectivity than traditional WAN services. Moreover, Carrier Ethernet provides higher bandwidths to enterprises more affordably than traditional WAN services. Today, 10Mbps and GE services are readily available in most metro markets, with 10GbE availability also increasing, and work ongoing on 40 and 100 GbE standards well underway. “ This offers enterprises the opportunity to support a growing number of bandwidth intensive applications (e.g. server virtualization, video conferencing) which help improve productivity. Furthermore Carrier Ethernet allows enterprises to implement a simplified network model, consisting of end-to-end Ethernet connectivity. Compared to the traditional model which requires an additional stage of protocol conversion, Carrier Ethernet simplifies operations and management,” says Roelofs.
The MEF (Metro Ethernet Forum) is a global industry alliance which aims to accelerate the worldwide adoption of Carrier-class Ethernet networks and services. In support of this objective the MEF has developed a common set of definitions for Carrier Ethernet services, including E-Line (point-to-point), E-LAN (multipoint-to-multipoint) and E-Tree (point-to-multipoint). The three flavors of carrier Ethernet are:
— Ethernet access to MPLS services. Here, the carrier provides a direct Ethernet interface to “classic” Layer 3 MPLS services. The user's customer edge (CE) router connects with the carrier's provider edge (PE) router across an Ethernet interface, and the carrier routes the user's traffic across the cloud. The upside: higher-speed access to traditional MPLS services, with all the QoS support that MPLS provides. The downside: the carrier is involved in IP-layer routing.
— Point-to-point Ethernet services. Here, the carrier provides a direct Ethernet interface to the user, but only at Layer 2. The user's CE router connects to a carrier switch (typically MPLS) that transports traffic across the cloud, but looks and feels like a WAN Ethernet link. That is, the IP device that the user's CE router is connected to is another CE router across the cloud. The upside: a clean, simple link across the WAN — ideal for, say, high-bandwidth links between data centers. The downside: as the name implies, the link is point-to-point, meaning that the service doesn't scale to a full-blown WAN.
— Multipoint Ethernet services, or virtual private LAN services. Here, the carrier provides a direct Ethernet interface to the user, again at Layer 2. The user's CE routers interconnect across what looks, smells and feels like a “LAN across the WAN” — with all IP routing controlled and managed by the user. The upside: it's simple to install and configure, compared with MPLS. The downside: QoS isn't native (though carriers have different ways of prioritizing customer traffic at Layer 2). Additionally, there may be some challenges with scalability. I haven't seen any multipoint Ethernet networks larger than roughly 200 sites — MPLS networks, in contrast, are often several thousand sites.
Users are increasingly interested in adopting all flavors of carrier Ethernet, primarily due to the ease of configuration and lower cost of bandwidth. The key to doing so successfully? Know which one you want.


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Improving the quality, collection and analysis of North Carolina’s data on children and families is one of the goals of the NC Pathways to Grade-Level Reading (Pathways) initiative. Pathways is partnering with the NC Institute of Medicine to kick off that work. A working group of data experts met this week to identify data gaps and think through what it would take to bridge them.
Pathways is a data- and research-driven initiative. The work started in 2015 with a Data Action Team of experts from NC’s leading universities, research institutes, government agencies, businesses and think tanks who looked at the research around what factors impact third grade reading proficiency. The Data Action Team identified shared birth-to-age-eight, whole child measures to put children on a pathway to grade-level reading and created the Pathways Measures of Success Framework. Pathways has also put together a report outlining the research base that connects each of the Measures of Success to the outcome of third grade reading proficiency.
Members of the Data Action Team came together again this week with additional partners to consider the state of the North Carolina data behind the Measures of Success framework. While some of the data are precise, collected regularly, analyzed and reported publicly, other data are not. For measures that do not have data, or do not have disaggregated data, the working group began identifying:
- Why are those data not collected?
- What are possible vehicle to collect them?
- What resources would be required to collect them?
The group will continue their work through the summer. A meeting summary from the first meeting will be shared publicly when it is available.
The group is helping to pave the way for an NC Data Advisory Council that will work to raise awareness about the need for better data collection and analysis around children and family issues, prioritize which missing data measures we should focus on collecting first, and lead the way on improving data collection.
The NC Institute of Medicine is the backbone organization for the implementation of North Carolina’s federal Essentials For Childhood grant. Essentials For Childhood aims to build states’ capacity to promote the positive development of children and families, and specifically the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Essentials For Childhood in North Carolina has aligned with the Pathways Measures of Success for their child well-being indicators.


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|Las Vegas, Nevada (Official City of Las Vegas Text Site)|
|Home | Visitor | Resident | Business|
Check Status of Warrants
Check status of your case online. If your case is in warrant:
You may be required to post bail. In most instances, you may avoid arrest by posting bail to satisfy your warrant.
Warrant Tip Line
If you know someone with active warrants out of the Las Vegas Municipal Court who currently resides in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, you can contact the city of Las Vegas Marshal's Office by e-mail or by calling (702) 229-2422. All tips will be kept strictly confidential.
Judicial Enforcement Unit
Pay by Phone: (702) 229-3504
Business Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed Fridays & major holidays.
^ External Link
© 2010 City of Las Vegas | Privacy, Security, Acceptable Use Policies | Accessibility | About This Web Site | Contact Us

domain: law


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When it comes to providing payday loans on the Internet, one company is all about caring. Payday One has not been around for as long as some of the companies out there, but it has wasted little time in establishing one of the biggest customer bases in the industry. What sets Payday One apart from the other companies that offer a similar service? They combine a great business plan with an excellent customer service routine. All things considered, there are few websites that can match what this one offers in terms of overall service and ease of use.
Payday One has been around since 2002, and in that time, they have developed quite a rapport with their customers. The basic idea behind their business plan revolves around respect. Though they could not be successful without giving loans in huge numbers, the company understands that they must also look out for the needs of the individual consumer. This is why they have built a huge team of employees that handle only customer service requests. This group exists only to make the entire payday loan process easier for each person who comes to the website. If you are interesting in the payday loan process, then you should get in touch with Payday One. They can be reached via phone at 888-PAYDAY1 or through a convenient email applet on their website at http://paydayone.com.
The services offered by Payday One are pretty typical of what other companies are offering in this day and age. They specialize in payday advance loans, meaning that customers are coming in to get a short-term advance on their paycheck. The interesting thing about Payday One, however, is that they have a more simplistic approach to the process. They understand that when people come to their site, they are in need of money. They neither want, nor have time to deal with all the hold-ups that can typically derail the process. When customers come to the site, they are greeted with an easy to use application template, which helps expedite the entire process. Approval takes a little bit longer, but that is done in an effort to help protect the company.
To be approved for a payday advance loan from Payday One, a customer must be able to prove that he or she has a steady job. This is done in order to protect both Payday One and the customer from a potentially sticky situation. The good thing about this company is that customers do not have to go through a long, drawn out credit check process, though. Once they provide some simple information, the application can be processed without any hold-ups. This is one of the chief reasons why people have made Payday One a popular choice over the last six years.
One thing that Payday One does for customers that other companies do not really do is that they provide continuous service to their customers. When a person signs up for a payday loan with this company, they create an account where they can easily keep up with all the information that is pertinent to their account. What this means is that you will not have to keep up with all the information for yourself. When a payment is due on the loan, an email reminder will automatically be sent to the account holder. This is one of the ways that they are looking after customers and making sure that they have everything they need.
Payday One is changing the way this business is done. In the past, the business had been all about numbers, and the online format was very impersonal. With Payday One and some of the other new companies that are bursting on the scene, looking out for the customer is now the focus. This company understands that without the customers, they are not going to survive. This is why a full staff has been put into place to care for the needs of customers, and many of the website's features are intended to benefit the customer directly.
For people who want a payday advance loan, Payday One is a great, up and coming company. Their dedication to service and a brand new website design make them a very attractive pick for customers who just cannot use the traditional financial market anymore. They have filled a void in the financial market in a big way and in doing so have become a real player.
- Average 4.1
- Service 4.5
- Cost 3
- Time 4.5
- Use Again 4.5


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This walk stretches for a total distance of around 26 miles, but its history is significantly longer than that. The walk is named after a girl called Mary Jones who, back at the very beginning of the 19th century, walked the entire distance of the route barefoot to Bala, in order to buy herself a Bible.
If you are to undertake the walk yourself, you will see what an ordeal Mary’s journey must have been, and the dedication she must have had to complete it. It is tough in sections, and that’s with proper walking boots on.
The walk is worth the struggle, however, as it takes you through some truly beautiful areas of the Snowdonia National Park. You will see the lovely little village of Llanfihangel y Pennant, as well as some lush valleys and dramatic peaks. If you can only do a short section, make sure it includes a walk around the tranquil Bala Lake.
Mary’s journey inspired the founding of the Bible Society here in Bala. She had saved her money for six years to afford her Bible, and trekked to Bala because it was the closest town in which the Bible was produced and available. A walk truly steeped in history!
The Mary Jones walk takes your through the valley of Cadair Idris to the edge of Llyn Tegid. The beginning of the walk can be found by following signs for Llanfihangel-y-Pennant. Walkers should park near the church.
Join the Conversation
Somewhere you've never been? What is Nearby?
Snowdonia – known in its native Welsh as Eryri, which is often translated to “place of the eagles” – is a beautiful part of the United Kingdom. Covering 823 square miles of idyllic Welsh countryside, mountains, rivers, lakes, forests and beaches, Snowdonia is paradise for any hiker, climber, fisher, swimmer, sailor, surfer, sunbather, potholer, zip-liner… the list goes on.
North Wales is home to a wide variety of cycling routes, from popular ones to little-known paths, from short jaunts to long distance endurance trails, from easy-going tracks to hard-core downhill courses. There really is a little something for every type of cyclist here.
Cadair Idris is named after the giant of legend who supposedly lived here; the name translates to “Chair of Idris”. It is said that he studied the stars from here, and bestows poetic inspiration to anyone hardy enough to spend the night up there.
Here's an opportunity to book a holiday cottage at a reduced price
Enjoy everything Conwy has to offer by staying in a cottage in and around the town or Conwy Marina. Attractions include Conwy Castle, the town walls, Plas Mawr Elizabethan House, The Royal Cambrian Academy of Art, pleasure cruises and a wide range of shops and restaurants.
Bala is a pretty market town on the shores of Llyn Tegid (Lake Bala). It's also famous for white water sports. Find a cottage in or near to Bala that's just right for you.


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ILLUMINATING LIFE & LOVE
Photographs + Cinematic Wedding Films that beautifully but naturally document the story of your day. The moments you didn't know we'd get - until later when you see a moment that makes you laugh, smile, cry. You feel it all again not because its a perfectly captured moment - but its perfectly you.
Contact me today to learn more.
508.471.7988 | firstname.lastname@example.org | www.the-ewings.com
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53 Reviews for The Ewings Photography Studio
Recommended by 100% of couples
20 User photos
Erin Boyce · Married on 10/19/2019
Exceptional Wedding Photography and Video
Where do we even begin! From the moment we had our first conversation with Erica we knew how fortunate we would be to work with The Ewings for our wedding photography & video. Erica instantly made us feel so comfortable as we embarked on wedding planning. In addition to helping with our photography and video, the Ewings continually offered their support and guidance if we had other questions about wedding planning and suggestions for vendors. Erica and Ben answered every question we had and accommodated any request and truly made us feel like we were the only couple they were working with. They took the time to get to know us as a couple and as individuals so by the time it was our wedding day we were excited to spend time with them and had full faith that they knew exactly what we wanted. The photos from our special day are simply stunning and brought us to tears. They truly captured every magical moment perfectly and captured so many organic shots that we will cherish forever. We come from large families and they had no issue with our lengthy portrait list either. When we look back on our photos there is not a single shot that we feel is missing they captured it all and these photos bring us right back to these special moments in time. We are so obsessed with their work and already can’t wait to work with Erica and Ben again.Sent on 01/24/2020
Emily · Married on 08/25/2019
Gorgeous photos and wonderful to work with!
We cannot recommend the Ewings highly enough! We were drawn to them because of the obvious quality of their work, and sold when they were willing to provide videography services for our ceremony and ketubah signing at a fraction of what a separate videographer would have cost. But that’s all before the wedding day itself.
Simply put, they took the best pictures of us we’ve ever seen. And they did it by keeping us entirely at ease. Erica and Ben were so relaxed and cheerful that we never felt like we were posing, never felt on display, and never felt we were taking direction. I hate posing for pictures, but working with the Ewings was an absolute pleasure. Moreover, they were somehow completely unobtrusive during the wedding yet captured amazing candid shots of everything from our first dance to laughter to happy pictures of our friends and loved ones.
They were incredibly friendly and professional throughout, and took up a minimum of our time both during the preparation and on the day itself. We can’t imagine a better photographer experience! Thanks so much, Erica and Ben!!
Sent on 09/24/2019
Melissa Doyle · Married on 06/15/2019
They are absolutely amazing!
Erica and Ben are the kindest, most thoughtful humans AND photographers! They accomplish everything an "aggressive" photographer would but they are so kind and make it look effortless. It was like having extra friends at our wedding who just happened to be taking photos. Their work is phenomenal and speaks for itself, but the personal touches are priceless! I can't recommend them enough.Sent on 06/27/2019
If you want your photographer to be more than a vendor to you, Erica is the one to choose. She has a calm presence and will make you feel like yourself! That is priceless when it comes to your big day. We would highly recommend her!


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Nice I suppose by now you can tel I love the surrealist pieces. While surrealism is my second love in art behind the impressionists, this painting has a kind of sweet Giger quality to it, even better than Giger for I like the pastel colors, and the subject (over H Giger) in yours.
there's too much unsaid for me, John, in your wonderful work. very creative!
Artist Reply: Thanks for your comments on my work, Nikolay. I looked at your newest beautiful photos again and realized they inspired me to turn the two abstracts I was working on into landscape vistas. It wasn't a conscious thing, I just had the images in my brain. I didn't mean to be copying. Mine are nowhere near as spectacular as your photos, but just wanted to let you know this.


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Vertical distribution of lipids, fatty acids and organochlorine contaminants in the blubber of southern hemisphere humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)
MetadataShow full item record
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as toxic lipophilic organochlorine (OC) compounds, accumulate in the blubber tissue of marine mammals. Toxicological sampling methods most frequently target only the superficial blubber layer. Vertical distribution of these contaminants through the blubber mantle may, however, not be homogenous and could reflect any dissemination of lipids and fatty acids (FAs). It is therefore critical to assess stratification patterns in a species of interest as a quality control measure for interpretation of toxicological data. Here, we analysed and compared the distribution of lipids, FAs, and OCs in the outermost and innermost blubber layer of southern hemisphere humpback whales. FA stratification was evident for short-chain (=18) monounsaturated fatty acids (SC-MUFA), which were concentrated in the outer layer, consistent with the thermoregulatory role of this blubber layer. This stratification was, however, not reflected in OC distribution, which was similar in the inner and outer blubber layers of male humpback whales. By comparison, a noticeable gradient in total blubber lipid from the outer to the inner layer was observed in two lactating females, which coincided with higher lipid normalised contaminant levels in the inner layer. This study contains the most comprehensive assessment of humpback whale blubber stratification to date, however, further investigation of biological and ecological influencing factors is required.
Marine Environmental Research
Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified

domain: chemistry


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Walking Among Ancient Giants: Preserving the Riches of Dinosaur Provincial Park
June 1, 2016
June 2016 Wildlands Advocate article, by Andrea Johancsik.
Andrea Johancsik takes us on a trip to Dinosaur Provincial Park, one of the four UNESCO World Heritage sites we are blessed to have in Alberta. Andrea shares some of the experiences she had while working as a park interpreter there. What can you expect to see if you look through this window into the Cretaceous period, a period that ended a mere 65.5 million years ago. Her general message that protection of rare landforms and education/enjoyment can coexist is vital and the Alberta government should be congratulated for striving to strike this balance.
For the full article, click here.


How are aid budgets changing due to the Covid-19 crisis?
This unique analysis sheds light on how Covid-19 has impacted aid flows using real-time IATI data on aid commitments in the first 5 months of 2020.Downloads
The Covid-19 pandemic has seen unprecedented resource pledges and commitments from the global community, much of which is supplied in the form of official development assistance (ODA). There is an immediate need for these resources to be tracked from the perspectives of both donors and recipient countries, to see how commitments are translated into real assistance. Development Initiatives (DI) is tracking these flows, assessing how assistance is responding to the crisis and how aid trends may be changing. To track these changes in the aid landscape in real time, DI will expand and publish updates in as close to real time as data verification allows.
- Bilateral aid commitments reported to the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) in the first five months of 2020 (US$16.9 billion) are lower than expected and a third less than that of the same period in 2019 (US$23.9 billion).
- Unlike bilateral donors, multilateral donors have increased their commitments published through IATI in the first five months of 2020 (US$48.8 billion) compared with the same period in 2019 (US$28.7 billion) and what would be expected without the crisis.
Figure 1: Total commitments reported to IATI by selected bilateral and multilateral donors in the first five months of 2019 and 2020
- The sectors important for an immediate response see mixed commitment trends: health commitments have remained roughly constant as a proportion of total commitments and water and sanitation commitments as a proportion of total commitments have stayed steady despite the long-term decreasing trend.
Figure 2: Total health commitments reported to IATI by selected bilateral and multilateral donors in the first five months of 2019 and 2020
Figure 3: Total water and sanitation commitments reported to IATI by selected bilateral and multilateral donors in the first five months of 2019 and 2020
- Some donors’ overall commitments have increased in early 2020 (for example, the World Bank, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund)) but others have decreased, such as the Department for International Development (DFID), which has “paused some new decisions” and is prioritising “lifesaving aid”.
Tracking commitments to the Covid-19 pandemic, along with other transactions, is challenging due to the varying scope and purpose of the available data platforms, many of which have newly implemented Covid-19 marker systems. Unfortunately, these platforms do not provide the whole picture for Covid-specific aid, with many commitments being missed. For example, using IATI, it is not mandatory for donors to mark their commitments as coronavirus related. Furthermore there is no agreed definition of what is meant by a Covid-related commitment. This makes quantifying the effect of coronavirus on aid flows difficult. Various sources produce aid data, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Creditor Reporting System (CRS) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Financial Tracking Service (FTS). However, this analysis uses IATI because it is the only source which allows tracking of real-time response to changes in both humanitarian and development aid.
Most bilateral donors and large multilateral agencies now publish their aid activities using the IATI data standard. Most refresh their data monthly. This includes details (rather than annual aggregates) of financial transactions. IATI does not maintain a curated database: its datastore is a live repository that refreshes daily based on publishers’ outputs. This means that there is a need for DI analysts to routinely review the consistency of data. Furthermore, IATI contains data published by all participants in the aid delivery chain and the same activity can therefore be reported by donors, fund managers and implementing agencies. Care therefore needs to be taken in aggregating finances – particularly between bilateral donors and multilateral agencies. Notwithstanding these limitations, the demands of the pandemic response are beginning to show the benefit of a standard that has been built around the need for timely, comprehensive and forward-looking open data on development and humanitarian resource flows.
To create a picture of how global aid has been affected by the Covid-19 crisis, DI has developed a model which takes the commitments published to IATI since 2015 by the key multilateral and bilateral donors reporting to IATI, covering 70.0% of total commitment value. This model is used to compare commitments in the first five months of 2020 to those which would have been expected during this period assuming no major external factors had changed (that is, no Covid-19 crisis). This model accounts for the aid commitment trends since 2015 and seasonal fluctuations in reporting. Comparing the difference in commitments published to IATI in 2020 with the expected value based on previous years shows the likely effect of coronavirus on aid flows. This paper also compares to the previous year to illustrate immediate changes.
Using the past five years of data for key donors, this analysis estimates the range of values for commitments and a range where the commitment value can be reasonably expected to sit in 2020, provided external factors stay constant. Clearly, the Covid-19 pandemic is a severe change in the external environment and if it is considered the only large discrepancy in circumstances compared with previous years, a change in commitment value to outside of the reasonable range can be considered to be a significant change caused by the Covid-19 crisis.
Bilateral aid commitments reported to IATI in the first five months of 2020 are lower than expected and a third less than the same period in 2019
Figure 4: Total commitments reported to IATI by selected bilateral donors
During the first five months of 2020, aid commitments from the largest bilateral organisations have been lower than expected (US$16.9 billion rather than US$20.8 billion) (Figure 4). Such levels are roughly a third less than the total commitments observed in the first five months of 2019 (US$23.9 billion). In particular, in March, the actual value of commitments (US$4.5 billion) was significantly lower than the expected value (US$8.5 billion) based on reporting in previous years. Why have reported commitments by bilateral organisations not remained as expected in this time frame? It is possible that bilateral actors are paying the economic price of Covid-19 (such as bailouts, stimulus measures, loss of revenue) and have reduced commitments due to the uncertainty. DI will monitor this to observe the change in bilateral commitments over the remainder of the year, publishing updates in as close to real time as data verification allows.
Unlike bilateral donors, multilateral donors increased their commitments published through IATI in the first five months of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019 and what would be expected without the crisis
Figure 5: Total commitments reported to IATI by selected multilateral donors
A different trend is observed when looking at the largest multilateral organisations – actual commitments are greater in early 2020 compared with what would be expected without the crisis (Figure 5). This may be due to continuity of existing programmed work and multilateral organisations not yet being hampered by the budget constraints felt by donor governments. Actual commitments stood at US$48.8 billion: 56.3% greater than the expected commitments from the model (US$31.2 billion) and 70.0% greater than the level of commitments in 2019 (US$28.7 billion).
Noticeably, soon after the UN and other large multilateral organisations called for countries to “scale up their efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic” in March 2020, commitments from large multilaterals increased considerably. In March and May 2020, there was a significant increase in aid commitments by large multilateral organisations – respectively US$6.2 billion and US$10.9 billion more than expected. In April, total commitments increased by US$4.1 billion on what was expected,
It is positive that the value of multilateral commitments has matched and, in March to May, exceeded that expected, but it must be sustainable to tackle the whole crisis. DI will continue to monitor and publish future commitments by donors to see whether this effort is sustained as the Covid-19 crisis and its effects continue to unfold. DI will also track actual disbursements to observe whether they align with commitments made or whether commitments were front-loaded into the early months of 2020.
Are the same trends in commitments seen across each of the sectors important for the immediate effects of the crisis? To initiate DI’s real-time sectoral assessment of aid, this paper looks at health and water and sanitation, both as a percentage of total ODA from specified donors and the absolute commitment value trends already discussed.
It is widely agreed that beyond financial tools such as debt relief, developing countries will need immediate healthcare provision and investments in systems to cope with the Covid-19 crisis. Indeed, in 2017 average annual health spending per person was US$41 in low income countries compared with US$2,937 in high income countries.
Multilateral aid commitments in aggregate have increased above expected levels in the first five months of 2020 but are these funding the health sector in developing countries?
The proportion of aid to the health sector by key multilateral donors in the first five months 2020 is roughly the same as in previous years. Overall aid to the sector has increased in this period compared with 2019
Figure 6: Monthly health commitments by key multilateral donors as a proportion of total commitments with annual trend line, 2015–2020
Analysing the same set of large multilateral organisations as above, the percentage of all ODA commitments which were specified to the health sector in the first five months of each year between 2015 and 2019 stood at 3.5%. In the first five months of 2020, the percentage of ODA to the health sector stands at 4.4%. This suggests the proportion of aid to health – one that has remained reasonably constant since 2010 is being sustained. As overall multilateral commitments have increased in the first five months of this year (Figure 1), health commitments from multilaterals in absolute value have also increased. DI will continue to monitor the proportion of aid commitments to health to observe whether this trend continues in light of the Covid-19 crisis.
Looking at health commitments by the largest bilateral donors, a proportional increase in the first five months can be seen compared with previous years: 5.0% between 2015 and 2019 but up to 8.7% in 2020. However, there has not been the same quantity of commitments from bilateral donors (Figure 1), hence the absolute value of commitments from bilateral donors is not considerably greater than expected. Whether this changes in later months will require monitoring and therefore DI will update this analysis regularly.
In the first five months of 2020 the proportion of aid going to water and sanitation is roughly the same as in the same period in 2019, however it fluctuates considerably monthly
Water and sanitation is another key sector in dealing with the immediate elements of the Covid-19 crisis. While health system strengthening is an important factor for dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a growing school of thought that, due to the wide prevalence of illnesses such as malnutrition and tuberculosis in developing countries, the high recovery rate seen in other parts of the world is not replicated. Preventative measures are therefore needed to avoid straining developing countries’ limited health systems. One of these measures is access to functioning handwashing facilities with water and soap, which an estimated 3 billion people do not have.
Figure 7: Monthly water and sanitation commitments by key multilateral donors as a proportion of total commitments with annual trend line, 2015–2020
The percentage of multilateral ODA commitments which were specified to the water and sanitation sector in the first five months of each year between 2015 and 2019 stood at 2.6%. In the first five months of 2020, the percentage of ODA to the sector was 2.0%. Commitment values to this sector have fluctuated greatly across the time period in question due to a changing number of publishers across the time period hence DI will closely monitor commitments over the longer term to see if this decrease is rectified. Despite slight decreases in proportion of commitments dedicated to the water and sanitation sector, due to the increase in overall multilateral commitments, the absolute value of multilateral water and sanitation commitments has increased in the early months of this year compared with the same time in 2019.
As for the commitments to water and sanitation by the largest bilateral organisations, a modest increase in their percentage in the first five months can be seen compared with previous years: 1.9% between 2015 and 2019 up to 2.3% in 2020. The absolute value of commitments is lower than expected due to the low bilateral commitment values observed (Figure 1) so DI will monitor this to see whether the overall commitment value to the sector continues to fall or whether there is a recovery.
Some donors have seen an increase in value of commitments in the early months of 2020 and some have seen sharp declines. This section analyses some key donors which have seen considerable changes.
The World Bank has tripled its commitments published to IATI in the first five months of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019
Figure 8: Commitments published to IATI by the World Bank between January and May, by year
The World Bank is a key donor in driving the Covid-19-related increase in commitments in the first five months of 2020 outlined earlier. In these five months, World Bank commitments totalled US$23.6 billion, triple its commitments in the same period in 2019 (US$7.8 billion). The commitments published this year were US$11.3 billion greater than the next highest in the period (2017, US$12.2 billion). While the World Bank tends to publish its largest volume of commitments in June, it still publishes a significant amount before May, often mostly in March. Of the last six years, 2020 saw the largest volume of commitments being published by the World Bank in March (US$13.9 billion). This year, for the first time in the six-year period, the World Bank published commitments in May (US$9.7 billion), potentially suggesting that the World Bank are contently rapidly allocating funds due to the Covid-19 crisis.
The Global Fund has also increased its commitments in the first five months of 2020 compared with 2019
Figure 9: Commitments published to IATI by the Global Fund between January and May, by year
The Global Fund, the third largest multilateral donor in the first five months of 2020, has committed US$6.6 billion, up by quarter (26.0%) on 2019 commitments of US$5.2 billion during the same period. However, it is likely that not all of this is new funding. The Global Fund has allowed donors to repurpose up to 5% of, and use savings from, existing grants. Similarly, some of what the World Bank has pledged towards coronavirus support is not newly pledged funding. Of the initial US$12 billion pledged by the World Bank, only US$8 billion is new money.
UN OCHA country-based pooled funds (CBPFs) have reduced their commitments in the first five months of 2020 compared with 2019
Figure 10: Commitments published to IATI by UN OCHA CBPFs between January and May, by year
UN OCHA CBPFs have decreased their level of commitments reported through IATI between January and May in 2020 and the same period in 2019. In the January to May 2020 period, commitments by UN OCHA CBPFs were US$212.1 million, compared with US$406.1 million in 2019. This may be due to bilateral donors disbursing more to UN OCHA’s Coronavirus disease Outbreak appeal as opposed to CBPFs, since total UN OCHA appeal requirements are US$9.4 billion higher in 2020 than in 2019.
DFID has greatly reduced its commitments in the first five months of 2020 compared with 2019, pausing all non-“lifesaving” aid due to the Covid-19 crisis
Figure 11: Commitments published to IATI by DFID between January and May, by year
DFID is one of the key bilateral donors to have decreased commitments published to IATI between January and May compared with previous years. In the first five months of 2020 DFID published US$1.4 billion of commitments to IATI. This is a decrease of 46.5% compared with the same period in 2019 (US$2.1 billion). The UK has pledged £744 million (US$941 million) of aid to tackle Covid-19. Of this, around £211 million (US$279 million) is being disbursed through the DFID-administered ODA Crisis Reserve; therefore, commitments will be published through IATI by DFID. Of the total, £130 million (US$162 million) has been pledged to the UN's Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19, and therefore will not be included in the UK’s commitments published to IATI. Rather, this will be published to FTS, highlighting the difficulty in effectively tracking aid in the Covid-19 crisis. However, it is hard to confirm this due to the mismatch in reporting between IATI and FTS. DFID is pausing non-“lifesaving” aid during the Covid-19-crisis. This is the likely cause of the fall in DFID’s publishing of commitments to IATI in the first five months of 2020, where most commitments are considered “lifesaving” or are related to the Covid-19-crisis.
The trends in aid commitments show an overall increase in spending over the early months of 2020, much of which can be considered a likely response to the Covid-19 crisis. In the early stages of the crisis, it is vital that this aid is targeted in the correct areas such as the water and sanitation and health sectors, but evidence of this increase is yet to be observed. Some large multilateral organisations such as the World Bank and the Global Fund have increased their specific commitments from previous years in the face of this crisis, but many are lagging behind on giving details of what activities they will support. However, the economic fallout from the Covid-19 crisis is going to be greater than the immediate health impact. In Kenya, it is predicted that in the very worst-case scenario over the next year, ten thousand people will die of Covid-19. In comparison, in October 2019, poverty was expected to decrease in Kenya in 2020 but as of April 2020, it is expected that nearly a further million people will fall below the $1.90 poverty line. Therefore, it is important that there is also strong data on commitments to areas relating to long-term economic recovery.
In a rapidly changing environment with ever-changing needs, it is important that donors report, and correctly mark, their commitments in a timely manner. Some donors have reported their commitments specifically, however more granularity is needed from most. As more donors mark their activities as coronavirus related, analysis of aid committed specifically to tackling the Covid-19 crisis will become possible and, more importantly, reliable. As this takes place, DI will track, in as close to real time as data validation allows, the allocation of aid by donors to Covid-related areas, and its modality.
This section outlines the methodology used in this analysis to create a picture of how global aid is being affected by the Covid-19 crisis.
This paper analyses transactions published to IATI. A direct download was taken (on 10 July 2020) of all the data in the IATI registry. These transactions are filtered by:
- the year 2015 onwards
- commitments only (transaction type marked as ‘C’ or ‘2’)
- key multilateral and bilateral donors reporting to IATI (see Table A1-1), covering 74.9% of total commitment value, based on IATI’s publisher statistics and annual spend.
Table A1-1: Key bilateral and multilateral donors used in the analysis of IATI commitments
|Australia – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
|African Development Bank
|Belgian Development Cooperation
|Asian Development Bank
|European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
|Finland – Ministry for Foreign Affairs
|Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO)
|France – Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
|Germany – Federal Foreign Office
|Inter-American Development Bank
|Germany – Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
|International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
|Global Affairs Canada
|UN OCHA country-based pooled funds
|Netherlands – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
|UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)
|Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)
|UN Development Programme (UNDP)
|Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
|UN World Food Programme (WFP)
|Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)
|World Bank Group
|UK Department for International Development (DFID)
|World Health Organization (WHO)
|US Agency for International Development (USAID)
|US Government Foreign Assistance
All the transaction data pre-2020 has been adjusted to be in constant 2019 US dollars. Due to the Covid-19-related instability of economies it is not currently possible to reliably rebase 2020 data. Therefore, this has been left in 2020 US dollars. However, as this data is only for the first five months of 2020 there is unlikely to be any significant difference in the 2020 and 2019 US dollar data.
In the initial dataset, transactions were split by sector, specifying the OECD DAC vocabulary (‘1’ or ‘2’) for consistency. The key multilateral and bilateral donors all report to the OECD DAC vocabulary. For health, all codes starting with ‘120’, ‘121’ or ‘122’ are included, and for water and sanitation, all codes beginning ‘140’.
This data was then used in two ways: 1) comparing current with past values (absolute and proportional); and 2) comparing expected values with actual values observed. These can be used in harmony when drawing conclusions from the data. Due to the quantity, quality and breadth of data, expected values have been produced only at an overall level for key multilateral and bilateral donors. The following sections outline the methodology for each of these in turn.
First, comparing the level of commitments between January and May 2020 to the same period in previous years shows how Covid-19 has changed the ODA landscape. Without Covid-19, commitments in 2020 could be expected to be similar to the previous five years. Any considerable increase or decrease to the level of commitments published to IATI is likely to be due to the Covid-19 crisis and the response of donors. By comparing the proportion of commitments which are marked as committed to key sectors (such as water and sanitation and health), it is also possible to see if donors have changed which sectors their aid flows are going to, regardless of how their absolute volume changes. Second, a Bayesian structural time series (BSTS) model has been used to forecast the overall commitment value which would be expected during this period assuming no major external factors have changed (that is, no Covid-19 crisis). BSTS is a good choice in this case since it has exact small sample results and it is particularly natural for prediction. Despite previous year comparisons showing a potential change in ODA, it does not consider whether this change would be expected given time trends. This model accounts for the aid commitment trends since 2015 and seasonal fluctuations in reporting. Comparing the difference in commitments published to IATI in 2020 with the expected value based on previous years shows the likely effect of Covid-19 on aid flows over and above any changes that would likely have occurred anyway.
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Development Initiatives, 2020. The challenges of data on the financing response to Covid-19. Available at: https://devinit.org/publications/challenges-data-financing-response-covid-19Return to source text
IATI's response to 19 pandemic, https://iatistandard.org/en/news/iatis-response-covid-19-pandemic (accessed 30 June 2020)Return to source text
See Appendix 1 – Methodology for full list of donors and methods used.Return to source text
World Health Organization (WHO), 2019. Global Spending on Health: A World in Transition. Available at: www.who.int/health_financing/documents/health-expenditure-report-2019.pdf?ua=1Return to source text
Why Sub-Saharan Africa needs a unique response to COVID-19, www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/why-sub-saharan-africa-needs-a-unique-response-to-covid-19/ (accessed 30 June 2020)Return to source text
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