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News Tax Resisters Can Use
Some bits-and-pieces from here-and-there:
Not all tax resistance has to do with grand global issues or conscientious objection; some is just the protest of people who feel they're getting shafted by a government that takes too much and provides too little. Case in point: Scott Frisby of Southend. He says the government has failed to provide even the minimum of services, and so he's dropping his subscription (or at least 25% of it). Scroll down to the bottom to read the hilarious response from Southend Council's customer service department.
The Indianapolis Baptist Temple started refusing to pay federal taxes in 1983 , when pastor Gregory Dixon "decided the church would break all ties with the government and no longer act as its agent in withholding taxes from its employees," citing Constitutional freedom of religion as his mandate for taking his church out from under Uncle Sam's thumb. For several years, nothing came of this defiance, but in the early 1990s, the IRS started seeking back taxes, eventually filing liens against the church and against Dixon. The church fought back in court, but lost a series of appeals, finally getting turned down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2001 . Here's the story, with links to the court opinions.
War Resisters' International has released their Handbook for Nonviolent Campaigns for free, on-line.
A populist form of tax resistance is aimed at speed and red-light cameras that scan license plates of offending vehicles, snap photos of the drivers, and automatically issue traffic tickets. These cameras are more a revenue-raising program than a safety-encouraging one, and they're causing lots of resentment.
A driver has racked up dozens of speeding tickets in photo-radar zones on Phoenix-area freeways while sporting monkey and giraffe masks, and is fighting every one by claiming the costumes make it impossible for authorities to prove he was behind the wheel.
It took Arizona state police months to realize the same driver was involved and was refusing to pay the fines. By the time they did, more than 50 of the tickets had become invalid because the deadline for prosecution had passed.
Arizona began deploying the stationary and mobile cameras on state highways a year ago, and through Sept. 4 had issued more than 497,000 tickets. Of those, about 132,000 recipients had paid the fine of $165 plus a 10 percent penalty, netting the state more than $23 million. Arizona is the first to deploy such technology on highways statewide.
Many of the remaining tickets are either new, being appealed or have just been ignored. The state didn't have figures immediately available on the breakdown.
The backlash against the cameras has been fairly constant, however. Arizonans have used sticky notes, Silly String and even a pickax to sabotage the cameras.
Many believe the shooting death of speed-enforcement van operator Doug Georgianni on April 19 on a Phoenix freeway was a result of anger over the cameras, although authorities haven't made that direct allegation.
"It's a peaceful act of resistance — that's what this country was founded on," VonTesmar said. "I'm not thumbing my nose at DPS, but photo radar is not a DPS officer protecting public safety. It's nothing but a speed tax."
Tax resister NTodd Pritsky shares some meditations on civil disobedience, complicity, and knowing how much of yourself to devote to a better world when it seems like even 100% isn't enough.
Forbes reports that a Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigation turned up evidence that IRS employees are issuing huge fraudulent "refunds" for fun and profit, but the IRS doesn't have procedures in place to keep track of how manual refunds are generated, so nobody knows for sure.
In the second section of the fifth book of The Nicomachean Ethics , Aristotle continues his examination of the virtue of Justice.
In the previous section, he noted that to the extent that justice is defined as conformity to the law, and to the extent that the law encourages virtue and prohibits vice, Justice and Virtue overlap. In this view, Justice isn't a virtue but is equivalent to Virtue (or at least to a public subset of it).
But in this section he says that in a second sense of "Justice," it is a particular virtue of its own. This variety of justice concerns fairness, as in "one's fair share," and you are just if you only attempt to obtain what's coming to you, and you're satisfied only with what is your due. Whenever, through force or fraud or unfair advantage, you try to get more than your share of goods, you are acting unjustly, in this sense.
This particular form of justice (fairness) is one of the virtues among many that make up the more general form of justice (legality) because, Aristotle asserts, "all that is unfair is unlawful, but not all that is unlawful is unfair… the law bids us practise every virtue and forbids us to practise any vice."
Is he talking about an actual or an ideal legal system here? It's odd that he doesn't qualify this phrase in any way, by prefacing his comments with something like "in the best of the legal systems I have studied…" or "when the laws have been made wisely…" Logically, if all that is unfair is unlawful, then nothing that is lawful is unfair (assume, pedants, that nothing is both lawful and unlawful and that everything is either one or the other). Put that in a context where Athens had, only a generation before, lawfully put Socrates to death for philosophizing too vigorously (Aristotle himself would flee Athens, anticipating another legal lynching of an inconvenient philosopher).
It's almost as though he is speaking of "the law written in their hearts" that Paul wrote about in Romans . But I don't think he is. I think he's describing a real-world, explicit, man-made legal system of some sort. Maybe he means a combination of explicit law and implicit custom & tradition. Or maybe he is referring to what the ideal law ought to look like. It's really hard to tell at this stage.
Aristotle does note that "perhaps it is not the same to be a good man and a good citizen of any state taken at random," and says he'll deal with this subject later (again, I worry that "later" may mean in the Politics rather than later in this book).
For now, he wants to begin subdividing this virtue of particular justice so he can investigate its components.
Illustration showing the varieties of justice from "The Aristotelian Division of Justice" by Joseph Rickaby (from Political and Moral Essays , 1902 )
The two main categories Ross translates as distributive and rectificatory (distributive and corrective in Rickaby's diagram above).
The first of these has to do with those goods (not just physical goods, but privileges and the like) that are the common property or the creation of the polis as a whole. How should these be divvied up? How do you know what your fair share is? This is the domain of distributive justice.
Rectificatory or corrective justice concerns individual transactions between people. How do you know when each person in the transaction has been treated fairly and ends up with their fair share, or when one person has unfairly gained the upper hand? And what do you do to rectify/correct the situation once an injustice has occurred?
Of these transactions, there are two sorts: voluntary and involuntary. A voluntary transaction is typified by an act of trade in a free market: selling or buying some good, taking out a loan, pledging a security, making a bank deposit, paying rent, hiring a laborer, working for a paycheck, bartering. Involuntary transactions are things like theft, fraud, all manner of violent crime, slander, even "adultery [and] enticement of slaves."
The following sections will look into these varieties of particular justice in detail.
Index to the Nicomachean Ethics series
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
Book Ⅸ
Book Ⅹ
How you can resist funding the government → a survey of tactics of historical tax resistance campaigns → destroy the apparatus of taxation → modern roadside apparatus in particular
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Not all tax resistance is nonviolent. There are also plenty of examples in which people have taken up arms against the taxing authority, have violently destroyed the apparatus of tax collecting, or have used threats of violence to intimidate or inhibit tax collectors.
You're invited to the May NWTRCC national gathering in Tucson. Also: Rebecca and Her Daughters reemerge in Arizona. And: a neighborhood in Argentina opts out of the municipal tax system. Also: inmates in Florida swipe $100,000 from the I.R.S. while still behind bars.
Ruth Benn explains war tax resistance on David Swanson's show. Also: speed camera destruction, paying a traffic ticket with origami, collecting blood in Greece, tax resistance in Indonesia, council tax resister June Farrow gets a finger-wagging, and the U.S. increases its lead as the biggest global arms race dealer.
The "bonnets rouges" are taking a page out of the Rebeccaite handbook and have destroyed dozens of tollgates in Brittany.
Tens of thousands of "bonnets rouges" demonstrated in France today against a so-called "eco-tax" — and reveled in highway blockades and tax portal destruction.
When government-run public transit fares leapt by 66% in Mexico City, commuters started to leap too in what has become a hopping mad protest movement. Also: the Bonnets Rouges continue to destroy traffic radar outposts in France — over 200 so far.
International tax resistance news from Italy, England, Greece, Brazil, and Catalonia.
An international overview of recent tax resistance news from Addis Ababa, Seattle, Suffolk County, Lagos, and Petroupolis.
Tax Day is coming up in the U.S. Find out what's happening near you. Also: a new option for low-income tax resisters in the U.S. And: an update on the tax resistance campaign in Zaragoza. Finally: a suspect in the destruction of a D.C. traffic-ticket camera becomes a folk hero.
A compilation of stories and videos chronicling the destruction or disabling of ticket-issuing traffic cameras by fed up citizens.
I'm back from vacationing in South America. While I was away: Claire Wolfe praised The Picket Line, war tax resisters in Biscay hit the streets, the Republicans tried to sneak in an I.R.S. budget increase, Google threw in the towel on not being evil, and people around the world took justice into their own hands against the traffic-ticket-issuing robots.
People in Nicaragua are refusing to pay taxes and fees to the government as part of a campaign to topple the Ortega-Murillo regime. Also: more attacks on speed cameras, magical thinking about taxes and government spending, voluntary donations to the U.S. government are falling. And: a new NWTRCC newsletter is out, with news from the U.S. war tax resistance movement.
Google backs off from helping to make the military's death drones smarter, other brands try to get a P.R. boost from bucking The Man. Also: tax resistance news from Nicaragua, South Africa, France, South Korea, and Ambazonia.
Tax resistance in the Nicaraguan struggle against the Ortega-Murillo regime. Surveying Chinese business students about tax evasion. Traffic-ticket-generating cameras vandalized around the world. Kenyan petroleum transporters strike against a new tax. And a city tax strike is proposed in La Rioja, Argentina.
Recent news regarding war tax resistance, tax resistance as practiced around the world, and tax administration follies in the United States.
War tax resisters fight tax breaks for weapons contractors, prank calls take down a government xenophobia hotline, what might happen if you try to stare down an I.R.S. summons, how to wield the "Taxpayer Bill of Rights," and the global grassroots campaign against traffic-ticket-generating robots continues.
An interactive map of the Rebecca Riots, a new tax rebellion in France, more protest and resistance in Greece, the U.S., South Africa, and New Zealand. Also: an audit of the I.R.S. includes a new estimate of the size of the "tax gap" and shows just how much unpaid tax the agency writes off as "uncollectible" each year.
The gilets jaunes movement in France, with its street protests and blockades, has been getting all the press — and has indeed forced significant and painful concessions from the government. But while the gilets jaunes were in the streets, they and their allies were also knocking traffic ticket cameras out of service — by the hundreds — at great cost to the government.
A documentary about war tax resister Larry Bassett, more news of I.R.S. failures, women take over the American military-industrial complex, speed camera destruction proceeds internationally, and more recent news of interest to tax resisters.
The I.R.S. says it will take at least a year to recover from the backlog, the disruption, and the devastation of employee morale caused by the government "shutdown." Meanwhile, the epidemic of traffic ticket camera destruction continues in France, and begins to spread beyond the borders.
Nicaraguan tax resistance leader Irlanda Jerez is being tortured in prison. Radar destruction continues at a slower pace in France. Julia Butterfly Hill interviewed on her war tax resistance. And: what is a tax resister to do in the face of tariffs?
The I.R.S. sent me nine envelopes yesterday, one for each tax year they're pursuing me for. Also: a U.S. anti-abortion tax resister has a court victory, Ruth Benn examines I.R.S. enforcement at a time of agency stress, California conservatives consider a tax strike, traffic ticket camera destruction continues worldwide, and more international tax resistance news.
Joffre Stewart — peacemaker, poet, anarcho-pacifist war tax resister, and legendary distributor of "incomprehensible leaflets" — has died. Also: the documentary film about war tax resister Larry Bassett has been released, lax I.R.S. enforcement makes tax compliance a sucker's game, what anti-abortion tax resister Michael Bowman's court victories really add up to, and the latest dispatches from the ongoing epidemic of speed camera destruction.
The War Resisters League's federal budget pie chart has been updated for the proposed 2020 budget. Also: find "Tax Day" actions in the U.S. And: war tax resisters demonstrate in Spain, yellow vests continue to disrupt France, and traffic camera destruction continues worldwide.
A new NWTRCC newsletter is out, with news and outreach tips for the upcoming Tax Day, among other things. Also: the New York Times takes a close look at how "sovereign citizens" use bureaucratic incantations and a curious mythology to milk the I.R.S. And: adding up how much traffic camera destruction has cost the French government in unissued traffic tickets.
War tax resistance news from Canada, the United States, and Spain, and other news about the ongoing collapse of "tax morale" in the United States, cynicism about Republican tax cuts, trouble at the I.R.S., and some results of the attacks on traffic radar cameras in France.
Tax resistance news from France, Catalonia, Spain, the United States, Italy, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, and Saudi Arabia. Tax season in Spain and the United States has led to increased coverage of tax resistance campaigns there in particular.
Tax resistance news from all over the world, including also news from the U.S. war tax resistance movement and notes about declining taxpayer morale in the U.S. Also: some numbers have just been released about how many levies, liens, and property seizures the I.R.S. resorted to last year.
Switch to bitcoin to defund the war machine? Also: tax resistance news from Nicaragua, Indonesia, New Zealand, France, and Germany. And: the I.R.S. is redesigning its W-4 form, auditing much fewer wealthy people, and sometimes finding itself frustrated by bankrupt tax scofflaws.
The wealthy already pay high tax rates! (Sure, on that portion of income they aren't hiding off-shore.) Also: a new NWTRCC newsletter is out, attacks on traffic-ticket cameras continue, and a look back at war tax redirection from this date in 1973.
Nicaraguan tax resistance leader Irlanda Jerez released along with other political prisoners. An international war tax resistance conference is coming up. More international tax resistance news. The Republican tax law takes more from people, less from corporations. Also: the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. promoted war tax resistance in 1988, infuriating a U.S. congressman.
I get another letter from the I.R.S. The Mennonite Church considers a new proposal on war tax redirection. Former official Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson starts a private nonprofit Center for Taxpayer Rights. And the international guerrilla uprising against traffic ticket robots continues.
The Mennonite Church U.S.A. starts a redirection fund for churchmembers who are war tax resisters. An international conference on war tax resistance is upcoming in Edinburgh. The human war on traffic ticket robots continues. Facebook bans ads that discourage voting. Expatriate Americans consider renouncing citizenship to avoid tax burdens. Businesses in Pakistan go on strike over sales tax hike. And: mystery substance leads hazmat team to shut down Kansas City I.R.S. building.
London's "Extinction Rebellion" movement organizes a tax strike for ecological sustainability. Businesses in Pakistan shut their doors in an anti-sales-tax hartal. Human drivers assault traffic ticket robots around the world. And more news about the Mennonite Church USA decision to expand its war tax redirection fund.
London's "Extinction Rebellion" movement launches its tax strike for ecological sustainability. Speed camera radar outposts destroyed by determined drivers across Europe. Boris Johnson, prime minister, tax resister. Tax strikes threatened in Budalengi, Kenya and Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo to protest the government's inability to provide basic services.
Cofounders of the Agape Community interviewed. Tax strikes in Pakistan, Venice, Catalonia, and North Kivu. Continuing attacks on roadside traffic ticket robots. And how Trump is both destroying taxpayer morale and making life more miserable for I.R.S. workers.
A new NWTRCC newsletter is out, more details about anti-abortion tax resister Michael E. Bowman, the I.R.S. is getting more aggressive about revoking passports of tax scofflaws, and attacks on traffic ticket radar robots continue in Europe.
A new videoblog introduces practical war tax resistance techniques. Anti-abortion tax resister Michael Bowman scores another courtroom triumph. Tireless activist and war tax resister Frances Crowe dies at age 100. Tax resisters in North Kivu organize. And attacks on traffic ticket cameras continue around Europe.
A tax resistance manual gets an on-line release. The war on traffic ticket cameras continues. War tax resisters profiled. Tax strikes in Venezuela and the D.R.C. Graphics promote and educate about a consumer strike and tax resistance campaign in Nicaragua.
A new NWTRCC newsletter is out. The I.R.S. tries to put some teeth in the government's new power to revoke passports from tax scofflaws. Local governments battle I.R.S. over lien-filing fees. And more news about tax resistance and tax resisters.
NWTRCC national gathering next weekend in Oregon. Nathan Goodman on the costs of American empire. A suspicious new tax resistance campaign. The war on traffic ticket cameras continues. I.R.S. liens and deceptive junkmail. Ed & Elaine "show me the law" Brown may get out of prison after all. And the government of Ontario battles Canada's federal government over carbon taxes.
Peter Bagge draws a delightful Lysander Spooner. Tax resistance is one of the tactics of an Economic Hurricane designed to boost Catalan independence. The I.R.S. blinks in its standoff with county recorders. And the human war on traffic-ticket generating robot camera hordes continue to keep hope alive in the hearts of the rebellion.
A Catalan restaurant whose owners have been resisting and redirecting Spanish taxes for years has been forced to close. Also: Coordination with environmental activism discussed at NWTRCC national meeting. And: American war tax resisters at the School of the Americas Watch gathering and the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 trial. Also: attacks on traffic-ticket-generating radar cameras continue.
The Arumeru tax revolt of 1998 was a rare show of determined people-power in Tanzania (or was it just political elites manipulating popular discontent for their own purposes?). Also: depot blockades in France over fuel tax hike, another call for a tax strike in North Kivu, 17,886 traffic-ticket-generating robots in France attacked by angry drivers, half the cigarettes smoked in New York are brought there by smugglers, and a hazmat scare at an I.R.S. office.
Hong Kong protesters use clever software to gum up the tax agency. Aristotle's guide to anarchism. A new NWTRCC newsletter. I.R.S. ramps up surprise in-person visits to tax scofflaws. Paula Rogge on how to defang I.R.S. reprisals against resisters. Lebanese business-owners threaten a tax strike. And the human war on traffic-ticket-generating cameras continues to take robot casualties.
Pete Brace, climate activist from the U.K., shares the correspondence from his tax refusal battle. More details from the ongoing Lebanon tax strike. How the I.R.S. face-to-face visits may play out. "Sovereign citizens" swindle millions of dollars from the I.R.S. but don't know when to quit. The human war on traffic ticket robots continues. And, the Greek government tries to force its tax evading population away from cash to more trackable forms of money.
War tax resisters in Canada, paying your taxes in a wagonload of nickles, speed camera vandals strike again, 50 years later a war tax redirection is still paying off, and the latest on the tax strike in Lebanon.
The I.R.S. filed another tax lien against me. The last two didn't seem to make any difference, so I don't expect much from this one. Also: videos from the recent international conference on war tax resistance and peace tax campaigns. And: more dispatches from the human war on traffic ticket generating camera robots.
How you can resist funding the government → other forms our opposition can take → nonviolent action; "People Power"
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My speculative journalism about a born-again Gandhian Bush bombarding the Taliban with flower petals finds a real-life enactment in Thailand — with origami cranes replacing the flowers.
Jealous at all of the "People Power" uprisings going on in far-off lands? While you wait for your chance to storm the castle, here are some useful ways to spend your time and energy, including a new computer war game simulation designed to help you think about strategic nonviolent conflict.
A successful, massive, country-wide, multi-year tax strike in Ireland in the 1830s led bishop James Warren Doyle to develop aspects of the theory of nonviolent resistance that would later be used by Gandhi and King.
Some dispatches from a mass tax-strike and municipal government shutdown in the south of France in 1907.
A new, searchable database of global, historical examples of nonviolent action comes on-line. Also: a Ron Paul Republican decides to shrug. And: trying to put America's cancerous military spending on the agenda of the deficit committee… and the climate change activist movement.
Tax resistance was a feature of the "Ruhrkampf" mass nonviolent resistance campaign in occupied German territory between the World Wars.
Diverse tactics and grassroots organizing were key to the success of the poll tax resistance movement in the United Kingdom twenty-some years ago.
The 14th International Conference on War Tax Resistance and Peace Tax Campaigns gave conscientious objectors to military taxation from around the world a chance to compare notes on activities in their countries.
Fewest I.R.S. enforcement officers since 1970s. Cost of renouncing U.S. citizenship goes up more than 500%. War tax resisters to gather in New England. ⅓ of filers will owe Obamacare overpayments in April. Banks liable if they fail to freeze levied accounts quickly. War tax resister at Seattle Anarchist Bookfair. New Handbook for Nonviolent Campaigns released on-line.
NWTRCC to gather in Los Angeles this May. Also: a free, on-line course in civil resistance, long-time war tax resister Randy Kehler, suffragist resister Abbby Kelley Foster honored, tax resistance campaigns in Zaragoza and Luján, and looking for the bright side of the Trump presidency.
The I.R.S. is at its meanest, least competent, and worst when it deals with victims of identity theft. Also: tax resistance in Spain against a new constitution that was designed less for Spaniards and more for international creditors. And: Matt Yglesias speculates that rather than learning how to keep prisoners of war in a less medievally barbaric fashion, the U.S. has decided on a take-no-prisoners assassination policy.
Aristotle → Nicomachean Ethics → Book Ⅴ (justice)
When people talk ethical philosophy today, they're mostly talking about Justice in the abstract. To Aristotle, Justice was only one part of the subject of ethics, and it wasn't a matter of abstract knowledge but of concrete action and character.
How do you divvy up goods that are the property of or the invention of the polis as a whole? This is the subject of "distributive justice" as Aristotle described it (and it's also the specialty of this week's Nobel Economics Prize recipient Elinor Ostrom).
Rectificatory justice tries to fix the balance when two people have some sort of transaction and one of them ends up with a suspiciously small slice of the pie. What would Aristotle say about free trade?
Aristotle gives his theory of just exchange, introduces his understanding of the purpose of money, and (maybe) anticipates the classical economic theory of supply-and-demand.
Aristotle covers a lot of territory in a few dense paragraphs, in his discussion of political/legal justice in the sixth section of the fifth book of the Nicomachean Ethics. Let's try to unravel the tangle.
Is justice invented, or discovered? Do we attempt to codify an approximation of a preexisting ideal justice, or are these codes all there is and justice is conventional only? Aristotle says there's something to be said for both points of view.
Cindy Sheehan tells a San Francisco peace rally to get real. Also: Is something unjust or just? was it done justly or unjustly? was it done voluntarily or involuntarily? was it done knowingly, or from ignorance, or in ignorance? was it done deliberately or from sudden passionate impulse? There are a lot of things to consider before you know whether an act was an accident, a mistake, an injustice, or the result of someone acting unjustly, and whether or not it is forgivable.
Explicit codes of justice are all well and good, but what happens when their black-and-white certainty meets the gray muddle of real life? This is where "equity" comes in — a correction to justice (or its culminating excellence, depending on how you look at it). You know, like the rules of Wikipedia editing for instance.
Aristotle kicks the wheels of his model of justice: Can you be unjust to yourself? Who is unjust: the person who does the dirty deed, or the one who profits from it? If you suffer injustice, does that necessarily mean you have been treated unjustly? Can you willingly be treated unjustly?
"What the law does not command, it forbids." How's that again, Aristotle? "If you kill yourself, you're being unjust… to the state!" You don't say. A close look at the weird concluding section of book five of the Nicomachean Ethics.
Some historical and global examples of tax resistance → religious groups and the religious perspective → tax status of churches in U.S.
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The new NWTRCC newsletter features articles about Brian Willson, Russell Kanning, and the dilemma for activist nonprofits who have to decide whether to be tax-exempt and put up with the additional government restrictions that entails. Also: a look at the new generation of nonviolent revolution think-tanks. And: the military and its wars are costing more this year than at the peak of the Vietnam war (and hundreds of billions of that spending are being "borrowed," quietly, from the Social Security trust fund).
Is your business or non-profit burdened by taxes and regulations? God can help. Also: NWTRCC is holding its semi-annual gathering in Las Vegas next month.
The personal is political, but the devil is in the details. Also: my list of 22 ways to show solidarity with tax resisters is wikified. And: Why am I spending so much time and effort on old arguments about Quaker war tax resistance? Also: a number of American churches are planning a civil disobedience campaign to protest the fact that their tax-exempt status comes only at the cost of silencing their voice in political matters. And: a summary of those laws regulating I.R.S. seizure powers.
Hundreds of American ministers delivered overt partisan political endorsements as part of their Sunday sermons earlier this month. The law says that tax exempt nonprofits cannot do that sort of thing, but the churches are challenging this law by means of civil disobedience and daring the I.R.S. to do something about it.
The federal tax angle to legal marijuana sales in America. The trouble with tax-exempt politicized churches. How federal budget cuts are putting the squeeze on I.R.S. employees. And: Vivien Kellems gathered a posse to challenge the self-employment tax in 1952.
Open defiance of the U.S. government seems to be growing in popularity. Also: a Quaker tithe resister in Ireland as late as 1841.
Miscellaneous tax resisters → individual war tax resisters → Nathaniel "NTodd" Pritsky
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Anti-war activists across the country join Code Pink's tax resistance campaign with cheers of enthusiasm in its opening weekend.
Help blockade the I.R.S. headquarters in Washington on March 19th. Also: the I.R.S. went for a high-profile tax season tax conviction, rolled the dice, and it came up snake-eyes. And: Wendy McElroy sees frugality as a blood sport. Also: NTodd sees tax resistance as the least we can do. And: taking a closer look at the latest U.S. military budget.
Mennonite war tax resisters today, a "Tax Tea Party Revolt" for legal same-sex marriage recognition in April, and weighing the pros-and-cons of simultaneous war tax resistance against federal and state taxes.
In addition to the NWTRCC national coming up in November, there's a New England regional gathering in October and a south-east gathering in January. Also: one war tax resister decides to move on to other tactics, while another activist takes his place as a new resister and war tax resistance organizer.
Sometimes tax resisters defy the tax collector right up to the line where things start to get ugly, and then back down. One tells his story. Also: Aristotle refines his definition of voluntary acts (some of these are chosen, others are not).
Miscellaneous tax resisters → individual local or state tax resisters → Scott Frisby


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Rummelsburg, de oude naam van de Poolse stad Miastko
Berlin-Rummelsburg, een wijk in Berlijn

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Ishq Jalebi Was Our Favourite Comedy To Watch Over Ramadan & Eid – Here's Why!
This year, Ramadan was lit up by comedy dramas on our television channels that not only kept the family entertained but invoked a sense of good lessons to learn as well. Full of emotions, drama and tons of humour, it was a tough competition to choose which one we loved the most but in the end it was truly 7th Sky Entertainment's Ishq Jalebi that stood miles ahead of the rest of its rival shows.
Made with the intricacies Abdullah Kadwani & Asad Qureshi's 7th Sky Entertainment shows have now come to be known for, Ishq Jalebi directed by Wajahat Hussain was everything we expected out of a season festive comedy and even more!
What did we love the most and observed as path-breaking? Diva has the lowdown…
Ramadan comedies are meant to be kept light and crisp – and many times they remain just that. However, Ishq Jalebi was one show that takes the idea of keeping it humorous but with a story that was interesting to follow as well and not just another mindless narrative. The story revolving around the Boota's, their catering business and serpentine family ties made for a superbly interesting drama to watch!
The Integration of COVID-19 SOPs
It is absolutely a feat how brilliantly the producers have managed to make COVID-19 central to the plot of Ishq Jalebi. It showcases a brilliant vision where the 7th Sky Entertainment team have become the first & only people to have thought about incorporating information and knowledge about the virus into the narrative. From taking SOPs seriously to starting a conversation around social distancing, the drama made it all highly informative and presented the message in a humorous yet striking manner.
The most popular name perhaps of the Ramadan season, Saima Akram Chaudhry has nailed how each character in Ishq Jalebi had a personality of their own. Even in a house full of people, each character had a purpose and got equal screen time. The script was just how we like it – funny, crisp, and absolutely a riot to watch. For many like us, it served as the perfect piece of entertainment to watch after Iftar.
Production Design & Art Direction
Production value is something that 7th Sky Entertainment is now synonymous with and Ishq Jalebi only proved it further. From the perfect showcase of a joint family system and how that household would look to the feel of the show – replete with an environment feeling real and genuine, the drama proved to a delight to watch. Kudos to the producers in making sure production design and art direction remain top-notch.
The Ensemble Cast
Be it Wahaj Ali or Madiha Imam both fit perfectly into the writing, which proves that is is a commendable job done through both the script and casting. Similarly, the supporting ensemble cast, such as Irsa Ghazal and her portrayal of Sajjo proves to be hilarious, Noor ul Hassan's comic timing as Advocate Ashiq Hussain remains particularly enjoyable and each character fleshed out in the show is given the perfect cast member such as Qavi Khan, Hina Bayat, Kashif Mehmood, Usama Khan, Shaista Jabeen, Mehmood Aslam, Maryam Noor, Mariyam Nafees, Syed Atif, and Parveen Akbar to portray it.
Ishq Jalebi proves that there is a strong team of producers at the helm because the show sails smoothly throughout its narrative. There's impeccably-crafted vision visible throughout the show that hints at the prowess of producers Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi and their unique approach to creating the perfect drama for Eid.
The OST
Melodious and mellifluous in all its tangents, the original soundtrack (OST) from Ishq Jalebi – done by Wajhi Farooki proves to be that perfect tune you'd want to hum. There are complementing lyrics to the whole OST and we bet everyone loved it as much as we did!
The Family Values
While Ishq Jalebi was a comedy drama, it deals with numerous emotions such as anger, love, heartbreak, and regret, which all added to the way it tied everything up with family values. The show never crossed the line between joking and hurting someone's feelings. Residents of Bela Manzil never thought of physically or emotionally abusing another character, proving that the producers created a drama which can teach its audiences what true entertainment with a strong message looks like!
With tons to root for, Ishq Jalebi once again proves that 7th Sky Entertainment as well as the brains behind it all, Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi have perfectly stitched a narrative that made the festive month all about great entertainment. There's an absolute vision with which the team has worked and we just hope we get to see more of such perfectly-done up Ramadan dramas each year from them!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Effect of Aerogel on the Thermal Performance of Corrugated Composite Sandwich Structures
Jacob Dillon Chess, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis ObispoFollow
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2018.132
Eltahry Elghandour
Current insulation solutions across multiple industries, especially the commercial sector, can be bulky and ineffective when considering their volume. Aerogels are excellent insulators, exhibiting low thermal conductivities and low densities with a porosity of around 95%. Such characteristics make aerogels effective in decreasing conductive heat transfer within a solid. These requirements are crucial for aerospace and spaceflight applications, where sensitive components exist among extreme temperature environments. When implemented into insulation applications, aerogel can perform better than existing technology while using less material, which limits the amount of volume allocated for insulation. The application of these materials into composites can result in enhancing a material's thermal and mechanical properties when exposed to mechanical testing.
The main objective of this study was to perform theoretical and experimental analysis on a corrugated composite sandwich structure integrated with aerogel insulation by studying its effective thermal conductivity. The aerogel material used was Pyrogel XT-E, a silica aerogel-based fiberglass insulation manufactured by Aspen Aerogels. Theoretical models of the corrugated composite sandwich structure were constructed in ANSYS Workbench based on geometry from a previous study. The main goal of the theoretical models was to analytically and computationally study the effective thermal conductivity of this sample; the conditions of these simulations were modeled after the experimental setup. Additionally, two insulation studies were performed using the thermal models. The first study was performed on a flat plate structure to determine the optimal thickness of Pyrogel XT-E in a flat plate orientation. The second study compared multiple types of common insulation materials to Pyrogel XT-E when integrated into the corrugated composite sandwich structure model. As expected, aerogel particles and Pyrogel XT-E outperformed all insulation materials and had the lowest effective thermal conductivity. Experimental data was obtained using a test enclosure and a heating element source with an integrated temperature control circuit that was designed and built for this study. This experimental data was compared to the theoretical data obtained from the thermal model simulations. The corrugated composite sandwich structure did not perform as well as expected due to thermal bridging along the composite corrugation. Its effective thermal conductivity was much higher than that of the flat plate structure, even though the effective Pyrogel XT-E layer in the corrugated composite sandwich structure was more than twice as thick as the layer in the flat plate structure. Despite thermal bridging, the corrugated composite sandwich structure exhibits superb thermal resistance, which adds to its impressive strength. Thermal conductivity results from this study can be used to design efficient materials for high structural and thermal stress applications.
Award received:
2018 SAMPE University Research Symposium Finalist, M.S. Category
Heat Transfer, Combustion Commons, Other Chemical Engineering Commons, Other Engineering Commons, Structures and Materials Commons, Thermodynamics Commons


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msapega
Best mini first-aid kits
Don't let an injury catch you unawares!
Let's face it: accidents happen. Most of the time they're no more serious than a skinned knee or small bruise, but regardless of the outcome you should be prepared to treat injuries – especially in locations where you're spending a lot of time, like your office, car, or home. You should also take extra precautions when you're traveling, as you may be doing activities you normally don't partake in, like hiking or biking, or, you know, diving with sharks.
First-aid kits are simple to put together, but, in case you're not exactly the DIY sort, here are several that are just a click away. There are tons of different kits; choose one that works for your lifestyle.
You can't beat the Red Cross for fixing injuries
The American Red Cross official first aid kit
The American Red Cross is synonymous with treating injuries, and for good reason. Established by Clara Barton (the "Angel of the Battlefield" during the Civil War) almost 250 years ago, it remains an incredible force for assistance in times of a crisis. Its First Aid Kit PLUS has everything you need to treat most minor injuries like scrapes, burns, and cuts. Tucked inside this bright red, expandable pack you'll find a plethora of bandages, gauze, hand sanitizer packs, and other tools (including a disposable thermometer) that can fix up minor wounds. The 115-piece Deluxe Family First Aid Kit is a more robust version, filled with items you may never even think to purchase on your own, like a First Aid Tape Roll and triangular sling bandages.
This bad boy won't weigh you down
The bare minimum kit for hiking and trekking
This ultra-light kit is perfect for when you don't want a lot of extra stuff weighing you down. Even better, the pack is completely waterproof, and its contents are enclosed in two inner DryFlex™ watertight pouches to ensure everything is kept safe and dry throughout your adventures. You'll get splinter-picker forceps (for when you snag a nasty splinter while grabbing a piece of wood for your campfire), some OTC meds like antihistamines and aspirin, and of course, a hiker's best friend: moleskin.
When wanderlust turns dangerous
The traveler's best friend
The TripWorthy Compact First Aid Kit is a perennial favorite. It only weighs a pound (which means more room for other essentials in your bag), and it's actually a combination of survival and first aid components to ensure you can weather any storm, literally and figuratively. Inside you'll find essential elements like wraps and gauze, ointments and bandages, but it also includes emergency survival items like a blanket, poncho, and glow stick. It's the perfect accessory for all your travels, and it's the only one you'll hope never sees the light of day!
You'll laugh in the face of an apocalypse
Best for the survival enthusiast
Whether you're a big-time camper or simply want to be prepared for the worst (and I do mean worst), the Minuteman Four Person Emergency Kit is a godsend. With a shelf-life of five years, this kit will help you survive anything from a natural disaster (hello wildfire and global-warming spurred hurricanes) to the breakdown of society at large. It includes high-calorie protein bars, water purification tablets, aluminum coated tube tents, sleeping bags, N95 vented particulate respirator face masks, folding shovel, and more. And the best part? It's all tucked neatly into a camping-issue backpack that you can keep in a handy location. You'll have nothing to fear from Mother Nature when you're armed with this.
Good things come in small packages
The pocket-sized wonder
The Red Cross strikes again with their exemplary Pocket First Aid Kit. Though it's under three inches high, five inches wide, and weighs in at just 1/10 of a pound, it packs a punch. It's filled with five different types of bandages, individual use antibiotic ointment packs, and antiseptic cleansing wipes. If you're feeling the DIY urge though, you can easily make your own by packing a few necessities into an Altoids tin.
Just pop it in your trunk and forget about it
Car-friendly first aid
Thanks to commuting and suburban sprawl, we spend a lot time in our cars. It's just practical to keep a first-aid kit in an easily accessible place that goes with you wherever you go.
The Lifeline AAA 4180AAA 121-Piece Road Trip First Aid Kit is perfect to tuck in the back of your car and forget about until you actually need it. Its 121 pieces of gauze, bandages, and other first aid tools fit snugly into its foam carrying case, and it even includes an emergency whistle. For…keeping your spirits up? (Just kidding).
Ruff and tumble injury
For your furry friends
Dogs get hurt too, so why shouldn't Fido have a little emergency insurance? This Pocket Pet First Aid Kit is small enough to hang on your dog's leash and includes gloves, gauze, antiseptic wipes, and bandages. Seeing your four-legged pal in pain is never fun, but at least with this kit you'll be able to fix minor injuries on the fly.
Sometimes a mule is the best medicine
The Moscow mule kit
Because there's scientific evidence that alcohol dulls pain, drinking could (almost) be considered medicinal. This luxurious Moscow Mule Red Dawn Kit from Broquet (get it?) provides all the essentials including Morris Kitchen ginger syrup, a cocktail shaker, one and two-ounce jiggers, and of course, the quintessential copper mug. If the Mule isn't your drink of choice, Broquet offers a Whiskey Sour Cocktail Kit with Morris Kitchen Preserved Lemon Syrup and heavy-duty lemon reamer, or you could check out their Gentleman and a Scholar Old-Fashioned Kit, complete with two different types of Hella bitters and a stainless steel outset muddler. Hey, if you get injured, why not make lemonade out of lemons?
Taking precautions for the inevitable may not rank up there with going out for a night on the town with the girls, or even cleaning off your desk (which is so satisfying when you're done, ammiright?!) but it's just plain smart to have a first aid kit handy. And since you can buy a pre-made kit that's ready to go right out of the box, what's stopping you? Start shopping!
travel first aid kitmini first aid kitfirst aid kitfirst-aid kittravel safetybest first aid kit


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SELECTION SEASON 2020 | My five favourite ESC entries of the week + previewing/predicting the UMK and Melfest finals
By Jaz, March 7, 2020
Well, this is it: the last-but-not-least Saturday of national finals pre-Rotterdam. It won't be the busiest night we've experienced this season, but it will be a big one nonetheless…and very Nordic-centric at that. Check out what's on the calendar for the final (*sniff*) time in 2020:
Bulgaria Song reveal for Victoria (Tears Getting Sober)
Denmark Dansk Melodi Grand Prix final (feat. Ben & Tan, Jasmin Rose feat. RoxorLoops + Sander Sanchez)*
Finland UMK final (feat. Aksel Kankaanranta, Erika Vikman + F3M)
Portugal Festival da Canção final (feat. Bárbara Tinoco, Jimmy P + Tomás Luzia)
Sweden Melodifestivalen final (feat. Anna Bergendahl, Dotter + Hanna Ferm)
*Sadly, DMGP will be audience-free this year after coronavirus concerns led the Danish PM to ban public gatherings of 1000+ people. Obviously, that put the estimated 10 000-strong crowd for tonight out of commission. It's a terrible shame and a potential sign of things to come, but it's also an understandable move. Make sure you support your favourites from the sofa if you're in Denmark during the show.
All that's left after all of the above – knowing everything must be done and dusted on or before this Monday – are the song reveals for North Macedonia (8th), San Marino (9th, after Senhit's surprise mini-NF), Azerbaijan, Malta and Russia. Then, the Class of Eurovision 2020 will be complete at long last. To paraphrase Mohombi (who's conveniently competing in tonight's Melfest final) it's been a bumpy ride, but a fun one too. Next stop, the Netherlands!
But before that, let's take a look at the tsunami of entries from the last seven days and preview/predict a couple of this evening's most interesting selection shows…
What went down this week + my five favourite freshly-added songs
If all the counting I just did on my fingers is correct, FOURTEEN Eurovision 2020 entries have been chosen or released since last Saturday. National finals in Croatia, Estonia, Iceland, Israel, Moldova, Romania and Serbia gave their golden tickets to Divlji Vetre by Damir Kedžo, What Love Is by Uku Suviste, Think About Things by Daði & Gagnamagnið, Feker Libi by Eden Alene, Prison by Natalia Gordienko, Alcohol You by Roxen and Hasta La Vista by Hurricane.
Meanwhile, the long-awaited (some more than others) songs from Austria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Ireland, The Netherlands and Switzerland were made public/leaked, leaving us blissfully happy and gasping for air at the same time. Out of all of those plus the NF winners from this week, these are my top picks.
Cyprus Sandro being a self-confessed sadboi, and co-writer of his song Alfie Arcuri (AUSTRALIA REPRESENT!) being in the same ballpark, I was expecting a heartstring-tugging pop ballad from Cyprus. After their last few years, I should have known better (rookie mistake, right?). Running is no Fuego sequel á la Replay, but it is prime Euroclub material – and while it doesn't have a hook-you-in chorus like its predecessors, it's super slick, catchy and contemporary to compensate. I do think Cyprus will struggle to qualify with this in that Semi of Death™, but I'll probably be too busy dancing to care.
Iceland This country may have made an objectively awful choice (pun intended) in 2018, but boy have they redeemed themselves since then! Hatari was a major talking point in Tel Aviv and you can be sure Daði & Gagnamagnið will be too in Rotterdam. If I had to sum up Think About Things in a word, I couldn't – it's brilliant, epic AND genius, just for starters. Watch out, On Fire…you now have a rival in the fun, memorable and memeable song-with-accompanying-dance department. PS – as I type this, Iceland is leading the betting odds, and long may they reign I say.
Israel There is such a long list of all the things that are right about this. Feker Libi was my preference of Eden Alene's four possible Eurovision entries, and not just because it was written by Idan Raichel (whom I adore and who performed during last year's grand final) and Doron Medalie (who wrote a few songs called Golden Boy, Made of Stars and Toy…you might have heard of them). It's such an interesting song and brings some much-needed ethnic sounds to the line-up, wrapped up neatly in a ray of sunshine. As for Eden herself, well…she's a little superstar. If THE ROOP need to keep an eye out for Iceland in the final, then Destiny definitely needs to look out for this girl during SF1.
Serbia There was a girl group/trashy pop sized hole in the 2020 contest up until last weekend, when Serbia managed to fill it with Hasta La Vista by Hurricane. If O'G3NE are good-girl Sandy from Grease, Hurricane are Sandy when she steps out in her leather pants and says 'Tell me about it, stud'. Both = great. I'm celebrating Hurricane's NF win triply, because not only do I love the song (Salvador Sobral wouldn't) but Sanja Vučić is back in the ESC family AND Knez's daughter Ksenia is now involved too (I'm not sure if she's the daughter who performed on stage with her dad in Vienna or not, since he has two). Here's hoping Serbia fares better this time than when they last sent a female trio.
Switzerland I saved it for last, but the Swiss song is actually my highlight of the whole week. We couldn't have blamed Switzerland if they'd copycatted themselves and chosen She Got Me 2.0 after Luca Hänni's 4th (should have been 3rd) place finish last year. But admirably, they've headed in a totally different direction – recruiting Sacha Jean Baptiste to stage-direct again aside – with a spectacular French-language ballad by The Voice France alumnus Gjon's Tears. Kind of like a Francophone Beautiful Mess in parts but with a haunting, emotive feel all of its own, Répondez-Moi is a stunner and easily (for me) one of the best ballads selected so far.
Which song chosen/released this week was your favourite? Let me know in the comments!
Finland: Six songs become one in an OMG edition of UMK
I mentioned the Icelandic glow-up before, but they aren't the only country to have lifted their game lately. Finland has transitioned from a dire NF feat. Darude and three songs with 'meh' written all over them to a six song NF feat. a grand total of zero duds. That's not to say every song is amazing, but the worst of the bunch (IMO) is still a solid 7/10 and that is impressive. Here are the six in question, in running order:
Eternity, Catharina Zühlke
Cicciolina, Erika Vikman
Looking Back, Aksel Kankaanranta
Bananas, F3M
Lover View, Sansa
I Let My Heart Break, Tika
Eternity, being one of those bipolar songs in the mould of Crisalide and Beauty Never Lies, isn't a cup of tea I would rush to drink…but it goes down pretty smoothly anyway.
Cicciolina is the fan favourite, and while I'm standing on the platform instead of jumping on the hype train, I do think it's quirky, bubbly and uniquely Finnish, and I like it a lot.
Looking Back is one of my personal favourites – it's slick and solid but still genuine, and I fell in love with it from my first listen.
Bananas is my other absolute favourite because every second of it is a hook, and I reckon if the Spice Girls were a 2010s/2020s girl group they'd be releasing bops just like it.
Lover View is more of a Spotify song than a competition song, but I love the dreamy feel – it gives me the urge to go on a scenic road trip and watch the sun set over the ocean somewhere.
I Let My Heart Break, not counting the clichés, is a decent example of a modern pop-power ballad, and Tika belts it like a loose-waisted pair of trousers.
My favourites As I'm not totally on board the Cicciolina bandwagon, I have to go for Bananas and Looking Back – my two very different musical children whom I love equally. Expect to see them on my upcoming 'Best of the NFs' playlist.
Who's going to win? It seems like one song is unbeatable at the moment: Cicciolina. As much as I'd prefer a few others to leapfrog it, I'm bracing myself for Erika to win, pending a suitably bonkers performance. If by chance she doesn't, I have a feeling about Aksel.
What do you think…does Erika have UMK all sewn up or is someone else going to swoop in and steal her (flower) crown? Which song would you rather Finland sends to Rotterdam? Let me know below.
Sweden: Will Girl Power prevail for the first time since Sanna?
It certainly looks like it. After five rounds of semis and second chances across five different cities, Melodifestivalen has arrived in Stockholm for the final – and if the betting odds are to be believed, Sweden's five-year streak of male soloists is about to be broken. Dotter has an impressive lead with a 50% chance of winning that unfortunate bird-topped trophy, and on her tail are The Mamas, Anna Bergendahl and Hanna Ferm. Anis Don Demina is the highest-ranked male in the mix, followed by Felix Sandman. Who would've thought?
The Mamas won SVT's special pre-show poll; Anis blitzed the rehearsal exit poll (!); and only Mr. God knows what the international juries will go for. Basically, Dotterdam isn't a done deal yet, so get excited for one of the least predictable Melfest finals in years! Here's the program for this evening if you need a refresher:
Troubled Waters, Victor Crone
Talking In My Sleep, Paul Rey
Move, The Mamas
Winners, Mohombi
Brave, Hanna Ferm
Vamos Amigos, Méndez feat. Alvaro Estrella
Bulletproof, Dotter
Take A Chance, Robin Bengtsson
Shout It Out, Mariette
Boys With Emotions, Felix Sandman
Kingdom Come, Anna Bergendahl
Vem E Som Oss, Anis Don Demina
Allihopa, these are your Melfest finalists. Who'll be the last one standing? Photo: SVT
Who should win (IMO) On today's episode of Things That Are Not Going To Happen…as much as I want a woman to take this one out, my favourite songs are coincidentally by dudes. Paul, Mohombi (with better staging in mind), Felix and Anis are my picks of this bunch, and of the four I think Felix would be the best choice for Eurovision. He's a very outside possibility, and I don't realistically expect him to do one better than he did in 2018, also coming from Andra Chansen. I will give kudos to one lady in particular who has the best package of the finalists: Dotter. If she wins as the odds suggest she will, I'll be satisfied if not as psyched for the Swedish entry as usual.
Predicting the winner and everything else If this is going to be a three-way battle between Dotter, The Mamas and Anna (beware of plot twists!) then any of them could push ahead and win by the tiniest of margins. I still feel like Dotter has the most impressive package deal, one that has clearly appealed to the Swedish public and should score well with the juries too. Anna's redemption arc might be too good to resist, but I still have issues with her staging/styling not matching Kingdom Come, and I think that disconnect is off-putting enough to do some damage. Sending The Mamas, as fantastic as they are, would feel a bit like recycling. But their joy is infectious (no, I am not going to make a coronavirus joke) and they can't be counted out. Ask me for a shock winner and I will present Anis to you on a silver platter.
This is how I'm seeing the scoreboard ending up with my questionable prediction vision:
Vem E Som Oss
Boys With Emotions
Troubled Waters
Talking In My Sleep
Shout It Out
Vamos Amigos
It's such a hard one to call, I'm SWEATING. Anything is possible, so please don't laugh at me when my prediction turns out to be as wrong as it could be (I'm having a bad season, ICYMI). If you can do better – which I'm sure you can – pay a visit to the comments and make your guess.
Now I'll wrap up my Melfest ramble with the likeliest winner of the 2020 comp…I think. Don't worry, Dotter, none of us are bulletproof.
That's all from me for now as Selection Season comes to a close. I hope you've had a good one, and if you're yet to see a personal favourite win an NF, fingers crossed it happens tonight (unless your faves aren't the same as mine in which case I want mine to win instead, of course).
Happy multi-screen streaming!
Categories: Eurovision 2020, Melodifestivalen, national finals, Selection Season 2020
Tagged: Anna Bergendahl, Daði & Gagnamagnið, DMGP, Dotter, Erika Vikman, Eurovision 2020, Gjon's Tears, Melodifestivalen, Rotterdam, UMK
NATIONAL FINAL FRENZY! | The best non-winning songs from every 2020 selection show, ranked + playlisted
SELECTION SEASON 2020 | Six more songs for May + an extremely Super Saturday!
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text:
Celebs/TV
Jamie: Together at Christmas on Channel 4 - Top tips for 'ultimate' festive potatoes
Turning his nose up at the roast potato - Jamie had a different type of spud in mind for the big day
Everyone's favourite Naked Chef was making viewers drool tonight as he hosted a special Christmas themed programme on Channel 4.
Jamie Oliver aimed to inspire people at home with the best ways to make a festive dinner friends and family would be unlikely to forget.
The new episode of 'Jamie: Together at Christmas' broadcast this evening (Mon, Dec 20) and saw Jamie create a 'sensational' alternative to the traditional Christmas dinner with an 'epic' mixed roast, a veggie crown and a panettone dessert.
READ MORE: Dog facing fourth Christmas in kennels writes letter to 'Santa Paws' asking for new home
"No incredible festive roast would be complete without the ultimate potato, and normally that would be the ultimate roast potatoes and let's be honest we've been doing that for 20 years.
"But no, this year, we're going to go to the Hasselback potato. Crunchy on the outside, and pillowy soft on the inside, these amazing Hasselback potatoes fan out as they cook for a crispy show stopping look and taste."
Jamie shows off his bowl of potatoes, saying that he has "a couple of kilos of Maris Piper potatoes", which he goes on to wash and say that he will "leave the skins on".
"The great thing is," he says. "Is that they don't just look cool, and aren't just fun to prepare, but also you can flavour them with so many different things.
"So you could think like chorizo, you could think different herbs, spices, bacon, little bits of cheese, garlic, all kinds of cool things."
He says that it is "super easy to do" before laying down two wooden spoons on his cutting board.
He then puts the potato in-between the spoons and says "just press them together", before slicing the potato down with the knife and stopping as it hits the spoons each time.
"I'm going to slice every half a centimetre, and you can see that the blade of the knife is not going all the way through. It's stopping just where the spoons are. And what that gives us is the most wonderful Constantia effect." He explained.
"And in there can go seasonings, drippings, fats, all kinds of flavourings, that is what the Hasselback is all about."
Click here if you cannot see the survey
Showing his young son Buddy how to slice the potatoes, dad Jamie says that all he is going to add to the potatoes currently is salt, pepper and a 'swig' of olive oil.
He says to make sure the potatoes are facing cut side up, places them in an oven tray and instructs to cook at 180C / 350F for one hour.
The chef reveals that he will actually be cooking the potatoes again the next day, in a bid to free up kitchen and oven space for the main meal the next day.
"This is all about taking the hassle, out of Hasselbacks." He laughed.
You can watch Jamie: Together at Christmas on All4 shortly after broadcast.
Do you have a special recipe for the 'ultimate' Christmas potato? Sign in and join the conversation in the comments below
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text:
<?php

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use Composer\Script\Event as ScriptEvent;

/**
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    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Lovely art elevates a so-so collection of short stories about angels. Rebecca Guay, in my opinion, is one of the most talented illustrators I've ever seen. The artwork is classic but ephemeral with tasteful nudes and multi-layered backgrounds. In a word: gorgeous.
I picked this one up because of The Last Dragon by Jane Yolen. In that book, as in this, I loved the art but thought that the story was predictable. I feel like the authors that Guay has partnered with, at least so far, don't measure up to the masterworks she produces.
Borrow this one from your nearest library so that you can see how beautiful it is. Read alikes: some of the Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile series has art on this level but they're kind of hit or miss. Saga, Volume 1 is beautiful but the story has some very vulgar moments popped in there. If you can handle that, and I know that some people are huge fans of Saga, then that series might be a good fit. Or, of course, you may want to pick up The Last Dragon as that is done by the same illustrator.


Since 2013 Dr. 95350, Patrick Rhodes, and his team have been performing facial enhancements for clients in the Central Valley. The quality of work and exceptional customer service you receive at every visit, combined with their experience, sets them apart from the rest. The team needed a new website, and leaned on us to create a modern, informative design that illustrated their professional demeanor & supported client interactions. Working with Patrick and his team to make their vision a reality is something we are proud to say we were a part of.


text:
These Activities Get Voters' Approval
The Winnsboro Cultural District captures the distinction of being the Best Arts or Cultural Destination in recent readers' poll.
Life's short. Experience the best! That's good advice ... and the recent Best of the Upper East Side of Texas contest points the way.
The annual contest drawing votes from the readers of County Line Magazine has revealed great experiences worthy of activities by one and all. Check out the winners in categories like best winery, arts district, and golf course. [For the complete list of winners across all categories, visit www.goo.gl/5aExZj.]
Grand Oaks Vineyards & Winery. Mineola. Grand Oaks takes their names from the original oak trees that still reside on the property. They host more than 1,800 hand-planted grapevines and are open to the public for tours and wine tastings. They serve a series of dry and semi-sweet red wines; off-dry and semi-sweet white wines; all made from the fresh grapes harvested on the property. Grand Oaks currently grows Tempranillo, Mourvedre, Syrah, Lenoir/ Black Spanish, Chenin Blanc, and Blanc du Bois, all of which derive from both Spanish and French heritages, as well as a few American hybrids. 2455 County Road 2724. (903) 569-2801. www.gowinerymineola.com
Northeast Texas Rural Heritage Center. Pittsburg Two museums in one including the Depot Museum and the Farmstead Museum. The Depot houses an array of antiques and artifacts including a focus on the native Caddo Indians in an archeology exhibit. Also included is a firetruck, a steam engine, a wildlife diorama, and a small art gallery as well as the famous Ezekial Airship, a flying machine built in 1902. 204 West Marshall, (903) 946-3243, www. Pitttsburgtexasmuseum.com
Best Arts or Cultural Destination
Winnsboro Cultural District. The Texas Commission on the Arts selected the Winnsboro Cultural District as an official district of the state in 2009. The district has numerous offerings for visual and performing arts as well as culinary artistry. The district is anchored by the Winnsboro Center for the Arts which features ongoing art exhibits, a gift shop, and monthly musical and other performances on The Bowery Stage. The Winnsboro Art & Wine Festival is held each year in November bringing local, state, and national artists. In 2018, Culture Club Art Gallery opened downtown featuring a collection of talented artists working in a variety of art mediums. www.winnsboroculturaldistrict.com
Best Attraction
The Gentle Zoo. Forney. This place has a petting zoo, playground, picnic area, indoor party room, train ride, giant maze, a giant jumping pillow, and more. The animals are conditioned to be handled and pet by children and adults alike. Many are rescues from shelters, private homes, and sanctuaries in Texas. They have llamas, an umbrella cockatoo, peacocks, Sulcato tortoise, emus, goats, kangaroo, unusual animals like the coatimundi and capybara, a Chincilla, a tegu, and a bearded dragon. 12600 FM 2932, (469) 834-2857, www.gentlezoo.com
Honorable Mention: Galaxy Drive-In, Ennis
Crown Colony Country Club. Lufkin. Resting on 750 acres of rolling hills and surrounded by the historic tall pines of East Texas, golfers can play in luxury on the 18-hole course. Established in 1979, the Crown Colony hosts a tennis court, villas, and a large banquet hall for special events and catering. The course is open to the public. 900 Crown Colony Drive. (936) 637-8811. www.crown-colony.com
Hall of Fame: Links at Land's End, Lake Fork


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2022 Virginia Tech Helmet Safety Ratings
By mwinkler
football america football helmets football safety helmet ratings football helmet safety football helmet ratings varsity football helmets virginia tech helmet ratings safest football helmets
Coaches may find it difficult to know what to believe when it comes to evaluating helmet safety performance standards. The Virginia Tech 5-Star Helmet Rating System is one of the most reputable models.
Since 2011, Virginia Tech researchers have been providing unbiased helmet ratings that allow consumers to make informed decisions when purchasing helmets. The helmet ratings are the culmination of over 10 years of research on head impacts in sports and identifying which helmets best reduce concussion risk. The work is done as part of Virginia Tech's service mission and is independent of any funding or influence from helmet manufacturers.
"We have two goals with our rating system," said Steve Rowson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics at Virginia Tech. "We want to educate consumers and players as to which helmets are the safest. And we want to provide a tool for manufacturers to help improve safety and design."
PHOTO: The study put several helmets through a series of impact tests from several directions, including to the front, back, and both sides of the helmet.
Through a series of impact tests, helmets are evaluated using two fundamental concepts: 1) each test is weighted based on how frequently players experience them and 2) helmets that lower head acceleration reduce concussion risk. The impact conditions and weightings are sport-specific, and inclusive of the broad range of head impacts that athletes are likely to experience. These methods have been published as peer-reviewed articles in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering.
"We know which impacts cause concussions, which are most frequent, and which locations on the helmet are hit the most," Rowson said.
The 2022 Virginia Tech Varsity Football Helmet Ratings
In total there were 26 helmets tested during the study. Here is how each helmet ranked along with their star rating.
* A Lower Score Means Better Protection
*Listed cost is the price of the helmet at the time the study was conducted
For more information on how the helmet study was conducted, Click Here
2022 Virginia Tech Helmet Safety Ratings Mar 18, 2022
The Best Marucci & Victus USSSA Baseball Bats Jan 26, 2022
The Best Marucci & Victus BBCOR Baseball Bats Jan 25, 2022
YEAR IN REVIEW: The Top Fastpitch Cleats Of 2021 Dec 22, 2021
YEAR IN REVIEW: The Top Fastpitch Gloves Of 2021 Dec 21, 2021
YEAR IN REVIEW: The Top Fastpitch Bats of 2021 Dec 21, 2021
YEAR IN REVIEW: The Top Baseball Cleats Of 2021 Dec 21, 2021
YEAR IN REVIEW: The Top Baseball Gloves Of 2021 Dec 21, 2021
YEAR IN REVIEW: The Top USA Baseball Bats Of 2021 Dec 21, 2021
YEAR IN REVIEW: The Top USSSA Baseball Bats of 2021 Dec 21, 2021


text:
Q: NWJS (Node Webkit) app is not responding on Linux systems when I use it with Web Workers NWJS Version: v.0.32.1 (Tested on different 0.31 versions also and 0.32.beta)
Operating System: Linux only. Tested on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS x64 and Elementary OS 0.4.1 Loki x64
Expected behaviour
The program must respond.
Actual behaviour
The program not responding and if I break it (Ctrl + C) i seen in console that messages:

[14399:14410:0802/142733.750943:ERROR:broker_posix.cc(104)] Error sending sync broker message: Broken pipe (32)
[14399:14410:0802/142733.761023:ERROR:broker_posix.cc(104)] Error sending sync broker message: Broken pipe (32)
[14399:14409:0802/142733.761203:ERROR:broker_posix.cc(104)] Error sending sync broker message: Broken pipe (32)
[14399:14409:0802/142733.761402:ERROR:broker_posix.cc(104)] Error sending sync broker message: Broken pipe (32)
[14399:14409:0802/142733.761801:ERROR:broker_posix.cc(104)] Error sending sync broker message: Broken pipe (32)
[14399:14410:0802/142733.761896:ERROR:broker_posix.cc(104)] Error sending sync broker message: Broken pipe (32)

But if I'am using nwjs-builder-phoenix and running SDK - working correctly.
How to reproduce
Prepare

*

*Download and extract fake data to parsing: https://github.com/trofivan/myq-jobs-archive-parser/releases/download/v0.1.0/fake-data-big.zip

*git clone https://github.com/trofivan/myq-jobs-archive-parser.git

*cd myq-jobs-archive-parser

*npm i
Working correctly (only with nwjs-builder-phoenix SDK)

*

*npm start

*In the opened window click Select folder to parse

*Select folder with fake data

*Wait some time while data will have parsed.

*Use filters

*Close the program

Working not correctly

*

*npm run build.dist

*cd dist/myq-jobs-archive-parser-0.1.3-linux-x64/

*./myq-jobs-archive-parser

*Select folder to parse and waiting some time.

*The program does not respond.

*Close program (Ctrl + C or [x] on the window) and see console output:
Gtk-Message: GtkDialog mapped without a transient parent. This is discouraged.
[16012:16023:0802/145405.677499:ERROR:broker_posix.cc(104)] Error sending sync broker message: Broken pipe (32)
[16012:16023:0802/145405.678176:ERROR:broker_posix.cc(104)] Error sending sync broker message: Broken pipe (32)
[16012:16012:0802/145405.679403:ERROR:broker_posix.cc(104)] Error sending sync broker message: Broken pipe (32)
[16012:16012:0802/145405.679587:ERROR:command_buffer_proxy_impl.cc(100)] ContextResult::kFatalFailure: AllocateAndMapSharedMemory failed

*killall exe - to stop the process

PS:

*

*If download nwjs from the official website, working not correctly with SDK version also.

*On Linux system program not responded when comes to the game Web Worker: https://github.com/trofivan/myq-jobs-archive-parser/blob/master/src/middlewares/fetchJobs.js

*When program not responding I'm can not open Chrome dev tools and get more info.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Karl Rove Gets a Well-Deserved Mocking on 'The Simpsons' [VIDEO]
Cassandra Rose Published: November 12, 2012
It wasn't easy being a Mitt Romney backer during an election that resoundingly went to President Obama. Especially when you're political consultant Karl Rove and you refuse to believe the electoral college reality that's laid out before you.
Fortunately, the long-running cartoon 'The Simpsons' was well-prepared to subtly mock Rove's denial, making him the butt of yet another joke.
'The Simpsons' is known for changing up its opening credits, this time to ridicule the pundit's refusal to acknowledge an Obama win during his publicized FOX meltdown that led to much blabbering and nonsensical gibberish.
During the 'Simpsons' topical opener, bad-boy Bart Simpson is seen during detention writing out, "I will not concede the election until Karl Rove gives me permission."
Pretty ballsy of the show, but not the first time the FOX cartoon has mocked its own network's "news" station.
Over the past several years, the beloved 'toon has referenced its popularity with racists and the elderly, and it celebrated 25 years on FOX by snubbing the news network in the process.
'The Simpsons': So powerful it can bite the hand that feeds it.
Filed Under: The Simpsons


The Alpha Omega Racing gearbox adapter plate is 100% CNC machined from one solid block of 20mm billet alloy for precision and rigidity, and CMM accurate to 0.001mm. It uses 16 high tensile bolts to secure the gearbox onto the motor which is the most bolts/most secure of any conversion available. To install into an S13/S14 you must machine the bellhousing, the installation manual includes all machining instructions or we have a swap-and-go bellhousing machining service available too.
Re-use your current SR20 flywheel and clutch kit, or use any aftermarket SR20 flywheel/clutch kit - all single and multiplate clutches are compatible with the Alpha Omega Racing design.
All necessary bits and bobs are included for a quick install, you will not have to run out to the shop to buy anything else.


Hey, can you believe it's almost the end of November??? Thanksgiving is 2 days away and my blog party kicks off in one week!
Just a little update here. I've got some really fun prizes - all from Etsy - lined up so come back each day to enter! Take the code from my sidebar for the button and put it on your blog so you don't forget!
And since it's getting close to Christmas there are a TON of giveaways going on all over the blogosphere. Check my left side bar under "Current Events" for links to lots of other giveaways!


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text:
Vadicta's c-blog
LONG BLOG
The End For Me
8:30 AM on 11.17.2017 (server time) 0
This morning, I rode the bus to work listening to teenagers shouting about touching dicks with half an elderly Mexican woman clutching a sack of potatoes in my lap. I tried not to get a boner, tried not to kill myself, tried to focus on my phone. On the one place I knew I was safe and free--Destructoid.com.
And that's when I saw something amazing.
The artistry of the blog I read was impeccable, the subject matter somehow at once timely and timeless. The detailed deconstruction of writing conventions was exquisite. Simply, I was in awe.
And you fuckers killed it.
I tried to stop you. I drew my line in the sand. I raised my voice. And if there's one thing I do, I keep my promises. I'm sorry, Lancybragg. You were too young, too beautiful for this world. You never realized just what it would do to you--how it would fuck you.
Clearly, there's a double-standard on this site where shameless self-promotion blogs like the Boss 101 account can run in perpetuity, but one that fails to meet your hipster criteria gets strewn into the gutter. I can't stand for it. I can't do this, anymore. So, as my final act on this site, I'm reposting the complete text of the blog as a memorial. Do with it what you want. I won't be around to see it.
Here's to you, my angel.
The moment when I heard that a gamed named Star Wars Battlefront landed into the market recently, I felt so rejoiced!! And, then when I bought one and had an encounter with it then it again reminded me that why I love Star Wars so much. The skirmishes that this game holds within it reveal across quintessential planets and are composed of magnificent landscapes and spacious panoramas on a huge scale.
Well, coming back to the game again, it offers an immense engagement. It's because when I started playing this game then for the first 10 hours it swept me totally through the tormenting firefights in an accelerated rate.
Moreover, the homepage of this game is so stunning that it is having a proper balance of vibrant lighting, attractive textures and what not! I must say that the developer has astoundingly curated a gradation-based game in the form of Star Wars Battlefront which is exhilarating enough to mesmerize you at every point in time.
But, as they say, it is not a bed of roses all the time! Along with the grandeur of the game, comes some shallow experiences. No doubt, the map of the game looks stunning but the design of the same is not focused to a higher extent! The undergrowth from Endor has given this game an amazing cosmetic look but it was not successful in giving a complete cover. Similarly, the barren fields of Hoth have been successful in imparting a sense of distance of course. But, the number of creative sight lines are very few!
However, when it comes to the spectacular fighting episodes of heroes vs. Villains then I must mention that these clashes play exactly in the same way how it sounds. I just felt that the action figures of Star Wars came out of the game and became live. And, they are not sure of what to do in the upcoming moves and thus decided to get employed to violence. Also, the whole concept of Droid Run in this game seemed like a one of a kind variation of zone control in which there is an excellent shifting of zones throughout the whole match. And, then one more significant part of the game is the Walker Assault!
The match that I liked the most was the one that took place on the Endor. As I was a member of the Imperial team, that's why I gave the utmost importance to speed while sprinting along the routes which were proceeding towards Rebel uplink stations.
Further, there are much more facets of this games which I found extremely enticing but unfortunately, I can't keep on writing pages after pages. So, coming to an end, I would like to mention about the one more most compelling part of the game which I enjoyed thoroughly and that is nothing but the Survival, a wave-based cooperative option of the Battlefront game. Trust me! It will give you an ultimate feeling of thrill and amusement.
So, if you are a die-hard video game fan like me, then just go for Star Wars Battlefront soon! And, I am sure that you would consider it one of the best video games ever, ignoring some minor drawbacks of the same of course.
Never let the world silence you.
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About Vadictaone of us since 6:31 PM on 01.03.2014
Vadicta is a man of emotions.
And many bodies.
*From the Angie Archives.
He also has the best taste.
*Thanks, Dango.
Follow Vadicta


text:
GPS Tracking Gets It's Game On with Football Player Tracking
Fleet Management / GPS Tracking Gets It's Game On with Football Player Tracking
Fleet Management, Fleet Tracking, GPS Tracking, GPS Vehicle Tracking
Think Uncle Sam has his eye on you? What if you found out your job did? For some professional NFL football players and a few NCAA college teams, turns out it's not just paranoia.
Many teams using GPS tracking to monitor vitals
From playoffs to practice, GPS technology is being utilized for player safety to prevent overexertion and injury during conditioning, practices, and games. How common is it? Fifteen out of 32 NFL teams and about 30 NCAA football teams are currently putting the technology to the test.
Staying out of the red
By keeping electronic tabs on players, coaches and staff can monitor biomechanical data relayed from a tracking device worn by a player and transferred to a laptop in real time. The data is used to sideline players before they overdo it, avoiding the so-called "red zone" where exhaustion and injury occurs. The technology is essential to keeping players at their peak performance on game days.
How's it work?
The GPS tracking equipment is used on selected players, collecting data over a period of time so coaches and trainers can establish a baseline and predict when players are wearing down. The 3 ounce monitor slides into a pouch in the back of tight-fitted shirts worn under shoulder pads. The GPS device and sensors measure hundreds of variables per second, transmitting the data to monitoring software on a computer where it is used in an algorithm to determine "player load," which varies based on the position. The higher the number goes, the greater the exertion.
What can it track?
Peak running speeds and rates of acceleration.
Right and left directional changes (and which side was faster).
Changes in gait (walking/running).
Hey! No fair!
Though used extensively in practice, the costly technology has been ruled out of NCAA games due to the competitive advantage it could provide a team against another who does not have access to the technology.
Calling all slackers:
The technology can also be used to tell which players are going all-out – and which ones are simply idling in the periphery. Overall, however, players seem to be happy for the care they are shown because of the technology and the way it can aid in their recovery following an injury.
GPS technology is changing the world. How is it affecting you? Get the latest from GPSTrackIt.com/.
Download "The Top Five Questions You Need To Ask Before Selecting a GPS Tracking Solution" for your business white paper. GPS tracking for your business will help you save money, save time and increase your profits.


LOS ALTOS HILLS (CBS SF) – A man injured in a shooting in a Los Altos home Friday was allegedly a stalker who forced his way inside and opened fire before he was shot in return by one of the occupants, a Santa Clara County sheriff's spokesman said Monday morning.
The man, 43-year-old William Brady III of Georgia, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following the shooting, which was reported just after 11 a.m. Friday at a home on Oak Knoll Circle, sheriff's Sgt. Richard Glennon said.
A woman in the home called 911 to report that Brady, who was stalking her, had unexpectedly appeared at her home, where he quickly forced his way in and began to shoot, Glennon said.
Arriving deputies were advised that the incident was an active shooter situation and set up a perimeter around the home, Glennon said.
Dispatchers also spoke with a male in the home who said he had exchanged gunfire with Brady and the suspect may have left the residence, according to Glennon.
The sheriff's Emergency Response Team, similar to a SWAT unit, was called to the scene and found Brady with gunshot wounds outside the home, Glennon said.
He was transported to a hospital, where he underwent surgery and is continuing to recover as of Monday morning, Glennon said.
Deputies found a firearm at the scene and believe the weapon is associated with Brady, according to Glennon.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and other alleged crimes, Glennon said.
The victims in the home followed deputies' orders to leave the building and were interviewed as part of the investigation, according to Glennon.
Emergency protective restraining orders were issued to all the victims who weren't injured in the shooting, Glennon said.
Residents in the area were told to shelter in place for about two and a half hours during the investigation, according to Glennon.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the sheriff's 24-hour tip line at (408) 808-4431.


Disney announced plans to remove the infamous "bride auction" scene from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland last summer, and now we know when the change will take place.
An artists rendering of the new Pirates of the Caribbean "bride auction" scene is seen in this photo provided by Disney.
Visitors coming to Disneyland will find the ride closed for the refurbishment beginning April 23, the Orange County Register is reporting.
For decades, patrons aboard one of the ride's small boats would travel through several pirate themed scenes before eventually arriving at the "bride auction" taking place as the plundering invaders ransack a helpless village.
In the scene, several women are bound by ropes and lined up by the pirates to be bid on while standing beneath a banner that reads "Auction: Take a Wench for a Bride".
In the current scene, the redhead character is the prize of the auction.
However, the roles of the auctioneer, the redhead woman and other characters participating in the scene will be changing in the April makeover.
According to an artist's rendering of the refurbished scene released in 2017, the redhead will soon be holding a rifle and wearing a pirate hat.
It was unclear how long the ride would be closed for the refurbishment.


We are fighting on the front line at the Ohio Statehouse in battles involving practice regulation, Medicaid reimbursement, BWC compensation, tort reform and HMO/insurance company regulation to name a few. These areas of your practice are controlled by the states, not the federal government.
The OOA works to protect the physician-patient relationship and advocates to preserve the physician-led health care team in state law.
See a list of health care related bills.
Identify and contact your Ohio elected officials.
For information about Congressional bills and regulatory issues at the federal level, check the American Osteopathic Association Action Center.
Legislation that would eliminate the current requirement that APRNs collaborate with a physician has been introduced in the Ohio Legislature--again.
A finance subcommittee in the Ohio House heard from several health-related agencies this week as Gov. Mike DeWine's biennial budget is considered by state lawmakers.
Two fourth-year medical students at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine completed health policy rotations this month with OOA Executive Director Matt Harney.
The OOA monitors the Ohio General Assembly for health care bills of interest to physicians and patients. Here's this week's list.
The governor finalized his cabinet appointments last month when he named a Columbus-area physician to lead the Health Department.
SB 61, sponsored by State Sen. Dave Burke (R-Marysville) alters the prescribing authority to allow CRNAs to "select, order, and administer drugs other than anesthesia" in the immediate post-operative period.
OU-HCOM Student Tiffany Stainfield, who is serving an OOA health policy rotation, and Matt Harney met with State Rep. Derek Merrin, chair of the Health Committee this week. Stainfield is from Merrin's 47th House District, which encompasses the majority of Fulton County and western parts of Lucas County.
State lawmakers have selected their leadership in the House of Representatives and Senate. Here's the full roster.
The 133rd Ohio General Assembly convened January 7, with both chambers conducting swearing-in ceremonies and electing their leadership. In the House of Representatives, Rep. Larry Householder (R-Glenford) narrowly edged out incumbent Rep. Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell) to take the speaker spot. The months-long battle between the two ended in a 52-46 vote that hinged on the Democrats. Householder served as House speaker from 2001-2004.
State lawmakers were busy during the lame duck session, which started after the November 6 election and concluded at the official close of the two-year session on December 31. Ten health-related bills became law, including a measure to reform step therapy. Ohio DOs and OOA staff had advocated for passage of the step therapy legislation.
The Ohio General Assembly recessed for summer break, June 27, after marathon sessions in both the House and Senate that lasted well into the evening. For the House of Representatives, it was a final attempt to address a backlog of legislation from the weeks-long deadlock over electing a new speaker. The 30+ bills included measures to toughen penalties for fentanyl traffickers, reduce state regulations by giving more power to the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review, and prohibit pharmacy benefit managers from imposing gag orders that prevent pharmacists from telling customers about cheaper drug options.