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The Ostroy Report
The Ostroy Report is an aggressive voice for Democrats, the progressive agenda and serves as a watchdog of the Republican Party and President Trump.
Mission Not Accomplished: The True Cost of the Iraq War
President Barack Obama will address the nation Tuesday evening to officially announce that combat operations in Iraq have come to an end, and that the drawdown of 90,000 U.S. troops is underway. When completed, a military presence of 50,000 troops will remain to assist the Iraqi government in keeping the peace. The real question about Obama's speech is, will anyone be watching.
Americans have simply grown bored, tired and indifferent to the Iraq War. Truth be told, it never felt like the nation was at war, except to the soldiers fighting it or to their families. On any given day, in any given city or town these past seven years, one would be hard-pressed to find the sort of collective awareness, unity and patriotism of World War II, or even the turbulence, outrage and protest of Vietnam. Americans simply went about their business, with no personal sacrifice. Housing prices skyrocketed, stock prices soared, personal wealth grew and then the bottom eventually fell out. And now, as Obama proudly goes before the cameras to boast of delivering on his promise to bring the troops home, does anyone really care? They're more worried about their homes, their savings and their jobs. Once again, it's the economy, stupid! Sorry, prez, but America tuned out of Iraq years ago.
For the record, I care very much about Iraq and the toll it's taken on our country, as do many other Democrats who opposed the war from the start. In seven years, over 4400 troops were killed, almost 40,000 injured or maimed, and we've spent close to $1-trillion. But those are just the obvious, and very unfortunate, stats. The war has had tremendous impact on so many other aspects of American life as well.
Ever since former President George W. Bush invaded Iraq under what as much as half the population believes was false and/or manufactured pretenses, the war has served to divide the country like no other event in history. It has driven a sharp political wedge straight down both Pennsylvania Avenue and Main Street. America has never been as polarized as it is now. Washington has never been as partisan. The vitriolic relationship between Red and Blue America no doubt has the war as its genesis. Bush, the self-anointed uniter, just may go down in history as the greatest divider we've ever had.
The war has also ravaged the U.S. economy. The $1-trillion cost, coupled with Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy which cost $2.5-trillion, have done more to balloon our deficit than health care reform, the economic stimulus package or any other of Obama's spending initiatives.
Another cost of the Iraq war is the distraction it's been from our mission in Afghanistan, where we took our eye off the real enemy, Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, who experts believe were able to cross into Pakistan and base themselves there as a result. The Afghanistan war is now nine years old, with no clear mission or end in sight, and with the country mired by increasing violence and political corruption. Fourteen U.S. soldiers have been killed there in just the last several days alone. It's an undisputed mess.
As for Iraq itself, Obama will not be using the term "mission accomplished" in his speech for a reason. That's because the mission is not accomplished, and won't be until Iraq can demonstrate in a lasting way that it can protect its citizens and sustain its fragile Democracy using its own police and military forces. To be sure, as David Brooks and Paul Wolfowitz wrote in their Tuesday NY Times op-eds, there has been much political, social, economic and national security progress made in Iraq, which is definitely a reason to celebrate. But it will take a couple of years at least before we can truly celebrate the success of this war. The fact is, Iraq is stuck in a six-month post-election stalemate, and, insurgent violence persists, as the recent coordinated multi-city terror attacks which killed 60 demonstrates. Lastly, there is still the great risk of civil war amongst the Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish factions which all have a great stake in Iraq's delicate balance of power.
On another note, get ready for the Adrienne Shelly Foundation's 3rd Annual eBay Auction which launches September 24th. Wanna go to exclusive, one-on-one lunches with stars like Paul Rudd, Jon Hamm, Cheryl Hines, Michelle Williams, Kevin Smith, Rosario Dawson, Patricia Clarkson, Rachael Harris, Keri Russell, Susie Essman, Bill Hader, Jeremy Sisto, Mark Cuban among others? Or how about VIP tickets and meet/greet to Joan Rivers' new stand-up show? We'll also be offering VIP tickets to THE COLBERT REPORT, THE DAILY SHOW, RACHEL RAY, ELLEN, Maroon 5 and Jimmy Buffett concerts; plus TV show set visits/meet & greets for THE GOOD WIFE, HUNG, NURSE JACKIE, RIZZOLI & ISLES, BREAKING BAD; CASTLE and UNITES STATES OF TARA; walk-on extra roles on COMMUNITY and IN PLAIN SIGHT; as well as movie walk-ons. Mark your calendars for September 24!
The The Adrienne Shelly Foundation is a 501 c 3 tax-exempt, non-profit organization dedicated in my late wife's honor, and with a simple mission: supporting women filmmakers. Adrienne, who wrote, directed and starred in the hit film WAITRESS, was killed November 1, 2006. Through the Foundation, her commitment to filmmaking lives on. We've established scholarships, grants, finishing funds, screenwriting fellowships and living stipends at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts/Kanbar Institute of Film; Columbia University; American Film Institute; Women in Film; IFP; the Nantucket Film Festival; the Tribeca Film Institute; and the Sundance Institute. Your generous contribution will go a long way towards helping us achieve this very important mission. Please click here to make a donation. Thank you.
Posted by The Ostroy Report at 7:23 AM 3 comments:
Racist Maniac Stabs Muslim Cabbie. Congratulations Republicans, Your Hate-Mongering is Working
The despicable partisan-fueled campaign waged by Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Rudy Giuliani and other leading Republicans to demonize the entire Muslim faith is unfortunately starting to influence the misguided racist animals who hear this fear-mongering and in a warped sense of patriotism take it upon themselves to protect America against the big bad Islamic bogeyman they're told is out to get us.
What the GOP leaders and right wing media have been doing is spewing racist venom and heightening tensions over the planned Muslim community center and prayer room two blocks from Ground Zero. They've been stirring the pot of ignorance and hate with broad brush accusations against the center's leaders, its funding sources and alleged connections to terrorists (where have we heard that one before?).
"Are you a Muslim?" is what 21-year-old Michael Enright asked cabbie Ahmed H. Sharif Tuesday night in Manhattan, following up with "Salaam aleikum" (peace be with you) and "How's your Ramadan going?" It quickly turned ugly, with Enright cursing at the driver, screaming "This is the checkpoint, motherfucker" and "I have to bring you down." He then whipped out a hunting knife, slashed Sharif's throat and stabbed him in the face, arm and hand. The wounds required 22 stitches, and Sharif was released from the hospital ok but understandably scared and shaken.
Congratulations Newt. Congratulations Sarah. Congratulations Rudy. And congratulations Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and all the other Republican rabble-rousers who are front and center in this controversy. Sharif's blood is on your hands. You are the ones responsible for this attack....because you are doing exactly what George W. Bush did nine years ago when conflating al Qaeda terrorists with Saddam Hussein and Iraq, turning the masses against an easy scapegoat. You're the ones who are now conflating the 9/11 terrorist attacks with the entire Muslim faith. You're the ones filling Enright's and others' heads with not-so-subliminal suggestions of violence and revenge. Sharif was lucky. The next victim of your incendiary rhetoric and hate-speak may not be.
And, here's the kicker: as Jon Stewart brilliantly pointed out this week, Fox News has accused a Saudi prince as being behind the terrorist-sympathetic group funding the downtown NYC Islamic center. And this radical Saudi is none other than Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal Saudi, who's just happens to be the second largest shareholder in Rupert Murdoch's News Corp which, you guessed it, owns Fox News!
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Posted by The Ostroy Report at 2:49 PM 5 comments:
GOP's Golden Boy Boehner's Dark Economic Prognosis is About as Fake as His Freakishly Dark Skin Tone
House Minority Leader John Boehner (OH) is a hopeful man. He hopes that voters are both stupid and forgetful. He hopes they have no recollection whatsoever of the eight years of largely Republican rule during the Bush years; years that saw a loss of eight million jobs and the failed policies that led to the worst financial meltdown in America's history since the Great Depression over eighty years ago. And he's banking on this memory loss to propel his elitist, do-nothing party back into power in the November midterms. Boehner's GOP needs to have a net pick up of 39 seats to oust his political nemesis, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA), and re-take control of the House.
Boehner, the future-Speaker wannabe, challenged President Obama Tuesday to fire his economic team over what he called a failure to turn the economy around. "We do not have the luxury of waiting months for the president to pick scapegoats for his failing stimulus policies."
Boehner's disingenuous assertions ignore reality, and the huge economic improvements Obama's made since taking office. A new Congressional Budget Office report cited the president's stimulus package as having lowered the unemployment rate in the second quarter of the year; creating 1.4 million to 3.3 million jobs; and increasing productivity by approximately 4.5%. Boehner needs to remember where the economy was in January of 2009 as George W. Bush was preparing to exit the White House. The nation's output was contracting at an annual 6% rate, jobs were being lost at a 700,000 monthly clip, and American industry--from automobiles to banking to Wall Street to retail and housing--was on the precipice of disaster. While we still have a long way to go towards full employment and financial prosperity, America's economy has made monumental progress and is clearly headed in the right direction.
In response to Boehner's revisionist history, vice president Joe Biden came out swinging: "For eight years before we arrived, Mr. Boehner and his party ran this economy and the middle class into the ground. They took the $237 billion surplus they inherited from the Clinton administration and left us with a $1.3 trillion deficit, and, in the process, quadrupled the national debt — all before we had turned on the lights in the West Wing.
While acknowledging the GOP's Bush-era complicity in Congress's profligate spending, Boehner boasted of Republicans' near-unified opposition to Obama's stimulus bill, health care reform and environmental legislation. "We began to show people we are different." No, the only thing you're showing people is that your #1 goal as a party is to screw the poor and middle class while obsessively pursuing massive tax cuts for the rich. Sorry, Johnny, but you're singin' the same old Republican tune. The billion-dollar question is, will voters realize that come November....and remember why they kicked you and your useless party out of power in the first place.
We Are All Victims of 9/11
Something very important seems to be getting lost in the Ground Zero community center and mosque debate. On September 11, 2001, 3000 innocent people died in the horrific attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania perpetrated by the terrorist group al Qaeda. To be sure, the families of those killed have experienced tremendous pain and suffering. No one denies their loss. And a majority of them have voiced vehement opposition to the planned mosque, saying that it is an affront and a dishonor to the victims and their families. But we need to be very clear about one thing: all Americans are victims of 9/11. We may have experienced this unfathomable tragedy on very different levels, but we all suffered that day, and all of our lives have changed since.
No American owns this tragedy more than any other American, and no one gets to speak for the rest of us. We are all entitled to our opinions on this very controversial mosque matter, and that's what seems to be getting lost in all the political posturing. While I did not lose a family member on that fateful day, I did lose a friend. And I live five blocks from Ground Zero, as I have for the last eighteen years. I breathed that polluted and potentially toxic air for months, and I have a very vested interest not only in affairs of national scope, but of those in my personal backyard as well. Does my voice not count? Does my opinion not count? Am I, and countless others like me, expected to yield to the forces of anger, revenge and bigotry simply because I did not lose a family member to terrorists?
The truth is, while I did not lose a loved one on 9/11 I have experienced unfathomable pain and suffering when my wife was brutally murdered in 2006 by a 19-year-old illegal alien, leaving me to raise our 2 year old daughter alone. Was I shocked? Horrified? Angry? Vengeful? Full of hate? Sure. During these past four years I've probably experienced every emotion one could. But this horrible experience did not fundamentally change who I was or what I believed in. It did not change my core values. It did not change my love of country or my respect for our rule of law. It did not give me the right to circumvent the U.S. Constitution or re-interpret the laws which protect and serve our citizenry simply because I was suffering. It also did not make me the de facto authority on illegal immigration, nor turn me into a xenophobe.
I am truly saddened by what's happening in America today. Saddened that so many are forgetting what our nation stands for and the principles on which it was built. America is a refuge for millions who suffer discrimination all over the world. This is where people come to be free, to escape religious persecution, not to find it. The conflating of the 9/11 terrorists with the overall Muslim faith, and the fear-mongering that goes along with all the incendiary political rhetoric being tossed around, conjures up memories of Japanese internment camps, McCarthyism, the KKK and other ugly chapters in U.S. history. Terrorists attacked us on 9/11, not the Muslim faith. As such, suggesting that this mosque shouldn't exist two blocks from Ground Zero is tantamount to suggesting that, because of the priesthood's pedophilia scandals, that a Catholic church shouldn't be two blocks from a school. Both assertions are equally irrational. Have we as a nation learned nothing since the 1940's?
Fear is ugly, and it makes people do and say awful things to each other. And the proposed community center and mosque near Ground Zero has, and rightly so, stirred the passions and emotions of many. But we cannot allow one group of 9/11 victims to demand that other 9/11 victims abrogate their core principles or change their perception of America's core values. We are all 9/11 victims, and we all have a say on this subject. And that includes the many Muslims who died that day as well, and their families. More so than anything else in this debate, American pluralism, and the U.S. Constitution which guarantees it, is what needs to be defended and honored.
An Open Letter to Newt Gingrich
Dear Newt (May I call you Newt? Not because I seek any sort of convivial familiarity, but simply because you remind me of a slimy lizard):
There's been lots of speculation lately as to your political motives and aspirations, and whether or not you're planning a run for the White House in 2012. So I am here to ask you, in fact beg you, to please run for president. There, I've said it. And I mean it with all the passion and dedication of a card-carrying liberal who wishes to see your political fortunes erupt like Mt. Vesuvius. And if I may be so bold as to ask, even beg, for another favor...please name Sarah Palin as your vice-presidential running mate. This would be a Tea Bagger's dream ticket, and a Democrat's wet dream ticket. My goodness, I believe I just soiled myself a little just thinking about it.
Yes, Newt (snake would be so much more of a fitting name, no?), you should definitely run for president. What else should a delusional, narcissistic, self-aggrandizing, hypocritical Republican such as yourself do, just sit around raising tens of millions of dollars a year for your 527? What good does that do the GOP when you can perhaps control the joystick on the Oval Office desk? You know you want it, man! In fact, you want it so bad you can taste it. You've wanted it for so long, and ya know what? You deserve that damn Republican nomination. After all you've done for the party? Who else should get it, some comatose drone like Tim Pawlenty? Paw-leeze! Or some bug-eyed cartoon-character like Bobby Jindal? Or the GOP's Breck Girl, Mitt Romney? Or the Mama Grizzly herself, Palin? No, Newt, this nomination is yours. You're the one all those anger-drippin' Tea Baggers want.
Just think, after you and The Wasilla Wonder are nominated you can start thinking about your cabinet, and how you can stock it with brilliant 21st Century thinkers and bridge-builders like Rand Paul, Ken Buck and Sharron Angle. Sean Hannity could be your Communications Director. Rush Limbaugh your head of Community Outreach. You can even revive Dick Cheney and appoint him your Middle East Special Envoy. I hear they just love him over there. Good grief, man, just think about the bazillions of fired up Tea Party peeps you'd draw to the polls.
Now here's the good part. If you run, we on the left will tear into you like a Republican Congressman on a House page. We'll remind everyone at every turn that you cheated on and shamelessly and unceremoniously dumped two sick wives. How you had an affair with your much older high school teacher and your much younger aide before marrying these mistresses. How you asked wife #2, Marianne, to "tolerate" your tawdry affair with future wife #3 Callista in some sick, kinky open-marriage fantasy. We'll resurrect the 1982 House Banking scandal and your 22 bounced checks. We'll bring up your 1984 and 1995 book scandals. We'll dust off the GOPAC scandal and revisit your illegal use of non-profit funds for political purposes. And we'll expose your "family-values" hypocrisy 'round the clock like a McDonald's drive-thru. We'll slap the immoral, radical, fringe, dangerous tag on you so often and so hard you'll feel like you went 15 rounds with Mike Tyson. We'll play your smug, arrogant, defiant "It doesn't matter what I live" quote so much you'll feel like you're in elevator-music hell. And by the time we're done with you, even someone like Dennis Kucinich will be able to beat you. And just think...I haven't even mentioned yet what we'll do with Ms. Hopey-Changey-I-Can-See-Russia-From-My-Window.
So whattya say, Snake, you up for the challenge?
What's Truly at Stake in the Ground Zero Mosque Debate
The controversy over the proposed Muslim community center and mosque two blocks from Ground Zero rages on, with President Obama issuing unequivocal support Friday night on Constitutional grounds, while asserting the next day that he will not comment on the "wisdom" of the decision to build it at that location.
On the other side, shameless politicizing radical right-wing fanatics like Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich are fanning the flames of hatred with their incendiary rhetoric, comparing Muslims behind the mosque project to Nazis and serving as the self-anointed spokespeople for 9/11 victims and their families.
But the truth is, not every 9/11 family opposes the center. In fact, there's quite a large group of supporters.
"There is no simple, singular 9/11 group who really should or could speak for all 9/11 family members," said Donna Marsh O'Connor of September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, a coalition of over 250 families who support the building of the mosque. O'Connor's 29-year-old pregnant daughter was killed in one of the World Trade Center towers. "This is not a small issue, this is what America has always been -- a place where people come to escape religious persecution. I can understand people saying that this is a slap. This does hurt. But we don't change fundamentally what our nation is about because it will hurt people."
Charles Wolf of New York City lost his wife, Katherine, 56, in the attacks. He supports the mosque "100 percent."
Herb Ouida's son Todd died on 9/11, and warns against harsh tone of the opposition. He said, "What we are doing is we are saying to the world that we are at war with Islam. And we can't be. I want my grandchildren to live in a better world."
Frank Tatum's mother was killed in the attacks as well. "I think it's important not to give into the hysteria. We do have religious freedom. I know the wounds are still very open, me myself included but you have to look at the big picture. You can't practice these freedoms only when it suits us. You have to practice them all along."
First responders have also voiced their support for the mosque. Former Emergency Medical Services worker Marvin Bethea, 50, was forced to retire six years ago because of 9/11-related breathing problems. "Even though my life has changed, I don't hate the Muslims....I understand the families are hurt and lost, but how do you sit here and condemn all Muslims as being terrorists? That's just bigotry and hatred. We're a better nation than that. The diversity that we have, this is what New York is about. But we have such prejudices, some of us. We have a long way to go."
Some claim that the building of a mosque so close to Ground Zero dishonors those who died that day. But I'd like to suggest the opposite; the the mosque actually honors the dead by symbolizing the upholding of the laws and freedoms that make America great. I cringe at the thought that those who died so innocently that fateful day would condone the mass discrimination of an entire religion of people in the name of revenge. That's no honor.
We live in a nation of laws. And we live by the rule of law. And the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. We don't govern in some ad hoc, knee-jerk, arbitrary manner based on the prejudices, sensitivities or whims of a select few. We also don't govern based on majority rule. If that were the case, despicable groups like the KKK and white supremacists would not be able to march and protest in places like Selma, Ala and Skokie, Ill against the wishes of blacks, Jews and others who find such activity highly insensitive and offensive, and rightly so. But the Constitution is quite clear about the freedoms we enjoy such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom to assemble, as well as the laws that prohibit religious discrimination. Sorry, but there's no gray area here. We may not like the words or actions of some people or groups and might find them reprehensible, but that still doesn't give us the right to impose our views on the rest of society and expect decisions to be made based on those narrow judgements.
We cannot become a nation where we allow the squeakiest wheel of ignorance and intolerance to get the most grease. We also don't live in a nation where victims of a crime, or their families, get to rewrite the Constitution... no matter how sensitive we are to their pain and suffering.
It's dangerous to suggest that the entire Muslim faith--and by extension the proposed mosque or mosques in general--is fundamentally incompatible with American pluralism, and therefore poses a greater risk to our citizenry than other faiths and houses of worship. And we cannot allow the 9/11 attacks to be used as a pawn in the political and race/religion wars. Let's remember, we're at war with al Qaeda, not Islam.
To be sure, some will find the mosque's location a 'slap in the face' and an act of supreme insensitivity to the families of those who died on that horrific day. But where do we draw that line in deciding the who/what/where of this community center? Is two blocks too close? Should it be three? Five? Ten? Should we also shut down the area's other mosques, Muslim prayer centers which have existed peacefully in the community for many years prior to 9/11? What about the area's strip clubs? Do we close them down too because some might find them offensive and a 'slap' as well? And who gets to decide all this? Clearly, there's strong, passionate views on both sides of this issue, and especially from the 9/11 families. Which is why Constitutional law should be the engine that drives this debate and not the very personal, subjective views of some.
Posted by The Ostroy Report at 9:23 PM 10 comments:
Gingrich Family Values: Stick a Fork in Newt
If Newt Gingrich expects to run for president in 2012, let alone win, he better think again. Seems his ex-wife Marianne has a little score to settle, and has gone public in a scathing magazine interview about her former hubby's kinky past, especially as it relates to marriage. Thanks to Mrs. #2, we've now confirmed what most of us have known all along: that when it comes to family-values, Gingrich, like most Republicans, believes there's two sets...one for him and one for everyone else.
So what's in Newt's closet? Well, Marianne unloaded her bombshells in ESQUIRE's September profile of the former House Speaker. Here's some of the juiciest revelations:
-That he met his first wife Jackie when she was his high-school geometry teacher. They married when he was 19 and she 26.
-He later dumped Jackie, while she was recovering from cancer, to marry then-mistress Marianne.
-He later dumped Marianne, for mistress and eventual third wife Callista, while she suffered from Multiple Sclerosis (apparently Newt has huge issues with the marital vow "in sickness and in health"). While married to Marianne, Newt wanted her to "tolerate" his affair with Callista, who is 23 years his junior.
-In answering an incredulous Marianne who questioned his hypocritical public family-values grandstanding while cheating on her with his much younger aide Callista, Gingrich arrogantly replied: "It doesn't matter what I do. People need to hear what I have to say. There's no one else who can say what I say. It doesn't matter what I live." Talk about delusions of grandeur.
Now don't get me wrong. In general, I sit in judgement of no one, especially those with marital failure and even infidelity. There's often more to a story than meets the eye, and no one's perfect. What a couple does behind closed doors is their business, not mine. But what I do have a major issue with is arrogant, self-righteous morality-cops like Gingrich who sanctimoniously lecture the rest of us on family-values while they're out cheating on their wives, screwing everything in sight. And in Newt's case in particular, even suggesting that the Mrs. sanction the affair. What kind of sick, twisted, radical family-values is that?
We surely remember how these skeevy hypocrites like Gingrich crucified Bill Clinton back in the 90's over his affair with Monica Lewinsky. He became just the second sitting president in United States history to be impeached. Yet one by one these witch-hunting hypocrites including Gingrich, Bob Barr, Henry Hyde, Robert Livingston, Helen Chenoweth, Dan Burton, John Ensign, Larry Craig and others were all subsequently embroiled in their own humiliating public sex scandals. These philandering phonies went ahead with their Clintoncide despite knowing they couldn't keep their own pants on. What unmitigated gall.
I cannot tell you downright giddy I am to see Gingrich's marital indiscretions broadcast for the entire world to see in all their disgusting, shameful, specious glory. No one deserves to be metaphorically stoned in public with his integrity and reputation dragged through the mud more than the smug, duplicitous, self-aggrandizing phony Gingrich.
As Stephen Colbert noted about Gingrich Wednesday night, "He's so morally upright he's only had sex after he was married, just not always to the woman he was married to."
It's hard to image Gingrich setting sail next year for a run at the White House. As I've written here on this blog years ago, his serial philandering will keep him from ever sitting behind the Oval Office desk. But if he does decide to defy conventional wisdom and run anyway, it'll be a lot of fun to watch him implode.
When will these glass-house-dwellin' Republicans finally learn not to throw stones...
On another note, get ready for the Adrienne Shelly Foundation's 3rd Annual eBay Auction which launches September 24th. Wanna go to lunch with stars like Jon Hamm, Cheryl Hines, Michelle Williams, Rachael Harris, Julianna Margulies, Keri Russell, Susie Essman, Bill Hader, Jeremy Sisto among others? Or how about VIP tickets and meet/greet to Joan Rivers' new stand-up show? We'll also be offering VIP tickets to THE COLBERT REPORT, RACHEL RAY, ELLEN, Maroon 5 and Jimmy Buffett concerts; plus TV show set visits on RIZZOLI & ISLES and IN PLAIN SIGHT; as well as movie walk-ons. Mark your calendars for September 24!
Elite Republican Nepotism Nerds Are Out of Touch with Average Americans' Struggles
An interesting observation was made while watching Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. As usual, the second half's expert panel was mostly Republican, comprised of conservatives Bill Kristol of The Weekly Standard; Liz Cheney, daughter of former Veep Darth Vader; and of course, the host himself. The left was held up by Juan Williams, who always tries his valiant best despite often being drowned out by the right-wingers.
When the panel discussed issues pertaining to the economy, jobs, health care reform, entitlement programs and taxes, they came at it all with the usual rhetoric which reinforces the partisan propaganda about how it's the rich who start businesses, create jobs and drive the economy....while liberals just want to give away the store to the have-nots at the expense of the haves through more government hand-outs. Why can't everyone just pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and make their own way?, is the common Republican refrain. No free lunches!
But what the children of privilege like Wallace, Kristol and Cheney so arrogantly and cavalierly ignore is that their prominent careers are built on the foundation of nepotism....that good old fashioned tradition of rich mommy and daddy giving you that first big break.
And that's the whole point. 99% of Americans don't have wealthy parents who can give them a start. They don't have a former U.S. vice president dad to help get them exposed and primed for a prominent job as a political analyst. They don't have a "Godfather of Neoconservative" and Commentary Magazine editor dad who helped pave the way for their coveted political and publishing positions. They don't have a 60 Minutes-famous pop who can open the kind of broadcast news doors that the average journalism student can only dream of. And that's why they can be so smug, so insensitive and in such denial. They're the kids who were born on 3rd base and think they hit a triple.
The truth is, most Americans do have to fend for themselves in this ravaged economy and ever-competitive jobs market. They don't have rich parents to fall back on. There's no security blanket. No cushion. In fact, for many Americans, all they have is the government. That's their rich mommy and daddy. That's who they go to when they need a start. Need a loan. Need help. Or when they crash and burn and have nowhere else to turn. It's easy for the famous last-named Cheneys, Kristols and Wallaces of the world to sanctimoniously lecture the rest of us on what it means to be independent and self-sufficient when they had their own privileged, elitist version of big government handouts......the family kind.
Will Prop 8 and Gay Marriage Derail the GOP this November?
Just when the sputtering economy was seemingly presenting Republicans with the well-paved road to victory this November along comes Proposition 8 and gay marriage, the political equivalent of GOP crack. And these self-righteous morality junkies just can't get enough. They're addicted to guns, God and gays, as well as immigration and abortion, and relapse during every campaign they wage. Watch it be the death of them in the midterms as they embark on this diversionary homophobic witch hunt while 14-million Americans are unemployed and the poor and middle classes have been financially ravaged. To Republicans, It's the homo's, stupid! Can Karl Rove be far behind?
The economy is still facing unprecedented challenges, especially in the jobs market, as Friday's disappointing employment report indicated. But all the GOP has to offer voters are spending cuts on the lower and middle classes and huge tax cuts for the rich. It's the same old song. Nothing innovative. And not terribly popular with middle-America. Which is why it's so easy for them to lose focus and fall back into their comfortable hot-button social issues trap yet again.
Voters lapped up that polarizing rhetoric during the Bush/Cheney/Rove glory days. They astoundingly put aside their own financial interests and tapped their personal prejudices instead. While Republicans are predicting massive victory this year and a repeat of their "revolution" of 1994, that victory was fueled by New Gingrich's Contract with America which focused on issues that had broad popular support like welfare reform, term limits, tax cuts and balancing the budget. The Gingrich army didn't invade our bedrooms, as the current leadership is trying to do. And that will be political suicide. Voters are much more focused on economic issues this year, and any attempt to divert them away from their pocketbooks will be a disaster for the GOP.
On a completely different note, here's a little question for my Republican friends: how come Obama, who you label as the most liberal president in history, is against gay marriage? And, why would he appoint a Supreme Court justice, Elena Kagen, who's said there's no constitutional right to gay marriage? I'll be waiting for your answer....
An Open Letter to Frightened Married Heterosexuals
In the wake of the overturning of California's Prop 8 ban on same sex marriage, you terrified straight folks are once again regurgitating the old homophobic propaganda that gay marriage threatens the great institution of "natural" heterosexual marriage. You know, the kind that Mel Gibson, O.J. Simpson, Robert Blake, Joey Buttafuoco, Klaus von Bulow, Newt Gingrich, Mark Sanford, John Edwards and countless others have been so respectful of.
Of course, nothing could be as ridiculous and unfounded as this threat, which is based on ignorance and self-hatred. I'm sorry, but two gay dudes could literally be fisting each other on my front lawn while blasting Liza Minelli and it still won't threaten my straight relationship in any way. If you truly think it'll threaten yours then perhaps you're not as straight as you think you are. Maybe you actually want some of that gay action, and rather than be honest with yourself about who you really are, you amp up the testosterone and lash out at those who are living truthfully.
Listen, heteros, just what the hell are you so afraid of anyway? Why does it bother you so much...why does it arouse so much anger and passion... at the thought of two gay people in love who wish to marry? Do you think preventing gays from marrying will make homosexuality go away? Do you think preventing same sex marriages will end same sex relationships? Are you paranoid that a roving, predatory, wedding-banded rainbow-cock will come flying into your unsuspecting manly-man mouth if you walk down a street full of married gays? This issue is about human rights. Civil rights. Peace, love and happiness. So how about you just chill the fuck out and live your life and let gays live theirs?
All you petrified straights should get used to the idea that gays and gay marriage aren't going away. You should finally show some decency, respect and appreciation for our gay friends, as they are part of America's fabric. They stand beside you as they fight your wars, teach your kids, care for your sick elders, protect your homes, fight your fires, pay your salaries, do your taxes and more. They love this country just as you do, and they deserve the same freedoms as you, especially went it comes to sharing their lives with those they love.
To be sure, gays are not the first group to be discriminated against when it comes to marriage. Prior to a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 1967, interracial marriage was against the law in many states. Think about how unfathomable it would be for it to still be illegal today. Well, this narrow-minded, infuriating, fear-based effort to keep gays from marrying is just as unfathomable..
Federal Court Overturns CA's Prop 8 Ban on Gay Marriage. Closeted Republicans Everywhere Rejoice
California's controversial Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriages, was overturned Wednesday by a U.S. district judge in San Francisco. The decision was a major victory for gay activists.
Prop 8, or California Marriage Protection Act, was a voter-approved ballot measure in the November 2008 elections. It reversed the prior California Supreme Court ruling that gay couples had a constitutional right to marry.
In his 130-page ruling, Chief US District Judge Vaughn Walker wrote: "The evidence shows that Prop. 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California constitution, the notion that opposite sex couples are superior to same sex couples. Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians and because Prop. 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis, the court concludes the Prop. 8 is unconstitutional."
The suit was brought by plaintiffs Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, a Burbank couple seeking to marry, and was argued by the legal team of Ted Olson and David Boies, bitter foes in the Gore v Bush battle of 2000.
As expected, gays from New York to California rejoiced over the decision, and were no doubt joined in celebration from the likes of Mark Foley, Larry Craig, Ted Haggard, Bob Allen and countless other closeted, formerly gay-bashing Washington conservatives humiliated in salacious gay-sex scandals. And while no seemingly heterosexual Republican politician currently serving could outwardly show his euphoria over the ban's reversal, we're certain it was a very different story for those in the GOP (Gay Ole Party) closet.
Bristol's Baby Daddy's Another Baby's Daddy!
First it was true teenage love, and then an unwed pregnancy and an imminent gunshot kiddie wedding. Then it was a sensational tabloid split, with Baby Daddy trashing his famous almost-in-laws. Then poor Grandma was horrified as these two crazy attention-starved, money-grubbing kids got back together, disingenuously avowing their love on the cover of People as Baby Daddy confessed to having lied about Granny's many warts. Then the unthinkable happened: Baby Daddy lied yet again, telling his Baby Mama he was headed to California for a hunting trip but instead visiting his other baby...the one his almost-soon-to-be-teen-bride didn't know about. And once again Baby Daddy, the nightmare who may finally go away for Granny, abruptly got kicked to the cold, Alaskan curb.
Welcome to the Palin family, where good old fashioned conservative family values are about as foreign as the Russian skyline.....ya know, the one Mamma Grizzly can see from her Wasilla window. While daughter Bristol and Baby Daddy Levi Johnston are the gossip gifts that keep on giving to Democrats, they've given Mama G nothing but fire-breathing heartburn. How can Ms. Death Panel possibly spin this PR fiasco? Remember during the 2008 campaign how she claimed Bristol's situation demonstrated true family grit? Yeah, maybe for The Adams Family.
And now with Palin on the campaign trail once again, with self-righteous, morality-police guns ablaze, it's comic relief listening to her Tea Party drivel about family values and "taking back America" to the way our Founding Fathers would want it. But ya know what would really make the Founding Fathers heads spin? The Palin family's media-whorish, amoral behavior. You betchya!
Mama Grizzly's Cojones
Sarah Palin's mouth is an indisputable train wreck. The self-proclaimed Mama Grizzly over the weekend was at her rhetorical best yet again. Commenting on Fox News over Arizona's controversial immigration law, The Wasila Wonder said that Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) "has the cojones (balls) that our president does not have." And make no mistake, if anyone should know about balls it's the Alaskan Tea Bagger.
The current midterm election landscape has been fertile ground for Palin who, without official political perch or requisite intelligence, has been mouthing off against everything from health care and financial reform to the $20-billion BP claims fund. She's become the Queen of the Party of Hell No, relishing her role as rabble-rouser-in-chief.
But the key question remains: outside of her hard-core right wing Tea Party groupies who salivate at her every word like she's the Depression-era FDR, can Mama Grizzly's inciting, divisive, substance-lacking rhetoric appeal to moderate Republicans and independents as the GOP works to regain control of Congress, or will her hate-speak turn off these all-important voters? So far, like her Tea Baggin' pals Michelle Bachmann, Sharron Angle and Rand Paul, Palin offers nothing meaningful to the debate and excites no one beyond her narrow-minded, race-baiting base.
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Nice Drives: 2020 Cadillac XT6 & CT4
By Isaac Bouchard
Cadillac's flagship Escalade has been an unalloyed success, and in its latest iteration it appears that no effort has been spared to making sure it remains the standard for a classic body-on-frame, luxury SUV. The company's other recent offerings have been received with slightly more of a mixed reception, though. Herein we examine the XT6 crossover and CT4 sedan to see how they stack up.
2020 Cadillac XT6 Premium Luxury
Based on the component set that underpins the well-resolved Chevrolet Traverse, the XT6 is a roomy and dynamically accomplished 6- or 7-passenger crossover. Its styling is restrained and upscale, with sleekly rendered lines and such nice detailing as trim and wheels that all appear to be polished aluminum instead of the more commonly used chrome. Its proportions and stance are confident and—to these eyes—better resolved than that of the Acura MDX and Audi Q7, direct competitors. Perhaps the only crossover of similar type that beats it in aesthetics (both inside and out) is the Volvo XC90. It is inside the XT6 that compromises are evident. Despite some very nice finishes on the top trim level, Platinum, there is still some cheapness evident, and a lack of cohesion in material selection, that works against it. That said the layout is clean and logical, and the features class-competitive. On the positive side of the ledger, the Cadillac's interface, CUE, has evolved from horrid to about the best in the industry, though its 8-inch screen could be bigger. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are offered, and unlike BMW, there is no charge for thier use. Like all vehicles based on the C1 platform, the front seats seem less than generous in size and adjustments the competitors, which is a shame, as they are covered in very nice hide, and heated and ventilated. An annoyance is that the Cadillac requires you to select AWD every single time you start it up. If you don't, be prepared for the front wheels to scrabble if you give it a boot-full of throttle from a stop.
Dynamically, the XT6 easily matches or surpasses the others, with a superbly calibrated balance between ride and handling, accurate and precise steering and a firm, powerful brake pedal. It is better than the Volvo and Acura and so close to the Audi it is too close to call as to which is better for any single buyer. The Cadillac is powered by a 3.6-liter, six cylinder engine that is smooth and refined, and offers a competitive 310 horsepower. But the XT6 lacks a turbocharger, meaning it suffers at our altitude compared to the Audi, and doesn't have enough low-end torque when loaded with passengers and gear. That said, its engine and 9-speed automatic serve up thrust in a more even-handed manner than the Volvo's 2-liter four, which is notoriously nonlinear in delivery. The XT6 gets top marks for passive safety and many driver aids are standard, but one needs to pay extra for adaptive cruise control and Cadillac's Super Cruise Level 2 autonomous drive is conspicuously absent.
EPA Ratings: 17/24/20mpg
0-60mph: 6.4sec (indep test)
Price as tested: $71,585
Here is what Cadillac has to say.
2020 Cadillac CT4 Premium Luxury
Cadillac spent a lot of time and effort overhauling its sedan lineup, just as conventional 4-door vehicles were going out of fashion with consumers. That is probably a blessing in disguise, as there aren't many vehicles I have driven lately that are more uneven than the AT4. As a luxury/sports sedan it has a complicated mission: be rewarding to drive hard yet cossetting and comfy, come across as upscale in appearance and interior quality, be loaded with tech yet still not too expensive. The test vehicle, equipped in Premium Luxury specification, hits the sweet spot for the CT4 in many of these respects. It has all the expected niceties, like heated and ventilated leather seats, heated steering wheel, a huge (8 inch) head up display, remote start, and more. Yet its interior sports that distinctly General Motors penchant for finishing high quality plastics so they look and feel cheaper than they really are. Overall its cockpit design is very, very busy, with lots of lines converging and separating without any cohesion. Even the metal speaker grills and subtly-shaped, polished trim cant make the CT4 look or feel special enough for its price. Likewise, the CUE interface is superb, but its 8in screen seems small compared to what Mercedes and others have available. The front seats are unsupportive in corners, though comfortable on straight roads, and the rear bench isn't badly shaped yet headroom and space for feet is on the tight side. The Cadillac's exterior likewise is somewhat bipolar. The front end is a confident update of the styling themes the brand has been working on for over a decade, yet the CT4's hind quarters are heavy-handed, busy and afflicted by the same kind of add-on, "Bustle back" trunk that was reviled even when BMW foisted it off on an unsuspecting public, decades ago. Certainly not helping is that the 19in alloys and low profile tires look lost in the fender wells.
The CT4 is based on a rear-wheel drive platform (the test car had the optional AWD); this pays big dividends in driving dynamics. Unlike the BMW 2-series or even Mercedes A220 and A35, it both rides and handles superbly, with low angles of body roll, hardly and fore/aft pitch and accurate, linear steering. It feels neutral, tied-down and playful. Yet it rides absorbingly and quietly. But the engine offerings don't have the refinement nor combination of performance and economy of competitors. Brake feel is firm and predictable with even the normal brakes; Brembos are an option. Sadly, the chassis is much better than the engines that are available from Cadillac. Standard is a 2-liter turbo that underperforms the German competition in independent testing for acceleration and real-world fuel economy. The optional 2.7-liter four cylinder punches out a competitive 310hp in this car's spec, and a stout 350lb-ft of torque, and is hooked to a superb 10-speed automatic. But its lineage as a Silverado pickup truck engine seems a bit too obvious. The redline is low, and it is either gruff or uncouth when worked hard, depending on which setting you select from the configurator for throttle response and engine noise. Driven in a more sedate manner it has good off-the-line urge (thank you, low-end torque!) but the numerous shifts forced on it by its low redline and tight gear ratios mean it never vanishes into the background in a luxurious manner. The CT4 is a car you want to root for; Cadillac has made some doozies over the past decade or two, including the incredible CTS-V. But it seems GM either starved them of resources to finish the car properly, or Cadillac's engineers, designers and marketing folk were riding out too many changes in company mission and leadership to craft a car that lives up to the promise of its platform. Thankfully, for 2021, Cadillac is making many of the CT4's options standard equipment, and they are finally making their brilliant Super Cruise autonomous driving system and option.
0-60mph: 5.1 sec (est)
This article was also featured in the Winter issue of Colorado AvidGolfer.
Colorado AvidGolfer is the state's leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com.
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One of the few industries to thrive amid the pandemic, golf saw its best season in decades.
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A fruitful collaboration between the City of Joliet and Joliet Historical Society led to the creation a new regional museum. The Joliet Area Historical Museum occupies a former Methodist Church, regarded by the City as an important historic building in need of preservation. The exterior was completely refurbished and the church's sanctuary was adaptively re-used as the museum's Core Exhibit Gallery. The project also entailed a new one-story addition for the Historic Route 66 Welcome Center.
Large-scale sensory exhibits, such as the two-story Canal Cut and recreated downtown streetscape, fully immerse the visitor in Joliet's heritage. Visitors may climb aboard a recreated trolley, take a seat inside, and experience a simulated ride down Main Street Joliet. They also can watch excerpts of silent films that once headlined at the Rialto Theater, or select a radio station to hear the latest war news, advertisements, and music broadcast during World War II. "Talk of the Town" offers a link to current issues, residents, and happenings.
The impact of the Joliet Area Historical Museum has reached far beyond the museum's historic walls, contributing heavily to the revitalization of the City of Joliet.


Canon PIXMA MX310 Series All-in-One Printer, scan and copy with the performance of compact high-performance and flexibility to produce superior quality in the world of printing. Easy-quick print photos with color resolution Up to 4800 x 1200 dpi, produce quality photos or documents clear sharp text. Automatic printing document feeder (ADF) tray holds up to 32 originals, I've to copy, scan or fax large documents, and copies that produces according to the original, and the document will display the text bold, laser-quality. MX310 Scanner produces Up to 1200 dpi with 48-bit color depth/speed Super G3 faxing in color and black and white.
Double-click the file to mount the Disk Image.
Please click the link, select "save", then specify "Save As", click the "save" to download the file.
Download the file will be saved, according in the place specified in the self-extracting form (.exe format).


65 years of age or blind or disabled.
Have applied for the benefits.
Disability means inability to engage in any SGA [substantial gainful activity] by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death, or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
Such work exists in the immediate area in which the claimant lives.
A specific job vacancy exists.
The claimant would be hired if they applied for work.
Substantial gainful activity (SGA), for the year 2014, is the ability to earn $1070 gross income in a month's period for most disabled individuals, and $1800 for those whose disability includes blindness.
In addition, for SSI purposes, an individual is considered blind regardless of the period of time they are expected to be blind or if they are performing substantial gainful activity.
One of the requirements to receive SSI is that the individual's income must be below certain limits. These limits may vary based on the state in which the individual lives, his/her living arrangement, the number of people living in the residence, and the type of income. The limit varies on all of these factors and is described below, in the section on benefit computation.
Another requirement for SSI is that the individual's resources be below a certain limit. This amount is $2,000 for a single individual and $3,000 for an individual and their spouse (whether the spouse is eligible for SSI or not), $4,000 for a child applicant with one parent living in the household, and $5,000 for a child applicant with two parents living in the household. However, conditional benefits may be paid if a substantial portion of the resources are considered non-liquid, resources that cannot be sold within 20 working days, if they agree to sell the resources at their current market value within a specified period and repay the money after the non-liquid property is sold.
However, not all actual resources are counted in calculating an individual's or couple's resources for SSI purposes.
May be ineligible if he or she is a resident of a public institution from the first day of a month through the last day of the same month, fails to apply for all other benefits for which they may be eligible (including Social Security benefits), has an unsatisfied warrant or violates parole conditions, fails to give SSA permission to contact any financial institution for financial records, or is outside the US for 30 consecutive days with some exceptions.
Generally, the person qualifying for benefits is determined to be capable of managing their own financial affairs, and the benefits may be disbursed directly to them. In the case of persons who have a diagnosed mental impairment which interferes with their ability to manage their own finances, the Social Security Administration may require that the person assign someone to be their representative payee. This person will receive the benefits on behalf of the disabled individual, and disburse them directly to payors such as landlords, or to the disabled person, while providing money management assistance (help with purchasing items, limiting spending money, etc.). The representative payee generally does not charge a fee for this service, especially if it's a friend or relative. Social service agencies who are assigned as payee are prohibited from charging a fee, though some private payee agencies do provide the service for a small fee. Some states and counties have representative payee agencies (also called substitute payee programs) which receive the benefits on behalf of the disabled person's social worker, and disburse the benefits per the social worker's instructions.


Remote Access Server over IP™ (RASoIP™) is a remote modem gateway or aggregator which provides a machine-to-machine (M2M) communications solution to replace conventional MoIP services. RASoIP distributes the concept of Remote Access Servers (RAS) into local networked ATA devices, each with a full set of data modem protocols to extract modem information at the source. It replaces a dial-up remote server gateway and eliminates the banks of modem servers at the ASP.
RASoIP delivers modem data over the Internet and other IP networks in a variety of forms including Telnet and RFC 5194 Framework for Real-Time Text over IP. Data from legacy dial up modems may be aggregated by RASoIP and also transmitted using IP protocols over mobile, radio and satellite (Iridium, etc) links.
VOCAL's software libraries are optimized for performance on ANSI C and leading DSP architectures from TI, ADI, ARM, Intel and other vendors. Contact us for a demo and to discuss your specific Remote Access Server development requirements.
Fax services (transmit and receive) may be directly handled by a Distributed Remote Gateway over IP™ (RGoIP™), or Distributed Gateway over IP™ (DGoIP™), which provides both data and fax modem services directly in a customer's ATA VoIP device. In this model, remote equipment controls the customer's distributed modem using ordinary AT commands. Standard fax applications may be used by a fax server to send and receive faxes. Special buffering, command anticipation and keep alive methods are employed within the ATA to ensure high reliability of modem operations.
VOCAL's VoIP Software Suite provides developers a robust and comprehensive set of software libraries to create a complete RAS over IP solution to implement a remote modem gateway or aggregator across a wide variety of platforms. The modem aggregator software is fully integrated and highly configurable, including a Network Stack, SIP Stack, full-featured Telephony software, as well as a wide range of audio codecs. Additional information regarding all aspects of our RAS over IP software solution is available.
VOCAL's software is available for the following platforms. Please contact us for specific RASoIP software supported platforms.


I'm sorry that I kind of have disappeared. My husband and I have got a new house and we are currently trying to move into the new place.
Moving is very difficult. Especially when you have two people with different opinions about how things are supposed to be. But I am currently in the process of moving. It should be exciting and a great new place for us.
On the writing front, I got a new idea that is boiling in my head. Hopefully it will stay there until I can get to a pen and paper to write down my ideas. 😊 I'll keep y'all posted.
I'm still working on blog things. I am working on a few articles and I am trying to get my writing Wednesdays up and going… Moving tends to get in the way.
Just stay with me and things will be getting a good.


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Freedom on Lake Davidson
Lake Davidson, last swim day October 20, 2016
Just two blocks from my Charleston-style home on Bridges Farm Rd., I plunge almost every day into Lake Davidson, the horseshoe-shaped lake with the gooey clay bottom. On sunny days, when the water turns a pellucid blue-green, I swim as freely as the sparrows and Great Blue Herons swooping down from the trees. Immersed in Lake Davidson, moving rapidly from one islet to another, I feel happy. I'm as free as the swimmers Diana Nyad or Johnny Weissmuller doing a Tarzan routine. The Lake is a moving meditation for me – my confessional, the closest thing I will ever feel to flying with my own wings.
Strange that this human-scale lake that stretches roughly 341 acres just east of Lake Norman should become a serene byproduct of North Carolina's interstate development. When Duke Energy dammed the Catawba River between 1959 and 1964 to create Lake Norman – sometimes known as the "inland sea" of North Carolina – state road authorities also began extending I-77. By 1968, a stretch of highway extending into the Davidson and Cornelius areas in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties was completed, creating a causeway that subdivided the big Lake Norman from its "sisters," Lake Cornelius and Lake Davidson.
Today, from our neighborhood shores, we can see that isthmus of I-77 traffic, the trucks and cars zooming along day and night.
One day, I hope that isthmus will be lined with trees, perhaps poplars or pines – not only to prevent roving hands and eyes from slowing down while driving on I-77 to look at our lake, but also to dampen noise and complete the "shield" that gives our Lake its calming mood.
Our Davidson Points HOA has done an excellent job of installing racks to enable local kayakers to park their boats for a ready plunge into the lake. And Phil Dorvel and Frank Adams of the HOA Board have told me they hope to build a sandy beach near the kayak racks that will encourage young swimmers and sunbathers.
For now, I relish the fact that I'm virtually a loner swimming in the Lake. Oh it's true, a seaplane has chosen to land on Lake Davidson a few times, making waves in the neighborhood. Ten horsepower boats are permitted, although most people are cautious and readily spot my neon-green bathing cap. Mostly, it's kayakers and little boats and pontoons plying still waters.
As autumn progresses, I'll take walks around the perimeter of our lake in early morning. I'll watch the deep reds and golds of maples and oaks spilling onto the water's surface. There will be families of mallards and Canadian geese making their home here. And even though I've swum in many seas and oceans far away – in Asia, Europe, the Grenadines, Hawaii and Australia –there will always be that one lake near my Carolina home. It's my pocket of serenity, my view of suns setting in the West. Lake Davidson colors my life, and always makes me feel wet and welcome.


Accommodation on board The Eastern & Oriental Express.
Travelling in private compartments, passengers on board the Eastern & Oriental Express are attended by Cabin Stewards throughout the journey, and are assured of attentive yet discreet service. All compartments are elegantly appointed with inlaid woods, antique brass and the modern comforts of air conditioning and an en suite shower and WC. Sockets are suitable for international plugs (220 volts) and each compartment has a personal safe. Hairdryers are available in each compartment.
Each cabin is fully air-conditioned with an en suite shower, washbasin and WC and features large picture windows for an excellent view of the passing scenery. Facilities include 24-hour steward service, international electric sockets (220 volts) and 110 volt adapter for razors, a personal safe and hairdryer.
Passengers may select from three types of compartment: Pullman, State and Presidential. Cabins convert in moments from daytime seating to a comfortable bedroom.
The Eastern & Oriental Express has 30 Superior Cabins that measure comfortably at 62 square feet. During the daytime the compartment is a private lounge provided by a banquette style sofa. At night the seating converts to an upper and lower bed. A private en suite shower, washbasin and WC is also provided in your cabin.
Superior Cabins are also available for single configurations.
The Eastern & Oriental Express has 28 State Cabins which measure 84 square feet each. Configured as a private lounge during the day, with a banquette style sofa, fixed chair and one movable chair. Fixed daytime seating converts to two single beds at night. A private en suite shower, washbasin and WC is also provided.
Each Presidential Cabin measures at 125 square feet, the ultimate in luxury train comfort. The cabins are configured as a private lounge during the day, with banquette style sofa and fixed chair, and two movable chairs. Fixed daytime seating converts to two single beds at night. A private en suite shower, washbasin and WC is also provided.
Guests in Presidential Suites enjoy the additional benefit of a complimentary bar in their cabin.


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Home Uncategorized Party Time: All the Kings' Fans and All the Kings' Men
Party Time: All the Kings' Fans and All the Kings' Men
Sean Fitz-Gerald
After trouncing the New Jersey Devils 6-1 in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Los Angeles Kings are preparing to celebrate in royal fashion. On Thursday the Kings and AEG will host a championship parade down Figueroa St. and a championship rally inside Staples Center. At noon, players and their families, coaches, staff, broadcasters, alumni, the Ice Crew, Bailey, and VIPs will ride on double-decker buses to showcase the Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe Trophy, and Clarence Campbell Cup. Following the parade at 2:30 p.m., a 60-minute, ticketed rally will highlight moments from the regular season and will include introductions of the team, staff, and executives—in addition to special presentations and surprises. Tickets for the rally are free, but priority will be given to season ticket holders and suite and premier seat owners. Reserve and print your own tickets starting at 6 p.m. today at lakings.com/parade. Public parking will be available along the parade route, in the Los Angeles Convention Center lots, and in the Staples Center lots. Because of the event, the following streets will be closed beginning at 4:00 a.m. Thursday: Figueroa Street, between Third Street and Pico Boulevard; 11th Street and Chick Hearn Court, between Figueroa and Cherry streets; and L.A. Live Way, between Olympic and Pico boulevards.
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Choose one of the breaks or offers below to experience all the unique pleasures that Luccombe Hall Hotel in Shanklin has to offer: wonderful warm welcoming service – always acknowledged by our guests; delicious food with plenty of choice and the incredible range of indoor and outdoor leisure facilities that will keep all your party fully entertained or relaxed.
Our aim is to exceed your every expectation and we think that starts with offering you exceptional value added packages.
For an added touch of luxury you can upgrade your room to a Sea-facing Room, Superior Sea-Facing Balcony, Garden Room with Private Hot Tub or Executive Room. You can also choose from a range of welcome packages including champagne, flowers and hand made chocolates.
Follow the links below for more information, then simply click the Book Now links to make your hotel reservation at Luccombe Hall quickly and securely online.


Take control of your choices, and you can change your life.
In order to make permanent changes in our lives, we must take control and make some choices.
Every day we are faced with a myriad of choices, and most of them, we give no real thought to whatsoever.
These choices are habitual answers to common questions that we deal with day in and day out.
The start of a habit begins with taking control.
This may not be a comfortable part of the site, but it is the key to developing healthy eating habits.
The better you understand that you have to take control, the faster you will develop the rest of the 7 habits of weight loss.
It is what will drive you to Take Control.
Our lives are full of habits, that have been ingrained for years, and are held in place by years of repetition.
All of the little things, like how big of a pile of eggs we eat in the morning, are choices that we make everyday.
But have you ever really thought about why you take that massive pile of food to shove into your mouth?
What are the choices you can make?
Portion Control is one of those fun habits that we develop when we are growing, active teenagers and young adults who are out burning some major calories on a regular basis.
Well, I think we all understand that this leads to the good old 5-7 pounds a year problem.
The eating habits of a college student, should not be continued into adulthood.
The lifestyles are just too different, and we should be adult enought to take control of our choices.
I am ashamed at how, we as a country, have become the most overweight country in the world. We live in a land of opportunity and beauty, yet we are clinically depressed about our weight because we don't have healthy eating habits.
Start looking at your day and making conscious choices.
Is the breakfast I eat appropriate to my lifestyle?
Does my coffee really need 2 heaping teaspoons of sugar?
Or would 1 still taste good?
What am I drinking to satisfy my thirst?
Does it need to be a soda? Would iced tea or good old water work as well?
Am I eating just to eat?
Am I eating for sustenance?
It makes a huge difference in what you put on your plate.
Consciously make a choice to cut the nasty habits out of your life.
Make a choice to actually think about what you are putting in your body, and you will begin to develop healthy habits.
For me, the key is to not try to change everything at once.
If I try to change everything at once, I am doomed to fail.
But if I can just get one change in place, make it a habit, and then make another change, it becomes a journey to a healthier happier life.
Welcome aboard, Take control, make choices, and enjoy the ride.


NEW DRAG CONTROLLERS AND UPDATED GENESIS CONTROLLERS ARE HERE!
ALL NEW GENESIS CONTROLLERS AND MODULES ARE HERE!
Our all new Genesis design controllers and modules feature a remote cable design. The heatsink hangs on the edge of the track for a lightweight and more comfortable handle. Our Genesis HD30 controllers use a thin cable between the handle and the heatsink assembly. To get the best possible braking all Genesis controllers use our new E.S.P. relay braking system. The E.S.P. relay bypasses the brake circuit to provide the shortest resistance path and the best braking possible when activated. All Genesis controllers feature a 40 amp full power relay with 10 ga. or 12 ga. wires.
1) Modules: Convert your Parma Turbo controller to a full function electronic controller with our module conversion kits. Our new Genesis modules feature improved instructions with digital photos for a simpler installation. Modules are packed with new features and redesigned layout to make this kit the best way to upgrade to a Difalco controller at a great savings!
2) Module and DD277 Frame, Wire and Ball bearing kit: Combine the module of your choice and the DD277 kit to build as close to the factory version as you can get. You get our exclusive fiberglass frame, wire and hardware. Now contains our ball bearing kit that greatly improves your controllers reliability and function.
3) Controller: Factory assembled controllers have a wide variety of options and price ranges to fit your budget.
WHY CHOOSE A DIFALCO CONTROLLER?.
OVERALL CONSTRUCTION: Our controllers are built solid with the best components! All stainless and brass hardware. We use custom made and very flexible 12 ga. or 10 ga. wire, 40 amp full power relays and ball bearing triggers for the best performance and reliability. Our 3/32" thick fiberglass frame makes our controller frame very stiff compared to others who use a 1/16" circuit board. This combined with the industry standard Parma handle keeps our controller from flexing in your hand like other brands. Our circuit board is nickel plated for durability and all controls are labeled for ease of use.
DESIGN SIMPLICITY: Other manufacturers will try to dazzle you with their complex and technical design. Trying to do the same thing our controller does in a different way. What they do not tell you is how long will it keep working. Our transistor design consists of wiper band resistors, a power transistor and a rheostat to control the overall sensitivity. That's it! Our brake circuit uses a rheostat for reliability and linear response. Simple! No capacitors, no programmable controllers, no dozens of electronic parts that have an opportunity to fail.
UPGRADE: Our controllers feature a separate circuit board and frame design. This allows Difalco controllers to be upgraded to any new design at minimal expense! You old controller will never be obsolete! We offer simple upgrade kits as well as installation and tune-up service to get your older controller feel like new.
REPAIR: NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS! That's what one West Coast manufacturer has printed in their instructions! When their controller fails they want to send the controller back so they can hit you up for a huge repair bill! Not Difalco Design! Any racer can repair our controllers with little effort and at little cost. Durability and reliability are what Difalco Design controllers are all about! No huge repair bill to pay! You will not loose your controller for weeks while it is at the manufacturer being repaired. This is especially important for racers outside of the USA. We have repair parts available and great troubleshooting instructions so you can get your controller repaired and racing again. If another manufacturer does not sell repair parts that means their controller is too complicated to repair and must be sent back to them!
SERVICE: The most important reason for choosing a Difalco controller is our 45 years in slot racing! Difalco Design will be here to serve you no matter what you need. Email or call Jim with any questions or advice you need to improve your racing experience and results.
Our Genesis controllers are made in Neo, Pro, Fanatic and HD30 designs with various features and options. We also have dual polarity models available to use on negative and positive polarity tracks. Most of our 1/24 controllers can also run 1/32 cars as is or with adding an optional network. Our large heatsink and hi amp transistor means all 1/24 controllers can handle the fastest G7 motor unless specified otherwise.
Please contact Jim at Difalco Design if you have any question about which model is best for you or where to buy your Difalco controller. This is especially important if you want to race various scales like 1/32, H.O. and 1/24 with the same controller.
We now accept paypal! See our sales policy section for information on what controller lines are available direct or through your local raceway and how to order. We regularly ship outside the USA or to racers visiting the U.S.A. from other countries.
WEBSITE ALWAYS UNDER CONSTRUCTION: We will be adding more individual model pictures, expanded repair how to's and fun stuff like old memorabilia in the future. Hold cursor over category headings and select from drop down menu.
Do not click on top heading.


Former Boston Globe advertising exec Michael Bentley.
Bentley's name was removed from the masthead this week and his LinkedIn page has been updated to reflect the change in employment. Bentley is 45 and lives in Scituate and had just been promoted to his new position last year.
"I apologize and sincerely regret that I did not uphold the standards which are expected of employees at the Boston Globe. Additionally, I respect and support the Boston Globe for creating a workplace environment that takes its culture seriously," Bentley said.
Sources familiar with the internal workings of the paper, however, said that the paper took action after an incident at the company's holiday party.
The departure comes after a year in which the Globe has seen multiple allegations of inappropriate behavior of male employees toward women. On May 20, a former Boston.com editor, Hilary Sargent tweeted out a screenshot of a text message she said was sent by Editor Brian McGrory, whom she had dated in the past. McGrory denied her claims of sexual harassment, and the Globe recruited outside investigators to look into the allegations. The company announced in July that the investigation had found no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of McGrory.
The McGrory allegations themselves came a few months after the Globe published a story about sexual harassment incidents involving one of its own reporters, Jim O'Sullivan, who had been "pressured into resigning" after misconduct accusations were made against him. The paper did not at first name the reporter, but McGrory later apologized and named him in a column in December 2017.
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text:
London Times - 2 Mar 07
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article1459141.ece
(Copied 24 Oct 09)
Shell Turns to Wood Chips and Straw in Search for the Road Fuel of the Future
By Carl Mortished
A new road fuel made from wood chips and straw will be launched in Europe later this year from a pilot plant developed by Shell and Choren Industries, the German biofuel company.
The synthetic diesel, made using a novel biomass-to-liquids (BTL) process, will shift the biodiesel industry into a higher gear by using waste plant material instead of valuable food crops.
The pilot plant, near Freiberg, will produce 15,000 tonnes per year of synthetic diesel, which Choren has dubbed Sunfuel. Construction of a much bigger plant in Schleswig-Holstein, costing €500 million (£336 million) and capable of producing 200,000 tonnes of BTL, will begin next year in an effort to quickly bring the product up to commercial scale.
Massive political and regulatory pressure is building on energy companies to find low-carbon alternatives to conventional road fuels. However, increased use of first-generation biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel made from rape-seed or palmoil, has caused the price of food crops, such as corn, to soar.
The cost of BTL is high compared with oil at $60 to $70 a barrel, admitted Ken Fisher, vice-president for strategy at Shell, but the company is confident that it can bring down the price with much higher volumes.
He expects full-scale production on a commercial basis by the middle of the next decade. "We would like to be the leading provider of second-generation biofuels," Mr Fisher said.
BTL forms part of Shell's portfolio of synthetic fuels, which it has called XTL, and includes gas-to-liquids (GTL) a diesel made from natural gas.
All the technologies are based on the Fischer-Tropsch process, invented in Germany in the 1930s to synthesise liquid fuels from coal. The process was initially uneconomic, but was used in Nazi Germany and in South Africa under apartheid when the country lacked access to crude oil.
The discovery of better catalysts and the rising price of crude is improving the commercial equation. Shell is building Pearl, a GTL plant in Qatar that will produce 140,000 barrels per day of synthetic diesel, an odourless fuel with zero sulphur emissions.
Shell has a second BTL investment in Iogen, a Canadian company that this week secured an $80 million (£41 million) grant from the US Government to build a plant in Idaho, which will produce cellulosic ethanol from plant waste and straw. Shell has not disclosed its investment in BTL, but analysts think it may have spent $100 million on the two projects and will need to invest several hundred million more to bring BTL up to commercial scale.
Shell is already the biggest biofuel distributor in the world. The cost of ethanol rose 70 per cent last year as the market reacted to the regulatory pressure to reduce carbon and sulphur emissions.


text:
Reprogramació del millor PIO

Intenta reprogramar el joc de xips de la interfície IDE amb el mode PIO
especificat, o bé intenta autosintonitzar el "millor" mode PIO suportat
per la unitat.

Aquesta característica està suportada pel nucli només per a jocs de xips
"coneguts", i fins i tot així el suport és deficient. Alguns jocs de xips
IDE no poden alterar el mode PIO d'una sola unitat, en aquest cas pot ser
que forcin el mode PIO de totes dues unitats. Molts jocs de xips IDE suporten
més o menys dels sis modes PIO estàndard (0 a 5), així que el valor exacte
de la velocitat implementada de fet variarà depenent de la sofisticació
dels jocs de chips/controladors.

Utilitza-ho amb molt de compte!

Aquesta característica no té cap mena de protecció contra pota-tendres,
i un resultat no reeixit pot provocar una corrupció massiva del sistema
de fitxers!


Travis Foley, Chief Operations Officer, is directly responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Service Delivery teams in North America and Canada.
Most recently Foley spent over 13 years with the Nevada Gaming Control Board's Technology Division where he was involved in the creation of regulations and standards for new technologies such as server based gaming, system supported gaming, and mobile gaming. Foley has extensive expertise in various capacities in the gaming industry.
Foley holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Nevada.


text:
Questions & Answers With: Ashnikko
ALL THINGS LOUD January 25, 2021
Ashnikko took the world by storm in 2020 with the explosive Daisy, a track both visually and sonically powerful. Brave, honest and full of colour and personality, it leads her debut mixtape DEMIDEVIL. Already topping the charts, the release sees Ashnikko as strong and creative as ever. We caught up with her to talk about DEMIDEVIL, the music industry and TikTok. Interview by Ingrid Enache.
Hey Ashnikko! It's inevitable not to ask – how's your lockdown been?
You know, I'm blessed. I've had a very successful career this year, which has been quite surprising. I can't really complain.
Indeed, congratulations on the release! How did you experience this whole process of releasing and promoting during a pandemic?
Thank you so much, it's super weird to be putting out music now. But it's kinda what I've been used to – doing everything yourself, doing it all online. What makes it weird is not being able to see the big payoff, which is playing shows, and not being able to gauge how people are taking the music. It's strange – the only real gauge of how the fans are reacting is through social media, which is not really the best for my mental health; or anyone's mental health, really. I'm definitely looking forward to playing shows again.
I want to quickly introduce your mixtape DEMIDEVIL. Can you describe it with a colour, a smell and a taste?
Pink, the smell of toxic waste mixed with bubblegum, and the taste of microwaved cheese.
The first single on the mixtape was Daisy. It's about this character that you created, but throughout the mixtape I can feel the lyrics becoming very personal and heartfelt. How much of your writing is inspired by your own experiences?
It's all inspired by my life. I think Daisy is probably the one with the most bravado and character in it. I write about my experiences, and sometimes I'm a story vampire for some of my friends – I always ask permission! But it's always very personal, I have a hard time writing for other people because it's like tapping into someone else's emotions.
It does come across as very honest and personal. You're also very open about sexuality and feminism, how is your experience with that in a rap scene that is sadly mostly male dominated?
Well, the whole music industry is male dominated. You look in most record label board rooms and it's predominantly old white dudes, especially in the UK. So it's not exclusive to one genre. There are some discouraging moments – my song Toxic is about toxic men in the music industry. And I've had multiple "aha!" moments where I'm like "oh, women have to work a lot harder to do this!". But I think the key is to surround yourself with people that make you feel supported, loved and creatively free; people that don't stifle you or try to turn you into something that you're not. Everyone around me knows that I'm the boss – I'm not a mean boss! But they know that I'm the boss of the show, and that things are either going to be within my vision, or it's not gonna happen.
You had some great female guests on the mixtape – Grimes, Princess Nokia, and most unexpectedly Hatsune Miku. How did that come to be?
For years people have been telling me that I'm the crazier version of Hatsune Miku. I had been familiar with Vocaloids, but I did more research and I thought "she's the cutest thing ever, I have to make an official song with her; it's gonna happen, I'm manifesting it". I went to a show of hers, which was amazing. It was so beautiful that so many people were so enthusiastic about her and her whole world, I absolutely loved it. We reached out to her team and did a song!
Speaking of collaboration – you always have great creative direction, from make-up and fashion to photography and videos; it's all very strong. Do you usually come up with concepts yourself or do you have a team around you?
I have a really good and creative team. My creative director in the UK is Vasso Vu, and my main collaborator in the US is Charlotte Rutherford who is an absolute legend. I work with both of them, I kinda split my time between the UK and the States. They're visionaries, geniuses. I usually come to them with a lot of ideas and let them help me finetune it. When I write songs I like to have some sort of visual in mind, I like it to be very atmospheric so that I can get a feel for what the video would look like. The visual side is just as important and enjoyable for me in the process.
You must be fed up with TikTok questions by now, but I have to bring it up – so many musicians have started to use it as a new music platform. How do you feel about this, knowing that you were one of the first to make it big on TikTok with the song Stupid?
I don't know, I'm not a huge TikTok user. I don't really use social media recreationally, so I'm super clued up on how it works to be 'discovered' on TikTok. For me it just happened, I didn't even know that it was happening. It was all quite a whirlwind. My songs are liked on TikTok which is cool, but I just wanna make music! It's not confined to one social media app — whoever gravitates towards it, gravitates towards it. But it would be silly not to acknowledge the power that TikTok has in the music industry, for sure.
To round it off, what is some advice you could give to young creative women entering the industry now?
There's the really obvious one 'believe in yourself, don't give up!'. But it always happens when you're most discouraged, which is what happened to me. Don't take any shit and know your worth. You are just as qualified and just as worthy to be in these rooms as everyone else there. You are the fuckingest, you got this, you are creative and beautiful and your mind is full of creative ideas – say that to yourself, even if you don't believe it. I'm a big believer in a little daily mantra. DEMIDEVIL is out now.
Previous ArticleNew Music Round-Up: This Week's Best Releases (22 January)
Next ArticleWhy I Love: Admas' Sons of Ethiopia, by Arp Frique
ALL THINGS LOUD
Knuckle Puck's Joe Taylor opens up about the election and the importance of self-nurturing
ALL THINGS LOUD November 5, 2020
Inside the Mind of Unknown Mortal Orchestra's Ruban Nielson
SWMRS: "Our headline shows are passionate ordeals"
Jack Parker July 22, 2017
In the Pub With: AS IT IS
Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest: "This could get a bit morbid"
Jack Parker October 29, 2015
Messing About With Waterparks
Maui Vindevogel March 19, 2018
The Meaning of LIFE With Mez Sanders-Green
Northlane: "Node is a call to self-empowerment"


text:
class Admin::WebPagesController < AclController
  resource_controller

  belongs_to :citation

  def initialize
    super
    @guest_perms = []
  end

  create.wants.html { redirect_to polymorphic_url([:admin, object.citation.citable, object.citation]) }
  update.wants.html { redirect_to polymorphic_url([:admin, object.citation.citable, object.citation]) }
  destroy.wants.html { redirect_to polymorphic_url([:admin, object.citation.citable, object.citation]) }

  protected

  def parent_association
    parent_object.web_pages # ResourceController needs this for the parent association
  end

  def collection
    @collection = WebPage.where(:citation_id => parent_object.id).page(params[:page])
  end

  # Only allow a trusted parameter "white list" through.
  def web_page_params
    params.require(:web_page).permit(:path, :title, :citation_id)
  end
end


Century: Harold T Lewis This book made me think.
It is ostensibly a history of the responses to ethical dilemmas over 150 years within the Anglican Church of Southern Africa1. However, the dilemmas, their solutions, and in particular the process of those solutions, are relevant for any institution trying to move from colonial control to equality and interdependence.
The book starts from describing the life and work of Bishop Colenso, Bishop of Natal 1853 – 1883. Colenso was a man of strong views and combative words: he once wrote a 100 page letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury on the subject of polygamy. In 18632 Colenso was declared an heretic. His excommunication, later overturned by the Privy Council, was based on a host of theological and political transgressions, most of them entirely unremarkable in the 21st century. The most interesting, from a modern perspective, was his belief that "missionary endeavor should be based on the interchange and not the imposition of ideas" (p 19).
In theory, this is also a view which would not raise an eyebrow today. This book highlights the painful dilemmas which emerge in practice, within a two-way traffic of ideas and values between Africa and the West. When Western churches, as a stand of highest principle, espouse the ordination of women and homosexuals, and the African churches, on equally high principle, oppose this, what is to be done?
The author, Rev Canon Harold T Lewis, has recently retired as Rector of Calvary Church Pittsburgh. He spent a sabbatical year, in 2004, in Grahamstown, at the College of the Transfiguration (COTT), the Anglican seminary.
Lewis came to South Africa specifically to try and understand why the Southern African province3 supported the ordination of homosexual clergymen and bishops, while all the other African provinces were in strong opposition on this issue. African views matter: 40 million of the world's 80 million Anglicans live here. The future of Anglicanism will be shaped in Africa.
• There is a great rage against a 'new imperialism' from the West. The first missionaries imposed a Victorian sexual morality, contemptuously disregarding existing African beliefs and practices. Now the Anglican church is apparently disregarding, and imposing, once again, having inexplicably changed its mind about acceptable sexual practices.
hosts a weekly programme Jozi Today on community radio station Radio Today, and is the author of a schools' biography of Helen suzman in the series They Fought for Freedom.
Many African Christian churches are trying to hold their ground under pressure from fundamentalist Muslims, who condemn homosexuality out of hand.
There is a literal biblical interpretation, shared with some Evangelical and fundamentalist US Episcopalians. These Americans have put themselves under obedience to the bishop of Nigeria, in order not to be part of a church which ordains homosexual bishops. This kind of literal biblical interpretation is one of the issues on which Colenso fell out with his superiors. It was taught rigorously by the missionaries, and learned faithfully, and has come back to bite everyone.4 Why does Lewis see South Africa as "the crucible for Anglicanism in a new century?" He describes a crucible as "a place, time or situation characterized by the confluence of powerful intellectual, social, economic, political or spiritual forces" (p127). He sees South Africa as such a crucible as much because of the processes by which this province has encompassed change, as the particular stand on a given issue. So schism is not an option, not with the Africans, and not with the Americans. Rather than walking away, we must learn to stay put, and live in tension. This capacity of the church to live in tension, Lewis sees as one of the most important legacies of Colenso's challenges to church orthodoxy and hierarchy. Lewis describes the strength of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa as the "ability to hold onto one another, despite differences" (p127).
This holding onto one another occurred throughout the struggle against Apartheid, when some of the church leadership and laity spoke out against Apartheid, but more did not. Yet black and white Anglicans held onto one another, and the church as an institution and a community both endured and changed.
African readers, on matters of both opinion and fact.
Tutu "did more than any other South African to bring about the eventual collapse of apartheid" (pxiv). The continued reference to the two-thirds world instead of the third world is laudable but annoying. These minor quibbles should not be allowed to detract from the intellectual, ethical and spiritual challenges which the book outlines.
In describing the journey of the Anglican Church from an instrument of Empire to a partnership of equals, the writer has a fine eye for colonial absurdity. He notes that until 1948 the Anglican community in South Africa resided under the jurisdiction of their near neighbour, the Bishop of Calcutta. He records that at a Lambeth5 conference delegates are invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace. The invitation prescribes a dress code: bishops are to wear cassocks; wives are to wear hats. What, muses Lewis, should a lady bishop wear? A cassock and a hat? And what about the husband of a bishop?
There will be parts of the book which irritate South African readers, on matters of both opinion and fact. Not everyone would agree that Archbishop Desmond Tutu "did more than any other South African to bring about the eventual collapse of apartheid" (pxiv).
The book begins with Bishop Colenso, and ends with Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane6. Lewis sees Ndungane as a natural successor to Colenso, as both men "represent the possibilities for creative dialogue and fusion between the indigenous culture… and the emerging global culture of the West" (p125). It is in this fusion, Lewis believes, that the future of the church lies.
1 Formerly known as the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (CPSA), this province includes Angola, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mocambique, Namibia, South Africa and St Helena.
2 In 2002 he was, in a rather cumbersome process, de-excommunicated.
4 An interesting aspect of Lewis' book is his study of the social gospel preached by the Anglo-Catholic Oxford movement, who through the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel provided many of the clergy who came to South Africa, such as Trevor Huddlestone. East Africa, by contrast, drew clergy from the evangelical Church Missionary Society. Lewis identifies first Colenso, and then the Oxford Movement, as early exponents of Liberation Theology.
5 The Lambeth Conference, which meets once every 10 years, is attended by bishops from around the globe and ecumenical participants. The very first Lambeth conference was convened in 1867 to deal with problems around the deposing of Bishop Colenso.
6 Njongonkulu Ndungane, successor to Desmond Tutu, was elected Archbishop of Cape Town and Primate of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa in 1996,and served until 2007, when he was succeeded by Archbishop Thabo Makgoba.
What do the different Archbishops whose story is told in these books have in common? Do their histories have any relevance to institutions outside the church?
Patient inclusivity is perhaps the hallmark particularly of Ndungane and of Hurley. They did not turn away from the communities which rejected their ideas; nor did they jettison the ideas others found so offensive. The personal cost was high: Archbishop Hurley was denied the Cardinal's hat many felt was his by right. Even more painfully, his most cherished ideas appeared to fall on stony ground. Archbishop Ndungane was described by an opposing African bishop as not even worthy to be called an African. These rejections came from the communities which provided the context for both men's lives, which they loved dearly.
Perhaps, as with bishop Colenso's life, their meaning and purpose will only become clear in another 100 years. But there is one small area in which their influence, and that of like-minded colleagues and predecessors, is clearly visible. White South Africans appeared to sturdily reject the prayers and persuasions of clergy opposed to apartheid. But in the referendum on 1992, the two-thirds majority required for change was achieved: 68,935 of white votes were cast in favour of power-sharing.
What made the whites change their mind? Fear, hope, overseas pressure or internal unrest? Whatever it was, the reasons to do so, the language in which to clothe new ways of thinking were ready and waiting for them.
Perhaps those patient, inclusive clergy, committed both to holding on to their whole flock and articulating coherent and powerful post-apartheid values, played their role too. They spent their lives lovingly crafting new wineskins, ready to securely hold the new beliefs when they finally came.


text:
from distutils.version import LooseVersion

import easy_thumbnails

if hasattr(easy_thumbnails, 'get_version'):
    ET_2 = LooseVersion(easy_thumbnails.get_version()) > LooseVersion('2.0')
else:
    ET_2 = LooseVersion(easy_thumbnails.VERSION) > LooseVersion('2.0')


Changes and other last minute information for an event happening soon (48 hours or less).
Looking for shovellers after 6:30 this evening.
Snow Shovelling Critical Time for the Rink!
Posted on January 23, 2019 by AGMS | Comments Off on Snow Shovelling Critical Time for the Rink!
Urgent request to shovel the the snow that has fallen between 4:00 and 6:00 pm in preparation for the rain.
If shovellers could arrive at about 6:30 pm for about half an hour we should be in good shape to save the rink for the carnival.
Comments Off on Snow Shovelling Critical Time for the Rink!