We'll ask around. Might know a guy at Hwy Patrol or Dalles Development who may have info for us.
They're replacing damaged guardrails on both sides of 84 from The Dalles to Mosier and are using Secrets wider parking area to park work rigs overnight.
The new guard rail is now the standard distance from the freeway fog line = goodbye Secret Spot. There is no longer a place to park off of the side of the freeway.
This is the second spot lost to this crap. Camas used to be a great east wind spot... I just love government's "You are too stupid. We must protect you from yourself." attitude. The best part is the politicians & bureaucrats with this attitude generally lack the brain power to know how to wipe their own a@#.
next time could be Burlington Northern RR. Or WADOT.
Lyle and the wunderbar have some of the same issues.
This is such a bummer. Definitely a very sad day.. maybe I'll cry in secret. Time to start private boat rides up to secret. Anyone?
This would be a great opportunity for the CGWA to work with ODOT and establish new access down to the secret spot beach.
Are both sides covered with the new guard for I've pared on the other side and illegally crossed over by foot a couple of times. Also, what is the legal issues if one parked a motorcycle on the other side of the guard rail? Looks like Rowena is the only option for accessing the waves.
Any efforts to gain Secret access again would be great but where the parking would be is a tough call since the closest legal parking is now up at the Discovery Center. I see Secrets demise as an awakening for the CGWA to put more focus on Rowena kite launch improvements, a very underutilized gem with established accommodations and no ODOT or railroad worries. I drive by it everyday and 2-3 kites up is considered busy.
Rowena, Doug's and Secret are all in the same neighborhood of river swell similar to how the Event Site, Wunderbar and top of Wells Island triangle out. People complain about Gorge congestion but don't realize there is basically another section of river 10 minutes East of HR with stellar wind and more Sun.
Cody, you've put solid time into Rowena and since it's basically in both our back yards I'll find the time to show support when those CGWA discussions take place because your input will be invaluable.
The CGKA has had some meetings over the past few years with members from the Dalles Economic Development committee and other Dalles representatives who would like very much to find a way to make Secret Spot an accessible park location for all users. Ideally, the last discussions were about working on trail system from the Discover Center.
Alternatively, we have had a contact who works for the Highway Patrol drop by the shop every once in a while to give us updates on the turn off space. The Highway patrol had no issues with the parking access (they look at this spot the same as they look at other roadside spots that are left open to allow access for fishermen to reach the river by foot). The only issues they had were with the parking not being maintained within the two signs and the beginning of cars parking on the opposite side of the highway and kiters running across the traffic (ie - majorly bad game of Frogger).
This kite spot and it's future access concerns were listed as a part of the hand off from the CGKA to the CGWWA. As for if it is pursued into the future, that is very specifically up to those of you who are signing up as new members.
Write an email of note, as a paying member of the CGWWA, and request that this site be specifically recognized as a launch site that the membership would like to have looked into for continued user access.
This is a new type of organization that is taking on new responsibilities and will need to hear from it's membership about what they want and need.
30+_ years working the freeways construction and maintenance to WSDOT. Please don't walk across 4 lanes and a median Jersey Barrier. I've seen first-hand what happens when things don't work out as planned. Half those people driving on I-84 are texting or blowing a .10.
Thanks for the input. I never kited Squally Point. So I don't have an opinion on that other than parking along I84 was not something I wanted to do.
Back when windsurfing was in its prime. Dougs was well used and much effort/energy went into the parking, official RR crossing, coordination with Wa Parks, etc.
Dougs is underutilized by kiters, for obvious reasons. Any improvements in access for kiters would be great and would allow easy access to the same water as Squally Point.
I have not kited Dougs, addressing launching/landing safety would make this a high value spot in my opinion. I have not explored east of the traditional launch but like the idea.
Bart, appreciate the update and thank you for chiming in. Every kiter on this forum near and far will benefit from what you're trying to bring together in the Gorge. My hope is the kiter support helps raise the bar for existing, or future, access points up and down the river.


I am a Consultant at Blackthorns, with over 20 years of SME and Corporate Banking experience with NatWest, HSBC and Barclays I was delighted to join the team.
I've worked with a range of companies within Retail, Manufacturing and Real Estate, in particular helping clients to restructure their finances and helping them to grow.
Key to this is understanding the client's business and where they wish to take it. A strong relationship is therefore essential. Acting as a virtual FD or non-Exec Director enables the clients to benefit from extra management skills. Providing a different perspective when reviewing the business can be a great eye opener.
Born and bred in Wolverhampton I've been a Wolves fan all of my life. A season ticket holder for over 25 years means I've had the highs and the lows!
Keen on fitness, I also do mud runs and other sporting events if anyone wants to join me!!


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Second Draft: When Inspiration Doesn't Strike
I've finally figured out a way to tackle my second main character. As my novel is in the first person and essentially has only two characters, it has been almost impossible to get into the head of the character that ISN'T the first person. Everything the narrator says or does just bounces off the other character, so everything ends up being a reaction and there's no depth. I've been troubled by this character since the beginning of the novel - or, at least, since he turned up in the novel (in chapter 12, I think it was)(before that, he was mentioned, so the reader knows he's coming). I've found it almost impossible to get into his skin. The fact that he is male has nothing to do with it - more of my stories are told from a male point of view than not, so this was not the issue. My first draft fell to pieces because I had failed utterly to really understand this character and the 2nd draft has gone the same route - I couldn't figure out the conflict between the two characters, I couldn't figure out his personality, I couldn't understand why the things he did made no sense. Considering that he's one half of a two-hander novel, this was a serious problem! I've never had so much trouble developing a character. My previous novels were action-packed and had many points of view and it was much easier to get inside a character's head when they were very busy doing stuff and doing it with other people. My two characters in this novel are isolated to the extreme and there is no action at all......except perhaps the sex, which so far is hardly better than porn.
HOWEVER! I've at last found a way. I've abandoned my novel for the moment and am concentrating entirely on getting this character's act together. I tried writing up his past (everything that happens before the novel begins) in a story form, told in first person, but that went awry too. So I'm doing it my favourite way:
Using bullets to separate ideas
I'm now onto my third page of bullets and that's just the before-the-novel-starts stuff! I also managed to work out what drives him, what fuelled his hatred. Everything I'd come up with was just wishy-washy and inspiration wasn't striking. One can sit around for days hoping that inspiration will strike in the usual odd place (on the bus, in the bath, before you go to sleep) but as this wasn't happening, I just sat down, every day, to work as usual, and hammered at the point and looked at it from every angle. It took four days of bashing at air, it seemed, when finally I looked at the mess of notes I had written and realised that, yes, actually, I had done it and there had been no fanfare. It had been in front of me all along, I just hadn't seen it because I needed to view everything from a different point of view, and the only way to do this was just to make notes and make notes and make notes. I wrote down the facts and kept writing down the facts until the facts gave the answer: the character is in pain. It's pain that drives him. It's so bloody obvious now that I've worked that out.
I'm now ready to go through every single scene in the book between him and the first person and make notes on what HE is thinking, what HE does between these scenes, what HE knows and she doesn't. When I'm done, the novel will at last have its sails.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Issue #18: Is Solitude a Key Element of Creativity?
Decision making is a signature of startups. It's tempting to table tough choices all together, but ultimately any decision is better than none at all.
How the small convenience store chain grew an XL community.
George W. Bush was just an appetizer — Donald Trump would be the main course.


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Sri Lanka Telecom PLC Group operating profit for the quarter to end-March 2020 was reported at Rs.3.2 billion, an improvement of 28.6 per cent compared same period in the previous year. Total revenue for the quarter was Rs.22.1 billion, a 3.8 per cent increase compared to Rs. 21.3 billion during the same period in 2019. [...]
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SLT Group 1Q 2020 operating profits rise by 28%
Sri Lanka Telecom PLC Group operating profit for the quarter to end-March 2020 was reported at Rs.3.2 billion, an improvement of 28.6 per cent compared same period in the previous year.
Total revenue for the quarter was Rs.22.1 billion, a 3.8 per cent increase compared to Rs. 21.3 billion during the same period in 2019.
In a media release on Friday, the company said group net profit fell by 14.6 per cent to Rs.1.9 billion when compared with the previous end March 2019 quarter. This, it said, was due to provisioning for overdue debtors, exchange loss and increase in financial cost.
During the period under reference, SLT paid out a total of Rs.4.4 billion as direct and indirect taxes and levies to the Government. Stringent measures were taken to manage operational cost and investments in capital expenditure, which resulted in cost savings of 5 per cent for the quarter amounting to Rs.704 million.
Due to the depreciation of the Sri Lanka Rupee arising from the coronavirus crisis, the total forex loss for the group was Rs.683 million compared to a gain of Rs.172 million for the same period in 2019.
Commenting on the results, Rohan Fernando, the Group Chairman, stated, "I'm proud of the management team and staff for their dedication and commitment in proving an uninterrupted service to the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, while recognising the national responsibility of the group. The group offered free unlimited data and several other offers by both SLT and Mobitel, making the connections among family, friends and relatives easier. By now, we are fully prepared and equipped not only to survive amidst the pandemic, but also to reap the emerging opportunities with novel digital products and services".
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Liquor vanishes off the shelves in minutes
Factories, workers in crisis
Moratorium challenges for SL banks ahead
Tea Board to fund tea smallholders
Sri Lankan economy drags into a modest recession
Closure of CSE not a 'well-managed event'
Rescuing migrant workers
Beneficiaries of COVID-19
Sri Lanka in dilemma over LPG prices
Grafo launches cordless electrostatic sprayer for disinfecting, sanitising
Data base to navigate MSMEs through COVID-19
Travel to become a "costly" affair in future
Social Distancing – Can robots help us?
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Eshana De Silva appointed as NDB Chairman
Sampath Bank's 1Q2020 operating profit down, but post-tax profit rises
ComBank makes steady start to 2020
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Orange Shirt Day will be on Monday at Fernwood School.
Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission (SJM) residential school commemoration event held in Williams Lake, B.C.,Canada, in the spring of 2013. It grew out of Phyllis' Story of having her shiny new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school at the Mission, and it has become an opportunity to keep the discussion on all aspects of residential schools happening annually.
Embracing First Peoples' principles of learning and culture is one of our guiding values at Fernwood School. We strive to incorporate these into our daily and weekly routines to enhance the learning of all students, and especially our students of indigenous ancestry.
Currently all of our classes are learning about the legacy of residential schools in BC and the meaning behind Orange Shirt Day. We will be honouring Orange Shirt Day at our Whole School Meeting (Monday). We are asking that students and staff members wear an orange shirt on Monday. Following the Whole School meeting, students will gather in mixed grade groupings to listen to and discuss age appropriate books chosen by their Teacher. Orange Shirt Day activities will continue on Tuesday, when Quentin Harris will be at Fernwood School. Students and staff are welcome to wear their orange shirt on this second day as well. We will be drawing names for Orange Shirt Day t-shirts and bracelets to help students get into the spirit of the day. For more information and to view the video "Phyllis Webstad Orange Shirt Day Presentation", please see: http://www.orangeshirtday.org/.


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Archive for the progressive metal 2009 Category
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME – "THE GREAT MISDIRECT" IS A PROGRESSIVE & HEAVY MIND ADVENTURE
Posted in Album Review, alternative metal music, current heavy metal albums, current progressive metal albums, current progressive metal music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums 2009, heavy metal bands, heavy metal history, heavy metal music, Metal, metal music, metal music albums, metal odyssey, Music, prog metal albums, prog metal music, progressive metal, progressive metal 2009, progressive metal albums, progressive metal bands, progressive metal music, progressive metal songs, progressive rock music, rock music with tags Album Review, alternative metal music, between the buried and me, blake richardson drummer, dan briggs bass guitarist, diverse metal music, dustie waring guitarist, extreme metal music, hard rock music, hardcore metal, heavy metal music, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, paul waggoner guitarist, progressive hard rock music, progressive metal 2009, progressive metal albums, progressive metal bands, progressive metal history, progressive metal music, progressive metal songs, the great misdirect album, tommy rogers vocalist on January 23, 2010 by Metal Odyssey
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME – The Great Misdirect is a Progressive Metal album that was released on October 26, 2009, on Victory Records. I received this CD as a Christmas gift from my wife and daughters, therefore, my first listen to The Great Misdirect was in the final days of last year. Metal truth be told, this is my very first Between The Buried And Me album that I have ever owned… or listened to. Stagnant, same-old, status quo and ho-hum are words that DO NOT describe The Great Misdirect. Heavy, progressive, semi-psychedelic, retrospective, layered and mind adventure are words THAT DO describe this dynamic album. As I listened intently to The Great Misdirect, I swear that this is a band that has taken a time machine from the mid 1970's to present day… and they have been kidnapped and forced to create heavier music than they are used to, while still being able to incorporate their own style of Classic Rock into the structure of the songs. Call this thought nutty, call it science fiction, still, this is the type of mind wandering that Between The Buried And Me are all about with their lyrics anyways! It's not just a fascination with this band being different that gets me… it's the sheer fascination that this band is damned good at writing Heavy Progressive Music and playing it too.
Just by reading the lyrics to Fossil Genera – A Feed From Cloud Mountain, I realize that BTBAM's vocalist Tommy Rogers is open minded and embraces the science fiction side of thought and conspiracy theories, (where his actual views stand on such topics, I do not know). Needless to say, just reading the lyrics found within the liner notes is an adventure. As goes Progressive Metal, the moment I sit back and chill to a lengthy interlude of mellow musical interplay, the quicker I have to sit up/get up to the heavy guitar riffs and leads, the bombastic rhythm section and/or the Extreme Metal vocals. (Pssst… I don't mind it one Metal bit).
Yes, Grand Funk Railroad and any other Classic Rock band of legend should be proud of the astute usage of keyboards found within The Great Misdirect. Once again, Tommy Rogers is at the helm on the keys, raising such a familiar 1970's sound that actually seems to resonate above the heaviness. Tommy Rogers also seems to go back and forth from extreme to traditional vocals rather effortlessly. As a unit, BTBAM are smart as they are talented with their playing, improvisation with this band in a live setting should never pose a problem.
Mirrors opens The Great Misdirect in a solemn, ultra mellow and quaint way. Lyrically, Mirrors exhibits a person who is without question, disassociated with the world around him/her… both people and things included. Ah, don't let the opener of Mirrors fool you however, Obfuscation burrows right into my Metal soul… almost without warning, then subsides into a legitimate progressive pattern that BTBAM have indeed succeeded at. Metal Odyssey Note: Obfuscation means to be unclear, evasive or confusing. I actually had to look this word up, yeah, I did. Using a dictionary is cool.
Disease, Injury, Madness is over eleven minutes long, basically a Progressive Metal epic. Too bad this song wasn't an hour long… it's that good for me. As being an admirer of Mastodon, Daath, Dream Theater, Yes and The Electric Light Orchestra, my progressive Rock fan roots are as diverse as the Universe itself. Then again, when I think about it, isn't the word diverse a major characteristic of Progressive Metal to begin with? Between The Buried And Me have recruited a NEW fan, I will gleefully dig into their back catalog without blinking a Metal eye.
Track Listing for The Great Misdirect:
Mirrors and Obfuscation – Metal Odyssey Note: (Mirrors plays out as an introduction to Obfuscation)
Disease, Injury, Madness
Swim To The Moon
Desert Of Song
Fossil Genera – A Feed from Cloud Mountain
Between The Buried And Me, as they appear on The Great Misdirect:
Tommy Rogers – vocals, keys and lyrics
Dan Briggs – bass, fretless bass
Dustie Waring – electric guitar, slide guitar, acoustic guitar and guitar effects
Paul Waggoner – electric guitar, steel string acoustic guitar, classical guitar and lap steel guitar
Blake Richardson – drums and percussion
MASTODON – "DIVINATIONS" PICTURE DISC SINGLE IS A METAL MUSIC FIND!
Posted in collecting heavy metal albums, collecting metal music, cool album covers, current progressive metal music, hard rock bands, hard rock music, hard rock music 2009, Heavy Metal, heavy metal album covers, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal music, heavy metal on vinyl, heavy metal picture discs, heavy metal record finds, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, picture discs, prog metal albums, prog metal music, progressive hard rock albums, progressive hard rock music, progressive metal, progressive metal 2009, progressive metal albums, progressive metal bands, progressive metal music, progressive rock music, rock music with tags collecting heavy metal, collecting picture discs, current hard rock music, current progressive metal music, hard rock music, heavy metal bands 2010, heavy metal bargains, heavy metal finds, heavy metal music, heavy metal picture discs, hot topic, mastodon, mastodon crack the skye album, mastodon divinations picture disc single, mastodon metal band, mastodon progressive metal band, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, progressive metal albums, progressive metal bands, progressive metal music, rock music on January 19, 2010 by Metal Odyssey
MASTODON. Hot Topic. What do these two Metal Music names have in common? I recently, (last weekend), found the Mastodon – Divinations, 12″ picture disc single… at Hot Topic. Oh, that's not all… this Mastodon picture disc single only set me back $2.54! That's not a type-o… $2.54. Much cheaper than a pound of imported ham, currently selling at the local deli. (The original retail price for this picture disc runs around $14). You might query, as to how did I pay such a rock bottom price for this unreal great, Mastodon picture disc. Clearance racks RULE. As I entered Hot Topic, my wife informed me she was heading to the back of the store… to the clearance racks, was my Metal suspicion. It's funny how I always become engaged by looking over the other stuff at Hot Topic, each time I go there, forgetting to hit the clearance racks first. The t-shirts, rings, vinyl album and CD racks never fail to distract my attention from those glorious clearance racks. I can always count on my wife to hone in on those racks of discounted Metal treasures though!
It's always a Metal thrill when you can score your favorite bands on the discount racks. This is not the first time we have found very cool vinyl, discounted at Hot Topic. Just as we were checking out at the register, one of the Hot Topic employees raced over to the discount racks where this Mastodon picture disc was found… this employee proceeded to nab the lone remaining copy of Divinations, as well as other assorted vinyl too. She said she wanted to make her move, before the discounted stuff was gone. I can't blame her one Metal bit. We did pick up other discounted vinyl at Hot Topic that same visit… I will wait to blab about it on future posts because the finds are that unreal great.
This Mastodon Divinations, 12″ picture disc single has the following two songs:
Side A: Divinations – (From the 2009 release – Crack The Skye)
Side B: Divinations (Instrumental)
I really, really, like the Progressive Metal that simmers with touches of psychedelia, from the Crack The Skye album that Mastodon released in 2009. I like it so much that I picked it to be #7 in my list of top 25 Heavy Metal albums for 2009. You can check it out by clicking the link below:
METAL ODYSSEY'S TOP 25 HEAVY METAL ALBUMS OF 2009
You can also just click on the header below to read my review for Mastodon – Crack The Skye, which I posted on May 6, 2009:
Mastodon "Crack The Skye" is a cool Metal journey to take
Here is the front view of this terrific Mastodon 12″ Divinations picture disc single:
Posted in 1970's heavy metal bands, 1980's thrash metal bands, 1980's heavy metal bands, 1980's metal bands, 1990's black metal bands, 1990's heavy metal bands, 1990's thrash metal bands, Album Review, best heavy metal albums 2009, best of album lists, best of heavy metal albums, black metal albums 2009, christian heavy metal albums, cool album covers, creepy album covers, current heavy metal albums, current heavy metal bands, current thrash metal albums, current thrash metal bands, death metal albums 2009, death metal music, extreme metal bands, heavy metal album covers, heavy metal album review, heavy metal albums, heavy metal albums 2009, heavy metal bands, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal history, heavy metal music, heavy metal music 2009, heavy metal records, Heavy Metal Reviews, heavy metal songs 2009, heavy metal vocalists, metal music albums, metal odyssey, Music, old school heavy metal, old school heavy metal bands, old school thrash metal bands, power metal albums, power metal bands, power metal music, progressive metal 2009, progressive metal albums, rock music, scary album covers, sludge metal albums, sludge metal bands, thrash metal albums 2009, thrash metal bands, thrash metal music, top heavy metal albums 2009, vintage heavy metal bands with tags 2009 top 25 heavy metal albums, 25 best heavy metal albums 2009, ace frehley guitarist, alice in chains 2009, best death metal albums 2009, best heavy metal albums 2009, best of heavy metal albums 2009, black metal albums 2009, death metal albums 2009, edguy power metal band, extreme metal albums 2009, heavy metal albums 2009, heavy metal music, heavy metal music 2009, immortal black metal band, kiss heavy metal band, kiss sonic boom album, kreator thrash metal band, lamb of god wrath album, megadeth, metal odyssey, metal odyssey top 25 albums 2009, Music, obituary death metal band, progressive metal albums 2009, slayer world painted blood album, thrash metal albums 2009, top 25 albums of 2009, top 25 heavy metal albums of 2009, top albums of 2009, W.A.S.P., w.a.s.p. babylon album on December 28, 2009 by Metal Odyssey
2009 will be remembered by me as an unreal great year for Metal Music. I actually have not been this excited about Heavy Metal and all of it's sub genres since probably the infamous 1980's. Really, I have felt this way all year. This best of list encompasses all Heavy Metal genres, making for an all inclusive Metal bounty of greatness! These are the albums that stood out for me in 2009. It is never an easy task in compiling a list like this, I had to keep an open mind and many times… follow my Metal instincts. Certainly there are many Heavy Metal albums that are being passed over for this list, my intent is to list the best of what I listened to this past year, plus time and money was/is a factor. I hope you enjoy this list of Metal Odyssey's 25 Best Heavy Metal Albums of 2009, these bands truly deserve a loud Metal applause for creating these albums… in my Metal opinion.
Be true to Metal and Metal will be true to you… Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from Metal Odyssey!
#25 – IT'S A TIE!
SKELETONWITCH – BREATHING THE FIRE
Extreme Metal is the best way to describe Skeletonwitch. Yes, the Thrash Metal assault is constant throughout Breathing The Fire, only at the upmost maximum level. Chance Garnette on lead vocals provides both Death and Black Metal pipes, while further solidifying the Metal extremity of this band. I cannot resist songs such as Crushed Beyond Dust, Blinding Black Rage and Repulsive Salvation, these are songs that makes this album blister and burst with all things shockingly dark and… extreme again. My extreme praise for this album was posted on October 14, 2009, it's all yours to read by clicking the header below:
SKELETONWITCH – "Breathing the Fire" Set My Metal World Ablaze
JOB FOR A COWBOY – RUINATION
Another young and Metal eager band that brings it in the same extreme vain as Skeletonwitch is… Job For A Cowboy. Fitting that both bands released a hellishly great album in 2009. The parallels don't just stop there… the key focus of both bands is playing very Extreme Metal. Jonny Davy of Job For A Cowboy has the vocals that were born for Extreme Metal. This Job For A Cowboy band tackles whatever issue is on their minds and don't give a crap about commercial appeal. Thus, the tie for #25, too many similarities and extremities to have one band and their album leap frog the other, in my Metal opinion. Job For A Cowboy and Skeletonwitch… both Extreme Metal Bands that are forging their Metal legacy NOW. My July 9, 2009 post details my Metal reasons and applause on behalf of Job For A Cowboy and their album Ruination:
Job For A Cowboy "Ruination" – Extreme Death Metal album is a high point for 2009
#24 – BARONESS – BLUE RECORD
I really enjoy this Baroness band, they are different… really a cool detour in the Metal road for me. Baroness entwines Progressive Metal, Sludge Metal and Psychedelic Hard Rock into a ball of unique Metal Music, that entertains me as equally as it engages my senses. A tip of the Metal hat to Baroness for being so eclectic with their styles. My favorite song is the instrumental that ends Blue Record… Bullhead's Lament, it has a soothing affect on me. (Yes, I used the word soothing on Metal Odyssey). For some reason or another, I am gravitating to this band all the more with each listen and I am not fighting it.
#23 – NILE – THOSE WHOM THE GODS DETEST
Any Death Metal Band that scares the Metal crap out of me, while simultaneously schooling me on vocabulary and stories of Egypt… is a winner with me. All Metal kidding aside, (well, I was not really kidding there), Nile kicks it into Death Metal – extreme, on Those Whom The Gods Detest. I wouldn't have expected anything less extreme from Nile in 2009. With some Middle Eastern crooning and musical stylings in the mix, how on Metal earth can your serious Metahead resist this band and album? I can't… and couldn't with this new album. Karl Sanders, (guitar and vocals) is as serious as they come in making exceptional Death Metal… as well as Dallas Toler Wade, (guitar, vocals, bass) and George Kollias, (drums and percussion).
#22 – IT'S A TIE!!
RAVAGE – THE END OF TOMORROW
Old School Heavy Metal from a band that could very well be playing the flavor of the month stuff. Ravage not only gives a nod to the sound and fury of Old School Heavy Metal, they play it with the upmost legitimacy. I seriously recommend this album to anyone who wants to hear what Metal Hammer magazine, (October 2009 issue), considers old ass… instead, Metal Odyssey feels Ravage and The End Of Tomorrow – kicks ass. On October 22, 2009, I blabbed in praise about this album… click below to see!
RAVAGE – "The End Of Tomorrow" – A Monster Of A Heavy Metal Album
3 INCHES OF BLOOD – HERE WAITS THY DOOM
3 inches of blood is doing the Old School Heavy Metal gig too… and I'm jumping for Metal joy over it. Despite a change in the bands lineup, 3 inches of blood delivered an excellent album that resonates the glory days of uncommercial Metal. 3 inches of blood led a Metal charge of heavy and memorable songs on Here Waits Thy Doom. Cam Pipes on vocals is searingly unreal. Preacher's Daughter is my standout song on this album, it gives me a Metal grin that stays on my face for hours.
* A METAL ODYSSEY NOTE… THERE ARE NO MORE TIES IN MY TOP 25 LIST!
#21 – HAMMERFALL – NO SACRIFICE, NO VICTORY
There is no doubt in my mind that Hammerfall respects the true spirit of Heavy Metal… I hear it on No Sacrifice, No Victory. This album exhibits why Power Metal is a musical force to reckon with. The cover of The Knack's My Sharona, is an unreal listen in cover song excellence. A very good album of songs, one I won't put aside anytime soon. On June 20, 2009, I told the planet just how much I like this Hammerfall album. You are one click away below, to reading all about it:
HAMMERFALL "No Sacrifice, No Victory" – Power Metal on high
#20 – EDGUY – TINNITUS SANCTUS
I wrote on this very blog that this album to me, would be the very best Power Metal album of 2009. Well, I really have not strayed from that Metal thought. Tobias Sammet and his band get all the Metal accolades from me for Tinnitus Sanctus. Edguy in my Metal opinion, has to be the most underrated Heavy Metal band in the United States, releasing the most underrated Heavy Metal album of 2009. If you feel like it, you can read a more detailed review I wrote by clicking: EDGUY – TINNITUS SANCTUS
#19 – QUEENSRYCHE – AMERICAN SOLDIER
Alert! A Heavy Metal band created a patriotic album! Run to the politically correct hills! I love this album from Queensryche, it is rich with patriotism and (gasp), songs with deep meaning. American Soldier hit home with me upon my very first listen… it will always be a favorite of mine. You are not getting Jet City Woman on American Soldier, instead you are getting a (gasp), tribute to the men and women who protect the United States of America and practically the rest of the whole world too. I give a huge Metal salute to Queensryche for creating this fabulous album. On April 3, 2009, I posted a more meaty review of this album… click below to check it out, (only if you want to):
Queensryche "American Soldier" is Metal that honors those who serve.
#18 – HEAVEN & HELL – THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
From everything I have read this past year, you either love this Heaven & Hell album or you hate it. I love it. Without these guys what would Heavy Metal be like today? I am not giving out free passes based on Metal sentiment… The Devil You Know really is a heavy hitter – for my Metal senses. On April 30, 2009, I boasted very loudly about how much I love this Heaven & Hell album. It is a click away below:
Heaven & Hell "The Devil You Know" is Metal greatness!
#17 – IMMORTAL – ALL SHALL FALL
In a year of Metal comebacks, Immortal is standout. The legend of Immortal continues through 2009 and beyond with the release – All Shall Fall. All seven songs are of equal importance, a total Black Metal achievement. The Rise Of Darkness and Norden On Fire may be my favorite songs, in reality however… every song is a Black scorcher. Be it speed, hard, heavy or the combintion of the three, add darkness to the mix and it is all relative. A Black Metal album to seek out if you haven't already.
#16 – KISS – SONIC BOOM
That's right… KISS. They made a monstrous comeback, in my Metal opinion, with Sonic Boom. I had quite the experience in getting my hands on Sonic Boom on it's release date, yet that is another story I blogged about a couple of times already. Never Enough is my favorite song and every song is memorable. The companion CD – KISS Klassics is an unreal listen in Kisstory. I feel it was a justifiable move to reinvent these great KISS songs from years ago. This is KISS 2009 and Sonic Boom is a reflection of KISS's glory days. I predict I will never tire of this album… never.
#15 – STRYPER – MURDER BY PRIDE
Stryper set the standard for Christian Heavy Metal decades ago. Stryper has set the bar even higher with Murder By Pride. Just a fantastic, melodic, Heavy Metal album of quality songs. My two top favorite songs are Run In You and the cover song of the Classic Rock gem from Boston… Piece of Mind, (which also features Boston legend Tom Scholz). I am pleased to have gotten my ears into this Stryper album, fellow Metalheads… this one is a keeper.
#14 – CANNIBAL CORPSE – EVISCERATION PLAGUE
Now, this is my cup o' Metal tea. Cannibal Corpse. Heavy duty – Death Metal. This album does not find Cannibal Corpse straying off the extreme path of deathly, brutal Metal they are so famous for. Nope. Cannibal Corpse made sure that their fans brains get the maximum shock and awe that we so crave from this legendary Death Metal band. A sheer Death Metal delight all the way through. Metal Odyssey hereby dedicates this album to the PMRC. For a more defined review I wrote on Evisceration Plague, click here: CANNIBAL CORPSE – EVISCERATION PLAGUE
#13 – SACRED OATH – SACRED OATH
Sacred Oath is not a stranger to the world of Heavy Metal. This Old School Heavy Metal Band has proven that great Metal things come to those who persevere and… wait. I like this album so much, I found myself pumping my fists into the air and jumping up and down upon my first listen… (now I am embarrassed). Nonetheless, just being able to bang my head to this amazing album of Traditional Heavy Metal and slap it into my top 25 list is – enough to make me grin fiendishly. From beginning to end, Rob Thorne on vocals and the rest of this ultra talented group makes me think… why couldn't you have made an album every year for the last 20 years? Hey, I'll accept whatever Sacred Oath has accomplished and be thankful for it. Very expensive Connecticut should consider erecting a Sacred Oath visitors bureau… and realize what real talent does exist in their state.
#12 – MARILYN MANSON – HIGH END OF LOW
Marilyn Manson. Just as Alice Cooper and Blackie Lawless before him have done, it's all about theatre and Metal. I don't give a rats butt about gossip or what celebrities do on the side. All I give a crap about is the music… the Metal. Marilyn Manson is Metal, a very unique brand too. In his very own splendid way, Marilyn Manson is a Metal genius. (I just used the word splendid on Metal Odyssey). To use the language that is most cliche and street… this album F'n Rocks. Why the heck should I beat around the Metal bush? Arma-godd**n-motherf**kin-geddon is my Metal song of 2009. Metal hands down, the best damn Metal song of the year. I'm not kidding around… High End Of Low is fabulous. This album is the beginning of my must own list.
#11 – OBITUARY – DARKEST DAY
Oh, how I love quality Death Metal. Especially when the quality is derived from a group, that is instrumental in putting Death Metal on the damn map to begin with. I felt just a couple of months ago, that Darkest Day from Obituary would be my #1 album of the year… it is that Death Groove laden great. Man, I can listen to Darkest Day repeatedly and still want more. Metal truth be told, this is a Death Metal album that without doubt in my mind, should convert non Death Metal fans into this realm. If you have the Metal time, take a gander at my detailed review I posted about Darkest Day, from September 9, 2009:
OBITUARY – "Darkest Day" brings the darkest and heaviest Death Metal
#10 – ACE FREHLEY – ANOMALY
How can I not embrace the comeback of Ace Frehley? A Rock legend this phenomenal couldn't stay away forever. Especially when his comeback is an album so incredibly great as Anomaly. The cover song of Fox On The Run, made infamous by Sweet, just resonates with Old School… as does this entire album. I cannot find a song on Anomaly that I don't like. Today's younger bands should listen to Anomaly and learn about the roots of Heavy Metal. Space Ace definitely made a return to form in 2009. On September 24, 2009, I blogged loud and proud about this Ace Frehley comeback album, click the link below to read on if you like:
ACE FREHLEY IS BACK! "ANOMALY" ALBUM IS PROOF BY QUANTUM LEAPS!
#9 – KREATOR – HORDES OF CHAOS
I have said it numerous times that 2009 was an amazing year for Metal Music, with so many of my favorite core bands not just releasing albums… releasing GREAT albums. Kreator was no exception, with Hordes Of Chaos. Thrash Metal that is raw, Old School and straight up. There were no fancy recording tricks done on Hordes Of Chaos… instead this album was created with the purpose of it being performed live. Very Hard, fast, lean and mean is Hordes Of Chaos. I can go on for hours about how enormously great this album is… instead I will stop myself here by adding… GET THIS ALBUM! Yes, you can certainly read my more detailed review I did back on March 14, 2009 – just click below please.
#8 – SHADOWS FALL – RETRIBUTION
I have one word to start off with, whoa. Shadows Fall has already made a dent in the world of Metal Music, now they are into bigger dents. Retribution is an all-out Thrash Metal attack. I did not anticipate such a powerful and full-on Thrash assault, such as this, from Retribution. Just when I thought Kreator was going to be hard to top in the Thrash Metal category, Shadows Fall decided to embark on a new album of their own in 2009… and it is worth every stinking, germ laced, copper penny I paid for it. You betcha I blabbed Metal praise for Retribution, did so on September 16, 2009:
#7 – MASTODON – CRACK THE SKYE
What Mastodon has accomplished with Crack The Skye is achieving harmony with Metal, progressiveness and psychedelia. These three ingredients are what makes Crack The Skye so damn Metal satisfying. Honestly, as with any progressive band in Metal, it will take me numerous more listens to hear every minute, musical detail that is happening. Oh drat, that means I will have to keep on listening to this unreal great album again and again. On May 6, 2009, I told the universe about what a cool Metal journey it was for me, listening to Crack The Skye:
#6 – DREAM THEATER – BLACK CLOUDS & SILVER LININGS
I marvel at the musicianship of Dream Theater. This is a Progressive Metal Band that just seems to hit the right spots within my Metal soul. Black Clouds & Silver Linings is so unbelievably layered musically, with lyrical content that is emotional hardness, touching on the human spirit and overcoming pain. Yes, a deep album, only it is a gem of a Progressive Metal album. My standout song for 2009 is Wither, the rest of the songs on this album are worth their weight in platinum. I did let the Metal community know my feelings on this album, on July 16, 2009:
Dream Theater "Black Clouds & Silver Linings" – Many silver linings found on this album
#5 – LAMB OF GOD – WRATH
From the opening instrumental of The Passing to the last song, Reclamation, this is as complete a Thrash Metal album as you will hear. It's always about the songs… great ones to be heard on Wrath. Lamb of God's strengths is in carving out their own identifiable sound, (musically and vocally) and their astounding musicianship. Wrath is an album that signifies just how great Lamb of God has become as a unified band. Once again, there are no scraps or shavings in the mix on Wrath… just damn excellent Thrash Metal songs. July 30, 2009, was the day I posted my detailed review for Wrath:
lamb of god – "Wrath" is a welcomed overdose of Thrash Metal ferocity
#4 – ALICE IN CHAINS – BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE
I won't argue with anyone who puts Black Gives Way To Blue at #1 for their year end list. When an album rivets me and takes me over the way this album does, a permanent bond takes place between myself and the songs. Alice In Chains have shown an amazing testament of pride, talent and the will to carry on that has driven this band to create such a brilliant album of songs. Vocalist/rhythm guitarist William DuVall has his presence heard on this album, with the seamless transition into a new era of Alice In Chains… a Metal bravo. Jerry Cantrell, (guitarist), can take a bow and lament in any and all the glory that this band derives from this albums success. Rightfully as well should Sean Kinney, (drums) and Mike Inez, (bass guitarist). What? A favorite song from this album? Forget it… it's all eleven of them. THIS IS AN ALBUM.
#3 – MEGADETH – ENDGAME
Yes, Endgame is a great Thrash Metal album… from a great Thrash Metal Band. Legend status does not seem to corner Dave Mustaine as of late, as the songs on Endgame are as fiery and heavy as any past and great album from Megadeth. To understand the longevity of Megadeth is to listen to Endgame… there is a vast supply of original Metal ideas in the mind of Dave Mustaine. Thrash Metal is thriving today, due in part to the contributions that Dave Mustaine and Megadeth have given to this genre over the decades. This is not a Thrash Metal album being touted by a Thrash Metal fanatic… Endgame is as legit as it gets when it comes to Metal – period. September 20, 2009, was the day I raved about Endgame:
#2 – SLAYER – WORLD PAINTED BLOOD
In my original review I posted on Metal Odyssey, regarding Slayer – World Painted Blood, (on December 7, 2009), I basically stated there really isn't anything to breakdown here. I am sticking to that Metal sentiment. Why should I get all fussy and serious about a Slayer album? Slayer epitomizes what METAL is supposed to be about… brutal, raw, hard, heavy, fast, extreme and at times very pissed off. That is World Painted Blood in a Metal nutshell. O.k., throw in that Slayer really did go back to basics with the Old School sound and production… and that only made this Slayer album that much more METAL LETHAL. If you don't own this Slayer album by now, you must make a new years commitment to go out and get it… and listen to it over and over again. F'n Slayer Rules. To read my initial review, (if that's what you call it), on World Painted Blood, click below at your own Metal convenience:
SLAYER "WORLD PAINTED BLOOD" – AN UNREAL GREAT, OLD SCHOOL THRASH METAL ALBUM
#1 – W.A.S.P. – BABYLON
THIS IS MY #1 HEAVY METAL ALBUM OF 2009! So let it be Metal written, so let it be Metal known. The songs, man it's the songs on Babylon. From Crazy to Promised Land and every song in between… this album scorches with all the fantastic elements of Old School Heavy Metal – wrought with the fire of today's Heavy Metal sound. Blackie Lawless has never sounded more focused and determined vocally. Babylon could be interpreted as a partial concept album… I will take the high Metal road and steer away from the concept mentality. The cover songs of Burn and Promised Land are like two sticks of Heavy Metal dynamite. Since my very first listen to Babylon, I knew… this is THE ONE for 2009. The total Metal impact this Babylon album has had on me is beyond incredible. Babylon is an all encompassing, psyche-out the senses party – of a Heavy Metal experience. Thank you, Blackie Lawless for making this Babylon album. I also thank my best Metal buddy Scott for steering me in the right W.A.S.P. direction, more times than I can remember. I posted my Metal jubilation for this W.A.S.P. album on November 10, 11, 14 of 2009. Below is from November 10th:
W.A.S.P. COVERS THE DEEP PURPLE CLASSIC "BURN" WITH HEAVY METAL PRIDE ON BABYLON ALBUM!
Thank you for visiting Metal Odyssey and my Top 25 Heavy Metal Albums Of 2009 List! Yes, the list can be considered a tad detailed… I love Heavy Metal, I cannot help myself. Do yourself a Metal favor and check out the other great Hard Rock/Heavy Metal blogs below for their Best Of 2009 lists as well… you should find it interesting to see what other Music Bloggers consider great albums, plus it's good fun.
Heavy Metal Addiction – http://heavymetaladdiction.com/
All Metal Resource – http://allmetalresource.com/
Bring Back Glam – http://bringbackglam.squarespace.com/
Hair Metal Mansion – http://hairbangersradio.ning.com/
Hard Rock Hideout – http://hardrockhideout.com/
Heavy Metal Time Machine – http://metalmark.blogspot.com/
Imagine Echoes – http://www.imagineechoes.com/
Layla's Classic Rock – http://laylasclassicrock.blogspot.com/
Metal Excess – http://metalexcess.com/
The Metal Minute – http://rayvanhornjr.blogspot.com/
Rock Of Ages – http://rockofages.wordpress.com/
The Ripple Effect – http://www.ripplemusic.blogspot.com/
DREAM THEATER – "WITHER" IS MY STANDOUT SONG FOR 2009
Posted in 1990's progressive metal bands, heavy metal music, heavy metal songs 2009, metal odyssey, Music, progressive metal, progressive metal 2009, progressive metal albums, progressive metal music, progressive metal songs, progressive metal today, progressive metal videos, progressive rock music, rock music with tags dream theater, dream theater progressive metal band, dream theater songs, dream theater wither, dream theater wither video, hard rock music, heavy metal music, james labrie vocalist, john myung bass guitarist, john petrucci guitarist, metal odyssey, mike portnoy drummer, Music, progressive metal 2009, progressive metal albums, progressive metal bands, progressive metal songs, roadrunner records, rock music, wither song on November 20, 2009 by Metal Odyssey
Dream Theater are such amazing musicians, it is scary. I liken Dream Theater to a "Heavy Metal Electric Light Orchestra". Of course, that is my humble, Metal opinion. The song Wither, from the 2009 Dream Theater album Black Clouds & Silver Linings, (on Roadrunner Records), is an incredible work of Progressive Metal. This song has struck a chord with me, (not to sound sappy), with all of it's content. With it's layering of music, lyrics, mood and edginess, Wither is a song that stands out amongst a ton of music I have been listening to, this past year of 2009. I always tend to shy away from ballads, only this is Dream Theater… and I'm all ears to Wither. James LaBrie has flawless vocals on Wither, amazing. Hopefully you can enjoy this song and video of Wither as much as I do.
Posted in Album Review, cool album covers, current prog metal albums, current prog metal music, current progressive metal albums, current progressive metal music, essential progressive metal albums, Hard Rock, heavy metal album review, heavy metal albums, Metal, metal music, metal music today, Metal Reviews, Music, prog metal albums, prog metal music, progressive metal, progressive metal 2009, progressive metal albums, progressive metal music, progressive metal today, progressive rock, progressive rock music, rock music with tags Album Review, black clouds & silver linings album, current progressive metal music, dream theater, dream theater 2009, dream theater progressive metal band, heavy metal album review, james labrie vocalist, john myung bass guitarist, john petrucci guitarist, jordan rudess keyboardist, metal music, mike portnoy percussionist, Music, progressive metal, progressive metal 2009, progressive metal albums, progressive metal music, Reviews on July 16, 2009 by Metal Odyssey
I have come to the conclusion, that Progressive Metal and Progressive Hard Rock are the genres that keep me grounded. Dream Theater offers me the best of two worlds, like a one-two Metal punch… this band makes me want to Rock out, then again, I have many moments with their music when I want to chill, in a Metal sort of way. I am not at all stating that Dream Theater can be easy listening Progressive Music… no way. They offer the segues, interludes, intro's and instrumentals that serve as that musical cushion to fall back on, while awaiting the heavy parts. This is what draws me into their music, to always expect the unexpected with the Progressive nature of Dream Theater. Dream Theater has for me, come so far, paid their Metal dues, to be now recognized as a Progressive Metal super power. It is difficult to dispute the vast landscape of progressive musical ingenuity that Dream Theater bestows. listening to their new music is a reminder to me, that you can erase any other thoughts in your mind and escape into an album of songs.
"A Rite Of Passage" is an amazing song, it reminds me of what maybe Rainbow would sound like, in 2009. The keyboards in this song is what has me thinking of vintage Rainbow, the melody also has a deep, rich, Classic Rock flavor. "A Nightmare To Remember", the opening song, has all the dynamics I come to expect from Dream Theater, musically and lyrically. I am very glad the story line to this song has a happy ending, despite the child mentally reliving such a personal experience that is the referred nightmare. "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", (released on June 23, 2009), has most certainly eclipsed my expectations of what to expect, both musically and lyrically. This new Dream Theater release deservedly reached #6 on the Billboard album charts on the initial week of it's release. It is clear that new fans have embraced Dream Theater and all of their epic Progressive Metal.
After listening to "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", one can reach the conclusion that Dream Theater has created an album that is a throwback. With guitar leads and lengthy songs that reminisce of 1970's albums from Yes, Rainbow and Rush; it is my Metal opinion that Dream Theater has maintained, tweaked and fine tuned a remarkable balance of Old School intertwining with originality and relevance. If Metal music was ever supposed to move me, Dream Theater has done it on this release. This is an amazingly enjoyable album to listen to. This Progressive Metal Music with all of it's musical eloquence, will no doubt have me exploring the deep layers of "Black Clouds & Silver Linings" for years to come.
Dream Theater, as they appear on "Black Clouds & Silver Linings": John Petrucci on guitar & vocals, Jordan Rudess on keyboards & continuum, James LaBrie on vocals, John Myung on bass and Mike Portnoy on drums, percussion & vocals.


Madeleine Dean has 26 videos in the C-SPAN Video Library; the first appearance was a 2018 News Conference as a U.S. Representative-Elect. The year with the most videos was 2019 with 25 videos. Most common tag: 116th Congress.
* The first paragraph of this page uses material from the Wikipedia article 'Madeleine Dean', which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Footnotes and parentheticals have been removed.


text:
Xinjiang officials arrest Kazakh poet, writer
Ertai Sultanbek's siblings advocate for his
release. (Photo: ChinaAid)
ChinaAid
(Ili Kazakh, Xinjiang—June 12, 2018) Ertai Sultanbek, a famous Kazakh poet and writer from China's northwestern Xinjiang, has been arrested and sent to a reformation center for writing a poem that praised Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
At a press conference earlier this month in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Serikjan Bilash of the Atajurt Youth Volunteer Group informed media outlets of Sultanbek's arrest by the police in Xinjiang's Ili Prefecture. Sultanbek's brother, Jenisbek Sultanbek, and sister, Nurgul Sultanbek, both attended the press conference in Almaty and revealed that before his arrest, Ertai instructed them to get help from his friend, Dukan Masimhan, in case he was arrested. Masimhan is the Chinese Studies department chair at Eurasian National University reportedly has a good relationship with the Chinese government.
Ertai stated in the message to his siblings that he did nothing wrong with the poem because he dedicated the poem to the friendship between China and Kazakhstan. Jenisbek Sultanbek likewise insisted that Ertai's arrest was unreasonable and that his brother is not affiliated with any religious group. He also asked Kazakh President Nazarbayev to intervene on Ertai's behalf.
The Xinjiang government has continuously performed large scale arrests of ethnic minorities over the past few years.
ChinaAid endeavors to expose the abuse conducted by the Chinese government in the case of Ertai Sultanbek in order to promote human rights, the rule of law, and freedom of religion.
ChinaAid Media Team
Cell: +1 (432) 553-1080 | Office: +1 (432) 689-6985 | Other: +1 (888) 889-7757


text:
U.S. FDA panel votes against approval of GSK's lung disease drug
FILE PHOTO: The GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) logo is seen on top of GSK Asia House in Singapore, March 21, 2018. REUTERS/Loriene Perera
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Food and Drug Administration expert panel on Wednesday did not support approval of GlaxoSmithKline Plc's (GSK.L) drug Nucala in treating a disease that limits airflow to the lungs.
The panel found that the drug, which is already approved for treating severe asthma patients, was safe but that it did not demonstrate efficacy for a new indication. FDA staff reviewers earlier raised doubts as to whether the data GSK submitted provided evidence of the drug's efficacy.
GSK said it would work with the agency to address its concerns.
The FDA is reviewing Nucala for reducing a sudden worsening of symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. While the FDA is not obliged to follow the advice of its experts, it generally does.
Reporting By Yasmeen Abutaleb; Editing by Dan Grebler


text:
The Decade That Changed Everything
January 1, 2010, By Nathan J. Winograd | Comments (Closed)
On December 30, I did a month by month review of 2009. Yesterday, I posted my predictions for 2010. Today, I review the last ten years, and what is in store for the next decade.
Part III: The Best Decade Ever*
Most pundits have said "good riddance" to the last decade, proclaiming it one of the worst in recent history. From the standpoint of the No Kill movement, however, the last ten years were unparalleled in terms of success. The first decade of the 21st Century not only saw No Kill go from the theoretical to the real, it saw its meteoric rise. Largely ignored and ridiculed in the 1990s and early part of the decade by the large national organizations like HSUS, ASPCA, the American Humane Association, the National Animal Control Association and the Society for Animal Welfare Administrators, No Kill proved itself the paradigm of the future. In 2004, threatened by its success, these organizations unsuccessfully tried to hijack the movement through the "Asilomar Accords," but fell victim to the U.S. No Kill Declaration, the success of No Kill communities, the 2007 release of Redemption, and the will of a companion animal loving nation.
Winner: Tompkins County's No Kill Achievement
No Kill comes into its own as Tompkins County, NY becomes the first No Kill community in U.S. history in 2001/2002. The success of the open admission shelter in Tompkins County dispelled the falsehood that an open admission shelter could not be No Kill and ignited the movement. By the end of the decade, No Kill communities could be found in all parts of the country, and in the process, all the programs of the No Kill Equation—from offsite adoptions to Trap-Neuter-Release—become mainstream.
Winner: Trap-Neuter-Release
At the end of the 1990s, only a small handful of shelters embraced TNR as an alternative to killing of feral cats. With HSUS urging prosecutors to arrest feral cat caretakers for "abandonment," and calling TNR "abhorrent" and "inhumane," and Invasion Biologists calling for the round up and killing of feral cats, the prospects for widespread acceptance of TNR in the humane movement seemed doubtful.
But cat lovers across the country rallied on behalf of the cats, and with communities like San Francisco using TNR to reduce the feral cat death rate by over 80%, with Tompkins County becoming the first open admission shelter to zero out deaths of feral cats through TNR, and with the advocacy of TNR on a local, regional, and national scale by groups across the country, any question of the legitimacy and efficacy of TNR was erased. TNR took the movement by storm.
Winner: A Pet Loving Nation
The economy collapsed but spending on companion animals continued to increase as giving to animal related causes became the fastest growing segment in American philanthropy. But the most dramatic example epitomizing just how much Americans love companion animals was the overwhelming response to the animals displaced by Hurricane Katrina. People gave hundreds of millions of dollars to charities that promised to save the animals, and thousands of rescuers from all across the country descended on New Orleans and surrounding communities to save animals forcibly left behind by mass evacuations of people. In the end, they also succeeded in changing federal policy about rescuing pets.
Winner: Redemption & The No Kill Equation
Behind every revolutionary movement is an intellectual tradition. The American Revolution had Common Sense. The environmental movement had Silent Spring. The abolitionist movement had Uncle Tom's Cabin. And the women's rights movement had The Feminine Mystique. In 2007, the No Kill movement got "Redemption." Released to rave reviews, winning five national book awards, hitting the top 300 at Barnes & Noble, and becoming the number 1 selling animal rights book on Amazon, Redemption redefined the debate about shelter killing nationwide, and in the process helped to spearhead No Kill communities in the U.S. and abroad.
Coining the phrase "The No Kill Equation" to describe the collective programs and services which make No Kill possible, the No Kill Equation model of sheltering quickly became the gold standard, helping communities like Reno, NV and others achieve No Kill success virtually overnight.
Loser: The San Francisco SPCA
While the No Kill movement saw tremendous growth, success, and national acceptance, the agency that sparked it goes in the other direction. The fall of the San Francisco SPCA emerges as one of the worst events of the decade, as the former crown jewel of the No Kill movement—under the disastrous leadership of Ed Sayres and his hand-picked acolytes—abandoned its No Kill mission and rejected the movement it helped spark.
Loser: Asilomar Accords
In 2004, as the No Kill movement gained momentum following Tompkins County, NY's success and with the founding of the No Kill Advocacy Center, the architects of the status quo met in Asilomar, California to take back their hegemony over the sheltering discourse. They identified the terms "No Kill" and "killing" as hurtful and divisive and demanded that they ceased being used. They argued that the decision to save lives through TNR, offsite adoptions, and other needed programs should not be forced on shelters but left to their own determination. They also argued that killing was not their fault. Despite this, they claimed they were committed to saving healthy and treatable animals, narrowly defined to exclude whole categories of animals including feral cats. Groups like HSUS pledged to enforce the Accords and traveled the country telling groups they could not call themselves "No Kill" or use the term "killing" for animals killed in shelters. By the end of the decade, only two communities had embraced the Accords, and though it lives on for record keeping purposes among some groups, the Asilomar Accords were challenged by the U.S. No Kill Declaration, and found themselves essentially, "Dead On Arrival."
Loser: Humane Society of the United States
As a companion animal loving nation committed itself to doing whatever it took to save the animals of Hurricane Katrina, HSUS squandered their compassion and donations. Wayne Pacelle announced "mission: accomplished" in New Orleans, abandoning the victims in the face of tremendous suffering and departing with tens of millions of dollars raised for Hurricane Katrina victims still unspent. Pacelle could have leveraged the goodwill and money he was given to lead animal lovers toward a No Kill nation. Instead, his actions sparked fraud investigations by both the Louisiana and Mississippi Attorneys General, and showed that the HSUS CEO and HSUS as an organization are both uncaring and incapable of true leadership.
Loser: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
But one agency topped (bottomed?) them all as the worst of the last decade. While No Kill was coming into its own and shelters across the country were saving better than 90% of all animals on a fraction of their budget, PETA continued to move sharply in the other direction. PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk spent the decade not only attacking No Kill, but actively sought out animals to kill (roughly 90% of them). The total body count from 2000 – 2008 (2009 figures not yet available): 19,326. Once the 2009 figures are released, the number will skyrocket past 20,000: that's roughly 2,000 animals a year that PETA has killed every year for the last decade; or over five animals killed by PETA every single day of the last ten years.
The Decade to Come
We ended this past decade with a hope that did not exist at the close of the prior one—in which not a single No Kill community existed. Now, as this decade closes, No Kill communities dot the American landscape, and activists throughout the nation are working to replicate that success in their own hometowns. It is a time of great hope and promise.
As the decade opened ten years ago, the humane movement was (erroneously) united in its perception of who was to blame for the killing and the hopelessness that it would ever end. But the truth came out, and splintered the movement—dividing us into two opposing camps: those who embrace the No Kill philosophy, its achievability, and the great promise held out by the American public's great love for companion animals; and those who cling to the old paradigm of killing and blaming, on which their hold on power is based. Today, the heads of the three largest animal protection organizations—HSUS, ASPCA, and PETA—tragically remain No Kill's most vociferous enemies as they continue to uphold the tradition of killing, continue to defend draconian shelter directors, continue to fight reform efforts, and continue to advance deadly shelter policies. We have learned that our fight is not with the many (the public) but with the few.
Loser: The Dinosaurs and Winner: No Kill
As the new decade opens, we stand at a cross roads. There are some in the No Kill movement who want to celebrate every half-hearted and self-serving gesture by HSUS or the ASPCA as proof that they are changing, proof that they can be trusted again, proof that they are on our side after all. Many in this movement seem so anxious to declare victory—to provide praise for miserly and hard won changes begrudgingly given as evidence of a sea change. And this is a mistake.
Now is not the time to seek appeasement. Now is not the time to declare peace. There will come a day when No Kill is fully established, when we can gently agree to disagree on issues because, truly, we will all be on the same page—and the big question relating to whether animals should live or die will be put to bed once and for all, and the systematic killing of four million animals a year will be viewed as the cruel practice it always was; a national shame that is inconceivable to us as a people.
When that day comes, as it invariably will, and the voices of killing are finally silenced, when the practices they condone are unequivocally rejected, when killing innocent animals is unthinkable, and when those who staff our nation's humane societies, SPCAs, animal shelters, and large, national groups are truly committed to the best interests of animals; then we can shake hands across the aisles over our disagreements, because the stakes will be much lower—and no animal will be killed as a result of someone's "differing" point of view.
But to behave now as though our goals are the same—when all evidence is to the contrary—and the change we get is nowhere near approaching the vast changes that are truly needed, is to sacrifice the animals for political expediency, for the desire to be the first to "blog" about success, to raise money by falsely telling supporters of "great" victories that are, in reality, merely superficial. Right now, the "changes" some are quick to celebrate are insincere token gestures, paid out of mere self-preservation. They are parsed out begrudgingly, in a miserly fashion with the hope they will quell criticism, not because they are what justice and ethics demand. By praising these minimal actions, when it is within their power to end the killing now if they so chose, we embolden them to continue on this course, and allow animals to be killed as a result.
Today, the will of 100 million Americans is being thwarted by only 3,000 or so shelter directors and a small handful of regressive national "leaders": Wayne Pacelle, Ed Sayres, Ingrid Newkirk, and a few others. If we had the will and desire, we could—by refusing to accept anything less—impose our vision immediately and without restraint. Indeed, our power is already being felt: Sayres is besieged, Newkirk is increasingly seen for the Butcher that she is, and Pacelle's recent temper tantrum over No Kill shows just how vulnerable he is.
And so I predict this: As the next decade comes to a close, it will do so without the Wayne Pacelles, Ed Sayres, Ingrid Newkirks and other agents of killing still holding the power. The reign of the dinosaurs will come to an end. As will the allegiance of the agencies they hold hostage to their kill-oriented colleagues, to their antiquated philosophies, and to their failed models, which hold us all back from the success that their organizations and this movement can achieve the moment they decide to embrace it. Those who replace them will truly champion No Kill both in word and in deeds. And we will see, if not the achievement of a No Kill nation, a nation on the cusp of that seminal and revolutionary achievement.
No more compromises, no more excuses, no more killing. That is the challenge for the decade. A No Kill nation is within our reach.
*Since there was no year zero, technically, the new decade starts in 2011. But that defies our common experience and natural usage. Because of that, I am ignoring the technically accuracy for the sake of a clean comparison between what we commonly refer to as the decades of the 1990s, the 2000s, and the upcoming ten year period of the 2010s.
Looking to 2010
Saving Lives 2.0


text:
Hot List Hot Stove II
By golfdigest.com
In addition to previous posts and responses here, the letters keep coming on the Hot List. Justin Blair sent two. He had a bunch of questions.
Dear Editor:>
Unfortunately for me, the new Hot List has raised more questions than it's answered. Since I've kept every Golf Digest I've ever bought, I was able to sate my curiosity by comparing last years Hot List to this year's. So my questions. Is it me, or is golf manufacturers out of ideas, and just looking to make as much money as possible before people start looking for alternatives?
Look at Cobra's L5V. Last year's L4V was supposed to stretch the four main areas of a driver. What's the fifth? Is it the lie angle, the "next big thing" in adjustability? Why was Ping's G10 line and TaylorMade's Burner FW and Hybrid included in this years Hot List? What's new about them, and why are they still full price?
Why does the "All Shapes And Sizes" sidebar article say that the Wilson Smooth is 440cc, when the picture says 460cc? Who's telling the truth? How much bigger can the Cleveland Hibore/Monster get? Wasn't it 460cc and had "extreme" MOI (Moment of Inertia) last year?
Why is the Nike STR8-FIT treated with reverence when most instructors and professional clubfitters swear against it, like they do with interchangeable shafts? The general rule of thumb is that most high-handicappers, the ones that this "technology" is supposed to help, are told to get fit for just the basics and learn to swing that. It seems contradictory. Come to think of it, just like most golf instruction!
I can't be entirely negative. You did try, albeit a little, to show golfers that a good set can be had for around $1,000. Next year, maybe take out the repeats and add a few more of the companies like GigaGolf, Pinemeadow and Wishon Golf, and you can show people how to build a set for around $500! Just for kicks, since I'm being positive, I have to commend Callaway. They accomplished two things with the Diablo: They took the heat off of Nike for having the "ugliest" club, but had the cajones to actually try something totally different that justifies their price point.
Justin Blair
Three Rivers, MI
Mike Johnson, Golf World Equipment Editor and one of the Hot List judges, responds.
Mr. Blair,
Yes, the fifth on Cobra's L5V is adjustability. It, also like its predecessor, earned a silver medal so we did not feel the improvement was significant enough to up its status on the Hot List.
Ping's G10 line and TaylorMade's Burner FW and Hybrid were included in this year's Hot List because, well, it's the Hot List. We feel both products not only still possess significant technology that is of benefit to golfers, but they also are among the most popular clubs in the market today. Why would we eliminate clubs that are still in the market that are of benefit to golfers? Although newer clubs are generally better, it is not the New List.
We provide the "All Shapes And Sizes" sidebar as a service to our readers. The fact is that sometimes what is stamped on the club is not the actual size. Case in point, by our measurements, the Wilson Smooth is 440cc despite it saying 460cc on the soleplate.
The Cleveland Hibore XLS from last year was not 460cc, the HiBore Monster is. And while both are deemed Extreme MOI, remember that is a range. The MOI did get a boost from last year.
The Nike STR8-FIT is a paradigm shift in innovation. As you yourself are indicating, advances in equipment technology are becoming incremental. So why wouldn't we fete a true technology advancement? Yes, fitting is crucial to everyday players, but this technology allows for rapid-fitting options, so even if you never touch it again, it has advanced the possibility of getting you into the right club. And should you actually change your swing, you can change the club to match that without having to buy a new one.
Finally, we always welcome entries from any company. But remember, big companies are big companies for a reason—they tend to make excellent products. That said, the Hot List this year featured a putter from Couture. No one knew of Bobby Jones clubs until we put them on the Hot List five years ago. Last year we had a putter from ProFound. Irons from Miura. And Wishon clubs have adorned the Hot List three times in the past. I could name more, but you get the point.
Hopefully this at least helps explain what you see in the pages of the Hot List. As always, we are open to suggestions on how to make it better and more helpful to the reader. Indeed, we did consider eliminating product that had been in the marketplace longer than one year but decided against it. Perhaps we should revisit.
--Bob Carney


text:
using System;

using Xunit;

namespace Moq.Tests
{
	public class TypeIsMockableFixture
	{
		[Theory]
		[InlineData(typeof(Struct))]
		[InlineData(typeof(Struct<bool>))]
		[InlineData(typeof(DateTime))]
		[InlineData(typeof(decimal))]
		[InlineData(typeof(int))]
		public void Type_IsMockable_returns_false_for_value_types(Type type)
		{
			Assert.True(type.IsValueType);
			Assert.False(type.IsMockable());
		}

		[Theory]
		[InlineData(typeof(Enumeration))]
		public void Type_IsMockable_returns_false_for_enum_types(Type type)
		{
			Assert.True(type.IsEnum);
			Assert.False(type.IsMockable());
		}

		[Theory]
		[InlineData(typeof(IInterface))]
		[InlineData(typeof(IInterface<bool>))]
		public void Type_IsMockable_returns_true_for_interfaces(Type type)
		{
			Assert.True(type.IsInterface);
			Assert.True(type.IsMockable());
		}

		[Theory]
		[InlineData(typeof(VoidDelegate))]
		[InlineData(typeof(NonVoidDelegate<bool>))]
		[InlineData(typeof(Action))]
		[InlineData(typeof(Action<bool>))]
		[InlineData(typeof(Func<bool>))]
		public void Type_IsMockable_returns_true_for_delegates(Type type)
		{
			Assert.True(type.IsSubclassOf(typeof(Delegate)));
			Assert.True(type.IsMockable());
		}

		[Theory]
		[InlineData(typeof(NonSealedClass))]
		[InlineData(typeof(NonSealedClass<bool>))]
		[InlineData(typeof(object))]
		public void Type_IsMockable_returns_true_for_non_sealed_classes(Type type)
		{
			Assert.True(!type.IsSealed && type.IsClass);
			Assert.True(type.IsMockable());
		}

		[Theory]
		[InlineData(typeof(AbstractClass))]
		[InlineData(typeof(AbstractClass<bool>))]
		public void Type_IsMockable_returns_true_for_abstract_classes(Type type)
		{
			Assert.True(type.IsAbstract && type.IsClass);
			Assert.True(type.IsMockable());
		}

		[Theory]
		[InlineData(typeof(StaticClass))]
		[InlineData(typeof(StaticClass<bool>))]
		public void Type_IsMockable_returns_false_for_static_classes(Type type)
		{
			Assert.True(type.IsAbstract && type.IsSealed && type.IsClass);
			Assert.False(type.IsMockable());
		}

		[Theory]
		[InlineData(typeof(SealedClass))]
		[InlineData(typeof(SealedClass<bool>))]
		[InlineData(typeof(string))]
		public void Type_IsMockable_returns_false_for_sealed_classes(Type type)
		{
			Assert.True(type.IsSealed && type.IsClass);
			Assert.False(type.IsMockable());
		}

		public struct Struct { }
		public struct Struct<T> { }

		public enum Enumeration { }

		public delegate void VoidDelegate();
		public delegate T NonVoidDelegate<T>();

		public interface IInterface { }
		public interface IInterface<T> { }

		public class NonSealedClass { }
		public class NonSealedClass<T> { }

		public abstract class AbstractClass { }
		public abstract class AbstractClass<T> { }

		public static class StaticClass { }
		public static class StaticClass<T> { }

		public sealed class SealedClass { }
		public sealed class SealedClass<T> { }
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The mystics do not only project their own breath and see the condition of their being manifest before themselves, but they can also make themselves responsive to receive the thought waves of another carried by his breath. This receptivity does not only enable an adept to read other's thoughts, but also to a mystic the condition of another becomes revealed by the projection of another person's breath upon his heart.
The breath of one person may, so to speak, overpower the breath of another. It is as a little stream can be washed away by a large stream of water. In this is the secret of knowing the condition of another person. A Sufi, whose breath is lively, which is called in the Sufic terms Nafas-i Garm, has the influence of scattering the thoughts, feelings, and the vibrations of the atmosphere of another. In this way he is able to convey his thought or feeling, and create his vibrations as the atmosphere for another who needs it for his own betterment. In this way a Sufi brings a life and health to another person, and he can have an influence on the character of another person.
There is a great difference between a developed breath and an undeveloped one. There is as vast a difference, or even a vaster, between the breath of two persons as in two voices. A specially produced singing voice is quite different from the uncultivated speaking voice. It is a psychological fact that the voice and word of a person whose voice is cultivated makes a greater impression than the voice and word of an ordinary person. How much more then must the influence of breath work silently. It is in this that the mystery of the mystic's magnetism lies, which is healing, harmonizing, exalting, at the same time invigorating.
Breath is a light in itself, and it becomes projected like the beam from a searchlight thrown upon an object. When the breath is coarse, undeveloped, it is full of material atoms which dim its light, but a developed breath is sometimes not different from the light of the sun but even brighter that that. Breath being a light from another dimension, which is unknown to science today, it cannot be visible to the ordinary physical eyes. The glands of the physical eyes must be cleansed and purified first by Pasi Anfas before the eyes can see the light of breath.
There is a belief in India that there are some cobras that have light in their head, the light by which they find their way through the dark. They make a hole in the earth miles long, and illuminate the hole by their own light, which is centered in their head. As two wires, positive and negative cause the electric light to manifest, so the two currents of breath, Jalal and Jamal, when connected in the head in the way they ought to be cause the light to manifest.
This being the condition, breath is vitalizing. Naturally, therefore, the breath of a man in sound health must give health to another in his presence; the breath of a mastermind must vitalize the thought of another; and the breath of a spiritual person must illuminate those in his presence. By breath a spiritually developed person can impart his physical energy, his thought-power and his spiritual influence to the others with whom he may come in contact. It is natural, no doubt, that if the one who wishes to impart has not sufficient power to impart he becomes broken if there is a greater demand on his power and if there is little left with him. Sufis, therefore, consider breathing connected with meditation much more important than anything else in the world: their food, sleep, or comfort.
The Hindu sacred rivers, Ganga and Yamuna, are outward symbols of Jalal and Jamal, the two directions of the flow of the breath. And the place where they meet is called Sangam, the meeting or unity, which is considered most sacred by the Hindus. That Sangam is the meeting of these two opposite flows. It is like the meeting of the two directions in the center, which is called Kamal by the Sufis.
The water rises, passes, falls, and runs zigzag, and stands if held. So is breath. Every above-said action of breath has a meaning and has a peculiar effect, as even water varies in its power and magnetism while going through the above-said directions. Water is a tonic, and breath is life itself. No tonic can be greater and better than breath. A spiritually evolved person's presence, therefore, brings about a cure in cases where all remedies fail. Water is the necessity of life, and breath the only condition for living. Without it life is impossible. Water falls as a rain from above; so breath is from above also, though from another dimension. Water rises as vapors; so breath rises with gases, also with joys or depressions. Pure water is health-giving, pure breath gives life. Water partakes of all things mixing with it; so does breath.
The mechanism of the human body shows the nervous system as its principal battery in which magnetism is prepared by the action of breath. It is when the nervous system cannot function that this battery gets out of order and does not work properly. Many in order to make this battery of the nervous system work properly take drugs and other medicines, which stimulate the nervous system. But instead of giving power to it they take away power from it, and in the end the nervous system becomes accustomed to all such medicines one takes.
Inhaling shows the power of absorption, which is manifest in all living beings and in all objects. Little germs, worms, trees and plants all absorb, and in that way they breathe. Also in all living beings and in all things there is a tendency to put out an element which does not belong to them, in other words an element which their system will not assimilate. It is not only the inhaling and exhaling by the nostrils which accomplishes these two functions, absorption and rejection, but there are minute waves of the breath working in different directions of the body, which perform the above-said two acts in their own way and in their own rhythm of speed; for instance the tendency of stretching and contracting, the tendency of blinking the eyes, of expelling water and refuse from the body. When any of these subtle waves of the breath working in any direction of the body get out of order, then an illness originates in that particular part of the body, spreading its influence gradually to other parts.
Balance in man's life and being is maintained by the evenness of inhaling and exhaling. The compass of man's being is as large as the reaching point of his breath. One lives a fuller life, another does not live a fuller life; because the former breathes fuller, the latter does not breathe fuller. Very often the reason why a child is a dwarf is that his breathing capacity does not allow him to breathe fully; and often the reason why a youth does not develop fully is that he does not breathe properly. A person ages sooner, also, because his breathing is not right. Very often people who have no particular illness feel tired and lifeless, because their breathing is not as it ought to be.
The spirit produces this physical body out of itself; so the body in spite of all the physical nourishment, entirely depends upon the spirit to live. One can live for some time without food and water, but one cannot live without breathing. The reason is that as the physical body is made of the spirit, it needs to breathe spirit in, in order to exist. Breath therefore does not only nourish the physical body but it gives subsistence to all planes of man's existence.


How can North Carolina promote quality, access and affordability in our healthcare system?
Healthcare options are a critical aspect of everyone's life. State policy plays a significant role in promoting a healthcare system that achieves better outcomes, reaches more people and makes care more affordable.
Politicized solutions and bureaucratic regulation remove patients and families from the central focus of healthcare decisions. Healthcare innovation has been hindered by incentives that do not align with delivering better outcomes.
Putting patients and families at the center of the healthcare system starts by offering choice. When healthcare markets have more latitude to respond to the choices that patients and families make, healthcare systems increase quality, expand accessibility and decrease cost.
Access to high quality, affordable healthcare is a critical concern in everyone's life. We want the rapid pace of innovation and adoption that has cured disease and delivered world-class treatments. We also want a system that is within the reach of everyone in North Carolina. With state regulation controlling every aspect of health delivery, legislative and bureaucratic policy play a major role in the quality, access and affordability of our healthcare system.
Healthcare policy that removes the patient from the center of the decision-making process introduces incentives that do not align with the goals of providing high quality, accessible, affordable care. For too long, politicians, bureaucrats and special interests have been making the decisions that should be made by the people and families whose lives are directly affected. But even when people can make decisions around health options, state law often stands in the way of healthcare providers offering innovative services.
There is a better approach to developing healthcare options for people throughout North Carolina. This approach is based on the freedom for individuals and families to make personal decisions about which options meet their individual healthcare needs. It creates stronger relationships between patients, doctors and healthcare specialists. And it incorporates the incentives that introduce innovation, serve more of our communities and bring down the cost of care.
North Carolina can promote a high quality, accessible, affordable healthcare system based on choice. Individuals and families need the choices that address their lifestyle and care needs. They need the choice to find the healthcare options that meet their health management goals. They need the choices that introduce incentives to drive down cost while maintaining quality. With more choice to define healthcare options, we can promote a healthcare system that achieves better care outcomes in North Carolina.
Transition the current Medicaid direct payment model to a state-funded health savings account, giving people more flexibility in defining the healthcare options that best serve their individual circumstances.
Eliminate anticompetitive and protectionist certificate of need laws that hamper the growth and affordability of healthcare services, especially in rural and disadvantaged urban communities.
Address the state licensing roadblocks preventing innovative healthcare delivery options such as direct primary care, telemedicine and out-of-state licensed doctors providing charitable care.
Freedom should not require permission.
More freedom in education, less control on small our businesses, and more accessible in health choice between the patient and provider without third parties.