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▼ Sep 04 (15)
Mexico: Soldiers Kill 25 in Gun Battle Near Border
New Arizona Motorcycle Seat
Mexico drug war: the new killing fields
Environmental "Improvement" Board - Holding a Hearing
Kathryn Lopez - The Great Restoration
More Than A Healthy Stock Market?
As the Secretary of State Turns
Forced to be foolishly fuelish
The Income Dilemma
Richardson: Cannon in "good shape" for next BRAC
Dawgs Go To 2-0 Beat Cibola 21-14
Commentary: Mexico needs our help, not our troops
Dems have few options on economy
Holloman chimps heading for new lab tests in Texas
Martinez has high hopes for repeal of medical mari...
Posted by Michael Swickard on Saturday, September 4, 2010
Labels: Border 0 comments
From the Longview TX news-journal.com - by Mark Walsh, Associated Press - MONTERREY, Mexico — A shootout between soldiers and suspected drug cartel members in northeastern Mexico left 25 purported gunmen dead Thursday, the military said. A reconnaissance flight over Ciudad Mier in Tamaulipas state spotted several gunmen in front of a property, according to a statement from Mexico's Defense Department. When troops on the ground moved in, gunmen opened fire, starting a gunbattle that killed 25 suspected cartel members, according to the military. The statement said two soldiers were injured but none were killed. Earlier, a military spokesman had said the shootout happened when troops on patrol in the town of General Trevino, in neighboring Nuevo Leon state, came under fire from a ranch allegedly controlled by the Zetas drug gang. Read more
The UK Guardian Rory Carroll reports from the centre of drug cartel violence that claimed 28,000 lives - Picture on left - The bloody footprints following one of thousands of murders.
The events which have no name scythe through the valley like invisible reapers. They slice east to west, west to east, a homicidal pendulum. No one sees anything. The pair of human heads left in a coolbox on the corner of the plaza? A mystery. The 18 houses burnt in a single night? An enigma. The doctor and his family who disappeared? A rumour. This much residents do tell you: Juárez valley stretches along the Rio Bravo and used to grow cotton. It roasts by day, shivers by night. Lob a stone over the river and it lands in Texas. Beyond that, conversation tends to dry up. Of the slaughter, of the reason this has become one of the deadliest places on the planet, residents have little to say. At most they refer to "the situation", "the things happening" or, simply, "it". Read more
EIB Greenhouse Gas Proposal
Have you had enough of crazy radical environmental regulations that amount to nothing more than nonsensical intrusions into your life and many millions of dollar in mandatory waste? Unfortunately, what the New Mexico State Legislature won't pass into law because even it has more common sense than the EIB, can be done by aggressive over-reaching internal policy initiatives.
If you think the infusion of dumb ideas into public policy in our state have to end eventually........think again. On Tuesday, September 7, 2010 from 12:00 pm – 6:30 pm the Environmental Improvement Board will offer local citizens an opportunity to provide public comment in Las Cruces on the New Energy Economy and New Mexico Environment Department's Greenhouse Gas proposed rules. If you are wondering about the details of the latest insanity read here: The hearing officer will take comments on both proposals on the same day and will bring a court reporter so that the full board does not have to travel, but can read the transcripts. You can rest assured every whacked out clueless job killing anti-business activist in the area will be on hand to make silly comments that infer these new regulations won't move New Mexico one step closer to California-style bankruptcy. Clear thinking citizens with the time to fight the lunatic ideas might want to plan to attend and let your voice be heard before another nail is driven in our economic coffin.
Kathryn Lopez
We are not the ones we have been waiting for. That was the takeaway message of the recent Restoring Honor rally on the National Mall. Unless you where on a strict no-media diet in the run-up to Labor Day this year, you saw a lot of Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin in the coverage of the rally. But the rally Beck organized and where Palin appeared, which honored wounded military heroes, actually had very little to do with the two media darlings. In many ways, I wondered if the title was off. "Restoring Humility" could have been more accurate. It's exactly the right message -- at any time, and especially now. The humility aspect is somewhat foreign to politics, which initially proved confusing to many people. Was this supposed to be a political rally, or a Protestant revival? No one showed up to campaign. No one even claimed God's mandate for his own agenda. Instead, people talked about grace and decency. And Beck talked about something every political pollster and campaign adviser probably advises against: sacrifice. And then it was over. So on the Monday night after the Mall rally, radio host Mark Levin did what needed to be done. He hit the airwaves and properly closed the affair: "Any society that is not rooted in God-given natural law is a society that will ultimately destroy itself. No question. It is a society that will become tyrannical. It is a society spiraling out of control -- like our society. The Founding Fathers knew this." Read more here:
NewsNM - Yesterday the Labor Department announced that the nation's unemployment rate jumped to 9.6%. In his national address this morning President Obama tried to deflect mounting criticism of his administration's economic polices. President Obama said,"So this Labor Day, we should recommit ourselves to our time-honored values and to this fundamental truth: to heal our economy, we need more than a healthy stock market; we need bustling Main Streets and a growing, thriving middle class."
We need MORE than a healthy stock market? This seems to infer that we actually have a healthy stock market. We don't. Is a healthy stock market important? It is critical. It was the healthy stock market that produced the ballooning capital gain tax revenues that flooded the Clinton Administration's treasury department. Those revenues allowed Clinton to take credit for balancing the federal budget. Of course when the stock market retreated dramatically the final year of the Clinton presidency, the resulting revenue trough and return to budget imbalance landed in the lap of his successor. Neither Clinton nor Bush ever reigned in the kind of spending increases that kill stock markets. But during his window of time in the spotlight, Clinton enjoyed a "healthy stock market." Is this simple truth forgotten. It would seem so.
If America wants more jobs and prosperity it will have to be accompanied by a healthy stock market. Unfortunately, with national economic confidence incinerated one has to wonder why would the president make the statement, "We need more than a healthy stock market." Was this chide an intentional slap against people with retirement accounts? These folks are praying for a return to decent returns on their holdings. Was it a scoff at retirees living on their investments? Was it a smack at public and private pension funds everywhere that fund monthly checks to beneficiaries out of their investments? Does Washington realize that with the Federal Reserve making sure its monetary policy allows the federal government to borrow trillions of dollars at bargain basement interest rates, that all citizens with savings including the "middle class" are getting hosed? We think not.
Who knows what the thought processes are inside the heads of those composing these canned dumbing down messages that come out of Washington. A few things seem increasingly clear. With no management experience, no business experience, and even precious little political experience in the White House, it looks like investors are going to have to wait a little longer for Washington to differentiate between the trailer and the engine.
Mary Herrera
The soap opera in the Secretary of State office in New Mexico continues. From NMPolitics.net -Two new media reports indicate trouble in Secretary of State Mary Herrera's office, with one quoting former employees about the issues in her office and the other citing e-mails that indicate that some office employees were being paid by taxpayers while they worked on Herrera's campaign. The Rio Grande Sun came out with the report about the e-mails. From the article: Read more here:
Shuckins! At my gas station this week was the dreaded note on the pump: "This gasoline now contains ethanol." I have changed stations several times this last year to keep from buying E10, gasoline laced with 10 percent ethanol. This move to ethanol laced gasoline is political in nature. I have three major objections to being forced to use E10. First, the BTU (energy) content of E10 is not as high as regular gasoline, so I surrender gas mileage. I already drive carefully and under the speed limit to boost gas mileage so this will not "break the bank" in my life. However, I do not want to spend money foolishly fuelish. Read more here:
"The Income Dilemma" - by Jim Spence - As of late August, a three-year U.S. treasury note was being offered to income investors at a yield to maturity of .72%. However, this rate is misleading. The yield to maturity rate is BEFORE federal income tax. Persons falling in the maximum tax bracket next year (barring congressional and presidential action) will net an investor .44% after tax on a three-year treasury note. The investment income/retirement math on this proposition is pretty simple. If you want to play it safe (a three year T-Note is relatively safe) and you can live on $36,000 a year in interest income, all you need is $5 million dollars worth of three year treasury notes and you will be right where you want to be.
What is an income investor to do? Interest rates on shorter-term instruments are even lower. Interest rates on long term bonds, though higher than on three-year notes, come with serious market value fluctuation risks should rates rise again anytime soon. What is an income investor to do?
Seeking higher income streams can be a dangerous proposition; reach for too much yield and the chance of getting burned grows exponentially. If there is one thing we have learned over the last 27-plus years of experience, it is that what appears to be a reliable credit risk can change rapidly. The bankruptcy of General Motors serves as a chilling reminder of what used to be solid. History is littered with the bankruptcy filings of formerly healthy companies.
What about stocks? Thirty five months ago the S & P 500 Index stood at 1,561. Today the widely followed benchmark hovers just north or south of 1,050. This translates into a 32% decline in three years. What is an income investor to do?
There is plenty of talk around these days about just how risk-averse investors are. This is certainly reflected in bond prices up and down the maturity spectrum. For many years we have been perfectly willing to buy bonds in intermediate and even longer term maturities. Up until now this strategy of going out on the maturity spectrum has been reasonably successful. Nothing ever stays the same forever. For almost our entire career, interest rates have come down from the secular peaks of the early 1980's. Unfortunately, for conservative income-seeking investors, the current interest rate environment is not conducive to respectable rates of return AND price fluctuation safety. Intermediate and long term bonds issued by entities we deem to be safe, are no longer available at what we feel are reasonable prices. Accordingly it will be our strategy to be patient in this environment where bonds are concerned and also actively seek alternative ideas where income streams are higher.
We have always made it our business to keep informed of the fundamental conditions affecting dividend paying common stocks. Though our emphasis has been more acutely sensitive to durable competitive advantage and growth characteristics (when it comes to common stocks), we believe the current interest rate environment has created pricing imbalances in the financial system that may require us to alter our strategies for income investors. While it is undoubtedly true that dividend paying stocks carry risks, we are moving closer to the conclusion that the opportunities in interest bearing instruments are so limited that dividend paying common stocks require our utmost attention. We simply cannot force ourselves to lock in pathetic rates of return on bonds and take the risk of severe price declines prior to maturity. Stay tuned.
Jim Spence has been in the investment business since 1983. He serves as portfolio manager for Spence Asset Management, Inc.in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Posted by Sports Staff
From the Clovis News Journal - Gov. Bill Richardson believes New Mexico always needs to be ready to defend itself for a Base Realignment and Closure round, but Cannon Air Force Base is in good shape. Regarding Cannon Air Force Base, he thought the transition to Air Force Special Operations Command will serve the base well when an inevitable BRAC round comes. "There will be another BRAC round," said Richardson, who took part in the state-wide effort to save Cannon from a 2005 closure recommendation. "I believe Cannon Air Force Base is really strong. It's increasing jobs in the area, it's going to have more functions, it's growing. I would say the Air Force and the military will recommend it not be shut down. We have four bases in New Mexico, so we have to remain vigilant." Read more
LCHS beat Albuquerque Cibola 21-14 at the Field of Dreams last night. The Dawgs got a big game from Xavier Hall who carried the ball 25 times for 167 yards including the winning 72 yeard touchdown run midway through the second quarter. Coupled with a stubborn LCHS defense that shut out the Cougars in the second half, the efforts were good enough for the Bulldawgs to rack up their second win of the season. It looked like a shootout from the start with Cruces taking a 21-14 lead to the half. The Cougars scored on a 90 yard kickoff return early in the second quarter and then another touchdown a few minutes later. But the Cibola offense was stymied by the Bulldawg defense time and time again in the second half. The Cougars were able to make only two first downs after intermission. Other than giving up a huge passing play early in the game, which did not lead to points the Bulldawgs played great defense all night. The good news for the Bulldawgs was they were able to establish Xavier Hall as a second big offensive threat in game two of the young season. This came after quarterback Jeremy Buurma had a big week last Friday night against El Paso Eldorado in the season opener. The win leaves LCHS as the only unbeaten team in the city. Onate fell for the second consecutive week Thursday night at the Field of Dreams and Mayfield lost a controversial heartbreaker in overtime against Montwood in El Paso on Thursday.
Labels: International News, U.S. Politics 0 comments
From McClatchy.com - By Andres Oppenheimer of the Miami Herald - The escalation of drug-related violence in Mexico — including the mass execution of 72 migrants last week — is moving a small but growing number of U.S. foreign policy hawks to call for a radical solution: send in the U.S. Army. I'm not kidding. At first, I thought it was a joke, or the kind of overreaction that is most often confined to the blogosphere. But, increasingly, populist local U.S. officials are seriously talking about sending in U.S. troops to end the drug-related violence that has cost 28,000 lives in Mexico over the past four years, and that occasionally spills over to the U.S. side of the border. Read more
Labels: Commentary, Economics 0 comments
From the Politico - by Ben White - With another tepid jobs report in the books Friday, Democrats desperate for quick policy action to boost the economy face an excruciating dilemma, experts say. The few things that might pass Congress — such as a payroll tax holiday or extended research-and-development tax credits — won't work, or at least not before November's midterm elections, when Democrats face potentially devastating losses. What to do? If you're President Barack Obama, you go out and talk about the economy — in Milwaukee on Monday, Cleveland on Wednesday and at a White House news conference Friday. He's expected to propose some new business tax breaks next week, including possibly a payroll tax break and R&D credits, but the White House said no final decisions have been made. Read more
From the New Mexico Independent - After ten years of retirement at Holloman Air Force Base, more than 100 U.S. government-owned chimpanzees who were used for decades in NASA and federal medical studies, are now heading to a government lab in San Antonio, Texas, for new tests of experimental hepatitis C and hepatitis B vaccines, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. Animal rights groups oppose the move and want Congress to enact an outright ban on federal chimpanzee research. Gov. Bill Richardson and U.S. Sen. Tom Udall oppose moving the chimps to Texas. Richardson met with NIH officials last month to lobby for the chimps' continued retirement in Alamogordo, according to the Los Angeles Times. Read more
Martinez has high hopes for repeal of medical marijuana
From the New Mexico Independent - by Trip Jennings - Republican Susana Martinez has said she would work to repeal New Mexico's medical marijuana program if she's elected governor. But undoing the state's three-year-old medical marijuana law would represent a major undertaking. There are only two routes — through the Legislature or voter referendum — and neither would be easy. If elected governor, Martinez could appoint a secretary of health hostile to the program, officials said. Because governors control executive branch agencies, the state's chief executive could direct an agency to make regulations so strict that they effectively stop a program's day-to-day operations. Martinez didn't answer our questions about whether she might choose such an option if elected governor. Read more


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HomeReviewsClassic AlbumsClassic Album Revisited: Bjork – Post
Classic Album Revisited: Bjork – Post
May 30, 2016 Lori Gava Classic Albums 0
In June of 1995 Bjork released Post the follow up to her trailblazing Debut. "Post" in many ways cemented Bjork's legendary solo career, displaying that "Debut" was not a fluke but the introduction to a vibrant decades spanning solo career. "Post" built on the success of the first release producing even more purpose and popularity for this singular artist. "Post" if described in one word is eclectic, using an inculcation of IDM, Big Band, Trip Hop and Ambient mixed into a unique distillation that became Bjork's calling card to the music world.
Bjork had co produced Debut mostly with Nellee Hooper, In pre-production for "Post" Hooper had suggested she should produce it herself. Bjork was not prepared to take that step but would elect to go with a more collaborative producing scheme. Bjork utilized the studio stylings of Hooper along with Tricky, renowned trip hop pioneer, Howie Bernstein and 808 State's Graham Massey. Tricky was somewhat hesitant at first to produce, Bjork convinced Tricky to work on two tracks for the release and in trade provided two vocals for his album. The majority of "Post" was recorded at the legendary Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas, where Bjork would wire the recording mics so that she could record on the beach. The less constricted environment in which it was recorded reflected Bjork's mindspace.
She had gotten the monkey off her back with Debut shaking off obligations and compositional ideas from years back, and could now focus on the immediate. "Post" was due upon the end of the Bahaman recording sessions but Bjork asked more time, feeling the release needed more work. She called in semi retired Brazilian composer Eumir Deodato who contributed to Hyperballad, You've Been Flirting Again and Isobel. In addition the song I Miss You had more percussion added and Enjoy got a horn treatment from former Sugar Cube member Einar Orn Benediktsson. It was after these adjustments that Bjork was ready to unleash "Post" on the listening public.
"Post" produced six singles, Army of Me, Isobel, It's Oh So Quiet, Hyperballad, Possibly Maybe and I Miss You. It was considered a commercial and critical success reaching number 2 on the charts in the UK and 32 on the US charts, was certified gold and eventually reached platinum. "Post" is considered by music critics to be one of the standout albums of the 90's, and many consider it to be the quintessential Bjork release. In hindsight it is seen as the peak of her pop popularity before it (popularity) got lazy, and the release helped formed a trilogy with "Debut" as the beginning, "Post" as the middle and "Homogenic" as the final segment of the trio. Each displayed an iconoclast who retained popularity as each release careened through emotional extremes and sometimes esoteric genres.
"Post" reflected changes in Bjork's life. The most pronounced change was Bjork having moved home base from Iceland to London. The release mirrored the urban fast pace life of the city she now called home. Her goal with the release was to integrate experimentation into popular music while using a wide emotional palette. The themes that repeat themselves throughout are; strength, instinct, and independence. Additionally the release was darker and more aggressive than "Debut". It channeled the restlessness of the city but also displayed a fine balance between experimental whimsy and pop sensibilities. The album kicks off with one of my all time Bjork favorites Army Of Me. The back story of the song was that it was written with her brother in mind. She wanted him to get on with his life and deal with things. That message comes through loud and clear, "you're alright there's nothing wrong, self sufficiency please and get to work." The sentiment in the lyrics could be heard coming from the mouth of any parent of a teenager and is a sort of rally cry. The bombastic fuzz fest that is the accompaniment makes for one funky and driving work with its phenomenal beat. It is a perfect song for taking control and kicking the blues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26sP2WsA5cY
Hyperballad was inspired by a dream Bjork had about a person who hides their destructive nature from loved ones and releases that tension by throwing things off a cliff. Within the lyric is a discussion of the underlying frustrations of relationships that can drive a person mad. As the saying goes it isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out; it is the grain of sand in your shoes. The song is a glichy modern ballad with an apt dreamy ethereal feeling. It builds to an outstanding climax and converts the ballad into an improbably dance track. The song was totally in keeping with the off kilter pixie image that was Bjork's persona at this point in her career. Modern Things blends an awesome jazz fusion vibe with techno and a heroic percussive beat. The surreal lyric proposes that all modern things have always existed;we just didn't see them till it is time to recognise them. It also gives voice to fears about technology and how it has taken over our lives sometimes not for the better. The song is engagingly structured and enthralling.
It's Is Oh So Quiet Is a cover of Betty Hutton's 1951 cover of the original German song, "Und Jetzt Ist Still" by Hans Lang and Erich Meder. On display is the juxtapostioning of quiet to loud as Bjork performs one fantastic rendition of the song. It is filled with bombast made oh so much more explosive for the playful quiet parts. It is boundless energy and simply just fun as it demands you join in. It is also a song about being broadsided by falling in love which is a reoccurring topic for Bjork since Venus as a Boy, and Violently Happy appeared on "Debut". One of the reasons this song was so big for Bjork is that it perfectly captured the audacious force of nature that is Bjork. It was the last song chosen to be released on "Post" and Bjork decided to go with it because it underlined the schizophrenic feel of the track list. Enjoy is a track that displays a dichotomy of opposites; wanting simplicity vs wanting complexity, being filled with fear and having no fear, I only want to look but I only want to touch, etc. The question becomes do we ever really figure out what we want? "Enjoy" Has a very modern feel with its processed violin effects and the fuzz bass as it blends effortlessly with world beats. In many ways it is in keeping with the off kilter avant guarde vibe of Bjork's Sugarcube days and is a splendid dance track.
You've Been Flirting Again has always felt like a bit of a prelude to the epic Isobel. It is an evocative ballad filled with lush strings. It examines compliments and questions their true intent. "Isobel" then launches with its glorious full band rendition featuring stentorian horns and twists into a percussion fest; all the while projecting a primal, pagan and somewhat dark sound. It has this mythological aura and presents a woman central to the narrative who is isolated from modern life. "My name Isobel, married to myself, my love Isobel lives by herself." The song was co-written with Icelandic poet Sjon and was their first collaboration as songwriting partners. The song is simply mesmerising and a standout on an album filled with them. "Isobel was a portent of things to come as Bjork moved on to more esoteric music stylings later in her career. It is a post modern feminist track bar none.
Possibly Maybe can be best described as a modern torch song. The song was inspired by Bjork's failed relationship with Stephane Sednaoui. It contains glichy techno with a cool heavy bass. The funk that is developed provides a sensuality that underpins the themes of the song. Under examination is the conundrum of if it is worth it to fall in love and what does that term mean. Additionally it questioned if we are endlessly addicted to uncertainty, unwilling to commit, "uncertainty excites me baby, who know what's going to happen?" The track is like a timeline of a relationship from the start to the end of the affair without ever defining what it was at any one point, "possibly maybe probably love."
I Miss You Is a great dance track and a song about falling in love with someone you haven't met yet. "Can you miss someone you have never met?"…"And if you believe in dreams or what is more important, that a dream can come true, I will meet you." There is a winsome longing that is lying just under the surface on this song. That longing hides under the funky horn filled world beat. Bjork is hiding her feelings in plain sight obscuring them with an expertly executed dance club track.
Cover Me has a surreal dream like feeling and that typical off kilter Bjork styling. The subject is how dangerous and difficult Bjork managed to make creating this album. It is the song that was recorded on the beaches of the Bahamas with the trappings of the studio precariously dragged out onto the beach for the process. It is brief but alluring song.
The final song Headphones was written as a thank you to producer Graham Massey for his mixing tapes. The track is fittingly dreamy and somnolent as it describes Bjork drifting off to sleep while listening to music. The whispered background voices are obscured and provide mystery on this sensual and sinuous track. "My headphones they save my life, your tape it lulled me to sleep". The song is a brilliant lullaby ending to another trailblazing album.
Like many artists following up a successful debut release, Bjork was under enormous pressure to deliver the goods. Many questioned if she would succumb to the dreaded sophomore slump that ensnares many performers. Post reveals that Bjork could exercise that demon and pull off yet another triumph with flying colours. Bjork again moves through so many genres, moods and sensations and comes out with a compelling timeless release. She would move on to record Homogenic in 1997 and complete the trilogy that marked her 90's solo career. In the beginning of the new century she would move beyond the earthly concerns of musical popularity. Bjork would go on to shape-shift her way through the 2000's and into her latest manifestation, 2015's Vulnicura all the while retaining her solid fan base and critical acclaim. She has along the way become her own cloistered "genre of me" in a land where no one will ever unseat the queen. "Post" was her second step up to that lofty throne.
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Vinyl Five
SICK RECORDS: VINYL FIVE FOR MONDAY – 16/03/2015
March 16, 2015 Kenny Murdock Vinyl Five 0
Check out this weeks 'Vinyl Five for Monday 16/03/2015', The essential vinyl you should own this week, carefully selected by Kenny Murdock from Belfast's best vinyl record store 'Sick Records, Belfast'. Sick Records Belfast 78 […]
Björk Announces Ninth Studio Album – 'Utopia'
November 2, 2017 Mark Millar Gigs, New music, News 0
'Utopia' is the ninth studio album from Björk, out November 24th via One Little Indian Records. The album is written by Björk with five of the 14 songs co-written by Arca and one of the […]
Björk shares new single 'Blissing Me' from forthcoming ninth studio album 'Utopia'
November 15, 2017 Mark Millar News, Gigs, New music 0
Björk shares new single 'Blissing Me' from forthcoming ninth studio album 'Utopia'. 'Blissing Me' is the second single to come from Björk's forthcoming ninth studio album 'Utopia'. The video is directed by Tim Walker and […]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Jobs and balanced budget top legislative priorities in 2010
From the Marshalltown Times-Republican, by Ken Black:
By Ken Black
The upcoming session of the Legislature will be very difficult and focus on finding ways to make the state leaner and more efficient, local and state leaders said Friday.
"With the national recession still causing pain for many middle class families, we will work to create good-paying jobs, help small businesses expand and make sure the unemployed get the skills the need to land a job," said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines.
McCarthy laid the blame for the state's current budget deficits squarely on the shoulders of the national recession and dismissed Republican claims of runaway spending as merely partisan politics.
"I'm looking forward to working on some of these challenging issues," said Sen. Steve Sodders D-State Center. "It's going to be difficult."
McCarthy said some issues still need addressed even in a year of tough budget decisions. Those include access to health care, which he said Rep. Mark Smith, D-Marshalltown, has worked very hard on.
"I'm very pleased with the efforts we've had over several years in doing health care reform in a bipartisan way," Smith said.
He noted that a recent bill introduced in the last session to expand health care to more children was approved by a vote of 97-3.
At the same time, McCarthy said there will be a need to prioritize and even cut in some areas. He noted that those who are most vulnerable should get the most protection and said if it came down to kicking a child out of a state-run health care program and eliminating a business tax credit, it would be the tax credit that went.
At the same time, he noted it is not all about eliminating programs totally. Some may just be funded at lower levels.
The Legislative session begins the first full week in January.
Photo courtesy of the Marshalltown Times-Republican, Ken Black.
By iowahouse|2009-12-21T14:24:01-06:00December 21st, 2009|Budget, Featured|0 Comments
Weekly Bill Tracking, January 21-January 27
February 1st, 2021 | 0 Comments
Build Back Iowa
Statement from House Democratic Leader Todd Prichard on Iowa COVID Crisis


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Ranil And Maithri Agree To Form National Government After General Election
President Maithripala Sirisena has arrived at an understanding with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to form a national government after the forthcoming Parliamentary election, highly placed political sources told Asian Mirror.
With this agreement, both parties will enter the electoral fray with the aim of forming a national government at least for a period of two years. Therefore, election propaganda will be carried out by both parties with some understanding.
There is a likelihood that political parties such as the JHU and Democratic Party will contest individually and join the national government after the election. The JVP, according to highly placed political sources, will not join the government, but will act as an independent group in the Parliament, influencing the policy making process.
President Maithripala Sirisena has agreed to lead the election campaign of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party on the grounds that the party will join the national government with the United National party after the election. Minister Rajitha Senaratne is likely to be appointed as the National organizer of the party before the next Parliamentary election.
President Maithripala Sirisena, in his television interview with Upul Shantha Sannasgala on Saturday, affirmed that there would be a national government at least for the next two years. He said this would create a new political culture in Sri Lanka and there would not be a hostile approach towards the United National Party.
"I cannot forget the UNP voters who made me the President of Sri Lanka. At the same time, can't do away with the SLFP voters who now consider me as their leader. So, I have to act very carefully and patiently. This will open an avenue to create a new political culture in Sri Lanka ," President Sirisena said during the interview.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also stated on Saturday that the next general election will pave the way for a national government, comprising members of both the main political parties, the United National Party and Sri Lanka Freedom Party.
Addressing the UNP's Kandy district organizers, members and supporters, the Prime Minister said the present Parliament will be dissolved on April 23 as promised in the 100 Days' Program and a general election be held. -
Retired Judge Padmini Ranawaka Questioned By CCD On Ranjan Ramanayake's Leaked Telephone Recordings
EU Says GSP+ Granted To Sri Lanka "Not Automatic": Says Implementation Of International Convention Will Be Monitored Closely
Ranil Wickremesinghe And Karu Jayasuriya Hold Crucial Discussions At Speaker's Residence On UNP Leadership Crisis
KBSL Wins Cisco Top Reseller Partner Award For Sri Lanka & Maldives Demonstrating Excellence In IT Solutions
Colombo Crimes Division Records Five Hour Statement From Empilipitiya High Court Judge Gihan Pilapitiya On 'Ranjan Leaks'
Senior Journalist C.A. Chandraprema Tipped To Be Appointed Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative To The United Nations


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Pot Week II: Daddy, are you doing the weed?
thebigstory
Look, kids have a lot of questions—and starting tomorrow, more of them than ever before are going to be about marijuana. It's only natural. But it won't just be kids asking questions. In recent years, as #WineMom has become a trending hashtag, the stigma of parents needing some booze to get through the day has largely vanished. But will #DoobieDad be met with the same tolerance and understanding? Probably not. Kim Shiffman, editor in chief of Today's Parent, explains that parents can be harsh judges of other parents, and there's a long way to go before we're comfortable with those discussions.
In the meantime, should you disclose to other parents that you have an after-work joint when hanging at the park? What do you tell your five-year-old when she asks if you use pot? Or if it's bad for you? What about your 15-year-old with the same questions? How do you explain to young children that something Daddy could have gone to jail for last year is now for sale at the shop down the street? How do you explain to your mommy group that it's no different from that glass of red? And is it safe for mom and dad to break out the vape after the kids are tucked in bed. Like kids, we have a lot of questions as Pot Week continues.
Tomorrow: You've probably heard about pot stocks. A lot of people are making a lot of money on them, and they're happy to tell you about it. Should you jump in? Is it too late? We'll ask a financial expert what he tells his relatives.
TODAY'S GUEST: Kim Shiffman, editor in chief, Today's Parent
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WASHINGTON (bdpatoday)—National BDPA's (NBDPA) Washington, D.C. Chapter (BDPA-DC) will celebrate several milestones during this year's annual technology and community service awards banquet. Chartered in 1978 to introduce underserved communities to "data processing", computer sciences, or help bridge digital divides between industry, academia, and government, BDPA-DC also celebrates its 38th Anniversary in 2016.
National High School Computer Competition (HSCC) Launched 30 Years Ago
The National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) was founded in 1986 by Dr. Jesse L. Bemley, a National BDPA Life Member from Washington, D.C. What started as a two-team event between Washington, D.C. (BDPA-DC) and Atlanta, GA (BDPA Atlanta) HSCC Teams has grown to over 25 teams of students from various high schools in BDPA Chapter cities throughout the nation. HSCC was designed to introduce Student Members to the field of data processing careers, now Information Communication and Technology (ICT), to encourage students to seek higher levels of training, certification, education, and groom them to become our nation's next generation of ICT leaders and technical professionals.
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BDPA-DC's Communications Committee also reaches a new milestone this year with their serial publication, bdpatoday (ISSN 1946-1429), entering its tenth season. The first edition of bdpatoday was published in May of 2007 to promote information technology and cyber success stories through the lenses of underserved communities in advance of the annual National BDPA Technology Conference co-hosted in Washington D.C. that year.
2016 BDPA-DC Award Recipients
BDPA-DC's 2016 Technology and Community Service Award recipients will be honored on Saturday, November 19, 2016, at the Washington Navy Yard Conference Center from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
This year's Award Categories for the National Capital Region follow.
• 2016 BDPA-DC Lifetime Achievement Award:
Terry Halvorsen; Department of Defense (DoD),
• 2016 BDPA-DC Entrepreneur of the Year:
Aaron Saunders; Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Clearly Innovative, Inc.
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Thurman Jones; Patriots Technology Training Center (PTTC)
• 2016 Chapter President's Awards:
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Bowie State University
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November 6, 2016 November 13, 2016 Awards, BDPA, bdpatoday, CIO, community, DoD, technology
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Award-winning UNIDO paper focuses on factors driving successful industrialization
Today, during its 30th anniversary event, the renowned academic journal 'Structural Change and Economic Dynamics' announced that the UNIDO paper "What factors drive successful industrialization? Evidence and implications for developing countries" earned its prestigious 2019 Best Paper Award.
The Journal's Editorial Board selected the paper based on several criteria, including its significance for dynamics, structural change, economic, technological institutional behavior, methods and innovation. "The paper best represents the structural dynamics strands", said Elsevier's Publishing Director. "It explores the relationships between industrialization, structural change dynamics and development trajectories".
The UNIDO paper addresses the question of what countries, especially laggard countries, can do to initiate a sustained process of rapid industrialization, which is one of the critical development issues. It identifies factors that are common to countries that experienced strong and sustained industrialization over the last decades and finds that industrialization is driven by combination of factors, including initial economic conditions, factor endowments as well as country characteristics such as demography and geography.
"Countries, which are able to take advantage of their comparative advantages, are likely to be in the position to embark on a path of sustained industrialization", said UNIDO Deputy to the Director General Hiroshi Kuniyoshi. "Due to their latecomers' advantages, lower income countries have more opportunities to succeed in rapid growth of their manufacturing sectors".
However, the latecomers' advantages need to be harnessed and realized by several policy measures including investment in physical and human capital, access to credit, reduction of inequality, and macroeconomic, political and social stability. The details on how a mix of these factors drove the industrialization of certain countries in specific time periods are elaborated with policy implications in the paper written by UNIDO's Nobuya Haraguchi.
The paper is based on UNIDO's research and it represents the Organization's research excellence by combining academic knowledge with development practice: it represents the strengths, contributions and usefulness of the Organization's research and policy advisory work on Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development.
The Government of Japan through the Development Cooperation Trust Fund supported the research project, which led to the publication of the award-winning UNIDO paper.
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World Bank Plans to Invest over $5 Billion in Drylands in Africa
The World Bank plans to invest over $5 billion over the next five years to help restore degraded landscapes, improve agriculture productivity, and promote livelihoods across 11 African countries on a swathe of land stretching from Senegal to Djibouti.
World Bank Group President David Malpass announced the investment at the One Planet Summit, a high-level meeting co-hosted with France and the United Nations that is focused on addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.
"This investment, which comes at a crucial time, will help improve livelihoods as countries recover from COVID-19 while also dealing with the impact of both biodiversity loss and climate change on their people and economies," said Malpass.
The more than $5 billion in financing will support agriculture, biodiversity, community development, food security, landscape restoration, job creation, resilient infrastructure, rural mobility, and access to renewable energy across 11 countries of the Sahel, Lake Chad and Horn of Africa. Many of these efforts are in line with the Great Green Wall initiative. This builds on World Bank landscape investments in these countries over the past eight years that reached more than 19 million people and placed 1.6 million hectares under sustainable land management.
"Restoring natural ecosystems in the drylands of Africa benefits both people and the planet," said Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Working with many partners, PROGREEN, a World Bank global fund dedicated to boosting countries' efforts to address landscape degradation, will also invest $14.5 million in five Sahelian countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Mali, Mauritania.
The World Bank Group is the biggest multilateral funder of climate investments in developing countries. In December 2020, the World Bank Group announced an ambitious new target for 35% of its financing to have climate co-benefits, on average, over the next five years.
Citizens globally affirm belief in international cooperation
The UN undertook a global crowdsourcing opinion campaign as part of its 75th anniversary celebrated in 2020. United Nations
People worldwide have overwhelmingly highlighted their faith in multilateralism to address global challenges, the results of a year-long survey by the United Nations have shown.
The UN75 initiative was launched by Secretary-General António Guterres, in January last year, to understand the global public's hopes and fears for the future, as well as their expectations and ideas for international cooperation, and for the UN in particular. More than 1.5 million people from 195 countries took part in the campaign through surveys and dialogues.
"The UN75 global consultation showed that 97 per cent of respondents support international cooperation to tackle global challenges," Mr. Guterres said on the results.
"That represents a very strong commitment to multilateralism, and to the mission of the United Nations. Now it is up to us – Member States and the UN Secretariat – to meet the expectations of the people we serve," he added.
Unity across groups and regions
Announcing the findings at the UN Office at Geneva on Friday, Fabrizio Hochschild, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the commemoration of UN's 75th anniversary, said that together with UN75 conversations and surveys, innovative methodologies and artificial intelligence analysis were employed to gauge world opinion, including through traditional and social media.
In addition, two independent surveys were commissioned around the same questions to have a "reality check", and the results were striking, he continued.
Unity, across generations, regions income groups, and levels of education, was one such striking result, Mr. Hochschild highlighted, explaining that opinions were united when it came to people's hopes and fears for their future, and their expectations of international cooperation.
In the immediate priorities post-COVID-19, the world is united in wanting much better access to affordable basic services, healthcare, quality education, water and sanitation, and related is the world seeks much greater solidarity with the hardest hit communities and places, he added.
Launched to mark the Organization's 75th anniversary, the exercise was the UN's most ambitious effort to date to gather input from the global public, and the largest survey on priorities for recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Short-term challenges
With the coronavirus pandemic reversing progress in human development and widening inequalities, many respondents prioritized access to basic services and support to the hardest hit places and communities in the short-term, according to the results.
The top immediate, short-term priority globally was universal access to healthcare.
In addition, given the impact of the crisis on children and education, greater investments in education and youth programmes ranked high among respondents, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, and central and southern Asia.
Long-term challenges
Similarly, while people expect access to health services to improve over the next 25 years, respondents in all regions identified climate change and environmental issues as the number one long-term global challenge.
Other longer-term priorities vary according to income levels, but include rising concern with employment opportunities, respect for human rights and reducing conflict.
Respondents in higher human development countries tended to give the highest priority to the environment and human rights, those in lower human development countries tended to accord the highest priority to less conflict and meeting basic needs, such as employment, healthcare and education.
UN's role
Many respondents also looked to the United Nations to lead in international cooperation to address immediate and longer-term global challenges, the results showed, with many also want the Organization to innovate – to be more inclusive, engaged, accountable and effective.
In surveys and UN75 dialogues held around the world, participants called on the UN for moral leadership; a more reformed, representative and agile Security Council; and an inclusive and participatory UN system, with improved understanding of the work of the Organization among citizens around the world, and which shows more care for the needs of the people.
World Bank Signs $105 Million Project to Improve Waterways in West Bengal
The Government of India, the Government of West Bengal and the World Bank today signed a $105 million project to improve the inland water transport infrastructure in Kolkata, West Bengal.
The West Bengal Inland Water Transport, Logistics and Spatial Development Project will facilitate passenger and freight movement across the Hooghly river; undertake spatial planning to improve accessibility in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area; enhance the quality of life of its residents; and contribute to the growth of the state's logistics sector.
"Inland waterways are now emerging as a cost effective and an environment friendly option for passenger and freight movement," said C S Mohapatra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance. "This Project will help improve the river transport infrastructure in West Bengal and help in the economic development of the state by connecting the hinterland with markets and job centers in Kolkata's Metropolitan Area," he added.
The agreement was signed by C S Mohapatra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of India; Rajdeep Dutta, Deputy Resident Commissioner on behalf of the Government of West Bengal; and Junaid Ahmad, Country Director, India on behalf of the World Bank.
The project will cover the five most populous districts of southern West Bengal, including its urban agglomeration — the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) where around 30 million people or one-third of West Bengal's population live.
"This operation will allow the state to invest in Kolkata's economic productivity by making its waterways and ferry services part of an efficient and safe urban mobility strategy," said Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director in India. "Importantly, given Kolkata's strategic location, the project is also ensuring that the metropolitan area emerges as a transport and logistics hub for the sub-region, leveraging the EDFC and connecting to the north-east and the land-locked countries of Nepal and Bhutan."
The Hooghly river, a distributary of the river Ganga, in Kolkata separates the Kolkata port from its large consumption centers, which are, its wholesale market and its vast hinterland comprising among others the entire North East of India and two landlocked neighboring countries namely, Nepal and Bhutan. More than 80 percent of freight and passenger traffic currently cross the river via Kolkata's three bridges. To curtail congestion, the city has restricted the movement of trucks to the port to certain bridges and only during limited hours, reducing access to the port and increasing the cost of logistics.
West Bengal's ferries can provide an efficient, flexible mode of public transport for both passengers and freight, saving on operating costs and travel time when compared with road journeys. The existing ferry system, operational for decades, caters to less than 2 percent of the passenger traffic and a small portion of the freight movement. Developing the river transport infrastructure will enable a large population of the state to utilize its waterways, have alternative, multi-modal options for transportation for both freight and passengers, connect the hinterland with Kolkata Metropolitan Area's markets and job centers and emerge as a logistics hub.
In the first phase, the project will enhance the capacity and improve the safety of the Inland Water Transport system; including rehabilitating existing jetties, buying new ferries with enhanced design; and installing electronic gates in 40 locations. In the second phase, it will support long-term investments for passenger movements, including in terminals and jetties; improve the design of the inland water transport vessels; ensure night navigation on the most hazardous and trafficked routes and crossing points; and encourage the private sector to invest in Ro-Ro vessels that will allow easier movement of trucks across the Hooghly river.
"Such long-term planning will not only help the city improve passenger and freight transport, but allow it to utilize its waterfront and enable more efficient land use and urban planning," said Fuad Malkawi, Senior Urban Development Specialist and Natalya Stankevich, Senior Transport Specialist and task team leaders for the project. "Improving ferry services is also critical for some of the most disadvantaged community groups who are dependent on IWT," they added.
To better cope with increased precipitation and flooding, climate-smart engineering solutions will be applied, including modular floating designs for ferry access points at the passenger terminals. In addition, the project will facilitate disable-friendly amenities, ensure women's safety and encourage women's employment in the IWT Department as well as with the ferry operators.
The $105 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a maturity of 17 years, including a grace period of 7 years.


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Collection All Items Central Co-ordination
Festival of Hong Kong, 1969
This document was prepared by the Coordinator of the Festival of Hong Kong Office. It laid down the objectives of the Festival of Hong Kong, information about the office of the Festival of Hong Kong, activity categories, guidelines for working committees, and suggestions to the large scale activities and decorative installations by the steering committee. The file also contained members of the steering committee, preparatory committee and all other sub-committees of the festival.
Report to His Excellency the Governor by the Steering Committee of the Festival of Hong Kong on the 1969 Fe...
Festival of HK Steering Committee's report on the 1969 festival, with a discussion on the future development of the festival. The report had a note from the committee to the Deputy Colonial Secretary sent in September, discussing the future of the festival; Government departments' opinion towards the future of the festival; and a briefing of the Executive Council's meeting on 3 January 1970 on the festival.
Application for Supplementary Provision for the year 1970/71 Miscellaneous Services: 1969 Festival of Hong ...
Festival of HK Coordinator applied for additional funding for the 1969 festival.
Miscellaneous Services - the Festival of Hong Kong 1969
A record showing the provision from the LegCo's Finance Committee to the 1969 Festival.
Extract of the resolution of the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council: meeting minutes of the Finan...
Finance Committee's comments to the operation of the Festival of Hong Kong, such as the balance between centralized activities by the Steering Committee and local activities at the district level; the demands of transportation and business organizations; the role of the Police Commissioner; the arrangement of human and financial resources; and preparatory work. Enclosed were four documents: 1. A memo of the Executive Council meeting on 24 March 1970, when it discussed the future of the Festival of Hong Kong, what impact the 1969 Festival made to Hong Kong, views from government departments, and the programme activities of the next Festival, etc. 2. A memo of the Executive Council meeting on 23 July 1968 when it discussed the operation of the Hong Kong Week. Attached was the list of members and Terms of Reference of the Steering Committee of the Festival of Hong Kong. 3. Financial report of the 1969 Festival of Hong Kong. 4. Financial statement of the 1969 Festival of Hong Kong.
Questionnaire on the Festival of Hong Kong 1969
Sent on 2 January 1970, the questionnaire was delivered by the Festival Coordinator to the organizations, units and sponsors who had participated in the 1969 Festival. From the recipient list one may take note of the government departments and major sponsors that had been involved in the 1969 Festival.
Procession in Kowloon on December 15: Climax of Festival of Hong Kong; General half-day holiday proposed
The government encouraged employers in Hong Kong to let their employees to have a half day off on the day of the Kowloon Float Procession so they could enjoy the event.
Festival of Hong Kong 1969: Plans for decorations
Festival of HK 1969 Decoration Committee spoke about the purpose of the committee, information about its members, work, proposed budget, and the decorations for the festival and their locations.
Festival of Hong Kong Office Press Release: Festival of Hong Kong: Music Committee
Festival of HK 1969 Music Committee spoke about the purpose of the committee and the planned activities.
Exhibition Committee: What is it doing?
Festival of Hong Kong Office Press Release on December 9-15, 1969 reported the Festival of HK 1969 Exhibition Committee' explanation about the purpose of the committee, information about its members and the planned activities.
Copyright © 2012 Hong Kong Memory
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Home > Reviews > Russia > Miniart Kit No. 35036; SU-76M Soviet Self-Propelled Gun w/Crew
SU-76M Soviet Self-Propelled Gun w/Crew
Reviewed by Cookie Sewell
Stock Number and Description Miniart Kit No. 35036; SU-76M Soviet Self-Propelled Gun w/Crew
Media and Contents: 604 parts (600 in grey styrene, 4 in clear styrene)
Price: price estimated at US $55.95. Will be available online from Mission Models
Review Type: First Look
Advantages: Nice, new molds of this popular little Soviet SP gun; good amount of detail for the fighting compartment and plenty of ammunition; crew figures nicely posed
Disadvantages: Lots of very small and fragile parts; some ejection pin marks on the interior faces of the fighting compartment components
Recommendation: Highly Recommended for all Soviet armor and artillery fans
In October 1942 a design team at Factory No. 38 in Kirov, led by M. N. Shchukin and S. A. Ginzberg, developed the SU-12 prospective light self-propelled gun mounting using the components of the T-70M light tank. The vehicle was completed in November, tested in December and adopted for service as the SU-12 but popularly called the SU-76, entering immediate production at that time. This weapon carried the famous dual purpose ZIS-3 field gun which also functioned as an effective antitank gun.
The SU-76 had a number of serious problems with its design, first and foremost being the fact it had a closed compartment at the rear which limited both visibility and the ability to service the gun. The gunner had a small cover elevated above the sights for use to observe the battlefield, but overall it was very dark, cramped and difficult to operate. Production ceased in July 1943 after only 560 were built.
The vehicle was redesigned by T-70 designer N. A. Astrov in April 1943 and in July 1943 the SU-15 (SU-76M) officially replaced the SU-76 in production (actual replacement on the lines appears to have taken place in May 1943). The cooling louvers on the left side of the roof was removed, the roof eliminated and the back of the sides and rear of the hull cut down for easier use of the gun and servicing by the crew. A much handier design, it proved quite popular in service, and during the war 11,494 guns were built by the Gor'kiy Automotive Plant, Factory No. 38 in Kirov, and Factory No. 40 in Mytishchi. A further 2,238 were built after the war, bringing total production to 13,732.
The SU-76s were used in four-gun batteries, three batteries per battalion, and in some cases three battalions to a regiment. Each battalion was issued with a T-70 or T-80 light tank as a command vehicle. During and after the war, these vehicles were freely distributed to allies of the Soviet Union as well as the forces of "struggling national movements" such as the PLA, the KPAF, and the PAVN.
There were two models of the SU-76M built, apparently referred to as either Model 1 or Model 2. The latter had an open casemate but higher sides and a bar across the back for attaching an antiaircraft mount for the vehicle's DT machine gun.
The SU-76 earned the unfortunate nickname "Suka" or "Suchka" in Russian, which translates as "little bitch." The name apparently transferred to the SU-76M, but this seems to have become more of an affectionate one than the pejorative used on its parent vehicle.
About 15 years ago Alan from Russia came out with a kit of the SU-76M that was later placed in wide release by DML. This kit was something of a dog, as it had probably the thickest and heaviest part ever placed in a small model in a floor plan approximately 6mm (1/4") thick. It was not popular and few modelers wanted to rebuild the kit to get good results.
Miniart has now taken the work done on their T-70/T-70M and T-80 kits, as well as their ZIS-3 gun, to create a brand-new kit of the SU-76M Model 1. The kit is very nicely done and has beautifully delicate work on the parts and the components used in it, but it is not a "quickie" build. (The fact it has over 535 parts should be an indicator of that!)
The kit is laid out with what appear to be modified sprues from the T-70/T-80 kits for its suspension. The wheels are the same T-70 size wheels, which are a tad too thin (104mm in real life or about 2.97mm in scale, and they are dead on; the T-70M/T-80/SU-76 wheels are 130mm wide or 3.7mm. Track links, however, are dead on for the M series tracks with a scale size of 300mm x 111mm (8.57mm x 3.17mm). The reason seems to be a conscious decision to make the teeth sturdy enough to resist breaking and the wheels are sized to fit the track and vice versa. Overall, it does not look bad when assembled, so this is not as major a fault as kits like the Tamiya T-62 or ESCI T-55 having skinny wheels.
The first 10 steps of the directions cover assembly of the gun, which, while it appears to be based on the separate kit of the carriage-mounted ZIS-3, is a new sprue. There are 55 parts to the complete gun and armored shroud assembly, and while some modelers may complain they are all separate parts with two-section round objects (read seams) they are nicely done; make good use of a FlexiFile and it should not be a problem.
Assembly of the hull is pretty straightforward but the cooling air intake on top of the hull roof (part 99) is a solid molded grille, so it will be a bit more difficult to cut and replace with a mesh or etched component. The cooling air exhaust on the right side of the hull uses a clever "herringbone" center section (part 137) to produce the louvers, which is a smart idea.
The gun assembly is pinned to the hull from below in Step 19 by the use of a plastic pin (part 81) which looks to an awkward method and may cause problems, especially those who do not paint the model as they assemble it. Since this pin is then sealed behind the firewall (part 57) it is something to be taken into consideration.
The kit comes with a nearly complete "basic load" of ammunition, which Miniart has wisely designed with the mounting clamps attached to the individual shells. However, the shells are designed for the different racks and have the clamps in different places – high around the projectile or low around the neck of the casing. Alas, while the kit includes eight "Arrow" shells (APC ammunition) as parts 71, the two different clamp types of HE-FRAG rounds are all called "Part 45" so you will have to pay close attention as to which is which.
This particular vehicle comes with two PPSh submachine guns in racks and ammo drums for them; it does not come with a DT machine gun, which is a bit unfortunate as it limits the modeler's options. Most of the brass add-on kits for the old Alan/DML kits have the disk racks for the DT guns, if you really want to have that option instead. (More of them were used with the SU-76M Model 2 variant anyway.)
The driver-mechanic's hatch and rear door are optional position parts. This helps when one examines the crew figures, which appear to provide a crew for a vehicle in firing position. The kit provides the complete #35037 set (available separately) which provides a five man crew: commander, gunner, and three "other numbers" loaders. Two of the figures (commander and loader standing behind the vehicle) are wearing greatcoats. The other three (gunner using the sights, loader behind the gun, and kneeling loader with the ammo supply) are wearing the quilted Soviet winter combat uniform; all five have the "Shelomofon" type padded helmets.
The figures are well sculpted and animated, and should be useful for other purposes as well by dioramists. As a bonus, the figure set also includes eight more HE-FRAG rounds but without the rack clamps as found in the vehicle part of the kit. Each one consists of eight basic parts (torso, legs, arms, hands and head) with a three-piece "Shlemofon" helmet; the greatcoat figures add a respectably thin two-piece skirt.
Finishing options are well covered with a color finishing direction set for painting (a nice touch in all of the Miniart kits so far) and covers the following vehicles as well as the crew: SP battalion, 11th Guards Army, East Prussia 1944 (white A-514 2); Unknown regiment, East Prussia 1945 (white 2-314, with one tank kill); 1238th SP Artillery Regiment, Poland March 1945 (white 1659); 1448th SP Artillery Regiment, 9th Krasnodar Cossack Division, Poland 1944 (white 31); 1223rd SP Artillery Regiment, 5th Guards Tank Army, 3rd Belorussian Front, Vilnius July 1944 (white 14 2). Serial numbers are also included where known.
Overall this is a nice little kit and even with the large number of parts should be a relatively easy build compared to the Alan/DML one. While the price seems high, it must be remembered that in a day and age where standard provision of a figure set from 25 years ago is now an option the kit does include appropriate figures, so the price is competitive with other kits.
NOTE: Those wishing to do a postwar or Korean variant should recall that Miniart has advertised a "late production" version of the SU-76M which should be the Model 2 variant.
Sprue Breakdown:
A 126 Upper hull and fighting compartment
B 104 76mm gun and hull glacis/roof
C 42x2 Wheels and suspension
D 44x5 Track links
E 4 Clear styrene
F 1 Lower hull tub
35307 65 Russian Artillery crewmen
Text by Cookie Sewell
Page Created 23 February, 2008
Page Last Updated 23 February, 2008


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Salvation, salve, and a Haitian burn clinic
By Alex AnhaltJune 14, 2018
Haiti (MNN) — Haiti's poverty can sometimes force people to come up with creative solutions to everyday problems. For example, how do you turn on the lights or use an oven when you don't have power?
For Haiti With Love's Eva Dehart says that "Without electricity, they're using candles and lanterns, and they're using charcoal for cooking. There are a lot of open flames when you don't have electricity available to you."
Photo courtesy of For Haiti With Love
Because of all that fire, burns are a regular problem for many Haitians. If left unchecked, burns also have a tendency to get infected thanks to poor sanitary conditions in many parts of Haiti. However, because of how long burns take to heal, quality burn care is slow and expensive.
That is, unless you visit For Haiti With Love's burn clinic.
"We will see an average of 130 to 150 burn patients a month, and that's all ages for all different kinds of reasons," Dehart says. Since patients have to return for bandage changes and new medication on an almost daily basis, that actually means more than 700 individual treatments every month.
"Sometimes people are there on the day of the burn, and sometimes it takes them two or three days to get there. We are treating basically the entire country for burns, and that's quite a responsibility on our part, but it's also a really good feeling to be doing that much good."
The clinic has three exam tables, and at any time there is usually a patient at each table. Space isn't a problem.
However, the clinic is an ongoing effort to feed a need and save lives, and as with any ongoing project, For Haiti With Love has to find the materials they need. Burn cream, pain medication, and bandages aren't too difficult to find, but they still need donors to help support the clinic.
The clinic might be a practical solution to a practical problem, but it also provides spiritual healing to the people of Haiti.
(Photo courtesy of For Haiti With Love)
"The nurses are constantly reminding the patients that the clinic is there by the grace of God, that the supplies are provided by God's people, and that this is God's assistance for their problem," Dehart says.
The nurses have the full, undivided attention and gratitude of the patients. In other words, patients listen. Many patients also have burns from voodoo rituals, which Dehart says gives nurses an opportunity to say, "God loves you, and He would never demand you do this kind of thing to your body to prove your love for Him." In the context of a burn clinic, even voodoo priests listen to that message.
Remember to pray for the nurses as they deal with the physical and emotional trauma of being surrounded by suffering all of the time. "I don't think you ever get calloused to trying to help someone through that kind of pain," Dehart says.
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Pray for the nurses dealing with burn victims on a daily basis.
Ask God to provide the clinic with the materials and personnel it needs to handle the burns.
Thank Him for the massive impact the clinic has had on Haiti.
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HBO's 'Animals': Creators Reveal Guest Stars and Season 2 Plans At SXSW
From Whoopi Goldberg to Jonah Hill, HBO's "Animals" will be crawling with guest actors going into Season 2.
Maya Reddy
In just a few short years, Phil Matarese and Mike Luciano have gone from working at an ad agency in New York to writing about the animals that live in New York on HBO's "Animals." At their panel at SXSW this year, moderated by IndieWire's Eric Kohn and accompanied by producer Jen Roskind, the three of them detailed how a small independent pilot managed to get picked up by HBO. They also offered some sneak peeks into what the unpredictable series has to offer, going into Season 2.
When the first episode was created, with only Matarese and Luciano on board hoping to turn it into a full-fledged web series, screenings of "Animals" was kept exclusively to small crowds in and around their native New York. After being featured at a festival though, they were found by the Duplass brothers, who decided to go ahead and fund the show independently. They managed to avoid the traditional route of shopping a pilot around at various networks, and ended up with the first two full episodes and scripts for the first season.
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READ MORE: Review: HBO's 'Animals.' Is Weird, But Not Wild Enough
With a cast of characters voiced by the numerous well-known comedians reached by the Duplass brothers, the series (one of the first TV shows to ever be featured at the festival) was a hit at Sundance. It was stressed that was a huge importance for the show to find a different and unique place to live in, and this was where HBO came in, allowing them all the freedom and creativity they could want – which is a lot, considering the sheer amount of improvising "Animals" relies on.
As fans might remember, Season 1 of "Animals" didn't solely focus on the animals of New York. Instead there was an ongoing storyline in the background, as the humans of the city dealt with a political drama of their own while the animals bantered their way through New York City. With a focus on packaging each season in a fashion akin to fellow HBO bed-fellow "The Wire," "Animals" Season 2 will be moving on into the science-fiction realm for their human counterparts with a live action episode. Centering on the villainous Dr. Labcoat, played by RuPaul, the citizens of New York will have to deal with the possibility that they may or may not be getting poisoned by a New York mega-corporation.
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With the creative freedom granted them by HBO, Matarese and Luciano were also allowed to dip into experimental storytelling beyond just allowing humans to have their own drama. Matarese was particularly excited to tease that this season would have a Killer Mike collaboration with Outkast's Big Boi, in an episode that basically just consists of them freestyling. When improvising with any of their numerous guest stars, they emphasized that it's generally hands-off, unless someone needs a little extra guiding to ease them into the role.
Killer Mike and Big Boi are only the tip of the iceberg of actors to come in Season 2. Fred Armisen gets to stretch his chops as a hairless cat named Alabaster in an episode reminiscent of "Goodfellas" or "The Godfather," that also features Joe Lo Truglio and Jim Rash. We'll also get to see January Jones play a seagull and Mindy Kaling voice a squirrel. The first episode will center on Michael Rapaport and Harmony Korine, while also featuring Emilia Clarke, Neil Casey, and Jason Alexander.
To cap it all off, Ice-T raps a recap of the first season in the credits of the premiere, which isn't something to be missed. Check out Season 2 of "Animals" when it premieres on HBO March 17.
This Article is related to: Television and tagged Animals, Fred Armisen, HBO, RuPaul


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Ferguson Hires Black Police Chief
Updated Apr. 14, 2017 10:26AM ET / Published Jul. 22, 2015 10:46AM ET
Jim Young/Reuters
Ferguson, Missouri, on Wednesday named a black police officer as its interim police chief. The former police chief, who was white, stepped down after a grand jury declined to charge Officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown. Andre Anderson, 50, is a 24-year veteran of Glendale, Arizona's force. "I am asking city of Ferguson community members… and leaders if we can set a course in the history books that clearly proves that peace prevails," Anderson said. "I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work."
Read it at St. Louis Post-Dispatch


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The Book of Baruch by the Gnostic Justin
por Geoffrey Hill
Outros autores: Kenneth Haynes (Editor)
18 Nenhum(a) 929,263 (4) Nenhum(a)
At his death in 2016, Geoffrey Hill left behind The Book of Baruch by the Gnostic Justin, his last work, a sequence of more than 270 poems, to be published posthumously as his final statement. Written in long lines of variable length, with much off-rhyme and internal rhyme, the verse-form of the book stands at the opposite end from the ones developed in the late Daybooks of Broken Hierarchies (2013), where he explored highly taut constructions such as Sapphic meter, figure-poems, fixed rhyming strophes, and others. The looser metrical plan of the new book admits an enormous range of tones of voices. Thematically, the work is a summa of a lifetime's meditation on the nature of poetry. A riot of similes about the poetic art makes a passionate claim for the enduring strangeness of poetry in the midst of its evident helplessness. The relation between art and spirituality is another connecting thread. In antiquity, Justin's gnostic Book of Baruch was identified as the 'worst of heresies,' and the use of it in Hill's poem, as well as the references to alchemy, heterodox theological speculation, and the formal logics of mathematics, music, and philosophy are made coolly, as art and as emblems for our inadequate and perplexed grasp of time, fate, and eternity. A final set of themes is autobiographical, including Hill's childhood, the bombing of London, his late trip to Germany, his alarm and anger at Brexit, and his sense of decline and of death close at hand. It is a great work, and in Hill's oeuvre it is a uniquely welcoming work, open to all comers.… (mais)
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For Hill, books are made out of books. "You've always been a name dropper," he says to himself. But here, as he approaches the end of life, I argue he invokes and wrestles with his predecessors not to hold the reader at arm's length as he might have in his earlier work, but to invite the reader in: "My diction having metastasized into the cheerily odd, I doodle with a tattooist's needle several things I would once not have said, let alone addressed on parade." As he wrestles with the past poets, playwrights, and painters, Hill shows the reader the poetic tradition is not fixed, that it demands interpretation, and, more, that all interpretation is reinterpretation. "By gnosis I mean both what it ought to have been and what it is, to tell the truth," he says.
adicionada por eereed | editarEarth & Altar, E.E. Reed (Jun 26, 2020)
The Book of Baruch by the Gnostic Justin is not easy going, but should prove surprisingly rewarding even for the casual reader (who doesn't mind being baffled by much that s/he comes across). The near-aphoristic nature of so much of this -- line after line, in places -- keeps the individual pieces, and the book as a whole, from getting bogged down, while the connections are fairly clearly built up and structured, step-by-step (albeit including far-flung digressions left and right). The texts then also allow for multiple levels of reading -- however far the reader wants to research and look up -- though it may prove to be a near-infinite well; certainly the doctoral dissertation that annotates the text will be many times this volume's size.
adicionada por eereed | editarThe Complete Review, M.A. Orthofer (Sep 14, 2019)
The reader will note the internal rhymes here and there clanging like funeral bells. The language remains pained and elusive, twitchy and self-flagellating. There are many reasons not to read this overheated book, the longwinded ramble and leaden rant interrupted at every pass; but such reasons are nothing compared to the privilege of spending a few hours in company with one of the great poetic minds of the past century.
adicionada por eereed | editarThe New Criterion, William Logan (Jun 1, 2019)
Every word here is charged, potent, lapidary. But then this was always the case with Hill
adicionada por eereed | editarThe Spectator, Nick Lezard (May 19, 2019)
The Book of Baruch is a work of the sovereign imagination in a state of radical alienation, to put it in Hillian terms, and all the better for its soiling at the hands of a fallen and imperfect world.
adicionada por eereed | editarThe Guardian, David Wheatley (May 3, 2019)
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Haynes, Kenneth Editor autor secundário todas as edições confirmado
At his death in 2016, Geoffrey Hill left behind The Book of Baruch by the Gnostic Justin, his last work, a sequence of more than 270 poems, to be published posthumously as his final statement. Written in long lines of variable length, with much off-rhyme and internal rhyme, the verse-form of the book stands at the opposite end from the ones developed in the late Daybooks of Broken Hierarchies (2013), where he explored highly taut constructions such as Sapphic meter, figure-poems, fixed rhyming strophes, and others. The looser metrical plan of the new book admits an enormous range of tones of voices. Thematically, the work is a summa of a lifetime's meditation on the nature of poetry. A riot of similes about the poetic art makes a passionate claim for the enduring strangeness of poetry in the midst of its evident helplessness. The relation between art and spirituality is another connecting thread. In antiquity, Justin's gnostic Book of Baruch was identified as the 'worst of heresies,' and the use of it in Hill's poem, as well as the references to alchemy, heterodox theological speculation, and the formal logics of mathematics, music, and philosophy are made coolly, as art and as emblems for our inadequate and perplexed grasp of time, fate, and eternity. A final set of themes is autobiographical, including Hill's childhood, the bombing of London, his late trip to Germany, his alarm and anger at Brexit, and his sense of decline and of death close at hand. It is a great work, and in Hill's oeuvre it is a uniquely welcoming work, open to all comers.
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