The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing today to discuss creating a NAFTA-like free trade agreement with Panama. As with every political issue, it has its opponents. But given the specifics concerning the U.S.'s current trade situation with Panama, this agreement seems like kind of a no-brainer.
The age-old protectionist argument against free-trade agreements was given by Thea Mei Lee, policy director of the AFL-CIO, at the hearing:
As long as we continue to run trade deficits on the order of five percent of GDP, the arguments that we need more trade liberalization to succeed in the global economy ring hollow - especially to our members, who have seen too many jobs go offshore while their wages and benefits stagnate.
Really? Because fellow panelists James Owens, Chairman and CEO, of Caterpillar and Mr. Sam Carney, President-Elect of the National Pork Producers Council who represent manufacturing and farming - the two industries supposedly hit hardest from free trade - both testified in favor of the agreement. They support the agreement because it will better facilitate the export of their products, produced by the hands of U.S. workers, to Panama.
Committee chairman Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) also supports the agreement. He did a good job of explaining why a free trade agreement with Panama in particular will benefit the U.S. and its workers:
The Panama agreement also provides new opportunities for American farmers, ranchers, and businesses. Panama already exports most of its goods to the United States duty-free under our trade preference programs. This trade agreement will level the playing field. It would provide the same duty-free treatment to our industrial and agriculture exports to Panama.
This agreement will, for example, immediately eliminate all duties on more than half of our agricultural exports to Panama. That includes high-quality American beef from states like Montana.
This agreement will also immediately eliminate tariffs on 80 percent of U.S. industrial exports to Panama.
The agreement provides U.S. manufacturers and farmers the opportunity to be more competitive when exporting goods to Panama. In other words, it would create U.S. jobs, not destroy them. Meanwhile, Panama will gain very little from the agreement, other than more U.S. imports, as most of its exports to the U.S. are already duty free.
That's why the National Association for Manufacturers also supports the agreement. I spoke to Frank Vargo, one of their trade experts, who is very frustrated that some people are convinced that free trade agreements cause the loss of U.S. jobs. He was kind enough to provide the following graph, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics, which shows manufacturing jobs falling before and growing after NAFTA was put into place.
He also says that the U.S.'s massive trade deficit (which the AFL-CIO complained about above) is mostly due to trade with non-free trade agreement countries like China and Japan. Of that deficit, the portion resulting from free trade partners is a small part, according to Vargo.
One big question mark in the free trade discussion is where the Obama administration stands. While its position is clear on many issues, trade is not one of them. But if today's committee hearing creates some momentum to get a Panama free-trade agreement through Congress, we may find out where the president stands soon enough.
Saletan comments on new aerial drones, which are controlled by a system that looks and feels like a video game but kills in reality:
If you've seen combat in the flesh, you know what the fireball on the screen means to the people in the car. But to a teenager raised on Doom and Halo, it looks like just another score. He can't feel or smell the explosion. He isn't even there. The eeriest thing in the demo video is the total silence that accompanies the car's destruction. The only sound that follows is the pilot's triumphant verdict: "Excellent job." It's like something you'd read on the screen after getting a high score at an arcade.
Even non-tennis aficionados are apt to remember Serena Williams's over-the-top reaction to a line judge's poor foot-fault call during last September's U.S. Open. On hearing a wrong call during her semi-final match with Kim Clijsters, a frustrated Williams blew up at the line judge with violent profanity, for which she was penalized a point, causing her to lose the match and be forced out of the tournament.
Needless to say, Williams wasn't happy. Neither was the Grand Slam Comission who, on Monday, issued Williams an $82,500 fine, the most ever given in professional tennis, along with a two-year probation period during which any further "major outbursts" could land Williams a permanent spot on the sidelines of the U.S. Open. News of her punishment has sports bloggers wondering whether the fine fits the crime.
Too Small, says ESPN's Bonnie D. Ford. In recapping the financial benefit that Williams's mere presence at a tournament brings to the Grand Slam circuit, Ford questions the standards that tennis's officials are setting for the sport. She says, "If this is the way tennis wants to govern itself, and the people who run the sport are satisfied with the standards they set, that's their business -- literally. But they must know that a modern precedent has been set with regard to on-court confrontations between players and officials at the four crown jewels of the sport. The Grand Slam Committee and the ITF will be henceforth handcuffed to that precedent....If tennis tries to sanction a less prominent player more harshly, the organization will be opening itself up to charges of hypocrisy and reversal on appeal."
Just Right, says Yael T. Abouhalkah from the Kansas City Star. He says, "The ruling released Monday is a good lesson for fans to see, especially given the fact that so many great players in all different sports get away with bad behavior."
What Took So Long?, asks Chris Chase at Yahoo Sports. While citing the appropriateness of the fine, he questions the Grand Slam Committee's delay in issuing Serena punishment. He says, "Stringing Serena along for three months was unfair and unnecessarily kept the story in the spotlight for longer than necessary. There was no reason this couldn't have been figured out in late-September. (Plus releasing the news of a Monday morning after a holiday weekend only intensified the interest. Learn from politicians and dump the news on a Saturday morning)."
I never really got into Stars. I feel like I should give them a more intelligent look. Either way, this is a goodie.
CBS’s new sitcom is packed with aggressive jokes about youngsters that lack effort, or any real insight.
Fish-out-of-water sitcoms, classic as they are, usually rely on an amount of give and take. The show’s lead is typically a rebel put into some new situation where he or she disrupts the established order of things, but there are always lessons to learn. By the end, the hero realizes something special about his or her new environment, even making a few friends along the way. It’s a dynamic that’s held true for shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Northern Exposure, Arrested Development, 3rd Rock From the Sun, and even this year’s Son of Zorn. Not so in CBS’s The Great Indoors, which premieres Thursday in the plum timeslot after The Big Bang Theory. Its protagonist gains no knowledge and develops no empathy, because he’s surrounded by the vilest creatures in human history—millennials.
The Great Indoors is a show that somehow feels venomous and toothless at the same time. It lobs insult after insult at its chosen target—the over-coddled, under-skilled, internet-obsessed twenty-somethings taking over offices today—but without any great insight, and in service of no larger point. CBS has always been a network that skews toward a slightly older audience, and with The Great Indoors it has matched subject and format perfectly. This is a hilariously staid, old-school, laugh-track sitcom about a man whose only purpose is to grit his teeth and gripe about young people. It’d be funny, if it weren’t so, well, unfunny—hokey stereotypes just don’t make for compelling comedy.
The sad irony is that the hero Jack Gordon is played by Joel McHale, who over the last six years played the similarly sarcastic Jeff Winger on the cult NBC sitcom Community. That show made fun of the fish-out-of-water concept and took every opportunity to subvert and comment on old sitcom tropes. Now, McHale is trapped in a role that’s barely one-dimensional. Jack Gordon is a Bear Grylls type, a magazine reporter famed for his outdoor exploits and round-the-world adventuring. But, times are changing, the print industry is collapsing (as everyone helpfully repeats throughout the pilot episode) and so he must return to the company office to work with a bunch of bloggers straight out of college. Heaven forfend.
McHale, a tanned, toned beanpole of a man, is oddly cast as a rugged outdoorsman. But he is very good at lobbing insults, and that’s what he does to the assembled “online-content generators” at his new workplace, sardonically mocking them for the simple fact of their existence. One of them clings to an emotional-comfort animal (“is that one of those special dogs that people can take anywhere?” Jack asks), another is prone to bursting into tears, all of them receive medals for completing menial tasks, and they gawk in horror when they realize Jack doesn’t have a Twitter or a Facebook account. “It’s like he doesn’t exist,” one of them gasps.
Jack even mocks his coworkers’ diversity, as if the next generation is somehow rubbing it in everyone else’s faces by ... not being all white men. The team’s social media expert Emma (Christine Ko) is an Asian woman, and the writer Mason (Shaun Brown) is a black man who may be gay or may simply not conform to such binary labeling—Jack’s too afraid to figure it out. Aren’t millennials so annoying about things like who they decide to have sex with? To Jack, they certainly are, and his only solace comes from drinking whiskey with the magazine’s owner (played by Stephen Fry), and flirting with his daughter, who’s serving as Jack’s new editor.
As you might have concluded, none of Jack’s observations about the generation below him is particularly trenchant. Eventually, he wins the trust of the young cohort by bringing in a bear cub for them to play with, understanding that memes, cute animal videos, and anything else that seems like Buzzfeed brought to life is the only language they can speak. The classic fish-out-of-water model is ignored. Jack, it seems, has nothing to learn from these people—except “useless” information like how Instagram works, or what a live-stream is.
It’s most likely that The Great Indoors is a blip, destined to serve as a cultural artifact for a particular moment in history when simply being born in the ’80s or ’90s made someone worthy of mockery. The show’s ignorance feels totemic, though—there’s nothing wrong with poking fun at younger folk, of course, but it’s can’t be the premise of an entire television series, certainly not one with any hope of a future. “I got passed over for promotion again?” Emma complains at one point. “What do I have to do, it’s been eight weeks!” That line, and this show, feels perfectly emblematic of CBS’s flaws: The Great Indoors seems unwilling to paint a cord-cutting generation as anything but a band of entitled fools destined for their comeuppance. But as a typical millennial might respond: Y u mad tho?
Bloggingheads.tv asked me to talk with Robert Paarlberg, author of the new Food Politics, and just posted the 45-minute conversation here, video below. Aside from swiping the title of Marion Nestle's modern classic and her website, which I'll charitably attribute to his publishers, Paarlberg has written a useful guide to and history of international food aid and the way it has often caused, or worsened famines. In fact his history of famines in the past several hundred years, and how they have invariably resulted from government, might be the most interesting chapter in the book.
As I say on the video, Paarlberg, a professor of political science at Wellesley who specializes in international agriculture and economic policy, has written the book in a Socratic method of one, choosing questions and answering them in pithy fashion. This makes the book easy to read, but it of course also means that he gets to frame every argument—a device that's fairly innocuous until he gets to GMOs and the history of organic agriculture, which he tends to dismiss as an elitist, fringe offshoot that won't really help feed people in large numbers. He's too careful, though, to dismiss it outright.
And, because he's an academic, he gives careful, leisurely answers in our conversation, as you'll see if you click on any of the clips. But we both had fun in our first venture with a hybrid form—who actually watches him or herself listening at length? (It's not Skype—the debaters can't see each other as they speak.) The Times chose to feature a clip of us debating organic vs. conventional; there's a livelier exchange in a shorter one of me on the hidden social cost of increasing crop yields; and of course you're welcome to watch all 46 minutes!
For the last year or so, the world has been on high alert that a war between Iran and Israel could start at any moment.
For the last year or so, the world has been on high alert that a war between Iran and Israel could start at any moment. In no small part, the tension was fueled by Israeli pronouncements that the country would launch airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities barring a complete shutdown of its program. But now, a series of developments have given analysts and observers hope that an immediate military confrontation may not be imminent. Here are the latest signs.
Disputes inside Israel. As The New York Times' James Risen reports today, a growing divide between political and military leaders in Israeli whether an attack should be carried out has reduced immediate fears. "The latest comments came from Yuval Diskin, the former chief of Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service, who on Friday said Mr. Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak should not be trusted to determine policy on Iran," writes Risen. "He said the judgments of both men have been clouded by 'messianic feelings.' Mr. Diskin, who was chief of Shin Bet until last year, said an attack against Iran might cause it to speed up its nuclear program." Additionally, Israel's army chief of staff gave the impression that the Iran nuclear threat isn't quite as far along as others suggested.
Peace talks have been working. Nobody places much hope in the "P5 +1" peace talks aimed at staving off a war between the two countires but as The Atlantic's James Fallows notes, " there are many recent reports suggesting that the talks were not an automatic and instant failure. Here are a few: from The Los Angeles Times' Ramin Mostaghim, another from the LAT's Paul Richter, from the BBC, and from Bloomberg's Jones Hayden. The stories depict an Iran skeptical but ultimately open to overtures from the U.S. on limiting its civilian nuclear program. One such plan would allow Iran to enrich uranium to 5 percent purity.
Netanyahu appears to be itching for early elections Another short-term save could be Israel's election cycle, according to The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg. He says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has an incentive to spring for early elections sooner rather than later. "He's popular right now, the opposition is weak, and he looks to be going to try to solidify his hold on power, and possibly re-order his coalition, to bring in centrist parties and dump some of the lunatics in his cabinet," writes Goldberg. "It makes little political sense for him to launch an attack on Iran in the run-up to an election."
The White House has an oil incentive. There's another big reason the Obama administration will try to stave off war: It could hurt the president's re-election prospects. According to Risen, "the White House appears determined to prevent any confrontation that could disrupt world oil markets in an election year." Independent groups have estimated that oil prices would skyrocket if Israel strikes Iran and a war ensues.
Barter: try bartering goods and services with other businesses. You should try to trade for something before you buy it. Barter deals usually require little or no money therefore improving your cashflow.
Network: try networking your business with other businesses. You could trade leads or mailing lists thus cutting down on your marketing and advertising costs. You may also try bartering goods and services with them.
Wholesale/Bulk: you will save money buying your business supplies in bulk quantities. You could get a membership at a wholesale warehouse or purchase them through a mail order wholesaler. Networking with other businesses next to you can help reduce postage costs and share supplies bought in bulk.
Borrow/Rent: if you only need some equipment for a short period of time try borrowing it from someone or renting in a shop for a small fee.
Free stuff: researching sites on the Internet can help you find free software, graphics, online business services etc.
Auctions: online/offline auctions may offer better deals on business supplies and equipment compared with retail prices.
Plan ahead: make a list of supplies and equipment you will need in the future and keep an eye for big sales. Purchase everything before you need it while it's on sale.
Negotiate: you should always try to negotiate a better deal before purchasing anything. Research a number of suppliers and have some figures at hand. Even if you don't get a better price you may win something else: better payment terms, free add-on services, etc.
Search: never stop searching for a better deal of lower price and higher quality. You can use the results to approach your current supplier to start negotiations.
Reduce training costs: training can be very expensive. Offer employees incentives to pay for own training (or part of it) by giving them other perks like paid time off, additional leave, vouchers.
The first exhibition day of the 2017 NAB Show will see Sennheiser launch a new microphone package designed to match the ruggedness of GoPro cameras while delivering high-quality sound in difficult and inhospitable conditions. The MKE 2 elements Action Mic is aimed at extreme sports and other remote filming applications featuring GoPro HERO4 Black and Silver cameras.
The Sennheiser MKE 2 elements microphone is waterproof and can withstand wind, rain and snow. It is intended for mounting as part of the GoPro HERO4's protective housing. Based on Sennheiser's professional lavalier microphone, the MKE 2 elements incorporates new design features to make it suitable for recording in demanding conditions. The manufacturer claims the enclosure is "nearly immune" to snow, ice and wind and can even be used underwater.
The key to this toughness is the mic capsule, which has an internal Umbrella Diaphragm. This trademarked technology is based on the MKE 2-4 Gold-C sub-miniature clip-on lavalier, which features a welded housing designed to keep out moisture. The MKE 2-4 Gold-C was originally designed for use in theatre productions, where they are worn on performers' bodies and need to be impervious to sweat.
This watertight connection has been combined with the Umbrella Diaphragm, which guards the acoustically active membrane. Another feature of the MKE 2 elements mic is a removable windshield made of special foam that protects the mic from wind even in wet conditions. The mic itself is held in an elastic suspension to minimise noise from movement and impact.
The MKE 2 elements mic is a product of the GoPro Developers Programme, which brings in outside companies to create products that can be integrated with GoPro cameras. "Through our Developer Programme we are very proud to be working with companies like Sennheiser to pursue a shared vision and create seamless user experiences between our products,” said Ted Simonides, director of developer partnerships at GoPro. “The MKE 2 elements epitomizes this spirit of innovation and lets GoPro users take their adventures even further."
Right now Sennheiser is the only audio company to have Works with GoPro verification status. Commenting on this, Achim Gleissner, commercial manager for broadcast and media at Sennheiser, said, "In parallel to bringing the MKE 2 elements to the market, Sennheiser is working on solutions for HERO5 cameras and is excited to continue to collaborate with GoPro as their products evolve."
Among the potential user areas for the MKE 2 elements and GoPro HERO4 combination are surfing, climbing and mountain biking. "In the world of extreme sports, uncompromising sound quality remained a summit yet to be scaled," commented Gleissner. "Until now, athletes have had to lower their expectations of audio and accept that there are scenarios where poor-quality recordings are inevitable or even when sound capture is impossible, for example underwater. The MKE 2 elements has been designed to break through these barriers in the same way that GoPro cameras have done."
The Sennheiser MKE 2 elements microphone will be launched officially on 24 April at the NAB 2017 Show.
Marilyn Lerner, jazz pianist, composer (born 4 February 1957 in Montréal, QC), hon BFA (York) 1980. Marilyn Lerner began her formal musical training at an early age, enrolling at Montreal's Ecole Vincent d'Indy 1965-75.
Marilyn Lerner, jazz pianist, composer (born 4 February 1957 in Montréal, QC), hon BFA (York) 1980. Marilyn Lerner began her formal musical training at an early age, enrolling at Montreal's Ecole Vincent d'Indy 1965-75. She pursued classical piano studies with Reginald Godden, and continued her studies at York University, graduating with a BFA in jazz performance. Between 1992 and 1997, she studied jazz piano with Ritchie Bierach, Hal Galper, Cedar Walton, Joanne Brackeen and Fred Hersch.
A consummate musician, Marilyn Lerner is renowned for her avant-garde, improvisatory style, as soloist or ensemble player. In addition to her solo work, she has played with the Flying Bulgars; the Queen Mab Trio (with clarinetist Lori Freedman and violist Ig Henneman); and her own ensembles. Lerner regularly performs with Sonny Greenwich, the Mad Satie Trio, Nick Frasier, Matt Brubeck, and Lou Grassi, and has also appeared with Gerry Hemingway, Steve Lacy, Tito Puente, and Michael Vatcher.
Lerner's musical approach is eclectic, encompassing improvisatory jazz, klezmer, and 20th-century classical music. As a result, she enjoys an international reputation, causing critic Andrew Parker to write: "Lerner's expertise in integrating the genres of jazz, classical, and experimental music gave her achievement a mesmerizing intensity" (Drop-D Magazine, 9 Nov 1997). She is a frequent guest at festivals, including the Toronto Jazz Fringe Festival, the Yiddishkeit Festival in Los Angeles, and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, in addition to klezmer festivals in Kiev and Weimar.
A prolific composer in many genres, Marilyn Lerner has composed music for radio and television dramas, live theatre, and film scores. In 1994, her piece Healing Hands won the SOCAN prize for best jazz composition as part of the Montreal Jazz Festival. The song initially appeared on her first solo album, Miss Overboard, on the Justin Time label. She was also involved in a jazz/classical project in which she created improvisations on music by Eric Satie, in addition to a song cycle to the poetry of Anna Margolin, for which she received a Hadassah-Brandeis research award. In 2006, she was the recipient of a CBC commission honouring the 100th birthday of Dmitri Shostakovich; her composition Meditations on Mitya was premiered by the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra 22 Nov 2006. Reflecting upon the Jewish aspect of her music, Lerner wrote: "We talk about Jewish music as being happy and sad at the same time, and I feel an organic identification with that" (Globe and Mail, 26 Jul 2001).
Lerner has recorded extensively, both as a soloist and in collaboration with other artists, encompassing the genres of improvisation, mainstream jazz, klezmer, and classical. Her labels have included CBC, Justin Time, Traditional Crossroads, and Spool.
Lerner has taught at improvisation and klezmer workshops in such diverse places as New York, Weimar, and Moscow.
Everett-Green, Robert. "Lieders of the pack: It all began when they met in a klezmer band," Globe and Mail, 26 Jul 2001
Currie, Harry. "2001 Guelph Jazz Festival. Music that's really out there - way out there," Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 6 Sep 2001
Nissan has completed a four-day testing programme in Kentucky with its brand-new GT-R LM NISMO as preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
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Go Inside the Studio wth Nancy Tillman, Creator of You and Me and the Wishing Tree, and Discover her Creative Process.
"As a retired couple, The Cleaning Authority does all of the things that I ..." - John & Nancy- Louisville, CO
RANCHO SANTA FE — The lawn of the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe was filled with holiday music Dec. 11 as first- through eighth-graders came together to sing Christmas carols with friends and family. Everyone was encouraged to sing along as each class came forward to sing a holiday favorite. Afterward, warm drinks and refreshments were provided by The Inn and disappeared quickly.
After the sing-along, it was “back to school” for school board members who attended the last meeting of the calendar year. Superintendent Lindy Delaney administered the Oath of Allegiance to new trustee Jim Cimino and returning trustees Richard Burdge and Jim Depolo.
Carlie Headapohl was voted the new president of the board of trustees. Richard Burdge will serve as vice president and Jim Depolo as clerk. Board members will rotate as representatives to the annual meeting of the San Diego County School Board Association and the Trustee Review Committee of the North Coastal Consortium for Special Education . Superintendent Delay will continue to serve as Secretary to the board of trustees.
The new board of trustees then honored the student government. Sixth-grade teacher and student governor advisor Doug Hinko presented Co-Presidents Jordan Robbins and Brendan Kaiser, along with other officers and governors of grades five through eight. “These kids are each serving on committees and learning how to serve their fellow students,” Hinko said. Delaney told the board that in the spirit of the recent national election, the student body developed a two-party system and candidates ran for office. There was a tie for one of the offices and, because of this, a run-off will be held.
John Cappetta and Barbara Edwards, co-chairs of the Rancho Santa Fe Education Foundation, gave a brief report to the board on the status of the foundation, whose primary goal is to raise supplemental funds for the school. Cappetta said that so far the foundation has raised $830,000 of its $850,000 fundraising objective.
Even though fundraising efforts are on track, Cappetta and Edwards were concerned about declining revenue streams from pledges. In the past, pledges were north of $450,000. This year they slipped to less than $300,000. According to Edwards and Cappetta, only 61 percent of the families in the Ranch are donors and they would like to raise this number to 75 percent. “Although I have not given up on 100 percent,” Edwards said. Once the foundation has reached its goal of 75 percent, it would like to shift attention to participation. “We’ve asked teachers and faculty to participate, too,” Edwards said. A flyer was recently mailed to the community asking for donations and participation pledges. Headapohl noted that businesses in the Ranch have also supported the foundation.
Delaney reported that bids are coming in from contractors for the school renovation project. “We are bidding in a great climate,” Delaney said, referring to the economy. “We will be able to get a lot for our money. We are moving at warp speed.”
With the board’s blessings, Delaney created two new director titles: director of technology and director of finance. She said she is also going to implement changes to extra curricular activity for students on probation to get them back into sports programs should their grades and conduct improve.
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Spring is almost in the air. Trees are starting to sprout leaves, flowers are preparing to bloom—and many job seekers are pursuing new opportunities. We wish all job seekers were leaving to pursue their dream job, but the reality is that many are leaving in hopes of a better opportunity or environment. It could be that the job or company has grown tiresome, or even worse. But, just because you have fallen out of love with your current company, or are doing cartwheels at the thought of escaping, doesn’t mean you should take this opportunity to vent your wrath at your previous employer!
This year’s Winter Olympics, held in PyeongChang, is chock full of thrilling successes, heartbreaking failures, and even some lessons for us mere mortals to learn from. That’s right, the Olympians over in South Korea have taught us some things that can be applied to our everyday activities – especially job hunting. So, take deep breath, you’re about to embark on your training to become a Gold Medal Olympian in the realm of job hunting.
Millennials, if you think you had it bad with generational stereotypes, be thankful you aren’t Gen Z. Gen Z is the newest generation entering the workforce, and they’ve already been dubbed the laziest one yet. Though I classify as a millennial, albeit by two mere months, most of my peers fall into the older side of Gen Z. This makes me a generational “tween” – but not the type of tween who has Bieber Fever. I’m a tween who can relate to the struggles of both generations, especially of Gen Z.
With proper care and storage, your decorating tips will last a lifetime. To keep tips in perfect decorating condition, wash after each use in hot, soapy water. Rinse in hot water. If frosting clogs the opening, gently use a our double sided tip brush cleaner to clean icing away.
2. The goods must be transported to a location outside the EU before the end of the third month after the month of purchase.
2. When leaving the EU have your Tax Free form export validated/customs stamped in order to claim your refund. Please note: No stamp – no refund!
Courier Country has been all a-flutter since the Maggie’s Penguin Parade launched in June and later this month, all 8o giant avian sculptures will be auctioned off to raise vital funds for the cancer charity.
Having written many stories about the fantastic fundraising project and pilgrimaged to almost every penguin sculpture across Tayside and Fife, I felt it was only right that I actually encountered some living, breathing waddling wanderers.
So when I was invited to feed baby Humboldt penguins and their parents at St Andrews Aquarium, I jumped at the chance!
Members of the public can indulge in the experience, too, and I guarantee, you’ll have a whale of a time – just keep your eyes p-p-p-peeled for Jamie!
Meeting up with zookeeper Eleanor Ballantyne, she asked if I fancied feeding the penguin family some of their favourite fishy snacks. Well, of course!
First up, I needed to measure the right amount of sprats into a feeding tray and managed to drop one on my shoe. Not a great start.
Approaching the outdoor penguin enclosure, complete with pool, rocks and nesting areas, I felt slightly intimidated when a group of the birds started honking loudly and sizing me up with their beady eyes.
“They love feeding time and they’re very excited to see you,” beamed Eleanor. “Just watch out for Jamie. He sometimes pecks at your legs.”
When I opened the gate, the birds all came waddling towards me at speed, so I wasted no time in flinging sprats down their necks as quickly as I could. That wasn’t quick enough for greedy Jamie, who (as predicted) pecked at my legs. Ouch!
To be fair, the pecks weren’t sore; they were more like an unwelcome surprise and they didn’t leave any bruise marks.
When you enter the penguins’ territory, there’s a risk you might be pooped on but I was lucky enough to avoid this.
All the penguins here are named after Andy Murray and his family – there’s Andy, William, Jamie, Kim, Roy, Judy and Shirley.
Eleanor’s favourite, Kim, was moulting so she didn’t look quite as glam as her namesake, Andy’s wife.
This is a challenging time for penguins, during which they spend most of their time sleeping to preserve energy and keep their metabolism slow.
The chicks, two-month-old fluffy balls of cuteness, were hanging out with mum and dad inside a special nest enclosure. Their sexes were unknown at this stage because they were too young to have DNA tests taken.
I hurled fish to Andy (mum) and William (dad), which they gobbled down while their babies cheeped away excitedly.
Back inside the centre, I watched via CCTV as the parents regurgitated the fish and fed it to their chicks. It was heartwarming stuff, if a little messy.
Meanwhile, Eleanor, brimming with penguin facts, told me the babies will be able to feed themselves when they reach three months old.
“Oils on adult penguins’ feathers keep them waterproofed; their coats are like feather dusters coated in Vaseline! They can swim up to 20mph and live for 15 to 20 years.”
Vocalisations vary according to circumstance – to show aggression, recognise family members, demonstrate courtship or bond with the group.
They are the fastest swimming and deepest diving species of any birds and can stay underwater for up to 20 minutes.
St Andrews Aquarium has sponsored one of the penguins on the Maggie’s Penguin Trail. All 80 penguins will be auctioned to raise vital funds for the Maggie’s Centre in Dundee. The centre, at Ninewells Hospital, costs £540,000 per year to run and the aim is to reach this total. The auction will be hosted at V&A Dundee on Monday September 24. Maggie’s centres provide free practical, emotional and social support for people with cancer and their families and friends. maggiespenguinparade.com
Running August 30 through September 9, 2018, Halifax’s 28th annual festival features performances, workshops and fun fringe horoscopes. Workshops include Impulse and the Clown, Ode to Movement, Voice and Speech for the Stage and Fringe Fest Revitalizer featuring a mix of Thai Yoga Massage, low-key yoga and fun dance moves.
A West Palm Beach man was charged for the August 19, 1997, murder of a bartender at the Mad Hatter Bar and Grill in Lake Worth. City police, sheriff’s deputies and state agents converged on the home of Ernest Barnes, 20, at 1648 E. Breezy Lane around 10 p.m., arrested him, and searched the small house he shared with Randy Nelson, 19. The search turned up guns, ski masks and dark clothing thought to have been used in the Mad Hatter robbery. Police acted on a tip from an unnamed source. Randy, who was wanted for questioning, slipped out of the house just before police showed up.
Police said that Ernest confessed to the robbery at the Mad Hatter, but he did not admit to shooting the bartender, Rodney Meikle, 40. Rodney was killed because he didn’t know the combination to the safe, witnesses said. It was believed that Randy Nelson, 19, was the one who shot Rodney “to teach him a lesson” for not knowing how to open the safe.
Ernest’s neighbor and landlord, Sheila Morgan, said she saw a man she knew only as “Rude Boy” and his brother leave the house before the police arrived to arrest Ernest. Later, “Rude Boy” called her to find out if the police had left.
Ronnie Delano Allen was watching TV with his step-grandfather when a report came on about an arrest in the murder of the bartender at the Mad Hatter. “I guess they’ll get me next,” he told his step-grandfather. Ninety minutes later, detectives were at his home.
You are paying for the confidential shredding and environmental recycling of the contents of your clear out.
We’ve seen a lot of car amazing drifting and even a little bike drifting here at Speed Society. What we haven’t seen are the two put together in an insane tandem slide… until now.
BMW M235i paired up with four-time dirt-track world champion Karl Maier and his speedway bike to do a bit of showing off. In this video, BMW M235i tandems it up for what the video description claims to be five straight hours. Seeing the bike and the car so in unison is truly a sight to behold.
Drafted: Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round (2nd pick overall) of 2015 NBA Draft.
A dark, chic and stylish Sambuca with a velvety anise and liquorice finish with hints of exotic herbs and spices.
Periscopix and Purestone took home last night’s Grand Prix prizes at the first RAR Digital Awards held at London’s Montcalm Hotel, Marble Arch.
Launched this year the RAR Digital Awards sets out to reward the best performing agencies as voted by clients and looks across all the key digital disciplines, recognising digital agencies delivering outstanding results with the highest level of client satisfaction.
Steve Antoniewicz, RAR MD, explained: "Last year we restructured our data and adjusted out ratings process. The main driver for this was digital, we had to recognise all of the individual specialisms and strengths within the digital industry. That change enabled us to create this fantastic event.
"These awards will help clients recognise the agencies who deliver, through digital services, not just superb levels of performance but also amazing results. We looked at ratings and commentary from global and local brands to finalise the shortlists for the awards, and I have to say that across all categories was incredibly competitive.
"The winners, and those who made the shortlists, should be really proud of the work they have done for their clients. Congratulations."
Grand Prix winner (over 40 staff) Periscopix took home the most awards winning a total of seven adding On Budget (over 40 staff), Analytics, Optimisation, Search (over 40 staff), Client Service (over 40 staff) and Effect (over 40 staff) to the Grand Prix prize.
Taking home two awards apiece were Yoyo Design (On Time (under 40 staff), Value for Money); The Agency (Client Service (under 40 staff), Online) and iCrossingUK (Digital Strategy (over 40 staff), Online Media Buying).
Finalists and winners for the RAR Digital Awards were selected based on their performance as told by their clients who rated agencies for the digital services they buy such as e-commerce, mobile, social, e-crm, development, UX and more.
Every year we download client ratings for all digital services from recommendedagencies.com to identify which agencies are currently the highest-rated by clients, and recognise those agencies via the ...
The Elegant Kitchen and Bath is proud to present this brushedsteel finished flush mount light, by Access Lighting. The 20726-BS/OPL is made from premium materials, this Flush Mount Light offers great function and value for your home. This fixture is part of Access Lighting's decorative Atom Collection, so make sure to check out other transitional fixtures to accessorize your room.
3d Cir: No FMLA interference where employee receives all leave requested — The Employer Handbook Blog — June 18, 2014
Now, before I get to the FMLA, let me talk about another recent decision from the New Jersey Supreme Court. On Monday, the high court ruled (here) that:
Claims asserted under the “improper quality of patient care” provision of New Jersey’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act “must be premised upon a reasonable belief that the employer has violated a law, rule, regulation, declaratory ruling adopted pursuant to law, or a professional code of ethics that governs the employer and differentiates between acceptable and unacceptable conduct in the employer’s delivery of patient care.”
A plaintiff asserting that his or her employer’s conduct is incompatible with a “clear mandate of public policy concerning the public health” must, at a minimum, identify authority that applies to the “activity, policy or practice” of the employer.
To the two of you who care about that opinion, you’re welcome. And, to the rest of you who slogged through this post to here, huzzah! Your reward is this #LockInLuc campaign ad (h/t Deadspin) and a post about the FMLA.
(Ok, to keep reading, here’s some bribery: the ESPN highlights from yesterday’s 0-0 World Cup “thriller” between Mexico and Brazil….)
So, I read this opinion yesterday from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and I was all like, “What am I missing here?”
The court reminded us that an FMLA interference action has nothing to do with discrimination. Instead, what matters is whether the employer provided the employee with the entitlements guaranteed by the FMLA.”
In other words, if an employee is FMLA eligible, requests FMLA from an FMLA-qualifying employer, gets FMLA leave, feels better, returns from FMLA leave, and gets fired, that’s not FMLA interference.
Employer takeaway: Think twice before firing an employee on the day the employee returns from FMLA leave. It may not be FMLA interference, but you’ll find yourself defending an FMLA retaliation claim.
As Vice President for Equity and Justice, Caroline Blackwell leads the creation and implementation of products and services that support NAIS’s commitment to develop and sustain inclusive independent school communities.
Prior to joining NAIS, Caroline served as the executive director of the Metro Human Relations Commission in Nashville, Tennessee. Before that, she worked as director of multicultural affairs for the University School of Nashville. Caroline holds numerous certifications in mediation, conflict resolution, and facilitation. A long-time volunteer with NAIS, Caroline is the lead facilitator for the Diversity Leadership Institute, has been a chair and now leads NAIS’s People of Color Conference, and is also a contributor to NAIS publications.
You Say You Want a Revolution? Meet Jesus—the original revolutionary, who turned the world upside down with his countercultural ways. Join Dr. Dan Boone for 40 days in the Gospel of Luke exploring Jesus's radical commitment to justice and compassion as he embraces the marginalized and introduces a new kingdom on earth.
Each daily devotional includes a brief summary of the biblical text for the day's reading, examples and illustrations to help live out your faith, and questions for individual or group study.
Dan Boone is president of both Trevecca Nazarene University and Eastern Nazarene College. He earned MDiv and DMin degrees from Nazarene Theological Seminary and McCormick Theological Seminary. He is the author of several books, including Seven Deadly Sins, Dancing with the Law, and the Charitable Discourse series. Dan currently lives in Nashville with his wife, Denise.
Today, John Boehner blasted democrats and Barack Obama for fighting tooth and nail against our efforts in Iraq but are now proudly taking credit for the results.
In advance of President Obama’s Tuesday night speech on Iraq, Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the House Republican leader, was set to remind thousands of veterans attending the national convention of the American Legion that Mr. Obama and other Democrats had opposed the military escalation credited with gains in Iraq.
“This day belongs to our troops, whose courage and sacrifices have made the transition to a new mission in Iraq possible,” Mr. Boehner said in excerpts of the speech he was to deliver Tuesday at the legion’s national convention in Milwaukee.
“Some leaders who opposed, criticized, and fought tooth-and-nail to stop the surge strategy now proudly claim credit for the results,” Mr. Boehner’s speech said.
It was the second time in a week that Mr. Boehner, who is line to become speaker should Republicans gain control of the House next year, has taken on the president in a major speech. In an address last week to the City Club of Cleveland, Mr. Boehner called on the president to fire his economic team and assailed the administration’s approach to trying to energize the struggling economy.
Why was the Germino Masonette discontinued, & dropped from the lineup? By all accounts this amp was selling well, & provided the classic marshall sound at less volume.
I seem to remember an earlier thread on this....IIRC, the reason was that there was too much overlap with the Club 40. The Masonette is supposed to be 25w, but it sounds more like 40w or so to me. I think you can run 6v6's in the Club 40 too, so there was no reason to keep the Masonette in production. Both the Masonette and Club 40 are killer JTM style amps.
Yeah I had both the Masonette and the Club 40 at one point. Besides the clean headroom issue with the Masonette, the 40 just sounds so much bigger and fuller that I ended up selling my Masonette.
I have a Masonette and agree there is no clean headroom, but wasn't that the point of this amp ? Marshall inspired overdrive tones at lower volume. If someone bought a Masonette and complained about the lack of headroom, did they not buy the wrong amp ? I must be missing something.
jeffh, you are pretty much right on in regard to the distorted thang, but some people like the slightly broken up "clean" Marshall sound. For me having the two side by side, I preferred the C 40 hands down. In Greg's view (I'm assuming here) he must think that the LoVo55 or C40 with 6v6's does a pretty good Masonette imitation....
Having said that I love the Masonette, I use input 1 set the volume at 12-1 o'clock and I'm good to go. Nice crunch with room left over for pedals. With a LP and semi-open back it is the perfect combo of Marshal munch with a dose of Fender chime thrown in. It is also the perfect band volume for rehearsal and gigs in larger clubs, so that works nicely for me.
I'm missing something as well. The beauty of the Masonette is as a screamin', dirty rock and blues amp. I have a 2 by 12 combo and for me it is the perfect amp. It's a shame its discontinued.
I have the club 40 and Greg said when using 6V6 output tubes bias to 17mA current draw, and use an 8 ohm cab with the selector set at 4 ohms, or a 16 ohm cab with the impedance selector set at 8 in order to properly match the impedance with 6V6s. With KT66s or 6L6 tubes, the cab and amp are set to the SAME ohm rating (8 amp and 8 cab), with the bias adjusted to between 32-35 mA. The sound is great, volume is reduced, breakup is earlier and still EL34-like and I can hear after playing....I have only tested fully with a strat, and will soon crank it up with humbuckers as soon as I can get all my Christmas visitors out of the house!!
When using 6V6, you can use a quality NOS 5Y3GT or 5U4GB to lower plate volts even more than the 5AR4. The first filter cap is 32mfd, so this is safe. The 5U4 will lower the volume and add a bit of compression more like the Masonette. The 5Y3 goes even further (~360v), especially when the tubes are biased around 30ma.
I changed my phase inverter coupling caps from .1 mfd. to .02, which is more than large enough for EL34 and especially 6V6. I thought the .1 caps were too bass heavy with EL34, but good with 6L6. My amp does not have or need a brite cap on the brite volume, though I believe that is stock.
6V6 signal grids don't require as much as EL34 to saturate, so you can use a 5751 or 12AT7 for the phase inverter.
5881 also sound wonderful in the Club 40, whether set the same as the speaker load, or one notch less to load them a bit for less wattage, more compression and a softer attack.
When using KT66, try setting the impedence selector to half the speaker load. This will reflect almost 7K on the primary, which is similar to a JTM45 running KT66.
I'm finally starting to fool around with my Cakewalk/ Guitar Tracks Pro program my wife gave me for Christmas.
I'm going to experiment with some different mics & positioning and do some more of these. This is actually pretty fun using the backing tracks now that I've figured out how to do it! Also figuring out how to do fade ins/out, etc...I thought the fade at the end of this one turned out pretty cool.
Yep, I love me some Z's! Funny thing how so many players that grew up playing Fenders get turned on to the MAZ 38 and 18 (I have both!). They have their own sound, but really kind of fit the description as being between Bassman/Super/Pro type amps and AC30's.
Just very, very versatile amps. And here in Trashville, I have to cover so many styles depending on the artist I'm working with, they are just pretty much as near "perfect" as an all-purpose amp can be.
I dig Carlos ok, and am glad he's one of those guys that has stuck to it through thick 'n thin. But not really a big influence with what I do...
I'm more of a Clapton, Gibbons, Gilmour kind of guy. I guess some of those might show up a bit in that clip.
A monochrome space need not be cold. With vintage furniture, sprigs of foliage and secondhand accessories, it can even look homely.
Sofia Ericson is the owner of this early-19th-century Stockholm apartment. She found the single metal chair – which picks out a muted green theme – from a vintage store near the ­apartment. The closest match we found is from Amazon (Palm Springs ­folding chairs, £29.99 for two.
There is little excess adornment in this quiet dining corner – lighting consists of three suspended bulbs. Posters featuring quotes from Andy Warhol, from a major retrospective of the artist in 1968 at Stockholm’s Moderna Museet, break up the bare walls, and vases of greenery and brown apothecary-style bottles, found in vintage stores, soften the space. The black chair is similar to the Eames’ classic Eiffel chair (£325, from The Conran Shop). For the stacking stools, ­try Alvar Aalto’s design from Aram (£149.50 each), or Ikea’s four-legged Frosta, which is just £8.99. Heal’s Newgate Putney wall clock (£90) is ­similar to the one here.
These are open plan – separated only by a single wall of shelves. These are a lesson in stylish knick-knacks: glass ­bottles (try Re), curios, magazines and box files – try Muji or Paperchase. The armchairs are vintage, “­probably 1950s Danish or Swedish”, says Ericson. For similar, try vintage Scandinavian specialists Sigmar or ­ Elliott & Tate.
Ericson bought this industrial-style cabinet at auction in Berlin. For similar, try Retrouvius; Pedlars has a metal glass-fronted cabinet (£750). The letter E was from a vintage store – Graham & Green has similar.
French windows open on to a small urban balcony with window boxes. For similar bedlinen, try Luca Charcoal, now reduced at Feather & Black. The black chair is similar to Eames’ Eiffel chair, as seen in the dining area.
Despite two large studies released Wednesday, uncertainty lingers for men weighing whether to be tested or treated for prostate cancer.
For every life saved, dozens of men undergo potentially damaging treatment -- including some men who never would have died of cancer.
"PSA (screening tests) and the fear of prostate cancer are absolutely ingrained in most Western societies right now," Dr. Gerald Andriole, one of the study authors, said in a telephone news conference. That makes it critical for doctors to temper knee-jerk responses to a positive test, he said.
First, doctors cannot tell whose tumors will grow slowly for decades, as the men age and eventually die of something else, and whose tumors will spread swiftly and lethally.
Second, if men opt for treatment to be on the safe side, their choices are bleak. Prostate surgery often causes impotence, at rates ranging from 40 percent to 75 percent, and also can cause incontinence. Radiation, too, can cause impotence and urinary and rectal problems -- all side effects that can trigger deep depression.
With treatment potentially so damaging, the big question for researchers is whether a PSA screening, which starts the diagnosis ball rolling, does more harm than good.
"There is a legitimate question as to whether we should be screening," said Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.
The screening itself is a blood test that measures levels of a protein called prostate specific antigen. PSA levels can be elevated in men with prostate cancer but also with other conditions that are more common as men age. Once an elevated PSA is found, a biopsy can determine if cancer is present, and then men face the harrowing treatment choices.
"Everyone has been eagerly awaiting the results" of the major U.S. study, said Dr. Vijay Suhag, an oncologist who works at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital. "This is a major, major effort on the part of the National Cancer Institute to kind of clarify some of these issues."
Yet with the interim results being published later this month in the New England Journal of Medicine, "the jury is still out," Suhag said.
The NCI study of nearly 80,000 American men concluded that PSA screenings do not save lives, at least in the first seven to 10 years afterward. There was no statistically significant difference in death rates between groups of men who were screened at fairly high rates and groups that got much less screening.
That study will appear side by side in the medical journal with European research that concluded PSA screenings cut death rates by 20 percent. It involved more than 160,000 men followed for up to 15 years.
The European study noted, though, that to save one life, 1,400 men had to be screened and 48 had to undergo treatments that can lead to impotence, urinary problems and other complications.
"When I'm talking to a man, I have to admit there probably is a small advantage to screening but ... that test is 47 times more likely to harm him than to save his life," said the American Cancer Society's Brawley.
A tiny minority of men die of complications of prostate cancer surgery. Of those who survive, he said, some have their worst struggles with incontinence.
"Many of these guys wear two or three diapers per day," Brawley said. "It is devastating emotionally."
Because of differences in study designs, several doctors said that the European and American research efforts complement each other more than they conflict.
Given more years of follow-up, they suggested, the U.S. research might also show a modest life-saving benefit for prostate cancer screening -- or the European results could fall below statistical significance.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says there's not enough evidence to know whether PSA screening does more harm than good for men younger than 75. Above that age, it recommends against screening.
The American Cancer Society suggests that PSA tests be discussed with men who have normal cancer risk once they turn 50.
"Unquestionably, some people are going to be treated who would have been fine if they were not treated," said Dr. Ralph deVere White, director of the UC Davis Cancer Center.
Nearly 30,000 American men annually die of prostate cancer, one of the most common cancers. If more screening could reduce that by 20 percent, 6,000 men would be spared every year, he said.
Prostate cancer death rates have been declining in the United States since around the time PSA testing began. Doctors aren't sure how much of that is due to better treatment and how much to earlier diagnoses made possible by PSA screening.
In an effort to answer that question, the U.S. study will continue to monitor men who were screened years ago. Meanwhile, decisions about testing and treatment will remain an individual choice.
Paul Haley of Lincoln, Calif., who has been treated for prostate cancer, said when his friends ask him for advice, he urges them to be tested -- but then be ready to fight for whatever level of care they think is best.
Haley said he had to push his doctor to get a then-novel treatment, which involved implanting radioactive seeds to combat his cancer.
For his 80-year-old father-in-law, Haley is urging a less proactive approach. He wants him to stop getting screenings.
"It's torturing him. He frets over it," said Haley, because his PSA is going up -- something often not dangerous in men his father-in-law's age.
Gary Little of Jackson, Calif., said some men in his prostate cancer support group have chosen "watchful waiting," declining invasive treatments in hopes that their cancer will grow so slowly that it won't kill them.
"Everybody has to make their own choice," said Little, but that wasn't his. He chose a radical prostatectomy to remove all cancerous tissue.
"Get it out of there, and then you can have a life," said Little, who has not suffered serious side effects from the surgery.
UC Davis' deVere White said he likes to talk to men with elevated PSAs before they have a biopsy, asking them to think about what treatment choices they might make.
When there is only a small amount of cancer, with cell patterns that indicate lower severity, "active surveillance is a totally, utterly good way to go" for some men, the doctor said. Others simply want the cancer out.
He urges patients to imagine each choice going wrong, and then asks, "If the outcome isn't perfect, which is going to leave you personally with the most regrets?"
The federal intervention in fronting $30 billion to save nearly bankrupt investment bank Bear Stearns was defended on Capitol Hill Thursday by administration officials. But senators wanted to know how things went so wrong and what they indicate for reforms in financial oversight and regulation.
The federal action toward Bear Stearns has previously drawn criticism as representing willingness to help the most powerful with little assistance to Americans in foreclosure -- a point not ignored in the hearing.
But committee members revealed a deeper complexity to the issue, with some expressing concern that the decision doesn't merely represent a divide between the weak and the strong but offers evidence as well about financial regulatory inadequacies that could allow a market to be so weak that the collapse of one institution would have such a sweeping effect.
"How do we let the system become so fragile that it cannot tolerate one failure?" asked Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., at a hearing of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. He called the rescue of Bear Stearns an act of socialism.
Robert Steel, the undersecretary of the treasury for domestic finance, defended the Bear Stearns rescue as a buffer to catastrophe in the broader economy, saying that a plunge in credit would affect average Americans in addition to Wall Street giants.
Committee chairman Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., indicated support for the federal intervention but questioned whether it could have been done sooner.
"As a bottom-line consideration I believe this was the right decision considering everything that was on the table," he said. "I don't question that ultimate decision, but I think it's important we look at the rationale leading up to it."
Dodd and other committee members challenged the time taken before the government stepped in and whether it was known earlier that Bear Stearns was in such grave danger.
Bear Stearns CEO Alan Schwartz said the firm did not appear to be at a significant risk until the public lost confidence in it at the beginning of the week of March 10 because of rumors swirling about amidst the credit crisis.
"Because of the rumors and conjecture, customers, counterparties and lenders began exercising caution in their dealings with us -- and during the latter part of the week outright refused to do business with Bear Stearns," Schwartz said.
He added, "I want to emphasize that the impetus for the run on Bear Stearns was in the first instance the result of a lack of confidence, not a lack of capital or liquidity."
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., pointed to the Bear Stearns crisis as indicative of the inability of the Securities Exchange Commission and the Federal Reserve to properly oversee financial markets.
"Was someone asleep at the switch or is it that our regulatory structure doesn't work?" Schumer asked.
Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, expressed concern that lawyers for other financial institutions would jump on the Bear Stearns rescue and argue that their clients require the same solution in the face of turmoil.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke rejected the description of the Bear Stearns intervention as a bailout, saying, "It's not a situation a firm would choose to endure."
The near-collapse of Bear Stearns attested to the gravity of the economy's problems, said Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, noting that in a healthier overall market, the government would be likelier to let the investment bank's problems resolve themselves.
Dodd pointed to the epidemic of sub-prime lending as the source of the problem and urged action to prevent another Bear Stearns situation. He said Congress is in for a long road in developing solutions, and not merely to prevent a catastrophe on Wall Street. Solutions to the housing problems must be found, he said, because most Americans don't rely on investing in stocks but in the equity from their homes that they hope to use as safety net for the rest of their lives.
This week the committee acted swiftly to develop housing stimulus legislation that would provide money to communities with high rates of foreclosure, increase counseling for homeowners at risk
The Norwalk Historical Society's will welcome the holiday season with its "Music, Merriment & Mistletoe" party from 3 to 5 p.m. Dec. 7 at Mill Hill Historic Park, 2 East Wall St. at East Avenue.
The festivities will include a performance by the duo of Cecelia & Genesius who will perform 18th century American and European violin and harpsichord music. The couple recreate the look and sound of the era's musical entertainment, utilizing period instruments and authentic 1770s-1780s dress. Violinist Melanie Zanakis and harpsichordist Erik Lichack will play works by European masters, popular songs and ballads, and dances for balls and assemblies.
Past members of the board of the Norwalk Historical Society will be recognized with a special toast at 4 p.m. to honor their past achievements and to acknowledge their roles in building the organization.
As a part of its fall membership drive, the Norwalk Historical Society is also offering a free "Buy One, Get One" individual membership to everyone who becomes a new member by Dec. 31. For those who are looking for something special for the holiday season, a gift membership in the Norwalk Historical Society will include a gift card, available for signing Dec. 7, that the Norwalk Historical Society will send to the recipient.
https://www.theintelligencer.com/sports/article/Neah-Bay-runs-away-with-1B-state-championship-10721574.php
Neah Bay quarterback Cameron Buzzell (14) is tackled by Odessa-Harrington defensive linebacker John DeWulf (17) as he leaps for extra yardage in the first half of the Washington Div. 1B high school football championship, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016, in Tacoma, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
From its beginning over 150 years ago as a waterfront beach house to the family-restored hotel it is today, the Island House has opened its doors to over a million tourists from around the world. With its handsome Victorian structure and family owned intimacy, Mackinac Island’s oldest hotel is a tradition not to be missed.
Originally constructed for Charles O’Malley in 1852 as a beachfront resort, the Island House was one of the first summer hotels on Mackinac Island. In 1865 Captain Henry Van Allen, a Great Lakes skipper, purchased the resort, thus beginning a family tradition that would last nearly 75 years. During this time he moved the hotel about 300 feet off the shore to its present location to allow for future expansion. Under Captain Van Allen’s direction, the Island House was deemed the Island’s “best family hotel” as Mackinac Island was voted the most popular summer destination in America.
Upon his passing, Captain Van Allen bestowed the property to his daughter. Mrs. Rose Van Allen Webster became proprietor of the hotel in 1892. Together with her husband, whom she met while he was stationed at Fort Mackinac, the Webster’s added the distinctive looking East and West wings in 1895 and 1912. The Island House enjoyed the benefits of these additions for the next 25 years as Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis and New York socialites were treated to afternoon high teas and full orchestra ballroom dancing. Mrs. Webster retained ownership of the Island House until her passing in 1938.
After Mrs. Webster’s death, the hotel stood vacant for several years, as its maintenance and taxes were too burdensome for her heirs. In 1945 the state took over the property and for a brief period the hotel was used to house the Moral Rearmament, a movement which came about just after World War II. The group moved to Mission Point two years later and the hotel again stood vacant until 1949.
Hoping to restore the property, a group of investors formed the Island House Incorporated in 1949. Despite the best attempts of various stockholders, by 1969 the Island House had deteriorated so greatly that the Chairman of the Mackinac Island State Park, W.F. Doyle, believed it would need to be torn down. It was not until 1972 that the Island House would return to its early popularity. Three of Mackinac Island’s most familiar businessmen, Harry Ryba, son James, and son-in-law Victor Callewaert, recognized the Island House’s status as a Michigan landmark.
They purchased the lease to the hotel and vowed to return The Island House to its original grandeur. Throughout its incredible restoration every step was taken to preserve the striking architectural features of the hotel exterior, including its many columns, porch spindles, gables, windows, and door styles. During this two year project the Island House was closed to the general public, but reopened with a spirited celebration on June 23, 1972. The final triumph came on August 11, 1973 when the hotel was acknowledged with the State of Michigan as a Michigan Historical Landmark.
Since the time of the original restoration, the Island House has undergone continuous renovations to provide the best accommodations possible for guests. From the addition of an elevator to the introduction of air conditioning, the Island House prides itself on having some of the best amenities on the Island.
After extensive renovations during the 1980’s, the next major change for the Island House came in 1995. The property underwent an extensive archeological dig to assure there were no burial grounds or fossils. This cleared the way for the first addition to the hotel since 1912. This 5400 square foot addition resulted in an indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, and three suites. Also included in this addition was the Ice House Bar & Grill. The restaurant was named after the Island’s oldest ice house located on the northwest corner of the property.
In this same year, the 1852 Grill Room was reconfigured, remodeled and made handicap accessible with the addition of a lift. To accommodate all our guests, a lift was also added to the veranda making the main areas of the hotel barrier free. Mackinac Island’s oldest hotel now complies with all ADA regulations.
Beginning with the close of the 2013 season, the 1852 Grill Room took the first steps in a six-month, $500,000 complete renovation consisting of extensive structural, footing and beam work. The 1852 Grill Room has been transformed by the addition of windows that allow more natural light, updated seating arrangements and a floor plan designed to enhance the dining experience. An expanded, and more intimate bar for those seeking to relax before and after dinner, has also been incorporated into the design.
Completing the 1852 Grill Room renovation is a décor that features textiles and patterns in a Mackinac Island color palate that is harmonious with Michigan’s premier travel destination.
The Island House is owned and operated by the Callewaert Family. The Island House invites you to come relax and enjoy this Historic Hotel of America while enjoying its modern amenities. Enjoy the same breathtaking harbor views and serene environment that guests have been enjoying for over 150 years. Your stay at the Island House instantly adds you to the rich and unique history that has made the Island House what it is today.