>>>Thousand Islands Bluegrass Festival LaFargeville, NY http://www.thousandislandsbluegrass.com/festival.html lineup includes: Ralph Stanley II, Edgar Loudermilk, Zink and Company, Dreamcatcher, Gone Fishin, Serene Green, , and more.
>>>Clearwater Festival Croton-on-Hudson, New York http://www.clearwaterfestival.org/ Performers include: Ani DiFranco, Railroad Earth, The Wailers, Tom Paxton and The DonJuans, Leslie Mendelson, Tom Chapin, Joel Rafael, The Mammals, David Amram, Guy Davis, Josh White Jr, Antigone Rising, Scott Sharrard, Roger Street Friedman, Los Cintron, Matt Pless, Joanie Leeds, Kristen Graves, Thom Chacon, Vance Gilbert, Cliff Eberhardt and more.
>>>Blistered Fingers Family Bluegrass Festival Litchfield, Maine http://www.blisteredfingers.com lineup includes: Performers: The Gibson Brothers (NY), Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass (PA), The Little Roy & Lizzy Show (GA), The Baker Family (MO), Dave Adkins Band (KY), Zink & Company (MA), The Kevin Prater Band (KY), Dreamcatcher (TN), Blistered Fingers (ME) , and more.
>>>The Acadia Trad Festival Bar Harbor, Maine http://www.acadiatradschool.com/festival/ Performers include: There are many headliners plus students from the Acadia School of Traditional Music & Arts. Also: Contra Dance and Cape Breton Dances.
>>>Jenny Brook Bluegrass Festival Turnbridge VT http://jennybrookfestival.com/ Performers include: The Earls of Leicester, The Gibson Brothers, Nothin Fancy, Po Ramblin Boys, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Lonely Heartstring Band, Malpass Brothers, Larry Stephenson Band, Carolina Blue, Feinberg Brothers, Zink & Company,, and more.
http://oldsongs.org Performers include: Emmas Revolution, Bill Staines, Sharon Katz and The Peace Train, John McCutcheon, Mary Flower, Bruce Molsky, Archie Fisher, Tommy Sands, Rob van Sante and John Connolly, Beppe Gambetta, Bon Débarras, Keith Murphy and Becky Tracy, Poor Man’s Gambit, The Vox Hunters, Musique à bouches, Cathy Barton and Dave Para, Sam Gleaves, Deborah Payne and Hasee Ciaccio, Magpie, Lil Rev, Charm City Junction and Footworks, Ken and Brad Kolodner Trio, Mulebone, Sally Rogers and Howie Bursen, Clare Horgan and Matt Diaz, Pete’s Posse, Tui (Jake Blount and Libby Weitnauer), Heather Wood, Bill Destler and Rebecca Johnson, John Roberts, Deb Cowan, Fennig’s All Stars, Janine Smith, Ron Blechner, Stefan Amidon, Bill Jones, John Dickson, The Great Groove Band, Ron Gordon, Jake Thomas, and Roger the Jester!and MORE!
>>>The New Bedford Folk Festival New Bedford, Massachusetts http://newbedfordfolkfestival.org Performers include: Anne Hills, Art Tebbetts, Beaucoup Blue, Bourque Émissaires, Bill Jones, Bon Débarras, Bua, Chris Pahud, Chris Smither, Dan Plews, Dar Williams, David Jacobs-Strain, Diana Jones, Don White, Gerry Colvin Trio, Guy Davis, Kevin Doyle, Laura Cortese and the Dance Cards, Livio Guardi, Liz Stringer, Low Lily, Matt Watroba, Mike Laureanno, Molsky’s Mountain Drifters, Pamela Means, Radoslav Lorković, Raymond Gonzalez, Rosi and Brian Amador, Ryan McKasson and Eric McDonald with Jeremiah McLane, Seth Glier, Susan Werner, The Kennedys, The Nields, Zoë Lewis, Back Porch, Barbara Phaneuf, Charlie Cover, Chuck Williams, Dori Rubbicco, Fourteen Strings, Golden Lane, Grace Morrison, Joanne Doherty, MaryBeth Soares & Dave Pereira, Matt Borrello, Molly O’Leary, New Bedford Harbor Sea Chantey Chorus, Putnam Murdock, Richard D. Lewis, Sacred Harp with The Beans, Sally Racket, Sarah Donner, The Jethros, and more.
>>>Busy Bird Bluegrass Festival 231 Ketchumville Rd., Berkshire, NY http://www.busybirdbluegrass.com/ lineup includes: Newtown, Jakobs Ferry Stragglers, Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass, Carolina Blue, Fireside Collective, Hillbilly Gypsies, Mama Corn, Lonesome Road Ramblers, Jersey Corn Pickers, Melanie and the Boys, Gospel Way, Terry and the Busy Birds, Milkweed, Gerry Jarcia Band, Jess Novak-Gene Hummel, Slewfoot, Rebecca Colleen, Bug Tussle, Matthews Family Tradition, and more.
lineup includes: Redwood Hill – CT,Danny Paisley and Southern Grass – PA, Cedar Ridge -NY, Dave Nichols and Spare Change -NY, Seth Sawyer Band -VT, Canaan’s Land – PA, Zink & Company -MA, The Kevin Prater Band – KY, Jeff Brown and Still Lonesome – VA, Edgar Loudermilk Band – GA, Smokey Greene & Sons -FL/NY, and more.
>>>Green River Festival Greenfield, Massachusetts http://www.greenriverfestival.com Performers include: First Aid Kit, The Wood Brothers, The Devil Makes Three, Parsonfield, Tyler Childers, The Record Company, Heather Maloney, Angelique Kidjo, Lazou Mizik, Karl Densons Tiny Universe, Rhiannon Giddens, The Suffers, Upstate, Ladama, Low Cut Connie, Mipso, Mtali Shaka Banda, The Suitcase Junket, Eilen Jewell, Cedric Burnside, Samantha Fish, Philip B. Price, Red Baraat, The Gaslight Tinkers, The Eastpointers, Charlie Hunter and Lucy Woodward, Session Americana, Ali McGurk, The Stone Coyotes, Sean McConnell, Lowdown Brass Band, Mammas Marmalade., and Many More.
>>>Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival Oak Hill, New York http://greyfoxbluegrass.com Performers include: Billy Strings (Artist-in-Residence), Dry Branch Fire Squad (Host Band), Del McCoury Band, Tommy Emmanuel, Earls of Leicester, I’m With Her, Steep Canyon Rangers, Mandolin Orange, Jeff Austin Band and Travelin’ McCourys perform Grateful Ball, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Balsam Range, Gibson Brothers, and SO many more!
>>>County Bluegrass Festival Fort Fairfield, Maine http://countybluegrass.com/ lineup includes: The Family Sowell (TN), Carolina Blue (NC), Little Roy & Lizzy Show (GA), Third Harmony (NB), Blistered Fingers (ME), Zink & Company (MA), Kristy Cox (TN), Po Ramblin' Boys (TN), The LaClaires (ME), High Fidelity (TN), Nick Chandler & Delivered (NC), The Atkinson Family (NY), Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road (NC), The LaClaires (ME), David Davis and the Warrior River Boys (AL), and more.
>>>Brantling Bluegrass Festival Sodus, NY http://www.brantlingbluegrass.com/ lineup includes: Edgar Loudermilk Band, Monroe Crossing, Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road, Mama Corn, The Grillbillie Band Project, Beartracks, Linabelle, Melanie and the Boys, Gone Fishin, and more.
>>>Ossipee Valley Music Festival South Hiram, Maine http://www.ossipeevalley.com Performers include: DAVINA & THE VAGABONDS, BILLY STRINGS, THE GIBSON BROTHERS COUNTRY ELECTRIC SHOW, DUSTBOWL REVIVAL, THE QUEBE SISTERS, T SISTERS, LAKOU MIZIK, TWISTED PINE, KINAN AZMEH & THE CITY BAND, THE PO’ RAMBLIN BOYS, RAINBOW GIRLS, ALISON DE GROOT AND TATIANA HARGREAVES, SIERRA FERRELL, THE BAGBOYS, NEW ENGLAND BLUEGRASS, TRICKY BRITCHES, CORNER HOUSE, THE RUTABEGGARS, MAMA’S MARMALADE and more!
>>>Danby Old Country and Bluegrass Festival http://bluegrassfestivalguide.com/danby.html Performers: Josh Grisby and County Line, Monroe Crossing, Beartracks, The Atkinson Family, Nick Anderson and Shady Creek, Cornfed Dogs, Just Passin’ Thru (host band), and more.
>>>Pemi Valley Bluegrass Festival Sugar Shack Campground, Thornton, NH http://bluegrassfestivalguide.com/pemi-valley.html Bluegrass Picking Weekend. No stage performances are scheduled and the entire weekend will be devoted solely to picking.
>>>Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Hillsdale, New York http://falconridgefolk.com/ Performers include: Martyn Joseph, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Stephen Kellogg and Crys Matthews. Others confirmed so far include The Rowan Brothers, George Marshall with Wild Asparagus, Pete’s Posse, Nerissa & Katryna Nields and the Slambovian Circus of Dream and many more [TBA].
>>>Sweet Chariot Music and Art Festival Swan’s Island, Maine http://www.sweetchariotmusicfestival.com Performers include: Nick Apollonio, Jennifer Armstrong, Bill Burnett, Annegret Baier, Stan Collinson, Doug Day, David Dodson, Ritt Henn, The Jenkins Family, Geoff Kaufman, Eric Kilburn, Bob Lucas, Chloe Manor, Daisy Nell, Lisa Redfern, Kahlil Sabbagh, Buckley Smith, Ginger Smith, Dean Stevens, Chris Westhoff, Denny Williams, Suzy Williams, Isla (Deborah Packard and Peter Cairney), The Morningsiders, Bailen, the Band, Larry Kaplan.
>>>The Blistered Fingers Family Bluegrass Festival Litchfield, Maine http://www.blisteredfingers.com lineup includes: The Gibson Brothers (NY), Lonesome River Band (TN), Junior Sisk (VA), The Po' Ramblin Boys (TN), The Bluegrass Brothers (VA), Bluegrass Diamonds (NB), Zink & Company (MA), Back Woods Road (ME), Blistered Fingers (ME), and more.
>>>American Folk Festival Bangor, Maine www.americanfolkfestival.com Performers include: Genticorum, Orquesta de Macabeo, Black Umfolosi, Charm City Junction, Navatman Music Collective, Jeanette and Johnny Williams, Gus La Casse and Eamon Sefton, Wayne Hancock, Vieux Farka Toure, Open the Door for Three, Fairfield Four, Tuba Skinny, Annika Chambers, and more.
>>>Labor Day Weekend Festival Fort Fairfield, Maine http://countybluegrass.com/ line-up includes:High Fidelity (TN), Nick Chandler and Delivered (NC), Blistered Fingers (ME), The Atkinson Family (NY), Zink and Company (MA), Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road (NC), Carolina Blue (NC), The LaClaires (ME), David Davis and the Warrior River Boys (AL), and more.


AMID the Brexit turmoil turning the UK into a battleground, there may be only one thing capable of uniting such a divided nation: the Spice Girls.
Tickets for the long-awaited reunion stadium tour (minus Posh) sold out within minutes when they went on sale last November. Extra dates were hurriedly added and snapped up just as quickly. The internet went into meltdown, and it felt as if the entire nation was desperately trying, by hook or by crook, to get hold of a coveted ticket.
“Absolutely,” says Emma Bunton, when it’s suggested that what the country needs right now is a big injection of Spice.
“I think everyone has got such different opinions at the moment and it feels like we’re all shouting at each other. But when our tickets went on sale, everyone came together.
"Mums, dads, kids, friends… It feels so special that everyone put all of those other things aside.
It’s been more than 20 years since Baby, Sporty, Scary, Ginger and Posh bulldozed their way into the public consciousness, becoming the biggest girl band of all time, selling 85 million albums worldwide and sealing their place in music history.
The phrase Girl Power (Emma says she can’t remember which of the five first coined it) still resonates today.
The girls remain icons, and with their various careers post-Spice – Emma, 43, has a new solo album out, which we’ll come to shortly – each has proved there is life beyond the band.
Ahem. Some things, anyway. Because in a world where not much is certain, it’s good to know that loose-lipped Mel B can still be relied upon to drop a big old bombshell.
While filming Piers Morgan’s Life Stories last month, and to the obvious shock of Mel C sitting in the audience, Mel B revealed that back in the day she’d had a fling with Geri.
The public revelation, which made the front pages, was said to have left Geri humiliated, and after a week of gossip and headlines she felt forced to release a statement denying the story, saying it was “disappointing”, “simply not true” and that she’d found all the attention “very hurtful”. Ouch.
There were reports that the subsequent ill feeling had thrown the whole tour into jeopardy (Mel, in turn, has been furious about the insinuation she lied), although Geri has insisted she’s still looking forward to having an “amazing time” and “making some new memories”. So, um, what was that all about?
Emma’s blue eyes widen, her lips purse and her face tightens. She lets out a little squeak. Her team had warned ahead of the interview not to ask about this at all, but come on: what did she make of Mel’s indiscretion?
Another squeak. And then a very firm “move on” by her publicist. Emma has always managed to dodge controversy and she’s not about to start rocking any boats now – unlike Mel, who is used to being at the centre of media storms.
Last November Mel published her memoir Brutally Honest, detailing the emotional and physical abuse she claims she suffered at the hands of ex-husband Stephen Belafonte. She wrote about the years she spent feeling under his control, the drug use to blot out her pain and her suicide attempt in 2014 just days before the X Factor final.
Emma says she never realised and was horrified to discover the extent of the alleged abuse.
Emma did have concerns about Stephen, but Mel had become very good at hiding everything from even those closest to her.
“There were lots of time that I reached out to her, but [victims] often keep things to themselves. I remember spending some time with her a few years ago filming the X Factor judges’ houses over a couple of days, and we just sat and chatted for a bit.
Mel and Stephen eventually divorced in 2017, and she has been rebuilding her life ever since – she has said that the marriage left her in financial dire straits, with less than £800 in the bank.
The tour, which is set to net each band member over £2million, will give her a much-needed lifeline.
“She’s in such a brilliant place now, which is why I think it’s so lovely that we’re going on to do this,” says Emma.
Having said that, it’s no small wonder that the tour is happening at all. The band reunited as a five-piece in 2007, and then again in 2012 for the Olympics closing ceremony, but since then, while there had been plenty of whispers, nothing came to fruition.
Emma, who has made no secret of her desire to get the group back together, must have started to doubt they’d ever make it work.
“It was very stop and start. It’s a big thing to commit to as mothers.
Three years ago, with Victoria Beckham a definite “hell no”, Mel C backed out as well, declaring it all or nothing, and for a while it looked like Geri, Emma and Mel B might instead form a trio dubbed GEM. But then came reports that Mel C was threatening legal action if that went ahead, and Geri became pregnant with her son Monty, now two, and those plans fell by the wayside, too.
She admits, though, that without the persistence of herself and Mel B it wouldn’t have got off the ground at all. Geri and Mel C took some convincing.
The fact it’s accidentally coinciding with the release of Emma’s fourth solo album, her first after a 12-year break from music, is a sign of how unexpected the reunion was. She recently quit her five-year breakfast gig at Heart FM (she still presents a Sunday show), which has helped ease the burden, but life is still rather busy right now.
The album – My Happy Place – is a ‘60s-inspired mix of old and new and has been a collaborative two-year process involving family and friends. It features the voices of eldest son Beau on Here Comes The Sun as well as duets with partner of 21 years Jade Jones (You’re All I Need To Get By), Will Young (I Only Want To Be With You) and a joyful slice of ‘90s heaven with Robbie Williams on a stripped-back version of the Spice classic 2 Become 1.
Former Damage star turned chef Jade, 40, did the vocal arrangements for the album, and the video for the first single Baby Please Don’t Stop shows Emma’s children Beau, 11, and Tate, who turns eight next month, proudly watching their mum perform the track in front of the cameras.
“I did feel nervous getting back into music because you just never know,” she admits. “It’s something I love but time runs away with you. When someone said it had been 12 years I didn’t believe them. I was like: ‘No way, it can’t be that long!’ But yeah, children and life take over.
Of all the Spices, it’s arguably Emma who has emerged from fame, fortune and life in the spotlight the most unscathed. She has seemingly avoided the personal crises, relationship heartbreaks, eating disorders and mental health issues that have affected Geri, 46, Mel C, 45, Victoria, 44, and Mel B, 43. She’s a calming presence, utterly secure in herself and with no evidence of ego or hang-ups.
“I was at Sylvia Young Theatre School from a young age,” she says. “So I grew up in that industry. But my family has been such a big deal to me and they are my priority. Obviously I think: ‘Wow, this is all fab,’ but it kind of comes and goes.
“This [she gestures around the plush room in the private members’ club we’re sitting in] is not something I rely on. I rely on my family and friends. My job is what I do and I think it’s lovely and special, but my family and friends – that’s reality. That’s what I go home to.
Jade has been Emma’s constant, and her face softens at the mention of his name. To still have that effect after so long together is really quite something.
Last month she was papped at Enfield Registry Office, apparently giving notice of intent to marry following an eight-year engagement. So does that mean there will be a wedding this year?
She emphasises the word. It must have been frustrating for news of wedding plans to leak. It would be wholly out of character for Emma to express irritation, but she considers this for a second and grimaces.
She smiles when we encourage her to go for it.
I cry all the time. This morning it was because I was late!
Celebs Go Dating is so funny, mainly because of Rob Beckett.
Bros: After The Screaming Stops. I was in love with Matt when I was younger.
Bohemian Rhapsody. I loved it.
I never do. I pretend to but I actually don’t!
I lost it with myself because I burned salmon in the oven.
Me and Jade are the people being told to get a room. The kids are like: “Eugh, stop it!"
From Dawn French after I was on Dermot’s Radio 2 show.
There are tentative plans to tour My Happy Place later this year. Emma has also celebrated the second birthday of her eco-friendly baby range Kit & Kin, and recently returned from the States where she hosted The Great American Baking Show.
There will be no Victoria, though, despite rumours that she’s set to make a surprise appearance at one of the shows.
Victoria is on the girls’ WhatsApp group, but when asked if they still consider themselves a five, Emma says not any more.


Earthquake damage to Christchurch Cathedral in the New Zealand South Island city is seen in September 2011.
New Zealand's Christchurch was rocked by a fresh series of powerful earthquakes on Friday, sending terrified people fleeing into the streets 10 months after a devastating quake claimed 181 lives.
Two shallow quakes of magnitude 5.8 and 5.9 and a series of aftershocks struck as malls were packed with afternoon Christmas shoppers, sending stock tumbling from the shelves and turning the festive mood to panic.
The quakes, which temporarily closed the international airport and disrupted communications, were the latest in a series that began 15 months ago and have destroyed much of the inner-city.
Local news media reported people fleeing in fear as the quake and a series of aftershocks rattled the city, leading to liquefaction and flooding in some suburbs worst hit by previous earthquakes.
Liquefaction is caused when shaking loosens the bonds between soil particles, turning the ground into a quagmire.
"It was very frightening there for a wee moment," one resident, Brian Cornish, told National Radio.
"You can't underestimate the ongoing stress this has created for people," Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said, while Prime Minister John Key described the impact as "frightening and disheartening" for the beleaguered residents.
The lives of people in New Zealand's second largest city have been shattered by a series of earthquakes that began in September last year when a 7.0 tremor struck.
That quake caused widespread destruction but because it hit just before dawn there were few casualties.
But on February 22, a lunchtime 6.3 quake killed 181 people and reduced much of the downtown area, including the city's Anglican cathedral, to rubble, while in the suburbs thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed.
The cost of repairing the city has been put at NZ$20 billion ($15.5 billion), and even after the latest quakes Key said the government's resolve to rebuild Christchurch remains unchanged.
Smaller earthquakes in the 3.0-4.0 range have become an almost daily occurrence in Christchurch but only a few thousand from a population of more than 350,000 people are reported to have left the city.
Deputy mayor Ngaire Button said the latest quakes coming at the end of a difficult year, were likely to prompt more people to consider leaving the city but she doubted many would go.
"Every aftershock we've had, there have been people who have felt that way, we can't blame them for that," she said.
One woman, Susan Holmes, told TV3 she was "sick" of the repeated tremors and threats to her home.
The US Geological Survey said a 5.8-magnitude quake struck at 1:58 pm (0058 GMT) Friday at a depth of less than five kilometers (three miles). It was followed 70 minutes later by a 5.9 tremor at about the same depth.
One person was rushed to hospital after being injured in a shopping mall and the National Crisis Management Centre was activated.
Civil Defense controller David Coetzee said the toll could have been much higher had the central business district not been cordoned off after earlier quakes.
"We're lucky actually that we had the CBD already cordoned and there weren't people in there," he told Fairfax News.
Telephone services were cut in many areas and electricity supplies disrupted, but police said there were no reports of other injuries or widespread damage.
The international airport and shopping malls were all evacuated and closed as a precautionary measure.
Airport chief executive Jim Boult said flights resumed in the early evening.
Police spokesman Stephen Hill said a few buildings collapsed and people were also urged to stay away from hill suburbs because of a risk of rockfalls.
New Zealand sits on the so-called "Ring of Fire" the boundary of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, and experiences up to 15,000 tremors a year.


He's at that age. You know the one. One, actually. The age where you turn your head for just a second and all of the contents of your lower cabinets are in a pile on the kitchen floor. Someone forgets to close the bathroom door and you either hear the splashing that sounds like a 200-pound man doing a cannon ball into a pool or worse, you find all manner of objects floating in the toilet because they just wouldn't flush.
When Ethan was this age, we put on a toilet lock. Sure he was able to figure out how to undo the latch when he was 14 months old. It made us feel better for a little while, so that's all that matters. Now we just regulate the door being closed. Or I regulate the door being closed. If I can make it a day without finding a baby trying to swim in the toilet, it's a good day.
Then there is the laundry. Just the other day I walked around the corner to find the baby flinging neatly folded clothing over his head as fast as he could. When he saw me coming, he stepped up his speed and laughed with glee. I snapped at him and gave him my meanest look. He gave me a great belly laugh and moved even faster. I lunged for the basket and put it out of his reach. He sighed and toddled around the corner to see if one of his brothers had forgotten to close the bathroom door.
There is a gate at the bottom of the stairs and a gate at the top of the stairs. Cut off from taking his show on the road to a different floor of the house, the baby (can I still call him that?) now tries to get his brothers to open the front door or back door for him so he can escape. I hear him yelling to Ethan and banging on the front door. Ethan patiently explains to him that we all have to go out together if we are going to go out. Mason moves on to to trying to convince Nathan to open a door. Nathan just bowls him over and suddenly they are rolling on the floor.
Nathan has forgotten the purpose of their conversation but Mason has the mind of a steel trap. He climbs out from under the pinning and smacks on the door with his hand. Nate shrugs his shoulders and leaves.
The baby wanders off again to check the bathroom door. You just never know.
My baby is currently 19 months, and I feel you. This one is especially quiet as he wreaks mayhem on the house. And I fall for it, even though I know I shouldn't, because I don't really want to lose the silence to yet another disaster.
I have a 17 month old who is a troublemaker! I swear she does one thing to make me run over and stop her just so she can run off and do something worse...I literally LOL'd at this article, thank you!
This article had me Laughing!
It sounds exactly like my 17 month old Son.
God Forbid I ever leave our Bathroom door open. I've had my Cell phone flushed and nearly ruined for leaving the door open once.
He never fails to frustrate me with taking all the clean, folded laundry and piling it up in the middle of the living room. Taking one piece at a time and destroying my work. LOL! I SO could relate to that part of the article.
Can't let a Toddler out of your sight for even a Blink. You never know what might happen!


Warren Zide and Craig Perry’s production and literary management shingle, Zide/Perry Entertainment, has signed a three-year, first-look deal with MGM, with plans to produce at least two features a year.
The arrangement dovetails with Zide/Perry’s current production deal with Helkon Media, with Helkon Intl. Pictures getting first look at foreign rights on all MGM-Zide/Perry productions.
MGM production prez Alex Gartner said that despite a downbeat economy, the studio moved to make the Zide/Perry deal based on the company’s track record as well as its ability to generate material and bring financing to the table.
Zide/Perry inked a four-picture, $50 million deal with Helkon in May that kicked off with the Frank Longo-helmed “Replikate.” That deal is expected to yield three additional titles budgeted between $10 million and $15 million.
MGM has its own ongoing relationship with Helkon via Chuck Roven’s Atlas Entertainment, which also is based at MGM. Atlas, which produced the Lion’s upcoming summer tentpole pic “Rollerball,” has a long-term co-production and co-financing arrangement with Helkon and Toho-Towa.
Management division Zide/Perry Management has launched the careers of numerous directors and screenwriters, including Chap Taylor (“Changing Lanes”) and Ben Ramsey (“The Big Hit”).
Projects on the Zide/Perry slate include the New Line titles “Final Destination 2,” written by Eric Bress and Jon Gruber, and “Westward,” written by Tony Jaswinski, with Paul Hunter directing. Also on the slate is the Helkon comedy “Seven Women, No Sandwich,” written by Stuart Gibbs (“Replikate”). All are scheduled for production later this year.
Zide/Perry projects in development include MGM’s “Ain’t Nobody Like the One I Got,” with Licht/Mueller attached to produce with Zide/Perry, Sony’s “Providence,” written by Josh Schwartz, with Katja Von Garnier directing, and an untitled Chap Taylor script for Paramount Pictures.
Producers of such hits as Universal Pictures’ “American Pie,” New Line’s “Final Destination” and Sony’s “The Big Hit,” Zide/Perry’s films have grossed more than $400 million worldwide. Zide/Perry previously put down studio roots at New Line Cinema, inking a one-year, first-look deal in June.
Zide and Perry are in production on “American Pie 2,” which is slated for release Aug. 10. The Helkon-financed Zide/Perry production “Replikate,” which stars Ali Larter, will be screened for domestic distributors within the next two weeks, and the Zide/Perry-produced CGI/live-action Warner Bros. Pictures laffer “Cats and Dogs” is slated for a July 4 release.


Eric Bana and Danny Huston will portray the rock icon and former President in this drama focusing on their historic White House meeting.
The Entourage star hopes to produce and direct the life story of this backyard brawler and YouTube sensation.
John Malkovich, Kevin Connolly and others discuss the new Disney film based on the true story of the Triple Crown winning race horse.


Do you ever wish you had the chance to say something to the people who bullied you at school? Well, this woman did, and told BuzzFeed News how she did it perfectly.
When Louisa Manning was 12 years old, she was bullied about her weight and for being "hairy", and was called a "manbeast" by other students. As a result, she spent several years eating very little, skipping dinner and suffering from a lack of confidence.
But last Friday, eight years later, something interesting happened: One of the boys who bullied her at school asked her out on a date. This is what Manning looks like today.
The 22-year-old, a student at Oxford University, told BuzzFeed News she bumped into the man at a university ball and that he asked her on a date on Facebook.
She said she remembered this man in particular for bullying her for "being ugly" at her Cambridgeshire school.
"I was pretty pissed off he asked me out, to be honest," she said. "It really made me angry that now I'm attractive, he instantly wants to jump into bed with me."
Instead of declining the date, she accepted it – but with a hidden agenda in mind.
"My gut instinct was to say no," she said, "but then I realised what a brilliant opportunity it was, and after bouncing ideas off a friend for a few hours, we came up with an idea."
Manning arranged to meet him at a restaurant for dinner, but arrived slightly earlier so she could ask the waitress to hand this photo with a handwritten note on it to her date when he arrived.
Remember year 8, when I was fat and you made fun of my weight? No? I do – I spent the following three years eating less than an apple a day. So I've decided to skip dinner.
Remember the monobrow you mocked? The hairy legs you were disgusted by? Remember how every day for three years, you and your friends called me Manbeast? No perhaps you don't – or you wouldn't have seen how I look eight years later and deemed me fuckable enough to treat me like a human being.
Manning said she later uploaded the picture and note to Facebook and was surprised when she received an apology from the guy.
Hey... For what it's worth, I was actually here to meet up looking for a chance to meet up looking to make friends, not because you are very good looking. I guess I had it coming though, and certainly don't blame you for standing me up.


• Teams were required to submit their final Yu Darvish bids by 5 p.m. yesterday. The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters have until Dec. 20 to accept an offer, after which Darvish—the man Trey Hillman once dubbed the "Elvis of Japan"—will be permitted to negotiate exclusively with the winning bidder for 30 days.
• Four years into his $91 million contract, Carlos Zambrano has decided he's ready to get in shape. Big Z told Venezuela's Lider en Deportes that he's spending his off-season climbing mountains and running on the beach, and that he plans on finishing out the final two years of his contract with the Cubs, as he is no coward. His newfound dedication may also have something to do with the fact that the final year of his contract only kicks in if he finishes in the top four for the Cy Young this year.
• The Twins signed Josh Willingham to a three-year deal, but say they're still interested in re-signing Michael Cuddyer.
• There's absolutely no chance that C.J. Wilson is a Marlin in 2016.
• The Boston Globe has already written Jason Varitek's eulogy.
• The Rockies and Cardinals are the favorites to acquire Carlos Beltran.
• Hey, everyone, remember Jake Peavy?


State correction officials are considering filing charges against inmates who attack prison guards following a rash of violence at a maximum-security prison already on lockdown near Syracuse.
“We’re not going to put up with inmates attacking guards,” said Jim Flateau, spokesman for the state Department of Correctional Services.
The latest incident at the Auburn Correctional Facility, 25 miles southwest of Syracuse, occurred yesterday when an inmate shoved a guard after becoming enraged by the way other guards searched his cell. No one was injured in the incident.
On Friday, a guard was punched in the eye during a routine frisk. The guard was taken to a hospital, treated for a swollen eye, and released.
The assaults at the 1,800-inmate prison followed a series of attacks on guards that began last week and prompted state Correction Commissioner Glenn Goord to order the lockdown of the facility.
Flateau said correction officials will meet with the district attorney’s office next week to consider criminal charges.
The first assault happened last week as an officer broke up a fight during Islamic services. On Wednesday, five guards were attacked as they opened cells to conduct searches for weapons and contraband.
The lockdown is expected to remain in effect through the weekend, Flateau said.


Select up to 3 trims below to compare some key specs and options for the 2017 Lincoln Navigator. For full details such as dimensions, cargo capacity, suspension, colors, and brakes, click on a specific Navigator trim. If you're considering buying the Lincoln Navigator, request free price quotes from local dealers.


TOKYO, March 6 Japan's Mizuho Financial Group on Wednesday slashed its full-year profit outlook by 86 percent, citing 680 billion yen ($6.1 billion) in one-time restructuring costs, including an overhaul of its securities portfolio.
LONDON, Dec 14 Japan's Mizuho Financial Group has won approval from Germany's financial regulator for a securities license for its Frankfurt-based European business, to ensure it can retain access to the region's markets when Britain exits the European Union.
TOKYO, Nov 14 Mizuho Financial Group Inc said on Wednesday net profit rose 13.4 percent in the six months through September, helped by gains from its stock holdings and smaller bad loan costs.


The mega-insurer is the latest 'systemically important' company that wants to break itself up to avoid being targeted by activists.
Banks such as SunTrust need interest rates to keep rising if they want to keep making money. The regional bank reports earnings Friday.
Here are Wednesday's top research calls, including upgrades for Anthem, Gilead Sciences and Wayfair, and a downgrade for International Paper.
Will Comerica (CMA) Stock Be Helped by Earnings Beat?
Comerica (CMA) reported its 2015 fourth quarter earnings results before the market open on Tuesday.
There are plenty of reasons to expect banks to do well in 2016.
Here are Thursday's top research calls, including upgrades for Micron, Pandora and Qualcomm, and a downgrade for CVS Health.
With Comerica stock trading at a discount to the rest of the market, now would be the time to buy.
Comerica (CMA) shares are falling after the company reported worse-than-expected earnings results.
SunTrust has seen its EPS estimates for the just-ended quarter and the full-year rise by 2% and 3%, respectively.
BMO Capital initiated coverage of Comerica (CMA) stock with a rating of 'underperform' this morning.
Business demand has rebounded, but consumers are still trying to catch up.
Comerica (CMA) shares are declining after the company missed analysts' second quarter top line expectations.
As Greece and China worries wind down, focus is back on U.S.
Combined with its 24-cent quarterly dividend, yielding 2.20% annually, that is solid value, especially given SunTrust's improved prospects for 2016.
Looking for some investing inspiration to get you through the summer doldrums? Bank of America recommends these 10 stocks to buy or sell for the next three months.
Financial services stocks underperformed the broader market to date, but more than a few specialized financial companies have had big gains during first six months of the year.
Comerica (CMA) shares are gaining after the company was upgraded to 'buy' from 'neutral' by analysts at Merrill Lynch.


CTC, in collaboration with construction company Aggregate Industries, has produced a downloadable free software app for the Apple iPhone. By using the iPhone's built-in camera and GPS locator, together with the large display screen, users can report potholes and other road defects right from the roadside. Photograph: www.fillthathole.org.uk.
Like buses, three excellent free cycling apps have come along almost at once. There's cyclestreets, reviewed a month ago; the similarly useful (and chart-busting) Bike Hub, soon to be reviewed; and now the free Fill That Hole.
"You spot it ... You log it ... They sort it" is how the FillThatHole.org.uk website describes its own role.
The initiative, established in 2007, allows you to provide details of bike-threatening roadway hazards, and the CTC does the job of passing them on to the relevant highway authority – usually a local council. The organisation also does a lot of number-crunching, and presents useful figures about the number of hazards reported and the councils that are best at responding. These are the kinds of jobs that might be done by the Department for Transport in an ideal world, but as it is, the cost is being met by the CTC and a maker of road-surfacing materials (go figure).
CTC, in collaboration with construction company Aggregate Industries, has produced a downloadable free software app for the Apple iPhone which dramatically improves the usefulness of Fill That Hole. By using the iPhone's built-in camera and GPS locator, together with the large display screen, you can now report potholes and other road defects right from the roadside. Photograph: www.fillthathole.org.uk.
Like BikeHub and Cyclestreets, this smartphone app makes desktop web-browing look a bit old fashioned, because the tasks of taking a picture and logging a location are far easier than they would be on a computer. This meant I expected the process to take about two minutes.
Finding a pothole, of course, took a matter of seconds. It was more of a pot-trench in fact, with a pothole posse hanging around it trying to look hard. Job one was logging the location, which should be virtually automatic with GPS. Unfortunately my iPhone located me and my trench three miles north of where we were, meaning lots of screen scrubbing to get the pin in the right place on the map. But CTC tells me that one of their first tweaks to the software is doing much to resolve this issue.
Task two was saving the picture, which was quick, easy and almost fun. Task three was selecting the "hazard type". My trench most closely resembled "Rut or gully" on the list. Task four, slightly superfluously I felt, as the traffic roared by, was writing some more about it. Picture, exact location, pothole type ... does the local authority really need to know more? But the server wouldn't accept the form without a bit of prose in the relevant box, so I briefly waxed lyrical. Really dedicated pothole-spotters can turn on the "additional information" switch and get busy with a tape measure, entering depth, distance from the kerb, and other details – but that wasn't for me.
So, job done, eight minutes later - could be quicker, but not bad. Add to this the fact that, about 10 days later, my trench was filled, freeing local pedestrians and cyclists (and minor planets) from the threat of disappearance.
CTC tell me that an Android version is a possibility, but they (rightly) want to make sure they have the resources for user support on the wide range of phones this would entail.
They add that this time of year is when pothole reporting traditionally starts to take off, peaking in January and February – and they're expecting that fact, combined with the app's popularity, to make this a record winter for pothole-spotting. Let's hope local authorities have the budgets to keep up.


FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Four Native Americans who claimed they were sexually abused while enrolled in a now-defunct Mormon church foster program decades ago filed paperwork to dismiss their cases after reaching financial settlements, a lawyer said.
The voluntary program, aimed at giving children educational opportunities they didn’t have on the reservation, started in the late 1940s and ended around 2000.
The children participated in the program at a time when the church believed it had a duty to restore the heritage of American Indians who were referred to as Lamanites, or the wicked of two civilizations that emerged when God guided families to the Americas, Matthew Bowman, author of the 2012 book, “The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith,” has said.
Associated Press reporter Brady McCombs in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.


Does Joshua Kushner Even Care If Girlfriend Karlie Kloss Converts Or Not?
Brothers Jared and Josh Kushner’s opposing political views have been reported since Trump became president and the older brother took office.
Now, their potentially differing opinions on intermarriage are also coming into play, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd reported in a Sunday Review opinion piece.
The column explored whether supermodel Karlie Kloss, who has been dating Josh since 2012, would convert to Judaism as Ivanka Trump did before marrying Jared. Allegedly, a key difference between the two couples, so far, is that Josh has not spoken out about any desire for his girlfriend to change her religion, despite pressure from his parents.
“Like Ivanka before her, Karlie has had some rough patches in her romance because of the severe pressure she faces from Seryl and Charles Kushner, the parents of Josh and Jared, to convert to Orthodox Judaism,” Dowd wrote.
Kloss, who tweeted a picture of herself voting for Hilary Clinton, explained that she prefers to keep her relationship details private, a possible reason why her feelings towards converting are unknown.
All of the talk about pressure to convert has left some friends wondering why Ivanka hasn’t gone public to back Karlie.
“Ivanka has not been as supportive to Karlie as she could have been during her trial by fire imposed by the Kushner parents over the conversion issue,” The New York Times wrote.
This story "Does Joshua Kushner Care If Karlie Kloss Converts?" was written by Haley Cohen.


CRAIG MATHER last night vowed to stamp his authority on the role as interim Rangers chief executive and land the job for keeps.
The 42-year-old’s appointment as Charles Green’s successor has been mired in controversy over claims he was too closely aligned to the Yorkshireman who quit last week.
Green stepped down after being linked to previous owner Craig Whyte – the whole issue now the subject of an independent inquiry.
The Ibrox board were also split on naming Mather in the role, but have decided to give the post to the Scot in the short-term while they search for external candidates. Mather – who invested £1million in Rangers last summer – has also been named as a director on the club’s football board and an interim director of the PLC board.
And he has pledged to kill off any fears from fans about his ability to do the job and concerns that he won’t be his own man.
Rangers fans have been outstanding in their support for the club during the most difficult of times and I know they don’t know me and may have some doubts.
Mather said: “Rangers fans have been outstanding in their support for the club during the most difficult of times and I know they don’t know me and may have some doubts.
“I hope to dispel all of those if that is the case.
“I know there have been rumours about who is supposed to be connected with whom but I prefer to distance myself from all of that.
“I know what my own hard work has achieved over the years and where it has taken me and I will use of all of my experience and knowledge to help improve Rangers.


That seat is currently held by her husband, Ted Gaines, who won handily Tuesday but eventually will be termed out.
The El Dorado Union High School District has seen its share of controversy in recent years, most notably when Oak Ridge High School Principal Paul Burke was placed on administrative leave last year and ultimately fired this year.
A district consultant’s report said Burke frequently used profanity, periodically lost his temper and made derogatory remarks about teachers, parents and students.
The board race saw four candidates compete for two spots. Incumbents Lori Veerkamp and David Del Rio held onto their seats against challengers David Bicknell and Deloy Link.
In the Rescue Union School District, three candidates vied for two seats. Tagg Neal topped the results, winning nearly 37 percent of votes cast. Stephanie Kent and Serena Posner almost tied, with Posner winning 31.47 percent and Kent winning 31.33 percent.
Much of the county’s other action occurred in small special district races.


Judge called her his "dear friend".
Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli has broken his silence on the departure of fellow judge Dame Darcey Bussell, calling her a "dear friend".
The former ballet dancer confirmed her exit from the series yesterday (April 10), saying she was leaving "to give more focus to my many other commitments in dance".
Bruno has now paid tribute to Darcey on Instagram by sharing a clip of her dancing to Adele on the show back in 2012 – her first year as a judge.
"Can we just take a moment and appreciate my dear friend and the incredible talent that is @darceybussellofficial," he wrote.
"Found this amazing clip performing an American smooth to @adele #bbcstrictly #dancer #friendship #balletdancer."
Speaking of her exit, Darcey said it had been a "complete privilege" to be part of the BBC One series.
"I have enjoyed every minute of my time and will miss everyone from my fellow judges, the presenters, the dancers, the musicians, the entire back stage team, and especially the viewers of the show, who have been so supportive," she said in a statement.
"I am not leaving because of any upset or disagreement at all, I am just stepping away to give more focus to my many other commitments in dance, after seven truly wonderful years that I can't imagine having gone any better.
"I know I will miss being part of this unique show and the fact that it celebrates dance is something I am so passionate about. I hope that I may be very lucky to be asked back again one day."
Following the news, speculation has been rife over who will replace Darcey, with former contestant Ruth Langsford suggesting they will pick a woman.
Strictly Come Dancing returns for its 2019 series on BBC One later this year.
Strictly fans call Alfonso's Bruno impression "spot on"


Sirri Sureyya Onder says that Abdullah Ocalan's imprisonment terms are sowing worries, but stresses that his comments should not be understood as a call for violence.
REUTERS - Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan's isolation in his island jail near Istanbul amounts to an "invitation to war," a prominent pro-Kurdish lawmaker said on Thursday, as conflict flares between security forces and rebels in southeast Turkey.
Ocalan, jailed in 1999, has not been allowed visits by a delegation of pro-Kurdish lawmakers since April. The 67-year-old leader of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has also not seen any family members since 2014 or his lawyers since 2011.
Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast is currently experiencing its worst violence since the 1990s after a two-year ceasefire between the PKK and the Turkish state collapsed in July, wrecking a peace process launched by Ankara and Ocalan.
"Isolating Ocalan, sowing worries among the people about his life, safety and health conditions, is issuing an invitation to war," said Sirri Sureyya Onder, spokesman for the delegation that often visited Ocalan before the peace process fell apart.
"The path to prevent this is clear They must enable Ocalan to speak with his lawyers, us and his family," he told a news conference in the capital Ankara.
Two inmates sent to join Ocalan in jail on the island of Imrali to end his isolation were transferred to another prison two weeks ago, Onder added. Ocalan's family has voiced concerns about his well-being.
Onder stressed that his comments should not be understood as a "call to war." His Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) says it is opposed to violence and wants a peaceful solution for Turkey's large Kurdish minority.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan initiated the peace talks with Ocalan in 2012 with the aim of ending a three-decade conflict with the PKK which has killed around 40,000 people.
Erdogan, who says the peace process is now "on ice," said on Wednesday some lawmakers and mayors from the HDP were behaving like members of a terrorist group and he called for legal action against them. He views the HDP as an extension of the PKK, a group deemed terrorist by Turkey, the United States and European Union.
Clashes have intensified in recent days as a major military campaign entered its fourth week. Residents complain that the operations are indiscriminate and that round-the-clock curfews have even left the sick unable to get to hospital.
In the town of Cizre, near the Syrian border, tanks pounded apartment blocks on Thursday, Reuters television footage showed. Helicopters circled and gunfire echoed through the town.
The authorities say the military campaign is targeting PKK militants, not civilians, and that it was launched in response to attacks on the security forces.
Erdogan said more than 3,100 PKK militants and 300 members of the security forces have been killed in the operations. Human rights groups estimate about 150 civilians have perished. The figures could not be independently verified.


The number of sick days taken off by teachers in Aberdeen due to stress-related conditions has risen by more than 60%.
Aberdeen City Council figures reveal 2,846 days of absence have been recorded since the start of the 2018/19 academic year.
This is up from 1,768 for the whole of 2017/18 - a rise of more than 62%.
The council said it supported staff's mental well-being through approaches including counselling services.


Handing someone a well-designed business card that's clever, even humorous, is a great way to promote yourself. But handing someone a giant poster and asking them to slice it up into 100 cards to create a flip-book animation? That all but guarantees you a spot on the unemployment line.
It's not that we don't think designer Silvio Teixeira's 100 IDS project isn't original, or even kind of clever. It's just that he's asking a lot for someone to take the time to slice up this poster and assemble it into a flip-book. If he's using it to job hunt, we sincerely doubt any potential employer is going to take the time to do this. At least not when there's a stack of other portfolios and resumes on their desk that require far less effort to peruse.


The headteacher of a Worksop primary school has said he has been left heartbroken after thieves targeted his school three times in less than two week.
Work is under way at Ramsden Primary School, High Road, Carlton-in-Lindrick, to build a new nursery and community hub.
However this keeps being interrupted by thieves who have stolen a digger and two tippers.
Christopher Wilson, headteacher, said he hoped the nursery would be ready to open in September, but was concerned the thefts could have a knock-on effect.
He said: “We are just trying to get the nursery built which parents need, but we are constantly targeted by thieves.
“I think it is heartless that we keep being targeted – it is not the first time.
“We had lead stolen from the roof five or six times now - we have even had to apply to the council to have the roofing material changed.
The school has raised £150,000 itself to build the nursery and community hub.
The thieves have also damaged gates and a garage at the school and have even targeted the school’s CCTV camera, put in place to watch wildlife in the nearby woods.
The thieves damaged a lock, pictured.
The school was first targeted overnight on January 5 when a tipper was hot-wired and taken.
Builders working on the site then hired a new tipper and secured it to a digger which had an immobiliser to try to stop the thieves.
However, over the weekend beginning January 12, the school was targeted again.
Overnight on Wednesday, January 16, the school was targeted again.
Mr Wilson said: “They had taken a welder or a grinder and cut the locks on the gates.
“I don’t know why we keep being targeted.
Nottinghamshire Police are now appealing for information.
A police spokeswoman said: "We were called to a report that a dumper truck had been taken from Ramsden Primary School in High Road at about 11.30am on Sunday, January 6. Then at around 11.30am on Monday, January 14, an attempted break-in was reported to us and today at around 7.15am we received a report that a digger had been stolen.
"Investigations are ongoing and a patrol plan has been put in place.
"If you saw anything suspicious or have any information that can help, please call us on 101 quoting incident 89 of 17 January. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."


Simon Bouchard and his friends have noticed a few more hairy upper lips in the city.
Bouchard and Brad Kinny are two friends dedicated to raising money by growing thick moustaches from now until the end of the month in the Movember Foundation campaign to change the face of men’s prostate health.
At the end of Movember, Gala Parties will be held across Canada in all major cities, including Calgary.
“If I can raise $1,000 I will throw a big party aside from the one hosted by the Movember campaign at Cowboys,” Kinny said.
Movember started in 2003 with only 30 people. By 2008, that number jumped to 173,435 and the campaign was able to raise over $52 million from family and friends donating funds to those growing moustaches.
“I have noticed that more Calgarians are growing moustaches this year as a fun and trendy way of raising money toward prostate cancer research,” Bouchard said.
The motivation behind the campaign was developed in Melbourne, Australia, when a group of men joked about 80s fashion and decided it was time to bring back the moustache.
They called themselvesthe Mo Bros, “mo” being slang for mustache in Australia.
According to Movember Foundation.com, the mission is to develop an exciting campaign that will change the way men think about their health issues.


Doctor's are good when you actually get in to see them, if you don't mind waiting well over an hour with a newborn to be seen. And having to call to remind the office staff to them to send an order/referral. Wouldn't recommend them at all.
Run while you can. This place is a prison.
Posted by Tori R. from Foursquare on November 20, 2014. Brought to you by binglocal.
Posted by Paul from Foursquare on November 20, 2014. Brought to you by binglocal.
Fairview Pediatrics was founded in 1996. The company is located in Chicopee and incorporated in Massachusetts. Fairview Pediatrics specializes in Pediatrician.


Take this recipe for a test drive before the holidays; it might make your menu. The minted green tea, called for here and used two ways, brings a lot of flavor.
The mixture is chockablock with vegetables, too, so you could serve this as a meatless main course with cauliflower "steaks" or sauteed eggplant slices.
Make Ahead: The stuffing can be assembled, tightly covered and refrigerated a day in advance, or frozen for up to 1 week. The baked stuffing can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. To reheat, you may wish to rehydrate with an extra 1 1/2 cups of green mint tea, cover with foil and bake in 325-degree oven till soft, then uncover for 10 minutes to crisp up the top.
For the vegetable mixture: Combine the water and half of the spinach in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the liquid comes to a boil and the spinach begins to wilt, add the remaining half of the spinach. Cook, stirring, until just wilted but still bright green. Drain, pat dry and coarsely chop.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onions and fennel; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes or until they have softened and the onions are starting to pick up color. Stir in the garlic; cook for 4 minutes or until fragrant and softened.
Stir in the mushrooms; cook for about 8 minutes or until they have released their moisture, then add the artichokes and dried tea, stirring to incorporate. Turn off the heat; let the mixture cool in the pan.
For the stuffing: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a large roasting pan with cooking oil spray.
Place the croutons in a very large, wide mixing bowl. Pour the brewed tea over them and toss to coat, then add the goat cheese, brie, salt, pepper, and the marjoram and thyme leaves, stirring gently to incorporate.
Add the cooked vegetable mixture; stir gently to incorporate.
Whisk together the milk, eggs and lime juice in a large liquid measuring cup. Pour over the stuffing-vegetable mixture, stirring gently to incorporate.
Transfer to the roasting pan; you don’t have to be too careful about packing down the mixture into an even layer, but you do want to spread it into the corners. Cover tightly with aluminum foil; roast for about 45 minutes, then uncover and sprinkle the panko and pecorino cheese on top. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
Serve warm; or cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
NOTE: Use twice the amount of green tea (2 teaspoons per 8 ounces) when brewing the 2 cups of tea needed here; it acts like a concentrate.
Based on a recipe at TheTeaSpot.com.


I wrote recently how teachers unions, parent-teacher associations, and school bureaucrats form an education “Blob” that makes it hard to improve schools. They also take revenge on those who work around the Blob.
Here’s one more sad example.
Ben Chavis, founder and principal of the American Indian Public Charter Schools, got permission to compete with the Blob in Oakland, Calif. Chavis vowed, “We'll outperform the other schools in five years.” He did. Kids at the three schools he runs now have some of the highest test scores in California.
His schools excel even though the government spends less on them.
But Chavis paid his wife to do accounting work, rented property to his schools, and didn’t follow all of the Blob’s rules. So last month, the Oakland School Board said it might close the schools.
The school board voted to close the schools anyway.
The students will now probably have to go to Oakland’s government-run schools, which are not as good. We asked members of the Oakland School Board to come on my TV show and discuss their decision, but they refused.
Chavis came on, though, and explained how working with his wife and renting space to the schools — regarded by the board as too incestuous — saved government money.
And those kids got a better education for less tax money. Who cares if Chavis kept some?
The Blob cares. The school board will get about $10 million back if they are no longer obliged to send pupils to Chavis’ schools.
They’ll be hard-pressed to beat Chavis’ academic results, though. U.S. News & World Report says his schools are No. 1 in Oakland. The Washington Post this month said American Indian is No. 1 on the list of most challenging high schools in America. Over the past three years, 100 percent of Chavis’ high school seniors were accepted to four-year colleges.
By contrast, in New York City, where I live, a third of high school students don’t even graduate in four years.
Chavis says that if the board thinks he stole money, they should arrest him instead of shutting down his schools.
And while options for kids in Oakland shrink, the Blob grows.
Over the past six decades, as the number of students in public schools doubled, the Friedman Foundation reports that the number of non-teaching staff got eight times as large. Non-teaching staff means assistant principals, associate principals, secretaries, social workers, etc. Twenty-one states now have more school administrators than teachers.
Despite all that new staff, test scores stayed flat.
At least there are a few signs of hope. Remember the union protests at the Wisconsin state capitol two years ago? The union there eventually lost its fight to stop Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker from limiting collective bargaining. Now they can bargain over pay but little else. Contracts negotiations that used to take years are sometimes resolved in 15 minutes.
Union membership is no longer automatic but has to be renewed annually by individual members, voluntarily. The result: Teachers unions lost about a third of their members.
I expected that but had no idea that some of the savings in Wisconsin would come from ending the union’s monopoly on health insurance. The union had demanded that its members buy insurance from a company the union created. Allowing other insurers to compete lowered insurance costs so much that Wisconsin has saved tens of millions of dollars.
Good for Scott Walker. Less money for the Blob means more money, and freedom, for the rest of us.
I wrote recently how teachers unions, parent-teacher associations, and school bureaucrats form an education “Blob” that makes it hard to improve schools. They also take revenge on those who work around the Blob. Here’s one more sad example.


Representative Charles E. Schumer cobbled together a surprisingly easy victory in the Senate race by piling up a huge plurality in New York City, keeping it competitive upstate and battling to a near draw in the suburbs, the very heart of Senator Alfonse M. D'Amato's political base.
Although Mr. D'Amato held his home base of Long Island, he did so by a diminished margin compared with past campaigns.
Mr. Schumer's success in those areas was based in part on gains he made among Jewish, Hispanic and women voters that were impressive even for a Democrat, according to exit polls.
Mr. D'Amato's support among Jewish voters slumped significantly this year while women, influenced in part by Mr. Schumer's position in support of abortion rights, broke heavily for the Democratic congressman. Mr. Schumer captured 59 percent of the women's vote.
Political analysts said that Mr. Schumer was helped with women voters by Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign visits and, indirectly, by the recent shooting of a Buffalo obstetrician that gave new urgency to the abortion debate. Mr. Schumer's advertisements had drawn attention to his own position in support of abortion rights, while painting Mr. D'Amato as an anti-abortion advocate.
Because of his strong showing in Erie County, Mr. Schumer avoided getting trounced upstate, as many other Democrats before him have. Mr. Schumer received 56 percent of the vote in Erie, even as Gov. George E. Pataki won the county easily. Mr. D'Amato's last Democratic challenger, Robert Abrams, the former Attorney General, also won Erie County in 1992, but narrowly.
Hank Morris, Mr. Schumer's political consultant, said he did not think there was any one region or voter bloc that had been critical.
But, clearly, there would have been less confetti at Schumer campaign parties if the Congressman had not steamrolled Senator D'Amato in New York City, where Mr. Schumer captured 75 percent of the vote. It was a margin equal to President Clinton's own impressive tally in 1996 and far surpassed the 61 percent garnered by Mr. Abrams.
Perhaps Mr. Schumer's most impressive performance was in Westchester County, a mercurial place where voters often ignore their own party affiliations. Mr. Abrams lost the county by 6 points in 1992. Mr. Schumer took it by 8 points Tuesday, again despite a strong showing by Governor Pataki, who won the county handily.
Mr. Schumer's aides said they thought his positions on abortion and gun control were attractive to the many moderate Westchester residents. ''The county is also more diverse and more Democratic than it used to be,'' said Howard Wolfson, the campaign's communications director.
Over the last eight years, Westchester has seen double-digit increases in its black, Hispanic and Asian populations while the number of registered Democrats has soared. Democrats now have a 40,000-voter edge in registrations.
State Senator Nicholas A. Spano, the Westchester Republican chairman, said that the Democrats' registration edge had hurt but that so did the sense that Mr. D'Amato's incumbency had become a liability. ''The biggest problem was the fact that Al D'Amato was there for 18 years and people were just looking for a change,'' he said.
Joseph Mondello, the Nassau County Republican chairman, cited the same reason for the Senator's disappointing showing on Long Island, where he won, but not by the margins he was accustomed to.
In Nassau County, where Mr. Damato pulled 58 percent of the vote in 1992, his total dropped to 53 percent. In Suffolk, where pulled 59 percent last time, he got only 52 percent.
Mr. Schumer won only a slightly higher percentage of the black vote, 86 percent, than Mr. Abrams had in 1992. But he captured a higher percentage of the Hispanic vote, 82 percent, compared with 69 percent by Mr. Abrams six years ago.
Assemblyman Roberto Ramirez, the Bronx Democratic leader who helped organize efforts to spur a Hispanic vote, said there were higher turnouts in several neighborhoods with large numbers of Hispanic residents, like the Lower East Side, East Harlem and Hunts Point.
Mr. D'Amato also had to be disappointed with his performance with Jewish voters, a constituency with whom he has always done well, even when running against Jewish candidates. A strong supporter of Israel who was quick to condemn the 1991 rioting in Crown Heights, Mr. D'Amato was involved in a well-publicized push this year to force Swiss banks to return money to the families of victims of the Holocaust. But the Senator received only 23 percent of the vote, an 18-point drop from 1992.
Mr. Miringoff said polling data indicated that Mr. D'Amato's support collapsed several weeks ago when he used a vulgar Yiddish term to refer to Mr. Schumer.


WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The percentage of Americans naming race relations or racism as the most important problem facing the country increased to 9% this month, up from 3% in June. Mentions of race relations as a top problem have risen and fallen multiple times over the past seven months as racially charged events have dominated and then faded from the news cycle.
Americans' mentions of racism and race relations as the most important problem facing the country spiked in December 2014 to 13% amid protests over high-profile incidents of police brutality toward blacks in Staten Island, New York, Ferguson, Missouri, and other places across the U.S. This was the highest figure since May 1992 when 15% of Americans said racism was the top problem after the verdict in the Rodney King case sparked riots in many parts of the U.S.
For more than a decade prior to December 2014, no more than 5% of Americans had named racism or race relations as the top problem facing the U.S., with the figure often measuring 0%. Still, mentions of racism and race relations in recent months are far below the all-time high of 52% during the civil rights era and race riots in the 1960s.
Following the sharp increase in mentions of race relations in December, the percentage naming this issue fell to 3% in February. Similarly, in May 2015, mentions increased to 8% amid the riots in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray, a black man who died in police custody, but dipped back down to 3% in June.
The most recent results are from a Gallup poll conducted July 8-12, a few weeks after nine people were shot at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina, which sparked a national debate about the role of the Confederate flag. During the same week as Gallup's recent polling, South Carolina's government voted to remove the flag from its state Capitol grounds.
Despite the uptick in mentions of race relations in July, the economy in general and dissatisfaction with the government remain the most frequently mentioned problems, with 13% of Americans naming each.
Mentions of immigration and the federal budget deficit also rank high. Six percent of Americans mentioned unemployment or jobs, the lowest percentage to mention this issue since January 2015. At points over the last few years, mentions of unemployment and jobs as the most important problem have been as high as 39%.
As a whole, however, Americans are divided on the most important problem facing the country. No single issue is named by more than 13% of Americans, with most issues named by less than 5%. This lack of a national focus on a dominant problem may be why many long-term issues, such as the environment and education, rank among the top problems.
As many Americans debated the role of the Confederate flag in early July, an increased percentage cited racism and race relations as the top problems facing the country. On average, mentions of these issues have been higher in the past year than in at least a decade. However, the recent trend has been marked by short-lived spikes in response to a major racial event, followed by a decline after the news receded. The major difference, then, appears to be the frequent number of race-related incidents that have made news since last summer. As a whole, though, Americans are divided on what problem is most important in the U.S.
Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted July 8-12, 2015, with a random sample of 1,009 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting.
Americans are slightly less positive toward the Confederate flag than they were 20 years ago, mainly because most Democrats now view it as a symbol of racism and believe Southern states should stop displaying it on government property.


A customer at a 7-Eleven store checks the numbers on his Powerball lottery ticket on August 7, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday night's drawing is $317 million, the 11th-highest total ever.
It's been a while, but there's a giant Powerball jackpot that's expected to have a prize of $317 million by Wednesday night's drawing.
The $317 million prize would be the 11th largest Powerball jackpot ever and the 22nd largest in U.S. history when including Mega Millions, the other national lottery game.
The total is a return to form for Powerball, which has been known, along with Mega Millions, for its record-breaking jackpots in recent years. But there's been something of a drought, with nearly a year passing since the Powerball total climbed above $300 million.
Before the latest prize, Powerball's last major jackpot was in February 2014 when it was $425 million. There was a $326 million jackpot won for Mega Millions in November, that game's first major jackpot since March 2014, when it reached $414 million.
Since 2012, officials have sought to increase revenue by tinkering with Powerball and Mega Millions, primarily changing some ticket prices and lowering the odds of winning jackpots.
Lottery officials said there's no particular reason for the lull. Terry Rich, president of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries and CEO of the Iowa Lottery, said lottery jackpots are inherently random. The game is expected to have slow periods based on projection models, he added.


Can Conferences Be Effective Professional Learning?
In Learning Forward's definition of professional learning, conferences such as the events we offer each December have a specific purpose and role. Admittedly, professional learning that isn't embedded in the day-to-day work of schools has certain limitations. However, there are elements of conference learning that align with and support the Standards for Professional Learning. Assess how well the conferences and external learning events you attend and plan live up to these standards.
Learning Communities: Conferences where learners spend time together learning collaboratively can build learning communities of a sort. To meet the spirit of the standards, participants in such communities commit to not only learning together but also to integrating the learning into an ongoing cycle of continuous improvement.
Leadership: Because Learning Forward believes leaders are essential for effective professional learning that impacts all teachers and students in systems and schools, standards-based learning must include opportunities for leaders to engage in deep learning. Leaders benefit from attending conferences with others in their system.
Resources: Attendance at any off-site learning opportunity is typically a very visible use of professional learning funding and time. Education leaders have a responsibility to document the impact of that investment for those who support it. Do your learning events help you to think about how to accomplish this goal?
Data: Any initiative at work in school systems today has a data aspect associated with it. Implementing student standards, for example, requires constant assessment of progress. Therefore, any effective learning experience encourages individuals to use data to guide decisions about learning and determine how new learning will be assessed.
Learning Designs: Different designs are used to promote different outcomes. Gaining clarity about the outcomes an individual intends to achieve with a learning opportunity is key to success. Exceptional learning opportunities recognize that individuals arrive with different backgrounds, expectations, and goals. Therefore, such conferences offer a wide range of learning options that lead to different outcomes.
Alignment with the Learning Designs standard also means that conferences make effective use of technology to enhance the learning experience, both on-site and before and after the face-to-face meeting.
Implementation: Achieving the Implementation standard requires a sustained approach to learning that is difficult to reach through a single conference experience, so it is critical to determine how to build on participants' learning from conference attendance.
Attending conferences with colleagues can lead to more sustained learning in teams or through school-based coaching. Others may find support in joining communities launched during the conference experience.
Outcomes: The first question to ask in weighing a potential conference is, "How will this learning experience help us better ensure improved system growth, educator practice, and student outcomes?" If the answer is, "It won't" or "I can't see the connection," look elsewhere. Any professional learning--conferences included--must help educators boost their knowledge and skills to better reach students.
I'm curious to hear if you think conferences can meet these standards. Have you seen it in your recent experiences? And, if you attend Learning Forward's Annual Conference in Nashville this December, let us know how it measures up as well.


The inside of Minturn's public restroom up for best in the country.
A "modern restrooms" sign from the 1920s sits in front of the new bathrooms in Minturn as visitors did not know what they were.
The small town of Minturn prides itself in no longer being just a stop on the way to Beaver Creek, but now the home to the best public restroom in America.
In September, supply company Cintas announced Minturn’s new unique outdoor bathrooms were finalists in the 14th annual America’s Best Restroom Contest. Much like the building of the bathrooms, collecting votes became a community project.
Town planning director Janet Hawkinson, who had a hand in the design and construction of the “functional art” bathrooms, says the town went all out on promotion. They created a Facebook page for voting, mentioned the contest during televised town meetings and everyone who participated in the conceptualization and construction of the restrooms, almost 50 people, campaigned to family and friends.
Printed posters decorated Minturn streets through voting and the unconventional stop even commandeered the popular Minturn Halloween trick-or-treating event where hundreds stop at local businesses to collect candy. Instead of having town hall as a location, treats with cards that said “Vote for Minturn” were handed out in front of the bathrooms during the Oct. 30 event.
Through the grassroots voting effort, the whole experience was “good to get Minturn on the map,” Hawkinson said.
Holding back chuckles, Hawkison said there has been a great sense of humor and jokes around town about being known for their toilets. The town is just happy that a project that was such a big part of the community had its time to shine.
The two restrooms, one for men and one for women, sit a few feet apart and feature fabricated wood pieces — 320 different pieces total — on the sides where they face each other to mimic an adit, or an entrance to a mine in honor of Minturn’s rich mining history. Inside the bathrooms, walls are painted turquoise and copper and feature steel butterflies on the ceiling. Conception, design and construction were all done locally.
Hawkinson was notified on Nov. 2 that they had won.
Cintas’ Assistant Marketing Manager Jillian Bauer visited Minturn on Tuesday, Nov. 10 to present Mayor Hawkeye Flaherty with the 2015 award. A crowd of almost 100 people from the Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy and local businesses — some holding their own rolls of toilet paper for the occasion — attended to watch them hang the signage, get pictures taken and more.
“It is great to be recognized as the No. 1 town in the No. 2 business and have the finest public restrooms in the country,” Flaherty said.
In addition to a spot in the America’s Best Restroom Hall of Fame, Minturn also receives a $2,500 credit to spend on Cintas services like restroom cleaning and supplies.
The contest attracted thousands of online votes, and America chose The Music Hall in Portsmouth, N.H. as the runner up, followed by Charleston Distilling in Charleston, S.C. rounding out the top three.


Spanish-language TV network V-me has partnered with Apple to offer 30 hours of programming via the iTunes Store.
Users will be able to use Apple’s iTunes application, available at www.itunes.com, to download entire episodes or seasons of programs including Estudio Billboard, LazyTown and Viva Voz con Jorge Gestoso.
V-me series available at launch include Estudio Billboard, a showcase of top Latin musicians such as Juanes, Maná, Laura Pausini, Gloria Estefan and Daddy Yankee hosted by Billboard’s Leila Cobo. Each episode, running for about 45 mintues, costs $1.99 or users can buy the entire season for $19.99.
Also available for download are LazyTown, a kids-targeted program mixing real-life action with puppetry; and Viva Voz con Jorge Gestoso, a news analysis and interview show.


1 of Southern Md premiere bands live at BDP. Some former members of The Craze Playing all genres of party and dance music.
2017-10-21T21:30 2017-10-22T01:30 America/New_York Live Band Just Push Play @ Big Dogs 1 of Southern Md premiere bands live at BDP. Some former members of The Craze Playing all genres of party and dance music. -- Imported from So. Md. Community Calendar ( www.somd.com/calendar/ ) Big Dogs Paradise Bar and Liquor Store 28765 Three Notch Rd Mechanicsville, Md.


Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan is proposing a smaller “head tax” on the city’s largest businesses instead of controversial legislation currently under consideration by the City Council. Durkan’s office confirmed the alternative proposal to GeekWire Thursday evening.
Durkan’s proposal would tax Seattle’s top-tossing businesses $250 per employee each year, rather than the approximate $500 in the current plan that the Council is set to vote on Monday. Durkan’s tax would expire after five years if not renewed, rather than replacing it with a payroll tax in 2021.
The smaller head tax has support from City Councilmembers Bruce Harrell, Sally Bagshaw, Rob Johnson, and Debora Juarez. There are five councilmembers who support the existing tax proposal.
The existing proposal would levy a 26-cent tax per employee for each hour worked at companies with at least $20 million or more in annual revenue. That comes out to approximately $500 per employee each year. The city says the tax would raise about $75 million per year for affordable housing and homeless services.
The polarizing plan has sent shockwaves through the tech community over the past two weeks.
Last week, Amazon paused construction on a 17-story skyscraper pending the City Council’s vote on the tax. Amazon is also considering sub-leasing its massive Rainier Square office project to another company, rather than occupying it itself. The combined projects would house more than 7,000 new Amazon employees.
Monty Anderson, Executive Secretary of Seattle Building Trades, told KING 5 that Amazon would resume construction on the office tower it paused if Durkan’s plan moves forward. Anderson says that is based off of a conversation with Amazon Thursday.
Until Thursday, Durkan had not taken a side in the head tax debate because of the tricky political situation it put her in. Friday morning, the City Council’s finance committee will meet to discuss the proposal ahead of the final vote, which is planned for Monday.
The existing head tax proposal would raise about $75 million a year, with 75 percent dedicated to building affordable housing and the remaining dollars funding homeless services. Many in the business community say they aren’t comfortable with that price tag because there isn’t enough transparency into how the city’s existing $63 million annual homeless services budget and other voter-approved dollars are spent.
But a new report out this week suggests that number is still far too low. The study concluded that it would require about $400 million a year, conservatively, to solve the homelessness crisis in King County.
Councilmember Kshama Sawant, an ardent advocate for what she calls “Tax Amazon legislation” called Durkan’s plan “yet another grim reminder why working people cannot rely on corporate politicians,” in a statement provided to GeekWire.


In a late-1960s photo, engineer William English tests the first mouse.
In December 1968, computer scientist Douglas Engelbart had a complex system of newly developed hardware and software that he wanted to show off to the biannual meeting of the Joint Computer Conference, a gathering of researchers and manufacturers. But the conference was at the Civic Center in San Francisco, Engelbart’s work was at Stanford — and the technology for relaying video across long distances was in its infancy.
“At that point, remote television was done by direct video links,” recalls William English, the engineer who assisted Engelbart in what would turn out to be a historic event in the history of computing. “One guy on the team — I wish I could remember who it was — took on the challenge, and found a particular point up on Skyline Boulevard where he had a clear line of sight to both Menlo Park and the Civic Center.
The demonstration that that hack made possible would revolutionize the world of computing. In the space of 90 minutes, as English sat at the back of the hall at the computer controls, Engelbart gave the world its first public glimpses of windows, the mouse, word processing, hypertext links and even video conferencing — all the essential elements of today’s personal computer landscape.
This week, Engelbart’s display will be re-created in musical form on the stage of Stanford’s Bing Concert Hall. “The Demo,” a musical-theater work by the composer-performers Mikel Rouse and Ben Neill, promises to be both a celebration of the original showcase — a tour de force of showmanship that passed into tech lore as “the mother of all demos” — and an embodiment of everything that Engelbart’s research team made possible.
As in the actual event, Rouse, who plays Engelbart, will hold forth in front of a 20-foot video screen that displays the elements of the nascent technology (the original projector, English says, was a loaner from NASA). Neill will portray English, although in a bow to theatrical necessity he will appear onstage alongside Engelbart rather than behind the scenes.
And Engelbart, a visionary who died in 2013, makes potentially powerful fodder for theatrical treatment.
English, in fact, gets credit for much of the original design of the mouse, which helped make that part happen. The 1968 demonstration involved a sleek but bulky handheld box that could move in any direction thanks to two perpendicular wheels.
The influence of Engelbart’s demo is hard to overestimate. The ideas it contained helped shape the development of personal computing both at Apple and Microsoft, and paved the way for the individual work stations that computer users now take for granted.
The importance of the event, English says, was plain even at the time.
“People were impressed by it — the mouse, the interactivity, all of it. When we finished up, the entire audience stood up and applauded. It was a very emotional moment; we hadn’t realized just what we’d done.
The Demo: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 1-Thursday, April 2, Bing Concert Hall, Stanford. $40-$65, (650) 724-2464, http://live.stanford.edu.


Five Monches area artisans are hosting the 36th annual Monches Artisan Holiday Driving Tour on Nov. 30, Dec. 1 and 2.
Monches is a tiny community halfway between Hartford and Hartland.
This year’s tour honors the history of various artists while welcoming and embracing relative newcomers to this artist community.
Krauski’s Art Glass studio is in a building that’s more than 100 years old. The structure used to be a grocery store, then an antique store before the Krauskis bought it and made it their home and art studio. Its history gives the studio character with its squeaking floors and classic bell when you open the door. The Krauskis have been crafting stained and etched glass art for more than 50 years.
Monches Farms has been part of the Monches community since 1980. The barn is more than 130 years old and was moved from Rome, Wisconsin. Part of the home on the property is original, built around 1842. It was later added onto to become the structure it is today. While the gift shop looks old with a classic rustic feel, it’s much newer.
Paul Bobrowitz’s Spectacular Sculpture has been part of the tour since 1994. He displays his metal art sculptures across 6 acres outside and inside his studio. Bobrowitz takes old items and transforms them into unique artful designs. Get out and walk around to see a great display of his metal art hanging on the side of the barn.
Janet’s Jewels is the newest member to the tour. Janet’s artisan hand-crafted glass beads are each one of a kind. Her unique jewelry assortment is always changing with some classic favorites, such as her name bracelet and her newest addition of spinner rings. There will be demonstrations of how she makes her beads.
Several artists will display their paintings at Flynn’s in Colgate.
Additional information is available at www.monchesartisans.com.


Donald Trump has announced his economic advisory team and unveiled a preliminary broad brush economic program that his prospective administration would implement. He has promised to fill in the details of his America First Economic Plan as the election approaches. So how should we grade his choice of advisers and his economic plan at this point?
Trump’s thirteen-man economic advisory team has more current or former CEOs (4), more billionaires (5), and more guys named Steve (6) than it does former academic economists with a PhD (1). And the lone academic economist, Peter Navarro, while a Harvard PhD is a faculty member at the University of California at Irvine, hardly an elite institution. As the title of one article harrumphed, “Trump’s economic team has a lot of billionaires, very few economic experts.” But this, of course, is all to the good.
Although economist Navarro is very well published, his ten books are written primarily for popular and investor audiences and most of his specialized articles were published in business and policy journals aimed at business professionals and policymakers rather than his fellow academic economists. He has never published an article in a top economics journal, although he has co-authored a book about US economic policy with R. Glenn Hubbard, the prominent Columbia economist and former chief of the Council of Economic Advisers under George W. Bush. Of late, Navarro has been a one-note economist who takes an old-fashioned protectionist stance on international trade, especially with regard to China. He favors a crackdown by the US government on China’s “unfair trade practices” such as export subsidies, currency manipulation, and intellectual property theft. Between 2008 and 2015 Navarro wrote three luridly titled books and produced a low-budget Netflix documentary about the economic and geopolitical risks posed by China.
Now the absurd and counterproductive China bashing and raw protectionism of Trump, Navarro and some others on the Trump team should be roundly condemned. However, there are two good things about old-fashioned protectionists. First, their naïve fallacies are easy to refute and, second — and maybe more important — they tend to be anti-globalists who reject phony multilateral “free trade” deals. These deals are opaquely crafted by design, run to thousands of pages, and mainly benefit US politicians and bureaucrats and their allied bankers and crony capitalists. And, indeed, Navarro and Trump passionately oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, NAFTA, CAFTA, and the South Korean Free Trade Agreement.
Now, simple unilateral free trade — legally guaranteeing the right of domestic residents to freely trade with a resident of any foreign nation regardless of its trade regime — is always the ideal policy for a nation from the point of view of justice and prosperity. However, the nineteenth-century style bilateral trade “deals” that a Trump administration promises to negotiate with other nations are much more transparent and more likely to produce movement toward genuine free trade than the secretive and labyrinthine deal-making that characterizes modern multilateral trade agreements. One need only think of the great Anglo-French treaty of 1860 negotiated by the classical liberal free-traders Michel Chevalier of France and Richard Cobden of Great Britain.
Trump’s America First Economic Plan also deserves some applause. It is true the plan seems to take only a modest step toward lightening the burden of taxes on the long-suffering American middle class and freeing US business from increasingly onerous taxes and regulations that are choking off capital accumulation and growth in labor productivity, but it is a movement in the right direction. More important is the populist anti-globalism theme that pervades the document, because it clarifies and changes the entire tenor of the debate on US international economic policy. For no less than old-fashioned protectionism, genuine free trade is also a populist, America First, anti-globalist policy.
Both policies are represented by their supporters as the proper means for promoting the welfare and prosperity of American consumers and workers. Unfortunately, since the Bretton Woods conference in 1944, the genuine free trade position has not gotten a fair hearing among the American public. The reason is that the term “free trade” has been co-opted by advocates of an alien, globalist doctrine that has very little to do with promoting the economic welfare of ordinary Americans and everything to do with centralizing control of international trade, investment, and monetary affairs in the hands of US and foreign political elites.
Trump’s economic team and economic plan also merit praise for whom and what they exclude: orthodox macro-economists and their relentless and profoundly fallacious promotion of the Federal Reserve and its ultra-Keynesian policies aimed at stimulating spending, as the panacea for the serious problems afflicting the US economy. As noted above, the Trump team includes only one academic economist, and a heterodox one at that. Aside from its flawed trade policy, the Trump plan is broadly consistent with sound classical Austrian economics and focuses on cutting taxes, spending, and regulations and balancing the budget. While the plan is unfortunately silent on how a Trump administration would deal with the Fed and what monetary regime it would pursue, it is refreshingly free of any endorsement of the current Fed’s unconventional techniques for endless money creation, which redistributes real wealth and resources from productive Americans to parasitic financial firms and other capitalist cronies.
In sum, pending further details, I assign a tentative grade of C+ to Mr. Trump’s performance in economic policy. But I am a notoriously easy grader who gives students multiple opportunities to earn extra points and increase their grades, so if Mr. Trump adds items to his plan dealing with “auditing the Fed,” or “subjecting the Fed’s budget to Congressional appropriations,” or “considering the gold standard as a monetary alternative,” I will gladly raise his grade to a B.
Whadya Gonna Do About Beantown, Mr. Barnicle?


When a security researcher or vendor first releases information about a software vulnerability, the clock starts ticking. How long will it be until a malicious user takes advantage of it?
According to Gerhard Eschelbeck, CTO of computer security company Qualys, not very long. He says that, for about 80 percent of publicly known vulnerabilities, exploit code (such as a worm or virus) appears within 60 days of their announcement.
This information was presented by Eschelbeck at last week's Black Hat USA 2003 conference in Las Vegas, as part of his Law of Vulnerability project. The project is the result of about a year's worth of analysis of the company's extensive vulnerability database.
Eschelbeck's findings give validity to what security experts have been saying for years: there's a limited window between the time a vulnerability is announced and when a patch must be applied.
If home users and corporate system administrators don't already know how important it is to apply fixes as soon as they're available, now there's concrete data to prove it. Eschelbeck's research should also help sys admins justify the time and expense of implementing these patches to their bosses -- and thus shorten the life of destructive worms and viruses.
After discussing the "60-day rule", Eschelbeck went on to present another key point from the Law of Vulnerability project: half of all affected systems are patched within 30 days of the vulnerability's announcement -- while the other half remain open to attack.
These unpatched systems keep vulnerabilities -- and the worms and viruses that take advantage of them -- alive on the Internet long after they're released. As an example, Eschelbeck cited the MS Index Server vulnerability that gave rise to Code Red in 2001. Code Red disappeared for a while, but now is back thanks to the recent appearance of unpatched installations of the server software.
Joining Eschelbeck at the Black Hat session were several other security experts, including Black Hat Briefings CEO Jeff Moss and BindView's Mark Loveless (aka Simple Nomad). Loveless pointed out that along with public announcements, malicious users find out about unannounced or recently announced vulnerabilities through an online "black market."
This means malicious users may know about even more vulnerabilities than many security experts or the general public, and underscores the need for software developers to hold off on releasing products until they are truly secure.
Of course, in the end, it's the often overworked system administrators who are responsible for patching vulnerable systems, and who catch hell when a new virus takes down their company's network (or, worse, part of the Internet).
Eschelbeck's research gives these admins ammunition when asking management for more resources to do this work. Often, patches are not applied in a timely manner simply because an IT department is too busy with other tasks. With hard data now available that shows the lifecycle of vulnerabilities, I hope more systems will be updated sooner -- and, as a result, both corporate networks and the Net will become safer for all users.


Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed senior officials of all the districts to alert people and asked them to undertake extensive tours in the affected areas to identify dilapidated buildings and get them vacated.
Twelve people have been killed and seven others injured in rain-related incidents in different parts of Uttar Pradesh during the past 24 hours, pushing the death toll to 92, official sources said in Lucknow on Tuesday. According to latest reports, three people were killed in Kanpur Dehat, two in Hathras and one each in Chitrakoot, Auraiya, Allahabad, Unnao, Amethi, Jaunpur and Fatehpur, they said. “The toll since last week in such incidents has reached 92 while the total number of those injured is 91,” the sources said.
In these incidents, 59 cattle lost their lives and over 600 houses were also damaged. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed senior officials of all the districts to alert people and asked them to undertake extensive tours in the affected areas to identify dilapidated buildings and get them vacated, a government spokesperson said here. Adityanath has also directed the officials to provide immediate financial and medical assistance to people severely affected by rains.
According to the meteorological department, the southwest monsoon is active over Uttar Pradesh and as a result moderate to heavy rains or thundershowers occurred at most places of the state.
Lucknow recorded 20 cm rainfall, Kanpur 19 cm, Fatehpur (Barabanki) 17 cm, Unnao 15 cm, Nawabganj (Barabanki) 15 cm, Kaiserganj (Bahraich) 14 cm, Safipur (Unnao) 14 cm, Dalmau (Raebareli) 12 cm, Chandradeep Ghat (Gorakhpur) 9 cm and 8 cm each in Hardoi, Ayodhya, Bindki (Fatehpur), Sirauli, Hamirpur and Agra.
The Met department has forecast rain or thundershowers at most places over east Uttar Pradesh and at many places in west Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.
According to a Central Water Commission (CWC) report, river Sharda is flowing above the danger mark in Palia Kalan (Lakhimpur) and Sharda Nagar (Kheri), while Ghaghara river is above the red mark at Elgin Bridge (Barabanki) and flowing near the danger mark at Ayodhya and Turtipar (Ballia).
River Ganga is rising in Fatehgarh, Kannauj, Kanpur Dehat, Fafamau (Allahabad), Ghazipur and Ballia, while the Yamuna is rising in Agra and Banda, it said.
The report added river Gomti is rising in Sitapur and river Rapti is rising in Shravasti, Balrampur and Gorakhpur. All schools in the state capital were closed today in view of heavy rain yesterday. The schools will reopen tomorrow, Lucknow District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said.


Land restoration is not a “glamorous subject even when you give all the numbers,” admits Monique Barbut, the Executive Secretary of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification UNCCD). But she also stresses that by 2050, the world population will reach 10 billion. To feed that extra 2.4 billion, current food production would need to be increased by 75 percent.


Paul's Appliance Repair can be found at Bursley Rd 47833. The following is offered: Appliance Repair. The entry is present with us since Sep 10, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In Wellington there are 1 other Appliance Repair. An overview can be found here.
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Posted on December 15, 2014. Brought to you by angieslist.