text:
Learning to save
Brazilian living in the United States pushes for financial education in public schools
EducationMathematics
Personal archive The book written by Costa is now used in math and financial education classes in BrazilPersonal archive
Rio de Janeiro native Paulo Costa always dreamed of studying abroad. In September 2009, a few months from graduating high school, he started looking at universities outside Brazil. His plan, inspired by his father, was to study chemical engineering. "I wanted to go to
France, but I don't speak French, so I decided to concentrate on universities in the US," he says. It was a race against the clock to complete all the required paperwork before the end of the year.
To save time, he used the Oportunidades Acadêmicas ("Academic Opportunities") program, which helps students in difficult financial situations apply to higher education programs at US institutions. Costa applied to 17 universities. He had already started his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) when the responses began to arrive in early 2010. He was accepted by Yale, Connecticut, with a full scholarship—studying there would usually cost about US$150,000 a year.
Aged 19, he moved to the USA. At Yale, he gave up on chemical engineering after mistakenly attending an economics class. "I left the room knowing this was what I wanted to do," he says. While taking part in a summer research program at the institution in 2011, one of his professors introduced him to Brazilian economist Armínio Fraga, a former president of the Central Bank of Brazil. "He suggested that I look at issues surrounding financial education and study this area in Brazil," he recalls.
Costa decided to evaluate the financial education level of the Brazilian population, returning to Brazil to start the research under Fraga's supervision. He successfully applied for funding from B3—the São Paulo Stock Exchange. The study used a questionnaire to ask participants about their financial education and their knowledge of mathematics, investment, and debt. "We hired a company to send the questionnaire out to 2,000 people nationwide," Costa says. "We found that the Brazilian public generally has a low level of financial education, at least partly due to the poor standard of mathematics education in the country," he says. Based on the data obtained and under Fraga's guidance, Costa began another project to promote the use of mathematics in financial education classes—and vice versa—at public schools in Brazil.
Fraga also put him in touch with Rio de Janeiro's State Education Secretary. "We had the idea of writing a new textbook and training teachers to use mathematics to explain economics concepts such as interest rates, inflation, loans, and debt." Costa wrote the material and the education secretary organized training for teachers from 12 public schools in Rio. "By early 2014, shortly before the project ended, we had implemented the program at 20 schools," Costa says.
Back in the USA, he graduated from Yale in May 2014. Shortly after, he began his master's degree and then his PhD in behavioral finance—which is still in progress—at Harvard University. He continues to promote financial education for young people, and in 2016 released the book Aprendendo a lidar com o dinheiro (Learning about money) (BEĨ), part of the "Por quê – Economês em bom português" ("Why? – Economese in good Portuguese") project. "We want the book to be part of the curriculum at public schools in Brazil," he explains. "We started in Goiás in 2017, and now we have introduced it at schools in Pernambuco and São Paulo too."

This work first appeared on Pesquisa FAPESP under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Read the original here.

Personal archive The book written by Costa is now used in math and financial education classes in BrazilPersonal archive Rio de Janeiro native Paulo Costa always dreamed of studying abroad. In September 2009, a few months from graduating high school, he started looking at universities outside Brazil. His plan, inspired by his father, was to study chemical engineering. "I wanted to go to France, but I don't speak French, so I decided to concentrate on universities in the US," he says. It was a race against the clock to complete all the required paperwork before the end of the year. To save time, he used the Oportunidades Acadêmicas ("Academic Opportunities") program, which helps students in difficult financial situations apply to higher education programs at US institutions. Costa applied to 17 universities. He had already started his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) when the responses began to arrive in early 2010. He was accepted by Yale, Connecticut, with a full scholarship—studying there would usually cost about US$150,000 a year. Aged 19, he moved to the USA. At Yale, he gave up on chemical engineering after mistakenly attending an economics class. "I left the room knowing this was what I wanted to do," he says. While taking part in a summer research program at the institution in 2011, one of his professors introduced him to Brazilian economist Armínio Fraga, a former president of the Central Bank of Brazil. "He suggested that I look at issues surrounding financial education and study this area in Brazil," he recalls. Costa decided to evaluate the financial education level of the Brazilian population, returning to Brazil to start the research under Fraga's supervision. He successfully applied for funding from B3—the São Paulo Stock Exchange. The study used a questionnaire to ask participants about their financial education and their knowledge of mathematics, investment, and debt. "We hired a company to send the questionnaire out to 2,000 people nationwide," Costa says. "We found that the Brazilian public generally has a low level of financial education, at least partly due to the poor standard of mathematics education in the country," he says. Based on the data obtained and under Fraga's guidance, Costa began another project to promote the use of mathematics in financial education classes—and vice versa—at public schools in Brazil. Fraga also put him in touch with Rio de Janeiro's State Education Secretary. "We had the idea of writing a new textbook and training teachers to use mathematics to explain economics concepts such as interest rates, inflation, loans, and debt." Costa wrote the material and the education secretary organized training for teachers from 12 public schools in Rio. "By early 2014, shortly before the project ended, we had implemented the program at 20 schools," Costa says. Back in the USA, he graduated from Yale in May 2014. Shortly after, he began his master's degree and then his PhD in behavioral finance—which is still in progress—at Harvard University. He continues to promote financial education for young people, and in 2016 released the book Aprendendo a lidar com o dinheiro (Learning about money) (BEĨ), part of the "Por quê – Economês em bom português" ("Why? – Economese in good Portuguese") project. "We want the book to be part of the curriculum at public schools in Brazil," he explains. "We started in Goiás in 2017, and now we have introduced it at schools in Pernambuco and São Paulo too."


text:
Delaware Riverkeeper Attempt to Apply ERA to Pipelines Shot Down
Posted on February 21, 2018 by Tom Shepstone
Shepstone Management Company, Inc.
The Delaware Riverkeeper used West Goshen Township as leverage in an attempt to apply Pennsylvania's Environmental Rights Amendment to pipelines. It failed.
The Delaware Riverkeeper (a/k/a "Povertykeeper") is, with the financial support of the William Penn Foundation, on a mission to expand the reach of the Pennsylvania's Environmental Rights Amendment (ERA) to every imaginable use in its campaign against fossil fuels and natural gas development. Happily, it just lost a big battle on that front (for now) in Pennsylvania's Commonwealth Court. Notwithstanding the win, it's time the industry played offense, though.
The Delaware River, the protection of which was once the supposed focus of the Riverkeeper organization, has been shoved to the back as Maya van Rossum has set her eyes on the real prize; law that trumps all other law and is enforceable by her through lawsuits funded by the elitist special interests for whom she shills. She desperately wants to be the individual who makes the ERA the ultimate weapon—the MOAB—in the battle to stop anything and everything. With Pennsylvania's Supreme Court now in the hands of a very political—power is all that matters—set of Democrats likely to be sympathetic to her views, she smells the potential of a victory down the road that will expand on the Robinson decision.
MOAB, "Mother of All Bombs"
The Robinson decision striking down most of Act 13 with regard to limits on municipal regulation of natural gas development was made with the support of a Republican Chief Justice blinded by a desire for an environmental legacy at the expense of law and reason. It elevated the importance of the ERA and Maya sought, in the case just decided by the Commonwealth Court regarding the Mariner East 2, to further expand its reach to cover pipelines. She failed. Here's the Commonwealth Court decision and, as usual, I've highlighted the most important parts, which include the following (emphasis added):
In 2012, Sunoco announced its intent to develop an integrated pipeline system for transporting petroleum products and natural gas liquids (NGLs) such as propane, ethane, and butane from the Marcellus and Utica Shales in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio to the Marcus Hook Industrial Complex (MHIC) and points in between. Sunoco's various filings described the overall goal of the Mariner East Project as an integrated pipeline system to move NGLs from the Marcellus and Utica Shales through and within the Commonwealth, and to provide take away capacity for the Marcellus and Utica Shale plays and the flexibility to reach various commercial markets, using pipeline and terminal infrastructure within the Commonwealth.
The Mariner East Project has two phases. The first phase, referred to as Mariner East 1 (ME1), was completed and utilized Sunoco's existing pipeline infrastructure, bolstered by a 51-mile extension from Houston, in Washington County, to Delmont, in Westmoreland County, to ship 70,000 barrels per day of NGLs from the Marcellus Shale basin to the MHIC. Sunoco has begun work on the second phase of the Mariner East Project, known as ME2. Unlike ME1, which used both existing and new pipelines, ME2 requires construction of a new 351-mile pipeline largely tracing the ME1 pipeline route, with origin points in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. With the exception of some valves, ME2 will be below ground level.
Significant for further discussion, new ME2 construction will be parallel to and mostly within the existing right of way of the ME1 pipeline…
Based on our recent en banc decision in Sunoco I, we hold that Sunoco is regulated as a public utility by the PUC and is a public utility corporation. In addition, we hold that Sunoco is providing intrastate pipeline transportation services regulated by the PUC. We reject Plaintiffs' arguments to the contrary…
Plaintiffs argue that the ME2 pipeline is not properly located because parts of it are proposed for incompatible residential zones where permission for such use has recently been withdrawn. Plaintiffs' Compl. at ¶11 ("Under the [2014] Ordinance a public utility facility use is permitted by conditional use, and no longer permitted by right in residential districts."). Plaintiffs also refer to the "hazardous" nature of the petroleum products involved in the pipeline transportation services, e.g., Appellants' Br. at 4; Reply Br. of Appellants at 21, protection of public natural resources generally, recent damage to drinking water supplies in particular, Reply Br. of Appellants at 12, and detrimental impacts on health, safety, welfare and property values. Id. at 13. We view these assertions as implicating the reasonableness and safety of the pipeline transportation services or facilities, matters committed to the expertise of the PUC by express statutory language. 66 Pa. C.S. §1505…
Most recently, and perhaps most importantly, Plaintiffs contend, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court set forth the clear limitations on the General Assembly's authority "to remove a political subdivision's implicitly necessary authority to carry into effect its constitutional duties." Robinson Twp. v. Commonwealth, 83 A.3d 901, 977 (Pa. 2013) (Robinson Twp. II); see also Pa. Envtl. Def. Found. v. Commonwealth, 161 A.3d 911, 931 (Pa. 2017) (PEDF)…
Significantly, Plaintiffs maintain, the trustee obligations set forth in the ERA are not vested exclusively in any single branch of Pennsylvania government. PEDF; Robinson Twp. II. Instead all Commonwealth agencies and entities have a fiduciary duty to act toward the corpus with prudence, loyalty and impartiality. PEDF; Robinson Twp. II. "This includes local governments." Robinson Twp. II, 83 A.3d at 956-57. Plaintiffs contend municipalities have those powers expressly granted to them by the Pennsylvania Constitution or by the General Assembly, and other authority implicitly necessary to carry into effect those express powers. Id. They assert that, while the General Assembly has the authority to alter or remove powers granted and obligations imposed on the municipality by statute, "constitutional commands regarding municipalities' obligations and duties to their citizens cannot be abrogated by statute." Id. at 977. Plaintiffs argue the General Assembly has no authority to remove a political subdivision's implicitly necessary authority to carry into effect its constitutional duties. Id…
Plaintiffs assert that, in Pennsylvania, protection of environmental values "is a quintessential local issue and must be tailored to local conditions." Id. at 979. "[A] new regulatory regime permitting industrial uses as a matter of right in every type of pre-existing zoning district is incapable of conserving or maintaining the constitutionally protected aspects of the public environment and of a certain quality of life." Id. Thus, when a local government is required to permit industrial uses in all zoning districts "some properties and communities will carry much heavier environmental habitability burdens than others …. This disparate effect is irreconcilable with the express command that the trustee manage the corpus of the trust for the benefit of 'all the people.'" Id. at 980 (quoting PA. CONST. art I, § 27). Plaintiffs argue that, placing uses in zoning districts not designated for those types of uses, i.e. "spot uses," disrupts the rational zoning scheme as a whole. Robinson Twp. I, 52 A.3d at 484 n.21.
Plaintiffs contend that, by finding that the zoning ordinance regulating the location of HVL pipelines in residential districts is preempted by the PUC's authority, the trial court did precisely what the Supreme Court prohibited in Robinson Township II. It allowed the General Assembly to remove the Township's ability to carry out its constitutionally mandated, and quintessentially local, duties as a trustee under the ERA. Plaintiffs argue this allowed the General Assembly to transgress its delegated police powers, which are limited by the ERA. Further, it allowed Sunoco, under the guise of the PUC, to place an industrial use as a matter of right in every type of pre-existing zoning district, a scheme that is incapable of conserving or maintaining the constitutionally protected aspects of the public environment and of a certain quality of life. It also allowed some properties to carry a much heavier environmental habitability burden than others, undermining the Township's ability as trustee to manage the corpus of the trust for the benefit of "all the people." PA. CONST. art. I, §27. They argue such a clear violation of the ERA cannot stand…
There are three generally recognized forms of preemption: (1) express or explicit preemption, where the statute includes a preemption clause, the language of which specifically bars local authorities from acting on a specific subject matter; (2) conflict preemption, where the local enactment irreconcilably conflicts with or stands as an obstacle to the execution of the full purposes of the statute; and (3) field preemption, where analysis of the entire statute reveals the General Assembly's implicit intent to occupy the field completely and to permit no local enactments…
In Duquense Light Co. v. Upper St. Clair Township, our Supreme Court held that field preemption precluded the application of a township zoning ordinance to a public utility…
The Supreme Court added its own discussion on the policy driving its holding in favor of the public utility:
Any other conclusion than that reached by the chancellor would render the [PUC] powerless to regulate the functioning of an electric service company if in so doing the [PUC] contravened any regulation or order of a local zoning authority. If the power of the municipality were held paramount, the [PUC] could not compel the utility to provide adequate service or in anywise control the expansion or extension of the utility's facilities if an order of the [PUC] conflicted with action taken by any political subdivision of the State. This would mean the complete negation of the powers of regulation and control specifically given as a matter of public policy to the [PUC] in the interest of state-wide public welfare…
Following our careful review of the Public Utility Code, and in particular the current iterations of the provisions cited by our Supreme Court in County of Chester, we conclude that the General Assembly intended the PUC to occupy the field of public utility regulation, in the absence of an express grant of authority to the contrary…
After extensively evaluating the statutory terms, our Supreme Court in Duquesne Light Co. v. Upper St. Clair Township, and later in County of Chester, identified an over-arching policy embedded in our public utilities statutes: to commit the regulation of public utility facilities to a state-wide commission, the PUC, because the rendition of efficient service to the public transcends the legitimate objectives of any one of the political subdivisions of the Commonwealth. Duquense Light Co. v. Upper St. Clair Township, 105 A.2d at 293; accord Cnty. of Chester, 218 A.2d at 333 ("If each county was to pronounce its own regulation and control over electric wires, pipe lines and oil lines, the conveyors of power and fuel could become so twisted and knotted as to affect adversely the welfare of the entire state.")…
The practical conflict is even more apparent with a careful review of the facts here. Plaintiffs concede that the proposed route of the ME2 pipeline through the Township "follows an existing [Sunoco] hazardous liquids pipeline …." Compl. ¶7. In Sunoco I, it was revealed that the ME2 pipeline will be "paralleling and mostly within the existing right of way of the [ME1] pipeline." Id. at 1008 (emphasis added). Thus, the 2014 Ordinance, zoning pipelines out of residential zones, conflicts with full use of a pre-existing pipeline right of way.
We reject Plaintiffs' arguments that there is no conflict between the 2014 Ordinance and the Public Utility Code: a) because the PUC does not have any regulations governing pipeline location; b) because the PUC concedes it lacks authority over the siting of hazardous liquid pipelines; and, c) because the PUC lacks procedural machinery to adjudicate their rights.
First, while it may be true that the PUC has no regulations covering pipeline siting, this is irrelevant. The PUC exercises its authority in several ways, including regulations and orders. Regardless of whether there are PUC regulations governing the location of pipelines, there are numerous PUC orders governing the ME2 pipeline, as discussed in such detail in Sunoco I that further review is unnecessary.
There is no express preemption provision in either the Public Utility Code or in the MPC. Nevertheless, our prior discussion explains the long-standing public policy embedded in the Public Utility Code and its predecessor statutes: public utilities are to be regulated by an agency of the Commonwealth with state-wide jurisdiction rather than a myriad of local governments with different regulations…
For the following reasons, we decline to embrace Plaintiffs' arguments based on the Township's constitutional duties to protect public natural resources, as embodied in the ERA and discussed recently by our Supreme Court in Robinson Township II and PEDF.
First and foremost, the cases relied upon by Plaintiffs do not deal with public utility services and facilities regulated by the PUC, and they are distinguishable for this important reason. We are not persuaded that the cases signify an intent to protect public natural resources trumps all other legal concerns raised by every type of party under all circumstances. Plaintiffs, however, offer no principled contours for their broad argument.
Second, Plaintiffs do not explain how the ERA, Article I, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, adopted in 1971, impacts long-standing, pre-existing law involving regulation of public utilities, without expressly referring to the topic. Similarly, Plaintiffs do not explain how the 2014 Ordinance impacts long-standing, pre-existing law involving regulation of public utilities…
Third, Plaintiffs do not explain how the 2014 Ordinance furthers the Township's ERA trustee duties and relates to conserving public natural resources. This is especially true where, as here, the pipeline in question will be placed in or near a pre-existing pipeline right of way and parallel to a pre-existing pipeline…
Plaintiffs argue it is irrational to have incompatible land uses in a zone that was established to achieve a non-industrial character and non-industrial development and conservation goals. Robinson Twp. I; see also Robinson Twp. II (Baer, J., concurring). Such incompatible uses upset the established expectations of those who live there, such as investment decisions regarding businesses and homes on the assurance that the zoning district will only be developed for compatible uses. See Robinson Twp. II (Baer, J., concurring). Plaintiffs assert that Sunoco's placement of an HVL pipeline in residential districts renders the zoning districts irrational and unconstitutional…
Plaintiffs' incompatible-uses-in-residential-zones argument is flawed, for several reasons..
It is the proverbial square peg in the round hole…
Moreover, there are factual problems. According to Plaintiffs' complaint, public utility facilities were until recently permitted by right in residential zones of the Township. See Compl. at ¶11 ("Under the [2014] Ordinance a public utility facility use is permitted by conditional use, and no longer permitted by right in residential districts."). In any event, there is a pre-existing pipeline in the Township. See Compl. at ¶7. As revealed in Sunoco I, most of the new ME2 pipeline will be parallel to and within the right-of-way of the pre-existing pipeline. Sunoco I, 143 A.3d at 1009. These facts are at odds with Plaintiffs' general assertions of incompatible uses.
Further, as to expectations of property owners, the onset of regulation by the 2014 Ordinance post-dates the expectations of the public utility when it acquired the right of way and constructed the pre-existing pipeline. Also, it is difficult to assess the "pipeline-free" expectations of homeowners in the residential zones in light of the pre-existing pipeline and right of way. Although Plaintiffs argue about established expectations of those living in the residential zones, Appellants' Br. at 26, Plaintiffs Casey and Grote do not aver that they purchased their properties after enactment of the 2014 Ordinance, that they somehow relied upon the 2014 Ordinance, or that they expected no public utility facility in their residential zones. These factual circumstances raise questions of the viability of Plaintiffs' substantive due process claim.
It's a pretty clear win and we can all be thankful for that. Notwithstanding this, the decision suggests a wholly different strategy on the part of the industry is urgently needed. Why? Well, consider, these points:
A huge factor in the decision was clearly the fact ME2 parallels ME1, an existing pipeline. Would it have been the same in the case of a new pipeline that didn't follow such a route? Probably, but it would have been less clear and left wiggle room for sympathetic judges.
There was a dissenter from the decision and another judge who both concurred and dissented. Judges Patricia McCollough and P. Kevin Brobson, both Republicans, felt the Plaintiffs were entitled to request relief as to route location and suggested the matter should have been directed to the PUC to consider. They had obvious sympathy for ME2 opponents. The Povertykeeper hadn't asked for that, though, because they're only interested in stopping pipelines, not rerouting them. What if they had asked? More delay, more confusion, more dilution of the pipeline authority, would have been the likely outcomes.
This decision, for the Delaware Riverkeeper, is nothing more than a stepping stone to Pennsylvania's Supreme Court, where Maya knows there's a more friendly group of judges. While the Commonwealth Court's opinion in this case is a strong one, the Supreme Court has already taken other cases on the ERA issue where there were equally strong opinions from the lower court. The PA Supremes" recent venture into the politics of gerrymandering six years after districting (whatever the merits) indicates it has has little respect for precedent and is looking to do political things.
The Delaware Riverkeeper has a bottomless supply of money from the William Penn Foundation to continue the assaults on the industry and chip, chip away with precedent and gradually open the door to wholesale changes in the way pipelines are regulated. They have a long-term strategy that is as well-funded as it could be.
The Delaware Riverkeeper is on the offense at all times, while the industry is on the defense at all times. This a self-evident path to disaster if the industry doesn't pursue offense.
What can be done? Well, perhaps the industry might start by using the obviously very competent lawyers who handled this case to launch lawsuits challenging the Delaware Riverkeeper's and, especially, the William Penn Foundation's tax exemptions.
Sue the bastards for violating every tax rule imaginable and ask for damages for what they've cost pipeline companies with frivolous delays. Start pushing for legislation to strip 501c3 non-profits of any rights to lobby and demand they create 501c4 organizations (donations to which are not tax-exempt) to do the politics with no mingling of funds allowed whatsoever.
This is what must be done! Go on offense dammit!
2 thoughts on "Delaware Riverkeeper Attempt to Apply ERA to Pipelines Shot Down"
Tom Costell on February 21, 2018 at 5:33 pm said:
Damn right, go on the offense! Even if the strategy is expensive, it is the only rational strategy. The politicians are so blinded by the environmental zealots, they can't see the forest from the trees. Can't they see (or refuse to see) that their constituents will pay the price of higher energy costs? Can't they envision that there will probably be more pollution as power companies revert to coal because they can't get access to clean natural gas? There is not one reasonable person that can assert that in the northeast United States that everything can be solved with solar and wind. The northeast has the highest population density of any region in the U.S.(read energy usage). I've lived in the northeast. The sun does not shine that much! Look at the percentages of renewables now and assert that somehow in the near future that miraculously it can all be transformed into wind and solar utopia. Ridiculous and scandalous!
coffeeguyzz on February 22, 2018 at 8:16 am said:
+1000 Mr. Shepstone.
Virtually all companies in the hydrocarbon industry are engaged in an existential war – not of their choosing – and either recognize this, fully engage and destroy their enemies … or wind up being destroyed.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
General Rugby Union
Stats show Joey cuts it in either code
Thread starter M-Time
M-Time
Change is avalanching upon our heads, and most people are grotesquely unprepared to cope with it. - Alvin Toffler, Future Shock.
Andrew "Joey" Johns has been reading and thinking a lot lately, mainly about change.
He's considered the implications of the ARL changing a rule which would effectively mean he would become the first Australian to miss a Test match to play a club game.
He's been watching Tri Nations matches, wondering whether rugby union and rugby league are prepared for how closely they are coming together.
The thought that he could have been in the Wallabies' No.10 jumper tonight has been swept into the avalanche of events in 2005.
His season began with a listless, futile quest to help the Knights win a match, had a middle where he inspired NSW to Origin victory, and could end with him holding the code's highest individual honour - the Dally M.
Johns's current match-day statistics are, on the NRL information superhighway, 20 exits beyond awesome.
In the post-Origin period, the Knights have won five games from six, scoring 26 tries. Johns has scored one but has 16 try assists. The Knights have made 34 line breaks, of which Johns has three and 12 line-break assists.
Based on this form, the Australian Rugby Union citing his perceived lack of durability as the reason it would not support a Waratahs push to have him switch codes is akin to focusing on Cindy Crawford's mole.
Ask Johns if he could do the same job for the Wallabies tonight at Telstra Stadium in the Bledisloe Cup and he praises the incumbent five-eighth, Matt Giteau, and his injured predecessor, Stephen Larkham.
"I'm really interested in seeing how Matt Giteau goes as No.10," he said of the son of former Western Suburbs and Roosters centre Ron Giteau. "He's a great talent."
Of Larkham, who injured his shoulder against South Africa, he said: "I watch him all the time. Before he went over to South Africa, I thought he was in outstanding form. He did all the clever ball-playing things, showing them the ball, passing it inside and outside."
Given the ARU's doubts, it's worth comparing Johns's durability with that of Larkham, an exercise made poignant because they were born in the same month of 1974.
Johns has played 218 games from a maximum of 287 for Newcastle since he became a regular first-grader in 1994, a 76 per cent rate. Larkham has played 98 Super 12 games, including finals, plus an additional five games for the Brumbies, for a 75 per cent rate. Johns's State of Origin numbers are also impressive: 23 games from the 33 possible, for 70 per cent.
However, Larkham has played 80 Tests in an era when the Wallabies play about 11 a year, for 73 per cent. Johns has played 18 Tests from the 35 possible, for 51 per cent.
"Will that percentage go down even further this year?" he asks semi-seriously of ARL uncertainty whether to grant him a dispensation should he apply to miss an October 15 Test against New Zealand to play for English club Warrington in a grand final.
With a sigh worthy of Hamlet, Johns comments: "Ahh, that's the big question." Anxious to sidestep the debate, he says: "I can see both sides. "They [The ARL] are wary of the consequences if they change it."
Of his low percentage of Test matches, he points out that most of his injuries have been late in the season, just before the internationals are played. "In the late 1990s I had groin operations, then in 2002, 2003, 20004 I had back, neck and knee injuries," he explains. "Those injuries robbed me of a few games. It's disappointing."
Still, in the Johns-Larkham era, Johns has played 80 more games and, other than a romp against Fiji, none has been against easybeats like Italy and Samoa. With arm and leg injuries preventing Larkham from playing much Super 12 this season and a reconstructed shoulder delaying his return until the Super 14 season and Johns recently re-signed until 2008, the doubts the ARU raised over his longevity are worth questioning.
"I don't want to bag blokes," Johns says firmly. "I can understand their position. It would have been a risk if I went over [from league to union]."
Johns prefers to direct praise to All Blacks five-eighth Daniel Carter.
"I saw what he did to the Lions," he says. "He's phenomenal. A lot of rugby union's five-eighths don't ball-play.
"It's usually the inside-centre who acts as a second flyhalf and does the ball-play.
"But Daniel Carter doesn't mind flying into them and putting balls on. His passing is done at the right time. His kicking is done at the right time."
Johns commented that if Carter converted to rugby league tomorrow, "he'd pick it up straight away".
Johns begged off outlining how he would play the All Blacks and Carter, saying it was the one thing to which he had not devoted much thought recently.
"The blueprint would be the way the Springboks moved them around," he said finally. "With Carter, I'd have to approach him the way you prepare for Darren Lockyer.
"You'd make sure he does as much defence as possible and send the big blokes at him."
NSW State of Origin coach Ricky Stuart, an international in both rugby codes, has no doubt Johns would execute whatever plan Wallabies coach Eddie Jones gave him.
"Joey takes the tactics and pattern you adopt on the training field and mirrors them on the playing field," Stuart said.
"He has the great knack of transferring it to the game. It's a sign of class. A coach doesn't have to waste time with the video or the whiteboard.
"When a team is fatigued and under the pump, it gives a coach a great feeling of comfort to know he has someone out there who can slow it down, or quicken it up, play inside or outside, play it close or let the ball fly."
It would seem that Andrew Johns still has enough juice to give the future of either of the rugby codes a shock.
sanzar
The man's a legend, no doubt about it! I would have loved to have seen him in a Waratahs Jersey this year... and he certainly would have been pretty bloody good at flyhalf for the wallabies!
THE CHIROPRACTOR101
johns wud teach wilkinson a lesson or two
too late now carter has done that..
mmmmmm
carter vs joey johns!
I'd like to See a Carter/McAlister to take on Johns/Lockyer one day...
Has Joey actually put pen to paper on the Newcastle deal yet Sanzar?
Originally posted by M-Time@Aug 13 2005, 05:55 PM
From what I understand he did it a couple weeks ago... They let him go to Warrington on the priviso that he signed with Newcastle untill 2008.


Top 10 Holland America Cruise Deals Not To Miss!
Holland America sails to every continent and has exciting itineraries for all corners of the world. Here are the top 10 best Holland America cruise deals.
1.	Holland America Alaska cruise tours are a great way to take in the majesty of Alaska. The 7-night roundtrip from Vancouver cruise is on sale from only $849pp., a savings of 50% off! This tour goes through the Inside Passage, Tracy Arm Fjord, and stops in Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay National Park and Ketchikan.
2.	Anchorage-Vancouver is also on sale, with an oceanview room starting at just $799pp. for a savings of 64%. This 7-night one way trip includes Glacier Bay National Park, Haines, Juneau, Ketchikan and the Inside Passage.
3.	Canada cruise deals include the 13 night cruise where an oceanview room is only $799pp., saving you 72% off. This cruise departs Quebec City and stops in Saguenay, Saguenay Fjord, Baie-Comeau, Charlottetown, Sydney, Halifax, Bar Harbor, Boston and Newport before heading to Ft. Lauderdale.
4.	Australian cruise deals include the amazing 15 night escape from Perth to Sydney. This trip starts from just $1,199pp., saving you 64% off. Stops include Albany, Esperance, Port Lincoln, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, Melbourne and Burnie and Hobart in Tasmania.
5.	Another Australian Holland America cruise deal is the 14 night journey roundtrip from Sydney, Australia. Starting at just $1,199pp., saving you 62% you can have up to two additional passengers at $199 each when they share a cabin with you. This cruise has stops in Brisbane, Hamilton Island, Mackay, Lifou, Ile de Pins and Noumea in South Caledonia.
6.	For European cruise deals, look no further than sailing for 10 nights roundtrip from Copenhagen. From just $1,799pp., it is a savings of 50% off. This cruise hits such destinations as Tallinn, St. Petersburg Russia, Helsinki, Stockholm, Berlin and Kiel.
7.	16-nights cruise from Athens to Rome allows you stops in Cairo, Jerusalem, Haifa, Antalya, Marmaris, Ephesus, Olympia, Corfu, Korcula and Brindisi. Starting at just $1,199pp., this is a savings of 79% off the regular brochure price.
8.	Holland America cruise deals that head to Hawaii are available like the sailing roundtrip from San Diego. Starting from just $1,399pp., saving 42 % off the regular price, this cruise is 14 nights long and features stops in Hilo, Honolulu, Nawiliwili, Lahaina and Ensenada, Mexico.
9.	Touring the British Isles? How about the 12 night trip from Copenhagen to Amsterdam, now starting at just $2,299pp., which is 40% off. This cruise stops in Oslo, Bergen, Skjolden, Lerwick Shetland Islands, Glasgow, Dublin and Waterford, Ireland.
10.	Holland America cruise deals also apply to their transatlantic crossings, like crossing combined with Caribbean and Canary islands where an oceanview room starts at just $3699pp., saving you 47%. This cruise starts in Ft. Lauderdale and ends in Rome with stops including St. Maarten, Tenerife, Las Palmas Grand Canary Island, Lanzarote, Casablanca, Tangier, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca.
Travel in style when you choose Holland America. They have the best itineraries for the best destinations the world over.


It's a well-known fact that Indian citizens are a well-travelled lot. Our citizens contribute significantly to the tourism spends in countries such as Switzerland, UAE and Singapore. On the other hand, the attractiveness of India as a tourist destination has improved only marginally over the years, and much remains to be done in this regard.
The Tourism Attractiveness Index of the World Economic Forum ranks India at 51. To put things in perspective, Spain has been ranked 1st, China 17th and UAE 24th. This assumes greater significance, because tourism currently contributes only 7 percent of the country's GDP, which is much lower than the global average of 10 percent.
Ahead of Budget 2017, it was hoped that there would be specific initiatives introduced for destination development, safety and sanitation, service improvement, tax relief and infrastructure support. Many expectations have indeed been met, at least in part.
The proposal to establish five tourism zones is a welcome move and an important step towards destination development. While the specifics are awaited, focused development of a delineated area tends to ensure that our objectives are met faster and with better spending efficiency.
Though direct initiatives for safety and sanitation were not announced, the ongoing Swachh Bharat Abhiyan would certainly help. However, a dedicated programme in the tourism zones may be necessary to engender any notable improvements in the safety and sanitation parameters of the zones.
For the Indian tourism industry, service improvements were anticipated in many areas, including visa processing, hotel booking, entry fees, special packages and transport bookings. Many of these services are provided by SMEs. The reduced corporate tax of 25% for this group announced in the budget, coupled with the ongoing push towards digitisation of payments, would bring many SME service providers into the formal economy. This would enhance the ability of domestic and international tourists to access the requisite services with much lower scope for price distortion.
Tax incidence on tourism and related activities continues to be an area of concern. Since tourism is nearly always a discretionary spending item in a household or corporate budget, the market for tourism is fairly price sensitive. The ability of tour operators in India to formulate price-competitive packages is hindered on account of high incidence of direct and indirect tax on the sector. Further, we have not been able to attract players such as Universal Studios, Disney, Legoland and Ferrari, partly on account of a high tax incidence on their proposed investment and operations. Specific tax incentives for the tourism industry would certainly help.
The infrastructure development aspect has certainly received a good fillip. Connectivity to tier-2 locations has been emphasised, particularly with the regional connectivity scheme in civil aviation, which is expected to favorably impact the footfall in these locations. The focus on cleanliness and security of railway stations is also a welcome move and the redevelopment of the stations with high-quality amenities will make it easier for tourists to use railways for their trips. Additionally, the linking of special tourist circuit trains will bring the key tourist locations back in focus.
Branding and promotions have been a cornerstone of the tourism strategy of many countries. The objective is to improve per-capita tourist spending so that we are able to reap higher revenues per footfall. It is now critical that we improve the mindshare among discerning and high-spending tourists. The plan to launch 'Incredible India 2.0' is therefore a timely initiative.
Budget 2017 has been effective in promoting key areas of infrastructure improvement and service delivery through SME support. The emphasis on infrastructure and service delivery should continue; at the same time, tax incentives and safety and sanitation should not be ignored. They should be areas of focus for the government.
Saif Athar is director and Ghosh, associate director, Capital Projects & Infrastructure, PwC.


The use of "or" is inclusive unless stated otherwise.
So basically, here it is - Out of Print Clothing - http://outofprintclothing.com visit this awesome online store and pick out some gear. They do the rest! I purchased a Pride and Prejudice shirt (Jane Austen's another of my favorite authors and the shirt is just pretty).
"In addition to spreading the joy of reading through our tees and accessories, we acknowledge that many parts of the world don't have access to books at all. We are working to change that. For each product sold, one book is donated to a community in need through our partner Books For Africa."
If your wardrobe is already full of 1984 iphone cases, you can go directly to Books for Africa and donate: www.booksforafrica.org.
I've just started another Kazuo Ishiguro novel, it's been hanging out on my phone forever and I've been distracting myself from reading lately. I am not sure what my deal has been. I think that sometimes I get so invested in what I read that it is all consuming and draining and when my energies are already depleted, I cannot afford that kind of venture.
What's everyone got on their summer reading lists? I'm so backlogged but always open for suggestions!
Speaking of books, I need to go grab one for the LSAT. I thought I had one but goodness knows I still haven't completely unpacked...Yes, yes, De Nile ain't just a river...I need to start my studying in August at the latest. (And OMG I looked at some of the prep logic questions and I am seriously questioning my sanity)! Goodness knows I have the worst study habits sometimes...(Best line from a song ever, "Blame it on my ADD, baby" - it rivals "used to be commander-in-chief of my PimpShip flying high" both are ever so apropos right now).
I've been very, very sick this past week - which ended up putting a damper on my weekend o' fun that I had planned. I still attended most events but I was unable to enjoy or stay very long. I'm taking suggestions for anything that will help! Leave me a comment with your cures or send me an email! Thanks in advance!
Happy and safe travels to my family abroad! I love you guys and miss you already! Can't wait for your return with tales of Nepal and monkeys!!!!
A note to B, I miss you, my friend. You are in my thoughts!
I miss him, achingly so.
I carry around The Gift in it's plastic protective packaging...taking it out each morning to employ, sliding my fingers over it's length, letting it find it's natural place in my hand...then slipping it back into it's packaging, every evening. Toting it home with me in my purse.
It still brings a smile to my lips.
I was asked if I was going to send it back.
The idea makes my eyes sting.
While he was no knight in shining armor, mind you I am no damsel in distress - just your average princess, I had been enjoying him so...I was feeling like I was getting to know him...And I guess now I do.
So, I started to write a bit of a rant about a conversation I had yesterday...And then I realized I just don't care. I think too much sometimes and when I ramble on I think it sounds like I'm more invested than I actually am.
It's just me considering all angles of a situation, trying to put myself in someone else's shoes, etc. It's not that I actually "care" or don't care, it's more like a puzzle for me to figure out.
My brain does this at times - especially when it has nothing better to do. I remember when I was unemployed for that year, I was so miserable. I made up things to think about. Puzzles to solve. Things to take my attention, mysteries to wonder about - anything to distract myself from how unhappy I was.
This is why I think I loved being in school so much. And why I think I should go back.
The last three years of my life have been nothing but a distraction. I think that the last few months have been the most reality I've had in a long time and it's really nice. I love the doing....I love the activity...And I love that I'm no longer cooped up in front of a computer all the time, wasting away in a fantasy world.
Last Thursday, I sat for two hours across the table from Janelle and I marveled at watching her face light up when she talked. Last Saturday, instead of calling my grandmother, I went and visited her and gave her a kiss upon arriving. When Rob and I parted last Sunday, I loved saying goodbye by putting my arms around him.
That's real. That's reality. That's living.
Once again, Snowy, you were right. I love you so much, some days it hurts (and not just because I can feel the smack upside my head through the phone). Thank you. I needed the slap. I know you've been beating me for the last couple of years to DO something, anything other than what I was doing, I'm just thick-skulled at times.
Anyway, I'm going to take the LSAT in October. I don't know that I have fully committed to going to law school but it's sounding more and more appealing. I need somewhere around a 155, which I'm told is very doable. Though I've also been informed with my high GPA I should actually shoot for something over 160 (of course, being me, I will want the highest score I can get).
Well, on that note, I should go live my life today! And if you're reading my ramblings, you're most likely someone I love very much. :-) I hope you are well and know how important you are to me. And if we haven't talked in a bit, give me a call - I would love to apologize for my absenteeism and reconnect!
And so wrong about people?
Josh lies to me, cheats and then steals from me. Snowy was right from the beginning.
So....I need to fix this about myself. Yes, these people are failures and they will be cursed with themselves forever. But I don't wish to continue this pattern and associate myself with said individuals. So, I must change. No more naive beliefs in the good of everyone.
...coffee....a brief walk in the beautiful summer afternoon....late lunch, early dinner...discussions of a next time...can't wait..
Weird alien dreams this week...the funniest one was when the aliens were socks and to chase them off we had to put blankets on our heads and chant something. I woke up at stupid o'clock in the morning laughing.
He's smart and funny and I'm intrigued.
I don't know if I've been too busy or too engaged elsewhere but I just learned of Ray Bradbury's death last week - how I didn't hear this before, I don't know.
I was just talking about how I missed my annual spring reading of Fahrenheit 451 - my all time favorite book.
All I can say is, thank you, Mr. Bradbury.
Sunburned, lying in bed wishing for sleep.
Had a freaky dream last night. Malevolent aliens. Not like the ones from my home planet.
What I wouldn't give for the sound of his voice right,now. I want a story. One of his stories.
I drank something called snoozeberry and I wonder what he's doing.
I thought I had it figured out this week. I thought I knew what I was doing.
I shouldn't do this. I shouldn't let this happen.
Went to lunch and a festival. It was fun. And hot.
I think it's a love letter.
Anyway...Last night I ate spinach. I ate far too much spinach. I ate enough spinach to make myself sick. I am not sure what my spinach threshold is, exactly...but I crossed it last night and ended up with a horrible stomach ache that found me in bed by around 9pm. Lol.
I am assembling his gift. Well, actually, collecting it right now. Getting the items gathered. Then it will be time to add...flare..sparkles...happiness...His gift to me was SERIOUS...mine is silly...Well, most of it. I'm going to include a copy of my favorite book - he's not read it yet.
I wish I could make something meaningful. He deserves that. He deserves more. He deserves more than what I can give him.


Rising Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas is aiming to continue his remarkable run at the Australian Open as he comes up against 17-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals in Melbourne on Thursday.
Tsitsipas, 20, has captivated tennis fans with his fearless approach Down Under, becoming the youngest Grand Slam semifinalist in more than a decade.
The Greek famously saw off Roger Federer over four sets in the fourth round, in what is increasingly being hailed as a coming of age tournament for the talented young 14th seed.
Tsitsipas made use of his sumptuous one-handed backhand throughout that contest, but perhaps more importantly he followed it up with a dogged win over Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarterfinals, showing that he has steel to match his elegant style.
The Greek hails from impressive sporting stock, with his Russian mother Julia Apostoli a former top 200 player in the professional ranks and his maternal grandfather Sergei Salnikov part of the Soviet Union football team that won the gold medal at the 1956 Olympics – coincidentally held in Melbourne.
Tsitsipas described himself as the "happiest man on earth" after his win over 20-time Grand Slam winner Federer, which he called a "dream come true."
That game was heralded by some as a changing of the guard at the top of men's tennis, but in Nadal, Tsitsipas will face another of the sport's old guard.
The Spaniard, 32, is aiming to edge closer to Federer's record haul of 20 Grand Slam titles, and is formidably yet to drop a set at Melbourne this year.
Nadal has one Australian Open title to his name – claimed in 2009 – but the number two seed has looked characteristically determined Down Under in 2019.
Even more importantly, he has appeared unhindered by the knee and ankle problems that plagued him last season.
The Spanish clay-court master has the potential confidence booster of having won both of his previous meetings with Tsitsipas – at the Barcelona Open last May and in the Rogers Cup final in August – but he knows he will meet a different prospect this time round as the Greek youngster shows an increasing maturity to his game.
Standing in the way of the winner is either number one seed and 14-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic or surprise French semifinalist Lucas Pouille.
Pouille, 24, overcame 16th-seeded Milos Raonic in four sets to reach his maiden Grand Slam semifinal.
While the French 28th seed has impressed so far, Djokovic will be heavily fancied to win the match and earn a shot at a seventh Australian Open title.
The Serb also had the luxury of a curtailed quarterfinal after Japan's Kei Nishikori retired injured while 6-1 4-1 down.
Ominously for the other men left in the draw, Djokovic has never failed to win the tournament after reaching the last four in Melbourne.
In the women's draw, Japanese star Naomi Osaka, 22, is aiming to follow up on her US Open title with victory in Melbourne.
The fourth seed faces Czech ace Karolina Pliskova, who staged a stunning comeback to defeat Serena Williams in their quarterfinal.
In the other women's last-four encounter, unseeded American Danielle Collins, 25, meets Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic.
Kvitova, 28, is continuing her remarkable comeback after being stabbed in the hand in a career-threatening incident in a robbery at her home in 2016.
The two-time Wimbledon champion has described her return to the sport in 2017 as her "second career," and broke down in tears on court amid emotional scenes after her win against home favorite Ashleigh Barty in the quarterfinals.
Wherever you look this year, the Australian Open is serving up drama aplenty – with the promise of much more to come.


text:
How much would you pay for a streaming service for your dog?
Yes this is real. But it's also pretty cheap.
By StackCommerce on February 3, 2020
Over 10 million dogs have been helped. Credit: relax my dog
TL;DR: Keep your pup entertained with a 2-year subscription to Relax My Dog Video Streaming(Opens in a new window)(opens in a new tab) for $39.99, a 52% savings.
Long before Spotify released(Opens in a new window) pet playlists, the geniuses at Relax My Dog were creating YouTube videos and music compilations specifically for your anxious or hyperactive four-legged friends. But unlike Spotify's playlists, which have no real rhyme or reason, Relax My Dog's formula is based on more than seven years of research.
We've discussed the weird and wonderful world of dog relaxation videos(Opens in a new window) before, but now you can save over 50% on a two-year subscription to this renowned video service(Opens in a new window)(opens in a new tab).
Whether your pup is anxious, lonely, stressed, bored, or hyperactive, there are music and TV content designed specifically for them. It can all be streamed round-the-clock, as the content loops go on for hours. Plus, there are no breaks for advertising like there are for human TV (looking at you, Hulu).
Beyond music and TV, there's also DIY and advice content for human-dog parents. Plus, new content is constantly being added. The science behind it all is still a bit vague, but the service claims to have helped more than 10 million dogs in some 100 countries so far, so that's something.
Beyond YouTube, Relax My Dog Video Streaming offers a host of services you can access on iOS, Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Roku, Android, or directly on their website. And right now, you can get a two-year subscription for just $39.99(Opens in a new window)(opens in a new tab) – 52% off the usual cost.
Credit: relax my dog
Relax My Dog Video Streaming: 2-Yr Subscription — $39.99 (opens in a new tab) (Opens in a new window)


The Israeli government and its right-wing supporters have been waging a "McCarthyite" campaign against human rights groups by blaming them for the barrage of international criticism that has followed Israel's attack on Gaza a year ago, critics say.
In a sign of the growing backlash against the human rights community, the cabinet backed a bill last week that, if passed, will jail senior officials from the country's peace-related organizations should they fail to meet tough new registration conditions.
The measure is a response to claims by right-wing lobbyists that Israel's human rights advocates supplied much of the damaging evidence of war crimes cited by Judge Richard Goldstone in his UN-commissioned report into Israel's Operation Cast Lead.
Popular support for the clampdown was revealed in a poll published last week showing that 57 percent of Israeli Jews believed "national security" issues should trump human rights.
In a related move, right-wing groups have launched a campaign of vilification against Naomi Chazan, the Israeli head of an American Jewish donor body called the New Israel Fund (NIF) that channels money to Israeli social justice groups. The NIF is accused of funding the Israeli organizations Goldstone consulted for his report.
Leading the charge against human rights groups — most of which are officially described as "nongovernmental organizations" — has been a self-styled "watchdog group" known as NGO Monitor. Its activities have won support from the government following the international censure faced by Israel for its attack on Gaza.
The bill, approved by a ministerial committee last week, is the product of a conference staged in the parliament in December by Gerald Steinberg, NGO Monitor's director, and a settler-backed organization known as the Institute of Zionist Strategies.
According to the legislation, human rights groups will have to satisfy a long list of new conditions. They include: registering as political bodies; submitting ID numbers and addresses for all activists; providing detailed accounts of all donations from overseas and the purposes to which they will be put; and declaring the support of foreign countries every time an activist makes a speech or the organization stages an event.
Caught in the middle of the campaign against the NGOs has been Chazan, a former dovish MP.
Maariv, a populist newspaper, published a report last month by a right-wing group called Im Tirtzu that blamed Chazan and the NIF for funding human rights groups responsible for 90 percent of the criticisms of Israel contained in the Goldstone report that were from non-official sources.
A counter report last week suggested that in reality only about four percent of the citations were from NIF-funded groups, and many were unrelated to the Gaza operation.
But the attack on Chazan has rapidly gained traction, with commentators denouncing her in the media and the derogatory billboard posters springing up across the country.
Chazan has also been sacked by the right-wing Jerusalem Post newspaper after 14 years of serving as one of its few liberal columnists, while an article accusing Chazan of "serving the agenda of Iran and Hamas" was distributed to foreign journalists by the Government Press Office.


Over the 30 years that I have been doing contest prep, I have learned a lot and developed a process that has shown consistent results over and over again. I now call this my 3-Phase CP (Contest Prep) Protocol. At Maximum Fitness I have trained hundreds of clients using my CP (Contest Prep) Protocol, taking them step-by-step through the four phases. You may have used other trainers before, with mixed results. But I can assure you the MaxFit 3-Phase CP Protocol will have you have you in peak shape the day of your show!
Over the years I have been doing this, I have learned that the biggest hinderance to building muscle and losing fat is not exercise or diet, but hormonal. The problem is that our bodies have built up so many toxins that our hormones are all out of balance. It is critical to start off any contest prep with our detoxification process to cleanse your body of toxins, stabilize your blood sugar, balance your hormones and prepare your muscles for growth. This necessary first step will ensure your muscles are tuned and ready to absorb the proteins, amino acids and nutrients we will be providing it. If you have had trouble burning that last bit of fat or have stubborn areas where it is difficult to build muscle, we have the perfect program for you. Our Phase I Nutritional Plan will provide you everything you need to start building muscle and burning fat!
In this phase we will be focused on building up muscle mass all over your body. Using our tried and true training methods, combined with our Phase 2 Nutritional Plan, you will experience muscle hypertrophy like never before. Building muscle mass is more than just lifting heavy every day. We will constantly be varying and tuning your training program, using what we call "advanced basics", volume training and forced overload. We balance these different training techniques with recovery to ensure maximum muscle growth and a balanced physique. The Phase 2 Nutritional Plan will work in parallel to the training to ensure you body has all the nutrients it needs to build muscle with rapid recovery.
In this phase we will be focused on tuning up any areas that need to be worked on more and burning fat. We have a very unique approach to "peak week". We will ramp up the Phase 3 protocol gradually to minimize the discomfort while maximizing the fat loss. By gradually making slight modifications you won't be throwing your body into a chaotic state and screwing up all your hormones. This subtle approach will allow you to walk on stage in peak form without any severe depletion or manipulation methods. I have used this method with hundreds of competitors and they have all agreed that it was the easiest contest prep they have ever done.
This monthly cost includes on site one-on-one training, nutritional plan for all three phases, coaching for posing, attire and stage program.
I have worked with people all over the country. This package includes remote training program, nutritional plan for all three phases, and weekly remote consultations.
Includes remote training program and nutritional plan with monthly remote consultations.
If you are looking for something that doesn't exactly fit into one of our programs, we will work with you to develop a program that does fit. Maybe you want to train more/less or maybe you want to do it with another person. We can work out those details and create a program that fits your needs. Just contact us and we will get things rolling.
Copyright © 2018 Maximum Fitness Personal Training Weight Loss - All Rights Reserved.


text:
Clarets Latest
We made sure we stayed relentless
Last updated : 21 October 2015 By Tony Scholes
Forest boss Dougie Freedman saw his side conceded a late equaliser and said afterwards: "We had to have a response from Friday night (2-0 defeat at Bristol City), there's no doubt about that, and I think the players showed they had to do it for the fans at a home match.
"I think you've seen over the whole ninety minutes that our spirit and togetherness is certainly there. Had it not been for the sending off I'm pretty sure we'd have gone on to be comfortable winners there.
"I thought we controlled the game throughout, showed great energy levels and had a game plan that worked very well. Yes, we didn't get the three points, but I think the performance, reaction and spirit are worth more than that."
Speaking about the red card which saw his captain Henri Lansbury sent off, he added: "There's no doubt it's a sending off. There are no complaints from me. Henri plays on the edge, as I tell him to. I feel he has to give 100%, play with emotion and desire, without accepting you're sometimes going to overspill.
"That's what he did. He's been fantastic for us and there's no blame there at all."
Sean Dyche saw his side score that last gasp equaliser and he pointed to that desire to keep going in games. "The motivation of the players and the pride they have in the shirt was there again," he said.
"We certainly created enough to win the game and could have lost it to a goal we didn't defend too well. They had one other chance, but other than that we limited them and provided ourselves with a few.
"Overall though, the detail in our game wasn't there as it has been lately. We were very assured in the first half, but we were flippant with the ball and gave it away to cheaply, particularly in the second half when we were in good positions. That's unusual for us."
Asked about the sending off, he said: "We got the twist of fate with the sending off and although I haven't seen it again the ref was very close and must have had his reasons.
"They were hanging on at the end, but I said to the players at half time that they had only won four games in 21, so we knew that whatever happened, we weren't sure they could close a game out.
"We made sure we stayed relentless, as we always are, and it was a fine strike from Matty Taylor to get us a deserve point in the end. I haven't seen a ball go in a goal that quickly in a long while."
18 Jan 16:05 - lancaster100, 736 views 12 replies
17 Jan 23:05 - malwayne, 522 views 8 replies
Burnley v Watford
17 Jan 15:31 - outwoodclaret, 795 views 3 replies
Everton in freefall.
15 Jan 16:19 - The Bedlington Terrier, 1151 views 9 replies


The Lenox, Massachusetts tourism industry began in the mid-1700s when the town's first settler built a humble inn. Today, Lenox is a popular year-round getaway destination featuring the Boston Symphony Orchestra residing at nearby Tanglewood in the summer, spectacular foliage in the fall and beautiful cross-country ski trails in the winter. That first inn has grown to include many upscale hotels and resorts as well as affordable motels and inns offering visitors a relaxing getaway in the Berkshires.
The Wheatleigh is no stranger to acclaim: It has received rave reviews from "Conde Nast Traveler," "Travel & Leisure" and "Hip Hotels USA," it consistently receives AAA's highest rating of five diamonds and Andrew Harper named it a 2008 Hotel of the Year "Grand Award Winner" in his Hideaway Report. It is set on a 22-acre park on the banks of the Stockbridge Bowl lake with panoramic views of the Berkshires.
The hotel was originally built in 1893 as a private Italian-style villa, and the hotel has strived to maintain the integrity of the original architecture while updating it with 21st century comfort and luxury. The hotel features museum-quality artwork, Tiffany windows and marble fountains. Amenities include a fine-dining restaurant, heated outdoor pool, concierge services, tennis courts, high-speed Internet access and meeting and banquet facilities.
Each of the 19 guest rooms are uniquely decorated. Guests choose from Small, Superior and Deluxe rooms or Junior Suites. Two luxury suites, The Terrace and The Aviary, are also available. All rooms come equipped with double, king or queen beds, high-end bedding, flat-screen televisions, daily housekeeping and nightly turndown service.
The English Tudor-style castle sits on 177 acres with views of the Berkshires and features an on-site spa, heated outdoor pool, tennis courts, on-site French fine-dining restaurant, lawn sports, cooking lessons, an extensive wine cellar offering wine tasting opportunities, concierge services, high-speed Internet access and full meeting and banquet facilities.
Three suites and five guest rooms are located in the main house and feature period antiques and artwork, luxurious fabrics and bedding, daily housekeeping and nightly turndown service. Some rooms include fireplaces. Four private detached cottages are located next to the tennis courts that feature one or two bedrooms, separate sitting areas and extensive book selections. The Carriage House, roughly 200 yards from the main house, offers 11 uniquely-decorated guest rooms, including six suites, and a public sitting area.
The Cranwell Resort is located on 380 acres in the Berkshires and features a 35,000 square foot on-site spa, 18-hole championship golf course, on-site fitness center, glass-enclosed indoor heated pool, outdoor heated pool, three restaurants and a café, tennis courts, cross-country ski center, gift shop, concierge services, full meeting and banquet facilities and wireless Internet access.
The 114-guest rooms include standard rooms, suites, cottages and townhouses located in several buildings throughout the property. All buildings are connected through a series of tunnels and glass-enclosed walkways. All rooms feature wireless Internet access, flat-screen cable television, in-room safe, in-room dining, evening turndown service and writing desk.
Wickford, Hannah. "Hotels in Lenox, Massachusetts." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/hotels-lenox-massachusetts-19922.html. Accessed 21 April 2019.


text:
The Three Degrees is a 1973 studio album released by girl group The Three Degrees.
Since their formation in 1965 until 1969, The Three Degrees had released several hit singles on various labels, including Swan Records, Warner Bros. Records, Metromedia, and Neptune. Their first studio album, entitled "Maybe" was released on Roulette Records in 1970 as were several other singles on the same label.

This was the first studio album recorded by the Group for Philadelphia International Records and was produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Released in 1973, the album includes three hit singles, "Dirty Ol' Man", a #1 hit single in the Netherlands, "Year of Decision" and the UK #1, "When Will I See You Again". The album charted at #11 on the UK album chart.

The album was re-issued on CD in 2010, for the first time in the UK, by Big Break Records. This re-issue includes three bonus tracks including a 1977 remix of "Dirty Ol' Man" by Tom Moulton.

Track listing

Personnel
The Three Degrees
 Sheila Ferguson – vocals
 Valerie Holiday – vocals
 Fayette Pinkney – vocals
with:
MFSB – music
Bobby Martin, Lenny Pakula, Norman Harris, Richie Rome – arrangements
Technical
Joe Tarsia – recording engineer
Owen Brown – photography

Charts

Singles

References

External links
 The Three Degrees-The Three Degrees at Discogs

1973 albums
The Three Degrees albums
Albums produced by Kenneth Gamble
Albums produced by Leon Huff
Albums arranged by Bobby Martin
Albums recorded at Sigma Sound Studios
Philadelphia International Records albums

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


What do you call the filming type of this movie? I have never seen it before.
You know those four frat boys that set a guy on fire and Marv kills them at the beginning of Sin City 2?
I think the two longest-lasting ones are called Flint and Buzz, coz their names in the credits are listed before "Frat Boys 3 and 4", and the credits don't list a "Frat Boys 1 and 2", so I'm guessing Frat Boy 1 (whose throat is slit by Marv) is Flint, and Frat Boy 2 (who gets hanged) is Buzz, who is played by Shakey Graves though I haven't seen him enough to recognize him every time, but I do think he looked like him, and rewatching it, picked out which one I thought he was.
Powers Boothe. "Actor Powers Boothe, known for his roles in "Sin City," "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D," and "Deadwood," has died at 68, his publicist, Karen Samfilippo, said.
The Emmy-winning actor passed away Sunday of natural causes in his sleep at his Los Angeles home."
"Sin City director Robert Rodriguez fittingly eulogised him as "a towering Texas gentleman and world class artist"."
"A private service will be held in Texas where he was from."
Sources: Powers Boothe dies (CNN article), Powers Boothe (IMDB), Powers Boothe dead: Deadwood and Sin City actor dies, aged 68 (Independent).
Powers Boothe was such a great actor and a fantastic edition to the franchise. May his soul rest in peace.
Hi, I'm a founder of Polish wiki about Sin City. Can I take your logo for my database?
Sin City Yarns: Tactical Combat - help needed!
Hey, anyone interested in helping with a project I'm working on?
I'm working on a tactical-combat tabletop system (think Jagged Alliance translated to pen and paper games), and I decided a good start would be to build a setting around Sin City - I love the comic and films alike, especially their atmosphere.
Team Hero (maybe Basin Heroes, I dunno) has Dwight, Nancy, Wallace, Gail, Johnny, Miho, and Marv (Striker, Medic, Assault, Sapper, Technician, Enforcer, Juggernaut respectively), but I need to fill in Support, Recon, and Overwatch for that team.
Team Lord is obviously Ava Lord as the Fireteam Commander, but the only role I can fill for her is Manute as a Juggernaut or Enforcer (probably Juggernaut). Any ideas?
What is the amazing font used on this wiki?
I really want to use it in my documents.
Happy Holidays from the Sin City Wikia.
10 Things You Need to Know About Sin City 2.
What's sort of surprising is how similar this "Sin City" installment is to the first film. Visually, it's almost identical, with one notable exception (more on that in a minute). But more than that the feel of "Sin City" -- that rainy, black-and-white gloom that is such a big part of the franchise.
One of the odder elements of "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For," though, is the fact that so many characters from the original film return, but have been replaced by other actors.
"Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" co-director Robert Rodriguez has always been high on 3D.
She's starring in another Frank Miller adaptation, playing another feisty femme fatale, and totally killing it. She is very much a dame to kill for, but does her own killing too. She's stunningly gorgeous, funny, and quite witty, and she slinks around "Sin City" like she's lived there for years.
Fans of the comic book will still get a kick out of the new material that's been folded into "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For." Two of the four stories are brand-new, and they're both pretty terrific. "The Long Bad Night" features a cocksure gambler (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who runs afoul of villain Senator Roark (Powers Boothe). This story rules. The second new addition to the canon is "Nancy's Last Dance," which follows Jessica Alba's character from the first film as she deals with the fallout of Bruce Willis' death and plots her own revenge against Roark.
Just in case you were curious -- there are still a lot of lobbed-off heads.
At Comic Con this year, Josh Brolin recounted a story from the production of the movie. Rodriguez had wanted Brolin to come onboard "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" (the two had been friends since Rodriguez shot second unit on Guillermo del Toro's "Mimic," which starred a young Josh Brolin) and was finally able to secure him. When he got to the set, Brolin asked where Mickey Rourke was.
Overall, the feeling you get while watching "Sin City: A Dame to Kill" is a good one -- warm, and gooey, like blood trickling down your forehead. The world that Rodriguez and Miller have creative is vivid and engrossing.
this forum needs more activity!
So she is a little crazy right now?
Check out the newly created top ten lists.
Ok, this is really bugging me, and I'm hoping to gain some clairity here. Near the end of The Hard Goodbye from the first movie, Marv Drops Wendy off at Nancy's before confronting Roark, where he is shot and arrested. But in the trailer for A Dame to Kill For, Marv is seen with Nancy after she scarred up her face and dyed her hair black. Does this mean from the aforementioned scene in the first film, from when Marv leaves Nancy's to confront Roark, that there is a significant lapse between those two points to allow for the Fat Loss, or did they mess up in the timeline? Thanks for any and all info.
Hold on tight, Sin City fans, because this franchise is making a big showing at Comic-Con this year!
First, Sin City will be at Petco Park for the entire convention! The film's classic cars will be on display at Petco Park parking lot throughout Comic-Con against a 102-foot long Sin City skyline. The cars will will include a 1985 Dodge Diplomat, 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air, 1960 Chevy Corvette, 1959 Cadillac el dorado, 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang convertible and 1949 Cadillac Sedanette. There will also be a Sin City style photo booth, a live DJ every day, and promo giveaways (t-shirts, poker chips, playing cards, mini posters, and books).
Next, there will be a Talent & Filmmaker poster signing at the park on Saturday, July 26 (11:15am - 12:15pm). If you're busy attending some other panel or event at that time, they will be back for more signing on Saturday, July 26 (4:15pm - 5:15pm). For this second signing, head over to the Convention Hall at the Dark Horse booth!
Finally, there will be an official panel on Saturday, July 26 from 2:50pm - 3:50pm. Co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller and actors Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin and Rosario Dawson will be present for the official Hall H panel!
For more Comic-Con news like this, head over to Comic-Con Wikia!
There are three new polls on the main page. Please vote !!!
My favorite character is Miho. I love strong female characters and Miho can definitely handle herself.
How excited are for this film???
I've created an album for Sin City on the Grindhouse: Planet Terror facebook page.
This site covers all aspects of the Sin City graphic novels and films. Keep Calm and enter Sin City.


text:
Rothbard "on" Hegel
By gcallah - May 28, 2010
This morning I was re-reading The Idea of Nature and found Collingwood writing:
"Hegel, nailing to the counter in advance the lie that he regarded his own philosophy as final, wrote at the end of his treatise on the philosophy of history, 'That is as far as consciousness has reached.'"
I put down the book and thought to myself, "Hmm, I bet Rothbard didn't like Hegel, and when there is a thinker Rothbard didn't like, and a common lie told about him, you can make a lot of money betting that Rothbard repeated that lie."
So I fetched my copy of Classical Economics from the shelf and looked up Hegel. Yep, right there on 355: "According to Hegel, the final development of the man-God [an idiotic phrase made up by Rothbard that Hegel never uses], the final breakthrough into totality and infinity, was at hand." (Although it might not seem so at a glance, this is the same claim as Collingwood is calling a 'lie', since Hegel's philosophy …
My Principle on Principles
"I have no horror of principle -- only a suspicion of those who use principles as if they were axioms and those who seem to think that practical argument is concerned with proof. A principle is not something which may be given as a reason or a justification for making a decision or performing an action; it is a short-hand identification of a disposition to choose." -- Michael Oakeshott
Who Wrote It? When?
Try to guess the year this was written, before you Google for the quote:
"You have learned from astronomical proofs that the whole earth compared with the universe is no greater than a point, that is, compared with the sphere of the heavens, it may be thought of as having no size at all. Then, of this tiny corner... take away... the seas, marshes, and other desert places, and the space left for man hardly even deserves the name of infinitesimal."
Are They Trying to Mock Us?
Here?
Kobe Has Heard
Canadians are hung like donkeys; decides to check it out:
Look at the Violence Inherent in the System!
So, someone is quietly sunbathing in the corner of a field I own, but am not using at the moment. I spot him, and call in security. When they tell him to leave, he says, "Hey, I'm just having a little nap in the sun! I'm not hurting anything -- I'll be gone in a half hour."
Security goes to drag him away, and when he struggles, hit him on the head with clubs.
Now, surely, I wouldn't go so far in the "strawman" arguments against libertarianism that people keep accusing me of making as to contend that any libertarian would say that the sunbather had "initiated violence" against me and that I was just responding in "self defense," would I? No one could really hold a position that stupid, so what would motivate me to make up crap like that?
Well, I don't have to, because Geoffrey Allan Plouche did it for me:
"Throwing out trespassers who refuse to leave is not initiating physical force. It is retaliatory physical force. Defe…
Another Lap Around the NAP
Now, I am not the first one to point out the fact that libertarian (in fact, all liberal) arguments are circular in that they assume libertarian (liberal) premises to reach their conclusion. It was, in fact, Alasdair MacIntyre who first convinced me this is so. So imagine my delight when I discovered a libertarian, Geoffrey Allan Plauché, who had denied libertarians made these circular arguments, completing a lap around the NAP in the space of a single paragraph, and doing so in addressing... Alasdair MacIntyre!
Now, what MacIntyre claims is that liberalism is not the "tradition-neutral" umpire it claims to be, but is itself a tradition, a tradition intolerant of other traditions, and one that will use force to bring them into the liberal order. What does Plauché make of MacIntryre?
"What MacIntyre is ultimate objecting to is the prohibition on violence and other forms of initiatory force. Is this the sort of community tradition he has it in mind to preserve? Perhaps he…
Homesteadin' Is the Place for Me
So, let's take a look at John Locke's famous homesteading principle, the foundation of many libertarian theories of property rights. Locke begins by stating that in the commons, whatever one has mixed one's labor with is his: "Thus the law of reason makes the deer that Indian's who hath killed it." Well, the law of reason may make it thus, but this is not the way hunter-gatherer societies work. Instead, we find a traditional manner of dividing up the deer amongst the tribe, with the hunter perhaps getting a prize portion, or something of the sort. And this traditional division might cite a "law of reason" of its own: without the tribe, the hunter wouldn't have lived past a day. Without the tribe, he would have no idea how to hunt. Without the tribe, he would not have a bow and arrow. I could go on, but you get the point.
Furthermore, ownership in land almost never came about in the way Locke contends give the institution its justification. Hunte…
Hah! That got your attention, didn't it? But, as Aquinas taught us long ago, pornography is not essentially about sex -- it is a corruption of art, one that tries to sell us some emotion instead of merely portraying it. (I'm simplifying Aquinas' theory here, but not, I hope, mangling it!)
I thought of this while watching Two for the Money. Al Pacino plays a, well, dickhead, engaged in a thoroughly immoral business, manipulating his wife and friend, and unable to control his gambling.
[SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!]
As I was watching, I thought, "Well, the proper ending here is that we see this in-some-ways-likeable guy destroyed by his tragic flaws. But that's not what's going to happen."
And right I was. At the end, for no apparent reason, his wife forgives him, and a huge bet he never ought to have made goes his way. This is porn for the reprobate: you don't have to live right to live well! No, whatever you've done, at the end, the director will figure out…
Aristotle and Ideology, II
It seems to me that Aristotle was, in fact, responding to the first 'rationalist in politics', Plato, who had initially confused theory and practice, in, for example, the myth of the cave, where the philosopher, because he has mastered theory, is entitled to come back to the masses and dictate practice to them. As Oakeshott commented upon this:
"The cave-dwellers, upon first encountering the theorist after his return to the world of the shadows [very well might be impressed] when he tells them that what they had always thought of as 'a horse' is not what they suppose it to be… but is, on the contrary, a modification of the attributes of God [and they will] applaud his performance even where they cannot quite follow it. [The cave-dwellers can appreciate the exotic pronouncements of the theorist, as long as he confines those pronouncements to their genuine field of applicability, ] but if he were to tell them that, in virtue of his more profound understanding o…
It's What He Did Afterwards!
this fellow, who strangled his wife then faked text messages to him from her cell phone, was just convicted recently. CBS News Radio was covering the story, and they played an audio clip of the prosecutor saying, "Of course, the murder was awful, but what he did afterwards..." and then stopping, speechless. So, apparently, murder is pretty bad, but pretending you're a dead person when texting is abominable!
Aristotle and Ideology
The discussion of θεωρια and φρονησισ (roughly meaning theory and practice) in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is very helpful in understanding what critics mean by 'ideological politics' and how non-ideological politics is even possible (something ideologues often doubt).
I'm working from a translation that renders 'φρονεσισ' as 'prudence,' which is fine, as long as one understands what is meant by that is practical sagacity, and not timidity or an unwillingness to take risks. Aristotle differentiates theoretical and practical knowledge: the former is about universals and gives us necessary truths, while the latter has more to do with particulars than universals and its truths are less certain:
"Scientific knowledge is supposition about universals, things that are by necessity... Prudence, by contrast, is about human concerns, about things open to deliberation... Nor is prudence about universals only. It must also acquire knowledge of particulars, …
Karen DeCoster: Halfway There
This post about dog poop caught my attention at the end, where DeCoster writes:
"Or you can just pass costly, crazed, DNA doggie laws which 'respect property rights,' such as the article described. And then here's the question: how will you enforce those mandates? By force? If it is truly 'voluntary,' you can turn your back on the condo mobocracy and refuse their Orwellian mandates."
The answer is "by force," of course -- the same way all "voluntary" private property rights are enforced. If private property were truly voluntary, I could just turn my back when some property owner tells me to get off his land.
"Contemporary libertarian individualism and statist collectivism created each other and are locked in a fatal embrace that destroys the civic middle and the life and economy of the associative citizen." -- Phillip Blond
NAPping at the Wheel
Now, to be very clear, in many of my recent post, such as this one, I have been concerned with a narrow topic: does the "non-aggression principle," employed as libertarians typically employ it, somehow point to libertarianism as a uniquely correct political stance? Is it true that all other political doctrines are "in favor of aggression"?
The reason I note the narrowness of my concern here is because of the startling number of times, as I've made these posts, that someone has responded something like, "Why do you claim libertarians have no reasons for their beliefs?"
Say what?! I have been pointing out that this one argument is circular, and therefore flawed. The response above is as if, when you tell your friend, "The fact you eat tunafish is not really evidence you love your wife," he responds, "Oh, so you're saying I don't love my wife!" No, maybe you do; I'm just saying the tunafish argument is a bad argument.
A va…
Is There "Libertarian History"?
Find out here.
The Libertarian Running Track
I have suggested that this is the logical form of the argument anarcho-capitalists make against the legitimacy of the State has the following form:
1) The State is unjust.
2) Private property is just.
3) True, both institutions involve coercion, but the difference is:
4) The State's coercion is aggressive, which is what makes it unjust.
5) The coercion required to maintain private property is only defensive, which is what makes it just.
6) How do we differentiate this defensive nature of coercion that protects private property from the aggressive nature of the coercion that maintains the State?
7) See 1) and 2)!
When I point out that this is a bit circular, the only answer I have been given is that I should try a few more laps around the track, and see if I don't get it then. To be fair, some people also have suggested I attempt starting my laps from a different part of the track; one ancap, for instance, just suggested to me that I might like starting from around 4) and 5) better tha…
The Nature of Ideology
I've been re-reading Temple Grandin's wonderful book, Animals in Translation, and it has some important things to say about ideology and abstraction. For those of you who don't know Grandin, she is the top designer of animal handling facilities in the world, a PhD with over one hundred published papers in both biology and psychology, and autistic. She attributes her success to being 'detail-oriented', and claims that most people cannot see the problems she sees because they are too 'abstractified.' Interestingly, she, much as the British Idealists did, relates abstraction to ideology, and complains that, rather than plainly seeing the situation with which they are asked to deal, many of the people she encounters substitute an abstract, ideological view of the situation, thereby falsifying reality, often with bad results. She offers an example of a woman who owned a fair number of dogs. Some of the 'pack' she had created were naturally more dominant, and others more submissive. She was…
The Lesson Is Unmistakable
Colin Barr, who has a bee in his bonnett about high-frequency stock trading, writes, of the turmoil in the market last week: "The exact causes of Thursday's stock market short-circuit remain unclear, but the lesson is unmistakable."
This is a very weird thing to say. It strikes me as akin to a case where, say, someone's wife wants him to stop drinking. Then, when some mysterious medical ailment strikes him, well before the doctors know the cause, she says, "The lesson is unmistakeable: you need to stop drinking."
What would you think if you went to the doctor with a mysterious ailment, and she told you, "I have no idea what is causing your problem, but the lesson is clear: We need to amputate your leg."
The point being that, without knowing the cause, how can any lesson at all be drawn from any incident?
And the point here is not whether Barr is right or wrong about high frequency trading. The point is, rather, that until he knows the cause of yester…
Troublemakers, Defined
Amy Meyers Jaffe lets us know who the "troublemakers" on the world stage are here:
"It will throw world politics for a loop—putting some longtime troublemakers in their place and possibly bringing some rivals into the Western fold.
"Again, remember that as their energy-producing influence grew, nations like Russia, Venezuela and Iran became more successful in resisting Western interference in their affairs..."
You see, a troublemaker is someone who resists my interfering in his affairs!
Confessions of a Recovering Ideologue, Part I
This is the first of a perhaps interminable series I might call "How I Went So Wrong." Now, I happen to be quoting below from Thomas Knapp and Roderick Long, but I don't mean to be picking on them. In fact, I am explaining my own mistakes here – reading Knapp and Long recently just happened to have brought them to mind.
OK, so the first quote from Knapp I will note has to do with immigration, about which he writes:
"Let me get straight to the point: there is no difference in principle between a 'national border' and the turf claim of a street gang. None. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada."
Well, since these things are quite obviously very different in many, many ways, we have to suss out what Knapp means by "in principle," since obviously different things may always be the same "in principle" if one just selects the proper principle. Dying peacefully in one's bed and being slowly eaten alive by fire ants while buried neck deep in desert sand are no different "in principle" if the principle in qu…
TNT OT Lextra
Man, I'm trying to watch the Suns and Spurs on TNT OT Extra (because I don't own a TV), and it is like watching a game shot by a cameraman who is a nitwit who has never watched a basketball game. Jason Richardson just took a shot, and instead of following the ball, the cameraman followed Richardson backpedaling towards the Suns defensive end! Yes, that's what I wanted to see -- not whether or not the shot went in, but how Richardson runs backwards.
Michael Moore is sometimes an entertaining filmmaker, and sometimes he has something interesting to say. But he just doesn't seem to be able to resist using cheap tricks to try to bolster his case. For example, in Capitalism: A Love Story, he includes a scene where he tries to demonstrate that the United States is not an intrinsically "capitalist nation" by pawing through the U. S. Constitution looking for the word 'capitalism.' However, 'capitalism' was not used to describe an economic system until about 1850. So the fact that the drafters of the Constitution did not use a terminology that lay 70 years in their future is hardly surprising, and proves exactly nothing.
UPDATE: Here is another word that doesn't occur in the U. S. Constitution, which certainly did exist to describe a political system at that time, and which is Moore's favored alternative to capitalism: 'democracy.'
Libertarian Class Analysis and Methodological Individualism
Chidem Kudras discusses a paper by Ralph Raico over at Think Markets.What this paper, and similar class analysis by, say, Murray Rothbard, illustrates is the actual way that methodological individualism functions in many libertarians' thinking: it is an ideological weapon with which to dismiss social explanations that one doesn't like, to be picked up when handy but dropped whenever another weapon will suit better. Thus, when, say, someone makes the point that individuals preferences themselves are often not a matter of their own choosing but are, as it were, handed to them by their social environment, including marketing, then such libertarians can load and fire methodological individualism and avoid having to really address the issue. On the other hand, when class analysis might serve to advance a case against the State, then methodological individualism is put back in the closet and ignored.
Libertarian Class Analysis and Methodological Indi...


In honor of Women's History Month, the Ivy Tech Social Team (IVYTS) sat down with Ivy Tech Community College President, Dr. Sue Ellspermann, to discuss what Women's History Month means to her and how it impacts economy and future of work.
IVYTS: What women have inspired you in your career?
President Ellspermann: Susan B. Anthony, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Mother (now Saint) Teresa of Calcutta, Sr. Kathy Huber (prioress emeritus of the Sisters of St. Benedict), Pat Koch (former matriarch of Holiday World), among others. Unfortunately, there were too few when I was young.
IVYTS: What does Women's History Month mean to you?
President Ellspermann: When I was young I read every biography I could find on women leaders. It is fitting we take time now to share these stories with young women and men ensuring history correctly captures the impact of both genders.
IVYTS: Has being a woman every caused you barriers in your career? If so, how did you overcome them?
President Ellspermann: Occasionally. As a female engineer in manufacturing, there were cases of sexual harassment and what we would today call a hostile work environment. As women leaders, we must be responsible for our own actions, look out for younger women, and raise the flag on inappropriate behavior. I did that often and, in retrospect, could have done it even more.
IVYTS: Why do you believe it is important for women to take leadership roles in the workplace and community?
President Ellspermann: Women are doing what is needed to lead through greater educational preparation, with more women graduating from college and pursuing graduate degrees than men. We are more prepared and accomplished and, thus, are fully capable and qualified to lead in the workplace, in community roles and in elected office. Research shows that women don't even apply for leadership positions unless they are very well qualified, unlike male peers.
IVYTS: What role do you believe women have in driving the Indiana economy and workforce?
President Ellspermann: You now see women leaders in almost all roles in the state: elected office, CEO roles, university presidents, K-12 superintendents. That is good. We are at the table in almost all discussions and progress is being made. There remains some hesitancy to bring young talent to the table with the exception of some great younger leaders such as Secretaries Blair Milo and Dr. Jennifer Walthall.
IVYTS: What advice do you have for young women hoping to make an impact?
President Ellspermann: To make an impact, you must take risks. Do not wait until you are "perfectly qualified." Take volunteer and leadership positions at nonprofits you care about. Run for school boards or local elected office. Start a business so that you can control your destiny. There are many other great positions out there (I know as I have held too many to count). In each place, take on projects, problems, and opportunities others are afraid to pursue. Be a great team builder. And, always look for opportunities to encourage and raise other women up as you move up.
IVYTS: What do you want your legacy to be?
President Ellspermann: I want to have paved the way for other women…in business, in government and in leadership. I want to have created a culture of "How might we…?" that when we bring talented, committed, unselfish people together there are few problems we cannot solve together. And, I want to have made a difference in ensuring Hoosier prosperity from our rural areas and small towns to our great cities.
As Women's History Month comes to a close, we encourage you to take time about how you impact your local community and what women inspire you daily. Share your thoughts and goals with us on Twitter @IvyTechCC using #IvyWomen.